Unfortunately I don't agree we are a free society.  We are very sheltered and kept in the dark more so than people realize.  I think we lost our rights and freedoms a long ass time ago and they ain't coming back without a revolution.

The rise of Donald Trump to the office wasn't a switch; more of an extrapolation. What will we as a country and society learn from this? It remains to be seen I suppose. Still, there has always been danger lurking afforded a free society. Now that danger sees no need to lurk. It's sitting there under a canopy on the beach; sipping umbrella drinks and slathering on the insect repellent...

And he probably thinks they ruined New York City

  people from Puerto Rico have brown skin

 kurtster wrote:
Sounds great to me. Maybe you're in a sporting mood today?

Last time I offered you a wager you declined, sadly. Here's another chance:

$5 to your favorite charity if Trump shows up in Puerto Rico before he shows up at a golf course.

$50 to mine (below) if he shows up at a golf course before setting foot in Puerto Rico.

What better chance does he have to combine his sincere interest in infrastructure needs and Making America Great again?

Unidos por Puerto Rico 

Lets have some fun  

Lets have some fun going back in time ... starting in February when I first made remarks about Obama spying / wiretapping Trump, before Trump even mentioned it.

 
Speaking of hammers...

Bastiat was right about many things, but he was wrong about the pacifying power of trade. France's biggest trading partner before WW1? Germany. Before WW2? Germany. Trade is not magic; it won't turn rivals into allies. It will, however, undermine authoritarian regimes.

Look what it has done for China, Vietnam, Malaysia. Look what it could do for Cuba. Look at what it could do for North Korea.

We / Trump have been leaning hard on China.  Trump even went as far (last week) as to suggest stopping all USA trade with any country that does business with NK, which includes China.  That got their attention, but has yet to have any resulting action on China's part other than to call that idea outrageous.  It also got a reaction from our political establishment which was basically Trump is nutz, again.  So while the threat was made, it was deflected immediately as undoable.

No one wants to do the hard thing, except Trump.  That is the problem. Russia and China created this monster by using it as a proxy during and after the Korean Conflict.  It was never officially called a war and it has never ended.  All we have is a truce / cease fire declared in 1953, IIRC. Russia has not been involved since the 50's.  Its all about China and has been since the 50's.  And the SK's are not innocent in this either.  
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If we stop doing business with China, its economy would collapse overnight.  That result is self explanatory.  China needs us more than we need them,  So while we wait for China to shit or get off the pot, Chubby Cheeks could launch a fully loaded nuclear missile at us, and that result is self explanatory.

Quite frankly, if we did a military attack on NK, it would begin and end there, imo.  It would not lead to a world war, imo.  Yes plenty of people would die in both NK and SK.  But that would be the extent of it.  I also see this as unavoidable regardless of any diplomatic efforts as long as Un is in power.  We have seen him do whatever it takes to maintain his power.  He will not go peacefully.  I fully expect him to do what he says he will do and attack the USA.  There is no endgame where he can win anything.  He has nothing left.  He has painted himself into a corner.  Better to die in a military attack than at the hands of the peasants.

Meanwhile, China has another reason to intervene.  The mountain under which CC is doing all his nuclear testing is about to collapse which would release a tremendous amount of radiation which would have a devastating and lasting impact on adjacent Mainland China.  

So like I said a few weeks ago, all roads to NK go through China.  Unless CC does something really stupid first.  And the longer this current situation exists, the more likely that is.

Sadly, both sides deserve what they will eventually get to resolve this conflict that is the result of their forebears actions.  It is their destiny which was determined over 60 years ago.