Serious question that's been bouncing around in my brain. Please talk me off of the ledge.

[Siwsan]

Anyone else think that trump*'s push to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been strongly influenced by his hard core, rabid evangelical supporters? I have little doubt that it is their way of of hedging their bets, in case pissing off North Korea isn't enough to trigger their much desired Armageddon.

Come to think of it, I can't think of a single item on his agenda that doesn't result in the ruination and/or deaths of others. Sometimes it feels like this administration is little more than a lead up to a real life 'Soylent Green' scenario.

I am so fast losing any sense of hope or optimism. This might be a good morning to spike my coffee with some Old Overholt.

[malaise]

1. Let me just say it's the

Fuckabee posse - daughter will lie about anything for daddypoo - close friend of the vile and incestuous Duggars.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. It was a dumb move . It created a problem where one didn't exist.

[crazylikafox]

3. In a word, yes. They hope it will bring on the "end times" and fulfill their prophesies.

[Va Lefty]

4. I think that is A reason. Not sure if it's the only reason

Paraphrasing from a post I read yesterday... Many of these so called Christians are gonna real surprised when they aren't raptured when Armageddon arrives.

[Siwsan]

5. I almost added that exact same statement about Christianists

And since it's not the only reason, I'm adding a double shot of Old Overholt.

[Irish_Dem]

12. I wish they would be raptured and soon. nt

[Va Lefty]

26. The sooner the better!

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. yes - there is "coming rapture salivation" going on big time in the US

[Siwsan]

8. If there's a 'Rapture Watch', I might try to get the popcorn concession

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. I can handle the Dippin Dots!

[Thor_MN]

15. I'm still hoping to score the closest beer concession upwind of Chenney's grave...

[MaryMagdaline]

7. Yes. That's the very reason

[kentuck]

9. He needs a war...

...to complete the coup.

[Siwsan]

13. Those who cast a vote to go to war should have their kids at the head of the draft queue

If they aren't physically capable of entering combat, there are PLENTY of support jobs, in the Military. Maybe politicians would think ten times over, if it is their kids being used as cannon fodder.

[Irish_Dem]

14. Rich white kids don't go to war. nt

[Siwsan]

17. There was a time when they did: John Kerry, Al Gore, Joe and Jack Kennedy for starters

I don't know enough about the WW2 and Korean War draft, as to whether deferments were so freely available and sought as they were during the Vietnam Conflict.

[Irish_Dem]

24. The Viet Nam War draft boards were notorious for granting deferments for rich white kids.

That is what some of the protests were about. Poor and minority boys were getting killed at much higher rates than well to do whites. The saying then was "If you have the dough, you don't have to go."

The Viet Nam War draft was a lottery system, based on your date of birth. It was nerve wracking waiting for the results of the lottery. The lottery system was supposed to deal with the white wealthy deferment issue, but still the well to do could get out of service with contacts.

But yes some did serve.

WWII was different as an attack on American soil had occurred (Pearl Harbour),
and there was a strong patriotic sentiment at the time. This spilled over to the Korean War as well. There was a draft and I think that is what eventually caused the public to not support the Korean War. More men asked for deferments, exemptions and refusals than in WWII.

My father was called up for the Korean War. He had flown combat in WWII, flying the Burma Hump as a bombardier. Then after the war went to college on the GI bill and when he graduated, he was called up for the Korean War because he was still active reserve status.

[Siwsan]

25. I remember waiting to hear my brother's number, during the draft

He was never called up.

My Dad was too young for the WW2 draft but he enlisted in the Marines, right after high school, and is considered a WW2 veteran.

All but one of my uncles were drafted, or enlisted. Two were in direct combat - one fought at the Battle of the Bulge and one was in the Pacific theater. He was on one ship that was torpedoed and the other was hit by a Kamikaze. I have his footlocker and it is a real time travel treasure.

Another uncle was stationed in England, and dealt with the aftermath of battles. He was the only one who would talk about his experiences. He was also the only one who survived past his 60's.

[Irish_Dem]

29. My uncle was killed during WWII, he was on the USS Meredith when it was sunk

by the Japanese in a very fierce battle. Some survivors were out in the open ocean fighting off shark attacks. Our family has always hoped that he was killed outright and did not suffer.

What ship was your uncle on that was torpedoed?

One of my clear memories about the Viet Nam War draft was sitting in class with boys who had turned 18 and worried that they might be called up.

Wow the Battle of the Bulge was a very fierce battle and your uncle is lucky to have survived.

[Cracklin Charlie]

10. Rapture bunnies.

I am so sick of explaining this to my husband.

He has a hard time with make believe.

[Siwsan]

22. I've never seen the term 'Rapture Bunnies' before. It has been added to my lexicon.

[Cosmocat]

16. He is a chupacabra

I am serious.

Everything he does sucks the soul out of people.

Remember when he spoke to the group of police officers and told them to knock the heads of suspects off the top of their cars when they are putting them in them, and the all went nuts applauding him?

Remember when he reveled thousands of boy scouts about stories implying drug orgies on yachts and everyone in the the room laughed and cheered him?

His personal life force is generated by channeling the lesser aspects of the human spirit.

[Siwsan]

19. Brilliant descriptive!

Now somebody needs to get to work with Photoshop!

[delisen]

18. Also strongly influenced by Senate minority leader Schumer

Senator Schumer has pressed Trump to do so. I don't think that Schumer sees it as triggering Armageddon but I think this move may have bipartisan support.

[Siwsan]

20. Schumer is already on my side eye "list"

I always try to balance the good against the not so good, when it comes to any politician. Schumer is starting to make me twitch.

[Arazi]

21. It also revs up terrorism against the US so more Muslim ban hammer, more terror, more Muslim bashing

Rinse, lather, repeat

Trump is a Putin controlled chaos agent. Look at everything thru that lens and you'll see things lot clearer

[Siwsan]

23. I feel like an issue concern "ping pong" ball!!

It seems I turn away from one issue, only to be confronted by another, even more harrowing one that bounces me to yet another. Some days I fantasize about cashing out and living off of the grid but then I'd probably just worry about the things I don't know I should be worrying about.

What a world, what a world!!

[mercuryblues]

27. trump did it

not only to appease the end-of-timers but also to enrich himself. trump doesn't do anything unless it puts money in his pockets. I expect to see a trump tower there in the near future.

[CincyDem]

28. IIRC, it's not just about armageddon rapture bunnies...Israel has a specific role to play.

This isn't about causing the end of times through incendiary types of policies. You could do that just about anywhere (NK anyone?)

It's that Israel, the state of Israel, is a critical locale involved in a "successful" armageddon. If there is no state of Israel, there's no place for the second coming to actually occur. So evangelicals, in their fantasy land, have to protect the state of Israel (and the Jewish people) so that Jesus can come back and smite them as heathens.

In some ways, not dissimilar to how farmers "care" for their cattle so they can fatten them up on the way to the slaughterhouse.

[MGKrebs]

30. I think it's more of just his bullying behavior.

He will do anything to antagonize his perceived enemies (Palestinians in this case.) If they don't retaliate he feels like a big man. If they do retaliate he escalates.
Asshole behavior.

[Siwsan]

32. Well, there's that, too

Three shots of Old Overhold, anyone??

[Renew Deal]

31. He likes attention

And he knows he's going to get it by doing provocative things. It doesn't matter who gets hurt by it

[Turbineguy]

33. His base has been satisfied.

They will move on to the next shiny thing. All he has really done is get a bunch of people pissed off at the US. Beyond that, nothing of substance. For his base, what they believe is more important than reality.

[doc03]

34. The religious nut jobs think when Jerusalem becomes the capitol

Jesus will return.

[Raster]

35. And the next step in the theofacsist version of Pokemon-go...

...is for the Temple of Solomon to be rebuilt.

[Iggo]

36. He's going to sacrifice thousands of lives in the hope that it keeps him in office and out of jail.

Middle East. Korean Peninsula. Somewhere else.

Doesn't matter. He doesn't care.

He thinks, and he may be right, but he thinks that a war will save his ass.

[Leith]

37. The Billionaire Behind It All

Sheldon Adelson.

This is slightly over a minute and a half and it explains a lot: