racketboy.com

alienjesus wrote:I've given up on CRTGamer at this point, he's lost in his own little world.

CRTGAMER wrote:I do read all the posts and Reply given the post. I noticed you removed your earlier statement concerning Trump's speech "America First". Care to comment on your reason why you loathe that phrase?

Erik_Twice wrote:Let's be honest, I think this thread is a mistake. It's already hot garbage and if other forums are any indication it will worsen as time goes on.

Ack wrote:I don't think it's an entire waste. Occasionally I do try to post news from Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Australia, etc. I just don't see folks taking much interest in such articles when I post them, so I haven't done it in a while.

marurun wrote:I like world news. Please proceed apace.

marurun wrote:So Sean Splicer is apparently whining about the media failing to inflate inauguration attendance numbers to soothe our immature president's childish ego. He says such misinformation as public transit being at its highest point during an inauguration (sure, only if Trump's 500k is magically bigger than the 700k Obama pulled in 2013). He also denies the photographic and video evidence of a not-as-full-as-Obama's-inauguration National Mall.

So it looks like we will have to assume, going forward, that everything Sean Splicer says is a lie or misinformation. If we can't trust the White House to even be straight with us about something trivial like this because of the president's easily-bruised self-image, how can we trust the administration to accurately represent major issues? We are indeed venturing into dark days.

http://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2017/01/20/sean-spicer-gets-apology-day-1-from-time-reporter-over-incorrect-mlk-jr-bust-tweet/

Sean Spicer gets apology DAY 1 from TIME reporter over incorrect MLK Jr. bust tweet
President Trump returned the bust of Winston Churchill to the Oval Office, fulfilling a promise he made during the campaign. But the move set off a wave of speculation over what happened to the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. that President Obama had moved into the Oval Office to replace Winston.

TIME reporter Zeke Miller initially tweeted that the MLK Jr. bust have been removed entirely, but his first report was wrong. The MLK bust is still in the Oval Office. It was obscured by an agent and door. But the damage was done as many other reporters went with Miller’s initial report. To his credit, Miller took full responsibility for the mistake and is apologizing to his fellow reporters over the error. Miller also apologized to newly minted press secretary Sean Spicer.

CNN wrote:]His statement included several specific misstatements of fact in addition to the overarching one.
"This is the first time in our nation's history that floor coverings have been used to protect the grass on the Mall," Spicer said, claiming that this "had the effect of highlighting areas people were not standing whereas in years past the grass eliminated this visual."
In fact, coverings were used for Obama's second inauguration in 2013.
"This was also the first time that fencing and magnetometers went as far back on the Mall, preventing hundreds of thousands of people from being able to access the Mall as quickly as they had in inaugurations past," Spicer said.
In fact, a United States Secret Service spokesperson told CNN, no magnetometers were used on the Mall.
And Spicer said, "We know that 420,000 people used the D.C, Metro public transit yesterday, which actually compares to 317,000 for president Obama's last inaugural."
Spicer's number for ridership on Friday was actually low -- the correct number, according to Metro itself, was 570,557. But there were actually 782,000 trips taken for Obama's second inaugural in 2013.

Trump is such a liar that in coming days and years our democracy will depend more than ever on the independent press -- reporting the truth, and holding Trump accountable. But Trump’s strategy is to denigrate and disparage the press in the public’s mind -- seeking to convince the public that the press is engaged in a conspiracy against him -- and use his tweets, rallies, and videos to make himself the only credible source of public information about what he’s doing.

It is the strategy of despots.

The strategy was officially launched today, the first day of the Trump administration, in two steps:

Step 1: At a televised speech at the CIA, Trump declared himself to be in a “running war” with the news media, and described reporters as "the most dishonest human beings on earth." He then said they lied about how many people attended his swearing in and inaugural address.

Step 2: At Trump press secretary Sean Spicer’s first televised news conference, Spicer castigated the press for its “dishonest” and “shameful” reporting, took no questions, and then issued this warning: “The American people deserve better. As long as [Trump] serves as the messenger for this incredible movement, he will take his message directly to the American people.” [This remarkable statement occurs at 4 minutes and 15 seconds into the news conference, in the video below.]

This strategy will unfold more dramatically in coming weeks and months. Be ready. Be vigilant. Don't let Trump get away with it.

What do you think?