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21
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by Baggers -
Quote from: Lods – on
Quote from: DJC – on
The US Senate and House of Representatives weren’t notified of the Venezuela military action and did not authorise it.

That makes the action illegal under US law (and international law) but I doubt whether the GOP majority has the balls to stand up to Taco.

This wasn't a military operation though.
 ::)
It was a Drug Enforcement Agency operation ;)
There was even a guy with a DEA patch on his uniform there :D
The military were just along for the ride and to make sure the DEA folks were OK ::)  ::)  ::)

Seriously though, even if they would have us believe that line, there is so much wrong with the fact that a US legal system can lay charges against a foreign national, whose crimes weren't actually committed in the USA, and then their military can cross international borders to carry out an arrest without going through some type of proper extradition process.

Imagine if that happened in reverse.
And the Venezuelan government charged Donald Trump with kidnapping Maduro.
And Venezuelan military arrested Trump and took him to Venezuela. ::)  ::)  ::)

It's a power imbalance
One side has the capability
The other does not

So for the current United States administration nothing is off the table.
Normal conventions and practices don't apply.
They've gone rogue.




Yep, the only reason they have gotten away with it (so far) is because the leader was not liked. Does this seem a little similar to another leader who had weapons of mass destruction **cough, splutter, wink** Good old oil, eh! Cue the Beverley Hillbillies opening theme song.

Vladimir will not be happy with you, Donald.
22
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by Lods -
Quote from: DJC – on
The US Senate and House of Representatives weren’t notified of the Venezuela military action and did not authorise it.

That makes the action illegal under US law (and international law) but I doubt whether the GOP majority has the balls to stand up to Taco.

This wasn't a military operation though.
 ::)
It was a Drug Enforcement Agency operation ;)
There was even a guy with a DEA patch on his uniform there :D
The military were just along for the ride and to make sure the DEA folks were OK ::)  ::)  ::)

Seriously though, even if they would have us believe that line, there is so much wrong with the fact that a US legal system can lay charges against a foreign national, whose crimes weren't actually committed in the USA, and then their military can cross international borders to carry out an arrest without going through some type of proper extradition process.

Imagine if that happened in reverse.
And the Venezuelan government charged Donald Trump with kidnapping Maduro.
And Venezuelan military arrested Trump and took him to Venezuela. ::)  ::)  ::)

It's a power imbalance
One side has the capability
The other does not

So for the current United States administration nothing is off the table.
Normal conventions and practices don't apply.
They've gone rogue.


23
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by DJC -
The US Senate and House of Representatives weren’t notified of the Venezuela military action and did not authorise it.

That makes the action illegal under US law (and international law) but I doubt whether the GOP majority has the balls to stand up to Taco.
24
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by crashlander -
I do wonder what our selectors are trying to do far too often.
[1] Not playing a spinner at the SCG is not good planning. Even with he pitch having grass, it was designed to last. That will require a decent spinner.
I heard an interesting line on the ABC as I was coming home from the Gym. The comment was that while the pitch wasn't favouring spin, it wasn't favouring swing or cut. That bodes very poorly.
[2] Our batting line-up: who is going to bat where? Who should bat where? Neither question has a clear answer.
[3] Bringing in new blood: we appear to be lacking in that area. We've spent a lot of time trying Green, who has not yet delivered. But when we replace a pace bowler, do we bring in someone new? Not, an experienced guy.
25
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by Lods -
Quote from: DJC – on
Taco's very worrying announcements include:

"We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure."

"We'll be selling large amounts of oil."

However, US oil giants haven't responded to Taco's claims.  Chevron, is the only US oil company currently operating in Venezuela, and they have undertaken to follow Venezuela's “relevant laws and regulations”.  I suspect that Taco doesn't understand that multinational companies have to operate in an international context and can't play fast a loose with the resources of sovereign nations.

The formerly US-backed opposition leader and  Nobel Peace Prize winner, Maria Corina Machado, seems to have had the rug pulled out from under her.  Despite her "the hour of freedom has arrived" comment, Taco says that Machado doesn't have "support or respect".  He is backing Maduro's deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, saying "she's essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again." 🤮

Of course, Rodriguez is remaining loyal to Maduro and is promising to resist US aggression ... for now.

It's sounding more and more like there were elements of the Venezuelan administration who were actively involved in negotiating Maduro's capture.
Rodriguez and some of the military may have been involved.
While she publicly condemns the USA it's no certainty she isn't just blustering for a bit of a show and will fall into line.

One suggestion floating around regarding the oil is that by controlling it it will limit the supply to Cuba thus derailing the ruling regime there.
That would be a feather Trump would like to add to his cap.
26
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by Lods -
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Lods – on
Looks like the boys are dividing up the world.

Count Vlad gets Europe
Emperor Xi gets Asia and
King Don get's the Americas ::)

Realistically, Vlad’s Ukrainian excursion has shown that Europe has got his measure, particularly with the huge losses in men, materiel and budget.

Xi seems to have had Asia stitched up for some time, but you never know what strange bedfellows may get up to.

King Taco might try to grab low hanging fruit but he didn’t earn his nickname lightly.

Just finished watching the BBC production of War and Peace...very good, barracking for the Russians for a change. :D

Russia always plays the long game.

Capturing land in Ukraine is one objective they're struggling with, but in the end it is unlikely  that any of the land they have already captured will return to Ukrainian control.

Destabilising NATO would also be an objective, and while some countries hold firm there are a few waiverers.
Countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Turkey don't seem to have the same commitment as others...and could the allaince really count on the USA if the chips were down under the present administration.
27
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by DJC -
Taco's very worrying announcements include:

"We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure."

"We'll be selling large amounts of oil."

However, US oil giants haven't responded to Taco's claims.  Chevron, is the only US oil company currently operating in Venezuela, and they have undertaken to follow Venezuela's “relevant laws and regulations”.  I suspect that Taco doesn't understand that multinational companies have to operate in an international context and can't play fast a loose with the resources of sovereign nations.

The formerly US-backed opposition leader and  Nobel Peace Prize winner, Maria Corina Machado, seems to have had the rug pulled out from under her.  Despite her "the hour of freedom has arrived" comment, Taco says that Machado doesn't have "support or respect".  He is backing Maduro's deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, saying "she's essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again." 🤮

Of course, Rodriguez is remaining loyal to Maduro and is promising to resist US aggression ... for now.
28
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by Professer E -
Yep, let's continue to give poor old Usman a farewell summer, continue with no-rounder Green, play other bats out-of-position and expect Webster to work miracles as a change bowler.  Not impressed George.
Renshaw and McSweeney must be chafing behind the scenes, guess they're from the wrong state
29
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by LP -
After all the calls for Green's head, he's now bowling early on a wicket that so far this season looks like the least helpful wicket for fast bowlers, and they've gone into the game without a spinner on what appears to be the most spin friendly pitch cut to 6mm.

Furthermore, he's bowling ahead of Webster who seems to have him well covered as a change bowling option in domestic 1st class.

I'd assert on display is the full bullsh1t of Cricket Australia.

It reminds me of AFL players who put end at the last possible moment before the contract is signed.
30
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by LP -
Quote from: DJC – on
King Taco might try to grab low hanging fruit but he didn’t earn his nickname lightly.
Putin, Xi and Lil Kim assassinate domestic opponents and occasionally a foreign based dissidents, but not foreign bureaucrats or leaders, in this regard they are somewhat smarter than RedTrump.

RedTrump is a two bob bully, and bullies never pick on someone who is capable of fighting back! ;)

It seems to me this event has exposed a major weakness in the USA, they are desperate for oil. Obviously the US domestic reserves aren't anywhere near as abundant as the GOP claim, otherwise they'd be busy enacting the "drill baby drill" protocol in their own backyard, instead they embarked on an exceptionally expensive foreign incursion.