I’m shocked. Did someone cut the President’s Twitter feed? It’s been 13 hours since the last tweet! What will the media do?! What will *I* do. Twitter is usually better than the Friday funnies. I guess we can always go read some of those executive orders and memorandums, and watch the mainstream sputter with rage. Or we can see what Breitbart has to say….
It’s been less than a week since President Donald J. Trump took office, and he has, in no short order, astonishingly delivered on myriad campaign promises. In spades. His hands-on style of governing is breathtaking. The people spoke. The people won. And our man is delivering the goods. It’s what freedom is supposed to look like. We have been living under the boot of leftist autocrats for so long, we forgot it could be this good. We have been set free. Every day is Christmas.
The whole of the enemedia is in a collective tailspin, hell-bent on ignoring his monumental accomplishments, and instead are churning out fake news stories about crowd size — his and the sore losers march (funny how they never did a story on Tea Party crowd size). Last night, ABC news anchor David Muir, in the first interview Trump gave as President, made something of an ass of himself trying to bait the President focusing on “crowd size” and today’s favorite enemedia meme — “who’ll pay for the wall?” As if the Democrats ever gave a fig about costs. Who paid for the absurd “cash for clunkers”? Or Obama’s endless bailouts? Or Obamacare? Or Obama’s hundreds of billions to Iran? Or Obama’s 20 trillion dollar deficit? If Trump says Mexico will pay for that wall, rest assured, they will — one way or another.
Trump’s accomplishments in five days are nothing short of miraculous. We are witnessing history. And it’s wonderful. And no one is talking about it. It’s kafkaesque.
In the final comment of last night’s intense thread, the truth was revealed. Trumpkins dislike Reagan as much as Sharpton’s followers dislike Reagan. Reagan was all about giving opportunity to people who wanted to work, develop skills and start businesses. Trumpkins, like traditional Democrats, are looking for scapegoats and will follow demagogues.
More seriously, and closer to home (my home anyway) is the need for increased ICE funding and a dramatic increase in federal immigration judges to ensure that illegal immigrants are not just swept up and locked away without due process. Do not clog the system with more people than we can properly process at a given time. In our hurry to deport, we should be mindful not to inadvertently do damage to American families and citizens; and do as little damage as possible to non-citizen families as well. Let the process be done decently and in order. Repairing this long-term problem is costly and should be done right.
….And then there’s immigration court itself, which is already spread thin. As of December, the whole immigration court system in the United States had about 540,000 pending cases.
In Memphis, four judges handle 11,600 cases. In Atlanta, six judges handle 14,400 cases.
Across the country, the average wait time for a case is 22 months. But Olson said some of his clients have waited up to four years. He believes Trump’s executive orders will clog the system further.
Kathryn Mattingly, an assistant press secretary for the Executive Office for Immigration Review at the U.S. Department of Justice, said the agency needs more judges to cut through the backlog.
As the economically illiterate Trump attacks NAFTA and pulls out of the TPP, Mexico, Canada and Australia begin to realize that China will be their major trading partner in the future as Trump leads his followers into poverty.
I’m not a big fan of Reagan and the cult-like worship that surrounds him is obnoxious; and I despise ‘new-world-order’ Bush for his work on NAFTA and his lies which are so evident in the clip you linked yesterday. Clinton was little more than Bush with a sex-addiction. There hasn’t been a decent president for American working families since I came of age.
…until now. By actually respecting the borders of our country and its laws, Trump is beginning to put the pieces of a ravaged nation back together. So many people think that somehow purchasing power is all that defines a nations well being. I suppose to materialists, that’s true. I’m not a materialist. Life consists of more than the things you can purchase and sell.
Reagan was the best this generation has had.
I agree about Trump being caught up with the nonsense about crowd size and who will pay for the wall, and similar nonsense.
His enemies know that he is a thin-skinned egomaniac and will continue to use it against hem. But he is appointing good people and made the right moves with his executive orders.
It seems to me if you’re taking over a business, the first thing you do is assess how much is coming in, where the money is going, and who is doing what. I suspect Trump sees the Presidency as a form of business–and he’s just setting up shop.
So who is the real materialist and who exemplifies the worst of materialism? The Indian immigrant who was up at 5:00 a.m. to open her store to the hard working Mexican tradesmen or Trump with his gold-plated bathroom fixtures?
I had this conversation with Mr. P last night. Illegal aliens take something away from those who came here legally and did what it took to become a citizen.
Those of us who are natural born and attended school have a certain degree of patriotism.
Those who serve in our military have a different degree of patriotism.
Those who go to the effort to BECOME citizens take it to a whole different level.
Mr. P argued that those who were here illegally came because they had scraped together enough to get here and didn’t have the means to attend classes and become legal. My response was to find a way to weed them out. Send the criminals back home and find a way to help those who are contributing become legal.
I can’t just go set up residency in Canada or Mexico or any other country and sponge off of them why are we allowing it here?
Wealth doesn’t equal materialism, rather it’s what you will do to get it that is more indicative of a truly materialistic mind. People who have free choices to survive in lawful ways, but choose to despise or manipulate and circumvent moral and just laws designed to bring simple order and well-being to the society are demonstrating materialistic mindsets. Those people can be poor or wealthy—foreign or domestic.
One example of that would be VWs choice to circumvent EPA regs designed to ensure clean air quality. Another would be the free choice to leave a secure environment to jump the boarder for an even quicker and better chance for wealth. Both demonstrate greedy, materialistic motives.
Debra, “materialism” is the only reason I can even imagine being pro-Trump. One can be for him for financial reasons, because they think he’ll make business work again in America (which is yet to be seen) but in every other respect he is an appalling man and an appalling leader. Even if he is just doing the tweets and the like to call attention to one hand while he does something else with the other, we have an atrocious life history to look at (the divorces, the adulteries, the treatment of women, the businesses making money in questionable or clearly immoral ways, the bankruptcies to avoid paying people).
Reagan was the only really good president in my lifetime (and I’ve read his biographies, his letters, etc.). Trump was one of the worst four or five candidates (along with both Clintons, Obama, and possibly Gore) and it remains to be seen whether he will do some good for the country in spite of his amorality and what seems to be an outrageous ego. He seems to be driven by lust, greed, and pride . . . and I have a hard time imagining those three biggies fusing into a good president. God can use anyone, and I too have hope that somehow there will be more good than bad in the next four years. But it won’t be because Trump is a good man–he is one of our most evil presidents ever. (I recognize that previous presidents may have been just as evil but got away with it because the media hid it or the man himself hid it well. But within my lifetime he may be the most wicked man ever in that office. “May be” only because he seems more pro-life than Obama or Clinton, and because I suspect those two both had hidden skeletons where Trump is out there in the open with his wickedness; if Trump was pro-abortion, it would be “is.”)
I released one of your comments from the SPAM filter and it’s up now. In the future just remember that it will only allow 2 links per comment. Any more than that, and it thinks it’s SPAM and it won’t go thru. Just break it up into 2 posts if there’s 3 links.
So you’re saying Trump is bound by his past and has no chance at redemption? There’s no possibility that he’s changed? No possibility that the bad things, adultery, and what not are the way he used to be, and not the way he is now? That’s what it sounds like you’re saying, so correct me if I’m wrong.
And if that’s the case, many of us, me included, are in trouble.
But we all know that’s not true. There is a way, thru Jesus Christ. Many of us are banking on His promises as a way to receive forgiveness for the bad things we’ve done.
You and I don’t know his heart, whether he’s asked forgiveness, or received it. So maybe such judgments are better left to the One who knows, and not us. Just a thought……
There is more to economic growth than materialism. Reagan never talked about per capita income. He talked about letting people build businesses and achieve their dreams. Their is a spiritual aspect to all of this. God made humans to work. As much as I detest Trump, if he can somehow shift from scapegoating and inspire Americans to work, to save, and to create, he will have accomplished much.
“Billboards across Gambia’s capital are declaring a Feb. 18 ceremony to mark the inauguration of the country’s new leader, a day after his triumphant arrival.
Hundreds of thousands turned out Thursday to greet President Adama Barrow, a week after he took the oath of office in neighboring Senegal. Longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who clung to power despite losing December elections, finally flew into exile over the weekend after mounting international pressure.
Gambia has high hopes for Barrow, who has vowed to create greater freedoms in this tiny West African nation and reverse many of Jammeh’s actions, including his declaration that the country would withdraw from the International Criminal Court. Barrow also has said the new government will look into alleged abuses under Jammeh, who has been accused of overseeing a system that tortured and even killed opponents.
“Much has to be done to tell the people their vote counts,” spokesman Halifa Sallah said Friday. The first step is getting the Cabinet announced, he added.
Residents of this country of 1.9 million, the smallest on the African mainland, have been exuberant after more than two decades of life under Jammeh. The country’s political transition, chaotic but bloodless, has been the envy of many across Africa who have lived for decades under leaders accused of manipulating elections or election laws to stay in power.”
“Hillary Clinton garnered more than 800,000 votes from noncitizens on Nov. 8, an approximation far short of President Trump’s estimate of up to 5 million illegal voters but supportive of his charges of fraud.
Political scientist Jesse Richman of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, has worked with colleagues to produce groundbreaking research on noncitizen voting, and this week he posted a blog in response to Mr. Trump’s assertion.
Based on national polling by a consortium of universities, a report by Mr. Richman said 6.4 percent of the estimated 20 million adult noncitizens in the U.S. voted in November. He extrapolated that that percentage would have added 834,381 net votes for Mrs. Clinton, who received about 2.8 million more votes than Mr. Trump..
Mr. Richman calculated that Mrs. Clinton would have collected 81 percent of noncitizen votes.
“Is it plausible that non-citizen votes added to Clinton’s margin? Yes,” Mr. Richman wrote. “Is it plausible that non-citizen votes account for the entire nation-wide popular vote margin held by Clinton? Not at all.”
Still, the finding is significant because it means noncitizens may have helped Mrs. Clinton carry a state or finish better than she otherwise would have.”
I believe the March for Life is today. But I doubt I’ll see much about that on social media 🙂 which continues to be overwhelmed (in my case) with viscous anti-Trump posts, one after the other, people can’t seem to shout enough about how horrific it all is.
We were all bothered by character issues when it came to Trump, but I’m not sure it’s helpful at this point to continue to revisit & hammer away endlessly at those impressions. He’s been elected, time to move on and hope and pray some good will come out of this presidency.
““In its 44-year history,” WMAR notes, the March for Life “has never had a president or vice president speak at its event.” That changes today, as Vice President Mike Pence will take the podium to signal the support of the Trump administration for the pro-life cause. Nor will Pence be the only high-profile Trump administration official on hand for the protest against Roe v Wade:”
With the nationwide leftist psychotic break, my “GET A GRIP” Series could run through at least 2018. Today’s topic, which does not come from The Onion, has attracted quite a bit of comment on the Internet, but even though I am late to the party, I don’t feel anyone has come at it from my perspective. Google the story. Liberal meltdowns never get old.
Evidently there is a new phobia loose in the world, but one that will never be included in our Basket of Deplorables. Yes, friends, I am speaking of “plumberphobia,” the vague anxiety turned to full-blown terror that the white man with a southern accent whom you invite to unclog your sink probably voted for President Trump and, therefore, MAY scope out that you are Jewish and kill you on the spot with a plunger. If you are lucky. Maybe he’ll just drown you in your own clogged sink or, God forbid, toilet! …
… Plumbers Gone Wild …
… As it must say somewhere in the Torah: Fear not your plumber. A white guy with a Southern accent is very likely not just a generic gentile, but an actual Christian, and as such, a stronger supporter of Israel than many secular Jews you know. Sad.
Let me tell you what I do here in the Wild West to ward off any scary, potential anti-Semites who might come into my home in the guise of guys (felicitous phrase, that!) who install my new water heater or build and install my bookshelves, or do my landscaping. …
___________________________________
“International Holocaust Remembrance Day is Jan. 27, a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to mark the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and to honor the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust. Join local organizations throughout the area at a variety events including talks, exhibits and film screenings, to commemorate the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust and to learn more about the importance of having respect for all people.”
Cheryl @ 9:58 I completely agree. The only thing I would add is that Trump is in many ways a child. As I read of current events in the White House, I am reminded of a child king in ancient times with advisers trying to guide, instruct and direct while also trying to avoid the wrath of the infant.
I suppose I should not be churlish and should give credit where it is due—especially if I’m going to gripe.
For personal appeal in his speeches, Reagan had no equal. It is sometimes easy to forget his strong support of the freedom to pray in school and pro-life issues, largely because those endeavors fell short. It is also possible that his economic policies were extended (by others) far beyond his personal ability to properly manage them, given the probable poor state of mental health at the end of his presidency.
At any rate, whether knowingly or not, he took what should have been a temporary national correction in tax cuts and deregulation, and helped unleash and empower a global monstrosity that has little respect for borders or the real welfare of nations.
Donald J. Trump Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
Donald J. Trump Retweeted Vice President Pence
.@VP Mike Pence will be speaking at today’s #MarchForLife — You have our full support!
Donald J. Trump added,
Vice President Pence @VP
Honored to meet with Pro-Life leaders in my office tonight. Just told them I look forward to addressing National @March_for_Life on Friday.
Debra, I don’t know how old you are or if you remember what life was like when Reagan took office. Inflation rates above 20%, vast unemployment, Communism a very real threat. Reagan came in after years of incompetent and/or immoral presidents and cleaned up a whole lot of things. A president cannot single-handledly do everything, and on some of it his hands were tied. But he accomplished much of what he set out to do.
AJ, I’m responding to Debra’s 8:30 and 8:36 in which she seems to be saying all the recent presidents up to this point (including Reagan) are bad, but Trump is good. I have posted my willingness to give him a chance even though I believe him to be morally corrupt and thus not fit for the office. In the context of today’s thread, I do believe it’s fair to say, “Wait. Don’t forget who it is you’re praising.” He may yet prove to be a good president–I haven’t ruled that out, and I’ve acknowledged that he has made some good choices to date. But it’s way, way too early to see whether he can overcome his very real moral deficits.
You asked me, “So you’re saying Trump is bound by his past and has no chance at redemption? There’s no possibility that he’s changed? No possibility that the bad things, adultery, and what not are the way he used to be, and not the way he is now? That’s what it sounds like you’re saying, so correct me if I’m wrong.” Bound by his past, absolutely not. But I don’t see strong evidence that is his “past” and not his present. Many of the egregious words are very recent (within the last six months). I include his acceptance of the ten-year-old crudity and claims to sexual assault as nothing more than “locker-room talk.” Judging only on the last six months, my characterization of the man fits.
“You and I don’t know his heart, whether he’s asked forgiveness, or received it. So maybe such judgments are better left to the One who knows, and not us. Just a thought……” I wasn’t judging whether or not he has asked for forgiveness from God. That’s not actually the point. The murderer on death row is still a murderer and still should be sentenced as one, even if he is now a Christian. I have no reason to believe that Trump is now a Christian, but I’m talking about his words and actions, not his heart (which I cannot see). If somehow he is a changed man, but still reacting with old habits sometimes, the next four years should show that (and I will acknowledge it). What I’ve seen so far is nothing close to impressive on that count.
AJ, I have no idea what you were before Christ. I do know that you seem to take it personally when people say that Trump is a morally corrupt man. Did it bother you when people said that Bill Clinton was not morally fit for office? For me personally I couldn’t vote for Trump, because I would have been a hypocrite. I declared Clinton morally unfit for office, and yet Trump seemed to be worse. If Trump shows over the next four years that he is a changed man and is no longer morally corrupt, and he does a decently good job leading the country, I’ll vote for him in four years. I did vote for Dole and Romney and all the other mediocre candidates the Republicans put up. But what I saw of Trump in the fall, at the end of the campaign, showed him to be morally corrupt, present tense. That’s completely different from saying someone is irredeemable. If Paul could be forgiven, and if David could sin so greatly after he was already a believer, then yes, God can get hold of Donald Trump and change him. I’ve simply seen no evidence that has already happened.
Go and reread your post. You called the man evil for crying out loud.
“But it won’t be because Trump is a good man–he is one of our most evil presidents ever”
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“I have no reason to believe that Trump is now a Christian,”
My point was it’s not your judgement to make, and we’re warned about doing so.
————————-
You asked me, “So you’re saying Trump is bound by his past and has no chance at redemption? There’s no possibility that he’s changed? No possibility that the bad things, adultery, and what not are the way he used to be, and not the way he is now? That’s what it sounds like you’re saying, so correct me if I’m wrong.”
“Bound by his past, absolutely not. But I don’t see strong evidence that is his “past” and not his present.”
Do you have new info on matters involving recent adultery and/or swindling of business partners? No, you don’t. If he’s not doing it now, it’s in the past.
————————–
” I do know that you seem to take it personally when people say that Trump is a morally corrupt man. Did it bother you when people said that Bill Clinton was not morally fit for office?”
What bothers me is certain peoples’ inability to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Bill Clinton committed his sin while president, and IN the Oval Office. Clearly there’s a difference between the two. Trump’s adultery was years ago, and he held no official seat in govt when it happened.
The presidents from Reagan to Obama have led us deeper into globalism, and to the extent that they have been successful in doing that, they’ve done us no favor. As far as I can discern, Trump is the first president since I came of age (under Carter) that has taken us in the other direction: the direction of actual self-government. Globalism is the opposite of self-government since it aggregates power outside of the voting citizens who elect the national government. It vests power in other entities such as United Nations, World Court, WTO, and private multi-national companies.
I do remember the inflation under Carter and Reagan. We had 3 small children to feed. Inflation was very bad, as was the gas shortage of the 70s. Instead of fighting the issues internally as citizens do, we chose to permanently open our trade borders, off-shore our factories, and subsidize China’s (and many other nations’) growth. And now we are under-employed and our purchasing power depends too much on credit. That cycle is just about played out, I think.
@ 2:30 I can settle for that Ricky, as long as the President moves us in the right direction. I pray for his soul, but in the end, that’s God’s providence, not mine.
AJ, I didn’t say he is not a Christian; that would be “judging” him. I said there is no evidence that he is. I don’t think “judgment” means what you think it does. We are actually told such things as that we will be known by our fruits, and known by our love. His fruits say he is not a believer. There is an unsubstantiated rumor that he is a “recent” Christian, but I’m including that in the “no evidence” category. I’d say the same thing about Bill Clinton–there is no evidence (that I’m aware of) that he is a Christian; that isn’t judging him, but speaking truly. If either of them is a believer, then over time there will be evidence of that. For now, “no evidence” fits.
You’re right that I don’t know how recently he committed adultery or did the bankruptcy filings to get out of paying money. But on the first, his response to women within the last few months is extremely relevant, and on the second has he made any effort to repay people he defrauded (short of losing a court case here or there)? If not, then it is actually still relevant.
I said the man is evil, and I stand by it, because of his actions. He’s dishonest, churlish, proud, and I could go on but I won’t. If one cannot use the words “wicked” or “evil” about someone whose vices are deep and many and public and well substantiated, then when can it be used? Or are you arguing that one must not use the word at all? I’m not trying to be obtuse, I don’t understand. I believe I said last week that I believe Obama to be evil because of his dedicated push to promote abortion. Is that a legitimate use of the term?
Christ chose to save Nicodemus; He can save Trump. But if he doesn’t repent, I believe his “legacy” so far in life has been more evil than good. I’m open to the possibility of that changing in the days ahead.
Perhaps I misunderstood your point, however the words in quotations were yours.
“I wasn’t judging whether or not he has asked for forgiveness from God. That’s not actually the point. The murderer on death row is still a murderer and still should be sentenced as one, even if he is now a Christian. I have no reason to believe that Trump is now a Christian, but I’m talking about his words and actions, not his heart (which I cannot see). If somehow he is a changed man, but still reacting with old habits sometimes, the next four years should show that (and I will acknowledge it). What I’ve seen so far is nothing close to impressive on that count.”
“AJ, I didn’t say he is not a Christian; that would be “judging” him. I said there is no evidence that he is. I don’t think “judgment” means what you think it does. ”
As I noted above, that is what you said, and you made a judgment based on what you say you see, or don’t see.
Well, Trump doesn’t seem to have much of a filter, so there is plenty to glimpse. And there is much hyperbole. But so far, I do not sense that he’s a man with a hard heart. Time reveals much.
It’s always comforting to believe that the person ‘in charge’ is a practicing Christian. Mike Pence elicits that kind of confidence. But even there, it’s important to me to remember that he’s just a fallible man and the effects of his faith may be different than what I might expect.
“In an exclusive interview with The Brody File, President Donald Trump says persecuted Christians will be given priority when it comes to applying for refugee status in the United States. “We are going to help them,” President Trump tells CBN News. “They’ve been horribly treated. Do you know if you were a Christian in Syria it was impossible, at least very tough to get into the United States? If you were a Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible and the reason that was so unfair, everybody was persecuted in all fairness, but they were chopping off the heads of everybody but more so the Christians. And I thought it was very, very unfair.””
AJ, I saw a piece about that yesterday (not sure if it’s the same one) and I was so glad to see it! There is no group more in need or more deserving of assistance in the Middle East than the Christians who are being openly targeted. They have been grossly under-represented in the previous administration’s refugee program, while being among the most needy. Hopefully something can be worked out for them—either here or there.
AJ, if I said “Trump is not a Christian,” that would be a judgment. (Not necessarily an improper judgment, depending on the circumstances.) Saying “I have no reason to believe he is a Christian” is not saying he is NOT a Christian, but just that I have no reason to believe that he is. If I said “I have no reason to expect it to snow today” would you hear that as me saying it definitely will not snow? No, I’d be saying it seems unlikely based on the evidence . . . but I wouldn’t word it that way in July when it most definitely WON’T snow. I’d say it that way in February when the predicted low is 40 degrees and it doesn’t look like we’ll have any precipitation (but things could change).
If I meant “Trump is most definitely not a Christian,” I would say that . . . but I would be unlikely to say that about anyone. (If someone is actively blaspheming God, say killing Christians in the name of another god, then I would say he is not a Christian. If he was killing Christians a month ago, then perhaps he is a believer today.)
But let’s say I have a conversation with Trump (or someone else) and ask him about whether he is a Christian, and he says yes, he is. I ask him why he says so, and he tells me he is a good person. I ask him about whether he has ever sought forgiveness for some particular evil he has done, and he says he has never needed forgiveness for anything in his life. I ask him what he thinks of Jesus Christ, and he says he was a good man and a nice example. I ask him how one finds reconciliation with God, and he says we’ve never been separated from God. I could leave that conversation and say “This man is not a Christian.” That would not be an unkind, biased statement, but a recognition that a person who doesn’t acknowledge Christ or admit to being a sinner is not a Christian. If I believed that “being a Christian” meant one’s good deeds outweighed one’s bad, then I could not say “he is not a Christian” about any human being. But since “Christian” reflects one’s relationship with Christ, sometimes we can tell that a person is not a Christian. In fact, church elders are called upon to make that exact judgment sometimes–this person cannot be admitted into our church, because the evidence of his own testimony says that he is not a Christian. When we are called not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, we are being told to judge whether or not someone is a believer. That is not a moral judgment because whether or not we have faith in Christ is not a matter of how moral we are.
As far as I know, Trump is not a believer. Some things he has said in his life–some of them in the fairly recent past–are strong enough to say that at the time he said that, he was most certainly not a believer. (This, for instance: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/trump-has-never-sought-forgiveness/ ) Does that mean that he is not a Christian today, no. I have never said, nor implied, that for sure he is not a Christian.
AJ and Debra, If these persecuted Christians turn out to be as good at carpentry as their Savior, I do not want to hear complaints if Texans hire them to frame the new homes that are going up all around me.
One of my secretaries is very active at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. Her pastor (Jack Graham) is one of the Trumpkin pastors of whom I have been most critical. I told her the other day that I was concerned that Trump had never actually heard the Gospel (Paula White notwithstanding). She said that she previously had the same fear, but that Graham had told her that he personally had presented the Gospel to Trump.
I think Cheryl’s analysis above is very good. Nevertheless, Trump has now heard the Gospel, millions are praying for him and Pence, Carson and others are playing Daniel to Trump’s Nebuchadnezzar. Who knows what God will do?
Its been entertaining — enough to pull me away from my report cards to comment here. Watched Ricky’s Reagan video posted yesterday, the fact that Reagan appeared sane and rationale to me, demonstrates how far the political spectrum has moved to the right or gone off-kilter. He almost sounded like Obama there.
Enacting tariffs to pay for the Wall would ensure the American consumer pays for it. However, I doubt the Wall will ever be finished — its more of a symbol, a litmus test for believers, like Albert Speer and his grand plans, etc — but it will motivated the masses. I do wonder why Mexico is so opposed to the Wall, after all it will be a giant boon to their unemployed — a make work project for Mexicans paid for by the American gov’t. Its rather ironic — Mexican net migration is almost zero in the last five years but once the federal gov’t starts to spend money to build the wall, Mexican migration will increase.
Trump wants to invade Chicago to stop the carnage. Apparently, Chicago isn’t even in the top 10 of murders per capita for American cities. Is Trump advocating federal agents in St. Louis, Orlando, New Orleans, Baltimore and Jackson, Miss?? I wonder if Trump’s southern supporters would be happy with the expansion of federal power? So much for states’ rights. Given Republican control in Washington, I foresee an extension of federal control and and expansion of federal gov’t. Just based on immigration policy, an expansion of ICE, Border Patrol, immigration judges, etc seems to be imminent. The amusing part for me is watching conservatives, the party of small gov’t, rush to have the gov’t solve everything. Illegal immigration is largely the function of the free market. Let the market fixed it. Create and regulate the labour market so illegal labour isn’t necessary or an option.
Interesting commentary by David Brooks in the NYT. I think Ricky will like it. The Republican party is now governed by fear as opposed to the “hope” that Reagan offered.
A very good article, HRW. The scariest part was where 21-22% of Republicans have changed their views on free trade (apparently in response to Trump). I feel fairly certain that none of those people could solve an algebra word problem. Today, you like Reagan. Before Trump is done, I will have you liking single question literacy tests.
I didn’t say I liked Reagan — I just said he sounds like Obama when compared to Trump. And remember I thought Obama was too conservative.
As for literacy tests — given the electoral results in the western world lately, I might be persuaded.
Today was report card writing day. I went to school and to help me focus on the dull repetitive tasks that it is, I searched for some loud angry music on youtube. I found the Dead Kennedy’s Bedtime for Democracy released in 1986. I spent my last six months, 1987-88, in Iowa at the end of the Reagan era listening to this album over and over again. The album was an angry political punk protest against Reagan’s version of America. Listening to it now, I think it might be more appropriate for the Trump era. The most well known song is Rambozo the Clown — probably not your taste but it brought back memories.
In 1987-1988, I was consciously enjoying every day of Reagan’s 2nd term to the max. Deep down I knew I would never see another president whom I respected and agreed with to such an extent. However, even in my worst nightmares, I never could have imagined Trump. Idiocracy didn’t come out until several years later.
I was raised as a social and political conservative (in the European Christian Democrat sense of the word) but my first 13 years of life were spent in the Trudeau Sr era and then to go to Reagan’s America was a shock to my system.Then in 1991-92, three years after returning to Canada I lived in a Poland still in transition from communism. Another shock to my system — I must have been one of the few westerners to leave Poland more left wing than when I entered it.
Wandering Views 
I’m shocked. Did someone cut the President’s Twitter feed? It’s been 13 hours since the last tweet! What will the media do?! What will *I* do. Twitter is usually better than the Friday funnies. I guess we can always go read some of those executive orders and memorandums, and watch the mainstream sputter with rage. Or we can see what Breitbart has to say….
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/26/geller-president-trump-true-word/
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In the final comment of last night’s intense thread, the truth was revealed. Trumpkins dislike Reagan as much as Sharpton’s followers dislike Reagan. Reagan was all about giving opportunity to people who wanted to work, develop skills and start businesses. Trumpkins, like traditional Democrats, are looking for scapegoats and will follow demagogues.
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Apparently every time Trump makes an asinine comment and takes flak, he will want to spend tax dollars to investigate.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/politics/donald-trump-voter-fraud-investigation/index.html
Next up for federal investigators: The Cruz/Oswald connection and weight gains by Miss Universe.
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More seriously, and closer to home (my home anyway) is the need for increased ICE funding and a dramatic increase in federal immigration judges to ensure that illegal immigrants are not just swept up and locked away without due process. Do not clog the system with more people than we can properly process at a given time. In our hurry to deport, we should be mindful not to inadvertently do damage to American families and citizens; and do as little damage as possible to non-citizen families as well. Let the process be done decently and in order. Repairing this long-term problem is costly and should be done right.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/jan/27/dalton-ga-eyes-trumps-immigratiplan/409764/
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As the economically illiterate Trump attacks NAFTA and pulls out of the TPP, Mexico, Canada and Australia begin to realize that China will be their major trading partner in the future as Trump leads his followers into poverty.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-china-idUSKBN142027
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/a-new-golden-decade-for-canada-china-relations/article32300566/
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/24/australia-open-to-china-and-indonesia-joining-tpp-after-us-pulls-out
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I’m not a big fan of Reagan and the cult-like worship that surrounds him is obnoxious; and I despise ‘new-world-order’ Bush for his work on NAFTA and his lies which are so evident in the clip you linked yesterday. Clinton was little more than Bush with a sex-addiction. There hasn’t been a decent president for American working families since I came of age.
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…until now. By actually respecting the borders of our country and its laws, Trump is beginning to put the pieces of a ravaged nation back together. So many people think that somehow purchasing power is all that defines a nations well being. I suppose to materialists, that’s true. I’m not a materialist. Life consists of more than the things you can purchase and sell.
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Reagan was the best this generation has had.
I agree about Trump being caught up with the nonsense about crowd size and who will pay for the wall, and similar nonsense.
His enemies know that he is a thin-skinned egomaniac and will continue to use it against hem. But he is appointing good people and made the right moves with his executive orders.
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Debra @ 8:36
You said:
‘Life consists of more than the things you can purchase and sell.’
I am afraid that is a terrible heresy to The Orange One. I hope he does not excommunicate you.
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It seems to me if you’re taking over a business, the first thing you do is assess how much is coming in, where the money is going, and who is doing what. I suspect Trump sees the Presidency as a form of business–and he’s just setting up shop.
May we all live in interesting times, for sure.
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Ricky @ 8:50 Materialism is the religion of the globalism movement in action.
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:–) And here it is:
Donald J. Trump Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
Mexico has taken advantage of the U.S. for long enough. Massive trade deficits & little help on the very weak border must change, NOW!
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So who is the real materialist and who exemplifies the worst of materialism? The Indian immigrant who was up at 5:00 a.m. to open her store to the hard working Mexican tradesmen or Trump with his gold-plated bathroom fixtures?
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I had this conversation with Mr. P last night. Illegal aliens take something away from those who came here legally and did what it took to become a citizen.
Those of us who are natural born and attended school have a certain degree of patriotism.
Those who serve in our military have a different degree of patriotism.
Those who go to the effort to BECOME citizens take it to a whole different level.
Mr. P argued that those who were here illegally came because they had scraped together enough to get here and didn’t have the means to attend classes and become legal. My response was to find a way to weed them out. Send the criminals back home and find a way to help those who are contributing become legal.
I can’t just go set up residency in Canada or Mexico or any other country and sponge off of them why are we allowing it here?
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Wealth doesn’t equal materialism, rather it’s what you will do to get it that is more indicative of a truly materialistic mind. People who have free choices to survive in lawful ways, but choose to despise or manipulate and circumvent moral and just laws designed to bring simple order and well-being to the society are demonstrating materialistic mindsets. Those people can be poor or wealthy—foreign or domestic.
One example of that would be VWs choice to circumvent EPA regs designed to ensure clean air quality. Another would be the free choice to leave a secure environment to jump the boarder for an even quicker and better chance for wealth. Both demonstrate greedy, materialistic motives.
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Debra, “materialism” is the only reason I can even imagine being pro-Trump. One can be for him for financial reasons, because they think he’ll make business work again in America (which is yet to be seen) but in every other respect he is an appalling man and an appalling leader. Even if he is just doing the tweets and the like to call attention to one hand while he does something else with the other, we have an atrocious life history to look at (the divorces, the adulteries, the treatment of women, the businesses making money in questionable or clearly immoral ways, the bankruptcies to avoid paying people).
Reagan was the only really good president in my lifetime (and I’ve read his biographies, his letters, etc.). Trump was one of the worst four or five candidates (along with both Clintons, Obama, and possibly Gore) and it remains to be seen whether he will do some good for the country in spite of his amorality and what seems to be an outrageous ego. He seems to be driven by lust, greed, and pride . . . and I have a hard time imagining those three biggies fusing into a good president. God can use anyone, and I too have hope that somehow there will be more good than bad in the next four years. But it won’t be because Trump is a good man–he is one of our most evil presidents ever. (I recognize that previous presidents may have been just as evil but got away with it because the media hid it or the man himself hid it well. But within my lifetime he may be the most wicked man ever in that office. “May be” only because he seems more pro-life than Obama or Clinton, and because I suspect those two both had hidden skeletons where Trump is out there in the open with his wickedness; if Trump was pro-abortion, it would be “is.”)
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Ricky,
I released one of your comments from the SPAM filter and it’s up now. In the future just remember that it will only allow 2 links per comment. Any more than that, and it thinks it’s SPAM and it won’t go thru. Just break it up into 2 posts if there’s 3 links.
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Thanks, AJ. Will do. I just learned how to incorporate more than 1 link in a comment.
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Cheryl,
So you’re saying Trump is bound by his past and has no chance at redemption? There’s no possibility that he’s changed? No possibility that the bad things, adultery, and what not are the way he used to be, and not the way he is now? That’s what it sounds like you’re saying, so correct me if I’m wrong.
And if that’s the case, many of us, me included, are in trouble.
But we all know that’s not true. There is a way, thru Jesus Christ. Many of us are banking on His promises as a way to receive forgiveness for the bad things we’ve done.
You and I don’t know his heart, whether he’s asked forgiveness, or received it. So maybe such judgments are better left to the One who knows, and not us. Just a thought……
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There is more to economic growth than materialism. Reagan never talked about per capita income. He talked about letting people build businesses and achieve their dreams. Their is a spiritual aspect to all of this. God made humans to work. As much as I detest Trump, if he can somehow shift from scapegoating and inspire Americans to work, to save, and to create, he will have accomplished much.
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Some good news….
https://www.yahoo.com/news/gambia-plans-feb-18-celebration-leader-arrives-home-103351114.html
“Billboards across Gambia’s capital are declaring a Feb. 18 ceremony to mark the inauguration of the country’s new leader, a day after his triumphant arrival.
Hundreds of thousands turned out Thursday to greet President Adama Barrow, a week after he took the oath of office in neighboring Senegal. Longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who clung to power despite losing December elections, finally flew into exile over the weekend after mounting international pressure.
Gambia has high hopes for Barrow, who has vowed to create greater freedoms in this tiny West African nation and reverse many of Jammeh’s actions, including his declaration that the country would withdraw from the International Criminal Court. Barrow also has said the new government will look into alleged abuses under Jammeh, who has been accused of overseeing a system that tortured and even killed opponents.
“Much has to be done to tell the people their vote counts,” spokesman Halifa Sallah said Friday. The first step is getting the Cabinet announced, he added.
Residents of this country of 1.9 million, the smallest on the African mainland, have been exuberant after more than two decades of life under Jammeh. The country’s political transition, chaotic but bloodless, has been the envy of many across Africa who have lived for decades under leaders accused of manipulating elections or election laws to stay in power.”
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Well now.
Maybe Trump’s 3 million illegal voters statement wasn’t as an outrageously high exaggeration as most think…
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/26/hillary-clinton-received-800000-votes-from-nonciti/
“Hillary Clinton garnered more than 800,000 votes from noncitizens on Nov. 8, an approximation far short of President Trump’s estimate of up to 5 million illegal voters but supportive of his charges of fraud.
Political scientist Jesse Richman of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, has worked with colleagues to produce groundbreaking research on noncitizen voting, and this week he posted a blog in response to Mr. Trump’s assertion.
Based on national polling by a consortium of universities, a report by Mr. Richman said 6.4 percent of the estimated 20 million adult noncitizens in the U.S. voted in November. He extrapolated that that percentage would have added 834,381 net votes for Mrs. Clinton, who received about 2.8 million more votes than Mr. Trump..
Mr. Richman calculated that Mrs. Clinton would have collected 81 percent of noncitizen votes.
“Is it plausible that non-citizen votes added to Clinton’s margin? Yes,” Mr. Richman wrote. “Is it plausible that non-citizen votes account for the entire nation-wide popular vote margin held by Clinton? Not at all.”
Still, the finding is significant because it means noncitizens may have helped Mrs. Clinton carry a state or finish better than she otherwise would have.”
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I believe the March for Life is today. But I doubt I’ll see much about that on social media 🙂 which continues to be overwhelmed (in my case) with viscous anti-Trump posts, one after the other, people can’t seem to shout enough about how horrific it all is.
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We were all bothered by character issues when it came to Trump, but I’m not sure it’s helpful at this point to continue to revisit & hammer away endlessly at those impressions. He’s been elected, time to move on and hope and pray some good will come out of this presidency.
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Donna is correct. Today is The March for Life, and it will be an historic one.
http://hotair.com/archives/2017/01/27/pence-makes-history-as-first-sitting-vp-to-speak-at-march-for-life/
““In its 44-year history,” WMAR notes, the March for Life “has never had a president or vice president speak at its event.” That changes today, as Vice President Mike Pence will take the podium to signal the support of the Trump administration for the pro-life cause. Nor will Pence be the only high-profile Trump administration official on hand for the protest against Roe v Wade:”
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Stuff you can’t make up.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/01/thoughts-from-the-ammo-line-152.php
_________________________
With the nationwide leftist psychotic break, my “GET A GRIP” Series could run through at least 2018. Today’s topic, which does not come from The Onion, has attracted quite a bit of comment on the Internet, but even though I am late to the party, I don’t feel anyone has come at it from my perspective. Google the story. Liberal meltdowns never get old.
Evidently there is a new phobia loose in the world, but one that will never be included in our Basket of Deplorables. Yes, friends, I am speaking of “plumberphobia,” the vague anxiety turned to full-blown terror that the white man with a southern accent whom you invite to unclog your sink probably voted for President Trump and, therefore, MAY scope out that you are Jewish and kill you on the spot with a plunger. If you are lucky. Maybe he’ll just drown you in your own clogged sink or, God forbid, toilet! …
… Plumbers Gone Wild …
… As it must say somewhere in the Torah: Fear not your plumber. A white guy with a Southern accent is very likely not just a generic gentile, but an actual Christian, and as such, a stronger supporter of Israel than many secular Jews you know. Sad.
Let me tell you what I do here in the Wild West to ward off any scary, potential anti-Semites who might come into my home in the guise of guys (felicitous phrase, that!) who install my new water heater or build and install my bookshelves, or do my landscaping. …
___________________________________
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Today is also International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/2017/01/19/international-holocaust-remembrance-day-events/96680374/
“International Holocaust Remembrance Day is Jan. 27, a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to mark the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and to honor the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust. Join local organizations throughout the area at a variety events including talks, exhibits and film screenings, to commemorate the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust and to learn more about the importance of having respect for all people.”
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Cheryl @ 9:58 I completely agree. The only thing I would add is that Trump is in many ways a child. As I read of current events in the White House, I am reminded of a child king in ancient times with advisers trying to guide, instruct and direct while also trying to avoid the wrath of the infant.
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I suppose I should not be churlish and should give credit where it is due—especially if I’m going to gripe.
For personal appeal in his speeches, Reagan had no equal. It is sometimes easy to forget his strong support of the freedom to pray in school and pro-life issues, largely because those endeavors fell short. It is also possible that his economic policies were extended (by others) far beyond his personal ability to properly manage them, given the probable poor state of mental health at the end of his presidency.
At any rate, whether knowingly or not, he took what should have been a temporary national correction in tax cuts and deregulation, and helped unleash and empower a global monstrosity that has little respect for borders or the real welfare of nations.
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Go Marchers for Life! Just in from The Donald:
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Debra, I don’t know how old you are or if you remember what life was like when Reagan took office. Inflation rates above 20%, vast unemployment, Communism a very real threat. Reagan came in after years of incompetent and/or immoral presidents and cleaned up a whole lot of things. A president cannot single-handledly do everything, and on some of it his hands were tied. But he accomplished much of what he set out to do.
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Debra @11:27 Reagan’s “global monstrosity” resulted in the single greatest reduction in poverty in the history of the world.
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AJ, I’m responding to Debra’s 8:30 and 8:36 in which she seems to be saying all the recent presidents up to this point (including Reagan) are bad, but Trump is good. I have posted my willingness to give him a chance even though I believe him to be morally corrupt and thus not fit for the office. In the context of today’s thread, I do believe it’s fair to say, “Wait. Don’t forget who it is you’re praising.” He may yet prove to be a good president–I haven’t ruled that out, and I’ve acknowledged that he has made some good choices to date. But it’s way, way too early to see whether he can overcome his very real moral deficits.
You asked me, “So you’re saying Trump is bound by his past and has no chance at redemption? There’s no possibility that he’s changed? No possibility that the bad things, adultery, and what not are the way he used to be, and not the way he is now? That’s what it sounds like you’re saying, so correct me if I’m wrong.” Bound by his past, absolutely not. But I don’t see strong evidence that is his “past” and not his present. Many of the egregious words are very recent (within the last six months). I include his acceptance of the ten-year-old crudity and claims to sexual assault as nothing more than “locker-room talk.” Judging only on the last six months, my characterization of the man fits.
“You and I don’t know his heart, whether he’s asked forgiveness, or received it. So maybe such judgments are better left to the One who knows, and not us. Just a thought……” I wasn’t judging whether or not he has asked for forgiveness from God. That’s not actually the point. The murderer on death row is still a murderer and still should be sentenced as one, even if he is now a Christian. I have no reason to believe that Trump is now a Christian, but I’m talking about his words and actions, not his heart (which I cannot see). If somehow he is a changed man, but still reacting with old habits sometimes, the next four years should show that (and I will acknowledge it). What I’ve seen so far is nothing close to impressive on that count.
AJ, I have no idea what you were before Christ. I do know that you seem to take it personally when people say that Trump is a morally corrupt man. Did it bother you when people said that Bill Clinton was not morally fit for office? For me personally I couldn’t vote for Trump, because I would have been a hypocrite. I declared Clinton morally unfit for office, and yet Trump seemed to be worse. If Trump shows over the next four years that he is a changed man and is no longer morally corrupt, and he does a decently good job leading the country, I’ll vote for him in four years. I did vote for Dole and Romney and all the other mediocre candidates the Republicans put up. But what I saw of Trump in the fall, at the end of the campaign, showed him to be morally corrupt, present tense. That’s completely different from saying someone is irredeemable. If Paul could be forgiven, and if David could sin so greatly after he was already a believer, then yes, God can get hold of Donald Trump and change him. I’ve simply seen no evidence that has already happened.
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If you’re interested in watching a live stream of the March for Life, you can do so over at HotAir.
http://hotair.com/archives/2017/01/27/live-stream-the-march-for-life-takes-over-washington-dc/
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Cheryl,
Go and reread your post. You called the man evil for crying out loud.
“But it won’t be because Trump is a good man–he is one of our most evil presidents ever”
————————–
“I have no reason to believe that Trump is now a Christian,”
My point was it’s not your judgement to make, and we’re warned about doing so.
————————-
You asked me, “So you’re saying Trump is bound by his past and has no chance at redemption? There’s no possibility that he’s changed? No possibility that the bad things, adultery, and what not are the way he used to be, and not the way he is now? That’s what it sounds like you’re saying, so correct me if I’m wrong.”
“Bound by his past, absolutely not. But I don’t see strong evidence that is his “past” and not his present.”
Do you have new info on matters involving recent adultery and/or swindling of business partners? No, you don’t. If he’s not doing it now, it’s in the past.
————————–
” I do know that you seem to take it personally when people say that Trump is a morally corrupt man. Did it bother you when people said that Bill Clinton was not morally fit for office?”
What bothers me is certain peoples’ inability to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Bill Clinton committed his sin while president, and IN the Oval Office. Clearly there’s a difference between the two. Trump’s adultery was years ago, and he held no official seat in govt when it happened.
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AJ @ 1:25 Actually the man/child is evil and it is the child part of him that is always crying out loud.
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AJ @ 1:25 From the Trumpkin Bible: “Thou shalt not commit adultery whilst thou holdest an official seat in government.”
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The presidents from Reagan to Obama have led us deeper into globalism, and to the extent that they have been successful in doing that, they’ve done us no favor. As far as I can discern, Trump is the first president since I came of age (under Carter) that has taken us in the other direction: the direction of actual self-government. Globalism is the opposite of self-government since it aggregates power outside of the voting citizens who elect the national government. It vests power in other entities such as United Nations, World Court, WTO, and private multi-national companies.
I do remember the inflation under Carter and Reagan. We had 3 small children to feed. Inflation was very bad, as was the gas shortage of the 70s. Instead of fighting the issues internally as citizens do, we chose to permanently open our trade borders, off-shore our factories, and subsidize China’s (and many other nations’) growth. And now we are under-employed and our purchasing power depends too much on credit. That cycle is just about played out, I think.
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@ 2:30 I can settle for that Ricky, as long as the President moves us in the right direction. I pray for his soul, but in the end, that’s God’s providence, not mine.
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Mine @ 11:27 & @3:00 was response to Cheryl. Sorry, I’m getting sloppy. :–/
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The rest of the story…
https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c2010.html
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That was a long story, Tychicus!
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AJ, I didn’t say he is not a Christian; that would be “judging” him. I said there is no evidence that he is. I don’t think “judgment” means what you think it does. We are actually told such things as that we will be known by our fruits, and known by our love. His fruits say he is not a believer. There is an unsubstantiated rumor that he is a “recent” Christian, but I’m including that in the “no evidence” category. I’d say the same thing about Bill Clinton–there is no evidence (that I’m aware of) that he is a Christian; that isn’t judging him, but speaking truly. If either of them is a believer, then over time there will be evidence of that. For now, “no evidence” fits.
You’re right that I don’t know how recently he committed adultery or did the bankruptcy filings to get out of paying money. But on the first, his response to women within the last few months is extremely relevant, and on the second has he made any effort to repay people he defrauded (short of losing a court case here or there)? If not, then it is actually still relevant.
I said the man is evil, and I stand by it, because of his actions. He’s dishonest, churlish, proud, and I could go on but I won’t. If one cannot use the words “wicked” or “evil” about someone whose vices are deep and many and public and well substantiated, then when can it be used? Or are you arguing that one must not use the word at all? I’m not trying to be obtuse, I don’t understand. I believe I said last week that I believe Obama to be evil because of his dedicated push to promote abortion. Is that a legitimate use of the term?
Christ chose to save Nicodemus; He can save Trump. But if he doesn’t repent, I believe his “legacy” so far in life has been more evil than good. I’m open to the possibility of that changing in the days ahead.
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Perhaps I misunderstood your point, however the words in quotations were yours.
“I wasn’t judging whether or not he has asked for forgiveness from God. That’s not actually the point. The murderer on death row is still a murderer and still should be sentenced as one, even if he is now a Christian. I have no reason to believe that Trump is now a Christian, but I’m talking about his words and actions, not his heart (which I cannot see). If somehow he is a changed man, but still reacting with old habits sometimes, the next four years should show that (and I will acknowledge it). What I’ve seen so far is nothing close to impressive on that count.”
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“AJ, I didn’t say he is not a Christian; that would be “judging” him. I said there is no evidence that he is. I don’t think “judgment” means what you think it does. ”
As I noted above, that is what you said, and you made a judgment based on what you say you see, or don’t see.
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While you might not know what is in a man’s heart, they give you glimpses through their words.
“For out of the abundance of the heart, a man speaks…”
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Well, Trump doesn’t seem to have much of a filter, so there is plenty to glimpse. And there is much hyperbole. But so far, I do not sense that he’s a man with a hard heart. Time reveals much.
It’s always comforting to believe that the person ‘in charge’ is a practicing Christian. Mike Pence elicits that kind of confidence. But even there, it’s important to me to remember that he’s just a fallible man and the effects of his faith may be different than what I might expect.
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This was a very good day. Two different people used the word “churlish”. Sir Walter Scott would be proud!
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And I missed it! Who is the other churl….or am I both of them? :–D
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Cheryl @ 3:43, paragraph 3, line 2.
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Trump. That figures. :–)
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Trump and you, Debra 🙂
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More good news……..
http://www1.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2017/01/27/brody-file-exclusive-president-trump-says-persecuted-christians-will-be-given-priority-as-refugees
“In an exclusive interview with The Brody File, President Donald Trump says persecuted Christians will be given priority when it comes to applying for refugee status in the United States. “We are going to help them,” President Trump tells CBN News. “They’ve been horribly treated. Do you know if you were a Christian in Syria it was impossible, at least very tough to get into the United States? If you were a Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible and the reason that was so unfair, everybody was persecuted in all fairness, but they were chopping off the heads of everybody but more so the Christians. And I thought it was very, very unfair.””
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AJ, I saw a piece about that yesterday (not sure if it’s the same one) and I was so glad to see it! There is no group more in need or more deserving of assistance in the Middle East than the Christians who are being openly targeted. They have been grossly under-represented in the previous administration’s refugee program, while being among the most needy. Hopefully something can be worked out for them—either here or there.
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AJ, if I said “Trump is not a Christian,” that would be a judgment. (Not necessarily an improper judgment, depending on the circumstances.) Saying “I have no reason to believe he is a Christian” is not saying he is NOT a Christian, but just that I have no reason to believe that he is. If I said “I have no reason to expect it to snow today” would you hear that as me saying it definitely will not snow? No, I’d be saying it seems unlikely based on the evidence . . . but I wouldn’t word it that way in July when it most definitely WON’T snow. I’d say it that way in February when the predicted low is 40 degrees and it doesn’t look like we’ll have any precipitation (but things could change).
If I meant “Trump is most definitely not a Christian,” I would say that . . . but I would be unlikely to say that about anyone. (If someone is actively blaspheming God, say killing Christians in the name of another god, then I would say he is not a Christian. If he was killing Christians a month ago, then perhaps he is a believer today.)
But let’s say I have a conversation with Trump (or someone else) and ask him about whether he is a Christian, and he says yes, he is. I ask him why he says so, and he tells me he is a good person. I ask him about whether he has ever sought forgiveness for some particular evil he has done, and he says he has never needed forgiveness for anything in his life. I ask him what he thinks of Jesus Christ, and he says he was a good man and a nice example. I ask him how one finds reconciliation with God, and he says we’ve never been separated from God. I could leave that conversation and say “This man is not a Christian.” That would not be an unkind, biased statement, but a recognition that a person who doesn’t acknowledge Christ or admit to being a sinner is not a Christian. If I believed that “being a Christian” meant one’s good deeds outweighed one’s bad, then I could not say “he is not a Christian” about any human being. But since “Christian” reflects one’s relationship with Christ, sometimes we can tell that a person is not a Christian. In fact, church elders are called upon to make that exact judgment sometimes–this person cannot be admitted into our church, because the evidence of his own testimony says that he is not a Christian. When we are called not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, we are being told to judge whether or not someone is a believer. That is not a moral judgment because whether or not we have faith in Christ is not a matter of how moral we are.
As far as I know, Trump is not a believer. Some things he has said in his life–some of them in the fairly recent past–are strong enough to say that at the time he said that, he was most certainly not a believer. (This, for instance: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/trump-has-never-sought-forgiveness/ ) Does that mean that he is not a Christian today, no. I have never said, nor implied, that for sure he is not a Christian.
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AJ and Debra, If these persecuted Christians turn out to be as good at carpentry as their Savior, I do not want to hear complaints if Texans hire them to frame the new homes that are going up all around me.
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One of my secretaries is very active at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. Her pastor (Jack Graham) is one of the Trumpkin pastors of whom I have been most critical. I told her the other day that I was concerned that Trump had never actually heard the Gospel (Paula White notwithstanding). She said that she previously had the same fear, but that Graham had told her that he personally had presented the Gospel to Trump.
I think Cheryl’s analysis above is very good. Nevertheless, Trump has now heard the Gospel, millions are praying for him and Pence, Carson and others are playing Daniel to Trump’s Nebuchadnezzar. Who knows what God will do?
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Wow! There was a lot of activity, tweeting, meeting and ordering that went on for one week.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/president-trump-week-one-first-administration-214699
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Its been entertaining — enough to pull me away from my report cards to comment here. Watched Ricky’s Reagan video posted yesterday, the fact that Reagan appeared sane and rationale to me, demonstrates how far the political spectrum has moved to the right or gone off-kilter. He almost sounded like Obama there.
Enacting tariffs to pay for the Wall would ensure the American consumer pays for it. However, I doubt the Wall will ever be finished — its more of a symbol, a litmus test for believers, like Albert Speer and his grand plans, etc — but it will motivated the masses. I do wonder why Mexico is so opposed to the Wall, after all it will be a giant boon to their unemployed — a make work project for Mexicans paid for by the American gov’t. Its rather ironic — Mexican net migration is almost zero in the last five years but once the federal gov’t starts to spend money to build the wall, Mexican migration will increase.
Trump wants to invade Chicago to stop the carnage. Apparently, Chicago isn’t even in the top 10 of murders per capita for American cities. Is Trump advocating federal agents in St. Louis, Orlando, New Orleans, Baltimore and Jackson, Miss?? I wonder if Trump’s southern supporters would be happy with the expansion of federal power? So much for states’ rights. Given Republican control in Washington, I foresee an extension of federal control and and expansion of federal gov’t. Just based on immigration policy, an expansion of ICE, Border Patrol, immigration judges, etc seems to be imminent. The amusing part for me is watching conservatives, the party of small gov’t, rush to have the gov’t solve everything. Illegal immigration is largely the function of the free market. Let the market fixed it. Create and regulate the labour market so illegal labour isn’t necessary or an option.
Interesting commentary by David Brooks in the NYT. I think Ricky will like it. The Republican party is now governed by fear as opposed to the “hope” that Reagan offered.
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A very good article, HRW. The scariest part was where 21-22% of Republicans have changed their views on free trade (apparently in response to Trump). I feel fairly certain that none of those people could solve an algebra word problem. Today, you like Reagan. Before Trump is done, I will have you liking single question literacy tests.
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I didn’t say I liked Reagan — I just said he sounds like Obama when compared to Trump. And remember I thought Obama was too conservative.
As for literacy tests — given the electoral results in the western world lately, I might be persuaded.
Today was report card writing day. I went to school and to help me focus on the dull repetitive tasks that it is, I searched for some loud angry music on youtube. I found the Dead Kennedy’s Bedtime for Democracy released in 1986. I spent my last six months, 1987-88, in Iowa at the end of the Reagan era listening to this album over and over again. The album was an angry political punk protest against Reagan’s version of America. Listening to it now, I think it might be more appropriate for the Trump era. The most well known song is Rambozo the Clown — probably not your taste but it brought back memories.
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In 1987-1988, I was consciously enjoying every day of Reagan’s 2nd term to the max. Deep down I knew I would never see another president whom I respected and agreed with to such an extent. However, even in my worst nightmares, I never could have imagined Trump. Idiocracy didn’t come out until several years later.
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I was raised as a social and political conservative (in the European Christian Democrat sense of the word) but my first 13 years of life were spent in the Trudeau Sr era and then to go to Reagan’s America was a shock to my system.Then in 1991-92, three years after returning to Canada I lived in a Poland still in transition from communism. Another shock to my system — I must have been one of the few westerners to leave Poland more left wing than when I entered it.
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HRW, At some point in my lifetime, I want to travel to Poland. If I am able to do so, I plan on visiting the grave of Heros von Borcke.
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/heros-von-borcke-prussian-confederate-and-his-sword.110164/
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