President Trump's good qualities
Re: President Trump's good qualities
He certainly doesn't hang around waffling with advisors or soliciting facts before making decisions. That is one way to be a man of action, right?
I can see how that is refreshing - hey, he actually does stuff, he doesn't just talk about stuff! - to some people.
.
.
.
Here's the one thing that Trump has done that, for me, is definitely good: opened my eyes to the fact that there are millions, tens of millions, of people whose world view, on the Venn diagram of their views and mine, is a circle on the other side of the universe.
I used to think that people were basically a decent, reasonable sort, and that we can all find more in common that we can find different. Boy howdy, no longer have that rosy view of the world. And I think long-term that is a good thing, because it will make "silent majority" people fight harder for what they want instead of assuming that it will be taken care of "because we're all basically the same and want the same stuff, right?" That should kick the pillars out from under the fringes, who are currently happy to claim that their views are also supported by "the silent majority" just because up to now they haven't encountered strong headwinds. I think those winds have started to blow, and will pick up more steam. That's good.
I can see how that is refreshing - hey, he actually does stuff, he doesn't just talk about stuff! - to some people.
.
.
.
Here's the one thing that Trump has done that, for me, is definitely good: opened my eyes to the fact that there are millions, tens of millions, of people whose world view, on the Venn diagram of their views and mine, is a circle on the other side of the universe.
I used to think that people were basically a decent, reasonable sort, and that we can all find more in common that we can find different. Boy howdy, no longer have that rosy view of the world. And I think long-term that is a good thing, because it will make "silent majority" people fight harder for what they want instead of assuming that it will be taken care of "because we're all basically the same and want the same stuff, right?" That should kick the pillars out from under the fringes, who are currently happy to claim that their views are also supported by "the silent majority" just because up to now they haven't encountered strong headwinds. I think those winds have started to blow, and will pick up more steam. That's good.
Re: President Trump's good qualities
Hard same, Griffy.
"What a place! What a situation! What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter."
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Re: President Trump's good qualities
Except..... I don't think the extreme sharpness of our modern divides are natural or inherent but instead have been created and reinforced by various cultural forces. And I see Trump as both the result of those forces and as a powerful extension of them.
I wanna love somebody but I don't know how
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists
Re: President Trump's good qualities
I don’t think this is modern or recent. People have always divided themselves into “Us & Them”. Information dissemination means we are just more aware of it now.
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
Re: President Trump's good qualities
That's certainly true too. I had posted elsewhere about how the division between city and rural folk seems to be very old. But I also think that the division has grown dramatically in recent years (and there is data out there showing we here have become more partisan). Griffy's Venn diagram would have been much more reasonable 25 years ago.
I wanna love somebody but I don't know how
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists
Re: President Trump's good qualities
Oh, good qualities: is keeping his campaign promise (the wall).
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
- elengil
- Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
- Posts: 6248
- Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
- Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea
Re: President Trump's good qualities
Has he really, though? He spent the first two years with his party controlling both halves of congress not funding the wall (promise not kept) because Mexico was going to pay for the wall (promise not kept). Now he's just using it to shut down the government and play petty because Democrats control the House.Inanna wrote:Oh, good qualities: is keeping his campaign promise (the wall).
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
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
Re: President Trump's good qualities
I like that he has inspired some great comedy.
Love this bit from Bill Bailey which is only vaguely Trump related, but just enough to fit here!
Love this bit from Bill Bailey which is only vaguely Trump related, but just enough to fit here!
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
- elengil
- Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
- Posts: 6248
- Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
- Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea
Re: President Trump's good qualities
I love Bill Bailey!
That was hilariously... depressing.
That was hilariously... depressing.
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
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
Re: President Trump's good qualities
A NYT writer mentioned Trump's observation on how important chyrons were in TV news, as many people watch the news on mute, which the writer thought was genuinely astute. I don't know if it's a "good" quality, as that implies a moral dimension, but Trump does know how to play the old-media game.
Twitter, not so much.
Twitter, not so much.
"What a place! What a situation! What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter."
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Re: President Trump's good qualities
Wow. This came as a really pleasant surprise!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-overru ... zl63VD1oD0
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-overru ... zl63VD1oD0
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
Re: President Trump's good qualities
“The Special Olympics will be funded,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn. “I just told my people I want to fund the Special Olympics and I’ve just authorized a funding of the Special Olympics. I’ve been to the Special Olympics. I think it’s incredible and I just authorized a funding. I heard about it this morning. I have overridden my people. We’re funding the Special Olympics.”
I enjoy the President's way of repeating himself. It's so funny. I don't mean, as in making fun of him, but it just makes me laugh.
I enjoy the President's way of repeating himself. It's so funny. I don't mean, as in making fun of him, but it just makes me laugh.
Avatar photo by Richard Lykes, used with permission.
Re: President Trump's good qualities
I'll give him that one! Its a bit like applauding someone for not being a douche, but I'll give it to him.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Re: President Trump's good qualities
That was such a Putinesque move, though. His own appointed official proposed and spent days defending an unpopular, pointless, and cruel proposal when the President stepped in with the rescue.
To appreciate what's happening in the US, it would really help to watch Russian state TV.
To appreciate what's happening in the US, it would really help to watch Russian state TV.
"What a place! What a situation! What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter."
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Re: President Trump's good qualities
It makes me reach for my copy-editing pen.Cerin wrote:“The Special Olympics will be funded,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn. “I just told my people I want to fund the Special Olympics and I’ve just authorized a funding of the Special Olympics. I’ve been to the Special Olympics. I think it’s incredible and I just authorized a funding. I heard about it this morning. I have overridden my people. We’re funding the Special Olympics.”
I enjoy the President's way of repeating himself. It's so funny. I don't mean, as in making fun of him, but it just makes me laugh.
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
- Dave_LF
- Wrong within normal parameters
- Posts: 6982
- Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 10:59 am
- Location: The other side of Michigan
Re: President Trump's good qualities
Meh. It's a move that costs him nothing and pleases everyone, and he gets to humiliate a subordinate in the process. Not impressed.
Re: President Trump's good qualities
It's more than that.
The Special Olympics is a genuinely important program. It is also highly visible and popular with the public, which is one of the reasons why it is so important to the people who are often made invisible.
But the proposed budget also
If this was a deliberate move, I will at least credit the administration for playing the game well.
The Special Olympics is a genuinely important program. It is also highly visible and popular with the public, which is one of the reasons why it is so important to the people who are often made invisible.
But the proposed budget also
- Includes a 26 percent reduction to state grants for special education and millions of dollars in cuts to programs for students who are blind.
- Includes about $2 billion in cuts to Pell Grants on top of billions in reductions to about 30 other programs.
If this was a deliberate move, I will at least credit the administration for playing the game well.
"What a place! What a situation! What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter."
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 47407
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: President Trump's good qualities
I never thought it was not deliberate.
https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/03/29/politi ... cnn.com%2F
Sent from my LG G6 using Tapatalk
https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/03/29/politi ... cnn.com%2F
Sent from my LG G6 using Tapatalk
"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."
Re: President Trump's good qualities
That article doesn't make it sound like it was planned or deliberate.
According to the article, it was the Office of Management and Budget who kept rejecting De Vos's submitted budgets that included Special Olympics funding (a program she supports), because the OMB director objects to government funding for private organizations. According to the article, the Pres. was not part of that negotiation and did not know about the Special Olympics funding cut until it was made public. Apparently when he was saying, 'I've overridden my people,' he wasn't talking about De Vos, who never wanted the Special Olympics funding cut, but about the two men in the OMB.
To suggest that it was all deliberate credits the two men in the OMB with a great deal of foresight in predicting exactly how the President would react when the Spec. Olympics cut was made public, or supposes an incredible amount of behind the scenes planning and rehearsal involving a very large number of people for just one small budget negotiation. That strains credibility, imo.
Speaking generally, I'm afraid that people on the left hate Trump so much, it warps their judgment, in the same way the right hated Obama and the reality of an Obama presidency so much, they were willing to believe any outrageous, scurrilous and despicable theory about him, no matter how preposterous.
According to the article, it was the Office of Management and Budget who kept rejecting De Vos's submitted budgets that included Special Olympics funding (a program she supports), because the OMB director objects to government funding for private organizations. According to the article, the Pres. was not part of that negotiation and did not know about the Special Olympics funding cut until it was made public. Apparently when he was saying, 'I've overridden my people,' he wasn't talking about De Vos, who never wanted the Special Olympics funding cut, but about the two men in the OMB.
To suggest that it was all deliberate credits the two men in the OMB with a great deal of foresight in predicting exactly how the President would react when the Spec. Olympics cut was made public, or supposes an incredible amount of behind the scenes planning and rehearsal involving a very large number of people for just one small budget negotiation. That strains credibility, imo.
Speaking generally, I'm afraid that people on the left hate Trump so much, it warps their judgment, in the same way the right hated Obama and the reality of an Obama presidency so much, they were willing to believe any outrageous, scurrilous and despicable theory about him, no matter how preposterous.
Avatar photo by Richard Lykes, used with permission.
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 47407
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: President Trump's good qualities
You don't seem to understand that in this administration, the OMB does nothing but what Mr. Trump tells them to. It's director, Mick Mulvaney, is his biggest designated implementer, as director of OMB, and as acting director of the Consumer Protection Bureau, and as acting Chief of Staff. As a Congressman, Mulvaney was a deficit hawk, but as Mr. Trump's designated implementer, he has abandoned fiscal responsibility.
"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."