Politics

[Red Leg]

MSN

I wonder how this idiot figures to enforce his edict. What a hammerhead!

On this we can agree.

 

[rookhawk]

Anyone listening to RFK Jr's interviews as of late? Whether with Bill Maher or the lengthy podcast interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, he sounds incredibly sane and reasonable. His positions make him a classical liberal by definition (also known as a libertarian that leans right).

Worth a listen. He may be the more conservative option in the primary/general election than the Republican alternative, whoever that may be.

 

[Mekaniks]

Round 2?

Will Biden’s Plan B for student loans work?

The president wasted no time launching a second attempt at forgiving billions of dollars in student debt, but his new approach could face some of the same pitfalls that sank his original effort.

news.yahoo.com

 

[Nevada Mike]

Anyone listening to RFK Jr's interviews as of late? Whether with Bill Maher or the lengthy podcast interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, he sounds incredibly sane and reasonable. His positions make him a classical liberal by definition (also known as a libertarian that leans right).

Worth a listen. He may be the more conservative option in the primary/general election than the Republican alternative, whoever that may be.

I have been following RFK Jr. for a while now. He is definitely NOT aligned with the current ideology of the Democratic party. His anti-war stance would make his candidacy a real problem for 95% of the Washington elite. He is a 'populist' voice and has a major hill to climb to have a shot at the Democratic nomination, especially with Gavin Newsom waiting in the wings and betting Biden gets into enough hot water to forfeit a try for a second term. Newsom is a philandering asshole. Kennedy is could attract a lot of votes from liberal Republicans and centrist Democrats... and could win.

 

[Red Leg]

Anyone listening to RFK Jr's interviews as of late? Whether with Bill Maher or the lengthy podcast interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, he sounds incredibly sane and reasonable. His positions make him a classical liberal by definition (also known as a libertarian that leans right).

Worth a listen. He may be the more conservative option in the primary/general election than the Republican alternative, whoever that may be.

He has been a bit off the rails on the whole vaccine and autism issue for a long time. Though it was a popular belief 10 or 15 years ago. He has been legitimately hard on Fauci which is refreshing for a democrat.

My main objection is that he is as anti-Ukraine as Tucker Carlson and as wrong in his military analysis of the war to date as Douglas McGregor and the Russian news media.

He has no chance against the Democrat machine. And unlike most elections, were he to run as an independent, he likely will hurt the Republican nominee more than Biden. The media from CNN on left consider him a kook and will treat him so.

I remain convinced the character sitting on the sidelines awaiting the fatal Biden stumble is Newsome. Yes, he has turned California into a cultural and economic cesspit (with some serious mayoral and legislative help), but every single current Biden voter would rush to him (unlike Kamala). And unlike the two leading candidates he is young, physically good looking (if you are into that sort of hair), and very articulate.

 

[Hunter4752001]

While the ideological, social and economic policies of the potential candidates is of great importance for the future of the country, don't loose sight of their 2A stance. Economic realities tend to restrict most leaders from getting too far into the crazy area (OK your current incumbent may be an exception). Firearm and hunting policies are what directly affect the ability of most on this forum to enjoy life and protect their families.

 

[steve white]

I also noticed him doing this when the Austrian national anthem was being played prior to the grand prix....and actually wondered if it would be noticed...Good to see it was....what a muppet

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He'll never be Nikki Lauda anyway.....

 

[Newboomer]

Happy 4th America!


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I am a red blooded conservative AMERICAN with lineage back to the Mayflower.

 

[Ray B]

Two comments on previous postings: First, Who is Lewis Hamilton? Second: claim that Trump is merely "bloviating" (I'll bet the author learned that word from a DemonRat professor) that he could end the war in 24 hours. While 24 hours may be a stretch, how long would the war last if Trump policies on oil production and trade were re-enacted dropping the worldwide price of oil to $25/bbl and exports from China were hammered?

 

[WAB]

I’m my book Biden has done only one thing right in his presidency, support Ukraine. I’m not saying he’s done it for the right reasons, or that he has done it well, but he has done it. For me, that is a big issue. I firmly believe that Putin must be stopped.

I won’t vote for Biden, but I would really struggle to vote for someone opposed to ongoing support for Ukraine. That boat includes Kennedy & Trump.

 

[Red Leg]

Two comments on previous postings: First, Who is Lewis Hamilton? Second: claim that Trump is merely "bloviating" (I'll bet the author learned that word from a DemonRat professor) that he could end the war in 24 hours. While 24 hours may be a stretch, how long would the war last if Trump policies on oil production and trade were re-enacted dropping the worldwide price of oil to $25/bbl and exports from China were hammered?

I usually try not to pay much mind to your posts Ray. But you decided to make this one personal? And sarcastic? Well I am impressed you knew it as well. We even went to different schools.

But do tell. Based upon your economic acumen, how long would it take Trump to get oil to $25 a barrel? And were he successful, how would he address the subsequent catastrophe across our oil producing regions? But you do realize what you are calling a Trump achievement is completely false? It is just another Trump myth that is getting some current play on the nether region sites.

It is indeed true that the pandemic did cause a global supply glut during some of Trump's last year in office as demand collapsed. It actually went to less than twelve dollars a barrel for a short time. However, on his last day of office, as things had begun to recover, the price of oil was $52.33. I would just as soon not shut down the world economy or destroy our oil industry to take prices below $25.

Here are actual annual oil prices since 2016. They will help your analysis.

I guess Trump must have a different plan.

Year	Average Closing Price	Year Open	Year High	Year Low	Year Close	Annual % Change
Crude Oil Prices - Historical Annual Data
2023	$74.83	$80.26	$83.13	$66.74	$70.13	-12.89%
2022	$94.53	$76.08	$123.70	$71.59	$80.51	7.05%
2021	$68.17	$47.62	$84.65	$47.62	$75.21	55.01%
2020	$39.68	$61.17	$63.27	$11.26	$48.52	-20.64%
2019	$56.99	$46.31	$66.24	$46.31	$61.14	35.42%
2018	$65.23	$60.37	$77.41	$44.48	$45.15	-25.32%
2017	$50.80	$52.36	$60.46	$42.48	$60.46	12.48%
2016	$43.29	$36.81	$54.01	$26.19	$53.75	44.76%

 

[Dragan N.]

It is roughly analogous to the M48. The T54/55 had a lower silhouette and a 100mm gun. The M48 had somewhat heavier armor and 105 mm gun.

The M60's Soviet competitor was the T62. These were radically different concepts. The M60 weighed 50 tons to the T62's 36 tons. The M60's engine was quite a bit larger so power to weight ratios were very similar. The T62 had a 115mm smooth bore main gun and the M60 had a 105mm rifled gun. The smooth bore was the first tank gun to fire APFSDS rounds (sabot) and they were fired at a much higher velocity than the M60 standard armor piercing rounds. The M60 had significantly heavier armor. It was basically a wash with a slight edge to the T62.

The appearance of the T72 really pushed the US to develop a truly new main battle tank and hence, the M1 Abrams.

Quick question- what do you think caused Russia's high armor? Is this a design flaw/ their modern tanks were poorly built or was it more due to poor tactics and training with how to use tanks ??

 

[Wathe208]

 

[Hunter4752001]

All of the above.

The T72 and later developments have a significant design flaw. The ammunition is stored in a circular cassette feed system just under the turret ie on the inside of the hull.

In case of a fire, the propellant cooks off blowing the turret and destroying the vehicle.

 

[Red Leg]

Quick question- what do you think caused Russia's high armor? Is this a design flaw/ their modern tanks were poorly built or was it more due to poor tactics and training with how to use tanks ??

@Hunter4752001 beat me to it, but exactly that.

The flaw in the T72 design is the ammunition in an open carrousel in the fighting compartment of the turret. That design was necessitated by its auto-loader. As a result it is a bomb waiting to go off. Western tanks use a separate armored compartment to hold the ammunition bringing only one round into the fighting compartment at a time.

The Russian design created a smaller lighter tank and they could reduce the crew by one. It also shoots a little quicker due to the auto-loader. Back when it was designed, the frontal armor was believed sufficient to protect the crew and prevent ammunition detonation.

A lot has changed since with respect to anti-armor weapons. Modern anti-tank guided missiles like the Javelin and NLAWS primarily use top attack. The shaped charge strikes the top of the turret and sends a molten jet of metal spraying over all that exposed ammunition in the turret. The result is a catastrophic kill, either through intense fire or explosion, and no chance for the gunner or commander to survive.

The same result occurs when an Armor Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot tungsten or depleted uranium round from a NATO main battle tank hits a T72 at any angle.

Because the carousel is an inherent design component to the structure of the design, there is nothing the Russians can do about any of the T72 series.

This is what a Russian tank crew is sitting on top of.

In a western tank like the MIA2 Abrams, the ammunition is in the rear of the turret behind a blast door. Should there be a catastrophic explosion or burn, the fire and blast are directed outward.

 

[Ray B]

The point was not that the war would end in 24 hours if Trump was in charge. First of all, if Trump was president I believe there would have been no Russian attack. Secondly, If tomorrow Bidet came to the podium and said he was implementing policies that would return the US to the dominate supplier of oil in the world market as well as eliminating the regulations that choke production of US goods & services including ending global climate hysteria I believe that it would not be 24 hours before the warring factors would be making decisions to pursue a negotiated ending of hostilities. the war would continue past the 24 hours but as it was said about a point in WWII: It wasn't the beginning of the end, but it was the end of the beginning.

 

[Red Leg]

The point was not that the war would end in 24 hours if Trump was in charge. First of all, if Trump was president I believe there would have been no Russian attack. Secondly, If tomorrow Bidet came to the podium and said he was implementing policies that would return the US to the dominate supplier of oil in the world market as well as eliminating the regulations that choke production of US goods & services including ending global climate hysteria I believe that it would not be 24 hours before the warring factors would be making decisions to pursue a negotiated ending of hostilities. the war would continue past the 24 hours but as it was said about a point in WWII: It wasn't the beginning of the end, but it was the end of the beginning.

I wish you had said that the first time. I am all for the US reasserting itself as a leader in oil and natural gas production, and oil and natural gas export. I am particularly in favor of it if we can do it while maintaining a floor price per barrel of oil between $50 and $65. Something north of $45 is necessary to even make shale exploitation profitable.

Since that is generally the current price per barrel, I do not understand what any of that has to do with the end of the war in Ukraine.

And nice Churchill quote.

This war will end when one side or the other determines it is no longer worth the cost. Because Ukraine is fighting for its very right to exist, I remain convinced Russia is the one under most severe growing pressure. Of course that could change if someone like Trump enters office and decides to cut the support out from under the Ukrainian people.

 

[fourfive8]

It matters not a whit nor nit but at the top of my list, in no particular order are: Donald Trump, Kari Lake and Vivek Ramaswamy.

One thing, IMO, to watch out for is the current push, by the various left commie/anarchists, is ranked choice voting. Beware! and this info is not some gd right wing conspiracy theory either! And BTW, I'm damned tired of that label being thrown out like dime chips on a poker table! Dark money is pushing it nationwide and that money is being pumped into every nook and cranny of the country. Guess who is one of the big contributors?.... the chief anarchist/commie himself.... Soros. Is Alaska paying attention? Oh that's right, they already fell into that black hole.

 

[1dirthawker]

He has been a bit off the rails on the whole vaccine and autism issue for a long time. Though it was a popular belief 10 or 15 years ago.

Red Leg. I would disagree with this statement. He is pretty much an expert on this subject, and has offered to debate ANYONE that disagrees with his position. I have listened to his information and have to agree with him on this subject.

there have been doctors and scientists that refuse to debate him, even for 2.5 million to their favorite charities (the amount keeps going up). Harvard graduated doctors/scientists bailed (3 of them) on a debate with him. Now weather he is absolutely correct...time will tell, but so far, the scientific community has taken a pass because he has their studies (or lack thereof) on their side.

regarding Ukraine, geez, i am at a loss as well and listen to smarter guys than me, (you happen to be one of them).

 

[Nevada Mike]

Red Leg

I think there is more risk and downside compared with little upside in supporting the Ukraine in its fight with Russia. Making plenty of people rich, and we're paying for it.

Please explain why I am wrong.