I think the shutdown is about something other than his wall

[Stinky The Clown]

It is just a vague thought now, but ever since this got serious, and he hardened his stance, I get the feeling the public face of this whole political farce is cover for something more sinister. Something directly of benefit to Trump and his spawn.

Somehow, some way, he is intending to use the shutdown to cover crimes, stop investigations, and generally protect Trump and his family. The word Desperation comes to mind.

It is likely, from his perspective, a win/win/win. It does on its face what he wants it to do. It fucks citizens out of money to which they're entitled and which they *should* eventually get, but who knows. It feeds the trolls that are his base. It further destabilizes the US, making Putin happy.

NONE of it is good for us.

I think, as this thing spun up, people like Stephen Miller, Seb Gorka, Steve Bannon, and others gamed things out and told him this was a good thing and to dig in hard.

And here we are . . . . .

Again, just some thoughts for a Saturday morning. None of this attributable to any source. Just me.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. one way to look at it is that he sees everything as about him!

We have some narcissists in our family, but this has to be the most visible, public example of a really truly damaged narcissistic personality we've ever witnessed (and most destructive, as well) in our country's history.

[Cary]

3. Always

Pandering to his racist, rural white base.

[tblue37]

2. I think Trump was simply rolled by Coulter, Hannity, Limbaugh, et al.

He had already signaled the Repubs that he would sign the unanimously passed (in the Senate) CR--which is precisely why they felt safe voting for it. But then the rightwing mouths got after him about the wall, and he turned on a dime.

It s pretty simple this time.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Yeah, I see that as the front-facing story . . . . .

. . . . but as this thing got spun up, the other benefits to him started to clarify. And that might be where we are now and why we see him hardening.

Or maybe it really is as simple as him getting rolled.

[tblue37]

10. Now he is just afraid of looking, as he says, "foolish." nt

[brush]

13. I think you're spot on as the shut down hasn't defunded Mueller. In fact...

yesterday he got a judge to extend the term of his grand jury for six more months. And judges don't do that without a case being made for justification.

trump can fold his arms and stomp and bluster all he wants but the dragnet keeps closing in on him and his cabal.

He's going down and there will be no wall.

[Grasswire2]

4. of course it is. See the discussion at the locked thread linked below.

Locked because it was not LBN.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142237080

Star Member Grasswire2 (2,387 posts)
8. this was the intention all along

I'm getting a little fatigued writing this over and over here and there. Time to understand that this is not due to Trump incompetency or irrationality. This has been the plan from the getgo: Shutter government, break down the structures of the administration, replace competent career appointees with stooges and "acting" and incompetent people or empty out the agencies and leave them vacant. Ruin the economy with tariffs and taxes, cut the safety nets and pensions, furlough massive numbers of government employees. See a pattern? He's not on our side. Neither is McConnell. They are working for someone and something else other than the welfare of the citizenry and the protections of the Constitution.

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Response to Grasswire2 (Reply #8)

Sat Jan 5, 2019, 12:43 AM

Star Member littlemissmartypants (9,042 posts)
12. I have to say I agree with you and add this from a post I made earlier...

He's a sociopath. It's way beyond petulant.
The more harm and chaos they create, the happier they are. It's the sociopath creed. To love is to hurt, causing harm equals happiness. I keep telling folks this fact but people just keep getting amazed at his bad behavior. It is their modus operandi. It takes a truly twisted mind to be able to wrap your head around the thought processes that exist in such an aberrant universe, but that's the long and short of it. The sociopath lives to do harm. The gaul comes from their belief that they exist above the law and outside of consequences. The more chaos they create, the better and that's just them being their form of normal. It's twisted and sickening. There are no limits to the lengths they will go to, to create their form of happiness, which is pain and chaos. I can't repeat this enough

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=11415987
Headstone: She ate the rich and blew up her television. "uppity women, thinking they're people"

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Response to littlemissmartypants (Reply #12)

Sat Jan 5, 2019, 05:50 AM

Eyeball_Kid (3,076 posts)
28. Em... You're... em... Correct.

Sociopaths have no reason to make decisions based upon a common good. The part in the Preamble about promoting the welfare of the nation doesn't exist for sociopaths. Trumpy maintains the center stage if he creates one crisis after another. So as we hurtle toward systemic disaster, Trumpy is eating bacon and boasting to his "friends." He's truly nuts. But that's not all. He's purposefully destructive while he's the most powerful person in the nation. He has the power to destroy. He will. And he is in his wheelhouse. Right now.

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Response to Grasswire2 (Reply #8)

Sat Jan 5, 2019, 04:57 AM

GusBob (4,719 posts)
26. I hear you

I’ve seen you post this before. It’s true

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Response to Grasswire2 (Reply #8)

Sat Jan 5, 2019, 05:45 AM

Star Member Auggie (23,497 posts)
27. Just what Putin wants too -- chaos among liberal western democracies

If there is one thing I know, it is that the 1 percent loves a crisis. When people are panicked and desperate and no one seems to know what to do, that is the ideal time to push through their wish list of pro-corporate policies. There is only one thing that can block this tactic, and fortunately, it’s a very big thing: the 99 percent. -- Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine.

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Response to Grasswire2 (Reply #8)

Sat Jan 5, 2019, 06:02 AM

Star Member underpants (138,772 posts)
29. Who would want and clearly made efforts to disrupt the system?



We both know.

I'm with you Grasswire2 on reposting about core elements of this. I believe your macro assessment of the governance/functionality aspect is correct. I don't think they thought this out. That has a lot to do with the quantity and quality of the staffing around him as well as his overbearing asshole style of flippant decisions.

From a political side I have posted the following several times with varying levels of reposnse.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211627197
The bottom line politically is that they think - no wall in this fight right now means no re-election.
Truth Justice and the American way - that's all we ask. I refuse to subscribe to the culture of victimization that plagues white males in this country. The poor and

[Quemado]

6. I agree - the shutdown draws attention away from the investigations.

He had two years to build his wall.

[MyOwnPeace]

12. "He had two years to build his wall."

AND a Republican House and Senate - and yet he couldn't get it done!
So now he wants to declare "a national emergency" so that he can continue his "ruler-for-a-day" reign and have even MORE control over all segments of the government to manipulate his demented reign-of-terror.
It is time for the controlling members of the Senate to grow a pair and start serving our country and not a demented dictator-wanna'be - yeah, I'm talking to YOU, McTurtle!

[RainCaster]

7. This is Putin's bidding, and the GOP is his bitch

Who benefits the most from this? Putin
DFT is his little boy in Washington.

[Sneederbunk]

11. Agreed. All part of the plan to destroy America.

[2naSalit]

8. It's obviously something more

I think that the obstruction point is the primary thing because what the investigations will reveal is so big that they all have to remain diligent in protecting the veil of secrecy. Problem is, they're already busted.

It seems, to me, to range from money laundering and espionage and international manipulation of governments but it's about redividing up the political boundaries of the planet. And it's about the human trafficking that I suspect is about to be revealed. I really think that will be hitting the fan this weekend or soon after.

I also think Pence is so filthy that as he presents the 25th Amendment procedures to Congress tomorrow or Sunday, he will also be indicted and removed from office such that he is prevented from pardoning cheato. Somehow the timing and sequence of events, in my premonition, is that they both get ousted together and Speaker Pelosi succeeds to the presidency. I think that process could begin or take place fully in the next two weeks... seriously. I am sure that Speaker Pelosi is placing the path for the House prior to this series of events for several reasons but partly because she may end up moving up the street for a spell.

It's a feeling I've had since before the election but because more possible afterward. Now, I think it's probable, and soon.

[Pachamama]

16. This.....

....is EXACTLY my thoughts too for awhile!

Glad to see I am not the only one who has been thinking this and I believe that things will be happening very quickly and when the investigations are complete, the reveal so mind blowing that heads will explode....

I have believed for awhile that Pelosi will be the first female President and that Pence is dirty and will also be revealed to be dirty....he was chosen by Manafort for a reason....and does everyone really believe he knew nothing and that Mike Flynn lied to him?

I think the biggest shock will be how deep the corruption and conspiracy goes and how many members of Congress and the Senate are in it....

Yes, Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, Devin Nunes, Paul Ryan and sooooo many more....

The only question is - how soon....

[2naSalit]

17. Yup.

It's getting time to have our plastic ponchos and goggles ready.

I study an ancient form of time-keeping and from what is coming up in the near future, it idnicates that we shall see things we never anticipated happening in this country. But I feel it will be a major cleansing that will end up giving us the leverage to save ourselves from climate destruction - total destruction that is.

[Pachamama]

18. I am with you....

There is a reason my name is Pachamama....I agree....

[saidsimplesimon]

9. Stinky, I agree.

Rumpy has a one track mind, he is a barbarian,mafia thug who has been given carte blanche to the keys for the kingdom. He is not stupid, he sticks with what has always worked for him, me, me, me, bully, cheat, lie, behave as if he is above the law, engage in gangster talk, perform and incite riots among the faithful suckers.

[Vinca]

14. The money's going to run out for the entities investigating the Don and his crime family.

Maybe he thinks that will stop the "witch hunt."

[1democracy]

15. Could be a means to grab total power...

...via his declaration of an"emergency" at the border and using "emergency powers". (Trump says he is looking into this...)

How could this power grab be stopped? One way would be to force a working group (dems and repubs) to come up with a set of facts (with legit references) about the border situation. From there, a bipartisan plan to address the issues...

..i.e. immigration policy plus DACA.

Note: no megalomaniac in his right mind would ever give up the emergency powers, once he had them, i.e. he becomes unlimited authoritarian.