It's Politics

[abbey1227]

Jan 11, 2022 18:36:16 GMT merh said:

Jan 11, 2022 16:44:53 GMT abbey1227 said:

It's possible to have relations/do business with others..........without employing the services of a middleman/pimp

Though most of these diplomats are more like whores, imo

Benjamin Franklin & Thomas Jefferson?

Benjamin Franklin FRS FRSA FRSE (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1706] – April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher. Among the leading intellectuals of his time, Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, a drafter and signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the first United States postmaster general. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia's first fire department, and the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin earned the title of "The First American" for his early and indefatigable campaigning for colonial unity, initially as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies. As the first United States ambassador to France, he exemplified the emerging American nation

During the American Revolution, Jefferson represented Virginia in the Continental Congress that adopted the Declaration of Independence. As a Virginia legislator, he drafted a state law for religious freedom. He served as the second Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781, during the American Revolutionary War. In 1785, Jefferson was appointed the United States Minister to France, and subsequently, the nation's first Secretary of State under President George Washington from 1790 to 1793

Or is it just Hillary you hate?

it's MODERN DAY US Govt, merh

Franklin and Company set up a wonderful Republic..........the scum bags today simply ruined it.

And we've got phones and satellites now. WTH do we need diplomats all over the place for anyway? How's their track record at keeping the US out of conflicts been?

[merh]

Jan 11, 2022 18:44:27 GMT abbey1227 said:

Jan 11, 2022 18:36:16 GMT merh said:

Benjamin Franklin & Thomas Jefferson?

Or is it just Hillary you hate?

it's MODERN DAY US Govt, merh

Franklin and Company set up a wonderful Republic..........the scum bags today simply ruined it.

And we've got phones and satellites now. WTH do we need diplomats all over the place for anyway? How's their track record at keeping the US out of conflicts been?

Embassies do stuff for our citizens in other countries.

United States law requires that prospective renunciants appear in person before a consular officer at a US embassy or consulate outside the United States and sign an oath or affirmation that the individual intends to renounce US citizenship

Apparently there's a backlog because of Covid

According to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which establishes the framework of diplomacy among sovereign states:

The functions of a diplomatic mission consist, inter alia, in representing the sending State in the receiving State; protecting in the receiving State the interests of the sending State and of its nationals, within the limits permitted by international law; negotiating with the Government of the receiving State; ascertaining by all lawful means conditions and developments in the receiving State, and reporting thereon to the Government of the sending State; promoting friendly relations between the sending State and the receiving State, and developing their economic, cultural and scientific relations.

[merh]

[abbey1227]

Jan 11, 2022 20:01:27 GMT merh said:

Embassies do stuff for our citizens in other countries.

United States law requires that prospective renunciants appear in person before a consular officer at a US embassy or consulate outside the United States and sign an oath or affirmation that the individual intends to renounce US citizenship

Apparently there's a backlog because of Covid

According to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which establishes the framework of diplomacy among sovereign states:

Yeah, it's long past time to inform people they'd better look after themselves better when traveling.

Yep. The Govt has clearly dropped the ball for a very long time now. From the get go. And I do not expect improvements.

Wow, so now you wanna be like the 60s again when everything was so wonderful?  (See what I did there?)

[abbey1227]

Jan 12, 2022 2:50:46 GMT merh said:

pretty sure he coached a Dodgeball team, too

[merh]

[abbey1227]

Jan 13, 2022 2:53:10 GMT merh said:

What difference does it make?

[merh]

Jan 13, 2022 3:20:34 GMT abbey1227 said:

Jan 13, 2022 2:53:10 GMT merh said:

What difference does it make?

Wasn't it true?

That really was so fucking stupid.

At the time of the hearings & her testifying for 11 hours when Jim Jordan & Kevin McCarthy can't testify for the January 6th hearings.

There were 14 fucking hearings into Benghazi 
Witch hunt anyone?

But her comment in context

The right wing, which has been trying to push a Benghazi "scandal" since before Mitt Romney blew the 2012 election, has concentrated on one phrase Hillary Clinton said during her five-hour congressional testimony. And it's a phrase they are sure to pound into the ground between now and 2016. Hostilely questioned by Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, who was desperately trying to nail Secretary Clinton to the wall, the once-and-possible-future presidential candidate was putting events in perspective. As with any developing story, events are fluid, and information comes out slowly, and it was reasonable to believe that protests in reaction to a video sparked the tragedy that led to the deaths of four Americans.

And that's because, just hours earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo was set on fire by militant Islamists offended by the video. Johnson kept badgering Clinton with leading questions, desperately trying to get her to acknowledge that there was no such protest in Benghazi and thus the video had nothing to do with the consulate attack there. The Secretary believed that, at that point, it was more important to focus on who was responsible and to bring them to justice and to take steps to protect our embassies and consultes, rather than to obsess about a video. Here is the transcript from the January 23, 2013 hearing:

Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Madam Secretary. I'd like to join my colleagues in thanking you for your service sincerely, and also appreciate the fact that you're here testifying and glad that you're looking in good health.

Clinton: Thank you.

Johnson: Were you fully aware in real time -- and again, I realize how big your job is and everything is erupting in the Middle East at this time -- were you fully aware of these 20 incidents that were reported in the ARB[State Department Accountability Review Board] in real time?

Clinton: I was aware of the ones that were brought to my attention. They were part of our ongoing discussion about the deteriorating threat environment in eastern Libya. We certainly were very conscious of them. I was assured by our security professionals that repairs were under way, additional security upgrades had taken place.

Johnson: Thank you. Did you see personally the cable on -- I believe it was August 12th -- specifically asking for, basically, reinforcements for the security detail that was going to be evacuating or leaving in August? Did you see that personally?

Clinton: No, sir.

Johnson: OK. When you read the ARB, it strikes me as how certain the people were that the attacks started at 9:40 Benghazi time. When was the first time you spoke to -- or have you ever spoken to -- the returnees, the evacuees? Did you personally speak to those folks?

Clinton: I've spoken to one of them, but I waited until after the ARB had done its investigation because I did not want there to be anybody raising any issue that I had spoken to anyone before the ARB conducted its investigation.

Johnson: How many people were evacuated from Libya?

Clinton: Well, the numbers are a little bit hard to pin down because of our other friends -
Johnson: Approximately?

Clinton: Approximately, 25 to 30.

Johnson: Did anybody in the State Department talk to those folks very shortly afterwards?

Clinton: There was discussion going on afterwards, but once the investigation started, the FBI spoke to them before we spoke to them, and so other than our people in Tripoli -- which, I think you're talking about Washington, right?

Johnson: The point I'm making is, a very simple phone call to these individuals, I think, would've ascertained immediately that there was no protest prior to this. This attack started at 9:40 p.m. Benghazi time and it was an assault. I appreciate the fact that you called it an assault. But I'm going back to then-Ambassador [Susan] Rice five days later going on the Sunday shows and, what I would say, is purposefully misleading the American public. Why wasn't that known? And again, I appreciate the fact that the transparency of this hearing, but why weren't we transparent to that point in time?

Clinton: Well, first of all, Senator, I would say that once the assault happened, and once we got our people rescued and out, our most immediate concern was, number one, taking care of their injuries. As I said, I still have a DS [Diplomatic Security] agent at Walter Reed seriously injured -- getting them into Frankfurt, Ramstein to get taken care of, the FBI going over immediately to start talking to them. We did not think it was appropriate for us to talk to them before the FBI conducted their interviews. And we did not -- I think this is accurate, sir -- I certainly did not know of any reports that contradicted the IC [Intelligence Community] talking points at the time that Ambassador Rice went on the TV shows. And you know I just want to say that people have accused Ambassador Rice and the administration of misleading Americans. I can say trying to be in the middle of this and understanding what was going on, nothing could be further from the truth. Was information developing? Was the situation fluid? Would we reach conclusions later that weren't reached initially? And I appreciate the -

Johnson: But, Madame Secretary, do you disagree with me that a simple phone call to those evacuees to determine what happened wouldn't have ascertained immediately that there was no protest? That was a piece of information that could have been easily, easily obtained?

Clinton: But, Senator, again--

Johnson: Within hours, if not days?

Clinton: Senator, you know, when you're in these positions, the last thing you want to do is interfere with any other process going on, number one--

Johnson: I realize that's a good excuse.

Clinton: Well, no, it's the fact. Number two, I would recommend highly you read both what the ARB said about it and the classified ARB because, even today, there are questions being raised. Now, we have no doubt they were terrorists, they were militants, they attacked us, they killed our people. But what was going on and why they were doing what they were doing is still unknown -

Johnson: No, again, we were misled that there were supposedly protests and that something sprang out of that -- an assault sprang out of that -- and that was easily ascertained that that was not the fact, and the American people could have known that within days and they didn't know that.

Clinton: With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they'd they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator. Now, honestly, I will do my best to answer your questions about this, but the fact is that people were trying in real time to get to the best information. The IC has a process, I understand, going with the other committees to explain how these talking points came out. But you know, to be clear, it is, from my perspective, less important today looking backwards as to why these militants decided they did it than to find them and bring them to justice, and then maybe we'll figure out what was going on in the meantime.

Johnson: OK. Thank you, Madame Secretary.

Notice she said "at this point." In other words, we can do analysis later about whether it was a video sparking outrage or a planned attack by terrorists. And let's not forget she did say "we have no doubt they were terrorists." The priority was to understand what happened and to make sure this kind of tragedy could be prevented in the future. You will hear the phrase "what difference does it make" until it's coming out of your ears. And you will hear it with no context by those playing a devilish political game to try to prevent Democrats from retaining the White House

Was she wrong?
Did the fact it was started by a protest over a video or not matter considering the end point was 4 dead?

So fucking stupid on your side's part.
If one sees someone lying on the ground, do you try to solve the crime or first check to see if CPR will help?

[merh]

[abbey1227]

Jan 13, 2022 13:24:29 GMT merh said:

Wasn't it true?
That really was so fucking stupid.
At the time of the hearings & her testifying for 11 hours when Jim Jordan & Kevin McCarthy can't testify for the January 6th hearings.
There were 14 fucking hearings into Benghazi 
Witch hunt anyone?

But her comment in context

Was she wrong?
Did the fact it was started by a protest over a video or not matter considering the end point was 4 dead?

So fucking stupid on your side's part.
If one sees someone lying on the ground, do you try to solve the crime or first check to see if CPR will help?

I was against all that wasted time and money with all those faux-investigations.......... just like I was for Blowjob-Gate.

But your argument seems to be "Your side does it, so it's fine if we do, too"? 

I don't even hold Hillary all that responsible.........but the Federal Govt? Leaving people to be hung out to dry? And then everyone covering their asses after the fact?

That's so Govt it's every day typical.

It's why I yelled at my brother for volunteering to go over to the Middle East a few years back. I trusted him to be fine under his own decision making........but the Govt to protect him and keep him somewhat safe? Not a chance.

[merh]

Jan 13, 2022 14:00:27 GMT abbey1227 said:

Jan 13, 2022 13:24:29 GMT merh said:

Wasn't it true?
That really was so fucking stupid.
At the time of the hearings & her testifying for 11 hours when Jim Jordan & Kevin McCarthy can't testify for the January 6th hearings.
There were 14 fucking hearings into Benghazi 
Witch hunt anyone?

But her comment in context

Was she wrong?
Did the fact it was started by a protest over a video or not matter considering the end point was 4 dead?

So fucking stupid on your side's part.
If one sees someone lying on the ground, do you try to solve the crime or first check to see if CPR will help?

I was against all that wasted time and money with all those faux-investigations.......... just like I was for Blowjob-Gate.

But your argument seems to be "Your side does it, so it's fine if we do, too"? 

I don't even hold Hillary all that responsible.........but the Federal Govt? Leaving people to be hung out to dry? And then everyone covering their asses after the fact?

That's so Govt it's every day typical.

It's why I yelled at my brother for volunteering to go over to the Middle East a few years back. I trusted him to be fine under his own decision making........but the Govt to protect him and keep him somewhat safe? Not a chance.

Deep in my heart I feel like it came down to politics.
Republicans were opposing Obama to oppose Obama.

There was that whole boots on the ground thing so would sending a squad in to save the embassy have been yet a different mess? A "you said no troops!!!"

I think they were fucked.
The Ambassador was helping some CIA thing. 
The damned CIA should have got him out.

[abbey1227]

Jan 14, 2022 1:32:03 GMT merh said:

Jan 13, 2022 14:00:27 GMT abbey1227 said:

I was against all that wasted time and money with all those faux-investigations.......... just like I was for Blowjob-Gate.

But your argument seems to be "Your side does it, so it's fine if we do, too"? 

I don't even hold Hillary all that responsible.........but the Federal Govt? Leaving people to be hung out to dry? And then everyone covering their asses after the fact?

That's so Govt it's every day typical.

It's why I yelled at my brother for volunteering to go over to the Middle East a few years back. I trusted him to be fine under his own decision making........but the Govt to protect him and keep him somewhat safe? Not a chance.

Deep in my heart I feel like it came down to politics.
Republicans were opposing Obama to oppose Obama.

There was that whole boots on the ground thing so would sending a squad in to save the embassy have been yet a different mess? A "you said no troops!!!"

I think they were fucked.
The Ambassador was helping some CIA thing. 
The damned CIA should have got him out.

You must have not bothered reading or watching a thing on that situation? 13 Hours?

They left those people to die to cover up their other operations in the area. The orders came from above. We keep seeing this behavior lately. The Establishment is the problem.

[merh]

Jan 14, 2022 3:37:56 GMT abbey1227 said:

Jan 14, 2022 1:32:03 GMT merh said:

Deep in my heart I feel like it came down to politics.
Republicans were opposing Obama to oppose Obama.

There was that whole boots on the ground thing so would sending a squad in to save the embassy have been yet a different mess? A "you said no troops!!!"

I think they were fucked.
The Ambassador was helping some CIA thing. 
The damned CIA should have got him out.

You must have not bothered reading or watching a thing on that situation? 13 Hours?

They left those people to die to cover up their other operations in the area. The orders came from above. We keep seeing this behavior lately. The Establishment is the problem.

13 Hours.
A Michael Bay film?

Historical accuracy 
The film's historical accuracy has been disputed. In the film's most controversial scene, the CIA chief in Benghazi (identified only as "Bob") tells the military contractors there when they seek permission to go defend the embassy to "stand down" and thus denies them permission. The real-life CIA chief stated that there was no stand-down order, but multiple sources who were willing to identify themselves have refuted the still-unnamed CIA chief.[57] However, no help was sent even though officials at the highest levels had found out about the attack within the first few hours out of the 13. Also, the National Review commentator David French argues that the Senate committee cited above found plenty of evidence of the "stand down" order in the form of personal testimony from multiple witnesses but chose to rule that the contrary testimony outweighed it.

Kris "Tanto" Paronto, a CIA contractor who was involved in action during the event, said, "We were told to 'stand down'. Those words were used verbatim—100 percent. If the truth of it affects someone's political career? Well, I'm sorry. It happens." The CIA base chief portrayed in the film has directly contradicted Paronto's claims, saying "There never was a stand-down order.... At no time did I ever second-guess that the team would depart."

Also disputed is the film's portrayal that air support was denied. A House Armed Services Committee report found that air support was unavailable or that it would have arrived too late to make a difference.

Dude, there was so much back & forth...its one of those things where the truth won't be known for years.

Just like I don't expect to know what happened while Trump was president until he's dead.

[abbey1227]

Jan 14, 2022 4:34:41 GMT merh said:

13 Hours.
A Michael Bay film?

Historical accuracy 
The film's historical accuracy has been disputed. In the film's most controversial scene, the CIA chief in Benghazi (identified only as "Bob") tells the military contractors there when they seek permission to go defend the embassy to "stand down" and thus denies them permission. The real-life CIA chief stated that there was no stand-down order, but multiple sources who were willing to identify themselves have refuted the still-unnamed CIA chief.[57] However, no help was sent even though officials at the highest levels had found out about the attack within the first few hours out of the 13. Also, the National Review commentator David French argues that the Senate committee cited above found plenty of evidence of the "stand down" order in the form of personal testimony from multiple witnesses but chose to rule that the contrary testimony outweighed it.

Also disputed is the film's portrayal that air support was denied. A House Armed Services Committee report found that air support was unavailable or that it would have arrived too late to make a difference.

Dude, there was so much back & forth...its one of those things where the truth won't be known for years.

Just like I don't expect to know what happened while Trump was president until he's dead.

Of course there's back and forth.......... people are trying to save their careers and advance in politics. But I'll take the word of the soldiers there on the ground over some puffed up suits who were never in any danger themselves. They left those people to die. And their BS excuse that air cover wasn't available? That's a bold faced lie. We've had military presence all over that region for decades.

Really? Just about every word and detail has been leaked already. What NEW stuff do you expect to discover? Maybe that he actually was pretty productive despite the claims of the lying MSM we have?

[merh]

ThePopularCrowd•3 days ago
Jeez, instead of blaming poverty she should have chosen wealthier parents. /s

Kaymish_•2 days ago
I'm sorry but it's hard, there's so many decisions to make at conception. We have to decide to be gay or straight or neither; male or female or other; need to pick the right race; the right parents; make sure not to take any genetic disease. It's too much to expect from a zygote.

BJeanGrey•2 days ago
Right!?!? It's about time newborns stop their whining, tighten up their bootstraps, and take some responsibility for their lives. /s

[abbey1227]

Jan 17, 2022 13:40:22 GMT merh said:

ThePopularCrowd•3 days ago
Jeez, instead of blaming poverty she should have chosen wealthier parents. /s

Kaymish_•2 days ago
I'm sorry but it's hard, there's so many decisions to make at conception. We have to decide to be gay or straight or neither; male or female or other; need to pick the right race; the right parents; make sure not to take any genetic disease. It's too much to expect from a zygote.

She'd better choose more carefully next time

And it's funny someone like kaymish even suggests all of those are choices.......but that's wokism these days for ya

[merh]

It's like they live in a different universe

[abbey1227]

Jan 17, 2022 22:53:57 GMT merh said:

It's like they live in a different universe

Nope, same planet............. just completely different views on life in general.

Are you saying you haven't heard of a single negative outcome from these vaccinations?

Now, I think the vast majority of people certainly won't die from getting the shot........but some people? it's bound to take a few out

With as many unhealthy, pre-existing condition and just plain statistical odds scenarios.......it's bound to happen.

[merh]

Jan 17, 2022 23:03:58 GMT abbey1227 said:

Jan 17, 2022 22:53:57 GMT merh said:

It's like they live in a different universe

Nope, same planet............. just completely different views on life in general.

Are you saying you haven't heard of a single negative outcome from these vaccinations?

Now, I think the vast majority of people certainly won't die from getting the shot........but some people? it's bound to take a few out

With as many unhealthy, pre-existing condition and just plain statistical odds scenarios.......it's bound to happen.

How many hearts you hear of crystalizing?

Did you know that wasn't Trump in Arizona?

[merh]

You like jokes, don't you?