[Vengeance]

The problem will be finding slaves to rebuild it again.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 13 February 2017 - 03:53 PM, said:

Abyss, on 13 February 2017 - 03:40 PM, said:

PMJT isn't an idiot and he has good advisors. He's not going to turn this into a confrontation at this stage. It's way way too soon to start pushing anything in any direction.

...tho i also suspect that's what Freeland's comment the other day about retaliative border taxes was all about, just in case anyone needs to point out we aren't just sitting back waiting for the big bad bully to take our lunch money.

Yeah, this is pretty much how I expect it to go...unless Trump hits on Sophie...then Justin may go off, Canadian Styles!

JT, forewarned, dodges that weird Trumpshake thing....

[EmperorMagus]

I cannot understand what the hell Trump is doing when shaking hands.

http://i.redd.it/idvxkvzpknfy.gif

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 13 February 2017 - 07:32 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 13 February 2017 - 03:53 PM, said:

Abyss, on 13 February 2017 - 03:40 PM, said:

PMJT isn't an idiot and he has good advisors. He's not going to turn this into a confrontation at this stage. It's way way too soon to start pushing anything in any direction.

...tho i also suspect that's what Freeland's comment the other day about retaliative border taxes was all about, just in case anyone needs to point out we aren't just sitting back waiting for the big bad bully to take our lunch money.

Yeah, this is pretty much how I expect it to go...unless Trump hits on Sophie...then Justin may go off, Canadian Styles!

JT, forewarned, dodges that weird Trumpshake thing....

He shook his hand outside before this....it was timed, and lasted about 5.7 seconds....long enough for Trudeau to look down at the "shake" and back up at Trump wondering why it lasted so long. You can actually see it on Justin's face "Why the fuck is he shaking my hand so long?"

Abe was more polite and shook his hand for FAR longer when he met him. LOL

[Aptorian]

Yeah that handshake thing has been popping up again and again the past week.

It's like the cheapest power move you'll find in self-help books for people who believe trying to assert dominance through mind games is an important leadership skill.

I imagine Trump had some spin-doctor give him an introduction on how to behave when meeting world leaders and appear in front of the camera and is now completely over-compensating for his inexperience in diplomatic meetings.

[QuickTidal]

If you watch the handshake, Trump attempts to pull the over-powerful push/pull bullshit on Trudeau, and Justin is NOT having it and maintains the position of the shake, and then makes it look ridiculous by glancing down at it and back up as if to say "Are you done now?"

[Mezla PigDog]

Yeah yeah you can brag about your PM but Theresa May got Trumps most special kind of handshake.

Edit to add that I've made myself feel a bit sick now.

This post has been edited by Mezla PigDog: 13 February 2017 - 08:45 PM

[worry]

Vengeance, on 13 February 2017 - 06:20 PM, said:

The problem will be finding slaves to rebuild it again.

Not as hard as you might think. http://www.reuters.c...s-idUSKBN14P1N7

[Vengeance]

death rattle, on 13 February 2017 - 08:54 PM, said:

Vengeance, on 13 February 2017 - 06:20 PM, said:

The problem will be finding slaves to rebuild it again.

Not as hard as you might think. http://www.reuters.c...s-idUSKBN14P1N7

Ahh yes the prison work force...

[Primateus]

Vengeance, on 13 February 2017 - 09:04 PM, said:

death rattle, on 13 February 2017 - 08:54 PM, said:

Vengeance, on 13 February 2017 - 06:20 PM, said:

The problem will be finding slaves to rebuild it again.

Not as hard as you might think. http://www.reuters.c...s-idUSKBN14P1N7

Ahh yes the prison work force...

And with one fell blow, the Lincoln memorial suddenly seemed pointless.

[Tiste Simeon]

Plus modern slavery is a multi billion dollar worldwide industry now and there's nothing he loves more (except himself) than multi billions of dollars, so...

[Terez]

death rattle, on 13 February 2017 - 04:19 AM, said:

To prove I'm not entirely humorless...

This is probably the weirdest thing I've ever read on this forum.

Meanwhile my internet circle, so to speak, has recently shifted very rightward. It's very strange and I haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet. I'm surrounded by Trump supporters, but for the most part, not dumb ones. They don't debate me.

I made a comment ...probably some time last year or maybe the year before? about not thinking there was much overlap between the anime fandom and the alt-right, so to speak. I stand corrected. :/ (I think it was worry who said "you might be surprised".)

This post has been edited by Terez: 14 February 2017 - 12:42 AM

[worry]

A good rundown on Stephen Miller (aka the other megapowerful racist Steve who has Trump's ear, and does a lot of his writing) from Univision: http://www.univision...igration-policy

Covers a lot of his early conversion to far-right thinking, nationalism, racism/xenophobia, and his eventual ties to alt-right/white nationalist figures -- and of course Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The white supremacy ain't a bug in Trump's agenda, it's a feature. Forget outright denials -- anyone who tells you there's grey area, or that it's just a fringe among Trump's supporters, is lying to you or to themselves.

[Silencer]

Terez, on 14 February 2017 - 12:42 AM, said:

death rattle, on 13 February 2017 - 04:19 AM, said:

To prove I'm not entirely humorless...

This is probably the weirdest thing I've ever read on this forum.

Meanwhile my internet circle, so to speak, has recently shifted very rightward. It's very strange and I haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet. I'm surrounded by Trump supporters, but for the most part, not dumb ones. They don't debate me.

I made a comment ...probably some time last year or maybe the year before? about not thinking there was much overlap between the anime fandom and the alt-right, so to speak. I stand corrected. :/ (I think it was worry who said "you might be surprised".)

It is a really weird overlap, but it's definitely there. I think it's often the really vocal contingent that like anime for the fanservice and power fantasy stuff, but there's also a group that has this whole belligerent persona going on that also hit a lot of the alt-right notes. It bewilders me.

[worry]

A chunk of the alt-right made their way to it through IRL isolation and online social groups, which intersects with 'geek culture' in a lot of ways. I may have described it this way before, but 4chan and certain subReddits were prime pickings for ideologues and sociopaths to prey on vulnerably lonely people. Geeks, outcasts, Aspies, etc. It wasn't hard for them to be convinced that their social isolation, and real-world bullying (by "normies" et al), was a kind of oppression. And from there, that it was the worst kind of oppression. It's older than Gamergate, of course, but that was definitely a milestone in alt-right intersectionality. PUAs, MRAs, incels (involuntary celibates), gamers, geeks, everybody with weird entitlement issues and persecution complexes -- the racists and misogynists of the alt-right fed both. I guess you could say Gamergate was an outroad for the osmosis of their virulent ideas. Geeks are a little more susceptible to Libertarianism imo -- 'meritocracy' is so appealing to geniuses who don't get their due, after all -- and it's so easy to Trojan Horse libertarianism with twisted hierarchies of merit, and blame the 'losers' for their loserdom.

So I'm not saying they're all a bunch of alt-right internet nazis, but I am saying that stuff does have its ripple effect throughout geekdom.

[EmperorMagus]

Flynn just resigned.

https://www.theguard...ssia-links-live

You cannot imagine how relived I am that crazy #1 is out. He was obviously gunning for a war w/ Iran.

First casualty in the T administration.

[Abyss]

The byplay with the gov to gov relationship with Russia, and Trump's relationship with Putin, is fascinating.

Also at times brings to mind the old TV series AMERIKA, but that's an aside.

[amphibian]

Briar King, on 14 February 2017 - 04:39 AM, said:

I was expecting that to come though I didn't think it would be today for sure.

This is the third major advisor/cabinet member in Trump's group to resign for inappropriate ties to Russians.

Two resigned prior to the election.

What are your thoughts?

[Malankazooie]

Uh, that maybe an independent investigation should be launched to determine how much influence Russia had on the 2016 election? That could be a start.

Anyway, this:

[HoosierDaddy]

I just think there is a fundamental ideological difference on role in government that is hard to overcome, but has it's own very, very weird quirks. Dem's want to be good guys and when they have power push compromise to get things done. However, due to this they tend to use their power ineffectually in search of that compromise. This is because they think government has a positive role to play in society and is fundamentally a force for good.

Reepublicans, on the other hand, want smaller government. However, when they achieve power they move quickly to consolidate what power they do have at the absence of compromise. See Roe v. Wade and "small government" as one issue of the dichotomy that exists.

The answer is as elusive a goal as the parties are together: proportional representation, get rid of first past the post.

This post has been edited by HoosierDaddy: 14 February 2017 - 08:10 PM