The Politics Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

Because the corruption of the Trump administration does not take a holiday.

 

Flynn's lawyers end communication with Trump team, signaling cooperation with Mueller: NY Times

[amybrickwallace]

 

I have no doubt that he would chase after Chynna Phillips (who also suffered from the fallout of her sister Mackenzie's sexual abuse at the hands of their father). That's his MO...go after gorgeous blonds. Good for her that she would have nothing to do with him. I've always liked Chynna, and now I like her more.

 

I am not siding with Trump on this issue, but Lavar Ball isn't exactly Mr. Maturity himself. It was his son who disgraced his team, his school and his country by being stupid and shoplifting in CHINA. Mr. Ball is also widely disliked in the NBA, where his other son plays. I swear, my young nephews have more maturity than these guys.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

The point wasn't about LaVar Ball (who is an opportunist, at best).

 

The point is about how Trump specifically targets Black athletes/sports journalists specifically to feud with when there have also been prominent White sports personalities that have also criticized him (e.g. Gregg Popovich, who has openly and repeatedly criticized Trump).

 

He has never said one thing back to Popovich, as he has never said anything to Eminem.

He specifically chooses to criticize how "ungrateful" those S.O.B. Black NFL athletes are, which is the language he has extended in his "feud" with Ball (who I am sure is happy to keep it going, no doubt, to extend his '15 minutes' to build his "brand").

 

My point is that Trump is signalling his racist base that he is going after those minorities that they all feel have gotten "benefits" at the expense of the White working class.

It's called "dog whistle" politics.

 

Also, the president of the f*cking United States of America feuding with a military widow (civilian), NFL players (private citizens) and the father of basketball players (also private citizen)-- what in HELL is this madness?? (also, do you notice a pattern now?)

It's beyond crass and I fear, we're at the point where people have already normalized this behavior (despite claims to the contrary).

 

I don't care what a private citizen wants to say that doesn't affect me.  I care what the president is saying on a public platform, because he supposedly represents the people of this country-- not LaVar Ball.

 

By the way, CHIP still hasn't been renewed. Many children will lose healthcare soon as quite a few states are running out of money.  Where is this so-called "President" doing about that?

Oh, he's too busy feuding f*cking LaVar Ball!!

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*Also, show me a White person who a private citizen, in other words, is not in government who Trump is feuding with, especially this hard with this much vitriol.

I'll wait.

Edited November 24, 2017 by DramatistDreamer

[amybrickwallace]

I have it on good authority that a prayer group near where I live ends every meeting with pleas that he will be quiet and keep off Twitter! But I get what you're saying. He can't see the forest for the trees.

[dragonflies]

 

[DRW50]

 

I would think a better comparison would be with the way that the W twins were treated. I can't imagine that many people comparing Roy Moore and Malia Obama.

[Khan]

 

Agree.  

[DramatistDreamer]

So there have been multiple incidents of catastrophic events in the military (the three missing naval personnel near Japan's coastal waters is the latest example),

There are dueling chiefs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one appointed by the outgoing director, Richard Cordray, Ms. English--in accordance with Dodd-Frank, and one appointed by Trump-- Mick Mulvaney who has been opposed to the CFPB and seeks its demise.

Experienced diplomats have been leaving en masse since January, leaving a "hollowed out" State Department.

 

Yet all Trump can tweet about is the lie that he turned down Time's Person of the Year? (which makes me wonder whether he's using diversion tactics, perhaps knowing of an upcoming indictment/series of indictments?)

 

In any case, the look on the U.S. is not a good one as the U.S. becomes more and more of a laughingstock on a daily basis.

[Khan]

 

Exactly.  But, most of the other stuff you've mentioned is beyond his cognitive abilities, if you know what I'm saying?  Plus, like you suggested, he's employing diversionary tactics to keep the focus off (what else) Russia.  So, that's why, with all the crises exploding right now in all sectors of our government, he's treating us to lies about magazine covers and feuds with people like LeVar Burton.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Poor LeVar Burton having to fend off all those Trumpist fools coming at him on his social media account.

I bet he wanted to tell some of them to go take a look, read a book, while striding off a short pier.

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[Khan]

 

The pain of having a white man cut off your foot to keep you from escaping the plantation again ain't nothing compared to the indignity of dealing with Trump supporters on Twitter.

[DRW50]

 

The worst part is that countries like the UK and Germany that are supposed to be a balance are also struggling, which just means more breathing room for Russia, and for China, among others. 

 

I think part of it's a distraction but I think a lot of it is also just trolling and wanting to piss people off. His namesake son does that all the time too, and people always rise to the bait. It's easy to get distracted and see it all as a joke. I saw that Jordan Peele was going after Tiger Woods for golfing with Trump, which is something else that got a lot of clicks and laughs, but you'd think that time and energy could be used for something that actually matters. 

[DramatistDreamer]

Russia's economy is too busy struggling so China is likely the country that is benefiting the most from the power vacuum left by the U.S. absconding from a leadership role.

 

Also, it's weird that people are talking about Great Britain but not Ireland which is experiencing a very chaotic political quagmire right now which will likely heighten as the clock ticks toward Brexit.

Edited November 25, 2017 by DramatistDreamer

[JaneAusten]

From the beginning China was always going to be the big winner. They now have sole control over the Asian trade market and all they needed to do to get Trump flattering them was to flatter him with red carpets, ketchup on a steak, and releasing 3 kids and allowing him to take credit, a move they were likely to do anyway as shoplifting even in China is a minor crime. They have sweated nothing over North Korea either.

 

Amidst all this the EU is standing by Ireland and is forcing the UK to have all of the border issues between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the rest of the UK settled in the next 10 days when trade negotiations I believe were planned to be started and now there is talk of a snap election being called in Ireland due to the alleged scandal there. A new election would undermine the Brexit negotiations as it would likely take Ireland months to form a coalition governing body. Perhaps that is the motive behind the current scandal that surfaced with their current Tanaiste(similar out our VP) is more chaos to upset the entire process.

 

All of this with lower consumer confidence numbers in the UK. With all this and the positive press Corbyn is now getting, I feel like the UK is topsy turvy.

Edited November 25, 2017 by JaneAusten

[DramatistDreamer]

@JaneAusten Great summary. Very succinctly put!

 

 

Which is why, as belligerent as I think LaVar Ball is, the idea that Trump wa the sole reason for the release of those college basketball players is nonsense. Most China experts were quick to say foreigners suspected of minor offenses were generally deported. I think people are confusing China with North Korea.

Edited November 25, 2017 by DramatistDreamer