Donald Trump Presidency discussion Thread VI

Manic Moran

Leroy42 wrote: »

But don't you think that each persons vote should be treated equally?

They are. At least, around here, I can't speak to all jurisdictions.

Christy42

Manic Moran wrote: »

I'm not sure the EU can't, and I believe you may be overstating the power of the Irish veto which applies only in a minority of situations, mainly relating to taxation and foreign affairs. For example, after strenuously objecting to new firearms law, and being unable to veto it as a category of law which merely required a qualified majority in the EU, Czechia took the EU to court. They lost. I guess if it's that important to them, they could always leave the Union, which a US State can't. Of note, the EU leadership is attempting to get rid of even the few national vetoes, granted, unsuccessfully so far.

On the other hand, US federal legislative authority over States is primarily limited to things which cross State lines. For other things, the States either have to be blackmailed (example, drinking age, speed limits) if there can be a connection between the blackmailing item and the endstate (eg road funding for speed limits), or it can't be done at all. For example, Congress attempted, after a school shooting, to ban guns in schools nationwide, it got thrown out by the courts as not being a federal problem, and notice how the Federal government seems powerless to prevent the States from non-co-operating on immigration enforcement.

The Federal government does have some powers that the EU does not, particularly in the area of law enforcement, but the issue is really more a matter of degree and balance, not a philosophical one. The EU may dangle money as a carrot instead of as blackmail, but then again, I don't recall any US State being fined by the Federal Government for non-compliance with a federal regulation. In any case, the majority of laws, policies and regulation which affect my daily life are drawn up by the State, which is similar to the EU's position.

[ETA: Consider it this way. Oklahoma's relationship with the Federal Government is far, far closer, not identical, but far closer to Ireland's relationship with the EU than the next level down: County Wexford's relationship with the Irish Government.]



Agreed, but on the other hand, the Presidential election is basically the swing or smaller states being told "take it or leave it, these are your choices made by the big guys". As a result, all the states are influencial, just at different times in the process.

I feel like it is how much we value those differences between a state and a country and indeed between a primary and an election. However I feel like this has gone off topic (a view point not an accusation, or an accusation against the entire chat including myself over the last few pages).

Trump may be the beneficiary of some large cracks in the US system but he is not at fault for them.

Manic Moran

That’s fair enough.

everlast75

Republicans- the fiscally responsible party

https://twitter.com/STPFreak/status/1210608906940104704?s=19

Bankrupt people gonna bankrupt

Itssoeasy

There is new video I've seen of trump saying he will be dating a young girl in ten years from 1992. The video looks like it's in trump tower(the escalator looks the same) but the audio is consistent with other weird stuff he's said about girls/women including that Jeffrey Epstein liked them younger than he did and also that if his daughter wasn't his daughter he'd date her.

I see that trump Jr went off on one over the home alone 2 edit in Canada. He calls his fathers cameo as the greatest cameo of all time. It must be great to live in a world where everything is perfect and everything you do is the greatest.

Edit: the video is not new but new to me. I've never seen it before just to be clear.

Itssoeasy

everlast75 wrote: »

Republicans- the fiscally responsible party

https://twitter.com/STPFreak/status/1210608906940104704?s=19

Bankrupt people gonna bankrupt

They may be once again in the future when the trump fever is gone but not now. And the hypocrisy is blinding because reverse the party of the person in the White House and they'd be up in arms.

marno21

everlast75 wrote: »

Republicans- the fiscally responsible party

https://twitter.com/STPFreak/status/1210608906940104704?s=19

Bankrupt people gonna bankrupt

Another U turn. Just like their love of socialism and Russia and hatred for the FBI.

Atlantic Dawn

I can see the world turning to Trump now looking for a response to Russia's new hypersonic missile system. He has been saying since he got in that they are not spending enough on the military.

stefanovich

The Phantom Jipper wrote: »

There are no questions to answer, at least not on this topic. Biden was pursuing US government policy that had Republican support. Pretend for a moment that his son was involved in anything improper, Joe Biden's actions meant that his son would face increased scrutiny.

It's nothing more than a shoddy attempt to manufacture a scandal about Biden, to create the illusion that "both sides are as bad each other".

You seem so sure. At the very least it seems highly likely that Biden used his position as VP to get his son get on the board.

A long meeting at the White House with a member of the same gas company 2 days before the son was hired.

Brian?

stefanovich wrote: »

You seem so sure. At the very least it seems highly likely that Biden used his position as VP to get his son get on the board.

A long meeting at the White House with a member of the same gas company 2 days before the son was hired.

So both of these things should happen:

1. Biden drops out of race and faces corruption charges

2. The Senate should remove Trump as president


Are we agreed?

StringerBell

Leroy42 wrote: »

As usual, the Snowflake in chief is both easily triggered and totally clueless of the facts

As the saying goes, often wrong but never in doubt.

Kermit.de.frog

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1211032731012018182

Ladies and Gentle; The President of the United States.

The election can't come soon enough.

StringerBell

Oh I dunno, the outcome of the election is far from sure at this point!

everlast75

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1211390729177702401?s=19

Does this not finally blow the "anti-corruption" reason for the withholding of aid to smithereens?

I mean, if they all opposed it then are they "for" corruption?

aloyisious

everlast75 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1211390729177702401?s=19

Does this not finally blow the "anti-corruption" reason for the withholding of aid to smithereens?

I mean, if they all opposed it then are they "for" corruption?

It sounds good so I hope the NYT has two sources independent of each other for this story extra to any chance that John Bolton is a source for it. I'd like him to be an untapped source for possible future testimony.

everlast75

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1211693554067738626?s=19

Further evidence of his economic genius.

looksee

But still they manage to find a picture of Trump with that oh-so-subtle halo effect.

TomOnBoard

Months ago, I recall that we had a brief to/fro on here regarding the trial of Eddie Gallagher who had been accused of War Crimes (by stabbing an alleged ISIS fighter in the neck following an attack by US forces on the ISIS position) in Mosul in Iraq.

Gallagher was acquitted by the jury (apart from a minor charge of posing with a corpse) after someone else admitted on the Stand that, while Gallagher had stabbed the insurgent, he (the witness) had actually been the one who killed the insurgent by pinching/closing off the tube that had been inserted to assist his breathing. He (the witness) claimed that he did this, in order to ensure that the insurgent would not be subjected to horrendous torture by the Iraqi forces later.

Since then, a trove of video. texts and other written statements were released by a whistleblower to the New York Times. This trove of information paints a picture of a massive 'gung-ho' attitude on the part of Gallagher and some of his unit that paints a picture of a psychopath who was provided with the means to indulge his worst desires by his membership of the elite Seal Team Seven. A number of his team (one of which is the witness mentioned above) described Gallagher as evil and as someone who would basically shoot any innocent person to satisfy his own desires. Some of his unit described having to shoot beside civilians (including women and children) to get them to take cover before Gallagher shot them using his sniper's rifle.

So, after all the jigs and reels, involving a widespread media campaign by Gallagher, including advocacy by Fox and Friends (amongst others), and intervention by Trump's White House, Gallagher's initial demotion was reversed (by Trump) and he was allowed to retire with an honourable discharge. The U.S. Navy, in its wisdom, decided that, despite all the apparent exonerations and the Trump reversal of the demotion, they would remove the badge of honour (the Trident) that is important to any Navy Seal. Again, Trump stepped in and vetoed that, with the result that Gallagher was again allowed to retire with full honours and the Navy Secretary Richard Spencer was forced to resign.

So, here we have a situation where an allegedly psychopathic senior officer was called out by members of his unit for alleged war crimes, and a swathe of apparently nefarious defense tactics blew the prosecution case up; the Navy was so moved as to demote him so he wouldn't get off scot-free, and its powers were subverted by a President who sees Fox and Friends as more important advisors than the Navy Secretary.

Meanwhile, Gallagher retires with all honours intact. His accusers are ostracised; his bosses are undermined; and most important, any future war crimes by psychopathic US officers in the theatre of war will be perpetrated without fear of punishment, as anyone who is uncomfortable with such evil actions will be entirely devoid of support if they come forward..

This is a culture of anything goes! It fits in well with drone strikes on unsuspecting populations where there is absolutely NO civilian oversight as to frequency and/or effect of same. It also fits in well with an attitude that, if the US Military takes an action (any action), no-one else has a right to question it. That is the stuff of sheer totalitarianism.

The world's ability to see the horrors of Abu Gharaid, Mai Lai and indeed Auschwitz will be blinded by Presidents who decide to cover things up in this way, all based on the execrable manipulations of a psychopath through Fox and Friends....

Gbear

Arguably, his handling of these war crimes cases so he can have a "war hero" as a lap dog for his campaign is worse than anything else he did.

It's ultimately relatively petty to be dipping your hand in the till of the US Treasury, and even the Ukraine affair was somewhat legalistic and while real harm may have been done to the Ukrainian forces that needed the aid, and of course to perceptions of the US abroad and their ability to prosecute effective foreign policy, I feel like his handling of the Gallagher case and similar ones are the greatest demonstration of what a moral void Trump is and how dangerous that is in a presidency.

We (and I do mean "we" - as in, the entire planet) have been extremely lucky at what an easy hand Trump has been dealt.

Syria and ISIS have been tricky, but ultimately far away and relatively isolated in scope (notwithstanding refugees being driven into Europe), but as I heard someone point out on the podcast Talking Feds, can you imagine what would happen if the US had to fight a real war with Trump in charge?

aloyisious

everlast75 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1211693554067738626?s=19

Further evidence of his economic genius.

Makes you wonder if anyone had the idea of using tax and financial breaks to lure US Co's who had moved production outside the continental US & it's territories to other countries to bring the production back to home factories. It's so obvious, like an US IDA, and should fit within Don's MAGA notions and genius, even if it's from the backroom and dropped into his ear so he can wake up with a eureka tweet. I'm surprised he hasn't be tweeting a rage-storm against the Fed chairman again over it's release.

Gbear

Gbear wrote: »

can you imagine what would happen if the US had to fight a real war with Trump in charge?

He would get bored of a protracted war and obsess over poor ratings. To liven up the season (it sometimes seems to me that he thinks life is like a TV show) he uses his big red button as he put it to nuke whoever they were at war with, and boost the ratings.
Seriously though I think he would ignore any and all advice from the generals etc because he thinks he knows it all and make whatever conflict they were in worse.

everlast75

Biden's first refusal and later clarification of his response to a subpoena appears to be having an unforeseen consequence.

Trump is now seeing it as something that needs investigating and he may force McConnell to allow witness testimony in the Senate trial....

Stallingrad

everlast75 wrote: »

Biden's first refusal and later clarification of his response to a subpoena appears to be having an unforeseen consequence.

Trump is now seeing it as something that needs investigating and he may force McConnell to allow witness testimony in the Senate trial....

Every time I hear Biden talk I despair. He seems very unconvincing at best. The D's really are in trouble with no convincing candidate. How they have not been able to find someone strong to go against someone so bad is beyond me.

Leroy42

Have you ever listened to Trump?

Whilst Biden may well be less than perfect, to judge Biden down based on hearing him yet think that he isn't better than Trump makes no sense.

If you are going to rate Biden on his speeches then it is only right that one does the same with Trump. And under any measurement Biden wins.

hotmail.com

Leroy42 wrote: »

Have you ever listened to Trump?

Whilst Biden may well be less than perfect, to judge Biden down based on hearing him yet think that he isn't better than Trump makes no sense.

If you are going to rate Biden on his speeches then it is only right that one does the same with Trump. And under any measurement Biden wins.

Biden supports cutting social welfare benefits to balance the books.

You can understand why the working class in America won't get too excited about him.

seamus

Gbear wrote: »

can you imagine what would happen if the US had to fight a real war with Trump in charge?

All of his decisions would be guided by money.

As in, how much money someone tells him that a decision will make for him. While he'd have a war cabinet with general and admirals, he'll really be taking advice from the CEOs of Halliburton, Lockheed and all of the other weapons manufacturers.

Leroy42

hotmail.com wrote: »

Biden supports cutting social welfare benefits to balance the books.

You can understand why the working class in America won't get too excited about him.

So does Trump! He has tried to make massive cuts on food stamps, community outreach, he has cut the ability to set of local taxes against federal.

All to help fund his failed tax policy of given massive tax breaks to corporations and then demanding that everyone be amazed when the stock market goes up!

The very thing that people complain about any DNC candidate can nearly always be said, but even moreso, against Trump.

But what is amazing is how many people simply ignore what Trump says and does. He literally doesn't matter. They have their idea about what Trump is and no amount of actual evidence will change that.

Take for instance the view, by some, that Trump is a workaholic and loads of energy. The man is known to now start work until 11am. Cannot stay focused in meetings. Cannot deal with anything longer than a page of information. Takes almost every weekend off, and significant cost to the taxpayer to stay at his golf courses.

Anyone. religious people, well Christians anyway, love to say how strong he has been on religious freedom. Yet Trump actively set out to bank people from entering the US and the sole basis of their religion.

I am not sure who the DNC can come up with to counter that. It appears at this stage that even Jesus himself would lose because of some perceived slight or another. (probably some cry of socialist or being out to take peoples guns away!)

hotmail.com

Leroy42 wrote: »

So does Trump! He has tried to make massive cuts on food stamps, community outreach, he has cut the ability to set of local taxes against federal.

All to help fund his failed tax policy of given massive tax breaks to corporations and then demanding that everyone be amazed when the stock market goes up!

The very thing that people complain about any DNC candidate can nearly always be said, but even moreso, against Trump.

But what is amazing is how many people simply ignore what Trump says and does. He literally doesn't matter. They have their idea about what Trump is and no amount of actual evidence will change that.

Take for instance the view, by some, that Trump is a workaholic and loads of energy. The man is known to now start work until 11am. Cannot stay focused in meetings. Cannot deal with anything longer than a page of information. Takes almost every weekend off, and significant cost to the taxpayer to stay at his golf courses.

Anyone. religious people, well Christians anyway, love to say how strong he has been on religious freedom. Yet Trump actively set out to bank people from entering the US and the sole basis of their religion.

I am not sure who the DNC can come up with to counter that. It appears at this stage that even Jesus himself would lose because of some perceived slight or another. (probably some cry of socialist or being out to take peoples guns away!)

This gets said all the time. That's the point - Irish people don't point out the faults of the Democrats. They're happy to be experts on Republicans but ignore the massive issues of the Democrats.

everlast75

https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1212103207469666304?s=19

The top lies of each month by Donald John Trump. What a complete and utter degenerate liar.

pixelburp

hotmail.com wrote: »

This gets said all the time. That's the point - Irish people don't point out the faults of the Democrats. They're happy to be experts on Republicans but ignore the massive issues of the Democrats.

No we don't, it's just that for 3 years there has been a republican president, Senate and until lately, Congress. That's going to skew the conversation. You can't rap knuckles for balance when literally the entire machine of the state has been lopsided to one party. You do people here a disservice in insinuating bias or short sightedness.

The democrats have a raft of issues and their own collection of controversies. Indeed most folk here, if you read the 2020 election thread, have demonstrated being against Biden as nominated candidate. He'll probably win but he's as Establishment as Clinton was, with all that entails.

Just because every second post isn't some "...and in the interests of balance, the Democrats suck too" nod doesn't imply ignorance. And if you think the thread needs generalising away from "Present Donald Trump,", report it!