Politics

[freefall]

That's OK.

 

[Red Leg]

That's OK.

That is what I thought. Had LBJ or Nixon been president that may have made some sort of sense. Carter - not so much.

 

[freefall]

You obviously were not in Alaska then.

 

[Red Leg]

You obviously were not in Alaska then.

No, I wasn't, so please explain. Are you referring to the Lands Conservation Act?

 

[ActionBob]

Not at all. She's from the most liberal district in America. Literally, the only State that voted D in the 1984 Reagan/Mondale election. Nonetheless, she is the antithesis of the American dream, she encourages non-integration principles in her constituents, and is quite proud of parasitic behaviors to break the back of this country. Unfortunately, this mentality has worked out very poorly for Somalis in their native lands and in America.

While you'll meet African immigrants throughout America that moved into non-native communities, embraced America, and flourished, you do not see that very often with Somalis.

So back to the global security problem in the Gulf of Aden, the situation is the same. Whether it's average intelligence, or its a bankrupt culture, or if its a tolerance for violence, we cannot fix Somalia. Only Somalians can. In the meantime, I recommend America's interest and focus should be protecting shipping lanes and staying the heck out of their country.

I have dealt with a couple Somalis who had assimilated very well and in fact were doing better than average. One instance was a woman selling furniture. She definitely had one of the best work ethics in that store and was very focused on customer service.

The others were in minor roles in a couple banks and again, in their roles, they were excelling.

I'm in no way saying this is the average and most certainly cannot stand any of the Squad. I don't like that major parts of St Cloud MN being inundated with Somalis because I do see the lack of assimilation being too broad. However, don't paint them all with that same brush.

As for Mondale, I would not conclude that Minnesota was the most liberal state in the Union back then but rather attribute Mondale carrying Minnesota to the Home State win that was a thing back then. In fact that is probably what got Reagan over the line in California? And the Democrat Party was not nearly so far Left as it is today.....

 

[freefall]

No, I wasn't, so please explain. Are you referring to the Lands Conservation Act?

I am referring to Carter designating a LOT of land as National Monuments to build cred with his enviro-groovy base. There was a lot of heavy handed federal intervention going on in disputed state/federal/private land at the time.
I'm not going to stir this pot any more.

 

[Vashper]

You make a fair point with respect to the attempt to flee. On the other hand, the target and results were not so very different than November 2015 attacks in Paris, or the May 2014 attack in Brussels, while far smaller in scale did see the perpetrator both recording his actions and trying to escape. Another somewhat similar event occurred in Tunisia in 2015 at the Bardo National Museum which was closely followed by the attack on the Port Al Kantaoui Hotel. There was also the attack on the Turkish night club in Istanbul in 2017. There are several others that are similar.

I will agree that car bombs and suicide vests have very often been the preferred tool of ISIS terrorists. But they have also used direct action to simply shoot as many people as possible. In your nation's eagerness to find a conspiracy, I would not discount the level of hatred Russia has generated in the Islamic world over the last two decades as it has crushed dissent across the Caucasus and begun to play a more active military role in the Levant. The brutality of the Wagner Group in the region has become something of legend.

I suspect that the terrorists had support within Russia. I would look very hard there before assuming they were associated with Ukraine. Besides, such an action would be one of the worst things Ukraine could do while trying to maintain steady Western support on the battlefield.

I hasten to add, conspiracies are popular in the West just as much as Russia. Here, the internet is alive with opinion that the attack was a false flag operation on the part of the FSB to allow Putin to call for general mobilization and unrestricted attacks on Ukrainian population centers. I personally believe such an atrocity is the last thing the man who promised Russia security needed well into the third year of a month-long Special Military Operation.

In any case, most Islamic countries have expressed their condolences, including the Yemeni Houthis and the Afghan Taliban government, so not everything is so clear. And in general, everything was clear about the religious component from the very beginning, since the terrorist attack took place on Friday (by the way, as in Paris), and even in the holy month of Ramadan. Sapienti as they say sat. As you correctly pointed out, operations under a false flag are a common thing.
I would love to have a discussion with you on political topics, since I have a different opinion from yours on a number of issues, but we have to take into account that this forum is located in the Western legal field, and I would not like to create unnecessary problems for it (and for myself).

 

[Red Leg]

I am referring to Carter designating a LOT of land as National Monuments to build cred with his enviro-groovy base. There was a lot of heavy handed federal intervention going on in disputed state/federal/private land at the time.
I'm not going to stir this pot any more.

Now I understand. I wish you had explained the first time I asked the question. When someone says uniform and implies federal level, then my immediate conclusion is the armed forces. That made no sense to me.

 

[Red Leg]

Meanwhile back at the front, this morning Ukraine is claiming destruction or severe damage to two more Ropucha class landing ships which are being used to transport military supplies in the current conflict. The Black Sea Fleet communications center was also struck in the same attack by British or French Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles. It is currently unclear where the Yamal and Azov were struck and with which weapon systems - whether at dock or at sea off the Crimean coast.

A couple of takeaways from this attack.

First, hitting very selective targets in Sevastopol with Storm Shadow cruise missiles requires excellent targeting capability.

Second, these are air-launched weapons of which Ukraine has a very limited supply. As you can see in the clip below, at least three clearly struck the same target (likely the Black Sea Fleet communications center.) The missiles are relatively large, and a Ukrainian SU-24 can carry two. That means at least two SU-24's penetrated the Russian air defense zone deep enough to range a target in the middle of the port of Sevastopol. One would assume four were likely fired, which means at least three were able to avoid the Russian Air Defense effort.

Putin just fired his Chief of Naval Operations a couple of days ago. Quite a welcome for the new one.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1bm2zkw

 

[Tanks]

Speaking of MTG

Opinion | Rep. Mayhem Taylor Greene — The Wall Street Journal

The Georgia Republican files to oust Speaker Johnson, saying he’s ‘in the arms of Democrats.’

apple.news

From the article, echoing my sentiments in regards to House Obstruction Caucus

Two years ago the GOP won the House by a historically narrow margin. If they’d stuck together, they could have used that leverage to extract more policy concessions from the Democrats who control the Senate and White House. But Ms. Greene and her faction are most interested in TV hits and internet donors. And once the GOP needs Democratic votes to pass a bill in the House, that gives even more leverage to Democrats.

 

[Red Leg]

Speaking of MTG

Opinion | Rep. Mayhem Taylor Greene — The Wall Street Journal

The Georgia Republican files to oust Speaker Johnson, saying he’s ‘in the arms of Democrats.’

apple.news

From the article, echoing my sentiments in regards to House Obstruction Caucus

I also loved the obvious observation.

Mr. Johnson’s sin is that he can do math.

Assuming they could. the true believers echoing Greene's sentiments won't even read opinion pieces like this even in the WSJ. After all that is an information source of RINOs and the Swamp.

The final paragraph echoed my point about governance.

But after the weeks of tumult last fall following Mr. McCarthy’s removal, even Ms. Greene’s putative allies might be skeptical. Is this the vision for GOP governance that House Republicans want to offer in an election year? If Mr. Johnson isn’t conservative enough to succeed as Speaker, who would be? Call her bluff.

Smart fellows on that editorial board.

 

[freefall]

Now I understand. I wish you had explained the first time I asked the question. When someone says uniform and implies federal level, then my immediate conclusion is the armed forces. That made no sense to me.

I should never have brought this subject up. I was a couple beers into the evening and mindlessly repeated something that sounded witty 45 years ago.

 

[freefall]

OK, so back to the burning question of the day. Why has gas gone up $.80/gal in the last 10 days or so?

 

[Tanks]

OK, so back to the burning question of the day. Why has gas gone up $.80/gal in the last 10 days or so?

Not where I live. AK is a different story though due to logistical challenges.

 

[John Wasmuth]

I find it hilarious that all the low life dem senators and congressmen interviewed on the Sunday shows keep spewing the same lame “Donald Trump is allowing the smuggling of fentanyl by drug cartels everyday “………. Someone needs to inform them that Donald Trump isn’t in charge of anything involving the border or anything else for that matter. Donald Trump is a private citizen, unlike the elected slime balls that are actually in charge of the border……

 

[Rickmt]

I am quite possibly less informed about many things than you. I just observe that at any opportunity, even if you must manufacture it, you take a gratuitous slap at Trump, who happens to be the presumptive Republican candidate. Hardly the act of a Regan republican.

Trump is the best of two bad choices . Republicans may lose again which really scares me. Yes I will vote for Trump. My dislike for narcissistic rich pricks will remain. Our country is starved for good leadership. Smart , humble people who set a good example.
As far as Red Leg goes we are damn lucky to have him on the forum and he is certainly not a Biden supporter

 

[Scott CWO]

I am referring to Carter designating a LOT of land as National Monuments to build cred with his enviro-groovy base. There was a lot of heavy handed federal intervention going on in disputed state/federal/private land at the time.
I'm not going to stir this pot any more.

Yeah the whole ANCILA land giveaway was and still is BS.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[freefall]

Yeah the whole ANCILA land giveaway was and still is BS.

Some of it seemed justified, the native people certainly deserved something.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

OK, so back to the burning question of the day. Why has gas gone up $.80/gal in the last 10 days or so?

Crude oil prices have gone up in 2024, by about $10/bbl, so gas and diesel prices follow.