|
View Poll Results: How is Obama doing? (poll started 6/6) | |||
Great - above my expectations | 18 | 6.87% | |
Good - met most of my expectations | 66 | 25.19% | |
Average - so so, disappointed a little | 64 | 24.43% | |
Bad - sold us out | 101 | 38.55% | |
Trout - don't know yet | 13 | 4.96% | |
Voters: 262. You may not vote on this poll |
|
Thread Tools |
08-24-2014, 07:26 AM | #23851 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Great they identified the killer. I predict a short life for him.
US, UK eye rapper as British-born militant who beheaded journalist James Foley | Fox News Quote:
|
|
08-27-2014, 02:06 PM | #23852 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Massachusetts
|
|
08-27-2014, 03:50 PM | #23853 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
|
Good Lord this is fucked up. It's not like Gillibrand was first elected in the fifties.
From Talkingpointsmemo: Quote:
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers |
|
08-28-2014, 11:10 PM | #23854 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
I'm sure we won't get directly involved and we'll help where we can. Glad its not in our backyard and think it'll renew/strengthen the NATO bonds that went away with the old Cold War.
U.S. official says 1,000 Russian troops enter Ukraine - CNN.com Quote:
Last edited by Edward64 : 08-28-2014 at 11:12 PM. |
|
08-29-2014, 07:58 AM | #23855 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
|
I can't stress enough that I'm not trying to Godwin this discussion but it seemed like a good mental jumping off point.
Looking at the news yesterday, one thing that came to mind was "What must the world have been thinking when the Germans went into Austria or the Sudetenland?" I was not alive then but I wonder if it was met with a very similar mix of disbelief, relief that it wasn't in our backyard, and feeling of global impotence that not much could be done about it SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" |
08-29-2014, 08:37 AM | #23856 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
|
|
08-29-2014, 08:39 AM | #23857 | ||
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Massachusetts
|
Quote:
Quote:
Yeah - add in a dose of "maybe if we let Putin have this one he'll quit being a problem" (aka appeasement) and I think you've probably hit it on the head. |
||
08-29-2014, 09:38 AM | #23858 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
|
I think there's a misguided belief that Hitler could have been stopped without war or with a much smaller war, but I don't see how that could have happened. I think the most likely outcome of a decision to block Hitler from the Sudetenland would have been an earlier start to a world war. What could the allies have done short of war that would have caused Hitler to back down? Now Chamberlin's statements look naive, but his action was probably the best he could do given his nation was even less prepared for war than they would be in 1939 and that his allies were far from united on the best way to deal with Germany.
In short, starting world war two over the Sudetenland would have been seen as insane by most of Europe. Further, if the war was seen as being started by the Allies, it would have made it that much more difficult for the U.S. to enter the conflict.
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers |
08-29-2014, 10:52 AM | #23859 |
"Dutch"
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Tampa, FL
|
I would seriously question the revisionism of thinking that Austria or the Sudetanland were the optimal pro-active allied response. The re-armament of the Rheinland earlier on was a clear violation of the Versailles Treaty and would have required minimal response at a point when England and France had the upperhand militarily.
The problem with the Sudetanland as a jump point for WW2 was that the primary "ally" was the Soviets who were negotiating with Germany to carve up Eastern Europe between the two of them. So that would've have just been another starting point for the "phony war" (England and France declared war on Germany and there was little to no combat for 6 or 8 months). Mostly the same with Austria, although by that point England and France could have possibly planned for the invasion of Germany while it was re-arming...it would have been a bloody war, but it's much more likely that it's regionalized to Europe. The weapons of those days favored the aggressors, so it may have been a better outcome as far as number of lives lost. The Germans didn't fair much better than the French when on the defensive after all. Last edited by Dutch : 08-29-2014 at 10:54 AM. |
08-29-2014, 10:55 AM | #23860 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Massachusetts
|
Quote:
Agree on this - the earlier rearmament (of the Rheinland and also of prohibited parts of the military, thinking esp. of the Luftwaffe although I don't recall which came first) were better trip-wire points where the Allies should/could have done something. |
|
08-30-2014, 07:06 AM | #23861 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Obama better right the ship or else his second term and the foreign policy challenges and failures are going to really hurt his legacy. Lots of angst in the world.
I think Hillary is one lucky woman, she got out just in time. Kerry must be cursing her right now. Why Obama’s ‘we don’t have a strategy’ gaffe stings - The Washington Post Quote:
|
|
08-30-2014, 07:31 AM | #23862 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
|
I'll go ahead and give molson an aneurysm here and agree that the "we don't have a strategy" line is bad. If there's actually no strategy, or at least options on the table, then someone's not doing their job. If it's just a slip, then Obama's getting too casual, which isn't good either.
Don't kid yourself, Edward, though: Obama's legacy is already cemented. On the topic of foreign policy history will look back on a president who struggled with the legacy left by Bush and had to find solutions from a set of options limited by the misadventures of the 00s. On the topic of domestic policy it'll only be two things: passing Obamacare (and whatever that ends up creating for the future, good or bad) and recovering from the Great Recession. Everything else is noise that won't make the history books. |
08-30-2014, 07:49 AM | #23863 |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Pretty much agree with domestic policy (assuming immigration reform is dead).
On foreign policy, I think history books will be more critical than "struggled with legacy left by Bush". You can arguably put Iraq and Afghanistan in that camp but the argument is much weaker for Ukraine, ME, Syria and the new cold war with USSR. |
08-31-2014, 08:56 AM | #23864 |
"Dutch"
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Tampa, FL
|
Good news out of Iraq today, a key strategic victory is being claimed by the Iraqi military over ISIS.
ISIS siege of Amerli, Iraq, over after U.S. airstrikes - CNN.com |
08-31-2014, 09:42 AM | #23865 | |
Coordinator
Join Date: Apr 2005
|
Quote:
I met her (and not just a few second meet-and-greet). Politics aside, she's as "politician" as you can get, and seemed like she has a chip on her shoulder. Not a fan at all. |
|
08-31-2014, 09:56 AM | #23866 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
It was just the past month wasn't it.
Good news on Ameril. Assuming this trend continues where ISIS is beat back here and there, they'll eventually crumble back to Syria. If not already, we need to find out if any nation states are really supporting ISIS and publicize it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...y.html?hpid=z1 Quote:
Last edited by Edward64 : 08-31-2014 at 09:57 AM. |
|
08-31-2014, 10:21 AM | #23867 |
"Dutch"
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Tampa, FL
|
I really dislike the media beating up on Presidents because they take breaks. I'm not opposed to him playing golf (they all do it) and it's because the President delegates to his vast array of teams to keep track of things that I'm okay with it. I'd rather him be sane and relaxed than a sleepless wreck trying to make decisions.
EDIT: oh, and on the "We don't have a strategy yet"....don't believe the hype. There is a strategy, maybe not a public one, but it exists, the military's job is to provide plans for everything (well, except an invasion of Canada apparently). Last edited by Dutch : 08-31-2014 at 11:24 AM. |
09-01-2014, 07:19 AM | #23868 | ||||
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
|
Quote:
History will look upon the latest Israel-Palestinian thing as just a continuation, IMO. It might note that, if anything, Obama hasn't done what almost every single one of his predecessors did and that's to spend considerable time and political capitol trying to solve the peace process in his late second term. I think you'll see history tie Syria and what else is happening in the ME, and the U.S.'s relative uninvolvement back to Iraq & Afghanistan, in the sense that Obama led a world power whose desire, and perhaps even ability, to project power in the region had been lessened considerably and some of this stuff has certainly gained momentum based on that vacuum. What's happening in Ukraine is likely to reflect more on Europe than the U.S., especially since it mirrors Europe's similar inability to react in a timely manner to, say, the dissolution of Yugoslavia. The Cold War with Russia? To date, if you look closely, Obama's successfully let Putin have enough rope to hang himself. In all likelihood Putin's hubris has bought himself a painful war of attrition that looks like it's actually going to result in economic sanctions from Europe. And the conflict and Putin's handling of it have already hit Russian markets and GDP badly. Quote:
So, are you implying that she's making this stuff up? Quote:
I don't often agree with Dutch, but when I do.... The cognitive dissonance from Americans on this remains interesting. Many Americans, especially white collar ones, routinely work effectively at places besides their offices. Executives definitely do. And the President has access to more people and technology for the purpose of working anywhere than they do. Quote:
Oh, I bet that have that one too, but it probably amounts to crossing the border and asking nicely. Probably don't even have to do that if it's after the hockey team winning a major tournament. |
||||
09-01-2014, 08:36 PM | #23869 | ||
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Quote:
Qatar seems to be disproportionately influential for its size and seem to work against our interest and we don't import alot of oil from them. Seems as if we could find a way to keep them in check. BBC News - Islamic State: Where does jihadist group get its support? Quote:
|
||
09-01-2014, 09:12 PM | #23870 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
|
Quote:
Can't the same be said of the U.S.?
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers Last edited by JPhillips : 09-02-2014 at 08:27 AM. |
|
09-02-2014, 06:09 AM | #23871 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Oh great, lets add Pakistan to the list. Obama can't seem to catch a break on international issues. Pakistan’s Sharif clings to power as protesters step up assault - The Washington Post Quote:
|
|
09-02-2014, 01:53 PM | #23872 |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA
|
And on top of that Edward, a second American journalist has been beheaded by ISIS:
ISIS video shows beheading of Steven Sotloff - CNN.com |
09-02-2014, 02:00 PM | #23873 | |
General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: The Mountains
|
Quote:
Should that include those countries that pay ransoms? It's impossible to know for sure how much of ISIS funding is based on ransoms, but it could be a lot. French media reported that France paid $28 million for four hostages. That was to a "an al Qaeda affiliate", but who knows how many other ransoms France and others have paid. (The NY Times reported that France has paid $58 million altogether). Last edited by molson : 09-02-2014 at 02:02 PM. |
|
09-02-2014, 06:53 PM | #23874 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
It seems that these 3 voluntarily went into North Korea and got "detained". NK is holding them hostage to force the US to send an envoy and start talking about whatever.
Unless there is more to the story, I don't think the US should be held hostage to folks that go into NK and get detained. What were they thinking? Now they want the US to bail them out. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/..._campaign=news Quote:
Last edited by Edward64 : 09-02-2014 at 06:55 PM. |
|
09-02-2014, 07:00 PM | #23875 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Quote:
Sure lets publicize those also but I don't think they equate to national governments supposedly sponsoring terrorists. I get the article seem to say that Turkey, Qatar and SA were eager to get rid of Assad and therefore supporting his enemies and it led to indirect support of ISIS. Wasn't Obama criticized for not wanting to actively support groups in Syria because we didn't know who were the good vs bad anti-Assad troops? Also, it seems that ISIS seemed to pick up steam in Iraq after Assad turned the tide ... so the various groups went to an easier fight. Last edited by Edward64 : 09-02-2014 at 07:00 PM. |
|
09-02-2014, 08:17 PM | #23876 | |
"Dutch"
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Tampa, FL
|
Obama to send approximately 350 additional military personnel to Iraq | Fox News
Quote:
|
|
09-03-2014, 02:56 AM | #23877 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
And lets not forget Libya.
Missing Libyan Jetliners Raise Fears of Suicide Airliner Attacks on 9/11 | Washington Free Beacon Quote:
|
|
09-03-2014, 12:46 PM | #23878 |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: North Carolina
|
Don't know if this is the all-things-red-state-blue-state thread, but worth noting that 538's Senate predictions came out today with the GOP given ~ 2/3 chance of taking control of the chamber.
It will be fun to see left wing pundits calling Silver a hack and right wing pundits calling him a sage. And then each going back to the 2012 election discussion of Silver to show how the other side is being hypocritical. |
09-03-2014, 12:51 PM | #23879 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Massachusetts
|
Quote:
Long odds to fight against. Last edited by DaddyTorgo : 09-03-2014 at 12:51 PM. |
|
09-03-2014, 01:04 PM | #23880 |
Pro Rookie
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Prairie du Sac, WI
|
I don't think it really matters if the GOP takes the Senate. Obama still has the veto pen, he's not running for re-election (unless you believe the tin foil hat crowd), nothing too bad can happen.
2016 looks better for Dems and the Senate, starting with getting that doofus Ron Johnson out of office. (and I'm feeling a glimmer of optimism that Scott Walker will be going down this fall for WI governor) |
09-03-2014, 01:49 PM | #23881 |
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: MA
|
So I don't get ISIS. I don't believe for a second the people approving these beheadings thinks it's going to do anything other than have us destroy them. So I have to expect they want us to attack, right? Beyond wanting more local American targets to shoot at what's the benefit? Are there other nations pulling the strings trying to get us in another draining war?
I feel like Obama has the answers to all of these questions, but he is just naturally a horrible leader and also seems to suffer from analysis paralysis. I used to be a supporter of his, so disappointing. |
09-03-2014, 01:52 PM | #23882 | |
General Manager
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Kansas City, MO
|
Quote:
It's a big-time recruitment tool in the Muslim world. They paint themselves as the underdog getting a strike against the people in power. They need all the people they can get and this is a relatively easy way to strike big blows and get more people to believe in their cause. |
|
09-03-2014, 01:53 PM | #23883 |
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: MA
|
Yes, I actually had read that as well. Ultimately a Hail Mary I suppose, so to speak. Their long term prospects of success aren't high, though we will likely pay a price of our own ensuring that.
Last edited by jeff061 : 09-03-2014 at 01:53 PM. |
09-03-2014, 02:44 PM | #23884 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA
|
Quote:
It's certainly a convenient distraction.
__________________
"I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis |
|
09-03-2014, 07:12 PM | #23885 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Quote:
I agree its more of a recruitment tool by showing potential recruits that they can stand up against the US. However, I don't think its obvious that long term prospects of success aren't high. I do think sooner or later ISIS will give back a lot of the ground they gained but there's a fair chance they can hold some territory if (1) Iraq is still dysfunctional, army is inept (2) US don't put boots on the ground (3) Syrian civil war continues to distract. Even if they lose all territory, ISIS will continue to exist to be a thorn until the top leaders are killed and they fragment into smaller groups. |
|
09-04-2014, 04:57 PM | #23886 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: The State of Insanity
|
So, it looks like the Circuit decision that federal ACA Subsidies are illegal has been vacated (Halbig) and will be re-heard by the full District Court, which is expected to lean towards saying they're legal.
This removes the fast-track to Supreme Court hopes that split Circuit Opinions would have provided.
__________________
Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com |
09-04-2014, 08:46 PM | #23887 | |
High School Varsity
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Lynchburg, VA
|
Quote:
And he's guilty. |
|
09-04-2014, 09:58 PM | #23888 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
|
A couple of years ago I thought he was a lock for the 2016 nomination.
Oh, well.
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers |
09-05-2014, 12:01 PM | #23889 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Pretty good news.
BBC News - US confirms al-Shabab leader Ahmed Godane killed Quote:
|
|
09-05-2014, 01:45 PM | #23890 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Georgia
|
Quote:
I don't remember any liberals trashing Silver in 2010 and I don't see any doing that now.
__________________
Top 10 Songs of the Year 1955-Present (1976 Added) Franchise Portfolio Draft Winner Fictional Character Draft Winner Television Family Draft Winner Build Your Own Hollywood Studio Draft Winner |
|
09-05-2014, 02:04 PM | #23891 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
|
And anyway, Silver's gay, so the chance right wing pundits say anything nice about him is probably about, say, oh, 0%.
|
09-05-2014, 02:05 PM | #23892 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
|
It will be interesting to see 538 post-Kansas.
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers |
09-05-2014, 06:22 PM | #23893 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: The State of Insanity
|
Well..Kansas is going to weird considering the Secretary of State has ruled that the democrat must stay on the ballot which means that Republican candidate has a better shot at winning
__________________
Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com |
09-05-2014, 07:47 PM | #23894 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
|
But that's going to court and even with the ballot issues, Roberts can't get out of the thirties in polling. Should be really interesting.
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers |
09-05-2014, 08:04 PM | #23895 |
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: St. Louis
|
I'm not usually big on the "gotcha" videos that I see but this one is pretty funny. Skip to the end if it seems repetitive after a few clips because it is the same over and over but the end is classic politician. (And I am a big supporter of the '08 Obama Middle East policies
|
09-05-2014, 08:59 PM | #23896 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
Quote:
Yup, flubbed that one plus "no strategy" Last edited by Edward64 : 09-05-2014 at 08:59 PM. |
|
09-06-2014, 05:29 AM | #23897 | |
Retired
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Fantasyland
|
Quote:
*citation required* Last edited by Blackadar : 09-06-2014 at 05:29 AM. |
|
09-06-2014, 07:18 AM | #23898 | |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2005
|
I like the creation of the coalition. Seems that France is pretty serious, UK will stick with us in the end and Turkey will have to, at the very least, shore up their flank.
Its telling there are no Arab states. I sometimes wish we had established Kuwait as a long term protectorate (or whatever wording we needed to come up with). Right after the first gulf war, I doubt many would have argued to that. U.S. Forming 'Core Coalition' To Battle Islamic State Militants In Iraq Quote:
|
|
09-06-2014, 07:33 AM | #23899 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
|
Quote:
Nobody, except every Kuwaiti.
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers |
|
09-06-2014, 07:35 AM | #23900 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
|
I guess I'm a non-interventionist conservative. From Daniel Larison:
Quote:
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers |
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 25 (0 members and 25 guests) | |
Thread Tools | |
|
|