Political Roundtable Part XII

[AFM]

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-24/trump-sign-executive-order-restricting-immigration-seven-nations

Having taken on the Keystone pipeline and America's struggling manufacturing sector in a flurry of executive actions on Tuesday, moments ago Reuters reported, citing several congressional aides and immigration experts briefed on the matter, that on Wednesday at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Donald Trump will sign several executive orders restricting immigration.

Trump's orders are said to involve restricting access to the United States for refugees and some visa holders from seven mostly Muslim nations including Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

[closg00]

Sessions + the elimination of the Civil Rights division of The DOJ, what a gift to deplorables.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

[dckingsfan]

Sessions + the elimination of the Civil Rights division of The DOJ, what a gift to deplorables.

I don't like it either but I see it a bit differently. Spending on entitlements and interest and defense have been crowding out other spending for quite some time.

Trump is essentially accelerating this bad trend by saying he is going to increase spending on entitlements and defense (it used to be those were competing priorities). If you do that - something is going to get cut. He is also cutting back on research.

The only way to keep those types of programs is to have a balanced budget. Being liberal and fiscally conservative aren't mutually exclusive... but they have been treated that way. I am not sure why the consequences of those actions are so surprising. The CBO expects a 17% reduction in the "other" category.

[Jamaaliver]

Being liberal and fiscally conservative aren't mutually exclusive... but they have been treated that way.

This guy just became my new hero.

[bsilver]

Sessions + the elimination of the Civil Rights division of The DOJ, what a gift to deplorables.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

The Civil Rights division won't be eliminated. The lawyers coming out of Falwell's Liberty and Robertson's Regent law schools need jobs, so we'll probably see the pipeline to DOJ reinstated to what it was like under G W Bush. Civil Rights will be defined to be stuff like protecting Christians from government secularist policies, and conservatives groups from IRS scrutiny.

[Ruzious]

Glad I wasn't the only one who's mind was blown when Kellyanne came up with the term "alternative facts". https://sports.yahoo.com/news/gregg-popovich-steve-kerr-and-nba-tv-cant-stop-making-alternative-facts-jokes-234037933.html

[dckingsfan]

Being liberal and fiscally conservative aren't mutually exclusive... but they have been treated that way.

This guy just became my new hero.

We need to start a new party

[AFM]

Being liberal and fiscally conservative aren't mutually exclusive... but they have been treated that way.

This guy just became my new hero.

We need to start a new party

I feel like there is a liberal and fiscally conservative party already. What is Aleppo?

Count me in

[bsilver]

Being liberal and fiscally conservative aren't mutually exclusive... but they have been treated that way.

This guy just became my new hero.

We need to start a new party

The deck is stacked against 3rd parties. I think it's time to trash the Constitution and start again with a system of government that actually gives a chance to 3rd/4th parties so they can have a voice in the government. Not going to happen, but neither is a successful 3rd party.
We're evolving into a tyranny of the majority (or minority in Trump's case) type of government.

It's ironic that Bill Clinton successfully attempted and succeeded in his elections by positioning himself in the middle. His subtle racist campaign brought back Reagan Democrats, many of which are part of the same "deplorable" demographic that cost Hillary the election.

[Jamaaliver]

The deck is stacked against 3rd parties. I think it's time to trash the Constitution and start again with a system of government that actually gives a chance to 3rd/4th parties so they can have a voice in the government. Not going to happen, but neither is a successful 3rd party.

I agree that a third party bid for president is unlikely under the current system, but bi-partisanship in Congress would benefit greatly from a viable third party denying flat majority to any 'side' or political affiliation.

A 40% - 40% - 20% split in the Senate and House would force politicians to reach across the aisle more often to get any bills passed, nominees confirmed...and would greatly limit gerrymandering efforts.

*It drives me crazy that, as an 'Independent Voter', I'm heavily courted during the election season, but then largely ignored the other three years of the election cycle.

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

[Wizardspride]

Ya know, I had kinda fooled myself into thinking Trump was going to govern as a moderate...but after looking at his cabinet choices and some of his executive orders....all I can say is "my bad".

[Induveca]

Ya know, I had kinda fooled myself into thinking Trump was going to govern as a moderate...but after looking at his cabinet choices and some of his executive orders....all I can say is "my bad".

Let's be honest here, all of us likely live pretty damn well in comparison to 99% of the world. We'll survive the media onslaught watching wizards games on our 60 inch LEDs.

[AFM]

Ya know, I had kinda fooled myself into thinking Trump was going to govern as a moderate...but after looking at his cabinet choices and some of his executive orders....all I can say is "my bad".

Let's be honest here, all of us likely live pretty damn well in comparison to 99% of the world. We'll survive the media onslaught watching wizards games on our 60 inch LEDs.

Bro hook me up I only have 48"

[closg00]

Ya know, I had kinda fooled myself into thinking Trump was going to govern as a moderate...but after looking at his cabinet choices and some of his executive orders....all I can say is "my bad".

I totally thought so as-well. Trump wants to loved and admired, it's part of his Narcissistic personality disorder. I thought he would say whatever it took to be elected using the Republican horse to ride-in on, then he would make both party leaders kiss his ring and govern kind of like a King with both sides kissing his ass.

But I forgot one important thing, Trumps desire for revenge and score-settling, trumps his desire to be admired and loved. All of the groups that voted against him are going to feel his wrath.

[bsilver]

This Trump video brought to my attention by an Irish cousin. Been going viral, at least in Europe. The whole world is caught up in this mess.
http://mashable.com/2017/01/24/netherlands-trump-viral-video/#RXOZJ8qADmq4

[Wizardspride]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/us/politics/cia-detainee-prisons.html?mtrref=www.democraticunderground.com&gwh=CB0DC556D0B45AA2569468B742D07C4F&gwt=pay
Trump Poised to Lift Ban on C.I.A. ‘Black Site’ Prisons


WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping executive order that would clear the way for the C.I.A. to reopen overseas “black site” prisons, like those where it detained and tortured terrorism suspects before former President Barack Obama shut them down.

President Trump’s three-page draft order, titled “Detention and Interrogation of Enemy Combatants” and obtained by The New York Times, would also undo many of the other restrictions on handling detainees that Mr. Obama put in place in response to policies of the George W. Bush administration.

If Mr. Trump signs the draft order, he would also revoke Mr. Obama’s directive to give the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all detainees in American custody. That would be another step toward reopening secret prisons outside of the normal wartime rules established by the Geneva Conventions, although statutory obstacles would remain.


Mr. Obama tried to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and refused to send new detainees there, but the draft order directs the Pentagon to continue using the site “for the detention and trial of newly captured” detainees — including not just more people suspected of being members of Al Qaeda or the Taliban, like the 41 remaining detainees, but also Islamic State detainees. It does not address legal problems that might raise.

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

[AFM]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/us/politics/cia-detainee-prisons.html?mtrref=www.democraticunderground.com&gwh=CB0DC556D0B45AA2569468B742D07C4F&gwt=pay
Trump Poised to Lift Ban on C.I.A. ‘Black Site’ Prisons


WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping executive order that would clear the way for the C.I.A. to reopen overseas “black site” prisons, like those where it detained and tortured terrorism suspects before former President Barack Obama shut them down.

President Trump’s three-page draft order, titled “Detention and Interrogation of Enemy Combatants” and obtained by The New York Times, would also undo many of the other restrictions on handling detainees that Mr. Obama put in place in response to policies of the George W. Bush administration.

If Mr. Trump signs the draft order, he would also revoke Mr. Obama’s directive to give the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all detainees in American custody. That would be another step toward reopening secret prisons outside of the normal wartime rules established by the Geneva Conventions, although statutory obstacles would remain.


Mr. Obama tried to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and refused to send new detainees there, but the draft order directs the Pentagon to continue using the site “for the detention and trial of newly captured” detainees — including not just more people suspected of being members of Al Qaeda or the Taliban, like the 41 remaining detainees, but also Islamic State detainees. It does not address legal problems that might raise.

Careful, this may or may not be true. They are saying it's not authentic. Not that I think Trump is above it.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-25/white-house-denies-authenticity-leaked-executive-order-reopen-cia-black-site-prisons

[AFM]

Also, that document says "September 11, 2011"--could very well be another fake.