Libya springs immediately to mind, along with other random low-level North African nastiness. Then we left Iraq, and then re-invaded. THAT was fantastic right thar.
You’re drunk? I’m jealous.
You should know that the Republic of Mickitystan encourages public drunkenness.
Double-post called for in light of the French bashing. Awesome. The Republic of Mickitystan also likes to mock the French. We’re creating an entire Department for it. We shall make you Minister of Mockery.
I’m not sure I’d classify those as ‘wars’ necessarily. Which isn’t to attempt to participate in any propaganda trick played to disguise a de facto war, just to satisfy my customary craving for nuance. There is potential criticism of Obama’s ‘militarism’ (vague term drunk Hat) but that should probably be distinguished for the cavalier crusader-type attitude of Dubya.
I have to credit an uncyclopedia article on Napoleon for the pic and phrase lol. I remember reading it a lot when I was doing European history at school. But I have most fondness for their crediting of every quote in hsitory to Oscar Wilde.
Fixed!
This is a good point, since while those three didn’t start the imperial presidency they did help it expand grossly. Bush explicitly intended to leave a more powerful office to his successors, and Obama rather than curtailing that pushed the envelope with those powers. Trump was naturally delighted (doubt anyone will pretend to surprise there). Regardless however, this brings us back to a simple point - that the imperial presidency has been growing at a terrifying rate during the relatively modern period of history. This isn’t an academic argument, or something that’s been occurring at a normal rate throughout history, but a very current concern since this is a problem that likely will need to be dealt with by us rather than put off for some vague future generation (like too many other governmental issues).
Eh, if my facebook feed is any indication tonight, the biggest issue we have to worry about is Nike hiring C Kapp, so I’m sure it will all work out.
…
How is it again that this place is the only place where I don’t deal with those dumb ■■■■■■■ arguments?
Must be all that virtual violence we engage in. Its clearly rotted our heads, otherwise how would we fail to act properly antagonistic?
The level of discussion surrounding all of that nonsense… blows my mind.
It’s a big deal to my a dad and several southern conservatives I know.
Why, I have no goddamn idea, but it’s like their favorite thing, and know Chris Kyle’s widow is posting things that keep getting posted over and over again >.>
In group/out group. It’s a matter of belonging, they’re having a visceral reaction to something that that signals enmity. Modern American politics is not merely not based on policy, but not even on positivity. You’re defined more by who you hate than who you love. Actual political philosophy tends to follow from that, if someone has such convictions at all.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the stuff about Kavanaugh and the Parkland teen father by now. What got my attention was the placeholder image for the video clip hosted by the Guardian. If you watch Kavanaugh’s face between the moment Guttenberg reaches out his hand and introduces himself, and when he is facing the guy to his (Kavanaugh’s) left (who appears to be one of the security handlers trying to get his attention) - well, here:
From the video:
A slightly better quality still from the Guardian:
That is NOT a happy face; that is a sad and troubled face. I really wish I knew what thoughts were going through his head right then - it would tell us a lot about the man.
The Republic of Mickitystan will not take sides in this intra-European dispute. However, we do encourage a diplomatic end to the developing naval crisis between the French and British Royal Navy.
So far, although the French are putting their navy on stand-by, the British are holding off. Officially, even though the fishing is taking place in waters outside the 12-mile limit, it’s still within an area that falls under French maritime responsibility.
That’s beyond dangerous! Captain’s could had been prosecuted for 1st degree if it had turned bad.
Yeah… Now try explaining to them the concept of Canadian jurisdiction around St-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Or even the Portuguese (among others.) east of Newfoundland.
There’s a bunch of issues around maritimes border and fisheries in North America too. Also between “natives” and “us others”. Boats have been burnt. But I’m relieved it never escalated to this kind of stupidity.
In this case I believe it’s a long-standing agreement over monitoring of the English Channel? If there’s no bilateral agreement in place, all bets are off.
There’s still internationals rules. Maritimes borders are at the roots of countries understanding we need some international base to agree on. The devil is in the interpretation…
And of course there’s the international water. If someone is doing illegal activities in international water. Who can arrest them? Could be fishery, could be drug trafficking. Can be and is a lot of things.
-edit- You may (or probably not) remember the diplomatic incident when the Canadian Coast Guard boarded Portuguese fishing ships a couple years ago.
I guess they figured a way in the Channel. Agencies like border patrol and coast guards work together WAY better than their government imagine. 
Fisherman are a whole other story…
Maybe Trump will park a giant friggin’ United States Navy carrier battle group in the Channel. What then, Europe? Hmm? WHAT. THEN?
ALL THE SCALLOPS ARE OURS.
“It’ll be the BEST Navy ship, ok? The best! Believe me, the best!”
And the guy know all the best navy ship! Believe me.
Oh God, this issue is pretty bad. I mean, I don’t think it’ll come to war, but on a practical, environmental, and diplomatic level, it’s quite serious.
The EU is generally a good arbiter of fishing law. I mean, some people have lost badly with it and I totally understand why they voted Brexit, and environmentalists say the quotas don’t go far enough, and every year all the different parties have a scrap trying to get a balance about who can fish what, and Iceland threatens to ruin it all by being a law unto itself, as usual. Nevertheless, overall, the EU does an ok job of managing territory and waters. It’s done good stuff at least - brought back cod in the North Sea, for example.
It gets more difficult when they’re not an arbiter, and this England v France re: scallops issue is a case in point. As I understand it French law prohibits scallop dredging for sane environmental reasons during certain times of year. Usually, Britain comes to a private agreement with France to replicate that policy, even though under EU law you’re allowed to fish following the 12-mile rule (France and Britain aren’t that far away from each other, which has really been a long running historical problem).
Because tensions are high with Europe right now, and there’s an awful lot of negotiation going on and none of it’s going that well, the usual agreement… hasn’t happened. Hence the ire of French fishermen.
It’s all rather grim…
replace EU with N.A. and it’s pretty much the same thing. Exit Brexit of course.
Same here with CDN, US and … FRA!
Also Denmark and the Netherlands. You’ll be amazed by the seriously passive-aggressive actions between us two! 