Donald Trump

[MillionMilesAway]

I believe he's going to back down from this pretty soon. The reaction even among some hard-line conservatives has been pretty negative, not to mention that from those in his own administration who refuse to go in front of the cameras to discuss it. His approval rating is going to take a hit. Blaming Democrats isn't working. Getting closer to November mid-terms too.

But he'll find a way to make his turnaround about how compassionate he is, or spin a tale about how Meliana's tearful pleas moved him to benevolence. Because that's what kings do to big up their power -- spare the previously-condemned to make themselves look gracious and magnanimous.

His supporters will eat up the act like ice cream, then turn to his detractors and say, "See? You can't blame him now." Manufacturing a crisis to "solve" it, just like North Korea.

Watch.

BBC reporting he has announced some kind of backing away from it.

 

[Homar]

When you say natives, you mean Europeans and their slaves who had settled there in the previous 200 years yeah?

Yes. Several generations forcibly evicted from their homeland. Are you suggesting that the crime is lessened by the length of time those people had settled the island?

 

[SWP's back]

Apart from the absolutely disgraceful fact that these children are being locked up away from their parents, the fact that the main reason for doing it is for Trump to hold them to ransom in an effort to get his wall funded makes it even more despicable. Then he laughably blames the democrats.

The thick cunts will lap it up.

 

[Homar]

I think your statement that China has "made certain territorial claims over lands adjacent to its mainland" is a total under statement of what is going on. China are claiming that the whole of the South China sea is their territorial waters right up to the 12 mile line from the other countries who border the SCS. These countries do not have the power or influence to say no to China, the only country from the west who can are America, like it or not. Someone has to stand up and say these claims are without foundation and are illegal, you know as well as I do if this goes to any court of law the outcome will be ignored. The only way of trying to contain this expansion is to keep sailing warships through international, at the moment, waters sending a clear message.

It's an accurate statement. The entire purpose of international law is to provide a legal structure for solving territorial disputes. And who stands up to the US? When you accept such inane arguments that the "might is right" then you inevitably yield complete control to the most powerful militaristic entity.

 

[aguero93:20]

On a serious note, I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington when I was there recently. While there's very little I don't already know about those events, they covered the rise of Hitler & the Nazi party very well and I was struck by some of the similarities to Trump.

First of all Hitler's platform was to make Germany great again, although they were in a much sorrier state than the US is. Rhetoric, whether it had any resemblance to the truth or not, replaced reasoned debate.

Second, the opposition were in some disarray. While there's only one real opposition party in the US, they picked the wrong candidate and the presence of an independent probably took crucial votes away from Clinton.

Third was their disdain for anyone who didn't think like them. In Germany it was socialists and in the US it's "liberals".

Fourth was their view of the media. In Germany the "liberal" media were derided and attacked (including physically) while their own media pumped out propaganda and what we now know as 'fake news'. The burning of the books by authors considered 'degenerate' was the most obvious manifestation. In the US it's about Fox versus the rest and any individual who publicly expresses criticism of Trump is belittled.

Finally it's the demonisation & treatment of minorities. In Germany it was Jews, Roma, gays, Jehovahs Witnesses etc. Initially the mass killings started under the guise of eliminating "commissars and criminals", many of whom just conveniently happened to be Jews. Then it spread to their families & became a general free for all. In the USA it's Hispanics, who are cast as illegal immigrants. In the same way that Jews were gradually separated from German mainstream society - economically, culturally, financially & finally physically - the same process is taking place with the Hispanic community.

There won't be the same outcome (at least we assume there won't be) but to me the similarities were quite striking.

What was even more striking though was a chat I had with my host in Pittsburgh, who is my daughter-in-law's grandma. She is a registered Democrat & a very religious person in the truest sense of the word. But she said that she's coming to like Trump more & more and would probably vote for him if he stood in 2020. She is consumed with the idea that "liberals" in the universities are preventing free-speech and hounding out people whose opinion is different to theirs.

It's not even as if she's never been out of the USA either. Her and her husband lived over here for quite a long time and have a very wide outlook. If someone like her, a very intelligent & kind-hearted person, can think that way, it's quite worrying.

While I hate invoking Godwins law I can't help but see the similarities.

 

[Homar]

Haha! “Patently stupid nationalists”??? Where do you come up with such nonsense?!

So, no dark history in China? Russia? North Korea?

You guys make me laugh!

You want to know why China is building islands in the South China Sea? Look it the fuck up, learn a few facts and then quit saying stupid things (or agreeing with stupid things) like ...well, it is called the South CHINA Sea! What a moronic comment!

You should stop putting words in my mouth and arguing against them. I'm really not sure what purpose that serves. Frankly I don't care why China is constructing islands. Only the powers in China know for sure what it motivating them to take this action. It's a legal dispute and it has absolutely nothing to do with the United States.

 

[Homar]

This appears to be a whole battery of non sequiturs.

The forced expulsion was agreed by the British, wasn't it? The US presumably asked, but the British did it.

And Guam has been American since a war at the end of the 19th century, I think, and isn't in the SCS. Does the US have anything in the SCS?

Guam is something like 1500 miles from China, so that justifies China claiming and building military bases in disputed territory 500 miles away but far closer to Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines? "Hey the US are bullying so we're going to go and bully some others"?

It was executed by the British at the request of the United States. At no point did I absolve Britain of wrongdoing. Incidentally, this would now be classified as a crime against humanity. I didn't say anything specific about Guam. My point was that the United States should not be surprised when China, Russia, Iran or any other state that the US has taken upon itself to define as an adversary acts to defend its sovereignty when encircled by US military bases. I should like to see how the US would react if the SCO nations were to dispatch their fleets for operations off the coast of New York. We know how they chose to act during the cold war.

 

[kaz7]

Whose fucking idea is it to make the queen meet this cuntbag? shame on whoever it is

 

[Blue Hefner]

The Secret Barrister is a good to follow for anyone on Twitter. He/she sums this up very nicely

 

[ChicagoBlue]

You should stop putting words in my mouth and arguing against them. I'm really not sure what purpose that serves. Frankly I don't care why China is constructing islands. Only the powers in China know for sure what it motivating them to take this action. It's a legal dispute and it has absolutely nothing to do with the United States.

And that just proves you have no clue what you are talking about. Two words: INTERNATIONAL WATERS.



Wake up...