Friday, December 18, 2015

Party of Idiots



Who says there's no difference between Democrats and Republicans? No Dem is this stupid.

I'm trying to recall how old I was when I first learned about the nuclear triad (missiles, subs, jets). Was it 6th grade? Yeah. I'm pretty sure I was still in elementary school. Yet Donald Trump never learned this basic fact about America's nuclear defense system. And this idiot wants to be president!

Inexcusable.

In the nescience sweepstakes, Trump has placed himself ahead of Sarah Palin. He has even nosed out George W. Bush, who did not know until after he assumed the presidency that Islam had two main factions, Sunni and Shi'ite. Despite having gone to the finest schools, and despite having been of adult age during the Iranian revolution, Bush did not know this very basic fact. (At the time of the revolution, every single American news periodical and news broadcast carried an article which carefully explained the meaning of the term "Shi'ite." In other words, Dubya completely ignored world events during that period. And his dad was head of the CIA!)

I wonder if Dubya knew about the nuclear triad before the year 2000? I wonder if he knows about it now?

A film critic once said that Bill Murray usually plays the same character: A dimwitted Everyman in the audience who hops out of his seat and somehow manages to plunge into the movie itself. He doesn't know the lines, he doesn't know the plot, but he thinks he can wing it. He is convinced that radiating jackass self-confidence will see him through.

All of the Republican candidates are like that.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whoever told you that insulting Bill Murray was a good way to take down the Republicans sold you a bill of goods. What's the point in getting caught up in the minutia of how exactly the United States defends itself - or more accurately, offends others? Maybe we need a big picture, sweeping statement kind of guy to take charge for a while. For as many faults as Trump has - and he's obviously got plenty - he's the only one who's got his own money and is therefore relatively independent in his thought.

I've been giving my money to Bernie Sanders because he's the only candidate I could possibly imagine not dragging us into World War III, but in a perfect world I'd really like to see a Sanders/Trump ticket that actually united Americans around a common goal: to honestly make America great again. The only way we're ever going to solve our problems is to push aside the false left/right, conservative/democrat, right/wrong, divide and conquer agenda.

Having two diametrically opposed candidates demonstrate that even they are capable of finding common ground and working together to make things better would take more wind out of the sails of the empire than could any candidate only concerned with wooing 50.1% of the population.

Fuck the empire.

S Brennan said...

Are you serious? I watched an smarmy idiot pontificate for almost seven minutes...for that? C'mon, seriously? Everybody who speaks publicly, [which you do, albeit in a more controlled environment] makes errors, this commenters snobbery reminded me of early blogs spelling & grammar Nazis.

Like much of Trump's ardent critics, this clown would help Trump if this clip is widely viewed...perhaps, that's your secret goal?

The people for whom this clip is "informative" are dedicated to futilely voting for Sanders, throwing their hands up when Hillary is anointed, declaring, "well...we tried, now we have to vote for Hillary...but we must hold our feet to the fire...wait a minute...we meant Hillary's feet need holding"...and then going back to their blissful state of ignorance that they have so aptly demonstrated for the last 7 years.

Stephen Morgan said...

He answers the question without ever actually addressing the issue at all, hardly a surprise. What's the big deal? Maybe he knows what it means, maybe he doesn't.

Joseph Cannon said...

"Insulting Bill Murray" -- say WHAT? I never insulted the guy. I'm a fan, and so was the film critic referenced here. (I did not give a name because I couldn't recall if Siskel or Ebert said it.)

Cenk Uygur is a "clown" and Trump ISN'T? Are you mad?

Yes, I do think we should expect Donald Trump to know basic information about this country's defenses. Yes, he should know what the nuclear triad is. That is literally grade school stuff. It's not as though I'm asking Trump to be able to read the schematics for an atom smasher.

Twilight said...

Joseph ~ That's not Cenk Uygur, it's John Iadarola .
PS - I didn't know what the nuclear triad is either I thought it was something akin to that other horror "the axis of evil" - but I have the excuse of being British born and living there for my first 60 years. I guess Trump's excuse is that he has been busy making gobs of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Oh my! Why should America tremble?!

Alessandro Machi said...

This topic is definitely a reach. So, whatcha think about them nukes, Donald. Just what was he supposed to say?
lol, talk about a trick question.

ben said...

The American Kabuki rolls on. Anything on the media except relevant news. It's the new America. PR and Marketing uber alles!

ben

Joseph Cannon said...

"Just what was he supposed to say?"

How about: "Submarines. The most robust. Traditionally, the problem has been communication, but it is my understanding that this problem has been solved in recent years."

And then I would have discussed ELF communications technology and the arguments over their health effects. This would have annoyed the right-wing writers, who would have shouted "Cannon doesn't know what he's talking about!"

As opposed to Donald Trump. Who doesn't even know what the fucking nuclear triad is.

Stephen Morgan said...

ELF could also potentially result in submarines being detectable. OF course our RN submarines never had a communications problem. Their orders are simple: if you go a week without being able to tune in to Radio 4 Long Wave, then destroy the world.

Alessandro Machi said...

I recall this site just about 10 days or more ago linking to a story that the Russians were developing a submarine nuclear torpedo that could travel at 120 miles an hour and not be detected. Exploding it against the west coast would not only do incredible damage it would also create a tsunami and some type of radioactive steam cloud as well.

I hope subs are not hackable.

Bob Harrison said...

Since I recall the Cuban missile thingy quite well, I also recall learning about the nuclear triad many years before--- sixth grade-- from reading Starship Troopers I think. Anyway, if you hold yourself qualified for the office of President, nuclear triads, like reading, is fundamental.