TRUMP?

The fake news comes from both sides, Abe. Three CNN journalists, including the executive editor in charge of a new investigative unit, have resigned after the publication of a Russia-related article that was retracted.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/26/media/cnn-announcement-retracted-article/index.html

71/2017

                      Everyone a " Happy - Safe 4th of July,"  Yes Abe, CNN are liars,
   they would make up a story on The Virgin Mary  if they could and get away with
   it !

                                                       Cheers..... Joe

Happy fourth, Joe! Hope you are well.

7/3

                   Shelagh..

                                Thanks ! Last Mon went  to the Bone Surgeon, he said I need an MRI
to see if I tore cartledge on my left knee on the left side, I've been in pain and if I stand too
long it puts a severe pressure on my leg, we'll see, the Imaging Center has to get approval
from my insurance .....Have a Happy Holiday. Oh by the way Miss Dusty turned 17 in May...
She's older than us, in human life 80 ...

                                                           Love Joe & Dusty




                                                      Love Joe & Dusty

joefrank wrote:

71/2017

                      Everyone a " Happy - Safe 4th of July,"  Yes Abe, CNN are liars,
   they would make up a story on The Virgin Mary  if they could and get away with
   it !

                                                       Cheers..... Joe

As for a story on the Virgin Mary, the "Virgin" part is still being debated by biblical scholars.  Questioning the validity of the virgin birth would certainly be attacked.  I don't think that anyone in the media would want to touch this sensitive subject.

As I have often said, any profession is made up of people.  All professions are influenced by their leadership.  The global corporations are so powerful that it is unimaginable to the ordinary person.  Once they become diverse, global conglomerates who they own becomes very muddy. Their streams of influence become muddy as well - but they are very pointed with purpose.

All that is to say that journalism today is so instant that the competition for a "scoop" is vicious.  Thus, attributions are not as tight as they once were and some reporters and their bosses are too quick to run with a story even if not fully vetted.  That applies to all media regardless of political persuasion and to all reporters who have bosses and ratings to please.

At least CNN took constructive action.  Many news media (Breitbard as an example) don't bother to care whether what is reported is vetted or not and when their words are proven false, they don't retract them.  This is typical of many blogs, and news formats that appeal to a target segment of the population.  Their goal is to get the information circulating that they want the public to believe - if enough people see it and repost it, it will be perceived as truth.  Even when proven false, the original misinformation continues to be repeated and sworn to as gospel.

I still have faith in the basic shoe leather reporter out there attempting to gather on site information and report it back to the public as facts.  They work for many news organizations and/or operate free-lance and they work hard.  Many are still committed to the best truth they can garner in today's world and deserve the thanks of the people they serve with their information gathering.  They also deserve respect just as any professional deserves respect.

If we disregard all news media as "fake news" as our President chooses, then we leave open the door for state supplied singular sourced information whereby we don't get the opportunity to do our own sifting.  We owe it to ourselves, however, to attempt tracing the ownership to discover the bias and then take it into consideration as we read what is printed.  Take it from me, what the writer writes is often completely changed by editors. 

Just because anyone can blog and news is instant from everyone's cell phone and drones flying overhead does not mean we should ignore all news as fake.  We look, listen, use our own research and think about what we read, see and hear knowing all sources bear questioning, but it seems to me if I see the President giving a talk and read his tweets, I can believe my own eyes and ears.  On the otherhand, when I see a meme on Facebook, I can be pretty certain inaccuracies may be part of that meme whether I agree with it or not.

We each draw to us the information that makes our beliefs right.  It's human nature. We need to fight that nature and seek out opposing points of view and friends who see the world differently. We need to step out of our little world of specialized info sources and recognize our points of view need challenges.

I still regard CNN as a reliable news source.  
After all, anyone can make a mistake.  At least, they admitted  
theirs..

Agree, Alice.  I am inclined to believe CNN International.  What they report can be compared to other European sources.  As DK mentioned, what reporters write is subject to editing.  I experienced this in Beirut when I was associated with the media for several days.  Free-Lance reporters were better sources; however they still had to sell their story to some media and often were asked to adjust their stories if they wanted them published.  Politics played a role then as they do now.  Dick Stodghill would have much to say about current reporting.  I sure miss him.
I prefer Live reporting.  It doesn’t require someone else to interpret what one hears or sees nor is it subject to editing.  If the story is filmed before being broadcast, then it is subject to editing.  I applaud any entity willing to admit a mistake.  IMV, it adds credibility to the source. 
Watching Trump’s visit to Poland is revealing.  Bus loads of people were brought in to show him a big welcome.  That is something Poland did in the past when they were controlled by the Soviet Union.  Whenever a politician arrived, they made sure he was given a big welcome and bussed in people for the event.  I suspect Trump will talk about his big reception.  Live TV showed him being snubbed by the Polish President’s wife.  She walked past him and went directly to Melania ignoring Trump’s hand.  Comments he made in his speech regarding Russia’s influence on US Elections, blaming Obama and the CIA for not taking action, was an attack on the Intelligence services of America.  The backlash has already begun.
The G20 conference will be interesting when Trump meets Putin.  I think that Putin will be well prepared for the meeting while I’m guessing that Trump will try to wing it.  I believe that Trump is sick and requires medical attention.  Some claim he is suffering from Dementia, likely inherited from his father.  Fortunately, the government has made changes in Trump’s authorization to use the nuclear codes, requiring prior congressional approval. That’s a relief.

I viewed the handshake incident. Quite amusing that the Polish President's wife brushed her husband's hand aside as she pushed past him to offer her hand to Melania, instead of waiting for her husband to introduce her to the US President. Had Trump done the same, the press would have said how rude he was.

From twitter:




[url=https://mobile.twitter.com/V_of_Europe]

Voice of Europe @V_of_Europe
·8h



Probably the best American speech on European soil ever. #Trump #Poland



0:48

7/11

                     I guess the left media and left politicians won't give up !
        I don't believe the Russians had their hands in anything in this
        country.. To me I see a nasty civil war coming between the right
        wing and the left wing, I pray not the last one we had in 1860
        was horrible....

                                                       Cheers.......... Joe

Politics is a nasty business, Joe.

Politics is what it is because the voters allow it to be so.  If we were engaged in every election, from the school board on up, and fought to keep campaigns short, quiet and factual - well, it could start a new wave.  Of course it won't happen as it takes a particular type of personality to enter politics in the first place.

Am I to understand that ISIS is no longer a problem since Trump said he would destroy it within his first 30 days in office?  Did he finally realize that it was more complicated like the issue with ACA?  I must admit that he is learning and that he is changing his opinion/attitude on other issues.  The big issue is still with his border wall.  Mexico flately refused to pay for it, as he clamined they would, and he is having problems getting the funding to build it.  North Korea has not backed-down even with UN resolutions to punish them.  I fear that he will engage the US in another war in Korea.  I truly hope I'm wrong.  Antagonizing the enemy is not using diplomacy, but rather baiting them to have an excuse for war.  I've been watching MASH and there is much rhetoric within the script that revealed how stupid that war was.  Saving lives is more important than taking lives.  As you probably know by now, I am strongly opposed to war.  There are always alternatives if efforts are made to find them. Ego may be the biggest problem in reaching a solution.  Playing tough can kill.

I am with you ,Abe.
Trump makes me cringe.  He is an absolute embarrassment.
War with Korea is unappealing also.

I am reading What  Happened  and liking Hillary better.

Trump's speech at the UN is already receiving critical review.  Concern is growing that he is setting the stage for war with Korea.  He threatened to wipe them out and taunted the Korean leader calling him "rocket man".  In addition, he said that the deal with Iran was an embarrassment to America with the inference that he may cancel the deal.  It took years of negotiation to get the deal and it was signed and agreed to with numerous nations. 
Trump's weakness is flattery.  Netanyahu knows this and uses it to his advantage.  The biggest problem, IMV, is believing what he says.

During his campaign, Trump said that if America came under attack he would hit back harder. He is not intimidated by men with big egos. Diplomacy works for seasoned politicians some, but not all, of the time. As a non-politician, Trump eschews diplomacy and relies on a wealth of experience that, although not infallible, has outflanked his opponents, including Hillary Clinton.

Shelagh, you said: “He is not intimidated by men with big egos. Diplomacy works for seasoned politicians some, but not all, of the time. As a non-politician, Trump eschews diplomacy and relies on a wealth of experience that, although not infallible, has outflanked his opponents, including Hillary Clinton.”
Relying on wealth of experience may work in business, however government is not a business.  It is not profit-driven.  Some CEO’s run a business like a dictator and succeed with intimidation - the threat of being fired if they don’t conform.  That mentality is evident in the number of people who have already been fired or resigned in Trump’s administration.  As President, diplomacy is a necessity.  It is not just those working directly for the President, but also dealing with world leaders.  The UN is a body of world leaders.  They do not succumb to intimidation or being bullied.  They deserve respect and should be treated accordingly.  Leaders in all walks of life have egos and massaging those egos takes tact (diplomacy) to get cooperation.  We are witnessing a dictatorial style of leadership.   People will follow a leader that they respect.  Brow-beating may work in the short-term, but will not last.  We see people walking the streets exercising their rights of “open carry” with guns (AK 47’s) slung on their shoulders.  It appears to be an act of intimidation trying to act tough as a cover-up for their own insecurity.   Strong people don’t act juvenile.  What they are speaks more than words.
In Trump’s speech he talked about the soverignity of nations doing what is right for their own country and people.  It was contradictory to what he expressed.  Interviews by CNN with some world Leaders expressed their views/opinions that talking with N. Korea would help to reduce tensions.  Unfortunately, egos stand in the way of initiating such talks.  Saving lives takes courage and willingness to subdue those egos.  There is no Statute of Limitations when it comes to revenge.  The Versailles agreement at the end of WWI was extremely punitive and instigated the rise of Hitler to power who was determined to restore prestige and pride for the German people.   That led to WWII.  We are still experiencing the repercussions from GWB’s invasion of Iraq.  We are witnessing the results of Israel’s land grab. Revenge for the deaths of loved ones continue.
It is clear that I am opposed to war.  Trying to avoid conflict takes time and effort.  Taking lives is easy.  Saving lives is hard.   Blessed are the peacemakers.

No one likes war, Abe. Humans have been fighting one another since they arived on earth and formed groups. In recorded history since 3600 BC, over 14,500 major wars have killed close to four billion people – two-thirds of the current world population.

There has not been a world war since 1945, which has led to the false claim that peace has been maintained since the end of WWll. Armed conflicts have a minimum of 25 battle-related deaths, and wars are conflicts leading to 1,000 or more battle-related deaths in a calendar year. There have been 254 armed conflicts (114 wars) since 1945. In armed conflicts since 1945, 90 per cent of casualties have been civilians compared to 50 per cent in the Second World War and 10 per cent in the First. The planning and execution of war remains controlled by men. But women and children are the main victims of violence in war and peace.

Only a third of all civil wars that occurred after 1800 have ended through negotiations. Since 1945 around 25 per cent of conflicts have been solved by negotiations. But recently compromise settlements are becoming more prevalent such as in the cases of Liberia, El Salvador and Guatemala. Trump is not prepared to negotiate, but he'll probably compromise. His stance seems to be: you dare to attack American occupied territory and I'll wipe you off the face of the earth. When you consider the nuclear fallout from such a strategy, you can imagine the effect on neighbouring countries. If they thought they could stand back and say nothing, maybe the threat of nuclear attacks on North Korea might concentrate the minds of China's and Russia's leaders.

Shelagh wrote:

Politics is a nasty business, Joe.

With a muzzle on Trump it might be less nasty.

It has come to a point, with me, that when I hear the word "Trump", I cringe. 
There is no disagreement with the fact that there have been numerous wars since WWII and that many people have died - the majority of those deaths being civilians.  Fleeing war-torn areas has caused another problem dealing with refugees.  Refugees should be handled differently from migrants whose primary objective is a better way of life.  The “grass is greener” cliché is not always a valid description.  The desire to live in a safe place where one can raise a family and enjoy life is understandable.  I don't believe that all migrants or refugees are looking for a hand out, but rather a hand up.  Countries participating in acts of war against another country should take responsibility for the fallout.  Unfortunately, that is not the case and there is much evidence to support that view.
Avoiding conflict should be the prime objective of any head of state to protect the citizens they are elected to serve.  “All lives matter” is not just a cliché, but pertains to humanity in general.  I am appalled when I see a leader holding the bible in one hand while threatening the lives of others.  “Blessed are the peacemaker…” is not consistent with the actions of the person falsely proclaiming their religious beliefs.
We are living in dangerous times.  When people finally wake up to reality, it may be too late.  Climate Change is real.  The evidence is building.  The ice caps are melting and the seas are rising.   For some, science is embraced when it coincides with their pre-conceived beliefs, but conveniently ignored when it doesn’t.  We have one life to live and that life should be lived to its fullest while we still have the chance.  “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die…” makes sense to me.  The definition of “tomorrow” can have various meanings.  Is it tomorrow as in a day, a year, a decade or even a century?  For those of us who are old, we see each new day as another gift of life.  It is not enough to be satisfied with having lived a full life, but we think about our children and grandchildren.  What kind of life will they have?  I think about my grand-daughter who will be graduating from HS this year.  She is making plans to go the university and pursue a career.  I am concerned about her future and welfare. 
Responsible leaders talk about the future in terms of creating opportunities for the young in an environment where they achieve their goals/ambitions.  Those who expound the view as “what’s in it for me” is repulsive.  I believe that “The future is now”.  What we do today determines our future.
Thank you for listening to an old man vent his concerns.

"Responsible leaders talk about the future in terms of creating opportunities for the young in an environment where they achieve their goals/ambitions.  Those who expound the view as “what’s in it for me” is repulsive.  I believe that “The future is now”.  What we do today determines our future"".

I agree, Abe.

She, Hillary,  is a monumental bore.
Her book gets worse with every turn of the page. 
She needs help-no wonder she lost the election.

Losing is always hard to take, but talking about it is the last thing you should do.