A general thread to discuss Trump

[Jenny1]

Interesting article JohnL. The historical context is really useful.

I agree intexas. That comment about Trump liking the relationship between money and power in Russia is a great one. It gets to the root of how he sees the world, doesn't it?

I fear Pence too. But sitting in Europe I think we have more to fear from Trump. I may be wrong but Pence looks less likely to start a war - by accident anyway.

[jaywalker]

Jenny, you are falling for the trap (as I had done) that the article I cited indicated: do find time to read it.

With apologies to Baudrillard, Trump is not the President, he was never the President, and he will not have been the President, as the appalling language has it, "going forward". He will simply become some forgotten. You can tell this tonight as his media voice is getting ever more hysterical. This, after all, is the apotheosis of Twitter. He knows the next cut (of the thousand still to come) will be Bannon. Only those who have adopted the post-modern 'there is no truth' (ironically, the stupid ones suffering destinies in the most cruelly lonesome parts of the USA who have the ressentiment fuelled self-certainty to think they can know truth-as-such) still think he should be in office.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Well, that press conference was reassuring. He's been reading about Uranium and thinks a nuclear holocaust would be a bad thing. So clearly he knows what he's doing.

[JohnL]

Nuclear Holocaust, You'll all not love it.

He's considered it though, and dismissed it for now.

[intexasatthe moment]

I've taken to reading the transcribed accounts of Trumps conferences. Here's a couple of extracts from last nights .

" I'm here today to update the American people on the incredible progress that has been made in the last four weeks since my inauguration. We have made incredible progress. I don?t think there?s ever been a president elected who in this short period of time has done what we?ve done."

"To be honest, I inherited a mess. It?s a mess. At home and abroad, a mess. Jobs are pouring out of the country; you see what?s going on with all of the companies leaving our country, going to Mexico and other places, low pay, low wages, mass instability overseas, no matter where you look. The middle east is a disaster. North Korea - we?ll take care of it folks; we?re going to take care of it all. I just want to let you know, I inherited a mess."

"But our country will never have had a military like the military we?re about to build and rebuild. We have the greatest people on earth in our military, but they don?t have the right equipment and their equipment is old. I used it; I talked about it at every stop. Depleted, it?s depleted - it won?t be depleted for long. And I think one of the reason I?m standing here instead of other people is that frankly, I talked about we have to have a strong military.

And one more thing, I have kept my promise to the American people by nominating a justice of the United States Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch, who is from my list of 20, and who will be a true defender of our laws and our Constitution, highly respected, should get the votes from the Democrats. You may not see that. But he?ll get there one way or the other. But he should get there the old-fashioned way, and he should get those votes"

What does he mean about Gorsuch "getting there one way or the other " ? So Democrats won't be able to block it ?

[intexasatthe moment]

And this https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/16/how-donald-trump-became-deutsche-bank-biggest-headache

article explains that when Deutsche bank tried to reclaim some of the $640m they had loaned Trump he countersued them .

Claiming force majeure ,that the 2008 economic crisis was the equivalent of an Act of God .It couldn't have been anticipated so he wasn't obliged to repay his debts .And that as Deutsche bank contributed to the crisis they owed him compensation of $3bn.

Can I believe this ? I know ( I think ) that financial institutions like to lend money to people who already owe millions ,that somehow owing money ,using credit is what makes billionaires .But Trump suing for compensation ,claiming an Act of God ?

[rendelharris]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> Well, that press conference was reassuring. He's

> been reading about Uranium and thinks a nuclear

> holocaust would be a bad thing. So clearly he

> knows what he's doing.

Yep: "You know what uranium is, right? It's a thing called nuclear weapons and other things. Like lots of things are done with uranium, including some bad things." With that level of knowledge at the top, I can't see how anyone thinks the world's in bad hands.

[Earl Aelfheah]

[cross posted]

[Jenny1]

Yes - the uranium bit is a corker.

Hi jaywalker. I did read the LRB article - it's really interesting. I particularly liked the thoughts on how the current structure of Russian society, business and government appeals to Trump.

The part about the worrying creep of the 'national security state' sounds highly plausible, certainly in the wake of the measures George W took post 9/11. And of course such an apparatus is more dangerous in some hands than others.

But I still think that the main concern right now is the Presidency - and how the other arms of government exert 'checks and balances' on it....or indeed fail to do so. Trump may be in post for some time. And even if he were impeached tomorrow the fallout would be considerable.

[intexasatthe moment]

I'm sorry to just post stuff and not offer incisive comments .But I don't know what to say ..

https://mobile.twitter.com/jfffyyhhhh/status/832315566786494465/video/1

"get out of my country" is that what Trump's heavies say ? Sorry I find that as shocking as Trump refusing to answer .

edited to say that this is apparently from campaign times .Still shocked .

[Jenny1]

Hi intexas.

On Gorsuch I think Trump just meant that Democrats may oppose his appointment, and Republicans may then change the rules of that appointment to get Gorsuch into the job anyway. Trump has encouraged them do this, the so-called 'nuclear option'. There's a NYT article about that here.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-senate-hearing.html?_r=0

[JohnL]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

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> I'm sorry to just post stuff and not offer

> incisive comments .But I don't know what to say

> ..

>

> https://mobile.twitter.com/jfffyyhhhh/status/83231

> 5566786494465/video/1

>

> "get out of my country" is that what Trump's

> heavies say ? Sorry I find that as shocking as

> Trump refusing to answer .

>

> edited to say that this is apparently from

> campaign times .Still shocked .

Apparently only right wing news has been able to ask questions

during the Canadian and Israeli visits.

Although after today's rant he allowed CNN and BBC (and he abused them a bit).

[Earl Aelfheah]

Fox reporting that the 'alt-left propaganda media' got a 'historic beatdown' from Trump yesterday:

http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/02/16/hannity-monologue-trump-news-conference-epic-beatdown-press

The only voice on Fox to break rank:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/17/fox-news-anchor-shepard-smithangers-trump-supporters-attacking/

[Jenny1]

JohnL Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> after today's rant he allowed CNN and BBC

> (and he abused them a bit).

...well done Jon Sopel*

Edited to add....*That's the kind of thing that makes me proud to be British.

[Jenny1]

...I've just thought of someone else Trump reminds me of. Chairman Mao. It's that endless anger thing he's got going on.

...edited to add ....and that unshakeable belief in himself as the sole fount of all wisdom. That's very Mao.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Jenny1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ...I've just thought of someone else Trump reminds

> me of. Chairman Mao. It's that endless anger thing

> he's got going on.

>

> ...edited to add ....and that unshakeable belief

> in himself as the sole fount of all wisdom. That's

> very Mao.

I was thinking of the guy from the tango adverts.

[Jenny1]

Ha Ha. V good. Maybe a hybrid of the two?

[intexasatthe moment]

Thanks Jenny .I'm a bit naive ,of course ,he's just going to change the rules to get what he wants .

On a lighter note

"My bosses have approved a new business card for me:

Jon Sopel

Another Beauty

North America Editor"

[Jenny1]

What a fine business card that would be!

On Gorsuch. While he's clearly conservative he's got professional respect that means many Democrats wouldn't normally oppose him. The sticking point is that the Republican dominated Congress actively blocked Obama from filling the Supreme Court seat during his final year in office, even though it was vacant.

[IlonaM]

Just been sent this about the checks on President's tweets:

http://www.lawfareblog.com/thoughts-strange-day%E2%80%94and-very-strange-presidential-tweet

[Jenny1]

That article seems to sum up a large part of the problem, IlonaM.

[intexasatthe moment]

Thanks Ilona .So either no one is checking Trumps tweets or they are and Trump is paying no attention to advice .

Incredible .

[Earl Aelfheah]

IlonaM Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just been sent this about the checks on

> President's tweets:

>

> http://www.lawfareblog.com/thoughts-strange-day%E2

> %80%94and-very-strange-presidential-tweet

Wow.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Kellyanne Conway's interview techniques:

[jaywalker]

So now he is circumventing legal obstacles by 'tightening up existing regulations'. Street arrests, cultivating general fear in the targeted population, raids etc. A country with which we are somehow proud to have a 'special relationship'.