The Official "Damned Trump" Thread: Phase II

[arewethereyet]

IMHO, Corporal Bone Spurs should not salute.

[Nanny]

He most certainly is. The CiC is, by definition, a civilian. Eisenhower never saluted the flag during the anthem as POTUS.

POTUS may return a salute of a service member. POTUS is not entitled to salute the flag during the anthem. Period.

Of course he’s entitled to do so. That’s why the US Flag Code is full of words like ‘should’ and ‘may’ - the Code is a law without the force of law. It’s advisory only.

Boru

No POTUS until now has saluted the flag during the anthem, even those who served. It is exponentially more odious that this profane mocker of veterans appropriates a privilege reserved for service members. He dodged the draft. He called the Normandy dead suckers and losers. He mocked John McCain's service. He has no right under precedent, and that makes his salute utterly disgusting. Civilians have no such entitlement.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Of course he’s entitled to do so. That’s why the US Flag Code is full of words like ‘should’ and ‘may’ - the Code is a law without the force of law. It’s advisory only.

Boru

No POTUS until now has saluted the flag during the anthem, even those who served. It is exponentially more odious that this profane mocker of veterans appropriates a privilege reserved for service members. He dodged the draft. He called the Normandy dead suckers and losers. He mocked John McCain's service. He has no right under precedent, and that makes his salute utterly disgusting. Civilians have no such entitlement.

I don’t disagree, except for the last bit.

An entitlement is the right to do or have something. Since there’s no legal enforcement of the US Flag Code, there’s a de facto right for ANYONE to salute the flag, smile at the flag, or fart at the flag.

Should he have done it? No. But given that there’s more than one video of him dry humping the flag, this seems pretty trivial.

Boru

[Mister Agenda]

What is he exposing about USAID funding and how is it good?

He is showing us where the money goes.

It's good because we should know what the government is doing.

If that's the goal, we should be using auditors, not programmers.

[Angrboda]

[Nanny]

No POTUS until now has saluted the flag during the anthem, even those who served. It is exponentially more odious that this profane mocker of veterans appropriates a privilege reserved for service members. He dodged the draft. He called the Normandy dead suckers and losers. He mocked John McCain's service. He has no right under precedent, and that makes his salute utterly disgusting. Civilians have no such entitlement.

I don’t disagree, except for the last bit.

An entitlement is the right to do or have something. Since there’s no legal enforcement of the US Flag Code, there’s a de facto right for ANYONE to salute the flag, smile at the flag, or fart at the flag.

Should he have done it? No. But given that there’s more than one video of him dry humping the flag, this seems pretty trivial.

Boru

Fair. He is appropriating a privilege reserved for those who served. That is the source of my feelings on the matter.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The salute is a mark of respect for the recipient. Given Trump's consistent disrespect of GIs, his salute is worse than worthless -- it's dishonest.

[Belacqua]

He is showing us where the money goes.

It's good because we should know what the government is doing.

If that's the goal, we should be using auditors, not programmers.

Yeah, it seems to be very much a bull-in-the-china-shop approach. Didn't computer guys used to say "move fast and break things"? That seems to be the idea here. 

It's further evidence of how far things have fallen, that this audit -- which I think is very important and should be done by serious non-partisans -- is being conducted by a showman. But the serious people never got around to it (if there are any serious people left) so this is what it's come to.

[Belacqua]

He is showing us where the money goes.

It's good because we should know what the government is doing.

Neither side can be trusted.

I don't trust Politico to tell us where they get their money. And no one should trust the NYTimes on partisan issues like this.

[Angrboda]

Neither side can be trusted.

I don't trust Politico to tell us where they get their money. And no one should trust the NYTimes on partisan issues like this.

Your position here is inconsistent with trusting that what Musk says is veridical. You're talking the talk but not walking the walk.