Trump

[pogo]

The other great thing about that Trump rally is it was in San Diego, home to probably the largest Mexican-American population in the US. Trump is going to lose California anyway, Republicans have been doing so for decades. But other much more crucial states have large Hispanic-American populations, such as Arizona and Florida. They would be Republican strongholds, except for their large and growing Hispanic populations which have made them more and more competitive.

It might not receive much coverage now, but there will be people compiling the highlights of all his rallies, as raw material for adverts. Usually candidates are careful not to give out too many damaging quotes. Romney’s “47%” last time round was so newsworthy mostly as it was so rare: he was much more careful when speaking publicly. Trump though cannot stop saying stupid things, making sure there’s material for lots of adverts. Adverts aimed at women voters we have seen already. Adverts aimed at Hispanic-American voters, Black voters, Islamic-American voters. And so on.

[PumaG]

You seem to have forgotten what you said:

Also, PumaG, given Trumps previous statements about "bombing every inch", killing the families of terrorists, and showing his sublime grasp of international politics by suggesting that Japan - Japan - acquire nuclear weapons, then presumably he'll be joining the "untouchables" upon becoming President?

meanwhile the liberal do-gooders have been asking Obama to apologise for Hiroshima

So, I repeat;
What makes a apology so bad in your mind its comparable to "Bombing every inch" and "killing families of terrorists" ?

My comment was irony, not a comparison. As it happens, I would find an apology offensive,
For starters an apology is offensive to everyone who took part in WW2, which has generally tried to be avoided for 70 year, but will probably happen at some point in the future anyway.
The people wanting an apology, would not like a world where USA didn't end Japan's contribution with Atom Bombs, many wouldn't have ended up bein born anyway.

Trump is very unlikely to get the chance to bomb more inches and more families of Terrorists than Bush, Blair, Obama and Clinton for which, Im guessing an apology wont be proposed by the mentally ill for 70 years.

It's a mental illness with hypocrisy as a symptom, that's why its so bad. Turn America pacifist, abandon nukes and the arms trade, then go and apologise to Japan.
I can't wait until America is gone and becomes 'Hispanic-Afro America' and see an end to the hypocrisy.

[Darkflame]

You have a firm ground there on why a apology shouldn't be given. Sure. But its still a gnat-sized issued compared to actually killing people.
Thats why your reply didn't work for me. Its completely out of proportion.

"This guy says he wants to murder people a load of people!"
"well, those people wanted that guy to say something that would be a insult to others!"

Trump is very unlikely to get the chance to bomb more inches and more families of Terrorists than ...

None of Americas past war crimes were stopped - and those people in charge, even Bush JR, had infinitely more subtly agenda.
Theres sadly no reason to dismiss Trumps statements as "he will never get the chance".

Besides, even intention counts when your going to hand power to someone, regardless of if others can stop them or not.

[PumaG]

You have a firm ground there on why a apology shouldn't be given. Sure. But its still a gnat-sized issued compared to actually killing people.
Thats why your reply didn't work for me. Its completely out of proportion.

"This guy says he wants to murder people a load of people!"
"well, those people wanted that guy to say something that would be a insult to others!"

Trump is very unlikely to get the chance to bomb more inches and more families of Terrorists than ...

None of Americas past war crimes were stopped - and those people in charge, even Bush JR, had infinitely more subtly agenda.
Theres sadly no reason to dismiss Trumps statements as "he will never get the chance".

Besides, even intention counts when your going to hand power to someone, regardless of if others can stop them or not.

Feb 26th. General Charles Brown, HQ for the Middle East, said he would help “bring B-52s to town”

http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pa ... e-AOR.aspx

The irony is that if Trunp gets the chance to continue the American philosophy of war = $ Hilary Clinton wont be opposing him, as it's hers too.
Which makes it the all more surprising why people, other than genuine active peace protesters, are so hung-up on his very American comments of bombing a perceived enemy to hell. .
Besides, I didn't hear no where near as many WHOOP WHOOPs YEH HAAHs for his proposition than when Americans said 'lets bomb the fuck out of Iraq'. Which is progress.

Also theres a massive difference between 'big bombing' by the US and Brits during WW2 (designed to prevent much larger numbers being killed with the alternative) being perceived as war crimes, than in recent decades where it seems only the minority think the actual wars are legit in the first place.

[gravy]

Also theres a massive difference between 'big bombing' by the US and Brits during WW2 (designed to prevent much larger numbers being killed with the alternative) being perceived as war crimes, than in recent decades where it seems only the minority think the actual wars are legit in the first place.

Is there? You think Dresden's firebombing saved lives?

If we'd lost that would have been a warcrime and the perpetrators punished as such. Rightly so too.

[F-ZeroOne]

Edit: after consideration, have withdrawn my original reply as I don't think it really addressed gravys comment.

[F-ZeroOne]

I don't think Trump is either a Nazi or Facist - at least not consciously, I just think hes completely unaware that hes acting and saying things that make him virtually indistinguishable from one. Its kind of hard to tell, what with his habit of changing his mind on things, sometimes in the midst of the same sentence.

He's like any one of thousands of historical figures who have said distasteful xenophobic things, why jump straight to Hitler?

If he were to start targeting a group perceived as 'privileged', and attempting to silence opposition to such ideology then we should start worrying as that's real proto-Nazi behaviour.

Fair point, but although I am aware of the perils of Godwins Law, it does provide an example that is probably more likely to be instantly recognisable to people in the same way that "Stephen Hawking" has become media shorthand for "brainy bloke", and when Trump starts discussing the transportation of millions of individuals its kind of hard to ignore the parallels (the rounding up of Japanese-Americans is possibly a more apt comparison, and has been made, but probably hasn't the same impact on the general consciousness). He has discussed the possibility of restraining the media when in power, which some would count as "attempting to silence opposition".

[pogo]

Meanwhile at the Libertarian Party national convention:

Yes, they are a real party. They have a candidate Gary Johnson, who ran in 2012 and did best of the third party candidates then, though with only a few % of the vote and no delegates.

[KlaxonCow]

Let's hope that that doesn't give Tim Farron any ideas for the Lib Dem conference.

(Though, at this point for the Lib Dems, he couldn't exactly make things that much worse anyway.)

[F-ZeroOne]

Japans "free ride" on hosting US military forces not that free apparently:

http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/201 ... na/017000c

[gumboot]

Well, now I want Obama to apologise just so I can see the apocalyptic consequences of just that one word.

[Rubisco]

Let's hope that that doesn't give Tim Farron any ideas for the Lib Dem conference.

(Though, at this point for the Lib Dems, he couldn't exactly make things that much worse anyway.)

Any sign of life from him would be welcome. It's a shame they didn't manage to get Maajid Nawaz a seat, they need to shift their wishy-washy Labour-lite/Tory-lite centrist image, they need someone who's balls-out Liberal.

[PumaG]

Also theres a massive difference between 'big bombing' by the US and Brits during WW2 (designed to prevent much larger numbers being killed with the alternative) being perceived as war crimes, than in recent decades where it seems only the minority think the actual wars are legit in the first place.

Is there? You think Dresden's firebombing saved lives?

If we'd lost that would have been a warcrime and the perpetrators punished as such. Rightly so too.

bollocks, theres a lot of discussion on t he subject and it's never been conclusive it was a war crime, not at the time, or since. War crimes are usually accepted as such as they take place, certainly not the case with Dresden, of that time it was celebrated as a demoralising revenge mission at minimum and tactics revealed pinpointed targets (even though they turned out to be empty)

how far do you want to go back BTW to find harsh responses to evil aggressors and call them war crimes? Roman times?

Dresden and Hiroshima style reactions are consistent in history. Your 'do nothing against aggressors' isn't a tactic in legit war time , an option nor even an animal instinct and shouldn't be considered so with retrospect either. You're possibly only alive because your ancestors didn't sit back and do nothing against aggressors.

western action joining/declaring WW2 wasn't legit I suppose?


Global Times China

"Japan's right-wing forces have always been trying to whitewash the country's cruel, heartless and reckless role as an invader during WWII. Meanwhile, they have never been willing to deeply reflect why it suffered the only two atomic bombings aimed at civilian targets in human history."

[PumaG]

Well, now I want Obama to apologise just so I can see the apocalyptic consequences of just that one word.

China News Service, May 27th

Dozens of Japanese citizens gathered in Hiroshima on Thursday, protesting U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima and the two countries' intended political manipulation of the city.

The protesters held banners that read: "Get rid of all nukes immediately", "Remove all U.S. bases from Okinawa" and "We won't let you use military alliances to start your next war" and shouted: "You're not welcome here, Obama and Abe" and "Get out of Hiroshima" in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

Unlike the too comfortable liberlas back in the west and the mentally ill left, it seems sensible Japanese people would despise Obama and Trump equally.

[tufty]

Meanwhile, they have never been willing to deeply reflect why it suffered the only two atomic bombings aimed at civilian targets in human history."

<puts hand up>

I know, Sir, I know!

They were they only ones still fighting against the Americans, Sir.