The Trump presidency

[Celyn]

On Politico Trump doling out plum adviser jobs to rich friends

Swamp is too small a word; Trump is creating a potential Sargasso Sea of nepotistic corruption in DC.

It's like Moscow's siloviki without the thick necks or worse Yeltsin and the oligarchs that came before them.

I had to Google "siloviki". Well, that's a word I have learned today. And what a good one it is.

for me learning a new word

for this is all quite scary - there have been scary USA presidents before but now this... ???

 

[brogdale]

How on earth do you two ever manage to learn anything if, when someone brings you new information, you just say "Nope! I hadn't heard of it."

Johnny explained why you might not have been aware of it. It's ok to just say you hadn't heard about it.

Crucial word, there.
Surely it's OK to interrogate any new information brought to light?
But equally, I'm more than relaxed to say..no, I hadn't heard Johnny's analysis before.

 

[brogdale]

But how many just tuning-in for the neck-shot?

 

[Plumdaff]

But how many just tuning-in for the neck-shot?

He's not lying, but that was Obama's second inauguration. 38 million watched his first.

 

[Mation]

But how many just tuning-in for the neck-shot?

 

[Lord Camomile]

Feel like I may have seen this, or similar, around here somewhere, but just in case nots:

 

[bimble]

In The Guardian Pope Francis to 'wait and see' before forming opinion on Trump
Fence sitter!

I was expecting at least a verse or two of Revelation: red dragons, harlots, Babylon is fallen, wormwood, rivers of blood etc, etc. Maybe by Easter then.

There was this, seems prophetic now.

 

[ska invita]

agree, especially #3. Can anyone easily recall the name of the guy who Adam Curtis flagged up as running the confusion campaigns under Putin. I think he had some sort of art background.

 

[two sheds]

Feel like I may have seen this, or similar, around here somewhere, but just in case nots:

Interesting - no.2 particularly is the stuff of cults, which does suggest an approach - the best way to discuss with cult members is pointing out the conflicting statements/actions of the cult leader (other people's statements/criticisms can easily just be dismissed for whatever reason) . Doesn't always work of course because there's usually a rationalization for why he's talking shit.

 

[CrabbedOne]

And SNL doing a mild ribbing upsets Trump. He'll be exploring the Extraordinary Rendition option with Pie.

 

[brogdale]

agree, especially #3. Can anyone easily recall the name of the guy who Adam Curtis flagged up as running the confusion campaigns under Putin. I think he had some sort of art background.

Surkov

 

[ska invita]

Surkov

thanks brogdale....seems a really good time to revisit the subject.

if anyone can point to a good text or link, please do (specifically in regards to this managed confusion/surkov)

 

[Brixton Hatter]

caption competition

 

[ska invita]

for this is all quite scary - there have been scary USA presidents before but now this... ???

W Bush has such a kill sheet on him and left such a trail of destruction, It's hard to match. But trump sure does like to get bigger figures.

Before Trump won the nomination some commentators were saying, at least he won't start wars and will generally pull back from the strategic global Chess Game....i wasnt convinced as he's a total wild card... Anything is possible with him.

The fighting talk around the south China sea really scares me. And he has banged his chest in regards "terrorism". His cabinet seem hawkish. It is worrying. Have to wait and see I guess. I really hope those initial commentators were right.

 

[elbows]

Feel like I may have seen this, or similar, around here somewhere, but just in case nots:

I'm sure the War on Reality will be as successful as the War on Terror or the War on Drugs.

 

[redsquirrel]

Feel like I may have seen this, or similar, around here somewhere, but just in case nots:

Source?

 

[teqniq]

One has only to look at the White House web site and his appointments to see where 'draining the swamp' went.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Source?

"A former White House staffer", according to the ol' Twitter.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Feel like I may have seen this, or similar, around here somewhere, but just in case nots:

The Donald Trump Cinematic Universe.

 

[Lord Camomile]

The Donald Trump Cinematic Universe.

"I'm huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous orange rage monster"

 

[redsquirrel]

"A former White House staffer", according to the ol' Twitter.

Right so another dishonest prick.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Right so another dishonest prick.

Regardless, in this case the analysis looks fairly solid. Food for thought, at least.

 

[CrabbedOne]

caption competition

"Quickly Sir, Pence has an erection."

 

[yield]

I'm sure the War on Reality will be as successful as the War on Terror or the War on Drugs.

Source?

Edit just to be clear, on their current track record, I want a war on poverty

 

[teqniq]

Right so another dishonest prick.

I dunno, sounds entirely plausible. After all everybody else and their dog seems to think it's ok. In the corridors of power at least.

 

[elbows]

Source?

Source for what? That image someone else posted?

I dunno, though I also saw it on twitter, I dont know if that is the first place it appeared online:

Anna Rascouët-Paz (@rascouet) on Twitter

There are a few things missing from the analysis. Firstly I'm not convinced Trumps overt narcissism can be tamed, so it may be a case of strategy being constructed to deal with the realities of his personality as much as being the prefered choice even if they had a more flexible figurehead to work with. Secondly I dont think it takes enough account of the low regard the press may be held in with swathes of the public well beyond Trumps base. eg last decade when I used to bother watching the BBC more, on several occasions they pointed out that journalists were right up there with politicians in untrustworthiness polls.

 

[coley]

caption competition

D sounds Duu for Donald

 

[ska invita]

good piece here saying Bannon is copying Surkov, and the implications down the line...


Trump’s lies have a purpose. They are an assault on democracy.

 

[yield]

Source for what? That image someone else posted?

I dunno, though I also saw it on twitter, I dont know if that is the first place it appeared online:

Anna Rascouët-Paz (@rascouet) on Twitter

There are a few things missing from the analysis. Firstly I'm not convinced Trumps overt narcissism can be tamed, so it may be a case of strategy being constructed to deal with the realities of his personality as much as being the prefered choice even if they had a more flexible figurehead to work with. Secondly I dont think it takes enough account of the low regard the press may be held in with swathes of the public well beyond Trumps base. eg last decade when I used to bother watching the BBC more, on several occasions they pointed out that journalists were right up there with politicians in untrustworthiness polls.

Sorry elbows. I'm drunk and being facetious. My fault.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On TNI Why Trump Might Become an Interventionist

...
Whatever will be the Trump foreign policy will not be a function of liberalism, realism, neoconservatism, isolationism, or any of the other isms with which foreign policies customarily are associated. It will be a function of narcissism.
...

Pillar got that right.