There is plenty of room for criticism of Donald Trump as a public personality and it is perfectly legitimate to take issue with his policies. But in a letter that purports to uphold traditional liberal values—freedom of speech and of free debate—it is perverse to imagine that Trump is an enemy and that he poses a threat to democracy while addressing Black Lives Matter and Antifa as if they had some potential to rally to the cause and were really good chaps carried away in the righteous heat of events.
I'm the first to say I don't like Donald. Don't like his persona. His shtick. Didn't watch his tv show. Unlikely to spend a dime at his resort/hotel/casino. ( too cheap to, if nothing else ) And his speaking style annoys me a lot. To the point I really prefer to read his speeches instead of listen to him.
And I'm sure I can find some policy of his I dislike, perhaps to the level of civil disobedience and a hearty "@#$% you!".
But the most frequent complaint I hear is that he's a racist or antisemite or treasonous puppet of Putin.
The first 2 are obviously false and based on lies told about him, and the third is a Clinton Campaign lie taken to such insane extreme that there are over a dozen law enforcement officers who committed felonies to try to frame him.
The only legit complaint I ever hear about the Bad Orange Man is his policy about transsexuals in the military, and I half agree with Trump. ( about sex change surgery and therapy on the public dime for military personnel ) I also disagree with Donald about allowing transsexual volunteers. I don't give a darn about your sex life if you don't cross the line of Consenting Adults.
You can make a good argument that a high function military ought to embody the manly martial virtues, and poofs scare young men who have bought into macho GI Joe culture, but haven't had the exposure and life experience to be secure in their manhood.
Otoh, I'm friends with some female retired soldiers who had to shoot back in ambushes in Iraq, and there just isn't a "behind the lines" in modern asymmetric warfare.
And just like the post WW2 U.S. military greatly influenced the acceptance of the equality of races, ( except from the racist leftist regime of Woodrow Wilson through FDR ) One can hope that acceptance of sexual orientation may also follow.
Certainly some will vehemently disagree with me in this matter. So be it.
And my acceptance and support for "differently oriented" folk in the military is conditional. They are volunteering to serve, and that has to be the priority. If you join the ( for example ) Army, you aren't black, white, gay, Lutheran or Republican first, you are Green. ( digital camo today, but still ) If your priorities are otherwise, chose a different kind of service.
Frankly I don't know what kind. Even in the Post Office you must be Blue first. Gay, black or Muslim doesn't matter if you are on the team & Do The Job.
I agree with what you are saying - it's all "anti-quota", and goes along the same lines as the old 60 Minutes interview with Morgan Freeman. "How do we stop racism?" asks Mike Wallace. "Stop talking about it. Don't call me a black man. I won't call you a white man. I'm Morgan, you're Mike."
It's like the Dem race for VP nominee - they're pushing for a "black woman" to show "racial tolerance and openness"...instead of pushing for the BEST CANDIDATE.
For the military - if you can fight, if you can hold your own, if you can get your team's back when needed...that's all we need. Most women I know are better shots than men at the range. If they can handle the stress of combat...sign 'em up. But I also agree that the Taxpayer shouldn't be expected to pay for gender change operations, or therapy associated with such. If you want or "need" such procedures, get them squared away before you sign up.
Or grow up first. Serve while learning more about yourself, then choose.
Didn't mean to take as much time on the subject, but wanted to illustrate a complaint with Trump Policy that was not Democrat or Republican Establishment lies.
I have mixed feelings, generally negative on his tweet trolling. That's a style complaint, not policy.
In a mediocre effort to be fair... Obama caught flack that was personal and not policy too. The Big Mike conspiracy theory, for example.
There are some aspects to this deal that I haven't seen in the lame press.
Not annexing Judea & Samaria right now is smart. The Israeli Prime Minister has internal problems, with keeping a "government" going and prosecution for corruption. "Forming a government" under British style rules is foreign to Americans, and ill explained by our lousy press. And while I have no opinion on the corruption charges, it looks a lot like the Trump Russian scam.
Plus it's going to take some time to assure the residents that they're going to Not Just be respected, but will have better lives once out from under the thieves ruling them.
Ultimately, it looks like a growing alliance against Iran is being formed.
And it will collapse if the D Party takes the White House this Jan.
Making a false statement? Are they kidding? This guy materially altered evidence used to get a FISA warrant to spy on an American citizen in order to “Get Trump”. “Making a false statement” doesn’t touch it.
The Justice Department’s charging document stated that Clinesmith “did willfully and knowingly make and use a false writing and document, knowing the same to contain a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and entry in a matter before the jurisdiction of the executive branch and judicial branch of the Government of the United States.”
I live where there's plenty of pretty clean fresh water. And I have to use the same plumbing water saving restrictions as folk on the Pacific coast with no river that reaches to the sea. ( because California rich in LA & SF chose to stop the fresh water program after they got theirs, & screw everyone else )
I really get the impression that the same people that insist I restrict my well water use, by federal law, water their lawns with automatic sprinklers during droughts.
The original low flow toilets didn’t work because they had their water usage reduced while having their siphon passage guessed at. Modern low flow toilets flush better than the old high flow toilets.
The perfect storm of energy and water conservation, ( both good ideas ) is in the bathrooms with auto flush toilets, and timers on the lights. ( Sam's club, for example )
When nature calls and requires some time, the motion sensor and timer shuts off the lights in the concrete, windowless bathroom.
Then all the toilets flush... With vigor. Splashing your nethers with cold, contaminated water, leaving you dripping in the dark.
It's really an awesome metaphor for the eco-fascist movement.
I had a running toilet in my master bath a few years ago. So, I replaced it with a variable-flush system. Push the handle DOWN, and it is a normal, full flush. Lift the handle UP, and it performs a half-flush. It works beautifully, and generally will work on half-flush regardless of the ...um...deposit.
I'm on a well, but I still get billed by the gallon for my sewer...so if I can save here and there, I will.