BruceVC Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 18 hours ago, Guard Dog said: 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. This is a good post and makes sense to me on numerous levels but here is what I dont understand Why is posing next to ISIS dead bodies such a bad thing? ISIS is the most barbaric, murderous and dysfunctional group the world has seen since the Nazis I dont feel even the slightest remorse when I hear " ISIS fighters have been killed " and you cant possibly add to the anti-Western ISIS propaganda that has always existed and at times has evolved during the time of the false ISIS Caliphate era ..which is now over. So I dont see how posing next to dead ISIS fighters will in any way change how ISIS feels about the West So is it fair to want to prosecute or penalize Gallagher for this considering the important facts that he was acquitted on previous serious allegations around war crimes ? "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
Guard Dog Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 2 hours ago, BruceVC said: This is a good post and makes sense to me on numerous levels but here is what I dont understand Why is posing next to ISIS dead bodies such a bad thing? ISIS is the most barbaric, murderous and dysfunctional group the world has seen since the Nazis I dont feel even the slightest remorse when I hear " ISIS fighters have been killed " and you cant possibly add to the anti-Western ISIS propaganda that has always existed and at times has evolved during the time of the false ISIS Caliphate era ..which is now over. So I dont see how posing next to dead ISIS fighters will in any way change how ISIS feels about the West So is it fair to want to prosecute or penalize Gallagher for this considering the important facts that he was acquitted on previous serious allegations around war crimes ? In the context of just the Gallagher case posing with the corpse c\was what they call a "lesser included offence" Something prosecutors do in the event they can't/don't make the case for the bigger charges. This way they get him on something. It's probable the Court Martial would have liked to convict him on the bigger charges but could not in good conscience do so because of the problems with changes in testimony and other facts that raised credibility problems with the witnesses. It was not a clean case. Except for that one charge. Now as to why posing with a corpse in that way is bad, behavior like that gives the enemy a propaganda opportunity. It gives them a picture to show their people what barbarians they are fighting. One thing the US Military drills into all ranks from boot camp/basic all the way to OCS and from Private/Seaman/Airman all the way to General/Admiral is bearing and professionalism. Be composed, professional, and deliberate in all things you do. Even in combat. Acts of cruelty, barbarity, or even glorification of violence like this are what the Naval Service calls "Conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline". 1 "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Guard Dog Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 20 hours ago, Gromnir said: 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! The Secretary of the Navy is not a political position despite being a political appointee. If the President and his team are worth their salt the job usually goes to a career bureaucrat with the experience and ability to manage a unique and complex organization. Preferably someone with experience in the Naval Service like Spencer. People in positions like that generally steer clear of the politics and if they say a thing is so I take that at face value if it sounds right. Where the "no actors but bad actors" comes in is when two elected officials from differing politics are telling me two different things. More and more I am coming to think the very act of wanting political power is a disqualification for having it. Too often people ask candidate what they are going to do in office and not WHY they want that office. WHY did Donald Trump want to be President? Not that crap about "making America great". That is a slogan not a reason. Why does Joe Biden want it? Of all the people running there are only two candidates I can say why they are running and what they want. Sanders whose ideology drives him to run. And Gabbard whose military experience drives her to run. That does not make either a good candidate but at least they are transparent about what they want. The rest... don't know. A combination of ego and want of power and neither is a good thing. We have a bellyful of that right now. "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Malcador Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 4 hours ago, BruceVC said: This is a good post and makes sense to me on numerous levels but here is what I dont understand Why is posing next to ISIS dead bodies such a bad thing? ISIS is the most barbaric, murderous and dysfunctional group the world has seen since the Nazis I dont feel even the slightest remorse when I hear " ISIS fighters have been killed " and you cant possibly add to the anti-Western ISIS propaganda that has always existed and at times has evolved during the time of the false ISIS Caliphate era ..which is now over. So I dont see how posing next to dead ISIS fighters will in any way change how ISIS feels about the West So is it fair to want to prosecute or penalize Gallagher for this considering the important facts that he was acquitted on previous serious allegations around war crimes ? Professional armies means you have standards. He's also accused of firing on civilians so often his teammates were to adjust his sights (they probably should have just killed him in the field). Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Skarpen Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 I though this was a joke, but this really happened. Joe Biden snarked at a person of color asking him a question about his policies, blurting "vote for Trump" and turned his back on the guy. And Dems have no idea why people think they are arrogant... https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/11/22/biden_to_anti-deportation_protestor_you_should_vote_for_trump.html
HoonDing Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 He's right you know. The ending of the words is ALMSIVI.
Malcador Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 Apparently some people want to change the name of Thanksgiving. Must be the same people that keep breaking my builds. 1 Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Pidesco Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 [https://mobile.twitter.com/JDiamond1/status/1199494561753698306 I guess this means Trump had a small heart attack. "My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian touristI am Dan Quayle of the Romans.I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.Heja Sverige!!Everyone should cuffawkle more.The wrench is your friend.
Zoraptor Posted November 27, 2019 Posted November 27, 2019 No one could possibly believe Donald Trump had a heart attack, even at 70+ the man still has the physique of Rocky Balboa in his prime. 1
smjjames Posted November 28, 2019 Posted November 28, 2019 18 hours ago, Skarpen said: I though this was a joke, but this really happened. Joe Biden snarked at a person of color asking him a question about his policies, blurting "vote for Trump" and turned his back on the guy. And Dems have no idea why people think they are arrogant... https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/11/22/biden_to_anti-deportation_protestor_you_should_vote_for_trump.html I don't get it, why would he say that? Maybe it's in reference to Trump somehow still having less deportations than Obama (though to be fair, it's two terms vs one term. I think it's still less for even at this point in Obama's Presidency, not sure), but still....
ShadySands Posted November 28, 2019 Posted November 28, 2019 (edited) Biden says odd things often but pretty much nobody really pays attention or, and I think more likely, cares. Edited November 28, 2019 by ShadySands Free games updated 3/4/21
Guard Dog Posted November 29, 2019 Posted November 29, 2019 So I wonder how many Thanksgiving dinners were ruined by politics last night? https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/nov/27/donald-trump-supporters-brace-thanksgiving-dinner-/ Wasn't going to happen where I was. I can guarantee you I was the only non-Trump supporter in the room. In fact I was probably the most politically liberal one in the room by a long way. 1 "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Malcador Posted November 29, 2019 Posted November 29, 2019 It's not a family gathering if you don't fantasize about murdering some of them at least once. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
ComradeYellow Posted November 29, 2019 Posted November 29, 2019 On 11/28/2019 at 1:56 PM, ShadySands said: Biden says odd things often but pretty much nobody really pays attention or, and I think more likely, cares. Fascists (Trump supporters) and corporate Democrats will start formulating a rosy opinion if him soon if more left wing candidates start popping up. Corporatists and imperialists from across the spectrum tend to stick together when they see a threat of socio-economic change in the air. Should be fun.
smjjames Posted November 29, 2019 Posted November 29, 2019 @ComradeMaster Just wondering out of curiosity, which candidates would you vote for? Seems like maybe Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. I seriously doubt that more candidates are going to pop up, it's way too late in the game and the latest time that anybody has announced and gotten the nomination was in August (Bill Clinton). The two most recent would be considered moderate, not left. Not left of Biden anyway and Bloomberg is more like Republican-lite or something.
ComradeYellow Posted November 29, 2019 Posted November 29, 2019 10 minutes ago, smjjames said: @ComradeMaster Just wondering out of curiosity, which candidates would you vote for? Seems like maybe Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. I seriously doubt that more candidates are going to pop up, it's way too late in the game and the latest time that anybody has announced and gotten the nomination was in August (Bill Clinton). The two most recent would be considered moderate, not left. Not left of Biden anyway and Bloomberg is more like Republican-lite or something. I'm with the Green Party and we got a secret weapon coming up. Stay tuned.
Guard Dog Posted November 29, 2019 Posted November 29, 2019 18 minutes ago, ComradeMaster said: I'm with the Green Party and we got a secret weapon coming up. Stay tuned. Not Jill Stein is it? She's no secret and wasn't much of a weapon. Her wrapper is a llittle loose. "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
ComradeYellow Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 7 minutes ago, Guard Dog said: Not Jill Stein is it? She's no secret and wasn't much of a weapon. Her wrapper is a llittle loose. Haha nope, not Jill!
smjjames Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 (edited) Al Gore? Though I'm sure you can find someone with less climate hypocrisy. Really though, I did consider voting Jill Stein in 2016, before I found out that 'her wrapper is a little loose', and I have voted for green party for local stuff a couple times. edit: If it's Howie Hawkins, that's an interesting choice as he (over 20 years ago at least) favored anarcho-communism and libertarian-muncipalism, which makes him even further left than Bernie Sanders (he's also the nominee of the socialist party) in some aspects. Wiki doesn't have a more up to date or detailed list of positions though. Edited November 30, 2019 by smjjames
ComradeYellow Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 No none of them, they're all boring. Just wait, things are about to get interesting if not down right crazy.
Zoraptor Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 There is one rumour going around that would certainly be interesting if true, though I put it down as Shareblue disinformation and still do.
smjjames Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 @Zoraptor What rumor? It'd be pretty hard to get any crazier than Trump and I just hope it's not Jill Stein type crazy (or Marianne Williamson on the Democrat side) since it does help to have a non-wacko candidate. One thing that would be particularily crazy is a Trump style body snatching with one of the candidates switching to Green on being nominated (or maybe after being elected), except that Trump switched before he ran and none of the current candidates have a past with the Green party. Probably the only one I cold see doing it would be maybe Tulsi Gabbard.
Zoraptor Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 Yeah, Gabbard is/ was the rumour. It's a Shareblue meme that she isn't a 'real' democrat and will run as a spoiler 3rd party candidate so I never put any real stock in it; but the reaction would certainly fit the term interesting and from some sections, crazy.
Skarpen Posted November 30, 2019 Posted November 30, 2019 The only crazy idea that would have any impact would be Michelle Obama as a 3rf party candidate. That would give president a really tough run, bevause she is popular enough to get the initial bust in polls. Other than that I don't see 3rd party doing anytging other than taking votes from Dems.
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