[worry]

Quick question for the anti-Trumpers: when are you gonna give the man a chance? I mean every single other Republican agrees with him about everything he does, including his so-called attempt to obstruct justice (except Justin Amash, who is no longer a Republican anyway). So what are you gonna do? Say they're all accomplices to his 'crimes'? Say they're all aiding and abetting a known criminal to let him get away with it. Cuz it seems to me if Donald Trump really did all those things, you'd have to condemn the whole GOP, who are in lockstep with him. But why would they do that? You gonna sit here and tell me an entire major political party doesn't serve the American populace so much as their wealthy donors, and the president is willing to give them whatever they want in exchange for their support, no matter who it hurts, no matter how it corrodes our system? Given what you've seen and heard, does that really seem plausible?

[HoosierDaddy]

Yes. He passes the moral majority test!

[Vengeance]

 worry, on 24 July 2019 - 06:43 PM, said:

Quick question for the anti-Trumpers: when are you gonna give the man a chance? I mean every single other Republican agrees with him about everything he does, including his so-called attempt to obstruct justice (except Justin Amash, who is no longer a Republican anyway). So what are you gonna do? Say they're all accomplices to his 'crimes'? Say they're all aiding and abetting a known criminal to let him get away with it. Cuz it seems to me if Donald Trump really did all those things, you'd have to condemn the whole GOP, who are in lockstep with him. But why would they do that? You gonna sit here and tell me an entire major political party doesn't serve the American populace so much as their wealthy donors, and the president is willing to give them whatever they want in exchange for their support, no matter who it hurts, no matter how it corrodes our system? Given what you've seen and heard, does that really seem plausible?

Yes

[HoosierDaddy]

Mueller seems out of it. Not good.

I'm worried for him.

[QuickTidal]

 HoosierDaddy, on 24 July 2019 - 07:03 PM, said:

Mueller seems out of it. Not good.

I'm worried for him.

He actually seems to be to be deliberately thinking about the exact wording of every question before answering, which presents as stammering or struggling with answers...when he's just trying to be exacting.

All the congresspeople (R's and D's alike) also seem inclined to think that he knows the 400+page document he and his team wrote together...he knows by rote, which would never be the case. So when he struggles to answer them on direct quotes, he needs to ask them the clarify where that is said in the document.

It's pretty normal to me.

He also seems to have more spunk this aft than the did this morning.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 24 July 2019 - 07:07 PM

[HoosierDaddy]

Meh. I don't agree, but whatevs. He is being held out as St. Mueller and it drives me insane.

[Primateus]

 HoosierDaddy, on 24 July 2019 - 07:03 PM, said:

Mueller seems out of it. Not good.

I'm worried for him.

He's an old man, it's not unusual for old people to talk a little slow, stumble a little and there being nothing but old age wrong with them.

[Malankazooie]

Eh, he's being taciturn on purpose. Mueller's position has always been - "here is the evidence we've compiled in this report, now it's up to you (congress) to decide what you do with it". Also, Mueller strikes me as one of those people who is more of a cerebral thinker, and structured and purposeful in their work (a deep thinker some may call his type), which often times conversely translates to not being great when put on the spot/communicator. In other words, he's not good at bullshitting or pulling information out of his ass. I work with a guy like that. He's great with rolling up his sleeves and doing the hard work, but in meetings and at reviews he struggles when taking questions on completed project milestones.

[worry]

Hmm, this is odd, so question for the anti-anti-Trumpers. Why do DJT and his three eldest children keep accidentally doing scams on people? How do we account for this pattern of lapses in their otherwise sound moral fiber, with best intentions at heart? Cuz it just keeps happening to them. Maybe they're being scammed into doing scams? But then what about their business acumen...it just doesn't make sense. How can we reconcile this?

[Tsundoku]

Truly a question for the sages.

[Aptorian]

It's the dreaded Affluenza, Worry. The Trump kids got it bad.

[Abyss]

'Lib Left conspiracy' chanting starts in 3... 2... .

[worry]

[Tsundoku]

Maybe we all have it wrong? Perhaps Trumps bullshit should just be ignored or belittled?
I reckon if everyone he targeted with his tweets reacted with "Oh did he? He's such a dunce ..." or something like that and moved right along with whatever more important subject, he'd probably go mental since it's all about him. And if people are seen to ignore him ...

Anyhoo, just a theory. Reminds me of my experiences with bullies over the years - don't give them any more than minimal attention and they end up going away. Obviously this is simplistic and not to be used if they and their cronies have your head down the toilet.

https://www.news.com...e9e8bf66f99d998

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 28 July 2019 - 12:28 AM

[Aptorian]

Well the problem is that everyone ignored him for a couple years and now you've got concentration camps on the border. What comes next? Maybe they could build some walls and checkpoints around ghettos?

[Gorefest]

He is the president of the USA, not the local village idiot. You cannot just 'ignore' the president of the USA.

[Tsundoku]

 Gorefest, on 28 July 2019 - 07:07 AM, said:

He is the president of the USA, not the local village idiot. You cannot just 'ignore' the president of the USA.

Maybe it's time people should. Start treating him with the contempt he deserves. It would drive him nuts.

What else has worked up to now?

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 28 July 2019 - 07:14 AM

[Aptorian]

The course of action you describe is kind of the problem that lead to Populist Trump.

Despite all his rhetoric and alleged money and success, Donald Trump is the rich equivalent of a forgotten working class. He's a part of the disenfranchised yahoos who had this image of a great America. The land of milk and honey. And then communism fell apart and globalism took over.

Suddenly the story of America changed. America wasn't the good guys any longer. America wasn't the best. Jobs dried up. America was attacked on it's own soil. America is stuck in an endless war. The financial crisis hit. And all everyone is talking about is Obama and gay people and Hispanic minority's.

Nobody's talking about John Blue-collar and the coal mine his family has been working in for 200 years that used to be the backbone of America.

That's how you get Trump. You belittle him and dismiss him and he becomes the champion of the underclass.

[Tsundoku]

Ok, fair enough. What's the solution?

[Aptorian]

There isn't any clear solution. I've been reading some books on populism recently and they all have an answer to why this is happening but few short term solutions that can fix it.

To turn it around you'd need some hardcore cultural reprogramming. The politicians need to stop thinking in 4 year terms and stop using platforms based on fear, be it economic, immigration or climate. And the journalists need to stop feeding that fear by just paroting political talking points.

But you also still have an unfinished score after the financial crisis, nobody got punished, the rich got richer. The government's did nothing. And they're not doing enough to tax the rich, dismantle tax havens, regulate multinational giants or protecting our rights and privacy. Russias also a big problem.


The feeling of inequality will continue to grow and rather than unify us, it will divide us further.

I read Rutger Bregman's Utopia for Realists this weekend (That Dutch historian who spoke out at Davos last year) and his main solution is basic income. Give everyone in the West around 3000 USD a month and see what happens. He argued that all our fears and our resignation comes from fearing for our future.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 28 July 2019 - 09:36 AM