Good King Trump

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Concerned About the Optics, Not the Jobs - The Big Picture

orange clown

[JoeP]

Last line:

I cannot hear the things this administration is saying, because their words are being drowned out by their actions.

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

A country cannot thrive when nearly half of its adults are in open revolt against reality.

Home of the brave? Coronavirus epidemic reveals America's fundamental weakness | Salon.com

[JoeP]

In a similar vein, China exploiting America's fundamental weakness:

China Is Maneuvering for Global Leadership During the Coronavirus Crisis as the United States Falters

As Washington falters, Beijing is moving quickly and adeptly to take advantage of the opening created by U.S. mistakes, filling the vacuum to position itself as the global leader in pandemic response. It is working to tout its own system, provide material assistance to other countries, and even organize other governments. The sheer chutzpah of China’s move is hard to overstate. After all, it was Beijing’s own missteps—especially its efforts at first to cover up the severity and spread of the outbreak—that helped create the very crisis now afflicting much of the world. Yet Beijing understands that if it is seen as leading, and Washington is seen as unable or unwilling to do so, this perception could fundamentally alter the United States’ position in global politics and the contest for leadership in the twenty-first century.

Xi understands that providing global goods can burnish a rising power’s leadership credentials.
...

Beijing’s edge in material assistance is enhanced by the simple fact that much of what the world depends on to fight the coronavirus is made in China.
...

The United States, by contrast, lacks the supply and capacity to meet many of its own demands, let alone to provide aid in crisis zones elsewhere. The picture is grim.
...

China’s chief asset in its pursuit of global leadership—in the face of the coronavirus and more broadly—is the perceived inadequacy and inward focus of U.S. policy.
...

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Watch how this becomes the mainstream view on the Trump right pic.twitter.com/mkY8Vscwv0

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) March 23, 2020

[erimir]

They'd rather die (or their parents/grandparents die) than admit that Trump is an incompetent madman.

Maybe I should pick up a copy of Dying of Whiteness for quarantine reading...

[JoeP]

More of the same:

Older people would rather die than let Covid-19 harm US economy – Texas official | World news | The Guardian

[Ensign Steve]

Something something death panels something something

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

More commentary on the topic:

The let-them-die push comes after just one week of hanging out at home. If we did this for another 6 or 7 weeks and then went back to work as normal, the average American would still finish the year having worked around as many hours as Germans work in an *typical* year.

— David Segal (@DavidSegalRI) March 24, 2020

Some later replies mentioned this as a demonstration of the power of American labour. And that if forced back to work as expendable meat bags, what a general strike could accomplish.

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

I'll just quarantine this in this thrad:

USA und G7-Erklärung: Streit um "Wuhan-Virus" - DER SPIEGEL



Eeeeeyup, American officials are demanding it be called the 'Wuhan virus'.

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

KISS THE RING FIRST

On Governors asking for help, Trump says, "It's a two way street they have to treat us well too." .... (realized i had wrong clip before) pic.twitter.com/gXM83TCUZR

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 24, 2020

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Originally Posted by Ensign Steve

Something something death panels something something

Searching the forum for Death Panels was a head trip and to all those chucklehead lolbertarians from times of yore I say, “ha”.

The same Republicans who falsely accused Obama of having death panels for old people are now pulling out calculators to figure out how many people they are willing to sacrifice to reopen the Cheesecake Factory.

— Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) March 25, 2020

[beyelzu]

So I was arguing with some Trump dipshit elsewhere, because I’m a glutton.

He included that Gov Newsome said good things about Trump as evidence that Trump is winning the fight against Covid19.

I thought he was full of shit. They have been quite rancorous, but I looked it up and it’s true.

Newsome is playing Trump the most obvious narcissus asshole in the world.

He praised Trump by name and criticisms are launched at the admin and not personal at all.

Cuomo has done similar.

It’s pathetic that it’s necessary, but it apparently works.

[erimir]

Still waiting on Trump to start implementing Bernie's ideas like some dipshits were suggesting would happen.

While he invoked the Defense Production Act, he still hasn't even directed any companies to start manufacturing PPE or ventilators... His administration is still suing to overturn the ACA and kick millions off Medicaid. He wants to give money to companies, not workers.

So, waiting for what it is. And wondering why exactly it is that some dipshits wanted to promote the idea that Trump was going to implement Bernie's policies if it wasn't true

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

He’s busy asking favours from the guys he just shook down. While offering favours to that guy’s rivals.

It’s almost like we shouldn’t have used alliances as protection rackets, shaking down a close and highly-capable partner for $5 billion, imagining there would be no consequences for transactional unilateralism. https://t.co/HbxUPpMcAI

— Mira Rapp-Hooper (@MiraRappHooper) March 24, 2020

[SR71]

I will offer as much when there are surplus to spare for $5 billion.

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Washington state radio station won't air Trump briefings because of 'false or misleading information' | TheHill

[JoeP]

Why Did President Trump Lie About the COVID-19...

Posted by a channel "Republicans for the Rule of Law"

In a crisis, there are three rules that must be followed when communicating with the public: Be first. Be right. Be credible. President Trump has often been first but he has seldom been right and he has never been credible.

[specious_reasons]

Originally Posted by Kamilah Hauptmann

Washington state radio station won't air Trump briefings because of 'false or misleading information' | TheHill

Kudos to them, maybe I will give them more money than I already am.

[SR71]

He's on now with the daily briefing. So far he side stepped a reporter's question by accusing her of writing fake news, attacked NATO and "our allies" for "taking advantage" of us (I could almost hear Putin giggling from here), and also of course blowing his own horn and telling us what a great job he's been doing.

Also still saying how badly we need to end the isolation and talking about Easter, but at the same time saying no loss of life is acceptable. The mixed messaging has to be intentional. Really it's hard to watch.

[beyelzu]

Thank you so I don't have to. taking one for the team.

[ceptimus]

But it's a great mixed message, really great. A perfect mixed message.

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Originally Posted by SR71

He's on now with the daily briefing. So far he side stepped a reporter's question by accusing her of writing fake news, attacked NATO and "our allies" for "taking advantage" of us (I could almost hear Putin giggling from here), and also of course blowing his own horn and telling us what a great job he's been doing.

Also still saying how badly we need to end the isolation and talking about Easter, but at the same time saying no loss of life is acceptable. The mixed messaging has to be intentional. Really it's hard to watch.

Almost like the hotel biz is taking a hit and he's going broke.

Again.

If only he'd sold it all and invested in a peanut farm.

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Pretty good impersonation:

God only brought one guy back from the dead on Easter. Trump is here to bring back the whole economy on Easter 2020. Enjoy this clip (possibly, like, the best ever), share and be sure to subscribe to Making Podcasts Great Again (@TrumpPod) - new every week! pic.twitter.com/aUifVWRzfh

— J-L Cauvin (@JLCauvin) March 24, 2020