Trump Versus Biden

[trdsf]

The head of the GSA said she made the decision on her own in response to Trump saying he ordered her to go ahead.  But then if a hurricane changed it's path and missed South Carolina, Trump would say he ordered it.  Either way as you point out, it is a major step, and it's not the best outcome for Trump.  The train is leaving the station if a bit late.  But I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the last four years.

I suspect she was getting a lot of pushback from the permanent staff, and probably some Congressional Republicans too.  Also, I suspect she didn't like the type of publicity she was getting for being "the bottleneck", even if she was following orders from the White House.  I mean, before last week, who even heard of her outside of DC, and now she's the one subverting the will of the nation.  Not what you want on your resume as you get ready to look for a new job.

[Baruch]

Hopefully this is truth bound. I read Trump tweeted he has finally initiated the transfer of power to Biden.

11 D chess, like with Obama ;-)

[Baruch]

I think I finally have a handle on Trump's popularity. It is simple. He is an unapologetic selfish asshole. And that appeals to 50% of Americans who are also selfish assholes. The pundits and sociologists can write books till the cows come home. It is what it is.

Unapologetic selfish assholes ... yes!  And the other half of the country is even more eeevil ;-)

[Baruch]

So did a lot of other people, based on the fake intelligence reports they were fed.  I don't know whether he's ever recanted his support; that is what I would find more telling.

Bipartisan coup grifting and war grifting.  Follow the money, not the memes.

[Baruch]

I suspect she was getting a lot of pushback from the permanent staff, and probably some Congressional Republicans too.  Also, I suspect she didn't like the type of publicity she was getting for being "the bottleneck", even if she was following orders from the White House.  I mean, before last week, who even heard of her outside of DC, and now she's the one subverting the will of the nation.  Not what you want on your resume as you get ready to look for a new job.

Democrats make it easy.  Just threaten to rape and murder her family (like was done against Tucker Carlson).  Tucker is now a BLM supporter ;-)  Trumpsters want to burn down Fox News with him in it.

"Barack Obama is the president elect.  He never left Washington, and even declared a shadow government in 2016" .. everyone forgets this fact.  When Biden is President, and is removed for senility ... Harris will be there to take his place, with Barak and Hillary standing right behind her (Vince Foster, Seth Rich).

[SGOS]

“It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter.

Mr. Flynn, the former national security adviser, was the only White House official to be convicted as part of the Trump-Russia investigation that was completed by the special counsel, Robert Mueller.

Trumps version of draining the swamp.

[Cassia]

Trumps version of draining the swamp.

Flynn, about an hour and a half ahead of Trump's announcement, tweeted a Bible verse alluding to a holy rescue.

[Baruch]

Flynn, about an hour and a half ahead of Trump's announcement, tweeted a Bible verse alluding to a holy rescue.

An actual war hero, he didn't want a pardon, he wanted the court to exonerate.  Obama had him entrapped and locked up because he would spill the beans on all the criminal and treasonous activity of the Obama years (sad because I hoped Obama would do us some good, but there were a lot of bad people under Obama, and Biden will bring them back).  While under indictment he was prevented from testimony, now he can not only gove testimony but go for revenge on Obama and Judge Sullivan and Comey.

Obama knew this in Jan 2017 and went after Flynn anyway, Obama used a criminal FBI to try to make what Flynn did illegal (legal under previous transitions) and even FBI said wasn't illegal after examination ... and by threatening the man's son and ruining him financially, cause him to give conflicting testimony (which was irrelevant since his original actions were legal per current AJ).  Flynn didn't even have a lawyer present (how naive of him).

[Hydra009]

So did a lot of other people, based on the fake intelligence reports they were fed.  I don't know whether he's ever recanted his support; that is what I would find more telling.

That's true, though there were some indicators that things weren't as they appeared at the time that even laymen like me picked up on, so people with expertise really should've known better.

Unfortunately, it wasn't so much about the evidence (if it was, we would have never put boots on the ground there, because it was shaky af).  It was more about the country's willingness to go to war in general and our spoiling for war in the aftermath of 9/11 in particular.  Imho, falling for that was a massive error in judgment and a significant moral failing, not merely a case of being duped.  That's not the kind of thing you get 3 strikes for.

Hopefully, he's learned from that and is much less venerable to neocon manipulation than he was, because they're still very much out there and very nearly caused yet another war - this time with Iran - and they won't all be out of a job when Trump leaves office.  Blinkin appears committed to a diplomatic solution there, which is reassuring.  I fervently hope he stays that way.

[Hydra009]

And if I seem super-duper harsh about this, bear in mind that I saw the Presidential Admin make bold fearmongering statements like that infamous mushroom cloud one (implying that we'd get nuked if we don't start the war pronto) and watch half the country fall in line.  Torture too, not long after.  Watching Americans quickly and easily bend to disinformation campaigns and support extremely suspect policies without giving it much thought is what gave us Trump. 

It's not enough to simply remove Trump.  We need to remove what led us to Trump.

[Mike Cl]

And if I seem super-duper harsh about this, bear in mind that I saw the Presidential Admin make bold fearmongering statements like that infamous mushroom cloud one (implying that we'd get nuked if we don't start the war pronto) and watch half the country fall in line.  Torture too, not long after.  Watching Americans quickly and easily bend to disinformation campaigns and support extremely suspect policies without giving it much thought is what gave us Trump. 

It's not enough to simply remove Trump.  We need to remove what led us to Trump.

As far as I'm concerned, Bush is a war criminal and belongs behind bars.  And a bunch of his administration should be there (especially cheney!) as well.  It seems to me that Regan started us on this road--

[SGOS]

Biden weaseled his way around supporting the invasion of Iraq, by saying all he did was authorize Bush to use force.  Much later, when called upon to defend his actions, he said that he opposed the war the day we invaded because he didn't think Bush would do it without better evidence of actual threat.  I don't know how many people see that as honesty or even legitimate if not honest.  To me it sounds politically legitimate, but still a moral failure.  But granted for all of Biden's short comings, he is not even close to Trump in shortcomings and lack of moral judgement, not even in the same ball park at all.

[Baruch]

And if I seem super-duper harsh about this, bear in mind that I saw the Presidential Admin make bold fearmongering statements like that infamous mushroom cloud one (implying that we'd get nuked if we don't start the war pronto) and watch half the country fall in line.  Torture too, not long after.  Watching Americans quickly and easily bend to disinformation campaigns and support extremely suspect policies without giving it much thought is what gave us Trump. 

It's not enough to simply remove Trump.  We need to remove what led us to Trump.

George Washington led us to Trump.  Every Prez is a war Prez.  People seem to be still naive about the Vietnam War.  The US is evil, no matter the party.  And better yet, evil is good.

[Baruch]

Biden weaseled his way around supporting the invasion of Iraq, by saying all he did was authorize Bush to use force.  Much later, when called upon to defend his actions, he said that he opposed the war the day we invaded because he didn't think Bush would do it without better evidence of actual threat.  I don't know how many people see that as honesty or even legitimate if not honest.  To me it sounds politically legitimate, but still a moral failure.  But granted for all of Biden's short comings, he is not even close to Trump in shortcomings and lack of moral judgement, not even in the same ball park at all.

That is reasonable.  I didn't trust the neocons but I assumed classified info and nat sec limitations on wild actions.  I didn't know then that Gen Colin Powell was part of the My Lai coverup.

[Unbeliever]

It's not enough to simply remove Trump.  We need to remove what led us to Trump.

What we need to do and what we will do are seldom the same thing.

We did not punish Reagan for Iran/Contra, we did not punish Bush/Cheney for lying us into two wars, and we won't punish Trump for his crimes, either. I wonder who will be the next Republican president we won't punish?