President Trump & the USA

[Thracian]

On 19/04/2017 at 09:24, Vacamion said:

 

Imagine living a life which ca person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or somethingauses you to have "enemies".

 

So many enemies, in fact, that some of them are more inimical than others and these are your "worst enemies".

 

I don't, to my knowledge, have any enemies at all.  I must be doing it wrong...

The definition of an enemy is: "a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something".

There are all sorts on here who actively oppose and are hostile to things I say. Can't imagine it changing.

 As for your being right or wrong it depends on your outlook. 

Me, I think a debating forum depends on argument, disagreement and controversy rather as the body needs blood and oxygen.

As soon as everyone agrees the forum dies.

 .

 

 

[Carl the Llama]

1 hour ago, Thracian said:

The definition of an enemy is: "a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something".

There are all sorts on here who actively oppose and are hostile to things I say. Can't imagine it changing.

 As for your being right or wrong it depends on your outlook. 

Me, I think a debating forum depends on argument, disagreement and controversy rather as the body needs blood and oxygen.

As soon as everyone agrees the forum dies.

 .

 

 

I think we can all agree on that.

 

 

 

Oh no.

[Merging Cultures]

1 minute ago, Carl the Llama said:

I think we can all agree on that.

 

 

 

Oh no.

Duh duh duuuuhhhh

[Carl the Llama]

[Strokes]

I refuse to agree, I'm always the hero.

[Thracian]

14 minutes ago, Carl the Llama said:

I think we can all agree on that.

 

 

 

Oh no.

It's not something I'm going to get used to!  

[leicsmac]

http://www.snopes.com/2017/04/25/legislator-reddit-redpill-forum/

 

And this is a legislator in my own adopted home state. He was one of the ones who was stupid and/or unlucky enough to get traced - who knows how many other folks in legislature up and down the country are in hock to the alt-right?

 

I'll say again - dismiss them at your peril.

[leicsmac]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39725528

 

"How best to use that land"? That's an interesting way of saying "how best to sell it onto the energy companies to tear up for the sake of a quick buck".

[leicsmac]

8 hours ago, leicsmac said:

http://www.snopes.com/2017/04/25/legislator-reddit-redpill-forum/

 

And this is a legislator in my own adopted home state. He was one of the ones who was stupid and/or unlucky enough to get traced - who knows how many other folks in legislature up and down the country are in hock to the alt-right?

 

I'll say again - dismiss them at your peril.

 

Just as an addendum to this he also said, and I quote:

 

"I'm going to say it - rape isn't an absolute bad, because the rapist I think probably likes it a lot. I think he'd say it's quite good, really."

[Foxxed]

I'm cautiously optimistic about Trump's foreign policy in the Western sphere at least. Before the election he said NATO - the main protective mechanism in Europe from itself and from Russian expansion - was obsolete.

 

European conflict from The Thirty Years War to our two world wars, naming just three, has been Europeans seeing other Europeans as enemies and then going off to kill other Europeans.

 

The presence of NATO meant one very important thing: European states did not need to rearm after world war two. They would be in a collective self-protective military alliance. And this would also halt Russian expansion.

 

On top of the European Steel and Coal treaty after WWII meant war in Europe was pretty much impossible. And then we started working together politically and economically too: our economic and political destinies for the first time were not opposed to each other.

 

The idea that NATO was obsolete - with rising tensions within European neighbours including us very recently - was incredibly dangerous for a full century plus of historical precedence.

 

But now Trump's come out in support of not just NATO but also the European Union:

 

 

 

It further makes me think Bannon's influence is on the decline.

 

Edited 26 April 2017 by Foxxed

[Merging Cultures]

It's a classic Trump quote though.

 

I didn't know anything about NATO, so it was obsolete. Now I've spoken to someone for 5 mins, I don't think it is obsolete any more.

 

Basically, if he doesn't know about something, it doesn't exist, is rubbish, useless, defunct, or obsolete. Once he speaks to someone his opinion changes, and it is now the most complicated thing, and no one knew it was so complicated, and no one else can solve the problem. When in reality there are a whole host of experts on each subject matter, and the reason change takes so long is because most subjects are complicated. The thing is, he then forgets he spoke to whoever, and his opinion changes again.

 

Two examples:

Healthcare: No one knew it was so complicated; seriously no one.

North Korea: Spoke to the Xi for 10 minutes and found out that NK isn't easy; and apparently Korea used to be in China

 

The NK issue highlights how easy he is to manipulate, and how easy it is to feed him incorrect information that will inform his policy decisions. That is quite worrying.

[Rincewind]

 

[leicsmac]

So...first 100 days. What do we all think?

 

Has anything of substance been done, despite all the executive orders being passed out like confetti? The infamous wall looks to be mothballed, both the immigration ban (two iterations of) and the ACA reform got gunned down in flames, and the approval ratings aren't looking overly peachy either.

[Rincewind]

Not a good start to his apprenticeship.

[Wymsey]

Maybe what North Korea is doing and Trump's involvement in this via publically supporting the Chinese and South Korean presidents on their stance towards them is acting as a 'saving face' away from his weaknesses on other matters?

[leicsmac]

2 hours ago, Wymeswold fox said:

Maybe what North Korea is doing and Trump's involvement in this via publically supporting the Chinese and South Korean presidents on their stance towards them is acting as a 'saving face' away from his weaknesses on other matters?

 

If that is the case, then it's going about as well as every other initiative he's put forward since taking office.

 

In any event North Korea is just the flavour of the month. Next month there'll be another issue for him to have soundbites and Tweet about.

[China Black]

First 100 days have been an embarrassment. He's making his country a joke. And yet he still has until 20 January 2021 (possibly 20 January 2025 if he wins a 2nd term) before his presidency is officially over.

[Jattdogg]

7 hours ago, China Black said:

First 100 days have been an embarrassment. He's making his country a joke. And yet he still has until 20 January 2021 (possibly 20 January 2025 if he wins a 2nd term) before his presidency is officially over.

Id say no effing way he is reelected but the again George  bush was. 

[China Black]

10 hours ago, Jattdogg said:

Id say no effing way he is reelected but the again George  bush was. 

This is America we're talking about. Only in America would a person with such a racist and backward looking attitude be voted by the people to become it's nation's leader. Bush and Trump are one in the same. Both are from the Republican Party, which is populated with such ridiculous politicians.

[leicsmac]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39760283

 

Wish I could say I was surprised.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/28/epa-website-removes-climate-science-site-from-public-view-after-two-decades/?tid=ss_fb

 

REALLY wish I could say I was surprised.

 

So...any more thoughts on the first 100 days?

[sphericalfox]

 

[Foxxed]

On 27/04/2017 at 08:57, Merging Cultures said:

It's a classic Trump quote though.

 

I didn't know anything about NATO, so it was obsolete. Now I've spoken to someone for 5 mins, I don't think it is obsolete any more.

 

Basically, if he doesn't know about something, it doesn't exist, is rubbish, useless, defunct, or obsolete. Once he speaks to someone his opinion changes, and it is now the most complicated thing, and no one knew it was so complicated, and no one else can solve the problem. When in reality there are a whole host of experts on each subject matter, and the reason change takes so long is because most subjects are complicated. The thing is, he then forgets he spoke to whoever, and his opinion changes again.

 

Two examples:

Healthcare: No one knew it was so complicated; seriously no one.

North Korea: Spoke to the Xi for 10 minutes and found out that NK isn't easy; and apparently Korea used to be in China

 

The NK issue highlights how easy he is to manipulate, and how easy it is to feed him incorrect information that will inform his policy decisions. That is quite worrying.

Eh, at least people are informing him now.

 

I keep hearing claims he didn't realise being president would be so much work.

 

I'm hoping he's delegating to their civil service and letting them tell him how shit works.

 

I've no idea how the North Korea diplomatic thing is going. Did the US under Obama have any kind of strategy either?

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, Foxxed said:

Eh, at least people are informing him now.

 

I keep hearing claims he didn't realise being president would be so much work.

 

I'm hoping he's delegating to their civil service and letting them tell him how shit works.

 

I've no idea how the North Korea diplomatic thing is going. Did the US under Obama have any kind of strategy either?

 

TBH any strategy beyond 'continuing the status quo' regarding North Korea is going to be counterproductive for the US anyway. Different presidents making different noises, but the background work is likely the same.

[leicsmac]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39762742

 

Always nice to see one administration learn about the firm, steady hand of government from another.

[Merging Cultures]

On 2017-5-1 at 02:03, Foxxed said:

I keep hearing claims he didn't realise being president would be so much work.

Not so much a claim, as a direct quote!

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-100days-idUSKBN17U0CA

 

"I loved my previous life. I had so many things going," Trump told Reuters in an interview. "This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier."