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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

[NeedsAdjustments]

David Frum nails it:

So long as Mattis stayed on the job, Republicans in Congress could indulge the hope that responsible people remained in charge of the nation’s security. That hope has now been repudiated by the very person in whom the hope was placed. It’s James Mattis himself who is telling you that the president does not treat allies with respect, does not have a clear-eyed view of malign actors and strategic competitors.

In Syria, the United States is abandoning Kurdish comrades-in-arms who trusted America’s word. The U.S. is now preparing to abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Brussels on December 4 to insult the European Union on its home ground. Trump has egged on Brexit, dangling a (completely false) hope of a speedy U.S.-U.K. free-trade treaty to encourage hard-line Brexiteers to crash out of the EU in March without a transitional treaty. Meanwhile, sanctions are being lifted on the enterprises of Paul Manafort’s former patron Oleg Deripaska, even as the U.S. continues to wage trade war not only upon China, but against Canada, the U.K., and the European Union as well.

From the beginning of the administration, its more normal members have sought to present Donald Trump’s instincts as somehow consistent with American policy since 1945, somehow a version of normal U.S. leadership. “America First doesn’t mean America alone,” wrote Gary Cohn and H. R. McMaster in a joint op-ed in May 2017. “It is a commitment to protecting and advancing our vital interests while also fostering cooperation and strengthening relationships with our allies and partners.”

But it turns out none of that is true. Donald Trump is not even a little bit concerned about cooperation and relationships. He holds his own word notoriously worthless, and he sees no problem in doing the same to the nation’s. His “America First” may not mean “America alone”—but only because his America is now disturbingly and mysteriously beholden to cash-rich counterparts: Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia.

Mattis saw it up close. He bore it as long as he could, in hopes of mitigating the damage. But when Trump broke America’s promise to the Syrian Kurds, he stained Mattis’s honor, too. That, apparently, Mattis could not accept. He leaves and takes his honor with him. And now the question for Congress is: The Klaxon is sounding. The system is failing. What will you do?

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/james-mattiss-resignation-leaves-congress-no-excuses/578785/

[kiiidcarter8]

Mattis was behind Trump on Khosshogi, right?  You liked this?

Word out now that this wasn't all about Syria.  Imagine my surprise.

2 years service to the WH.  God Speed. General.

[Yankguy1]

"Godspeed" is one word you sanctimonious nitwit. 

[NeedsAdjustments]

Mattis was behind Trump on Khosshogi, right?  You liked this?

I don't think it was Mattis' place to publicly contradict Trump, as a member of his cabinet.  But can imagine that having to support Trump's embarrassing position on this was a contributing factor to his resignation.

Word out now that this wasn't all about Syria.  Imagine my surprise.

Not surprised at all.  It was a culmination of his experiences working for Trump, as his resignation letter made clear.

[facilitatorn]

The argument isn’t that Mattis was a saint or a genius or even particularly good. The point is that subtracting Mattis, looking at who is left and who would potentially come on board, it’s all losers, posers, grifters, and idiots with not a single clue between them. Everyone with an ounce of sense is gone, not that there was a whole pound of sense to begin with.

When you are used to operating on very little skill and professionalism, suddenly finding your self governed by no one with any skill or professionalism is a big bad step down. Go visit the Trump Taj and you’ll see where we’re heading.

Either the whole country can be governed from the House of Representatives or it will collapse, Kiid’s shitty face notwithstanding.

[bodiddley]

Mattis was behind Trump on Khosshogi, right?  You liked this?

Mattis was all-in on Trump/Jared backing of Saudi Arabia and MBS.  Matt fully supported SA's disgraceful, illegal war on Yemen.  Mattis is a typical GOP warmonger.

The US shouldn't abandon the Kurds again.  But Putin's right that US forces were there illegally.  As is Turkey.  Looking like Trump sold out the Syrian Kurds for an arms sale to Turkey.

[FlyingVProd]

Here is Reagan's last speech, on immigration...

https://youtu.be/kd7X_eTF0tU

Reagan was a real Republican, and Reagan understood what the USA is about. We are a nation of immigrants, and our immigrants are the reason why we are great.

Reagan made our immigrants legal, and Reagan was against walls. Not only did Reagan not build walls in America, but Reagan also told Gorbechev to tear down the Berlin Wall.

Salute,

Tony V.

[bodiddley]

Word leaking out that Trump ignored all prepared talking points in a phone call with Erdogan and committed to pulling US troops out of Syria while on the phone with the Turkish dictator.   Wow.
https://apnews.com/ec2ed217357048ff998225a31534df12
Trump not even clever enough to say, Ill consider it.  Or, I'll get back to you.  Incredible ...

[LarryBnDC]

Mattis was behind Trump on Khosshogi, right?  You liked this?

Mattis was all-in on Trump/Jared backing of Saudi Arabia and MBS.  Matt fully supported SA's disgraceful, illegal war on Yemen.  Mattis is a typical GOP warmonger.

The US shouldn't abandon the Kurds again.  But Putin's right that US forces were there illegally.  As is Turkey.  Looking like Trump sold out the Syrian Kurds for an arms sale to Turkey.

An isolated US is not good for the world despite the fucked up shit we do. No ally will trust us after all this because they’d be foolish to do so.

[LarryBnDC]

Word leaking out that Trump ignored all prepared talking points in a phone call with Erdogan and committed to pulling US troops out of Syria while on the phone with the Turkish dictator.   Wow.
https://apnews.com/ec2ed217357048ff998225a31534df12
Trump not even clever enough to say, Ill consider it.  Or, I'll get back to you.  Incredible ...

The greatest negotiator...

[LarryBnDC]

Speaking of negotiations, Trump should have taken the deal he had earlier in the year...

“White House officials asked Democrats to approve $25 billion for President Donald Trump’s border wall in exchange for extending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program through fall of 2020, those sources said. That would give Trump his full wall funding request in the must-pass spending bill and still give him leverage over the DACA program heading into his 2020 reelection campaign.

But Democrats balked, demanding that the White House provide a pathway to citizenship to 1.8 million young immigrants eligible under the DACA program, those sources said. The White House might have been open to negotiating further, but Democrats were only willing to entertain the massive wall funding figure in exchange for helping the same number of immigrants that Trump embraced in a proposal earlier this year.”


https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/19/border-wall-democrats-respond-470687

[kiiidcarter8]

"Godspeed" is one word you sanctimonious nitwit.

Actually was 2 words (God spede) in its initial 15th century usage.  Not sure why the amendment was made.

[kiiidcarter8]

Word leaking out that Trump ignored all prepared talking points in a phone call with Erdogan and committed to pulling US troops out of Syria while on the phone with the Turkish dictator.   Wow.
https://apnews.com/ec2ed217357048ff998225a31534df12
Trump not even clever enough to say, Ill consider it.  Or, I'll get back to you.  Incredible ...

Heh.

Leaking.

Well....keep us updated.

[barton]

"Godspeed" is one word you sanctimonious nitwit.

Actually was 2 words (God spede) in its initial 15th century usage.  Not sure why the amendment was made.

When faced with such questions just ask yourself WWNCD -- what would Noam Chomsky do?   

[LarryBnDC]

The children were caged for their own good, after all, and the fires were simply the fault of those who failed to rake. You could tell things were good because there were still older, statesmanlike rats on the ship. They are going now, and it will just be the regular rats.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2018/12/21/nostalgia-well-run-machine-trump-administration/?utm_term=.d998fad0b199