Is this America?

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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G » (edited 2020-06-01 6:54 p.m.)

I’m watching in real time, the authorities try to disperse a demonstration in DC. A police charge into the demonstrators clearly timed to coincide with a law and order speech from Trump:

“Domestic terror”

“a crime against God”

The military - “1000s and 1000s” of soldiers being deployed. Nationwide curfew. Antifa and professional anarchists are the enemy.
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BGuttman
Posts: 7368
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by BGuttman »

This is Donald Trump's America. It's looking more and more like Hitler's Germany in 1938, substituting People of Color for Jews.
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BurckhardtS
Posts: 253
Joined: Mar 25, 2018

by BurckhardtS »

It's pretty much over at this point. Under this administration there has been no voice for civil discourse, and it has come to a head in violence. I will not be surprised if we see Tianmen Square level incidents in the next couple of weeks. Especially because our President is actively encouraging it.
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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G » (edited 2020-06-01 7:11 p.m.)

Trump headed to St John’s church? Trump claiming to act in the name of God and country?

Photo op. Trump holding up a Bible?????

Let’s face it: if he was a believer he’d be worried about being struck by a bolt of lightning.
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slipperyjoe
Posts: 89
Joined: Apr 28, 2020

by slipperyjoe » (edited 2020-06-01 7:26 p.m.)

President Donald Trump declared himself "your president of law and order" during remarks Monday as peaceful protesters just outside the White House gates were dispersed with tear gas and flash bangs.
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Mv2541
Posts: 562
Joined: Mar 29, 2018

by Mv2541 »

Someone online asked how the race related issues could overtake COVID in terms of news coverage and importance in America, to which someone else replied that COVID is the visiting team while racism is on its home field.
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Redthunder
Posts: 294
Joined: Mar 29, 2018

by Redthunder »

Philadelphia is in pieces tonight.

I’m scared for my city’s future.
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Burgerbob
Posts: 6327
Joined: Apr 23, 2018

by Burgerbob »

<YOUTUBE id="VYOjWnS4cMY">[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY</YOUTUBE>
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sirisobhakya
Posts: 445
Joined: Jun 11, 2018

by sirisobhakya »

Please be safe, everyone in the US. I constantly watch the news on this issue and it looks scary.
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imsevimse
Posts: 1765
Joined: Apr 29, 2018

by imsevimse »

I hope to be able to visit U.S in the future again, if I'm welcome. I was a tourist in 1988.

/Tom
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timothy42b
Posts: 1812
Joined: Mar 27, 2018

by timothy42b »

[quote="imsevimse"]I hope to be able to visit U.S in the future again, if I'm welcome. I was a tourist in 1988.

/Tom[/quote]

You would be most welcome!

Might want to wait for the virus problem to be dealt with though, so much is closed that would be fun to see.
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imsevimse
Posts: 1765
Joined: Apr 29, 2018

by imsevimse »

[quote="timothy42b"]<QUOTE author="imsevimse" post_id="115225" time="1591123283" user_id="3173">
I hope to be able to visit U.S in the future again, if I'm welcome. I was a tourist in 1988.

/Tom[/quote]

You would be most welcome!

Might want to wait for the virus problem to be dealt with though, so much is closed that would be fun to see.
</QUOTE>
Thank you! <EMOJI seq="1f600" tseq="1f600">😀</EMOJI> I will do when I believe your president wants me to visit.

/Tom
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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G »

Trump likes Swedish people. The white ones at least.
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BGuttman
Posts: 7368
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by BGuttman »

Our President WANTS somebody like you to visit. He likes Scandinavians (except maybe Marcus Samuelson ;) ). But he doesn't seem to like your social welfare programs.
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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G »

[quote="Bach5G"]Trump likes Swedish people. The white ones at least.[/quote]

As long as they’re not Socialists.
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imsevimse
Posts: 1765
Joined: Apr 29, 2018

by imsevimse »

[quote="Bach5G"]<QUOTE author="Bach5G" post_id="115244" time="1591127956" user_id="2999">
Trump likes Swedish people. The white ones at least.[/quote]

As long as they’re not Socialists.
</QUOTE>
There are a lot of buts . . I think I wait and see what happens. Right now it's out of the question for many reasons.

/Tom
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Doubler
Posts: 435
Joined: Jan 07, 2019

by Doubler »

[quote="BGuttman"]This is Donald Trump's America. It's looking more and more like Hitler's Germany in 1938, substituting People of Color for Jews.[/quote]

I'm not convinced that President Trump unleashed Antifa.
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whitbey
Posts: 654
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by whitbey »

I thought this was a board of and about trombones.

The politics and statements in these threads are not nice.

Please blow this thread out of here.
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Redthunder
Posts: 294
Joined: Mar 29, 2018

by Redthunder »

[quote="whitbey"]I thought this was a board of and about trombones.

The politics and statements in these threads are not nice.

Please blow this thread out of here.[/quote]

I listened to the sound of explosions from my bedroom last night. That’s what I think it “not nice”.

Nobody made you click on this thread.
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ArbanRubank
Posts: 424
Joined: Feb 23, 2019

by ArbanRubank »

This is a "Tangent" board and is being used for it's intended purposes. The shame of it is that responses pop up in "New Posts", so even if they offend someone, we still see them [sigh]. Sorry, but I don't think there is a way to block them.

To deal with it all, I recently had a tech install three new buttons on my keyboard for unwanted threads and posts. They are:

1) Ignore

2) Give it all the attention it deserves

3) Well, that's - like - you're opinion, dude.

I use them a lot around here! Life on the big, bad Internet, I guess.
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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G »

Politics is difficult. A friend - an ex-pat American - seems to support Trump nearly no matter what (and I’ve yet to determine the limits) and dismisses such matters as the tv coverage over the past week as a liberal lame stream media conspiracy. The Dems have been out to get Trump from day 1, don’t you know?

It certainly strains the friendship. You can likely guess where my sympathies lie as a Canadian middle class, wishy-washy liberal. I do know there’s no winning political arguments. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a discussion.

The events of the last week are hard to ignore.

...

@TimBrown: “Heisman Trophy winner”

THAT Tim Brown?
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BurckhardtS
Posts: 253
Joined: Mar 25, 2018

by BurckhardtS »

[quote="Doubler"]I'm not convinced that President Trump unleashed Antifa.[/quote]

The concept of Antifa is a farce. It just means 'anti-fascist'. No one leads Antifa. No one is in Antifa. It doesn't exist. It's just a name that promotes fascism and allows our leaders to point fingers, and then to have the use of force against who ever they want.
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slipperyjoe
Posts: 89
Joined: Apr 28, 2020

by slipperyjoe »

'Antifa' is a meaningless label that ignorant public officials who are looking for scapegoats apply to people involved in looting, property damage and violence rather than peaceful protesting - people known to the rest of the world as 'assholes.'
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Doubler
Posts: 435
Joined: Jan 07, 2019

by Doubler »

Antifa is a movement often characterized by a willingness to use violence against innocent victims. Participants are driven by political beliefs that often are not supported by facts.
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slipperyjoe
Posts: 89
Joined: Apr 28, 2020

by slipperyjoe »

[quote="Doubler"]The United States Republican Party is a movement often characterized by a willingness to use violence against innocent victims. Participants are driven by political beliefs that often are not supported by facts.[/quote]

Fixed.
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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G »

[quote="slipperyjoe"]<QUOTE author="Doubler" post_id="115423" time="1591206646" user_id="4261">
The United States Republican Party is a movement often characterized by a willingness to use violence against innocent victims. Participants are driven by political beliefs that often are not supported by facts.[/quote]

Fixed.
</QUOTE>

Nice.
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Doubler
Posts: 435
Joined: Jan 07, 2019

by Doubler »

Examples, please.
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fsgazda
Posts: 219
Joined: Jun 24, 2018

by fsgazda »

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Doubler
Posts: 435
Joined: Jan 07, 2019

by Doubler »

fsgazda, I appreciate your update; thank you; I was unaware of this development when I posted.

slipperyjoe, I fail to see the validity of your change to my statement about Antifa. Shall we overlook the tactics that some members of the movement condone and have resorted to, such as vandalism, arson, and assault, and blame Republicans, calling them Fascists, instead?... and if so, why?
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slipperyjoe
Posts: 89
Joined: Apr 28, 2020

by slipperyjoe »

Anyone associated with vandalism, arson and assault should be arrested and prosecuted. Whether or not they are a 'movement' is highly debatable. They are indeed a very small minority of people involved in protests. I'd wager that the coefficient of assholeness at these protests is about the same as any large group of Americans at any given time.

In any event, nothing excuses or justifies this:

Trump praises 'overwhelming force' and 'domination' in DC morning after peaceful protest broken up for photo op:

https://tinyurl.com/yd9gsxl9

View the photos carefully. Republicans have effectively condoned this authoritarian behavior. Democracy in the United States is hanging by a very thin thread.
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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G »

It is really very odd to compare the authorities’ reaction to the white supremists’ tiki-torch parade or occupying the legislative building in Michigan (Minnesota?) whilst fully armed with assault-style weapons. The G Floyd protests vs the Big Luau boys.
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Doubler
Posts: 435
Joined: Jan 07, 2019

by Doubler »

Yeah, slipperyjoe, I saw that. Not Trump's smartest move. BUT... St. John's Episcopal Church has particular significance to the presidency, and it had been vandalized by a peaceful protest that turned the way many have recently. Should he have walked through the protesting crowd, exposing himself to the possibility of direct action? Should he have shown support for the church in a less personal way?
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Doubler
Posts: 435
Joined: Jan 07, 2019

by Doubler »

[quote="slipperyjoe"]Why Ivanka Trump Brought Her Purse To A Tear-Gassing:

<LINK_TEXT text="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/0 ... p-tear-gas">https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/06/9850849/ivanka-trump-purse-church-photo-op-tear-gas</LINK_TEXT>[/quote]

Interesting editorial perspective. I"ll play. My guess: a Micro Uzi.
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Burgerbob
Posts: 6327
Joined: Apr 23, 2018

by Burgerbob »

Ahh yes, The Federalist. I'm sure there's no bias there.
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LeTromboniste
Posts: 1634
Joined: Apr 11, 2018

by LeTromboniste »

[quote="Doubler"]Yeah, slipperyjoe, I saw that. Not Trump's smartest move. BUT... St. John's Episcopal Church has particular significance to the presidency, and it had been vandalized by a peaceful protest that turned the way many have recently. Should he have walked through the protesting crowd, exposing himself to the possibility of direct action? Should he have shown support for the church in a less personal way?[/quote]

I'm not sure how using a church as a cheap political prop is showing support to it. Especially when doing so without asking permission from or even informing the ministers of that church or the diocese. And especially when people from that church, including clergy were actually on the church grounds (offering support to the protesting crowd and helping in giving medical attention to those who needed it) and were among those forcibly removed (!) to make way for the big orange baby.

If that wasn't the most obvious, transparent (and so obviously choreographed) and cynical political stunt I've ever seen, I don't know what is. Any attempt at spinning this as a anything else than that and particularly as some kind of authentic show of support/respect is highly disingenuous at best.
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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G »

“If that wasn't the most obvious, transparent (and so obviously choreographed) and cynical political stunt I've ever seen, I don't know what is. Any attempt at spinning this as a anything else than that and particularly as some kind of authentic show of support/respect is highly disingenuous at best.”

Well put. I watched this unfold in real time on tv. Exciting and depressing times both.
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Doubler
Posts: 435
Joined: Jan 07, 2019

by Doubler »

Ahh yes, CNN. I'm sure there's no bias there.

I think most will agree that it was a dumb stunt. Of course, Trump joined the club consisting of Bill Clinton, whose oft-displayed Bible could have been a disguised cigar box, and Nancy Pelosi, whose Bible could have been hollowed out to contain her Poli-Grip.
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Doug_Elliott
Posts: 4155
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by Doug_Elliott »

As a Moderator here on TC, I am giving warning that this thread will most likely be closed very soon. We have always from the beginning of Trombone Chat intended to stay away from political discussions, and this, although certainly a worthy topic, will have to be taken elsewhere. Thanks for your understanding.
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Bach5G
Posts: 2874
Joined: Apr 07, 2018

by Bach5G »

I started it. It’s run its course.
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Posaunus
Posts: 5018
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by Posaunus »

[quote="Doug Elliott"]... this thread will most likely be closed very soon.

Thanks for your understanding.[/quote]

Please close. I've had enough. Plenty of other places to have these discussions. Thank you Doug and Rod.
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Doug_Elliott
Posts: 4155
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by Doug_Elliott »

Another moderator will close it, I actually don't know how or I don't have access to that function.
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Bonearzt
Posts: 833
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by Bonearzt »

I agree with 5G & DE.

Will lock this thread.
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Bonearzt
Posts: 833
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by Bonearzt »

Locking down this thread.