The Never-President Trump

[SHRIMPER 328]

The USA is the most racist country I have ever worked in. This is not the first time I have said that on here. I have worked where whites would still like to see black fruit hanging from the trees, and coffles of slaves walking to the fields.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Trump has really polarised the nation and then wonders why there is a rise in the discontents. 

The US really should have moved beyond systemic racism by now. The authoritarian fear of protest and violent reaction to it has no place in a nation that possesses such much talent and wealth.

Antifa is nothing new to Europe but the US has never accepted anything other than its political and legal system is perfect. But now they are facing a crisis when so many middle class white Americans are using anarcy and the destruction of what they hold most dear, the evidence of property and wealth meaning success.

This will not improve while this idiot is allowed to advertise his nationalistic mumbo jumbo and blame the US mistakes and problems on anything and anyone except the US.

[Surfer 1,547]

I'm sure Roman citizens thought the same way as their empire collapsed, and Britain did post 1940 too - what we / they were told was so superior about their system wasn't.

Meanwhile in London as you point out KG a large and peaceful demonstration. It looks to be more than the "hundreds" Sky News is reporting. But good to see the majority are wearing masks - and social distancing in US at least is 2 meters OR masks, not AND masks. 

 

[Surfer 1,547]

Today outside the White House and elsewhere in Delaware near his home the former V.P who is running for President.

Washington D.C is a majority black city, so this crowd being so mixed racially illustrates the very widespread support. 

If all these people vote in November there will be change. That is certain.

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by Surfer

[Herman 9,717]

Scratch the surface and populists are simply cowards. Johnson hides from scrutiny and Trump hides in a bunker. 

[A Load of Squit 5,134]

2 hours ago, Herman said:

Scratch the surface and populists are simply cowards. Johnson hides from scrutiny and Trump hides in a bunker. 

When they told Trump he had to go to the bunker he took his sand wedge with him.

 

[Surfer 1,547]

"A Tale of Two Cities" seems an apt title for what we are experiencing. 

Peaceful protests across most US major cities and now in Europe and Asia. 

But in the US, after the sun goes down, anarchy, rioting, looting. 

The press have a critical task to keep these storylines clear and not to fall into the temptation of covering only the violent acts - of which there are plenty of examples from both police and rioters. Unfortunately I have no expectation that the President, his team or Fox News will attempt to do that. 

p.s. for anyone wondering "The National Guard" isn't a national organization. It's often been used during wars as an Army Reserve, but it is a 50 state organization, i.e. each National Guard is under the control of that state's Governor. So unless the President declares a national emergency, he can't "send in the National Guard" unless the Governor agrees.

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I do hope they can sort the protesters from the hooligans. Selective editing from the likes of Fox News will play into the god ole boys psyche and Trump will have just a couple of excuses to fire back. The way he uses the media there is little recourse to challenge anything he says and when he is challenged he walks away.

[Surfer 1,547]

True. The President and AG Barr this morning are apparently berating the Governors for being "weak" and "fools" - smacks of someone being frightened by what has been stirred up. Definitely not what any of the past three Presidents would have done. 

Audio link now - " the guy in Dallas" had a machete and yes he was overwhelmed ...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/listen-to-trumps-unhinged-rant-to-guvs

“You’ve got to arrest people, you have to track people, you have to put them in jail for 10 years and you’ll never see this stuff again,” said Trump. “We’re doing it in Washington, D.C. We’re going to do something that people haven’t seen before.”

Attorney General Bill Barr, who was also on the call, told governors that a joint terrorist task force would be used to track the agitators and urged local officials to “dominate” the streets and control, not react to crowds, and urged them to “go after troublemakers.”

https://apnews.com/b3817623ef861818803b5676d43741ea?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

 

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by Surfer

[Surfer 1,547]

With regard to police department reform, the Obama administration had a plan for that which was put into action. Of course that was one of the first things that AG Sessions scrapped when coming into the White House in 2017.

Several police union leaders applauded that action, including the one in Minneapolis where this most recent trouble kicked off. So this "be tough" attitude reflects a very deliberate set of policies and they been a staple of Republican Party thinking for a very long time (as well as the Southern Democrats back in the 1950/60's) 

( oh p.s. the Obama administration's detailed viral pandemic response plan was scrapped too) 

https://noblenational.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/President-Barack-Obama-Task-Force-on-21st-Century-Policing-Implementation-Guide.pdf

[Surfer 1,547]

p.s. for anyone wondering "The National Guard" isn't a national organization. It's often been used during wars as an Army Reserve, but it is a 50 state organization, i.e. each National Guard is under the control of that state's Governor. So unless the President declares a national emergency, he can't "send in the National Guard" unless the Governor agrees.

One clarification to that - Washington D.C is Federal Territory. i.e it is not a State and there is no Governor. In theory the relevant administration is Congress, but the President apparently has instructed the D.C. National Guard units to come to central Washington - this action is highly unusual according the the press.

We will see how things develop, at this time 5.25pm Eastern all is quiet, the protests are verbal not physical. The Mayor of D.C has established a curfew from 7pm, so we may know more in about a couple of hours. 

Edited June 1, 2020 by Surfer

[Surfer 1,547]

Well we may crossed the rubicon this evening... minutes before the President gave his little speech this evening AG Barr oversaw the police presence of the peaceful protests across from the White House. Just a few minutes before he spoke the police moved without any warning and fired tear gas into the crowd. As Don Lemmon predicted just before the President spoke he said - this smells of creating a "made for TV moment" 

He is now claiming that he has authority to deploy the military under the Insurrection Act of 1807 against the wishes of any local Governors. And posing as the protector the religious and righteous. 

p.s. he had a call with Valdimir Putin ahead of his conference call with the Governors this morning.....

This is not going to end well......

 

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by Surfer

[Surfer 1,547]

 

 

[Surfer 1,547]

 

[Surfer 1,547]

Meanwhile elsewhere in America, other police forces display compassion and empathy. 

There is a dark way and then there is light. The light will win this battle eventually but the night may be very long. 

 

 

[kick it off 1,948]

Trump is going to burn the country down and his redneck **** moron followers will vote him in again.

His actions are both unconstitutional, and illegal. 

He set the police to go tear gas and rubber bullets on a peaceful protest, before the curfew, so he could walk to a shut down church for a photo op outside, with a (upside down) bible. Fox News were complicit as they coincidentally interviewed the pastor who had no idea Trump was going there, at the same time. The pastor says she stands with the protestors.

He's genuinely morphing into a dictator. November may well be the last election America has for a while if he gets a second term. He will undoubtedly pass a law allowing more than two terms (For precedent, see Erdogan in Turkey who served as Prime Minister for the maximum number of terms and then moved into being President (which was largely ceremonial post before that). He then castrated the role of PM and transferred all power to the role of President), before abolishing the role of PM entirely in 2017 with a referendum held in a state of emergency situation and totally rigged. That referendum also meant his first term as President didn't count in his two-term President limit so he is eligible for re-election in another rigged election in 2023. He will undoubtedly have a way to stay beyond that.

Lots of similarities between Trump and Erdogan to be fair - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Turkish_presidential_election << read the controversies bit here and you will see the blueprint Trump is using.

Think the only way this turns out differently is if there is somebody on a grassy knoll.

Edited June 2, 2020 by kick it off

[Bill 1,788]

This has been building for a long while - when you have a far right President lying on a daily basis, people will eventually snap.

That this has been so widespread and involved so many for so long shows the depth of feeling as well.

And, as seen in the UK, what you take by the lie you have to hold by the lie.

Trump has lost the moral authority to run the country. Having to threaten to use military force against your own voters is not governing by the will of the people -  it is bordering on dictatorship, because what you take by the gun you will also have to hold by the gun

 

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners,  when somebody disrespects our flag,” Trump said, “to say, ‘Get that son of a **** off the field right now, out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’ ”

"I think it's a terrible message that they're sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there's a reason for them doing it,"

 “I think it’s a terrible thing, and you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him. Let him try. It won’t happen,”

Just three of the quotes for Trump regarding Colin Kaerpernick, the ex 49ers QB who peacefully protested the treatment of black citizens in the US by kneeling during the US National Anthem. 

The idiot had every chance at that stage when there was a momentum of people agreeing with Colin, to engage with black representatives and find a roadmap to change. But he was more concerned about a statue of a good ole boy. Racist, bigoted, mysogynist.

[The Raptor 1,199]

Just when i think it cant get any worse i read the mornings news. 

This is the worst year I've been alive i'd say. I certainly cant remember as much bad stuff happening in the other 41. Not even half way thru yet either...

[king canary 7,580]

2 hours ago, kick it off said:

He's genuinely morphing into a dictator. November may well be the last election America has for a while if he gets a second term. He will undoubtedly pass a law allowing more than two terms (For precedent, see Erdogan in Turkey who served as Prime Minister for the maximum number of terms and then moved into being President (which was largely ceremonial post before that). He then castrated the role of PM and transferred all power to the role of President), before abolishing the role of PM entirely in 2017 with a referendum held in a state of emergency situation and totally rigged. That referendum also meant his first term as President didn't count in his two-term President limit so he is eligible for re-election in another rigged election in 2023. He will undoubtedly have a way to stay beyond that.

I think I'm right in saying he'd need to amend the constitution to allow for three terms and he won't be able to do that with the current make up of congress.

[Bill 1,788]

Trump is incapable of dealing with this, as he is the cause. His bigoted rhetoric is doing nothing but furthering to fans the flames. Flames that have spread right across the US.

The death of George Floyd may have been the trigger, but it comes not only in along line of deaths of black people by the police - but systemic discrimination, harassment and brutality on a daily basis.

That behaviour has not happened in isolation, It is witnessed by the wider community. That is why it is the wider community who have risen up in anger as well. Right across te country A president that has preached hate as his message now seems to have only one answer. In act more state sponsored violence.

That will not silence the voices or the anger that underpins it.  A president needs to govern for all the people. Trump cannot. His presence will simply be a reminder that the hate is still there, pumped out by the most divisive president (probably) in its history.

 

 

 

[A Load of Squit 5,134]

Is this the poster for thr next Omen movie?

 

[Bill 1,788]

5 minutes ago, A Load of Squit said:

Is this the poster for thr next Omen movie?

 

isn't there something about

'thou shall not bear false witness '' ?

though thankfully for him there is no record of it saying

''thou shall not be an absolute c**t

[Herman 9,717]

He ain't no Christian bruv. 

[Herman 9,717]

26 minutes ago, Bill said:

isn't there something about

'thou shall not bear false witness '' ?

though thankfully for him there is no record of it saying

''thou shall not be an absolute c**t

What are the deadly sins? I can think of 3 that he has, greed, gluttony and sloth. Any others? 

[A Load of Squit 5,134]

10 minutes ago, Herman said:

What are the deadly sins? I can think of 3 that he has, greed, gluttony and sloth. Any others? 

I think they are his pet names for his children.

[Bill 1,788]

[kick it off 1,948]

1 hour ago, king canary said:

I think I'm right in saying he'd need to amend the constitution to allow for three terms and he won't be able to do that with the current make up of congress.

So does Erdogan, although he’ll get a third term by default. They’ll find a way by enacting emergency powers or something - no doubt

[king canary 7,580]

1 minute ago, kick it off said:

So does Erdogan, although he’ll get a third term by default. They’ll find a way by enacting emergency powers or something - no doubt

I've got no idea of the governmental system of Turkey but I have a bit of knowledge about the US- their entire system is built on checks and balances and in general it does work pretty well- hence why Trump hasn't been able to build his wall and make Mexico pay or deliver on about 90% of his campaign promises. 

 

[Surfer 1,547]

The stress the US is under is that the idea of "checks and balances" requires one of the parties able to do the checking to actually do that. And our specific problem at this time is that Congress is split down the middle, the Senate does not want to do anything. And for whatever reason the House is incapable of creating any public pressure for key witnesses to come forward for hearings....

So while I agree that the system has blocked much of what the President has tried to do - many more "notices of action" than "action - the trend of erosion of those checks and balances is very clear as his Republican party allies seems all in on destroying them.

And so here we are.