Day to Day Politics: The Trump report No 7. The inauguration.
Saturday 21 January 2017
By the time you have read this Donald Trump will have been inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States of America.
In the many articles I have read I am yet to come across any writing that adequately explains just what it is in the American psychology that has led them to commit this most licentious act of electing Donald Trump as their president.
Where else in the world would people deliberately elect as their President a man who is an acknowledged racist, sexist, a sexual predator, a homophobe, a xenophobe, a conspiracy theorist, a bully, an imposter, con man and would-be dictator?
Only in America.
In my view he will be a disaster for America and the rest of the world. His history has always been that of a lewd controversial man, a narcissist of the worst kind. Scandal has been as much a part of his life as is the daily necessity to eat. He has bought together a bunch of malevolent like-minded people to help him achieve his aim of ”making America great again” but in doing so has never really explained what he means.
It is but an empty slogan designed to rekindle another slogan ”the great American Dream’’ If so America has picked the wrong man to do it.
It is a dream that most American’s now see as an illusion, one that was perpetrated on them by those of little understanding, who really believed that if you achieved success by making money, you elevated yourself to a superior economic class.
”Only I can make America great again,” he said.
America has picked the wrong man. A man at war with everyone.
Before the inauguration Trump – from inside the world of his own self-importance – was trumpeting that it would be the most successful, best attended ever.
Robert Reich former member of Bill Clinton’s Cabinet had an opposing view:
”Trump insists “people are pouring into Washington in record numbers” for his inauguration, and brags about his “unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout.” But according to Elliott Ferguson, president of Washington’s convention and tourism bureau, the “level of enthusiasm” and demand for hotel rooms has not reached that of previous inaugurations. In fact, some hotels have reduced the minimum-night stay from four nights to two. Other hotels are only half full. “It’s been much, much slower than anyone would have anticipated for a first-term president.”
An estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people are expected to travel to the Washington on Friday – far below the estimated 1.8 million who came when Barack Obama took office – and it’s not clear how many are coming to celebrate or to protest. Trump’s transition team has been running advertisements on Facebook and Twitter “personally inviting” people to come to the inauguration, with a video of Trump promising that the concert will be “really fantastic”
As I perused the American media the day after the event and I read his speech the thing that strikes me most is the naked popularism he employs. It tap dances on every word. The American people have taken charge of Washington but it is he who will make the decisions. Only he can make America great again.
The man who owns America spoke thus:
”Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.”
His speech is full of the same grandiose rhetoric of the election campaign. There is no explanation of how these things will be achieved and who will foot the bill. Just words that await unwarranted applause from a man with few principles.
”That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.”
The absurdity here is that his speech is full of what he thinks is wrong with America. A speech that overlooks the fact that the country is entering a period of economic prosperity and that we live in a vastly different world to the one he wants to take us back to. America, as Australia found out is simply not competitive with other countries in terms of manufacturing.
”What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.”
I’m assuming then that the people will demand that he pay tax, release his tax record, place his business in a blind trust and refuse to benefit from overseas business interests as demanded by the Constitution.
”You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.”
Well they didn’t come in their millions and he lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes.
”From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first.”
”Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down.”
”We will follow two simple rules; buy American and hire American.”
History has already judged and it shows that what we need is more internationalism and less nationalism. The world dislikes America for the superior view it has of itself.
Will the consumers of America accept the higher cost of living that goes with protection? And when other countries reciprocate, what then?
”We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth.”
Does he mean America will enter yet another war they cannot win?
”There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.”
Well firstly the law seems to do an awful job if your skin is black. The people kill each other to the tune of 35,000 folk a year and yet he is in favour of the guns that do so. God always seems too disinterested to intervene.
”Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.”
”We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions.”
It was thriving before the World Financial Crisis hit, cause by real estate folk of his ilk. How can the world be freed from disease when he plans to eliminate funding for childhood inoculation against disease.
And to ”harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow” you first have to believe in science.
”And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they will their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator .”
”Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together we will make America great again.”
Like many of his statements I am not exactly clear as to what all of this meant.
Personally, I don’t want America to be great. I just want them to be one of many in a peaceful international community.
But when a President says every decision he makes in his four-year term will be “America first” you have to be a little frightened of what it will cost other nations to make them so.
My thought for the day
It seems to me that the wisest people I know are the ones that apply reason, and logic and leave room for doubt. The most unwise are the fools and fanatics who don’t.
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27 comments
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Keitha Granville -
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Kronomex -
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Steve Laing - makeourvoiceheard.com -
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Rob -
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silkworm -
David1 -
stephentardrew -
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Robert G. Shaw -
michael lacey -
Miriam English -
Miriam English -
David1
Return to home page“fools and fanatics” – we have our own One Nation nutters doing the same.
Interesting times ahead.
What “Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again……..” John means is going back to have the South American and many other countries under their control, exploiting and controlling them even if they have to sponsor and help extreme right dictators.
What it is in the main of the 40% of the electorate or more to vote for this man is desperation due to the poverty that they are suffering and that not one of the previous governments done nothing about it.
Of course this man is not the solution in the same way that One nation is not the solution here but people look for a change.
My question is what will happen after people realize that “this options are also no good, what will be the future options for them.
We are living very interesting times and we are in danger for many important nations to finish in the hands of dictators.
Considering that Clinton won almost 3 million more votes than Trump it is debatable that he actually won the contest.
That aside, there is nowhere to hide as this fool has the nuclear codes.
“He has bought (sic) together a bunch of malevolent like-minded people…”
Yes, he has paid heaps to bring them together – and America will pay heaps for it. No doubt.
And so might we?
A great start to a saturday, Lord. ‘Where else would is indeed a licentious question:
what we can’t do is endlessly subsidise lifestyle choices’ re: WA remote communities, his racist???
Ernie award nominations for his sexism
Eva Cripps on being a homophobe?
Sorry, Lord, I am too positive to spoil the day in guessing the answer. For today I am amazed at the power of a woman who has made me a work in progress sine 21./1/67
Stephen, don’t forget that The Donald said he won the popular not “Crooked” Hilary. The Donald has to win at everything and has a barrel with no bottom to scrape. Now the overt corruption and wrecking of the US begins.
Stephen: The rules of the presidential game are 270 to win, not ‘who gets the most overall votes. Had Clinton and Obama considered that more carfeully, we might not be in this situation.
Kronomex: The overt corruption was already widespread, and made all that much worse by the Obama administration’s willful refusal to prosecute banksters, fraudsters and other assorted corporate criminals in the years following the GFC. With that precedent, we can only imagine the depths the US will now plumb.
I’m sad that Obama is gone, but as he’s still fairly young, I’m confident he’ll be back in some positive role to make the world a better place…
Maybe one day Michelle will be America’s first female President, and what would be even more impressive, their first female black President…
”And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they will their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator .”
Plagiarised from the Avatar movie. I’ve read he also used something from a Batman criminal.
And he continues to conspicuously lie, in this case a lie that is easily checked, but that never seems to faze him, he just continues the obvious lies unabated. He stated his was the first ever party at the Washington monument, yet George W had a party there on his inauguration and Obama had two, one for each inauguration.
I believe Trump was sworn in on not one but Two bibles!!! Maybe that’s why “we will be protected by god”?
But there is a strong religious, and by that I mean organised religion, belief that if you are wealthy then god loves you more and that’s why he allows you to be wealthier than everyone else. This is why some “faiths” ask parishioners to donate well above what they canafford so their pastor can be more loved by god, ie;rich.
http://gawker.com/making-money-off-miracles-the-gospel-of-televangelists-1725330875
To truly understand the American psyche, it helps to have lived there. Most will never leave the US, or indeed be aware of anything that happens outside the US because it isn’t portrayed as being important. The vast majority are totally indifferent to politics, and indeed to “news”. People don’t “read”, they watch, and Trump has huge recognition because of how he has been portrayed on The Apprentice. And many people unfortunately simply equate that screen persona as his true character, rather than understanding that it is a scripted reality tv show. He is made to look smart, powerful and decisive, and many people simply aren’t smart enough to realise that this simply isn’t real.
So inadvertently the media over the years have given him a huge “public recognition” factor, and without doubt that has significantly helped him get to the position he is in today. Very few successful businessmen would court such publicity, knowing that it would more likely backfire. But the reality is that Trump is not successful so would have nothing to lose by putting himself out there. It is, unfortunately, the perfect storm.
What’s next though? The disturbing thing is, nobody really knows – and that is worrying. Because we know that he will be unable to follow through on far too many of his promises.
One promise (call it a ‘core promise’) -on the issue that got him elected, he seems keen to follow-up on.
Trump administration puts NAFTA on notice
The White House confirmed U.S. President Donald Trump’s intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement just minutes after the 45th president finished his inauguration speech Friday.
An announcement on the updated White House website also promises to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact signed last year by 14 countries, including Canada. Trump repeatedly vowed during his campaign to fix or abandon trade deals he said had cost the U.S. jobs. “If our partners refuse a renegotiation that gives American workers a fair deal, then the President will give notice of the United States’ intent to withdraw from NAFTA,” the statement reads.
Folks may recall that Obama also promised in the 2007-08 campaign, when he was running as a progressive, to renegotiate NAFTA
(citing the above, as well as other reasons) but declined to do so.
Instead, he went full bore in the opposite direction- and was still publically promoting and advocating lame duck passage of the TPP as late as mid-October. This in spite of the Trump campaign’s many months of hammering the issue throughout the Rust Belt, i.e. the states whose electoral votes got him over the line.
It is clear that none of you know the real truth behind the evil of Obama, the Clintons and both the Bushes. America was on track to be brought completely to her knees and beheaded.
No matter what, the world has to get back on it’s feet, but there is no other way than to shock it and “Drain the swamp……”wipe the shelves clean”…….”sweep the floors”…..or what ever you want to call it. It almost needs to have ” The baby thrown out with the bath water”…
The Heirachy is so matted together that you will never untangle it unless you cut it loose.
It is imperative the same is done in Australia. We are on such a steep and fast down hill slide that we are going to crash hard very soon.
The people are very angry and only a fool will ignore it to their peril. It will get nasty as well. The oppression has been too heavy too long and now the people are ready……ready for what? who knows. They too want to drain the swamp, so look out politicians they have just been shown a way to clean the swamp ….don’t underestimate the influence.
The racism, zenophobia and all the other screams are all smoke screens. You are all having smoke blown up your A4%&^*es.
Have a BIG LONG HARD LOOK UNDERNEATH> you will get a very big scare. Be warned. I’m bloody scared. Seriously, not funny Jan.
Rob:
I’m sure the ‘angry people’ will be pleased with this: On His First Day in Office, Trump Raises Taxes on Middle-Class Homebuyers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Mg6Gfh9Co
Rob why didn’t you just mention the mad woman Hanson and her Party of lying, no brainer racist, climate change deniers. Saved you so much time
The great US nightmare. As an intelligence test? Fail. This clearly says something about the lack of logic and rationality across the board in US politics. The non-voters are complicit as well.
stephentardrew is not only in USA, is here, in South America and Europe.
stephentardrew wrote: “The non-voters are complicit as well.”
Unfortunately, the Republican wing of the Democratic party has trouble with certain very basic behavioural principles, one of which is that scolding, berating, backhanding, back-stabbing and gratuitously insulting individuals and constituencies that make up the Democratic base are not effective methods to motivate them to get out the vote.
algorithms replace humans in centrelink – black profiles indicate likelihood of criminality – where is there room for democratic reasoning or logic of a republican government? For the future give the orders and artificial intelligence will run us like the terminator absolutely unforgiving relentless pursuit. oops we already have the algorithm in place.
America trump is America
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
What more can they want?
ps wow rob ‘evil’ of obama
michelle bacmann, joseph farah uses evil half my christian facebooks use evil but the truth behind evil is hard to swallow by anyone below the Lord???
Sorry rob obama is not evil and it is difficult to drain the swamp with slime.
”And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they will their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator .”
Plagiarised from the Avatar movie.
Mobius Ecko brings it to our attention.
So much to be ‘brought to our attention’.
Like:
“”We will follow two simple rules; buy American and hire American.”….But we will not MARRY American Hey Yankee Trump???
Or:
”There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.”
Doesn’t that sound like IS? Or any of the other disturbed groups including Israel?
How is this reassuring or visionary?
This is sickness incarnate.
Does this seem familiar at all?
“”That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Mg6Gfh9Co
Never has such an overt message been so brashly declared in a democratic USA!
I laughed, I was astounded, I was surprised and I was finally Terrified.
This is an Ignorance writ large.
The future is not reassuring, secure nor hopeful…for whenever “Patriotism” or “Nationalism” is raised you know it is not going to end well.
We have no need of a god or a fool or a nationalist idiot…What we, the world needs, is ….Education!
For without it we are doomed to repeat and repeat and repeat….
Finally…leave god out of any National investment in informing the people….We may then have a chance. Till then we are simple…f’cked.
“We have no need of a god or a fool or a nationalist idiot…What we, the world needs, is ….Education!
For without it we are doomed to repeat and repeat and repeat….”
Rarely is the question asked: is our children learning?
There is a series of articles on RCP, a 5 part investigation of voting patterns in the recent US election, that should be essential reading to anyone, especially those like Stephen Griffin who question Trump’s legitimacy.
I’m having trouble posting the link but shall try again later.
In my view John Pilger take on Trump has some substance. He stated it was no surprise only to the people who enabled it to happen in his words the people in the United States identified as the Liberal class. They told us that only the status quo, a corrupt war mongering group will be only acceptable to the majority. They created Trump!
Oh, fun. First thing Trump did after putting on the crown was expunge any mention of climate change and LGBT rights from the government website.
At this point he’s in clear violation of USA law because he still is in receipt of money from overseas investments. He also needs to divest himself of his companies inside USA too. And there is mounting pressure to release his tax records, which he still hasn’t done.
The Republicans have already begun making sweeping changes, having begun to kill the affordable healthcare act (Obamacare) and trying to kill off the Ethics Committee (who ever needed more proof that they are unethical?). There was an immediate and strong backlash in republicans’ own communities about that latter move so they had to abandon it, for now.
By the way, OR Books http://www.orbooks.com/ is making the revolutionary handbook “Beautiful Trouble” available for free today only. They’re a USA company, so I’m not sure when the cutoff is. The book details the most effective ways to protest and force change.
Pitifully low turnout to Trump’s coronation (I think that’s a more accurate word for him than inauguration).
http://images.dailykos.com/images/352699/story_image/170120_pol_inaugrationattendance.jpg.CROP.promo-large2.jpg
Top one is Obama’s, bottom one is Trump’s.
Robert Shaw…perhaps one of the reasons people mistrust Trumps and his mouthpieces.is the crap that comes from them, Sean Spicer the new Trump and White House spokesperson told the media a short time ago Trump had 7 times the numbers Obama had in 2009 and 2013. both watching various media and on the ground, than 2009. CNN have produced ‘facts’ those numbers are phony and cannot be justified.
Spicer also claimed the New York subway recorded record numbers of passengers between midnight Thursday and midnight Friday. Numbers produced by the system management told the true story. Obama 2009 1.2 million….Trump 2017 6.7 hundred thousand,
The 2 pictures showing the area in front of the swearing in balcony were not false. Again more rubbish from Trumps White House. Spicer said the white area was not there for Obama’s inauguration so cant be counted. The Dept overseeing the white sheets covering the grass to protect it was there in 209 and CNN produced photos showing the covers being laid in 2009
http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/21/media/sean-spicer-press-secretary-statement/index.html
Team Trump tactics: Deny, conflate, confuse
http://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2017/01/15/team-trump-tactics-deny-conflate-confuse.cnn
CIA staff including past Director Brennan are saying after his quick visit to try and cover his arse, they are saying still, he should be ashamed of himself.
Like your good self I have no trouble posting links. Perhaps you are not holding your mouth correctly. I look forward to your posting of said link
Have a pleasant day.