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Reports of protests are overblown. A few incidents around the country, but nothing major.

5 (45.5%)

A few major incidents in capitals, but nothing much in DC.

5 (45.5%)

A major incident in DC, but nothing much around the country.

0 (0%)

More than 10 capitals have major upheavals, but nothing much in DC.

0 (0%)

A major incident in DC plus more than 10 capitals with significant upheavals.

1 (9.1%)

More than half the capitals around the country have problems with protesters, but DC is quiet.

0 (0%)

DC has major problems, while more than half the capitals around the country also have considerable trouble with protesters.

0 (0%)

Huge disruption to the day.

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 9

Voting closed: January 19, 2021, 10:49:21 PM

[Hairy Lime]

I always thought there were lots of reasons for the break-up of the Soviet Union, but it was basically economic. After a disasterous war in Afghanistan, they could no longer afford both guns and butter, for themselves, or their dependents in Eastern Europe. So they chose margarine, they couldn't afford butter.

Also Walesa in Poland was the prescursor and the vanguard of the growing demands in the communist bloc for greater freedom and economic power visa a vis the state.

Having a Polish Pope didn't hurt either.

The Soviets could not afford to fight a multi-front economic war as a desperately poor country. And the US had deeper pockets. And we could afford to develop Star wars shit. Fuck the Russians could barely afford to buy a ticket to watch the film.


Perhaps we will learn the lesson the Soviets learned as we go deeper into debt and empower our oligarchs gut this country, steal its wealth, while blaming the middle-class and threaten to take away their social security blanket.

Except we won't negotaite terms with Russia, it will be with China.

It is the right's deification of Reagan. But there is a thread that leads from the Helsinki accords through Carter's 1977 visit to Poland and the election of John Paul II, his subsequent visit to Poland and the rise of Solidarity to the Velvet Revolution that Red prefers to ignore.

[REDSTATEWARD]

But even conceding defense spending played a role in the economic collapse of the.Eastern Bloc, SDI's role is what is at issue, and you have never offered more then a quick was too as support. SDI was never more than a laughing stock.

But even conceding defense spending played a role in the economic collapse of the.Eastern Bloc,
By Jove, you are finally catching on.
Reagan caused billions to be spent on SDI research and the Soviets tried to match the spending. Voila! They went broke. And the they broke up. 
By 1993 Bill Clinton ended SDI.  It proved to be one of the most successful economic programs the US had ever undertaken to the betterment of our security but also the future of most of Europe who was freed from life behind an Iron Curtain.

Trying to keep up with defense spending played a role in the economic collapse.of the Eastern Bloc - a policy pursued by every president throughout the Cold War. But it was only one factor in the economic collapse. If you really want to point to a single thing that lead to the collapse of the Soviet empire, that event took place in June 2 - 11, 1979. SDI? The decision to fire Anna Walentynowicz and the decision to invade Afghanistan played greater roles.

Undoubtedly the Afghan War was a major blow to the perception of Soviet might. But without the Cold War strategy led by Reagan’s military spending (intensified by billions going to SDI, the fall of the Soviets would have been delayed by years.

[Yankguy1]

I cannot talk about it, but trust me, you are safer from what was learned from the money spent on the Star Wars program.

I love when people throw that stuff out there....

[bankshot1]

Putin's work at the KGB in the mid 80s and his efforts uncovering the West's advanced work with the flux capacitor was also critical factor in Gorbachev's reasoning that Russia would be hard-pressed to go into the future against the USA!

[Hairy Lime]

Meanwhile, Tennessee's Governor has reissued the annual Proclamation honoring a war criminal and domestic terrorist, Nathan Bedford Forrest. MAGA!

[Yankguy1]

 He was also a slave-trader.

And a military genius.

[luee]

---Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls out Pelosi for 'singling out' newly-elected women of color---

---Dems lose patience with ‘complete fraud’ AOC, rally to Pelosi’s side---

Go Nancee. (AOC chased Amazon out of NYC) Its a circus on both sides now. Which begs the question; Who is crazier Mr. Crazier or Mr. Craziers son? Mr. Craziers son because he is a little crazier.

[facilitatorn]

Between A, B, and Luee, Luee is the craziest hands down.

[barton]

Forrest laid the groundwork for the flux capacitor and eventual collapse of the Soviet Empire.   I have diagrams and flowcharts to prove it.

[josh]

Hey, Ward hasn't announced that the Dow hit a new high today, yet!

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-stock-market-canary-has-keeled-over-2019-07-12

This suggests that we have a problem with liquidity and the market.

[josh]

https://www.propublica.org/article/border-patrol-official-article-reporting-secret-facebook-group?utm_content=buffera8899&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer&fbclid=IwAR3WnSKZyMKB9rnD-8fHGGJrBHFJvPYU63W9FEKjeaCHmhOKQCq9P-MVSwo#164613

Letting people know that a secret FB group is racist is allegedly a threat to national security.

[REDSTATEWARD]

Hey, Ward hasn't announced that the Dow hit a new high today, yet!

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-stock-market-canary-has-keeled-over-2019-07-12

This suggests that we have a problem with liquidity and the market.

Sell. Take your profits.
Buy solar panels. Build dikes.
The end is near!
LOL

[josh]

[josh]

Shifting topics:

[josh]