Trump's Card

[Satchmo Distel]

Thanks, great material.

[Ginger Yellow]

If Whitaker keeps a lid on things, it's hard to see what they could do in practice with material that hasn't already been shared outside DoJ short of a constitutional crisis (which would be resolved by a GOP stacked Supreme Court).

[ursus arctos]

You are overestimating the ability of Whitaker to keep a lid on things, not to mention the likelihood that those who have co-operated with Mueller would also co-operate with subsequent investigations.

I also think you are over-estimating the partisanship of SCOTUS in this particular respect, but am rather less sure of that.

[ursus arctos]

BTW, do we all think that non-Russian matters on which Flynn is co-operating (all details of which were redacted in yesterday's sentencing memo) relate to Turkey, or are there other runners worth considering?

[The-Reverend]

Lets be honest it could be anything with that family, I've always wondered about his mob ties though. Totally unsure if that would get covered in this investigation.

[ursus arctos]

Very unlikely, I'm afraid.

[Hot Pepsi]

"Mob ties" feels quaint and almost charming compared to what we may be facing these days.

[WOM]

A second Republican coup d'etat within 20 years? Probably.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Lets be honest it could be anything with that family, I've always wondered about his mob ties though. Totally unsure if that would get covered in this investigation.

I don't think that would be particularly fair. Paying money to the mob wasn't something that people involved in construction in 70's and 80's New York had a great deal of choice in.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Erm I'm not sure where to put this but.... this is a pretty fucking big deal.

[ursus arctos]

If it actually happens this time, it would indeed be a big deal.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Good job we're getting out of the EU, eh?!

Wait, what?

[anton pulisov]

It can't happen as long as there is a constant, simmering threat of the Euro blowing up. The EC can't wish that away through press releases.

[Lang Spoon]

Not having admitted Italy (let alone Greece) right away into the Euro might have been an idea. And fiscal transfers, ECB as lender of last resort and all the other jazz that normally goes with a single currency. But then this always was a political project first and foremost.

[anton pulisov]

Schäuble was constantly threatening to let Greece go under, which would have killed the Euro.

You don't see the Americans threatening to destroy the dollar.

Investors pay attention to this stuff.

What North Sea oil are they going to sell in euros anyway? North Sea oil is mostly split between UK and Norway, both of whom don't use the Euro. One isn't in the EU, and the other is constantly pretending it is going to leave.

They may as well propose to denominate oil in Japanese Yen.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

People worrying about the future existence of the Euro should focus more on the unwillingness of the member states to go back to their own currencies. They're a massive pain in the hole, and the whole thing would be a nightmare for cross border trade and just in time manufacturing. France have to be a big worry, but ultimately the euro is the currency of the third richest economic entity in the world. The EU wound up doing all sorts of things that they didn't expect to defend it the last time. They can do considerably more if the need arises.

[San Bernardhinault]

You don't see the Americans threatening to destroy the dollar.

Investors pay attention to this stuff.

Perhaps you never noticed the Republican Party during the Obama years threatening repeatedly to not raise the debt ceiling and therefore not honour dollar denominated debt?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Nate Silver moves NC-9 to "Lean Prison".

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Schäuble was constantly threatening to let Greece go under, which would have killed the Euro.

You don't see the Americans threatening to destroy the dollar.

Investors pay attention to this stuff.

What North Sea oil are they going to sell in euros anyway? North Sea oil is mostly split between UK and Norway, both of whom don't use the Euro. One isn't in the EU, and the other is constantly pretending it is going to leave

They may as well propose to denominate oil in Japanese Yen.

apparently 40% of world trade takes place in Dollars. and 36% of it takes place in Euro. (now a lot of that is between european countries) but the proportion of global trade is growing. This shouldn't really be a surprise. The EU economy isn't all that much smaller than the US one (Though it has about a third more people) and it has a slightly bigger share in the world trade for goods. It is the biggest exporter of goods and services. If European countries decide to pay for oil in Euro, then people will probably accept it. It's a real currency, and people will be able to buy things with it.

Something to remember is that the reasons that there are a lot of rows in the Eurozone is because they're trying to make everyone follow the same rules. They're trying to get everyone to collect enough tax to cover their expenditure, and they're trying to get them to avoid inflating bubbles, and they're trying to get everyone's debt levels down to a manageable level. These are rows that are eventually going to lead to a much more "solid and stable" currency.

The US doesn't follow any rules, and spends all its time deliberately inflating bubbles, and borrows large amounts of money to fund tax cuts for the super wealthy at the expense of the wider economy. Oh, and they're run by an unhinged unstable madman, at the head of a party intent on destroying all the necessary support apparatus for a modern society and economy.

One of these currencies looks a better long term bet than the other. The Worry is that the US will declare war on us if we do this.

[Amor de Cosmos]

It looks as if China might declare war on the US this morning, so that should keep them occupied for a bit.

[G-Man]

There's speculation that Mueller is coming after Pence. And that would be very inconvenient for the GOP.

[anton pulisov]

President Pelosi, champion of the people

[Gerontophile]

President Pelosi, champion of the people

You must stop this.

My frying pan is bigger than your fire.

[G-Man]

Oh, but imagine how that would send the Republicans around the bend. Of course, it would concentrate their resistance and mobilise a new deplorable "grassroots" movement. Maybe better to have Trump or Pence drag themselves to the finish line in 2020 all battered, bleeding and bruised.

[ursus arctos]

Ivanka’s VP confirmation hearings would be entertaining.

It may be worth menshening that sources for that piece have been engaged in aggressively wishful thinking for some time.

Marcy Expalins it All