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PoliGAF 2016 |OT16| Unpresidented

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P

Pixieking

Banned
This has the potential to be massive on a global scale, and theoretically create more terrorist incidents:

Fearing abandonment by Trump, CIA-backed rebels in Syria mull alternatives

Three years after the CIA began secretly shipping lethal aid to rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, battlefield losses and fears that a Donald Trump administration will abandon them have left tens of thousands of opposition fighters weighing their alternatives.

Among the options, say U.S. officials, regional experts and the rebels themselves, are a closer alliance with better-armed al-Qaeda and other extremist groups, receipt of more sophisticated weaponry from Sunni states in the Persian Gulf region opposed to a U.S. pullback, and adoption of more traditional guerrilla tactics, including sniper and other small-scale attacks on both Syrian and Russian targets.
Click to expand...

If the bolded happens, you not only have al-Qaeda being funded again, you have the actual reality of Trump creating more instability in the Middle-East and elsewhere. And whilst that would be devastating for the Dems to hit him on - "Trump has helped fund al-Qaeda!" - I'm not sure I want it to happen.

But in an analysis looking forward, echoed by Trump and certain to be influential in the incoming White House, Flynn has also outlined a World War II -type global alliance, including both the United States and Russia, under a single leadership, to combat what he has called “Islam’s . . . political ideology.
Click to expand...

And that would be a call to arms for every vaguely extremist Islamic Jihadist. Literally "The US is trying to destroy Islam."
 
N

neurosisxeno

Member
Pixieking said:
If the bolded happens, you not only have al-Qaeda being funded again, you have the actual reality of Trump creating more instability in the Middle-East and elsewhere. And whilst that would be devastating for the Dems to hit him on - "Trump has helped fund al-Qaeda!" - I'm not sure I want it to happen.
Click to expand...

Also known as the US fucking up in the Middle East for the 100th time in the past ~50 years. How has it not been more publicly stated that every move we have made has been absolutely terrible?
 
R

Retromelon

Member
15179161_10205933315452411_455983603240510814_n.jpg

Lol colin is such a turd
 
P

Pixieking

Banned
neurosisxeno said:
Also known as the US fucking up in the Middle East for the 100th time in the past ~50 years. How has it not been more publicly stated that every move we have made has been absolutely terrible?
Click to expand...

Militarily, yeah. Diplomatically, though, didn't Bill Clinton do some good work in the 90s?
 
N

neurosisxeno

Member
Pixieking said:
Militarily, yeah. Diplomatically, though, didn't Bill Clinton do some good work in the 90s?
Click to expand...

He did actually. He helped end the war between Jordan and Israel, and also helped broker 2 cease fire agreements between Israel and Palestine as well as the Oslo Accords. But he also was responsible for keeping Iraq atop our list of countries to watch and escalating things with Iran.
 
F

Frank the Great

Banned
geomon said:
That fucking Don't Tread On Me flag is the new Confederate Flag as far as I'm concerned. As soon as I see it on someone, I know where I stand with them.
Click to expand...

I've had that on my keychain since like 2007, purely because I'm a patriotic history nerd. Then the teatards took it over. :(

It's still just a patriotic symbol . . . Can't compare it to the treasonous/racist Confederate flag IMO.
 
F

FyreWulff

Member
I don't want to sound like those conspiracy theorists in the past that always say X president is Y's puppet.

But um. When it's right there in the open. Russia ain't even afraid of showing off that they had their fingers in this election.
 
E

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
Trump probably has a lot of golf courses and hotels ready to be built or bought in Russia.
 
D

dramatis

Member
RustyNails said:
And of course I get banned during FFXV launch week. So much fuckery politics I missed.
Click to expand...
You didn't miss much, PSX was more exciting than most FF15 streams lol

Catch on up man

Vox's Trump Transition Storystream
NYTimes Cabinet Tracking

+ François Fillon is officially the right's candidate for the French Presidency
+ Donald Trump Chooses Tom Price as Health Secretary. Since he has been a Georgia House Representative, here is his voting record.
+ Priebus confirms that climate denial will be the official policy of Trump's administration.
+ By picking Tom Price to lead HHS, Trump shows he's absolutely serious about dismantling Obamacare. An analysis of Tom Price's healthcare plans and ideas.
+ President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to head the Transportation Department.
+ Trump will nominate Steven Mnuchin for secretary of the Treasury, delivering another top job in the administration-in-waiting to someone whose main qualification is personal loyalty to Donald Trump.
+ Federal court orders North Carolina law makers to redraw districts, hold new General Assembly elections in 2017 — In a unanimous ruling Tuesday, a three-judge panel ordered the General Assembly to redraw 28 North Carolina state house and senate districts by March 15, 2017, and to hold a special primary and general election in the fall of 2017.
+ Planned Parenthood, ACLU, and the Center for Reproductive Rights just filed lawsuits in Alaska, Missouri, and North Carolina over dangerous, unconstitutional, medically unecessary abortion restrictions.
+ Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is readying legislation that would extend legal protections for previously undocumented immigrants who came here as children—benefits granted under a 2012 directive from President Barack Obama that are at risk with the incoming Trump administration.
+ The 21st Century Cures Act is a bipartisan effort that's been in the works since April 2014. The idea behind the bill is that the Food and Drug Administration's current approval process is clunky and out of date, delaying potentially lifesaving drugs and devices from reaching the patients who need them. The bill aims to modernize the process, accelerate drug and device innovation by boosting funding for research, and get cures onto the market faster. Read in more detail the positives and negatives of the bill.
+ Gov. Jerry Brown has tapped House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) to be the next attorney general of California.
+ James Mattis is the pick for Secretary of Defense.
+ The Trump-Pakistan Saga. It's unclear whether he has given real thought to how to manage the region's tensions, or whether he will simply attempt to muddle through with calls like this one.
+ Unemployment Rate Drops To 4.6 Percent, Lowest Level Since 2007. The jobs report says the U.S. added 178,000 new jobs in November, which is about what economists had expected.
+ Sarah Palin calls out Trump's Carrier deal as 'crony capitalism'. "When government steps in arbitrarily with individual subsidies, favoring one business over others, it sets inconsistent, unfair, illogical precedent," she asserted.
+ Trump Speaks To Taiwan's President In Move Likely To Anger Beijing.
+ Far-right candidate Norbert Hofer has lost Austria's presidential election. The elections had been seen as a sign of how well populist candidates might do in upcoming elections in the EU, though the post is ceremonial.

Crocodile said:
Some reading material:

Lessons Hilary & Democrats can take from 1870s Republicans (written pre-election)

The Significance of Overt Racism (in American politics and this election)

The Post-Literate Age and the rise of Trump (thanks Social Media)
Click to expand...
Crocodile said:
Good Reading:

The case for normalizing Trump (to beat him, focus more on the unpopular GOP agenda he will push and less on his personality)

Everything mattered: lessons from 2016's bizarre presidential election (Good breakdown of the what happened this election and what to do moving forward - might be the best breakdown I've seen!).
Click to expand...

Also,
Trico doesn't call Boy and ask him if he wants to go look at some titties or tell him hoo-rah or say stay frosty, but the communication between these two is strong.
Click to expand...
- Y2Kev, 2016
 
R

Revolver

Member
Ether_Snake said:
Trump probably has a lot of golf courses and hotels ready to be built or bought in Russia.
Click to expand...

He's been trying to get a Trump Tower in the heart of Moscow for thirty years. I wonder if his new position as leader of the free world will finally get him the go ahead for his self promoting monolith.
 
B

Bruce Springsteen

Member
Ok, that was some wild shit Trump was tweeting about the businesses. Scary thing is, it's not some far right wing nut pundit but actually someone who can do something about it
 
R

RustyNails

Member
dramatis said:
You didn't miss much, PSX was more exciting than most FF15 streams lol

Catch on up man

Vox's Trump Transition Storystream
NYTimes Cabinet Tracking

+ François Fillon is officially the right's candidate for the French Presidency
+ Donald Trump Chooses Tom Price as Health Secretary. Since he has been a Georgia House Representative, here is his voting record.
+ Priebus confirms that climate denial will be the official policy of Trump's administration.
+ By picking Tom Price to lead HHS, Trump shows he's absolutely serious about dismantling Obamacare. An analysis of Tom Price's healthcare plans and ideas.
+ President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to head the Transportation Department.
+ Trump will nominate Steven Mnuchin for secretary of the Treasury, delivering another top job in the administration-in-waiting to someone whose main qualification is personal loyalty to Donald Trump.
+ Federal court orders North Carolina law makers to redraw districts, hold new General Assembly elections in 2017 — In a unanimous ruling Tuesday, a three-judge panel ordered the General Assembly to redraw 28 North Carolina state house and senate districts by March 15, 2017, and to hold a special primary and general election in the fall of 2017.
+ Planned Parenthood, ACLU, and the Center for Reproductive Rights just filed lawsuits in Alaska, Missouri, and North Carolina over dangerous, unconstitutional, medically unecessary abortion restrictions.
+ Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is readying legislation that would extend legal protections for previously undocumented immigrants who came here as children—benefits granted under a 2012 directive from President Barack Obama that are at risk with the incoming Trump administration.
+ The 21st Century Cures Act is a bipartisan effort that's been in the works since April 2014. The idea behind the bill is that the Food and Drug Administration's current approval process is clunky and out of date, delaying potentially lifesaving drugs and devices from reaching the patients who need them. The bill aims to modernize the process, accelerate drug and device innovation by boosting funding for research, and get cures onto the market faster. Read in more detail the positives and negatives of the bill.
+ Gov. Jerry Brown has tapped House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) to be the next attorney general of California.
+ James Mattis is the pick for Secretary of Defense.
+ The Trump-Pakistan Saga. It's unclear whether he has given real thought to how to manage the region's tensions, or whether he will simply attempt to muddle through with calls like this one.
+ Unemployment Rate Drops To 4.6 Percent, Lowest Level Since 2007. The jobs report says the U.S. added 178,000 new jobs in November, which is about what economists had expected.
+ Sarah Palin calls out Trump's Carrier deal as 'crony capitalism'. "When government steps in arbitrarily with individual subsidies, favoring one business over others, it sets inconsistent, unfair, illogical precedent," she asserted.
+ Trump Speaks To Taiwan's President In Move Likely To Anger Beijing.
+ Far-right candidate Norbert Hofer has lost Austria's presidential election. The elections had been seen as a sign of how well populist candidates might do in upcoming elections in the EU, though the post is ceremonial.




Also,

- Y2Kev, 2016
Click to expand...
Thanks for doing the round-up mang.

I feel weird standing behind Lindsey Graham and Sarah Palin in suport this week. I feel defiled.

Yeah Kev's impressions on TLG are legit. Also really enjoying FFXV. Suck it haters.
 
C

Carpe Libertatem

Member
Blader said:
I know I've routinely called congressional Republicans chickenshit cowards -- and will continue to do so -- but most of those guys are not down with Putin the way Trump is. I can't imagine they'll rubberstamp guys like Rohrbacher.

If Romney is out, hopefully Corker or even Petraeus are still in the running.
Click to expand...

I agree. Hard to see Rohrbacher getting 50 votes in the Senate. Would've been hard to see Giuliani get them either.

Trump can avoid a battle with the Senate if he nominated Bob Corker. Wonder if he has people telling him that
 
P

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Carpe Libertatem said:
I agree. Hard to see Rohrbacher getting 50 votes in the Senate. Would've been hard to see Giuliani get them either.

Trump can avoid a battle with the Senate if he nominated Bob Corker. Wonder if he has people telling him that
Click to expand...

Every single one of his cabinet picks will be approved regardless of who it is. Republicans will do nothing about it.
 
C

Carpe Libertatem

Member
Plinko said:
Every single one of his cabinet picks will be approved regardless of who it is. Republicans will do nothing about it.
Click to expand...

I really don't think so. The Republicans have 51 seats in the Senate and there are enough anti-Russia Republicans to make problems.

Rand Paul said he'd vote against Giuliani, so it's possible that he wouldn't have even come to the floor for a vote. Rohrbacher will face a lot of opposition.

Even if he narrowly gets approved, it would be an ugly battle. Is that what Trump wants?
 
J

Joe Shlabotnik

Banned
RustyNails said:
Thanks for doing the round-up mang.

I feel weird standing behind Lindsey Graham and Sarah Palin in suport this week. I feel defiled.

Yeah Kev's impressions on TLG are legit. Also really enjoying FFXV. Suck it haters.
Click to expand...

Among the many things I did not call this year, I definitely definitely did not call Palin and Ann Coulter being the most internally consistent Trump supporters.
 
G

geomon

Member
The puppet master speaks!

Putin confident Trump will make responsible decisions

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is confident that President-elect Donald Trump will soon realize the level of responsibility his job entails.

Despite Trump's pro-Russian statements during the campaign, Russian politicians are concerned about reports that Trump is considering Mitt Romney, known for his harsh stance on Russia, to be his secretary of state.

Putin said in an interview with the NTV channel to be broadcast later on Sunday that he is confident Trump will make responsible choices.

Putin said in remarks released by NTV that Trump's business accomplishments show him to be a "smart man."

He added that "if he is a smart man, that means that he will fairly soon become aware of a different level of responsibility. We expect that he act with these considerations in mind."
Click to expand...

So Romney is out per Putin's orders. Who's next?
 
K

kess

Member
Matt Romney was sent to Russia a week before the 2012 election in search of real estate investment (sound familiar?). I'm doubtful that his rhetoric during the election was anything more than opposition to whatever Obama's position was.

If he really stands by his words and shit goes down, serving as State under Trump would decimate his reputation more than what Bush did to Powell.
 
D

dramatis

Member
The lame duck session in Congress apparently has a few important things going on in it despite being lame duck.
There’s less than two months left until the Republican Party takes complete control of the government on January 20, 2017.

But Washington won’t simply be at a standstill until then. What happens in Congress in the time President Obama has left — during what’s known as the “lame-duck session” — will have a huge impact on the lives of millions of Americans.

At stake is the safety of the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, the pensions of thousands of laid-off coal miners throughout Appalachia, the biggest health reform package since Obamacare, and the paychecks of all US troops — and that’s during what’s considered a relatively uneventful lull in the legislative chambers.
Click to expand...
The subjects given a bit more detail in the article are
1) With an eye toward 2017, how will the GOP try to fund the government?
2) The livelihoods of tens of thousands of laid-off coal miners and their relatives
3) The NDAA: a bipartisan effort to throw $3.2 billion more at the US military
4) How much help does lead-stricken Flint, Michigan, get?
5) Who emerges to lead the Democratic opposition?
Click to expand...
The last topic is less legislation and more strategy/tactics related.
 
C

chadskin

Member
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to meet this week with several new contenders for the secretary of state position, including ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson and retired Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, according to a source close to the transition.

Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, was vetted as a potential vice presidential prospect for Hillary Clinton during the general election.
Click to expand...
http://www.politico.com/blogs/donal...tavridis-join-secretary-of-state-field-232169
 
P

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
I fully expect that CEO to be given the position. I mean, why not at this point.
 
S

Suikoguy

I whinny my fervor lowly, for his length is not as great as those of the Hylian war stallions
Veelk said:
So has Obama made any statements on Trump's insane cabinet picks?
Click to expand...

He is staying out of it for now. I suspect the only thing that may get him to inject himself in the nominee approval procedures is high favourability ratings. Otherwise the Republican hatred for Obama may actually hurt things.
 
S

Sibylus

Banned
Supast4r said:
Yes but Obama could have also gone through with it anyway. It takes a good leader to admit when he is wrong.
Click to expand...

He seemed fully prepped to look away and let it become a fait-accompli until people started being sprayed with water in sub-zero temperatures and severely injured. I give him credit for acting late, even if it's only a temporary stay, but this victory belongs to the people who put their lives on the line.
 
M

Mackenzie 92

Member
Sibylus said:
He seemed fully prepped to look away and let it become a fait-accompli until people started being sprayed with water in sub-zero temperatures and severely injured. I give him credit for acting late, even if it's only a temporary stay, but this victory belongs to the people who put their lives on the line.
Click to expand...


His administration blocked it back in September while the review was taking place.

But major credit and respect goes to the protesters, they all made it possible.
 
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