Usa Thread

[Steve]

Trump has announced a "historic" peace deal but the nuts and bolts of it is its not. I applaud Trump for wanting to end the war in Afghanistan but just like almost all of his other efforts, the plan and execution is laughable. This deal is no different. There is nothing concrete about it. No accountability. 

This is the real truth about America's presence there. It's America's new Vietnam War. It's unwinnable. Bush fucked up after 911 by making it about getting rid of the Taliban instead of just going after bin Laden. Yes, the Taliban was protecting him, but you focus the effort on getting him specifically. There was a chance to get him early in the war and America did not because of some friendly to America tribes had issues. America was thinking of regime change and needed that tribe. Had it been just about killing bin Laden, then it wouldn't have mattered what they thought. We'd kill him and go home. Staying past that wouldn't have been wise. This is where having neocons works against you. They don't look at situations with historical eyes. They don't look at things with logic and reason. They look at things starting with their desired results and work backwards. They wanted to regime change in Afghanistan, no matter what and worked backwards, instead of looking at the history of Afghanistan and seeing that it has never been conquered militarily. Any historian could tell you that. The only foreign entity to conquer Afghanistan was Islam, and it wasn't militarily. It took over 300 years of being present there, withstanding attacks, being patient and eventually the populace converted. Unless America is willing to be patient for 300 years and withstand the losses, we will never control them. What makes it exponentially more difficult is that the Pakistani secret service helped create the Taliban. It's their 'baby'. 

That said, what should America do? Simply pack up and leave. Take the loss. Is it embarrassing? Sure, but its not worth the cost of lives and money. The Taliban will take over, have human rights abuses, won't care if they do and there is not much America can do about that on its own. Trump does not have the international support Obama and Bush does to form a coalition. He is not trusted, he is not respected and he is thought of as a buffoon. I don't say that with any job. No one wants the leader of the country to have that reputation even if its the opposite party. 

The only humane thing America can do is grant immigration to the people who will face retribution in the form of death. The best America can do is try to exact promises of not taking revenge and also hold a carrot out of trade, assistance if they act humanely. Other than that there is little else America can do. 

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/485188-trump-touts-taliban-deal-ahead-of-signing

[Coss]

Just watched the Whitehouse press conference on the Coronavirus. Some 40 minutes late to start.

Trump did an acceptance speech like he was getting an Oscar, thanked everyone for his best, never before Afghanistan deal ever.. 20 minutes later...

Then he got onto the Coronavirus, this administration is world leading blah blah, blah.

All this time Pence and two others are standing, waiting. if you want the definition of seething, watch this video.

Then Pence gets to speak, much praise for the President, no travel to from Iran or the virus affected areas of South Korea and Italy.

Two other bods speak, subject experts. They speak to the virus with obligatory fawning over Donald.

All this time Donald is standing, waiting. if you want another seething, watch this Donald.

Donald takes questions, everything is a hoax, the reporters are asking dishonest questions, The Afghanistan deal is wonderful, the best, never been done before.

[Coss]

This Coronavirus problem is shaping up to be Donald's "Katrina", the whole press conference was shaped as a political message to show that Donald's in control.

This of course contrasts with his rally 'speak' where everything is a Hoax and the Democrats are trying to kill everyone ....

[Coss]

Why did world representatives openly laugh at Mr. Trump at the United Nations?

 

Does anyone respect the US?

 

Alex Denethorn, 

 

We used to. Then you elected Donald Trump.

The US has gotten to the point where it’s simply squandering the potential that made it a great nation. Your military strength doesn’t make you great: it merely makes you dangerous. Your economy doesn’t make you great: it merely speaks to how much you generate through trade (and fails to say anything about the shocking wealth inequality and national debt that you have). What made the United States great is that it had the potential to be a better place for everyone that sought it out. The American Dream was a possibility: that everyone could head to the US and improve themselves, better their circumstances and lives.

That potential has now been wasted. The US is a corporate oligarchy run by those rich enough to buy your politicians, and led by a corrupt individual who acts like a Mob boss, speaks like a ten-year-old, and has the fragile ego of a rampant narcissist that has never bettered himself.

The US could be a world leader. It could set a shining example for everyone, serving as a beacon of culture, social development, economic and technological innovation, and moral fortitude. Instead, it’s become a culture that embraces anti-intellectualism, dismisses truth as being inconsequential, and attacks those that are different. Not true of all Americans - but this is the US presented to us by the President.

Why do we laugh at him? It’s simple, really: he harps on about how great the United States is, and that is funny. Not hilariously funny, but funny in a sad way - because it could have been true.

Instead you have a nation that squandered any moral authority, abandons allies to massacre, threatens their friends with economic sanctions if they don’t do what the President wants, and puts their national security at risk for his personal gain. You have a nation where that same President (he who is supposed to unify the country) perpetually attacks his own people, encourages right-wing extremism, and flouts the rule of law - invariably imagining himself a King rather than a temporary appointee holding the trust of his office.

Damn right we’ll laugh in his face - it’s exactly the thing he hates, and what he deserves. As for the United States? We won’t laugh at you - we’ll roll our eyes, we’ll sigh in resignation, we’ll lament the lost potential, and we’ll slowly back away from you, and leave you to the isolation that the President desires, because we don’t want this nonsense to spread any more than we’d like to sign up for a fresh batch of Coronovirus delivered to our doors.

Although, of the two, we’d say that Trump’s twisted brand of jingoistic isolationism, blatant narcissism and anti-reality narratives is far more dangerous. The other can only kill us - Trump’s behaviour eats away at the very soul of your nation, and twists it into something it should not have become.

[cavanami]

Trump seeks to quell fear as first U.S. coronavirus death is reported

President Trump sought to ease rising fears about the coronavirus epidemic on a day when the first U.S. death from COVID-19 was reported and more cases were reported on the West Coast.

Trump said that a “medically high risk” woman in Washington state had died from the virus but added no other details about her case. State health officials, in their own statement, said a middle-aged man with underlying health problems had died of the virus....

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-seeks-to-quell-fear-as-first-us-coronavirus-death-is-reported-201430660.html

[cavanami]

BARRY’S ROLE IN THE DEM ELITE'S PLOT TO ROB BERNIE//GOP IS GIVING BACK A VOICE TO TRUE CONSERVATIVES

 

[panadolsandwich]

9 hours ago, chocolat steve said:

Trump has announced a "historic" peace deal but the nuts and bolts of it is its not. I applaud Trump for wanting to end the war in Afghanistan but just like almost all of his other efforts, the plan and execution is laughable. This deal is no different. There is nothing concrete about it. No accountability. 

This is the real truth about America's presence there. It's America's new Vietnam War. It's unwinnable. Bush fucked up after 911 by making it about getting rid of the Taliban instead of just going after bin Laden. Yes, the Taliban was protecting him, but you focus the effort on getting him specifically. There was a chance to get him early in the war and America did not because of some friendly to America tribes had issues. America was thinking of regime change and needed that tribe. Had it been just about killing bin Laden, then it wouldn't have mattered what they thought. We'd kill him and go home. Staying past that wouldn't have been wise. This is where having neocons works against you. They don't look at situations with historical eyes. They don't look at things with logic and reason. They look at things starting with their desired results and work backwards. They wanted to regime change in Afghanistan, no matter what and worked backwards, instead of looking at the history of Afghanistan and seeing that it has never been conquered militarily. Any historian could tell you that. The only foreign entity to conquer Afghanistan was Islam, and it wasn't militarily. It took over 300 years of being present there, withstanding attacks, being patient and eventually the populace converted. Unless America is willing to be patient for 300 years and withstand the losses, we will never control them. What makes it exponentially more difficult is that the Pakistani secret service helped create the Taliban. It's their 'baby'. 

That said, what should America do? Simply pack up and leave. Take the loss. Is it embarrassing? Sure, but its not worth the cost of lives and money. The Taliban will take over, have human rights abuses, won't care if they do and there is not much America can do about that on its own. Trump does not have the international support Obama and Bush does to form a coalition. He is not trusted, he is not respected and he is thought of as a buffoon. I don't say that with any job. No one wants the leader of the country to have that reputation even if its the opposite party. 

The only humane thing America can do is grant immigration to the people who will face retribution in the form of death. The best America can do is try to exact promises of not taking revenge and also hold a carrot out of trade, assistance if they act humanely. Other than that there is little else America can do. 

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/485188-trump-touts-taliban-deal-ahead-of-signing

If the so called 'peace deal' doesn't involve thrashing the fucking hell out of the Pakistani intelligence high command - it's toilet paper. 

[Steve]

Surreal but something that is very possible. 

 

[Steve]

Biden's win won't mean much when all is said and done. Bernie Sanders will own Super Tuesday. 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/29/south-carolina-2020-primary-joe-biden-118375

[Steve]

AIPAC has morphed into something that has more power than any other lobby or even group possibly. Name me any other organization that can get city, state and the federal government to effectively make it legal to violate your constitutional right? I'm specifically referring to the BDS (Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions) movement of Israel for its treatement of the Palestinians. Even if you disagree, its someone's right not to support Israel. But if you can't get a job unless you write a statement you won't do that, is extremely unconstitutional. There is no law saying you can't boycott any other sovereign country. Imagine if Dearborn, Michigan, which has the highest percentage of moslems of any city in America, took control of the city government and you can't get a city contract, job or anything unless you signed a statement saying you will not boycott  any predominantly moslem country? Or if Latinos who are the majority in many cities and if they become the majority eventually in California, Texas, etc, have the same movement for Mexico? 

The 'lobby' as its known in Washington DC because its so powerful it doesn't need to be named, has so much power just saying that they can trot out the 'anti semitic' label. There are plenty of people who are against AIPAC for anti semitic reasons and that muddies the water. The KKK, Neo Nazis are anti Israel and if you may recall the "very fine people" that Trump said who marched in Charlottesville changed "Jews will not replace us". Why is AIPAC so powerful? Well, they can hurt you. Not physically but your job, reputation, etc. There isn't an industry immune in in America. None. There are powerful members in every fabric of America. Which also helps fuel anti semitic groups like the KKK and Neo Nazis claims going back hundreds of years of Jews controlling everything. Sanders is a prickly problem for them because he's Jewish with family members lost in the Holocaust. Claims he is anti semitic won't wash. Self hating? That can be thrown at him but him calling Netanyahu a racist is totally different than you and I calling him one. For the record, I believe he is. Sanders also doesn't conflate Netanyahu with Israel. He supports Israel's right to exist obviously. 

My views are not even based on the Palestinians specifically. I know a number of Ethiopian Jews and have met a few Yemeni Jews and in Israel there is a social heirarchy and bigotry of non European, western  (coded speech for white if you haven't picked it up) Jews. The cops have done similar things that Blacks accuse cops of in America. I met a Yemeni Jew about 3 or 4 year who says that they can only have jobs as maids and such because there is rampant and systemic employment discrimination there. I met this person at a consulate party i Saudi Arabia and I was wondering how a Jewish person could live there and she said, we've lived here for hundreds of years. Which surprised me but I got a history lesson on how it came to be. 

Anyway, AIPAC has become a GOP wing primarily because of the evangelicals who support Israel for biblical prophecy reasons. They excuse any and all acts of Israel and so the Democrats in AIPAC have either quit or been isolated out of the group. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/israel-envoy-assails-bernie-lobby-splits-democrats-165259166.html