Politics First Contact

[Guard Dog]

Things are getting surreal in Sodom-on-the-Potomac. Giuliani says is "they" "suicide" him or he disappears all the documents are coming out.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/giuliani-says-biden-documents-to-be-released-if-i-disappear/ar-BBXewkq?ocid=spartandhp

https://dailycaller.com/2019/11/23/rudy-giuliani-fox-news-ed-henry/

Hmmm seems to me if you had all this good stuff release it right away and then there is no need to "suicide" you. Except for revenge I guess. There is always that.

[smjjames]

And then there's the whole 'I've got insurance if Trump tries to throw me under the bus'. Sarcasm or not, it still comes off as a little ominous. Most likely he's just BS'ing, but still, doesn't seem like something to joke about when you're talking about the President (whether that's Trump, (Hillary) Clinton, or otherwise).

He's also claiming to have 40 years of dirt on Biden, so there's that BS.

Edited November 24, 2019 by smjjames

[Guard Dog]

39 minutes ago, smjjames said:

And then there's the whole 'I've got insurance if Trump tries to throw me under the bus'. Sarcasm or not, it still comes off as a little ominous. Most likely he's just BS'ing, but still, doesn't seem like something to joke about when you're talking about the President (whether that's Trump, (Hillary) Clinton, or otherwise).

He's also claiming to have 40 years of dirt on Biden, so there's that BS.

Biden has been a "public servant" his entire career. Since 1960 he has been in either the House, Senate, or White House. So the biggest paycheck he has ever received was $228,000 pet year while he was Vice President. But according to Forbes he is a multi-millionaire with two luxury houses in Delaware and one in DC. His net worth is between $10M & $11M. More than a lifetime on the public dole can account for.  I am 100% certain there is plenty of dirt to find. Haven't you ever wondered why Hunter Biden was on the board of directors of a foreign energy company while his father was Vice President? He had no business being there especially for that salary. Haven't you ever wondered just what the Ukrainians were actually buying? 

Of course none of that makes what Trump did OK. But that's the point I'm always trying to make. There are no "good guys". There are nothing but villains on your ballot. No angels in hell.

[Bartimaeus]

1 hour ago, Guard Dog said:

I am 100% certain there is plenty of dirt to find.

No doubt, but you may have vaguely heard in the news recently about a certain Giuliani being a part of a slightly illegal scheme to dig up dirt on a certain Biden. It might make a little bit of more sense to go with the "40 years of blackmail that I already have on the guy" rather than unnecessarily opening up the risk of going to prison on a separate-but-the-same-exact-idea scheme...if you actually have anything, which he probably doesn't. Not because there isn't any, but more likely because he's an inane blustering hack fraud.

[smjjames]

3 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

Biden has been a "public servant" his entire career. Since 1960 he has been in either the House, Senate, or White House. So the biggest paycheck he has ever received was $228,000 pet year while he was Vice President. But according to Forbes he is a multi-millionaire with two luxury houses in Delaware and one in DC. His net worth is between $10M & $11M. More than a lifetime on the public dole can account for.  I am 100% certain there is plenty of dirt to find.

It's possible to get that amount without going into shadyness or conspiracy theories. Though yeah, there is a ton out there already in the public and more domestically that could be found with some detective work. That said, it calls into question that if Giuliani has '40 years of dirt', why not use what he already has instead of focusing on something in which wrongdoing hasn't been proven and has been debunked.

Theres also the fact that Trump only wanted them to say the magic words and didn't care whether they actually went through with an investigation.

 

3 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

Haven't you ever wondered why Hunter Biden was on the board of directors of a foreign energy company while his father was Vice President? He had no business being there especially for that salary. Haven't you ever wondered just what the Ukrainians were actually buying? 

It is possible to be ethically shady/dubious while legal at the same time.

[Zoraptor]

Getting to ~10 million while on a 6 figure salary for 40 years shouldn't be too hard if you're careful and make decent investments. I'd also presume that like our politicians here US politicians vote themselves a decent benefit package for transport and accommodation costs and people on decent incomes also tend to pay relatively less tax via having decent accountants. IIRC Biden as a senator was known for not being at all extravagant personally (used public transport etc up until being VP or something like that? of course checking that sort of thing is what google etc are crap at).

Making decent investments could of course involve some privileged information use that isn't available to the random as opposed to specific Joe, but that's very much 'could involve', not does involve. If he'd just bought houses in New Zealand the capital gains would have tripled his investment over 20 years, let alone 40.

As for Hunter Biden, he should never have accepted the position but it's on him that he did; neither Biden sr nor Obama could literally stop him, and I cannot see any way they wouldn't have advised him to refuse the position. It's an awful look for a country you were meant to be trying to reduce corruption in to have your VP's son given a random but well remunerated directorship for no discernable reason and if Biden sr had any future political ambitions it would be an obvious point of attack.

[ktchong]

 

Here is a very interesting video that shows how the so-called "Five Eyes" or "Anglo Sphere" (i.e., the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) blocks and censors videos on YouTube.

Basically, if you live in any of those five countries that you would think are "free" and "democratic", some contents are blocked because their messages do not fit into the "approved" mainstream narrative.  However, if you "change" your country to outside the Anglo Zone, then those "unapproved"  contents become available. 

Seems like China and Russia are not the only nations that have a "firewall".

 

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by ktchong

[ComradeYellow]

More like Anglo-Zionist "western" sphere.

[ktchong]

The algorithm of YouTube would  recommend videos to me based on my search records.  I must have searched for "Bernie"  hundreds of times, yet  never ONCE has YouTube recommended a Bernie Sanders video to me. 

Hm.

Edited November 26, 2019 by ktchong

[Zoraptor]

Google search algorithms are bought and paid for and youtube is owned by Google (well, alphabet but they're the same thing); and private companies always have and always will manipulate content with or without pressure from government agencies. No surprises there. Indeed, much as I loathe FB/ Google/ etc it's a damned if do damned if you don't situation with Google being criticised for too much 'censorship' while FB gets criticised for too little (or too much when they get criticised for censoring nipples in non pr0n settings). Use an alternative search provider or even google.[country]/ncr.

If anyone wants to be concerned about anything they do on a computer and government agencies then I'd present Intel's Management Engine and AMD's Platform Security Processor- NSA backdoor chips they're obligated to put into every processor they produce. That's way more concerning than Google downplacing Bernie because Sergei Brin et al are frightened of being taxed and would prefer any milquetoast status quo Bidenesque 'moderate' who can be guaranteed to suckle at the corporate teat instead.

Actual governmental social media manipulation is usually pretty obvious- brand new accounts on reddit/ fb/ whatever that get botted for exposure, eg the thousands of new pro Bolivian coup twitter accounts that recolved to... Virginia, which I'm sure isn't home to any interested US parties whatsoever- and mostly is attempts to immediately frame narrative followed by suppression of any and all dissenting geopolitical views as being 'pro Russia'/ 'whataboutism'/ 'gaslighting' or whatever; in the full knowledge that there are plenty who will parrot what they read without being paid.

(5 eyes is of course absolute crap and has 100% been used for industrial espionage, illegal monitoring and the like and is set up specifically to get around limitations on domestic spying- our spies request stuff that would be illegal here from the NSA/ GCHQ/ ASIO/ (no idea who the Canadian equivalent are)).

Edited November 26, 2019 by Zoraptor

[Gromnir]

lordy.

in other news,  here is richard spencer’s full letter to trump resigning as navy secretary

Dear Mr. President:

It has been the extreme honor of a lifetime to stand alongside the men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps team in the protection of the American people and the values we all hold dear.

Together we have made great strides over the past two years. strengthening the foundation of our readiness, and bolstering our constellation of allies and partners, to respond wherever needed with the honor and professionalism that have marked our force for the past 244 years.

Now more than ever. the United States Navy and Marine Corps stands ready and firm in every part of the globe, fueled at all times by our greatest resource — the men and women who wear the uniform. Many of them will soon miss their Thanksgiving dinners at home so that they can continue the watch beyond the curve of the horizon. They and their families are, and will forever be my personal heroes.

As Secretary of the Navy. one the most important responsibilities 1 have to our people is to maintain good order and discipline throughout the ranks. I regard this as deadly serious business. The lives of our Sailors, Marines and civilian teammates quite literally depend on the professional execution of our many missions, and they also depend on the ongoing faith and support of the people we serve and the allies we serve alongside.

The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries. Good order and discipline is what has enabled our victory against foreign tyranny time and again, from Captain Lawrence’s famous order ‘Don’t Give up the Ship,’ to the discipline and determination that propelled our flag to the highest point on Iwo Jima. The Constitution, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, are the shields that set us apart and the beacons that protect us all. Through my Title Ten Authority, I have strived to ensure our proceedings are fair, transparent and consistent, from the newest recruit to the Flag and General Officer level.

Unfortunately it has become apparent that in this respect. I no longer share the same understanding with the Commander in Chief who appointed me in regards to the key principle of good order and discipline. I cannot in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took in the presence of my family, my flag and my faith to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

The President deserves and should expect a Secretary of the Navy who is aligned with his vision for the future of our force generation and sustainment. Therefore. with pride in the achievements we’ve shared and everlasting faith in the continued service and fidelity of the finest Sailors Marines and civilian teammates on earth. I hereby acknowledge my termination as United States Secretary of the Navy to be effective immediately.

I will forever be grateful for every opportunity to have served, from my days as a Marine, to the extreme honor of serving as the 76th Secretary of the Navy. My wife Polly and I stand in appreciation and admiration of the patriots who today forge the next link in the unbroken chain of our Navy and Marine Corps and we urge all Americans to keep them, and their families, in their hearts and prayers through this holiday season and beyond.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to serve.

Respectfully yours,

Richard V. Spencer

 

[Zoraptor]

Someone bombed the Turkish supported rebels in Syria last evening and despite it being fairly extensive- 9 sites reported so far- seemingly no one knows who it was.

And with rather appropriate timing, a leak of documents pertaining to China's Uighurs/ Xinjiang concentration camps in the past day.

[Guard Dog]

Conflicting stories about Spencer coming out. One account has him resigning because Trump meddled in the Gallagher mess. The other has him being fired by Esper for going around him to work out a deal on Gallagher with the President. The letter makes it sound like neither are true but the former is closer to the truth. As the CiC the President has the absolute prerogative to intervene as he did. But just because you CAN do something does not mean it's a good idea to do it. 

The two takeaways from this whole sorry affair is this: Spencer knows how to write a letter with some snark in it while still looking respectful. A skill I can appreciate! The other is Trump = Chaos. 

[Malcador]

Sort of sad that there's a base to appeal to that love Gallagher or his type.

[Guard Dog]

37 minutes ago, Malcador said:

Sort of sad that there's a base to appeal to that love Gallagher or his type.

IF everything is true he is a real POS. But there are a lot of conflicting stories. Plus the US Military is not at all hesitant to throw one of it's people under the bus over the mere appearance of wrong doing. I saw that happen with my own eyes. So I can't say what Gallagher did or did not do insofar as shooting civilians.  His own people turned him in but a court martial did not convict. Posing for pics with a corpse is a weapons grade stupid thing to do because it give propaganda material to the enemy. Losing a rank is usually the least of a court martial conviction so IMO he was lucky that was all that happened. As for losing his Trident pin, who is or s not a SEaL is entirely the prerogative of the commander of the SEaLs. They can kick anyone out of any reason or none. In this case at least there was a good reason. So Trump stepped on a lot of toes here. And yes he is within his power to do so it would have been wiser if he hadn't. 

The worst part is you are right on target about this action appealing to a certain voter base. In fact if everything Gallagher did were proven true I'm afraid most of them would be cool with it. 

Edited November 26, 2019 by Guard Dog

[Gromnir]

2 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

Conflicting stories about Spencer coming out.

kinda the point. instead o' doing typical "they are all bad," you eventual are gonna need choose who you believe. so, who do you believe? can choose spencer, the former marine corps captain who claims he resigned 'cause o' the administration's abandonment o' rule o' law... looks like he purposeful added handwritten date on letter. converse, gd believes trump administration who says real reason spencer were told to resign is esper violated chain of command. "they are all bad," is exactly the false equivalency old adversaries from outside the US want us to make, so choose. don't need to tell us what is your choice, but you gotta make a choice which matters and cannot keep buying into conspiracy theories and label all actors as bad as if doing so makes choice pointless.

HA! Good Fun!

[Bartimaeus]

Trump Wonders Why the 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage Wasn't Celebrated 'A Long Time Ago'

this guy lmao

[ktchong]

A breakdown of the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act” passed by the US Congress:

 

 

Basically, it is a backdoor and pretense to extend US jurisdiction — the Patriot Act in particularly — into Hong Kong.

For examples:

Remember when Hong Kong refused to extradite Edward Snowden back to the US, and then allowed Snowden to escape to Russia?

Under the US Congress bill on Hong Kong, Hong Kong would be required to extradite Edward Snowden to the US, even though neither China nor Hong Kong has an extradition agreement with the US. 

Also, the bill will require Hong Kong to follow US sanctions on companies and countries — including US sanctions on Chinese companies like Huawei, (which is ridiculous.)

AND it will require Hong Kong to extradite Chinese citizens wanted by the US, even though Hong Kong is a Chinese territory. Again, neither China nor Hong Kong has — and will sign — any extradition agreement with the US.

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by ktchong

[Skarpen]

2 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

Trump Wonders Why the 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage Wasn't Celebrated 'A Long Time Ago'

this guy lmao

Here is a little longer video:

President clearly asks Marsha Blackburn if they worked on this for years and she answers yes. So his wondering why this wasn't signed before is understandable. The bill might have been passed earlier. The 100th anniversary isn't this year it's next year, so if it can be signed year before, why not five?
Just another example of no matter what Trump does or says it will be spinned to smear him.

[smjjames]

Plus the fact that the heading doesn’t provide full context and the article itself does sound like he is talking about the centennial bill, not the centennial itself, though it’s not 100% clear in the article. 
 

Of course, it doesn’t help that he often does say dumb things that are dumb even in  context, so, it’s a little like Biden and his gaffes,

[Malcador]

Only took just over a month or so to go through Senate too.  Not really sure what he's crowing about but, I guess the guy has to jerk it every chance he gets.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Malcador

[smjjames]

I'm pretty sure he could claim credit for the sky being blue if he thought he could get away with it, it's that bad.

[Malcador]

18 hours ago, Zoraptor said:

Someone bombed the Turkish supported rebels in Syria last evening and despite it being fairly extensive- 9 sites reported so far- seemingly no one knows who it was.

Russians I guess ?

[Gorth]

25 minutes ago, Malcador said:

Russians I guess ?

Waiting for Erdogan to pin it on the Kurdish airforce.

 

[Zoraptor]

Syrian government has claimed it was them, but... they said they did the bombing in the morning when it actually occurred in the evening which is a fairly big mistake to make, and their claim was nearly a full day after the fact too.

Targets and M.O. strongly suggest it was the Russians since the targets were bodge job oil refineries similar to those which Russians went after strongly when they were bombing ISIS (and see also bottom for another potential reason), they're economic targets and there was no chance of Turkish soldiers being collateral damage. Plus no one knowing who it was and the number of targets means it pretty much had to be them or the US (who have no reason to), Syrian airforce could hit that many targets for sure but it's highly unlikely they could without anyone identifying them. They do have precision high altitude capability via their MiG29s and possibly some Russian donated Su24s, but throughout the whole civil war there are only two cases where they have been known or strongly suspected to have used them- assassinations of Ahrar ash Sham's and Jaish al Islam's leadership.

I suspect the Russians did it but want to maintain deniability so there isn't any political fallout. The Turks have been ignoring their occupation zone boundaries and trying to take the important road junction towns of Ain Issa and Tel Tamir, and they've been mixing Turkish troops in with their proxies to dissuade against retaliatory artillery or air strikes. Rather more conjectural, but one of Erdogan's sons was allegedly involved in some shenanigans including oil smuggling from ISIS into Turkey, if he's still involved in oil smuggling it may well be a bit of a personal warning and hit to the back pocket to the Erdogans directly.