The Political Thread

[JayzusB.Christ]

Yeah, sorry: I'm a real bummer sometimes.

On a positive note, the US military quite often distances itself from Trumpet Scunthorpe Cockatoo Wristwatch.

There seems to be quite a bit of that going on alright, which is refreshing to see.  So much for the military parades he was having his dictatorial wankfests about a while ago.

Trumpet Scunthorpe Cockatoo Wristwatch

Had to think about that for a while 

[Tjm86]

So Trump's rally last night is garnering attention for some of the normal reasons:

- 2/3 full arena, plenty of empty seats (blamed on pranksters booking up tickets they had no intention of using ...)

- usual selection of ramblings to terrify the sane.

but the highlight?

- he asked for testing to be slowed because too many were testing positive.

Words ....  .... fail ...... 

[Robin Low]

but the highlight?

- he asked for testing to be slowed because too many were testing positive.

Words ....  .... fail ...... 

The word you're after is stupid. It really is that simple. He's stupid. Thick as pig-shit level stupid.

There's also ignorant and psychopathic, but at the most basic level he is stupid.

If ever there was an example of the power of money, he is it.

Regards,

Robin

[Tjm86]

I wish it were that simple.  Let's be honest though, could someone that 'stupid' really make it to such a prominent position in an American political party, get himself elected and manage to stay there as long as he has?

I mean, I would love to reduce it to such simplistic rhetoric but the reality of that fact is just staggering.  Mind you, I don't think we're in much better a position here in the UK.  The only real consolation is that we now seem to have an opposition willing to take a more nuanced and considered approach:  aka, let Johnson spin out the rope himself ...

[JayzusB.Christ]

I think, for all his lack of political experience, Trump is pretty smart when it comes to whipping fellow pig-ignorant boors up into a frenzy of hatred.  His cynical scapegoating works very well on those incapable of thinking with any degree of nuance, of which I now realise there are many.

When it comes to everything else, well, yeah. TAPS* to the core. A man in his 70s having to ask whether Finland is part of Russia.  A man running for president not knowing that Britain is a nuclear power.  Advising injection of disinfectant.  The mind boggles; at least a lot more than his does.

*Thick As Pig Stomm

[Tjm86]

A man running for president not knowing that Britain is a nuclear power. 

Weellll when you consider the size of the UK's nuclear arsenal and the source of the armaments it is possible to argue that the idea of Britain as a 'nuclear power' is slightly suspect. 

It might be better to suggest that it is an increasingly irrelevant extension of America's nuclear arsenal and that actually we've done more damage to the UK by electing Johnson as PM than even the most limited strike by Russia, China or North Korea might do.

Add in the amount of property and state infrastructure owned by Russia or China and you have to wonder if they would go to the trouble of a nuclear strike.  After all it would cost them more than it would cost us Brits (I know, I know, ... lives count too, except not so much in some circles ...).

A far better version of the 'nuclear deterrent' would be to sow nuclear mines around the more upmarket areas of London and threaten to set them off if the Russians do anything stupid.  As for the Chinese, well, they're building a great big nuclear bomb with their own money on British soil.

[Professor Bear]

The only real consolation is that we now seem to have an opposition willing to take a more nuanced and considered approach:  aka, let Johnson spin out the rope himself ...

When Corbyn did that you accused him of not following through.  Theresa May and David Cameron were forced to quit and it didn't affect the governing party one jot beyond buying them breathing room, but I am happy to be informed how what Starmer's doing will result in a measurable and tangibly different outcome, especially given his low polling numbers "against this government, against this PM, in this current mess of a political situation™" and those numbers are with the public and the media on his side.

We're actually even worse off than the Americans because they at least can hope that Biden somehow gets elected (unlikely) and then dies within the next 12 months (very likely) and the VP takes over and it's someone like Warren, who is not great, but if nothing else might be a good accelerationism candidate if you're absolutely at the end of your tether with mainstream politics.

[Funt Solo]

Corbyn? Who's that? 

Sorry for being a bit cheeky, but I'm not sure of the value of comparing everything negatively back to sour grapes about how things went for Corbyn. He was ousted by the media, by people within his own party, by the opposition and by the public. Okay.

But he also failed himself. He was grumpy, he was a fence-sitter on Brexit, he failed to take the political party with him, he didn't perform convincingly at PM's questions and he failed to negotiate with the Lib Dems when it might have proved of some use. Ultimately, he failed to take responsibility when he lost. As some of his supporters.

[Robin Low]

I wish it were that simple.  Let's be honest though, could someone that 'stupid' really make it to such a prominent position in an American political party, get himself elected and manage to stay there as long as he has?

That's what I mean about the power of money. His achievements have been bought. He says he wants something and somebody else is paid to do it. Aside from becoming the President, pretty much everything else he's thought would be a good idea has been a failure. He's been a failure as a business man and has failed miserably at being the President. He's remained in place purely because the Republicans are so desperate and greedy for power.

Believe me, I don't and have never liked explanations of the 'it really is that simple' variety, but in this case I think it absolutely is that simple. It is, I agree, almost impossible to believe.

JayzusB.Christ is correct that he is able to whip up the crowd. He is certainly a very effective demagogue. But I don't think that's a sign of intelligence. In this case, it's low cunning at best.

Regards,
Robin

[M.I.K.]

I wish it were that simple.

I wish it weren't.

[Professor Bear]

Corbyn? Who's that? 

I understand it to be a song by the White Stripes.

I wish it were that simple.  Let's be honest though, could someone that 'stupid' really make it to such a prominent position in an American political party, get himself elected and manage to stay there as long as he has?

That's what I mean about the power of money. His achievements have been bought. He says he wants something and somebody else is paid to do it. Aside from becoming the President, pretty much everything else he's thought would be a good idea has been a failure. He's been a failure as a business man and has failed miserably at being the President. He's remained in place purely because the Republicans are so desperate and greedy for power.

Believe me, I don't and have never liked explanations of the 'it really is that simple' variety, but in this case I think it absolutely is that simple. It is, I agree, almost impossible to believe.

I think Noam Chomsky called it right when he said that Nixon went too far with the Watergate break-in because he challenged the establishment rather than individuals, as individuals can come and go and that's just part of the musical chairs game of politics, but lobbying groups and organisations where the money and influence reside will defend themselves against any challenger.*  With Trump, you could see the Republican establishment didn't want him before his confirmation, though when it happened they got in line - but so did the Democrats, who watered down attempts to impeach and remove Trump from office because those same measures could be used against "their" presidents, especially by a GOP that has considerably less care for optics than the Dems do.
I mean, obviously we're in strange new times right now, but before all... this, imagine actually removing a president from office just because people wanted it to happen - what would that have said to the country or the world?  While money politics might be the context, I think the situation with Trump might also be something more intangible - something to do with America's relationship with symbols and the political establishment's fear of what people might get in their heads, but it all comes down to the same thing: once he was 'in', Trump was never going anywhere because the establishment was always going to look after him.


* Just look up "The Business Plot" for an - admittedly long in the tooth - example of how far American business leaders will go to protect their interests

[Funt Solo]

I find it difficult to express how I feel about current affairs, but Public Enemy have done it for me: PUBLIC ENEMY - State Of The Union (STFU) featuring DJ PREMIER

[Dandontdare]

I find it difficult to express how I feel about current affairs, but Public Enemy have done it for me: PUBLIC ENEMY - State Of The Union (STFU) featuring DJ PREMIER

Excellent.

I also like that it has the line "Mister I-am-the-law, and you are NOT"

[JayzusB.Christ]

I find it difficult to express how I feel about current affairs, but Public Enemy have done it for me: PUBLIC ENEMY - State Of The Union (STFU) featuring DJ PREMIER

Oh man, I had forgotten how good PE were, and they haven't lost it.  'Orange hair fear the comb-over' - love it!

[Professor Bear]

WHANNG