The [s]First[/s] [s]Only[/s] Second Trump term

[GORDON]

This is pretty funny, and fits right in with my "Every side are evil, lying pieces of shit" that I have yet to have disproved.

Remember when Mitt Romney was mocked in 2012 for saying Russia was our greatest geopolitical foe? Good thing he didn't win.

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/poli ... mir-putin/

[Malcolm]

It vacillates between Russia and China. I still find China more worrying. The amount of IP and tech theft bullshit they get away with is staggering.

[Malcolm]

Melissa McCarthy needs a new bit.

Sean Spicer learned quickly that visual aides can quickly backfire. In an attempt to explain how lawmakers streamlined a bill of one of the most complicated issues in United States politics, Spicer pointed to the Affordable Care Act and said “This is government,” while gesturing to the American Health Care Act, saying, “This is not.”

[Leisher]

Trump is going to ban transgender people from the service.

He cites financial concerns and "focus".

Hard to argue the focus part logically and I'm not even talking about other members having issues serving alongside a transgender person. If someone is under going treatment to make a transition, they're unfit for combat. How can they focus on their duties when they're undergoing such drastic and life changing treatment?

The financial part is estimated to be $2.4 million and $8.4 million in medical costs as the military pays for what the transgender person "needs". It's a pittance of the health care budget for the Defense Department, but should they be offering it at all? Do they give women with very small breasts free boob jobs to increase their self esteem and make them more comfortable in their own body? I know that's not a fair comparison, but if the military did give out free boob jobs, wouldn't it be logical to assume female enlistment would increase as a result?

Does equality mean spending more money on Bob becoming Barb, while Steve and Sue are busting their ass in training for no addition money/benefits/special care? Does equality have to exist in the military? Doesn't that get in the way of their mission? Why doesn't equality exist at Hooters? Strip clubs? The Miss America Pageant? Playboy? And so on...

I honestly came here to bash him for this because I thought he was sitting in the oval office today reading about people hating on the Senate for their healthcare vote, and he thought, "I can beat that!" The more I thought about it and read about it, the less I hate the move.

[GORDON]

I'm on a facebook group of Marines who complain about Marine Corps life, it's a comic strip... and as we know, art is sometimes an interesting reflection of reality.

It seems the Marines took open homosexuals into their ranks without much problem. The gays bitch about "The Green Weenie" they all get fucked with, too. I found that interesting, because a mere 20 years ago the Naval Investigative Service was still cruising the one gay bar in town looking for the haircuts so they could be arrested and thrown in the brig. Things changed a lot in 20 years. Good for them.

I've never seen them address transgenders, though.

[Vince]

Trump is going to ban transgender people from the service.

He cites financial concerns and "focus".

Hard to argue the focus part logically and I'm not even talking about other members having issues serving alongside a transgender person. If someone is under going treatment to make a transition, they're unfit for combat. How can they focus on their duties when they're undergoing such drastic and life changing treatment?

The financial part is estimated to be $2.4 million and $8.4 million in medical costs as the military pays for what the transgender person "needs". It's a pittance of the health care budget for the Defense Department, but should they be offering it at all? Do they give women with very small breasts free boob jobs to increase their self esteem and make them more comfortable in their own body? I know that's not a fair comparison, but if the military did give out free boob jobs, wouldn't it be logical to assume female enlistment would increase as a result?

Does equality mean spending more money on Bob becoming Barb, while Steve and Sue are busting their ass in training for no addition money/benefits/special care? Does equality have to exist in the military? Doesn't that get in the way of their mission? Why doesn't equality exist at Hooters? Strip clubs? The Miss America Pageant? Playboy? And so on...

I honestly came here to bash him for this because I thought he was sitting in the oval office today reading about people hating on the Senate for their healthcare vote, and he thought, "I can beat that!" The more I thought about it and read about it, the less I hate the move.

The military has had a long history of rejecting applicants with medical conditions that will cost them a crap ton of money.

[Leisher]

The military has had a long history of rejecting applicants with medical conditions that will cost them a crap ton of money.

True, but that never pissed off the SJW crowd like this does.

[Troy]

From what I understand, it went from a budget conscious: "we should not pay for sex change operations for military personnel" to an overboard: "ban all the transgenders from service."

It seems practically nobody was ready, expecting, happy with that. It's a tough position to defend even for right wing conservatives. There are (1,000s ?) of those types on active military service. So now that has to get cleaned up, quickly.

Then again, wasn't this was announced through Twitter and not through officials channels?

He also said on Twitter that we'd be partnering with the foxes on issues of hen-house defense.

[GORDON]

I would guess hundreds, not thousands.

[Troy]

I would guess hundreds, not thousands.

Seen a lot of loose cites on that. Here's one:

The Pentagon has refused to release data on how many transgender troops there are. A 2016 study from the RAND Corporation, commissioned by the Department of Defense, estimated that between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender people serve in the military. Studies from public policy groups have put the number as high as 15,500. The Human Rights Campaign calls the military the “largest employer of transgender people in America.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politic ... -1.3357685

[Malcolm]

I would guess hundreds, not thousands.

There are at least 3 studies that have tentatively estimated thousands. Others indicate that 1/5 of the transgendered folks in the US are in the military.

[GORDON]

Lies.

[Malcolm]

Lies.

Fake lies.

[TheCatt]

Well, it's an organization of 2 Million people, active duty + reserve, so 1,000 doesnt seem unreasonable.

[Leisher]

Williams Institute in 2011 said trans people make up .3% of the population of the U.S.

Now they claim it's .6%. That's 1.4 million transgender folks.

They claim it's now .6% because 18-24 years olds are more likely to answer transgender than previous surveys. I would like to see a follow up survey 20 years later of how many of those who answered transgendered actually went through the transition or would not select it again. Even their own study states that most transgender people are racial or ethnic minorities (mostly Latino) and younger. "Younger" is a pretty interesting classification and it implies something... Also, cue someone now wondering how many trans people are legal residents.

Others indicate that 1/5 of the transgendered folks in the US are in the military.

So you've telling me that there are 280,000 transgender people serving in the military? I think you meant to say that 20% of those surveyed said they served in the military.

Well, it's an organization of 2 Million people, active duty + reserve, so 1,000 doesnt seem unreasonable.

That same institute says there are an estimated 15,500 transgender folks in the military. That's .775 percent, which is a bit higher than the national average.

Let's say all those numbers are completely accurate.

What medical procedures do they "need" that non-trans people wouldn't? What's the real cost because I think that $8 million number is bullshit. Just a quick Google showed me a quick price at one place to transition from male to female to cost $124,000. That clearly doesn't count the meds, which are supposed to be taken well in advance of the procedure and for life after, nor does it count the psych visits that are required prior to such a surgery. If you're wondering, 15,500 multiplied by 124,000 is just a nibble higher than $8 million. Ok, it's a lot higher at just under $2 billion.

I put need in quotes there, but honestly it's the biggest part of this debate. Do they need whatever procedures and medicines they would get?

Point being, what exactly are we paying for? If an 18 year old trans kid goes in, does he have to wait until he retires at 38 before he gets the surgery or will he be getting it while in? Isn't this another benefit, and thus discriminatory to non-trans folks who won't get a $124,000 benefit? Again, how about plastic surgery for men and women with confidence issues? You scoff, but some women suffer from severe depression over body image issues. Why are their needs less important than those of the trans folks?

[Malcolm]

So you've telling me that there are 280,000 transgender people serving in the military? I think you meant to say that 20% of those surveyed said they served in the military.

I've been running on damn near no sleep since Sunday, so perhaps.

Ok, it's a lot higher at just under $2 billion.

So ... one less stealth bomber?

Again, how about plastic surgery for men and women with confidence issues? You scoff, but some women suffer from severe depression over body image issues.

Going to need lots of penis enlargement surgeries for all those pickup truck drivers.

Meanwhile, back at Lex Luthor's hideout...

“Reince Priebus — if you want to leak something — he’ll be asked to resign very shortly. … Reince is a fucking paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac.” He then did a Priebus imitation: " ‘Oh, Bill Shine is coming in. Let me leak the fucking thing and see if I can cock-block these people the way I cock-blocked Scaramucci for six months.’ ”

And we're doing this again.

The senators were unsparing in their criticism of the so-called skinny repeal, which would repeal the mandates that most individuals have health insurance and large employers cover their employees but leave most of the health law in place. Such a bill would crater the health insurance market and send premiums skyward, they said.

“The skinny bill as policy is a disaster,” Mr. Graham said. “The skinny bill as a replacement for Obamacare is a fraud.”

That's Lindsey goddamn Graham, who I'll admit is batshit insane, but I'm laughing my ass off at his defending the same policy he repeatedly voted against.

Then there's this.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is arguing that sexual discrimination protections in the workplace do not extend to sexual orientation.

The department filed a 36-page amicus brief late Wednesday in the case Donald Zarda brought against his former employer alleging that he was fired from his job as a skydiving instructor because of his sexual orientation.

Guess what we're wasting time on because Jeff Sessions is a fucking retard.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to a budget bill on Thursday to protect medical marijuana programs from federal interference in states that have legalized the drug for medical use

Because Herr Sessions, for baffling reasons known only to him and the voices in his head, seems to have a major hard-on when it comes to the crusade on kush.

“If Congress wants to tell the Department of Justice to stop enforcing the medical marijuana laws, then it should change the authorization within the Judiciary Committee, not through an appropriations provision,” he said.

I couldn't fucking agree more, but assholes like the quotee above are deep in the pockets of the private prison industry. And what would cops use for an excuse to murder people legally? "He smelled like coke," doesn't quite work.

[GORDON]

Lies.

Fake lies.

TBH I don't know, I was just throwing out a hunch, and I don't care either way, but thousands feels like more than should be possible. I was amused that current policy is that if a service member steps forward and says they need to transition, they are immediately pulled from their unit and placed under psychiatric evaluation.

[Malcolm]

A quick google search turns up 1.1M enlisted, 1.4 total active duty.

That same institute says there are an estimated 15,500 transgender folks in the military. That's .775 percent, which is a bit higher than the national average.

Being nice and restricting it to enlisted folk, in order to break into literal thousands (2K) you don't even need two tenths of a percent.

[GORDON]

I wonder how many have joined with the intention of taking advantage of tricare for their transition. If any.

[Malcolm]

Causes divorce.

Lynn Aronberg said in a press release Thursday that she is “amicably” divorcing Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg.

Lynn Aronberg says she is a “staunch Republican and supporter of Troll Master Drumpf,” while her husband is not. She says that fact led her to feel “increasingly isolated in the marriage.”

I'm trying to figure out how you can be a Republican and support someone whose stances change every other hour.