Political Memes, Comics, and other Shenanigans, Part 14

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Pope Slap

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While greeting the faithful around the Nativity at the Vatican on New Year’s Eve, one overly-enthusiastic worshipper grabbed Pope Francis and wouldn’t let go. To break free, the Pope slapped the woman’s hand twice and stormed away afterward visibly upset. Anyone who’s ever attended Catholic school recognized the short slaps delivered with quick precision. They also recognized the expression on the Pope’s face. It’s one Catholic students never wanted to see in a nun.

He was trying to greet children and the woman grabbed him with both hands while he was walking away, yanked him back, and made the 83-year-old Pope lose his balance. He was caught by surprise so maybe his reaction is understandable. But Francis is the Pope so naturally, he later apologized.

In his traditional Wednesday remarks, the Pope said, “Many times we lose our patience. I do, too, and I’m sorry for yesterday’s bad example.” The people who really rejoiced, while pretending to be upset, at the Pope’s initial reaction were conservatives, who aren’t big fans of his (while ignoring that Donald Trump grabs “pussy”).

Republicans believe they own religion or at least the right religions. Evangelical support for Donald Trump is off the charts which boggles the mind of anyone who clearly sees the hypocrisy and double standard. But, most of that support is white support.

A Pew Research Center survey from 2017 looks inside the numbers and finds that most religious support for Republicans is white.

While only 18% of white evangelicals identify as Democrats, 77% are Republican. It narrows with white Protestants as 53% identify as GOP with 41% going Democratic. Black Protestants support Democrats with 87%.

Support is basically tied when you factor in all American Catholics with the GOP at 46% and Dems at 47%. But, it gets wider when you factor in race. White Catholics support Republicans at 54% and Democrats with 40%. Hispanic Catholics vote Democratic at 64% and Republican at 27%.

Despite Republican pandering, Trump claiming he’s the “chosen one,” that he’s done more for Israel than any president before him, and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital, Jewish voters strongly favor Democrats over the GOP 67% to 31%. And Mormon voters…do you really have to ask? It’s in the 70% range.

If you’re not religious at all, then you’re probably going to vote Democratic (because people who aren’t religious tend to be more educated and deal with issues on a factual basis). Godless heathens, like myself, support Democrats at 68%.

Republicans continue to claim they’re the party for people who worship. The truth is, they’re the party for white worshippers. That’s as confusing as people who support the military and consider themselves patriotic supporting Donald Trump, or people who claim they want family values, or a cohesive and consistent foreign policy, or people who think.

But as we’ve seen from white evangelicals, they’re hypocrites who sell out their principles to get what they want. As I wrote recently, they’ll support Trump to force us to obey the principles and ethics they pretend to have.

What you need to do if you’re a religious person who supports Donald Trump and the Republican Party is to be like the Pope. Slap that tiny orange hand away. Don’t let the tiny orange fingers pull you in deeper into a hole you’ll never be able to crawl out of.

 

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Trump Wags The Dog

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First thing: Don’t let anyone say questions shouldn’t be asked right now. This morning on CNN, I heard one analyst say Senator Chris Murphy should “shut up” with his criticism of this attack on an Iranian government official. Wrong. Now is the time to ask questions. It’s important. Being told to shut up and go along was exactly what they said in the buildup to the invasion of Iraq.

Another reminder of the invasion of Iraq: This morning, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this move will be celebrated in Iraq and Iran. That’s reminiscent of the claim by Dick Cheney that we’d be “greeted as liberators.”

Now, when they come out with bold claims like that, it means there’s something wrong. It’s when I smell bullshit. The first thing wrong with this is that it was a decision made by Donald Trump. Any decision by Donald Trump should be questioned. The man is irrational, stupid, and has never had preparations for after. This was a decision made between rounds of golf at Mar-a-Lago.

Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, one of the top figures in Iran’s government. The hit occurred in Iraq at the international airport in Baghdad. This was an assassination of a foreign official on the soil of a third nation. Whenever anyone talks about Iran’s proxy wars today, keep that in mind.

Here’s the thing, kids: Assassasinating a foreign official is illegal. It’s illegal in the U.S. and internationally. The only way Trump has the authority to do this is if there was indeed an imminent threat that would be eliminated by this guy’s murder. This may be why the Trump administration doesn’t want questions asked. We know one thing and that is Donald Trump is not above abusing presidential authority and breaking the law.

Soleimani was a bad guy. This is not a defense of him. U.S. intelligence (the same intelligence Republicans call “deep state” and have accused of masterminding a coup against Trump) has blamed the general for the deaths of at least 600 Americans. The George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations considered him a terrorist, but they held back on taking the guy out. Now, you can’t say Trump is more decisive in taking him out because it took him three years.

This morning, Pompeo claimed Soleimani initiated an attack on Washington, D.C. in the past that never materialized or was thwarted. If that’s true, then why wasn’t that the time to take him out? Why now? Because there was a protest at our embassy in Iraq or because there were massive revelations on the same day that Donald Trump directed the withholding of military aid to Ukraine? What we saw yesterday was more evidence that Donald Trump and his Attorney General, William Barr, engaged in a coverup.

If there was an imminent attack on American lives, then the administration needs to provide the details. Pompeo claimed this assassination saved American lives and that the region is safer today for Americans…all while the U.S. government is screaming for Americans to get out of Iraq. All while the world is warning of a reprisal attack from Iran. How exactly has this made anyone safer?

Donald Trump did not consult with the Gang of Eight before this attack, which are the leaders of The House and Senate. But, he had time to talk to Senator Lindsey Graham about it Monday in a golf cart. That doesn’t add up.

The Trump administration saw an opportunity to kill this guy and they took it. They’ve had opportunities before, so why now? There have been constant attacks against Americans in Iraq, so why now?

Now, we’re hearing very little talk about impeachment. The irony is, this may be another reason to impeach.

 

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This one, from the great Ann Telnaes, is entitled, "Trump, hardly working":

President Trump has spent nearly a third of his term so far using the office of the presidency to golf and promote his businesses.

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"Trump's War"

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As you go off to fight in Trump’s war, keep in mind, he doesn’t respect you.

He doesn’t like people who are captured. He said that loud and clear. His supporters love to explain away his comments as jokes are as being misinterpreted, but he made a point to say John McCain is “only a war hero because he got captured” and he likes people “who aren’t captured.”

Soldiers are captured during war. If we go to war with Iran, Donald Trump will not respect American soldiers captured by Iran. If Trump doesn’t respect them, then why should Iran? Should we expect Iran to abide by the Geneva Convention in how they treat captured American soldiers when the president says they’re not war heroes?

If you are killed during Trump’s war, keep in mind, he has no respect for war dead or their surviving families. If your family has a disagreement with Trump, like over a factual statement, the President of the United States will attack your family. Donald Trump has feuded with Gold Star families. Donald Trump only cares about Donald Trump.

Donald Trump doesn’t respect American intelligence or anyone in the military. He claims he’s smarter and knows more than the generals, despite the fact he’s never served. He believes going to prep school is the same as basic training. He believes dodging gonorrhea at Studio 54 in the 80s is equivalent to dodging bullets in Vietnam. Don’t take my word for it. Take his.

Donald Trump doesn’t respect our military alliance with NATO, which has kept peace since World War II. He doesn’t respect the military’s role in the Pacific as he’s questioned why we protect Japan. He doesn’t respect the military’s role in South Korea as he’s questioned why we’re even there, floated the idea of removing all American troops, and ended joint military exercises in that nation based on empty promises by Kim Jong Un (that he’s now breaking). Keep in mind, Donald Trump doesn’t have any intelligence.

As you go off to fight in Trump’s war, keep in mind, he’s not a patriot. Keep in mind, he has ignored an attack on our nation from Russia, defended Russia, and attempted to blame others for Russia’s attack. He’s a man who refuses to criticize Russia for their attack. Keep in mind, he’s a man who’s criticized our nation when it was pointed out what a horrible person Vladimir Putin is.

As you go off to fight in Trump’s war, keep in mind, Donald Trump is an idiot.

Our young men and women will be going to war for a man who doesn’t respect them, who doesn’t plan anything through, who cheats, lies, and can’t negotiate his way out of a paper bag.  Donald Trump believes there are invisible airplanes and doesn’t understand the nuclear triad. He only recently found out plutonium goes into nuclear weapons.

As you go off to fight in Trump’s war, keep in mind, he’s already lied to members of the military. He has stood before our service people and lied to them about raises he didn’t provide.

As you go off to fight in Trump’s war, keep in mind, he’s a draft dodger. Donald Trump got four student deferments and one deferment for bone spurs, which has never prevented him from playing golf or tennis. Keep in mind, Donald Trump’s idiot sons never served in the military. As you go off and bleed, fight, and die in Donald Trump’s war, his two oldest sons will be safe at home, shooting endangered animals that are fenced in for their convenience, and making business deals off of your blood.

As you go off to fight in Donald Trump’s war, keep in mind, you’re dying for his lies. Donald Trump lies about everything, big and small. He’s literally lied about the weather. He’ll fake a weather map to lie about where a hurricane is going to hit. What makes you think he won’t lie about details in a war?  After your kid dies in battle, he won’t think twice about changing details on a map with a Sharpie to explain how your kid wasn’t supposed to be at that location.

As you put your life on the line or watch your kids put theirs, do you trust Donald Trump? Do you trust how he directs a war when he claims he knows more than the generals when he can’t out-negotiate Kim Jong Un?

As you celebrate this attack on Iran, and cheer, and praise Donald Trump, keep in mind, Americans are going to die.

As you go off to fight in Donald Trump’s war, keep in mind, Donald Trump isn’t worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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