posted January 23, 2017 06:14 AM            

No, I don't think Trump will be impeached. That would be too amazing.

I think many (most?) men don't fully understand why sexual assault bothers women so much; there is a disturbing tendency for men to take each other's side and minimize the importance of allegations from women. Because Congress is mostly men, I expect they will not impeach him over sexual assault.

Some of you men actually do care, and you're awesome.

posted January 23, 2017 07:15 AM            

Mr Trump's isolationist attempts and expected human rights violations would cause sanctions against the US, and ultimately recession and social unrest in the US, if things continue on this path. The only question for me at this point is if a dictatorship is possible in the US. IMO, no, and I thought that even before seeing the massive protests and now the increasingly organized battle against him (for every such attempt, I expect he will face strong opposition) such as the lawsuit he is facing today. So yes, I think something happens along the way that stops him, most likely an impeachment (in which case I expect the impeachment to be about money, conflicts of interest, foreign affairs and violation of the Constitution). I am not sure how long it takes, for things move much rapidly than I personally expected. Everything seems to happen with great speed at this point.

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

posted January 23, 2017 08:49 AM            

So anyway, suspicion of the UN is probably partly warranted (because nothing is perfect, including the UN), and partly fueled by the Paranoia Branch of alternative media. Trump actually appeared on the Alex Jones show (via Skype) and tapped into the motherload of conspiracy theorist voters whose concerns have reached a fever pitch, after years and years of systematic neglect by all mainstream sources.

"There can be no freedom for a country which hasn't the means with which to detect lies."
- Guy Debord

The most intelligent people that I follow are willing to acknowledge the fact that it's not as simple as "Trump is evil, Obama was good."
Frankly almost nothing has been as sickening to me, in my lifetime, as seeing the Anti-War movement fizzle out and die during Obama's presidency. What was called "war crimes" under Bush, we don't even acknowledge under Obama, even though the same types of things happened with both of them. It's just assumed that Obama must have all-around good intentions, so whatever killing HE does is just and prudent. People give him an easy pass and do not follow foreign policy. Pretty ironic since no country is as guilty of empiricism as the USA. Our citizens are isolated geographically and mentally (very different from being in Europe, where one is constantly mindful of other cultures, because of the close proximity.) So we who know the least (America) ignorantly impose the most. And many of us are aware of that and self-conscious of that, and breathe a sigh of relief about "isolationism" because we think, "Thank God, if we stop meddling in the world's affairs, the world will be better off, and we can get our heads on straight by focusing on ourselves again!"

I mean has any country ever been so deeply in debt as the US? We DO need to rebuild our economy, start producing and buying American again. Otherwise we just keep empowering China more and more, passing the baton of global power over to them.

But I think Trump isn't even aware yet, that the value of our dollar is secured mainly by the military, and the threats of "Take our dollars or else." I think Trump doesn't know much of anything, but because he is enough of an iconoclast to say whatever he wants, people are hoping that he will be the guy to unearth all these secrets and actually go on Twitter and say CRAZY (but true) things. Because the truth has become crazy.

"Truth is treason in an empire of lies."
- Ron Paul

I think people are hoping that Trump will say some of these truths (along with the crap he just makes up; too bad he can't even tell the difference yet). He already has been telling some of the straight truth, which feels miraculous, and that's why many people voted for him and love him, despite all the glaring reasons not to.

It's a bit like JFK...who was also a womanizer, also screwed up some things (Bay of Pigs) and also took on the lying, concealing media as public enemy #1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHCPj7VDX6o

posted January 23, 2017 12:54 PM            

Or I did. Before Trump
Anyway, to be honest, I don't make comparisons between Trump and anyone else in American history in my mind, his electoral opponents, or previous presidents. Times are tough and I don't think I have the right to say anything else than what I believe. He was a case closed for me since the beginning. I don't think Trump has collective interests of any kind or an ideology. He is at the mercy of anyone around him stroking his illness, which is NPD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder There has been no such case in the history of the US, so we have no reference to compare him with. His totalitarian reality was masked, imo, at first, during his campaign, by the outrage caused by his racist and sexist campaign, but the transition stage showed the ugly face of textbook megalomania. He is a millionaire or billionaire, it's uncertain, who has never been involved in any collective cause or humanitarian pursuit (unlike many other billionaires) in his entire life, on the contrary, he even used his own humanitarian ONG to embezzle funds from other rich people, or his university to steal money from students. He is a scam artist and a con. His first measure was, apart from the healthcare, against the regular guy and for his banker friends, most likely as a result of complicated financial schemes, debts, blackmail or new businesses. He has no interest whatsoever to do nothing for the collective, let alone a country. That is my honest opinion and I don't intend to offend anyone, but I don't know what is the truth you think he said. He is a lifelong compulsive liar with a 100% certifiable record in this respect, nothing that he says can be taken as truth. If you meant the inaugural speech or the America First! (Besides, my "sources" tell me this speech was not written by Trump, but by a lady, most likely Ivanka Trump, or this lady is connected to his children. EDIT: In the meantime, I realized it's Kushner. The speech was meant to capitalize on his voters, deliberately ignored the other side; I noticed he has also tested his voters many times during the transition, to see how far he can go with them, it's all part of a technique to strategize propaganda)...well, America has been America First for America for a long time, as you said yourself, by meddling in international affairs for oligarchic economical and supremacy reasons while the American people have been told American soldiers die there for "democracy" or to "save the world". The idea was to go the other way. Certainly no one can believe that a man who just said yesterday: "we should have taken Iraq's oil" and that the "US will have another chance at that" will go this other way. The same goes for other parts of that speech, such as Hire American, Buy American, good points, but certainly no one can believe this particular man, whose products (and those of his family) are made in China and Taiwan, who has had all the time and the means in the world to hire american and buy american cares about this or ever will. Or if you meant that part of the speech about the corrupt government (corruption without a doubt exists) and the dystopian America and how Trump has arrived, sent by God, to save and rebuild, that is Fascism 101, this: " Wherever a politician casts doubt on the legitimacy of a parliament because it no longer represents the Voice of the People, we can smell Ur-Fascism." http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum26/HTML/003135.html
I am sorry, but I've heard such a speech every day for 15 years since I was born, and I have the experience of many generations before me whose life was ruled by such people. I've seen their lies, I've lived their crimes. I speak for them and from them and I say no, I know where this speech comes from and where it leads to.
He is not standing against any corruption, how could he? He is the corruption.
Not to mention the "America great again". when America needs to overcome a karma of having become what it is with a core of genocide, slavery and the meddling you were talking about. (like many other superpowers now) So really? When was America that great, when Scarlett was at Tara? That's a hell of a thing to say to black people or women or minorities who barely got half of rights few decades ago. There is so much to be done for equality, and neither of it is in any past.

That speech is pure propaganda intended to deliberately strike an emotional chord hardly anyone can resist to, at first. That's what good propaganda is

The final key to the way I promote is bravado. I play to people's fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That's why a little hyperbole never hurts. People want to believe something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular.

I call it truthful hyperbole. It's an innocent form of exaggeration — and a very effective form of promotion.

Trump: The Art of the Deal

No country, not even Slovenia, let alone the US, can or will be able to be isolated now and in the future in the way Trump administration suggests. And no country would ever want that, what he suggests. That is different from a country building their prosperity on a global market, in the context of global priorities such as peace, human rights, climate change, eradication of famine and poverty etc.

Take it from someone whose family and everyone around them has endured many dictatorships that Trump is a true villain, dangerous enough to cause the extinction of our species.

But these people have a special power to make you see differently for a while or during certain moments one that is not to be underestimated. My position is rooted in personal and collective experience and it is not a personal merit.

America has the power to be prosperous and a great nation through collaboration (which implies humility, but also diplomacy), being a peace promoter, a civil rights and fair trade model and a wand of technology and invention.

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

posted January 23, 2017 01:36 PM            

quote:

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But these people have a special power to make you see differently for a while or during certain moments one that is not to be underestimated. .

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ten

Already lies have become "alternate facts"

When the illusion fades and reality hits, it will be a time of despair and danger.

posted January 23, 2017 02:23 PM            

Just to be clear, I like Obama as a person and almost distrust anyone who doesn't; his personality is great.

I do lament the end of the anti-war effort under Obama. Just a few weeks ago Enneline was chastizing Americans for failing to protest our foreign policy. That's what I'm talking about. Over here, in my life, I never meet people who are upset about our foreign policy. They *used* to be, under Bush. Then they stopped paying attention.

quote:

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He has been moderate in this respect (including when it comes to demilitarization, likely because the high level resistance there is huge

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Right, but didn't he run on campaign promises in 2008 to demilitarize?

Well at least the spending remained at a steady high and not increasing further.

Still there was MORE that I was hoping for:

quote:

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I have to say I have always identified the other part (the hatred), even if on unconscious level as being caused by him not being just black, but of mixed race, sorry to be blunt about that.

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I'm disappointed that he didn't de-escalate the wars enough. More than that, I feel like America has just been lobotomized. It seems impossible to talk to people about the current state of affairs without being projected-upon and pigeonholed somehow. People only think in terms of polemics: if you are not this, you are that. Not on this side? You must be on that side! The dichotomous thinking is SO exasperatingly limiting, socially and intellectually.

quote:

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He was a case closed for me since the beginning.

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Well I sure as hell wouldn't vote for Trump or support him. I was just taking an objective look at how and why and with whom he gained traction. Why his message appeals to certain people. It's because the US is sick of being fed lies all the time...they will take different lies, Trump-style lies, over the same old same old, so long as Trump keeps speaking directly to Americans' concerns about this becoming a corporate slave state, where the people work for nothing, and the Big Money players take all. That's really what's been going on.....middle class IS vanishing...his talking points there do resonate.

Doesn't excuse people from failing to discern his whole character.

But I think we are all trapped mostly by our own fears and unwillingness to venture out of the two-party stronghold and vote for people who may be something other than Democrat or Republican.

quote:

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The same goes for other parts of that speech, such as Hire American, Buy American, good points, but certainly no one can believe this particular man, whose products (and those of his family) are made in China and Taiwan, who has had all the time and the means in the world to hire american and buy american cares about this or ever will.

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I totally agree with you. I don't believe anything he says (fairytales and lullabies I called it.) And I don't like the nationalist pride crap. But I do think America should focus on itself and mind its own damn business.

quote:

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I am sorry, but I've heard such a speech every day for 15 years since I was born, and I have the experience of many generations before me whose life was ruled by such people.

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Why are you sorry? I said I liked the speech, not that I believed it, or that it represented my whole ideology. I just expected much worse trash and was easily impressed I guess. Also I didn't watch the entire thing.

quote:

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He is not standing against any corruption, how could he? He is the corruption.

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Does he even know what he is?

quote:

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So really? When was America that great

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Never

Anyway I hope you don't mistake me for a Trump supporter.

But I'm also not going to ignore the fact that I am not in disagreement with him about every single little thing. Truth is, I liked when he tweeted about the vaccination-autism link. I liked some of his speeches about Washington being in the pocket of the lobbyists. All true. Doesn't make him a fundamentally honest man, that he can make an accurate statement. But it does sound refreshing to have people out there talking FRANKLY about the disaster that is the US government.

Doesn't mean I want him as a President, or have ANY positive expectations at all. I'm just saying, some* of his talking points are on point.

* Many more of his statements are way off point, but I think that just goes without saying.

posted January 23, 2017 02:47 PM            

When I first began to watch Trump's Hand movements and postures, they reminded me of either Mudras .. or ASL American sign language. I know some ASL...

What are the Mudras he is using? I've seen these hand gestures before. Seem sooo familiar?

eg
http://www.buddhas-online.com/mudras.html

posted January 23, 2017 03:05 PM            

I know Trump says things he knows people care about, with a seed of truth or on point, and things people want to hear about, but I don't think he does so from personal conviction or with good intentions, that is the problem. The intention behind it is not what it's exposed. He is also not in the position to say those things, he is a senior and his life speaks for itself, as a model, plus his choice of acolytes. Reality contradicts his speeches. To the question if he knows what he is, I don't think so, in the sense that he doesn't feel remorse.
I too was impressed with his speech, negatively, in the sense that I didn't expect it to be so perfect (strong) in the sense that it is. I think it is hard to resist well-crafted nationalistic demagogy, at first, at least without some preparation, I don't blame you at all if you felt moved by such a speech. We all feel patriotism.

I disagree however that America is a disaster, despite the changes that are necessary everywhere. Far from it. I also want to say that while I said America was never greater, I also think America has always been great, in many respects, I mean all countries are great, and America is definitely among the greatest in many ways.
I think Kirk Hammett from Metallica says it better

"Metallica's Kirk Hammett urged fans to "defend democracy" and "reject American carnage" in a Twitter response to Donald Trump's grim inauguration speech.

"Trump's Inaugural Address and his asking us to put America first sounds, to me, familiar to what was said in speeches going around Germany in the 1930's... and later Russia in the 1940's," the guitarist wrote.

"Pay attention people! Stand up for truth, compassion and togetherness. Don't settle for anything less. Reject lies, fear-mongering, misguided anger. The system wants us divided, so it's easier to control us emotionally."

Hammett also attacked Trump's campaign promise and the closing words of his inauguration address, "Make America Great Again."

"America never stopped being great! America is one of the wealthiest and most prosperous nations on the planet. I'm proud of America," Hammett tweeted. "To say America is not great, that it lacks greatness, sets up a scenario for manipulation and control from others - pay attention people!"

In his Twitter screed, Hammett also called climate change deniers "Earth killers" and said that the Alt-Right is "just another sneaky euphemism for white supremacy."

"If we don't put up a fight, we risk losing our rights," the guitarist said in conclusion. "Defend democracy from those who want to crush it."

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kirk-hammett-on-trump-speech-reject- american-carnage-w462312

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

posted January 23, 2017 03:14 PM            

Oh, Mirage, I love everything related to body language I think he is using the Ok or A-ok sign, probably as a long habit with business deals, but you are right! It's a Mudra, it sure must have a soothing effect.

What personally soothes me is the Life Accordion to Trump
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S65jqrHQi_c

or the Muppets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZnlz-b2NnY
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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

posted January 23, 2017 03:34 PM            

But I need to clarify:

"I don't blame you at all if you felt moved by such a speech. We all feel patriotism."

I don't like anything patriotic. I've wanted to leave the country since I was 18. I just liked the part when he said we weren't going to impose on other countries, and the common people would have a voice again. Is that patriotism or populism or...well it's fairy tales! We don't have a voice because we're all indoctrinated. Our "voice" is the brainwashing we've undergone, to a large extent, and I include myself here, because how am I supposed to even know what's happening, when I KNOW the media almost always has a serious agenda? And no matter how much I dig for information, I'm bound to become more and more socially obsolete, to whatever extent my conclusions clash with the reigning paradigms. But you know...I have to LIVE in this country and be friends with people. So I learn to shut up and be circumspect and not throw up immediately when my friends make sweeping Islamophobic comments. And I learn not to throw up when other friends praise Hillary (I can't stand her!)

quote:

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Trump's Inaugural Address and his asking us to put America first sounds, to me, familiar to what was said in speeches going around Germany in the 1930's

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To me it hits me two ways at once. I think it could be that. But it is also what I believe America needs to do for itself...as Trump said EVERY nation ought to put itself first, its own concerns first......

But...BUT...it's TIME to have global values. It's time to think of everyone around the globe and their equal rights, equal needs. We don't need One World Government if we have more of a one world heart, right? So what can we do within America that is best for us and at the same time, healing to the rest of the world? Should the US follow lockstep with European models (many of which are superior, granted) or follow another vision, or a little of both?

We can't keep doing what we're doing. I'm so exhausted from this Corporatocracy, with the big money elites calling all the shots, the War Profiteers and Federal Reserve behind another thick and obscure layer, and people so far removed from our own power. But it does take every person doing things differently. The President can't fix it, only the people can.........but we are so far removed from our own vision, and from nature, and wisdom...I don't know.

posted January 23, 2017 03:40 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Faith:
Thank you for the conversation. I count myself so fortunate to be able to talk to people from all around the world here. The internet is the School of Planet Earth.

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Me too so fortunate! Thank you so much, and please get some rest I'll get back to the points you raised later.

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

posted January 23, 2017 09:29 PM            

Faith you say that it sounds good to you to make america first, and from you it make sense because we know what you think of patriotism.

What I mean is that in your vision, focusing on your country means less war intervention abroad and democracy building (whatever that is implied ) , that is cool by me,

However trump wants to buy / build more weapons, including nuclear, so in his mouth america first does not mean AT ALL the same as you.

One thing strike me, Obamacare, from what I got, everyone had a social security to have free treatment, and some ( middle class) got higher fees than what they used to have when the system didn't incorporate the less fortunate. Ok may be too simplisticly put, but, my point is, the system proposed by obama isn't right for everyone, in particular those who pay very much more than before, and it may have to be changed, but what is important is that everyone got to ask himself where he stood ? Was it alright for the poor to be treated ? A yes to this question makes you enter the 21st century

Fair enough in europe we had that mentality a while ago, but there are so many things we learn from the USA. The USA is way more than what many americans see, and it is more obvious from abroad. Take the native american, I was listening today to a radio programme on french radio about 2 french authors, one wrote a book about a shaman in amazonie and 1 about the hopi people. If the USA reconnects itself to what is a part of itself, it will shine. Amazon isns't in the USA, but it is part of america and way too often the USA call itself america.
Besides, amazon isn't just a company, in what world do we live ?

If the usa did shine it wasn't because of companies, business, even armies , what shone was visions, values, principles... and their companies, business, army benefited, ( and the world to some extent)

Sorry if i am a bit too poetic, or off, i am tired and had a long daY of work and i may be a bit carried away, but i truly respect the USA's culture and People despite what idiots may think

posted January 24, 2017 04:26 AM            

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

posted January 24, 2017 03:35 PM            

I think what you saw in that speech is perhaps a projection of the beauty of the idea that is reflected in you, as you see it. For me, a vision of the future implies equalization of access to contemporary treasures *in terms of access to knowledge, modern life standards, travel and exploration and a collaboration of all through their own culture and possibilities in the context of shared global values which are here to stay, globalization is here to stay, rather than someone leading the way of that in the sense of imposing their own interests to that, while of course, everything implies, more or less, mutual interest (the Sabian degree of inter-dependent in the Astrology thread
All developed countries, economically and otherwise, have enormous power to not only continue to prosper but also to be part of such collaboration, in a peaceful way.

So I was saying I think it is your own beauty that sees a beauty in those words, however, in that context, one needs to assume they come from such a place, yours, to which personally I say: no way! Your intention is not the intention of the speaker, not only when it comes to personal convictions, but also on the level of actual, deliberate, intentions and plans (by whoever conceived the speech). Perhaps this article will help in deciphering this intention:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/24/donald-trumps-warning-sign-populism-authoritarianism-inauguration

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I seem to have loved you in numberless forms...

posted January 24, 2017 06:00 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
We will vote out any traitor who does not recognize Trump's legitimacy.

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sounds like you'd do well in a communist country. Coming from one I know how it goes. You bad-mouth the government : you're on their black list. You contradict the government's 'facts' : you're a traitor. You want to reduce their power? prison for the rest of your life (luckily Amnesty Int is watching closely or else it'd be death penalty).

posted January 24, 2017 06:30 PM            

Salut Pire, j'habite en France mais je suis pas française. Je viens du Vietnam en fait. Désolée pour le malentendu