Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Thekri]

Alright, that's fair. But in this context, being hung out to dry by his supposed ally, there's no reason for him to be lying when he says "Not cool, bro!"

I'll read up on the guy. Sounds like there's some history there.

Ghani is brilliant, I have met the man twice. But honesty isn't really a valid currency over there. I am not saying he is lying for sure, I am saying that he would say the exact same thing if he was lying or not.

In other words, any analysis of who is lying here should not take Ghani's official statement as evidence one way or another, because it simply says the most politically expedient thing. It might be true, but don't come to that conclusion just because he said it.

[Thekri]

@Breccia @Thekri who gives a shit if they called it off first. The idea it was even going to happen is a fucking disgrace. Anything else is just more disgraceful behavior of a lesser degree. Odds are they called it off though. Trump just invents shit to save face constantly. See latching on to the idea Pence needed to stay at Trump’s property so he could visit family.

I agree, but then I have been railing on these talks with the Taliban for months now. You can even find the thread I started a week ago, before this came out on the topic. The symbolic part of it being on American soil near the anniversary of 9/11 is staggering, but ultimately it is still symbolic. The truly awful part was starting these discussions in February, and it got barely any press then, despite already being an abomination. Now people only seem to care because of Trump's childish behavior surrounding it.

This is my biggest problem with the coverage of Trump, they mask the really horrible things he does behind the clownish façade of his every day antics. We already knew almost everything about this story months ago, but it wasn't until Trump tweeted about it that it became a topic of conversation.

[Breccia]

]who gives a shit if they called it off first.

I agree

I agree, as you can see in my earlier posts. My more recent addition has mostly been "I don't know whether to believe the US President or a terrorist" was a question I was hoping never needed answering. And, yet, here we are, with Trump and the Taliban playing pattycake on Twitter.

- - - Updated - - -

We've talked off and on about the opioid cases and decisions that have/will hit the headlines.

Turns out there's a bit of a snag. Remember Purdue Pharma coming to a settle out of court deal? Wellllllllll turns out, the owners looked it over and said "Wait, you want us to give up our money? I thought you wanted our company to give away other people's money, but let us keep all the profits we made by overprescribed opioids. We're not signing this."

The family that owns Purdue Pharma, maker of Oxycontin, has rejected a demand that they give up $4.5 billion of their personal wealth to settle opioid claims against the company, according to state attorneys general negotiating with the company.

As a consequence, talks toward a national settlement with members of the Sackler family reached an impasse over the weekend, according to an email obtained by NPR.

Two attorneys general directly involved in the talks predicted in the email that the company will now file for bankruptcy "imminently."

"States have already begun preparations for handling the bankruptcy proceedings," wrote Josh Stein, North Carolina's state attorney general, and Herbert Slatery, attorney general for Tennessee.

"The Sacklers refused to budge," the email concluded, "and have declined to offer any counterproposal."

The email, first reported by The Associated Press, was sent Saturday to other state attorneys general. It details an offer made to the Sacklers that would have forced them to pay billions of dollars to compensate states for their role helping to fuel the prescription opioid epidemic.

The deal would also have forced Purdue Pharma into bankruptcy proceedings while dissolving the Sacklers' overseas opioid business.

A deal is not 100% off the table, but it seems we know where the stakes are. If things do not go the Sacklers' way, it's highly likely Purdue will just declare bankruptcy and refuse to pay, burying their obligations down the list of other creditors and stalling for years.

If Purdue Pharma does file for bankruptcy without first reaching some kind of structured deal, it could take years to sort out the remaining value of the company's assets and then determine who's first in line for compensation.

Pressure to reach a settlement is also intensifying because a federal opioid trial involving Purdue Pharma and more than 20 other drugmakers, distributors and pharmacy chains is set to begin next month in Cleveland.

While that legal process moves forward, state attorneys general have promised to continue pursuing the Sacklers personally to recoup profits the family received from opioid sales, even if Purdue Pharma seeks Chapter 11 protection.

"I won't let them get away with their crimes," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro wrote Saturday on Twitter. "I will sue them personally, so that we can dig into their personal pocketbooks."

The Wall Street Journal also reported Friday that the U.S. Justice Department is involved in separate talks with Purdue Pharma.

According to the newspaper, those negotiations involve possible civil penalties tied to federal probes of Oxycontin sales, but could also include criminal charges using statutes normally used to prosecute drug dealers.

"Shapiro?"

No relation, but he does tweet.

The Sackler Family who control Purdue Pharmaceuticals and make OxyContin are sanctimonious billionaires who lied about their product which led to thousands getting addicted to opioids and dying of drug overdoses—including 12 Pennsylvanians/day.

They have blood on their hands.

[Crispin]

Remember how Trump mishandled classified information provided by Isreal?

Well, that incident caused the US to extract the top spy within Russia that had access to the Kremlin.

I'm honestly not surprised that they fear for their assets safety, when President pussy ass bitch keeps running his mouth like an absolute tool.

[mvaliz]

The saddest part of all this shit is the Trumps planning to be a political dynasty. If we elect one of his children I may revert to my early 20’s level of opioid usage.

Somebody wrote an amazing future timeline about this. I forget how it went, but the end was hysterical! It went something like this:

President Donald Trump: 2016-2028
President Donald Trump Jr.: 2028-2032
President Ivanka Trump: 2032-2034
Queen Ivanka: 2034-2038
Tiffany the Usurper: 2038-

[Thekri]

A deal is not 100% off the table, but it seems we know where the stakes are. If things do not go the Sacklers' way, it's highly likely Purdue will just declare bankruptcy and refuse to pay, burying their obligations down the list of other creditors and stalling for years.

This is why it is pointless to pursue this in civil court. You don't get justice from civil cases, at best you get some redress of damages, but no justice. This needs to be a criminal case where the DoJ goes after the Sackler's, not for their cash, but to put their butts in jail. Because losing a few billion doesn't frighten them, they have plenty, but jail does frighten them.

The Sackler's were deliberately and knowingly hurting and killing tens of thousands of American's to pad their profit margins. We lost 70,000 Americans to drug overdose in 2017 according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. That number has risen dramatically every year, it is even higher now.

I know we draw attention to dramatic incidents, but this rise in drug deaths isn't due to MS-13 or any other cartel. It is due to business policies like those of Purdue. They drove every opportunity possible to overprescribe opiates, and the human cost is staggering. They kill more people in 6 months then Al-Qaeda did in 25 years. It is a far more personal threat, as I was leaving the military I had at least 3 different doctors try to prescribe me opiates for various minor conditions, even after I made it extremely clear that I don't do well with painkillers.

Screw the Sacklers. Them and every other executive on that board should be in prison for the rest of their lives. Tens of Thousands are dying from this.

[mvaliz]

At which point do aliens riding dragons attack?

My favorite response to people claiming Jr. is up next is the photos from the rally he was at recently that had maybe 75 people show up. It was so bad they were urging people to crowd around the stage so they could attempt to use forced perspective for a few shots.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDKJ50AX...name=4096x4096

I'm just curious why he and Eric now have shaggy bad beards. Like they're drunk 24/7 about something and just refuse to shave kinda looks...

[Breccia]

You don't get justice from civil cases

Oh sorry I forgot to mention that part. But it's in the article I promise!

The DoJ is apparently dipping its toes in the water for criminal charges as well.

Now, cynic that I am, I suppose it's possible that the DoJ will work out a fine for Purdue and the Sacklers that will block civil penalties. It's also possible that the federal government would claim it has dibs over all the states, blocking individual state-by-state actions as well. Both would be a tragedy of justice, of course, and based on Trump's anti-opioid words (but not actions), he shouldn't make this an option.

"Shouldn't" is a loophole. I 100% expect a billion dollar family/company to bribe/lobby with some of its money, so they don't lose the rest of it. Whether or not Trump accepts it, something that would just buttfuck his promises on national TV Dwayne, is something I'm not ready to predict anymore.

[kaelleria]

Is this Droopy Dog's last day?

Commerce Chief Threatened Firings at NOAA After Trump’s Hurricane Tweets, Sources Say


WASHINGTON — The Secretary of Commerce threatened to fire top employees at NOAA on Friday after the agency’s Birmingham office contradicted President Trump’s claim that Hurricane Dorian might hit Alabama, according to three people familiar with the discussion.

That threat led to an unusual, unsigned statement later that Friday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration disavowing the office’s own position that Alabama was not at risk. The reversal caused widespread anger within the agency and drew criticism from the scientific community that NOAA, a division of the Commerce Department, had been bent to political purposes.

Officials at the White House and the Commerce Department declined to comment.

The actions by the Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur L. Ross Jr., are the latest developments in a political imbroglio that began more than a week ago, when Dorian was bearing down on the Bahamas and Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter that Alabama would be hit “harder than anticipated.” A few minutes later, the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Ala., posted on Twitter that “Alabama will NOT see any impacts from Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane Dorian will be felt across Alabama.”

Mr. Trump persisted in saying that Alabama was at risk and a few days later, on Sept. 4, he displayed a NOAA map that appeared to have been altered with a black Sharpie to include Alabama in the area potentially affected by Dorian.

Mr. Ross, the Commerce Secretary, intervened two days later, early last Friday, according to the three people familiar with his actions. Mr. Ross phoned Neil Jacobs, the acting administrator of NOAA, from Greece where the secretary was traveling for meetings and instructed Dr. Jacobs to fix the agency’s perceived contradiction of the president.

Dr. Jacobs objected to the demand and was told that the political staff at NOAA would be fired if the situation was not fixed, according to the three individuals, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the episode. Unlike career government employees, political staff are appointed by the administration. They usually include a handful of top officials, such as Dr. Jacobs, and their aides.

Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross in August of this year.
Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross in August of this year. Credit Eraldo Peres/Associated Press
However, a senior administration official who asked not to be identified when discussing internal deliberations said that the Birmingham office had been wrong and that NOAA had simply done the responsible thing and corrected the record.

That official suggested the Twitter post by the Birmingham forecasters had been motivated by a desire to embarrass the president more than concern for the safety of people in Alabama. The official provided no evidence to support that conclusion.

On Monday, Craig N. McLean, NOAA’s acting chief scientist, sent an email to staff members notifying the agency that he was looking into “potential violations” in the agency’s decision to ultimately back Mr. Trump’s statements rather than those of its own scientists. He called the agency’s action “a danger to public health and safety.”

Dr. Jacobs is scheduled to speak Tuesday at a weather industry conference in Huntsville, Ala.

On Monday, the National Weather Service director, Louis W. Uccellini, got a standing ovation from conference attendees when he praised the work of the Birmingham office and said staff members there had acted “with one thing in mind, public safety” when they contradicted Mr. Trump’s claim that Alabama was at risk.

[Felya]

Is this Droopy Dog's last day?

That’s pretty fucked up... now if a president claims there will be a natural disaster, regardless of facts... the president has to be treated like he is right? WTF? That’s going to cause a lot of unnecessary panic.

[Breccia]

Is this Droopy Dog's last day?

Commerce changing the weather. That's a first.

The rabid fanbase may no longer defend their position with facts, when they are trying to buy a hurricane's path into Alabama.

[Wyrt]

Is this Droopy Dog's last day?

So now we can't even trust NOAA because they can be bullied into giving false statements for political reasons. Fantastic.

Where are the Trumptards to defend this?

[Breccia]

So now we can't even trust NOAA because they can be bullied into giving false statements for political reasons.

And making it worse, remember who signed the NOAA statement. That guy is the one guy standing up for what he believes in.

[Breccia]

Nobody signed it.

And also, how do you feel about leading questions?

By the way, for those people talking about the Republican primaries, Trump went on record to say he wouldn't debate them.

Basically, he's a fucking coward who knows he can't run on his own record.

- - - Updated - - -

Okay, here's a fun one:

A lot of Fake News is being reported that I overruled the VP and various advisers on a potential Camp David meeting with the Taliban. This Story is False!

Let's think about what that means.

1) Trump said there was a meeeting.
2) Trump is now saying, he didn't overrule Pence and we should assume others on this.
3) That means, Trump is saying Pence was in favor of the meeting.

Well, your move, Pence. And other WH people.

[Shadowferal]

I'm honestly not surprised that they fear for their assets safety, when President pussy ass bitch keeps running his mouth like an absolute tool.

He's doing what Putin pays him for. - - - Updated - - -

Commerce changing the weather. That's a first. The rabid fanbase may no longer defend their position with facts, when they are trying to buy a hurricane's path into Alabama.

Commerce plays into business.

[Paranoid Android]

Is this Droopy Dog's last day?

How many people have watched HBO's 'Chernobyl'?

See the similarities in authoritarianism. This story disturbs me because of how far they are willing to go to protect this guy.

- - - Updated - - -

So now we can't even trust NOAA because they can be bullied into giving false statements for political reasons. Fantastic.

Where are the Trumptards to defend this?

In a ways one of the most eye opening events that has shown what they will do and how far they will go to protect this man.

[D Luniz]

I'm just curious why he and Eric now have shaggy bad beards. Like they're drunk 24/7 about something and just refuse to shave kinda looks...

probly got the idea from the Duck Dynasty guys. they grew those beards when they were planning that show so it would make them seem more "relatable"

[Belize]

probly got the idea from the Duck Dynasty guys. they grew those beards when they were planning that show so it would make them seem more "relatable"

Nothing more relatable to Conservative voters than the jobless dishevelled alcoholic look.

[Breccia]

Commerce plays into business.

So for those of you who didn't know, yes, NOAA is part of the Commerce Department. But that's not sufficient excuse for Ross, or anyone else for that matter, to demand a weather forecast be rewritten -- especially after the fact -- to defend someone's image.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Science isn't about politics. Forcing it to be so means you get shitty science, and also by this context, the ability to raise panic in a state and defend it with "I didn't bother to read the info about the hurricane before the address I gave about the hurricane".

Ross crossed the line. What else is new for this administration? Throwing out people from the Bahamas for being rescued without a visa?

(checks news)

God dammit I was being sarcastic!

[Shadowferal]

So for those of you who didn't know, yes, NOAA is part of the Commerce Department. But that's not sufficient excuse for Ross, or anyone else for that matter, to demand a weather forecast be rewritten -- especially after the fact -- to defend someone's image.

*nods*
We need an act that appoints a "Science" admin (something like the Federal Reserve) that is legitimately free from politics.