Open Thread

What’s on your mind?

Comments

[Mr. Bumble]

Fucking insomnia.

[Krenn]

Why do we even have open threads, anyway? Is anyone actually doing anything with all these comments?

[AmosArch]

So instead of arguing endlessly about the politics of the thread title we can endlessly argue about the politics of whatever comes to mind.

[NvEric]

Yes. It's part of a study. A study of the people here.
Think for yourself. Question authority.
Who are you ?
What do you want ?

[Frank Drackman]

I Wanna Rock!!!! (Power Chord)

[Stephen Lathrop]

Trump is as bad at being CIC as at everything else—except where he excels,
at self-promotion.

The aircraft carrier Gerald Ford is the premier asset of America's surface navy. It may be nearly invulnerable, except against missile attack, or undersea attack by advanced submarines. Which means it is likely safe in the Caribbean. Which is where Trump inexplicably wants it, so Trump can play-act early 20th century style gun boat diplomacy.

But it remains irresponsible to risk an asset as expensive and valuable as that one
for . . . nothing substantive at all. If Trump values naval assets so slightly, that makes a case to get rid of some of them. The right carrier for the intimidate-South America mission would have been whichever one is least useful otherwise.

Ukraine has shown the world how to do asymmetric warfare against a major navy. The technology of naval drones is new, and likely a candidate for surprising improvements. There is a considerable roster of nations which might enjoy an opportunity to assist Venezuela in a project to inflict a crushing embarrassment on the American Navy. To achieve that, they would not have to sink the Gerald Ford. Even slight damage to the carrier would be major damage to the prestige of the U.S. navy.

The Gerald Ford ought not be in the role of a demo target for some kind of surprise, while America can gain nothing from using it that way. Of course I get that the scenario I sketch is highly unlikely. The point is that the unlikely consequence would be a high-stakes loss, against nothing to gain. Only heedless stupidity makes bets like that.

[Frank Drackman]

With Palestine's best turning New York and LA into Baghdad on the Hudson, the Boat's probably safer on the High Seas than in port.

[Commenter_XY]

You're right lathrop, the fabulist projection you wrote isn't happening. The Gerald Ford will be Ok in the Gulf of America.

OTOH, narco-traffickers will have very bad days. Terminally bad.

[Krayt]

Newt Gingrich wrote a book that opens where the US navy lost a bunch of ships by small suicide boats and rafts sidling up next and blowing up. These were all human operated.

I'm sure the policy is to not allow that anymore, but hundreds of robos? Of course, they'd have to come from somewhere, and complete loss of your cushy palace life isn't really part of a business model.

[Commenter_XY]

A question for trial lawyers.

Do you exercise peremptory challenges to toss lawyers from a jury pool?

How does having a lawyer on the jury change the jury deliberation?

[Frank Drackman]

I'm more for tossing them into an actual pool.
Preferably from a tall building and the pool has sharks with friggin laser beams strapped to their heads.

[TwelveInchPianist]

"How does having a lawyer on the jury change the jury deliberation?"

They have to deliberate with their wallets in their socks?

[Commenter_XY]

Can the police force you to input a phone code to unlock your phone during a traffic stop?

If the answer is 'No, they cannot', then what is the best way to decline w/o antagonizing the LEO?

Bonus question: What is the best way to decline a search of your car, if asked by an LEO during a traffic stop?

[Mr. Bumble]

Just say no?

[Frank Drackman]

Pretend you don't speak Engrish

[Commenter_XY]

Ran across an article discussing 'religiosity'.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/697676/drop-religiosity-among-largest-world.aspx

Is the decline of religiosity partly responsible for the decline in American society? Or is it (religiosity decline) a byproduct of social decline? To me, a decline of religiosity will necessarily lead to societal decline; and, a decline in religiosity invariably precedes social decline.

[Mr. Bumble]

Chicken? Egg?

[Commenter_XY]

No, I don't believe so Mr. Bumble. One invariably precedes the other.

The decline of religiosity is akin to the canary in the coal mine.

(glad you got some sleep)

[Mr. Bumble]

Why does friend of Epstein Stacey Plaskett have a seat (non-voting or otherwise) in the US House of Representatives, "representing" the US Virgin Islands (population 87,000)?

[Krayt]

I assume she was voted in, which means purification through voter ponderation of pros and cons.

I hear there's a lot of that going on lately.

[Mr. Bumble]

Possibly poorly worded. Why does the seat exist along with those of the five other non-voting members?

[Commenter_XY]

Apparently, Rep Plaskett was a regular communicant with Epstein. How nice.

[Mr. Bumble]

...and took campaign contributions.