# Extricating us from the Imbroglio: Repairing the Damage **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 20, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007 "2021-01-20T18:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/41 "2021-01-22T17:41:25Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > opens thread, sees pun war) > > What fresh shell is this? You guys crack me up. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/42 "2021-01-22T18:10:15Z")
I won’t brood over the pun war, but neither will I give it a standing ova-tion. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/43 "2021-01-22T18:12:40Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Apparently now Biden has a lie/false statement. The score is now > Trump “too many to count” > Biden 1 Gotta love that the first lie is the he said “All” when he should’ve said “Many.” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/44 "2021-01-22T18:27:40Z")
Biden detrumpifies the Oval Office. > **[Biden removes Trump's Diet Coke button from the Oval Office](https://news.yahoo.com/biden-removes-trumps-diet-coke-202141569.html)** > > It's the end of a very caffeinated era.When former President Donald Trump occupied the Oval Office, he quite literally had a button on his desk that ordered a Diet Coke to the room whenever it was pressed. But as a glimpse at President Biden's desk... > [@](#): > > President Biden has removed the Diet Coke button. When [@ShippersUnbound](https://twitter.com/ShippersUnbound?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) and I interviewed Donald Trump in 2019, we became fascinated by what the little red button did. Eventually Trump pressed it, and a butler swiftly brought in a Diet Coke on a silver platter. It’s gone now. [pic.twitter.com/rFzhPaHYjk](https://t.co/rFzhPaHYjk) > > — Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) [January 21, 2021](https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1352284365854806017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/45 "2021-01-22T18:32:15Z")
I find that difficult to believe. Trump drinking Diet Coke? And not insisting on a gold-ish platter? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/46 "2021-01-22T18:34:46Z")
It must be true! I saw it on the Internet! ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/47 "2021-01-22T18:38:20Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > I find that difficult to believe. Trump drinking Diet Coke? Dude’s diet consists of McDonald’s and Diet coke, which I totally buy: > **[Trump reportedly drinks 12 cans of Diet Coke each day. Is that healthy?](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/12/12/trump-reportedly-drinks-12-cans-of-diet-coke-each-day-is-that-healthy/)** > > Experts debate the health effects of diet soda and its possible role in stroke, dementia and weight gain. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/48 "2021-01-22T18:46:05Z")
Well, to be fair, quite a few times Joe has been rated as Half True or not giving all the facts. Mind you , that compares very well with the constant stream of “Pants on Fire” or similar rating for the last guy. Most of the half true is because when Joe gave a speech or something, he didnt make it a hour longer, giving all the nuances. > **[PolitiFact | Joe Biden](https://www.politifact.com/personalities/joe-biden/)** > > PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter. > **[PolitiFact | Donald Trump](https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/)** > > PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/49 "2021-01-22T18:47:07Z")
I would suggest that Trump learned the Diet Coke button thing from Nero Wolfe, but that would imply he knew how to read. ---
**Author:** ![GreaterZamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GreaterZamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreaterZamboni)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/50 "2021-01-22T18:48:32Z")
We should distinguish between a “Lie”, which is a deliberate misstatement meant to mislead, and a mistake, which is just a misstatement of fact without intent to mislead. I made many mistakes on my high school tests, but they were honest mistakes, not lies. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/51 "2021-01-22T18:57:17Z")
Trump to Li’l Kim: My red button calls up a bigger Diet Coke than your red button! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/52 "2021-01-22T19:03:12Z")
Zo! Biden says “all journalists” question his vax prediction when in fact it’s only “some” journalists do, and now the media are all over the story. I expect the Cognitive Behavior Therapists are also all over this. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/53 "2021-01-22T19:51:11Z")
I remember one of the Vicente Fox videos poking fun at Trump early in his presidency. “Donald, I notice you drink a lot of Diet Coke… which, by the way, is not working…” 🤣🤣🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/54 "2021-01-22T19:55:48Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Dude’s diet consists of McDonald’s and Diet coke, which I totally buy: That explains the late night twitterhea, that’s a heaping amount of caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/55 "2021-01-22T23:45:51Z")
I’m still waiting to see Biden get cracking on getting those kids out of those cages. (Have I missed something?) That’s gotta be some high-priority un-clusterfucking that needs to be done. There’s still no guessing how many of those kids can ever be reconnected with their families. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/56 "2021-01-23T01:51:13Z")
Totally agree it’s a humanitarian disaster and a stain on the USA on the scale of the Japanese interment of WWII. I’d happily turn the officials involved over to the Hague for trial as war criminals. But if we genuinely don’t have the data to reconnect kids to families, how can we just release them? To adoption agencies? To anyone who wants one? My point is this might be a genuinely un-unscrambl-able egg. As long as the kids are in some Federal custody, and hopefully a humane kid-friendly one, we retain the practical ability to reunite whoever we can identify. Once we disperse the kids they’re gone beyond recovery. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/57 "2021-01-23T02:07:34Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Trump drinking Diet Coke? Never have I been happier to prefer Coke Zero. I’ve always thought Diet Coke was kinda nasty and now I’ve discovered another reason why. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/58 "2021-01-23T02:43:38Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But if we genuinely don’t have the data to reconnect kids to families, how can we just release them? To adoption agencies? To anyone who wants one? > > My point is this might be a genuinely un-unscrambl-able egg. Maybe it takes Genhis Khan’s Hordes of humanitarian social workers going door-to-door throughout Central America, knocking on doors trying to find parents of missing kids. And no American humanitarian agency can do it – Central American will never trust them. I think we need to recruit some well-reputed international agencies to send their volunteers knocking door-to-door throughout Central America. Perhaps the International Red Cross, or maybe the Red Crescent, or maybe Doctors Without Borders would have better credibility than any American group. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/59 "2021-01-23T03:12:02Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Never have I been happier to prefer Coke Zero. I’ve always thought Diet Coke was kinda nasty and now I’ve discovered another reason why. I’m another Coke Zero fan. I like the flavored varieties like Cherry and Orange Vanilla. But they stopped production on those because of Covid. So I was happy last month when I saw a twelve pack of Orange Vanilla Coke Zero for sale. I figured it was back in production at last. But it isn’t. I looked online and they haven’t made any Orange Vanilla Coke Zero since 2019. I apparently had just found a twelve pack that had been sitting on the shelf for two years. Tasted okay. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007/60 "2021-01-23T03:19:17Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Totally agree it’s a humanitarian disaster and a stain on the USA on the scale of the Japanese interment of WWII. I’d happily turn the officials involved over to the Hague for trial as war criminals. > > But if we genuinely don’t have the data to reconnect kids to families, how can we just release them? To adoption agencies? To anyone who wants one? The massive error was the decision to not do something really simple; fingerprint everyone as they were taken into custody. That’s so standard that somebody had to have made an active decision to not do it. Reuniting families now will require a huge amount of DNA testing. Those cost a few hundred dollars each. Multiply that by the hundreds of children involved and the hundreds of adults who will have to be tested. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extricating-us-from-the-imbroglio-repairing-the-damage/931007.md?page=4)