ewsieg

I'm certainly hoping we never find out, my point stands though, he was much more hawkish towards Russia than his rhetoric indicated. While I certainly won't argue your wrong, as I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, I also wouldn't be surprised if the rhetoric he provided differed from the administration that is doing what they think is best without him knowing/caring enough to change it.

This can help you lead up from Obama into the first year of Trump's presidency: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/dont-rehabilitate-obama-on-russia/ This outlines all of his actions against Russia, but not his talk: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/on-the-record-the-u-s-administrations-actions-on-russia/ He loves Putin as a man, he loves all dictators as that's what he wants to be. Still, end of the day, for a host of possible ****ty reasons (my #1 guess being that he just doesn't want to put the work into becoming a dictator) he allowed his folks to act hawkish towards Russia, despite what he said.

I heard an interview from Trump where he was forced to give specifics on just how he would end the war in 1 day. In a somewhat surprising (but maybe not so) twist, he says he'd call on Russia to take major concessions and if they refused, he would simply give Ukraine everything they wanted. I know everyone talked about him as Putin's puppet, but the administration was actually hawkish against Russia under him. I wonder if that kind of talk would have any effect on Russian decision makers.

Just learned from Twitter that Mario Lopez filmed a movie that had this as a background too. I did not peg him as a white nationalist, but there is no way he didn't know the history so it's a given.

Pointing out that you believe Aldean and his crew scoured the south, stopping in small towns and asking about the history of it. "Oh, you just sold slaves here in the town square.... that's not gruesome enough, back on the bus boys, we're off to the next town." Finally they learned about this lynching and immediately jumped up for joy, the whitest possible jumping high fives as they yee-haw'd, then unloading their gear because they finally got the perfect backdrop. And honestly, I know nothing of Aldean (well, almost nothing, wiki just informed me he's from GA), he might be the biggest racist out there and when he was growing up his daddy talked proudly of this lynching in TN which was so much better than any of the lynchings he grew up around and maybe that was the impotence which drove him to be a country music singer, just so he could someday have it as his backdrop. That actually does sound more likely now that I think about it.

“Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples - while judging ourselves by our best intentions."

200 buildings in Minneapolis/St. Paul were involved in arson. Looking through the list, many are near the area Floyd was killed. But hey, my local Kroger, pharmacy, auto repair shop, banks, gas stations, bars, restaurants, and police stations get burned down regularly but my house is never touched, hence I continue to live here as my community is so great. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_arson_damage_during_the_George_Floyd_protests_in_Minneapolis–Saint_Paul

The outcome certainly indicates you have a valid argument. But legally, he did nothing wrong. The same as I get upset at the left for not recognizing legitimate concerns with crime, it's equally frustrating at the right not recognizing concerns with unregulated guns in this country.

I don't understand the need to ignore a point that doesn't fit a narrative. I'm not conflating anything. I, unlike the far right, am saying that the vast majority of BLM protests were indeed protests (and peaceful). There were some BLM riots, caused by pro-BLM folks, and again, I am aware there were instigators that were not pro-BLM that were involved in a portion of that already small portion that turned into riots, but your delusional if you think the only bad things that happen are because of folks that have different political beliefs as you. In that small portion that turned into riots, you're also right that you can segment that further into destroying a downtown community versus an area within a few blocks of where they live, which also happened in some circumstances. All that said, I don't see a difference between someone destroying a Target they normally go to, versus a Target someone else normally goes too.

The lynching occurred in the 1920's, but I just rewatched it with a focus on it like my high school English teacher asked us to do when we read the scarlet letter and look for the symbolism. Opens up with the courthouse and yeah, it looks like a southern courthouse so yeah, no doubt he knew the full history. :52 - Ford truck. Added to show Aldean's anti-semite views. Do you really think the Aldean doesn't know about Henry Ford's views? 1:56 Dodge police car. The Dodge brothers were some of the first to hire black people in the auto industry.....why, because they wanted to build their company on the back of black people and take all the credit, just like the rest of white america. 2:03 - Fireworks shot off towards police. An obvious dig at Asian Americans taking over this country. 2:40 - Farmers. Seriously, is there anything more racist than farmers? I hate farmers who go out there day in and day out and work their ass off, but deep down, you know they got their 40 acres and a mule. Smug pricks.

My guess is Aldean had no idea about the history of that courthouse. That said, I do agree with your second paragraph. It's insensitive/ignorant at best.

Watch the video, the clips aren't of protests, they are clips of violent riots, which the BLM protests as a whole were not, but there definitely were elements within some that were legit riots. The left, and obviously you, are content to ignore that because it goes against your protest message, many on the right see people burning down their neighborhoods (which the vast majority of people in those neighborhoods don't want to see happen) as abhorrent. Most of these clips were straight out of the BLM riots, which is why I pointed it out.

His intent was much better, but his naitivity left a few people dead. I wish he would understand that better rather than being paraded around as a hero from the far right.

Quick google search and his dad lived there.... so 50% of the time it was his town. Why so many folks continue to point 'he came from another state' without taking a second to look at a map and understand the story is beyond me.

He was right across the border, closer to Kenosha (when he lived with his mom) than I live to Detroit, which I know isn't 'my' town, but I treat it like it is. If I remember correctly, he worked in Kenosha and his dad was even closer. To him, it was his community he was defending (in such an incredibly naive way).

Protests come in every shape and size and even small towns have had them. If a small protest, with a smaller number of rioters started looting/burning in a small town, maybe there is no difference, maybe Aldean is right and it wouldn't end up well for them. I know this site hates Rittenhouse, but he's a hero to some folks on the right because he didn't want to see his town destroyed. He had pride in his community. Aldean is basically defending that stance, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just the (literal) execution of it that becomes the problem.

If CMT said they banned it because it was simply not a good song, i'd find that acceptable, but because of the politics? Seriously? I just saw an ABC clip and they are talking about how it puts protesters in a bad light...so we're back to pretending there was no rioting in the BLM protests? The angry old man in me has no problem with these lyrics and wishes the rioters in the BLM protests 'got theirs'. That said, based on the beginning of the video where it shows the American flag, I certainly hope Aldean would be equally alright if everyone that went into the Capitol on 1/6 came out in a body bag. I know there is a part of me that wouldn't have minded. To clarify though, that's just the anger of these situations talking and not what I think should be done in a civilized society. He wrote a song about it, that's what artist do, even the ****ty ones like Aldean.

Well, per my link, he's with Biden roughly 90% of the time. He's by far the biggest gap difference from any party with his state nearly +40 for GOP over Dems and yet democratic approved bills get 90% of his votes. How dems are OK with writing him off in place for what would definitely be a MAGA GOP senator who would vote maybe 20% democratic approved bills is beyond me. But yes, in true democratic form, unless you side with the party 100% of the time, you're against the party. The dem party, a bastion for diverse views and thoughts.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/joe-manchin/ The closest person to Manchin in terms of how they vote under Biden is Bernie Sanders.

Not even close

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/07/24/how-gretchen-whitmer-made-michigan-a-democratic-stronghold Nice write up on Whitmer, I wonder how much is going on in the background to get her ready to run in 2024 and how much this might be a part of it. I think she gets too much credit for some of the things she's done in Michigan. It's easier to manage when you come into a budget that is under control and then get fed money thrown at you. That said, i'd take her over Biden, and definitely over Harris.

I don't think No Labels ends up running anyone, or even if they do, they drop out and endorse the Dem candidate. I think initially it'll just be a push to try and stay towards the middle with the hope that the Dem candidate makes some promises for them. I can't in a million years believe they will go into an election against Trump if it's obvious they are a spoiler.

I've been busy and out of politics a bit, pretty much nothing but the Bulwark for me lately which beat up on Comer as well, but the little I know indicates that this guy was involved in the same Chinese energy company that Hunter tried to work with where 10% was going for the 'big guy'. How does this guy being an unregistered chinese agent hurt his case? If he can prove ties to Hunter, doesn't that in fact bolster his case? (Granted i'm sure this could be a 100% plee to try and win political support because he and he alone is guilty)

i'm not sure how I feel about the cluster munitions. I hope if we gave them, Ukraine was fully briefed on how/where/ and what to expect with them. Assuming they take back the entirety of their country, they already will have a mine problem, this just exasperates the chances of livability of these lands in the near future. Definitely will help with trench warfare though.

Agreed, but I thought he said it wasn't so much freezing, but believing the shots were a result of a sniper that he suspected to be outside of the school. Obviously I don't know if he made that up after the fact or what, but if true, I would think Hogg wouldn't be pushing for prison, but rather using him as a role model for the 'good guys with guns' argument. If a trained cop can be confused when they are finally under that circumstance, how much faith do you have with a person off the street.