All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[PaulBullion]

I also think foreign aid is a good thing and should be part of a defense bill, as more stability in the world is good for our security.

The Covid relief bill did not, in fact, contain $500 million for Israel. Congress passed a suite of bills, including Covid relief *and* the bill funding the Defense Department for 2021, which includes foreign aid. This isn't hard unless you know nothing about Congress.

https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/s...854590474?s=20

[Mister Mets]

Got it.

You're partisan. Mets is partisan.

You'll both hone words to quark slicing edge.

Have a ball.

I am more willing to support Democrats than most of the regulars here are to support Republicans (I never supported Trump, and have been pretty consistent in supporting Biden.)

That said, partisans should be able to discuss politics without going with the least generous interpretations of what someone else said.

Also, they picked Israel and Sudan out of a long list of countries and regions. Guess Nepal and Ukraine are not as sexy here.

Interesting that an African nation and the one majority-Jewish nation got the most blowback.

I also think foreign aid is a good thing and should be part of a defense bill, as more stability in the world is good for our security.


https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/s...854590474?s=20

The American public generally doesn't realize how little we spend on foreign aid.

https://borgenproject.org/us-foreign-aid-spending/

The U.S. spends more in net amount than any other country on foreign aid; the total came to some $32 billion in 2014. However, when looking at aid spending as a percentage of gross national income (GNI) , the amount the country and residents abroad take in as income, the U.S. spends a mere 0.19 percent of the wealth it receives each year in aid.

The American contribution falls flat behind larger benefactors like Sweden which donates 1.1 percent of its GNI, or Luxembourg at 1.07 percent and Norway at 0.99 percent.

The misconceptions of Americans regarding foreign aid are showing no signs of clearing up on their own. Another poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org in 2010 found the median estimate Americans believe their country spent on foreign aid was 25 percent. When the poll asked them what would be an “appropriate” amount, the median answer was 10 percent.

[shooshoomanjoe]

The felony charge applies to companies not individuals. The $600 is a non issue, IMO, since it's such a piddly amount. The worst thing about this package is that the unemployment will only last 11 weeks. They should have given Israel's money to unemployment instead.

[PaulBullion]

The felony charge applies to companies not individuals. The $600 is a non issue, IMO, since it's such a piddly amount. The worst thing about this package is that the unemployment will only last 11 weeks. They should have given Israel's money to unemployment instead.

Again: "Israel's money" is not part of the covid relief package. It's part of the defense spending bill. It's military aid, and thanks to an Obama era law, Israel has to spend pretty much all the money in the US, so it flows right back into the economy.

[GOLGO 13]

... They should have given Israel's money to unemployment instead.

Israel gets payment for being an eager American proxy.

[InformationGeek]

Well this is potentially horrible.

Trump administration weighing legal immunity for Saudi crown prince accused in assassination plot https://t.co/Q9ykKas05n

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Well this is potentially horrible.

Well, that doesn’t surprise me in the least. I’m sure Trumpanzees, right wingers and conservatives will shrug and say it’s no big deal since MBS isn’t a U.S. citizen.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Well this is potentially horrible.

I weirdly have this Lethal Weapon 2 deal running through my mind with the bad guy...

[AnakinFlair]

The felony charge applies to companies not individuals. The $600 is a non issue, IMO, since it's such a piddly amount. The worst thing about this package is that the unemployment will only last 11 weeks. They should have given Israel's money to unemployment instead.

I know they needed to pass SOMETHING. The American people needed something to help them through the holidays, and Mitch needed something passed so the Republicans can tell Georgia voters 'Look what we got for you!' But I wonder if the Democrats settled on this bill because they think either A) their chances on winning both seats in Georgia are so strong, that they can wait until Both Democratic candidates win, and then pass an even larger, more comprehensive bill in January, or B) even if they don't win Georgia, that Biden will be strong enough to MAYBE get Mitch to work with him to get a better bill passed.

[Zauriel]

I know they needed to pass SOMETHING. The American people needed something to help them through the holidays, and Mitch needed something passed so the Republicans can tell Georgia voters 'Look what we got for you!' But I wonder if the Democrats settled on this bill because they think either A) their chances on winning both seats in Georgia are so strong, that they can wait until Both Democratic candidates win, and then pass an even larger, more comprehensive bill in January, or B) even if they don't win Georgia, that Biden will be strong enough to MAYBE get Mitch to work with him to get a better bill passed.

You mean Joe Biden will pursue a strategy of "keeping enemies closer" in order to get all of his favorite bills passed in the Senate?

[Tami]

You mean Joe Biden will pursue a strategy of "keeping enemies closer" in order to get all of his favorite bills passed in the Senate?

If Dems win Georgia, then it will be either "keeping enemies closer" or "Starving them out."

If Dems lose Georgia, they won't have as many options.

[AnakinFlair]

You mean Joe Biden will pursue a strategy of "keeping enemies closer" in order to get all of his favorite bills passed in the Senate?

I mean that Biden is old and white, and therefore Mitch might actually work with him. It's a longshot, but it's the most I can hope for.

[Jack Dracula]

Well this is potentially horrible.

Just another Tuesday under Trumps administration.

[Tami]

Trump turns on everyone

President Trump, in his final days, is turning bitterly on virtually every person around him, griping about anyone who refuses to indulge conspiracy theories or hopeless bids to overturn the election, several top officials tell Axios.

The latest: Targets of his outrage include Vice President Pence, chief of staff Mark Meadows, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Secretary of State Pompeo and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Why it matters: Trump thinks everyone around him is weak, stupid or disloyal — and increasingly seeks comfort only in people who egg him on to overturn the election results. We cannot stress enough how unnerved Trump officials are by the conversations unfolding inside the White House.

A source who spoke to Trump said the president was complaining about Pence and brought up a Lincoln Project ad that claims that Pence is "backing away" from Trump. This ad has clearly got inside Trump’s head, the source said.

Trump views Pence as not fighting hard enough for him — the same complaint he uses against virtually everybody who works for him and has been loyal to him.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I don't know why they're still around, but damn I hope the Lincoln Project keeps pushing his buttons