Politics

[WAB]

Yes, I am also skeptical and do not trust the media and almost all politicians. I also see the stupid stories on subjects that I know a lot about and shake my head. I am not blind to a healthy skepticism on other topics on which I am not an expert. Perhaps I framed my question incorrectly. I just noticed a penchant for everything being a conspiracy and everything being bad. Such as that we are lied to about EVERYTHING by the government. I think @Red Leg has responded with good information about chemical weapons and I will believe him even though I have not seen it with my own eyes. Others on this site (and other sites) won't believe anything that they have not seen with their own eyes, no matter the source. I am not naive but I would hate to have that outlook on everything.

A great example was the ‘bridge to nowhere’ that Ted Stevens tried to get funded. That bridge would have tied a commercial airport, located on an island, to the mainland where the Ketchikan and its hospital are located. That airport has daily 737 commercial service. In an emergency, the ferry has no chance to support emergency response. But to hear the media tell it, it was just one more pork barrel project.

No way that situation would be allowed to exist in the lower 48. Talk about pissing off a bunch of Alaskans!

 

[Hogpatrol]

The news media is just a bunch of talking heads reading a teleprompter. The day they figure out how to tie their shoes will be a revelation to them. IF there was an award for being mentally challenged, this newscaster would win hands down.

 

[Scott CWO]

A great example was the ‘bridge to nowhere’ that Ted Stevens tried to get funded. That bridge would have tied a commercial airport, located on an island, to the mainland where the Ketchikan and its hospital are located. That airport has daily 737 commercial service. In an emergency, the ferry has no chance to support emergency response. But to hear the media tell it, it was just one more pork barrel project.

No way that situation would be allowed to exist in the lower 48. Talk about pissing off a bunch of Alaskans!

Yes, Ted was pretty good. So was Rep. Don Young, who recently passed. Another two past Senators that my father and I knew personally that were good were Larry Pressler from SD and Hank Brown from CO. Larry helped my father with some military food contracts and they both helped me with a Forest Service issue once. Pressler was the senator that turned down a bribe in the ABSCAM FBI sting years ago. Wayne Allard from CO was also good and came to some of our local hunting banquets, although not a hunter.

 

[Aaron N]

The news media is just a bunch of talking heads reading a teleprompter. The day they figure out how to tie their shoes will be a revelation to them. IF there was an award for being mentally challenged, this newscaster would win hands down.

There's no way that can be a real video!

Edit: I assumed this was from the latest crash, but looking into it its from 2013...

 

[WAB]

Yes, Ted was pretty good. So was Rep. Don Young, who recently passed. Another two past Senators that my father and I knew personally that were good were Larry Pressler from SD and Hank Brown from CO. Larry helped my father with some military food contracts and they both helped me with a Forest Service issue once. Pressler was the senator that turned down a bribe in the ABSCAM FBI sting years ago. Wayne Allard from CO was also good and came to some of our local hunting banquets, although not a hunter.

Don Young was classic! Every year he would come to town, strap on a pistol, and go on an open carry walk with us.

 

[Hogpatrol]

The crash was in 2013. In reality, no one was flying the airplane when it crashed. The systems operators (they aren't pilots) were just sitting their in the cockpit watching it unfold (one reason I will NEVER fly an Asian air carrier, they know how to run a computer but not actually have stick and rudder skills and know how to fly an aircraft). The newscast is real and just goes to show how dumb are these newscasters.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I understand Don Young did a lot over his entire career. He should have stepped down long ago. His recent verbal support (yes, no actual vote) of Haaland for Interior Secretary was mystifying. She brought nothing to the table. A lifelong hunter and trapper supporting someone to oversee national lands who is on record of saying trapping should not happen and bear hunting should end.... Realky, W.T.H.????

 

[Hogpatrol]

 

[Scott CWO]

I understand Don Young did a lot over his entire career. He should have stepped down long ago. His recent verbal support (yes, no actual vote) of Haaland for Interior Secretary was mystifying. She brought nothing to the table. A lifelong hunter and trapper supporting someone to oversee national lands who is on record of saying trapping should not happen and bear hunting should end.... Realky, W.T.H.????

Politicians in Alaska usually support the Native American issues/people due to the voting block of them in Alaska however inconvenient that can be at times. At least Young didn't suck up to the extent of Murkowski. She needs to go and is a RINO.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

That's the thing... Haaland is native and female. She checks those 2 boxes and nothing more. A lot of folks in my part of the state were thrilled she was confirmed. I don't think they've read her comments that trapping is a horrible thing, or that bear hunting is wrong, two things that get done a lot up here.

Murkowski absolutely sucks monkey balls. My opinion of Sullivan isn't much more.

 

[WAB]

Lisa and I disagree on just about every political position. However, I believe that she is a good person trying to do what she believes is right. I’ll give you an example from our personal life. When our son died, Lisa read a tribute to him on the Senate floor (he had been a page and was well known and regarded by her and her staff). This happened unbeknownst to my wife and I. Some time later one of her aides arrived with a personal note from Lisa, a bound copy and video of the tribute, and an apology from Lisa that she was unable to deliver it in person. This was of no political advantage to her, she simply did it because she felt it was the right thing to do.

I agree with your comment on Don. He really should have retired years ago.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

@WAB ... I sincerely appreciate you sharing that. She may be a solid person. Her political views and mine are seldom the same. She has often voted on the side of Pro Choice and Planned Parenthood. That issue is an absolute line in the sand for me; once again she'll not be getting my vote.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Also... From one dad to another, condolences on your son.

 

[sgt_zim]

It's funny the ideas we get about some politicians.

I remember reading years ago about when Paul Wellstone was first elected to the senate. He already hated Jesse Helms, and knew he was just going to hate him even more once he got to DC.

Turns out that despite Helms' public demeanor, he was a genuinely warm and caring person. He knew the names of all the capitol hill staff - elevator operators and other "low" positions. Not only that, he knew about their families and any ongoing drama like illnesses and the like, always asking after them. He made sure to ask them how everything was going, and apparently genuinely meant it.

 

[lwaters]

Somebody needs to call Air Force 1 back home quickly. Old Bidens eyes are looking dead. Nursing home eyes.

 

[BourbonTrail]

The news media is just a bunch of talking heads reading a teleprompter. The day they figure out how to tie their shoes will be a revelation to them. IF there was an award for being mentally challenged, this newscaster would win hands down.

I almost forgot about that clip, that was soooo bad. A radio DJ in Tucson actually used that clip for years on his show (His radio name was Fook).

 

[Ray B]

The DemonRats dragged Bidet over the finishline of the election by keeping him in his basement, but that isn't an option now, and one year into his reign I think placing a bet that he doesn't complete his term would require giving some points. He looks more like a senile old man every day and it's progressing to acute levels. I just hope the world can survive his presidency.

 

[CraigV]

Just wondering, actually with regard to whatever facilities/agents are in Ukraine, How are the chemicals/biological things destroyed?
If I had a bunch of virus organisms I'd try to kill them with heat or Ph variations. If I had some chemicals, I'd apply an element to make them inert.
this shows how little experience I have with such things, and that I would guess that operations such as I would try would be very time intensive and ill suited to achieving the goal in the time frame of the Russians attacking a few miles to the east.

Ray,

I'm going to go a bit deep here, but hopefully remain on topic.

193 Nations are members of the OPCW/Signed the Chemical Weapons Convention. This means no first use, destruction of existing stockpiles, and no research for offensive purposes. It does allow for nations to make, store and test Chemical Agents for defensive purposes. These quantities are quite small. The OPCW conducts inspections of all nations who have "claimed" programs. The US and Russia had the largest declared stockpiles of CW.

For destruction purposes, there are a couple of ways to do so. Incineration is one of the easiest. It does however involve a complex filtration/scrubber system for the exhaust.

Rendering neutral through chemical process is another method, however this then leaves another product to get rid of. The Russians used to mix this with a bitumen product, and then bury it. We have a plant that uses a bio organism to eat the effluent, and then it is treated. Very complex and pricey.

Heat/explosives is another way to neutralize CW. For field recovered chemical munitions, a ratio of 10:1( explosive to agent) is applied, using high explosive. This was performed in Gulf 1 and Gulf 2. A few nations use this to destroy old or abandoned CW that is recovered. It is done inside of specifically designed chambers, and again the exhaust is filtered/scrubbed. There are still CW munitions from WWI and WWII found across the globe today.

Bio agents are actually easier. Yes, there is a UN BWC (Biological Weapons Convention). Again, most nations have bio programs, which are allowed, for research and defensive purposes. There is no "inspection" arm of the BWC, so it is an "honor" system.

Most all bio agents can be neutralized with a sodium hypochlorite solution. Anthrax is a bit tougher, a peroxide based solution or incineration are the best methods for destroying it.

Most labs that conduct research on both CW and BW have protocols in place to to destroy samples/agents in an expeditious manner. It's required, ans in their best interest.

 

[Newboomer]

Are you referring to Mrs Biden, Kampala Kamala or someone else?

That thing they call VP.

 

[Sabattiboy]

@Sabattiboy you are obviously free to say and post whatever you like but some of your posts seem quite cynical and conspiratorial more often than not. Is there a reason for this outlook? Did you have some negative experiences with a deceptive authority that shaped these views or suspicions? I think a healthy dose of skepticism is a good thing but if someone thinks everyone is ALWAYS lying or hiding things, I, for one, sometimes suspect that person of the same. I could be wrong. I am not trying to upset you. Just curious about your level of distrust. I believe the MSM has chosen sides and I am skeptical of many things they put out and also many politicians but I do know of some good people with those occupations.

Thank you for asking.
Lying has always bothered me and probably will until I am dead.
It seems, from my view, our high level politicians have taken this as a common language. Lying can be outright untruth or selective omission of information or content. To me there is little difference when a whitehouse spokesperson doing a press conference and makes mindless statements.
My wife loves to have this stuff on the TV 24/7 and it only aggravates me watching or listening so avoid it most of the time. Perhaps I need to avoid it more of the time.
From my position it generates distrust period. I don't seem to be able to take it with a grain of salt as others do.
I have been lied to by persons in positions of authority and found them upset when they were called on it.
I read the supreme court ruling, 1960's if I remember correctly, on political lying. Basically they said it might later be determined to be true. Remember when? I did not have sex with that woman!
I am 100% certain there are a lot of good honest people working in our government but they usually aren't the ones out front. Maybe they are smarter then the average bear.
Probably considered cynical thinking on my part; do I think when waterboarding was made illegal that is has not been used once? I would find it unlikely, in my opinion, that all black ops are under oversight at that level. If someone knew it had been used would they admit or deny if it came into question.
I am cynical that the UN is of any use. I made at least one comment to this effect. Perhaps I misunderstand their real purpose. Maybe their less visible works would paint a different picture for me.
I believe the earth is round and we did land men on the moon.
After watching as many as six programs or shows testing how JFK was shot and having been at the shooting scene, I do not see how the CIA or others could get bullets to turn something like 150 degrees to come in from behind after being fired from the grassy knoll. In one episode the MythBusters tried to curve a bullet in flight and found they could not.