I think Michale really does not care about politics. He wants to argue. He has a few safe subjects, pro-police, 2nd amendment, pro-military, anti-climate change that will always cause an argument with the more liberal minded. Trump is ideal. Being pro-Trump will always drum up an argument, but as time goes on and Trump becomes more and more unhinged, Michale has painted himself into a rhetorical corner that he can not get out of, so he lashes out. Which has not been pretty...

Personally I don't mind the posting of links to the right wing talking points, as long as it's in his old style with proper linking. As of late links to content have been few in far between and the bold walls longer and longer with more of them. If he limited his posts to CW's recommendations, all would be fine as far as I'm concerned. I'm curious if he comes back. His final posts sound like he intends not to unless Trump wins, but he is an addict and has taken his ball off in a huff many times in the past only to come back when he finds the rest of the net is not as interesting...

131,549 Americans dead from Coronavirus and counting...

Don't listen to her. :)

So you don't think the author will eventually throw the red card on Don if he doesn't stop with the monomania he has been repeatedly asked by CW to stop? I believed CW. Maybe you didn't, but it's patently obvious that Don didn't.

The last thing this place needs is more mean-spiritedness.

Oh, I most vehemently disagree in your judgment and characterization of my opinion and equally disagree with your statement quoted above. The "last thing this place needs" is you on your high horse and falsely claiming that other posters are being "mean-spirited" in the similar manner as your past frequent whining about another poster [miss you Paula] and your judgment that her opinion lacked "common decency." The other "last thing this place needs" is the repetitive trolling and any encouragement thereof.

Don said "there are no guarantees," and I simply explained to him my unequivocal belief in them and how he is quite likely to eventually learn of their existence if he keeps prattling on and on in ways CW has asked him not to do.

Please choose another poster at random and encourage someone else on the board not to listen to their opinion. I would be interested to see that play out in real time. *shakes head*

Everything hinges on 03 November 2020 - don't frak it up!

Don't listen to her. :)

The answer is no because there are no guarantees.

Your continual posting of this monomania spew long after you were asked multiple times not to do it, and I would wager you'll eventually find out that there absolutely is such a thing as a guarantee.

Happy fourth of thingy, my American folk...may all the firecrackers use Trump's arse as a staging area.

Could not help but notice that sounded an awful lot like Trump's "powerful light" idea to treat COVID-19:

So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it. And then I said, "Supposing you brought the light inside the body," which you can do either through the skin or in some other way, and I think you said you're going to test that too. Sounds interesting.

~ Donald Trump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wcQYA-ol_A

*
BYOT...Bring Your Own Taper

Let's light this candle. :)

rattlesnake? really? that's a very extreme analogy to use on a guy just because he likes to post fallacious arguments on a political blog. even those of us who get frustrated by m's shtick generally have to concede that it is entertaining and helps drive real discussion. so who really cares whether or not he qualifies for official troll status? i consider his contribution to be positive on the whole

I dunno.

Yes, Michale is smarter than the average troll. And, sometimes, he is entertaining. I wouldn't say he so much "drives the conversation" but rather that he'll escalate his outrageousness until he pisses off somebody like me, and I sally forth.

But, I do not think Michale' is serious about persuading anyone with the force of his arguments. I therefore don't think he's reachable, and I think that there's too much "bully" in this poor devil that I'd rather not have to scroll god-damned 8,000 words to get to a sentient comment. And deal with the "Democrats want to eat kittens" crap. If'n we don't vote him off the island then we collectively should simply not feed the troll.

Let Michale' go troll HuffPo, as they appear to be of a sufficient juvenile level that he'll fit right in.

No, Elizabeth, this is NOT a public forum, and the 1st Amendment addresses only governmental suppression of Free Speech.

This is Chris Weigant's personal playground, and he is God.

I can deal with Michale'"Whataboutism" and his dodging addressing either CW's blog or my refuting his comments, but I cannot deal with his fucking poison. And his acres of Fox News quotes in bold.

So put me squarely into the Death to Michale'. I am done trying to deal with this frightened little boy.

There's lots wrong here.

1. Let me know how that petition goes...lol
2. eventually(,)
3. This 'Snake' takes as well as he receives.
4. Poking and provoking have a thin line between them.

Overthinking Michale earns him an all-expenses-paid fortnight in your noggin.

LL&P

Paragraphs are a good thing; makes it easier on older eyes, you know. :)

Ditto. Extremely nicely put, Joshua!

It takes a lot more than two to tango around here, after all ...

rattlesnake? really? that's a very extreme analogy to use on a guy just because he likes to post fallacious arguments on a political blog. even those of us who get frustrated by m's shtick generally have to concede that it is entertaining and helps drive real discussion. so who really cares whether or not he qualifies for official troll status? i consider his contribution to be positive on the whole.

Well, just to be clear and for the record, I do NOT concur with that.

Take it easy.

Have a great Fourth of July and, leave the past in the past. Time to concentrate on the future!

Yours was some darn good advice, though. :)

Also, be sure to stop by for the CW Sunday Music Festival and Dance Party and bring your favourite tunes.

While the tunes can be as political as you like, the discourse can most decidedly not. Heh.

I know that was my reaction when I realized that I was being played by the GOP. Being taken advantage of by the GOP resulted in me becoming active in politics to combat the dishonesty I experienced. I think that is how a lot of folks get involved.

Hey Listen, did you vote for Trump? You sound like a disgruntled Republican voter.

Happy fourth of thingy, my American folk...may all the firecrackers use Trump's arse as a staging area. BYOT...Bring Your Own Taper

Why thank you, Mr. Canuck. We Yankees will straighten things out in November. Trump & coronavirus hath awakened the masses.

Well said!

I also think that once the curtain is pulled and the Wizard is fully exposed for what he truly was all of this time, the GOP will have a hard time convincing their base that they can ever be trusted again. I think the FoxNews reality bubble has already popped for much of their base, and as long as Republican politicians continue to defend Trump and act like he has done nothing wrong, the more turned off by the GOP their base will become. Once you realize that you have been played for a fool and had your trust violated, you react with anger anytime you witness them attempting to con those who aren’t woke yet!

I know that was my reaction when I realized that I was being played by the GOP. Being taken advantage of by the GOP resulted in me becoming active in politics to combat the dishonesty I experienced. I think that is how a lot of folks get involved.

Like all living things, accents, phrases, and lingo evolve.

A few years back I might have referred to my kids as 'the dustbin lids, now they are simply known as the 'Dustbins'.

Happy fourth of thingy, my American folk...may all the firecrackers use Trump's arse as a staging area. BYOT...Bring Your Own Taper

LL&P

"Can you guarantee your successor won't be Trump part II? Because if you can't, we're once burned twice shy about ever taking a United States international commitment seriously again. Nothing personal, but we're feeling we have to assume the U.S. is not a reliable ally and won't be, going forward.""

[8] MtnCaddy wrote:

"How can Biden make that promise? Alas, Trump 2.0 has to be considered a real possibility. If...America forgets about Trump 1.0"

[9] Elizabeth Miller wrote:

"I also know that Biden is fully aware of how unreliable the US has become when it comes to international treaties, agreements and alliances. I have faith that he will be able to handle all of this and set a solid future course."

A lot of this going forward will depend on what happens to the Republican party in general after the November elections.

No matter what President changed at the top, we used to have a consensus between the two parties regarding foreign relations and the Cold War, for example.

That all changed when the Republican party turned themselves into the cult of Trump.

IF the Republicans lose the Senate by a big enough shock, along with Trump being defeated, and are out of majority power for enough election cycles going forward, that would be enough to reassure both domestic and foreign constituents that Trump was more of a one time aberration rather than an example of a continuing trend.

Something that is possible given the Democratic lock on the House, with suburban voter support, and a possible Democratic lock on the Senate, if both Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. were to become states, adding 4 more Democratic senators, for example, under Democratic leadership.

With long term Democratic control of all branches of government, or at least 2 out of 3, a more consistent continuity of policy and of agreements and promises being kept and honored, would be more assured. It would also force the Republican party to reexamine every stance, policy and position they have taken recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFxOqFRgD8o

LL&P

The local take out is open again... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0kwWeuTq5E

LL&P

I didn't get this part.

"But even so, it was always undeniable that America was the 800-pound gorilla of countries, whose policies either directly or indirectly impacted lands and peoples far beyond our own shores."

Heads on swivels rarely stop spinning

We'll, America surely has an obesity problem. Opioids, alcohol, food...
we're killing ourselves trying to live in this Capitalist Dystopia we've fashioned for ourselves.

But we'll get our act together (see my comment [108] FLC - I think it's one of my best) and economically and militarily we're going to remain the 800 lb gorilla for the next couple of decades.

So we, America, will neither squawk nor otherwise discomfit Putin.

To be reduced to the morbidly obese elephant in the room...

Heads on swivels rarely stop spinning.

LL&P

Post election, outgoing President Trump will be as disruptive as the Russian Tool he appears to be.

Putin will thence invade the Baltic States. Think about it -- when will Putin get a better opportunity to reacquire Soviet-era territories?

It'll be cold and Der Deutschland and Europe will need Rooskie natural gas, so they'll squawk but they won't stop Putin.

And we may have to drag Trump out of the Whitehouse (I hope it's SDNY doing the dragging haha) so we'll be way too preoccupied to stop Putin either.

All of that may be true, to one degree or another. But, what most if not all of that commentary didn't say is that there is no one better equipped on the planet to lead America at this moment, particularly with respect to foreign relations.

I also know that Biden is fully aware of how unreliable the US has become when it comes to international treaties, agreements and alliances. I have faith that he will be able to handle all of this and set a solid future course.

"Sure, Mr. President Joe. We know you and like you - you know us, you big friendly Senate Foreign Affairs chairman, you - but hey. Can you guarantee your successor won't be Trump part II? Because if you can't, we're once burned twice shy about ever taking a United States international commitment seriously again. Nothing personal, but we're feeling we have to assume the U.S. is not a reliable ally and won't be, going forward."

How can Biden make that promise? Alas, Trump 2.0 has to be considered a real possibility. If...America forgets about Trump 1.0

"Sure, Mr. President Joe. We know you and like you - you know us, you big friendly Senate Foreign Affairs chairman, you - but hey. Can you guarantee your successor won't be Trump part II? Because if you can't, we're once burned twice shy about ever taking a United States international commitment seriously again. Nothing personal, but we're feeling we have to assume the U.S. is not a reliable ally and won't be, going forward."

And, I mean that sincerely. I'm not trying to be facetious here.

This is so very true.

In Canada, people who were forced to stay home and away from work were paid $2000/month through a program called the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit and employers could apply for a 75% wage subsidy to keep workers on the payroll through the health crisis.

We shut down in the middle of March and I received the first $2000 on April 8th - all through an online Employment Insurance reporting system with direct deposit into my bank account.

Indeed.

But, should America ever seek to regain and hold the mantle of global leadership again, the whole notion of 'virtually zero impact' may no longer apply.

Well, I never held that against them.

I did. And, I still do, to a certain extent. But, then again, I still believe in the promise of America, too. :)

A few months will tell whether we can even get there from here.