The absurdity of Donald Trump

[BigV]

Trump weighs rejoining Trans-Pacific Partnership amid trade dispute with China

WOW.

Now, I know we're in the time of Fake News, but this sounds ... well, this sounds fake too, but only because it's 180 degrees from Trump's own position a year ago. Trump saying all things on all sides of all issues at all times isn't fake news, not even news news. But still... wow.

President Trump ordered top administration officials Thursday to look at rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the sprawling trade pact he rejected three days after taking office.

The move would mark a stunning reversal for Trump, who sharply criticized the pact as a “disaster” and made opposition to global trade deals a centerpiece of his economic agenda as a candidate.

--snip--

Thursday’s order comes as Trump pushes forward on a chaotic revamp of the United States’ approach to global trade, seemingly veering from trade wars one day to multinational pacts the next. He has gone from assailing Canada and Mexico to saying he’s within striking distance of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. He has both pilloried China and praised its leader, Xi Jinping.

But no reversal has been more extreme than his new flirtation with the TPP. His comments were so unexpected that White House officials, lawmakers, business groups and others weren’t sure whether Trump had made a calculated overture or if it was another whimsical idea that he would cool on soon.

As to the absurdity perspective, who the fuck would want to enter into a deal with him?!?! His only constant is change. How can you count on anything he says, what will he do? HA! What *won't* he do?

[Griff]

We're watching a narrow minded man, surrounded by yes men his whole life, suddenly being forced to take other perspectives. His brain must be a damn twitchy mess by now.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by Griff

We're watching a narrow minded man, surrounded by yes men his whole life, suddenly being forced to take other perspectives. His brain must be a damn twitchy mess by now.

Howdy, everybody. [waves]

Trying to tell anybody Trump is not, er, cosmopolitan seems to me a mug's game -- pretty much like any other act of autohypnosis. Twitchy is the very thing I am not seeing. Sure, The Donald isn't the slickly articulate creature we might like to see and hear -- though tonight's speech was a good piece of warfighting rhetorical art, well executed -- but what of it? Does his machinery clatter? -- yes, it does, and a lot. The results, however -- ? Despite all the downtalking from the expected quarters (that these possibly otherwise intelligent people think The Unindicted Felon would have been a better choice is simply appalling; do these people have any idea how stupid they are or sound?), the results keep adding up to favorable. Favorable to the American republic, that is. That's a refreshing contrast with the previous guy, who was a socialist and an anti-American at heart -- with the unstinting support of one American major political party.

Hmm. The otherwise intelligent need to be fully intelligent, not just spottily so -- or too much of the national conversation is given over to idiot-savants.

Well, I stopped voting Democratic a while back. Anyway --

The guys you should be giving a listen to at least occasionally, so your thinking could never be mistaken for tw's unless tw astounds us by coming around, would be Sean Hannity, Mark Steyn, Larry Elder, Mark Levin, and some others. Particularly Levin -- formidable.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Well, I stopped voting Democratic a while back. Anyway --

Thank you for the reminder. I just changed my registration to Democratic.

[tw]

Originally Posted by BigV

Now, I know we're in the time of Fake News, but this sounds ... well, this sounds fake too, but only because it's 180 degrees from Trump's own position a year ago. Trump saying all things on all sides of all issues at all times isn't fake news, not even news news.

This is classic Trump. He thinks based upon his feelings in a past afternoon or hour. He clearly has no game plan or objectives - other than to promote himself. Which is why he even went before the Boy Scouts (as President) repeating his campaign speeches and promoting himself to Boy Scouts. (Tillerson was furious.)

More of this thought now come from Fox News. Especially from the morning TV show. You can all but guess what he is thinking by propaganda promoted on that morning TV show. Notice that is where he gets most of his replacements. Clearly not from doing any research.

Hell, he does not even read books. So where does he get intelligence (knowledge) from? From the part of the brain found in children - his emotions. Tillerson had it right. It was like babysitting a kid - who is also a bully.

What did Fox News tell him to believe today?

[Glinda]

Trump pardons ex-Cheney aide Scooter Libby

[BigV]

Opening act.

He's just warming up. "Obstruct justice for me, I make the penalty you suffer go away.". He didn't even know Scooter Libby, and he's willing to do this. It's pure messaging.

[sexobon]

The good news is Chelsea loves you. The bad news is Ivanka hates you. If looks were everything, it'd be bad news all around.

At least now you'll have the opportunity to get someone in who might actually win (as opposed to Billary) by voting in the primaries.

But what happened to being Independent? You never know, another Lincoln may come along to unseat Trump.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by sexobon

The good news is Chelsea loves you. The bad news is Ivanka hates you. If looks were everything, it'd be bad news all around.

At least now you'll have the opportunity to get someone in who might actually win (as opposed to Billary) by voting in the primaries.

But what happened to being Independent? You never know, another Lincoln may come along to unseat Trump.

Yeah not a big fan of Chelsea or Ivanka,it's about the primaries.

[tw]

This time Trump (apparently) listened to his generals. It appears a pin prick finally attacked something significant - a research facility for bio-chemical weapons. And the command center that launched those weapons.

Also interesting are what Russians did. They were told what airspace would be used. Russian air defense systems apparently did nothing. Implying that Russia is also pissed at Assad for using bio-chemical weapons. And appreciates what the attackers did to protect Russians.

Not attacked were sites that store binary components. Binary because those components are not that dangerous until mixed with the other binary agent. If Russia, et al was really denying those weapons existed, then attacking them (and resulting deaths) would have to be explained. We can assume those storage and loading facilities were not attacked because Russia (or Iran) tacitly admitted (not openly admitted) those facilities exist. Therefore resulting deaths could not be justified. If denials fully existed, then those facilities (and resulting deaths) were fair game.

[Griff]

Sean fucking Hannity.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/b...en-client.html

[BigV]

Anti-absurdity.

It makes some of his other remarks previously absurd sounding, less absurd sounding by adding this context. OF COURSE, he wants to have it both ways--"you can't reveal my name, I decline to consent to be named since I have attorney-client privilege" AND SIMULTANEOUSLY "I never retained Michael Cohen in any traditional sense". Fucking typical. These rules don't apply to me.

[fargon]

That might be the end of Sean Hannity.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by fargon

That might be the end of Sean Hannity.

I doubt it; his audience won't care, and failing to disclose a conflict of interest isn't the type of scandal that typically would lose advertisers.

[Griff]

http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=33460