2017 Trump Presidency Thread

[Escher's Waterfall]

I happen to know a Mr Frank Herbert coined the phrase, actually, about a rather vermiform individual who I would still vote for before the thing in the residence now.

(Dave/Liquid, you should have let it go)

Henrik Ibsen, in "Prose Dramas: Emperor and Galilean" uses the phrase "god-emperor" in 1890. "Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics: Mundas-Phrygians", edited by James Hastings, John Alexander Selbie uses the same phrase in 1917. The Outline of History by H. G. Wells uses it in 1921. So does the "The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia" by James Orr in 1930. All appear to be referring to Roman emperors.

There's also "Shinto: The Unconquered Enemy" by Robert Ballou in 1945 who uses the same term to refer to the Japanese emperor.

There's a few other mentions that turns up in google book results before God Emperor of Dune was published in 1981.

Herbert likely popularized the phrase in modern times, but he wasn't the first to coin it.

Ibsen should have been famous as a playwrite to popularize the phrase in the past. H. G. Wells's book also appeared notable, but I'm more familiar with his fiction being famous.

 

[Scrofula]

Work with me here, Mr. Waterfall.

It's a chance to use "vermiform". Honestly, I respect Prince Leto Jr.'s reign and sacrifice, and shouldn't compare him to the person in the WH, but I thought it was worth a nerd-fight.

Like the proper title for the person I'm referring to in Book 3.

 

[alasdairm]

This comment illustrates that you fail to understand the dynamics involved. The current political system in the US has turned into one big criminal gang with Republicans & Democrats basically on the same page when it comes to the important issues (to the ones in power) like maintaining the status quo, lining their own pockets, misleading the American public through the media and retaining power to pass legislation that only benefits themselves at the expense of the average person. So I am not the least bit surprised that many Republicans vehemently oppose anything Trump is doing. They are far more aligned with Democrats than they are to their own "party".

again with a demeaning insult. now who's being 'snarky'?

maybe i understand it just fine and just have a different opinion of you. you never answered the question the first time i asked it so i'll ask again. why is it that people who disagree with you ]can only be ignorant and uninformed?

it's simply not possible that we too were "intelligent enough to extricate myself from all that bullshit and then view the situation objectively" and just come to a different conclusion than you? seriously, i'd love an answer to that question.

Trump is not responsible for how previous administrations consolidated an unacceptable amount of power to the Executive.

what an epic dodge. you sound like sarah huckabee sanders. your spin is up there. is there anything he says or does for which you won't make up an excuse?

There are some problems with the EC and the current voting system in general but I have to say that this time it worked how it was supposed to. The Clinton camp tried to subvert the democratic process and influence the election, however they were unable thanks to the overwhelming and widespread support for Trump which was realized through the EC. Hypocrisy goes both ways, if the Democrats won they would be lauding the effectiveness of the EC instead of criticizing it.

your selective blindness is awesome. hell, even donald trump totally disagrees with you:

such utter fail.

oh. haha.

oh, except for except $800 billion in cuts to medicaid.

thank goodness trump's such straight shooter so you always know where he stands on this issue.



alasdair

 

[Erikmen]

[sigh] Ms. cduggles, don't you know that when the US went off the gold standard in 1933, it created fictitious accounts for every US citizen as collateral instead (technically, the 1936 Social Security Act did this)? You can reclaim these accounts (>$635,000) through various hard-to-find provisions in the Unifrom Commerical Code.

Yes, this totally relates to the 13th amendment. You realize that there are two of you, your person and your de jure "legal" person. By making joinder with the states you effectively forfeit your sovereign rights as a free person to the state. At birth we were all solely citizens of the United States, but by using driver's licenses or respond to notices in the name of our legal person, we in effect sign a state's user agreement and lose access to our Zionist controlled bank accounts.

If you want proof of this, look no further than your local courtroom (I'm sure you've been to a few) and notice the gold fringe on the flag--something that can ONLY be used in situations subject to admiralty law. It is thus appropriate to respond to the judge, "officer on board" whenever she enters.

The state loves to use punctuation to try to confuse you. Remember that punctuation and CapITal Letttering is vital to win your case.

And remember, the county sheriff is the highest ranking government official. This is posse commitatus, not the thing that just says federal troops have no jurisdiction over civilians.

Do you really need more proof that this is really what MMT and yes, millions of Americans, and also Canadians and Brits and Ozzes and Neezes think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfVbiefMdNU

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/sovereign-citizens-movement

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Redemption_movement

I saw the videos and read about the subject and I was wondering why this conceit is gaining power even after 2010
As I understand none of it is really true, it's more like a theory to be able to follow whatever law you want to be fit in. Right?
I must admit I had no idea this was actually something that is gaining more adepts.

I'm sorry if this is too basic, but why is the Republican Party called GOP and represented by an elephant? I know what it meant originally, but this has changed over the years. Maybe it just stands for the Republican Party. Btw how did they come up with the elephant and being red, I wonder.

I'll keep researching although there are different stories every time I try to go deeper into the subject.

 

[cduggles]

[sigh] Ms. cduggles, don't you know that when the US went off the gold standard in 1933, it created fictitious accounts for every US citizen as collateral instead (technically, the 1936 Social Security Act did this)? You can reclaim these accounts (>$635,000) through various hard-to-find provisions in the Unifrom Commerical Code.
No.

Yes, this totally relates to the 13th amendment. You realize that there are two of you, your person and your de jure "legal" person. By making joinder with the states you effectively forfeit your sovereign rights as a free person to the state. At birth we were all solely citizens of the United States, but by using driver's licenses or respond to notices in the name of our legal person, we in effect sign a state's user agreement and lose access to our Zionist controlled bank accounts.
No
If you want proof of this,
No

look no further than your local courtroom (I'm sure you've been to a few) and notice the gold fringe on the flag--something that can ONLY be used in situations subject to admiralty law. It is thus appropriate to respond to the judge, "officer on board" whenever she enters.
I remember Trump humping a flag with gold trim. Was there someone this fringe thing applied to?

The state loves to use punctuation to try to confuse you. Remember that punctuation and CapITal Letttering is vital to win your case.
GOt iT.

And remember, the county sheriff is the highest ranking government official. This is posse commitatus, not the thing that just says federal troops have no jurisdiction over civilians.

Yeah I looked at posse comitatus and some of its interpretations. Nice blogs. Interesting font choices.

Do you really need more proof that this is really what MMT and yes, millions of Americans, and also Canadians and Brits and Ozzes and Neezes think?
No

 

[LiquidMethod]

Praise Kek!

 

[LiquidMethod]

why is it that people who disagree with you can only be ignorant and uninformed?

Basically I thought Trump was a sexist racist during the primaries, and it was only until an extremely intelligent friend of mine talked some sense into me that I was able to admit I that was wrong. A lot of people (some of them seemingly smart) are simply unaware of just how much the media influences their beliefs. So I've been on both sides - you've only been on one and you are clinging desperately to it. Many people NEED Trump to fail as their ego will not permit them to ever admit that he is doing a good job and that they were wrong about him.

it's simply not possible that we too were "intelligent enough to extricate myself from all that bullshit and then view the situation objectively" and just come to a different conclusion than you? seriously, i'd love an answer to that question.

No, like I stated above. You appear to fail to view the situation from a different perspective, limiting your analysis. What exactly did you extricate yourself from?

At the end of the day, anyone who prefers Hillary Clinton over Trump is a fucking idiot. There's a reason he won, it is because enough Americans realized the imminent danger that we were all in with facing a Hillary Clinton administration. Her proposed Secretary of State is a fucking child trafficker for God's sake. Seriously, wake up.

is there anything he says or does for which you won't make up an excuse?

There is plenty that I disagree with him over, and there are many times that I would've worded a phrase differently than him. I do wish he would do a bit more to unite the nation but I can also understand how he is constantly on the defensive due to constant attacks. There is a segment of the population that will never like him no matter what he does. Also that was not a dodge, the previous administration(s) have been progressively consolidating undue power to the Executive which is unconstitutional and dangerous. This is a lesson for them now that someone that is not part of their criminal gang has inherited said power. It was all well and good when it was Neocons/Neolibs in charge, fucking the country and the rest of the world up.

-all the other poppycock-

Why exactly are you labeling him a quitter? I honestly do not expect him to fix the healthcare system. I do believe he could produce something more effective than the ACA but time will tell. Again, it's the fault of the previous administrations for letting US healthcare get to such a disgusting state. I expect him to do his best under the current system but I am not expecting miracles. I guess that is one point that I disagree with him over.

 

[Cream Gravy?]

Idk what it is with some alt-right folks lately, but they have an extreme obsession with the use of the term 'cuck', and often I don't think they even know what a cuckold is; if they do, they still end up using it in contexts where it isn't really applicable. A coworker of mine follows the alt-right 'Jewish Shadow Government' NWO theory and he calls just about everyone who isn't in his camp a 'cuck' or 'snowflake' and it just seems like it's become a meaningless slander used when you have no other way to attack someone.

 

[Soso78]

Ye I know what you mean gravy. It's a bit like how the left scream nazi and fascist at every opertunity, even when it's not relevant.

 

[LiquidMethod]

This is worth a listen

Sam Harris interviews Scott Adams

 

[spacejunk]

can you elaborate? i don't click on links without some idea what they are.
if you're just spamming this 'kek' trollish crap, then forget it

i'd just like to add that to me, trump's whole bluster about being some kind of artful "dealmaker" seems contemptibly empty and laughable, considering that he has Republican majorities in both Congress and the Senate, yet he can't get his <insert hyperbolic adjective> healthcare "reforms" up, even within the party he supposedly leads.

just mind-blowing incompetence.
any half-way balanced individual would be mighty embarrassed at this point, i would think.

an absolute shambles.

i'd be highly amused if this were't so serious for the whole world - not to mention the millions of innocent americans who aren't even worth the effort - to trump - to attempt something resembling a coherent explanation to, as to why he's lied repeatedly to the people who pay for his absurd security detail and extravagances with their hard-earned tax dollars.

trump looks more and more like a deluded puppet/patsy being used by as a political battering-ram by a bunch of nefarious political agendas.
it's a disturbing situation, in so many ways. i don't care about convincing people to change their minds, winning arguments or saying "i told you so".
that's such small-fry compared to the creepy realities that now present themselves via the trump administration's demented approach to "governance".

it's as if.... a bunch of fossil fuel oligarchs and creepy white supremacists have taken over the governance of the world's most powerful government, and are taking their chance ti to play out some kind of weird experiment, like "how close can we sail the Titanic to that iceberg?"
whilst the world looks on in horror.

i suspect trump will be america's most loathed political figure (ever) by the time he's through.

history doesn't reflect too well on trashy scoundrels like him.

 

[LiquidMethod]

^even if that hyperbolic garbage was all true it still pales in comparison to the alternative scenario.

That interview has something for the haters and the supporters. Harris attempts to understand the stance of someone who supports Trump and can explain their reasoning.

 

[Scrofula]

I saw the videos and read about the subject and I was wondering why this conceit is gaining power even after 2010
As I understand none of it is really true, it's more like a theory to be able to follow whatever law you want to be fit in. Right?
I must admit I had no idea this was actually something that is gaining more adepts.

No, none of it is remotely close to true. But there's scam artists happy to sell you books and DVDs that explain how to get access to your straw-man account, how to beat any ticket, and best of all, how to file fraudulent liens.

You'd think the thousands of youtube videos showing how not successful they are at not escalating a simple traffic stop into a tazing and arrest, might slow the rolls but then, you'd also think that a supposedly-wealthy New York and Hollywood-based TV personality wouldn't appeal to family-values real 'Murican Red Staters.

 

[spacejunk]

it's weird how trump (and his supporters) are still going on about how 'it could have been worse' under clinton.
isn't that ancient history now? 6 months is a long time in politics.

or is trump going to bask in the glory of what may be his sole political victory?
if so, that seems pretty sad.

i've ben thinking moe5 and more about what role Assange is playing in all this pro-trump, anti-clinton/DNC agitation he's engaged in over the last year and a bit.

trumpites know that assange is fervently anti-american empire, right?
i know a couple of people who know Julian Assange (australian radical circles are kinda tight-knit i suppose) and he's a pretty shifty character - but i can assure you he is not someone any US president would be wise to get too cosy with...

that electing this freak show really plays into the hands of those who see the USA as a malevolent and dangerous force in world politics?

how do "patriotic" trump supporters see trump's embrace of fiercely anti-american actors, such as Assange and Russian state/mafia interests?
do you agree with your compatriots who are calling trump's collusion "treason"

...if not, why?

 

[Scrofula]

They won't answer your last question straight.

It'll be "you don't have any proof he colluded!"

and when we have proof "You mean like $hil-LIAR-y and that bogus deal about mining rights?"

 

[spacejunk]

that's just it though - they've admitted the collusion took place.

i'm just curious why anyone who likes seeing the USA as a superpower would support a regime that is deliberately - and probably illegally undermining that.
i don't support the USA's foreign policy in any way, so it makes no difference to me - but it's not a trick question.

i'm just curious.

 

[Scrofula]

But do you support Russia's?

They'll say it was just the inexperienced junior, even though it was a lot more including people with plenty of political time.
They'll say he wasn't part of the campaign, even though manafort was there.
They'll say it doesn't relate to the WH, even though Kushner and current admin were there.

THen they'll go back to "we have no proof/don't listen to only lying-librul media/Shillary would be worse/Bill was worse/what about that mine deal?"

AM I WRONG TRUMPERS?

 

[alasdairm]

...you've only been on one and you are clinging desperately to it.

you're assuming and you're wrong. i'll agree to disagree but props. to you for being yet another one of those people who seems to know what i think and feel even better than i do

...constantly on the defensive due to constant attacks

when did trump - the great negotiator and the world's best businessman - become such a sensitive snowflake who can't take criticism? i don't buy the woe-is-me act.

This is a lesson for them now that someone that is not part of their criminal gang has inherited said power. It was all well and good when it was Neocons/Neolibs in charge, fucking the country and the rest of the world up.

lol - trump endlessly criticised obama for using executive orders. he can't get anything done when he assumes office so he starts signing executive orders like they're going out of style and you find a way to blame obama for that? that takes a special kind of (self) deceit.

maybe he should take some advice from this guy:

I honestly do not expect him to fix the healthcare system.

why would you? he only talked endlessly about doing exactly that during the campaign. oh, it was going to be so easy and he was the only guy who could do it. utter fail.

thank goodness trump's such straight shooter so you always know where he stands on this issue.

alasdair

 

[Erikmen]

when did trump - the great negotiator and the world's best businessman - become such a sensitive snowflake who can't take criticism? i don't buy the woe-is-me act.

lol - trump endlessly criticised obama for using executive orders. he can't get anything done when he assumes office so he starts signing executive orders like they're going out of style and you find a way to blame obama for that? that takes a special kind of (self) deceit.

maybe he should take some advice from this guy:

why would you? he only talked endlessly about doing exactly that during the campaign. oh, it was going to be so easy and he was the only guy who could do it. utter fail.

thank goodness trump's such straight shooter so you always know where he stands on this issue.

alasdair

Spot on alasdair!

I find your posts really intelligent/clever and well articulated. Down to earth. I must say I find some relief in knowing that I'm not crazy and that these things are actually happening. And affecting negatively a lot of people, not only Americans. You seem to be very well informed and I'm learning a lot from you. It's not only about what you read and watch it's all around you. We can't pretend this is not happening.

 

[LiquidMethod]

^glad you're enjoying the echo chamber.

you're assuming and you're wrong. i'll agree to disagree but props. to you for being yet another one of those people who seems to know what i think and feel even better than i do

I know I'm right because you're unable to explain why I'm wrong, you just state that I'm wrong. You're either lying to me or you're lying to yourself.

when did trump - the great negotiator and the world's best businessman - become such a sensitive snowflake who can't take criticism? i don't buy the woe-is-me act.

There's a difference between fair/deserved criticism and blatant media slander and lies. If you were honest you would agree that the media has obsessively and unfairly attacked and demonized Trump. You bang on about hypocrisy but fail to view or address it when it is detrimental to your agenda. I can admit that Trump's tweets from 5 years ago were hypocritical when compared to his actions today, the golf ones especially.

lol - trump endlessly criticised obama for using executive orders. he can't get anything done when he assumes office so he starts signing executive orders like they're going out of style and you find a way to blame obama for that? that takes a special kind of (self) deceit.

Already explained why. He's in a war with the deep state and most of the criminal cabal in the government. It would be nice if our elected politicians wanted to do what's best for the country.

why would you? he only talked endlessly about doing exactly that during the campaign. oh, it was going to be so easy and he was the only guy who could do it. utter fail.

Negotiation tactic. Start with a huge offer then meet somewhere in the middle. Campaign promises are usually full of false promises but Trump has so far kept (or attempted to keep) his promises far more than the average career politician would. He could improve the healthcare system if the rest of Congress were willing to work with him. Like I stated earlier, many of them would rather the country continue to deteriorate and people die instead of allowing Trump to succeed in any way. Looks like the ACA is staying anyway, so be happy about that? That whole Act was predicated on lies, do you also recognize those lies? Trump is going to just let the dishonest and doomed plan fail, then everyone will demand reform and a new system.

Another win for Trump with something that actually matters: Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria. Let me remind you that the alternative actively wanted to start a war in Syria with Russia. "Trump doesn't want war with Russia!? COLLUSION!"