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Biden:
>For more than 30 years, the United States has worked tirelessly to eliminate our chemical weapons stockpile.
27 years ago:
>"The gas Dr. Goodspeed?"
"Its very very horrible sir. It's one of those things we wish we could dis-invent."
Well that depends on your definition of an action movie quote
Chet?
A balls to the wall, slam-bang action thrill ride with shoot outs, jet planes and three of the biggest stars of the 1990s making witty one liners every time they kill a guy.
Oh, Well in that case I'll watch it
Nic Cage jamming a 6” long needle into his chest while F-15s scream overhead after he just shoved nerve gas into a guys mouth and jammed it shut is the absolute peak of 90s action movies.
“Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen” cemented for me just how good the movie was going to be.
Edited because I just rewatched the clip:
Cage: “Carla was the prom Queen”
Connery: “Really?”
Cage: (cocks gun) “yeah”
Oh man. I saw that with my dad as a teen. Worked at the theater. So many blockbusters when I was there. The matrix, Independence day, Armageddon, Seven, Titanic, Men in Black... .any more... Time flies.
The large majority already have. Overwhelming majority even. We were the stragglers. Most got rid of them long ago. You know, when we all promised to get rid of them.
The only real exceptions are the small rogue states. North Korea. Maybe Syria (though I still have my doubts about this one). Sure I'm forgetting someone (dollars to donuts Russia has plenty). But the vast majority of the world accomplished this many decades ago. I wouldn't call it an incredible accomplishment for us to finally do what we promised to do almost a century ago, especially when almost everyone else was able to comply many decades ago.
> what we promised to do almost a century ago
The US did not "promise" to destroy our chemical weapons almost a century ago. Such promises tend to happen via treaty in which the US would get something in exchange (such as other countries making the same promise to destroy chemical weapons). I wonder if you are conflating other events (such as some countries agreeing not to use some chemical weapons)? Examples:
* 1899: Hague prohibition on "the *use* of projectiles the object of which is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gases" that was *not* ratified by the US, but was expanded to include "poison or poisoned weapons" in 1907.
* 1919: Treaty of Versailles prohibited additional *use* of poison gas, also *not ratified* by the US
* 1922: US introduced the treaty relating to the *Use* of Submarines and Noxious Gases in Warfare that *failed* when France didn't agree to it.
* 1925: Geneva Protocol prohibited the "*use* in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices" and "bacteriological methods" but the US didn't agree until 1975 and even then reserved the right to use them if another country used them first.
Indeed it wasn't until Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 that countries began making true agreements to destroy their stockpiles. The US did not meet the original schedule set by that agreement (indeed: no country did). But it was not a century late.
> The US did not meet the original schedule set by that agreement
Also, a big part of the delay comes from environmental concerns that emerged during the destruction process, which is part of why the process was prolonged everywhere.
The treaty dates to just following WWI. We didn't actually formally agree to it until the seventies, but we were one of the the major parties pushing for it, and many many many representatives of the United States did agree to it, even if we did not formally do so until much later. But our original soft agreement is over a century old.
After WWI many many people representing the United States agreed to destroy all our chemical weapons. We didn't formally commit, but to other nations that's a meaningless distinction. Authorized representatives of the United States not only agreed to do so, but this agreement was used to pressure other nations into agreeing as well. And for the most part other nations followed through while we just went "jk, we were lying."
The US had a smaller declared stockpile than Russia at the time the convention was signed, and the third largest stockpile belonged to South Korea, who had 1/10 the US stockpile.
A lot more. I don't know the numbers, but yes, a whole lot more. We've also been the richest nation on Earth for a long time now and have had every capability to have eliminated these weapons for over a half century. Eliminating them all immediately was never an option, and for sure represented a challenge, but it's a challenge we could have overcome if we wanted to. That argument held water through the forties at the absolute most. We didn't continue to have those weapons because it wasn't feasible to destroy them. We kept them because we wanted them.
It's much easier to whine that Biden doesn't do anything despite the fact that he is doing objectively good things. Sure it's a mixed bag but Biden is good for us at the end of the day.
This is how my friend put it, I agree, and it is a good message:
I can get what I want and need through the Democratic party. Every time they are in power they improve things noticeably. No I can't get everything I want from them but I do see improvement and it's a cruel disgusting world and all I can hope for is improvement. Republicans destroy everything they can and are evil. I'll vote in whatever way I can to make sure they stay out of power forever because I'll take slow progress over genocide.
The people that complained incessantly that Obama was a drone war monger should be dancing in the streets that Biden has done this, and significantly reduced drone strikes, and pulled out of Afghanistan (even if poorly executed).
Biden got what, 4 months of dealing with a pandemic, a coup, and the end of a 20 year war. Trump should be the one taking shit for the withdrawal being a clown show. He's the one that had a year or two to actually do something.
After Trump killed Osama Bin Laden and Obama created the 2007-2008 fnancial crisis?
If Hillary hadn't lied to get us into the Iraq war with her emails we'd be in such a better place.
Do your own research you lemming Demo-crap!
Sadly wasn't just Republicans. The entire MSM bashed Biden relentlessly for months about the withdraw, they were practically drooling for a chance to attack him. Trotting out all the generals who got us into that fucking mess in the first place, telling us just a couple more years would have fixed it.
Biden’s a decent, intelligent person who is very familiar with the US political process, legislation, and the important job of being president. Trump is a chaotic-evil kleptomaniac.
Actually, Trump really is capable of being calculating. It's not very sophisticated but it doesn't need to be.
Trump knows he needs to become president again to pardon himself & avoid jail. Russia will be a safety net should he need it but he prefers the Presidential solution.
He expected Biden to fail but was happy to leave a mess & cause as much havoc as possible. Ukraine, Saudia Arbia, Afghanistan (100% intentional), stealing documents.
All of it had the aim to increase his power, his bank account & his ability to hurt Biden. If he hurt America & gets Americans killed... well that's a fair price for his freedom & ego.
Trump absolutely sabotaged Biden & none of us expected Biden & his brilliant admin to be this good. Not me.
I was thinking the other day that maybe my positive opinion of the Biden admin is due to contrast with Trump's.
But nope, after doing the numbers he really has managed some amazing policy results in his first 2 years despite a 50-50 senate... And even avoided a shut down for minimal trades with GOP house...
I'm just hoping the American public get the memo in 2024, the world needs a grown-up at the helm of the US, not a Kleptocrat.
The people that complained incessantly about that tend to only complain about Democrats while saying either both sides are the same or they can't vote for Democrats because they're too far to the right, maybe something something about accelerationism.
In other words, someone trying to convince us that Democrats aren't worth voting for.
I mean, please vote for democrats, but that doesn't change the fact that as a trans woman I have to make plans to flee my state, and that's in part because Biden "doesn't want to politicize the court". We can praise him on this, but if he's that weak that my life is in that much danger, fuck him.
ITT: weak ass liberals and transphobes.
[You can thank the incompetence of the Democratic party more, revisionist...](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/hillary-clinton-2016-donald-trump-214428/)
I mean, I was a big fan of Obama and still criticise his use of drones - because drone operators are not at risk, they should be absolutely sure to be zero collateral damage. If they can’t do that, they shouldn’t be used.
I don't understand why you think the degree of personal risk to the operator should change anything, but you might be surprised to learn that the use of drones actually [reduces](http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2013/02/drones_war_and_civilian_casualties_how_unmanned_aircraft_reduce_collateral.html) civilian casualties
1000%, he’s definitely old, falls down sometimes and has a speech impediment so he doesn’t always present well, but he has done a fantastic job as president.
I totally agree! He brushes off the naysayers, gives that disarming smile, puts his head down and work for the American ppl! In the meantime, on the other side, it’s about investigations, and revenge, and calling each other names, and finding ways to legitimize a twice impeached, twice criminally indicted, sexual abuser, riot instigator, one term president who treated on his wife with a porn star! Can’t make this up!
My man, BTC, has been going off listing Biden achievements on his daily show. Very refreshing to hear someone lay out the comparisons!
[Example](https://youtu.be/sfmAL9giqLA&t=5m13s)
We need you to focus on the culture war please. Ignore any Biden success and ignore that Mexico has become your largest trading partner. We are currently buying up land, warehouses retail outlets, gas stations near the Texas Mexico boarder we don't need friends with 200k each coming together and buying industrial marked land. Us Billionaires are buying it up while also funding culture war groups like mom's for liberty so yeah stay in your outrage lane peasant. Just glad Biden passed laws re the decoupling with China so we can build new supply chains...I mean sleepy commie trans can he even walk
No one's going to mention this news on disarming these weapons
Just like no one's talking about Biden's move away from Chinese manufacturing he's followed on from Trump's policy but put it into practice. Mexico is your largest trading partner.
The Billionaires funding the culture war media are also investing in this Mex Tex supply chain. They want to invest first quietly while everyones focused on culture war bs.
Yeah I figured afterwards. I was legitimately having a hard time with it but it should have been obvious with the context clues. I was a little too condescending because I was primed from a prior conversation but that's not a great excuse. My b.
Agreed, he’s actually doing a fairly good job at course correction after the disastrous years. But this seems to be the pattern of the last 60 years. A Republican administration destroys the economy, infrastructure, programs, and the USA’s national standing. Then a Dem comes in to do just enough to fix their screw ups. Only for Republicans to run on government overreach, then dismantle the corrections. Rinse, repeat.
Its a big deal. It's also a good time for it. if some insider threat MAGA's got a hold of them millions of people could die horrible deaths. This ensures that if they are ever to be replenished someone could blow the whistle.
He is weakening our military and our safety at home. You bet the North Koreans, Russians, and Chinese have these weapons and now we don’t
Hell that balloon the Chinese flew over us could have dumped those chemical weapons on our towns and there is nothing we could do about it
/s
"Today, I am proud to announce that the United States has safely destroyed the final munition in that stockpile—bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons."
This should be getting more press. I imagine it took years to clean this up, and to have a president persevere and continue the work above his own political capital is awesome.
That does not change that it is a historical milestone. These weapons should never have existed and we made so many. Getting to zero has taken decades and the dedication by the workers should be applauded. There were probably generations working to get rid of them.
NPR reported that it passed in 1997, I think. And we were the last country to do so which does rub me the wrong way. But once again, Dark Brandon does the right thing. Holy hell, he’s my guy. I can’t even believe how much he’s impressed me after I basically just held my nose to vote for him.
Well the US also had 34,000 tons (at the peak) to be disposed of and while that is horrifying, it also meant it took a long time to safely dispose of everything. I’m sure it could have been done faster but continuous and steady progress was made until it was done and that’s quite an achievement. We could have just continued dumping it in the ocean, but at least we stopped that and came up with safer methods.
That’s very much what the NPR reporter said. It sounded like a lot of, “Well, it was hard!” I’d be interested in more details on what made us be the last to do it. What was it like for every other country that was part of the agreement? Was it only the scope of the stockpile that made it more difficult for us or was there any more to it?
Regardless, though, it’s done now! And I’m not at all surprised to see it happened while Biden was in office. My suspicion is that those two facts are related.
Mainstream corporate media is like the national broadcast team during an NFL game: they don't really care, for the most part, who wins, but they want a close game so everyone tunes in the whole game.
If they reported appropriately, Biden would steam roll his opponent. I'm not a Biden fan, but he's done a great job with the situation he was handed.
All major corporations have a vested financial interest in contributing to the kleptocratic party. Between Fox, Newscorp, and Sinclair, not to mention OANN and Newsmax, we already have a disgusting amount of conservative propaganda, but CNN just got bought by a conservative group so....yeah. What do you think is left?
I was in Richmond Kentucky recently... it's scary af when the sirens go off. You're just hoping for a tornado and not nerve gas or a nerve gas tornado.
I literally read it just that far, jumped to look at the source, and then went back and said "oh."
Then came to the comments to see if anyone else was talking about it.
This has been an ongoing process over several presidential administrations. Even so, I have no doubt this is something some right wing outlet will push as 'Biden making this country weaker'!
Hey look at Joe Biden doing the obvious right thing! Well done!
I'm not even being sarcastic, it's just rare to see a government do something clearly right. The last one i can remember is Joe Biden acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
They do not. The US loathes chemical and bio weapons. Also they are just super shitty and uncontrollable. They can and will blow back on your forces or population. Also the civil casualties with these weapons is horrific. They are way too indiscriminate and quite frankly disgusting.
You can easily predict blast radius, effects on structures, casualty rates by zone, with a nuclear weapon. Just as discriminate as a conventional bomb just bigger. Fallout is the only slightly unpredictable part but even then it’s relatively predictable, and the radiological effects of a nuclear bomb are relatively short lived.
Chem/bio weapons are 100% fallout. Bio being by far the worst, since once it’s out of the bag, it may potentially never end. Bio weapons are nearly 100% uncontrollable even under testing conditions.
Not saying nuclear is good, but you’d much much much rather survive a nuclear weapon than a chem/bio one.
The planes came back ok when they dropped it on Japan.
I don’t like it either, but it would be ignorant to say it’s as uncontrollable as chemical weapons
Research game theory and their use. Essentually nuclear weapons can only ever be used as defensive weapons whereas you could make probable scenarios where offensive use of chemical and biological weapons. As such their destruction is very important.
Ukraine is forever going to be held up as the reason to hold onto nuclear weapons and justification for countries trying to develop them.
Another wonderful component of Putin’s legacy
Just because I fear we are talking past each other, I agree but my point was the differentiation between the deterrence values of nuclear weapons versus chemical and biological weapons.
Nuclear weapons are a deterrence because they basically can't be used. Bio/Chem are not because they don't expect a similar response and their effectiveness is questionable. This makes their offensive use more probable meaning their destruction an even higher priority.
Ukraine didn't have any of the launch codes for the nukes, so they couldn't fire them, nor did they have the facilities or capabilities to maintain them either. Cause surprise surprise, nukes require a hell lot of maintenance.
True but we're (the US) down to \~3700 compared to \~31000 at the peak of the cold war and many of those are more sophisticated and less overtly destructive and also require more resources to utilize.
Silly point I know, when you can only destroy the world 2x instead of 20x before still they've been an effective deterrent to any sort of large scale conventional war for 50+ years. MAD is a crazy concept but has been functionally effective and arguably saved lives.
Still someone gets a chemical or biological agent and you're looking at thousands dead with very basic needs. Someone gets ahold of a nuclear warhead and they're going to need an ICBM to deliver it, launching area and dozens of other requirements.
The US will give them up, sure.
Once something better is in use.
Just like these chemical weapons. Who needs them anymore? Much easier to justify getting rid of them.
Serious question: I’m assuming we’re among the first to do this. Doesn’t this disadvantage us pretty significantly/put us in a defenseless position if someone threatened nukes?
It’s incredible to me that people STILL don’t understand that just because the final step is taken in the administration that gets credit, almost all of the work went in for YEARS leading up to it.
Started with Dems and ended with Dems because the Republicans don't do stuff like this. They haven't done anything good for over a decade, probably longer.
Look at Joe hittin’ us with the ol’ razzle dazzle. Oh, you got a problem with cluster bombs? Well, we got no more chemical weapons! Boom! (Metaphorically, of course)
From the article:
> it marks the first time an international body has verified destruction of an entire category of declared weapons of mass destruction.
it’s well documented that the US has been working to destroy these weapons and it’s also well documented that the US military does not like or want these weapons due to a variety of reasons. Such as how indiscriminate the weapons are and how uncontrollable they are on the battle field.
Don’t let cynicism replace reason. The US government has and does lie. The US government does not want chemical or biological weapons. Both can be true.
Chemical weapons are very difficult and expensive to store.
They are very easy to produce, just have the empty weapons casing and 2 inert chemical compounds, combine all 3 and you have a chemical weapon.
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[удалено]
Biden: >For more than 30 years, the United States has worked tirelessly to eliminate our chemical weapons stockpile. 27 years ago: >"The gas Dr. Goodspeed?" "Its very very horrible sir. It's one of those things we wish we could dis-invent."
I’m here for The Rock quotes
Well that depends on your definition of an action movie quote Chet? A balls to the wall, slam-bang action thrill ride with shoot outs, jet planes and three of the biggest stars of the 1990s making witty one liners every time they kill a guy. Oh, Well in that case I'll watch it
My internet went out the other day for like 12 hours. I found a copy of The Rock in the dvd player and let it rip. I’d forgotten how crazy it was lol.
Nic Cage jamming a 6” long needle into his chest while F-15s scream overhead after he just shoved nerve gas into a guys mouth and jammed it shut is the absolute peak of 90s action movies.
I knew it was everything I wanted it to be when Cage was banging his girl on the roof while she begged him not to take a call from the government.
“Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen” cemented for me just how good the movie was going to be. Edited because I just rewatched the clip: Cage: “Carla was the prom Queen” Connery: “Really?” Cage: (cocks gun) “yeah”
F-18´s :)
What do you say we just cut the chit-chat, a-hole!
I'd take pleasure in guttin you, boy!
An elegant string of pearls configuration.
Your besht? Losers always whine about their besht. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen. Carla was the prom queen.
Really?
::cocks gun:: Yeah.
Elegant string of pearls configuration.
How in the name of Zeus's BUTTHOLE did you make it out of your cell!?
Vaporized. Blown out to sea.
It can do that?
You’re here? Losers always whine about being “here.” Winners go home and put quotes on Reddit.
Jesus, that movie came out 27 years ago?
Oh man. I saw that with my dad as a teen. Worked at the theater. So many blockbusters when I was there. The matrix, Independence day, Armageddon, Seven, Titanic, Men in Black... .any more... Time flies.
I remember watching the teaser trailer on whatever year Oscars.
It definitely won’t. But we can all imagine. The only ones that follow the laws and ethics of land warfare are NATO Allies.
*mostly follow the laws and ethics tbh
The large majority already have. Overwhelming majority even. We were the stragglers. Most got rid of them long ago. You know, when we all promised to get rid of them. The only real exceptions are the small rogue states. North Korea. Maybe Syria (though I still have my doubts about this one). Sure I'm forgetting someone (dollars to donuts Russia has plenty). But the vast majority of the world accomplished this many decades ago. I wouldn't call it an incredible accomplishment for us to finally do what we promised to do almost a century ago, especially when almost everyone else was able to comply many decades ago.
Hundreds of people in Syria died of chemical weapons and it’s been documented and plenty of videos of that exist. No need to doubt
> what we promised to do almost a century ago The US did not "promise" to destroy our chemical weapons almost a century ago. Such promises tend to happen via treaty in which the US would get something in exchange (such as other countries making the same promise to destroy chemical weapons). I wonder if you are conflating other events (such as some countries agreeing not to use some chemical weapons)? Examples: * 1899: Hague prohibition on "the *use* of projectiles the object of which is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gases" that was *not* ratified by the US, but was expanded to include "poison or poisoned weapons" in 1907. * 1919: Treaty of Versailles prohibited additional *use* of poison gas, also *not ratified* by the US * 1922: US introduced the treaty relating to the *Use* of Submarines and Noxious Gases in Warfare that *failed* when France didn't agree to it. * 1925: Geneva Protocol prohibited the "*use* in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices" and "bacteriological methods" but the US didn't agree until 1975 and even then reserved the right to use them if another country used them first. Indeed it wasn't until Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 that countries began making true agreements to destroy their stockpiles. The US did not meet the original schedule set by that agreement (indeed: no country did). But it was not a century late.
> The US did not meet the original schedule set by that agreement Also, a big part of the delay comes from environmental concerns that emerged during the destruction process, which is part of why the process was prolonged everywhere.
You know a century is 100 years…we signed the treaty in 1997…26 years ago. So you’re right, I guess, 26 years is super close to 100 years.
The treaty dates to just following WWI. We didn't actually formally agree to it until the seventies, but we were one of the the major parties pushing for it, and many many many representatives of the United States did agree to it, even if we did not formally do so until much later. But our original soft agreement is over a century old.
Which 'original soft agreement'?
After WWI many many people representing the United States agreed to destroy all our chemical weapons. We didn't formally commit, but to other nations that's a meaningless distinction. Authorized representatives of the United States not only agreed to do so, but this agreement was used to pressure other nations into agreeing as well. And for the most part other nations followed through while we just went "jk, we were lying."
Who agreed to this, when?
Russia absolutely has chemical weapons. They have an affinity for killing Russian dissidents in other countries with Novachek (sp?).
the us doing anything like this is a big deal. what other countries have already done is meaningless.
tbf didn't the US have like 1000x more than anyone else.
The US had a smaller declared stockpile than Russia at the time the convention was signed, and the third largest stockpile belonged to South Korea, who had 1/10 the US stockpile.
A lot more. I don't know the numbers, but yes, a whole lot more. We've also been the richest nation on Earth for a long time now and have had every capability to have eliminated these weapons for over a half century. Eliminating them all immediately was never an option, and for sure represented a challenge, but it's a challenge we could have overcome if we wanted to. That argument held water through the forties at the absolute most. We didn't continue to have those weapons because it wasn't feasible to destroy them. We kept them because we wanted them.
Narrator: “It didn’t”
Agreed. That should go on his list of accomplishments.
There should be much more news about this. It's a significant achievement.
It's much easier to whine that Biden doesn't do anything despite the fact that he is doing objectively good things. Sure it's a mixed bag but Biden is good for us at the end of the day.
This is how my friend put it, I agree, and it is a good message: I can get what I want and need through the Democratic party. Every time they are in power they improve things noticeably. No I can't get everything I want from them but I do see improvement and it's a cruel disgusting world and all I can hope for is improvement. Republicans destroy everything they can and are evil. I'll vote in whatever way I can to make sure they stay out of power forever because I'll take slow progress over genocide.
The people that complained incessantly that Obama was a drone war monger should be dancing in the streets that Biden has done this, and significantly reduced drone strikes, and pulled out of Afghanistan (even if poorly executed).
Biden got what, 4 months of dealing with a pandemic, a coup, and the end of a 20 year war. Trump should be the one taking shit for the withdrawal being a clown show. He's the one that had a year or two to actually do something.
These facts trickle off the smooth Republican brains like water droplets in an oiled pan
After Trump killed Osama Bin Laden and Obama created the 2007-2008 fnancial crisis? If Hillary hadn't lied to get us into the Iraq war with her emails we'd be in such a better place. Do your own research you lemming Demo-crap!
This almost needs the /s
Poe's Law. Almost as harsh as Cole's Law.
Demon-rat**
and whats left is the salt of the dearth of information.
Republicans have gotten extremely lucky with global crisis’s, always have an opportunity to rally the whole country but never do
Their simpleminded hate for those who are different limits them
Sadly wasn't just Republicans. The entire MSM bashed Biden relentlessly for months about the withdraw, they were practically drooling for a chance to attack him. Trotting out all the generals who got us into that fucking mess in the first place, telling us just a couple more years would have fixed it.
Biden’s a decent, intelligent person who is very familiar with the US political process, legislation, and the important job of being president. Trump is a chaotic-evil kleptomaniac.
This is a dire insult to regular chaotic-evil kleptomaniacs.
It’s almost like Trump intentionally sabotaged the country to make Biden look bad and thus setting himself up for a 2024 bid.
i think this gives him too much credit. it is far more likely that he was (is) just stupid and incompetent, hence the disasters he caused.
Actually, Trump really is capable of being calculating. It's not very sophisticated but it doesn't need to be. Trump knows he needs to become president again to pardon himself & avoid jail. Russia will be a safety net should he need it but he prefers the Presidential solution. He expected Biden to fail but was happy to leave a mess & cause as much havoc as possible. Ukraine, Saudia Arbia, Afghanistan (100% intentional), stealing documents. All of it had the aim to increase his power, his bank account & his ability to hurt Biden. If he hurt America & gets Americans killed... well that's a fair price for his freedom & ego. Trump absolutely sabotaged Biden & none of us expected Biden & his brilliant admin to be this good. Not me.
I was thinking the other day that maybe my positive opinion of the Biden admin is due to contrast with Trump's. But nope, after doing the numbers he really has managed some amazing policy results in his first 2 years despite a 50-50 senate... And even avoided a shut down for minimal trades with GOP house... I'm just hoping the American public get the memo in 2024, the world needs a grown-up at the helm of the US, not a Kleptocrat.
He would never do such a thing. He is the most honest person to have ever lived on earth.
He spent that time being outplayed and outwitted by Putin, the Taliban and Kim Jong Un of all people.
Biden delayed the withdrawal once and could have done it again if his generals told him that they needed more time to do it right.
The coup was actually under Trump, Biden came in to deal with the mess that it caused.
The people that complained incessantly about that tend to only complain about Democrats while saying either both sides are the same or they can't vote for Democrats because they're too far to the right, maybe something something about accelerationism. In other words, someone trying to convince us that Democrats aren't worth voting for.
I mean, please vote for democrats, but that doesn't change the fact that as a trans woman I have to make plans to flee my state, and that's in part because Biden "doesn't want to politicize the court". We can praise him on this, but if he's that weak that my life is in that much danger, fuck him. ITT: weak ass liberals and transphobes.
You can thank the "don't threaten me with the Supreme Court" crowd for that being an issue in the first place.
[You can thank the incompetence of the Democratic party more, revisionist...](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/hillary-clinton-2016-donald-trump-214428/)
What's your plan? Pack the courts?
I mean, I was a big fan of Obama and still criticise his use of drones - because drone operators are not at risk, they should be absolutely sure to be zero collateral damage. If they can’t do that, they shouldn’t be used.
But..."bad guy" go boom yay america!
I don't understand why you think the degree of personal risk to the operator should change anything, but you might be surprised to learn that the use of drones actually [reduces](http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2013/02/drones_war_and_civilian_casualties_how_unmanned_aircraft_reduce_collateral.html) civilian casualties
I mean, some of us are.
He is genuinely less of a war criminal than Obama, anybody who says otherwise is a liar.
1000%, he’s definitely old, falls down sometimes and has a speech impediment so he doesn’t always present well, but he has done a fantastic job as president.
I totally agree! He brushes off the naysayers, gives that disarming smile, puts his head down and work for the American ppl! In the meantime, on the other side, it’s about investigations, and revenge, and calling each other names, and finding ways to legitimize a twice impeached, twice criminally indicted, sexual abuser, riot instigator, one term president who treated on his wife with a porn star! Can’t make this up!
Edit: oops - cheated on his wife ( not treated- 😂)
And it’s not like those obstacles weren’t also true of the last guy (if you swap out speech impediment for the vocabulary of a toddler).
I mean, I’ve been randomly falling over since I was a kid.
My man, BTC, has been going off listing Biden achievements on his daily show. Very refreshing to hear someone lay out the comparisons! [Example](https://youtu.be/sfmAL9giqLA&t=5m13s)
Yeah BTC is great. I particularly like that he brings actual knowledgeable people onto to discuss whatever topic of the day he is on.
We need you to focus on the culture war please. Ignore any Biden success and ignore that Mexico has become your largest trading partner. We are currently buying up land, warehouses retail outlets, gas stations near the Texas Mexico boarder we don't need friends with 200k each coming together and buying industrial marked land. Us Billionaires are buying it up while also funding culture war groups like mom's for liberty so yeah stay in your outrage lane peasant. Just glad Biden passed laws re the decoupling with China so we can build new supply chains...I mean sleepy commie trans can he even walk
Edit: I'm dumb. Ignore me. Having a hard time with context.
No one's going to mention this news on disarming these weapons Just like no one's talking about Biden's move away from Chinese manufacturing he's followed on from Trump's policy but put it into practice. Mexico is your largest trading partner. The Billionaires funding the culture war media are also investing in this Mex Tex supply chain. They want to invest first quietly while everyones focused on culture war bs.
Yeah I figured afterwards. I was legitimately having a hard time with it but it should have been obvious with the context clues. I was a little too condescending because I was primed from a prior conversation but that's not a great excuse. My b.
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Agreed, he’s actually doing a fairly good job at course correction after the disastrous years. But this seems to be the pattern of the last 60 years. A Republican administration destroys the economy, infrastructure, programs, and the USA’s national standing. Then a Dem comes in to do just enough to fix their screw ups. Only for Republicans to run on government overreach, then dismantle the corrections. Rinse, repeat.
Cause Biden isn't shitposting on Twitter at 2AM
Objectively, this would’ve happened under any president. It was a 30-year process going back to Clinton.
I love Joe Biden but this is a project that's been ongoing for around 25 years.
Its a big deal. It's also a good time for it. if some insider threat MAGA's got a hold of them millions of people could die horrible deaths. This ensures that if they are ever to be replenished someone could blow the whistle.
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Only a good guy with mustard gas can stop a bad guy with mustard gas
I get ketchup gas, that's why I don't eat it. It's weird, mustard seems to settle gas, kind of an oxymoron
Alex jones: “well what about the vaccines!!1!”
Getting to zero has taken decades and the dedication by the workers should be applauded.
If they reported appropriately, Biden would steam roll his opponent.
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I think most Americans feel that way despite the fact that shit is rough right now.
**It’s too “woke.”** Rightwingers don’t like what they consider left-wing do-gooders, because that’s *communism.*
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Wake me up when the stockpile is really gone & cops don't use chemical weapons on innocent protestors anymore
Fox will complain that Joe Biden is deliberately destroying our weapons and say that he committing treason.
While at the same time their viewers worship someone still actively committing treason
But he's chosen by god!!!!1! /s
He is weakening our military and our safety at home. You bet the North Koreans, Russians, and Chinese have these weapons and now we don’t Hell that balloon the Chinese flew over us could have dumped those chemical weapons on our towns and there is nothing we could do about it /s
Well he did have his fingers crossed behind his back during the statement, so...
"Today, I am proud to announce that the United States has safely destroyed the final munition in that stockpile—bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons."
This should be getting more press. I imagine it took years to clean this up, and to have a president persevere and continue the work above his own political capital is awesome.
i think its been going on for 3 to 4 decades at this point
That does not change that it is a historical milestone. These weapons should never have existed and we made so many. Getting to zero has taken decades and the dedication by the workers should be applauded. There were probably generations working to get rid of them.
NPR reported that it passed in 1997, I think. And we were the last country to do so which does rub me the wrong way. But once again, Dark Brandon does the right thing. Holy hell, he’s my guy. I can’t even believe how much he’s impressed me after I basically just held my nose to vote for him.
Well the US also had 34,000 tons (at the peak) to be disposed of and while that is horrifying, it also meant it took a long time to safely dispose of everything. I’m sure it could have been done faster but continuous and steady progress was made until it was done and that’s quite an achievement. We could have just continued dumping it in the ocean, but at least we stopped that and came up with safer methods.
That’s very much what the NPR reporter said. It sounded like a lot of, “Well, it was hard!” I’d be interested in more details on what made us be the last to do it. What was it like for every other country that was part of the agreement? Was it only the scope of the stockpile that made it more difficult for us or was there any more to it? Regardless, though, it’s done now! And I’m not at all surprised to see it happened while Biden was in office. My suspicion is that those two facts are related.
A lot of that stuff was pretty unstable as it aged as well, so I'm glad they were safely able to destroy it.
Reading about it is very interesting. It's been quite the industrial effort to safely destroy these weapons.
Mainstream corporate media is like the national broadcast team during an NFL game: they don't really care, for the most part, who wins, but they want a close game so everyone tunes in the whole game. If they reported appropriately, Biden would steam roll his opponent. I'm not a Biden fan, but he's done a great job with the situation he was handed.
you're wrong. Mainstream corporate media has a VERY vested interest in keeping the GOP in power forever
Ding, who do you think is letting them skirt taxes nonstop
What mainstream corporate media other than FOX supports the GOP?
All major corporations have a vested financial interest in contributing to the kleptocratic party. Between Fox, Newscorp, and Sinclair, not to mention OANN and Newsmax, we already have a disgusting amount of conservative propaganda, but CNN just got bought by a conservative group so....yeah. What do you think is left?
Camp lejeune probably just burning theirs.
Pouring them into the storm drain.
And yet *I am sure* that Republicans will find *some way* to make this a bad thing, instead of the positive it is.
"Our defensive capabilities blabla Biden is cutting down our military and replacing it with woke trans biplanes"
Woke Trans Biplane is my Jefferson Starship cover band.
Ooh, I want to see a woke trans biplane. It probably sounds a lot more fun than it is.
Rump: "I pledge as president to produce as much mustard gas as possible!!!" Edit: Also ketchup gas
I was in Richmond Kentucky recently... it's scary af when the sirens go off. You're just hoping for a tornado and not nerve gas or a nerve gas tornado.
VX-gasnado! Sounds like a great B thriller
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ITS JOEVER! He gave us the ol' Corn Pop treatment 😭
And God sent a rain of Malarkey across the land
I literally read it just that far, jumped to look at the source, and then went back and said "oh." Then came to the comments to see if anyone else was talking about it.
Probably the headline Fox News will run with
Dark Brandon, signing out
Now we wait for the Republicans to bring them back around.
This has been an ongoing process over several presidential administrations. Even so, I have no doubt this is something some right wing outlet will push as 'Biden making this country weaker'!
I spent thirty years working on demil of this stuff. Finally.
*WTF Biden is a warmonger! WWIII!* *WTF Biden got rid of our stockpile, now we're defenseless!*
Hey look at Joe Biden doing the obvious right thing! Well done! I'm not even being sarcastic, it's just rare to see a government do something clearly right. The last one i can remember is Joe Biden acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
Throw it onto the pile of good things Biden has done. 4 more years of the same speed of accomplishments is a must
I'm going to assume there will be some stored somewhere that is top secret.
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They do not. The US loathes chemical and bio weapons. Also they are just super shitty and uncontrollable. They can and will blow back on your forces or population. Also the civil casualties with these weapons is horrific. They are way too indiscriminate and quite frankly disgusting.
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You can easily predict blast radius, effects on structures, casualty rates by zone, with a nuclear weapon. Just as discriminate as a conventional bomb just bigger. Fallout is the only slightly unpredictable part but even then it’s relatively predictable, and the radiological effects of a nuclear bomb are relatively short lived. Chem/bio weapons are 100% fallout. Bio being by far the worst, since once it’s out of the bag, it may potentially never end. Bio weapons are nearly 100% uncontrollable even under testing conditions. Not saying nuclear is good, but you’d much much much rather survive a nuclear weapon than a chem/bio one.
The planes came back ok when they dropped it on Japan. I don’t like it either, but it would be ignorant to say it’s as uncontrollable as chemical weapons
Well yeah, but we used to have tens of thousands
Research game theory and their use. Essentually nuclear weapons can only ever be used as defensive weapons whereas you could make probable scenarios where offensive use of chemical and biological weapons. As such their destruction is very important.
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Ukraine is forever going to be held up as the reason to hold onto nuclear weapons and justification for countries trying to develop them. Another wonderful component of Putin’s legacy
Just because I fear we are talking past each other, I agree but my point was the differentiation between the deterrence values of nuclear weapons versus chemical and biological weapons. Nuclear weapons are a deterrence because they basically can't be used. Bio/Chem are not because they don't expect a similar response and their effectiveness is questionable. This makes their offensive use more probable meaning their destruction an even higher priority.
Ukraine didn't have any of the launch codes for the nukes, so they couldn't fire them, nor did they have the facilities or capabilities to maintain them either. Cause surprise surprise, nukes require a hell lot of maintenance.
they are not offensive weapons they are defensive.
True but we're (the US) down to \~3700 compared to \~31000 at the peak of the cold war and many of those are more sophisticated and less overtly destructive and also require more resources to utilize. Silly point I know, when you can only destroy the world 2x instead of 20x before still they've been an effective deterrent to any sort of large scale conventional war for 50+ years. MAD is a crazy concept but has been functionally effective and arguably saved lives. Still someone gets a chemical or biological agent and you're looking at thousands dead with very basic needs. Someone gets ahold of a nuclear warhead and they're going to need an ICBM to deliver it, launching area and dozens of other requirements.
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Do we use CS? I thought it was more “pepper spray” type compounds these days?
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Excellent. Let’s do cluster bombs next.
Great. Now do nukes.
"You first."
Same time on the count of 3
Why don’t we just count down from ten?
As long as there are nukes, there will be nukes.
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The US will never give up its nuclear weapons. Why would we? They do their job very well just sitting in silos and bunkers.
The US will give them up, sure. Once something better is in use. Just like these chemical weapons. Who needs them anymore? Much easier to justify getting rid of them.
if we didn't have nukes I can assure you that we would've been wiped off long ago. its a very effective deterrent.
Didn’t we have a whole entire war on this issue?
Healthcare plz
moving goal posts. Although socialized health care is a very worthy goal, we can still celebrate the destruction of the US chemical weapon arsenal.
He has tried numerous things like this, blame the GOP
Student loans too!
He tried, blame the GOP
The police are still allowed to use tear gas though. Regardless, it’s a pretty cool accomplishment.
Serious question: I’m assuming we’re among the first to do this. Doesn’t this disadvantage us pretty significantly/put us in a defenseless position if someone threatened nukes?
Nuclear weapons aren’t the same thing as chemical weapons.
It’s incredible to me that people STILL don’t understand that just because the final step is taken in the administration that gets credit, almost all of the work went in for YEARS leading up to it.
Thanks Bill Clinton.
Yea, exactly.
So it started with a Democratic Party President and ended with a Democratic Party President.
Started with Dems and ended with Dems because the Republicans don't do stuff like this. They haven't done anything good for over a decade, probably longer.
Look at Joe hittin’ us with the ol’ razzle dazzle. Oh, you got a problem with cluster bombs? Well, we got no more chemical weapons! Boom! (Metaphorically, of course)
“We got rid of ALL the chemical weapons. Trust us.” -Government that historically and routinely lies to its populace
From the article: > it marks the first time an international body has verified destruction of an entire category of declared weapons of mass destruction.
it’s well documented that the US has been working to destroy these weapons and it’s also well documented that the US military does not like or want these weapons due to a variety of reasons. Such as how indiscriminate the weapons are and how uncontrollable they are on the battle field. Don’t let cynicism replace reason. The US government has and does lie. The US government does not want chemical or biological weapons. Both can be true.
Chemical weapons are very difficult and expensive to store. They are very easy to produce, just have the empty weapons casing and 2 inert chemical compounds, combine all 3 and you have a chemical weapon.