American Politics Thread: Orange is the new POTUS (Archive)

[Swift]

Trump's expected choice for ambassador to the EU is, of course, someone who wants to tear apart the EU.

Malloch, a businessman who stridently supported Brexit ahead of the vote in June, is said to have been interviewed for the post by Trump.

When recently asked by the BBC why he was interested in moving to Brussels, Malloch replied: “I had in a previous career a diplomatic post where I helped bring down the Soviet Union. So maybe there’s another union that needs a little taming.”

He also said that Trump was not a fan of the EU, described it as “supranational and unelected” and attacked the European commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker. “Mr Juncker was a very adequate mayor I think of some city in Luxembourg, and maybe he should go back and do that again,” he said.

Needless to say, EU parties aren't happy and are trying to have his accreditation blocked - https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...och-parliament

[DuffMan]

Trump makes choosing people for jobs look easy. Simply, pick the worst person for the job.
Bannon is winning and seeing his vision come true.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by Cameron Swift

Trump's expected choice for ambassador to the EU is, of course, someone who wants to tear apart the EU.



Needless to say, EU parties aren't happy and are trying to have his accreditation blocked - https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...och-parliament

I wonder which European cold-war super power could possibly want the EU dissolved....

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

I wonder which European cold-war super power could possibly want the EU dissolved....

England

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by Cameron Swift

That wasn't the analogy. It was that the ####storm down there could end up blowing this way eventually.

This.

Basically, my point was that I guess having to pay $500-$1,000 more per year due to a carbon tax doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, if the grand scheme of things is massive changes in the U.S. to human rights of minorities across the board, thinly veiled corruption, and sledgehammer diplomacy that could affect our way of life if we like it or not.

[northcrunk]

Regardless of whats going on in the USA I still think the Carbon tax is a load of ####.

[killer_carlson]

i'm sorry guys, but anyone who supports the exploding bureaucracy coming out of Brussels related to the EU needs their head examined, imo.

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

i'm sorry guys, but anyone who supports the exploding bureaucracy coming out of Brussels related to the EU needs their head examined, imo.

Yeah. The EU has become such a cluster ####. Such a bloated bureaucracy.

[photon]

Interesting article on the stream protection rule that Congress killed, interesting insight into the seemingly infinite labyrinth of government workings.

http://www.vox.com/2017/2/2/14488448...rotection-rule

[photon]

The United States is expected to impose sanctions on multiple Iranian entities as early as Friday following Tehran's recent ballistic missile test, but in a way that will not violate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said about eight Iranian entities were to be sanctioned, or "designated" in U.S. legal jargon, for terrorism-related activities and about 17 for ballistic missile-related activities under separate existing U.S. executive orders. The source declined to name the entities.

The sources said the new sanctions had been in the works for some time and that Iran's decision to test-fire a ballistic missile on Sunday had helped to trigger U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose them.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...-idUSKBN15H2OE

[CaptainCrunch]

Not really surprised by the US reaction to the missile launch. Iran was actually pretty stupid in putting on this test so quickly into Trump's presidency.

Its equivalent to shoving your finger into his nose.

[calumniate]

Trump:

We have to be tough. It’s time we’re going to be tough, folks. We’re taken advantage of by every nation in the world, virtually.

Virtually.. hehe. Like virtually in your own head.. cybers

[FanIn80]

I screenshotted a bunch of approval ratings for various demographics:

Spoiler!

Edit: Put everything in spoiler tags.
Edit: The "Weekly," "Nearly Weekly/Monthly" and "Seldom/Never" ratings represent church-goers.

[FlameOn]

Trump imposes "alternative sanctions" on Russia, i.e. gets rid of them, allowing the sale of restricted items to the FSB and KGB again. I wonder what will come up this with house Republicans who had said they'd revolt of this happened. Trump responds with "I am not easing anything" but I'm easing something.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday eased economic sanctions on Russia, allowing some cyber-security sales to the Russian Federal Security Service accused of meddling in the U.S. electoral process.

Some Russian officials applauded the move as signaling a thaw in relations with Washington. But several members of Congress decried the move as pandering to Russia and its hacking attempts. The Trump administration, meanwhile, denied any easing of sanctions, describing the changes as routine tweaking of complicated policy.

The move by Treasury makes changes to sanctions initially imposed by President Obama in April 2015 and strengthened again in December, in reaction to alleged "malicious cyber-enabled activities" by Russia's security service, known as the FSB, in the U.S. electoral process.

The changes by the Office of Foreign Assets Control cover "all transactions and activities" involving the FSB, the successor to the KGB, that were banned by Obama's executive orders. It specifically eases the ban on sales of information technology products to the FSB.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2...medium=twitter

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Not really surprised by the US reaction to the missile launch. Iran was actually pretty stupid in putting on this test so quickly into Trump's presidency.

Its equivalent to shoving your finger into his nose.

Listening to Fareed Zakaria the other day and it was suggested that some hardline conservatives in Iran may be trying to sabotage the deal they hate

[jammies]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

i'm sorry guys, but anyone who supports the exploding bureaucracy coming out of Brussels related to the EU needs their head examined, imo.

So you'd be ok with the EU sending the USA an ambassador who has gone on record saying the USA is a failed state run by incompetent and corrupt clowns, and who bragged he was going to get in the President's face about what a joke the country he runs is?

Maybe you ought to think about what the word "diplomat" entails.

[wittynickname]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

Regardless of whats going on in the USA I still think the Carbon tax is a load of ####.

I'll gladly trade you places and cover that Carbon tax to get away from this clown show.


In other news, the House is working on the big issues.

The House voted 235-180 to roll back an attempt by the Social Security Administration to block disability recipients with mental disorders like schizophrenia and severe anxiety from owning guns.

The rule required reporting people who receive disability benefits and have a mental health condition to the FBI’s background check system. But critics said the restrictions would have also applied to disability recipients who needed financial help managing their benefits.

http://thehill.com/regulation/317634...a-era-gun-rule

So it's clearly very important that someone not mentally stable enough to sign their own checks has unfettered access to firearms. I feel much safer now.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by jammies

So you'd be ok with the EU sending the USA an ambassador who has gone on record saying the USA is a failed state run by incompetent and corrupt clowns, and who bragged he was going to get in the President's face about what a joke the country he runs is?

Maybe you ought to think about what the word "diplomat" entails.

You're talking to residents of a country that once elected a separatist party as it's official Opposition.

[FurnaceFace]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

"Mexico agreed to pay for the wall as long as it was imaginary. I negotiated that deal. Another great success. Everyone says so. I am a great negotiator, the best, fantastic.

#AlternativeWalls

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Listening to Fareed Zakaria the other day and it was suggested that some hardline conservatives in Iran may be trying to sabotage the deal they hate

They are the Grand Old Party of Iran(GOPI)