The Frankish Reich

OK, try this: 1. Should we have remained neutral in the Israel-Hamas war? 2. Should we be directly attacking Iran now?

What would Irv do? Sorry I'm taxing your Trump-level attention span. I hear Provigil may help.

So what would you do? The drone attacks on U.S. armed forces are a direct consequence of U.S. support - moral, legal, and real world weapons - of Israel. Should we have not expressed such support for Israel? Should we be officially neutral here, not get involved at all? So I hear we are soft on Iran. Should we get into a shooting war directly with Iran? You tell me.

Horseshoe theory is now reality.

Cancel All Groomers! (I read that right here)

Correct. The jury found, after a full civil trial, that Trump digitally penetrated Carroll. This is, therefore, an established finding of fact unless overturned on appeal.

The immediate factor in the French farmer revolt: agricultural use diesel fuel was taxed at a lower level than regular transport diesel. The French government wanted to equalize this. Farmers revolted, the plan was withdrawn. OK, fair to say that the French government proposal was to "raise taxes" on farmers. But that's not the whole story. The whole story is the EU/French subsidies paid to farmers, and EU protectionism keeping out imported agricultural products: https://www.arc2020.eu/agriculture-atlas-biggest-beneficiary/ The agricultural sector in France would be significantly smaller if subsidies were ended. In other words, the French government and the EU prop up French farmers through a complex web of subsidies and import restrictions. The farmer rebellion is mostly about "how dare you propose to stop subsidizing my business," not about ending some kind of socialism. "Don't end socialism; it helps me" is the real rallying cry here.

Right. And this —

Our friends the Saudis.

Maybe we should give Mormons some extra votes since they tend to have a lot of kids? Or how about counting the votes of the childless by some fractional amount. 3/5 maybe?

Then we take Berlin!

I don't get Trump's problem. He's got Kanye on his side. Doesn't that even things out?

True. It does vary by state. California is still much higher, many other states considerably higher.

You need to understand the upshot of your half-baked "argument." Let's make it easy. You are Jewish. Someone, somewhere - let's say in Harvard Yard - carries a sign saying "From the River to the Sea" and "Eliminate All Jews." You live far away - let's say in Buffalo. Has this person "harassed" you? "Threatened" you personally? No. Let's say that person comes to your house at night with a bullhorn and starts chanting the same thing that's on the sign. Has that person "harassed" you? I'd say yes. Has that person "threatened" you? I'd say yes. The Harvard President said "it depends on the context." See? It does depend on the context. People who called on the Harvard President to resign imputed a different statement to her. A statement that was something like, "Should Harvard ban its students and faculty from calling for the elimination of the State of Israel?" Were the statements offensive? Yes. Should they be banned? Let's have that argument. Irv here wants to nuke Gaza. Should that be banned? Let's have that argument. But it's a different question than the one posed by Elise Stefanik. Yes, I'm answering like a lawyer. Because it was a hearing and at hearings people are advised by lawyers to answer only the specific question that is posed.

Haha. I'll check Gas Buddy and tell you what it is today. You need to learn about arguments by analogy.

We just lost to KC because KC averaged 7.7 yards per play. Yes, it would be great to improve the offense too, but ...

Very clever. But maybe you failed to consider the full universe of alternatives. Prices are unlikely to fall, but they may rise at about 2% a year, which, after all, is the Fed's target.

$2.28 at Costco yesterday.

Guy with turban blocks guy with Dodgers ballcap from entering. News at 11.

No wonder Trump doesn't like to be photographed next to him.

One way to settle a lawsuit ...

Is Flynn just batshit crazy? Playing people so he can make money giving speeches to QAnon nuts? Whichever one: ladies and gentlemen, I bring you Trump's National Security Adviser (first term), and Defense Secretary (second), or Why I Am an Anyone But Trumper.

Oh, I'll be glad to go on at greater length about the cultural phenomenon that is The Rise of the Horny Made-Over Conservative Mom if you'd like more. MTG, Boebert, Noem, that Moms for Liberty Threesome Mom ... just getting started.

Not sure if you consider me one of those "lefties," but I am an equal opportunity commenter on the appearance of political candidates. Here's one for Biden: wear glasses. Not just the sunglasses. Glasses. They help to hide those squinty eyes and may actually make him look smarter (not a high bar); more like an elder statesman than an old fart.

I see that the AZ Republican Party chairman who was urging her not to run was previously a Trump campaign guy who was then appointed by Trump to a cushy job at NASA. Who knows what he promised or was promised in exchange for that gig. So maybe it's time to get over all that "insider/outsider Trump vs. The Party Establishment" nonsense. All politicians, Trump and Lake included, are in it for themselves ... And remember: this is a weird race. Kyrsten Sinema is the incumbent, and no longer a Democrat. I don't think she's officially announced if she's running again as an independent. Ruben Gallego is the apparent Dem nominee - a House representative who's generally liberal but a bit unorthodox himself. So the Republican has to have more general appeal (at least that's what the pundits outside and, apparently, inside) the Party think.