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That Trump thread is a joke (IMHO)

Quantum Erasure

The Trump thread in Current Affairs /IMHO has been an echo chamber for a long time now, which would be all right if it was self-policing with posters reporting any posts that cross the line. But that doesn't seem to be happening, instead if anyone wanders in with an opinion that isn't part of the echo chamber, I presume they get mass reported, then pick up warnings or bans for things that would go unnoticed if they were part of the clique,

If it looks like a free-for-all to outsiders and then they participate in kind, only to pick up a ban... you can understand where accusations of bias might come from.

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elperello

Trouble is Trump's story doesn't lend itself to both siding.

Ten of Swords

Want even more moderation?

Quantum Erasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433609#Comment_124433609

No, less.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433607#Comment_124433607

Can I quote posts from the thread here, or is that against the rules?

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433742#Comment_124433742

Quoting posts to illustrate a point is fine.

Quantum Erasure

Plenty along the lines of

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124390381#Comment_124390381

(31 thanks on that one)

or this type of post, thread is littered with them

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124409055#Comment_124409055

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433787#Comment_124433787

He certainly polarises opinion.

Martin567

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433787#Comment_124433787

As far as I can recall, I've never posted on the Trump thread.

Having said that, I would find it difficult to disagree with either of the posts you quoted above.

Trump's behaviour and social media postings on any given day are significantly more deranged than anything I've read on that thread.

The fact he is still President of the USA is extraordinary. His lying and corruption is off the charts and I see no problem with the people on that thread calling it as it is.

bucketybuck

While we are at it, I want to protest all the mean things people have been saying about Putin.

Quantum Erasure

(As an aside, we should reopen the Political Satire / memes / whatever/ anything-goes thread)

odyssey06

They aren't just wandering in with a "different opinion".

They are wandering in trolling, lying, soapboxing and denigrating a victim of sexual assault and generally engaging in every bad faith debating tactic going. Fooling absolutely no one while being utterly disingenuous about the daily evidence of Trump's depravity, corruption and clear and present danger to world peace and the global economy. They resort to this because Trump's actions cannot be defended in open debate.

As to the posts referenced.

"He really is a deluded fool. The sooner he croaks the better for everyone."

What exactly is supposed to be wrong with this statement?
There's ample evidence on the thread of Trump's delusions, mix ups, ignorance etc grossly offensive remarks whether it is offending minorities, countries, or religions.

"The sooner he croaks the better for everyone".
Yep, the only pity is he didn't croak before the election and the only reason to doubt the statement is that his VP is also an amoral excuse for a human being.
Since being elected Trump has needlessly embroiled the US in wars, needlessly disrupted the global economy.
So what's the counter argument to the world being better off with Trump alive???

He tried to appoint as his attorney general a sex pervert Matt Gaetz. Robert Morris, one of his pastor "spiritual advisors" also a sex offender. There's numerous examples on the thread of Republicans and prominent Trump supporters being implicated in abuse of underage victims. There's the Epstein files which his administration is engaged in a blatant cover up and the only question is whether Trump is a child rapist or turned a blind eye to it and was best buddies with Epstein himself.

This is but a sample:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/17/robert-morris-trump-surrenders-child-sexual-abuse-charges
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gxy2qxxpzo

He has said he could shoot someone on 5th avenue and get away with it.
That was the context of the remark about Trump supporters and rape.

If there's an echo chamber it is just a sign of the people frequenting it having a functional moral compass and being able to clearly see through the dishonest charade of the "I'm not a Trump supporter but…" brigade.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433889#Comment_124433889

There was nothing satirical about it. It was just a dumping ground for racist and sexist memes from people incapable of defending Trump with any coherent argument based on facts or evidence.

It was shut down as it was a time sink for moderation having to keep on top of the vile stuff being posted.

growleaves

The Trump thread seems to have become a way for posters who are addicted to news media to make themselves feel strong emotions, with prolonged venting and swearing being routine.

This is as likely to be set off by an over-casual, trivial remark by Trump ("He has beautiful ears") as it is by something significant, with posters claiming to be "shocked" and flying into rages daily.

I find it unwholesome.

There is very little in the way of political analysis that was personally formed. There is a party line stemming more or less directly from Democratic Party headquarters, transmitted to Irish people through RTE, the Irish Times and the Guardian via the New York Times, and then regurgitated.

There is one aspect to this which I never see discussed anywhere, which is that the extreme hatred many Irish people now feel towards white American Protestants (of low social class) would in almost any other context be identified as sectarian. It is this Antrim-America which Trump represents - that large mass of Ulster-descended rural working-class whites - that makes "boardsies" want to scream in anger until their lungs explode and tear their own skin off with indignation.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433867#Comment_124433867

It's a mystery why so many people are saying nasty things about war criminals who are murdering school kids and launching illegal wars.

Baffling.

Must be an echo chamber.

That's the only explanation.

I see sheep

Is he dead?

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433945#Comment_124433945

Bit hard to give any weight to a post that expresses concern about "prolonged venting" on a thread then uses a phrase like "Tear their own skin off with indignation" to describe posters on it.

growleaves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433999#Comment_124433999

Because you're inside a bubble with group reinforcement you don't see how balls-out crazy it looks to a normal person to see posters exploding into fits of rage every day and wishing people dead.

What happens is that every kind of strong negative emotion - rage, spite, resentment, vindictiveness, indignation - now becomes justified and even good to wallow in because it's directed to "a good cause" (against Trump).

You should go and live in the woods with no internet and no newspapers for a while. It could be a personal reset for you.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434048#Comment_124434048

Yòu dont have to read the thread you know.

From the "strong negative emotion" phrasing you are using to describe it, perhaps you should heed your own advice.

"You should go and live in the woods with no internet and no newspapers for a while. It could be a personal reset for you."

And that goes way beyond one thread on boards - if anything it just demonstrates the thread isnt a joke, isnt crazy. Its the world going crazy and the thread is just reacting to that.

On a weekly, sometimes daily, basis Trump engages in conduct that would have been unthinkable if not career ending for any other US politician in modern era.

This is not a good thing.

dp22250

The Donald is living rent free in a lot of people’s head and in an unhealthy way. Influenced by propaganda media.

Oscar_Madison

I’d be in broad agreement OP- it reminds me of the old Joe Duffy thread when it was at its worst. It’s certainly not a discussion thread , that’s clear. As for “bans”- I got banned recently for mentioning the FACT that posters previously got banned for criticising Joe Biden’s state of health- it was in the context of illustrating how far MAGA are going to block the real truth in the media. Absolutely fcking pathetic and quite ironic moderation - so yes I would agree, you are unlikely to get banned if you just post sho1te articles about Trump all day and slag him off - but that’s not discussion

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434065#Comment_124434065

"He’s a vile human being who deserves a wretched death- anything less and it won’t get my attention- sorry Donald, must try harder to get my attention."

You posted that.

Isnt that exactly the type of comment the OP seems to have an issue with? Do you stand over it?

Nothing stopping you from discussing Trump's actions other than the difficulty anyone has of putting together a coherent, credible defence or explanation of the Trump administration's actions in any positive light.

Discussing moderation actions on thread, the rule against that is nothing specific to Trump thread or CA and is a widespread and long standing boards rule.

Arseboxing

I thought Trump supporters were in favour of free speech? Appears not. Who could have guessed!

Quantum Erasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434095#Comment_124434095

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434089#Comment_124434089

Isnt that exactly the type of comment the OP seems to have an issue with?

I have no particular issue with that, I'm all for free speech. It's just that if someone responds in-kind or tries to join in the fun they get sanctioned for it.

I only check in on the thread maybe once a week, I did 6 weeks ago for the first time in ages and ye seemed to be talking politics, there was actually proper discussion happening, but every time since it seems to be a hatefest going on.

Moving the 'satire' etc. posts out to their own thread might clean it up a bit again

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434089#Comment_124434089

I’ll speak to the OP- not someone who has a vast history of trolling myself and others thanks.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434106#Comment_124434106

Do they?

Not exactly sure how someome "responds in kind" unless you mean instead of having a go at a public figure or a nebulous group like "Trump supporters" they try sly digs obviously aimed at posters on the thread, or perhaps minority groups.

There were some vile slurs directed at Kamala Harris which were racially and or gender based which iirc the mods dealt with.

But I've seen posters having a go at Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Tony Blair without seeming sanction.

Perhaps you can come up with an example of one of these responses in kind you feel should be allowed.

So not a convincing case so far.

looksee

'Anti-Trump' posters, are indeed the vast majority of people posting in the Trump thread - do you think there might be a reason for that? Are the Trump fans suggesting that all the people who criticise Trump are just continuing to turn up to invent stuff to get mad about? I certainly am not. I watch him destroying the world, and commenting there is an outlet for my disgust and concern. Just because this applies to a lot of people, it does not make it an echo chamber.

We have asked numerous times for pro-Trump people to give a coherent argument in favour of his policies - or even to name his policies. There is silence every time. The pro-trumpers only enter the thread to react, generally with personal attacks, to people commenting on his behaviour and actions. Much of the time they give off a distinct whiff of trolling, looking for reactions and being generally petty and silly in supposed support of a man who is doing so much damage.

One person who is here whinging recently got banned for pointlessly arguing that they were pro-Trump because he made them laugh. They could not explain why or how they found bombing school children funny. Since they had no explanation they resorted to personal attacks. Amazing how often this happens.

I started a thread in the early days, asking if there was anything to be said for Trump and his policies, it was a very short thread. Someone else started another one in the same vein more recently. Again, no coherent arguments and the thread fizzled out pretty quickly. Where were all these pro-Trumpers, giving the information that was asked for?

Could the pro-Trumpers please come to the thread and explain in factual, logical, sensible arguments, and without personal attacks and insults, what his policies are, why they are worthwhile and successful, and why he is not a venal, narcissistic, pompous, lying, devious, corrupt , illiterate and dangerous buffoon. We are waiting to hear from you.

Alfaguy

I have become totally exhausted by Trump and his america so now tune out of it mostly. When you have a lunatic at the top and a government filled with cowardly, incompetent physcophant's and 50% of the population that thinks that's totally normal then rational discussion of it is just futile and a waste of time.

Its a fever america is going through and the only thing to do is wait it out and hope it clears before it's too late.

Alfaguy

Well I do have to commend whoever is in charge of Boards.ie for even permitting Trump and US politics to be discussed at all because in other places such discussions are not allowed because people might get upset and say nasty things and cause unpleasantness.

No - its better (according to them) to keep your head in the sand and stick to nice safe stuff - puppies, kittens and nice cars that everybody else has to like and compliment each other about. Controversy of any kind is not allowed. If only the world could operate like that I am sure Trump would love it.

For Petes Sake

The reason why it feels like an 'echo chamber' is because none of the Trump supporters have the bottle to actually defend themselves against his abhorrent Administration, so they just stay away from the thread.

pjohnson

When Trump supporters do make their monthly pilgrimage its exclusively to complain about how its an "echo chamber" and "ridiculous". When invited to actually post their opinion they instead just whine about how there'd be no point as its an echo chamber and start rambling about "TDS" before going on a monthly sabattical and then repeating the cycle.

If the Trump fans could actually provide more content instead of whining about people not liking Trump and then pretending not to like Trump themselves then it might be different but they generally refuse to engage.

csirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434196#Comment_124434196

Why would an Irish site like Boards have "Trunp supporters"? We dont live in the US, we dont vote in US elections in this country, people in Ireland are not members of US political parties etc.

I think maybe the OP would prefer a more high brow critical thinking/analysis thread rather than a US trailer trash style slagging match.