Steve, I have pledged a small amount to support The Racket News because it's a good opinion website that tolerates my contrariness. And also because I wanted to offer some criticism that I would not do as a freeloader. I know there is effort and expense involved in keeping the site going.
Reading this post required too much effort. I don't mind being required to think but I do not like wasting time keeping score and verifying Trump's and Kamala's lies, exaggerations, half-truths and embellishments. This facts / counter facts style is a turn off for me. I think I would rather see a spread sheet.
My preference may explain why engineers are considered nerds - even by their loved ones. As an example: My college roommate married a self-assured woman who told their daughters for 20 years to never marry an engineer. It should be noted that one week from today they will have been married for 60 years.
A lot of what you have in your piece are the reasons I will not vote for Trump. Some of it I admit I had forgotten so thanks for the reminder. I would just disagree on one point. I think Trump/Vance would be more pro-Israel than Harris/Walz, though probably only to the extent that being so would be to Trump's benefit.
Trump's admin did in fact complete negotiations with the Taliban, agreeing to force the Afghan government to release 5000 Taliban fighters and withdraw from the country by a specific date. The admin also lowered US troop levels to 2500. This was a time-bomb handed to the Biden admin.
Pro-Hamas leftists are not Democrats: they hate the Democrats more than they hate Republicans. They are part of the overall coalition at times, and typically the least reliable members. They'll vote Green Party.
We have to be able to talk about what Israel does that is counter-productive to a two-state solution without it being labeled antisemitic - such as how they let their "settlers" run rampant through the West Bank.
Lastly, just to ask the question: what kind of carrot or stick does the US hace that would be acceptable to use with Hamas? To my knowledge we've no influence with them, which leaves Israel - and Netanyahu has moved the goalposts on what he seems acceptable terms in ceasefire talks that appear aimed at preventing a deal from being made.
The U.S. has tremendous leverage on Israel. As a result of Obama’s better deal to supply Israel through technology transfer and licensing, Raytheon makes the Tamir II missiles used in Iron Dome. In fact a new factory is being built by Raytheon and Rafael in Camden, Arkansas. If we wanted to flex, for example, we’d kill that. I’m glad we don’t. There’s similar things we can do to convey being more than political.
As for Israel, settlers are a problem but a 2 state solution is so far a bigger problem. How can any nation share secure borders with a neighbor that won’t recognize its legitimacy and has as its stated goal the destruction of your state?
The complaint stated was that the US is only leveraging Israel - thus the important follow-up question about whether the US has any leverage against Hamas, which we basically have none.
The two-state solution needs to happen, and that Israel turned down the best way to get there - making alliance with Saudi Arabia and other neighbors and having them guarantee security (aka occupy Gaza and stand-up a new government) was a huge mistake.
And considering Israel already has experience securing borders against other nations (Lebanon, Syria, at one time Egypt and Jordan) this seems like a poor excuse to not try.
I look at the situation and see Netanyahu making moves to keep himself in power, not to do what is best for Israel in the long run.
Oh, and for an interesting one: Trump is now stating he want's a state-run bank that is controlled by the President. When will he state he wants to seize the means of production?
"Yet, the Biden administration, and Kamala Harris, reserve their criticism, and their threats of withholding weapons, for Israel."
This is nonsense. You are saying that Biden/Harris have not criticized Hamas? That's what it means to "reserve your criticism" for the other side ... it's just flat out not true.
Fascinating column Steve and a topic i have been agonizing over: How the hell did we get here? It's been on my mind so much, i actually pulled a cut from one of EE;s daily email's i get. I'll post it below because it so amplifies just how crazy we've become.
Lies have long been the source of much of the angst. The argument is "both side lie." In fact, one of trump's ads claims Harris lies a lot. Every time i see it i scream, "ya but trump lies all the time." Being honest, neither comment is true.
What is true is the crazy train we are on is fueled far more by the right where crazy is rewarded by their followers than on the left. Sorry, but starting with Alex Jones, Bannon, Stone, D'Souza, Hannity, Carlson and a host of others, the lies have resulted in grift beyond comprehension.
If it ended there, it might be acceptable (not really), but throw in the last months of moronic and self-absorbed bullshit by trump and musk and life takes on a macabre sense of insanity. I won't waste your time repeating the gibberish; suffice to say they've come to understand anything they say will get them press. In fact, the more foolish, the better.
Okay so here's my rant towards your friend EE. I've never bought a subscription so i can't comment. That said, after reading it (which i rarely do), i cut and pasted the comment. It was that foolish and certainly above the standards i have come to expect from him. Here is the cut with no further commentary:
"For years, Democrats have lectured all of us that the events of January 6th were disqualifing for Donald Trump to run for reelection. But if Donald Trump’s actions on January 6th were disqualifying, Joe Biden’s choice to sit on a beach while an American was assassinated in Rafah is equally disqualifying. If that wasn’t egregious enough, Biden’s first move after the killing of Hersh Goldberg-Polin was to immediately blame Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."
On the facts (and writing style) the article is very well done. Thank you. On speculating why voters may turn to Trump, may I suggest the worn out truth "they vote against more than for". A friend of mine said, "I'd vot for Donald Duck if it helped in the removal of the party responsible for the lies that lead to lock-downs, open borders, calamitous spending binges, expanding drug crisis, quantifiable crime spikes, wild eyed anti-semitism, cross dressing flag officers, and a whole host of other low brow issues. There are informed voters, well aware of Trump's many faults, who might choose to be in the audience for Pavarotti's Nessum Dorma rather than endure the vomitus hurled from the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. But Luciano is gone and there is no substitute.
Trump prevented a border deal that would have provided a great amount of funding and changed our asylum laws for the better.
Trump spent more than Biden, both with and without COVID taken into the equation.
Crime spiked under Trump, and it's been getting lower during the Biden admin.
Antisemitism exists on both far left and far right, with the world's richest man making changes to his website to allow the neo-Nazis to flourish - and you need to ask the question "Who are they supporting?" (hint: not the Democrat)
Steve, I have pledged a small amount to support The Racket News because it's a good opinion website that tolerates my contrariness. And also because I wanted to offer some criticism that I would not do as a freeloader. I know there is effort and expense involved in keeping the site going.
Reading this post required too much effort. I don't mind being required to think but I do not like wasting time keeping score and verifying Trump's and Kamala's lies, exaggerations, half-truths and embellishments. This facts / counter facts style is a turn off for me. I think I would rather see a spread sheet.
My preference may explain why engineers are considered nerds - even by their loved ones. As an example: My college roommate married a self-assured woman who told their daughters for 20 years to never marry an engineer. It should be noted that one week from today they will have been married for 60 years.
I will take that into consideration. I was actually addressing points I read and heard. Got too into the weeds.
A lot of what you have in your piece are the reasons I will not vote for Trump. Some of it I admit I had forgotten so thanks for the reminder. I would just disagree on one point. I think Trump/Vance would be more pro-Israel than Harris/Walz, though probably only to the extent that being so would be to Trump's benefit.
A couple notes:
Trump's admin did in fact complete negotiations with the Taliban, agreeing to force the Afghan government to release 5000 Taliban fighters and withdraw from the country by a specific date. The admin also lowered US troop levels to 2500. This was a time-bomb handed to the Biden admin.
Pro-Hamas leftists are not Democrats: they hate the Democrats more than they hate Republicans. They are part of the overall coalition at times, and typically the least reliable members. They'll vote Green Party.
We have to be able to talk about what Israel does that is counter-productive to a two-state solution without it being labeled antisemitic - such as how they let their "settlers" run rampant through the West Bank.
Lastly, just to ask the question: what kind of carrot or stick does the US hace that would be acceptable to use with Hamas? To my knowledge we've no influence with them, which leaves Israel - and Netanyahu has moved the goalposts on what he seems acceptable terms in ceasefire talks that appear aimed at preventing a deal from being made.
The U.S. has tremendous leverage on Israel. As a result of Obama’s better deal to supply Israel through technology transfer and licensing, Raytheon makes the Tamir II missiles used in Iron Dome. In fact a new factory is being built by Raytheon and Rafael in Camden, Arkansas. If we wanted to flex, for example, we’d kill that. I’m glad we don’t. There’s similar things we can do to convey being more than political.
As for Israel, settlers are a problem but a 2 state solution is so far a bigger problem. How can any nation share secure borders with a neighbor that won’t recognize its legitimacy and has as its stated goal the destruction of your state?
The complaint stated was that the US is only leveraging Israel - thus the important follow-up question about whether the US has any leverage against Hamas, which we basically have none.
The two-state solution needs to happen, and that Israel turned down the best way to get there - making alliance with Saudi Arabia and other neighbors and having them guarantee security (aka occupy Gaza and stand-up a new government) was a huge mistake.
And considering Israel already has experience securing borders against other nations (Lebanon, Syria, at one time Egypt and Jordan) this seems like a poor excuse to not try.
I look at the situation and see Netanyahu making moves to keep himself in power, not to do what is best for Israel in the long run.
Oh, and for an interesting one: Trump is now stating he want's a state-run bank that is controlled by the President. When will he state he wants to seize the means of production?
"Yet, the Biden administration, and Kamala Harris, reserve their criticism, and their threats of withholding weapons, for Israel."
This is nonsense. You are saying that Biden/Harris have not criticized Hamas? That's what it means to "reserve your criticism" for the other side ... it's just flat out not true.
Fascinating column Steve and a topic i have been agonizing over: How the hell did we get here? It's been on my mind so much, i actually pulled a cut from one of EE;s daily email's i get. I'll post it below because it so amplifies just how crazy we've become.
Lies have long been the source of much of the angst. The argument is "both side lie." In fact, one of trump's ads claims Harris lies a lot. Every time i see it i scream, "ya but trump lies all the time." Being honest, neither comment is true.
What is true is the crazy train we are on is fueled far more by the right where crazy is rewarded by their followers than on the left. Sorry, but starting with Alex Jones, Bannon, Stone, D'Souza, Hannity, Carlson and a host of others, the lies have resulted in grift beyond comprehension.
If it ended there, it might be acceptable (not really), but throw in the last months of moronic and self-absorbed bullshit by trump and musk and life takes on a macabre sense of insanity. I won't waste your time repeating the gibberish; suffice to say they've come to understand anything they say will get them press. In fact, the more foolish, the better.
Okay so here's my rant towards your friend EE. I've never bought a subscription so i can't comment. That said, after reading it (which i rarely do), i cut and pasted the comment. It was that foolish and certainly above the standards i have come to expect from him. Here is the cut with no further commentary:
"For years, Democrats have lectured all of us that the events of January 6th were disqualifing for Donald Trump to run for reelection. But if Donald Trump’s actions on January 6th were disqualifying, Joe Biden’s choice to sit on a beach while an American was assassinated in Rafah is equally disqualifying. If that wasn’t egregious enough, Biden’s first move after the killing of Hersh Goldberg-Polin was to immediately blame Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."
On the facts (and writing style) the article is very well done. Thank you. On speculating why voters may turn to Trump, may I suggest the worn out truth "they vote against more than for". A friend of mine said, "I'd vot for Donald Duck if it helped in the removal of the party responsible for the lies that lead to lock-downs, open borders, calamitous spending binges, expanding drug crisis, quantifiable crime spikes, wild eyed anti-semitism, cross dressing flag officers, and a whole host of other low brow issues. There are informed voters, well aware of Trump's many faults, who might choose to be in the audience for Pavarotti's Nessum Dorma rather than endure the vomitus hurled from the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. But Luciano is gone and there is no substitute.
The lockdowns happened during the Trump admin.
Trump prevented a border deal that would have provided a great amount of funding and changed our asylum laws for the better.
Trump spent more than Biden, both with and without COVID taken into the equation.
Crime spiked under Trump, and it's been getting lower during the Biden admin.
Antisemitism exists on both far left and far right, with the world's richest man making changes to his website to allow the neo-Nazis to flourish - and you need to ask the question "Who are they supporting?" (hint: not the Democrat)