Written this morning:
Most politicians lie about the future, making false promises and providing fake visions. They try to create hope and, whether intentionally (Clark) or unintentionally, (Trudeau), they fail to deliver and thus eventually prove disappointing – the facts, results and their inaction proving their inadequacy and fallibility. They lie and then get caught.
Trump is different. Trump tells the truth about the future, insane and ridiculous as most of it is, and he lies about the past. His claims about his deals and decisions, “It was the greatest! I am brilliant. The people loved it. It was a Yuge success! are lies. Trump lies about facts, lies about history and generally lives in an alt-reality.
Yesterday, the US was in travel chaos following the unconstitutional edict Trump issued regarding Muslims and those traveling from Muslim countries. New York Times: Earlier in the day, at the White House, Mr. Trump shrugged off the sense of anxiety and disarray, suggesting that there had been an orderly roll-out. “It’s not a Muslim ban, but we were totally prepared,” he said. “It’s working out very nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over.”
And his White House coterie of liars jumped up and claimed on Saturday that there had been consultations with State Department and homeland security officials about carrying out the order. “Everyone who needed to know was informed,” one aide said. Patently false.
That assertion was denied by multiple officials with knowledge of the interactions, including two officials at the State Department. Leaders of Customs and Border Protection and of Citizenship and Immigration Services — the two agencies most directly affected by the order — were on a telephone briefing on the new policy even as Mr. Trump signed it on Friday.
Bottom line: Trump told the truth about banning Muslims and then lied about the fact that doing so created chaos and likely more harm to the economy, public safety, well-being and peace than any one terrorist action could have.
So, expect a Mexican Wall. Expect a revised NAFTA that disadvantages Canada even more than the current one does. Expect a victim-bully relationship with the US. Expect Putin for lunch at the White House. Expect incredibly worse international relations for all Americans in every respect. Maybe even expect a war with China (although they are more likely to wait him out). Expect tax cuts for the rich. Expect the poor to get poorer. Do not expect the Congress to resist anything.
Expect protest and litigation. Expect American divisiveness to get worse. Maybe riots.
And, after the first four years, expect Trump to boast of his great successes ad nauseam. Already, I wanna puke.
Trump’s modus operandi: telling the truth about his intentions, lying about the results. Now you know.
Added tonight: Seems Trump ordered a raid on an Al Queda camp in which everything went wrong. Lots of civilian casualties. Op gone bad. Maybe it was because the CIA and the military aren’t onside?
Our Off the Grid Home 
Politicians like Clarke and Trudeau who seemingly are not yet able to live up to their aspirations are liars? In Canadians politics hopes and aspirations are described as promises. In Canadian politics the deal breaker is not keeping ones promises. Trudeau aspired to avoid conflicts of interests. These aspirations in the mouths of Conservatives became laws. Aspirations clearly are not laws, they are not part of the Conflict of Interest Laws, but no matter by slippery tricks of logic Trudeau is now a liar and a law breaker. Not a fan of Crusty or Justin, is there a rush to judgement in the press?
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I think the answer is yes, they are liars. That may seem harsh when applied to someone who only hopes and aspires (it would be) but for those who promise and do not deliver time and time again…well, those are false-speakers or are delusional. You may be right – they may be merely delusional – but then they keep on doing what amounts to willful deceit, take the money and never admit or apologize for their ineptness. It took me some time to see lying as basically the absence of truth telling rather than just mistakes, errors and omissions. Read Scott Peck’s People of the Lie. It was an eye-opener.
By the way: in my book a ‘promise’ is sacred. I keep ’em or die trying. I may be a bit obsessive/compulsive about it and I am, of course, fallible, but 95%+ of the time, my promises are kept. May even be higher. And everyone I know with any modicum of integrity, operates like that. My problem is in trying to make sure I do NOT promise that which I may not be able to deliver. I do NOT want to die trying. If politicians operated like that, they would be more respected.
Can I judge others by my standards? Well, they are the standards I hold…but, no, I am more forgiving than that, more understanding and, to be frank – expect so much less from politicians. But a history of that, a constant repetition of undelivered promises, a track record of self benefit at the price of others and a constant stream of ‘avoidances, denials and babble’ amounts to lying. For me, anyway.
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You’ve spent too much time down there! Time to get back OTG and talk about something pleasant. If you’re really committed to politics there’s more than enough going on ‘up North’ to keep you entertained, although LNG sales seem to be down.
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You may be right. Sal and I were saying just last night, “Trump fired the AG, Yates. Trump ordered a failed raid in Yemen. Trump doesn’t read. Trump has Bannon in on Nat’l Security rather than Joint Chiefs head and CIA. Trump caused more damage to the country in the botched Immigration edict than did anything save 911. How much madness has to unfold before we recognize that the Emperor has clothes but no brains?”
And then we calmed down. And then we got riled up again. Then we calmed down. And that insane cycle seems to be repeating.
That’s silly.
So, do we go or do we stay? We decided to stay. When we see brown people being carted away, we will go. I just hope we don’t have a tan by then.
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Some things need to run out of energy and currency. The sound of a passing siren often peaks ones interest. The inclination to rubber neck at a train wreck is embedded in our DNA. Who died? Who was hurt? John Donne in Meditation XVII, on death and dying wrote, “…because I am involved in mankind …never send to know for whom the bells tolls’ it tolls for thee.”
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Ummmh….I don’t get it…..sorry….what do you mean?
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I think you’re over thinking it,
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His point I surmise is that all individuals are connected.
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Geez I miss a few days of OTG and all Hell breaks loose!
I think you guys should stay in Arizona and be our eyes and ears for the “goin’s on down thar'”
A poor man’s “spy drone” as it were.
Just zipping around observing…..
Mission Ummm-possible
“This is your mission if you choose to accept it.”
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I didn’t catch the last part…the computer blew up…..
Yeah, we accept the mission. We’ll communicate in code. Read what I say absolutely literally. They’ll never figure that out.
Here’s the main observation so far. The vast majority of people we meet hate Trump and all he represents. Only one guy was a red-hat wearer and even he was obnoxious but not overly mad. Just a Bubba. I am coming to the conclusion that most people down here are ‘disengaged’ from politics in the extreme. Hell, I met one young woman (mid twenties) who never left the area. “I don’t go to Phoenix or Scottsdale. Too far. I live here.”
Further reports when something actually happens….which I think is rare.
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