Politics

[sestoppelman]

What a noodle this man is, a dangerous noodle.

That is charitable to be sure.

 

[Ray B]

Another of these interesting short clips that speaks volumes,

After the vehicle is shot full of holes there appears to be a survivor running away. He should buy a lottery ticket, with that kind of luck he'd only need one.

 

[Brent in Az]

Trumps co- defendants all being extorted into plea deals.

Kangaroo courts in the banana republic.

 

[spike.t]

Bit more on s I called refugees or immigrants not assimilating etc....

 

[steve white]

72 sluts would be more stimulating.

I thought there was some mention of a goat as well?

 

[Red Leg]

Lack of self-awareness is always an interesting trait. Matt Gaetz "nobly" made the following offer on behalf of himself and the others who forced the ouster of Kevin McCarthy in a letter to the republican caucus prior to the final vote on Jim Jordan. It included -

"The recent passage of the Motion to Vacate the Speaker has caused rancor, hurt feelings, and acrimony in the House Republican Conference, While we stand by our actions, it is our goal to proceed forward with our colleagues, our teammates, our fellow Republicans in a manner that embraces reconciliation."

"It has been suggested the Conference cannot move forward until there are consequences for each of us. While we violated no rule of either the House or Republican Conference, we understand some in the Conference wish to punish us."

The letter states that the actions "were never about us," but rather to "change Washington for the better."

"The House now needs a Speaker, and we have a Speaker-Designate in Jim Jordan of Ohio."

"Therefore, if the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jordan would be willing to 'vote with the team' and elect him the 56th House Speaker, we are prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference to accomplish this objective. We remain proud members of the Republican Party, as nominated by our respective districts."


It really did beg for some sort of response and Republican Rep Tom McClintock couldn't resist providing a letter of his own to Gaetz and friends. The offended right wing bloggers call it "snarky." Perhaps - but it is pretty funny.


"Your letter of October 20, in which you graciously offer to martyr yourselves as long as you can get your way, is perhaps the most selfless act in American history. I was certain that our Republican colleagues "who refuse to vote" with the Republican majority would have been inspired by your stirring example of party discipline and loyalty to "vote with the team," as you so eloquently phrased it.

I was frankly stunned when they did not. I do not understand why a handful of our fellow Republicans couldn't see the simple fairness of the principle to which you have been so unswerving in your devotion: "heads-I-win-tails-you-lose."

We should have been moved by your willingness to suffer "censure, suspension, or removal from the conference" to enforce your personal preferences on the overwhelming majority of your unenlightened colleagues. We should have appreciated how you (and 206 House Democrats) saved us from a Republican Speaker.

We truly don't deserve you.

But your sacrifice is not in vain. You have succeeded in replacing the outdated concept of majority rule with an exciting new standard that a Speaker must be elected by 98.2 percent of the Republican conference. Someday, a messiah will be born unto us who can achieve this miraculous threshold, and on that day your judgment will be vindicated and you will be hailed as the geniuses that you are.

I think we were all truly humbled to learn that your "fidelity to Republican virtues and principles remains unwavering." Who could not be moved to tears to read that you offer your self-sacrifice "sincerely and with the hope of unity with purpose?"

With this in mind, I modestly suggest that you plan your martyrdom in the only way that truly matters: to have the wisdom to see the damage you have done to our country and to have the courage to set things right before it is too late.

I enclose a proposed resolution that perhaps one of you can offer as we begin the fourth week of national paralysis and as the world burns around us."

 

[fourfive8]

The cornerstone and primary selling point to the unsophisticated thinking of the masses for embracing communism is the folly of majority rule in an absolute socialist democracy. History does not treat the outcomes of those attempts well. Memories are short. Each failure and inevitable plunge into tyranny is excused then repeated with the following the promise, "Trust me/us, I/we know how to do it right this time". "I/we know how to distribute the communal goodies with equity". Animal House comes to mind, along with every such experiment in human history.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Lack of self-awareness is always an interesting trait. Matt Gaetz "nobly" made the following offer on behalf of himself and the others who forced the ouster of Kevin McCarthy in a letter to the republican caucus prior to the final vote on Jim Jordan. It included -

"The recent passage of the Motion to Vacate the Speaker has caused rancor, hurt feelings, and acrimony in the House Republican Conference, While we stand by our actions, it is our goal to proceed forward with our colleagues, our teammates, our fellow Republicans in a manner that embraces reconciliation."

"It has been suggested the Conference cannot move forward until there are consequences for each of us. While we violated no rule of either the House or Republican Conference, we understand some in the Conference wish to punish us."

The letter states that the actions "were never about us," but rather to "change Washington for the better."

"The House now needs a Speaker, and we have a Speaker-Designate in Jim Jordan of Ohio."

"Therefore, if the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jordan would be willing to 'vote with the team' and elect him the 56th House Speaker, we are prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference to accomplish this objective. We remain proud members of the Republican Party, as nominated by our respective districts."


It really did beg for some sort of response and Republican Rep Tom McClintock couldn't resist providing a letter of his own to Gaetz and friends. The offended right wing bloggers call it "snarky." Perhaps - but it is pretty funny.


"Your letter of October 20, in which you graciously offer to martyr yourselves as long as you can get your way, is perhaps the most selfless act in American history. I was certain that our Republican colleagues "who refuse to vote" with the Republican majority would have been inspired by your stirring example of party discipline and loyalty to "vote with the team," as you so eloquently phrased it.

I was frankly stunned when they did not. I do not understand why a handful of our fellow Republicans couldn't see the simple fairness of the principle to which you have been so unswerving in your devotion: "heads-I-win-tails-you-lose."

We should have been moved by your willingness to suffer "censure, suspension, or removal from the conference" to enforce your personal preferences on the overwhelming majority of your unenlightened colleagues. We should have appreciated how you (and 206 House Democrats) saved us from a Republican Speaker.

We truly don't deserve you.

But your sacrifice is not in vain. You have succeeded in replacing the outdated concept of majority rule with an exciting new standard that a Speaker must be elected by 98.2 percent of the Republican conference. Someday, a messiah will be born unto us who can achieve this miraculous threshold, and on that day your judgment will be vindicated and you will be hailed as the geniuses that you are.

I think we were all truly humbled to learn that your "fidelity to Republican virtues and principles remains unwavering." Who could not be moved to tears to read that you offer your self-sacrifice "sincerely and with the hope of unity with purpose?"

With this in mind, I modestly suggest that you plan your martyrdom in the only way that truly matters: to have the wisdom to see the damage you have done to our country and to have the courage to set things right before it is too late.

I enclose a proposed resolution that perhaps one of you can offer as we begin the fourth week of national paralysis and as the world burns around us."

Yes, but it isn’t funny, it is tragic. Gaetz has indeed done immeasurable damage, at a critical time. It has to be said that the Democrat house members are far more disciplined and act in a more mature way than the Republicans who treat the whole thing like a school outing. The only answer would appear to be to put McCarthy back. What a mess.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

It is tragic everywhere that a small group holds the majority of people hostage for their own personal gain. The same situation is happening here in Canucistan with Jagmeet Singh’s support of Trudeau. If he would do the right thing and allow a bill to go to a vote of no confidence we would have an election. But he and Trudeau want to keep power as long as possible, probably to line their pockets, before the gravy train comes to a screeching halt, after the next election. Which I believe will be put off to the last possible date.

 

[Pheroze]

It seems China is stepping up it's presence in the middle east. I am not sure what their objective is. Interesting times.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1716072416785449030

 

[Brent in Az]

A communist dictatorship has been festering in this country for some time. It escalated under Obama.
The democrat party IS a fascist regime that has engaged in existential warfare against Donald Trump and the republican voter.
The republican party is dying. Death By a thousand cuts.
Gaetz may have poor timing in his little coup, but I applaud him for lighting a fire under the ass of the republican swamp. It's long overdue, and I hope everyone else will wake up and smell the political sewage. The republican party needs a serious reboot, or it's done. It can join the Dodo bird.
Need a Tea Party on steroids.

 

[Brent in Az]

I thought there was some mention of a goat as well?

They have the goat part covered in this life already

 

[fourfive8]

Either Huxley or National Lampoon. Animal Farm or Animal House. Hah!

 

[ActionBob]

The cornerstone and primary selling point to the unsophisticated thinking of the masses for embracing communism is the folly of majority rule in an absolute socialist democracy. History does not treat the outcomes of those attempts well. Memories are short. Each failure and inevitable plunge into tyranny is excused then repeated with the following the promise, "Trust me/us, I/we know how to do it right this time". "I/we know how to distribute the communal goodies with equity". Animal House comes to mind, along with every such experiment in human history.

I can't think of any absolute socialist democracies ever having existed on a National scale. I believe the theory had been tried on a communal level. Robert Owen in New Harmony Indiana circa 1825 comes to mind. It failed miserably. Lord knows we have States trying to get there (California and Minnesota come to mind), and this insane movement by the vocal minority wanting the USA to go that direction.

I liked your reference to Animal house

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

It seems China is stepping up it's presence in the middle east. I am not sure what their objective is. Interesting times.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1716072416785449030

Will be interesting to watch. Very few nations have a true blue water Navy, meaning one that can deploy far from home for extended periods.

 

[Red Leg]

Will be interesting to watch. Very few nations have a true blue water Navy, meaning one that can deploy far from home for extended periods.

China really doesn't either.

 

[Brent in Az]

I watched a YouTube news clip where a retired military officer claimed the next world war could very well start as a sea battle.?

 

[bowjijohn]

News seems to be developing fast at the moment

BBC reports indicating great pressure by ‘allies’ on Israel not to go in

Israeli tank just opened fire accidentally on an Egyptian border post

Hard to keep up …

 

[Red Leg]

The cornerstone and primary selling point to the unsophisticated thinking of the masses for embracing communism is the folly of majority rule in an absolute socialist democracy. History does not treat the outcomes of those attempts well.

I am not sure what this means. There are currently only five nations on the planet that claim to have communist governments. Four are in Asia and the other is in Cuba. There are none in Europe. Of those five, three have actual economic systems that have far more in common with capitalism than communism. All of them can be most accurately described as single party dictatorships.

Moreover, I can think of no communist regime that came to power through the electoral process. The usual method has been through a dedicated revolutionary cadre that seizes control through some form of coup d'état or civil war.

The one clear example of a dictatorship taking hold through legal elections is, of course, Nazi Germany, but it was a fascist regime dedicated to the destruction of Bolshevism in general and the USSR specifically.

I can't think of any absolute socialist democracies ever having existed on a National scale. I believe the theory had been tried on a communal level. Robert Owen in New Harmony Indiana circa 1825 comes to mind. It failed miserably. Lord knows we have States trying to get there (California and Minnesota come to mind), and this insane movement by the vocal minority wanting the USA to go that direction.

I liked your reference to Animal house

I agree, I can not point to a true democratic socialist society. The AOC's of the world point longingly to Europe, but even Austria and Denmark - two often cited examples - have proudly capitalist economies. The social welfare systems of much of Europe are more extensive than the US, but that is not the same as a socialist democracy.

Probably the closest thing to working communal societies of which I am aware are the Kibbutz communities of Israel. They obviously have nothing in common with Israel's parliamentary government of economy as a whole.

 

[Red Leg]

I watched a YouTube news clip where a retired military officer claimed the next world war could very well start as a sea battle.?

If we ever go to war with China it will start either in the air or on the sea. There is no place where our land armies can engage each other.