John Bolton is basically Frank Burns from M*A*S*H* with more offensive facial hair. Bolton’s appointment to be the next Assistant to the President – National Security Advisor (APNSA or National Security Advisor for short) is the most recent dog to catch the car within this administration. He has now finally wormed himself into a key position very close to a US president, but like the dog with his teeth locked firmly onto the car’s bumper he has only two choices: he either has to let go or he has to sink his teeth in, hold on for dear life, and pray he doesn’t get dragged to death and/or run over. He’s an unguided, self directing weapon of mass destruction. He will cause so much chaos and confusion that he will actually wind up defeating himself. He will ultimately self destruct.
What pissed the President off about LTG McMaster is that he actually did the job the right way and took his duties and responsibilities seriously. Bolton couldn’t care less about the Interagency and Interagency process. If Secretary Mattis and Gen (ret) Kelly couldn’t get along with LTG McMaster, which, I think, was partially because they’re 4 stars and he’s only a 3 star, yet he was the national-security and foreign policy gatekeeper, they’re definitely not going to get along with Bolton. He will so degrade and destroy the process that the President won’t be able to achieve anything in terms of national security and foreign policy. Remember, the US economy is about to be overrun by the Chinese in the coming trade war. Do you really think Bolton has any idea how to manage the Interagency process to minimize the damage to the US economy? Not a chance.
Bolton is also a terrible supervisor and manager. The personnel on the National Security staff that are not detailed from the various agencies and departments within the government, as in the people that McMaster hired directly and work for the Executive Office of the President, will begin to leave quickly. Those actual detailed from the various agencies to the National Security Staff will ask for their assignments to be ended early and because of his reputation there won’t be volunteers to replace them. So the National Security Staff will atrophy, which will negatively impact the ability of the President’s national security and foreign policy initiatives. And despite a long history of being wrong on almost every national security and foreign policy issue, Bolton thinks everyone else is stupid and wrong. So he will ignore, if not actively piss off, Secretary Mattis, Gen Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the Joint Chiefs themselves, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Energy, Director of National Intelligence, all of their deputies, etc. It is very difficult to conduct national security and foreign policy after you’ve alienated everyone involved in the national security and foreign policy process. Is is equally difficult to conduct national security and foreign policy without a functioning process, which is why the process we have now was created.
If you're wondering how Bolton will handle other NSC staff, this doesn't bode well for competent people currently working there. pic.twitter.com/igOf5nvINM
— Nada Bakos (@nadabakos) March 23, 2018
I’m not trying to minimize what is definitely a sub-optimal choice. Bolton’s appointment as AP-NSA will definitely make things more chaotic in the White House, while reinforcing the President’s worse instincts about negotiations as zero-sum exercises and cycling willy nilly from being bellicose and threatening to accommodating. But mark my words, it’s not sub-optimal just because Bolton is an always wrong, belligerent, double A type authoritarian (kiss up, kick down). Rather it is sub-optimal because Bolton is going to self destruct, because that’s who and what Bolton is. He can’t help himself.
Stay frosty!
Open thread.
dmsilev
So, a kindred spirit to Trump then.
Baud
I’m glad you’re not the one giving me my semi-annual review.
SFAW
Arrogance and stupidity, all in the same package. How efficient of Bolton.
Crashman
From your keyboard to God’s ears, Adam.
Villago Delenda Est
Examples need to be made of these MAGAts.
VeniceRiley
This cheered me up. That’s how bad things are.
lollipopguild
@Baud: Did you bring a Blue Book and a number 2 pencil?
Baud
@lollipopguild: Yes, but I forgot my pants.
VincentN
So John Bolton is basically Ted Cruz in that even people who agree with him hate his guts.
Now tell us how you really feel.
MJS
I’m thinking (hoping, praying, wishing?) that he never gets to sit in the chair because of his ties to the Cambridge Analytica mess.
Jay
But has Putin confirmed Bolton’s appointment yet?
Spanky
So, he’s a uniter, you’re saying.
Villago Delenda Est
@MJS: NSC Chair is not a position that the Senate has a say in. So the guy is in.
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
So, can North Korea’s missiles reach the mainland?
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
Will he still think everyone is wrong or stupid when he can’t get anybody on his staff? The mind boggles
Cermet
The worst part is the media will always turn it into a he said, she said and act as if there really are two sides to being utterly wrong; then the talking heads will bring on thugs who will just make shit up as fox spins it as brilliance that no one see’s; and democrats created the problem or are aiding those against the right people. Then when it all falls apart, everyone will act as if there was no way to avoid the failure and besides, he wasn’t really a conservative anyway.
Adam L Silverman
@dmsilev: Yep.
Adam L Silverman
@SFAW: Prepared for your convenience…
Snarki, child of Loki
I, for one, hope that Bolton self-detonates that last bomb, when the reality-based SWAT team starts to close in.
Too soon?
Culture of Truth
the North Koreans captured Frank Burns but then released him because he was too annoying
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@Villago Delenda Est:
That should change. Why was this the situation in the first place? Separation of powers?
MJS
@Villago Delenda Est: No, I know it’s not up to the Senate. I’m just hoping that someone sees it as utterly stupid to bring someone in to the NSA position who may already be caught up in Mueller’s investigation, or could shortly be after he arrives, and prevails on Trump (I know) not to do it.
Adam L Silverman
@Crashman: I bought my keyboard from Umin and Tumin, purveyors of fine devices to communicate with the Deity.
Villago Delenda Est
@Cermet: Conservatism cannot fail; it can only be failed.
Adam L Silverman
@VeniceRiley: The only way out is through.
CaseyL
“He will accomplish nothing and no one will work with him.”
This is an optimistic take, then.
Elmo
Adam, I’d be interested in your take on this somewhat contrary opinion over at Lawfare. This guy seems to think that Bolton is at least a canny bureaucratic operator, and one with the skills to get his way.
HeleninEire
@Baud: Hai!! We didn’t get arrested. Too bad. It would have been an “experience.” But we did go to Kilmainham Gaol (that’s “jail, and pronounced “jail”; an old Irish word). Thats where all the Irish rebels were held. And executed. We learned about torture and executions.
I cried when I put her on the bus Thursday. But YAY she had such a good time she wants to come back!
Adam L Silverman
@VincentN: Pretty much.
andy
So maybe we aren’t all going to die?
trollhattan
@Baud:
Have had that dream, which also includes forgetting being enrolled until the day of the final.
Baud
@andy: We’re all going to die…. eventually.
germy
There’s also this:
schrodingers_cat
So much winning!
catclub
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
Because the NSA manages the administration national security process – but in principle does not set policy. Hence is an employee only of the executive branch.
Waldo
Sure, some staffers might quit. But once the war(s) begin, Bolton will start shooting them for desertion.
trollhattan
Is Bolton the first Bushie to return to the WH with Trump? He must really mess the attention.
Adam L Silverman
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?: Nope. The position was created by Executive Order as a result of NSC 68 if I’m recalling correctly, the policy document for how to revise and fix the Interagency. Other than complaining and some oversight, Congress has no say in appointments in th Executive Office of the President.
Arclite
Does anyone think that when the Dems win in November, that they’ll try to work with Trump (given his malleability) than impeaching him and having to work with the much more ideologically rigid Mike Dence?
Baud
@HeleninEire: That’s great. Glad it all worked out.
Spanky
And now for something NOT related to our puny existence. Much.
catclub
@Adam L Silverman: ‘mene mene tekel upharsim’ is only a function key away.
schrodingers_cat
Where are all the BS bros and sistahs crowing, Hillary is the real hawk?
Jay
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
Yup, as far as Chicago.
Adam L Silverman
@CaseyL: That isn’t the take. He will ultimately not be successful. That is not the same thing. I expect he’ll accomplish a number of bad and/ self defeating things. As for no one will work for/with him, I expect they’ll find people, but they won’t be the best and the brightest.
germy
Then I suppose he’s happy about Bolton, also.
andy
@Baud: I mean, like prematurely, in a rapidly expanding cloud of superheated radioactive gas.
Jay
@Arclite:
Dence is on Meuller’s shitlist too.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
It’s hard for me to imagine Trump and Bolton sharing the same space. They’re both sure they’re right and eager for the limelight.
germy
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/attorney-says-roy-moore-supporters-offered-him-10000-to-drop-client-who-accused-the-senate-candidate-of-sexual-impropriety/2018/03/23/6d875f2c-02e3-11e8-93f5-53a3a47824e8_story.html?utm_term=.ba46c69d38cb
catclub
@trollhattan: I had a hard time thinking of others, but I bet there are some.
Bolton is the mostly proudly wrong and unapologetic over Iraq war 2 of the Bush crowd.
Wild Cat
Mr. Plato’s Retreat hooked onto fellow psychotic Pam Gellar when she ran a hideous Libertarian/Zionist/Islamophobic blog called “Atlas Shrugs” years ago. They were probably an item, and about ten years ago she published a photo of His Manly Boltonness sucking at her bare teats. I’m searching for it—not that the fascists will care what a fellow Chicken Hawk did that may be unseemly to their gods—but it may have been scrubbed.
Any way to find the original entry via a “Wayback Machine?”
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
Also this guy could be a jackal, give how well <a href="
“>this twitter thread expresses our joint feelings about people who said Hillary would be worse.
ETA: Oops. My screw up. It’s a good thread anyway
Baud
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): Agreed.
Rommie
@SFAW: I hope Bolton doesn’t kick the dragon the EA did – that ended badly and it was divine luck it wasn’t the End of Everything.
And this post is a real insult to Frank Burns – at least HE was a mediocre surgeon!
andy
@Arclite: Don’t they need a supermajority in the Senate to convict, though? I can’t see that happening.
CaseyL
@Adam L Silverman: My point was that, considering the enormous damage he could do, “bad and/or self-defeating” and working with mediocre (at best) people IS an optimistic take.
I do understand that the world doesn’t stand still, and while the US is bumbling around fucking up everything it touches, other nations will be doing their own thing probably to our detriment. I doubt we’ll ever get back what we’ve lost, because electing Trump is a lesson the world will not forget.
So, to be honest, a Bolton who does damage but is mostly ineffectual is about as good as we’re gonna get.
Roger Moore
@VincentN:
Except Cruz is almost as (book) smart as he thinks he is.
schrodingers_cat
My prediction: Bolton is not going to last as long as McMaster, let’s see if he can surpass Flynn’s time in office.
catclub
@Arclite:
Given that impeachment vote by the Senate – which takes 2/3rds is unlikely, they will work with Trump as little as they have to.
if things are bad enough for Trump that he cannot maintain 34 GOP senators in support – then we are through the looking glass.
MikeifromArlington
Bolton is the creature from the swampy lagoon.
Bolton is quintessential swamp
Chris
@Crashman:
He said “Bolton is going to self-destruct.” How much collateral damage occurs in the process is still an open question.
The Moar You Know
If I wanted to destroy any organization, I’d hire a guy like John Bolton into their middle management. Everyone below leaves, everyone above tears their hair out and goes insane because nothing’s getting done and they don’t know why.
HeleninEire
In the pub cuz….it’s Friday. They are playing the Hillary song. “This is my life song…” Yeah? Dunno the name or artist. Gonna break out crying.
Matt McIrvin
@schrodingers_cat: Some of them are apparently gnawing on a theory that Bolton and Pompeo were somehow forced upon Trump by the Deep State.
Roger Moore
@Adam L Silverman:
The Trump White House was never going to get the best and the brightest no matter who the NSA was.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
Probably reinforce Bolton’s sense of personal perfection lol
Personally, I suspect Bolton really doesn’t matter, Trump is the Philosopher King and needs no minion to tell him anything. Bolton’s job will be to echo Trump’s latest nonsense spew.
schrodingers_cat
@Matt McIrvin: I don’t even know what that means.
ElegantFowl
Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to take much competence and managerial skill to start a war, if you don’t actually care about the outcome or consequences. The real danger starts once Trump realizes he has no chance of reelection. He’s not gonna retire and learn to paint while awaiting redemption.
The Moar You Know
@Arclite: Even under the best case scenario, we may have the votes to convict but not remove (Clinton impeachment part 2). We’re going to have to work with the unstable sack of shit until 2020 unless he drops dead from cheeseburgers.
Roger Moore
@schrodingers_cat:
Let’s hope he doesn’t even last one Moochspan.
lgerard
The good news is trump doesn’t listen to anyone anyway, and Bolton is sure to say something to upstage trump and piss him off.
The bad news is this, along with Kudlow and Pompeo represent the return of the Mercer/Bannon axis to influence in the dumpster fire that is the White House.
Baud
@Roger Moore: Getting fired before he starts would be impressive …. And well deserved.
Roger Moore
@Wild Cat:
Good God, why? Do you really want to destroy everyone’s will to live?
eclare
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): That was cathartic…..
rikyrah
The nerve of McMaster!
Adam L Silverman
@Elmo: I don’t disagree that Bolton understands how things work or that he’s very knowledgeable. Unlike the author of that piece I fortunately don’t know Bolton, nor have I had to work with him. But there is a difference in the job he’s going into, from the jobs he previously had. Now he’s the gatekeeper. And he’s not in a position to give orders to Mattis, for instance. The same skills that made him effective 1 years ago may do so again. Or they may just get him into trouble. Then he was Cheney’s catspaw. That’s not his job or role anymore.
Chris
@schrodingers_cat:
The place I’m working at has a pool going on Trump administration members. We have them all ranked in the order in which we think they’re going to leave, and also in terms of how we think they’re going to leave (the three options being “resigned,” “fired,” and “died/disappeared under mysterious circumstances).
After Tillerson got fired, I was tied for first place. With McMaster, I’ve gone down to the middle of the pack. We’ll see what happens next…
rikyrah
@Arclite:
Phuck no. I have absolutely no interest in seeing Democrats try to work with him.
We win in November, it’s impeachment time, investigation time!
Chris
@HeleninEire:
“Fight Song,” Rachel Platten.
Raoul
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): This is what I think won’t work well. Trump will be upstaged on a number of occasions, and that will not please his fragile, tiny-huge ego.
The Other Chuck
@The Moar You Know: por que no los dos? No really, the Democratic caucus will send their smoothest-talking flatters to liase with 45 and probably sway him to Dem positions here and there, and meanwhile the caucus as a whole will sharpen its knives.
Adam L Silverman
@germy: Well bless his heart
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@eclare: I enjoyed it.
Adam L Silverman
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): Exactly. The honeymoon will be short.
germy
Old School
@HeleninEire:
They are playing the Hillary song. “This is my life song…” Yeah? Dunno the name or artist.
Fight Song by Rachel Platten
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc
Jeffro
@VincentN:
It’s idiots and assholes and both, all the way down!
Chris
@Adam L Silverman:
So basically, he has a job like Eisenhower’s, and a temperament like Patton’s.
The Other Chuck
1) Bolton was probably already whispering in Trump’s ear.
2) Trump doesn’t listen to his advisors anyway.
Might be the best way to prevent Bolton’s policies would be to throw him into the Oval Padded Cell with the rest of the nutjobs for a time.
Mary G
We already know Twitler hates the mustache, and I am thinking of tweeting to him that whenever Bolton eats or drinks, some of it’s going to get stuck in there and YUGE bacteria will breed and make the whole White House die of plague.
Porky Pine
I heard Malcolm Nance this morning on the Stephanie Miller Show say that Bolton has been out of government service long enough to have to pass through security clearance [again?]. And Malcolm thought that Bolton would not be able to clear that hurdle, due to business dealings with proscribed entities. Adam, what do you think about this? Or will Twitler have Bolton installed in the West Wing even without the completed SF-86, a la Jared for so many months?
John Revolta
The North Koreans, in 2003, called Bolton “Human Scum”. So, y’know, I’m sure things are gonna improve on that front.
ruemara
@Arclite: Yes. They are just awaiting the chance to betray progressive principles and it’s all been for show.
Adam L Silverman
@germy: Well bless her heart too!
Faithful Lurker
Adam, does Bolton have to have a top level security clearance or does he already have one from years ago?
edit: I missed the post above but am still really curious. I can’t see how he can pass a review.
bluehill
Supposedly Bolton has some ties to the Russians through the NRA. Who doesn’t in this admin? Apparently a dem rep sent Ryan a letter explicitly telling him not to use hacked data supplied by the Russians for attack ads. Of course, Ryan did anyways. It seems most of the idiots holding the positions of power within the repub party have been comprised or are working with the Russkies, The others are resigning. Not a good time for our democracy.
I’ll give Putin some credit. He orchestrated a bloodless coup of the most powerful country on the planet and it probably cost less than one F-35 fighter jet. What’s the saying about always fighting the last war?
Gelfling 545
@dmsilev: And this might be what gets him out pdq. He and Trump both are guys who want to have the last word – and most of the preceeding ones as well. He could piss Trump off fairly soon, expecially if some helpful rumors began to spread that he was “controlling” Trump à la Bannon. Trump doesn’t share the spotlight.
Adam L Silverman
@Chris: I’d have gone with temperament like Stonewall Jackson’s, but pretty much.
SiubhanDuinne
@Culture of Truth:
“The Ransom of Red Chief.”
M*A*S*H was brilliant at recycling old stories and folktales to plot new episodes. There was one that was taken directly from the Russian legend of Lieutenant Kije, and it was quite wonderful.
TenguPhule
Calling it merely a sub-optimal choice is pretty much the definition of minimization, Adam.
BCHS Class of 1980
@The Other Chuck: I agree that both would happen. Trump is so malleable and if the tsunami does hit, the GOP will be on his shit list. Additionally the investigations that will precede impeachment will take a while.
TenguPhule
@Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD):
Given that Trump’s folks are the ones insisting that the intelligence estimates are wrong, I’m gonna go with a Yes on that.
charon
The blockquote posted at LGM:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/trump-hired-bolton-to-make-foreign-policy-exciting-again.html
BCHS Class of 1980
@Adam L Silverman: What have you heard of the strife between McMaster and the 4-stars? The stories I’ve read just state it as a fact without explanation.
Mary G
Wow. Leigh Coffman’s attorney says that people from Breitbart offered to pay him to discredit her (WaPo).
Adam L Silverman
@Porky Pine: @Faithful Lurker: Yep, both his top secret and sensitive compartmented information clearances will need to be redone. The CIA will process his SF 86 and the FBI will do the background check as they do for everyone to be cleared appointee in the White House. The completed check will be sent to the appropriate White House office, which adjudicates the investigation and determines what level of clearance, if any, is awarded. Bolton’s lobbying and speaking activities since leaving the Bush Administration in 2006 will legitimately raise flags as he’s been involved with and paid by a number of extremists (the MEK, UKIP, etc), as well as groups fronting for Russian organized crime (Torshin’s pro gun group). Whether the concerns that arise are deemed to be disqualifying is something I cannot say.
Adam L Silverman
@TenguPhule: What’s below sub-optimal?
Steeplejack (phone)
@Baud:
Yeah, I’d be happy with J-Steel’s “out-of-town stupid.”
TenguPhule
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
Saurumon and Wormtongue.
TenguPhule
@Adam L Silverman:
SNNCFU.
Situation Not Normal Completely Fucked Up.
TenguPhule
@Mary G: $10,000 seems like an awfully cheap bribe to risk potential disbarrment.
charon
Also:
http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2018/03/fox-friends-presidency
Chris
@bluehill:
No joke.
Adam L Silverman
@BCHS Class of 1980: All I’ve seen are the same stories. So I have no idea.
TenguPhule
@lgerard:
Sorry no. He kissed up and kicks down, from all accounts.
Chris
@charon:
You missed the best part:
TenguPhule
@bluehill:
The Sith spent the last 40 years preparing for this war by treason while the Jedi order thought we’d be fighting the last war by voting for the best possible candidate.
eemom
Bolton=Yosemite Sam. I think that started when he was in the Bush admin. Anyway, WB cartoons are comforting, and we certainly need that now.
Waratah
I thought there were times I liked Frank, he sometimes actually had a heart. I have not seen that in Bolton.
Another Scott
@Roger Moore: Bobo was on ATC this afternoon telling us that “Bolton is Trumpy”.
It won’t matter to his Base, though, I’m sure. Either way.
Cheers,
Scott.
SiubhanDuinne
@schrodingers_cat:
I mostly agree, I think he’ll last longer than Flynn* but not as long as McMaster.
*Not a very high bar, let’s face it.
Calouste
@germy: Maybe Jane could have asked someone which positions require Senate confirmation. Someone she is close to might know.
magurakurin
@Adam L Silverman:
according to my cousin’s recent review The Justice League movie and Ben Affleck’s Batman
TenguPhule
@eemom:
Yosemite Sam was more dangerous to himself then to others.
TenguPhule
@John Revolta:
Apparently we have more in common with North Korea then we suspected.
Chris
@TenguPhule:
If we had an upvote, I’d give you one for ROTS novelization reference.
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@bluehill:
I wouldn’t. Putin is an evil, selfish man who doesn’t give one shit about anyone else but himself. His “bloodless coup” here could easily result in a nuclear war which would kill hundreds of millions in the least and set human civilzation back decades if not centuries.
Raven Onthill
I hope he self-destructs before he starts World War III.
SiubhanDuinne
@Wild Cat:
The ICK is strong.
Adam L Silverman
@TenguPhule: Sure, sure.
rikyrah
16!!
WHY does this baby have to fight?
16-year-old Journey Jamison from the South Side of Chicago won’t be on stage at #MarchForOurLives on Saturday — but she’s fighting tirelessly to save victims of gun violence in her community.
This is Journey’s incredible story. pic.twitter.com/2fEqCMCSB9
— Mic (@mic) March 23, 2018
Doug!
First line of this post is killer.
Another Scott
@Mary G: rofl. :-)
“Javanka! Quick! Call ServPro!! Remodel the Oval Office again!! We gotta get Bolton’s infected mustache droppings out of there!!11”
Cheers,
Scott.
TenguPhule
@germy: I’m against torture on principle, but I’m willing to make an exception for GG.
Brachiator
OK, you’re telling me we have to wonder about who may self-destruct first, Bolton or Trump?
@Another Scott:
Folks, here’s a story ’bout Donnie the Doocher
He was a red-hot hoochie-coocher
He was the roughest, toughest frail
But Donnie had an ego as big as a whale
Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi)
Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah)
Hee-dee-hee-dee-hee-dee-hee (hee-dee-hee-dee-hee-dee-hee)
He-e-e-e-e-e-e-y (he-e-e-e-e-e-e-y)
He messed around with a bloke named Bolton
He loved him though was Trumpy
He took him down to North Koreatown
And he showed him how to kick the nukes around
TenguPhule
@The Moar You Know:
So Putin will approve then.
SiubhanDuinne
@Adam L Silverman:
Question for the (other) Olds: Was it George Gobel who used to say “Bless your little pea-pickin’ heart”?
Might have been Tennessee Ernie Ford.
Adam L Silverman
@magurakurin: I haven’t seen it yet. I’ve heard mixed things.
Mary G
I just read a really interesting article about CambAnal in Mother Jones magazine. There is a chance that the genius data mining might not even exist and it’s really just a scam
It almost reads as if the Mercers give a big donation to a politician, who then signs a contract with CambAnal. Bolton’s superpac got $5 million in donations from the Mercers and paid CambAnal $1.2 million. Kickback? Money laundering? Inquiring minds want to know.
Ruckus
@Porky Pine:
Well if he is there only temporarily anyway, which seems like a real possibility, he’ll probably be out before any temp clearance is null and void. The only thing would be if he is in such trouble that he can’t even get a temp clearance. Seems like a long shot but who knows with these clowns, personally I wouldn’t let them clean out a hog pen with spoons and lunch sized paper bags. They’d fuck it up and make it shittier.
zhena gogolia
@SiubhanDuinne:
“Lieutenant Kizhe” was a story by Yury Tynianov. I suppose it was based on a legend, but Prokofiev was inspired by Tynianov’s story.
I can’t believe I’ve gotten to plug Dmitri Prigov and Yury Tynianov on successive days on BJ.
Corner Stone
Well, well, well. CNN:
The President’s doctor is getting promoted
“The Pentagon announced on Friday that President Donald Trump nominated Jackson to the position of rear admiral (upper half) from his current position of rear admiral (lower half). The nomination, which secretary of defense Jim Mattis announced, would give Jackson his second star and a bump in pay.”
I’m sure it’s just routine, though.
Steeplejack (phone)
Okay, it’s 49° outside here in NoVA right now. Supposed to be the same in D.C. tomorrow, maybe a little cloudy. So it will be fine for the march. I went to the store a little while ago, and it was quite pleasant.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@Old School: Could it be “This Is My Fight Song:?
SiubhanDuinne
@Mary G:
GERMZZZ!!!
Jay
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
I would. Putin sucessfully exploited the worst natures of America to pull off his coup.
The US has always had to use The Generals.
Another Scott
@Brachiator: :-) Well done! Cab would be proud.
Cheers,
Scott.
magurakurin
@Adam L Silverman: me neither. I am more of a Marvel person though. In the airport in Christchurch heading home from two weeks in NZ. what a wonderful country. They sure don’t think much of Trump, though, which is to their credit of course.
Another Scott
@SiubhanDuinne: The Google Machine says TEF. Well done! :-)
Cheers,
Scott.
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@Jay:
I don’t want to give him credit for anything. He’s a monster.
Another Scott
@zhena gogolia: In Soviet Russia, Balloon Juice plugs you!!
Cheers,
Scott.
Ruckus
@Waratah:
Frank Burns was an act. drumpf and Bolton are the real deal. They are just as bad in every way you think they are. Larry Linville on played an asshole on TV. These two are assholes full time.
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@Ruckus:
They obviously mean the character, not the actor.
Ruckus
@Calouste:
Wanna bet?
ruemara
@Wild Cat: Oh good goddess have mercy on us all.
John Revolta
@TenguPhule: I do respect their translators’ way of finding le mot juste.
MomSense
The myriad ways in which trump is a disaster are overwhelming at times. I just came back from a Great Discussions program where we were discussing global health and US support and investment. At some point in the conversation it was noted that there won’t be any progress with this administration. My dad said that has come up in every foreign policy topic they’ve covered this year.
It’s infuriating that our worst person now holds our most important office. Anyone he chooses is going to be awful. Anyone willing to work for him, let alone someone like Bolton who is enthusiastic about it,is going to be dreadful.
If I didn’t have people I care about and feel responsible for, it would be very tempting to just escape this bullshit. Then again there is nowhere to go that is outside the reach of the US.
So we resist and we fight.
MomSense
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
I think I ❤️ed just about every comment on that thread.
Gin & Tonic
As a mustache-American myself, I do not find Bolton’s choice of facial hair to be offensive. Everything else about him, maybe, but it’s a good solid mustache.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
Great thread!
lgerard
@Mary G:
This
A careful reading of this article might cause you to conclude that Nix is nothing more then a bullshit artist of trumpian stature
magurakurin
@MomSense: take it from a 20-year expat…the pain and horror of this isn’t any better outside the border.
Jay
@Mary G:
Anal and SCO have been floating the “excuse”, that “it really doesn’t work”, everytime they have been caught breaking election laws, so for about a decade now.
Microtargetting works.
Mike G
I’m trying to think of the equivalent of Colonel Flagg, the pompous CIA guy. Maybe Mike Pence.
MomSense
@germy:
God he irritates me.
Litlebritdifrnt
Just saw something on twitter that said while Bolton was pro Vietnam War he declined to sign up or be drafted because “I have no desire to die in a rice paddy in Vietnam” How very brave of him and typical of the keyboard commandos out there every single day.
Jay
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
Yup, he’s kinda a monster. I don’t like all the “New Hitler” references that ‘Murkin’s float out everytime they have a Foreign Head of State to hate. It’s not productive to containment, negotiation or neutralization, tends to lead to things like Dubya Dubya Me Too.
JLowe
Hi Adam – good analysis. Leaves a thread of hope that sheer incompetence will come to our rescue before something really bad happens. However, the analysis raises a different question for me. These guys seem to be real dim-bulbs, as in making the Bushies look smart by comparison dim-bulbs (yeah, I know, Bolton was there too, UN Ambassador. So what, big deal). However, they seem to be winning right now. Not a blowout or anything, but at this moment, things do seem to look a bit grim for the Forces of Light. Why is that? Is it just the matter of “evil will always triumph because good is dumb”? Does evil also triumph against smart? Or is there something else at work here?
VeniceRiley
@Adam L Silverman: I just read an old dailykos with a letter from 2005 about Bolton. As disturbing as it is, it’s now, not only the “me too” era, of note is his over the top bullying for what are now bosses only noteworthy for being under investigation by Mueller.
Manafort, Stone, Black …
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2005/4/15/106909/-
lgerard
@TenguPhule:
I’m sure that Bolton will embrace trump tightly and cover him with soft kisses, but I’m equally sure that Bolton’s giant ego will cause him to say something that will make trump feel that Bolton is taking credit for something that rightly belongs to the great trump. That is always the starting point for his dissatisfaction.
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone:
So he graduates from having to look up Trump’s ass to merely observing his hairy back?
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@germy:
He doesn’t even fucking live here anymore. Not that people who aren’t Americans/don’t live here can’t have opinions about goings on in the US. I just resent GG because He’s such a sanctimonious ass who has no real skin the game.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
Is there some way we can find some angry, enraged loner to send to the Chuck Todd MTP set with his AR15 and bump stock?
Mle
@HeleninEire:
It’s Rachel Platton. “Fight Song.” And if you want to feel bad about another thing, listen to her talk about “broken glass” on song exploder. (It’s about the crap she got for letting Hillary use it.)
TenguPhule
@lgerard:
This would be sub-optimal as that would occur after the ballistic missiles are already on final approach to targets.
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@Jay:
I see what you’re saying.
MomSense
@magurakurin:
That’s what I figure. It has been nice this past week to carve out short periods of time to look at or give any thought to politics. I’m really just enjoying my dad, going on long walks, and taking bad photos of wildlife. I do find that I have to work at not thinking about it and every afternoon before we turn on the news my dad wonders aloud about what the bad news will be today.
Uncle Cosmo
@The Moar You Know: Jeebus Cripes, here we go again:
It’s analogous to indictment. The Senate is analogous to the jury, with 2/3+1 votes of those present needed to convict & remove from office, (Note the phrase “two thirds of the Members present” from USC Article I Section 3. It would appear to be theoretically possible for enough Senators to absent themselves from the proceedings that there would still be a quorum [51] & Democrats voting as a bloc would satisfy the 2/3 + 1 requirement. E.g., if 30 Thuglicans stayed away from an impeachment vote, the current 49 Senate Democrats would constitute 70% of “Members present”. How to organize that? Damfino – I’m a math/stat type.)
lgerard
@TenguPhule:
I’m wondering if we are going to see a day when the military leadership flatly refuses to carry out an order from the commander in chief. That will certainly be a turning point in American history.
kdaug
@SFAW: He von’t listen. Arrogant men never do.
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@TenguPhule:
Yes, but it would be optimal because some of the other guys’ ballistic missiles would be heading towards DC to vaporize Dump. If he somehow survived that in a bunker somewhere he wouldn’t last a week before a Secret Service agent lost it and shot him.
Uncle Cosmo
@Adam L Silverman: Honey?moon?? Think saccharinmeteor.
lgerard
@MomSense:
I tried to sell my friends on the concept of trumpless tuesdays, a day where baring impeachment, indictment or KFC induced medical event that there be no mention of the orange bastard.
It’s not working so far
Frankensteinbeck
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
I resent GG because he’s a liar and a successful ratfucker.
Yutsano
@magurakurin: I have friends in Auckland bugging the shit out of me to come and visit. I can’t wait except I have a feeling I won’t want to leave. I’m also surprised how reasonable the flights are to Auckland from Seattle are.
trollhattan
Per NY Mag $31k Ben is next on the Trumpenblok.
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: As I wrote in a comment about this last night, regardless of whether they could do what they said, it appeared Mercer was laundering money by donating to campaigns, PACs, and Super PACs and then requiring them to hire his company to do the data work.
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@Frankensteinbeck:
That too.
TenguPhule
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
Last I checked, SOP is for him to escape on AF1 and fly somewhere the bombs aren’t hitting.
Adam L Silverman
@magurakurin: I love the DC characters. I’ll probably watch it now that its out on digital download.
TenguPhule
@Adam L Silverman:
Then you’re probably not going to like what they’ve been turned into on screen.
trollhattan
Really dislike the double-negative in use here.
I am so gonna start a war! [stomps off]
Bolton’s bringing in Paul Wolfowitz, isn’t he.
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@TenguPhule:
DC can’t seem to make a decent live-action movie adaptation, aside from Wonder Woman, to save their lives atm.
magurakurin
@Yutsano: I recommend it highly. This has been the most relaxing and stress free travels I have ever done. The people are wonderful.
TenguPhule
Overseas markets crapping their pants.
Wheeeeeeeeeeee!
germy
@Adam L Silverman: I’d like to hear your opinion after you see it.
Iconic characters together in one film. Parts of it are great, but many of the scenes I saw in previews are missing.
Jay
@Adam L Silverman:
It wasn’t just laundering, it was also “donor milking”,
Anal took in far more from the Campaigns and PAC’s than the Mercer’s donated.
TenguPhule
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?: Superman has too few weaknesses, Batman has too much angst, Aquaman is forgettable and the Flash is hard to take seriously when he’s dressed in red.
TenguPhule
@Jay:
Is this anything like milking a bull?
mario
unfortunately, Lawfare blog does not agree that Bolton will be ineffective.
https://www.lawfareblog.com/john-bolton-i-knew
and the author ain’t no lightweight
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@TenguPhule:
Here’s how much the stock market is still up since Donald Trump took office: Or CNBC is garbage
geg6
@lgerard:
Hell, I watched that video when it first hit and knew immediately that he was a total bullshit artist. Any articles spelling it out would only confirm what I already knew. But that doesn’t mean that CambAnal wasn’t involved in nefarious shit with Russia and Trump. I thank the FSM for the CambAnal whistleblower. I have thought for a year now that this is where we’d find the smoking gun, if there is one. And with this Guccifer 2.0 news, I think I may still be right.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Chris: My god, so Bolton was already on the death watch even before he was offered the job, because of his mustache?ROFL
Watch it, before the end Trump will be firing people he never hired.
Adam L Silverman
@VeniceRiley: I’ve seen that letter before. And I can relate. My first job for the Army was as a contractor. I worked for the Prime on the contract. The business development unit leads, as well as their on site lead who would go on to be charged with misuse of government funds (theft) actually pulled a similar type of thing on me before I deployed. The whole thing blew up in their face when the Program Manager had the Chief of Staff bring my team in and ask them questions about whether they were loyal to me or to the program. At that point they got the truth and I was reinstated. Of course the Prime did everything they could to irk me and the Program Manager for the next three years. I got a modicum of revenge when I got AmEx to open a FraudX investigation on how they were setting up and directing their employees to use the corporate credit cards.
debbie
Oh, come on. You know you want to see a glower-down between Bolton and Gorka. Who will be the first to pee their pants?
bluehill
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?: I hear you. I don’t say it in admiration but out of respect. I think you respect your adversaries, particularly ones that control a large nuclear arsenal.
It seems like the accepted view was that Russia was in retreat and no longer a threat. It’s territorial influence had shrunk. It’s economy was cratering with falling oil prices and sanctions. I have too little knowledge to know if this ridiculous speculation, but I wonder if a “weakened” Russia made it easier to launch the “war on terror” since we had this great military that now needed a new opponent. We jump into the middle east quagmire which over time consumes more and more of our attention and resources and makes it easier for Russia carry out its plan. Heckuva job, Dick Cheney!
As for increasing the threat of a nuclear war, if Putin secures his grip on power here, and right now he seems to have sway on two of our branches of government through one of the major political parties, then he obviously has a tremendous amount of influence. I would think it would be easier and more profitable to turn the US into an “ally.” I don’t think too many countries would want a confrontation. Not what I want, but just speculating about Putin’s end game. Again, I don’t have any expertise, just what I remember from HS history and Tom Clancy novels.
MomSense
@lgerard:
In my everyday life I fail to ignore the trump drama but I think trumpless Tuesdays is a great idea.
I almost lost my dad a year ago so this time with him is precious. That apricot asshole will not take it away from me.
Cacti
Bolton knows only one thing:
We need to be at war with someone, somewhere.
Adam L Silverman
@germy: My understanding is that a lot of the problem is that no matter how careful they were, what Whedon was brought in to finish and to then do reshoots created a strange hybrid that wasn’t Snyder’s movie, nor was it Whedon’s movie.
germy
@Cacti:
Well not him personally.
WereBear
I would like to think they would run out of assholes, but as we all know, this is a renewable resource.
Trump sure is burning through the available supply, though.
Adam L Silverman
@mario: I’m not saying he’ll be ineffective. I’m saying he will be ultimately self destructive and self defeating. There’s a difference.
debbie
@Cacti:
That puts me in mind of the Plan for a New Century put out by Bill Kristol way back in the late 1990s. The plan was to be ready and capable of waging two wars simultaneously at any time.
M31
@debbie:
another pee pee tape for Trump!
Brachiator
From CNN
On a local (Southern California) talk show, callers and Twitter posts are laughing, dismissing all this panic as old fashioned thinking, the kind of deep state swamp gas that Trump promised to get rid of. They are peeing themselves over their happiness with their new sheriff in town, convinced that Trump is going to show friends and enemies alike how a Real White President takes care of business.
This also includes Republican pundits and strategists who play that game of denying that Trump could ever do wrong.
These dopes are not just clinging to their delusion, they’re doubling down on it.
Mary G
The CambAnal whistleblower just tweeted this out, maybe Adam can embed it. It’s a first page of a memo from Rudy Giuliani’s law firm addressed to Rebekah Mercer, Steve Bannon and Alexander Nix on whether foreign companies can work on American elections:
Jay
@TenguPhule:
More like milking the Deplorables, the Gullabillies and the Wingnut Welfare Ogliarches.
PAC’s don’t actually have to spend money on “politics”, they can be pure grift and money laundering.
lgerard
@geg6:
The article is more then a year old, so the truth was out there for a while. My own guesswork is that CamAn gave trump’s operation the idea and some of the raw materials even if they themselves were not able to deliver on their grandiose promises.
MomSense
I can’t link on this stupid phone but everyone check out the #veteransforgunreform video.
I think we are finally going to ban these things.
debbie
@mario:
There’s no way to know whether he will be effective or not. For all their shortcomings and all-around wrong-headedness, Bolton had a reliable partner in the Bush administration. No way he has one now.
Ruckus
@Yutsano:
I went. I didn’t want to come back. I tried to move there but was a year too old. It is a wonderful place. The south island can be a bit more… weather interesting in the winter but has some of the great natural features that are a small part in making it what it is, all in all it looked like a great place to live.
When I came back my sister asked me what I liked about it and I started thinking about all the places but realized that far more than that it was all the people that I met that made it great.
TenguPhule
@WereBear:
The problem is that they don’t die, they simply get older.
TenguPhule
@Adam L Silverman:
I’m sorry, but I can’t tell the difference between the two shades of radioactive fallout from here.
TenguPhule
@Brachiator:
I know. I don’t see how this ends without getting rid of 1/3 of Americans.
Chip Daniels
This article in The Atlantic seems on topic:
Trump Can’t Get What He Wants And Doesn’t Know Why
Basically, that Trump has this Green Lantern theory of how things work, and gets frustrated when all of Washington doesn’t simply jump at his orders.
I get the sense that Bolton has this same mentality.
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: Here you go:
Jay
@lgerard:
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/motherboard.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/mg9vvn/how-our-likes-helped-trump-win
Microtargetting works.
Jeffro
@Steeplejack (phone): we are looking forward to it here!
My kid are fired UP
Brachiator
@Adam L Silverman:
This worked fairly well with “Rogue One,” which cobbled together the work of two different directors. Here, the producers had some idea of the overall tone and result that they wanted, even though they still had to make compromises and rough spots show in the final product.
I don’t know. I’ve pretty much moved on from “Justice League.” But there are comic fans who are convinced that there is a hidden masterpiece in Snyder’s footage. And all kinds of stuff is popping up on comic sites about what Snyder wanted to do with Superman’s black suit, etc. The movie might have been more satisfying had they given the new team more time, but they were committed to their release window. Or maybe it always would have been a bit of a mess.
The one thing that the studio has going for it is that the audiences liked the heroes. It’s up to the creative team not to squander this bit of goodwill that has been generated.
Roger Moore
@Mary G:
Some of the recent revelations have convinced me Cambridge Analytica was never anything but a front for Russian Intelligence. Their technology was never anything more than a cover story, and they never helped Cruz because Russia favored Trump.
NotMax
Haven’t read through the comments yet so apologies if repetitious of what is above.
Look to Venezuela first as the place where Bolton will be testing the waters vis a vis his authority versus Mattis, etc..
Citizen Alan
@Calouste:
BTW, why is Crooked Jane not in jail for bank fraud yet?
Mary G
TY. It looks like they said, oh no, it’s against the law, but I’m sure there is a “but” on page 2. Interesting because it’s four years old. Seems like they were planning all these shenanigans for Ted Cruz and switched to Trump when he started winning.
Corner Stone
@Brachiator: Rogue One was a piss poor movie until the final five minutes of it.
? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?
@Brachiator:
We’ll see how long their cocksure attitude lasts when the US economy is in tatters. What fucking idiots. Did they really think that America was destined to always be the center of the universe?
Jay
@Roger Moore:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/23/1751581/-Facebook-Knows-Everything-You-Do-It-s-worse-than-I-thought
Meta data on emails, text messages, cell phone calls, voice mail, all “captured” outside of Messenger and SMS.
NotMax
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Yes.
SATSQ.
Jay
@Mary G:
In one of the Guardian’s Anal stories, they note that Anal took Cruz from 3% to 35% in the Primaries.
notoriousJRT
My guess is he will have people join his staff. For whatever reason, the draw will succeed with some. This country has proved itself to have a high inventory of arrogant assholes of the far right persuasion. Will they be highly competent? That is a different challenge.
lgerard
May final thought on Bolton
The fervent wish that this dynamic works on an accelerated schedule
laura
My town’s in lockdown. Sunday, an unarmed 22 year old man ran from police into his grandparents back yard where he was shot 22 times. You may have seen it on the am chat showz.
Darkrose commented on it very early Tuesday morning. Her palpable heartache and anguish was….I still don’t have words.
Last night a peaceful protest was held that interupted traffic and the start of a basketball game.
This morning, our Mayor, Darrell Steinberg asked for protest to continue peacefully as the investigation proceeds.
My neighbor is a local high school teacher and yesterday she told me her black students are reporting feeling terrorized. Literally fearing constantly that they are going to be shot and killed any and everywhere they go.
Not. Safe. Any. Where.
As I left for work, my 59th street overpass had a guy standing with a blue lives matter banner. Blue is a job, it is not, in fact a life was my initial thought.
I just drove home. Traffic through every main freeway is backed up for miles and the downtown is on lockdown. No entrance or exit. Police and cars and helicopters and just massive police presence.
What the hell have we done to ourselves?
A significant number of friends, neighbor have justified fears that their fellow neighbors and coworkers and students would just as soon they be dead or would go further and do the killing.
What can I do to help fix this city, this state, this nation?
Corner Stone
Man. Tweety really, really hates John Bolton.
Citizen Alan
@Brachiator:
Then it was too late from the start because Snyder went out of his way to make both Superman and Batman unlikable. Personally, I think he was trying to do the same thing with all of them (let’s “deconstruct” the heroes by making them awful), but Mamoa, Gadot, and Miller had too much personal charisma and were able to shine through. (Though I was a bit put off by Mamoa’s strange “frat boy” take on Aquaman.) When Superman showed up at the end and smugly said “Is this guy still bothering you?” to Wonder Woman, I nearly started rooting for Steppenwolf.
SFBayAreaGal
@Adam L Silverman: I love the DC universe. I grew up reading Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Brave and the Bold, Detective, etc. I find it interesting that television has done a better job with the DC world than the movie studios.
Mary G
Andrew McCabe is clapping back in the WaPo:
and
We just lost a valuable public servant for Trump to pretend he’s still the boss of the Apprentice TV show.
Adam L Silverman
@Brachiator: I think part of the problem is that Snyder doesn’t really understand the characters. He’s locked into a vision that he brought to or created for Watchmen. And WB clearly doesn’t care. They just want to make money. So when you get a director who does get the character – Patty Jenkins for Wonder Woman – you get a much better story and film, even if the required CGI additions in the third act didn’t need to be there. It isn’t like Marvel hasn’t had a few stinkers as well. I honestly didn’t think Batman V Superman was that bad. It isn’t the clash of heroes stories I would have made. If I was going that route, I’d have done Kingdom Come. But trying to shoehorn an adaptation of the back half of Dark Knight Returns combined with the last sliver of The Death of Superman into one movie wasn’t the way to go.
I’ll probably watch it over the next week to ten days and I’ll let you know what I think.
Brachiator
@Corner Stone:
Fair point. Most movie goers seemed to like a bit more of it. I’ve even heard a few fans say it was their favorite Star Wars movie.
I’m participating in a summer movie draft. For some reason, there is a fair amount of pre-hate for the upcoming Han Solo movie. Some fans are easily satisfied, others are never satisfied.
Corner Stone
Hardball is the worst possible venue that Avenatti could agree to go on. Avenatti has focused, disciplined and thoughtful answers. And Matthews can’t stand that. I predict the over/under of Tweety interrupting him to be 112.
Corner Stone
@Brachiator: Take away the Death Star blast and 3 minutes of Darth Vader and Rogue One could have been about any sci-fi story no one has ever heard of.
central texas
My guess it that Mr. Bolton and his master will work overtime to start a war, ASAP. Could be Granada-sized or Panama, could be another Iraq fuck up, or he may go for the gold and start something on the Korean Peninsula or even China. Then anyone who is not 101% behind Fearless Leader is a traitor (just like Vietnam and Iraq) and all the careful interagency routine will be washed away in the wonderful, liberating, chaos where no rules or budgets apply. Naturally those supreme patriots Paul Ryan and the Turtle will be leading the parade. The contractors make out like the thieves they are and the soldiers get to re-litigate Vietnam and Iraq one more time. Then we just have to wait for the victory parade or the smoking craters.
Adam L Silverman
@laura: I’m going to assume this isn’t rhetorical, so…
1) Don’t let it completely demoralize you. Keep a cool head and as much perspective as you can.
2) Reach out and be supportive where and when you can.
3) Pester everyone you know to register to vote, then get them to pester everyone they know to register to vote, then pester everyone you know to vote, and then get them to pester everyone they know to vote.
4) Recognize that we’re better than this. That we can either choose to try to live up to our ideals or live down to others’ fears. If we keep our wits about us, stay focused, get organized, we can get through this.
Your mayor sounds like he is doing and saying the right things. Provided the protests and demonstrations stay peaceful, cooler heads will prevail. And remember, this, as painful as it is, is progress. Because of the technology word and audio and video of these things occurs almost immediately. It is very hard to cover these things up because you can’t stop the signal.
Adam L Silverman
@SFBayAreaGal: It is a puzzlement!
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: We haven’t lost him. The President’s behavior and the AG’s supplication to it have actually freed him up. To talk, to comment, to blow the whistle in a way he couldn’t from within the bureau.
debbie
@Corner Stone:
Law of the Universe: You get back what you put out. Bolton — like Trump — is attracting the bile he loved visiting upon others. I hope it bothers Bolton as much as it bothers Trump.
mike in dc
@Adam L Silverman:
We’re growing ever closer to connecting all the dots on this clusterfck, aren’t we?
Another Scott
@Adam L Silverman: Zooks!
Thanks Adam and Mary G!
(It seemed kinda obvious to me, after Gore and the Buddhist Temple, Citizens United, etc., etc., but IANAL and it’s always more impressive to see it in B&W with cites to the CFR and USC.)
Cheers,
Scott.
VeniceRiley
@Adam L Silverman:
Yeow! Had to hurt for a while. Glad you got revenge!
I just thought it would. hopefully, bring a new level of scrutiny to his background check this time around to see him associated with these known bad actors. Last time, it was well before their current misdeeds.
Sloane Ranger
Isn’t Bolton meant to be some giant Russia hawk? Surely he’s going to clash with the Great Appeaser before too long and end up out of favour even if Trump lacks the guts to fire him?
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone:
You take that back.
For once we see EFFECTIVE Imperial Stormtroopers in action.
Brachiator
@Citizen Alan:
I agree with everything you said. Also, Mamoa’s frat boy take may have been strange, but at least he was giving Aquaman a personality, instead of being just another interchangeable block of super powered muscles.
@Adam L Silverman:
The strange thing is that the DC animated work is often quite good, and the DC TV universe is cheesy but fun.
Disney/Marvel is as greedy as WB, and yet they have found a way to surprise and delight fans by not just mechanically sticking to what they think is a winning formula. I agree with you about Snyder. He’s locked into a narrow vision of his superheroes. It’s too bad he didn’t have other people who could push back and maybe help him flesh out his vision.
TenguPhule
@mike in dc: All paths are coming together.
TenguPhule
@Sloane Ranger:
That was before we found out he’s involved with CA.
Ruckus
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
Yes, yes they did. With them as the leaders and therefore they would be the actual center of the universe with the rest of the exulted rich white folks. Every one else would be spread out from there, with the non-whites far enough out in space to have no oxygen.
VeniceRiley
@Brachiator: Is anyone watching DC Legends of Tomorrow on TV?
I am digging the shizznit out of the totally lesbian in your face ship Captain time lord type, and the crossover action with Supergirl … (Supergirl’s sister and her … um, wow, they went at it!) And I’m old enough to “LESBIANS ON TV!!!!” because I remember when we weren’t. Still, this was like some cable on broadcast action.
Anyhow, DC TV is cheeky cheezy fun.
As for the movies? I just want to have Gal Gadot’s babies.
Ryan
Ma@TenguPhule: Maybe he’ll see the contradiction, realize it does not compute, and self destruct.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlMegqgGORY
laura
@Adam L Silverman: Thanks Adam, it is demoralizing but I’m not demoralized. I cannot be robbed of my hope, or willing to give it up.
Our Mayor is a good and decent man and has been tested by strife, antisemitism, hate crimes, and has been willing to stand up and provide steadfast leadership and justice for every member of the community.
Again, thanks for the reminder to breathe.
Tomorrow’s March will be a good place to be.
Corner Stone
@TenguPhule: Well, the problem I have with the Stormtroopers i….zzzZZzzZZzz…
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone: Of course you know, this means warcraft.
Corner Stone
@TenguPhule: I accept your challenge. I choose Minecraft at dawn.
charon
From the wayback machine, 2005
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/jun/11/john-bolton-the-ultimate-toxic-boss/
Roger Moore
@Brachiator:
I think there are two things going on there:
1) Marvel does have some formula. As people have pointed out repeatedly, they’ve repeatedly gone with villains who are basically the dark reflection of the hero. It’s not the worst formula, but it has denied them many good villains.
2) Marvel is smart enough to recognize that they’ll make more money by turning out good movies rather than working on a straight assembly line.
That said, I think the biggest thing Marvel has done right is to do solo movies before bringing the characters together. It gave them a chance to do some character development before bringing all those big characters together into a clash of egos. Captain America vs. Iron Man works as a conflict because each of them has a character arc outside their shared movies that makes their conflict not just reasonable but inevitable.
mike in dc
@Roger Moore:
Marvel let comic book writers and creators have meaningful creative input into the films, so that the characters didn’t diverge too much from their comic book counterparts. Warner/DC, originally anyway, did not.
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone: Dwarf Fortress at 10 pixels.
Frankensteinbeck
@central texas:
Still don’t buy it. Sure, Bolton will tell Trump he should be bombing and invading every damn thing. It’s not like Trump just suddenly started talking to Bolton. He’s been hearing this already. Trump is just plain too chickenshit. Every time he says he’s going to or has done something warlike, it turns out he was lying. I’m amazed he had the guts to declare a trade war, and I’m waiting to see how long until he backs off of it.
Arclite
@ruemara:
Hey, if you can convince Trump to sign a piece of progressive legislation isn’t that a win? The man isn’t ideological.
Brachiator
@VeniceRiley:
I have to catch up on some past episodes, but I’ve been hearing about the fun that some of my favorite characters have been having.
@Roger Moore:
I agree with you here, but this is sometimes rare. Some studios and producers get nervous, or frightened, and simplistically do the same thing all over again until moviegoers rebel.
Washburn
“Bolton/Trump is going to start a war that will kill 100 million people. Let me post my hot take about it while there is still time!!!”
sukabi
OT, McCabe has an op-ed on ‘candor’ in the WaPo…Sessions is as much of a coward as Drumpf…but you already knew that…
SFBayAreaGal
@Brachiator: SYFY series Krypton started this week. The first episode is pretty good.
mad citizen
I appreciate your post Laura. I knew about the shooting but not what is happening in Sacramento now. My stepson and grandson are there, time to check in… I couldn’t believe how quickly the police opened fire.
Bill Arnold
Adam, thanks very much for this take. Was hit by this Eric Levitz NYmag piece (and a few others there) today (worst day of DT’s presidency IMO):
Team Bolton: John Never Promised Trump He ‘Wouldn’t Start Any Wars’
that ends with this haunting note:
and then started thinking along your lines but you filled in the details of the dynamics very nicely.
Jay
@mike in dc:
The opening credits for Deadpool had us LAFAO,
and it kept going through out the film
Bill Arnold
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
Hundreds of millions quickly. Several billions more, less quickly. Food production and distribution (and storage and etc) have too many dependencies on civilization to survive intact.
Jay
@Bill Arnold:
Yup. As little as 150 20kt nuclear explosions in the Northern Hemisphere, kill us all, some quicker than others. They give South Pole Researcher’s roughly ten years more than the rest of us.
Procopius
@Arclite: I think so many Democrat congress critters like what Trump is doing that impeachment is impossible.
Bill Arnold
@Jay:
No, a billion or two humans would survive (I am a congenital optimist) on cobbled-together lower-tech agriculture, fishing and distribution systems. (And food stockpiles, eaten during a dark year or two of crop failures due to particulates blocking some sunlight.)
Jay
@Bill Arnold:
Nope. Where I am, even the trees die. Soil bacteria in the Trillions. Soil becomes dirt, cockroaches won’t even survive. Won’t be anything to hunt, gather or fish.
Science once though, up til the late ’70’s that soot and radionuclieds wouldn’t cross the meridians from north to south, Freon proved them wrong.
We had a weird wet summer here, about a decade ago. 5 degrees colder than ususal. We lost 98% of the garden, and I had to import hay and alfalfa from Saskatchewan and Manitoba to keep the livestock alive. The Feds and the Province gave me $480 k on $620 k in losses to keep the farm going.
The 150 20kt nukes forecast for my area, is -15 degrees for 19 years.
Mike G
@? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
I look forward to the Trumpanzees who went all-in on stocks for rah-rah ideological reasons to lose their shirts.
Just like the morons who bought gold on the word of Glenn Beck and lost over a third of their money.
Jay
@Mike G:
Trumpanzee’s don’t own “stocks”, they have 401K’s worth a fraction of what they paid for them due to “management fees”.
Kayla Rudbek
@Jay: at this rate, I’m almost relieved that both work and home seem to be within blast radius from the Pentagon according to nukemap for at least my spouse and I will die quickly if/when the Pentagon gets hit.
Jay
@Kayla Rudbek:
Yeah, I know.
The lucky ones will die in the flash.
We have some Chilean Pit Green houses we use for winter crops and greens, they will be useful in the Nuclear Summer, and some hoop houses, and things like shultzenburger filters on our water supply, which will cut down the rads,
But Math say’s the Farm can feed 25 people for a few years in a Nuclear Winter, not the 150,000 it currently feeds.
Kayla Rudbek
@Jay: I’ve had nightmares where my metro stop is overgrown with trees and the people seeing the metro stop don’t know what it was for;I’ve had nightmares where skulls on pikes line the former interstate from Chicago all the way into Indiana. I’m really tired of having nightmares about the future.
Jay
@Kayla Rudbek:
I have nightmares about the future,
But I also have hope for the future.
According to chapter 9 of Pitchforks and Torches for Dummies, a properly prepared Ogliarch can feed a family of 5 for 2 months.
Manyakitty
@Baud: ?????????? THANK YOU!!!!!
Spaniel
Adam,
When you say the dislike between Mattis and McMaster is because of rank, that may be true, but for some reason I think it goes beyond that and really back to 2004. McMaster was hailed as a liberator and anti-insurgency expert when commanding the 3ACR at Tal Afar in 2003 to 2004. In the spring of 2004, Mattis and his Marines are fighting the first house-to-house battle in Fallujah and trying to clean-up 82nd’s messes in the Fallujah AOR. I would surmise some of the conflict between the two generals is the Dudley Do-Right vs. Chesty Puller mentalities (good, bad, or indifference).
You had said, “He will cause so much chaos and confusion that he will actually wind up defeating himself. He will ultimately self destruct.” I disagree slightly. I do think he will also shoot himself in the foot eventually, but sadly I think he is going to make a series of decisions that could kill a lot of people in the process of self-destructing. Nuclear war with Korea, another ground war in the Middle East, and only God knows what Trump is doing in Europe as he pulls back the defenses and out of alliances made and kept for nearly 70-years — lots of ways to get America into another war.
I am dumbfounded to how fast and effectively Trump dismantled post-WW2 alliances — with an arms race likely to begin in the Asia Pacific regions and leaving our European allies in the lurch t
ohthatguy
to be fair, if he thinks everyone he is working with is stupid and wrong, he is probably correct. It doesn’t follow that he is correct, just a different type of stupid
Denali
For some reason I thought we were already at war. Our soldiers keep dying in places like Afghanistan and Niger. Guess they aren’t dying enough.
Sherparick
@germy: I guess Glenn can afford that attitude living in Brazil. He is as morally obtuse as the people he criticizes.
Sherparick
@Denali: The fact that the wars we started in October 2001 are still going on you would think should give us pause, but you see these will be Trump’s wars, the best wars, just like everything he does is the best. NOT!!! This last week was 15th anniversary of start of the Iraq war(s). Most of us hear the figure of possibly 1 million dead Iraqis & feel guilt & shame. Bolton thinks that it us a good start & wants to expand Iran into the carnage.