@Bugs:
More detail into the gag order that Trump signed on abortion. Note that it goes farther than Bush.
http://www.undispatch.com/global-gag-rule-just-got-way-intense/
Serious question: I've been following USA politics on and off (don't consider me an expert) and while I've already encountered opposition to abortion, I cannot, for the love of my life, fathom what good or what profit do they expect from possibly pulling money away from malaria/zika/HIV research. Who in their right mind would do such a thing or even consider it? Especially since it has already been proven pretty destructive and just plain bad.
Are there people living on this planet who'd rather these awful diseases not disappear from the face of Earth? I'm not just talking about Trump, I doubt he recognizes the true consequences, but anyone in general.
@Robby:
"when you see all of this in one list, it is easy to get overwhelmed, at first"
Alright, let's see.
- On January 20th, 2017, DT ordered the National Parks Service to stop using social media after RTing factual, side by side photos of the crowds for the 2009 and 2017 inaugurations.
I'm getting some communist dictatorship vibes here.
- On January 20th, 2017, a member of the International Workers of the World was shot in the stomach at an anti-fascist protest in Seattle. He remains in critical condition.
- On January 23rd, 2017, it was announced that the man who shot the anti-fascist protester in Seattle was released without charges, despite turning himself in.
Why? On what account did they not charge him? What the hell's happening?
- On January 21st, 2017, DT brought a group of 40 cheerleaders to a meeting with the CIA to cheer for him during a speech that consisted almost entirely of framing himself as the victim of dishonest press.
- On January 21st, 2017, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer held a press conference largely to attack the press for accurately reporting the size of attendance at the inaugural festivities, saying that the inauguration had the largest audience of any in history, “period.”
- On January 22nd, 2017, White House advisor Kellyann Conway defended Spicer’s lies as “alternative facts” on national television news.
- On January 23rd, 2017, DT repeated the lie that 3-5 million people voted “illegally” thus costing him the popular vote.
- On January 24th, 2017, Spicer reiterated the lie that 3-5 million people voted “illegally” thus costing DT the popular vote.
- On January 24th, 2017, DT tweeted a picture from his personal Twitter account of a photo he says depicts the crowd at his inauguration and will hang in the White House press room. The photo is of the 2009 inauguration of 44th President Barack Obama, and is curiously dated January 21st, 2017, the day AFTER the inauguration and the day of the Women’s March, the largest inauguration related protest in history.
Personality cult that tries to bend the very fabric of reality? 1984 written all over it. Except it has already happened in recent history (less than a century ago in Hungary, actually), and it has been proven to be horrendous.
- On January 24th, 2017, the EPA was ordered to stop communicating with the public through social media or the press and to freeze all grants and contracts.
- On January 24th, 2017, the USDA was ordered to stop communicating with the public through social media or the press and to stop publishing any papers or research. All communication with the press would also have to be authorized and vetted by the White House.
Elimination of the free press. It's like reading a history book depicting the development of basic human and citizen rights only it's completely backwards somehow.
- On January 24th, 2017, DT ordered the resumption of construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline, while the North Dakota state congress considers a bill that would legalize hitting and killing protestors with cars if they are on roadways.
What the actual fuck?!
- On January 24th, 2017, it was discovered that police officers had used confiscated cell phones to search the emails and messages of the 230 demonstrators now facing felony riot charges for protesting on January 20th, including lawyers and journalists whose email accounts contain privileged information of clients and sources.
Violation of basic human rights, where have I heard that before…
Oh yeah, while studying World War 2 and the communist regime in Hungary and several other countries in the Soviet Union!
This is deeply disheartening. I may be living on the other side of the planet but my sympathies lie with all of you currently residing in the US. I'm glad you seem to keep your eyes open and senses alert so that you won't succumb to this huge pile of shit. Awareness is a huge thing here, as has been already said, and is a very important first step in fighting this disaster.