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Thursday’s Forum

Steven L. Taylor
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24 responses to “Thursday’s Forum”

  1. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    Though I think this info shouldn’t have changed the controversial departure of Trump from Turkey, it is interesting how much info is pouring out.

    CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Iranian threat before Trump switched planes in Turkey

    U.S. intelligence officials were skeptical of an Iranian assassination threat against President Donald Trump that was relayed by Israel and prompted an extraordinary clandestine maneuver that saw him secretly fly out of Turkey in an alternate military aircraft, current and former U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence said.

    The assassination threat was relayed by the Israeli government to the CIA, where analysts did not view the intelligence as compelling and conveyed that skepticism to Trump administration officials, one of the officials said.

    I really don’t see the controversy at all.

    1. gVOR10 Avatar
      gVOR10

      A couple days ago I posted here Atrios’ suspicion the threat intel came from Israel. Cynicism wins again. This looks less like a genuine threat and more like Netanyahu playing Trump, which is legit controversy.

      Even though the CIA had low confidence in the report, the Secret Service and others need to err on the side of caution. It probably is a bit unfair to make a big deal out of this, but it’s Trump, so who cares. This sort of thing is too good to pass up.

      2
  2. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    Idle question: Do you think China’s President Xi is just laughing his ass off as both Russia and the US continue to weaken themselves politically, economically, and militarily?

    2
    1. Charley in Cleveland Avatar
      Charley in Cleveland

      Yes, indeed! In the book of Chinese proverbs, right next to “May you live in interesting times,” one will find, “May your enemies be vainglorious fools.”

  3. CSK Avatar
    CSK

    Scott Jennings is the frontrunner to replace Karoline Leavitt.

    1. Daryl Avatar
      Daryl

      Anything to get his BS off CNN

      1
    2. dazedandconfused Avatar
      dazedandconfused

      I wonder, was Karoline left on the decoy plane while the “human printer” was chosen to ride the catering container with Dear Leader?

      1. CSK Avatar
        CSK

        Yes, she was.

        1
        1. dazedandconfused Avatar
          dazedandconfused

          She must have been crushed. Book-deal time.

  4. Daryl Avatar
    Daryl

    Sad to see that our military still has low-t members willing to go overboard simply because they lack such niceties as showers or food. Thank gawd Whiskey Pete is using extended tours to toughen up our warriors.

    2
  5. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    Story conundrum:

    The heir to the throne of Antirya, princess Nareed, aged 18 has just played a pivotal role in defeating a coup attempt by her uncle, who was acting as regent until Nareed turned 20, to steal the throne and roll back democratic reforms.

    Next a new regency is installed, and a constituent assembly is put together to hammer out a constitution. Well and good. However, Nareed has very definite ideas on why the monarchy should be abolished, not least that a bad monarch can wreck the nation (as her uncle just attempted, and he wasn’t even formally the monarch), and besides she thinks she’s too young and lacks the knowledge and experience to govern. So she will use her position as representative of the crown in the assembly to abolish the monarchy.

    I find the contradiction glaring:

    1) I’m too young and lack the knowledge and experience to govern.
    2) This is how I think things must be in the foundational document that is the supreme law of the land.

    And yet it’s what makes sense for the story and the character. Not just in this story, but in the overall future history in this fictional universe. Hundreds of years later, there will be planets named after her.

    1. CSK Avatar
      CSK

      How about: “Even though I’m too young and inexperienced…this is how…”

      The qualifier might ameliorate the contradiction.

      1
      1. Kathy Avatar
        Kathy

        Thanks. That might work.

    2. gVOR10 Avatar
      gVOR10

      Odd thoughts.

      Different fields of knowledge. Knowing, perhaps from study, tutors and advisors, that liberal democracy has performed better than monarchy and and understanding that political science does not overlap much with knowing the cabals, cliques, and elite personalities in her society and how to manipulate them. Especially having just lost who she thought was her trusted regent and advisor.

      A becoming personal modesty.

      Hayek. A recognition of the limitations of centralized command and control. “I’m too young and lack the knowledge and experience, but no one else has it either.”

      General Francisco Franco is still dead. Not history I’m very familiar with, but perhaps there is a useful model in King Juan Carlos who guided Spain to democracy.

      King Ralph. In which movie Peter O’Toole lied, pretending he himself wasn’t the proper heir to the British throne, sticking John Goodman with the job. Maybe she just doesn’t want the job.

      Forget about it. No one else lets ignorance stand in the way of strong opinions. Why would the other characters even notice the contradiction?

      1
      1. Kathy Avatar
        Kathy

        Actually she wants the job, when she’s capable of doing it well. She also doesn’t want it for life, or to be what defines her whole existence. and there are arguments against having lifetime political positions of great power.

        On a personal note, she saw what the job did to her parents. Both had wanted more out of life, but were limited by their position. they didn’t complain, because they were self aware enough to recognize their privilege. And maybe that was part of her father’s motivation to move from royally appointed provincial governors to elected ones.

    3. dazedandconfused Avatar
      dazedandconfused

      Perhaps the George Washington arc? Events force her to accomplish total dominance through acts of courage and then, after placing the right people in position to set things up, deliberately abandoning that power.

      I suppose everybody will see it though.

      1
      1. Kathy Avatar
        Kathy

        In a more normal course of events, her parents wouldn’t have died in an accident when she was 18, so she might have ascended to the throne in her 40s, with a formal constitution in place, and with children of her own as well. Her feelings then might have been rather different.

        Washington had a great deal more practical and political experience.

        1. dazedandconfused Avatar
          dazedandconfused

          Yes, but George wasn’t fighting for something so much as he was fighting against something, which all teens can most definitely do.

          1
    4. MarkedMan Avatar
      MarkedMan

      You could just lean into it. She herself is troubled by the contradiction, but in the end she has to do what she thinks is right before the opportunity slips away.

      After all, she is a princess and feels entitled from birth to have her way 😉

      1
      1. Kathy Avatar
        Kathy

        I’m more concerned with how the readers view the contradiction.

        If it were only a matter of her unfitness to govern, she can abdicate. But then she can’t take up the job of governing in the future.

  6. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    A potentially not so snarky question:

    Will the Office of Legal Counsel’s written opinion WRT “private advisors” being covered by Executive Privilege include Trump’s personal financial advisors?

    Democrats demand Trump reveal stock managers, explain suspicious trades

  7. Jen Avatar
    Jen

    The Kennedy Center Board has voted to inscribe Trump’s name on the building, with “restored and renovated by President Donald J Trump” at the entrance. This is so annoying.

    1
    1. Kathy Avatar
      Kathy

      One lousy plaque at the entrance? That’s an insult. There should be dozens of them, each permanently attached to every urinal in the place!

      1
  8. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    The stupidest timeline keeps getting stupider.

    Now El Taco has issued orders to the navy to replace aircraft carrier electromagnetic catapults with steam ones.

    Read with caution, as the unbelievable idiocy and mendacity might induce fatal eye rolling.

    It might not be as bad as it sounds. as far as I can determine, apparently only one carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, is so equipped these days (no clue whether there are any carriers under construction or on the drawing board).

    The technology seems to have issues, but name a new technology that doesn’t. Then, too, I’m partial to some extent to Barney Stinson’s Only One Rule: New is always better. Modified as Kathy’s First Law: new is usually better. So, I concede the disadvantages of EM launch catapults might outweigh the advantages.

    What I can say for sure is that a certified fucking moron is not the person to judge these matters.

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