Cont: The Trump Presidency: Part 22

[newyorkguy]

World reaction to trump's recent behavior. From CNN:

Australian journalists from CNN affiliate Channel 7 news were attacked by riot police in Washington, DC, on Monday, prompting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to ask for an investigation into the "troubling incident." During a live morning newscast on the program Sunrise on Tuesday in Australia, riot police used their shields to clear 7NEWS US correspondent Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers from the scene. The video shows riot police hitting Myers and punching his camera, another officer then directs the pair, who was trapped against a wall, to move on, before appearing to smack Brace in the back with a baton.

People from London to Amsterdam to Rio have staged demonstrations in solidarity with protesters in the US. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was "horrified" by George Floyd's death. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said racism was "real in the United States but it's also in Canada." Iran’s judiciary chief, Hojjatoleslam Raeesi, blasted the US and said leaders should stand trial for "deliberate homicide and racial discrimination." A top EU diplomat said Floyd's death was an abuse of power and must be renounced. Link

 

[phiwum]

So it was the wrong sort of peaceful protest?

Isn't that always the excuse?

There's no freedom from criticism for your protest and there's no right to protest on the job. The government was not regulating Kaepernick's right to protest, though Trump's official statements on the matter were perhaps crossing a line.

I don't see hypocrisy in saying I support the right to protest free from government interference but I don't support Kaepernick's message or venue of protest. I support the rights of the right-wing protesters to protest against COVID-19 measures in principle, though I do not support gathering in crowds without social distancing and masks. Nor do I support their aims of ending the shutdown prematurely.

 

[phiwum]

Kneeling quietly is a completely passive and unobtrusive gesture. It's completely symbolic. My ire is directed at those specifically calling for peaceful protest after railroading Kaepernick for years.

I've never been moved by the detractors. Using his platform in that way did more to bring light to the issue then him quietly speaking during a post game interview.

I'm by and large with you on the Kaepernick issue. I only doubt that there is any hypocrisy in criticizing Kaepernick and supporting protests now.

But I fear we're getting off-topic for this thread.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

D.C. had no problems last night. Many arrests. Great job done by all. Overwhelming force. Domination. Likewise, Minneapolis was great (thank you President Trump!).

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

Yesterday was a bad day for the Cuomo Brothers. New York was lost to the looters, thugs, Radical Left, and all others forms of Lowlife & Scum. The Governor refuses to accept my offer of a dominating National Guard. NYC was ripped to pieces. Likewise, Fredo’s ratings are down 50%!

 

[Resume]

Greta Van Susteren
@greta
. . . People who love @realDonaldTrump will be in awe of it..we live in very divided times

In awe of what, that he can walk across the street after it was first cleared of those filthy protesters? The people that love him are very easily amused.

 

[JoeMorgue]

Trump was elected to prove the nihilistic fatalism of people who think government is bad.

This is all working gloriously perfectly for him.

 

[turingtest]

Trump was elected to prove the nihilistic fatalism of people who think government is bad.

This is all working gloriously perfectly for him.

On that note...

Maybe someone with better Photoshop skills than me (not to mention Photoshop, which I don't have on this laptop) could do something like this- juxtapose the two photos below into one-



and




(or any similar pictures)

and caption each side like this-
(for the Trump side, on the left)
"We're from the government..."

(for the picture on the right, showing protestors being beaten)
"...and we're here to help."

 

[Regnad Kcin]

If Trump were asked "What do evangelicals believe?" I bet he couldn't give an accurate answer.

"Evangelicals, some of the greatest people ever, believe me... they're so great. To be honest with you, great people. They believe Trump has been so good to them. It's amazing how great I've been for evangelicals. They can say Merry Christmas again, okay? And prey. Nobody preys like the evangelicals. Not like Obama who outlawed Merry Christmas. And the greatest political hoax in history, everybody knows that. But look, I'm the Chosen One. So, it's what I've said all along, okay?"

Accurate to him.

 

[carlitos]

It apparently happened the previous night, or maybe the night before.

ETA: The Guardian says

He never even explained what he was doing, just took photos. Incompetent.

Imagine a competent communicator staging this photo op. They pre arrange for the pastor to be in on it, write a couple of words, maybe choose a specific bible with some history to it. Make the walk, cue the camera and mikes and ...go to potus:

“Two nights ago, looters tried to desecrate this church, sometimes called the church of presidents. We are here tonight to say “no more,” to ask that all protestors please return to peaceful protests, Yada yada - (quote bible verse) We walked here tonight along the same path as Adams, Lincoln and Kennedy ... and included in our midst in this symbolic walk of faith is the bishop of this church ... bishop talks, quotes mlk ... so and so from xyz congregation that was looted joins them, asks looters to please stop destroying churches and such, etc

Back to Trump:

... so as we pick up the pieces let’s remember that America is stronger together and we will get through this challenge like we always have.

Thank you and god bless America. “

 

[Armitage72]

Trump Pinned Tweet
I swore an oath to uphold the laws of our Nation -- and that is exactly what I will do…

He hasn't for the last three and a half years. Why would he start now?

 

[Regnad Kcin]

Trump Pinned Tweet

My fellow Americans - My first and highest duty as President is to defend our great Country and the American People. I swore an oath to uphold the laws of our Nation -- and that is exactly what I will do…

So... when will you be starting, exactly?

ETA: ninja'd by Armitage72.

 

[Meadmaker]

He never even explained what he was doing, just took photos. Incompetent.

Imagine a competent communicator staging this photo op. They pre arrange for the pastor to be in on it, write a couple of words, maybe choose a specific bible with some history to it. Make the walk, cue the camera and mikes and ...go to potus:

“Two nights ago, looters tried to desecrate this church, sometimes called the church of presidents. We are here tonight to say “no more,” to ask that all protestors please return to peaceful protests, Yada yada - (quote bible verse) We walked here tonight along the same path as Adams, Lincoln and Kennedy ... and included in our midst in this symbolic walk of faith is the bishop of this church ... bishop talks, quotes mlk ... so and so from xyz congregation that was looted joins them, asks looters to please stop destroying churches and such, etc

Back to Trump:

... so as we pick up the pieces let’s remember that America is stronger together and we will get through this challenge like we always have.

Thank you and god bless America. “

It's easier to understand if you remember that everything is all about Trump.

Over the weekend it was reported that he was shooed into his private bunker at the White House for safety. He thought the press coverage of that made him appear cowardly, so he came out and showed America he wasn't a coward. He wasn't communicating any other message, so none of the rest mattered. And of course those people in Lafayette Park were in the way, so they had to go.

And, as he had done as a young man, he proved that he was very brave when other people were doing the fighting.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Hmm. Where are all of Trump's defenders at in the forum?

 

[Resume]

So it was the wrong sort of peaceful protest?

Isn't that always the excuse?

Originally Posted by carlitos View Post
He never even explained what he was doing, just took photos. Incompetent.

Imagine a competent communicator staging this photo op. They pre arrange for the pastor to be in on it, write a couple of words, maybe choose a specific bible with some history to it. Make the walk, cue the camera and mikes and ...go to potus:

“Two nights ago, looters tried to desecrate this church, sometimes called the church of presidents. We are here tonight to say “no more,” to ask that all protestors please return to peaceful protests, Yada yada - (quote bible verse) We walked here tonight along the same path as Adams, Lincoln and Kennedy ... and included in our midst in this symbolic walk of faith is the bishop of this church ... bishop talks, quotes mlk ... so and so from xyz congregation that was looted joins them, asks looters to please stop destroying churches and such, etc

Back to Trump:

... so as we pick up the pieces let’s remember that America is stronger together and we will get through this challenge like we always have.

Thank you and god bless America. “

It's easier to understand if you remember that everything is all about Trump.

Over the weekend it was reported that he was shooed into his private bunker at the White House for safety. He thought the press coverage of that made him appear cowardly, so he came out and showed America he wasn't a coward. He wasn't communicating any other message, so none of the rest mattered. And of course those people in Lafayette Park were in the way, so they had to go.

And, as he had done as a young man, he proved that he was very brave when other people were doing the fighting.

Trump couldn't manage anything thoughtful for fear of appearing weak to his base. Another problem here is than Trump knows his followers hate the protesters as much, if not more than the looters. They don't want to get through this challenge together, they want cracked heads, and will get them.

Linking protesters with looters is good marketing strategy for Trump; his followers already believe this, so he only needs to convince another few percentage points.

 

[thaiboxerken]

"President Donald Trump finally got the war he wanted. It isn’t in Afghanistan, or Iraq, Syria, or North Korea. It’s right here in Washington, D.C., where on Monday the president claimed moral and Constitutional authority and ordered federal law enforcement and the U.S. military to turn against Americans who opposed him."

From Defense One

 

[carlitos]

Trump couldn't manage anything thoughtful for fear of appearing weak to his base. Another problem here is than Trump knows his followers hate the protesters as much, if not more than the looters. They don't want to get through this challenge together, they want cracked heads, and will get them.



Linking protesters with looters is good marketing strategy for Trump; his followers already believe this, so he only needs to convince another few percentage points.

But even that he couldn’t manage competently. Imagine a competent would-be fascist handing this same photo op. Symbolic participants like would-be martyr policemen, a particular bible with some dog-whistle significance, some clever coded language.

He just stood around like Chauncey Gardner getting his picture taken with a book.

 

[Resume]

But even that he couldn’t manage competently. Imagine a competent would-be fascist handing this same photo op. Symbolic participants like would-be martyr policemen, a particular bible with some dog-whistle significance, some clever coded language.

He just stood around like Chauncey Gardner getting his picture taken with a book.

That picture of him standing there like an imbecile must get used in an attack ad.

 

[JoeMorgue]

Hmm. Where are all of Trump's defenders at in the forum?

We always go through this. Give them a few days for the "excuse" to be agreed upon, probably yeah another version of "Sure we're being objectively evil, but you're being a little bit dramatic" again.

 

[phiwum]

We always go through this. Give them a few days for the "excuse" to be agreed upon, probably yeah another version of "Sure we're being objectively evil, but you're being a little bit dramatic" again.

Did not think you'd write the words "objectively evil" even in a made up quotation.

Whole other topic, I know, but that was a little jarring.