monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

Good for you, McG.
@Finn
That small minority of scientists who reject global warming and mans' role in it receive funding as well, often in much greater amounts than some biologist working in the mountains of Chile or the Arctic or some tropical rain forest. The petroleum industry has spent billions in funding such individuals along with lobbyists, front groups and the huge PR campaigns designed to create doubt about GW. As I said, your money-motivation argument is self-defeating. because the really big money is directed towards denial.

NYT I think you folks down south really ought to send the Liberty Bell up here. It would just make more sense.

http://thehill.com/policy/international/328796-north-korean-official-warns-of-preemptive-strike-of-its-own

Who wins this penis-measuring contest?

So far, if the reports are correct, the bomb killed 36 militants and no civilians were hurt or killed. Apparently it destroyed the base where Islamic state militants launces its attacks against Kabul.

U.S. 'mother of all bombs' killed 36 Islamic State militants in Afghanistan/Reuters

Trump in touting his budgets cuts and other such policies says he wants to save tax payers some money. If that is the case, why don't he try to cut down ballooning cost of secret service for Trump's families lifestyle?

Secret Service costs for Trump family protection continue to mount/CBS News

Remember "shock and awe?" That worked. This is the same, IS presence in Afghanistan is minimal, the Taliban don't like them. The Taliban won't be at all upset, it furthers the narrative that most Americans are cowardly technocrats too scared to get their hands dirty. This bomb will be very counter productive if used in a densely populated area which is where most terrorists are.

It does give the impression that Trump is doing something, and has already been seen on this thread the idiots who voted for him are lapping it up, and that's why Trump dropped the bomb in the first place.

From what I read the idea to drop the bomb has been in the works for some time. There could have been a little wag the dog, or this could be the result of recent changes which put generals in charge of these kinds of decisions both on the ground and even in the principle meeting at the white house with Bannon ouster.

If it truly turns out the bomb didn't hurt any civilians, regardless of all else, I can't really see it as a bad thing as ISIS is a world threat for Muslims and everyone else alike. Plus it might get us out of Afghanistan all the sooner. (which wouldn't be worth it if civilians had been hurt or killed)

Possibly true. But I do not trust initial reports of this sort because they usually originate from the Pentagon which has a rather colored history re truthfulness.

Re toughness and message sending and how the bad guys only respond to threats and that whole swinging-dick thing...
window on eurasia

I'm confident that the military planners involved are breathlessly awaiting Blatham's confirmation. The bomb is merely a larger version of one widely used over 40 years ago, now with GPS guidance and a different fuse apparently designed to (among other things) collapse underground tunnels.

Perhaps we should let Putin take all of Ukraine so that he won't suppress his local political opposition.

The number of scientists who deny man-made global warming represent about 3% of the scientific community.

NASA (infamous commie group) has a very good site up
https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/

Well, that's all pretty silly. We know from a lot of experience that we can't take the Pentagon's word on such things. That's a simple point. As to the bomb used, I didn't say anything about it. As to the Ukraine, as Trump explained a while ago, Russia isn't in the country.

Proving Putin doesn't have any good cards in his hand.

Certainly rough on the dissidents and very unfortunate for Russian society but not our concern. Such actions are for the Russian people to deal with.

Since Putin knows he can't do anything of significance to directly harm the US in retaliation for the strike he talked tough to Tillerson. Did anyone really expect something different?

Meanwhile, he had to do something local to show his dick is still swinging, at least in Russia.

Dog almighty, you are deeply propagandized, georgeob1, or like Finn, just deeply evil.

Or, so deeply evil that you spread what you know is rank US propaganda.

Another dumb US dupe goes over there with the usual nutty US propaganda, what do you expect he's going to get, tea and cookies?

I heard on the news last night that although the amount of bombs dropped by US planes in the ME went down in March the amount of civilian casualties shot up, that suggests much looser rules of engagement and runs the risk of radicalising moderate Sunnis.

How is it that you forgot to mention the war crimes, Izzy?

Are you pretending to be an obsequious UK "reporter"?

The US, although it would be a costly victory.

I don't see anything happening because China is putting pressure on them now, but additional threats from NK were inevitable.

Control over a "unified" Korea has long been the Holy Grail of the regime.

The world has made it absolutely clear that it doesn't care one whit for the suffering of the NK people under this regime and no significant effort has been made to change the regime.

So why does the regime want more nukes? So when they drive another million North Koreans to starve to death they can be sure the world won't try and forcefully come to their rescue?

The only action they might take that will prompt intervention from the rest of the world and result in the elimination of the regime is an all out invasion of South Korea. If they had a means to send nuclear missiles against the intervening nations' homelands it could be the deterrent they seek. The rest of the world might shrug it's shoulders and say "It's up to the South Korean army."

Let's assume NK wins a war with SK. What then? The Fat Little Tyrant becomes content with putting his pudgy foot on the necks of all Koreans or, flushed with victory, does he entertain ideas of "paying back" the Japanese for WWII? Who knows but it's rarely safe to bet on insane tyrants ever feeling satisfied with whatever level of power they have.

If you believe a face-off is inevitable (and I do) then it's better to get it over with sooner than later. It should have been done decades ago, but strategists assumed that the Kim dynasty could not continue. Seems like the third monster is worse than the prior two.

I don't blame you for not trusting Pentagon reports, but in the absence of proof to the contrary it would be petulant to maintain a position that they have lied.

N Korea will have more than the US to contend with. Our allies will support us.