Another scumbag politician.

[ryoder 1,387]

Michigan GOP is now following the script from professional wrestling:

Rolling Stone: ‘He Kicked Me in My Balls.’ Fight at Michigan GOP Meeting Turns Physical: Report

[timski 80]

"Last year, WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the use of cluster bombs a 'war crime.' Now President Biden plans to send them to Ukraine. Stop the ceaseless escalation! It is time for peace," Kennedy wrote in a tweet.

"Biden was opposed to cluster bombs in 1982 as well, when he opposed their sale to Israel," Kennedy, who entered the White House race in April, added in a separate tweet. "What happened to his conscience?"

It's REAL simple guy, TWO completely different animals.  The above statement was found in a headline that bashed Biden for "leaking" info about our shortage of 155mm rounds. 

Dear politicians, if you've never walked a mile in issued combat boots, stick to what you know best...  

[Phil1111 911]

6 minutes ago, timski said:

....

Dear politicians, if you've never walked a mile in issued combat boots, stick to what you know best...  

You mean claim bone spurs and get a deferment?

[jakee 1,255]

5 hours ago, timski said:

"Last year, WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the use of cluster bombs a 'war crime.' Now President Biden plans to send them to Ukraine. Stop the ceaseless escalation! It is time for peace," Kennedy wrote in a tweet.

What the right wing media (and Russia friendly/conspiracy theorist media) is missing is that she said ‘potentially’ a war crime. Any conversation about Russian use of cluster bombs is clearly in the context of them indiscriminately targeting civilian, urban, residential, populated areas with them. That is what makes it a war crime. Using them against legitimate military targets (despite almost the entire rest of the world banning them) is not.

[Coreece 190]

1 hour ago, jakee said:

she said ‘potentially’ a war crime.

How is this potentially not  "potentially" different?

And don't give me any shit about russia friendly conspiracy media.  Haven't watched anything since mid 2020 or so.  In fact most of my news comes from here, so I'm truly ignorant. tho I heard a few things about pipelines and some other stuff that was blamed on russia. . .

Edited July 11, 2023 by Coreece

[jakee 1,255]

1 hour ago, Coreece said:

How is this potentially not  "potentially" different?

Tell me which bit of the rest of my post you didn’t understand and I’ll gladly explain it to you.

[wolfriverjoe 1,341]

5 hours ago, jakee said:

What the right wing media (and Russia friendly/conspiracy theorist media) is missing is that she said ‘potentially’ a war crime. Any conversation about Russian use of cluster bombs is clearly in the context of them indiscriminately targeting civilian, urban, residential, populated areas with them. That is what makes it a war crime. Using them against legitimate military targets (despite almost the entire rest of the world banning them) is not.

The biggest issue with cluster bombs is the duds. 
For those who aren't familiar with them, a cluster bomb is basically a big box holding a bunch of 'bomblets' (yes, little 'baby bombs'). It unloads the bomblets and they fall to the ground and explode. Because of all the overlapping explosions, some don't explode. They aren't 'broken', they just didn't go off when they were supposed to. They can go off when disturbed.

So someone can be walking through an area that was hit by a cluster bomb and accidentally detonate one of these duds. 

The Russians also include bomblets intentionally fused for delayed explosion. 10 to 30 minutes. This is intended to kill or injure people responding to the initial attack. 

Russia has been using cluster munitions on civilian targets. That's a war crime. The intentionally delayed munitions on a civilian target is a further war crime.

OTOH, Ukraine has NOT been targeting civilian areas. The dud rate is also significantly lower for newer cluster munitions used by Ukraine than the much older ones used by Russia (roughly 2% vs 8% from what I can find). 

While many countries have banned their use, that use alone is not a war crime.

[jakee 1,255]

5 hours ago, wolfriverjoe said:

The biggest issue with cluster bombs is the duds. 

Which is absolutely not a good thing. However, if/when the war is won Ukraine is already facing a staggeringly massive cleanup of Russian minefields, booby traps and unexploded munitions. The Khakovka dam sabotage alone has swept tens of thousands of Russian mines from somewhat known and bounded minefields to absolutely anywhere across half of southern Ukraine. 
 

While it’s never going to be good to add to that, the cost/benefit analysis of what weapons Ukraine uses against invading forces on their own soil is theirs to make, and not automatically a war crime.

Edited July 11, 2023 by jakee

[winsor 186]

Ukraine apparently uses the sub munitions singly, as delivered by drones.  Works like a champ on armored vehicles.

[billvon 2,400]

Meanwhile, Russians are booby-trapping the corpses of Russian soldiers, so when Ukranian forces come to take them away to be buried, they are killed by the resulting explosion.

[timski 80]

9 hours ago, wolfriverjoe said:

The biggest issue with cluster bombs is the duds. 
For those who aren't familiar with them, a cluster bomb is basically a big box holding a bunch of 'bomblets' (yes, little 'baby bombs'). It unloads the bomblets and they fall to the ground and explode. Because of all the overlapping explosions, some don't explode. They aren't 'broken', they just didn't go off when they were supposed to. They can go off when disturbed.

So someone can be walking through an area that was hit by a cluster bomb and accidentally detonate one of these duds. 

The Russians also include bomblets intentionally fused for delayed explosion. 10 to 30 minutes. This is intended to kill or injure people responding to the initial attack. 

Russia has been using cluster munitions on civilian targets. That's a war crime. The intentionally delayed munitions on a civilian target is a further war crime.

OTOH, Ukraine has NOT been targeting civilian areas. The dud rate is also significantly lower for newer cluster munitions used by Ukraine than the much older ones used by Russia (roughly 2% vs 8% from what I can find). 

While many countries have banned their use, that use alone is not a war crime.

AND, they will be using these weapons on THEIR own soil. Just like the use of land mines, RESPONSIBLE parties will insure to clean up the mess... Why is this so difficult for OVER paid "analysts to figure out. Never mind, they never walked a mile in issued boots.  

[timski 80]

4 hours ago, billvon said:

Meanwhile, Russians are booby-trapping the corpses of Russian soldiers, so when Ukranian forces come to take them away to be buried, they are killed by the resulting explosion.

Speaking from a little experience "in the field", boots on the ground are trained to check dead combatants FOR boobie traps. I would issue an order to BURN in place ALL dead Russians on the field of battle. A fitting end anyway. 

[Phil1111 911]

2 minutes ago, timski said:

AND, they will be using these weapons on THEIR own soil. Just like the use of land mines, RESPONSIBLE parties will insure to clean up the mess... Why is this so difficult for OVER paid "analysts to figure out. Never mind, they never walked a mile in issued boots.  

At least President Biden was able to see through the poor advice from the naysayers and overrule them.

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi folks,

There is an old saying about, 'He can do anything you want with the ball except autograph it.'

That alludes that he is a gifted athlete but too stupid to be able to write his name.

Here is my nomination for this 'prize':  Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) => refusing to denounce white supremacism as a racist ideology

Tuberville Claimed White Nationalists Aren’t Racists Enough Times That GOPers Had To Say Something (msn.com)

What a complete & total idiot.

Jerry Baumchen

[Phil1111 911]

2 hours ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi folks,

There is an old saying about, 'He can do anything you want with the ball except autograph it.'

That alludes that he is a gifted athlete but too stupid to be able to write his name.

Here is my nomination for this 'prize':  Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) => refusing to denounce white supremacism as a racist ideology

Tuberville Claimed White Nationalists Aren’t Racists Enough Times That GOPers Had To Say Something (msn.com)

What a complete & total idiot.

Jerry Baumchen

This is the same idiot that is holding up promotions in the Defense Department. 250 officers need their promotions cleared by the senate. The idiot has refused to advance them because the pentagon is paying for travel expenses associated with abortions or other reproductive care for service members.

[wolfriverjoe 1,341]

4 hours ago, Phil1111 said:

This is the same idiot that is holding up promotions in the Defense Department. 250 officers need their promotions cleared by the senate. The idiot has refused to advance them because the pentagon is paying for travel expenses associated with abortions or other reproductive care for service members.

Not just promotions. 

Appointments too.

One significant example is that the Marine Corps has no Commandant. For the first time ever, the former Commandant stepped down (as required) with no successor confirmed.

Tuberville's idiotic obstinance is seriously degrading the military's effectiveness. A growing number of important leadership positions (important enough to require Senate confirmation of nominees) are unfilled. They have 'acting' heads. Who are constrained in a variety of ways from properly performing the duties of the position.

So much for the Rs 'supporting the military'.

[JoeWeber 2,299]

1 hour ago, wolfriverjoe said:

Not just promotions. 

Appointments too.

One significant example is that the Marine Corps has no Commandant. For the first time ever, the former Commandant stepped down (as required) with no successor confirmed.

Tuberville's idiotic obstinance is seriously degrading the military's effectiveness. A growing number of important leadership positions (important enough to require Senate confirmation of nominees) are unfilled. They have 'acting' heads. Who are constrained in a variety of ways from properly performing the duties of the position.

So much for the Rs 'supporting the military'.

Hey, BIGUN, do you have Tubervilles back? Are you ready to switch to the party that supports the United States Military? You know, the party without every Republican Senator that hasn't yet condemned Tuberville? Or is the strength of the US military less important than abortion issues when you make your decisions?

 

[headoverheels 291]

No problem.  Acting officers can be and are appointed, and the structure goes on.   What is "funny" is that, by not giving the "advice and consent" wrt the nominees, the Senate is ceding their power, since the acting appointments will continue to ... act.

[ryoder 1,387]

4 hours ago, headoverheels said:

No problem.  Acting officers can be and are appointed, and the structure goes on.   What is "funny" is that, by not giving the "advice and consent" wrt the nominees, the Senate is ceding their power, since the acting appointments will continue to ... act.

That is what Justin King was arguing 3 days ago. I have been waiting for confirmation this is the case.

 

[Phil1111 911]

7 hours ago, JoeWeber said:

Hey, BIGUN, do you have Tubervilles back? Are you ready to switch to the party that supports the United States Military? You know, the party without every Republican Senator that hasn't yet condemned Tuberville? Or is the strength of the US military less important than abortion issues when you make your decisions?

 

BIGUN is a Realpolitik republican

[kallend 1,625]

1 hour ago, Phil1111 said:

BIGUN is a Realpolitik republican

I deny that there is any longer such a thing.

Anyone who votes GOP is, ipso facto, supporting Tuberville, MTG, etc. and the other loonies since they have the Speaker by the balls.

[Erroll 49]

2 hours ago, ryoder said:

I have been waiting for confirmation this is the case.

Just for my edification:

Tuberville is not the only senator on the committee. Do these confirmations need to be unanimous?

[SkyDekker 1,123]

3 minutes ago, Erroll said:

Just for my edification:

Tuberville is not the only senator on the committee. Do these confirmations need to be unanimous?

See:

"

Technically, the block isn’t a block. It’s more of a delay that forces extra votes for each nominee. So Schumer could get around Tuberville’s hold by filing cloture and cutting off debate on each nominee, which requires an extra procedural vote and more floor time. This is the case with virtually all of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees and most senior picks.

Tuberville himself has noted that he’s really just forcing the Senate to take roll call votes. So if the Pentagon is facing vacancies at its highest levels in the coming months as members of the Joint Chiefs retire — and their replacements face confirmation — Schumer could file cloture and schedule some one-by-one votes to avoid gaps at DoD.

The problem: Despite his argument, the Senate can’t realistically vote on each of the hundreds of general and flag officer promotions expected this year, or it would have time for nothing else.

Filing cloture on a military promotion is also a cave that Schumer would likely want to avoid, as it would allow Tuberville to claim validation that he isn’t truly blocking anyone’s confirmation despite the impracticality of holding votes on so many nominees. And it would have the effect of politicizing promotions, Punaro argued, normalizing delaying them for partisan gain.

“The minute we just do the first cloture for a military nomination, we have now turned military nominations into federal judges,” Punaro said. “We will never get it back. We will totally politicize the military.”"

 

From:

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/22/tuberville-pentagon-nominees-blockade-00098130

[JoeWeber 2,299]

2 hours ago, kallend said:

I deny that there is any longer such a thing.

Anyone who votes GOP is, ipso facto, supporting Tuberville, MTG, etc. and the other loonies since they have the Speaker by the balls.

Maybe you saying it will make a difference because my efforts have been fruitless.

[kallend 1,625]

8 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

Maybe you saying it will make a difference because my efforts have been fruitless.

You just need more Latin.