Load-up with rubber bullets!

Russia and China must be very happy today – Trump has achieved for them what they have been wanting to do to the USA for years now. Their disinformation projects are starting to pay out big time.

Reportedly, Trump did not send in the National Guard – it was Pence.

Ah! Thank you for the correction.

I didn’t notice the selfie-taking, but I did notice an officer high-fiving (gosh, has that finally entered the language as a verb?) the insurgents/rioters/rednecks from across the tape as they finally left.

As for the ringleader, can’t 2 doctors just certify him insane and have him locked-up?

His whole extended tribe needs to be disbarred from all official positions, otherwise this is all going to come back round again at future elections.

but I did notice an officer high-fiving

Yes, so painfully pointedly obvious the difference between some white insurrectionists and any black protest.

These people rioted and broke into a government building with government in session…and only one person died.

That’s slightly different phrasing

Both parts of that phrase are actual Republican President quotes. Bush provided the “banana republic” part and Trump provided the “shithole [countries]” part.

Both of which applied yesterday after the sitting (outgoing) leader pretty much encouraged an insurrection, failed to condemn it, and instead repeated his mantra about the fraudulent election even though he has lost every single court case on that, including by judges he himself installed. The level of corruption is probably washing over most people’s heads simply because they can’t process the audacity.

Sedition is a phrase that comes to mind and his hollow words of protesting peacefully whilst again repeating unsubstantiated accusations of voting fraud and inciting others do not in my view excuse him from having the blood of those who have lost their lives on his hands.

Trump supporters – dupes, usually under-educated. (Check the voter demographic stats on who votes which way. Profile is heavily undereducated white male, not exclusively but strongly)

If you are implying that the “under educated” are unfit to vote or take part in society like the many times that some have used that denigration against certain Uk voters then I think you are just as guilty of spreading the hatred of fellow human beings as others.

However, if I take it that you are trying to show how those who are less fortunate in society are targeted by those who fan the flames of hatred then I agree as the only way to stop these sort of things is to look at how we can collectively look after those who are disenfranchised and on the margins of society and do not have the privileges of a lot of us.

For the record and to be clear I think you are pointing out the latter :-)

the “under educated” are unfit to vote or take part in society

I think that rather depends uponwhat measure you are using. I would say that, as a bare minimum, a person should at least have a basic understanding of that upon which they are voting. I am personally aware of three people who voted in favour of Brexit because:

1. One disagreed with the gentrification of London.
2. One was sick and tired of all the Indians coming to live in the UK.
3. One hated Cameron and all he stood for, and voted against him as a screw you.

While they may all have been valid criticisms (and, gee, who was the Mayor of London?), none of those points had anything to do with the topic at hand.

The problem is, if we are going to draw an arbitrary line to say “these people can vote, these people are unfit”, where do you draw that line? By permitting the rich privileged elite and denying the undereducated working class?

Well, isn’t that already the problem?

There is a lot wrong, and much that needs to be fixed. I think that we can at least start by introducing better education (including for girls and minorities), introducing lessons such as “problems of democracy” that directly approach such problems.
And most of all, holding media (print or social) to account for their misinformation. Opinion pieces should be clearly (and repeatedly) stated as such, not a tiny word “Opinion” where it won’t be seen and the rest promoted as factual news. And as for all the conspiracy crap doing the rounds on social media – this needs a lot more than the barest minimum to be done. While people might have hoped for social media to be a great way for disparate groups of people to interact and get to now each other, it has turned out instead to be a great way to deluge people with targetted advertising and to allow all sorts of crackpot theories to circulate unchecked with endless amounts of confirmation bias allowing people who lack the ability to spot obvious bull to reinforce their incorrect opinions.

It isn’t morally acceptable to deny a person their vote, even if they are clearly lacking in a grasp of reality.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t recognise that there is a problem and try to plan valid ways to include people going forward. Not least of which to change the attitudes of people who think politics is boring and stupid. But for this, the system has to be shown to work.

Interestingly, while America is rather chaotic right now, the power of democracy is showing through in that despite the assaults being mounted by the outgoing president and his enablers, they have so far failed in every single one.
In Britain, there was a lot said about wanting to stick it to the elite. Well, look who has been running things for the last four years. No lack of Etonians with no clue about the lives of real people. Time will tell whether or not Brexit will improve things. I rather suspect, for them yes. For everybody else…they’ve all been had by their self-promoted masters. Again.

to look at how we can collectively look after those who are disenfranchised and on the margins of society

Exactly.

For the record and to be clear I think you are pointing out the latter

Yes. Absolutely no smiley.

That collection of (censored) take advantage of the weak and defenceless.

BTW. On the list of mandatory training, for ALL NHS staff, is Safe-guarding vulnerable adults¹, another module covers children.

¹ Quick definition = anyone who comes to you for advice. There, bigger group than you thought…

All should be allowed to vote, even if we do not like it.

Yes. +<BIGNUM>

It’s why I consider the referendum to be neither legitimate nor democratic.

as the incorrectly educated.

An interesting point.

There, bigger group than you thought…

Encompassing everybody? Hell, even I have been to a doctor, and I avoid them unless something feels actually broken or blood is coming out…

Hell, even I have been to a doctor

And the first thing you do is place trust in them to do the right thing.
That placement of trust makes you vulnerable.

Trust? Doctor?

Um…

No, I have already looked up pretty much everything I need to know about what is likely to be wrong (did help to have a nurse around) and when I get home I look up all of the medications before deciding whether or not to actually take them.
It worries me that doctors these days, especially the younger ones, rely upon feeding symptoms into a computer and having it spit out “this medicine provided by our sponsor will work”, and when you go to the chemist they give you something different. Some generics are the same thing, but when it came to mom’s cancer treatment and the wild array of pills that involved, some generics are actually a different molecule that the doctor will tell you is the same thing. You know, like how water and diesel are the same, I guess…

So it’s not so much “trust” as a necessity because I can’t just go into the chemist and get what I need myself. Sure, it’s something that could be easily abused, but then again it’s been a long time (several years?) since I’ve taken anything more than the odd paracetamol and vitamin pill.

Mom was fatally allergic to sulphonamide, had a little bracelet that said so. I know that I have bad reactions to that spray on fake skin stuff, and a typical type of medication often given to reduce swelling (I pee endlessly until I’m badly dehydrated – did not expect post dental anti swelling stuff to land me on a drip, I hate needles).

And then, of course, there’s the whole issue of what actually killed mom. I don’t believe that it was the cancer. That would have, had it had a chance…

Thus, doctors are a necessary evil as far as I’m concerned. And while my foot hurts (fractured bone? torn ligament?), it hasn’t swollen up and I am still able to walk (some days are good, some less so) so I have chosen to accept and tolerate rather than go anywhere near a doctor….especially during a pandemic.

I think the next time I will see him/her (married couple who take turns) will be to sort out vaccination when it’s available to regular people.

Mom was fatally allergic to sulphonamide

What a coincidence! My father was similarly allergic – he always referred to sulphonamides as M&B, presumably as May & Baker developed them, known to me as laboratory suppliers!

I assume not too fatally, as he knew about it! Presumably the same with your Mom!

anywhere near a doctor….especially during a pandemic.

I also like to follow the advice “Keep away from children” found on many products!

Tho’  I have had, recently, some hospital interaction not unconnected with peeing, but in the opposite sense!

Was impressed that it only took 5 weeks to get to the consultant examination despite the pandemic, and was well-impressed with the precautions at the hospital (though I still object to putting my clean hands on a sanitiser dispenser that others have touched!).

Next is the biopsy. Unless positive, like the antibody test, will prove nothing – but, “Hey, ho!” – « Ça y est ! ».

Aldershot is becoming more and more like care home – lets get back to Trump bashing – less than 2 weeks and the fun is over.

Aldershot is becoming more and more like care home – lets get back to Trump bashing – less than 2 weeks and the fun is over.

How about the “Proud Boys”¹ boasting of causing “absolute terror” – terminally dumb, or have they not heard of the Patriot Act?
Definitely not good to label yourself as a terrorist.

¹ For best effect, should be said with a lisp, and the bar scene from Police Academy showing behind them.

I’ve always had difficulty remembering which is which of rebublicans and democrats. However it does strike me that there’s a strange similarity between that and confederates and unionists. Is there any difference, or is civil war no 2 actually going to be civil war part 2?

Oh, and I assume everyone knows what trump is an English slang term for?

Oh, and I assume everyone knows what trump is an English slang term for?

Lucky you’re Alan, not Peter!

Aldershot is becoming more and more like care home

Your turn will come, David!

less than 2 weeks and the fun is over.

How about the “Proud Boys”

My thoughts are that we will see a siege at the White House and Biden will be stopped from entering and Trump will stand behind the mob saying they are true patriots stopping an illegal siezure of power.

My fear is this is not going to be over in two weeks and is just a prelude to the real action.

Dictators always have to have some one to demonise and someone to be thier thugs/enforcers.

I’ve always had difficulty remembering which is which of rebublicans and democrats.

Republicans are right wing.
Democrats are right of centre

Anyone else is a damn commie :)

I’ve always had difficulty remembering which is which of rebublicans and democrats.

The typo reminds me of “Bubba” as a nickname, which seems strangely apposite in its second incarnation:

1. used as an affectionate form of address to a brother.
‘my sister has always called me bubba’

2. an uneducated conservative white male of the southern US

BTW Rick, do you ever wonder how you can bring up so much documented fact about the USA while living in France and someone living in the USA doesn’t know it?

I was given birth to by somebody who actually cared about how her country of birth functioned. Pretty much up until ’nam when she understood how dysfunctional it could be. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_lottery_(1969)

more and more like care home

Oh, I’ve had training in that: Would you like your bedpan, dear?

I’ve always had difficulty remembering which is which of rebublicans and democrats.

Republicans like guns, money, and controlling others (abortions should be illegal, marriage should only be between a man and a woman, etc), didn’t agree with Trump that all 11 million undocumented “illegal” immigrants should be sent back but didn’t condemn it either, want a wall between them and Mexico, would drop Medicare in a microsecond if they could, think there’s nothing wrong with Wall Street, and climate change is not a thing.

Democrats, (often maligned because “Social Democrat” is very close to “socialism” which is practically “communism” in some people’s minds (source: watch Fox News if your bullshitometer can stand it)), are pretty much the opposite.

If somebody is acting like a playground bully, doesn’t see that it’s a big deal that a few non whites get killed in the act of peaceful policing, and come up with ridiculous ideas like the way to stop school shootings is to arm teachers… they’re the Grand Old Party (Republicans).

less than 2 weeks and the fun is over.

You think so? Assuming Trump fades away quietly, and personally I’m with Doug here, we still have the fun of “will Biden croak it in the next four years?”. Because if he does, that’ll make Kamala be in charge. A woman. Oh my, the Good Ol’ Boys will have conniption fits over that one.

just a prelude to the real action.

Yeah, I would be extremely surprised if this blows over and Trump just leaves in two weeks. He hasn’t, yet, accepted the result. I’m not sure he is mentally capable of accepting that he lost.

A woman. Oh my, the Good Ol’ Boys will have conniption fits over that one.

You left out a word, just before “woman”. A combination sure to get the self-confessed terrorists lining up for federal charges.

Yeah, I would be extremely surprised if this blows over and Trump just leaves in two weeks.

Chris’s money is on his Scottish flight being extended, so he can go stay with his mate further East.

He hasn’t, yet, accepted the result. I’m not sure he is mentally capable of accepting that he lost.

Like I said earlier, maybe he believes his own lies. After all he seems to think he’s a good businessman, despite having less money than he was gifted as an inheritance (and stealing from relatives as well as business associates)

You left out a word, just before “woman”.

I don’t need to insert the word “powerful” in there. It’s best to assume that women are, until shown otherwise.

I don’t need to insert the word “powerful” in there. It’s best to assume that women are, until shown otherwise.

I was thinking of a word to push the white male supremacists¹ over the edge.

Besides, I never think of people as anything other than people I like or people I don’t, people I respect or people I don’t. I never assume anyone is anything, until they provide evidence.

¹ I’m not sure there is anything they are really superior to, a rock possibly, but you can find uses for rocks.

I have feeling Judd Trump is wishing he had a different surname.

This is an extension of the way that a lot of people view things now. If a news outlet report confirms your opinion then it’s good – but if it is against your internal bias, then it’s fake, biased. If a ruling is what you want it to be, it’s justice, otherwise it’s injustice. Same with social media, politicians, news(?)papers, just about anything now. Apparently the BBC is both left-wing and right-wing at the same time – not a bad feat. No result is deemed valid any more unless it’s the result that you personally agree with, even with scientific research that’s peer reviewed. Covid is apparently a fake condition, dreamt up to sell vaccines and microchip everyone. All the infection and death statistics are made up. Climate change isn’t happening, and even if it is – which it isn’t, it’s not man-made. Trump is fighting off a paedophile Democrat sect. The moon landings were filmed on a Hollywood set.

You’ve got to wonder just how outrageous a claim you could think up and get into circulation before the vast majority said no way am I swallowing that! I suppose there are people out there who actually believe that the world is supported on the backs of elephants standing on a turtle that swims through space…