The Next President is...

[Sua Sponte]

3 hours ago, disgruntledemployee said:

Lot of talk about Shadow President Musk, which I'm sure is meant to piss off Trump to over react.

PS.  Why does Trump want to raise the debt ceiling?  I thought he was mandated to bring the budget back into balance.

It costs a lot of money to deport the browns. 

[ClearedHot]

3 hours ago, Negatory said:

This forum is about to eat up right wing propaganda stating the government shutdown is the Dem’s fault. Even though it’s a Republican controlled House that didn’t pass a budget bill.

Guess it would probably be too embarrassing to admit that President Musk’s tweets to tell republicans to not pass any bills had more impact than First Lady Trump.

https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/trump-backed-spending-bill-voted-down-house-with-government-shutdown-looming.amp

Shut it down...everytime there has been a shutdown they blame the GOP and everytime the GOP does better in the mid-terms.  And before you through all the GOP and Trump Tripe out there...where is the current freaking President?  Isn't he supposed to lead?

 

 

[Smokin]

The House just passed the bill with more than the 2/3rd vote, so if there is a shutdown, then it is 100% on the Dems.  They pulled the debt ceiling increase/removal, which was the worst part.  Still spending way too much, but only the bill is 10% of the original length, which is progress.

I would still rather have seen the shutdown and a massive spending cut as the requirement to open the government back up.  We're spending money we don't have like a SNACKO who put everything on black in Vegas and is now borrowing money trying to double up to catch up.

[arg]

Familiar face at 6:50

 

[disgruntledemployee]

Next four years will be the most epic clown show in history.  I'm setting up Amazon subscribe n save on popcorn.

[ClearedHot]

10 hours ago, disgruntledemployee said:

Next four years will be the most epic clown show in history.  I'm setting up Amazon subscribe n save on popcorn.

Where have you been the last four years?

 

[dream big]

On 12/22/2024 at 5:11 AM, disgruntledemployee said:

Next four years will be the most epic clown show in history.  I'm setting up Amazon subscribe n save on popcorn.

I’ve come to expect that the only people who will have serious issues with the American leadership the next four years (just like 2017-2021) will be our adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, terrorist groups like ISIS, transgenders, illegal immigrants, far left lunatics like Antifa and Black Lives Matter, and decrypt democratic leadership in failing states like California and New York. 

[disgruntledemployee]

Not excusing Biden admin, just predicting an even better/worse clown show. 

Here's a gif of the Chief Air Dicker.

 

Edited December 26, 2024 by disgruntledemployee
Merry Christmas

[HeloDude]

5 hours ago, disgruntledemployee said:

Not excusing Biden admin, just predicting an even better/worse clown show. 

Here's a gif of the Chief Air Dicker.

 

Tell us five new policy changes that Trump has said he will implement that you believe will make things worse.

[brabus]

Guess it depends on what disgruntled means by clown show. If he simply means theatrics (like making Canada the 51st state), then yeah, trump is full of stuff like that. If he means hypocritical theatrics from congress, then also yes, there will be plenty of that. If he means executive level performance on par or worse than the historic disaster of the Biden admin, then I believe he is completely off his rocker and incapable of self-derived rational thought.

Edited December 26, 2024 by brabus

[disgruntledemployee]

Yes to Theatrics.  Like the bootlickers are backstabbing each other.  Loomer and Bannon going after battery-boy Musk.  Musk writing opinion that a labeled extremist entity, Alternative for GE, is the solution to issues in Germany. 

Trump has been mostly quiet.  Maybe he's finally figured it out.  As for executive level action, so far I have him following Musk's lead on funding the govt asshattery (Congressional theatrics).  Will Trump be his own man or be manipulated by the likes of Musk?

Once he takes power, we'll have more events to banter.

Happy Holidays, may Oregon stomp OH St (although I'm Big 10), and God bless the Green Bay Packers.

[BFM this]

1 hour ago, disgruntledemployee said:

[This post smells like bourbon 🥃]

Yeah man, right on!

[jonlbs]

2 hours ago, disgruntledemployee said:

Yes to Theatrics.  Like the bootlickers are backstabbing each other.  Loomer and Bannon going after battery-boy Musk.  Musk writing opinion that a labeled extremist entity, Alternative for GE, is the solution to issues in Germany. 

Trump has been mostly quiet.  Maybe he's finally figured it out.  As for executive level action, so far I have him following Musk's lead on funding the govt asshattery (Congressional theatrics).  Will Trump be his own man or be manipulated by the likes of Musk?

Once he takes power, we'll have more events to banter.

Happy Holidays, may Oregon stomp OH St (although I'm Big 10), and God bless the Green Bay Packers.

I disagree with most of this rambling, but I had to downvote for the last 6 words. disgusting...

 

Go Lions.

[disgruntledemployee]

I like the Lions, but only if they get past The Pack.  Dan the Man is ballsy.  Respect.

PS, 3 beers in among the relatives had a say in the previous rambling.

[ClearedHot]

On 12/26/2024 at 3:34 PM, brabus said:

Guess it depends on what disgruntled means by clown show. If he simply means theatrics (like making Canada the 51st state), then yeah, trump is full of stuff like that. If he means hypocritical theatrics from congress, then also yes, there will be plenty of that. If he means executive level performance on par or worse than the historic disaster of the Biden admin, then I believe he is completely off his rocker and incapable of self-derived rational thought.

While I don't enjoy some of the theatrics, at times they do serve a purpose.  Most of the bluster is to force negotiation and in the case of Canada it kinda worked.  Interestingly Canada was already feeling the immigration pain and has tightened the requirements for immigration to their country drastically.  As Trump pointed out there has been a huge spike in people coming across the northern border and a threatened 25% tariff forced Trudeau to get on a place and fly to Mar A Lago.  And if you think it is wrong to punk the future Canadian governor, good look at some of the things he said about Trump in the past.

His comments has the same impact with Mexico, since the election they have suddenly detained 500,000 immigrants heading for the U.S. border.

Right or wrong, it worked with NATO in the past and while I don't favor walking away from that alliance, a great number of the members were delinquent or not meeting their obligations.

[Lord Ratner]

On 12/28/2024 at 8:27 PM, ClearedHot said:

Right or wrong, it worked with NATO in the past and while I don't favor walking away from that alliance, a great number of the members were delinquent or not meeting their obligations.

This is the entire foundation of geopolitics today. 

 

The [long-standing system] is broken so let's get rid of it.

You can't say that about [long-standing system]!  Sure it needs some adjustments to work again but it's vital to global stability.

Ok fine, if we're going to keep it then let's make those adjustments to fix it.

No. It will take years to make these changes.

Fine, then we're cancelling [lopsided trade arrangement that favors an ally at the expense of America].

Wait no, we're fixing it right now! See?! Why are you punishing us by trading with our country the way we've traded with you for decades?!

[FourFans]

20 hours ago, Lord Ratner said:

This is the entire foundation of geopolitics today. 

 

The [long-standing system] is broken so let's get rid of it.

You can't say that about [long-standing system]!  Sure it needs some adjustments to work again but it's vital to global stability.

Ok fine, if we're going to keep it then let's make those adjustments to fix it.

No. It will take years to make these changes.

Fine, then we're cancelling [lopsided trade arrangement that favors an ally at the expense of America].

Wait no, we're fixing it right now! See?! Why are you punishing us by trading with our country the way we've traded with you for decades?!

...and that analysis is the standard by which second and third order effects are ignored.  One small example: What happens with our relationship with Japan, S Korea, or the Philippines if we walk away from NATO?  Will they willingly lay it down for us against China if they know we've become transactional with our loyalty?  If we aren't loyal to our promises, what possible incentive do they have to oppose Chinese expansion?

[Boomer6]

13 minutes ago, FourFans said:

...and that analysis is the standard by which second and third order effects are ignored.  One small example: What happens with our relationship with Japan, S Korea, or the Philippines if we walk away from NATO?  Will they willingly lay it down for us against China if they know we've become transactional with our loyalty?  If we aren't loyal to our promises, what possible incentive do they have to oppose Chinese expansion?

The Philippines and Japan don't really have any options in that regard. We're the only power in the region capable of pushing back on china's claims in the SCS, which violate their sovereignty. Their sovereignty rights are THE incentive to opposing chinese expansion, and they can't do that without us. Korea is in the same boat, but moreso with nK. Their options are to either rely on US, and our nuclear umbrella, or start building nukes themselves to defend against Kim.

[disgruntledemployee]

1 hour ago, Boomer6 said:

The Philippines and Japan don't really have any options in that regard. We're the only power in the region capable of pushing back on china's claims in the SCS, which violate their sovereignty. Their sovereignty rights are THE incentive to opposing chinese expansion, and they can't do that without us. Korea is in the same boat, but moreso with nK. Their options are to either rely on US, and our nuclear umbrella, or start building nukes themselves to defend against Kim.

So fuck em?  They'll come begging to us?  Sounds like an abusive relationship.  Are you saying we're Ike?

[Boomer6]

9 minutes ago, disgruntledemployee said:

So fuck em?  They'll come begging to us?  Sounds like an abusive relationship.  Are you saying we're Ike?

Nope. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. I don't see the US walking away from the US-Japan Security Treaty, especially because we don't want them developing nukes to deter china. I think the point others are alluding to is NATO has the appearance of an abusive relationship, and we're the ones getting abused.

[Lord Ratner]

3 hours ago, FourFans said:

...and that analysis is the standard by which second and third order effects are ignored.  One small example: What happens with our relationship with Japan, S Korea, or the Philippines if we walk away from NATO?  Will they willingly lay it down for us against China if they know we've become transactional with our loyalty?  If we aren't loyal to our promises, what possible incentive do they have to oppose Chinese expansion?

Walk away? Why type of high school romance analysis is this? 

No, they are not going to willingly "lay it down" against China. They are going to send what they have, where we tell them to send it because they know without us they are nothing more than Chinese vacation destinations. And I bet the Japanese have no interest in finding out how much the Chinese remember about their treatment during WWII.

And where does this NATO loyalty come from? As soon as the threat from Russia fell with the Berlin Wall, Western Europe allowed their militaries to crumble into dust, finally free to spend that money on social programs and solar panels. NATO is a joke, and it exists for one reason. We saved them from Russia (and freed the rest of them), and they know we are the only thing preventing it from happening again. So in exchange for our blanket of strength, they had to pull their weight (a whopping 2%). Of course future American liberal politicians found orgasmic elation from the fantasy that we had finally defeated human nature once and for all and "ended history," so they were only too happy to look the other way while the European military capability evaporated. Now Russia is reminding everyone just how scary a few hundred thousand soldiers on your border can be, even if they lack any semblance of training or modern equipment, and suddenly the Euros have a newfound appreciation for NATO. Cute. 

You have to be delusional (and I know you aren't) if you think any of these countries are going to raise a single pistol against China unless they think it's the only way to maintain their sovereignty and get the Americans into the fight. The Germans sacrificed their entire energy industry for cheap Russian gas, just wait until we find out how dependent these countries are on the Chinese when the time comes to "lay it down."

3 hours ago, FourFans said:

if they know we've become transactional with our loyalty

Our loyalty has always been transactional. Welcome to democracy. Thomas Jefferson learned it the hard way less than 10 years after he helped create this country. Many others have learned it since. 

56 minutes ago, Boomer6 said:

I think the point others are alluding to is NATO has the appearance of an abusive relationship, and we're the ones getting abused.

Exactly. NATO only has value if the members are capable of military projection. And if you've ever negotiated anything, you should know that your have no leverage if you aren't willing to walk away. 

[busdriver]

35 minutes ago, Lord Ratner said:

NATO only has value if the members are capable of military projection.

Not entirely.  It keeps them from developing nukes.

[BFM this]

6 hours ago, FourFans said:

...and that analysis is the standard by which second and third order effects are ignored.  One small example: What happens with our relationship with Japan, S Korea, or the Philippines if we walk away from NATO?  Will they willingly lay it down for us against China if they know we've become transactional with our loyalty?  If we aren't loyal to our promises, what possible incentive do they have to oppose Chinese expansion?

Apples to Oranges.

Japan, RoK, and PI all put in effort and resources within their capability, in contrast with most of NATO.

[Clark Griswold]

Get’em Bernie

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/01/02/sen-bernie-sanders-elon-musk-is-wrong-on-h-1b-middle-class-outsourcing/

Combine old school class n income thinking lefties with ‘Merica lovin patriots and destroy the globalist oligarch tech bros

[FourFans]

I find it interesting how few people recognize the asian situation from the asian perspective.  Japan, Korea, the PI, Thailand, Vietnam ALL have a LOT more options than US or no US.  They can just as easily comply and submit to the Chinese by way of not interfering with Chinese expansion.  For an extreme example: Imagine what would happen if Japan decided that the US can't use offensive forces from Okinawa anymore.  Yes, that's an extreme example that IMO will NOT happen, but options like that do exist for all these countries. 

Consider what would happen if the PI came to  it's own agreement with the Chinese where they simply refuse US basing rights in particular places for mild territory concessions by China.  All these countries have their own agendas, and they all view 'sovereignty' in a very different way than we do.  The list of these kinds of 'what ifs' is endless.

In general, if they observe the US taking steps away from treaties, agreements or promises made in other places, their confidence in our will to come to their aid could degrade, driving them to seek other options to secure their own interests.  It's very dynamic and every single one of these countries has their own interest in mind, and being allied with the US is far from being a catch-all solution from their perspective.