@darthpunk

I would disagree, the democrats are yet to push the process forward. Imho they messed up the impeachment, the process was sloppy and rushed, considering the republican dominated senate.
The process now goes to the senate where it will probably be rejected.

If this is a move in order to secure reelection, it is probably more to do with improving his image as the commander in chief and satisfying the military complex.

Timing and ethics aside, the Terrorist General was a fantastic planner and good leader, responsible for organising/sponsoring/motivating many terrorist groups in the region causing a great many deaths of US and Ally soldiers across the area.  His removal with what appears to be the ninja/bladed hellfire may well set back Iranian plans, will his replacement be as good?  I doubt it.  Though he has probably left plans for what to do should he suffer “an accident”.

Much as I detest Trump, he will get re-elected, to the American people (rightly or wrongly) he has improved the economy, got more African Americans in employment, taken the trade fight to China and put America first.

the iranians will hit saudi/region oil again

Yeah, mining the Strait of Hormuz seems the most likely short-term action they’ll take. I doubt they’d risk another missile attack on Saudi refineries, I would have thought there was more satellite & drone monitoring of Iran now (although maybe it’s not technically possible yet to detect & track short range missile launches over a wide area).

Imho they messed up the impeachment, the process was sloppy and rushed, considering the republican dominated senate

It’s always going to be a Republican controlled Senate (until the 2020 election at least) so they started impeachment proceedings as soon as they had something they were confident would stick (general incompetence wouldn’t have been enough) so it at least got as far as the Senate. Whether impeaching at all was the right move (knowing it would always get defeated in the Senate) is hard to say but I can also see if they didn’t impeach and still lost the 2020 election that the Democrats would have got a lot of flak.

His removal with what appears to be the ninja/bladed hellfire may well set back Iranian plans, will his replacement be as good? I doubt it. Though he has probably left plans for what to do should he suffer “an accident”.

This belief that 1 man is behind all of the USAs problems with Iran seems naive, just because Iranian propaganda sold him as the master strategist.

Iranian army is huge and they have experienced generals who have been fighting insurgency for the last 30+ years for

The militias & proxies will be more determined than ever. At best this is a short term set back, but an increase in violence seems the only outcome

Any chance of bringing Iran back to the negotiating table has gone now

That Trump has also threatened to blow up Iranian cultural & religious sites shows how foolish he is being right now.
The scale of the crowds in mourning alone ought to be enough to make him stop & think

The scale of the crowds in mourning alone ought to be enough to make him stop & think

Sadly they won’t – he’ll just be congratulating himself that he got more people attending his inauguration address than that brown dude got at his funeral.

Didn’t Clinton bomb a pharmaceutical factory in Sudan when he was being impeached? Same shit, different President.

I can’t believe this thread isn’t at the top, what is wrong with us? I’m fairly certain there are a few bots on here as well. LOOK. A BUNNY. OVER THERE, A BUNNY! Works with the kids, works with the rest of the world it seems. God help us.

Trump to White House Reporters.

“They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people,” President Trump said Sunday aboard Air Force One. “And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way.”

Surely there are people in Trumps inner circle that can’t let him go through with this. Targeting sites of cultural significance which may be heavily populated by civilians. He refers to Irans supply of weapons to Iraqi forces fighting against the US troops in Iraq. We know US supplied weapons are often put to dubious use. Does dirty tactics in the theatre of war really require Trump to threaten this?

The really scary thing about all this is that I bet the red-neck shit-kickers who elected him are absolutely lapping this up. Killing ‘bad guys’ with missiles? Brilliant! Whats not to like?

While the less unhinged like us, with our snowflake whining/liberal sensibilities*, look on Trump in horror, all this is is just ensuring his second term as he plays to his gun-toting, racist base. I think he’s going to walk it.

* delete as appropriate

How to make friends and influence people.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51003159

It really is about time european leaders started publicly denouncing the idiot, US bully boy tactics are destabilising the world and endangering us all.

good article here about the ‘Dr Evil fantasy’

https://www.ft.com/content/741a21cc-3062-11ea-a329-0bcf87a328f2

Surely there are people in Trumps inner circle that can’t let him go through with this.

It’s a demonstration of how an appalling and dangerous culture in government gradually gets normalised. You get long-term staff at the Department of Defense with a president who is openly advocating a war crime (bombing cultural sites), but even then, they aren’t prepared to criticise him publicly, or resign. And obviously the GOP is a lost cause morally, with even previously moderate senators going all-in behind him.

At the risk of going all Godwin, people often wonder how seemingly good and balanced Germans fell in behind extreme and horrifying policies in the 1930s and 1940s. This process is how it starts.

I can’t believe this thread isn’t at the top, what is wrong with us?

The normalisation is working on us too. Some of the stuff which had us ranting for days a couple of years ago seems trivial compared with the shit he’s getting up to now.

My son has just informed me there’e a $80million bounty on Trump’s head from the Iranians. I didn’t know they’d started up a Crowdfunding page. Where do I donate my £10 quid?

Actually, here’s a thought. As the orange one has only one love, the dollar, how much would we have to raise to make him just eff off forever? A couple of billion? More?

Trump will never stop and think, he’s a knee jerk reactionary.  He doesn’t plan.  Iran need to stop and think and play the waiting game (for a new US President) but sadly I don’t think they will.  Any military response on their part (which they are promising) will result in all manner of hell raining down upon them.

This will not end well for anyone in the area.  Iran have some very good antiship missiles and seem to have got swarming drone attacks sorted, Allah help them if they try for one of the US Carriers.

and Kimbers I will respectfully disagree, the TG, from what I’ve read and watched seemed to be a cut above your regular Iranian General in terms of leadership and organisational flair.

If he’s having to threaten Iraq with sanctions to make them let the US stay, it shows just how weak their position in Iraq has become.

I imagine that this won’t go unnoticed around the world.

Not just weak, verging on shambolic
It’s like they put Chris grayling in charge

This coalition memo appears to be genuine – but also misleading and badly phrased. Am told by coalition source that it’s to let #Iraq know that US is moving troops out of Green Zone to provide Force Protection elsewhere. NOT leaving #Iraq pic.twitter.com/Erpid6ct6E

— Jonathan Beale (@bealejonathan) January 6, 2020

I am not so sure another foreign war to protect one lot of brown people (not Americans!) from another lot of brown people (also not Americans!) will play that well with Trump’s fan base. He campaigned on stopping their soldiers coming back in body bags, defending places most of his fans can’t even spell, let alone locate on a map. I think he may have over estimated his own popularity here finally at last. Live by the tweet, die by the tweet etc.

That memo has no signature – probably fake.

Well, the bombing of cultural and non-military sites is a crime under the international law of armed conflict. People being asked to carry this order out would be entitled to refuse to obey it and the person issuing the order could be arrested and tried under the same laws.

No wonder the military rolled back on that one.

It’s also a crime under US law.

Well I think he should have got the Nobel peace prize for his contribution to world stability.
**** me drunk!!!

Well, this took a disturbing twist.

WhatsApp messaging between two Trump/Giuliani associates about the then US Ambassador to Ukraine. Which appear to show them keeping track of her movements somehow, and monitoring her personal security… purpose unknown.

Um holy sh*t. This certainly makes it sound like Parnas and co. were actively tracking Yovanovitch's movements. This could explain why Yovanovitch was moved out of Ukraine so quickly. https://t.co/4rBRB06ZGN pic.twitter.com/5Gc8WcGPih

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 14, 2020

Yonanovitch, for context, was suddenly recalled to Washington and variously badmouthed by Trump/GOP for disloyalty, or more likely, getting in the way of his efforts to get dirt on Biden.

Since Lev Parnas, one half of that exchange, was nicked trying to board a flight out of the US and is reportedly cooperating, things could get interesting. The messages are part of a cache of texts etc which are now in the hands of the US authorities.

The other half of the exchange, Robert Hyde, who is running for Congress for the Republicans, apparently got arrested at Mar-a-Lago last year claiming that a hitman was out to get him. Bizarre and somewhat sinister stuff…

New Figure in Ukraine Scandal Was Taken Into Police Custody at Trump Resort Last Year

I guess that could be out of context, but at face value it does sound very sinister.

You’d think that internet conspiracy theorists would be all over this stuff, but in my experience the majority of them have fallen for the “Trump vs the media/elite/liberals/world” nonsense and are largely on his side. 🙄

It feels more like the Home Alone burglars than something out of Bourne. But still, it shows the kind of wankery that surrounds the Trump circus.

But then again, officials clearly thought something was happening that meant she had to leave in a hurry a couple of weeks later.

Shortly before being recalled to Washington, Yovanovitch said she received two late-night calls on April 24 and 25 from Director General of the Foreign Service Carol Perez.

“She said that she was giving me a heads-up, that things were going wrong, kind of … off the track.” Hours later, at 1 a.m. in Ukraine, Perez called again to say “that I needed to be on the next plane home to Washington. And I was like, what? What happened? And she said, I don’t know, but this is about your security. You need to come home immediately.”

It is utterly jaw-dropping to even consider the possibility that people in Trump’s orbit – the links between Parnas and Giuliani are well established – were apparently talking about getting a ‘price’ for something involving a serving US ambassador, tracking her movements and perhaps her devices, and that person had to be recalled for her own safety a matter of days later.

Even Fox is laughing at the state of him now.

Fox News cut away from Trump's rally immediately after his brain short-circuited pic.twitter.com/0jgKzVLb9E

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2020

John Bolton’s book & possible testimony putting even staunch trump fan republican senators in a bind.
He’ll still get away with it

Completely coincidentally he’s released his mid East peace plan 2years late with Netenyahu (also coincidentally facing 3 fraud trials)

And the obviously qualified kushner* 😜 who never bothered talking to Palestinians when he came up with his plan to permanently anexe east Jerusalem & settlements , got all ranty when the Palestinians didn’t bite his hand off …

Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the President, says the White House's Middle East plan is "a great deal" and if Palestinians reject it, “they’re going to screw up another opportunity, like they’ve screwed up every other opportunity that they’ve ever had in their existence.” pic.twitter.com/ABAI3gKjig

— CNN (@CNN) January 28, 2020

*Kushners testimony to the FBI being blocked from release by Whitehouse at the moment too

Even God hates the border wall:

“A section of Donald Trump’s much-vaunted border wall between the United States and Mexico has blown over in high winds, US border patrol officers have been reported as saying.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/30/trump-border-wall-between-us-and-mexico-blows-over-in-high-winds

DIrrrty cops….Baaaad people……….

The orange clag-nugget is speaking live broadcasting his acquittal speech, he’s a very humble and contrite man aint he?.

he’s a very humble and contrite man aint he?.

Even Bill managed a bit of faux contrition in similar circumstances.

From the archives: After acquittal Clinton said he was “profoundly sorry” for his actions & the “great burden they have imposed on the Congress…” Taking care not to hint of vindication, he offered a subdued plea “to rededicate ourselves to the work of serving our nation….” 1/

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) February 6, 2020

Now Bonespurs kicks out a true military name.
He truly is odious and now feels massively empowered.
I’m convinced that he won’t release his tax returns because they will show his ‘wealth’ is nothing like what he claims; ooh Donny, the shame.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51408704

That’s what happens when you tell the truth against trumps lies.

Heading up to Ayrshire t’morn to see a mates new electric KTM motocross bike and have a shot if i can get on to it, he stays just of the A719 nr to Trumps Turnberry golf course and i imagine the course has some decent kickers and bunkers to play around in, D’ya suppose i could write “Trump is a ****” on the fairway with the back wheel?

Firing all the Whitehouse staff who dared to tell the truth is truly grim.

History will not judge this kindly

Don’t let me stop you!
I can’t wait for the time when the truth about him emerges; he will be dreading the moment when his presidency ends as that will be when the lawsuits come piling in.
As for his brats – elder sons are vermin; eldest daughter is vacuous airhead with useless husband from criminal family.
When he goes…their platform disappears, his ‘brand’ disappears, they disappear; the world will be a better place.
Remember Robert Maxwell? Killed himself when the net was closing. Bonespurs will either do the same thing or finish in jail; SDNY have it in for him and have been preparing since the last election. He has burned too many people; they want revenge – and will have it.
His claimed tax breaks? If you’re truly wealthy – yup, good for me; for anyone else – you’ve been shafted.

As for the tradition of presidential libraries – Trump’s will likely comprise the collected thoughts of Ronald McDonald and a treatise on how to shaft contractors.

Just when you think he can’t outdo himself he always manages to.

Christ, they really will elect him again I think, too…

Poop – I think we’ll endure another four years of the odious orange buffoon.
There is an upside – he will piss, humiliate and insult even more people who will then want revenge; it allows more time for SDNY and other attorney’s offices to build their cases against him.
I don’t which I would prefer:
– Bonespurs kills himself so….justice denied
or
– sued repeatedly; tax returns publicised; jailed; death by a thousand cuts.
In fact, I do know – it’s the latter.

Of course his audience will re-elect him, he can lie and contradict himself in the same sentance and his acolytes love him, they know he lies and just don’t care that they are lied to.

The latest Making Sense podcast with Sam Harris talking about trump derangement syndrome is worth a listen

Making Sense podcast

And another one.
It’s shaping up like the night of the long knives – either Hitler or Macmillan; take your pick.
https://nypost.com/2020/02/07/trump-ousts-gordon-sondland-hours-after-firing-alexander-vindman/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_alert&utm_content=20200207&tpcc=nypbreaking&mpweb=755-8594923-719098922

He will get away with it, his family will go from strength to strength outside the constant public gaze. This is the way of the world, the rich and powerful have always acted this way, it is just his particular narcissism has exposed it more than ever. From medieval knights through the titans of the industrial revolution to new tech gods, they are all the same.

Bloomberg is even buying the democratic nomination now to ensure nothing changes.

He will get away with it, his family will go from strength to strength outside the constant public gaze. This is the way of the world, the rich and powerful have always acted this way, it is just his particular narcissism has exposed it more than ever.

Regardless of whether his rich powerful etc if he cannot help make people earn a living he is out.