The Trump presidency

[CRI]

Oh, he's been signing more EXOs repealing Obamas environmental acts, does he really have a clue? are his staffers telling him he is actually signing autograph books?
Coal isn't coming back, solar and wind and cheap fracked gas have made sure of that, but as an ex miner mesel, I do feel sorry for those he is leading down the garden path with his deluded promises.
Plus the orders he signed earlier, have in effect, destroyed this administrations (can it actually be called that?) role or influence in compliance with the Paris accord.
Does anyone in the echelons of the US government realise (or care) that he is making the US look more and more like a banana republic?
Alice in wonderland time.

See also:

The Trump administration is unraveling the best chance we have at slowing human-caused climate change, solely because he says it will improve the economy. But Trump’s advisers have apparently not considered how climate change’s impacts on agricultural productivity, human health, and property value will hurt the economy. Hell, they’re not even “familiar” with the idea that it might.

This isn’t just some environmental talking point: Huge public companies regularly file risk disclosures saying climate change threatens their bottoms lines. Big insurance companies like Allianz, Liberty Mutual, and SwissRe warn the government must prepare for climate-fueled extreme weather events to avoid passing costs on to them. In the 2014 report “Risky Business,” bigwigs like billionaire Michael Bloomberg and former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson warn of dire economic consequences if warming isn’t tackled. By 2050, it says $106 billion worth of coastal property could sink below sea level, while crop yields could be reduced by up to 70 percent in some states because of extreme heat.

For a presidential administration that is basing its climate policy on the idea that it’s good for the American economy, these seem like ridiculous things to not be “familiar with.”

 

[CRI]

And, the bastards are starting to go for Maxine Waters. They'll regret that.

(edited to add . . . )

Sorry for the tweet links, but can't find the vids elsewhere yet.

Here's Congresswoman Waters responding to O'Reilly's slating.



And the asshole Spicer treating a veteran Black woman journalist like she's a naughty child. (And the impassiveness of the white reporters surrounding her is telling as well.)



Yes, it's the same April Ryan whom Trump asked in his bizarro February "news conference" whether she could set up a meeting between him and the Congressional Black Caucus, y'know, because all Black people know each other and all.

 

[coley]

I really doubt his main supporters care what other countries think of the US under Trump. Many were the same people who genuinely believe that everyone else in the world wishes they were American, that America is the most free and fair country in the world, blah blah blah. Many won't have travelled outside the US apart from maybe Canada to hunt and Mexico for a cheap holiday, or while serving in the military. They're already skeptical about anything "science-ey" so they're content to believe there's still coal to be mined, fracking is safe and climate change is a myth.

About this time last year, I like many people, thought that the stereotypical image of the loud mouthed ignorant redneck was just that, a stereotype, not really representative of the average American, the events of the last twelve months have certainly changed things.
But the really dangerous and frightening aspect of the last twelve months isn't the election of a truly ignorant narcissist, but the willingness of large sections of American society to accept the status quo and the fact that the democrats don't seem to have any real problem with what's happening!??
The US at this time doesn't seem have any any framework in place to deal with a major crisis? Russia could 'accidentally' cause a border crisis, Korea could launch a missile capable of hitting Japan or its next door neighbour.
And the present aides to the occupant of the White House would probably have to wait until TTT had finished his round of golf or his latest twitter outburst before appraising TTT of the situation.
Though it would probably give them time to crayon drawings for to help him understand the situation.
In short, the US seems to be losing any semblance of coherent government and all its opposition politicians seem to be stuck in the middle of the road confused by the oncoming headlights.

 

[CRI]

About this time last year, I like many people, thought that the stereotypical image of the loud mouthed ignorant redneck was just that, a stereotype, not really representative of the average American, the events of the last twelve months have certainly changed things.
But the really dangerous and frightening aspect of the last twelve months isn't the election of a truly ignorant narcissist, but the willingness of large sections of American society to accept the status quo and the fact that the democrats don't seem to have any real problem with what's happening!??
The US at this time doesn't seem have any any framework in place to deal with a major crisis? Russia could 'accidentally' cause a border crisis, Korea could launch a missile capable of hitting Japan or its next door neighbour.
And the present aides to the occupant of the White House would probably have to wait until TTT had finished his round of golf or his latest twitter outburst before appraising TTT of the situation.
Though it would probably give them time to crayon drawings for to help him understand the situation.
In short, the US seems to be losing any semblance of coherent government and all its opposition politicians seem to be stuck in the middle of the road confused by the oncoming headlights.

Unfortunately, I knew the stereotype was closer to the mark than most want to believe - and remember, Trump's support base wasn't just amongst the less well off. You can have a lot of money and still believe a pack of lies (and have the benefit of more resources to cover your ass when it all comes out in the wash.) The well off folks probably will benefit financially from his tax cuts for the rich and those who aspire to be better off believe the bullshit because they believe a piece of that greed cake is within their grasp.

I knew the white supremacy and religious extremism were there, sometimes and in some places closer to the surface than others. I honestly never dreamed though that it wold burst to the fore with such confidence and result in the "election" of a leader willing to take that extremism to it's furthest conclusions.

Yes, every day I wake up wondering if one of those thing has happened, or anything that will make things go from bad to worse. Will it be a demonstration that ends up with police shooting protesters, or something that leads to widespread unrest? Will it be a a major natural disaster or epidemic that the government can't cope with because there is no infrastructure? Will it be an escalation in hostility between the US and another country where missles fly?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Trump's business network reached alleged Russian mobsters

 

[coley]

It just gets worse!
"Talking to Republican Trump critics, however, the question seems naïve. “The fact of the matter is when they’re confronted with criminal malfeasance, and things that at the very minimum border on collusion with the enemy, they’re not going to do shit,” Wilson says of Republicans in Congress. “Donald Trump could murder a child on the White House lawn and eat him raw and those pussies in Congress will never do a thing.”

With only a few exceptions, Republicans are attempting to shield Trump from investigations into his campaign’s Russia ties and allowing him to nakedly profit from the presidency. Devin Nunes, Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, compromised himself and the House investigation into Trump’s Russian entanglements by improperly sharing information with the White House. His colleagues tried to derail the investigation by directing attention away from Trump’s possible Russia connections and toward anti-Trump leakers. This week, Nunes abruptly canceled an open hearing. Yet even as Nunes’ credibility has evaporated, House Speaker Paul Ryan refuses to remove him from his post. As of Tuesday, it would appear that only one Republican congressman, the iconoclastic Walter Jones, has said Nunes should recuse himself"

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

I must confess I hadn't heard of the Mercers in connection with Breitbart

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

And, the bastards are starting to go for Maxine Waters. They'll regret that.

You'd think they could do better than some schoolboy swipe at her appearance. I keep thinking "What! Are these people in kindergarten?"

 

[coley]

You'd think they could do better than some schoolboy swipe at her appearance. I keep thinking "What! Are these people in kindergarten?"

Misogyny, racism, bigotry, all that has been under the stone until Trump.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Misogyny, racism, bigotry, all that has been under the stone until Trump.

Yeh, but it was still there. At one time I gave my neighbors the benefit of the doubt, but now I see a number of them saying and doing things they wouldn't have thought of a while back. Or, at least, I didn't think they would do.

I saw this pop up on my feed recently:



It was from a group called Trump 2020.

 

[teqniq]

Heh

Donald Trump may fail to fund US-Mexico border wall due to opposition from fellow Republicans

 

[camouflage]

Heh

Donald Trump may fail to fund US-Mexico border wall due to opposition from fellow Republicans

the trumpenproles won't be happy.

 

[coley]

Yeh, but it was still there. At one time I gave my neighbors the benefit of the doubt, but now I see a number of them saying and doing things they wouldn't have thought of a while back. Or, at least, I didn't think they would do.

I saw this pop up on my feed recently:



It was from a group called Trump 2020.

Obviously TTT NEEDS MORE LATINOS!! Got to stop this Muslim take over.

 

[CrabbedOne]

In The Daily News NY SEE IT: Man on NYC subway shouts 'Donald Trump,' threatens to kill Iranian couple (WARNING: Graphic language)

Trump would be outraged. That man is clearly an unrepentant cyclist.

 

[hash tag]

There is a gift shop in the towers (im sad bastard) selling tees

 

[CrabbedOne]

There is a gift shop in the towers (im sad bastard) selling tees

Go on, tell me it's made in China.

 

[Pickman's model]

There is a gift shop in the towers (im sad bastard) selling tees

sadly you missed off the important part of the label - where was the t-shirt made?

 

[hash tag]

 

[Pickman's model]

Go on, tell me it's made in China.

sadly you missed off the important part of the label - where was the t-shirt made?

brilliant minds

 

[hash tag]

Sorry, ive tried to find out but must dash

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Politico Trump could blow up Obamacare with one move

President Donald Trump says that Obamacare is going to explode.

But if that happens, it will likely be because his administration supplies the spark that detonates the marketplaces.


The White House could decide at any time to eliminate subsidies that insurers rely on to lower costs for Obamacare’s poorest customers, as a result of a court win by House Republicans last spring.

“It’s one thing to say we’re going to watch Obamacare collapse,” said Kathy Hempstead, who oversees coverage programs for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “It’s another to shoot it in the head.”
...

As Obamacare doesn't look like it's going to collapse as Trump keeps saying without some further sabotage. Trump may not have the cojones in his first term to kill Obamacare with no replacement. He'll probably just talk up Obamacare's imminent failure and hope that tilts it over.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Politico Reeling Republicans desperate for a win on Gorsuch

Mitch McConnell told his leadership team in private this week what’s becoming increasingly obvious on Capitol Hill: Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch probably won’t get 60 votes to avoid a filibuster.

But the Senate majority leader had an equally pressing message: Republicans should have no compunction about pulling the trigger on the “nuclear option” — with Democrats resisting a high court nominee as well-pedigreed as Gorsuch.

“Feel no guilt,” McConnell said, according to attendees.

McConnell’s attempt to buck up his GOP ranks, relayed by three sources in attendance, underscores the high stakes of the Gorsuch battle as the Senate barrels toward a likely nuclear showdown next week: His confirmation is, to put it mildly, a can’t-lose for Republicans.
...

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

The consequences of vanishing citations, however, pose a far more serious consequence than website updates. Each defunct page is an effort by the Trump administration to deliberately undermine our ability to make good policy decisions by limiting access to scientific evidence.

We’ve seen this type of data strangling before.

Just three years ago, Arctic researchers witnessed another world leader remove thousands of scientific documents from the public domain. In 2014, then Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper closed 11 department of fisheries and oceans regional libraries, including the only Arctic center. Hundreds of reports and studies containing well over a century of research were destroyed in that process – a historic loss from which we still have not recovered.

I am an Arctic researcher. Donald Trump is deleting my citations | Victoria Herrmann

 

[CrabbedOne]

I am an Arctic researcher. Donald Trump is deleting my citations | Victoria Herrmann

She's interviewed here.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Politico Trump pokes at Christie over his endorsement

...
Trump, who sat next to Christie at the meeting in the White House about battling opioid addiction, gave credit to the governor for being “an immediate endorser, once he got out of the race.”

But then he cracked, “He liked himself more than he liked me, but other than that."

“Still do, sir, but that’s all right,” Christie quipped in response.
...

Actually a pretty good Hamptons double act.

 

[CRI]

I am an Arctic researcher. Donald Trump is deleting my citations | Victoria Herrmann

This is happening on a huge scale. If you stop collecting information about an issue, it ceases to be an issue, because you no longer have evidence that it is an issue. Destroying all the information that might point to issues the Trump administration wants everyone to ignore is surely a modern version of book burning.

In a similar vein, the government has dropped plans to include questions about sexual orientation and gender status from the 2020 census.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

This is happening on a huge scale. If you stop collecting information about an issue, it ceases to be an issue, because you no longer have evidence that it is an issue. Destroying all the information that might point to issues the Trump administration wants everyone to ignore is surely a modern version of book burning.

In a similar vein, the government has dropped plans to include questions about sexual orientation and gender status from the 2020 census.

Yes, its modern book burning.

I also found this today:

It is my sad duty to report to you that the ULM administration has decided to divest the research collections in the Museum of Natural History. This includes the 6 million fish specimens in the Neil Douglas fish collection and the nearly 500,000 plant specimens in the R. Dale Thomas plant collection. They find no value in the collections and no value of the collections to the university. The College was given 48 hours to suggest an alternate location for the collections on campus so that Brown Stadium can be renovated for the track team. With only about 20 hours left, we have found no magic solution yet. To add insult to injury on what was a very hard day, we were told that if the collections are not donated to other institutions, the collections will be destroyed at the end of July.

While we weep that our own institution would turn its back on 50+ years of hard work and dedication, we will not abandon the collections to the dumpsters. They did not have the courage to inform us face-to-face, but we have the courage to persevere through these dark times.

http://gizmodo.com/university-threatens-destruction-of-millions-of-specime-1793745389

Its not overtly political, other than the reason they don't have storage space is because of massive state budget cuts. I think it does show a systematic lack of proper priorities. That seems to be a major problem at every level right now.

 

[Tankus]

This is happening on a huge scale. If you stop collecting information about an issue, it ceases to be an issue, because you no longer have evidence that it is an issue. Destroying all the information that might point to issues the Trump administration wants everyone to ignore is surely a modern version of book burning.

In a similar vein, the government has dropped plans to include questions about sexual orientation and gender status from the 2020 census.

Fracking

 

[CRI]

Yes, its modern book burning.

I also found this today:



http://gizmodo.com/university-threatens-destruction-of-millions-of-specime-1793745389

Its not overtly political, other than the reason they don't have storage space is because of massive state budget cuts. I think it does show a systematic lack of proper priorities. That seems to be a major problem at every level right now.

I saw that quote somewhere and felt incredibly sad. Yes, it's not just "disappearing" evidence that might undermine the Trump Team's agenda. Through massive budget cuts, they're effectively killing off great swathes of the arts, heritage, research (even non-threatening stuff), knowledge accumulated over generations. It must be heartbreaking for people who've invested decades of time and energy (and money) to see their life's work tossed out like garbage to fund military expansion and tax breaks for the uber rich. Oh, and their jobs end up in the bin, too. New Dark Ages, eh?

Even if this lot of shitstains get tossed out (and hopefully locked up), so much will already have been destroyed from the slash and burn that can never be recovered.

 

[CRI]

Yeh, but it was still there. At one time I gave my neighbors the benefit of the doubt, but now I see a number of them saying and doing things they wouldn't have thought of a while back. Or, at least, I didn't think they would do.

I saw this pop up on my feed recently:



It was from a group called Trump 2020.

Delete, defriend, defenestrate, detonate that shit!