International Skeptics Forum

International Skeptics Forum (http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/forumindex.php)
-   USA Politics (http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=6)
-   -   Continuation The Trump Presidency: Part 25 (http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=346437)

Segnosaur 13th October 2020 08:35 PM

Twitter is suppressing the free speech of Black Trump supporters!

Well, sort of. Not really.

From: CBC
Twitter said on Tuesday it had suspended a number of accounts purportedly owned by Black supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump and his re-election campaign, saying the accounts broke rules on spam and platform manipulation.... A review by Reuters of some of the suspended accounts showed they often used images of real people that did not match their names and posted identical language in their messages...some of the accounts used photos of Black American men that had appeared in news articles. Some used identical images of Trump as their header image.

The article didn't give any sort of indication about who was behind it. (Given past activities by the Russians, it wouldn't be surprising if they were behind it, although I am sure there are other pro-Trump activists who could have done it too.

Mumbles 13th October 2020 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Segnosaur (Post 13256832)
Twitter is suppressing the free speech of Black Trump supporters!

Well, sort of. Not really.

From: CBC
Twitter said on Tuesday it had suspended a number of accounts purportedly owned by Black supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump and his re-election campaign, saying the accounts broke rules on spam and platform manipulation.... A review by Reuters of some of the suspended accounts showed they often used images of real people that did not match their names and posted identical language in their messages...some of the accounts used photos of Black American men that had appeared in news articles. Some used identical images of Trump as their header image.

The article didn't give any sort of indication about who was behind it. (Given past activities by the Russians, it wouldn't be surprising if they were behind it, although I am sure there are other pro-Trump activists who could have done it too.

There's a years=long habit of white supremacists using stock images to pose as black people on social media - usually complete with painfully bad imitations of AAVE. Typically, they manage to sucker other white supremacists, like the folks at Fox News or Breitbart. Non-US (usually Russian) bot farms got in on it later.

Skeptic Ginger 13th October 2020 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mumbles (Post 13256845)
There's a years=long habit of white supremacists using stock images to pose as black people on social media - usually complete with painfully bad imitations of AAVE. Typically, they manage to sucker other white supremacists, like the folks at Fox News or Breitbart. Non-US (usually Russian) bot farms got in on it later.

And they sucker Trump. :p

jimbob 13th October 2020 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey (Post 13253716)
I'm starting to think that the US needs a kindergarten teacher to supervise the president at all times to make sure he doesn't hurt himself with the child scissors during craft time.

I think it should have a kindergarten teacher to give him stanley knives and electric sockets.

Aridas 13th October 2020 11:30 PM

For the fun of it... The Lincoln Project has poked at Trump's treatment on Fox News.

RolandRat 14th October 2020 04:31 AM

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...?ocid=msedgdhp

Donald Trump Is Literally Begging People To Vote For Him, “Suburban women, would you please like me? Please. Please,” he said. “I saved your damn neighbourhood, OK?”

Reality finally kicking in for Trump?

JoeMorgue 14th October 2020 04:40 AM

I was driving into work this morning and notice that like mushrooms overnight a whole crap ton of "Don't vote for Biden! He puts black people in prison!" signs popped up in certain, let's just say 'urban' areas.

RolandRat 14th October 2020 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aridas (Post 13256881)

Bit of a derail here but I was looking through the replies to that and I found this link:

https://www.salon.com/2020/06/18/fox...ort-the-facts/

"An attorney for Fox News told a New York federal judge at a preliminary hearing that Tucker Carlson's audience does not expect him to report the facts — even when Carlson tells his audience that he is doing so.

And the attorney further argued that Carlson has no duty to look into whether his statements are truthful."

That's an interesting take.

JoeMorgue 14th October 2020 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RolandRat (Post 13257131)
Bit of a derail here but I was looking through the replies to that and I found this link:

https://www.salon.com/2020/06/18/fox...ort-the-facts/

"An attorney for Fox News told a New York federal judge at a preliminary hearing that Tucker Carlson's audience does not expect him to report the facts — even when Carlson tells his audience that he is doing so.

And the attorney further argued that Carlson has no duty to look into whether his statements are truthful."

That's an interesting take.

That's why you always need to keep an eye on legal decisions. That's where (not always but a lot of the times) people have to say the quiet part loud.

Firestone 14th October 2020 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RolandRat (Post 13257100)
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...?ocid=msedgdhp

Donald Trump Is Literally Begging People To Vote For Him, “Suburban women, would you please like me? Please. Please,” he said. “I saved your damn neighbourhood, OK?”

Reality finally kicking in for Trump?

You don't get it, but Megyn Kelly does: "“Please, please like me” is actually a pretty fun, funny, and self-deprecating way of connecting. This is why so many ppl forgive Trump his jagged edges - he can laugh at himself."

(No, no, no, it's not a cult at all. And Megyn Kelly is a real journalist.)

Aridas 14th October 2020 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RolandRat (Post 13257131)
Bit of a derail here but I was looking through the replies to that and I found this link:

https://www.salon.com/2020/06/18/fox...ort-the-facts/

"An attorney for Fox News told a New York federal judge at a preliminary hearing that Tucker Carlson's audience does not expect him to report the facts — even when Carlson tells his audience that he is doing so.

And the attorney further argued that Carlson has no duty to look into whether his statements are truthful."

That's an interesting take.

I think that I poked at that around the time the article came out, as it was, but yeah, Fox has literally argued in court that their viewers don't take them seriously, therefore they should not bear any liability for harmful lies and slander. Repeatedly, I think.

What's worse is that the argument works.

Quote:

In sum, the Fox News lawyers mocked the legal case made by McDougal's legal team. She alleged "a reasonable viewer of ordinary intelligence listening or watching the show ... would conclude that [she] is a criminal who extorted Trump for money" and that "the statements about [her] were fact."

"Context makes plain," Fox's lawyers wrote, "that the reasonable viewer would do no such thing."

The judge fully agreed.
Incidentally, though, if you ever hear someone praise Carlson, you can point out that Fox has literally called them gullible idiots in court, now.

JoeMorgue 14th October 2020 06:09 AM

//Double post, thread must be getting long//

JoeMorgue 14th October 2020 06:12 AM

Way back on an episode of the Daily Show Jon Stewart broke down how Fox News "works."

They have their "opinion" shows just make stuff up to stir up controversy and then have their "news" report on the stuff people are talking about. It's basically journalistic push polling.

Armitage72 14th October 2020 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue (Post 13257168)
Way back on an episode of the Daily Show Jon Stewart broke down how Fox News "works."

They have their "opinion" shows just make stuff up to stir up controversy and then have their "news" report on the stuff people are talking about. It's basically journalistic push polling.


One of the big examples that was brought up at the time:

Original News Story: One class in one school sang a song about historically significant African-Americans, which included a verse about President Obama.

Later Opinion Piece: Ranting about children being forced to sing the praises of President Obama, with comparisons to North Korea.

Still Later News Story: People are outraged about reports of children being forced to sing songs praising President Obama.

JoeMorgue 14th October 2020 06:19 AM

Yeah Fox News really perfected the whole "People want answers on the 'Senator Johnson punches kittens' rumor. Why won't Senator Johnson answer these question?" when they are the ones who started the rumor that Senator Johnson punches kit routine.

JoeMorgue 14th October 2020 06:54 AM

Fox News also was, ironically, the first network to really realize "The Internet Exists" as a way to justify their outrage. Because it's the internet and if you can imagine an opinion out there that if it existed would make your blood boil, you can find one without too much effort.

"People are outraged over reports that President Obama is going take our guns to fund abortions!" where "people" is one anonymous Twitter troll.

RolandRat 14th October 2020 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firestone (Post 13257134)
You don't get it, but Megyn Kelly does: "“Please, please like me” is actually a pretty fun, funny, and self-deprecating way of connecting. This is why so many ppl forgive Trump his jagged edges - he can laugh at himself."

(No, no, no, it's not a cult at all. And Megyn Kelly is a real journalist.)

One of the replies on that tweet:

"Jesus... you have completely jumped the shark. Bless your heart & FO."

:D

JoeMorgue 14th October 2020 07:27 AM

Jumped the shark? Everybody who's closer than 6 degree of Kevin Bacon to Trump has been jumping up and down on the shark yelling "LOOKIT ME! I'm Mister Jumpy McSharko!" for a while now.

Firestone 14th October 2020 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RolandRat (Post 13257266)
One of the replies on that tweet:

"Jesus... you have completely jumped the shark. Bless your heart & FO."

:D

Truth is, I think these conservatives are just better people than me.

If someone would try to belittle me with "blood coming out of my wherever", I wouldn't give this person any consideration for a very long time.
If someone would insinuate my dad was part of a murder plot, I won't forgive him in a thousand years.

But people like Megyn Kelly and Ted Cruz, god bless them, they are just way above those trivial feelings.

RolandRat 14th October 2020 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue (Post 13257271)
Jumped the shark? Everybody who's closer than 6 degree of Kevin Bacon to Trump has been jumping up and down on the shark yelling "LOOKIT ME! I'm Mister Jumpy McSharko!" for a while now.

You're not wrong :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firestone (Post 13257280)
Truth is, I think these conservatives are just better people than me.

If someone would try to belittle me with "blood coming out of my wherever", I wouldn't give this person any consideration for a very long time.
If someone would insinuate my dad was part of a murder plot, I won't forgive him in a thousand years.

But people like Megyn Kelly and Ted Cruz, god bless them, they are just way above those trivial feelings.

The heroes we need but don't deserve.

And I just figured out how to multi-quote, yay me!

Bob001 14th October 2020 10:40 AM

John Dean explains it all:
Quote:

A new book by a psychology professor and a former lawyer in the Nixon White House argues that Trump has tapped into a current of authoritarianism in the American electorate, one that’s bubbled just below the surface for years. In “Authoritarian Nightmare,” Bob Altemeyer and John W. Dean marshal data from a previously unpublished nationwide survey showing a striking desire for strong authoritarian leadership among Republican voters.
....
Many fervent Trump supporters, Altemeyer and Dean write, “are submissive, fearful, and longing for a mighty leader who will protect them from life’s threats. They divide the world into friend and foe, with the latter greatly outnumbering the former.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...rian-research/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/16...SIN=1612199054

Venom 14th October 2020 10:52 AM

Please PLEASE like me.

lol?

Babbylonian 14th October 2020 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firestone (Post 13257134)
You don't get it, but Megyn Kelly does: "“Please, please like me” is actually a pretty fun, funny, and self-deprecating way of connecting. This is why so many ppl forgive Trump his jagged edges - he can laugh at himself."

(No, no, no, it's not a cult at all. And Megyn Kelly is a real journalist.)

"Is" a real journalist? No, she's a former journalist.

Stacyhs 14th October 2020 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firestone (Post 13257280)
Truth is, I think these conservatives are just better people than me.

If someone would try to belittle me with "blood coming out of my wherever", I wouldn't give this person any consideration for a very long time.
If someone would insinuate my dad was part of a murder plot, I won't forgive him in a thousand years.

But people like Megyn Kelly and Ted Cruz, god bless them, they are just way above those trivial feelings.

Yes. I would not forgive or forget anyone who attacked an innocent family member of mine either. It's despicable.

pgwenthold 14th October 2020 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacyhs (Post 13257525)
Yes. I would not forgive or forget anyone who attacked an innocent family member of mine either. It's despicable.

Maybe he's not so innocent, did you ever think?

Trebuchet 14th October 2020 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babbylonian (Post 13257518)
"Is" a real journalist? No, she's a former journalist.

And there's blood coming from her wherever.

Stacyhs 14th October 2020 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgwenthold (Post 13257535)
Maybe he's not so innocent, did you ever think?

I'm not talking about Cruz's father. I'm talking about my family member. Which someone did.

phiwum 14th October 2020 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firestone (Post 13257134)
You don't get it, but Megyn Kelly does: "“Please, please like me” is actually a pretty fun, funny, and self-deprecating way of connecting. This is why so many ppl forgive Trump his jagged edges - he can laugh at himself."

(No, no, no, it's not a cult at all. And Megyn Kelly is a real journalist.)

I don't think she's wrong.

I think that some of Trump's humor is self-deprecating. I know that's strange, given how thin his skin is, but pleading "Please like me" is best viewed as a joke and that this is likely endearing to some.

Of course, he's an odd duck. I regard some of his sayings as likely to be self-mocking humor, but it's hard to fit that interpretation with his refusal to admit "covfefe" was a typo. On the other hand, it all fits a bit better when you remember that Spicer said that the word was understood by a mysterious group of insiders. That is another example of something so strange that perhaps it must have been intentional humor.

JoeMorgue 14th October 2020 12:40 PM

Look for a "bombshell" (cough cough) smear attack on Hunter Biden in the next week or so as Trump's Hail Mary. FoxNews is salivating over a story about Giuliani's laywers having "dirt" on him and pushing it hard to their viewership.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hun...d-drive-laptop

Andy_Ross 14th October 2020 01:22 PM

In a Newsmax interview, President Trump declined to say whether he plans to keep AG Barr should he win:

"I have no comment. Can't comment on that. It's too early. I'm not happy with all of the evidence I have, I can tell you that. I'm not happy." https://newsmax.com/politics/trump-w.../14/id/991932/

Norman Alexander 14th October 2020 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop (Post 13257667)
In a Newsmax interview, President Trump declined to say whether he plans to keep AG Barr should he win:

"I have no comment. Can't comment on that. It's too early. I'm not happy with all of the evidence I have, I can tell you that. I'm not happy." https://newsmax.com/politics/trump-w.../14/id/991932/

He wants to pass it to Jared. Jared did "so well with Middle East peace".

jimbob 14th October 2020 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galaxie (Post 13255420)
Are we really talking about Medevac helicopters as a serious option? Good luck getting your insurance to pay for that.

Emergency Air Lift to Hospital Could Cost $40,000

Happens in the UK Highlands and especially Islands.

Segnosaur 14th October 2020 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop (Post 13257667)
In a Newsmax interview, President Trump declined to say whether he plans to keep AG Barr should he win:

"I have no comment. Can't comment on that. It's too early. I'm not happy with all of the evidence I have, I can tell you that. I'm not happy." https://newsmax.com/politics/trump-w.../14/id/991932/

You mean the man who complained that Biden wouldn't talk about packing the supreme Court won't give us plans about cabinet staff? I am shocked! Shocked I tell you.

Sent from my LM-X320 using Tapatalk

lobosrul5 14th October 2020 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob001 (Post 13255411)
From the link:


That doesn't seem like as much of a disparity as I might have guessed. Obviously some people live a long way from hospitals, but they would be a small percentage of the population. The U.S. has a lot of open spaces. Not everybody can live 10 minutes from from a hospital.

That's gonna depend on what type of hospital do you mean. There is only a single level 1 trauma center in the state of New Mexico (UNM-H). So, lots of people live further than 10 minutes away. People in the southern 3rd or so of the state would be air lifted to El Paso. Most counties have a hospital of some kind though.

StillSleepy 14th October 2020 02:08 PM

Since we've come back to the hospitals, also from the link is that about a quarter of rural Americans live 34 minutes or greater from a hospital. Last I knew, the rural population of the US was about 20% of the total, which puts the >34 minute crowd at about 5% or 1 in 20 of the total population, which would be >16 million people.

Segnosaur 14th October 2020 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StillSleepy (Post 13257704)
Since we've come back to the hospitals, also from the link is that about a quarter of rural Americans live 34 minutes or greater from a hospital. Last I knew, the rural population of the US was about 20% of the total, which puts the >34 minute crowd at about 5% or 1 in 20 of the total population, which would be >16 million people.

Have to say, 34 minutes to a hospital does not seem that far. I live in a Canadian city of medium size (~1 milion) with multiple hospitals. I looked at Google maps and some of the people that live in the suburbs are roughly 30 minutes from the nearest hospital. (And that is not counting rush hour traffic)

Sent from my LM-X320 using Tapatalk

Babbylonian 14th October 2020 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop (Post 13257667)
In a Newsmax interview, President Trump declined to say whether he plans to keep AG Barr should he win:

"I have no comment. Can't comment on that. It's too early. I'm not happy with all of the evidence I have, I can tell you that. I'm not happy." https://newsmax.com/politics/trump-w.../14/id/991932/

"The Justice Department should not only back up everything I do and not investigate or prosecute any member of the Executive Branch, but it should arrest and prosecute anyone I choose."

Trebuchet 14th October 2020 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babbylonian (Post 13257712)
"The Justice Department should not only back up everything I do and not investigate or prosecute any member of the Executive Branch, but it should arrest and prosecute anyone I choose."

And new AG Giuliani will do just that.

Andy_Ross 14th October 2020 03:30 PM

Trump Tweets

So terrible that Facebook and Twitter took down the story of “Smoking Gun” emails related to Sleepy Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in the @NYPost. It is only the beginning for them. There is nothing worse than a corrupt politician. REPEAL SECTION 230!!!

Babbylonian 14th October 2020 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop (Post 13257773)
Trump Tweets

So terrible that Facebook and Twitter took down the story of “Smoking Gun” emails related to Sleepy Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in the @NYPost. It is only the beginning for them. There is nothing worse than a corrupt politician. REPEAL SECTION 230!!!

Story? No, they were fanciful tales. In fact, if Trump had made it easier to sue news organizations for slander/libel, his pals at The New York Post and Fox News would be in deep **** over this particular [fictional] story.


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:53 PM.

Powered by vBulletin. Copyright ©2000 - 2023, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
© 2015-22, TribeTech AB. All Rights Reserved.