From The Archives -- Houses Of The Holy
First of all, a Happy Saint Patrick's Day to everyone!
Today I am running an old column again, because I have more important things to do (ahem) than write a new one. The following column was the last of the travelogue I wrote when visiting the Emerald Isle on Paddy's Day back in 2015. It's my favorite of the three, mostly because of the Led Zeppelin references.
The first two of these are worth a read, if you're interested in this sort of thing. The first column ("It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary") details Paddy's Day in Dublin as well as some of the other more interesting things we saw (a 90-percent eclipse of the sun, Dublin mummies, a royal reburial in England, etc.). It also has a rather amusing/embarrassing photo of me (again, for those who are interested in such things) in full Paddy's Day regalia, as well as a gaffe from Joe Biden. The second of these ("Northern Ireland, Where Even The Carrots Are Orange") has a short history of the division of Ireland (and carrots) as well as a few other tourist stops. But the one below was the culmination of the trip, complete with a visit to the Bushmills distillery, which was conveniently right down the road (earlier we had visited the Jameson's distillery in Dublin, I should point out).
In any case, as I said I have some celebrating to begin, so please enjoy the following trip not only through the past but through the wild coast of Northern Ireland. And, of course..
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Originally published March 26, 2015
Wind-swept but safe, back on the bus, we trundled off to lunch at the Bushmills distillery. Yes, in one trip I managed to see both major Irish distilleries: Bushmills and Jameson. And I don't even drink much whiskey (except maybe a snort or two on Paddy's Day each year)! And a note to grammarians: it's only "whisky" in Scotland -- in both America and Ireland, it's "whiskey." I have no idea why, but there it is. File it under the same heading (I suppose) as why the word "Scotch" only applies to whisky and broth, and everything else is "Scottish."
But back to Ireland. Whiskey -- like parades, colors, religion, and everything else on the island (carrots included) -- is political in nature here. For instance: I've never seen Bushmills served in the Republic of Ireland. Never. And I've personally been in many a pub, throughout the years. If you order whiskey at the bar in the Republic, it had better be Jameson. I assume the same is true in Northern Ireland, for Bushmills, as well. Yes, even after a long day when you retire to the pub, politics is never all that far away from Irish life. In other words: keep in mind which side of the border you're on when you order that shot at the bar!
Our next stop after lunch was a photo op at the ruin of Dunluce Castle. This is a spectacular structure, built when a local bright spark successfully salvaged the rich cargo of one of the ships of the Spanish Armada (who had, disastrously, elected to take the long way home after being defeated in the English Channel in 1588). A major part of the Armada was caught on the wrong side of the Channel after the big fight, so they couldn't directly run for Spain . Instead, they elected to circumnavigate the British Isles to get home. They made it around to the west coast of Ireland but then many were driven against the rocks by bad weather (or bad navigation). One of these, La Girona, had taken on the survivors of two other Spanish ships, and when she went down on the Antrim coast, she had 1300-1400 people aboard. Only nine of these survived the wreck. The Earl of Antrim got the booty, and used it to build Dunluce Castle. Less than 50 years later, however, the kitchen fell into the sea (take a look at where it was built, and you can see how dramatic this would have been), and the Earl's wife then refused to live there, so it was abandoned. The moral of this story is: always listen to your wife, especially after your whole kitchen just fell down a cliff into the open sea.
This led up to our final tour stop; the only World Heritage site in all of Ireland -- the Giant's Causeway. Now, this is a fine geologic site and some say it's the biggest tourist attraction in Ireland (which is debatable, however). It has a spanking-new visitor's center and is very well run and everything, but I have to say I was disappointed at one aspect that was (for the most part) completely ignored, to the point of embarrassment. Because millions upon millions of rock fans have seen an image of this site. They didn't know what they were looking at, and they certainly had no idea where on Earth it was. But anyone who has held a copy of Led Zeppelin's Houses Of The Holy album in their hands has seen the image I'm talking about.
Per the photographer, the image was supposed to represent a scene at the end of the Arthur C. Clarke novel Childhood's End, where Earth children lovingly embraced a benevolent alien overlord. However, the photo has the children naked (only two kids -- a brother and sister -- were used in the photo shoot, and multiple shots of them were combined, in a pre-Photoshop kind of way, to produce the memorable final image). Hence all the embarrassment, one assumes. I mean, it's in no way an obscene or pornographic image, it was produced by Hipgnosis -- the premier album cover designer of the age -- and is in fact quite artistic (the photos were black and white, but when printed in color created some spectacular and unintended special effects). Still, "won't someone think of the children," blah blah blah, morality. I get that. But, even so, save your money and don't bother with the gift shop, since there is absolutely NO merchandise contained within that has any sort of Houses Of The Holy theme. Fun final bonus fact: the image on the inside of the album was taken at nearby Dunluce Castle.
I did leave my disappointment plain on a feedback card they had helpfully set out. I mean, how many millions of Led Zeppelin fans are there out there? The album went platinum eleven times over. How many of those fans would pay to see this? And yet, on the Giant's Causeway Wikipedia page, there is in fact no mention of Led Zeppelin that I could find. That smacks of official "we're going to ignore this" attitudes that are, in my opinion, a downright shame. To their credit and to be fair, they did have the album's cover displayed in one of their "the Giant's Causeway through history" exhibits... but not very prominently. I mean, I would have easily paid over a hundred bucks for a nice high-quality official print of the original photo, but it was not to be found at the gift shop. Oh, well -- their loss.
One last thing about that Led Zeppelin photo shoot -- the kids were freezing cold. They shot for something like ten days, and were always stymied by bad weather. Finally the photographer (Aubrey Powell) got enough shots to be satisfied, and had to pack it in. I mention this because the weather (for us) looked like it wasn't going to cooperate once again, as well. It was raining as we exited the bus. However, when we arrived at the Causeway itself, the sun broke out and the wind died down, and it was actually pretty decent. Good photo-taking light, and nothing like what we had experienced at the rope bridge. So in the end we got a few good photos as well. This is the type of place (I should mention) that is worth coming to without a tour group, if you're really interested in getting good photographic shots (that other tourists aren't messing up, that is).
The Causeway is comprised of basalt columns, many of them in the shape of hexagons. This is a volcanic feature that appears all over the planet in various places, but my guess is that you will indeed recognize the most prominent example. The Giant's Causeway is located next to the sea, and so is constantly being eroded to some extent. But now imagine a volcanic plug of a cluster of hexagonal columns nowhere near a sea (at least, these days). Imagine further that the land around it had eroded away over millions of years to leave just the plug standing, in dramatic fashion. Now (bear with me), imagine alien spaceships hovering above it (yes, this is a callback to that whole Led Zeppelin thing). Would it look something like this, maybe? Yes, Devil's Tower (in Wyoming) is the same exact geologic formation, it's just easier to walk around on the top of the Giant's Causeway, that's all.
OK, before I move on here, I do have one other final complaint, and it's a minor but annoying one. The Giant's Causeway has a new visitor's center (their old one burned down a few years back), and it's pretty spiffy and all, but the price structure is reminiscent of a nickel-and-dime huckster. They charge you admission for the visitor's center (eight British pounds), and two pounds for a roundtrip bus to get you down to the Causeway itself. Why not just include everything in one admission? I have no idea. The visitor's center is where hot drinks and food and the gift shop are located, and it seems kind of chintzy to charge you admission to a gift shop. Maybe that's just me, I dunno.
After the Causeway, we headed back to Belfast and eventually back home to Dublin. On the way we got more talk from the tour guide about how happy all the Northern Irish were to live together now in peace, but I notice he didn't much mention the peace walls which still exist all over Belfast, to keep the incidents of violence down. There are even bus tours within the city where guides take you to the bloody sites of the "Troubles," and interpret the current-day graffiti on the peace walls (there are a lot of terms and acronyms no one from outside Belfast would ever understand).
Not to be too negative -- things, after all, are indeed much better now, and the peace appears to be holding firm, which is an enormous relief to those within Northern Ireland (and to anyone who cares about peace outside their country as well). This is all very fresh in everyone's memories, after all. It wasn't all that long ago things were much, much worse. The one thing that came through clearly from the tour guide is that they were all desperately glad that we tourists had begun to return -- and to think of their country in a positive light, rather than dwelling too much on their recent and violent past.
Still, though, those walls are going to have to come down some day, or the reconciliation will never be complete. Right now, they're targeting 2023, but we'll see whether they achieve that goal or not.
Sure and begorrah, though, 'tis time for me to be in bed. So I'll leave off the travelogue at this point and perhaps down one final Guinness before retiring. As always, relating these tales raises a powerful thirst in me.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
it's also purim.
https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/dairy-free-hamantaschen/
i know it's neither pie nor beer, but for the holiday i can make an exception :)
Here's Beau talking about the facist Azoz Battalion fighting Putin and getting a lot of attention in Russian propaganda of late.(12:28)
And here's Glenn Kirshner examining Steve Bannon's legal situation. Hint: Bannon's trial likely won't start as scheduled in July but by no means is that a bad thing.(10:08)
And here's my counterpart history military history freak British Guy analyzing Russia's failures and their respective militaries. (23:16)
I love this down in the weeds stuff.
No fraud in the 2020 election???
The NYT Now Admits the Biden Laptop -- Falsely Called "Russian Disinformation" -- is Authentic
The media outlets which spread this lie from ex-CIA officials never retracted their pre-election falsehoods, ones used by Big Tech to censor reporting on the front-runner.
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-nyt-now-admits-the-biden-laptop?s=r
Shirley, you jest....
It is undeniable that if Big Tech and Leftist Media had not worked so hard and were so successful at discrediting THE FACTS....
Joe Biden would not be President today and Putin would not be savaging Ukraine...
The New York Times Suddenly Discovers Hunter Biden's Laptop
An opinion poll showed that if Americans had known about the laptop and its contents, 17% in swing states would not have voted for Biden. That number could have tipped the presidential election to Donald Trump. Forty-five thousand votes separated the two. But instead, Big Tech censored the story to limit its reach and help the Democrats.
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/victoria-taft/2022/03/17/the-new-york-times-suddenly-discovers-hunter-bidens-laptop-n1567315
Every Biden voter was duped... Every Biden voter is complicit in Putin's savagery against Ukraine... :^/
Hunter Biden Paid Tax Bill, but Broad Federal Investigation Continues
The Justice Department inquiry into the business dealings of the president’s son has remained active, with a grand jury seeking information about payments from around the world.
People familiar with the investigation said prosecutors had examined emails between Mr. Biden, Mr. Archer and others about Burisma and other foreign business activity. Those emails were obtained by The New York Times from a cache of files that appears to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop. The email and others in the cache were authenticated by people familiar with them and with the investigation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/us/politics/hunter-biden-tax-bill-investigation.html
Looks like Leftist Media, Big Tech and MANY Democrats have some 'splainin' to do...
Whatever else is true, both the CIA/media disinformation campaign in the weeks before the 2020 election and the resulting regime of brute censorship imposed by Big Tech are of historic significance. Democrats and their new allies in the establishment wing of the Republican Party may be more excited by war in Ukraine than the subversion of their own election by the unholy trinity of the intelligence community, the corporate press, and Big Tech. But today's admission by The New York Times that this archive and the emails in it were real all along proves that a gigantic fraud was perpetrated by the country's most powerful institutions. What matters far more than the interest level of various partisan factions is the core truths about U.S. democracy revealed by this tawdry spectacle.
Nobody says it better than Glenn Greenwald...
He and I disagree on a lot.. Most notably gun control and domestic surveillance..
But GG has *NEVER* given ANY hint or reason for anyone to doubt his journalistic integrity...
When it came to domestic surveillance, Greenwald gave as much passion going after Odumbo as he did going after Bush...
THAT is journalistic integrity...
So much for the Hunter Biden Laptop story being "completely debunked", eh?? :^/
Elsewhere on Fox News, the Hunter Biden story was completely debunked as a giant nothingburger.
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2020/10/30/friday-talking-points-the-scariest-election-ever/
It has now been established as FACT that, far from being "completely debunked" the Hunter Biden laptop story has been completely and 1000% authentic as factual by the main Democrat Party Propaganda outlet, the NY Grime...
It's also established as FACT that, had Democrats not conspired with Big Tech and Leftist Media outlets to hide the fully factual Hunter Biden Laptop story, Joe Biden would not be President today.
And, as has ALSO been established as fact, with President Trump in office, Putin would have maintained his low profile/hiding behind his desk while President Trump was in office and would not have attacked Ukraine...
QED... Biden voters are directly responsible for Putin's invasion of Ukraine...
Kinda puts it all in perspective, eh? :D
But now, the Kremlin is finally moderating its demands in deference to reality. On Wednesday, Russian officials expressed openness to a peace agreement that would allow an independent Ukraine to maintain its own military as long as it committed to a “neutral status” akin to that of Austria or Sweden. By pledging neutrality, Ukraine would be obligated to refrain from military conflicts beyond the defense of its own territory against an aggressor. This would bar Ukraine from joining NATO or any other military alliance and prohibit it from intervening in, for example, a hypothetical war between Russia and Georgia or any other regional power. Russia is also asking Ukraine to forswear hosting foreign military bases in its territory. In exchange for these concessions, Ukraine would receive “security guarantees” from some combination of friendly powers, possibly including the U.S., the U.K., and Turkey.
Ukraine would be *CRAZY* to accept this deal....
I haven't had such a fun I TOLD YA'ALL SO moment since Robert Mueller confirmed what I was telling ya'all for THREE YEARS...
There WAS NO TRUMP/RUSSIA COLLUSION during the 2016 election.. :D
The New York Times hates to say The Post told you so..
Sometimes a newspaper story is just a story about someone. And sometimes the story inadvertently reveals far more about the newspaper itself.
It’s not until the 24th paragraph that the story mentions e-mails involving Hunter Biden and his associates in those deals, followed by these two sentences: “Those emails were obtained by The New York Times from a cache of files that appears to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop. The email and others in the cache were authenticated by people familiar with them and with the investigation.”
https://nypost.com/2022/03/17/the-new-york-times-hates-to-say-the-post-told-you-so/
At the behest of my new-found BFF :D I'll forgo the posting of the entire txt of the article.. Feel free to peruse it for yerselves and see how badly the unholy triad of Big Tech, Leftist Media and Democrats conspired to keep the FACTS from the American people to prevent President Trump from maintaining his rightful position as PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES..
Biden voters should be hanging their heads in shame and should feel so utterly used and duped...
Yunno... Considering all the hits that the Left has taken here in the US....
Chris Cuomo is burning down CNN. And he's taking Don Lemon with him.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/chris-cuomo-is-burning-down-cnn-and-hes-taking-don-lemon-with-him/ar-AAVcYnl
Democrats are feeling pretty thankful for the Ukraine war to distract the US masses from all the hits the Left is taking..
@m[11]
no proof of malfeasance yet, but i'll keep an open mind. it's certainly possible hunter misrepresented his influence with his father to profit from foreign companies, but then we already knew that.
JL
no proof of malfeasance yet, but i'll keep an open mind. it's certainly possible hunter misrepresented his influence with his father to profit from foreign companies, but then we already knew that.
There are several eyewitnesses that stated unequivocally Joe Biden's involvement in Hunter Biden's influence-peddling schemes...
The FBI has sworn affidavits that makes this connection factual...
But the point is still valid.. Democrats and Weigantians made it clear that the information on Hunter Biden's laptop was nothing but "Russian disinformation"...
That claim has now been PROVEN to be factually not accurate..
The cover-up failed.. This is fact...
What I am saying is that guilt has been established by the emails and corroborating affidavits on the information in the Hunter Biden laptop..
The difference is NOW, all that information has been authenticated and established as fact by Left Wing rags..
What is he guilty of?
Haven't been following this, at all ...
I have no interest in clicking on a link, either ... just want to know your thoughts, Michale ... why you think he's guilty and what you think he did...
Michael [11]
I wonder why the post leaves out this little nugget from the NYT article:
In the same April 2014 email, Hunter Biden indicated that Burisma’s officials “need to know in no uncertain terms that we will not and cannot intervene directly with domestic policymakers, and that we need to abide by FARA and any other U.S. laws in the strictest sense across the board.”
The other problem of course is:
Those emails were obtained by The New York Times from a cache of files that appears to have come from a laptop abandoned by Mr. Biden in a Delaware repair shop.
We don't know if it came from that laptop. If it did come from that laptop then every single thing will have to be independently corroborated due to Giuliani's completely incompetent chain of custody and the general sketchiness of the entire situation.
You may very well get your victory lap, but I wouldn't be putting on the track pants quite yet...
What is he guilty of?
Well, for starters, it contributed to the complete and utter fraud of the 2020 election..
We don't know if it came from that laptop.
Yes we do.. The FBI has sworn affidavits that PROVE those emails came from that laptop..
The mere fact that Lefties, Big Tech and Leftist media tried to bury the facts as "Russian Disinformation" provide facts to support theclaim
Yes we do.. The FBI has sworn affidavits that PROVE those emails came from that laptop..
Have those emails been modified? Added to? Small juicy details inserted here or there? Was the laptop his or was it a plant with emails added to it that were hacked from somewhere else? I repeat: every single thing will have to be independently corroborated.
You may very well get your victory lap, but I wouldn't be putting on the track pants quite yet...
Of course you wouldn't.. You still are at the Starter's Mark over the Russia Collusion delusion.. :D
But the facts are clear..
The Hunter Laptop emails, like the Hillary Clinton emails are a fact.. If Democrats and Big Tech and Leftist Media hadn't conspired to hide these facts, Biden would not be in the Oval Office..
This is also fact..
Have those emails been modified?
Not according to sworn affidavits..
I repeat: every single thing will have to be independently corroborated.
Every single thing HAS been independently corroborated...
THAT's the point..
Big Tech, Leftist Media and Democrats hid these facts from the American people..
Reposted for clarity..
Have those emails been modified?
Not according to sworn affidavits..
I repeat: every single thing will have to be independently corroborated.
Every single thing HAS been independently corroborated...
THAT's the point..
Big Tech, Leftist Media and Democrats hid these facts from the American people..
There are PLENTY of facts that prove the legitimacy of the Hunter Biden laptop and the emails that were contained within..
For those who are actually interested in looking at the FACTS, that is..
Hunter Biden scandal: Media slowly acknowledges legitimacy to emails after dismissing laptop story in 2020
The New York Times verified Hunter Biden's emails after multiple outlets suggested they were 'Russian disinformation'
https://www.foxnews.com/media/hunter-biden-scandal-new-york-times
Michale
Actually , there was at least one "Biden voter" who DID know the truth about the laptop, and voted for Biden anyway, (me).
For the very first time in 85 yrs, I voted for the Dem, after having posted on this forum that the choice for 20 was between "An over-the-hill, marginally competent, venal mediocrity Dem, and an equally venal, ignorant ass-hole-of-a-human-being, reality TV actor Rep, that I had to go with the Dem.
Th real tragedy here is that we Americans were ever subjected to such a choice. Must be something wrong with the system!!
Of course you wouldn't.. You still are at the Starter's Mark over the Russia Collusion delusion.. :D
Am I? Or are you lumping me into your version of the "left" for convenience?
I have thought since early on that there was little to no collusion but that was not due to a lack of trying. Trumpers: We want to coordinate with you. Russia: Na, we got this!
There are PLENTY of facts that prove the legitimacy of the Hunter Biden laptop and the emails that were contained within..
For those who are actually interested in looking at the FACTS, that is..
Does that include the email where Hunter writes: "...and that we need to abide by FARA and any other U.S. laws in the strictest sense across the board."?
Am I? Or are you lumping me into your version of the "left" for convenience?
Yes... :D
Does that include the email where Hunter writes: "...and that we need to abide by FARA and any other U.S. laws in the strictest sense across the board."?
As much as ya'all include President Trump's plea to 6 Jan rioters to "protest peacefully"... :D
It works both ways, Bashi...
New York Times Hunter Biden laptop article is masterpiece of burying admissions
For two years, the New York Times has been largely quiet. Now, it appears, the truth can be told.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/hunter-biden-laptop-new-york-times-jonathan-turley
The facts are finally coming out...
Biden would NOT be president if Democrats, Leftist Media and Big Tech had not conspired to hide the facts from the American people..
There are some things that are just painful to watch. For some of us, the Chicago Bears offensive line in the last couple of years would force us to look the other way for four quick downs. For others, it is cringe-worthy dancing and singing of politicians to appeal to younger voters.
However, there is nothing more painful than watching the media forced to recognize long-buried scandals related to the Biden family.
Last year, National Public Radio admitted that the Hunter Biden laptop story was authentic and not Russian disinformation. It appears to have taken the New York Times even longer to move along that journalistic path of the Kübler-Ross process of grieving.
The Times has now expressly and unambiguously stated that the laptop was abandoned by Hunter Biden, contains authentic emails, and is part of the basis for the ongoing investigation of Biden by federal authorities. Even with this admission against interests, the Times is downplaying the possible criminal charges in coverage strikingly different from its coverage of Trump officials charged on the same grounds.
It's hard to post the facts about something that the Left tried so hard to hide and what actually may have turned the tide of the 2020 election...
Michale [29]
The facts are finally coming out...
But they are in reruns? How many times are you going to post the same story form a different source? And they are all still quoting the NYT as it "appears" to be from the laptop. Why is the NYT using that language if it is as proven as you allege?
Michale,
I skimmed over some of the copy-paste-boldify stuff (your habit of overdoing this does not serve you as well as posting what you have to say) read your words and my question is why do you even remember let alone care about Hunter Biden? Is right-wing media still obsessed with him? What does Hunter have to do with anything? Likewise, collusion is old news (until Trump gets indicted at which point Mueller's report will suddenly be relevant again.)
Why do you care and why should I/we?
MC,
I skimmed over some of the copy-paste-boldify stuff (your habit of overdoing this does not serve you as well as posting what you have to say) read your words and my question is why do you even remember let alone care about Hunter Biden?
Because.. If Democrats and Big Tech and Leftist Media hadn't conspired to HIDE these FACTS from the American people, then Biden would NOT be POTUS...
And if President Trump were POTUS, then Russia would not have invaded Ukraine..
Now, I have learned enough about you in the last week or so to KNOW that, if it was a choice between President Trump and a totally decimated and war-torn Ukraine, you would choose President Trump in a stone cold minute...
Why do you care and why should I/we?
Because of the FACTS that I just stated...
But they are in reruns? How many times are you going to post the same story form a different source? And they are all still quoting the NYT as it "appears" to be from the laptop. Why is the NYT using that language if it is as proven as you allege?
Because.. Even when they ADMIT the facts, the NY Grime is STILL a Left Wing Rag...
So, they need to give die hard America hating morons a hook to hang their hats on..
To look to the FACTS, you need to look at the original reporting that documented AS FACT all the facts from the Hunter Biden laptop, complete with sworn affidavits that are in the FBI's possession...
I get it.. Ya'all need to hang yer hats on whatever tenuous hook ya'all can find..
But the FACTS are there... Just as the FACTS of the NO RUSSIA COLLUSION are there...
But there are none so blind as those who REFUSE to see..
To put it succinctly...
Democrats, Big Tech and Leftist Rags said that the Hunter Biden laptop was NOTHING but Russian disinformation..
We now know that THAT is a false and bullshit claim..
Ergo, you people now need to look at the FACTS that came from the Hunter Biden laptop and incorporate those facts into ya'all's group think...
Failure to do so is to deny the facts and deny reality..
MC,
Now, I have learned enough about you in the last week or so to KNOW that, if it was a choice between President Trump and a totally decimated and war-torn Ukraine, you would choose President Trump in a stone cold minute...
But hay... Maybe I am wrong..
Which would you prefer??
President Biden and a completely destroyed and decimated Ukraine with tens of thousands of Ukrainians maimed and dead???
OR....
President Trump and an untouched and flourishing Ukraine with all her citizens happy and free??
Yer call...
[27]
For the very first time in 85 yrs, I voted for the Dem, after having posted on this forum that the choice for 20 was between "An over-the-hill, marginally competent, venal mediocrity Dem, and an equally venal, ignorant ass-hole-of-a-human-being, reality TV actor Rep, that I had to go with the Dem.
My hat's off to you. Putting Country over Party makes you a true Patriot.
Born and raised Democratic, I nevertheless truly had to hold my nose to vote for Hillary -- even though she was running against the clearly unqualified Trump.
So I'm every bit as dissatisfied as you with our crappy two party system.
CRS,
For the very first time in 85 yrs, I voted for the Dem, after having posted on this forum that the choice for 20 was between "An over-the-hill, marginally competent, venal mediocrity Dem, and an equally venal, ignorant ass-hole-of-a-human-being, reality TV actor Rep, that I had to go with the Dem.
And yet, look how good things were under President Trump..
And look how utterly and completely frak'ed things are under Biden at the helm...
Can you admit that you were wrong?? :D
THAT is the true test of character...
And, with all the GOOD that President Trump did, even though persecuted 24/7/365....
Imagine how AWESOME things would have been under President Trump if he, and this country didn't have to deal with the complete and utter BULLSHIT that Democrats and Trump/America haters pushed...
Hell, we probably would have had a MARS colony (settlement) by now if Democrats and Trump/America haters had put COUNTRY before their hate and bigotry...
I am really curious to know..
Is there ANYONE here who would be OK with President Trump if it meant that Ukraine would not be suffering and being decimated right now???
Anyone??
Just because you make up a choice does not mean it's the only other alternative...
Okay Michale, I see that sometimes your long boldified paragraphs are your own thoughts and not a copy and paste job. So I went back and read them, which felt a little strange because I had habitually scrolled through you and Don fortwo solid months. Anyways, Michale, if you must cut and paste (rather than paraphrasing it like the rest of your Brothers and Sisters here in Weigantia) please italicize that text.
Shirley you know that both ALL CAPS and boldified text are the equivalent of shouting, right? As you've chosen to show us the errors of our Libtard ways excessive SHOUTING is counterproductive to your cause.
It's your voice so it's your choice, just saying.
You posted a number of things that I disagree with, but so what?
I'd still like to know
1- why should we care about Hunter Biden? What law did he break?
2- Ivanka got a bunch of Chinese patents and the Saudis bailed Jared out with a massive loan. I'm sure Trump being President had nothing to do we it it, right? The kids didn't break the law and until proven otherwise neither did Hunter.
Also, considering the entire Trump family's corruption I don't understand why you want to even bring up the subject.
[42]
...I'm sure Trump being President had nothing to do WITH it, right?
Also, considering Trump paid off Stormy (and what's her name) right before the 2016 election, I don't understand why you'd bring up the subject of cover ups, either.
Michale?
1- why should we care about Hunter Biden? What law did he break?
Several... But you are missing the point..
If the American people had known about all this, it's more than likely that, even with the fraud and cheating, President Trump would have won the election..
And, given the fact that President Trump kept Putin in his corner, it's more than likely that Putin would NOT have attacked Ukraine under President Trump's 2nd term..
So, the question still remains..
Would you prefer an intact and unmolested Ukraine under President Trump??
Or do you prefer a decimated and totally demolished Ukraine under a Biden regime??
Also, considering Trump paid off Stormy (and what's her name) right before the 2016 election, I don't understand why you'd bring up the subject of cover ups, either.
Michale?
And the relevance to the current situation is... what exactly???
Under Biden, Ukraine is all but destroyed...
Under President Trump, Putin was contained and content to stay in his corner....
It's a simple question..
Which do you prefer???
Bashi,
Just because you make up a choice does not mean it's the only other alternative...
I am open to other logical and rational alternatives..
Got any with facts to support???
I mean...
Ukraine-Russia war: Over 6.4M people displaced in Ukraine, 12M stranded or unable to flee, UN coalition says
UN Refugee Agency estimates that more than 3.2 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Feb. 24.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-invasion-refugees-stranded-flee-united-nations
This is Ukraine under Biden and Harris...
Under President Trump's 2nd term, it's more than likely that Putin would have stayed in Russia, as Putin did for President Trump's entire 1st term..
Which would you have preferred??
A decimated and all but destroyed and defeated Ukraine under Biden and Harris??
Or a peaceful and prosperous intact Ukraine under a President Trump 2nd term..
It's a very simple question..
The fact that ya'all don't want to answer is pretty much an answer in itself..
I haven't had such a fun I TOLD YA'ALL SO moment since Robert Mueller confirmed what I was telling ya'all for THREE YEARS...
There WAS NO TRUMP/RUSSIA COLLUSION during the 2016 election.. :D
There was no “collusion” found because, as Mueller made exhaustively clear, the investigation never looked at whether the fictitious crime had been committed. You are likely never to find something that you are intentionally NOT looking for. And when what you are looking for is limited to actions taken within an extremely narrow set of parameters.
Trump’s Acting AG had quietly ordered the counterintelligence investigation be halted. Mueller’s team simply had to note any questionable actions committed by Trump’s team that fell outside the strict parameters set for him by the Acting AG… but they could not investigate those actions further. When have you ever heard of law enforcement NOT being able to further investigate whether even more serious crimes were committed?
As for Hunter Biden’s laptop… the information came from a laptop dropped off and left by someone claiming to be Hunter Biden. Of course, the shop has no video evidence to support this claim, and the employee who received the laptop and is the only witness just happens to be legally blind. And how convenient for Hunter to drop off his laptop and then just refuse to go back to retrieve it when the shop notified him that it was ready! What perfect timing — right when Trump is needing a big crisis for the Biden’s to help his failing campaign! The info might be from Hunter’s laptop… but hard drives can easily be cloned. President Biden’s daughter’s personal diary was stolen and dropped off with a right-wing news group. Republicans will do anything to stay in power.
I am open to other logical and rational alternatives..
Trump is president and Putin gets his two day invasion handed to him on a silver platter. Back up: Bolton. Sure I don't him but he is more likely to be "factual" than Trump or you...
...I don't trust him...
Come on Don, One Demand is not an alternative as it has never supported candidates and is unlikely to in the future...
But Don, you have to list those candidates on your website first, something you have proven unable to do. That is what I mean by support...
Then you got yourself a nice little catch 22. Good luck with that...
We make the demand, enforce it with our votes in 2022 which gets more citizens participating in 2024 which creates the incentive for the candidates to meet the demand in 2024 to get those votes.
But you have never had a candidate that passes your litmus test. What are you doing to improve?
Please explain why democracy is not an alternative.
It already is democracy, no alternative needed. You are not doing democracy but advocacy, and poorly at that. You have been at this for almost a decade with zero candidates to show for it, why would anyone think your batting average is going to change? Have you upped your game? Updated your site so your failed Billy Joel contest is no longer listed and the dates somewhat current? Got anyone to back you? Or is One Demand still as stale as five year old bread?
Same old dodges and trolling!
Yes, I agree, everything after that statement is your usual dodges and trolling. Ralph did address you and basically gave you lip service. I have no idea why you would think insulting CW on the regular basis would get him to take you seriously or if he even reads your posts...
Just because something had not happened yet does not mean it cannot happen.
But it's not going to happen spontaneously and you have proven to us one thing, working toward your goal is not in your forte.
One Demand is still fresh because the package has not even been opened yet.
And never will...
Please explain why democracy is not an alternative.
To what? Democracy? My aren't you witty asking the same question over and over. Get a candidate and we will talk democracy. Don't worry, I'm not holding my breath...
Candidates not coming first in a democracy? Interesting take. Who do we vote for then? Keep in mind we are already in the primaries for the 2022 election. If you don't have anyone yet, you might as well skip to 2024...
That Ralph gave me lip service says more about Ralph not living up to the standard he sets for others than anything about me.
Ah, the insulting CW dodge!
CW's propaganda is an insult to any intelligent human being. Providing my opinion that CW is spewing lies and propaganda is not insulting CW. That's just you making up bullshit as a dodge.
It's always them and never you. At some point you have to take responsibility for the failures of your organization.
I keep asking because you keep dodging and trolling.
Yes, we get it. When you can't answer a question, you accuse of dodging and trolling. Bit boring really...
Answer with a real discussion that is not dodging trolling bullshit and I won't have to ask again.
You remind me of those annoying robocalls about the car warranty. They always promise it's the final warning. Then they call again. I can't count the number of times I have asked you a wide variety of questions and always the same answer: see previous reply above.
Your trolling is not in the spirit of the new dynamic and it has no place here and neither do you if you continue trolling.
Ah. that's why you called me a coward in the new FTP comments, the new dynamic...