Trump

[Brad Thomson]

Re: Trump

I like Trump's honesty. When was the last time we could say that about a politician?

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Trump

A world map I once saw on the Net (on a wikipedia page?) showed that many nations (but apparently not a crushing majority) are indeed currently 'socialist'. At least the (left-wing) media claims that populist (alluded to as 'right-wing') movements are now springing up (e.g. Brexit, Trump), and said media sees this as an ominous trend. It's funny how little attention places like Saudi Arabia get from said media, or feminists. Perhaps the latter prefer a soft target to protest, rather than possibly risking their personal safety. Fwiw, I still see Trump as someone who has a colossal ego, and who seems to easily have the potential to one day magnify himself above all 'gods'.

He's a Christian (though he doesn't always act like one) so I see that as unlikely.

You were talking dictatorships. Almost all dictatorships are of the left wing variety these days.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Trump

A world map I once saw on the Net (on a wikipedia page?) showed that many nations (but apparently not a crushing majority) are indeed currently 'socialist'. At least the (left-wing) media claims that populist (alluded to as 'right-wing') movements are now springing up (e.g. Brexit, Trump), and said media sees this as an ominous trend. It's funny how little attention places like Saudi Arabia get from said media, or feminists. Perhaps the latter prefer a soft target to protest, rather than possibly risking their personal safety. Fwiw, I still see Trump as someone who has a colossal ego, and who seems to easily have the potential to one day magnify himself above all 'gods'.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Trump

Perhaps you ought to qualify that Vlad. Right-wing Fascist governments certainly have existed, besides Communist left-wing ones.

Certainly there are right wing dictatorships but most of the dictatorships out there these days are leftist or theocratic or leftist theocratic.

[Brad Thomson]

Re: Trump - There's a lot of killers... Do you think our country is so innocent?

This was an amazing statement...

It will prove to be truly historical if he repeats it, and continues to do so, to the extent that he causes the entire American self-delusion to collapse. This is the best thing that Trump could do, and he would go down as the greatest President in American history if he were to do so.

I hope Trump continues to make statements like this, so long as they are true, and this one certainly is.

Trump if off to a fantastic start.

[Tom O'Donnell]

Re: Trump - There's a lot of killers... Do you think our country is so innocent?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.f43b7a798468

[Tom O'Donnell]

Re: Trump - There's a lot of killers... Do you think our country is so innocent?

This was an amazing statement and if he backs up his rhetoric with action (e.g. getting out of much of the ME) then I think Trump will easily win re-election. Can you imagine Hillary Clinton making such a statement?

Trump recently had an interview with Bill O'Reilly of FoxTV (to be played this week) in which the conversation went something like this ...

O'Reilly: (following up a discussion of Russian President V.V. Putin) "Putin's a killer."

Trump: "There's a lot of killers. ...Do you think our country is so innocent?"

Many in the blogosphere are going nuts over this remark. Trump has violated an enormous taboo - the taboo of American Exceptionalism - which has been dutifully regurgitated by every US President since WW2. This also comes on the heels of Trump's very neutral phone call with the current Ukrainian President, Poroshenko, which was unusually preceded by Trump talking to a leading Ukr Opposition figure (Tymoshenko) before he even met with Poroshenko.

The fiction of American Exceptionalism, that the US is some shining beacon of light on a hill, rather than the Orwellian spying (5)eye(s) and dungeon for the rendered and un-personed that it has become, that therefore all other countries must follow the US model (or die), and so on, has come under plenty of criticism in recent years, with the millions of deaths and displaced persons (leading to a migratory crisis in Europe) in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, and so on. However, no President has seriously pulled the curtain back, and acknowledged what everyone knows, e.g. when Obama said "We tortured some folks", that the US is a very un-exceptional country that does all the same cruel things that other regimes do, and then some. If the US under Trump really does pull back from the endless and horrific "regime change" menu of recent decades, then this might be serious progress from a very unexpected source.

This sort of sea change might affect the politics of global chess, notwithstanding the predictable and steady stream of Russophobic drivel from the likes of Kasparov, Robert Kagan, Victoria Nuland, and the cabal of neo-con zealots.

And, strange as that sounds, despite the enormous protests that Trump is already facing for some of his other policy initiatives, a chastened, more modest US foreign policy - a geopolitical realism rather than a predatory hegemon - might be just what we need. But it's still early days.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Trump

... Totalitarianism comes from the left.

Perhaps you ought to qualify that Vlad. Right-wing Fascist governments certainly have existed, besides Communist left-wing ones.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Trump

Hi Paul:

Thanks.

You nailed it.....very, very scary when the whole trending of the governing issue in the USA now is the "fast-tracking" toward authoritarianism (If not Fascism itself)

Bob A

The fascism is inherent in trying to suppress the free speech rights of those who do not agree with the principles of the Democratic Party and its liberal elites. Regardless of what fake news CNN might report the rioters were not right wingers. Totalitarianism comes from the left.

[Brad Thomson]

Re: Trump - There's a lot of killers... Do you think our country is so innocent?

I applaud Trump for the remark. It is the best comment I have heard from an American President since Kennedy.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Trump - There's a lot of killers... Do you think our country is so innocent?

Trump recently had an interview with Bill O'Reilly of FoxTV (to be played this week) in which the conversation went something like this ...

O'Reilly: (following up a discussion of Russian President V.V. Putin) "Putin's a killer."

Trump: "There's a lot of killers. ...Do you think our country is so innocent?"

Many in the blogosphere are going nuts over this remark. Trump has violated an enormous taboo - the taboo of American Exceptionalism - which has been dutifully regurgitated by every US President since WW2. This also comes on the heels of Trump's very neutral phone call with the current Ukrainian President, Poroshenko, which was unusually preceded by Trump talking to a leading Ukr Opposition figure (Tymoshenko) before he even met with Poroshenko.

The fiction of American Exceptionalism, that the US is some shining beacon of light on a hill, rather than the Orwellian spying (5)eye(s) and dungeon for the rendered and un-personed that it has become, that therefore all other countries must follow the US model (or die), and so on, has come under plenty of criticism in recent years, with the millions of deaths and displaced persons (leading to a migratory crisis in Europe) in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, and so on. However, no President has seriously pulled the curtain back, and acknowledged what everyone knows, e.g. when Obama said "We tortured some folks", that the US is a very un-exceptional country that does all the same cruel things that other regimes do, and then some. If the US under Trump really does pull back from the endless and horrific "regime change" menu of recent decades, then this might be serious progress from a very unexpected source.

This sort of sea change might affect the politics of global chess, notwithstanding the predictable and steady stream of Russophobic drivel from the likes of Kasparov, Robert Kagan, Victoria Nuland, and the cabal of neo-con zealots.

And, strange as that sounds, despite the enormous protests that Trump is already facing for some of his other policy initiatives, a chastened, more modest US foreign policy - a geopolitical realism rather than a predatory hegemon - might be just what we need. But it's still early days.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Trump

Hi Bob G:

I think a vain hope re peaceful, non-violent right of assembly.

I saw an article about a month ago I think (I'd have to go scroll down for a long time, and even then could miss it) - 7 USA states had bills now before them to allow municipalities, I think, to manage/limit the peaceful right of assembly (Beyond permits for road-blocking, etc.). Someone else know about this?

Bob A

They don't need any new bills. Current laws are pretty severe if you are engaged in rioting and can result in prison terms between two and 15 years in some cases. The problem is when the local politicians look the other way and tell the police to do the same.

[Mark Biong]

Re: Trump

What you are not mentioning is that the Dems are the ones who were TARGETED. If the Repugs had been targeted, the result would have been the same or worse. But we're ok now, because Trump is going to change everything: no more computers, all communications to use bicycle couriers!

That's the exact reason why American was great last time. Only Trump will make it great again! They only talk but can't execute! Look who is talking here:
https://www.facebook.com/FilmingCops...5974309437661/

And if you are wondering who will be the next female USA president. Not Hillary Clinton but Ivanka TRUMP!!! Keep my prophecy Paul... I am very sorry for you because you don't have a GOD, because you think you are as smart as "Steven Hawking".

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Trump

Perhaps this is what you are referring to:

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/23/...ceful-protest/

Hi Paul:

Thanks.

You nailed it.....very, very scary when the whole trending of the governing issue in the USA now is the "fast-tracking" toward authoritarianism (If not Fascism itself)

Bob A

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Trump

Hi Bob G:

I think a vain hope re peaceful, non-violent right of assembly.

I saw an article about a month ago I think (I'd have to go scroll down for a long time, and even then could miss it) - 7 USA states had bills now before them to allow municipalities, I think, to manage/limit the peaceful right of assembly (Beyond permits for road-blocking, etc.). Someone else know about this?

Bob A

Perhaps this is what you are referring to:

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/23/...ceful-protest/