Let’s have a war!

[BiggDick]

don't look now but...well okay, go look now, cuz shit hitting the fan hard right now in Syria

[BiggDick]

without commenting any further yet on that much...

let's tune back into the latest installment of, "gee I wonder what happens if I do a Google news search using only the term 'Taiwan,'" and, can't make this shit up:

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-state- ... 024-11-30/

US approves $385 mln arms sale to Taiwan

[DeletedUser]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-state- ... 024-11-30/

US approves $385 mln arms sale to Taiwan

So...what's your issue with this one?

[KUTradition]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-state- ... 024-11-30/

US approves $385 mln arms sale to Taiwan

So...what's your issue with this one?

it’s just his monthly 5 minutes of trying to act like an adult…nbd

[BiggDick]

I suppose I have a few issues with this one, illy.

In no particular order...

I'm afraid it's that "P" word. We really seem to be trying to provoke our imperial adversaries in China. They consider Taiwan part of their country, and we're firing off one giant arms sale after another to them anyway. If, say, China kept flooding weapons into, say, Puerto Rico, I don't think our country would be cool with them doing it to us...yet when we do it to them, it barely even makes the news.

I'm critical of the Biden administration here. He's got like less than two months left in office, and of all the last minute Hail Marys he could be going for, he's doubling down on even more of the high-priced warmongering that's such a large part of what's made him as unpopular as he is in the first place. Read the fucking room, Uncle Joe. I do not think history will be kind. Heck, I do not think voters were kind on Election Day, but that's more so about the economy. But all these things are inevitably related.

Speaking of the economy...is there really no other thing our gummint can think to do with (another) $385 million? Maybe something that actually fixes something or actually helps somebody? Maybe even actually helps the U.S. taxpayers whose dollars are footing the bills?

With all these weapons sales I keep hearing the "money laundering" term come up. But, admittedly, that's just an observation, and not a journalistically sound take. Then again, it's not like there's many journalistically sound takes considering things around these like, hey maybe all these high-dollar weapons sales to all these imperial allies are largely just money laundering.

and back to warmongering...aren't our tax dollars already caught up enough in other imperial proxy wars that still have no end in sight, in places like Ukraine and Lebanon and Gaza and the West Bank and Syri...ah, prob shouldn't jump to conclusions about that one yet, right.

I mean what are the odds that the nation pouring gasoline on imperial fires all across the world, and just literal days after the (pretend) ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon right next door happened, is also caught up too in Syria? It's not like we already have like a dozen U.S. military bases and thousands of U.S. soldiers across Syria. Oh wait, we do?! Well it's not like we been training a bunch of rebel fighters as proxies there, so what are the odds.

At least with Taiwan, we haven't heard of much actual fighting or casualties...yet. That's prob largely to China's credit. That feels weird to say, but again, if China was trying to weaponize some island on our doorstep that we consider part of our country, I don't think we'd approach the situation with much temperament.

That's just off the top of my head. There's prob more issues yet.

And I realize these takes have been, and prob still are, very controversial. But, if anyone's instinct here is to knee-jerk put me down as controversial, this time, rather than do so again, maybe just ask yourself:

why?

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

I suppose I have a few issues with this one, illy.

In no particular order...

I'm afraid it's that "P" word. We really seem to be trying to provoke our imperial adversaries in China. They consider Taiwan part of their country, and we're firing off one giant arms sale after another to them anyway. If, say, China kept flooding weapons into, say, Puerto Rico, I don't think our country would be cool with them doing it to us...yet when we do it to them, it barely even makes the news.

I'm critical of the Biden administration here. He's got like less than two months left in office, and of all the last minute Hail Marys he could be going for, he's doubling down on even more of the high-priced warmongering that's such a large part of what's made him as unpopular as he is in the first place. Read the fucking room, Uncle Joe. I do not think history will be kind. Heck, I do not think voters were kind on Election Day, but that's more so about the economy. But all these things are inevitably related.

Speaking of the economy...is there really no other thing our gummint can think to do with (another) $385 million? Maybe something that actually fixes something or actually helps somebody? Maybe even actually helps the U.S. taxpayers whose dollars are footing the bills?

With all these weapons sales I keep hearing the "money laundering" term come up. But, admittedly, that's just an observation, and not a journalistically sound take. Then again, it's not like there's many journalistically sound takes considering things around these like, hey maybe all these high-dollar weapons sales to all these imperial allies are largely just money laundering.

and back to warmongering...aren't our tax dollars already caught up enough in other imperial proxy wars that still have no end in sight, in places like Ukraine and Lebanon and Gaza and the West Bank and Syri...ah, prob shouldn't jump to conclusions about that one yet, right.

I mean what are the odds that the nation pouring gasoline on imperial fires all across the world, and just literal days after the (pretend) ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon right next door happened, is also caught up too in Syria? It's not like we already have like a dozen U.S. military bases and thousands of U.S. soldiers across Syria. Oh wait, we do?! Well it's not like we been training a bunch of rebel fighters as proxies there, so what are the odds.

At least with Taiwan, we haven't heard of much actual fighting or casualties...yet. That's prob largely to China's credit. That feels weird to say, but again, if China was trying to weaponize some island on our doorstep that we consider part of our country, I don't think we'd approach the situation with much temperament.

That's just off the top of my head. There's prob more issues yet.

And I realize these takes have been, and prob still are, very controversial. But, if anyone's instinct here is to knee-jerk put me down as controversial, this time, rather than do so again, maybe just ask yourself:

why?

Reread what you wrote.

"Speaking of the economy...is there really no other thing our gummint can think to do with (another) $385 million? Maybe something that actually fixes something or actually helps somebody? Maybe even actually helps the U.S. taxpayers whose dollars are footing the bills?"

What am I, or what are you, not understanding here?
I thought if someone sells something - they get paid for it. No?

[DeletedUser]

Speaking of the economy...is there really no other thing our gummint can think to do with (another) $385 million? Maybe something that actually fixes something or actually helps somebody? Maybe even actually helps the U.S. taxpayers whose dollars are footing the bills?

Your article says we are selling them spare parts. Not giving them. That would increase revenue, not decrease.

Maybe I misread the article.

Maybe we should just let China conquer Taiwan. Or anywhere else on that side of the world. It's none of our business, I guess.

[jfish26]

I look forward to learning about how these facts you and gutter have raised are beside the point.

[BiggDick]

wait so did you guys get paid for this?

[jfish26]

wait so did you guys get paid for this?

No, which really is a problem because I have all of these invoices to pay. There’s one for the FDA. Here’s another for roads and bridges and railways and ports. Jesus, I just checked my counter and there’s three more for veterans’ benefits, WIC programs and NASA.

NASA???

I’m not even going to space!

[BiggDick]

yeah, dems should for sure keep it up with this "proxy wars benefit us all" narrative, the voters are like totally loving it.

it's right on up there with, "inflation is actually a misinformation thread fake news media conspiracy" and "if you don't vote dem then yer stoopid."

Blue wave incoming!

[jfish26]

I look forward to learning about how these facts [illy] and gutter have raised are beside the point.

[BiggDick]

I look forward to the headlines about Biden using his remaining days in office for the benefit of the FDA, and roads and bridges and railways and ports, and veterans' benefits, and WIC programs, and NASA.


NASA???

[DeletedUser]

Slow Sunday. Think I'll rearrange my sock drawer.

[BiggDick]

so I guess now's a bad time to ask about these increases in revenue, then?

[DeletedUser]

Let me see if I can help...

We are selling spare parts.

These parts have already been paid for in the past when they were built.

We are being paid for these spare parts.

[BiggDick]

and no doubt, if China was doing the same to like Puerto Rico, we too would just shrug it off like nbd it's just spare parts that have already been paid for, and that's in no way beside the point.

[DeletedUser]

But China isn't doing the same thing to Puerto Rico.

I know "this" is your thing, but my goodness. You're even having trouble with your own posts. Like are we selling this stuff or are we giving it away? Details matter. Slow down a bit.

[TDub]

Puerto Rico and Taiwan are not comparable despite your continued efforts to force the comparison.

Also, how's that "staying off the pols bored" working out for you? good I think, yea?

[BiggDick]

it's not a perfect analogy, but it's still a good analogy in the sense China considers Taiwan to be part of China, just like the United States considers Puerto Rico to be part of the United States.

I really do enjoy the insight gained from discussions on the pols bored - or at least can sometimes be gained.

If you take issue with my participation in the pols bored, I think the most appropriate remedy is to simply ignore me. I do not understand why you will not, or simply cannot.