[dohboi]

Back on topic:

From Office of Strategic Services: Hitler's Psychological Profile: pg. 46

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom ... 0001-5.pdf

His Primary Rules Were:

- Never allow the public to cool off;

- Never admit a fault or wrong;

- Never concede that there may be some good in your enemy;

- Never leave room for alternatives;

- Never accept blame;

- Concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong;

- People will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and

- If you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.

Sound familiar?

[jedrider]

"That's How They Got Capone": Filing by NY Prosecutors Indicates Broader Probe Into Alleged Trump Tax Fraud
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/03/thats-how-they-got-capone-filing-ny-prosecutors-indicates-broader-probe-alleged

I was going to post this on the Democrat thread, but it could fit in here, too.

Trump's MO is some combination of fascist and mob boss. Not as fascist as Hitler and, so far as I know, he doesn't use bullets right away against his enemies -- although those in Portland would probably disagree.

Let's face it: Trump is no Hitler. Hitler gave far better speeches AFAIK. Hitler was going for absolute power, but Trump is willing to get the money first, just in case.

[AdamB]

The Germans learned and corrected. Will we?

So did the Japanese.

I'm thinking, no American really wants what happened to those folks, to happen to them, just to fix our little bifurcated society issues.

[dohboi]

Good to hear from you, Adam

Getting a bit closer to back on topic:

Those of us who warned America that fascism was coming were called hysterical — but we were right about Trump all along

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/those- ... all-along/

The strongman knows that it starts with words. He uses them early on to test out his plans to expand and personalize executive power on political elites, the press and the public, watching their reactions as they arrange into the timeless categories of allies, enemies and those who help him by remaining silent. Some say the strongman is all bluster, but he takes words seriously, including the issue of which ones should be banned.

those of us who warned the American people for years, sometimes on a daily basis, about this Mad King and would-be tyrant take no joy from saying, We told you so. There is no satisfaction in being correct about such a horrible thing.

On this point, Jared Yates Sexton, author of “American Rule: How a Nation Conquered the World But Failed Its People,” wrote last Thursday on Twitter:

Those of us warning that Trump is an authoritarian capable of destroying democracy haven’t been doing it for profit or attention or out of unwarranted alarmism. None of this is hard to predict. They don’t hide it at all. Stop expecting everything to be fine because “America.”

[ralfy]

"AXIOS on HBO: President Trump Exclusive Interview (Full Episode) | HBO"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaaTZkqsaxY

[dohboi]

Wow, what a train wreck that was!

[dohboi]

Here's a very important debate that should get much broader circulation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dak9h6Rn5_Y

[dohboi]

Trump’s presidency is a death cult

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/trumps ... is-a-cult/

[dohboi]

Trump is a comorbidity of the COVID‑19 pandemic.

He isn’t solely responsible for America’s fiasco, but he is central to it.

A pandemic demands the coordinated efforts of dozens of agencies. “In the best circumstances, it’s hard to make the bureaucracy move quickly,” Ron Klain said. “It moves if the president stands on a table and says, ‘Move quickly.’ But it really doesn’t move if he’s sitting at his desk saying it’s not a big deal.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... re/614191/

[vtsnowedin]

Trump is a comorbidity of the COVID‑19 pandemic.

He isn’t solely responsible for America’s fiasco, but he is central to it.

A pandemic demands the coordinated efforts of dozens of agencies. “In the best circumstances, it’s hard to make the bureaucracy move quickly,” Ron Klain said. “It moves if the president stands on a table and says, ‘Move quickly.’ But it really doesn’t move if he’s sitting at his desk saying it’s not a big deal.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... re/614191/

Well it is looking like the Trump presidency will be over come January. If you think immediate relief will come from the incoming administration I suggest you not hold your breath until you receive it.

[Outcast_Searcher]

Trump is a comorbidity of the COVID‑19 pandemic.

He isn’t solely responsible for America’s fiasco, but he is central to it.

A pandemic demands the coordinated efforts of dozens of agencies. “In the best circumstances, it’s hard to make the bureaucracy move quickly,” Ron Klain said. “It moves if the president stands on a table and says, ‘Move quickly.’ But it really doesn’t move if he’s sitting at his desk saying it’s not a big deal.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... re/614191/

Well it is looking like the Trump presidency will be over come January. If you think immediate relief will come from the incoming administration I suggest you not hold your breath until you receive it.

For all his faults (and he has PLENTY), I'll give him props on two points, which, of course, the dems won't as they're all about whining about Trump ALL the time.

1). I still like the Warp Speed initiative, and the hopes of getting massive doses of vaccines, once approved, out quickly to help stem the damage both medical and economic, of COVID-19, in the US.

2). I like that he's trying to do SOMETHING re the logjam for the latest round of COVID-19 governmental economic relief, in the face of the deadlock in negotiations. Of course, all the dems like Pelosi and Schumer can do is whine and complain about Trump and not enough spending (IT'S WHAT THEY DO), but every dollar of relief Trump is offering is a dollar the dems are NOT, because for them, it appears to be all politics and them wanting their way -- despite the mantra of how they're all goodness and light -- supposedly.

In the REAL world, $400 a week while negotiations continue is a hell of a lot more than nothing. In fact it's 2/3rds of what the dems want.

And of course, re the substance of the comments and the intransigence, what Pelosi and Schumer seem to be REALLY about is scoring political points under the rubric of "if we don't get just what we want, we whine about it and go home, hopefully with dem votes in hand, and to hell with the people who actually need the help."

[Newfie]

Giving credit where due, and for all his belligerent rhetoric, he has been a peaceful president. Very little military intervention, no major deployments. I’ve heard it reported that troop deaths really get to him.

[dohboi]

I'll grant that he didn't open an entire new direct battlefront...not sure if the US could even sustain that these days...*

But he did continue massively funding Saudi Arabia's dirty little war in Yemen, and has overseen huge increases in military spending, as I recall...so not exactly a peace-nik

*ETA--I must correct this opening statement...he has indeed opened up new direct major wars...on the American people, and the values and (small d) democratic constitutional principles and institutions that they depend on...

oh, and trump's little media gimmick 'executive order' is both probably unconstitutional and absurdly unhelpful...states don't have any money to pony up some portion of the $400/week...they're already strapped from having to go it on their own to get PPE and so much else. It's just another way he is trying to literally destroy the united States of america.

[sparky]

.
among the political storm in various tea cups there is a major undelying issue
the US congress has been singularly incapable of managing the budget process for at least a decade
the time frame get busted as a mater of tradition now
the appropriations are more like shopping list full of unrelated items
this year it's even worst , there is no budget at all
maybe the whole process will be dispensed with and money will be voted weekly or rolled over automatically

[vtsnowedin]

Of course Congress could pass a bill that accomplishes the same things for the people and nothing more, making the executive orders mute. They could fund the full $400/week letting the states off the hook and provide the tax relief by cutting some other tax then the payroll tax leaving the Social security and medicare funds intact.
They could get that done then let the next congress write a bill addressing the Democrats two trillion wish list next January.

[Newfie]

I'll grant that he didn't open an entire new direct battlefront...not sure if the US could even sustain that these days...*

But he did continue massively funding Saudi Arabia's dirty little war in Yemen, and has overseen huge increases in military spending, as I recall...so not exactly a peace-nik

*ETA--I must correct this opening statement...he has indeed opened up new direct major wars...on the American people, and the values and (small d) democratic constitutional principles and institutions that they depend on...

oh, and trump's little media gimmick 'executive order' is both probably unconstitutional and absurdly unhelpful...states don't have any money to pony up some portion of the $400/week...they're already strapped from having to go it on their own to get PPE and so much else. It's just another way he is trying to literally destroy the united States of america.

By comparison....
https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-na- ... ma-at-war/

There is no doubt that Hillary was the more Hawkish if the two. And that she supported and urged Obama on.

When US planes killed nearly 100 Syrians Soldiers in 3 successive attacks Russia complained to the UN Security Council. Obama’s Ambassador told them it was a friendly fire incident, shit happens, quit whimpering.

The CORE Democrats have become the pro-war party, pro-military/industrial complex party. The pro-globalism, USA homogeny, foreign intraventonist party

[asg70]

The CORE Democrats have become the pro-war party, pro-military/industrial complex party. The pro-globalism, USA homogeny, foreign intraventonist party

Intraventionist?? Is that word related to COVFEFE?

You know, isolationism has a cost too.

[dohboi]

Intravention is actually perfect...he is not intervening in other countries directly militarily...but he IS attacking his own citizens 'within' our own borders

https://www.google.com/search?q=intra&i ... irefox-b-1

Meanwhile, on the other point about 'Operation Warp Speed':

'The Best People': The Sketchy Past of Trump’s Coronavirus Vaccine Czar

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-sketc ... ccine-czar

In May, President Trump tapped Moncef Slaoui to become what was dubbed his “Coronavirus Czar” and lead Operation Warp Speed, the White House initiative to expedite a coronavirus vaccine.

... Meanwhile, experts have been concerned that Operation Warp Speed has issued no public standards or explanations for choosing vaccine candidates and may rush vaccines through approval.

An understanding of Slaoui’s biography and his time at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) may add to those concerns.

While working for the Pharma giant, Slaoui helped misrepresent scientific research on a drug that had harmed tens of thousands of Americans.

Since the Trump administration has shifted its COVID-19 strategy to favor vaccine development, this means America’s hopes for addressing the pandemic rests with someone who was at the epicenter of one of the more controversial episodes in recent drug development.

Back in 2007, Avandia was GSK’s $3 billion-per-year blockbuster diabetes drug, when Dr. Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that it increased the risk of heart attacks and deaths in patients. With the future of Avandia in doubt, the company’s share price fell 7 percent, wiping out billions of dollars of value. GSK was in a serious bind.

But instead of opening its books, it responded by misleading the public, federal agencies, and Congress about the drug’s dangers.

Slaoui helped the company in this deception. At the time, he was GSK’s chairman of research and development, and when he was hauled before Congress to testify to Avandia’s safety, he offered a rosy assessment that downplayed the drug’s risks.

He lied.
...

[Newfie]

Dohboi,

Disagree with much of your post.

Much of what you are posting about Trump is simply not true, such as the disinfectant stuff. And I can point to many things he has done that actually support the American people.

Trump has done many things I disagree with but I rarely see substantive comments about his policies. Most criticisms are about his STYLE.

I think this is how we get to having these terrible elections set up. Hillary:Trump or Trump:Biden.

There is a great deal of substantive matter to attack Trump on. The only reason I can see it’s ignored is that by comparison Biden is no better. The Democrats campaign sound to me like one of style, very little substance. Surely none of consequence In my view of the worlds problems. Very narrow, very secular.

Having been a Democrat I feel betrayed by the party. They have sold their souls, if they ever had one. I never expected much from the Republicans so they upset me less.

I’ll be 70 in a couple of months, for my age I’m in pretty good shape. I don’t have the energy to put into a major 4 year project. Joes 77, and clearly showing his age. This is the best they can do to defeat Trump? Really?

Where are the people of stature and poise and statesmanship, the people who can look forward to our national challenges and enunciate a path forward on climate change, our deficient, resource depletion?

Biden/Harris or Trump? Meh! No difference in the big picture.

[jedrider]

And I can point to many things [Trump] has done that actually support the American people.

I doubt it. What, for instance?

Scared away immigrants from coming to our country?

Gave a shot in the arm to Christian Evangelicals that wish to impose 2000 year old beliefs on the rest of the nation?

Reinvigorated rascist sentiments and white exceptionalism.

I hardly think he has made any good moves there, and forget about transparancy in government, competence (unless you think cronyism implies competence), the environment, crisis management.

The list is pretty bleak.

Let's face it, destroying government institutions and trampling on Democratic principles is not a good start for improving our nation, despite how bad you believe politics as usual has been, which is bad enough, because it led to Trump (and many other disastrous outcomes still to be reckoned with).