• Mawks@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    When asked in an interview how drone operators would know if the people being blown to smithereens were actually carrying drugs, he replied: “Same way a police officer would know … Same way somebody operating in Iraq would know. You know, these people in Iraq at the time, they all looked the same. You didn’t know who had a bomb strapped to them. So those guys have to make judgments.”

    Holy F, as a mexican that crosses the border often for vacations… this is extreme and scary

  • flossdaily@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    How about a new rule that if you vote for a war, you are automatically enlisted. And if you’re ineligible to enlist you must either abstain or vote no.

    • admiralteal@kbin.social
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      Congress members get as many votes for war as they have draft-age family members. For each vote they cast, they must enlist 1 family member. Starting with their own children.

        • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          Some of em don’t care about their kids.

          As evidenced by their complete lack of concern regarding climate change.

      • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
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        Nah just ship the congressmen/women off with the infantry. Then they can see exactly what they’re voting for.

      • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Given the low regard for their children and grandchildren they show when it comes to climate change, I doubt that would be an adequate deterrent.

        • flossdaily@lemmy.world
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          Senators are (with few exceptions) extraordinarily wealthy. When climate change is destroying crops and making some areas uninhabitable, these senators’ families will still be living very comfortably.

      • Jim@lemm.ee
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        I see an obvious exploit with this: congress members enlisting family members who would rather vote ‘No’ just so they can get more votes for their own choice.

        You might think “nobody would enlist their child to fight a war that they’re against” but I promise you, there are people like that.

      • bauhaus@lemmy.ml
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        many have already gladly voted yes for both many times. I don’t think that will stop enough of them.

    • R0cket_M00se@lemmy.world
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      Smedley Butler solved this issue back in the 1920’s, change the vote from Congress to eligible draftees to solve us going to war for stupid reasons.

      Then during times of war, lock down every individual’s income and ability to earn money to that of the soldier. Keeping war profiteering from stretching wars on indefinitely.

      It’s radical, but would probably keep us from just “being at war” eternally. A reality we have had to live in since at least 9/11.

      • TheDubh@lemmy.world
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        The problem is the us hasn’t had a formal declaration of war since WW2. Basically we’ve just had military engagements. Some haven’t even been authorized by congress.

        Basically we’d need to fix that issue before worrying about the other suggestions. Else it’d just be military engagement not a war so don’t need to fallow them.

  • afa@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Slightly misleading, he says that they should shoot at mexican cartels (which are now federally recognised as terrorist organisations) who are using planes and boats to smuggle drugs.

    He’s still a price of shit who wants to eliminate rights though, but it’s always important to get the facts right.

    • lingh0e@lemmy.film
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      He is saying that he would use American military equipment and possibly send troops to kill people who look like drug smugglers on Mexican soil, which is an act of war.

      • grue@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Huge budget surplus

        That’s an indication of mismanagement because it just means they’re refusing to fund all the stuff they’re supposed to be doing.

        • TheMage@lemmy.ml
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          Wrong - it means too much tax has been collected and it should be returned to the people that earned it. I wish my state would have a surplus instead of massive deficits all the time but thats whet democrats do.

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        1 year ago

        Uhh uhh can’t tell if sarcasm, must refrain from replying…nyah…nyah…dang it.

        • TheMage@lemmy.ml
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          Not at all. The state has a budget surplus and has a very friendly business environment. Those are facts. Also, shooting drug smugglers is the right call. What part of this is the problem?

          • Gsus4@feddit.nl
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            You wrote “Good”…about killing with drones Mexican “criminals” in Mexico without a trial and without Mexico’s permission…you see nothing wrong with that? I don’t give a shit about his business friendliness if he’s going to start a hybrid war special military operation with Mexico.

    • ConditionOverload@lemmy.world
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      Truly don’t think it’s half. It’s just the way our elections and voting works. Every the stupid minority has a loud voice when we weigh votes instead of simply going for popular votes overall.

      • acosmichippo@lemmy.world
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        you can count all the people who don’t vote in the stupid category, so actually more than half.

        • some_designer_dude@lemmy.world
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          You need to factor effects from gerrymandering and other forms of vote suppression. I think there’s a lot of wealth trapped in the hands of a few very shitty people, which has allowed them to shape / distort perceptions of just how “popular” their values really are.

        • ConditionOverload@lemmy.world
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          Well there’s also a lot of people that can’t vote because they can’t afford to take time off work, especially if they can’t mail in their votes.

        • Bucket_of_Truth@lemmy.ml
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          Remember that a lot of people couldn’t vote. Either because of voter registration rolls getting purged or disenfranchisement from a criminal charge.

      • jorge@sopuli.xyz
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        The second best result ever in terms of popular vote was Trump 2020, only behind Biden 2020. So it is close enough to half of America.

  • edric@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Dude is trying so hard to appeal to Trump’s base, but it isn’t working.

  • style99@kbin.social
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    Before anyone calls this hyperbole:

    Ron DeSantis recently suggested that he would be open to ordering drone strikes on Mexican drug cartels and migrants, whom he accused of carrying drugs over the border. “We’re authorizing deadly force. They try to break into our country? They will end up stone-cold dead,” he said, and he’s not alone. Trump, Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Mike Walsh (R-FL), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Trump’s former deputy secretary of homeland security Ken Cuccinelli have all proposed various military actions in Mexico, up to and including sending in ground troops.

    • agent_flounder@lemmy.one
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      He gets off on cruelty. I guess his time inflicting suffering at Guantanamo wasn’t enough, though.

      • BOMBS@lemmy.world
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        Why would anyone ever want the commanding officer of a torture prison to run their country?! What do they think he’s going to do?? It drives me crazy that anyone would want this, let alone even be okay with it.

        • bitsplease@lemmy.ml
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          One of the biggest states in the country has already elected him right up to his term limits too… We’re absolutely fucked as a country

    • macarthur_park@lemmy.world
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      Yikes.

      DeSantis is trying to run to the right of trump. Recall that trump began his 2016 campaign by saying

      ”When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. […] They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people”

      I suppose advocating for war crimes is one way to campaign to the right of trump on border security.

      Granted trump also campaigned by calling for war crimes back in 2016, so this isn’t entirely novel for a GOP presidential candidate:

      The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don’t kid yourself. When they say they don’t care about their lives, you have to take out their families.”

      But on the other hand, DeSantis was a navy lawyer at Guantanamo tasked with making sure the soldiers followed the law. And we know how well that went.

      As a young navy lawyer, the Republican was posted to the notorious prison camp. What he did there – and his role in the investigation of three deaths – remains controversial

      In summary, when it comes to their policy on war crimes among the top republican candidates for president, Trump talks a big game but DeSantis has the actual experience to back up his “promises”.

      The fact that I could quickly write up this analysis with sources is a damning indictment of these candidates, their supporters, and their enabling political party. What a fuckin’ shitshow.

    • Gsus4@feddit.nl
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      And to think somebody can be such a fucking idiot that they make Trump look almost normal. Is this some sort of trick like in France, where Zemmour’s antics were used to make LePen more palatable? Looks like it.

    • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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      And they think Mexico will just be ok with us drone striking homes that these idiots think are cartel hideouts? These racists fucks would glass all of Mexico claiming anyone brown is cartel

      • fear@kbin.social
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        Are you really pretending there’s no difference between assisting a country in defending itself from an aggressor, and starting your own war as the aggressor?

        • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
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          My comment is calling out republican hypocrisy in calling the left pro war, not literally making that point.

          • Gsus4@feddit.nl
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            Sound comment, but unfortunate ambiguous meaning got punished by people who gave you no leeway. In reddit I got a 3-day ban for something like this. Lemmy for the win.

      • BassTurd@lemmy.world
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        Russia and their ilk are the only ones that are pro war in Ukraine. Libs are pro Ukraine, which involves defending them from the Russian invasion. If at anytime, Russia agreed to (and actually did it) pull all troops including the land they stole, almost all libs would be happy.

        On the flip side, DeSantis wants to start a war and be the aggressor. Support of that is fucked up and deranged, which is why a large number of conservatives support it.

        • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
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          I’m pointing out republican hypocrisy in calling the left pro war and also wanting to invade Mexico, which was the implication with “in the same breath.”

          • bitsplease@lemmy.ml
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            Pretty sad that there are so many Pro-Russia shills on this site that this seemed like the least likely interpretation of your comment…

      • lingh0e@lemmy.film
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        Are you honestly that confused? Do you really think this is some kind of gotcha?

        Russia invaded their smaller neighbor for a made up reason.

        DeSantis is suggesting invading our smaller neighbor for an equally made up reason.

        We don’t like either scenario. I would be just as supportive of Mexico getting military aide from other nations as I am about Ukraine getting military aide from other nations.

      • GreenMario@lemm.ee
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        You’re right we should let Putin take everything he wants and stand down.

        Fucking retard.

  • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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    The two biggest things we could do to curb the cartels in Mexico there is absolutely no political appetite for.

    First we need a real federal gun registry database to start drying up the influx of weapons. Almost every gun in Mexico came from the US, almost half of the trace requests come up blank because these forms are all filed on paper in a warehouse that they aren’t even allowed to index properly. The most nauseating thing is the gun Industry is in on it… don’t believe me? Look up (38 Super El Presidente model).

    Second we need to legalize drugs. You can make it so it needs to be bought through a doctor and or psychiatrist, but make all that shit pennies on the dollar. Weed revenue might have dried up, but a significant portion of the rest of their revenue comes from harder drugs.

  • masquenox@lemmy.ml
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    The US has been waging unprovoked war on Latin America since before WW1.

    The only thing new about this is that this irredeemable piece of garbage is stating the quiet part out loud.

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    This guy is just trying to out-asshole the orange king of assholes. It’s so weird to see people trying to gain popularity by trying to prove how horrible they are.

  • silvercove@lemdro.id
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    Nothing is more American than invading other countries and murdering their people.

  • ColorcodedResistor@lemm.ee
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    As an NPA living in floriduh, ill tell you what moment in this timeline meatball ron lost the race. He went after disney…dumb rednecks hate blacks but, fucking with disney?! hell nah…if Ron goes after Chick Fil A? they’ll likely mob lynch him on the spot.

  • init@lemmy.ml
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    Haven’t we learned our lesson about unprovoked wars after watching East Europe for the past year and a half??

    @emizeko - not sure if you’re a Russian troll or a poor American doing the real fascists’ work for them–but I’m sorry for you my friend and hope the best for you. If you missed it in my other comments, I’m currently serving in the US military and am very confident that Western media at large is on the money, and that a novice OSINTer could refute the fanfic you posted. Best wishes.

    • dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      There is fairly public pro-Russian sentiment among Republicans and their supporters. Anything to be contrarian to what the libs are talking about, even if it’s non-partisan.

      • init@lemmy.ml
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        Oh I’m familiar with it. My entire family operates this way. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. I joined the military due to my parents fears about Russia and China invading or some shit. Now I’m the liberal because I’ve actually educated myself, and here they are defending the very things they were terrified of 25 years ago just to own the libs.

        • Gork@lemm.ee
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          Yeah, they were the types that sided with the McCarthyism as part of the Red Scare, who publicly accused political figures that they’d “rather go to Moscow” or outright saying they are un-American.

          Ironic that they’d now rather be Russian than Democrat, considering that the Russian Federation government is openly hostile to the freedom they take for granted.

          (Not harping on Russian culture, just the political and geopolitical stance of the Russian Federation. I actually like Slavic culture.)

          • init@lemmy.ml
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            My mother was all into the satanic panic BS and Linin’s words about winning the next war via education and indoctrination of youth in our schools. Dad turned out, interestingly enough, to be closeted gay when they divorced because he was also an abusive sack of shit father.

            The ironic part is that he is so indoctrinated from his small hometown upbringing that he still votes Republican-only and hides the fact his business partner and co-owner of his father’s ranch he inherited is also his boyfriend, or at this point, common law husband. He still hides it because the small community he lives in would probably not be very welcoming. The funny thing is that, at least before it was revealed he was hiding a boyfriend, he was hugely homophobic.

            It took me literal years to deprogram, in no small part from reddit, traveling through the military, and seeing the hypocrisy of modern Christianity. It’s sad that so many will never question the values they grew up with and will turn into the next generation ignoramus.

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      Trump is actually destroying DeSantis in the polls at 54.5% (Trump) to 14.8% (DeSantis). I have no idea how any Republican can lose to Trump. They don’t even need a platform. All they have to do is go out there and call Trump out on all his bs. Point out he’s failed businessman, make fun of his corny superhero NFTs, show how he sucks up to Putin, emasculate him conservative-style for wearing make-up, say that he will probably die of old age within the next 5 years…call him a rapist! That’s it. Just do it.

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        Most of Trump’s bullshit is why they like him. You can’t attack someone for things his supporters approve of.

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        Honestly yeah - I feel like to many of his competitors (especially DeSantis) are trying to emulate Trump, when really they should be going directly against him. They’re scared shitless of pissing off his voters, but clearly trying to appeal to them by being Trump v2 isn’t working either, so I don’t see what they have to lose

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      “Best” is a challenging word to apply to Republican candidates these days.

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    The Mexican government has also responded to these proposals with scalding outrage. As Zach Beauchamp points out at Vox, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said at a press conference that “We won’t allow it. And not only are we not going to allow it, we’re denouncing it.” Even a single drone attack would seem highly likely to end up in a direct confrontation with the Mexican military.

    That’s the important part of the article. It may be worth discussing whether to use the US military against drug cartels, but doing it without the full consent of the Mexican government would be batshit crazy.

    • arcrust@lemmy.ml
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      I’d still call bullshit. Done attacks will be useless. People desire drugs. They’ll find a way.

      The problem is supply and demand. If people want to use drugs, they’re going to either way. We need to make the drugs ourselves and create harm reduction centers. Attack the problem at home.

      For real, if I was buying FDA regulated MDMA at Walgreens, there would be a virtually 0 percent chance of me accidentally getting addicted to fentanyl.

    • Neato@kbin.social
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      That’s how the US get Russia-levels of sanctions from every other nation. Russia would cream it’s pants if the US did something so boldly stupid.