US Election 2016 Poll and Disscusion

[Annoying Twit]

I'd like to hear more Americans saying what they feel about what has been happening in your country since Trump became President.

[NightMistBlue]

I'm very surprised, and a tad dubious, about the immediate and widespread protests over the so-called "Muslim ban." Are that many ordinary Americans so up-in-arms about visitors from seven countries receiving a temporary, 90-day stay from entering the country? So much so that they will camp out in a restricted area, such as an airport, for hours? It's a bit strange, IMO. The actual "ban" affected just over 100 people, who have all since been released.

I'm an environmental activist and have participated in a number of protests. It takes a lot of effort and organization to get people involved, to get them to turn out. Maybe that's why something doesn't ring quite true about these supposedly spontaneous protests.

[Annoying Twit]

Thanks NMB. From your environmental activist point of view, what do you think of what is happening?

[buffyfan145]

I'm very scared. Everything he's done this past week has been horrifying and I disagree with everything about the ban as our country was founded by immigrants and refugees and especially that it was done on the Holocaust Remembrance Day, that he's going to make scientists have to get their worked approved by the government before they can publish it, the dismantling of the ACA, their crazy relationship with the press, the hiring freeze on Federal jobs and that will trickle down to the state and city level and if that includes the post office where my Dad works as they are desperate for more workers, the way they are making it harder for women in other countries to receive healthcare, promoting Bannon when he shouldn't be anywhere near the government based on his pro-white views, and more. Most of the other countries don't like Trump and it's been made worse now after this. That's why I'm scared as I fully believe now we're heading for WWIII and it's just going to get a lot worse and a very scary world we're going to live in.

[NightMistBlue]

Thanks NMB. From your environmental activist point of view, what do you think of what is happening?

I'm very concerned that efforts will be made to weaken environmental regulations. But between you and me, they are already far weaker than most Americans realize. The group I co-founded has been fighting development that will destroy a very rare type of ecosystem that harbors several highly endangered species, both plant and animal. One of the species, the Miami tiger beetle, exists *only* on this parcel of land that is slated for development. You'd think it would be a cinch to get development stopped, if it will cause the extinction of a federally-listed species - but that's not the case. The interests of big money really rule the day in this country, that's the sad fact.

Having said that, I don't think Mr. Trump should be allowed to get away with silencing Environmental Protection Agency workers from speaking about climate change. As long as they stick to the facts and not start spouting their personal opinions, they should be able to speak freely.

He's going to spend his whole tenure fighting lawsuits unless he learns to tread more carefully. Just my opinion.

[Annoying Twit]

I think it's a very difficult position we, all of us in the world, find ourselves in. It's not just the US election, there are a lot of things all around the world that are going 'wrong'.

Part of what I see as being the problem, others may disagree, is the huge amount of wrong information which is spread around, and which people base their decisions on. It would be political to pick out an important myth/fact pair, but I think that there's an awful lot of myths out there that are believed by a huge number of people.

Believing something that is wrong can severely damage an individual when they make wrong choices on the basis of that information. But, in a democracy, much more damage can be done.

My posting here isn't for me to get on a soapbox. I can lecture people to 'check the facts'. But, lots of people lecture others to check their facts, without checking their own. Rather than assume what people in the US are thinking, I wish to ask, and listen to the responses.

[UndertheWire]

Nmb, as reported by the british press, the 100 (109?) were just those caught it transit. They boarded a plane with all the necessary documents for entry into the US but by the time the plane landed thery were no longer allowed in. There are others who have been turned away at check-in and who have had to cancel travel plans.

[NightMistBlue]

That's certainly unfortunate for those directly affected, but again I'm just skeptical that the plight of these 100-something people is enough to cause thousands of Americans to storm the barricades of their local airport to register their outrage. I understand the not-a-ban will affect many more than these 109 people in transit. Do most Americans care? Are many Americans crying out for more refugees? Not that I'm aware of, but if I'm wrong I'll learn.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist but something just seems "off" about this.

[WalshFan88]

His "moves" since becoming POTUS are deeply concerning, but not at all surprising. I think it's troubling and I'm sincerely scared for the near future.

[sodascouts]

While I don't agree with all of the policies he has initiated since becoming President and I cringe at some of the unprofessional behaviors he's displayed, I'm confident that the balance of powers we have in our government will do their job. The US Constitution was designed to prevent any one person from holding too much power. That's why we have Congressional and Judicial checks on the Executive Branch; that's why a president can serve no more than two terms; that's why we have measures to impeach a president who abuses his/her power. Even if his policies have an overall negative effect, I don't see any global catastrophes occurring anytime soon.

I wish people would calm down. I've lived in Saudi Arabia. I know what a REAL authoritarian government looks like. Trump may not be the greatest, but those who think his executive orders limiting refugees are on par with the kind of oppression experienced there do not understand what is happening elsewhere in the world.

I say this as someone who doesn't even agree with his order (how can he say he's protecting us from terrorists with the order when most of the 9/11 terrorists are from Saudi, and yet that country has not been restricted?!) However, though I may not like Trump, I don't think he's the Anti-Christ either.

As for the protests, I think it's a good thing to become involved. I appreciate it when people take the time to contact their congresspeople and express their concerns. Protests can be effective if done well. However, it does seem some of the activists (on both sides) are ill-informed about the issues and are getting themselves worked up into a purple rage without actually knowing all the facts. They believe every meme they see on Facebook; they believe every partisan article that reinforces their beliefs (even the clickbait). They're being told the world is ending and they're running around frothing at the mouth in full-on panic mode 24/7... THAT scares me, honestly! I'm hoping that with time, once it becomes clear that the apocalypse has not occurred, they'll calm down and start focusing on constructive ways to make changes rather than waste energy raging on social media.

Also, when I saw some of the protest signs people were holding... full of vulgarity and tacky insults designed to get a nasty laugh and go viral on social media...it really turned me off. They need to go look at Martin Luther King and study what a meaningful, serious protest sign looks like.

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Now:


Social media has been very destructive, I think, when it comes to the level of political discourse in the world today. It's all reductive, exaggerated, hashtag-friendly slogans and soundbites... where's the actual ARGUMENT and LOGIC?