Donald Trump: An American Tragedy

By Jeralyn, Section Trump Administration
Posted on Thu Dec 08, 2016 at 09:39:02 PM EST
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From Jesse Berney in Rolling Stone, An American Tragedy on what we know about Donald Trump:

We know he's inexperienced and ignorant enough to cause genuine harm to America's interests....We know he doesn't understand or care about the most fundamental constitutional rights...

After listing several other undesirable traits, the article says:

Add it all up, and what do you see? A child who reacts to the slightest perceived attack with vicious vitriol. A vengeful president who is willing to violate basic rights. A government run by incompetents, racists, bullies and conspiracy-mongers. It's a formula for tragedy.

The danger: [More...]

There is no reason to believe Donald Trump understands or will accept the checks on an American president's power. There is no reason to believe he won't trample over the Constitution when it suits him.

Berney asks:

Who will stop him from grabbing power he's not entitled to? The madmen he's surrounded himself with? The weak-willed leaders of the Republican majority in Congress who have yet to provide hardly any resistance to the things he's said and done, no matter how outrageous or un-American?

I've already turned off the news for the next four years. I'm canceling Sirius, there's no reason to listen to news in the car. I have turned the speakers off on my computer so pop-up videos of him and worthless pundits talking about him won't intrude on my consciousness.

I'm looking for a place out of the country to spend the third week in January to avoid hearing about his inauguration. Gimme Shelter. (check out Lady Gaga's outfit and shoe height)

More traditional version:

Berney continues:

We can't guess how bad it's going to get over the next four or eight years. We don't know what America will look like. But if you think things won't change because they never have, you aren't paying close enough attention to Donald Trump.

...At worst, we're headed down an extraordinarily dark road where the things that make America America simply cease to exist. A president who won on a campaign of anti-immigrant furor, who believes in casting aside freedom like litter, who craves constant validation and can't abide criticism or satire – that's a tyrant in the making.

I know how bad it's going to get.

I also know it's going to take America a lot more than four years to scrape Donald Trump's sh*t right off our shoes.

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Donald Trump: An American Tragedy | 30 comments (30 topical)

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Costa Rica is nice in January (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by Coral on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 09:08:31 AM EST

Pacific coast.

Gee. (none / 0) (#1)
by Chuck0 on Thu Dec 08, 2016 at 10:07:12 PM EST

Thanks for the pep talk. Though sadly this is the darknesss that I have predicted. It's gonna get folks, real bad. America slit her wrists.

I don't know (none / 0) (#3)
by TrevorBolder on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 06:36:54 PM EST

looking back,

2016 is not really that scary....

Take a look back at 1968, what happened during that year,

And people anticipating 1969 had things to worry about....

And you know what, this country got through all that as well

2016 vs 1968 (none / 0) (#7)
by Peter G on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 09:35:39 PM EST

If you don't think the election of D. Tr*mp presents a more "scary" array of prospects for America than the election of Richard Nixon, you are not paying attention, or not being serious. And I am certainly no Nixon fan. The summer of 1969 saw both the moon landing and Woodstock. Nothing to worry about, only to celebrate, there.


: Are you serious? (none / 0) (#8)
by TrevorBolder on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 10:18:50 PM EST

You can't be serious
http://tinyurl.com/jjn2krp
Some of the lowlights of 1968, nothing in 2016 approaches any of these, taken individually.
January 23: North Korea captures the USS Pueblo
January 30: North Vietnam launches the Tet Offensive against the United States and South Vietnam
April 4 Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
The King assassination sparks rioting in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Newark, Washington, D.C., and many others. Across the country 46 deaths will be blamed on the riots.
June 4/5
On the night of the California Primary Robert Kennedy addresses a large crowd of supporters at the Ambassador Hotel in San Francisco. As he leaves the stage, at 12:13AM on the morning of the fifth Kennedy is shot by Sirhan Sirhan
ugust 20
The Soviet Union invades Czechoslovakia with over 200,000 warsaw pact troops, putting an end to the "Prague Spring," and beginning a period of enforced and oppressive "normalization."

I don't think anybody (none / 0) (#12)
by Ga6thDem on Sat Dec 10, 2016 at 10:11:57 AM EST

questioned the fact that Nixon was duly elected without the interference of a foreign country unlike Trump.


I say that to make myself feel better (none / 0) (#17)
by Lora on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 02:42:47 PM EST

...about this election, but not necessarily because I think it's true. We did go through a lot in the Nixon years. Those were dangerous times. Over 50,000 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War and over a million Vietnamese.

This is very different. I don't think there is a precedent. I don't think it is possible to predict the outcome.

I remember when we invaded Iraq and I remember thinking, maybe it won't be so bad...

Somehow, it feels sort of the same now.


Country will survive (none / 0) (#18)
by TrevorBolder on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 02:53:41 PM EST

The Donald says many stupid and insensitive things, some by design, others because he has no filter.
He is boorish , arrogant, thin skinned.

He is also a narcissist and quite vain.

Now that he sits atop the Presidency, I am pretty sure he wants to go down as The Greatest President Evah!!!

I believe that will cool off any intemperate or impulsive actions that flash across his mind.

we have checks and balances, legislation moves slowly, and executive actions can always be reversed.

Legislation will be passed that Republicans can't stand, and likewise for Democrats.


You're ignoring (none / 0) (#20)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 06:50:29 PM EST

the Putin problem.


What are talking about? (none / 0) (#21)
by TrevorBolder on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 07:43:18 PM EST

There is no problem.

The Donald will act in Americas best interest.


You are either naive (5.00 / 3) (#23)
by Chuck0 on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 10:58:25 PM EST

Or stupid. Trump will do what is Trump's best interests. That is the story of his entire life. He doesn't give a rat's derriere about you or anyone else in America.


He's already cashing in. (none / 0) (#24)
by desertswine on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 11:13:07 PM EST

We will have to disagree (none / 0) (#25)
by TrevorBolder on Mon Dec 12, 2016 at 05:15:27 AM EST

On that

The Donald wants to be known as The Greatest President evah!! His face chiseled into Mt Rushmore.

To do that, he will put Americas interests first.

His perception of Americas interests.
I do not believe he will be too concerned with foreign affairs, unless it is economic.

He is worth at least 4 billion. Money is not what is driving the Donald , not now.


The experts (5.00 / 2) (#26)
by Ga6thDem on Mon Dec 12, 2016 at 06:45:45 AM EST

disagree with you and i think they know a lot more than you do.

Carle, the retired CIA officer, said Trump's temperament had played into Russia's hands and put the president-elect on a collision course with the CIA.
He said: "Look, in my professional assessment as an intelligence officer, Trump has a reflexive, defensive, monumentally narcissistic personality, for whom the facts and national interest are irrelevant, and the only thing that counts is whatever gives personal advantage and directs attention to himself.
"He is about the juiciest intelligence target an intelligence office could imagine. He groans with vulnerabilities. He will only work with individuals or entities that agree with him and build him up, and he is a shockingly easy intelligence `target' to manipulate."

LOL. And you have no freaking idea how much he is worth because he won't show his taxes.


Yep (5.00 / 1) (#27)
by FlJoe on Mon Dec 12, 2016 at 08:36:10 AM EST

To do that, he will put Americas interests first.
His perception of Americas interests.

It's his perception that scares the hell out of me and many Americans, including your erstwhile favorite candidate:
"It must be clear that Donald Trump is not a loyal American and we should prepare for the next four years accordingly," McMullin tweeted.


Evan McMullin?! (none / 0) (#28)
by jondee on Mon Dec 12, 2016 at 08:50:39 AM EST

THE Evan McMullin?!

Say it ain't so!


Strangely (none / 0) (#29)
by Ga6thDem on Mon Dec 12, 2016 at 08:59:55 AM EST

enough McMullin has bee siding with us against Trump. He has chided the right to not let the left fight the Neo Nazis alone. History is not going to be kind to those Republicans that either enabled or apologized for Trump.


: A Republican (5.00 / 2) (#30)
by FlJoe on Mon Dec 12, 2016 at 09:16:26 AM EST

who puts country over party is indeed a rara avis.

A bipartisan (none / 0) (#22)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 08:19:30 PM EST

group of senators disagree and they have seen the evidence Trevor. Trump is not going to do what is best for America. He can't even be president of all Americans according to what he himself has said. He only really wants to be president of White Nationalists but apparently you are okay with all that. I guess you don't think you're going to be one of the ones that he comes after.


You can always come to Hawaii. (none / 0) (#4)
by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 07:21:50 PM EST

Jeralyn: "I'm looking for a place out of the country to spend the third week in January to avoid hearing about [Trump's] inauguration."

Trust me, in this truest and bluest of true-blue Democratic enclaves, you'll have lots of company in your quest to ignore the inaugural.

Besides, watching the sun rise from atop Haleakala on Maui, and seeing the mountain cast its massive shadow out 70 miles over the Pacific Ocean, can't help but rejuvenate one's soul.

;-D

maybe 160mm?? (none / 0) (#5)
by linea on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 07:25:56 PM EST

it's like, "yes, i dance in 6-inch siletto platform pumps... bite me boys." lol

: it is totally (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Jeralyn on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 08:47:14 PM EST

unreal to watch her strut across the stage on them. I can't even imagine walking in them, let alone dancing. For those of you who don't have time to watch the video, here's a screengrab of the shoes (and her outfit which is pretty unusual in itself)

It's way too early to call Trump (none / 0) (#9)
by McBain on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 10:42:50 PM EST

an American tragedy. If anything, he's off to a good start... stock market is up, at least one company keeping jobs in US.

One thing I worry about is another tech bubble busting. Where I live in Silicon Valley traffic is terrible and there's lots of new expensive homes being built. Reminds me of 2000.

Rolling Stone (none / 0) (#10)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Fri Dec 09, 2016 at 11:52:49 PM EST

Rolling Stone is one of the great news sources. At least the story was not written by Jackie.

So nothing about this story (none / 0) (#11)
by Yman on Sat Dec 10, 2016 at 09:22:45 AM EST

Care to compare Rolling Stone to any of your usual rightwing sources of "journalism"? I'd be happy to. Your pick.


Go ahead (none / 0) (#13)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sat Dec 10, 2016 at 09:43:32 PM EST

Anything that can compare to the UVA Jackie rape hoax?


: Not even close (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by Yman on Sat Dec 10, 2016 at 10:24:45 PM EST

Drudge Report shone:
Sidney Blumenthal - baseless claims of spousal abuse.
False John Kerry intern "scandal"
Bill Clinton's fake illegitimate child with a prostitute. Debunked in 1999 but brought back again for this election.
Ashley Todd fake attack hoax
... and many more ...

Fight it when it first rears its ugly head (none / 0) (#15)
by Lora on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 09:14:27 AM EST

You can't let a potential Trump gain any ground, right at the beginning.

You didn't take him seriously when he first emerged as a potential candidate.

My take: AM talk radio won the election for Trump.

Vitriol, lies, disinformation, carefully couched opinions that become repeated and mainstreamed to those listeners... Listen to it sometime. Realize that a huge number of Americans listen to this for hours daily.

You can't let that stuff lie. You must combat it at once, and repeatedly. We need to somehow get a voice on AM talk radio (and some FM talk radio too, of course) and expose it for what it is.

Jeralyn, with one week to spare (none / 0) (#16)
by fishcamp on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 09:50:26 AM EST

in January, you probably want to go to a warm spot via a short flight. You have many choices flying out of Denver. Donald's idea of visiting Hilo is good, and I'm sure there's a fantastic resort over there. He could meet you in Honolulu for a tour of the big surfing spots on the North Shore, just a couple of hour drive from Honolulu. If the waves are breaking big, that entire seven mile drive past about about 15 spots is very exciting. Nice resorts there too, but don't try the surfing, and watch the shore break at Waimea, it gets people.

Of course you have all the beautiful resorts in Mexico and Central America. Those resorts are safe, it's the cities that can be tricky. I always look for places that have fishing available, no zip lines through the jungle for me. I've always had fun in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta which are your closest Mexican vacation spots. Both have excellent restaurants and shopping. They have zip lines too. You could practice cartel sleuthing as well, but its not advisable.

: Hilo is always very wet in January. (none / 0) (#19)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 11, 2016 at 05:35:47 PM EST

It's our rainiest month of the year -- remember, Hilo averages 191 inches of rainfall annually -- and I don't think Jeralyn really wants to do soaking wet in January. That why I'd recommend Maui.
As far as resorts on our side of the Big Island, we don't have any, although we do have a couple of nice hotels, the Hilo Hawaiian and the Grand Naniloa, both of which overlook Hilo Bay. The Naniloa's new owners have just finished its very extensive rehabilitation and renovation, which took 18 months to complete, and the hotel just reopened only two weeks ago under the Hilton brand and management. I haven't yet been down there to see it personally, but everything I've heard from others indicates that they did a really great job.
The Naniloa was once the Grande Dame of Big Island hotels back in the 1960s and '70s, when Hilo Airport was then serving as the state's second gateway after Honolulu Int'l for flights to and from cities on the U.S. mainland. (There were no direct mainland flights to / from Kona, Maui and Kauai until the mid-1980s.) But under the longtime control of an absentee foreign owner from Japan who bought it in the late 1980s, the hotel was allowed to deteriorate quite badly, to the point where it became a very serious embarrassment and flashpoint of local political contention. The place was literally on the verge of being a tear-down, it was in that sorry a condition.
Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie forced the issue after he took office in Dec. 2010 by revoking the hotel's lease of the state shoreline property upon which the Naniloa sits, which compelled the owner to finally divest himself of the hotel, which is what everyone had been wanting him to do. He sued the State but lost in 2013, and a new owner was found who was willing to restore the Naniloa and its grounds.
Aloha.