US Elections 2020

Started by dsanchez, August 29, 2020, 00:34:10

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dsanchez

:winking_tongue

2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

SueC

SueC is time travelling

MeltingMan

En cette nation [Russie] qui n'a pas eu de théoriciens et de démagogues,
les pires ferments de destruction ont apparu. (J. Péladan)

SueC

SueC is time travelling

MeltingMan

En cette nation [Russie] qui n'a pas eu de théoriciens et de démagogues,
les pires ferments de destruction ont apparu. (J. Péladan)

Ulrich

In my opinion, impeachment takes too long, the Republicans should have the courage to remove him (according to the 25th amendment).
However, this might "backfire": if he is removed due to being "mentally unstable", in a later court case he could say he was "temporarily insane" and thus "not responsible" for his deeds.  :unamused:
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

SueC

The beauty about impeachment is that he'd never be able to hold public office again, and that he'd not get the ginormous golden-handshake pension and lifelong security detailing of an ex-President.

Yeah, he's insane, clearly, but like you say, the problem with using the 25th amendment and formalising his insanity is that he'd then be able to potentially get off a lot of his crimes on the plea of insanity.

The other real problem is that over 70 million Americans are apparently insane as well - and/or have their basic values way out of whack.
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Ulrich

Article in German (sorry), some interesting views.
Trump's persona will stay present for a while...

QuoteExperte: Donald Trump hat den Westen diskreditiert

Kaim hält den Vorschlag von Außenminister Heiko Maas, mit den USA gemeinsam einen Plan zur Stärkung der Demokratien zu entwickeln, grundsätzlich für richtig. In Trumps Amtszeit sei "der Westen als Modell diskreditiert worden", sagte er.

"Der Verfall der amerikanischen Demokratie hat eben dazu geführt, dass viele autoritäre oder totalitäre Länder sich über den Westen lustig machen" würden. Er denke da an Russland und China.

Allerdings warnte Kaim vor überzogenem Optimismus.

"Auch Joe Biden wird erstmal eine innenpolitische Präsidentschaft antreten", sagte er. Der künftige Präsident habe in vielen Detailfragen wie Handelsthemen "durchblicken lassen, dass eine Variante von "America First" auch zu seiner politischen Agenda gehören" werde. Das werde nur nicht so aggressiv und feindselig sein wie unter Trump.
https://www.gmx.net/magazine/politik/us-praesident-donald-trump/experte-donald-trump-bleibt-trotz-abwahl-machtfaktor-35426068
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

SueC

I've a friend who took part in the original civil rights movement marches in the US (actually met Rosa Parks) and who now lives in Florida (Trump epicentre).  The other day I wrote to her, in part:  I continue to hear the news from the US in horror, both all that unnecessary COVID and the huge popular support for that horrible person and all the truth-twisting and stupidity and conspiracy theories and now people rampaging through the Capitol with the very police who tear-gassed peaceful BLM protestors apparently aiding and abetting them. It's upsetting me, and I don't even live in your country. I don't know how you cope... how are you doing? ♥

Her reply was so graphic and informative I asked if I could share it - because these are the American voices we're not hearing very much.  She's happy for you to read what she wrote.  Here it is.

QuoteI was horrified when I saw the news...it was devastating. What is even more devastating to me is that the supporters of this madman continue to revere him. I could not and have not been able to understand, since 2015, why so many people I used to respect and admire think he is so amazing and wonderful. Today I checked the "Presidential Poll" and see that, although his acceptance is lower than it was last week, it is still not very low.

I cannot find out if any of the hundreds of supporters in my circle of acquaintances and friends have lost faith in this man because years ago, I asked everyone of that ilk not to discuss politics with me. And when they try, I shut them down. So, I cannot bring it up. Also, it would literally make me sick to my stomach to hear their ridiculous belief in the lies. I live in the heart of ultra conservative country. I have only 2 close friends who think that people who are hurting and in trouble deserve to be helped, even though they haven't contributed. The rest think that only people who have paid into the system should get anything out of the system.

I can't talk about politics to these people because of a flaw in my nature. I have known since I was quite young that when under stress, I can't think or talk. Suddenly, I am so shocked and stunned by the stupid mind boggling unthinking beliefs, that I cannot form any answers or bring forth any facts. But facts wouldn't affect these people anyway. They have their "alternative facts" (lies) which they insist are true. It's like trying to tell someone that it is night because the sky is dark and the stars are out, and they insist that it is day. What else can you say to someone like that?

What happened to their brains? I used to think they had brains, but clearly they do not. I have decided several things (1) most, if not all, are secretly racist (2) they read and follow only certain news sources which constantly re-tell lies (3) they are extremely fearful people. I have noticed that they are the people who never take chances. Yesterday I was riding with the madman supporter who said she would never sky dive under any circumstances. I said if someone offered it to me, all set up, and not cost anything, I would jump at the chance. (4) I read an editorial that showed in a study that conservatives tend to be more inclined to authoritarian leaders. Hmm, seems to be true in my experience.

About covid. Florida is rife with it. Churches are open, people singing, sitting close together, having get-togethers, funerals . . .and passing it around and dying . . . all the while denying that it even exists. I'll bet I can name you ten or even 20 acquaintances who insist it is only the flu. Last week a riding friend insisted that no more people have died this year than last year. It's all a hoax to discredit our glorious leader. What can you say to someone like that? My neighbor two places away told me the hospitals are not full. It's just flu. No one is dying. Doctors are not busy. Nurses are being laid off. I live among crazies. It isn't real fun. I am doing OK. I enjoy the horses lots. I ask these people to leave their opinions in their brains and not express them to me.

She added a few things today that she thinks people should know, about what she wrote above.

QuoteYes, certainly, you may share what I wrote . . . but you have to remember that I live in a bastion of Trump lovers. Obviously, the majority of Americans do not support Trump. So, my views are skewed because of the people I live around...

I'm sure it is character building (albeit extremely confusing) to have numerous close friends who are completely ideologically at odds with me. My daughter's adopted grandmother (long story--our kids are adopted, we are an older couple, all grandparents are gone, a sweet lady from our church saw that my daughter had no grandparents to love and spoil her, so she offered to "adopt" my daughter and be her grandma . . . and do all the grandmotherly things that my daughter would miss) is a devout Christian, a pillar of the church, and someone anyone could easily admire . . . and yet she adores Trump, thinks he can do no wrong, has "Make America Great Again" signs and Trump signs in her yard. How can someone so sweet and kind and good and someone who values being kind and good adore someone so clearly selfish and evil???? This lady has Hispanic next door neighbors who recently emigrated from Mexico. They are good people, hard workers, conscientious and great neighbors. She LOVES them. She spends hours with them, helping them with English, playing with their children, bringing them food when they got covid (the whole family but none died), very involved with their lives. And I am certain not in a condescending way because she would never be condescending. She's a wonderful lady. How can someone like that want to build a wall and approve of shooting and tear gassing Mexican mothers and children? How can she approve of separating moms from their kids when she offered to be my daughter's grandma? (she is also the Mexican family's grandma as well because their grandmas are in Mexico) It boggles my mind.

And she isn't the only one. I believe I said that there are many MANY folks that I used to admire that see NO wrong in Trump at all. None. They think he is great. One person is a famous author that is my pen pal. We've never met, but we write to each other and have for 15 years. She belongs to Mensa, that organization for way intelligent people. You have to pass a high IQ test to get in. She's thoughtful, insightful, kind. Also, she has dabbled in being a lesbian and isn't sure what her sexuality is, but feels open about sex with men and women. And yet she wrote to me that she was "singing and dancing" when Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. She is certain there is no climate change. It's all a hoax. Among many many other Trump distortions. She believes them all.

So, that's me. That's where I live. But that's not where a majority of people live or think. My best friend, who still lives in Maryland, where I grew up, close to Washington DC, says, "Please don't talk about Trump" not because she hears people liking him. It's because she's so tired of everyone bashing him. She despises him, but she doesn't want to hear complaining and whining--has a bellyfull of it every day. I would be surprised if she knows anyone who likes him. It just depends on your location, I think. Just want to clarify that with you.

Thank you endlessly for allowing me to vent. I need to vent. My husband voted for Trump and now bitterly regrets it. I can never discuss any of my dissatisfactions with Trump with him because he says it is "rubbing his nose in it." He wants to forget he ever thought Trump would be good for our country. He couldn't stand Hillary Clinton (neither could I, but I voted for her--lesser of two evils). Hillary was/is creepy, selfish, and grasping. But I could see that she wasn't as bad as you-know-who."


There's a very personal, inside view of the madness in America, from an ordinary citizen, not a journalist.  My heart goes out to my friend, and others in the US living with this madness.  We have a fair few loonies here in Australia too, but not at the critical mass at which they are present in the US, where they can significantly affect public life like this.  I worry also because I remember my grandmother's stories about Hitler, and how he duped people.  He boasted that the bigger the lie, the more readily people believe it, and it seems to me that Trump has been singing from Hitler's songbook, with this and a plethora of other things.

If any of you have friends in the States, they might be able to use some emotional support right now. ♥
SueC is time travelling

SueC

I'm subscribed to Crikey, which yesterday ran an excellent series of articles on the link between media and right-wing extremism in the US, and increasingly, Australia.  Their investigative journalists are pretty good most of the time, and this series also contains articles by two former Australian prime ministers on the subject.  I'm sharing the link, which, if it works, should have about seven articles in it.

https://go.pardot.com/webmail/272522/805355258/f53fffee1f947d85762e1fd881ff5845d649def0f054f3dd5c14c43639f8f388

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SueC

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SueC

QuoteLead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin quoted Voltaire as he condemned the lies that Donald Trump and his allies told about the presidential election.

"Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities," Voltaire once said.

from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/feb/11/donald-trump-impeachment-senate-trial-live-news-updates
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SueC

Great article here:  Impeachment 2.0: Trump's no-show trial is an immoral sham and a criminal shame  The former US president's guilt will be whitewashed and the conspiring senators should hang their heads in shame.

QuoteHis defenders, of course, have condemned the proceedings. They argue the trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office. They claim his first amendment right to free speech protects him. They deny he violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States by inciting a mob to storm the Capitol.

All this is utter nonsense. Trump hasn't just left a trail of evidence confirming his culpability; with his own words and actions he has all but delivered a signed confession.

None of this matters to the outcome. That is preordained. It is clear to everyone that the fix is in. Trump will be acquitted, albeit by a minority of senators.

Therein lies the real sham. His supporters have decried the prosecution as a show trial, harking back to the concocted hearings during Stalin's great purge, or the theatrical rantings of the Nazi judge Roland Freisler who presided over the People's Court.

But they overlook a glaring distinction: those infamous tribunals were condemned as show trials because conviction was a given. Their purpose was to use the power of the state to crush opposition. Evidence was immaterial. Innocence was not an option.

Trump's impeachment case is the mirror image. His guilt will be whitewashed, regardless of the facts.
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