I'm not arguing the merits of either. I don't think Trump is a good man or President.

It's my firm opinion that Obama chose to play the long game, hoping that the anger over Garland not being confirmed would influence the upcoming election. He believed that they might take the Senate back and then either he or Hillary would then be able to get the nominee they wanted. Plus as @newtboy pointed out, there was no way any pick he chose was going to pass muster with the Republican controlled Senate. Picking another person would likely tarnish them and remove a good liberal pick from future selection.

I consider Obama a good person and a mediocre President. I voted for him the first time because I bought into his mantra of change. It didn't happen. He forced through the ACA on party line votes, fucking up my personal situation in regards to doctors and insurance. He further screwed up the situation with the middle east which directly led to the entire Syria/ISIS situation. He did authorize drone strikes that led to many non combatant deaths and some pretty reprehensible situations. That is including the fact that his administration considered any military aged male in strike zones to be enemy combatants UNLESS they could be verified otherwise after their death. So many of those were not counted. There are other issues I have with his Presidency, but those are some of the big ones.

He did kill Bin Laden. I will give him kudos for that. I also think that once he lost control of the Congress in his second term he had no way to get anything accomplished, so I can't say he wouldn't have done something I liked in his second term. He is also an amazing orator.

So am I. Well armed. I'm not a bad shot either.

My forefathers actually founded this nation, fought and died to create it. I owe them no less than to defend it against the dark creeping madness with my life if necessary, not that it's what I want. What else am I doing that's more important? Where else do I have to go? (Edit: thanks to our lack of functional Covid response and continued epidemic, no where right now, or for the foreseeable future.)

Yeah, I don't need to be devoured by the mouth of madness. Reading the words infects you, and once you're under Q's influence you'll believe anything. That's how cults work. I only needed to read chapter one of Dianetics to know the destructive self inflicted insanity it contained. Same goes for Q.

If I had the means to move to New Zealand, and if they would have me, I might have a difficult choice to make. Fortunately for them, I don't. Maybe time to add to my firearm collection instead.

Out of curiosity, what is BLM's stance on all the black lives being lost to gun violence in places like Chicago? I see no mention of this serious issue on blacklivesmatter.com or blacklivesmatterchicago.com. Heck, it's not even listed on BLM Chicago's "10 Demands of BLMCHI": https://www.blacklivesmatterchicago.com/10-demands-of-blmchi/

With all of the media attention BLM is getting, funding through donations, and general momentum behind the movement, why not focus on things that might actually make a difference? Instead of pouring energy into removing statues, put that effort into PSAs, social media, etc about how terrible the gun violence is in some of these cities. Try and come up with ideas to address it. Invest those resources into getting to the root of the problems that face these communities. I guarantee statues and police brutality are probably pretty low on the list of *real* issues facing the black community. What about poverty/homelessness, lack of economic opportunity, gang activity/influence on youth, guns, drugs, the challenges of low income single-parent homes, etc. Those seem like more important issues for a well funded organization like BLM to be focused on.

How about:
“De-Uniform the Police”

The message will never get through, though. We are what we eat, media-wise, and the majority of us consumes our daily-doses from sources only possible from “elites” money/influence. To be sure, that media does not stray from the path, to or fro, so if it’s not in their lexicon, it’s less likely to be in ours as well.

But if one can assume for a moment that there is indeed a rational thought to “Defund the Police”, one may then begin to identify alternatives not previously considered.

Is too much money going unchecked to the Police? Are too many tasks being relegated to police action? Are certain villains entrenched within the ranks? Is reform ever really going to work? Is it just that damned Uniform (play on word “un-informed”)? Or those boots? All of these are valid questions we should each have answers to, and more, if we can just start talking about it finally.

My gripe is about the Police Union, that keep the secrets and perpetuate the misdeeds of “bad apples”, kinda like the clergy has done with their pedos. And the Boy Scouts?

Yeah, I know I'm old...but so are you, Sifty.

I have to say that it really has been a surprisingly wild ride, nothing like anything I'd have ever predicted. And a fair part of that has been influenced by everything and everyone here.

Thanks to all of you.

The later being the ones influenced by feline tendencies (wannabes)...you know the type.

It really makes you wonder how a kid gets like that, so angry and saying crazy shit like, "I'll cut you up with an axe." Wtf!
Clearly the dad cares enough to teach his son a lesson but still. ...and yeah I get it raging hormones and all, I'm sure I was a little angry at that age too, but I never disrespected my elders or people in authority. I see this more and more with the kids in our neighbourhood too (not all obviously) - so many seem so angry. Is it because they spend less time socialising with people face to face and/or the influence of unchecked internet access, etc. Crazy.

Ok, but YOU strongly implied she had NO choice with your extremely loaded question because of (not even her) culture. I strongly disagree, and explained my reasoning.

That's a long way from the argument that there are cultural pressures that influence choices, which is something I agree with.

Choosing to do something for "social credit" is a purely personal choice, not a societal requirement. That's what I'm saying.

I think he believes he gets to keep that blood money from Saudi Arabia.

As for his South Korea claim....there is no agreement for them to pay a dime next year, because Trump could only negotiate a 1 year extension to the 5 year payment plan Obama negotiated. Contrary to Trump's ignorant lies, for >3 decades the cost sharing agreement has been negotiated on a 5 year basis with S. Korea paying the U.S. yearly, but Trump has been incapable of negotiating and today there's no payment agreement at all. Only 4% of South Koreans support paying what Trump's demanding, making his current near $5 billion demand (a 400%+ increase from last year) a clear deal killer....which might end our cooperative agreement with another ally.
Japan's cost sharing agreement is up for renegotiation next year, expect the same level of absolute failure in those negotiations and the loss of another ally and the loss of more US influence in the Pacific.

*promote exposing the ridiculously easily debunked lies being used to hide the total failure to negotiate successfully.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/to-make-korea-pay-more-for-security-trump-has-to-show-his-shopping-list-11578393004

The US has legalized so much corruption internally with corporate funding, that dwarfs any influence the Russians could do.

The house has already subpoenaed their records along with Rick Perry's this morning.
Perry is accused of being complicit in the "arms for accusations" scheme by Trump and Guliani, actually Trump is trying to pin the scandal on Perry recently, but is also accused using his influence to appoint some Texas friends to head a Ukrainian state owned natural gas company. He has agreed to cooperate.
Ruh-Roe!

collusion
[kəˈlo͞oZHən]
NOUN

secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others.

synonyms:
conspiracy · connivance · complicity · intrigue · plotting · secret understanding · collaboration · scheming

law
illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially between ostensible opponents in a lawsuit.

-------------------------

Is asking another country for help to hurt a political opponent illegal?
See: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-imposing-certain-sanctions-event-foreign-interference-united-states-election/

"any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of a foreign government, has acted with the intent or purpose of interfering in that election"

"to have directly or indirectly engaged in, sponsored, concealed, or otherwise been complicit in foreign interference in a United States election"

"the term “entity” means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization"

"the term “United States election” means any election for Federal office"

" the term “foreign interference,” with respect to an election, includes any covert, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful actions or attempted actions of a foreign government, or of any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of a foreign government, undertaken with the purpose or effect of influencing, undermining confidence in, or altering the result or reported result of, the election, or undermining public confidence in election processes or institutions"

Whatever you have to tell yourself, traitor.

Do you want elections to be decided because of direct foreign influence? Or do you want Americans to decide American elections?

Donald Trump as president issued that order making it illegal for anyone to petition a foreign government/entity to help win an election. If he's doing nothing wrong and all his actions were 'perfect' he would not have tried to cover it up.

I think we are seeing things very differently.

How important do you think fossil fuels are to modern society right now and over the last hundred years? Do you believe that they have been net negative or net positive influence on humanity in that time?

Free to own guns.
Free to say whatever you want, no matter how offensive, hateful, or wrong.
Free to sell products or run companies that literally kill other people.
Free to influence elections with your money.
But mow your fucking lawn or we'll eat you alive!

America, fuck yeah!