Yup, yup, yup.....

A HUGE nothing burger....

It was 11 years ago AND it was for a single "it's fun to shoot people" comment which was proper for the context....

In other words, it's a nothing burger...

It depends on the people.. :D

OK, so Mattis isn't the clown Michale is making him out to be

*I* wasn't "making him out" to be a clown... That was all you, my friend.. :D

We've got a team with zero military experience in the White House

Yea, just like Obama in 2008.. You didn't have a problem with that then, eh?? :D

Why? Is he trying to be a tough guy? The real tough guys don't need to shoot their mouths off.

How do you know?? Because you read it on HuffPoop??

General Mattis doesn't have to *TRY* and be a tough guy..

His bona fides are well-established on the field of battle....

And, while they are at it, it wouldn’t hurt for the Democrats to exaggerate the rise in the number of hate crimes during a Donald Trump presidency while ignoring the increase in the murder rate as a result of the Democrats’ anti-police crusades and shielding local, Democrat-led governments from any accountability.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/11/21/the-democrats-cant-stop-digging/?utm_term=.7badb1808afb

Heh :D

We already have combat forces in the fight. Can't he read the news? Does he want a full blown ground force? Does he have permission from Iraq? What if they say no thanks? After Trump boasting about how he is going to steal their oil I can hardly expect open arms. If they say no is he going to trot off with his tail between his legs and make us look like idiots? Is he going to forcibly invade? This is asinine.

OK, what is that view? This is a repeat of the same story. Trump had a plan to beat ISIS - where is it? Now we have somebody who has a better plan that the current military leaders. What is it?

All I'm hearing is boasting. How about something concrete. Chest thumping is puerile and usually counter productive. How about a plan, with measurable goals, and an explanation why the current plan isn't working and why this one will.

God this is so pathetic.

According to my son (a US Marine) General Mattis DID say all those things...

And I am sure much much more.. :D

Considering the dressing down General Mattis gave Lt Col Allen West, I would have thought that Mad Dog Mattis would be a Left Wing hero... :D

Gen. Mattis, who retired after 43 years in the Marines and who rose to command all U.S. forces in the Middle East, would bring to the job a view of the international fight against extremism markedly different from that of the Obama administration. He has said the U.S. should pledge to put combat forces into the fight if necessary to defeat militants.

Definitely not a "clown" or a "blow hard" or "immature"......

Here is a man who has been there and done that when it comes to facing the enemy....

He was the epitome of integrity.. Until he went against Hillary...

Then he was Lucifer incarnate....

Or maybe the only ones who don't support your Party agenda...

As I said and you have yet to refute....

You don't get to be a US Marine Corp 4-Star General by being a "blow hard"....

You must have a very low estimation of our US military men and women....

Yes. A smart warrior who understands power.

Power perceived is power achieved...

We need a WARRIOR.....

Yes. A smart warrior who understands power. Not a blowhard who talks us into corners and opens us up to humiliation.

We need a WARRIOR.....

Apparently not.... Since we have bad actors coming out of the woodwork...

All that does is make immature clowns like Mattis feel good.

Again, you don't get to be a US Marine 4 Star General by either being immature OR a clown...

And what's wrong with giving Americans a little pride?? Gods know they sure could use it after being embarrassed by Obama time and time again...

Brexit.
Trump.
Rise of the AfD.
Le Pen.

It is silly season.

Or, more accurately, a correction...

You can't discard a possibility just because you don't happen to like it...

The globalists/elitests/corporatists are getting their come-uppance...

They were moving too far too fast and the Joe and Jane Sixpacks of the world said...

"WHOOAAAAA!!! WAIT A MINUTE!!!!"
-Ralph Macchio, MY COUSIN VINNY

You have far too much faith in the elites.

On the contrary.. I have PERFECT faith in the elites.. To try and hoodwink the masses and ONLY be concerned about their own agenda...

And they lost..

And people like Trump and Mattis are now in charge...

Again, I understand why you would say that..

I will even grant you that you MIGHT be right..

But, what's MORE likely to happen, is that countries like Iran and NK, etc etc will not want to tweak the tail of the tiger..

Because they have NO PLAN in place for dealing with the teeth of the tiger...

Of course.

Good for you.

Brexit.
Trump.
Rise of the AfD.
Le Pen.

It is silly season. In a democracy you sometimes just need to wait it out.

Adopting adult proposals, sadly, is seldom a vote winner. And we are well past the point where reasonable voices can be heard. We will have to suffer blowhard leaders for a while until we learn why letting emotional cripples who appeal to base instincts are a bad idea. Let's hope they don't do too much damage in the interim.

I had hoped that Secretary Clinton would have made this a big part of her campaign ... for more reasons than one ...

No, it is an explanation why we put too much money into hard power and not enough into soft power.

You have far too much faith in the elites.

Just as well Mattis is reminding everybody that our military is bigger than everybody else's. I'm sure they all forgot.

We don't need to rub people's noses in the ground to prove we are not to be messed with. They already know. All that does is make immature clowns like Mattis feel good.

I don't want Mattis or his emotionally stunted fanboys to feel good. I want an effective military that doesn't provoke trouble needlessly. On that basis, everything you posted about Mattis makes him useless at his job.

I can see why Trump likes him though. Another playground bully that doesn't understand the new rules and thinks that elementary school taunts will work in the world of real men. Pathetic.

Is that an argument in favour of not properly funding the State Department?

You don't get to be a 4-Star General by being dumb...

You are bouncing around in your little right wing bubble. With Trump and Mattis mouthing off, it is more likely that we are going to be humiliated.

I respect that opinion.. But it's an opinion borne of ignorance..

Look at N. Korea and Iran. Neither had any nuclear program going. We invade Iraq over BS and mouth off about the "axis of evil". Now we have a problem with Iran,

We have had a "problem" with Iran since the late 70s... Has absolutely NOTHING to do with the 2003 invasion of Iraq...

N. Korea is a fully loaded Nuclear power with a long range missile program going full blast and no money. How much do you think they could get for a long range, nuclear tipped missile that can hit the East Coast in 10 years?

And, if we had had another Democrat in office, that would be a concern...

But with Trump as POTUS and Mattis as SecDef??

I ain't worried one bit..

He is setting us all up for humiliation.

Yea, I understand why you would think that..

But it's an opinion borne of ignorance and wish-ful thinking...

If General Mad Dog Mattis appears to be so gung ho, unhinged and ready to use his big stick..

Well, that's EXACTLY what General Mattis *WANTS* the enemy to think...

Our allies will feel safe and our enemies will feel fear...

Probably for the first time since 2008..... :D

The forces the military face are like ISIS. We can't drop an army in there because they are protecting themselves with civilians. We need to be smart. Mattis is talking tough about last century's military options. They aren't on the table for the most part any longer.

We need to be the smart people, not the blowhards, no matter how emotional it makes you feel.

There won't be any Apology Tour...

There won't be any bowing or kow-towing...

The time of groveling and hand-wringing is over...

It's going to be the greatest hits of the 80s that culminated in the destruction of the Soviet Union....

Jump on board.... :D

Someone like Mattis has a loose mouth. That gets people hurt. The military is meant to be run by adults, not blowhards. Empty threats, and that is all they are, just make things worse.

Look at N. Korea and Iran. Neither had any nuclear program going. We invade Iraq over BS and mouth off about the "axis of evil". Now we have a problem with Iran, who are fighting among themselves about whether to drop out of the agreement we put in place because of Trump shot his mouth off.

N. Korea is a fully loaded Nuclear power with a long range missile program going full blast and no money. How much do you think they could get for a long range, nuclear tipped missile that can hit the East Coast in 10 years?

You have just made Americans around the world a lot less safe. It is beyond you to understand this obviously, but every time that some creep wants to rile up Mattis and make America look impotent they can call his bluff.

What is he, Trump, etc. going to do? What exactly is "hell to pay"? Are you going to kill innocent people to "teach them a lesson"? That is exactly what they want you to do.

He is setting us all up for humiliation.

That's your opinion.. And it's also your opinion that he is looking like an asshole..

But, to a SOLDIER.....

Someone like Mattis is the second coming... And such reverence is well-earned....

You are missing the simple analogy. Mattis represents the "winners", i.e. the U.S. of A.

When he mouths off, he makes us all look like the asshole he is.

Mattis doesn't give a rat's ass if anyone LIKES him or LIKES the US or not...

But if you FUCK with the US, that is where the problems will start..

No one has to LIKE the US..

They just have to stop KILLING Americans or else there will be hell to pay...

LIKE or NOT LIKE has absolutely NOTHING to do with anything...

Of course.. Hence all the protests against Trump... :D

Most of the people who support the winning team don't understand why, and think that if they are the good guys it'll all be OK.

We do understand why...

And, if the shit hits the fan, it WILL all be OK..

And then whose who DON'T support the winning team will understand it as well..

That is what clowns like Mattis project to the rest of the world when they strut around saying things like you listed.

General Mattis doesn't represent all the elites.. That's my point...

He represents the "let's get things done" people who roll up their sleeves and gets things done..

He is a doer.. Those from the last 8 years are all great at THEORY.....

I just don't care... :D

You should, because it puts our soldiers at risk unnecessarily.

Roosevelt understood this: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

Mattis is: "Look at my big stick, I can hit you with it, but you should like me". As I said, an arsehole.

Oh.. I have an idea...

I just don't care... :D

Of course they say that. What military ever says: don't give me any more, I've got enough.

Now imagine somebody who represents all that money telling you to like them or else.

That is what clowns like Mattis project to the rest of the world when they strut around saying things like you listed.

You have no idea how this sort of jingoism plays in the rest of the world?

Basically everybody hates the winning team. Most of the people who support the winning team don't understand why, and think that if they are the good guys it'll all be OK.

This makes everybody hate the winning team more because they have to generate reasons why they are assholes.

Mattis is a walking, talking gold mine for these people.

They best soldiers usually are... :D

Take me for example... :D

Just because we have had a POTUS for the last 8 years who is timid about use of conventional forces doesn't mean those forces are useless....

Allow me to rephrase...

Mothballing ANY CVBG is inadvisable as it lessons the US's ability to project military power...

Such projection is what keeps countries like Russia and China and lesser actors in check...

While it's entirely POSSIBLE that we could mothball a few CVBGs and suffer no ill effects, such an act would create a greater possibility of afore mentioned hostile actors to be emboldened to take steps that might A> be against the best interests of the US and B> if their actions were actively co-ordinated, might be steps that the US would be ill-equipped to handle...

For these reasons and many others, standing down any weapons system that is still viable and still maintains a credible threat and deterrence is ill-advised...

What an arsehole.

Fair enough, but military action, for the most part, is far more likely to be headline news than State Department activities.

Yet Romney beat Trump just about everywhere except for a few numerically intricate counties.

Under your conditions, countries COULDN'T ask for help from the US..

Because the US would be subordinate to Russia or China

Mothball a couple carrier fleets!?? Are you frakin' KIDDING me!???

The US has 11 fleets (Carrier Battle Groups (CVBGs)) of which 4 are always at sea and 7 are in various stages of refit/upgrade/reserve at any given time..

That may SEEM like an excessive amount to those that don't know the military, but it's the CVBGs that allow the US to project military power...

Just because we have had a POTUS for the last 8 years who is timid about use of conventional forces doesn't mean those forces are useless....

Manhattan
2012: Romney: 36%
2016: Trump: 10% - dropped 26%

Comparing Romney to Trump is like comparing Obama to Charlie Brown..

It's comparing Apples and Eskimos...

Who are you hoping will be SecDef?

“I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I’ll kill you all.”
-General James Mattis

I *REALLY* like this guy!!!
-http://www.chrisweigant.com/2016/11/18/ftp416/#comment-88986

I'm not sure most people even know the full scope of the critical role the State Department does play, should play or could play as part of America's global leadership role.

If we took 25% of the military budget (drop a couple of programs that nobody wants anyway and mothball a couple of carrier fleets and we are on our way) we could fund democratic elections for any eligible country hat asks for our help (e.g. Myanmar, Congo, not Germany).

Few would take us up to start with, but with the open offer, populations would start to ask why American election officials aren't funding and monitoring the process.

We could also update our own system to ensure we don't get claims like the current one that Trump's Russian friends rigged the count in MI, WI, etc.

But, that's not a good reason to abandon the tool altogether. It is an excellent reason to adequately resource the State Department.

What I'm saying here is that the promotion of good governance - some would call it "nation-building" can give you a better bang for your buck than any major military operation might ...

I think we could half our military budget, let the Pentagon decide how to keep America safe and project power, and have a much more effective military.

Basically the military in its current incarnation is a jobs program.

I think there is and always has been too much focus on what the Pentagon's budget should be and not nearly enough attention being paid to how ridiculously under-resourced the State Department is.

The promise of American will be in much better shape and more likely to withstand Trump and the like if there was something like parity between the State Department and Pentagon budgets. I think that is an important discussion to have.

At least, not in my book! :)

I'm sure it is. But China is the World's largest economy now by some measures, or will be soon by others. Currently China is spending internally but if it switches to a more aggressive military build up, it will be difficult for us to compete.

China does not have hundreds of venal politicians that force the Pentagon to waste money on battlefield tanks that immediately go into storage in the desert. They don't have $50 toilet seats and the maintenance costs of 10 massive aircraft carrier groups, etc.

Given that the next wars will not be fought with conventional weapons, but with cyber attacks, drones, etc. China could invest in 21st Century weapons while we spend too much of our budget on 20th Century museum pieces.

If the Pentagon was given a block grant we would be much better off. But then congressmen and women wouldn't be able to boast about how they kept those jobs building WW2 style weapons. How likely do you think tht is? ;)

That's like me bragging that Hillary lost Texas... :D

Well let's have a look at that:

Texas
2012: Romney: 57%
2016: Trump: 52% - dropped 5%

Manhattan
2012: Romney: 36%
2016: Trump: 10% - dropped 26%

Oops.

That is something you say to make yourself feel better because it has no basis in reality.

Iraq's problems today are a direct result of Iraq's inability to govern itself.

Who are you hoping will be SecDef?

I hope that the promise of America is strong enough to withstand Trump(ism).

I have to admit now that I'm not as sure that it is as I was during the campaign.

The Republicans insistence that Obama get only obstruction will be a headwind for decades.

Very true.

As for the TPP, I think the impact on US businesses, one way or the other, would be next to negligible as compared to the positive impacts on many of the nations involved, such as Vietnam. The impact on the bigger picture and how the US leads the world, or not, is huge.

It may preen and posture... But China's government is not a threat to the US socially or economically..

China is only a military threat...

And Trump and Trump's (hope, hope) SecDef are well positioned with the correct mindset to deal with any military threat China represents.....

Obama maybe a moron, but he is not an idiot.. :D

Bush won the Iraq war.. It was Obama's premature pull-out that made Iraq the shithole it is today... Obama *AND* Biden said it themselves.. Iraq was a stable democracy.. THEN the US pulled out too soon..

How Iraq is today is a direct result of Obama's actions..

Not Bush's...

The American Liberal owns Manhattan..

That's like me bragging that Hillary lost Texas... :D

And you. Look at Manhattan, where they have known Trump for decades. He got 10% of the vote.

!0%.

Xi Angles for More Power

The ominous swing of power from the US to China continues. Not satisfied with just capitalizing on China's trade strengths, Chinese President Xi gave us his first view of China's strategy for World leadership this week in Brazil. Positioning himself as the stable leader that Trump isn't, he is on a path that could take Trump's replacement decades to reverse.

Surely if there are hints at Chinese led military alliances in the future even the sycophant is Republican Party will wake up and throw Trump under the bus. Trump might not know what he is doing, and his clown car of hawks think they can bully their way through anything (look how that worked out in Iraq the last time we have an idiot in the White House), but let's hope that in the next two years the adult part of the Republican Party can talk some sense into the senseless.

That's one way to spin it..

Another way is that the Republicans didn't lose any real power in the House or Senate, made MASSIVE gains in State governorships and state legislatures and is in the politically STRONGEST position it has been in over a century...

:D

I won't begrudge you your cherry picking of a silver lining here and there... :D Other than to point it out... :D

Trump is an obvious conman and crook.

Obvious... :D

A conman and crook that fooled tens of millions of Obama voters.... :D

Let's employ Occam's Razor on that, eh??

By picking people like Sessions,

You mean the guy who chased down and won Death Penalty cases against the KKK and then followed thru to make sure that the death part of Death Penalty took??

he is sowing the seeds of his failure - and he has nobody to blame but himself.

You may be right...

You also may be wrong....

That's what makes all of this so exciting...

But, back to the American Liberal..

I don't think we'll see another Democrat House, Senate or Presidency in our life-time..

The Democratic Party has ceased to be a viable entity for at least another 50 years...

I don't think so. Which is why I don't think China will ever reach the point of being a true superpower in every sense of the word. It may want to lead the world but I don't think the world will follow its example.

I think you are probably right, but to me, it isn't as clean cut as I'd like. This week's Economist had an interesting article.

Here is a summary I wrote for another forum (sorry in advance to the Bernie supporters):

TPP Loses, RECP Wins. China Delighted

Well thanks to the Sanderistas and the Trumptons, the TPP is dead and the Chinese won. China's RECP (their version of the TPP), which includes India and Japan as well as a slew of Pacific Rim nations (but not the US just as the TPP didn't include China) is being pushed by President Xi has he runs a victory lap around South America this week.

Frankly I can't blame other countries for allowing China to take the leadership role since America walked away from a very good deal for everybody and is now avowedly "America First" - which implies that any deal will be one sided against them, and China has already been distributing sweetheart loans to the region to try to wrest some power away from the US.

Not to worry, we'll get a Wall, immigration controls, and Muslim registries to offer our vision of World leadership instead.

The dumb thing is that the political combination that could have pushed the TPP through and helped our businesses was Obama plus a Republican Congress. The Republicans insistence that Obama get only obstruction will be a headwind for decades.

Cool your jets. There is a backlash against the establishment in a small part of he country, that by a statistical fluke allowed a candidate that lost the popular vote by 1.8M win the electoral college.

The Republicans lost ground in the Senate and the House. Progressive ballot measures (anti-gun, pro-MJ) won all over the country, for the second time in two years.

If the winner had been Romney or Romney-like the handwringing wouldn't be as pronounced. Trump is an obvious conman and crook. By picking people like Sessions, bringing his kids into the game and refusing to separate his business activities when he is meant to be running the country, he is sowing the seeds of his failure - and he has nobody to blame but himself.

Actually, I think the BIGGER endangered species is going to be an American Liberal... :D

This comment might just come back to bite you in the butt.

Or be eerily prescient... :D

Don't have time to answer all of these, but RE: self-driving trucks, the scariest article on the ecnoomy I think I read this year was:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-santens/self-driving-trucks-are-going-to-hit-us_b_7308874.html

I bookmarked it because it was so frightening -- all the secondary and tertiary effects.

I encourage everyone to read it, especially everyone who has ever made a cross-country drive themselves and knows the Interstate system well...

Big changes may be a-comin'.

-CW

When China projects its wealth and way of life, particularly to countries in Asia and Africa, will that ever reach a point where it rivals America's appeal???

I don't think so. Which is why I don't think China will ever reach the point of being a true superpower in every sense of the word. It may want to lead the world but I don't think the world will follow its example.

My absolute favourite Biden phrase is that America leads most effectively when it leads not only - or even primarily - by the example of its power but also by the power of its example.

China has a very, very long way to go before it can hope to rival the promise of America.

http://www.the-crises.com/income-inequality-in-the-us-1/

Stop blaming trade agreements. Start asking about wealth transfers.

I completely agree. The balance of power between labor and capital has swung strongly to capital. There was an interview with a union leader in Ohio who was lamenting that all his union members were pro Trump because 'he told it like it is'. This guy was at his wits end. He tried to explain that Trump was very much in favor of 'right to work' laws but he couldn't get thru to the guys that their wages were going to be undercut by migrant workers. They'll learn the hard way.

It is the old saying - if you insist on learning by experience you learn the painful way: you get the test first and the lesson afterwards.

Don has his "Voucher Vendetta" movement that makes a lot of sense, but he is finding that apathy is an American gold medal event. I think we need to pick something that is anti-elitist, requires no effort except anger (playing to our strengths here ;) and would be a real revolution for the masses:

Tracking the Gini co-efficient. If this went viral and became a simple measure for our leaders, the impact would be phenomenal.

It is easy to explain:

100 means Donald Trump or George Soros (pick your person of hate) has all the money.

0 means everybody has exactly the same.

35-40 means there is basic equality but sufficient incentive in the system that everybody wants to work hard.

35-40 is where the Gini was when Trump claimed America was great (1950 to early 1970s)

Today we are at 47 and rising - it is getting too high for most of us to thrive - we need the Gini turned down.

What are you going to do about it Donald? Bernie? Hillary? Kayne (I'm thinking 202 here ;)

Trade and offshoring are also directly linked to the decline in the strength of unions, and that is a major factor in increased inequality.

It's a safe bet that many offshored businesses that weren't made significantly more profitable were executed specifically to serve the anti-union ideology of the owners of those businesses.
It's been a crusade of sorts.

A

Haven't read it.
Christmas is coming though... hint hint.

A

Hmmm... I'm not so sure Bill Clinton ever convinced a majority to support the Republican trade deal he initially rejected.

"But the combined wealth and the individual wealth of the U.S., Canada and Mexico is higher because of the deal.
I'd really like to separate trade deals from inequality."

The wealth generated by these deals disproportionately goes to the wealthy few and the pain is felt by many, so the issues are linked.
You are correct it's far from the biggest or only cause of inequality though.

"The country will be richer" isn't going to sell these deals, and won't reassure those who lose their jobs.

You aren't wrong about tax cuts for the rich or that the Repubs will probably repackage the deal... unless Dems beat them to it.

A

This comment might just come back to bite you in the butt.

If you like, we can explore this further tomorrow after my cardio appt..

BP is down to 171 over 80!!! Woot!!! :D