3 ms·

lol how can you possibly call our response feeble

by Facemelters 3y ago

nfieidnrn 3y ago
he called the president feeble, he’s not wrong
- defrost 3y ago
  Seems like a systemic US inability to put up anything other than geriatric POTUS candidates. 300+ million citizens and apparently no credible prospect under the age of 70, let alone 60 or 50.
  - lwansbrough 3y ago
    Speaking of which, if they imposed a limit of 70, would anyone bat an eye other than the two guys nobody wants in office? There’s a minimum age, why not a maximum? Seems like an opportunity to handle this right now as both deeply unpopular front runners would be made ineligible. I personally don’t mind Joe Biden, he at least comes across as genuine. But I think an opportunity to guarantee both candidates ineligible could be a win for both parties. (But of course both sides think they can win with their guy so they probably aren’t interested.)
    - shiroiushi 3y ago
      Then we'll end up with some horribly unlikable woman on the Dem side, running against some crazy woman on the Rep side ranting about space lasers.
  - shiroiushi 3y ago
    Americans under the age of 70 who are in politics are too crazy to get elected as POTUS (and this really says something with Trump being the bar for craziness), and non-crazy under-70 people are too smart to pursue a career in American politics. As far as I can tell, Biden is only doing the job because he loves the country and doesn't want it going down in flames with another Trump presidency, and there's honestly no better and electable candidates available on the Dem side (which has long been a problem with Dems anyway; Obama was a big aberration here in that he actually had a lot of charisma and likability). So yes, I agree the US seems to have a systemic inability to choose better candidates.
    - lenkite 3y ago
      Biden is not really the U.S. President at the moment. He is a wooden puppet that signs and says anything that his handlers put in front of him - and that too with extreme difficulty. The U.S. presidency is currently held by a small, powerful governing cabal that consists of folks like Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan along with warmongers like Victoria Nuland. (and her husband - Robert Kagan acting behind the scenes)
      - maccam912 3y ago
        This right here is why there is a divide the size of the Grand Canyon in America. Some will see it as obvious satire, some are 100% convinced this is the truth. When did we reach the point that the same text can be read as fact or satire with such strong conviction that the dress being blue and black (no, it's white and gold!) would seem like compromise?
        pests 3y ago
        I always thought this would make a good movie. Parody both sides so hard each thinks you are "representing their views" while the opposing side thinks it's a comedy.
        nfieidnrn 3y ago
        they already made this movie https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunt_(2020_film) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunt_(2020_film)
        pests 3y ago
        I'll check it out thanks!
tmnvix 3y ago
Considering how we arrived at this point (Houthis threatening and attacking trade and communications), I would say the US government's obvious inability to rein in its ally (Israel) despite having a huge amount of leverage demonstrates a pretty weak administration. Feeble is precisely the right word to describe US pressure on Israel. Saying "We've asked them" over and over again just doesn't cut it. It's weak and everyone can see that. This latest middle east crisis has been hugely damaging to US moral and diplomatic credibility.
- foofie 3y ago
  > Considering how we arrived at this point (Houthis threatening and attacking trade and communications) (...) Aren't the Houthis a proxy of Iran who are being used to try to goad the US into a regional conflict?
  - chii 3y ago
    > goad the US into a regional conflict? and by doing so, spread the resources that would've been devoted to ukraine thinner. And by proxy, take attention away from china's regional ambitions. It's clear that these events aren't happening in isolation.
- lupusreal 3y ago
  America has very little leverage over Israel. The money/etc that America gives to Israel is motivated by the religious convictions of Americans (evangelical protestants particularly, but not exclusively.). This support isn't conditional on Israel behaving itself and any politician who cuts Israel off will have a very difficult time getting reelected. This effectively makes America's financial and material support for Israel closer to tribute than leverage, since politically speaking it's not practical to turn off the spigot. The silver lining is that unconditional support for Israel correlates with age; the Americans who support Israel no matter what are slowly but surely aging out of the political equation. In one or two more generations the situation may be very different, which if I had to guess, is why Israel wants complete the annexation of Gaza sooner rather than later.

lol how can you possibly call our response feeble

nfieidnrn 3y ago

he called the president feeble, he’s not wrong

defrost 3y ago
Seems like a systemic US inability to put up anything other than geriatric POTUS candidates. 300+ million citizens and apparently no credible prospect under the age of 70, let alone 60 or 50.
- lwansbrough 3y ago
  Speaking of which, if they imposed a limit of 70, would anyone bat an eye other than the two guys nobody wants in office? There’s a minimum age, why not a maximum? Seems like an opportunity to handle this right now as both deeply unpopular front runners would be made ineligible. I personally don’t mind Joe Biden, he at least comes across as genuine. But I think an opportunity to guarantee both candidates ineligible could be a win for both parties. (But of course both sides think they can win with their guy so they probably aren’t interested.)
  - shiroiushi 3y ago
    Then we'll end up with some horribly unlikable woman on the Dem side, running against some crazy woman on the Rep side ranting about space lasers.
- shiroiushi 3y ago
  Americans under the age of 70 who are in politics are too crazy to get elected as POTUS (and this really says something with Trump being the bar for craziness), and non-crazy under-70 people are too smart to pursue a career in American politics. As far as I can tell, Biden is only doing the job because he loves the country and doesn't want it going down in flames with another Trump presidency, and there's honestly no better and electable candidates available on the Dem side (which has long been a problem with Dems anyway; Obama was a big aberration here in that he actually had a lot of charisma and likability). So yes, I agree the US seems to have a systemic inability to choose better candidates.
  - lenkite 3y ago
    Biden is not really the U.S. President at the moment. He is a wooden puppet that signs and says anything that his handlers put in front of him - and that too with extreme difficulty. The U.S. presidency is currently held by a small, powerful governing cabal that consists of folks like Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan along with warmongers like Victoria Nuland. (and her husband - Robert Kagan acting behind the scenes)
    - maccam912 3y ago
      This right here is why there is a divide the size of the Grand Canyon in America. Some will see it as obvious satire, some are 100% convinced this is the truth. When did we reach the point that the same text can be read as fact or satire with such strong conviction that the dress being blue and black (no, it's white and gold!) would seem like compromise?
      - pests 3y ago
        I always thought this would make a good movie. Parody both sides so hard each thinks you are "representing their views" while the opposing side thinks it's a comedy.
        nfieidnrn 3y ago
        they already made this movie https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunt_(2020_film) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunt_(2020_film)
        pests 3y ago
        I'll check it out thanks!

tmnvix 3y ago

Considering how we arrived at this point (Houthis threatening and attacking trade and communications), I would say the US government's obvious inability to rein in its ally (Israel) despite having a huge amount of leverage demonstrates a pretty weak administration. Feeble is precisely the right word to describe US pressure on Israel. Saying "We've asked them" over and over again just doesn't cut it. It's weak and everyone can see that. This latest middle east crisis has been hugely damaging to US moral and diplomatic credibility.

foofie 3y ago
> Considering how we arrived at this point (Houthis threatening and attacking trade and communications) (...) Aren't the Houthis a proxy of Iran who are being used to try to goad the US into a regional conflict?
- chii 3y ago
  > goad the US into a regional conflict? and by doing so, spread the resources that would've been devoted to ukraine thinner. And by proxy, take attention away from china's regional ambitions. It's clear that these events aren't happening in isolation.
lupusreal 3y ago
America has very little leverage over Israel. The money/etc that America gives to Israel is motivated by the religious convictions of Americans (evangelical protestants particularly, but not exclusively.). This support isn't conditional on Israel behaving itself and any politician who cuts Israel off will have a very difficult time getting reelected. This effectively makes America's financial and material support for Israel closer to tribute than leverage, since politically speaking it's not practical to turn off the spigot. The silver lining is that unconditional support for Israel correlates with age; the Americans who support Israel no matter what are slowly but surely aging out of the political equation. In one or two more generations the situation may be very different, which if I had to guess, is why Israel wants complete the annexation of Gaza sooner rather than later.