President Biden's first term in office

[Lord Thesaurian]

That sucks but fortunately we can target al-Qaeda in Afghanistan without ever having to step foot in the country. Those drones have proven their worth from Iraq to Yemen.

The level of capability isn’t remotely equivalent and US counterterrorism efforts in the country have been assessed as extremely difficult going forward due to withdrawal.

How many of those allies require constant billions if not trillions of dollars in order to function while American troops have to be stationed there to prevent their governments from falling to rebel groups?

I eagerly await your answer.

The best example would probably be the Iraqi military, which the US continues to train and equip. Billions have been spent, often called a waste due to loss and corruption, especially when the army was hit hard by ISIL and couldn’t stand on its own. Yet US forces will remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future to support the government and army, maintaining regional counterterrorism capabilities, which is why we shouldn’t be withdrawing from Afghanistan either.

So the Afghan Army even with US support are struggling to take on the Taliban. Thanks for proving my point further that continuing to support the Afghan Army is useless.

Thanks for doubling down on that non sequitur, contradicting the cited recommendations.

[Prodromos]

Speaking of the military..

Vice President Kamala Harris under fire for 'disrespectful' tweet

Vice President Kamala Harris came under fire Saturday for tweeting about Memorial Day, but without mentioning the significance of the weekend.

"Enjoy the long weekend," Harris wrote, above a candid photo of herself smiling.

Social media users condemned Harris’ lack of tact reminding the vice president of the sacrifices the "long weekend" is meant to honor.

"Don't forget why we have a long weekend," Tony Lederer wrote in a tweet paired with a picture of the Vietnam Memorial.

"It is Memorial Day weekend - [not] for enjoying - but for memorializing our fallen," wrote another. "Our brothers and sisters, who 'gave the last full measure of devotion. Please try to respect that."

The tweet was shared with an image of a woman lying on a blanket in front of a tombstone at the Arlington National Cemetery with an infant.

[swabian]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/27/b...iden-plan.html

So, Biden plans to drastically raise the taxes for a social reform plan that intends to scratch together no less than 6 trillion USD. I am of course aware that tax raises do not at all necessarily raise the inflation rates. But is this a sound plan under the current circumstances? Inflation is coming closer and closer. According to the FED, it is already at 4.2%, thus has more than doubled in the last six months. The plan only affects people above an annually income of 400k, of which there are apparently enough in the USA to finance the reforms proposed by the Biden administration. Good sounding reforms, don't get me wrong. But this is exactly the kind of 'hell' that I have expected to be risen by the Biden admin. Biden wants his chance to be noteworthy in the history books. It's not enough to be president, no, he has to be a total people pleaser at all costs.
Isn't this actually boiling down to drive back in all the corona-support - which has been solely produced by the FED's dangerous dollar supply multiplication - by raising taxes? Well, again: as far as I know, this only affects people with 400k+ income. Still, I don't see any healthy self-awarness in this apparatus. Who is eventually taking responsibility? That old geezer?

[enoch]

^Biden tries to help everyone instead of just himself and his cronies, must be selfish

[conon394]

Speaking of the military..

Vice President Kamala Harris under fire for 'disrespectful' tweet

Yes just why we have tradition of wearing black on this day (not) but I can google a ton of memorial day sales page after page... I am sure everyone saving a Lowe's today is deeply concerned that their 20% off will stand as an enduring monument to the fallen. Common I was a hurry with son to hit the store last afternoon because I don't believe is shopping on real holidays particularity when I know unions are a broken thing in the US and nobody is getting the triple time my father or I did for doing such work back in the day. But in the time son and I came and went the guy handing out poppies for donations was not doing well. I got mine and my son but don't BS me and tell this is not just for most Americans just a day off if they are lucky enough to get it off .

[conon394]

The level of capability isn’t remotely equivalent and US counterterrorism efforts in the country have been assessed as extremely difficult going forward due to withdrawal.

The best example would probably be the Iraqi military, which the US continues to train and equip. Billions have been spent, often called a waste due to loss and corruption, especially when the army was hit hard by ISIL and couldn’t stand on its own. Yet US forces will remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future to support the government and army, maintaining regional counterterrorism capabilities, which is why we shouldn’t be withdrawing from Afghanistan either.

Thanks for doubling down on that non sequitur, contradicting the cited recommendations.

What is exactly the terrorism risk even if AQ reconstitutes and the Taliban win? Their one big splash is a dead end that is now more or less impossible to repeat. They have failed states all over the globe to operate in and additional failed regions. What great loss to the US is A-stan (I mean unless you what to inflict government change in Pakistan we not going to win). We are not going to suddenly find some combination of Jefferson, Demosthenes and Lincoln and Edmond Burk to run the country and seeing as everyone knows we are not really trying to stay forever but the Taliban are - everyone is just looking at their clock a betting on how soon we leave. I just hand out a sh-t ton of green cards for the last planes out and I see no problem

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Apropos Memorial Day and Poppies and all that public celebration...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Children's Crusade

Young men, soldiers, Nineteen Fourteen
Marching through countries they'd never seen
Virgins with rifles, a game of charades
All for a Children's Crusade

Pawns in the game are not victims of chance
Strewn on the fields of Belgium and France
Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed

The children of England would never be slaves
They're trapped on the wire and dying in waves
The flower of England face down in the mud
And stained in the blood of a whole generation


Corpulent generals safe behind lines
History's lessons drowned in red wine
Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed
All for a Children's Crusade

The children of England would never be slaves
They're trapped on the wire and dying in waves
The flower of England face down in the mud
And stained in the blood of a whole generation

Midnight in Soho, Nineteen Eighty-four
Fixing in doorways, opium slaves
Poppies for young men, such bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed
All for a Children's Crusade

by STING

[alhoon]

https://apnews.com/article/politics-...35375a0786e59a
The Gist: Biden is offering an alternative tax deal to Republicans: 15% minimum tax on corporations profits. That means that a company cannot reduce their taxes below 15% using deduction, credit etc. " the minimum tax would mostly hit firms such as electric utilities and telecoms that make substantial capital investments as well as companies that rely on paying their employees with stock."

This, finds me in agreement. It still allows companies to avoid a ton of taxes but, if structured correctly, it would make complete tax avoidance by corporations much harder.

[Exarch]

We are well past Biden's first 100 days and how was his administration done so far?

1) Economy is headed towards stagflation and/or hyperinflation with endless money printing.
2) Attempts to divide Russia and China have failed and in fact, evidence suggests Russian-Chinese co-ordination in attacking the US
3) Trumpists are rearing their ugly heads and threatening to further divide the US; Trump believes he will be reinstated by popular acclaim by August 2021 and i see no reason why that is not a remote possibility.
4) Spy scandal with Biden at the centre of spying on european leaders, negatively affecting ties with europe.
5) We are a few months before the eviction moratorium ends and with it, massive homelessness
6) The new religion of BLM has taken over Congress and the USG which Biden appears unable or unwilling to address; members of the american elite have already converted to this new religion.

If i had to grade Biden, i'd give him a solid C with A being PRC level statesmanship and F being 1990s Somalia.
I give him a 'C' because the country is not on fire...yet.

[enoch]

We are well past Biden's first 100 days and how was his administration done so far?

1) Economy is headed towards stagflation and/or hyperinflation with endless money printing.
2) Attempts to divide Russia and China have failed and in fact, evidence suggests Russian-Chinese co-ordination in attacking the US
3) Trumpists are rearing their ugly heads and threatening to further divide the US; Trump believes he will be reinstated by popular acclaim by August 2021 and i see no reason why that is not a remote possibility.
4) Spy scandal with Biden at the centre of spying on european leaders, negatively affecting ties with europe.
5) We are a few months before the eviction moratorium ends and with it, massive homelessness
6) The new religion of BLM has taken over Congress and the USG which Biden appears unable or unwilling to address; members of the american elite have already converted to this new religion.

If i had to grade Biden, i'd give him a solid C with A being PRC level statesmanship and F being 1990s Somalia.
I give him a 'C' because the country is not on fire...yet.

Please provide a source for all 6 of these sillinesses so one can respond properly. If you are able.

[Exarch]

Hyperinflation is coming:

Economists sound first warning bells on inflation

Source:
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/e...0210602-p57xdo

Biden is in a difficult position, he can't stop QE otherwise the economy will tank and if he continues QE, the USD will inflate> hyperinflation.

[B. W.]

Hyperinflation is coming:



Source:
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/e...0210602-p57xdo

Biden is in a difficult position, he can't stop QE otherwise the economy will tank and if he continues QE, the USD will inflate> hyperinflation.

He created the situation with his policies. Undermining US energy independence is perhaps the biggest domestic blinder in the history of the country.

[Cope]

He created the situation with his policies. Undermining US energy independence is perhaps the biggest domestic blinder in the history of the country.

Biden pulled the permit for Keystone XL (supposedly to address the climate "emergency") but then waived sanctions on Nord Stream 2.

[Lord Thesaurian]

Biden pulled the permit for Keystone XL (supposedly to address the climate "emergency") but then waived sanctions on Nord Stream 2.

And that’s before considering the environmental impact and spill risk of pipelines vs the alternative (truck and rail). It’s all theatrics.

[Exarch]

He created the situation with his policies. Undermining US energy independence is perhaps the biggest domestic blinder in the history of the country.

Biden pulled the permit for Keystone XL (supposedly to address the climate "emergency") but then waived sanctions on Nord Stream 2.

And that’s before considering the environmental impact and spill risk of pipelines vs the alternative (truck and rail). It’s all theatrics.

Biden isn't in charge, he's a senile old man who has moments of clarity but then has Senior moments.

US policy appears to be in chaos; competing interest groups pushing for their own interests, hence the muck up with Keystone and Nordstream.

Effectively, america is being led by a mishmash of court eunuchs and interest groups.

[conon394]

He created the situation with his policies. Undermining US energy independence is perhaps the biggest domestic blinder in the history of the country.

In just 100 days or so impressive. How exactly and what do think energy independence (and I assume you based on petroleum and gas) really means?

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

US policy appears to be in chaos; competing interest groups pushing for their own interests, hence the muck up with Keystone and Nordstream.

How is that a muck up, the two pipelines are entirely different in location and nature. Stopping the delivery of over priced sludge from Canada was a a perfectly fine choice. On Nordstream the thing is almost done and no US sanctions had deterred its construction so why bother.Likely better if you care about climate change to make sure Europe has more natural gas alternatives than burning coal.

Interesting Excarch why not propose an active different policy that unifies decisions on the two pipelines? Make it one paragraph long and with citations.

Effectively, america is being led by a mishmash of court eunuchs and interest groups.

I suppose if you say so without evidence

[Vanoi]

How is that a muck up, the two pipelines are entirely different in location and nature. Stopping the delivery of over priced sludge from Canada was a a perfectly fine choice. On Nordstream the thing is almost done and no US sanctions had deterred its construction so why bother.Likely better if you care about climate change to make sure Europe has more natural gas alternatives than burning coal.

Interesting Excarch why not propose an active different policy that unifies decisions on the two pipelines? Make it one paragraph long and with citations.

It's not a muck up. No one here is just mentioning the obvious. Stopping the Nord Stream 2 project would require the US to sanction fellow NATO allies who are involved in the project. That's not a wise move if the US is actually trying to combat Russia.

Besides, the laying of Nord Stream 2 began in 2018. What significant measure did Trump take to stop the pipeline? Best chance would have been in 2018 when Nord Stream 2 was starting construction, not when it's almost finished three years later.

[Cope]

Much better to sanction Americans by shutting down domestic energy projects than to risk offending a country which refuses to meet its minimum defense obligations and facilitates Russia’s fossil fuel exports.

Stunning leadership.

[Vanoi]

Much better to sanction Americans by shutting down domestic energy projects than to risk offending a country which refuses to meet its minimum defense obligations and facilitates Russia’s fossil fuel exports.

Stunning leadership.

Domestic? The Keystone pipeline was meant for transporting Canadian oil.

The sanctions would target more than just Germany but yes offending a country that hosts thousands of US troops is not a good idea. Don't know why you mention defense spending. Meeting the GDP requirement means nothing. Look at the UK. They meet it and yet the UK military is absolutely abysmal.

Trump had the chance to sanction Germany for years over Nord Stream 2 but never did. Blaming Biden at this point is just stupid and hypocritical.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Sanctions against North Stream 2 would not only offend Germany ( across all party borders the majority support this pipeline) it would violate german and european souvereignty, as this pipeline has all needed european and german permissions to be built.

If the Trump administration would really have wanted to hurt Russia's fossil energy exports, it would have banned rising russian oil exports into the US.

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/Le..._NUS-NRS_1&f=M

This whole north stream 2 charade is on behalf of the US Fracking Industry to increase US Exports into EU.