Trump's America

The place for measured discourse about politics and current events, including developments in science and medicine.
Post Reply
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Trump's America

Post by Frelga »

yovargas wrote:Soooooo question - why is Trump making such a big deal about the stupid wall now when he had two years of Rep controlled Congress to work with?
Manafort
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
elengil
Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
Posts: 6248
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea

Re: Trump's America

Post by elengil »

Frelga wrote:
yovargas wrote:Soooooo question - why is Trump making such a big deal about the stupid wall now when he had two years of Rep controlled Congress to work with?
Manafort
Also, now he can blame Democrats.
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
User avatar
Griffon64
Posts: 3724
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2005 6:02 am

Re: Trump's America

Post by Griffon64 »

Democrats should not budge, though. This is Trump trying out dictatorship, and the GOP waiting quietly in the wings to see if it works.

Blame? Taking the "blame" for what amounts to upholding democracy is not a bad thing, no matter what Trump would say.

If the Democrats cave and he gets his wall money, what happens the next time he wants something? He just shuts down government again to get what he wants. Convenient when the democratic process of governing is circumvented and the voice of the people is silenced.

Wait, did I say "Trump"? Ann Coulter basically runs the country now. :roll: Trump will do whatever she says on Fox News he should do, or mocks him for not doing. What a world. Yet his base still thinks he is a strongman. He's not. He's a weakling.
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45995
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Trump's America

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

Griffy, I agree with you, but it's got to be extraordinarily frustrating, knowing how hard it is on a the people who are bearing the brunt of the burden.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
River
bioalchemist
Posts: 13427
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:08 am
Location: the dry land

Re: Trump's America

Post by River »

The furloughed workers I personally know are doing fine, but they are childless and have nice scientist jobs. However, a mom's group I'm part of has a couple members scrambling for childcare. The daycare on the NIST campus is closed due to the shutdown, but that doesn't mean that the families involved don't need care.

Also, the STB is closed which has jacked up my dad and his clients because they can't file. And the FDA is shut down, which is a problem for my employers' customers.
When you can do nothing what can you do?
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Trump's America

Post by Frelga »

https://twitter.com/starstryder/status/ ... 0169221121
I’m a PhD astronomer.

All my income this month comes from my work as a painter on Etsy.
The Etsy shop has some really cool stuff. https://www.etsy.com/shop/739Studios
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
Impenitent
Throw me a rope.
Posts: 7254
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 12:13 am
Location: Deep in Oz

Re: Trump's America

Post by Impenitent »

Better than relying on doing odd jobs for your landlord to make up for lack of rent money.

Sent from a tiny phone keyboard via Tapatalk - typos inevitable.
Mornings wouldn't suck so badly if they came later in the day.
User avatar
yovargas
I miss Prim ...
Posts: 15011
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:13 am
Location: Florida

Re: Trump's America

Post by yovargas »

Capture.jpg
Capture.jpg (255.84 KiB) Viewed 6090 times
I wanna love somebody but I don't know how
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists


Image
User avatar
Alatar
of Vinyamar
Posts: 10585
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:39 pm
Location: Ireland
Contact:

Re: Trump's America

Post by Alatar »

Image
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
User avatar
elengil
Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
Posts: 6248
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea

Re: Trump's America

Post by elengil »

Alatar wrote:I thought that was a photoshop...
... so did I. :doh: :nono:
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
User avatar
yovargas
I miss Prim ...
Posts: 15011
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:13 am
Location: Florida

Re: Trump's America

Post by yovargas »

Not the first time of late where it's hard to tell reality from parody. :neutral:
I wanna love somebody but I don't know how
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists


Image
User avatar
Dave_LF
Wrong within normal parameters
Posts: 6797
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 10:59 am
Location: The other side of Michigan

Re: Trump's America

Post by Dave_LF »

Someone on Facebook pointed out that junk food served up on silver platters is the perfect metaphor for the Trump administration (and for the modern Republican party in general, I'd add).
User avatar
elengil
Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
Posts: 6248
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea

Re: Trump's America

Post by elengil »

Dave_LF wrote:Someone on Facebook pointed out that junk food served up on silver platters is the perfect metaphor for the Trump administration (and for the modern Republican party in general, I'd add).
I'd go so far as to say politics in general.
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Trump's America

Post by Frelga »

elengil wrote:
Dave_LF wrote:Someone on Facebook pointed out that junk food served up on silver platters is the perfect metaphor for the Trump administration (and for the modern Republican party in general, I'd add).
I'd go so far as to say politics in general.
I don't think it works as a metaphor for Obama's administration. Or the Bushes for that matter. I'm sure there are some pithy ways to be salty about those presidents, but this one is uniquely Trump.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
elengil
Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
Posts: 6248
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea

Re: Trump's America

Post by elengil »

Frelga wrote:
elengil wrote:
Dave_LF wrote:Someone on Facebook pointed out that junk food served up on silver platters is the perfect metaphor for the Trump administration (and for the modern Republican party in general, I'd add).
I'd go so far as to say politics in general.
I don't think it works as a metaphor for Obama's administration. Or the Bushes for that matter. I'm sure there are some pithy ways to be salty about those presidents, but this one is uniquely Trump.
Oh, but it does in so many ways. I think we see Trump as so singularly bad we have sort of glossed over that politics was bought by the wealthy and corporations a long time ago. Both sides. Politicians differ only in who they cater to to get elected, but they still vote for those who bought them.
https://represent.us/action/no-the-problem/

Both parties do this. No one administration, no. No one president, but politicians, congress. They literally don't care what we want, they will put their piles of 'crap' on silver platters and tell us it's fine cuisine and how much better our lives be while they're really taking care of the richest of the rich.

We just didn't see it as clearly as we do now. But I don't believe this is new. Rather, it's just so bloody blatant! It isn't new they've just stopped trying to pretend it isn't going on because they have such a cult-like hold on their constituents who will keep voting for them because "at least he isn't an F'ing [Republican/Democrat]!"

[/rant]
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Trump's America

Post by Frelga »

While no rational person would forget that politics are driven by money and influence, it is equally dangerous to succumb to the "they are all the same" line of thinking.

Is Hilary Clinton beholden to someone's money? Probably. But with President Clinton, our national discussion would have been about expanding access to health care and education, and we wouldn't have nearly as many industry insiders regulating the same industries where they made their money and plan to do so in the future. The climate change would have been addressed in a far more reality-based fashion. And the government would not have been turned over to people who hate the idea of the government interfering with their personal enrichment.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
elengil
Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
Posts: 6248
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea

Re: Trump's America

Post by elengil »

I wasn't saying there is zero difference between Republicans/Conservatives and Democrats/Liberals. I was just saying I felt the metaphor of fast food on silver platters was broadly applicable to our politics in general because our system is so corrupt, regardless of which side you're on. That does not mean I think Rs and Ds enact the same laws or have the same values, just that they are both still beholden to the wealthy who pay them, even if they are paid to do different things.
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Trump's America

Post by Frelga »

I feel like the maybe-actually-Left group of freshman Democrats in Congress deserve a new thread, but I can't think of a snappy title.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
elengil
Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
Posts: 6248
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea

Re: Trump's America

Post by elengil »

Frelga wrote:I feel like the maybe-actually-Left group of freshman Democrats in Congress deserve a new thread, but I can't think of a snappy title.
No, Your Other Left
Telling My Left from my Other Left
Who's Left of the Left?
The Left is All Right
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
User avatar
Dave_LF
Wrong within normal parameters
Posts: 6797
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 10:59 am
Location: The other side of Michigan

Re: Trump's America

Post by Dave_LF »

Sanders' Leftorium
Post Reply