[paraclete]

Russia has perfected an unstoppable weapon, a Chinese military academic recommends sinking American aircraft carriers and Trump shuts down the American government because he cannot get his wall. What a start to a new year. Meanwhile Kim wants to talk while the Japanese respond by beefing up their aircraft carriers. I expect my own nation will follow suit.

Perhaps it is time to rethink strategy

[jlisenbe]

Gone mad? When was it not mad? It's a safer place now than during the Cold War, but you are right to be concerned. Trump's wall will make American a safer place.

[tomder55]

Imagine a partial government shutdown during a holiday. If one side stayed in Washington, extending an open ended invitation to negotiate, while the other vacationed in Hawaii, what should the media coverage look like?

When I see the Ruskies test their hypersonic missile I'll believe they "perfected "it .

There has been a lot of bluster from the Chinese military . Makes me wonder how much control Xi has over them.

Kim has to demonstrate a commitment to something besides the old tired NORK strategy of head fake while proceeding in developing nukes and long range delivery systems .He could start with dismantling and opening his country to international inspection. What Kim really wants is neighbors like Moon Jai-in ;the a$$hole President of S Korea ;who is surrendering his nation to Kim without a fight .

[talaniman]

Why should the dems keep negotiating with a lying cheating dufus that changes his terms and conditions constantly whenever his "base" hollers? That would be insane and is the reason the government is closed. I hope congress does it's job and passes a bill in the house and senate and resolves the gridlock, and let's the dufus decide to sign or veto it. Good luck hoping the dufus gets his wall from Nancy and Chuck, as even Mitch ain't sold on it either. We are safer now that we got rid of those house sycophants, as the administration crumbles before our eyes and nobody wants to replace them. That's the story for 2019 that the media will report.

Can you blame Vlad, Kim or Xi from pressing on with their own agenda when the Dufus won't oppose them? Expect even more lies from this White House as the pressure mounts, and Iran and the Saudis get in the mix.

Oh and Happy New Year, if we can dump the dufus.

[tomder55]

why don't the Dems want border security ? That will be the question voters will ask in 2020 .

Democrats oppose a wall. They oppose using the military to secure the border. They oppose fully prosecuting illegals who use their children as shields. They oppose forcing asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases are investigated. They oppose any attempt to stop the endless floodf unknown people coming into the country. They use the cities they control as sanctuary cities defying federal law .

The party of open borders ….has a nice ring to it .... right ?

[jlisenbe]

changes his terms and conditions constantly

Also known as "negotiating".

[talaniman]

Naw, that's just the dufus and fake news spin. FACT is we want more border security and more people at the border to HUMANELY process the immigrants desperately running from home because of dangerous and oppressive conditions not unlike those across the world migrating for a safer place. Fact is that's just human nature and we have a history of such behavior and America was built on it.

Heck all our peeps were unknown at one point or another, but a few generations does change that drastically for the better. Now we should be afraid of those unknowns since they aren't from the homelands of some? Guess who made the natives of this land over here illegal in the first place, and why? I find it fascinating Vlad can send his rich people over here to the dufus luxury hotels and supports Russian anchor babies and not a peep from the right.

It's no wonder that liberals practice such civil disobedience over those kinds of unfair practices and policies, to help those that the right vilifies and oppresses them in the most blatant case of discrimination since slavery. What's laughable is the right fully expects the left to just rollover and accept the lying cheating discriminating dufus BS! Never have before, and I doubt that happens anytime soon no matter what antics are undertaken.

You guys may have elected the fool but make no mistake it's the dems who will vet and expose him and Nancy will pull his pants down publicly. So maybe we start with the facts of the matter if we can get the dufus and repubs to stop watching FAUX News. I mean who sits home with his tweets and doesn't pick up the phone to invite the opposition to his fake party? Can't blame him since it would be humiliating for the last days of repub rule to end in a total flop!

Oh wait, it is ending in a total flop! A new day starts THURSDAY. Don't you look forward to right wing heads exploding?

[jlisenbe]

Naw, that's just the dufus and fake news spin. FACT is we want more border security and more people at the border to HUMANELY process the immigrants desperately running from home because of dangerous and oppressive conditions not unlike those across the world migrating for a safer place. Fact is that's just human nature and we have a history of such behavior and America was built on it.

What the dems have been saying for decades now, and the result is 15 million illegal immigrants in our country. Time to try something else.

[tomder55]

FACT is we want more border security and more people at the border to HUMANELY process the immigrants

No you don't .Half your candidates want to eliminate(….oops I mean “reimagined.”)ICE .

You don't fool me or most Americans .

[Wondergirl]

FACT is we want more border security and more people at the border to HUMANELY process the immigrants desperately running from home because of dangerous and oppressive conditions not unlike those across the world migrating for a safer place. Fact is that's just human nature and we have a history of such behavior and America was built on it.

You're exactly right! We don't need no stinkin' medieval wall that can be gotten over or under or around. And yes, we need more well-trained and humane border security and agents. AND we need to stifle our own interest and addictions in illegal drugs so as not to invite traffickers with our open arms and pockets stuffed with money.

[talaniman]

What the dems have been saying for decades now, and the result is 15 million illegal immigrants in our country. Time to try something else.

Hey did you forget the repub presidents the last few decades? You sure ain't commenting on those rich Russian women and their anchor babies. WHY?

No you don't .Half your candidates want to eliminate(….oops I mean “reimagined.”)ICE .
You don't fool me or most Americans .

I don't blame ICE for following orders, unfortunately the dufus is giving the orders. He is the one fooling some Americans since MOST Americans had the sense not to vote for him.

[jlisenbe]

You're exactly right! We don't need no stinkin' medieval wall that can be gotten over or under or around. And yes, we need more well-trained and humane border security and agents. AND we need to stifle our own interest and addictions in illegal drugs so as not to invite traffickers with our open arms and pockets stuffed with money.

Yeah. Just keep doing what we've been doing. Works great!

Tal, I actually agree with your comment about repub presidents. No one has done anything effective. Now will a wall work? I don't know, but I'm all for trying it. I'm done with nice sounding, flowery talk.

[tomder55]

We don't need no stinkin' medieval wall that can be gotten over or under or around.

Yeah those prison walls are so ineffective . There is demonstrable evidence that were there is already a physical barrier at the border ,illegal crossings have decreased . In El Paso ,a metal fence put up in Bush years has dramatically curtailed illegal crossings by 89% from Juarez .El Paso went from one of the most dangerous cities in America to one of the safest . Since the fence was put up drug smuggling was halved. Where the fence exists in San Diego ;apprehensions declined by 76%.

[paraclete]

Yes walls are effective if you build one high enough and long enough it just might keep americans in, but you know the answer to stop the flow of illegals, lock them up and make a rule that anyone who comes illegally will not be allowed to stay, then you can have an orderly entry process. The number of illegals has apparently risen from eleven million to fifteen million in the last year so whatever wall you have must be ineffective

[Wondergirl]

Yeah those prison walls are so ineffective . There is demonstrable evidence that were there is already a physical barrier at the border ,illegal crossings have decreased . In El Paso ,a metal fence put up in Bush years has dramatically curtailed illegal crossings by 89% from Juarez .El Paso went from one of the most dangerous cities in America to one of the safest . Since the fence was put up drug smuggling was halved. Where the fence exists in San Diego ;apprehensions declined by 76%.

But not because of walls (or fences).

A small taste of how drugs get into the U.S. and why walls don't stop it, from https://medium.com/@Brookings/why-th...g-5571b2bf693b

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, most of the smuggled marijuana as well as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines comes through the 52 legal ports of entry on the border. These ports have to process literally millions of people, cars, trucks, and trains every week. Traffickers hide their illicit cargo in secret, state–of–the art compartments designed for cars, or under legal goods in trailer trucks. And they have learned many techniques for fooling the border patrol. Mike, a grizzled U.S. border official whom I interviewed in El Paso in 2013, shrugged: “The narcos sometimes tip us off, letting us find a car full of drugs while they send six other cars elsewhere. Such write–offs are part of their business expense. Other times the tipoffs are false. We search cars and cars, snarl up the traffic for hours on, and find nothing.”

[Fr_Chuck]

Since the democrats are not willing to keep America safe and add border security and stop illegals, it is time to shut down the Govermnet and perhaps consider closing down the democrats for giving aid to terrorist, Taking control of sanctuary cities for aiding illegal activity.

It is time to start more worry about threats inside America

[Wondergirl]

It is time to start more worry about threats inside America.

The major threats inside America are our own greed and gun violence and white supremacists and, in general, a major lack of empathy.

[paraclete]

The major threats inside America are our own greed and gun violence and white supremacists and, in general, a major lack of empathy.

Well, you may be right, but it seems that a group with no interest in securing national borders is a greater threat, such people are traitors wanting to sell out their country for political advantage. Maybe a "wall" is the answer, it has proved effective in other places, but there are other threats that should be eliminated. Drug dealers, illegal arms sellers, corrupt law enforcement not to mention corrupt politicians and you haven't even got to the ordinary citizen.

[Wondergirl]

a group with no interest in securing national borders

Securing borders is a lot more than (and is done much better than) building a "medieval wall" that can be gotten under, over, and around.

you haven't even got to the ordinary citizen

That's who I was talking about. Too many "ordinary citizens" are greedy, encourage/engage in activities that end up in gun violence, white supremacists (think racists -- yes, they're everywhere), and people lacking empathy.

[jlisenbe]

The major threats inside America are our own greed and gun violence and white supremacists and, in general, a major lack of empathy.

Yeah, boy. Those white supremacists are all over the place. Why, I talked with one just... now let's see, when was that? 20 years ago? Please. That's the exaggeration of the year. Course we are only one day into the year.