Thoughts on the Trump presidency

[Scotrail314209]

When the inauguration was on I couldn’t stand to watch it, mainly because I wonder how in the hell they’ve managed this, as well as my fear for what the next 4 years has for us and my friends over in the US.

 

[trainswitheddy]

It definitely is a worrying situation. The one silver lining is the possibility of a Trump-Musk spat that could send a ripple down the Republican party. But if this doesn't happen then what? The next 4 years is not all that concerns me but also what happens thereafter, America is now an Oligarchy with both main parties bought out and funded by the rich, I can't see the situation getting better if billionaires simply need to buy themselves into government to push their own agendas.

That and the absolute distrust of the media and facts, a key moment in the VP debate for me was Vance reminding the panelists that they were not supposed to be fact checking, how is it that we have come to this? Could you imagine going back and telling someone "We've got this brilliant way of telling if a politician is lying, but we got rid of it because the politicians didn't like it".

Before this turns into an essay I do wonder if those who voted Trump, if things really do hit the pan come 2028, will really want to admit their own mistake? Unfortunately I think not, especially after Trump blatantly tried to steal the election in 2020, and was still able to convince voters that he is the victim in all this.

 

[cb a1]

Before this turns into an essay I do wonder if those who voted Trump, if things really do hit the pan come 2028, will really want to admit their own mistake? Unfortunately I think not, especially after Trump blatantly tried to steal the election in 2020, and was still able to convince voters that he is the victim in all this.

Trump has an effectively unlimited number of scapegoats for why those voted for him haven't benefitted.
We saw it with Truss. If only the civil service, the stock markets, the left wing press, etc. had seen through her policies, then all would be well.
We were assured that Brexit would be amazing, yet the key architects of us leaving the EU are now wanting us to REFORM assuring us that is now the way to Nirvana.

 

[GusB]

I didn't watch the inaguration, but I've heard various snippets. I was rather disturbed by Trump's declaration that there are only two genders. I fear for anyone who identifies as being trans or non-binary; this essentially gives carte-blanche to discriminate.

We have a narcisstic nutcase with a nuclear briefcase - we should all be extremely worried.

 

[DarloRich]

I am sure everything will be fine. What could possibly go wrong with having a deranged, demented criminal with authoritarian & sex offending tendencies, out for revenge, determined to own the libs (?) and defeat the Marxist (?) left in charge of a massive, militarised country where the red neck SS who support him are armed to the teeth?

It is not as if one of his biggest billionaire supporters threw a Nazi salute, to wild cheers, at his inauguration celebration or anything mad like that is it?

Yeah, it will all be fine

 

[nlogax]

Turkeys have voted for Thanksgiving and if the next four years don't educate them about the nature of consequences for electoral choices then, hey, good luck America - and indeed everyone else.

 

[DarloRich]

I assume the war in Ukraine has ended as per pre election promises..............

 

[87electric]

Some great hysteria on here.

 

[Howardh]

Only 1460 days to go.

 

[najaB]

Some great hysteria on here.

Look at their own list of what they intend to do and tell me, with a straight face, that there aren't genuine reasons to be concerned.

Or look a transgender person living in the United States in the face, and tell me that they don't have any reason to be worried, having just been executive ordered into non-existence.

 

[Howardh]

I didn't watch the inaguration, but I've heard various snippets. I was rather disturbed by Trump's declaration that there are only two genders. I fear for anyone who identifies as being trans or non-binary; this essentially gives carte-blanche to discriminate.

We have a narcisstic nutcase with a nuclear briefcase - we should all be extremely worried.

We may be getting another Stonewall, and begs the question what if your gender on your non-US passport is different from your biological sex? Will they allow you in??

Hopefully should he wish to push the "button" those around him will prevent that somehow, even by extreme force. And, of course, Musk won't have his billions if he's vaporised.

Just to add to the latest post, although I've never had the intention of changing sex, as a trans estate I'd be extremely worried as, no doubt, the whole of the LGT community might be.

Is the UK available to them for asylum (seriously)?

 

[Harpo]

I found yesterday bizarre.

Outgoing Fairy waves wand and grants wishes, including giving superpowers to people threatened by the new Fairy.

Incoming Fairy waves wand granting thousands of new wishes and un-grants many of the previous Fairy’s earlier wishes

If only the USA was as democratic as us at regime change. What’s wrong with handing out bent peerages and other awards that an unelected bloke born into mega-wealth can hand out on a prize-giving day?

 

[BingMan]

When the inauguration was on I couldn’t stand to watch it, mainly because I wonder how in the hell they’ve managed this, as well as my fear for what the next 4 years has for us and my friends over in the US.

Thankfully my son is moving from New York to London: a decision precipitated by Trump's victory.
And when he buys a car it won't be a Tesla

 

[alex397]

Some great hysteria on here.

Which comments do you consider hysterical? Maybe give a proper argument rather than a blanket statement.

 

[dangie]

It is not as if one of his biggest billionaire supporters threw a Nazi salute, to wild cheers, at his inauguration celebration or anything mad like that is it?

To be fair, and I do like to be fair, I personally think it was a wave of the hand, which was seen by a few to resemble a Nazi salute simply because it was Musk who made it. Turning it into something that it wasn’t. I saw the clip on the news this morning and if the reporter hadn’t mentioned a Nazi salute I wouldn’t have thought anything about it.

 

[DarloRich]

To be fair, and I do like to be fair, I personally think it was a wave of the hand, which was seen by a few to resemble a Nazi salute simply because it was Musk who made it. Turning it into something that it wasn’t. I saw the clip on the news this morning and if the reporter hadn’t mentioned a Nazi salute I wouldn’t have thought anything about it.

Maybe. He "waved" his hand more than once in the same style. It certainly looks quite dodgy.

In the UK a political career can be ruined for failing to eat a bacon sandwich in the media approved style..........

Some great hysteria on here.

interesting response - could you provide a counter narrative?

 

[GusB]

It is not as if one of his biggest billionaire supporters threw a Nazi salute, to wild cheers, at his inauguration celebration or anything mad like

That was a fairly obvious Nazi salute. I will refuse to believe any pathetic attempts to portray it as anything else.

Some great hysteria on here.

Do please elaborate. What is it that you find to be hysterical?

Just to add to the latest post, although I've never had the intention of changing sex, as a trans estate I'd be extremely worried as, no doubt, the whole of the LGT community might be.

It's the thin end of the wedge. Trans people first and they'll deal with the gays in due course. If I was living in the US, I'd be considering my options.

 

[DarloRich]

It's the thin end of the wedge. Trans people first and they'll deal with the gays in due course. If I was living in the US, I'd be considering my options.

there always has to be an "other" with these people - What happens in America when they build the wall, send them back and shoot "Marxist" rioters? it is the same with Reformers: What happens when you have stopped the boats and things are still awful? What/Who is next?

 

[najaB]

I saw the clip on the news this morning and if the reporter hadn’t mentioned a Nazi salute I wouldn’t have thought anything about it.

Agreed, can't see any similarity at all.

/sarcasm

 

[dangie]

Agreed, can't see any similarity at all.
View attachment 173181
/sarcasm

It was an outstretched arm. I didn’t see it as a salute. I’m certainly not a Musk fan, I just didn’t see it as a Nazi salute. Just because some say it looked like one, doesn’t mean it was meant to be one.

 

[najaB]

It was an outstretched arm. I didn’t see it as a salute. I’m certainly not a Musk fan, I just didn’t see it as a Nazi salute. Just because some say it looked like one, doesn’t mean it was meant to be one.

Similariries to the seig heil:

• Right arm
• Touch the chest first
• Stright arm raise
• Palm and fingers straight
• Palm facing down
• Body posture straight an errect

That's seven characterstics, any one of which could have been missing but none of which were. And, this is probably even more telling - he didn't do it once, he did it twice. People can make the argument that he was waving to the crowd, was he also waving to the flag?

End of the day, it doesn't matter so much that you or I think that it was/wasn't a Nazi salute, the freaking Nazis think it was a Nazi salute! https://www.rollingstone.com/politi...te-reaction-right-wing-extremists-1235241866/

Regardless of whether the South Africa-born Musk intended the salute as a “Sieg Heil” salute favored by the followers of Adolf Hitler in World War II, as some online commentators have suggested, it was eagerly received that way by extremists online.

Christopher Pohlhaus, the leader of the notorious neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe, posted the clip of Musk’s salute on Telegram with a lightning-bolt emoji (evocative of the Nazi SS) and the caption: “I don’t care if this was a mistake. I’m going to enjoy the tears over it.”

Another neo-Nazi leader, Christopher Hood, who founded the New England race-separatist movement NSC-131, also posted the clip to Telegram with the emojis ⁉️and .

Andrew Torba is the founder of the far-right Christian Nationalist social media platform Gab, which pioneered AI-powered Nazi chatbots. He shared the clip on his account with the caption: “Incredible things are happening already lmao.”

I may have missed it, but I haven't seen Musk's clear and unambiguous clarification that they have intepreted it wrong.

 

[DarloRich]

may have missed it, but I haven't seen Musk's clear and unambiguous clarification that they have intepreted it wrong.

he will say it was a " Bellamy" (?) salute ( a home grown US version of the "roman" salute to honour the flag dating from pre 1900 irc) to try and excuse it.

Whether it was a Nazi salute or not it looked like a Nazi/fascist salute

PS surely Trump is more Mussolini than any other fascist leader

 

[Howardh]

That was a fairly obvious Nazi salute. I will refuse to believe any pathetic attempts to portray it as anything else.

Do please elaborate. What is it that you find to be hysterical?

It's the thin end of the wedge. Trans people first and they'll deal with the gays in due course. If I was living in the US, I'd be considering my options.

Worryingly I think that might also spread over here. Maybe there are enough GLT to outvote, but never the less it's on the back of my mind.

Luckily we can still move to a forward liberal country on our doorstep - Ireland.

 

[Cowley]

PS surely Trump is more Mussolini than any other fascist leader

If you were going to compare him to any from that era then yes, I think Mussolini would be the better fit. He even does the jutting out chin thing sometimes!

 

[Cloud Strife]

I am sure everything will be fine. What could possibly go wrong with having a deranged, demented criminal with authoritarian & sex offending tendencies, out for revenge, determined to own the libs (?) and defeat the Marxist (?) left in charge of a massive, militarised country where the red neck SS who support him are armed to the teeth?

I was speculating with a friend today, and she pointed out: what if the Democrats choose to arm the large inner city ghettos?

Her proposal: fight Trump by legalising weapons in places like Baltimore, encourage minorities to arm themselves to the teeth, and then sit back and watch what happens. Would Trump be able to deal with the consequences of an armed minority population with some serious grudges against redneck white America?

 

[dgl]

Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Babymensch!

I wonder if Canada would like load of well educated, intelligent, liberals?

Anyway I'm hoping he does a Truss and all of his "genius" policies end up destroying the economy, if you want people to spend don't make what they want unaffordable by putting tariffs on them.

 

[Cowley]

Anyway I'm hoping he does a Truss and all of his "genius" policies end up destroying the economy, if you want people to spend don't make what they want unaffordable by putting tariffs on them.

The main thing they’ll have in common will be in blaming everyone else when it all backfires.

 

[ainsworth74]

Her proposal: fight Trump by legalising weapons in places like Baltimore, encourage minorities to arm themselves to the teeth, and then sit back and watch what happens. Would Trump be able to deal with the consequences of an armed minority population with some serious grudges against redneck white America?

I mean, guns are already legal in Baltimore and it has the gun violence rates to prove it!

In the last 12 months there were 3119 victims of reported gun violence in Baltimore City.

Gun Violence in Baltimore

CBS News Baltimore is giving you the most accurate, up-to-date information on gun violence incidents.

www.cbsnews.com

That being said I do sometimes think it amusing, darkly in a otherwise you'd cry way, that so many Republicans and MAGAs seem to think that they're the only ones with the guns and the woke liberals are all unarmed. The statistics do not support that conclusion and if the violence really does break out in a large way it won't all be one way traffic...

 

[westv]

It was an outstretched arm. I didn’t see it as a salute. I’m certainly not a Musk fan, I just didn’t see it as a Nazi salute. Just because some say it looked like one, doesn’t mean it was meant to be one.

It was no salute. He was grabbing his heart and flinging it to everybody (not literally of course) as per what he said in the seconds beforehand.

 

[DarloRich]

If you were going to compare him to any from that era then yes, I think Mussolini would be the better fit. He even does the jutting out chin thing sometimes!

exactly - a preposterous little man.


( Mussolini wasn't much to write home about either!)