What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

Started by FunkMonk, November 08, 2016, 11:02:57 PM

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Admiral Yi

Beeb disagreed with whoever said Iran is no worse than other countries.  He's either right or wrong.  It "makes no sense" to mention it if you think the only value of a discussion is in picking a side, and once you're on the right said it doesn't matter whether the things you say are true or not.

Jacob

Quote from: Admiral Yi on May 17, 2018, 12:30:48 AM
Beeb disagreed with whoever said Iran is no worse than other countries.  He's either right or wrong.  It "makes no sense" to mention it if you think the only value of a discussion is in picking a side, and once you're on the right said it doesn't matter whether the things you say are true or not.

Berkut said "no worse than many other countries" - not "no worse than any other country." The point he was making is that when the US is allied with or co-operates with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and has no particular issues with Qatar or the United Arab Emirates f.ex., then making the case that Iran's badness is reason enough on its own to withdraw from the treaty with Iran rings hollow.

No one is arguing that Iran doesn't suck, but their suckiness is not singularly spectacular enough to make a good case for withdrawing from the agreement. What Beeb said "makes no sense" because it deliberately misconstrued Berkut's point (that "Iran is not singularly bad", which Beeb turned into "Iran is no worse than other countries") .

jimmy olsen

Quote from: dps on May 16, 2018, 09:26:04 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on May 16, 2018, 08:49:48 PM
Quote from: Barrister on May 16, 2018, 04:32:10 PM
Saudi Arabia: no nukes, no plans for nukes.  Not a state sponsor of terrorism.  Projection of military force is limited to Yemen.


Saudi Arabia sponsors terrorism.

Saudi Arabia sponsors radical islamic militias fighting in Syria.

Saudi Arabia is currently committing genocide in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has a deal to buy nukes from Pakistan should they need to.

I'll agree with you on the first 2 points, but who are they committing genocide against in Iran, and what's your source for the 4th point?

EDIT:  in Yemen, not Iran.
The Saudi intervention has been brutal, with no regards for civilian casualties and has caused mass famine and epidemics that have led to mass deaths.

As for 4, it's an open secret
http://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-and-pakistans-nuclear-weapons-pact-2015-2
It is far better for the truth to tear my flesh to pieces, then for my soul to wander through darkness in eternal damnation.

Jet: So what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?
Faye: Ordinary. The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can't leave alone.
Jet: I see.
Faye: Like an angel from the underworld. Or a devil from Paradise.
--------------------------------------------
1 Karma Chameleon point

Admiral Yi

Quote from: Jacob on May 17, 2018, 12:41:19 AM
Berkut said "no worse than many other countries" - not "no worse than any other country." The point he was making is that when the US is allied with or co-operates with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and has no particular issues with Qatar or the United Arab Emirates f.ex., then making the case that Iran's badness is reason enough on its own to withdraw from the treaty with Iran rings hollow.

No one is arguing that Iran doesn't suck, but their suckiness is not singularly spectacular enough to make a good case for withdrawing from the agreement. What Beeb said "makes no sense" because it deliberately misconstrued Berkut's point (that "Iran is not singularly bad", which Beeb turned into "Iran is no worse than other countries") .

Berkut said all that?

Jacob

Quote from: Admiral Yi on May 17, 2018, 12:45:46 AM
Quote from: Jacob on May 17, 2018, 12:41:19 AM
Berkut said "no worse than many other countries" - not "no worse than any other country." The point he was making is that when the US is allied with or co-operates with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and has no particular issues with Qatar or the United Arab Emirates f.ex., then making the case that Iran's badness is reason enough on its own to withdraw from the treaty with Iran rings hollow.

No one is arguing that Iran doesn't suck, but their suckiness is not singularly spectacular enough to make a good case for withdrawing from the agreement. What Beeb said "makes no sense" because it deliberately misconstrued Berkut's point (that "Iran is not singularly bad", which Beeb turned into "Iran is no worse than other countries") .

Berkut said all that?

Yup.

Razgovory

I honestly don't know if Iran is worse than Saudi Arabia or vice versa.  I know Iran is an enemy of the US, but that's probably not that important a factor from the European perspective.
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

Berkut

Quote from: Admiral Yi on May 17, 2018, 12:30:48 AM
Beeb disagreed with whoever said Iran is no worse than other countries.  He's either right or wrong.

For him to be right, he would have to argue that there is not a single other country in the world that is as bad as Iran.

This is basically the argument that spicey made - that Iran is so bad, we can assume that the Euroes are all bastards just looking to make mad fat cash and willing to deal with THE WORST REGIME EVER, and their not following the US lead is based on pure greed.

Quote
It "makes no sense" to mention it if you think the only value of a discussion is in picking a side, and once you're on the right said it doesn't matter whether the things you say are true or not.

Saying it makes no sense is under the assumption that he really doesn't believe that Iran is arguably worse than every single other country in the world, such that we should not make any deals with them regardless of their merits, and we should in fact unilaterally withdraw from deals already made regardless of the consequence of such a withdrawal, because they are just that bad.

Otherwise, the comment makes no sense in the context of the discussion.

I was actually kind of surprised to find that perhaps he actually does think that - that Iran is somehow the worst possible pariah nation...which seems to ridiculous a position (and he has never said so before that I recall) that I was wondering if maybe this is some kind of evangelical commitment to armageddon thing, where the crazy fucking right wingers in the US appear to be wanting to antagonize the issue because they are hoping for that end of times war crazy shit. I don't THINK he is that flavor of nuts, but I am not sure what other justification the warmonger right has for throwing wrenches into the Iran deal.
"If you think this has a happy ending, then you haven't been paying attention."

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Berkut

Quote from: Jacob on May 17, 2018, 12:48:15 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on May 17, 2018, 12:45:46 AM
Quote from: Jacob on May 17, 2018, 12:41:19 AM
Berkut said "no worse than many other countries" - not "no worse than any other country." The point he was making is that when the US is allied with or co-operates with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and has no particular issues with Qatar or the United Arab Emirates f.ex., then making the case that Iran's badness is reason enough on its own to withdraw from the treaty with Iran rings hollow.

No one is arguing that Iran doesn't suck, but their suckiness is not singularly spectacular enough to make a good case for withdrawing from the agreement. What Beeb said "makes no sense" because it deliberately misconstrued Berkut's point (that "Iran is not singularly bad", which Beeb turned into "Iran is no worse than other countries") .

Berkut said all that?

Yup.

Hell, I probably said all that a couple times now....
"If you think this has a happy ending, then you haven't been paying attention."

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Eddie Teach

This is Languish, we digress all the time. I don't think people commenting on how awful or not Iran is are stating anything about whether we should keep the deal in place.
To sleep, perchance to dream. But in that sleep of death, what dreams may come?

jimmy olsen

Lol

https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/997251082186182656
Quote
Bill Gates says that in *both* meetings he had with Trump, Trump asked if HPV and HIV were the same thing.

It is far better for the truth to tear my flesh to pieces, then for my soul to wander through darkness in eternal damnation.

Jet: So what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?
Faye: Ordinary. The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can't leave alone.
Jet: I see.
Faye: Like an angel from the underworld. Or a devil from Paradise.
--------------------------------------------
1 Karma Chameleon point

HVC

Guess the government is moving to apple computers soon.
Being lazy is bad; unless you still get what you want, then it's called "patience".
Hubris must be punished. Severely.

derspiess

"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

The Minsky Moment

Yes very successful negotiation.  China gets its telecom company off the sanctions list and avoids tariffs, in return for funding a theme park project in Indonesia.  What a win for America!
The purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economic questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists.
--Joan Robinson

derspiess

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on May 21, 2018, 09:58:32 AM
Yes very successful negotiation.  China gets its telecom company off the sanctions list and avoids tariffs, in return for funding a theme park project in Indonesia.  What a win for America!

You forgot the part where China pinky-swears to buy more American stuff.
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

Tamas

Quote from: derspiess on May 21, 2018, 10:15:44 AM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on May 21, 2018, 09:58:32 AM
Yes very successful negotiation.  China gets its telecom company off the sanctions list and avoids tariffs, in return for funding a theme park project in Indonesia.  What a win for America!

You forgot the part where China pinky-swears to buy more American stuff.

:lol:

I am afraid a lot of business interests, far smarter than Trump's little family, are making note of how directly he is selling American national interest for personal cash, and how ok the Republican voters are with this.