American Politics Thread: Orange is the new POTUS

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

Generations from now, when children look up the meaning of the word "savage" in whatever spaceship computer they're using, it's just going to show this picture.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

That's not a weird coincidence. That's either Trump training her how to sign her name to look like his(which is messed up in its own right), or proof she is a robot controlled by his (minuscule)brain waves.

Or she just spent long hours learning how to sign his signature in order to avoid bothering him about paying off the Visa card or signing a cheque for her expenses.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by photon

Did she dodge his hand-holding again?

It's nothing personal, she just doesn't want anymore photos where her hands look gigantic.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

It's nothing personal, she just doesn't want anymore photos where her hands look gigantic.

So it is personal then.

[oldschoolcalgary]

man hands

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

It's nothing personal, she just doesn't want anymore photos where her hands look gigantic.

There was someone on CNN a few hours ago with a theory about this "slapping hands away" thing. It was Dana Bash, I believe.

She said that Melania knows about etiquette and when to hold hands and knows where the cameras are and she knows it's not proper to hold hands in those situations. Basically "don't read too much into this little gesture".

I don't really buy it myself because I'm sure Mr. Smooth Obama and George before him held hands on the red carpet, but at the same time Donald, even with all his fanciness and gold toilets and whatnot, doesn't seem like he's big on manners.

[killer_carlson]

cbc.ca story on Us Politics by Neil McDonald, who is the brother of Norm McDonald if I recall.

I like Neil's opinion pieces as they are generally well researched and well thought out. This one however, shows more of a critique and this gem:

President Donald Trump, though, is the Chronos of hypocrisy. He is Jabba the Hutt, with hypocrisy crouching in a silver bikini, a leash around its neck.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/hypoc...ouse-1.4128063

[calumniate]

Uhhhhh now he's giving the locations and whereabouts of his nuclear subs to a dictator?

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-n...-idUSKBN18K15Y

Trump told Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Washington had "a lot of firepower over there", according to the New York Times, which quoted a transcript of an April 29 call between the two.

"We have two submarines — the best in the world. We have two nuclear submarines, not that we want to use them at all," the newspaper quoted Trump as telling Duterte, based on the transcript.

The report was based on a Philippine transcript of the call that was circulated on Tuesday under a "confidential" cover sheet by the Americas division of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

Not terribly recent, but newly revealed..

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

There was someone on CNN a few hours ago with a theory about this "slapping hands away" thing. It was Dana Bash, I believe.

She said that Melania knows about etiquette and when to hold hands and knows where the cameras are and she knows it's not proper to hold hands in those situations. Basically "don't read too much into this little gesture".

I don't really buy it myself because I'm sure Mr. Smooth Obama and George before him held hands on the red carpet, but at the same time Donald, even with all his fanciness and gold toilets and whatnot, doesn't seem like he's big on manners.

If so, then she's essentially the Donald Trump of etiquette: slapping his hand away to avoid a slight social faux pas of improper hand-holding, was about as subtle and effective as firing an FBI director to make an investigation go away.

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by calumniate

Uhhhhh now he's giving the locations and whereabouts of his nuclear subs to a dictator?

You mean the elected head of state of a country that has been historically, one of the closest ally the US has in Asia. So close in fact that the two countries still have a mutual defense treaty and cooperation between their military forces.

But the knowledge that there are US submarines "over there" is not exactly secret information.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/24/politi...b-south-korea/

Finding them is a completely different matter.

[Hemi-Cuda]

So Republicans just lost 2 seats in deep red territory to the Democrats. I wonder if this will start prompting more of them to start turning on Trump now that he's actually hurting their re-election chances

http://shareblue.com/it-begins-democ...s-under-trump/

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

So Republicans just lost 2 seats in deep red territory to the Democrats. I wonder if this will start prompting more of them to start turning on Trump now that he's actually hurting their re-election chances

http://shareblue.com/it-begins-democ...s-under-trump/

awesome, maybe I underestimated peoples brightness, and they prove me wrong.

[DuffMan]

CBO health report just out.
23 million fewer people without health insurance by 2026.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

CBO health report just out.
23 million fewer people without health insurance by 2026.

Hey that's 1 million less than last time!

another 23 revisions and they'll get there! Of course it will look remarkably like the thing they hate so much....

It should be an absolute non-starter for the GOP Senate but they have no spines so they'll likely check their morals at the door and work with it.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by accord1999

You mean the elected head of state of a country that has been historically, one of the closest ally the US has in Asia. So close in fact that the two countries still have a mutual defense treaty and cooperation between their military forces.

Oh, so Trump should share the launch codes with Duterte as well? Maybe you're not aware that Duterte has stated he is more than willing to terminate the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement?

But the knowledge that there are US submarines "over there" is not exactly secret information.

Yes, it is. The location of submarines is one of the closest guarded secrets in the militaries of all nations who possess them. Given that each "boat" has its own acoustic signature it is extremely important to keep their locations secret so they can't be detected and tracked through passive sonar nets. You can imagine that if tensions are high it is very important to have your subs in locations where the opposition's hunter-killers are not around to remove that strike capability.

Finding them is a completely different matter.

Which is why you don't give away even general location details, where active sonar can be used to find them. There's a reason why the adage "loose lips sinks ships" came to be with the birth of submarine warfare. You don't want your enemy to know where your boats are, and vice versa. I'm sure that the Russians and Chinese were both happy to hear President Comacho share these details. Makes their job that much easier.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Information sharing between US and Israel has been impacted by Trump's disclosure to the Russians. The article does not say how, but based on the language you would assume they put extra controls in place. You don't go so far out of your way to speak in glowing terms if its business as usual.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/33...russia-meeting

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by New Era

Oh, so Trump should share the launch codes with Duterte as well? Maybe you're not aware that Duterte has stated he is more than willing to terminate the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement?

Reassuring an ally is not exactly the same thing as revealing the launch codes.

Which is why you don't give away even general location details, where active sonar can be used to find them. There's a reason why the adage "loose lips sinks ships" came to be with the birth of submarine warfare. You don't want your enemy to know where your boats are, and vice versa. I'm sure that the Russians and Chinese were both happy to hear President Comacho share these details. Makes their job that much easier.

This is the supposed transcript. In it Trump merely states that "We have a lot of firepower over there. We have two submarines - the best in the world - we have two nuclear submarines - not that we want to use them at all.

https://www.documentcloud.org/docume...ml#document/p1

I'm sure the Russians and Chinese already know that the submarines are over there.

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by accord1999

Reassuring an ally is not exactly the same thing as revealing the launch codes.

This is the supposed transcript. In it Trump merely states that "We have a lot of firepower over there. We have two submarines - the best in the world - we have two nuclear submarines - not that we want to use them at all.

https://www.documentcloud.org/docume...ml#document/p1

I'm sure the Russians and Chinese already know that the submarines are over there.

Ok sir Jeffrey Lord. I guess all is well in the world then!

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by calumniate

Ok sir Jeffrey Lord. I guess all is well in the world then!

Wait, weren't you the one who thought Duterte was a dictator?

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by accord1999

Wait, weren't you the one who thought Duterte was a dictator?

He is well on his way and is making motions to junk the elections altogether. His human rights policies are reflective of one.