Althouse: At the Sunrise Café...

April 27, 2022

At the Sunrise Café...

... you can talk about whatever you want.

38 comments:

Iman said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/27/22, 7:44 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The sun is the only clean tile in the scratchysky.; 4/27/22, 8:28 PM
farmgirl said...: It’s a lovely sunrise.; 4/27/22, 8:54 PM
Narr said...: Wonderful eye for color. Did you notice the kid in the sunrise-colored jacket when you took the pic, or later?

The second one leaves me wordless.; 4/27/22, 9:11 PM
Ann Althouse said...: “ Did you notice the kid in the sunrise-colored jacket when you took the pic, or later?”

Yes!; 4/27/22, 9:17 PM
Narr said...: The artist's eye, sharpened by anosmia?

You're up late! I was just checking last posts.

Good night, y'all.; 4/27/22, 9:43 PM
Lucien said...: Nancy Pelosi twice demonstrated the folly of impeaching someone just because you can — even when you know the Senate will never convict them. So why is it that some Republicans seem eager to perform the same stupid act if they are fortunate enough to win a majority in the House of Representatives?; 4/27/22, 9:53 PM
William said...: I'm reading a bio of General DeGaulle. As a human being, he's a lot more sympathetic than I expected. He had a child with Down's Syndrome. He was devoted to her. During one of his posting, he would travel back a couple of hours every night just so he could play with her for a bit and say good night to her. This at a time when it was more common to have such children institutionalized....He was faithful to his wife and went to church every Sunday. He's the only French politician known to history who was faithful to his wife. He was a protege of Petain, but they fell out later on. One of the issues: DeGaulle's wife openly criticized Petain for having a mistress and then marrying her after his wife died.....The left in the thirties criticized DeGaulle for being a fascist. He wanted to have an armored force with professional training on standby within the army. The wish to have such a force to go up against Hitler was considered fascist. There's nothing that smacks more of fascism than wanting an army capable of fighting Hitler.; 4/27/22, 9:58 PM
Gospace said...: Lucien said...
Nancy Pelosi twice demonstrated the folly of impeaching someone just because you can — even when you know the Senate will never convict them. So why is it that some Republicans seem eager to perform the same stupid act if they are fortunate enough to win a majority in the House of Representatives?

Because there is actual evidence against Biden that can be presented to the senate- and the Dems will have to defend him...; 4/27/22, 10:07 PM
Rt41Rebel said...: It has been suggested by some that the end goal is to have Pelosi in the White House before she loses speakership. It seems like a bad plan, but I honestly can't think of a better one.; 4/27/22, 11:11 PM
Gahrie said...: Because there is actual evidence against Biden that can be presented to the senate- and the Dems will have to defend him...

If your goal is to embarrass the Democrats, go ahead. If your goal is to remove Biden, use the 25th. If the Republicans take full control of both houses of Congress, they can appoint an expert panel to evaluate Biden and report back to Congress. If the report says Biden can no longer function as president, Harris becomes president.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Now the president can issue a statement to Congress that he is able to perform his duties. If he does, either the cabinet of whatever body Congress creates, can then issue another report saying he can't, and then it goes to Congress to decide.

Now saying all of that, we do wind up with two evils:

1) We show the Democrats a new way to fuck with Republican presidents. (Does anyone doubt the Democrats would have done this to Trump if they had the votes in Congress?)

2) We end up with Harris as president.; 4/28/22, 12:26 AM
Gahrie said...: It has been suggested by some that the end goal is to have Pelosi in the White House before she loses speakership. It seems like a bad plan, but I honestly can't think of a better one.

Not wishing evil on anyone, but if Harris should happen to die from COVID, the game is on. We could end up with Pelosi as president or Trump as president in 2023.; 4/28/22, 12:29 AM
Gahrie said...: How's this for a scenario....Harris dies. (From COVID or whatever) The vice-presidency remains empty because you need a quorum of 67 Senators to replace the vice-president. (I could see scenarios in which either or both parties desire this) Republicans take control of both houses of Congress in November. The House Republicans immediately announce their intention to name Trump as Speaker in January.

What do the Democrats do now? If they don't do anything, Trump is one death, or impeachment, or invocation of the 25th Amendment away from becoming president again, with the ability to run for re-election as an incumbent. Do they try to deep six Biden and make Pelosi president before January?; 4/28/22, 12:41 AM
StephenFearby said...: It's now a more serious game of chicken:

Is Russia gearing up to go to war with NATO?
ALLAHPUNDIT Apr 27, 2022, 10:41 PM ET

"...There are two ways Russia could go now that it faces the prospect of a long war in eastern Ukraine. One: Try to surround and crush the Ukrainian forces in the Donbas, giving Russia full control of the territory, then sue for peace. If Ukraine agrees to concede the land Russia has occupied, Russia could declare victory and slink off to lick its wounds.

Two: Go all-in. Full mobilization of the Russian people in support of total conquest of Ukraine.

Which path is likelier at this point?

I wrote about the fanaticism on display lately in Russian state media in the earlier post but here’s video from Julia Davis to illustrate the extent to which Russian house organs are framing the war as a battle between Russia and NATO more so than Russia and Ukraine. And they’re willing to go a very long way, rhetorically at least, to save face in that battle...."

Julia Davis
@JuliaDavisNews
Putin’s Stooges: He May Nuke Us All but We Are Ready to Die

Just when you thought Russian airwaves could not get any more bizarre, Putin’s puppets have now surrendered to the idea of nuclear apocalypse, because at least they’ll “go to heaven.”

https://thedailybeast.com/russian-state-tv-vladimir-putin-may-start-a-nuclear-war-but-we-are-ready-to-die

https://hotair.com/allahpundit/2022/04/27/is-russia-gearing-up-to-go-to-war-with-nato-n4654; 4/28/22, 2:42 AM
farmgirl said...: “Two: Go all-in. Full mobilization of the Russian people in support of total conquest of Ukraine.”

My daughter is in a large city- not in VT. She works in sales and had a customer from Russia who told her Putin is at war w/2countries: Ukraine and Russia. His own people don’t support this war.

After all of the sensational stories about Trump using Russia to win his 2016 election- which was a frame up by Hillary Clinton(and her party)-
can we not see the danger of a mendacious media?

Yet, Trump is so mean to tell reporters, to their faces, that they’re fake news.; 4/28/22, 5:35 AM
jrapdx said...: I actually had a glimpse of this in a semi-lucid dream. Dovetails with an imprecise intuition that if the war in Ukraine goes on long enough, like maybe 5 or 6 months, the US/NATO will get drawn into it. More than what involved now, not just sending arms and supplies. No, NATO will be all in, troops, missiles, warplanes/pilots, aka "boots on the ground".

By that point it's high-stakes, with news of mounting atrocities, ever-widening conflict, threats to additional countries, and slipping into degenerate stalemate conditions. Sorta reminiscent of US entry into WW1.

There will be all kinds of threats, Russia will continue to wave nuclear attack around like a raggedy old flag, but nothing will come of it, they'll be way too afraid of how the US reacts, better not to go there.

In any case it's predictable the active war, the shooting, bombing, artillery fire will end very quickly. Then it's all over except the shrieking and wailing that will go on for a long time. So much so that chances are excellent I won't be around to see it happen. But that's OK, will be fun for the, well, duration.; 4/28/22, 5:38 AM
Humperdink said...: Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes:" "currently producing stingers (stinger missiles) for an international customer, but we have a very limited stock of material for stinger production ....

"DoD hasn't bought a stinger in about 18 years. And some of the components are no longer commercially available, and so we're going to have to go out and redesign some of the electronics in the missile of the seeker head."

Hayes said it's "going to take us a little bit of time" to ramp up production ..."

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/stinger-missile-production-hit-delays-raytheon-ceo-warns; 4/28/22, 6:18 AM
tim maguire said...: Lucien said...Nancy Pelosi twice demonstrated the folly of impeaching someone just because you can

It helps if you make a distinction between "can" and "should." As in, what difference does it make if you impeach for spite vs. because the person earned an impeachment? (BTW, how did Pelosi demonstrate the folly?); 4/28/22, 6:33 AM
tim maguire said...: Humperdink said..."DoD hasn't bought a stinger in about 18 years

If the US hasn't bought a stinger in 18 years, it's because they think they have better options. Before I get concerned about this (for Ukraine's sake; I'm not personally concerned), I'd want to know something about the alternatives.; 4/28/22, 6:38 AM
gilbar said...: tim maguire said...
If the US hasn't bought a stinger in 18 years, it's because they think they have better options.

Care to name one? (ONE?)
Here's one we Do NOT have
Replacement:
The original Stinger's reprogrammable microprocessor will become obsolete in 2023, and a service life extension will keep the Block I in service until 2030. With the arsenal declining from obsolescence, on 10 November 2020 the U.S. Army issued a request for information for a replacement MANPADS. The new system will be compatible with the Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher used on the IM-SHORAD and be able to defeat fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, as well as Group 2 and 3 UAS as well or better than the Stinger. A contract for up to 8,000 missiles is planned to be awarded by 2026.[5][6]The request for information, to interested firms, only went out in April 2022.[7]

So, Not To Worry! by 2026, we'll have a replacement.. Well that is: by 2026 we PLAN to award a contract
So, sleep tight! by 2030 (or maybe 2035), replacements will START coming online
(um, depending on the breaks.. Can't really Predict snags); 4/28/22, 7:12 AM
Christopher B said...: "DoD hasn't bought a stinger in about 18 years

That would be 2004, over a decade after the end of the Cold War, and we haven't really been fighting anybody with a significant CAS capability. We very well could have had a significant stockpile of them by then so I can see it.; 4/28/22, 7:16 AM
Jaq said...: If things work out as planned, we can have europe flooded with terror weapons and turn Ukraine into Afghanistan as punishment to Putin for turning the 2016 election with $50k in Facebook ads!

"Ukrainian Lives Don't Matter" should be the slogan, with yellow and cyan alternating background.; 4/28/22, 7:27 AM
Christopher B said...: I'm in agreement with jrapdx.

Our objectives, as best they can be determined based on the outbursts from the vegetable in the Oval Office, don't match our means. Everybody waving blue and yellow pom-poms keeps thinking the Ukrainians will kick out the Russians and cause Putin to fall, based largely on the fact that any talk of returning to the status quo ante is considered to be holstering Putin's privates. If the Ukrainians could not do that when Putin was putting less effort into taking over the Donbas and they could put their entire effort into that fight, they aren't likely to be able to do it against a larger Russian force tying down more of their army. The Ukrainians are doing a good job to hold the Russians to minimal gains but they can't hold out forever, and given their expenditure of blood and treasure they justifiably are not likely to be satisfied with the status quo ante, either. What Putin will do as he loses more of his grip on the situation is anybody's guess but I'm not expecting him to quietly fold his hand.

We are once again trying to win a war on the cheap. Biden isn't the second coming of FDR, we're getting LBJ all over again, in more than just this way.; 4/28/22, 7:35 AM
Derve Swanson said...: This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.; 4/28/22, 7:45 AM
Jaq said...: "We are once again trying to win a war on the cheap."

First off, It's not our war. Why is it of vital national interest to us if the govt of Ukraine, installed by a coup which overthrew and elected govt there and incited a civil war, wants to join NATO? Did you know that the Ukrainians were staging a large offensive to mop up the regions which had rejected their coup days before the war? Not our business, but it's kind of close to Moscow for them to ignore it.

Second, these sanctions cut both ways, as the coming food shortages will clearly demonstrate. We Americans have laid on layers of avoirdupois, are not much at risk, but the global south? They are already on Russia's side, or don't care, and resentment against America when starvation begins to really bite beyond the usual suspects is going to be great.

All for a country which is known to have heavily bribed Biden to do favors for them, for instance there is an email on the laptop Burisma asking that Hunter make that investigation go away. Hunter didn't do that, he was just the bag man, Joe Biden is on viseo bragging about doing it.; 4/28/22, 7:54 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: No more 95 cents coffee for me. It’s $1.35 from today on.; 4/28/22, 8:12 AM
tim maguire said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/28/22, 8:13 AM
tim maguire said...: gilbar said...
tim maguire said..."If the US hasn't bought a stinger in 18 years, it's because they think they have better options."

Care to name one? (ONE?)

How about reading the very next sentence of my comment? You know, the one you chose not to include in the quote. Dick.; 4/28/22, 8:15 AM
Iman said...: jrapdx @5:38am…

Lay. Off. The. Toad.

Just say NO! to teh Toad.; 4/28/22, 8:35 AM
Rollo said...: Bidenflation hits home.

I opened a can of Campbell's Chili With Beef and Beans and what came out was not beans or beef but watery tomato sauce.

I know Campbell's is in the soup business, rather than in the beef or bean business, but the experience was disappointing.; 4/28/22, 9:20 AM
Humperdink said...: "Second, these sanctions cut both ways ..."

Amen to that. From an economic perspective, the US is going come out of this conflict on the short end. Anyone who think differently, should review tapes of Biden's spectacular pullout (sarc) from Afghanistan. This war has a mid-term election theme to it. It's the Commie-Pinko Dems only shot (so to speak).

Again I ask, where are the peacekeepers? Apparently not an option.; 4/28/22, 9:26 AM
Humperdink said...: "Second, these sanctions cut both ways ..."

Amen to that. From an economic perspective, the US is going come out of this conflict on the short end. Anyone who think differently, should review tapes of Biden's spectacular pullout (sarc) from Afghanistan. This war has a mid-term election theme to it. It's the Commie-Pinko Dems only shot (so to speak).

Again I ask, where are the peacekeepers? Apparently not an option.; 4/28/22, 9:27 AM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: Again I ask, where are the peacekeepers?

U.N. peacekeepers aren't combat troops. They're only good for raping the local women and spreading disease.; 4/28/22, 10:22 AM
Rusty said...: Narr said...
Wonderful eye for color.
Nature does that. Althouse has good timing. Still. You have to wonder how much the lens and the programming misses. Like a Van Gogh painting a photograph is nice but in person the paintings are breathtaking.
The first thing I thought of when I saw it though was; I wonder if that's what the horizon is going to look like when Putin starts lobbing nukes our way.
What possible reason do our political betters have for turning this into WW3? The graft must be astronomical.; 4/28/22, 10:59 AM
Jaq said...: GDP 2.4% below 'expectations'... unexpectedly.

"Rah rah rah, sis boom bah, kill all the Ruskies, cha cha cha!"; 4/28/22, 11:16 AM
Narr said...: The foolishness of political leaders is a given, and nobody should doubt the ability of Joe (and Vlad, and Volodya, and Tom, Dick, and Harrietta) to fuck things up.

Especially if the most powerful, like Joe and Vlad, are nothing but the pure essences of the insularity and corruption of their respective crony-state nomenklaturas.

To fleeting pleasures make your court!; 4/28/22, 1:20 PM
Mark said...: I wasn't aware that a Lend-Lease bill had been introduced. Now it's about to become law.

The extra $30 billion-plus for Ukraine aid is good too.; 4/28/22, 3:57 PM
Jaq said...: Notice that some of that money is for war propaganda.; 4/28/22, 4:31 PM