Looks like Trump spoke to the leader of Taiwan today. It will be interesting to see China's response, but I don't think they'll be too happy

http://www.foxnews.com/politic...-china-tensions.html

quote:

She was asked again if she tried to wipe the whole server, to which Clinton said, “What, like with a cloth or something?”

Fuck. Can you imagine if she actually won the race.

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:
Looks like Trump spoke to the leader of Taiwan today. It will be interesting to see China's response, but I don't think they'll be too happy

http://www.foxnews.com/politic...-china-tensions.html

Good.

quote:

Friday's call is the starkest example yet of how Trump has flouted diplomatic conventions since he won the Nov. 8 election. He has apparently undertaken calls with foreign leaders without guidance customarily lent by the State Department, which oversees U.S. diplomacy.

I'm hoping for widespread changes at the State Department, you know, people who love These United States and The Constitution.

WSJ editorial on General Mattis. Sorry to post the whole thing, but WSJ is "subscription only", and I know not everyone does.

********************

James N. Mattis, a retired Marine general has been chosen by President-elect Trump to be the next secretary of defense. PHOTO: REUTERS

Donald Trump rewarded loyalists with posts at Treasury and Commerce, but the President-elect has chosen a Defense Secretary on the merits. Retired Marine General James Mattis is Mr. Trump’s nominee to run the Pentagon, which is good news for global order, as well as for the health of a military that for eight years has been treated like a political football.

A retired four-star who enlisted in the Marines in 1969, Gen. Mattis commanded a division during the 2003 Iraq invasion and later ran U.S. Central Command. He’s known as a steely warrior with a seemingly infinite library of books and memorable remarks, including the motto: “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”

He shows similar candor on threats to freedom abroad, and he has called the Iranian regime “the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East,” which is true. Gen. Mattis is more skeptical about Vladimir Putin than Mr. Trump is, and on Russia the general will be a useful counterweight to National Security AdviserMichael Flynn. U.S. adversaries looking to test the new President may think twice with Gen. Mattis aboard.

The general is also among the most revered military officers of his generation, and his former charges are floating stories of his leadership. He once volunteered to stand duty on Christmas Day so a young major could spend the holiday with his family; he crisscrossed the country to visit Gold Star mothers.

That sense of shared service would be welcome in a military that needs a boost. You’re probably read about the pilot who flies the same B-52 as his grandfather, or maintenance crews who dig up airplane parts in a museum. Polls of active-duty soldiers reveal a “morale crisis.” A Mattis appointment would raise confidence in the ranks that the Pentagon’s political leadership knows what it’s like to be in a foxhole—and will give troops the equipment to succeed.

Too often the Obama Administration has tried to use the military as a political or cultural bludgeon. Earlier this year the Defense Department circulated a memo about defeating House Speaker Paul Ryan’s defense bill. Mr. Ryan wanted to increase military spending without breaking budget caps. The memo called for a veto as a “weapon” to leverage more domestic spending.

Congress will have to pass a law to exempt Gen. Mattis from the restriction that a military officer must be retired for at least seven years before becoming the Pentagon’s civilian leader. On Thursday evening New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrandsaid she won’t support the waiver. Maybe she’s starting her 2020 presidential campaign early, but she’s going to need a better platform. The principle of civilian leadership is important, but Gen. Mattis has the knowledge and experience to deserve the dispensation. He will advocate for the entire military, not merely the Marines.

Are Democrats who say they’re terrified of Donald Trump as Commander in Chief going to deny him the advice of a Pentagon counselor as seasoned as Jim Mattis due to a legal technicality? Perhaps they’d prefer Sarah Palin so they can really frighten themselves.

Gen. Mattis has seen the cost of wars enough to want to deter them, but he also knows that if you fight them you need to do so with the force and will to win. As he said in a letter to a colleague: “‘Winging it’ and filling body bags as we sort out what works reminds us of the moral dictates and the cost of competence in our profession.” Mr. Trump has made a reassuring choice.

good video - enjoyed it

I think he just might be the guy that can cut through the crap of the procurement and budget bullshit and get us more of what we need and less of what they don't

it will be interesting to watch him work

Merry Trump Christmas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW85ZcswiqM

Good article on Mattis

http://thefederalist.com/2016/...attis-heres-learned/

quote:

Originally posted by FishOn:
Good article on Mattis

Yes, thank you for posting the link.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Mattis as SecDef is a brilliant move!

As for the libtard bedwetters, listen up pajama boyz!

Don't forget, they also have these guys to fight for them:

A very good article on how Trump exposed and took down the "media." It's a dream come true for many of us.

http://www.dailywire.com/news/...-hecklers-john-nolte

Well I am proud to say that DJT actually received 709 votes to H's 591 where I live. Even though DJT lost Hamilton County, he won Terrace Park.

More good news for Trump:


The U.S. Sees Record Breaking Sales
Posted by Zacks Investments Editorial Team on 12/3/16 6:00 AM


While Thanksgiving was last week, we have lots to be thankful for in this week’s headlines - with the U.S. consumer stronger than ever and U.S GDP for Q3 revised higher.

Record Breaking Sales – the U.S. consumer is stronger than ever, and that’s what matters most to economic growth. The consumer makes up just about two-thirds of the economy. Consumer strength showed in the famed Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days, as Black Friday registered a record $3.34 billion and Cyber Monday clocked in at $3.45 billion, according to Adobe Digital Insights. This represents a little over 12% year over year growth, which is a significant jump. It handily topped estimates for 9.4% growth.

U.S. GDP Revised Higher – Good news came in many forms this week, as U.S. GDP figures for Q3 were revised higher. The final estimate for growth came in at 3.2% for Q3, which is a big number relative to the average growth rate we’ve seen in this expansion. According to the Commerce Department, U.S. corporations benefited greatly from the broad-based growth, with after-tax earnings rising 5.2% in the quarter. The uptick in earnings for corporations marks the first year over year increase since 2014 (the Energy drag has finally faded), and also marks the strongest growth since Q4 of 2012.

Oil Prices Jump on OPEC Announcement – oil prices and oil/energy stocks saw a nice bump this week as OPEC surprised traders with an announcement to cut production. After a successful meeting in Vienna, it was announced that Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia were all in agreement about the cuts, which sent oil prices soaring some 12% to over $50 / barrel. It has been eight years since OPEC agreed to production cuts, and the disagreements between the three major players have been a major hurdle. Don’t go buying oil stocks just yet, though. An agreement is different than a production cut, so it remains to be seen whether OPEC countries follow through. What’s more, energy friendly policies under the Trump Administration may boost supply, which could keep downward pressure on prices.

Solid Manufacturing Numbers Across the World – It was a good month for manufacturing across the world, perhaps in a sign that global growth is stabilizing as the U.S. recovers from the energy drag and European growth gets a bump. The most common measure of manufacturing activity, the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), stayed above 50 for China, the Eurozone, and the U.K. China saw a government-induced infrastructure buildout with PMI holding up at 51.7, the Eurozone remained strong at 53.7, and the U.K. remained expansionary at 53.4 (though that marks a cool off from 54.2 in October).

Big Trouble in Little South Korea – the political situation has turned negative in South Korea, as President Park Geun-hye remains embroiled in a corruption scandal. The democratically elected leader and ally to the United States has now asked parliament to find a way for her to relinquish power and shorten her term, but this feels like an effort to avoid being impeached and embarrassed on the global stage.

While the headlines this week’s sung a positive tune, many investors are still wondering what to expect from the market as the U.S. prepares for Trump to take office. To give you a deeper look into the current state of the market and what you can expect in 2017, download our Stock Market Outlook report by clicking on the link below:

http://www.steadyinvestor.com/...ecord-breaking-sales


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Merry Christmas!!!

quote:

Originally posted by roberth:

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:
Looks like Trump spoke to the leader of Taiwan today. It will be interesting to see China's response, but I don't think they'll be too happy

http://www.foxnews.com/politic...-china-tensions.html

Good.

quote:

Friday's call is the starkest example yet of how Trump has flouted diplomatic conventions since he won the Nov. 8 election. He has apparently undertaken calls with foreign leaders without guidance customarily lent by the State Department, which oversees U.S. diplomacy.

I'm hoping for widespread changes at the State Department, you know, people who love These United States and The Constitution.

And Trump on Facebook answers the hue and cry about pissing off the Chinese/Carter from the Libs with this.
"Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call."

the real reason Trump won???

Ford said it’s willing to work with him to keep jobs in the U.S. -- provided Trump puts the right policies in place, according to the automaker’s chief executive officer.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news...eeping-jobs-ceo-says


Fields said that Ford plans to lobby the new president to soften U.S. and state fuel-economy rules. They hurt profits by forcing automakers to build more electric cars and hybrids than are warranted by customer demand, he said.

“In 2008, there were 12 electrified vehicles offered in the U.S. market and it represented 2.3 percent of the industry,” Fields said in the interview. “Fast forward to 2016, there’s 55 models, and year to date it’s 2.8 percent.”