Unca Sam has a really bad case of Schizophrenia right now. (Sigh, I can’t even say “right now” without tripping over the political idea of “right wing”. Sad.) One of his personalities may be kinda slow, but it’s interested in helping people, wants to know what the truth is, and likes to try to plan ahead. The other one may be kinda slow too, but it’s interested only in maximizing short term gain for the obscenely rich (while padding its own pockets), thinks that most “people” are completely interchangeable and mostly dispensable, prefers “belief” to “truth” and thinks that long term planning sometimes extends into the next quarter, but certainly no further than the next election.
That first "person"ality might get some good from this scenario. The other one, who’s currently running the show, wouldn’t show up at a school under any circumstances, certainly not to learn something.
Published on Wednesday, September 04, 2019 by Common Dreams
‘Outright Blackmail’: Trump Admin. Reportedly Offered Captain Multi-Million Dollar Bribe in Effort to Seize Iranian Tanker
“The U.S. complains loudly that Iran engages in ‘blackmail.’ Yet Brian Hook is directly emailing tanker captains offering bribes to get them to bring their ships into U.S. clutches.”
ranian foreign minister Javad Zarif on Wednesday accused the Trump administration of engaging in “outright blackmail” after the Financial Times reported a State Department official offered the captain of an Iran-owned oil tanker millions of dollars to divert the ship to a nation which would detain it on behalf of the United States.
According to FT, Brian Hook, head of the State Department’s Iran Action Group, sent an email promising the captain of Iranian supertanker Grace 1 “several million dollars” to do the bidding of the Trump administration.
“This is Brian Hook… I work for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and serve as the U.S. representative for Iran,” Hook wrote to Akhilesh Kumar, the Indian captain of the supertanker, according to emails viewed by FT.
FACT #1: Before the enforcement of the Gun Control Act of 1968, you could buy guns through the MAIL! FACT#2: if the homicide RATE was at its peak, there would be over 33,000 homicides in one year; more than DOUBLE the number from 2017 (last year we have complete stats). If the facts offend you, you deserve to be offended for having your stupidity and/or fanaticism exposed.
Don’t write that on the board. Trump might see some kind of possible correlation. Like “more access to guns can fight climate change”. (Or, if truly climate change deniers, “more access to guns can fight hurricanes”)There, I said it, sorry. Be aware it will soon be on the political agenda.
lopaka over 4 years ago
Given what we have in the whitehouse and congress, there isn’t much hope.
gnome over 4 years ago
If you don’t question your government…. it’s not "your " government….just say’n….
braindead Premium Member over 4 years ago
NOOOOO. See, what we HAVE to do is to find more Good Guys and arm them with assault weapons.
Because the only thing that can stop a Bad Guy with a gun…
.
And remember: OBAMA IS COMING TO TAKE YOUR GUNS!
gcottay over 4 years ago
The nation knows.
Ally2005 over 4 years ago
Should be Trump in the chair, not Uncle Sam.
Radish the wordsmith over 4 years ago
Republicans deny everything that is true.
robnvon Premium Member over 4 years ago
Come on, Sam. They are putting it to you mostly in one and two syllable words. You can understand this.
EdmundBabe over 4 years ago
Moscow Mitch almost looks attentive
Concretionist over 4 years ago
Unca Sam has a really bad case of Schizophrenia right now. (Sigh, I can’t even say “right now” without tripping over the political idea of “right wing”. Sad.) One of his personalities may be kinda slow, but it’s interested in helping people, wants to know what the truth is, and likes to try to plan ahead. The other one may be kinda slow too, but it’s interested only in maximizing short term gain for the obscenely rich (while padding its own pockets), thinks that most “people” are completely interchangeable and mostly dispensable, prefers “belief” to “truth” and thinks that long term planning sometimes extends into the next quarter, but certainly no further than the next election.
That first "person"ality might get some good from this scenario. The other one, who’s currently running the show, wouldn’t show up at a school under any circumstances, certainly not to learn something.
Radish the wordsmith over 4 years ago
Published on Wednesday, September 04, 2019 by Common Dreams
‘Outright Blackmail’: Trump Admin. Reportedly Offered Captain Multi-Million Dollar Bribe in Effort to Seize Iranian Tanker
“The U.S. complains loudly that Iran engages in ‘blackmail.’ Yet Brian Hook is directly emailing tanker captains offering bribes to get them to bring their ships into U.S. clutches.”
ranian foreign minister Javad Zarif on Wednesday accused the Trump administration of engaging in “outright blackmail” after the Financial Times reported a State Department official offered the captain of an Iran-owned oil tanker millions of dollars to divert the ship to a nation which would detain it on behalf of the United States.
According to FT, Brian Hook, head of the State Department’s Iran Action Group, sent an email promising the captain of Iranian supertanker Grace 1 “several million dollars” to do the bidding of the Trump administration.
“This is Brian Hook… I work for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and serve as the U.S. representative for Iran,” Hook wrote to Akhilesh Kumar, the Indian captain of the supertanker, according to emails viewed by FT.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/09/04/outright-blackmail-trump-admin-reportedly-offered-captain-multi-million-dollar-bribe?fbclid=IwAR0KVsU_uUQuBwH-7xVUjKGsoPObnKQUC47u2z2La-WG0_uE0qX31Q4PhC8
KenseidenXL over 4 years ago
FACT #1: Before the enforcement of the Gun Control Act of 1968, you could buy guns through the MAIL! FACT#2: if the homicide RATE was at its peak, there would be over 33,000 homicides in one year; more than DOUBLE the number from 2017 (last year we have complete stats). If the facts offend you, you deserve to be offended for having your stupidity and/or fanaticism exposed.
MFRXIM Premium Member over 4 years ago
…and a child shall lead them…
buer over 4 years ago
Don’t write that on the board. Trump might see some kind of possible correlation. Like “more access to guns can fight climate change”. (Or, if truly climate change deniers, “more access to guns can fight hurricanes”)There, I said it, sorry. Be aware it will soon be on the political agenda.