.

We are about to witness a historic moment when, for the first time in history a convicted criminal, Donald John Trump, is to be sworn in as president of the United States. Right now, he’s busy choosing the people he wants to govern with, prioritizing loyalty over qualifications and all other considerations. They have to be confirmed by the Senate and, as we have seen during the ongoing “beauty parade”, there are quite a number of “bad guys” like Trump among them.

But Trump is not the only national leader to be elected following a criminal conviction. Our Australian prime minister during the Second World War, John Curtin, was convicted to three months imprisonment, and jailed for three days in 1916 for failing to enlist for conscription, and elected prime minister in 1941. He declared war on the Japanese the day after they attacked Pearl Harbour and died in 1945, just three months after Roosevelt died.

Though Curtin was the first prime minister of Australia to be convicted of an offence he is nevertheless considered to have been one of our best prime ministers.

So, could it be that whenever there is a major world crisis brewing and the going gets tough, maybe it’s time to bring in the bad guys to sort it out ?

.

All politicians are criminals anyway: they are there to interfere with and control the lives of innocent ordinary people who never consented in the first place to have anything to do with their criminal organisation - the state.

Dear Banjo,

Trump is unpredictable and unstable.

He just may add to world conflict and uncertainty.
And hand his rivals victories.

A few things are a worry. A possible "deal" with Putin.
Giving Israel a blank cheque. And so much more. Does he really
mean what he says?

History is full of individuals who were charged but not all
served sentences in prison.

I would like to see Trump simply removed from office.

But I doubt that will happen any time soon.

Just as I doubt Netanyahu will ever be convicted. Not as long
as Trump is US President.

We really don't need or want a leader like
Trump having his hand on the
nuclear button.

Scary thought.

Hi Yuyutsu,

"All politicians are criminals" rather cynical, obviously you don't know many politicians, from all shades of politics. Sat in an MP's office for an hour today, didn't find her to be a "criminal" as you put, rather helpful actually. BTW the record shows your religious clergy are far more likely to be criminals than are polys. Jesus Christ was also a convicted criminal.

Hi Banjo,

There is a slight difference between standing up for a cause, and have your convictions sending you to jail (Curtain), compared to paying a prostitute hush money to keep her legs open and her trap shut (Trump).

BTW; There was no conscription in Australia during WWI. From memory there were 2 referendums held, and conscription was defeated both times. Curtain went to jail for failing to report to an army camp for compulsory military training, which had been introduced in 1911, something the Hughes government tried as a way around not being able to conscript young men. BTW 'Pig Iron' Bob Menzies although a supporter of the war, like 'Little Johnny' Howard (Vietnam War) years later failed to enlist. These old conservatives believe in fighting wars, but not them, others can do that.

Foxy said- "We really don't need or want a leader like Trump having his hand on the nuclear button."

A- If Foxy said good morning I'd check outside first. We need someone like Trump on the button when CCP Xi is in charge of aggressive expansionist China, and taking pot shots at Australian military assets.

I suppose Foxy likes Xi and the whole standup bunch of Maoist's. Apparently Mao murdered sixty million people and had a virgin every night.

Someone said "when you kill in the name of the king, don't think of who you killed, but what you allowed to live".

I suppose Foxy wants to kill Trump, so that Mao and his principles, of murder and rape of young girls, can live.

Does Foxy support the UK Southport 'actor' and Pedo-Rape Factories too?

If Foxy supports China taking pot shots at the Australian military should we really allow her to remain in Australia?

Dear Paul,

«"All politicians are criminals" rather cynical, obviously you don't know many politicians, from all shades of politics.»

True. I also don't personally know many robbers, rapists, arsonists or murderers. Coming to think about it, not even one!

«Sat in an MP's office for an hour today, didn't find her to be a "criminal" as you put, rather helpful actually.»

Even criminals have a code of conduct among themselves.

Criminals they are, if nothing else then for the simple fact that they run an organisation that forces itself on everyone, whether or not they agreed to have anything to do with them. Now among those who willingly accept their organisation, things can indeed get quite cosy.

«BTW the record shows your religious clergy are far more likely to be criminals than are polys.»

1) I am not a Christian.
2) Christianity is not a religion and clergy are not necessarily religious.
3) The probability of a politician to be a criminal is 100%. Can the probability of clergy being criminals be any higher?

«Jesus Christ was also a convicted criminal.»

I didn't know him personally to be able to tell - did you?

Now if the Biblical account is correct, then Jesus was convicted of something he did not do (allegedly claiming to be the king of the Jews), only because he refused to defend himself in the court of a criminal organisation (in his specific case, the Roman empire).

Australian identity is not a fixed point in the heavens.
but a speeding comet that blazes brightly and flies around
the night sky.

There was a time when to be Australian was to be English,
only sunburnt. There was a time when to be Australian was
to be a dangerous criminal. It's
amazing that today barely anyone remembers what life was like
back then.

The national identity has changed in our own lifetime.
Australia is a process of revelation of unveiling to ourselves
and the world the surprising facts about ourselves that
nobody knew.

There's never been a more exciting time to be Australian ...
than right now.

Hi Yuyutsu,

"Now if the Biblical account is correct, then Jesus was convicted of something he did not do (allegedly claiming to be the king of the Jews)"
BTW 'The Mob' didn't think Al Capone was a criminals.

The Biblical account is biased, written by Christs supporters. hardly proof of innocence. The law of the land was Pontius Pilate, and he did give Christ a hearing, as applicable to the times, and on the evidence Pilate found Christ guilty of a crime that warranted crucifixion. Obviously Christ was a serious transgressor, they nailed him up on a cross until he was dead, can't get more serious than that. P/S Pilate could have given Jesus a fine of say one denari with 30 days to pay, but no, it was more serious than that, so crucifixion's it was. And as we know the Romans were a caring libertarian lot, they really didn't like crucifying people, they much preferred probation as a form of punishment to crucifixion. but when ya gotta hang, ya gotta hang!

Dear Banjo,

Time for the bad guys?

Trump's fondness for Putin makes any "deal" dangerous
for Europe and the NATO alliance. It would be naive
to think that things would go well for Kyiv.

Also Trump's admiration for strong leaders like the
North Korean is also concerning. Then there's China
circling in our region.

As I wrote earlier Trump is unpredictable and what
he'll do next nobody knows. The allies of the US
must ready themselves to deal with all of these
issues. According to CNN and other US sources - the
allies should possibly try a different focus, means,
and priorities.

It's going to be a bumpy ride.
Nothing can be taken for granted.
We don't know Trump's foreign policy.

Dear Foxy,

«The national identity has changed in our own lifetime.»

Identities can never change:
Can you imagine that yesterday it was 2+2=3 and tomorrow it will be 2+2=5?

---

Dear Paul,

«The Biblical account is biased, written by Christs supporters.»

Fair enough, but in that case we cannot even tell whether Jesus Christ ever existed, let alone convicted.

I wonder whether you understand the word 'if':

IF the Biblical account is correct, THEN Jesus was convicted of something he did not do.

Hi Yuyutsu,

I accept the evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ, but his true story may well have been embellished by those who came after, particularly Saul Of Tarus (St Paul). Christ was more than likely a dissident Jewish Pharisee during the Second Temple period. A fundamentalist Jew, like his brother James (later assassinated), Christ was demanding strict adherence to Jewish law and custom. He could not have possibly avoided the political intrigue of the time, and would have been very much Anti-Rome, which concerned both the established Jewish order led by the High Priest Caiaphas and the client king Herod Antipas, plus the Romans themselves. Roman concern grew to the point where the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate found it necessary to act against the Jewish dissidents (not for the first time). The fact Pilate found it necessary to "interview" Christ before executing him, shows that he was of some standing within the Jewish community, and seen as a danger to Roman authority.

Dear Paul,

Speaking historically, nothing in the Bible can be trusted, so your guess of what happened is as good as mine. You choose to accept the "evidence" that Jesus Christ existed while others do not, everything is possible.

My own speculation is:

1) Jesus Christ existed.
2) He was a true spiritual master, who knew God intimately.
3) He didn't personally care about Judaism, yet he had to work with difficult Judean students who were brainwashed by the Rabbis and in order to retain them and have them listen to him, he had to walk on eggshells and tell them that he is not asking them to break Jewish law.
4) He had no ambition to be "King of the Jews" or a Messiah, nor resented the Romans and their ruler ("Give unto Caesar what is his"), yet he could not tell so plainly to his students, who like most Judeans of the time hated the Romans, and fantasised him to be the Messiah, so he just answered them with "You said it".
5) The Pharisees hated Jesus and wanted him dead because he ruined their business by overturning the trading tables at the temple's entrance, chasing away the merchants, who were allowed to be there because they paid a portion of their profits to the Pharisee leaders.
6) Pontius had nothing against Jesus and understood well that Jesus was never a threat to Rome, but he needed to keep the peace in his province and appease the Judean leaders who wanted Jesus dead.
7) Jesus did not defend himself because that would have encouraged his students to interpret his message materialistically and thus miss all his spiritual teachings. He went to the cross happily so that those who had eyes to see will understand his true message correctly.

(please note that I use the term "Judean" since Jews as we know them today did not yet exist at the time and for about another 800 years after)

Good or bad. Trump is the only hope left for not just America, but the entire West, particularly Australia, which has had nothing but very bad politicians since John Howard.

Australians are in no position to judge the character of Donald Trump or anyone else, when they keep voting for the rubbish in Canberra as they do.

Australian police, the media and our MPs are terrified of the pro-Palestinian protesters. The police and politicians are cowards, and the media ignores the weekly anti-Semitic ranting on our streets.

We have 3 flags, representing how divided we are. No other country in the world has more than one official flag.

The ignorant judges of other people and countries, jabbering about Australia being the “best country in the world” wouldn't know if their arses were on fire.

Hi Again Yuyutsu,

Speculation about the origins of Christianity is interesting. In early writings "Christians" are not referred to as such, but rather called disciples and their practices and beliefs were that of Orthodox Jews. For example the concept of the "Resurrection Of Christ" didn't gain traction until about 70AD, and it divided devotees. James and his followers believed Christ had been executed by the Romans as a martyr, they certainly did not believe he had risen from the dead, or that he was "God". St Paul produced his Epistles (writings) around 48AD to 64AD, which radicalized Christian beliefs completely, and changed its direction to a point where it eventually become universally acceptable, particularly to the Roman establishment. The old school of Christian belief still exists today, read up on Messianic Jews.

Talking about flags?

The UK has many flags - including the Union Jack, the
Royal Standard, and of course the flags of individual
countries and regions.

There's also flags of the British armed forces, and flags
of the Commonwealth, the United Nations and other
international organisations.

Most countries have more than one flag.

.

There is no doubt whatsoever that Donald Trump is, or should I say has become a populist politician, which means that he alone knows what the people want, and he is the final judge of people’s rights because he and he alone represents the people.

That may seem to be democracy to some people, but it is not. Democracy is collective self-determination which means that we don’t let our political decisions be made by a king or president or whatever, we make them collectively ourselves, we together decide what laws we should abide by. That is the promise of democracy : rule by the people for the people.

Democracy also implies that we as individuals have certain rights and freedoms. We don’t just let the majority, the president, or the prime minister decide whatever they want, and tell us what we can think, do, believe, or say. In a liberal democracy, we enjoy a realm of freedom unimpeded by the government in which we are allowed to determine ourselves what we think, do, believe, or say.

To protect those rights and freedoms, we don’t just have legislation we also have a set of independent institutions to enforce the rule of law, because if we did not, a president or prime minister who did not like what we think, do, believe or say, could have us jailed with impunity.

With Donald Trump as president, the US is heading for a populist form of government. The key members of his future cabinet and administration are being chosen for their loyalty to Donal Trump, not for their competence or qualifications. They are then submitted to a gruelling cross-examination ceremony by the Senate before being admitted into the Trump team.

It reminds me of the recruiting ceremony of the Cosa Nostra. Hopefully, that’s where the similitude ends.

It is, however, a fact that populism inevitably leads to a dictatorship, which is why so many of the elite rich and powerful in the US are reneging on their formerly declared values and embracing those of Donald Trump.

Don’t hold your breath !

.

Dear Banjo,

Trust is everything in politics. We need leaders we
can trust. Leaders who put our interests first ahead
of their own. Leaders whose actions matter more than
what they say. Who we can judge by their actions.
Who are out to make a difference - not a career and
grab for power.

Can we really trust Trump?

I'll repeat what you said - Don't hold your breath!

From the US this week:

The Republican dominated House moved this week that, for the purposes of sport …

“Sex shall be recognised based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth”.

"The distinction between men and women is clear and evident, and the erasure of this division has been promulgated by those in the radical left who seek to dismantle the core foundation of our society”.

However, it just got across the line, with all but 2 Democrats against. There are still plenty of “bad guys” in Congress for good guy Trump to sort out.

For the old bloke who prattles on about "nobody cares what you say", must think the whole world is hanging off everything he posts..

Secretary General of the United Nations, before the General Assembly in 163 languages; "ttbn has posted on the forum again today".."WOW!" they all cry, "tell us more"!

One commentator wonders if the “Creator” got Trump into the job. God, he writes, chooses unexpected and poorly equipped types to do His work. “See the Twelve Apostles – and Pope Francis”. Bad governments like Mexico and Canada are already wilting even before Trump takes over. The cease fire in the Middle East is no coincidence either. The Australian government, of course, is stupid enough to believe that it will be business as usual with the a Trump-led US

This same commentator, whom I am not going to name so that the wackjobs can resort to their usual ‘kill the messenger and ignore the message’ tactics, further believes that Trump's survival of two assassination attempts were miracles.

Hi ttbn,

'A foreigner is the only hope for Australia'

When you say that "Good or bad. Trump is the only hope left for not just America, but the entire West, particularly Australia, which has had nothing but very bad politicians since John Howard."
- Then I think we've already lost.

Not sure about "miracles".

But it is wise to remember that although a tongue has
no bones - it is strong enough to win legal defamation
cases. People need to be careful with their words.

As both Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump learned.

Others may yet find out.

Legal action might be preferred and prove
more satisfying than a miracle.

it's just so depressing & demoralising to see those who contribute nothing to society to blame politicians for the woes they themselves are perpetuating !
The best politician in the World couldn't make Australia better with constituents like the Leftists & Woke swamping the various Govt Departments !
Do your job & the Govt will be able to do what needs to be done. Remember we need to function as a symbiosis because we'll all continue go under with parasitism !

Dear Banjo,

I just read a joke that might be applicable to Trump.

Trump was severely criticized by his wife for passing
severe wind each morning as he went from room to room
in their beautiful Trump Tower apartment.
His wife told him that if he wasn't careful, one day
he'd poop all of his guts out and make a mess in his pants.

Trump told her not to worry about it. Then along came the
public holiday of Thanksgiving. Trump's wife was in the kitchen
with their cook. She watched while the cook prepared the
turkey, taking out all the gizzards, guts, and insides. Trump was asleep in their bedroom.

Melania got the brilliant idea of how she could teach
Trump a lesson regarding his farting.

She scooped up all the guts and sneaked into the bedroom
placing everything into Trump's underpants.

She then went back to the kitchen. Trump woke up and white-faced
snuck into the kitchen.

"Melania, you were right. When I farted this morning I did
poop everything into my pants. But don't worry. With two
fingers I managed to push everything back in".

It seems you can't beat a man who's in control - right?

ttbn said -

We have 3 flags, representing how divided we are. No other country in the world has more than one official flag.

A- Very good point ttbn.

Banjo Paterson said-

Democracy is collective self-determination which means that we don’t let our political decisions be made by a king or president or whatever, we make them collectively ourselves, we together decide what laws we should abide by. That is the promise of democracy : rule by the people for the people.

It is, however, a fact that populism inevitably leads to a dictatorship, which is why so many of the elite rich and powerful in the US are reneging on their formerly declared values and embracing those of Donald Trump.

A- A leader has to balance action and listening. Democracy is populism or popularism in a sense- someone made a distinction between populism and popularism- I forget the delineation measure- I think at the end of the article I cautiously agreed that some forms of 'popularity' led to a form of 'dictatorship'. But it's important to understand how the author actually defines popularity and dictatorship

Foxy said-

Can we really trust Trump?

A- Is Foxy just trying to create Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt- FUD?? We can't really trust anyone, but we have to trust someone. Trump has a proven track record.

What is the alternative? Biden!- who the Democrats deceived the public about for so long- hiding his mental condition- we don't seem to be able to trust the Democrats- it shows how well the Democrats are able to keep their people under control- and hide the truth. Sounds like dictatorship to me.

Trump needs to get on with his program as soon as possible after the 20th January if not before. I hope that Trump is at the Mexican border on at 11pm on the 19th January waiting for the US military to turn up and shut the border as soon as he takes office. All the surrounding bases need to have their leave cancelled and shipped out to the border by 2am in the morning. I hope that by 5am on the 20th January there is a functional wall in place.

The Democrats have played keep away with US security for too long. I hope that the great people of the US have a long enough memory that they never let the Democrats get into power again, for their contempt of the US people. The Democrats should be burned to the ground. Hopefully another party is formed that can be formed to fill the role that the Democrats are supposed to fill within the US

.

Dear ttbn,

.

You wrote :

« The Republican dominated House moved this week that, for the purposes of sport …

“Sex shall be recognised based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth”. »
.

That sems a logic decision to me, though I don’t know enough about the intricacies of the subject to judge if it is the best decision. What is clear is that there is more to human beings than biology and genetics. We are not just animals. We are far more evolved than that.

Who could possibly doubt that there are more than two clear-cut categories of human beings, men and women ? Nature is not perfect. It operates by trial and error and is sometimes slightly off-target, occasionally producing unusual combinations of male and female that are identifiable by modern science both physically and psychically.

Today, most international sports organisations work on the premise that human beings are either male or female. Consequently, all athletes, including intersex and transgender individuals, must be assigned to compete in one or other of these two categories.

About 3% of American high school students identify as transgender, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in October 2024. But across the U.S., 25 states have so far implemented some laws limiting transgender student-athletes from participating in competition, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a think tank that advocates for transgender rights.

I understand that the bill faces an uncertain future in the U.S. Senate. With a 53-47 majority, Republicans would be able to bring the bill up for a vote but may not be able to pass it given the chamber's filibuster rule that requires 60 members to agree on most legislation.

And it is unclear if any Senate Democrat would support the bill.

.

.

Is Trump a pacifist and an isolationist, or is he a bellicist, and a nationalist – in addition to being a transactionalist ?

Trump often claims “that the United States was at peace during his first administration”, that he is “going to stop the wars”, that he is “against war”, and that there will be “no new wars” during his second term as president.

At the same time he threatens to impose a wide-range of tariffs when he takes office, including a blanket tariff of 10–20% on all imported goods, an additional tariff between 60 and 100% on Chinese goods, a 100% tariff on countries within the BRICS alliance if they attempt to undermine the U.S. dollar’s status as a global reserve currency, and a 25% tariff on all products imported from Mexico and Canada.

That seems like trade war to me.

He declared that “if Israeli hostages held by Hamas are not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East”.

He then threatened to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland, if necessary, by military force, and make Canada the 51st state of the US.

In addition, he swears he will put “America First” and threatens to withdraw the US from the UN and no longer afford US protection to countries that fail to contribute a minimum of 2% of their GDP to their annual defence budget – demand that he increased a few months later to 5% of GDP.

He declared he would seek to "take" manufacturing jobs from foreign countries, including U.S. allies, by offering incentives to encourage companies to relocate to the United States. He promised a "manufacturing renaissance" as the centrepiece of his economic plan and said he would offer foreign companies low taxes and little regulation to entice them.

"We will take other countries' jobs," Trump said during a speech to supporters in Savannah, Georgia, which has one of the largest ports in the U.S. and is a car-manufacturing hub. "We're going to take their factories."

All that sounds nationalist, isolationist, and bellicist.

.

Dear Banjo,
The old adage applies in Trump's case.

"Actions speak louder than words".

And the man shall be judged in history by his actions.

The problem with Trump is - he is unpredictable and
unstable. And what he says and does is not always the
same thing. And for many people - the question is -
can the man be trusted?

That's why it is a time of uncertainty.

On a lighter side - perhaps we should go easy on the man.
I heard that Donald Trump was hospitalized last night.
He was hospitalized for an attack of modesty.
(smile).

WTF?

So... if we have a "woke" left does that imply we have a "comatose" right?

With the American presidential inauguration on Monday,
and out own elections on the horizon:

Your move Australia
Division or unity
Choose wisely
A vote is not a valentine
Your love for the candidate
Or the party, is a chess move
For the country and world
you want to live in.
(adapted from Ronald Reagan)

And remember we need a leader and a political party
who believes that - there is no limit to the good you
can do if you don't care who gets the credit.
(Ronald Reagan).

When the hostages were taken all the rules changed !
The winner needed a truce more than the loser.
The loser is now making demands of the winner.
Trump does seem to be recognise reality and his declaration
thinking of the hostages is realistic and I will make this prophecy;

When the last hostage is released, dead or alive, the truce will end
and a new set of rules for a truce will be imposed. No negotiations.
This is what I think Trump was refering to re his first day.
There will be no longer bit by bit, release them now or else.
No good anyone complaining about bad faith, that was no longer relevant
as of when the hostages were taken.

There is another possibility, because Hamas understands the position
they will delay indefinitely and Israel/Trump will decide the last
hostages must be sacrificed.
This might be the salesman's desperate bluff !
Hamas may then surrender rather than face the anger.
I think the next couple of weeks will be tense.

.

Dear Foxy,

.

You wrote :

« The old adage applies in Trump's case. "Actions speak louder than words".

And the man shall be judged in history by his actions. »
.

Those first two sentences ring true, Foxy, but maybe not the third one.

"Actions speak louder than words" is a universal truth. Even some dogs are “all bark and no bite” – and we usually don’t have to wait long to find out.

If that’s the case with Trump, we won’t have to wait for him to be judged by history to find out about that either. That’s the problem. As soon as his enemies find out, we’ll all be in trouble – big trouble !

The one redeeming aspect of Trump’s character is that he is a pathological liar like his Russian comrade, Vladimir Putin. And lying seems to be something for which potential belligerents have an infinite respect.

Hopefully, therefore, his “barking” will be interpreted as lies and treated with respect.

If so, that would allow us all to make it through to history and consult the future judgment of the 47th president of the United States of America, at our leisure.

.

Dear Banjo,

Thank you. Once again - you're seeing the bigger
picture. I hope you're right.

I'll be watching all the pomp and ceremonies
from the US. History in the making. I believe that
this inauguration - everything is to be indoors due
to the weather conditions. sub-zero temperatures and icy wind conditions

Worth watching to see how things pan out.

Well, America's nightmare is almost over. In a little over a day, the worst presidency the US has known will finally grind to an unlamented halt and this sorry excuse for a president will be able to retire officially. Already the stories are starting to leak out about how unsuited he was for the job and how the US has basically been run by a cabal of unelected cadres for the last four years. Democracy is ain't.

By Tuesday morning our time, the adults will be running DC and the USA and repairing the damage done by three terms of Obama-ism can commence.

It is said that Trump has lined up 100 Executive Orders that he will sign on the first day to get the ball rolling - everything from closing the southern and northern borders, to beginning the work of rounding up illegals already in the US preparatory to returning them to their native and true homeland.

We don't yet know when and how many of the J6 political prisoners will be pardoned and released, but it's assumed that most will be out within the week.

Then will come the task of bringing the unrestrained alphabet departments (FBI, CIA, DHS, IRS, DOJ) back under control and ferreting out the details of all their nefarious doings over the past 4 years.

Of course, even before officially taking power, Trump is already casting his wand over world affairs with the long hoped-for ceasefire in the Middle-East on the brink of success thanks to the intervention of Trump and his surrogates.

The MAGA revolution is going to be a sight to see and a turning point in human affairs. Sadly, those who have suffered TDS for the past decade, won't understand what is going on and the changes will sail over their head.

America and the world's got so much to look forward to with Trump's
Inauguration. Look at what the man has already achieved
with the ceasefire in the Middle East. It could not have
been done without him.

And there's even more on the horizon. If you
don't want him to leave office - it just might be
arranged:

Trump's already floated the idea of a 3rd term in office.
Look at what Putin did. Putin selected a local
subordinate to run for President. Dmitry Medvedev. When
the man was elected he appointed Putin as Prime Minister.
The rest is history.

Trump could do the same.
He could see to it that the next candidate for the US
presidency was a member of his family or someone who
was totally loyal to him. Trump could then stay on as
an official adviser wielding all the power.

The thousands
demonstrating in Washington - probably all have Trump
Derangement Syndrome.

" Jose can you see?"

We'll have to wait and see how many things Trump will
do. But I wouldn't lay any bets on keeping the Mexicans
out.

I don't think that Trump realizes -
how good the Mexicans are at digging tunnels.

I keep seeing comments from people who seem to be in positions in
Israel and the US where they would have known details of negotiations
with terrorists in a number of incidents.
They seem to believe you should never negotiate with terrorists.
What is the alternative ?

Kudos mhaze.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

« Well, America's nightmare is almost over. In a little over a day, the worst presidency the US has known will finally grind to an unlamented halt and this sorry excuse for a president will be able to retire officially. »
.

I’m sure that you and Canem Malum are not the only ones of that opinion, mhaze but, the polls have consistently ranked James Buchanon as the worst president of the United States.

Even the most recent surveys consider James Buchanan, Lincoln's predecessor, the worst president for his leadership during the build-up to the Civil War.

Donald Trump has consistently polled among the bottom four and twice in last place due to breaking longstanding norms such as the peaceful transition of power, an American precedent not broken since Washington first set it.

Not to mention that Trump is the first and only convicted criminal to be elected president of the United States of America and could well have been convicted of a number of other crimes and misdemeanours if he hadn’t been saved by the bell and presidential immunity.

During the late 20th century and early 21st century, modern-day presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden have all landed in the top 20 of rankings, with Reagan and Obama often in the top ten.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_presidents_of_the_United_States
.

Judging from his first term as president, Trump was not particularly brilliant. Hopefully, he has learned from that experience and will do a bit better this time.

Anything he can do to improve his rating – even if it's only one or two points – will be a pleasant surprise.

.

"Well, America's nightmare is almost over. In a little over a day, the worst presidency the US has known will finally grind to an unlamented halt and this sorry excuse for a president will be able to retire officially."

Pendulum.

And then Trump will cock it up, and everyone will be begging for the democrats to save them from this horrible leader and the pendulum of democracy will swing back the other way, and at that point how much will have changed and will the people really be better off?
- Well see.

It's bound to happen.
Stuff usually only goes from bad to worse.

You say Biden was the worst president ever, but what changed?

From Bush through to Biden, none of the US foreign policy changed, it was all built around Netanyahu, as well as Wolfowitz doctrine.

Kicking out the immigrants and building the wall, will solve some problems but exasperate others.
Whack-a-mole.

Protectionist Trump's favorite word is 'tariff'.
He'll only have fake friends amongst other leaders if the policy is every nation for themselves.

G7 will continue to slide as will western nations themselves while BRICS and the global south will continue to rise.

I wonder if the good Donald is just taking over as Captain of the Titanic.
- These changes, are just merely shifting the deck chairs around.

.

Dear Bezza,

.

You wrote :

« They seem to believe you should never negotiate with terrorists.
What is the alternative ? »
.

Governments often say “we don’t negotiate with terrorists,” but when they say that I suspect they are often lying. Many governments have reduced, controlled and circumscribed terrorism through negotiation, and negotiation skills continue to grow in sophistication.

The obvious alternative is military intervention such as that practised by Netanyahu among his neighbours in the Middle East.

Another alternative is a grassroots approach to what seems to be the process of incubation of an extremely grave sociological and economic problem domestically, and internationally.

Domestically, this involves factors such as poverty, lack of family support, education, unemployment, religion, racism, xenophobia and social disintegration.

Internationally, it is essentially a question of establishing and maintaining friendly relations in a positive, cooperative spirit with all other nations.

According to historians, terrorism can be traced back to a group of Jewish zealots known as the Sicarii Zealots in the 1st-century AD, though some dispute whether this group, which assassinated collaborators with the Roman rule in the province of Judea, were, in fact, terrorists as we might define them today. The first use in English of the term 'terrorism' occurred during the French Revolution in 1789.

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if terrorism existed long before any of that – ever since man felt discriminated against and believed he would be better off in heaven.

If, indeed, terrorism as we know it today started with religious zealots, perhaps it will end when there are no longer any religious zealots.

.

"the polls have consistently ranked James Buchanon [sic] as the worst president of the United States."

Who was being polled?
Answer that and you'll learn why such polls are not to be relied on. Polling people with a known bias is inherently to be avoided.

While on that, knowing that Wikipedia has a political political bias, who would go to it on such issues?

To be fair to Biden, its probably not accurate to say he was the worst president. More exactly we should say his was the worst presidency, since, in truth, Biden had little to do with it and little understanding of what was being done in his name. Just today, we see a story that Biden signed an Executive Order about pausing NG exports having being misled by his staff into thinking he was signing something quite different. I suspect a lot of that went on.

When historians look back on the disaster of the past four years, they'll need to build into their assessment that it was being done in Biden's name rather than by Biden.

___________________________________________________________
"Trump's already floated the idea of a 3rd term in office.
Look at what Putin did. Putin selected a local
subordinate to run for President. Dmitry Medvedev. When
the man was elected he appointed Putin as Prime Minister."

The second term hasn't even started yet and the TDS crowd are already fretting about a 3rd. Truly it is said that Trump lives in the heads of the TDS crowd rent free. BTW the US doesn't have a Prime Minister!!

__________________________________________________________________

The inauguration timed for 4am our time tomorrow , has been moved indoors due to it being the coldest January in DC in 40 years. Thank God for global warming heh? Imagine how cold it'd be if we weren't all frying the planet!!

OTOH some are suggesting its being done due to overt threats of assassination against Trump.

mhaze,

BTW: Russia has a Prime Minister - the reference being
discussed was to Putin and how he got his position
extended. Snd today Russia has both a PM and a President.
Perhaps Trump may try to follow suit - who knows.

Trump is flooding the idea of a third term. He's got a long
history of "jokes" as a way of flooding trial balloons.

Foxy, we all know you have little understanding of the US constitution - remember how you made a fool of yourself over the Electoral college? But just look into the 22nd amendment.

OK Foxy. You believe a lot of totally bonkers stuff. I'll add it to the list, shall I?

_________________________________________________

Meanwhile, the Gaza ceasefire seems to be holding. It will, of course, at some time, unravel - Hamas can't help themselves - but for the moment the killing has stopped.

Isn't it funny how all the virtue signallers spent a year whining about the need for a ceasefire but now that Trump has delivered one, they want to whine about anything other than a ceasefire. We're gunna get four years of this head in the sand stuff - and I will enjoy every minute of it

mhaze,

Still banging on about the electoral college.

OMG - you should be more concerned about supporting
a man whose speeches lack cohesion and produce
fear, anger, grievance, and braggadocio.

Political experts have called Trump's ignorance
"breathtaking". Jeffrey Goldberg has said:

"Trump has little understanding of international
order or understanding why or how the world works
or the way it is".

To you that doesn't seem to matter at all.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

« Who was being polled?
Answer that and you'll learn why such polls are not to be relied on. Polling people with a known bias is inherently to be avoided.

While on that, knowing that Wikipedia has a political political bias, who would go to it on such issues? »
.

You didn’t indicate in your previous post which poll you were referring to as having ranked the Biden presidency as “the worst presidency the US has known”. I have no idea which poll you were referring to. As you were the one who posted that, you should be able to find out “who was being polled”, not me.

Every poll I consulted ranked James Buchanan as the worst US president.

Polling is, of course, a serious business and to be valid, needs to follow the rules of strict neutrality and random selection of individuals representative of the population to be surveyed.

I don’t know why you mention Wikipedia. To the best of my knowledge, Wikipedia does not carry out polling.

.

"Still banging on about the electoral college."

Well I thought you'd learned you lesson after that monumental stuff up...but alas, the constitution still bamboozles you.

Go read the 22dn amendment.

"Jeffrey Goldberg has said:"

Oh the chap who fell hook line and sinker for Russiagate and then doubled down by falling hook line and sinker for the Hunter Laptop hoax. Yeah, let's all take notice of what he says!!

Then again Foxy fell for those as well so its no surprise she'd slavishly follow a fellow dupe.

BTW on the laptop hoax, Trump has withdrawn the security clearances of all 51 agents and former agents who perpetrated that hoax. Revenge is sweet.

Also....ceasefire!!

________________________________________________________________

"I don’t know why you mention Wikipedia. To the best of my knowledge, Wikipedia does not carry out polling."

Banjo, you linked to Wikipedia to support your claims. Do try to keep up.

I didn't look for polling on this - its a futile effort since its impossible to get a non-biased poll. I did my own research and reached my own conclusions. I think that's better than running off to Mr Google begging to be told what you want to hear

UPDATE: not 100 Executive Orders but closer to 200 on the first day....

"BREAKING: Donald Trump to sign 200+ executive orders tomorrow.

.... they include:

- Declare emergency at the border + issue proclamation closing the border
- Designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations
- Remain in Mexico....
- Military will be directed to construct new phase of border wall
- Terminate Biden orders on energy drilling restrictions
- Return federal workers to in-person work
- Pause all offshore wind leases
- End DEI hiring practices in the federal government, merit only
- Withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord
- Order every agency to remove all federal actions increasing costs for Americans via deregulation
- Suspend security clearances for the 51 officials who lied about the Hunter Biden 2020 laptop story
- Establish a DOGE "hiring freeze""

mhaze,

Who are you trying to convince - yourself or us?

Chill. Sit back and watch the show tomorrow.

Just trying to keep you informed Foxy since the sources you rely on certainly won't. I think its the least I can do to try to help you make sense of something that is clearly going over your head.

Things are about to get better.... remember its always darkest before the don.

mhaze,

You've certainly earned yourself the-one-of-a-kind
Trumpinator Teddy Bear. Perfect for a Trump supporter.
The Proud Patriots Trumpinator Teddy Bear is sure to put
a smile on your dedicated face.

I'll try to get it for you.

You've earned it.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

1. « Banjo, you linked to Wikipedia to support your claims. »
.

Wikipedia provided a list of polls I indicated for your facility, mhaze.

Naturally, you were free to ignore them and do your own searching. I certainly didn’t mean to orient your research.
.

2. « I didn't look for polling on this - its a futile effort since its impossible to get a non-biased poll. I did my own research and reached my own conclusions »
.

Good for you, mhaze.

I agree that all polls are politically sensitive to a certain degree, but from my experience, the accuracy of the better-known polls has significantly improved over the years, and I consider that, as a barometer of public opinion, they now provide a reasonably good indication of the overall tendencies at a particular point in time.
.

You indicated in your previous post “that Wikipedia has a political bias”. I think that’s probably inevitable given that it’s open to all and sundry for contribution. But because it is constantly open to revision it tends to oscillate a bit before settling down to a position of stability in relative equilibrium.

A study by the Manhatten Institute in June 2024 noted as follows :

« Wikipedia has evolved over the past two decades into an indispensable information resource for millions of users worldwide, amassing over 4 billion visits per month … Findings show that Wikipedia entries are more likely to attach negative sentiment to terms representative of right-leaning political orientation than to their left-leaning counterparts. »

The MediaBias/Fact Check organisation investigated the Manhatten Institute a year earlier, on 23rd June 2023, and found as follows :

« Overall, we rate the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Right Biased based on editorial and policy positions that routinely favor a conservative perspective. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to a lack of transparency with funding, the use of poor sources, and a failed fact check. »

Wikipedia is not perfect, but it provides useful information and areas for further research.

.

There are any number of polls on this issue. I've seen plenty that show completely different orders for best/worst eg some have Reagan as best and I saw one from economists who listed FDR near the bottom because of his Depression policies. The thing about the bias on Wikipedia in these type of issues is that they can be selective as to the ones they use and the ones they disregard. Since Wikipedia is inherently biased to the left, that's why it ought to be taken with a grain of salt.

Wikipedia is very useful. If you want to find out about the mating habits of the African yellow warbler, then its a good starting point. But if you're considering issues the least political, its less useful and needs to be approached with trepidation. Relying on it as definitive is absolutely a no-no.

To see how bias is enacted and consolidated in Wikipedia, look up William Connolley and how he was able to slant the entirety of Wikipedia's stance on climate change. Even though he was finally kicked out as an administrator things have barely improved.

Again, I use Wikipedia all the time. But with eyes wide open and never on matters political.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

1. « There are any number of polls on this issue. I've seen plenty that show completely different orders for best/worst eg some have Reagan as best and I saw one from economists who listed FDR near the bottom because of his Depression policies. »
.

I’m not surprised, mhaze. I don’t recall seeing any two polls that indicated the same president as being the best. But that was not the subject of our discussion.

We were discussing your statement :

« Well, America's nightmare is almost over. In a little over a day, the worst presidency the US has known will finally grind to an unlamented halt and this sorry excuse for a president will be able to retire officially. »

When I checked that out, I don’t think I found a single poll that did not rank James Buchanan, Lincoln's predecessor, as the worst president for his leadership during the build-up to the Civil War.

But not to worry, mhaze, you have every right to your personal opinion. I’m not contesting that. I just wanted to point out that it is just that : your personal opinion – which does not appear to be shared by a majority of Americans.

.

As I predicted months ago, Joe Biden has now issued pardons to his entire crime family. Not pardons for specific crimes, mind you, but a blanket pardon for all crimes committed over the past decade. He had of course issued such a pardon for his son and bag-man Hunter last month, but to ensure the entire crime family was safe he had to give those same pardons to them as well.

Back if 2020 when it was rumoured that Trump would issue pre-emptive pardons to his family (he didn't), Biden was loud in declaring that issuing and accepting such pardons was an admission of guilt. The Biden crime family has now admitted its guilt.

Also pardoned were the entire J6 committee who investigated the January 6 2021 riots and then destroyed all the evidence to try to hide the fact that their conclusions and accusations weren't supported by that evidence. Hilariously Biden gave Liz Cheney the Medal of Freedom last week and then gives her a pardon for her crimes this week.

General Miley was also pardoned for his gross insubordination and likely treason.

And finally and most egregiously, Fauci was pardoned for his crimes. And not just for what he did during the Covid scare but all the way back to 2014. Why 2014? Well, the claims from people like Senator Rand Paul is that it was 2014 that Fauci began research into gain-of-function viruses and then organised for that research to be continued in China (Wuhan) which ultimately led to the Covid virus. That crime is now basically admitted.

These pardons mean that the criminals can't be tried for their crimes. But it doesn't mean they can't be subpoenaed and questions about their activities. And since they are pardoned they can't use the 5th amendment to not answer questions. Expect that at least some of these people to be hauled before Congress and be forced to admit all.

"which does not appear to be shared by a majority of Americans".

Banjo,

that's why I suggested earlier that you check who was being polled. It wasn't average Americans. Most of them would have the foggiest who Buchanan. Struth I've seen polls where 30% of Americans don't even know in which century WW2 occurred.

The people being polled were professional historians, economists, political analysts and the like. But these aren't unbiased professions and most certainly don't represent the average American.

Yes, my opinion was my (informed) opinion. No one else. Rankings like this are always personal opinions. There's no object measure that can be used to finally decide it.

Its like asking who was the greatest tennis player. Ask ten people, get eleven opinions. Same here.

BTW the greatest tennis player was Ken Rosewell. We all know that.. :)

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

« As I predicted months ago, Joe Biden has now issued pardons to his entire crime family. Not pardons for specific crimes, mind you, but a blanket pardon for all crimes committed over the past decade. »
.

Biden has issued pre-emptive pardons not only to his “entire crime family”, mhaze, but also to his “entire family” – presumed innocent, shall we say, until proven guilty.

In issuing the pre-emptive pardons, Biden effectively turned the president’s constitutional power of forgiveness into a protective shield against what he maintains would be politically motivated vengeance.

Biden, of course, is not the first sitting president to pardon a family member; Clinton and Trump both did. Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton for cocaine charges. And a month before leaving office, Trump pardoned his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner.

Kushner was a multimillionaire real estate executive and was sentenced in 2005 to two years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to 18 counts, including tax evasion and making illegal campaign contributions.

Kushner discovered his brother-in-law and former business partner was assisting federal authorities in their investigation and set out for revenge.

He hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law in a New Jersey motel, arranging to have the encounter recorded with a hidden camera. Then, he showed the video to his brother-in-law's wife: Kushner's sister.

U.S. Attorney Chris Christie later declared “it's one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted. And I was U.S. attorney in New Jersey, so we had some loathsome and disgusting crime going on there."

Watching the gold and glitter of the Trump Inauguration Show on TV last night, I felt I was watching the American Pied Piper playing an enchanting tune on his magic flute, leading his exquisitely enraptured, joyful band of followers and the whole American population down to the enticing shores of the vast Atlantic ocean …

With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls
And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after
The wonderful music with shouting and laughter

http://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=pied%20piper%20flute&mid=E7331AE78BE4960507BDE7331AE78BE4960507BD&ajaxhist=0

.

Yep, Trump commuting the sentence of a non-blood relative is totally the same as Biden giving a pre-emptive get-out-of-jail-free pass to all the members of his family who took part in and benefited from the Biden Inc. so as to ensure none of them were put in the position of fingering him.

Totally the same.

Sheesh.

" I felt I was watching the American Pied Piper..."

_______________________________________________________________

BTW....ceasefire.

The Trump age is ushering in a new golden age for the US and those who want to go along for the ride. Shame you're gunna miss it.

All that glitters is not gold.

.

Trump has named his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, Ambassador to France.

.

Kudos MHaze, others. Trump has been vindicated by the US people. But the Woke Marxist's are screaming like Greek harpies. Hopefully we see them for what they are. It's been a pleasure seeing Trump sign the orders, shutting the border within minutes, amazing, everything I'd hoped. But we have to find new shores to conquer, new goals to protect our future. Remember the harm that the Democrats have caused. Remember that the Woke Marxist's still control the universities, the media, and many institutions. We must conquer them with the American people for the common wealth. Never Democrats again. Make America Great Again is here, God bless America. We have four years, it isn't much time to do the impossible, but we can.

America is in regression
Moving backwards into the past
When the power of white supremacy
Was so very, very, vast

When racial hatred was fueled for profit
Lining the silks of the white man's pocket
We need to believe that things can change
That American democracy shouldn't be short-changed

The American democracy, though bruised and trampled
Can once again become unscrampled
Let's restore America to what it should be
A world-wide democracy to its full degree

Donald Trump's American democracy just launched a coloured revolution in Slavokia, but it was somewhat expected.

A Coming Colour Revolution in Slovakia?
http://english.almayadeen.net/articles/analysis/a-coming-colour-revolution-in-slovakia

Democracy Digest: Fico Warns of ‘Slovak Maidan’ Opposition Coup
http://balkaninsight.com/2025/01/24/democracy-digest-fico-warns-of-slovak-maidan-opposition-coup/

Zelensky confirmed that he had offered money to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
http://eadaily.com/en/news/2024/12/24/zelensky-confirmed-that-he-had-offered-money-to-slovak-prime-minister-robert-fico

'Enough of Fico' — Slovaks flood the streets in nationwide anti-government protests
http://kyivindependent.com/enough-of-fico-slovakia-sees-nationwide-protests-against-pm-government/

Reminds me of this:
"MUST WATCH: Nov 2013 (pre-Maidan!): Ukraine Deputy has proof of USA staging civil war in Ukraine".
http://youtu.be/y9hOl8TuBUM

This is what happens to your country if you defy the empire.
Kneel or be overthrown, this is the collective West.
Watch The Lion King - Take note of Scar and the Hyenas