WSJ reporting (paywalled, below) that Thom Tillis promised Hegseth's former sister-in-law that her sworn statement would cause other GOP Senators to oppose the nomination. Should be hell to pay vis-a-vis Trump.
I don't remember the situation but some group wanted FDR to take a particular action; he responded, "Make me do it." (Create popular sentiment.)
Prior to Trump's statement, a pro-Israel group in USA broadcast precisely the suggestion Trump made: move Palestinians out of Palestine.
I want to think Trump made that public statement in a 'reverse-make-me-do-it.' The response to Trump's statement has been a torrent of resistance. Not only popular sentiment but the reactions of numerous otherwise quiescent leaders in the region have been immediate and negative -- "No f%#ing way" negative.
I want to think that Trump is willing to take it on the chin to demonstrate to the pro-Israelis that such a move would have extremely negative long-term repercussions. His statement provoked a sharp, negative response, a warning to the pro-Israelite crowd:
"Will all great Congress's anti-semitism legislation wash this blood
Ray: What the hell is up with Lindsay? Just how ignorant historically, socially and politically do you have to be to still be trying to cast Jan. 6 as an insurrection?
This guy is such an embarrassment that it’s impossible for me to understand how and why the people of SC keep putting him back in office!
I have a better idea for neocons than silence in Tibet. Fence off the remains of a city block in north Gaza and give them sledge hammers and tell them to break big pieces of rubble into small pieces of rubble; they can leave when they have broken the small pieces of rubble into dust.
It is very heartening to hear of the views of Maitra and the light he shines on the views of his cohort realists and moralists appointed to secondary positions in Middle East diplomacy and policy.
On the other hand, we have the Elbridge Colby, Marco Rubio, Republican Congress, and rhetorical Trump China Hawk contingent. How are the policies they advocate against China any better for the U.S.? "The push for a 'muscular” approach in the Middle East has been an unmitigated disaster, resulting in debt, deaths, and disillusion. It’s a miracle of unipolarity and American structural advantage that America survived the ordeal." I can easily project the results of a similar approach to China (as per the China policy hawks) being the same - or even worse. Will we perhaps see logical consistency of foreign policy out of the Trump administration regardless of theater? I sure hope so.
China is an unmovable object. They can huff and puff all they want, but in the end they'll have to find a real world response--which means looking inward to solve our own problems.
Deepseek may help to focus some minds…just an excerpt from an interview w Mark Andreesen, a Silicon Valley billionaire investor (Andreessen Horowitz). He is NOT talking about China!
“And then there’s this general idea that progress is bad, technology is bad, capitalism is bad, building businesses is bad, success is bad, this tall poppy syndrome. Anybody who sticks their head up deserves to have it chopped off. Anybody who’s wrong about anything deserves to get condemned forever. This very grinding repression, coupled with specific government actions such as censorship regimes and de-banking, and deliberately kneecapping critical American industries.”
“He literally aggregated trillions of dollars of shareholdings that weren’t even his and used them to force companies into these positions. In the last year,”
Using what isn’t theirs is a perfect metaphor for the Marxist mindset.
Before any rebuild, requires a full razing…
WSJ reporting (paywalled, below) that Thom Tillis promised Hegseth's former sister-in-law that her sworn statement would cause other GOP Senators to oppose the nomination. Should be hell to pay vis-a-vis Trump.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/pete-hegseth-affidavit-thom-tillis-08af5bce
Netanyahu may visit Trump at White House as soon as this week's end (incl. Shabbat).
https://x.com/AnnaBarskiy/status/1883893175158218842
I don't remember the situation but some group wanted FDR to take a particular action; he responded, "Make me do it." (Create popular sentiment.)
Prior to Trump's statement, a pro-Israel group in USA broadcast precisely the suggestion Trump made: move Palestinians out of Palestine.
I want to think Trump made that public statement in a 'reverse-make-me-do-it.' The response to Trump's statement has been a torrent of resistance. Not only popular sentiment but the reactions of numerous otherwise quiescent leaders in the region have been immediate and negative -- "No f%#ing way" negative.
I want to think that Trump is willing to take it on the chin to demonstrate to the pro-Israelis that such a move would have extremely negative long-term repercussions. His statement provoked a sharp, negative response, a warning to the pro-Israelite crowd:
"Will all great Congress's anti-semitism legislation wash this blood
Clean from my hand?"
This is the Way.
{None of what Trump has said in recent days about Palestine and its people makes much sense.}
Mark, please elaborate on Trumps sleezy son in law Jared and how he factors in regarding Gaza
https://jacobin.com/2025/01/kushner-cease-fire-israel-settlements
Perhaps I'm being paranoid…
I’m suspicious of the eGOP on Tulsi, RFK jr., and Kash’s confirmation.
Pence’s anti RFK jr seems to be driven by Big Pharma money.
https://www.illusionconsensus.com/p/urgent-video-debunking-mike-pences?
Def Secretary being confirmed by a tie breaker from Vance was a signal to Trump by the eGOP.
Lyndsay Grahams denouncement of the j6 pardons adds to my suspicion.
Ray: What the hell is up with Lindsay? Just how ignorant historically, socially and politically do you have to be to still be trying to cast Jan. 6 as an insurrection?
This guy is such an embarrassment that it’s impossible for me to understand how and why the people of SC keep putting him back in office!
I have a better idea for neocons than silence in Tibet. Fence off the remains of a city block in north Gaza and give them sledge hammers and tell them to break big pieces of rubble into small pieces of rubble; they can leave when they have broken the small pieces of rubble into dust.
Back to the Stone Age!
It is very heartening to hear of the views of Maitra and the light he shines on the views of his cohort realists and moralists appointed to secondary positions in Middle East diplomacy and policy.
On the other hand, we have the Elbridge Colby, Marco Rubio, Republican Congress, and rhetorical Trump China Hawk contingent. How are the policies they advocate against China any better for the U.S.? "The push for a 'muscular” approach in the Middle East has been an unmitigated disaster, resulting in debt, deaths, and disillusion. It’s a miracle of unipolarity and American structural advantage that America survived the ordeal." I can easily project the results of a similar approach to China (as per the China policy hawks) being the same - or even worse. Will we perhaps see logical consistency of foreign policy out of the Trump administration regardless of theater? I sure hope so.
China is an unmovable object. They can huff and puff all they want, but in the end they'll have to find a real world response--which means looking inward to solve our own problems.
Deepseek may help to focus some minds…just an excerpt from an interview w Mark Andreesen, a Silicon Valley billionaire investor (Andreessen Horowitz). He is NOT talking about China!
“And then there’s this general idea that progress is bad, technology is bad, capitalism is bad, building businesses is bad, success is bad, this tall poppy syndrome. Anybody who sticks their head up deserves to have it chopped off. Anybody who’s wrong about anything deserves to get condemned forever. This very grinding repression, coupled with specific government actions such as censorship regimes and de-banking, and deliberately kneecapping critical American industries.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/marc-andreesen-roasts-blackrocks-larry-fink-backpedaling-retarded-esg-policies
“He literally aggregated trillions of dollars of shareholdings that weren’t even his and used them to force companies into these positions. In the last year,”
Using what isn’t theirs is a perfect metaphor for the Marxist mindset.
Rubio may be helpful with focusing on our Southern Neighbors. They have been willfully ignored for too long.
US President Donald Trump on the demolition of Nord Stream 2:
"I don't want to get our country into even more trouble, but I can say who it wasn't - it wasn't Russia."
Ursula, if you have ears…