Trump outrage of the day

[Kyle Schuant]

Yep, you guys keep doing that. Keep dismissing anyone who votes differently to you as wrong, bigoted and stupid, the tens of millions of them. The rather large basket of deplorables. Insult half your country. That worked so well last time!

That's exactly what will help Drumpf win again. Keep it up!

TRUMP 2024!

Alternately, you could learn from past mistakes. I realise that's unamerican, but there you go.

[Kris]

Yep, you guys keep doing that. Keep dismissing anyone who votes differently to you as wrong, bigoted and stupid, the tens of millions of them. The rather large basket of deplorables. Insult half your country. That worked so well last time!

That's exactly what will help Drumpf win again. Keep it up!

TRUMP 2024!

Alternately, you could learn from past mistakes. I realise that's unamerican, but there you go.

Flattering ‘em ain’t gonna change anything...

[nereo]

As someone who grew up in the south I’ve never understood this pervasive fear that ‘big government/libs’ were ‘coming for their guns’.  At no point has buying a firearm been difficult, and it’s absurd how powerful a weapon you can buy with little more than a pulse and a few hundred bucks.  Once upon a time (mid 90s) there was a ban on assault-style weapons and basically everyone was fine with it - the sky dind’t fall and my neighbors still drove around with rifles in their gun-racks inside their pickup trucks.

The ‘slippery slope fallacy’ is powerful though.  Most every gun owner I talk to is convinced that if we let ‘the libs’ pass a background check just to make sure criminal psychopaths don’t buy guns (which they readily admit we should do) then of course soon enough we’ll need a governmental permitting course and registration for kitchen knives.  No one should own RPGs but by god we can’t let the government pass a law preventing them.... then they’ll want to ban pea shooters too!!

[OtherJen]

Yep, you guys keep doing that. Keep dismissing anyone who votes differently to you as wrong, bigoted and stupid, the tens of millions of them. The rather large basket of deplorables. Insult half your country. That worked so well last time!

That's exactly what will help Drumpf win again. Keep it up!

TRUMP 2024!

Alternately, you could learn from past mistakes. I realise that's unamerican, but there you go.

Well, you insult and dismiss all of us Americans on a regular basis. Perhaps you should take your own advice.

[bacchi]

Yep, you guys keep doing that. Keep dismissing anyone who votes differently to you as wrong, bigoted and stupid, the tens of millions of them. The rather large basket of deplorables. Insult half your country. That worked so well last time!

That's exactly what will help Drumpf win again. Keep it up!

TRUMP 2024!

Alternately, you could learn from past mistakes. I realise that's unamerican, but there you go.

Well, you insult and dismiss all of us Americans on a regular basis. Perhaps you should take your own advice.

It's best to ignore him when he's in axe-grinding mode.

[Travis]

Sincerely, is there an actual, legal argument for the brief that DOJ filed dismissing the charges today? I'm trying to see how this can possibly be anything other than corrupt?

And why wouldn't Trump just pardon him? Does he think that will be politically damaging?

From the bits and pieces I've skimmed this morning, allegedly the FBI handled the original investigation in a way that Flynn's defense team could pick apart as being misleading and his original confessions being forced.  His confession for lying to the FBI supposedly was for an interview they conducted with him.  According to him it wasn't supposed to be an interrogation, but that's the direction they went with it and he didn't have a lawyer with him.  The article I read also mentioned them using an investigation into his son as leverage.  There's also something about a hand written note between investigators being uncovered that said "we're going to get him to confess, lie, or get fired."  I haven't followed this case closely, but it seems strange that he confessed to a lying to the FBI two years ago and sentencing keeps getting kicked down the road.  Democrats say "Trump influence" while Republicans say "botched witch hunt that is unraveling."

[MasterStache]

Yep, you guys keep doing that. Keep dismissing anyone who votes differently to you as wrong, bigoted and stupid, the tens of millions of them. The rather large basket of deplorables. Insult half your country. That worked so well last time!

That's exactly what will help Drumpf win again. Keep it up!

TRUMP 2024!

Alternately, you could learn from past mistakes. I realise that's unamerican, but there you go.

Umm what? Half the country didn't vote for Trump. The population of the United States in 2016 was 323.1 million with just over 200 million registered. Trump took home 62,984,828 of those votes which is roughly 19% of the population and 30% of registered voters. And who insulted half the country? If you are referring misinterpreting Clinton's remark she was referring to half Trump supporters or roughly 9.5% of the population and 15% of registered voters.

But you are probably right. I'm sure tens of millions voted for Trump because their feelings where hurt. I've personally never met any that claimed as such. You seem more put out than any Trump supporter I know.

[MKinVA]

And yet he pled guilty after consulting his attorneys, the plea was accepted by a federal judge, and the defense had submitted their sentencing asks. Notwithstanding everything you see on tv, getting someone to plead guilty isn't a one shot gotcha in an interrogation room with FBI agents and rubber hoses. It is negotiated with the US District Attorney. Wouldn't it be nice if all defendants got the kid glove treatment these federal white collar criminals seem to get.

[Travis]

Wouldn't it be nice if all defendants got the kid glove treatment these federal white collar criminals seem to get.

A commenter in the article I read said "Black Lives Matters welcomes you!" regarding the complaints from pro-Flynn folks about his treatment by the FBI,

[former player]

And yet he pled guilty after consulting his attorneys, the plea was accepted by a federal judge, and the defense had submitted their sentencing asks. Notwithstanding everything you see on tv, getting someone to plead guilty isn't a one shot gotcha in an interrogation room with FBI agents and rubber hoses. It is negotiated with the US District Attorney. Wouldn't it be nice if all defendants got the kid glove treatment these federal white collar criminals seem to get.

I can't see how any decision made at this stage by the Attorney General's Office has any legal effect.  A charge can be withdrawn at any point up to conviction, but once a person has been convicted then the charge has been completed by the actions of the court in reaching a verdict and can no longer be changed:

The only way this could work, legally speaking, is if the judge in the case makes a decision allowing Flynn to rescind his guilty plea, meaning that the case becomes formally undecided again with the charges still in play.  At that point the A-G could make a new decision not to proceed with the charges.  It would have to be a new decision at that time, because the decision just made is of no legal effect.

[MKinVA]

Wouldn't the judge have to set aside the verdict since he has been found guilty? Then they still have the indictment which the US District attorney (not the AG) would decide whether to bring the charges again or not. Keeping in mind that nothing in the press should be considered by the judge, she sentences him according to the finding of guilt and then he can appeal to the US Circuit Court and the US attorney can make the case for reversal (ha ha ha). Or she can hold a hearing to put on the record the reasons for setting aside the verdict. I hope she makes them take the appeal route. Then there will be a federal appeals case setting out the position of the DOJ on these types of cases. You know the DOJ doesn't want that.

[talltexan]

 You know the DOJ doesn't want that.

I'm actually not sure the DOJ will feel bound to treat most criminal defendants the way they're treating Flynn. There's something that sets Flynn apart from these others.

[MKinVA]

I am sure they won't treat other defendants as Flynn has been. That's why several attorneys backed out of the case and refused to sign the filing offered by the DOJ. This filing is so out of bounds of usual DOJ/US attorney process. When have you ever heard of a prosecutor coming to sentencing and saying oh wow. We should never have prosecuted this guy. What he did wasn't so bad. Where did they get their law degrees? Law and Order? 

[Glenstache]

This is pretty minor in the realm of Trump admin outrages, but i thought it was symbolically quite illustrative. Pence was caught on hot mic wanting to deliver empty boxes of PPE for the cameras.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mike-pence-ppe-hot-mic-nursing-home-coronavirus-a9505706.html

TGIF.... oh wait. Friday is when the really bad news gets dumped.... and it is still only 830am.

[dandarc]

Gotta imagine the van was filled with empty boxes for the cameras also.

[Glenstache]

Gotta imagine the van was filled with empty boxes for the cameras also.

I'm surprised Pence wasn't just delivering boxes of bibles so people could pray it away.

[Pizzabrewer]

Yep, you guys keep doing that. Keep dismissing anyone who votes differently to you as wrong, bigoted and stupid, the tens of millions of them. The rather large basket of deplorables. Insult half your country. That worked so well last time!

That's exactly what will help Drumpf win again. Keep it up!

TRUMP 2024!

Alternately, you could learn from past mistakes. I realise that's unamerican, but there you go.

Wow.  An Aussie Trumper.  I didn't know such a creature existed.

[nereo]

This is pretty minor in the realm of Trump admin outrages, but i thought it was symbolically quite illustrative. Pence was caught on hot mic wanting to deliver empty boxes of PPE for the cameras.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mike-pence-ppe-hot-mic-nursing-home-coronavirus-a9505706.html

At first glance this was humorous... but it seems like its a bit more than just a bit of stagecraft gone awry. 

It looks like Trump has greatly exaggerated the quantity of medical supplies that has been delivered.  Once again it's all show, no substance, but this time the people left empty-handed are medical personnel.  In his daily briefings Trump has consistently touted medical supplies that weren't delivered or didn't exist in the first place. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/white-house-pandemic-supply-project-swathed-in-secrecy-and-exaggerations/2020/05/08/9c77efb2-8d52-11ea-a9c0-73b93422d691_story.html

[GuitarStv]

Well, what else is he going to do?  Admit he screwed up?  That's not something the president has ever been recorded doing.

[nereo]

Well, what else is he going to do?  Admit he screwed up?  That's not something the president has ever been recorded doing.

Well... a casual observer might think: "Hey, pretending to send large quantities of medical supplies is going to backfire - sooner or later people are going to notice those boxes are empty and they still don't have testing kits and masks.  Then they will be angry.  Maybe you shouldn't be making these hollow promises."

...but you are right; that's never stopped him before. He spent much of 2016 promising to donate money to various causes that never got them.  He even gave out worthless novelty cheques.

[GuitarStv]

Well, what else is he going to do?  Admit he screwed up?  That's not something the president has ever been recorded doing.

Well... a casual observer might think: "Hey, pretending to send large quantities of medical supplies is going to backfire - sooner or later people are going to notice those boxes are empty and they still don't have testing kits and masks.  Then they will be angry.  Maybe you shouldn't be making these hollow promises."

...but you are right; that's never stopped him before. He spent much of 2016 promising to donate money to various causes that never got them.  He even gave out worthless novelty cheques.

I bet Mexico will pay for it.

[Glenstache]

Well, what else is he going to do?  Admit he screwed up?  That's not something the president has ever been recorded doing.

Well... a casual observer might think: "Hey, pretending to send large quantities of medical supplies is going to backfire - sooner or later people are going to notice those boxes are empty and they still don't have testing kits and masks.  Then they will be angry.  Maybe you shouldn't be making these hollow promises."

...but you are right; that's never stopped him before. He spent much of 2016 promising to donate money to various causes that never got them.  He even gave out worthless novelty cheques.

I think the strategy is nothing to lose and a steady stream of outrages such that people are so caught up in constantly playing catch up with the most recent shitshow that they don't incorporate the whole picture of corruption and governance failure.

Also, MitchMcConnell is so hell bent on packing the judiciary that he called the Senate back just to appoint another conservative hack with insufficient credentials to the federal appeals court.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/06/trump-judicial-pick-hearing-senate-agenda-battle-240148

So it goes.

[nereo]

Regarding Mitch - he can read the polls as good as anyone. He realizes there’s a reasonable chance that they have just five months to appoint a monumental backlog of positions which will shape our country for decades to come.
If trump is out they lose that. If Mitch fails in getting re-elected he doesn’t get to put his stamp (and shockingly he is in a dead heat race right now).

Considering the planned recesses and that little will get done in October or even September he is running out of time for this session

[Kyle Schuant]

Wow.  An Aussie Trumper.  I didn't know such a creature existed.

An American with poor reading comprehension. I did know such a creature existed.

Trump's an idiot. If you re-elect him, it won't be good for your country at all. And the approach you are taking in insulting all his supporters and assuming there's no rational reason anyone could vote for him is exactly the approach you should use if you want him to be re-elected - because that's the approach you took last time, and it had that result.

Now, I don't mind - whatever is bad for America is probably good for the rest of the world. An isolationist America means less of us get bombed, and we can negotiate trade and other treaties on much more favourable bases for ourselves. But for America? Terrible!

But if you're determined to fuck up your country, just keep on doing what you're doing, and you can see another few years of old Drumpf.

[OtherJen]

Wow.  An Aussie Trumper.  I didn't know such a creature existed.

An American with poor reading comprehension. I did know such a creature existed.

Trump's an idiot. If you re-elect him, it won't be good for your country at all. And the approach you are taking in insulting all his supporters and assuming there's no rational reason anyone could vote for him is exactly the approach you should use if you want him to be re-elected - because that's the approach you took last time, and it had that result.

Now, I don't mind - whatever is bad for America is probably good for the rest of the world. An isolationist America means less of us get bombed, and we can negotiate trade and other treaties on much more favourable bases for ourselves. But for America? Terrible!

But if you're determined to fuck up your country, just keep on doing what you're doing, and you can see another few years of old Drumpf.

If it's bad for us (who you really seem to dislike) and good for everyone else, why do you care so much?

I get that some people just really enjoy insulting others, but I'd think that hobby would get boring after a while.

[MasterStache]

Wow.  An Aussie Trumper.  I didn't know such a creature existed.

An American with poor reading comprehension. I did know such a creature existed.

Trump's an idiot. If you re-elect him, it won't be good for your country at all. And the approach you are taking in insulting all his supporters and assuming there's no rational reason anyone could vote for him is exactly the approach you should use if you want him to be re-elected - because that's the approach you took last time, and it had that result.

Now, I don't mind - whatever is bad for America is probably good for the rest of the world. An isolationist America means less of us get bombed, and we can negotiate trade and other treaties on much more favourable bases for ourselves. But for America? Terrible!

But if you're determined to fuck up your country, just keep on doing what you're doing, and you can see another few years of old Drumpf.

You seem to mind quite a bit. Really going out of your way to toss out numerous straw-man fallacies. You keep repeating this nonsense claim that Trump will get re-elected because his supporters are being insulted. But now you trying to claim they had rational reasons for voting for him. So which is it? I mean I don't consider voting for someone because you feel insulted very rational. I'm sure they had their reasons. "Rational" is subjective and in the eye of the beholder. There aren't really intentional standards for rationality enshrined somewhere.   

If the world is indeed better off with Trump as President, that seems to imply you are secretly rooting for him. A lot of folks that voted and support him don't really like Trump as a person either.

Remember your rants came after a comment about the Republican party platform was posted. One that I happen to very much agree with and also a huge reason why I left the party. You are free to argue the points rather than ranting on about insulting "half the country."   

[PathtoFIRE]

Even if the next administration(s) do not take legal action against the wrongdoers of this administration, for god's sake, at least pass some laws that prevent future nut jobs from taking advantage the way the Trumps are. <snip>

Amen. Given me a thousand corrupt Congressmen and Senators before we ever get another thoroughly corrupt President. This is why I would like to see a very serious and thorough debate in this country about moving away from a President-centered national government. Either weaken it or outright dismantle it.

[talltexan]

My thinking goes back and forth on this.

I do believe that Trump is the criminal his detractors describe (his pardon of Arpaio and support of Roy Moore shows how little he cares for the rule of law if nothing else does), but promising to prosecute/jail the other side seems like a way to poison our politics and make it careen between extremes with each administration, as more centrist supporters will dig in their heels (they would say "Democratic policies are something I don't want, AND we're going to see people like me jailed"). It feels like this becomes even more intense when the opposing candidate is the one threatened, as that candidate's supporters view him/her as a proxy for themselves.

We also don't want to create a system in which unqualified people seek the Presidency so they can hide behind its immunity privilege. I don't believe that's why Trump sought the job originally. Some people are saying Trump HAS to win in November, or else he'll wind up in jail. I think that's a horrific motivation for public service, and we should wish to modify our system to undo it, even if it means scoundrels get less punishment than they deserve.

[nereo]

My thinking goes back and forth on this.

I do believe that Trump is the criminal his detractors describe (his pardon of Arpaio and support of Roy Moore shows how little he cares for the rule of law if nothing else does), but promising to prosecute/jail the other side seems like a way to poison our politics and make it careen between extremes with each administration, as more centrist supporters will dig in their heels (they would say "Democratic policies are something I don't want, AND we're going to see people like me jailed"). It feels like this becomes even more intense when the opposing candidate is the one threatened, as that candidate's supporters view him/her as a proxy for themselves.

We also don't want to create a system in which unqualified people seek the Presidency so they can hide behind its immunity privilege. I don't believe that's why Trump sought the job originally. Some people are saying Trump HAS to win in November, or else he'll wind up in jail. I think that's a horrific motivation for public service, and we should wish to modify our system to undo it, even if it means scoundrels get less punishment than they deserve.

Like a bad hangover I'd be happy to just have the Trump nightmare over and to avoid rehashing all the corrupt stuff that's gone on.  It's been so distasteful on a number of levels that I would be willing to let Trump have a pass and let history judge him harshly IF we imposed a bunch of measures to prevent such a travesty in the first place.  Similar to what PathtoFire said I'd throw support behind any efforts to restore power to the legislature and limit unilateral action by the president.  Someone else also posted a list of laws which could further prevent another Trump-like figure, including financial transparency laws, further restricting the time period between going from the military and governmental appointments, etc.

don't get me wrong - a very strong mpart of me wants Trump to be punished - I just don't think the cost to all would be worth the justice for the one.

[talltexan]

My thinking goes back and forth on this.

I do believe that Trump is the criminal his detractors describe (his pardon of Arpaio and support of Roy Moore shows how little he cares for the rule of law if nothing else does), but promising to prosecute/jail the other side seems like a way to poison our politics and make it careen between extremes with each administration, as more centrist supporters will dig in their heels (they would say "Democratic policies are something I don't want, AND we're going to see people like me jailed"). It feels like this becomes even more intense when the opposing candidate is the one threatened, as that candidate's supporters view him/her as a proxy for themselves.

We also don't want to create a system in which unqualified people seek the Presidency so they can hide behind its immunity privilege. I don't believe that's why Trump sought the job originally. Some people are saying Trump HAS to win in November, or else he'll wind up in jail. I think that's a horrific motivation for public service, and we should wish to modify our system to undo it, even if it means scoundrels get less punishment than they deserve.

Like a bad hangover I'd be happy to just have the Trump nightmare over and to avoid rehashing all the corrupt stuff that's gone on.  It's been so distasteful on a number of levels that I would be willing to let Trump have a pass and let history judge him harshly IF we imposed a bunch of measures to prevent such a travesty in the first place.  Similar to what PathtoFire said I'd throw support behind any efforts to restore power to the legislature and limit unilateral action by the president.  Someone else also posted a list of laws which could further prevent another Trump-like figure, including financial transparency laws, further restricting the time period between going from the military and governmental appointments, etc.

don't get me wrong - a very strong mpart of me wants Trump to be punished - I just don't think the cost to all would be worth the justice for the one.

Indeed it would be ironic for Biden to succeed Trump and follow his lead with the authority of the Blue Wave behind him: change a bunch of things to allow green card holders to vote, find ways to give tax breaks to Unions and other reliably blue groups, and set up a pay-for-play scheme for determining his cabinet, while letting far left technocrats like Jon Gruber and Thomas Piketty rewrite the tax system and implement M4All.

[nereo]

Yeah, I don't want to see that at all. 
It seems each administration has found ways of justifying the need to do something without bipartisan support or (increasingly) with creative unilateral executive power.  Each time they get away with it, the precedent is set for the next administration, regardless of which party is in power.

it's not even limited to the executive branch.  Harry Reid 'went nuclear' to elimiate the 60 vote threshold, which McConnell later took to new heights (or depths?).  No one can argue that it was the founder's intention to allow perpetual recess appointments under non-emergency situations or to simply install 'acting directors' at all levels because that circumvents any vetting by the legislature.  Convienent for the party in mpower... until it becomes the minority party.

[PathtoFIRE]

... I would be willing to let Trump have a pass and let history judge him harshly IF we imposed a bunch of measures to prevent such a travesty in the first place. ...

I agree, let's call it the "Make Donald J. Trump An Actual Billionaire" bill, cancel all his debts, deposit $10 billion in his account, and provide him and only him with blanket immunity for all past actions, so long as he agrees to immediately resign, and pass no other laws, resolutions, appointments, executive orders, etc. prior to that resignation. Unfortunately, while I think he was a uniquely suited person to take charge during a unique time, I don't think shoving him out will correct the underlying issues that led to him in the first place.

[Kyle Schuant]

A fish can't see the water, but it can ask people outside the water what it looks like. Here's a view from outside your little tank.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/pandemic-has-shown-us-we-ve-less-in-common-with-the-us-than-we-thought-20200508-p54r73.html

[Gremlin]

Another day, another bout of not-so-casual racism from the President of the United States...

https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1259972067430195201?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[RetiredAt63]

A fish can't see the water, but it can ask people outside the water what it looks like. Here's a view from outside your little tank.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/pandemic-has-shown-us-we-ve-less-in-common-with-the-us-than-we-thought-20200508-p54r73.html

Try living next door.

The biggest thing I learned from my two trips to Australia and New Zealand (2002 and 2019/20) is that our three countries have a lot in common, and the US is a lot more different from Canada (and Australia and New Zealand, but you aren't next door) than most people think.  Canadians generally like the individual Americans they know, but their general mistrust of the US government and US policy has just kept growing.  From tariffs on imports because we are a "security risk" to trying to cancel an order for N95 masks to suggesting an army presence along the border, this administration has sure been skilled at pissing off an ally.  They have turned my non-political friends political, and that took a lot of doing.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

A fish can't see the water, but it can ask people outside the water what it looks like. Here's a view from outside your little tank.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/pandemic-has-shown-us-we-ve-less-in-common-with-the-us-than-we-thought-20200508-p54r73.html

Try living next door.

The biggest thing I learned from my two trips to Australia and New Zealand (2002 and 2019/20) is that our three countries have a lot in common, and the US is a lot more different from Canada (and Australia and New Zealand, but you aren't next door) than most people think.  Canadians generally like the individual Americans they know, but their general mistrust of the US government and US policy has just kept growing.  From tariffs on imports because we are a "security risk" to trying to cancel an order for N95 masks to suggesting an army presence along the border, this administration has sure been skilled at pissing off an ally.  They have turned my non-political friends political, and that took a lot of doing.

Kiwis have a very dim view of the US. I remember everything thinking the US was the bright lights/big city when I was growing up. That's not the case anymore. It actually hasn't been the case since the "weapons of mass destruction" fiasco.

[Kris]

A fish can't see the water, but it can ask people outside the water what it looks like. Here's a view from outside your little tank.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/pandemic-has-shown-us-we-ve-less-in-common-with-the-us-than-we-thought-20200508-p54r73.html

Try living next door.

The biggest thing I learned from my two trips to Australia and New Zealand (2002 and 2019/20) is that our three countries have a lot in common, and the US is a lot more different from Canada (and Australia and New Zealand, but you aren't next door) than most people think.  Canadians generally like the individual Americans they know, but their general mistrust of the US government and US policy has just kept growing.  From tariffs on imports because we are a "security risk" to trying to cancel an order for N95 masks to suggesting an army presence along the border, this administration has sure been skilled at pissing off an ally.  They have turned my non-political friends political, and that took a lot of doing.

Kiwis have a very dim view of the US. I remember everything thinking the US was the bright lights/big city when I was growing up. That's not the case anymore. It actually hasn't been the case since the "weapons of mass destruction" fiasco.

Someone pointed out that there have been more positive Covid diagnoses in the White House in the past 24 hours than in the entire country of New Zealand.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

A fish can't see the water, but it can ask people outside the water what it looks like. Here's a view from outside your little tank.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/pandemic-has-shown-us-we-ve-less-in-common-with-the-us-than-we-thought-20200508-p54r73.html

Try living next door.

The biggest thing I learned from my two trips to Australia and New Zealand (2002 and 2019/20) is that our three countries have a lot in common, and the US is a lot more different from Canada (and Australia and New Zealand, but you aren't next door) than most people think.  Canadians generally like the individual Americans they know, but their general mistrust of the US government and US policy has just kept growing.  From tariffs on imports because we are a "security risk" to trying to cancel an order for N95 masks to suggesting an army presence along the border, this administration has sure been skilled at pissing off an ally.  They have turned my non-political friends political, and that took a lot of doing.

Kiwis have a very dim view of the US. I remember everything thinking the US was the bright lights/big city when I was growing up. That's not the case anymore. It actually hasn't been the case since the "weapons of mass destruction" fiasco.

Someone pointed out that there have been more positive Covid diagnoses in the White House in the past 24 hours than in the entire country of New Zealand.

I don't know that your leaders are familiar with the concept of modifying behaviour now for results in the future. Quite a few of your population aren't au fait either.

[ministashy]

A fish can't see the water, but it can ask people outside the water what it looks like. Here's a view from outside your little tank.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/pandemic-has-shown-us-we-ve-less-in-common-with-the-us-than-we-thought-20200508-p54r73.html

Try living next door.

The biggest thing I learned from my two trips to Australia and New Zealand (2002 and 2019/20) is that our three countries have a lot in common, and the US is a lot more different from Canada (and Australia and New Zealand, but you aren't next door) than most people think.  Canadians generally like the individual Americans they know, but their general mistrust of the US government and US policy has just kept growing.  From tariffs on imports because we are a "security risk" to trying to cancel an order for N95 masks to suggesting an army presence along the border, this administration has sure been skilled at pissing off an ally.  They have turned my non-political friends political, and that took a lot of doing.

Kiwis have a very dim view of the US. I remember everything thinking the US was the bright lights/big city when I was growing up. That's not the case anymore. It actually hasn't been the case since the "weapons of mass destruction" fiasco.

Someone pointed out that there have been more positive Covid diagnoses in the White House in the past 24 hours than in the entire country of New Zealand.

I don't know that your leaders are familiar with the concept of modifying behaviour now for results in the future. Quite a few of your population aren't au fait either.

Seriously. Can you folks just create your own 'Reasons to Hate the U.S.' thread?  I'm as critical of our gov't as anyone, but the constant bashing of the U.S. as a whole and the blanket tarring of its entire population is getting really old, as is the holier-than-thou attitudes by those same posters. 

[Kyle Schuant]

The biggest thing I learned from my two trips to Australia and New Zealand (2002 and 2019/20) is that our three countries have a lot in common, and the US is a lot more different from Canada (and Australia and New Zealand, but you aren't next door) than most people think. 

I think the roots of the differences go back very far, which is why we three became independent by acts of parliament, and the US by violent revolution.

Seriously. Can you folks just create your own 'Reasons to Hate the U.S.' thread?  I'm as critical of our gov't as anyone, but the constant bashing of the U.S. as a whole and the blanket tarring of its entire population is getting really old, as is the holier-than-thou attitudes by those same posters. 

The english-speaking internet is dominated by Americans, and internet, radio and TV by American material and culture. That little spark of annoyance you're feeling at having your thread crapped on by non-Americans is the way we feel all the time online, all day every day.


As America continues on its decline, this will happen more and more. You'd best get used to it.

[talltexan]

So I watched the video of Trump interacting with the reporters yesterday ("Why don't you ask China?")

I've had African American friends do a pretty good job of helping me understand racism (I am white, but I want to make an honest effort to do something more just than merely live out my privilege); but I think I need this one explained to me a little better. I feel like Trump cuts off plenty of reporters who are female and not minority.

[nereo]

Can you post the video you are referring to?

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Can you post the video you are referring to?

It's on Washington Post and CNN, pretty obvious.....

[EscapeVelocity2020]

Can you post the video you are referring to?

Pretty sure @talltexan is referring to this one - https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/05/11/collins-jiang-reporter-questions-briefing-blitzer-sot-tsr-vpx.cnn

I wish Trump would have logically addressed her follow-up question as to why he suddenly asked her (of Asian descent) out of the blue to 'ask China'.  The fact that he avoided the question and finally called it a 'nasty question' was telling.  He could've simply spun a conspiracy theory or explained why asking China would have provided a better response than he could have, but instead he stormed out of the interview fuming like a spoiled baby.

[RetiredAt63]

So I watched the video of Trump interacting with the reporters yesterday ("Why don't you ask China?")

I've had African American friends do a pretty good job of helping me understand racism (I am white, but I want to make an honest effort to do something more just than merely live out my privilege); but I think I need this one explained to me a little better. I feel like Trump cuts off plenty of reporters who are female and not minority.

Despite women being half the population, to many people female=minority.  Visit the feminist discussion here on Off Topic.  Oh, and  just saw below that her ethnicity is Asian - so double minority.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

So I watched the video of Trump interacting with the reporters yesterday ("Why don't you ask China?")

I've had African American friends do a pretty good job of helping me understand racism (I am white, but I want to make an honest effort to do something more just than merely live out my privilege); but I think I need this one explained to me a little better. I feel like Trump cuts off plenty of reporters who are female and not minority.

Despite women being half the population, to many people female=minority.  Visit the feminist discussion here on Off Topic.  Oh, and  just saw below that her ethnicity is Asian - so double minority.

Minority status comes from the relative position in a power balance, not from sheer numbers.......

[RetiredAt63]

The biggest thing I learned from my two trips to Australia and New Zealand (2002 and 2019/20) is that our three countries have a lot in common, and the US is a lot more different from Canada (and Australia and New Zealand, but you aren't next door) than most people think. 

I think the roots of the differences go back very far, which is why we three became independent by acts of parliament, and the US by violent revolution.

Oh, it definitely goes back far.  My Grandmother's family were United Empire Loyalists, which gives the American revolt a whole different perspective.  It's not just the difference to routes of independence (although that is a big part of it), it's how we participated in WWI and WWII, and the settlement patterns, and the trade patterns, and just a lot of similar culture from settlement patterns.

I love that both Canada (1867) and Australia (1901) have "Peace, order and good government" as the guiding principle in their constitutions.  This is not to say that both countries have had their share of "what the hell" PMs.   ;-)

[RetiredAt63]

So I watched the video of Trump interacting with the reporters yesterday ("Why don't you ask China?")

I've had African American friends do a pretty good job of helping me understand racism (I am white, but I want to make an honest effort to do something more just than merely live out my privilege); but I think I need this one explained to me a little better. I feel like Trump cuts off plenty of reporters who are female and not minority.

Despite women being half the population, to many people female=minority.  Visit the feminist discussion here on Off Topic.  Oh, and  just saw below that her ethnicity is Asian - so double minority.

Minority status comes from the relative position in a power balance, not from sheer numbers.......

Exactly.  Which is why some people fussed back in Trudeau's first cabinet when he had 50:50 in his Cabinet.  Because a "normal" cabinet wold be more like 75:25.

[talltexan]

Women in Trump's original (2017) cabinet:

Betsey DeVos
Elaine Chao
Linda McMahon

(added in 2018)
Gina Haspel

[Psychstache]

Women in Trump's original (2017) cabinet:

Betsey DeVos
Elaine Chao
Linda McMahon

(added in 2018)
Gina Haspel

AKA another silver spoon billionaire, the wife of the senate majority leader of your party, the wife of a fellow billionaire whose TV program he once used as a springboard for popularity among his base, and a black site director and proponent of torture.