Cont: The Trump Presidency: Part 25

[The Great Zaganza]

It's not Nihilism, it's Eschatology.
And it meshes perfectly with Trumpism.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Trump Tweets

Congratulations to the U.S. Marshals on a job well done in Portland. LAW & ORDER!

Given there are 2 more pages I've yet to read, I've probably been ninja'd

Suspect in Portland killing of far-right protester 'shot dead' by US marshals

IOW they killed the guy that killed a far-right demonstrator. And Trump Tweets that. Disgusting isn't sleazy enough to describe that slime.

 

[Ladewig]

I think that it's long since been demonstrated that nihilism has a very heavy influence on the Trump side. Which... honestly isn't a surprise reaction to GOP propaganda and efforts. Fear and hate takes a toll on any and everyone (though conservatives physically measurably more, at last check, given that their brains tend react notably more quickly and strongly to the stimuli) and applying a dirty bandage over festering wounds isn't solving problems, even if you can dupe people into thinking that it helps.

Perhaps I am being too cynical, but I think that should read “selling them a dirty bandage to apply over festering wounds.”
Maybe even “insist that the whole concept of festering wounds is a myth started by the Chinese.“

It's not Nihilism, it's Eschatology.
And it meshes perfectly with Trumpism.

Exactly.
Why should we be stewards of the Earth if we and the other real Christians will be raptured in 2-25 years?

 

[Ladewig]

Ignore post, please.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Trump Tweets

Nancy Pelosi said she got “set up” by the owner (a very good one) of a beauty parlor. If so, how will she do in negotiations against President Xi of China, President Putin of Russia, or Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Not so well, I suspect, but far better than Joe Hiden’ would do!

Is Pelosi running for POTUS?

Oh wait, isn't that a QAnon CT?

Notice he combines his annoyance that he's been accused of really ******* up relations and negotiations with two of those leaders and of being conned by the third.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Although the ad was responding to statements Trump himself made, which were later walked back because he was talking out of his ass. The ad does ignore the part where aides explained that Trump wasn't talking about an actual plan when he said “On the payroll tax, we’ll be terminating the payroll tax. After I hopefully get elected, we’ll be terminating the payroll tax.”

So you have to read past the headline?

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Trump Retweeted
Kevin McCarthy
@GOPLeader
Joe Biden likes to say “No miracle is coming.” But it’s not a miracle.
It’s SCIENCE.
And thankfully we have a president who believes in it and launched Operation #WarpSpeed so that America can develop a vaccine in record time.

 

[Safe-Keeper]

Osama bin Laden's niece is endorsing Trump for president

Trump: "See, there's some very fine people on both sides."

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

He's been stealing art from US embassy in Paris.

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2020...-trip-instead-of-honoring-our-fallen-soldiers

From Slate: Trump Took Art From Ambassador’s Home in Paris, But Pieces Were Fakes and Replicas

The art was reportedly worth some $750,000 and the White House may have called them “historical” but the truth is that they were fakes and replicas. The figurines that now sit in the Oval Office are from the early 20th century by an artist who was trying to claim they were from the 16th or 17 centuries. The figurines have little value and are really “20th century fakes of wannabe 17th century sculptures,” according to an art dealer. The Franklin bust and portrait were also copies of the originals. White House officials ended up borrowing the original portrait from the National Portrait Gallery and hanging it up in the Oval Office rather than the replica Trump brought back from France.

If Trump said they belong in the People's House then you know he didn't realize they were fakes. Yep, he knows now, you can bet he made excuses.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

No, not really. Nihilists are almost always atheists who are more often liberal than the average American.

Edited by Agatha: 

Edited to remove breach of rule 12

 

[Andy_Ross]

Louis DeJoy is in trouble for getting employees to make donations to the GOP in return for a pay bonus.

Washington Post reported DeJoy’s decade-long scheme of getting his employees into donating to the Republican party, and then illegally reimbursing them through company bonuses.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein from bringing a criminal case on state charges. Stein issued this statement today:

My statement on today’s @washingtonpost story “Louis DeJoy’s rise as GOP fundraiser was powered by contributions from co. workers who were later reimbursed, former employees say”:
It is against the law to directly or indirectly reimburse someone for a political contribution. Any credible allegations of such actions merit investigation by the appropriate state and federal authorities

 

[Aridas]

No, not really. Nihilists are almost always atheists who are more often liberal than the average American.

Some varieties, perhaps. I admit that I'm using the term a little loosely, though, and have no problem with agreeing to use a more accurate term, if you'd like to suggest such?

If that's so then who is anxious about the earth being inhabitable in 30 years because of climate change?

Nice try at a gotcha. It works at a very superficial level, of course, but not really much past that on real examination. To tie this together with the previous statement, though... when, for example, big fossil fuel providers have *known* with great certainty about their role in climate change for longer than most people have been alive and much about the consequences of such, and their leadership, in libertarian fashion, decided that it's not as important as increasing profits right then - to the point that they've spent big for a long time on creating and sowing disinformation and doubt to prevent action that would reduce immediate profits, but also help make things much more sustainable, that's a problem. When that works, as it has far better on the "conservative side" of things for a number of reasons, of course there will be less alarm about a problem that isn't being recognized as real.

That's good to hear, twitter radicals shouldn't be able to force workers to take their "all white men are evil" course.

If they actually were such, you might have a point.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Here's a link not paywalled:

Mother Jones: Report: Louis DeJoy Used Bonuses to Reimburse Employees for Donations to GOP Campaigns

A bombshell investigation in the Washington Post is shedding new light Trump appointee Louis DeJoy’s rise to prominence as a Republican fundraiser prior to his May 2020 appointment as US Postmaster General. According to the report, DeJoy pressured employees of his former business, New Breed Logistics, to donate to GOP candidates; he then would reimburse contributions using bonuses.

At least seven New Breed employees spoke to the Post, five of whom said they were pressured by DeJoy or his aides to give to Republicans and attend fundraisers. Two others reportedly said that at DeJoy’s direction, bonus payments were “boosted” to offset the cost of the donations. Campaign finance records show his employees gave large amounts of money to candidates, including George W. Bush, Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain, and former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, according to the investigation:

And TPM: Ex-Staffers At DeJoy’s Former Business Say He Reimbursed Them For Donations To GOPers

Reimbursing employees for political contributions is a violation of North Carolina and federal election laws. ...

We gave him the money, and then he reciprocated by giving us big bonuses,” David Young, DeJoy’s longtime director of human resources, told the Post. “When we got our bonuses, let’s just say they were bigger, they exceeded expectations — and that covered the tax and everything else.”

That's not just some disgruntled employees.

But if you expect anyone from this over-the-top in-plain-sight corruption to actually do anything about it, you will likely be disappointed.

North Carolina attorney general Josh Stein issued a statement following the Post’s report, which reiterated that it’s unlawful to reimburse people for making a political contributions, but declined to say whether an investigation into DeJoy’s alleged reimbursements to former employees will be launched.

DeJoy knows he can be pardoned and many many Republicans are in it neck deep themselves.


BUT AG Josh Stein is a Democrat and DeJoy can be charged under state law, no pardon, so we'll see.

 

[Stacyhs]

Here's a link not paywalled:

Mother Jones: Report: Louis DeJoy Used Bonuses to Reimburse Employees for Donations to GOP Campaigns

And TPM: Ex-Staffers At DeJoy’s Former Business Say He Reimbursed Them For Donations To GOPersThat's not just some disgruntled employees.

But if you expect anyone from this over-the-top in-plain-sight corruption to actually do anything about it, you will likely be disappointed.DeJoy knows he can be pardoned and many many Republicans are in it neck deep themselves.


BUT AG Josh Stein is a Democrat and DeJoy can be charged under state law, no pardon, so we'll see.

Donnie won't be pleased that donations were made to McCain.

 

[Aridas]

Hmm. Well, here's another blow to some of the GOP's attack lines.

Anita Hill vows to vote for Joe Biden and work with him on gender issues

Elsewhere... Rick Wilson comments...

So, let me get this right:

Trump hired an Obama impersonator so he could berate him and tell him "You're fired" because he's totally normal, stable person without a roaring void of malevolent narcissism where a human soul would normally be found, yes?

Seems to be referring to this.

Oh, and...

One of the statements in a lawsuit is now that Epstein showed a 14-year-old girl To Trump, saying "This is a good one, right?" and Trump smiled and nodded.

 

[rdaneel]

Just saw this one from George Takei and liked it.

Overheard: Can we call the swamped Trump boat people "Proud Buoys" from now on?

 

[Stacyhs]

Just saw this one from George Takei and liked it.

Overheard: Can we call the swamped Trump boat people "Proud Buoys" from now on?

 

[Bob001]

....
Washington Post reported DeJoy’s decade-long scheme of getting his employees into donating to the Republican party, and then illegally reimbursing them through company bonuses.
....

Link to original story:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/inve...87bc2c-e3fe-11ea-8181-606e603bb1c4_story.html

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump retweets

Andrew Surabian
@Surabees
It says everything about how broken the media is that after @JeffreyGoldberg helped lie this nation into the Iraq War, he wasn't run out of journalism in embarrassment, but rather given promotions to continue his shoddy "journalism" unabated. Our "elites" constantly fail upwards.

Not only does @JeffreyGoldberg have low editorial standards, he's long been a propagandist for the Military Industrial Complex.
He pushed their lies to get us into the Iraq War & is pushing their easily debunked lies about Trump, b/c unlike Biden, Trump won't support their wars.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Retweeted
Donald Trump Jr.
@DonaldJTrumpJr
Thousands of Americans died and even more came home wounded because career politicians like Joe Biden voted to send them to Iraq!!!
Quote Tweet

Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022
@TrumpWarRoom
Donald Trump in 2007 on the terrible cost of the Iraq War:
"Nobody talks about the soldiers that are coming back with no arms and no legs... The most beautiful people I've ever seen"