The [Current Year] General Political/Salma Hayek discussion thread, part 4!!!

[BugI02]

Let's say that I was ok, in theory, with Pence staying at Trump's resort in Ireland. The resort he stayed at was at Doonbeg. Doonbeg, is on the west coast of Ireland. Pence's meetings were in Dublin. Dublin is on the east coast of Ireland. There is 180 miles between the two. Pence's chief of staff says they stayed in Doonbeg for safety reasons. So apparently in the crime hub of Ireland, there's not anyplace between Dublin and Doonbeg where one could ensure the safety of the VP. Do you honestly buy that?

Pence is a protestant. You do know there are eight counties he might not feel totally ... comfortable in, yes?

Edit: You didn't differentiate between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

 

[jamil]

I know he sounds like a Protestant when he gets to preaching, but I was pretty sure he’s a catholic.

 

[BugI02]

The wiki says his family is RC but he became evangelical christian in college

 

[Kutnupe14]

Yes

You honestly think its a good idea for the government to force government employees to stay to stay in American owned businesses while abroad? You might be one of the few that doesn't see one of the multitude of issue with that.

 

[jamil]

They should make it mandatory to stay at American owned facilities when they are available. But I know that would be way too patriotic for liberals.

Patriotic? That’s an individual thing. Even if you could force Americans to do “American” things, you can’t force them to be patriotic. And I challenge the notion that forcing people to stay at American own facilities is even patriotic.

 

[nonobaddog]

Patriotic? That’s an individual thing. Even if you could force Americans to do “American” things, you can’t force them to be patriotic. And I challenge the notion that forcing people to stay at American own facilities is even patriotic.

Yeah, maybe "forcing" is a bad choice, but it certainly should not get people's panties bunched up if Americans stay in American owned places.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Yeah, maybe "forcing" is a bad choice, but it certainly should not get people's panties bunched up if Americans stay in American owned places.

So I take it you're ok with military members taking pitstops at Trump properties, rather than going to military bases?

 

[jamil]

Yeah, maybe "forcing" is a bad choice, but it certainly should not get people's panties bunched up if Americans stay in American owned places.

This I agree with, but, it does smell of conflict to stay at your own properties on America’s dime. If that’s what happened.

 

[Leadeye]

When you become president does the secret service investigate all your homes and properties and evaluate them for security in case you might be there? Maybe they stay there because some of the up front security work is already done.

 

[Kutnupe14]

When you become president does the secret service investigate all your homes and properties and evaluate them for security in case you might be there? Maybe they stay there because some of the up front security work is already done.

In a vacuum, sure that makes sense. But when you have administration officials, foreign diplomats staying there, it seems more like paying tribute than practicality.
And then you have....

In early Spring of this year, an Air National Guard crew made a routine trip from the U.S. to Kuwait to deliver supplies.
What wasn’t routine was where the crew stopped along the way: President Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort, about 50 miles outside Glasgow, Scotland.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/06/air-force-trump-scottish-retreat-1484337

This crew had apparently taken that trip from Kuwait on dozens of other occasions, and never stopped at a Trump resort. Maybe there's a good excuse for them staying there... but you can't help but consider there might be (with all the rest of the tribute paying) something shady going on.

 

[nonobaddog]

So I take it you're ok with military members taking pitstops at Trump properties, rather than going to military bases?

When you are on duty you report to your unit which is on base of course.
When I was in the Army I could not afford to stay at Trump level places but if a soldier could afford it and he is on leave then why the hell not?

 

[Kutnupe14]

When you are on duty you report to your unit which is on base of course.
When I was in the Army I could not afford to stay at Trump level places but if a soldier could afford it and he is on leave then why the hell not?

Not on leave...

One crew member was so struck by the choice of hotel — markedly different than the Marriotts and Hiltons the 176th maintenance squadron is used to — that he texted someone close to him and told him about the stay, sending a photo and noting that the crew’s per diem allowance wasn’t enough to cover food and drinks at the ritzy resort.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/06/air-force-trump-scottish-retreat-1484337

...and apparently couldn't afford it. So you DO see the issue.

 

[nonobaddog]

Not on leave...

I lived off-base when I was stationed at Ft Gordon. There was no Trump facility in Augusta, Georgia at that time but if there was I could have lived in it if I were so inclined. What is this problem you are trying to create? If you can't just say it, I have to think it doesn't exist.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I lived off-base when I was stationed at Ft Gordon. There was no Trump facility in Augusta, Georgia at that time but if there was I could have lived in it if I were so inclined. What is this problem you are trying to create? If you can't just say it, I have to think it doesn't exist.

Are you not reading the links? They kinda explain the problem.

 

[nonobaddog]

So I take it you're ok with military members taking pitstops at Trump properties, rather than going to military bases?

Back to your original query to me - which I see now has a hidden agenda. I am fine with the military taking pitstops wherever they do as long as there is a good reason for it. Just like everything else that the government spends there are good reasons and there are abuses. I don't know enough about this individual case to comment further but in general - like the original question asked, I am fine with the military taking justified pitstops at Trump properties or my properties or any other American properties. In extreme cases foreign properties would be fine too.

 

[KG1]

I certainly agree that there should be an accounting. Who’s responsible and why were these unusual expenditures authorized?

I don’t think it’s out of line for questions to be asked and answers to be required.

It’s called accountability.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Back to your original query to me - which I see now has a hidden agenda. I am fine with the military taking pitstops wherever they do as long as there is a good reason for it. Just like everything else that the government spends there are good reasons and there are abuses. I don't know enough about this individual case to comment further but in general - like the original question asked, I am fine with the military taking justified pitstops at Trump properties or my properties or any other American properties. In extreme cases foreign properties would be fine too.

The original question was poorly worded. I'll take the blame for that. But there was no hidden agenda. The original question was meant to directly reference the military members staying at remote property, one that at least one of them couldn't afford, and just so happens to be one of the properties owned by the president, that is hemorrhaging money. Only the true, true believers can look at that fiasco, and not want to know why this is occurring, as it certainly looks "no Bueno."

 

[indiucky]

Man...We are a long way from "Russia! Russia! Russia!!!!!"

Seems like only yesterday...So now it's soldiers staying at Trump hotels????


Oh the humanity!!! How will the republic survive?????

 

[nonobaddog]

The original question was poorly worded. I'll take the blame for that. But there was no hidden agenda. The original question was meant to directly reference the military members staying at remote property, one that at least one of them couldn't afford, and just so happens to be one of the properties owned by the president, that is hemorrhaging money. Only the true, true believers can look at that fiasco, and not want to know why this is occurring, as it certainly looks "no Bueno."

The original question was generic and I answered that. I believe it was intentionally obscure - nothing wrong with that. You do that a lot so it is pretty useless to try to deny it. The hidden agenda was you wanted to bring up this particular case of military spending.

I do not personally know of any justification involved in this particular case, one way or the other.

Possibly expenditures like this sometimes go along with the $400 hammers, acquisition category III and IV expenditures and the black budget as a way of funding black ops and other classified expenses.

 

[jbombelli]

Man...We are a long way from "Russia! Russia! Russia!!!!!"

Seems like only yesterday...So now it's soldiers staying at Trump hotels????


Oh the humanity!!! How will the republic survive?????

Well, everything else the Democrats have thrown at Trump has failed, so now we have Hotelgate. The incessant floundering about looking for issues would be funny if it wasnt so pathetic.