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Trump
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/jun/01/donald-trump-just-cemented-his-legacy-as-americas-worst-ever-president
I feel the frustration, @Hozan . Listened to DJT's address in real time and felt hopelessness.
And yet, we gotta step back and realize that we do not get to live in a world that aligns with our ideals. In fact, the powers that be have never been particularly enightened or moral. If anything, by many accounts, the world today (at least Western one) is at its best like ever, even if recently it seems like it is backtracking some.
At any rate, these global political shifts is not something we can control any more than we can control weather (I realize the sad pun). We are dealt some set of cards and we have to play those cards and no other. That's how that goes.
So no point in getting worked up into a frenzy by the news. If we are worked up, we cannot help even in small ways, let alone bigger ones. All we have is our immediate environment and if due to being paralyzed by negativity we can't even properly show up there, then all is truly lost for us. Let us accept that the world is a mess, step back, balance ourselves and be the best that we can be, right here, right now.
I was talking to someone who feels the US federal government should be limited and the US is a union of states. I wonder if individual states of the USA could join the climate agreement regardless of what Trump does? This someone I talked to says it is possible. So like whatever many individual US states could join something. Maybe all of them.
@shadowleaver thank you! I needed that. Its so frustrating but you are right.
That would be a much fairer system. As it stands one man is making a decision which has a serious global impact for our future generations and the health of our planet. That decision needs to be made so it speaks for the majority of people. Sometimes it seems as if Trump is so small minded he just wants to undo everything Obama was involved in setting up.
I read that the implementation of the USA's exist will take 4 years. That brings it round to Election time again. Climate Control will be a vote swinger, I suspect....
This is true. Trump has said he is skipping the 4 year exit procedure and that the US are out as of NOW....
Trump is a totally brainless wanker.
There. I said it.
I feel that is an independent and moderate assessment.
Well said.
Just hope you don't get flagged and reported to the moderators for unskilful language ...
Long live Gaia
Thank you. I was going to say it but thought I might get a "travel ban" for my troubles
Branching off from another discussion -
Does - or did - Trump have Buddha Nature?
And yes. This is a serious question, in light of his hitherto stirling record as POTUS....
From what I gather "all" sentient beings have Buddha Nature, just because we don't express it, (that is, not having the opportunity or perhaps ability to explore it), doesn't mean we don't have it, Trump included...
The mind has to work with the malfunctioning organic matter ( brain) that it was partnered up with...We are all in the same boat more or less ....
Oh the wonders of neuroplasticity... with the help of the mind, (working together for the greater good) the brain has the ability to fix/heal itself ...So there's hope for Trump yet...
If Trump didn't have Buddha Nature could he do this?
Trump uses London terror attack to promote his travel ban and deliberately quote the Mayor of London out of context to support his own narrative.
This man is a disgrace and an embarrassment to the American people.
I doubt impeachment will work ( its a political process not a judicial one). Hoping he quits as he can't hack it. Otherwise 4 years is beginning to feel like an eternity already
Would you ever just fuck off Donald.
(Sorry for bad language....runs away...as @dhammachick might say....
If anyone saw and remembers villainous Biff from Back to the Future 2, you may be interested to know that he was modeled after Donald Trump.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/23/back-to-the-future-writer-bad-guy-biff-was-based-on-donald-trump
Before we slit our wrists, do we even know what's in the Paris Accord?
I was listening to a discussion about it today on Sirius Radio, and I couldn't believe that what they were saying was accurate. So I came home and did a little online research and found out that what they were saying IS accurate. I can best summarize it was quoting a small part of the entry from Wikipedia: "In the Paris Agreement, each country determines, plans and regularly reports its own contribution it should make in order to mitigate global warming. There is no mechanism to force a country to set a specific target by a specific date, but each target should go beyond previously set targets."
Its not just about the Paris Accord. Donald Trump has shown himself to be racist, misogynist, narcissistic, selfish, small minded, disrespectful and a world away from being presidential material. He is also a bully and cannot be trusted to make decisions for the right reasons. He hasnt divested himself from his business empire in reality. His daughter has a role in the white house. He is not well up on world affairs or history or diplomacy and is the worst kind of example of behaviour to our younger generation. He is not even saying F you to the world, lets prioritise America, he is saying F everybody lets look out for Donald Trump. Make no mistake Donald Trump is only interested in Donald Trump
@Hozan, yeah he's only out for himself. But his whole attitude speaks of a person experiencing some very deep dukkha, you've got to have some metta for him. I've known a few psycho/sociopaths when I was involved in drugs, I never let them frighten or intimidate me, these days I try to view them with compassion, of course it's easier to have metta on the cushion though.
I will find it easier to have metta for him when he has left office.. i know thats not very buddhist of me...i am trying...but finding it hard to find empathy with Donald Trump...
Problem is that Donald Trumps deep dukkha could land the world in deep doo doo..
To paraphrase Ajahn Sumedho - sometimes it's easier to have metta for all sentient beings than one difficult one.
It would help if you could decide whether you wanted to discuss all the negatives about Donald Trump, or if you wanted to discuss the Paris Accord. I was responding to your post about the Paris Accord. I'm well aware of all of his shortcomings, which are bountiful.
This thread goes back ages discussing different things about Trump. I had decided what I wanted to discuss and today it was trump using the London terror attack to further his own agenda. If you look back you'll see thats where I started this evening. Maybe you were responding to the paris accord post from a few days ago?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4571804/Trump-faces-backlash-tweet-condemning-London-Mayor.html
Is it on this forum that someone linked the DiCaprio film on global climate change? In it Obama says that what's important about the Paris deal (given that it's less than ideal), is that everyone agreed to address the problem and check in with each other re: progress, and that it provides a framework within which later adjustments and perhaps requirements can be made.
...something like that. IOW, something is better than nothing. At least everyone agreed to move in the right direction. Maybe not with sufficient speed, but at least there is (or was
) agreement.
What alarmed me about the Paris process is that they decided to allow (I forget now, exactly) 2-3 more degrees C. increase in temp, which is 4 or more degrees F, which is insane! But more importantly, they only discussed CO2 levels. They never discussed methane release, which is the wild card in the whole scenario. NO ONE KNOWS if 2 more degrees of warming, or even 1, will cause all the methane reserves to "burp" and release massive amounts of the hyper-potent greenhouse gas.
Russia has already found that methane in the offshore Siberian Arctic shelf is releasing like mad. The permafrost in AK and northern Canada is turning into a bog, and releasing methane, as well. When I noticed that methane wasn't part of the discussion, I researched it, and discovered a whole realm of info that for some reason, the climate talks excluded.
Frankly, I think we'll be lucky to live out our lifetimes. There's a scientist in Arizona who's saying life on Earth has 15 more years, tops. That seems extreme, but life is going to get weird in another 25 years. The UN and some European governments are already planning on that.
@Dakini think this might be the scientist you refer to?
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2016/11/humans-dont-have-10-years-left-thanks-to-climate-change---scientist.html
https://fractalplanet.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/how-guy-mcpherson-gets-it-wrong/
I dont doubt climate change and the problems we face but I wouldnt believe guy mcphersons version of events
https://fractalplanet.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/how-guy-mcpherson-gets-it-wrong/
Trump is biodegradable?
Real solutions. Here to help ...
http://www.dummies.com/home-garden/green-living/how-to-build-a-hot-compost-pile/
Yes, you found him! Thanks for posting these. The fact is, we won't know until we get there--to 2030, and beyond. But things aren't going to improve eventually unless everyone gets on board, especially the US, as one of the world's biggest polluters and consumers of fossil fuels.
We can take a bit of heart from the fact that California has already announced that it's forging ahead with the Paris program, with or without the federal government's support, and some other states are doing the same.
Apparently if the state of Texas was a nation, it would have the 4th largest wind power energy sector on the planet. So it's not all bad news. Seems to be creating a lot of jobs too for wind turbine technicians.
Well, yes, this is the thing. Going whole hog on the environmental bandwagon means jobs for solar electricians and other alternative-energy businesses, to name just one sector, contrary to Chump's statement that pulling out of the accord will be "good for the economy" (read: good for the Koch brothers, and their corporate empire that includes fossil fuel extraction/;processing).
Think how far ahead we'd be, if Carter's support of solar and other alternative energy development had had the support of subsequent administrations.
5 people killed in the US today as a gunman went into his former place of employment and shot dead ex colleagues. Metta to all involved in this Does trump make any comment or condolences? Nothing. Like it never happened. We all know why.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/06/05/multiple-people-killed-in-shooting-at-florida-business/?utm_term=.ed722cfebdf8
Why?
The President can't be expected to make a public statement in every murder situation in the United States. If it is a national issue, that's different.
Oh? Obama expressed condolences about mass/group murder incidents. Maybe the number of people in this incident didn't pass some critical threshold of numbers of deceased per incident? Or maybe he'll say something tomorrow.
Despite decades of practice, I find that I have not improved significantly in foretelling the future. What I have learned is that for every hopeless situation I have been in, an exit has appeared. Trump will be no different.
In fact, it is quite possible that the country will come out of this administration stronger. People who were not interested in politics have awakened. Cities and states have decided to honor the climate accord instead of placing the burden for responsibility on the federal government. Most people, on both sides of the political divide, believe the federal government has too much power...perhaps the people will be motivated to act more locally and put an end to that continuous power grab.
Get worked up or don't...but I'm going to let the darkness illustrate the light all around. Like this place and you people.
I agree, Yagr. I see an increasing determination of people changing there way of looking at issues. Instead of saying why doesn't somebody do something, I see more and more activists actually doing something.
No more Trump comments from me. Its not constructive and achieves nothing other than to make me more annoyed at him.
So its a Trump radio silence from me.
Trump presents we Buddhists with a conundrum. Many of us are appalled with his policies and behaviors. Yet, to me, it seems "un-Buddhist" to attack a person, particularly on a Buddhist website (although I certainly understand the temptation). There are plenty of website forums (such as City-Data) where there are relatively unrestrained political sub-forums. I even use my own Facebook page. What does not seem "un-Buddhist" to me is attacking policies.
@vinlyn well said ! Excellent point and well made.
@vinlyn a bow of respect to you
I came across this today, thought perhaps it is appropriate here since Trump signed the order giving it the go-ahead...
You can't withdraw from your own thread. You're stuck with it.
Vin, weren't you a school principal? Tsk, tsk. "Trump presents us Buddhists with..."
But you're right that traditionally, Buddhists aren't supposed to engage in politics. But even in this era of "engaged Buddhism", one could say that participating in a conversation attacking a political figure could be considered "wrong speech", "idle chatter" and the like.