I have compiled a few recent videos of
Senator McCain that I feel show what he has come to stand for.
First is a speech he gave last fall at
the Medal of Liberty ceremony.
These next two are from an interview
with Senator McCain when he appeared on The View.
The first relates an incident, that to
my very real regret, occurred in Minnesota during his presidential
run against President Obama. He is reacting to a supporter's attempt to paint Mr. Obama as untrustworthy. In her mind that was because she thought he
was Arab.
The second contains his views on a past
war that was so critical to John McCain, as well as current events.
It takes a lot to stand up for what you
believe is right when that means standing against your own political
party. Yet, John McCain, along with two other Senators, did so when
a critical vote on a poorly written health care bill came to a vote
in the Senate.
But perhaps one of the most admirable
things about John McCain is that he has attempted to work with his
opponents, earning their respect and also their friendship. This
last video is of an exchange with President Obama at a charity dinner. It
seems a bit dated now, with gentler humor, rather than the acidic,
biting, dialogue that is so prevalent today.
The family of John McCain has recently
announced that he is discontinuing treatment for brain cancer. They
have my deepest sympathy. His voice will be missed.
UPDATE:
John McCain has died at the age of 81. America is a poorer place without him. May he rest in peace.
UPDATE:
John McCain has died at the age of 81. America is a poorer place without him. May he rest in peace.
129 comments:
E-mail I sent to my brother this morning says what might want to say about as well as I'm going to get it said:
"Post Script: News just came in while I's writing this.
John McCain has decided to 'discontinue' his cancer
treatments. He's given it up; knows he's finally lost the
fight, gonna go down while his mind is still clear; ain't
gonna beat the Reaper this time.
"Too bad; I liked him. Didn't always agree with him,
but did respect him. Hard to hold on to your honor
and be a successful politician. He didn't always pull it
off, but he did it about as well as anybody I've ever
seen."
Well said, Lee. There are just some people that you can still admire, despite having disagreements with them. He is one. The only way our country will ever be great again is to find more people like him. A the moment they are few and far between.
Btw, there is a monthly survey that I have been participating in with respect to various issues of the day. They usually give the results the next month. For last month, which was one I unfortunately didn't participate in for lack of time at the time they called, the question was whether or not you would vote for Donald Trump if the election were held today. The results were as follows:
44% For
41% Against
The rest undecided.
I found those results profoundly sad, because they mean that there are so many people out there who are still drinking the Kool Aid.
There now, I think I've just found one, and this was a Trump supporter. I am talking about the juror from the Manafort trial who has come out and discussed her vote to convict him on all counts. She was asked if Trump pardon's Manafort what her feelings would be. She said that would be a mistake, because in her eyes justice was done. She believes that perhaps we should be wearing hats that say "Make America Kind Again", because then we would be great again. When asked if she thought Trump would ever wear such a hat, she replied that she challenged him to do so.
"Btw, there is a monthly survey that I have been
participating in with respect to various issues of the
day."
I'm assuming this is an internet survey that you volunteered to join?
Nope, phone.
Yeah, he's a real live HERO. Because on his way to dropping napalm on Vietnamese children he got unjustly shot down. I mean the way that napalm would have burned them peasant children to ashes, and he never got to finish that great feat, goshgollydarrn how sad that must make him feel and what a hero is he.
Then that he caved immediately under hostile interrogation and gave up his OWN countries plans, as well as he knew them, well that's worthy of another medal of honour, right?
So basically we're celebrating a child-bombing, traiterous bitch here, who came home and acted all mighty based on a fucking lie.
Cancer never happened to a guy more deserving of it.
"Because on his way to dropping napalm on
Vietnamese children he got unjustly shot down."
McCain's target that day was a power plant on the outskirts of Hanoi. Accordingly, he was carrying high explosive bombs, not napalm. Napalm was not indicated for blowing up power plants.
"Nope, phone."
Phone survey, by whom? (I find those numbers to be a little out of line with RCP's 52% unfavorable average ranking.)
McCain has died. I find myself saddened by this. We needed more like him, not fewer. Fairly long obituary/eulogy in the WashingtonPost
It seems probable that the Arizona governor, Doug Ducey, will name a replacement who'll serve until 2020. Vox. Arizona law specifies that the appointee be of the same political party as the deceased, means a Republican there until 2020. There's been rumors that it might be Cindy McCain, John's wife, if she wants it.
Oh, and I discovered from the obit that the power plant McCain was bombing was near downtown Hanoi, center of the city, not the outskirts.
Phone survey, by whom?
Honestly? I don't remember. They have a site online where one can go and get more details, but I'm drawing a blank. I'll make a note next time they call.
McCain has died. I find myself saddened by this. We needed more like him, not fewer.
I know. His support for our institutions and our Constitution has been a steadying influence in the face of the troubled times we face.
I understand that McCain did not want Trump at his funeral.
Apparently Trump has already been made aware of his disinvitation. (I understand that Melania is welcome.)
Morning headlines seem to all be about John McCain. The word ‛honor’ pops up a lot.
Figure this has gotta be pissin’ off Trump, not so much the contrast between McCain's headlines and his own recent headlines (although I suspect that pisses him off too), but mostly because Trump can't bear to see anybody else's name dominating the headlines where he thinks the wonders of Trump should be blanketing the space.
Early last week the Trump administration was authorizing ‛background’ (i.e. unattributed) briefings for the press saying that a breakthrough on NAFTA was on our doorsteps. Supposedly the agreement was going to be with Mexico, which is having a change of government after the Mexican voters threw out the conservatives in charge and elected a liberal/radical type. The conservative Mexican government wanted to get the new NAFTA agreement signed before they left office. Supposedly then Canada would be under pressure to go along with changes they've resisted 'til now.
Well, supposedly Thursday was the deadline for getting that agreement if the Mexicans wanted it to through before the change of government. Needless to say, the deadline was not met.
Trumptweets from yesterday morning say we're ‛getting closer by the hour’, but it's not lookin’ good for an agreement before a new Mexican government has a chance to look it over (and 'til after our own mid-term elections now).
NBC's Meet the Press this morning unveiled back-to-back polls on Trump's approval ratings, both before and after the Tuesday news of a guilty plea by Michael Cohen and conviction on eight felony counts for Paul Manafort. With the dedicated there was no change, didn't move the needles even a littl bit. They don't care that Trump surrounds himself with sleazes. So much for the ‛drain the swamp’ chant--I don't reckon we'll be hearing that one much when Trump runs for reelection in 2020.
‛With the dedicated Trumpkins there was no change…’
...Trump can't bear to see anybody else's name dominating the headlines where he thinks the wonders of Trump should be blanketing the space.
I strongly suspect you are right.
My one hope is that enough of the American people listen to John McCain's last word on Trump to realize before it is too late that Trump's is not the right path for America.
Sure, John "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" McCain, who never saw a war he didn't wanna fight and never a bomb he didn't wanna drop, by all means, mourn that fucker if you're so inclined.
Interesting article on what the authors call ‛expressive reporting’ in Politico. The gist of the study is that, when answering polls, dedicated Trumpkins (Republicans to the authors) report improved economic circumstances and greater ‛consumer confidence’ since Trump took over from Obama.
These Trumpkins did not, however, back up their supposed improved economic circumstances with any additional economic activity. They simply answered the questions as good Trumpkins should when presented with questions that might reflect upon Trump.
On the other hand, Democrats (i.e. the rest of us, not Trumpkins) reported increased economic uncertainty and they had cut back on their purchases to match their pessimism about the economy.
President Trump noticed yesterday that the White House flag was being flown at half staff for John McCain (as are flags at government buildings all over Washington D.C.). Today it's back up to flying full staff.
Trump has announced that a trade deal which will not be called NAFTA has not been agreed to yet but he's announcing it anyway, and Canada isn't a part of it, and Mexico hasn't actually agreed to it yet, but he thinks he needs to make an announcement of some sort today so he's announcing his intention to have trade deal that he can claim as his very own here real soon. WashingtonPost
It does appear as if Trump has come up with a preliminary trade deal. Mexico is hoping that Canada will still be involved.
And, yes, even in death the feud between Trump and McCain continues.
It sounds like the feds are going to try to force states to eliminate the credit some have created to circumvent the $10,000 limit on deductions allowable on their federal tax return.
Treasury income tax deductions
"It does appear as if Trump has come up with a
preliminary trade deal."
Yes, it does appear to be so. That's the point, to make it appear to be so.
However, as I understand it, unless Canada signs off on the deal Trump can't officially notify Congress that a revision to NAFTA is underway. (Trump also wants to force a name change, a new name for NAFTA, but that's another matter entirely.) And, without that notification to our Congress (and a 90 day wait period for Congress to potentially disaprove of the changes) then the Mexican President can't sign the revision before he's out of office on 1 December 2018. And the incoming Mexican President is expected to nix the deal Trump wants.
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McCain made it clear that he didn't want Trump to crash his funeral. So, I'm of the opinion that he'd likely take Trump's pettiness here in stride, maybe even wave it at the public with a grin, as a badge of honor.
The Republicans are going to come to regret that move where they targeted the recent tax hit toward ‛blue states’. ‛Blue states’ already pay more in federal income tax than ‛red states’ and take less back out of the federal treasury. When they start hitting back at ‛red states’ it's gonna hit ‛em hard.
(I count 97 days 'til 1 December 2018, starting from today.)
So, I'm of the opinion that he'd likely take Trump's pettiness here in stride, maybe even wave it at the public with a grin, as a badge of honor.
lol!
Yes, I think he would. Kind of like one of the intelligence chiefs who said that he would be honored to be chosen to lose his security clearance. I forget who that was now...
(I count 97 days 'til 1 December 2018, starting from today.)
I'm not getting my hopes up. Just like I don't contemplate the horror of having Trump for another 4 years. I don't think too far ahead.
"I forget who that was now..."
First, Navy Admiral William McRaven, head of Seal Team Six when they took out bin Laden, in an Op-Ed in the Washington Post, then later, Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA (under Clinton and then Bush and then head of the CIA (under Bush and then Obama).
"I don't think too far ahead."
We don't have to think too far ahead. If Canada hasn't joined in by next Monday then they can't get the deal done before the new President takes over in Mexico, and he's got his own list of things he wants.
I note that Trump has surrendered in the posthumous fight with the ghost of John McCain. The national flag has been ordered to half staff again at all government locations, specifically including the White House, until McCain's internment on Saturday.
Jerry Falwell, noted American evangelical/political meddler, has urged Trump to get rid of Jeff Sessions. Mediaite This is a further indication that Trump's base is cohering in support of Trump's need to fire Sessions (to facilitate firing Mueller) before Mueller can issue a report that might do further damage to Trump.
Article in TheAtlantic claims that Trump's new trade deal with Mexico is really just a gambit to rename NAFTA as something else, and thereby claim success in ‛repealing’ NAFTA.
I think the author may have a point here.
"McCain made it clear that he didn't want Trump to crash his funeral. So, I'm of the opinion that he'd likely take Trump's pettiness here in stride, maybe even wave it at the public with a grin, as a badge of honor."
They hated eachother. So McCain prolly didn't want Trump to "honor" him and Trump doesn't want to "honor" McCain either. Ergo; Trump does and says the minimal of what is required, everybody knows he doesn't give a shit really, and that's that.
What do you expect or want from Trump? A whole fradulent love fest? If you got it you would only call the hipocracy of it anyways. So why give it?
Germany boiling over:
https://youtu.be/WCS9y5KLUGE
A Syrian and an Iraqi immigrants (22YO and 23YO) knife to death a 35 YO German. German folks react.
This shit is soon coming to a boiling point. For real, it's like a pressure cooker that's at 98 degrees right about now.
These fucking monkeys... these fucking apes... we just got to get rid of them. They have no value, they have negative value even. They only destroy.
Raping, stealing, robbing, burning, shooting, we just have got to get hands on with these fucking savages. And when Europeans finally get hands on then... well, you know from history what happens then.
"A whole fradulent love fest?"
Didn't expect that. In fact, I expected Trump's White House to do the minimum required, basic standard procedure in the circumstances, and nothing more. You will notice, for instance, that I've said not a word about Trump's tweets regarding McCain's passing. Trump, however, has defied my expectations by doing even less than the minimum.
It's standard procedure in the case of a statesman of McCain's standing that the national flag is flown at half-staff until the day of internment. Trump, instead of quietly doing that minimum necessary to avoid controversy, did much less, and therefore generated attention. And then he compounded that by backing down when he got the negative attention he'd been seeking, i.e. the White House flag is back at half-staff and will now is stay there until McCain is interred this coming weekend.
So, first Trump drew attention to his own pettiness, then he backed down. Not exactly a winning set of moves.
Trump has decided he doesn't like the Google he gets when he hits ‛Trump News’
"This is a very serious situation-will be addressed!"
Trumptweets
Yeah, right, like that's gonna happen.
Either Lee's link isn't working right, or someone has taken down Trump's Twitter...that link gives the message that the page doesn't exist.
Hmmmm...a lot of that going around lately.
Try again. Trumptweets
What do you expect or want from Trump?
It's gotten to the point, Marcus, that I don't expect much from him at all.
So, what happens if Trump actually does shoot somebody on the street in New York City? NYT?
I have always liked Thomas Friedman. His is an honest voice that cuts through the crap.
The Democrat's left wing, the Bernie Sanders' people, have finally notched a second win in the Democratic primaries. Vox Andrew Gillum managed to win the Democratic primary in a contest for governer of Florida with two more ‛centerist’ Democrats who managed to split the ‛establishment’ vote between them and thus let Gillum slide past them on the outside.
The alarmists and the Republicans and the dedicated Trumpkins will wave this as further evidence of the Democrats' rapid sprint to the left. But it's probably no such thing; if the other two Democrats hadn't split the ‛establishment’ vote between themselves, then Gillum woulda almost certainly have lost the primary to either of them. So it probably means less than the right-wingers wish it to mean (less than the Socialist types wish it to mean as well).
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David Ignatius writing in the Washington Post, reflecting on John McCain's Last Stand. Like Custer, he lost that last fight. Like Custer, he will be long remembered for having chosen the hill he would die on, and how he would be remembered.
White House counsel, Don McGahn is resigning from the Trump administration as soon as they get Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the Supreme Court. Trumptweets
Last year, after Trump ordered McGahn to tell Mueller he was fired (Mueller was fired), McGahn said he would not, he'd resign instead.
McGahn leaving means Trump has less resistance inside the White House to any attempt Trump might make to fire Mueller before he returns his findings.
Lynnette: "Hmmmm...a lot of that going around lately."
Indeed it has, indeed it has. We've got an election coming up in less than two weeks and lots of right-wing "propaganda" is removed from Facebook and especially Youtube at record speeds. Even when those clips break no laws and are not even really radical.
It's an apparent left wing strategy to flag opponents as "hate speach" and have Youtube take their content off the web for "further scrutiny", meaning it will someties come back online but after the elections, if at all.
Donald Trump needs to rein in these Internet behemoths, Google, Youtube, Twitter and the like. They ought to be legislated against that they must abide by the Constitution, and allow all free speach so long as that speach is not criminal under law.
This needs to happen and it needs to happen immediately.
Arbitrarily denying a person, for no legal reason, speach on Youtube is as bad as an electrical company shutting off electricity to a person they disagree with politically; or a food store saying someone with a certain political leaning is not allowed to buy food.
This shit needs to get regulated. Post haste.
Perhaps the right-wing crazies just need to get their own platforms to talk each other where they'd not bother sane people.
Call it Crazybook, Bullshit-by-the-Barrel, or some such thing.
I got it, ‛Collusion’, call it ‛Collusion’ and it can be a place where the dedicated Trumpkins and the Russian trolls can chat each other up without interference from those liberal bastards running Facebook and Google and places like that.
Those two groups seem to have a lot in common.
This shit needs to get regulated. Post haste.
Trump is all about de-regulation.
White House counsel, Don McGahn is resigning from the Trump administration...
Of course he is! That was kind of a given after we learned he was cooperating extensively with Mueller...
I thought Marcus might find this article interesting.
Employed by China
Ethiopia is undoubtedly one of the continent’s poorest countries, but that’s changing. In the decade leading up to 2016, Ethiopia’s economy swelled 10% a year making it the fastest growing in Africa. And with 100 million people, 70% of whom are under age 30, it also has the continent’s second-largest population. That’s both a massive demographic dividend and a real risk: with unemployment at 16.8%, jobs are urgently required.
Businessmen like Zhang are seen as the country’s ticket out of poverty. Huajian employs 7,500 local workers at its two enormous factories in the Addis Ababa region. “As long as they have the right skills and training, Africans are just like Asians and Europeans,” he says.
Can't help noticing that the Catholic Church's pedophile problem has turned political. It's starting to get wrapped up in the hard-core conservative Catholic backlash against Pope Francis.
Word going around Washington DC is that Trump is increasingly ready to dismiss Jeff Sessions as Attorney General (and Republican Senators are increasingly ready to allow it) because they're convinced it can't hurt. They're beginning to assume that Mueller will document impeachable offenses, so, firing Sessions, while it will generate an uproar, has no downside,'cause the uproar's gonna happen anyway. So, they might as well try to head Mueller off, and let the uproar be about heading Mueller off; otherwise they'll face an even worse uproar when Mueller submits his report.
Pretty soon there won't be too many people out there who haven't been dismissed by Trump.
It's starting to get wrapped up in the hard-core conservative Catholic backlash against Pope Francis.
There have been some calling for the Pope to resign. I don't know if that has ever happened before? It would be interesting to get Petes' take on this, but I haven't seen him in a while.
I think Trump's already decided to terminate Mueller's investigation soon after the mid-term elections, whether or not the Democrats take control of one of the chambers (outside, long-shot chance both chambers). If the Republicans hold both chambers then Trump's in good shape to terminate the investigation and get away with it. If the Democrats take either chamber than Trump will still be in better shape if he strikes quickly, before the Democrats can re-open those Potemkin hearings, for real this time.
The only question in my mind is whether or not Mueller's got enough on Trump already so's he could dump what he knows in public, and is he already prepared for the day Trump fires him? (To late afterwards to try to get ready.)
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"I haven't seen him in a while."
I believe he's off studying up on theoretical physics, especially sub-atomic particle theories.
‛Too late afterwards…"
The only question in my mind is whether or not Mueller's got enough on Trump already so's he could dump what he knows in public, and is he already prepared for the day Trump fires him?
The way Mueller has been playing his cards strikes me that he may be one step ahead of Trump.
I see that Trump has cancelled the pay raises for federal works that were to take effect January 1st.
"Trump has cancelled the pay raises for federal works…"
A blow against his imaginary ‛deep state’ I'd reckon.
I've been reading some pundit pieces, propaganda pieces I'd call them, from the right-winger Trumpkin types. And one matter has struck me… Maybe it's just the slow news cycle that ends up the Congressional summer vacation, but they're all seeming to come around to the same mistake at the same time.
Seems they're all of them getting themselves confused over the Mueller probe. They seem to think Mueller and his boys are investigating Trump's affair with Stormy Daniels. Examples, Marc
Thiessen, writing in the WashingtonPost and Fred Barnes in the WallStreetJournal
That stuff was handed off to the tradtitional Justice Department divisions who'd be in charge of such things, even without a Mueller investigation. That's being investigated and prosecuted in the DoJ's Southern Distric of New York. Mueller handed that off long ago. I'm surprised these guys don't seem to understand that.
And the investigation may yet give rise to the naming of Donald Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator in a felony campaign law violation (and also a felony conspiracy charge arising out the conspiracy to willfully violate those campaign finance laws).
It ain't about Trump's sex life, nor about perjury (although there may be a perjury charge still yet come applicable, it ain't here yet, on account of Trump hasn't been sworn in to testify yet)
I would think these guys were smart enough to understand that felony campaign finance violations, and conspiracy to commit same aren't actually about sex nor perjury to conceal sex. But it seems to be going right over their heads.
Lee: "Can't help noticing that the Catholic Church's pedophile problem has turned political. It's starting to get wrapped up in the hard-core conservative Catholic backlash against Pope Francis."
Well the Antipope Francis who advocate Islam and at the same time cocksuckery is indeed a queer Pope, prolly a pedo, at least a homo, it shows on his face tbh.
Lots of actual christians miffed bout his apparent shielding of the pedos that some Chatholics finally tried to get rid off, and his HBQT rainbow sort of preachings.
I can get that. I really can. I mean I'm not a religous person so I can make my mind up regardless of Holy Scrpiture.
But if I WAS a religous person I might feel somewhat conflicted when the highest of high priests representing the religion I believe in OPENLY CONTRADICT the scriptures of my religion.
I mean; we know where the word for male on male ass-fucking, sodomism, comes from. The town of Sodom that in the bible male on male ass-fuckers got a holy rain of fire directly from God brought down upon them for their crimes of buggery. That's in there in black and white. Males fucked males up the asshole and God punished them by burning them all and sending them to hell eternally. Scripture.
And here we have a Pope saying buggery is A-Ok, no big deal, something to be celebrated really.
Then for any religous person, if you go along with that, then HOW IN THE FUCKING FUCK can you trust ANYTHING else in them books you hiertoforth claimed as holy? You might just as well give up on the whole fucking fairy tale all together. Amirite?
Lynnette: "Businessmen like Zhang are seen as the country’s ticket out of poverty. Huajian employs 7,500 local workers at its two enormous factories in the Addis Ababa region. “As long as they have the right skills and training, Africans are just like Asians and Europeans,” he says."
Yeah businessman Zhang employs 7.500 outta 100 million. That's really a miniscule proportion. Plus we might consider the honorable Zhang speeking out in his own interests, no?
That said, it's a good thing Zhang is doing there. I'd welcome more of that for sure.
But Ethiopians are still among the "refugees" "fleeing" to Europe.
And we still need a naval wall.
By the way, do spend 10 minutes to check out what some of your own veterans have to say about John McCain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hr37eE0nO8&feature=youtu.be
Now why would a former POW try hard as he might NOT to get other POW:s rescued and then fight tooth and nail to get their testimonies shut down?
COULD it be that his own stay in captivity was not alltogether honorable?
Could it be that he was a son of an Admiral, and turned fucking turncoat from the minute he was captured and then spent his fame and political power to shut up his fellow captives who KNEW he caved day one? Seems like it.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who accused the Pope of involvement in the pedophilia coverup in the Catholic Church is said to be ‛in hiding’. BBC (Other outlets mention ‛death threats’.)
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Reuters is just now reporting that Canada and the United States have ‛ended talks’ on updating NAFTA and the Canadians have promised to hold a press conference on the subject at 4:30 Eastern Daylight Time. This'll give Trump a chance to Tweet first. (Not clear under what conditions they ‛ended talks’)
The NAFTA talks with Canada fell apart. They're gonna try to put it back together starting next Wednesday. Trump went ahead and sent formal notification to Congress of his intent to ‛fast track’ a deal that doesn't exist. He's hoping that he'll be able to fill in later for the current deficiencies, and that the Congress and the courts will help him overlook the administration's failure to comply with the relevant deadlines as they passed. Since it's only the Senate that has to ratify treaties, and the Senate will probably be still held by the Republicans, and the Supreme Court will, by then, probably hold two Trump nominees, then there's a fair likelihood that they'll go along with the hustle. But, it's not guaranteed.
I got into a bit of an argument some time back with he who must not be named (lest he consider that an invitation I don't intend) over the current technological revolution, whether or not this time was different. He who etc. insisted that technology would create as many or even more jobs than it made obsolete. I argued that this time might well be different. We might be entering an era where the owners didn't need the working class anymore. TheAtlantic examines the same question. Worth a look if ya got the time; like many an Atlantic article, it's fairly long.
In the end they conclude that if the laboring masses become irrelevant to the very few ultra-rich, then tyranny and the death of democracy will be the result. Trump may merely be an harbinger.
A former associate of Paul Manafort has pled guilty to steering an illegal foreign contribution (pro-Russian Ukranian oligarch) to Trump's inaugural committee. ABCNews Ain't quite clear and intentional collusion by Trump with the Russians to swing the election to Trump, but publicly available information just keeps on creeping closer to exactly that. If Mueller's got anything else he's holding close (I think there may well be)…
Yeah businessman Zhang employs 7.500 outta 100 million. That's really a miniscule proportion.
This is true, but then it was only one article. In any case, it is a start, and as you say it may be a good thing. I say may, because I would question the disparity of treatment of foreign and local workers.
But Ethiopians are still among the "refugees" "fleeing" to Europe.
It should be somewhat of a comfort that this article shows that if given the opportunity they might be hard workers, if integrated into the local system properly.
By the way, do spend 10 minutes to check out what some of your own veterans have to say about John McCain:
I did and I also looked to see if I could find background information on the proposed bill. Sometimes bills are killed because of things we don't see. I was unable to find details so I would reserve judgement on McCain's motives.
As to the vets who were speaking out against McCain, they have that right. But, there again, I wasn't there so I will not speculate on who is telling the truth. Nor will I stand in judgement of McCain for anything he may have done while he was captive. It is an experience I have no right to judge, having never experienced it.
What I do know is that McCain has served his country more so than many. I give him the respect that that is due. Despite my not always agreeing with his policy views.
Or poor choice in presidential running mate.
Just a small aside, never make odd faces while attending a nationally televised funeral. You just never know who is watching...and commenting.
The Atlantic article looks interesting, Lee, but I will have to read it a little later. Today, like yesterday, I have numerous tasks to complete. I'm going to try to go to the fair on Monday.
Ain't quite clear and intentional collusion by Trump with the Russians to swing the election to Trump, but publicly available information just keeps on creeping closer to exactly that. If Mueller's got anything else he's holding close (I think there may well be)…
Like layers of an onion Mueller seems to be pulling back the curtain for the American public to understand what has been happening under their noses. I only hope they will listen.
To him and to John McCain. It was the last thing McCain tried to give to them.
"I only hope they will listen."
I think they already know. I think the major reason the dedicated Trumpkins resist the Mueller investigation is because they'd consider it an embarrassment to have to own up to the fact that they support Trump anyway. If it comes right down to it, they support Trump anyway, but they'd rather be spared the embarrassment of having to explain out loud to their children that it doesn't really matter to them that Trump colluded with Putin.
Lee: "Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who accused the Pope of involvement in the pedophilia coverup in the Catholic Church is said to be ‛in hiding’. BBC (Other outlets mention ‛death threats’."
Of curse, the homo/pedo lobby in the Catholic church is still strong and they will go to any lengths not to have their kiddie-buggery exposed further than it's already been exposed. And the current Pope (the Antipope) is their main man for that.
That's why the world's most numerous religion has a depraved kiddyfiddler at the helm. Which is also why Catholic Priests from the Phillipined to Poland defy that scumbag.
"That's why the world's most numerous religion has a depraved
kiddyfiddler at the helm."
I thought they were supposed to have quit doing that just after that dust-up with Martin Luther.
Lynnette:
"As to the vets who were speaking out against McCain, they have that right. But, there again, I wasn't there so I will not speculate on who is telling the truth. Nor will I stand in judgement of McCain for anything he may have done while he was captive. It is an experience I have no right to judge, having never experienced it."
McCain was never tortured at all. He was named the Hnio Singbird even by his Viet captors because he sung as soon as they caught him.
He did (thid is undisputable) record 32 propaganda videos for the Red Viets. Living in a hospital himself while other POW:s were in dung pits.
Once he came back he for some strange reason fought tooth and nail NOT to open enquieries into other POW:s. Why?
What could possibly have been McCains reason for wanting to bury any remaining POW:s?
Two plausible reasons:
#1 He got turned and was from then on a commie operator.
#2 He feared his cowardly cooperation would come to light and hinder his further career.
Myself I tend to believe in #2. McCain the songbird came back to america after the only feat of having been shot down, and then collabrated with his captors full on. He knew that other american POW:s were sickened by this and he didn't want them back so as to be heard, so he politically blocked any searh for them.
His whole fucking career was built on a lie and on the deaths in prison camps for american service men that he himself stopped the US looking for.
"McCain was never tortured at all."
See, this is what happens to ya when ya start lookin’ at Breitbart and YouTube and Facebook as news sources.
Lee: "I thought they were supposed to have quit doing that just after that dust-up with Martin Luther."
No you didn't "thought that" at all. You know damn well the Catholic Church has been an incubator for homophilia, pedophilia and prolly other even worse -phelias long into the modern age. You don't need word games with me to point out what we both know.
Lee: "See, this is what happens to ya when ya start lookin’ at Breitbart and YouTube and Facebook as news sources."
He says it himself in them vids I posted. He broke both arms and one leg when he shot outta his plane. Them were his injuries. Then the Viets patched him up and the songbird McCain started singing.
"There is no political necessity to keep Canada in the
new NAFTA deal."
Trumptweets
Trump may be correct here. The legal requirements don't interest him (nor his dedicated Trumpkins). And, as a stricly political matter, the Republican Senate and the Trump Supreme Court may very well let him ignore the legal requirements.
Lynnette: "It should be somewhat of a comfort that this article shows that if given the opportunity they might be hard workers, if integrated into the local system properly. "
And what "local system" would be better aimed at "integrating" them than their own fucking homeland? Let them be "hard workers" there, and perhaps the country as a whole could beome less of a Shithole. Right?
Hey, Lee, you still think the Dems are gonna take over Congress and/or the Senate in the Midterms?
The Democrats will probably take over the House of Representatives; the Senate is long-shot for them.
I will tell you this here and now: The Dems will NOT take over either the House or the Senate.
I have a very clear explanation as for why this is but since you don't seem to see it yet I will keep the explanation to after the fact. Then I'll ask you why this happened in a way that you couldn't foresee and if you fail the answer then too, then I will give the answer to you. OK?
Not even close to okay.
Well Lee, regardless if you think it's not OK or not I will still keep the explanation for why the Dems will lose in the midterm from you for the time being. I WILL explain at some point, just not right now.
I feel I should give you a chance to figure it out yourself first. You'r still under the illusion the Dems will take the House. Which they will not do.
And, given that you fail to foresee the outcome, we will just have to wait until after the Midterm elections, won't we. Then I will explain it to you.
TrumpTweets: Tweets into the evening, way late for Trump. All the accolades McCain's been getting these last couple of days must be irritating the hell outta him.
Speaking of Trumptweets: I've suspected most of the day that Trump himself was the source of the ‛leak’ of his comments to Bloomberg News (‛no concessions to the Canadians’). Today the reporter for the Toronto Star who broke that story came out and said, for the record, that it wasn't Bloomberg. CNN
I think it was Trump himself, wanting something to tweet about to get the spotlight off of John McCain.
Re: trumptweets
We got Trump retweeting himself today, rerunning tweets he ran on Friday. Somethin' goin' 'round and 'round in his head this weekend.
That Atlantic article was rather scary. I don't really want to imagine a society where AI is the dominant factor in human behavior. But, I suspect that it will not come to pass as envisioned by that author. For AI to work as billed it needs the infrastructure to remain intact and functioning. For that to happen we need a stable environment, which implies a stable climate. If our tipping point turns out to be 2040 as some are suggesting that may not be the case.
I have just started reading "The Sixth Extinction" by Elizabeth Kolbert. So far I am finding it a well written, easy to read, chronicle of what may turn out to be the end of civilization as we know it. A lack of biodiversity may rival climate change as a danger.
There was an article in my paper today about the political polarization evident at the state fair here. Just as elsewhere in the country we have our share of extreme viewpoints in evidence. Some of which are not very politely given.
"For AI to work as billed it needs the infrastructure to remain
intact and functioning."
I'm not sure how AI is ‛supposed’ to work. How is it ‛billed’ to the .01%? If it does away the need to have a working class--just need a few tech types to run the few machines needed to ‛print’ any hard goods needed by the .01%, then how is AI ‛supposed’ to work?
Is it supposed to keep all those unnecessary people alive?
What I meant by "supposed to work" is that it is dependent upon machines, which are dependent upon electricity, which is dependent upon some kind of infrastructure. If for some reason that infrastructure is damaged, in say catastrophic real world change, then AI won't work "as billed". Would humans be so concerned with making sure the machines are running if they are busy trying to adapt to that kind of change?
"…electricity…is dependent upon some kind of infrastructure…"
Yeah, well…
Could be that widespread infrastructure is no longer necessary to charge up the killer robots. #hich would kinda screw up your assumed parameters.
The latest book on the Trump presidency is by Bob Woodward, he of Watergate fame.
President Donald Trump's closest aides have taken extraordinary measures in the White House to try to stop what they saw as his most dangerous impulses, going so far as to swipe and hide papers from his desk so he wouldn't sign them, according to a new book from legendary journalist Bob Woodward.
Woodward's 448-page book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," provides an unprecedented inside-the-room look through the eyes of the President's inner circle. From the Oval Office to the Situation Room to the White House residence, Woodward uses confidential background interviews to illustrate how some of the President's top advisers view him as a danger to national security and have sought to circumvent the commander in chief.
I wonder if anyone will take notice? Besides Trump, that is
Could be that widespread infrastructure is no longer necessary to charge up the killer robots. #hich would kinda screw up your assumed parameters.
I guess I'm still more concerned about the dangers of a real world natural disaster than a machine made one.
"President Donald Trump's closest aides have taken
extraordinary measures in the White House to try to
stop what they saw as his most dangerous impulses…"
They are now taking extraordinary measures to deny what's in Woodward's book. (Out next week.)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
"I'm still more concerned about the dangers of a real
world natural disaster than a machine made one."
May turn out to be a question of which one gets us first.
Another ‛insurgent’ Democrat has taken out a party regular in the primary. This time in Massachusetts. NBCNews That makes for three this round--out of around 200 Democratic members of the House of Representatives and a couple dozen governors, the insurgent Democrats have rolled three of them combined. Not exactly a radical wave building there.
May turn out to be a question of which one gets us first.
I have come to think that myself.
This sounds a little weird.
Federal health officials met a plane landing Wednesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after passengers reported feeling ill, according to sources.
Emirates Flight 203, which originated in Dubai, was carrying more than 500 passengers and landed around 9:06 a.m. ET, a source said.
"I asked the (flight attendant) for a mask before we even took off, but there was none available," passenger Erin Sykes told CNN from the plane. "It was so obvious that a large number of people were ill well before takeoff."
It's not just that so many people may be ill, but so many are crew members.
Op-Ed in the New York Times by a self-proclaimed ‛senior official in the Trump administration’ who claims that there were, early on, whispers of a Cabinet conspiracy to remove Trump from power under the 25th Amendment and to replace him with Mike Pence. These whispers came to naught for reasons not explained.
The ‛senior official’ claims that there is still a cabal within the White House dedicated to ‛thwarting Mr. Trump’s more misguided impulses’, which I take to mean they're trying to maintain the neo-con Republican agenda. Be that as it may….
I think this is an attempt by one of the more ‛establishment’ Republicans to preposition himself (maybe herself? … probably ‛himself’) for a political recovery post-Trump. Perhaps he's anticipating a rebellion among the Republican ‛establishment’ after a serious thumpin’ in the upcoming mid-terms (which is about the only thing I can think of that'll precipitate a Republian rebellion).
The story on that flight out of Dubai is indeed odd. It's a UAE flight, still under quarantine out on the tarmac in NYC last I heard of it.
Post Script: Trump is gonna be major unhappy about the insinuation that there is a ‛deep state cabal’ reaching into the upper levels of the Trump White House. He's already paranoid, and that ain't gonna happy him up none at all.
It sounds like they have a major witch hunt going on at the White House to figure out who has been talking, to Woodward and also the NYT.
I may buy Woodward's book.
They are saying that the illness on the plane was influenza. That still sounds odd to me. Unless there was a wide spread outbreak in Dubai, where the plane originated from, it seems odd so many people would have it on one plane at the same time.
I wasn't aware that anybody'd actually confirmed influenza yet--‛flu like’ was as close as I'd heard it pegged down.
Folks in and around the White House are gettin’ a little twitchy these days. So far both Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo have deemed it necessary to officially deny being the ‛senior official’ who dumped on Trump in yesterday's New York Times Op-Ed section.
I just read the Op-Ed in it's entirety. It would explain some of the contradictory behavior with some policy issues, particularly Russia. Trump has always been a support of Putin and Russia, whereas there have been many in the administration who have been critical of Putin and Russia's actions.
It actually gives me a little hope that there may be resistance within the Republicans in Congress as well. Of course, as you pointed out in the past Mike Pence would probably not be an improvement policy wise, if we ever saw a real movement to impeach Trump.
I hope that the author is serious about working across the aisle ala John McCain, because that is what we do really need right about now.
I wasn't aware that anybody'd actually confirmed influenza yet--
It's only what I've been seeing in various press accounts, and we can't really be sure if they are completely accurate.
It would still be odd to have so many cases of flu within the crew all at the same time.
Speculation has already started about who could have written that Op-Ed. Some are more interesting than others, Kellyanne Conway, Javanka and Melania to name those. Some are more likely, such as Mattis or McGahn.
Whoever wrote that Op-Ed threw that stuff in about John McCain just to get a dig in on Trump. That's just the sort of thing that'll get under his skin. That was not an accident. The author may even have hoped to provoke an outburst before the mid-term elections. (So far Trump's kept it more or less together.)
NYC Mayor's office says the folks on the plane do have the flu. ABCNews
They were reporting on the news tonight that two other planes have also had passengers who have reported flu-like symptoms.
(So far Trump's kept it more or less together.)
Well, maybe. These things can fester.
Here is an interesting video on a community that voted for Trump. It follows them over his first year in office. The comments are interesting as well.
I would be interested to know how they are feeling now about Trump after he initiated tariffs.
Brett Kavanaugh starts his last scheduled day of testimony today, and I don't think the Democrats have laid a glove on 'im. The Republicans have a 51-49 advantage in the Senate (or will, as soon as John Kyl gets sworn in to replace John McCain) and I don't think a single Republican Senator will forgo the opportunity to add a solid Republican ‛establishment’ type to the Supreme Court. Trump has delivered on that front.
And, long as we're mentioning Trump…. He was doing some serious ragging on the Anonymous Author writing the Op-Ed in the New York Times last night during his campaign rally in Montana. That one's buggin' 'im even more than Woodward's book. And it was an ‛establishment’ Republican who done it to 'im, not a Democrat.
If I were Trump I would be wondering who else is out there laying in the weeds in wait.
Right now Trump's gotta worry most about whether the Republicans can do well enough in the mid-term elections to keep their congressional majority in the Senate scared of him (or, scared enough to keep on covering for him). If the Republican Senate goes away then they'll have to start thinking about saving their own jobs in a world where Trump's unchecked sway over the Republican primary ‛base’ isn't enough to save them their own jobs. If he loses that power to instill fear in them, and only if he loses that power over them, then it'll begin to matter what the non-Trumpkin majority thinks.
Lee: "I'm not sure how AI is ‛supposed’ to work. How is it ‛billed’ to the .01%? If it does away the need to have a working class--just need a few tech types to run the few machines needed to ‛print’ any hard goods needed by the .01%, then how is AI ‛supposed’ to work?
Is it supposed to keep all those unnecessary people alive?"
Some interesting thoughts there.
I don't expect a self learning AI like Skynet in the Terminator movies to come along any time soon. But it's not completely impossible either.
Anyway, I see AI and Robotics in the near term replacing a whole hell of a lot of jobs humans used to do. Most low level jobs but also moving up the ranks and replacing higher end white collar jobs.
Which is one reason I question the whole "we need a quazillion somalis to work and pay our pensions cauze low birth rates" bondoogle.
We do NOT NEED any more people, especially not low qualified refugees. We're about to replace lots of the people we already have, even those with 12 years of schooling, on the jobs market. WTF do we need goat herders who can't even read for? Useless, utterly useless. Not even of no value but of significant NEGATIVE value, for us.
Lookin’ like Syria's Alewite regime is preparing to launch a major slaughter against its Sunni population in the supposedly ‛safe’ Ibdil region (and points east). Both Turkish and American forces have staked out zones of influence where allied Sunni populations have taken refuge, supposedly clear of jihadi types, but ya know how that goes. The Russians have been warning our military people that they're lookin' to back an Alewite slaughter against the Sunnis here real soon, and they've strongly hinted we needed to get our commando types the hell out of the way or risk losing them. I read that the Turks are receiving the same sort of warnings for the areas they've been protecting.
It's gonna play out like this: Assads forces move in, the "rebels" blow a chlorine bomb or something, Vidya gets spread world wide that the gasser Assad is at it again and all hell will be on Trump to bomb Syria once more.
RT had the story a week ago that chems have been moved into theatre to stage a false flag chem attack.
So expect that soon.
Expect also the jihadi headchopper scum to put on a white helmet and play concerned citiszen are rescuing kids they themselves gassed.
AI taking over people's jobs is not here yet. Meantime we have many businesses hurting for lower level and skilled workers. I just spoke with someone the other day who owns a cleaning service business. She had been growing her business steadily, adding territory until just recently when she ran into a shortage of workers. Before you say that she may not be paying enough, I can tell you that the pay was quite high for someone who worked hard. These are the kind of jobs that new immigrants to our country use to get their start. The same goes for seasonal types of businesses, such as resorts in our northern region of the state, or agricultural businesses. This shortage is directly attributable to the poor policy choices coming out of Washington and Trump's inexperience with the true workings of the US economy.
The Russians have been warning our military people that they're lookin' to back an Alewite slaughter against the Sunnis here real soon, and they've strongly hinted we needed to get our commando types the hell out of the way or risk losing them. I read that the Turks are receiving the same sort of warnings for the areas they've been protecting.
How considerate of them. I am sure our military will take it under advisement and do what they think best.
It's gonna play out like this: Assads forces move in, the "rebels" blow a chlorine bomb or something, Vidya gets spread world wide that the gasser Assad is at it again and all hell will be on Trump to bomb Syria once more.
Interesting concept. We will have to see, won't we?
Just a small aside, I have been trying to watch some movies over the weekends for a little escapism. So last night I watched A Quiet Place, which came highly recommended be various sources. It is billed as a suspense movie, not really horror, but close. Other than a few well done sequences I found it kind of boring. I guess I may be an outlier when it comes to some of these movies. Tonight I am going to watch Love, Simon which also comes highly recommended. I'll let you know...
"RT had the story a week ago that chems have been moved into
theatre to stage a false flag chem attack."
Ah, yes, I neglected to mention that part. It appears that the Russians have decided to prepare in advance to blame Assad's next chem weapon attack on the people who're gonna get attacked. As far as I can tell the only people who believe this pre-strike propaganda are the Russian general population (who have no other sources of information) and the Swedish fascists (who are motivated to believe whatever Putin tells the world). It's also possible that Trump is motivated to believe.
"I am sure our military will take it under advisement and
do what they think best."
Unlike the Anonymous Author, our military people will almost certainly not steal the papers off of Trump's desk; they will almost certainly salute and obey.
Do not, whatever you do, go to a Trump rally, sit behind him, and make faces, or you will be removed. Seriously, I kid you not. It just doesn't go with the script that has been preordained.
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