American Politics: So long Trump!

[Huschel]

I wonder, did past presidents sign this many executive orders or did they make use of different strategies?

[Robby]

No more teaching history, you will get indoctrinating propaganda and you will like or you got education at all.

Note that I am not saying that's not blatant propoganda, BUT...

The history taught in public school is pretty much propaganda anyway that heavily whitewashes nearly everything the country did that was actually bad. Be it slavery or started wars or massacres or anything to do with Columbus, and it leaves out all the drinking and the whoring. Things like the trail of tears get a brief footnote, at most, then move on, while Elvis and Marilyn Monroe might get a full chapter to themselves. You don't get to the real stuff until college.

There's a reason the tales are about "George Washington had wooden teeth" and not "George Washington had teeth taken from slaves."

[Jabberwok]

I wonder, did past presidents sign this many executive orders or did they make use of different strategies?

Executive orders were rarely used until Ulysses S. Grant in the 1870s and experienced a massive boom in frequency in the first half of the 20th century, topping out at FDR with 3700 executive orders over his 12 years in office. Trump is well below that rate but is issuing them at a slightly higher rate than anyone since Jimmy Carter.

[The D.]

I think we're at a point now where we can safely say the founding fathers had some good ideas, but were still massive dickheads.

[pariston_hill]

Note that I am not saying that's not blatant propoganda, BUT...

The history taught in public school is pretty much propaganda anyway that heavily whitewashes nearly everything the country did that was actually bad. Be it slavery or started wars or massacres or anything to do with Columbus, and it leaves out all the drinking and the whoring. Things like the trail of tears get a brief footnote, at most, then move on, while Elvis and Marilyn Monroe might get a full chapter to themselves. You don't get to the real stuff until college.

There's a reason the tales are about "George Washington had wooden teeth" and not "George Washington had teeth taken from slaves."

Yeah, I know that is similar in all countries. What I get of a more patriotic teaching is basically crank it up to 11 on this. Basically no important figure in america did anything wrong, and the gov’t is always good an caring for it’s people.

Yeah, slave teeth, some of his own fallen teeth and ivory shaped teeth. The thing must have had an awful stench. Worse is the rotating of household slaves during his presidency so they couldn’t claim freedom by Pennsylvania’s law.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Satsuki]

Can Anyone from Massachusetts tell me what there answering for the questions and why?

Which questions?

Biden is going to have a loooot of work to do just cleaning up after this orangutan if he gets himself elected.

I don't envy anybody, liberal or conservative, who comes after having to deal with this shitpile. But Dems have had to do a lot of cleaning up after every Republican president, that's what we're always doing.

I think we're at a point now where we can safely say the founding fathers had some good ideas, but were still massive dickheads.

In many ways the founding fathers were incredible, but in many ways they were awful too, especially the slave-owning ones. Ben Franklin was a notoriously dirty old man, but that actually worked in our favor because it let him "navigate" the French court all the better and get us much-needed French support.

[sgamer82]

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday...9/17/day-1337/

Day 1337: "A steady drumbeat of misinformation."

Spoiler:

• 😷 Dept. of “We Have It Totally Under Control.”
  
  
• Global: Total confirmed cases: ~29,995,000; deaths: ~943,000
• U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~6,665,000; deaths: ~198,000
• Source: Johns Hopkins University
• 💻 COVID-19 Live Blogs: New York Times / Washington Post / CNBC / CNN / The Guardian
• 🗳 How To Vote In The 2020 Election In Every State. Everything you need to know about mail-in and early in-person voting in every state in the age of COVID-19, including the first day you can cast your ballot in the 2020 election. (FiveThirtyEight / Washington Post / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)

---

1/ Another 860,000 people applied for unemployment insurance last week – the 26th-straight week that unemployment claims have remained above the 1960s pre-pandemic record. The total number of people claiming unemployment insurance went up by about 100,000 to 29.7 million as of Aug. 29. (Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
2/ Attorney General William Barr criticized his own Justice Department, equating them to preschoolers and “headhunters.” Barr insisted that he has the ultimate authority to intervene in investigations and to overrule career lawyers as he sees fit. “What exactly am I interfering with?” he asked at an event hosted by Hillsdale College. “Under the law, all prosecutorial power is invested in the attorney general.” In February, Barr overrode a sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone, and in May he directed federal prosecutors to withdraw the government’s case against Michael Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. (NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Wall Street Journal)
3/ Shortly before federal police officers cleared Lafayette Square with smoke and tear gas on June 1, federal and military officials stockpiled ammunition and tried to obtain a sound cannon and “heat ray” that could be deployed against demonstrators. Active Denial System technology was developed to disperse crowds in the early 2000s, but shelved over concerns, in part, of the safety and ethics of using it on human beings. D.C. National Guard Maj. Adam DeMarco told lawmakers that military officials were searching for crowd control technology deemed too unpredictable to use in war zones. DeMarco’s account also contradicts the administration’s claims that protesters were violent, that tear gas was never used, and that demonstrators were warned multiple times to disperse. DeMarco did, however, authorize the transfer of about 7,000 rounds of ammunition to the D.C. Armory. (NPR / Washington Post / NBC News)

• 📌 Day 1230: As he spoke from the Rose Garden, police cleared peaceful protesters outside the White House with tear gas and flash grenades so Trump could pose by a church for photographs to dispel the notion that he was “weak” for hiding in a bunker over the weekend. Following his remarks in the Rose Garden, Trump left the White House and walked through Lafayette Square, where riot police and military police had cleared protesters moments before. Once Trump reached the far side of the square, he raised a bible in front of the church for a photo. Trump’s decision to speak to the nation from the Rose Garden and to then visit the church came together because he was reportedly upset about the news coverage of him retreating to the White House bunker amid the protests. Just before Trump spoke, Attorney General William Barr personally ordered law enforcement officials to clear protesters from Lafayette Square. (New York Times / CNN / ABC News / Vox / Washington Post / YouTube / Religious News Service)

4/ Trump blamed nationwide protests against police brutality on schools teaching students about the impact of slavery and racism on American history, calling it “toxic propaganda” and “left-wing indoctrination.” Trump – again – denounced the “1619 Project,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning public school curriculum developed by the New York Times that aims to reframe American history from when the first slave ship arrived, equating the curriculum as “radical” “toxic” “child abuse” that threatens “to impose a new segregation.” Earlier this month, Trump tweeted that the Department of Education would cut off federal funding to schools that adopted the 1619 curriculum. Trump also announced he would create a “1776 Commission” to promote a “pro-American curriculum that celebrates the truth about our nation’s great history,” which he said would encourage educators to teach students about the “miracle of American history.” (Bloomberg / Washington Post)
5/ Attorney General William Barr argued that coronavirus-related lockdowns were the “greatest intrusion on civil liberties” in history “other than slavery,” which he characterized as a “different kind of restraint.” When asked to explain the “constitutional hurdles” involved in preventing churches from meeting during the pandemic, Barr called stay at home orders a form of “house arrest” before comparing it to slavery. Barr went on to accuse governors of “treat[ing] free citizens as babies” by using their executive powers to prevent people from going back to work, and suggested that the federal response to the pandemic should be guided by politicians and elected officials rather than “the person in the white coat.” (CNN / Politico)
6/ FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that “Russia continues to try to influence our elections” and is seeking to “primarily to denigrate” Biden’s campaign. Wray said Russia has not successfully hacked any election systems and that activity has been limited to social media misinformation and influence operations. Wray added that his biggest concern is the “steady drumbeat of misinformation” that could undermine confidence in the result of the 2020 election. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s top intelligence official will brief congressional intelligence committees on threats to the November election. Last month, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said he would no longer give Congress in-person briefings about election security, citing concern over “unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information.” (Bloomberg / Washington Post / New York Times / The Guardian / Wall Street Journal)
7/ A federal judge temporarily blocked U.S. Postal Service operational changes that have slowed mail delivery, saying that Trump and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy are “involved in a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service” that could disrupt the 2020 election. Judge Stanley Bastian granted a nationwide preliminary injunction sought by 14 states, saying mail delivery backlogs “likely will slow down delivery of ballots, both to the voters and back to the states” this fall. The states sued the Trump administration and the U.S. Postal Service, challenging the so-called “leave behind” policy, where trucks leave the facility on time, whether or not there is more mail to load. (Politico / Washington Post)

• [April] U.S. Postal Service leaders planed to distribute 650 million masks nationwide before the White House nixed the plan. The Department of Health and Human Services had suggested that a pack of five reusable masks be sent to every residential address in the country. The draft news release was never sent and instead HHS created Project America Strong, a $675 million effort to distribute “reusable cotton face masks to critical infrastructure sectors, companies, healthcare facilities, and faith-based and community organizations across the country.” (Washington Post)
• The White House offered to provide the Big Ten with enough COVID-19 tests for resume football. The Big Ten instead sourced the tests from a private company. (ABC News)

8/ Trump continued his lies about mail-in voting, tweeting that the results “may NEVER BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED” because “big unsolicited ballot states” automatically send ballots to registered voters. There is no evidence that states that send mail-in ballots to registered voter have had issues with accuracy, and voter fraud, broadly speaking, has proved exceedingly rare. Twitter, meanwhile, labeled Trump’s tweet indicating that it included potentially misleading information regarding the process of mail-in voting. (New York Times / Associated Press / Reuters)
9/ Another woman accused Trump of sexual assault while at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York in 1997. Former model Amy Dorris alleged that Trump “shoved his tongue down my throat” and that “his grip became tighter and his hands were very gropey and all over my butt, my breasts, my back, everything.” Dorris provided evidence to support her account of her encounters with Trump, including her ticket to the U.S. Open and six photos showing her with Trump over several days in New York. Several people also corroborated her account. Dorris was 24 at the time, while Trump was 51 and married to his second wife, Marla Maples. Trump’s attorneys say Trump denies having ever harassed, abused or behaved improperly toward Dorris. (The Guardian / The Independent / NBC News)

10/ Trump’s businesses have charged the Secret Service more than $1.1 million in private transactions since he took office, including rentals at the Bedminster, N.J., club that was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Washington Post)

[The D.]

True. Things like freedom of the press were great ideas. Other things like the second amendment...not so much.

[Satsuki]

The second amendment made sense, AT THE TIME. But times change, and laws change to fit the time. They always intended for the Constitution to be updated as time went on.

[The D.]

The second amendment made sense, AT THE TIME. But times change, and laws change to fit the time. They always intended for the Constitution to be updated as time went on.

This is also true. The founding fathers couldn't even imagine the power of the firearms we have today. The ability for one nutcase to kill multiple people in quick succession with one firearm was definitely not on their minds when the amendment was added.

[Johnny B. Decent]

I feel like owning things like revolvers, bolt-action rifles, and double-barrel firearms aren't too extreme for the sake of hunting or self-defense. Anything with automatic potential should never be allowed.

[The D.]

I feel like owning things like revolvers, bolt-action rifles, and double-barrel firearms aren't too extreme for the sake of hunting or self-defense. Anything with automatic potential should never be allowed.

This is surprisingly close to my views on the matter. I would go so far as to say no pump action or semi automatic either, but that might just be me.

[Johnny B. Decent]

This is surprisingly close to my views on the matter. I would go so far as to say no pump action or semi automatic either, but that might just be me.

Maybe it depends on how much ammo? Like someone keeping a Colt 1911 from their grandpa in WW2 should be okay, since it only holds 7 bullets. But like a Glock 17, eh, not so much.

[Robby]

The problem with writing specific gun laws is the manufacturers then tweak them slightly to obey the letter of the law but not the spirit.

Need full blown gun control like every other civilized nation on the planet but nope.

[Johnny B. Decent]

The problem with writing specific gun laws is the manufacturers then tweak them slightly to obey the letter of the law but not the spirit.

Need full blown gun control like every other civilized nation on the planet but nope.

Perhaps so, Robby, but I feel like to get there, we'd have to at least compromise somewhat first. An outright ban right away is not going to ever get passed in the Senate.

Still, just looking up what you can (or could) buy is absurd. Like, a Uzi. Who the hell needs an Uzi? For self-defense, in case the Mafia is after you? Good lord.

[The D.]

Maybe it depends on how much ammo? Like someone keeping a Colt 1911 from their grandpa in WW2 should be okay, since it only holds 7 bullets. But like a Glock 17, eh, not so much.

Pretty much any firearm that can be used to kill or injure multiple people quickly is a no go for me.

[sgamer82]

Perhaps so, Robby, but I feel like to get there, we'd have to at least compromise somewhat first. An outright ban right away is not going to ever get passed in the Senate.

Still, just looking up what you can (or could) buy is absurd. Like, a Uzi. Who the hell needs an Uzi? For self-defense, in case the Mafia is after you? Good lord.

And even if it were, the Second Amendment could be argued to force even a liberal Supreme Court into overturning it.

[RoboBlue]

The second amendment made sense, AT THE TIME. But times change, and laws change to fit the time. They always intended for the Constitution to be updated as time went on.

It'll make plenty of sense now if there's a fascist coup in six weeks.

The real problem isn't so much with the second amendment as with the erosion of the social contract and our rapid transition into a failed state.
Mass shootings have only really ramped up over the last 25 years, alongside the destruction of the middle class, the rise of modern American fascism and the growing awareness that corrupt politicians have stolen our voice alongside our wealth.

There are places like Canada with a lot of guns that don't have nearly as much gun violence as us, and I think a lot of that comes down to the fact that their country isn't literally crumbling while politicians rob the poor and give to the rich.

[Luca]

Note that I am not saying that's not blatant propoganda, BUT...

The history taught in public school is pretty much propaganda anyway that heavily whitewashes nearly everything the country did that was actually bad. Be it slavery or started wars or massacres or anything to do with Columbus, and it leaves out all the drinking and the whoring. Things like the trail of tears get a brief footnote, at most, then move on, while Elvis and Marilyn Monroe might get a full chapter to themselves. You don't get to the real stuff until college.

There's a reason the tales are about "George Washington had wooden teeth" and not "George Washington had teeth taken from slaves."

Thats everywhere, i had the chance to study both in italy and france and let me just say they have pretty different histories.

[Rundas]

Thats everywhere, i had the chance to study both in italy and france and let me just say they have pretty different histories.

Can't speak for the other Germans here on the forum, but I never had the feeling our history is whitewashed during school. I mean it is not something you can easily whitewash.