This website is dedicated to “political irony”, including humor. So you might think that the election of Donald Trump would make it easy to find good stories. But it isn’t turning out that way.
For example, it is hardly ironic, and certainly not humorous, that Trump is filling his cabinet with the same alligators he promised to drain out of the DC swamp, or that he has already reversed his position on pretty much every one of his campaign promises.
But isn’t that jumping the gun? I mean, his administration hasn’t even started yet, and it has been obvious for a long time that promises coming from the mouth of Trump typically last only until they stop getting him the attention he craves.
We should be paying attention to what he does, not what he says he will do. And we already have something that is required of every president-elect, and which Trump has started doing. And it already looks bad.
As is expected, Trump has been calling up the counterpart leaders of other countries to introduce himself. First, he completely screwed up the calls to the British Prime Minister, Theresa May (telling her who to appoint as US ambassador), and a personal meeting with Japanese leader Shinzo Abe. So much for our close allies.
Then he called the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, and praised him for his war on drugs, in which thousands of suspected drug users and dealers have been summarily executed without trial. Trump told Duterte that he was doing it the “right way”, according to Duterte’s account.
Then Trump praised the leader of Pakistan and offered his support. Seriously, Pakistan? The country that was harboring Osama bin Laden? And has supported other Islamic terrorist groups and sold nuclear weapons to North Korea? Very bad!
This also pissed off Pakistan’s sworn enemy, India, which was a really stupid thing to do. And not just because India and Pakistan have come close to using nuclear weapons against each other. The US has been long cultivating a relationship with India as a counterweight to China, but Trump might have just trashed that.
Finally, speaking of China, Trump really pissed them off by having a friendly phone call with the leader of Taiwan. Officially (since 1979), Taiwan is a renegade province of China and the US doesn’t recognize them. Or we didn’t. China is hopping mad and has already lodged a formal complaint against Trump.
[Coincidentally of course, the mayor of a Taiwanese city has reported a meeting with a representative from the Trump organization, who expressed interest in developing resort hotels there.]
But none of this is ironic and it sure as hell isn’t funny. Is it any surprise that Trump is making a complete mess of it? Don’t we already know that Trump doesn’t listen to anyone? The State Department is completely dismayed because Trump has refused to even be briefed on these countries before he calls them.
So if you were wondering why I wasn’t posting so much about Trump, that is why. I’ll keep posting, but don’t expect me to report on every stupid thing that Trump does or says. I have no interest in and would take no joy in chronicling the massive screw-ups of Trump.
Of course, if he does something good, that will be ironic.
16 Comments
An interesting aspect of trump seems to be his disloyalty thus far to those who helped him get into power. Gingrich, giuliani, palin and a few other loyal supporterters have already been spurned from cabinet posts. Even hard core hindus from india who supported him because of trumps anti pakistan views are going to be disappointed with his new found closeness.
I prefer this trump over the campaign trump. But it doesnt say much about his supporters who voted him in because of his narrow minded views. He seemes to have expanded them now. Itll probably end up calming the wealthy but perhaps not so much his voters
Ommission: DT wants Cuba to let lose its communist stands or we are going to put back the sanctions. On the other hand (ironically) is good friend Flad can do no wrong.
And if he angers enough people and countries he will be impeached. Which gives us Pence who would like to go back to the Middle Ages. As what McConnell said “It will take us awhile to replace ObamaCare.” (like four years when DT is out)
I think all could agree that ACA needs replacing, just better than it was. It was a start.
ACA (not on topic) At birth baby receives ss# and health care card. When parents file return, health care premiums are set for a year. Parents can still get supplement health insurance from private companies. At 26 child goes on itself.
No taxable income? Free insurance. Think I’ll suggest that to my representatives. OK, its socialism, but it includes all.
so long as you keep posting. big fan of this site! as for finding irony or *shudder* humor in all this..be like looking for needle in a haystack. still keep posting! 🙂
It’s like two adults taking turns driving the car and each not happy with how the other one drives. So we’ve thrown the keys to the 13 year old in the back seat and said “OK…you drive!!!”.
That’s funny until he actually starts driving.
This is the first website I check every morning. Please keep posting!
Yes, please keep posting!
Always post. Be a voice of the resistance if nothing else 🙂
At this point I am revising my opinion that Pence would be WORSE.
Beyond all the incidents of diplomatic faux pas already on display, conflicts of interest will be an inevitable and constant issue dogging this administration, both upfront and behind the scenes, with national security implications. As a recent article in the NYT describes:
“… it also presents a global security risk. A building branded with the name of an American president — any president, but perhaps especially Mr. Trump — would be a tempting target for terrorists and other enemies of the United States. Who is going to protect the buildings? Will the Trump organization hire a security firm to do the job, or will the American taxpayer be on the line for the bill? Will foreign governments offer to pay to secure the properties — a subsidy of the Trump organization that would probably violate the Emoluments Clause [of the constitution, which prohibits gifts to an officeholder from any foreign state]? If a terrorist attack, a botched security operation or some other tragedy happens on a Trump property, the United States could easily get drawn into a conflict abroad. And our adversaries know this. This is one of the most dangerous aspects of Mr. Trump’s conflict-of-interest problem.
Finally, there are the broader policy issues. How can we expect a Trump administration to rein in loose lending practices, particularly in the real estate sector, when the president himself owes hundreds of millions of dollars to banks? What will he do when a foreign dictator acts up in a country where there is a Trump hotel? The American people should not have to worry about those conflicts of interest — and neither should President Trump.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/01/opinion/trumps-business-empire-isnt-just-an-ethical-disaster.html?_r=0
The article goes on to explain that, short of a full and transparent divestiture of all his assets managed by a bona-fide blind trust, “The only remedy for a serious violation of the Emoluments Clause is impeachment.”
And so far, we’ve been given little or no assurance that he intends to properly divest, beyond having the fox (ie. kids) watch the hen house. The irony, of course, is the man who claimed to be “the only one who could fix it” is starting to appear like someone about to deliver a boatload of international, let alone domestic, turmoil we can only begin to imagine.
The fact that his claim to be the only person who can fix our problems is also a lie is hardly ironic.
The irony is in the public who still expect him to keep his campaign promises.
I just watched, yet another, interview with Pence who tries to translate whatever Trump says or does. That would be funny, too, it if weren’t spooky. Who is going to be in charge and what goals? Is Pence going to put his own twist on everything for the next four, or shudder, eight years?
Remember politifact has and is keeping track of the 500 promises Obama made during his campaigns.
Already since Nov 8th, they’ve racked up five or more “pants on fire” for DT. They will list all the lies he told people and keep track of his “promises”.
He wants a secretary of state who will do as he says. So far he hasn’t found one.
In order to find a Secretary of State “who will do as he says”, what Trump says will need to stay the same for more than a few minutes.
I think Trump already knows who his Secretary of State will be, but loves all the attention and the ability to demean suck ups like Romney, too much to give it up yet.
I also think that at some point the Republicans are going to impeach him and Pence will become president. He is in between a rock and a hard place. If he moves left, they can easily find cause, because of all his conflicts of interest and obvious illegal business dealings, if he uses his veto, it will get squashed, if he just goes along with the far right program he will be okay, but when has he ever been that reliable. He may not even realize it at this point, but as far as legislation goes, he is a paper king who can be dethroned at any time.
Interesting about Romney. One of its questions this morning was asking public opinion about the list of people Trump has put forward for Secretary of state. 41% preferred Romney. I would feel safe if was Romney who would stand up to the know nothing president.
And now we have Flynn, Jr. son of the Flynn being considered. Tweeting all over about the conspiracy in DC. “Its true until it isn’t” Sad, sad, sad. Tru
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