hoyainspirit
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
When life puts that voodoo on me, music is my gris-gris.
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Post by hoyainspirit on Jun 24, 2017 12:42:48 GMT -5
I infer from your answer is that you do not see a moral component in the leadership of this nation. In other words, if the purported policy goals of an abhorrent individual like Trump are congruent with those of your own, you do not care. The fact that you lived through Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin makes your stance baffling to me. My father was a lifelong Republican WW II vet and would be 94 if he were alive and horrified by an individual like Trump as President. You realize that KGB thug and authoritarian Putin is an historical succesor of Stalin? Yet Trump has a strange affinity for him and hosted Lavrov and Kislyak at the White House yukking it up with them while barring the American press and allowing the state-controlled Tass to cover the meeting the day after firing Comey. Perhaps you are not understanding my comment on Mussolini. Many decent Italians lived under the Mussolini regime but threw up their hands and shrugged and accepted that leadership because they somehow believed that he was going to improve their lives. Thus, it is not an insult directed at you but merely an attempt to understand how one rationalizes support for an individual like Trump. On the separation of powers from a conservative publication (and harshly critical of Obama's use of executive power as well): www.nationalreview.com/article/435296/donald-trumps-constitution-end-separation-powersA few pages back I said I would always respect your opinions. That always has expired since you appear to be so enamoured with your own self-righteousness that you feel free to throw terms like Mussolini to insult those who disagree with your opinions. You state an opinion that Trump has no moral compass then you want me to justify why I still support his agenda. I do not accept your premise so I will not respond to that. How dare you suggest I will remain silent on your opinions to foster Trumps agenda. I am the only one on this board that stands up to what he believes despite being ridiculed and made fun of. I don't care what you or anybody else thinks, I have always stated my position. The moral and ethical challenge of this era is the taking of innocent human life and I am amazed that no one, including you, has broken his or her silence to speak up. I am also almost the only one, again with ridicule, to disagree with the chorus of liberal posts on this thread. To infer I am remaining silent is a flat-out lie. On this particular subject I am out of here. Go ahead and resume your insults. Nice try, SS. Ready yet to stop banging your head against that brick wall?
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 24, 2017 18:01:52 GMT -5
On Trump's "moral compass" from Christianity Today, an evangelical publication. I was pointed to these articles by a evangelical pastor and missionary who was a classmate of mine when I attended a Lutheran school overseas. The school would be considered very conservative by today's standards but run by many fine educators both religious and secular: Post-election: Some believe that Trump is a baby Christian who is making his way in the faith. While we would never presume to judge another’s heart, we are deeply troubled by what is observable about Trump’s spiritual health. Aside from his ethical breaches and questionable character, his attitude toward the sacred has been confused and cavalier. He says he “reveres” Jesus not for his death and resurrection on our behalf, but mainly for his “bravery and courage.” In Iowa, he spoke of the Lord’s Supper, saying, “I drink my little wine ... and have my little cracker.” He is reputed to have said he has no need of forgiveness, but he qualified that in an interview with Cal Thomas: “I will be asking for forgiveness, but hopefully I won’t have to be asking for much forgiveness.” He fundamentally sees himself not as a sinner in need of mercy but as an “honorable man.” Again, it is for God alone to judge the state of the heart. But the gospel of Jesus Christ casts the behavior of Trump in a transcendent light, and that light looks to us like darkness (Luke 11:35). www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/may/what-to-make-of-donald-trumps-soul.html?start=1Pre-election: "Evangelicals, of all people, should not be silent about Donald Trump's blatant immorality." And therefore it is completely consistent that Trump is an idolater in many other ways. He has given no evidence of humility or dependence on others, let alone on God his Maker and Judge. He wantonly celebrates strongmen and takes every opportunity to humiliate and demean the vulnerable. He shows no curiosity or capacity to learn. He is, in short, the very embodiment of what the Bible calls a fool. www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/october-web-only/speak-truth-to-trump.html?start=3(I hope that those commenting here do not see my reference to Mussolini and my subsequent explanation as insulting to Ed. It was surely not intended as such).
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tashoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by tashoya on Jun 24, 2017 19:36:49 GMT -5
I understand the emotional reaction to the use of a Mussolini reference from Ed but the analogy, IMO, was apt. Then again, I'm of a different generation than Ed and so that emotional component may, for reasons I wouldn't be able to understand in the same way, make it over the top for him.
With regard to Trump's faith, I almost don't care. One doesn't need religion to have a definable moral code. He has neither a religious nor a secular one as demonstrated by himself at nearly every turn. It's difficult to find an issue on which he hasn't changed his stance to fit what will make him more popular in the moment. It doesn't matter if it's a small or large thing and it doesn't matter to him if millions of people cast a ballot for him with those very important issues (to them) in mind only to have the President make a complete 180 as if he suddenly decided he didn't want milk in his coffee.
If one is pro-life, while you may be happy about his Supreme Court nominee, you should be equally outraged about his health care plan. You can't be pro-life and pro that thing. If you say you are, you're lying to yourself. It's often said by talking heads that Republicans are pro-life right up until birth. This plan couldn't make that convenient little sound byte ring more true. It shows a blatant disregard for those least capable to deal with the additional financial burden being placed on them and gives a huge tax break to those who are fully covered and don't need the break in the first place. If you're wondering whether he's a Christian, I think your you just got your answer. Without the tax component, it's inhumane. With the tax component? The descriptive words for that get automatically deleted on this board.
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 24, 2017 20:02:48 GMT -5
I understand the emotional reaction to the use of a Mussolini reference from Ed but the analogy, IMO, was apt. Then again, I'm of a different generation than Ed and so that emotional component may, for reasons I wouldn't be able to understand in the same way, make it over the top for him. With regard to Trump's faith, I almost don't care. One doesn't need religion to have a definable moral code. He has neither a religious nor a secular one as demonstrated by himself at nearly every turn. It's difficult to find an issue on which he hasn't changed his stance to fit what will make him more popular in the moment. It doesn't matter if it's a small or large thing and it doesn't matter to him if millions of people cast a ballot for him with those very important issues (to them) in mind only to have the President make a complete 180 as if he suddenly decided he didn't want milk in his coffee. If one is pro-life, while you may be happy about his Supreme Court nominee, you should be equally outraged about his health care plan. You can't be pro-life and pro that thing. If you say you are, you're lying to yourself. It's often said by talking heads that Republicans are pro-life right up until birth. This plan couldn't make that convenient little sound byte ring more true. It shows a blatant disregard for those least capable to deal with the additional financial burden being placed on them and gives a huge tax break to those who are fully covered and don't need the break in the first place. If you're wondering whether he's a Christian, I think your you just got your answer. Without the tax component, it's inhumane. With the tax component? The descriptive words for that get automatically deleted on this board. Agree that one doesn't need religion to have a moral compass or code. I simply pointed to "Christianity Today" because Ed is sincere in his religious beliefs and that perhaps the opinions of other Christians about Trump may hold greater weight for him. Ed never explained where he finds Trump moral code -- I certainly cannot. OTOH, if I cited a secular humanist's opinion about the morality or lack thereof of an individual like Trump, the dismissive response might be that such an opinion comes from a Godless liberal and is thus entitled to no weight whatsoever! Regarding health care, see the USCCB statement about the AHCA I posted in the other thread.
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 26, 2017 5:26:01 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2017 10:21:08 GMT -5
"Deutsche Bank has also been tied to the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Kushner, now a top White House adviser, is reportedly under scrutiny for meetings with Russian officials." ____________ To be fair it was during the election month so easy to forget a 300 million dollar loan from a bank that's been fined multiple times for acting as a hub for Russian Money Laundering... Hate to bring it up but has anybody answered the question as to why the Presidents Son in Law asked the Russians to set up a covert communication in the Russian embassy to communicate with a hostile foreign power who just attacked our Democracy behind the back of the American public? Since collusion with a hostile foreign power if proven is totally cool, Is this also cool in Republican land now? He still has his clearance and we haven't heard much so have to ask...
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SSHoya
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"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 26, 2017 10:42:16 GMT -5
SCT grants cert in the EO Court of Appeals decisions. A split decision on the stays. The SCT leaves the stay in place if the visa applicant/refugee can credibly claim a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States. www.lawfareblog.com/supreme-court-review-immigration-executive-orderIf the right yardstick to use is whether Trump got what he wanted since issuing his first, ill-fated order in February, the entire sequence of events we have seen unfold since then, today’s development included, marks a defeat for the administration. For months, the courts have worn down Trump’s desired policy, and now the Supreme Court has made clear it won’t review that policy until it is an irrelevance. The fact that in the meantime the Court has declined to side with the government on the need to even temporarily shut down entry of immigrants and refugees with U.S. connections, notwithstanding the government's national security arguments and assertions about the adequacy of its waiver provisions, marks a blow to the government, particularly given its sweeping arguments about the president’s discretion to do just that under his Article II powers and the Immigration and Nationality Act. www.lawfareblog.com/supreme-courts-cert-grant-travel-ban-cases-guide-perplexed
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 26, 2017 10:44:06 GMT -5
"Deutsche Bank has also been tied to the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Kushner, now a top White House adviser, is reportedly under scrutiny for meetings with Russian officials." ____________ To be fair it was during the election month so easy to forget a 300 million dollar loan from a bank that's been fined multiple times for acting as a hub for Russian Money Laundering... Hate to bring it up but has anybody answered the question as to why the Presidents Son in Law asked the Russians to set up a covert communication in the Russian embassy to communicate with a hostile foreign power who just attacked our Democracy behind he backs of the American public? Since collusion with a hostile foreign power if proven is totally cool, Is this also cool in Republican land now? He still has his clearance and we haven't heard much so have to ask... And don't forget the prima facie case of Kushner's violation 18 USC 1001, a felony, by failing to disclose the contacts on his SF-86 security form.
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tashoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by tashoya on Jun 26, 2017 18:03:28 GMT -5
I wonder how large the uptick in law school applications will be.
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 26, 2017 20:04:59 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2017 7:35:27 GMT -5
Well he's +42 in Russia and the fake news media doesn't want to mention it... All they want to do is talk about the -75 in Germany and the -57 in the UK. We should be thanking Trump for restoring our image in Russia. After all they just attacked our Democracy in the last election, and acted like a pro Trump super pac. They must want to MAGA..
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2017 14:10:08 GMT -5
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 27, 2017 19:36:09 GMT -5
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TC
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by TC on Jun 27, 2017 20:06:24 GMT -5
SS, I saw some speculation that when a witness turns, the general practice is to try to get them as right with the law with their own conduct as possible?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2017 20:25:02 GMT -5
Having a foreign agent run your America First campaign is an interesting strategy...
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 27, 2017 20:26:29 GMT -5
SS, I saw some speculation that when a witness turns, the general practice is to try to get them as right with the law with their own conduct as possible? Yes, that has been the same speculation about Flynn for some time. He also registered retroactively as an agent of Turkey. His case is notable because of his undisclosed representation of Turkish interests did attempt to impact US foreign policy with his published opinion piece on election day about extraditing Fetullah Gulen to Turkey. That is the type of FARA offense more likely to be prosecuted and he also apparently lied to the FBI when interviewed about his contacts with Amb. Kislyak (who is finally being recalled to Russia after ten years here). Notice how silent Flynn and his attorney have been the last couple of months leading to speculation that he has been cooperating with Mueller, i.e., we will allow you to retroactively register under FARA and therefore not prosecute you if you cooperate with us. Notice that Carter Page has openly stated and the Post has reported that he has been interviewed (or in Pages's words had "discussions") by the FBI for about ten hours. Also recall that DOJ secured a FISA warrant on Page indicating that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court agreed with DOJ that probable cause existed to believe that he was an agent of a foreign power, i.e., Russia. To me, that indicates that the FBI is working all these guys to secure their cooperation if they, in fact, having anything substantive to offer. Also, even though Kushner has volunteered to testify before HPSCI or SSCI, neither committee has scheduled him. I believe (pure speculation) that Mueller's team told them to lay off Kushner for now to avoid interfering with the special counsel investigation. www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/06/19/sen_sheldon_whitehouse_tons_of_evidence_mike_flynn_has_flipped_on_trump_cooperating_with_fbi.html
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tashoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 12,546
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Post by tashoya on Jun 27, 2017 21:47:27 GMT -5
Having a foreign agent run your America First campaign is an interesting strategy... He promised to bring jobs back, not to outsource them.
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TC
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by TC on Jun 28, 2017 8:27:54 GMT -5
Trump proposes internet tax on parent company of newspaper that gives coverage critical of him.
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DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Jun 28, 2017 8:31:51 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2017 9:22:03 GMT -5
Idk guys maybe it wasn't an act and he's really nuts....
The story that got Trump so upset this morning is about him photoshopping a Times cover with his face on it and hanging it at 5 of his clubs....Fake News from our weirdo President...
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