The Political Thread

[Surelock]

 

It looks like millions of people just don't realise they've been conned by Trump's anti-establishment, anti-interventionist etc message. The question is how long will it take for them to wake up? Hopefully not a full 8 years. I would really like a new administration by 2020.

 

 

I'm worried it's even worse than that ... I'm worried they agree with him.

 

I know one lady ... I can't talk to her about it anymore, but I remember during the election she agreed that there should be a ban on Muslims because "they believed in" terrorism. She utterly failed to understand why that was bigotry. At the time I just thought she was a nit, but now I'm worried that there's a whole army of people out there who think exactly that way.

 

Hope I'm wrong.

 

 

Yeah but I think people like her are going to soon realise that terrorism isn't anywhere near as big of an issue as Trump makes it out to be. Healthcare, education etc are all much bigger issues and Trump is ruining those. 

 

In other words I expect most of Trump's fans to realise that he's nothing more than a pathological liar so eventually they'll stop believing him. I just hope that happens sooner rather than later.

[Surelock]

So the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals refused to reinstate Trump's Muslim Ban.

 

Trump responded on twitter:

 

 

What does that even mean? Is Trump going to take the Court of Appeals to court? Is that even possible?

 

In order to try and understand Trump, I decided to look at what Iran's Supreme Leader was saying:

 

 

It's a shame that some world leaders think Trump is representative of all American citizens.

 

[Arcadia]

Oh, I doubt if they genuinely think that. They're just saying that to further their own ends. Trump has played right into their hands.

 

And lord knows what Trump means by the first one. I'm sure he doesn't. The man has the vocabulary and the mentality of a five year old.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Seems like it doesn't teach him humility or anything about not being a permanent brainfart.

 

Fear tactics

I find the comparison disturbing, and won't be surpriese if he starts to advice that every citizen should arm themselves now that refugees and bad people are allowed in.

 

What do you guys think of the possibility of another attempt of Operation Northwoods?

 

Operation Northwood is a proposal to stage terrorism in U.S as justification to start a war with Cuba.

It's freaking disturbing.

 

The plans detailed in the document included the possible assassination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities. The proposals were rejected by the Kennedy administration.

 

And this time it probably approved.

[T.o.b.y]

So the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals refused to reinstate Trump's Muslim Ban.

 

Trump responded on twitter:

 

 

What does that even mean? Is Trump going to take the Court of Appeals to court? Is that even possible?

 

I think he is referring to taking the matter to a higher court. I must admit I don't know whether that will have to be the Supreme Court now or whether there will be more intermediate steps involved, but ultimately, that's where the case will be decided as far as I can see.

 

The tweet is very oddly worded - as if he was planning to sue the judge in SF. But what can you expect from a tweet? Twitter just isn't an appropriate medium for this kind of thing if you ask me.

[Arcadia]

Yeah, that's what I was making fun of ... how do you take a court to court?

 

VBS ... I just don't know. The more I learn about Trump and the people around him, the more nervous I get.

 

Oh joy. Now I see where the judges who overturned the ban have been receiving threats ... *sigh*.

 

 

[Pseudonym]

I don't understand how no one in power has taken his Twitter account away, or at least hijacked it so everything he says has to be vetted. 

[Arcadia]

Give 'em time, it's only been (I know, it's hard to believe!) two weeks. Besides, how do we know someone hasn't hijacked it already? ;)

[J.P.]

It still makes no sense.

[Surelock]

I don't understand how no one in power has taken his Twitter account away, or at least hijacked it so everything he says has to be vetted. 

 

He's the most powerful man now. If someone tries to take away his twitter, Trump would just fire them and then get his supporters to attack them.

 

 Besides, how do we know someone hasn't hijacked it already? ;)

 

Because the spelling, syntax, punctuation and grammar is still equivalent to that of a primary school student. As bad as Trump's cabinet is, I'm sure they all know how to at least write like an adult.

[Pseudonym]

I don't believe he is the most powerful. I believe he thinks he is, but in a lot of ways he's a figurehead. Not just him, I think the same is true of most heads of state.

[Surelock]

I don't believe he is the most powerful. I believe he thinks he is, but in a lot of ways he's a figurehead. 

 

Of course Trump is a figurehead.

 

We all know the real head of state is President Bannon.

 

I mean President Bannon is the one who comes up with all the great policy ideas like these ones below:

 

 

 

 

The mark of a great head of state is getting all your policy ideas from movies.

[Pseudonym]

Is this real?! Does Trump's logo really have a freaking swastika in the middle of it?! Or has someone just made that logo up?

 

[Surelock]

Well that isn't his campaign logo. Maybe it used to be one of his logos?

 

You know the swastika ironically used to be a symbol for peace until the Nazis came along and ruined it (which kind of foreshadows what Trump will do to the US). Some communities in Japan had swastika signs to show that they were peaceful but I heard Japan was getting rid of them in time for the 2020 Olympics.

[Arcadia]

Trump's logo is just his name, or sometimes just a "T". But that's a pretty good joke.

[T.o.b.y]

I dunno. I don't think Nazi jokes are funny. But then, I do live in Germany.

[Arcadia]

Yes, I didn't really mean "good joke." What I should have said was "good satire", which isn't always funny.

[bedelia1984]

I've been hearing a bit from friends stateside about the cutbacks to the arts that are happening in the states at the moment which I think are so sad! Not that it compares to what is going on with the issues around religion etc, but one of them posted this lovely video, featuring Fred Rogers talking about the value of art and quality programming for children.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEuEUQIP3Q

 

 

[Artemis]

Oh that has been happening for yeeeears.  Arts are always the first thing to go.  I think arts, languages, music and etc. are completely necessary and terribly undervalued today.  There's also plenty of psychological research attesting that engagement in the arts makes children smarter (this should just be common sense, frankly), so we're dumbing them down by cutting them out, not to mention depriving them.

 

 

[Arcadia]

Yup. Hope I still have a job after this. The place I work relies heavily on public funding, as it should, considering everything they give back to the community, for free or practically nothing. Fortunately, our little community seems to appreciate it, but still ... when the funding goes away at the top, it affects us little folks down here too.
 
That could potentially affect shows like Sherlock as well ... the Republicans have been trying to defund public television for decades, and where does some of the funding for Sherlock come from? Tada ... American public television. A ton of public tv funding comes from private donors too, but every time government funding takes a hit, the whole arts community suffers, at all levels.
 
I've been in all kinds of school systems, some well funded, some, not so much. Where they had arts programs, they had a largely trouble free student body. Where they didn't have arts programs, lots of discipline, drug and truancy problems. Maybe that's more related to their economic situation than the availability of arts programming, but I personally believe it's all tied together. I remember kids in the "poorer" schools who had the worst attitudes towards education and life I've ever encountered; they didn't see the point of doing anything except making trouble. And they didn't see the point in that, either, they just did it. I'd love to be able to go back in time and stick all of them in a band class and see what happens. My money's on marked improvement.

[Surelock]

Don't worry everyone.

 

All that money that is cut from the arts will go to pay for the Great Wall of Trump that's supposed to stop illegal immigrants from entering the US.

 

Trump has probably realised that Mexico isn't going to pay for his wall since he's now thinking about how to cut the price of the wall:

 

 

 

[bedelia1984]

It is very much the same in Ireland, actually. I've worked in Arts in Mental Health care for years, and as an area it has just been destroyed, the first thing to get cut every time a well-paid bureaucrat high up in the system realises they can make a hassle-free saving. And yet, the same high-powered people will be the first to trot out a successful artist or musician when they want to advertise the country or make themselves look good.

 

I've been at meetings where people ask me if I'd rather have Art or Ambulances, as if that is really the choice that is being made! It drives me bananas.

 

It's exactly like you say Arcadia, it is the preventative power of the arts, when it comes to social issues, mental health issues, even just health issues, that make it so important in schools, and throughout the community too in my opinion.

 

As for the wall, I'm speechless...

 

 

[Surelock]

 

As for the wall, I'm speechless...

 

The wall is art. 

 

Every bureaucrat loves the artistry of walls, castles, mansions etc. 

 

They just hate it when art reflects anyone other than them, their friends or family.

 

 

 

Also can someone please explain to me what an 'illegal criminal' is? Trump mentioned them in his tweet:

 

 

'Illegal criminals' huh? So there are 'legal criminals' as well? Who are the 'legal criminals'? Trump and his entire cabinet?  :D

 

[Arcadia]

 

Keep it up, Surelock, we'll kill 'em with satire!!

[Fantasy Lover]

This is outrageous. http://distractify.com/trending/2017/02/09/kellyanne-conway-ivanka-stuff?utm_content=inf_11_53_2&tse_id=INF_bc273d00ef0211e6a03c354c456e1db2