Slashdot Mirror


Donald Trump Obliquely Backs a Federal Database To Track Muslims

HughPickens.com writes: Philip Bump reports at the Washington Post that Donald Trump confirmed to NBC on Thursday evening that he supports a database to track Muslims in the United States. The database of Muslims arose after an interview Yahoo News's Hunter Walker conducted with Trump earlier this week, during which he asked the Republican front-runner to weigh in on the current debate over refugees from Syria. "We're going to have to do things that we never did before," Trump told Walker. "Some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule." When pressed on whether these measures might include tracking Muslim Americans in a database or noting their religious affiliations on identification cards, Trump would not go into detail — but did not reject the options. Trump's reply? "We're going to have to — we're going to have to look at a lot of things very closely," he said. "We're going to have to look at the mosques. We're going to have to look very, very carefully." After an event on in Newton, Iowa, on Thursday night, NBC's Vaughn Hillyard pressed the point. "Should there be a database system that tracks Muslims here in this country?," Hillyard asked. "There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases" Trump said. "We should have a lot of systems." Hillyard asked about implementation, including the process of adding people to the system. "Good management procedures," Trump said. Sign people up at mosques, Hillyard asked? "Different places," Trump replied. "You sign them up at different places. But it's all about management."

21 of 608 comments (clear)

  1. Unbelievable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The cataloging, rounding up, and internment of the Japanese is one of the darkest and frankly most embarrassing chapters in America's history. I can't believe someone is honestly suggesting that we do this again.

    1. Re:Unbelievable by meglon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      To me it sounds more like having them wear something to single them out... maybe a yellow Star of David, as it worked so well in the past for the last group of fascists.

      --
      Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
    2. Re:Unbelievable by ScentCone · · Score: 5, Informative

      I can't believe someone is honestly suggesting that we do this again.

      You mean, the reporter who suggested it? Yeah, pretty awful. Watch the entire sequence, and listen to the questions the OTHER reporter is asking at the same time, which he's answering at the same time. I don't like Trump. But this characterization is BS, and you either know it or should. He's said he wants to keep track of recent immigrants so we don't have what the French just put up with, and he said "I'd definitely do that" to the second reporter (in a loud room) who asked him about the border wall/fence, not some mythical "muslim database" that was present only in the mouth of the reporter who dreamt it up. You don't have to like Trump to dislike out of context spin.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    3. Re: Unbelievable by Rei · · Score: 5, Informative

      You joke, but there actually is a Pakistani children's show called Burqa Avenger about a burqa-wearing ninja who fights people that try to stop girls from getting an education. ;)

      One could take the joke from SATW and pit an arabian or south asian woman in a burqa against a Somali ship hijacker and get an epic Ninja vs. Pirate battle ;)

      --
      Hello from Sputnik 2. I am receiving you.
    4. Re:Unbelievable by Calibax · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It was against the Constitution to place American citizens of Japanese descent in interment camps without being convicted on any crime back in the second world war. That didn't stop it happening. The Supreme Court even said it was OK back in 1944, in possibly one of the worst decisions in the history of the court.

      The people who were held were unable to earn a living and were unable to pay outstanding income taxes or the taxes on their property. Even if they had the money they had no access to it. Their property was seized and sold as a result. Those that survived the camps with a minimum of food and no heath care had lost everything they had worked for by the time they were released after the war. Only a few suggested putting people of German or Italian descent in camps, and they were ignored.

      It's a short step from identifying those of a particular religion to government discrimination in travel, jobs, housing or freedom.

    5. Re:Unbelievable by Grishnakh · · Score: 4, Informative

      Oh please. The Trail of Tears, generations of slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings, etc. all are much worse than rounding some people up in camps for a relatively short time during a huge war. Not that it wasn't a stain on our history, but to imply it's worse than the things above is just ridiculous. Even Guantanamo seems worse, given how long those guys have been imprisoned there without due process (10+ years), whereas the Japanese were released when the war was over, which was no longer than 4 years.

    6. Re: Unbelievable by Toth · · Score: 4, Interesting

      No dog in this hunt. I don't live in the USA.
      I agree with you. I've listened to several of the in-context interviews and read some transcripts. The interpenetration of his comments is political.
      He didn't say what folks are saying he said and I don't think he meant the things that folks are saying he meant.

      I am close enough to death to be immune to any economic damage to me regardless of who becomes President of the USA. My federal pensions will not go down because I am a baby boomer and if you screw with our federal pensions, you probably won't get re-elected. I have some non-government income sources which allows for trips and toys but I can have a warm dry place to sleep and sufficient food, Internet, etc, on a governemt pension.

      The wrong guy might get me killed earlier than I would have died of natural causes but I think that is remote.

      From my own, watching from (somewhat) afar, I would like to see, Trump, Carson or Sanders become president. Not just for entertainment value (although that would be abundant) , but because it would mean the American Citizens authorized this President.

      My Dad, WWII vet, once said to me, "I love Britain but I hate the British. I hate America but I love the Americans.

    7. Re: Unbelievable by AnontheDestroyer · · Score: 4, Informative

      Trump explained how he'd sign Muslims up in the database:
      "It's good management."

      When asked whether he'd go to a mosque, or what:
        "You sign them up in different places."

      Video link:
      http://www.nbcnews.com/video/t...

      But you seem like the type who is more likely to blame the media than attempt to understand facts, so hopefully others will read this, and catch onto your party's stupid little anti-media ruse.

    8. Re:Unbelievable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The Koran has its 5 pillars and never really comes away from conversion by force unto death if necessary.

      The five pillars being profession of faith, prayer, charity, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage. Meanwhile from the bible (also a Muslim holy book, I should note):

      Deuteronomy 17:
      2 If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,
      3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
      4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:
      5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.

      If you want some new testament:
      Luke 19:27:
      But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

    9. Re:Unbelievable by dywolf · · Score: 4, Informative

      Trump: We have to do something about Muslims.
      Reporter: What, like a database?
      Trump (actual quote): "I would certainly implement that, absolutely. There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases. We should have a lot of systems."
      Reporter: Should Muslims be legally obligated to sign into the database?
      Trump (actual quote): "They have to be — they have to be."

      So any attempt to say he didn't talk about databases is pure bullshit.
      He was not talking about immigration.
      He was talking about Muslims.

      Your entire case is built on the idea that the database was suggested by the reporter and not Trump, but the fact he gladly went went along with it, expounded on it, and then later suggested special IDs and shutting down -ALL- Mosques, makes that irrelevant.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
  2. Ben Carson was actually right bout something. by meglon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/30/...

    Clearly there could be the rise of a charismatic egomaniac who preys on the fears and hatred of the conservatives, making groups out to be the scapegoats (Muslims, gays, immigrants... at least it's not Jews this time around). Everything Trump says about these groups are the same things that Goebbels and Hitler were saying about Jews. We are witnessing the rise of the radical fascists Europe had to deal with 80 years ago. How in the hell are people so damn fucking stupid not to learn from history?

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  3. TIL; Not saying "NO" = "YES" by flashgordo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Trump would not go into detail — but did not reject the options" apparently Not saying "NO" = "YES"

  4. This is getting nuttier by the day by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Lately I've been feeling like I'm in a Philip K Dick novel.

    --
    Mostly random stuff.
  5. Re: MySQL, postgres, SqlServer, or Oracle? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's time someone asked The Donald what he thinks of systemd.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  6. Re:Liberal misinformation by AnontheDestroyer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Nope. You're living in your own little fantasy world, sponsored by Rush Limbaugh. Trump explained how he'd sign Muslims up for the database.

    The reason this is a good move is because people like you are so delusional you'll give him a pass because you would sooner blame the media than pull your head out of your ass.

  7. Nope. by denzacar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    http://www.nbcnews.com/politic...

    He is explicitly asked should there be a Muslim-tracking database system to which he replies the whole nonsense about "There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases" and "signing up at different places" when asked about signing people up at mosques.

    Nobody is putting words in his mouth.
    He IS an idiot that does not think or listen to other people and talks in thought-terminating cliches but he clearly understood those questions and replied to them in his poorly thought through manner.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
    1. Re:Nope. by sysrammer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Nonsense. He's a politician. He purposefully obfuscated the answer.

      --
      His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
  8. Re:Liberal misinformation by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Informative

    Nope. You're living in your own little fantasy world, sponsored by Rush Limbaugh. Trump explained how he'd sign Muslims up for the database.

    I don't like Trump (really, I don't like any of the candidates, but......), but as far as I can tell, he didn't say he'd sign Muslims up for a database. He carefully worded his way around it, continually returning to building a wall (so useful that will be~ ), and generally avoided the reporter's question. Here is the actual transcript, you can judge for yourself. I'm giving my understanding of it, he was careful to avoid saying he would sign Muslims up for a database (and even more avoided how he would accomplish it, "management"):

    Hillyard: Should there be a database or system that tracks Muslims in this country?

    Trump: There should be a lot of systems. Beyond databases. I mean, we should have a lot of systems. And today you can do it. But right now we have to have a border, we have to have strength, we have to have a wall, and we cannot let what’s happening in this country happen any longer.

    Hillyard: But that’s something your White House would want to implement?

    Trump: Oh, I would certainly implement that. Absolutely.

    Hillyard: What do you think the effect of that—how would that work?

    Trump: It would stop people from coming in illegally. We have to stop people from coming in to our country illegally.

    Hillyard: But specifically, how do you actually get them registered into a database?

    Trump: It would be just good management. What you have to do is good management procedures. And we can do that. [to someone else] That’s nice.

    Hillyard: Do you go to mosques and sign people up?

    Trump: Different places. You sign ’em up at different, but it’s all about management. Our country has no management.

    Hillyard: Would they have to legally be in this database, would they be—

    Trump: They have to—they have to be. Let me just tell you: People can come to the country, but they have to come legally. Thank you very much.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  9. Out Of Context by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    I came here to see how many people would be flipping their shit over the idea. I watched the video, and to my disappointment discovered that Trump didn't suggest anything about said Moslim Database, it was the Reporter shoving it down his throat. And if you listen to the conversation, it seems like the Reporter and Trump are talking about two completely different things!

    Come on, ppl!

  10. Re:Religon not the problem by Grishnakh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The problem is that the whole thing lends itself to "wackadoodles". You have an entire system of belief based on nothing but hearsay, with some ancient goat-herders writing down some oral traditions that have been embellished over generations, and then telling people that this stuff is literal truth. Then people believe this stuff with no evidence for it whatsoever, other than other people reading the same texts and also claiming it's literal truth from God. From there, it's a very small stretch to take some part of that "literal truth" and decide that it really means you need to go murder some people. The Bible after all says that if you have children who disobey you, you're supposed to stone them to death. All these books are full of nonsense like that.

    And the "wackadoodles" have been doing this for literally millenia. Christians used to routinely burn people at the stake for being the "wrong" kind of Christian, and interpreting this "word of God" differently.

    As long as people believe that some book is the "word of God" then you're never going to get past this stuff. People need to move to actual ethical systems where you can evaluate them based on reason, not superstition.

  11. Trump misheard the question by goombah99 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I watched the video and it seems clear to me he misheard the questions. He never uses the word Muslim himself. the reported just put it out there and it seems clear he thought the question is do we register immigrants.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.