The Trump Administration (just Trump) Thread

[Jack Brickman]

I like how we've moved the goalposts from "the President of the United States shouldn't make disparaging remarks about foreign countries because it makes us look bad" to "people shouldn't leak the President's disparaging remarks about foreign countries because it makes us look bad."

This is like finding out you have a tumor and being pissed at the doctor for diagnosing it.

 

[AZ_]

Wait ... what??

Why is Nigeria a shithole? Upon what basis could you possibly assert this as a fact?

I appreciate you trying really hard here, but Nigeria's immigrants, whom Trump is speaking about in general, racist terms, have a higher rate of college graduation than do American citizens.

So I mean, you can pretend that Trump is just talking about the area and not the people, even though we're specifically discussing the PEOPLE coming into this country, but even then you'd sound ridiculous.

Perhaps instead of excusing his racist remarks and doubling down to put your own xenophobia on display, we can just chalk this one up to a dipshit moment in a long line of dipshit moments during this administration.


No? Yeah, I figured...

 

[gourimoko]

The real issue in my mind is that this speaks volumes to the actually policy that he wants. That make it relevant, and that makes it important for the Ameircan people to know.

Agreed....

You don't want immigrants from Africa ... or Mexico, or El Salvador... and I would assume all of South America (given net migration numbers); but... Norway is okay. Why can't we get more people from Norway? Not that people from Norway would be inclined to vote Republican .... (there goes that excuse, btw)

 

[Huber.]

It's been real being back here for 12 hours... But now I remember why I left these threads in the first place. I'm back to lurking.

People calling Ohio and Cleveland a shithole triggered me too

 

[SalvadoranCavsfan]

So everybody that has referred to North Korea as a shithole in privacy is a racist.

No, North Korea is obviously not the greatest country on the world.

But if you said "Why are we bringing in people from these shitholes like North Korea or the Philippines, why can't we get more people from countries like Germany?" then you sort of leave room for people to assume you have a preference for Germanic people over Asians.

Or in Trump's case he wants more people from countries like Norway compared to shitholes like Haiti.

 

[gourimoko]

I appreciate you trying really hard here, but Nigeria's immigrants, whom Trump is speaking about in general, racist terms, have a higher rate of college graduation than do American citizens.

So I mean, you can pretend that Trump is just talking about the area and not the people, even though we're specifically discussing the PEOPLE coming into this country, but even then you'd sound ridiculous.

Perhaps instead of excusing his racist remarks and doubling down to put your own xenophobia on display, we can just chalk this one up to a dipshit moment in a long line of dipshit moments during this administration.


No? Yeah, I figured...

Think you meant to quote @TyGuy ...

But agreed 100%... Really difficult to reconcile these comments referencing Nigeria specifically... I mean.. there's not much room for interpretation there..

 

[Jordan]

People calling Ohio and Cleveland a shithole triggered me too

It's not the topic at all... What is frustrating is how people talk past each other, do not actually engage in discussion, and then insult the other person. These threads used to be awesome, and I do not know if it was Trump or something else, but they have become literal poison.

 

[Cavatt]

Agreed....

You don't want immigrants from Africa ... or Mexico, or El Salvador... and I would assume all of South America (given net migration numbers); but... Norway is okay. Why can't we get more people from Norway? Not that people from Norway would be inclined to vote Republican .... (there goes that excuse, btw)

I mean if he was willing to make our country more like Norway with Universal Health care, and subsidized child care to attract Norwegians, maybe i could get on board with that.

 

[ACisKING]

On an individual basis, no, because it is entirely possible for a specific Haitian to be a preferable immigrant to a specific Norwegian.

However, in a macro-sense, yes. I'd prefer immigrants who are more educated and more advanced. And the average Norwegian is likely to be more educated, advanced, and more easily integrated into another advanced western democracy like us than is the average Haitian.



Oh, I think he very likely does prefer that we get more immigrants from Norway and fewer from Haiti. I just don't see anything wrong with that because statistically, they are more likely to meet the preferred criteria I just identified.

Do you really think the reason Donald Trump prefers Norwegians to Africans and Haitians is their education level? If he really cares about immigrants being as educated as possible then he would be a bigger advocate for the most educated immigrants from East and South Asia who on practically every standardized measure of intelligence and academic performance blow Europeans out of the water. Instead, during his campaign, he complained about students coming from those countries and taking up slots at our universities as well. Donald Trump who has made a series of overt rascist remarks does not get the benefit of the doubt in my book - to the extent that he prefers Norweigans to Africans and Haitians, it’s hard for me to believe that isn’t entirely or at least mostly because of race.

But even if you give his comments the most charitable interpretation, I also disagree with the notion that we should prefer wealthier and more educated immigrants to those who may be poorer and less educated. There’s something un-American about that. The Statue of Liberty proudly reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” That idea that America is a place you could go for a better life, a freer life, is something that America has sold to the world for centuries now. If America accepted immigrants mostly or exclusively from richer nations then think about how many ethniticies that make up vibrant communities today would not even be part of America today including from several European countries (i.e. the Irish and the Italians).

Nor does it matter one bit that immigrants come from a democracy - I actually can’t think of a more meaningless criteria than that. Nobody who comes here is trying to change the United States to a monarchy or a dictatorship. If anything many come here to escape oppressive forms of government. How soon we forget that many Americans are descendants of immigrants who left monarchies in Europe and elsewhere? Should they have been denied because they weren't coming from democracies?

 

[TyGuy]

I appreciate you trying really hard here, but Nigeria's immigrants, whom Trump is speaking about in general, racist terms, have a higher rate of college graduation than do American citizens.

So I mean, you can pretend that Trump is just talking about the area and not the people, even though we're specifically discussing the PEOPLE coming into this country, but even then you'd sound ridiculous.

Perhaps instead of excusing his racist remarks and doubling down to put your own xenophobia on display, we can just chalk this one up to a dipshit moment in a long line of dipshit moments during this administration.


No? Yeah, I figured...

The cream of the crop come here and do extremely well. Nobody said everybody from a specific place is horrible.

We have a Nigerian dude with a PhD at my work. He’s a great guy. One of my favorites here.

 

[AZ_]

The cream of the crop come here and do extremely well. Nobody said everybody from a specific place is horrible.

This is...fucking literally...what Trump's argument is.

He is literally complaining about getting people from shithole countries.

 

[Kyrie4MVP0202]

Liberia is a shithole.

Lots of beautiful places in Africa though.

 

[gourimoko]

I’m sorry this place isn’t enough of an echo chamber to your liking. I have some forums to suggest.

Ty... again man.. I have to ask, what happened to you?

You're now doubling down on racist comments? Like, is this really where your head is at? What Trump said is undeniably ignorant at best, moderately racist is probably an understatement. So why would you think your job is to rush into the thread and post 10 different one-liners that make no sense whatsoever?

Do you really feel obligated to offer a up some diversion or distraction for Trump's defense? We already have Huber for that, Ty....

C'mon man... like, seriously Ty, WTF happened to make you become such a right-winger?

 

[Cavatt]

Do you really think the reason Donald Trump prefers Norwegians to Africans and Haitians is their education level? If he really cares about immigrants being as educated as possible then he would be a bigger advocate for the most educated immigrants from East and South Asia who on practically every standardized measure of intelligence and academic performance blow Europeans out of the water. Instead, during his campaign, he complained about students coming from those countries and taking up slots at our universities as well. Donald Trump who has made a series of overt rascist remarks does not get the benefit of the doubt in my book - to the extent that he prefers Norweigans to Africans and Haitians, it’s hard for me to believe that isn’t entirely ot at least mostly because of race.

But even if you give his comments the most charitable interpretation, I also disagree with the notion that we should prefer wealthier and more educated immigrants to those in need. There’s something un-American about that. The Statue of Liberty proudly reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” That idea that America is a place you could go for a better life, a freer life, is something that America has sold to the world for centuries now. If America accepted immigrants mostly or exclusively from richer nations then think about how many ethniticies that make up vibrant communities today would not even be part of America today including from several European countries (i.e. the Irish and the Italians).

Nor does it matter one bit that immigrants come from a democracy - I actually can’t think of a more meaningless criteria than that. Nobody who comes here is trying to change the United States to a monarchy or a dictatorship. If anything many come here to escape oppressive forms of government. How soon we forget that many Americans are descendants of immigrants who left monarchies in Europe and elsewhere? Should they have been denied because they weren't coming from democracies?

Love this, but the fact that you have to explain this to Americans is just sad. This is the basis of our society.

 

[TyGuy]

It's not the topic at all... What is frustrating is how people talk past each other, do not actually engage in discussion, and then insult the other person. These threads used to be awesome, and I do not know if it was Trump or something else, but they have become literal poison.

Personal attacks because of a disagreement is a big problem.