So have to wonder if Devos will be the next out the door. Given the bullshit tied to her and some of what's coming out now, like being forced to forgive a ton of loans owed to BS shutdown diploma mills. If I were the democrats, I'd be doing an investigation on what's she's doing and exactly all who buddies from the predatory for profit colleges are doing.
As for Mulvaney, I have to wonder if being active CoS will be what finally gets him to leave because either Trump gets annoyed with him, he gets fed up with Trump, is too busy to cover his ass in regards to the graft he is up or some combination.
So have to wonder if Devos will be the next out the door. Given the bullshit tied to her and some of what's coming out now, like being forced to forgive a ton of loans owed to BS shutdown diploma mills. If I were the democrats, I'd be doing an investigation on what's she's doing and exactly all who buddies from the predatory for profit colleges are doing.
As for Mulvaney, I have to wonder if being active CoS will be what finally gets him to leave because either Trump gets annoyed with him, he gets fed up with Trump, is too busy to cover his ass in regards to the graft he is up or some combination.
I heard on the news last night that Mulvaney specifically asked to be named "acting" CoS, not just Chief of Staff. That seems to imply that, at the very least, he doesn't want to be in that role for too long.
Seems quite the coincidence otherwise. Of course it also coincides (more loosely) with the CoS turnover and with what is arguably an uptick in the investigation pace.
Still, same day as the announcement of one drawdown and rumors of another?
Edit: Oh never mind, that letter is quite clear. The pullout was likely over his objection, and that’s was simply what finally filled his glass.
augustwhere you come from is goneRegistered Userregular
These people need to stop putting out polite letters that have devastating subtext and just get out on a podium and say “fuck this guy” in no uncertain terms. This polite shit is absolutely fucking inadequate for where we are right now.
The automatic transcript of the document isn't good, but this part has obvious subtext because Mattis is too much of a coward to go out in a blaze of glory.
One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat?ISIS coalition of 74 nations is ?irther proof.
Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations? economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.
My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.
Because you?have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow suf?cient time for a successor to be nominated and con?rmed as well as to make sure the Department?s interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional
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SnicketysnickThe Greatest Hype Man inWesterosRegistered Userregular
The shade is pretty strong here, but it almost feels like there's a sentence or two deleted to make it palatable for Trump, particularly where he just moves on from stating that the US should be polite to its allies without mentioning that Trump isn't
The automatic transcript of the document isn't good, but this part has obvious subtext because Mattis is too much of a coward to go out in a blaze of glory.
One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat?ISIS coalition of 74 nations is ?irther proof.
Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations? economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.
My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.
Because you?have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow suf?cient time for a successor to be nominated and con?rmed as well as to make sure the Department?s interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional
That reads pretty straightforward: "You keep fucking with our allies while kissing up to dictators and it's fucking us and I'm out."
The automatic transcript of the document isn't good, but this part has obvious subtext because Mattis is too much of a coward to go out in a blaze of glory.
One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat?ISIS coalition of 74 nations is ?irther proof.
Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations? economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.
My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.
Because you?have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow suf?cient time for a successor to be nominated and con?rmed as well as to make sure the Department?s interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional
That reads pretty straightforward: "You keep fucking with our allies while kissing up to dictators and it's fucking us and I'm out."
That’s clearly the intent
But that shit isn’t going to get people’s attention the way it would have if he had literally said what you wrote there
These people need to stop putting out polite letters that have devastating subtext and just get out on a podium and say “fuck this guy” in no uncertain terms. This polite shit is absolutely fucking inadequate for where we are right now.
Maybe I’ve spent too much time in professional environments, but that letter is far from polite. It’s not really even subtext, it’s text. He makes it clear he’s leaving because we’re fucking our allies and capitulating to our enemies, at the behest of the President, and he’s reached a point where he’s given up on trying to influence that issue from the inside.
He makes it clear what his views are, and makes it clear the president doesn’t share them. I get we’d all like to see the “fuck you, fuck you, you’re cool” scene from Half Baked, but that letter seems about as close as you’re likely to actually get from a lifelong civil servant. That shit seemed scathing to me.
The automatic transcript of the document isn't good, but this part has obvious subtext because Mattis is too much of a coward to go out in a blaze of glory.
One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat?ISIS coalition of 74 nations is ?irther proof.
Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations? economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.
My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.
Because you?have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow suf?cient time for a successor to be nominated and con?rmed as well as to make sure the Department?s interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional
So basically Trump is tanking US strategic alliances and selling the entire country down the river to the Russians and the Chinese.
But Mattis is yet another person who's too much of a coward to say it outright.
These people need to stop putting out polite letters that have devastating subtext and just get out on a podium and say “fuck this guy” in no uncertain terms. This polite shit is absolutely fucking inadequate for where we are right now.
Maybe I’ve spent too much time in professional environments, but that letter is far from polite. It’s not really even subtext, it’s text. He makes it clear he’s leaving because we’re fucking our allies and capitulating to our enemies, at the behest of the President, and he’s reached a point where he’s given up on trying to influence that issue from the inside.
He makes it clear what his views are, and makes it clear the president doesn’t share them. I get we’d all like to see the “fuck you, fuck you, you’re cool” scene from Half Baked, but that letter seems about as close as you’re likely to actually get from a lifelong civil servant. That shit seemed scathing to me.
It's not. It's pussy-footing around the issue and he knows it. It's only scathing in subtext. It only makes it's point via putting two paragraphs next to each other and hoping the reader notices the through-line without him having to say it outright.
It's not polite but neither is open and straightforward.
What would actually be text would be a sentence like "I am leaving because you are destroying american strategic and diplomatic alliances while trying to make friends with authoritarian regimes hostile to america's interests". That's what text looks like.
These people need to stop putting out polite letters that have devastating subtext and just get out on a podium and say “fuck this guy” in no uncertain terms. This polite shit is absolutely fucking inadequate for where we are right now.
Maybe I’ve spent too much time in professional environments, but that letter is far from polite. It’s not really even subtext, it’s text. He makes it clear he’s leaving because we’re fucking our allies and capitulating to our enemies, at the behest of the President, and he’s reached a point where he’s given up on trying to influence that issue from the inside.
He makes it clear what his views are, and makes it clear the president doesn’t share them. I get we’d all like to see the “fuck you, fuck you, you’re cool” scene from Half Baked, but that letter seems about as close as you’re likely to actually get from a lifelong civil servant. That shit seemed scathing to me.
Yeah, in the context of a formal resignation letter this feels like the equivalent of Mattis screaming STOP FUCKING US WITH RUSSIA, JESUS CHRIST WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
I'm having a really hard time seeing how anyone other than maybe the president would have any kind of difficulty parsing exactly what Mattis meant in that letter.
These people need to stop putting out polite letters that have devastating subtext and just get out on a podium and say “fuck this guy” in no uncertain terms. This polite shit is absolutely fucking inadequate for where we are right now.
Maybe I’ve spent too much time in professional environments, but that letter is far from polite. It’s not really even subtext, it’s text. He makes it clear he’s leaving because we’re fucking our allies and capitulating to our enemies, at the behest of the President, and he’s reached a point where he’s given up on trying to influence that issue from the inside.
He makes it clear what his views are, and makes it clear the president doesn’t share them. I get we’d all like to see the “fuck you, fuck you, you’re cool” scene from Half Baked, but that letter seems about as close as you’re likely to actually get from a lifelong civil servant. That shit seemed scathing to me.
It's not. It's pussy-footing around the issue and he knows it. It's only scathing in subtext. It only makes it's point via putting two paragraphs next to each other and hoping the reader notices the through-line without him having to say it outright.
It's not polite but neither is open and straightforward.
What would actually be text would be a sentence like "I am leaving because you are destroying american strategic and diplomatic alliances while trying to make friends with authoritarian regimes hostile to america's interests". That's what text looks like.
Anybody who cannot connect those two dots...which as you note were right next to each other...wasn’t gonna be pursuaded by a full on indictment anyway. Lets get real. All that would do is tarnish his own legacy as he heads out the door, to no benefit.
Mattis went as far as one can go while still playing the game by the rules. Considering half our problem is a President who continuously refuses to do so, maybe throwing fuel on that fire wouldn’t actually help. That’s not how we get a return to normalcy anyway, even if Mattis’s intent in pulling the punch (and barely at that) wasn’t largely self-servicing.
Mattis is resigning because hes not getting quite as much forever war and not for the half a hundred horrible things the president has done in the last 6 months alone.
"Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position" is extremely forthright
In my mind, I see the members of Congress waiting for Trump to tweet "direction" about the CR only for him to be nowhere near his phone because he's in the middle of Mattis' diatribe.
I'm having a really hard time seeing how anyone other than maybe the president would have any kind of difficulty parsing exactly what Mattis meant in that letter.
Let me introduce you to Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
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As for Mulvaney, I have to wonder if being active CoS will be what finally gets him to leave because either Trump gets annoyed with him, he gets fed up with Trump, is too busy to cover his ass in regards to the graft he is up or some combination.
battletag: Millin#1360
Nice chart to figure out how honest a news source is.
I heard on the news last night that Mulvaney specifically asked to be named "acting" CoS, not just Chief of Staff. That seems to imply that, at the very least, he doesn't want to be in that role for too long.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/20/politics/donald-trump-james-mattis-out/index.html
Ugh. I will miss him.
...but maybe it’s related to the Syria pullout (and rumors of Afghanistan to follow).
I don't like the tune these notes are playing.
Seems quite the coincidence otherwise. Of course it also coincides (more loosely) with the CoS turnover and with what is arguably an uptick in the investigation pace.
Still, same day as the announcement of one drawdown and rumors of another?
Edit: Oh never mind, that letter is quite clear. The pullout was likely over his objection, and that’s was simply what finally filled his glass.
Mattis was the one sane person left
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5655955-Secretary-Mattis-resignation-letter.html
(BBC News is a well regarded news agency)
The shade is pretty strong here, but it almost feels like there's a sentence or two deleted to make it palatable for Trump, particularly where he just moves on from stating that the US should be polite to its allies without mentioning that Trump isn't
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
When the guy nicknamed “Mad Dog” is the sane one, I think that means we’ve been fucked for a while.
That reads pretty straightforward: "You keep fucking with our allies while kissing up to dictators and it's fucking us and I'm out."
That’s clearly the intent
But that shit isn’t going to get people’s attention the way it would have if he had literally said what you wrote there
Maybe I’ve spent too much time in professional environments, but that letter is far from polite. It’s not really even subtext, it’s text. He makes it clear he’s leaving because we’re fucking our allies and capitulating to our enemies, at the behest of the President, and he’s reached a point where he’s given up on trying to influence that issue from the inside.
He makes it clear what his views are, and makes it clear the president doesn’t share them. I get we’d all like to see the “fuck you, fuck you, you’re cool” scene from Half Baked, but that letter seems about as close as you’re likely to actually get from a lifelong civil servant. That shit seemed scathing to me.
So basically Trump is tanking US strategic alliances and selling the entire country down the river to the Russians and the Chinese.
But Mattis is yet another person who's too much of a coward to say it outright.
It's not. It's pussy-footing around the issue and he knows it. It's only scathing in subtext. It only makes it's point via putting two paragraphs next to each other and hoping the reader notices the through-line without him having to say it outright.
It's not polite but neither is open and straightforward.
What would actually be text would be a sentence like "I am leaving because you are destroying american strategic and diplomatic alliances while trying to make friends with authoritarian regimes hostile to america's interests". That's what text looks like.
Yeah, in the context of a formal resignation letter this feels like the equivalent of Mattis screaming STOP FUCKING US WITH RUSSIA, JESUS CHRIST WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
Anybody who cannot connect those two dots...which as you note were right next to each other...wasn’t gonna be pursuaded by a full on indictment anyway. Lets get real. All that would do is tarnish his own legacy as he heads out the door, to no benefit.
Mattis went as far as one can go while still playing the game by the rules. Considering half our problem is a President who continuously refuses to do so, maybe throwing fuel on that fire wouldn’t actually help. That’s not how we get a return to normalcy anyway, even if Mattis’s intent in pulling the punch (and barely at that) wasn’t largely self-servicing.
So fuck him.
That euphemism is doing a lot of work. How much shouting was involved?
Let me introduce you to Florida Senator Marco Rubio.