We stand at a tipping point: do we fire up the popcorn maker or start digging a fallout shelter in the garden? (Trump cont)

[boatyardblues]

Old thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3207431-When-a-nation-s-children-marched-and-their-President-ignored-them-Trump-cont

I’m all out of inspiration for the rest of this opening post. Send the St Bernard with the brandy please.

www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/04/paul-ryan-medicare-medicaid-trump-deficits/557798/

gin, Hi! I see JC was pushing for a debate/vote on further engagement in Syria. I guess May thinks she'd lose. Heavens knows what Trump will do, now he has Bolton on board. There is no good way ahead, just the least worst, what ever that might be. And there is the risk of an escalating proxy war with Russia. There is such enduring, utter misery over there.

A 'Faustian Bargain'.

A CNN Money piece.

The problem of part time work

I'll take the 'least worst' at the moment, I fear, mimi.

Uhoh, Coats and Dunford seen leaving White House.
mobile.twitter.com/KellyO/status/984149006493323264

And snitch-boy has got a lawyer. The very latest essential accessory, obv.
mobile.twitter.com/MarkSZaidEsq/status/984161861808640001

Silver lining.

fortune.com/2018/04/11/paul-ryan-not-seeking-reelection/

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43724886#

'A Pennsylvanian school district has given its teachers baseball bats in the fight against school shooters.

All 500 teachers of Millcreek School District near Erie got a 16in (41cm) bat in the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school attack in February.'

Mini, there was also this article about Israel misjudging Russia - I hadn't realised they'd killed 7 Iranians:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/10/israel-russia-syria-netanyahu-iran-middle-east?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other
I can't help but feel that we're slipping further into chaos, and 45 having the nuclear codes is just a recipe for disaster. It was bad enough Blair just following Bush into war blindly, but at least Bush didn't seem completely insane at times (though nobody ever thought he was the most intelligent).

So if You don't mind I shall be joining you all in the nuclear bunker. As my name suggests, gin is my tipple and I'll bring plenty of it.

Cohen offers to personally re-enact the defenestration of Prague to prove his fealty to T., but omits to say from which floor he'd defenestrate. (It'll be the ground floor, then.)
mobile.twitter.com/grynbaum/status/984162495593054208
For the record, Mr. Cohen has NEVER been to Prague and will shown you his passport to PROVE IT.
www.buzzfeed.com/anthonycormier/trumps-lawyer-showed-you-the-cover-of-his-passport-heres?utm_term=.hsM21gNE0#.iura5JGwx

Just to say.

I can't see Coats and Dunford (and Mattis earlier) leaving the WW if action was imminent.

Well done, gin. I reckon I shall spend the next few days lightly sozzled. You can all make allowances for any intemperate posts!

Just give us a shout if you need us to send the gin poodle with new supplies, Cozie. Or the whisky whippet...

I certainly shall. (Although the whisky is now sitting near my bedside.)

Anyone else put "China Mediterranean" into a search recently?

Nope - but after that heck of a hint, I just did.

Could you maybe say, rather than letting us guess, pestilential?

We might not recognise what you want us to see.

Some interesting hits, for sure. This wasn’t the first (naval warships) but this piqued my interest: thediplomat.com/2016/04/chinas-mediterranean-odyssey/ The Chinese have bought Piraeus port in Greece.

Xi proving that there's more to life than chocolate cake.

Chinese warships in the med have been instructed to stand by Russia.

Airspace around Syria very quiet.

Man, I’m starting to regret that flippant thread title now. It really could all kick off.

The Piraeus port sell-off story reminded me about the disaster capitalists and the fact Brexit could well leave us on our knees and looking to sell off our last few state assets.

More gin!!!

Thanks, pestilential.

Still following, jaw dropped re the Greek Port.

Incidentally, Ty Cobb is no relation.
My lawyer can confirm this.

No, boatyard. No reason to regret it.