peterms Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itdoesntmatterwhatthissay Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 (edited) 11 hours ago, peterms said: I live with a Dane and we chat a lot about his homeland. People do pay for care because public healthcare is still under pressure and so people are forced to go private. This means there are collection agency issues, perhaps for loans taken out to fund medical care. Dane's don't have credit cards as we know them. In fact my housemate still calls his debit card his credit card. 'Credit' is generally frowned upon. Also nonsense that people don't use their savings. I couldn't say if that is true but under the two different healthcare systems surely that stat doesn't work? Modern fake news. Edited March 16, 2017 by itdoesntmatterwhatthissay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_c Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 As the US figures are in millions it's not that accurate is it. So you'd say rounded to the nearest million. The Danish equivalent rounded on this scale, would be zero. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) Watching Trump and Merkel together is embarrassing. She gave well-reasoned and polite answers. He called a German paper 'fake news', repeated himself and claimed he was wiretapped by Obama, again to raucous laughing AT him. Not with him. Edited March 17, 2017 by StefanAVFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) I can't think of a more perfect way of persuading more pro-Trump Americans that the British DID spy on Donald Trump than calling such a claim "utterly ridiculous." Plays straight into Bannon's strategy. The adverb sounds really pompous and, well, matches up with the stupid Harry Pottery ways many Americans misconceive of English culture, which is of a kind of Old World elite. Quote GCHQ dismisses 'utterly ridiculous' claim it helped wiretap Trump British intelligence agency responds to allegations – repeated by White House press secretary Sean Spicer – that it helped Barack Obama And no, I don't know what else GCHQ should have said. Probably nothing. Just say nothing. Edited March 17, 2017 by Marka Ragnos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 Well I think Mister Trump should jolly well naff off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 10 minutes ago, Marka Ragnos said: I can't think of a more perfect way of persuading more pro-Trump Americans that the British DID spy on Donald Trump than calling such a claim "utterly ridiculous." Plays straight into Bannon's strategy. The adverb sounds really pompous and, well, matches up with the stupid Harry Pottery ways many Americans misconceive of English culture, which is of a kind of Old World elite. And no, I don't know what else GCHQ should have said. Probably nothing. Just say nothing. I doubt 'pro-Trump Americans' are reading the Guardian or aware of what GCHQ is or care particularly about adverbs. You're surely talking about a very small fraction here. And parts of the British government can't issue their press releases on the basis of the delayed comprehension skills of some oddly curious redneck in Alabama. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) 10 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: I doubt 'pro-Trump Americans' are reading the Guardian or aware of what GCHQ is or care particularly about adverbs. You're surely talking about a very small fraction here. And parts of the British government can't issue their press releases on the basis of the delayed comprehension skills of some oddly curious redneck in Alabama. They WILL hear the phrase "utterly ridiculous" far and wide, on Fox news, on Rush Limbaugh, etc etc etc ad naseam. The more Trump outrages, the happier his cult followers. My point is that the meme is now out there -- Obama hired the British to spy on Trump -- and it will never, ever, ever be put back into the genie bottle. How to combat this? I don't know. It's very hard. It's something many people are trying to figure out. But as we've seen repeatedly, shrill outrage only seems to throw more petrol on the fire. Edited March 17, 2017 by Marka Ragnos 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 Just now, Marka Ragnos said: They WILL hear the phrase "utterly ridiculous" far and wide, on Fox news, on Rush Limbaugh, etc etc etc ad naseam. The more Trump outrages, the happier his cult followers. I remain - I don't know how else to put this - utterly skeptical that any of them will have been listening with an open mind until they heard an adverb they don't like. These people would believe whatever Trump did or said no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) 5 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: I remain - I don't know how else to put this - utterly skeptical that any of them will have been listening with an open mind until they heard an adverb they don't like. These people would believe whatever Trump did or said no matter what. Yes, they will, but there are probably ways to make his bullshit seem less palatable to the bullshit eaters, and saucing it up in indignation isn't one, IMO. I wouldn't have commented if I didn't think it was a real problem. The response to Trump and Trumpism is a tricky beast. Edited March 17, 2017 by Marka Ragnos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 1 minute ago, Marka Ragnos said: Yes, they will, but there are probably ways to make his bullshit seem less palatable to the bullshit eaters, and saucing it up in indignation isn't one, IMO. I think you're making an absolute mountain out of an infinitesimal molehill, but fair enough. I doubt we're going to persuade each other so I'll leave it there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 I see an opportunity for Google Translate. GCHQ feeds in "We consider these claims to be utterly ridiculous", and then releases the converted result "You shittin' me, buddy?" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 7 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: I think you're making an absolute mountain out of an infinitesimal molehill, but fair enough. I doubt we're going to persuade each other so I'll leave it there. If I could do that, I would be cooler than I am. A British spy agency just publicly rebuked a sitting US president's press secretary. It's extraordinary. I think it's very interesting and worth parsing word by word, but I totally get and respect what you're saying! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) 12 minutes ago, mjmooney said: I see an opportunity for Google Translate. GCHQ feeds in "We consider these claims to be utterly ridiculous", and then releases the converted result "You shittin' me, buddy?" That would actually play pretty well. Last week, Samuel Jackson took on a Trump cabinet secretary in a tweet, and it was very effective: Quote "OK!! Ben Carson....I can't! Immigrants ? In the bottom of SLAVE SHIPS??!! MUTHAFUKKA PLEASE!!!#dickheadedtom" I guess I just wish people in positions of power and influence were less politely indignant and well-mannered towards Trump's bullshit. I sort of admire the quiet dignity of the press calling out Trump's lies with their starchy "fact checks," but I also feel it hasn't been effective and may actually be strengthening Trump's position. Edited March 17, 2017 by Marka Ragnos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 GHCQ has as much credibility as the NSA or CIA when it comes to public statements. Whatever one thinks of Trump, this response to media questions with Merkel today is brilliant, must see TV 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 Yeah, brilliant! Not an embarrassment to the US. Not at all. Merkel embarrassed him today, just by looking like a competent, adjusted leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 7 minutes ago, villakram said: GHCQ has as much credibility as the NSA or CIA when it comes to public statements. Whatever one thinks of Trump, this response to media questions with Merkel today is brilliant, must see TV I agree. hard not to watch. It's like if Werner Herzog met Trump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted March 17, 2017 Author Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Marka Ragnos said: quiet dignity of the press Edited March 17, 2017 by maqroll 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a m ole Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 42 minutes ago, villakram said: GHCQ has as much credibility as the NSA or CIA when it comes to public statements. Whatever one thinks of Trump, this response to media questions with Merkel today is brilliant, must see TV 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted March 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) 58 minutes ago, maqroll said: Well ... yeah. But I'm thinking of some of these very mature press corps vets, who meticulously and calmly take the Trump spokespeople's BS at face value, when the absurdity of what's being offered to them beggars belief. They show a kind of restraint I both admire and feel concerned about. Whenever I see these White House briefings, I feel like I'm dying for V to show up and give his speech ... Edited March 17, 2017 by Marka Ragnos 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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