Only the best people.

[Stable Genius]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47201923

Fox News host Pete Hegseth has said on air that he has not washed his hands for 10 years because "germs are not a real thing".

Hegseth and his first wife, Meredith Schwarz, divorced in 2009. He married his second wife, Samantha Deering, in 2010; they have three children.[13]

In August 2017, while still married to Deering, Hegseth had a daughter with Fox executive producer Jennifer Rauchet, with whom he was having an extramarital relationship.[13] He and Deering divorced in August 2017. Hegseth and Rauchet, who has three young children from her first marriage, married in August 2019.[39]
--
Such a nice Christian, so conservative of him.

[Stable Genius]

Trump only picked Matt Gaetz for AG,  because Jeffrey Epstein wasn’t available.

[Mavica]

 

[Stable Genius]

No surprise the president elect, found guilty of sexual assault, would hire a sexual predator in his own image as attorney general of the United States. The question is whether the Senate, under its constitutional authority, will consent to the appointment of this degenerate louse.

[Goober]

Does JD Vance have anything to worry about from Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy? Donold has identified them to lead his new Department of Government Efficiency. He tried to have his previous VP murdered, so it's obvious he doesn't think the VP position is necessary.

[lookin]

Worth remembering, I think, that Trump's appointments have the shelf life of a quince.

My favorite so far is Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.  Of course he may turn out to be a regular John Foster Dulles but, laudable or lousy, his usefulness to Donald Trump peaks on the day he resigns from the Senate so Ron DeSantis can give his seat to Lara Trump.

After that, 'Widdle Marco' can take his turn in the revolving door.

[Stable Genius]

The Gaetz appointment  is likely a Trump trick where he nominates an obviously unqualified idiotic sycophant so later when he pulls his nomination you'll accept all his other unqualified sycophants as normal...
It's a fascist ploy used for centuries throughout Europe and So America.

[stevenkesslar]

1 hour ago, lookin said:

My favorite so far is Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.

It's funny.

In 2010 Rubio represented the Tea Party "fringe".   Those were the days.

Now Rubio seems like the adult in the room, compared to some of the others.

Quote

“I think the Ukrainians have been incredibly brave and strong in standing up to Russia. But at the end of the day, what we are funding here is a stalemate war, and it needs to be brought to a conclusion, or that country is going to be set back 100 years,” Rubio said.

What's been clear for a long time is that it is either a stalemate war, or a stalemate peace.   Ultimately Ukraine will decide.  I'm not holding my breath for this to be resolved in 24 hours, though.

It will be interesting to see.   Rubio has been a consistently strong supporter of NATO.  Which I am sure Trump was aware of when he picked him.

[lookin]

1 hour ago, stevenkesslar said:

Rubio has been a consistently strong supporter of NATO.  Which I am sure Trump was aware of when he picked him.

Personally, I don't think Trump gives a rat's ass what Rubio supports.  What matters is what Trump can make him do.  If Trump gets a 'former NATO supporter' like Rubio to lead Trump's battle against NATO, that's a win for Trump.  It may be a loss for the U. S., it may be a loss for NATO, it may be a loss for many NATO members - present and future - but as long as it's a win for Trump, Rubio will do it or get replaced.

That's what 'loyalty' means to Trump.  Forget opposing ideas.  He tried that the first time and he didn't like it.  He may listen to Rubio for a minute or two, but Rubio will cave in or he'll be thrown out.

[Stable Genius]

Back in 2017, the freshman congressman Matt Gaetz wasn’t a national name yet. Still, he turned heads across the country after he was the lone “no” vote on an anti-human trafficking bill that easily passed both the House and Senate.

If people can't see his message on that vote then they are here wasting oxygen others would be grateful for.

[stevenkesslar]

6 hours ago, lookin said:

That's what 'loyalty' means to Trump.  Forget opposing ideas.  He tried that the first time and he didn't like it

I think you just nailed it.

I will give you one piece of pushback.   Neither you nor I have a crystal ball.  So we have a view of Trump that is based pretty much on 1000 % of what he actually said and and did as POTUS.  That said, we can not foresee the future.  So we have to let it play out.  But what you are saying does match very well with 1000 % of what Trump says and does.

Around this time in 2016, there were a lot of thoughtful articles from Democrats worrying that Trump was a secret moderate.  We know he was a Democrat for much of his life.  So the fear of Democrats  in 2016 was that maybe he will go right down the center.  And create a centrist majority.  Maybe he'll be for infrastructure.  Maybe he'll embrace Joe Manchin, and disavow the right wing culture extremists.  Democrats were actually worried about this right after he won in 2016.  His inaugural address pretty much ended those worries.

So he embraced tax cuts for billionaires like himself, trashing Obamacare, and gutting some of his working class supporters.  Because it is what his donors and right wing extremists wanted.  And it makes sense.  Trump is a political whore, with absolutely no principles.  So of course he was going to go with the MAGA extremes and Elon Musk billionaires that brought him to power.  If you run as a wrecking ball, and are elected as a wrecking ball, you have to actually be a wrecking ball.  Trump is like a feral animal, only into ME ME ME.  So he does get it.  And he is willing to absolutely fuck over anyone, or any NATO, he needs to.

So he will probably be a wrecking ball to NATO.  But NATO, like the majority of Americans, will resist and survive if this is the Trump that actually shows up for Trump 2.0.   But, again, we don't have a crystal ball.   I really hope we are wrong.  America, Ukraine, democracy, and the world deserve better.

The interesting thing that is already playing out is this.  If our worst fears about Trump come to pass, it won't be transgender prisoners that are complaining.  It will be John Bolton, Liz Cheney, and right of center generals.  Can't say they didn't warn us.

[EmmetK]

Yes.
Only the best.

Let's guess why he/she/they/it was appointed to a top government post:

The days of identity politics and DEI hires are over. DOA.
The American people have spoken!

TRUMP2024
MAGA

[Stable Genius]

Gaetz wouldn't pass a background check for a part-time cashier job at Walmart. How anyone could think he should be our AG is mind-boggling.

[KeepItReal]

[Bingo T Dog]

Will Robert Kennedy Jr. be able to help the obesity problem in America?

[Bingo T Dog]

Will Omarosa return??  She could replace Melania as First Lady.

[Suckrates]

1 minute ago, Bingo T Dog said:

Will Omarosa return??  She could replace Melania as First Lady.

 

NO she cant, silly.   Elon Musk is actting First Lady !   

[Moses]

20 hours ago, stevenkesslar said:

Now Rubio seems like the adult in the room, compared to some of the others.

Rubio's full speech

Quote

In the case of Ukraine, who wants war? What he’s talking about is that he wants the war to end. As a businessman, he’s not going to tell you about his negotiating tactics to bring it to a close. But I don’t understand why we would not want a war like that to end. Obviously, you don’t have to be a fan of Vladimir Putin to want the war to end….

They don’t admit it publicly, but if you ask the Biden Administration, they will tell you we are funding a stalemate. I think the Ukrainians have been incredibly brave and strong in standing up to Russia. But at the end of the day, what we are funding here is a stalemate war, and it needs to be brought to a conclusion, or that country is going to be set back 100 years. That doesn’t mean that we celebrate what Vladimir Putin did or are excited about it, but I think there has to also be some common sense here.”

https://www.rubio.senate.gov/icymi-rubio-trump-won-by-putting-together-the-most-diverse-coalition-of-american-voters-in-modern-history/

Also he voted against help to Ukraine in the April.

 

You may start to moan about genocide, lemming, but, hey, you look very funny when you moaning about genocide and at the same time about possible end of war very soon.

[Bingo T Dog]

14 minutes ago, Moses said:

Rubio's full speech

https://www.rubio.senate.gov/icymi-rubio-trump-won-by-putting-together-the-most-diverse-coalition-of-american-voters-in-modern-history/

Also he voted against help to Ukraine in the April.

 

You may start to moan about genocide, lemming, but, hey, you look very funny when you moaning about genocide and at the same time about possible end of war very soon.

Is Russia hoping to be victorious with the help of the North Koreans?  Are they to save the day??

[Moses]

20 minutes ago, Bingo T Dog said:

Is Russia hoping to be victorious with the help of the North Koreans?  Are they to save the day??

Besides Western propaganda nobody saw NK soldiers at front line. No one photo, no one killed, no one in Ukrainian captivity. Ukraine is more than happy to show proof of Western lie, but still no luck.

[Bingo T Dog]

6 minutes ago, Moses said:

Besides Western propaganda nobody saw NK soldiers at front line. No one photo, no one killed, no one in Ukrainian captivity. Ukraine is more than happy to show proof of Western lie, but still no luck.

So NK soldiers are not helping the Russian forces in any way?

[Moses]

4 minutes ago, Bingo T Dog said:

So NK soldiers are not helping the Russian forces in any way?

I have no idea, sorry, I have no cams at front line. But I'm sure, when even one only NK solder will be in Ukrainian hands, on the next day hysteria about that will flow from each device that has speaker. But for now no one has any proof.

[Bingo T Dog]

Good to get it cleared up.  

[stevenkesslar]

1 hour ago, Moses said:

But at the end of the day, what we are funding here is a stalemate war, and it needs to be brought to a conclusion,

I think we both viewed that as the key line in what Rubio said.

Since you come here to deny genocide and rationalize away Genocide Man's mass slaughter, I am sure you wish people would perceive it as the choice between a stalemate war, and peace.

In fact, it is the choice between a stalemate war, and stalemate peace. I'm not even sure what the difference is.   Stalemate peace might look like what existed in Ukraine after Genocide Man invaded Crimea, but before his mass genocide of Ukrainians and mass slaughter of Russians began.

Views of Ukrainians on relations with Russia:

 

THEY HATE YOU. They really hate you.   

I guess I can understand why most Russians don't want to admit what the impact of Genocide Man's mass slaughter has been on how Ukrainians view you.  People don't like being killed.  People don't like seeing their women and children slaughtered by Genocide Man.   What part of that is hard for you to grasp, Genocide Freak?

 

Now, we both know that Trump's election is a big battle Putin won.   It gives the failing Russian war economy a break, probably.  Maybe fewer hundreds of thousands of Russians will have to be processed into meat by Genocide Man.

But if you think Ukraine will surrender because of genocide, you might want to get in your head that they HATE you, and they HATE Genocide Man and Genocide World.

Now, Trump can say this:

"Go ahead Bibi.   Kill them all.   Kill all the women and children in Gaza.  Wipe them out. Bombs away."

Of course, he won't say the quiet part out loud.  But my bet is that he'll be quiet as genocide in Gaza escalates.

He can not say the following, even quietly:

"Go ahead, Genocide Man, my good pal.  Thanks for bailing my ass out, repeatedly.  Kill all the women and children in Ukraine.  Take them, rape them, whatever you want."

Instead, he'll talk about peace.   But he can't force Ukraine to accept Genocide Man, or Genocide World, after what was done to them.

So now what we will see is what the terms are for something between a stalemate war and a stalemate peace.   Again, congratulations.   Genocide Man won an important battle.  Check back with me in a few years as to whether he has won the war.

[stevenkesslar]

The meaning of sovereignty: Ukrainian and European views of Russia’s war on Ukraine

Trump threatens to be good for Ukraine, actually

 

Those two articles do a good job of laying out the options.   It is of course incredibly complicated.   That said, in many ways it is incredibly simple.

Before Putin started his genocide, it's possible that the best option for real peace would have been Kissinger's idea:  make Ukraine a permanently neutral country between Russia and the EU.  That certainly was something Ukrainians would have agreed with before Putin invaded Crimea, based on the polls above.   Maybe Obama or Trump or even Biden could have negotiated such a peace agreement between 2015 and 2021.  But none of them wanted to be the POTUS who gave away Ukraine to Genocide Man.

Now, the idea of Ukraine as a permanently neutral nation is dead for as long as any of us are alive.  Ukrainians hate Genocide Man and want nothing todo with Genocide World. Other than to kill as many Russians as needed to defend themselves from genocide.

The best Trump can hope for is a deal that gives some of Ukraine to Putin, puts the rest in NATO, and arms it to the teeth.  Maybe with nukes, too.  But Putin will never agree to that.   The best Putin can hope for is Trump forces Ukraine to concede territory, and agree to never be part of NATO. Trump might be willing to try that, since he seems to have a weak will when it comes to Genocide Man.  But I doubt he thinks he could get away with it.  If anything, choosing Rubio is a clear sign that he understands that he can't just ignore the Republican defense and military establishment.  Putin no doubt understands that, too.

Meanwhile, as the polls in that second article outline, every leader in Europe has to deal with voters with war fatigue.  They are all for supporting Ukraine.  But mostly in the hopes that they can negotiate some deal.

So what all of this seems to make likely is a stalemate peace.   At best.   If I had to bet, I'd bet on a ceasefire.    It's hard to believe Ukrainians will agree to cede territory to Genocide Man.   Unless Trump shoves it down their throat, which I don't think he can do.   There are way too many Republicans and generals who will be all over the media about how Trump is weak, and is the selling Ukraine out to Genocide Man.   And Genocide Man will never agree to Ukraine joining NATO.   

For now, whatever can be negotiated will allow Trump to say the fighting stopped.  It will relieve European leaders of the growing war fatigue.  Fewer Ukrainians will be slaughtered, and fewer Russians will need to be processed into meat.  The Russian economy will be spared from sinking deeper into a hole for now.

This won't be resolved until the Russian Federation collapses at some point no one guess.  What we do know is that Genocide World is an economic and political mess, even compared to the Soviet Union in the years before it collapsed.   So just like all those countries that used to be under the Iron Curtain and are now very committed to being in NATO, Ukraine will have to wait for as long as it takes for the Russian Federation to collapse.