The Trump Dump!

#1261

There's a reason why the US invaded Iraq with some flimsy excuses but didn't invade or engage in any military act against Russia even after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war. That reason is that Russia is a nuclear power and Iraq wasn't.

Once you're a nuclear power you've pretty much made yourself safe from invasions or other acts of open aggression. Nobody who has even a tiny shred of sanity wants a nuclear war. Terrorism, espionage and subversion are a different matter, of course.

#1262

Kirbmarc wrote: ↑
CaptainFluffyBunny wrote: ↑Kim got a meeting with the president, vastly raising his clout. The US looked very foolish, and a pissed-off China isn't being as strict with the sanctions. Most foreign leaders are looking to use Trump's ego to play him for points. Not a good look.
Trump is a chump, but North Korea would never ACTUALLY give up its nukes. Those nukes are pretty much the only reason why Kim Jong Un can sleep safely, knowing that no one will invade his country now that he can go nuclear. Un wants to stay alive, he' seen what happened to Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi, and is in no rush of being dragged into a tribunal and executed, or being dragged out of a car and being beaten to death.

He ruled and rules his country as an authoritarian shithole, he knows that if the US would invade him or militarily support an insurrection against him he'd get no mercy, at the first big defeat on North Korean soil his own court would abandon him and try to save their own asses. The nukes are a way to warn the American to not even think about trying to invasions or coups or supporting rebellions.

The best you can get from North Korea is a lack of open hostility.

Trump was talking de-nuclearization, he got squat like everybody with a brain said he would, meanwhile NK ratchets up it's nukes. Japan and SK seem to be feeling slightly betrayed. Plus, Kim is a bit emboldened. I think it will be worse in the long run.

#1263

CaptainFluffyBunny wrote: ↑Trump was talking de-nuclearization, he got squat like everybody with a brain said he would, meanwhile NK ratchets up it's nukes. Japan and SK seem to be feeling slightly betrayed. Plus, Kim is a bit emboldened. I think it will be worse in the long run.

Nobody could ever get North Korea to give up their nukes. Trump's mistake wasn't that he wasn't able to make Kim dismantle his nuclear arsenal, it was believing that he was so smart and charismatic that he could do what no one else could. Classic narcissistic arrogance.

#1264

What gets me is that even though it went EXACTLY as everyone predicted, some people still want to give Trump points for trying. Points they'd never have given to any Democrat of course.

But it's not just that Trump "tried." It's that he tried stupidly. He declared it a success before it even happened which gave Kim leverage. He handed NK a ton of propaganda reel footage. Where the fuck was all this Great Negotiator shit people keep talking about?

Fuck, people are bending over backward to interpret everything Trump does is the absolute best, most charitable light just to get him over the rather low bar of "did alright I guess." And everyone who isn't a bottomless well of charity is just being too hard on the man all the time.

#1265

Sunder wrote: ↑ What gets me is that even though it went EXACTLY as everyone predicted, some people still want to give Trump points for trying. Points they'd never have given to any Democrat of course.

But it's not just that Trump "tried." It's that he tried stupidly. He declared it a success before it even happened which gave Kim leverage. He handed NK a ton of propaganda reel footage. Where the fuck was all this Great Negotiator shit people keep talking about?

Fuck, people are bending over backward to interpret everything Trump does is the absolute best, most charitable light just to get him over the rather low bar of "did alright I guess." And everyone who isn't a bottomless well of charity is just being too hard on the man all the time.

I consume a ton of news. Probably two to four hours a day. I listen to multiple sources. I have heard Trump make several claims. In general, right after his meeting with Kim he was positive about how things were going. But, as I recall, within a week or two he started saying that the deal might not work out. That he may not succeed with North Korea and that the solution was really in Kim's hands. I think he was generally pretty honest about the whole thing. The media only covers what they want. It is funny, but you actually have to watch an entire rally to hear what Trump really says.

Now, I am not saying he isn't a giant lying blow-hard... but we should at least attempt to be honest about what he says.

#1266

I always aim for honesty.

I didn't just start following Trump when he was a reality star. My extended family had dealings with him way back in the 80s. He was always wheeling and dealing, fucking people over and generally being a untrustworthy low-life scumbag. If you have trouble believing Trump might be in over his head with the Russian version of the mafia, you simply haven't been paying attention.

That Mueller&Co have something on Trump is almost a certainty. The question is what and how much. Now once again the United States will (hopefully) show that no one is above the law.

#1267

Sunder wrote: ↑ What gets me is that even though it went EXACTLY as everyone predicted, some people still want to give Trump points for trying. Points they'd never have given to any Democrat of course.

But it's not just that Trump "tried." It's that he tried stupidly. He declared it a success before it even happened which gave Kim leverage. He handed NK a ton of propaganda reel footage. Where the fuck was all this Great Negotiator shit people keep talking about?

Fuck, people are bending over backward to interpret everything Trump does is the absolute best, most charitable light just to get him over the rather low bar of "did alright I guess." And everyone who isn't a bottomless well of charity is just being too hard on the man all the time.

People excuse lots of things when it's their side doing it. "It's OK When Trump Does It".

If Obama had tried to come up with a deal with North Korea that was as naive and haphazard as Trump's he'd have been crucified by the right-wing press as weak, stupid, cowardly and a traitor. You wouldn't hear the end of it on Fox News.

Trump fans simply excuse everything he does. He's aware of that. He joked that he could start shooting people in the street and he wouldn't lose too much support,

Some degree of hero-worship towards politicians is common in the age of social media tribalism. There were Obama fanatics who thought he deserved to get a Nobel prize for not being George W. Bush and people who believed that Hillary Clinton was a progressive goddess. It's never a good idea to go too easy on your elected leaders, you need to hold them accountable when they fuck up.

But with Trump it's up to eleven since he's relentless in self-promotion and in spreading conspiracy theories and denial of reality, and the right-wing media are all squarely on his side. He also partnered up with some of the most influential conspiracy theorists on the web, so he got their audience. The uber-fans of Obama or Clinton didn't have that kind of monopoly of political discourse on the left (as evidenced by Bernie Sanders' popularity in the primaries), and while leftist medias were biased in their favor in general they at least didn't engage in a complete denial of reality.

The right-wing and especially in the "alternative" right-wing media offered us an endless series of evidence-less conspiracy theories, from Birtherism to Pizzagate to Qanon. Trump was always able to spin his message for the conspiracy kooks, he gave them a bigger audience, and now large sectors of the American right live in their own reality where the Democrats are part of a cabal of pedophiles and Muller is working with Trump to arrest them.

The "NeverTrump" conservatives/right-wingers just don't have any access to right-wing media, they've been pushed out, marginalized, and can only write for media outlets that Trump defines as "fake news". During the Obama era many were fawning over him, but it wasn't impossible to find critics of his foreign policy, or his deals with some corporate donors, or even of the Affordable Care Act among the mainstream and even leftist media.

The Trumpers today are actively prevented from hearing any sort of criticism on the media they consume, and instead hear a LOT of lies and conspiracy theories. Trump himself attacks the media who criticize him incredibly often. Obama didn't tweet about the "falling Fox News" all the time. Every other tweet Trump writes is about "the falling New York Times" , how CNN is unfair and biased against him, how NBC is lying, how the "mainstream media" ratings are dropping, they're losing, failing, envious, lying, persecuting him, etc.

#1268

Persecution is a common theme of Trump and his supporters, they all feel persecuted. Even if Trump is found to have done highly illegal things, his fan base is going to pretend it was a conspiracy. I do expect some of them to lose their shit when the Orange One goes down.

#1269

CaptainFluffyBunny wrote: ↑ Persecution is a common theme of Trump and his supporters, they all feel persecuted. Even if Trump is found to have done highly illegal things, his fan base is going to pretend it was a conspiracy. I do expect some of them to lose their shit when the Orange One goes down.

Google and the LSM has been brainwashing the leftards into thinking that Trump is a liar when in fact lies are truth. Dangerous and probably illegal. Fake News and Deep State will drained from swamp and witchcunters will be sent to jail and their security clearances revoked. FBI and CIA will have all the demoncrats purged and thrown in jail. If the repubs lose the house in the midterms there will be violence. And Hillary will have started it.
#LockHerUp

#1270

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/ ... ly/568831/

#1271

Kirbmarc wrote: ↑
Sunder wrote: ↑ What gets me is that even though it went EXACTLY as everyone predicted, some people still want to give Trump points for trying. Points they'd never have given to any Democrat of course.

But it's not just that Trump "tried." It's that he tried stupidly. He declared it a success before it even happened which gave Kim leverage. He handed NK a ton of propaganda reel footage. Where the fuck was all this Great Negotiator shit people keep talking about?

Fuck, people are bending over backward to interpret everything Trump does is the absolute best, most charitable light just to get him over the rather low bar of "did alright I guess." And everyone who isn't a bottomless well of charity is just being too hard on the man all the time.
People excuse lots of things when it's their side doing it. "It's OK When Trump Does It".

If Obama had tried to come up with a deal with North Korea that was as naive and haphazard as Trump's he'd have been crucified by the right-wing press as weak, stupid, cowardly and a traitor. You wouldn't hear the end of it on Fox News.

Trump fans simply excuse everything he does. He's aware of that. He joked that he could start shooting people in the street and he wouldn't lose too much support,

Some degree of hero-worship towards politicians is common in the age of social media tribalism. There were Obama fanatics who thought he deserved to get a Nobel prize for not being George W. Bush and people who believed that Hillary Clinton was a progressive goddess. It's never a good idea to go too easy on your elected leaders, you need to hold them accountable when they fuck up.

But with Trump it's up to eleven since he's relentless in self-promotion and in spreading conspiracy theories and denial of reality, and the right-wing media are all squarely on his side. He also partnered up with some of the most influential conspiracy theorists on the web, so he got their audience. The uber-fans of Obama or Clinton didn't have that kind of monopoly of political discourse on the left (as evidenced by Bernie Sanders' popularity in the primaries), and while leftist medias were biased in their favor in general they at least didn't engage in a complete denial of reality.

The right-wing and especially in the "alternative" right-wing media offered us an endless series of evidence-less conspiracy theories, from Birtherism to Pizzagate to Qanon. Trump was always able to spin his message for the conspiracy kooks, he gave them a bigger audience, and now large sectors of the American right live in their own reality where the Democrats are part of a cabal of pedophiles and Muller is working with Trump to arrest them.

The "NeverTrump" conservatives/right-wingers just don't have any access to right-wing media, they've been pushed out, marginalized, and can only write for media outlets that Trump defines as "fake news". During the Obama era many were fawning over him, but it wasn't impossible to find critics of his foreign policy, or his deals with some corporate donors, or even of the Affordable Care Act among the mainstream and even leftist media.

The Trumpers today are actively prevented from hearing any sort of criticism on the media they consume, and instead hear a LOT of lies and conspiracy theories. Trump himself attacks the media who criticize him incredibly often. Obama didn't tweet about the "falling Fox News" all the time. Every other tweet Trump writes is about "the falling New York Times" , how CNN is unfair and biased against him, how NBC is lying, how the "mainstream media" ratings are dropping, they're losing, failing, envious, lying, persecuting him, etc.

I think part of this is that some of the people who support trump do so out of a desire to get revenge on the government. They feel like both of the parties have screwed them and they view trump as a weapon against the status quo. If the main thing you want to see out of a presidency is a never ending set of headaches for the "establishment", then I can't see how you would find fault with trump. He's definitely sticking a wrench in the normal working order of everything he can get his hands on and making a mockery of the status quo. He might actually lose some support if he started listening to the people around him and tried to normalize his presidency. I don't think all of his supporters are like this, but maybe 10-20% are.

#1272

Old_ones wrote: ↑I think part of this is that some of the people who support trump do so out of a desire to get revenge on the government. They feel like both of the parties have screwed them and they view trump as a weapon against the status quo. If the main thing you want to see out of a presidency is a never ending set of headaches for the "establishment", then I can't see how you would find fault with trump. He's definitely sticking a wrench in the normal working order of everything he can get his hands on and making a mockery of the status quo. He might actually lose some support if he started listening to the people around him and tried to normalize his presidency. I don't think all of his supporters are like this, but maybe 10-20% are.

The problem is that it's not just the government which suffers if you have someone who plays havoc with the institutions. Also what makes them think that Trump isn't screwing them over, too?

I can understand being frustrated with a system where both parties are all too ready to accommodate for the wishes of influential corporations while ignoring some needs of the public, but Trump is also ready to screw over the public to benefit himself and his friends. Lashing out may feel good, but in the long run it doesn't lead to anything.

#1273

Kirbmarc wrote: ↑
Old_ones wrote: ↑I think part of this is that some of the people who support trump do so out of a desire to get revenge on the government. They feel like both of the parties have screwed them and they view trump as a weapon against the status quo. If the main thing you want to see out of a presidency is a never ending set of headaches for the "establishment", then I can't see how you would find fault with trump. He's definitely sticking a wrench in the normal working order of everything he can get his hands on and making a mockery of the status quo. He might actually lose some support if he started listening to the people around him and tried to normalize his presidency. I don't think all of his supporters are like this, but maybe 10-20% are.
The problem is that it's not just the government which suffers if you have someone who plays havoc with the institutions. Also what makes them think that Trump isn't screwing them over, too?

Nothing makes me think that, in fact I believe the opposite. To the extent that Trump has accomplished anything positive for anyone, it has been more tax breaks which mostly benefit the extremely rich. He makes a lot of noise about how he is going to bring coal back, and stop the immigrants from taking your jobs, but that's a lot of sound and fury. He and the republicans also tried to get rid of the affordable care act, which would disproportionately screw the working and middle class.

I'm not sure why people with this perspective don't understand this, but I would guess that they have a simplistic and emotionally driven view of the situation. They have their scapegoat (e.g. government, democrats, immigrants) and trump is sticking it to the scapegoat, so he must be fighting for them.

I can understand being frustrated with a system where both parties are all too ready to accommodate for the wishes of influential corporations while ignoring some needs of the public, but Trump is also ready to screw over the public to benefit himself and his friends. Lashing out may feel good, but in the long run it doesn't lead to anything.

Yeah, it's a nihilistic approach to politics, and it's going to make everything worse. I have a hard time feeling sorry for these people though. When trump announced his trade war with China, and they retaliated by targeting US grown crops, I had to laugh a little bit (rural areas are overwhelmingly conservative in the US). But it isn't really funny, because it is potentially bad for the economy, which can hurt everyone.

#1274

Old_ones wrote: ↑ Yeah, it's a nihilistic approach to politics, and it's going to make everything worse. I have a hard time feeling sorry for these people though. When trump announced his trade war with China, and they retaliated by targeting US grown crops, I had to laugh a little bit (rural areas are overwhelmingly conservative in the US). But it isn't really funny, because it is potentially bad for the economy, which can hurt everyone.

No, it's definitely not funny. I think that a large part of the nihilistic approach to politics is due to irrational apocalyptic beliefs. If you genuinely believe that due to immigration the US are going to turn into Venezuela or the people in your social group are going to be killed in droves or imprisoned soon then you may as well elect someone who will wreck everything to stop this from happening, and don't care about the damage.

This is one of the reasons why the alt-"lite" messages are bad regardless of whether they're about race or culture. If you spread the idea that "the west is going to collapse" you're facilitating the job of the social manipulators who use those messages to win elections and gain a loyal fanbase that will allow them to get away with everything.

#1275

A very. Stable. Genius.

#1276

You gotta love Trump's rhetoric, and the people that lap it up.

#1277

#1278

Trump just loves murderous tyrants. What are the chances he builds a casino or at least a hotel in Mecca anytime soon.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story ... icy-219617

#1279

The Barbarians can buy his sorry arse for chump change, and convince him he's the greatest deal maker on the planet. Fucking eejit.

#1280

1 рег шайтанократия.jpg: (112.78 KiB) Downloaded 229 times

#1281

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/ ... tar-805570
It's been reported that Trump has privately said that he has no intention of negotiating in good faith with Canada. Ever since that photograph of Ivanka making goo goo eyes at Trudeau the Donald has had it in big for Canada and appears hellbent on fucking up Canada's economy.

#1282

This is worth watching. Scott Adams is the Engineer/Cartoonist who wrote Dilbert.

#1283

Hey John D. Here is another engineer; seems to be nearly as clueless as Scott Adams:

I bet he's a Trump apologist/supporter too.!

#1284

free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑ Hey John D. Here is another engineer; seems to be nearly as clueless as Scott Adams:

I bet he's a Trump apologist/supporter too.!

Did you even watch the Scott Adams video you cunt? and... no... I didn't watch your stupid ass video. Haha. Trump 2020... MAGA!

#1285

John D wrote: ↑
free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑ Hey John D. Here is another engineer; seems to be nearly as clueless as Scott Adams:

I bet he's a Trump apologist/supporter too.!
Did you even watch the Scott Adams video you cunt? and... no... I didn't watch your stupid ass video. Haha. Trump 2020... MAGA!

You introduced this video as something worth watching without commenting on the point that made it worth watching. It's 45 minutes long.
I'm familiar with this moron. He's just another shallow windbag that pretends to be informative on youtube. I tried watching it, and even skipped over bits to see if I could find him making a point. What I saw was just parroting Trump talking points. Basically regurgitating stupid tweets he was making.
Have you ever heard the "garbage in, garbage out" quote? It is why I won't waste time on this loser.
You are an idiot. haha

#1286

Another witch caught!
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/31/politics ... index.html

#1287

free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑ Another witch caught!
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/31/politics ... index.html

It'd be rather interesting to know exactly who was the Ukrainian oligarch who paid used Patten to funnel money to the Trump campaign, especially since Patten also worked with Manafort and an unnamed Russian (probably Konstantin Klimnik, an associate of Manafort's) to place op-eds in American media in 2017.

But I guess we could hear more about this story later. I wonder if it plays a role in the larger investigation into the Rosneft sale.

Berman Jackson also spoke on the rarity of a foreign lobbying prosecution. There is no sentencing guideline for this type of case and no analogous guidelines the court can use to determine Patten's sentence.

This is interesting. My hope is that the Muller investigation will create some precedent for investigating lobbyists, so that even when Trump will be gone people will start demanding more rules and better oversight over lobbyists, especially in case of involvement of foreign powers (all foreign powers, both rivals like Russia and alleged allies like Turkey and Saudi Arabia).

#1288

The Ukrainian oligarch could be:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serhiy_Lyovochkin
Hopefully the Merkins get their shit together and rein in their lobbyists for their sake and Canada follows the example and cleans up our system too.
Lobbies are one of the worst aspects of modern democracies. Kind of a combination of legalized bribery and only giving a real voice to the rich and powerful..

#1289

free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑Hopefully the Merkins get their shit together and rein in their lobbyists for their sake and Canada follows the example and cleans up our system too.

Lobbies are one of the worst aspects of modern democracies. Kind of a combination of legalized bribery and only giving a real voice to the rich and powerful..

That's why I hope that the failure of the Trump administration will cast a negative light onto lobbies, especially lobbies with foreign ties. Watergate made the issues of separation of powers between the President and the Supreme Court clear to everyone, and affirmed the SCOTUS independence. If Trump actually ends up being at least indicted hopefully that'll lead to the issue of the power of lobbies becoming a political talking point.

#1290

I hope that white collar criminals like the Trump crowd get to taste of the wrath of the law like the lower classes. In the interest of fairness they might want to to go to the same places that the other lowlifes get to call home.

#1291

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/ar ... is/569284/
Some interesting reports about what people working in the White House have allegedly said.

Woodward delivers a raft of jaw-dropping anecdotes about the administration: Secretary of Defense James Mattis saying the president had the comprehension of “a fifth- or sixth-grader.” Chief of Staff John Kelly calling Trump an idiot. Trump saying Attorney General Jeff Sessions “is mentally retarded.” Economic adviser Gary Cohn orchestrating the theft of a letter from the president’s desk to prevent him from signing it. Trump telling Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, “I don’t trust you. I don’t want you doing any more negotiations. … You’re past your prime.”

“He’s an idiot,” Woodward quotes Kelly as saying during a group meeting. “It’s pointless to try to convince him of anything. He’s gone off the rails. We’re in Crazytown. I don’t even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I’ve ever had.”[/quote

#1292

All these people who work closely with Trump and think he's stupid just don't see his obvious genius the way millions of apologist fanboys who've never even met him do.

#1293

Sunder wrote: ↑ All these people who work closely with Trump and think he's stupid just don't see his obvious genius the way millions of apologist fanboys who've never even met him do.

For a second, I thought Vickie had de-flounced.

#1294

NYT op-ed from anonymous Trump white house official:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opin ... tance.html
Kind of corroborates what Woodward says in his book.

#1295

free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑ NYT op-ed from anonymous Trump white house official:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opin ... tance.html
Kind of corroborates what Woodward says in his book.

Everyone has been saying the same thing for trump's entire presidency: Micheal Wolff, Omarosa, now Woodward, and various unnamed aids. They say trump is childish, unhinged, imbecilic, functionally illiterate, and impulsive. If trump is one of the most persuasive people that Scott Adams has ever seen (as he is fond of saying) I wonder why he can't persuade anyone around him that he isn't a mental incompetent.

:think:

#1296

You don't need to be on the inside to see what a disaster Trump is. Just read his tweets and listen to what he says. He is either a pathological liar, delusional or both. He is erratic, changes his mind on a whim, makes important decisions and judges people on whether they stroke his fragile ego.
He is a huckster that has his script down well enough to persuade a lot of people but not smart enough to spot another huckster (Putin, Kim).
The way that doofus Adams swallows the rhetoric that Trump peddles is presumably the way a Nigerian huckster bilks people out of money. The hucksters looks for people that are willing to believe something they really want to be true so badly it overwhelms their common sense. The Trump fans love the idea that all their problems are caused by criminal immigrants or sneaky back stabbing unfair trading Canadian job stealers. People that provide unwanted facts are liars peddling fake news. News casts that contradict their established beliefs or attack the party that they, their daddy, and granddaddy always supported are the enemies of the people.

#1297

Rumors circulating that Mattis may be leaving/fired soon.

#1298

RIP Burt Reynolds. The only person with better buggers' grips was Peter Wyngarde...

#1299

Shit - that should have been in the main thread.

#1300

Reportdly, Super genius libertarian Rand Paul has suggested that Trump does lie detector tests on his staff. That is libertarian beliefs apparently.
The way to defeat the deep state is to take suspects and test them with unreliable methods to see if they are loyal pure believers to the Supreme leader. I say try the lie detector test and then do a witch swimming trial to make sure you don't miss any.
Rand Paul is a pretty bad example on campaigning to get big government out of folk's lives. He sounds more Stalinist than libertarian.

#1301

free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑ You don't need to be on the inside to see what a disaster Trump is. Just read his tweets and listen to what he says. He is either a pathological liar, delusional or both. He is erratic, changes his mind on a whim, makes important decisions and judges people on whether they stroke his fragile ego.
He is a huckster that has his script down well enough to persuade a lot of people but not smart enough to spot another huckster (Putin, Kim).
The way that doofus Adams swallows the rhetoric that Trump peddles is presumably the way a Nigerian huckster bilks people out of money. The hucksters looks for people that are willing to believe something they really want to be true so badly it overwhelms their common sense. The Trump fans love the idea that all their problems are caused by criminal immigrants or sneaky back stabbing unfair trading Canadian job stealers. People that provide unwanted facts are liars peddling fake news. News casts that contradict their established beliefs or attack the party that they, their daddy, and granddaddy always supported are the enemies of the people.

Of course you don't need to be on the inside, but it's a pretty striking thing that the people on the inside are saying the things they are. One of them just published an anonymous op ed in the Times talking about how trump is an amoral nutcase and they are trying to protect the country from him. This person said that trump tried to order the assassination of Assad, and the military ignored him because they were afraid of starting world war 3.

Many people (myself included) thought George W Bush was stupid and dangerous back in the day, but his cabinet members have never been quoted saying that he's basically a rampaging shaved ape, and you should consider us heroes for preventing him from causing a global calamity. You could certainly fault him for doing plenty of damage with the Iraq war, but in general he was able to convincing the people around him that he was capable of acting as president.

As an aside, there used to be a black comedy site called the Buffalo Beast (actually it was the place that first made me aware of PZ Myers). Around New Years 2008 they did a "Most repulsive people in America" list, in which W landed at number 2, just behind Dick Cheney. The author opined that anyone who still supported Bush "would worship a turnip if it promised to kill foreigners".

Thanks to trump I'm convinced that statement is literally true of about half of republican voters.

#1302

free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑ Reportdly, Super genius libertarian Rand Paul has suggested that Trump does lie detector tests on his staff. That is libertarian beliefs apparently.
The way to defeat the deep state is to take suspects and test them with unreliable methods to see if they are loyal pure believers to the Supreme leader. I say try the lie detector test and then do a witch swimming trial to make sure you don't miss any.
Rand Paul is a pretty bad example on campaigning to get big government out of folk's lives. He sounds more Stalinist than libertarian.

Rand Paul has all the mannerisms of a premature ejaculator.

#1303

I shouldn't find this incredibly funny, should I? :lol:

#1304

Lsuoma wrote: ↑ RIP Burt Reynolds. The only person with better buggers' grips was Peter Wyngarde...

I'm sure Jimmy Edwards would take issue with this remark...

jimmy-edwards.jpg: (202.49 KiB) Downloaded 112 times

#1305

For me, this will ever be Jimmy Edwards, without the buggers' grips:

Whacko!

#1306

Note the victim blaming/rape apology in the very first line!

#1307

I'm wondering if the author of the anonymous op-ed in the NYT is Jeff Sessions, possibly co-authored with another/others in the justice department.
He has been taking crap from Trump for some time and his buddies in the senate look like they will stop supporting him soon as long as they hold on to the senate after the midterms.
If the repubs manage to hold on to the house and senate watch for the DOJ and the FBI to be getting more purges than even now, Mueller to get fired and any investigations on Trump to end. And more investigations into Hillary, or restrictions on the non Fox press?

#1308

It would be great drama for Sessions to be investigating himself. :lol:
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/ ... -ed-810651

#1309

As long they are not allowed to use the women's toilets.

#1310

Shoulda been

#1311

free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑ As long they are not allowed to use the women as toilets.

FTFY.

#1312

Lsuoma wrote: ↑ For me, this will ever be Jimmy Edwards, without the buggers' grips:

<Whacko! vid snipped>

Whacko!

Much appreciated (someone has to try a preserve British, or more specifically English, culture)- Dennis Norden & Frank Muir are always enjoyable.

Edwards mustaches were to cover up scaring following a WWII wound and plastic surgery. He was a member of the Guinea Pig club and gay. Also Glum, though he never seemed it.

#1313

We Are Trump’s Hostages

Sometimes I think it’s useful to think of this presidency as a hostage-taking situation. We have a president holding liberal democracy hostage, empowered by a cult following. The goal is to get through this without killing any hostages, i.e., without irreparable breaches in our democratic system. Come at him too directly and you might provoke the very thing you are trying to avoid. Somehow, we have to get the nut job to put the gun down and let the hostages go, without giving in to any of his demands. From the moment Trump took office, we were in this emergency. All that we now know, in a way we didn’t, say, a year ago, is that the chances of a successful resolution are close to zero.

Andrew Sullivan used to annoy me, but of late he's been hitting them out of the park.

#1314

Matt Cavanaugh wrote: ↑ We Are Trump’s Hostages

Sometimes I think it’s useful to think of this presidency as a hostage-taking situation. We have a president holding liberal democracy hostage, empowered by a cult following. The goal is to get through this without killing any hostages, i.e., without irreparable breaches in our democratic system. Come at him too directly and you might provoke the very thing you are trying to avoid. Somehow, we have to get the nut job to put the gun down and let the hostages go, without giving in to any of his demands. From the moment Trump took office, we were in this emergency. All that we now know, in a way we didn’t, say, a year ago, is that the chances of a successful resolution are close to zero.

Andrew Sullivan used to annoy me, but of late he's been hitting them out of the park.

The hostage situation is a useful analogy for what is going on, but I don't share his pessimistic outlook. Most hostage situations are resolved without bloodshed ( https://www.newswise.com/articles/as-ho ... nviolently) and I think this one will be too. I don't think trump's cult is big enough or extends far enough into government to keep him safe from the barrage of damaging and discrediting evidence he's going to face between now and whenever he finally kicks the bucket. He's eventually going to be impeached, amendment 25ed, or he's going to lose the next election. His own cabinet is already trying to contain his damage, so the likelihood of him succeeding in taking the country down with him, when he inevitably goes berserk in the event of one of those scenarios, is probably low. To be fair, he is causing damage and has caused damage, but I don't think he's done anything irreparable yet, and he probably won't be allowed to.

In my mind, the question is whether anyone will learn anything from this, or whether we will be back in the same place in another 10 - 18 years.

#1315

There's always the prospect of WW3, or even just a devastating local war.

#1316

#1317

Russia, Iran and Syria are getting ready for a massive slaughter in Idlib province. Watch for them surrounding entire communities and dumping everything form conventional bombs to every chemical weapon in the book. Take that accusation as an excuse. They will then claim that they didn't drop chemical weapons but conventional bombs that hit terrorist stockpiles, there were no chemical weapons used, and the US did it to give them an excuse to start WW3.
Be prepared for a horror show thanks to Trump's boss Putin.

#1318

free thoughtpolice wrote: ↑ Russia, Iran and Syria are getting ready for a massive slaughter in Idlib province. Watch for them surrounding entire communities and dumping everything form conventional bombs to every chemical weapon in the book. Take that accusation as an excuse. They will then claim that they didn't drop chemical weapons but conventional bombs that hit terrorist stockpiles, there were no chemical weapons used, and the US did it to give them an excuse to start WW3.
Be prepared for a horror show thanks to Trump's boss Putin.

I haven't heard of this. Have any sources?

#1319

Among others there is this:
https://www.theatlantic.com/internation ... ey/569590/
Even Trump tweeted at Putin to go easy on the offensive recently, albeit it with a fairly mild warning.

#1320

And another one:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/eu ... d8157b16df

The United States, Britain and France have warned that they will respond “appropriately” to any chemical weapons attack in Idlib — a warning repeated to council members Tuesday by all three countries.

Russia again accused Syrian rebels of preparing a chemical attack, which Moscow says the West will use to justify a strike against Syrian forces. Russia also claims British special forces are helping the rebels, including by possibly supplying chlorine, allegations vehemently denied by Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Karen Pierce who called them “baseless” and “outlandish.”