Words from on high - but worth reading!

They don't come much higher than Jonathan Sumption, author, medieval historian and former Supreme Court judge who is writing in this week's 'Speccie':

Italy is the only European country where Brexit is viewed with some sympathy and the British are not assumed to be off their heads. It is an odd state of affairs. The country benefited spectacularly from the EU. It transformed itself in a few years from a society of peasants and small craftsmen into an advanced, export-oriented economy based on engineering, cars, pharmaceuticals and consumer electrics, with an impressive standard of living. 

The Italians were insulted when Boris Johnson, then masquerading as a diplomat, cited prosecco as their emblematic export. Italy’s fatal mistake was to adopt the euro for reasons of prestige. It lumbered them with an artificially high implicit exchange rate, depressed growth and real earnings, and pushed them into a permanent recession. It is a warning of the danger of embarking on economic projects for political reasons. [My emphasis)  These days, you don’t hear much from knowledgeable Italians about the opportunities offered by Europe.

This article is an extract from Jonathan Sumption's Spectator diary, available in this week's magazine.

Once again, my pride in the wisdom and courage of the British 'Peeps' who decided to 'Brexit' against all the flannel from the  so-called 'clever Dicks' is increased.  Yes, we get plenty of things wrong but when we get it right, we're spot on!

 

 

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

Italy also wrapped their economic legs around China too much and have suffered for it. Italy needs an anti China vaccine pretty fast if they don't want to be a buckle in China's belt.

[JK]

As we're on to 'Words From On High'

Dear Bob,

https://www.wired.com/story/qanon-supporters-arent-quite-who-you-think-they-are/

"How can so many people believe such crazy stuff?"

"New research provides a partial answer: They don’t. Until now, polling on QAnon has generally gone no further than asking people how they feel about the movement. This left unexplored what it actually means when someone says they believe in QAnon. Brian Schaffner, a political scientist at Tufts University, recently sought to find out. In September, he conducted a nationally representative online poll asking respondents not just whether they support QAnon, but also whether they believe in eight specific false claims, including four that are central to the QAnon worldview. The poll was funded by Luminate and published by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The results suggest that most “QAnon supporters” have never even heard of, let alone believe, some of the most outrageous claims associated with it."

And, just a personal anecdote Bob, when you first began accusing (many/most of) us of whatever that wacky stuff is (supposed to be) I didn't have a clue to what you were on about but then, after some time I figured I'd better look into the subject.

What I found seemed to be the most prolific "researchers" spouting off of what was purported was even wackier than whatever the originator of the claim ever contended in the first place.

You said something like this recently - paraphrasing you Bob:

"I'm the guy who plays an actual scientist around here!"

For which Bob I'm gonna be nominating you for an Academy Award.

[Wigner’s Friend]

“ Once again, my pride in the wisdom and courage of the British 'Peeps' who decided to 'Brexit' against all the flannel from the so-called 'clever Dicks' is increased.” are you counting SoD in those clever dicks?

[Whitewall]

David, careful how you answer....

[David Duff]

Don't worry, Whiters, he can take it - as well as dish it out!

[Bob]

JK,

Here's a segment of your article that seems operative:

"The highest-polling statement was “Democratic politicians and Hollywood stars are part of a global network that tortures and sexually abuses children in Satanic rituals” — 62 percent of QAnon supporters rated it as definitely or probably true."

And that, please excuse the highly technical terms, means 62 percent of QAnon supporters are "batshit crazy". However, on the scale of false beliefs it's a minor number. A lot more people believe in homeopathic medicine, all-seeing sky fairies, little green men and whatnot. There's always been a lunatic fringe in politics, and in that sense it's normal.

[Loz]

Bob, in Blighty, state social services handed over 1300 vulnerable underage girls to paedophile rape gangs in Rotherham, and more in other places which I can't be bothered to list here now, but you can Google. State social services increased the rate of convicted paedophile re-offending from 8% to 10% by using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as a "treatment" for over 10 years before whistleblowers tested the outcomes and produced those stats. State social services aided and abetted paedophile rape gangs and paedophiles individually. Nobody sent to prison. Nobody even lost their jobs.

In the light of that, is it not understandable that some people might think that criminal negligence and incompetence is just not good enough in explaining these hideous crimes by the authorities that go unpunished by the authorities?

I don't agree with much of the nitty-gritty that QAnon says, I don't think it's a conspiracy of Jews and Catholics, a don't think there's satanic ritual sacrifice, but even those things I say with trepidation because of the behaviour of the state and the relationship with powerful non-state people like Epstein, Weinstein, Prince Andrew, et al. Put it this way, I wouldn't bet my pension on it not being discovered that some sick bunch of freaks in authority are found doing that sort of thing over the coming years.

Listening to QAnon is like reading the Bibles. There is a good and truthful message, but you have to pick through the stonings, beatings, eye-for-an-eye stuff. And ask yourself "Why are people so grossed out by the behaviour of powerful people and state authority, the people of the system you endorse, that they would colourfully embellish the outrage and atrocity of that system when it barely needs more than the raw retelling?"

Because the rotten media of your people and your system isn't telling the raw truth emphatically enough.

SoD

[JK]

Bob,

"Those numbers, however, heavily overstate the level of belief. Toward the end of the poll, Schaffner asked respondents which statements they had heard of before taking the survey. A large number of Qanon supporters, it turned out, were rating as “true” statements that they were encountering for the first time. The “global network” statement only polled at 38 percent when discounting people who had never heard it."

Likewise "operative"?

[Loz]

Here you go, Bob ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28953549

What part of a nationwide state sponsored and operated paedophile trafficking network is that not?

And look at the date on that state owned and operated BBC link there, 2014. Not a dicky bird since 2014. And the BBC harbouring a celebrity paedophile in plain sight for 30 years ...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Savile_sexual_abuse_scandal

Your worldview, your system, made all this atrocity and these sick people possible, Bob.

SoD

[Bob]

JK,

Sure it's operative. It means 62% of Qanon supporters believe what they hear the first time no matter how outlandish. The best interpretation is they're extremely gullible.

SoD,

"She told the BBC there was no "national intelligence-gathering system" for dealing with such crimes, adding: "We cannot say that Rotherham is any better or worse than other places because the information simply doesn't exist on a national level to tell us that."

If the government doesn't track that kind of crime why is it responsible for stopping it? Would you be willing to pay more taxes to expand social services and law enforcement? I thought not.

Over here child abuse is right out in the open. The Trump administration separated children from their parents on the southern border and locked them in cages. A percentage of them are now clinically depressed or otherwise mentally ill.

"President Donald Trump defended his Administration’s decision to separate migrant children from their parents—and would not detail how he planned to reunite hundreds of kids who reportedly remain separated years later."

https://time.com/5903225/donald-trump-family-separation-debate/

That's one reason The Don has an uphill battle to be re-elected. It turns out soccer moms find that sort of thing distasteful.

[Glesga]

Bob, The USA is not responsible for illegal immigrants. It is the home nations who deliberately offload their citizens. The Frogs are knowingly allowing migrants to cross their Manche to England in all sorts of floatables to get rid of them. The Frogs do not care how many are drowned. I am sure you Yanks are feeding and watering your illegals before sending them back home where they should stand and fight for a better society instead of just breeding.

[Whitewall]

Why all the noise? I just lifted, with unmatched audacity, from Instapundit.com:

In America, class war is disguised as cultural war, and cultural war is often cloaked in the language of race and civil rights, to coin an Insta-phrase.

UPDATE (FROM GLENN): When Rulers Despise The Ruled. “If the rulers feel neither loyalty nor empathy toward the ruled, the ruled can be expected to return the favor.”

Related: Trump is a symptom of a new kind of class warfare raging at home and abroad: “But the New Class isn’t limited to communist countries, really. Around the world in the postwar era, power was taken up by unelected professional and managerial elites. To understand what’s going on with President Donald Trump and his opposition, and in other countries as diverse as France, Hungary, Italy and Brazil, it’s important to realize that the post-World War II institutional arrangements of the Western democracies are being renegotiated, and that those democracies’ professional and managerial elites don’t like that very much, because they have done very well under those arrangements. And, like all elites who are doing very well, they don’t want that to change.”

[Glesga]

Whitewall, we have an online petition here in the UK regarding stopping members of Parliament getting their meals paid for by the taxpayer. If it is successful they will increase their inflated salaries to cover the loss.

[Whitewall]

Jimmy in their minds, all money is theirs anyway.

[JK]

Bob,

A simple question. Would a 'would-be scientist' hearing some version of "A sizeable number of scientists agree climate change poses an immediate threat" for the first time not jump to a likewise belief that "Must be true"?

(As it happens I was conversing with a Educator friend of mine recently who insisted that 'Because NOAA ran out of the alphabet this year and now we're into Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, territory that's proof of [whatever the current state of computer modelling - which Covid's just to take the most recent example of the type] "evidence" that it's real!'

Somewhat impertinently I suggested 'Maybe NOAA's changing the criteria for naming storms is better propaganda than you credit?'

He comes back with, "But they've run outta names!" To which I responded, "You do realize Mr. _______ a mere tropical depression which makes it past the maritime limits of Africa NOAA just this year began assigning 'names' to? ... Pause for refreshing his mineral water & my beer ... How many hurricanes do you recall actually making landfall on the US mainland?"

He thinks a minute or two and then replies, "Now that I think about it, maybe six.")

Later I send this link to him blogged by a guy Her Ladyship is acquainted with as her daughter-in-law is the Systems Administrator for NOAA's GOES East system:

https://thesilicongraybeard.blogspot.com/2020/10/this-has-been-one-weird-hurricane-season.html

Then later I sent my acquaintance this:

https://thesilicongraybeard.blogspot.com/p/imagine-there-is.html

***

Anyway Bob the point I'm trying to get across is that whenever any group of [predisposed] believers hears anything the predisposed believing group "hears/learns" from whatever their 'preferred authorities' those predisposed to accepting whatever is just "a natural thing."

You're familiar with Jung Bob?

Try some Pavlov.

[Wigner’s Friend]

Bob,

“ The Trump administration separated children from their parents on the southern border and locked them in cages.” Except of course you are aware that the separations happened under the Obama administration. Or don’t you accept that?

[Backofanenvelope]

Today is St Crispen's Day!

[AussieD]

Today is St Crispen's Day!

BoE -so it is

This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say "To-morrow is Saint Crispian."

A way with words did Old Bill have.

[AussieD]

Nearly forgot.

It is also the anniversary of the battle of Surigao Strait (25 October 1944)

[Loz]

Gaffer, James Warner of the DT not too hopeful ...

The collective psychology of the nation is, I fear, going in exactly the wrong direction to meet challenges as big as those of Brexit, or to exploit its supposed “opportunities”. The great irony is that despite our imminent divorce, we look more like France every day. Singapore on Thames, Tyne, Mersey or wherever, is most assuredly not the direction of travel.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/10/25/sorry-say-never-worried-britains-future/

I’m reminded of Edward Lear’s poem, The Jumblies. “They went to sea in a sieve they did, in a sieve they went to sea, in spite of all their friends could say, on a winter’s morn, on a stormy day, in a sieve they went to sea!”

SoD

[Loz]

Cleared up the hanging italic on this thread, battle can recommence.

SoD

[Bob]

Glesga,

The situation on the border isn't straightforward. US companies need immigrant labor and commonly hire it without following the law. Our national laws require that anyone seeking asylum from persecution be given a timely hearing. A bi-partisan comprehensive immigration law has been proposed since 2013, but politics has made its passage impossible.

JK,

Scientific evidence has a better reputation than anything offered on blogs. Scientists don't claim that any particular event is directly linked to AGW, but even you'd probably admit the weather has been changing, especially over the past decade or so.

Wigner’s Friend,

Some separations happened during the Obama administration, but they were accidental and low in number. Trump made separation official policy and the numbers skyrocketed. And like all Trump policy it was run slipshod in every way. That's why over 500 childrens' parents can't be located.

SoD,

One of the most interesting statements in The Telegraph:

"Our biggest and nearest opportunity, the Gulf, is struggling under the impact of low oil prices and a seminal shift away from hydrocarbons."

In the US there are now 10 jobs in renewable energy to every 1 in fossil fuels. GM is now selling an all-electric Hummer, the vehicle that once represented a big fk you! to fuel economy and pollution standards.

[Wigner’s Friend]

Bob,

“ Trump made separation official policy and the numbers skyrocketed.” And yet the “official” photos the Dems used to denigrate Trump were later demonstrated to be from Obama’s time in office! Surely, if Trump had ramped this up so much they could have produced contemporaneous photos. As an aside, I think Trump is monstrous; however at the last election I thought Clinton was worse and now the Dems have chosen someone even less suitable.

[Bob]

Wigner’s Friend,

If true, a mix up of photos doesn't carry much weight. There's a lot of video available:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaXSQIyY9J4

Family separation, AKA Zero Tolerance, was begun in secret:

"The Trump administration family separation policy is an aspect of US President Donald Trump's immigration policy. The policy was presented to the public as a "zero tolerance" approach intended to deter illegal immigration and to encourage tougher legislation. It was officially adopted across the entire US–Mexico border from April 2018 until June 2018. Later investigations found that the practice of family separations had begun a year prior to the public announcement." ...

"On June 26, 2018, US District Judge Dana Sabraw issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the family separation policy and ordered that all children be reunited with their parents within 30 days."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_administration_family_separation_policy

There's no doubt the policy was mismanaged:

"DHS did not have the information technology (IT) system functionality needed to track separated migrant families during the execution of the Zero Tolerance Policy. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) adopted various ad hoc methods to record and track family separations, but these methods led to widespread errors."

https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2019-11/OIG-20-06-Nov19.pdf

Just enough people decided Clinton was worse to take a chance on Trump. I'm not a big fan of Biden either, but at this point Trump has proven he's completely incompetent. His handling of covid might be his ultimate undoing. He's still insisting we've "turned the corner". Yesterday new infections reached a record high.

[JK]

"[B]ut they were accidental and low in number"?!!!

You recall Bob, Clinton sending Haitians to Gitmo? You ever seen [viewed] 'the living quarters' on Gitmo? Nevermind the virtual impossibility of 'accidentally' transporting approximately 3000 individuals from several points in the Gulf of Mexico onto and into a secured active service US Navy base.

But I'm guessing Haitians ain't who you've in mind?

Well then Bob lets go with 'traveled by land' illegals then shall we?
Those 'cages' we're all so familiar with nowadays - you got any idea when construction of 'em initially took place? Would it surprise you to learn the first ones began to pop up near our southern border in the year 1996?

And the product is advertised to last no fewer than five years (of course that's language straight out of a USG-US contractor contract so I would allow a very high probability of there being some, ahem, 'leeway'). And that contractor got a pretty nifty deal as the original duration for 'refurbishment & replacement as needed' was to remain in place for a period of "no less than forty (40) years."

Admittedly it's my understanding that nowadays the Army Corps of Engineers are doing 'some of, [some] parts of phases [of some] types of 'prep-work' but given some of my experience reading government contracts I haven't a clue what entity 'delivers the keys [so to speak] for the finished product'. Maybe Ivanka Trump? Maybe Joe Biden's brother James Biden's "construction company" of Iraqi Government contract fame? Hard to say I admit.

But so far as construction goes could we agree that any part of that process would be highly unlikely to have occurred "by accident"?

And could we not also agree that [some number] of properly vetted & trained to government standards government employee[s] in possession of 'the keys' would likewise have found it difficult if not impossible (unless of course the TSA was in some way involved) to have "accidentally locked up a herd of minors" into the aforementioned government funded and constructed and supervised 'cages'?

(At this point we might note that the very same type 'cages' enclose many many municipalities basketball and tennis playing courts across the land without many if at all howls of outrage that the next LeBron James or John McEnroe is being "kept locked up in cages!")

Now. While it's true I do mostly dismiss 'the accidentally factor' where the minors in cages are concerned I do not exclude the likelihood out of hand that all such 'accidentallys' are beyond imagining because it must be admitted by all that when the Washington Post first 'broke the story' of "The Government is keeping children locked up in cages!" - *Cue howls of indignation by all the wise and good -

It probably was an "accidentally" that when that first super-sleuth 'journalist' managed to get his (or her) grimy fingers on that first batch of photographs the WaPo splashed all across the front pages the 'Poor Cruelly Mistreated Minors' dated not from the Trump Administration era but rather the immediately previous one.

[JK]

https://www.businessinsider.com/meet-hillary-clintons-wikipedia-editor-2015-5

Interesting Bob you expecting us to accept Wikipeesalot as a wholly unbiased 'voice of authority.'

Interesting story - Back around 2002 "I helped" a fellow who was then teaching several classes of freshman and sophomores at a branch of one of our state's (2) biggiest universities. I found the fellow to have, a very unexpected incidentally, anyway he had a very wicked talent for mischief.

I can't mention any names here because my belief that one of the targets of his mischievousness finally managed to get himself elected to some office and is there currently.

Anyway my professor friend (this is not the friend I noted earlier - that guy's field is organic chemistry) Anyway the 2002 era friend "created" a wikipedia page - or there may have already been one the friend "helpfully edited."

Anyway one of the mentions of 'professional accreditations' my teacher friend added was that the would-be politician superintended some (I forget a few specifics) some sort of "Clown College" and that he'd been indicted for 'multiple' charges of peeing on public buildings. There was a bunch more stuff he edited on certain wiki pages he showed me but the would-be pol heading up the clown college is the one stands out.

[Glesga]

Bob, are you saying there is persecution in Mexico and Catholic South American States! They are after all members of the UN. Are you Yanks supposed to be the World saviour and over populated? You would have to let more than half of China into the US to salvage your conscience.

[Bob]

JK,

Since you mentioned the Washington Post:

"Biden responded by stating, correctly, that the Obama administration did not systematically separate parents from their children at the border, a practice that generated such backlash that the first lady and Trump’s daughter Ivanka joined the groundswell of people who pressured him to end it."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/kids-in-cages-debate-trump-obama/2020/10/23/8ff96f3c-1532-11eb-82af-864652063d61_story.html

See the difference? While some kids ended up separated it wasn't Obama's policy. I know it's the dreaded WaPo, but you might actually want to read this article. And gosh, are the Democrats so powerful they can control Wikipedia and everything that isn't Fox or other right-wing news? Then why isn't Hillary president?

Our government hasn't exactly covered itself in glory with it's lack of immigration policy (for only one example). The country is divided and the Congress is broken.

Glesga,

Huh?

[Glesga]

Huh Bob, you Yanks should be looking after your fellow Yanks. Leave others to deal with their own toilet.

[Bob]

Glesga,

The history of the US in Central and South America is complicated. Plenty of us wish it weren't, but that's not going to change a thing. You people should lower the price of good Scotch whiskey. You've driven me to rye.

[JK]

'See the difference' you ask me Bob?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bVYCI2Obdo

Comparing the language of the [quoted] WaPo "explanation" I'm unsure whether I do or do not.

Candidly after that exchange I'm unsure whether I'm the more confused than Joe Biden appeared to be.

Your helpfully provided WaPo, in quotes, sentence Bob isn't particularly clarifying even after my clicking the link the WaPo itself provides in its own article to prove whatever the hell the poor fellow seemed striving to illuminate.

Pity that Kinnock guy hadn't already provided what Joe meant to say.

[Wigner’s Friend]

Bob,

Out of the horses mouth:

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/10/24/biden_we_have_put_together_the_most_extensive_and_inclusive_voter_fraud_organization_in_the_history_of_american_politics.html

[Wigner’s Friend]

And, of course, Trump is responsible for the deaths of 100s of millions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIipQxGdjYs

[Bob]

JK,

There's a reason Obama was called "the deporter in chief". Republicans accuse him of being soft on the border and at the same time the guy who built the cages that Trump later misused. That's having it all ways, isn't it?

Wigner's Friend,

The Real Clear Politics piece isn't so clear. "Joe Biden makes a gaffe about voter fraud and voter turnout in a campaign video meant to get out the video." Apparently Biden misspoke and the writer miswrote.

As far as Harris's income is concerned, so what? You might be surprised to know she's not that rich by California celebrity standards. Do you have any information she or her husband obtained wealth illegally? Unlike Trump, she's released her tax forms.

[Wigner’s Friend]

Bob,

1. When Trump misspeaks the MSM is all over it, not so here. Also, I understand from my medical friends that dementia of times overcomes one’s inhibitions resulting in unpalatable truths being expressed.

2. You haven’t watched the Kamala clip

[Bob]

Btw, no serious person has accused The Don of snuffing "100s of millions", but there's no doubt his negligence is responsible for some of the covid fatalities:

"The US president’s actions have exacerbated the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States, rolled back environmental and public-health regulations and undermined science and scientific institutions. Some of the harm could be permanent."

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02800-9

In fact, he's still holding "superspreader" rallies.

Here are more Trump health tips:

Never wear a seat belt. People who die in car crashes are LOSERS.

There's nothing that makes you sound more powerful than giving a presser after being shot up with steroids.

People who die of covid are LOSERS. All they had to do was get medevaced to Walter Reid and treated with lots of experimental drugs.

[Wigner’s Friend]

So Kamala Harris isn’t a “serious person” according to Bob.

[Bob]

Wigner’s Friend,

I just watched the video again to make sure I didn't miss anything. How do you think it makes Harris look bad?

My heart bleeds for Whiny Donnie the Perpetual Victim. Really.

[Wigner’s Friend]

Bob,

She says 220 million Americans have to died in the last couple of months from Covid and is blaming Trump is she not. The worldwide deaths from Covid are in the single digit millions. But hey, there’s non so blind as those that will not see. Still, with that incredible voter fraud system the Dems have set up and the collusion of the MSM, she can do a Donald and make up the facts as she goes along.

[Bob]

Wigner’s Friend,

Covid isn't even mentioned in the clip. If the joke is you got me to watch it three times then ha, ha, ha. The joke's on me. Or maybe you're having auditory hallucinations.

[Wigner’s Friend]

And the fraudulent voting system? Have 220 million Americans died in the last couple of months?

[Wigner’s Friend]

Bob,

Kamala obvs got her figures from Joe:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8754233/Joe-Biden-makes-gaffe-saying-200-million-Americans-died-COVID-19.html

[Bob]

Wigner’s Friend,

Please forgive 'Murcans for just not bein' as darn word smart or good talkin' as y'all. Especially 'Murcans what are a bit tetched. We don't hold havin' bats in the belfry against no one. Just lookee who's runnin' the show now.

Sorry about stealing your gag, JK.

[JK]

Wiggers,

In the interests of accuracy solely you understand, the CDC itself provided the number of deaths "due to Covid" at ~11,000 of the total deaths (August) 187,000.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm

Which, in the words of CDC itself equates to "For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned."

(There is the possibility of course that unfortunate decapitated individual poor soul who found himself in that headless state during that motorsickle wreck - *Joke: the Grim Reaper apparently being a former agriculturist - was included in August's statistics. But I can't be arsed to check.)

***

Don't worry abit about it Bob - I figure it was public-domain longtime.

[Glesga]

Bob, besides the Scottish Whisky who is the best US potential candidate to take on China?

[JK]

An acquaintance works with ICE just got me this via email:

Date Aired 08/10/18 The Hill's Rising Host: Buck Sexton.

Transcript:

"

Newly appointed Customs and Border Protection chief Carla Provost, in an interview that aired on Friday, defended separating families that illegally crossed the border by saying the practice has been in place since long before President Trump took office. “Under all four administrations I have worked under, we have separated families for different reasons," Provost told Hill.TV's Buck Sexton on Thursday on "Rising." "Obviously, the welfare of the child is of utmost concern for us. And we are still separating if that is of concern. If the parent or the guardian has a serious, criminal history, we will still separate them as well," she continued. The Trump administration has faced backlash for its zero-tolerance policy, which calls for the prosecution of all adult migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S southern border and resulted in migrant children being separated from their families. President Trump gave into bipartisan pressure in June and signed an executive order allowing migrant children and their parents to remain together in custody. Provost said on Thursday that there was never a family separations "initiative," but rather a prosecution initiative under the zero-tolerance policy. "Let me be clear, there was never a family separation initiative, there was a prosecution initiative under zero tolerance," she said. "Under that initiative when we first kicked that off, the intent was to prosecute all amenable adults, so there was no group that was excluded from that.” “I can tell you that during the 45 days family groups were included in there, about 85 percent of who we prosecuted were single adults. We’ve separated families throughout my entire career for various things," she added. More than 2,000 migrant children were detained separately from their parents during the 45 days between the announced launch of Trump's zero tolerance policy and Trump signing the executive order. The administration missed a court-ordered deadline last month to reunite all detained migrant children under age 5 with their parents, although the administration said it reunited all eligible families. The government in total has reunited over 1,800 children ages 5 to 17 with their parents or sponsors, but numerous were children were deemed ineligible to be reunited because of safety or legal concerns. The government also said that over 400 children were unable to be reunited with their parents because their parents were deported.

"

My bolding / JK

[Bob]

Glesga,

It depends on what you mean by "take on". Trump has certainly blustered a lot. A Biden administration would probably rely more on the traditional roles of military planners and diplomats than personal relationships:

"Democratic nominee Joe Biden would deal with Beijing in a "much more traditional" way if he wins the election, said Max Baucus, a former U.S. ambassador to China.

"When it comes to China, I think you'll see a bit of a reset," he said. "You will see a president who will engage in quiet diplomacy." He also said the U.S.-China economic relationship may be "a bit more sound than meets the eye" despite the political rhetoric."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/08/us-china-relations-will-reset-if-biden-wins-election-max-baucus.html

-

JK,

Family detention had a big increase under the Trump administration:

https://www.statista.com/chart/18705/number-of-children-and-families-detain-at-southern-us-border/

[JK]

Bob,

You realize stuff such as that you're gonna grow hair on your palms.

[Bob]

JK,

At my age probably not.

[JK]

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/523308-rising-october-29-2020

Segment number eight (8) Bob.

Guess who was running around the WH running cover for the "poor children"?

[Bob]

JK,

I've already acknowledged some children were separated by the Obama administration. I also pointed out separations increased massively under Trump. Just come out with it. Who was running cover?

If you believe I think one party is white and the other black, you're way off the track.