Jump to content

GW Hayduke

Legacy Members
  • Posts

    1705
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by GW Hayduke

  1. 26 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

    I thought that was common knowledge. That news is several years old and if I had a link then it was on an older device that I don’t have anymore. A cursory search finds articles assuming Mueller was examining Trump’s tax returns but we know now that never happened. Reading through old articles about Mueller’s botched investigation just makes me angry. I’m not sure if I have the wherewithal to spend the time looking up documentation. Maybe it was on the tv news, maybe it was in a book, but I’d assume the former because I really thought that was common knowledge. We might have to go back to the old board to find corroboration. I believe it was discussed.

    Does anyone else remember that report? I don’t think I’m confabulating here. 

    The special counsel investigation was focused on Russian interference into the 2016 election, links between trump associates and Russian officials, and obstruction of justice by Trump and associates.  It wasn’t supposed to be a full investigation into Trump’s businesses (except where possibly they might touch with the above three points). Page 11 of the mueller report fully describes the focus as well as the initial letter kicking it off and signed by Rosenstein. 

    • Hook 'Em 1
  2. 1 minute ago, BabaYaga said:

    Russia pivoted on their initial demands for Germany to ONLY pay in rubles

    Yes. Putin ordered his energy exporters to ensure 80% of the trades used rubles.  That is Putin propping up the ruble. 


    It should be noted that Germany thus far has rebuffed Russia’s requirement that trades occur in ruble.

    Russia clearly did not plan for the sanctions and clearly isn’t prepared for the impact that will occur to their economy - especially the long term impact of Germany and others moving away from Russian energy.

    Addressing short term, Volker Weiland also thinks western sanctions will impact Russia. “They weaken not only elites, but also the national economy as a whole, and thus also Putin’s ability to finance his Army.” 

    Addressing mid term, LNG will free Germany from dependence on Russia.

    Addressing long term, carbon neutrality will potentially severe their ties.

    • Hook 'Em 1
  3. 6 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

    Further, the ruble lately has been strengthening as more and more countries throw their lot in with Russia (China, India, Saudi, Nigeria, etc.) and the dollar as the global currency weakens

    You should read the wsj article from two days ago.  The rubble’s partial rebound is not the result of general strengthening of Russia’s economic outlook.  It is the result of their central bank limiting ruble selling and forcing rubble buying.  There is a manufactured demand for the currency.

    • Hook 'Em 5
    • Like 2
  4. 1 hour ago, Bevo said:

    So what will the end game look like if Ukraine is unwilling to give up land? Russia can bomb from a distance indefinitely so Ukraine can't really rebuild. Under this scenario, at some point, the west is going to get sick of giving weapons and money to Ukraine and is going to want Russian O&G. The alternative is for the West to eventually give offensive weapons so Ukraine can hit targets in Russia and Belarus. Russia would then go to WMDs if targets in its own country were hit. With those two choices, it looks to me like their will have to be a settlement in the end. What are some other options?

    Russian oligarchs, those around putin, or the rest of the russian population decide they don't want to be North Korea anymore and then do the right thing.  "Putin cannot remain in power" were accurate words 

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 1
  5. 25 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

    The interesting question about Mexico or Canada isn’t hypothetical Russian or Chinese troops in those countries. The interesting question is very real, and it is “why do these two countries not feel the need to seek some form of security agreement to protect them against their neighbor, which is the most powerful nation on the planet.”

    The obvious answer is that Russia hasn't been goading Canada into getting attacked by us

    • Like 1
    • Haha 6
  6. 32 minutes ago, DaggerHorns said:

    Art is a form of expression as I previously stated. It’s a shame you can’t connect these dots.

    I’m advocating for any form of freedom that allows different forms of communication while you call me a snowflake.

    It’s ironic that you want to justify silencing these free forms of expression.

    This is nonsense.  

    I’m advocating for the first amendment.

    You seem to be advocating a different system of free speech, a special and unique system solely designed around your desires (a snowflake system), which would somehow force private entities (publishers) to publish cartoon characters against the wishes of that private entity.  

    Obviously your position is non-sensical, but let’s play out a bit.  How do you propose to force private entities to publish against their will?  Would the government do that? If so, it would be counter to first amendment.  If not in violation of the first amendment, would there be a magical courtroom with DaggerHorns slamming his gavel and making pronouncements and decisions about which cartoon character must be published and then somehow magically it would be so? 

    • Hook 'Em 2
  7. 2 minutes ago, DaggerHorns said:

    Cartoon characters was a reference to cancel culture. They’re a form of art where art is a form of expression. There’s your connection. You don’t have to like Banksy’s art or Thujone’s cartoons but they have a right to produce these drawings on any level regardless of their intended audience.
     

    Were you ever going answer my question about your ridiculous accusation with unionization and free speech as I never talked about this at all? Or….do you want to just admit you were spouting nonsense? I’ll wait.

    The rights of cartoon characters you described aren’t associated with the first amendment because the first amendment is limited to actions by government.  None of your examples of the supposed infringement of cartoon character free speech rights have anything to do with government suppression or any connection to the first amendment.  

    This is America.  Our free speech rights are guaranteed through the first amendment. If you aren’t talking about the first amendment, but rather your special belief system - maybe we can call it a snowflake free speech system, then OK.

    Outside of constructing a snowflake scenario just for you and maybe others you identify with, your position makes no sense.

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 1
  8. 14 minutes ago, DaggerHorns said:

    You still haven’t addressed how I’ve somehow mistaken unionization and free speech. 

    Now you’re just lobbing around nonsense trying desperately to be part of the conversation. Have a good day!

    Ok.  I understand you aren't willing to connect the gaps between the first amendment and your defense of cartoon characters - but yet I'm "definitely missing the whole premise of free speech." Noted.

  9. 9 hours ago, Lobo said:

    You mention unionizing, even as a joke anywhere near one of our terminals/domiciles...or you take a truck so much as a quarter mile off route unless it's a medical emergency...and you will lose your job.

    I'm sure DaggerHorns, who is very concerned about the rights of cartoon characters, is outright appalled to hear you frame the consequences of speech related to unionization.  

  10. 1 hour ago, PRONG HORN said:

     

    Wow these two who gave your post the bird must be really fun posters.  They hate free speech so much that you aren't even allowed to have an opinion about free speech.  How does this trigger the kids of today so much?

     

    Capture.jpg

     

     

     

     

     

    Telling someone "fuck you" isn't stopping them from having an opinion about free speech.  I get it might hurt someone's feelings.  But hurt feelings, isn't stopping them from having an opinion about free speech.  

    • Hook 'Em 1
  11. 2 hours ago, Anastasis said:

    Do you have any concerns about the deplatforming of the NY Post over the story? The “intelligence” community jumping into the fray in the run up to the election? Anything here that should concern us for broader reasons? The crack head is not the issue, imo. 

    make up clowns GIF by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
     

    Joe Biden Clown GIF by Election 2020

    • Haha 5
  12. 2 hours ago, SL Xpress said:

    The only hope for Ukraine is Putin being killed. 

    Or removed from power.  That is the end game here.  Regime change.  

    We have moved the front lines of authoritarianism vs liberal democracy from the ballot box of western countries (including the US) to Ukraine.  I think it is possible Putin stays in power and eventually succeeds in Ukraine, but his economy, military, and influence around the world that they have worked decades to achieve will be shattered.  What we do after that will be important. 

    • Hook 'Em 5
  13. 10 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

    I do have to observe that it's interesting to compare how we're playing the Russian nuclear threat today with how the Germans were playing the threat of invasion a few weeks ago.

    If you think a nuclear attack is unlikely, then you're right not to match the Russian increase in alert status with your own increase.  Just play it chill; don't do anything that could be escalatory.  We've got a lot of weapons.  Everyone knows that.  And the last thing we need to do is make a move that Russia could use to justify further escalation.

    And that's exactly what Germany was doing three weeks ago.  Germany legitimately didn't think that Russia would invade Ukraine, based on its (flawed) intelligence.  So the smart thing to do, based on Russian intent as they evaluated it, was to play it chill and avoid any escalation.

    If the US chose to escalate on the nuclear front, it could take away from what is currently happening on the economic front, ukraine/russia conventional front, and with the current hardening between western allies. It seems like pushing nukes into the political discourse wouldn't help us. 

  14. 3 minutes ago, Longhornlove said:

    I'm not being cryptic, you can look it up yourself. Root Cause analysis Root cause analysis (RCA) is the process of discovering the root causes of problems in order to identify appropriate solutions. RCA assumes that it is much more effective to systematically prevent and solve for underlying issues rather than just treating ad hoc symptoms and putting out fires. 

    there are may different forms of "RCA"

    So you think Putin’s mom should have given him more hugs and kisses?

    • Haha 1
  15. 56 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

    I think China and Russia got their answers on this.

    NATO is dead. US will rattle swords but won't get involved with boots on the ground. But why should we if the European members can't even be bothered to give a shit. Putin will turn his attention to another western front country to continue to stress NATOs resolve, which NATO again will buckle. The most genius thing Putin did was to make Germany it's bitch by making it dependent on Russian gas. Take out one of the heads of the table and the coalition is a coalition only in name.

    China sees again that the rest of the world again doesn't want to get involved in conflicts outside of their borders. They have been and will continue to assert and take over what they think is theirs or should be theirs in the Pacific. We and the rest of the world will write sternly worded letters but will do nothing. They are committing genocide while the world leaders ignore it. They are claiming land/islands "owned" by Vietnam, Japan, and Philippines. Who's going to stop them from taking those territories? Will we stop them from establishing a naval base on the Atlantic in western Africa? 

    This is just another nail on the coffin for dictating policy on the world. That's fine by many but our prosperity is tied to our relationships on/to countries which we exert influence. Our economic might is dependent on our position of military strength. The two go hand in hand. 

     

     

    Why do you think NATO is dead?

    Why do you think NATO buckled?

×
×
  • Create New...