What stupid shit has Trump done today?

[bimble]

christ. Attacking Iran and their nuclear program would probably go some way to cheering up the riled Israelis too.

 

[MightyTibberton]

I can't see how Pence can not be tainted by the Flynn stuff. This idea that he didn't know anything while running the Transition is stretching a bit thin, and it's now been reported that Flynn kiboshed a military plan to attack ISIS that went against Turkey's interests (arming Kurdish groups - they've now gone back to that plan by the looks of it).

The report on that GOP tape was bylined from Ukraine (!) apparently. And it says only that Washington Post has listened to the tape, not that they have it or a version of it. So I'm not sure what that means? Is it Ukranian spooks spying on the Republican party in Congress? The whole Russia hooha starts with Paul Mannafort's links to Ukrainian politicians. . .

I can see the Trump trip now being:
1 - Saudi Arabia - "Islam is terrific, really the best."
2 - Israel - "Judaism really is a very, very special faith. All the people are saying this."
3 - The Vatican - controversial announcement on Fifth Crusade delivered by Bannon in Cardinal Vader robes.
4 - Nato - "fuck you, pay me."

 

[redsquirrel]

What "working class militancy"? all we are left with is the chance to make the the odd representative protest, such as Brexit, we are fed up with the "we know what's best for you, metropolitan elite" but there is no alternative, so we take the to chance to put the boot in where possible in the hope of hurting the ME.

There's a public meeting for my local community this Sunday to devise strategies to stop the closure of a local library.

There's people out on strike, including some people in extremely precarious employment within the "gig" economy

Staff at the Ritzy in Brixton and five other Picturehouse cinemas have gone on strike in recent months, disrupting the London film festival in October, in their battle to secure the independently calculated living wage and better sick pay for workers. More strikes are planned, including one at the East Dulwich Picturehouse on 27 May.

These actions may be fractured and piecemeal, perhaps too often defensive rather than offensive but there are countless people worldwide resisting capital to simply brush them under the carpet is not just wrong it's offensive.

And what is your aim from this dismissal of them? Simple cynicism? That no one is fighting so why should I bother? You've made the same "it's all shit" point before, but always refuse to say what such a viewpoint means.

 

[CRI]

I can't see how Pence can not be tainted by the Flynn stuff. This idea that he didn't know anything while running the Transition is stretching a bit thin, and it's now been reported that Flynn kiboshed a military plan to attack ISIS that went against Turkey's interests (arming Kurdish groups - they've now gone back to that plan by the looks of it).

The report on that GOP tape was bylined from Ukraine (!) apparently. And it says only that Washington Post has listened to the tape, not that they have it or a version of it. So I'm not sure what that means? Is it Ukranian spooks spying on the Republican party in Congress? The whole Russia hooha starts with Paul Mannafort's links to Ukrainian politicians. . .

I can see the Trump trip now being:
1 - Saudi Arabia - "Islam is terrific, really the best."
2 - Israel - "Judaism really is a very, very special faith. All the people are saying this."
3 - The Vatican - controversial announcement on Fifth Crusade delivered by Bannon in Cardinal Vader robes.
4 - Nato - "fuck you, pay me."

Pence is as deep in the caca as the rest of them.

 

[panpete]

They're all bent, trump, silly looking puppet, outlandish, brash and obnoxious, give public taste of what's to come.
If anyone ever saw Idiocracy the movie you'll know what I mean.
Slowly grooming public to accept sinister leaders, even if ridiculous cartoon characters like Trump are rolled out.

 

[WouldBe]

"What stupid shit has Trump done today?"

Carried on breathing.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

This is seriously unhinged. Birtherism like.

What goes around, comes around.

 

[teqniq]

What could possibly go wrong?

Islamophobic Trump Adviser Stephen Miller Pens Trump Speech on Islam | Democracy Now!

 

[CrabbedOne]

On TDB Report: Kushner Personally Intervened in Saudi Arms Deal

President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner reportedly personally intervened to get Saudi Arabia a deal on a recent arms purchase ahead of Trump’s visit to the kingdom this week. In negotiations on a $100 billion-plus weapons deal the White House hoped to reach with Saudi Arabia this month, Kushner jumped to the Saudis’ assistance when it became clear that the cost of a sophisticated radar system might be an issue, The New York Times reported Thursday. Kushner phoned Lockheed Martin’s CEO in the middle of talks and asked her to provide a discount for the radar system, administration officials were cited as saying. While Kushner’s phone call is not believed to have violated any laws, it appears to be the latest evidence of the Trump administration breaking with traditional diplomacy in favor of strengthening ties with foreign partners. The administration is expected to tout the deal as proof of the U.S. commitment to fighting terrorism in the Persian Gulf, with Trump to announce it during his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia this weekend.

Entirely inline with Trump's Saudi Arabia First campaign slogan.

 

[J Ed]

What goes around, comes around.

Ok but who benefits here?

 

[rekil]

The CIA, FBI, arms manufacturers, Israel, Mossad, wall Street, charter schools, coups in Latin America, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, President Pence... all now good.

That reminded me. Argentina's Massera was woke af when it was neither popular nor profitable.

 

[Wilf]

What could possibly go wrong?

Islamophobic Trump Adviser Stephen Miller Pens Trump Speech on Islam | Democracy Now!

That's the extra, added lollery of a Trump presidency:

"Right, tricky situation, we've said things in the past about Muslims, there's the Wahhabi thing - but we want the arms deals. So, shall we play it safe and come up with a form of words that avoids problematic issues?"
- eh?
"Y'know, not offend our hosts, but make a couple of well crafted diplomatic comments that speak to the folks back home?"
- what?
"What I mean is... oh, fuck it, say what you want"

 

[extra dry]

I predict an assassination. Not wishing anyone dead but the vibes are strong on trumps trip.

 

[Tankus]

Nah .....America's enemies will see far more damage to the standing of the USA.......if he's left in place ...and they know it

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

The Airport Lawyers Who Stood Up to Trump Are Under Attack

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Ok but who benefits here?

I know you're playing some little gotcha game, but I'm going to answer anyway. You know who benefits? My friend Denise. She's on both Social Security disability and gets her healthcare through Obamacare. She pays about $17 a month for healthcare out of her $600 a month budget. If Trump is so wounded politically that he can't make her life (or people like her) any more difficult than it already is, by gutting Obamacare and Social Security disability, then I'm good with that.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On CNN Wooed by Trump's promises, opioid advocates now worry they were all empty

...
Concerns in the opioid community started months ago when the Trump-backed health care plan proposed ending the requirement that addiction services and mental health treatment be covered under Medicaid in the 31 states that expanded the health care program. The Republican plan, a version of which passed the House earlier this month, would leave it up to states to decide whether to cover drug treatment -- a decision experts said would put the most vulnerable at far greater risk.

"The bill is an absolute betrayal of what Trump represented on the campaign trail," Kraig Moss, whose son died of an overdose, told CNN in March. "I feel betrayed."

Then, earlier this month, a draft memo obtained by CNN on Trump's 2018 budget brought to light plans to virtually eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy by slashing their funding by 94%.

That, said Tym Rourke, a treatment advocate who previously served as chairman of New Hampshire's commission on the issue, has created widespread unease because the memo proposed cutting the Drug-Free Communities Support program, a federal program that has provided grants to fight opioids in cities and towns like Raymond, Nashua, Rochester and Dover.

"Uncertainty is sort of the mood of the movement here in New Hampshire," he said. "We are working to build our state's capacity, to build the workforce, but it is hard to do that in a moment where the services we have built could potentially be at risk."
The biggest concern, Rourke said, is that Trump's actions could mean local efforts "may have to slow down, stop or even see a rollback of our progress."
...

You might give Trump the benefit of the doubt here. Perhaps he was genuinely moved and not merely cynically exploiting voters hopes. What's becoming more and more clear though is the supposedly magically transforming Trump does not really have a clue about how to get things done in DC and appears to be a really slow learner so the question of his intent is academic. As with this very unpopular health bill it'll be establishment Republicans in Congress and the Senate that shape domestic policy not the glorified Estate Agent in the Oval Office.

 

[J Ed]

I know you're playing some little gotcha game, but I'm going to answer anyway. You know who benefits? My friend Denise. She's on both Social Security disability and gets her healthcare through Obamacare. She pays about $17 a month for healthcare out of her $600 a month budget. If Trump is so wounded politically that he can't make her life (or people like her) any more difficult than it already is, by gutting Obamacare and Social Security disability, then I'm good with that.

OK, but who else benefits and who stands to potentially benefit in the long run? Is it just Denise?

Is it people who actively lobby to prevent other people, including those who are either uninsured or effectively uninsured under the ACA, from accessing a universal healthcare system since it means that they don't have to confront their own political failures? Is it potentially in the not so long run Republicans who will pass the AHCA, or worse, in the tailwind of a period of national healing under President Pence?

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

OK, but who else benefits and who stands to potentially benefit in the long run? Is it just Denise?

Is it people who actively lobby to prevent other people, including those who are either uninsured or effectively uninsured under the ACA, from accessing a universal healthcare system since it means that they don't have to confront their own political failures? Is it potentially in the not so long run Republicans who will pass the AHCA, or worse, in the tailwind of a period of national healing under President Pence?

I've been working on environmental issues for long enough to know that its one long slog. You take your wins where you can, your losses when you have to, and gear up for the inevitable fight that follows. It's like fighting zombies. You don't say "I'm not going to kill this zombie because there's just another one right behind it." You take your axe and kill the first zombie, then the next one, then the next. It's work that's never really done.

BTW, if the Senate passes the AHCA as is, there will be riots in the streets. Too many people have pre-existing conditions, or have known people who have died due to lack of care for the AHCA to stand.

 

[J Ed]

I've been working on environmental issues for long enough to know that its one long slog. You take your wins where you can, your losses when you have to, and gear up for the inevitable fight that follows. It's like fighting zombies. You don't say "I'm not going to kill this zombie because there's just another one right behind it." You take your axe and kill the first zombie, then the next one, then the next. It's work that's never really done.

Unfortunately in 2016 we had a 'it's us or the zombies' election and the zombies won. Perhaps time to run on a different platform.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Unfortunately in 2016 we had a 'it's us or the zombies' election and the zombies won. Perhaps time to run on a different platform.

I hate to tell you this, but in the last election, they were all zombies. It was a choice between one's that want to eat your brains, and ones that would settle for an arm or leg.

 

[CRI]

The Airport Lawyers Who Stood Up to Trump Are Under Attack

That is really, really vicious.

 

[coley]

There's a public meeting for my local community this Sunday to devise strategies to stop the closure of a local library.

There's people out on strike, including some people in extremely precarious employment within the "gig" economy


These actions may be fractured and piecemeal, perhaps too often defensive rather than offensive but there are countless people worldwide resisting capital to simply brush them under the carpet is not just wrong it's offensive.

And what is your aim from this dismissal of them? Simple cynicism? That no one is fighting so why should I bother? You've made the same "it's all shit" point before, but always refuse to say what such a viewpoint means.

I spent 12 months on strike while most of my 'working class brethren.' Looked on or down at us, while the Labour Party did fuck all except condemning Scargill, so aye, I'm a bit cynical when it come to 'working class solidarity'

 

[coley]

Perhaps the beginning of the end?
Opinion | Trump has caused a catastrophe. Let’s end it quickly.
As it says, when the WSJ is gunning for you, you won't stand much chance, how long before the sound of scurrying as the rest of them jump ship?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

A state-run Russian bank financed an asset sale in 2010 involving President Trump's partner in a Toronto hotel, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Trump's partner, Russian-Canadian developer Alexander Schnaider, pumped money into Trump's Toronto hotel after selling his company's share in a Ukrainian steelmaker. The Russian bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) provided the money for the sale, according to the Journal — a transaction worth about $850 million.

The buyer has not been publicly identified, but two sources familiar with the matter told the Journal that the money was provided by an entity acting on behalf of the Russian government.

Russian government bank financed asset sale with Trump partner: report

 

[ferrelhadley]

Russian government bank financed asset sale with Trump partner: report

More Birtherism

 

[elbows]

Laugh? I nearly shat. There was no blanket.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Mr Trump told the Russian officials, the Times reported.

"I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

In another development, the Washington Post reported that a current White House official is a "significant person of interest" in the investigation into alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia.

It quoted unnamed sources familiar with the investigation as saying it was someone "close to the president" but they would not identify them further. The White House has denied there was collusion between the campaign and any "foreign entity".

Trump: Firing FBI chief 'eased pressure' - BBC News

 

[redsquirrel]

I spent 12 months on strike while most of my 'working class brethren.' Looked on or down at us, while the Labour Party did fuck all except condemning Scargill, so aye, I'm a bit cynical when it come to 'working class solidarity'

The LP might have done fuck all but plenty of other people didn't. But lets take your claim that there is no 'working class solidarity' (noting that it was 'working class militancy'), ok then what? It doesn't exist, and can't exist, therefore fuck it all and I'm alright jack? What are you actually arguing?

 

[Combustible]

Bit dodgy isn't it that Time cover, as if some bloodthirtsty Eastern Menace were taking over the good ole innocent US of A.
This man (commenting on that image) puts it well;
View attachment 106958

Seems very similar to how liberals who are opposed to Israel's actions will often claim that America is a puppet controlled by Israel, otherwise why else would the US support horrible things.

 

[Ming]

This new guy Mueller (the special council investigator) is supposed to be pretty good. Former head of the FBI and by reputation a straight shooter. Best news is Lindsey Graham doesn't like his appointment which is about the best recommendation you can get.