New Developments III

[OscarGuy]

I wonder if it's because they were peaceful protesters, not the wannabe soldiers who stormed Michigan statehouse with guns because they couldn't get their heir done.

Someone posted something recently about the Geneva convention. The one thing on it that sound wrong was the use of tear gas. I didn't think tear gas was against the convention. Does anyone know?

[Big Magilla]

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[Big Magilla]

It's up to 186 comments now. The tide seems to be turning.

"Since NJ.com stopped allowing comments, it looks like this is where the ignorant racists hang out. Sad."

"I guess this (disgusting counter protest video) is what some of you are into:
https://www.courierpostonline.com/story ... 326467002/"

[OscarGuy]

Most of the protestors I've seen ARE wearing masks to the protests, so clearly that last guy is getting his talking points from Fox News.

[Big Magilla]

New Jersey's Democratic Governor Phil Murphy today lifted restrictions. This has gotten 138 negative responses out of 139 total responses thus far in my local on-line newspaper in South Jersey. Here are some choice examples from obvious Trump voters:

"As the lesser among us are allowed to riot in large numbers, I still have to wear a mask to enter a Wawa. What a pathetic regime we live under."

"If they can loot in person they can vote in person."

"I'm inviting a 501 people over to my house for a protest. BBQ and beer will be served to keep the protesters from getting hangry."

"This guy really is a clown!! Like he's doing us a favor? He realizes that he allows the protestors to gather with no masks or social distancing? I guess the laws don't apply to them? Aren't they people like you and me? Why is that ok and we can't even go in a pool until 6/22? Does this make any sense to anyone out there? So now he's allowing us to gather 25% outside and inside, then 50% in due time etc. What a double standard!!! He allows his base to do whatever he wants, but the working people and business people who pay taxes and contribute to our towns paying the ridiculous property taxes we all pay means nothing to him!! He'll keep us all down and will fine us and penalize us and arrest us if we open up to go to work !! People WAKE UP !!! This is the Democratic party, DICTATORS by controlling everything we do!!! Don't vote for these clowns!!!"

[Sabin]

Sonic Youth wrote
I don't think he even wants a second term.

I've been pretty despairing for the past four years. And seeing where we're currently at, it wasn't all for naught. Who could've predicted the worst pandemic since 1919, the worst economy since the 1930's, and worst social unrest since the 1960's? One or two maybe, but not all three. That being said, I still think the likest scenario for that tweet is Trump just trying to sow the seeds of division he needs to stay in power. I've been pretty steadfast in my belief that with the NY prosecutors waiting in the wings, Trump isn't going anywhere...

However...

In early 2017, I bet one of my friends that Trump would serve out his term. This friend would not shut up that it was just a matter of time until forces beyond his control push him out. I've felt very confident in our bet until the past month. This is a historically dreadful hand to be dealt when running for reelection, this President is pathologically incapable of thinking anything is his fault, he is so afraid of looking foolish that he won't wear a mask during a pandemic, and the latest polls show Biden up by fourteen points.

I'm really wishing I put a time cap on my bet because the odds aren't zero that he blames everybody else and hops a plane to his new residence in Florida.

[OscarGuy]

Trump does want a second term. Otherwise, he wouldn't be trying to find ways to undermine Biden. The problem is that his narcisism blinds him to reality. That he's surrounded himself with an echo chamber the likes of which few could, enables him to only hear good news, so I think his tonedeafness is a direct result of this.

The reason he wants another term is because his current justice department capo is willing to bend and warp the rule of law to protect his "client," and thus he's been shielded from federal prosecution. He knows that if he leaves now, he'll likely go to prison. Not real prison, but White People Prison (Club Fed), and he doesn't want that. He's a huckster/grifter/what have you. The fact that 40% of the public is still with him in spite of his heinous abuses of power, makes him think that he really could kill someone on fifth avenue and not face repercussions.

Someone who has lived their entire lives being catered to cannot fathom being wrong. It's why so many white supremacists can't see past their own "superiority" to recognize that they are the Nazis just Nazis. They cannot see beyond the narrow world view they've given themselves. Trump is the classic racist Southern Democrat that defined the party for decades until the move to bring minorities under the big tent during the Civil Rights Movement, which slowly pushed them out of the party over the next few decades until they found a home in the Republican Party.

Trump won't live to see historians rank his presidency below Andrew Johnson's. Even if he did, he would never believe it. His tiny bubble can never be burst simply because the sycophants around him won't burst it for fear of losing their power.

[Big Magilla]

So, with all the good-guys-winning vibe of the past week, we needed something for pundits to focus on for Democrats in Disarray, and some on the left have provided it with "Defund the Police". Which is the natural successor to Abolish Ice! and Medicare-for-All-or-I-Stay Home!

This is the strongest moment for police reform in my lifetime, but leave it to fringe Dems to find a way to lose part of the coalition through rhetoric. I keep being told, you need to read further along, it's more nuanced than you think. 1) The oldest law of politics is, If you're explaining, you're losing, and 2) If the first thing you need to say about your slogan is, It doesn't mean what it sounds like, it's a crappy slogan.

I don't see it having any long-term effect, given the turducken of crises that has exposed Trump for the ghastly leader he is. But it's an unforced error, and evidence that a sliver of the left are just morons when it comes to marketing.

It's not only a horrible slogan, it's a poorly thought out idea.

Reform, yes, and quickly, but moving funds from police departments and giving them to other entities to perform certain functions now done by the police may be a good idea but it can't be done by taking a hatchet to police departments en masse. It might work in a city like Camden, New Jersey where they had county police and private police to keep the peace until a new police department was formed but not in NYC, L.A., Chicago or most other big cities where laying off police is bound by union contracts to be done by seniority which keeps the problem performers, not performance, which might get rid of many of the problems.

[dws1982]

I don't think he even wants a second term.

I actually tweeted almost the same thing this morning. I think he kind of wants to keep the cult and the power for ego purposes, but the only things he's really liked about being President is the rallies (a chance to do his standup routine) and trying to do what he can to help his businesses.

[Sonic Youth]

Guys you know I make a point to avoid these threads, but Trump may have sent his worst tweet ever this morning:

Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?

The competition for worst Trump tweet is heavy, but this one is up there.

I don't think he even wants a second term.

[dws1982]

Guys you know I make a point to avoid these threads, but Trump may have sent his worst tweet ever this morning:

Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?

The competition for worst Trump tweet is heavy, but this one is up there.

[Mister Tee]

So, with all the good-guys-winning vibe of the past week, we needed something for pundits to focus on for Democrats in Disarray, and some on the left have provided it with "Defund the Police". Which is the natural successor to Abolish Ice! and Medicare-for-All-or-I-Stay Home!

This is the strongest moment for police reform in my lifetime, but leave it to fringe Dems to find a way to lose part of the coalition through rhetoric. I keep being told, you need to read further along, it's more nuanced than you think. 1) The oldest law of politics is, If you're explaining, you're losing, and 2) If the first thing you need to say about your slogan is, It doesn't mean what it sounds like, it's a crappy slogan.

I don't see it having any long-term effect, given the turducken of crises that has exposed Trump for the ghastly leader he is. But it's an unforced error, and evidence that a sliver of the left are just morons when it comes to marketing.

[Big Magilla]

Yes, all that and Biden clinched the nomination with his primary win in Guam Friday night into Saturday morning..

Meanwhile, Trump is now retaliating against Germany in the wake of Angela Merkel's refusing to attend his G7 meeting.

From the New York Times:

When Chancellor Angela Merkel told President Trump last week that she would not attend the Group of 7 meeting he wanted to host in Washington this month, the call between the two leaders, normally respectful in tone, turned testy.

Ms. Merkel cited the ongoing pandemic. Mr. Trump responded with a wide-ranging monologue about his frustrations with the Group of 7 and NATO and the World Health Organization. America was doing great, he said, even as citizens rioted in cities across the country. The pandemic was China’s fault.

They hung up after only 20 minutes.

“It was not a nice call,” said one official who was listening and recounted the exchange.

One week later, Germans learned that the United States planned to cut its troop presence in their country by more than a quarter. Some 9,500 soldiers who have helped keep peace on the continent are to leave within the next three months. There had been no warning, and even today there is not yet an official notification.

Full article here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/worl ... e=Homepage

[Mister Tee]

Can a day be simultaneously inspiring and horrifying?

This has been an amazing day/week to watch. The Trump Monday night stunt -- tear-gassing priests and protestors to pose in front of a church holding a Bible -- was catastrophically miscalculated...not least because otherwise neutrally-inclined TV journalists were on the scene to testify to the reality. I didn't hear a single newsperson refer to the incident as anything but a photo op -- a designation we used to beg them to make back in the Bush era. And then Mattis, who'd held his fire interminably, added the kill shot (with retired generals lining up to get their rounds in). It was clear within 24 hours how badly the event had gone, evidenced by Ivanka and Hope Hicks being thrown under the bus for coming up with the idea. (No one takes credit from Trump when he's happy, but bad things always get blamed elsewhere.)

The event definitely changed the overall tenor of coverage. In the few days before, there'd been the usual if-it-bleeds-it-leads sensationalism ("Can you get a close-up on that burning trash can?"), and, even that night, there was substantial focus on the midtown NY looting (despite the fact it had zero visible connection to anyone marching). But, from then on, the story became, look how many people there are, look how peaceful they are, and, if there's any bad behavior, it's coming from those people wearing badges. Polls are off the charts on the good-guy side: the Trump cult are the only ones buying his take; 60-65% see this as good people showing justified outrage over injustice. And the image of police has taken a nose-dive.

Which brings us to today, one for the ages. It seems, if anything, bigger and more widespread than the January 2017 Women's March. People are turning out in extraordinary numbers EVERYWHERE -- even in all-white towns in red states. Trump was already headed way south in the election, thanks to COVID, impeachment and the economy (don't be fooled by yesterday's "comeback"). But this is a deep nail in his coffin. He's being judged unfit by a solid majority of his citizens.

So, why horrifying? That pesky COVID thing. I know all these people are outside, and masks seem universal (as compared to the Buffalo support-the-police event, an all-old/all-white/no-mask event). But we've been staying inside for good reason, and that reason didn't vaporize because the cause is so righteous. This was a lot of people -- way more than the prescribed groups of 10 -- and I didn't see six-feet-apart being practiced anywhere. I fear what kind of spike we might see over the next few weeks (especially since we're already spiking from those douchebag states that had to open so people could get haircuts). So, while I love what I'm seeing, and am fully behind the spirit that the times won't wait...I also fear the results. And hate that I live in a country where, right now, people have been forced into such a Sophie's Choice.

[Big Magilla]

Yes, they have crossed, which is why I'm hoping he may have finally done something that is too much for some of them to stomach.

Yesterday was the first day since I can't remember when that my Facebook feed hasn't had a pro-Trump, anti-Democrat target-of-the-day post that comes from only four people - two neighbors who don't get along and a 2nd cousin and his spouse, all of them good people in other ways but disgusting in their political attitudes. The cousin and his wife are opposed by all four daughters and their families who were/are? mostly Bernie supporters.

The funny thing about the vehement Trump supporters that I still talk to is that they are all Italian-Americans, most of them married to non-Italians, who are at odds with other Italian-American family members. I've never been able to figure out why.

Meanwhile I have a friend whose teenage daughter was hurt while protesting in California. I don't know the details. A social worker pro-demonstrator niece in upstate New York is devastated by a remark made to her detective husband by a protestor that he "should be dead" while all my other nieces and nephews are either marching or in solidarity with the marchers. Thankfully, the looting seems to have stopped but between the on-going demonstrations and the pandemic this has already been one hell of a year.