Sean's gone. It's sad. Great guy. Going to miss him.Trump continued

[orlantina]

New thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2977693-The-thread-where-we-meet-to-discuss-the-unfolding-Trump-administration-catastrophe-but-end-up-discussing-adoptions-from-Russia?msgid=70627530

A muted Beast encomium for John McCain and others.

The Return

Let's not forget Collins and Murkowski?

Dangerous times.

Thanks for that link, lionheart. It reminded me of when I worked for the UK government who brought in people from industry to run the organisation because 'the private sector is better'. The new CEO engaged McKinsey to redesign the org structure and his pet consultants to work on development. Anyone with existing skills was part of the problem and the deep expertise that had been built up over many decades was openly disregarded. He brought in deputies who he had worked with before because he could communicate with them, but this widened the gap between the CEO and the people. The CEO didn't understand why staff didn't react in the same way as in his former company, and the organisation didn't get what they did, the value they brought, and the principles of public service. It's always a complex situation even taking Trump out of the equation.

It's one of the reasons why I was interested in Trump's presidency initially. People expected him to behave like Presidents/politicians usually do just like my colleagues expected the new CEO to react like a career permanent secretary. Even without a President who is a narcissist, sociopathic, possibly early Alzheimer's, BPD , it's a tough act and a long term period of adjustment. The CEO didn't last very long but the damage he inflicted affected the organisation for years afterwards.

Let's not forget Collins and Murkowski?

Especially Murkowski who was subject to the most intense intimidation. 😊

I watched early seasons of VEEP but then I thought it became too silly. Now ....

I got 9/10 but then I've seen a lot of the Mooch this week

VEEP but then I thought it became too silly

They knew...

Yes indeed, Gump.

Oh Dear.

Mike Brzezinski from this morning's show.

Something similar has happened where I work Gum.

And yes, to those women who stood their ground all along.

Less savoury story here (although I don't know what to make of it).

www.buzzfeed.com/jasonleopold/putins-media-czar-was-murdered-just-before-meeting-feds?utm_term=.jwlmy8GLb#.pvamQyWoq

I'm at that report with the dead Russian. Accident? Series of bad falls? WTAF?

Sally.

www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/opinion/sally-yates-protect-the-justice-department-from-president-trump.html?_r=0

Last month, a two-year investigation by BuzzFeed News revealed explosive evidence pointing to Russia in 14 suspicious deaths on British soil that the UK government had largely ignored.

Thanks for the link, lionheart. Is it just Russians or do lots of foreign nationals meet strange deaths in countries that just ignore them.

Hi - please can someone explain - I'm confused. Think I may have missed it somewhere and google isn't helping. I was interested why the other two republican senators voted down the skinny healthcare. Am I right McCain wasn't happy with bill and wanted guarantees about debate on changes? What about the other two - was the bill too conservative or too liberal for them? Were there many other R senators that wanted amendments but were satisfied with assurances about future changes?
Thanks

There was no bill as such. At this time it was the repeal of the component that makes health insurance mandatory or face a fine, if I'm not mistaken.

It's a key component that makes younger people take up health insurance, thus driving down prices.

Still, afaik, many people prefer the fine. Trump can lower the fine, or direct services to ignore the fine component, though, I think.

I am staggered at the first installment of that Buzzfeed story about Alexander Perepilichnyy.

I don't want to believe that the govt. are so afraid of the consequences that they are covering up a murder.

www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/poison-in-the-system?utm_term=.khwMkv4V5#.htnG1d6lD

Oh, it was the employer mandate too.

money.cnn.com/2017/07/27/news/economy/senate-skinny-repeal-health-care/index.html

For governments there may not be great value in openly pursuing investigations into foreign agents killed in their own soil.
The killers will have fled or be protected by diplomatic immunity.
As for reprisals, it's hard to do them in the open. At best they will expel a few diplomats, freeze accounts.

Thanks, lion.

I don't know whether this link will work. A NYT piece.

The Generals can't save us

Ah. It seems to work.

needed.

I see that (more) money and (more) power are incentives for certain unscrupulous people but any kind of alignment with Putin and his assorted pals must surely be a terrifying price to pay.

Doesn't self-preservation come into it at all?

People become caught up in things - and neither do they generally believe that anything untoward might happen to them personally.

Failure of imagination?

So there's a lot of children waiting to shake hands with Trump. He can't be bothered to even see the child in the wheelchair.

mobile.twitter.com/Ansel/status/889596818383814656/video/1