US Politics Thread |OT| SAD TRUMP

[thehunter116]

https://twitter.com/svdate/status/961784177833205760

 

[shosta]

Benji has a newsletter?

[Mandark]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul_newsletters

[shosta]

wow, so basically Ron Paul is I.F. Stone

[curly]

thought this was pretty interesting and aligns with what I've observed anecdotally: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/white-democrats-have-gotten-way-more-liberal-on-identity-issues/

Whites in the Democratic Party now see racism against people of color as a huge issue, increasingly perceiving it in a similar way to African-Americans and much differently than white Republicans. Similarly, men in the Democratic Party now see women as facing sexism in American society in numbers comparable to how Democratic women see the issue — and often in much greater degrees than Republican women.

Although I wonder (and the article discusses in its conclusion) how deeply these feelings are held among white male dems and if they'll persist when the specter of Trump and white nationalism recede from view.

[Mandark]

More than half that movement happened before Trump announced his campaign. I'm inclined to give the bulk of the credit to BLM and its attendant activism.

Another concern is how much that's an artifact of, um, "racially conservative" white people changing their party identification.

[shosta]

since we're on the topic of benji

I know he gets enough dick-sucking as is and he definitely doesn't care for profligate adulation but this post is one of my favorite benji posts of all time and the clarity here sums up why he's such a great poster

We are a hyperpower, we have been a superpower for a century, our elections and politics don't operate in a bubble. Many of them have turned on foreign policy issues, we debate earth changing events as a common function of our politics. We overthrow governments constantly. The United States cannot have a national election free from "foreign influence" whatever that means.

Russia's been futzing with our computers, so has China, even our formal allies have been caught spying in the United States. All the time, whether it's an election or not.

No matter what Trump or Hillary did with the Russians pales in comparison to every incumbent of the post war era. All of whom "colluded" with foreign governments because it was the nature of their job to not stop foreign policy for two years while we hold a Presidential election. LBJ and Nixon both tried to play the Vietnam negotiations against one another in the 1968 election. The Ford and Carter Administrations both tried to leverage foreign policy to promote their re-election campaigns. The last incumbent we have infamously saying he'll "have more flexibility after the election" to a foreign power.

What exactly is this "threat" that Russia exclusively poses? Russia didn't cause the last two administrations to wage frankly illegal wars, torture, perform illegal spying on American citizens nor cause them to declare the right to murder American citizens without due process.

We don't even have a supposed act that Russia did in the 2016 election to either help Trump or harm Hillary...or vice versa. The Podesta e-mails are too many steps removed from a plan that makes sense and that's ignoring that they had nothing in them. The "fake news" on social media thing is beyond laughable considering again how good Americans are at doing that themselves. And that was the main theory of known perjurer and former DNI James Clapper.

Denying American agency or crimes by blaming insidious foreigners who did something non specific is pretty much the oldest trick in the book. Trump showed this to great effect.

These are boogeymen to help us blame others and think there's a quick fix rather than look at what we've been doing to ourselves. Russia pulling the strings behind the scenes means we don't have to grapple with the "alt-right" or "extreme left" or Trump's Presidency being American products, instead we can handwave it away by saying if only Russia wasn't "colluding" or "fanning the flames" with their magical powers all would be well.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

despite the fact that he misspelled "bogeyman"

[close]

[Mandark]

Nah that's not a very good post.

[curly]

Boogeyman is an accepted spelling you fascist

[shosta]

I prefer a strong and stable language.

[Mandark]

"There are serious problems in US politics and we shouldn't let Russia be used to obscure that."

Sure. Absolutely. But that's not really an argument for letting Trump off the hook.

[thehunter116]

Do you guys think Rand's neighbor beat him up because Rand started filibustering to him about the evils of budget deficits?

[deepest throat]

Do you guys think Rand's neighbor beat him up because Rand started filibustering to him about the evils of budget deficits?

[kingv]

Actually benjis post is remarkably shitty and self serving in the way it slowly moved the forklifts from “no collusion! ZRussi/ and trump did nothing” to  “So what if there was collusion? What’s REALLy important is America’s evilness... and Obama did exactly the same thing!”

It’s notable for a few reasons:
1) this is basically a barely saber argument of what Trump/Nunes/whoever has been saying
2) it tacitly pivots away from his earlier assertions of essentially “Russia/Trump did nothing wrong” to “maybe they did do something wrong... but I don’t care anyway”
3) It fails to see that letting presidential candidates illegally enter conspiracies with a Foreign powers during elections with no consequences is likely to make America’s problems worse and not better.

I still love you though Benji.

[Brehvolution]

President Trump tweeted that he signed the bill, officially ending the second shutdown of his presidency.

“Just signed Bill,” he wrote. “Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!”

I'll never get over how this idiot says things.

[Joe Molotov]

Do you guys think Rand's neighbor beat him up because Rand started filibustering to him about the evils of budget deficits?

He probably just got tired of his stupid fucking face.

[Boredfrom]

It sounds like he really wants his military parade.

[Skullfuckers Anonymous]

President Trump tweeted that he signed the bill, officially ending the second shutdown of his presidency.

“Just signed Bill,” he wrote. “Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!”

I'll never get over how this idiot says things.

Master negotiator at work.

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/svdate/status/961784177833205760

 

Of course you don't give Donald Trump, the guy that would listen in on his hotel guests and puts the wives of his friends on speaker phone as he tries to persuade them to cheat with TRUMP escorts your most vital national secrets.

Everyone on the planet knows that

Except...

Americans


Luckily Trump doesn't like to read and Kelly keeps the UFO truthers and Amarosa away from his office.
Trump needs to fire Kelly and get Alex Jones on board. Get this show on the road again.

[etiolate]

jake:

I asked you to explain why the Jacobin article starts out with lies and continues with them to situate your mind towards the right direction so that you might figure out that the rest of the things you claim to be critiques were just more bullshit. However, you pulled a Mandark and dodged the Q.

But luckily, someone else went through much of the work for me in laying out that approach.

https://jacobitemag.com/2018/02/09/the-jordan-peterson-emergency/

[Brehvolution]

Whenever you hear one of his supporters say, "He tells it like it is". That just means, "He lies to my face and I love it because it triggers the libs."

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/AP/status/962024237065261056

This man's trolling is still AAA+ level though.

Trump added: "Who knows, great guy, might be president one day." 

[Nola]

https://twitter.com/AP/status/962024237065261056

This man's trolling is still AAA+ level though.

Trump added: "Who knows, great guy, might be president one day." 

Though Trump does seem to have a perverse sense of personal loyalty for as long as the offending person is not crossing Trump's own ego.

In other news, I think we might be on the cusp of a return to the glory days of early Trump administration fuckery.
 


Not sure Kelly makes it out of this one:

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/962027737211797504

White House chief of staff John Kelly has instructed senior staff to say that he took "immediate and direct action" after learning that the allegations against Rob Porter were credible, according to The Washington Post.

Kelly reportedly told the senior staff to relay what he said on Friday to subordinate staff, and that he cares about combatting domestic violence.

Aides told The Post they are concerned that Kelly's account is untrue, as it appears to contradict past statement on the matter from White House officials.

In contrast to:

Kelly issued a statement on Wednesday saying he was shocked by the new allegations

"I was shocked by the new allegations released today against Rob Porter. There is no place for domestic violence in our society,” he said in a statement.

Multiple reports Thursday stated that Kelly first learned of the allegations against Porter last year, but took no action. The allegations prevented Porter from receiving a full security clearance.

And Trump wandering the halls asking people what they think of Mick Mulvaney and having heart to hearts with Reince Priebus.

[Skullfuckers Anonymous]

I think he's stuck with Kelly cause who in the hell would Trump be able to replace him with.

[kingv]

The mooch obviously.

If it’s going to be a shit show, I at least want to be entertained.

[Nola]

I think he's stuck with Kelly cause who in the hell would Trump be able to replace him with.

Other sycophants in his orbit are basically his only options I think, like Mick Mulvaney.

 I also think it's pretty safe to say Trump is not gonna make any of these choices from an impartial dispassionate disposition, he seems to live in a perpetual shit show of self-created dysfunction. If Kelly keeps fumbling and being, dare I say, lazy in his attempts to sweep this away, Trump seems to not to take it well when people close to him monopolize the press with headlines that make him look bad.

[Nintex]

The mooch obviously.

If it’s going to be a shit show, I at least want to be entertained.

The Mooch is actually trying to run Kelly, a somewhat star marine general out of the Administration.
https://twitter.com/davidaxelrod/status/962000908769996800

As the media is also zoning in on him
https://twitter.com/pbump/status/962046832296607744

Trump says he's sad and Porter is sad and porter said he's innocent so we should remember that or something.
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/962028756415246336

Replace Kelly with the Mooch Donald, you know you want to do it for the memes

[Trent Dole]

https://twitter.com/historyinflicks/status/962032837242191874

[Nintex]

Yaasssss

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/962067090227253248

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/962072147815526400

[Boredfrom]

Yaasssss

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/962067090227253248

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/962072147815526400

Then again, Sessions also wanted to resign but Trump said no (before the Russia stuff got worse, of course).

People have said that Trump doesnt like to fire people (is more of a... pushing them away kind of guy...)

[Nola]

Then again, Sessions also wanted to resign but Trump said no (before the Russia stuff got worse, of course).

People have said that Trump doesnt like to fire people (is more of a... pushing them away kind of guy...)

Trump seemingly also has a weakness for people that come groveling to him. Like Sessions did, Bannon got away with until he didn't, and Kelly apparently just did.

That might be enough to stave off all hopes at getting the spirit of the first season of the Trump Show back on track. Sad.

...If I have to watch the customs, norms, and institutions of this country slowly erode and get turned over to crony capitalists to pillage, it would be nice to at least be entertained while the country is getting fucked.

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/chicagotribune/status/962096666169012225


So uuuhh was #qanon right again? 

[kingv]

I just looked up Q-anon. That shit is even crazier than I had assumed it would be.

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/AshleyRParker/status/962109208337383425

The people demand a sacrifice in blood

[team filler]

 

[jakefromstatefarm]

and continues with them to situate your mind towards the right direction so that you might figure out that the rest of the things you claim to be critiques were just more bullshit.

if someone claims A & B, and A is demonstrated to be wrong, how does that show that B is wrong too? If you wanna discuss the substantive stances I addressed -stances which are explicit in both Peterson’s work and in recent criticisms of his work- then I’d be happy to engage with you. If you wanna discuss the overeagerness with which a leftist slides into accusations of fascism and altrightery while he’s preaching to the converted, then it’s gonna be here where I take my leave.

[etiolate]

Because you don't seem to be picking up that the whole of the thing is preaching to the choir, so you don't see where "social Darwinism" or "pseudo-science" is as nonsense as alt-right fascist.

Your response does not give me confidence that you read the article I linked.

[Nintex]

I like how in the photo they made Kelly look the sleazy guy who did the harassment. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/us/politics/us-cyberweapons-russia-trump.html

tfw you want to deal with Russians to get your stolen cyberweapons back

The cash, delivered in a suitcase to a Berlin hotel room in September, was intended as the first installment of a $1 million payout, according to American officials, the Russian and communications reviewed by The New York Times. The theft of the secret hacking tools had been devastating to the N.S.A., and the agency was struggling to get a full inventory of what was missing.

and the Russians turn up with Trump dirt instead

Several American intelligence officials said they made clear that they did not want the Trump material from the Russian — who was suspected of having murky ties to Russian intelligence and to Eastern European cybercriminals. He claimed the information would link the president and his associates to Russia. But instead of providing the hacking tools, the Russian produced unverified and possibly fabricated information involving Mr. Trump and others, including bank records, emails and purported Russian intelligence data.

 


Kelly's not even out the door yet 
https://twitter.com/PostRoz/status/962126894945722374

[Mandark]

Hey et, you think that Zimmerman story about Seth Rich is going to pan out?

I think I may have asked you this before but it's so hard to keep track of this thread.

[etiolate]

https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/962125518085722112

[shosta]

why is all this shit such a big deal

just fire the guy and move on

[Nintex]

At this rate, the entire White House has resigned or has been fired when Trump returns from his Golf weekend on Monday. 

[brawndolicious]

https://twitter.com/AP/status/962130231325839361

Cracks in the dam yo

why is all this shit such a big deal

just fire the guy and move on

Well that's something they should have done when they found out.

But they didn't do that because they don't exactly have a deep bench of experienced political advisers who don't hate the president. Best case scenario.

[etiolate]

It's the same thing as the other memo. They'll blackout/redact names and certain things, then release it.

[brawndolicious]

FBI and DoJ never said anything needed to be redacted. They did say that about the Nunes memo tho. 

[thehunter116]

It's the same thing as the other memo. They'll blackout/redact names and certain things, then release it.

Just like they did with Nunes memo.


Oh wait... 

[etiolate]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-suggests-minor-redactions-to-nunes-memo/

the same story about the nunes memo

[agrajag]

https://twitter.com/AP/status/962130231325839361

Lmao. The White House didn't have any national security concerns over the Nunes memo even though the DOJ was given the opportunity to review and redact this memo before it went to the WH but not the Nunes one 

This won't blow up in their face at all.

[Mandark]

why is all this shit such a big deal

just fire the guy and move on

If they'd done that with Porter it would have been such a smaller story. It's so weird that they decided to circle the wagons like this for an aide.

[shosta]

Right, this administration just creates its own problems constantly. Nothing gets done and it keeps getting dragged into the stupid media circus when everyone knows to just apologize, promise to do better, and get back to work.

[thehunter116]

Right, this administration just creates its own problems constantly. Nothing gets done and it keeps getting dragged into the stupid media circus when everyone knows to just apologize, promise to do better, and get back to work.

You say that like they have basic human compassion and empathy as well as logic and common sense instead of hate and spite.

[Nola]

why is all this shit such a big deal

just fire the guy and move on

The guy was given a security clearance of the highest level, at the request of Kelly, despite being a person they were made aware of his security issues stemming from domestic abuse allegations and potential for blackmail.

It wouldn't of been if there wasn't a year gap between knowing about it and doing something about it. But welcome to Trump world 

It's also one of those things that had this been the Democrats, there would be investigations in both chambers of congress and Fox News would be on overdrive talking about everything short of treason. And hyperbole aside, they would have a justifiable case for once.

[Boredfrom]

Right, this administration just creates its own problems constantly. Nothing gets done and it keeps getting dragged into the stupid media circus when everyone knows to just apologize, promise to do better, and get back to work.

You are never getting that from Trump.

[shosta]

The guy who wrote the Times counterpart to the Intercept story did an interview for Slate

The Russian here who was selling the stuff was somebody who was kind of known to the Americans, who has these weird underground and espionage connections. But he also does some money laundering and has this laughable cover business where he sells these portable grills you can wear around your neck for street-side sausage salesman. The company has been nearly bankrupt for years. You have all these strands and you say, “What do we do with this?”

I lol'd

[thehunter116]

This administration and Russia-gate is like a real life Coen brothers movie.

[shosta]

DON'T STEAL MY MATERIAL FROM OTHER FORUMS

[Nintex]

Even the North Koreans can't believe what the US voted for 

https://twitter.com/pbump/status/962152607350444033

"Get close to them sister, figure out if they are indeed capable of unleashing fire and fury and or pulling our leg with their stupidity."

*week later*

"Brother, make peace with these simpletons now."

[Joe Molotov]

https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/962348831789797381

He’s cracking

[Tasty]

This is the pissbabbyest thing he's ever tweeted.

[brawndolicious]

To the people who say that this is just Trump acting how we all expected him, you know you didn't expect a 6 month turnover rate with the Chief of Staff position.