Has U.S. Democracy Been Trumped?

[Winstonm]

President Donald Trump on Thursday said FBI agent Peter Strzok committed “treason.” Trump told The Wall Street Journal that the former investigator on Robert Muller’s team, who was removed from the probe after Mueller discovered that Strzok had disparaged Trump in text messages, committed a “treasonous act.”

 

Listen *****-for-brains, someone calling an asshole an asshole in a text message is not treasonous, and this is not the WWF where the idea is to outrage the viewers, so why don't you dummy up and resign.

[barmar]

I wonder how many new anchormen were happy that Trump allowed them to say "shithole" on the air yesterday?

[jjbrr]

Verified WaPo account weighed in on this.

 

IIRC, it's a Washington Post first to have a curse word in a headline.

 

In general, we would only publish swear words in rare cases when they are necessary to the understanding of a person or situation, such as a prominent official. Like if the president or pope said a swear word. In this case, it's the president.

 

This is much like our decision to publish Trump's words in the Access Hollywood tape, or Scaramucci's choice quotes from last year.

 

I am reminded of Dir. Comey's reasoning for taking notes of every meeting he had with Trump due to the "nature of the person" he was dealing with.

[barmar]

And now the Liar in Chief claims that he never said it. I'll bet there are recordings that would corroborate the account, but we probably won't be able to get them released until after Trump is out of office.

 

BTW, speaking of Trump's lies, he hasn't actually signed more bills into law than other presidents. The exact opposite: he's actually ranked last among all post-WWII presidents in first-year legislation enacted. From Pollitifact:

 

President       Bills signed in year one
John F. Kennedy       684
Dwight Eisenhower     514
George H.W. Bush      242
Jimmy Carter          241
Richard M. Nixon      211
Bill Clinton          209
Barack Obama          118
Ronald Reagan         108
George W. Bush        102
Donald Trump           94

 

He did set a record during his first 100 days, but couldn't maintain that pace, slid to 7th place 2 months later, and reached last place by the end of the year.

[y66]

From the ugly part of The good, the bad and the ugly of H.R. McMaster’s national security advice by Daniel W. Drezner:

 

The Washington Post ran a long story last month about Trump’s failure to check Russian threats to the United States. It included a disturbing anecdote involving Trump, McMaster and Fiona Hill, the NSC director for Russia:

 

In one of her first encounters with the president, an Oval Office meeting in preparation for a call with Putin on Syria, Trump appeared to mistake Hill for a member of the clerical staff, handing her a memo he had marked up and instructing her to rewrite it.

 

When Hill responded with a perplexed look, Trump became irritated with what he interpreted as insubordination, according to officials who witnessed the exchange. As she walked away in confusion, Trump exploded and motioned for McMaster to intervene.

 

McMaster followed Hill out the door and scolded her, officials said. Later, he and a few close staffers met to explore ways to repair Hill’s damaged relationship with the president.

 

Every time I read this anecdote, I try to figure out why McMaster initially scolded Hill rather than explain who she was to the president. Perhaps McMaster surmised that once Trump perceived insubordination, persuasion would have been difficult. Still, acting like Hill made the mistake in this situation was poor leadership on McMaster’s part. Pleasing superiors is important, but so is protecting underlings. He appears to have failed in the latter task.

 

I can only imagine the pressure McMaster has faced with a mercurial president who needs lots of “Executive Time” to manage. Still, some of what the national security adviser is thinking and doing remain inexplicable.

Just slip out the back Mac. Slink even.

[Winstonm]

At least we've hit upon a fitting nomenclature for the Trump presidency: *****-gate.

[kenberg]

If we needed a further indication of just how bizarre things have become, try this:

 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trumps-supporters-dismiss-shole-comments-charges-of-racism

 

For example:

 

Billy Shreve, a county councilmember in Maryland, chalked the comments up to Trump’s past as a real estate developer and his years at a military boarding school as a teenager.

 

“You got the fact that he grew up in the construction business and went to military school,” said Shreve, who has a background in construction and said he related to Trump’s word choice. “It’s just common language. The snowflakes aren’t used to it.”

 

 

Yep, it's just snowflake Ken that has a problem. Trump had all of this military experience when he was young. And Real Estate experience.

 

That explains it all. A snowflake like me just doesn't understand the world of real men.

If I had just gone to military boarding school I would understand the genius of Donald Trump.

 

I am feeling a bit ill. We snowflakes just can't take it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hrothgar]

If we needed a further indication of just how bizarre things have become, try this:

 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trumps-supporters-dismiss-shole-comments-charges-of-racism

 

 

Its as if he thinks that the fundamental problem is using the word "shithole" rather than the underlying racism...

[kenberg]

Its as is he thinks that the fundamental problem is using the word "shithole" rather than the underlying racism...

 

Trump's comment is certainly racist. But there is a surrealism to the way things are going. Last night on the PBS Newshour they were interviewing the Ambassador from Haiti to get his views. Just stop and think about this. A news program is asking an ambassador what he thinks about having his country described as a shithole by the president of our country. It seems, or would have seemed, beyond belief. I was waiting for him to say something such as "Obviously your president has his head firmly up his ass, this is far more of a problem for the United States than it is for Haiti". Something like that is no doubt what he was thinking. But he is paid to be a diplomat.

 

That's quite a guy we have elected.

[Winstonm]

Yes, quite the guy.

 

BuzzFeed looks at Trump property sales.

 

Records show that more than 1,300 Trump condominiums were bought not by people but by shell companies, and that the purchases were made without a mortgage, avoiding inquiries from lenders.

 

Those two characteristics signal that a buyer may be laundering money, the Treasury Department has said in a series of statements since 2016. Treasury’s financial-crimes unit has, in recent years, launched investigations around the country into all-cash shell-company real-estate purchases amid concerns that some such sales may involve money laundering. The agency is considering requiring real-estate professionals to adopt anti-money-laundering programs.

 

Trump condo sales that match Treasury’s characteristics of possible money laundering totaled $1.5 billion, BuzzFeed News calculated. They accounted for 21% of the 6,400 Trump condos sold in the US. Those figures include condos that Trump developed as well as condos that others developed in his name under licensing deals that pay Trump a fee or a percentage of sales.

 

Were buyers from shithole countries allowed?

[barmar]

Were buyers from shithole countries allowed?

If their money was green, I'll lbet they were. Profits generally trump racism.

[cloa513]

Its as if he thinks that the fundamental problem is using the word "shithole" rather than the underlying racism...

 

Such wonderful countries that the people are desperate to get out them such the Haita-American Senator- why aren't you living in Haiti. Trump has said nothing about the people who live- just common facts. Truth is always labelled racism.

[PassedOut]

Truth is always labelled racism.

Just because you racked your brain for hours without coming up with a counter-example does not make doing so a difficult exercise.

[ggwhiz]

Such wonderful countries that the people are desperate to get out them such the Haita-American Senator- why aren't you living in Haiti. Trump has said nothing about the people who live- just common facts. Truth is always labelled racism.

 

My Canadian contribution.

 

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/michaelle-jean/

 

You just don't find talent like this by slamming the door in their face and without a constant influx of it America would never have been great in the first place.

[ldrews]

My Canadian contribution.

 

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/michaelle-jean/

 

You just don't find talent like this by slamming the door in their face and without a constant influx of it America would never have been great in the first place.

 

Why not let the ones in with talent and exclude the rest?

[ggwhiz]

Why not let the ones in with talent and exclude the rest?

 

She came here at 9 years old and was raised by her (single 2 years later) mother, a min. wage seamstress who later worked the night shift at a psychiatric hospital.

 

Michael Jordan got cut from his H.S. basketball team, Oscar Peterson taught a master class on jazz composition using computers in his later life with his grade 3 education etc. ad nauseum.

 

You are truly one ignorant dude.

[Cyberyeti]

Why not let the ones in with talent and exclude the rest?

 

Because you don't know who has the talent.

 

One of the most obvious countries which would meet Trump's description is Somalia. One of the few good things to come out of there in recent years is Mo Farah who came to the UK as an 8 year old.

 

Another basket case is Afghanistan. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41420649

[Winstonm]

She came here at 9 years old and was raised by her (single 2 years later) mother, a min. wage seamstress who later worked the night shift at a psychiatric hospital.

 

Michael Jordan got cut from his H.S. basketball team, Oscar Peterson taught a master class on jazz composition using computers in his later life with his grade 3 education etc. ad nauseum.

 

You are truly one ignorant dude.

 

Do not confuse ignorant with racist - one can be both.

[ldrews]

She came here at 9 years old and was raised by her (single 2 years later) mother, a min. wage seamstress who later worked the night shift at a psychiatric hospital.

 

Michael Jordan got cut from his H.S. basketball team, Oscar Peterson taught a master class on jazz composition using computers in his later life with his grade 3 education etc. ad nauseum.

 

You are truly one ignorant dude.

 

So, would you let everyone in who applies and hope for the best?

[ggwhiz]

So, would you let everyone in who applies and hope for the best?

 

There is a process called vetting and it can be tweaked but not by the likes of you. I wouldn't put you on a bus without instructing the driver to make sure you didn't miss your stop.

[ldrews]

There is a process called vetting and it can be tweaked but not by the likes of you. I wouldn't put you on a bus without instructing the driver to make sure you didn't miss your stop.

 

So, are you opposed to merit based vetting?

[hrothgar]

Traditionally, the Libertarian position on immigration fell into one of three broad categories.

 

1. So-called open border Libertarians

 

2. "Open border" after welfare reform

 

3. The Libertarian party platform

 

We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national borders. However, we support control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to security, health or property.

 

I find it quite amusing to see Drews, great lover of Liberty that he is. proposing his new concept which I will describe as "shithole Libertarianism" which appears to be

 

"Closed border based on racist stereotypes"

 

BTW, Drews, "merit based vetting" gets applied to individuals.

The expression "shithole countries" applies to large demographic groups.

 

Using "merit based vetting" to defended against critiques about "shithole countries" is yet another pathetic attempt to distract attention from a point that your don't want to acknowledge.

[barmar]

Such wonderful countries that the people are desperate to get out them such the Haita-American Senator- why aren't you living in Haiti. Trump has said nothing about the people who live- just common facts. Truth is always labelled racism.

Of course he said something about the people. The reported quote is “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” The point he's clearly making is that the people from those countries are undesirable.

 

Is this consistent with his stated preference for merit-based immigration? That means we're supposed to judge each applicant individually, and whether they come from a "shithole" should not bias it.

[cherdano]

In comparison, there is something endearing about openly racist posters like j*******a. Pretending that Trump's just made a statement about the economic conditions in Haiti and African countries?? Pretending that a merit-based immigration system would automatically prevent immigration from Haiti and Africa??? (This one isn't even explainable with either stupidity or racism alone...)

[Winstonm]

Of course he said something about the people. The reported quote is “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” The point he's clearly making is that the people from those countries are undesirable.

 

Is this consistent with his stated preference for merit-based immigration? That means we're supposed to judge each applicant individually, and whether they come from a "shithole" should not bias it.

 

The key issue that screams of Fredo's (I'm smart) racism is not only the "shithole countries" comment, but that he continued by describing his preference for immigrants "from places like Norway".