General US Politics Discussion

[Eutyphro]

The short answer is the Jammeh-Trump comparison.

There's zero merit to this comparison though.

[Svip]

 

The short answer is the Jammeh-Trump comparison.

There's zero merit to this comparison though.

 

I concur. But that's why short answers are terrible! Hence why I elaborated. I should have used the qualifier 'strongman', which has been used to describe both Jammeh and Trump.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Svip

[Eutyphro]

I concur. But that's why short answers are terrible! Hence why I elaborated. I should have used the qualifier 'strongman', which has been used to describe both Jammeh and Trump.

 

I get it that there's a long history of fascist megalomaniacs that caused huge disasters, and Trump personality wise fits the profile. And he definitely hasn't indicated even the slightest competence for the job, and I fear the worst. But I think that now that he is elected he does deserve a chance, and I think the demonizing and fear mongering is actually counter productive right now. From now on we can judge him on his actions and policies. Apart from that, even though I do fear for his ability to use a nuclear weapon, I don't think a US president has the power to behave like a dictator. So I don't think it's meaningful to compare him to dictators right now.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Eutyphro

[Creed Bratton]

I'd like to draw your attention to what's happening in Gambia.

 

To summarise: Yahya Jammeh have ruled Gambia since 1994 where he obtained power through a bloodless coup. In December 2016, a presidential election was held, where Adama Barrow won a plurality of the votes, which under the terms of the Gambian constitution would grant him the presidency.

 

However, Jammeh refuses to step down and have rejected the results. Barrow fled to neighbouring Senegal and with support from the UN and Ecowas, Senegal have now decided to move its troops into Gambia to oust Jammeh and put Barrow in as President.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

 

Now what does all this have to do with US politics you might ask. The short answer is the Jammeh-Trump comparison.

 

Consider this: Had Trump lost the election back in November, he probably would have protested the result, but regardless of his attempts, he would be powerless to prevent the inauguration of Clinton.

 

Now imagine this scenario: Congress decides to impeach the President for reasons to be determined. And while the impeachment is settled, Trump refuses to budge, and refuse to accept Congress' impeachment. Unlike the alternative history scenario, Trump - as President - would in this case be presiding over the US army along with all the federal officers. Putting them all in an awkward position: Do they follow the orders of their commander in chief? Or do they submit to the ruling by Congress as outlined in the Constitution?

 

Donald Trump already doesn't seem keen on follow precedence when it comes to campaigning nor being President-elect. And I presume he'll continue in this fashion as President. But so far, it's primarily customs he has broken, not laws. But as President, he would have a far larger arsenal in refusing to budge on constitutional matters.

 

Should he overruled by the Supreme Court or Congress, he could simply decide to ignore either party. The Constitution is only worth the paper it's printed on, if not everyone is willing to follow it.

 

Imagine if Trump manages to sit his term, but loses the Presidential election in 2020, but then refuse to accept the result? What then? Who will stop him? Will the real President-elect flee to Canada and hope their army can invade the US and install him/her in the White House?

I honestly don't expect him to last even a year.

 

Isn't presidential approval rating the highest before the president takes office? And Trump's approval rating is already at a historic low of 40%. And he thinks it's rigged. Which leads me to believe that he'll do whatever he set out to do without giving his approval rating a second thought. That can't end well for him. Democrats can seize that opportunity to impeach him as soon as he commits an impeachable offense, which shouldn't take long. Look who we're talking about here. The guy can't last a week without a scandal. He's an unhinged sociopath.

[Sir Michael]

Now imagine this scenario: Congress decides to impeach the President for reasons to be determined. And while the impeachment is settled, Trump refuses to budge, and refuse to accept Congress' impeachment. Unlike the alternative history scenario, Trump - as President - would in this case be presiding over the US army along with all the federal officers. Putting them all in an awkward position: Do they follow the orders of their commander in chief? Or do they submit to the ruling by Congress as outlined in the Constitution?

 

I'd be inclined to say that there would be division among ranks in that scenario, but a majority in favor of the Congressional ruling. I want to think that the commanders will follow through with the impeachment and ignore the soon-to-be-impeached President, but it's such an unpredictable situation since there's no way to know which Generals or Admirals would be fully in support of the President in this case, disregarding the fact that the Constitution still holds merit to this day.

 

like this post if you can't wait to lose your health insurance

 

Lol, I lost that sh*t years ago. TRICARE went to my 23rd birthday thanks to college.

[Twang.]

Even in an impeachment scenario, it's never as cut and dry as People Who Like Trump vs. People Who Don't Like Trump. There will always be additional circumstances. For instance, some people who don't approve of him might not disapprove so strongly that they want him impeached, or that they feel his infraction isn't so serious as to warrant impeachment. Alternatively if we get involved in a war again, there's a good segment of the population who'll insist a regime change during wartime is too risky. I remember that being one of the points against Kerry in 2004.

 

I want to believe that there's some sort of military coup (ideally bloodless) in the works, but that's pure fantasy on my part. It seems weird, that Mattis is diametrically opposed to many of the stances Trump has taken, yet Trump chose him instead of a yes man like he picked in the other positions. There may be some friction there, and I doubt their differences on the Iran nuclear deal is going to lead to a coup, but at least that indicates there's a principled man at the head of the DoD and not a puppet. I actually have a bit of faith in the military to do the right thing in a hypothetical crisis like those that Svip brought up.

 

That would be surreal, but in the current climate, it doesn't seem so far-fetched. It could happen, or it could not happen. Things aren't predictable anymore. It's hard to foresee what will happen in the next few weeks, let alone over the next four years. If I were to make a prediction, I'd say that not only will he last all four years, he'll also get a second term. That's how little faith I now have in American voters. By the eighth year, we'll all be as numb to it as his brain is to logic. Then, a Democrat will win who is gay, or muslim, or a woman, and once quoted Marx in a high school essay, and conservatives will treat them like the next coming of Josef Stalin, and the cycle will continue until the end of time.

[El Dildo]

we now interrupt your regular scheduled programming to bring you this literal f/cking moron...

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/cspan/status/822105033839779840

 

Conservatives; this is your clown car.

"pathetic" doesn't begin to adequately describe the Republican party as it stands today.

[Chiarii]

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions.

named after Confederate president Jefferson Davis and Confederate general G. T. Beauregard.

 

 

Oh oh!! Samantha Bee!!

 

Anyway, here's hoping the inauguration goes smooth. I'm confident that the new president will be able to get started on some of his promises since he has the house and senate. This luxury was also afforded to the former president during his first two years so it seems fair.

[Creed Bratton]

In the next couple of days you'll be able to see if and how far Russian ties to Trump extend. One of the things that should be decided in the Senate these days is Montenegro's accession to NATO. For those of you who didn't know, Russians tried to organize a coup during the parliamentary elections in Montenegro this last October: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/26/world/europe/finger-pointed-at-russians-in-alleged-coup-plot-in-montenegro.html

And now there are Interpol red notices for two Russians who organized it: http://cdm.me/english/foto-njih-crna-gora-trazi-zbog-pokusaja-terorizma-ovo-su-sirokov-i-popov-2/

 

Some morons think it was a false flag operation but coincidentally, the same political party that's spewing that nonsense is pro-Russian/anti-NATO and they failed to disclose where their campaign money came from. So now if Trump tries to somehow stop NATO expansion, you'll know that he's Putin's bitch.

Edited January 20, 2017 by The Yokel

[jatiger13]

we now interrupt your regular scheduled programming to bring you this literal f/cking moron...

 

 

https://twitter.com/cspan/status/822105033839779840

 

Conservatives; this is your clown car.

"pathetic" doesn't begin to adequately describe the Republican party as it stands today.

So, up until recently, he didn't even know what the department does. Using Trump's insane "logic", that qualifies him for the job. What the hell is going on? This is what happens when stupid and uninformed people are allowed to vote and also run for office.

[Eutyphro]

Oke, so to summarize it,

So first Perry called Trump 'a toxic mix of demagoguery, mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued' and 'a cancer on conservatism'.

Then Trump says Perry 'wears glasses to seem smart':

Then Perry endorses Trump, and gets appointed to the department he wanted to get rid of but forgot the name of lmao

 

I think Trump appointed him to the department of energy just because it's funny. Edited January 20, 2017 by Eutyphro

[Uncle Sikee Atric]

Well, for better or worse, it is done....

 

I think I will leave it to George Takei to sum up....

 

 

A few moments ago, Donald Trump was sworn in as our 45th president. It is for many of us a moment we still have not been able to process. It comes with a host of emotions including, for many, revulsion, dread, and outright fear, as well as some fundamental questions about what this means for our country, and how ordinary citizens can and should respond.

 

So if you'll permit, I'd like to share some thoughts, first on those questions we have. Here’s one I’ve been pondering: As Trump announced his advisors and cabinet nominees, most reasonable people began wondering outright: “Why is he appointing people who are clearly unready and unable to lead us?" There’s a climate denier in charge of the EPA, a neurosurgeon inexplicably tapped for Housing, an bumbling Texan who campaigned to get rid of the Energy Department now named to head it (though he doesn’t even understand its solemn purpose)--the list goes on and on.

 

I don’t for a minute think even the Trump transition team honestly believes these are the best and brightest folks. But I do worry that they will serve a far darker purpose—to cause us to lose utter faith in government.

 

Top Trump strategist Steve Bannon, the banner bearer for the alt-right, does not even hide his plans. In fact, he speaks fondly of darkness as tool. That’s how confident he is that it will work. For if they can sever the bonds of trust between the people and their government, if civic disengagement becomes the norm, then nothing will stop men like him from achieving everything they want. They already have begun this effectively with the “truth” and the press: If they spread enough fake news and propaganda, if the citizenry cannot tell fact from fiction, or more importantly does not care to discern the difference, then anything is fair game. That is how lies become fact.

 

And so it is with governance. If we cannot distinguish competent governance from poor, if it's just a complete disaster by all counts everywhere, then the people will begin to despair, and ultimately they will ready to be led by literally anyone. This means we must do two things.

 

First, we must remind ourselves that good government is a good thing. It is something that helps everyone, all of us. Without that belief, we are lost. And so we must find faith again in government, hard as that presently sounds.

 

Second, to help achieve this, we must raise up and support our best leaders, from those who toil for us at the local level, to the women and men of principle and grit in Washington. if we turn upon them, too, again we will be lost. We cannot allow the worst excesses and failures to define our expectations.

 

Now, a few thoughts on what many of us are feeling. When you feel anger, disgust, or fear from the latest piece of horrible news out of Washington, or feel shame or dismay at a 3am tweet from our new president, don’t dwell on that thing clouding your spirit. That is what they want. That is in fact their tactic, a textbook manipulation, hoping you will take the bait. So while it is perfectly fine to feel a moment of pain, take it instead as a welcome reminder and ask yourself this: What does it actually mean that I feel this dread? What does it mean that I feel so angry?

 

The answer may surprise you and lend some comfort. It means that you are a good person. It means that you care about your fellow citizens, and this country, and what we stand for. It means you are paying attention and can recognize the threat we are under. Let your feelings reinforce and remind you of your own core values. Let each reaffirmation make you stronger.

 

It is axiomatic that nothing worth fighting for has been won without a fight. So while it may feel as if the Ministry has fallen and Death Eaters are now in charge, that should serve as the strongest of reasons to double down on our convictions and principles. No one said the Resistance would be easy. And so, everyone, now it begins. Wands up.

(Taken from his Facebook Page.)

Edited January 20, 2017 by Uncle Sikee Atric

[TheGodDamnMaster]

That inaugural address Trump gave was almost a literal slap in the face to the legacy of President Obama. Brutal. Have some f*cking respect.

[theNGclan]

I started off not liking Obama when he first became our president, but over the years I've seen the good he's done. Seeing Trump's ignorance the past year or so has been concerning, but now that he's actually president I can't get this sour taste out of my mouth.

 

I have never been so ashamed to be an American.

[trip]

Imgur isn't working for me atm so I can't share my screenshot.

 

My wife is doing her pugsta(insta)gram and said something to the effect "someone says in the first 3 minutes after being sworn in Trump removed the climate change and LGBT pages from Whitehouse.gov".

 

As my screenshot demonstrates - even search for lgbt has zero search returns.

Edited January 20, 2017 by trip

[Reformed Squid]

Don't worry guys, Trump still has the potential to prove us wrong and be a great president!

 

*Trump removes the White House's page on climate change his first day into office*

 

...Ugh

Edited January 20, 2017 by Small Moist

[make total destroy]

i warned you about representative democracy bro

 

i warned you bro

[El Dildo]

Oh oh!! Samantha Bee!!

oh! oh! facts!

[make total destroy]

Chiari is an "anarcho"-capitalist that opposes the state so hard that he literally supports the President.

[ShadowPerson]

I´m not quite sure but that speech was full of lies, hate and empty promises.

 

Welcome to the Nightfall era.

[make total destroy]

If you want an image of the future, imagine a Dulce Gabbana dress shoe stepping on a human face - forever.

[jatiger13]

I´m not quite sure but that speech was full of lies, hate and empty promises.

 

Welcome to the Nightfall era.

It was basically just his speech from the Republican convention, slightly different and shortened. But the message was just as sh*tty and blind to reality.

[Piggsy pls]

It's actually embarrassing to imagine having to say "yeah, Donald Trump is our president".

 

But now, it's reality.

Edited January 20, 2017 by Piggsy pls

[El Dildo]

My wife is doing her pugsta(insta)gram and said something to the effect "someone says in the first 3 minutes after being sworn in Trump removed the climate change and LGBT pages from Whitehouse.gov".

 

As my screenshot demonstrates - even search for lgbt has zero search returns.

we can't rush to judgement about everything.

content transferred as part of a plan by the transition teams. the new .Gov website is hardly up and running. most pages happen to be blank. not just the LGBT or environmental areas.

 

http://www.snopes.com/white-house-web-site-trump-changes/

 

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/lgbt

Edited January 20, 2017 by El Diablo

[Eutyphro]

Yeah, like much of the fear mongering surrounding Trump it is a hoax. I'm not saying all the Trump fear mongering is completely false, but a lot of it is.

Edited January 20, 2017 by Eutyphro

[ShadowPerson]

Apart from all the wrong thing he had, is doing and will do, seriously that protectionism ideal and his blind rage towards Mexico its just way too much, too much.

By the way, the cowardness of certain automoviles companies because the bloated sweet potato its vomiting false promises also its annoying as f*ck.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Zambrano

[Eutyphro]

I think the fact that Trump talking sh*t on Twitter has actually created/saved US jobs is pretty impressive and nice. But I see you are from Mexico, so that might make it hard to look at Trump from the perspective of US national interest.

[Not A Nice Person]

That inauguration was a ghost town, only hicks screaming to their false idol. Also had the star power of an episode of Star Search. Can't wait till he takes vacations and his supporters say "w-well they're cheap!"

[Thee Gee Tee Ayy King]

https://youtu.be/Y-jaEsLJQRM

 

0:56 - 1:04

 

:-]

[make total destroy]

That song is genuinely awful in every single way.

 

Worse than the f*cking Eagles.