The Former Trump Presidency Thread

[Isgrimnur]

I look forward to the burning of the Capitol building by a mentally-deficient arsonist from Mexico that can set fires like he's Quicksilver.

[Archinerd]

I didn't shit in my pants on the way to work this morning. Where are my accolades minions?

[RunningMn9]

Certainly the speech was adequately delivered - which for Trump is an astonishing feat. The problem is that it was almost entirely empty. The time for trivial fights is passed? Then stop fucking starting them, asshole.

Also - am I the only one that picked up what he was laying down when he took time during this speech to soften us up to our new best friends in Moscow?

[Remus West]

I didn't shit in my pants on the way to work this morning. Where are my accolades minions?

Feel better now? You certainly seem more presidential.

[Paingod]

I didn't shit in my pants on the way to work this morning. Where are my accolades minions?

I applaud your efforts, and appreciate your restraint.

If you can continue this trend for another 4 years, I'll stop calling you ShittyPants McShitterson, but won't forget what you used to do and how much you seemed to enjoy it. Under no circumstance will I vote for you to get "Clean Pants of the Year" at any point in the future, nor will I forget that you earned your nickname by backdoor dealings with Taco Bell, regardless of how you say you got it or who was buying it for you.

[Smoove_B]

I did think it was weird that he tossed the importance of child care into the discussion as that isn't something I'd normally expect. Well, I'm happy to report that fake-news purveyor CNN has already determined that (wait for it) it's really something six-figure income households will benefit from. The poors? Not so much.

"My administration wants to work with members in both parties to make child care accessible and affordable," he said Tuesday. He went on to call on Congress "to help ensure new parents have paid family leave."

But an analysis by the Tax Policy Center finds that Trump's proposal is a gift to the rich. The tax experts at TPC say 70% of the benefits will go to families that make $100,000 or more. And 25% will go to people earning $200,000 or more.

...

The heart of Trump's plan is to significantly expand the tax deduction that families can take for child care expenses for kids under 13. Anyone making less than $250,000 ($500,000 if married) could deduct the average cost of child care in their state. (The average would be based on the age of their child, since it usually costs more to care for infants and toddlers).

That sounds great, but families have to pay income taxes to Uncle Sam in order to take advantage of the deduction. Many working class families pay nothing in federal income taxes because they earn too little in income to owe anything.

On top of that, Trump wants to create a "dependent care savings account" (DCSA) to allow families to save up to $2,000 tax-free that could be used to pay for care for kids or elderly parents. Parents could even use the money to pay for summer camp.

Again, it sounds good, but poor families that desperately need a break on child care are unlikely to have extra money to put into the savings account.

I feel like there's a whole group of people making decisions that can't seem to wrap their minds around the idea that many people live paycheck to paycheck. The idea that the average American family is funding tax-free child care accounts, tax free grandma care accounts while also socking away way tens of thousands of dollars for retirement and apparently a health savings account (soon) is hilarious.

[Isgrimnur]

How many savings accounts am I supposed to end up with? And, of course, the great thing is that they don't have to worry about keeping up with market forces and costs, as they just make it the individual's burden to keep up with it. Costs rise faster than the max amount you can save? Too bad.

[Paingod]

Bernie Sanders responds to the things Trump didn't mention, as well as other points he made.

[Carpet_pissr]

I didn't shit in my pants on the way to work this morning. Where are my accolades minions?

NPR:"Archinerd Drives to Work, Arrives Clean"
NYT: "Archinerd Finally Gets to Work without Caking Pants"
Fox: "Historical Commute By Archinerd Silences Critics"
HuffPo: "Archinerd: 1, Caked shorts: 0"
Breitbart: "Liberal Media Heaps Praise on Archinerd's Commuting Prowess...'Best in History of Man;"

[Archinerd]

I really am the greatest at keeping my unders clean, aren't I? I've been saying it all these years and I really think I'm starting to get some great attention for it. Losers everywhere can't believe how fresh I smell now.

[Fretmute]

When are you going to address the rumors that the Russians have been supplying you with loperamide?

[Paingod]

Just for giggles, a timestamped "Trump drinks with both hands" YouTube link.

My young kids don't even use both hands anymore. Between this, and his "Well done steak with catsup" I'm wondering if he ever progressed beyond age 3.

[Holman]

[Archinerd]

When are you going to address the rumors that the Russians have been supplying you with loperamide?

Obviously FAKE. There have been no leaks, my drivers seat is completely clean.

[Max Peck]

I did think it was weird that he tossed the importance of child care into the discussion as that isn't something I'd normally expect.

Child care is one of Ivanka's pet issues, so it isn't all that surprising it got a mention. Being PrincessOTUS has it's perks.

[El Guapo]

You know, the Nazis had so many great ideas.

In The Nazi Conscience, Duke historian Claudia Koonz notes that the Nazi newspaper Der Sturmer ran a feature called “Letter Box,” which published readers’ accounts of Jewish crimes. When the Nazis took power, the German state began doing something similar. Frustrated by the failure of most Germans to participate in a boycott of Jewish businesses in April 1933, Adolf Hitler’s government began publicizing Jewish crime statistics as a way of stoking anti-Semitism. In Nazi Germany and the Jews: The Years of Persecution, the historian Saul Friedlander notes that, until 1938, Hitler’s Ministry of Justice ordered prosecutors to forward every criminal indictment against a Jew so the ministry’s press office could publicize it.

[Captain Caveman]

This constant showcasing of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants is such racist bullshit. The Trump administration knows full well that the undocumented commit crimes at lower rates than citizens, but they need to promote a lie about immigrant criminality for their white nationalist movement to gain market share and for people to go along with any harsh anti-immigrant tactics they pursue.

I saw someone write that they could just as easily parade around victims of crimes committed by left-handed people and demonize the hell out of southpaws. Are some crimes committed by the left-handed? Sure, but not disproportionately. The only reason to highlight crimes by left-handed people would be as a way to smear them as a specific problem that needs a solution.

[Kraken]

I gather from today's light press coverage, and from this thread, that Trump managed to speak for an hour without saying anything, and sounded presidential saying it. That he can stay on message when he wants to is supposed to be encouraging...and I suppose we should look for encouragement where we can find it since it's in short supply these days. He cleared the low bar that was set for him.

[Alefroth]

I didn't shit in my pants on the way to work this morning. Where are my accolades minions?

I'm waiting for the fact-check.

[Isgrimnur]

Verdict: Unconfirmed.

[Skinypupy]

I didn't shit in my pants on the way to work this morning. Where are my accolades minions?

I'm waiting for the fact-check.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Are some crimes committed by the left-handed? Sure, but not disproportionately.

Are you sure about that? Left-handers are pretty sinister....

[Isgrimnur]

Are some crimes committed by the left-handed? Sure, but not disproportionately.

Are you sure about that? Left-handers are pretty sinister....

[Paingod]

Are some crimes committed by the left-handed? Sure, but not disproportionately.

Are you sure about that? Left-handers are pretty sinister....

Residual graphite poisoning from years of dragging their hands across pencil scribbles in gradeschool caused permanent brain damage, leaving them unable to control violent impulses.

[Carpet_pissr]

Are some crimes committed by the left-handed? Sure, but not disproportionately.

Are you sure about that? Left-handers are pretty sinister....

Latin nerds WOOT!

[Defiant]

I didn't shit in my pants on the way to work this morning. Where are my accolades minions?

I'm waiting for the fact-check.

See, he didn't shit in his pants, he just set them on fire.

[Fretmute]

Are some crimes committed by the left-handed? Sure, but not disproportionately.

Are you sure about that? Left-handers are pretty sinister....

They're not evil, just gauche.

[Freyland]

I didn't shit in my pants on the way to work this morning. Where are my accolades minions?

That's a winning streak!

[Carpet_pissr]

Or two...

[RunningMn9]

I gather from today's light press coverage, and from this thread, that Trump managed to speak for an hour without saying anything, and sounded presidential saying it. That he can stay on message when he wants to is supposed to be encouraging...and I suppose we should look for encouragement where we can find it since it's in short supply these days. He cleared the low bar that was set for him.

He was doing his best to sound full of hope at how awesome it's going to be for all of us to work together to solve every problem in the best way.

[LawBeefaroni]

This constant showcasing of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants is such racist bullshit. The Trump administration knows full well that the undocumented commit crimes at lower rates than citizens, but they need to promote a lie about immigrant criminality for their white nationalist movement to gain market share and for people to go along with any harsh anti-immigrant tactics they pursue.

I saw someone write that they could just as easily parade around victims of crimes committed by left-handed people and demonize the hell out of southpaws. Are some crimes committed by the left-handed? Sure, but not disproportionately. The only reason to highlight crimes by left-handed people would be as a way to smear them as a specific problem that needs a solution.

Thing is, lefties can vote. They can speak up without fear of reprisal in the form of deportation (for the time being, anyway).

The bet is that most of the rest of us won't take up the cause of the undocumented. Fortunately it hasn't been going that way so far.

Next up in the playbook, look for prosecution of those "aiding and abetting" undocumented immigrants.

[Carpet_pissr]

I recently stumbled on a Netflix doc on the Rise of Hitler (and wow, had no idea there was SO much footage from that time, and in color to boot (unless it was colorized later?).

The parallels are eerie.
1. "Not winning like we used to" Check.
2. Create a boogeyman. Check
3. Assimilate power in unconventional ways. Check
4. Lie a LOT. Check.
5. Gain popular support by telling people whose pride has been hurt that he will make everything better. Check.
6. Destroy infrastructure of existing govt. In process.
7. Focus on rallies and hordes of people cheering you on instead of actual governance. Check.
8. Thin-skinned, sociopathic bully with narcissistic tendencies. Check.
9. Overly ambitious evil plans thwarted by people with a backbone not buying into the asshole's dupery. Hopefully coming soon.

[Isgrimnur]

My current audiobook consumption of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich might be coloring my perceptions a bit these days.

[Smoove_B]

I'm sure it's just an overreaction. I'm no historian, but there must be plenty of harmless examples where a leader announces that the military needs to be bigger and simultaneously decrees the country needs to take a much closer look at the people inside their borders.

Also: Has President Trump said anything about the Russians accidentally bombing US-backed forces in Syria yet? I can't see to find anything.

[Paingod]

We are supposed to learn from history, and failing to make comparisons and thus taking action when we see things aligning too closely is how you would fall into the same trap.

I don't think Trump can pull off a Nazi takeover of the US - there's just too many cultures, too many differences, too many groups - but I think he can succeed in making life really unpleasant for people who are not in his particular alignment (Neutral Evil).

Neutral Evil, "Malefactor"

A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.

Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies.

Neutral evil beings consider their alignment to be the best because they can advance themselves without regard for others.

Neutral evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

[Jeff V]

We are supposed to learn from history, and failing to make comparisons and thus taking action when we see things aligning too closely is how you would fall into the same trap.

I don't think Trump can pull off a Nazi takeover of the US - there's just too many cultures, too many differences, too many groups - but I think he can succeed in making life really unpleasant for people who are not in his particular alignment (Neutral Evil).

Oh, reducing the numbers of cultures/differences/groups is exactly how he'll go about trying to succeed. We'll all be bearing a mark identifying us as some sort of undesirable demographic to make it easier for Trumptopia to deal with us.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

As long as I get a green star on my belly, I'm down.

[El Guapo]

As long as I get a green star on my belly, I'm down.

No way, man - the coolest kind of sneetches on the beaches are those without stars on thars.

[malchior]

Listening to the news this morning and came across a panel of journalists going over the speech. Most of them were saying how they had to give him credit for staying on message and (for the most part) acting presidential. Except for one great panelist who refused to acknowledge anything of the sort. His assertion was, why are we congratulating this man for doing something that we expect of him? We're setting a dangerous precedent by praising him for not destroying everything around him.

This is the depressing part to me and maybe belongs in the deathwatch thread but the way a lot of journalists reacted was absurdist at best. He read a speech written by someone else - poorly - and that is our new low bar for Presidentialism. A speech that was slightly less negative than the inauguration speech but still pressed on many of the same racial buttons. Where he still told many of the same lies? We are supposed to forget 2 years of complete batshit because of an hour speech? Are our memories really that short?

[hitbyambulance]

Trump is still a distraction from the real work going on in Congress, and people are still falling for it.