The Trump presidency

[mauvais]

I think it's designed to harass, to cause distress, not because it will yield any useful intelligence information - like say the purpose of police racial profiling.

I think it's just plain stupidity. There's a long and proud history of politicians not understanding technology. Possibly it's there to obfuscate the effects of a racist policy, but I think first and foremost it's just stupidity. Anyone giving it a couple of seconds thought can see fundamental problems with it, so it makes the administration look stupid.

 

[gosub]

View attachment 99695
it is tempting to laugh

I really am going to have to re watch the Big Lebowski.

Shut the fuck up Donny!

 

[CrabbedOne]

Depends what going on; could just be a shake up of the jungle pecking order...but initially you would have said Himmler was another fat yappy civilian

The equivalent of Himmler, early on, is the head of Secret Service. If Bannon has a Nazi equivalent it is the spin doctor Goebbels. But this is a completely hysterical comparison. We are talking about a political team headed by a man who in his first week appears far more inept than Silvio Berlusconi.

Here Bannon's role in Team Trump looks like fixer a bit like the far more formidable Cheney with a touch of Rove. The campaign was chaotic and Bannon road herd on it. He's also fucked up badly with bungling this SO thing. A lousy CEO will often give a falling subordinate a new post as cover. Trump's biggest billionaire donor is also Bannon's sponsor so he's going to be as hard to ditch as Rummie.

Rumour is things are really not going well at the Sec Council. Giving Bannon that post and reducing the technocratic attendees is probably more symptomatic of the flaky and over promoted General Flynn already coming apart at the seams when he has to deal with peers as he has before.

 

[CrabbedOne]

That's when we were "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here." all with our brave new Iraqi allies. Ah the good old days.

 

[CrabbedOne]

I really am going to have to re watch the Big Lebowski.

Shut the fuck up Donny!

 

[CRI]

I think it's just plain stupidity. There's a long and proud history of politicians not understanding technology. Possibly it's there to obfuscate the effects of a racist policy, but I think first and foremost it's just stupidity. Anyone giving it a couple of seconds thought can see fundamental problems with it, so it makes the administration look stupid.

You and I and probably most people here think it makes the Administration look stupid, but there are definitely Americans who think this is brilliant. They don't care how black, brown and/or Muslim people are kept out of / removed from America, or how much inconvenience it causes for anyone else. After all, their white God is directing all this.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Trial Balloon for a Coup?

 

[gosub]

That's when we were "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here." all with our brave new Iraqi allies. Ah the good old days.

tbf The Iraqis did try to block Americans from entering Iraq - using tanks.

 

[gosub]

Seen it. and then the POTUS starts using "dudes"

 

[brogdale]

There is no practical solution except a scheme to sequester information from service providers themselves. It's unworkable.

Yep, but I'm presuming that in the stressful, scary and dis-orienting circumstances of air-side detention, some people are giving up their phones/devices carrying the apps with the SM for the authorities to trawl through?
Presumably it's now safer for folk likely to be profiled for this treatment to attempt to clear their devices etc. (if that's a possibility?)

 

[CRI]

That's when we were "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here." all with our brave new Iraqi allies. Ah the good old days.

I'm so old, I remember when the US pumped money into the rebels fighting the USSR in Afganistan. Should have another watch of Rambo III if I'm feeling masochistic.

 

[CrabbedOne]

tbf The Iraqis did try to block Americans from entering Iraq - using tanks.

Yes, the bigots.

Actually there are moves in the Baghdad parliament in response to Trump to block the entry of US citizens to Iraq but it's largely a symbolic.

 

[gosub]

Yep, but I'm presuming that in the stressful, scary and dis-orienting circumstances of air-side detention, some people are giving up their phones/devices carrying the apps with the SM for the authorities to trawl through?
Presumably it's now safer for folk likely to be profiled for this treatment to attempt to clear their devices etc. (if that's a possibility?)

Anecdote I don't want to put online; but having one of these with you helps. seriously

 

[CrabbedOne]

More DoD push back.

 

[gosub]

Yes, the bigots.

Actually there are moves in the Baghdad parliament in response to Trump to block the entry of US citizens to Iraq but it's largely a symbolic.

more than symbolism, how will Haliburton carry out its contracts?

 

[gosub]

More DoD push back.

dull move. To be effective that would have to be circulated to Iraq..where to some would be a handy to-do "hit-list"

 

[CrabbedOne]

more than symbolism, how will Haliburton carry out its contracts?

The Iraqi politicians yesterday talked about throwing out all the US oil companies as well.

 

[killer b]

More DoD push back.

No 'pushback' there - again, acceptance of the list, just arguing about it's implementation.

 

[CrabbedOne]

dull move. To be effective that would have to be circulated to Iraq..where to some would be a handy to-do "hit-list"

IS and the IRGC I'm sure know who these people are already.

 

[CrabbedOne]

Basically big US government departments hoping mad that they weren't consulted. This is a shambles.

 

[mauvais]

Yep, but I'm presuming that in the stressful, scary and dis-orienting circumstances of air-side detention, some people are giving up their phones/devices carrying the apps with the SM for the authorities to trawl through?
Presumably it's now safer for folk likely to be profiled for this treatment to attempt to clear their devices etc. (if that's a possibility?)

Absence of data would suggest something to hide. Just as there's no good way to implement the insane policy, there's no good way to avoid it.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Naked Capitalism Nomi Prins: Trump Hearts Goldman as the Bank Continues Its Washington Conquest

...
Goldman itself just announced that it was the world’s top merger and acquisitions adviser for the sixth consecutive year. In other words, the real deal-maker isn’t the former ruler of The Celebrity Apprentice, but Goldman Sachs. The government might change, but Goldman stays the same. And the traffic pile up of Goldman personalities in Trump’s corner made their fortunes doing deals — and not the kind that benefited the public either.

A former Goldman colleague recently asked me whether it was just possible that Mnuchin was a good person. I can’t answer that. It’s something only he knows for sure. But no matter how earnest or sympathetic to the little guy he tried to be before that Senate confirmation committee, I do know one thing: he’s also a shark. And sharks do what they’re best at and what’s best for them. They smell blood in the water and go in for the kill. Think of it as the Goldman Sachs effect. In the waters of the Trump-Goldman era, don’t doubt for a second that the blood will be our own.

It's let the Goldman Times Roll in Trump's DC.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Governor Bentley Issues Statement on President Trump Executive Orders on Immigration

The Federal government must comply with its statutory obligations to consult with states before placing refugees within its borders. This issue is about correcting a deeply flawed process. Certainly those who are persecuted, especially Christians, in extreme terrorist nations must be able to seek a place of safe refuge, through proper channels. However we cannot ignore the process set in place already, and we simply cannot risk placing American’s or Alabamian’s lives in danger. President Trump is right to stop this very flawed process until extreme vetting can take place.

Alabhama, for fucks sake.

 

[teqniq]

Yep, but I'm presuming that in the stressful, scary and dis-orienting circumstances of air-side detention, some people are giving up their phones/devices carrying the apps with the SM for the authorities to trawl through?
Presumably it's now safer for folk likely to be profiled for this treatment to attempt to clear their devices etc. (if that's a possibility?)

Actually yes that is a solution, you could back up the phone and then do a factory reset just prior to travel. On your return, restore from backup.

 

[brogdale]

Absence of data would suggest something to hide. Just as there's no good way to implement the insane policy, there's no good way to avoid it.

 

[2hats]

Actually yes that is a solution, you could back up the phone and then do a factory reset just prior to travel. On your return, restore from backup.

Forensic tools used by TPTB will have no problem pulling data from such. You want a clean phone associated with separate SM accounts full of photos of kittens/penguins/floor tiles/etc.

 

[killer b]

alternatively, don't go on holiday to a fascist regime.

 

[gosub]

Trial Balloon for a Coup?

" the DHS already has police authority within 100 miles of any border of the US; since that includes coastlines, this area includes over 60% of Americans, and eleven entire states. They also have a standing force of over 45,000 officers, and just received authorization to hire 15,000 more on Wednesday.)"

 

[teqniq]

Forensic tools used by TPTB will have no problem pulling data from such. You want a clean phone associated with separate SM accounts full of photos of kittens/penguins/floor tiles/etc.

Oh well. It's a bit academic for me anyway as I have zero intention of travelling to the States but if i was to do so I'd leave my phone here anyway. If necessary just buy a cheapo one whilst there.

 

[CrabbedOne]

In Rudaw Iraqi PM on Trump’s travel ban: Our conduct will not be hard like his, MP

...
Abadi also said in the meeting that they are trying to reach out to people friendly with Iraq within the United States, unclear if he meant within the Trump administration, the US congress or outside the government.

“In the United States, we will take advantage of those parties whose conduct is soft,” Abadi said. “We will not act in such a way to turn all Americans into our enemy just because of one order from Trump.”

Meanwhile, Iraq’s foreign ministry is said to have established a crisis room to consider the country’s options with this regard, AFP reported, citing a source who declined to be named.

AFP also reported that the foreign affairs committee has called on the Iraqi government to respond in kind.

Jano confirmed to Rudaw English that a committee meeting was supposed to take place, but it didn’t because of a lack of a quorum; however, it may have taken place after he left parliament, he said.

“Even if the committee had made such a call, it is not legally binding,” Jano said, adding that it would have been binding only if the Iraqi parliament passed it through voting in the general assembly, not a committee alone.

Earlier in the day, The powerful Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi has called on the Iraqi government to expel all Americans from Iraq and stop those who plan to visit. The Shiiete cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also made similar demands.

PM Abadi demonstrating more spine than May there. I would say that Trump just did make it much more likely that some US contractors spend a few months chained to a radiator somewhere in Sadr City.

This comes just as the IRGC are probably preparing to kick the US military out of Iraq after Mosul falls. No wonder DoD and State who each have 5K+ folk in harms way in Iraq are pissed.