Forum Topic

Donald Trump visit

It's been widely reported that the Trump visit has been put on hold, particularly after his nasty and ignorant remarks about our mayor.Whilst that would be an excellent outcome (even though it'd be disappointing if the demos against it, especially the planned mass mooning, weren't to go ahead), an alternative idea comes to mind, and it would make a great way of dealing not just with the UK visit but with the whole problem of Trump. The Jim Carrey film The Truman Show features a man called Truman Burbank living, unawares, inside a simulated television show (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truman_Show). Here's my idea: do the same thing with Trump. He purportedly never reads anything but spends his life either playing golf or watching television, so it would work perfectly: convince him using fake TV channels that he's still president - so he can think he's insulting politicians, declaring war, whatever, whilst in the real world, someone else takes over the reins of power.Only problem here: in this case the 'someone else' is the nasty bigot Mike Pence. So I'm not so sure after all....

Richard Carter ● 3005d12 Comments

Sue. You may not agree with Corbyn's economic views but to describe him as a clown shows a complete misunderstanding of him. He's serious in what he's doing and does care about people. It has been pointed out that while several members of the Conservative party were cavorting in an antisocial way and allegedly performing stupid acts with a pig's head as members of the Bullingdon Club (or similar) he was campaigning against apartheid, at least one thing I hope you wouldn't disagree was a good cause? I may not agree with Corbyn on everything but I can respect that he lives the modest lifestyle he preaches which is more than many others in parliament do.

Michael Ixer ● 3004d

I don't know,  David: wouldn't you think that this definition of a bigot (from the Cambridge English Dictionary) fits Pence? "A person who has strong, unreasonable ideas, esp. about race or religion, and who thinks anyone who does not have the same beliefs is wrong."

Richard Carter ● 3004d

@David 15.34Richard Carter loves to throw the words bigot or racist around David, he was particularly prolific using them in the Brexit threads last year.  In his book I was particularly racist because I objected to uncontrolled immigration.  I don't take any notice of him.

Sue Hammond ● 3004d

Sue, May  hasn't 'won'.The Conservative Party may have acquired the most votes and the larger number of seats but May does not have a MAJORITY. Even with all her back benchers and cabinet supporting her she won't get anything through Parliament (except with the assistance of DUP and even that's not a given yet and hopefully never will be.)

Lucille Grant ● 3004d

Although I would disagree with Mike Pence on just about everything that you have listed none of these views can in anyway be described as bigoted. That he would be in your book suggests that this is a term you use broadly as a catchall for anyone who doesn't share your world view. As a bigot is defined in the dictionary as someone who is intolerant of those holding differing opinions it has to be said you seem to come closer to the proper meaning of the word than Mike Pence.

David Parker ● 3004d

@Richard Carter 11.02"She won? Well, if you remember, she said beforehand that if she lost 6 seats she would have lost the election. She lost 13 seats."She obviously miscalculated the numbers, or her advisors did. However, she still WON the election and she is still our PM, whether you like it or not.It's time now for May to be given the necessary support from her Cabinet so that she can progress with the Brexit negotiations without further delay or hindrance. The whingeing back benchers need to shut up too and remember that if she HAD lost the election many more of them could be out of a job now.  What's even more important about her win is that it's prevented that clown Corbyn from taking office and wrecking the economy with his reckless, great giveaway manifesto pledges.

Sue Hammond ● 3004d

Fair enough, David, but try this: he strongly opposes abortion, opposes pay equity, believing that the wage gap can be closed by growing the economy, supports the death penalty, believes that global warming is not a resolved issue in science, lobbied against legislation encouraging more young people to get vaccinated against HPV because of concerns about government mandates, opposed the nuclear deal with Iran, believes that reforming political campaign funding rules leaves American on the road to serfdom, thinks that gun ownership increases public safety (apart from the 34,000 members of the public who die by injury from firearms, of course…), opposes government regulation of the price of life-saving drugs, won't admit Syrian refugees so IS can't infiltrate America.  Oh, and he says he's Christian, conservative, & Republican, in that order.Does that make him a nasty bigot? It does in my book, but you're welcome to disagree.

Richard Carter ● 3004d

I've read the stories you linked to and there is nothing really of substance in them. They seem to be partisan articles based on very thin evidence. The man is clearly a social conservative and you have a low bar if that qualifies him as 'nasty bigot'. While I'd disagree with many of his views on personal morality he never seems to have expressed them in an inflammatory or offensive way an example you might like to consider following.The oft repeated allegation against him that he is an advocate of gay-conversion therapy has long since been debunked. Some time ago when ironically he was promoting an anti-HIV initiative in his state he said that high risk groups should consider moderating their behaviour which was entirely consistent with the campaign's message. Although he may have reservations about gay marriage he serves with the first US president to be consistently in favour of it.If you want to condemn Mike Pence, condemn him for enabling the worst president in US history not in shrill terms misrepresenting his actual views.

David Parker ● 3004d

She won? Well, if you remember, she said beforehand that if she lost 6 seats she would have lost the election. She lost 13 seats.As for Pence, see for example, this: "Mike Pence has always been a bigot" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/post_13213_b_12009498.html), this: "Don't be fooled by the presentation: Mike Pence is a rightwing zealot" (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/04/mike-pence-zealot-vice-presidential-debate-republicans) and this: "Mike Pence will be the the most powerful Christian supremacist in US history" (https://theintercept.com/2016/11/15/mike-pence-will-be-the-most-powerful-christian-supremacist-in-us-history/). Somewhat short on the charm factor.

Richard Carter ● 3004d

She did win.Can you explain why you think Mike Pence is a nasty bigot?

David Parker ● 3004d

And the real joke is that, before his people reprogrammed him, he sent a tweet congratulating may on her win! Really, you couldn't make it up.

Richard Carter ● 3004d

The story put out is that there is a worry about security and public demonstrations.The truth though is that his people have told him the British government is hanging by a thread and if he goes ahead with plans, he might find the administration changes before he gets here and he is told not to come.So sad. It would have been really great.

Frank Butler ● 3005d