Donald Trump - news and discussion

[danny la rouge]

What’s going to happen is that people catching up later will want a say too. That’s fine. But maybe those of us already up to speed can refrain from wading back in with our say?

Let’s try comparing the way the US media is now reacting to Antifa with the way they are now reacting to the Jan 6 brigade. Are they “both-sides”-ing? Are they moving their position to closer reflect the Trump administration? How far does this reflect US public opinion?

Can we start there, given this is a story that has been raised today?

 

[danny la rouge]

Again, why are you stating that I just post stupid posts?

I didn’t say anything of the sort.

And moving on, let’s discuss the story you raised.

 

[danny la rouge]

So, treating antifa as domestic terrorists?

And possibly also Mandelson squirming and the “special relationship”?

 

[Poot]

So, treating antifa as domestic terrorists?

And possibly also Mandelson squirming and the “special relationship”?

Surely antifa is a movement rather than any sort of organisation. And anti-fascist isn't really an ideology anyway, it's just what you're supposed to be. This is nuts.

 

[breadandcircuse]

I didn’t say anything of the sort.

And moving on, let’s discuss the story you raised.

You agreed with the previous poster about my posts being stupid.

So, moving on, don't try and gaslight me about my content and maybe we can discuss things on topic.

 

[Aladdin]

And on the whole "special relationship" side...
What are the chances that Trump and Putin will have a 10 year non aggression pact a la Stalin/Hitler pre WW2.?

My head says ..no fucking way.
But there's this niggling little kernel that keeps bothering me. Is Trump so absolutely dictatorial that he could see himself as a sort of Master of The Golden USA and King of the Western World.

This whole experience is becoming a bad Monty Python film isn't it...

 

[breadandcircuse]

Surely antifa is a movement rather than any sort of organisation. And anti-fascist isn't really an ideology anyway, it's just what you're supposed to be. This is nuts.

Exactly. That was my point about Greene's ignorance.

 

[JimW]

AP story with some polling on Kennedy and some of his views prior to his confirmation hearing:

From anti-vaccine advocacy to raw milk, many of RFK Jr.'s views fall outside the mainstream

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing some skepticism from the public. A survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of President Donald Trump nominating Kennedy as Department of Health and Human Services secretary.

apnews.com

His wackier positions are notably broadly unpopular, though split on party lines often, but does find agreement on some of his ideas about food additives.
Also mention of his pro abortion record, which puts him at odds with new colleagues.
Had thought he might be a weak link in the administration due to direct impact on lives in short order.

 

[Dystopiary]

So, treating antifa as domestic terrorists?

And possibly also Mandelson squirming and the “special relationship”?

Re the first one, well it's broad as hell isn't it. Most people on this thread could be classed as "antifa."

What about non-domestic? Is the terrorist label applicable to visitors? Would've thought it'll put people off going there for fear of being arrested if so.

 

[story]

Re the first one, well it's broad as hell isn't it. Most people on this thread could be classed as "antifa."

What about non-domestic? Is the terrorist label applicable to visitors? Would've thought it'll put people off going there for fear of being arrested if so.

Imagine if anyone who's been arrested on a demo was suddenly on a list lodged with US Immigration.

 

[Dystopiary]

Imagine if anyone who's been arrested on a demo was suddenly on a list lodged with US Immigration.

I can see that happening tbh.

 

[emanymton]

AP story with some polling on Kennedy and some of his views prior to his confirmation hearing:

From anti-vaccine advocacy to raw milk, many of RFK Jr.'s views fall outside the mainstream

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing some skepticism from the public. A survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of President Donald Trump nominating Kennedy as Department of Health and Human Services secretary.

apnews.com

His wackier positions are notably broadly unpopular, though split on party lines often, but does find agreement on some of his ideas about food additives.
Also mention of his pro abortion record, which puts him at odds with new colleagues.
Had thought he might be a weak link in the administration due to direct impact on lives in short order.

The one thing most people support (removing food additives) is also probably the least likely to happen given that is the one that would harm businesses.

Vaccines I'm not sure about, how much money is there in them for the big pharmaceutical companies?

 

[two sheds]

Strikes me that American farms and others will need more unpaid labour to replace the immigrants that are being expelled. Favourite replacement you'd think will be prisoners, including those jailed for protesting and labeled 'antifa' or 'domestic terrorists'. (A lot of the Californian 'firefighters' were actually not trained firefighters at all but press-ganged from prisons.)

 

[danny la rouge]

You agreed with the previous poster about my posts being stupid.

Read again the post by teuchter that I quoted. He didn’t say your posts are stupid. (Not in the post I quoted anyway).

 

[danny la rouge]

Re the first one, well it's broad as hell isn't it. Most people on this thread could be classed as "antifa."

Yup. It’s instructive that the way rightwing commentators choose to pronounce it (antEEfuh) serves to cloud its actual meaning. Anti fascism. Which is surely something to be applauded.

What about non-domestic? Is the terrorist label applicable to visitors? Would've thought it'll put people off going there for fear of being arrested if so.

I remember having to say when I applied for a visitors’ visa that I wasn’t a terrorist or Communist. But it did occur to me that the form would only catch out the more ineffectual terrorists…

You’re right, though. I have an acquaintance who has just turned down a secondment to a US university because of the political tide there. I wonder if there is a more widespread international reluctance to work there now?

An old, old friend of mine from Boston keeps me updated, and he’s pretty despondent and embarrassed about international opinion. Not to mention what his future is looking like.

 

[Coffeecup]

AP story with some polling on Kennedy and some of his views prior to his confirmation hearing:

From anti-vaccine advocacy to raw milk, many of RFK Jr.'s views fall outside the mainstream

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing some skepticism from the public. A survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of President Donald Trump nominating Kennedy as Department of Health and Human Services secretary.

apnews.com

His wackier positions are notably broadly unpopular, though split on party lines often, but does find agreement on some of his ideas about food additives.
Also mention of his pro abortion record, which puts him at odds with new colleagues.
Had thought he might be a weak link in the administration due to direct impact on lives in short order.

RFK Jr. Was My Drug Dealer

Kennedy’s endorsement of Donald Trump raises an awkward question.

www.theatlantic.com

On the RFK junior thread there is a post about Caroline Kennedy posted by Yossarian warning about RFKj. Trump got him to stand down in case his votes impeded Trump votes in the election by offering him a place in the administration regardless of whether he was capable. At the time, Trump didn’t know if he would win or the vote count could split his vote with a Kennedy and what comes with that name. I reckon if RFK gets confirmed, he’ll be out within months.

 

[klang]

t strikes me these cunts do not read the posts they complain of.

Lol no.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

To a large degree the Antifa thing is their standard 'always be on the attack and always accuse others of whatever you're doing' isn't it. Keep throwing accusations and keep upping the ante. Now they can go as far as accusing people of being members of an actual proscribed terrorist group. If it's convenient for them they might arrest some people through this but it's more about that tactical aggression than anything I think.

 

[story]

What’s going to happen is that people catching up later will want a say too. That’s fine. But maybe those of us already up to speed can refrain from wading back in with our say?

Let’s try comparing the way the US media is now reacting to Antifa with the way they are now reacting to the Jan 6 brigade. Are they “both-sides”-ing? Are they moving their position to closer reflect the Trump administration? How far does this reflect US public opinion?

Can we start there, given this is a story that has been raised today?

I think the MSM has already proven they're more than willing and ready to pull in their claws and do the simpering.

Jim Acoster quitting on air has not lit up the US media the way I'd have expect.

He's "exited" and he's "chosen to leave" and he's "rejected the move to the graveyard shift".

 

[Dystopiary]

Yup. It’s instructive that the way rightwing commentators choose to pronounce it (antEEfuh) serves to cloud its actual meaning. Anti fascism. Which is surely something to be applauded.

I remember having to say when I applied for a visitors’ visa that I wasn’t a terrorist or Communist. But it did occur to me that the form would only catch out the more ineffectual terrorists…

You’re right, though. I have an acquaintance who has just turned down a secondment to a US university because of the political tide there. I wonder if there is a more widespread international reluctance to work there now?

An old, old friend of mine from Boston keeps me updated, and he’s pretty despondent and embarrassed about international opinion. Not to mention what his future is looking like.

Bolded bit - There definitely will be, because so many people will be - or potentially be - targets of both the authorities and emboldened others, who were already a growing threat to women and minorities. (I suppose the corporate media straddles both those categories.) People like Pr*ud B*ys and their supporters.

Those who aren't in any way targeted by the US right must be in quite a minority.

 

[danny la rouge]

RFK Jr. Was My Drug Dealer

Kennedy’s endorsement of Donald Trump raises an awkward question.

www.theatlantic.com

On the RFK junior thread there is a post about Caroline Kennedy posted by Yossarian warning about RFKj. Trump got him to stand down in case his votes impeded Trump votes in the election by offering him a place in the administration regardless of whether he was capable. At the time, Trump didn’t know if he would win or the vote count could split his vote with a Kennedy and what comes with that name. I reckon if RFK gets confirmed, he’ll be out within months.

I’ve not been following that thread, but it’ll be interesting to see how RFKjr fairs. The Trump administration has thrown itself in with the tech oligarchs, in an interesting parallel with Putin and the current wave of Russian oligarchs. It’s nothing new that the political leadership of the state should represent the interests of capital, but this naked and visual structural cementing of that alliance seems to reflect the development of capitalism in Russia and China over the last 3 decades.

Can a loose canon such as RFK keep his position under the watch of the tech oligarchs? (More importantly Zuckerberg, Bezos and Pichai: the ego clash of Musk and Trump is its own psychodrama).

 

[story]

Strikes me that American farms and others will need more unpaid labour to replace the immigrants that are being expelled. Favourite replacement you'd think will be prisoners, including those jailed for protesting and labeled 'antifa' or 'domestic terrorists'. (A lot of the Californian 'firefighters' were actually not trained firefighters at all but press-ganged from prisons.)

They weren't press ganged. They volunteer for that detail. It increases their privileges and official standing Vis a vis parole etc.

But, they don't get extra wages or danger money, and they sign away any right to claim for damages and insurance, and they don't hired as firefighters once they're released regardless of how much fire experience they get.

But they are volunteering for the work.

Some of them say it helps them.feel like they're better person than they were, building up some karmic credit, giving something back to society.

 

[starfish]

Imagine if anyone who's been arrested on a demo was suddenly on a list lodged with US Immigration.

Or said something disparaging about him on X/Twitter.

 

[Petcha]

Fucking hell... I've just tuned into the latest senate confirmation hearing... This time for the new health secretary, RFK Jr. Who sounds like he's just smoked 20 packs before the gig and looks like he's about to explode.

Jesus

What a nomination. Tune in. It's fucking hilarious...

 

[danny la rouge]

I think the MSM has already proven they're more than willing and ready to pull in their claws and do the simpering.

Jim Acoster quitting on air has not lit up the US media the way I'd have expect.

He's "exited" and he's "chosen to leave" and he's "rejected the move to the graveyard shift".

I’d missed that story. More details here:

Trump critic Jim Acosta reveals his next move after leaving CNN

‘To President Trump and his allies, you may think you have silenced me. But guess again,’ Jim Acosta noted just hours after signing off from CNN for the final time

www.independent.co.uk

I wonder if the spin from the Indie is as much from their perspective, as a “legacy” outlet surfing the changes in consumer demand themselves?

“Acosta joins a growing list of mainstream news journalists and personalities who have ditched legacy media to go the independent route on Substack.”

I have to admit I’ve not paid any attention to Substack other than being aware of the word and its existence. Is it something I have to learn about? I really don’t feel I have the spoons to take it on.

 

[Sweet FA]

the latest news isn't good enough to discuss a topic? I'm literally posting relevant news to discuss,

You're a fucking menace - you have joined this community in the same way a tick joins a dog. Posting isn't the same as discussing.

eta - apologies breadandcircuse - this was mean and unnecessary

 

[Petcha]

The other guy had to endure like 8 hours of this without a break, I can't see this geezer lasting 2

 

[Dystopiary]

They weren't press hanged. They volunteer for that detail. It increases their privileges and official standing Vis a vis parole etc.

But, they don't get extra wages or danger money, and they sign away any right to claim for damages and insurance, and they don't hired as firefighters once they're released regardless of how much fire experience they get.

But they are volunteering for the work.

Some of them say it helps them.feel like they're better person than they were, building up some karmic credit, giving something back to society.

Well there's voluntary and there's voluntary/a few hours' respite from a US prison.

 

[Petcha]

This is unreal. He's currently wheezing through an explanation of why all his children and grandkids are vaccinated and yet he voted to block vaccines for everyone.

Watch BBC News live - BBC iPlayer

Watch BBC News live on BBC iPlayer.

www.bbc.co.uk

Oh... hecklers!!!

 

[danny la rouge]

Well there's voluntary and there's voluntary/a few hours' respite from a US prison.

Yup. It feels a bit like kids in left behind communities “volunteering” for the forces. There’s choice and there’s choice.