The widespread protests against Trump are unprecedented. Yet also curious. His actions (as opposed to what he has said) are fairly typical for an incoming Republican President. George W Bush entered office under a cloud of a rigged election but did not generate the outright hostility that Trump has. For me there is just one explanation - hostility to Trump has nothing to do with politics but everything to do with Trump himself. At a party Trump is the sort of person that you would steer clear of. The problem is that his policies are entangled with his personality and the danger is that in rejecting his personality people may also end up rejecting the need to address some of the real problems that attracted voters to him.

Putin liked his personality when voting and a Trump calendar should be on every frig door. "Vladimir Putin appears shirtless yet again in a bizarre new calendar that's titled "All Year With The President Of Russia."

The Russian President fishes bare-chested in one of the snaps from the 2016 edition. But the political strongman also shows his sensitive side. There are photographs of him sniffing a flower and cuddling up to a dog. "Dogs and I have very warm feelings for one another," he's quoted as saying in the caption.

Other words of wisdom include the thankful, "I like all Russian women. I think Russian women are the most talented and the most beautiful."

No matter what Trump does he will go down in
history. The only hope lies in the political
constraints that Congress and the Courts can
place on him. Hopefully, before too long
Mr Trump will realise
that he's not running a TV show but a country.
Perhaps his daughter should tell him. He might
listen to her.

I really can't believe some of you people.

The choice was between a proven criminal, & complete failure, & a successful businessman.

Trump is doing exactly what he promised he'd do. He is actually dumping thousands of useless bureaucrats, & so far has done nothing that is not good for the average yank.

Thank god for Trump & Brexit. Now lets get rid of our waffler, & get someone who can do the same here. Go Pauline, just keep it simple love, & don't try to expand too fast.

Good to have a civil discussion with you Paul, I am not the enemy, rather the messenger.

So by your own admission, the staff gets paid an extra 20c (gross) on Sunday, yet the owner is paid 20c less. Doesn't make sense in any fair minded arrangement.

I would also suggest the guru who came up with the 20cents, simply took the time it takes to make a coffee and divided it into the hourly rate.

The trouble is many so called gurus have never set foot outside their office, because if they did they would realise that in order to make a coffee, one first needs to order the ingredients, unload same and store when the arrive, that's after checking the order, turn the ingredients into the coffee, clean the machine, service the machine, the list goes on.

The real cost of that $3.50 coffee is more like one dollar, because after all, 32 cents is Gst.

At the end of the day wages and conditions are about fairness, and for one party to be paid double on a Sunday, (staff) while the other pay that extra (boss) is simply unfair..

As for a barristor working for $21 per hour, I suggest very few 'good ones' work for that, but then most good ones run their own show.

But this is not about wages, its about cash money and why it is paid and so long as big brother holds the stick, little will change and this is because business owners risk their houses in many cases and will do what ever it required to save them, even if this means breaking the law.

." get someone who can do the same here. Go Pauline.."
Hope you don't mean trade barriers to China to stop it dumping cheap coal and iron ore in Oz. Then again, it could refill the open-cut mine canyons to be sent back at a profit. A wall is OK for sharks , stingers crocs and kiwis.

Baygon,

There are many people who would not 'avoid Trump at a party'; starting with the millions of Americans who voted for him. But what you do not make clear in your title, "Why is Trump Different" is - different from what? He is certainly different from Obama, Clinton and the Bush clan. And, that's why he is now U.S president. Voters wanted someone different from that lot. If something isn't working, as was bleeding obvious with all Trump's predecessors, you try something different. Trump is very different. Does it matter why?

ttbn - the reason I posed the question is simply that the hostility that Trump is generating is unprecedented - yet his policies are, by and large, the sort of policies that you would expect from a Republican President. Moreover Republicans should be happy because he delivered them both the House and the Senate. So under any other president the Democrats would have accepted the change and the Republicans would have been keen to get on with the job. Yet this is not happening. Anyone who reads reports from the USA will discover that there are Republicans and Democrats who do not want him at any price. The only thing that really makes Trump different is his personality. Anyone who is familiar with USA history will know that there have been other presidents with similar policies where he is a genuine outlier lies in the fact that he is the first president who has not been able to create even a semblance of unity.

".... reason I posed the question is simply that the hostility that Trump is generating is unprecedented "

Unprecedented?
No one has tried to murder him yet, can't say the same for some of his predecessors.

Nix on Nixon he was down to 25% in 1974 and had peaches thrown at him.

Oops, wrong thread. Go Trumpy!

Over the last 100 years we've become very familiar with the rhetoric and body language of dictators. We've seen films of real ones and of even more fictional ones (with rhetoric and body language exaggerated) in movies and on TV. We've also seem film of the mass response to dictators. Donald Trump exhibits many of these behavioural and verbal traits. Just two examples that I've found disturbing (apart from his style at rallies): Trump looming intimidatingly behind Clinton in one of the debates, and the narcissistic petulance over the issue of how many people voted or attended the inauguration.
Now I'm not suggesting that Donald Trump is or will be a dictator, the checks and balances of the American government system should prevent that. But we are acutely aware of the style, the rhetoric, the body language etc. and we know how seductive that is to some, not necessarily because they are bad people, but often because they are looking for a saviour. They hear the promises, but ignore the undercurrent, even though in other circumstances they would pick up on it in an instant (in other words I don't think they are stupid, just human).
We know what this pattern has often led to in the past, and it makes sense to be afraid, or at the very least wary, especially if you are in a category that has been on the receiving end of the rhetoric.
What I have trouble evaluating is whether this style just 'is' Donald Trump, or whether it is deliberately adopted; there's evidence either way. I'm not sure which of these possibilities is worse: that he doesn't consciously know how his behaviour is read, or he does know and is laying it on intentionally. A bigger risk than the US protestors is how other countries will read it and react, given that many of them have had much greater experience with home-grown dictators, their own or their next-door-neighbours. In some respects USA is quite naïve in this matter, only dealing with dictators at a distance, and never having had one of their own.

BAYGON:

"the hostility that Trump is generating is unprecedented"

Maybe the hostility has nothing to do with Trump and everything to do the fact that those who believe in democracy have been caught out. They mistook privelege for democracy and they are very bitter and embarrassed that such is not the case.

It is not hostility towards Trump but an attempt to divest themselves of responsibility for a situation for which they are responsible. They have tried every trick in the book to shift the ultimate blame away from themselves.

The more evil you paint Trump the more you hope to avoid attention on yourself. The aggression and rage is not hostility towards Trump but towards themselves.

No, Phanto.

I'm not American, I don't mistake privilege for democracy. I'm not trying to divest myself of responsibility or shift the blame. I'm not hostile towards myself.

But Trump scares me to hell, and I'm glad some people are standing up to him.

Still, I tend towards ridicule rather than violence as the best method to handle people who scare me. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELD2AwFN9Nc.

The president is effectively a constitutional monarch not a prime minister in the House. Similar to George III bless his socks. Loopy George was a winner , he thought, like the elected candidate A Hitler who moved smoothly from democracy to sieg heil.

Re link in last email:
Try Youtube: The Netherlands welcomes Trump in his own words.

Trump is a Dutch mole. The Dutch navy almost beat the British and William of Orange in 1689 took over and Dutch owned west Australia after Dirk Hartog 1616. They backed the US revolution with a conspiracy for Washington-Amsterdam axis built on Pilbara iron-ore.
New York is New Amsterdam.

Cossomby:

I directed my post to BAYGON who spoke of hostility towards Trump. My comments are in relation to those who are hostile towards Trump. I did not detect hostility in your comments so it does not apply to you.

You say though that he scares you and you think the best way to deal with that is to resort to ridicule. This is not a very mature way to respond to the feeling of fear. If he really scares you then the best thing is to try and get him out of office. There is not point in talking about him - you have to lend all your power to action that would bring about his impeachment. You cannot impeach someone on the grounds that they scare you so you will have to focus on what he does which could have him impeached. Any speculation is just a sheer waste of energy. It is this futile attempt to try and turn fantasy into reality that characterises so much opposition to him so far.

Action is what is required to calm your fears and if you are not prepared to act then you are not really that scared and we should dismiss such claims as emotional manipulations.

" If he really scares you then the best thing is to try and get him out of office. There is not point in talking about him - you have to lend all your power to action that would bring about his impeachment."
No way, Pauline holds the balance of power and will block a Greens Xenophon impeachment bill.

Phanto, not being a US citizen, those avenues are not open to me.

But I do believe that ridicule and humour are quite a mature way of dealing with things. Just imagine, if enough people in Germany had laughed at Hitler's posings! Humour is just the first step - gets your mind balanced and then you can go on and take serious, carefully thought out action.

As an Australian, I can't do anything about Trump himself. But I can encourage Australians not to get to carried away and think that a Trump clone would solve out problems.

Baygon,

Unprecedented reactions, yes, from people stunned by the fact that Trump's policies are NOT what you would expect from a Republican President. Voters would probably have accepted the ousting of the very tired Democrats by one of the failed Republican candidates who, like all professional politicians making up the political class all over the free world, would have been too lazy and unimaginative to offer anything but the same tired old policies they and the Democrats have been getting away with for years. Professional politicians and idealogical supporters are not interested in change or what is best for their country; they are interested only in the bare necessities that will get them into government. With the two party system, they are content to take turn and turn about with their opponents. It's not bad being in opposition for a while and, the parties being what they are, there will be no temporary changes they can't live with. We in Australia really know there is not much difference between our two parties, and we can live with either of them. The same applies to America. But, in America, along came Trump, a non-politician, not talking the standard polly-speak, not trained or cowed by the political system, and not interested in politics at all: just wanting to cut through the traditional bull dust and put things right. He frightened the bejesus out of born-to-rulers, including those in the GOP; in fact, the Republican party was just as, if not more, disparaging of Trump than were the Democrats. Trump ripped their smug certainty right away from them. The could not, still cannot, accept that the people who count – voters, particularly workers and the middle class, grabbed a once in a lifetime chance to be heard.

Cont...

...cont

I agree that the Republicans 'should' be pleased, but the fact that are they are not reveals the awful truth about the professional political class. It's all about them, them, them. Trump, if he does nothing else, has show the world just what self-serving, disreputable people career politicians really are.

He came in like Clive Palmer , owing no funding and no obligations.
Clive said whatever he felt like whenever whatever. For a while it was sunshine then ended in tears.

Trump's real name is, of course, Zaphod Beeblebrox.

The green blob, & the left are terrified of Trump, because the yanks now have a president who means to do what he promised.

He is going to clean out all the US equivalent of our quangos. Those useless organisations that have become totally filled with lefty bureaucrats.

He is going to clean out all those useless "research" organisations, filled with incompetent "scientists", that have spread like a cancer through out the education & public sector. Hence the "scientists" march.

He is going to hold bureaucrats responsible, & close down their little fiefdoms.

The lazy establishment, grown fat & bloated under many administrations is about to get a thorough kicking, right where they deserve it, & don't like the idea.

He has the advantage of seeing Tony Abbott try to please the blob, only to be denigrated no matter how good his efforts. Trump is not going to make that mistake. He is going to attack the lot of them, & the cheering crowd will grow as he does.

I was disgusted with the puerile media attacks on Trump in 2 media news programs tonight, & I don't ever watch the totally disgusting ABC. They are so rattled they are becoming even more incompetent. You can almost see them foaming at the mouth, so rabid have they become. It is them looking stupid, & will look more so the longer they try this rubbish.

The model is now displayed for someone, Tony, Pauline, or a new player to use to discredit our media. I think I can actually see the beginning of the demise of our ABC in Trump & his disdain for over opinionated media folk.

That is why Trump is different, & oh so important to our future.

//Trump's real name is, of course, Zaphod Beeblebrox.//

How dare you compare our most illustrious President of the Galaxy to the barely evolved creature known as 'The Trump'. Zaphod, like myself, is from a small planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse - and we're all highly offended by any comparisons between a hoopy frood like Zaphod and a poorly disguised Vogon impostor wearing a bad wig.

Still, he's mostly harmless.

Cossomby:

Yeah, Hitler was such a sensitive guy I am sure he would have taken up water colours if only someone had the smarts to have laughed at him.

Hey BAYGON,
The reason hostility towards Trump seems unprecedented is because the US has largely been sold out by a corrupt establishment in support of globalism to an unelected corporate fascist world government.
What you need to understand that this was no 'normal' election.
The US was at a crossroads, and with it the future of the free world.
Literally everything was at stake.
It was historical.

If Hillary had've won there would've been a mandate towards the liberal left, they'd have chosen Supreme Court Judge to replace Scalia and passed their legislation. They'd have legitimised immigrants (amnesty's) made legal sanctuary cities (ensuring their continued election), continued with Soros Open Borders agenda as well as the North American Union, Removed Gun Rights (disarming the public), cracked down on free speech and gone after independent media and veterans, continued to export the jobs running the middle class into the ground and continue to polarize the country with race baiting, bringing in a surveillance state and making the nation total slaves before an inevitable economic collapse that would bring in martial law and foreign UN troops.

Armed and patriotic US citizens are all that stands in between the globalists ending the US as we know it and largely achieving their globalist plans.
They can't achieve their plans for world government unless they wrest control of the US entirely from it's citizens and disarm them, as well as tearing up the constitution and their rights.

Trumps electoral win showed that the patriotic citizens drew a line in the sand and they weren't willing to take any more rot from a political class that weren't doing anything to look out for them.

The outcome is that there's now a mandate (with Brexit) for Nationalism, and the globalist's world government plans (with Trumps initiatives) has taken a potential death blow.

Nationalism is now rising and Globalism is declining, and rather than getting their world government they spent so much time planning and trying to implement they may instead get a kind of renaissance where the people rise up and support true freedom and liberty instead...

A lot of people really don't understand what just happened with the US election.

I try to tell everyone that President Clinton changed the media laws himself allowing consolidation of the media into the 5 or 6 large corporations existing today.

The Clinton's built it. They own it.

Some have concerns that Trumps speaks and acts like a dictator and this causes unease.
I suggest that people try to remain optimistic because even if this was true (and I don't believe it is) there's just as much likeliness that he could be a 'good' dictator as there is that he'd be a 'bad' one.
I don't support everything Trump does but given the times and the situation I'm willing to put my trust and hope in him.

I think the way he speaks and acts is more of the way he sees himself as a 'businessman who negotiates deals'.
The Art of the Deal.
So when he makes big and seemingly over the top statements, it may actually be a form of tough negotiation.

Like when you go to buy a car (and not caring if you buy it or not) and the first offer you make is so low its almost insulting, and then you work back from this position to eventually come to an agreement that ends up with you getting an exceptionally good deal (if that person also wants to make a deal).

Trumps making good on his promises so far, he's quite possibly done more in his first week than Obama achieved his entire Presidency.

The Clinton's were largely running a criminal cartel under the the facade of the memory of the good and moral nation the US supposedly used to be.
The allegations made on the following link (including other videos on the authors channel) must be seen for oneself to be appreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMjlRg0pEa4

I don't understand why people seemingly want to see Trump fail, if only to satisfy their own egos, and to say "I told you so."
Do you really want Trump and the United States including all it's citizens to fail?

I have to admit that I didn't take seriously Trump's claim that the Mexicans would pay for his wall. But, they are indeed going to pay for the wall via a 20% levy on all their exports to the U.S. Mexico cannot decline to sell to the U.S: they need the income, and 20% is a piddling amount for what they gain from the trade. Trump is a genious.

Didn't you see that one coming ttbn?
I figured he'd pull some sneaky move like this saying if you don't pay for the wall, we'll just charge you more in trade tarifs, border entry fees, and bill you for the cost of illegals caught in our country as well.

Risky kind of move; considering Mexican President Nieto has already skitz'ed out publicly saying "I'm not paying for that f-ing wall".

These leaders reputations are at stake and someone is going to have to blink first.
Mexican President may look weak and lose power, but realistically has no choice but to concede - other than war, which would be foolish of course.

Rex Tillerson's statements have been rather concerning.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/11/rex-tillerson-us-response-russia-crimea-seizure-wa/

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-13/paul-keating-accuses-us-of-threatening-australia-with-war/8181160

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-southchinasea-idUSKBN1572M4

"Yeah, Hitler was such a sensitive guy I am sure he would have taken up water colours if only someone had the smarts to have laughed at him."
His water colour art was boring. If everyone at the big parades did the finger-moustache and flappy hand wave he'd either 1) turn red and run 2) send in the lads with bayonets.

Someone mentioned Congress and the courts. Congress is like the Roman Senate, where Caligula made his horse a member. Does The Donald own a horse? or a cow or a chicken. Can a chicken be made a judge? No matter.

What is this about $17 billion for a wall, isn't there a secondhand wall going cheap on 'Gumtree' one that's no longer wanted by the Berliners'. Besides if The Donald builds a wall, how will all those unemployed Americans reach the promised land of Lebensfrohe to the south? Oh! that's right there will be no unemployed they will be too busy building walls.

Has the Reichstag burned down yet? Is Mexico a suspect?

We can only thank God, that God's an American, otherwise we would be in real trouble with The Donald leading the Free World. Opps, God is mow working for The Donald, as a consultant presenting the alternate facts, sorry about that.

He is more impressive now after meeting Theresa May without grabbing compared with fellow TV presenter Rolf Harris.

Re "The Wall" and who will pay for it, how does placing a tariff on Mexican imports cost Mexico other than making its products less competitive in the US market?

It's the American consumer that pays for the wall through tariffs, making Trump's promise a broken one. And is it even a wall, or just a fence?

BTW, Mexicans are excellent tunnellers.

The latest news in 'The Muck Rack Daily' as reported by that pair of prize winning investigative jurno's Miles Goodfly, and Heath Ashbum, Miles and Heath are regular prize winners, having just last night carried off the major prize of a tray of rump at the Bowling Club meat raffle. This is a scoop by Miles and Heath, so you wont find it anywhere else.

The Lads reported that the contract for the Taco Wall (that's what they are calling it now) has been awarded to the Chinese, seems they are experienced in wall building. Australia was the front runner for the deal, until General Brassbottom from the Pentagon reported to the Commander In Chief that Australia was actually a fence builder, not a wall builder. the alternate facts say different, we built the Ding Wall! PM Turnballs dispatched our newest Minister the Rev Fred Bile from NSW, special minister for walls and fences, to Washington to see what he could do. Unfortunate the Rev Fred was deemed a security risk, and deported to Mexico.

Here is the link for the above sensational news
wwwwww, stinkypress..dot.. comedy.hayou

If that link don't work try google and find it yourself.

"BTW, Mexicans are excellent tunnellers."
Cocaine imports , before tariffs and tax hikes on coke franchises profits, into US were about 300 tons , now dropped to 100 tons . A starving Mexican at 50kg wet would fit into a coke package giving a gross import of 2000 per year. With Trump's boom/bust economy and executive stress , imports of Mexicans may again reach 300 tons , hair on, average quality.

NNN, is the rumor true that The Donald plans to introduce a one peso tax on every Mexican entering Texas to pay for the 'Taco Wall' its called the Mex-Tex-Tax!

Yes it's true the rumor says that. There will be 382,784 tech jobs max for Mex to make the Tex tax after Taco take-away on the fence defence.

Paul1405:

We get that you are clever but why not channel that cleverness into something positive?

If you do not like what you believe Trump is going to do to America and the world then why not do something to stop him. Why not donate your gifts to the Democrats to help them form a strong and viable opposition?

It just looks like your real objective is to show off and draw attention to yourself rather than contribute to the making of a better society.

Cost of Election
Cycle Total Cost of Election Presidential Race
2016* $6,917,636,161 $2,651,122,110.
57 million voted. As this was $120 per vote with Putin for free the bludger and the supreme court allowed the gangster hero to get Obama's front door key then what do the Democrats , Trump or Graham Young care about OLO opinions and just what does phanto plan to do to
explode the Oval Office?

nicknamenick:

So what's your excuse then?

I uphold liberty freedom red-neck flag small-government government-infrastructure British election law and order Yank populist 9 days on the job impeachment mob-rule imploding Oval Office.

Rather obvious interference by billionaire currency dealer George Soros in US domestic politics and the domestic politics of other countries.

Be on the lookout for his 'Open Society' and other sly, covert, political manipulation.

<George Soros-Financed Groups Scheme to Stop Trump’s Temporary Refugee Halt Order

TEL AVIV — Immigration lawyers from groups financed by billionaire George Soros, a champion of open border policies, were signatories to a lawsuit filed Saturday to block President Donald Trump’s executive order halting visas for 90 days for “immigrants and non-immigrants” from Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Iran, and Iraq.
The executive order further suspended the entry of all refugees for 120 days, indefinitely blocks Syrian refugees from entering and lowers the ceiling to 50,000 for refugees allowed to enter the U.S. during Fiscal Year 2017 .
..

The suit was filed by lawyers from the International Refugee Assistance Project, the National Immigration Law Center, the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the International Refugee Assistance Project (formerly Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project) at the Urban Justice Center.

The ACLU is massively funded by Soros’s Open Society Foundations, including with a $50 million grant in 2014.

The National Immigration Law Center has received numerous Open Society grants earmarked for general support.

The Urban Justice Center is also the recipient of an Open Society grant.>
http://tinyurl.com/jxe6m8z

Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump grew up in log cabins hoeing the corn and eating rabbit. Now the foreign money guys with 2 cheque books and finger rings are trying to corrupt the fine upstanding non-Muslim justices with swanky lawyers in suits and cell phones. Bring in the hound dogs and get em with buckshot.

phanto, Who is "we", I take it you are using it as the royal singular, and like Queen Victoria "we are not amused" Oh! so serious, no need my friend, laughter is a great leveler.

"Why not donate your gifts to the Democrats to help them form a strong and viable opposition?"

Are they the opposition, or just another head on the same beast? I have as much desire to change America's "democracy" as I do have in changing the "democracy" of Swaziland.

As for Donald Trump, it may be cynical of me, but I do find him a far greater comedian than I. A real Groucho Marx, minus the cigar, but unfortunately he is carrying a rather large "loaded gun".

As for this forum being a means to "contribute to the making of a better society." I very much doubt that, however you and others may think differently.

Now Adolf trump is defying the judges on immigration and may call on his heartlands supporters to back him. The English-speaking countries are giving their finest hours to announce they will fight the dark clouds on the beaches , streets and hills with sweat and tears. Blonde Trump is the master of his race.

nicknamenick, What a racist remark! Debate by using reason not colour of hair or spoken language as many dark haired persons speak English.

You have said nothing but emotive bigotry.

He has blonde hair and has a race : "class of persons with some common feature " ( the race of poets, dandies etc)." Of the English speaking countries , it is a fine hour and they will fight in France and fight on the beaches which has nothing to do with Coogee where some surfies are blonde , some not or are bald.

"The widespread protests against Trump are unprecedented." is nonsense. There have much more serious protests against an elected president in US history. One example is the Civil War where part of the United States withdrew to form a new country and wage war against the rest of the United States. Compared to the Civil War the protests against Trump are trivial.

You feel the Vietnam flower-power protests were a war and the Confederate troops walked with cardboard signs ? Then Trump is not as bad as civil war? as they say , "faint praise".

“phanto, Who is "we",”

We are all those you impress with your cleverness. I don’t think I am the only one. You are clever and we can see that you are clever.

The point is why you go to all that trouble to be clever. If you have a political opinion then why not simply express it in ordinary everyday language. If it is a good opinion then it will stand on its own merits. If it is logical and reasonable then people will take it on board. It doesn’t get any more logical or reasonable when you shroud it with your cleverness.

Political positions should be taken because the argument itself is good and not because of the way in which it is presented. We should not be swayed by your cleverness but by your logic. When you resort to cleverness it is reasonable to presume that you are trying to hide a poor argument since there is no good reason for the cleverness.

“As for this forum being a means to "contribute to the making of a better society." I very much doubt that, however you and others may think differently.”

Yes, I think we do.

" Why not donate your gifts to the Democrats to help them form a strong and viable opposition?"
Democrats are a proud , simple people moving into the modern world with education, improved crops and water taps in most villages. Their traditional donkey party has for the most part been a step towards self government as we in the more advanced levels are used to seeing.
With firm resolve to improve their emails and our boat-people the bright future of strength and viability awaits.

The reason many are so vociferous in their condemnation of Trump
is that he is calling out the proponents of "identity politics".
So all the lgbtiasdfg, sex id, racial etc etc offended groups are all
screaming out at once. Even the pro islam useful idiots are in tune.

They now understand that we "deplorables" are making fun of them.
It is a classic case of the bullies being bullied !

Watch and enjoy !

Notice the high number of young women protesters in the demos ?
Why is it young women are so attracted to supporting moslems ?
Are they ignorant of the position of women under sharia or is
it a need to have firm strong willed men, rather than some of
the limp wristed men that they meet these days ?

It's great after all the years of bitch women grabbing men by the painful parts that now they're being called out. Trump has suffered years of testicular border invasion and extreme organ terror.

Development in Canada:
Terrorist attack on a mosque in Quebec. A number killed.
There will be a gnashing of teeth and even Trump will be blamed.

It really is a case of "As you sow, so shall you reap".

I just wonder if it is not a response to the attacks in Paris ?

leoj

You were the only one to pick up on the mass demonstrations against Trump.
Nobody on the forum has questioned just who has orchestrated the rallies against his decrees. Let's face it, people don't come together in such huge numbers by accident. Ergo, it stands to reason there are organisers.
Soros's NGO's are worldwide, and he was a staunch supporter of [ not Democrats per se] but Clinton. Makes one wonder. doesn't it?
Obviously the people at the rallies don't realise how they are being manipulated. These attacks on Trump are not confined to immigration, but embrace every thing the Democratics threw at him during the presidential campaign. And where is coverage of his pro Trump supporters rallies?

leoj

Just watched an interview with the foreign minister of Hungary. Soros is using his NGO's to influence that country too in an effort to 'bring them to heel'. He truly is the man in the shadows who presents an enormous threat to those he can't control to do his bidding. It will be an ongoing David and Goliath battle between Trump and Soros. I hope Trump is strong enough to weather this attack.

Hi phanto, good morning.

I am not out to impress anyone with cleverness, nor do I want to offend, but that can be unavoidable at times, particularly on a political forum such as this, with members often having strong diametrically opposed opinions, and expressing them, politics requires a thick skin. If I had not chosen the tag I have, I would have chosen "armadillo" as I believe it would be descriptive of me. I sometimes find the comments on the forum, although informative of individuals opinions, somewhat staid, predictable and lackluster at times. Everyone has their own style of posting, and it probably reflects their personality to some degree. I am not sure if you are an Australian, or an American, I took the latter from your advice that I should do something for the US Democratic Party. Australia, has a tradition of cynicism towards politicians, and that extrapolates to a practice of lampooning, and they are seen as fair game in that department. America may be somewhat different, particularly towards Presidents, some are held in saintly admiration: GW, AL, FDR and JFK to name four. I don't know if The Donald will ever reach such a lofty pedestal, I doubt it, but ask me again in fifty years.

I do no believe you intentionally wanted to me to conform to a set of posting parameters, set by you in the form of advice. Your comments to me very much had that as the objective, with "why not" and "should be's" evident. As a libertarian I would not postulate that the setting of any constraints on what you post, and in what style, are necessary. Others, such as the moderator, may see that differently, I have always tried to keep within the rules, but have not always been successful, so be it.

I will not argue with your last comment; "Yes, I think we do" other that to say, "No, I think I don't". I do not presume to speak for others.

" Let's face it, people don't come together in such huge numbers by accident."
You got it. Putin's smart but has a large organisation which we saw worked smoothly to get his Donald in. IS is learning fast , they need to, but still it's impressive they had so many on the streets. But women and lesbians are easily led and used to follow Trump when he showed his hand.

People don't come together in such large numbers by accident? Someone (evil Mr Soros, nice Mr Putin) is orchestrating it?

Hey guys, haven't you heard of the internet, the thing you're posting your comments on? Or smart phones? Or Facebook? Or Pokemon? Or flash crowds?

No-one needs a puppet-master to organise this. The people do it themselves. You feel angry at Trump, you post a protest on-line, or you go on-line to find one. It's real easy!

I googled 'Trump protests England where to go' and got this: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/donald-trump-protests-full-list-9720634r, for today, a list of about 40 demos throughout England and Scotland, with time and place, many with links to Facebook pages.

I couldn't find a similar extensive list for Australia, but Facebook tells me, for example, that #NoBanNoWall is organising a protest on Friday 3rd outside the State Library, Swanston Street, Melbourne 5.30-7pm. (It will be 12–27° Sunny).

PS Trump was clear - 'the people' voted for him. Problem is that there's another 'the people' the ones who are protesting.

Pope Benedict is on the dark internet and organises pro-Trump comments on forums. He is organised by Soros who wants to discredit Trump by false reasoning.

News that Trump has fired his acting Attorney General because in her opinion his immigration rules were unconstitutional. Sacked for not going against the laws she had sworn to uphold.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-idUSKBN15E1DE

But it was the wording in the White House press release regarding her dismissal which is so disturbing;

"has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States”

and;

"Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration,".

So obviously dictated by Trump and so evidently childish and spiteful.

Die Strasse frei dem Sturmabteilungsmann
(The street is free for the Storm Troopers.)
Es schau’n auf’s Hackenkreuz voll Hoffung schon Millionen
(Millions full of hope, look at our swastika)
Der Tag fur Freiheit und fur Brot bricht an
(The day breaks for freedom and for bread.)
Zum letzen Mal wird nun Appell geblasen
(For the last time the call will now be sounded)
Zum Kampfe steh’n wir alle schon bereit
(For the struggle now we all stand ready.)
Die Knechtschaft dauert nur mehr kurze Zeit
(Our slavery will last only a short time longer.)

“Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it, 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read, 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty — to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”

Abraham Lincoln, Speeches and Writings, 1832-1858

Thanks Steele. Interesting that he didn't consider women! All men are created equal (not counting women).

Reminds me of that old howler from an ancient biology textbook: 'Man is a mammal and suckles his young'. The source of this is actually Alfred Wallace 1889. Man: "the mode of suckling his young classes him as a mammal".

All men are created equal..YES.
I just won the tennis!

Russia has voted 90 to 3 to decriminalize domestic violence. Obviously women are not equal in Russia.

Paul1405:

“I sometimes find the comments on the forum, ... somewhat staid, predictable and lackluster at times.”

The point of the forum as I would see it is not to amuse. If you want to amuse others then there are far more appropriate places to do that. I think the forum is meant to be a place where people come to try and find a consensus about the best way to organise our society. Several situations are thrown up by nature and the act of living together which present problems. The way we approach these problems is a measure of our intelligence and humanity and our dignity as human beings.

Now more than at any time in history we need to be at our best. We need to be serious when seriousness is required and amusing when it is appropriate. Using a serious forum to get laughs cheapens that forum and sets back the path to solving the problems we have. It is not a contribution to be proud of.

“Australia, has a tradition of cynicism towards politicians, and that extrapolates to a practice of lampooning, and they are seen as fair game...”

Yes we do have that tradition but it is nothing to be proud of. We look like buffoons when we resort to that. Perhaps it is time for Australia to further grow up and contribute our best qualities to world debate.

I am not trying to get you to conform. I have absolutely no control over you so it would be pointless to try. However I am entitled to make an appeal to you to try and maintain the purpose of the forum. It is only my view of the purpose of the forum and maybe I am wrong but I am fairly certain that its purpose is not to amuse or to seek affirmation of one’s cleverness and to get cheap laughs. If that is what you truly want then I think you are in the wrong place. You should either go to the right place or stop doing what you are doing.

//Russia has voted 90 to 3 to decriminalize domestic violence. Obviously women are not equal in Russia.//

Yep... and your good mate Trump is best buddies with Putin. Then again, he also thinks it's acceptable to sexually assault women. Real charming bloke.

// I think the forum is meant to be a place where people come to try and find a consensus about the best way to organise our society.//

Nah, phanto, no disrespect but I think you've got the wrong end of the stick on this one. The forum is just a place to hang out and chew the fat; there is no right or wrong way to contribute as long you don't flagrantly violate the rules - some bending of the rules is allowed, because that's the Australian way. And there is no rule against taking the piss.

Pure rhetoric has long been accepted as part of political discussion, and satire, parody, irony and other forms of comic expression are also accepted as valid forms of political discussion. You may not appreciate Paul's humour, and let's face it, he's no Shaun Micallef... although he does occasionally get a grin out of me.

I appreciate your commitment to logical argument. You always speak clearly, concisely and effectively. But I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing if people other people approach the conversation differently. Indeed, I welcome it. When all think alike, then nobody is really thinking at all.

//You should either go to the right place or stop doing what you are doing.//

I reckon he already is in the right place, and he should keep it up.

President Trump has hailed no different ideas that President Clinton or Obarma; it is just that he acted on his word. Immigration has got out of control it is affecting American born citizens opportunities for work.
See: https://www.facebook.com/numbersusa/?fref=nf

Sheesh, phanto! Who died and made you moderator? Certainly not Graham.

But since you're busy moderating anyway, how about you start moderating people you don't agree with too? You'd come across as a bit more sincere that way.

...or do agree with, even.

Trump is no different except he acts on his Word.
See: http://dailycaller.com/2016/09/02/flashback-bill-clinton-says-in-1995-what-trump-says-today-on-immigration/

Thanks Toni, "he's no Shaun Micallef" yeah! but he gets paid, and has a team of 400 script writers, I do it for nothing, all my own material, I am more a Magda Szubanski, people often flatter me by saying I am the dead spit of Magna's character Sharon, even the way I talk and dress. When I speak they will say "Yeah, right Sharon!" very flattering. That's just because I have put on weight and got a new hair style, and I don't look and sound like Norman Gunston anymore. However I model myself on one of Australia's finest polititions, Sir Les Patterson no less. I throw this quote of Sir Les's at my partner from time to time; "New Zealand is a country of 30,000 million sheep, 3 million of whom think they are human!" Love Brian Doyle and John Clarke as well.

Seven years ago when I joined the forum there was a Raving Right Wing Ratbag posting. Through careful lefty persuasion, logical argument and rational debate I do believe I was able to convert him to Communism. Met him by chance the other day, he told me it was through my efforts on the forum, that convinced him to take the plunge and join the Nazi Party! See another success.

"I am not trying to get you to conform. I have absolutely no control over you". True phanto, but if you did you would make a whole lot of new rules.

You may not see it in your post but put simply; what you present is this kind of thing:

Non Binding rule 163: The Forum is not to amuse. (If you want to amuse others, then leave)

If you were in control non binding rule 163 would simply become binding rule 163.

As a Libertarian I can't agree, thanks anyway, good oh, I'll take it all on board. from me end of the discussion on posting.

Paul1405:

“True phanto, but if you did you would make a whole lot of new rules.”

Why don’t you just respond to the reality of what I am doing rather than some far-fetched hypothetical situation that cannot possibly happen without the co-operation of the owners of the site? I think there is more than enough to consider in what I have already done.

“I'll take it all on board”

You haven’t taken it on board if you try and present a hypothetical situation as reality.

AJ Phillips:

“Sheesh, phanto! Who died and made you moderator?”

Why do you ask? Is it because you care about the quality and integrity of the forum or do you just care about what I do?

"Russia has voted 90 to 3 to decriminalize domestic violence. Obviously women are not equal in Russia"

That is not so is it? Headlines need to be examined a little more closely.

quote
"Dubbed the “slapping law” by Russian press, the bill relates to”violent actions causing injuries which do not require hospital treatment or cause the victim to require sick leave from work.” These “less serious injuries” if committed as a first offense, would be qualified “as administrative – rather than criminal – offences,” according to BBC News. For that first offense, you could be fined, or have to do community service, but no jail time or criminal charges.

Subsequent incidents could still be considered criminal, however."

While all violence is abhorrent, where the assault is a first offence and in is relatively minor it may be sensible not to gaol and create a long-lasting criminal record that affects employment. What are the predictors for future behaviour as opposed to automatic gaol? Note that they DO NOT get off Scott free but the penalty is different.

Is all DV (and the offenders) the same, simply part of the one continuum? Or can early intervention and counselling in the majority of incidents dramatically power the prospect of further problems? Maybe offenders differ.

Still, this is the Internet and emotion rules.

We'll just have to send a petition to President Trump ( spellcheck says that's OK but it looks so wrong) to take note of OLO from now on and into the radioactive next 4 years. Maybe send a daily summary to him with Turnbull's seal of approval and explanation about the split voting patterns.

Bad question, phanto. That should have been as obvious as the lack of seriousness in another comment of mine that you pretended not to spot, but I'll answer it anyway.

<<Why do you ask?>>

Because it seems strange to me that someone would dictate to others how they should and should not behave on a forum that is not theirs - but only if they're on the other side of the political spectrum, naturally.

Why do you ask why I ask?

AJ Phillips:

If I am dictating and dictating is so terribly against the forum rules then why not appeal to the moderator to have my comments removed? That is the only way you can stop me.

Here is your perfect opportunity to put up or shut up.

It’s not against the rules, phanto.

<<If I am dictating and dictating is so terribly against the forum rules then why not appeal to the moderator to have my comments removed?>>

Where did you get that from?

Either way you are not able to stop me so you still have to put up or shut up. People are watching you.

At what point did I express a desire to stop you, phanto?

<<Either way you are not able to stop me so you still have to put up or shut up. People are watching you.>>

People are watching you too. I don’t need to do anything at all. You make a fool of yourself with the way you trip over your own dishonesty and get yourself all tangled up trying to extract meaning from the posts of others that simply isn’t there.

". The way we approach these problems is a measure of our intelligence and humanity and our dignity as human beings.
Now more than at any time in history we need to be at our best.
. Perhaps it is time for Australia to further grow up and contribute our best qualities to world debate."

written and authorised by phanto
on behalf of the grown-ups

//People are watching you.//

It's the 21st century, phanto. Everybody is watching everybody else. A panopticon on steroids.

//Thanks Toni, "he's no Shaun Micallef" yeah! but he gets paid, and has a team of 400 script writers//

Aye, but he didnae always... I'm pretty sure nobody wrote the script for Milo Kerrigan.

And Milo is still funnier than anything you've ever done in your entire life. Good day to you sir... I'm off to educate myself about David McGahan's World.

nicknamenick:

No, on behalf of those who want to further grow up. Of course this would not include those who are so mature that they have no need of further growth. People like yourself for instance.

Toni Lavis:

"It's the 21st century, phanto. Everybody is watching everybody else. A panopticon on steroids."

Phillips will be glad to hear that - might ease his paranoia.

Paranoia about what, phanto?

But Toni, you have not had the pleasure of seeing me live on stage, I zoom to another level, I zoom to the outer bounds of the stratosphere without the need for an oxygen mask! Shaun Micallef... Shaun Micallef!... possibly a devotee of mine, although I am not sure about that. I send Shaun copious amounts of materials, to which I do believe he makes great use of. The egg timer I sent him, Xmas 1963, he is still using it today. The door stopper from ten years age, it is still stopping Shaun door. See he does use my materials. And may I add, with some degree of modesty, the reams of jocular material I send Shaun, regularly, he does make great use of, as fuel for his barbeque!

I am planning a one man show at the MCG shortly, at three hundred bucks a throw, two hundred for pensioners and little darlings, I expect the tickets will sell like hot cakes! So get in early, as seats are limited to 100,000.

Looks like Turnbull's just copped a grilling.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-02/donald-trump-phone-call-that-rocked-the-special-relationship/8235388

Those who criticised that refugee deal with Obama and pointed out Trump would not be happy (including myself) are all vindicated.

NNN,
Regards Catholic Church and Pope
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/25256-catholics-ask-trump-to-probe-soros-obama-clinton-conspiracy-at-vatican

And to everyone else, I'm told George Soros now has a total of 40 million activists on the books for protest groups he supports.

AC
I see , there are questions probably and maybe answers about something and who listened in to what, they ask.
"Peter Sutherland, George Soros, and the world government movement they represent will, if successful, wreak unimaginable havoc and devastation upon the entire planet. The investigation — and prosecutions — cannot begin too soon."
The Inquisition will charge Benedict and Hillary for devastating the planet. Ah, Trump said she'll go to jail. You are vindicated.

Well, well, well, according to The Donald, Australia, more precisely Malcolm Turnbull, is trying to export terrorists to America, according to Trump Australia is trying to export the "next Boston bombers". Should Australia be viewed as a security risk to the US or not? The Donald lovers should answer that one.

Would love to be a fly on the wall, when Malcolm got home that night, and Lucy asked "How was your phone conversation with President Trump today, dearest?"..."Malcolm! Why are you crying so?"

At airports they used to ask are you a communist and all the Bolshie bomb-throwers nodded sadly and were handcuffed. Now it's are you a Mossie from Aussie. The rack is a torture device consisting of a rectangular, usually wooden frame, slightly raised from the ground, with a roller at one or both ends. The victim's ankles are fastened to one roller and the wrists are chained to the other. As the interrogation progresses, a handle and ratchet mechanism attached to the top roller are used to very gradually increase the tension on the chains, inducing excruciating pain. By means of pulleys and levers this roller could be rotated on its own axis, thus straining the ropes until the sufferer's joints were dislocated and eventually separated. Additionally, if muscle fibres are stretched excessively, they lose their ability to contract, rendering them ineffective.

Hey Paul1405,
Quote>>Would love to be a fly on the wall, when Malcolm got home that night, and Lucy asked "How was your phone conversation with President Trump today, dearest?"..."Malcolm! Why are you crying so?"<<

That was just gold mate, I had a good chuckle...

It is high time Australia had a good hard look at the so called 'American Alliance' and the ramifications under an unfriendly Trump administration. Time and again Australia has been drawn into America's proxy wars, from Vietnam to Syria, we continued the roll of faithful servant, some would say lackey of the all powerful United States of America, war after war. What has been the cost, many Australian lives, what has been the benefit, not too sure on that score. It may be called a partnership, but who really benefits?

Non alignment may well be the better course to take given the attitude from Trump in his first two weeks in office towards Australia, and considering the future possibilities.

" I'm told George Soros now has a total of 40 million activists on the books for protest groups he supports."
I'm told it's 50 million or more like Elvis Presley the monarch of the ghetto.