Trump's Card

[Nefertiti2]

Piece in Haaretz on the real function of the N Korean summit https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/....iran-1.6163006

A Longer piece about Trump Israel the gulf and Iran

[tee rex]

I was going to suggest a separate thread for Sentosa but then realized it will all be over by the time Euro-OTFers wake up. Spare a thought for the interpreters, who will need to talk fast: nukes have to be bowled out by tea, Singapore time. That includes a "working lunch".

[Satchmo Distel]

Supreme Court allows states to disenfranchise inactive voters

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2018...ctive-electors

This despite the fact that 7,515 purged voters in Ohio showed up at the polls in 2016.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/business/status/1006339428594475008?s=19

[Femme Folle]

I'm really sick and tired of this fuckshow.

[ad hoc]

A Longer piece about Trump Israel the gulf and Iran

Christ that's depressing. I had a conversation this weekend with someone I've known for years, who's lived and travelled all over, and who is by no means an idiot (British but spends a lot of time in the US) who essentially told me that I should overlook Trump’s racism as he's making the trains run on time (he didn't actually mention trains but that was the gist)

[Amor de Cosmos]

This is kinda comforting, and frankly brought a lump to my throat. It's easy to forget these days that that there are quite a few nice, sensible, US citizens (besides those on OTF!)

[ad hoc]

That link doesn't work

[Amor de Cosmos]

Fixed (I think)

[Gerontophile]

Dammit. I was listening to Jake Tapper, and then NBC breaks into a news conference (likely to be about fuck all).

[MsD]

The videos of Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un are as weird as we'd expect. Don't really know what to say. A gift to comedy, but Kim is being validated and seems more likeable than Trump. He has relatives cruelly executed, are we all going to be joking about how we'd all like to do that at Christmas? I don't mean "we" on here, I mean generally. It's like being pilled; not red-pilled or blue-pilled, just "pilled".

[Satchmo Distel]

Both leaders got a document they can spin for domestic consumption but doesn't actually say much except we are going to have more talks and be more friendly to each other. If Obama had done this summit and returned with such an empty basket, Trump would be blasting him as weak.

[Satchmo Distel]

I'm really sick and tired of this fuckshow.

We need to have some way of blocking the Trump circus out of our mental universe and focus on the sane life taking place elsewhere, but the circus then intrudes on the sane life by forcing you to listen to restaurant conversations and drive behind Trump/NRA bumper stickers (especially in Southwest Florida). I have successfully resisted CNN and MSNBC and I should probably ignore the Grauniad front page, and maybe also this thread (despite the comfort of being with like-minded people here).

My fears about the midterms and 2020 just reinforce this. I see it getting bleaker, no hope of his removal before 2024 unless he gets ill or dies.

[Flynnie]

https://twitter.com/business/status/1006339428594475008?s=19

Finally did too much blow, I guess.

[Lurgee]

The videos of Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un are as weird as we'd expect. Don't really know what to say. A gift to comedy, but Kim is being validated and seems more likeable than Trump. He has relatives cruelly executed, are we all going to be joking about how we'd all like to do that at Christmas? I don't mean "we" on here, I mean generally. It's like being pilled; not red-pilled or blue-pilled, just "pilled".

Kim's behaviour makes perfect sense in the context of North Korea. He had to take over the reins of power, surrounded by ultra-hardliners who were absolutely loyal ... to his father. Any signs of backsliding or weakness would probably have resulted in him being immediately deposed and killed. So he had to show he was alert to every plot (real or imagined) and utterly ruthless ... and (I like to think) picking off the hardliners and moving his own loyalists into position. I like to think (perhaps naively) that he has retained some shreds of humanity and - now he's secured in his position - he'll make things ever so slightly less horrible for the people of North Korea.

[Snake Plissken]

And there you have it. Grifters gotta grift.

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1006500136732807168

[WOM]

but the circus then intrudes on the sane life by forcing you to listen to restaurant conversations and drive behind Trump/NRA bumper stickers

Maybe six weeks ago, I was waiting for my take-out order at Swiss Chalet. The place was busy, and the flat-panel had Trump talking to his knuckle-dragging minions at some bullshit rally or other. Most sane types in line were shooting each other eye-rolling looks, but sure enough, a couple of old white guys and a couple of white-trash women were chuckling on about how he 'really mixes things up' and 'he's getting a lot done down there' and 'he just throws a grenade into the room and watches what happens'.

It was all I could do not to whip out my pocket knife and start stabbing people in the neck. Fucking idiots have absolutely no idea they're fucking idiots. And more and more, I believe that people will vote against their own best interest just to 'piss off' some perceived enemy or 'elite' in their own neighborhood or family.

[ursus arctos]

On grift, see also Javanka reporting USD 82 million in assets more than they reported last year.

[MsD]

Kim's behaviour makes perfect sense in the context of North Korea. He had to take over the reins of power, surrounded by ultra-hardliners who were absolutely loyal ... to his father. Any signs of backsliding or weakness would probably have resulted in him being immediately deposed and killed. So he had to show he was alert to every plot (real or imagined) and utterly ruthless ... and (I like to think) picking off the hardliners and moving his own loyalists into position. I like to think (perhaps naively) that he has retained some shreds of humanity and - now he's secured in his position - he'll make things ever so slightly less horrible for the people of North Korea.

That is perfectly possible and would be a good outcome.

[Incandenza]

Finally did too much blow, I guess.

I was wondering if he got some hands on some really good shit.

[Incandenza]

A lot of libs on Twitter mourning the sight of the US flag next to the North Korean flag and denouncing Trump for calling US military exercises in South Korea "provocative." At this rate, Democrats will be running to the right of Trump and Republicans on the military/national security in the fall and in 2020.

[WOM]

Meanwhile, he continues to beat up on Trudeau for standing his ground or something.

[Amor de Cosmos]

A lot of libs on Twitter mourning the sight of the US flag next to the North Korean flag and denouncing Trump for calling US military exercises in South Korea "provocative." At this rate, Democrats will be running to the right of Trump and Republicans on the military/national security in the fall and in 2020.

Could be a tactic no? Implying that he's weak and un-American, is likely to draw more angry tweets from Air Force One which could undo all today's feel good stuff.

[Tubby Isaacs]

It's not right wing to say somebody's (it seems) giving stupid concessions to a murdering arsehole.

[Jah Womble]

Maybe six weeks ago, I was waiting for my take-out order at Swiss Chalet. The place was busy, and the flat-panel had Trump talking to his knuckle-dragging minions at some bullshit rally or other. Most sane types in line were shooting each other eye-rolling looks, but sure enough, a couple of old white guys and a couple of white-trash women were chuckling on about how he 'really mixes things up' and 'he's getting a lot done down there' and 'he just throws a grenade into the room and watches what happens'.

It was all I could do not to whip out my pocket knife and start stabbing people in the neck. Fucking idiots have absolutely no idea they're fucking idiots. And more and more, I believe that people will vote against their own best interest just to 'piss off' some perceived enemy or 'elite' in their own neighborhood or family.

Yep, absolutely - idiots are the most dangerous people in the world, for that reason alone. The type that replace motivation and ambition with the need to find targets to blame for their own lack of movement.

As for Orangetwunt himself, could somebody not just invent some kind of bogus international prize/decoration, give it to him and tell him it's only ever awarded, like, once a century? Like he or his followers would ever know or bother to find out. Maybe then we could just get rid.