You've become a third world country

[sparrow]

Congratulations!

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/10/politics ... index.html

[MJK]

Yes, it doesn't get any more third world than CNN. All the news thats fit to spin.

[sparrow]

Yes, it doesn't get any more third world than CNN. All the news thats fit to spin.

ABC then?
https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/presid ... e-71724175

[Kurt]

I'd say we are still "second world" as the corruption is approaching Russian and Ukrainian levels but is not not nearly at Nigerian levels.

Yet.

But we are so shitty it is hard for us to even enter Canada and Mexico.

Not to mention we cannot go to most European countries. Guessing we cannot go to Japan or Singapore anymore either.

That is Tajikistan level shit.

[MJK]

If anyone thinks Trump's commutation of Stone signals the USA'a descent into 3rd world status, where were you when the Governors Jeb and George Bush commuted the only death sentences of their terms; Dubya deciding that serial murderer Henry Lee Lucas didn't deserve to die and Jeb gave the same consideration to Ottis Toole, Lucas' lover and killing partner. Between the two they killed maybe a hundred people and confessed to many more, even John Walsh's son Adam. These commutations seem to have been a salute to fellow evildoers they admired.

Commutations and pardons of the apparently undeserving are a long standing Presidential tradition:

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/why-roger-stone-commutation-not-controversial-outrage-mob-thinks

[ROB]

The reason people think you're a deadshit is that, as horrible as all of those cases are, you cannot see the obvious difference between the scenarios.

[Kurt]

If anyone thinks Trump's commutation of Stone signals the USA'a descent into 3rd world status, where were you when the Governors Jeb and George Bush commuted the only death sentences of their terms; Dubya deciding that serial murderer Henry Lee Lucas didn't deserve to die and Jeb gave the same consideration to Ottis Toole, Lucas' lover and killing partner. Between the two they killed maybe a hundred people and confessed to many more, even John Walsh's son Adam. These commutations seem to have been a salute to fellow evildoers they admired.

Commutations and pardons of the apparently undeserving are a long standing Presidential tradition:

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/why-roger-stone-commutation-not-controversial-outrage-mob-thinks

I am talking about more about us being the world's know-nothing disease bags. Plus the Trump properties are directly profiting from the Trump presidency cuz that is where the secret service stays.

Roger Stone is business as usual, except the fact that the crimes he was convicted of are tied directly to the president's 2016 campaign.

And he threatened to kill a shitty DJ.

The thing that really offends me about stone is he is a horrible dresser. He has expensive, hand tailored clothes but he looks like a ventriloquist dummy while wearing them.

He needs a wider brimmed hat, any sunglasses other than those round ones (which off of his weird face look pretty cool). And if he wears shirt collars like that he needs a different tie.

Plus if you spend almost $1k on an Optimo hat, don't bother with the hair transplants. He is considered fashionable by the same people who consider a gold toilet "classy".

[MJK]

Kurt, I used the ZH article solely because it contained evidence that the abuse of pardons/commutations has been business as usual for a couple of centuries, not because I thought Stone should walk. I wouldn't be out anything if he got his prostate massaged with a ping pong paddle handle in Club Fed. But his alleged sins are pretty tame compared to say the Iran Contra Dancers or Marc Rich. I am not a Trump supporter although the hysteria of the Left when he 'won' was an amusing eye opener. I already stated that I believe that the electoral process is compromised and the folks really running the show don't give us choices they can't work with. The whole Russian collusion/stolen election thing looks like bullshit to me but even if it wasn't, the appearance that it will be offset by Democrats stealing it back with mail-in voter fraud should give the portside sheeple something to cheer about.

And to ROB, you've come a long way in developing your writing style. Instead of cut and paste theft of others work or unremarkable rehashes that drew no comments back at, well, you know, now your work is primarily one and two sentence stabs that people actually might finish before dismissing and moving on. That's a start. Who knows? Maybe you will eventually contribute something here that can stand with the best of what I posted back when the Flag was young, wild and free. I'm pulling for you.....

[ROB]

ZH ...contained evidence

ROFL

[snaark]

leaving aside for the moment MJK's disbelief that other people don't seem to pay attention to hysterical conspiracy theory websites...

the USA is still a long way from being a third, or even a second world country. You still have robust institutions that have largely prevented a complete labradoodle from doing nearly as much damage as he otherwise could have. You still have mostly functioning public services, however expensive and inefficient. You still have the possibility of changing governments in November. That's more than people in third world countries can do.

[el3so]

You have a functioning central government, logistics haven't been compromised, grifting isn't the same as endemic corruption, judges and other officials are still elected rather than appointed, your corporate and scientific communities still attract hopefuls from across the globe and you can project military power worldwide pretty much uncontested. If that is considered third world, sign me up.

But his alleged sins are pretty tame compared to say the Iran Contra Dancers or Marc Rich.

That's setting the bar pretty fûcking low.

[Alphabet]

Ehhh...I gotta say I'm on the fence on this.

Spent plenty of time in 3rd world nations There is something to be said for getting shit done with nothing more than being on a motorbike, AK slung on your back, a wad full of cash and cheap gas station sunglasses to pass out at checkpoints. I don't need 14 PowerPoint Tabbed Officers to give me a brief on execution. When the fuck did we go from , "Good job", to "We're going to need a 25 page rundown on everything you did? Because I have literally submitted 1 page of "I did it", and 24 pages of "Fuck You" before. Is probably why I'm on job x times infinity, but my wallet is fat, my street cred is solid, and I can still look at myself in the mirror in the morning.

Other side of me likes the trains on time, and 1st world medical facilities.

[sparrow]

COVID 19 test results and deaths now being sent to the White House HHS instead of the CDC.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transpa ... dlines_hed

Okay Kurt, 2nd world. But working on it because that's a Putin move.

[ROB]

1st world medical facilities.

That's probably the big one that separates 1st and 3rd world.

Also, trying to get anything in a government department. Literally anything.

[Kurt]

1st world medical facilities.

That's probably the big one that separates 1st and 3rd world.

Also, trying to get anything in a government department. Literally anything.

I got excellent care in Nigeria when I caught something in Egypt.

Had to pay for it out of pocket but I was only billed once (in the US they keep sending you bills until you dispute them, we have an "Insurance Company" called Aflack that pays "Secondary" medical bills. What they do is they dispute the bill for you but pretend they paid it)

However, I was in Lagos, if I had been in some stick & mud hut village I would have been screwed.