No. Just that there doesn't seem a good justification for seemingly racist remarks like “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here? We should have more people from places like Norway.” — Michael

I think one possible explanation as to why Trump chose folks from Norway is because he had Norway on the brain. Trump is not unlike some people, who have immersed themselves in the last person they interacted with that leaves a lasting enough impression (a couple hours) that everything that immediately follows is measured against that impression.

Yeah, it's often said that Trump agrees with the last person he spoke to. I think that got him into a bit of a situation where he agreed to support a clean DACA bill because he was talking to a Democrat and he needed the Republicans to stop him and remind him what his position should be. Quite laughable.

I'm listening to conservative talk radio and they're saying that Trump is not racist because he was only referring to the country not the people. — Purple Pond

I was reading an NPR story about how Norway immigrating to the USA back in 1870 and the impact it has had on both the USA and Norway and how it helped both nations.
"In other words, they shared a lot in common with many of today's immigrants from ... El Salvador, Haiti and Africa."

I think that got him into a bit of a situation where he agreed to support a clean DACA bill because he was talking to a Democrat and he needed the Republicans to stop him and remind him what his position should be. Quite laughable. — Michael

That was a brilliant move on the Republican's part to jump in when they did but you could see that Trump wanted to agree with what seems right rather than play the teams position. It is during those times that I wish he would choose to be a one term president and just blow this team bs out of the water.

... said, did not, did too, ... :D

Trump Says Haiti Is Not a 'Shithole,' Just 'Very Poor and Troubled'
Ryan Sit
Newsweek
Jan 2018

The total ineptitude of Trump is quite obvious.

You just look at how Trump performed at the televised DACA meeting, where he was totally unable to even understand what Feinstein purposed with a "clean" DACA bill. Put this along everything from Trump talking about F-52 fighters to Norway and him working basically 1h 45 minutes a day and you don't have to have to read "Fire and Fury" to understand the total dysfunction of this Presidency. Trump simply cannot function as the chief executive of the government.

Hence the real question is who is taking care of this administration? Likely the demented ignorant moron-Trump is handled with the "sign here, Mr President"-routine and simply by not bothering him with difficult things. I guess by now they have learned how to manage Trump and just leave him watching Fox & Friends and make his tweets.

Likely the power now is with Pence, Kelly, Mattis, McMasters and Rex Tillerson. Naturally the administration lacks initiative as that should come from the President's mouth.

Some countries are shitholes. And saying so isn't racist. Trump may be a racist, but his recent comment wasn't. — Thorongil

Problems with this: Pretty much the countries that are not-so-nice have histories of gross exploitation first by the nicer countries, and then by the thugs they left in power. But what really matters is that Trump is equating the people with the not-so-niceness of their countries, and he's doing it by race. That's racist racism 101.

But you're right; there's no reason to be shocked, there's only reason to be surprised at the number of people who simply do not understand how dysfunctional, dangerous, and destructive Trump is. He should be in a mental hospital in the care of mental health professionals (read: people most likely not to be harmed, injured, or damaged by him).

Problems with this: Pretty much the countries that are not-so-nice have histories of gross exploitation first by the nicer countries, and then by the thugs they left in power. But what really matters is that Trump is equating the people with the not-so-niceness of their countries, and he's doing it by race. That's racist racism 101. — tim wood

Sweden is a shithole. Rape, shooting, grenade exploding, car burning capital of Europe.

Zimbabwe is a shithole.

Saudi Arabia is a shithole.

Yemen is an utter shithole.

There are plenty of shitholes, even though Trump never uttered the word.

Sweden is a shithole. Rape, shooting, grenade exploding, car burning capital of Europe. — tom

Rape statistics can be misleading when comparing Sweden with other countries. The prevalence is 60 reported rapes per 100,000 population, compared to half as much in the U.S. and one third as much, on average, in European countries. But there are several factors that appear to bias this result. "In Sweden, once an act has been registered as rape, it retains this classification in the published crime statistics, even if later investigations indicate that no crime can be proven or if the offence must be given an alternative judicial classification." And also: "The Swedish police registers one offence for each person raped, and if one and the same person has been raped on a number of occasions, one offence is counted for each occasion that can be specified. For example, if a woman says she has been raped by her husband every day during a month, the Swedish police may record more than 30 cases of rape. In many other countries only a single offence would be counted in such a situation."

As for the murder rates, those statistics may be somewhat more reliable. In Sweden, it was 1.14/100,000 in 2015, compared with 4.9/100,000 in the U.S.A.

Does that mean that the U.S.A. is a sh*thole country as well? Donald Trump seems to think is is although he expresses it with the more politically correct "not great anymore", as implied by his MAGA campaign slogan.

and he's doing it by race — tim wood

No he's not.

Is it wrong for countries to discriminate which peoples they will allow as immigrants in their countries? Would that be a breach of human rights?

What's the point of getting rich if you can't at least hire a hooker if you feel like it. So he had sex with a porn star. Big deal. It's just that hiring hookers and bedding porn stars (and then later paying them a bag full of money to shut up about it) is discordant with being a public figure who is supposed to be clean enough for family viewing. — Bitter Crank

Do you reckon Trump has the character of one of those long-distance truck drivers that jumps on ehm hookers as soon as he sees them? >:O

how dysfunctional, dangerous, and destructive Trump — tim wood

I see no dysfunction, danger, or destructiveness from his administration so far. I see a lot of tactless comments and tweets by the president, but that's it. For me, his presidency has been a pleasant surprise, given all the absolutely insane predictions made by his opponents and which I see you have thoughtlessly repeated.

Personally, I do think Trump's remarks are insulting, but it is true that those countries, compared to the US, are shitholes.

Is it okay to say that because they actually are overweight? — SonJnana

Maybe not with that tone, but I have no problem with the general idea. Sport is a meritocracy.

The point is that it's belligerently disrespectful to generalize a bunch of countries and call them shitholes. — SonJnana

I agree. His wording was uncouth and uncalled for.

You belligerently insulted the identities of millions of people. — SonJnana

You are assuming that was his intent or the intent of anyone who, with less coarseness of language, points out the fact in question. Sometimes the truth stings. Get over it, I say.

long-distance truck drivers — Agustino

Ah, well... don't know much about long-distance truck drivers. No, I think DT probably has fairly high standards and likes sex in a quality location with excellent room service -- i.e., a Trump Hotel™.

I think one could ask whether DT is happy -- not sure he is.

One of the themes that runs through FIRE AND FURY, the book about the campaign and the Trump White House is that Trump & Co. didn't expect to win the election, and were as shocked as everybody else was. It wasn't a "real run" for the White House. I don't know... doesn't sound plausible to me. But I don't think DT had/has/will have a very clear idea of what goes on in the Government from the Government POV. There are something like 2 or 3 million employees in the executive branch, and they most definitely aren't all parasites. But a man with a short attention span who doesn't like to read isn't going to obtain an overview of that large an operation.

Long-distance truckers have to pay attention for hours on end; DT lacks that capacity, apparently. He is 70 years old; 70 isn't too old, but one isn't all that adaptable at 70, either.

I know a pig when I encounter one. Apparently you do not. This one belongs in a pigpen, not the White House. And if you don't see any "dysfunction, danger, or destructiveness from his administration" then I suggest you visit an eye (ear and nose) doctor.

Is it wrong for countries to discriminate which peoples they will allow as immigrants in their countries? Would that be a breach of human rights? — Agustino

There is nothing wrong with discrimination per se. Discrimination is simply the general name for the processes by which we tell one thing for another. But it has a negative sense caught in the word prejudice. So if you're going to ask about discrimination, you have to first decide what discrimination you have in mind.

Sovereign nations are entitled to pick and choose. Most of them do discriminate, and the main problem with that is when they claim they are not (but actually are).

Nations have a right to compose their demographics as they see fit. Healthy demographics are good for the long run -- not too large a percentage of dependent elderly in relation to younger workers who both produce taxable income and provide care, for instance. Not too large a population of very young people. It's great while they are young and most productive. They will all grow old at the same time, and then you have a mushroom shaped distribution.

On the other hand, a healthy nation needs reproducing young people OR one has to import them by immigration and other methods. Japan is not replacing its own population and is resistant to immigration. They have a problem.

Nations need a balance of males and females. India, among other countries, has deflated the female population through abortion or killing of infant females, producing a surfeit of single males.

No, I think DT probably has fairly high standards and likes sex in a quality location with excellent room service -- i.e., a Trump Hotel™. — Bitter Crank

>:O Do you reckon he's a fan of sex? To me personally, he seems more like the guy who likes to brag about it, not the guy who likes to do it.

I think one could ask whether DT is happy -- not sure he is. — Bitter Crank

I think happiness is largely an internal thing. I agree with the Christian contemplative tradition, Buddhism, etc. Happiness is an internal state, you can be a poor monk and be happy. I think most people cannot fully enjoy external aspects of existence because they don't cultivate this inner happiness. I think Trump is probably somewhat happy, but he is so accidentally. He happens to find himself in very good circumstances. I think if he were in bad circumstances, and really had to fight an uphill battle, I think he wouldn't be happy, and quite likely would be depressed. He also seems to me like the kind of person who isn't really used to losing, so if he will lose an election, he will probably be depressed.

One of the themes that runs through FIRE AND FURY, the book about the campaign and the Trump White House is that Trump & Co. didn't expect to win the election, and were as shocked as everybody else was. It wasn't a "real run" for the White House. I don't know... doesn't sound plausible to me. — Bitter Crank

Did you buy the book? Yeah, it doesn't sound plausible to me either. Trump may have strategised in the sense of "well, if I lose, doesn't really matter, cause I would have promoted my brand, etc." but I really do think he wanted to win, just as a form of prestige. In the Art of the Deal (or one of his books/talks) he recounts how his mother was transfixed when the Queen of England was on TV in a ceremony, and his dad thought it was nonsense - and he spoke of having had the same admiration as his mother. So psychologically, I think ever since youth that position of President was important for him.

But I don't think DT had/has/will have a very clear idea of what goes on in the Government from the Government POV. There are something like 2 or 3 million employees in the executive branch, and they most definitely aren't all parasites. But a man with a short attention span who doesn't like to read isn't going to obtain an overview of that large an operation. — Bitter Crank

I agree - I'd say that with regards to many details he doesn't have a clue what he's doing. He's acting only at the big-picture level, and hoping that others can figure out the details for him. He's also used to negotiate from a position where he is stronger than the person he negotiates with from the looks of it. Though I have seen some private instances of him talking to a smaller group, where he did seem a lot more polite and diplomatic than the public personae.

He is 70 years old; 70 isn't too old, but one isn't all that adaptable at 70, either. — Bitter Crank

Personally, I think 70 is quite old to be President. People's mental agility starts to decrease from 65 or so. People may be at the top of their game, because they're well-integrated in society, they have the necessary connections, etc. etc. but that doesn't mean they're mentally as capable as when they were younger.

My mistake. We all should have elected tim wood for president. He's got the inside scoop on everything.

Maybe not with that tone, but I have no problem with the general idea. Sport is a meritocracy. — Thorongil

Did you completely miss the point of what I was saying? It's not the idea itself that is bad. But the tone has a hint of prejudice. So I don't know why you're trying to explain why the idea itself isn't bad when i never said it was.

You are assuming that was his intent or the intent of anyone who, with less coarseness of language, points out the fact in question. Sometimes the truth stings. Get over it, I say. — Thorongil

First of all you have to be really dumb to think that by calling the countries shitholes, it is not offensive. Second, I didn't assume that was his intent. I clearly stated if he's really that dumb that he doesn't realize it, then he's a careless jackass at best. How did you completely miss this point as well?

You tell me to get over it? really lol. Now you're being insensitive. You are actually just really stupid because you completely missed the points in this post. But no, I'm not a careless jackass because I'm just pointing out a fact. Sometimes the truth stings. Get over it, I say.

But the tone has a hint of prejudice. — SonJnana

And I agreed with this.

First of all you have to be really dumb to think that by calling the countries shitholes, it is not offensive. — SonJnana

Ah, notice the change in vocabulary! I agree that he used offensive language. However, what he said wasn't racist.

You are actually just really stupid — SonJnana

Lol! Okay, pal. Talk about pot calling the kettle black!

Ah, notice the change in vocabulary! I agree that he used offensive language. However, what he said wasn't racist. — Thorongil

I never said it was racist. It is prejudiced if you assume he knew it is offensive to people. Most people know this, so I think it's reasonable to make the assumption that the president of the United States, who deals with other countries all the time, would know this. Unless you want to be very generous and assume that he didn't know, in which case he'd be a careless jackass at best.

Lol! Okay, pal. Talk about pot calling the kettle black! — Thorongil

How about we both show respect rather than tell people to just get over it?

I never said it was racist. — SonJnana

Good, then we're on the same page, my friend.

How about we both show respect rather than tell people to just get over it? — SonJnana

Hey now, I never called you such childish names!

Good, then we're on the same page, my friend. — Thorongil

However it is prejudice. And sometimes people use the words interchangeably when it comes to a person's nationality. Criticizing someone who says that it's racist just because it's not "technically" racist is just being nitpicky.

Hey now, I never called you such childish names! — Thorongil

If you see the context that I did that in, I justified it using your own words of telling me to get over it. It was to show why that justification is insensitive. And since you agree, now we can both go back to being respectful.

I didn't think you'd be able to impress me more than you already have. You know who Dan Quayle is? Maybe that's not impressive. Maybe it's obsessive compulsive. You know too much. Stop. — T Clark

Nothing to be impressed about; there is no effort at all in what I know so I can't actually stop, you judgemental gobermouch.

Nothing to be impressed about; there is no effort at all in what I know so I can't actually stop you judgemental gobermouch. — TimeLine

No, please, aaaaah....

That Trump is qualified to be president — Thorongil

What in your view makes someone qualified to be President? What are some of the defining characteristics?

One must be 35 years of age, a resident within the United States for 14 years, and a natural born citizen.