America - The Official Thread

[TenEightyOne]

I didn't believe it could be true... but the US Ambassador to Denmark is a chiropractor/actress whose Wiki claims she's "best known for her work in Deathstalker and The Warriors from Hell".

Has the world become some kind of post-modern comedy art installation?

 

[UKMikey]

Check out her alma mater... I always thought "graduate of the university of Life" was just a phrase.

 

[Liquid]

I'll say one thing, it's a brilliant distraction from the Epstein case.

 

[Grand Prix]

I'll say one thing, it's a brilliant distraction from the Epstein case.

It's certainly got most of the world talking about a frozen island they wouldn't normally pay attention to.

Maybe he's been taking lessons from Bernie?

 

[TexRex]

I'll say one thing, it's a brilliant distraction from the Epstein case.

Funny. Really. But I'd put money on it being meant to take people's attention away from him walking back expanded background checks for legal firearm purchases and the obvious influence that led him to doing so.

Trump on Tuesday said that America already has “very strong background checks” for purchasing guns and increased gun control legislation could lead to a “slippery slope” where “everything gets taken away.”

He made the remarks after a phone conversation with National Rifle Association (NRA) CEO Wayne LaPierre. LaPierre in a tweet Tuesday confirmed he spoke with Trump.

Edit:

I didn't believe it could be true... but the US Ambassador to Denmark is a chiropractor/actress whose Wiki claims she's "best known for her work in Deathstalker and The Warriors from Hell".

Has the world become some kind of post-modern comedy art installation?

View attachment 844956

Impressive credentials, but it's obvious the only thing that mattered was her being a GOP fundraiser and her support for his campaign.

 

[Danoff]

I find the greenland thing very troubling. Not only does it appear to be a distraction, but it appears to attempt to normalize a somewhat adversarial acquisition of property from other nations. I'm not sure Trump had any intention of it succeeding, but I think he wanted to plant the seed in people's minds that under his administration the US just might take over others. Maybe that's just an imperialist move to acquire votes (at the expense of US diplomacy), but as with everything Trump, I don't like what we're normalizing here.

 

[TexRex]

I have the nagging suspicion it's simply a matter of Stephen Miller having whispered in his ear (perhaps that the prevailing religion in Greenland is Evangelical) with the knowledge that Trump would just run with it having ventured no thought.

There was a cartoon a while back depicting Trump walking a dog that bore a striking resemblance to Miller, but it seems to me the roles are very much reversed.

Edit:

Spoiler

 

[Sander 001]

 

[Dotini]

A very fun and informative video from CNN, of all places:

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Trump said he's looking at birthright citizenship again.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/21/politics/trump-birthright-citizenship-14th-amendment/index.html

 

[Joey D]

Trump said he's looking at birthright citizenship again.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/21/politics/trump-birthright-citizenship-14th-amendment/index.html

Well, it's not like Trump or his supporters give two flips about the Constitution, so why not? Assuming the Supreme Court does its actual job though, it'll never make it into law.

But I'm more worried about this King of Israel thing. We fought a war to get away from a monarchy and I'm not keen on a president saying that, whether jokingly, quoting someone, or actually being serious.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Well, it's not like Trump or his supporters give two flips about the Constitution, so why not? Assuming the Supreme Court does its actual job though, it'll never make it into law.

But I'm more worried about this King of Israel thing. We fought a war to get away from a monarchy and I'm not keen on a president saying that, whether jokingly, quoting someone, or actually being serious.

I haven't been paying too much attention to his presidency. I'm guessing it's been a pattern for him. For me it's somewhat irritating that he would say it, but he mentioned his issue with birthright citizenship in 2018 and he hasn't tried his solution yet. So it looks like it's just words for now.

 

[Danoff]

But I'm more worried about this King of Israel thing. We fought a war to get away from a monarchy and I'm not keen on a president saying that, whether jokingly, quoting someone, or actually being serious.

It reminds me a little of this.

I find the greenland thing very troubling. Not only does it appear to be a distraction, but it appears to attempt to normalize a somewhat adversarial acquisition of property from other nations. I'm not sure Trump had any intention of it succeeding, but I think he wanted to plant the seed in people's minds that under his administration the US just might take over others. Maybe that's just an imperialist move to acquire votes (at the expense of US diplomacy), but as with everything Trump, I don't like what we're normalizing here.

Sounds like Israel is next on the block after Greenland.

 

[Liquid]

I didn't think Sid Meier's Civilization could actually happen in real life.

 

[UKMikey]

I didn't think Sid Meier's Civilization could actually happen in real life.

Hopefully he will take off for Alpha Centauri at the end of his term.

 

[Jawehawk]

You can't have Greenland! We've already lost Iceland, Norway and part of northern Germany, as well as much more if you want to go further back in time. Greenland is the last not really Danish part of Denmark left! Well, there is the Faraeo island as well I guess. Want to buy that?

 

[Liquid]

Well, there is the Faraeo island as well I guess. Want to buy that?

If they have as much untapped oil and gas reserves as Greenland has, just wait. It'll happen.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Seems like Trump is, nominally, a fan of free market capitalism...up until companies do something that isn't the thing that he likes. Then it's, "bend to the will of the KING!"

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Seems like Trump is, nominally, a fan of free market capitalism...up until companies do something that isn't the thing that he likes. Then it's, "bend to the will of the KING!"

I'm not sure why they would agree to the California deal. Just because the regulation isn't there doesn't mean that they can't aim to meet it. Are they worried what their competition is up to? Does the stricter target introduce more complex, lower power engines? Do the occupants have to pedal to power a generator?

 

[Danoff]

I'm not sure why they would agree to the California deal. Just because the regulation isn't there doesn't mean that they can't aim to meet it. Are they worried what their competition is up to? Does the stricter target introduce more complex, lower engines? Do the occupants have to pedal to power a generator?

Brand image.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Brand image.

Nice to see VW in line 👍

 

[Rallywagon]

Brand image.

Or they could be telling the truth when they say its because of regulatory stability....
As they point out. Who knows how long Trumps roll back is going to be held up in court, or how long it will be in place after his term is up, be it next year or in 5. It makes sense to start planning for what is likely to be an inevitability rather than the whim of a blow hard. Not to say brand image isnt a part. I just dont see it as the main part.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'm not sure why they would agree to the California deal. Just because the regulation isn't there doesn't mean that they can't aim to meet it. Are they worried what their competition is up to? Does the stricter target introduce more complex, lower power engines? Do the occupants have to pedal to power a generator?

Certainty > Uncertainty

Also, why they are doing it is less important than the President excoriating them for making, ultimately, a pretty innocuous business decision that happens to be the one he does not prefer. Like the state or not, California (taken with it's "proxy" states) is by far the most important US market for cars. Unless you want to create different cars for different markets and take the losses and inefficiencies that would incur, you need to make cars that meet both the objective criteria and satisfy popular sentiment in the state.

I could see some manufacturers offering engines in other parts of the country that they don't offer in the CARB bloc, but I think that would ultimately be pretty poor optics.

I think automakers also recognize the intertia of public opinion regarding sustainability. Electric & Hybrid cars have a far higher standing than they did just 5 years ago, and it is accelerating. It's plainly obvious which way automotive tastes are trending, and it's not towards more polluting vehicles. To push pause makes very little business sense.

 

[Biggles]

Has the world become some kind of post-modern comedy art installation?

If you've been following Dotini ... you already know the answer to that question.

 

[ryzno]

N/M sorry...

 

[Sander 001]

 

[Liquid]

@Sander 001 Political Image thread is here.

 

[ryzno]

Well, David Koch has died at 79.

 

[Sander 001]

@Sander 001 Political Image thread is here.

“...the funny picture thread.”

“people dying in medical poverty”

Great suggestion.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Seems like Trump is, nominally, a fan of free market capitalism...up until companies do something that isn't the thing that he likes. Then it's, "bend to the will of the KING!"

"Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China"

(emphasis mine, the absurdity is off the charts)

So much for free market capitalism. GOP you still out there? Anyone? Anyone there?