Guard Dog

Let me tell you a dirty little secret about career politicians. They don't believe in anything. They believe in what they think voters want to hear. Last week the Republicans sent a bill to repeal the ACA (Obamacare) to the President who, of course, vetoed it. Now bear in mind this is the ACA that THEY fully funded last month in the Omnibus Spending Bill. Had they actually wanted to kill this thing, that was their opportunity right there. Why did they do this? Because the republican voters are at their gates with torches and pitchforks and they were hoping a stupid, futile and useless gesture like that will mollify the peasants. No one in DC gives a damn about illegal immigration. They don't live on the border. They will never be the victim of a crime committed by an illegal that has been caught and released several times. The only reason it is ever brought up is because it inflames passions on both the right and the left. Passions can be fanned into votes. It may seem cynical but nothing ever said by a career politician is ever genuine. All of it is calculated. The only truthful thing Jeb Bush said in the last debate was "I'm Jeb Bush and I want your vote". There are two other types of fish to be found in the political sea. Ideologues like Barack Obama. They are scary because the first type I mentioned while despicable people, are predictable. Self preservation keeps them in check. Ideologues believe they are right, they are RIGHT dammit. They are smarter than you and better than you so it is only right they tell you what to do. (This is what Hayek called "the fatal conceit"). They don't care how their will gets done or who it hurts. I think BO is ready to leave office and he'd probably like to give us all the middle finger as he does because we put up so much resistance against him. How dare we! The last kind are the ones with an axe to grind. Ron Paul, Donald Trump, Ben Carson, etc. Some of these are ok, some are not. Depends on the axe.

That aircraft carrier will have to wait. I didn't win. Not that I was expecting otherwise. Normally I wouldn't play but what the hell. For $3 I'll take a shot at that jackpot.

Excellent point.

I bought a powerball ticket. With an luck (actually with enormous luck) I'll be able to afford my own aircraft carrier shortly.

No he should have stayed out of it altogether. And he DID make noise suggesting we would intervene. He did give military aid to Ukraine. I don't think you read what I wrote. Or if you did I did a poor job conveying my point.

If I hear one more person compared to Hitler I'm gonna scream! If you want to insult someone compare them to Jimmy Carter!

Yes my friend and using a euphemism to still imply Obama has made the USA weak still doesnt really make the USA weak GD as an ex-military man do you think the USA is weaker militarily....and if you think this what do you mean by it ? So for example is this something that has negatively impacted your important relationship with good friends like ...Syrian rebels ....or the Saudis? Like all comparisons this one is relative. Are we weaker than we were 8 years ago? Sure. Have we fallen out of frst place in the "strongest military in the world" pagent? No. Has our ability to project power been lessened? No. I wouldn't say Obama has made the US weaker. I WILL say Obama is a weak man. His mealy mouthed responses to ISIS, Russia in Ukraine, Benghazi, the Bergdal mess, etc. play that out. Last night he patted hiself on the back over Osama Bin Laden but let's not forget he nearly screwed that one up by waffeling on it for 24 hours. But the truth of being the leader of a nation is this: If you are not going to DO something about it, STFU about it. Talking without backing it up is what makes you look weak. No I've made my opinions on the US role in the world abundantly clear before but to highlight it here the US has no interest and should not be intervening in Syria. No matter who wins that "civil war" that country will still be an enemy that supports terrorisim and is a threat to Turkey & Israel (both allies in case we forgot). I would not shed on drop of American blood or on cent of American treasure on that. If Russia wants to take a side, let them. I hope they choke on it. As for our "friends" in the House of Saud if we had the courage to exploit our own oil resources we could tell them to go f--k themselves once and for all. As far as military intervention and humanitarian aid IMO US interests start at the eastern shore of the US Virgin Islands and ends at Pochnoi Point in Alaska. The exception being support of allied nations should they ever be threatened. I am reminded of George Washington's farewell address: "The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop."

But what do you think Sanders can or will do that you like, I'm genuiely interested in the appeal because I am missing what he offers the USA? I can't speak for Shady but to many of his supporters he represents a lack of alternatives. Don't ever doubt that unlike the character of legend most folks who are tilting at windmills know they are doing so. Sometimes there is just nothing better to do.

Don't confuse strength of arms with strength of will. Lacking the latter does not preclude the former.

Actually I'd say the hints are pretty big that he will be an isolationist, which puts him in a very similar camp as Trump. That actually increased his appeal to me. Of course he loses me on the whole "managed" economics thing.

Words cannot describe the awesomeness of this partnership:

Opposition to what? Aside from the conspiracy bluster they don't really say anything outside the mainstream of liberalism(in pol-sci terms). I see it as a containment forum for the chemtrails-, UFOs-, flouride in water- and etc-people out there. Those thing aren't real?

I think David Bowie is haunting me. I've had "Let's Dance" stuck in my head all day. But it is catchy.

The headline give you the impression Obama hailed the bailout as a step towards socialism. That isn't what he said. That was the point I was trying to make.

Speaking of bad journalism, would anyone like to point out the flaw in correlating the headline to the text of the article on this one? http://www.infowars.com/obama-touts-road-to-socialism-auto-bailout-in-weekly-address/

I hope he didn't actually say this!

We really need some libtards putting up Huffington Post articles to help balance this place out. You know one thing I love about Briebart & Info Wars is they link the source article (usually) for whatever they are writing about. Then you go and read the source article and find that either it had nothing to do with what they are saying or the link between them is tenuous enough to make you wonder if they read it all.

I'd have to make an alt. The reputation of Hurlshot™ is much to established to start posting such hyperbolic hogwash. I see your problem. Between LoF, Oby and Quistina all the good alts are taken. We don't have as many alts aswe used to. I'd imagine that is hard to get away with these days. Back in the day you never knew who the heck you were talking to!

Slots are a losing proposition. They only gambling you have half a shot at is blackjack, Unless of course you play poker then you will do as well as your competition permits. But with Blackjack if you follow a conservative strategy and remember this on key fact: in a 52 card deck 20 cards are worth 10, you will probably do ok. Don't hit on 14 or better if the dealer is showing a 10 card. If they have 20 you're screwed anyway. Play for the bust. Last time I was there I played $10 hand for 2 hours. I sat down with $200 and left with somehere around $320. I didn't get rich but that more than covered my drinks that night.

Just heard it on the radio. Sad news indeed.

My only advice is no free dinner is good enough to justify the irritation of listening to a time share pitch. I told that guy I was in bankruptcy and under indictment in three states and he still kept going!

Best post of this thread. No matter who wins when all you have to choose from is idiots or criminals. If you are going to hell in a hand basket at least you can have some entertainment on the way.

Congrats Malc!

OMG! Here you go Cartman! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFD_WVKZ1dA

An open world RPG set in the Planescape setting, at least three time the size of Skyrim (including DLC) with a fully realized Sigil, Blood War, Factions, Primes, Planars, Petitioners, Powers & Proxies. And I want it to have a tool set to create more content, an original story (please don't re-do Torment, you'll only f--k it up) and one last thing, please get the vernacular right. It's a big part of the appeal. Maybe I should put this in the "What would I do with unlimited money" thread in WoT.