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Trump threatening NBC?

johnny karate said:
Exactly. Just because the President of the United States comes out consistently and aggressively against free speech while continuing to enjoy the support of 80% of Republicans, it's nothing to be concerned about.
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But it isn't something to worry about.

There are few legal ideas I adopt as ethics. One of those things is the Brandenburg test on speech. It is all speech unless it is a) directed at inciting lawless actions, likely to do it, and imminent.
 
phiwum said:
Just has to do with the U.S. traditions, enshrined in law, about how to respect the flag and anthem. Removing your hand from your heart is a lesser offense than kneeling, but booing throughout the anthem is (in my mind) a greater offense and is not justified by the fact that others are kneeling.

Obviously, the degrees of lesser and greater are my own and not enshrined in law.
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What you are seeing is that the claimed reason for the criticism of those kneeling, sitting etc. is not the actual reason for the criticism, if it was they would not "disrespect" the anthem by booing.
 
I know people are sick of my statements. One I'm about to say is going to sound like stuff I say, but I ask that it be considered in neutral context

What does it mean to be influential? Trump sounds a lot like my father in law with talk of stuff bad now, used to be good. But outside of perception of Russia, what has Trump managed to influence with his words? While his words are shocking, they still seem set by the base. I have listened to my father in law complain about how wussy football has gotten and complain about news for years.

Has he influenced anyone from what they already thought before?
 
theprestige said:
No.

Well, that was easy!
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Good! I agree. Can we therefore agree that the president has a good amount of power, which is why he's often refered to as the leader of the free world or the most powerful man in the world, and that his actions are worth notice? Because if so, your earlier comment that "there's very little the president can officially do" is false.
 
theprestige said:
In what manner can POTUS influence events, outside of official acts within the authority of his office?
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Really?

Simply by making statements.

POTUS says we're re-negotiating a plane contract and the aerospace stocks are affected, even though the statement is false.

POTUS endorses a candidate for state office. (May have positive or negative effect.)

POTUS criticizes athletes acts and an issue that was fading, explodes.
 
Spindrift said:
Do you have a dictionary?
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To influence

the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others:
He used family influence to get the contract.
the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others:
Her mother's influence made her stay.
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Is his words influential? He doesn't seem to have much effect on opinions or behavior. No one's opinions seem changed. Actions seem restrained to an existing range of behaviors people were already predisposed to.

He hasn't aimed his (unpopular) population but merely fed it.
 
Spindrift said:
Really?

Simply by making statements.

POTUS says we're re-negotiating a plane contract and the aerospace stocks are affected, even though the statement is false.

POTUS endorses a candidate for state office. (May have positive or negative effect.)

POTUS criticizes athletes acts and an issue that was fading, explodes.
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But what of that has to do with the office of the president? Did any liberal say, "the president said it so these NFL players must be disrespecting the flag!"
 
Argumemnon said:
Good! I agree. Can we therefore agree that the president has a good amount of power,
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The president has specific powers, some enumerated by the Constitution, others delegated by Congress. It is those powers, not, "a good amount of power", that determine what he can and cannot do to NBC

which is why he's often refered to as the leader of the free world or the most powerful man in the world
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Neither of those epithets grant him special power over NBC. It is a fascinating aspect of the American system of government, that the President is very powerful in some ways, but also very constrained in others. The American constitution doesn't really allow for the kind of unlimited power enjoyed by, say the German chancellor c. 1944.

, and that his actions are worth notice?
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I'm not disputing that his actions are worth notice.

Because if so, your earlier comment that "there's very little the president can officially do" is false.
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The topic is the threat the President poses to NBC, not his official and unofficial powers more broadly. The fact is that he has very little official power over NBC. He has some regulatory enforcement authority. Beyond that, he can unofficially try to influence events.
 
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Spindrift said:
Really?

Simply by making statements.

POTUS says we're re-negotiating a plane contract and the aerospace stocks are affected, even though the statement is false.

POTUS endorses a candidate for state office. (May have positive or negative effect.)

POTUS criticizes athletes acts and an issue that was fading, explodes.
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And you want examples of other people who can make statements that affect stock prices, affect local elections, or attract attention to arbitrary issues?
 
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