Trump

[leedswolf]

The Show Must Go On: Trump’s Texas Flood Tour

How a tragedy that swept away children became another stage for self-congratulation, grievance politics, and photo ops psychopathy, televised.

marygeddry.substack.com

 

[Wellen Wolf]

Trumpstein disgrace gets completely ridiculous.

 

[leedswolf]

The Rot Is Everywhere: From Trump’s Body to America’s Airwaves

As the president decays in public, Epstein files vanish, coups get U.S. cover, and late-night satire is axed, welcome to the kleptocracy, now with fewer jokes.

marygeddry.substack.com

 

[Alan]

The hardcore MAGAs are finally abandoning him. The Epstein shit is a bridge too far for them. There’s even a social media trend of a bunch of them burning their MAGA hats.

 

[Mel Evo]

The hardcore MAGAs are finally abandoning him. The Epstein shit is a bridge too far for them. There’s even a social media trend of a bunch of them burning their MAGA hats.

They remember to take them off first?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The Epstein shit is a bridge too far for them.

Is it? Really?

 

[Kenny]

Is it? Really?

I guess they at least draw the line at something

He was proving his point that he could stand on 5th Avenue and shoot people and get away it

 

[Alan]

They remember to take them off first?

Unfortunately.

Is it? Really?

The irony isn't lost on me.

It's a combination of factors, not least of which is that less than a month ago the entire administration was acting like they were going to burn down the Democratic Party by releasing the files, then announcing the files don't exist, and now saying they'll release some of the files after the WSJ story that ran last night.

In truth, though, the simple fact is that child predators are, rightfully, hated here in a way no other sexual deviants (or really any criminals) are. Most child predators that end up in prison are totally ostracized by their peers, and it's not uncommon for them to be mysteriously shanked over lunch. Of course, if the child is a girl and then turns 18, she was "asking for it" or should have appreciated the honor of being "grabbed by the pussy".

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

He will create a huge distraction and it will all be forgotten soon enough.

 

[leedswolf]

Trump’s Epstein Cover-Up and Cognitive Collapse

Whistleblowers, secret files, and a failing body, the unraveling of a predator-protecting regime in real time.

marygeddry.substack.com

 

[Alan]

He will create a huge distraction and it will all be forgotten soon enough.

I don't think so, not this time. Conservatives here may not give a shit about helping kids, but there is no political obsession in this country quite like preventing them from being taken advantage of sexually. I mean, shit, the whole "you must give federal identification to watch porn" thing was pushed entirely as a way to stop kids being exposed to it.

We could have a different conversation about the cognitive dissonance of killing food stamps for underprivileged families whilst also being the party that gets loudest about protecting children from things, but hypocrisy is par for the course.

Being connected to a sex trafficking ring that dealt in minors isn't something that will blow over; I can't imagine that even this country has fallen so far. God, I hope I'm right.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

Alan I am so afraid of this sounding wrong as if I am condoning something awful.

That said, Matt Gaetz was alleged to have done exactly the same thing - with a seventeen year old - and I did not understand the furor. Under age sex with a 17 year old is not pedophilia in the same way as raping a 7 year old is. A 17 year old is a young adult not a child and besides, there is no black and white line - this is okay but one day younger is not.

I don't really pay much attention to allegations (so probably should not be commenting) but I thought Epstein and associates were involved with young adults rather than young children.

Anyway my point is this - there are degrees of indecency and in a patriarchal society having sex with a physically mature girl/woman is something that can be (as opposed to should be) forgiven over time. Matt Gaetz is not in jail and will probably get a government position at some point in the future. Several church pastors have admitted to sex with teen girls and been forgiven by their congregations.

 

[Lycan]

I don't really pay much attention to allegations (so probably should not be commenting) but I thought Epstein and associates were involved with young adults rather than young children.

No. Girls as young as 14. You got it right in the parentheses

 

[Alan]

I'll keep this brief but please don't take that as terseness.

Re: Gaetz; you're not wrong that he's not faced the justice he should have. In this case, though, I think we have a legitimate "the bigger they are" effect at play. Trump is at the heart of the ascendent reactionary political wave in this country, and he has now finally crossed an ethical boundary they won't bend for.

Re: Ages; I'll just say I disagree and that regardless of what either of us say, Gaetz should have known better. There are some states where that would have been legal (I don't want to talk about it), but the blind could see the power imbalance between an adult Congressperson and a 17 year old child.

Re: "involved with"; they were not involved with these underaged girls, they were trafficking them.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

There are lies, damn lies, and conspiracy theories.

People will believe what they want to, and so long as mango remains president, millions will chose to believe him.

 

[Alan]

The trafficking ring is not a conspiracy.

There will always be some amount of people who die on his hill, but this is the first time ever that it has come from his own, in a way he personally responded to.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

You're not wrong. It will be interesting to see who can control the narrative in a fight between him and Murdoch.

 

[Alan]

That Murdoch defied a personal request directly from Trump says a lot, IMO.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

For trump everything is ego. For Murdoch, ultimately it is just business.

 

[Alan]

Not a chance he goes against Trump unless he feels he has a dire need to distance himself.