All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[kidfresh512]

I'm pretty sure he said it, and that it's well-vetted (aside from the slight argument about whether he said "**** hole" or "**** house" which is a distinction without a difference.)

There's a big deal about the media reporting what he said, often without censoring it, and I'm just noting that there are plenty of other cases in which it could be done.


That's very clear from "Rightwing fascist regimes are a dime a dozen though."

There is merit in asking whether Trump's objection is racist.

It is a bit hypocritical for anyone in the media to claim that statements Trump made to American lawmakers are pissing off other governments, when they're the ones increasing other governments' awareness of what Trump said.

Lol what? That makes no sense. You are saying the media should work for Trump and cover up his racism so people don't find out and get mad? Really? Are we doing this now? Come on

[Kevinroc]

There is merit in asking whether Trump's objection is racist.

Trump's a racist.

Also, water is wet.

[worstblogever]

Also, a healthier reaction would probably not to be to argue why the man who first made the news by being charged with racial discrimination as a landlord, with years of racist statements, isn't a racist. Just because Trump is a Republican president doesn't mean any Republican should try to defend him from assessments of his vile behavior that are, correct.

Unless you think he's not doing anything wrong, in which case, the question becomes, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

[Ragged Maw]

I think this is where “racist vs. racially insensitive” gets discussed. The former is obviously more loaded than the other, so it helps to analyze carefully. However, even the latter is something the highest office in the country - one that plays a significant role in affecting millions of people’s lives by way of government policy - could do without.

[aja_christopher]

There is merit in asking whether Trump's objection is racist.

(Edited because this isn't even worthy of debate)

[Tazirai]

That would be a no for me. This is something that has bipartisan support for a very good reason. To quote the update on the government site:
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has introduced the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 (S. 139, as amended) to renew Section 702 authorities for six years while making key reforms to the program to strengthen privacy protections for Americans. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authorizes the Intelligence Community to target the communications of non-U.S. persons located outside the United States for foreign intelligence purposes. A key anti-terror tool that has helped to thwart numerous terror plots including the 2009 conspiracy to bomb the New York City subway, Section 702 operations are subject to multiple layers of oversight by all three branches of government. The FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 was originally introduced as H.R. 4478 and was later advanced as S. 139 as amended.

Do they sweep up communications from people here in the U.S? Sure, if they are in some line of communication with a foreign national who is under surveillance. I'd rather have the U.S Intelligence community out there trying to prevent a terrorist plot with any tool at their disposal.

Even all the hosts on last night CNN and MSNBC were for the passing of the bill and said that it was Trump who almost screwed it up with his tweeting against it because he thinks it has something to do with the Fusion GPS dossier

You usin gthe hosts of CNN to support the bill is hilarious. these are also the same people in support of EVERY War. There's a reason Independent media has more eyeballs than CNN. Screw those people. Edward Snowden warned us about this. Yet Americans are so happy to give up their freedoms, for their Freedumbs.

In an effort to feel secure, we lose privacy and freedoms.

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

― Benjamin Franklin

The context of the quote is in regards to a tax dispute, but it fits the current climate of Big Brother all the same.

[Tazirai]

UN condemns Donald Trump's 'shithole countries' remark as racist

/smdh.
Trump makes us look worse and worse daily.

I still believe that google shouldnt had fired Damore, i think public opinion was fast to drag him thought the mud.

Agreed.

Why do you believe they should not have fired him?

Because people are being vilified for opinions, even if their actions show different. At least to me. It's the same with the Metoo movement. I fear Witch hunts are a comin.

In a human resources point of view, this could had been fixed if either Damore or the leaders in human resources had interacted more with him or he had interacted more with them, it seems like something easy to deal if he could have had a conversation with the HR team.

I think google double down to the backlash to quickly.

At least this is the way i see it, maybe i have to much compassion or maybe i didnt see the memo as big of enough reason for him to be fire, those are 2 things that keep me from saying he should not had been fired.

As a Libby mcLiberal I agree.

Beastie's Cartoon of the Week:

Well at least it's two minorities.. They still shouldn't be POTUS.

Your guess is as good as mine, maybe better. However, it doesn't take Stephen Hawking to figure out why Trump would prefer Norwegians over people from Africa and Haiti, lighter colored skin, yo.

This!

[Mister Mets]

The WSJ reported about his lawyer paying off Stormy Daniels, not the shithole thing.

You seem a little lost today. Nap time?

My bad. I thought you were responding to one of the other comments you quoted.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's more to the Stormy Daniels thing. I mentioned her denial in response to a comment about what she might say about it.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTXp38EXkAERKqj.jpg

On the left-wing versus right-wing dictatorships comment, I still think I'm correct.

Another guy made a comment a specific type of hypothetical left-wing dictatorship, and then noted that "rightwing fascist regimes are a dime a dozen."

I think pointing out specific left-wing regimes is, at the very least, just as appropriate.

Not really.

-----
"African immigrants to the US are among the most educated groups in the United States. Some 48.9 percent of all African immigrants hold a college diploma. This is more than double the rate of native-born white Americans, and nearly four times the rate of native-born African Americans.

Of the African-born population in the US age 25 and older, 87.9% reported having a high school degree or higher, compared with 78.8% of Asian-born immigrants and 76.8% of European-born immigrants, respectively.

Nigerian immigrants have the highest education attainment level in the United States, surpassing every other ethnic group in the country, according to U.S Bureau Census data."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa...nal_attainment

A bit out of date (it's based on an academic journal published in 2000) but interesting.

That's a good answer to Trump's question.

Lol what? That makes no sense. You are saying the media should work for Trump and cover up his racism so people don't find out and get mad? Really? Are we doing this now? Come on

I was saying that while there's merit in reporting what Trump said, the media shouldn't blame him for people getting mad.

They should see it as a worthwhile consequence of their decisions to bring comments made in a small setting to a wider audience.

[aja_christopher]

That's a good answer to Trump's question.

No -- there's nothing "good" about this, Mets.

Not the question (which refers to African nations as "shitholes"), nor the person asking it (who shouldn't make such asinine statements regardless of whether he is the President of the United States or otherwise), nor the Republican party who keeps propping up this ignorant fool who is destroying our reputation both domestically and globally, just so they can take health care away from children and the poor to give targeted tax cuts to the wealthy.

[Scott Taylor]

That sounds like Blade Runner.

Good point. Or the world from Fifth Element, or maybe Coruscant. Personally I look forward to floating cars.

[numberthirty]

Yes, she was. (Prime Minister, not President.)

It's funny, because Norwegians would be great immigrants. But it's because Norway is a heavily taxed, democratic socialist welfare state. The antithesis of what Trump and the GOP are doing to this country.

Norway has had the highest Human Development Index ranking in the world since 2009, a position also held previously between 2001 and 2006. It also has the highest inequality-adjusted ranking. Norway ranks first on the World Happiness Report, the OECD Better Life Index, the Index of Public Integrity, and the Democracy Index.

Hmmm... why would they want to come here?

In a world where a sizable portion of the press appear to be looking for a "Gotcha!", I can't figure out why someone has not asked him that yet.

[Gray Lensman]

Another guy made a comment a specific type of hypothetical left-wing dictatorship, and then noted that "rightwing fascist regimes are a dime a dozen."

Still wouldn't want to live under either one.

[Scott Taylor]

I do not think this has ever existed in the history of humanity.

Rightwing fascist regimes are a dime a dozen though.

Not really. There's been hardly any in the history of the universe. Monarchy is by far the most common system in history. Fascism, communism, democracy - merely blips on the radar.

[Tazirai]

Morons, the lot of them...

[numberthirty]

So...

I just watched Joy Reid and another woman discuss the whole Trump/Stormy angle.

It's odd how women who tend to be on the "Women Need To Have Their Own Agency" end of things go right to telling you exactly what sort of an actress a woman was and that another woman had just had her husband's child when that actress might have slept with a married man.

Let alone that they made sure to throw out "Prostitute" only to correct having done so at the end of the piece.

So, yeah. Kind of a funny route to women actually being able to have legitimate self-determination.