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Post by Fredo on Jan 4, 2016 10:17:01 GMT -5
Let's see how long it takes for the feds to trump up some reason to retake the place and "accidentally" burn it and it's occupants to the ground. They haven't sent the people a message in a while.
I say it goes at least 30 days but not more than 90 but I'll have to get my news from Owl Gore's internet because it's barely being covered by the tv guys.
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Post by Fredo on Jan 27, 2016 9:30:25 GMT -5
Well, I missed it by a little but, given the feds history in these cases, it's damn lucky they didn't murder them all. link
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Post by Smilin' Jack on Jan 30, 2016 12:15:12 GMT -5
A "traffic stop" my a$$. Apparently LaVoy Finicum reached into his jacket once too many times and LE took no chances.
There's a time and place to stand-up for your rights but I'm not sure that in the middle of a government ambush on some deserted stretch of road is the place to do it.
This incident has surely set the dominoes falling in many directions at once.
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Post by Fredo on Feb 11, 2016 9:06:13 GMT -5
Cliven Bundy arrested this morning in Oregon. "conspiracy to obstruct a federal officer" whatever that is and "weapons charges" despite the fact that he just got off of a commercial flight. It's like they're trying to make someone shoot at them.
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Post by Smilin' Jack on Feb 14, 2016 12:38:14 GMT -5
In the form of a question please.
This game is played by asking the right questions.
How apt that the game is called, jeopardy.
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Post by mrtxstar on Feb 17, 2016 11:51:30 GMT -5
The only 2A rights Trump cares about is his own. He does not care about anyone else retaining theirs. If you care about your 2A rights, you'll rue the day you voted for Trump.
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Post by Smilin' Jack on Feb 19, 2016 2:30:56 GMT -5
That seems like a harsh assessment. What brings you to say that?
Some concerns have crossed my mind too, except that I think any of the others would be far worse.
Anybody that knows Trump, has worked for/with him, has studied him, seems to come away respecting him.
His kids all seem well balanced. He's very generous with people when no one is looking.
He's an alpha-male and it's been a while since there's been one at center stage, hence some of the discomfort that people feel. Weasels like Jeb! aren't. Bush and some of the others belong with the women folk darning socks and pounding laundry with a rock.
Trump can be a bit rough around the edges at times. He's a blue-collar billionaire, and yet he's real.
He's smart and reads people very well. He understands the media better than they understand themselves.
And considering all the snakes that are attracted to politics as a career, you could do very much worse.
No one is perfect, but I think that he's the right person at the right time to alter the destiny of the Republic.
Much more of the present course presided over by the establishments on either side of the isle and there will be no coming back.
The nation's decline will gather more momentum and the influx of the third-world hordes will collapse the civil society altogether.
All IMO.
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Post by mrtxstar on Feb 19, 2016 16:09:00 GMT -5
That seems like a harsh assessment. What brings you to say that? Some concerns have crossed my mind too, except that I think any of the others would be far worse. At the risk of making this yet another Trump thread... I will explain myself. I'm not trying to be unfair to Trump. I've been observing him for a very long time as a potential POTUS candidate. At this point it seems he's had every opinion under the sun about every topic under the sun. I understand folks get older and wiser and thereby change their opinion, this isn't that. He's says he was against the Iraq war but theirs no proof of that position, the only tape that's been found reveals he was okay with the Iraq war. He says he's pro 2A but he supported Clinton's assault weapons legislation. He says he's pro-life but he insisted he was "very pro-choice" during a Larry King interview 17 years ago and in the last debate he said he now supports Planned Parenthood for "all the good things they do." What real pro-life person says such a thing? He is 69 years old. By this time you'd think he would be able to nail down a few opinions and stick to them. But as he has stated, he is able to changed to any thing he needs to change to. His favorite excuse for previous opinions is "I wasn't a politician then"... like that matters. Did it matter Obama wasn't a politician yet when he was hanging out with Bill Ayers? I've read his books. I believe I have a good sense of where he is coming from. I don't want him to have access to the nuclear football. Anybody that knows Trump, has worked for/with him, has studied him, seems to come away respecting him. I've studied him and I do not respect him. I know of more than a few folks that have read his book, "The Art of the Deal" and are not voting for him. The Media has already vetted this guy and turned up a ton a dirt on this guy. They are just keeping their powder dry until he secures the GOP nomination. Then they'll drag him through the briar patch and mud just to benefit there left leaning Dem compadre... be it Bernie or Hill. His kids all seem well balanced. He's very generous with people when no one is looking. He's an alpha-male and it's been a while since there's been one at center stage, hence some of the discomfort that people feel. Weasels like Jeb! aren't. Bush and some of the others belong with the women folk darning socks and pounding laundry with a rock. . I'm not voting for his kids so who cares if they "seem well balanced." I'm sure the other candidates have well balanced kids too... that don't get my vote nor should it get anyone's vote. If no one was looking, then how do we know how generous he is and again, what does it matter? Is buying the nomination the correct way to get it. Is that the standard? What does it matter that he is an "alpha-male"? Is that some sort of secret prerequisite that only alpha males know about? That's a sexist idea. Trump can be a bit rough around the edges at times. He's a blue-collar billionaire, and yet he's real. He's smart and reads people very well. He understands the media better than they understand themselves. Trump can be a down right jerk and often is when he does not get his way. He does a good job a pretending to be a benevolent and kind force in the world. He is no doubt highly intelligent and can read people very well. These are qualities the deftest grifter possess. And indeed he seems to have a great deal of the voters fooled. And considering all the snakes that are attracted to politics as a career, you could do very much worse. No one is perfect, but I think that he's the right person at the right time to alter the destiny of the Republic. Of all the GOP candidates still in the race, we can do no worse than the snake Trump. Lies and deception are his greatest gift. Changes his tune to whatever is politically convenient at the time. He's supported democrats and their causes far more than he has done the contrary. Given his chameleon-like past and despite his current bent as a psuedo-republican, it's only a matter of time before he turns left gain. Much more of the present course presided over by the establishments on either side of the isle and there will be no coming back. The nation's decline will gather more momentum and the influx of the third-world hordes will collapse the civil society altogether. All IMO. This is not an argument that only favors Trump. I agree with you that the establishment on either side of the isle winning the next election for POTUS will doom this country... no coming back. It's that important to get this one right. We have more than one choice that is not establishment. Trump is not the right choice, IMO.
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Post by Smilin' Jack on Feb 21, 2016 0:20:02 GMT -5
Thank you for taking the time to respond in some detail. I appreciate it.
I haven't followed Trump for as long or as closely as you have. My comments were a quick summary from my view at 30,000 feet, touching on my overall impressions of his temperament, character, skills, judgement, personality, etc.
And as I said, I still do have concerns. Those will play out as the campaign unfolds and be judged on their merits.
My bottom line at this time is that the next POTUS has to be a leader with the stones to do what it takes to alter the current course of the nation. I think that you and I agree that without a hard course correction, judgement is on its way, if it's even avoidable at this point.
The political establishment has presented 'we the people' with the no-win scenario. It's a classic Kobayashi Maru test. The solution, change the rules.
Trump, changes the rules. Just imagine the campaign without his being in it.
Qualities such as being an alpha-male (sexist?, you betcha, just as the Creator intended it), encompass a lot of characteristics that IMO, the next POTUS MUST have to be successful against the relentless onslaught that he'll be subjected to from both sides of the isle and beyond (e'g' CoC, big labor, etc., etc.).
It will be withering.
Only a bull has the determination to stare them down and the stamina to prevail. So the fact that he can play hard-ball or be a jerk, as you put it, is a plus to me. Yet even that assessment is entirely dependent on your point of view, especially if you're one that got stared down, which is why I look for cues to his character from those closest to him.
If this is the last chance to turn things around in a civil way (you know where things can go from here), then I'm looking for a candidate that looks a lot like Trump.
One can only choose from those that present themselves as candidates.
The need is for a turnaround artist. In business, these CEOs are a rare and extremely valued breed. Once their job is done, it's time to hand the wheel to someone more suited to the next phase, and a person like Cruz comes to mind. He'd keep the nation moving on that narrow path back to some notion of a Constitutional Republic.
Most of Trumps past positions on issues are mostly irrelevant to me since he wasn't running for office. Past policy pronouncements would predictably be in tune with the politicians he'd have to work with between elections. His business prospects would depend on it. That may sound a bit dismissive but it's really not. It's just that they're down on my list of importance.
So, given the stakes, the choice came down to Cruz or Trump. Between them though, Trump also has the 'IT' factor over Cruz.
Only time will tell if I'll be given pause to reconsider and I can only hope that you'll keep an open mind too and find a good reason to get out and vote when the day comes.
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Post by mrtxstar on Feb 21, 2016 11:58:59 GMT -5
Jack, it saddens me when I read your post that a red blooded patriot such as yourself has fallen for Trump's snake poison lies. Like you have already said, he is really good at reading people. He knows what people want to hear so he says it... not that that has anything to do with what he personally believes. He is all about one thing... Donald J. Trump. He will do whatever is necessary to behoove himself. He's decided the acquisition of power is what he wants and intelligent enough to diagnosis the anti-Obama sentiment that is raging wild in this country is a path to the presidency. But what does he stand for? He's good at telling you what you want to hear but don't make the mistake of attributing that as anything he personally subscribes to. He only wants the power and once he gets it, he will be free to do as he pleases as long as the American people let him. Obama has already proven the American citizenry will tolerate an insanely amount of extraconstitutional activity from their president. I encourage you to rethink your partiality for that particular candidate. Cruz and Rubio have a far more convincing back story that screams of genuine intent of country first sincerity. The video I provide is worth the time to watch... 11 minutes.
And here is the story of Marco Rubio... also compelling
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Post by Smilin' Jack on Feb 21, 2016 14:26:48 GMT -5
Don't be sad.
I'm wide awake and have been for some time. I don't get my opinions handed to me by the media or anyone else.
Rubio is dead to me. He's the latest establishment meat puppet put forth to split the GOP vote. And he sweats too much. He has and will do what he is told to do. Not interested in him in the least.
Cruz has many good qualities. He's a constitutional conservative, reasonably principled (some of his campaign's tactics have raised an eyebrow). No sure what to make of it yet. We'll see if a pattern forms.
I generally have a bias against Senators for POTUS. Being in the senate is more about debating than it is deciding. Different skill set needed for POTUS. The senate also makes it hard to be a loner and get anything done. Cruz has proven that he can champion a cause but he has to bring enough people with him to make headway.
The establishment would love to destroy him as he's a pain in their backside.
And IMO, he doesn't have the personality to lock horns with the establishment and prevail. Fight, yes, but win?
He's dependent on other people's money for his political aspirations, and what unsettles me more is that his wife has worked for JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, and most recently, Goldman Sachs. She was part of W's administration and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
All just a little too globalist for me.
There's also Beck's weirdness with the Cruz campaign. The guy seems to have lost it. Don't quite know what to make of that yet either.
These things only give me pause to wonder what influences might be brought to bear on Ted and what compromises he might make on the road to WH.
It's still early in the process but these questions and issues are what's on my radar.
For now, I'll stick with Trump, complete with all the warts and that squirrel's nest on his head.
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Post by mrtxstar on Feb 21, 2016 16:34:48 GMT -5
Hey Jack, try this piece of work into consideration... Robert Reich is a hardcore progressive snake. This convinces me even more that I'm on the right course with Cruz.
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Post by Smilin' Jack on Feb 21, 2016 21:42:43 GMT -5
Not possible to work this sick puppy in. This idiot is a total lunatic. Always has been.
And he's short... er, small... dwarf... ah.. elf... gnome... hobbit... a mental midget. That's it, right there.
It was good for a laugh though. Thanks.
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Post by mrtxstar on Feb 21, 2016 23:17:57 GMT -5
I'm so befuddled by my fellow conservative countrymen that support Trump. I was talking with my friend April that also supports Cruz, earlier today about this very thing. She shared a short conversation she had with a Trump supporter with me. So I thought I'd share it with you...
April: I was just hit by a bolt of lightning. I keep trying to get Trump people who show an inclination to talk, instead of just hating, to ask them to explain their positions to me. I asked a gentleman tonight why he didn't like Cruz, specifically I asked what he found objectionable about a man who based his every position on the Constitution. In his response, I found truth. Glenn Beck warned about this years ago. When things get really bad, people start screaming for someone to save them - usually government. But when government is the oppressor, the cause of the problems, in their desperation they seek a savior. Here is what the gentleman said:
April right now I don't care about the Constitution, I want Trump to do the same thing Obama did only for the good of the right, if he has to give executive orders then good for him. Democrats always fight dirty and we always have to fight fair and I am sick of it. I don't like Cruz as he sounds like Jim Baker, he loses big time and he gets up there and acts like he won.
April: My friends, this man is voluntarily throwing away his Constitutional rights and voting for a man he not only believes, but HOPES, will break all the rules, throw aside the law, and make everything happen by magic. It is much worse than we feared.
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Post by Smilin' Jack on Feb 22, 2016 10:44:01 GMT -5
Please don't despair. One person's opinion on a superficial reading of it may sound a bit crazy but in my experience, if one had a deeper conversation with them about it (presuming that they themselves could articulate it) might get to the real reasons for the apparently outrageous comments. Considering that the nation is in mortal peril from enemies both foreign and domestic, it's not surprising really that some people might sound almost paniced. Some feel it and probably don't even know why, exactly. Cut your fellow citizens a bit of slack. Consider this: The Tea Party was just the Warmup Act Warmup Link
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