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This Modern Reality


© Tom Tomorrow

Don’t you wish the Trump presidency was really just a computer simulation?

Here’s evidence that it might be. Donald Trump is now claiming (and tweeting) two contradictory things:

  1. The leaks bedeviling his administration are coming from the “deep state” — career government workers inside the government, possibly inside the white house and the CIA who are trying to sabotage his administration.
  2. The leaks are “fake news” being made up by journalists who hate him.

Trump sometimes says both of these things in the same day. For example, in one day he said that it is his opinion “that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media”, and two hours later he said that the prime minister of the United Kingdom was mad about information that was leaked.

If the leaks are “fabricated lies” then why would the UK be upset about them? Trump wants to have it both ways: The leaks are prevarications by the press, but we have to track down the leakers inside the government and prosecute them.

As the comic says, no rational person would ever vote for that lunatic.

[Side note: I wonder if Dan Perkins (the real name of Tom Tomorrow) is a Doctor Who fan.]

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27 Comments

  1. Jonah wrote:

    So its a bug in the matrix. If I wake up it’ll all be over 🙂

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 9:13 am | Permalink
  2. notycoon wrote:

    I caught a short clip last week – some of the media made a point to air it – of Drumpf in Israel saying he’d just arrived from the Middle East. The general tenor of those who aired the clip or cited the event was that Drumpf didn’t know his geography very well. What I saw was a man who truly didn’t know where he was. I worry more and more that his cognitive abilities are truly failing. Sad. Very sad and, frankly, pretty scary. His actions while in Europe simply reinforce my “diagnoses.”

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 10:07 am | Permalink
  3. Wildwood wrote:

    He has been saying contradictory things for some time. If you don’t like what he is saying now, wait a day, a week, or a few minutes. That’s part of his charm. Constant turmoil is his goal. He does it beautifully.

    Noty, if you are right, it’s not sad, but for sure, scary.

    For someone who graduated from college, (he did actually graduate didn’t he? If so, perhaps there needs to be an investigation of how that happened.), he is really unaware of the world and how it works.

    He, until now, has lived his life in a bubble of his making, where no one denies him anything. Now, for the first time in perhaps ever, he is being denied stuff and he does not understand it, and certainly does not like it.

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 1:47 pm | Permalink
  4. PatriotSGT wrote:

    I just saw this, and I was appalled. I wonder what would have been the reaction if a Hollywood type had done this to Obama.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4556566/Kathy-Griffin-cuts-Trump-s-HEAD-outrageous-stunt.html

    Talk about devisiveness and an out of control far left.

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 6:35 pm | Permalink
  5. Anonymous wrote:

    Kathy Griffin – “I am sorry. I went too far. I was wrong” , at least she realized her mistake, I cant say that others will know their shame until their date with destiny in hell.
    http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/kathy-griffin-apologizes-for-trump-photo-i-went-too-far/ar-BBBHOmV?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=ientp
    gop montage of Obama persecution on Fox news.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/history-wont-forget-how-barack-obama-was-treated_us_585d7c72e4b0aee9ce8c1625
    Obamas daughters harassed
    http://www.diversityinc.com/news/malia-obama-fox-news/

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 7:40 pm | Permalink
  6. ebdoug wrote:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/opinion/malia-obamas-secret-trip-to-bolivia-and-peru.html?_r=0

    Malia’s secret trip to Bolivia. The people she stayed with didn’t know she was daughter to the president. How many of Trump’s family would give up their creature comforts for this?

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 8:27 pm | Permalink
  7. Ralph wrote:

    At this point, I suspect most everyone on either side is suffering from extreme Trump fatigue. I know I am and suspect whenever this is all eventually over (“this too shall pass”) expect an extreme spike in reported cases of PTSD. The irony is whatever health care is in place at the time will probably consider it a pre-existing condition and not be covered. Sigh.

    Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 10:24 pm | Permalink
  8. Jonah wrote:

    Who is kathy griffin? Seriously. I didn’t realize she was a prominent person. If she is then its a serious issue.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 2:05 am | Permalink
  9. Jonah wrote:

    Its also “SAD” that conservatives are getting steamed up about a nobody like kathy griffin holding up a severed head that looks like DJT. Where were they when Trump was lying about Obama’s birth certificate and multiple other issues? And if they do find fault with Trump for lying about those issues why the **** are they believing him now?

    Its ok for the current president to make outrageous statements but if a no name comedian does something outrageous thats crossing the line???? LOL! SAD!

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 2:09 am | Permalink
  10. Jonah wrote:

    Yup he does have the best words. I’ve got to hand it to him. HE does make me laugh and late nights funnier so maybe its not all doom and gloom. I, and probably most on this board, will be long gone by the time planet earth does a “2012” or “Day after tomorrow” so I’ll just enjoy the good things while i can 🙂
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-covfefe-tweet_us_592e4a8be4b0c0608e8c6ee9?ipk&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 3:26 am | Permalink
  11. PatriotSGT wrote:

    Jonah, really? Someone speaking birther garbage is equivalent to holding a replica of their severed head? Wow.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 4:08 am | Permalink
  12. ebdoug wrote:

    PATRIOTSGT: How many people have been killed in this country by severed heads compared to “birther garbage” There was the one severed head in Oklahoma. From the Trump brainwashing of “birther garbage” there was nine deaths in S.C. There was two last weekend in Portland OR. How about the homeless man beaten and the many beaten due to Trump’s “birther garbage” ?
    Trump’s family came here at the end of the 1800s, The blacks and Muslims (often the same) have been here over 400 years. The Mexicans I’m guessing migrated from the Bering straights down through this country where at the time it was too cold, down to where it was warm. Their time in this country is 12,000 years. and you want to site “birther garbage” as being innocuous. Does this mean we need to deport anyone who isn’t white? Or deport all who shirked military duty unlike you, my brother, my father, my grandfather, my great grandfather (“FIeld of Lost Shoes” a very poor movie. My great great grandfather.(who was governor of Virginia when John Brown invaded Harper’s Ferry, signed the hanging decree and was there when John Brown was hung. and on to the Revolutionary war where John Brown’s grandfather was killed (also named John Brown) that John Brown was my five times great Grandfather. Trumps grandfather shirked his duty in Germany so they wouldn’t let him return. Trump went to military school then shirked his duty with “bone spurs” which are temporary.
    Trump voice his contempt of Germany last week. (well it is run by a woman after all) Does he even know what happened in Germany before and during World War II?

    Flag day is this horrible man’s birthday. (One month and one day after my brother who was a Lieutenant at Hamburger Hill in vietnam and has mostly lost his eye sight. Trump is a poor excuse for a citizen of this country.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 4:48 am | Permalink
  13. Jonah wrote:

    patriotsgt, who is katie griffin? I for one don’t even follow her. IS she a liberal beacon for you to get outraged about? Or if not are you now going to be outraged about every similar derogatory statement about trump made by isis etc? I’m sure they’ve done worse than this lady. I looked her up. She just lost her endorsement from squatty potty, whoever they are http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/squatty-potty-kathy-griffin-donald-trump_us_592e7edce4b055a197ce431e

    Trump fans getting pissed about low level figures such as Griffin is laughable. If she was a liberal this is probably going to get her more publicity from the left who absolutely loath trump. Probably may help to arouse the trump base but again, WHO THE **** is Kathy griffin for anyone to get all wound up about?

    In the meantime the leader of the “birther garbage” is your current president. If you’re now saying he’s capable of spewing out garbage how are you able to filter out what he says is true and what isnt? Is there a special filter for that? OR are you choosing to only believe what you’re already programmed to believe?

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 7:17 am | Permalink
  14. Becky wrote:

    PatriotSgt: I will point out that Ted Nugent actually called for the deaths of both Obama and Hillary Clinton and was rewarded with a trip to the White House by Trump. When people on the left call out stuff like this, they are called snowflakes by the right. The hypocrisy, it burns.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 7:19 am | Permalink
  15. Iron Knee wrote:

    PSgt, the difference is that the left (including Griffin’s friend Al Franken) promptly condemned what she did, and she apologized. Trump actually encouraged people at his rallies to beat up protestors, and even offered to pay their legal fees. That is incitement to violence, and violence has resulted. Hate crimes have skyrocketed since Trump was elected. See https://thinkprogress.org/thinkprogress-has-been-tracking-hate-since-trumps-election-here-s-what-we-found-e0288ed69869

    And yes, attacking the president (Obama) by lying about his being an American citizen (and inciting actual violence), pretty much is equivalent to taking a photograph with a fake severed head. One of those resulted in an apology (and condemnation from the left). Still waiting for an apology from Trump for anything, including bragging about sexual assault.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 9:52 am | Permalink
  16. PatriotSGT wrote:

    Haha, you guys crack me up.
    I remember the uproar in the media when a rodeo clown wore a Halloween mask of Obama. The outcry, ohh the insult, how could anyone be so hateful and insensitive. I guess Griffin thought she’d 1 up that poor nobody.

    As to people getting assaulted at political events their are way more conservatives being assaulted and their property being destroyed since the start of the “resistence” .

    Talk about hypocrisy. I think you all, if you were not hypocritical, would just say, “yeah, that’s bad, she needs help” and move on.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 11:24 am | Permalink
  17. PatriotSGT wrote:

    Becky, I agree on Nugent, I don’t like that has been. And didn’t approve of his or anyone’s suggestion to harm or kill a President.

    But to be truthful, griffin is not the first in this young presidency. There was Madonna at the women’s March, Snoop dog doing a video assasination, Mickey tofurkey and maybe some others. I just felt griffins stunt was over the top. Here’s the links to some of the others.

    http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/05/31/kathy-griffins-photo-shoot-with-bloody-trump-mask-not-first-time-celebs-have-joked-about-harming-president.html

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 12:09 pm | Permalink
  18. notycoon wrote:

    Hi there, PSgt. I was just as disgusted by Kathy what’s-her-name as you appear to have been. Feeling that way isn’t liberal or conservative or libertarian. It’s human. What she did was despicable. We can agree on that. That some of us don’t really know who she is isn’t really germane, for many people do know who she is. Maybe she’s a second tier comic, but she’s out there in the public eye. She apologized, but what she did doesn’t simply go away because she did.

    Justifying or belittling the negative nature of her actions as being acceptable as a counter to the totally obnoxious/offensive comments that were directed at Obama throughout his administration is, also, not acceptable. Heinous acts are heinous acts. Just because one side committed them doesn’t justify any other viewpoint committing them as well. Check out the link shared by Anonymous above (and here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/history-wont-forget-how-barack-obama-was-treated_us_585d7c72e4b0aee9ce8c1625 ). This type of commentary by people with a huge following (Fox News) has done far more damage to our country than a comic’s gross, one time action.

    At the same time, I’m pretty sure that the only real increase in attacks on folks – at least that are being documented by more than anecdotal stories – are attacks on minorities, especially Muslims and Jews.

    I try very hard to stay away from doing things that will harm other people. I have no problem finding fault with the current Prez for the kind of man he is and what he is doing to our country, but I don’t wish him harm. I’m truly afraid that he has some level of dementia – he reminds me a lot of my Mom who died of Alzheimer’s.

    I’m saddened to see the quality of discussion on this page start to mirror the general discussion out in the general populace that is nothing but a bunch of barbs thrown back and forth without any meaningful exchange of ideas or information. I don’t give a shit that some group might react more or less strongly to an act by someone considered to be the enemy of the first group with the always present tagline “Well Hillary did thus-and-so” or “Trump was leader (he wasn’t) of the birther movement.” This extreme reactionary response to others that we don’t agree with isn’t getting us anywhere.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 12:54 pm | Permalink
  19. PatriotSGT wrote:

    Well said Notycoon.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 1:37 pm | Permalink
  20. Jonah wrote:

    Well, it may be hypocritical if the liberal who complained about the rodeo clown doesnt condemn griffin. I can only speak for myself and I’m not going to pretend that everyone on this planet has to be perfect and get outraged if a nobody like a clown or griffin steps out of line. If the president steps out of line that’s another matter. And he’s doing it on a regular basis and it says something when he’s defended.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 1:43 pm | Permalink
  21. Iron Knee wrote:

    Totally agree, NoTycoon.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 7:36 pm | Permalink
  22. Ralph wrote:

    “Indecent behavior should be condemned — including not just faux presidential beheadings but, say, mocking the disabled or denigrating POWs.” – @jaketapper

    Couldn’t have said it better myself. Plus, I might add, denigrating Gold Star parents.

    Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 8:22 pm | Permalink
  23. Jonah wrote:

    Well she’s said sorry and everyone who knows her have said sorry apparantly http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kathy-griffin-totally-offended-everyone-but-heres-one-thing-she-did-right-2017-05-31

    But our sensitive president seems hurt. Its true that it probably wasnt pleasant for his son to see it but how does he think sasha and malia felt when he was spouting his birther nonsense? And that’s a serious problem as well. Those who find Griffin’s act shocking have no issues with most of what Trump does. For them until trump holds up a bloody head nothings equivalent and thats troubling.

    Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 1:48 am | Permalink
  24. PatriotSGT wrote:

    Someone I worked under in the Army once told me that when I make a statement and follow it with another statement prefaced with a “but”, it disqualifies the first statement. I try not to do that. Just saying. 🙂

    Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 3:58 am | Permalink
  25. Ralph wrote:

    Pat – I learned “but” is a qualifier, not strictly a disqualifier. For example, I have skydiving on my bucket list, but I’m afraid of heights.

    BTW, I admire your skepticism and criticism of the press. I was always taught to read and listen with a critical mindset. That goes for the MSM (major networks and newspapers) and especially the cable news networks on either side of the political spectrum as well. If one outlet is reporting on something important, MSM or otherwise, I surf to other outlets I’ve found to be historically objective and accurate, like AP, Reuters or the BBC, for confirmation.

    So I wonder, given your apparent skepticism of arguments made on this site, esp regarding the current Administration, what source(s) have you determined to be most reliable to help you reach a rational decision or objective conclusion on what’s really going on?

    It certainly didn’t start with this Administration, but one of my chief concerns regarding the health of our democracy is that more and more people are retreating to their own comfort zones and echo chambers, crying “Fake News” most every time they hear something they don’t want to hear. Sometimes the most important things are those you don’t want to hear. And vice versa.

    Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 6:27 am | Permalink
  26. PatriotSGT wrote:

    Ralph, I am forced to watch nothing but CNN at work in the government facility where I sit (which I find odd given our current president)
    I try not to watch and just turn down my hearing aids (curtesy of too many tours in places with loud booms)and do my job. At home the only cable news I will watch is OAN or One America News. They do have 2 right leaning opinion based non news shows in the prime time between 8-10 and I go to bed by then. (I still get up at 4 am for work). The rest of the time the just report news from the US and around the world with no opinion, no discussion panel, just the facts as reported and you add your own opinion. Refreshingly boring.

    When I (as an intelligence analyst) see something on CNN that irks me, I will go home and research to try and find facts.

    The things that irk me are when news orgs site “sources” as a basis of fact. The fact is that as a member of the intelligence community I could call a reporter and say any crazy crap or totally made up stuff and nobody will fact check or investigate or analyze. That’s sad. When I report I am required to evaluate my source and determine the motivation and reliability. Apparently “news” organizations are not. There aren’t many journalists left out there. Go watch OAN, except from 8-10, and remember what real reporting looks like.

    Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 4:04 pm | Permalink
  27. Iron Knee wrote:

    Unfortunately PatriotSgt, OAN is not considered unbiased, and it does something that really irks me, which is trying to sound like they are unbiased, while using loaded words to stealthily influence the people who listen to them. See https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/one-america-news-network/

    That same site agrees with you that CNN is biased to the left (although not as far as OAN is to the right).

    They also have a good list of the least biased sources, which includes most of the ones I quote, including Snopes, Wikipedia, USA Today, United Press International (UPI), The Economist, Reuters, SCOTUSblog, PolitiFact, Pew Research, McClatchyDC, Financial Times, Cook Political Report, Associated Press (AP), and the “other” ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). There’s really no excuse for you to not actually listen to an actual unbiased source.

    Saturday, June 3, 2017 at 1:05 pm | Permalink