Trump and democracy

[belton rover]

If he refuses to accept it then he should be treated like a Whitehouse intruder.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Glyn.

Of course it matters if he doesn't accept the result and calls on his base to back him. That is how civil wars start.

[belton rover]

👋

[Glyn_Wigley]

Glyn.

Of course it matters if he doesn't accept the result and calls on his base to back him. That is how civil wars start.

Neither Trump nor his base will have control of the armed forces, the militia or the police. Congress - including the Republican Party - and the new President will. Trump won't have any power apart from rabble-rousing.

[BillyStubbsTears]

And as I was suggesting, that's a lot of power.

I have faith that American systems are strong enough to overcome him in that scenario. But I can we'll see a path in which there is a lot of damage done on the way.

[Glyn_Wigley]

No doubt he'll scream and whine but he won't get any support from the Republican Party. They can't wait to consign him to the dustbin of history.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Glyn

I'm not talking about that sort of support. I mean support like the Facebook groups who egged on that 17 year old kid to go out with a rifle and shoot BLM protesters in Wisconsin.

If Trump tries to fire up people like that with "I've had the Election stolen from me"...

[BillyStubbsTears]

This is what I was meaning.

https://www.ft.com/content/8f9543f4-4aa5-4853-80a8-2ed218784140

[BillyStubbsTears]

And Trump, as President of The USA has no words of solace for the protestors gunned down by a far-right 17 year old.

But when a far-right protestor is shot and killed the next night, this...even though it's not been established who killed him.

https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1300193398477946883

For the record (and again, I shouldn't have to say this, but...) None of those deaths is more tragic or more of a waste than the others.

The point is that the President of the USA is now openly and firmly allying himself with one side. While people are getting killed.

Anyone who doesn't see this for what it is, Trump lining up the cans of petrol and matches to burn America if he loses in November, has not been paying attention this past 4 years.

[belton rover]

I was in small town Florida a few years ago. Flew in from Atlanta and was waiting for someone to pick me up and take me to my hotel. Stood outside the terminal. It was raining heavily.

A beautiful young woman came out if the terminal and stood a few feet from me, waiting for her own lift. We smiled and nodded.

After a couple of minutes, she looked at the skies and said, "Global warmin', huh?"

The only three words we exchanged but it spoke dozens of volumes.

Slightly different slant but I often wonder what it is about football that the Americans don't get .

It's good enough for the rest of the world because the facts are its the best sport of them all bar none .

How insular is it possible to be ? .

You may as well say oh sorry the internet isn't part of who we are and we reject it .

It also leads to the question of why that may be , US sports and franchises are phenomenal money makers for owners .

Feed them baseball , the NFL and basketball as their only real sports and you control the dollars .

You know , I know the reality is football would blow the US sports to smithereens and whats more importantly it would have them competing on a world stage and lead them to a more global world .

No the Boston Red Sox aren't World Champion's and neither are the Chicago Bears , they are the best in the US and absolutely nothing more .

I was watching an old episode of the brilliant ‘Modern Family’ yesterday. Jay, the patriarchal  member of the family,  was asked why he didn’t like ‘soccer’. He said he preferred sports where ‘something happens’. He then confirmed his thoughts about nothing happening in a game because it ended 1-1.
That’s why they don’t like ‘soccer’ - because the only thing that can ‘happen’ is for lots of goals to be scored. I think most Americans would prefer football games to consist of nothing but penalty shootouts.

[BillyStubbsTears]

There was a similar episode of The Simpsons where Homer sat down to watch World Cup 1994, genuinely wanting to be interested.

He picked up the paper and said, "So who is this game? Hmmm....Belgium against Nigeria."

Cut to next scene of Homer having switched to baseball.

[tyke1962]

I was in small town Florida a few years ago. Flew in from Atlanta and was waiting for someone to pick me up and take me to my hotel. Stood outside the terminal. It was raining heavily.

A beautiful young woman came out if the terminal and stood a few feet from me, waiting for her own lift. We smiled and nodded.

After a couple of minutes, she looked at the skies and said, "Global warmin', huh?"

The only three words we exchanged but it spoke dozens of volumes.

Slightly different slant but I often wonder what it is about football that the Americans don't get .

It's good enough for the rest of the world because the facts are its the best sport of them all bar none .

How insular is it possible to be ? .

You may as well say oh sorry the internet isn't part of who we are and we reject it .

It also leads to the question of why that may be , US sports and franchises are phenomenal money makers for owners .

Feed them baseball , the NFL and basketball as their only real sports and you control the dollars .

You know , I know the reality is football would blow the US sports to smithereens and whats more importantly it would have them competing on a world stage and lead them to a more global world .

No the Boston Red Sox aren't World Champion's and neither are the Chicago Bears , they are the best in the US and absolutely nothing more .

I was watching an old episode of the brilliant ‘Modern Family’ yesterday. Jay, the patriarchal  member of the family,  was asked why he didn’t like ‘soccer’. He said he preferred sports where ‘something happens’. He then confirmed his thoughts about nothing happening in a game because it ended 1-1.
That’s why they don’t like ‘soccer’ - because the only thing that can ‘happen’ is for lots of goals to be scored. I think most Americans would prefer football games to consist of nothing but penalty shootouts.

The thing is baseball isn't exactly an all singing all dancing sport .

For large parts of it the pitcher throws the ball , there's a swing and a miss and this seems to go on for much of the time .

It has its home run moments admittedly but it seems a very tactical battle more than anything else .

All those hot dogs and bud must make it worthwhile I suppose .

I don't mind the NFL to be fair , I can get that from their point of view in all honesty .

Thing is , the season starts in September and finishes in December for the majority of teams who don't make the play offs , each club plays 9 home games a season , can you imagine that over here ? .

Even then they can lose a home game if they are due to play over here which is something I really don't get .

Bonkers country .... to say the least .

[SydneyRover]

Football is not 'the' sport in Oz either it probably ranks maybe third after Rl and AFL but could be lower, which I would put down to it being 'new' and has been poorly managed over the years.

[idler]

Football is not 'the' sport in Oz either it probably ranks maybe third after Rl and AFL but could be lower, which I would put down to it being 'new' and has been poorly managed over the years.

You forgot cricket and Pom bashing Sydney.😉

[SydneyRover]

Football is not 'the' sport in Oz either it probably ranks maybe third after Rl and AFL but could be lower, which I would put down to it being 'new' and has been poorly managed over the years.

You forgot cricket and Pom bashing Sydney.😉

Yep, and probably because I'm not a huge fan it was quite a surprise to be on the receiving end of some of it, but only during tests between the two countries. I've been to one 1 dayer in my life, played in one match and scored 1 run, this should be on the lame to fame thread?

[ravenrover]

I see Trump is now sticking up for the gunman, he was being attacked he could have got killed so he shot someone to save his own life

[BillyStubbsTears]

He went into the crowd with an assault rifle. And apparently he's the victim.

Bad, bad times.

[MachoMadness]

He went into the crowd with an assault rifle. And apparently he's the victim.

Bad, bad times.

He drove across state lines to walk into a crowd with an assault rifle. Doesn't get more premeditated than that.

The Right will now condone first degree murder as long as the victim is someone they don't like. In the US, at least. Although the refugee crisis over here shows we're not too far behind.

[i_ateallthepies]

He went into the crowd with an assault rifle. And apparently he's the victim.

Bad, bad times.

He drove across state lines to walk into a crowd with an assault rifle. Doesn't get more premeditated than that.

The Right will now condone first degree murder as long as the victim is someone they don't like. In the US, at least. Although the refugee crisis over here shows we're not too far behind.

Not the best example to use to compare the UK the the US, Macho.  On this score alone and with the leader of the country condoning it I would say we're light years behind, thankfully.

[belton rover]

He went into the crowd with an assault rifle. And apparently he's the victim.

Bad, bad times.

He drove across state lines to walk into a crowd with an assault rifle. Doesn't get more premeditated than that.

The Right will now condone first degree murder as long as the victim is someone they don't like. In the US, at least. Although the refugee crisis over here shows we're not too far behind.

Not the best example to use to compare the UK the the US, Macho.  On this score alone and with the leader of the country condoning it I would say we're light years behind, thankfully.

Yes, but why let ridiculous comparisons get in the way of some more Tory bashing?

[MachoMadness]

In your eager rush to be a clever dick Belton, you might have missed that I never mentioned the Tories. I said the Right. There are plenty of prominent figures on the right who'd condone it, including in this country. Considering we had the British Union of Fascists in London last week, I'd say it was a fair comparison.

[belton rover]

In your eager rush to be a clever dick Belton, you might have missed that I never mentioned the Tories. I said the Right. There are plenty of prominent figures on the right who'd condone it, including in this country. Considering we had the British Union of Fascists in London last week, I'd say it was a fair comparison.

Right/Tories - nit pick all you like.
I think the comparison is anything but fair.

‘Clever dick’! Brilliant.

[BillyStubbsTears]

MM

That appears to be Belton conflating the Tory party and the British Union of Fascists. I think he's gone into daft mode again.

[Glyn_Wigley]

MM

That appears to be Belton conflating the Tory party and the British Union of Fascists. I think he's gone into daft mode again.

Perhaps he knows something we don't.

Then again, perhaps not.

[belton rover]

MM

That appears to be Belton conflating the Tory party and the British Union of Fascists. I think he's gone into daft mode again.

Billy, I never mentioned, or considered fascists.
If I were you, I would be very, very careful to steer well away from any more racial implications towards me.

[wilts rover]

MM

That appears to be Belton conflating the Tory party and the British Union of Fascists. I think he's gone into daft mode again.

Billy, I never mentioned, or considered fascists.
If I were you, I would be very, very careful to steer well away from any more racial implications towards me.

You were the one who introduced the Tories into a discussion about the far-right Belton. Because that's who the far-right are, fascists.

No way would I endorse that. There are some well meaning (but misguided in my opinion) people in the Tory party and among their supporters. There are even some open here, all of whom I have the greatest of respect for and none of whom would I remotely consider fascist.

They do however welcolme proper facists into their party. And allow them to fly their flag in Trafalgar Square. In Cummings/Johnson's Britain in 2020.

[belton rover]

Who mentioned the far right?
I didn’t
Macho didn’t
Even Billy didn’t

Just you then.

[wilts rover]

Who mentioned the far right?
I didn’t
Macho didn’t
Even Billy didn’t

Just you then.

So in your world the British Union of Fascists as mentioned by Macho and then Billy in posts to which you replied are not far-right!

So err, where on the political spectrum would you place the British Union of Fascists then Belton?

[belton rover]

Who mentioned the far right?
I didn’t
Macho didn’t
Even Billy didn’t

Just you then.

So in your world the British Union of Fascists as mentioned by Macho and then Billy in posts to which you replied are not far-right!

So err, where on the political spectrum would you place the British Union of Fascists then Belton?

Macho mentioned Fascists after my comment about the tories.I have made no comment about fascists or the far right. Ever.

[BillyStubbsTears]

MM said: " The Right will now condone first degree murder as long as the victim is someone they don't like. In the US, at least."

Belton responded: "why let ridiculous comparisons get in the way of some more Tory bashing?"
And
"Right/Tories - nit pick all you like.
I think the comparison is anything but fair."

Draw your own conclusions who is misrepresenting.