Donald Trump wins 2016 US presidential election

[sbeaudry]

Just wrote a little Focus for Sott on the situation.

President Trump Is A Wake Up Call, But Not For The Reasons You Think

Another excellent article Joe, worthy of Twitter tweeting for me and any others here who want help I think. Maybe a few will get it.

Thanks :)

Yup, agree with that. Its an excellent text, and i 've share it as much as i could on social media.

I agree as well. It's excellent. Shared Also, there have been so many excellent comments here and it has been very eye opening to follow. Thanks everyone.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

This whole Trump thing is very interesting. I was mostly convinced of an HRC victory for most of the race (the fix is in), but the scandals just kept coming and getting bigger and bigger, so I thought maybe it'll be like a Brexit. After watching T's acceptance speech I felt relief that Killbot didn't get elected. I guess I didn't really think Trump or Hillary would be much of a difference but at least Trump was a relative unknown and an 'outsider'. And his acceptance speech was nice and seemed sincere. He toned down the orange and I thought, hey he might actually try to make a difference for his country. Maybe we have a shot here, a long shot, but a shot nonetheless (something that likely wouldn't have existed at all under the Queen of Corruption).

That relief I felt has partially given in to anxiety over the last few days with all of these ridiculous protests going on, hate speech on the social media, and the violence and mayhem that's ensued. With all of this unrest and the country appearing to be splitting at the seams now I'm starting to wonder if this wasn't the backup plan if Killary became untenable for the PTB. Trump gets in, use all of his nasty rhetoric from early on against him, and foment a color revolution to continue the breakdown of America and make it seem like Trump's fault. What would that even look like? They just insert Hillary? Electoral college flip? Wouldn't that lead to more protests and unrest? Good grief.

This whole election period was so divisive and so energy charged it could possibly fuel a social explosion of sorts. I don't know how probable it is, but it certainly seems possible. Or, maybe, is this just a test to see if we're ready, if we're pliable enough yet. If not, then they can always get Trumpy to fall in line and get back to business as usual. My current view is that they have made a serious miscalculation and that this protest angle from Soros and the Clinton camp will die down. Despite everyone's anger, fear, and anxiety, our attention span just isn't very long and much of America has gotten lazy. I think that will dull the sharpness of this approach. I could be wrong. This is going to be a rough ride though either way.

I do hope he can get in and at least try to make a difference. It would be nice to see, though it may be wishful thinking, I'd still like to see an earnest attempt at a swamp drain.

 

[bjorb]

[quote author= Joe]Since the EU looks up to America, and the Trump win appears to have emboldened the right wing in Europe, if the PTB (those false flag 'Mossad' type guys who appear to be running their own agenda) decided to have a few more 'Muslim terror attacks' in Europe over the next few months, maybe a "Christmas special", that might be evidence that they are actively pushing for a right wing takeover of Europe and the institution of 'camps' for Muslims and refugees. Because right now there is a good chance that the Front Nationale in France will win next year's elections.
[/quote]

Yes, if those nukes go off the C’s mentioned you will have martial law, hysteria, and facism solutions all over the globe.


And Trump will be forced to at least declare martial law for a while in the US.

The Establishment either way can paint Trump as a facist leader even if he isn't. They just have to stage massive false flag attacks and make him respond.

And will Trump have complete over sight of people who are possible going to be round up? What if people get exterminated and he get's the blame after.

 

[Laura]

I think all you keyboard warriors need to get as busy as you can and spread the word and try to help pour water on the fire and calm things down.

 

[Laura]

Been thinking:

It seems pretty clear to me that the "big miscalculation" that the Cs spoke of was the assumption that Clinton would be easily elected only if she was run against Trump and that thus, there would be no need to go to extremes of vote rigging (though I'm sure some was done).

And what is that big miscalculation supposed to do?

Q: ....(L) We are in a hell of a mess {the beginning of global overt warmongering by Bush Admin}. Any comments?
A: The situation looks bleak indeed. But remember the Achilles heel of STS: Wishful Thinking.
Q: In this case, how is wishful thinking going to help?
A: There will be a big miscalculation made. It will reveal the "Man behind the curtain."

It will reveal the man behind the curtain.

There are many ways to go with. The first and easiest is the revelations about Hillary that were brought on by one of her insiders leaking the emails, an insider who obviously hated her for any of the many reasons that have been exposed about her. So, certainly, the "Man Behind the Curtain" in the sense of the corruption and hypocrisy of the Clinton gang is revealed.

And, when you consider how chummy they were/are with the Bush gang - Prescott involved with Nazi Germany and GHWB involved in the assassination of JFK - then you know that the "Man Behind the Curtain" that was exposed in terms of Hillary and her gang probably applies doubly so to the Bushes and related people/families.

But now, even more is being revealed as described in Joe's article AND by the Soros backed attempt at a "color revolution". It sure shows the true face of the so-called liberals.

Q: (L) The US is a powder keg. It just needs the right spark.

(Perceval) It's got all the right ingredients right now. You've got so many people in big cities dependent on supermarkets and stuff. And then you have the police state well-trained to deal with uprisings. In other countries, they don't have quite so well-organized police state to put down social unrest.

(Andromeda) And the people aren't quite as helpless either, at least in areas like this one.

(Perceval) In urban centers in the US, there are a lot of people who are just completely dependent on supermarkets and the system in general from one day to the next.

A: Notice that the USA is exhibiting all the symptoms of a "Color Revolution".

Q: (Perceval) So, someone in a position of power somewhere in the US is planning to sort of stage-manage the social unrest or revolution after an economic collapse?

A: More or less. However all may not go as planned.

Q: (Perceval) Well, the whole Ferguson, Missouri shooting last year...

A: Outside influences may intervene.

Q: (L) What do you mean "outside"?

A: Cosmic.

Q: (L) And this is what you're talking about in the next few months?

A: Takes time.

And then, recently:

(Beau) I have a question that will kind of change direction a little. I just want to know who's behind the Podesta e-mail leaks that are making Hillary Clinton look very bad?

A: Clinton insider.

Q: (Pierre) An insider who doesn't agree with Clinton and wants to bring her down?

(Galatea) Like a spy?

(Beau) Not Russia?

A: No

Q: (Niall) There's trouble in paradise.

(L) Definitely.

(Pierre) You see the way she behaves with her staff, so I'm not surprised someone's trying to bring her down. She drove one to suicide and another almost to suicide.

(Niall) It might be... Is it revenge for the way in which she got the Democratic nomination?

A: Revenge for personal slights.

Q: (L) Who in her insider group DOESN'T hate her?

A: Few.

Q: (L) Well.

(Beau) What's wrong with her? What is her illness?

A: Dementia.

Q: (Joe) We're assuming that her people know that she has dementia. Insiders know, people running her campaign, the Democratic party, etc. They're assuming that she's going to be okay to be president with dementia?

A: No. Part of reason to bring her down.

Q: (L) Well, she spent so much money on the campaign and cover-ups, and if she gets brought down now she won't have any friends left. She'll just slide into poverty or something. Nobody will be wanting to buy her influence anymore because she won’t have any and that was their main cash cow: influence peddling.

(Joe) Someone wants to bring her down after she becomes president?

A: Before!

Q: (Joe) Well, they better hurry up! Three weeks to go.

(Pierre) Well, they just need a big scandal.

(L) All they need to do is get enough people upset, and Trump will get the presidency.

(Joe) The media is totally anti-Trump right now.

(L) Doesn't matter. The people hate Trump less than Hillary.

(Joe) That's what we don't know. Right now, what are the odds that Trump will actually win?

A: Good.

Q: (Pierre) All the non-rigged polls seem to give Trump as the leader. So they don't have to do anything if they don't want Clinton to win.

(L) I would imagine that Trump, if he were to get it, he's in for his own set of surprises...

A: Yes

...

Q: (Beau) If Trump is elected, will he actually change American foreign policy?

A: Will try.

Q: (Pierre) Doesn't mean he will succeed.

(Joe) If you try...

(Pierre) That's better than...

A: Too many variables.

So, we have some data points to work with. Cs were on the money about everything in this last session, at least as far as those things we can verify. Obviously, more questions are in order about the election itself.

Nevertheless, I think that the revealing the Man Behind the Curtain is just getting started. And the possibility of cosmic events in the not-too-distant future is cool!!! Can't wait for the next episode! And I'm certainly going to be busy with my keyboard warrior duties! More fun than I've had in awhile!

 

[Charade]

The comments by bjorn and Laura gave me the idea relating to the reveling the man behind the curtain and possible nukes and the C's saying that help takes time. Maybe if Trump has been paying attention to the strategy and response of Putin to American backed aggressions and provocations he can/will learn by example. He's coming into a new sphere of "business relations". Perhaps he will act accordingly by taking a page from Putin and judge any allies he accordingly. Maybe he won't respond to a false flag with extreme measures we have come to expect????? This is such a wait and see time. At the very least maybe he won't take actions that are "bad for business". That people I know that voted for or preferred him over Killary was because he was a businessman and they have something to lose financially or because they hope he will uphold Constitutional rights. How much of what he wants and can do remains to be seen in this regard.

 

[Cosmos]

Yesterday, Maria Zakharova (russian FM spokesperson) posted this on her Facebook page (translated into english, on the recently started "@MID_Russia" channel from the russian government on Telegram, discussed here):

#Opinion by Maria Zakharova
http://bit.ly/2fA6Ycl

“The victory of Donald J. Trump declared early on Wednesday was an unexpected bonus for the Kremlin,” The New York Times has written in one of a million similar articles published yesterday. The Western mainstream kings still cannot admit to being poor experts whose widely publicised analytical articles are bluff pure and simple.

The reason for their incompetence is simple – BIAS. They make a living by telling the world that the “evil Russia” was the root cause of all global problems, and in the past few years they’ve been at it with renewed vigour. They said it so often and for so long that they started believing it themselves. It’s not surprising therefore that the election results came as a big surprise to them and their readers.

Analysis cannot be expert when you only publish and broadcast your own experts, who only read and watch these very same news articles and programmes, which completes the vicious circle or the global information carousel.

These past years, the Western media scrutinised everything they could learn about Russia, from Chechnya to the #Sochi Olympics. They published hundreds of editorials about the Kremlin, bathrooms in Sochi hotels, the alleged Russian hackers and thousands of invisible Russian tanks in Ukraine. Some of those reports contained a kernel of truth, albeit grossly distorted, others were tales woven from their rich imagination, and still others were fakes planted for such hapless journalists.
They created an illusory world in which they felt safe and comfortable, and they were not risking anything when describing this imaginary reality. US Secretary of State John Kerry was absolutely right when he mentioned a “parallel universe” at the United Nations Security Council two months ago. Yes, it was a “parallel universe” that has been created by the Western establishment and media.

Yesterday’s pinch-me moment was painful. I remember the white faces of American journalists who came to interview me. A hard landing is not a collapse, but it’s time they took an interest in their own country and started learning about their own people. This is not malevolence – this is hope. Because objectivity is the best way to prevent global shocks.

 

[Keit]

It seems like Trump really isnt the buffoon he has been made out to be, and I question whether a lot of the "bufoon" type behaviour and the whole "Trump" persona was actually part of the campaigning stretegy to appeal to more people for the votes.

That's what I also wonder about. The way he talks and presents himself in his earlier interviews is very different from the way he presented himself during his campaign. Sure, the video was edited and made to present a certain image, and sure a person may change and his personality to "intensify" with years, as it is also evident in the video. But still, it is hard to put a label of "buffoon" or a "clown" on the younger Trump from this video. Narcissist - yes, but not a clown.

During political shows on the Russian TV many called him "American version of Zhirinovsky". As many may know, Zhirinovsky is a far-right clown, who actually drank champagne on live TV in honor of Trump, after he was elected as president. On the other hand, Russian economic experts also say that Trump has undeniable business skills, and he isn't that stupid as he may appear.

One other interesting fact about Zhirinovsky, that despite him being a clown he is often being invited to political shows because the way he speaks appeals to many people in Russia, and because there are half-jokes that Zhirinovsky says what Putin is thinking. Surely it isn't so, but Putin undoubtedly recognizes usefulness of his buffoon behavior. So maybe Trump saw the same usefulness and decided to target the crowd that would understand his words.

I have my doubts that "Trump is a spellbinder". He is a far worse orator than others imo. He does display strongly narcissistic traits and has openly flaunted them. He has alienated many demographics on his campaign trail while energizing controversial and in cases pathological elements of the society (like white nationalists of the KKK brand).

Well, the video of his early interviews does show that he knows how to present himself, be calm and collected, and talk without insults. And that's why I actually suspect that his supposedly lesser than Hillary's debate skills could be another trick. Maybe exactly in order to draw a certain crowd? Unless, of course, he did get "radicalized" or "baffoonized" with years, not to mention becoming orange . What's for sure, his earlier version appears to be more "spellbinding" than the current one. But then, it probably does to his targeted audience. And as Alana said, it IS a great concern that now the white supremacy crowd will feel very comfortable.

Take a look at Putin and russia, all that was really needed was somebody saying "no", in the position to do so. Trump is certainly hardly even remotly comparable to Putin, but if we are lucky enough, he will at least stir up quite more paranoia within the power structure. Hopefully.

Yeah, and it is also important to remember that Yeltsin chose Putin on purpose as a final revenge against his puppet masters. And that Putin was hardly alone in this fight. We may never know the scope of his support, but it is very possible that there were many people who were just waiting for the right moment. And perhaps this throwing of Western powers off balance was what gave other powers an opportunity to move in.

But then this change happened amidst a great chaos, and Russia could sink very fast just the same. The fact that it didn't just shows how competent Putin and his team were and still are.

 

[bjorb]

I said the following around a month ago in another topic, I am not saying that this was all pre-planned, nor I am saying that it will exactly play out like this. I am just saying that the PTB adjust their plans accordingly and a portion of this may apply.

I don't know also, but this was on my mind a while back.

The US is in dire need for a color revolution before a real revolution may occur. Because it all stopped being believable. And Trump may be set up to take the fall.

The PTB might not be able to fully control Trump, but they should know how he will react to certain situations. If a ''dirty'' nuke goes off by so called 'Muslim terrorists' on US or European soil, Trump will respond the only way he knows how.

Just listen to what he stated about tackling the Muslim problem and illegal immigrants. If anything catastrophic happens, he is in a position to round up millions of people and forcefully put them in FEMA camps. And I am not just talking about Latino immigrants and Muslims. I am especially talking about the human rights & anti war activists. All of the people who the Empire has marked as their enemy could be finally disposed of.

I am not saying that Trump will order to exterminate those people. I am saying he wouldn't be informed of what is truly happening inside those camps, and who exactly are being round up. All he is led to believe that he is making America safer by not taking any risks with Muslims.

This 'regime of his' wouldn't be able to last. But this is by design. Because when all the enemies of the Empire are exterminated. Inside the US and abroad (through special hit squads) The PTB will usher in color revolution. And here is where the Empire wins big time.

Trump will get the blame of committing the second holocaust and the establishment will walk away with a clean state while in fact they where truly the ones behind the mass genocide. Trump will get the blame of exterminating there enemies. They could even say that the MSM tried to warn the public about Trump. But nobody listened !! Painting themselves as heroes.

[quote author= Charade]The comments by bjorn and Laura gave me the idea relating to the reveling the man behind the curtain and possible nukes and the C's saying that help takes time. Maybe if Trump has been paying attention to the strategy and response of Putin to American backed aggressions and provocations he can/will learn by example. He's coming into a new sphere of "business relations". Perhaps he will act accordingly by taking a page from Putin and judge any allies he accordingly. Maybe he won't respond to a false flag with extreme measures we have come to expect????? This is such a wait and see time. [/quote]

If that situation occurs and Trump doesn't respond like the PTB anticipate but instead blames the man behind the curtain it's all over.

Who will the public rather believe? Trump or the MSM?

But it all depends if Trump is capable of foreseeing any moves by the PTB meant to bring him down. And hopefully Putin can warn and advice him in time when this occurs.


Maybe this session is also revelant:

[quote author= 23 August 2014](Nicolas) We were wondering if Putin was going to play the 9/11 card, if he was going to be forced to do it, or...

A: Eventually. All of the efforts to support Putin will help the revelations to come sooner.

Q: (Perceval) Yay, Putin!

(L) I mean, did ya'll notice the propaganda over the last week or so with this aid convoy to Ukraine? I mean, the incredible... The New York Times, the UN, this Fogh Rasmussen guy, the incredible bald-faced, outrageous LIES that they were publishing in the media! "Russia Invades! Armed Convoy! Ukraine wipes out Russian troops!" All of it was lies, lies, lies, and bullshit. How can Putin DO anything when he's up against that kind of absolutely un.... I can't even find words for it! You never would have expected the US of A, the Western world, supposedly the carrier of the torch of liberty, publishing CRAP like that! It's worse than the worst Soviet era propaganda! And they were publishing it and people were buying it!! What do you think they would do if Putin suddenly gave out the information of who was really behind 9/11?

(Pierre) They would dismiss it.

(L) It would be immediately dismissed, and he would be blamed for being a whacko. He would be a whacko 9/11 truther conspiracy theorist who lost his mind. Remember, there was more than one case of people who were actually taken under psychiatric care for daring to say that 9/11 was an inside job. They've got the situation set up where he can't say a freaking word unless and until THIS situation changes.

(Perceval) What about if he's got evidence?

(L) They would dismiss the evidence. What about the evidence of nanothermite, the videos of the collapsing WTC buildings, etc.

(Perceval) What about something that's more of a smoking gun?

(L) They had the evidence of this aid convoy driving in, delivering their stuff, and then driving away, and they STILL called it a freaking invasion!

(Chu) What kind of evidence couldn't they destroy?

(L) The level of propaganda and the level of stupidity of the majority of people is still way too high. Everybody has to see the man behind the curtain.

(Andromeda) They have to at least suspect him.

(Perceval) Okay, so, if Putin eventually will reveal something, what evidence does he have?

(Approaching Infinity) The last time we had a session with NC, I thought I asked if he had 9/11 information, and they said yes.

(Perceval) Yeah, but we didn't ask what. Does he have like high definition video of a Global Hawk flying into the Pentagon that nobody can refute?

A: Almost.[/quote]

Putin can only reveal 9/11 truth if he has a powerfull and popular voice in the US ready to back it up.


- There have been a lot of theorizing about what is going to happen, but it are exciting times after all.

 

[JGeropoulas]

By cycles, I mean events in our own lives and in the world at large which happen over and over again. I've written elsewhere about this phenomenon, but essentially, I have observed that we live through the same dramas with copies of the same people and environments. From a purely materialist viewpoint, each visitation is unrecognizable from the last. The people and settings are physically different, however upon closer inspection the similarities are uncanny.
...
For whatever reason, the period between 'same things' on my paper chart seemed to be about 10-15 years. I started examining the time lines of close friends and it became clear that the same forces of repetition were at work in their lives as well.)
...
My working theory today is that when it comes to these cycles, I think it is unavoidable that all the energies on this apparent time-wheel will be re-experienced.

Life experiences can be thought of as being made up of collections of packets of differently flavored energy. These packets of energies create the sensations of what we feel and touch and think, and they race up to us on the wheel and move through us, (or us through them) again and again and none of it can be avoided.
...
Without some kind of heroic effort to shift positions on the clockwork, (and I don't honestly know what that would take or how to do it), then all the various energies from last time (the Nazi period of history) can be assured of coming around again. (If my theories are correct and indeed apply to the larger world).
...

Your idea about energetic forces creating repeating cycles of human experience is very interesting and reminds me of Terence McKenna's Time Wave Zero theory about cyclic energy frequencies causing repeating themes in political/cultural history.
_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9vkoDkeaVM

 

[Seamus]

Just wrote a little Focus for Sott on the situation.

President Trump Is A Wake Up Call, But Not For The Reasons You Think

Excellent article Joe, will spread on social media and to friends and family.

I think all you keyboard warriors need to get as busy as you can and spread the word and try to help pour water on the fire and calm things down.

My sense is that the fire appears much bigger than it is, and this goes along with the color revolution modus operandi. I have been living in San Francisco for the past two years for school and there have been some small protests here and in the east bay. There are some people who seem absolutely DEVASTATED that Trump was elected because they are equating it with some kind of triumph of hate and bigotry. Its a strange place, an extreme mix of super wealthy "millennials" working for tech companies contrasted with rampant homelessness and working class people who can't afford to live here anymore. The "liberal society" is strong here and the LGBTQ/trans community is super active here, but they are still a small minority. I think many support this social agenda because they don't want to seem racist/sexist/etc, but I don't socialize very much so I'm just speculating about this.

Most of the people I've spoken with in person about the election seem mostly anti-raciscm/sexism etc and have been taken in by the media narrative that Trump = hate. Most have told me that they were Bernie supporters in the primary. I get the impression that many are over representing their disappointment, basically trying to make sure they seem sufficiently upset so they don't stand out or they are overreacting because that's what they think they should do based on what they are seeing on social media

A few encouraging comments I've heard from people:

• "Well.... at least now we won't have a nuclear war with Russia!" I've heard this from at least 3 or 4 people and I feel so encouraged by it! It seems like even the heavily indoctrinated millennial types realize this was on Hillary's radar, even if they voted for her.
• "Maybe the racist/sexist stuff Trump said during the campaign was marketing so he could get elected" Also encouraging because some are willing to give him a chance.
• "Maybe now we'll actually start fighting ISIS instead of supporting them"
• "Ultimately the DNC is to blame for this, if they hadn't rigged the primaries we might not be in this position"

So, these people seem to "get it" on some level.

On the other hand I've been blown by many who don't know/willifully ignore the Clinton clan's many crimes. I've heard a number of times that "she wasn't elected because she's a WOMAN!!! If she were a man she would be president!" The group that seems most freaked out by the election results, both on Facebook and IRL is the LGBTQ/trans community. Many are calling for a mass movement because they are terrified that he's going to anull same sex marriages and encourage violence against them, which are legitimate fears IMO. I feel kind of bad for them as a group because it appears they are being used to help push the "liberal society" agenda on the rest of the country and the world and they seem to think that the whole election was about them. Many are treating the election result as something akin to 9/11 with emails about "healing circles" that I have yet to attend.

I'm personally fascinated by all of this and trying to enjoy the show. I think we need a little popcorn eating emoji...

 

[JGeropoulas]

Today I got spam-email from 'Avaaz' and instead of deleting it right away, I decided to read it because it was clearly meant to inspire more protests and revolution against the election of Trump (well, I guess Soros et. co want to just create enough chaos to "clear the table").
...

Dear friends,
...
What's most important now is to build a global movement to stop them. Over 2 million of us have signed the open letter, below, from the world to Trump, and it's been covered across major media. Now it's a manifesto for the next 4 years -- one that will run as a full page ad in major papers and project onto Trump Tower in New York. Help it become an even more powerful message -- forward it widely and sign below:
...
Dear Mr. Trump,
...
The world rejects your fear, hate-mongering, and bigotry. We reject your support for torture, your calls for murdering civilians, and your general encouragement of violence. We reject your denigration of women, Muslims, Mexicans, and millions of others who don’t look like you, talk like you, or pray to the same god as you.
...
Hearing your despair we choose hope. Seeing your ignorance we choose understanding.
...
The shock is justified - the most powerful nation in the world will be led by a breathtakingly ignorant, bigoted, violent, pathologically lying, sexually predatory, vengeful, authoritarian, corrupt reality TV star. Those aren't insults, they're facts.
...
The "people" are not with him - Trump lost the popular vote in the election (he just won through the US's quirky 'electoral college' system). So don't think this was a landslide.
...
It's the Media Stupid - Despite ALL evidence to the contrary, the American public overwhelmingly sees Hillary Clinton as MORE dishonest and corrupt than Donald Trump. This, by itself, is the reason why Trump is president. And it's the media's fault. US network news devoted more time to coverage of Clinton's totally BS email scandal than TO ALL POLICY ISSUES COMBINED. One the one side, we have ruthlessly sophisticated partisan propaganda media pushing Trump, and on the other an 'impartial' media that chases fake scandals and ratings and suggests false equivalence between the sides in the name of appearing balanced. This is the dynamic that gave us Brexit as well. We desperately need a smarter media. Very few organizations campaign on this, and Avaaz needs to.
...
With hope, and apologies for the long memo,

Ricken and the Avaaz team.

It's painful to see such naivete (at best). These folks need to be deprogrammed from all the Clinton/media campaign propaganda they've uncritically accepted as "facts."

 

[luc]

On the other hand I've been blown by many who don't know/willifully ignore the Clinton clan's many crimes. I've heard a number of times that "she wasn't elected because she's a WOMAN!!! If she were a man she would be president!" The group that seems most freaked out by the election results, both on Facebook and IRL is the LGBTQ/trans community. Many are calling for a mass movement because they are terrified that he's going to anull same sex marriages and encourage violence against them, which are legitimate fears IMO. I feel kind of bad for them as a group because it appears they are being used to help push the "liberal society" agenda on the rest of the country and the world and they seem to think that the whole election was about them. Many are treating the election result as something akin to 9/11 with emails about "healing circles" that I have yet to attend.

I'm personally fascinated by all of this and trying to enjoy the show. I think we need a little popcorn eating emoji...

Tanks Seamas, interesting observations, also about your personal conservations. As for the LGBT thing, there's this, which I found interesting:

_http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/2/donald-trump-holds-high-flag-gay-equality/

Donald Trump holds high the flag for gay equality

Republican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump made history Sunday and the political media barely noticed. Or maybe they did see it - but since it didn’t fit the narrative of what a Republican is supposed to look like they decided to ignore it.
On Sunday, at a rally in Colorado, Mr. Trump proudly held up a rainbow flag with the words “LGBT for Trump” written on it to a cheering crowd of thousands. It was an historic moment for gay equality and the Party of Lincoln as the 2016 GOP nominee for President of the United States held high the flag for gay equality. No other Republican Presidential nominee in history has embraced the LGBT community in such a loud and proud way.

And yet, the moment was barely reported by the media despite the fact it happened in front of the traveling press corps accompanying Mr. Trump. Political reporters, not unsurprising, largely failed to write on the moment where a Republican challenged their negative media stereotype.

But the moment was nevertheless historic. Trump walked on stage in Greeley, Colorado to a large cheering crowd when he spotted a rainbow flag in the audience. As the music blasted through the speakers, Mr. Trump pointed to a supporter as if to ask if he could see his flag and then motioned for a campaign worker to help retrieve the LGBT symbol of equality from the attendee.

Within seconds, Mr. Trump was walking around the platform with the rainbow flag in his hands and moments later unfurled it in full display. You could see a huge smile on Mr. Trump’s face as he walked to both sides of the stage to proudly hold up the rainbow flag announcing support from the gay and lesbian community.

Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller told me, “Mr. Trump is campaigning to be President for ALL Americans and was proud to carry the ‘LGBT for Trump‘ rainbow flag on stage in Greeley, CO yesterday. He will protect all Americans from the radical Islamic extremists who perpetuate hate and violence around the world, unlike Hillary Clinton who dangerously plans for open borders and has accepted millions of dollars from repressive regimes with a history of violence, discrimination and oppression against women, gays and minorities.”

He might not be the homophobic racist he was portrayed to be. Somehow, this would be a bit strange for a famous business man travelling the world, who must have seen quite a few things and have many friends and acquaintances across the spectrum, so to say. Again, wait and see I guess.

 

[Richs]

A few encouraging comments I've heard from people:

• "Maybe now we'll actually start fighting ISIS instead of supporting them"

This stood out to me immediately because I have just read an article stating that this was just reported:
NUSRA ON THE RUN - TRUMP INDUCES FIRST MAJOR POLICY CHANGE ON SYRIA
_http://www.blacklistednews.com/Nusra_On_The_Run_-_Trump_Induces_First_Major_Policy_Change_On_Syria/55221/0/38/38/Y/M.html

Some excerpts:
"That changed the day the president-elect Trump set foot into the White House. While Obama met Trump in the oval office, new policies, prepared beforehand, were launched. The policies were held back until after the election and would likely not have been revealed or implemented if Clinton had won.

The U.S. declared that from now on it will fight against al-Qaeda in Syria:

President Obama has ordered the Pentagon to find and kill the leaders of an al-Qaeda-linked group in Syria that the administration had largely ignored until now and that has been at the vanguard of the fight against the Syrian government, U.S. officials said.
That shift is likely to accelerate once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. ... possibly in direct cooperation with Moscow. "
.............
"Obama, obviously as a direct consequence of the Trump election, now ordered the Pentagon to wage war on al-Qaeda in Syria just as the Russians do. This after five years of nearly unlimited U.S. support for al-Qaeda and its "moderate" Syrian affiliates. It is not yet know what new orders, if any, Obama gave to the CIA. Will the CIA follow these policies or will it (again) try to counter the Pentagon policies in Syria? It is unusual that the WaPo report above about this new direction includes no commenting voice from the CIA. Why is such missing?

Russia and Syria will welcome the new Obama policies should they come to fruit on the ground. Hillary Clinton had planned and announced to widen the conflict in Syria and with Russia and Iran. Obama would surely not have acted against such policies if she had been elected. But with Trump winning and thereby a new policy on the horizon he now changed course to a direction that will provide "continuity" when Trump takes over."

So, Wow! Trump is still a month and a half from taking office and this pops up.

I suspect the current administration knows darn well they have totally lost in Syria and are using this as an excuse to save face while they pack up and go home. They know full well Trump would as one of his first policy decisions quit supporting the 'moderate rebels' in Syria and join the fight to get rid of them, so might as well make some political points by appearing to be 'helpful' and 'cooperative'. At least, that's my take on it.

 

[Seamus]

He might not be the homophobic racist he was portrayed to be. Somehow, this would be a bit strange for a famous business man travelling the world, who must have seen quite a few things and have many friends and acquaintances across the spectrum, so to say. Again, wait and see I guess.

Interesting, thanks alot! It wouldn't surprise me...

More from the article:

Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller told me, “Mr. Trump is campaigning to be President for ALL Americans and was proud to carry the ‘LGBT for Trump‘ rainbow flag on stage in Greeley, CO yesterday. He will protect all Americans from the radical Islamic extremists who perpetuate hate and violence around the world, unlike Hillary Clinton who dangerously plans for open borders and has accepted millions of dollars from repressive regimes with a history of violence, discrimination and oppression against women, gays and minorities.”

Narcissist - yes, but not a clown.

Maybe if we're lucky he will try to compete with Putin's approval ratings by trying to find win-win solutions that benefit as many Americans as possible

Take the Dakota Pipeline for instance... I'm reminded of a video I saw on the forum of Putin listening to environmentalists AND businessmen and moving a Russia-China gas pipeline to protect the Caspian Sea. He just stood up, went to the big map on the wall and proposed a new route for the pipeline. If Trump can do something like this with the Dakota pipeline it would be a great way for him to get some good press with the "left"

 

[Seamus]

This stood out to me immediately because I have just read an article stating that this was just reported:
NUSRA ON THE RUN - TRUMP INDUCES FIRST MAJOR POLICY CHANGE ON SYRIA
_http://www.blacklistednews.com/Nusra_On_The_Run_-_Trump_Induces_First_Major_Policy_Change_On_Syria/55221/0/38/38/Y/M.html

From the Trump campaign website (_https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/foreign-policy-and-defeating-isis/) on Foreign Policy:

DONALD J. TRUMP’S VISION

• Peace through strength will be at the center of our foreign policy. We will achieve a stable, peaceful world with less conflict and more common ground.
• Advance America’s core national interests, promote regional stability, and produce an easing of tensions in the world. Work with Congress to fully repeal the defense sequester and submit a new budget to rebuild our depleted military.
• Rebuild our military, enhance and improve intelligence and cyber capabilities.
• End the current strategy of nation-building and regime change.
• Ensure our security procedures and refugee policy takes into account the security of the American people.

[...]

CONTRAST WITH HILLARY CLINTON

• Before the Obama-Clinton Administration took over: Libya was stable, Syria was under control, Egypt was ruled by a secular president and an ally of the United States, Iraq was experiencing a reduction in violence, the group that would become what we now call ISIS was close to being extinguished, and Iran was being choked off by economic sanctions.
• Fast-forward to today: Libya is in ruins, our ambassador and three other brave Americans are dead, ISIS has gained a new base of operations, Syria is in the midst of a disastrous civil war, ISIS controls large portions of territory, a refugee crisis now threatens Europe and the United States, terrorists have gained a foothold in the Sinai desert, Iraq is in chaos, and ISIS is on the loose. ISIS has spread across the Middle East, and into the West.
• The Obama-Clinton election-driven timetable for withdrawal from Iraq led directly to the rise of ISIS. [Donald J. Trump Press Release, July 28, 2016]
• Secretary Hillary Clinton’s forceful advocacy for the intervention in Libya to build a Democracy is regarded as President Obama’s worst mistake. In addition, under Secretary Clinton, regime change in Syria and the overthrowing of Mubarak in Egypt destabilized the world. [Donald J. Trump Press Release, July 28, 2016]

His speech on Radical Islam and his plan to defeat ISIS expands on these points, its worth a skim if you have time. If he's sincere he should have no problem finding common ground with Russia.

*Edited to fix list formatting