Trump and your expectations
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Much faster and clearer about what he wants done. When he won in 2016 he was caught off guard and learned on the job. This time he knew how to prep before he took office, so he hit the ground running right out of the gate.
The level of petulance and retribution is annoying though. I've said before if he could stick to the conservative policies and strong leadership while minimizing the lying or talking-while-uninformed and retribution immaturity, his stock would go up so much in my book. Such an easy change to make, but we know that's deeply embedded in his personality.
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The Gaza plan was worst case Trump rhetoric, but probably won't cause much if any actual harm. The rest I've been ok with. Relative to expectations, I was disappointed that the J6 pardons were not discriminate. It would have looked a lot better if he'd allowed the justice system its penalties against anybody who meted out real physical violence against cops. (Not just shoves or incidental contact, which I believe account for the great majority of "battery" incidents from the riot.) I do grant that they'd already served 3 years. And no "murder" charges somehow, though as we all know, if you do violence to someone and they die as a result, that's murder or some other death-related charge. There might be a disconnect between the rhetoric and reality.
See, get me typing and I end up defending Trump.
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Since I have only passing interest in Trump’s domestic policy, I have no expectations or comments unless they are of an economic nature that invariably spill over into my life. More comments however are pending for another thread as I read this morning that Trump is, once again, throwing a tantrum. This time over steel and aluminum imports from everywhere.
On the other hand, Trump has thus far fulfilled every one of my expectations in terms of trade and foreign policy save one. I expect that to be completed in the course of the next month or so when he finally sells out Ukraine to the equally repugnant Kremlin Troll for far less than 30 pieces of silver.
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@Horace said in Trump and your expectations:
The Gaza plan was worst case Trump rhetoric, but probably won't cause much if any actual harm. The rest I've been ok with. Relative to expectations, I was disappointed that the J6 pardons were not discriminate. It would have looked a lot better if he'd allowed the justice system its penalties against anybody who meted out real physical violence against cops. (Not just shoves or incidental contact, which I believe account for the great majority of "battery" incidents from the riot.) I do grant that they'd already served 3 years. And no "murder" charges somehow, though as we all know, if you do violence to someone and they die as a result, that's murder or some other death-related charge. There might be a disconnect between the rhetoric and reality.
See, get me typing and I end up defending Trump.
Pretty much where I am although I hoped we would see more of the Trump from the Welker interview and less of the rally Trump. The J6 pardons were laziness and I think did as much harm as good. It made him look determined but unserious.
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I like the J6 pardons. A lot of his base felt that the J6 rioters were singled out and punished far beyond what is usually done. Held without bail for months, investigated and charged YEARS down the line for simple crimes such as trespass, while the Feds let the border and violent crime go to hell...It was obvious that the response was overkill and personal for The Swamp.
Which is why I'm not concerned if he starts tearing down federal buildings next week. The Federal Hobbits work for We The People, and they seem to have forgotten that.
Yes, Trump is Trump. You get hyperbole and sometimes misstatements. But I think the country likes most of his initial actions. Many of those will become law, not EOs, if Johnson can swing it (the process has already started).
And whether you like or dislike what he's doing, at least you know who to cheer or boo, unlike 46.
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I think clear pardons for any non-violent offenders and case by case beyond that. I actually don’t mind the Gaza stuff, I think I see where he’s going. The Canada thing is weird, but as much as I love Blondie and Renauda (in a hunting and fishing kind of way), I don’t mind the reminder that even our close allies are still competitors and that not all of our goals line up.
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The Canada thing is weird, but…..I don’t mind the reminder that even our close allies are still competitors and that not all of our goals line up.
Then by all means just withdraw from CUSMA (USMCA) under the terms of Section 34.6 of the Agreement. Or is it that mutually agreed and signed ratified treaties mean nothing to that cosplaying half mad Roman Emporer occupying the WH?
Source: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/agreements/FTA/USMCA/Text/34_Final_Provisions.pdf
In the meantime tell that repugnant wannbe Caligula to stop with the threats to annex Canada. That is something on which 40 million plus of us do have some say and it is a resounding No and Never!
Trump is repugnant in all respects as is his base of fanatics who support him.
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He's been a bit worse than I expected, but I think it's mostly just sound and fury, signifying nothing, as Old Bill would say. All this wanking off about how American could take Canada and Greenland is so silly.
I was only joking
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All this wanking off about how American could take Canada and Greenland is so silly.
Talk of annexing Canada might have been just silly in November or early December but since last month its continual repetition is creating nothing other than intense resentment here. No one here is treating it as a joke any more.
‘a-blowe yow and be-kele yow wel, and comyth up all with your ease’ ~ attributed to Henry V
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@LuFins-Dad said in Trump and your expectations:
I think clear pardons for any non-violent offenders and case by case beyond that. I actually don’t mind the Gaza stuff, I think I see where he’s going. The Canada thing is weird, but as much as I love Blondie and Renauda (in a hunting and fishing kind of way), I don’t mind the reminder that even our close allies are still competitors and that not all of our goals line up.
Competitors? No, I disagree. We can’t compete with your country. You folks are huge by population, by economics, by manufacturing, by military, by everything. It’s Mr. Trump who’s now making us out to be a “competitor” like it’s a battle or something. To me, our countries have always had a symbiotic respectful relationship.
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He swings for the fences. That's for sure. And in America's history, sometimes that's worked out. I think both friend and foe would like him to STFU at times, but everyone has learned that is not his nature.
I think his fan base appreciates that he communicates with them - a LOT. That was a negative for Biden. If Trump takes a dump and it's a big one, he wants to post about it. If Biden cured cancer, he'd mention it in some dull speech that even Jill wouldn't care about.
As for accomplishments, most Presidents are as good as the people and plans provided to them along with paying debts to those who got him elected. Trump is betting on Elon - because Elon was a winner in the past and bought influence. He's supporting Israel because he has had some major donations there. Project 2025 is moving forward because it is being marketed to him on the basis of benefits - and he trusts the people who created it. "This order will bring about //insert good thought here//, please sign." I think from his team's basis, he's doing great.
Personally, I think Elon is a smart guy - a lucky guy - but as to whether everything he touches turns to gold - I'm not so sure. He's known to be the guy to put it all on the line on one spin of the wheel - ok when you're the one paying for it - but maybe a bit dangerous when a nation and the world are the potential losers. America's founding fathers intended a lot of safeguards. I don't think they knew folks like Trump and Musk - who live their lives pushing boundaries.
ADD: Not wild about his unadulterated affection for tariffs - think that could be the straw that lead to some economic woes - if he isn't willing to back down. His predilection to bash allies - also not a favorite ploy.
It's gonna be an interesting ride - that's for sure.
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@blondie said in Trump and your expectations:
@LuFins-Dad said in Trump and your expectations:
I think clear pardons for any non-violent offenders and case by case beyond that. I actually don’t mind the Gaza stuff, I think I see where he’s going. The Canada thing is weird, but as much as I love Blondie and Renauda (in a hunting and fishing kind of way), I don’t mind the reminder that even our close allies are still competitors and that not all of our goals line up.
To me, our countries have always had a symbiotic respectful relationship.
That's how I see it, too. 'Murricans are often quick to say something like "Canada wouldn't be anything without America." Yeah, well, the reverse is just as true, and Canada needs to be able to be Canada.
We've been playing the equality of outcome game long enough now that the cracks are starting to show. Things simply don't work like they used to. I'm hoping from this administration we get something like a return to competence as a leadership metric. (I'm not saying the administration is going to supply that in any way—it would be ludicrous to hope for that. Rather, I'm hoping that it's the dismantling of race-based leadership that trickles down.)
Other than that, if I'm able to pick up my car keys, leave my house that's still standing, drive to an existing Starbucks, afford a cup of coffee and then drive back home on roads that haven't been bombed in four years, I'll be very impressed.
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@Renauda said in Trump and your expectations:
All this wanking off about how American could take Canada and Greenland is so silly.
Talk of annexing Canada might have been just silly in November or early December but since last month its continual repetition is creating nothing other than intense resentment here. No one here is treating it as a joke any more.
Silly wasn't really the right word to use, and I wasn't trying to play down how offensive Trump is being.
God alone knows which peanut gallery he is trying to play to with this rubbish.
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@Copper said in Trump and your expectations:
@Klaus said in Trump and your expectations:
How did Trump perform so far relative to the expectations you had before the election?
Practically perfect in every way.
Seeing that you are being your usual nebulous and passive aggressive self, let me be neighbourly and help you to be more transparent in what you mean by perfect:
https://ia800609.us.archive.org/23/items/VariousWorks/Ferengi-RulesOfAcquisition.pdf
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@Doctor-Phibes said in Trump and your expectations:
God alone knows which peanut gallery he is trying to play to with this rubbish.
Yes, and that's kind of the trouble. Trump always leads with the Barnum and Bailey. I'm happy with 90% of the things he's doing here in the United States. All that DEI and Trans stuff needed to go, but most of that is just a change in vibe not Presidential fiat. And maybe there are whole department of government that need to go--and if they are just fluff they should disappear--but it wouldn't hurt to look things over a bit, there may be some things worth keeping. Who knows? Not Trump and not the American people. But that's all our (that is, America's) problem.
On the other hand, I'm not too happy with Trump's forign policy overall. We have friends and we should keep them, we have enemies and we should beat them, and we should not confuse the two.
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