Don't get me wrong here, But I LIKE Donald Trump.

[Yenn]

The way they are going they may well be free or is it three. For a so called intelligent and modern nation they stack up very poorly in comparison with third world countries.

Their whole problem has been brought on by Trump, remember it was only about 3 weeks ago that he declared that he had it all under control.

I am still waiting to see what he pulls out of the hat and I doubt that it will be a rabbit, probably something like a Tasmanian devil. Whatever don't write him off yet, he will do anything to hang onto power, even if it includes a terrorist attack on Washington DC. His ultimate aim is to get himself into the position of president for life. Why cannot the Yanks see that he is a complete idiot and by humouring him they are killing themselves. I just hope that he turns enough against the Republicans that they get with the democrats and have him declared unfit to hold the position. They could have President Pence for a few days.

[old man emu]

3 hours ago, willedoo said:

They can't make up their mind.

It's a good tactic. Nothing protects a plan like confusing the victim. It worked marvellously well to protect D-Day.

[Old Koreelah]

8 hours ago, onetrack said:

The Americans will never gain control over the COVID-19 virus, because collectively, there are too many stupid Americans. Perhaps the virus is Natures way of eliminating quite a number of stupid Americans.

 

[Old Koreelah]

22 hours ago, old man emu said:

It's a good tactic. Nothing protects a plan like confusing the victim. It worked marvellously well to protect D-Day.

It’s also worked a treat for the fossil fuel lobby.

[kgwilson]

Just when you think it's all over Trump comes up with another scheme and this time the entire 1 hour phone call was recorded. The desperation has now got to the stage of telling the Georgia election officials to find him nearly 12,000 votes which is effectively voter fraud. So if he manages to get this done he will have been right all along only it is him committing fraud. Of course the Republican Secretary of State told him there was none so he tried threatening him. This is better than a real soap opera. This can be added to the multitude of other criminal acts he has committed seemingly with impunity since he found out a sitting president is pretty much immune to prosecution. Well in 15 days time that is all gone.

 

The question is will Biden have the balls to prosecute him early on in his administration. I think not. They may begin putting it all together & then hit him between the eyes in a couple of years but it is the fuxed up rusted on ignorant gun toting supporters that will have to be dealt with as well.

[Jerry_Atrick]

2 hours ago, kgwilson said:

but it is the fuxed up rusted on ignorant gun toting supporters that will have to be dealt with as well.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55540155

[willedoo]

Donald's co-buffoon Pompeo has tweeted how tough the Trump administration has been on Russia. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has tweeted the reply "Way to go, tough guys" and superimposed Pompeo's words on a painting of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow. Meanwhile Vladimir Vladimirovich  is about to wave goodbye to yet another U.S. President.

 

 

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

I went onto The Age's website to see how things were going and checked out the timeline/feed of the Georgia senate runoffs... Their reporting may be a Freudian slip, but I have a feeling the typo was intentional:

 

[pmccarthy]

Good one! 

 

[red750]

Trump should be arrested and tried for inciting an insurrection. It will take America a long time to live down this disgrace in Washington today. A day that will be remembered for a long time.

 

[red750]

With the cat well and truly out of the bag, the dickhead is now calling for calm.

[Bruce Tuncks]

Thanks OME. I'm sure you are right, but where does the story about Winston Churchill confiscating two nearly-completed Turkish warships fit in? That was why I thought the Turks sided with the Germans, but you have thrown a different light onto this. Were our Anzacs at Gallipoli fighting the Ottoman Empire? I think they were.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Democrats now control the senate... well, once the crowds are dispresed...

 

@red750 - I don'tknow NYC or DC law, but incitement is on the cards -if the Senate are now controlled  by the democrats an impeachment can succeed...

 

No doubt, there will be a recount and a couple of lawsuits..

 

 

 

[old man emu]

16 minutes ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

Thanks OME.

Sorry, Bruce. You didn't use the <QUOTE> tool, so I don't know which of my magnificent posts to which you are referring. But here's the guff. 

 

Firstly, the official name for the political organisation the ANZACS fought in the Dardanelles (Gallipoli is just one location) and the Middle East, was the Ottoman Empire which was founded in 1299 and officially dissolved in November 1922 after its defeat in WWI. Its capital was Istanbul (not Constantinople - if you know the song). The dominant ethnic group in the Ottoman Empire were the Turks, so as a shorthand term, the Ottoman Empire is referred to as the Turkish Empire.

 

Following the Young Turk revolution of 1908, the Ottoman Empire determined to replenish its crumbling navy with the aid of gold coins, jewels and necklaces donated by citizens. In September 1908, the Young Turks requested the loan of an English admiral to oversee reorganisation of the Turkish fleet. The British considered the loan of the services of an admiral ‘of the highest political importance’. 

 

In mid-January 1909, Halil Pasha took office as the new Naval Minister in Turkey.  He then entered into ‘secret and unauthorised’ negotiations with Armstrong Whitworth to purchase two dreadnoughts and a pocket battleship in order to ‘neutralise the Greeks’. Britain  and France were getting concerned about an escalation of conflict between Greece and Turkey (which carries on to the Present in Cyprus).The purchase was halted on the grounds that the purchase ‘far exceeded the state’s financial resources.’ Turkey's request for a loan was refused by France and Britain. Germany sold a dreadnought to the Turkish to improve relations between the two countries, whilst also offering a loan of TL11 million.

 

There was the usual double-shuffle from the British Government over a contract between the Vickers and Armstrong shipbuilders and the Turkish Government. 

Officially the British government did not take credit for securing the contract for Armstrong Vickers, though they must have hoped it would counter-balance German influence with the Ottomans. MP Philip Morrell pressed the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Edward Grey, to tell the Commons whether this contract was concluded with the `knowledge, assistance, or consent’ of the British government. Evading the question, Grey informed the House that the agreement was ‘a result of private negotiations between the Turkish government and the firms interested’. Surely, Mr. Morrell complained, the government ought to be concerned that a British company was entering into a contract to `increase the armaments of a foreign power’.

 

As things got hot in Europe in 1914, and German influence increased with the Ottoman Empire, Britain got worried about building up an enemy fleet in the Mediterranean. In early August 1914, Churchill commandeered Sultan Osman and Reşadiye – two battleships bought by the Ottomans from Vickers and Armstrong. 500 Turkish troops had arrived in a steamer at Newcastle on Tyne to sail the ships home, when Churchill made this last minute decision to grab them for the British fleet. This decision – deemed ‘British treachery’ – came with no promise of compensation and helped sway the Turkish people in favour of siding with Germany. In August 1914, the Ottoman Empire signed a treaty of alliance with Germany, and formally entered the First World War on 28th October 1914.

 

 

 

 

 

[old man emu]

To the closest minute Donny will be POTUS until 3.59 am on the 21st January - Sydney time. 

 

If he flew to Australia and landed between, say 12:01 am and 3:00am, he would have to be welcomed as the POTUS. At 4:01 am he could seek political asylum, which his bemedalled mate ScoMo would surely grant. Then whatever arrest warrants were issued in the USA would be ignored by the Australian Government because they are the basis of Trump's claim of political oppression in his native country.

 

Trump's not the type to give someone something without expecting something in return.

[pmccarthy]

In politics stupidity is not a handicap.

Napoleon Bonaparte
 

[Marty_d]

Even Scomo wouldn't dare offer the clown asylum. 

Leaving out the fact that the Australia /US relationship is far bigger than one failed ex-president, he knows that most Australians think Trump is a useless tool and would be very upset at any PM who offered him sanctuary. 

[pmccarthy]

I think a year on the space station would be a safe refuge.

[Marty_d]

Can we remove "station" from that option? 

[facthunter]

Have you people been watching the news in the last couple of hours?  Nev

[pmccarthy]

Yes, it was alarming but seems to be under control now. One woman shot dead in the Capitol building.

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, Marty_d said:

Even Scomo wouldn't dare offer the clown asylum. 

Therein lies the dilemma. Which has more weight, our Law, or our Treaties?

 

Trump could claim to be a refugee. The UNHCR definition is:

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.

 

People who arrive in Australia with a valid visa, whether it be a tourist or working visa, can submit a written application for refugee status with the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection. The application is then assessed by an officer of the department to establish whether the asylum seeker is entitled to protection. If the application is accepted, the person is granted a permanent protection visa. 

 

If an application for refugee status is rejected, the asylum seeker has the option to lodge an application for a review of this decision with the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT). This is in circumstances where there has either been a refusal to grant a protection visa or cancellation of a protection visa. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection has powers under the Migration Act to substitute a decision made by the RRT with a decision that is more favourable to the applicant. The Minister has the power to make decisions on individual cases.

 

Would granting Trump refugee status be justified under the laws that apply to every other person in the World, or would it be politically suicidal to thumb our noses at a World Power something on New Zealand has ever done?

[willedoo]

In news this morning, Twitter has blocked his account.

[facthunter]

 Yes and No doubt he's broken a few laws.  No one should be immune from proper legal process and He's now made an attack on Pence. So much for loyalty. When your used up you're fired with this guy. It's ALWAYS someone else's FAULT. .Nev

[red750]

Only 24 hours or so he was saying of Pence, "He's a great guy, I like him a lot." Pence refused to do his bidding, and now he's a no-good.