Makes me wonder WTF will this train wreck of an administration come out with next.

freitasm:

 

And his wife says in court that she wants to makes millions from her images as FLOTUS.

 

Great family.

 

Media coverage of which increases her celebrity ...

Jacquie O

Betty Ford

Nancy Regan

Hillary Clinton

Eleanor Roosevelt

All FLOTUSs who milked that cow till it's cheeks were concave.

IMO good on them. They aren't elected and don't have any constitutional authority or duty (beyond that of a citizen). 

Make hay while the sun shines if you can and let the people via their wallets decide.

MikeB4:

 

I feel NZ should be distancing itself from this disaster and concentrate our efforts elsewhere. For the medium term there is not much to be gained by having close relations with the USA.

 

Aside from trade with one of the largest economies in the West?

Geektastic:

 

MikeB4:

 

I feel NZ should be distancing itself from this disaster and concentrate our efforts elsewhere. For the medium term there is not much to be gained by having close relations with the USA.

 

 

 

 

Aside from trade with one of the largest economies in the West?

 

Fortunately the magnanimous Emperor Trump was such a lover of NZ dairy that the wall was opened for our milk and honey and all was well in godzone. [/fairytale]

Geektastic:

MikeB4:

I feel NZ should be distancing itself from this disaster and concentrate our efforts elsewhere. For the medium term there is not much to be gained by having close relations with the USA.

 

Aside from trade with one of the largest economies in the West?

Pumpedd:

 

dclegg:

 

The White House has admitted that they will use the 'fake news' label as punishment to any press organisation that criticises the Trump administration.

 

 

 They are simply endorsing that being lying is good.

 

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Approved Ministry of Thought slogan #3 (1984)

Official coffee mugs are available:

Geektastic:

 

MikeB4:

 

I feel NZ should be distancing itself from this disaster and concentrate our efforts elsewhere. For the medium term there is not much to be gained by having close relations with the USA.

 

 

 

 

Aside from trade with one of the largest economies in the West?

 

Its a significant trade partner, but nowhere near top dog for us in NZ. If he tariffs us and others we will work together to reduce reliance on US trade. New markets, new friends, and existing friends become better friends. If we need to alter what we make and grow, we can do that, thats been agriculture in recent decades

Rikkitic:

 

Geektastic:

 

MikeB4:

 

I feel NZ should be distancing itself from this disaster and concentrate our efforts elsewhere. For the medium term there is not much to be gained by having close relations with the USA.

 

 

 

 

Aside from trade with one of the largest economies in the West?

 

 

Fortunately the magnanimous Emperor Trump was such a lover of NZ dairy that the wall was opened for our milk and honey and all was well in godzone. [/fairytale]

 

 

 

Trade runs both ways.

Also, high time we found a way to do something else - especially given the tricky period forecast for NZ agriculture in the coming year.

MikeB4:

Geektastic:

 

MikeB4:

 

 

 

I feel NZ should be distancing itself from this disaster and concentrate our efforts elsewhere. For the medium term there is not much to be gained by having close relations with the USA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aside from trade with one of the largest economies in the West?

 

Sometimes it costs to make a stand. Reference 1939

Yes but it's not really the same thing, is it?

I am wondering if this is more of a sign that the whole way of picking leaders is broken. Apparently he was voted in by less than a quarter of eligible voters. So he is only representing a small percentage of the population, so what he is doing is hardly a mandate based on those numbers. Although he did win fair and square based on the way the system works. But surely he should also be working on the fact that more actual people voted for Hillary and her ideas, so shouldn't he be basing his decisions on that as well, if he is working for all the people, not just the people who voted him in?

But we have the same thing happening in NZ, with mayors are getting voted in with the same types of numbers. It is all due to the low voter turnout, due to people being disenfranchised with the entire process and system. So maybe we need to look at the entire system, and whether voting should be compulsory like it is in Oz. Although they are hardly a poster child.

mattwnz:

 

I am wondering if this is more of a sign that the whole way of picking leaders is broken. Apparently he was voted in by less than a quarter of eligible voters. So he is only representing a small percentage of the population, so what he is doing is hardly a mandate based on those numbers. Although he did win fair and square based on the way the system works. But surely he should also be working on the fact that more actual people voted for Hillary and her ideas, so shouldn't he be basing his decisions on that as well, if he is working for all the people, not just the people who voted him in?

 

But we have the same thing happening in NZ, with mayors are getting voted in with the same types of numbers. It is all due to the low voter turnout, due to people being disenfranchised with the entire process and system. So maybe we need to look at the entire system, and whether voting should be compulsory like it is in Oz. Although they are hardly a poster child.

 

People are not disenfranchised they still have the right to vote. Low voter turn our has nothing to do with rights being removed it has to do with rights not been used, this could be apathy or that none of the options on the ballot appeals. 

But what assumptions do you make about how non-voters would vote if they did vote?

Change the system (or just change turnout) and politicians will adapt their strategies to suit.  Someone like Trump can still get elected by using a different set of dog whistles.

Is it possible the media hysteria about trump will become so shrill, only dogs will be able to hear it?

MikeAqua:

 

But what assumptions do you make about how non-voters would vote if they did vote?

 

Change the system (or just change turnout) and politicians will adapt their strategies to suit.  Someone like Trump can still get elected by using a different set of dog whistles.

 

Thats what Trump wants you to believe. I don't think he would have had a chance in hell if the election was based on the popular vote, no matter the strategies.

Mind you, with the Republicans controlling house, senate and having the President, they will have ample opportunity to keep rigging the system, so who knows how the next merry go round is going to look like...

MikeB4:

 

People are not disenfranchised they still have the right to vote. Low voter turn our has nothing to do with rights being removed it has to do with rights not been used, this could be apathy or that none of the options on the ballot appeals. 

 

I believe that people choose not to vote because they are disempowered... the system has been set up so that the majority can't actually change things. So, in the end, the system has delivered people a choice between Trump and Clinton, NEITHER of whom was what the people wanted.

When people feel that their vote will make a difference, they will vote.

My preference is for a Swiss-style democracy, where the citizens periodically vote in binding referenda. A question can be added to the next referendum by a petition with some reasonably large number of signatures.