Politics

[steve white]

Maybe on average ,but I met one of the finest young men Id ever met on an ELK hunt with my son and his buddy, about 5 yrs ago ,he was a warrant officer and completed Helicopter flight training ,and was stationed in Alaska, and sadly killed in the helicopter crash ,he was only 28 I believe. ITS more about your up bringing than your age. and our society is sorely lacking in old school morals. such as truth ,honesty, justice,sacred oaths, and long on greed ,me,me,me, and instant gratifacations.
unfortunately I cant get the article to post here on the helo crash. Is IN the colorado springs sun.

And how, pray tell, are we to produce STATESMEN without those old school morals???

 

[steve white]

You act like I enjoy this. I don't. I wish we had a president - representing my party - that acted like an adult instead of a self-absorbed petulant child. I don't like or enjoy this at all. And the part that scares me? What if this is the new norm, even after him, irrespective of what party is in power? I have the same disdain for a whole lot of Congress. Do you treat people like that in your personal life? I doubt it. I certainly don't. And I find it vexing (nod to Augustus McCrae) and sad that so many simply accept his behavior (and the behavior of others) and try to explain it away.

Buckle your seat belt, I suspect we are heading toward the movie "Idiocracy" as the new reality....never dreamed something that ridiculous could become prophetic.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Buckle your seat belt, I suspect we are heading toward the movie "Idiocracy" as the new reality....never dreamed something that ridiculous could become prophetic.

Steve, you have no idea how many times that has crossed my mind. From goofy comedy to prophetic documentary...

 

[Tanks]

The R's are at least putting up some people that appear to be decent on the surface.. Abbott, DeSantis, Rubio, Vance have toyed with running.. but there are some bombastic personalities out there also talking about it like MTG also talking about a potential campaign..

I wouldn't mind seeing Thune (65) or Josh Hawley (49) run either.

 

[mdwest]

Thune might give it a go... Im not sure if Hawley is pushing for POTUS yet.. but I agree.. I wouldnt mind seeing him at least throw his hat in the ring and test the waters...

I think Rubio, DeSantis, or Vance will end up winning the primaries.. none of the others have a chance.. but.. if someone like Hawley could at least get on the stage during the primaries, make a decent name for himself, and stay out of all the mud slinging and other crap that happens.. that could set him up well for a 2032 or 2036 run.. and he'd still be young enough..

 

[SaintPanzer]

My Canadian friends are highly concerned about the President's bloviating, egoism, and buffoonery.

Meanwhile, in Canada: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...T97FH86C2HlMcVFOiY_aem_JrC2EStSWHDBBj4VbHCKDg

 

[CoElkHunter]

Meanwhile back at the front, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been gradually rolling back the limited success that the Russians achieved in their summer / fall offensive. Limited Russian counter attacks have been extremely costly and ineffective. This engagement is likely in the gray zone in the East where the frontline has been destabilized by the UA counter offensive.

This video is one of these that carries a somewhat broader message than a Russian assault group was destroyed. I should also warn that there are graphic images contained in the clip.

First of all, I think we can assume this is a truck-load of Russian reinforcements / replacements trying to reach a location near the line of contact. They are moving at night (or foggy dawn) because any attempt to do so in daylight would be suicidal. Nevertheless, they are spotted by a thermal equipped reconnaissance drone and quickly attacked by an explosive carrying FPV (First-Person View) drone which destroys the cab. The troops in back bail out, and after some confusion move into a belt of trees for cover.

It is at this point that we see something new. Following the opening stages of the invasion, massed artillery fires became rather rare. They require some co-location of indirect fire assets to be able to range a common target. When this did occur, counter battery Russian and Ukrainian radars would often detect the rounds and provide the calculated firing location to their own artillery for a counterstrike. Drones further complicated trying to place artillery in useful range of the enemy front line. For the last year and a half, the UA has devoted a lot of targeting to both Russian counter battery radars and indirect fire systems.

In this clip we see UA indirect fire assets of at least three different types massed onto the target area. You can also deduce how quickly, the guns are able to adjust their fires based upon correction from the thermal equipped recon bird. Toward the end, I believe we are seeing the massing of a 122 mm battery, a 155 mm platoon (two or three guns), and mortars form the closest UA infantry unit (they are the rapid lower order explosions toward the end of the bombardment portion of the clip.)

If the clip's broader interpretation is correct, Russian infantry are now in a far worse situation than the more recent exchange rate estimates coming out of the UK and NATO would suggest. Also note that UA forces occupied the position not long after the strike.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1r824mx/nsfw_graphic_17_russians_in_a_truck_are_destroyed

The ever continuing “Groundhog Day” tactics of the Russian military.

 

[Aaron N]

My Canadian friends are highly concerned about the President's bloviating, egoism, and buffoonery.

Meanwhile, in Canada: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...T97FH86C2HlMcVFOiY_aem_JrC2EStSWHDBBj4VbHCKDg

Oh no, spoken wanted to take their life and not make their parents clean their brains off the wall. The sky is falling!

 

[John Wasmuth]

Well Texans, early voting has started, don’t forget to go hold your nose and vote……

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

My Canadian friends are highly concerned about the President's bloviating, egoism, and buffoonery.

Meanwhile, in Canada: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...T97FH86C2HlMcVFOiY_aem_JrC2EStSWHDBBj4VbHCKDg

That is often a tactic employed by certain American members and I for the life of me can’t understand the logic behind it, it’s entirely possible for the maid program to be a mistake and your president to also be an asshole at the same time one fact doesn’t excuse the other. The same as the tactic of pointing out how despicable newsome and others are to justify trump’s behaviour it doesn’t make sense to me.
From where I’m standing it seems like the moral of the story is all of our leaders are flawed and instead of making excuses for them we should expect better.

Two wrongs will never make a right

 

[Brent in Az]

A build up of force. It's quite possible that Iran could soon feel the thunder.

 

[SaintPanzer]

Oh no, spoken wanted to take their life and not make their parents clean their brains off the wall. The sky is falling!

Is that how much a human life is worth to you?

 

[SaintPanzer]

That is often a tactic employed by certain American members and I for the life of me can’t understand the logic behind it, it’s entirely possible for the maid program to be a mistake and your president to also be an asshole at the same time one fact doesn’t excuse the other. The same as the tactic of pointing out how despicable newsome and others are to justify trump’s behaviour it doesn’t make sense to me.
From where I’m standing it seems like the moral of the story is all of our leaders are flawed and instead of making excuses for them we should expect better.

Two wrongs will never make a right

Two wrongs never make a right. But perhaps start cleaning the stains off your own carpet before worrying about my broken window.

 

[Brent in Az]

Well Texans, early voting has started, don’t forget to go hold your nose and vote……

And a hot shower afterwards.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Two wrongs never make a right. But perhaps start cleaning the stains off your own carpet before worrying about my broken window.

When the glass from your broken window falls into our yard it becomes our problem as well, you all like to call the president the leader of the free world while that in turn means his actions directly effect the entire free world and thus he invites criticism from the entire world. If trump was only an asshole domestically I’d completely agree with you that we should keep out of it unfortunately he’s an asshole on a world stage and thus were entitled to voice our opinions as well.

 

[Aaron N]

Is that how much a human life is worth to you?

It’s worth as much to me as it is to the person who’s living it. Their body, their choice.

 

[CJW]

It's not like these people are likely being influenced by psychopaths with an infatuation with ending human life. Let's look at this kids killer. Introducing Dr Death, oops I mean Dr Ellen Wiebe. Abortionist, law breaker, narcissist sociopath.

‘I’ve killed more than 400 patients — many more deserve to die’

Dr Ellen Wiebe is known as Canada’s ‘High Priestess’ of medically assisted dying. Some see her work as disturbing — she views it as a privilege to give people control

www.thetimes.com

MAiD In Canada

Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition stands unsurprised at this week's news of Dr. Ellen Wiebe's exoneration after she administered death to a patient in a facility where Medical Aid in Dying is prohibited.

www.convivium.ca

 

[CJW]

She seems all there.

Dystopia here we come.

Matt Walsh did a piece on her and the dystopian practice too.

 

[SaintPanzer]

When the glass from your broken window falls into our yard it becomes our problem as well, you all like to call the president the leader of the free world while that in turn means his actions directly effect the entire free world and thus he invites criticism from the entire world. If trump was only an asshole domestically I’d completely agree with you that we should keep out of it unfortunately he’s an asshole on a world stage and thus were entitled to voice our opinions as well.

Well, personally, I don't "like to call the president the leader of the free world", so that's a bit of a non sequitur. My point (and I do have one) is there is absolutely nothing a non-US citizen can do about him, but there is a LOT happening that they can impact. It's important to make good, relevant choices.

As I've previously mentioned, I do have some reasonably close ties to Canada. There are things going on there that truly concern me, but I also know I cannot change any of them. I have a list of Rules. I call it my "Everyone Needs a List of Rules by Which to Live". It has on it such pithy reminders as (#4) "Life is not fair.", (#6) "Celebrate the little things.", (#10) "There is a high cost to low living.", (#22) "If the Zamboni is on the ice, you're not.", and (#24) "Don't waste good." In this case, I think it is important to remember Rule #43: Focus!

 

[KJE81]

When the glass from your broken window falls into our yard it becomes our problem as well, you all like to call the president the leader of the free world while that in turn means his actions directly effect the entire free world and thus he invites criticism from the entire world. If trump was only an asshole domestically I’d completely agree with you that we should keep out of it unfortunately he’s an asshole on a world stage and thus were entitled to voice our opinions as well.

To be fair I think that Trump with his actions by now has made it clear to everyone that he is no longer interested in the US claiming the title "Leader of the free world".

Not that there is any other leader able to take up the mantle, but still.

America in Retreat: The Global Impact of U.S. Disengagement - Washington Eye

U.S. global retreat under Trump reshapes alliances, weakens influence, and boosts China’s geopolitical dominance

thewashingtoneye.com

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trump-forfeits-u-s-global-leadership-at-americans-expense-and-to-chinas-gain

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/06/can-us-retreat-global-governance-be-exploited-other-powers

ADVISORY: Ranking Member Shaheen to Discuss Major Committee Report on Trump Administration’s Global Retreat and China’s Strategic Gains at Center for Strategic and International Studies Fireside Chat | United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relati

WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, July 15 at 8:45am ET, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will...

www.foreign.senate.gov