Politics

[Brent in Az]

Witkoff needs to be shown the door....

 

[SaintPanzer]

I think Dr. Tanner is going to find that Texas is the wrong state to toy with... and the Permian Basin is definitely the wrong place to be screwing around.. big oil (and independents alike) run the PB.. as soon as someone or something starts to upset that applecart, there are multiple companies with billion dollar check books that are going to take action to "fix" whatever they perceive to be wrong..

Everything within a 150 mile radius of Odessa is its own little world.. things out there are different than pretty much everywhere else I have found..

I used to do a lot of work in Loving County. He doesn't have to worry about the oil companies. He needs to worry about those 100 or so local residents who actually grew up and own land there.

 

[steve white]

I used to do a lot of work in Loving County. He doesn't have to worry about the oil companies. He needs to worry about those 100 or so local residents who actually grew up and own land there.

They and also all the muslim would be townships are betting the local residents will do nothing but complain until it's too late. When do we get to decide it's too late? Will it ever be legal open season on out enemies?

 

[Brent in Az]

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[Brent in Az]

 

[Doug3006]

I never served, so I am ignorant of military judicial process. Can the Navy recall someone for court martial? For something (anything) they said after retiring? As a sitting Senator?

Not making excuses for this nitwit. What he said was nothing but political…and harmful politics at that. He should be primaries…or bounced out at the next general election. But this seems to me to be a straight up first amendment case.

@Red Leg, can you help me out?

 

[Altitude sickness]

Doug, yes the Secretary of the Navy can call the Senator back into service. It’s on all of our retirement papers that you can be called back by Congress and or the Secretaries of each branch.

There are specific reasons though.

 

[mdwest]

under certain conditions, yes.

An officer often continues to serve in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) after leaving active duty for a period of time. They can be recalled from the IRR to active duty (even if not retirees)..

Or

If they are receiving any retirement benefits there are provisions for a recall under certain circumstances..

 

[CJW]

D.C. shooter is sn Afghani who yelled allahu akbar during the attack. I'm shocked.

 

[SaintPanzer]

Retirees, who are collecting a pension are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Remember Article 88:
Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

Those are the rules. You don't have to accept the pension, but if you do, you are subject. It really is that simple.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. "Truth is not a defense."

 

[Brent in Az]

National guard shooter identified as 29 year old Afghani.

 

[cwpayton]

Witkoff is either the most naive representative of this country and its allies we have ever placed on the world stage, or the most complicit in abetting the goals of our strategic adversaries.

This causes me a whole lot of angst . We arm Ukraine but we support Russia politically . Makes no sense to me. Reminds me of the devil tring to subvert Christ to worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world. Something Christ was already promised ,Psalms 2nd chpt., luke 20-43. Putin is a liar and a subverter of the truth , a child of the devil. Why Trump wants to make a peace deal with the devil is a bridge to far . Putin is set on restoring the boundaries of the old soviet socialist union. I mean USSR. we already know he can be trusted ,just like a rattle snake behind your sofa. Just look at his friends, NORTH KOREA, CHINESE COMM.
I cannot believe Trumps ego is so big he is chasing after the Nobel peace prize , It has to be something far more elusive to the average guy. [ like me}.If you figure it out, Id like to know. Mean while I pray for him. Some ,alot ,of things he does I approve of domestically which makes it even more baffling to understand. Russia is in total support of Venezuela and now has missile launchers in place there to checkmate the US. the old Cuba / Kennedy scenario.. Since we are negotiating for a foreign country we might put that on the table as well. And who is going to enforce the peace deal ,NATO?
Just my nickels worth , .

 

[Brent in Az]

This causes me a whole lot of angst . We arm Ukraine but we support Russia politically . Makes no sense to me. Reminds me of the devil tring to subvert Christ to worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world. Something Christ was already promised ,Psalms 2nd chpt., luke 20-43. Putin is a liar and a subverter of the truth , a child of the devil. Why Trump wants to make a peace deal with the devil is a bridge to far . Putin is set on restoring the boundaries of the old soviet socialist union. we already know he can be trusted ,just like a rattle snake behind your sofa. Just look at his friends, NORTH KOREA, CHINESE COMM.
I cannot believe Trumps ego is so big he is chasing after the Nobel peace prize , It has to be something far more elusive to the average guy. [ like me}.If you figure it out, Id like to know. Mean while I pray for him. Some ,alot ,of things he does I approve of domestically which makes it even more baffling to understand. Russia is in total support of Venezuela and now has missile launchers in place there to checkmate the US. the old Cuba / Kennedy scenario.. Since we are negotiating for a foreign country we might put that on the table as well. And who is going to enforce the peace deal ,NATO?
Just my nickels worth , .

I don't think Trump likes Zelnskyy or the Ukraine

 

[cwpayton]

I don't think Trump likes Zelnskyy or the Ukraine

Thanks for explaining that to me, but he's ok with Putin , Mamdani, XI, but MTG is a traitor, Im going to fail this class.

 

[Brent in Az]

Thanks for explaining that to me, but he's ok with Putin , Mamdani, XI, but MTG is a traitor, Im going to fail this class.

Just my observation of Trump. He's either very quirky, or he has an end game that we may not fully understand?

 

[Saul]

I will extend a rare compliment to Trump. I think Scott Bessent was an enlightened pick amongst an otherwise clownish cabinet.

 

[hyipl]

 

[Altitude sickness]

Retirees, who are collecting a pension are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Remember Article 88:
Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

Those are the rules. You don't have to accept the pension, but if you do, you are subject. It really is that simple.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. "Truth is not a defense."

Saint, I thought the code read differently. And I thought there was a more specific code. So I did an AI search.

It’s not 100% applicable to this situation but close. We do know from our own experiences that if Kelly made that video while on active duty there would be consequences. So the legal argument is while drawing pay (to be in reserve). Does the 1st amendment for retirees outweigh military order. I think it does. And would win in court.

“ Article 88 for "contemptuous words" against senior government officials, or other general articles like Article 134 (general article) if their actions are deemed to undermine good order and discipline in the armed forces.
UCMJ Jurisdiction Over Retired Personnel
Continuing Status: Retired officers, particularly those who retired from a regular component and are receiving retired pay, are considered to be in a "standby" status and are technically still "in" the military, making them subject to military law. Their retired pay is viewed as a form of retainer for potential recall to active duty.
Recall to Active Duty: For a retired officer to face a court-martial, they generally have to be recalled to active duty. This is a rare occurrence, typically reserved for serious offenses, and military policy often requires "extraordinary circumstances" for post-retirement conduct cases.
High Bar for Political Speech: While Article 88 exists, prosecution of a retiree for political speech is extremely rare. The only known historical case resulted in an acquittal nearly 100 years ago. Courts and military policy generally grant retirees significant leeway in political expression, emphasizing the need to preserve their right to free speech as much as possible.
Federal Law: Beyond the UCMJ, federal law, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 2387, prohibits actions intended to interfere with the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the armed forces. This is a civilian statute, and violations would be addressed through the civilian justice system.
Regarding the Senators' Video
The situation involving the six senators (one of whom is a retired Navy Captain, Mark Kelly) and their video has prompted a "thorough review" by the Department of Defense to determine if any violations of the UCMJ or federal law occurred.
Congressional Status: As current U.S. Senators, these individuals hold elected office and are performing a legislative function. The UCMJ does not apply to members of Congress in their official capacity as elected civilians.
Dual Status (for Kelly): Senator Kelly's status as both an elected official and a retired military officer creates a complex legal area. The core issue being examined is whether his actions, even if viewed as political speech, could be considered "stirring up the military against the president" (Commander-in-Chief) in a manner that undermines good order and discipline, potentially falling under the purview of UCMJ or related federal laws.
In summary, while a retired military officer technically remains subject to the UCMJ, especially if receiving retired pay, actually prosecuting one for political statements or "stirring up the military" is an extremely rare and legally complex scenario, particularly when the individual is a sitting U.S. Senator. ”

Even if Capt. Kelly could be prosecuted under the UCMJ it’s not worth the squeeze in the long run. The smart play would to be magnanimous and show you could have prosecuted him but let him off. “For the good of the nation”

Prosecuting Kelly elevates him on the left and gives him more Gravitas. Better to treat your detractors as a small nuisance or irritant than grant them power over you.

But we know Trump sometimes steps on his own Dick.

 

[bowjijohn]

I despair at Trump’s grasp of international strategy

He simplifies everything to that of a second hand car dealer

His ‘art of the deal’ is just bollocks

He gets away with it, not because of clever strategy, but because his bumbling stupidity is backed by the power of the US

I believe that his entire global policy is built, not upon on US strength and a hundred years of partnerships, but fear of China

He’s rather do a deal with one megalomaniac in order to try and thwart another

He appears to have turned his back on a Europe that has not honoured its obligations

However

The choice just might be between the European prodigal son ….

And its psychopathic cousin

Only you guys can decide