Not sure what it is like in other countries, but you should know that it is extremely RARE in US politics for a former president to speak out against the current president. Even rarer to issue a formal statement.
At least in my lifetime, every president has commented critically about the previous administration.
You're absolutely right that US presidents have historically not used their position for personal profit, or at least not overtly so. Jimmy Carter famously sold his potato farm upon being elected in order to avoid potential conflict of interest.
Oh, sorry, I might not have been aware of much of the smaller things (I'm not from them USA parts) - but I was trying to make the distinction between 'polite criticism for distancing themselves from the previous admin' (something all politicians do on all political levels, even in cases of direct policy/friendship/spiritual succession, even in companies actually, it enables the new admin to be their own distinct thing & get traction among the people & coworkers sooner) & just bitching for the sake of it, calling names etc.
Side note: this being a rarity is probably a net good thing. History shows that when the old guy and the new guy fight, it doesn't bring unity or peaceful transfers of power which are arguably more important than the bad one getting whatever they deserve.
If the incumbent knows the new guy will put him in jail, which is a common thing in parts of the world where power is not often transferred gracefully, he will fight to the death to hold on to power.
If the new guy lets the old guy slink away, it reduces political polarization. Who cares about the old guy at that point? Because everybody benefits from less polarization and more unity.
(Thanks for answering and bear in mind I forgot the context of me asking you to explain before replying so don't take it too personally 😅)
Except if you don't prosecute them they get more bold and brazen. You can't really be advocating for some of the worst criminals in history to face no accountability.
Look what's happening right now in the US, if Biden had properly held Trump accountable we wouldn't be in this situation.
Where was the peaceful transfer of power?
Seems to me like you just want to excuse insurrection, fraud, pardoning of hundreds of violent criminals and rape of underage girls...
It really doesn't reduce polarisation, it emboldens the evil perpatrators and has a cooling effect on your support, as seen in the 2024 election.
Clinton is problematic as fuck, but holy shit the difference between reading this and the "your mom" outrageously stupid sounding bullshit the current admin puts out is so remarkable. I do so miss having smart people at the top. Say what you want about Clinton and Obama, at least both were wicked smart and able to communicate well.
It's my job to communicate complex ideas to a general audience in clear, concise ways. I've been doing it for 30 years, and I still sometimes fuck it up. Communication is hard, and it's amazing that it ever works. But watching the general level of public discourse become a race to the bottom has felt like the worsening of an infected wound.
I usually refer to marketing/advertising as the dark arts, half-jokingly. I'm not joking here. What MAGA's done with language is a literal curse.
Except, you helped significantly get us here, Bill.
You and you shitty fucking wife, not only moved the Overton Window MUCH further right with your presidency, but you and your wife forced themselves upon Dem voters in 2016 regardless of the fact you were and are both insanely unpopular with the voter base.
You're an asshole. Hillary is an asshole. You both enabled this shit, and should be held accountable too.
Well that's a revisionist republican take. Dude balanced the budget. Hillary's primary was fair, Bernie was never popular with registered Democrats, he was never going to win and anybody not buying republican bullshit was well aware of it. If anything Clinton pulled the window left before 9/11 and revenge of the Bush put the final nails in the coffin.
There's too much to explain how fucking awful bill Clinton is and how hard he fucked us from NAFTA to the crime bill and so much in between. So laugh your ass off to this and see you in a few hours.
Also the Democratic supermajority killing Bernie when he was winning the vast majority of popular votes of the Democratic primary made it clear to many that the Democratic party isn't ever going to work in their interest or budge a fraction left of enabling conservatives. There's just zero evidence that he wasn't going to win, but there was plenty that Hillary was much less popular.
Jesus Christ some jackasses podcast isn't a source. This dumb fuckery is why Americans deserve what we're getting, we're a bunch of belligerent dumb fucks listening to other dumb fucks like they know shit. Bernie got barely half the primary votes that Hillary got. It wasn't even close. Bernie was popular with progressives who didn't register Dem or vote in the primary. Y'all are too stupid to understand first past the post or the spoiler effect or the way the two party system means you have to vote for the lesser of two evils or you are explicitly condoning the greater evil. If you wanted Bernie you all should have registered Dem and voted for him in the primary but you didn't, nevermind that Bernie isn't even a fucking Dem and the idea he'd get the party nom was ridiculous from the get go. Fucks sake the Bernie bullshit is literally Russian propaganda and I'm tired of hearing idiots repeat it.
Idk bout ur whole argument of russian propaganda but
"Y'all are too stupid to understand first past the post or the spoiler effect or the way the two party system means you have to vote for the lesser of two evils or you are explicitly condoning the greater evil."
Is both seemingly valid and entirely a crock of shit that will result in ratcheting towards fascism every single time.
No it won't if you primary establishment with progressives and actual leftists. If progressives had registered and voted in Dem primaries everywhere every time we'd have an actually progressive party. But too many dipshits buy the both sides bullshit.
Blaming the voter base will never work, and just serves the interest of the right wing steer.
You must hold the dems accountable, and primary them for sure.
But both sides ARE terrible and the dems are highly complicit, it's not about people 'buying' anything, it's about not rewarding people who happily increase funding to ICE under the current scenario.
You can't expect fundamentally disenfranchised people to play in a game that's rigged against good without inspiring them with hope.
Look at Mamdani, there were no candidates in the 2024 election like that. Why? Simple...
THERE WAS NO DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
BLAME THE PARTY, who forced this upon us! They lost an easily winnable election, no-one else is half as culpable.
It doesn't play out that way because you and people like you refuse to take any responsibility or accountability for yourselves and don't vote. All of you willfully let the republicans take over and do this. Everything happening right now is the direct fault and responsibility of everyone who did not vote Democrat in every primary and general since 2016. It's utterly fucked that you need feel the need to be convinced to vote on your best interests, even when it's fucking existential, and here you still are refusing to take responsibility for your lack of civil engagement. Everything about your whole take is why Americans deserve what's happening to us. Most of us couldn't be fucked to do the bare goddamn minimum. Americans are fully utterly totally responsible for everything the Trump regime is doing. Take some goddamn responsibility for yourself.
You don't deserve the down votes for stating uncomfortable truths. The DNC was NEVER going to give Bernie the nomination, for the simple reason that he's not a Democrat.
I understand the criticism of Clinton. I would also appreciate it more if people from ALL parties, especially the GOP would step up for basic human rights and if they would write such letters
Oh, so you're gonna give a call to action then? Maybe designate a day for a national strike? Call out individuals most responsible and push for their impeachment? Call for boycotts of companies? Anything like that?
No? Just general words and a subtle wish that things will magically get better?
I would like him to testify in front of competent people. I mean with the republican party questioning him do you really think they're going to ask him anything interesting when so many many answers would likely be: "Hey I was there with half your political party, just ask the president and all your colleages who were there." I do hope the contempt goes through because if it goes to an actual court you might get some names.
Well his definition of having sex is when someone else finishes you. He doesn't believe it's sex if you finish yourself off. Nothing prior counts. So take that as you will.
Inaccessible screenshots of web content are ruining the web.
::: spoiler Post needs link to source.
Images of text break much that text alternatives do not.
Losses due to image of text lacking alternative such as link:
usability
we can't quote the text without pointless bullshit like retyping it or OCR
To make matters even worse, at every turn, the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we've seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities.
Fuck Bill Clinton, he might have done more to get us here than any president before Trump, but how is this finger wagging? It's critical of Trump but is directed toward the general population.
That wouldn't matter if it wasn't for all the unconstitutional policies the W administration put in place post 9/11. That was the day the terrorists won.
Yeah, an extension of Reagan directives, but so was Reagan a product of megacorps & lobbyists that worked it's way into controlling the politics long before that - a failed actor made the main face of (de)regulation & wealth concentration.
Had any of the two made steps towards more democratic representation of the people the situation in USA would have been very different.
Indeed. But he still has questions to be answered and his victims deserve those answers regardless of the ‘moral’ high ground he perceives to take. They all do.
Not sure what it is like in other countries, but you should know that it is extremely RARE in US politics for a former president to speak out against the current president. Even rarer to issue a formal statement.
Yeah, that's cute. We're a little past the point where the ruffling of the ruling class' powdered wigs impresses anyone.
Not sure the little kids screaming for their parents care.
I don't think folks getting their faces kicked and scraped against the pavement care.
It was also rare for the current president to bitch about past presidents. Or sell cars, phones, etc.
"I love tessler!"
At least in my lifetime, every president has commented critically about the previous administration.
You're absolutely right that US presidents have historically not used their position for personal profit, or at least not overtly so. Jimmy Carter famously sold his potato farm upon being elected in order to avoid potential conflict of interest.
Oh, sorry, I might not have been aware of much of the smaller things (I'm not from them USA parts) - but I was trying to make the distinction between 'polite criticism for distancing themselves from the previous admin' (something all politicians do on all political levels, even in cases of direct policy/friendship/spiritual succession, even in companies actually, it enables the new admin to be their own distinct thing & get traction among the people & coworkers sooner) & just bitching for the sake of it, calling names etc.
Also wasn't it a peanut farm?
Yes! I meant to say peanut lol. Had to go back and see what the heck I typed.
Side note: this being a rarity is probably a net good thing. History shows that when the old guy and the new guy fight, it doesn't bring unity or peaceful transfers of power which are arguably more important than the bad one getting whatever they deserve.
Argue how its more important then, i'd like to hear it
If the incumbent knows the new guy will put him in jail, which is a common thing in parts of the world where power is not often transferred gracefully, he will fight to the death to hold on to power.
If the new guy lets the old guy slink away, it reduces political polarization. Who cares about the old guy at that point? Because everybody benefits from less polarization and more unity.
(Thanks for answering and bear in mind I forgot the context of me asking you to explain before replying so don't take it too personally 😅)
Except if you don't prosecute them they get more bold and brazen. You can't really be advocating for some of the worst criminals in history to face no accountability.
Look what's happening right now in the US, if Biden had properly held Trump accountable we wouldn't be in this situation.
Where was the peaceful transfer of power?
Seems to me like you just want to excuse insurrection, fraud, pardoning of hundreds of violent criminals and rape of underage girls...
It really doesn't reduce polarisation, it emboldens the evil perpatrators and has a cooling effect on your support, as seen in the 2024 election.
Not explicitly, no, but he's referenced by "The people in charge."
Because Trump isn't the only one responsible.
Oh wow! So brave!
Clinton is problematic as fuck, but holy shit the difference between reading this and the "your mom" outrageously stupid sounding bullshit the current admin puts out is so remarkable. I do so miss having smart people at the top. Say what you want about Clinton and Obama, at least both were wicked smart and able to communicate well.
It's my job to communicate complex ideas to a general audience in clear, concise ways. I've been doing it for 30 years, and I still sometimes fuck it up. Communication is hard, and it's amazing that it ever works. But watching the general level of public discourse become a race to the bottom has felt like the worsening of an infected wound.
I usually refer to marketing/advertising as the dark arts, half-jokingly. I'm not joking here. What MAGA's done with language is a literal curse.
I take special note in Stephen Miller repeatedly calling the protestors "insurrectionists".
It's a total propaganda bitch slap to the stupid.
"Remember when lots of angry people made one side mad and you learned the word insurrectionist? That's how we use it now. Don't look back."
I don't know if this tactic has a name in rhetoric, but it is a cancer that seems to grow larger than the educated via the uneducated.
Probably a persuasive definition.
Clinton being all over the Epstein Files really undercuts any decorum hes got.
Idgaf how well he spoke if he was abusing underage girls.
well, he's being compared to someone who was also abusing underage girls.
This timeline is fucked
He’s called for all the files to be released, fwiw
Clinton would be problematic even without all the nasty sexual stuff
"Communication" isn't something to value itself when its being used to whitewash atrocities.
Except, you helped significantly get us here, Bill.
You and you shitty fucking wife, not only moved the Overton Window MUCH further right with your presidency, but you and your wife forced themselves upon Dem voters in 2016 regardless of the fact you were and are both insanely unpopular with the voter base.
You're an asshole. Hillary is an asshole. You both enabled this shit, and should be held accountable too.
... and the statement is typical of the milquetoast "strongly worded letter" response that made Democrats into the weak hand they are now
Well that's a revisionist republican take. Dude balanced the budget. Hillary's primary was fair, Bernie was never popular with registered Democrats, he was never going to win and anybody not buying republican bullshit was well aware of it. If anything Clinton pulled the window left before 9/11 and revenge of the Bush put the final nails in the coffin.
There's too much to explain how fucking awful bill Clinton is and how hard he fucked us from NAFTA to the crime bill and so much in between. So laugh your ass off to this and see you in a few hours.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/299-the-dollop-with-dave-27979491/episode/700-bill-clinton-with-james-293125259/
Also the Democratic supermajority killing Bernie when he was winning the vast majority of popular votes of the Democratic primary made it clear to many that the Democratic party isn't ever going to work in their interest or budge a fraction left of enabling conservatives. There's just zero evidence that he wasn't going to win, but there was plenty that Hillary was much less popular.
Jesus Christ some jackasses podcast isn't a source. This dumb fuckery is why Americans deserve what we're getting, we're a bunch of belligerent dumb fucks listening to other dumb fucks like they know shit. Bernie got barely half the primary votes that Hillary got. It wasn't even close. Bernie was popular with progressives who didn't register Dem or vote in the primary. Y'all are too stupid to understand first past the post or the spoiler effect or the way the two party system means you have to vote for the lesser of two evils or you are explicitly condoning the greater evil. If you wanted Bernie you all should have registered Dem and voted for him in the primary but you didn't, nevermind that Bernie isn't even a fucking Dem and the idea he'd get the party nom was ridiculous from the get go. Fucks sake the Bernie bullshit is literally Russian propaganda and I'm tired of hearing idiots repeat it.
Idk bout ur whole argument of russian propaganda but
Is both seemingly valid and entirely a crock of shit that will result in ratcheting towards fascism every single time.
No it won't if you primary establishment with progressives and actual leftists. If progressives had registered and voted in Dem primaries everywhere every time we'd have an actually progressive party. But too many dipshits buy the both sides bullshit.
It really doesn't play out like that though.
Blaming the voter base will never work, and just serves the interest of the right wing steer.
You must hold the dems accountable, and primary them for sure.
But both sides ARE terrible and the dems are highly complicit, it's not about people 'buying' anything, it's about not rewarding people who happily increase funding to ICE under the current scenario.
You can't expect fundamentally disenfranchised people to play in a game that's rigged against good without inspiring them with hope.
Look at Mamdani, there were no candidates in the 2024 election like that. Why? Simple... THERE WAS NO DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
BLAME THE PARTY, who forced this upon us! They lost an easily winnable election, no-one else is half as culpable.
It doesn't play out that way because you and people like you refuse to take any responsibility or accountability for yourselves and don't vote. All of you willfully let the republicans take over and do this. Everything happening right now is the direct fault and responsibility of everyone who did not vote Democrat in every primary and general since 2016. It's utterly fucked that you need feel the need to be convinced to vote on your best interests, even when it's fucking existential, and here you still are refusing to take responsibility for your lack of civil engagement. Everything about your whole take is why Americans deserve what's happening to us. Most of us couldn't be fucked to do the bare goddamn minimum. Americans are fully utterly totally responsible for everything the Trump regime is doing. Take some goddamn responsibility for yourself.
. Scorpion ass motherfuckers.
You don't deserve the down votes for stating uncomfortable truths. The DNC was NEVER going to give Bernie the nomination, for the simple reason that he's not a Democrat.
We now live in a world where Slick Willy is a voice of reason.
We already lived in a world where Dan Quayle saved Democracy, at least for a few years
No. I mean calmly explained to Pence that there was no way to legally justify doing what Trump wanted him to.
Oof.
Potatoe
And we look back at the 'nucular' brockly puking right wing warmonger who wasn't trying to kill our own civilians with only moderate disgust.
We now live in a world where George W looks like a fantastic president.
I understand the criticism of Clinton. I would also appreciate it more if people from ALL parties, especially the GOP would step up for basic human rights and if they would write such letters
Guess who signed the bill to tear down regulations on media companies that made such awful, blatant dishonesty more difficult?
This belongs in leopards in eating faces.
Oh, so you're gonna give a call to action then? Maybe designate a day for a national strike? Call out individuals most responsible and push for their impeachment? Call for boycotts of companies? Anything like that?
No? Just general words and a subtle wish that things will magically get better?
Ok, thanks Billy.
Can’t be a day, any protest has to last until the desired change happens otherwise it’s a party.
Deregulation champ weary about lack or regulation.
And then Trump read the message and was like "dude, I have to be good now!"..
Is that all they do in the opposition? Writing letters? No wonder you guys are all going to hell.
Words are great and all, but please put your money where your mouth is, Bill.
You don’t have to go Unabomber but funding has impact, too. If anything, it’s the only language besides violence that works here.
No no. Other people pay politicians to have opinions, silly. They don't fund political movements, they use them to gain leverage in elections. Duh /s
Bill Clinton tweet: Everything Slick Willy should say
Angry Leftists: Bah! You suuuuuck! Fuck you Clinton! BlAARghh! DEAaaaaaTH! Deth to ALL!1
Me: Huh.
It's a nice tweet and I agree with it but I'd rather he was testifying about what he did on Epstein's island
I would like him to testify in front of competent people. I mean with the republican party questioning him do you really think they're going to ask him anything interesting when so many many answers would likely be: "Hey I was there with half your political party, just ask the president and all your colleages who were there." I do hope the contempt goes through because if it goes to an actual court you might get some names.
My prediction of his testimony of Epstein Island: "I saw, but I didn't partake."
Well his definition of having sex is when someone else finishes you. He doesn't believe it's sex if you finish yourself off. Nothing prior counts. So take that as you will.
It's either that or just go in chains, like all politicians he's going to lie his ass off.
Still a nice letter he put out there telling us to protest, i agree with that.
Just wait for the 'contempt' power play. If the House follows through, Clintons get discovery! Oops....
Yeah people really struggle to hold two thoughts at once these days
He had to release as statement because he's the embassador of Epstein Island, Trump's former position.
That's cute, Bill, but are you going to ban Trump from sucking your dick until he defunds ICE? Because until you take that step, this is all talk.
What actions of a lifetime are you (Bill, not OP) suggesting to stop ICE?
Probably exercising the 2A rights
Slam!
Inaccessible screenshots of web content are ruining the web. ::: spoiler Post needs link to source. Images of text break much that text alternatives do not. Losses due to image of text lacking alternative such as link:
Contrary to age & humble appearance, text is an advanced technology that provides all these capabilities absent from images. :::
Fortunately, she saved us from that scary socialist.
When Democrats talk, I am reminded of this:
https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/3/2/
Oh! That's an interesting development. Now let's see how the other two react (three? Can Biden still even talk?)
Fuck Bill Clinton, he might have done more to get us here than any president before Trump, but how is this finger wagging? It's critical of Trump but is directed toward the general population.
I wouldn't be so sure. Dubya didn't turn the democrats into a party that could lose to Trump.
That wouldn't matter if it wasn't for all the unconstitutional policies the W administration put in place post 9/11. That was the day the terrorists won.
This really doesn't seem like something worth arguing over.
Dubya has him beat by a country mile, but still, fuck this guy. Fuck Reagan too.
There's plenty of blame to go around. I think Clinton turning the Democrats into a bunch of corporate tools was a response to Reagan.
Yeah, an extension of Reagan directives, but so was Reagan a product of megacorps & lobbyists that worked it's way into controlling the politics long before that - a failed actor made the main face of (de)regulation & wealth concentration.
Had any of the two made steps towards more democratic representation of the people the situation in USA would have been very different.
Indeed. But he still has questions to be answered and his victims deserve those answers regardless of the ‘moral’ high ground he perceives to take. They all do.
Gee fuckin whiz Billy, you saved the republic with your strongly worded letter. Good job buddy!
What exactly do you expect him to do? Go suicide bomb the oval office?
I want to see him fist fight Trump, one on one. Seriously though, the democratic response to all of this has been underwhelming to say the least.
Why are all your comments deleted? Are you a bot or a troll?
They were complaining that this is not technically a “microblog” I think.