He is the very model of a Very Stable Genius: Trump cont

[PerkingFaintly]

We rushed out of the last thread without even a pocket handkerchief: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a3124599-Trump-2018-Resistance-is-Never-Futile

So here's a new one, with its own

I am the very model of a Very Stable Genius.
I have a mighty button and no problems with my penius.
I have no time for television, golf or social media
Since my brain is way way better than the best encyclopedia.

I'm cutting tax, I'll build a wall, I'll take away their medicare
You can trust me 'cos I'm orange and I have the most amazing hair.
So with my total ignorance of matters heterogeneous
I am the very model of a Very Stable Genius!

Compared to other leaders, my behavior's quite unusual
My twisted tweets and pissed-on sheets have managed to amuse you all
I have to drink two-handed 'cause my fingers are the teeniest
I need a sippy-cup with the inscription "Stable Genius."

Christina Wilkie
@christinawilkie
New reporting from @kasie and @frankthorp: When Trump said, “Why do we need more Haitians, take them out,” someone in the room responded: “Because if you do, it will be obvious why.”

Sorry for the double posts!

James Comey
@Comey
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” This country’s greatness and true genius lies in its diversity.

Derek Johnson
@derekjGZ
BREAKING: 17 veteran missileers say nuclear launch process "poses a clear and present danger to the country," urge Congress to rein in Trump's launch authority and protect the nation from the "mood swings of a petulant and foolish commander-in-chief."

VETERAN NUCLEAR LAUNCH OFFICERS TO CONGRESS: REIN IN TRUMP’S ABILITY TO LAUNCH NUCLEAR FIRST STRIKE

www.globalzero.org/press-media/press-releases/veteran-nuclear-launch-officers-congress-rein-trumps-ability-launch

This is a BFD, folks. It's unprecedented to see so many former nuclear launch officers speaking out against a sitting commander-in-chief and challenging the nuclear status quo. This is not a community that speaks out politically. Hear what these vets are saying. #NoRedButton

This is the kind of work the @globalzero team does every day to expose nuclear risks, resist Trump's dangerous agenda, and fight for a world where NO ONE can hold us hostage with nuclear weapons. If you want to see more of this, please donate today:

actionnetwork.org/fundraising/turning-the-tide-in-2018

Never mind the red button, they want him to cut the red ribbon...NO
Well he is 3 isn’t he.
Do we think there are meetings amongst who knows, to plan how the hell to get rid?

The US’ credibility as a world player sinks further with every off the cuff remark Trump makes. How can the GOP see what a liability the man is? It could take a generation (or more) to repair this mess.

There was an interesting take on trump's cancelled visit in R4 this morning. They were mentioning the fact that he has visited every other major EU country, but not Britain. The view seemed to be that considering the 'special relationship' we are supposed to have with the US this could be considered a major diplomatic snub.

I can sort of see the point being made and it is an interesting one when you consider how important that relationship is being sold as when it comes to our future after brexit. Anyway, just thought I would put it out here.

bigly did they mention that trump’s tweet was wrong (wasn’t under obama, implications of it being a listed building etc) or did they continue to provide unquestioning coverage much in the vein of Brexit?

Nope. They did keep mentioning that some staff were worried about demonstrations though.

It could be seen as a diplomatic snub. Will be interesting to see the UK government response. Though they would be wise not to.

Will May dare to use this as a “hands across the water” moment, given the shithole comment?

My 5 year old was singing loudly during breakfast at the time so could have missed it, but I didn't hear anything much about the tweets. I think they talked about the fear of demonstrations.

Well the good news is that south london won’t be exposed to my exposed derrière (as promised/threatened if trump visits). It’s a bit chilly anyway but I like to think why there’s a tweet coming ‘I ain’t visiting shithole ye olde England ‘cause I don’t wanna see fekkos bigly ‘Ole butt! SAD WOMAN!’

It’s a myth that the US has a special relationship with the UK. They favour other countries more. The Uk kids itself to be honest and the US occasionally humours it. Other countries even other western nations like Australia have far better relations with the US. Aussies are eligible for special classes of Visas which make it much easier for them to work and emigrate to the US than Brits, for example. Ditto Ireland. There are other examples. You don’t hear about this in the UK but there’s much lingering subconscious resentment or at least awkwardnesss and some mistrust amongst Americans about the Brits and their part in US history. This never really is broached on in the UK where the papers and 10 Downing St maintain a fiction of them being the most important ally, but reality lives on in US policies in both subtle and unsubtle ways.

[can't read Russian disclaimer]

Lucian Kim‏Verified account
@Lucian_Kim
Scoop: Trump administration's "Kremlin Report" due by end of January will blacklist 50+ Russians close to Putin and more than 200 of their relatives.

Bill Browder
‏*@Billbrowder*
Very nice news to start the day. I predict raw panic in the offices of Moscow’s oligarchs today. Good to see the domino effect of Magnitsky continues to create ripples far and wide

They were mentioning the fact that he has visited every other major EU country, but not Britain.

Delurking to say this could be seen as another of May's misjudgements. The
speedy despatch of her State visit invite was a brilliant opportunity to rally opposition.

Is it likely that Trump will ever visit now? He's not going to change, and neither are we.

Most people now just shrug after a few minutes laughing or horrified. With Trump, these latest comments will be ignored in the next 24 hours as the show moves on to the next thing. As long as the economy stays good he’ll probably be voted back in.

I agree with the normalisation of the comments, but with Trump it's always been so right throughout the campaign. This week is a case in point - the Wolff book and the dossier transcript were explosive but now lost in the news cycle. The tweet about the US embassy has overshadowed or at least competed with the 'shitholes' reveal.

I'd like to think he will only get re-elected if he manipulates the electoral process, because 4 years of Trump will motivate the groups he is marginalising to vote as we've seen so far. The midterms will be a big test.

I actually came to see if anyone had a transcript of the WSJ interview
https://www.wsj.com/articles/transcript-of-donald-trump-interview-with-the-wall-street-journal-1515715481

There are certain snippets on Twitter but I can never break into WSJ w/o a subscription

It's enabled by the media, that much is clear. I sympathise to an extent because when there are fountains of shit spewing every day, which bit do you cover? But at the heart of it all is that he is a little man behind the curtain (which in this case is the noise generated by his neverending racism, sexism, disablism etc) who consistently lies and is unfit for the role, turning America into a despotic state that does not value cornerstones of democracy such as rule of law or a free press.

This was about a specific story but as she says, it applies to most things coming out of the White as a Norwegian House

Melissa McEwan
‏*@Shakestweetz*
The explanation is ridiculous in the extreme. It literally doesn't even make any sense.

AND YET IT'S GETTING REPORTED AS THOUGH IT DOES.

Which happens ALL THE TIME now. The White House disgorges some manifest horseshit to try to conceal that Trump is an epic failure as a human being, and the political press just reports it without interrogation. THIS IS A PROBLEM.

So much of the news is utterly worthless because everything that emanates from the White House is lies and garbage, and the political press just reports it anyway, because it's all a game and nothing matters.

THE STORY IS THE LIE. The story is always the lie now. Get it together. For the sake of the republic.

I liked Maddow's take on it (a huge surprise, I know)

Offensive Trump statements may undo racist Trump policies
www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/offensive-trump-statements-may-undo-racist-trump-policies-1135220803699

Some parts of the American press do seem to have viewed this as a crossing of a line and are now openly calling him racist.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/11/new-york-city-fossil-fuel-divestment-spur-global-movement

Daily News.

Peer Blames UK Government For Death Of State Scientist Stabbed In Suspected Kremlin Assassination

A member of Britain’s House of Lords has accused the UK Government of failing to protect a top nuclear scientist after BuzzFeed News revealed his death was a suspected Russian hit.

www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/peer-blames-uk-government-for-death-of-state-scientist?utm_term=.og0xMNlB#.xmbYM5wy

WTAF? This was in 2016 and I completely missed it.

Puncher’s body was found riddled with stab wounds weeks after his nuclear research helped a judge determine that the KGB defector Alexander Litvinenko had been assassinated in London by Russia’s secret service. The police and coroner declared it a suicide – concluding that Puncher had somehow managed to stab and slash himself repeatedly with two separate knives before succumbing to his wounds. But BuzzFeed News revealed that US intelligence agencies had passed MI6 evidence connecting Puncher’s death – and 13 others – to Russian state or mafia assassins, yet the police had treated every case as non-suspicious.

Scary.

That's from Pain's Buzzfeed link, which also has links to the backstory.