Are you an autocrat who brutally represses your people and kills journalists who are critical of your regime? Are you in need of international validation? Want the global human rights squad to look the other way? Boy, are you in luck!
Representatives of Saudi Arabia say that Jamal Khashoggi was an “enemy of the state” and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, but my decision is in no way based on that — this is an unacceptable and horrible crime. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event — maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!
That being said, we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi. In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran. The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region. It is our paramount goal to fully eliminate the threat of terrorism throughout the world!
That’s an official statement Trump issued a short while ago. The language is remarkably similar to his mealy-mouthed obfuscation of Putin’s interference in the U.S. election.
Any dictator who kisses Trump’s ass and facilitates his family’s scams is off the hook, even if they subvert our democracy or kill a U.S. resident who works for the paper of record in this nation’s capital. Wow.
In other news, House Dems plan to investigate Ivanka Trump’s use of personal email for official business. Eat hot karma, Princess Complicity!
Corner Stone
…Possibly…
TenguPhule
I’m going to bet on the Iranians coming out on top.
Corner Stone
Realpolitik has its place, unfortunately or otherwise. But Trump made it explicit that he didn’t give a shit about this murder simply based on money. Beyond the horrible tragedy of it, it was just hanging a big price tag on the US that could no longer be denied.
Corner Stone
@TenguPhule: Iran needs Nat Gas prices to go up. Curiously, so does Russia. Hmmm…I wonder what happens next?
TenguPhule
I think we’re going to have to retire the Presidency office and replace it with something else. It can’t be salvaged after this.
EricNNY
Thanksgiving is going to be delightful this year. Every time someone brings anything GOP up, I’m merely going to scream “EMAILS!!!1!” and take another bite of turkey.
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone:
We know what the Trumps are. Now they’re just dickering over their price.
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone:
Baud 2020 boldly flaunts it out in the open and lets it swing in the breeze.
Kraux Pas
Or do you simply aspire to be?
The Moar You Know
@TenguPhule: If you’d ever observed the Saudi military you’d mortgage your house and put it all on Iran. Totally safe bet. About the only thing they can/will do is drop bombs, poorly.
There’s a reason we fight their wars for them, and a reason that a bunch of schlubs with a few trucks and a few guns have fought them to an absolute stalemate in Yemen. They simply will not put themselves in personal danger and fight.
kindness
I wonder how the Crown Prince gets about and isn’t fragged in the process? Even in foreign lands, he isn’t safe any more.
Cacti
Prior to the Dotard, I’ve never seen a POTUS who was wholly incapable of friendship with any elected leader of a free country, while having a schoolgirl crush on every dictator he ever met.
clay
Republicans grew a spine and defied Trump when they passed sanctions on Russia last year. Let’s see if they’ll do the same again. (I’m not being snarky; I think there’s a decent chance they may do it.)
MazeDancer
All we can do is fight.
Except not over the Thanksgiving table. There – before and after, of course – you can write PostCards.
If your guest list leans left, do consider having some PostCards around for people to fill out during cocktails. Or late night third helping noshes.
Start a new tradition – Eat Turkey. Change the World.
Two Secretary of State runoffs – Louisiana and Georgia. Very important to have fair elections in both.
Get addresses to go: PostCardPatriots.com
Corner Stone
@kindness:
Crown Prince of SA or anyone named Trump? Hmmm…
TenguPhule
@kindness:
Shit ton of bodyguards.
jl
” Are you an autocrat who brutally represses your people and kills journalists who are critical of your regime? ”
In the spirit of candor and honesty, I have thought about it a few times. It would be cool if special powers come with the position. Like being able to control the climate through sheer will power and dedication to the top, best, and classy. I see Trump has promised us a great climate.
We will have only the best, top, very classy, climate.
Rising see levels can be controlled by Trump sitting on his throne on the beach, commanding the sea to retreat while his cabinet beats the surf, very strongly, with sticks. Big sticks, only the best, top, sticks. This is a tried and true authoritarian approach to governance that has a history going back over a thousand years. The pix of Trump sitting on his gold toilet on the beach will be jarring, but we need to get with our new authoritarian aesthetic.
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone: Trump and Pence have their limited immunity revoked as soon as Pelosi is speaker.
Kraux Pas
@clay:
And then no one cared when they didn’t hold Trump accountable to enforce the sanctions.
This is what is known in Republican circles as “a win-win” or “the lapdog media coming through again!”
TenguPhule
@clay:
Read that again and tell us what’s wrong with that.
artem1s
seems remarkably close to the kind of spineless support statement the Bush Crime Family used to issue on behalf of Saudi Arabia. The current GOP support of this pig comes straight thru Prescott, Poppy and Barb’s vile progeny and toadies. Even if the 2016 interference only accidentally put the GOP in the WH, make no mistake, it was intended to hamstring the next President and harness them to foreign powers that the Bush’s and Darth Cheney routinely do business with. This is why they GOP puts up with the chaos in the WH. The real insanity will come if the Mueller investigation looks too closely at the GOP primary and why they all went from being #NeverTrump to swearing loyalty oaths. Someone’s secrets are in the hands of Putin and probably the Saud royal family.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
The House Dems should investigate the administration’s response to Khashoggi’s murder by the Saudi state and the Trump family’s connections to that regime.
Kraux Pas
@jl:
Well, just to be sure that it works, we should chain them to the spot at low tide to give them the proper incentive to succeed.
MattF
It’s not (just) Realpolitik— Trump has an affinity for murderers.
Kraux Pas
@MattF: If Trump is advocating a Realpolitik POV in this case and this case only, it’s not an embrace of that outlook. It’s a cynical ploy attached to this particular situation and should be considered an outlier.
Spanky
@The Moar You Know:
The Saudis always got Yemenis to do the dirty, hard jobs in SA, so all they need to do is hire … oh wait.
Yutsano
@The Moar You Know: Adam can elaborate more, but it’s the structure of the Arab militaries that makes them weak fighters. Orders have to be shot up the chain of command and no one is allowed to act until the order from a higher-up connected to a political faction approves of the movement. It’s meant to keep the military under the thumb of the rulers. Israel runs their military with much more Western efficiency, where field commanders can change policy at will based upon ground conditions. Guess who else operates like this?
jl
@Kraux Pas: ” we should chain them to the spot at low tide to give them the proper incentive to succeed. ”
Those sorts of incentive schemes only work for the ‘lesser’ people like you and me.
On a side note: I saw some reports that the reason Trump won’t go to visit troops or tries to avoid going to disaster areas is because he is skeered. No surprise there. But the paraphrase of his thinking ‘thinks people will try to kill him’. Well, any trip to those areas is more dangerous than to others, what part of ‘war zone’ or ‘disaster’ does Trump not understand?
If I were president, I’d be nervous about flying into Afghanistan. Someone might try to shoot the plan down, or bomb the transportation route. Flying into disaster zones can be dangerous. But Trump’s phrasing is odd. Thinks one of the US troops, or Afghan president, might try to shoot him? Sounds more than just ordinary cowardice, which we know about already, But some deep seated pathology like the germophobia, or fear of stairs.
Edit: maybe some family homeless after a fire or hurricane will take it personally, and go after Trump? I can see how Trump would think that way. That is what he does.
Kraux Pas
@Kraux Pas: ETA: I expect continued aggressive chest thumping to be the essence of our FP going forward until the malignant orangutan is removed.
Keith P
@TenguPhule: Kudos!
Spanky
@TenguPhule:
Are they Yemenis?
OzarkHillbilly
Be sure to check out the comments.
Kraux Pas
@jl:
I mean he would be a bigger target over there but I’m sure we have contingencies to handle the additional security, even in war zones. And of course war zones are dangerous. And apparently he doesn’t even believe in our current crop of foreign engagements. Of course he’s too much of a chicken shit to end them.
Mary G
The way it’s phrased hints that no one in State was willing to help write it – the maybe he did and maybe he didn’t are pure Twitler, and so undiplomatic. Probably Jared and Stephen Miller helped.
Corner Stone
I think the real issue is that no one has yet told Trump we have McD’s on some of the larger FOBs in the combat area. That and a touring Playbol model or two would get him there rikki tik.
Betty Cracker
@OzarkHillbilly: Maybe a warning on links like that? I almost tossed my waffle. ?
sukabi
@OzarkHillbilly: didn’t see a comment section…but I’ll add mine here…someone should check on the condition of the ‘artist’, his delusions are out of control.
Either that or he’s found his fortune in pandering to the delusions of the 27%.
Paul T
The Saudi’s checks cleared. What else is new?
jl
Nice to see Trump back in his philosophical inquiry mode.
We haven’t had a president like this since the Founders and Framers. And maybe Teddy Roosevelt, in pragmatics. What can we really know, and know bigly enough to make a decision?
schrodingers_cat
@OzarkHillbilly: Warning!!! with skull and cross bones needed. I need brain bleach stat.
MattF
@Betty Cracker: Note also that the rest of the Red team is back in the hazy distance.
ETA: And he has such BIG hands!
Mary G
@OzarkHillbilly: Would explain the brain damage.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@Corner Stone:
Underrated answer. I like how your thinking is evolving here….
schrodingers_cat
Is Hon Gen Theranos with an immigrant mother, still silent?
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Kraux Pas:
He’s afraid of being perceived as a failure. So he’s too afraid to do nearly anything and the actions his admin do take are desperate flailing attempts to distract from wrongdoing/failure…that result in more wrongdoing/failure.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@TenguPhule:
Anybody know if Iran is paying people to work for its interests and against those of Bin Salman and Netanyahu? I could be persuaded, for a price…
jl
Were the turkeys pardoned today in the WH long enough to get some good info? House Dems should subpoena them. Would get better testimony out of them than most Trumpsters. Smarter, more honest birds than current WH humans.
LuciaMia
Hey, whats a little murder between friends? Christ, this administration gets more like the Sopranos everyday.
Betty Cracker
@jl: You’ll be shocked, but Trump was a giant dickhead at the turkey pardoning, made it all about recounts, etc.
Corner Stone
@schrodingers_cat: Ain’t nobody talks shit, won’t be no shit.
Kraux Pas
@jl:
Wait, are we talking Thanksgiving or Trump’s political allies?
FlipYrWhig
It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, OK?
Roger Moore
@OzarkHillbilly:
Note to Mr. McNaughton: If you need to caption your political painting so people can recognize who the people in the painting are supposed to be, you might be a lousy painter.
Cheryl Rofer
@Yutsano:
I was thinking last night, in connection with the deployment to the border and the disgust that must engender in the military, that Donald Trump has not yet realized that the military’s power can be directed in any of several ways.
The Moar You Know
@Spanky: Shit, based on him still being alive I’d bet good money on them being Israelis. They ain’t Saudis.
jl
@Betty Cracker: Yeah, I made that comment right after watching the clip. On the Turkeys testifying, we have to take whatever good ideas Trump offers us. Those damned turkeys might know some stuff. We all know how Trump telegraphs the truth underneath the delusions and lies.
LuciaMia
I think its simply a case that he cant be bothered. And is only now going because of the overwhelming criticism,
Barbara
I can’t even joke about this. I know that the Yemeni war is so much worse from the standpoint of human rights, but for someone to stand up and basically excuse murder and torture because it’s good for his bottom line is too sad. He is depraved.
The Midnight Lurker
Great… now I’m going to spend my holidays trying to explain to my grandchildren why the news keeps playing a recording of a screaming man. Merry fuckin’ Christmas!
The Moar You Know
@OzarkHillbilly: I love McNaughton, and boy he has gone “all in” on this administration.
eclare
@LuciaMia: Short bus Sopranos, POTUS is no Tony.
OzarkHillbilly
@OzarkHillbilly: Sorry sorry sorry, my bad. For comments go here. Look for the painting of trump running down the field with the bucket of KFC.
MattF
Here‘s Alexandra Petri on Ivanka’s crime.
TenguPhule
@jl:
To be fair, If I’d had to serve multiple tours in a combat zone and has a live weapon when he shows up, it would be awfully tempting.
LuciaMia
Even this cute little ceremony he manages to muck up. Runs a bit too far with the joke that incoming Democrats will supeona the turkeys. Then goes on about the great economy and prosperity. Was waiting for him to remind people again that he really won the popular vote but because of all those illegalimmigrants…
TenguPhule
@Betty Cracker: The last pair of Turkeys from the previous thanksgiving died suddenly and unexpectedly after Trump pardoned them.
Make of that what you will.
C Stars
@EricNNY: I like your style. Also want to see video.
My in-laws (formerly Republican) are hugely ashamed of Trump. I don’t know whether or not they voted for the guy (I’m betting not, but don’t know for sure), but likely 100% of their friends did. So our turkey day should be relatively harmonious and hopefully we can avoid the topic of the moral-degenerate-in-chief altogether.
TenguPhule
@Kraux Pas: How would we tell the difference?
Gravenstone
@TenguPhule: I’m sort of coming to grips with the facts that this cretin’s every pronouncement is being recorded for posterity. If nothing else, it will make the job of future historians (whatever species they end up following us with) so much easier to point to where things went balls up.
Gravenstone
@The Moar You Know: Since they all seem to be part of the meandering royal family, they can’t endanger themselves only to have some cousin (three times removed) move in on their turf.
Gin & Tonic
Between that and the Russians about to take control of Interpol, it’s a tragic week for the rule of law.
LuciaMia
@The Moar You Know: Hes clearly in love.
Gravenstone
@TenguPhule:
That ended up working so well for Sadat…
Gin & Tonic
@LuciaMia: Prosperity? In the last week or two the stock market has just erased a year’s worth of gains.
Corner Stone
@Gin & Tonic: Until the farmers losing everything due to tariff trade policy turn on Trump…
sukabi
@OzarkHillbilly: thanks for the link to twitter comments…i’m impressed, not one comment that thinks this is anything other than propaganda and bad painting…waiting for his statement that his first “satire” painting is being misconstrued.
EricNNY
@C Stars: Lucky guy. Mine will involve copious amounts of wine to dull the ignorance. We’ll all agree to not talk politics but there’s always one who just can’t let it go.
gene108
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Dems may want to launch dozens of investigations, but they need to keep in mind the media can follow one or two stories, at most, at a time.
Multiple committees doing multiple investigations on multiple topics will overwhelm the media and they will just not bother to cover the investigations.
Gin & Tonic
@Corner Stone: What’s that smell? Oh, it’s just 40 million metric tons of soybeans rotting in storage. You get used to it.
MattF
@TenguPhule: They were defenestrated.
TenguPhule
@Gin & Tonic:
Week?
More like 2 years running.
Mart
@Paul T: I gotta think Qatar not bailing out Kushner, UAE bailing out Kushner with $500M or $1B; and the Qatar blockade is tied into Drumps Saudi excuses somehow. Also too – blowing up shit in Yemen is fun!
TenguPhule
@Gin & Tonic:
Natto is an acquired taste. Or so I’m told.
Litlebritdifrnt
@OzarkHillbilly: I don’t see any comments at your link.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Love the exclamation point. It gives the statement that light-hearted feel so necessary when you’re being coy about murder.
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone:
Trump will blame Pelosi. The farmers will believe him.
Gin & Tonic
@EricNNY: We will have copious amounts of wine, but largely because we enjoy each other’s company, and other than the grandkids, everyone is varying degrees of leftish (the grandkids are 3 and 1.5, so their political opinions are not yet fully-formed.)
TenguPhule
@EricNNY:
Have Frozen on constant repeat on every TV.
Gelfling 545
@Kraux Pas: Yes, he’ll save the excrement flinging for domestic policy.
EricNNY
@Gin & Tonic: What time should I be at your place?
TenguPhule
Romaine lettuce is not safe to eat, CDC warns U.S. consumers
Ditch your Caesar salads, folks.
cain
@Corner Stone:
That would require going against the energy sector a Republican stronghold. I’m not so sure that is going to work out well for them.
Gelfling 545
@Betty Cracker: Seriously. I had JUST finished lunch. Now it doesn’t seem to be sitting so well.
EricNNY
@TenguPhule: This is a great idea. Thanks!
Jeffro
@EricNNY:
Wait…did I already share my strategy here on BJ earlier this week, or are you just reading my mind?
MattF
@TenguPhule: Ugh. And there’s already a salmonella outbreak wrt turkey.
sukabi
@Litlebritdifrnt: here’s a link to a different article, they pull twitter comments if you don’t do twitter.
A Ghost To Most
@OzarkHillbilly: Ugh! Trigger warning!
TenguPhule
Your daily reminder that we are living in the worst timeline possible.
TenguPhule
@EricNNY: You’re welcome. Tell us if it works.
Paulwartenberg
That official statement reads very much like a tweeted screed, complete with EXCLAMATION MARKS for added emphasis!
the line “we may never know what happened” when Turkey has FREAKING AUDIO RECORDINGS OF THE ENTIRE MURDER is the biggest bullshit line in the entire statement.
There is no goddamn way any sane nation, our allies or our enemies, should believe a goddamn word that comes from this White House. I mean, it’s been like this since January 2017, trump’s goddamn surrender to the Saudi royal family on this shows how gutless and weaselly everyone from trump on down will behave.
They need to put the handcuffs on trump and his brood as soon as goddamn possible. Screw protocol. We’ve never had a President* this crooked before (and that’s forgiving Nixon and Andrew Jackson a lot).
Miss Bianca
@TenguPhule: “Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t! Who knows! Who cares, really! Except a bunch of traitor American journalists and traitor Democrats, but I repeat myself! Anyway, it’s a mystery! It’s certainly a mystery to me!”
Jesus wept. I mean, it’s not just the debasement of the office that is killing me by inches – it’s the debasement of even the language of state. At this rate, Trump will have regressed to “gah gah goo goo” by the time Mueller Time rolls around, and we will have the court stenographers dutifully logging each loggorheaic squirt out of his mouth hole.
Man, I need a drink. Guess I’ll have to drown my sorrows with the remains of this morning’s coffee till I get out of work and over to the liquor store.
Gelfling 545
@OzarkHillbilly: Ok. The comments made me feel somewhat less likely to lose my lunch.
Corner Stone
@cain: Life is a lovely contradiction sometimes, ney pause?
Tom Levenson
@OzarkHillbilly: hey! It’s a living, amirite?
TenguPhule
So much for Trump’s redeployment. Looks like the Troops aren’t coming home for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
General in charge of border mission wants to begin redeploying troops
Litlebritdifrnt
@sukabi: Thanks I already clicked the other link and the twitter comments are brilliant.
TenguPhule
@Miss Bianca:
I have half a bottle of rum I poached from my brother’s wedding. This looks like a good day to explore its contents.
Brachiator
WTF?
Once again, Trump ignores or denies the conclusions of the United States’ intelligence agencies. We have a very good idea of what happened and how it happened. Trump is a liar. But you all knew that already.
Not with a dead journalist. Trump sounds like a sick Monty Python skit.
And apparently, we have always been at war with Iran. Who knew?
Trump has also fully embraced the Netanyahu Doctrine (and that of American neo-cons), that America’s interest lies not in supporting democracy or encouraging the liberation of oppressed peoples, but in making partners of authoritarians and brutal dictators who help insure a “stability” which allows corporate interests to do their business in peace.
Hell, we’ve got dictators imitating Trump, crushing media while accusing them of propagating “fake news,” and blatantly lying when called into question about their actions, Trump is setting the new standard of behavior for autocrats.
Gin & Tonic
@TenguPhule: I remember a few years back there were ginger Altoids. Someone put an open tin of them on a table we have at work where the Halloween candies, baked goods, etc. go for sharing with a simple sign: “I dare you.” Not sure anyone did.
So I just Googled them, and people are selling unopened tins (they’ve been discontinued) on eBay for $100 and up. My advice is to buy a couple of cases of that gravy candy and put it in storage. 10-15 years from now they’ll be worth a fortune. Sure-fire profit. Better than Bitcoin.
dmsilev
It’s like that infamous line of Bill O’Reilly about how the tide goes in, the tide goes out, you can’t explain that. Except that yes, yes we can. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence and knowledge can explain that, just like anyone not named ‘Trump’ knows full well that the Saudi Crown Prince was very much involved in the murder.
Steeplejack
@TenguPhule:
TenguPhule
@Steeplejack: Well played.
Miss Bianca
@OzarkHillbilly: OMFG
ETA: Notice there’s no Nancy Pelosi. Or Kamala Harris. Hmmm…why would that be? I mean, c’mon, girls in heels trying their ladylike ineffectual best to run down the Trumper on the field would be so AWESOME in this painting! Right? Am I right??!!
Corner Stone
@TenguPhule: According to reporting, the troops have new “force deployment” missions. IMO, Trump wants to cross the posse comitatus line just to see who tries to stop him.
Yarrow
@C Stars:
For anyone in this kind of situation with Republicans who are ashamed of Trump and the subject of Trump does come up, a good question to ask them is, why don’t the Republicans in Congress do anything to stop him? They can and they haven’t. Why is that?
If they already think Trump is terrible then it’s time to tie him to Republicans. Maybe they haven’t thought about it before because “their guy in Congress is good.” Hang Trump around “their guy’s” neck like an anvil. Make Republicans own it.
TenguPhule
@Gin & Tonic:
I’m evil, but not that evil.
TenguPhule
@Corner Stone:
And I agree with you.
TenguPhule
@Miss Bianca:
You really should have known better then to click the link.
BretH
“enemy of the state” … sounds kinds familiar but I just can’t place the source …
oh yeah: https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/832708293516632065?lang=en
TenguPhule
We are so fucked as a country.
cain
@gene108:
They won’t cover any of it. There will be too busy following the latest outrageous Trump tweet or foreign policy mess. We’re pretty much going to be out in the weeds with Trump and his cronies still controlling the messaging.
TenguPhule
Warning, Politico Link.
Saturday Morning Cartoon Villains. All of them.
cain
@TenguPhule:
Well shit, in that case, we might as well make sure that Trump doesn’t get any money to bribe the farmers because of the trade wars. If we are going to own it we might as throw Trump farmers under the bus if they are going to blame us anyways. After all, getting a free govt handout is wrong, right?
EricNNY
@Jeffro: It’s good strategy. Pass it around.
Yutsano
@Miss Bianca: Not. Getting. Out. Of. The. Boat.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@jl:
If so, they’d better hurry. The ones from last year are dead.
Miss Bianca
@TenguPhule: The Twitter comments are off the hook, tho’. My favorite so far: “It’s as if Norman Rockwell suffered a massive head injury.”
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Betty Cracker:
Stormy has a different recollection.
TenguPhule
@Miss Bianca:
Can’t fool me, still not clicking.
TenguPhule
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Oh snap.
cain
@TenguPhule:
Could have been arugula.. that would have set the nation on edge.
Miss Bianca
@Yutsano: @TenguPhule: We report, you decide.
ruemara
Looks like I’m gonna work on the peanut butter cookie recipe a bit more, so this batch will be baked and donated to the drop-in shelter & I found a recipe to make vegan marshmallow creme filling so the sandwich cookie idea is a go.
sm*t cl*de
@The Moar You Know:
Like so much else, the Saudi armed forces exist primarily to provide the impression of gainful employment to a horde of little sheiklings. They are not going to put themselves in the way of potential harm. They feel safe bombing civilians.
jl
@?BillinGlendaleCA: ” The ones from last year are dead. ”
That’s pretty suspicious, investigate that too.
I hear in the news that Trump will go to a war zone to prove he’s not too skeered. But he made it pretty clear he won’t visit the border troops because he doesn’t give a shit. I assume Mattis has explained to him that it is basically a logistics and construction training exercise, and no danger out of the ordinary.
Tehanu
What’s a little murder compared with more gold toilets?
I really hope there’s a hell.