But should Twitter remove Trump from its service? Conor Friedersdorf contends that Trump’s button-wagging, among other sins, violates Twitter’s anti-harassment rules:
One of these things is just like the other….
Finally, in Trump’s case, there is an absurdity to allowing him to continue tweeting. The platform is now banning people with a few thousand followers to prevent the harm of online harassment—yet it abides a president taunting an erratic totalitarian with an arsenal that could kill millions in minutes if a war were to break out? “You may not make specific threats of violence,” Twitter’s rules state. Mutually assured destruction may well be a necessary evil in our world; communicating it to hostile regimes in a careful, deliberate, responsible manner is part of being president of the United States as most Americans conceive of it; but Twitter is surely within its rights to declare that its platform is neither the time nor the place for such communications––which surely constitute a threat of violence––given the strengths, weaknesses, and limits baked into what it has designed [Conor Friedersdorf, “The Most Irresponsible Tweet in History,” The Atlantic, 2018.01.02].
Famous people popping off on Twitter makes for fun TV and blogging. But insecure leaders of nuclear nations trading personal barbs, without filter, without deliberation, without strategic intent, without consideration of anything beyond their own egotistical impulses, makes the world a more dangerous place.
Couldn’t agree more on this one. Yet, I know people who are convinced this is the type of reckless behavior that America has been lacking…time to stop taking crap from pipsqueak little dictators around the globe. Nuke ’em till they glow. Then a bright light appears in the sky and it ain’t the sun. Suddenly even the saber rattlers realize too late we’ve gone too far and it’s the last time the kids and grandkids will ever be home for Christmas.
jerry
2018-01-03 10:33
Our nation is in a democracy crisis that show more and more each day.
David Newquist
2018-01-03 11:39
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
― H.L. Mencken, On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe
Bob Newland
2018-01-03 11:51
Yeah. What Newquist said.
Dana P
2018-01-03 12:31
Thanks David. I have been seeing alot of Mencken quotes, especially in the last month or two, specifically referring to this moron-in-chief. I think they fit perfectly.
On a daily basis, this person displays incompetent, reckless and dangerous behavior. Our GOP lead congress is complicit in not addressing this. (does that make them even more dangerous than him?)
At least during Watergate, many of the GOP put the country before their party.
Would Mencken laugh or cry to see his analysis borne out by Trump?
Roger Cornelius
2018-01-03 13:20
Dang! I step away from DFP for awhile and am inundated with so many new and worthy posts that it will take me a bit of time to catch up.
America has a Commander-In-Chief that has a great big imaginary nuclear button on his desk. It is best that no one tells the president the exact location of the nuclear button.
Even as Kim Jung Un is attempting to forge better communications with South Korea, Trump Tweets away. Who would ever thought that the North Korean dictator was interested in diplomacy and America is blessed with a schoolyard bully looking for a fight.
Trump has no idea that with each of his reckless tweets he puts young Americans in the military lives in peril.
Fortunately for the world there is a protocol for launching a nuclear attack.
The 25th Amendment stands ready to protect the nation and the world, it is time we use it.
Roger Cornelius
2018-01-03 13:22
On the lighter side:
Trump sent another Tweet to Kim Jung Un this morning claiming that “my peepee is smaller than your peepee”.
The same can be said of the majority of voters who claim Trump is doing a good job in the White House.
mike from iowa
2018-01-03 14:49
White House and Nicki Haley claim the American people back the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem, no matter how it endangers chances for Mid-East peace. Latest polls show 23% agree and 39% disagree with the move.
mike from iowa
2018-01-03 15:08
Question- Drumpf took large swipes at Steve Bannon today claiming Bannon leaked material to the media. If that is true, and Drumpf claimed he would find and fire the leakers, why wasn’t Bannon fired long before he was?
Could it be the bogus potus is a pathological liar and can’t keep stories straight?
Ed! Kinda cryptic, but perhaps powerful in exactly that regard! “XXV Trump”—any takers?
Roger, I don’t think there’s any Mueller deal there; Bannon’s comment came earlier, in talking with the author of the book. But the notoriously impulsive and disloyal Trump is now reaping the fruits of having surrounded himself with opportunists and political cronies instead of competent officials dedicated to public service.
Bob Newland
2018-01-04 10:29
“XXV. Just DO it.”
mike from iowa
2018-01-04 10:46
Roger, I have no idea, but would think Bannon would know enough not to jeopardize an agreement by commenting publicly about anything he may have to testify about.
Couldn’t agree more on this one. Yet, I know people who are convinced this is the type of reckless behavior that America has been lacking…time to stop taking crap from pipsqueak little dictators around the globe. Nuke ’em till they glow. Then a bright light appears in the sky and it ain’t the sun. Suddenly even the saber rattlers realize too late we’ve gone too far and it’s the last time the kids and grandkids will ever be home for Christmas.
Our nation is in a democracy crisis that show more and more each day.
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
― H.L. Mencken, On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe
Yeah. What Newquist said.
Thanks David. I have been seeing alot of Mencken quotes, especially in the last month or two, specifically referring to this moron-in-chief. I think they fit perfectly.
On a daily basis, this person displays incompetent, reckless and dangerous behavior. Our GOP lead congress is complicit in not addressing this. (does that make them even more dangerous than him?)
At least during Watergate, many of the GOP put the country before their party.
But he’s the best moron ever. Just ask him.
Would Mencken laugh or cry to see his analysis borne out by Trump?
Dang! I step away from DFP for awhile and am inundated with so many new and worthy posts that it will take me a bit of time to catch up.
America has a Commander-In-Chief that has a great big imaginary nuclear button on his desk. It is best that no one tells the president the exact location of the nuclear button.
Even as Kim Jung Un is attempting to forge better communications with South Korea, Trump Tweets away. Who would ever thought that the North Korean dictator was interested in diplomacy and America is blessed with a schoolyard bully looking for a fight.
Trump has no idea that with each of his reckless tweets he puts young Americans in the military lives in peril.
Fortunately for the world there is a protocol for launching a nuclear attack.
The 25th Amendment stands ready to protect the nation and the world, it is time we use it.
On the lighter side:
Trump sent another Tweet to Kim Jung Un this morning claiming that “my peepee is smaller than your peepee”.
Et tu Steve Bannon? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/03/donald-trump-russia-steve-bannon-michael-wolff Yup, him too. We need Tim to get into office to get this Russian collaborating trump, out of office. Impeach and imprison for high treason! Take turtle man, lyin Ryan, Nunes and for good measure, load up NOem/Thune and Rounds for their part in the conspiracy.
Zach Beauchamp of Vox says Trump is treating North Korea like another reality-TV episode or a celebrity spat, not a serious geopolitical conflict with real consequences.
The same can be said of the majority of voters who claim Trump is doing a good job in the White House.
White House and Nicki Haley claim the American people back the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem, no matter how it endangers chances for Mid-East peace. Latest polls show 23% agree and 39% disagree with the move.
Question- Drumpf took large swipes at Steve Bannon today claiming Bannon leaked material to the media. If that is true, and Drumpf claimed he would find and fire the leakers, why wasn’t Bannon fired long before he was?
Could it be the bogus potus is a pathological liar and can’t keep stories straight?
Yes, Mike, it could be. But consider this:
1. Bannon says Team Trump behaved treasonously.
2. Bannon pushes fake news.
3. Thus, Trump treason must be fake news.
Right? Right?
Roger also makes the point that should go on every 2018 campaign bumper sticker: Support the Troops—Impeach Trump!
If anyone can come up with a simple verb for exercising the 25th Amendment that will fit on a bumper sticker, let me know!
To defend Bannon just once, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Maybe he is the blind squirrel that occasionally finds a nut.
mfi, considering Bannon’s “treasonous” comment, do you think he has made a deal with Robert Mueller?
Hmmmm, reading that Team Trump is sending (I’ll believe it when I see it) a “cease and desist” letter to Bannon. Citing the NDA that Bannon signed.
Interesting…..doesn’t that kind of take away the old “everything in the book is a lie” defense?
Bumper sticker suggestion: Do you need a verb? Why not just a simple numeral, i.e. XXV?
http://juanitajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Fat-Man-Little-Boy.jpg
Who would you send to conduct negotiations with North Korea’s Kim Yung Drumpf?
Hillary-ous!
Ed! Kinda cryptic, but perhaps powerful in exactly that regard! “XXV Trump”—any takers?
Roger, I don’t think there’s any Mueller deal there; Bannon’s comment came earlier, in talking with the author of the book. But the notoriously impulsive and disloyal Trump is now reaping the fruits of having surrounded himself with opportunists and political cronies instead of competent officials dedicated to public service.
“XXV. Just DO it.”
Roger, I have no idea, but would think Bannon would know enough not to jeopardize an agreement by commenting publicly about anything he may have to testify about.
Or maybe Bannon wasn’t in the room yet when the big crimes happened and thus doesn’t have anything to offer Mueller.
XXV—short, powerful, looks good on t-shirts…