Outrage About Trump Exposes "Librul" Hypocrisy
The current "librul" outrage about Trump's announced policies is somewhat amusing. Yes, these policies are bad, very bad. Trump is bad. But so was Obama and so is Clinton. Protesting the policies of one while not protesting when the other implemented the same policies is insincere grandstanding.
Wherever you look, those Trump policies are building directly on, or simply repeat Obama policies. The now theatrically outraged people swallowed those without a word of protest.
A Trump order yesterday introduced a temporary ban on visa holders and visa issuing to citizens of seven Middle East countries. These countries are: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Those countries have one thing in common. No terrorist who killed on U.S. soil originated from them. The (few) terrorists who attacked within the U.S. came from the Middle Eastern countries not on the list. Following Trump's order, outcries on social media and in various papers ensued. People went to airports to protest. TV was there to spread the news.
But it is nothing new that the citizens of those countries are targeted with U.S. visa restrictions. It was Obama who introduced such in 2015 and 2016. The Trump order links directly to them. It does not name any country but refers to them as "countries designated in Division O, Title II, Section 203 of the 2016 consolidated appropriations act."
U.S animosities against these countries is even older. According to the former general Clark, plans were made to wage war against six of the now named seven countries back in 2001. Yemen was later added while Lebanon was (temporarily?) taken off the list. The administrations change, the selected "enemies" stay the same.
In 2011 Obama stopped processing Iraqi visa requests for six month. That move was quite similar to Trump's current one. Where was the outcry in 2001? In 2011, 2015 and 2016? Is it only bad when Trump restricts visits for certain people from certain countries?
Sure, Trump introduces his "outrageous" measures loud and abruptly where Obama sneaked them in. But that is just different marketing, not a different product.
It is the coin that is bad, not just one side of it.
This morning CNN headlines: White House discussing asking foreign visitors for social media info and cell phone contacts. HOW OUTRAGEOUS! How can Trump even think of such an invasion of privacy! Fake outrage - Obama had already signed off on this. The plans to collect social media accounts of traveling visitors and citizens were officially introduced in October 2016 and the implementation started in December 2016. The Trump White House is late in discussing the issue.
Yesterday Trump also issued a memorandum to structure his National Security Council. It says that the Director of National Intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Staff "shall attend" when it is pertinent to the issue in question. "Librul" outrage ensues. Trump excludes the DNI and CJCOS from the NSC! Obama's first Defense Secretary calls it a "huge mistake"! But a comparison of the text Trump issued with the text Obama issued when he came into office shows them to be mostly similar. Nothing really relevant has changed. The "shall attend" clause is exactly the same.
Yesterday people were protesting at airports against Trump's temporary immigration restrictions. Lots of outrage against Trump ensued on social media over this and the other issues. The hypocrisy here stinks to high heaven. Where were the protest when Obama did similar?
Where are the protests demanding the repeal of the Patriot Act? Where are the anti-war protests? These died as soon as Obama came into office. They never came back even as Obama pursued polices that were, at best, Republican light and far from any progressive ideal. Only fake liberals, aka "libruls", could agree with these. When Dick Cheney is your witness against Trump you have lost the plot.
Many of the people coming out now against Trump would likely have jubilated had Hilliary Clinton won the election and introduced the exactly same policies. Protest against the system that is incorporated in Trump, just as it is incorporated in Clinton, does not come to their mind. Do they expect to be taken serious?
There was no outrage today from any of the U.S. "libruls" and their media outlets about last nights failed U.S. military raid in Yemen. The rural home of a tribal leader's family, friendly with some Yemeni al-Qaeda members, was raided by a special operations commando. A U.S. tiltrotor military aircraft was shot down during the raid. One soldier was killed and several were wounded. The U.S. commandos responded with their usual panic. They killed anyone in sight and bombed the shit out of any nearby structure. According to Yemeni sources between 30 and 57 Yemenis were killed including eight women and eight children (graphic pics). The U.S. military claimed, as it always does, that no civilians were hurt in the raid.
One of the killed kids was the 8 year old daughter of al-Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki. (The targeted family is related to al-Awlaki's wife.) The girl was a U.S. citizen. Under Obama the CIA had already assassinated her father and her 16 year old brother. With Obama's active help the Gulf countries have been bombing and destroying Ýemen for nearly two years. No U.S. demonstrations were held against this war.
Yemeni sources say that at least two men were abducted by the U.S. military. The Central Command press release only said that the raid had helped to acquire "intelligence" about possible future terror acts. That probably means that the prisoners will be tortured to unveil such "intelligence" even as they may not have any. The Obama administration had introduced new rules for the military on how to handle detainees. The UN judged that the application of some of these rules is torture. The "libruls" will of course be outraged should any of those rules, which Obama introduced, be used under a Trump administration.
The hypocritical outrage against Trump for things Obama already did is exactly what Trump wants and needs. He keeps chasing the media and the Clintonistas around the block. The impression he leaves, not only with his followers, is that of a man who works a lot. 25 outrages out of 25 headlines in just one week? "Impressive! That is way more than Obama achieved!"
Trump already filed for reelection. Who really wants to beat him will have to attack him on fundamental issues. That is a problem for the "libruls". Obama and Clinton stand for the same terrible policies Trump is pushing for. They are not as loud as Trump and paint their aims in softer colors. But the difference is only one of degree.
The U.S., like many other "western" countries, needs fundamentally different policies and politicians to become a more just and social society. The current "librul" outcries take energy away from achieving such.
Posted by b on January 29, 2017 at 20:13 UTC | Permalink
« previous pageProof that Germany is a vassal state.... Outgoing German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has given an interview to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in which he has slammed Western policy on Syria.
According to Steinmeier he always called for cooperation with President Assad’s government in Syria only to face rejection from the ‘regime change’ coalition in Washington and Paris.http://theduran.com/ex-german-fm-steinmeier-west-wrong-assad/
Posted by: harrylaw | Jan 30 2017 15:05 utc | 102
Yes, but what about those of us who DID criticize Obama, every painful inch of the way? Should we shut up about Trump simply because he is not Obama? Does Trump get a pass because Obama was so bad?
Granted, the problem is real. The Democrat party and many of its followers are simply unable to self reflect for even an instant. That was made pathetically, twistedly clear with the Russian Hack fantasy and the way so many people have grabbed on to it like so many fake life jackets only to be swatted down on blog after blog.
But meanwhile, Trump is President now and going out of the gate like a shot. The Democrat party is dead. Almost impossible for them to pull themselves out of the stupor and corruption they are in and they are not even trying. Time to start focusing on Trump while making it clear that Democrats are not the solution to him. What is a solution remains the question. Quite possibly nothing. But Trump shouldn't get a pass for that.
Posted by: Brooklin Bridge | Jan 30 2017 15:05 utc | 103
Indeed, Copeland@60
The most important factor in destabilizing a government is to get command of the airways - we saw that in the color revolutions. People have been accustomed since the advent of tv to take in news broadcasts as fact. I think only the folk exposed to totalitarian regimes have learned that tv broadcasts, or radio, are government orchestrated. Once you know that, the defenses are up, but it is extremely important to reach that stage of awareness as quickly as possible. Ours are still in the hands of the defeated plutocrats; they are what's left of Hillarydom. Their increasingly more frantic calls remind me of the wicked witch of the west - "Help me! I'm melting!"
During sports coverage on the weekend, interrupted messages luring one to the news about 'airports in chaos' due to Trump's edict were hard to resist. Resist them I did, knowing that if I waited, b and other sites I visit would have better analysis than the half-truths our fourth estate has to offer. And I'm confident that as you say, Copeland, it is a lose-lose situation for the former ptb, because they doth protest too much, as Shakespeare would say, but they have no alternative -THNA!
It matters not to me now if they take down sites or -perish the thought - the internet goes dark. I'll not return to those damaged non-information sites ever. There are a few more trees that need planting and worms that need nourishing in my garden. I would miss this, but there is no going back to gullibility and servitude.
Posted by: juliania | Jan 30 2017 15:15 utc | 104
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170130-british-activists-attempt-to-disarm-fighter-jets-bound-for-saudi-arabia/
British activists attempt to disarm fighter jets bound for Saudi Arabia
Posted by: okie farmer | Jan 30 2017 15:33 utc | 105
Thanks for posting this, Lisa@70, and thank you for your good work. This is exactly what needs to happen to offset the abruptness of the decision. Trump has said he doesn't want to cause hardship for people who have a right to be here. It sounds like the folk who were dealing with the situation had good hearts. There might have been better ways to handle the screening but I always think of the case of Cuba's sudden export of dangerous people from that island to the shores of Florida - with so many damaged countries' citizens now in pain and enraged at the brutal course our country has been on, it is only to be expected that there might now be repercussions. Many of us have been warning about that since we got involved in Iraq back in Bush 1. Kill innocents: create terrorists.
Mangled and chaotic as the process will be, at least Mr. Trump is demonstrating that presidents do have power to act. And these are still better actions than bombing - I hope that will stop being the modus operandi of this administration. Poor, poor Yemen. No more bombs!
Posted by: juliania | Jan 30 2017 15:38 utc | 106
PavewayIV @7,
Iran is in for a double-whammy: Apple will block apps originating in Iran --
http://presstv.ir/Detail/2017/01/30/508390/Apple-App-Store-Iran-removal
Coming soon --Heritage Fdn will host a conference regarding Federal Communications Commission, and the 'necessity' of corporations like Google, & one assumes Apple, to participate w/ federal gov. & FCC to 'monitor' the internet.
Posted by: Croesus | Jan 30 2017 16:02 utc | 107
"The passengers who comprise the lower nine percent of the wealthiest ten percent of passengers are dissatisfied with the allocation of rooms and privileges. The more politically astute suggest that they rectify the injustices by demanding that a portion of the best rooms be allocated on the basis of the race, ethnicity, gender and sexual preferences of passengers. Of course, to achieve the realization of the desired redistribution of cabins requires a degree of mass support.
And so, they set about to enlist the support, employing vague democratic phrases--[devoid of class, such as "a more just and social society"]--of the bottom 90 percent of the passengers who are traveling steerage!
In this way, the party of the 99 percent is organized on the SS America! Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the revolution in cabin allocation, the bottom 90 percent of passengers continue to travel steerage.
From:
Further observations on social inequality and the politics of the pseudo-left
By Eric London and David North, 26 January 2017
Several comments left by readers on the January 18 perspective “Wealth distribution in the United States and the politics of the pseudo-left” merit a further elaboration of the position of socialists on social stratification and the political outlook of the “next 9 percent.”
Posted by: Robert Beal | Jan 30 2017 16:22 utc | 108
Another issue is refugees, asylees in some texts. While the pregorative of States is supreme, and can lead to ‘bans’ (details left out), the acceptance of refugees and their ‘settlement’ is in the main regulated by int’l agreements, but not uniquely, bi-lateral agreements always poss.
It is generally accepted that countries can ‘opt out’ of UN - EU- OECD -etc. type Int’l agreements (as many do, e.g. France and the US) but they must be clear and announce positions in advance.
Trump’s order:
Sec. 5. Realignment of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for Fiscal Year 2017. (a) The Secretary of State shall suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 120 days. (…)
…is clear but ambiguous as to long-term goals, deals, etc. A big blow to Int’l agreements, all those advocating, working for, refugees, counting on ‘commitments.’
Trump did not inform the main Int’l org, IOM, Int’l Org. for Migration, of his plans, no word at all was heard. So refugees are left stranded, etc. (The Trudeau ‘acceptance policy’ is in function of appearing noble in this frame.)
The heartache is first for the refugees who expected to be ‘settled,’ those hoping for a ‘future’ in the US or even elsewhere. Yet, negating / ignoring Int’l agreements is probably the most important thrust.
Nos. are, however, tiny, and while one can feel for the refugees, the issue is again a distraction, as compared to war, total destruction of entire countries, human trafficking, environmental damage, etc.
Typical news: The United States is the world’s top resettlement country for refugees. For people living in repressive, autocratic, or conflict-embroiled nations, or those who are members of vulnerable social groups in countries around the world, migration is often a means of survival and—for those most at risk—resettlement is key to safety. In fiscal year (FY) 2015, the United States resettled 69,933 refugees and in FY 2013 (the most recent data available) granted asylum status to 25,199 people. ….
By the end of 2014, as wars, conflict, and persecution worldwide continued to unfold, the number of people displaced within their country or having fled internationally reached 59.5 million, according to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)—the highest level ever recorded. ….
In response to this humanitarian crisis, the Obama administration proposed to significantly increase the number of refugees the United States accepts each year—from 70,000 in FY 2015 to 85,000 in FY 2016 and 100,000 in FY 2017—and scale up the number of Syrian refugees admitted to at least 10,000 for the current fiscal year, which began October 1.
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/refugees-and-asylees-united-states
Overall, the US accepts, integrates, less than 100,000 refugees a year. Trump says he wants to reduce the Obama number (100K to maybe 110K) by half.
The first paragraph quoted above is BS.
With a US pop. of (ex.) 320 M, and if the refugees were to be distributed equally, it means that a town of 32,000 would take in - Trump proposal - 5 refugees. Obama: 10 or 11. Heh. Nobody would notice any of them or any financial strain, etc.
Political theatre of the worst kind.
see also:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/25/us/politics/trump-refugee-plan.html
Posted by: Noirette | Jan 30 2017 16:45 utc | 109
jackrabbit@100
Sometimes you don't need it. Besides, Circe does have some good things to say - occasionally. But you are correct, Circe didn't mean to be right in this case, so yes, it was snark and I forgot to make that clear. Bad me.
Posted by: juliania | Jan 30 2017 16:46 utc | 110
Great analogy b, two sides of the same coin. It's been said here, many times, many ways. No matter how the truth is couched, it's the same truth, and the masses still fall for the deception created by wealth and power every time.
The problem is age old. A tiny minority around the globe are allowed to amass great wealth, and they use that wealth to enslave humanity mostly thru economic servitude. They divide and separate thru peripheral issues to ensure their great wealth is not diminished.
The bottom line is, too much wealth in too few hands.
Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2017 16:55 utc | 111
b:
"...Obama and Clinton stand for the same terrible policies Trump is pushing for..."
I would leave off the 'for' and insert 'some of' before 'the same' but agree with this statement. Trump is pushing the previous administration's policy in this instance, to my mind still 'transitioning' as with the egregious murder of civilians in Yemen. Really, as Outraged and others have posted, this kind of holdover policy has to end and we are rightly called to task to clamor that it should. If Trump is truly of the people, he will listen.
By their fruits ye shall know them.
Do also listen to Mr. Lavrov, please, Mr. Trump. It isn't just that Obama never put teeth into his edicts; the edicts themselves, most of them, deserve to be shredded.
Posted by: juliania | Jan 30 2017 16:57 utc | 112
Hypocrisy stories are interesting entities. Most often, the hypocrisy runs the the other way with perfect symmetry. Yes, Obama did all of these bad things, but as I recall, while doing it he was accused of being weak and not going after terrorists. He was accused of being a secret Muslim and so on. Alas, many people on the left were critical of Obama and are now critical of Trump. Thus, no hypocrisy. Likewise, many on the right recognized that Obama was aligned with their foreign policy goals and campaigned against Trump because he is a wildcard, not because he presented an alternative to Obama. Hypocrisy is the the surface information. If you just read headlines you will find hypocrisy everywhere. Pointing out hypocrisy is lazy journalism.
Posted by: Mars over Alberta | Jan 30 2017 17:02 utc | 113
juliania @110:
Circe didn't mean to be right in this caseHe wasn't right.
From the quote that you cited @97:
[Lavrov] noted that the US initiative is completely different from what Western countries proposed at various stages of the Syrian war.
Circe claims that Trump's safe zones show that he is no different than Hillary, McCain, etc. This is all part of Circe's obsessive anti-Trump campaign, which he has been waging there since shortly after the election.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 17:08 utc | 114
Croesus@107 - Just great. NOW where am I going to get my Persian version of Angry Birds? Heritage Foundation seemed kind of upset about China's Orwellian Internet in 2004. Looks like the chickens have finally come home to roost.
The Heritage Foundation donors "HELP ADVANCE THE PRINCIPLES THAT MADE AMERICA GREAT!" like mass surveillance and censorship - because it's for your own protection. [sigh...]
Posted by: PavewayIV | Jan 30 2017 17:13 utc | 115
Mars over Alberta @113:
Pointing out hypocrisy is lazy journalism.IMO hypocrisy is a clue to the truth.
Why is it that news organizations with the resources to follow these clues fail to do so?
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 17:14 utc | 116
Seems clear to me, that Mr. Trump is, and will stay, the "lighting Rod" to distract the masses from the real issues plaguing humanity.
Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2017 17:14 utc | 117
saudi -american relations beginning in 1945.. it is a good overview.. i was looking into this based off what m.k. bhadrakumar had said in this article which has me scratching my head.. all about the travel ban and how saudi arabia and pakistan are affected!
Posted by: james | Jan 30 2017 17:26 utc | 118
ben @117
Not sure what you mean by that. Do you think the Trump-media war is fake or the that the marches/protests are meaningless?
Saker thinks there is a color revolution brewing in the US. This echos what b has previously written. Are you dismissing those concerns?
Are the issues that Trump raises regarding fundamentalism, globalism, the neocon war on Russia, not real issues?
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 17:30 utc | 119
"The visa ban is not about terrorism, it is about race and culture. Trump wants to do his part, God Bless him, to stop the browning of America. It's just that simple. As a white person, I simply am not comfortable with the idea of being rendered a minority in my country, therefore I support Trump. Brown people simply create cultures that are impossible for white people to exist in, therefore white people have a political and biological interests in keeping browns out of our homelands."
Personally, I found some inspiration in a video of an European girl visiting an Asian country and singing a patriotic folk song of her hosts in their language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y12q7JKHS4
(If you can understand the setting, you can figure out that they are all Caucasian, unlike the people in Iran or Appalachia where I currently live.)
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jan 30 2017 17:39 utc | 120
james @118:
M.K. Bhadrakumar incorrectly labels this as a "muslim ban". It is not. "Extreme vetting" is not a BAN. Muslim's will still be allowed in.
Opponents of Trump want to spin his policies as flowing from rascism. So they spin 'vetting' into a ban and a 'wall' into unjust discrimination.
"Nation of immigrants"! They cry. But most people now in America were born here. Should we throw open the floodgates and accede to the neocon/Israeli/Saudi agenda because Indians and Blacks were cheated and treated badly hundreds of years ago? (The Indian land grab was completed by about 140 years ago and most African abductions were done more than 170 years ago).
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 17:53 utc | 121
The Trumpists who've nicknamed Clinton "Killary" also disappeared Obama's responsibility for his entire foreign policy, somehow displacing it onto a mere Secretary of State, for a single term no less. If campaigning for Trump was good enough to justify pretending Obama wasn't President was just fine for two years of campaigning, it's good enough for another two years of campaigning against President Trump until the next elections. Trying to pretend this is blatant hypocrisy is merely a subterfuge to support Trump.
Jackrabbit @ 119 said: "Not sure what you mean by that. Do you think the Trump-media war is fake or the that the marches/protests are meaningless?"
Not fake, or meaningless, but diversionary. There are more important issues at stake.
Jobs to rebuild our depleted middle class?
Stopping Saudi Arabia from funding ISIS?
Ending our "regime change" foreign policies?
Putting Saudi Arabia on the "banned" list.
Those are just a few ideas. There are many more. I'm a wait and see kinda' guy, and I wish Mr. Trump not to be, "just another puppet" representing the uber wealthy.
Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2017 18:43 utc | 123
@106 (Juliania-j)
@104 (j)
It matters not to me now if they take down sites or -perish the thought - the internet goes dark. I'll not return to those damaged non-information sites ever.
This reeks of fascism. Either we ALL have free speech or THIS IS NOT A FREAKING DEMOCRACY anymore.
Ours are still in the hands of the defeated plutocrats; they are what's left of Hillarydom.
No. They are part of the dual corruption in the entire system. The media that support Trump are as corrupt as the slightly more liberal media. Look at coin image – same applies for left/right media.
There might have been better ways to handle the screening but I always think of the case of Cuba's sudden export of dangerous people from that island to the shores of Florida ...at least Mr. Trump is demonstrating that presidents do have power to act. And these are still better actions than bombing
Stop apologizing for Trumpmeister with your obvious duplicity! Either you are sincerely for the exploited people in this case refugees, therefore for the cause of justice and true democracy, or you’re for the corrupt cabal that Trump is a part of. You can’t serve two masters and call that integrity.
@97 (j)
Do you really think that Lavrov believes that bringing in the Saudis on safe zones; the Wahhabi mercenaries masters, IS A GOOD IDEA? You really think Putin will trust these lying, scheming monarch bastards colluding with Zionists to take over the Middle East? Puh-leez. What Lavrov meant has nothing to do with Trumpmeister’s intentions with the Saudis. Lavrov’s interpretation of safe zones which is a world of difference is what Trumpmeister will have to resign himself to. After all, Russia spent the treasure along with Bashar’s military, Iran and Hezbollah; that’s a reality Trumpmeister will have to swallow. He doesn’t get to come in now and call the shots!
@110 (j)And who the hell are you to judge whether I meant to be right or not when your duplicity is so obvious and you capitulate to the likes of a tool like Jackrabbit? At least my conviction has been solid all along while you have one foot in Trump's unethical, unjust quicksand and the other still deciding whether to defend what’s morally right.
@100 (Jackrabbit)
What’s your problem? Every time someone agrees with me or in juliania’s case pretends to do so; you whip out your poison dart. But that’s all you do! No valid argument – just attack. Meanwhile your credibility is bleeding profusely on all sides. Exactly, I’m anti-Trump and make no apologies or excuses for it – ergo moral conviction, something you seem to have traded in to blindly follow your trumpian man-god, or maybe it was never there to begin with ergo your blind devotion.
Finally @112 (j, again)
I would leave off the 'for' and insert 'some of' before 'the same' but agree with this statement. Trump is pushing the previous administration's policy in this instance, to my mind still 'transitioning' as with the egregious murder of civilians in Yemen. Really, as Outraged and others have posted, this kind of holdover policy has to end and we are rightly called to task to clamor that it should. If Trump is truly of the people, he will listen.
Ugh! This is total apologist claptrap. Where do I start? He’s in with Zionists on Jerusalem, on settlement expansion, trying to sabotage a U.N. resolution on illegal settlements, appointing a radical Zionist Ambassador to Israel, giving Adelson a prominent spot at the Inauguration and inviting the leaders of illegal settlements to the Inauguration, threatening Iran, threatening China, attacking Chelsea Manning with TRAITOR in caps for criticizing Obama, banning Muslims from countries that never resorted to terrorism against U.S., bombing civilians in Yemen, colluding with the Saudis on safe zones in Syria. This is just the short list; and he’s been in power ONLY a week and pulled this much shit already? But you're still blaming all this on the past. No...you're completely disingenuous. This is ALL TRUMP.
By their fruits ye shall know them.
Yeah, lots of infested fruit there already on the poisonous Trump-tree that you and Jackrabbit are trying to peddle.
Posted by: Circe | Jan 30 2017 19:46 utc | 124
off the cuff (memory, wiki..), USA:
2016 or closest year or average past years/p. y., approx, deaths:
Suicide (under-reported) .......................................................44,000
Homicide................................................................................16,000
Shot by police, about (underestimate).....................................1,000
Military, war deaths --- NA via ordinary search
Prison / institutional deaths, non-natural --- NA via ordinary search
Addiction-related (non suicide, hard to tally) --- unknown
Vehicle road deaths ................................................................35,000
….killed by ‘terrorism’ / unexplained attacks, 2016, tot..........61
Orlando (Mateen, night club), 50. Dallas, sniper attack July, 6. Baton Rouge, sniper attack, July, 4. Boston, some incident, 1. (maybe missed some?)
Posted by: Noirette | Jan 30 2017 19:51 utc | 125
Wow! Donald Trump dissolves the organization of US imperialism, by Thierry Meyssan
Posted by: ProPeace | Jan 30 2017 20:46 utc | 127
@121 jackrabbit.. okay thanks.. i believe i see what you are saying their.
Posted by: james | Jan 30 2017 21:19 utc | 128
A few thoughts...
There's a remarkable disconnect between MSM reporting of the CAUSE of the protests and the EFFECT of the protests on travelers. Worldwide, the Media is reporting that the Trump Edict "has caused chaos at airports."
However, according to the White House Press Spokesperson, the Edict has directly affected only 'about 100 individuals.'
If the 'about 100 individuals' White House meme is true then, superficially at least, the chaos is being caused by a multitude of angry, ignorant and incurious people, plus the same small handful of anecdotal, bathos-filled, stories about 'unfair and unjustified detention'. In the past 6 hours or so I've watched perspectives on this beat-up at Al Jazeera English (Doha & London(?)), BBC, France24, DW, and CCTV. All of them fielded exactly the same story although CCTV did mention the White House '100 individuals' claim.
b's investigation and conclusion, that Trump's edict is a re-invigorated variation of a pre-existing Obama policy, makes the edict smell a lot like a cleverly engineered Trump ambush of the MSM and it's Deep State sponsors. And it seems to have worked very well - given the unified knee-jerk reaction.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jan 30 2017 21:21 utc | 129
@
Let's wait for the next terrorist attack in the USA...Posted by: virgile | Jan 29, 2017 10:49:32 PM | 57
It already happened in January, and everyone is a victim.
I am quite sure that USA would have much better current government and a president if it was drawn at a lottery instead of having an election.
American democracy and a state definitely needs a reboot and a huge majority of population a mind reset.
On the other side probably some Western democracies should do the very same, too.
Posted by: laserlurk | Jan 30 2017 21:25 utc | 130
The wealthy who try to hi-jack whatever revolution comes of the protests through control of the narrative to protect the corrupt system in place ON BOTH SIDES, undermine the integrity of the revolution and they should be exposed, shamed and run out of town or the country on a rail as traitors.
Those who try to smear a revolution that has not even started painting it with the brush of a fake color revolution really don't care about routing corruption out of the system, really don't care about returning power to the people's democracy, but instead are peddling and protecting a narrow agenda, that whilst it may have a redeeming aspect is not a valid reason to justify the indefensible and to crush all legitimate dissent against the indefensible acts committed by the present figurehead, Trump, who is without a doubt part of the corrupt system. What these individuals, who harbor an ulterior more limited interest are doing, is smearing a potential revolution and, before it even gets off the ground, abort it as illegitimate to protect their narrow interests, be it protecting Russia which I can understand or the narrow evil of ridding the Republic of those threatening white judeo-christian power. What these individuals on either side of these two or other interests are doing whether their narrow cause is correct, as with the case of Russia, is just as bad as what Soros might pull to hi-jack it.
What these other individuals are doing is also TREASON against the people's right and struggle to rid the entire system of corruption and restore the democracy intended by the founding fathers. Those with the limited interest in undermining the protests by smearing them as a fake color revolution should ALSO be exposed and routed for their shameless and treasonous efforts. Whatever narrow, albeit noble cause they have will eventually be righted and served in time under a cleansed democracy; but to crush the greater good for immediate narrow gain to protect an interest is selfish, dishonest, immoral and in my opinion as treasonous as the corrupt system in place now and those like Trump, Soros, Adelson and the like who want to preserve it.
Now regarding the entry ban. This ban is not about preventing terrorism as none of the terrorists who actually perpetrated acts against the U.S. were from countries not on the banned list.
This ban with the exception of Iran which I will address separately is about the REFUGEES; it's about an excuse to stop all people from countries in dire circumstances to enter and seek asylum and propagate and to avoid responsibility under the Geneva Conventions for sheltering them and it's about using a blanket cover to justify discrimination and containment of the Muslim population in the U.S. and same goes for the immigration policy that Trump wants to implement to deport millions of Central American illegals. It's about containing the threat to white power.
Iran was included on the banned list primarily because Trump, as usual is doing the bidding of Zionists, and this is part of a Trump/Zionist policy of escalating hostility towards Iran.
Posted by: Circe | Jan 30 2017 21:25 utc | 131
Let me get this straight. Hundreds of thousands (millions?) are marching in the streets, tying up airports and taking a myriad of other actions in protest against Trump's Delphic dictates and all you can do is complain they weren't there before? Are you kidding? Good luck with that.
Posted by: Mark | Jan 30 2017 21:57 utc | 132
woohoo! Trumps ban does 1 bit of good #whitehelmets Raed Saleh and friend get banned
https://www.rt.com/news/375606-white-helmets-banned-oscar/#.WI-I79oGDAs.facebook
Posted by: brian | Jan 30 2017 22:37 utc | 133
Craig Murray unearths the fact that Hillarybots have drawn up a resolution for an immediate attack on Iran. His salient observation: "So what are the Clinton gang doing while Trump introduces anti-Muslim immigration discrimination? Oh, they are pushing for war with Iran, which might give pause to some who think the world would have been less awful had Hillary won." https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/01/clinton-gang-push-war-iran/
Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 30 2017 22:44 utc | 134
Posted by: Circe | Jan 30, 2017 4:25:52 PM | 131
It's a pity that you've been so blinded by your pre-Inauguration Trump hatred that you're still trying to ignore his Inaugural POTUS Promise.
If you read it you'll begin to realise, perhaps, why no-one cares what, or if, Circe thinks. On the other hand, all of the people who voted him into power, and some who didn't, heard his inaugural address, liked what they heard, and are prepared to use his promises as a benchmark for his deeds.
Here's Patriot Pat's January 21 post, over at Sic Semper Tyrannis which encapsulates the promise:
" ... For too long, a small group in our nation's Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished -- but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered -- but the jobs left, and the factories closed.
The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes -- starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.
What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer" ... Donald Trump
Visionless negativity can't compete with Presidential Promise, Circe.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jan 30 2017 23:15 utc | 135
circe = 24/7 trump channel. just flip the channel if you don't want to watch it..
Posted by: james | Jan 30 2017 23:49 utc | 136
The conclusion that there is no difference between an Obama policy and stranding people at airports is obvious to anyone who did not experience the situation of being stranded in a country on 24h transit visa with enough cash to get a taxi and eat a dinner "while the process may take a few months". In short, it is not obvious to me. And I was lucky in many ways. I had a "standby ticket", so I did not loose an airline ticket. A distant family member living in Belgium was old enough to feel grateful to my grandparents for the help his family got when they managed to leave Soviet Union 60 years earlier and needed some place to live for several months. And I got the needed visa in few days.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jan 31 2017 1:02 utc | 137
Yes, many valid points as usual. However:
1. Most Muslim countries have a total ban on Islamic immigration. Perhaps they know something that we don't? How can (for example) Saudi Arabia object to the United States not wanting to take in Syrian refugees, when they themselves refuse to take in any?
2. For a while now immigration into the United States has been allowed to balloon out of control. The purpose was, of course, to drive wages down for the many and profits up for the few. If we don't want to end up like Bangladesh, we desperately need to get this under control and soon. The real issue is the total numbers, not the 1 in a million that are 'terrorists.' It is unfortunate that getting things under control will result in much short-term hardship to many decent people, but that's what happens when things are allowed to spiral out of control. It is not a global civil right that absolutely anyone anywhere in the world can move to the United States in unlimited numbers. Certainly Mexico has a really restrictive immigration policy, far nastier and more overtly racist than anything that Trump is even fanstasizing about, yet I hear no objections.
Posted by: TG | Jan 31 2017 1:04 utc | 138
Trump Fires Acting Attorney General for Refusing to Defend Immigration Order (USA Today)WASHINGTON — President Trump fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates Monday night after the Obama holdover refused to defend his controversial refugee ban in court. Yates said Monday that she will not defend in court the president's executive order.
Yates said Monday that she will not defend in court the president’s executive order that suspends immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries. Three hours later, the White House announced that she had been relieved of her duties.
"Ms. Yates is an Obama administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration," said a statement from the White House that appeared to be in Trump's own voice.
Trump appointed Dana Boente, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as acting attorney general until his nominee, Sen. Jeff Sessions, can be confirmed by the Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a Tuesday vote on Sessions, who has closely advised Trump on immigration matters. ...
Posted by: Outraged | Jan 31 2017 2:53 utc | 139
There is a table stakes game going on behind the scenes and the orchestrated protests we see in public are just a manifestation of that power struggle within the elite class. This last presidential election campaign was the strangest with the direct sabotage of the Clinton campaign and her backers. This unfolded from Wikileaks through the alphabet agencies to the MSM. The feeling in the air is palpable. Something big is building. My take had been to expect more of the same only more so under Continuity of Agenda but what is building feels like it goes far beyond this 'Continuity". If there was ever to be a de facto coup perhaps it is this new administration that will be trying to pull it off?
Rightfully depressed Muricans must see this vid... (it starts in Dutch but the rest is in English)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-xxis7hDOE
Posted by: Mina | Jan 31 2017 12:27 utc | 141
Trump is closing down the US empire as a non profitable enterprise.
The national/bi-national people of the countries that are banned - bascially the Soviet Zone of influence during the Arab cold war plus Iran have to find a way to survive within the coming US/Russian agreement on the Middle East. Lots of people the US supported will not be able to emigrate to the US if Trump's executive order remains as is.
Much of Middle East conflict is a US/Soviet/Russia conflict. I am not sure what to make of this history on Gorbachev/Russian plans concerning the Middle East but it is an interesting view out of the box.
Posted by: somebody | Jan 31 2017 14:26 utc | 142
Iranian student deported from LAX
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/257268/World/Region/Iranian-student-deported-in-chaos-of-Trumps-Muslim.aspx
Posted by: Mina | Jan 31 2017 15:14 utc | 143
@ Posted by: Mina | Jan 31, 2017 7:27:44 AM | 140
RAOTFLMFAO! :)
@ Posted by: somebody | Jan 31, 2017 9:26:30 AM | 141
Trump is closing down the US empire as a non profitable enterprise.
'Tis profitable, but not for the benefit of the actual American State or it's citizens ... ;)
The Trump-Faction has returned to and revived an American Nativist political viewpoint/ideology circa 19th century, nationalist & old-school jingoistic patriotism. IMV.
Their primary target is Globalism, and the damage they see it has done to the nation State & citizens of the US of A and are aghast at risking WWIII chasing MICC profits. Secondly they fundamentally reject faux Identity/R2P politics. And their policies/views on climate change/oil/energy/renewables, etc, are, well, anti-science and creationist, 'whacko' ... a very mixed bag.
One does like the possible benefits to humanity as a whole re undermining Globalist profiteers through endless war, Global War on Terra (MICC), and incredibly destructive 'Free Trade(Not!)', see TPP, etc. Building utterly useless Navy ships, etc, to create domestic jobs/employment/local money flows, in the short term/interim, is good too ...
Maybe they can be gradually brought around re the anti-science/creationist stuff ... maybe not ...
All still too early to tell precisely ... another 90 days, maybe much less, will tell.
Posted by: Outraged | Jan 31 2017 16:07 utc | 144
jackrabbit 36
Among other things, 'America First' means:
Energy independence;
[but trying its damndest to deprive China's of the same option]
- Controlling borders;
[looks like murkkan borders has extended to China's frontyard,]
- Peaceful, constructive relations with Russia;
[thats very nice, but why not China, are the Chinese unpeople ?]
- Not being drawn into costly middle-east wars (like Iraq);
[If trump carry out his threat on tw, SCS, WW3 might be coming your way]
- Trade that benefits America instead of vassals of the Empire or China (who has become a strategic adversary);
[china a 'strategic adversary' ! now where did i hear that one before, obama ? clintons ? bushes? ....]
- Security arrangements (NATO) that don't drain US resources to protect foreign allies;
[like that protection racket in okinawa ?
but they have been crying for 'yankee go home' for how long now,
70 yrs ???]
Posted by: denk | Jan 31 2017 17:26 utc | 145
ABC.au news this morning cited an (unnamed) poll which found that 49% of Americans support Trump's stance on immigrants. 49% may not be an 'overwhelming majority' but neither can it be dismissed as a mere splinter group. Loud anti-Trump rhetoric is really catching on among the US Deep State's flacks and flunkies in Oz. Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has been getting very indignant over PM Turnbull's refusal to follow the lead of UK & Eurotrash Deep State flunkies, by publicly castigating Trump. Amusingly, and uniquely for Turnbull, he's taking a Principled Stance, arguing that if he has a negative thought about POTUS, he will communicate it directly and privately "as friends do with each other" which a bit odd in light of the unsubstantiated bullshit he's happy to spout against AmeriKKKa's Phantom Menace enemies-of-convenience.
Mark Latham's 2003 "conga line of suckholes" epithet has finally come home to roost - on both sides of Oz politics in equal measure.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Feb 1 2017 2:22 utc | 146
144
'There are presently 32 US military installations on Okinawa taking up 20% of the island. The people have been protesting regularly since 1952 against US bases but you'd never know that in the United States because their protests are not reported in our corporate dominated media. '
150 military bases all across the world, foisted upon vassal states against the peoples' wish.
This is GWH's 'murkka first' grand vision and he wants the jps to pony up more doughs for that 'privilege' !
wasnt bush who quipped 'jp is an atm machine that requires no pin no. ' ?
Does it make any differece if murkkans are informed or not, when I see supposedly progressives lapping up the GWH's B.S. with relish ??
http://space4peace.blogspot.com/2017/01/tension-on-oura-bay-in-okinawa.html
Posted by: denk | Feb 1 2017 3:47 utc | 147
re: #23: Dear PM Trudeau
Canada Seeks Enhanced Military-Security Collaboration With Trump-Led US
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/01/28/caus-j28.html
Posted by: John Gilberts | Feb 1 2017 7:52 utc | 148
The big news for me is the emerging Donald vs Donald story.
"European Council President Donald Tusk has called Donald Trump an existential threat to Europe, in an extraordinary attack on the new POTUS." (every news outlet on the planet)
I think I'll buy an "I (heart) Trump" bumper sticker... he's single-handedly flushed the thieving, lying, murderous (White) Christian Colonial Eurotrash racist supremacist NATO hypocrites out into the open.
In 12 days!!
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Feb 1 2017 14:39 utc | 149
MOA one of the better news sources for news analysis and I have to agree that protesting is cool and such but protesting Trump only and not obama who is also known as obomba is the reason why these protesters are not taken seriously.
Posted by: jesushimself | Feb 2 2017 18:44 utc | 150
Has it crossed anyone's mind that these elite orchestrated protests are akin to the use of agent provocateurs? That when they turn violent This will give the elite's new management team the conditions it needs to rebuke more civil rights and further clamp down on democracy and society. This whole election cycle has been just too weird and the elites never miss a beat in using any unfolding event to their advantage, whether that event was as stage managed as these protests and the election or naturally arising. If you take a look at the Trump admin executive the western apex elites could want for nothing more.
That no terrorist attacking on US soil originated from the banned countries may be true, but it is not the only commonality. I beleive there are reports of US or US aid recipients killing innocent people in each of those nations. Has anyone made the argument that the ban could be effective in preventing blowback?
Posted by: jwco | Feb 17 2017 2:22 utc | 152
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Posted by: Outraged | Jan 30 2017 15:03 utc | 101