Monday Open Thread (Temp)

Finally top 10.

And so now the Chinese apparently think that it’s a good idea to try to test SECDEF Mattis (and by extension the Trump Administration). The Chinese have been able to get away with doing whatever they’ve wanted to do out in the Pacific for the past eight years, but now they may find out sooner rather than later that ‘there’s a new sheriff in town’. ‘China sails warships near islands Mattis vowed to defend for Japan’ http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/06/china-sails-warships-near-islands-mattis-vowed-to-defend-for-japan.html ‘Three Chinese warships sailed near the contested Senkaku Islands Monday, in a rare move apparently sending a message to the U.S. just two days after President Trump’s defense secretary visited Japan and vowed to defend the islands. The ships sailed within Japan’s territorial waters some 12 nautical miles off the islands in the East China Sea, roughly 140 miles northeast of Taiwan, a U.S. defense official told Fox News. […] “I made clear that our long-standing policy on the Senkaku Islands stands. The U.S. will continue to recognize Japanese administration of the islands,” Mattis said. “As such, Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty applies.” Article 5 commits the U.S. to defend Japan or its territories if attacked. […] China has flown nuclear-capable bombers around other contested islands, including the Spratly Islands, six times this year. The latest flight took place on Sunday, according to the official. In late November, China flew a pair of nuclear-capable bombers around Taiwan for the first time. Days later the Taiwanese president called then-President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his election win. The call broke a decades-long “one-China” protocol with American leaders communicating directly with Beijing only. Japan scrambled eight F-15 fighter jets to intercept the Chinese flight while it was circumnavigating Taiwan, according to officials. In recent years, China has constructed seven artificial islands in the South China Sea and has placed runways on three of them. In recent months, China has added military fortifications to protect the islands. In late December, China placed hundreds of surface-to-air missiles on Hainan Island off mainland China, which intelligence officials say could one day be moved to China’s… Read more »

Ooopsie, the Mexicans say the call from The Donald was not as described by the media. I’m shocked /s. http://conservativetribune.com/media-panic-mexican-pres-trump/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=thenewvoice&utm_campaign=can&utm_content=2017-02-04

More proof that anti-Trump protesters care about only themselves and their agenda:

https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/ambulances/articles/191079048-Trump-protesters-block-ambulance-transporting-critical-patient/