If you haven't had a chance to see and hear the president-elect at his first press conference, you are missing an amazing performance. Google it and read the transcript, and if you are up to it, watch trump in action.
I said it was amazing and I was amazed. That the man who will sit in the Oval Office has the vocabulary and speaking skills of a third grader. Yes, even his social skills are those of a third grader. (Sorry, third graders everywhere) It was embarrassing to watch. How do the reporters keep a straight face? How does his staff and Cabinet keep a straight face? I am assuming that all of the aforementioned have IQ's hovering around 100 or better. Probably better. Yet, their faces were frozen.
I know for a fact that my sentence structuring is less than perfect. My grammar always needs polishing. Yet, I look like Einstein compared to that buffoon. I know that Ms Conway has told us that we need to see what's in his heart and pay no attention to his words. No matter how many times he changes those words, we are still supposed to be looking at his heart. But, I can't see his heart. His words represent him. Sorry, Kellyanne; you work for a cretin and I think that even you know that is a fact.
People; those who love and admire trump, say that he must be very intelligent because of the vast wealth he has acquired. They ignore the fact that no one knows how much money, or debt, he has because he won't reveal his tax returns. Considering his history, he is probably heavily in debt. His father always came to his financial rescue in the past but his dad is no longer around to finance his profligate son.
It doesn't take a lot of intelligence to be the son, or daughter, of a wealthy man.
He gave his net worth when he entered the race-- they all had to do that. It is income tax that he has not put out and it's different. It's complicated to look at someone's income tax returns-- even ours when there are many sources of income. I can only imagine what it'd be like if it was a billionaire.
ReplyDeleteOn the words he used, I watched Obama's speech and Trump's press conference. Neither used real big words and there is a reason for that. When I am writing a manuscript, sometimes I will want to use a word that I have to find a simpler one to do the same job. Most communication is aimed at an eighth grade level unless it's an elite magazine like New Yorker, where big words are a plus.
The reason I watched both of these events, when I normally never do, was not wanting someone else to interpret them for me. I found it easy to understand Trump and Obama but that's what it has to be if someone wants to communicate to more people.
I get it that if someone hates either man personally, they will see it differently. I read that Obama referred to himself 75 or so times in his swan song and I thought first who counts stuff like that and second-- it was about his leaving office and what he felt ‘he’ had done. But if someone hates him, that's how it goes and I think the same thing is true for Trump. I've had to stop reading some people based on the ugliness of their disdain because I think it's time to move on from the personal to the issues. Issues are where we should be concentrating-- in my opinion-- as it's what I voted on and where i believe there is going to be a fight. For those who live in a bubble, whether it's a left or right wing bubble, it's hard to imagine there are others who see things differently. How do you convince them?
And for anyone who says I’m wrong and they don't hate him... check the words used and the constant bombardment of anger. Yes, I’ve heard my left wing friends say they won’t give up anger. Well, maybe they need to accept this will be a long stretch of Republican control if they don’t. Frankly, Trump is not the big problem given the House and Senate are even further right than he is... along with most states. I think now it's time for us to come up with good ideas and convince others we have them. Hate isn't one of them.
Net worth verified by which independent auditor? I'm just curious. I'm certainly not the only one looking for the tax returns. I accept that his returns would be difficult to examine, but not impossible. And then there is that constant lying about why he can't let us see his returns; they are being audited? That has been debunked thoroughly.
ReplyDeleteThen there are the lies. Enough of them to make him a record holder in the number of lies told in any of his speeches. How do you know when he isn't lying?
How do you convince the minority of voters that voted for him that they are wrong? I don't know how that could happen, as most Americans think 'critical thinking' is a trap invented by intellectuals. For this we need a miracle...
Anger does not mean hate. Hate is a dangerous word, very close to rage, and should never be used freely. I'm angry at the House and Senate that conspired to make President Obama a one term President. When that didn't happen they tried to make certain that nothing with his name on would pass and become law. I don't hate them for that. I am angry still.
Myself and 3 million others feel cheated by the electoral college. We can't change that outcome but we are angry about it. I anticipate being angry for 4 years. It won't be a constant anger. The anger will probably occur when trump does something to hurt others. It's not anger when you see someone being a buffoon. Someone that represents the country you live in. It's certainly embarrassment and a quantity of anger...there must a word for that? Whatever it is, I will probably feel that every morning as I read the news. And then to clear my head I may write about it, in my journal or here...
I guess you understand in a way you probably never did how the ones who voted against Obama felt. It wasn't his race but what he did and his positions. They feel he is a liar and has cheated and will cheat. It's rather sad how the country has ended up and I wonder if half the country won't be furious no matter who is elected.
ReplyDeleteDo you get your news from NYTimes and WashingtonPost? They are the main ones who say he lied on this or that. Mostly it's how he said it and not so much the lie.
We donated some thousands of dollars each time Obama ran to get him elected but ended up not happy with a lot of what he did. The trade deal, the secret payment to Iran, which was only revealed later, Arab Spring and yes his health care plan that ended up with some of my friends paying $20,000 a year and having a $6000 deductible before they got any coverage. He let the drug companies make a fortune and certainly didn't do much to rein in the hedge fund guys (with two of his cabinet guys straight from them). I admired though Obama's character and enjoyed anytime I saw the family in photos. But a lot of what he did was not helpful to the country in terms of jobs and my gosh, the level of tuition increases, where he did nothing to help the middle class and even the supposedly free community college tuition ended up being only for those who didn't make that much money.
I didn't vote for Trump but I also didn't donate to Hillary and wasn't excited to imagine she'd win-- even though I did vote for her. I think now our country has a lot of problems and I don't think Trump is as bad as the media is trying to paint him. but we shall see. My big issue is that we care about the issues and speak up, donate, as we already have to various organizations that will stand up for what matters and also for candidates for '18 because as long as Republicans control the Congress, things can get a lot worse in terms of civil rights-- a big issue to me.
I think the world will be looking at what Trump does but as for being embarrassed by him, I think that's being spread by the left as was this latest so-called scandal that apparently was paid for by democrats. Frankly,I don't think either of our parties is anything to be proud of. The Democrat leadership cheated to get Hillary the nomination and the members of the party apparently didn't care. If they had not, I think Bernie could have won (we did donate to his campaign). The ones who say he could not are Democrats as many Republicans were interested in his positions on trade and the fact that he was honorable. Something not many can say about either Clinton. I don't expect the next two years will be fun with the right going after all their pet issues-- but enough states want it... and we still are run by states, not popular votes.
First, where do I get my news? First place is the Economist, print and website. I trust them more than I trust any other news source. Then it's the LA Times, the NY Times and the Sacramento Bee. For information regarding his lies I trust Politifact and Snopes. Plus the video I saw and heard. For some reason, most print news media is reluctant to use the L word. They will dance all around it, much like politicians do. Well, I can't dance so I just have to say it...Trump is a liar. Always has been and always will be.
ReplyDeleteMaybe so but so is Hillary and she's been crooked and yet many wanted her for President. I have a friend who asked me how i could vote for her, and I didn't blame him for asking it. It was the least clean I felt on any vote in all my many years of doing it. I did it on issues and didn't trust her one bit to do any of what she said she'd do--not that she said a lot.
ReplyDeleteI like the LA Times and have considered taking out a digital subscription to them. The NY Times though admitted they were biased which means they printed what made Trump look bad and ignored what made Hillary.
Anyway I hope for the best. If though the Democrats only say no, they can figure on more years of Republican control. There have to be good reasons for the issues we support and how we pay for them. The idea of owing $20 trillion dollars with the only way to pay for it to print more dollars should worry both sides... A lot who voted for the Republicans across the country did it for wanting responsible accountability. Of course, some had religious reasons as christianists...
Oh and I went looking for Trump's financial disclosure form and it's a hundred pages with a lot of details if someone cares enough to look it up. I wonder how many who worry about his wealth also worried about the Clinton foundation...
ReplyDelete100 pages without an audit is just a waste of paper. If the financial disclosure form was worth reading, then the requests to see his tax forms would have died out long ago.
ReplyDeleteRegarding lies; all through the debates, Trump rated over 60% lies while Clinton remained in the 20% range. Trump also had the highest number of 'Pants on Fire' lies. It's in his nature. He can't help himself. He is a sociopath. He can't restrain himself from tweeting and that's where he lies almost continually. The tweets don't disappear... Here's a link to the Politifact page on Trump
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/
The Clinton's have been surrounded by innuendo and falsehoods for years and still no convictions. The Republicans have failed in all of their attempts. If you don't have a conviction, you have nothing.
Here is the Politifact info on Clinton
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/hillary-clinton/
I have to go with facts. The Clinton foundation is not a public entity. Nor is the Trump foundation. You can disapprove of what they do but until they break laws, that is all you can do...I didn't approve of the Trump portrait that his foundation paid for. But it wasn't illegal.
I certainly don't approve of the selection Trump has made for pastors to offer prayers at his inauguration. They will certainly hurt christianity.
yeah but the clinton foundation may have a criminal aspect if she did pay for play-- something it would take an investigation to prove (not anything likely to happen with trump or obama). Anyway, it's done and now we either go on or wallow in it. It's a choice we all make when things don't go our way.
ReplyDeleteMost of what is called Christianity today is christianism as Andrew Sullivan called it well-- a form without the spirit. Reading Revelations makes it clear what happened to the 'religion' that bears little resemblance to anything Jesus taught. So, I could care less who he has do the prayers. It's not like I think he's a religious man to say the least... Two Corinthians lol among other things.
As for the Clintons-- being found not guilty does not mean innocent. They are out of it anyway and good riddance. I didn't think she'd do much of anything I'd like but not much choice given what Trump promised to do-- although I don't disagree with him on immigration being regulated-- something neither party has done and it's hurt the working class in the middle that it hasn't been done but helped those who need cheap laborers. I am a nationalist, not a globalist but even given that, I couldn't support Trump since he's a total wild card. I have no idea what he'll do and he had some stands that didn't work for me on issues.
I'll watch the inauguration as I always have but for those who really hate seeing him get elected, there are marches out there. I've never done that though-- too much of an introvert. I wouldn't though anyway as I don't know what to expect from Trump. I am old enough to remember my first vote when we were told Goldwater would get us into war and then it was Johnson. I've lost a lot of faith in depending on these campaigns to tell the truth-- on either side.
That group of 'prayer givers' represents a growing population in the US churches. No, they don't represent true christianity at all. It's difficult enough to follow the precepts of the triune God...these charlatans don't make it any easier. Nor do cathedrals or mega churches, or any church. None of that is from the word of God. I've never been popular on the governing boards of the churches I have attended or am attending as I always suggest that we sell the building.
ReplyDeleteAs you did, I voted for Clinton but only because she looked to be the only one capable of beating Trump. I was fooled. I have no love for Democratic Party and even less for the Republicans. I don't like joining political parties but if I had to I would join the Socialists. The Democrats might have had a chance if they had gone to their roots...the roots that FDR put in place.
I would like to see an intelligent immigration policy. Something that neither party mentions is the fact that immigration between our country and Mexico is in negative numbers now and has been for the past 6 months or more. We should be allowing the trained specialists in all occupations to enter our country. We need smart people! And why on earth are we not educating/retraining the idle work force we have? Coal isn't coming back. Ever. So why isn't Mitch McConnell pressing for retraining money instead of using all of his energy to erase all signs of a black man in the White House? Job after job is going to be lost to robotics. That's a fact. Why not tell the truth and start getting people educated for the 21st century? The Industrial Revolution caused terrible social damage. We know that. Why didn't we learn from that and put in the programs that could limit the damage in our era? That's because Republicans still believe in the "Yeoman Farmer" form of government that Jefferson espoused. Or better known as the "Everyone for themselves!" government.
You could probably call me a globalist as I believe that borders are just lines on a map and put there to demonstrate the power of one side over another. Power doesn't last and neither do borders.
Just got my copy of the ACLU magazine. It features a HUGE picture of Trump with the title "See you in court!" Love it!
I think it's important to know whether one is a globalist or nationalist as it impacts many issues. I believe most liberals/socialists are probably globalists. I think borders are done to keep order but they do get redone-- the United States' borders certainly have. We need a realistic immigration policy and we have not had that where people who work here get a chance to become citizens if that is their wish. This way leaves a shadow economy and makes it easy for the drug cartels to use those they help across as well as keep the gangs going in the cities. We shall see whether anything changes under Trump and the Repubs...
ReplyDeleteThe problem with all forms of government is human nature.