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2026 USA Political Thread

westwoody

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Jun 10, 2004
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Westwood
Fukn FedEx?
I bought something from Italy and they did that.
 

masterpoonhunter

"Marriage should be a renewable contract"
Sep 15, 2019
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This whole tariff thing is going to become one major clusterfuck even worse than it is now.

To the point of the poster re Italy and tariffs:
My company has been charged up to 15% "surcharge" from some US suppliers as they pass on their tariffs, of course this is all an opportunity to pad the billing isn't it. Some of it is bonafide as they integrate parts into their system.

That is one issue, I think the bigger one is that FedEx is now suing the US gov to get ALL the illegal tariffs refunded. Costco started one a while back too and I am sure there are other big players lined up.
https://globalnews.ca/news/11685843/fedex-tariffs-refund-supreme-court-ruling/
 
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se7landrover97

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Jun 30, 2011
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Trump hypocrisy- he makes a trade deal with UK with 10% tariffs. In his tantrum he raises them to 15%. UK says they may reconsider after Trump raised the tariffs. American trade representative says “ we held up our end of the bargain, we expect the UK to hold up theirs”.
So here’s the issue.
Trump changed the deal after it was made.
But somehow the UK are the bad guys?
This is why business hates Trump - he doesn’t honour any deal he makes. And lies about it after he violates his agreements.
That's what swindler does.
 

se7landrover97

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Jun 30, 2011
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Sharing this article I found online.

House Republicans dragged Hillary Clinton back into the spotlight today under the pretense of “oversight” related to the Epstein files. What they got instead was a blistering, disciplined opening statement that did two things at once:
1) It centered victims and survivors.
2) It exposed the investigation for what it looks like on its face: political theater designed to protect powerful people and distract from real accountability.
And Clinton didn’t mince words about the stakes.
She opened by affirming something most Americans agree with: Congressional oversight matters. It should be fearless, principled, and rooted in truth and accountability. But, she said, too often investigations in Washington devolve into “partisan political theater” — an abdication of duty that insults the public.
Then she cut to the core of why she was there.
The Committee justified subpoenaing her on the assumption that she had information about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Clinton made her position explicit: she does not. She reiterated what she stated in a sworn declaration earlier this year: she had no knowledge of their criminal activity, does not recall ever encountering Epstein, never flew on his plane, and never visited his island, homes, or offices.
That’s the part Republicans wanted to be the story.
Clinton refused to let it be.
The real story: who gets protected, and who gets ignored
Clinton made the most important moral point of the day: the Epstein case is not a gossip magnet or a tabloid parlor game. It is a mass abuse scandal that reveals how systems of power failed — and how institutions too often bend for the rich, well-connected, and politically useful.
She spoke plainly about being horrified by what the public has learned about Epstein’s crimes, and she highlighted the grotesque reality that Epstein effectively got a slap on the wrist in 2008 — a deal that allowed predation to continue for years.
Then she aimed her remarks where a serious oversight committee would aim theirs: at government conduct, prosecutorial decisions, investigative failures, and transparency.
And this is where her statement landed like a hammer.
Clinton challenged the Committee’s priorities, pointing out that if the goal is truly to assess how the federal government handled investigations and prosecutions, the Committee’s actions don’t line up with that mission. She noted they subpoenaed multiple law enforcement officials tied to DOJ or the FBI’s handling of the case — yet only one appeared in front of the Committee. She also criticized the lack of public hearings and a refusal to allow media access, even as the Committee publicly postures about transparency.
In other words: if you’re serious, you act serious. If you’re hiding the ball, you keep things closed-door and loudmouth your talking points on cable.
Clinton did what Republicans won’t: center the survivors
This is the part that separates Clinton’s testimony from the average Washington food fight: she anchored her remarks in the lives of survivors.
She spoke about spending her career advocating for women and girls, and she described meeting victims of trafficking and sexual violence around the world — girls forced into prostitution, survivors trying to rebuild their lives while people in power looked away, mothers searching for daughters lost to trafficking networks.
It wasn’t performative. It was a reminder that behind every headline and every salacious mention of “the files” are human beings who were abused, exploited, and discarded.
And she made a point that should be tattooed on the forehead of every member of Congress: survivors are real, and they are entitled to better than politics-as-sport.
A real committee would do real work — here’s what that looks like
Clinton didn’t just complain. She laid out what a serious investigation would actually do.
A serious committee would push for full release of files with lawful redactions that protect victims and survivors — not powerful men and political allies. It would dig into reports about interviews being withheld. It would subpoena key players who can speak to decisions that protected Epstein and potentially others.
It would demand testimony from prosecutors in Florida and New York about how Epstein received such a sweetheart deal and why other potentially implicated individuals weren’t pursued.
It would seek input from frontline officers and experts about what resources they need to combat trafficking.
And it would put forward legislation to strengthen enforcement and force executive branch action.
That’s what oversight looks like when it’s not a show.
The question Clinton asked that Republicans don’t want asked
Clinton ended with the kind of direct challenge that makes unserious politicians sweat:
What is being held back? Who is being protected? And why the cover-up?
She argued she was compelled to testify despite having no helpful knowledge because the spectacle serves a different purpose: distracting attention from President Trump’s actions and shielding him from legitimate scrutiny.
And then she delivered the line that cuts through everything: if this Committee is serious about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it should not rely on press gaggles to get answers from the President. It should ask him directly, under oath, about his involvement and appearances in the Epstein files.
That’s the standard. That’s the bar. And it’s exactly why they’d rather haul Clinton in than do the job in front of them.
Hillary Clinton did the assignment. Republicans didn’t.
You don’t have to agree with Hillary Clinton on every issue to recognize what happened here.
She walked into a trap set for ratings and revenge — and turned it into a statement about accountability, survivors, and institutional failure. She forced the conversation back to what matters: transparency, prosecution decisions, the protection of victims, and the pursuit of truth without fear or favor.
That’s not “spinning.” That’s governing.
And if House Republicans actually cared about justice for Epstein’s victims, they’d stop chasing headlines and start doing the work Clinton laid out — in public, with receipts, and with zero sacred cows.
Because this isn’t a political scandal. It’s a human one.
 

se7landrover97

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Jun 30, 2011
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BREAKING: As Hillary Clinton heads into a closed-door deposition related to the Epstein investigation, she released a pointed opening statement, making clear she knew nothing about Epstein and slamming the Republicans for not allowing her to testify in public.
Below is her full, unedited statement:

SECRETARY CLINTON'S OPENING STATEMENT

Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, Members of the Committee... as a former Senator, I have respect for legislative oversight and I expect its exercise, as do the American people, to be principled and fearless in pursuit of truth and accountability.
As we all know, however, too often Congressional investigations are partisan political theater, which is an abdication of duty and an insult to the American people.
The Committee justified its subpoena to me based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Let me be as clear as I can. I do not.
As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.
Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes. It's unfathomable that Mr. Epstein initially got a slap on the wrist in 2008, which allowed him to continue his predatory practices for another decade.
Mr. Chairman, your investigation is supposed to be assessing the federal government's handling of the investigations and prosecutions of Epstein and his crimes. You subpoenaed eight law enforcement officials, all of whom ran the Department of Justice or directed the FBI when Epstein's crimes were investigated and prosecuted. Of those eight, only one appeared before the Committee. Five of the six former attorneys general were allowed to submit brief statements stating they had no information to provide.
You have held zero public hearings, refused to allow the media to attend them, including today, despite espousing the need for transparency on dozens of occasions.
You have made little effort to call the people who show up most prominently in the Epstein files. And when you did, not a single Republican Member showed up for Les Wexner's deposition.
This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter. My heart breaks for the survivors. And I am furious on their behalf.
I have spent my life advocating for women and girls. I have worked hard to stop the terrible abuses so many women and girls face here and around the world, including human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual slavery. For too long, these have been largely invisible crimes or not treated as crimes at all. But the survivors are real and they are entitled to better.
In Southeast Asia, I met girls as young as twelve years old who were forced into prostitution and raped repeatedly. Some were dying of AIDS. In Eastern Europe, I met mothers who told me how they lost daughters to trafficking and did not know where to turn. In settings around the world, I met survivors trying to rebuild their lives and help rescue others — with little support from people in power, who too often turned a blind eye and a cold shoulder.
If you are new to this issue, let me tell you: Jeffrey Epstein was a heinous individual, but he's far from alone. This is not a one-off tabloid sensation or a political scandal.
It's a global scourge with an unimaginable human toll.
My work combatting sex trafficking goes back to my days as First Lady. I worked to pass the first federal legislation against trafficking and was proud that my husband signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which increased support for survivors and gave prosecutors better tools for going after traffickers.
As Secretary of State, I appointed a former federal prosecutor, Lou deBaca, to ramp up our global antitrafficking efforts. I oversaw nearly 170 anti-trafficking programs in 70 nations and directly pressed foreign leaders to crack down on trafficking networks in their countries. Every year we published a global report to shine a light on abuses.
The findings of those reports triggered sanctions on countries failing to make progress, so they became a powerful diplomatic tool to drive concrete action.
I insisted that the United States be included in the report for the first time ever in 2011. Because we must hold ourselves not just to the same standard as the rest of the world but to an even higher one. Sex trafficking and modern slavery should have no place in America. None.
Infuriatingly, the Trump Administration gutted the Trafficking in Persons Office at the State Department, cutting more than 70 percent of the career civil and foreign service experts who worked so hard to prevent trafficking crimes. The annual trafficking report, required by law, was delayed for months. The message from the Trump Administration to the American people and the world could not be clearer: combatting human trafficking is no longer an American priority under the Trump White House.
That is a tragedy. It's a scandal. It deserves vigorous investigation and oversight.
A committee endeavoring to stop human trafficking would seek to understand what specific steps are needed to fix a system that allowed Epstein to get away with his crimes in 2008.
A committee run by elected officials with a commitment to transparency would ensure the full release of all the files.
It would ensure that the lawful redactions of those files protected the victims and survivors, not powerful men and political allies.
It would get to the bottom of reports that DOJ withheld FBI interviews in which a survivor accuses President Trump of heinous crimes.
It would subpoena anyone who asked on which night there would be the "wildest party" on Epstein's island.
It would demand testimony from prosecutors in Florida and New York about why they gave Epstein a sweetheart deal and chose not to pursue others who may have been implicated.
It would demand that Secretary Rubio and Attorney General Bondi testify about why this administration is abandoning survivors and playing into the hands of traffickers.
It would seek out officers on the front lines of this fight and ask them what support they need.
It would put forth legislation to provide more resources and force this administration to act.
But that's not happening.
Instead, you have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump's actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers.
If this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein's trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files.
If the majority was serious, it would not waste time on fishing expeditions. There is too much that needs to be done.
What is being held back? Who is being protected? And why the cover-up?
My challenge to you, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, is the same challenge I put to myself throughout my long service to this nation. How to be worthy of the trust the American people have given you. They expect statesmanship, not gamesmanship. Leading, not grandstanding. They expect you to use your power to get to the truth and to do more to help survivors of Epstein's crimes as well as the millions more who are victims of sex trafficking.
 

GentlemanJack69

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Feb 16, 2023
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Welcome back. Respect for adhering to the terms of the bet to abscond for 1 year from the forum. I haven't been posting much in the last year as the news out of the USA has been depressing and I've had a lot going on in my personal life. Unfortunately only Americans can fix the Trump problem. It's reassuring that the Supreme Court ruled that the illegal tariffs were illegal,.. but disappointing they were silent on returning the stolen funds back to those that paid.
Everything that negatively affects the USA, inevitably has a negative impact on Canada so we can't even take comfort in any setbacks they have economically to prove Trump's incompetence.
Hopes and prayers that the midterms prove his unpopularity, but with all the measures that the Republicans are taking to fix the elections I wouldn't count on anything out of the USA.
Hopes and Prayers. GJ

PS your posts are still Way too Long
 

se7landrover97

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Jun 30, 2011
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Welcome back. Respect for adhering to the terms of the bet to abscond for 1 year from the forum. I haven't been posting much in the last year as the news out of the USA has been depressing and I've had a lot going on in my personal life. Unfortunately only Americans can fix the Trump problem. It's reassuring that the Supreme Court ruled that the illegal tariffs were illegal,.. but disappointing they were silent on returning the stolen funds back to those that paid.
Everything that negatively affects the USA, inevitably has a negative impact on Canada so we can't even take comfort in any setbacks they have economically to prove Trump's incompetence.
Hopes and prayers that the midterms prove his unpopularity, but with all the measures that the Republicans are taking to fix the elections I wouldn't count on anything out of the USA.
Hopes and Prayers. GJ

PS your posts are still Way too Long
Thank you GJ!
Like you said nothing is impossible with the orange felon pedopotus. Depressing as it may be, I am still hopeful that the midterms will bring some kind of optimism.
I have always enjoy reading your commentaries. Looking forward to hearing more from you again.

Best Regards,
se7
 

oldshark

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Dec 15, 2019
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I have been trying to restrain myself from posting memes outside the thread dedicated to them. But the meme above is a powerful message. The right wing MAGA types are creating massive problems for themselves in the coming years. Ironically they are giving the Democrats all the future power basically for free. Going after Hilary Clinton is just stupid. The population must be laughing to see how MAGA is setting itself up for its own problems. Unbelievable. But this has happened in so much of what MAGA has pushed and normalized. Sure, give your man absolute power but what happens when your man is gone. It will be a lot of right wing types will not merely be disgraced but prison time awaits many. It will be interesting to watch. Unfortunately as Canadians, we can only watch, still,...........
 
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masterpoonhunter

"Marriage should be a renewable contract"
Sep 15, 2019
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I have been trying to restrain myself from posting memes outside the thread dedicated to them. But the meme above is a powerful message. The right wing MAGA types are creating massive problems for themselves in the coming years. Ironically they are giving the Democrats all the future power basically for free. Going after Hilary Clinton is just stupid. The population must be laughing to see how MAGA is setting itself up for its own problems. Unbelievable. But this has happened in so much of what MAGA has pushed and normalized. Sure, give your man absolute power but what happens when your man is gone. It will be a lot of right wing types will not merely be disgraced but prison time awaits many. It will be interesting to watch. Unfortunately as Canadians, we can only watch, still,...........
The problem though, and this from a political 3rd stringer as that thing about giving fucks away holds pretty strongly for et moi, is that the Dems are absolute masters at shooting themselves in the feet.
 

Cock Throppled

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Oct 1, 2003
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Upstairs
SECRETARY CLINTON'S OPENING STATEMENT

I have spent my life advocating for women and girls. I have worked hard to stop the terrible abuses so many women and girls face here and around the world, including human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual slavery. For too long, these have been largely invisible crimes or not treated as crimes at all. But the survivors are real and they are entitled to better.
Laughable considering she has publically attacked every female accuser of her husband as a liar or delusional.
 

se7landrover97

Well-known member
Jun 30, 2011
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Laughable considering she has publically attacked every female accuser of her husband as a liar or delusional.
From ChatGpt/Grok:

There’s no credible evidence that Hillary Clinton publicly attacked every woman who accused her husband of misconduct by calling them liars or delusional.

During the scandals involving her husband, Bill Clinton, especially in the 1990s, Hillary Clinton did defend him publicly. In some cases, she questioned the credibility or motives of specific accusers. For example:

  • In a 1992 interview regarding allegations from Gennifer Flowers, she suggested there had been a coordinated political effort against her husband.
  • In 1998, during the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky, she referred to what she called a “vast right-wing conspiracy” targeting her husband.
However:

  • She did not publicly label every accuser as a liar or delusional.
  • Some criticisms of her response come from reporting that political allies or campaign surrogates pushed back aggressively against certain accusers, but that is not the same as her personally attacking each one.
  • Years later, especially during the broader #MeToo era, her past responses were reexamined and debated in media and political commentary.
So the claim that she publicly attacked every female accuser as a liar or delusional is an overgeneralization and not supported by documented public statements. ++


I am not saying you are inaccurate but unless of course you have some kind of documentation to proof ChatGPT/Grok are wrong, then what you're saying are just false and hearsay. 😏 Right now with AI, everything is so easy to fact check. 🧐
 
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jgg

In the air again.
Apr 14, 2015
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I have been trying to restrain myself from posting memes outside the thread dedicated to them. But the meme above is a powerful message. The right wing MAGA types are creating massive problems for themselves in the coming years. Ironically they are giving the Democrats all the future power basically for free. Going after Hilary Clinton is just stupid. The population must be laughing to see how MAGA is setting itself up for its own problems. Unbelievable. But this has happened in so much of what MAGA has pushed and normalized. Sure, give your man absolute power but what happens when your man is gone. It will be a lot of right wing types will not merely be disgraced but prison time awaits many. It will be interesting to watch. Unfortunately as Canadians, we can only watch, still,...........
Trump will issue preemptive pardons for himself, family and loyalists. No one will serve any prison time.
 

jgg

In the air again.
Apr 14, 2015
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Varies now
It’s odd that a sitting President was subpoenaed over a blowjob but not for openly violating the emoluments clause.
There isn't a single politician in the United States who hasn't violated the emoluments clause. It is just another line in the Constitution to be ignored, and most brazenly done so by Trump.
 

se7landrover97

Well-known member
Jun 30, 2011
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https://x.com/BillClinton/status/2027582699251048660?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^2027582699251048660|twgr^4bd5c7e9f55c3e27e760dcf402b06375ede3cc6c|twcon^s1_c10&ref_url=https://people.com/embed?url=https3A2F2Fx.com2FBillClinton2Fstatus2F2027582699251048660id=mntl-sc-block_7-0-iframeoptions=e303DdocId=11916107

I am not or is a fun of Pres. Clinton. But he was called to testify. He came and did his duty as a former president and a citizen. Is he guilty? We don't know. In my opinion, we might never know. But just the same, all the more the Pedopotus and Melania should also be called to testify.
 
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sexpanther69

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Dec 26, 2013
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Well the pedo prez who claimed he's not a president of war jsut launched another attack on Iran with Israel.... This is what maga voted for, right?

They boasted after the last attack they "obliterated" Iran's nukes but only 7-8months later thye need to attack to stop them for advancing their nukes...... Which is it

Coincidence Afghanistan and Pakistan started goin at it at the same time?
 

Cock Throppled

Well-known member
Oct 1, 2003
5,112
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Upstairs
From ChatGpt/Grok:

There’s no credible evidence that Hillary Clinton publicly attacked every woman who accused her husband of misconduct by calling them liars or delusional.

During the scandals involving her husband, Bill Clinton, especially in the 1990s, Hillary Clinton did defend him publicly. In some cases, she questioned the credibility or motives of specific accusers. For example:

  • In a 1992 interview regarding allegations from Gennifer Flowers, she suggested there had been a coordinated political effort against her husband.
  • In 1998, during the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky, she referred to what she called a “vast right-wing conspiracy” targeting her husband.
However:

  • She did not publicly label every accuser as a liar or delusional.
  • Some criticisms of her response come from reporting that political allies or campaign surrogates pushed back aggressively against certain accusers, but that is not the same as her personally attacking each one.
  • Years later, especially during the broader #MeToo era, her past responses were reexamined and debated in media and political commentary.
So the claim that she publicly attacked every female accuser as a liar or delusional is an overgeneralization and not supported by documented public statements. ++


I am not saying you are inaccurate but unless of course you have some kind of documentation to proof ChatGPT/Grok are wrong, then what you're saying are just false and hearsay. 😏 Right now with AI, everything is so easy to fact check. 🧐
You literally just posted confirmation she denegrated accusers. Oh, but it wasn't EVERY one of them. But the left will deflect or ignore anything negative about their side, just like Maga does with their side.
 
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Cock Throppled

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Oct 1, 2003
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Well the pedo prez who claimed he's not a president of war jsut launched another attack on Iran with Israel.... This is what maga voted for, right?

They boasted after the last attack they "obliterated" Iran's nukes but only 7-8months later thye need to attack to stop them for advancing their nukes...... Which is it

Coincidence Afghanistan and Pakistan started goin at it at the same time?
Eliminating secret, underground, hidden nuclear facilities isn't an exact science. Or do you know how it should be done?

When would you choose to try to eliminate the world's biggest supporters of terror? Iranians are cheering the bombings in their own country. This might be the perfect time for them to overthrow their government.
 

PuntMeister

Punt-on!
Jul 13, 2003
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What would you do with Iran if you were POTUS? Let’s assume you are an unscathed POTUS (oxymoron, I kno).

Would you;

Sit back and do nothing?

Perpetuate the failed hope of a diplomatic solution?

Send them $Billions to play nicer?

Bomb their infrastructure to force a de-nuclearized deal?

Just nuke the fuckers?
 
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