What stupid shit has Trump done today?

[CRI]

Ignore Our Crazy President, U.S. Government Tells North Korea

President Trump brought the United States and North Korea to the precipice of war by warning that any further threats would be met with a nuclear attack. (“North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”) North Korea proceeded to test this warning by immediately issuing a new threat, to attack Guam. This forced the United States into the unenviable position of either instigating a massive war with horrific casualties or surrendering its credibility. The administration has wisely chosen Option B.

“Don’t read too much into it,” sources tell Politico’s Josh Dawsey. The New York Times has much more detail. Trump improvised his threat without advance consultation with his advisers, none of whom support it. The paper he was holding when he made the statement was about the opioid crisis. Trump “was in a bellicose mood” when he made the statement, due to a Washington Post report that morning about North Korea having miniaturized a nuclear warhead.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis have issued more normal-sounding statements intended to supersede the president’s improvised one. (Mattis’s statement redraws the red line, threatening reprisal in return for North Korean actions, rather than threats.) The message of this cleanup is that Trump’s statements do not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. government – a reality most American political elites in both parties already recognize, but which needs to be made clear to other countries that are unaccustomed to treating their head of state like a random Twitter troll.

It is humiliating for the world’s greatest superpower to disregard its president as a weird old man who wanders in front of microphones spouting off unpredictably and without consequence. But at this point, respect for Trump’s capabilities is a horse that’s already fled the barn. New chief of staff John Kelly has supposedly instilled military-style order and message discipline into the administration, but Trump is unteachable. Minimizing the havoc means getting everybody to pretend Trump isn’t really president.

I don't often listen to the radio, but was stuck in traffic today so switched on Radio 4. They were interviewing a DJ from Guam's main radio station about how people on the island were responding to the recent threats. Just before that, there was a snippet from Tillerson down playing the whole thing, "during his visit to the island." The DJ pointed out that although his plane landed for refueling, Tillerson didn't leave the plane and didn't meet with any local government officials. He just recorded some comments for the press. Like would it have been that hard for him to step off the plane, meet some people, say a few words publicly and at least pretend he gives a shit about the people? What a tool.

 

[redsquirrel]

Dog whistle, much?

Let's be clear here because this is serious, are you accusing maomao of racism?

 

[CRI]

Let's be clear here because this is serious, are you accusing maomao of racism?

Crap about Detroit or Chicago "destroying themselves" has been dogwhistle from the right in the US all my lifetime at least. Wasn't expecting, but then again not surprised to see it here. Are we now going to get feigned ignorance about this? Pass round the smelling salts then.

 

[butchersapron]

Disgusting. And a misreading of what he said, almost actually a total reversal of it in fact. You are out of control.

 

[redsquirrel]

Right so you are.

maomao can speak for himself but I don't see any racism in his post. He didn't mention Detroit destroying itself, but the US (by which he quite clearly meant the US government/capital) destroying Detroit (labour).

So a complete misreading on your part. Have you got the integrity to apologise this time?

 

[DotCommunist]

apparently it is hard to tell these days because of russian horseshoe theories

 

[CRI]

Bit rich that folk who aren't American, but often claim their take on American politics is more valid than those of actual Americans here, defend their compatriot's use of one of the best known dog whistle phrases as totally innocent. Plenty of cities in Michigan to choose from, so why pick Detroit? If they did say it in ignorance, it rather proves their understanding of the US context isn't quite so shit hot after all.

In any case, they should be owning up to their gaffe and apologising, not me. I'm not holding my breath.

 

[butchersapron]

Fucking hell. Utterly shameless.

 

[RD2003]

This thread is worthless. Simple liberal paranoia.

 

[RD2003]

And liberal prejudice.

 

[NoXion]

Bit rich that folk who aren't American, but often claim their take on American politics is more valid than those of actual Americans here, defend their compatriot's use of one of the best known dog whistle phrases as totally innocent. Plenty of cities in Michigan to choose from, so why pick Detroit? If they did say it in ignorance, it rather proves their understanding of the US context isn't quite so shit hot after all.

In any case, they should be owning up to their gaffe and apologising, not me. I'm not holding my breath.

maomao isn't American either, so your accusation that he's using US dogwhistle terms is highly disingenuous to say the least. And that's not even going into his posting history which, to the best of my knowledge, utterly fails to corroborate your assessment of his statement. You should apologize.

 

[DotCommunist]

Bit rich that folk who aren't American, but often claim their take on American politics is more valid than those of actual Americans here,

this is quality projection. You've been told your blood-and-soil connections aren't the last word in knowing american politics and history, you have no unique truth claim as to reality here = everyone else must think they know better than me. As for the rest of it, well, you just can't help but call everyone else a racist can you?

 

[maomao]

Bit rich that folk who aren't American, but often claim their take on American politics is more valid than those of actual Americans here, defend their compatriot's use of one of the best known dog whistle phrases as totally innocent. Plenty of cities in Michigan to choose from, so why pick Detroit? If they did say it in ignorance, it rather proves their understanding of the US context isn't quite so shit hot after all.

In any case, they should be owning up to their gaffe and apologising, not me. I'm not holding my breath.

Just to confirm, the reason I was referring to Detroit (rather than Ann Arbor or Kalamazoo lol) is because of its well-documented slide into decay under US liberal governments. It took me a couple of minutes to work out how what I said could be racist this morning but if I'd meant what you're suggesting how could I have used 'the US' as the subject of the sentence and as a specifically different thing to the previously mentioned 'people' ? You really have no other way of arguing than screeching 'racist' at things that you don't understand.

And not that it makes my opinion count for any more but I've told you before I have lived in the US. And I've even been to Detroit. Before Bush and Obama let it go to shit.

 

[maomao]

There's something fucking comical about a white woman from cracker town USA, living in one of the whitest parts of the UK throwing accusations of racism at all and sundry. Not that she doesn't have the right to discuss whatever she likes but when racism is something I have to argue with where I work and deal with where I live every fucking day I just find being called racist by a dickhead like her fucking comical.

 

[redsquirrel]

Bit rich that folk who aren't American, but often claim their take on American politics is more valid than those of actual Americans here, defend their compatriot's use of one of the best known dog whistle phrases as totally innocent. Plenty of cities in Michigan to choose from, so why pick Detroit? If they did say it in ignorance, it rather proves their understanding of the US context isn't quite so shit hot after all.

In any case, they should be owning up to their gaffe and apologising, not me. I'm not holding my breath.

Utterly disgusting. You've completely fucked up and made (not for the first time) a false accusation of racism against a poster based on a clear misreading, and now you still don't have the fucking guts and/or integrity to apologise.

This is exactly why anyone with sense considers you an idiot (to put it mildly).

 

[maomao]

Utterly disgusting. You've completely fucked up and made (not for the first time) a false accusation of racism against a poster based on a clear misreading, and now you still don't have the fucking guts and/or integrity to apologise.

This is exactly why anyone with sense considers you an idiot (to put it mildly).

It's pretty pointless. She's just an ignorant twat and I'm pretty sure noone else here is thick enough to read what I wrote the way she managed to. It's just annoying and ridiculous.

 

[DotCommunist]

I watched 'requiem for detroit' and it was a story of how a capitalist country let one of its greatest cities die. I watched and read other things later about the regeneration efforts and so on, it lives still. Thats the immediate context I placed maomao's refence in.

 

[maomao]

I watched 'requiem for detroit' and it was a story of how a capitalist country let one of its greatest cities die. I watched and read other things later about the regeneration efforts and so on, it lives still. Thats the immediate context I placed maomao's refence in.

I felt it was particularly clear because cause of the words I used lol.

 

[Treacle Toes]

Crap about Detroit or Chicago "destroying themselves" has been dogwhistle from the right in the US all my lifetime at least. Wasn't expecting, but then again not surprised to see it here. Are we now going to get feigned ignorance about this? Pass round the smelling salts then.

He posted that the US destroyed Detroit not that it destroyed itself. You misread his post.

 

[redsquirrel]

I watched 'requiem for detroit' and it was a story of how a capitalist country let one of its greatest cities die. I watched and read other things later about the regeneration efforts and so on, it lives still. Thats the immediate context I placed maomao's refence in.

Yep.

 

[butchersapron]

Not let - planned, took part in. Made happen.

 

[bimble]

Requiem for Detroit was a really good film wasn't it. Just finished reading Steinbeck's little travel-book of him driving around America in about 1960 (travels with Charley), in which he describes Detroit and Michigan as bewildering bustling hubs of modern industry and construction, unrecognisable from his youth. Strange how recent that was.

 

[redsquirrel]

Not let - planned, took part in. Made happen.

True, important distinction. And exactly what maomao was getting at.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Bloomberg Trump Attacks McConnell Again Over Obamacare Repeal Failure

...
“Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn’t get it done,” Trump tweeted. “Must Repeal & Replace ObamaCare!”

Trump attacked McConnell on Wednesday for saying the president had “excessive expectations” that the Senate could pass a stripped-down version of a GOP Obamacare repeal last month. McConnell said Monday in his home state of Kentucky that one reason some people believe Congress hasn’t done much yet “is because, in part, the president and others have set these early timelines about -- things need to be done by a certain point.”

“Our new president, of course, has not been in this line of work before, and I think he had excessive expectations about how quickly things happen in the democratic process,” said McConnell.
...

A complicated GOP goal Trump shared and has been if anything a hindrance to fufilling. Here just passing the buck.

 

[J Ed]

Bit rich that folk who aren't American, but often claim their take on American politics is more valid than those of actual Americans here, defend their compatriot's use of one of the best known dog whistle phrases as totally innocent. Plenty of cities in Michigan to choose from, so why pick Detroit? If they did say it in ignorance, it rather proves their understanding of the US context isn't quite so shit hot after all.

In any case, they should be owning up to their gaffe and apologising, not me. I'm not holding my breath.

This is what happens when you consistently not only dismiss any new information you receive but also the people who are providing it.

 

[squirrelp]

Here is something Trump seems to have done right... abandoning a billion-dollar CIA programme which was, ahem, funding terrorism. I guess we now know how ISIS were getting all those nice shiny Toyota pickups

Behind the Sudden Death of a $1 Billion Secret C.I.A. War in Syria

 

[butchersapron]

Here is something Trump seems to have done right... abandoning a billion-dollar CIA programme which was, ahem, funding terrorism. I guess we now know how ISIS were getting all those nice shiny Toyota pickups

Behind the Sudden Death of a $1 Billion Secret C.I.A. War in Syria

By taking Mosul and looting the supplies the Iraqi army were given by the US and abandoned by them when they fled. There's no mystery here and never was. Idiot.

 

[squirrelp]

By taking Mosul and looting the supplies the Iraqi army were given by the US and abandoned by them when they fled. There's no mystery here and never was. Idiot.

I don't think so... you have evidence for this explanation, or are you just inventing it?

 

[butchersapron]

I don't think so... you have evidence for this explanation, or are you just inventing it?

Are you serious? 6 years into this conflict and you don't know the first thing about it? And you like RT right?

And this now abandoned US program was to supply (lightly and inadequately) anti-ISIS forces, the forces that ran ISIS out of western syria. And it was provided on the basis that it not be used against the regime.

 

[Tankus]

Japan's US bought Aegis ashore anti missile defence system will get a real system workout if there is a missile overflight to Guam.....if it's ready in time , otherwise it's just down to 4 ships with the original naval version ..perhaps ........See if they match Lockheed Martin's sales pitch......if it's a fail... it may have an impact on their other cash cow ...the A35 ....looks good on paper...costs a shitload ....maximum expectations........ but when it comes to actual combat conditions...it's a blue screen of death .....


Be some sweaty board members....

Not just for the geopolitical ramifications