So in this, I think we see how Trump will quash dissent. How many corporations will be willing to speak against or support opposition of his policies if he starts to threaten their livelihoods?
I have to say, as much as I understand these sentiments, that is really just playing into his strategy. Get folks who know better to tune out. It’s like some weird form of aversion therapy. I truly believe he knows what he’s doing. Yes, he acts like a toddler, but I think he knows what he’s doing in getting folks like you to tune out. Like some weird jackass who won’t wear deodorant just to drive those he doesn’t like away. Or putting his hands all over the food at the buffet because he knows it’ll disgust you and mean more food for him.
I’m sure there’s a better analogy, but I can’t be bothered. Suffice to say, turning off right now is the worst thing you can do, IMHO.
-xtien
None
3598
Here in Memphis, I’m learning that a good number of my friends’ Christian parents very reluctantly voted for Trump based solely on the issue of abortion. What I hear some of these friends explaining is that while their parents find a lot of things about Trump distasteful, this one specific Christian value was what it took to get their vote.
We’ve gone round and round about Trump’s lack of ethics among his other failings as a decent human being (and Christian) and my friends are just as flabbergasted as I am about their parents’ ability to overlooking everything else while grasping onto this one issue.
I didn’t say I would disengage politically. I said I would stop wasting brain cells being shocked by whatever ridiculous/horrible thing he said this week. We elected a monster; let’s settle in and get used to it. Permanent opposition is now the default stance, so why keep acting surprised?
I see. But I disagree with the implication in the language you are using. The frog-in-the-frying-pan thing, and all.
He says outrageous things so you will settle in and get used to it. That’s how he gets away with saying all these shitty things. Because our media just decided to settle in and get used to it. Then so did his supporters. And now people who despise him will too.
I guess I just disagree with your language. But point taken.
-xtien
I think we’re talking past each other.
It’s the press’s job to call him a liar every time he lies, and I think they’re doing that. They must do that job in the same way that McDonald’s must put fries in the deep frier. At least the real press, like the NY Times and Washington Post. I can’t answer for the fucked up social media / alt-net bog that some people consider to be ‘the news.’ Those people are idiots. I didn’t make them idiots, and I won’t stop calling them idiots either.
What I can’t do is act surprised everytime an authoritarian asshole says something that reminds me he’s an authoritarian asshole. I know he’s an authoritarian asshole. I got the memo. So I will put my back into being part of the opposition, but that’s all I have the time and brainspace for. Getting used to evil is not, IMO, the same thing as getting comfortable with it or normalizing it. It’s just accepting where we are.
You’re probably right. And thank you for making that clear. I was worried we’d lost you for the next four years.
I like you too much to lose you.
-xtien
I agree with this - I think the more useful thing to do with Trump’s tweets and other outrageous statements is to look for their agenda. In other words, if we just assume that everything he tweets about or does is narcissism or idiocy, we will not be prepared to fight the things he’s actually trying to accomplish (and, just as bad, we will miss opportunities to get positive results from his disagreements with the equally-bad-in-a-different-way GOP). For example, dismissing his calls to Taiwan and Pakistan, and his Putin-snuggling as the bumbling of a narcissist who wants attention and praise and doesn’t understand international diplomacy means we won’t be prepared when he sets up a treaty organization to combat China and India, and begins to work both overtly through sanctions and tariffs and covertly through cyber operations to undermine their economies.
JFrazer
3604
I read an article this morning (wish I could remember where so that I could like to it) on one of the major news sites about a poll that was conducted recently. One of the questions in the poll was something like “If Donald Trump said something and the press claimed that thing was a lie, which would you believe?” 54% of people who voted for Trump responded that they would always believe Trump over the press.
How do you compete against that? You have 25% of the population who voted saying that they believe a serial liar over the press. There is no one to keep him in check if he can say whatever he likes and have literally tens of millions believe him no matter what.
As for the Boeing thing, the misinformation is interesting. The total spend will indeed likely be around $4 billion. The first plane is budgeted at $1.65 billion with the contract having an option for a second Air Force One to be built. But the way he’s phrasing it implies that it’s a $4 billion plane being built.
Air Force One is 30 years old. It’s being replaced for a good reason. I’m sure Trump wants to use Trump Force One instead (while also staying in Trump Tower). I think he just doesn’t want a damn thing in his life to change or be inconvenienced by this pesky “being President” thing.
I’m actually surprised it’s that low. I guess a lot of Trump voters just didn’t hear the press refutations at all.
Timex
3606
Yeah, it means that 46% of them either totally zoned out on the billion lies he told during the election.
None
3607
I read an article yesterday with similar numbers.
A 56 percent majority of Trump voters say that if a national media outlet reported that Trump said something untrue, they would be more inclined to believe him than the news outlet.
Trump’s been discrediting the press for quite a while now and usually the first few comments I see from Trump supporters to a NY Times or Washington Post tweet is something along the lines of “fake news”, “incompetentance”, etc. Doesn’t even matter if the story has direct quotes from Trump/surrogate or is just reporting something that they’ve done. The response from these Trump supporters is generally the same: “liberal bias” or “why don’t you talk about [insert something Hillary did]”. I’m unsure of any way to really get through to these folks.
Idiocy is hard to fight. We may be fucked.
But remember folks, this is a faith of value and worth, and its followers do real good in the world.
(Sorry, every so often, my anti-all-religions slips out. I’ll try to keep it tucked away so I don’t scare the goodly people of faith away from our godless echo chamber :P)
Pickaxe? Trepanation blade? Bunker buster?
Quaro
3610
Boeing CEO quoted as not super excited about Trump, minutes later Trump tweets a false tweet and tanks their stock.
Menzo
3611
This has nothing to do with the Trump presidency. The planes are not scheduled to enter service until 2024 (which he of course knows).
JFrazer
3612
Oh wow, I missed that tid-bit. What the hell is he going on about then? Sounds like the theories that he’s just looking for slap Boeing around for displeasing him may be correct.
AlanC
3613
If Trump wants to fly in a plane without the latest in ECM and communication equipment then I’m all for it.
I actually think that’s the wrong thing to do; his tweets rarely if ever have anything to do with policy or plans. When Trump tweets out something outrageous that is likely to spin the Twitterverse into a tizzy of outrage, we ought to be looking away from the tweet and towards whatever stories are being eclipsed by them.
The headlines should be something like “President Trump Creates Tweet to Distract Public from [True Outrage]”.
