Master-Debater131

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/05/11/gulf-of-mexico-leasing-canceled/ The only possible explanation for this move is that Biden is actively trying to lose. Gas prices have already hit an all-time high and are continuing to rise across the country. Inflation is skyrocketing, and Americans are pissed. Increasing oil supplies would help to ease those pressures, but instead hes doing everything he can to increase the pressure on Americans. Hes actively campaigning for the GOP at this point. Its pure insanity for him to do this.

Schedule is released today. Some leaks already happening. I guess the Broncos are getting a ton of prime-time games this year. Already confirmed to open the season on MNF in Vegas, we play in London, and we have a Christmas Day game against the Rams.

Its official, Finland is going to join NATO. Its been pretty much assumed for a while, but now they are making it official. Putin is playing 5D chess and losing. Now hes about to have a country that shares an 800 mile long border with Russia join NATO. This war really has been nothing short of a complete failure for Russia on all front. Its remarkable how poorly this has gone for Russia.

Russia: The sanctions dont work! Look how strong our economy is! The ruble is at a new high mark! Also Russia: Yea, we are facing a complete and total economic collapse thanks to the sanctions. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/seize-300bn-frozen-russian-reserves-063734391.html

BREAK OUT THE BROOMS!

No, my premise is that we are engaged in a proxy war where the leader of the enemy is a completely deranged man, who is very likely dying from cancer, who happens to have thousands of nuclear weapons in his control and has threatened to use them. Im not saying we stop arming or helping Ukraine. Im just saying its probably a better idea to not antagonize a mentally unstable nuclear armed dictator and basically dare him to do something stupid. At some point he may decide to do something stupid and that could spiral well out of control before there is any hope at deescalation. Keep arming and supporting Ukraine with everything we have, but dont gloat about it to the world.

We are openly flaunting the fact that we are helping target Russian generals. We are basically saying "hahaha, were killing your guys, What are you going to do about it? yea, thats what I thought." Its one thing to be doing that in private, but entirely different to do it in the open. At some point Putin, or someone else in Russia, may respond to the "what are you going to do about it?" with something truly horrifying. We've already seen war crimes and atrocities, but theres still a level further to go. And Im not entirely convinced that Putin, and his puppets, arent buying into their own BS. All Im saying is its better to have some restraint with how much we admit to right now. In a few years the books will be amazing reading, but when the war is actually going on its best to exercise restraint.

In modern politics if you dont agree with me then you must be *insert political side here*

Im not sure it will stop them though. if anything it feeds into the propaganda that its not Russia vs Ukraine, but Russia vs NATO. The propaganda has been turned up to an insane level where they are openly talking about Russians dying in a nuclear war and they should just accept that. Its one thing to engage in a proxy war and support one side. Its a whole other thing to do that and then spit in the face of the enemy. We all know that the US is providing an insane level of support to Ukraine, but theres no need to spit in the Russians face while doing it. I absolutely get the urge to do so, but our officials need to be careful about what we say. At some point the propaganda in Russia will create enough pressure that they will have to do something in response, and that response may be utterly horrifying or spiral well out of control. Thats all Im saying. Keep the support up, keep targeting Russian generals, but dont spit in their face in the process.

Makar

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2022/05/05/tl-4p-rivers-jake-tapper-live.cnn Some good videos from the Battle of Kyiv from the Ukrainian viewpoint.

Oh I get it. I think the entire world knew that we were helping them target Russians. No way was Ukraine able to do that all by themselves. But why admit it? It doesnt make a whole lot of strategic sense to me.

Really have to wonder why we are suddenly leaking news that we are helping Ukraine target Russian Generals. Its a widely known secret, but its still a secret. By stating it as openly as we are we are practically daring Putin to attack us in some way. As much as I want Russia to lose, I also dont want to start a war with Russia thats absolutely going to end in mushroom clouds.

Luckily we have the ability to update it. That's the entire point of the Amendment process. We absolutely have the tools to change the Constitution and include new rights, we just lack the political will to do so anymore. None of our leaders want to do the tough thing anymore, they want the easy way out.

For the actual decision now. Im surprised at just how full throated the repudiation of Roe is, if this winds up being the actual decision. I fully expected Casey to be overturned, but not Roe. A quick look at the decision and its not entirely wrong either. Abortion isnt mentioned anywhere in the constitution. It was essentially a made up right that the courts created rather than let play out in the legislative process. All they are doing here is sending the decision back to the People to decide through elections and the legislative process. So, I agree with the fundamental principal of the ruling. These issues need to be tackled by the people through elections and the legislative process. Our politicians need to stop relying on the courts to make the tough calls that they are too cowardly to make. That said, I'm not a huge fan of the decision. I'm a firm believer in bodily autonomy, and the ability for a woman to have an abortion is absolutely a part of that. I may not always agree with the decision to have an abortion, but its up to an individual to make, not someone else. Whenever the government starts to make decisions for people I tend to not agree with it. Plus, this wont actually stop abortions. We all know what happens when the government creates a black-market with drugs. The same thing is absolutely going to happen with abortions, and its going to cost lives, just like the black market for drugs. Hate all you all want on those seemingly contradictory positions, but thats where Im at. I think the decision is correct legally speaking, but I really dont like it. Its up to the states now to decide on what to do next. Theres a bunch that have been moving either pro or anti abortion in recent years expecting this kind of decision to come. My state just passed some very open abortion laws, and we are surrounded by states that passed very anti-abortion laws. Abortion tourism is absolutely going to be a thing here. Im hoping that we have the resources to help women get here if they need to, because its absolutely going to be tougher for poor women to get abortions now. Politically, this could be a big win for Democrats and help blunt their losses this year. But that all depends on just how far they push this. Most Americans agree that Abortion should be legal, but there are varying degrees of opinion there. The general consensus is that Abortion up to the 3rd Trimester should have unfettered access, but in the 3rd trimester more regulations apply. If Dems go with that as their position they absolutely could turn this into a winning issue for them. However, if they go full blown "any time, any reason, no regulations at all" then that risks alienating just enough people that they cant turn this into a win. That position isnt popular outside of the Democratic Base and the bluest of blue areas in the country. Theres a good number of traditional Democratic voters who dont support the full-blown abortion position that the more vocal base does, including a substantial portion of the Hispanic vote that tends to be more religious and was already trending toward the GOP. This same argument goes for the GOP though. They could fuck it up by going for full bans when that isnt the popular position either. Any politician that runs on a moderate position will likely see support on this issue because the moderate position seems to be the general consensus on this issue. This is the ultimate political grenade being thrown into the room, and no one knows what happens next.

Ill get to the potential decision in another point, but first the leak. The FBI is going to be pulled in to try and find the leaker. In the entire history of SCOTUS this kind of leak is simply unprecedented. Its also a horrible thing to have happen. The only reason a decision would leak is to try and put political pressure on SCOTUS to change their minds. Until the decision is issued any justice can change their mind. Its pretty clear that this leak was done with political intentions in mind to put pressure on someone to change their mind. Hopefully they do not or this opens up a potential dark chapter in the history of SCOTUS where decisions become routinely leaked to try and create political pressure to change a justices mind. If the leak came from a Justice then they will likely find themselves completely ostracized from the rest of the court for as long as they serve. Unless it was Breyer who is retiring anyways, but I dont think it was him. He respects the institution too much to do this. It could be Roberts himself who leaked this. He is obsessed with the legacy and legitimacy of the court. He was rumored to be trying to convince people to come to his side just last week. If he couldnt, then this leak may be his desperate play to change votes. Im leaning more toward it being a Clerk who decided to make some waves because of their own political beliefs. If thats the case then the clerk is done in major law. No major law firm will hire them, and SCOTUS will avoid them, and any case they are on, for the rest of their lives. Its a total career ender for any Clerk who leaks SCOTUS decisions.

Manchinwatch is back on! Manchin cut an ad for a GOP candidate in WV. This ad also serves as one last nail in teh coffin for BBB. It was dead before, now its really dead.

Sounds like Ukraine almost got the highest ranking military officer in Russia. They didnt get him completely, only wounded him, but they did take out 40 other high-ranking Russians in the process.

Love it. Love every second of it.

Russia to Halt Gas to Poland on Wednesday in Major Escalation https://news.yahoo.com/russia-halted-gas-supplies-poland-152059894.html Poland is refusing to pay for the gas in rubles, so Russia is going to turn off the gas.

https://www.dji.com/newsroom/news/dji-statement-on-sales-compliance-efforts One of the worlds largest drone makers is now longer offering sales in Russia or Ukraine. It really seems like a ton of stuff is happening today. I wonder what has caused all this movement.

Germany is making waves today. They are increasing their military support for Ukraine and rapidly moving away from Russian energy. Thats pretty significant.

For some reason Democratic leadership still are trying to pass a multiple trillion dollar progressive wish list spending bill. They have known for some time that its not likely to pass in any meaningful way, and they know that in the face of expanding inflation it would just pour gas on the fire. Its not likely to happen, but apparently they are still trying.

https://twitter.com/christogrozev/status/1518868793950412800 Major source of Russian propaganda was knocked offline. Someone took out a radio station that was blasting propaganda over the airwaves.

Yuuuuuuuup