reggieandlee
reggieandlee's JournalBTRTN: Cesar Sayoc... "I am Donald Trump, and I Approve this Message"
Born to Run the Numbers on the question of whether Trump's violent rhetoric is responsible for Sayoc's pipe bombs:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/10/btrtn-cesar-sayoc-i-am-donald-trump-and.html
Excerpts:
"No, it was not a massive hoax perpetrated by the left wing. It was exactly what we would have guessed: an angry, underachieving, over-testosteroned fifty-ish white-man-as-victim in a conversion van plastered with worship for the Maga-nificent Donald. The collage of hate include superimposed gun targets over the images of Hillary Clinton, African-American CNN commentator Van Jones, and filmmaker Michael Moore. There was a sticker that said 'Dishonest Media CNN sucks.' But of all the images, slogans, and angry rhetoric visible on that truck, the most revealing is a simple line of type at the bottom of the middle window. There, you see a sticker that reads 'I am Donald Trump and I approve this message...'
"Please push all your pathetic prevarications to the side, Republicans, and have the guts to focus on my one very narrow and very specific question: Is the President of the United States inciting violence against his political opponents, and is he therefore responsible for those pipe bombs? The answer is right there in plain view on the collage of hate that adorns Sayoc’s van. There, you will find the images of prominent Democrats framed in the bullseye of a rifle target. That was the message that Sayoc was taking from Donald Trump. Literally. 'I am Donald Trump and I approve this message...'
BTRTN: Cesar Sayoc... "I am Donald Trump, and I Approve this Message"
Born to Run the Numbers on the question of whether Trump's violent rhetoric is responsible for Sayoc's pipe bombs:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/10/btrtn-cesar-sayoc-i-am-donald-trump-and.html
Excerpts:
"No, it was not a massive hoax perpetrated by the left wing. It was exactly what we would have guessed: an angry, underachieving, over-testosteroned fifty-ish white-man-as-victim in a conversion van plastered with worship for the Maga-nificent Donald. The collage of hate include superimposed gun targets over the images of Hillary Clinton, African-American CNN commentator Van Jones, and filmmaker Michael Moore. There was a sticker that said 'Dishonest Media CNN sucks.' But of all the images, slogans, and angry rhetoric visible on that truck, the most revealing is a simple line of type at the bottom of the middle window. There, you see a sticker that reads 'I am Donald Trump and I approve this message...'
"Please push all your pathetic prevarications to the side, Republicans, and have the guts to focus on my one very narrow and very specific question: Is the President of the United States inciting violence against his political opponents, and is he therefore responsible for those pipe bombs? The answer is right there in plain view on the collage of hate that adorns Sayoc’s van. There, you will find the images of prominent Democrats framed in the bullseye of a rifle target. That was the message that Sayoc was taking from Donald Trump. Literally. 'I am Donald Trump and I approve this message...'
BTRTN: Dancing Sheik to Sheik... Trump's U.S. Can't Take the Moral High Ground with MBS
Born To Run The Numbers on the absence of official U.S. moral outrage at the murder of a journalist:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/10/btrtn-dancing-sheik-to-sheiktrumps-us.html
Excerpts: "This President is unable, unwilling, or frightened to bring the pressure of moral righteousness to bear on the Saudi Prince for this repulsive murder. Unable, perhaps, because weighing decisions and acting on the basis of moral and ethical imperatives is not part of the philosophy that guides Donald Trump’s existence. If you lead an amoral life, you never learn how to use a moral compass to guide your actions. Unwilling, perhaps, because in the purely transactional universe where Donald Trump lives, he literally does not see the value of raising a ruckus over one dead journalist when billions of dollars and his personal reputation are at stake, and when we have painted ourselves into a corner of the Middle East that leaves us absolutely no option but to cling to our relationship with Riyadh. Frightened, perhaps, because Donald Trump has conducted a great deal of personal business with the Saudis, and may even be exposed to violations of campaign finance laws with a second sovereign government. Because we have no access to Donald Trump’s taxes, we have no way of knowing the degree to which he is vulnerable to the pressure of exposure from the Saudis...
"Donald Trump and Mohammed Bin Salman are in this together, each dancing with the person that brought them to the party. Neither of them seem capable – or interested -- of seeing an issue through a moral or ethical lens. Each appears eager to come up with a palatable reason why the world should just move on. Neither seems terribly concerned that courageous journalists all around the globe are getting a message: f--k with us and you could end up dismembered, and nobody is going to be held to account. That great nation that has judiciously exercised moral leadership in the world for decades? It is now just going to turn its head and hope the world forgets."
BTRTN: Dancing Sheik to Sheik... Trump's U.S. Can't Take the Moral High Ground with MBS
Born To Run The Numbers on the absence of official U.S. moral outrage at the murder of a journalist:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/10/btrtn-dancing-sheik-to-sheiktrumps-us.html
Excerpts: "This President is unable, unwilling, or frightened to bring the pressure of moral righteousness to bear on the Saudi Prince for this repulsive murder. Unable, perhaps, because weighing decisions and acting on the basis of moral and ethical imperatives is not part of the philosophy that guides Donald Trump’s existence. If you lead an amoral life, you never learn how to use a moral compass to guide your actions. Unwilling, perhaps, because in the purely transactional universe where Donald Trump lives, he literally does not see the value of raising a ruckus over one dead journalist when billions of dollars and his personal reputation are at stake, and when we have painted ourselves into a corner of the Middle East that leaves us absolutely no option but to cling to our relationship with Riyadh. Frightened, perhaps, because Donald Trump has conducted a great deal of personal business with the Saudis, and may even be exposed to violations of campaign finance laws with a second sovereign government. Because we have no access to Donald Trump’s taxes, we have no way of knowing the degree to which he is vulnerable to the pressure of exposure from the Saudis...
"Donald Trump and Mohammed Bin Salman are in this together, each dancing with the person that brought them to the party. Neither of them seem capable – or interested -- of seeing an issue through a moral or ethical lens. Each appears eager to come up with a palatable reason why the world should just move on. Neither seems terribly concerned that courageous journalists all around the globe are getting a message: f--k with us and you could end up dismembered, and nobody is going to be held to account. That great nation that has judiciously exercised moral leadership in the world for decades? It is now just going to turn its head and hope the world forgets."
BTRTN: Beating Trump by Becoming Trump... Should Progressives Do Rage?
On Saturday, a N.Y.Times article reported that Democrats were debating if the "high road in politics is leading anywhere," framing the question of whether Dems need to be more like Trump to beat Trump. Born to Run the Numbers provides an answer:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/10/btrtn-beating-trump-by-becoming-trump.html
Excerpts: "The New York Times article framed the essential question: would the Dems would be better off being more like Trump? What, exactly, would that entail? One answer lies in the disturbing quote reported by filmmaker Michael Moore, who interviewed Steve Bannon as part of his research for his new film, Fahrenheit 11/9. Moore asked Bannon how he was able to engineer the defeat of a seemingly invincible Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign, and his answer was as chilling as it was succinct: 'Look, it’s very simple — we go for the head wound and your side has pillow fights. The head wound will always win over the pillow fight...'
"Publicly mimicking, mocking, and degrading a victim of sexual assault ought to be viewed as every bit as physically brutal an attack as actually pinning her down and holding a hand over her mouth. Announcing to a stadium crowd that the woman who is “one hundred percent certain” of the identity of her assailant is perpetrating a “hoax” is a good example of going for the head wound..
"Do you want to know how to do progressive rage? The true head wound to the Republican Party would be to destroy the myth of the invincible Trump among his own faithful. Regaining the House is good, but it is not head trauma. Head trauma is a devastating election disaster that forces Trump’s faithful to finally peer behind the curtain. To finally see that Trump's divisiveness, deceit, and self-involvement is actually destroying their own party..."
BTRTN: Beating Trump by Becoming Trump... Should Progressives Do Rage?
On Saturday, a N.Y.Times article reported that Democrats were debating if the "high road in politics is leading anywhere," framing the question of whether Dems need to be more like Trump to beat Trump. Born to Run the Numbers provides an answer:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/10/btrtn-beating-trump-by-becoming-trump.html
Excerpts: "The New York Times article framed the essential question: would the Dems would be better off being more like Trump? What, exactly, would that entail? One answer lies in the disturbing quote reported by filmmaker Michael Moore, who interviewed Steve Bannon as part of his research for his new film, Fahrenheit 11/9. Moore asked Bannon how he was able to engineer the defeat of a seemingly invincible Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign, and his answer was as chilling as it was succinct: 'Look, it’s very simple — we go for the head wound and your side has pillow fights. The head wound will always win over the pillow fight...'
"Publicly mimicking, mocking, and degrading a victim of sexual assault ought to be viewed as every bit as physically brutal an attack as actually pinning her down and holding a hand over her mouth. Announcing to a stadium crowd that the woman who is “one hundred percent certain” of the identity of her assailant is perpetrating a “hoax” is a good example of going for the head wound..
"Do you want to know how to do progressive rage? The true head wound to the Republican Party would be to destroy the myth of the invincible Trump among his own faithful. Regaining the House is good, but it is not head trauma. Head trauma is a devastating election disaster that forces Trump’s faithful to finally peer behind the curtain. To finally see that Trump's divisiveness, deceit, and self-involvement is actually destroying their own party..."
BTRTN: A Simple Case of "She Said, He Lies"
Born To Run The Numbers makes the case that we don't need to know whether the allegation of sexual assault is true to conclude the Brett Kavanaugh should not be on the Supreme Court:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/10/btrtn-simple-case-of-she-said-he-lies.html
Excerpts: In the past week, we have witnessed Kavanaugh -- under oath -- exhibit eight distinct behaviors which each raise grave doubt about whether we have found “the best candidate for the job.” A number of these actions are individually disqualifying. In aggregate, they provide a portrait of a grossly flawed candidate who does not belong on the Supreme Court...
(Reason #) 8. White lies matter. Mr. Kavanaugh, you were under oath on Thursday. Oath means “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Even when it is embarrassing.It is embarrassing that you littered your high school yearbook with juvenile code for alleged sexual exploits that seem calculated to make you appear more experienced, more macho, and more of a bad boy than you ever dreamed of being. And you are not fooling us. “Boofing” is not farting. A “Devil’s Triangle” is not a drinking game. And “Renate Alumnius” does not mean that you think she’s a heckuva swell girl. Those are all lies told under oath. You can say that those are cute little white lies, the kind you can justify because they aren’t really about the essential issue of whether or not you assaulted Dr. Ford. But you know what, Judge Kavanaugh? White lies matter. Under oath, lies don’t have a color. Under oath, lies are like Supreme Court confirmations. They are completely binary. Yes or no. They happen or they don’t. They are or they are not. There is no white lie and no gray area. They are keenly relevant as commentary on character. Hey, if you lie about the small stuff, that's a pretty darn good indicator that you'll go for it on the big stuff, too. You told a white lie under oath? There’s another word for that. Perjury. And there is also another word for perjury. Felony. Guess what that one translates to? Disqualification.
BTRTN: A Simple Case of "She Said, He Lies"
Born To Run The Numbers makes the case that we don't need to know whether the allegation sexual assault is true to conclude the Brett Kavanaugh should not be on the Supreme Court:
http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/10/btrtn-simple-case-of-she-said-he-lies.html
Excerpts: In the past week, we have witnessed Kavanaugh -- under oath -- exhibit eight distinct behaviors which each raise grave doubt about whether we have found “the best candidate for the job.” A number of these actions are individually disqualifying. In aggregate, they provide a portrait of a grossly flawed candidate who does not belong on the Supreme Court...
(Reason #) 8. White lies matter. Mr. Kavanaugh, you were under oath on Thursday. Oath means “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Even when it is embarrassing.It is embarrassing that you littered your high school yearbook with juvenile code for alleged sexual exploits that seem calculated to make you appear more experienced, more macho, and more of a bad boy than you ever dreamed of being. And you are not fooling us. “Boofing” is not farting. A “Devil’s Triangle” is not a drinking game. And “Renate Alumnius” does not mean that you think she’s a heckuva swell girl. Those are all lies told under oath. You can say that those are cute little white lies, the kind you can justify because they aren’t really about the essential issue of whether or not you assaulted Dr. Ford. But you know what, Judge Kavanaugh? White lies matter. Under oath, lies don’t have a color. Under oath, lies are like Supreme Court confirmations. They are completely binary. Yes or no. They happen or they don’t. They are or they are not. There is no white lie and no gray area. They are keenly relevant as commentary on character. Hey, if you lie about the small stuff, that's a pretty darn good indicator that you'll go for it on the big stuff, too. You told a white lie under oath? There’s another word for that. Perjury. And there is also another word for perjury. Felony. Guess what that one translates to? Disqualification.
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