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SanAndreasX on 28 February 2024
Renamed said:
Machiavellian said:

People need to understand that the President is not king in the US.  Yes the president can do some stuff but a lot of it can be challenged in court.  A lot of stuff cannot be done unless you have both house and senate within your same party.  Maybe he will throw out a bunch of dumb EOs that will be immediately challenged.

Will Trump be a terrible president.  Hell yeah no doubt but always remember what he says he will do and what he can actually do are two very different things.

It's as I, and Sundin13, have noted.  Our checks and balances are not so balanced anymore, nor do they check as intended.  Just look what he's trying to do with the RNC. Look at his efforts to overturn the 2020 election with a combination of false electors, the GOP, public force, etc...

The guy gives away his whole playbook and we keep saying our institutions will prevent him.  They damn near didn't in 2020.  147 Republicans didn't vote to certify the 2020 election. Trump isn't in a vacuum.  His extremism enables others' extremism and vice versa.  Who is the 'acting' Speaker of the House now?  It's Trump.  Mike Johnson is just a mouth piece for him.  Oh, and he was one of the aforementioned 147 Republicans that wanted to overturn the election.

The Checks and Balances only work if they apply their roles of being checks and balances.  Instead, they are actively operating to enable him.

Take him at his word when he tells you who he is and what he wants and don't assume he will always be contained.  The stakes are too damn high.

I'd like to re-emphasize this point. It only takes 34 Senators out of 100 to acquit the President in an impeachment trial. "Executive privilege" has been so ill-defined to the point where the President is immune to any kind of government action as long as he is in office. If he tells the courts to go fuck themselves, then what? 34 Senators can acquit him and give him the stamp of approval. He can't legally be arrested, and it's technically illegal for his advisors to disobey him unless they can convince a judge that the order they refused to obey was itself illegal. And then what? He still can't be arrested until he is impeached and convicted by the Senate. 34 people out of 330 million are enough to make the President completely invulnerable. 

We're seeing a smaller-scale version of this playing out in Texas now, with Ken Paxton. He was acquitted by the Texas state senate in his impeachment trial. They've handed him a blank checkbook to abuse his power in any way he sees fit, and he is doing so, with the complicity of the governor, the legislature, the police, and millions of Texas voters. 

Last edited by SanAndreasX - on 28 February 2024

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Machiavellian on 28 February 2024
sundin13 said:
Machiavellian said:

People need to understand that the President is not king in the US.  Yes the president can do some stuff but a lot of it can be challenged in court.  A lot of stuff cannot be done unless you have both house and senate within your same party.  Maybe he will throw out a bunch of dumb EOs that will be immediately challenged.

Will Trump be a terrible president.  Hell yeah no doubt but always remember what he says he will do and what he can actually do are two very different things.

Given that many courts are overwhelmingly Republican, the checks and balances of the Judicial System are less encouraging...

True, there are a lot of Republican judges but we have seen many of them shoot down on multiple occasions GOP and Trump BS stuff so I have a little faith that the rule of law will still prevail.  Yes, you will have judges like the ones in Alabama or that one judge in Florida doing the documents case but we also have to remember all the court cases after the election that were shot down by republican judges who were not buying the BS.  I just believe the magnitude of Trump stupidity will raise up to a degree that most will not put their integrity on the line for it. 



Renamed on 28 February 2024
Machiavellian said:
sundin13 said:

Given that many courts are overwhelmingly Republican, the checks and balances of the Judicial System are less encouraging...

True, there are a lot of Republican judges but we have seen many of them shoot down on multiple occasions GOP and Trump BS stuff so I have a little faith that the rule of law will still prevail.  Yes, you will have judges like the ones in Alabama or that one judge in Florida doing the documents case but we also have to remember all the court cases after the election that were shot down by republican judges who were not buying the BS.  I just believe the magnitude of Trump stupidity will raise up to a degree that most will not put their integrity on the line for it. 

The majority of those cases after the election where technically not brought about by Trump and/or his campaign but rather local states or groups.  And the majority of those cases were tossed out because no actual evidence was being provided.   In other words, there wasn't enough gray area for any Trump appointed judge to work with.  Further, look at how even the Supreme Court has been dragging their feet on the ruling on Trump's presidential immunity claim. 

You are correct about Trump's stupidity (and his lawyers') being one of his own biggest hurdles.  But what happens if his persistence pays off?  Or the "Trump" isn't so stupid?



To the privileged, equality feels like oppression. 

Ryuu96 on 28 February 2024

Last edited by Ryuu96 - on 28 February 2024

Ryuu96 on 28 February 2024

What a fucking joke America is quickly becoming to its allies because of one man doing the bidding of Donald Trump.



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Shtinamin_ on 28 February 2024

Is this bill the "border bill". Because the President already has the power to close the border at any time. Hence the need to not sign. (There's more in there but thats the only thing I notice why they wont sign)
If its not, then whats in the bill, because enough people in the House read it and didn't like it. There's something in it they dont like. It at least considers giving it a looksee.



Lifetime Sales Predictions 

Switch: 160 million (was 120 million, then 140 million, then 150 million)

PS5: 130 million (was 124 million)

Xbox Series X/S: 54 million (was 60 million, then 57 million)

"The way to accomplish great things, is to be indefatigable and never rest till the thing is accomplished." - Joseph Smith Jr.

Ryuu96 on 28 February 2024
Shtinamin_ said:

Is this bill the "border bill". Because the President already has the power to close the border at any time. Hence the need to not sign. (There's more in there but thats the only thing I notice why they wont sign)
If its not, then whats in the bill, because enough people in the House read it and didn't like it. There's something in it they dont like. It at least considers giving it a looksee.

It's not the border bill, that was already rejected (despite being very Conservative).

It's the foreign aid bill (for Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel).

The Republicans originally demanded that the Democrats attach the border bill to the foreign aid bill because they knew Democrats would cave to their border demands in order to get the foreign aid bill passed, then they suddenly changed their minds and demanded the border bill be separated from the foreign aid bill (wasting everyone's time, especially Ukrainians lives) then they outright rejected the pretty right wing border bill.

Now Mike is refusing to put the foreign aid bill to a vote in House, despite it already passing Senate and despite the fact that it WOULD pass House, the only one who is holding things up is Mike.



Shtinamin_ on 28 February 2024
Ryuu96 said:
Shtinamin_ said:

Is this bill the "border bill". Because the President already has the power to close the border at any time. Hence the need to not sign. (There's more in there but thats the only thing I notice why they wont sign)
If its not, then whats in the bill, because enough people in the House read it and didn't like it. There's something in it they dont like. It at least considers giving it a looksee.

It's not the border bill, that was already rejected (despite being very Conservative).

It's the foreign aid bill (for Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel).

The Republicans originally demanded that the Democrats attach the border bill to the foreign aid bill because they knew Democrats would cave to their border demands in order to get the foreign aid bill passed, then they suddenly changed their minds and demanded the border bill be separated from the foreign aid bill (wasting everyone's time, especially Ukrainians lives) then they outright rejected the pretty right wing border bill.

Now Mike is refusing to put the foreign aid bill to a vote in House, despite it already passing Senate and despite the fact that it WOULD pass House, the only one who is holding things up is Mike.

This is what's in the Foreign Aid Bill, from giving it a quick glance.

  • ~$60B to support Ukraine
    • ~$14B to allow Ukraine to rearm itself purchasing weapons and munitions (goes back to US)
    • ~$15B to military training and intelligence sharing
    • ~$8B to help Ukraine have basic government operation prohibiting pensions
    • ~$1.6B to help Ukraine’s private sector
    • ~$480M to help Ukrainian’s displaced by war
    • ~$20B goes somewhere I guess
  • ~$14.1B to support Israel & US military operations in the region
    • ~$4B to boost Israel’s air defenses
    • ~$1.2B for Iron Beam
    • ~$2.5B to support US military operations in the region
    • ~$6.4B goes somewhere I guess
  • ~$9.2B Humanitarian Assistance to provide food, water, shelter, and medical care to Palestinians, Ukrainian and other civilians caught in war zones.
  • >$8B to support key partners in the Info-Pacific and deter Chinese government aggression
    • ~$1.9B to replenish US weapons for Taiwan
    • ~$3.3B to build more US-made subs to support Australia and UK
    • ~$2.8B goes somewhere I guess
  • ~$400M for a grant program to help nonprofits and places of worship make security enhancements and protect them from hate crimes. Target sanctions on criminal organizations involved with the production of fentanyl.
  • Strips US funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
    • serves over 5.6 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem, employing over 30,000 people.

*edit: fixed $9.2B placement, added left over amounts not accounted for, added US stripped funding for UNRWA

Last edited by Shtinamin_ - on 28 February 2024

Lifetime Sales Predictions 

Switch: 160 million (was 120 million, then 140 million, then 150 million)

PS5: 130 million (was 124 million)

Xbox Series X/S: 54 million (was 60 million, then 57 million)

"The way to accomplish great things, is to be indefatigable and never rest till the thing is accomplished." - Joseph Smith Jr.

Machiavellian on 28 February 2024
Renamed said:
Machiavellian said:

True, there are a lot of Republican judges but we have seen many of them shoot down on multiple occasions GOP and Trump BS stuff so I have a little faith that the rule of law will still prevail.  Yes, you will have judges like the ones in Alabama or that one judge in Florida doing the documents case but we also have to remember all the court cases after the election that were shot down by republican judges who were not buying the BS.  I just believe the magnitude of Trump stupidity will raise up to a degree that most will not put their integrity on the line for it. 

The majority of those cases after the election where technically not brought about by Trump and/or his campaign but rather local states or groups.  And the majority of those cases were tossed out because no actual evidence was being provided.   In other words, there wasn't enough gray area for any Trump appointed judge to work with.  Further, look at how even the Supreme Court has been dragging their feet on the ruling on Trump's presidential immunity claim. 

You are correct about Trump's stupidity (and his lawyers') being one of his own biggest hurdles.  But what happens if his persistence pays off?  Or the "Trump" isn't so stupid?

It really does not matter if they were brought up by Trump or a monkey.  The fact that the courts no matter if they were Republican or Dems did not accept any of those bogus BS cases mean they did their job. I am really not worried about the SC on the immunity claim, its not even remotely going to even go to the SC.  It will not save Trump either from a trail as well. 

If you really do not have any real faith in our system, it really does not matter who is president.  This is my point.  The president powers really do not affect your day to day living as much as people like to believe.  I do not fear a Trump presidency.  I fear if we get a majority of idiots in the house and senate to enable an idiot like Trump or any other idiot that can become president to do real permanent harm.

No Trump is that stupid but that does not mean because he is stupid, he does not have a following.  So yes, there is definitely a chance he can be President again and if so then the US will get exactly what it deserves.  Hopefully by the end of that presidency we never put another idiot like him in there again and if we do then the Bible was right about the west going to fall.



SvennoJ on 28 February 2024
Shtinamin_ said:

This is what's in the Foreign Aid Bill, from giving it a quick glance.

  • ~$60B to support Ukraine
    • ~$14B to allow Ukraine to rearm itself purchasing weapons and munitions (goes back to US)
    • ~$15B to military training and intelligence sharing
    • ~$8B to help Ukraine have basic government operation prohibiting pensions
    • ~$1.6B to help Ukraine’s private sector
    • ~$480M to help Ukrainian’s displaced by war
  • ~$14.1B to support Israel & US military operations in the region
    • ~$4B to boost Israel’s air defenses
    • ~$1.2B for Iron Beam
    • ~$2.5B to support US military operations in the region
    • ~$9.2B Humanitarian Assistance to provide food, water, shelter, and medical care to Palestinians, Ukrainian and other civilians caught in war zones.
  • >$8B to support key partners in the Info-Pacific and deter Chinese government aggression
    • ~$1.9B to replenish US weapons for Taiwan
    • ~$3.3B to build more US-made subs to support Australia and UK
  • ~$400M for a grant program to help nonprofits and places of worship make security enhancements and protect them from hate crimes. Target sanctions on criminal organizations involved with the production of fentanyl.

That doesn't add up, or rather comes to 16.9B for Israel and US operations

The 9.2B is separate from the 14.1B for Israel
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/politics/senate-foreign-aid-bill-ukraine/index.html

The Senate plan directs $14.1bn to Israel. Around $5.2bn of this funding is allocated to missile defense systems.

However the bill also strips US funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) which serves over 5.6 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, The Westbank and East Jerusalem, employing over 30,000 people.

The bill needs to be passed to help Ukraine, yet for Palestinians it's just more misery.

I can't find any details on the Humanitarian assistance, lumped all together for all war zones with no details how or how much aid would even be allocated for Gaza.