T Day

Written By: - Date published: 6:16 am, January 21st, 2017 - 124 comments
Categories: International, us politics - Tags:

Posts about the American election have attracted huge attention and very spirited commentary from TS regulars.

My personal view is clear.  Trump is a charlatan and an imbecile and should not be trusted with the keys to Trump Tower, let alone the codes to America’s nuclear arsenal.

Others think differently and believe that Hillary Clinton would have been even worse and would have empowered Wall Street and caused all sorts of wars.  I cannot believe how empowered Wall Street has become however with the roll call of wealth that now forms Trump’s cabinet.  If you want to understand the importance of having a POTUS who is at least sane then read this.

Russell Brown has, in my view, captured the insanity of what we are facing very well in this post.  He summarises the problems.  Increased tensions with China, NATO undermined giving Russia a free hand, and Sweden and other states the heebe geebes, western democracies undermined by fake news sites and cyber attacks, the destruction of international trade, which may not necessarily be a bad thing, and lets not even talk about climate change.

Domestically it does not look good either.  Reduced oversight of what the POTUS, the HR and the Senate are doing, attacks on abortion rights and gay and lesbian rights and different ethnicities and attacks on the media are surely on the way.

It is a sign of how radically things have changed in the world’s order.  A few decades ago it was the US and Western Europe against Russia and China.  Now it seems to be developing to a stage where it will be US and Russia verses China and parts of Western Europe battling for dominance.

And my personal view?  At the very least China has sound rational climate change policies.  Unlike Trump.

Radio New Zealand’s updating timeline on inauguration events is here.

 

 

124 comments on “T Day ”

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  1. garibaldi 1
    21 January 2017 at 6:36 am

    I caught a bit of the inauguration on RNZ this morning. The hypocritical and arrogant religious bullshit and talk again of American exceptualism really turned me off. Give me Dylans ‘with god on their side and a gun in their hand’ any day. How can we save the world from these bloody idiots?

    • lprent 2.1
      21 January 2017 at 9:08 am

      It is about the only good news from Trump. But it was a bit of a no Brainer eventually. Too complex, overhyped, far too intrusive for a trade deal, and of no real benefit.

    • Rae 2.2
      21 January 2017 at 6:58 pm

      If you listened further, though, you would possibly guess that Trump would be happy with the TPP if only it were even more in USA favour. But, we’ll take it anyway, not much chance of any sort of trade deal with them now, not with what they would require, although I wouldn’t 100% trust Todd McClay where that goes.

    • mosa 2.3
      22 January 2017 at 11:08 am

      “Good news for NZ the US will kill the TPPA”

      While Bill English is hell bent on pursuing free trade agreements with anyone who will sign up with no provisions for protecting kiwi workers against exploitation.

  3. Carolyn_nth 3
    21 January 2017 at 7:59 am

    In their own kind of angry impassioned journalism, Intercept has a few articles on the inauguration, including:

    Donald Trump preaches angry nationalism, while practicing Goldman Sachs capitalism

    The above article quotes some very good points about Trump claiming to be on the side of hard done by US people, while in practice he is doing everything to keep thoae people on struggle street.

    And it looks like Theresa May is taking the same “populist” line warning about income inequality and corporate taxes, as reported by the NY Times:

    Theresa May Says Britain Will Lead a New Era of Free Trade

    Also May talks up “free trade” and “globalisation”, while warning of tax dodging corporations.

    The elitist radical right wing is stealing their “populist” lines from the left. And what is the left doing to truly support those at the bottom of this viciously maintained heap?

  4. James 4
    21 January 2017 at 8:21 am

    Watching the small number of pathetic protesters throwing rocks and damaging property.

    Hope they pepper spray them and throw them in a cell. And make them pay for the damage caused.

    • Cinny 4.1
      21 January 2017 at 8:58 am

      Small number? There were thousands of people protesting, so far 90 people have been arrested. What network were you/are you watching please James?

      • James 4.1.1
        21 January 2017 at 9:05 am

        NBC news.

        And yes. A small number. And a long way away. A rag tag bunch of mellenial losers.

        [Chill it with the abusive descriptions or face some time off – MS]

        • Cinny 4.1.1.1
          21 January 2017 at 9:18 am

          well i saw and heard that there were thousands of protestors but only a few hundred who were unruly and all in all it was peaceful.

          Probably a few agent provocateurs

          I say anyone standing up for their rights is a brave person, not a loser.
          Try watching some other networks as well, AJ has been covering it continuously

          • James 4.1.1.1.1
            21 January 2017 at 9:23 am

            Perhaps as opposed to telling me what you would do if you were me – perhaps you should learn to read or take comprehension lessons – I said “Watching the small number of pathetic protesters throwing rocks and damaging property.”

            Those idiots are not brave – they are morons.

      • Hayden 4.1.2
        22 January 2017 at 12:28 am

        Read his comment again Cinny and pay attention, you have made an error.

    • NewsFlash 4.2
      21 January 2017 at 3:57 pm

      You can tell where James sits politically, by his obnoxious attitude to FREEDOM of SPEACH, China has similar attitudes, and Russia, funny how the far right and communism have so much in common.

      James, 4 out of 5 eligible voters didn’t vote for Trump, that’s quite a few who disagree with his position, they’re entitled to protest, do you understand the meaning of entitled?

      • james 4.2.1
        21 January 2017 at 11:11 pm

        I only commented on the protesters who were throwing rocks etc – thats not freedom of speech – its just stupid.

        “James, 4 out of 5 eligible voters didn’t vote for Trump” And yet he won 😉

  5. James 5
    21 January 2017 at 8:29 am

    Just watched protesters say they were anti trump, anti Hillary, anti congress.

    Protesting for protesting sake. Losers..

  6. Paul 6
    21 January 2017 at 8:38 am

    “On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. ”

    H. L. Mencken

    • James 6.1
      21 January 2017 at 8:44 am

      Ironically- despite you referring to him as a moron – im picking he’s waaaaaay smarter then you.

      • North 6.1.1
        21 January 2017 at 9:57 am

        What a jerk you can be James. Where’s the relevancy in your patero ? “Meh…….you’re not as smart as……. !” Such a schoolyard ring to it.

        • James 6.1.1.1
          21 January 2017 at 10:07 am

          My point is calling some stupid, a moron etc (as a number of people in here have done about trump) when he is smarter then they are is ironic.

          • Cinny 6.1.1.1.1
            21 January 2017 at 10:17 am

            I wonder what Trumps IQ is, I also wonder if he will be showing his tax records anytime soon?

          • Rosemary McDonald 6.1.1.1.2
            21 January 2017 at 11:25 am

            Oh dear, the paid(?) troll of the day is pissed off because he has to sit in front of a screen and defend the Right all on his little lonesome. Probably would rather be out there in the sunshine looking for protesters to harass.
            I say paid(?) because I am reminded of those poor sods standing on the side of busy highways wearing their sandwich boards promoting shit pizza and high interest loans for the struggling poor. One could only do such work if remunerated.

            • HDCAFriendlyTroll 6.1.1.1.2.1
              21 January 2017 at 1:34 pm

              So pointing out that calling someone smarter than you a moron is kind of ironic is “defending the Right”.

              Wow, just wow.

              • adam …
                21 January 2017 at 3:00 pm

                Track record HDCAFriendlytroll, track record. But then again, I’m sure with your brain, thinking someone has a track record can be quite difficult. 🙂

              • weka …
                21 January 2017 at 3:28 pm

                I’m picking that everyone in this subthread is way smarter than Tr*mp with the possible exception of you. IQ measures a small band of human intelligence. He may have high problem solving intelligence as measured by the mainstream, but his emotional, social and moral quotients are woefully low. I know which ones I’d value in someone responsibly for large swathes of humanity.

          • NewsFlash 6.1.1.1.3
            21 January 2017 at 4:01 pm

            Obviously smarter than you too, having misspelt “than” twice!

            Trump is only smarter than the dummies that voted for him, no one else.

      • Draco T Bastard 6.1.2
        21 January 2017 at 3:19 pm

        I see you’re defending Trumps stupidity simply because he’s rich again.

  8. Cinny 8
    21 January 2017 at 8:49 am

    Been following via Al Jazeera all morning.

    Already Agent Orange is taking action, any mention of Climate Change has been removed from the white house website.

    Also gone from the site are the LGBT, civil rights, and health-care sections. Separately, the Labor Department’s report on LGBT workplace rights is no longer online.

    http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/whitehouse-gov-removes-climate-change-and-lgbt-pages.html

    • Carolyn_nth 8.1
      21 January 2017 at 9:09 am

      Ah. But those sort of rights (LGBT/Civil) are just “nice-to-haves”. No-one will be hurt by encouraging discrimination or bigotry. Black people, LGBT people don’t really feel pain from it. It’s only fair to ordinary/hard working people.

      /sarc

      • Cinny 8.1.1
        21 January 2017 at 9:27 am

        According to Agent Orange, Climate Change was invented by the Chinese.

        Dear USA, may the Force be with you, you fellas sure are gonna need it

    • James 8.2
      21 January 2017 at 9:25 am

      Probably to be replaced on the website buy his government. Just like they clear out the actual Whitehouse at the same time.

      Reading too much into it.

      • Cinny 8.2.1
        21 January 2017 at 9:32 am

        OK, I really hope you are right

        Last year Agent Orange said.. “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive”

        http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/1/18/14313126/trump-pruitt-climate-hoax-lukewarmism

        • Richard McGrath 8.2.1.1
          26 January 2017 at 8:11 pm

          Statements like that keep the media occupied… perhaps that’s a deliberate tactic on Trump’s part.

      • Glenn 8.2.2
        21 January 2017 at 12:21 pm

        Republicans have been doing this in Wisconsin for a couple of years.
        Now they can do it nationally.

        “Whoever is managing Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources website must be wearing out the delete key. The word “climate” has been quietly stripped from the department’s webpage dedicated to explaining the state’s response to climate change, Raw Story reported….

        The text that appears on the webpage now inserts classic climate skeptic arguments, in which Earth’s “changes” are being “debated..

        And let’s not forget that in April 2015, state officials banned employees of a state agency from talking about climate change, conducting any work on it or even responding to emails about it.

        https://truththeory.com/2017/01/03/climate-change-deleted-wisconsin-dnr-website/

    • North 8.3
      21 January 2017 at 10:00 am

      “Oh well……we’ll see how he goes…….” to quote the Herald. Seeing is believing, or not ? Well no, according to James.

    • joe90 8.4
      21 January 2017 at 11:42 am

      They seem to have jiggered any continuity by moving the entire Obama whitehouse.gov to obamawhitehouse.archives. gov and handed the Trump admin… regime the Whitehouse site.

  9. Ad 9
    21 January 2017 at 8:55 am

    His point early on in the speech that “a nation exists to serve the interests of its people” is as close to a principle I’ve heard from Trump.

    But it’s a pretty thin reading of what states are for, how historically states have evolved to function as they do, the place of the state within global trade systems, and the point of states interacting with each other.

  10. Adrian Thornton 10
    21 January 2017 at 9:39 am

    The most important battles will hopefully now be within in the political and grass roots progressive left movements for control of the direction and power of the left opposition to this right wing populism.
    As we have all witnessed since Trumps win, there has been absolutely no self reflection on the part of the Democratic establishment, just blame blame blame.
    Right around the western world, the neo liberal centrists have signaled that they will cling on to their host party’s structures even if it means certain destruction for both..witness the ugly death match in Labour UK, where the third way centrists would rather have their own used and abused population suffer another term of conservative governance than have any real socialist democratic rule.
    Which proves that the so called centre left are in fact far more closely aligned ideologically to the centre right than any sort of progressive socialist democratic project.

    • Olwyn 10.1
      21 January 2017 at 10:10 am

      An example of just what you are talking about, from London under a Labour council. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/19/lives-torn-apart-assets-labour-privatisation-north-london-haringey?CMP=fb_gu
      It is in response to the “renewal” of Haringey and Tottenham:

      Why would a Labour council even think of doing this to its own voters? Because the hyper-ambitious leadership is still gripped by zombie Blairism and its mania for “innovation”. And because Kober and her allies appear to believe the best way to relieve an area of poverty is to kick out the poor people who live there.
      and …I know the problems that fester in parts of Haringey: the death of light industry leading to a jobs drought, and some of the worst deprivation in Britain… So many needs, so little money…Faced with these intractables, Kober and her circle have decided the way to fix Tottenham is to turn it into somewhere else.

      Most people go back to 1984, where the damage was done. I go back to 2008, when it became clear that “no gain without pain” had transformed into “no gain but even more pain” for the working class. It was then that the left needed to change tack. David Cunliffe knew that and was pilloried for it. Obama knew it too, but thought his hopey/changey sales pitch was change enough. It wasn’t, and now the US has Trump at the helm.

      • Ad 10.1.1
        21 January 2017 at 10:34 am

        Sadiq Khan for Labour leader.
        Won’t take long.

        • Olwyn 10.1.1.1
          21 January 2017 at 10:39 am

          ??? That’s an oblique comment. I take it you mean the urban land clearances around Tottenham won’t take long, but I may have misunderstood you.

        • Olwyn 10.1.1.2
          21 January 2017 at 4:34 pm

          Oh, I see what you mean now, hours later and slapping myself on the forehead. For some reason I read “Labour leader” as “Labour mayor”, and assumed you were talking about the gentrification middle class garrisoning of London suburbs. But you mean that any minute he will replace Corbyn.

      • Adrian Thornton 10.1.2
        21 January 2017 at 11:23 am

        From the same piece..

        “Which is why I believe this battle is one that the rest of us can’t sit out. Enough of forced gentrification. Enough of privatising public assets. Enough of that rancid New Labour contempt for its own voters. This has to stop.”

        Isn’t it just bizarre that is article comes from the Guardian, whose editorial staff seem to have made it their personal business over the previous 12 months to undermine and discredit the only to alternatives to ‘New Labour’ in the UK, and the discredited Democratic establishment in the US.
        As I have banged on about many times already on this site, these so called liberal news sources should at the very least be regarded with deep suspicion by anyone with progressive left views,
        In my own view they are a centrist Trojan horse, that have shown by their own actions that they, like the political politicians they openly support, would rather a centre right governance than a real left wing Socialist Democrat.

        • Olwyn 10.1.2.1
          21 January 2017 at 11:35 am

          They seem to allow a bit more independence in their opinion pieces, but their editorial line tends to be pro New Labour. At least that is how I read them. After all, their journalists come from the same social strata as the Labour centrists, and they probably all drink their rioja’s together at the same renovated pubs.

          • Adrian Thornton 10.1.2.1.1
            21 January 2017 at 12:41 pm

            Yes I think you are exactly right, unfortunately with their overall editorial direction, those independent opinion pieces are far and few (almost never) when the actual battles are going on, like when Bernie was running against Clinton, the Guardians bias towards Clinton was jaw dropping, the same when Corbyn was running against Owen. so readers who are, for whatever reason, unaware of this bias, are for all intents and purposes being subjected to…well what else can you say but propaganda.

  11. bwaghorn 11
    21 January 2017 at 9:52 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11786315

    A round down of the crooks and scum to be running merica from today.
    At least trump is openly corrupt.

  12. Bill 12
    21 January 2017 at 10:21 am

    This is the insanity of what we’re facing (to echo a line in the post)

    Opinions, arguments or concerns aired on social media platforms that fail to dovetail with official narratives are labeled as “fake news” and (always) Russia has snaggly fingers pointed in its direction. (From the linked Brown piece).

    A truly bizarre phenomenon where any and all dissent is gathered up into a greasy homogeneous lump by those advocating for the radical centre/liberal status quo. E.g. – the use of a photo in the post that’s clearly oxymoronic is a small example of this subtle and sometimes unsubtle positioning.

    A constant infantile harping on about threats to liberal democracy that is itself then used to undermine and diminish dialogue essential to democracy.

    A woeful inability by liberals/the radical centre to contemplate that they might even have short-comings let alone confront those short comings that’s lashing out quite dangerously from a position of denial.

    An idiotic insistence that if a person doesn’t demonstrate their fealty to the fairly well demarcated arguments of ‘Camp A’, then they must by logical extrapolation belong firmly within ‘Camp B’ – that greasy homogeneous lump.

    Any information or news that’s reported by any outlet beyond a fairly narrow “short-list” of ‘approved’ sites is dismissed out of hand, and any people agreeing with those views or opinions, or seeking discussion on those view or opinions, is denounced, while if they have any prominence in the public eye, the routine is to jump straight to character assassination. (Eva Bartlet and others).

    I could go on.

    Look. The fucking vile Tumshie Trump Train has departed the station. But it sure as fuck isn’t the only sign of sanity having taken wing and fled.

    And as a wee side bar, I’ll repeat. “Project Fear” never ends well for those running with it.

    • wek a 12.1
      21 January 2017 at 10:56 am

      I can’t tell who you are talking about, Tr*mpville or TS. Is that the point?

      • Bill 12.1.1
        21 January 2017 at 11:08 am

        The comment is addressed at the general political environment around us atm.

        • weka 12.1.1.1
          21 January 2017 at 11:58 am

          Ok.

          “A truly bizarre phenomenon where any and all dissent is gathered up into a greasy homogeneous lump by those advocating for the radical centre/liberal status quo. E.g. – the use of a photo in the post that’s clearly oxymoronic is a small example of this subtle and sometimes unsubtle positioning.”

          Where is that happening? I assumed you mean on TS because of the photo reference and because the what appears to be distinctly polarised debate happening here in recent months, but did you mean something else?

          Also, are you saying that the radical centre and the liberal status quo are the same thing, or just naming two different aspects?

          • Bill 12.1.1.1.1
            21 January 2017 at 12:49 pm

            Again. The comment addresses the general political environment. Does TS reflect or express aspects of that environment? Of course it does.

            I’m somewhat bewildered. If you honestly cannot see ‘swathes of newsprint’ where criticism or disagreement with liberal memes/narratives gets lumped in to an amorphous, and by subtle and unsubtle suggestion and/or insinuation, Trump/Putin etc aligned McCarthyite fueled mush, then I can only think that you haven’t been reading very much media of late.

            The picture used in the post is, as I said, a small example of this.

            The Guy Fox mask is a recognised symbol of ‘Anonymous’ who are definitely not an ‘alt-right’ (to use that stupid term) org or tendency. But the juxta-positioning of a prop associated with Anonymous, and perhaps more anarchist leaning politics, with Trump, in that photo, encourages an understanding of an amorphous or homogeneous lump that’s all, y’know, ‘much of a muchness’ – that all people holding to “right” or “correct” thoughts and views ought to, whenever they see anything that can be associated with it, be a little afraid, and without question, react by denouncing and dismissing forthwith.

            Liberalism or the Radical Centre are to be taken as referring to the same thing in terms of this comment. I used both terms for the sake of clarity – ie, I couldn’t be bothered with another round on ‘What do you mean when you use the term liberalism?’

            Sorry for the long and perhaps difficult to navigate sentences. I’m in a rush and need to be off doing other stuff.

            • weka 12.1.1.1.1.1
              21 January 2017 at 2:29 pm

              “I’m somewhat bewildered.”

              Me too. I’m not criticising you, I wanted to understand what you were talking about.

              “then I can only think that you haven’t been reading very much media of late.”

              MSM I don’t read much of, and I haven’t followed the whole Russian thing hardly at all. Like many people. So asking for things to be explained is reasonable I think. But more than that, I see sides forming along a false dichotomy, and I think seeking to understand each other is more important than being right because there is more than two things going on here and that is in danger of getting lost.

              I took the photo differently than you. I saw it as ironic. But I’d be interested in why micky chose it. I don’t automatically see micky’s position as radical centre (I also don’t see Liberalism as the same as the radical centre, and if we’re insisting on using political definitions then alt-right is an actual thing. And so on). I guess it depends whether we want to talk at each other, or try and get what we are trying to day. Appreciate the difficulty of that when short on time too.

              (am pretty clear by now on what you personally mean when you use the term Liberalism (which is why those “what do you mean by Liberalism?” questions were important), which is why I wasn’t sure why you were equating it with the radical centre).

              • Bill …
                21 January 2017 at 2:58 pm

                Weka. I commented on an image – not mickysavages politics.

                We can disagree on whether it’s reasonable to consider the radical centre as being synonymous with liberalism.

                On the broader point, everyone from Greenwald (on Russia and hacks etc) to independent journalists (Bartlett, Bealey et al on Syria) to commenters on blogs and foreign news outlets, are being denounced outright simply because they take a countervailing view to the official narrative. There’s a lot of effort being expended on keeping our ‘information environment’ (and by extension us) evidence free.

                gotta dash….later.

                • weka …
                  21 January 2017 at 3:07 pm

                  “On the broader point, everyone from Greenwald (on Russia and hacks etc) to independent journalists (Bartlett, Bealey et al on Syria) to commenters on blogs and foreign news outlets, are being denounced outright simply because they take a countervailing view to the official narrative. There’s a lot of effort being expended on keeping our ‘information environment’ (and by extension us) evidence free.”

                  Ok, thanks, that’s clearer. Whose is the official narrative? Do you mean the White House? Parts of the MSM? The general Establishment? I think your point about control of the official narrative is good, I’m just seeing attempts to control narratives happening from many quarters, rather than a Liberal/status quo one vs those challenging that.

                • Psycho Milt …
                  21 January 2017 at 4:25 pm

                  independent journalists (Bartlett, Bealey et al on Syria) … are being denounced outright simply because they take a countervailing view to the official narrative.

                  Bartlett and Beeley are the official narrative. Their narrative is the Syrian government’s narrative, because they’re shills for the Syrian government. It’s their pretence of presenting an independent narrative that get them denounced by people who dislike propaganda for dictatorships.

            • lprent 12.1.1.1.1.2
              21 January 2017 at 8:14 pm

              I didn’t realise what the guy fawkes mask was about until someone told me that V for Vendetta was worth reading.

              • adam …
                22 January 2017 at 2:32 am

                Pretty much anything from Alan Moore is worth reading. Just don’t watch the film.

                His work I love are ‘Lost Girls’ and ‘From Hell’.

  13. Sacha 13
    21 January 2017 at 10:55 am

    A handy listing of Chump’s debts and the conflicts of interest they create: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/12/guide-donald-trump-debt

  14. Skeptic 14
    21 January 2017 at 11:19 am

    Yes – it is somewhat worrying that an egotistical megalomaniac has secured the launch codes of the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet, and that his track record of more than a dozen bankruptcies doesn’t bode well for future US economics, nor does his xenophobic attitude towards trade and foreign diplomacy lend itself to future global understanding, neither does his blind dismissal of man-made climate change supported by just 0.24% of scientists hold much hope for meaningful change before irreversible damage to the planet takes place, nor does his kowtowing to the ultra-right wing religious bigots lend itself to any form of social or civil rights liberalization – all that aside – for me the biggest worry shown by his appointments – is his anti-science agenda. I dread t think of what the USA will look like after 4 years of “creationism” being taught in schools alongside anti-vaccination conspiracy, and a general dumbing down of higher education, or even high school education. The only hope I hold out is that some form of Congressional and/or Senate inquiry will take place into Russian interference in the election, and the probability that Trump is an “unwitting” agent for the Russians (ie – one who does what the enemy wants even though he/she professes not to). Such an inquiry may even lead to impeachment proceedings within a brief interlude, making the 45th Presidency the shortest on record – hopefully – but I have my doubts.

    • Conal 14.1
      21 January 2017 at 4:23 pm

      … the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet …

      Second largest. Close enough, though!

      • greywarshark 14.1.1
        21 January 2017 at 8:34 pm

        Skeptic
        Man made climate change supported by just 0.24 per cent of scientists – I guess you mean something different than the way you have written this.
        It isn’t satisfactory to write about climate change in any way that is open to the deniers to seize onto to support their obfuscation, so don’t confuse please.

      • mickysavage 14.1.2
        21 January 2017 at 8:43 pm

        Conal

        Right you are. There is still a refined ability to make the rubble bounce and bounce and bounce …

    • Foreign waka 14.2
      21 January 2017 at 4:27 pm

      With Trump in place, the military complex has their perfect puppet. I doubt that anything will change. With Nato standing at the boarder of Poland, facing east with Russia being provoked to react.
      We are seeing a similar scenario as 1933 – very similar indeed.

  15. Ant 15
    21 January 2017 at 11:26 am

    Unpresidented scenes at the inauguration…..

  16. Pat 16
    21 January 2017 at 11:50 am

    Chris Trotter (the opinions are well known) has again described well the potential historical parallel…. the events unfolding in the US are not happening in isolation, as in the thirties the disaster will not be the result of a single event rather an inability to foresee and counter multiple causes…hold on to your hat.

    https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/01/all-changed-changed-utterly-thoughts-on.html

    • Morrissey 16.1
      21 January 2017 at 1:14 pm

      I don’t usually bother with Trotter’s windy bloviating, but perhaps you could tell us: did he have another laugh at imprisoned dissidents? And did he write anything supportive of the Ku Klux Klan?

      • Pat 16.1.1
        21 January 2017 at 1:28 pm

        I’m not aware he has done either of those things ….but then i suspect we read through different lenses.

        • Morrissey 16.1.1.1
          21 January 2017 at 1:58 pm

          I’m not aware he has done either of those things

          Let me help you then.

          1.) In June 2013, Trotter joined in an inane and vicious gang-bang against the U.S./U.K. regime’s No. 1 target for destruction….

          SUSAN BALDACCI: Julian Assange is a little bit paranoid.
          MORA: Oh yes? Hur, hur, hur, hur!
          SUSAN BALDACCI: Yeah, he claims that being holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy, he is deprived of his human right of getting enough sun.
          MORA: Is it a human right to get enough sun?
          SUSAN BALDACCI: That’s what he claims! He claims that being not allowed to leave London is violating his “human rights”.
          MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
          LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
          CHRIS TROTTER: Haw haw haw haw haw!
          SUSAN BALDACCI: He thinks he should be allowed out of his Ecuador embassy hideout to sunbathe.
          MORA: He can get out on the balcony, where he gave that speech!
          LISA SCOTT: Yeah! Ha ha ha ha ha!
          CHRIS TROTTER: Yeah! Ha ha ha ha ha! Or get him a sun lamp! THAT’s what he needs!
          LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha!
          SUSAN BALDACCI: He he he he he!
          TROTTER: I suspect the ambassador’s just sick of the sight of him! [imitating a mock South American accent] “Are you ever going to LEEEEAAAVE?”
          MORA: Sun lamp! Get him a sun lamp!!!
          LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha!
          MORA: Back after the news!

          https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-14062013/#comment-648511

          2.) Here’s Trotter just a month later, in July 2013, delivering his opinion on the Deep South jury–no doubt with more than a couple of Klan sympathisers in it—that acquitted the killer of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

          CHRIS TROTTER: [speaking very slowly, mustering all the pomp and gravitas he can] I think all this talk about the jury is most unfortunate. You have, even in this case I think, to trust the jury. In any trial, there are always items of evidence that we do not know about, even in this case I think.

          https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19072013/#comment-664870

          (Just before that oratorio you can see him having ANOTHER chuckle at the suffering of Julian Assange.)

          ….but then i suspect we read through different lenses.

          Chris Trotter actually spoke those words in support of that farcical jury verdict and he actually cracked those cruel “jokes” about Julian Assange’s plight. It doesn’t matter whose lenses you use to look at his behaviour, those are irrefutable, and damning, facts.

          • Pat 16.1.1.1.1
            21 January 2017 at 2:06 pm

            yep…definitely different lenses…and probably different dictionaries as well.

            • Morrissey 16.1.1.1.1.1
              21 January 2017 at 2:09 pm

              Your facile and sarcastic attitude does you no favours, my friend.

              • Pat …
                21 January 2017 at 2:38 pm

                whereas your over blown self righteousness and moral superiority serve you well no doubt.

                • Morrissey …
                  21 January 2017 at 3:41 pm

                  So, according to this dictionary of yours, to be repelled by someone who excuses Florida lynch law and snickers at the persecution of political dissidents is to be guilty of “over blown self righteousness and moral superiority.”

                  I really think you should stop now. You’re way out of your comfort zone.

                  • Pat …
                    21 January 2017 at 3:50 pm

                    lmao…Morrissey if you were an actor you’d be ham.. you are so exaggerated in your displays as to be parody…go play with someone who enjoys your bullshit

                    • Morrissey …
                      21 January 2017 at 3:53 pm

                      What was exaggerated in my posting up of Chris Trotter’s words? That is the issue I brought up, and with which you seem reluctant to engage.

          • Psycho Milt 16.1.1.1.2
            21 January 2017 at 4:14 pm

            You have, even in this case I think, to trust the jury.

            Oh, the perfidy! How could this appalling racist be permitted to publicly declare that trial by jury involves accepting the jury’s decision? Did the director not have some kind of kill switch available to prevent such a subversive claim from being broadcast?

          • Adrian Thornton 16.1.1.1.3
            21 January 2017 at 9:56 pm

            @Morrissey, Yes it is weird to think he wrote ‘No Left Turn’ which I like, and think is quite an important book, a very good introduction to a political history of NZ, then fast forward to now, what the hell happened to him?

      • Carolyn_nth 16.1.2
        21 January 2017 at 1:31 pm

        No. More that he goes full Godwin towards the end of the post, then says;

        That is how it begins: with exclusions; deportations; preventive detentions; the construction of walls.

        But that is not how it ends.

        • Morrissey 16.1.2.1
          21 January 2017 at 2:02 pm

          Thanks Carolyn. You’ve inspired me to have a peek now. He really is the most pompous ass.

          • Carolyn_nth 16.1.2.1.1
            21 January 2017 at 2:08 pm

            Sometimes it’s just best to skip the unnecessary verbiage and go straight to the conclusion.

          • stunned mullet 16.1.2.1.2
            21 January 2017 at 2:12 pm

            “He really is the most pompous ass.”

            Come come now Moz, everyone knows that along with your third rate stenography it is your fine self that is the Grand Tzar of pompous ass hattery.

            • Morrissey 16.1.2.1.2.1
              21 January 2017 at 2:14 pm

              Thanks mullet. That sounds like a compliment, and I’ll take it, by jingo!

              I’m assuming, of course, that “ass hattery” is something positive.

  17. Adrian Thornton 17
    21 January 2017 at 12:10 pm

    Departing Obama Tearfully Shoos Away Loyal Drone Following Him Out Of White House…..
    http://www.theonion.com/article/departing-obama-tearfully-shoos-away-loyal-drone-f-55100

  18. joe90 18
    21 January 2017 at 12:13 pm

    Great start.

    The line in question?

    “We give it back to you… the people.”

    Trump was referring to the transfer of power that occurs during the inauguration.

    “Today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people.”

    […]

    Bane, on the other hand was referring to the fictional city of Gotham, which he proclaims himself to be taking back from “the corrupt! The rich! The oppressors of generations who have kept you down with myths of opportunity, and we give it back to you… the people. Gotham is yours.”

    The messages are actually pretty similar, minus the fact that one was delivered by a supergenius villain raised in prison and the other by the newly-inaugurated leader of the free world.

    http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/donald-trump-batman-bane-inaugural-address-1201965143/

    • HDCAFriendlyTroll 18.1
      21 January 2017 at 2:24 pm

      Calling Bane the newly-inaugurated leader of the free world is bit of stretch isn’t it?

    • Bill 18.2
      21 January 2017 at 2:43 pm

      From reading the speech, in particular the bits about supposedly giving power back to people…when it’s married up to his notions of patriotism, it kind of feels like he’s ‘pulling a Bolshevik’.

      Y’know the type of thing?

      We The (Bolsheviks/Trump) embody the legitimate voice and will of the people, and so, to be our (The Bolsheviks/Trump) enemy is to be an enemy of the people.

      If I’m in any way right, then I wonder how the fuck that’s going to play out against the Liberal’s current penchant for McCarthyism? I mean, the phenomena aren’t the same – they’ll likely employ very similar tactics but they’ll be running counter to one another.

      Seriously, is the U.S. of A. about to tear itself apart before it sits down to itself for lunch?

      • adam 18.2.1
        21 January 2017 at 3:14 pm

        I don’t think history is repeating itself, but you get a feel it is a little like the 1850-60’s. We had a popular president in Obama, who really did not do much to address the undercurrent of economic issues. Now we have trump, who I hope is not another Buchanan, but I get the feeling he will be. He will do 4 years, then a election derisive in nature will erupt. The writing is on the wall.

  19. Macro 19
    21 January 2017 at 2:25 pm

    If you want to understand the importance of having a POTUS who is at least sane ….

    No worries Mickey – Its all under control

  20. Bill 20
    21 January 2017 at 2:25 pm

    So rather than read other people’s interpretation of Trump’s address I just went right ahead and read it.

    The first few paras could have come from Sanders, but then…but then…

    Well okay. If you’re a “patriot”, you’ll be alright as far as Trump’s vision for the US goes. So, for example…

    At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

    If that wee snippet is anything to go by, then I’d be getting the impression that he’s about to ‘out-McCarthy’ the liberals.

    • Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster 20.1
      21 January 2017 at 3:09 pm

      “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” Samuel Johnson, 1775.

      Old Sam Johnson knew a thing or two!

      • Macro 20.1.1
        21 January 2017 at 4:21 pm

        He did indeed.
        And where have we heard the call to Patriotism before?

        the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.

  21. Poission 21
    21 January 2017 at 2:45 pm

    A few decades ago it was the US and Western Europe against Russia and China.

    Well a few decades ago the cia skill was two pages of jokes against communism (released papers) eg

    In another joke poking fun at the permanent shortages in stores, a man comes into a shop and asks “You wouldn’t happen to have fish, would you?” The shop assistant replies, “comrade, you’ve got it wrong! This is a butcher’s shop — here we wouldn’t happen to have meat. There is a fish shop across the road, that’s where they wouldn’t happen to have fish!”

    In hell and high water the melancholy of the expectations in the rust belt was well captured in one scene.

  22. Macro 22
    21 January 2017 at 4:41 pm

    Well at least his minders were able to explain what “Swearing In” meant”
    I hear he was very disappointed not to be able to say:

    ‘Trump luxury hotels; for all your luxury hotel requirements,’

  25. Poission 25
    21 January 2017 at 6:34 pm

    http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5139/

    declaration of independence sept 1945.

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