News Stories

[SaintessHeart]

The migrants show one thing - situation is untenable in the Mideast. Expect a safe haven for terrorists.

U.S. Air Force fires general overseeing nuclear missiles

(Reuters) - The two-star general overseeing the U.S. arsenal of intercontinental missiles was fired on Friday for personal misbehavior, the Air Force said, adding the matter was not tied to the readiness or security of America's nuclear missiles.

The removal of Major General Michael Carey from his job as commander of the 20th Air Force was the latest in a string of recent high-profile firings of top U.S. generals.

Just two days ago, the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees America's nuclear arsenal and space operations, was relieved of his post during an investigation into gambling issues. Last week, two Marine generals were fired for failing to properly defend a base in Afghanistan from a deadly 2012 Taliban attack.

The Air Force did not disclose what exactly Carey did wrong but provided a laundry list of things he wasn't being accused of, including sexual misconduct, adultery or drug use.

The investigation didn't relate to operational matters or readiness and there was no indication of criminal activity, although the investigation is not over, it said.

"There was misbehavior such that (his superior) decided that it didn't exemplify the trust and responsibilities required of a commander who was responsible for these nuclear forces," said Brigadier General Les Kodlick, an Air Force spokesman.

"The nuclear deterrence mission is one of great focus and discipline. Personal behavior is vital to that, especially from a commander."

Headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, the 20th Air Force is responsible for the nation's three intercontinental ballistic missile wings.

The Air Force's management of those missiles has come under intense scrutiny in recent months. Some 19 missile crew members at 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota were decertified after a poor showing in a March inspection.

In August, the 341st Missile wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana got a failing grade in its inspection, which cited "tactical-level errors during one of several exercises.

Still, the Air Force denied the inspections had anything to do with Carey's removal. Carey remains in the Air Force as the investigation continues but will be reassigned, Kodlick said.

"20th AF continues to execute its mission of around-the-clock nuclear deterrence in a safe, secure and effective manner," Lieutenant General James Kowalski, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, said in a statement.

"It's unfortunate that I've had to relieve an officer who's had an otherwise distinctive career spanning 35 years of commendable service."

The Air Force has sought to tighten controls over its nuclear weapons after a 2008 incident in which a B-52 bomber accidentally transported nuclear armed missiles across the country.

That led to the ouster of then-Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and General T. Michael Moseley, the top uniformed officer in the Air Force.

[Iron Maw]

End of the GOP?

GOP plummets, Obamacare soars in shutdown standoff

The Republican Party is not just losing the shutdown, it’s losing it in historic fashion.

The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC survey finds just 24% of Americans hold a positive opinion of Republicans–a record low for the modern party. Meanwhile, Barack Obama’s approval rating has bumped up slightly in the last month to 47%. Even worse for Republicans, Obama’s signature health care law –which triggered the shutdown in the first place–is now liked by a higher percentage of Americans than at any point this year.

Democratic pollster Peter Hart and Republican pollster Bill McInturff ran the survey. Here’s a breakdown of the findings and what they mean:

Republicans hemorrhaging support

The damage to the Republican brand from the shutdown is immediate and severe. Just 24% of Americans have a positive opinion of the Republican party in Thursday’s WSJ/NBC poll versus 53% who have a negative opinion, a 13 point swing since September. That’s even worse than the 28% favorable rating Gallup recorded on Wednesday, and like Gallup’s showing, it’s a new record for the pollster. Even fewer respondents–21%–have a positive view of the Tea Party, another new low.

In case there was any mystery what’s driving the numbers: Americans blame the GOP for the shutdown over President Obama by a 53-31 margin. Of those polled, 70% say Republicans are putting politics ahead of their country, versus just 27% who say they’re showing strong leadership in standing up for their beliefs.

Democrats, Obamacare gaining support

The silver lining Republicans spotted in some pre-shutdown polls was that Americans seemed poised to take their anger out on both parties, or the more generic “Washington.”

Nope. President Obama’s approval rating is up slightly in the WSJ/NBC poll to 47-48 versus 45-50 last month. Democrats now lead Republicans on a generic Congressional ballot 47-39, a five point bump in the same period.

But the number that’s truly apocalyptic for Republicans is respondents’ views of the Affordable Care Act. The law is actually gaining support in the latest poll: 38% of respondents now say the law is a good idea versus 43% who say it’s a bad idea, a major bump from the 31-44 margin it polled last month and its best result in over a year. The surge in support comes despite a glitch-filled rollout of the law’s exchanges that’s proving a publicity problem for the White House.

The entire animating principle behind Senator Ted Cruz’s pre-shutdown strategy was that a confrontation over funding the law would shine a spotlight on its weaknesses, leading Americans to rally to the GOP’s side. Instead it looks as if the GOP’s unpopularity is producing a rally effect in support of the ACA. It’s an utterly bonkers result that undercuts the most basic conservative assumptions about the shutdown.

“I will be the first to admit it’s not like every single American is in love with the bill,” Neera Tanden, president of the liberal Center for American Progress, told MSNBC after reviewing the latest numbers. “But Americans are practical and they believe that now that we have it as a law we should try to make it work.”

A predictable result

One critical piece of context for the latest numbers: the depth of the GOP’s lows may be a stunner, but the overall trend is 100% in line with predictions that Democratic pollsters and a number of Republicans have made for months.

Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg, for example, has been leading an exhaustive project to analyze the Republican base through polls and focus groups in order to map out an optimal message for Democrats in 2014. When he published his first round of findings in July, he claimed that Republicans’ biggest weakness is not that their ideology is too extreme–they actually seemed to be in OK shape–but that they’re too obstructionist. As he put it: “People are desperate for effective things to happen and the House is blocking everything.” This issue produced the biggest split between the Tea Party and evangelical wings of the GOP versus its moderate and independent wings. Greenberg’s research found the first two groups were almost uniformly hostile to Obama’s agenda while the latter two were much more interested in compromise, suggesting the issue might be a potent wedge.

True to his analysis, the current crisis is dividing those poles of the party like never before, both within Congress and among rank and file voters. The latest WSJ/NBC poll finds non-Tea Party Republicans have wildly divergent views of the shutdown: 83% of Tea Party respondents blame Democrats for the shutdown versus just 57% of non-Tea Party Republicans. And while only 29% of Tea Party respondents say Republicans are putting politics ahead of country, a majority of non-Tea Party Republicans –53% — agree with that statement.

You can see early signs of this split on the state level as well. Senator Mike Lee, a top Cruzy ally, is tanking in popularity, according to a new Brigham Young University poll of ultra-red Utah voters. And the reason is exactly the same: among Tea Party Republicans, 90% say Lee shouldn’t back down on stopping Obamacare, while 51% of non-Tea Party Republicans say he should compromise even if it means funding the law. There’s evidence the shutdown is depressing Republican Ken Cuccinelli’s support in the Virginia governor’s race as well even though he’s tried to distance himself from the affair.

No easy way out

This moderate revolt is a bit of a reversal from the norm–usually Republican divisions in the polls are chalked up to Tea Partiers angry that the GOP isn’t conservative enough. It’s Speaker Boehner’s fear of angering these base voters that’s driving his strategy. The latest polls suggest that in pacifying his most conservative voters, he’s enraged just about everyone else. Given Democrats’ refusal to offer any meaningful concessions, there’s no obvious path out of the current fight that won’t leave a major chunk of the party deeply upset. And polls like today’s are only likely to harden the White House’s position at the negotiating table.

“It’s a concern, but it’s not an easily fixed concern, because if they cave in to the president then they alienate their base, and it’s not like Democrats are suddenly going to love them,” John Feehery, a GOP strategist and former aide to Speaker Dennis Hastert, told MSNBC. “So they’ve got to be real careful on this thing.”

While the effects of the shutdown on government and the economy are felt by all sides, it’s no longer a question who’s “winning” the shutdown politically. The question now is how Republicans get out of it and how lasting the damage will be once they do.

Looks like this little "Theater" isn't fooling the public at large. Now with big businesses like Koch Brothers withdrawing their support from the party it looks like we have a great schism at hand.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

The migrants show one thing - situation is untenable in the Mideast. Expect a safe haven for terrorists.

These people are not coming from the Middle East. They are mostly escaping war zones in Africa like Eritrea and Somalia. The woman who gave birth while drowning is Eritrean. She had travelled over 2,000 miles while pregnant to reach a safe haven for herself and her unborn child only for them both to die at sea.

I don't know what your comment about a "safe haven" is supposed to mean.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by Iron Maw

Looks like this little "Theater" isn't fooling the public at large. Now with big businesses like Koch Brothers withdrawing their support from the party it looks like we have a great schism at hand.

There's something horrifically fascinating about the political equivalent of a grown man deliberately entangling his entire nether regions in a mass of barbed wire, and suddenly realizing he has no way of getting out of it.


It's really incredible how bad the Republicans are at playing realpolitik. They were so dug into their propaganda that everyone was behind them that they didn't even consider that public opinion in this kind of high-stakes situation might turn on them. And now they have no escape plan.

[GDB]

Wait, what? The Koch Brothers are removing their support?

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by GDB

Wait, what? The Koch Brothers are removing their support?

It's a Daily Kos link, but yes.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by GDB

Wait, what? The Koch Brothers are removing their support?

Yes.

In contrast to the Kochs' protestations of their own innocence, it must be noted that they were the primary funders of groups like Heritage Action, which are the rabblerousers behind the Tea Party's anti-Obamacare effort and heavily promoted the shutdown tactic among Republican Congressmen, even threatening them with primary challenges from the right.

Regardless, the Kochs' public withdrawal demonstrates the growing distaste of the Republican threats against the US economy amongst even their traditional paymasters -- pardon, allies. Less politically invested business leaders are increasingly losing patience as the default threat looms ever greater. The initial muted reaction comes from a sense of complacency that Washington, however bad it gets, would not allow a murder-suicide.

The Tea Party stand alone in their madness. The tragedy is that these hijackers might yet bring the plane crashing down in flames.

[Bri]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Isn't it time that the rest of the European Union recognizes that these migrants are not just Italy's problem? Most of them are not migrating to Italy but to Europe. Putting all the responsibility for handling these tragedies on the Italians is absurd. Migration into and out of the EU is a European problem and requires European solutions.

I realize that immigration is a political problem throughout the EU, and that there are strong political forces like Golden Dawn and French National Front that can mobilize right-wing opposition to immigration. (Just like here in the US.) Still wouldn't it make some sense to develop multinational coast guards to patrol the Med?

Frontex was established for that purpose, but the organization still lacks funding and resources. The coordination of immigration policy between member states is a touchy subject. The political right in Europe dislikes the transfer national executive powers to a European level every bit as much as immigration, maybe even more.

[GDB]

Eh, doesn't really read like they're withdrawing their support. Of the Tea Party, sure, but not of the GOP as a whole.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

They were so dug into their propaganda that everyone was behind them that they didn't even consider that public opinion in this kind of high-stakes situation might turn on them. And now they have no escape plan.

Somebody once say that Republicans are like sharks, they can neither stop or make a U turn, they need to keep going ahead to stay afloat, atm they are swimming into a wall, they will bump on it, but they will lose a lot of teeth in the process.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

These people are not coming from the Middle East. They are mostly escaping war zones in Africa like Eritrea and Somalia. The woman who gave birth while drowning is Eritrean. She had travelled over 2,000 miles while pregnant to reach a safe haven for herself and her unborn child only for them both to die at sea.

I don't know what your comment about a "safe haven" is supposed to mean.

People don't just randomly leave their countries for a reason. Back in 1975 when US withdrew from Vietnam, boat people started turning up on the doorsteps of the rest of Southeast Asia, and many of them simply capsized the same way these boats did.

And they DO come from the Mideast too.

The accident occurred about 60 nautical miles south of the Italian island of Lampedusa, in waters that fall under Malta’s jurisdiction for search-and-rescue operations. The area is regularly plied by smugglers bearing migrants from Africa or the Middle East who are seeking asylum or economic opportunity in Europe.

Anywhere there is war, there are refugees. The only ones that stayed are those who are fighting for something; either their business or as a terrorist for war.

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

It's really incredible how bad the Republicans are at playing realpolitik. They were so dug into their propaganda that everyone was behind them that they didn't even consider that public opinion in this kind of high-stakes situation might turn on them. And now they have no escape plan.

So you mean that as punishment, we should dress the politicians in the clothing of the opposite sex while making them hold placards saying "I have fallen into a democratic trap."?

[ganbaru]

China reports unexpected drop in September exports
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/china...tember-exports

Mass. parents charged in baby girl's heroin death
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...10-11-17-20-09

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

Things have really softened up over there in Singapore.

I'm guessing that the media over here might have something to do with it (sorry TRL) when the state controlled media keep saying that life is good, wage are going up, uni grad starting pay is at historic highs without stating the hard work (if any) that goes into it, people look at things and think, 'hang on, are those good things happening to me?'
On the topic of conscription though, it's not just the 2 years that hit hard (I've heard stories of broken relationships and broken bodies much too often) it's also the 10 years of reservist cycles that we need to do along with the training when we fail the physically training. Imagine if you needed to take off for 3 week or a month if you are going overseas for training, it no wonder that employers don't like it. (They are complaining about it Switzerland too btw)

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

The migrants show one thing - situation is untenable in the Mideast. Expect a safe haven for terrorists.

Those guys are from central Africa, not middle east, correct me if I'm wrong.

Originally Posted by Iron Maw

End of the GOP?

GOP plummets, Obamacare soars in shutdown standoff



Looks like this little "Theater" isn't fooling the public at large. Now with big businesses like Koch Brothers withdrawing their support from the party it looks like we have a great schism at hand.

I'm going to be cynical and take it with a grain of salt. It's like the story written by Fox news, it's looks true to certain people because they want to believe it. Polls are notoriously inaccurate, and analysis have this habit of ignoring data that doesn't agree with they're conclusion (Don't get me wrong, I mostly agree with this article)

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by JokerD

I'm guessing that the media over here might have something to do with it (sorry TRL) when the state controlled media keep saying that life is good, wage are going up, uni grad starting pay is at historic highs without stating the hard work (if any) that goes into it, people look at things and think, 'hang on, are those good things happening to me?'
On the topic of conscription though, it's not just the 2 years that hit hard (I've heard stories of broken relationships and broken bodies much too often) it's also the 10 years of reservist cycles that we need to do along with the training when we fail the physically training. Imagine if you needed to take off for 3 week or a month if you are going overseas for training, it no wonder that employers don't like it. (They are complaining about it Switzerland too btw)

There you go Sume-nee, there is your fake journalist - and on this forum too.

I heard he has a stash of Russian lolis, so you go lynch him while I create a diversion to rescue the poor little girls from this evil man's clutches.

*cocks his MP5* Anytime you are ready.

Originally Posted by JokerD

I'm going to be cynical and take it with a grain of salt. It's like the story written by Fox news, it's looks true to certain people because they want to believe it. Polls are notoriously inaccurate, and analysis have this habit of ignoring data that doesn't agree with they're conclusion (Don't get me wrong, I mostly agree with this article)

Usually, the Pew polls have been rather accurate. As America gets more diversified, opinions may be equally diversified too.

But people think the same in most circumstances thanks to herd mentality. Polls are just something to be taken with a pinch of salt.

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

There you go Sume-nee, there is your fake journalist - and on this forum too.

I heard he has a stash of Russian lolis, so you go lynch him while I create a diversion to rescue the poor little girls from this evil man's clutches.

*cocks his MP5* Anytime you are ready.

err... wut?

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Usually, the Pew polls have been rather accurate. As America gets more diversified, opinions may be equally diversified too.

But people think the same in most circumstances thanks to herd mentality. Polls are just something to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Sometimes it's just as much about how the answers of the polls questions are worded

[Ithekro]

I am under the impression that the faithful (to use a word for the followers of God/mostly Christians that hold to their own beliefs over whatever some church says) are looking on events as if they are the few in the right and the world is in the wrong. And that would follow the old Biblical patterns of the faithful being the minoity against the sinners or non_believers, or whatever. Thus they will remain in there beliefs and hold that the country has lost its way. The fundimental rights in the Constitution being "under God" thus there is no higher authority. (God directly, not a church or man of the church) Meaning to reject or alter the meaning of the Constitution is not within man's authority. At least that was what I was grasping out of a late night discussion with some faithful people. I could be misunderstanding them.

This is in relation to the low approval rating of the Republican Party and other Conservative Parties in the United States of America.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by JokerD

err... wut?

TRL is the fake journalist. He works for the Ministry of Truth.

Sometimes it's just as much about how the answers of the polls questions are worded

And the options too.

EDIT :

This is why I don't trade the SGX -

Singapore exchange steps up stock trading scrutiny; confusion over curbs

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Several brokerages in Singapore could lose millions of dollars in the wake of recent sharp price falls in three stocks, traders said, and as the stock exchange probes short-selling in two of the stocks early this week when they were subject to trading curbs.

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX), both the market operator and regulator, suspended trading in shares of Blumont Group Ltd, Asiasons Capital Ltd and LionGold Corp Ltd last Friday following the big price moves. On Sunday, it declared them "designated securities" - its first such move in five years.

Under the rules imposed by the SGX, traders cannot short-sell the stocks and buyers have to pay cash up-front. Once bought, the shares can't be sold until they are deposited into the buyer's account, at least three days later.

Traders now say there is widespread confusion over the trading curbs, and particularly over when they were allowed to sell. Some bought shares after the trading suspension was lifted on Monday and sold on the same day - so falling foul of the SGX rules and risking a fine.

"Owing to the confusion, many clients have sold these securities before the due date," Jimmy Ho Kwok Hoong, President of The Society of Remisiers (Singapore), wrote in a letter to The Straits Times on Friday. "They now run the risk of a possible buying-in with fines for short-selling, unless the SGX makes an exception to the rule for these trades."

All this comes on top of trading losses racked up when these three stocks crashed. All have dropped by more than 80 percent since last Thursday's close, turning them back into the penny stocks they were before their dramatic gains in recent months - a surge analysts said was not backed by business fundamentals.

Some brokerage clients have refused to pay up, or have disappeared, three traders told Reuters on Friday. Individual traders, or remisiers, who have to foot the bill may have to declare bankruptcy or sign a bond to pay off what they owe in installments to the brokerages.

"Because SGX lifted the suspension so quickly (on Monday), there wasn't time for information to be disseminated down the stream," said one of the Singapore traders. "The brokers are further down the food chain than the credit department, and even the credit department, which has to control the limits, wasn't really clear about the rules."

"APPROPRIATE ACTION"

It's also unclear how they should now be dealing in the three companies' shares.

The SGX said late on Thursday it would take appropriate disciplinary action as part of its investigation into short-selling of Blumont and Asiasons stocks, though it did not say what those measures would be.

One trader said the SGX is also asking for the names and addresses of people using direct market access (DMA) to trade in the shares. Investors use DMA to electronically trade large blocks of stock quickly, cheaply and without identifying themselves to the market.

The SGX, which allowed DMA trading in September 2012, has the right to request identifying information, but rarely does so, the trader said. A spokeswoman for the SGX said it is standard procedure "to call on all our member firms to check on orders and trades executed in our markets."

Lee Porter, managing director at Liquidnet Asia Pacific, said such requests are more common in other exchanges. "If there's any wild swings in prices it's not unusual for regulators to ask brokers who their underlying customer was," he said.

The SGX said it uses the "designated securities" classification when it believes there may have been market manipulation of a stock, excessive speculation or if it is otherwise in the market's interest to do so. It said on Thursday it was monitoring the market in the three stocks, and would lift the designation "as soon as it is appropriate to do so."

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

So you mean that as punishment, we should dress the politicians in the clothing of the opposite sex while making them hold placards saying "I have fallen into a democratic trap."?

See, that's giving the Democrats too much credit. The Democrats didn't construct this trap. The republicans did. Except the trap wasn't a *trap*. It was a glory hole that leads to a blender. Guess what the GOP stuck in it?



If the Republican party goes into decline in the future, it won't be because the Democrats had some ingenious plan to beat them. It's because the Republicans literally couldn't avoid committing prolonged political suicide.

[Mr. DJ]

I'm wondering (if they're not actually pulling it out of their ass, but probably are) how the Koch's figure the ACA would lower the US health standards as a whole when we're already behind other nations but spend more money...

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

See, that's giving the Democrats too much credit. The Democrats didn't construct this trap. The republicans did. Except the trap wasn't a *trap*. It was a glory hole that leads to a blender. Guess what the GOP stuck in it?

a electrical socket that doubles as a blender?

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

See, that's giving the Democrats too much credit. The Democrats didn't construct this trap. The republicans did. Except the trap wasn't a *trap*. It was a glory hole that leads to a blender. Guess what the GOP stuck in it?

Too bad than the ''hole'' isn't big enough for their non-existent heads