First blood to Trump

Indeed! I'm no psychiatrist either, but his behaviour doesn't seem ideal for a President (understatement). It seems more like that of a spoilt toddler with ADHD tendencies (and I don't mean to be insulting to people with ADHD). He seems like an impulsive bully with little self control.

I wonder if people have voted for him becasue they like the 'show', a bit like cheering for the 'baddy' in a wrestling match. All very entertaining until he's in real control.

It could be true, it could be false and I care not a jot for Trump but if that is the premise of believing an uncorroborated story/report then where the hell would that lead to.

I still believe in innocent until the evidence proves otherwise.

Because someone is guilty of a whole legion of unsavoury activities does not mean that every unsavoury activity of which they are accused is true.

Fact based evidence is required first.

I think we all do jalima

But that is not a prerequisite for discussion around the subject. If we wish to discuss perceived risk and probabilities we are free to do so, but this in no way implies that we wish the rule of law to be overthrown.

I'm sure psychiatrists worldwide are even more worried than we are - we see the traits, they understand them.

Discussing perceived risk and probabilities? Yes, that sounds familiar and is what some posters do best.

But it does seem that minds have been made up already as to Trump's guilt or innocence regarding recent news reports/false news/whatever.

WW

'But that is not a prerequisite for discussion around the subject. If we wish to discuss perceived risk and probabilities we are free to do so, but this in no way implies that we wish the rule of law to be overthrown.'

A). We have been discussing the subject, the subject being guilty without corroborated evidence.

B). If a person allows themselves to believe any story without factual information and decides guilt or innocence by Kangaroo Court then the rule of law, ' innocent until proven guilty' has been overthrown.

We will have to beg to differ maybe.

I worry that in this post truth era we seem to be in, it hardly makes any difference whether the scurrilous accusations are true or false.

Suppose that a video did emerge which appear to show Trump doing exactly what he is accused of. Trump would claim that the tape was doctored and his fanatical supporters would belive him.

I believe in what comes out of his mouth and not the papers. He has demeaned and tweeted about his disapproval of everyone but Putin. I find that interesting.
We are really scared across the pond. He was going to " drain the swamp" of lobbyists, millionaires etc. Instead he jumped in with them and appointed them to his cabinet.

Rhinestone that is it... he is not what his average supporter thought he was going to be at all. The chatter on my home-town newspaper has totally changed to fear and doubt and feeling misled.

Look at his slamming of Lewis!

Wish I could feel sorry for them, but they bought the candywrapper, not the sour product inside it seems.

My parents once belonged to an evangelical church that seemed too good to be true. It was... they found out all they wanted were their generous tithing cheques each month. The minister didn't even bother visiting my dad at the care home once he sold his house and not attending. My dad had done masses of handy-man work there over the years to help the church save money.

True colours.....

Snake oil, not candy!

POGS, what would you have us discuss in relation to Trump?

I have something to discuss- it is taken from the Observer editorial comment and I think is worth repeating, as I think it underlines my argument about populism and it's worrying rise.

" The inauguration of a ...president is normally a moment of great hope..........but this inauguration is not a normal moment....nor for the majority of Americans one of hope. ....it is a moment of dread, anxiety and great foreboding......
Trump has shown himself unfit for presidency.....demonstrating ignorance, racial bigotry,misogyny,untruthfullness,hostility to free speech, crude bullying and dangerous rabble rousing nationalism utterly disqualify him.

During the press conference last week, he slandered America's intelligence agencies, threatened Mexico, vowed again to build a border wall.pistol whipped US businesses that invest a broad, took a wrecking ball to Obamacare, pilloried unflavoured news organisations and boasted about a shady $2bn business deal. This is not the behaviour of a president.

I agree with all that, whitewave, and see no reason why it should not be discussed, along with the problem of his relationship with Putin, which is very important on the world stage.

It seems to me that the only person he hasn't criticised is in fact Putin. He's trashed his intelligence services, US businesses that invest abroad, in fact everyone who dares to disagree with him and now the very person who is seen as the moral guidance in the US.

Putin must think all his birthdays have come at once.

Trump's latest attack on the highly respected veteran civil rights activist Congressman John Lewis is a new low - but perhaps not surprising from the chosen candidate of the klu klux klan.

"pistol whipped US businesses that invest abroad" I assume everyone in the world with internet access must have seen the map of his global business interests by now? How can he dare to pistol-whip businesses that invest abroad without taking the scourge to his own back, crying "Forgive me for I have sinned!"?

AlieOxon Snake Oil!! Much better, yes... I need more coffee

I lived in DC during the riots of 1968. It was terrifying. No way to explain the adrenalin and fear trying to get out of a city from downtown when we lived on the other side of a river and the bridges were so blocked up. I ended up on the north side of the city, after walking miles and miles, at a colleague of my dad's home with a whisky on the rocks in my hand. My first whisky (and my last to be honest). Maybe I associate whisky with that event.

Was emailing with my Capital Hill friend and she's leaving town definitely on Friday... we are the same age and she well remembers the riots as well and is also worried. She does hope to return the next day for the march.

Also, several Congressional Dems are not attending. I wonder if the list will grow. I know this flies in the face of Obama wanting a peaceful transition, but people with deep convictions will use their boycott as a voice.

edition.cnn.com/2017/01/14/politics/democrats-boycotting-donald-trump-inauguration/

There is no reason why anything should not be discussed djen you are missing the point!
There are a lot of things that Trump has said /done that we KNOW he has said /done.
In the salacious tape in Moscow saga, we know nothing.That being the case, you can either believe it was him in the tape, not believe it was him, or wait until there is more/better evidence, there is nothing else about it to discuss.
It's the sort of thing that Russian agents would probably manufacture as a bit of 'insurance' on any wealthy Americcan business man that came to Moscow.IMHO there are far more worrying things connected to Trump and what he may do etc without bothering to discuss and debate a very likely bit of KGB play acting.

The most worrying thing is that Russia was able to affect the outcome of the election in the first place by hacking.

The Observer continues

"With only days away from the inauguration Trump continues to blurt out half-baked opinions on sensitive issues, like a bar- room boor. He appears not to think before he opens his mouth or his Twitter account. What pops out is usually offensive, inflammatory or inaccurate, exemplified by last weeks insulting of Meryl Streep. Trump is an embarrassment. His elevation is a national humiliation."

The Observer then goes on to explore the relationship between Trump and Putin.

Trumps" narcissism and visceral hatred of Obamas foreign policy together with his susceptibility to flattery, makes him a vulnerable target.
Putin is clearly expecting a political payback in the form of an early summit, and only then may (Putins) real objectives become clear, including perhaps the lifting of sanctions over Ukraine, acquiescence in Russia's annexation of Crimea, a free hand in Syria and a NATO pullback in Europe.

The Observer then looks at Trumps nominees, which as has been covered by us we don't need to go into.

They also then go onto try to make sense of Trumps.leadership qualities and future policies.

The Observer looks at what has been said about China, the South China Sea and Taiwan. Little wonder Chinese state media are warning of a coming war with the US.

"The impression that trump and his top advisors have little idea what they are doing and scant grasp of key issues has strengthened, rather than receded as the transition has chaotically unravelled."

So is Trump spoiling for a fight?

"The fact is nobody knows - and that includes a lazy, muddled and largely clueless Trump himself. Spouting prejudices, selling slogans and making it up as you go along may work on the campaign trail. But it will not do in the White House"

"Even if all Trumps numerous inadequacies and sordid personal baggage were set to one side" and as has been argued by some on this thread - " his egregious lack of coherent, fact-based rational and cooperative policy platforms, especially internationally, is potentially disastrous."....
All the demands of the US constitution - justice, tranquility, liberty, common defence and the common good are in peril?

Trumps era is a dismal prospect. "

I argue that this is populism in action

Lewlew I hadn't heard of the march but found it here:

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/14/womens-march-on-washington-protest-size-donald-trump

Great!

The fact that Trump, with the help of Putin and others wth dubious motives, managed to get elected with about 3 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton shows the weakness of the undemocratic first past the post electoral system. It would be good to think it could'nt happen here - we have to reform our own electoral rules. We need proportional representation,

varian good luck with that one! Although I would support you in the enterprise.