The Official Former President Trump thread

[Mark Connolly]

He's just pardoned the 4 "contractors" who murdered 14 civilians in Iraq in 2007.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/23/trump-pardons-blackwater-contractors-jailed-for-massacre-of-iraq-civilians

[BillyAnchor]

His pardons are so tinpot it's beyond words. There is no way he is done.

[Granny Danger]

The real issue here isn’t Trump, the real issue is this wholly undemocratic and anarchic right of pardon that is bestowed on all US Presidents.  There is no place for it in a modern democracy.

[accies1874]

How is a presidential pardon even a thing?

[sophia]

This presidential pardon thing is something that has passed me by or perhaps just passes by periodically.

But my word, what a strange concept, a decree bypassing all due process. 

What a curious country.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

The real issue here isn’t Trump, the real issue is this wholly undemocratic and anarchic right of pardon that is bestowed on all US Presidents.  There is no place for it in a modern democracy.

The power itself is not that unusual but in other countries it’s used far more sparingly.

Trump will have pardoned more people in his single term than the Queen notionally has in her reign

The convicted murderer on day release who fought a terrorist with a narwhal tooth on London Bridge last year got released early on a royal pardon.

In 2016 Francois Hollande pardoned a woman after she served three years for shooting her husband, who abused her and her children for decades.

The most politicised uk examples I could find were a bunch of royal pardons in the wake of the good Friday agreement as part of the peace process

Whether any of these were good ideas is debatable but those are going to be the kind of debates where both sides can make valid points.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

1 hour ago, sophia said:

This presidential pardon thing is something that has passed me by or perhaps just passes by periodically.

But my word, what a strange concept, a decree bypassing all due process. 

What a curious country.

The USA is basically a third world shitpit with some decent tech. It ticks every other box:

• Absolutely spectacular disparity between the well off and everybody else
• A bent as f**k justice system
• Highly questionable human rights history
• Has an absolute hard-on for the death penalty
• Has an absolute hard-on for deploying its military
• Spends tens of billions on the military whilst significant portions of its population have virtually f**k all

Actually the UK isn't a lot better now that I type this. 

[Thistle_do_nicely]

we are a long, long way from George Washington now...

[Granny Danger]

2 hours ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

 

 

The power itself is not that unusual but in other countries it’s used far more sparingly.

Trump will have pardoned more people in his single term than the Queen notionally has in her reign

The convicted murderer on day release who fought a terrorist with a narwhal tooth on London Bridge last year got released early on a royal pardon.

In 2016 Francois Hollande pardoned a woman after she served three years for shooting her husband, who abused her and her children for decades.

The most politicised uk examples I could find were a bunch of royal pardons in the wake of the good Friday agreement as part of the peace process

Whether any of these were good ideas is debatable but those are going to be the kind of debates where both sides can make valid points.
 

 

 

Reinforces my point.  If other figures abused their respective pardoning powers said powers would most likely be removed or at least curtailed.

I predict nothing will change in the US as a result of Trump’s actions.

[NotThePars]

You never know but Trump abusing the position, imo, won’t lead to any reform because it would then necessarily implicate everyone else that’s been in the role.

[welshbairn]

Apparently Trump told the GOP through Treasury Sec Mnuchin that he'd never sign a Covid relief bill that included the Dems $2000 check for everyone, but he would if they dropped it to $600. Now he's refusing to sign it unless it's $2000. The man's having a ball.

https://www.newsweek.com/gop-rep-slams-trump-doubling-back-stimulus-checks-says-white-house-rejected-2k-1557051

[welshbairn]

Anyway, in case the OP is still having a gander..

 

[topcat(The most tip top)]

[welshbairn]

Finally a lie that's going to come back and bite him. When they have the inevitable enquiry with sworn testimony they'll find out he was watching it unfold with a huge bowl of popcorn, refusing to take calls, cheering them on and laughing at Pelosi and Pence having to hide.

Quote

I immediately deployed the National Guard and Federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders.

 

[DA Baracus]

I still don't get why they all love Trump. He has absolutely zero charisma. He doesn't talk well. He doesn't give rousing speeches. He's borderline illiterate. 

I can sort of understand if it was the message they were getting behind but they seem to actually worship him and focus on him.

[NotThePars]

I still don't get why they all love Trump. He has absolutely zero charisma.

This isn’t true at all he has a specific magnetism
that’s baffling and hard to explain but it’s undeniable.

I can sort of understand if it was the message they were getting behind but they seem to actually worship him and focus on him.

It’s not about having a positive message though it’s about him sticking it to the people they don’t like which he is good at. Someone once described him as a nasty 70s caricature of gay men come to life and that’s exactly what he is, and lots of people love that cattiness. When else are you going to see someone at that level of power calling an actress “a washed up psycho” purely because they were rude about him? It’s like Berlusconi cranked up to 11.

[oneteaminglasgow]

Also, a lot of them think he’s personally waging a war against the secret cabal of child-eating paedophiles who run the world, so there’s that. 

[Granny Danger]

Just now, oneteaminglasgow said:

Also, a lot of them think he’s personally waging a war against the secret cabal of child-eating paedophiles who run the world, so there’s that. 

You mean he’s not???!!!

[BFTD]

49 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

I still don't get why they all love Trump. He has absolutely zero charisma. He doesn't talk well. He doesn't give rousing speeches. He's borderline illiterate. 

I can sort of understand if it was the message they were getting behind but they seem to actually worship him and focus on him.

Does that description remind you of anybody?

Say, a large percentage of his fanbase?

[aDONisSheep]

There are a plethora of reasons why people have bought into Trump (and still do).

In no particular order (and I'm ignoring the relative merits, short-termism, and absolute bat-shittedness of some of the thinking);

1)  It's the economy stupid!  Before the 'Chyna-virus', Americans were at work, low unemployment rates, rising wages.  People are people and first and foremost they want to provide for their families.

2)  Lower taxes (for everyone but particularly the honest hard working 1%).

3)  'Merica 1st FUK YEAH!  WE ARE THE GREATEST, I LOVE FLAGS!  SPAAAAAACCCCEE FORRRRCCCCCEE!

4)  Stikkin it TO DA MAN!  Clearing the SWAMP!  

5)  Businessman not a politician

6)  Don't like dem foreign brown people, or whatever you're particular bigatory is, is fine, because as a 'Nationalist' President, I tacitly share your views, wink-wink.

7)  I loves me some GOD and unborn BABIES, I love the unborn BABIES, are you listening you fundamental crackpots, despite having never read a word of the Bibly, I love those unborn BABIES.

8.  I'm tough on them Chyna-ese and we takin' our joabs back.

9)  The environment is a liberal elite  hoax to keep you the 'honest Joe' down.

10)   If it wasn't for me, you'd all be talking Commie!

11)  Dissent is anti-AMERCAN, patriots vote TRUMP, traitors vote Dem.

12)  JUDGES!

13) Military spending = 'MERICAN Might!

14)  If you're still unhappy, it's because liberals/brown people/immigrants/the elite are cheating you.

15)  Good stuff = Me, bad stuff = someone else.

 

All of this is simple stuff that people often feel a connection with (probably even on just an emotional level).

It's not difficult to see why he's still popular.  Had it not been for the Chyna-virus, he'd still be president (think of that)!

Yours

aDONis

P.S. for all my scorn, we have voted the stuffed cabbage patch doll Johnson is as London Mayor twice and Prime Minister (OK not a direct election but you know what I mean).  

 

"All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

Edited January 8, 2021 by aDONisSheep