MAGAThread XX: A Journal of the Plague Year

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

You all ready for the million Covid super spreader?

I will be amused if more people turn up than for Trump's inaugaration.

[Jerzylvania]

I'm getting the feeling you were born by Caesarean.

You leave us tumour babies alone.

Please don't get hysterical.

I wasn't even talking to you. Mmm-kay?

[Gravlen]

Very common. This type of story has been reported on several times in the past. Trump's people didn't want to give him bad news, or make him upset, because they could be yelled at or fired, so they've lied to him routinely throughout his presidency.

Remember this story? Ignoring Trump’s Orders, Hoping He’ll Forget - Slow-walking or flat-out disobeying Trump’s fleeting obsessions has become common practice across various sectors of government.

Remember how Gary Cohn stole documents off Trump's desk to keep the US from leaving major trade deals? Remember how Don McGahn twice ignored direct orders to have Mueller fired?

The Trump administration is deeply dysfunctional, and it is important to remember that it's not just Trump, but also the low caliber people he's surrounded himself with.

Also, remember that the intelligence briefs Trump was getting was reduced to bullet points and pictures, because Trump couldn't maintain focus throughout detailed briefings with too much text. It's easy to omit important elements in those kinds of briefings.

Yeah, Trump is either incompetent at or just plain uninterested in his job.

Why not both?

[Eahland]

Trump's abuse of the USSS is one of the reasons I'm not too concerned about him trying to overstay his welcome in the White House. You don't get to be Caesar by pissing on the Praetorian Guard.

I hate US-Roman Empire analogies. The Praetorians were an army unit. The Secret Service was, until 2003, a law enforcement branch of the Treasury Department. The USSS was created in 1865 to deal with rampant counterfeiting (about a third of all US currency in circulation was counterfeit at that time) and only began to provide protection to US presidents after McKinley was killed in 1901. The Secret Service has never attempted to impose a president on the nation, unlike the Praetorian Guard, which developed that into an art.

That's kind of my point. If Trump is going to attempt some sort of coup, it's not going to get very far unless his personal protective detail is more personally loyal to him than to the rule of law - which the Secret Service historically has not been, and which Trump has been making no effort to change. On the contrary, he seems to be going out of his way to disaffect them by putting them in danger for no good reason.

[Gravlen]

As the US hits a quarter million deaths due to Covid-19 according to Worldometer, Trump goes golfing.

[Major-Tom]

As the US hits a quarter million deaths due to Covid-19 according to Worldometer, Trump goes golfing.

I'd rather him be on the back nine than in front of a press conference, telling folks to go drink some bleach.

[The Black Forrest]

As the US hits a quarter million deaths due to Covid-19 according to Worldometer, Trump goes golfing.

I'd rather him be on the back nine than in front of a press conference, telling folks to go drink some bleach.

Or the usual everything is fine, children are immune, it’s only a bad flu, don’t wear masks and there is no need to social distance.

[Major-Tom]

You all ready for the million Covid super spreader?

I will be amused if more people turn up than for Trump's inaugaration.

You gotta feel for the folks of DC, though. All these people are gonna be going to the restaurants there, stores, etc etc, spreading this shit.

[Gravlen]

As the US hits a quarter million deaths due to Covid-19 according to Worldometer, Trump goes golfing.

I'd rather him be on the back nine than in front of a press conference, telling folks to go drink some bleach.

Sure, but I don't ever want to hear any Republicans derisively talk about a Democrat going golfing in the future. They've given up the moral standing to complain about such things, when they say nothing when Trump goes golfing as the death toll hit 250,000 people on his watch.

[The Black Forrest]

I'd rather him be on the back nine than in front of a press conference, telling folks to go drink some bleach.

Sure, but I don't ever want to hear any Republicans derisively talk about a Democrat going golfing in the future. They've given up the moral standing to complain about such things, when they say nothing when Trump goes golfing as the death toll hit 250,000 people on his watch.

Oh they will. Remember all the talk about politics with SCOTUS placements and placing people during an election year? They all suddenly forgot when it was time to discuss oh shoot just forgot her name......

[Esalia]

You all ready for the million Covid super spreader?

They just couldn't be content with the large rise in COVID cases, huh?

Nah, they just had to decide to hold a super spreader event.

[The Alma Mater]

You all ready for the million Covid super spreader?

They just couldn't be content with the large rise in COVID cases, huh?

Nah, they just had to decide to hold a super spreader event.

And all deaths will be Bidens fault, ofc.

[The Alma Mater]

As the US hits a quarter million deaths due to Covid-19 according to Worldometer, Trump goes golfing.

He needs the money.

[Esalia]

They just couldn't be content with the large rise in COVID cases, huh?

Nah, they just had to decide to hold a super spreader event.

And all deaths will be Bidens fault, ofc.

Duh.

Who else could be responsible? The guy they're supporting, who's indirectly responsible for tens of thousands of COVID-19 deaths due to his negligence in responding to COVID, and is indirectly responsible for this march by not conceding the election he lost fair and square and stoking his base up into believing the election is being stolen from him? Of course not!

[Punished UMN]

Yeah, Trump is either incompetent at or just plain uninterested in his job.

Why not both?

I spent several minutes trying to come up with a reason and couldn't think of one.

[Page]

Yeah, Trump is either incompetent at or just plain uninterested in his job.

Why not both?

You have to say it in Spanish!

[Jerzylvania]

I'd rather him be on the back nine than in front of a press conference, telling folks to go drink some bleach.

Sure, but I don't ever want to hear any Republicans derisively talk about a Democrat going golfing in the future. They've given up the moral standing to complain about such things, when they say nothing when Trump goes golfing as the death toll hit 250,000 people on his watch.

You have lofty expectations then.

I'm waiting for Biden to be criticized by them for going biking today at a DE state park near Rehoboth.

[Western Fardelshufflestein]

Sure, but I don't ever want to hear any Republicans derisively talk about a Democrat going golfing in the future. They've given up the moral standing to complain about such things, when they say nothing when Trump goes golfing as the death toll hit 250,000 people on his watch.

You have lofty expectations then.

I'm waiting for Biden to be criticized by them for going biking today at a DE state park near Rehoboth.

He likely won't--except by the right, probably.

[Albrenia]

Any word on the size of these protests/marches?

Hopefully they remain peaceful.

[Cannot think of a name]

Holy crap they showed up. That's not particularly surprising, I guess. The blurb that just popped up they just mentioned that the Trump supporters were milling about DC and hardly anyone was wearing a mask. Natch.

[Jerzylvania]

You have lofty expectations then.

I'm waiting for Biden to be criticized by them for going biking today at a DE state park near Rehoboth.

He likely won't--except by the right, probably.

Uhh yeah... them would be the Republicans or their media propagandists.

[Western Fardelshufflestein]

Honestly, all sides spew propaganda and we all pick to follow which line propaganda aligns with our values and beliefs. It's confirmation bias, yes, but it because the media is so politically charged it's what happens.

[Cannot think of a name]

Any word on the size of these protests/marches?

Hopefully they remain peaceful.

Apparently, like always, it depends on who you ask:

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed on Twitter that the crowd size was "more than one million marchers," but reporters on the scene estimated that there were "tens of thousands" of people at the rally.

[Cannot think of a name]

Honestly, all sides spew propaganda and we all pick to follow which line propaganda aligns with our values and beliefs. It's confirmation bias, yes, but it because the media is so politically charged it's what happens.

That's pretty reductive.

[Esalia]

Holy crap they showed up. That's not particularly surprising, I guess. The blurb that just popped up they just mentioned that the Trump supporters were milling about DC and hardly anyone was wearing a mask. Natch.

I feel sorry for the people in DC. Can't imagine how many people in DC get infected because a bunch of assholes rocked up with no masks so they can show how anti-democracy they are.