Things that annoy me (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter Combat
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Desertkiwi
1st Lieutenant
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Definitely a 'show' of sorts, deliberately staged. The look on the face of the Ukraine's ambassador said it all. The war is a diplomatic failure on so many levels and should never have occurred. Total waste of life and wealth. At least the big 'T' is trying to end it, unlike the last mob and the rest of NATO.....
Panzer ace
Colonel
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I have been away from the house in California for a full month before with only the refrigerator and alarm using power.
The bill was still close to $250, with just about $200 of that being miscellaneous “fees”.
Meanwhile in the middle of the summer in Texas I can run the air conditioning 24/7 for a month for about $150 a month.
Terp152
Major
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And then there are those "fees" on phone bills used to pay for "free" phones the gov't gives out.
tdubel
Major
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What annoys me. Foreign leaders who kick gift horses in the mouth. Riddle me this - USA cuts off Ukraine. What happens? End this crap already. This war serves no purpose, there is no winner, only losers - the US cash balance and more importantly human life loss.
As I have posted many times in the past, the most unfortunate part of this part of the world is the leaders in Russia and the former Soviet countries. It is a constant mystery as to who is friend, who is foe and who is a tyrant. One is easy to identify - Putin. I have always argued the rest are shrouded. As seemingly continues to get proven again and again, there are no "Knights".
TD
As I have posted many times in the past, the most unfortunate part of this part of the world is the leaders in Russia and the former Soviet countries. It is a constant mystery as to who is friend, who is foe and who is a tyrant. One is easy to identify - Putin. I have always argued the rest are shrouded. As seemingly continues to get proven again and again, there are no "Knights".
TD
Panzer ace
Colonel
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Tom:
Great post that sums up exactly how I feel.
Ukraine has fought admirably and they have mitigated the Russian advance with massive help from the US. Time for them to cut their loses and call it a victory considering Putin could eventually take over the country given enough time.
And you are so right about the former Soviet Bloc countries. Putin is clearly the ultimate evil in all of this but there are so many others who are similar.
-Jason
Buster
Command Sergeant Major
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Well said TD. Someone once described Russia/Soviet Union as a big old gas station ... with nuclear weapons. Let's get the U.S. pumping enough oil, gas and LNG to supply all the energy needs of the U.S. and that of all of our allies, thus depriving Russia and Iran the funds that fuels their expansionism and terrorist aggressions.
B.
Combat
Brigadier General
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I agree. And, of course, Europe could bankroll an endless war if they want it to continue as their leaders have recently suggested. The US has wasted countless trillions over the last 70 years on these regional conflicts with almost nothing to show for it except millions of deaths. The US politicians have never seen a war they didn't like because it allows them to allocate billions to their political supporters who keep them in office. It's actually time to consider pulling our bases in many areas of the world or letting those that we defend pay us for them. The US pays many places for this privilege. Incredible stupidity with a $38 trillion and count deficit.
Combat
Brigadier General
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Internet news headlines that make reference to a specific video but then do not provide a link to the video in the story. Often displaying an entirely unrelated video. I suppose this is some gimmick to get you to click on the link but it is maddening.
Combat
Brigadier General
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The return of disgraced NY Governor Andrew Cuomo to politics. Is there no getting rid of these lifelong politicians? His incompetence was responsible for countless COVID deaths in NY by forcing nursing home to accept people with COVID and then covering up the consequences.
Combat
Brigadier General
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More government shutdown hysteria is coming in the next couple of weeks. Congress fails to ever pass a budget ahead of the deadline. The media goes into fearmongering as the deadline approaches. At the last minute, every member of Congress will dump their pet pork spending into the budget. No one will have time to even read it (the intent to do this at the last minute). It will pass to avert the dreaded "shutdown." Billions will be added to the growing deficit. Repeat again in another six months or so.
Combat
Brigadier General
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My state of the union report card after a month (granted it's still early and there is hope for improvement):
Immigration = D- (not only no mass deportations but apparently a complete bust and not a priority despite the campaign rhetoric. I didn't give it an F only because Noem looked great in her tactical assault costume that she apparently had to return to Spirit of Halloween after the photo shoot).
Inflation = F-. (tariffs have only made a terrible situation worse and again it doesn't seem like a priority in this administration despite being the number one issue).
Foreign Policy = B. Some long overdue tough love for Europe and Ukraine. The US has paid the bills for too long.
Economy = D. Tanking stock market, trade deficit growing with no end in sight, inflation, unemployment.
DOGE = F-. Chaos, confusion, idiocy not resulting in any meaningful cost cuts.
Immigration = D- (not only no mass deportations but apparently a complete bust and not a priority despite the campaign rhetoric. I didn't give it an F only because Noem looked great in her tactical assault costume that she apparently had to return to Spirit of Halloween after the photo shoot).
Inflation = F-. (tariffs have only made a terrible situation worse and again it doesn't seem like a priority in this administration despite being the number one issue).
Foreign Policy = B. Some long overdue tough love for Europe and Ukraine. The US has paid the bills for too long.
Economy = D. Tanking stock market, trade deficit growing with no end in sight, inflation, unemployment.
DOGE = F-. Chaos, confusion, idiocy not resulting in any meaningful cost cuts.
Terp152
Major
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I give the administration an A+ considering what the alternative would have been.
Terp152
Major
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On the occasions where the gov't "shut down" did anyone notice? Social security checks still went out and the military was not affected. Some gov't workers didn't report to duty but of course they were later paid for the time off. About the only thing I remember was Obama closed and barricaded the WWII memorial and trying to block veterans from visiting.
theBaron
Major
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What do any of you expect in 6 six weeks? An end to inflation? It'll take at least 6 months but more likely a year for new policies' effect to be felt.
Illegal immigration-did anyone expect millions of people to be rounded up and shipped out of the country in 6 weeks?
On any other issue? Even reducing the deep state-the audits have revealed serious corruption and waste in a system that has grown over decades. Considering that it could take decades to dismantle that system, and to undo the abuses of decades, I think the results so far are pretty impressive.
Illegal immigration-did anyone expect millions of people to be rounded up and shipped out of the country in 6 weeks?
On any other issue? Even reducing the deep state-the audits have revealed serious corruption and waste in a system that has grown over decades. Considering that it could take decades to dismantle that system, and to undo the abuses of decades, I think the results so far are pretty impressive.
theBaron
Major
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A deeper problem that needs to be resolved, but is not likely to be, is the use of executive orders to implement policies that really should be implemented through legislation. I don't care who is in the Oval Office-it's a bad idea.
But Congress has increasingly abdicated its role and responsibility, for a number of reasons. One is that generally, they lack the moral courage to stand up for policies they believe in when they legislate. A two-year term means that a representative is running for re-election almost from the time he takes office.
Another is that they profit from the administrative state, through lobbying and influence-peddling, whether overt or subtle. The federal government is so large, penetrates into so many aspects of our lives, and handles so much money. So they have little incentive to take back their constitutional role.
Executive orders really only mean that the policies they implement are in place until a president comes along who disagrees with them and writes his own to undo them.
It is not the way the republic was meant to operate.
Prost!
Brad
But Congress has increasingly abdicated its role and responsibility, for a number of reasons. One is that generally, they lack the moral courage to stand up for policies they believe in when they legislate. A two-year term means that a representative is running for re-election almost from the time he takes office.
Another is that they profit from the administrative state, through lobbying and influence-peddling, whether overt or subtle. The federal government is so large, penetrates into so many aspects of our lives, and handles so much money. So they have little incentive to take back their constitutional role.
Executive orders really only mean that the policies they implement are in place until a president comes along who disagrees with them and writes his own to undo them.
It is not the way the republic was meant to operate.
Prost!
Brad
Warrior
Lieutenant General
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Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?
It took years for us to get where we are; it will take years to fix it.
I'd be thrilled if after 4 years, we've got a balanced budget/aren't slipping further and further into debt.
Warrior
Lieutenant General
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I keep telling myself this; the reckless spending would have been on steroids, DEI/Woke/Identity politics would continue and the green new deal would be rammed further down our throats, not to mention how weak we'd be on the world stage.
We'd be screwed.
Buster
Command Sergeant Major
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Looks like something one would see on the "opinion" page of the Washington Post, Boston Globe or NYT ... except of course the "B"!
B.