One year on, I'm happy Trump won

[AdrienIer]

There are more than that, but you're right countries like Egypt still have no ambassador : http://www.afsa.org/list-ambassadorial-appointments

 

[Katie88]

I have to hand it to the Republicans; in the face of intractable demographic changes they came up with a winning strategy to achieve one party rule and executed it nearly flawlessly.

Electing a new people seems likes a pretty surefire way to achieve one party rule...

 

[metalhead]

The mother of one of my best friend works at the US embassy here in Paris. Since Trump won she's been doing the work of senior officials (like doing the embassy budget by herself) despite being a mid tier employee, because Trump didn't bother to send an ambassador until august (confirmed in november) and his state department didn't send any senior person at all. The embassy staff is overworked and the embassy itself is inefficient. And this is the embassy in France, which is allied to the US and a stable country. I'm more concerned about the embassy in Afghanistan which only got an ambassador confirmed in late september. Or the embassies in Saudi Arabia and Turkey that are still vacant

My brother works at the State Department. The entire Department is functioning like this - people are doing 2, 3, 4 jobs, sometimes at levels well above their pay grade, because there simply isn't any senior-level staff. 4 out of the 6 undersecretary positions have yet to be filled, and one of the two which was filled was only filled last month. The whole level of appointees below that is basically completely empty. The supervisory level civil servants are all leaving because there are no political appointees around to actually run the place. Pretty soon anyone who has any clue as to how to actually do the job of diplomacy is going to be at another agency, or retired.

 

[Kozmos]

That's when you start consulting agencies to charge the state twice what you used to earn.

 

[metalhead]

No, you stay around just long enough to suss out all the vulnerabilities, and then you start consulting agencies to charge hostile foreign states quadruple what you used to earn.

 

[onejayhawk]

The mother of one of my best friend works at the US embassy here in Paris. Since Trump won she's been doing the work of senior officials (like doing the embassy budget by herself) despite being a mid tier employee, because Trump didn't bother to send an ambassador until august (confirmed in november) and his state department didn't send any senior person at all. The embassy staff is overworked and the embassy itself is inefficient. And this is the embassy in France, which is allied to the US and a stable country. I'm more concerned about the embassy in Afghanistan which only got an ambassador confirmed in late september. Or the embassies in Saudi Arabia and Turkey that are still vacant

You are not the only one complaining. Far from it.

J

 

[onejayhawk]

My brother works at the State Department. The entire Department is functioning like this - people are doing 2, 3, 4 jobs, sometimes at levels well above their pay grade, because there simply isn't any senior-level staff. 4 out of the 6 undersecretary positions have yet to be filled, and one of the two which was filled was only filled last month. The whole level of appointees below that is basically completely empty. The supervisory level civil servants are all leaving because there are no political appointees around to actually run the place. Pretty soon anyone who has any clue as to how to actually do the job of diplomacy is going to be at another agency, or retired.

This is pretty clearly intentional. I have no idea what the objective is, but gutting the staff is party of the plan. It isn't the only department going through this purge by attrition, but State seems to be the worst. They are not going to other agencies for the same reason.

J

 

[Takhisis]

Long about February of 2021 seeing the feds seize D'ump's assets in a RICO case would be the ultimate prize. "Former president dies a pauper" would be the greatest epitaph imaginable for that slimeball.

Greater even than the presently more probable ‘Biblioteca Presidente Donald J. Trump’?

 

[FriendlyFire]

This is pretty clearly intentional. I have no idea what the objective is, but gutting the staff is party of the plan. It isn't the only department going through this purge by attrition, but State seems to be the worst. They are not going to other agencies for the same reason. J

Because Trump believes it is part of the "Deep state" and is "draining the swamp"
Next department to be targeted is the FBI and Department of Justice

Irony is FBI was very much pro-republican infact it was mocklying called Trumpland during the election. This smacks of Nixons backbiting or W.Bushs vindictive firings.

President Donald Trump does not believe that the “entire” Department of Justice is part of the “deep state,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Tuesday, hours after the president suggested he did.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump had tweeted, “Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others.”

The president was referring to the December 29 release by the Department of State of emails that were stored on Abedin’s computer.

http://www.newsweek.com/trump-tweet-justice-department-deep-state-huma-abedin-768605

 

[metalhead]

This is pretty clearly intentional. I have no idea what the objective is, but gutting the staff is party of the plan. It isn't the only department going through this purge by attrition, but State seems to be the worst.

J

So they're intentionally crippling our ability to project power diplomatically - would you say that's a good thing or a bad thing?

 

[Archbob]

The mother of one of my best friend works at the US embassy here in Paris. Since Trump won she's been doing the work of senior officials (like doing the embassy budget by herself) despite being a mid tier employee, because Trump didn't bother to send an ambassador until august (confirmed in november) and his state department didn't send any senior person at all. The embassy staff is overworked and the embassy itself is inefficient. And this is the embassy in France, which is allied to the US and a stable country. I'm more concerned about the embassy in Afghanistan which only got an ambassador confirmed in late september. Or the embassies in Saudi Arabia and Turkey that are still vacant

Psshhh, allies? Trump needs no allies, Trump only needs trump. Trump is the only one that matters, Trump even said so himself.

 

[Kyriakos]

Psshhh, allies? Trump needs no allies, Trump only needs trump. Trump is the only one that matters, Trump even said so himself.

l'état, c'est moi.

 

[onejayhawk]

So they're intentionally crippling our ability to project power diplomatically - would you say that's a good thing or a bad thing?

That's a big if. Is there evidence or just your opinion?

Off the top of my head, crippled is much too strong. Inconvenienced, perhaps. The question is the value of the objective. Do you have any clue as to what the objective is?

Psshhh, allies? Trump needs no allies, Trump only needs trump. Trump is the only one that matters, Trump even said so himself.

Trump is the most humble person he knows. Ask him.

J

 

[Birdjaguar]

I think Mueller will give the obstruction charges to Congress, but the money laundering and maybe RICO will go to state courts and by pass congress. Or maybe he will just go after everyone but Trump on the money laundering. I don't see Mueller pulling any punches.

Agreed, which is what this is funny.
J

Yeah, he has to work with the knowledge that Congress won't want to be left out. They will need to debate impeachment before deciding not to and collusion and obstruction will serve that purpose well. Money laundering is far more fact based and better suited to a real court. Mueller knows who he is dealing with.

 

[aelf]

Trump is destroying SJWs and the radical left. What else do you need? Healthcare? Allies? Pssh.

 

[Broken_Erika]

Pfft! The US doesn't need a state department, Trump's the only person that matters. Besides, the State Department is obviously part of the deep state, it has "State" in it's name so therefore it's part of the deep state and must be dismantled. Drain the Swamp! MAGA! USA! USA! USA! USA! UST!* UST!* UST!*

*=United States of Trumpyland

 

[Disgustipated]

Trump is destroying SJWs and the radical left

Actually he's probably emboldening them ensuring the left will be in power for at least 50 years. This will be the last Republican President for a long time, assuming the party will even survive the demographic changes we are seeing.

It's a short term victory for Republicans that will hurt them in the long term. Because of Trump, this country will be set down a path of the far left and socialism (which is bad in my view). I really wish Trump would destroy the SJW's, but they seem to be even worse under Trump. With CNN leading the way. CNN has gone completely off the rails and has abandoned any hopes of ever being balanced in their coverage. Everything is a slam against Trump. They are incapable of seeing how the rest of the country lives. They are all college educated journalists who've been indoctrinated in a certain political way of thinking, and are incapable of impartial news coverage. And no, throwing in some nutjob commentator from the right doesn't count as impartial and balanced coverage.

 

[Tahuti]

They are incapable of seeing how the rest of the country lives. They are all college educated journalists who've been indoctrinated in a certain political way of thinking, and are incapable of impartial news coverage.

"We live in a rating system here, and the key factor is: SENSATIONALISM! They've got you running in circles, 9 to 5, 5 to 9, your mind! I tell you what they want you to know, and YOU consider it the truth! Nobody, is opening their eyes! Our global economy is depleting the world of our lives, and natural resources. AND ARE YOU HAPPY? C'mon! I work for the system!"

 

[cardgame]

or maybe being college educated gave them the tools to think about politics instead of following along with whatever your father and your church friends think.

edit: the general you.

If 90% of the things Trump does is bad, and he gets 90% negative stories about him in the media, that is the media being fair and balanced. Blows my mind how people could think otherwise.

 

[Tahuti]

or maybe being college educated gave them the tools to think about politics instead of following along with whatever your father and your church friends think.

That's certainly good, though it is perhaps worse that people are instead following along what corporations think.