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Trump to nominate fox news host as secretary of defense

We left England because we wanted to go sailing, I guess.


In September 1620, a merchant ship called the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, a port on the southern coast of England. Normally, the Mayflower’s cargo was wine and dry goods, but on this trip the ship carried passengers: 102 of them, all hoping to start a new life on the other side of the Atlantic. Nearly 40 of these passengers were Protestant Separatists—they called themselves “Saints”—who hoped to establish a new church in the so-called New World. Today, we often refer to the colonists who crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower as “Pilgrims.”

It carried my 11th great grandfather, the 22nd signer of the Mayflower Compact, who died during the first winter.
 
Where does one establish a moral code if not from a higher power. Name for me one foundational moral precept that doesn't have its roots in religion?

Many past and present atheist recognize the importance of religion in establishing a strong moral code as a means to promote and sustain peaceful communal living.
Why do so many religions have more or less the same views on what’s right and or wrong despite believing in very different things spiritually?

There are social reasons for understanding that theft, lying, murder, etc are wrong that have nothing to do with religion.
 
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In September 1620, a merchant ship called the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, a port on the southern coast of England. Normally, the Mayflower’s cargo was wine and dry goods, but on this trip the ship carried passengers: 102 of them, all hoping to start a new life on the other side of the Atlantic. Nearly 40 of these passengers were Protestant Separatists—they called themselves “Saints”—who hoped to establish a new church in the so-called New World. Today, we often refer to the colonists who crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower as “Pilgrims.”

It carried my 11th great grandfather, the 22nd signer of the Mayflower Compact, who died during the first winter.
But that’s not what happened, was it?
 
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Where does one establish a moral code if not from a higher power. Name for me one foundational moral precept that doesn't have its roots in religion?

Many past and present atheist recognize the importance of religion in establishing a strong moral code as a means to promote and sustain peaceful communal living.

Wow. Well done dude. Indoctrination personified.
 
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Do Magas really consider pulling out of NATO a good thing? Serious question. Pretty alarming if you ask me.
What's important here is that NATO thinks that we might. European countries have to be forced to have the hard internal conversations and make the hard decisions on what nice to have shit will go bye bye in order to make or buy enough shit to defend themselves and each other in a meaningful way. The working people in America can't be solely responsible for paying for the defense of everybody else.
 
What's important here is that NATO thinks that we might. European countries have to be forced to have the hard internal conversations and make the hard decisions on what nice to have shit will go bye bye in order to make or buy enough shit to defend themselves and each other in a meaningful way. The working people in America can't be solely responsible for paying for the defense of everybody else.
This is another one of those things that I don't get why Trump doesn't receive bipartisan support on. Like leveraging tariffs to negotiate more equitable trade deals and foreign support for curtailment of human and drug trafficking, this would be so much more effective if we had a unified front.

Some people seem not to want problems solved. Instead, they want problems they can campaign on in perpetuity.
 
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This is another one of those things that I don't get why Trump doesn't receive bipartisan support on. Like leveraging tariffs to negotiate more equitable trade deals and foreign support for curtailment of human and drug trafficking, this would be so much more effective if we had a unified front.

Some people seem not to want problems solved. Instead, they want problems they can campaign on in perpetuity.
Because Trump hurts people in the feels. A unified front on America First foreign policy would go a long way. As long as foreign governments see some daylight they will hold out hope that they can get through the opening and/or wait things out. Frustrating.
 
Milley is going to get some with or without an investigation into Afghanistan, IMHO. At a minimum, his public comments about Trump while he was still on active duty and Trump was POTUS will do it. Definitely if he talked to China about Trump and said what it's reported that he said. Up thread somewhere I listed all the various UCMJ articles that could possibly apply. The longer you don't hear anything about it the more likely that it's going to happen, IMHO. That's based upon my experience being an interested spectator to senior officers getting discipline. That sh*t is kept nuclear level secret with no-one willing to even speculate or give any info (that's the indicator that something is going to go down).


I think maybe heads should have rolled at the time for screwing things up, but if the POTUS gives the order and says do it now then that's what has to happen. But i do believe that we need a full accounting of how we spent decades, and $billions and killed and maimed Americans (and afghans) only to end back at the same place that we all started. A screwed up Afghan withdrawal doesn't necessarily mean that Milley as CJCS did anything wrong. BUT I would hope that at least he went to the mat and made sure the POTUS knew the possibility (likelihood) of a really really bad outcome if done lickety-split in a hurry without holding the Taliban to the letter and spirit of whatever agreement was made so as to give the Afghan Gov't a fighting chance.

PS We also should have kept Bagram Air Base as insurance for a while.
 
Because Trump hurts people in the feels. A unified front on America First foreign policy would go a long way. As long as foreign governments see some daylight they will hold out hope that they can get through the opening and/or wait things out. Frustrating.
They are much closer to all countries being at 2% due to Ukraine funding but I feel like we've already lost them after telling them they now need to spend 5%, they shouldn't count on us and they also need to give Nazis more air-time. They feel abandoned and so does Canada. Bottom line, they all indicate they will never trust us again so they may not be there for us either if we need their cooperation in the future. This has not been a good couple weeks for our relationships with our friends while we treat Putin like our best buddy.
 
This is another one of those things that I don't get why Trump doesn't receive bipartisan support on. Like leveraging tariffs to negotiate more equitable trade deals and foreign support for curtailment of human and drug trafficking, this would be so much more effective if we had a unified front.

Some people seem not to want problems solved. Instead, they want problems they can campaign on in perpetuity.
Americans are united behind trump.
 
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Milley is going to get some with or without an investigation into Afghanistan, IMHO. At a minimum, his public comments about Trump while he was still on active duty and Trump was POTUS will do it. Definitely if he talked to China about Trump and said what it's reported that he said. Up thread somewhere I listed all the various UCMJ articles that could possibly apply. The longer you don't hear anything about it the more likely that it's going to happen, IMHO. That's based upon my experience being an interested spectator to senior officers getting discipline. That sh*t is kept nuclear level secret with no-one willing to even speculate or give any info (that's the indicator that something is going to go down).


I think maybe heads should have rolled at the time for screwing things up, but if the POTUS gives the order and says do it now then that's what has to happen. But i do believe that we need a full accounting of how we spent decades, and $billions and killed and maimed Americans (and afghans) only to end back at the same place that we all started. A screwed up Afghan withdrawal doesn't necessarily mean that Milley as CJCS did anything wrong. BUT I would hope that at least he went to the mat and made sure the POTUS knew the possibility (likelihood) of a really really bad outcome if done lickety-split in a hurry without holding the Taliban to the letter and spirit of whatever agreement was made so as to give the Afghan Gov't a fighting chance.

PS We also should have kept Bagram Air Base as insurance for a while.
Losing those soldiers was unforgivable. The investigation will reveal the corrupt policies and decisions that were made so that they will never happen again.
 
Losing those soldiers was unforgivable. The investigation will reveal the corrupt policies and decisions that were made so that they will never happen again.
Until the onion gets peeled back we won't know what is what.
 
Bold strategy. Let's see how it plays out. Looks like investigating child exploitation crimes, cyberattacks and Dark Web financial schemes, Iranian and Chinese nuclear traffickers, Russian organized crime, trade fraud and sanctions investigations are all taking the backseat to deporting immigrants.

 
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Priority now is the criminal illegals. Have to put more resources against that because we a number of democrats at the state and local level nationwide obstructing or not helping where they could. Deporting the illegal gang bangers and criminals will help all those areas.
 
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I really don't understand that line of thought from the current administration. Like, you want to argue Ukraine was an "aggressor" and brought it on themselves, I will disagree, but at least can see the line of thought. But acting like they didn't invade is insane and nonsensical. Can anyone explain it?
 
I really don't understand that line of thought from the current administration. Like, you want to argue Ukraine was an "aggressor" and brought it on themselves, I will disagree, but at least can see the line of thought. But acting like they didn't invade is insane and nonsensical. Can anyone explain it?
Because Donald Trump is either a Russian asset or been so flattered by them that it doesn't matter if he's an actual asset or not. What would a Russian asset do differently than Trump?
 
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Has to be some sort of negotiating tactic. I think zelensky needed to be forced to the negotiating table, and when all is said and done we still have to co-exist with Russia and hopefully NOT have them in lock step with China.

Personally, i'm not concerned about the noise. Sign a peace deal. Stop sending $$ and weapons to Ukraine so we can get our shit ready to fight China. Recoup some of the money that we sent (if possible), or secure some sort of deal that will help the US. Get European NATO members to take PRIMARY responsibility for their own defense. Do all that and I could care less how we got there.
 
Has to be some sort of negotiating tactic. I think zelensky needed to be forced to the negotiating table, and when all is said and done we still have to co-exist with Russia and hopefully NOT have them in lock step with China.

Personally, i'm not concerned about the noise. Sign a peace deal. Stop sending $$ and weapons to Ukraine so we can get our shit ready to fight China. Recoup some of the money that we sent (if possible), or secure some sort of deal that will help the US. Get European NATO members to take PRIMARY responsibility for their own defense. Do all that and I could care less how we got there.
So acting like an invasion didn't happen, calling Zelensky a dictator but not Putin, and not asking for a single concession from Russia? I don't understand why Zelensky would come to that table?
 
So acting like an invasion didn't happen, calling Zelensky a dictator but not Putin, and not asking for a single concession from Russia? I don't understand why Zelensky would come to that table?
He's going to come to the table because he has no leverage. It only gets worse from here if/when the US cuts off the flow of $$ and weapons and decides to not help with any post conflict reconstruction.
 
He's going to come to the table because he has no leverage. It only gets worse from here if/when the US cuts off the flow of $$ and weapons and decides to not help with any post conflict reconstruction.
Sure. I have no doubt at some point he's going to come to the table. But so far, he is the one being asked to make every single one of the concessions. Is there anything we've asked of Russia, other than coming to the table and accepting their land, future lack of sanctions, and Ukraine not joining NATO? Is there anything we're asking of Russia in this but a victory lap and making Trump feel pretty?
 
Sure. I have no doubt at some point he's going to come to the table. But so far, he is the one being asked to make every single one of the concessions. Is there anything we've asked of Russia, other than coming to the table and accepting their land, future lack of sanctions, and Ukraine not joining NATO? Is there anything we're asking of Russia in this but a victory lap and making Trump feel pretty?
Trump said his goal was ending the war and ending US taxpayers getting fleeced by the world (which includes the US caring more and paying more for NATOs defense than the rest of countries in NATO do). He's going to do that.
 
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Trump said his goal was ending the war and ending US taxpayers getting fleeced by the world (which includes the US caring more and paying more for NATOs defense than the rest of countries in NATO do). He's going to do that.
Fair enough. He and Putin just happen to align on everything I guess.
 
Because Donald Trump is either a Russian asset or been so flattered by them that it doesn't matter if he's an actual asset or not. What would a Russian asset do differently than Trump?
Any notion that Trump is an asset of or somehow subordinate to Russia simply cannot be taken seriously. This is just an emotional reaction of those who have severe distain for Trump. Trump's power on the world drastically exceeds that of Putin. That the person in the superior position with subordinate himself to an inferior flies in the face of reason.

This was being talked about in national media a good bit prior to Trump/Ukraine collision and the Russian invasion.... Ukraine is a cesspit of corruption, avarice and vice. This is routinely exploited by countries worldwide, including ours--and it permeates both parties.

In essence, Ukraine's hands are not clean. We are not dealing with good actors. We will help them because it is in our best interest to do so, but they better damn well believe they are going to pay for it and the status quo of corruption will not be maintained.
 
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Has to be some sort of negotiating tactic. I think zelensky needed to be forced to the negotiating table, and when all is said and done we still have to co-exist with Russia and hopefully NOT have them in lock step with China.

Personally, i'm not concerned about the noise. Sign a peace deal. Stop sending $$ and weapons to Ukraine so we can get our shit ready to fight China. Recoup some of the money that we sent (if possible), or secure some sort of deal that will help the US. Get European NATO members to take PRIMARY responsibility for their own defense. Do all that and I could care less how we got there.
No matter your stance, it should never be ok for a US president to blame the victim for an invasion while also calling their leader a dictator only to give a pass to the actual invader/dictator. He just destroyed 80 years of US diplomacy and has turned our alliances on their head. It's shameful.
 
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