Bob Shepherd, all-around educator, assessment expert, curriculum expert, teacher, author, wrote a brilliant parody of a Trump rally. Read it here.
Incoherent stream of consciousness. Fourth grade vocabulary. Boasting. Narcissism. Replaying moments of triumph over his enemies. Crowd size. The biggest. Bullying.
Bob Shepherd also commented here about how Trump would act if he were a student in high school.
Trump is just like the high-school kid who throws spitballs or knocks someone’s books off a desk or otherwise disrupts class every time the teacher’s back is turned. He screws up his ugly, orange face and continually makes racist, anti-immigrant statements; stokes anti-immigrant feeling among white supremacists; and puts forward racist, anti-immigrant policies, but he usually stops short of the most bald racist language, preferring, instead, racist policy accompanied by dog-whistles. Then, after making some racist attack–telling congresswomen of color to go back to their countries, for example–he will, just like that high-school kid, deny, deny, deny. Trump: I am the least racist person. High-school kid: What? I didn’t do nothing.
Immaturity and disingenuousness. Not the qualities of a statesman, but those of a demagogue. “Hate has no place in America,” the Hater-in-Chief said this morning. That’s true. That’s why he should resign. And then be placed in detention.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
NY Times, Gail Collins
Crowd size
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/opinion/trump.amp.html
Trump proved his racism by stating that Ms. Omar and Ms. Tlaib, as well as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts — should “go back” to the countries they came from.
Now he is working to punish his political opponents by telling Israel that they would be showing a weakness by letting Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib visit. Trump says, “They are a disgrace!”
Trump has no business telling a foreign ally that they should keep elected representatives of the US government from entering their country. He is violating presidential decency. [Should I be surprised?]
Israel has a long-standing policy of banning entry into their country, of people who advocate “BDS” (Boycott, divestiture, sanctions) against Israel. The policy has been in place for some time, and it did not begin with Trump.
Diane, you are Jewish (I assume you support the foreign policy decisions of Israel). How do you feel about Israel banning self-declared enemies of Israel?
block
William: “Israel has a long-standing policy of banning entry into their country, of people who advocate “BDS”
I am aware of that policy. However, Trump has NO business putting his racism into the equation.
These women are NOT enemies of Israel! Stop, stop the lies. The fact that I criticize some polices of the US does not mean that I am an enemy of my own country. Or has the 1st amendment been repealed and I am not allowed to disagree with policies of the country or a certain administration. So we are not allowed to say so much as one syllable that might cast Israel in a bad light? We are only allowed to praise and laud Israel, no criticisms allowed? Israel is treating a whole group of people as if they are criminals who must be contained, restrained and blocked at every opportunity. Many American Jews have the same exact criticisms of Israel as do the women in question. Israel has a right to exist, what about the Palestinians?
Trump urged Israel to ban.
AIPAC breaks with Israel, due to the two being members of Congress.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/policy/international/middle-east-north-africa/457568-aipac-pushes-back-against-israel-decision-we%3famp
Israel is a sovereign nation, and it has the right to ban any foreign person from entering their sovereign territory for any reason, or for no reason.
These two congresswomen can hardly be called “friends” of Israel.
I am Jewish. I support Israel’s right to secure borders and personal safety and freedom from terrorism. I don’t support the Boycott Movement. I don’t support everything Israel does. I think Israel is too cozy with our Lunatic president. I don’t agree with the decision to ban two members of Congress. Many Israelis don’t agree with Netanyahu’s policies.
The Times of Israel reported: “Netanyahu not hugely popular, but not threatened by divided opposition — polls
“Only one-third of Israelis want the PM to return to his post after the April ballot, but that’s still well ahead of any other candidate.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-unpopular-but-not-threatened-by-divided-opposition-polls-show/
It is obvious that Israel is also rigging its elections so there is no popular/preferable choice for the people to vote for. It is just another choice between many almost empty glasses with none even half full.
“I don’t support the Boycott Movement.”
I’d be curious to know what not. What other means of protest do you suggest for Palestinians and those who oppose the apartheid treatment they have increasingly been under since 1967?
When you are afraid to enter any public space for fear that you and your children will die in a terrorist attack, it creates bad feelings. When you worry that someone will come intoa market, a pizza parlor, a wedding, wired to blow themselves up, it creates hard hearts.
I believe in a two-State solution. Trump and Netanyahu do not.
The only way there will be change is if the Israelis and the Palestinians sit together and negotiate.
That won’t happen with current Israeli and US leadership.
Boycotting Israel won’t bring about change. It strengthens hardliners like Netanyahu.
“I believe in a two-State solution.”
I wish this could be negotiated.
I visited Israel in October 2015. I found it frightening to walk around and see patrols of soldiers walking and holding huge guns. It would be so much better for everyone if the leaders would sit down and do some serious talking. Enough people have been killed or maimed over the years and nothing has been accomplished.
Trump and Netanyahu certainly aren’t leaders who work for peace.
Oh, I forgot. It’s Jared who is supposed to bring peace to the Middle East. Being a slum lord in Baltimore and Trump’s son-in-law makes him highly qualified. HIs marriage to Princess Sparkle, another qualified advisor, is an added bonus.
It must be reassuring to residents to see military with guns.
A reader of this blog, Richard Lakin, retired from teaching and writing and moved to Israel, where he became active in the peace movement. He was riding on a bus in Jerusalem a couple of years ago and was stabbed to death by a Palestinian. For no reason.
https://m.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/American-Israeli-victim-dies-two-weeks-after-brutal-attack-on-Jerusalem-bus-430168
I wish there had been security on that bus. He was a kind and loving man who was sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
Wow, was that narrow minded. William, you are American, so I assume you support all the policies of both American political parties without fail. Dumb! I’m Jewish, William. That doesn’t mean I support the Likud party. I don’t. I’d vote for Labor or Blue and White if I were an Israeli Jew. It’s insulting to assume I support Netanyahu — blood boiling insulting. Downright racist. Not cool, bro.
I am Jewish. I am religious. I keep kosher. I read the Bible almost every Sabbath. I support AOC’s squad.
And the boycott.
You say : William, you are American, so I assume you support all the policies of both American political parties without fail. (stop)
You are mistaken. I support some of the policies of the D party and some of the policies of the R party.
I support Israel, the only democracy in the Mideast, and our ally there.
Israel has the right to be secure, and the right to ban any foreigner from entering the country, who professes enmity against Israel. Unlike the USA, Israel does not have open borders.
Not all Jewish people outside Israel support the current government. (Not all Israelis do either). But I believe it is correct to believe that all decent people, regardless of religion support a secure and free Israel.
From WaPo:
Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the pro-Israel group J Street, said the move was motivated by “politics and ideology — not by the interests of the State of Israel.” And Rebecca Vilkomerson, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace said in a statement that the ban was a “perfect illustration of Israel’s racist apartheid policies in practice.”
Israel and its right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have had fewer qualms welcoming other controversial political figures.
Under Netanyahu’s watch, a parade of far-right and ethno-nationalist leaders have visited Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The perceived anti-Semitism driving the illiberal politics of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban posed no obstacle to a cuddly alliance with Netanyahu. Italy’s Matteo Salvini and his political allies may celebrate fascist leaders and Nazi-era collaborators, but that was no impediment to a warm welcome in Israel. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines actively style themselves as bloodthirsty would-be strongmen, but they were feted in the country that brands itself as the Middle East’s “only democracy.”
William,
I disagree with you.
I believe in the security of Israel.
I think they are right to ban terrorists from entering the country.
But I think it is dreadful that the current government has become a handmaiden of Trump.
I think Israel was wrong to block two members of Congress.
They are not terrorists. They are members of Congress and should be treated with respect.
Also, the US does not have open borders.
“I support Israel, the only democracy in the Mideast, and our ally there.”
Democracies don’t imprison and oppress such large portions of their population. And, yes, that means America is not a democracy either. Did you know that if “prison” were a U.S. state, it would be the 39th largest? It’s amazing to me how people swallow the propaganda of the U.S. as a “free country” and a “democracy” when the evidence to the contrary is all around us every day.
Just last week – to give but one very minor example – I had to go to the Thompson Center (the State of Illinois government center in Chicago). To get into most of the offices, you have to present ID and go through security worthy of an airport. Keep in mind, this is a government building, which our collective taxes pay for, and pay for all the employees in there. Anyway, as I was going through security, the guy ahead of me was getting the third degree because he had ammo in his bag. I really wanted to ask, “Does he have a gun? Because if not, what’s he going to do with the ammo? Throw it at someone?” But I couldn’t because that would have resulted in penalties for me without helping the guy any. So while he was being interrogated, the rest of us were significantly delayed but, despite “freedom of speech” no one can say anything. At the same time, we know that this kabuki theater doesn’t actually keep guns out. It’s just about power and control. Democracy in action!
And, yes, I know this was a minor incident – that’s my point – this is the kind of thing we take for granted every single day.
Deinne77, what if someone else went through at a different time with a firearm (pistol) but had no ammo and claimed it was useless without ammo?
Then an hour or two later, a guy with the ammo shows up spouting the flawed logic that all he had was ammo and no firearm.
Then if they both succeed, they meet at a specific time in a restroom.
Here I am wondering how a discussion of the racism of Donald Trump became one about the rightness or wrongness of the policy positions of a couple of congresspeople. The second is not the topic at hand. Is there a person of color in the Untied (spelling intentional) States who has not had this “go back to” slur thrown at him or her by some despicable racist? This is not how nonracists speak, even about those who hold positions that they abhor. This man is president of the United States. It is not acceptable for a president to be a racist, and this is what racists say. And this is not a one-off: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_views_of_Donald_Trump
Racism should be disqualifying for the office. Period. When a president speaks, there are children listening–children of color who hear themselves being attacked and white children who are hearing that such talk is acceptable from people in power. Not OK.
It would be more appropriate to discuss the CA DE’s ethnic model curriculum standards than whatever BDV or DJT is doing. Or even discuss Israel’s refusal to allow entry to the country by two members of the “squad” who support the BDS movement.
________________________________
The perfect location for Trump’s ten-lifetimes long detention without any chance of parole would be ADX Florence (ADMAX). It is known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies.
ADX Florence houses the male inmates (that means no women are there) in the federal prison system who are deemed the most dangerous and in need of the tightest control, including prisoners whose escape would pose a serious threat to national security.
George Conway on Trump’s mental decline:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mediaite.com/trump/george-conway-demands-trump-get-tested-for-mental-decline-ridiculous-to-suggest-that-nothing-is-happening/amp/
Video: Is Trump Suffering from Dementia?
David Pakman Show
Published on Mar 30, 2017
–Donald Trump’s forgetfulness, and uses of filler words and non-specific nouns, correlate with the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease observed in Ronald Regan
Whatever it is, this is a crisis.
Instability, stupidity, ignorance, cruelty, racism, criminality, . . .
It’s a crisis.
Akademos: I agree. BUT, what about people like my brother who listens to Fox, loves Hannity and Rush L? He says that Trump is the best president this country has ever had.
There are many in this country who think like my brother. One of my best friends stands up for Trump. We know better than to get into a political discussion. Facts don’t matter because we are all listening to fake news.
In college I was advised by a senior not to get into discussions about religion (maybe it was religion or politics) with a roommate. Of course, Trump and the Republicans are steeped in at least the outward ideologies surrounding Christian faith. You can’t argue with faith, it is almost by definition beyond reason, and beyond worldly facts.
Another thing I was warned about was ‘mindset’, which was defined in terms of problem solving, or rather, simply staring at a wall instead of making headway, because you just can’t get out of your own mindset. You don’t see your own assumptions and you just can’t think any differently because of it.
I guess the things to focus on are the planet, health, safety and the fair treatment of people. But I wouldn’t try to change what others believe. They may eventually come around, though. And it may be in bits and pieces.
Thank you, Bob.
Great read. I hope we survive that lunatic.
Oh, man, Bob. You have competition, from the source!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/homenews/campaign/457652-trump-mocks-appearance-of-protester-that-guys-got-a-serious-weight-problem%3famp
Akademos: Don’t you just love Trump when he shows how ‘presidential’ he is? How can any sane person stand his infantile behavior?
……………………………………………….
“The president often mocks and belittles protesters who are removed from his rallies, but only sometimes comments on their appearance.”
Ofc Mr. Trump is self-parodying. It’s impossible (though one can try) to parody him more than he does himself. I tried a different tack when I wrote my New Year’s Resolutions from the Rich and Famous, 2018:
I’ve decided to focus inward during the coming year, on my spiritual growth—to take a more disciplined approach to my fasting, meditation, and yoga. Of course, it’s important that I not fall into the trap of being prideful about my own success in these undertakings, and I’m not going to cut off all worldly interaction. I would never, for example, give up the important work I do counseling teens struggling with their gender identities. That work is just too important, as you know. Lives depend on it.
–Donald J. Trump
And 2019:
This year I will focus on redoubling my efforts to get the country to set aside its prejudices and pursue the mindfulness, humility, and self-reflection that I’ve learned, over the years, from my meditation practice. And, of course, I’ll continue my efforts to strengthen our traditional alliances so we can stand firm against authoritarian dictators around the globe. While I’m saddened that the job will doubtless continue to take time away from my scholarly endeavors—Will I ever find time to finish my study of gender ambiguity in Romantic-Era poetry?—I take consolation from my deep conviction that the country is what matters, not me. If I’ve learned anything from my Buddhist studies, it’s that ego-focus is delusion.
–Donald J. Trump
Bob Shepherd: FANTASTIC!
Here are my favorite lines:
“While I’m saddened that the job will doubtless continue to take time away from my scholarly endeavors… If I’ve learned anything from my Buddhist studies, it’s that ego-focus is delusion.”
Okay, now we go beyond surreal.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/homenews/administration/457705-trump-calls-supporter-he-mocked-for-having-a-weight-problem%3famp
Akademos: So it’s okay to call a Trump protestor fat BUT an apology is needed if the person is a Trump supporter? [I don’t recall Trump calling the disabled journalist and apologizing when he made fun of him.] Being disparaged by the Orange Buffoon didn’t dent the brain of his supporter.
…………………………
Dawson said Trump’s mockery of him didn’t change his opinion of the president.
“I love the guy,” Dawson told Fox. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to this country.”
The humorist Andy Borowitz reacted to rumors that Trump wants to buy Greenland.
He said Denmark wants to buy the US.
I say, “Sell!”
But I’d ask for an offer from Finland first.
AIPAC splits with Trump and Netanyahu, backs visit by Omar and Tlaib to Israel
By Kate Sullivan, CNN
Updated 6:51 PM ET, Thu August 15, 2019
Washington (CNN)The prominent pro-Israel group American Israel Public Affairs Committee suggested Thursday it opposed a move by Israel — and supported by President Donald Trump — to bar Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country.
AIPAC, which advocates for a staunch alliance between the US and Israel, has frequently sided with Trump administration policies that have supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, making its opposition especially notable.
“We disagree with Reps. Omar and Tlaib’s support for the anti-Israel and anti-peace BDS movement, along with Rep. Tlaib’s calls for a one-state solution. We also believe every member of Congress should be able to visit and experience our democratic ally Israel firsthand,” AIPAC tweeted early Thursday afternoon….
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/15/politics/aipac-ilhan-omar-rashida-tlaib-israel/index.html
AIPAC knows that most American Jews despise Trump and that Israel is wrong to defer to the lunatic.
The world is in turmoil.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/08/16/opinion/hong-kong-kashmir-trump.amp.html
Again, so dangerous having this lunatic in the Whiter House, and a Senate that will rubber stamp his actions/inactions
Smart money thinks Trumponomics is a flop. And there are no economists left in the WH.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/08/15/opinion/trump-economy.amp.html
Again, so dangerous having this lunatic in the Whiter House
Love your satire, Bob. This one’s right up there with Trump, Your Drunk Neighbor (youtube)
Oh my Lord, yes. Those are the BEST!!! The perfect Trump satire uses his own words.
I just signed a petition demanding that House Democrats pass legislation that would block the Trump regime’s racist public charge policy
Donald Trump and Stephen Miller’s cruelty is endless.
Early this week, the Trump regime finalized a racist policy that would make it easier for the government to deny green cards to immigrants who have used Medicaid, Medicare, housing or food assistance. That means families and seniors will have to choose between their health and well-being and pursuing a path to citizenship. We cannot let this stand.
Rep. Judy Chu’s No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act would block the Trump regime from using federal funding to implement this cruel new policy.2 Speak out now to demand that Democrats in the House of Representatives pass this important bill.
Public charge is a category the government uses to determine whether someone seeking permanent resident status is likely to rely on public assistance to live in the country. In the past, xenophobes and racists have used public charge claims to keep out Jews fleeing Nazi Germany, LGBTQ families and people with disabilities. Now, the Trump regime is expanding and weaponizing it to advance its white supremacist agenda. We must stop this attack now.
The rule change would subject immigrants more likely to use public benefits like low-income immigrants, immigrants over the age of 65 and those with large families to a higher level of scrutiny when they apply for a green card. If an individual or anyone in their family has a record of using Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP or housing assistance, including Section 8, the government could label them a public charge and deny their application.
https://act.credoaction.com/sign/dont-fund-public-charge-rule?sp_ref=507750815.4.198814.e.637848.2&referring_akid=33648.1912996.IHRYPh&source=mailto_sp
Thanks
Greenland
Denmark: Is he crazy?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/16/final-proof-he-has-gone-mad-denmark-mocks-trump-reported-desire-buy-greenland%3famp
At this point, we have to conclude that there is no position so idiotic that this president will not take it. He is STILL claiming that China is paying the tariffs he placed on Chinese goods sold in the US.
Yet he postponed the tariffs on China until after Dec 15 so prices would not rise before Xmas. He called his d3cision a Christmas gift. He knows his tariffs will hurt consumers.
Yes. A bald-faced lie, and he knows it (his advisors have explained this to him with pictures) but he repeats it at every rally.
We’ve gone from lurching stupidly and shambolic to outrageous and criminal to outrageous and racist to totally lost it.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/beta.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/08/16/trump-seems-have-lost-it-so-what-do-we-do/%3foutputType=amp