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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

[facilitatorn]

Trump has gone all Mad King


Paint it.

A series of events where his top goons are standing around his desk saying, “don’t do it. Don’t do it, boss. It’s dumb and crazy.” The mad king then says, “fuck all of you and this god damn job and..... ....this god damn country!” and does the dumb and crazy thing.

Trying to pull Russian propaganda out of the Ukraine for realz

Using Rudy Giuliani in any capacity, but especially for that

ICE raids and baby jails

Tariff based foreign policy

Nakedly sucking off creditors like Putin & MBS

Every single tweet, chopper talk, rally, q&a, or glimpse into a cabinet meeting.

The picture is you, the frog, in the pot with it’s lid on now, over an open flame.

[bambu.]

In the old NYT forums...in the Middle East forum, a lady poster explained it to me;

"Dead terrorists do not kill anyone"

[barton]

BTW, anyone who likes ideological nuance, psychological complexity, and moral ambiguity might want to take a look at Alan Moore's graphic novel, "Watchmen."  I am not remotely a comic book guy, and had to be dragged to the book, but it was worth it to crack open the thing.  (caution:  I think the HBO series, from the episode I watched, is a lesser work that piggybacks on the brand but loses most of the nuance and the most interesting characters, so I wouldn't consider that or the film any kind of substitute for the original work) 

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

I am a comic book guy, love Watchmen and have found the series very much capitalizes on and expands upon narratives of the original, while providing its own take on things. It took a while in it for them to tie it strongly to the graphic novel, but when they did it was well done, IMO.

Man in the High Castle also appealed to me, original and expanded and modified video both.

Thanks,  I may continue our HBO trial and see where the series goes,  then.   Haven't seen High Castle,  but have read the PKD novel,  one of his best.   VALIS was my first introduction to PKD,  which is a really weird place to start.

[josh]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/politics/iran-foreign-policy-2020-voters-trump/index.html

Decisive vs. Impulsive.

This article argues that how the assassination attempt is seen in the months to come, between those terms, will determine in good measure how the election goes. Currently the GOP is insisting the first, while the Dems are pushing the second, as we have seen above.

The author goes further, talking about how the GOP likes to think of its leaders as decisive and the Dems prefer to think of theirs as deliberative.

I found this to be an even-handed discussion of the ideas, regardless of whether I view it even-handedly or not.

[Hairy Lime]

In the old NYT forums...in the Middle East forum, a lady poster explained it to me;

"Dead terrorists do not kill anyone"

That is naive. Soleimani did not kill anyone, he planned for others to do it. Those people are.still there.

Also from the NYT forum, killing your enemies, if done badly, increases their number.

[facilitatorn]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5e14d277c5b6c7b859d1c8b9

Mitch has shown the flop cards.

Time to re open the House intelligence Committee for a second round of hearings based on new evidence and the availability of new witnesses.

A sane administration with sane leadership can walk and chew gum at the same time.

[bambu.]

In the old NYT forums...in the Middle East forum, a lady poster explained it to me;

"Dead terrorists do not kill anyone"

That is naive. Soleimani did not kill anyone, he planned for others to do it. Those people are.still there.

Also from the NYT forum, killing your enemies, if done badly, increases their number.

Same thing.
It was obviously decided that Soleimani had to be eliminated...and that it would be beneficial.
Same deal as the Hamas? leader in the wheelchair who was turned into "Swiss cheese" on his way to prayers.

[josh]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/republicans-for-the-rule-of-law-impeachment-witnesses_n_5dfec4afe4b0843d35fd0c00

The GOP group Republicans for the Rule of Law plans to run ads in some states insisting that the Senate Trial call four witnesses: Mulvaney, Pompeo, Bolton, and Giuliani.

"Call your senator!"

[REDSTATEWARD]

In the old NYT forums...in the Middle East forum, a lady poster explained it to me;

"Dead terrorists do not kill anyone"

That is naive. Soleimani did not kill anyone, he planned for others to do it.

LOL!

[barton]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/politics/iran-foreign-policy-2020-voters-trump/index.html

Decisive vs. Impulsive.

This article argues that how the assassination attempt is seen in the months to come, between those terms, will determine in good measure how the election goes. Currently the GOP is insisting the first, while the Dems are pushing the second, as we have seen above.

The author goes further, talking about how the GOP likes to think of its leaders as decisive and the Dems prefer to think of theirs as deliberative.

I found this to be an even-handed discussion of the ideas, regardless of whether I view it even-handedly or not.

I think one can make a strong argument that being less trigger-happy and more deliberative is inherently better when you are looking at volatile and complicated geopolitics.  The problem with 45 is that he can bluster and rage but is neither decisive nor deliberative.  Without constant steering and handling he is a brainless,  and rudderless mascot.   He will only occasionally stumble into an appearance of strong decisiveness in the way that Inspector Clouseau occasionally appeared competent.   

Another way to consider the merits of deliberative is to ask what you would want if someone had their finger on the missile launch button,  and NORAD were to get a false blip coming over the pole.   Do you want Henry Fonda in "Failsafe" or Martin Sheen in "The Dead Zone"?  (metaphors only,  I'm not using movies as primers on nuclear crisis management)

[facilitatorn]

The Russian bomb is going off inside the White House (or on an embezzlement golf junket).

[LarryBnDC]

In the old NYT forums...in the Middle East forum, a lady poster explained it to me;

"Dead terrorists do not kill anyone"

That is naive. Soleimani did not kill anyone, he planned for others to do it.

LOL!

Red: “My brother is such a pain in my ass!”

Larry: “Yeah, kiid is such a dick!”

Red: “Hey! Watch your mouth before I slap the taste out of it.”

Larry: “But you said...”

Red: “Never mind what I said, that’s my brother and I’ll say what I goddamned please!


Soleimani was a son of a bitch, but he was THEIR son of a bitch.

Most of their population is young and doesn’t give two shits over Sunni or Shiite but right now they love their nation more than they’re pissed off with the leadership.

That missile strike gave the Iranian mullahs cover and an opportunity to appeal to nationalism.

[josh]

In the old NYT forums...in the Middle East forum, a lady poster explained it to me;

"Dead terrorists do not kill anyone"

That is naive. Soleimani did not kill anyone, he planned for others to do it.

LOL!

...which means that replacing him with the next guy down makes little to no difference to Iran's plans and if the goal was to stop an attack (which seems to be mythical, not real), that would not do it.

Not to mention the side effect of our also killing a top Iraqi official seems guaranteed to have us further alienated from that country, as well.

Keep it up, laughing boy.

But don't plan on hanging on in any Trump golf courses.

[kidcarter8]

Charlie Manson didn't kill anyone.   Putting him away did no good.

[facilitatorn]

Charlie Manson didn't kill anyone.   Putting him away did no good.

Good argument as to why trump needs to be removed for the crimes of which he’s been impeached.