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Duke of Bullshit: "The" Donald

Started by Recusant, November 11, 2015, 11:29:56 PM

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Guardian85



"If scientist means 'not the dumbest motherfucker in the room,' I guess I'm a scientist, then."
-Unknown Smartass-

Magdalena

Quote from: Recusant on November 19, 2016, 05:03:58 AM
Jeff Sessions, Trump's choice for Attorney General of the United States, was rejected when Reagan tried to appoint him as a federal judge because of sworn testimony regarding his use of racist language and his opposition to the US government promoting civil rights for minorities, as well as other statements that many considered disqualifying.

Sessions isn't just in favor of Trump's wall, he's been a vocal opponent of immigration reform of any kind, and in fact would like to strongly restrict legal immigration to the United States.

Sessions called the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges (which effectively legalized same sex marriage in the US) "unconstitutional," and believes it is part of a misguided effort to "secularize" the United States. He also opposed the ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, which declared that "anti-sodomy" laws were unconstitutional.

Sessions is strongly opposed to the legalization of cannabis and has said that "good people don't smoke marijuana."

I think it's reasonable to say that his influence on the Justice Department of the United States (and thereby on life in the United States) would be extremely negative. Despite President Obama's words about having an open mind regarding Trump's presidency, nothing he's done up till now (certainly including putting Sessions up for Attorney General) inclines me to consider him anything but a looming disaster for the country.
Thank you for keeping us well–informed, always.  :thumbsup:

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Recusant

I'd say "my pleasure," but it's more just "my rant." Mildly therapeutic, I guess.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Firebird

I've still never had a panic attack, but I came pretty damn close election night. Couldn't sleep most of the night and ended up in a deep funk for over a week. I'm still getting over it.
I'm angry for many reasons, but it's also personal. My wife is Turkish, thankfully a US citizen now, but her family is still mostly over there, and I'm terrified that they won't be able to come visit us soon. I already told them to go renew their tourist visas now before things take a turn for the worse. They were also thinking about moving here because Turkey's president is a thin-skinned autocrat trying to shut down the press, and they feel under siege there. Now? Maybe there's no point doing it.
I've been coping as much as I can. I have a list of non-profits I'm going to donate to more often. I've decided not to hold myself back as much as i used to online and in person. Maybe we're fucked anyway, but if so, at least I'll go down fighting.
"Great, replace one book about an abusive, needy asshole with another." - Will (moderator) on replacing hotel Bibles with "Fifty Shades of Grey"

Magdalena

Quote from: Recusant on November 20, 2016, 04:06:17 AM
I'd say "my pleasure," but it's more just "my rant." Mildly therapeutic, I guess.
OK.
:grin:

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Magdalena

Quote from: Firebird on November 20, 2016, 04:27:02 AM
...
I've decided not to hold myself back as much as i used to online and in person.
...
:worried:

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Sandra Craft

Quote from: Firebird on November 20, 2016, 04:27:02 AM
I've still never had a panic attack, but I came pretty damn close election night. Couldn't sleep most of the night and ended up in a deep funk for over a week. I'm still getting over it.
I'm angry for many reasons, but it's also personal. My wife is Turkish, thankfully a US citizen now, but her family is still mostly over there, and I'm terrified that they won't be able to come visit us soon. I already told them to go renew their tourist visas now before things take a turn for the worse. They were also thinking about moving here because Turkey's president is a thin-skinned autocrat trying to shut down the press, and they feel under siege there. Now? Maybe there's no point doing it.
I've been coping as much as I can. I have a list of non-profits I'm going to donate to more often. I've decided not to hold myself back as much as i used to online and in person. Maybe we're fucked anyway, but if so, at least I'll go down fighting.

Yeah, this election has been a whole different experience for me.  I've been disappointed that my candidate lost before, but that's all.  I've never been angry at an election's results -- and not just angry at who won, but at the people who voted for him.  I honestly think this is the angriest I've ever been as an adult, about anything.  I really don't think I'm ever going to get over the fact that someone endorsed by the KKK got any votes at all, much less a quarter of the population's (and most of the white vote).
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Recusant

#382
Following on from my post about Trump putting up the repugnant Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, might as well take a look at Mike Pompeo as the head of the CIA.

This is a fellow who supports Trump's idea of bringing back torture as an intelligence gathering method. Torture is not only illegal both in the US and internationally, but it simply isn't an effective method to get accurate intelligence. It's basically a tool of terrorism.

He's also in favor of keeping the prison at Guantanamo Bay open, and putting more "suspects" into it.

As far as I know, he hasn't weighed in on Trump's idea that the US should kill the families of terrorists, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if he agreed with that as well.

I guess he'll just have to keep his distrust of Russia on the down low, given Trump's admiration for Putin, and the apparent Trump love coming from Russia. I expect he'll be able to manage that.

"Mike Pompeo, Trump's pick for CIA director, could take the agency back to its darkest days" | Vox

Quote. . . Pompeo's extremely hawkish views on critical national security issues, such as his support for keeping open the US prison at Guantanamo Bay; his defense of brutal CIA interrogation practices like waterboarding and "rectal feeding"; and his overwhelming focus on the dire threat of "radical Islamic terrorism" — all positions closely aligned with those of President-elect Trump and his new national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn — suggest he is not likely to be a particularly sobering or restraining force on the president-elect, particularly when it comes to controversial policies like torture and drone strikes.

[Continues . . .]
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Icarus

The strike count is at least four. He struck out with too many of the appointments to allow us to be comfortable. The first bad choice was Pence for VP. He has proudly announced that he is: " a Christian, a conservative, and a republican, in that order" Then there is Steve Bannon the racist, homophobe, anti semite, dude whose hygiene is not what one would call executive quality. Sessions is certainly a questionable candidate for AG and Pompeo as head of the spook agency????  Holy shit, Sarah Palins name has actually been suggested.

Sandra Craft

Quote from: Icarus on November 21, 2016, 05:32:05 AM
Holy shit, Sarah Palins name has actually been suggested.

As Sec of the Interior, no less.  We won't have a wolf left.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Guardian85

Quote from: Icarus on November 21, 2016, 05:32:05 AM
Sessions is certainly a questionable candidate for AG and Pompeo as head of the spook agency???? 
Which one? You have at least a dozen.


"If scientist means 'not the dumbest motherfucker in the room,' I guess I'm a scientist, then."
-Unknown Smartass-

Davin

Trump is a thin skinned baby.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/21/donald-trumps-hamilton-twitter-genius-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to-be/

How does a person get from watching that video to describing what happened to Pence as harassment?
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Pasta Chick

I can't even with his demand for a "safe space".

Tank

America just find a good candidate for 2020. PLEASE!!!!!
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Asmodean

Heh... By then it's less than a decade until Mars One launches its first expedition. Ooh, the possibilities!

I was to a thing where Bas Lansdorp spoke, by the way. Promising. I'd like to see them succeed.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.