[Oldmanmatt]

FFS

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-cabinet-appointees-mar-a-largo-golf-club-white-house-us-president-bedminster-a7588146.html?cmpid=facebook-post


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[mrjonathanr]

Is it bad that I am reminded of when we used to line up in the junior school playground to divvy up who'd be on which team to kick a tennis ball around all lunchtime and call it football?

[Oldmanmatt]

Never forget.




All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[James Malloch]

FFS

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-cabinet-appointees-mar-a-largo-golf-club-white-house-us-president-bedminster-a7588146.html?cmpid=facebook-post


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The more you read, the less you believe...

[moose]

There's a phrase in US pop culture "the Tyson Zone"  (coined by Bill Simmons - used to run the Grantland site, and is now head honcho of "The Ringer" site).  Essentially, it describes the situation where a celebrity's behaviour is so oddball or extreme, so often, that even the most far-fetched rumours are given credence.  Mike Tyson, twice bit an opponents ear off, went to prison for rape, was a very keen pigeon fancier, tattooed his face, threatenned to eat Lennox Lewis' children, and blew $400m on hookers, coke, tigers, and a fella whose sole job it was to follow him shouting "fight the power!" occassionally.  In view of that, if you was told that he was obsessed with Britsh comedy and had just commissioned an enormous gold statue of Ken Dodd riding a giraffe, you would think.... "well, it sounds absurd... but it's Tyson - he probably would ".

Trump has now redefined the Tyson Zone.  Unfortunately, every mad rumour seems to be true..... and he is not a sportsman but the man in control of the World's largest ecomony and nuclear arsenal.

[petejh]

The difference being Tyson, despite (or maybe because of) being batshit crazy, was excellent at his trade.

Trump's just an idiot. He makes George Bush look astute.

He'll just keep talking his way into more and more widespread ridicule. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't last the full term - impeachment, or the second ever president to declare himself unfit to serve and resign.

[SA Chris]

What happened in Sweden last night is the biggest tragedy since the Bowling Green Massacre.

He clearly has FOX News on, barely digests the information, and then just regurgitates it at what he thinks is the most appropriate moment. Ideal FOX viewer.

[Oldmanmatt]

The main problem here is that his supporters believe him and no one else:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-voters-why-did-they-vote-grant-county-nebraska-a7588681.html?cmpid=facebook-post

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/09/intellectuals-for-trump?mbid=social_facebook


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[mrjonathanr]

What happened in Sweden last night is the biggest tragedy since the Bowling Green Massacre.

He clearly has FOX News on, barely digests the information, and then just regurgitates it at what he thinks is the most appropriate moment. Ideal FOX viewer.

Bit scary to think US policy might be based on Murdoch's editorial line, don't you think?

[SA Chris]

Nah, not scary.

FUCKING TERRIFYING.

Thing is i always thought he would be shit. But so far he's surpassed all expectations.

Oops, better not let them know my social media profiles.

[tomtom]

You're safe - no one but me knows that you're really Terry from Rotherham.

[Oldmanmatt]

And then there's this :

http://trib.al/2oRBhss

Mixed with:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cia-operative-name-donald-trump-spies-plotting-take-down-us-president-intelligence-agencies-a7589271.html?cmpid=facebook-post


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[mrjonathanr]

Definitely not a muslim travel ban then. Unless you are British. Or a teacher, responsible for children on a trip. Nothing to do with being Muslim at all.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/20/british-muslim-teacher-denied-entry-to-us-on-school-trip

[A Jooser]

I'm willing to bet the Muslim teacher denied entry to the US story has nothing to do with Trump's travel ban. It will turn out to be one of those mistaken identity / good dude has same name as other dude stories!

The school teacher from Wales, Juhel Miah, apparently shares the same name as a chap who was friends and WhatsApp message buddies with one of two 'IS supporters' accused of murdering an imam 'because they viewed his practice of Islamic healing as "black magic"'.

The name crops up in the report of the Manchester Crown Court trail in August 2016 here:
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/national/article/Muslim-leader-murdered-by-IS-supporters-for-practising-Islamic-healing-ba9835d6-58fc-4ddc-9823-819c6e6a5506-ds
And here:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/jalal-uddin-murder-trial-live-11791748

Bad luck for the school teacher, but it is not hard to see how that particular name gets on a US security black list regardless of who is president.

I don't know if this information has found its way into any of the news reports of the school teacher's story, or if they're all just trotting out the Trump Muslim ban red herring, so can we claim this as a UKB exclusive?! 

[Will Hunt]

I don't get this stuff about people being stopped with the same name as a bad egg. Presumably they don't have the same passport number?
I know a Dave Smith who was detained in the States for a couple of hours while he was checked out. They said it was because his name was similar to somebody on a list. So presumably they're stopping every Dave Smith? Somehow I think not.

[Oldmanmatt]

In fact, I suspect this is a valid theory.

Getting into the US has always been "interesting". Back in early 2000, I was held for five hours in Atlanta and eventually sprung by my new employer's lawyer after some odd and aggressive questioning.
There wasn't anything to indicate who my employer was in my travel or visa details (I had a B1), but several months of harassment later, I realised "they" were well informed and had good reason...

In short, I doubt "they" are as dumb as they first appear, idiot leaders not withstanding.


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[petejh]

I'm willing to bet the Muslim teacher denied entry to the US story has nothing to do with Trump's travel ban. It will turn out to be one of those mistaken identity / good dude has same name as other dude stories!

Bad luck for the school teacher, but it is not hard to see how that particular name gets on a US security black list regardless of who is president.

This.

As someone who is now black flagged and prevented from entering the US without first applying for a travel visa at the US embassy, for no good reason other than a boring story involving leaving Canada via the US at the end of my 4 years on work visas, mistakenly entering my Canadian address on the green card entry form, and becoming 'a person without any country of residence' - i.e. I was in limbo and not allowed to enter either the US or back into Canada -  I can vouch for their homeland security as taking the worst possible interpretation of anything remotely suspicious. I don't doubt that sharing a name with a terror suspect would be a huge headache at the US border.


So if true does that make the story fake news? It sort of does.

[mrjonathanr]

Well it is fake if you say it never happened, and no teacher was removed from a plane on a school trip. I'll assume you don't mean it is a complete fabrication unless you say otherwise.

If you are saying that it happened for reasons as yet not completely clear, that is a statement of fact.

Just because there's a fakenooz bandwagon doesn't mean you have to get on board.

[petejh]

As is A.Jooser, I'm pointing out that the story of the teacher being barred entry to the US may not actually be connected to trump's travel ban in the way the media have portayed it. It might be. But it's important to hold everyone - both fuckwit trump and the media, to the same standards of scrutiny isn't it. Otherwise you're as guilty as breitbart viewers or whoever for believing in untruths.

[mrjonathanr]

Oh yeah, I'm totally in agreement with that, in fact on reflection it seems very likely the case.

Misattribution isn't new though, journalists and readers jump to conclusions and both should be extremely wary about making assumptions.  I should have been more careful about how I posted that.

'Fake news' is a different thing though, my reply was just about that.

[petejh]

The trouble with Trump's fixation on the media and 'fake news' is like any good lie it's based on a small truth. It's true that the media, of all biases, sometimes knowingly misrepresent things. Same goes for politicians and makes me think you end up getting what you deserve in the end - whether that's an extreme version of bad politics or an extreme reaction against the media. Public trust in the media in the UK and US is low, and for a good reason - it isn't that long ago the media were being dragged over the coals for various misdemeanors. Now there's a narrative emerging in reaction to Trump's aggressiveness, with the media supposedly being the 'good guys' and speakers of truth, and the Trump administration 'the baddie' and creator of all mis-truth? It isn't that simple (not suggesting you think it is MrJ).

When the mood is as heated and distrustful as it currently is it's even more important for 'responsible' media to get the facts correct and not give bullshitters like Trump any more ammunition. If it turns out the rel reason for the teacher's barring entry to the US is due to sharing a name, the nit makes the media that reported it as 'a victim of Trump's travel ban' almost as guilty of bullshit as Breitbart etc.

[mrjonathanr]

When the mood is as heated and distrustful as it currently is it's even more important for 'responsible' media to get the facts correct and not give bullshitters like Trump any more ammunition.

+1


The article is reporting on the facts available eg the council spokesman's statement which they quote

No satisfactory reason has been provided for refusing entry to the United States – either at the airport in Iceland or subsequently at the US embassy in Reykjavik. Mr Miah attempted to visit the embassy but was denied access to the building. Understandably he feels belittled and upset at what appears to be an unjustified act of discrimination.

i.e. They need more information to understand the exactly what has happened, and have asked for it.

The paper just reports this without saying why the teacher was removed so I don't quite see how you get to this:

If it turns out the rel reason for the teacher's barring entry to the US is due to sharing a name, the nit makes the media that reported it as 'a victim of Trump's travel ban' almost as guilty of bullshit as Breitbart etc.

I don't think there's a 'victim of travel ban' assertion. The subheading implies it however.

...removed from plane in Reykjavik despite suspension of president’s travel ban

That clearly needs removing as there is no hard evidence for it and it does not meet the same standard of objective reporting that the rest of the article does. They have let themselves down there, I agree. I still think we're a long way from Breitbart and bullshit.

Edit muddle with iPad keyboard

[mrjonathanr]

Actually I am going to take that back: just seen that the front page listing reads 'Travel ban...' when the facts aren't clear, that's sloppy.

[jfdm]

The teacher in question in his own words.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/21/british-muslim-teacher-taken-off-us-bound-flight-i-was-treated-like-a-criminal
The vetting that now goes on in teaching is pretty strong.
The bar is set high regarding child protection.
If he had any unsavoury links, they would have already shown up during his vetting at school.

I am sure that it probably is a name mix up, as has been discussed above.
But he already had enhanced checks before boarding and no reason was given to him for his removal from the plane.

Even if it is a mix-up this doesn't make it right, a question mark hangs over him now in relation to the children he teaches, his colleagues and employer, and the wider school community, parents etc.

Once again all really sad and the way the world is now going unfortunately.
With regards to newspaper reporting 1+1 often = 3

[Fultonius]

Name mix up isn't so outlandish - up until fairly recently I had two valid UK passports with different passport numbers, so you can't just rule someone out because the number doesn't match.

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