Trump

[wmw999 2,444]

Personally, I think a good, real, crisis might just reset. Because then people will have to help each other. But it'd have to be the kind of crisis that did away with the money and power of a significant number of rich people. There was a wealthy industrial baron in our family in the 00's to the 20's; he lost his money in the 30's, and didn't quite live long enough for his fortunes to recover in WW2 (it would have). So all that wealth was redistributed. 

I think one of the worst things that Bush 2 did in the Iraq/Afghanistan war (besides invading Iraq because a war tests a president) was to tell America that they should go on with their normal lives as though nothing were happening. Way to tell us we don't have to pull together.

Wendy P.

[JerryBaumchen 1,362]

1 hour ago, ryoder said:

"The Death of Stain"(2017) is an entertaining film on the topic. It is a dark comedy.

Hi Robert,

Yup.  However, at times, as I watched it, I wondered just how much might be true.

Crazy times back then.

Jerry Baumchen

 

[JoeWeber 2,720]

3 hours ago, SkyDekker said:

Not sure it is a population issue. I think any democracy is doomed when the spread between the have and have nots gets too big.

You're right, for sure. Rockefeller and Carnegie were as rich or richer than our current slate of oligarchs yet the system held through some tough times. Obviously I can't know what the number is but it seems to me that at a certain point enough people will have enough personal power and wealth that the will of the people will become an inconvenience. Even now at least 40% of Americans can be talked out of democracy by a two-bit shyster so we must be getting close.

[kallend 2,026]

6 hours ago, JoeWeber said:

  Even now at least 40% of Americans can be talked out of democracy by a two-bit shyster so we must be getting close.

This.

What an indictment of our education systems that such a large fraction possesses no critical thinking skills.

[nigel99 471]

1 hour ago, kallend said:

This.

What an indictment of our education systems that such a large fraction possesses no critical thinking skills.

Talking of critical thinking skills. Trump is raging about how Haitian migrants are taking black jobs. 

[kallend 2,026]

Trump is blaming Harris for the fact that deranged people with unfettered access to military style weapons take pot shots at him.

Could it possibly be gun laws that allow deranged people unfettered access to military style weapons, laws that he and his party support, that are to blame?

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

1 hour ago, kallend said:

Trump is blaming Harris for the fact that deranged people with unfettered access to military style weapons take pot shots at him.

Could it possibly be gun laws that allow deranged people unfettered access to military style weapons, laws that he and his party support, that are to blame?

Seen elsewhere:

We need a democrat to introduce a REALLY strict gun control bill.

Name it the "Protect Donald Trump" law.
The Rs would be forced to either enact gun control or admit they don't care about Trumpty Dumpty.
Watch Republican heads explode.

On a more serious note:

The charges against the guy in Florida are possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated (removed) serial number.

So it appears that if he didn't have a prior record and hadn't tried to remove the serial number from the rifle...

He wouldn't be facing any charges.

Fascinating.

[Phil1111 1,149]

Trump recently announced a new project to supply California with water from Canada. Evidently a 'very large faucet" of a Canadian river that flows into the ocean and is thus wasted can be rerouted to California.

As the "greatest builder" in US history trump enterprises will get the water to flow uphill and over to the thirsty US S.W.

Genius, his supporters cheered.

Edited September 17, 2024 by Phil1111

[jakee 1,489]

Just one more of those times that I am totally unable to tell if that’s real or an Onion headline. Help me out here.

[billvon 2,990]

I didn't put much credence in the rumors that Laura Loomer and Trump are getting it on, but then Trump said this about it:

"Well, I don’t know what they would say. Laura has been a supporter of mine, just like a lot of people are supporters and she’s been a supporter of mine. She speaks very positively of the campaign. I’m not sure why you asked that question, but Laura is a supporter.  I don’t control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. She’s a free spirit. Well, I don’t know. I may — look, I can’t tell Laura what to do. Laura is a supporter. I have a lot of supporters, but — so I don’t know what exactly you’re referring to, that’s okay.  I just don’t know. Laura is a supporter. I don’t know. She is, she is a strong person. She’s got strong opinions and I don’t know what she said, but that’s not up to me. She’s a supporter."

Is that a guy talking about an adviser, or a guy complaining a bit about his hot but slightly crazy girlfriend?

[billvon 2,990]

1 hour ago, Phil1111 said:

Trump recently announced a new project to supply California with water from Canada.

What's funny there is that Northern California and Oregon have plenty of water.  It's getting it down to LA that's the challenge.  I am picturing Trump explaining why the US needs to build a massive aqueduct over the Klamath River (which is in Norcal) to carry Canadian water to Los Angeles.

On the other hand, perhaps he could have the brainwave of using the Tijuana River?  It already flows into Southern California; we just have to use it.  I would be 100% in favor of this, and would willingly give him all the credit for this brilliant idea - provided he drinks the first glass of water from it.

[ryoder 1,590]

2 minutes ago, billvon said:

On the other hand, perhaps he could have the brainwave of using the Tijuana River?  It already flows into Southern California; we just have to use it.  I would be 100% in favor of this, and would willingly give him all the credit for this brilliant idea - provided he drinks the first glass of water from it.

I looked that up on Wikipedia and got my answer in the second sentence of the article.

Ugh!

[gowlerk 2,190]

6 minutes ago, ryoder said:

I looked that up on Wikipedia and got my answer in the second sentence of the article.

Ugh!

Mexico needs to pay for a dam to keep that foreign sewage out.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

14 hours ago, JoeWeber said:

Rockefeller and Carnegie were as rich or richer than our current slate of oligarchs yet the system held through some tough times.

Disputing an argument about the widening gap between the haves and have nots by indicating there were rich people before seems slightly disingenuous. But you are always right, so I'll just let it go. Hard sometimes to figure out if I am talking to Joe or Jakee.

[JoeWeber 2,720]

3 minutes ago, SkyDekker said:

Disputing an argument about the widening gap between the haves and have nots by indicating there were rich people before seems slightly disingenuous. But you are always right, so I'll just let it go. Hard sometimes to figure out if I am talking to Joe or Jakee.

Don't be so sensitive. The point was that at an earlier time of great wealth disparity, when the US population was fewer, the system held. 

[JerryBaumchen 1,362]

2 hours ago, billvon said:

I didn't put much credence in the rumors that Laura Loomer and Trump are getting it on, but then Trump said this about it:

"Well, I don’t know what they would say. Laura has been a supporter of mine, just like a lot of people are supporters and she’s been a supporter of mine. She speaks very positively of the campaign. I’m not sure why you asked that question, but Laura is a supporter.  I don’t control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. She’s a free spirit. Well, I don’t know. I may — look, I can’t tell Laura what to do. Laura is a supporter. I have a lot of supporters, but — so I don’t know what exactly you’re referring to, that’s okay.  I just don’t know. Laura is a supporter. I don’t know. She is, she is a strong person. She’s got strong opinions and I don’t know what she said, but that’s not up to me. She’s a supporter."

Is that a guy talking about an adviser, or a guy complaining a bit about his hot but slightly crazy girlfriend?

Hi Bill,

Let's see; John Kallend just wrote:  What an indictment of our education systems 

Well, Trump does have a degree from Wharton.

Now, that I would consider as an indictment of our education systems .

Jerry Baumchen

PS)  As I have said, Trump is very entertaining.

[JerryBaumchen 1,362]

10 hours ago, kallend said:

This.

What an indictment of our education systems that such a large fraction possesses no critical thinking skills.

Hi John,

When 'Johnny Cannot Read' is just a way to pass them onto the next grade; we are in trouble.  As we have been for a very long time.

Jerry Baumchen

PS) 'What do you mean that my kid is not in the top 10% of his class.'

 

[ryoder 1,590]

2 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Bill,

Let's see; John Kallend just wrote:  What an indictment of our education systems 

Well, Trump does have a degree from Wharton.

Now, that I would consider as an indictment of our education systems .

Jerry Baumchen

PS)  As I have said, Trump is very entertaining.

Most people get college degrees by earning them.

But some people get degrees because their rich daddy purchased them.

[Phil1111 1,149]

IMO education and advanced degrees will change broadly as a result of AI. Philosophy, history and the so called liberal arts will have to emphasize critical thinking skills. Partially because mathematics and mechanical problem solving are natural areas of address for AI. But AI will also exploit the gullibility and trust of people W/O a broad area of skeptical thinking.

[jakee 1,489]

2 hours ago, billvon said:

I didn't put much credence in the rumors that Laura Loomer and Trump are getting it on, but then Trump said this about it:

"Well, I don’t know what they would say. Laura has been a supporter of mine, just like a lot of people are supporters and she’s been a supporter of mine. She speaks very positively of the campaign. I’m not sure why you asked that question, but Laura is a supporter.  I don’t control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. She’s a free spirit. Well, I don’t know. I may — look, I can’t tell Laura what to do. Laura is a supporter. I have a lot of supporters, but — so I don’t know what exactly you’re referring to, that’s okay.  I just don’t know. Laura is a supporter. I don’t know. She is, she is a strong person. She’s got strong opinions and I don’t know what she said, but that’s not up to me. She’s a supporter."

Is that a guy talking about an adviser, or a guy complaining a bit about his hot but slightly crazy girlfriend?

Regardless of that, it's the sleazy evasiveness of the answer that grates. If she's in his entourage and travels to events on his plane she's not just 'a supporter' whose racist statements are nothing to do with him - she's part of the team. People say they like him because he's not like other politicians, but really he's more political than any of them.

On the relationship side there's a similar thing going on with Boris Johnson who, when he was booted out of office, gave a life peerage (place in the House of Lords) to Charlotte Owen who was then 29, the youngest person ever to be appointed a life peer, and whose entire career was made up of some work with the youth wing of the Conservative party, a series of junior internships for various MPs then a few months long stint as a special advisor to BoJo when he was PM. He's now appointed her as VP of a new company created to funnel large amounts of cash to him in exchange for using his connections to try and get government contracts for a foreign nuclear power / uranium mining magnate. I would never normally assume a successful woman has just been given her career, but since in this case she literally has had it handed to her it's 50-50 as to whether she's his bit on the side or secret daughter. He almost certainly has several of both.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

39 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

IMO education and advanced degrees will change broadly as a result of AI. Philosophy, history and the so called liberal arts will have to emphasize critical thinking skills. Partially because mathematics and mechanical problem solving are natural areas of address for AI. But AI will also exploit the gullibility and trust of people W/O a broad area of skeptical thinking.

Interesting point. The "useless degrees" might become the "useful ones".

[nigel99 471]

2 hours ago, jakee said:

Regardless of that, it's the sleazy evasiveness of the answer that grates. If she's in his entourage and travels to events on his plane she's not just 'a supporter' whose racist statements are nothing to do with him - she's part of the team. People say they like him because he's not like other politicians, but really he's more political than any of them.

On the relationship side there's a similar thing going on with Boris Johnson who, when he was booted out of office, gave a life peerage (place in the House of Lords) to Charlotte Owen who was then 29, the youngest person ever to be appointed a life peer, and whose entire career was made up of some work with the youth wing of the Conservative party, a series of junior internships for various MPs then a few months long stint as a special advisor to BoJo when he was PM. He's now appointed her as VP of a new company created to funnel large amounts of cash to him in exchange for using his connections to try and get government contracts for a foreign nuclear power / uranium mining magnate. I would never normally assume a successful woman has just been given her career, but since in this case she literally has had it handed to her it's 50-50 as to whether she's his bit on the side or secret daughter. He almost certainly has several of both.

With BoJo and Trump their bit on the side and their daughter are not necessarily mutually exclusive. I love the hypocrisy of the Christian Maga people. Attempt to go after Harris because her husband had an affair in a previous relationship and yet Trump is visibly in an inappropriate relationship with Loomer and possibly sexual and yet crickets from them (except MTG)

[Phil1111 1,149]

42 minutes ago, nigel99 said:

..I love the hypocrisy of the Christian Maga people. ..

Absolutely agree.

43 minutes ago, nigel99 said:

.... and yet Trump is visibly in an inappropriate relationship with Loomer and possibly sexual ...

I don't see evidence of that. IMO its more of birds of a feather flocking together. " Her former boss James O’Keefe, the ousted CEO of Project Veritas, described her in the foreword to Loomer’s 2021 memoir, Loomered, as “[not] wired like other people.” It’s as if, he writes, she is in possession of a brain that “doesn’t process information like the rest of us.” O’Keefe also notes that “she appears to be functionally immune to fear, to shame, and to embarrassment.”

All she would have to do is flatter trump and they would be going at it like rabbits in the warrens that they both call home.

[kallend 2,026]

4 hours ago, SkyDekker said:

Interesting point. The "useless degrees" might become the "useful ones".

  DT received a bachelors in business from Wharton, and not even with honors.  That's pretty useless.  And 50+ years later he still goes on about Wharton as if he got the top MBA there.

I suppose that's par for a 6 time bankrupt.

[nigel99 471]

1 hour ago, Phil1111 said:

Absolutely agree.

I don't see evidence of that. IMO its more of birds of a feather flocking together. " Her former boss James O’Keefe, the ousted CEO of Project Veritas, described her in the foreword to Loomer’s 2021 memoir, Loomered, as “[not] wired like other people.” It’s as if, he writes, she is in possession of a brain that “doesn’t process information like the rest of us.” O’Keefe also notes that “she appears to be functionally immune to fear, to shame, and to embarrassment.”

All she would have to do is flatter trump and they would be going at it like rabbits in the warrens that they both call home.

I didn’t say they are sleeping together (although I suspect it). She is travelling with Trump, physically all over each other and spending significant time with him. He’s married to someone. I’m not an open relationship type of person and if my partner was that involved with someone I wouldn’t be happy - and I’m not Christian, Mike Pence, or moralistic Maga Mike.