45th President of the United States, Donald Trump. Vol 3

[Gameface]

p1stonhead said:

I think the obvious point to make is who the fk cares about any of them or what they do for the rest of their lives?

While Trump is in power I'd say it's wise to keep abreast of what he's up to.

[paulguitar]

I wonder if the USA will ever fully recover from the Trump disaster?


If one stands back and really tries to get a grip on how crazy this last year has been, it is barely believable. Scandal after scandal, the 'president' tweeting like a petulant teenager, payoffs to porn starts. It is quite hard to believe this is really happening. I feel sorry for the sensible folks there, their previously well-respected country hijacked by a lunatic 35% who STILL seem set on supporting him.

[minimoog]

SpeckledJim said:

We know (or think we know) what's heading Donald's way, so looking dispassionately, what's the next step for her?

She's not the President of the USA so personally I couldn't give a monkey's. In the context of this thread she's an irrelevance, at least until she does something that materially affects the matters under discussion.

[Byker28i]

minimoog said:

SpeckledJim said:

We know (or think we know) what's heading Donald's way, so looking dispassionately, what's the next step for her?

She's not the President of the USA so personally I couldn't give a monkey's. In the context of this thread she's an irrelevance, at least until she does something that materially affects the matters under discussion.

She could be making the donald a very unhappy man. He doesn't react very well when he's unhappy.

[Byker28i]

Blue Cat said:

Please tell me if I am getting this wrong, but Trump's latest tweet

"In one of the biggest stories in a long time, the FBI now says it is missing five months worth of lovers Strzok-Page texts, perhaps 50,000, and all in prime time. Wow!"

Is he asking us to believe that two people sent 27 texts for 12 hours every day for five months, that's 324 texts a day and if they were doing it in say 8 hours "prime time" that's 40 texts an hour.

Does he really believe the stuff he is sending out because that's more worrying than him sending it out knowing it's a lie

Fox started it, the donald tweeted it.
Not that he's ever lost or deleted documents
http://www.newsweek.com/2016/11/11/donald-trump-co...

[anonymous-user]

paulguitar said:

I wonder if the USA will ever fully recover from the Trump disaster?


If one stands back and really tries to get a grip on how crazy this last year has been, it is barely believable. Scandal after scandal, the 'president' tweeting like a petulant teenager, payoffs to porn starts. It is quite hard to believe this is really happening. I feel sorry for the sensible folks there, their previously well-respected country hijacked by a lunatic 35% who STILL seem set on supporting him.

What Trump has done is bugger all compared to previous presidents.

He hasn't sent a generation of his young men to die in a pointless unwinnable war in Asia, continued a lie for decades and left them to fend for themselves, like Johnson and Nixon did.
He hasn't destroyed the middle east in a pointless war that we are still reaping the effects from like Bush Jr did.
He hasn't got mixed up in an affair like the Iran-Contra arms deal like Bush Snr did.
He hasn't brought the world to the brink of nuclear destruction or instigated a failed invasion of Cuba like Kennedy did.
He hasn't overseen the annihilation of a native people like the founding fathers did.
He hasn't implemented slavery or fought a civil war over who holds power over the new territories.
He hasn't annexed a state from a foreign country as happened with Mexico and Texas.
He hasn't overseen apartheid in the south long after slavery was banned.
He hasn't seen his home guard kill students on campus.
He hasn't been a serial shagger since becoming President like Clinton or Kennedy.
He hasn't committed perjury or been impeached for lying or been disbarred like Clinton.
He hasn't blacklisted artists and ruined their lives because of an ideological absurdity as was seen under McCarthyism.

USA has a far from perfect history, Trump is just the next in a long line of imperfect people to hold that position. The USA position in the world is always in flux, by comparison to some he has followed he is a rank amateur in screw ups so far. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_poli...

[minimoog]

I think there needs to be more more emphasis on 'so far', but you make a fair point.

I think it's Trump's seeming willingness, if not determination, to rewind the clock back to some of the darker times you describe that causes concern as much as anything.

[Eric Mc]

Even Trump would be hard pushed to make all the mistakes of at least five presidents over almost 40 odd years - but he's off to a good start.

[Mothersruin]

I see him making mistakes as a President - ie, he's not a good one and the way he does his thing, isn't going to improve that situation any.

However, is he a President doing bad things? Not really, he's not doing anything because he can't get anything done - if that makes sense.

The way it's going, the US could have a dude in power for eight years that achieves pretty much nothing, but arguably doesn't do anything bad either because he can't - the country just sits still for a bit. OK, the US' external influence and image may suffer, but money talks and they have lots of it so everyone will be kissing their arse once someone the media likes gets in.

[rscott]

Mothersruin said:

I see him making mistakes as a President - ie, he's not a good one and the way he does his thing, isn't going to improve that situation any.

However, is he a President doing bad things? Not really, he's not doing anything because he can't get anything done - if that makes sense.

The way it's going, the US could have a dude in power for eight years that achieves pretty much nothing, but arguably doesn't do anything bad either because he can't - the country just sits still for a bit. OK, the US' external influence and image may suffer, but money talks and they have lots of it so everyone will be kissing their arse once someone the media likes gets in.

He's appointing (or at least attempting to) people who clearly don't have the skills for their jobs - the judge, education secretary, etc. Not appointing people at all to some of the senior posts, etc.
Contradicting himself in speeches and tweets.

It'd be far better if he just did nothing.

[ElectricSoup]

paulguitar said:

I wonder if the USA will ever fully recover from the Trump disaster?


If one stands back and really tries to get a grip on how crazy this last year has been, it is barely believable. Scandal after scandal, the 'president' tweeting like a petulant teenager, payoffs to porn starts. It is quite hard to believe this is really happening. I feel sorry for the sensible folks there, their previously well-respected country hijacked by a lunatic 35% who STILL seem set on supporting him.

No need to feel bad for them, we're in the same boat after all, except it's a lunatic 37% who have hijacked our once-respected country.

[paulguitar]

jsf said:

paulguitar said:

I wonder if the USA will ever fully recover from the Trump disaster?


If one stands back and really tries to get a grip on how crazy this last year has been, it is barely believable. Scandal after scandal, the 'president' tweeting like a petulant teenager, payoffs to porn starts. It is quite hard to believe this is really happening. I feel sorry for the sensible folks there, their previously well-respected country hijacked by a lunatic 35% who STILL seem set on supporting him.

What Trump has done is bugger all compared to previous presidents.

He hasn't sent a generation of his young men to die in a pointless unwinnable war in Asia, continued a lie for decades and left them to fend for themselves, like Johnson and Nixon did.
He hasn't destroyed the middle east in a pointless war that we are still reaping the effects from like Bush Jr did.
He hasn't got mixed up in an affair like the Iran-Contra arms deal like Bush Snr did.
He hasn't brought the world to the brink of nuclear destruction or instigated a failed invasion of Cuba like Kennedy did.
He hasn't overseen the annihilation of a native people like the founding fathers did.
He hasn't implemented slavery or fought a civil war over who holds power over the new territories.
He hasn't annexed a state from a foreign country as happened with Mexico and Texas.
He hasn't overseen apartheid in the south long after slavery was banned.
He hasn't seen his home guard kill students on campus.
He hasn't been a serial shagger since becoming President like Clinton or Kennedy.
He hasn't committed perjury or been impeached for lying or been disbarred like Clinton.
He hasn't blacklisted artists and ruined their lives because of an ideological absurdity as was seen under McCarthyism.

USA has a far from perfect history, Trump is just the next in a long line of imperfect people to hold that position. The USA position in the world is always in flux, by comparison to some he has followed he is a rank amateur in screw ups so far. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_poli...

Mmm....This is a list though of all of the worst things done by the previous 44 isn't it? Of course it is pretty easy to come up with a lot of alarming stuff over the course of 240 odd years...And, he is only one year in although I will admit it feels more like 10.

I accept that he has managed to get very little done, but the USA is a bit of a laughing stock at the moment, and I think that is damaging.

[Blackpuddin]

rscott said:

He's appointing (or at least attempting to) people who clearly don't have the skills for their jobs.

This the problem with insecure megalomaniacs. They surround themselves with equally insecure milksops. They certainly wouldn't knowingly employ people who could make them look stupid, which is quite a significant percentage of the population in Trump's case. The country is currently being run not by him but by senior career civil servants and West Wingers who are right now having to step up to keep the boat afloat.

[Mothersruin]

rscott said:

Mothersruin said:

I see him making mistakes as a President - ie, he's not a good one and the way he does his thing, isn't going to improve that situation any.

However, is he a President doing bad things? Not really, he's not doing anything because he can't get anything done - if that makes sense.

The way it's going, the US could have a dude in power for eight years that achieves pretty much nothing, but arguably doesn't do anything bad either because he can't - the country just sits still for a bit. OK, the US' external influence and image may suffer, but money talks and they have lots of it so everyone will be kissing their arse once someone the media likes gets in.

He's appointing (or at least attempting to) people who clearly don't have the skills for their jobs - the judge, education secretary, etc. Not appointing people at all to some of the senior posts, etc.
Contradicting himself in speeches and tweets.

It'd be far better if he just did nothing.

Perhaps, but the outcome will still be the same.

Minimal damage to the US in the medium & long term, and whoever gets in next will clear the decks and start over, just like they have all done before.

Also - just realised your comments would apply equally accurately to Jeremy Corbyn.

[JagLover]

Blackpuddin said:

rscott said:

He's appointing (or at least attempting to) people who clearly don't have the skills for their jobs.

This the problem with insecure megalomaniacs. They surround themselves with equally insecure milksops. They certainly wouldn't knowingly employ people who could make them look stupid, which is quite a significant percentage of the population in Trump's case. The country is currently being run not by him but by senior career civil servants and West Wingers who are right now having to step up to keep the boat afloat.

Significant number of his top team are now senior Generals. Presumably they did something right to be promoted?, and the US military is highly regarded.

[Eric Mc]

I thought the only generals in the cabinet were retired?

Having retired generals on the staff is nothing new.

[ElectricSoup]

Mothersruin said:

rscott said:

Mothersruin said:

I see him making mistakes as a President - ie, he's not a good one and the way he does his thing, isn't going to improve that situation any.

However, is he a President doing bad things? Not really, he's not doing anything because he can't get anything done - if that makes sense.

The way it's going, the US could have a dude in power for eight years that achieves pretty much nothing, but arguably doesn't do anything bad either because he can't - the country just sits still for a bit. OK, the US' external influence and image may suffer, but money talks and they have lots of it so everyone will be kissing their arse once someone the media likes gets in.

He's appointing (or at least attempting to) people who clearly don't have the skills for their jobs - the judge, education secretary, etc. Not appointing people at all to some of the senior posts, etc.
Contradicting himself in speeches and tweets.

It'd be far better if he just did nothing.

Perhaps, but the outcome will still be the same.

Minimal damage to the US in the medium & long term, and whoever gets in next will clear the decks and start over, just like they have all done before.

Also - just realised your comments would apply equally accurately to Jeremy Corbyn.

Oh yeah? What if it's Kanye West?

[JagLover]

Eric Mc said:

I thought the only generals in the cabinet were retired?

Having retired generals on the staff is nothing new.

Of course not, but they don't appear to be idiots either. Another member of the cabinet is an ex CEO of Exxon who also presumably isn't an idiot.

Trump appears to be a clown but that doesn't mean his administration doesn't contain capable people who wouldn't be out of place in any republican administration of the last few decades.

[Eric Mc]

JagLover said:

Of course not, but they don't appear to be idiots either. Another member of the cabinet is an ex CEO of Exxon who also presumably isn't an idiot.

Trump appears to be a clown but that doesn't mean his administration doesn't contain capable people who wouldn't be out of place in any republican administration of the last few decades.

Not ALL of his appointments are stupid. Just the ones who annoy him the most.

[ferrisbueller]

Blackpuddin said:

rscott said:

He's appointing (or at least attempting to) people who clearly don't have the skills for their jobs.

This the problem with insecure megalomaniacs. They surround themselves with equally insecure milksops. They certainly wouldn't knowingly employ people who could make them look stupid, which is quite a significant percentage of the population in Trump's case. The country is currently being run not by him but by senior career civil servants and West Wingers who are right now having to step up to keep the boat afloat.

And the Judiciary.

A judiciary Trump is trying, and thus far failing, to fill with like minded people. Those positions are for life and would leave a legacy for decades.