Forget About Everything Else...

[Rajvik]

Labster, could you open a thread with links for that please, i looked up NEPA and quite frankly it looks like something that could be responsibly pruned back a bit

[SilverFang01]

I’m leaving the thread.

[Matrix Dragon]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/i...e/11860508

Christ, of all the messed up...

[Rajvik]

It is not unheard of Matrix, the US even did it once, that said, i'm not condoning it, i'm just saying it is one of those things that can happen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655

[DHBirr]

Russia to Iran: Don’t Admit Guilt—Blame the U.S. Instead

Yuri Shvytkin, deputy head of the State Duma’s Defense Committee, criticized the position of the Iranian authorities, who admitted their responsibility for shooting down the Ukrainian airliner.
Shvytkin told Russian radio station Moscow Speaks that the Iranians should have blamed the United States for the incident.

-----
I'm a very forgiving person ... on Lord Vader's terms.  "Apology accepted, Captain."

[classicdrogn]

So, you know, just in case anyone was doubting that Russia is still an enemy to the United States.

[Rajvik]

never doubted that for a second Drogn, they just happen to be a lesser threat ATM

[hazard]

never doubted that for a second Drogn, they just happen to be a lesser threat ATM

No, not really.

They're pretty clearly stirring the pot to get the USA into as much trouble as possible, and they've been very dedicated to doing that for decades. They might shift methods but they're not shifting on that goal, because a well led, internationally respected and economically strong USA is a threat to Russian power.

[classicdrogn]

I did actually consider including a "no, this isn't a dig at you, Raj" in that, but figured calling you specifically out would be taken the wrong way no matter what I claimed to intend. You've been clear on your opinion of Russia before.

[Rajvik]

didn't take it as a dig Drogn, no issues here.

Hazzard, China is a bigger threat ATM i think, simply because they are acting more expansionist and are less blatant about it than the russians

[Labster]

Labster, could you open a thread with links for that please, i looked up NEPA and quite frankly it looks like something that could be responsibly pruned back a bit

Ugh, I would, but I'm not sure we could have a useful debate about it because its wrapped up in a bunch of other things.  And maybe because I'm too lazy to explain NEPA and CEQA to people; I had to take a university course before I got it.  Suffice to say that you're right, that it can be reasonably pruned back a bit, and also sometimes I feel like it needs to be stronger.  It gets a lot of lawsuits for a lot of reasons, some legit, some spurious.  Some of the spurious ones I agree with, some I don't, because I'm just as arbitrary as anyone else.

I’m leaving the thread.

And we lost another snowflake.

Sorry, I mean, I get that this is a big deal and stressful and all.  Trump decided to start a game of chicken with bombs, and he chickened out.  But then this all turned into a Planeghazi for Iran, and I mean that in the exact same sense as for Hillary Clinton: yes, it was a fuckup and our¹ people died, but everyone acknowledged it was a fuckup from the beginning.  Iranian liberals are using it to campaign against conservatives in the same way I would if I was in their shoes -- at least it gives them something to hold onto after all of the flag-waving funeral stuff.

And that's all fine except the world is literally on fire, which is why I mentioned environmental review in the first place.  A billion mammals just died in Australia.  And here the whole world is on edge because less than a couple hundred of 'em died in a few airstrikes and a plane crash.  Are we really going to spend our last-chance decade doing this?

¹ (Most on board were Iranian citizens, even if they happened to also hold Canadian citizenship.)

[classicdrogn]

By the power of humans in large groups, most likely yes. Even if you subscribe to the idea that the "last chance decade" was actually the late 1970s and 80s, we're apparently bringing back all the worst parts of it anyway, while the awesome musicians die off and the TV/movie remakes are shit.

[robkelk]

Back to what this thread is about:

The CEO of one of the largest corporations in Canada has blamed the shooting down on "a narcissist in Washington" destabilizing the region.

The world knows Iran is a dangerous state, but the world found a path to contain it; not perfect but by most accounts it was the right direction. A narcissist in Washington tears world accomplishments apart; destabilizes region. US now unwelcomed everywhere in the area including Iraq; tensions escalated to feverish pitch. Taking out despicable military leader terrorist? There are a hundred like him, standing next in line

There is a great deal of anger in Canada at the moment. Michael McCain is being polite.