Thursday, 16 March 2017

The first step towards war is always the same.

quote [ Trump Budget Takes Hatchet To EPA And Foreign Aid, Adds Billions To Military

The White House plan adds $54 billion to the defense budget while slashing programs for the poor and the environment. ]

Once again...Do not listen to what he says....But watch very closely what he does.
[SFW] [politics] [+1 Informative]
[by bbqkink@3:56pmGMT]

Comments

sanepride said @ 8:44pm GMT on 16th Mar [Score:1 Informative]
Speaking of steps to war, looks like we're sending 1000 more troops to Syria.
mechavolt said @ 9:58pm GMT on 16th Mar [Score:1 Informative]
This is more personal, but I'm seeing some articles describe the Census Bureau getting an increase of $100 million dollars as a "win". The Census normally gets ramped up funding leading up to the decennial census, to account for increased field testing (at this point) and hiring field workers (closer to 2020). In this case, the Census asked for about $200 million to account for the increased testing. The purpose of this testing is to develop new ways of conducting the census, in order to reduce the cost of the 2020 census. It's important -- you spend more now to reduce costs later. If you don't spend it now, the census is going to cost way more.

Because this budget only provides 50% of the increase the Census actually needs, it needs to cut all of the rest of its programs by about 15% in order to conduct the vital research and testing. So the "win" is actually "in the same boat as everybody else".
alloy said @ 4:11pm GMT on 16th Mar
Just more evidence that Trump's group of geriatrics still are living in the cold war era.
bbqkink said @ 5:09pm GMT on 16th Mar
Comrade Trump...surely you jest.
C18H27NO3 said[1] @ 5:24pm GMT on 16th Mar
Well, I guess if you want to cement yourself into history, starting WW3 will certainly accomplish your goal.

Fuckhead.
rylex said @ 5:44pm GMT on 16th Mar
If there is no one left to remember what happened, can you really cement yourself in history?
backSLIDER said @ 8:08pm GMT on 16th Mar
"World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones" -Abraham Lincoln Clone 7 probably.
HoZay said @ 5:43pm GMT on 16th Mar
'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.' - George W. Bush
HoZay said[1] @ 5:57pm GMT on 16th Mar
After promising to revitalize ‘inner cities,’ Trump decides to shred affordable housing
That's why it doesn't matter that Carson doesn't know anything about housing.
Marcel said @ 9:26pm GMT on 16th Mar
HoZay, your link takes me back to this page.
HoZay said @ 12:18am GMT on 17th Mar
Fixed, thanks.
knumbknutz said[3] @ 5:59pm GMT on 16th Mar
We are going to war - I can't tell you with who, and for how long, but its gonna be a great war -an awesome war. A bigly and fantastic war. Trust me. You'll love it.

Actually - come to think of it, that should just be the standard stock inauguration speech of every President this country has ever had.
ComposerNate said[2] @ 9:09pm GMT on 16th Mar
Who was the last Democratic president to start a war? By my count, Truman's defensive Korean War back in 1950.
sanepride said @ 10:02pm GMT on 16th Mar [Score:1 Informative]
Kennedy/Johnson, Vietnam (by many historical assessments, the war began in earnest under Johnson with the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution).

Korea was a UN-declared action, so you can't really put it entirely on Truman.
ComposerNate said[2] @ 10:19pm GMT on 16th Mar
Yeah, you're right about Kennedy/Johnson with Vietnam, thanks, so 53 years ago was the last a Democratic president started a war.

At this point, a vote for a Republican president reads to me like a vote for war. Trump being elected was a declaration of war by a bored and angry populace wanting explosions on TV to make America great again. I've been expecting the start of WW3 by this summer, sparking the end of humanity and possibly life on Earth, have been trying to find hope in the FBI or anyone judicially ending this cancer.
sanepride said @ 10:40pm GMT on 16th Mar
I don't think most people who voted for Trump really wanted war, their concerns seem to be more domestic-centric, and war tends to detract from these issues.
But war, and at least increased defense spending, does provide an easy shot of stimulus for the rich and a nice distraction from harder domestic issues, like health care.
ComposerNate said[5] @ 9:11am GMT on 17th Mar [Score:1 laz0r]
When Trump starts his war, and his approval ratings jump toward 90%, and he gets another four years as leader - assuming we make it that long - will you still believe most people who voted for him don't want war?
sanepride said @ 4:38pm GMT on 17th Mar
If such events were to happen, I'd gladly concede your point.
But keep in mind that we've been at war now for nearly 16 years. Starting a new one isn't necessarily the popularity boost it once was. Plus, if there's one thing history has shown, it's the outcome of war that tends to determine the political fate of the leaders who oversee it.
ComposerNate said @ 4:54pm GMT on 17th Mar
Yes, I suppose I was thinking of after the planned attack which rallies the nation, allows us to be the underdogs who can champion.
sanepride said @ 5:32pm GMT on 17th Mar
Needless to say, in the wake of a dramatic 9/11-type event all bets are off.
C18H27NO3 said[2] @ 6:07pm GMT on 17th Mar
And I wouldn't put it past this dumbass administration to purposefully let some tragedy happen to justify, in no uncertain terms, a war with Iran(Islam) to retaliate. Ill also remind you that although bushie was careful about "war with islam," he did use the term "crusade" a few times before he was corrected by his staffers. The idea that the west is at war with Islam isn't new. It just got amped up in by Brietbart and Faux news.

Dumpster voters also voted for him because he projects power and control. They viewed Obama as weak. They want power and control to rest solely with the United States. It would be message to the world that the US can achieve a decisive victory, and dumpster as usual, want's to project something he's not.

I'm not as calm about it as you. I agree with Nate. I expect a conflict sometime before the end of the year. Most all of his close advisors have it in for Islam and Isis. Bannon wants a war. All this garbage reminds me of Al Qaida. Bin Ladin had the infrastructure set up for war, with no vision. Al Zawahiri had the vision. Bannon is dumpsters Al Zawahiri. Both want war, and i'll add that the GOP has this twisted idea that wars fix economies. Plus it distracts everybody from the real damage they will do to government and society.
sanepride said @ 8:48pm GMT on 17th Mar
Oh I wouldn't exactly say I'm 'calm' about it. The prospect of this administration dealing with a real international crisis (which seems inevitable) is terrifying, especially considering their obvious disdain for diplomacy and soft power demonstrated in this budget. And even though, as I said, we're already still technically at war, yeah there is further conflict brewing as we speak, considering the escalation in Syria and threats of war with North Korea.
I'm just saying that it's not a given that Trump's base are so gung-ho about extending our military entanglements abroad, barring that dramatic 'tragedy' you refer to.
Of course it's always remarkable how unflinchingly, stubbornly loyal a lot of thees folks seem to be to their savior. We'll see how that holds up when they end up not saved.
HoZay said @ 9:47pm GMT on 17th Mar
Salvation is always a future event.
sanepride said @ 10:49pm GMT on 17th Mar
Conveniently.
cakkafracle said @ 11:45pm GMT on 16th Mar
and a good ole fashion conscription/culling doesn't hurt (the rich)
C18H27NO3 said @ 2:32pm GMT on 17th Mar
I think most people who voted for trump want to see Daesh eliminated and islam minimized and neutered. Globally, not just in the USA or Europe. That means war with Iran or Syria or a few other countries that "harbor terrorists." Palestinians will be targeted, and so will Hamas and Hezbollah, and Israel will be right behind dumpster banging the drums of war. I think conservatives all over the world are completely on board with war against radical islam, or islam in general. The same jingoistic shit that drove bushie.
sanepride said @ 4:48pm GMT on 17th Mar
There's certainly that Islamophobic element among Trump supporters, but by and large most of their concerns seem centered on domestic issue. True that Trump promised to 'defeat ISIS', but probably these folks would be satisfied with just a sense of security at home. Remember it's mostly their kids have been killed, maimed, and otherwise damaged from the wars we've been fighting since 2001. You think they're really eager to put up with more of this?
As far as W is concerned, yeah his 'axis of evil' jingoism did have popular resonance, but he also made it a point to not target Islam as a whole. Also remember that he left office with record low popularity ratings, partly due to the economic upheaval but also partly due to his endless, pointless wars and his broken promise of 'mission accomplished'.
arrowhen said @ 9:48pm GMT on 16th Mar
Presidents can't start wars. It says so in the Constitution. :P

Also, http://m.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/14/1575064/-Bill-Clinton-s-war
lilmookieesquire said @ 9:52pm GMT on 16th Mar
* declare a policing action
knumbknutz said @ 6:17pm GMT on 16th Mar
Here's the actual budget if anyone wishes to peruse, by the way.

Looks like all the rural folks that voted overwhelmingly for the dumpster-fire are getting many of the programs they rely on from AG, either slashed or downright eliminated. Most of them probably won't notice until next winter when their LIHEAP grants that they depend on to keep themselves from freezing to death in the cold Nebraska winters take effect.
King Of The Hill said @ 8:39pm GMT on 16th Mar [Score:1 Underrated]
Yet...For all his talk about finding efficiencies and waste, he is spending just as much if not more than prior years...

https://reason.com/blog/2017/03/16/trumpocalypse-reality-check-government-s
yunnaf said @ 2:09am GMT on 17th Mar
Re budget
The proposal cuts the EPA and the State Department the most — by nearly a third
The roughly $58 billion removed from other agencies will go toward a 9 percent increase in military spending, “school choice” programs that direct resources away from public schools and “building the wall.”

Re Trumpcare
Drop 24 million people from healthcare, cut medicare $900 B, cut $337 B from deficit, defund Planned Parenthood.

ACA added 20 million to healthcare, raised taxes on those over $250K and med companies for $600 B. It took money from healthy higher income people and gave it to poorer lower income people for them to get healthcare. 24 million will now be without healthcare.

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