[QuickTidal]

 death rattle, on 24 February 2017 - 11:43 PM, said:

Nah, not the end. Just another attempt on its life.

It's brutally scary though, no?

[JPK]

 QuickTidal, on 24 February 2017 - 11:22 PM, said:

The fact that those news outlets were banned from the news gaggle this aft is the end of proper democracy in your country, is it not?

I'd argue that we've already seen the end of that with candidates losing the majority vote but winning seats of power due to bureaucratic interference.

This blatent disregard for our Constitution seems fairly new to me though.

[worry]

It's incredibly scary, but not surprising. The attack on "media" is an antisemitic play on Jewish stereotypes (there's finance, there's Hollywood, and there's media) and has always been where Steve Bannon was going. I don't know if you see this in Canada, but here in America it's very common to dogwhistle this cause through blaming George Soros in particular. Any time you hear someone talk about protesters paid by Soros you should read it as someone who -- wittingly or not -- is lending credence to antisemitic/white nationalist rhetoric of a sinister cabal of Jews who run everything like the Wizard of Oz. You might think "but doesn't this run counter to the support of Israel?" and the answer to that is it doesn't matter. The GOP isn't a principled organization. Does Steve Bannon really hate Jews even for twisted principled reasons? No, of course not. He's pals with Stephen Miller and he's made a fortune off of his stake in Seinfeld. But he failed in Hollywood...blames Jews. He failed at Goldman Sachs...blames Jews (and other non-American types). He thought Trump was gonna fail in the election...and was ready to blame the media for that (while heading Trump TV or whatever). It can be Jews without being all Jews, if you see my meaning. The same way it can be Muslims without being all Muslims. It's the conspiracy that matters, cuz these are by-any-means-necessary true believers in themselves.

[HoosierDaddy]

 QuickTidal, on 24 February 2017 - 11:48 PM, said:

 death rattle, on 24 February 2017 - 11:43 PM, said:

Nah, not the end. Just another attempt on its life.

It's brutally scary though, no?

Scary, yes.

But we'll fight to our dying breaths to keep our country sane and rational. We did have Obama for 8 years, you know? We're just kind of manic/depressive in politics.

[Malankazooie]

Trump announced he isn't attending the White House Correspondent's Dinner. When was the last time an active president didn't attend this? And more importantly, how thin skinned is Trump? He likes to dish is out via twitter and interviews, but is unable to take some good natured ribbing!? Shit, Stephen Colbert tore Bush a new one at his dinner, but at least W sat there and laughed. There is so much about Trump's presidency that is smh "first time that's ever come up / happened".

[worry]

If you wanna see how thin-skinned he is, look at his expression in response to these fairly innocuous jokes in 2011.

[Malankazooie]

Damn, doesn't it seem like Obama's presidency was forever ago now, but in reality Trump has only been in the position for just over 1 month!

[Tsundoku]

 Malankazooie, on 26 February 2017 - 07:38 AM, said:

Damn, doesn't it seem like Obama's presidency was forever ago now, but in reality Trump has only been in the position for just over 1 month!

Time runs differently in Hell. Especially those of your own making.

Nice to see the Dems decided to go with same-old same-old. Safety first? Or is it not quite time for a Muslim DNC chair? Too liberal?

[Tsundoku]

Double post.

Interesting article on How to build an Autocracy:

https://www.theatlan...tocracy/513872/

A bit of a cautionary tale. Didn't know that stuff about Hungary. Love this line: “The benefit of controlling a modern state is less the power to persecute the innocent, more the power to protect the guilty.”

This post has been edited by Captain Needa: 26 February 2017 - 11:38 AM

[Cause]

 Captain Needa, on 26 February 2017 - 11:37 AM, said:

A bit of a cautionary tale. Didn't know that stuff about Hungary. Love this line: “The benefit of controlling a modern state is less the power to persecute the innocent, more the power to protect the guilty.”

Having witnessed it I can confirm this is true

[worry]

Got this from a VICE article on the subject: Trump isn’t the first president to skip the dinner — Nixon didn’t go in 1972, saying, “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.” And Reagan, who was recovering from an assassination attempt, missed the event in 1981. Trump’s decision to not attend, however, makes him the first president since Reagan, or in 36 years, who won’t be there.

[Garak]

 death rattle, on 25 February 2017 - 12:49 AM, said:

It's incredibly scary, but not surprising. The attack on "media" is an antisemitic play on Jewish stereotypes (there's finance, there's Hollywood, and there's media) and has always been where Steve Bannon was going. I don't know if you see this in Canada, but here in America it's very common to dogwhistle this cause through blaming George Soros in particular. Any time you hear someone talk about protesters paid by Soros you should read it as someone who -- wittingly or not -- is lending credence to antisemitic/white nationalist rhetoric of a sinister cabal of Jews who run everything like the Wizard of Oz. You might think "but doesn't this run counter to the support of Israel?" and the answer to that is it doesn't matter. The GOP isn't a principled organization. Does Steve Bannon really hate Jews even for twisted principled reasons? No, of course not. He's pals with Stephen Miller and he's made a fortune off of his stake in Seinfeld. But he failed in Hollywood...blames Jews. He failed at Goldman Sachs...blames Jews (and other non-American types). He thought Trump was gonna fail in the election...and was ready to blame the media for that (while heading Trump TV or whatever). It can be Jews without being all Jews, if you see my meaning. The same way it can be Muslims without being all Muslims. It's the conspiracy that matters, cuz these are by-any-means-necessary true believers in themselves.

What is up with Soros? Ever since the Romanian goverment tried to pass a bill that favored thieving and we've been out in the streets protesting the insanity, they've accused George Soros of paying the protesters (which is bull).

 Captain Needa, on 26 February 2017 - 11:37 AM, said:

Double post.

Interesting article on How to build an Autocracy:

https://www.theatlan...tocracy/513872/

A bit of a cautionary tale. Didn't know that stuff about Hungary. Love this line: “The benefit of controlling a modern state is less the power to persecute the innocent, more the power to protect the guilty.”

Yeah, I can also confirm this is true.

This post has been edited by Garak: 27 February 2017 - 06:31 AM

[EmperorMagus]

 Garak, on 27 February 2017 - 06:27 AM, said:

 death rattle, on 25 February 2017 - 12:49 AM, said:

It's incredibly scary, but not surprising. The attack on "media" is an antisemitic play on Jewish stereotypes (there's finance, there's Hollywood, and there's media) and has always been where Steve Bannon was going. I don't know if you see this in Canada, but here in America it's very common to dogwhistle this cause through blaming George Soros in particular. Any time you hear someone talk about protesters paid by Soros you should read it as someone who -- wittingly or not -- is lending credence to antisemitic/white nationalist rhetoric of a sinister cabal of Jews who run everything like the Wizard of Oz. You might think "but doesn't this run counter to the support of Israel?" and the answer to that is it doesn't matter. The GOP isn't a principled organization. Does Steve Bannon really hate Jews even for twisted principled reasons? No, of course not. He's pals with Stephen Miller and he's made a fortune off of his stake in Seinfeld. But he failed in Hollywood...blames Jews. He failed at Goldman Sachs...blames Jews (and other non-American types). He thought Trump was gonna fail in the election...and was ready to blame the media for that (while heading Trump TV or whatever). It can be Jews without being all Jews, if you see my meaning. The same way it can be Muslims without being all Muslims. It's the conspiracy that matters, cuz these are by-any-means-necessary true believers in themselves.

What is up with Soros? Ever since the Romanian goverment tried to pass a bill that favored thieving and we've been out in the streets protesting the insanity, they've accused George Soros of paying the protesters (which is bull).

He is self made billionaire who became a billionaire through legitimate (legal) and immoral abuse of the capitalistic system. The guy represents literally everything these people want to be but are not. Where they have to resort to cheating and breaking the law to get rich, he got rich within the law. They are jealous and bitter.

He is also a leftist and a (((jew))). Which makes it all the worse for these people.

If it's not obvious, I absolutely adore Soros. He is the man who broke Bank of England.

[worry]

I don't know that much about him, but aside from what EM says in terms of jealousy, the flip side of that is projection. I was just 'confronted' yesterday by a Trumpy who defended the Soros conspiracy stuff with "like the left does with the Koch brothers". And it's like, either you don't believe what you're saying and just want tit for tat, or you do believe what you're saying and you're admitting the Kochs fund your movement so the left must be doing that too. Can't have it both ways.

As far as I can tell, Soros doesn't run a PAC but he does donate to them, so I suppose he's still a symbol of big money in politics. Then again he doesn't really hide it, and the right is flush with dark money donations, so tarring him with false equivalence helps them two times over. Three times when you count the antisemitism.

Lastly I just want to say they're scared of him. He has been a big donor to MoveOn.org, one of the more successful liberal advocacy groups, and also to Snopes.com, which has become a target of the right since fact checking and shining light on falsehoods -- for some strange reason -- threatens them.

I highly recommend this article on this very subject: http://theconcourse....ying-1792730343

[Tiste Simeon]

 death rattle, on 26 February 2017 - 03:56 AM, said:

If you wanna see how thin-skinned he is, look at his expression in response to these fairly innocuous jokes in 2011.

How scarily prophetic "He certainly would bring some change to the White House..."

[Mentalist]

 EmperorMagus, on 27 February 2017 - 06:32 AM, said:

 Garak, on 27 February 2017 - 06:27 AM, said:

 death rattle, on 25 February 2017 - 12:49 AM, said:

It's incredibly scary, but not surprising. The attack on "media" is an antisemitic play on Jewish stereotypes (there's finance, there's Hollywood, and there's media) and has always been where Steve Bannon was going. I don't know if you see this in Canada, but here in America it's very common to dogwhistle this cause through blaming George Soros in particular. Any time you hear someone talk about protesters paid by Soros you should read it as someone who -- wittingly or not -- is lending credence to antisemitic/white nationalist rhetoric of a sinister cabal of Jews who run everything like the Wizard of Oz. You might think "but doesn't this run counter to the support of Israel?" and the answer to that is it doesn't matter. The GOP isn't a principled organization. Does Steve Bannon really hate Jews even for twisted principled reasons? No, of course not. He's pals with Stephen Miller and he's made a fortune off of his stake in Seinfeld. But he failed in Hollywood...blames Jews. He failed at Goldman Sachs...blames Jews (and other non-American types). He thought Trump was gonna fail in the election...and was ready to blame the media for that (while heading Trump TV or whatever). It can be Jews without being all Jews, if you see my meaning. The same way it can be Muslims without being all Muslims. It's the conspiracy that matters, cuz these are by-any-means-necessary true believers in themselves.

What is up with Soros? Ever since the Romanian goverment tried to pass a bill that favored thieving and we've been out in the streets protesting the insanity, they've accused George Soros of paying the protesters (which is bull).

He is self made billionaire who became a billionaire through legitimate (legal) and immoral abuse of the capitalistic system. The guy represents literally everything these people want to be but are not. Where they have to resort to cheating and breaking the law to get rich, he got rich within the law. They are jealous and bitter.

He is also a leftist and a (((jew))). Which makes it all the worse for these people.

If it's not obvious, I absolutely adore Soros. He is the man who broke Bank of England.

Wasn't he also the main beneficiary and partially the cause of the Asian Financial crisis in early 2000s?

Re: the Atlantic article- yeah, that sounds eerily like back home. And yeah, corruption is subtle- it takes about 20 years to get the people used to the culture of cronyism everywhere- and it's incredibly hard to go back after.

[Malankazooie]

The angry orange troll is to speak before Congress tomorrow. I wonder if he'll have prepared a cogent speech or if it will be more of the same (i.e. rantings that go all over the place). Should be fun though, to watch the reactions of the audience. We'll see how good the republican contingent is at keeping a poker face when he says something stupid or outrageous.

[Mentalist]

Imho, the 2018 Rep primaries will be the most telling thing about which direction he's heading.

If we see a bunch of "alt right" types claiming to be "followers of Trump" displacing "established" Rep candidates, then we can talk about him subverting the party and beginnings of an actual personality cult.

At which point the big money might find itself in too deep to pull out. It'll be an interesting scenario.

[Garak]

It might be an interesting scenario but I don't really want to see that. THe world is crazy enough already, we don't need to increase the madness levels.

[worry]

If you want to see where Trump's priorities lie, look at his budget: https://www.washingt...b09f_story.html

A HUGE increase in defense spending and law enforcement (think of what that means in terms of white supremacist Jeff Sessions as AG), ignoring Medicare and Social Security, and then slash and burn everything else. It hasn't been submitted yet, but he hasn't been shy about his goals. And yet it doesn't include the infrastructure stuff.

Trump the business genius's plan is to give Republicans everything they want up front, and hope they come around on the populist stuff later. Unfortunately we don't have any precedent to know what happens when you deal with the GOP this way. Wait, wait, what's that? I'm getting word now that we DO have precedent, including an example from just two months ago: http://www.salon.com...-bathroom-bill/
Huh! Why would a business genius fall for that?