Trump's Policies Part 6

[some_al_fan]

Pakistan nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize amid looming Iran–Israel war decision - Türkiye Today

Pakistan has announced its decision to formally recommend U.S. President Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

www.turkiyetoday.com

 

[Huckleberry]

NYT gift link

Record Debt Limit Increase Would Break Republican Precedent
A proposed $5 trillion debt limit increase could make it hard for Republicans to maintain their fiscal hawk credibility.

For years, Republicans have warned about the government’s reliance on borrowed money to pay its bills. That stance has often led to standoffs over raising the nation’s borrowing cap, with Republicans insisting that any increase in America’s so-called debt limit be paired with spending reductions.

This year, the party of fiscal conservatism is poised to discard that philosophy as Republicans prepare to press ahead with domestic policy legislation that combines nearly $4 trillion in tax cuts with a $5 trillion increase to the debt limit. An increase of that magnitude would be a record and underscore the ideological flexibility that many Republicans are willing to embrace when they are in power.



"Deficit hawks" lol. How about: decrease federal aid to those who genuinely need it while approving a massive increase in defense spending and extending huge tax breaks for the wealthy. That's what Republicans/conservatives seem to stand for these days. This forum is rich with "deficit hawks" who expressed support for (if not outright glee over) Trump's actions the past few months. How do they feel now? And try to avoid the "both sides" retort. There's not really a need to bring out the tired old cliche of "there's not a difference between the two parties" when the great bulk of the criticism from the "moderates and libertarians" here is almost always directed toward the Democrats. How do you feel about Trump and the Republican Party these days?

 

[selmaborntidefan]

If there is a Democratic consultant, whoever passes by this board, I’ll give you this one for free: you need to make a commercial first with this rich guy saying your kids have too many dolls and then with this Rich guy saying that YOU have too many vacations. You can even mention that $1000 per kid nonsense.

Come on, team blue, this is a layup……

 

[Bamaro]

If there is a Democratic consultant, whoever passes by this board, I’ll give you this one for free: you need to make a commercial first with this rich guy saying your kids have too many dolls and then with this Rich guy saying that YOU have too many vacations. You can even mention that $1000 per kid nonsense.

Come on, team blue, this is a layup……

Facts/truths matter little to those in a cult.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Facts/truths matter little to those in a cult.

True.

But has the concept of “appealing to the uncommitted or persuadable voter” been lost? This is about midterms at this point - something.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Pakistan nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize amid looming Iran–Israel war decision - Türkiye Today

Pakistan has announced its decision to formally recommend U.S. President Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

www.turkiyetoday.com

This man's obsession with Barack Obama knows no bounds. That's the ONLY reason he wants a Nobel Prize. And let's be honest, Obama didn't deserve it at the time he got it, and it kind of made the award the joke that it is (the nominations closed 11 days after he took office, meaning he apparently withdrew our troops from both Iraq and Afghanistan in those 11 days but nobody reported it). And no, I don't blame Obama for it, either, but it's still a joke.

I've never seen a so-called alpha male whine louder than this whiny orange toddler.

 

[pelleas]

When I read a lot of stuff on line, and I read someone critical of Trump, my first thought is: "THRHT." ("Trump Hater Really Hates Trump.") Their critique could be entirely fair and appropriate. Or it could be garbage. (A lot of what comes out of NBC/MSNBC falls into the category of THRHT. But at the same time, they will level critiques at Trump that FoxNews won't. There is value in that.) I have to dig in and explore more about the critique, reading other things from other authors from other perspectives before forming a mature opinion. But that requires me to care enough about the subject to investigate.

The concept of THRHT first came to me when Billy Graham died. Trump said he would attend the funeral. Critics said, "Oh my gosh! This wonderful man dies and you have to make this man's funeral all about you! What a boor!" Then Trump reconsidered and announced he would not attend, in order to give the family space to grieve without the presidential circus. Again critics, responded, "Oh my gosh! This nice man has advised ten presidents and you cannot even be bothered to honor his life by attending the funeral! What a boor!" I recall thinking, "Wait a minute, is it right for the president to attend a funeral for a guy like Graham or not?" And the answer from some folks was, "Whatever Trump decides is wrong." Someone in that category I do not need to pay much attention to, because I already know what they are going to say about a given subject. Not saying they are wrong. I'm just not overly interested.

I have been thinking about this message, particularly its second paragraph about reading Trump negatively no matter what he does. I understand your point, but I also think that reading Trump negatively no matter what he does is defensible, and that is interesting to consider. If we believe that certain elements of his character are well-established -- narcissism, mendacity, a hunger for money sex and power -- it is justifiable to interpret whatever he does on those bases. There's something about earning the benefit of the doubt, and something about the opposite of whatever that is. If Trump decides to attend Billy Graham's funeral (or bomb Iran), then it makes sense to ask: why would a lying narcissist make that choice; what money or power (probably not sex) is in it for him? And if he decides not to, same question.

 

[Bazza]

Trump pardons Florida divers who freed 19 sharks from federal fishing line

Two Florida shark divers convicted of theft for releasing sharks from a NOAA research line have been pardoned by former President Trump.

www.fox35orlando.com

• Two Florida shark divers convicted of theft for releasing sharks from a NOAA research line have been pardoned by former President Trump.
• The men claimed they believed the longline was illegal and reported the incident to wildlife officials.
• Their attorneys said the convictions were unjust and praised the pardons as a long-overdue correction.

 

[Bazza]

President of the Centre of the American Experiment John Hinderaker discusses Pakistan nominating US President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

“He deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for the Abraham Accords in his first term,” Mr Hinderaker told Sky News Australia.

“That is not what the Nobel committee is interested in – for an American to win these prizes, you have to be anti-American.”

 

[CrimsonJazz]

 

[Tidewater]

I have been thinking about this message, particularly its second paragraph about reading Trump negatively no matter what he does. I understand your point, but I also think that reading Trump negatively no matter what he does is defensible, and that is interesting to consider. If we believe that certain elements of his character are well-established -- narcissism, mendacity, a hunger for money sex and power -- it is justifiable to interpret whatever he does on those bases. There's something about earning the benefit of the doubt, and something about the opposite of whatever that is. If Trump decides to attend Billy Graham's funeral (or bomb Iran), then it makes sense to ask: why would a lying narcissist make that choice; what money or power (probably not sex) is in it for him? And if he decides not to, same question.

I understand that.
That is why I think criticism of Trump could easily be fair and appropriate. I criticize his actions all the time. There are some folks who have not even decided for themselves whether the president should attend Billy Graham's funeral until Trump declares what he is going to do, and then they decide that the alternative was correct. That's fine, but it does not garner much attention from me. I have better uses of my time.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I have been thinking about this message, particularly its second paragraph about reading Trump negatively no matter what he does. I understand your point, but I also think that reading Trump negatively no matter what he does is defensible, and that is interesting to consider. If we believe that certain elements of his character are well-established -- narcissism, mendacity, a hunger for money sex and power -- it is justifiable to interpret whatever he does on those bases. There's something about earning the benefit of the doubt, and something about the opposite of whatever that is. If Trump decides to attend Billy Graham's funeral (or bomb Iran), then it makes sense to ask: why would a lying narcissist make that choice; what money or power (probably not sex) is in it for him? And if he decides not to, same question.

I don't disagree with your basic points here, but I've just been around far too long and seen far too much in the way of partisan politics to think that the "micro analyze everything Trump does" crowd is any less motivated by bad faith politics that Trump's boot lickers are. The very same people who criticized George W. Bush's approach to Iraq were (IN MANY CASES) the EXACT SAME PEOPLE who criticized George HW Bush's approach to Iraq a dozen years earlier and then came along and pretended in 2003 that they didn't criticize in 1991 - because the whole point was partisan criticism, not substantive disagreement. I opposed the 2003 invasion, but I also never quoted his Dad against him to make a political point, either.

Many of the very same people today saying they "like Mitt Romney" are the EXACT SAME PEOPLE who when Romney was actually running for office made the same accusations against him they make against Trump ("binders of women" - folks knew damn well what he meant, don't pretend it was misogynist, he got called a racist, and he was a phony rich guy who didn't pay his taxes....I mean, these sound exactly like the 2016 campaign to me).

One problem is our politics got "Facebooked" like everything else. Once upon a time, the trick (Howard Metzenbaum was a master at this) was to drop a brutally damaging story on the political opposition on Friday afternoon around 230pm Eastern time and let it bake over the weekend while everyone was out of town and the press could hammer it into the public's mind. With the 24-hour news cycle that finally caught on in the 90s, followed by the internet, followed by social media, there's no time to bake any cakes at all.


Look at the fact that just 8 days ago, two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were shot, one to death, and that story is GONE from the front page. Trump has benefited from the time frame where you just wait a couple of days and a new story comes along. He helps it along with his Adderall-fueled ADHD and ferret on speed personality.

A lot of people defending this would be screaming bloody murder if Obama did it.
And a lot of people criticizing this would be all in favor of it if Obama did it, too.

And as much of a narcissist as Trump is (no dispute here), he's not the one who presented the British monarch with an Ipod with some of his speeches on it.

 

[jthomas666]

Something something something, both sides, Biden has cancer.

Florida School Awards Student For Paper Arguing Constitution Is Only For White People

A Trump-appointed judge awarded the student for the racist paper.

www.huffpost.com

The University of Florida suspended a law student after he wrote on social media that Jews must be “abolished by any means necessary,” but only after that same law student won an award from his professor for a paper he wrote arguing the Constitution is meant to only be applied to white people.

Said professor is John L. Badalamenti, a federal judge appointed by Trump.

 

[jthomas666]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1936914515955728442

 

[jthomas666]

Something something something, both sides, Biden has cancer.

Florida School Awards Student For Paper Arguing Constitution Is Only For White People

A Trump-appointed judge awarded the student for the racist paper.

www.huffpost.com

Said professor is John L. Badalamenti, a federal judge appointed by Trump.

ETA: If you want to read a paper that argues a constitutional mandate for white nationalism, here you go.

 

[Huckleberry]

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Well, well, we're Making America Homeless Again

The US economy shrank much faster in the first quarter than previously reported | CNN Business

Cue the knee jerks:
- fake news!
- spin!
- it's Biden's fault (but if that's the case and it's bad.....it isn't really fake news, is it?)

 

[Bazza]

More details about that pardon from President Trump.........

 

[some_al_fan]

View attachment 51410

I have to admit that I don’t have the time to watch the news programs on TV. Yet, we have the president of the United States constantly posting about watching CNN (or Fox). Where is he getting the time for that? Does not he has anything else to do?

 

[CrimsonJazz]

I have to admit that I don’t have the time to watch the news programs on TV. Yet, we have the president of the United States constantly posting about watching CNN (or Fox). Where is he getting the time for that? Does not he has anything else to do?

I'm reasonably certain every administration has people who's sole job is to monitor media and public sentiment. I highly doubt Trump is watching this crap; I sure wouldn't.