Miriam, I don't disagree with a word you have said but will add that if both
major parties had not failed the public so miserably Trump would have not be
able to, as you say, fool people into thinking he would help them. And his
ability to do that is a success for him. I tried to think of any good that has
come out of him. Big challenge I admit but I would think it is true that is
has significantly controlled expenses in some areas, especially in our military
air equipment. And in a strange way his actions have helped bring much needed
attention to race relations and police injustice toward blacks. The KKK was
encouraged by his attitudes to shine a light (torch) on themselves and I
believe that has helped consolidate anti-racist sentiments and actions.
Jackson and Sharpton who work within the corporate white institutions are
inadequate for today's problems. Activists and militants are forming lasting
coalitions together with Black Lives Matter. Shut it Down is more effective
than I Have a Dream in today's society. Many fear St Louis would fizzle out but
I believe with Trump and his cohorts we see a strengthening of a rising up of
the people who now see not only the errors of the conservatives but also the
similar political travesties in the democratic and libertarian groups who are
successfully killing (metaphorically) each other because of the very same power
grabs all our major politicians have in common.
________________________________
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Miriam Vieni
<miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, October 8, 2017 10:22 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: FW: Top 5 Signs Donald Trump Might Be an Effing
Moron
Juan Cole is a Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at, I think, the University
of Michigan. The piece I posted was taken from his blog or website, Informed
Comment. Usually, what he writes is much more measured and thoughtful in terms
of how he expresses himself. The comment about Trump’s being a moron, was
actually recently made by Rex Tillerson in an off the record statement that was
overheard by someone in the media and Juan Cole was riffing on that comment. If
we’re going to be more nuanced in what we say about Mr. Trump, we need to start
out with the evidence of his mental instability coupled with his talent as a
reality show star and con artist. We need to note that much of the money he
earns is by licensing various establishments to use his name, rather than by
creating successful businesses. He has had close relationships with mafia
figures in New York over the years. When he was actually involved in
construction, he didn’t use American workers. Rather, he imported workers from
Poland to whom he could pay less money and even then, at some point, he didn’t
pay them what he’d promised. Just before he took office, he opened a hotel in
Washington so that he could profit from the office of President because foreign
dignitaries would feel impelled to stay at the hotel with his name. That has,
in fact happened, and it is an impeachable offense to profit commercially from
holding the office of President. His daughter, now a White House senior
advisor, was given contracts by Chinese companies for her clothing company
after she participated with her father in a meeting with Chinese officials. The
North Dakota pipeline which was on hold while the army corps was doing more
studies on its environmental impact, was given the go ahead as soon as Trump
took office. He has a financial interest in that pipeline.
There’s a great deal to say about Mr. Trump’s racism and how he has encouraged
other people to attack African Americans and Muslims by what he says in
speeches. There’s a great deal to say about how his recklessness in speaking
about American military power and revenge, is putting the whole world in so
much danger. But one of the most tragic things is that people who knew that
they were being shafted by our present social and economic system, have been
fooled by Trump’s rhetoric into believing that he would actually make things
better for him. Like Brian, they believed that he was an outsider who would
demolish the power structure and turn history back. They were convinced to vote
against their own interests, partly because the Democratic Party leadership did
not provide them with a convincing enough aalternative. But I also have to
point out, as have many knowledgable people of color have done, that the system
hasn’t worked well for black and brown people either, but they did not flock to
Mr. Trump as an alternative. It was white people who saw him as a viable
alternative and one reason for that is that is anti-black, anti-Muslim,
anti-Immigrant rhetoric appealed to them. So we have, in the White House, a
mentally ill, dishonest openly racist, as a result. And that fact doesn’t
require any nuance.
Miriam
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of MARY CONVY
Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2017 9:22 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: FW: Top 5 Signs Donald Trump Might Be an Effing
Moron
Miriam,
On your first point, Curt Corbain, quite the anti-establishment rocker, said
before his suicide in the 90's that he envisioned a total non-insider, wealthy
enough to beholden to no one, to someday be elected and then he actually named
Trump as an example. The people who elected Trump knew what they were getting
and if they were wrong, I would pose they are the morons. The total discontent
with both political parties left the voters to toss the dice on new path.
Your second point concerns his success in business. It depends on the standard
you are using. He and his kids are multi-millionaires and the business
practices he engaged in to get there is a whole other kettle of fish. His
father gave him his first apartment building to run in Queens, and then gave
him a million dollars. Sounds like a lot but when you are buying NYC real
estate, not so much. He went against his father very strongly and risked
further money from his father by insisting they go into Manhattan real estate
whereas the father was determined to stay in Queens. Trump's decision brought
him the multi-millions he has today.
Your third point, he lies. What an understatement. He speaks and acts as a
five year old might. We have done 'great, really great, wow, great things'.
Without any specifics. His antics in Puerto Rico were embarrassing but seems
not to attract much attention except from liberal news sources. Maybe because
there is no impeachment charge for acting like the village idiot.
My basic thought is that we can't take any statement like Trump is a moron and
act just like him in an all or nothing emotion based response. It is time we
all return to some nuanced thinking and judgements.
________________________________
From:
blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
on behalf of Miriam Vieni
<miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Sent: Saturday, October 7, 2017 10:43 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc:
"mailto:sackriderbrian45"@gmail.com<mailto:%22mailto:sackriderbrian45%22@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] FW: Top 5 Signs Donald Trump Might Be an Effing Moron
Below is a private response to the article that I posted, written by Juan Cole.
I don't know why Brian chose to send this response privately, but I think it
requires a public response from me and from anyone else who chooses to respond.
I'd suggest that if you respond, you include Brian's address to ensure that he
receives your response.
First of all, running the country is not like running a business. People who
run businesses, do so in order to profit financially. Running the country is a
public trust. It requires a very different skill set and one does it in order
to ensure that all citizens benefit equally from being Americans.
Second: If you've read any books about Mr. Trump, you'd know that he has not
been successful in business. He has been in debt most of the time. First, he
was bailed out by his father. Then, he was bailed out by banks with which his
father had influence. Additionally, he was involved in a lot of businesses with
criminals all over the world, and although a great deal of money has passed
through his hands, he has been involved in money laundering schemes and the
actual amount of money that is his, is questionable. This is one of the reasons
that he has refused to make his income tax returns public.
Third: Mr. Trump lies constantly about most things and his lies are obvious and
have been pointed out by many journalists. Everything that I've written about
him above, has appeared in books and articles and interviews by investigative
journalists.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian [mailto:sackriderbrian45@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2017 6:36 PM
To: Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Subject: Re: [blind-democracy] Top 5 Signs Donald Trump Might Be an Effing Moron
I think that Juan Coal is the efing moron here. Trump is a very sucessful
business man and extremely wealthy. Is he? if he was a moron he would not
have not gotten whear he is today. How many business owners have ever been
president of the Usa? Running the country is just like a business. Trump is
the first outsider to become president he is not bought and paid for. anyone
will believes Juan is also a moron it's takes one to know one.
Brian Sackrider
On 10/6/2017 10:01 PM, Miriam Vieni wrote:
You'll be pleased to know that this comes from Reader Supported News
so I did manage to resubscribe.
Miriam
Donald Trump. (photo: Alex Brandon/AP)
Top 5 Signs Donald Trump Might Be an Effing Moron
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment
06 October 17
Carol E. Lee at NBC reported Wednesday that last summer Rex Tillerson,
the secretary of state, called Trump a "f*cking moron." The remark
came after a number of incidents in which Trump had contradicted
Tillerson on policy, and directly after Trump made salacious remarks to a
crowd of boy scouts.
Tillerson at one point had led the Boy Scouts.
The justice of Tillerson's remark is obvious. Here are some examples:
1. Trump joined with Saudi Arabia in beating up on little Qatar,
calling the small Gulf monarchy "terrorists." Qatar hosts the US Air
Force base al-Udeid and helped capture Khaled Sheikh Muhammad, proving
itself a key ally in fighting extremism. For Saudi Arabia to accuse
Qatar of fostering extremism is a bit rich, but Trump joined in.
2. The Iran nuclear deal is one of the more successful such
negotiations in modern history and a model for how the UN Security
Council could curb nuclear proliferation. Trump is determined to
undermine the deal, which would reinforce the suspicions and militancy
of countries such as North Korea, making it even more difficult to handle.
3. Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accords on the grounds that
they are too constricting and detract from US sovereignty. But the
accords allow each nation to set its own priorities! Even Tillerson,
who when it comes to climate change, is Satan incarnate, wanted to
stay in Paris (I presume because it could be used as a fig leaf for
inaction on carbon dioxide emissions).
4. Trump went to Puerto Rico on Tuesday and made the presidency a
laughingstock. He maintained that Katrina had been a much more
devastating storm than Irma and that because they weren't actually
dead the Puerto Ricans weren't suffering as much. We don't know the
death toll in Puerto Rico because 95 percent of the island doesn't
have electricity and not all the dead have been found by institutions
of the commonwealth. Moreover, catastrophic hurricanes are not a race
where one state wins and another loses. Then Trump gave out supplies
at a church, including flashlights, but he remarked to recipients that
they didn't need flashlights any more. They do. He made hurricane relief all
about himself instead of about the victims.
It was so bizarre a performance that "moron" doesn't begin to cover it.
5. Trump gave away US foreign policy to Exxon Mobil, the big oil
company, which had been led by Mr. Tillerson up until his move to the
State Department. The US should be making a frantic and concerted
effort to get off fossil fuels, not coddling Big Oil interests.
Appointing Tillerson to run the State Department, and letting him gut
it in favor of lucrative oil deals for his former corporation is just
about the most moronic thing you could imagine.
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