Trump needs to Go

7 months ago there were 1,000.

 

If a handful of U.S. troops can prevent border crossings that could easily lead to the renewal of regional wars and thousands of deaths...the answer is indefinitely. If you want all troops removed, you negotiate their withdrawal contingent on agreed upon milestones, with a verification process.

 

True but they are spread fairly thin and even a thousand aren't going to change the out come of a full on attack by the Turks or the Russians let alone both combined. Staying there simply makes confrontation more not less likely.

 

They won't not indefinitely. But I agree what we need is some sort of an agreement between the Kurds turkey and others concerned to end the hostilities.

 

The abrupt withdrawal of our "buffer force," without coordination, was reckless and endangers everyone...including us (the United States). The invasion of Turkish forces into Syria could spark a Turkish war with Syria and their allies (namely Iran). A Turkish-Iranian war could trigger both NATO commitments and possible Russian commitments to Syria and Iran...leading to a nuclear confrontation between Russia and NATO.

 

We are ind as long as we stay there in fact the world at large is in more danger.

 

Why?

 

It should be obvious, too many crazies too close to hand, too great a chance for accidentally starting some sort of sooting war.

 

That's why we had a contingent there. Turkey would not invade Syria with us there.

 

This is getting real interesting. The following could only happen with a President named Trump.

The White House sent a letter to the House of Representatives telling them to vote on impeachment of the President! Unbelievable! Surreal!

Fox News put it this way, "The White House outlined in a defiant eight-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top Democrats on Tuesday why it will not participate in their “illegitimate and unconstitutional” impeachment inquiry, charging that the proceedings have run roughshod over congressional norms and the president's due-process rights.

"Trump administration officials called the letter, which was written by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and obtained by Fox News, perhaps the most historic letter the White House has sent."

Well, Mr. Cipollone apparently does not know what impeachment is. IF Trump is impeached, that is an indictment, much like a grand jury when it hands down an indictment. IF Trump is impeached, he will received every one of his "due-process rights" in the trial which is held in the Senate. Cipollone didn't know this?

Or, he made complete fool of himself because the contents of the letter was meant only for Trump's base and Trump's soapboxes like the Sean Hannity show and much of Fox News with some notable exceptions. They will believe it.

 

The Washington Post reports, "The White House said Tuesday that it will not cooperate with House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, ratcheting up tensions between the legislative and executive branches amid an outcry from Democrats that the Trump administration is stonewalling their investigations.

"Trump personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani said earlier Tuesday that he would not cooperate with House investigators and that he “can’t imagine” that anyone from the Trump administration would appear before a Democratic-led panel investigating the president.

"Giuliani’s comments came hours after the State Department blocked a scheduled deposition by Gordon Sondland, a key figure in the Ukraine controversy, prompting three House committee chairmen to announce that they would issue a subpoena."

Just how smart is Trump? First off, he continues to add more evidence to the impeachment charge known as Obstruction of Congress. That was one of the pending charges against Nixon. That is not very bright.

Secondly, Trump is not allowing friendly witnesses like his personal lawyer and his political appointee and huge GOP donor, Gordon Sondland. Also, Trump is forbidding documents that are likely to include the administration's rationale in the decisions and statements made by the administration. That is not very bright.

Trump is not allowing the House committees to hear his side of the story. Instead, the House committees, like Schiff's Intelligence Committee, will be parading out their witnesses and their documents (Volker emails for example), which inherently will not put Trump in the best light. That is not very bright.

For Trump to continue with this Obstruction of Congress the evidence against him must be pretty bad. Again, the question is asked, what is he hiding?

 

Even if Trump is wrong, the dems have been try to long, they are just pissing in their own cornflake. Any one who's not onboard with the dems won't be changed now, they will just think it more lies.

 

I agree 100% ... That we need better trade deals however, does not justify what the Trump admin has been doing.

The world has changed .. and we have been sitting on our laurels.. in too many ways to count. This is not China's fault .or Europe.

While we have been running around playing world police .. much of the rest of the world has been investing in technology, infrastructure, ramping up their economies to fight in the real war ... the economic war.

And we are losing .. Trump is making huge blunders on the geopolitical chessboard. I understand Trumps frustration in many ways - Trump wasn't the one who put us in this position .. and if you want to blame it all on Obama - forget that nonsense... Obama continued our reckless ways but these started long before Obama.

Who is this massive enemy that is threatening the homeland ? This massive army on our borders ? Tell me ? I am talking military here .. not economic

Answer ? - there is none. We could could be spending 50 Billion per year - rather than 1 Trillion - and the homeland would be secure.

In 2000 - Total Military Spending was 300 Billion. After 8 years of Bush it spending surpassed 900 Billion - under Obama it went over 1 Trillion .. This is all in - Homeland Security, VA ... not just defense.

Had we maintained that spend - (increasing with inflation) we could have diverted 500 Billion/yr x 16 years = 8 Trillion dollars - to infrastructure, technology, ramping up our economy to compete in the third millennium.

Instead we threw that money down the toilet fighting wars - whose purpose was not to benefit America but to pad the pockets of the Establishment international financiers and big money interests that own the Military Industrial Complex.

Add healthcare and interest on the debt into the equation and you can triple the above figure. .... The reason we pay double what other first world nations pay for healthcare - for the same quality of healthcare - is to send money into the pockets of the same big money interest that own the military industrial complex.

Same groups that own the media -- so they can keep you fixated on Stormy, Russiagate, Abortion, Immigration, ..and keep feeding you various necessary illusions "the enemy is everywhere" so you keep supporting this gravy train.

That's who is responsible for where we are .. not China, Russia, Europe, Iran, Al Qaeda... and what ever the next enemy du jour.

Why are we in Afghanistan ? Where are the updates - at least on a quarterly basis "This is what we are doing - these are our objectives - and we have accomplished this"

"Al Qaeda" we are fighting Al Qaeda (and now apparently ISIS is there too). Most of that 8 Trillion above .. we have spent "supposedly" fighting Al Qaeda.

Since 911 - how many Al Qaeda terrorist plots have happened in the US or our assets abroad ? Zero.

So if the mission of Al Qaeda is to attack the US ... why have there been no actions against our assets abroad. Do you think our Corporate assets in other nations are immune to someone bombing a factory ? This would be beyond simple for Al Qaeda .. Yet - it isn't happening..

and it isn't because we have spent near 8 Trillion dollars "fighting Al Qaeda".

We spent most of this decade fighting along side Al Qaeda ... arming them with tens of thousands of tons of sophisticated military technology .. including shoulder launched surface to air missiles - perfect for taking out civilian aircraft.

 

Glad you liked the OP - but I can not share your zeal for Russiagate .. that is a raindrop in the midst of a hurricane - and you are ignoring the hurricane .

We have serious issues with our electoral process - and Russia is not one of them.

 

You missed the point of my post. Nowhere do I say or imply that we should let countries take advantage of us .. and we need to have fair trade deals.

 

Sorry that and trade aren't even vaguely. Military spending is currently running 5%of GDP. Even using your numbers.

your blatant attempt comparison of apples and oranges duly noted. Along with your failure to note The Democrats high handed tactics as they continue to try to undo 2016.

Please note the military budget in 2001 did not include most of the agencies currently operating under the aegis of Homeland security.

 

5% of GDP is huge ... It is over 25% of total federal receipts.
2) I never said the 2001 budget included "Homeland Security" .. obviously these were part of the increased spend that happened after 911.
3) what apples and oranges comparison ?
4) What do the high handed tactics of the Dems with respect to Trump - have to do with reckless war spending prior to Trump ?

Pointless.

 

Profit, not politics: Trump allies sought Ukraine gas deal

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As Rudy Giuliani was pushing Ukrainian officials last spring to investigate one of Donald Trump’s main political rivals, a group of individuals with ties to the president and his personal lawyer were also active in the former Soviet republic.

Their aims were profit, not politics. This circle of businessmen and Republican donors touted connections to Giuliani and Trump while trying to install new management at the top of Ukraine’s massive state gas company. Their plan was to then steer lucrative contracts to companies controlled by Trump allies, according to two people with knowledge of their plans.
https://www.apnews.com/d7440cffba4940f5b85cd3dfa3500fb2

No wonder Rick Perry is nervous.

 

Dude you have anything other than your usual anonymous sources making unsubstantiated claims?

 

The one sided application of the law is, double standards are just outrageous!

 

It’s unclear if Perry’s attempts to replace board members at Naftogaz were coordinated with the Giuliani allies pushing for a similar outcome, and no one has alleged that there is criminal activity in any of these efforts. And it’s unclear what role, if any, Giuliani had in helping his clients push to get gas sales agreements with the state-owned company.

But the affair shows how those with ties to Trump and his administration were pursuing business deals in Ukraine that went far beyond advancing the president’s personal political interests. It also raises questions about whether Trump allies were mixing business and politics just as Republicans were calling for a probe of Biden and his son Hunter, who served five years on the board of another Ukrainian energy company, Burisma.

On Friday, Trump told a group of Republican lawmakers that it had been Perry who had prompted the phone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy for a “favor” regarding Biden, according to a person familiar with Trump’s remarks.

The person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to describe a closed conversation among GOP officials, recounted that Trump said it was Perry who asked him to make the July call to discuss “something about an LNG (liquefied natural gas) plant.” Trump’s remarks were first reported Saturday by the news site Axios.

While it’s unclear whether Trump’s remark Friday referred specifically to the behind-the-scenes maneuvers this spring involving the multibillion-dollar state gas company, The Associated Press has interviewed four people with direct knowledge of the attempts to influence Naftogaz, and their accounts show Perry playing a key role in the effort. Three of the four spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The fourth is an American businessman with close ties to the Ukrainian energy sector.

 

Huge double standards. Any person who has spent more than 5 minutes on google - looking at the big money interests (many of which are foreign interests) that influence our electoral process - can see that Russia is "A raindrop in the midst of a hurricane" with respect to these other interests.

 

You are not concerned that Russia interfered in our Presidential election on Trump's behalf? That begs a question. Where are you from?

The excellent staff at AP agree with me, sort of. The AP article says, "WASHINGTON (AP) — The combative White House letter vowing to defy the “illegitimate” impeachment inquiry has actually put President Donald Trump on a more certain path to charges. His refusal to honor subpoenas or allow testimony would likely play into a formal accusation against him.

"The letter sent to House leaders by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone Tuesday evening declared the president would not cooperate with the investigation — a clear reason, Democrats say, to write an article of impeachment charging him with obstruction.

"The White House insists that a formal House vote is necessary just to start the impeachment process. But Democrats are moving ahead without one, confident for now that they are backed by the Constitution and Trump’s own acknowledgements of trying to persuade a foreign government to investigate a political foe."

In a word, desperation, Trump is guilty of breaking federal law and the White House lawyers know it. So, they dance around it with political B.S. The White House asking the House to vote on the impeachment of the President is pure lunacy.

Supporters of Trump have a real problem, and there are more disasters on the horizon for Trump. China has lowered its expectations for progress on trade talks, and Trump surrendered to the Turks with disastrous results. Both are serious national security problems created entirely by Trump along with asking a foreign power to intervene in our Presidential election.

Trump is a walking, talking disaster.

 

What a joke of a response. Seriously -- we may disagree on things - but we also agree on many things - but what thing we should try not to do is build strawmen.

The post you are responding - in its entirety - a few paragraphs in length - quantified my concern for Russia's interference in our Presidential Election.

So why are you claiming I am not concerned ? If you disagree with my level of concern - which I stated twice "rain drop in the midst of the hurricane" - followed by a detailed explanation of the influences that represent the Hurricane.

If you disagree with my claim - then do so - with something other than dismissing it with a strawman.

You then follow up on this fallacy with more fallacy ... Ad Hom this time .. with a dose of appealing to xenophobic demonization.

"That Begs the Question - where are you from"

Do you really need me to dissect this for you ? You should be embarrassed at the lameness of your diatribe. I am from a Planet which revolves around the Star Arcturus ... Or would someplace from the deep southern pig farming area be better - "Deliverance" style

You need learn that someone having a perspective that you disagree with - does not mean they are from another Planet or from Hill Billy land... but I think you know that already .. in which case .. up the level.

Claim on the Table - Raindrop in the midst of a Hurricane.

The rest of your post can be summed up by "Trump is a walking talking disaster" - And on this we agree.

Trump being a walking disaster has nothing to do with my claim.

Russian influence in our electoral process exists - and I have detailed this influence and meddling in previous posts to you.

The claim is that this influence and meddling by Russia - a foreign interest - is nothing in comparison to the hurricane of other foreign interests who influence and meddle in our electoral process (and our political process in general).

You obviously disagree with my claim --- but at the same time want to run from it... and hide under the mattress.

And in a way - this may not be a bad idea - perhaps some day you will be hauled before the thought police and questioned with respect to your ideas - captured by the (NSA) en masse data collection that Trump just tried to get congress to reauthorize.

By the time the thought police come- I will be too old to care...

Since you want to talk Trump - Who are Trump's influencers ? Putin !! ..I am sure Trump would love to have Putin's power - ok .. who else does Trump idolize ?

but then address also the influences on our electoral process - and tell me why this other influences are not a hurricane -- and Russia not a raindrop.