The Trump Presidency 2.0

[Blizzard]

Meh.

Hegseth's statements on the issue-

"I don't need to get into the characterization of we know who invaded who. We understand the stakes of this game," Hegseth said in a recent interview, sidestepping a direct answer when pressed about Russia's role.

When asked why there appeared to be hesitation in naming Russia the aggressor, Hegseth deflected: "Does all the finger-pointing and pearl-clutching make peace more likely?"

The media's breathless compelling of speech they and they alone decide that is appropriate from elected officials while peace negotiations (for the first time since this war started, mind you) are clickbait at best, disingenuous at worst.

He said what he said when he was at Fox News. Now he's responsible for ensuring that further escalation of the Russia/Ukraine war doesn't cost American lives. The end goal here is a negotiated peace and an end to the slaughtering of Ukrainians, which, until VERY recently, I was told has to be America's number 1 goal above all else because we are the sole arbiter of peace in the world. Call me crazy, but maybe coming out and saying "RUSSIA BAD WE HATE RUSSIA" from his position isn't in the administration's messaging for the ongoing peace negotiations?

I'll wait for the outrage carousel to come back around on this one.

This is one approach from the Trump administration I don’t support.

We absolutely needed to stop sending billions of unaccountable funds to Ukraine. That's common sense and I'm on board. But, to pretend Russia/Putin is anything other than an imperialistic aggressor that invaded it's neighbor is more than intellectually dishonest -- it's flat-out denial of reality.

We can still support and facilitate an end to hostilities while keeping our dignity and integrity in check. Trump's approach doesn't do this and it's absurd to think it does. It's merely gaslighting us like officials did with Covid or the 2020 riots. So, miss me with that nonsense.

 

[AWP]

Here’s my totally uninformed speculation:

There’s no doubt a bunch of names in those files. Some are in there because they used Epstein’s services. Some are probably in there and are completely innocuous (i.e. they had business dealings with Epstein and didnt solicit prostitutes), and some are probably straight pedophiles.

What happens to the people in that middle group when the files drop? Anyone associated with Jeff Epstein is automatically assumed to be a pedophile. Or, at the very least, involved in serious illegal activity. With this in mind, I’d think that the FBI was probably was against if the release of the files for so long because of the immense reputational damage that would happen to anyone mentioned in the documents - both the guilty and the innocent. And all the liability that opens the government up to. These redactions are probably an extension of that.

I know we have a few LE folks in here, so if this is off base please let me know.

I could get behind this except the FBI has had 5(?) years to scrub the data and release pertinent information. This was also an easy W for the Biden’s.

What is everyone hiding?

 

[Box]

What is everyone hiding?

Could they be trying to hide the fact that almost everyone is on it in some way shape or form?

This asshole spent decades running his con on the most powerful and connected people in the world and now he isn't around to pay any consequences. The FBI spends so much effort bullying the American public that once we see exactly how many people can clearly get away with the most soul crushing of crimes against innocent people the country will have flaming peaceful protests from coast to one - and the REAL villains will hide behind pardons, celebrity lawyers, off shore banks accounts, and their friends in the media to cause a distraction while the rest of America can just shut the fuck up and take it...
...or your dog will get shot
...or your property will be confiscated
...or you'll be arrested and jailed without a proper trial or defense
...or you'll be subjected to fabricated evidence that will result in you and your loved ones being arrested and jailed without a proper trial or defense

Some of the folks on that list are most certainly people that are already reviled and despised by the rank and file American citizen. Some of the names on that list are going to belong well known and well liked celebrities.

When it comes to the average work-a-day American - I'd have to just quote Colonel Nathan R. Jessup...
...you cant handle the truth.

 

[amlove21]

This is one approach from the Trump administration I don’t support.

We absolutely needed to stop sending billions of unaccountable funds to Ukraine. That's common sense and I'm on board. But, to pretend Russia/Putin is anything other than an imperialistic aggressor that invaded it's neighbor is more than intellectually dishonest -- it's flat-out denial of reality.

We can still support and facilitate an end to hostilities while keeping our dignity and integrity in check. Trump's approach doesn't do this and it's absurd to think it does. It's merely gaslighting us like officials did with Covid or the 2020 riots. So, miss me with that nonsense.

Ok so let's create a binary here.

Do you want the wars to end, or do you want the messaging to make you happy?

 

[amlove21]

Could they be trying to hide the fact that almost everyone is on it in some way shape or form?

This asshole spent decades running his con on the most power and connected people in the world and he isn't around to pay any consequences. The FBI has spent so much effort bullying the American public that once we see exactly how many people can clearly get away with the most soul crushing of crimes against innocent people while the rest of America can just shut the fuck up and take it...
...or your dog will get shot
...or your property will be confiscated
...or you'll be arrested and jailed without a proper trial or defense
...or you'll be subjected to fabricated evidence that will result in you and your loved ones being arrested and jailed without a proper trial or defense

Some of the folks on that list are most certainly people that are already reviled and despised by the rank and file American citizen. Some of the names on that list are going to belong well known and well liked celebrities.

When it comes to the average work-a-day American - I'd have to just quote Colonel Nathan R. Jessup...
...you cant handle the truth.

In all fairness, most of the FBI was super busy going through Melania's underwear and Barron's room to think this through, give them a break.

 

[Blizzard]

Ok so let's create a binary here.

Do you want the wars to end, or do you want the messaging to make you happy?

Yes.

 

[Marauder06]

This is one approach from the Trump administration I don’t support.

We absolutely needed to stop sending billions of unaccountable funds to Ukraine. That's common sense and I'm on board. But, to pretend Russia/Putin is anything other than an imperialistic aggressor that invaded it's neighbor is more than intellectually dishonest -- it's flat-out denial of reality.

We can still support and facilitate an end to hostilities while keeping our dignity and integrity in check. Trump's approach doesn't do this and it's absurd to think it does. It's merely gaslighting us like officials did with Covid or the 2020 riots. So, miss me with that nonsense.

I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive. I agree with the first bolded sentence and unequivocally concur with your assessment of Russia/Putin. But at the end of the day, what is in our best national interests? Do we want ANOTHER forever war that, over time, will most likely involve US troops getting killed or our other interests asymmetrically attacked, or do we want to draw a firm line in the sand that reaches the best possible alternative outcome. where we can move on to things that are more important and are a better use of our time, effort, and money?

 

[amlove21]

Yes.

Cool.

 

[amlove21]

I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive. I agree with the first bolded sentence and unequivocally concur with your assessment of Russia/Putin. But at the end of the day, what is in our best national interests? Do we want ANOTHER forever war that, over time, will most likely involve US troops getting killed our our other interests asymmetrically attacked, or do we want to draw a firm line in the sand that reaches the best possible alternative outcome. where we can move on to things that are more important and are a better use of our time, effort, and money?

Much like our first-ever Assistant Deputy Director of the FBI, I am an outputs guy.

I'd like the Russia/Ukraine war to end. Speaking specifically to the rhetoric and semantics of the forward facing statements of the administration while we negotiate, if playing nice gets us there, +1.

Well, that, and anytime anyone wants to force another person to use the words the insist upon lest the speaker be shamed for it, I am naturally resistant. I am contrarian like that.

 

[Marauder06]

Much like our first-ever Assistant Deputy Director of the FBI, I am an outputs guy.

I'd like the Russia/Ukraine war to end. Speaking specifically to the rhetoric and semantics of the forward facing statements of the administration while we negotiate, if playing nice gets us there, +1.

Well, that, and anytime anyone wants to force another person to use the words the insist upon lest the speaker be shamed for it, I am naturally resistant. I am contrarian like that.

I think that's just your white privilege talking ;)

 

[amlove21]

I think that's just your white privilege talking ;)

Guilty as charged. I will self-flagellate accordingly. Struggle session inbound...

 

[AWP]

In all fairness, most of the FBI was super busy going through Melania's underwear and Barron's room to think this through, give them a break.

Plot twist: Barron's underwear and Melania's room.

 

[Marauder06]

 

[amlove21]

 

[Muppet]

Enjoy

 

[Blizzard]

I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive. I agree with the first bolded sentence and unequivocally concur with your assessment of Russia/Putin. But at the end of the day, what is in our best national interests? Do we want ANOTHER forever war that, over time, will most likely involve US troops getting killed or our other interests asymmetrically attacked, or do we want to draw a firm line in the sand that reaches the best possible alternative outcome. where we can move on to things that are more important and are a better use of our time, effort, and money?

Concur. They aren't mutually exclusive at all. That's kind of my point. Maybe I'm just one of these Polly-Anna-ish fools, but integrity is still important to me.

Surely, the great negotiator can find a way to gain agreement to end the war while still keeping America's ideals and integrity intact, right? That's not a particularly overly complicated ask.

 

[Kraut783]

I could get behind this except the FBI has had 5(?) years to scrub the data and release pertinent information. This was also an easy W for the Biden’s.

What is everyone hiding?

Turned out it was a Mossad operation?

 

[Marauder06]

Concur. They aren't mutually exclusive at all. That's kind of my point. Maybe I'm just one of these Polly-Anna-ish fools, but integrity is still important to me.

Surely, the great negotiator can find a way to gain agreement to end the war while still keeping America's ideals and integrity intact, right? That's not a particularly overly complicated ask.

Integrity is still important to me personally. That's why I didn't vote for President Trump the first time he ran. But at the national level, there are things that are far more important to me, like not devolving into a far-left dystopia. If there were someone other than Trump who can deliver the kinds of things that Trump can deliver, and more importantly prevent the kinds of jackassery that were happening in the last 4+ years, I'd vote for him/her. Regardless of party. But we've got what we've got. And if you're going to give me a binary choice, that's an easy one for me to make.

 

[amlove21]

Integrity is still important to me personally. That's why I didn't vote for President Trump the first time he ran. But at the national level, there are things that are far more important to me, like not devolving into a far-left dystopia. If there were someone other than Trump who can deliver the kinds of things that Trump can deliver, and more importantly prevent the kinds of jackassery that were happening in the last 4+ years, I'd vote for him/her. Regardless of party. But we've got what we've got. And if you're going to give me a binary choice, that's an easy one for me to make.

I am personally done winning a game that no one else is playing.

I'll take the outputs and worry about ancillary issues later.

 

[Topkick]

If there were someone other than Trump who can deliver the kinds of things that Trump can deliver, and more importantly prevent the kinds of jackassery that were happening in the last 4+ years, I'd vote for him/her.

but integrity is still important to me.

I can't think of a president in my lifetime with impeccable integrity.