The Trump Presidency

[smartcooky]

Pretty damned hard hitting

http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/trump-biographer-tony-schwartz-trump-lies-1282979907553

[Glom]

Oh boo hoo.

Here's a real political problem and it involves maths.

What do you get when you take 52% of voters in an advisory referendum who voted to leave the European Union, then you take maybe about 80% of those voters who voted that way to control immigration, then you take maybe 60% of those who want to do so at any cost?

a) About a quarter of all voters.
b) The Will of the People.

[raven]

Things seem to be getting more <redacted> up as we go along.  . .

[jfb]

Mencken had our number 90 years ago:

Democracy gives [the beatification of mediocrity] a certain appearance of objective and demonstrable truth. The mob man, functioning as citizen, gets a feeling that he is really important to the world—that he is genuinely running things. Out of his maudlin herding after rogues and mountebanks there comes to him a sense of vast and mysterious power—which is what makes archbishops, police sergeants, the grand goblins of the Ku Klux and other such magnificoes happy. And out of it there comes, too, a conviction that he is somehow wise, that his views are taken seriously by his betters—which is what makes United States Senators, fortune tellers and Young Intellectuals happy. Finally, there comes out of it a glowing consciousness of a high duty triumphantly done which is what makes hangmen and husbands happy.

As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

[Zakalwe]

Mencken had our number 90 years ago:

Democracy gives [the beatification of mediocrity] a certain appearance of objective and demonstrable truth. The mob man, functioning as citizen, gets a feeling that he is really important to the world—that he is genuinely running things. Out of his maudlin herding after rogues and mountebanks there comes to him a sense of vast and mysterious power—which is what makes archbishops, police sergeants, the grand goblins of the Ku Klux and other such magnificoes happy. And out of it there comes, too, a conviction that he is somehow wise, that his views are taken seriously by his betters—which is what makes United States Senators, fortune tellers and Young Intellectuals happy. Finally, there comes out of it a glowing consciousness of a high duty triumphantly done which is what makes hangmen and husbands happy.

As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

He had some abhorrent views in many areas, but by gosh he sure nailed it with those two statements!

[smartcooky]

Mencken had our number 90 years ago:

Democracy gives [the beatification of mediocrity] a certain appearance of objective and demonstrable truth. The mob man, functioning as citizen, gets a feeling that he is really important to the world—that he is genuinely running things. Out of his maudlin herding after rogues and mountebanks there comes to him a sense of vast and mysterious power—which is what makes archbishops, police sergeants, the grand goblins of the Ku Klux and other such magnificoes happy. And out of it there comes, too, a conviction that he is somehow wise, that his views are taken seriously by his betters—which is what makes United States Senators, fortune tellers and Young Intellectuals happy. Finally, there comes out of it a glowing consciousness of a high duty triumphantly done which is what makes hangmen and husbands happy.

As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

I've pinched that last quote to make it my temporary sig. at ISF.

[LionKing]

So Trump believes that Khashoggi was killed in a fight now while all the world stands laughing at the Saudi story 

[LionKing]

And now he changes his mind after he saw the pressure from everyone
Apart from that,what a coward crime indeed.. and what a pathetic explanation from KSA. The Saudi regime should be punished, also the Syrian regime who has killed thousands like Khashoggi, but there is no one to pressure them as should

[Zakalwe]

And now he changes his mind after he saw the pressure from everyone
Apart from that,what a coward crime indeed.. and what a pathetic explanation from KSA. The Saudi regime should be punished, also the Syrian regime who has killed thousands like Khashoggi, but there is no one to pressure them as should

Their not getting punished for killing hundreds of thousands in Yemen. Why should one more make a difference?
I paraphrase Stalin- A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.

[LionKing]

And now he changes his mind after he saw the pressure from everyone
Apart from that,what a coward crime indeed.. and what a pathetic explanation from KSA. The Saudi regime should be punished, also the Syrian regime who has killed thousands like Khashoggi, but there is no one to pressure them as should

Their not getting punished for killing hundreds of thousands in Yemen. Why should one more make a difference?
I paraphrase Stalin- A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.

Well, if they get severely punished for this one it will do justice for the rest..of course considering that the premise for the punishment is that killing one is like killing millions.

[gillianren]

Trump believes what is convenient to Trump.  He'll pretend to believe what he thinks other people want him to if he thinks that'll get him what he wants from them.

[raven]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/21/us/politics/trump-transgender-health-care.html
To paraphrase Pink Floyd, all in all its another kick in the balls. I would not be surprised if they start denying changes to ID for folks like me after this if this goes through.

[Zakalwe]

America takes another step into the Puritanical dark ages.
At this stage it appears that one of the most toxic things on Earth is the over-60 white Republican.

[nweber]

So Trump believes that Khashoggi was killed in a fight now while all the world stands laughing at the Saudi story 

Perhaps he accidentally stabbed himself in the stomach while shaving.

But, maybe he is still alive, he was videotaped walking out the back door, wearing different shoes, and with considerably more hair on his head than when he went it.  If you are looking at a hair transplant, and want quick results, the Saudi consulate seems like the place to go.

[nweber]

Their not getting punished for killing hundreds of thousands in Yemen. Why should one more make a difference?

Yes, but those victims are Yemenis.

Which was the greater tragedy, fewer than three thousand killed in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, or several hundred thousand killed in Iraq?  The answer is obvious, unless you take the absurd position that Iraqis are actually people.

This chap was a refugee, a resident of the US, who might have been applying for a green card, and with three children who were US citizens.  So he's got to be worth at least as much as a few million Yemenis.  Unless he did something the US doesn't like (looks like he won't have the opportunity now), in which case he might have been executed by the US instead.