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Donald Trump, Richard Nixon, and Honey Badger Politics

Directionally, the overall policy posture is center-right. The president retains the firm support of most Republican voters. Under the January 1973 Paris peace accords, North Vietnam recognized the continued existence of a non-Communist government in Saigon, while the United States confirmed its own ground force departure. Nixon’s critics have long argued that he had no interest in or expectation of supporting South Vietnam’s continued independence with American ground troops gone. Reports indicate that key outlines of a possible settlement include the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and a promise from the Taliban never to attack the United States. In the year following his re-election, revelations of Richard Nixon’s criminal misconduct over the Watergate affair consumed his presidency. In the end it was stalwart conservatives like Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater, who told the president directly that his impeachment and removal were certain. Congressional Democrats will therefore continue aggressive investigations on a number of matters, including Trump’s tax returns, his inauguration committee, the Trump organization, obstruction of justice, and possible campaign finance violations. Second, U.S. party politics are considerably more polarized than they were in Nixon’s day, and this obviously affects the process in more than one direction. The nature of Donald Trump’s character and personality is furthermore that he will always fight back against such allegations with the ferocity of a wild honey badger.

Lyndon LaRouche, perennial presidential candidate, dead at 96

Lyndon LaRouche, the political extremist and conspiracy theorist who ran for president in eight consecutive national elections, died Tuesday, his political action committee confirmed. "Those who knew and loved Lyndon LaRouche know that humanity has suffered a great loss, and today we dedicate ourselves anew to bring to reality the big ideas for which history will honor him," read a statement on the website of LaRouchePAC, which noted that LaRouche died on the birthday of former President Abraham Lincoln, whom he celebrated in his writings. A native of Lynn, Massachusetts, LaRouche was a former member of the Socialist Workers Party who first ran for president in 1976 as a candidate of the U.S. Labor Party. His final run for president took place in 2004. LaRouche espoused several conspiracy theories, most notably that the International Monetary Fund was "engaged in mass murder" by spreading AIDS through its economic policies, that former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former Vice President Walter Mondale were Soviet "agents of influence," and that the Queen of England was involved in the international drug trade. The Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith once characterized LaRouche's organization as an anti-Semitic political cult. He said he did not know who paid his bills. His views evolved throughout his life, but a central tenet of his apocalyptic platform warned of an inevitable global downward slide into crisis and called for a complete overhaul of the world's economic and financial systems. LaRouche ran his 1992 presidential campaign from prison after he was convicted in 1988 of mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the IRS by defaulting on more than $30 million in loans from campaign supporters. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but was released in 1994.

Commentary: Quantum politics and predicting the US-China rivalry

They assumed the world could be observed and objectively measured independently of human sentiment. This uncertainty also spread to the social sciences. The social sciences appeared to be offering solutions with certainty under circumstances where apparently there was none. Lewis suggests that "the quantum mechanics of politics" demands from us an understanding that flux is inevitable. For the Chinese, every solution brings multiple problems. Brexit and the US–China trade war are all about disentanglement, an unravelling of systems and processes that will be extremely costly and unpredictable. Sarkissian’s observation suggests we need to break out of classical modes of thinking in order to understand how a complex world is affected by what is akin to "quantum behaviour". There are currently no good models that derive from quantum theory to predict political behaviour. But understanding how to frame an opponent’s thinking is critical for predicting political outcomes. In this, the insights of quantum theory, which have similarities with Chinese systemic thinking, might just help.

McCain honored with words aimed at Trump

Washington (CNN)Washington luminaries, former presidents and the family of John McCain gathered Saturday at Washington National Cathedral to honor and remember the late senator in a grand display of pomp and unity in the nation's capital. Among the tributes -- including from former McCain rivals and Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama -- was an emotional remembrance from McCain's daughter Meghan that included several pointed and unmistakable references to Trump. "We gather here to mourn the passing of American greatness. The former President acknowledged the contrast between himself and McCain, saying, "We were standard-bearers of different American political traditions." But Obama spoke of a deep respect for the late senator. "For all our differences, for all the times we sparred, I never tried to hide, and I think John came to understand, the longstanding admiration that I had for him." He said that the late senator responded with some impatience, saying: "That's the point Joe ... You're a Democrat, I'm a Republican, we could give our country the bipartisan leadership it needs for a change." Sarah Palin, who was McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential election was not invited to any of the memorial services. The service followed a public procession that brought McCain's body from the US Capitol to the cathedral. On Sunday, a private service will take place at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and then his body will be laid to rest in the US Naval Academy Cemetery.

Sanders Endorsement Does Iowa Candidate Little Good

The Story: On Tuesday, the Democratic Party nominated Cindy Axne as its candidate for the US House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd district, in the...
The National Prayer Breakfast, Tokyo's Robot Barista - Monologue

The National Prayer Breakfast, Tokyo’s Robot Barista – Monologue

Seth Meyers' monologue from Thursday, February 8. » Subscribe to Late Night: http://bit.ly/LateNightSeth » Get more Late Night with Seth Meyers: http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-seth-meyers/ » Watch Late Night with Seth Meyers Weeknights 12:35/11:35c on NBC. LATE NIGHT ON SOCIAL Follow Late Night on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LateNightSeth…