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Posted: **Sat Apr 1, 2017 4:11 pm**

This is the continuation of the Wizards Board Political Forum.

This forum is not for the faint of heart. We live in interesting and contentious times and this forum reflects that reality. Participants are very opinionated and some of these opinions may be shocking or upsetting to others. If you don't want to be confronted with opinions significantly contrary to your own, don't enter this thread.

The moderators will vigorously enforce the RealGM Terms of Service but we are not interested in limiting speech. So, no trolling, no name calling and no inciting.

Posted: **Sat Apr 1, 2017 4:11 pm**

bsilver wrote:My point, which you're ignoring, is that the president makes the policy, not the CIA, NSA, etc. Would the CIA have overthrown Iran's democratic government to install the Shah unless Eisenhower wanted it?
I am totally against many of the CIA's actions, and the last to shout we're #1, but the president is in charge and has to take the responsibility.

Exactly. As long as its under control, the CIA is a tool for policy enactment. They don't choose the policy themselves, even if they have preferences. They advocate for their position, and then salute and implement the President's directive.

The two questions we can have are whether the CIA is at times acting outside of their mandate and without proper congressional oversight, and whether the President is giving them proper and legal requests. We've seen problems in both cases over the years.

Posted: **Sat Apr 1, 2017 6:46 pm**

Oxford comma or DEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAATH!!!!!

Posted: **Sat Apr 1, 2017 9:25 pm**

https://www.google.com/amp/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/russian-government-posts-april-fools-day-prank-offering-election-interference/

“To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1,” the recording begins, in Russian and English. Press 2 “to use the services of Russian hackers,” and 3 “to request election interference.”

Posted: **Sat Apr 1, 2017 10:35 pm**

Zonkerbl wrote:Oxford comma or DEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAATH!!!!!

MODS!!

Posted: **Sat Apr 1, 2017 11:20 pm**

AFM wrote:https://www.google.com/amp/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/russian-government-posts-april-fools-day-prank-offering-election-interference/

“To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1,” the recording begins, in Russian and English. Press 2 “to use the services of Russian hackers,” and 3 “to request election interference.”

The jokes on us...there is no April Fools in Russia! On April 1 they tell the truth

Posted: **Sat Apr 1, 2017 11:41 pm**

dckingsfan wrote:
Zonkerbl wrote:Oxford comma or DEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAATH!!!!!

MODS!!

I'm not an advocate of the Oxford comma in all cases, but I was brought up in a family that had a wide range of views regarding commas, stemming from the many differing backgrounds brought together by my parents and grandparents. That experience has taught me to be open minded about differing views. That is the purpose of this thread: we discuss, we debate, we agree to disagree about comma usage.

Posted: **Sat Apr 1, 2017 11:55 pm**

Richard Dawkins bringing the heat

Read on Twitter

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 1:23 pm**

Well looky here, Michael Flynn left payments made to him by Russia's propaganda arm RT, off his financial disclosure form, this is consistent with his pattern of lying about his contacts with Russia.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/04/01/michael-flynn-failed-to-disclose-payments-from-russian-propaganda-network.html

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 1:33 pm**

I think Mark Cuban's take on Russia Gate is the most plausible.

Billionaire Mark Cuban: Trump Too Clueless To Collude With The Russians - The Huffington Post
https://apple.news/AdWHVWiiuSEO7xcDAjtFoCg

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Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 2:04 pm**

AFM wrote:Richard Dawkins bringing the heat

Read on Twitter

There's an article in today's NY Times about gays being killed and beaten in Chechnya. That seems pretty typical of Islamic counties, even more tolerant ones such as Turkey. Many Christian countries in Africa aren't any better.

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 2:32 pm**

And while all the shenanigans are distracting us...

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/52480

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 2:46 pm**

And Zonker's favorite figure (wait, what? We are already over 100% of GDP):

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 2:48 pm**

And so much for the wiggle room of increasing taxes - sigh.

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 4:27 pm**

bsilver wrote:
AFM wrote:Richard Dawkins bringing the heat

Read on Twitter

There's an article in today's NY Times about gays being killed and beaten in Chechnya. That seems pretty typical of Islamic counties, even more tolerant ones such as Turkey. Many Christian countries in Africa aren't any better.

Or christians in south america or in Central Asia, or with Hindus in India, or with the various religions in Papau New Ginea toward gays, etc. In some cultures, we find no issue, but in many others, across a wide number of religions, we do find significant discrimination against LGBT folk. Far be it for me to tell Richard Dawkins what to focus on, but Muslim to gay discrimination is an odd place to bring the heat.

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 5:29 pm**

AFM wrote:Richard Dawkins bringing the heat

Read on Twitter

I'm from Jamaica, a Christian country that was once held the record for most churches per square mile. Gays were regularly and still are beaten and killed. So what was your point exactly?

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 6:36 pm**

JWizmentality wrote:
AFM wrote:Richard Dawkins bringing the heat

Read on Twitter

I'm from Jamaica, a Christian country that was once held the record for most churches per square mile. Gays were regularly and still are beaten and killed. So what was your point exactly?

I know you aren't saying that the above tweet implies only Islamic nations are intolerant of gays, right?

"Some Christian countries do it too" is a pretty bizarre argument.

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 6:37 pm**

dckingsfan wrote:And Zonker's favorite figure (wait, what? We are already over 100% of GDP):

The coming train wreck will diminish the economic future of every American yet the major media don't seem to care. And voters appear unwilling to hold their reps accountable. Cognitive dissonance maybe, IDK. If we're unwilling to cut spending then higher taxes and ever-rising inflation are the only means to address the imbalance. I'm assuming continued moderate growth < 3%.

Posted: **Sun Apr 2, 2017 7:56 pm**

Watch on YouTube

The coming pension crisis. Wow.

Posted: **Mon Apr 3, 2017 12:28 am**

FAH1223 wrote:The coming pension crisis. Wow.

And yet... it isn't even reported on by mainstream media... I really don't understand why that is.

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Political Roundtable Part XIV

Political Roundtable Part XIV

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