U.S. Politics

Apparently I'm not entirely cynical because I'm still taken aback by Trump's weird cabinet meeting asslick.

Can we just Truman Show him at least? Let him pretend he's president inside some large dome with a TON of actors playing minions and world leaders? He won't know the difference, and it'll create so many jobs!
 
I can only read transcripts of the Cabinet meetings. Actually watching such a base display of servile weakness makes me absolutely flush with fury. On an intellectual level I “understand” why he is treated that way, but my gut just wants to unleash hell. NO ONE should be sucked up to like that, and watching people bend the knee and submit makes my skin crawl.
I cannot emotionally process why or how anyone would want to be submissive to anyone in that way. It’s so fucking gross. This whole “great man” mythology is so fucking babyish.
 
TheSameIdiot said:
Bingo. Our Democratic congresspeople see them as colleagues. They're enemies of the state.
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Not going to quote the whole block, as we pretty much agree on everything here. Just snipping this for the talking point; This is the problem right here. And I think there's two conflicting elements here. Some Dems (often the older, more Republican-lite ones) see the other side as colleagues. The smarter (often younger) Dems know they're enemies of the state but could NEVER go so far as to just say that out loud and openly defy the very idea of trying to cooperate with them.
But that is what we need; not just the realization, but enacting on the realization that the Republicans aren't here to work together toward a better country. That isn't what they want. That hasn't been their party goal for decades and decades. They are our actual enemies. Period. They want Christian fundamentalist authoritarianism and they will do literally anything to get it.

Justice said:
Honestly it would be smart of her at this point to downplay any presidential ambitions. I know they already demonize her to an extent but she doesn't need to telegraph her plans and give the Republican Outrage Machine any additional reason to treat her as the new Hillary Clinton where they treat her as public enemy #1 for years before her run until the general population is so biased against her that she doesn't stand a chance.

Then again it might make no difference at all.
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I don't know -- the Republican outrage machine has already spent a lot of time screaming about AOC. I think she's already well inside their crosshairs. But you're not wrong that saying anything right now makes her even more of a target. Especially with THIS president. I would absolutely not put it past him to assassinate anyone that openly says they're going to run against him.

CTV said:
We can't. MAGA is not the problem, white supremacy is, but the country doesn't want to have an honest conversation about that and these are the results.
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MAGA -is- white supremacy. Personified.
But, not to downplay racism in the US -- I don't think it's just racism. It's misogyny. It's religious fundamentalism. It's baseline bigotry. All of that has coalesced into The Modern Republican Party. That's literally ALL that party is now.

jonaskane said:
It's real.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1917331380297478530
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This would be hilarious if it weren't so fucking disgusting.
Or it would be disgusting if it weren't so fucking hilarious?
I honestly can't decide.


AceofKnaves said:
I can only read transcripts of the Cabinet meetings. Actually watching such a base display of servile weakness makes me absolutely flush with fury. On an intellectual level I “understand” why he is treated that way, but my gut just wants to unleash hell. NO ONE should be sucked up to like that, and watching people bend the knee and submit makes my skin crawl.
I cannot emotionally process why or how anyone would want to be submissive to anyone in that way. It’s so fucking gross. This whole “great man” mythology is so fucking babyish.
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Nothing to add.
 
I can’t think of anything more indicative of crippling, pathetic weakness than throwing oneself an expensive “military parade”.

Like fuck man it’s crazy that people look at this human trash heap and go “oh yeah, that’s my special guy”.
 
What kind of a guy takes a look at the blind, fear-based loyalty leaders like Putin or Kim Jong Un inflict upon their people and go "Yeah, I want (and deserve) that"? A rhetorical question, as we know exactly what type of person does that, but still- I don't get how anyone can look at Russia or North Korea and see their dictators as bad people, but when our leader does and demands the exact same things, it's not only excusable, but commendable? Another rhetorical- I do, unfortunately, get it, but man, was I hoping we wouldn't stoop so low. There are few things I hate in this world more than someone who demands respect from others. Dumbass man-baby forcing people to acknowledge his birthday. However he wants me to celebrate, I'll be doing the exact opposite.
 
I don't talk about politics with too many people at work, but a couple have tiptoed into figuring out where I stand on some things. One is early twenties, but the other is closer to my age and from Moldova. I have found I really enjoy his perspective since he has such a unique one, for me anyway. His country was part of the USSR when he was a kid. And we've discussed things here and there, but today he REALLY wanted to talk to me about Trump. I haven't seen him since I got back from Ireland, so he was 'jokingly' asking if I am considering moving there, and I told him it's something my wife and I discuss almost daily.

But he also wanted to talk about the tariffs and such. I expressed an inability to grasp why Trump's doing that, even for nefarious reasons. He asked if I wanted to hear a conspiracy theory, I said sure, and he said it's possible they want to destabilize the economy so severely that looting and such becomes common place, then they can have some martial law and militarize the police even harder, taking completely over. I mentioned my joke about his birthday military parade being a way to get us used to tanks in the streets, and he completely agreed without any humor.

So, it's a conspiracy theory, but I admit it got me thinking. Thoughts?
 
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Ru1977 said:
I don't talk about politics with too many people at work, but a couple have tiptoed into figuring out where I stand on some things. One is early twenties, but the other is closer to my age and from Moldova. I have found I really enjoy his perspective since he has such a unique one, for me anyway. His country was part of the USSR when he was a kid. And we've discussed things here and there, but today he REALLY wanted to talk to me about Trump. I haven't seen him since I got back from Ireland, so he was 'jokingly' asking if I am considering moving there, and I told him it's something my wife and I discuss almost daily.

But he also wanted to talk about the tariffs and such. I expressed an inability to grasp why he's doing that, even for nefarious reasons. He asked if I wanted to hear a conspiracy theory, I said sure, and he said it's possibly they want to destabilize the economy so severely that looting and such becomes common place, then they can have some martial law and militarize the police even harder, taking completely over. I mentioned my joke about his birthday military parade being a way to get us used to tanks in the streets, and he completely agreed without any humor.

So, it's a conspiracy theory, but I admit it got me thinking. Thoughts?
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My thoughts? Anything and everything is on the table. On the face of it, this feels for sure like an attempt to destabilize the US. We know Russia is heavily involved with many facets of our government. We know that Trump is easily manipulated. We know his ego demands obeyance from those he perceives to be beneath him (99.9% of the population). All this adds up to something sinister. At this point an oligarchy seems quaint. I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. And that scares the shit out of me.
 
Ru1977 said:
I don't talk about politics with too many people at work, but a couple have tiptoed into figuring out where I stand on some things. One is early twenties, but the other is closer to my age and from Moldova. I have found I really enjoy his perspective since he has such a unique one, for me anyway. His country was part of the USSR when he was a kid. And we've discussed things here and there, but today he REALLY wanted to talk to me about Trump. I haven't seen him since I got back from Ireland, so he was 'jokingly' asking if I am considering moving there, and I told him it's something my wife and I discuss almost daily.

But he also wanted to talk about the tariffs and such. I expressed an inability to grasp why he's doing that, even for nefarious reasons. He asked if I wanted to hear a conspiracy theory, I said sure, and he said it's possibly they want to destabilize the economy so severely that looting and such becomes common place, then they can have some martial law and militarize the police even harder, taking completely over. I mentioned my joke about his birthday military parade being a way to get us used to tanks in the streets, and he completely agreed without any humor.

So, it's a conspiracy theory, but I admit it got me thinking. Thoughts?
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I don't even think it qualifies as a conspiracy theory. Trump's entire presidency so far has been about destabilization of the US and any country that deals with the US. Trump has already tried to militarize the police (he literally tear-gassed peaceful protesters so he could have a photo op with an upside-down bible in front of a church). He's doing/wants to do the tanks in the streets stuff. He idolizes Un, Putin, and Jinping. I can't imagine a good argument for how this -isn't- targeted at destabilization and militarization of the police/martial law.
 
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