American Politics

[Tiny 12]

I just love it when Repubs scream about Hunter Biden being on Burisma's Board of Directors, despite having no experience in the oil / gas industries.

I challenge anyone to research the current makeup of, say, the P&G (Procter & Gamble) Board of Directors. P&G's focus is in the areas of "Consumer Packaged Goods". How many of the executives that sit on P&G's current BoD have expertise in "Consumer Packaged Goods"? The P&G BoD has 13 members and none of them. I repeat none of them have CPG experience. https://us.pg.com/structure-and-gove...s-composition/ Each member of the P&G BoD earns roughly $300 K USD per year.

You have a very good point PVMonger. P&G's directors may not be crackheads. And they may have much more impressive resumes and experience than Hunter Biden. But comparatively Burisma and its owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, got much better value for their money out of Hunter than P&G did out of its board members.

Now Hunter may have cost a little more, around $600,000 per year. But how many P&G directors can say that their very presence on the board may have prevented the company from liquidation? And kept its owners out of prison?

Mykola Zlochevsky, owner of Burisma, was a genius to get Hunter Biden to serve on his board. Two years prior to when he hired Hunter, he was transferring government oil and gas leases to his own company while he was Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, in a strongly pro-Russian government. When his party got kicked out and replaced by Ukrainian nationalists, Zlochevsky could have been toast. But with the son of the Vice President of the United States on his board, maybe he was bullet proof.

[Xpartan]

Really?

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/697363

Yes, really.

Of course there was corruption during Stalin. Russia has always been corrupt. Corruption has never paused in Russian history, not for a second. Yet, again, the corruption under Stalin's regime was very careful, it always looked over the shoulder, it was small, apologetic and timid. It wasn't scaled and in your face like today.

Other post Soviet states like Ukraine?

Yes! And like Belarus, and like Armenia and like all the "Stans" too. Again, what's your point? Does corruption in Ukraine justify the Russian aggression?

I presume you're not an admirer of Stalin, just trying to make a point.

You presume correctly.

I was just replying to you:

"if EVERYONE in Ukraine was corrupt, Russian garrisons would've already been stationed in Kiyv and Lviv, and elsewhere. Instead, they're getting their asses handed to them. ".

That's right. Russia had spent billions to bribe people in Ukraine prior to the invasion. Of course, most of the monies were stolen in the process, but if everyone was corrupt in Ukraine, they wouldn't have the army, the effective intelligence services, the working government, nothing.

Any Americans who voluntarily want to donate to war efforts in Ukraine or actually go there and fight should be free to do so. As a semi-believer in the 2nd amendment, if they want to take up a collection to buy F16's and Abrams tanks and ship them to Ukraine, they should have at it. I would draw the line at strategic nuclear weapons though.

Now, this is a 5-year old's musings. You, a private citizen, can't buy F16, you can't buy Abrams, you can't ship them anywhere, it's total bullshit.

I don't want our tax dollars being used, to the tune of $75 billion, to promote a war 5000 miles away, when we're not simultaneously trying to bring an end to it. Instead we've told Ukraine that they have a blank check for as long as they want. And the Ukrainians say they're not going to stop until they've regained Crimea.

Yeah, sure. It's we who're promoting the most destructive war in Europe in the last 100 year. Sure. Give us more please, you're on the roll today.

What do you think our reaction would be if the Warsaw Pact were arming Mexico to the tunes of billions of dollars and talking about taking it in as a member? How many countries in Latin America have we invaded? Remember Grenada?

That's a false analogy. Neither NATO nor the US was arming Ukraine prior to the 2022 invasion. We should've after they grabbed Crimea in 2014. If we had, this war would simply not have happened. That we betrayed our ally in 2014 after putting our signatures on the Budapest Memorandum is a shameful stain on our reputation, and it'll stay there for good. Not unlike Munich Agreement with Hitler in 1938.

I have another question for you. I find it kind of funny that you believe Ukraine should cede Crimea to the aggressor, though. How would you feel if Mexico tried to take back California by force?

Wait, that's a libtard state, so I'm sure you wouldn't mind. How about Texas then? How about Utah and Arizona? Would it be OK for Mexico to take them all back? Why not (if not)? Why is it OK for Russia to grab Crimea, but not for Mexico?

Gorbachev thought he had a commitment from the USA not to expand NATO. It hasn't turned out that way.

No, he didn't. It's yet another myth picked by Putin from the history dustbin. It's unfortunate that you repeat this Putin propaganda nonsense.

Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. We should be working to end this lunacy, instead of throwing gasoline on the fire.

Ah, here we go. Don't upset Russia because Russia has nukes.

Give them what they want because they have nukes.

Suck their dick because they have nukes.

How do you suggest we work "to end this lunacy"? Drop the euphemisms already and say what you mean. You do want to tell Ukraine to cede the territories Russia has already occupied. This is what you, Elvis and every other appeaser of war criminals mean by "ending this lunacy".

There is the name for it: Munich-38.

And it didn't work.

[PVMonger]

That numbskull in your video asked, "What am I missing"?

Well, here is what we are all sure is just a tiny portion of easily observable and easily researched reality that he is missing:

Fact check: Biden leveraged $1B in aid to Ukraine to oust corrupt prosecutor, not to help his son.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...or/5991434002/

That's right. Even dimwit Senate Repubs weren't stupid enough to "miss" what you and that other numbskull in your video link missed. Or pretended to miss. LOL.

I just love it when Repubs scream about Hunter Biden being on Burisma's Board of Directors, despite having no experience in the oil / gas industries.

I challenge anyone to research the current makeup of, say, the P&G (Procter & Gamble) Board of Directors. P&G's focus is in the areas of "Consumer Packaged Goods". How many of the executives that sit on P&G's current BoD have expertise in "Consumer Packaged Goods"? The P&G BoD has 13 members and none of them. I repeat none of them have CPG experience. https://us.pg.com/structure-and-gove...s-composition/ Each member of the P&G BoD earns roughly $300 K USD per year.

[Tiny 12]

If China sent a nuclear bomb across and it landed on your city and somehow you managed to survive. China said it was a mistake, they pressed the wrong button. The bombs wer supposed to improve world peace not for attack. Would you expect reparations?

I don't believe COVID 19 was developed as a bioweapon, so have a tough time accepting the analogy. Forcing reparations on a country is a bad idea. We learned that from the Treaty of Versailles. The effect on Germany, and later on the world after Hitler came to power, was devastating. Furthermore, the USA is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Why should China, a developing country, provide reparations to USA Citizens? The USA should be able to take care of itself.

Now if China wanted to voluntarily provide aid to a poor country like, say Sri Lanka or Peru, that was badly hit by COVID, that would be great.

[EihTooms]

Of course, everyone at Fux News knew what Brett Baier is saying here, contrary to Trump's Big Lie, since they called Arizona for Biden the night of the 2020 election. Did Trumpty-Dumpty not hear about the $800 Million that Fux News was fined for repeating his lies for the past 2 1/2 years and think they were going to repeat those lies on his behalf again last night and pay another $800 Million for the honor? LOL.

"First of all, I won in 2020 by a lot, ok? Let's get that straight. ".

Uh. Nope. Fux News is not going there anymore. Not for another $800 Million.

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1670...TweetUser=Acyn

[JustTK]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree JustTK. I'm not a fan of RFK.

If China sent a nuclear bomb across and it landed on your city and somehow you managed to survive. China said it was a mistake, they pressed the wrong button. The bombs wer supposed to improve world peace not for attack. Would you expect reparations?

[Tiny 12]

I had no idea that this story had broke before. I am surprised it never got much traction. Thanks for that.

It doesn't prove lab leak? Like if I find a starnger in my house with a bloody knife in his hand and my wife dead on the floor, that doesn't prove the stranger killed her either. Its true maybe an infected bat flew in thru the lab window and infected them. Hey strange things happen!

And most certainly the lab was doing gain of function, so again you just want to ignore all the evidence and "wah, wah, wah, I can't hear you!

About reparations. Your excuse is truly terrible here Tiny. First I didn't say that China should not pay. They are just as guilty as USA. The are both guilty of reckless endangerment and should pay rapartaions to all. RFK agrees with me. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl-Fv9ZF-Og.

It is NO EXCUSE that they were doing it for good purpose. And that has not been proven either. They were doing it for their own benefit, not mine or yours or Sinezo's in Tanzania. The Nazis would argue the same thing.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree JustTK. I'm not a fan of RFK.

[Tiny 12]

You're way off. Of course, you can say there was some corruption in Stalin's USSR. But it not even remotely close to the feastfuck that's going on today in Russia and other post Soviet states.

Really?

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/697363

Other post Soviet states like Ukraine?

I presume you're not an admirer of Stalin, just trying to make a point.

And your point is? Russia is 137. What does this number prove?

I was just replying to you:

"if EVERYONE in Ukraine was corrupt, Russian garrisons would've already been stationed in Kiyv and Lviv, and elsewhere. Instead, they're getting their asses handed to them. ".

Enabling? Still no F16. Still no ATACMS. Still no Abrams. Still, the most ridiculous restrictions to NOT fire INSIDE Russia. WTF! They're firing on Ukraine from INSIDE RUSSIA, but god forbid Ukraine should hit them back with American weapon. How much pressure do you say we put on Ukraine to appease Putin and your lot?

Any Americans who voluntarily want to donate to war efforts in Ukraine or actually go there and fight should be free to do so. As a semi-believer in the 2nd amendment, if they want to take up a collection to buy F16's and Abrams tanks and ship them to Ukraine, they should have at it. I would draw the line at strategic nuclear weapons though.

I don't want our tax dollars being used, to the tune of $75 billion, to promote a war 5000 miles away, when we're not simultaneously trying to bring an end to it. Instead we've told Ukraine that they have a blank check for as long as they want. And the Ukrainians say they're not going to stop until they've regained Crimea.

What do you think our reaction would be if the Warsaw Pact were arming Mexico to the tunes of billions of dollars and talking about taking it in as a member? How many countries in Latin America have we invaded? Remember Grenada?

Gorbachev thought he had a commitment from the USA not to expand NATO. It hasn't turned out that way.

Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. We should be working to end this lunacy, instead of throwing gasoline on the fire.

[JustTK]

This is old news. It has been known for a while that three researchers at the Wuhan lab had flu like illnesses back around the end of 2019 and were treated at a hospital. The Wall Street Journal broke the story over two years ago.

This doesn't prove COVID 19 came from a lab leak, although it certainly provides evidence it may have. It also doesn't prove it resulted from gain of function research.

Respectfully JustTK, if your suspicions are true, I don't see why the USA should pay reparations instead of China. Or know if anybody should pay. Gain of function research was intended to protect us from the next pandemic, and sometimes shit happens.

I had no idea that this story had broke before. I am surprised it never got much traction. Thanks for that.

It doesn't prove lab leak? Like if I find a starnger in my house with a bloody knife in his hand and my wife dead on the floor, that doesn't prove the stranger killed her either. Its true maybe an infected bat flew in thru the lab window and infected them. Hey strange things happen!

And most certainly the lab was doing gain of function, so again you just want to ignore all the evidence and "wah, wah, wah, I can't hear you!

About reparations. Your excuse is truly terrible here Tiny. First I didn't say that China should not pay. They are just as guilty as USA. The are both guilty of reckless endangerment and should pay rapartaions to all. RFK agrees with me. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl-Fv9ZF-Og.

It is NO EXCUSE that they were doing it for good purpose. And that has not been proven either. They were doing it for their own benefit, not mine or yours or Sinezo's in Tanzania. The Nazis would argue the same thing.

[EihTooms]

Neither party is interested in the people. Only more control for themselves and the government. Both parties fear independent thinkers.

Even if that were true, the fact is the House, Senate and White House will be controlled by either the Dems or the Repubs for the rest of your life and that of your childrens' children. The only choice your vote might result in is will they be controlled by the Party that throws around a lot of big talk about handling the economy and National Security better than the opposition but in reality has legislated, produced and led us into every Great Depression, Great Recession, Massive Jobs Loss and Mass Murder of Americans and none of the Great Recoveries, Great Expansions and Historic Job Gains since the late 1920's with no indication that their agenda and methods for producing those results has changed one iota in 100 years or do you want your vote to go to the Party that has legislated and produced the exact opposite of those horrific results in that same timeframe.

Hoping the Party your vote helps to win will be filled with saintly, altruistic monks, priests and rabbis is a nice idea. But, frankly, I believe worrying about such things in the face of inarguable historic patterns, results and realities regarding Real World critical issues is for suckers. The former Party I cited above knows it is for suckers. Hence, The Great 2024 Repub War On Woke!

LOL.

[Xpartan]

There was a lot of corruption in Stalin's USSR and it kicked Germany's ass.

You're way off. Of course, you can say there was some corruption in Stalin's USSR. But it not even remotely close to the feastfuck that's going on today in Russia and other post Soviet states.

Ukraine is in a tie for 116th on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, alongside Angola, Mongolia, the Philippines, El Salvador, Algeria and Zambia. No wonder the EU never put Ukraine on track for membership.

https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022

And your point is? Russia is 137. What does this number prove?

Admittedly the Ukrainian people are enduring incredible hardship by standing up to Russia. And Russia's the aggressor. I just don't know whether we should be enabling the killing to the extent we are. The USA is putting no pressure on Ukraine to settle this. We seem content to let them fight the Russians to the last Ukrainian.

Enabling? Still no F16. Still no ATACMS. Still no Abrams. Still, the most ridiculous restrictions to NOT fire INSIDE Russia. WTF! They're firing on Ukraine from INSIDE RUSSIA, but god forbid Ukraine should hit them back with American weapon. How much pressure do you say we put on Ukraine to appease Putin and your lot?

[Tiny 12]

Ah, the main argument from putin-lovers. Ukraine is corrupt.

While no one would deny that there are plenty of corruption in Ukraine, if EVERYONE in Ukraine was corrupt, Russian garrisons would've already been stationed in Kiyv and Lviv, and elsewhere. Instead, they're getting their asses handed to them. Also everywhere.

There was a lot of corruption in Stalin's USSR and it kicked Germany's ass. Ukraine is in a tie for 116th on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, alongside Angola, Mongolia, the Philippines, El Salvador, Algeria and Zambia. No wonder the EU never put Ukraine on track for membership.

https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022

Admittedly the Ukrainian people are enduring incredible hardship by standing up to Russia. And Russia's the aggressor. I just don't know whether we should be enabling the killing to the extent we are. The USA is putting no pressure on Ukraine to settle this. We seem content to let them fight the Russians to the last Ukrainian.

[Tiny 12]

Neither party is interested in the people. Only more control for themselves and the government. Both parties fear independent thinkers.

Agreed. I don't think it used to be as bad. Independent thinkers and good people like Jeff Flake and Kyrsten Sinema are being run off from their parties.

[Tiny 12]

And how does that refute the irrefutable truth that your video link proved nothing of what you and those numbskulls in your video link claimed?

If you knew anything about anything, that is.

Your beloved Repubs investigated it. They found no wrongdoing by the Bidens. And they were even more desperate to find wrongdoing by the Bidens than you and your video hero numbskulls.

I realize your and Trump's "enemies" must be everyone, everywhere all the time, otherwise claimed to be the "Deep State", because you can't just blame The Democrats for revealing the sad truth about Dear Leader while exonnerating Obama, Hillary, Biden etc when far more Repubs have been doing the investigations and testifying to that result than Dems. But at some point you still need to produce some evidence of your and other Trump Cultists' silly claims.

Elvis' video link did show I was wrong. And you're not being honest with yourself if you believe the Biden's weren't involved in any wrongdoing. In the case of Hunter it's apparent he was. As to Joe, if you want to argue he's incredibly stupid and naive, then I guess hauling his son on the vice presidential jet to China so he could lock in business deals wouldn't constitute wrongdoing.

[PVMonger]

Ah, the main argument from putin-lovers. Ukraine is corrupt.

While no one would deny that there are plenty of corruption in Ukraine, if EVERYONE in Ukraine was corrupt, Russian garrisons would've already been stationed in Kiyv and Lviv, and elsewhere. Instead, they're getting their asses handed to them. Also everywhere.

Yep, everyone in Ukraine is corrupt. And all Democrats are corrupt. All 3-letter agencies are corrupt, too. Especially the DOJ. How dare the DOJ investigate the one-term, twice-impeached, twice-indicted, former-guy for willfully retaining documents and trying to obstruct said investigation. The hubris of Repubs is astounding.