The 2019 Trump Presidency Thread
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Burnt Offerings
Bluelight Crew
The thing with the Kurds is pretty sad/disappointing though. It's one of those Trump acts I have mixed feelings about, because I agree generally-speaking with the idea of not having military forces/installations all over the globe and not having to enforce pax americana everywhere. But I feel like the Kurds actually contributed to the USA's interests, and also have similar ideas as the USA supposedly does regarding secular democratic republics. I don't know if anyone is familiar with Ocalan's political writings but they're actually quite interesting...as far as nationalist revolutionaries go, I'm not sure what to compare them to.
I remember sections of the left-wing press being fascinated by what was happening in Rojava (Kurdish YPG-controlled Syria) in 2015ish...it was like the modern day Spanish civil war or something, with journalists/veterans going over there to serve in some rear-guard YPG unit. It was like the left-wing version of leaving to join ISIS. The Kurds are not some totally innocent party in the conflict (I remember reading reports of some Kurdish forces ethnically cleansing areas populated by Arabs, forcing people to leave their homes basically), I don't think there are innocent parties in that war, but the YPG and associated groups represents by far the most sympathetic party in that whole clusterfuck IMO. They at least believe in things like women are people & aspire to some governmental structure that isn't some brutal authoritarian shithole. That was actually one of the few Trump statements that I remember appreciating in regards to geopolitical issues, when he suggested that the Kurds have a state. (The other one I liked was the "you think we're so innocent?", regarding US conduct around the world in regards to Russia IIRC?)
It's just shitty and sad what's happening to that fragile experiment now. Doesn't contributing tens of thousands of people to one of America's proxy wars get you some sort of military installation so some super shady bastards (Turkish military and intelligence services) will hesitate before shitting all over you, at least?
I remember sections of the left-wing press being fascinated by what was happening in Rojava (Kurdish YPG-controlled Syria) in 2015ish...it was like the modern day Spanish civil war or something, with journalists/veterans going over there to serve in some rear-guard YPG unit. It was like the left-wing version of leaving to join ISIS. The Kurds are not some totally innocent party in the conflict (I remember reading reports of some Kurdish forces ethnically cleansing areas populated by Arabs, forcing people to leave their homes basically), I don't think there are innocent parties in that war, but the YPG and associated groups represents by far the most sympathetic party in that whole clusterfuck IMO. They at least believe in things like women are people & aspire to some governmental structure that isn't some brutal authoritarian shithole. That was actually one of the few Trump statements that I remember appreciating in regards to geopolitical issues, when he suggested that the Kurds have a state. (The other one I liked was the "you think we're so innocent?", regarding US conduct around the world in regards to Russia IIRC?)
It's just shitty and sad what's happening to that fragile experiment now. Doesn't contributing tens of thousands of people to one of America's proxy wars get you some sort of military installation so some super shady bastards (Turkish military and intelligence services) will hesitate before shitting all over you, at least?
JGrimez
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First Hand: Kurdish YPG Forces ‘Routinely Terrorize’ Assyrian Christians in Syria
www.breitbart.com
(20 Jan 2016)
Kurdish YPG Forces ‘Routinely Terrorize’ Assyrian Christians
Multiple reports have indicated that the Kurdish Democratic Union Party’s militia (YPG) in northern Syria attacked the Assyrian Christians in the region.
www.breitbart.com
flabberghost
Bluelighter
Hi.
I have attempted to stand back, and take a grand scale view of the phenomenon that we are currently immersed in.
It’s horrifying.
The wanton exploitation of the fears in the least discerning among us, in order to empower an entity of mass deception.
That’s what I’m seeing.
It’s not a trump thing, he’s just a tinpot huckster.
It’s an energy thing, that seeks broad spectrum destruction of life.
He’s a shameless, visionless, short term conman, who acquiesced to an ancient infection on the heart of humanity.
This “thing” manifests at the decline of many civilizations.
Only this is bigger now.
Global excitation of fear, and confusion, resulting in kinetic confrontations, mass exodus’, and pivot-point flipping of environmental balance.
I think this is it.
“Pleased to meet you, won’t you guess my name?”
The wrath is here, the hour is upon us.
The fuse is getting a bit too close now.
Brace yourselves, and remember the real idea of Love.
We had a chance once... maybe that door closed about 1974, or so.
Sorry, ya’ll.
Burnt Offerings
Bluelight Crew
That article on breitbart re: YPG was pretty bad. The PKK is not a "hardcore Marxist organization", that's a ridiculous characterization of their ideology. It's not some Marxist-Leninist organization left over from the cold war, like FARC or something. Yes, the YPG is connected to the PKK, just as many people in Iraqi Kurdistan are. I don't see what the point of mentioning that is other than to link it with a "designated terrorist organization" (one that is fed directly by America's Kurdish allies) in an attempt to discredit it.
Yeah they've done bad things. Ethnic cleansing, that's pretty bad. The amount of blood they have on their hands vs. the amount of blood that their adversaries have, though? It's really no contest in a choice between them and the other groups contending for control in that region of Syria IMO
Yeah they've done bad things. Ethnic cleansing, that's pretty bad. The amount of blood they have on their hands vs. the amount of blood that their adversaries have, though? It's really no contest in a choice between them and the other groups contending for control in that region of Syria IMO
Deleted member 521610
Bluelighter
Donald trump reminds me more and more of the movie idiocracy. Now he has a twitch channel. I doubt he will do anything to turkey considering he acutally just opened up a few businesses there and his daughter deleted the tweets lol.
cduggles
Bluelight Crew
Trump’s Homeland Security Director resigned:
www.cbsnews.com
Those kids aren’t going to lock themselves in those cages. Who’s next?
McAleenan lasted six months.
According to Trump, he wants to spend more time with his family. What an ironic statement all around.
Edit: Other notable resignations:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s top aide
www.pbs.org
Shepard Smith of Fox News after 23 years, apparently without a lot of notice.
news.yahoo.com
Kevin McAleenan, Trump's Homeland Security secretary, resigns
During his tenure, McAleenan faced criticism from both immigration hardliners and advocates, who pointed to his role in overseeing officers who separated thousands of migrant children from their parents last year
www.cbsnews.com
Those kids aren’t going to lock themselves in those cages. Who’s next?
McAleenan lasted six months.
According to Trump, he wants to spend more time with his family. What an ironic statement all around.
Edit: Other notable resignations:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s top aide
Top Pompeo aide resigns, adding to tumult over Ukraine
The secretary of state's de facto chief of staff, Michael McKinley, announced his retirement after a nearly four-decade career as a diplomat. He did not mention the Ukraine situation that is now at the center of an impeachment probe.
www.pbs.org
Shepard Smith of Fox News after 23 years, apparently without a lot of notice.
Shepard Smith exits Fox News after 23 years: Read his statement
Fox News confirmed on Friday that Chief News Anchor and Managing Editor Shepard Smith was leaving the network.
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cduggles
Bluelight Crew
Trump had 3 setbacks in court:
1) “President Trump’s accounting firm must comply with a House committee’s demands for eight years of his financial records, a federal appeals court panel ruled on Friday in a major victory for House Democrats in their struggle against his vow to stonewall “all” of their oversight subpoenas.
In a 66-page ruling, the panel rejected Mr. Trump’s argument that Congress had no legitimate legislative authority to seek his business records from the firm, Mazars USA, because the committee was trying to determine whether he broke existing laws — not weighing whether to enact a new one.
“Having considered the weighty issues at stake in this case, we conclude that the subpoena issued by the committee to Mazars is valid and enforceable,” wrote Judge David S. Tatel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.”
www.nytimes.com
2) “Federal judges in New York and California on Friday ordered a nationwide block in cases challenging a Trump administration policy that would make it far easier for the government to deny legal status to immigrants who use or are deemed likely to use public assistance. The rule was set to go into effect next week.
Judge George B. Daniels, of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, ordered preliminary injunctions Friday afternoon in two related cases against the administration’s new “public charge” rule that could have denied legal permanent residency and other forms of legal status to many immigrants in the country who are deemed likely to use public assistance …
Later on Friday afternoon, Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton issued a preliminary injunction in a case announced by California attorney general Xavier Becerra. California was joined by Maine, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., in the lawsuit.
In the California decision, Hamilton wrote that the counties and states had demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm “based on their loss of Medicaid funding from the federal government and increased operational costs they are likely to carry.”
www.nbcnews.com
3) “Another federal judge ruled against President Donald Trump’s unorthodox plan to use billions of dollars in federal funds to extend the wall on the Mexican border, despite Congress’s refusal to appropriate money for that purpose.
El Paso, Texas–based U.S. District Court Judge David Briones’s Friday decision not only rejected the funding scheme but went further than past rulings by specifically declaring “unlawful” an emergency proclamation Trump issued in February seeking to unlock money to fulfill one of his key campaign promises.”
www.politico.com
edit: forgot the quotation marks to indicate that quotes are from parent article:
nymag.com
1) “President Trump’s accounting firm must comply with a House committee’s demands for eight years of his financial records, a federal appeals court panel ruled on Friday in a major victory for House Democrats in their struggle against his vow to stonewall “all” of their oversight subpoenas.
In a 66-page ruling, the panel rejected Mr. Trump’s argument that Congress had no legitimate legislative authority to seek his business records from the firm, Mazars USA, because the committee was trying to determine whether he broke existing laws — not weighing whether to enact a new one.
“Having considered the weighty issues at stake in this case, we conclude that the subpoena issued by the committee to Mazars is valid and enforceable,” wrote Judge David S. Tatel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.”
Congress Can Seek Trump’s Financial Records, Appeals Court Rules (Published 2019)
The ruling, by a three-judge panel, handed a victory to House Democrats whose efforts to obtain the documents have been stonewalled by the White House.
2) “Federal judges in New York and California on Friday ordered a nationwide block in cases challenging a Trump administration policy that would make it far easier for the government to deny legal status to immigrants who use or are deemed likely to use public assistance. The rule was set to go into effect next week.
Judge George B. Daniels, of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, ordered preliminary injunctions Friday afternoon in two related cases against the administration’s new “public charge” rule that could have denied legal permanent residency and other forms of legal status to many immigrants in the country who are deemed likely to use public assistance …
Later on Friday afternoon, Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton issued a preliminary injunction in a case announced by California attorney general Xavier Becerra. California was joined by Maine, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., in the lawsuit.
In the California decision, Hamilton wrote that the counties and states had demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm “based on their loss of Medicaid funding from the federal government and increased operational costs they are likely to carry.”
Federal judges block new Trump public charge rule
"The Rule will expose individuals to economic insecurity, health instability, denial of their path to citizenship, and potential deportation," he wrote.
www.nbcnews.com
3) “Another federal judge ruled against President Donald Trump’s unorthodox plan to use billions of dollars in federal funds to extend the wall on the Mexican border, despite Congress’s refusal to appropriate money for that purpose.
El Paso, Texas–based U.S. District Court Judge David Briones’s Friday decision not only rejected the funding scheme but went further than past rulings by specifically declaring “unlawful” an emergency proclamation Trump issued in February seeking to unlock money to fulfill one of his key campaign promises.”
Another judge rules against Trump on border wall
Whether the judge’s decision will actually take effect is far from clear.
www.politico.com
edit: forgot the quotation marks to indicate that quotes are from parent article:
Trump Had a Bad Day in the Courts
In three cases, one involving a congressional subpoena of his financial records and two involving immigration, the administration had legal setbacks.
nymag.com
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cduggles
Bluelight Crew
In impeachment deposition, Yovanovitch links Trump to her ouster
Marie Yovanovitch, the former Ukrainian ambassador forced from her position in May, testified on Capitol Hill Friday despite being denied permission to do so by the State Department. In her prepared opening statement, Yovanovitch blasted the Trump administration for leveraging “unfounded and...
www.pbs.org
“Marie Yovanovitch, the former Ukrainian ambassador forced from her position in May, testified on Capitol Hill Friday despite being denied permission to do so by the State Department. In her prepared opening statement, Yovanovitch blasted the Trump administration for leveraging “unfounded and false claims” to justify her ouster.”
Also, “US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, a key witness within the State Department and to the President's action in the ongoing impeachment inquiry, intends to testify to the House under subpoena next Thursday, according to his lawyers.”
EU Ambassador set to testify Thursday in impeachment inquiry
US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, a key witness within the State Department and to the President's action in the ongoing impeachment inquiry, intends to testify to the House under subpoena next Thursday, according to his lawyers.
(Previously, the State Department blocked his testimony but he’s going to comply with the subpoena.)
mal3volent
Bluelight Crew
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Cduggles packing the heat! LOL
JGrimez
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cduggles
Bluelight Crew
Tell yourself whatever you need to justify family separation; it’s wrong.
Xorkoth
Bluelight Crew
Weak argument that speaks to the rabid fear that certain types have spread about immigrants. So now we’re doing a noble thing, separating children from their parents?
Oh man, I wondered if anyone was actually able to regulate somewhat what he posts on Twitter. I guess Ivanka might be the only one.
I heard about the state department blocking the request for records and was quite outraged but also not surprised. I mean why would you block that information if you have nothing to hide? I also wasn’t surprised though. Trump’s Problem (besides being a narcissist self serving garbage human) is that he’s not nearly as smart as he thinks he is. This has been demonstrated again and again
Captain.Heroin
Bluelight Crew
MEMEMMEMEMEMEMEMEMEM
I need a 6 figure salary and a pension and a top of the line health care plan
flabberghost
Bluelighter
Trump had 3 setbacks in court:
1) “President Trump’s accounting firm must comply with a House committee’s demands for eight years of his financial records, a federal appeals court panel ruled on Friday in a major victory for House Democrats in their struggle against his vow to stonewall “all” of their oversight subpoenas.
In a 66-page ruling, the panel rejected Mr. Trump’s argument that Congress had no legitimate legislative authority to seek his business records from the firm, Mazars USA, because the committee was trying to determine whether he broke existing laws — not weighing whether to enact a new one.
“Having considered the weighty issues at stake in this case, we conclude that the subpoena issued by the committee to Mazars is valid and enforceable,” wrote Judge David S. Tatel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.”
Congress Can Seek Trump’s Financial Records, Appeals Court Rules (Published 2019)
The ruling, by a three-judge panel, handed a victory to House Democrats whose efforts to obtain the documents have been stonewalled by the White House.
2) “Federal judges in New York and California on Friday ordered a nationwide block in cases challenging a Trump administration policy that would make it far easier for the government to deny legal status to immigrants who use or are deemed likely to use public assistance. The rule was set to go into effect next week.
Judge George B. Daniels, of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, ordered preliminary injunctions Friday afternoon in two related cases against the administration’s new “public charge” rule that could have denied legal permanent residency and other forms of legal status to many immigrants in the country who are deemed likely to use public assistance …
Later on Friday afternoon, Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton issued a preliminary injunction in a case announced by California attorney general Xavier Becerra. California was joined by Maine, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., in the lawsuit.
In the California decision, Hamilton wrote that the counties and states had demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm “based on their loss of Medicaid funding from the federal government and increased operational costs they are likely to carry.”
Federal judges block new Trump public charge rule
"The Rule will expose individuals to economic insecurity, health instability, denial of their path to citizenship, and potential deportation," he wrote.
3) “Another federal judge ruled against President Donald Trump’s unorthodox plan to use billions of dollars in federal funds to extend the wall on the Mexican border, despite Congress’s refusal to appropriate money for that purpose.
El Paso, Texas–based U.S. District Court Judge David Briones’s Friday decision not only rejected the funding scheme but went further than past rulings by specifically declaring “unlawful” an emergency proclamation Trump issued in February seeking to unlock money to fulfill one of his key campaign promises.”
Another judge rules against Trump on border wall
Whether the judge’s decision will actually take effect is far from clear.
edit: forgot the quotation marks to indicate that quotes are from parent article:
Trump Had a Bad Day in the Courts
In three cases, one involving a congressional subpoena of his financial records and two involving immigration, the administration had legal setbacks.
Hey, cduggles. ?
Thanks for a good piece of writing, as an accurate log of the able defenders of reality actions upon the ramparts.
There ARE civil minded people, that hold the fundamental
institutions required for social cohesion together, after all.
Will the walls hold, as the untethered hordes storm the last vestiges of reason?
We appear to be one twig-snap away from outright madness.
The fact that people in positions of power, sworn by oath to uphold the law, can still support this insane beast is the most outrageous thing that I’ve ever witnessed.
The “THEN WHAT?” worries me too!
After the intellectually disenfranchised, and morally bereft masses of some 30% of the population lose their demagogue, will the level of excitation translate into violent factions seeking retribution?
I dunno.
I watched Mussolini, in the tone and body language... and Hitler...
Roy Cohn is laughing in Hell.
See ya’ on the barricades, Brother!
-Bryan in Seattle
JGrimez
Bluelighter
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So removing children from sex traffickers is family separation? I don't recommend telling yourself that, I recommend you accept the reality of what's going on.
JGrimez
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If you don't wish to be separated from your family then don't cross illegally and get grouped in with all of the child sex traffickers.
Go to a legal point of entry and apply for asylum the correct way.
How do you all supposed we differentiate the child traffickers with the guardians of the children?
Go to a legal point of entry and apply for asylum the correct way.
How do you all supposed we differentiate the child traffickers with the guardians of the children?
cduggles
Bluelight Crew
So you believe that family separation is occurring in order to separate sex traffickers from children? Okay.
And if you think for one second that these kids are monitored while in custody, I have some prime real estate in the form of a bridge to sell you.
The thing is, kids bully, beat and sexually abuse each other. As do some of the not-carefully screened strangers who are in charge of the kids after being separated from their family.
Or is that just something that hasn’t occurred to you in your haste to separate the hordes of molesting coyotes from the kids?
I would ask why you think a coyote wants to go into basically prison to keep molesting some kid, as opposed to just taking their money and going back for more kids, but I know you don’t have a good answer because there isn’t one.
And how do we protect the kids from each other? What about the trauma inflicted on non-molested kids separated from loving families?
This is a complicated humanitarian issue, which clearly isn’t in your wheelhouse. And family separation as deterrent to immigration is as cruel and unAmerican as it gets.
This isn’t Australia. ?
cduggles
Bluelight Crew
You don’t seem to understand that people who do exactly this are being held in detention centers and being separated from their families.
How does seeking asylum work at the US border?
After weeks of travel across Mexico by bus, freight train and foot, more than 150 migrants from Central America — part of a caravan that has gained international attention — await their turn to apply for asylum at the Southern US border. Just how does the process work?
www.pri.org
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