Donald Trump now has an excellent defense against Hillary Clinton’s charge that his rhetoric is inciting Muslims to join ISIS and attack us. He can truthfully point out that his rhetoric is actually inciting white Americans to join him and attack Muslims.
Well played, Donald. Well played.
This should be a wake up call for all those with access to a microphone but it won’t be.
Trump has given permission to the radicalized Right to act out their prejudices with weapons. Even ISIS couldn’t have written a better script.
That was very stupid of HRC to say that Trump was being used for ISIS recruitment to the point of being featured in ISIS videos.
What in the world possessed her to say something that idiotic? And then not apologize for it? Aside from the fact that it’s a lie, a lie that as of now she has no means of backing off from (in of itself stupid given how the media treats Democrats) it’s also extremely asinine. Yeah, ISIS is much more enabled by a ghastly herrenvolk bigot spewing verbal diarrhea than VERY SERIOUS centrists voting for the Iraq War.
I mean, I know that the centrists tell themselves that bullshit that Trumpism is more responsible for radical Islamic terrorism than Beltway cocktail parties and twee David Brooks articles so that they don’t have to grasp with the fact that they destroyed a country for fleeting political gain. But please, cut the fucking shit people. You’re not fooling liberals, you’re not fooling conservatives, you’re especially not fooling terrorists and their victims. You’re just fooling yourselves.
Incidentally, that unchallenged moment in the debate last night is when I become convinced that Bernie Sanders is either not a very good debater, overly loyal to the Democratic Party, or way overestimates the power of the MSM.
Because when HRC said that Trump’s rhetoric was what was encouraging terrorism, the very obvious rejoinder was that Clinton’s AUMF vote would’ve made a much better recruitment video than him blathering about deporting Muslims.
Sanders has already been publicly linking the Iraq War and Clinton’s vote for it to the rise of ISIS. Without reviewing the video of those specific moments in the debate, it may not have been an effective point to raise at that time.
It is somewhat rich that a former Senator and SOS that participated in decisions to destabilize the ME region that has resulted in ISIS terrorists would claim that a mere POTUS candidate of six months with no political portfolio created ISIS.
There’s another important consideration for Sanders at this stage of the campaign. ISIS emerged as an identifiable terrorist operation during Obama’s tenure. Those who are well enough informed have a workable understanding of the various elements that led to ISIS coalescing under a banner and becoming a force to reckon with. While possibly not one of the major contributors to this development, Obama is far from clean.
The GOP candidates are claiming that Obama’s responsibility is one of failure to deal forcefully against ISIS. Yet, like Clinton they cling to the notion that ISIS and Assad can both be taken out. Sanders responsibly points out that that is fallacious. However, he has to tiptoe around who armed ISIS b/c that implicates “friendlies” and the USG and that implicates Obama. There are too many Democratic voters that are so highly protective of Obama that Sanders would lose or have no chance of getting them if he made clearer statements on this.
Temporary pragmatism for me outweighs my preference for full truthfulness.
Sanders is just a…decoy.
A red herring.
Something/someone to make HRC look good. He may not know or be complicit in this…he really doesn’t strike me as being particularly intelligent or even simply politically/charismatically gifted (not on a national level, anyway)…but complicit or not he is being used to fulfill the centrist/HRC fix on the DemRat side. Will this backfire? Could happen. HRC has a negative charisma that repels many, many people, and Grampa Sanders comes off as a crotchety old relative who at the very least means well. But whether HRC tanks or not, the centrist fixers have a much bigger problem on their plate.
Donald Trump.
A loose cannon if ever I saw one.
As the ship of state lurches along in the midst of the current storm, Trump is loose-cannoning like a motherfucker, mowing down the crew and the other weaponry onboard at an astounding rate.
What to do if he looks like he is going to be able to take down HRC, Bernie or whatever other centrist they try to prop up against him from either party?
UH oh!!!
Watch.
AG
Here’s Clinton’s debate statement:
It’s not a lie on her part as it’s in a Dec 8 published report. Recognized counter-terrorism and human rights experts (not so many of whom are all that expert IMHO) have speculated that this is happening. A bit irresponsible on the part of these “experts” because they don’t yet seem to have any evidence. But, but, Saddam could have WMD or is trying to get WMD b/c that so totally makes sense to us that he would, and therefore, we have to stop him.
So, Clinton merely irresponsibly repeated others engaged in irresponsible speculation because it sounded like a tough attack on an opponent. She’s done this sort of thing in the past, enough that it’s a serious character/trust issue, and why it doesn’t bother more non-Republicans is a mystery to me.
I don’t consider anyone that is sloppy with facts and/or critical analysis to be a wonk. Consuming a bunch of info and repeating it only indicates a decent memory, and in that Clinton is much better than say GWB was.
I’m struck by how directly this terrorist was communicating in his Facebook posts. This one from October 28th is particularly haunting:
“Donald Trump’s on again I’m feeling good about myself.”
It’s possible to extrapolate here. His view of Muslims has become full of fear and hate. He probably doesn’t get a lot of validation from others for the extremity of his fear and hate. Here comes Trump, day after day, letting him know he is right and the minorities and liberals are wrong. And now he’s part of a movement, so there’s soooo many more like him! What he’s been feeling and thinking can finally be implemented! It’s happening!
I’ll bet this joker was constructing his bomb the night he wrote that post.
France24
Juan Cole:
Billmon:
Last week Facebook postings were alleged to have played a role in the SB mass shooting and therefore, something had to be done to stop this. This week Facebook good for rallying fighters against Taliban. I’m so confused.
But…not all alarms are imaginary.
However, the ones that are real are not often allowed the luxury of serious mass media attention.
When there is a real alarm to be sounded…say the inconceivable dangers of nuclear power or the progressive, ongoing denaturing and poisoning of our food supply…most often the populace is not only not alarmed but actually soothed by the pronouncements of the media.
Why?
Cui bono?
AG
P.S. On my darker days, that “Cui bono?” question suggests answers that go well beyond the usual kneejerk blaming of corporate powers, the 1% or whatever political party/rival country to which one stands in opposition.
Well beyond.
Out of this solar system; into the stars and beyond. Perhaps even into what we now laughingly call “the future.”
Shakespeare knew:
Yes he did.
Politico – T. Boone Pickens calls for bipartisan panel to screen candidates for president
Billmon:
Me: guess all those bipartisan campaign financing arrangements for Presidential candidates have encountered some interference. A few billionaires going rogue and a whole lot of little people sending hard-earned, small donations to that socialist guy. (Note: Crazy Dr. Ben also has a large roster of small donors but he spent two years building it and while quite respectable, has raised less than Sanders and spent most of the donations on fundraising. Plus, his poll numbers have been tanking since the end of October and Jeb? could be gaining on him.)
Iran already has a panel to screen candidates for president.
Shaming Trump or his fans just ain’t going to fly; it just encourages them and fuels their most flamboyant criticisms. Probably better to continue pitying them; they hate that. “Oh, you poor undereducated suckers… If only you we had taught civics in public school you would understand what helpless marks you’ve become.” And so forth.
Though I’m guessing a Trump nomination would certainly have some pretty shameful moments for all concerned.
Trump message can give much confidence for those who have hatred in their heart to all muslims. But, anyone who is in their proper mind wouldn’t follow Trump message.
Minor correction:
…for those who have hatred in their heart. The object of their hatred is fungible. The only permanent exclusion is white, male, “Christian,” gun-toting, and “natural born” US citizen.
I didn’t watch the debate, but I heard the clip last night. It was a patently stupid thing for HRC to say, given that it was most likely carefully scripted & possibly practiced.
IF she wanted to “shame” Trump – or point out the folly of his words – she could have said something different and more cogent and factual. Peddling lies is never a good idea, and it’s guaranteed that Trump would jump all over it. In this case, Trump has a now justified bone to pick w/HRC which is dumb on her part.
Also rich coming from HRC with her execrable record in the ME, etc.
Not a fan of the Clintons. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
But it’s not a lie!
From Crooks & Liars
*blank spacers removed due to format change.
Well if that IS true – and I’ve heard that commentary is just “speculation” (I don’t know) – then you can rest assured that it’ll never get air time.
I still think it was a mistake of HRC to frame her attack that way, as it’s too easy of a target for Trump & the complicit M$M to dump on.
I agree that Trump that probably does up the anti for ISIS recruitment, but whether I agree or not with the substance of what HRC said, framing is everything in these idiotic blabber fests call “debates.”
Just saying…
A yiddish slang word used by der Trump: schlong (from Yiddish שלאַנג shlang ‘snake’; cf. German Schlange); in Dutch ‘slang’ also means (garden) hose; (vulgar) penis.
○ Donald Trump Goes Full Schmuck, Uses Yiddish Word For Penis To Mock Hillary Clinton | Reuters / Huff Post |
○ Donald Trump: Hillary Clinton ‘got schlonged’ in 2008 | CNN |
Vile and revolting but the “family values” crowd will clap and cheer over it. Through the looking glass, much?