The Trump Presidency

[Peter B]

...In other words, the U.S. has lost an ally in the war against terror. Well done, old boy!

Coming a few days after giving an earful to our Prime Minister, Mister Trumble...er...Turnbull.

I mean, the USA needs strategic allies. What do you gain by annoying your current allies?

[Glom]

Does it though? With such size and resources, it is more feasible for the US to become a hermit republic than probably any other country.

[twik]

So, today Trump told Putin that the START treaty was "bad for America." At least, after his aides clarified what START was.

Scariest part of the report from Reuters was:

Typically, before a telephone call with a foreign leader, a president receives a written in-depth briefing paper drafted by National Security Council staff after consultations with the relevant agencies, including the State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies, two former senior officials said.

Just before the call, the president also usually receives an oral "pre-briefing" from his national security adviser and top subject-matter aide, they said.

Trump did not receive a briefing from Russia experts with the NSC and intelligence agencies before the Putin call, two of the sources said. Reuters was unable to determine if Trump received a briefing from his national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Because the whole world enjoys seeing the President of the U.S. winging it when it comes to nuclear destruction.

[Jason Thompson]

So Trump's team lost their appeal to have the travel ban reinstated. Apparently the two sides had very different ideas as to what constituted a valid argument for their side.

Defending the block: There's no evidence that any terrorist attack has been perpetrated by anyone from those seven countries; it's removing people's right to travel without due process; it seems to favour one religion over others, and is therefore against the constitution.

Defending the ban: He's the President so he can do what he likes, so nerrr.

So one side argued the pros and cons of the ban itself, while the other argued about power and process. It's like conversations with HBs on this board where we will argue the actual details and they will crow on about being badly treated. It's terrifying to see this kind of thing from actual world leaders!

[Glom]

Maybe they could classify foreigners as three fifths or a person. That's in the Constitution.

[ka9q]

Hillary Clinton made a very short and pointed tweet on this topic. She said simply

"3-0"

I am not a lawyer, but back in the 1990s I was the plaintiff in a lawsuit against the US State Department challenging their arbitrary export controls on public domain encryption software. So I became very familiar with claims by the executive branch that they can do whatever they want in this area. Around that time I began saying that "National security" seems to be the root password to the Constitution.

So it was especially satisfying yesterday to read the opinion in which the judges state emphatically that even if they usually give deference on national security issues to the "political branches" (Congress and the President) they still insist on having the final say on whether something violates the Constitution. Even in wartime.

Yesterday was definitely one of my better days since November 8. Maybe our system of checks and balances really is more robust than I feared. It's certainly getting tested like never before in modern times.

[Obviousman]

It's like conversations with HBs on this board where we will argue the actual details and they will crow on about being badly treated. It's terrifying to see this kind of thing from actual world leaders!

Well, my understanding is that President Trump is a believer of several conspiracies claims; the shocking thing is that, like you say, he acts on the world stage pretty much like we would expect a rabid CT / HB to act if they were on a internet forum.

[nomuse]

It's like conversations with HBs on this board where we will argue the actual details and they will crow on about being badly treated. It's terrifying to see this kind of thing from actual world leaders!

Well, my understanding is that President Trump is a believer of several conspiracies claims; the shocking thing is that, like you say, he acts on the world stage pretty much like we would expect a rabid CT / HB to act if they were on a internet forum.

He's a pretty good rebuttal to all those people who look at conspiracy theory debunkers and ask why we bother.

[Obviousman]

It's like conversations with HBs on this board where we will argue the actual details and they will crow on about being badly treated. It's terrifying to see this kind of thing from actual world leaders!

Well, my understanding is that President Trump is a believer of several conspiracies claims; the shocking thing is that, like you say, he acts on the world stage pretty much like we would expect a rabid CT / HB to act if they were on a internet forum.

He's a pretty good rebuttal to all those people who look at conspiracy theory debunkers and ask why we bother.

8-)

[twik]

It's like conversations with HBs on this board where we will argue the actual details and they will crow on about being badly treated. It's terrifying to see this kind of thing from actual world leaders!

Well, my understanding is that President Trump is a believer of several conspiracies claims; the shocking thing is that, like you say, he acts on the world stage pretty much like we would expect a rabid CT / HB to act if they were on a internet forum.

He's a pretty good rebuttal to all those people who look at conspiracy theory debunkers and ask why we bother.

Absolutely right.

[LunarOrbit]

That's one down... who will be next?

Flynn resigns amid controversy over Russia contacts

[Glom]

Is it worth taking with me on my journey a snap of me in my coveralls and hard hat smiling in front of a choke manifold with some black flares in the background as a demonstration of the business nature of travels to Iraq? I took that picture along to my visa interview at the US embassy. Can't remember if I showed it. It happened so quickly. But immigration staff are notoriously prickly and when the guy pulls a face after looking at my passport, me attempting to pull of that picture may just make things worse.

[LunarOrbit]

That's one down... who will be next?

Flynn resigns amid controversy over Russia contacts

There goes another...

Andrew Puzder withdraws as a labor secretary nominee

[smartcooky]

Did anyone watch Stephen Miller's rants a couple of days ago and have the thought occur to them that not only does he look like Joseph Goebbels, he sounds like him as well.

The attitude of this man is truly appalling and very scary.

[Zakalwe]

And another:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39000389

But, hey, the administration is running like a fine tuned machine*

I listened to his press conference last night. He's got a massive persecution complex. Today he has been in the job 4 weeks...I can't see him lasting 4 years.

All the hoo-ha about Clinton's email server...the Trump administration are running their emails through the Republican party's servers, not the White House.

The nutter is going to start a war....listen to his threat against North Korea. His comments yesterday about a single state solution for Israel will have the Arabs up in arms. All it will take is ISIS to launch an attack on US soil and he'll impose martial law.

Meanwhile, the Russian have the intelligence gathering ship Viktor Leonov cruising 40 miles off the New London submarine Base. Last Friday the USS Porter was buzzed by three Russian warplanes and a surveillance plane whilst on international waters.  The warplanes passed less than 200 yards from the boat. The Russians are basically goading the Yanks and Trump to see how he reacts.




*Finely tuned machine in this case is a v-twin with one piston missing.