Ot The Trumpian Visit.

[Geoff Parkstone]

now we are confusing Allenton, Derbys with Allentown PA here I suspect?

[Andy_Faber]

Got to hand it to us Brits, there were some side-splittingly funny placards at the various protests, I’ve been looking through them to pass the time while in a ferry journey, the locals must wonder what I’m on, I e been chuckling away for hours. Current favourites ‘we shall overcomb’ And ‘Melania: blink twice if you need help’. Serious protest, funny protestors

[ramAnag]

I'm beginning to see what kind of bloke you are now RA, What's wrong with Allenton, there are good and bad folk in every area and walks of life. we can't all be well off! (Unless we have a hard brexit) If Trump or Farage had come out with a comment like that you'd have been calling them rotten. Shame on you!

Yeah, I accept that criticism though tbf, there was that little after the comment which suggests people are joking.
I know Allenton very well, professionally, and you’re right...there are some very decent people there...many of them living in fear of the trash that also lives there...and now I’m not joking!
I also know what many folk in Jersey think of PA but again, you’re right, I shouldn’t make comments which make you think I’m prejudging folk...bet you wouldn’t consider living in Allenton though.

What sort of shakeup Andy? To my mind one which aims at a fairer, more just society and probably involves some degree of redistribution of wealth.
Unfortunately bullies like Trump, and to a lesser extent, Farage have hijacked the antiestablishment banner in a way which will be anything but fair, indeed Trump’s henchmen are, at this very moment, trying to establish a right wing monopoly in terms of the Supreme Court which will impact upon U.S. society for years to come.
Have to say...you are the only person I know who is capable of defending Trump while also intending to vote Liberal.
How do you do that?

[Romanis]

Sorry I got disagree with the notion that Trump's henchmen are going to force itself on the Supreme Court.
For this you got to blame the Dems.
They took their eye off the ball in 2012 and lost the Senate. It's now come back to haunt them.
Anyway it would be the same if a Democrat won. Hillary would fill the vacancies with liberal leaning judges. It's always been the case.

But to be fair Trump's picks are not the bat crazy far right type of judges. Gorsuch was a reasonable choice and I think Kavanaugh will be too. It was a 5-4 court before he took office and will be so now. Only difference is that CJ Roberts will hold the key as the swing vote but you never know - both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh might change their minds.

The court is basically hard core right wing with
Thomas - GHW Bush appointee.
Alito - GW Bush

Hard core left

Ginnsburg - Clinton
Kagan - Obama
Sotomayor - Obama
Breyer - Clinton

Swing

CJ Roberts

I've left out Gorsuch. Because it's too early to tell. He most likely might swing right but you never know. Because we had

Souter - GHW Bush
Stevens - Ford

Both supposed right wing but eventually swung left or middle especially Souter.

I think either one Gorsuch or Kavanaugh might not be the kind of judge Trump expects them to be in years to come. Roberts clearly isn't cut from the same cloth as his appointee George Bush. He has swung left at various points.


But 1 thing I agree with these so called right wing judges is that they should follow the law as made by Congress. Judges shouldn't be making laws rather administer them. You don't like something change the law and that's where the Dems failed during the Obama years failing to rouse their base into voting at mid terms. They are paying the price now and it could be worse if they fail in November.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is on her last legs. Breyer might also be considering retirement.

The rest of the bench is decades away from retirement. Thomas is 71 so at least another 10 years.

If Ginsburg retires in the next 2 years, Trump might be able to tilt the court fully right for the next 20 years.
If Trump is re-elected, it's highly likely he'll be the one to replace them. There's just so much the Senate can do to hold off a nominee, eventually they have to back down especially after an election.

The Dems only hope now is to win in November and thus give Ginsburg time to retire in 2020 or 2021. If she goes before then, they can at least force a compromise nominee and reject a hard core right one.
And then hope a Democrat wins in 2020.
If they fail, then all bets are off. The Court will tilt 6-3 or 7-2 to the right thanks to Trump.

[MadAmster]

Since his election Trump has, amongst other things, slashed corporation tax. He said it would give companies money to invest, to grow, to employ more people, to increase wages etc.

In almost every circumstance, the money went in dividends to shareholders. So, in fact Trump, one of the 1%, has been helpful to the 1% rather than the 99%. What a surprise............... NOT.

In the Netherlands Rutte's, cabinet scrapped dividend tax altogether.........

The working man is not in the forefront of Politicians' minds.

[GUNTERYY36]

Trump is a racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, idiotic, racist bigot. Have I missed anything? No, I know these things for certain because the news coverage wall-to-wall 24/7 says so.

Oh and the protesters say so too. They've also watched the news, read the papers, social media, etc.

Actually, if these pinheads aka protestors thought about issues rather than partying in the sun name calling, with cartoons and balloons, etc. they might do what they ought.



Why aren't there mass protests against Terrorism, Rotherham, FGM, Halal, etc?

Presumably that would be racist and cause offence.

[ramAnag]

You’re right in your assessment of Trump, Gunter...not because it’s what (some of) the press suggest but because if you listen to the man it’s an unavoidable conclusion and ’protest’ is, in such circumstances, the only option.

There aren’t ‘mass protests against Terrorism, Rotherham and FGM’ etc because both the authorities and the vast majority of decent people are in agreement that these things are wrong and unacceptable (although I concede they were bloody slow off the mark with Rotherham and Rochdale) so there is a need for action by the authorities - which is obviously happening - not protest.

[Manofpride]

Those protesters looked right prats, looks like they've got to much time on their hands!
Were they really protesting or going out for their half an hour of fame. look at me I'm on the telly.
What idiots! If I had to guess I'd say most have been on the Jeremy Kyle show and are all remainers!

[ramAnag]

Sorry I got disagree with the notion that Trump's henchmen are going to force itself on the Supreme Court.
For this you got to blame the Dems.
They took their eye off the ball in 2012 and lost the Senate. It's now come back to haunt them.
Anyway it would be the same if a Democrat won. Hillary would fill the vacancies with liberal leaning judges. It's always been the case.

But to be fair Trump's picks are not the bat crazy far right type of judges. Gorsuch was a reasonable choice and I think Kavanaugh will be too. It was a 5-4 court before he took office and will be so now. Only difference is that CJ Roberts will hold the key as the swing vote but you never know - both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh might change their minds.

The court is basically hard core right wing with
Thomas - GHW Bush appointee.
Alito - GW Bush

Hard core left

Ginnsburg - Clinton
Kagan - Obama
Sotomayor - Obama
Breyer - Clinton

Swing

CJ Roberts

I've left out Gorsuch. Because it's too early to tell. He most likely might swing right but you never know. Because we had

Souter - GHW Bush
Stevens - Ford

Both supposed right wing but eventually swung left or middle especially Souter.

I think either one Gorsuch or Kavanaugh might not be the kind of judge Trump expects them to be in years to come. Roberts clearly isn't cut from the same cloth as his appointee George Bush. He has swung left at various points.


But 1 thing I agree with these so called right wing judges is that they should follow the law as made by Congress. Judges shouldn't be making laws rather administer them. You don't like something change the law and that's where the Dems failed during the Obama years failing to rouse their base into voting at mid terms. They are paying the price now and it could be worse if they fail in November.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is on her last legs. Breyer might also be considering retirement.

The rest of the bench is decades away from retirement. Thomas is 71 so at least another 10 years.

If Ginsburg retires in the next 2 years, Trump might be able to tilt the court fully right for the next 20 years.
If Trump is re-elected, it's highly likely he'll be the one to replace them. There's just so much the Senate can do to hold off a nominee, eventually they have to back down especially after an election.

The Dems only hope now is to win in November and thus give Ginsburg time to retire in 2020 or 2021. If she goes before then, they can at least force a compromise nominee and reject a hard core right one.
And then hope a Democrat wins in 2020.
If they fail, then all bets are off. The Court will tilt 6-3 or 7-2 to the right thanks to Trump.

Full marks for that reply Rom...although I’d question that there’s anyone genuinely ‘hard core left’ in the States.

Point is that both Pence and Trump have spoken of their desire to overthrow the Roe v Wade legislation as regards abortion and Kavanaugh’s appointment is seen as a route to achieving their aim.
If that happens, imo, it will set back the cause of womens’ rights almost fifty years and coming from a President who,
two years ago, was seen on TV advocating grabbing women by the ‘p***y’...well you can see my concern.

[Andy_Faber]

Have to say...you are the only person I know who is capable of defending Trump while also intending to vote Liberal.
How do you do that?

I think I’m defending people’s right to have the opinion he’s doing a good job ‘on balance’. Here’s one from my good old girl Cathy in a grubby little town near Charlottesville : ‘ I hate what he’s doing splitting families up but what I hate more is illegals setting up a tax-free haven down the road from (husband’s) body shop’. That’s an actual quote about an actual situation and yes it’s only an anecdote but it’s from a smarter-than-I businesswoman not a Rebel-flag-waving inbred. So, there’s good and bad. I DO think he’s a sleaze but as someone who bloody hates political correctness, I’m glad he’s stirred the pot and emboldened people to say what was becoming effectively ‘forbidden’ not so long ago. And NO my enthusiasm doesn’t extend to man hating fellow man but there HAS to be more open discussion on many issues

The liberal thing is the ying to the trump yang, I see them (or some other centrist group) applying the brakes to anotherwise rampant Tory or Labour government. If the 2010 - 2015 govt had been Tory not coalition God knows what they’d have foisted on us. Look at last time - when they thought they’d get a landslide they slipped in the return of fox hunting FFS! Old cable wouldn’t be having any of that. Remember I said Brexit is only one of many issues either or probably both could **** up without a voice of reason around. Maybe give Ken Clark a casting vote on everything where the parliament vote was within 50 would be an alternative