US Politics Mega-thread - Page 8336

On August 09 2017 07:50 m4ini wrote:


.. eh?

While we're on the same position in regards to the response that should've been, the US signed the same treaty as the UK. In fact, the US made it clear that russia is in violation of said memorandum.
.

On August 09 2017 07:58 Gorsameth wrote:

My bad, I knew I should have double checked instead of going from memory...
Tho I was correct in it not being a defensive treaty.
+ Show Spoiler +
Russia broke the treaty but no one else was under any obligation to respond.

On August 09 2017 06:47 mozoku wrote:

Of course they resigned it. Why would they not re-sign it, even if they didn't intend to enforce it? The only thing not resigning it does is hurt relations with NK.

On August 09 2017 08:01 Wulfey_LA wrote:
This whole Trump v. NK thing is going to get worse over time and the USA will come out weaker for it. Trump will never get the trigger he needs to justify launching Tridents and all the limited conventional strikes are pointless. Trump is too dumb and ally-less in the region for multilateral diplomacy to work. And at the end of 4 years, all his threats will have exposed us to be a paper tiger who can't back up our threats.

Contrast this with the strike on Syria. That strike on the airfield was drawn up back in the Obama administration and the Pentagon wanted to do it. All Trump had to do was stop saying NO.

The conventional attack on NK would be nigh impossible with just cruise missiles and incredibly risky with airplanes. The missiles don't have the warheads or penetrating power to go after bunkers (500 lb airburst warheads are good for airports, not caves). The airplane strike risks escalation to an incredible degree. Such a conventional strike would have to use the B2s since no other aircraft can reliably get in range or evade NK's substantial air defense network. The next problem is that as soon as you start this the target list gets into the hundreds. NK has nukes in deep mine bunkers all over their mountains and we don't even know where the holes are. If you are 10 feet off on that strike then you deal no damage.

If they wanted to do a pinprick strike that might actually send a message but keep the escalation levels down ... I think a submarine strike could work. NKs submarine fleet is a critical asset and a few SSNs could get in place for a surprise attack on their boats at anchor. We can see their boats tied up with satellites and our cruise missiles and torpedoes will devastate their parked fleet.

Specifically:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mayang-Do/@40.0026525,128.1914928,5124m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x5fd1a6f9a63591a1:0x981f7cc4ba824505!8m2!3d39.9965181!4d128.1953733

http://thediplomat.com/2017/03/north-koreas-most-important-submarine-base/

On August 09 2017 08:05 Slydie wrote:
My friend suggested some kind of assasination on Kim himself. Whould that solve anything? I don't think so, and it would be very risky!

On August 09 2017 07:41 m4ini wrote:


Japan doesn't have a mutual defense agreement with Britain and France. Japan does have one with the US, a country that ignored a similar treaty with ukraine, so take that as you will.

Japan relies on other countries because it has to, it's like arguing that NK could've relied on chinas nukes. It's bs.



Actually, no. There were possibilities, but they were ignored. Or rather, for example, Bush was hopeful that NK comes to its senses. Before nukes, there was no possibility of millions dying (other than for example china stopping food going to NK).

On August 09 2017 08:06 KwarK wrote:

Bush relied on Chinese cooperation to do anything in NK. Again, mutual defence treaty. Direct intervention can only happen with Chinese support, assuming NK doesn't start anything. Chinese cooperation wasn't forthcoming at the time.

The US may be a superpower but that does not mean that it can do everything.

Why are they threatening Guam anyways? It's an odd choice of target.

Outside the confines of his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, President Donald Trump isn’t exactly vacationing in friendly territory.

It’s not just the organized protest motorcades around the club, or the nearby cornfield where the word “RESIST” has been cut in 70-foot letters, along with the female sign, visible from the air.

Aside from Gov. Chris Christie’s warm welcome, the president is getting a chilly reception from the state’s political class, which is greeting his presence in New Jersey with a shrug — or worse.

“It’s not like he’s really here. He’s not going to walk down Main Street and buy an ice cream cone,” said Democratic state Sen. Richard Codey, who served 18 months as governor. “Perhaps he might see Christie there.”

Trump’s approval rating in New Jersey was at an anemic 28 percent in a June poll. Trump lost the state — which a Republican presidential candidate hasn’t carried since 1988 — by 13 points. Even tony, traditionally Republican Somerset County, home to Trump’s golf club, went for Hillary Clinton by a 20,000 vote plurality (Trump won Bedminster by just 8 votes).

The president’s standing is such that some local Republicans seem to be hoping Trump keeps a low profile. The campaign of Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who’s running for governor in the November election, didn’t respond to two phone calls seeking comment on how she felt about the president vacationing in her home state.

“I don’t have really a feeling one way or the other about it,” said Assembly Republican leader Jon Bramnick, who harbors ambitions for higher office.

It’s a stark contrast to President Barack Obama’s first term, when Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine — seeking reelection — held two public rallies in front of thousands with Obama (Corzine wound up losing to Christie).

There has been some controversy about Trump’s visits to Bedminster, though it’s largely been practical.

Early on, local officials fretted about increased costs for their local public safety agencies, but that was largely allayed by Trump’s golf club qualifying as a “residence of the president,” making Bedminster eligible for federal funds to cover its costs.

The tight security has local airports and their associated businesses complaining that the extensive no-fly zone around Trump’s golf course is hurting their bottom lines.

“I was the person responsible, at least in part, for making sure that Bedminster was included as a place that was covered for reimbursement from the federal government for the expenses of local law enforcement,” said GOP Rep. Leonard Lance, whose district includes Bedminster. “I’ve written federal authorities, and I hope the federal authorities might look at the fact that local airports are concerned because of their business.”

But Lance — who has held several town halls packed with anti-Trump constituents — said he hasn’t heard much feedback about Trump’s vacation in the district.

“I have not. I understand there have been some who have been protesting and that’s part of the American tradition,” Lance said. “Those who have protested have not discussed it with me.”

And there are plenty of protesters.

“He is completely insulated from those voters — even those who demonstrate are kept, I’m sure, a safe distance out of his eyesight and hearing,” said Democratic state Sen. Loretta Weinberg.

Analilia Mejia, executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, has helped organize car caravans carrying protest signs every Saturday. Mejia said the strategy came about when authorities put protesters in a “free speech zone” down the road from the golf club.

Mejia said she’s noticed that local politicos for the most part aren’t up in arms about Trump’s visits.

“It’s so infuriating. One, he’s costing New Jersey and Bedminster money. It does cost the state some resources, adding insult to injury ‘Chris Christie’s friend,” Mejia said. “I wish that the establishment Democratic Party leaders or political leaders were putting as much skin in the game as regular people are in defense of their health care, in defense of trying to prevent our families from being ripped apart.”

Still, the most outrage to come out of Trump’s visit wasn’t from the president or his local detractors, but resulted from a snarky Boston Globe article that trafficked in New Jersey stereotypes and decade-old pop culture references, headlined “Forget scenic traditions — Trump vacations in the land of spray tans.”

“Just another reason to ignore the Boston Globe!” Christie tweeted Saturday, just before heading overseas for his own vacation.

Even Trump’s most caustic New Jersey critics, like Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell, who has been on a crusade to force the release of Trump’s tax returns, didn’t begrudge him a pleasant stay in the Garden State.

“We welcome him here. I hope he has one of our famous weiner hot dogs and tries to stuff himself with that,” Pascrell said. “ I hope he has a relaxing 17 days because he has all kinds of stuff.”

On August 09 2017 08:05 Slydie wrote:
My friend suggested some kind of assasination on Kim himself. Whould that solve anything? I don't think so, and it would be very risky!

On August 09 2017 08:31 On_Slaught wrote:


I've heard that he is deathly afraid of the Navy Seals (he consumes a lot of western media). Just tell him that DEVGRU (seal team 6) is in the country and they wont leave until he calms down.