smjjames

Duude, you're suuuch a pessimist aren't you? Chiiiiiiillllllllll (yes, I'm yanking your leg by pretending)

Arguably the phenomenon existed as far back as there was any chieftan with ambitions. Though there is a difference between a competent decisive leader (Putin) vs an incompetent decisive leader (Trump, though I wouldn't call him 'decisive', not in the usual meaning anyway), a competent leader with an authoritarian bent would be more dangerous as they'd be able to work the system more subtly, whereas Trump is flailing around and trying to see what sticks.

I (and I believe zoraptor meant the same) meant politically though, not domestically or economically.

I wonder how many countries went through a period like this only to crash and burn or just hit rock bottom and manage to recover? I don't think the US tried to learn any sort of lession from Putin's success, this is part of a pattern that has been slowly growing over decades

Heh, the numerals we know as Arabic numerals actually have their origin in India. Arabic script has it's own notation for numerals.

Even if Saccone wins, he'll have to run again in November and because the districts will be redrawn, it won't exist in it's current shape anymore.

Rest in peace Stephen Hawking. I'm surprised Google doodle doesn't have something to honor him, instead it's anniversary of Pi day (whatever the heck that is).

To be fair, they're both within reason to call a recount. I too thought there'd be an automatic recount as it's within range of one.

Given his apparent stance on violent videogames (or at least the gratuitously violent), he probably wouldn't even let his kid play that game, which is ironic because gunz and all that.

I don't remember any bird Marines from Aliens. Though I never really watched Aliens.

Well, they've developed guns that can fire bullets (and bullets that can be fired) underwater which is effectively the same as firing a gun in an oxygen free environment. In fact, I'm pretty sure both the US and Russia (and others) have developed guns and bullets that can be fired in space (recoil in microgravity nonwithstanding) if someone had to.

You can always rig it with propellant that doesn't need oxygen. That or rig some sort of oxygen container into the gun, but using a propellant that doesn't need oxygen sounds a heck of a lot easier to do since it wouldn't require changes to the gun, aside from perhaps the firing mechanism. Besides, why waste precious oxygen on firing the gun when you need to breathe said oxygen.

Went back and actually looked at where the mention of Hungary started and terminator is from Finland and aluminiumtrioxid is from Hungary. Got mixed up earlier.

What country are you from terminator? Just wondering. Someone mentioned Hungary earlier, or maybe that was Chilloutman that's from Hungary. edit: Yeah, the comment mentioning Hungary was Chilloutman being from there, positive of that.

Except Antifa isn't one monolithic thing, it's a mix of various different groups that share the same anarchist and anti-fascist idea. Just pointing that out. Not a fan of antifa either, violence should have no place in protests.

*sees no new Ageil's military thread* *posts in here instead* You guys are going to love this one, Trump told some Marines in a speech that they wouldn't go to Mars if Clinton was elected. http://cnn.it/2DpgE3G I know he was trying to make a joke and get some laughs or applause, but seriously, does he think we'll have to fight LGMs or whatever random horrors or beast from 60's sci fi show/movie? Guns are the absolute last thing we'd need on a trip to Mars.

Trump prefers hard power over soft power. Soft power isn't dead though.

And has private healthcare actually done any better?

In terms of adminstratively wise? yeah, Pompeo will certainly be better at it for sure. In terms of being a check on Trumps impulses? He'll likely make it even worse since theres no sign that he won't be a yes-man to Trump. He'll probably stop some of the most obviously disastrous stuff, yes, but he's right in line with Trump and is willing to be a sycophant.

Same here. I'd rather Obsidian take their time than trying to rush it.

Mike Pompeo? The only CIA or intel experience is that he was on the intel committee while serving as US Representative and being CIA director for a bit over a year. That doesn't make him someone with a background like Putin. If you mean Gina Haspel, the CIA director having experience in intel or a part of the intel community is normal.

Whatever your opinions are on Edward Snowden, he does make an extremely good point on Gina Haspel if she could face arrest when travelling to Europe, that and the values implied. Also makes a nice burn at the CIA. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/378112-snowden-on-haspel-cia-uniforms-should-be-decorated-with-skulls

"Civilization goes in cycles" or something I guess. It's true that we as a global civilzation are going through a turbulent phase. Theres all sorts of things and transformations going on like accelerating automation, lashback against globalism, geopolitics are shiftimg around, so, global civilization is doing this heave and spasm.

How come you deleted your previous post Val? I thought it was funny. Anyways, I don't recall there being a law against filming or interviewing someone with ____ ideology in England, which seems to be their specific reason for barring them.

In England? That's what you get when you have a monarchy, even one as disempowered as British nobility. If you don't want that, ditch the monarchy.