TRUMP: Yes, He Even Branded A MAGAthread

[The Vermin Confederation of Mossflower]

I'm not interested in having Russia and America no-fly-zone each other over Syria in a game of high altitude chicken.

Too easy for one dumb fuck to give an order that'll escalate the problem there - I prefer a more reconciliatory foreign policy, because holy hell relations between Russia and the West have gone down the drain in recent years.

I asked for when she actually called for war. Not "well if you squint at this through a paper bag under the first light of midsummer's day it looks a bit like she might have called for war".

Given the cicumstances, it would essentially be an act of war by itself

[Ashmoria]

I'm not interested in having Russia and America no-fly-zone each other over Syria in a game of high altitude chicken.

Too easy for one dumb fuck to give an order that'll escalate the problem there - I prefer a more reconciliatory foreign policy, because holy hell relations between Russia and the West have gone down the drain in recent years.

I asked for when she actually called for war. Not "well if you squint at this through a paper bag under the first light of midsummer's day it looks a bit like she might have called for war".

especially since she emphasized that the no-fly zone would only happen with Russian cooperation.

which meant it wouldn't happen but that is neither here not there, it was still superior to trumps secret plan to defeat isis

[Venerable Bede]

Plenty of things used to be made in America, people got by just fine.

Look, I'm free trade skeptical, and even I get that the game has seriously changed since then. You can't just fall back on economic approaches from decades ago. You can revisit what worked, but you also have to be able to explain how it would be practical to apply today.

The United States is an extremely lucrative and crucial consumerist market, companies are not going to ignore it.

[The East Marches]

I had no idea we alone decided what happened in NATO. Sounds like those countries should invest in their own defense :^)

Which is actually exactly what the EU is planning to do, for these are interesting times.

Really? I heard the order of the day was letting Uncle Sam carry the ball more. German has barely 10% of its kit working. The Netherlands has no tanks at all, Belgium is a joke, Italy is rusting. France is under what they should be spending and couldn't even have enough kit for sustained bombing campaign in Libya. The Baltic States and Poland are putting forth effort, where are the rest?

[The Vermin Confederation of Mossflower]

I asked for when she actually called for war. Not "well if you squint at this through a paper bag under the first light of midsummer's day it looks a bit like she might have called for war".

especially since she emphasized that the no-fly zone would only happen with Russian cooperation.

which meant it wouldn't happen but that is neither here not there, it was still superior to trumps secret plan to defeat isis

"Plan which is admittedly impossible > Plan nobody knows"

???

What?

[Ashmoria]

especially since she emphasized that the no-fly zone would only happen with Russian cooperation.

which meant it wouldn't happen but that is neither here not there, it was still superior to trumps secret plan to defeat isis

"Plan which is admittedly impossible > Plan nobody knows"

???

What?

yup

because continuing what we are doing now is superior to trump pulling something out of his ass.

[Gauthier]

I had no idea we alone decided what happened in NATO. Sounds like those countries should invest in their own defense :^)

Which is actually exactly what the EU is planning to do, for these are interesting times.

And if the EU investment turns out to be not enough to stop Russia from blobbing over former satellites we'll have people shrug and say Europe should learn Russian.

[Hurdergaryp]

Which is actually exactly what the EU is planning to do, for these are interesting times.

Really? I heard the order of the day was letting Uncle Sam carry the ball more. German has barely 10% of its kit working. The Netherlands has no tanks at all, Belgium is a joke, Italy is rusting. France is under what they should be spending and couldn't even have enough kit for sustained bombing campaign in Libya. The Baltic States and Poland are putting forth effort, where are the rest?

Well, the Netherlands have quietly reintroduced tanks in their armed forces, the venerable Leopard 2A6. Also it should be noted that the Netherlands are one of the countries who have decided to adopt the Joint Strike Fighter as the successor of their F-16 Fighting Falcons. And it's not as if France, Germany and Italy do not have the industrial capacity for refurbishing, upgrading and expanding their military arsenals.

[The Vermin Confederation of Mossflower]

"Plan which is admittedly impossible > Plan nobody knows"

???

What?

yup

because continuing what we are doing now is superior to trump pulling something out of his ass.

That's not what you said though.

You don't know what his plan is.

For all we know it could just be to finally fuck off and away from that god-forsaken region and let the Russians fix our mess.

[Hurdergaryp]

yup

because continuing what we are doing now is superior to trump pulling something out of his ass.

That's not what you said though.

You don't know what his plan is.

For all we know it could just be to finally fuck off and away from that god-forsaken region and let the Russians fix our mess.

The Russians aren't even capable of fixing their own mess, given how corruption is a way of life over there. Unless you consider sneaky political murders to be a civilized way to fix matters.

[Mefpan]

Which is actually exactly what the EU is planning to do, for these are interesting times.

And if the EU investment turns out to be not enough to stop Russia from blobbing over former satellites we'll have people shrug and say Europe should learn Russian.

Russia can't do shit if the EU were to get its shit together for once. The disparity in economic power and population is so hilariously lopsided that by all accounts, Europe depending on U.S. protection the entire time is just sad.

[Ifreann]

"All that corruption" isn't really serious at all, though. It just looked bad, and gave Trump something to keep bringing up. Whereas Russia interfering in your elections to get Trump in the White House is pretty serious shit, especially since Trump is going to the White House.

Okay, so you're saying what was revealed wasn't actually a big deal.
And then you claim it was a big deal and put Trump in the White House.

????

What about "It just looked bad, and gave Trump something to keep bringing up." is confusing you?

And again, until I'm told what this proof is, I'm continuing to write this off "that big meanie Putin did it!" as further political posturing.

I'm sure the CIA will give you a full briefing if you ask nicely.

Almost anybody could set up a halfway convincing email for a phishing scam.
Yet we're talking about this stuff like it's some sort of high-tech Hollywood cyberwarfare and it's obviously being geared to idiots who don't know how 'hacking' actually works.

Are we? I certainly haven't been. Are you sure you're not just making shit up to try and dismiss concerns about Russia interfering in the US election?

[Ashmoria]

yup

because continuing what we are doing now is superior to trump pulling something out of his ass.

That's not what you said though.

You don't know what his plan is.

For all we know it could just be to finally fuck off and away from that god-forsaken region and let the Russians fix our mess.

whatever.

[The Vermin Confederation of Mossflower]

That's not what you said though.

You don't know what his plan is.

For all we know it could just be to finally fuck off and away from that god-forsaken region and let the Russians fix our mess.

The Russians aren't even capable of fixing their own mess, given how corruption is a way of life over there. Unless you consider sneaky political murders to be a civilized way to fix matters.

I could think of a few worthwhile applications of political assassination. But that's beyond the point.
Blowing things up and repressing terrorist movements is something of a Russian specialty - it's why the tide of the war in Syria changed so dramatically once they threw their lot in against us and ISIS.

[Gauthier]

And if the EU investment turns out to be not enough to stop Russia from blobbing over former satellites we'll have people shrug and say Europe should learn Russian.

Russia can't do shit if the EU were to get its shit together for once. The disparity in economic power and population is so hilariously lopsided that by all accounts, Europe depending on U.S. protection the entire time is just sad.

Not counting populist nationalist movements that are conveniently EU-skeptic and encouraged if not outright planned by Russia.

[The East Marches]

Really? I heard the order of the day was letting Uncle Sam carry the ball more. German has barely 10% of its kit working. The Netherlands has no tanks at all, Belgium is a joke, Italy is rusting. France is under what they should be spending and couldn't even have enough kit for sustained bombing campaign in Libya. The Baltic States and Poland are putting forth effort, where are the rest?

Well, the Netherlands have quietly reintroduced tanks in their armed forces, the venerable Leopard 2A6. Also it should be noted that the Netherlands are one of the countries who have decided to adopt the Joint Strike Fighter as the successor of their F-16 Fighting Falcons. And it's not as if France, Germany and Italy do not have the industrial capacity for refurbishing, upgrading and expanding their military arsenals.

That is surprising. Do you have a source for that? The tank thing. For other European powers I agree, they have the capacity. The problem is getting to have the will to use it.

[Ashmoria]

And if the EU investment turns out to be not enough to stop Russia from blobbing over former satellites we'll have people shrug and say Europe should learn Russian.

Russia can't do shit if the EU were to get its shit together for once. The disparity in economic power and population is so hilariously lopsided that by all accounts, Europe depending on U.S. protection the entire time is just sad.

well they cant do shit TODAY.

but once that exxon man gets to be secretary of state and they lift sanctions on Russia (so that exxon can go through with its Russia investment plan) Russia might have enough money to do whatever they want.

[Mefpan]

Russia can't do shit if the EU were to get its shit together for once. The disparity in economic power and population is so hilariously lopsided that by all accounts, Europe depending on U.S. protection the entire time is just sad.

Not counting populist nationalist movements that are conveniently EU-skeptic and encouraged

This pisses me off too. I'd rather have a bunch of reasonable people that reform the EU into something useable rather than abolish it altogether. This is the difference between soft and hard Euroskepticism, and I hate how the latter absolutely eclipses the former because the former, when it was a thing, was spearheaded by absolute morons.

if not outright planned by Russia.

Everyone I don't like is Hitler a Russian plant.

[Venerable Bede]

Russia can't do shit if the EU were to get its shit together for once. The disparity in economic power and population is so hilariously lopsided that by all accounts, Europe depending on U.S. protection the entire time is just sad.

Not counting populist nationalist movements that are conveniently EU-skeptic and encouraged if not outright planned by Russia.

Looks like the Red Scare has switched to a leftist tactic.

[Vassenor]

Not counting populist nationalist movements that are conveniently EU-skeptic and encouraged if not outright planned by Russia.

Looks like the Red Scare has switched to a leftist tactic.

What does this have to do with communist infiltration?

[Ifreann]

And if the EU investment turns out to be not enough to stop Russia from blobbing over former satellites we'll have people shrug and say Europe should learn Russian.

Russia can't do shit if the EU were to get its shit together for once. The disparity in economic power and population is so hilariously lopsided that by all accounts, Europe depending on U.S. protection the entire time is just sad.

My (entirely internet based) understanding is that Europe can (in theory) defend itself from Russia, but we want America to have our back so that we could, if it came to it, fuck Russia's shit completely and utterly up. Having the US ensures that it wouldn't even be a fair fight, so the Russians would have to be super crazy to even try it.

[Mefpan]

Looks like the Red Scare has switched to a leftist tactic.

What does this have to do with communist infiltration?

The scaremongering's the same, except the scary people are now said to be brownshirts instead of tankies.

Russia can't do shit if the EU were to get its shit together for once. The disparity in economic power and population is so hilariously lopsided that by all accounts, Europe depending on U.S. protection the entire time is just sad.

My (entirely internet based) understanding is that Europe can (in theory) defend itself from Russia, but we want America to have our back so that we could, if it came to it, fuck Russia's shit completely and utterly up. Having the US ensures that it wouldn't even be a fair fight, so the Russians would have to be super crazy to even try it.

It shouldn't even be a fair fight in the first place even without America.

[Venerable Bede]

Looks like the Red Scare has switched to a leftist tactic.

What does this have to do with communist infiltration?

Russia isn't communist anymore, but it's still the same scaremongering about Russia in order to attack political opponents and movements as enemies of the country.

[Vassenor]

What does this have to do with communist infiltration?

Russia isn't communist anymore, but it's still the same scaremongering about Russia in order to attack political opponents and movements as enemies of the country.

The red scare was about the idea of communists inside the US. Not Russia.

[The Vermin Confederation of Mossflower]

Okay, so you're saying what was revealed wasn't actually a big deal.
And then you claim it was a big deal and put Trump in the White House.

????

What about "It just looked bad, and gave Trump something to keep bringing up." is confusing you?

And again, until I'm told what this proof is, I'm continuing to write this off "that big meanie Putin did it!" as further political posturing.

I'm sure the CIA will give you a full briefing if you ask nicely.

Almost anybody could set up a halfway convincing email for a phishing scam.
Yet we're talking about this stuff like it's some sort of high-tech Hollywood cyberwarfare and it's obviously being geared to idiots who don't know how 'hacking' actually works.

Are we? I certainly haven't been. Are you sure you're not just making shit up to try and dismiss concerns about Russia interfering in the US election?

"It looked bad, and it uncovered collusion between the Hillary campaign and the DNC, MSM and USDS, but it wasn't actually bad, I swear!"

"Trust the CIA! Granted they were wrong (or complacent in a political conspiracy) about WMDs in Iraq, took years to find Osama bin Laden, and are at least partially responsible for the mess in Syria and Lybia at this very moment, but I'm sure they've got real compelling evidence of a plot to take over the government by installing a puppet in the form of TV celebrity billionaire!"

I really am sorry I have to do this quoting shit but you aren't saying anything new. Just repeating what has been said before as established fact. And yes, the implication being carried around here is that Putin's team of elite ninja hackers broke into the DNC and stole emails and other information to pass them off to their well-known Kremlin-backed propaganda outlet Wikileaks. Maybe that's me taking in the wrong vibe. It's certainly how the media has been pushing this since it began.