So, What's The Problem, Here?

Thousands of lawsuits across the United States have accused a drug company owned by the billionaire Sackler family of using false claims to push highly addictive opioids on an unsuspecting nation, fueling the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history.

Yet, even as its U.S. drugmaker collapses under the charges, another company owned by the family has used the same tactics to peddle its signature painkiller, OxyContin, in China, according to interviews with current and former employees and documents obtained by the Associated Press.

Once it becomes clear to the Chinese government that the Sacklers' company, Mundipharma, is getting a few hundred thousand Chinese addicted to opioids to enrichen a Western family, they'll react by charging the Chinese executives of Mundipharma with narcotics trafficking and shoot them.

The Sackler family may want to stay clear of Chinese territory for the foreseeable future. But if they don't, and if what I just posited happens to them, few tears will be shed by those who aren't related to them.

A Second Thought on Trump's Settlement Move

Besides what I posted yesterday, there is another way that Trump's move benefits Putin.

Since the end of the Second World War, the gain of land by a nation through conquest has been heavily frowned upon. Doing so has been regarded as illegal; when nations have done that, their conquests have not been recognized by most of the rest of the world.

Russia, as you likely know, obtained the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine by conquest. Russia's conquest has not been recognized by nations of the world that are either, in essence, Russian puppets, or nations that similarly seek to keep conquered territory. American recognition of Israel's conquest of the West Bank, which is what Trump's reversal on settlement policy is, serves Russian interests in that Trump is fracturing the global consensus against wars of conquest.

So, one again, with Trump, all roads lead to Czar Vladimir IV.

More Bullshit from Boeing

Outside of charging NASA 63% more for flying people to space than SpaceX, Boeing had this jaw-dropping claim:

"Starliner flies on the most reliable lifter in the business, an Atlas V modified for human spaceflight safety by people with actual experience in the domain," the company stated.

The last Atlas that carried a human into space flew on May 15, 1963-- 56 years ago. It's pretty safe to say that there is nobody working for then-Convair, now Boeing now who worked on building the man-rated Atlas boosters between 1959 and 1963.

Boeing might as well tout their experience in building seaplanes.

South Dakota is on Meth!

No shit, that is essentially their well-chosen slogan for their anti-meth campaign.

Here is the governor of South Dakota to announce that the state is on meth:

I don't mean to make light of methamphetamine addiction. It's a serious problem. I've seen a number of families get torn apart by the drug; parents going to jail, kids going to foster care.

But south Dakota's state government has to be chock full of morons to think that "Meth. We're On It." is a good choice for a slogan.

The Trumpers' "No Harm, No Foul" Argument is Bullshit

The Trumpers have been arguing that solicitation of a bribe wasn't historically a crime.

That's pure bullshit, as you can read here on Lawfare. This is what you need to know:

In short, the president got caught before the bribe could be delivered, called off the scheme and his defenders now claim as a result that he’s exonerated. That’s not how the law of bribery works: if you attempt or solicit bribery, you commit the offense, whether or not you get the goods. ... It is well established in the law that a “thing of value” for bribery purposes can be tangible or intangible, and is not limited to money.

If you are so wedded to Trump that you think that solicitation of a bribe is fine, then you need to put down the Kool-aid.

Or your name is Lindsey Graham.

Trump on West Bank Settlements: Cui Bono?

The Trump administration declared on Monday that the United States does not consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law, reversing four decades of American policy and removing what has been an important barrier to annexation of Palestinian territory.

The announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was the latest political gift from the Trump administration to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed in two elections this year to push for the annexation of the West Bank. His chief opponent, Benny Gantz, has until Wednesday night to gather a majority in Israel’s Parliament or he will relinquish his chance to form a new government, raising the prospect of a third round of elections.

Besides the obvious benefit to Netanyahu and Trump's naked attempts to pander to Jewish voters. there is another party who benefits.

That is Russia.

For decades, the United States has tried to be a nation that tried to facilitate an agreement between the Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab nations bordering Israel. The 1979 Camp David Accords and the 1993/1995 Oslo Accords are examples of that.

Trump has trashed all that. There is now only one quasi-global power who has at least semi-decent relationships with all parties.

That nation is Russia.

As in so many things that Trump does: All roads lead to Putin.

Trump's "Physical" is Likely a Pack of Lies

President Donald Trump spent more than two hours at Walter Reed National Medical Center on Saturday for what the White House said were medical tests as part of his annual physical.

The appointment wasn’t on Trump’s weekend public schedule, and his last physical was in February. Press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the 73-year-old president was “anticipating a very busy 2020” and wanted to take advantage of “a free weekend” in Washington to begin portions of his routine checkup.

Bullshit.

Trump's next physical is due in February. Going in for tests three months before doesn't even faintly have the ring of truth, not for the guy who declares that he is the most transparent man in history (except for his tax returns).

What is far more likely is that Trump had some chest pains or something worth a few hours worth of tests.

Which could be the opening for Trump's exit plan to leave office without being defeated or impeached.

Your Sunday Morning Jet Noise

A Lear 75.

The Internet is Having Fun Today

Hey, Donnie Bone Spurs! Did You Forget William Calley?

As long as Trump is pardoning war criminals, one might think that he'd not forget one from the war that he fraudulently dodged.

Caturday

Say hello to Speck, a feral:

We've gone from Speck's not allowing us to be within fifty feet to sometimes within ten feet.

Get Yours Today!

Get it here.

Guilty as Charged

[Roger] Stone was convicted Friday of all seven counts in a federal indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election.

Stone joins a long line:

Mr. Stone, 67, joins a notable list of former Trump aides convicted of lying to federal authorities. It includes Mr. Gates; Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser; Michael D. Cohen, the president’s longtime personal lawyer and fixer, and George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide. And his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was also once Mr. Stone’s partner in a political consulting firm, was convicted of a string of financial crimes and is serving a seven-and-a-half-year prison term.

I am certain, down to the soles of my feet, that Trump will pardon Stone for his fuckery. Because the rule of law is a laughable concept to Trump. And, evidently, to the rest of his party of indicted criminals.

Because It's Friday

The Durango & Silverton RR.



Steam has been run continuously on that railroad since it was built.

Yes, It's Bribery

I've been calling what Trump was trying to pull as "soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreign government", but Nancy Pelosi is correct: He was soliciting a bribe. Trump was holding up Congressionally-authorized aid to Ukraine until they agreed to do something that benefited him personally.

The Defenders of All Things Trump like to claim "the aid was ultimately released, so no harm, no foul". Which is, of course, ridiculous. if you want to test this (at your own risk), shoot and miss at a Trumpanzee and see if they complain about it.

Beyond that, another thing that Pelosi said before was also correct: Whenever Trump does or does not do something in the realm of foreign policy, the ultimate beneficiary is Putin.

Ohio May Be For Idiots

The Ohio House on Wednesday passed the "Student Religious Liberties Act." Under the law, students can't be penalized if their work is scientifically wrong as long as the reasoning is because of their religious beliefs.

Science is based on facts. Religion is based on belief. If a kid is taking an astronomy test and claims that the Earth is the center of the solar system, that answer is wrong, no matter what belief system they claim to follow.

This sort of "accommodation" is perniciously evil. As is the Christian Taliban, which has far more in common with folks like Mr. Bone Saw than they'd admit.

Another Wall Street Hack Runs for President

Deval Patrick.

Right. Another clown who has gotten rich from being a parasite (subprime mortgages, vulture capitalism) is just who we need in the race.

Which reminds me: What is Helicopter Harold doing these days?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The Chinese Communists' Primary Concern

People’s Daily, an official government newspaper in mainland China, said in a commentary: “Only by supporting the police force to decisively put down the riots can a peaceful environment be restored and fair elections be held, and help Hong Kong start again.”

That's right, Chairman Xi and his government are so, so concerned about fair elections.

Right. Xi cares for fair elections about as much as does Putin or Erdogan.

It Is to Laugh; Lindsey Graham Ed.

A key ally of President Donald Trump is dismissing the latest developments in the impeachment investigation, calling it a “bunch of B.S.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters Tuesday he doesn’t plan to read the transcripts Democrats are releasing from the impeachment investigation, despite demanding that they be made public. He says he’s “written the whole process off.”

One has to have mush for brains to believe that Lindsey Graham is going to pay any attention to the evidence against Trump. Graham is a Trump sock-puppet. Graham is so far up Trump's ass that he gets to taste Trump's hamberders virtually undigested.

Graham was hot to impeach Bill Clinton for lying under oath about a blow job. But when it comes to Trump's pressure campaign to get the Ukrainian government to investigate Trump's political rival (which is a crime), Graham is dismissive.

Twenty years ago, Graham was really big about preserving the integrity and the dignity of the presidency. Now, having sold his miserable soul to Trump for a pittance, he couldn't care less about such things.

If you want to know what is truly wrong in Washington, you need look no further than the vapid political whore which Lindsey Graham has become.

Also, this, because I don't feel like starting another post:

so the five-time draft dodger who shirked his duty to his country by finding some quack doctor to gin up a bullshit note about imaginary bone spurs and stole money raised for veterans is heading up a Veterans Day parade because we live in the stupidest fucking country imaginable

— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) November 11, 2019

Veterans (Armistice) Day

Today is the 101st anniversary of the day that the guns fell silent on the Western Front, ending the hostile fire phase of the First World War. The day was first set to honor those had fought and died in that war;

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Armistice Day became Veterans Day in 1954. The Worshipers of Mammon sought to make it into yet another three day weekend, but that was soon reversed. They still are at it, with "Veterans Day Sales" and similar bullshit. Everyone who is running a "Veterans Day Sale" should be consigned to a special circle of Hell, where they are forced to swim in lakes of molten gold or silver.

In the British Commonwealth, they do a much better job of remembering the day.

We should not forget that this day began to remember a day when peace broke out. When the shooting stopped. When the killing ceased. It is proper to remember those, living and dead, who have served the nation. It is not a day to glorify the wars that often made such service necessary, if not mandatory.

(Other things I've written for this day)

Aww, Poor Trumpie

Donald Trump Jr. wrote about a trip to Arlington National Cemetery just before President Trump’s inauguration in his newly released book, where he reflected on his family’s sacrifices since his father took office. ... Trump said he considered all of the sacrifices the Trump family made in order for Trump to serve in office as an Army Band bugler played “Taps” in front of the tomb.

Aww, poor baby, the pitiful, hairy bag of self-important protoplasm.

Nobody in the Trump family has ever spent a day in uniform. When the Twin Towers fell, Baby Donnie was in his early twenties. He could hae gone to war. His younger brother turned 18 a few months afterwards, he could have served. His sister was 19, she could have served.

But no. Not a single Trump has ever worn their countries' uniforms. Donny's dad was a draft-dodger. His great-grand-father was a draft-dodger. The closest any of them ever came to combat was his grandfather, the wartime profiteer.

Little Donnie ought to drag his overly-inflated ass over to Walter Reed or any VA hospital, where he could meet men and women who had truly paid the price in service to this country. Hell, he could stroll around Arlington and gaze at the grave markers of those whose lives were taken from them in service to this country.

The Trump family has sacrificed for this country? That doesn't even pass the giggle test.

Your Sunday Morning Prop Noise

P-38 Lightnings: