Politics And Current Events

[NTP66]

Source of the post I only ever go to Chicago for connecting flights

I refuse to connect through Chicago.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Chicago midway is about 13 miles and not a bad train ride to downtown.

[tifosi77]

San Diego is conveniently located for travelers, but it's in a s**t spot for pilots. You basically have to fly amongst skyscrapers to get to it, and land over elevated terrain and a multi-story parking structure at the approach end threshold.

Reagan National is crappy like that, too. Super easy to get to-from the main bit of 'town', but the piloty stuff to fly to it is a PITA as they have to follow the path of the Potomac River and can't even line up with the runway until the final 1000 yards or so.

[CBear3]

I picked some random nearly cities and had Google give me directions from the city hall to the airport and took the distance of the recommended route:

Pittsburgh 17 miles
Cleveland 13 miles
Cincinnati 13 miles
Baltimore 10 miles
Charlotte 8 miles

Pittsburgh is a little longer than the others but I don't think excessively so. On the other hand, the distance from the Denver city hall to DEN is 22 miles, so it could be worse.

MCI to KC is 21 miles. It kind of sucks.

[Pavel Bure]

Case in point. We know who you are. It’s batshit stuff like saying NATO left Putin without any option but to attack Ukraine that keeps us coming back.

Are you of the impression that if you just claim I said that enough times, it will make it true that I said that? We went through this before, and I never said that.

The libertarian position would be that the US shouldn't be in NATO in the first place (or a party to any other entangling alliances).

Holy hell bud. We’ve already done 2 laps around this. I paraphrased what you said. It’s a batshit take to victim blame Ukraine. Just own up to your crazy belief.

[Shyster]

I'm not victim blaming Ukraine. What I said was that Russia viewed the potential entry of Ukraine into NATO as a line too far, and that was a significant if not primary basis for Russia's invasion. Pointing out a reason why someone made a certain decision is not the same as saying that the decision was justified or that the party impacted by that decision had it coming.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

the Charlotte airport is nice but it'll be interesting to see how much worse it gets in the next 10 years. the Charlotte population is gonna keep going up and these city planning **** haven't done anything to account for the increase in traffic. There's a local train in the plan but god knows it's gonna be 3025 until it gets completed

[Pavel Bure]

I'm not victim blaming Ukraine. What I said was that Russia viewed the potential entry of Ukraine into NATO as a line too far, and that was a significant if not primary basis for Russia's invasion. Pointing out a reason why someone made a certain decision is not the same as saying that the decision was justified or that the party impacted by that decision had it coming.

Russia is far from blameless in this, but neither is the US and Europe blameless. Russia absolutely deserves blame for starting the war, but it was not without provocation, including the expansion of NATO counties right up to Russia's front door. Putin raged against NATO’s expansion toward Russia’s borders for years, and he clearly decided that the risk of Ukraine joining NATO was the last straw.

[Shyster]

Russia is far from blameless in this, but neither is the US and Europe blameless. Russia absolutely deserves blame for starting the war, but it was not without provocation, including the expansion of NATO counties right up to Russia's front door. Putin raged against NATO’s expansion toward Russia’s borders for years, and he clearly decided that the risk of Ukraine joining NATO was the last straw.

I'm not blaming Ukraine there. I am blaming the US and other NATO countries for pushing up to Russia's borders, which Russia has very clearly said that it interpreted as provocation. Ukraine is not a member of NATO and never has been. Rather, it's was used as a pawn by NATO against Russia, and it's now suffering the consequences of that international meddling.

NATO should have dissolved once the Soviet Union dissolved. And if European nations want to band together for whatever reason, the US should stay the hell out of it.

[faftorial]

"Pawn for NATO." That sounds very MAGA.

[CBear3]

Russia is far from blameless in this, but neither is the US and Europe blameless. Russia absolutely deserves blame for starting the war, but it was not without provocation, including the expansion of NATO counties right up to Russia's front door. Putin raged against NATO’s expansion toward Russia’s borders for years, and he clearly decided that the risk of Ukraine joining NATO was the last straw.

I'm not blaming Ukraine there. I am blaming the US and other NATO countries for pushing up to Russia's borders, which Russia has very clearly said that it interpreted as provocation. Ukraine is not a member of NATO and never has been. Rather, it's was used as a pawn by NATO against Russia, and it's now suffering the consequences of that international meddling.

NATO should have dissolved once the Soviet Union dissolved. And if European nations want to band together for whatever reason, the US should stay the hell out of it.

And this is why I can't take that position seriously. It's all predicated on your loathing of the US having any foreign alliances or interests, so you dump those misgivings at NATO's feet.
Putin annexed Crimea and Ukraine still wasn't allowed to join NATO, so he decided he'd take another bite out of the apple. Sweden and Finland haven't been courted by NATO like some free agent 20 game winner in the MLB, but they saw what Putin did in Ukraine and how steadfast NATO has been to not send troops to their aid and realized "neutral" wasn't an acceptable option when dealing with Russian aggression.

If you start from the position of NATO shouldn't exist because every country should be an isolationist, then of course you're going to throw blame at NATO's feet.

[Shyster]

And this is why I can't take that position seriously. It's all predicated on your loathing of the US having any foreign alliances or interests, so you dump those misgivings at NATO's feet.

I wouldn't say I loathe the US having foreign alliances or interests. It's not like I'm up at night just steaming mad that the US has treaties. I just don't think they should exist. The United State's is not the world's policeman and should stop trying to be one.

[dodint]

Indeed.

[NTP66]

[faftorial]

Indeed.

Given your involvement, I can understand you having that sentiment.

I was against both Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

I came across a few Desert Storm TOPPS cards recently.

[dodint]

Hah, my FIL left me a boxed set of those.

[faftorial]

Hah, my FIL left me a boxed set of those.

I saw them in a Minute Mart and couldn't believe war cards existed so had to buy a pack.

No gum included.

[dodint]

Probably better off, they'd lace it with saltpeter if they included gum.

[Pavel Bure]

And this is why I can't take that position seriously. It's all predicated on your loathing of the US having any foreign alliances or interests, so you dump those misgivings at NATO's feet.

I wouldn't say I loathe the US having foreign alliances or interests. It's not like I'm up at night just steaming mad that the US has treaties. I just don't think they should exist. The United State's is not the world's policeman and should stop trying to be one.

What’s the history behind the USA switching from a more isolationist point of view to one of trying to stick its nose into the business of other countries. I feel like it had to be some sort of world wide event that made the USA decide to take that approach.

[dodint]

LIV Golf?

[faftorial]

And this is why I can't take that position seriously. It's all predicated on your loathing of the US having any foreign alliances or interests, so you dump those misgivings at NATO's feet.

I wouldn't say I loathe the US having foreign alliances or interests. It's not like I'm up at night just steaming mad that the US has treaties. I just don't think they should exist. The United State's is not the world's policeman and should stop trying to be one.

What’s the history behind the USA switching from a more isolationist point of view to one of trying to stick its nose into the business of other countries. I feel like it had to be some sort of world wide event that made the USA decide to take that approach.

WW2.

There was a big anti interventionist movement in the 1930's. Charles Lindbergh was a big proponent.

American NAZI supporters had events at the old Madison Square Garden.

[Troy Loney]

Rhetorical question right?

Post ww2 hysteria about communism

[meow]

San Diego is conveniently located for travelers, but it's in a s**t spot for pilots. You basically have to fly amongst skyscrapers to get to it, and land over elevated terrain and a multi-story parking structure at the approach end threshold.

Not basically. You are flying in amongst the skyscrapers

[count2infinity]

Yeah... I remember the first time flying in there, I was terrified. It's nuts.

[Morkle]

San Diego is a primo city though. Would move there in heartbeat if nothing was holding me down.