Trump

[WaspInWales]

In stark contrast to Tillerson's threats of using military action against NK, China have urged for cool heads and to not allow the situation to develop into military conflict.

Now there's diplomacy.

Please take note Trump et al.

[Mellsblue]

In stark contrast to Tillerson's threats of using military action against NK, China have urged for cool heads and to not allow the situation to develop into military conflict.

Now there's diplomacy.

Please take note Trump et al.

If only their actions matched their rhetoric.

[WaspInWales]

In stark contrast to Tillerson's threats of using military action against NK, China have urged for cool heads and to not allow the situation to develop into military conflict.

Now there's diplomacy.

Please take note Trump et al.

If only their actions matched their rhetoric.

Yes, in hindsight, China isn't the best example to use for diplomacy/actions, but their message on NK is sensible.

[Mellsblue]

In stark contrast to Tillerson's threats of using military action against NK, China have urged for cool heads and to not allow the situation to develop into military conflict.

Now there's diplomacy.

Please take note Trump et al.

If only their actions matched their rhetoric.

Yes, in hindsight, China isn't the best example to use for diplomacy/actions, but their message on NK is sensible.

In that they don't want hundreds of thousands of NK refugees flooding across the border or that they don't like acts of aggression?

[WaspInWales]

If only their actions matched their rhetoric.

Yes, in hindsight, China isn't the best example to use for diplomacy/actions, but their message on NK is sensible.

In that they don't want hundreds of thousands of NK refugees flooding across the border or that they don't like acts of aggression?

I was thinking more about China's aggression in South Sea, plus their lack of diplomacy over Taiwan.

[Mellsblue]

Yes, in hindsight, China isn't the best example to use for diplomacy/actions, but their message on NK is sensible.

In that they don't want hundreds of thousands of NK refugees flooding across the border or that they don't like acts of aggression?

I was thinking more about China's aggression in South Sea, plus their lack of diplomacy over Taiwan.

I meant is their rationale behind the sensible message for selfish reasons (no refugees) and single issue or altruistic reasons and indicative of their foreign policy as a whole. Your highlighting of their actions proves their stance is selfish and hypocritical. If nothing else, you my have finally answered Rowan's long standing and oft repeated question.

[Len]

Not sure how capable NK are but the Yanks will be keen for a scuffle until the bodybags start getting filled up.

[Lord Lucan]

SAA has a flight tracker that allows you to follow the status of their flights, and it seems that both the São Paulo and Perth flights have been operating without cancellations or rerouting, certainly in the last week. Are you now going to say that SAA issue false flight status information from their automated system to maintain the deception ? What have they to gain by doing so?

Oh, for the love of dogs - please
STOP
FEEDING
THE
TROLL

Why do you feel the need to stick your oar in when people are trying to debate something? If you don't like the topic go and involve yourself in something that interests you.

[morepork]

Not sure how capable NK are but the Yanks will be keen for a scuffle until the bodybags start getting filled up.

Trump's boys can spearhead the ground assault with a battalion of The Inherited Wealth 48th Soft Cocks.

[WaspInWales]

Not sure how capable NK are but the Yanks will be keen for a scuffle until the bodybags start getting filled up.

The scuffle you're describing would be WW3. Russia and China are hardly likely to just sit back and watch the US attack their ally.

[Lord Lucan]

How is it possible to fly direct from Johannesburg to Sao Paulo in only 10.5 hours? And from J'burg to Perth in only 9 hours? Yet it takes 11.5 hours to fly from Jo'burg to London.

They advertise direct flights between these places, but they are fake flights, when you come to book, they will come up with some excuse and your flight will be changed with a stop over, they have to do this to disguise the flight time. Flights from Perth to SA always seem to stop over in the middle east, seems like a strange detour to make when you look at the globe, but makes perfect sense on the flat earth map, as the middle east in en-route. Flights in the southern hemisphere between the continents are much longer on a flat earth than they are on a globe, which is why they all have stop overs.

SAA has a flight tracker that allows you to follow the status of their flights, and it seems that both the São Paulo and Perth flights have been operating without cancellations or rerouting, certainly in the last week. Are you now going to say that SAA issue false flight status information from their automated system to maintain the deception ? What have they to gain by doing so?

Apparently these flights have been tracked by flat earthers, and they claim these flights disappear some time after take off and reappear close to their destinations, they cannot be tracked along their entire route, something very dodgy about them.

This video discusses flight paths in the southern hemisphere.

[Lord Lucan]

So by pointing out Trump is going to slash foreign aid and spending on American families, while continuing to send billions of US tax-payers' dollars to the brutal Apartheid state of Israel, I am obsessed and ought to sign up with Hezbollah - whereas your denialist approach to all this is perfectly normal?

Ooookay

Incidentally, Hezbollah was created in 1982 to defend Muslims within Lebanon after an horrific massacre of thousands of Palestinian refugees by Christian Falangists and Israeli military, amid wanton rape and torture and mutilation. The victims, as usual, were women, children and elderly. The international community, as usual, did nothing about this. You, no doubt, would have gleefully participated in it, judging by your comments

What a load of old cobblers. Here's the real story, quite different from your home made fairy tale.

After the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 in support of the Free Lebanon State, Israel occupied a strip of south Lebanon, which was controlled by the South Lebanon Army (SLA), a Lebanese Christian militia supported by Israel. Hezbollah was conceived by Muslim clerics and funded by Iran primarily to harass the Israeli occupation. Its leaders were followers of Ayatollah Khomeini, and its forces were trained and organized by a contingent of 1,500 Revolutionary Guards that arrived from Iran with permission from the Syrian government, which was in occupation of Lebanon at the time.

Right, so even in your view of things, Hezbollah was created after an Israeli invasion of Lebanon (and you can't deny massacres such as the one above, since it is not in dispute and never has been). Either way, they immediately proved to be very adept and courageous fighters, overcoming their US-backed Israeli counterparts on various occasions, at times not even bothering to take captives; just telling them to get off their land. But they're Muslims, so in your view they must be evil terrorists, right?

Why shouldn't Israel invade them, they'd been shelling them on and off for weeks across the border, what country wouldn't retaliate. I don't know what massacre your talking about, never heard of it, maybe it was muslims killing each other, as they often do.
If hezbollah overcame the IDF so easily as you claim, why don't they just cross the border and do what they have pledged to do, wipe Israel off the map, what are they waiting for?
hezbollah is a terrorist group in case you didn't know, and although most muslims are not terrorists, most terrorists are muslim.

Maybe you should reply in the Israel thread, this is stinking up the Trump thread.

[cashead]

If only their actions matched their rhetoric.

Yes, in hindsight, China isn't the best example to use for diplomacy/actions, but their message on NK is sensible.

In that they don't want hundreds of thousands of NK refugees flooding across the border or that they don't like acts of aggression?

China's position on a possible dissolution of the DPRK is consistent with the ROK - ROK's official stance is "we are the legitimate government of Korea, and reunification would be grand, like" but they're also fucking terrified of the prospect because they saw what a shitshow reunification ended up being for Germany back in the day. There is a "reunification budget" which they've been ferreting money away into for a while now, but the successive governments are convinced it's nowhere near enough, basically. Of course, this was all before Park got herself impeached like a fucking scrub. They already spend a shitload of Koreadollars on defectors from the North, teaching them super-basic shit that we take for granted like "these are automated doors," "how to use an escalator," and "this is an ATM" before giving them a stipend to get them started.

China would be very wary of the refugees flooding in, particularly from the northern provinces that run along the DPRK-PRC border (Ryanggang, Chagang and North Pyongan), as they're already a thoroughfare for defectors who then get to the ROK via people-smugglers in northern China. In all likelihood, they'll probably make some moves to swap Kim Jong-un with someone like Kim Han-sol.

[Mellsblue]

Yes, in hindsight, China isn't the best example to use for diplomacy/actions, but their message on NK is sensible.

In that they don't want hundreds of thousands of NK refugees flooding across the border or that they don't like acts of aggression?

China's position on a possible dissolution of the DPRK is consistent with the ROK - ROK's official stance is "we are the legitimate government of Korea, and reunification would be grand, like" but they're also fucking terrified of the prospect because they saw what a shitshow reunification ended up being for Germany back in the day. There is a "reunification budget" which they've been ferreting money away into for a while now, but the successive governments are convinced it's nowhere near enough, basically. Of course, this was all before Park got herself impeached like a fucking scrub. They already spend a shitload of Koreadollars on defectors from the North, teaching them super-basic shit that we take for granted like "these are automated doors," "how to use an escalator," and "this is an ATM" before giving them a stipend to get them started.

China would be very wary of the refugees flooding in, particularly from the northern provinces that run along the DPRK-PRC border (Ryanggang, Chagang and North Pyongan), as they're already a thoroughfare for defectors who then get to the ROK via people-smugglers in northern China. In all likelihood, they'll probably make some moves to swap Kim Jong-un with someone like Kim Han-sol.

Indeed. My point was you can't hold up China's position against the war as anything other than them being worried about a best case scenario of floods of refuges and worst case scenario of a US friendly state on their border, rather than some sort of altruistic anti-war stance.

[rowan]

A man who has already made the decision to bomb 4 nations, killing countless civilians...



Looks much more at home in this photo:



https://theintercept.com/2017/03/18/tru ... criticism/

[cashead]

In that they don't want hundreds of thousands of NK refugees flooding across the border or that they don't like acts of aggression?

China's position on a possible dissolution of the DPRK is consistent with the ROK - ROK's official stance is "we are the legitimate government of Korea, and reunification would be grand, like" but they're also fucking terrified of the prospect because they saw what a shitshow reunification ended up being for Germany back in the day. There is a "reunification budget" which they've been ferreting money away into for a while now, but the successive governments are convinced it's nowhere near enough, basically. Of course, this was all before Park got herself impeached like a fucking scrub. They already spend a shitload of Koreadollars on defectors from the North, teaching them super-basic shit that we take for granted like "these are automated doors," "how to use an escalator," and "this is an ATM" before giving them a stipend to get them started.

China would be very wary of the refugees flooding in, particularly from the northern provinces that run along the DPRK-PRC border (Ryanggang, Chagang and North Pyongan), as they're already a thoroughfare for defectors who then get to the ROK via people-smugglers in northern China. In all likelihood, they'll probably make some moves to swap Kim Jong-un with someone like Kim Han-sol.

Indeed. My point was you can't hold up China's position against the war as anything other than them being worried about a best case scenario of floods of refuges and worst case scenario of a US friendly state on their border, rather than some sort of altruistic anti-war stance.

Yeah, for China and the ROK, the best possible scenario is a continuation of the status quo, and if this meant looking the other way while China bundles KJU out for KHS, then Seoul would probably grudgingly accept it.

Which is where Japan's current attempts to re-arm and how cosy Abe is with Trump is going to be worrying, especially considering how much of a hawk Abe is (he's also part of a right-wing ultra-nationalist lobby group - yes, he is the PM and part of a lobby group, shut up - that pretty much worships the ultra-militaristic pre-WWII Japanese society) and the fact that they're fucking pissed as all fuck at the DPRK for abducting Japanese citizens.

[Digby]

Trump now after fair value from Germany even if he's likely to get money out of Mexico first, also maybe someone should remind him he has a State Department, and on the side he's pursuing his protectionist aims

[cashead]

It looks like something is brewing in DC. The FBI did a couple of briefings and the one apparently linked to Russian influence on the Trump team left the officials invited pretty rattled. Of note is that hardly anyone with Trump was at the briefing, which are invite-only affairs.

[Sandydragon]

In that they don't want hundreds of thousands of NK refugees flooding across the border or that they don't like acts of aggression?

China's position on a possible dissolution of the DPRK is consistent with the ROK - ROK's official stance is "we are the legitimate government of Korea, and reunification would be grand, like" but they're also fucking terrified of the prospect because they saw what a shitshow reunification ended up being for Germany back in the day. There is a "reunification budget" which they've been ferreting money away into for a while now, but the successive governments are convinced it's nowhere near enough, basically. Of course, this was all before Park got herself impeached like a fucking scrub. They already spend a shitload of Koreadollars on defectors from the North, teaching them super-basic shit that we take for granted like "these are automated doors," "how to use an escalator," and "this is an ATM" before giving them a stipend to get them started.

China would be very wary of the refugees flooding in, particularly from the northern provinces that run along the DPRK-PRC border (Ryanggang, Chagang and North Pyongan), as they're already a thoroughfare for defectors who then get to the ROK via people-smugglers in northern China. In all likelihood, they'll probably make some moves to swap Kim Jong-un with someone like Kim Han-sol.

Indeed. My point was you can't hold up China's position against the war as anything other than them being worried about a best case scenario of floods of refuges and worst case scenario of a US friendly state on their border, rather than some sort of altruistic anti-war stance.

A uni short course I went to a few years ago had a far eastern expert provide a briefing. That was exactly his take. China will tolerate internal craziness provided it doesn't have to pick up the pieces or NK doesn't drag it into a wider conflict.

He also said that SK was in much the same boat. They can put up low level shyte as a better option than having to pay for reunification.

[morepork]

The Orange Donkey is getting an object lesson in the difference between government and reality TV today. He must be itching to get at his twatter account.

[WaspInWales]

The Orange Donkey is getting an object lesson in the difference between government and reality TV today. He must be itching to get at his twatter account.

He has been busy deflecting already today.

[Vengeful Glutton]

The bible is the shittest story I've ever read. And I've read Harry Potter.

I don't know enough about you to insult you back. So I'll give you the generic get fucked.

Genereric?

[WaspInWales]

The FLOTUS:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39335887

The official also confirmed media reports that the 35-year-old would have access to classified information.

[morepork]

The FLOTUS:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39335887

The official also confirmed media reports that the 35-year-old would have access to classified information.

That's fucking ridiculous.

[canta_brian]

The FLOTUS:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39335887

The official also confirmed media reports that the 35-year-old would have access to classified information.

That's fucking ridiculous.

She's not being paid. It's great to see the first family being so altruistic.

On t'other hand...

http://uk.businessinsider.com/cost-of-p ... ?r=US&IR=T