What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Habbaku]

Something like 35% of Americans have valid passports, and it's a nightmare to get one.

Get photo taken at nearby Post Office.  Send in application.  Wait 4-6 weeks.  There is nothing "nightmarish" about getting a passport for the majority of people that try to get one, unless they just cannot abide their picture being taken or filling out a form.

[merithyn]

I got my passport in 8 days.

You must have paid for expediting.

It may have been more difficult for us because of the name changes, Max's citizenship paperwork, etc. Additionally, for the kids, we had to have additionally paperwork from their father. It wasn't a simple "take a picture and pay the money" situation.

[Zanza]

My last passport took two days. Go to the registry office section of the town hall, fill out form and attach previously taken biometric photo, sign & pay. Pick up passport two days later after getting a text message that it is done.

[Zanza]

The National ID is supposed to be proof that you're an American citizen, similar to a passport. Those require time and energy to verify the data. When you're talking about 315,000,000, that's a huge undertaking that will take a lot of time and money. A drivers license can be given to anyone with a birth certificate or green card. They don't verify that the birth certificate or green card are valid.

Hell, my little sister got a license with my name and information but her picture on it when I turned 21 years old, so she could have a fake ID.

You are the richest and most technologically advanced country in the history of mankind. Lesser countries were able to introduce ID schemes. What you lack is a will to reasonable governance, not capability.

[frunk]

I've started rereading Cerebus, and it has disturbing parallels to the rise of Trump.  A quick web search only turned up This for anyone else who has seen it as well.  Assuming it continues to track, the good news is that Trump won't finish out his term.  The bad news is he'll end up Pope of an apocalyptic cult that ends up killing innumerable people.

[CountDeMoney]

The bad news is he'll end up Pope of an apocalyptic cult that ends up killing innumerable people.

That worried me first; considering the aggressive and reckless foreign policy stance this crowd has taken, between the Bond Villain, Flynn the psycho, the rest of the Lyndon LaRouche crowd, and the ultimate intemperate and thin-skinned impetuous demagogue at the center, I would be outright concerned about some sort of apocalyptic deathwish to fulfill some sort of End of Days vision with these conspiracy nuts...but the only thing is, they're so fucking rich--and wealthy people don't want to intentionally bring about Armageddon, because they're too busy trying to get richer.  It's the poor ones you have to worry about. 

No, innumerable people will be killed by accident and miscalculation. 

[Capetan Mihali]

Yes, but it's a bipartisan thing.  I'm not clear on what Oex is on about.

oex is on an anti-america high, and he's already run away

You come across as a snotty kid with some kind of grudge to settle in this exchange, frankly, and no one with any sense would waste their energy either accepting the terms of the "debate" you seem to want to start, given the quality of your own arguments, or allowing themselves to react emotionally to your taunts.

The prudent realization that further discussion will be worse than fruitless is not the same as running away, much as getting the last word is not the same as demonstrating the superiority of your "argument."

[Razgovory]

Remember back during the Bush administration when Fate did a lame "Bush supporter" routine?  I guess that's what lacroix is doing.

[Eddie Teach]

Really? I am having a hard time remembering it being brought up since the Dubya years. From anybody really.

America's chickens have come home to roost.

[citizen k]

I'll back up Oex that american exceptionalism is still a thing.

Really? I am having a hard time remembering it being brought up since the Dubya years. From anybody really.

http://time.com/4521509/2016-election-clinton-exceptionalism/
There's always been something special about the United States of America. President Abraham Lincoln called us the "last, best hope of earth." President Ronald Reagan said we are a "shining city on a hill." And Robert Kennedy called us a great, unselfish, compassionate country.

I couldn't agree more.

If there's one core belief that has guided and inspired me every step of my career in public service, it's this: the U.S. is an exceptional nation. And when you add up all our advantages, it's clear we're indispensable too—a nation all others look to for leadership.

America is indispensable in part because we have the greatest military in history, with the best troops, training and technology. And it's essential we do everything we can to support our men and women in uniform, and our veterans.

America is also indispensable because of our network of alliances, built up with decades of diplomacy. Russia and China can't begin to compare. Our allies amplify our power, aid our defense and stand with us in good times and bad, like when NATO declared 9/11 to be an attack against all its members. Walking away from our alliances now would be a dangerous mistake.
America is indispensable because we have the largest, most dynamic economy in the world. Our workers can out­innovate and out­compete anyone in the world. And our entrepreneurs start exciting new businesses every day.

Most of all, America is ­indispensable—and exceptional—because of our values. As Secretary of State, I was proud to represent our country's commitment to freedom, equality and opportunity. The world looks to us to stand up for human rights, LGBT rights, religious and ethnic minorities, women, people with disabilities and people everywhere who yearn for peace. We challenge ourselves and other nations to do better. It's why so many people from around the world want to become Americans too.

But with all of these advantages comes ­responsibility—we need to continue leading the world. Because when America fails to lead, we leave a vacuum that lets extremism take root, emboldens our adversaries and discourages our friends.

Of course, this doesn't mean that people from other places don't also feel deep national pride—and other countries also have a responsibility to step up and help solve global problems. But America has an unparalleled ability to be a force for peace, progress and prosperity around the world. And when we do, we make our own country safer and stronger.
So let's never stop doing good and being great. Let's keep America exceptional.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2013/09/24/obama-tells-other-world-leaders-i-believe-america-is-exceptional/?utm_term=.f69f5097dc2b

Obama tells other world leaders: 'I believe America is exceptional'

By Juliet Eilperin September 24, 2013

President Obama delivered a forceful defense of American exceptionalism at the United Nations on Tuesday, saying, "I believe America is exceptional."
Speaking before the U.N. General Assembly, Obama made the case for why the United States has been pushing other nations to intervene more directly in the Syrian crisis.

"I believe America must remain engaged for our own security, but I also believe a world is better for it," he said in the speech. "Some may disagree, but I believe America is exceptional, in part because we have shown a willingness, to the sacrifice of blood and treasure to stand up, not only for our own interests, but for the interests of all."

Obama had made a similar point during his televised address to the nation on Syria earlier this month, when he said that the United States is not the world's policeman, "But when, with modest effort and risk, we can stop children from being gassed to death, and thereby make our own children safer over the long run, I believe we should act." He added: "That's what makes America different. That's what makes us exceptional."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a recent New York Times op-ed, criticized Obama for making such a claim, writing, "It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation."

The fact that Obama has chosen to reiterate the point during the year's single largest gathering of world leaders shows that he is not inclined to give any rhetorical ground to Putin, even as the two countries continue to negotiate over an international response to Syria's ongoing civil war.

[celedhring]

Yeah, Obama seemed to bring it up quite often, as have other D and R politicians. I thought it was a common feature of American political discourse. Heck, even the joked-about "Rubio the robot" speech during the primaries was about Obama destroying America's exceptionalism. 

As for us, Spanish exceptionalism stopped being part of our political discourse when Franco croaked. Anybody proposing such a thing is usually sniggered at.

[garbon]

Seems to overdue it a bit. After all, there are certainly logistical hurdles that require more coordination when dealing with a nation of 3.7 million sq mi and 319 million people vs say 194k sq mi and 46 million (Spain).

Sure. But then, the argument has to be about logistics, feasibility, population density, political choices, political centralization, etc. Yet the geographical size of America is frequently invoked as a way to shut down any argument that proposes foreign models, ideas, etc - despite any attempt at examining whether or not size would, indeed, have an impact upon the actual issue. 

I guess it is good that Meri said nothing about geographical size in the post that inspired you and Dgul.

[garbon]

My last passport took two days. Go to the registry office section of the town hall, fill out form and attach previously taken biometric photo, sign & pay. Pick up passport two days later after getting a text message that it is done.

Cool. Not sure what that has to do with Meri noting difficulties in the US.

[garbon]

Yeah, Obama seemed to bring it up quite often, as have other D and R politicians. I thought it was a common feature of American political discourse. Heck, even the joked-about "Rubio the robot" speech during the primaries was about Obama destroying America's exceptionalism. 

It is. In fact, I'd go so far to say that it is a component of the American mythos.

[The Larch]

People don't go to Spain to become Spanish.

They actually do in sizeable numbers. Spain received millions of inmigrants during the booming years of the late 90s/early 00s, and plenty of them received Spanish citizenship eventually (most of them Latin Americans, which have an easy path to citizenship).