"...THIS is a knife!" (Quoting from the first "Crocodile Dundee", for those who may not know.)
Actually, we don't need to send you guys an ambassador. All Americans who loathe Trump's presidency will be arriving in Oz at the end of our summer, the beginning of yours. We can all talk things out then.
(grin, wink)
Bullies need to be called out for their actions and stopped, as they will always move on to another target if they are ignored.
You don’t need to be evil to stop evil, but you absolutely do need to call it what it is and stand up to it in any way you can.
I will never tolerate bigotry and hatred.
Just to set the record straight, I did not suggest in any way that bullies should be ignored. What I suggested is that you cannot combat evil by being evil. You cannot end hatred by exercising hatred. I did not suggest that bigotry and hatred should be tolerated. It should be fought, but I suggested that a level of kindness, courtesy and compassion should be held for the people who hold differing views.
In other words: Hate the sin, not the sinner.
Kindness is not weakness. It takes strength. Compassion is not weakness. It takes strength. The challenge for us in these days is to be strong, and not mimic the hateful actions of those we disagree with.
And, in these days of easily accessible social media, we must remember and always be on guard that others who mean us ill are trying to manipulate our passions to keep us divided. For the United States to be strong, we need to control our passions and not allow ourselves to be so easily manipulated.
And, here I was, going to write a long OP about Scott Pruitt, the monster in the Trump swamp, otherwise known as the Environmental Protection Agency Chief, and he ups and resigns. Apparently, this was because Faux News said he should go. Not fair.
I wondered whether the insult would be taken by Trump as a testament to his greatness. I'd prefer to see empty streets with maybe a chip bag twirling in the wind.
I'm pretty sure my wife told me that Trump asked Macron to withdraw France from the EU. Did I dream that too?
Nope. Trump told Macron that France could get a more favorable trade agreement with the U.S. than currently exists under the EU. Given how well Brexit is proceeding you have to guess Macron gave the idea all the consideration it was worth! I'm guessing Trump is worried that he has hasn't produced enough deliverables for his upcoming annual performance review in Helsinki.
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the plan was "the biggest insult to a sitting US President ever"
One of Thomas Jefferson's supporters called sitting president John Adams "a hideous hermaphroditical character" during the campaign of 1800. Four states seceded from the Union after Lincoln's inauguration rather than acknowledge him as president. (Seven others had seceded prior to his inauguration so that doesn't count as an insult to a sitting president.) A little historical perspective, please!
One of Thomas Jefferson's supporters called sitting president John Adams "a hideous hermaphroditical character" during the campaign of 1800. Four states seceded from the Union after Lincoln's inauguration rather than acknowledge him as president. (Seven others had seceded prior to his inauguration so that doesn't count as an insult to a sitting president.) A little historical perspective, please!
So, does that mean you've forgiven us for burning down the White House in 1814, then? Since we're on the subject of historical perspective ;-)
I wondered whether the insult would be taken by Trump as a testament to his greatness. I'd prefer to see empty streets with maybe a chip bag twirling in the wind.
Stewart always looks like he is having a wonderful time. He was spot on with that little speech, as usual.
That France trade deal to quit the EU has Nigel 'No no, let me speak' Farrage all over it. It's bold, it takes cheek to put the offer, and it is absolutely bonkers.
This just out. The Trump administration is opposing the promotion of breastfeeding and protecting the right to breastfeed at the World Health Assembly. Turns out Ecuador was about to submit a resolution to that effect when the Trump administration says "Hell, no." They even threatened Ecuador with trade sanctions. Equador withdrew the resolution. The action has shocked nearly everyone at the World Health Assembly.
Of course, when the Fake King is misogynistic and was the impetus of the #MeToo movement when several women have come forward to claim him of sexual inappropriateness, what would you expect?
Here's an article from [ Chris Cillizza at ] CNN on the recent Montana rally, with what is, they believe (as do the WaPo and the NYT), some very dangerous content: link.
But her e-mails! Seriously, the appropriate time to warn America about the dangerous political implications of Donald Trump's rhetoric was sometime in 2015-16. Chris Cillizza is Exhibit A on how the media fell down on that job in favor of fatuous horse-race coverage.
That's a supposedly professional reporter on how factual accuracy isn't that important to his profession. But now Cillizza is worried about Donald Trump's dangerous lies? Sorry Chris, but you're more than 600 days late and several million dollars of free media coverage short.
Jonathan Chait has a good longform (~8,000 words) piece summarizing all the publicly known connections between Donald Trump and the Russian government. Each of these at the time was given a semi-plausible explanation, though some had to be revised repeated when more information became available and rendered the explanations implausible. This dribble of information has made a lot of us miss the forest for the trees. It's kind of breathtaking to see it all together in one place.
The media has treated the notion that Russia has personally compromised the president of the United States as something close to a kook theory. A minority of analysts, mostly but not exclusively on the right, have promoted aggressively exculpatory interpretations of the known facts, in which every suspicious piece of evidence turns out to have a surprisingly innocent explanation. And it is possible, though unlikely, that every trail between Trump Tower and the Kremlin extends no farther than its point of current visibility.
What is missing from our imagination is the unlikely but possible outcome on the other end: that this is all much worse than we suspect. After all, treating a small probability as if it were nonexistent is the very error much of the news media made in covering the presidential horse race. And while the body of publicly available information about the Russia scandal is already extensive, the way it has been delivered — scoop after scoop of discrete nuggets of information — has been disorienting and difficult to follow. What would it look like if it were reassembled into a single narrative, one that distinguished between fact and speculation but didn’t myopically focus on the most certain conclusions?
It's well worth the read, if you've got the time to spare.
Jonathan Chait has a good longform (~8,000 words) piece summarizing all the publicly known connections between Donald Trump and the Russian government. Each of these at the time was given a semi-plausible explanation, though some had to be revised repeated when more information became available and rendered the explanations implausible. This dribble of information has made a lot of us miss the forest for the trees. It's kind of breathtaking to see it all together in one place.
The rhetorical force of the article is blunted by Velikovsky-like flourishes such as:
"In 2010, the private-wealth division of Deutsche Bank also loaned him hundreds of millions of dollars during the same period it was laundering billions in Russian money"
There may well be a lot of things worth investigating around both Trump and Brexit - however both stories are ill served by the individuals currently most focused on them (who come across as willing to leap to conclusions and give the most dubious of sources credence when it suits them - Kendzior tweeted a LaRouche piece the other day as 'evidence').
[FWIW I think there's a reasonable possibility that Trump might have received Russian money - if not quite reaching the heights of the 'Trump as Russian Agent" theories.
I also think there's a reasonable possibility that the Russian money known to have been received by various actors in the UK politics has influenced policy in some way, but we aren't going to get a proper investigation into that because it would implicate too many of the wrong sorts of people:
What a moron he is. I don't know whether he is Putin's sockpuppet, I suppose he may be, but he's just spitting in the faces of strategic allies, while soft peddling the USA's strategic problem.
I suspect he thinks the US has to be the best, bestest ever, like he has to be.
But he has to be even better--and more important--than the country.
OTOH, he seems to be trying to tear apart everything good about the US--at the same time that he's preaching extreme nationalism. Maybe abusive chaos is the only power he really understands.
The shackles are off, no doubt. No doubt his core supporters love his unbridled Trumpeting. But he is causing huge damage.
Reminds me of a piece of UK political history. When the notorious Tory minister Duncan (aka Drunken) Sandys fell from office, the departmental permanent head called his senior staff into his office, opened a bottle of champagne, expressed warm appreciation for their support, and then proposed a toast. "With thanks to all, now that the dark days are finally over".
What a moron he is. I don't know whether he is Putin's sockpuppet, I suppose he may be, but he's just spitting in the faces of strategic allies, while soft peddling the USA's strategic problem.
The whole "Germany is totally controlled by Russia" thing reminds me very forcefully of Trump's "no puppet no puppet" moment during the debates. It's always projection.
I'm going to say this here, since apparently nobody anywhere else will: OF COURSE a sitting president can be subpoeane'd. OF COURSE a sitting president can be indicted. OF COURSE a President is subject to criminal and civil liability. If circumstances make it impossible for Trump to exercise the office (eta) - perhaps when his red hats finally realize he is a lying, traitorous, criminal, sexist, ableist, racist bawbag - well, that's why there's a Vice-President.
Some are arguing that legal proceedings against the President would pre-empt Congress' impeachment authority. Wrong. They can impeach the motherfucker any time they find the ovaries to do so. The 25th Amendment grants Cabinet similar powers, but nobody has ever claimed that is in conflict with Congress' impeachment authority. Of course, Trump's cabinet has even fewer ovaries than Congress.
The Justice Department has long held that this is not the case. Of course the Justice Department is staffed at the upper levels by folks appointed by presidents, who will typically appoint people with a maximalist view of presidential authority. The fact that they come to the conclusion that their boss can't be indicted while in office seems a bit overdetermined.
It seems quite likely that a president could be called as a witness in a court proceeding involving other parties. To get him under oath does not require that he himself should be charged with anything first. For instance, Trump might be called as a witness in the trial of Mr. Manafort or various others. It would be much more difficult for him and his attorneys to find a good objection than otherwise. Of course, they could insist on a deposition, not testimony in court, and they could try to delay.
I'm with Nancy and Chuck these days. Forget impeachment unless the Mueller Inquiry comes up with something incontrovertible and you know that at least some Republicans in Congress will support it. What I mean to say is don't impeach Trump unless the report from Mueller means that he simply must be impeached. The Democrats don't have the numbers anyway.
This bloke must be rejected by a clear majority of the American people for the good of the United States and therefore for the good of the West. Any other outcome than an absolute smacking at the polls is going to keep this mad political era going.
I think the core of this madness is the lack of agreement over the basis facts of everything. I hope Trump represents its zenith, but I don't know. That's why I think a massive Trump loss at the next Presidential election is required. I want them to fake news the hell out of you guys and still crash and burn. The strategy must fail, as well as the bastard Trump.
I just saw someone - a right-winger on PBS Newshour - opine that NATO was seriously in trouble because of Trump, and that he expects NATO will not survive a second Trump term. The speaker was pro-Trump and looking forward to NATO going. I don't know why.
I am seriously scared by that.
GK, yeah it is, but if the Dems can get a better position in Congress Trump can be contained while you build for the final denouement of Fake News and its President in 2020. Trump will do damage, but if he is a one-term President basically spat out by the electorate things can be patched up I think. I know we have different perspectives and you are the one in the frying pan old mate.
Not sure who you are referring to with Maxine and Kieth Rom.
oh sorry, mine are yea Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer. Maxine Waters makes sense, maybe Keith is a dem who's filed process to impeach in Congress too. The House impeaches and the Senate convicts I think (or not as the case may be).
oh sorry, mine are yea Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer. Maxine Waters makes sense, maybe Keith is a dem who's filed process to impeach in Congress too.
Keith is probably Keith Ellison, who is scary to American conservatives because he's the first Muslim to serve in Congress. Plus he's black, which is also scary to conservatives.
Comments
"...THIS is a knife!" (Quoting from the first "Crocodile Dundee", for those who may not know.)
Actually, we don't need to send you guys an ambassador. All Americans who loathe Trump's presidency will be arriving in Oz at the end of our summer, the beginning of yours. We can all talk things out then.
(grin, wink)
News Item. Michael Cohen, who had been saying he would take a bullet for DT, is now saying he puts family and country before DT. Where will this lead?
In other words: Hate the sin, not the sinner.
Kindness is not weakness. It takes strength. Compassion is not weakness. It takes strength. The challenge for us in these days is to be strong, and not mimic the hateful actions of those we disagree with.
And, in these days of easily accessible social media, we must remember and always be on guard that others who mean us ill are trying to manipulate our passions to keep us divided. For the United States to be strong, we need to control our passions and not allow ourselves to be so easily manipulated.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44732754
edit: wrong link
No. "The biggest insult to a sitting US President ever" is the creature who is currently sitting as such.
Notworthysmiley, applaudingsmiley.
Nope. Trump told Macron that France could get a more favorable trade agreement with the U.S. than currently exists under the EU. Given how well Brexit is proceeding you have to guess Macron gave the idea all the consideration it was worth! I'm guessing Trump is worried that he has hasn't produced enough deliverables for his upcoming annual performance review in Helsinki.
One of Thomas Jefferson's supporters called sitting president John Adams "a hideous hermaphroditical character" during the campaign of 1800. Four states seceded from the Union after Lincoln's inauguration rather than acknowledge him as president. (Seven others had seceded prior to his inauguration so that doesn't count as an insult to a sitting president.) A little historical perspective, please!
So, does that mean you've forgiven us for burning down the White House in 1814, then? Since we're on the subject of historical perspective ;-)
Pity that didn't also happen in 2016.
According to Newsweek Trump did in fact ask Macron why doesn't France leave the EU.
Having recently traveled through Europe, that would be a nightmare. I imagine Macron did not even give much thought to it.
Not a chips bag, a cheetos bag.
That France trade deal to quit the EU has Nigel 'No no, let me speak' Farrage all over it. It's bold, it takes cheek to put the offer, and it is absolutely bonkers.
Of course, when the Fake King is misogynistic and was the impetus of the #MeToo movement when several women have come forward to claim him of sexual inappropriateness, what would you expect?
Probably. Don't worry, Russia sponsored the resolution in the end, and for some reason the US didn't object.
Should be a free click.
But her e-mails! Seriously, the appropriate time to warn America about the dangerous political implications of Donald Trump's rhetoric was sometime in 2015-16. Chris Cillizza is Exhibit A on how the media fell down on that job in favor of fatuous horse-race coverage.
That's a supposedly professional reporter on how factual accuracy isn't that important to his profession. But now Cillizza is worried about Donald Trump's dangerous lies? Sorry Chris, but you're more than 600 days late and several million dollars of free media coverage short.
It's well worth the read, if you've got the time to spare.
The rhetorical force of the article is blunted by Velikovsky-like flourishes such as:
"In 2010, the private-wealth division of Deutsche Bank also loaned him hundreds of millions of dollars during the same period it was laundering billions in Russian money"
There may well be a lot of things worth investigating around both Trump and Brexit - however both stories are ill served by the individuals currently most focused on them (who come across as willing to leap to conclusions and give the most dubious of sources credence when it suits them - Kendzior tweeted a LaRouche piece the other day as 'evidence').
[FWIW I think there's a reasonable possibility that Trump might have received Russian money - if not quite reaching the heights of the 'Trump as Russian Agent" theories.
I also think there's a reasonable possibility that the Russian money known to have been received by various actors in the UK politics has influenced policy in some way, but we aren't going to get a proper investigation into that because it would implicate too many of the wrong sorts of people:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/25/how-britain-let-russia-hide-its-dirty-money
]
But he has to be even better--and more important--than the country.
OTOH, he seems to be trying to tear apart everything good about the US--at the same time that he's preaching extreme nationalism. Maybe abusive chaos is the only power he really understands.
Reminds me of a piece of UK political history. When the notorious Tory minister Duncan (aka Drunken) Sandys fell from office, the departmental permanent head called his senior staff into his office, opened a bottle of champagne, expressed warm appreciation for their support, and then proposed a toast. "With thanks to all, now that the dark days are finally over".
The whole "Germany is totally controlled by Russia" thing reminds me very forcefully of Trump's "no puppet no puppet" moment during the debates. It's always projection.
Some are arguing that legal proceedings against the President would pre-empt Congress' impeachment authority. Wrong. They can impeach the motherfucker any time they find the ovaries to do so. The 25th Amendment grants Cabinet similar powers, but nobody has ever claimed that is in conflict with Congress' impeachment authority. Of course, Trump's cabinet has even fewer ovaries than Congress.
The Justice Department has long held that this is not the case. Of course the Justice Department is staffed at the upper levels by folks appointed by presidents, who will typically appoint people with a maximalist view of presidential authority. The fact that they come to the conclusion that their boss can't be indicted while in office seems a bit overdetermined.
This bloke must be rejected by a clear majority of the American people for the good of the United States and therefore for the good of the West. Any other outcome than an absolute smacking at the polls is going to keep this mad political era going.
I think the core of this madness is the lack of agreement over the basis facts of everything. I hope Trump represents its zenith, but I don't know. That's why I think a massive Trump loss at the next Presidential election is required. I want them to fake news the hell out of you guys and still crash and burn. The strategy must fail, as well as the bastard Trump.
The next presidential election is two years away. At the rate things are going, I'm not at all sure we can last that long.
Are you?
Maxine and Keith as well then, by default...
Stick with that!
I am seriously scared by that.
GK, yeah it is, but if the Dems can get a better position in Congress Trump can be contained while you build for the final denouement of Fake News and its President in 2020. Trump will do damage, but if he is a one-term President basically spat out by the electorate things can be patched up I think. I know we have different perspectives and you are the one in the frying pan old mate.
Not sure who you are referring to with Maxine and Kieth Rom.
You each mentioned two first names. I don't have any idea who they are.
Keith is probably Keith Ellison, who is scary to American conservatives because he's the first Muslim to serve in Congress. Plus he's black, which is also scary to conservatives.
Yeah, we've seen that film before. We got your meaning the first time.