The Politics Thread USA Edition

[Jason H]

When silences speak volumes.....bizarre partisan allegiance to the Republican Party appears to preclude just answering honestly...altogether now "Trumpy's going down, he's going down, he's going, Trumpy's going down!" Just listen to that news and rejoice!

Well when you post when I'm offline then reply when I'm still offline, then hey...

As with everything else Trump related over the years, I'm sure the truth will out. I trust the BBC as far as I could throw it when it comes to Trump, as when it comes to figures from the right outside the UK the BBC is never knowingly unbiased.

I'm sure it's entirely coincidental that the news came out the same day that it was found that Biden has all but been confirmed as having received bribes from Burisma, with the other party now confirming he has conversations on tape. As for what the allegations relate to - well anything involving nuclear, for example, is moot, as all nuclear codes etc. are changed with such frequency that the minute Trump left the White House any paperwork related to nuclear would have been out of date. What's also key is that the President is able to declassify documents pretty much at will (and a look around the lock-ups of Obama, Bush, Clinton etc. will also reveal piles of declassified documents presumably of equal importance). What is totally illegal is Vice Presidents doing so. So, Mr Biden, just *why* are there stacks of documents from your time as VP sitting in your garage and other offices - were you just looking after them for a friend? Was the money from Burisma just resting in your account?

The USA, which has always prided itself (probably falsely) on being a true democracy, is now engaged in activities that would draw comparisons with the likes of Nazarbayev. Anywhere else where the ex-President was being pursued by the sitting government with a scattergun approach like this would probably have Amnesty International sniffing around.

And no, before you reply "hyper-partisan, Republican etc. etc." you may wish to take a look back to 2016 when I suggested a "None of the above" vote. I would have voted Trump in 2020 on the basis of much of his record - especially the Abraham Accords, for example. I think he has many faults, as I explained on here before (and you acknowledged), and personally I don't think he should run in 2024. I do, however, recognise a witch-hunt when I see one.

 

[Phil Sayers]

Thanks for the detailed response. I will look into this Bursima thing. With regards the timing of the indictments I do not get the impression that the DoJ can just pull the trigger at will when they have loaded the gun due to the sheer number of moving pieces involved (secret service escort etc) and were therefore probably planning the date of unveiling for quite some time but I may be wrong.

With regards the Abraham accords and moving the embassy I have mixed views because as I have said time and time again trying to contain Iran's malign regional activities is the current Middle East priority and the former may help with that. The latter was just pointlessly inflammatory and the effect as a whole is just to reduce further any pressure on Israel to ever work in good faith towards a just solution to the Palestinian question. It is neither practically possible or morally permissible to essentially intend to deny millions of people democratic rights for decades more to come (and some probably intend it to be forever) while simultaneously trying to portray to the world that Israel is itself a just and democratic country.

 

[lamrobhero]

I think that if Trump had just returned the documents when initially contacted and been open and straightforward there would not have been a problem. Instead he did the complete opposite.
I guess his assumption was that the Authoriities would not exercise a warrant on Mar a Largo. The fact that they did (with juducial authorisation) demonstrates great courage on the side of the Authorities and their belief in the Rule of Law and its equal application.
Unlike Mr Trump who also tried to overthrow a democratic election by violence.

 

[ramone]

Is the Biden thing contagious ??

 

[Phil Sayers]

Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax crimes and admit gun offence

President Biden's son is set to plead guilty to tax crimes and admit owning a gun while a drug user.

www.bbc.co.uk

Is this the big story that Republican supporters feel is being supressed for political reasons? It's nothing at all - the President is not his son, some people do use recreational drugs and the firearms offence seems a technical one without any suggestion that the weapons have been used to further criminal activities. Also he has been prosecuted and will plead guilty; presumably without all the pathetic, self-pitying bleating about witch hunts. If, the 'big' story is instead some unspecified corruption in Ukraine then, whatever it is, it is unlikely to be as morally corrupt as demanding fabricating political favours from the leader of a country at war and using the blood of its soldiers as leverage.

Meanwhile, Trump is still a dick who will hopefully die in prison still whinging about the gross unfairness of him being subject to the law.

 

[Mr Jinx]

Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax crimes and admit gun offence

President Biden's son is set to plead guilty to tax crimes and admit owning a gun while a drug user.

www.bbc.co.uk

Is this the big story that Republican supporters feel is being supressed for political reasons? It's nothing at all - the President is not his son, some people do use recreational drugs and the firearms offence seems a technical one without any suggestion that the weapons have been used to further criminal activities. Also he has been prosecuted and will plead guilty; presumably without all the pathetic, self-pitying bleating about witch hunts. If, the 'big' story is instead some unspecified corruption in Ukraine then, whatever it is, it is unlikely to be as morally corrupt as demanding fabricating political favours from the leader of a country at war and using the blood of its soldiers as leverage.

Meanwhile, Trump is still a dick who will hopefully die in prison still whinging about the gross unfairness of him being subject to the law.

Whether it's big or not...some cracking pics of the ho, right?!

 

[Spoonz Red E]

Is the Biden thing contagious ??

Fettermen is a recovering stroke victim.

I had a friend in Birmingham years ago who had a stroke and took two years to regain his speech skills while gaining his University degree.

I suggest a quick read of page 10 of this link from the UK's leading Stroke charity.

https://www.stroke.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/communication_problems_after_a_stroke_guide.pdf

"Aphasia does not affect intelligence

If someone has aphasia it means they have problems with using language. It has nothing to do with intelligence, memory or thinking skills. However,
someone may have cognitive problems as well as language difficulties, and they will need the right specialist support to help them recover and
communicate.

 

[Jason H]

Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax crimes and admit gun offence

President Biden's son is set to plead guilty to tax crimes and admit owning a gun while a drug user.

www.bbc.co.uk

Is this the big story that Republican supporters feel is being supressed for political reasons? It's nothing at all - the President is not his son, some people do use recreational drugs and the firearms offence seems a technical one without any suggestion that the weapons have been used to further criminal activities. Also he has been prosecuted and will plead guilty; presumably without all the pathetic, self-pitying bleating about witch hunts. If, the 'big' story is instead some unspecified corruption in Ukraine then, whatever it is, it is unlikely to be as morally corrupt as demanding fabricating political favours from the leader of a country at war and using the blood of its soldiers as leverage.

Meanwhile, Trump is still a dick who will hopefully die in prison still whinging about the gross unfairness of him being subject to the law.

In answer to your first sentence - no it's not. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Jason H]

Fettermen is a recovering stroke victim.

I had a friend in Birmingham years ago who had a stroke and took two years to regain his speech skills while gaining his University degree.

I suggest a quick read of page 10 of this link from the UK's leading Stroke charity.

https://www.stroke.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/communication_problems_after_a_stroke_guide.pdf

"Aphasia does not affect intelligence

If someone has aphasia it means they have problems with using language. It has nothing to do with intelligence, memory or thinking skills. However,
someone may have cognitive problems as well as language difficulties, and they will need the right specialist support to help them recover and
communicate.

The issue at hand here is the way Fetterman has been manipulated by the machine (much as Biden has been when it's pretty obvious he is in the grip of Dementia). Fetterman's wife, for one, has a lot to answer for. I feel sorry for Fetterman in terms of how he has been treated - of course it also goes to show how awful the Republican candidate (Dr Oz, a TV personality in the US) was that Fetterman was able to win despite missing most of the campaign as a result of his stroke (and being barely coherent since).

 

[Mr Jinx]

The issue at hand here is the way Fetterman has been manipulated by the machine (much as Biden has been when it's pretty obvious he is in the grip of Dementia). Fetterman's wife, for one, has a lot to answer for. I feel sorry for Fetterman in terms of how he has been treated - of course it also goes to show how awful the Republican candidate (Dr Oz, a TV personality in the US) was that Fetterman was able to win despite missing most of the campaign as a result of his stroke (and being barely coherent since).

Imagine for a moment that it was Donald Trump's son who photographed himself in a state of undress with prostitutes and smoking crack. Then imagine that Trump senior had had some some kind of stroke that slurred his speech somewhact.

Would the same people be similarly sympathetic and get all defensive? No they wouldn't. They'd absolutely be loving it.