Reality Time

[Jolly]

Make up your mind. First you denigrate a statement because it negates a bargaining position, then you decry not taking a bargaining point off the table.

[Renauda]

Are you talking to me? i suspect not but if you are, you are wrong.

[jon-nyc]

@Jolly said in Reality Time:

Make up your mind. First you denigrate a statement because it negates a bargaining position, then you decry not taking a bargaining point off the table.

I didn't decry it, indeed I welcome it. I simply pointed out that similar sentiments were deemed WWIII triggers yesterday.

[taiwan_girl]

How to make friends and influence people.

From the Munich Security Conference

"The new American administration has a very different world view to ours, one that has no regard for established rules, partnership and grown trust,” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, prior to Vance's comments.

"We have to accept that and we can deal with it. But I am convinced that it is not in the interests of the international community for this world view to become the dominant paradigm,” Steinmeier, whose post is largely ceremonial, said, according to Reuters.

and

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius condemned the Trump administration's decision to take "two important negotiating issues off the table" as a "careless" mistake.

"In my view, it would have been much better to talk about Ukraine’s possible NATO membership and possible territorial changes at the negotiating table first and then with Ukraine present and not with them already having Putin’s price hanging over them," he said.

[jon-nyc]

It's sad when 'amateur hour' is the most charitable interpretation one can come up with.

[Renauda]

Not quite Kafkaesque but heading that direction.

[Horace]

@jon-nyc said in Reality Time:

It's sad when 'amateur hour' is the most charitable interpretation one can come up with.

You can go with "Russian operative", if it feels more truthy to you.

[Renauda]

@Horace

The “Russian operative” (or asset) to which you refer is currently occupied learning all the details of the US intelligence networks and Crown Jewels sources for her handlers in the Lubyanka.

[Horace]

@Renauda Not even the oppositional senators were willing to go that far in the confirmation hearings. The rhetoric about how she's compromised is even too fringe for that venue.

[Renauda]

@Horace

We’ll see. I can guarantee you that with her in that role, 4 of the 5E are going to be very careful about sharing their respective nation’s intelligence with at least one of their number.

[jon-nyc]

[Doctor Phibes]

Presumably he wears all that product to ensure that he looks really masculine.

[Renauda]

I heard that there’s a rumour going around that Hegseth may resign after learning there are Trump tariffs on make up and other grooming products.