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Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:38 pm
by Kurth
Rip wrote:When you question someone being in Trump's inner circle today, you make it far easier for the moron that questions someone being in the next POTUS inner circle that is Muslim, Jewish, or Scientologist.
Which one of these is not like the others? :think:

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:40 pm
by LordMortis
http://gizmodo.com/bernie-just-printed- ... socialflow

“Millions of people voted for him on the belief that he would keep his word,” Sanders said on the Senate floor, referring to Trump’s promises during the election campaign.
Bernie better be careful what he wishes for.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:47 pm
by Rip
Kurth wrote:
Rip wrote:When you question someone being in Trump's inner circle today, you make it far easier for the moron that questions someone being in the next POTUS inner circle that is Muslim, Jewish, or Scientologist.
Which one of these is not like the others? :think:
I almost added Pastafarian so that Scientology wouldn't feel alone.

:whistle:

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:09 pm
by Unagi
Kurth wrote:
Rip wrote:When you question someone being in Trump's inner circle today, you make it far easier for the moron that questions someone being in the next POTUS inner circle that is Muslim, Jewish, or Scientologist.
Which one of these is not like the others? :think:
Jews are also a race, IIRC.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:10 pm
by Kraken
gilraen wrote:Is he going to be complaining about the debate questions for the next 4 years?
I think he liked running for president a whole lot more than he's going to like being president.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:24 pm
by Holman
Kraken wrote:
gilraen wrote:Is he going to be complaining about the debate questions for the next 4 years?
I think he liked running for president a whole lot more than he's going to like being president.
It'll be interesting because being president pits Trump's boundless narcissism against Trump's corrupt greed.

One the one hand, everyone's watching, but on the other hand, everyone's watching.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:28 pm
by hepcat
Someone in his inner circle should just treat Trump like Creed Bratton from The Office. Hand him a phone with no internet access and let him tweet away, safe in the knowledge that he doesn't know any better.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:17 pm
by Kurth
Unagi wrote:
Kurth wrote:
Rip wrote:When you question someone being in Trump's inner circle today, you make it far easier for the moron that questions someone being in the next POTUS inner circle that is Muslim, Jewish, or Scientologist.
Which one of these is not like the others? :think:
Jews are also a race, IIRC.
That's an interesting can of worms. I saw this article from JPost the other day and thought it was a pretty nice summary of where things stand on the issue:
The belief that Jews constitute a religious, rather than ethnic or racial group in the US and other Western countries is widespread.

“Jewish” was never a category for race in the US Census, Ostrer notes, even though genetic studies “would seem to refute this...

Jewishness at a genetic level can be characterized as a tapestry with the threads represented as shared segments of DNA and no single thread required for composition of the tapestry,” he writes.

Genetic analysis of Jews have high stakes, since being Jewish not only decides who belongs to the family and can take part in Jewish life and earn Israeli citizenship but also “touches on the heart of Zionist claims for a Jewish homeland in Israel.”

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 10:00 pm
by Rip
Unagi wrote:
Kurth wrote:
Rip wrote:When you question someone being in Trump's inner circle today, you make it far easier for the moron that questions someone being in the next POTUS inner circle that is Muslim, Jewish, or Scientologist.
Which one of these is not like the others? :think:
Jews are also a race, IIRC.
Several races, but I still don't see a box on the Jewish race box on the census form.

http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Jews-A ... le-or-race
Ostrer said that his Jewish HapMap Project in New York City has so far shown “in exquisite detail what had been conjectured for a century. Jewish populations from the major Jewish Diaspora groups – Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Mizrahi – form a distinctive population cluster that is closely related to Semitic and European populations. Within this larger Jewish cluster, each of the Jewish populations formed its own subcluster.”

A high degree of mixing of Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Italian and Syrian Jews caused them to become more closely related to each other than they were to Middle Eastern, Iraqi and Iranian Jews. This genetic split seemed to have occurred about 2,500 years ago.

The author uses his observations to refute theories that Ashkenazi Jews are descendants of converted Khazars, a semi-nomadic people living in medieval Eurasia who welcomed Jews to their midst. He also reports that in addition to southern Europeans, the closest genetic neighbors to most Jewish groups were the Palestinians, Israeli Beduin and Druse. “The genetic clusters formed by each of these non-Jewish Middle Eastern groups reflects their own histories of marrying within the group,” he said.

The issue of “Jewish intelligence” that seems to come up every time members of the “Chosen People” are awarded Nobel Prizes continues to be debated. There are those who contend there is a genetic basis for IQ and those who claim it comes from studiousness, from Torah learning and from the fact that Jews were held back by discrimination from joining the top ranks of the arts and sciences but rushed in after emancipation.

“Breeding, selection and education may all have contributed to Jewish intellectual accomplishment, but so, too, did being in the right place at the right time,” and showing that they were worthy of emancipation by excelling.

The belief that Jews constitute a religious, rather than ethnic or racial group in the US and other Western countries is widespread.

“Jewish” was never a category for race in the US Census, Ostrer notes, even though genetic studies “would seem to refute this...

Jewishness at a genetic level can be characterized as a tapestry with the threads represented as shared segments of DNA and no single thread required for composition of the tapestry,” he writes.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 10:13 pm
by Max Peck
Enlarge Image

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:00 pm
by Rip
Crap, I hadn't read that far down. It is a great article though. I had no idea just how complex the issue was.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:12 am
by tjg_marantz
Head clown... Really?

Sent from my SGH-M919V using Tapatalk

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:35 am
by hepcat
Just be thankful he spelled head right.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:27 am
by Jeff V
We need someone to start maintaining a running total of jobs gained vs. jobs lost since Trump won the election.

Announced yesterday:

Macy's closing 100 stores, jettisoning 10,000 jobs.
Sears/Kmart closing 150 stores, number of jobs not announced
Caterpillar announced that 1200 will get the boot if they decide to close their Aurora, IL manufacturing plant. Final decision expected soon.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:16 am
by Chaz
All of this morning's tweets are mind-boggling.

- time for Republicans & Democrats to get together to come up with a health care plan that's cheaper and better. Didn't the Dems try that back in 2008, except the Repubs basically refused to work with them? Now the Repubs want something different, but haven't been able to come up with anything, and it's somehow up to the Dems to help them figure it out?

- "I don't agree with Assange, I just repeat what he says and it's up to you to figure out if it's true or not." Isn't this a third grade argument? I don't mean the things I say, I just say them for the sake of saying them, YOU figure out if I mean them!

- Let's just put "intelligence" in quotes all the time, because I'm such a big fan that I like to de-legitimize it by using scare quotes. He loves "intelligence", but only from secret sources that only he knows about.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:21 am
by hepcat
Someone in Washington had a great line about how a good businessman usually doesn't insult his staff before even starting his job.

But Trump isn't a businessman. He's a brand. What were folks expecting?

Oh yeah...not Obama.

I'm surprised we didn't elect a mollusk. I mean, it would check off the only box on the form for most of Trump's supporters.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:22 am
by Smoove_B
Chaz wrote:- Let's just put "intelligence" in quotes all the time, because I'm such a big fan that I like to de-legitimize it by using scare quotes. He loves "intelligence", but only from secret sources that only he knows about.
I thought I read yesterday he's indicated that the intelligence community is going to experience some budgetary adjustments real soon because they're too focused on politics. I'm not a historian, but I'm pretty sure when a governmental leader comes into office and threatens to start dismantling the intelligence community that's not a good sign.

EDIT: here.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:26 am
by malchior
Ah yes - the DNI is the one politicizing things. This sounds a whole lot like Flynn getting revenge for past grudges. What a fucking idiot this guy is. He is like a puppet to anyone who tells him how awesome he is.

As an aside: it is telling that they are focused on getting more people in the field. Doing work! Less management. It doesn't matter if the agents are uncoordinated or the information is ultimately not analyzed or contextualized - the people in the field will just get the job done. Or moreso that his official policy stances against Muslims probably will cripple recruiting of assets.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:02 pm
by Jeff V
Chaz wrote:He loves "intelligence", but only from secret sources that only he knows about.
psst...they are called "leprechauns" and are the only foreign ethnic group exempt from his xenophobic wrath.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:09 pm
by malchior
I forget what level of inanity we are at. Are we still waiting to hear about the Russian hacking stuff that only he knows about? That was next after asking the head clown to cooperate to dismantle healthcare coverage, right?

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:27 pm
by gilraen
Since Trump doesn't really listen to intelligence briefings and just makes up his own shit as he goes along, maybe CIA will just start hiding stuff from him and making sure that the military is in the loop, so the generals can serve as a buffer between this psycho administration and the rest of the world.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:32 pm
by hepcat
The last thing a president should do is antagonize a group of people who routinely try to bring down governments.

:ninja:

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:46 pm
by LordMortis
malchior wrote:Are we still waiting to hear about the Russian hacking stuff that only he knows about? That was next after asking the head clown to cooperate to dismantle healthcare coverage, right?
The healthcare thing is still number one, according to Pence (and Nightly Business Reports and PBS News hour) and their projections don't make me happy. Investor speculation is that TrumpCare (RepubliCare?) will be ObamaCare revisited to put more money in the pockets of Pharma and InsuranceCos at the expense of insured and that exchanges will become more a la carte, as chosen by InsuranceCos, resulting in less overall coverages for the same money. However, DJT, himself, said rather than doing this, it would be better to let ObamaCare collapse of its own unfunded weight.

If it's of any consequence, it looks like Clinton advisors were planning something similar to the anticipated RepubliCare, knowing that the ACA couldn't take the strain in its present form.

And if you will insist on pressing Trump over Russian hacking, you will get "why aren't you asking about Clinton being fed debate questions." I think it's safe to say there will be no POTUS (public?) acknowledgement of "hacking the election" in any of its alleged forms. It will eventually become something akin to his Private Email Server.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:52 pm
by Holman
gilraen wrote:Since Trump doesn't really listen to intelligence briefings and just makes up his own shit as he goes along, maybe CIA will just start hiding stuff from him and making sure that the military is in the loop, so the generals can serve as a buffer between this psycho administration and the rest of the world.
The senate especially stands to lose from Trump/Flynn/Bannon withholding information or crippling intelligence efforts, and I don't think they'll stand for it.

The National Security Adviser doesn't require senate approval, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a sort of bipartisan effort to use the confirmation process to pressure Trump. If just three Republicans (say McCain/Graham/Collins) decide to withhold support for e.g. Tillerson, they could force Trump to replace Flynn.

Whatever happens, there will probably be a lot more leakage and back-channel communication between the intel agencies and people outside the administration.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:12 pm
by malchior
LordMortis wrote:And if you will insist on pressing Trump over Russian hacking, you will get "why aren't you asking about Clinton being fed debate questions." I think it's safe to say there will be no POTUS (public?) acknowledgement of "hacking the election" in any of its alleged forms. It will eventually become something akin to his Private Email Server.
I'm more referring to the fact he said he knows more than anyone else and would tell us on Tuesday or Wednesday. And then punted on Tuesday because the CIA meeting was moved to Friday. Except it was scheduled for Friday all along in the first place. And that would logically indicate that he was just going to pass along the CIA information instead of stuff only he knew. But logic be damned - because Trump.

;tldr Trump is an aggrandizing liar.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:19 pm
by LordMortis

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:56 pm
by Grifman
Chaz wrote:- "I don't agree with Assange, I just repeat what he says and it's up to you to figure out if it's true or not."
WTF? Why repeat what he says if you don't think it's true. The press gets his announcements also, they don't need to Trump to forward his claims to them. What an idiot.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:59 pm
by hepcat
We've got about a year of this to endure until the impeachment and subsequent imprisonment.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:25 pm
by Unagi
hepcat wrote:We've got about a year of this to endure until the impeachment and subsequent imprisonment.
Brietbart fear will keep the majority of the House of Representatives from impeaching him, don't ya think? Pretty sure it's already kept quite a few from saying anything negative.... how on earth an Impeachment rises from that, I don't know.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:48 pm
by hepcat
Oh ye of little faith. Don't underestimate just how badly Trump will screw up. That's a challenge I think he's up to.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:49 pm
by Smoove_B
Oh, I don't think it will happen for a while. I'm still betting on the полезные дураки theory.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:52 pm
by malchior
Smoove_B wrote:Oh, I don't think it will happen for a while. I'm still betting on the полезные дураки theory.
Solid bet. Unfortunately he is going to be too good at this and who knows where that road leads.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:10 pm
by Rip
hepcat wrote:We've got about a year of this to endure until the impeachment and subsequent imprisonment.

You wish. Trump will be around for the full eight.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:02 pm
by Zarathud
Just not as President.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:22 pm
by Rip
Yea, just like he wouldn't get elected. :wink:

Do you guys never tire of being wrong?

The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:45 pm
by Zarathud
I blame the Cubs for winning the World Series and breaking probability. What's your excuse?

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:44 pm
by hepcat
Rip wrote:
hepcat wrote:We've got about a year of this to endure until the impeachment and subsequent imprisonment.

You wish. Trump will be around for the full eight.
He already is breaking one of his biggest campaign promises and is trying to get congress to pay for his erection...I mean the wall. Not Mexico.

Wise up, buddy. You got scammed. :lol:

I can't wait to see you try to excuse every lie you swallowed as they fall left and right. Trump's winning doesn't make you right. It just makes you a rube. :pop:

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:23 am
by Rip
hepcat wrote:
Rip wrote:
hepcat wrote:We've got about a year of this to endure until the impeachment and subsequent imprisonment.

You wish. Trump will be around for the full eight.
He already is breaking one of his biggest campaign promises and is trying to get congress to pay for his erection...I mean the wall. Not Mexico.

Wise up, buddy. You got scammed. :lol:

I can't wait to see you try to excuse every lie you swallowed as they fall left and right. Trump's winning doesn't make you right. It just makes you a rube. :pop:
Actually it does make me right. I didn't say he would fulfill his promises, only that he would win.

If a candidate breaking promises makes a politician's supporters rubes then every single person who has ever supported any candidate is a rube. I have very little expectations from Trump beyond not pushing for major gun control, open borders, or some crazy crap against Israel like the current anti-semitic administration. Until he does one of those I don't really care what he does or fails to do.

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:52 am
by tjg_marantz
Nazis!

No wait, Yahtzee!

Re: The Trump Presidency Thread

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:55 am
by Zarathud
Perhaps Trump is confusing New Mexico with Mexico.
Rip wrote:I have very little expectations from Trump beyond not pushing for major gun control, open borders, or some crazy crap against Israel like the current anti-semitic administration. Until he does one of those I don't really care what he does or fails to do.
The three things that make American great? :roll: Again? :roll: