smjjames

Define "better"?.... Well, at least it works in a place like Denmark. They currently have 9 parties in parliament. I do remember from my childhood and teenage years that there used to be quite a few more. I can remember at least 5 parties from top of my head not on this list. It has happened that the major parties actually formed governments across the "left/right" divide (something that might currently be unthinkable in the US) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Denmark Is it efficient? Probably not. But, it seems to work. Many views gets represented and extremes generally gets avoided. Mind you, haven't been keeping tabs on the old country the last 17-18 years. Well, theres also differences in how the parties work in the US vs in Europe. They're much more rigid in Europe and there is far less crossover and stuff, which is how you have stuff like Rand Paul, a self proclaimed libertarian, wearing the Republican jersey and Trump puppeting the Republican party.

No beard though. Then again, a quick check on wiki shows that he 'converted' (if you will) to Communism in his late 20's/early 30's and just about all images of him that I've seen are of him in his later years.

And there were four left wing type ones in 2017. Also, it'd be more productive to break it down into types rather than lumping it all into one, the page says that they ranged from white supremacist type ones, to a few incel idiots, to islamist, despite what ktchong said.

Trumps 1%er Cabinet strikes again. https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/24/business/wilbur-ross-loans-food-assistance-government-shutdown/index.html https://www.vox.com/2019/1/24/18195782/wilbur-ross-shutdown-workers-loans-food-banks I can think of several reasons why they wouldn't want to take out loans...

What does that have to do with politics? Also, guy should have ended the interview when they started being nonserious about it. Anyways, Pete Buttiigieg joins the 2020 Democratic primary.

As I said on another forum, it's like the media was tripping all over themselves and each other trying to get the stoiry out before getting the full facts for sure. @sonicmage: You don't even see the flags with a cross on it that they're talking about, and funny linking to RT, a known Communist site, heh.

That's um, The Beatles? No idea where the lyrics are from. Anyways, a spokesperson for Muellers office is disputing the Buzzfeed article saying that it's inaccurate. However, they aren't saying what is inaccurate.

It hasn't been corroborated by other major networks yet, however, from the sound of it, it seems like one of those rare leaks from the Mueller investigation or more likely, from those associated with it, so, it won't be corroborated until the report gets released.

In response to Pelosi saying she wants the SOTU postponed, Trump cancels her foriegn travel. Does he have the power to actually do that (he did concede that theres nothing stopping her from flying commercial)? I mean, I know the President has full control over foriegn policy, but being able to outright alter a congressmembers schedule? I don't recall that ever happening, much less publicly. Sure, there could be times when the President doesn't want congress members to make a foriegn trip, especially if there is something sensitive happening, but given the separation of powers, it really doesn't seem like the President actually has that ability..... The article mentions that theres speculation that the trip may have been postponed anyway, but that doesn't make what he's trying to do any less childish. edit: I guess he can deny the military aircraft? Again, it doesn't make it any less childish, especially how it's playing out publicly. edit2: Commentator is saying that the President does have the power to cancel or curtail a congressional delegation because they're using military aircraft. I can see circumstances where it could be used, but not in this childish fashion.

Well, RINO anyway, we all know he's really libertarian. I'd have laughed if it was any other Republican, it just happened to be Rand Paul. I don't think they were staring at Germany that time either? Other than the fact that WWI would have just recently ended.

Considering that Irish border is difficult issue, because of Good Friday agreement that was done to end Northern Ireland conflict or The Troubles as conflict is called in UK, which was guerilla war which Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) fought against UK. As there is fear that hard border which is against Good Friday agreement will start said conflict again, in other words war is actually one possibility that people fear when it comes to hard Brexit. Ironically, it's the DUP that wants the hard border. It's looking more and more like a no-deal Brexit will take that decision out of their hands and they'll have to deal with the aftermath. I wonder if some Sinn Fein members wish they had a voice in this proccess because they really could have helped shape the whole thing given that it's the DUP that want the hard border, but Sinn Fein doesn't.

Pence says ISIS has been defeated, hours after an attack that killed US troops in Syria. Looks like we have our Mission Accomplished moment..... (yes, I know Trump has claimed victory, but the visuals and cognitive dissonance of this one seals it)

The way this is going, theres going to be people who are upset over it regardless, but it doesn't seem like it would rise to the violence of the Trroubles (as I usually hear that period described) since the target isn't each other or the British government. Well, okay, the British government is responsible for screwing it up, but that's a different thing to be angry about than decades/centuries of oppression.

The US Civil War doesn't really work as an analogy because in Brexit, the alternative isn't war. It's really an impossible position for everybody, May especially. May wanted to keep the border as is and not rock the Good Friday boat, the EU said 'No, you can't have it both ways with leaving the EU while having the porous border at the same time.' (while somehow implying that they'd take NI away from the UK? dunno), the DUP wanted a hard border, and I think Republic of Ireland also wanted to keep the same porous border. Not that ROI had a vote here anyway.

From what I've read though, a no-deal Brexit crash through is going to end up with exactly what they didn't want for the border anyway. Not the Ireland/North Ireland integration neccesarily, just that it'll end up with a hard border, or something. Or maybe it was something that May didn't want? Either way, the Irish border seems to be something that doesn't have a solution that everybody is happy with

If the DUP already has what it wanted, then how come they voted against the Brexit deal?

Also, while I get that it's a private hospital, you gotta wonder why he is going to Canada (curse you volourn, spelling Canada with a K is temping me, lol) instead of a private hospital in the US, that's the irony of it I'm talking about because I'm betting that the private hospital is cheaper than ones in the US.

It's not like he has some rare or uncommon condition that needs to be treated

Yeah, I lol'd hard when I saw that one just because of the irony of it. Yes, he's paying for it, but still...

What if that number he has his finger over is actually 2000, not whatever it actually is? That kind of ruins the meme I think, or it would have been better without the card numbers.

To you, what makes her different from the other Democrats who may/are run? Just wondering. I know she is supposedly one of the more moderate Democrats who might run, but theres other Democrats who could run (in this massive potential field of like, 30) who are also moderates.

WSJ (The Hill article though as the WSJ one is paywalled) and Republicans are worried about the precedent that doing a National Emergency to get around congress is going to set and that Democrats could take advantage of it by doing a national emergency on climate change or something. While I think they're hyperventillating somewhat, they do have a point about setting precedent. Speaking of setting precedents... if the Republicans are so worried about this one, maybe they should have thought twice about some of the recent precedents that they've made, which kind of set things up for this to happen.

Which view are you talking about specifically that she views as 'morally correct' that is viewed as morally incorrect by most people?

It's the internet, I think you know the answer. @Gromnir: I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head there, if anything, she's just completely new to politics.

I don't think anybody would be surprised by that at this point..... You know, it doesn't seem all that hard to look at past shutdowns, but then again, most shutdowns don't usually last more than maybe a week and don't involve such intractable problems as Trump being stubborn. Also, given that Fox news is the one that goaded him into the shutdown, I'm still waiting for them to accidentially goad him into starting a war, a la USS Maine.