The Trump presidency

[CRI]

WTF?

President Trump suggests anti-Semitic threats across U.S. are coming from within Jewish community

 

[Nylock]

jesus
...just when you think he can't go any lower...

 

[Ax^]

hmm my mind is wandering to admiral ackbar for some reason...

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Uh-oh: the Trumpazoids aren't going to be happy about this:

President Trump, signaling a potential major shift in policy, told news anchors on Tuesday that he is open to a broad immigration overhaul that would grant legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants who have not committed serious crimes.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/us/politics/trump-address-congress.html?_r=0

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Fucking idiot:

Historically black colleges and universities “are real pioneers when it comes to school choice,” the statement continued. “They are living proof that when more options are provided to students, they are afforded greater access and greater quality. Their success has shown that more options help students flourish.”

On Twitter, hundreds of angry users accused her of ignoring the fact that many of the schools were founded because black students were not allowed to attend segregated white schools, not because education pioneers wanted to give African-Americans more options in higher education. Many accused her of using the nation’s history of segregation to advance a contemporary political agenda.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/...ion/newseventcollection/The Trump White House

 

[coley]

Uh-oh: the Trumpazoids aren't going to be happy about this:



https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/us/politics/trump-address-congress.html?_r=0

He's been kidnapped and is complying with ransom demands

 

[Ming]

WTF?

President Trump suggests anti-Semitic threats across U.S. are coming from within Jewish community

Well Steve Bannon is anti-semetic. His wife in a divorce related deposition said he didn't want his kids to go to school with Jewish kids. I suppose you could argue it was a divorce deposition but he then went on to help create Breitbart News. And he's into domestic violence also. Real nice guy. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt as he would definitely do for anyone else.

 

[CRI]

 

[CRI]

Some of the 500 plus jobs Trump hasn't filled, and shows no urgency in filling. Tad worrying some of them especially.

 

[Ming]

I think this might end in big violence. He's used a racist platform to get elected and it doesn't look like it'll change. I hope not. But people thought that in the 30's.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Hundreds of grieving family and friends in southern India have attended the funeral of a 32-year-old man killed in an apparently racially motivated shooting in the United States that shocked the Indian-American community.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an engineer with the US GPS-maker Garmin, died after a navy veteran is suspected of opening fire in a crowded Kansas bar last week. Witnesses said the suspect yelled "Get out of my country!" before the shooting on Wednesday night.

Kuchibhotla's body was brought home late on Monday night to his hometown of Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana state, and cremated on Tuesday.

Friends and family mourn for slain Srinivas Kuchibhotla

 

[bimble]

.

 

[CRI]

Apologies for the tweet link but some interesting observations of Trump's speech. From @KillerMartinis



I cant bear to watch the wholecspeech but seeing a few say it was a 'good speech' (so long as he didn't veer off the autocue.) The bar is so low though, and too many clapping like sealions at both his meaningless platitudes and ghastly pronouncements.

 

[CRI]

How incredibly low expectations have become. Just don't lose your shit for an hour and you're "presidential."

 

[CrabbedOne]

That was a good speech well delivered.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Guardian quoting the Sun, but:

Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain has been delayed until October in a bid to avoid protests and MPs’ snubs ...

Though the dates may change again, a provisional three day slot for the president’s formal visit has been pencilled in from October 5 to 8, The Sun has learned.

The Thursdsay to Sunday slot falls just after the Tories’ annual party conference but before Parliament returns from a recess – allowing Trump to bypass having to make any address to protesting MPs.

A senior government source said: “Trump still really wants to come this year, but he wants the heat to die down a bit first.

“The White House watch what happens over here surprisingly closely, and they don’t want to create a scene for our sake either.”

 

[CRI]

Not that anyone seems to care about facts anymore, but. . .

Fact Check of Trump's speech to Congress

tl;dr

Most of what he said was lies, but he stuck to the script pretty well, so yay, whoopee.

............

His acolytes will embrace the speech as evidence that he really is that great president who will make everything that's important to them great again.

GOP legislators will breathe a sigh of relief that he didn't fuck up and quietly get back to the programme of dismantling all the things.

Ever the optimists, Democrat legislators and party regulars will wonder if maybe they can do business with him after all.

All the folks who will be royally screwed by his administration's actions and know it (as opposed to those who back him and are in denial) can see support from others to resist his kleptocratic, hate-fueled Presidency crumbling.

 

[CrabbedOne]

In The Atlantic The State of Trump's State Department

...
A lot of this, the employee said, is because there is now a “much smaller decision circle.” And many State staffers are surprised to find themselves on the outside. “They really want to blow this place up,” said the mid-level State Department official. “I don’t think this administration thinks the State Department needs to exist. They think Jared [Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law] can do everything. It’s reminiscent of the developing countries where I’ve served. The family rules everything, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows nothing.”

Right now, those I’ve spoken to in the department seem to know very little about what’s going on. The staffer told me that she finds out what’s going on at State from the news—which she spends all day reading because, after years of not having her day scheduled down to 15-minute blocks, she has nothing else to do. And even the news itself isn’t coming from official sources. There hasn’t been a State Department press briefing, once a daily ritual, since the new administration took over five weeks ago—though they’re scheduled to resume March 6. These briefings weren’t just for journalists. They also served as a crucial set of cues for U.S. diplomats all over the world about policy priorities, and how to talk about them. With no daily messaging, and almost no guidance from Washington, people in far-flung posts are flying blind even as the pace of their diplomacy hasn’t abated.

“Meetings are happening,” said one American diplomat stationed abroad, “but it is noticeable that we’re not having press briefings, which makes it hard for ambassadors waiting to take cues. We’re able to echo what Mattis, Tillerson, Pence say. But we’re still not there in aggressively promoting president’s agenda.” Other American diplomats, especially those in geopolitically sensitive posts, find themselves going on old, Obama-era guidance because no new guidance has been issued. But “the diplomacy goes on,” said another American diplomat abroad. “People notice every little change in our position,” the diplomat said. “And we don’t always know where the administration is or is going to be, so you operate on old guidance until Washington takes a new position. We’re largely taking our cues from the president, vice president, and Secretary Tillerson’s remarks and from reading the Spicer briefings,” referring to the daily briefings of White House press secretary Sean Spicer. “We are watching the news and seeing how quickly we can get our fingers on the [Spicer] transcripts,” the diplomat said.
...

Basically America has become diplomatically autistic in the space of a few weeks.

And it's not like the US was strong in the mandarin way of things in the first place. It's foreign service is full of political appointments. Spotty Campaign staffers crop up in ridiculously responsible jobs and frequently fuck them up. They have tended to lean heavily on often partisan Think Tanks for expertise. Trump's also decided to ignore them. Ignorant political hacks are worryingly prominent. What you've got here is a far more contracted version of Tony Blair's much criticised Sofa Government. This is a recipe for stumbling into very Stupid Shit.

 

[8den]

In The Atlantic The State of Trump's State Department
Basically America has become diplomatically autistic in the space of a few weeks.
.

Getting a 404 error on that article.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On TDB Generals May Launch New ISIS Raids Without Trump’s OK

...
Obama used to give Mattis pre-delegation authority to act when he was head of Central Command on some issues, but not others, the official said. “Will you delegate authority if an Iranian boat gets close, I can take it out? Most presidents will think carefully about that,” he said. “There’s usually a healthy back-and-forth to come up with the right balance.” The official spoke anonymously to discuss the sensitive discussions on approving raids.

Trump officials believe loosening the permissions process can help turn up the heat against ISIS—and counterterrorist-focused agencies like the military’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) are lining up new targets in anticipation of more numerous and more rapid approvals.

One model being considered is pre-delegating authority to Mattis on extremely sensitive operations like hostage rescues; for raids or drone strikes against pre-approved targets, that authority could be pushed much further down the chain of command—all the way down to the three-star general who runs JSOC. If his teams spot a target that’s already on the White House approved high-value target list, the elite force will be able to move into action, informing the national-security apparatus of the operation but not having to wait for permission.
...

Actually this only seems sensible. What has Trump got to add to a decision to try and snatch or kill an AQ HVT? A President really should have better things to do than micro-managing the GWOT as it seems Obama did. He'd have been better playing frigging golf and letting the military get on with it.

 

[CrabbedOne]

Getting a 404 error on that article.

Appears to have been removed.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Politico Trump's six hidden trade weapons

...
6. Just ignore the WTO. If Trump did impose any of these unorthodoxsanctions against a WTO member, that member would almost certainly file a WTO case against the U.S.—under WTO rules, countries are not supposed to level unilateral sanctions without going through the dispute settlement process. But even if the WTO’s decision went against the United States, no law requires the Trump administration to abide by that finding. “The WTO cannot compel compliance,” said Veroneau, who was the deputy U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush. Like a lot of things, it’s really just a mutual agreement whose strength comes from everyone’s participation—and the U.S. could just turn its back on the process, even if it did not officially withdraw from the agreement.

And it’s here that the Trump administration is already changing the playing field:To trade experts, that the Trump administration is even considering unilateral trade sanctions represents a unique threat to modern trade relations. “Once you even signal that you are not going to be investing in a certain rule-based framework,” said Olson, “that brings the whole house of cards down.”

Which would be very "The Donald" he's a "So sue me!" kinda guy.

Quite an arsenal of trade war tools at a US President's disposal and it can't be said he doesn't have a mandate to unilaterally fuck over everybody else on behalf of US voters.

 

[petee]

Appears to have been removed.

link works for me

 

[8den]

link works for me

It's back now, I imagine it was taken down to fix a mistake etc...

 

[CRI]

So, Trump isn't bothering to fill more than 500 vacancies in government (and it's only a matter of time until somewhere down the food chain, this starts to bite when no one is performing key functions), but he is going to set up a brand spanking new agency within Homeland Security - "Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement office" or VOICE. There's no evidence that immigrants, legal or otherwise, commit crimes more than citizens so this will have as much purpose as a chocolate teapot. Except of course it's purpose is to whip up even more hatred towards immigrants, legal or otherwise, or people who look like they might be. And, it's a punch in the nose to "sanctuary cities," to say their shennanigans won't be tolerated. He's going to get a pass on this because everyone thinks his speech last night was just adorable.

This CNN piece covers it in the blandest terms, but this quote is ridiculous but typical of about the only argument that could be made for this thing.

"The point is that every crime that is committed by someone who is here illegally is a crime that would not occur if they weren't in the country," said Hans von Spakovsky, a legal expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

You could also argue that if more unwanted pregnancies ended in abortion, some people wouldn't commit crimes because they wouldn't exist.

 

[CRI]

Trump played nice for a night—a technique straight out of the autocrat’s playbook

Last night, US president Donald Trump gave what was, by the eroded current standards of American political discourse, a very good speech. It was a very good speech full of very big lies and very cruel policies disguised as empathy.

Actions speak louder than words, and Trump’s speech is ultimately just another embarrassing exhibit in how wishful thinking will keep this burgeoning American autocracy afloat.

Every autocrat flirts with benevolence, promoting themselves as the sole protector against threats, the strongman who remembers “the forgotten people.”

But there is only one winner in an autocratic state: the autocrat and his lackeys. Citizens function as pawns and props, conned into complicity until their regret carries no weight. The US currently has an authoritarian-leaning government but is not yet an authoritarian regime, due in large part to the constant vigilance and pushback of citizens. If you seek to stop the slide into authoritarianism, do not let yourself get played.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

You could also argue that if more unwanted pregnancies ended in abortion, some people wouldn't commit crimes because they wouldn't exist.

Some people have argued that:

Abortion and crime: who should you believe? - Freakonomics

 

[J Ed]

I like how loads of journos are skipping over the idea that Bush is good now to the idea that Trump is alright as well because he is capable of giving a speech while sounding like a standard far-right Republican monster politician.

Natural conclusion of fetishisation of 'civilised discourse'.

 

[J Ed]

You are a firing squad and you are gunning me down? Well great, you are articulate and have said please and thank you, so I can see no reason why not!

 

[Pickman's model]

Trump played nice for a night—a technique straight out of the autocrat’s playbook

Last night, US president Donald Trump gave what was, by the eroded current standards of American political discourse, a very good speech. It was a very good speech full of very big lies and very cruel policies disguised as empathy.

Actions speak louder than words, and Trump’s speech is ultimately just another embarrassing exhibit in how wishful thinking will keep this burgeoning American autocracy afloat.

Every autocrat flirts with benevolence, promoting themselves as the sole protector against threats, the strongman who remembers “the forgotten people.”

But there is only one winner in an autocratic state: the autocrat and his lackeys. Citizens function as pawns and props, conned into complicity until their regret carries no weight. The US currently has an authoritarian-leaning government but is not yet an authoritarian regime, due in large part to the constant vigilance and pushback of citizens. If you seek to stop the slide into authoritarianism, do not let yourself get played.

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance