Cancer Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 A view from West Berlin Since I lived in the city when JFK gave his speech (but we didn't try to attend it; I was just short of 7 years old and my brother was 4), I have a bit more connection to this one than many stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 12 minutes ago, Ragitsu said: I am truly disturbed to see even this amount of Bush Jr. defense around wars that never should have happened. Thank you. I vehemently oppose any attempt to rehabilitate that man and/or his cronies. The fact that you despise George W. Bush, and even that you have good reasons for doing so, doesn't mean that everyone else is required to to feel the same way, or that they are wrong if they don't. Having a different opinion than you have does not necessarily equate to trying to 'rehabilitate' the man's image. rravenwood, archer, Chris Goodwin and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 31 minutes ago, Ragitsu said: I am truly disturbed to see even this amount of Bush Jr. defense around wars that never should have happened. Thank you. I vehemently oppose any attempt to rehabilitate that man and/or his cronies. I didn't say Bush was a good president. i said he was better than Trump. Going to war is not war crimes. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragitsu Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 24 minutes ago, Pariah said: The fact that you despise George W. Bush, and even that you have good reasons for doing so, doesn't mean that everyone else is required to to feel the same way, or that they are wrong if they don't. Having a different opinion than you have does not necessarily equate to trying to 'rehabilitate' the man's image. Reasons - ones well established in the United States at large, by this point, by the way - I thought were shared here. Apparently, that is not true. In any case, I'm breaking off from this tangent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 An article about Trump's very slow, and very dangerous, Coup attempt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Ragitsu said: If roughly half of the nation identifies as Democrat/liberal, then...that figure is disconcerting/disheartening instead of uplifting. The vast majority of Democrats/liberals want Trump gone; there may be a few Republicans plus Independents that also want him gone, but most of that 57% are Democrats/liberals. Most people in that remaining 43% are Republicans or Independents. *sigh*. There's at least a small chance that a number of Democrats are looking at the Republican Party self-destruct and are answering the poll strategically: "Trump is going to be gone in a few days anyway. Maybe it's better for him to stay on and put the last few nails in the coffin of the Republican Party rather than allowing the Republicans to be publicly cleansed of him." Arguably (if the country were to survive the last few days of Trump), having the Republican Party tie itself in knots over the next four years over "whether to be loyal to Trump or not" rather than being able to focus on blocking Biden could work to the Democrat's advantage. And as much as Democrats detest Trump, I'm seeing a lot of celebratory attitude from Democrats in various forums as the Republican party in recent days has been revealing who they really are (or "who they really are" if you're the kind of person who prefers air quotes around that statement). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 2 minutes ago, archer said: There's at least a small chance that a number of Democrats are looking at the Republican Party self-destruct and are answering the poll strategically: "Trump is going to be gone in a few days anyway. Maybe it's better for him to stay on and put the last few nails in the coffin of the Republican Party rather than allowing the Republicans to be publicly cleansed of him." Arguably (if the country were to survive the last few days of Trump), having the Republican Party tie itself in knots over the next four years over "whether to be loyal to Trump or not" rather than being able to focus on blocking Biden could work to the Democrat's advantage. And as much as Democrats detest Trump, I'm seeing a lot of celebratory attitude from Democrats in various forums as the Republican party in recent days has been revealing who they really are (or "who they really are" if you're the kind of person who prefers air quotes around that statement). I could see a number of Trump opponents (on all sides of the political fence) thinking "it's less than two weeks - focus the attention and effort on something longer-lasting". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrickstaPriest Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 3 minutes ago, Hugh Neilson said: I could see a number of Trump opponents (on all sides of the political fence) thinking "it's less than two weeks - focus the attention and effort on something longer-lasting". I really think those people don't realize how irrational he is... Not that I think acting out of pure fear is appropriate, but at this point? archer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iuz the Evil Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 While I want him gone, and gone now, I don’t want to spend the majority of political capital post inauguration on Trump. First hundred days stuff, not the guy who isn’t in office any more. Let prosecutors or whatever deal with him, not the Administration. Grailknight and Pariah 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starlord Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 Ternaugh, pinecone, aylwin13 and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sociotard Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 But he gave Republicans the Supreme Court for the foreseeable future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Pariah said: The fact that you despise George W. Bush, and even that you have good reasons for doing so, doesn't mean that everyone else is required to to feel the same way, or that they are wrong if they don't. Having a different opinion than you have does not necessarily equate to trying to 'rehabilitate' the man's image. While I agree with that point itself, I am having to seriously restrain myself from going on an extended rant about the stupidities of W's Iraq War and the abysmal stupidity of the president who chose conduct it. But frankly, in the middle of a possible impeachment and possible coup isn't the best time to start an extended discussion on another, very complicated, subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 Recent polling has shown that two out of three Trump supporters are just as stupid as the other one. j/k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 Some random comments from another forum... Other guy: "We wouldn't have this problem if Republicans fought like democrats." Me: "Go to Canada if drafted?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 3 hours ago, Ragitsu said: I am truly disturbed to see even this amount of Bush Jr. defense around wars that never should have happened. Didn't intend to disturb you, sorry. Perhaps it's the outsider's perspective, never having had a horse directly in America's race. And that's from a country which declined to join Bush's coalition against Iraq, and was excoriated for it. I in no way support or condone Bush's policies in Iraq, but I stand by my assessment of the man himself. 6 minutes ago, archer said: Some random comments from another forum... Other guy: "We wouldn't have this problem if Republicans fought like democrats." Me: "Go to Canada if drafted?" Thanks to Americans for coming BTW. We received a large wave of bright, motivated young people. They really made a positive contribution to my country. Dr. MID-Nite, archer and Hermit 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 12, 2021 Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the No. 3 Republican in the House, announced Tuesday that she plans to vote to impeach President Trump for inciting a violent mob at the Capitol. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/533926-cheney-says-shell-vote-to-impeach-trump She's been very vocally anti-Trump for a long while now. But it's still refreshing to see one of the Republican leadership in the House come out publicly for impeachment ahead of the vote. Chris Goodwin and Pariah 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 I usually don't read much into symbolism playing to specific groups in American politics... But Trump goes to the Alamo just prior to the planned violent pro-Trump demonstrations in DC and every state capital. So the Alamo is most known for people who were willing to literally fight to the death for a political cause against overwhelming odds. And because they were willing to do that, their side ultimately triumphed. I think that goes quite a bit beyond heavy-handed in the symbolism department.... unclevlad 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 ... though a large number of the early Texians went to Texas to escape debts, i.e., get out from under the thumbs of the richest people and entities in the US. As a member of the exploitative class the Texians fled, for Trump to go there is doubling down on both the irony and the betrayal he's performed on the rural white population which provide a lot of the insurrectionists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrickstaPriest Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 I'm seeing a LOT of people equivocate how unfair it is that the left forgives the protests and riots but gets upset at this one. A literally childish "whaaaaaat's the difffff." ex: they didn't attempt a coup, it was just trespassing. None of the members of Congress were in any danger. If there was someone being inappropriate, why weren't they immediately arrested?!?!?! after all they have the best police there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 Some more random comments from another forum... First guy: "These are armed, well organized right wing militias who have bigger plans and Trump, by not saying anything encourages these terrorists. Their plans are to take down politicians, starting with Biden." Second guy: "Oddly enough they were chanting...."Hang Mike Pence" Me: "Oddly enough, his wife wasn't trying to convince anyone that he was already hung." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDaddy Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 If he’s impeached, pence can pardon him. So I’m torn - I’m pretty sure we (all of us on earth) a a bit less safe with him in office, but I long to see him prosecuted. He will doubtless attempt to pardon himself, and it’s definitely about time the pardon power was limited in some way (by judicial fiat) but Pence’s power to pardon him seems plenary to me unless pence is a codefendant. If we don’t prosecute him, government corruption becomes even more open and free of consequences. We clearly need to rein it in a great deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternaugh Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 56 minutes ago, archer said: I usually don't read much into symbolism playing to specific groups in American politics... But Trump goes to the Alamo just prior to the planned violent pro-Trump demonstrations in DC and every state capital. So the Alamo is most known for people who were willing to literally fight to the death for a political cause against overwhelming odds. And because they were willing to do that, their side ultimately triumphed. I think that goes quite a bit beyond heavy-handed in the symbolism department.... Actually, Trump went to Alamo, TX, and not San Antonio, where the Alamo really is. Maybe Rudy made his travel plans. archer and aylwin13 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 21 minutes ago, BoneDaddy said: If he’s impeached, pence can pardon him. So I’m torn - I’m pretty sure we (all of us on earth) a a bit less safe with him in office, but I long to see him prosecuted. He will doubtless attempt to pardon himself, and it’s definitely about time the pardon power was limited in some way (by judicial fiat) but Pence’s power to pardon him seems plenary to me unless pence is a codefendant. If we don’t prosecute him, government corruption becomes even more open and free of consequences. We clearly need to rein it in a great deal. Well Pence can pardon Trump but for what? Trump has likely committed so many federal crimes that any competent investigation will be able to find something. In theory, Pence could pardon Trump for everything which might or might not have occurred from January 1st, 1930 through December 31st, 2059. But most pardons aren't THAT thorough. And even if the federal crimes are pardoned, state criminal prosecutions are already ongoing in NY. And Trump committed at least a couple of crimes under Georgia law. So he will spend jail time if there's a will to prosecute him, regardless of what Pence might or might not do. And frankly, it's not in Pence's best political interests to pardon Trump. Historically, Ford's pardon of Nixon almost cost him the 1976 Republican primaries and was likely a big factor in him losing the general election. In addition to that, if Trump gets pardoned, he or one of his family members are likely to run for president against Pence in 2024 primaries. Trump in jail on federal charges can only help Pence's political prospects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 1 hour ago, archer said: I usually don't read much into symbolism playing to specific groups in American politics... But Trump goes to the Alamo just prior to the planned violent pro-Trump demonstrations in DC and every state capital. So the Alamo is most known for people who were willing to literally fight to the death for a political cause against overwhelming odds. And because they were willing to do that, their side ultimately triumphed. I think that goes quite a bit beyond heavy-handed in the symbolism department.... Couple of ironies here. One is that Trump is going to Alamo, Texas, which is not where the Alamo is located. The other irony is that the Texicans fighting at the Alamo were technically illegal immigrants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archer Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 4 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said: Couple of ironies here. One is that Trump is going to Alamo, Texas, which is not where the Alamo is located. The other irony is that the Texicans fighting at the Alamo were technically illegal immigrants. From what I remember of my Texas history, the immigrants to Texas were invited to move from the US to Texas and were promised protection from Indians and no taxes. A lot of the problems started when the government tried to repossess cannon which had been deployed to discourage Indian attacks. And started imposing taxes. A little known Texas fact: The monks who built the Alamo were famous for their creamery which created the province's first ice cream. The treat was so popular in Texas that after the Mexican army overran the creamery, the rallying cry for the Texas forces became "Remember the Ala Mode!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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