Donald Trump Calls for Barring Muslims From Entering U.S.

[Eddie Teach]

What in particular is Sanders campaigning for that has been shown not to work? I mean, some other forumites have maintained that he's not really a socialist.

[Legbiter]

I don't understand.  How does this work in practice?

It doesn't. It's even less workable than that stupid judge's "no visas for anyone" idea.

I think Mr Trump's staff have not carefully considered the implications of this proposal before releasing it. 

On the contrary.

Aye, Trump is focused on speaking to his audience. He's not trying to impress people who'd never vote for him.

[Tamas]

What in particular is Sanders campaigning for that has been shown not to work? I mean, some other forumites have maintained that he's not really a socialist.

He seems to be made of European-style populist left crap.

I mean, seeing the other offerings, I would be highly tempted to vote for him if I was living there, but that's more about the other candidates.

My favourite economic policy I have read from him was the killer kombo of raising the minimum wage and forbidding American companies to move production overseas.

[jimmy olsen]

Trump really isn't interesting enough to be talked about in 3 threads.

I think he is the most interesting US presidential candidate in living memory.

Grumbler is old enough to remember George Wallace.

[grumbler]

What in particular is Sanders campaigning for that has been shown not to work? I mean, some other forumites have maintained that he's not really a socialist.

He's not really a socialist (he's a social democrat), and I don't know what he's advocating that has been proven not to work.  I think some posters have just categorized him as some kind of left-wing Trump without really thinking much about what he is actually saying.  Universal single-payer health care?  *gasp*

[Eddie Teach]

Grumbler is old enough to remember George Wallace.

As grumbler is old jokes go, this one's pretty weak.

[DGuller]

Yeah, seriously.  The guy who remembers William Wallace like it was yesterday is supposed to go  at that?

[garbon]

Trump really isn't interesting enough to be talked about in 3 threads.

I think he is the most interesting US presidential candidate in living memory. 

And I care because?

If you don't want to care, don't 

Surprisingly, I'm capable of doing that without your permission.

[celedhring]

It's like he doesn't seriously want to be president, so he's trying to sabotage his campaign by being as insane and bigoted as he can, yet he's getting the exact opposite result so he goes double or nothing the following day.

[The Larch]

What about his comments saying he wants to shut down the internet and wanting to ask Bill Gates to do something about it?

Donald Trump wants to ban the internet, will ask Bill Gates to 'close it up'
Speaking as he called for a 'complete shutdown' on Muslims entering the US, Mr Trump dismissed claims that 'closing up the internet' would be a freedom of speech issue


Donald Trump has called for the internet to be turned off so that children can no longer use it.

The presidential hopeful said that "We've got to maybe do something with the internet," because it was being used to radicalise people. He said that he would "see Bill Gates" so that he could look into "closing it up".

Speaking at the same event where he called for a "complete shutdown" on Muslims entering the US, Mr Trump laid out a rough plan for stopping the influence of Isis.

Children in America are "watching the internet and they want to be masterminds", Trump said in a speech.

"We're losing a lot of people because of the internet," Trump said. "We have to see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what's happening.

"We have to talk to them about, maybe in certain areas, closing that internet up in some ways. Somebody will say, 'Oh freedom of speech, freedom of speech.' These are foolish people."

Surely he can't be serious.

[Liep]

Did you forget to put in the link to theonion.com?

[Legbiter]

Watched his speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition. Trump knows exactly what he's doing, displays impressive sales pitch and subtle crowd control. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQYOvDmWqjo

[DGuller]

I think he is an awesome/scary showcase of the degradation of American politics.

It could also be a catharsis in a way.  Intolerance has long been a very strong force in US politics, but it has been hidden under the surface.  You don't appeal to it directly, you appeal to it with euphemisms and dog whistles.  A very effective way to get a policy proposal killed is to hint that it benefits one group at expense of another group.  And let's face it, we all know what the problem with Obama is, and it's not his hidden Kenyan Muslin communist roots.  I think partisanship in US politics would be far less virulent if black people voted 50/50 instead of 95/5.

Now that Trump laid it bare to see, and made it obvious how much of a force pure hatred and intolerance is, it can either legitimize its open expression or disinfect it with open light.  Obviously the second outcome is much preferable, but things were bound to come to a head at some point anyway.

[Ed Anger]

I think he is an awesome/scary showcase of the degradation of American politics.

Sanders is the much milder symptom of that BTW. Why? Because he is campaigning for leftist stuff that has been clearly shown as not working in Europe and South America, and Americans didn't care for that while evidence of it not working was not abundant. Now that it clearly is not working, they want it!

Calm down. An old goofy fart way behind in the polls isn't much of a threat.

[Ed Anger]

Tamas sounds low energy. Like he was beeten or something.