Trump’s economic plan seems to be: short the markets, take the weekend off, and tee off with the Saudis. He's running the Presidency like a side hustle.
Trump’s economic plan seems to be: short the markets, take the weekend off, and tee off with the Saudis. He's running the Presidency like a side hustle.
Right now Musk is getting the brunt of the anger of the American people. I think it is going to be spilling over to Trump as the tariffs don't work in the way he wants them too. People in the rest of the world are sick and tired of Trump. They will walk away if they can.
Benjamin Franklin wasn't just wisecracking with "A republic, if you can keep it" in 1787. Let's make sure, when the States are finally re-united, that they understand at last how to stay that way.
Anne-Louise, our neighbors, who while they vote D, to my knowledge, have never gone to a protest and they are going on Saturday. I will have to pass as I cannot be on my feet for very long. It will be interesting to see how many show up here in Salem. He also spoke about the dangers because Proud Boy types have already shown up recently here in Salem. I hope it remains peaceful. I wish I trusted local LE to be even handed, but in the past, some of them have not been.
My husband is going. I will make sure he has his full metal water bottle with the shoulder strap. Will make a good defense. Hopefully I can go too but we have another event tonight and it might be too much for my health.
I read there would be agitators from the right to make trouble while pretending to be against Trump destroying our country.
My husband is the quiet type. He discusses politics with friends but thinks I am totally crazy Been to 2 demonstrations already. However, he has purchased a protest t-shirt and is willing to go in the rain to protest.
Yes Ricardo, quite a diatribe telegraphing how badly we are screwed. What I've gleaned as a mental health therapist is that with most people change happens only after experiencing rock bottom. And we've seen nothing yet....
The pendulum will begin to swing slowly back to sanity ONLY when enough Republicans and Independents threaten to dislodge the sycophants they elected to represent them. When legislators get enough blowback because their voters are experiencing enough PAIN, $Trump's popularity will go the way of most dictators.
But it will take millions of people who either voted for the sociopath or stayed at home (over 160 million) to feel true PERSONAL PAIN. And it is coming - like a distant wave about to be a tsunami of suffering.
When special needs kids are ignored, when libraries are closed, when hospitals close, when grandma lies in a urine soaked bed at the nursing home, when the retirement account is savaged, when the Social Security checks don't show up.....
None of this will end real soon - despite the millions of us who will be demonstrating tomorrow and in the future. And protest, we must. But it will, in the beginning, be described as a rebellion of lefty Marxists who got out of control. And if there is some peaceful good trouble that is met with authoritarian violence, MAGAs will applaud.
But - then that kid with special needs will start acting up, grandma will be rushed to the ER with bed sores that won't heal, the auto parts plant closes, the checking account won't look right....only then will the pendulum reverse its perverse direction. When their lives hit "rock bottom". When they finally say "We didn't vote for THIS!"
Thanks Bill Alstrom. I have lost the energy to keep expressing my despair over the trump administration. I now welcome terrible news in the hope that there will finally be a nationwide recognition of what this administration is doing.
I sometimes troll I guess they call it on trumper sites like Graham Allen. They all think trump and the economy is doing great. And if there is some inconvenience, it will improve-just suck it up.
Add to the Republicans and Independents those Democrats who voted AYE for Brooke Rollins (Sec. AG), Scott Bessent (Sec. Treasury), and the other evil-doers in the Trump Cabinet. They consented to the devastation.
Bill Alstrom: gramma may be lying in a urine-soaked bed in a back room or basement with her unemployed daughter/grandson/ niece because the Medicaid that paid for her nursing home no longer exists
Wait until the Chinese don't buy our soy beans. Wait until the farmers have to fertilize their fields. You need potash, I understand, and we import 90% of it. The rural people are going to get hit the hardest since a lot of them are on welfare of some sorts.
Ha, ha. No one has a crystal ball. But Wisconsin was so encouraging. We keep up with self-care and then keep up with the resistance. Slow and steady. It is key to remember that MAGA is a cult, and that showing respect is the only way to tease away cult members. And we don't even have to convince MAGA. We just let the terrible situation speak for itself to the non-MAGAs who voted for Trump. That may take time. Few like to admit a mistake.
But we have to take care of ourselves first. No pretending that we are not angry, sad, frustrated, afraid. Feel it, then move. I avoid too much focus on MAGA. They are delusional. I am learning when I need to step away from the news. I aim to accept, move on, and practice gratitude, especially towards my friends who see.
I am really looking forward to protesting tomorrow, to being with others who know what is going on.
Who knows...it depends on how low the stock market plummets, how bad food scarcity will be, and if there's some huge national security breach. It's all happening....
United States of America Born July 4, 1776, became terminally ill January 20, 2025. The patient can still recover, but it's going to take a lot of hard work by sane, rational people with the guts to do the right thing and not cave in to this "reality show fantasy" we seem to be stuck in.
I got 1 positive message yesterday which was a postcard card with a photo of Judge Crawford thanking all supporters" ... for standing with me and being a part of [her] Campaign". See, www.CrawfordForWI.com
The soon-to-be Justice Susan Crawford will be sworn in on August 1, 2025.
Ricardo, I would say at this point that former applied to us is an excellent description. I am also noting that what Anne-Louise says other countries are doing to avoid us and find what they need elsewhere is happening.
Well, these states certainly aren’t united. Everything about this country is divided. Trump is trying to rake in money to fill his personal coffers with his mob boss tactics. And Eric talking about it like it’s a movie. What drug are all these people on that they think they’re running television to entertain the masses?
Americans are “teed off!” Local food pantry Hunger Task Force just lost food shipments worth $600,000 - in today’s paper. Great countries take care of the vulnerable.
Let the Trump voters take care of the hungry. I've seen so many MAGA's claim that most of the people using the food banks are scamming the system.
I switched my donations from our local food bank to the local pre-K - 8th grade school. The local priest makes the people getting food listen to his patriarchal BS. That's what get's me going. When I give, I give "no strings attached and I give anonymously." I don't give so that someone can be born again into the Catholic and white Christian Nationalist cults.
I think the American people will not comply as he lives his twisted fantasy of "America's God Father" and mob boss in chief. We've fought for our Democracy and the freedom of others around the world for 250 years, and it's time to do it again at home. Stand up, find your voice, and join the fight!
Well, I guess you missed it! democracy in its purest form just happened on November 5, 2024 and if you liked and cared for America and stop listening to the garbage from legacy media and just shut off your TV turn off the news and see how anything at all has affected your life let us know and unfortunately for you, it is you who did not comply with the popular vote the electoral college landslide and the fact it over 85% of all counties in America became more right leaning than the past election in other words redder …… you don’t need to fight as I keep telling the left side of the aisle you need to come up with an agenda a rational agenda you need to come up with a goal. Viepoint you need to find a couple of liters because resisting doesn’t tell the voters anything
Instead, with the most hypocritical actions, probably in history, you try to destroy a car company that was seen as an idol in protecting your cherished climate change, and nothing happened with the company. It’s still doing the same thing and you wouldn’t attack the owner, even though 75% of Teslas on the road are owned by Liberal.
I agree with your description of T***p, but I disagree that other countries are avoiding the "former" United States. They are avoiding the current United States, which bares little resemblance to the country we grew up in.
Always nice to be able to reply with somebody so levelheaded as you.
And so aware of what goes on on the other side of the aisle. Biden wasn’t mentally capable of playing golf, but Obama managed to squeeze out 87 rounds during his tenure. Not sure if I heard you complaining about it back then
Hey, In just 90 some odd days Kamala managed to squeeze out $2 billion And her fundraiser and didn’t have one dinner look how much money she saved on the food. Lololol. She only raised 22 million a day.
My husband works with many people who work for companies contracted by the gov't. The majority of them voted for trump. Yesterday, the most hardcore of them, who always razz him that 'they won and he lost', said to him, "..I didn't want this" referring to his now depleted 401K. He also asked my husband why he isn't "giving him shit" or saying "I told you so".
Now, finally, after it's too late to stop the worst of it, it's Americans who are walking away.
Now is the time to tell them that we are in this together...it's not us versus them, contrary to the rhetoric from the orange traitor and his ilk. In reality, it's us versus trump, a man who has conned those voters to get what he wanted...and now has no use for them.
What is so sad about most(?) MAGAs is a lack of compassion for others. Couldn't care less about anything or anyone else until the trouble hits their own wallets.
Same here, Miselle. During my journey from evangelicalism to non-deism, I joined the United Methodist Church, thinking they would come to their senses regarding LGBTQ members.
In fact, it took 20 years for the homophobic faction to get their way. In the end, the UMC not only allowed the haters to steal the denomination's buildings and other property, they paid them $25 million of members' donations to leave before the agreed-upon date of the split.
The remaining so-called "good guys" have still not fully implemented policies acknowledging LGBTQ members as full human beings.
Granted, the UMC – and other denominations – do good work in the world, but these good works DO NOT offset the extreme harm they've caused humanity for centuries. All in service to a deity that does not exist.
Mona, in fact MAGAts appear to require the checking of one’s compassion or empathy at the door into the party as a requirement for entry. They see empathy as a weakness and a drawback on effective action and leadership.
Hey John, I’d like to hear what you think and what you say once Congress passes a bill that says no tax on tips no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security. Love to see your perspective and empathy at that point pal
It's not a lack of compassion, it's a concerted plan to reboot America as a dictatorship for the benefit of tech billionaires. Musk and Thiel bought the two highest offices in the land and they both follow Curtis Yarvin.
Are you really going there? Well, I guess gaslighting is the conservative superpower.
Did you actually listen to the interview? Have you looked at Curtis Yarvin is? Have you paid attention to his influence among tech bros? Why do you think that Musk and Thiel bought the White House? Why else would Trump crow about how great his tariffs are going and why else would Musk and his tech bros go about destroying the infrastructure? They are not crazy, they are determined.
I’ll let me add one more thing Edwin that your judgment truly sucks
I happen to be a pretty staunch fiscal conservative any pretty liberal social justice warrior. Give me good rationale on either sides of those things and I’m all aboard
Bill, I find what the Democrats are doing today beyond hysterical.
Let me give you the main reason why. You’re out protesting across the country against Tesla what are the favorite vehicles of the left? We are 3/4 of the vehicle sold in this country are sold to Democrats more or less.
Here is the insanity of the left. TRUMP COULD HAVE SELECTED TED CRUZ OR KASH PATEL TO HEAD UP DOGE…. what would you protest then because now you’re protesting Elon Musk like morons that Tesla has anything to do with The work is doing finding waste fraud and abuse
And all I hear from you crazy lunatics is Elon Musk Elon Musk Elon Musk is not elected he’s not elected he’s not elected. ITS NOT ABOUT THE PERSON HEADING IT UP!!! AT ALL. ITS ABOUT THE TASK OF FINDING THE WASTE ETC/\….. what you doing is one of the most misguided mentally deranged acts I can think of. It’s actually beyond insanity
And makes NO SENSE AT ALL. WHICH WHY THE PARTY IS GONE FOR NOW. Enjoy your protest. They should put all the protesters in front of Tesla‘s. I should put them all in a padded cell. And I was yelling at Trump at the beginning when they started picking on musk to pick somebody even worse like a Ted Cruz, or a Kash Patel. Or maybe even Matt gaetz. It is behind human comprehension.
It is certainly fair to protest against the company for a product that they sell. For example, I just can’t express the profound as of this stupidity.
Do you know MONA you should really think this through a little bit there’s a bill being circulated right now, which is what Trump promised in the first place with the following three precepts. And here they are no tax on tips no tax on overtime no tax on Social Security. WHO , do you think that benefits honestly? No compassion, come on stop listening to the nonsense change the channel and watch and learn
Just curious, do you actually live in the United States?
The guardian is a socialist newspaper that comes from across the water. Is it not?
What I suggest for you is to change the channel try opening both eyes and opening both ears instead of seeing out of only one and hearing out of only one. But on the good news for you, it lets Joe Biden off the hook LMAO. Did they also talk about black male by the way oh maybe I made a mistake
Yes, I have been a life long citizen and resident of the United States of America for 64 years now. Trying to discredit the article and then project what you are doing on me with a nice helping of gaslighting is pretty weak sauce.
Well that’s a pretty interesting interpretation or Edwin I’m 76. Submitted an outline of my bio earlier today. I’m not discrediting the argument I’m actually reading the article and saying exactly what it says not you stretching it to what you think it says or what you’d like it to say
It did not say what you said it said. It’s what dips it’s kind of like it’s sort of like it’s sounds like that’s all interpretation by this writer
And of course he didn’t pay any attention to what I wrote you about people in Congress Open both ears, and both eyes Edwin.
I could care less about an article I care more about the facts. Read the facts about how Congress people got so rich on $175,000 salary and now are worth 50 or $60 million or more. I wish to God you could hear my sarcasm when I come up with the next line. Golly gee I don’t know how I got that much money? Say that to yourself in a Jim Nabors accent.
By the way, it’s also important to provide a better description of what you’re saying say what you said? Which was that the Supreme Court said that bribes were actually gratuities.
If you read a article just as I suspected, this is an analysis by one author looks pretty pubescent to me, but nonetheless who uses words like alleges and looks like or seems like etc to make her argument when the argument by the supremes was quite clear
I am guessing, and I didn’t read the whole argument when I got far enough to read that your translation of what really occurred was bullshit and an assumption to say the least that I’m assuming if there’s a mayor in the town, there are also some type of a legislative body or a board of supervisors, etc., that vote on these contracts that they’re not simply awarded single-handedly by the mayor just my assumption if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But if that’s the case that there are other people who actually voted for this, then I think the Supremes made the right call. Again, I didn’t read the entire body of your omissive nor the entire reasoning and detailed of the supreme ruling, but it would seem to me that if this person did not directly write a check so to speak to this company, then it was a recommend by him to its Legislative body or board of supervisors or or others who would have voted on this issue. And I’m not gonna bother reading it because it’s so twisted and comes to such a conclusion that is nowhere near what you defined. And that’s the problem today with the Democrats is not the Republicans don’t do it too but lately the Democrats don’t tell people the truth. The people find out and the Democrats approval rating is now on the 20% range.
Well, you are wrong in your analysis about them making the right call. I am an attorney and I have studied campaign finance law, read the case, and understand its import. The reason you can't understand it and won't read it is that Justice Kavanaugh tied himself into knots trying to come to the conclusion he wanted. He made hypotheticals out to be concerns that warranted allowing corruption so as not to punish "innocent" things. But this has been the trend of the Roberts Court since Citizens United and McCutcheon and all of the other subsequent election finance rulings.
You are also mischaracterizing the displeasure with Democrats right now. It's not that Democratic voters think that Democratic politicians should be more like Republicans, but that they are being far too complacent and not standing up to vigorously oppose the takeover of the Republic. Some Democrats are beginning to get the message, but I think that Jeffries and Schumer are hopeless. We need new leadership that is fearless.
The question remains, why are you so sanguine about the Trump administration?
By the way, when you talk about campaign, finance law, it’s like talking about an oxymoron. You and I both know how much dark money there is in campaigns these days, so people are allowed to do dirty deeds in the name of campaign finance law. Wow.
Well, you just lowered my opinion of you when you come out to say, I should think differently or more align with you because you’re an attorney, or that it might make you more credible which is does not
it’s actually the opposite in fact, attorneys have become in many cases, the vermin of society with BILLBOARD after BILLBOARD after BILLBOARD “ gaming” the system when it comes to accidents. And we wonder why our insurance premiums were so high on our automobiles. That may not be a forte of yours, but it sure doesn’t help the industry.
Now to address your other issue
You know, you thought they were correct when the Supreme Court came out with Roe v. Wade only to have an overturn decades later.
And now it’s back where it should be in my opinion at the local level state by state rather than a blanket. People choose to live where they want and if they don’t like the laws they can leave just like it’s happening in mass in California, Illinois and New York and where are they heading? Red states.
Recently, I might add the Roberts Court has been adversarial to the current administration. When you have district courts, placing National injunctions by the dozens against an administration, stopping them from doing their executive branch decisions, and overreaching their district authority. The court has sided with the judges in the way that they need to proceed to stop. What’s happening right now?
What is horrible about that decision is that administrations and Congress can play tit for tat anytime they want now. But I hate to say this, because I’m not a Republican that the Democrats have behaved abusive when it comes to this lawfare while Republicans have been more restrained. 64 Various injunctions attempted against the current administration were only 12 or 14 against Biden and Obama. And if we were to multiply the time Biden Obama were in office versus the time Trump were in office by the time Trump is done there will have been. 1024 injunctions against the Trump administration in four years versus only 26 such injunctions against Brock Obama and Biden in 12 years. Oooooops.
So Edwin, let’s try being honest.
Problem with the Democrats being complacent is because Trump took away all the air. He has garnered support from formerly ardent, Democrats voters and strongholds. The Democrats have no agenda, except for resist, and even Carville is laughing his ass off at that.
Resisting violence and continuing to talk about Elon Musk, like it really made a difference who Trump touted as the person handling DOGE. What a farce. He could’ve asked Steven Miller or worse, Ted Cruz as the head of DOGE . What would you have said that he’s not elected? Oooops again. They care more about the person, and hating the person than they do about exactly what they’re succeeding in finding in reducing government, waste and fraud. I’m guessing you haven’t seen my two posts by Nancy Pelosi herself and Bernie Sanders, himself talking about terrorist, and the post from Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and Al Gore touting waste fraud and abuse the original originators of DOGE under a different name.
You cannot fight back when you don’t have any weapons to fight with
Right now the Democrats are in disarray they have no agenda except for resist they have no leader ship, and no leaders to appoint to. They have no goals, and even when it comes to their votes are voting against the American people. Doubling down on stupid. Poles were done by NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN about how people feel about men in women’s sports 80% of the public do not want men participating in women’s sports and when Congress brought it up every single democrat voted against it they supported the 20% like dummies
When republican made a really stupid comment the other day specifically about Chuck Schumer, but it could be told about Jeffries or any other members of the mouthpieces today in the Democrat party. You don’t just make the same mistake twice you make it over and over and over again just to make sure.
And this one will shock you I’m not a fan of Donald Trump. I don’t like what comes out of his mouth. I don’t like some of the stuff that he spews, but I’m able to separate what he says from accomplishing what he promises, and I like when he promises and he’s doing exactly what he promises and no politician in my memory other than maybe Bill Clinton has been able to do that. He clearly outlined and designated the things he was going to do if elected and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
The public said immigration was the most important thing to them, of course, right next to their favorite hoax of the day, climate change
They said immigration was critically important, but AOC said it can’t be helped unless we have legislation. And if you heard Donald Trump with his speech to joint session of Congress, he just buried her way underground on that one when she said you need legislation, which, of course also means delay and 52 days later the border was closed and went from 11,000 crossings a day by illegals to 70 crossings a day by illegals. Now they don’t care about that at all. Amazing.
All they cared about under Biden was how the hell did he inflate the price of almost everything you breathe during his administration 20% on groceries doubling the price of gas tripling almost the price of Mortgages, etc. and in less than two months, pretty much lower, the price of eggs, lowered the price of gas by a dollar lowered the price of mortgages and lower the rate of inflation. And he’s got 46 More wonderful months to go.
He is restructuring the entire manufacturing industry in this country and of course there’s gonna be some initial pain and you can’t just turn it around in a heartbeat. $5 trillion has already been pledged by companies to either relocate here start to build here or invest here and already manufacturing jobs are starting to be promised to come back such as a new auto plant in Indiana by Honda I believe.
So it’s not about Trump it’s about policy and always has been and always should be. Do you want somebody that talks nice and sweet and has compassion which is good but it’s not what makes the country tick what makes the country Tech is a good economic base wealth of the middle class which has been decimated in the last 40 years a great education system where our education system has slipped from first in 1979 2/40 today.
If you’d like to reply, no problem, but please save the fact that you’re an attorney in the future it really just lowers your credibility
Good for your husband for not being vindictive. By not joining the campaign of hate and division, maybe the reasonable Republicans will join us to stop the destruction. We cannot go back. And we shouldn't try. But out of the ashes...the phoenix will rise.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Most of the republican voters wanted change in our government, change that is beneficial and long overdue. A con artist picks up on peoples' desires and exploits them. That's what that orange traitor has done.
We are not each others enemies, we are all Americans. If we learn nothing else from this disaster, it's that we really care about one another and we need to work together to repair the damage to our lives and our country.
Susan don’t be that agreeable with people that call him a traitor without a line with Russia because none of that is true none of that not one little piece and I noticed it it’s very quiet around here tonight stock market had a little bit of a turnaround today and we all know it’s only tentative but it certainly is an incredible sign and it takes all the air out of the economy etc. etc.
What I have been saying for weeks and months is everybody just calm down wait for some results. Be patient then if it doesn’t work out rant and rave if that makes you feel better. In the meantime, apparently some 90 countries in our asking for a meeting to negotiate Terrace the only exceptions to the rule of Cours for China and the euro nations that decided to up the ante, but that’ll get fixed as well. Susan have a good evening.
What disaster? Lol. Yikes. In just 70 days he’s accomplished more than Biden did from Delaware Beach in four years well actually maybe only a year and a half until he became mentally defective which is now coming out more and more every day.
Did you happen to see the links I sent you? I sent four links this morning to a great number of people one link from Nancy Pelosi fervently supporting tariffs back in 1996 another one from Bernie Sanders in 2008 on C-SPAN fervently supporting tariffs as well. If you haven’t seen them, I’d be more than happy to get them for you.
I also posted two more or maybe three from Clinton and gore and Obama, who are the inventors of the original DOGE. You only difference is that Gosia now has been more successful than Obama and Clinton although Obama did fire/lay off half 1 million people and deported 2 million illegal aliens so the news says
Tariffs that are carefully targeted are one thing. What Trump is doing is very similar to what DOGE is doing to our infrastructure. Burning everything to the ground. Don't you know any history? Review the Gilded Age and how tariffs worked out back then. Tariff wars are good for no one and the world economy is not a zero sum game. We had an economy that was the envy of the world and in a few short weeks, Trump and his pals have trashed it.
Well, wouldn’t it be embarrassing if he did gloat in three years later, he gloated 10 times more. No one is gloating, but everybody that voted for Trump is very happy. If you really thought there was a problem you sell everything you own in the stock market today but you’re not doing that are you and why? You know damn well why
Trump is gloating because he is wrecking everything and he's too ignorant to understand what he's doing. The real question is why you are supporting him. You don't appear to be a billionaire.
So Edwin, how did the wreckage go today? It’s only one day in the life but it’s eerily quiet here with people were jumping up and down the past five days. Chicken little was running amuck
Like I tell everybody Edwin, just calm down take a breath and be patient
You don’t head honestly, you don’t listen very well. What are the reasons he won? This election was the following who’s bill is now being worked out in the Senate and will be toy back-and-forth for the next couple three weeks and then end up on the floor of both houses to be voted upon and the main precepts of that bill is the following. No tax on tips no tax on overtime and especially for you. No tax on Social Security income.
Either get your head on straight and listen to other channels, and stop believing things that are simply not true.
By the way, so far, he’s wrecked nothing on the contrary, and only 60 days of a presidency he’s created miracles. He is taking Joe’s open border, although it might not have even been Joes now that we know he was non compos mentis. It’s gone from 11,000 illegals A day to only 70 per day when AOC, the brilliant genius of the left said there have to be legislation to control the border. She also said that the world would be dead from climate change in about four years so start packing.
He has brought home hostages were Joe Biden has not even reached out to bring them back. He has brought back a couple of astronauts that it has been admitted that Joe Biden did not want to do. He has begun to deport, many illegal criminals. He has passed the law that will not allow men to participate in women’s sports although every idiot on the Democratic side in Congress voted against it when 80% of the country is foreign and you wonder why your popularity is so low or favorability
His department of justice has now deported I understand about 50,000 individuals or arrested. His department of justice is now arrested. Three of the top 10 most wanted. People on the FBI’s list were Biden did nothing. And he’s trying to make peace in the world, and had a true set up between Israel and hummus, and a true set up between Russia and Ukraine , until they both ruined it well, all Joe did was the fuel, a war, killing a million people Destroying cities entirely where people used to live. He has now filed very strangely against antisemitism. And he created Department of government efficiency, which was first discussed and originated in the Clinton-Gore administration and followed up thoroughly and repeatedly in the Obama administration Who relieved a half million federal workers from the payroll While you liberals to totally quiet versus today, and he deported 2 million illegals. The double standards and hypocrisy are stunning.
And that’s why he won the popular vote the electoral college votes by a great margin over 85% of every single county in America turn redder than the election previous. He helped win the house and the senate And now it only the fourth or fifth time in recent political history he has control of both houses of Congress at least for now. Let’s not remind you that every case where a president had this position that the following election ended up in a flip-flop in one or both houses so he’s trying to get as much done as he can and unfortunately for you. he’s succeeding
Rick, full disclosure from the the start...I am a left leaning moderate. I am a retired psychologist who worked specifically with felons. I am all for reducing inefficiency or waste in a very measured way. That is not what happened. The methods were cruel and haphazard. Let me stop right here a moment...it makes me feel sick to witness how we have been treating each other. It began with the Regan era. We the people are being manipulated to fight each other so those in power (remember Regan really did have dementia so he was also being used, although he had started the policies in CA) can do what they want. The hatred and rage is overwhelming. Heather and Timothy Snyder are historians. Tim's area of expertise is tyranny. We are replaying the 1930's. Trump has admitted he thinks Mckinley was the golden age. He was not.
I was not a fan of Biden but I have to admit that I was better off. (I worked for a non-profit so worked long hours for decent but not exceptional wage.)
To shorten this...I believe in our Constitution and the Rule of Law. And I also believe Congress, both sides, lost sight of why they were elected. They are supposed to listen to their constituents and work together for the greatest good of ALL the people. That means we all compromise.
If I were in control of the United States government today, I would push forward, one premise, or one rule of law that I believe will change everything for the better. TERM LIMITS. And I have a litany of reasons why some being more obvious than others.
Susan , I think we could get along just fine. I encountered a very special saying short while ago that I will share with you kind of semi analogy
People go through life, wondering if they ever made a difference in the world…. Veterans don’t have that problem. I would like to see Congress people feel that way as well but they have to be honest they have to communicate with each other and they have to do what’s best for the country despite the divisions it needs to be a give-and-take and they need to look at America America, America, and try to fulfill the promise of America till the day they die
Actually, I think it actually began in the right in the Nixon era. But I don’t see it pitting people against each other. I see the inflexibility of both sides instead of trying to get together. But perhaps you will like this, but I’ve heard contrarian stories as well. My favorite president to work together to solve issues was Bill Clinton despite his wandering, PP.
Between him and Nook English they solve most of the legislative problems of the era together. It was a very successful eight years for this country in my opinion.
The other hand, Barack Obama did exactly the opposite. He was, and is as divisive as they come. He is a racist and a divider.
Both of Bush presidencies was like dumb and dumber. George the younger, at least love this country very much and that’s how he directed his presidency based on his affection for America but he was pretty much dumb as a rock.
Biden should’ve never been president and what’s coming out now maybe never was. Everything he did turned to crap and worse. Mostly, including the border, and the inflation and the wars.
I will go back and read a little bit more of your post but that’s where I am right now
If you would like to offer practical and rational discourse in opposition, Rick, that would be welcome. I, for one, am so over the sarcastic remarks thrown back and forth. I am from the era when we could "argue" our points and still be friends.
Honestly Susan, that’s all that I’ve been doing, but if you were me you would probably evaluate yourself as honestly as I do I am the wolf in a flock of sheep here and there are frankly too many sheep year that come here unfortunately just to commiserate with each other I have been called every name in the book I’ve been insulted a great while I’ve been told to get the F out and I’ve been told to go F myself So maybe you understand where the sarcasm or the antipathy comes from.
So let me repeat all of my doing since I’m on this thread is offering practical and rational discourse but people here for the most part are really close minded… they only want to see out of one eye and hear out of one ear they are deluded in fantasies and fables that don’t exist so it’s very hard to deal with it in medication but if you’d like to do so, I’ll be more than happy to do it with you
I always consider the other side I always look at both sides of a story I would make a very good juror in my opinion. As I mentioned to you, I think I might’ve mentioned to you, I tend to be physically conservative and socially liberal. But my liberal sides has its limits and I’ll see if I can find them better for you.
I came from abject poverty. My father died when I was six and my mother was a minimum wage worker her whole life. We struggle financially, and if not for the, I think they called it a widow survivor check of I believe she got $100 for me and my sister a month if not for that we would’ve lived on the street. My mother was a Russian immigrant with very little English. I did not have any skills, and essentially was a seamstress for a Furrier. She showed the linings to the pelts.
When I say these things have my limits, I believe in equal treatment equal consideration, but I have my limits when it comes to special consideration. Any medication‘s that’s where I draw the line. For example, the latest pick up so they speak in the world is this transgender issue. I have absolutely no problem with what somebody wants to do with their own body but I don’t believe in giving them special treatment. They make a choice in our society, and you have to live in our society and the choice they made, unfortunately comes with some struggles.
I do not see the value in giving ethnicities of any kind of special treatment, but I implore that they receive equal treatment.
I was raised right by my mother and always respected everyone, no matter where they came from the matter of the color of their skin, their language, etc. and I pride myself on that.
It actually sickens me now that the character and the persona of Martin Luther King has been basically turned over in his grave.
I am Jewish and I take pride in being Jewish but it’s not anything I brag about. I don’t wear any Jewish jewelry and I don’t make any announcements of the fact that I’m Jewish. We have had our own share of suffering and degradation, and it continues even more virulently today.
I look at maybe things from that perspective as to how people suffer without being their fault… However, I believe that life is a do it yourself proposition with few exceptions.
So there’s an overview for you.
So far as our work ethic and our financial status, we worked harder than most Americans, and due to that, and our ability and our drive have been successful to we’ve been able to retire early and live off our savings and our Social Security for the last 13 years.
Thank you for sharing! I think we are aligned on the basics but evaluate details differently. I, too, am liberal son social issues and lean more conservatively fiscally. I believe we should treat evwryone equally but acknowledge that doesn't happen. I recognize racial discrimination. My parents were racist. Even though all my grandparents immigrated from Italy. My dad was a factory worker who eventually was promoted to foreman. We were blue collar and then middle class. Women in the Italian culture were property. I was the oldest of three in a wildly dysfunctional family. I just retires at 72 because, as I said before, I chose to work in an non-profit agency. I need social security as one of the legs of my retirement plan. I have also have a rare kidney disease that is currently in remission. I have been on my own since my divorce in 1990. I worked hard for the good of society and my clients. So I am angry when a billionaire calls me a parasite and wants to take money and services from those at the lower end of the financial spectrum so he and other billionaires can have more money.
And on one final note for the day, I’m so glad we’ve connected, and despite our differences, as you suggested earlier, we indeed could get along nicely.
Well, this is my opinion. I don’t see the racism like you do. Certainly there are individual races today, but America pretty much has bent over backwards to show its fairness. I’ll give you an example of reverse racism is when you have something in Congress called the Black Caucus
It represents I don’t know 50 or 60 representatives, and in Washington why should there be a black caucus? There’s no white pockets there’s no Hispanic caucus there’s no Asian caucus. That’s not equal
Again, there are individual certainly who are and remain racist, but when you elect 50 or 60 blacks to Congress, or a President of the United States and a black presidential candidate and she gets 73 million votes I don’t see the racism. And frankly, my opinion is that term is overused by a lot.
I should have started out this particular post, but I don’t wanna go back and rephrase it. Who is my fervent died in Stone view that no one is going to touch your Medicare, nor mine not gonna happen nor Medicaid nor Social Security And every time the media starts talking about way it makes me sick to my stomach because they’re a bin commitment and commitments and promises and promises by the people in Congress by Elon Musk by Donald Trump that they look at Social Security as sacred and even worse when Donald Trump is supporting and a inventing a bill, which says no tax on Social Security, which could only increase benefits that’s where it will end up. I would be highly shocked if it ended up any differently.
I’m rambling on now, but I just hate when the Legacy news media leverages term just to get a rise from its constituents when nothing suggest the point they’re trying to make
Debbie: I advise getting all documentation of citizenship, just in case. Including name matches for people who changed their names for any reason, just in case. I expect voter suppression plans may escalate and some will move forward everywhere. Especially in swing states.
Yes. Do it now!!! Here's my cautionary tale: when I went to the NJ DMV to get a six-point license last year, I was told that my birth certificate, the one I had used to first obtain and then renew my passport, as well as, a six-point license in another state, was not sufficient. (After 70 years!!!). I had to obtain an "official birth certificate" from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the New Jersey state capitol in Trenton. As I lived near the city, I did this in person.
To add to this, my marriage certificate from my second union was also rejected so I had to obtain an "official" one from the place in which I was married, also fortunately close to home.
Imagine how long this would have taken if I had lived in another state or abroad. So get all of your papers in order ASAP. And then vote as if your life depends on it because it does.
Everybody should vote in every election 2026 is no different from any other but just keep in mind you’ve got 46 more beautiful months of Trump coming up in America reimagined to what it was when the middle class actually had a voice
The middle class had a voice because of two things: 1) high marginal tax rates on the rich and high capital gains taxes and 2) strong unions. The middle class doesn't have a voice because Reagan, Clinton, W, and Obama sold them out. Trump doesn't care about the middle class and Musk literally called us ants to be destroyed by progress. You need to pay attention to facts and history. Your gullibility is showing.
Michael ability when the bill comes attempts to resurrect the middle class and rhythm of unneeded and unwanted taxes out you’ll apologize if you’re don’t mind
The only people who are gullible or most of the people here, who don’t change the channel who thinks, for example, that oh a N, or Fox News, or any other news organization is entertainment, and not news that they dismiss out of hand. And the only way you can be gullible is the only listen to one side of the story
Exactly why he has got to go. Again, protect our voting rights so that in 2026, the majority in Congress can change and we can put a stop to most of the damage yet to be done by that traitor.
He may not have any use for us, but the feeling is mutual...and there are more of us! The Wisconsin result proves that if enough of us take action, we will win, billionaires be damned.
Really well you had 100 million invested in a Supreme Court election in a state like Wisconsin. Not one of your larger entities amongst the states. And you don’t care about at least 25 million of that money was to support Crawford by billionaires from out of the state
That is the problem with many of you, who only see out of one eye, and only hear out of one ear. $100 million of out-of-state money for a STATE Supreme Court election amazing.
But at least you guys did something really really well you voted in voter ID good for you and thank goodness for that.
Now tell the public that your Supreme Court was already in Lipoa control so it didn’t really change anything.
Are you for real? That was defense against Musk buying the seat in order to get a good outcome for his cases in front of the Court. If you are so concerned about the corrupting influence of money, how come you aren't screaming to overturn Citizens United and McCutcheon?
Wait Edwin, are you suggesting that our courts don’t follow the law and just vote for who gave them the most money. I would suspect that in the case of Juan Marchan. Not necessarily showing the Supreme Court
That’s not why Elon entered the debate in Wisconsin. Trying to keep the Republicans in power in the house that’s his entire goal because that’s the only way to Trump will be able to execute his administration the way he promised to do so.
Keep in mind he’s worth a couple hundred billion he could’ve thrown 100 billion at the election if it was that critical. I said in my earlier post, the Supreme Court was already in control of the Democrats before the election. The concern in Wisconsin was well if its For three now and two Republicans get elected then they lose the opportunity to gerrymander the state. I couldn’t stop laughing when one of the links oh NPR about places what a surprise said, the non-partisan courts 4 to 3 liberal majority will remain in place. Guess what Edwin there’s been no change in a court. Perils with the Democrats if they lost those two votes, the Republicans would’ve gained control of the Supreme Court, and was would be able to protect the current district lines not to be gerrymandered that’s it end of story. And now, with Stefanik, staying in Congress, and the two wins in Florida, there may not be an issue in any event not to mention that they’re probably gonna get their big beautiful bill pass long before the next election.
No tax on tips no tax on overtime no tax on Social Security and that benefits who? The bill is being worked on as we speak but of course they’re not gonna tell you that on this thread
Edwin, you could be one of the most naïve people here and there are many of them, but here’s a particular. And there are lots of them unfortunately and that’s why I keep crying and crying and crying term limits. Very recently, there have been a lot of exposure as far as the wealth and net worth of many politicians. You seem to think that this is something new which points to your incredible naïveté.
Makes 194,000 a month and her net worth is 200 million a part of that which is her husband when she is nice enough to impart all she knows about the stock market and companies to her husband so he can make the incredibly well timed investments
Chuck Schumer has a salary of 195,000 a year and he is worth 65 million
How does that happen?
There are members of Congress on both sides of the aisle that threw a mere amount of salary. Let’s say $175,000 a year have become multi multimillionaires now how the hell does that happen?
AOC who is a new member of Congress is already worth from what I understand about 20 million that’s what I understand. I’m not sure it’s accurate but that’s what I’ve heard if you’d like I can do some research for you and maybe give you some more updates but for you to think that this is something new is a joke, an absolute joke, and I’m not condoning it at all, but if you think the Supreme Court has just made this legal, give me a break But as I said in my earlier missive, I guess Joe Biden is off the hook now, especially when he does it serve tip surrepetitiously
And you think that the rest of his mania is good for the country? Extorting money from law firms and universities; defunding libraries???; closing down Social Security offices, defunding FEMA; trespassing on students' and others' first amendment rights; promising to cut our national parks for drilling and extractions? And do you think calling good people "scum" is mature and decent for the leader of a powerful country? Do you????
Here’s a couple of things I think about his “mania”. I don’t know about extorting money from loft terms. You’ll have to bring me up to speed on that one, but if universities which get a lot of federal money are not living up to the law, then they don’t merit federal funds. So for example, at Columbia University, who is supporting antisemitism and not protecting its Jewish students. I’m not sure about the funding libraries unless the money was not being spent on the library for its own good there’s been a lot of waste in that area as well so that could be the issue. I’d have to study that. Most business these days is done online by Stephanie just out of curiosity when was the last time you have been to a Social Security office? Oooooops. People people generally go once now they’ve made it easier to go online and sign up and get verified, etc.. as far as first amendment rights as you probably have heard the much used phrase that I don’t particularly like although it should be updated. You cannot allowed to yell fire in a filled theater. When people threaten other people’s lives as one did the other day saying that if you see an ice agent, you should shoot him that certainly is free speech according to you right you’re just able to threaten anybody, but now he’s in jail and probably to prison, so there are limits even to free speech that you’d have to understand.
I know he’s looking to drill in many places, but I’m not sure about drilling in national parks. There are plenty places that we can drill and if it makes sense to do so then they will, but these are private companies who have to make investments economic investments to assure that they are drilling is going to be successful otherwise they won’t drill in the first place
One of my high school classmates believe it or not was actually an executive for Beel who did what I was just saying above he was the research analyst that was able to tell geologically where the potential for a well would be by researching it all
I’m not exactly sure who he’s calling scum but if you’d like to point out the details of that I’d be more than happy to respond and I don’t necessarily agree with you unless perhaps it’s true but I’d have to see first before I’d make A comment
Neither is mine. Sadly, the MAGAts in my former work cohort seem to be in a disinformation bubble where everything is good. “Buy low, sell high opportunities” statements abound; what fortune are you gonna make on your pension and social security income??? Feckin’ idiots.
I love the way you think! I send them baked goods from time to time. It seems like a good time to send some their way, with a note for good wishes at this tough time! Tact!
The people who voted for the convicted felon who bc are now saying, “I didn’t vote for this” need to call their Republican members of Congress on a regular basis and tell them to stand up to the felon. If they truly care about what’s happening they need to take action NOW.
Well, I guess you sold all your stock the other day who has been hard?
Today was only one day with many more to come in fact 45 months or more. You have to come everybody. Just calm down and be patient. Been awful quiet here tonight. Oh boy the haters. Just hate America coming back.
Any smart Americans are doing just the opposite of walking away they’re doubling down i’m not beliefs. We are re-creating a new government system, and Rome wasn’t built in a day for a good quote apropos to hear in the moment. I’m guessing if you feel this way, you’ve sold all your stock and you’re leaving the country? But you’re not doing that you’re gonna sit there and not sell anything and wait because you have confidence that it’s gonna come back and you’re right
Do me a favor and take your project 25 nonsense and put it on the shelf somewhere so it can collect dust for the next 50 years.
Project 25 was initiated by project 25. Heritage foundation was not initiated by Trump. It was not bought into by Trump however, just like any book if you could take a book that you absolutely hate you’ll find some things in there that you like project 25 is no difference there are many basic precept in project 25 that ring true such as no men in women’s sports for example, unless you’re part of the 20% of the country, they believe that there should be men in women’s Sports. Trump is running the same playbook that he invented and talked about on Oprah Winfrey back in the 80s and hadn’t nothing to do with project 25. I’m serious you guys need to change the channel and watch some other stuff. They’re only feeding you one side of the story and since you’re only looking at one side of the story, that’s what you believe and it’s really pathetic.
As a computer programmer with over 50 years designing, maintaining, installing and converting systems used by hundreds of thousands of users, I am terrified of what Musk is proposing to do to the SS system. According to a GAO memo from 2009 the system sends and receives data from over 800 other state and Federal systems.
Musk is an idiot as are his DOGE boys if they think they can replace their databases and myriad applications in 4 months.
And there is NOBODY that can stop him. If and when this happens the 70+ million of his will no longer receive our payments from SSA.
Senator Crapo of Idaho is head of the Senate Committee responsible for SS. Let him know that you know Trump and his Republican buddies are going to screw us all.
Gary, don't tell me that they are not acting as if they had decided already that it won't be any future election they have to be concerned about. We are getting distracted and taking certain rights for granted but we have to start, at least, a conversation regarding my gut feeling. And I hope I'm totally wrong.
exactly. People are acting like this is a temporary thing and in a couple of years we will revert back. THEY ARE BREAKING EVERYTHING. I picture the inner workings of the US now as the gross images I see of the war torn, bombed our countries.
Elections? Smh. I think we saw the last free and fair presidential election last year.
Judy Croft Barkume, “ I’m not sure that last election was free or fair.”
Strong claims (about the conduct of the 2024 election) call for strong explanations, not conspiracy whispers, not syre where your comment is going. Redistricting unfair, well documented, yet quasi-legal and a stacked supreme court, yes agreed, not fair. Voting machine antics, bring your receipts. Don’t advance theories like Mike Lindel / Rudy Giuliani without bringing receipts. Their receipts turned out to be nonexistant, or non-determinative, or just paranoid rants. Ask yourself why and how one third of the eligible electorate did not go to vote, that is the problem.
Marj- I don’t believe 2024 was entirely free and fair. The swing states were all they needed to win, and they had the time, tools and plan. GWB may have “only” stolen Ohio (many published articles and books. What Happened in Ohio is a good one), but it worked. And now they have more options- and used them.
I was a cobol programmer in the 80's. This was because of affirmative action and my grandmother was worried about my future and gave me $5000 to get trained in a career path. I was on a trip thru multiple jobs with on the job training. You can't break a Cobol system as the format is structured in a proven pattern. The tech bro's use web coding that is built to be modular and can be moved around and reused. This will turn out social security system into swiss cheese.
But it still had to be tested. I've used code generators as well and it does save time, but the programmer still has to know what they're doing.
There's no question that programming is way more efficient than it was 20 or 30 years ago. And the tools that are available have really simplified things.
There was a Senior VP at a company I worked at. He would come to IT and tell a programmer that he wanted a report on his desk at 8 am that did such and such. If the report wasn't on his desk, he would fire the programmer. But, they had Quikjob and Sort and other tools which made these requests possible. Was the VP an asshole? Of course and we all hated him, but he knew it could be done.
Absolutely! I wrote test plans to go along with all that code.
When I changed jobs and went into a testing only role on Windows NT machines (give me back my DOS prompt) every time a new release came out we had to uninstall and reinstall NT. Then when I’d report a problem to the programmer they’d say “it always worked that way”. I’d get out my handy test plan and show them. This job was an exercise in futility and I only stayed a year to fulfill my headhunter contract so I didn’t have to pay a fee.
Rewrite in a couple months, like they claim? Crazy.
Who does testing and evaluates the results when half people with that knowledge are fired or forced into retirement?
How are the ancestral COBOL systems and data formats documented?
There is said to be hundreds if not thousands of linked databases and allied data sources and systems with links to and fromSSA. Surely the nubes know if you break the linkage to another data source you don’t have a working system, it all collapses?
And we're supposed to believe the DOGE boys, are geniuses that know what they are doing. They are updating SS records marking millions of them as deceased. Supposedly, they are only updating the records where the people's current age is greater than 115. But why do it at all? It's the programs that check the current age with a simple IF THEN ELSE statement. Fucking morons.
Eleanor, Gary, it gets worse now. More of the ‘move fast and break things’ stuff published today 4/5 at Wired mag:
“DOGE Is Planning a Hackathon [NEXT WEEK] at the IRS. It Wants Easier Access to Taxpayer Data…
DOGE operatives have repeatedly referred to the software company Palantir as a possible partner in creating a “mega API” at the IRS, sources tell WIRED.”
Wiz kid of Elmo’s wrecking ball, “Corcos has discussed plans for DOGE to build “one new API to rule them all,” making IRS data more easily accessible for cloud platforms, sources say. APIs, or application programming interfaces, enable different applications to exchange data, and could be used to move IRS data into the cloud. The cloud platform could become the “read center of all IRS systems,” a source with direct knowledge tells WIRED, meaning anyone with access could view and possibly manipulate all IRS data in one place.
“Over the last few weeks, DOGE has requested the names of the IRS’s best engineers from agency staffers. Next week, DOGE and IRS leadership are expected to host dozens of engineers in DC so they can begin “ripping up the old systems” and building the API, an IRS engineering source tells WIRED. The goal is to have this task completed within 30 days. Sources say there have been multiple discussions about involving third-party cloud and software providers like Palantir in the implementation.”
….” Last Friday, DOGE suddenly placed around 50 IRS technologists on administrative leave. On Thursday, even more technologists were cut, including the director of cybersecurity architecture and implementation, deputy chief information security officer, and acting director of security risk management.”
People reading will recall Palantier is Peter Theil’s company, isn’t it?
So, the partitioning of databases in the federal government, for reasons some combination of privacy, statutory requirements, or sensetivity of data? That’s going to be gone in months, and congress will again reneg on any statute enforcement THAT IS THEIR REASON FOR BEING A BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT.
“We love disruption and whatever is good for America will be good for Americans and very good for Palantir,” Palantir CEO Alex Karp said in a February earnings call. “Disruption at the end of the day exposes things that aren't working. There will be ups and downs. This is a revolution, some people are going to get their heads cut off.” [ooh. Watch that reference, tech bro.]
Moselle, thanks. Just called. I told him we don't trust Elon and his boys. If they need to bring a system up to date do it the right way but not in this way which just creates chaos.
Gary, as a fellow traveller in tech (retired from), I totally agree with you. Most people don’t understand what ‘root access’ means but we do. The first breech was those first couple cabinet secretaries and dept heads whom the Senate approved (GSA, Treasury, OMB), and who provided the imprimatur (or ‘impression of authoritative permission’) to existing staff to allow God-level access to systems and server administrator accounts. The dam breeched, the wave spread as these idiots barged through flashing their (temporary contractor) badges. Unthinkable breech, at any tech company I worked you couldn’t even get in the door let alone the server room with these antics, yet, they buffaloed their way in. The fact that the defense/national security posts are headed by syncophantic morons and tv personalities, and now the NSA head ousted, gives rise to greatest concern. And here we are. Recalling a link, for those wanting to read about…
It may be a subtle difference but instead of "tariffs don't work the way he wants them to," I would say tariffs don't work the way he's believed they do for decades. This despite his B.S. in economics from an Ivy League university.
Well, Trump’s professor at Wharton did say that Trump was one of the dumbest students he ever had, and Trump wants to inflict that stupidity on the nation.
Good point. But isn't it time to consider that the "stupidity" $Trump is inflicting on America (and the world) is not really stupidity. But it is a deliberate attempt to disassemble the American leadership of the free world. That weakening our governmental structures serves two very intentional purposes.
1. Help Putin's Russia expand its influence around the world as we create humanitarian vacuums. Yes, HELP PUTIN. Not just because $Trump admires Putin - but because $Trump has been a Russian asset since the 1980s.
When banks stopped loaning to $Trump, Russians stepped in to bail him out. $Trump Jr told us so! NOTHING happens financially in Russia without Putin's direction. He controls the entire system. $Trump and Putin are intertwined like mating snakes.
2. As our prosperity collapses, the Fascists, led by a blackmailed con man will blame all previous presidents and the "Deep State" for the troubles. "See how bad 'government' is?" Time to privatize everything.
The latest shot across the bow was the announcement that $Trump wants to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He just installed Pulte (a home builder !!!???) to lead a public entity. Please read this:
I think it is well past the time that we expect $Trump to be anything but a financial partner of Putin. Trump just allowed Putin's top finance guy in the White House. The next day, insane tariffs are levied on every country - except Russia.
I agree that Trump has been a Russian asset since the late 80s and that Russian money is what has helped create the myth of success that was sold to a gullible public. But it's more than his coziness with Putin, Trump is following the authoritarian playbook. I love James O'Brien and his low-key but devastating assessments of US and UK politics. The first segment of yesterday's show lays it all out, point by point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KdnZf5PWAA
And I can’t tell you how deeply sorry I feel for those of you who actually believe anything having to do with Russia do you have a Russia on the brain it’s metastasized to your entire body.
There is a famous word in Jewish that I believe applies here and it’s called rochMones. Utter pity and sadness.
And by the way, for this, my own personal belief is Adam Chef should be hung by his ankles in public until he passes away
Yes he did. He further said Trump came to class thinking he already knew everything. Donny retains the same lack of interest in learning anything, which is dangerous in a leader.
He has the way to say that, and if he can prove them wrong, what are you gonna say then? As I said to Paul here, you remind me of one of these political zealots that if the Republicans came up with a plan to save you 10% of your income in a year, you would still say it’s crap. But I’ll keep giving you an alternatives to look at even though you don’t even wanna look at them.
Well, I hope you learned a little something today AA it’s not over til it’s over be it was only one day just like the past three days they were only one day and there’s 45 months left to go calm down take a breath and by the way, don’t listen to the bullshit about anything happening with our precious social Security and Medicare
Donald was doted on and protected because of his learning disability. He grew up believing he's a Very Special Boy, and nobody ever tried to disabuse him of that error. When you can't learn, but everyone around you asserts that you already know everything, a perfect storm of ignorance and hubris is created.
Fact Nanny here: Donald is the 4th of five children. His mother was quite ill for much of his early childhood and his father lacked the ability to nurture his young son. Which is to say that Donald grew up not knowing love or affection while at the same time being provided with all the creature comforts available to a wealthy family. It wasn't until Fred Jr. refused to go into the family business that Fred Sr. began using Don to get a toe-hold in Manhattan real estate circles. Knowing how unloved he was is the only thing about Trump's biography that elicits any compassion from me.
From what I've read, Fred and Mary Ann were absentee parents, but Donald's sisters catered to Donald.
Any compassion you might feel for Donald should be cancelled out by knowing the way he later abused Freddy, cheated his other siblings and exploited his few friends. As Donald, himself, would put it, "He's a bad guy."
100% on target regarding the scumbag president stupidity but remember he is surrounded by ideologist like J D Vance, his most likely successor. He and others are the real danger in the near future. Thanks for your comment Kathy.
The tarriffs might be effective in some industries if we still had factories in place to replace foreign plants and equipment. We don't.
IMHO the no 1 loser is Canada, and I think he is doing it to force them to sell their sovereignity. Shades of Stalin. Putin.
He has the data from the trade representative and other sources that track all this. I don't think Musk or Navarro, et al are looking at better deals for the consumer.
Some investors use "value" analysis. Not These guys. They speculate. Trump went bankrupt 6 times. In NY he has to have a couyrt appointed monitor because he's unreliable.
Donald may think economic warfare could force Canada to capitulate, but PM Mark Carney has already signaled the country's response. And it's not capitulation.
It's important to remember that Donald has failed at every business endeavor he's undertaken. After Fred died and there was no more financial reserve for Donald, his personal finances remained in the red until he signed The Apprentice deal. The show did well because he was NOT in charge. He was merely an actor playing the role of a successful tycoon.
Donald is a failure at everything. He failed to get the Trump family accepted by NYC Society. He failed in business. He will fail in taking Canada.
The low labor costs that fueled offshoring 1980-2010: how will those costs be re-shored back to the USA? It doesn’t work. Re-shoring manufacturing and “cheap stuff made in the USA” doesn’t work as a plan, and his cabinet economists know it. The USA became a consumer goods and services-based economy.
Maybe all the kids can work the factories and fields for sub-tip wages or for $5/day. Hi Florida, I’m looking at you!
Not even consumer based. It's all about immediate gratification. "Sales" is not important under "growth" theory.
BTW, robots in manufacturing did as much as offshroing to make those jobs obsolite. But Biden infrastructure, CHIPS are another matter.
Once upon a time I held hearings in Greewood Mississippi, home of Mississippi Burning, but also the museum Cottonlandia. I attended a lecture by engineers. They had a device that would have eliminated stoop labor in cotton production. Could pick, card, even sew with one robot. Many years later I met a lobbyist for the cotton industry and asked him...he said that had the industry accepted those robots, technoogy would have mede them obsolite by the next year.... Not worth the investment because under the tax code and growth analysis future investment and research and devlopment mean nothing.
Do you know was awful noisy here the last three days but I don’t understand. It’s awful quiet here tonight. I’ve said it 100 times for everybody here 45 months to go be patient take a breath stop the panic. The sky is not falling like you think it’s falling which is really laughable.
Yes they are on every foreign nation that we’ve been allowing to buy our products for cheap and they come back and send us products and tear of them Daniel you;re hopeless.
Would you like to talk about the meaningful issues today or would you like to talk about farts in the wind? Anyone can pick on misspellings capital letters sentence, structure, syntax punctuation, but in the end, the only thing that counts is the content and meaning that bring the results. If you would like to deal with minutia enjoy yourself.
It’s kind of like the signal chat everyone is aroused by the signal chat, and that there was a breach of privacy and confidentiality but nothing happened because of it. It won’t happen again like that, and the essence of the entire conversation was about a strike that ended up doing exactly what it intended to do. PRECISELY. Nobody in this thread, even gave a shit that it was a military victory and successful. All they cared about was this breach of privacy Now, if that would’ve caused the death of 13 Americans as a failure of leadership did in Afghanistan then it might be worth talking about a little bit more
You really should be paid for all the work you do to prop up the idiocy of the Trump regime. Case in point, I asked you to explain Trump's tariffs on uninhabited islands and you come back with a complete non sequitur that borders on masterful. So, about those tariffs, please make this make sense:
"There's growing concern about a global economic downturn due to President Trump's unconventional thinking on international trade. But adding to the concern is the confusion about what countries the president is targeting. Take, for example, Israel, a very strong ally of the U.S. It was hit with an additional 17% tariff. That despite the fact that Israel pledged to cancel all tariffs on American imports earlier this week. You have many countries on the list that could hardly be described as economic powerhouses whose policies are threatening the U.S., but they import far less from the U.S. than they export to America - places like Guyana, which faces 38% U.S. levies now. It's a similar figure for Iraq. There are many more examples like this.
But some of Trump's targets get even more baffling. Take Heard Island and McDonald Islands - this is a group of islands in the Antarctic. They're uninhabited except for penguins and seals and, consequently, had no exports to the U.S. But the islands are facing 10% tariffs. So too with Svalbard and Jan Mayen, two Norwegian territories. Jan Mayen is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and a former whaling station. No one lives there permanently, and its economy is zero, but it's now subject to 10% tariffs.
Then there's the French territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This is off the coast of Newfoundland and Canada, population of about 5,000. It exports fish to the U.S. It's now facing a 50% tariff. That's more than double what France was hit with. Lesotho in Southern Africa - which in March Trump described as a country nobody has ever heard of - it's one of the poorest countries in the world and exports mostly diamonds and textiles to the U.S. It also faces 50% tariffs, the highest figure on Trump's list.
Also curious is what countries were left off the list - Russia, which does little trade with the U.S. anyway, thanks to sanctions. Also, Canada and Mexico were spared, but preexisting tariffs on most Canadian and Mexican goods will remain. And today, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced measures to mirror U.S. tariffs on automobiles."
As I said earlier misty, there will be a downturn because the world has been turned on in and they are no longer receiving the benefits and the generosity of America that they’ve been receiving for 40 years or more.
And it’s America’s fault we did it to ourselves and now we’re going to crawl out of it and everybody around the world is not gonna be happy because they’re gonna lose their free meal. Now it’s going to be an even keel and they don’t like that And please do yourself a favor if you want to make a point don’t use the $24 we’re going to gain by the islands or whatever islands you’re talking about that have no inhabitants it’s insignificant it doesn’t even need mentioning it’s an amoeba in the big picture body of what Trump is doing.
But But I will commit to you this and be honest. I have spent many sleepless nights worrying about the survival of obscure islands, or Norwegian territories. Lololol. Sigh
Your refusal to acknowledge the utter stupidity of Trump's tariffs is astonishing. But it is dwarfed by your inability to acknowledge the very real harm this will do to the economy of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! The vast difference between targeted tariffs, which would require actual thought, and across-the-board tariffs regardless of whether they make sense or not (and most of them don't), is the difference between crawling toward a goal and rushing to jump off a steep cliff without a parachute.
IF there was languishing infrastructure in the US to take up the slack and immediately hire the American workers whose jobs will be lost by the tariffs then it might make sense. But both are missing at this time. How long can millions of people hang on while the investments are made, the buildings refurbished or built and the workers trained? Instead of emulating McKinley, Trump seems well on his way to emulating Hoover.
Minor point but the revolt was against the Stamp Act, which taxed everything. Yes, tariffs are ultimately taxes but there isn't a line on an invoice that says tariffs.
One of his professors in the prestigious Wharton School of Business said he was the dumbest student he'd ever had. I imagine that teacher watching this unfold and looking like a parody of Edvard Munch's, The Scream.
Did you say that when Biden was elected or when he was thrown overboard and a mental defective done nothing woman was put in his place and 73 million people voted for that idiot ?
Other than the presidency, Trump has never earned anything in his life. And, despite the votes, it's safe to say that he didn't really earn that either.
Wow Linda, you come up with some good ideas. Sometimes the one above makes me think you’re on an LSD trip or something like that.
In 90 days, Kamala Harris raised $2 billion and out spent Trump two to one in the final campaign. The idiots on the left side actually raced $2 billion for this twerk to run for president. I wouldn’t hire her to be a cashier at one of my restaurants.
The Death of Expertise is what a brilliant UofMN history professor calls our current epoch. People feel they have all knowledge at their fingertips (SmartPhones, social media) and can know the correct information without the need for nerdy experts. And The Dunning-Kruger effect describes the tendency of people with limited knowledge or skill in a particular area to overestimate their own competence.
Then there is also the declining cognitive abilities of many in the population, due to attention deficit (caused by rapid-fire information and stress overload).
One of the few things I remember from my high school days is a teacher saying that the global IQ was declining. That was in the early 1960s. Wish I'd known then to keep track of the evidence of his claim.
Oh, I think you’re absolutely correct about the IQ and here’s why.
One of the worst presidents in history, although he had a very good heart invented the Department of Education. Since then, we’ve decided not to educate our children. And there was back to back that up. In 1979 we were in the number one position ranked in education in the world. 30 years later we were number 18th. Today we are Ranked 40th. High school students come out of high school not even knowing how to read or do basic math. And I could tell you horror stories having only restaurants and have people come in to apply for a job when they needed help filling out the application and couldn’t tell how much change to give From a $20 bill if the bill was $18.04.
It’s not only about IQ it’s about challenging and pushing people to learn
So after a number of bankruptcies, tell me how the dummy created the wealth that he has amassed? I’ve listed you a number of people that have had bankruptcies and came out of it successfully some of the most famous people and inventors in the US history. Unfortunately, for you, Donald Trump will be one of those.
I would love to see Congress limit Trump's expense account. I'm sick and tired of paying for his golfing trips every week and for his $20 million trip to go to the Super Bowl for a photo-op.
And today the market good one? If you care at all for America, which is doubtful, you would say well. Today was a good day for America but no, there’s nothing here because all you do is hate.
What are you, blind? As well as stupid? The market went up because Trump paused the damage to the world economy that he himself caused.
And I damn well know he did it because his superiors to,d him he over- reached. Not because he knows what he is doing. No hate, just reality. It bit him on that ass that he lied about everyone kissing. Trump can do no wrong, right?
Just what I told you, Martin our issues in progress and it’s gonna take time to work them out because it’s been 40 years since we’ve been treated right on trade and it’s gonna take a little work to get it back to normal. And for all of those, we think that yesterday was contrived and set up well guess that’s not the case if you look at the market today, but nothing in the world has changed other than negotiations. Nothing P. A. T. I. E. N. C. E.
Well, I laid out a whole post, but somehow it got lost when I try to correct the spelling of one word, but I’ll try it all over again
You’re gonna need to simmer down and stop the hate. or it’s gonna kill you. I am not ignorant, nor the fool but you need a mirror to determine who it is and here’s why
The market did not go up today because Trump pause the tariffs . The market went up today because Trump wanted negotiations and the strategy readily set out from the beginning and the media and the market understands now. He has given the 75 countries that have come forward to negotiate power of situation to meet with him, and to renegotiate the terms of our trade and tariffs. You really don’t think too deeply do you nor too far ahead.
As I said to you many times, and I’ve told everybody here nobody has the patience and when you hate you, don’t care about patience you just care about attacks you don’t care about how embarrassing it will be when you find out you were wrong. This has been Trump strategy all along. He wants to negotiate. He’s a constant and adamant negotiator, and he got exactly what he wanted as well as he put the pressure on China big-time, who is now isolated itself.
He will spend the next 75 days, negotiating new tariff deals, and and other related deals with all these countries, and will come out better for it in 90 days or more if it takes a little bit while longer but it’s going to start immediately. It’s people like you that fit the equation if Trump found the cure of cancer, you would find fault in that
You were relishing in the fact that Trump demolish the stock market and Tesla lost his ass for two or three days, but when the Market comes back up at 95 or 90% of the losses that it took, came back in one day highest single day point increase in market history, or you can talk about is the reason is because Trump pauses tariffs you don’t care about all the money that people got back on that now we are in the driver seat once again. Hate makes you blind, Martin it makes you unable to think rationally and thoroughly.
And by the way, nothing happened in the world economy not a damn thing other than the scare tactics that your media tries to dictate to you on a daily basis and you swallow it like mothers milk.
By the way, one thing I forgot to mention, Trump does wrong many times with his mouth. He could be a little bit more compassionate he could be a little bit more tactful he could be a little bit more humanitarian. I don’t like what comes out of his mouth. I love what comes out of his pen. His policies work, and his policies comes out of his intrinsic and innate knowledge of what to do. I’m able to separate what comes out of his mouth from what comes out of his pen. There’s a world of difference between the two. It’s amazing the Democrats today were wondering if you had planned this all along so his billionaire buddies could make a deal on the market going back up after I drop so drastically for two days or three days and it might even drop again tomorrow. Who knows but instead of wishing Americans well after the rise today all they could do was try to find fault in what Trump did, and all he did is exactly what he wanted to do and his plan is working to perfection.
And lastly, he doesn’t have a boss he doesn’t have anyone telling him what to do so give it up already it’s a lost cause.
And I’ll say it once again and I’ll say it 1 million times patience is a virtue. Haters don’t seem to have the need to have patience.
45 more beautiful months. And he has China on its heels right now, and you should stop bragging about it. They will have to come to the table.
Wharton school has now been discredited by the orange idiot. Sorry for the decent graduates who are embarrassed by the one who is destroying their reputations.
To be fair, U Penn isn't the only Ivy that has cause to be embarrassed. Look at the number of idiots with undergraduate and/or graduate degrees from elite universities. A few years ago I had too much time on my hand and made a list of those from Harvard.
Well, you just made my point thank you very much. Nothing against you, Pam but in general antisemitism a pretty disgusting behavior for those who supported, and for those who actually participate in it
Would you like a list of all the people that started some of the most amazing companies in the world and didn’t even have a college degree. You know there’s a saying that I’ve seen proven out in many cases, and the people I encounter in my business dealings. There are too many damn educated derelicts. Just like Jackson Browns song. That started off strong only to surrender.
People thought they could do well by studying the inter-workings of the relationship between Nepal and Ghana. Etc. Or the philosophy of Zen and how it fits into the 1800 economic matrix.
Certainly a college degree shooting for a better outcome, and usually does but only a small percentage of those folks have actually ascertained what they set out to do in the first place
You have to have a drive you have to have a ganas. You have to have the will to work long hours for many years to get what you want college degrees don’t teach any of that. And many people do it naturally with intrinsic gifts. So touting a college degree I think put you in a more assured income strata, but by no means guarantees that you’re going to be what you think you’re gonna be if you don’t want to put the work in.
Many of today’s most successful companies started out with somebody who didn’t necessarily have a degree from a revered institution so stop the nonsense OK
Just when I think your responses couldn't be more non-contributory, more nonsensical, or, importantly, more of a distraction from the discussion, you go and outdo yourself. Congratulations.
Well it’s nice that you portray the fact that a college degree is an alike putting a halo over your head. Do you know why there’s two major parties in this country because there is more than one way to solve a problem. What you learn in one college may be different than you learn in another and yet you both get degrees or masters or even doctorate yet come from different disciplines. And your ignorance of that fact, astounds me.
For the most part, I’m the only one that’s contributing because everyone else is agreeing with everyone else and you’re not gonna get the opposing point of you which is absolutely necessary in order to make it decision just like you’re in a court room on a jury, do you have to see you and hear both sides of the argument in order to render a fair decision some thing apparently you haven’t learned
Thank you I take that as a compliment. But I’m not sure if you have a degree in economics, sufficient enough to address the issues of the day as an example tariffs, and the economy. Did you happen to see Nancy Pelosi is long winded diatribe on how much we need to have terrace. Have you seen the Bernie Sanders interview on C-SPAN in 2008 where he espouses the need for tariffs? If not, I’d be more than happy to share with you the links, and these are hardened Democrats or even left of Democrats. It’s like having a knee replacement as an example. If you have any replacement, you’re not gonna get up and start jogging the next day. Well, that’s a simple analogy that even you can understand so be patient give it time and in time if they don’t work, as I said, to One of your recent posters that if it turns out that it’s wrong I’ll raise my right hand and say hey I was wrong which is different than the Democrats which are still playing with the same playbook that got them to a 20% approval rate. It’s so sad.
After the last 2 days of free-fall of the stock market in response to another of tRump’s bizarre efforts at ruling the world Rick, ‘twould seem most of us, especially your Dear Leader, would benefit from “changing the freaking channel!"
Cat got your tongue tonight, John? Just like the past three days it’s just another day. Why not just watch and learn, and make judgment in six months or so? Because today, all you did, was embarrass yourself for your past rants
Well, if you like history, John, try going back to 1980s on a Oprah Winfrey show when Trump touted tariffs as a way to go about fair trade and as well as I pointed out to you big proponent of terrorist were none other than Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders.
I guess the vast majority of investors and funds voting with their feet must be ‘wrong’ about 47’s horsefeathers economics. we will see how it turns out, I’m sure ‘Rick sender’ has stayed fully invested and is catching that falling knife of a market (in his teeth, no less).
Lmao. People like you kill me are so myopic. Months ago as I do before every election I redirect my more. Shall I call them risky investments, or risky your investments to something more stable and firm in interest bearing platforms because the biggest influencer in the market on an immediate basis is doubt and the unknown of future events. I have not pulled a dime out of the market and have not suffered. In fact I’m very happy exactly where I am and as soon as there’s a turnaround, which will be very shortly, I will reinvest again and some more company specific investments.
A few years ago, the market tumble 3000 points and panic lit the room Three years later the market had increased by 10,000 points and this is the history of the market
And I love that you guys have a knee-jerk reaction when things like this happen when you didn’t sell everything either because you know it’s coming back just go look in the mirror and lie to yourself Sigh
You know, I know too many PhD‘s in various fields that are utterly crazy and the predictions that they make based on what they learned in school have been 100% incorrect. Paul Krugman for example, hasn’t made a good call in years and he was actually upside down in his estimate of what was gonna happen in Trump’s first administration. Robert Reich is exactly the same in my opinion. I could use when he writes as toilet paper, and I would be very comfortable doing that. This is what happens Misty, when PhD‘s in certain devices become political pawns and buy into one side of an argument, because they staunchly support their party instead of staunchly supporting what they learned in school from a economics perspective not from a political perspective
BS is absolutely what he gleaned from his schooling. If daddy endows a chair, little Donny doesn’t have to crack a book, and if he doesn’t get good grades, the endowment goes away. Now, I’m not saying that’s what happened, it explains his negotiating technique. God help us all if those he targets cave.
Rick seems like a bot account. I base this on the amount of time he spends posting. I just attended a webinar which leads me to suspect this. In that case, he is probably a Russian agent account. So, I am grateful to the person who taught me to collapse what "he" says, so that I don't need to see it to interrupt the flow of other comments.
The left is going to have to understand that not everything that makes you a success in life is learned in school. In fact there’s a big poster I have that I picked up in college that said there are far too many college educated Derelicts in the world. People get an education in philosophy and become carpenters, which is fine, but they didn’t learn anything about carpentry in school.
Then you have people like many savants that don’t need school to take them to success take Mark Zuckerberg, for example. There were five-year-olds that could sit down in a piano with the first time and play. There are people like Bobby Fisher who didn’t learn how to play chess in school. And there are people like Elon Musk and Alexander, Graham Bell and Enrico, Femi and Thomas Edison. That took what they learned in school and enhanced it beyond anything they learned in school.
So stop doubting education as the end all and be all of a human being because that’s all the left seems to wanna do is that and keep referencing them back to some book that was written 50 years ago that is no longer applicable because the entire world has changed since then
Well, in some cases here, Harvey, you’re correct all foreign governments have a price and he’s not breaking the legs, but he sure putting a lot of pressure on them and they’re coming to the table.
Or your economy. And he’s correct it’s called negotiating And what’s funny is when Chuck Schumer just buckled to Trump a couple weeks ago his party is going apeshit over the fact that he did that and didn’t “NEGOTIATE’ with Trump on the reconciliation bill to not shut down the government and get something out of it, but didn’t. And now to tell you how I don’t even have the synonym, stupid, dumb, idiotic, los, have shown that AOC is more popular than Chuck Schumer to succeed him in the Senate. But everyone forgets that in only four years according to her, we’re all going to die in this planet is going to implode. Lol
Everything in life is a choice/negotiation. And provided it’s not blackmail. That’s how this world gets along every single day. You negotiate with your boss for a higher salary you negotiate with your significant other in various areas of your relationship Life is a do to yourself proposition with very few exceptions
Yes please! The rest of the world needs to thumb their collective noses at this lunatic. Will it be painful? Indeed, for everyone. Will it be worth it? You bet. Make the bully look like the anal opening that he is, and he will eventually collapse in on himself. It can't come soon enough, for the entire world.
I agree. Perhaps Europe, in particular, can apply some lessons learned from Vlad's Russia towards this "administration". I would very much like to see this thing collapse in upon itself as well. I am quite concerned about this friendship and advisor in Vlad though. He has so far not allowed his situation to implode and will certainly do his best in order it not happen here. So, to me, that is troubling.
so as I’ve sent to any of you in the circumstance that his big beautiful bill that includes no tax on tips no tax on Social Security and no tax on overtime gets approved by Congress. What will you say then about the anal opening?
On the other hand, the past president, anal opening was sealed shut, and what turned out that everything he did was full of shit for this country.
Yeah that’s what you said in 2020 and how did that work out with the non compos mentis robotic president that now coming out that he should’ve never run in the first place let alone for reelection now all the people are writing books especially Democrats that the writing was on the wall for at least 2 1/2 to 3 years. That’s your guy don’t forget it
Linda, read something yesterday that I am taking more or less with a grain of salt, that death star is preparing to throw muskrat under the bus. I am thinking it will happen once muskrat has completed the damage.
Yes Doug, I read that piece. I agree. I have been saying, since last summer when I read the first chapter of Project 2025 in my book club, which was The Dept. of Education, that it was a formula for turning the US into a third world country. I taught in one and I know what it looks like. Then, as I read more I realized it would turn the US into a third world, Christian Nationalist Theocracy. Of course, it is a Kakistocracy, Kleptocracy and Oligarchy too. Chilling is correct! Also, as a history major, I think of the blood, sweat and tears that went into making the US what it is, and tantruming trump is destroying it all, like a toddler on a bender with blocks.
I agree, Linda. And I think of the complicity of the Republicans by standing by while he fiddles. And not to mix my Roman emperors, but I think of the courage it took Roman senators to get rid of Caesar. Mind you, I'm not calling for that, but it's astonishing to me that a formidable bunch of Republicans in the House and Senate don't band together and say “Enough is enough!”, get rid of Johnson (at least) and demand a return to checks and balances.
Trump gets tired of people. I don't believe he likes Vance at all, do you? He treats him like the stepchild. All of the cabinet members are expendable to him. However, Stephen Miller has lasted. We shall just see. There are some predictable things about Trump, which is he gravitates to Putin and when he is in power he is a lot less likable to his adoring fans than when he is just a grievance monkey.
what’s really funny about what you said Susan is the following for the last eight or nine years Elon Musk has been almost a demigod for the left inventing an automobile that helped to create a prevention against climate change. Nothing changed in the way he manufactured cars or shot off rockets or controlled. A huge company of communication services called Starlink that helped areas that couldn’t get service get service totally effed up made up hate against Elon Musk is so bereft of reality. It’s defies comprehension. All we keep hearing is he’s not elected. He’s not elected. He’s not elected. He’s not elected, which has nothing to do with the issue at hand not an effing thing.
Donald Trump could have appointed Ted Cruz or even worse, cash Patel to head up DOGE then what would have been your defense? And who would you protest against then?
When it spills over to Trump, he will no doubt respond, "Tariffs? I don't know anything about tariffs! Elon, must have done those. Elon, get in here right now, and tell everyone about your tariffs!!"
Did Elon send you to Mars already? I.e or aka what planet are you living on? Just for history sake’s Trump has been talking about tariffs since interviewing on Oprah Winfrey show back in the early 80s.
And just like the quintessential liberal hoping against America couldn’t be better said Potter. The outer world first America last. That’s what the left personifies today.
Stupid..still at your age. Wasting the time you have left obsessively trying to prove something here to yourself about your own wisdom, using hate and ignorance as well as off the wall accusations... similar to Trump actually. Dummies don't know we are all connected. Go away.
Wait? I’m the one using hate? lol omg. Do you read any of these posts at all everyone of the people here hate Donald Trump! The left are the haters around protesting Tesla, which is about the stupidest thing I have ever seen the most double standard and hypocritical thing I’ve ever seen.
Trump could’ve appointed Ted Cruz or cash Patel to head up those where were they go to protest then he’s not elected he’s not elected he’s got elected there is the hate and there’s are morons
I’m the dummy? We are not connected, and you know why we’re not connected because the left is now fully disconnected. Disconnected from the truth, disconnected from reality, disconnected because their entire being is full of TDS, MDS, and gullibility.
You were like many others here, who talked about items, hypothetically, ethereally, I have no factual specifics to back up your statements.
I’m not the one calling Trump or Elon Hitler. I’m not the one talking about fascism. I’m not the one talking about oligarchy or dictatorship
When the Democrats win an election, and if executive orders start flowing from the White House or the auto pen LOL everything is just fine but when Trump does it, it’s autocracy DISREGARDING AN ELECTION ….
You are the epitome of what they say is when the Democrats accuse the Republicans of doing something when they were actually doing it themselves. And you are the poster child for the same calling me hateful
Right now I’m thrilled to death and hate nothing other than frustration with people who don’t learn and don’t want to learn, don’t want to change the channel.
By the way, Potter, this is directed only to you. I don’t want to impugn other people here but when you start calling me stupid I have to let out a huge belly laugh. I don’t have a belly. I have pretty much been on the correct side of politics my whole life voting twice for Billy the wandering PP was probably the third best president in history, other than a few major mistakes but we all make mistakes. And you know why he was so good because he was smart enough to work with Gingrich to bring the party to agreement rather than splintering the country. And we are here today splintered because of one Barack Hussein, Obama.
So you can go along your merry way but if you have any sense at all, you’ll wait a year or so to see how things progress and then you could make a partial judgment because you have 45 more months to go to be able to evaluate as president.
The sad truth is we didn’t hear this rhetoric from you when Biden double the price of everything on a daily basis or allow us 11,000 illegal migrants in this country every day or against the general precepts of Democrats want peace I don’t like guns Biden sending hundreds of billions of dollars to Ukraine to kill people instead of trying to create peace.
I am a happy go lucky guy 90% of the time at a completely successful business career. I’ve been retired for 12 years after coming out of abject poverty as a child and right now I’m smiling every day. I have no hate at all. Merely frustration with so many misguided haters here
Well welcome to the real world ROBIN many huge countries I’ve been talking about this for years and years like China Brazil, etc., to change the world’s currency barometer. And guess what it could happen having nothing to do with today because they’ve been working on it for decades.
I would say Trump is and will always be the one who will be the main tool for chaos, and with Musk gone, people with notice it more and remember how tired they got of him during covid. The new covid is tariffs.
How about give Mr. Trump a quiet time to enjoy his golf? No one deserves continued criticisms without Sunday holoidays. After all he was elected, unlike Musk. We must share our responsibility and giving him a quiet weekend is one way.
Another ignorant soul talking about musk wasn’t elected. Yikes. I have never seen so much misguided hate in my life. As I’ve said 20 times here posting Trump could’ve picked Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio or anybody to head up those now what would you say? Why don’t you talk about what those is accomplishing instead of who’s the head of doge idiot
What about the hundred thousands of your hypocrites walking in the ts Monday with signs that read FREE SPEECH. Do you think it would be better if the government didn’t listen to you from here on out?
“……the tariffs don't work in the way he wants them too.”
Oh they’ll work exactly as he wants them to. Tarrifs put more money in the treasury which he will (pretty much already does )control. Money is power, he wants both.
We shall see. I have my thoughts about this, but they are too bleak to post. I am in Europe, and I know my groceries will still be cheaper even with tariffs,
Food here is way cheaper than in the USA, and the cost of living is lower. Germany is ranked 23 and the US 13. I think we should look at these numbers again next year.
Maybe you haven’t noticed we just had an election and he has the power and he already has the wealth and he’s 78 years old and could live on $1 billion a year for the rest of his life and never run out of money. Let’s have some patience. Shall we knee jerk reactions or seldom correct?
That’s actually going to be the J6 committee and Adam shift and not necessarily in that order. I’m sure we’ll be looking at some of the 51 liars as well
Your head may have been under sand but the people who weren't watching Fox saw the attempt to steal the election by violent mob attack, organized by Trump.
Yeah William I’m sure a few hundred people are going to overthrow the government only if you’re totally delusional. But it’s OK when one black man dies to create $2 billion worth of damage kill 25 police policeman burned down cities take over police precincts and occupy large portions of north western cities. Only one person died on January 6 and she was an innocent bystander shot by police. Hmmmmm with no convictions and the guy who accidentally killed George Floyd was convicted so what was all they mayhem for? And like I said earlier, it’s been a good day. I hit a nerve people or maybe waking up.
When you read the post, I just made with quotes and speeches from the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama, Obama.
Obviously, denial is King here I don’t wanna sit and paste all day, so please look them up for major speeches denoting that Pelosi and Bernie supported tariffs fervently and that the inventor of doge were actually Bill Clinton and Barack Obama ooooooooops
And please take something for your Russian delusion
A mentally and physically deteriorating mob boss’s side hussel. I am not convinced he know his left from his right side currently. Who ever is in front of him showering praise and suggesting tariffs based on a distorted AI model (Musk/Doge) or firings of key cybersecurity experts (Loomer).
Why don’t you change the channel and do something too confirm or deny Social Security’s problems? DOGE.GOV. AND THEN LOOK AT THE INTERVIEW WITH THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF SOCIAL SECURITY HAVING TO DO WITH DOGE. IT WILL SHOCK YOU INTO BELIEVING.
Heather: "Republican members of Congress could stop Trump at any time. In the case of tariffs, they could simply reassert their constitutional power to manage tariffs. If they choose not to and the economy doesn’t recover and thrive as Trump keeps promising, voters can be expected to hold them, as well as him, to account.".
Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, joined Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington in introducing a bipartisan bill to rein in presidential authority over tariffs and give Congress more control over future trade duties.
Why It Matters
The bipartisan bill comes a day after President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day," in which he imposed a new round of sweeping tariffs on foreign imports, reigniting debate over executive power in trade policy.
Several Republicans, many of whom are Trump allies, have raised concerns about Trump's tariffs, warning that they will raise prices and derail the economy. Many economists have warned that significant tariffs could spark a recession and that American consumers would end up shouldering the burden of the tariffs as importers pass on costs in the form of higher prices.
Daniel, what some senators are trying, won't result in any practical action unless M. Johnson decided to do something positive for this country. I'm not hopeful.
We work on it every day. You obviously are not following Feathers of Hope. The protests should be tactical. Don't waste time on Democrats or MAGA Republicans. 22 senate Republicans and dozens of Republican House members support Ukraine funding.
Musk's humiliation in Wisconsin should be an object lesson to Reps in majority Dem districts like mine.
If their constituents and donors protest, we'll pick up a few.
Daniel, Thank you. I attempted to call Sen Grassley, but his DC office voicemail is full.
I was able to get through to the Cedar Rapids voicemail at 319 363 6832
I thanked him for opposing the tariffs, and also mentioned that as an agricultural state, the farming community needs the USAID to be reversed, and that seniors will be left sick and in poverty if the safety nets are effectively GONE thanks to Trump. I ended by saying that Trump is NOT faithfully executing the laws of the US and it is time to remove him.
I am asking all the LFAA readers to stop right now and call his office.
EDIT: I also called Sen Thune and MAGA Mike Johnson. I said that although I'm not their constituents, I am calling them because of their leadership roles. I said that the tariff impact on the market is draining my retirement funds, and that with SS, Medicare and Medicaid on the chopping block, they will leave seniors sick and impoverished. I couldn't get through to MAGA Mike's DC office so I called a district one.
Sen Thune 202 224 2321
Rep Johnson 337 423 4232
PLEASE everyone, stop reading and call their offices now. Thank you.
Nancy Pelosi in 1996 a fervent supporter of tariffs check the link above in her own words and Bernie Sanders in his own words in 2008 on C-SPAN doing exactly the same.
You are not only misinformed Daniel but uninformed
America had a choice when NAFTA came around pay Americans a little bit higher wage or buy goods cheaper from other countries and so for 40 years the middle class has been disappearing and you wonder why ? Now China produces about 80% of our medicines. I hope you’re happy.
I was for targeted tariffs when we still had an infrastructure. Unfortuanately corporate vultures like Mitt Romney sold the goose that laid the golden egg. The plants in my hometown were razed... The workers had to relocate...to Mejico. El Trumpo as #45 fortified NAFTA.
Need to find the wormhole in space and go back in time....
In all Trump is trying to do to bring all those factories back. By the way, when was Romney president? He was a senator. And now plants are coming back $5 trillion have been committed to build factories and businesses here. Did you hear the auto workers union speaking yesterday the fireman’s union yesterday they were excited and they’re backing Trump 100% because he’s going to bring back factories. That’s the goal. The decision America is gonna have to make which it made it back in the days was we’d rather buy cheap goods from elsewhere, then produce them here and pay American workers a higher wage. And now we’re sitting at the point where China imports us all our medicine great call huh? We can buy jeans for less and refrigerators for less while American sit on the sidelines out of work especially the middle class.
Well our most dangerous enemy is now a petulant child who traffics in perverted ideologies, who is holding our freedoms hostage, destroying a once healthy economy, diminishing accountability by the government, depressing public access to news and education and public debate - darkness is swallowing our country.
It IS a side hustle to him! What is the likeliest result of these over-the-top tariffs? One by one, the CEO's of companies hurt by the excessive tariffs will come to Trump and beg for tariff relief. And Trump will grant the relief graciously...after a suitably humiliating amount of groveling and the payment of cash or favors or both. Putin will be very pleased by the toppling of the U.S.'s booming economy and the loss of our premier position of leadership. Putie might even pat Twumpie on his iddle head for this gift.
Republican members of Congress have the constitutional authority to regulate tariffs, yet many have allowed former President Trump to act unilaterally in this area. They could reassert their power at any time, particularly if his tariff policies harm the economy. If the economy fails to improve, as Trump repeatedly promises, voters may hold not only him but also Congressional Republicans accountable for inaction. Their continued support or silence implies shared responsibility for the outcomes of Trump’s trade strategies. With clear constitutional tools available, their decision not to act could have serious political consequences. In a democracy, elected officials are expected to serve as checks and balances—failing to do so can shift blame and electoral backlash onto the entire party.
And the maggots got hustled! Screwed, left behind, fired, forgotten! 4F
Never cared about anything, did he, really, just his bloviating ego! Now he can play golf and fiddle, with himself.
Love the English term…’He’s real wanker!’ We used the term jerk, he’s that too! Maybe they are the same thing…playing Mr Potato Head! “I’m just looking for my balls, they were here someplace?”
But the bottom line is he’s really Putin’s ‘asshole for hire’…Manafort made that deal many years ago. And got screwed too.
Trump's tariff "operation" & Musk's DOGE with surgery by chainsaw will not kill the "patient", but will bring on recession or worse...economic pandemic, panic, depression on a scale that most of us have never experienced.
When MAGAs realize how Trump policies screw them: "I blame Biden. He shoulda done a better job explaining how Trump's policies were gonna screw people like me. That's why I'm still MAGA.”
Trump World & CalvinBall: ignore facts & science; make rules up as you go…
And hopefully if everything goes right, Mr. Pappas in two weeks or maybe three, depending upon intermit intermingling circumstances, there will be a bill presented to Congress, no tax on tips , no tax on Social Security, and no tax on overtime.
The perfect remedy to help Trump? Are you effing kidding me? It will close our border. It will increase our military, and it will help assure further manufacturing business in the United States.
The only one dreaming are the Democrats. They are in total in complete disarray and their approval rating which was 36% a month ago lowered to 27% two weeks ago is now at 21% according to CBS and NBC and CNN
And all they need to do is instead of pushing all the energy into resisting is to organize an agenda. Have a goal have a plan select a couple of leaders that have some ideas that the American people see is rational and helpful for the country. Right now they have none of that. And a country needs at least two parties.
You probably said it right. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime--well there will not be either overtime or jobs or tips coming in from non-existent jobs. And Social Security will not be taxed because it will be closed, shuttered, and collected monies will go to those who have dismantled it.
I’m curious if in your reading about or thinking about the return of manufacturing jobs to the US you’ve factored in the research that robots/AI are projected to take over all manufacturing jobs in the next couple of years. I think the assumption is that moving manufacturing back here will “bring back” jobs? But what if the assumptions behind all of this disruption (and lost value of capital in the markets) are wrong?
By the way, Kate, I would also like to add one other thing that just dawned on me when AI comes to fruition , it will make production of goods and services less expensive, which indeed will lower prices in many cases because it won’t need the manpower in specific industries and such
Yeah, but guess what AI builds needs human help to build robots. It takes people to be involved in the manufacturer, production and design and construction of the robots and yes right now many of our cars are built with AI, but there are parts that have to be built and there is construction that it has to happen and there is maintenance that has to happen. Continued maintenance. And people have to run them. There are industries that will use AI and there are some that will not to major degree.
Well, and it’s not a couple of years it’s gonna take a lot longer than that and along the way people are gonna get educated and how to deal with this, but they are still going to be the middle class not the rich and not the poor unless the poor want to become more educated which they should
And lastly, Kate, I don’t ever deal in what if’s. I am a very results oriented individual in fact, all the minutia and all the talk and all the BS and all the fighting and all the political arguments along the way mean nothing to me whatsoever If things work out, that’s what I look at if they don’t that’s what I look at. And that’s why more and more the unions are now supporting Trump because they see that plants and jobs will come back, including as you saw hopefully yesterday the United auto workers
Add to that that so far other companies have added some $5 trillion to our economy or will be adding in the form of factories jobs plants and industry and I’m excited about the fact that’s some of that at least to begin with will be in medicine and prescription drugs Which you’d have to admit. It’s pretty scary when the vast majority of our drugs are not produced in China.
Also, this is a major step. It’s a major rework and reinventing and read structuring of our middle income job class so it’s not gonna happen overnight.
I’m not happy at the pace that Is being pushed, but I’m a novice. I like the overall concept a lot by the way as does Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders and I hope you’ve seen those speeches that they made if you haven’t please get back to me and let me know and I will send you the links.
"You’re going to see employment leaping starting today,” in fact, both automaker Stellantis and appliance manufacturer Whirlpool announced layoffs because of the tariffs." This reporting reveals, in my opinion, a fundamental flaw of American management practice. That is working people are bearing the cost ofuncertainty under changes in economic policies, while stock owners can maintain living.
Trump’s economic plan seems to be: short the markets, take the weekend off, and tee off with the Saudis. He's running the Presidency like a side hustle.
Right now Musk is getting the brunt of the anger of the American people. I think it is going to be spilling over to Trump as the tariffs don't work in the way he wants them too. People in the rest of the world are sick and tired of Trump. They will walk away if they can.
I think they're already finding ways of avoiding the former United States.
AI is useful, but has its limitations, and right now there's no stupider dictator than the American con man playing golf in Florida over the weekend.
"the former United States". What a sad but real way to describe our country Anne-Louise.
Benjamin Franklin wasn't just wisecracking with "A republic, if you can keep it" in 1787. Let's make sure, when the States are finally re-united, that they understand at last how to stay that way.
Anne-Louise, our neighbors, who while they vote D, to my knowledge, have never gone to a protest and they are going on Saturday. I will have to pass as I cannot be on my feet for very long. It will be interesting to see how many show up here in Salem. He also spoke about the dangers because Proud Boy types have already shown up recently here in Salem. I hope it remains peaceful. I wish I trusted local LE to be even handed, but in the past, some of them have not been.
I’m going with my walker
I would need a wheel chair.
I want to my last rally in a wheelchair. St. Vincent dePaul thrift store rented it to me.
Me, too! But I will do a virtual erminating from Berkeley!
I understand you!
Be careful. We old folks are at a disadvantage.
A physical disadvantage.
Correct. The spirit remains strong.
If things get rough, we have canes and know-how to use them lol. I'm old (so my husband says) and I am not as nice as I used to be.
My husband is going. I will make sure he has his full metal water bottle with the shoulder strap. Will make a good defense. Hopefully I can go too but we have another event tonight and it might be too much for my health.
I read there would be agitators from the right to make trouble while pretending to be against Trump destroying our country.
I have no doubt that some of those jerks will show up. And in Portland those that just want to vandalize.
My husband is the quiet type. He discusses politics with friends but thinks I am totally crazy Been to 2 demonstrations already. However, he has purchased a protest t-shirt and is willing to go in the rain to protest.
As usual, 💯 % agreement!!
YES, let's make sure.
Yes Ricardo, quite a diatribe telegraphing how badly we are screwed. What I've gleaned as a mental health therapist is that with most people change happens only after experiencing rock bottom. And we've seen nothing yet....
Exactly, Sophia.
The pendulum will begin to swing slowly back to sanity ONLY when enough Republicans and Independents threaten to dislodge the sycophants they elected to represent them. When legislators get enough blowback because their voters are experiencing enough PAIN, $Trump's popularity will go the way of most dictators.
But it will take millions of people who either voted for the sociopath or stayed at home (over 160 million) to feel true PERSONAL PAIN. And it is coming - like a distant wave about to be a tsunami of suffering.
When special needs kids are ignored, when libraries are closed, when hospitals close, when grandma lies in a urine soaked bed at the nursing home, when the retirement account is savaged, when the Social Security checks don't show up.....
None of this will end real soon - despite the millions of us who will be demonstrating tomorrow and in the future. And protest, we must. But it will, in the beginning, be described as a rebellion of lefty Marxists who got out of control. And if there is some peaceful good trouble that is met with authoritarian violence, MAGAs will applaud.
But - then that kid with special needs will start acting up, grandma will be rushed to the ER with bed sores that won't heal, the auto parts plant closes, the checking account won't look right....only then will the pendulum reverse its perverse direction. When their lives hit "rock bottom". When they finally say "We didn't vote for THIS!"
Thanks Bill Alstrom. I have lost the energy to keep expressing my despair over the trump administration. I now welcome terrible news in the hope that there will finally be a nationwide recognition of what this administration is doing.
I sometimes troll I guess they call it on trumper sites like Graham Allen. They all think trump and the economy is doing great. And if there is some inconvenience, it will improve-just suck it up.
Add to the Republicans and Independents those Democrats who voted AYE for Brooke Rollins (Sec. AG), Scott Bessent (Sec. Treasury), and the other evil-doers in the Trump Cabinet. They consented to the devastation.
Bill Alstrom: gramma may be lying in a urine-soaked bed in a back room or basement with her unemployed daughter/grandson/ niece because the Medicaid that paid for her nursing home no longer exists
Let's never forget how the GOP utterly capitulated to Trump. They have sold out the U.S. for a mess of pottage.
Wait until the Chinese don't buy our soy beans. Wait until the farmers have to fertilize their fields. You need potash, I understand, and we import 90% of it. The rural people are going to get hit the hardest since a lot of them are on welfare of some sorts.
How much longer to hit bottom Sophia?
Your degree as mental health therapist comes with a crystal ball ? 😄
Ha, ha. No one has a crystal ball. But Wisconsin was so encouraging. We keep up with self-care and then keep up with the resistance. Slow and steady. It is key to remember that MAGA is a cult, and that showing respect is the only way to tease away cult members. And we don't even have to convince MAGA. We just let the terrible situation speak for itself to the non-MAGAs who voted for Trump. That may take time. Few like to admit a mistake.
But we have to take care of ourselves first. No pretending that we are not angry, sad, frustrated, afraid. Feel it, then move. I avoid too much focus on MAGA. They are delusional. I am learning when I need to step away from the news. I aim to accept, move on, and practice gratitude, especially towards my friends who see.
I am really looking forward to protesting tomorrow, to being with others who know what is going on.
So want to be out there protesting tomorrow! A friend's memorial service will prevent me from doing so.
Please protest for me....
Thank you positive Anne B. On Wisconsin.
Who knows...it depends on how low the stock market plummets, how bad food scarcity will be, and if there's some huge national security breach. It's all happening....
It doesn't have to be rock bottom. The reactions at the town hall meetings should tell you that.
I'm talking about the MAGA base
United States of America Born July 4, 1776, became terminally ill January 20, 2025. The patient can still recover, but it's going to take a lot of hard work by sane, rational people with the guts to do the right thing and not cave in to this "reality show fantasy" we seem to be stuck in.
This is my protest sign, printed on a tombstone.
I got 1 positive message yesterday which was a postcard card with a photo of Judge Crawford thanking all supporters" ... for standing with me and being a part of [her] Campaign". See, www.CrawfordForWI.com
The soon-to-be Justice Susan Crawford will be sworn in on August 1, 2025.
On Wisconsin!
Thanks for that extra news about Judge soon-to-be Justice Crawford. Glimmers of light in the darkness.
Ricardo, I would say at this point that former applied to us is an excellent description. I am also noting that what Anne-Louise says other countries are doing to avoid us and find what they need elsewhere is happening.
Well, these states certainly aren’t united. Everything about this country is divided. Trump is trying to rake in money to fill his personal coffers with his mob boss tactics. And Eric talking about it like it’s a movie. What drug are all these people on that they think they’re running television to entertain the masses?
Yes, "the former United States"; so sad and also embarrassing.
America and the world burn as tRump plays golf. Sound familiar?
Americans are “teed off!” Local food pantry Hunger Task Force just lost food shipments worth $600,000 - in today’s paper. Great countries take care of the vulnerable.
Let the Trump voters take care of the hungry. I've seen so many MAGA's claim that most of the people using the food banks are scamming the system.
I switched my donations from our local food bank to the local pre-K - 8th grade school. The local priest makes the people getting food listen to his patriarchal BS. That's what get's me going. When I give, I give "no strings attached and I give anonymously." I don't give so that someone can be born again into the Catholic and white Christian Nationalist cults.
Yes, it does. And apparently Nero wasn't much of a musician, either.
Yes, it sounds very familiar. They are Harvey since Obama played 87 rounds of golf during his tenure if you wanna call that golf. lol
I think the American people will not comply as he lives his twisted fantasy of "America's God Father" and mob boss in chief. We've fought for our Democracy and the freedom of others around the world for 250 years, and it's time to do it again at home. Stand up, find your voice, and join the fight!
Well, I guess you missed it! democracy in its purest form just happened on November 5, 2024 and if you liked and cared for America and stop listening to the garbage from legacy media and just shut off your TV turn off the news and see how anything at all has affected your life let us know and unfortunately for you, it is you who did not comply with the popular vote the electoral college landslide and the fact it over 85% of all counties in America became more right leaning than the past election in other words redder …… you don’t need to fight as I keep telling the left side of the aisle you need to come up with an agenda a rational agenda you need to come up with a goal. Viepoint you need to find a couple of liters because resisting doesn’t tell the voters anything
Instead, with the most hypocritical actions, probably in history, you try to destroy a car company that was seen as an idol in protecting your cherished climate change, and nothing happened with the company. It’s still doing the same thing and you wouldn’t attack the owner, even though 75% of Teslas on the road are owned by Liberal.
I agree with your description of T***p, but I disagree that other countries are avoiding the "former" United States. They are avoiding the current United States, which bares little resemblance to the country we grew up in.
Thanks to Biden
Always nice to be able to reply with somebody so levelheaded as you.
And so aware of what goes on on the other side of the aisle. Biden wasn’t mentally capable of playing golf, but Obama managed to squeeze out 87 rounds during his tenure. Not sure if I heard you complaining about it back then
I'm told he also hosted a million dollar a plate dinner fundraiser.
Hey, In just 90 some odd days Kamala managed to squeeze out $2 billion And her fundraiser and didn’t have one dinner look how much money she saved on the food. Lololol. She only raised 22 million a day.
Presumably they weren't given a plate if they hadn't paid up. Er, contributed. Who on earth are these people?
My husband works with many people who work for companies contracted by the gov't. The majority of them voted for trump. Yesterday, the most hardcore of them, who always razz him that 'they won and he lost', said to him, "..I didn't want this" referring to his now depleted 401K. He also asked my husband why he isn't "giving him shit" or saying "I told you so".
Now, finally, after it's too late to stop the worst of it, it's Americans who are walking away.
Now is the time to tell them that we are in this together...it's not us versus them, contrary to the rhetoric from the orange traitor and his ilk. In reality, it's us versus trump, a man who has conned those voters to get what he wanted...and now has no use for them.
What is so sad about most(?) MAGAs is a lack of compassion for others. Couldn't care less about anything or anyone else until the trouble hits their own wallets.
That is what has driven me away from the church. The CINO attitude.
Same here, Miselle. During my journey from evangelicalism to non-deism, I joined the United Methodist Church, thinking they would come to their senses regarding LGBTQ members.
In fact, it took 20 years for the homophobic faction to get their way. In the end, the UMC not only allowed the haters to steal the denomination's buildings and other property, they paid them $25 million of members' donations to leave before the agreed-upon date of the split.
The remaining so-called "good guys" have still not fully implemented policies acknowledging LGBTQ members as full human beings.
Granted, the UMC – and other denominations – do good work in the world, but these good works DO NOT offset the extreme harm they've caused humanity for centuries. All in service to a deity that does not exist.
Your church is within you, Miselle.
what a kind expression to read this morning.
Thank you, Anne Louise!
That’s probably a factor in their being MAGAts. Their leader doesn’t give a crap about any of us either.
Mona, in fact MAGAts appear to require the checking of one’s compassion or empathy at the door into the party as a requirement for entry. They see empathy as a weakness and a drawback on effective action and leadership.
Hey John, I’d like to hear what you think and what you say once Congress passes a bill that says no tax on tips no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security. Love to see your perspective and empathy at that point pal
Mona, I don't think that is every MAGA. The MAGA couple I know best are among the most compassionate people I know. They just believe the Fox stuff.
I don't find any of those Fox faces even minimally trustworth. They are just actors. And yet their lies are currency.
It's not a lack of compassion, it's a concerted plan to reboot America as a dictatorship for the benefit of tech billionaires. Musk and Thiel bought the two highest offices in the land and they both follow Curtis Yarvin.
https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101909416/is-the-nerd-reich-taking-over-the-government
Omg. And then delusion set in. So sad so sad
Are you really going there? Well, I guess gaslighting is the conservative superpower.
Did you actually listen to the interview? Have you looked at Curtis Yarvin is? Have you paid attention to his influence among tech bros? Why do you think that Musk and Thiel bought the White House? Why else would Trump crow about how great his tariffs are going and why else would Musk and his tech bros go about destroying the infrastructure? They are not crazy, they are determined.
I’ll let me add one more thing Edwin that your judgment truly sucks
I happen to be a pretty staunch fiscal conservative any pretty liberal social justice warrior. Give me good rationale on either sides of those things and I’m all aboard
I’m in Washington today. I’ll be in front of the White House singing my protest songs and asking donations for my book. Come on over.
Bill, I find what the Democrats are doing today beyond hysterical.
Let me give you the main reason why. You’re out protesting across the country against Tesla what are the favorite vehicles of the left? We are 3/4 of the vehicle sold in this country are sold to Democrats more or less.
Here is the insanity of the left. TRUMP COULD HAVE SELECTED TED CRUZ OR KASH PATEL TO HEAD UP DOGE…. what would you protest then because now you’re protesting Elon Musk like morons that Tesla has anything to do with The work is doing finding waste fraud and abuse
And all I hear from you crazy lunatics is Elon Musk Elon Musk Elon Musk is not elected he’s not elected he’s not elected. ITS NOT ABOUT THE PERSON HEADING IT UP!!! AT ALL. ITS ABOUT THE TASK OF FINDING THE WASTE ETC/\….. what you doing is one of the most misguided mentally deranged acts I can think of. It’s actually beyond insanity
And makes NO SENSE AT ALL. WHICH WHY THE PARTY IS GONE FOR NOW. Enjoy your protest. They should put all the protesters in front of Tesla‘s. I should put them all in a padded cell. And I was yelling at Trump at the beginning when they started picking on musk to pick somebody even worse like a Ted Cruz, or a Kash Patel. Or maybe even Matt gaetz. It is behind human comprehension.
It is certainly fair to protest against the company for a product that they sell. For example, I just can’t express the profound as of this stupidity.
So true. They seem to think that everyone else is trying to rip them off. Trumpian thinking.
Do you know MONA you should really think this through a little bit there’s a bill being circulated right now, which is what Trump promised in the first place with the following three precepts. And here they are no tax on tips no tax on overtime no tax on Social Security. WHO , do you think that benefits honestly? No compassion, come on stop listening to the nonsense change the channel and watch and learn
It benefits Trump because SCOTUS recently declared that bribes are actually gratuities. I.e., tips.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/27/supreme-court-bribes-gratuities-snyder-kavanaugh
Just curious, do you actually live in the United States?
The guardian is a socialist newspaper that comes from across the water. Is it not?
What I suggest for you is to change the channel try opening both eyes and opening both ears instead of seeing out of only one and hearing out of only one. But on the good news for you, it lets Joe Biden off the hook LMAO. Did they also talk about black male by the way oh maybe I made a mistake
Yes, I have been a life long citizen and resident of the United States of America for 64 years now. Trying to discredit the article and then project what you are doing on me with a nice helping of gaslighting is pretty weak sauce.
Well that’s a pretty interesting interpretation or Edwin I’m 76. Submitted an outline of my bio earlier today. I’m not discrediting the argument I’m actually reading the article and saying exactly what it says not you stretching it to what you think it says or what you’d like it to say
It did not say what you said it said. It’s what dips it’s kind of like it’s sort of like it’s sounds like that’s all interpretation by this writer
And of course he didn’t pay any attention to what I wrote you about people in Congress Open both ears, and both eyes Edwin.
I could care less about an article I care more about the facts. Read the facts about how Congress people got so rich on $175,000 salary and now are worth 50 or $60 million or more. I wish to God you could hear my sarcasm when I come up with the next line. Golly gee I don’t know how I got that much money? Say that to yourself in a Jim Nabors accent.
By the way, it’s also important to provide a better description of what you’re saying say what you said? Which was that the Supreme Court said that bribes were actually gratuities.
If you read a article just as I suspected, this is an analysis by one author looks pretty pubescent to me, but nonetheless who uses words like alleges and looks like or seems like etc to make her argument when the argument by the supremes was quite clear
I am guessing, and I didn’t read the whole argument when I got far enough to read that your translation of what really occurred was bullshit and an assumption to say the least that I’m assuming if there’s a mayor in the town, there are also some type of a legislative body or a board of supervisors, etc., that vote on these contracts that they’re not simply awarded single-handedly by the mayor just my assumption if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. But if that’s the case that there are other people who actually voted for this, then I think the Supremes made the right call. Again, I didn’t read the entire body of your omissive nor the entire reasoning and detailed of the supreme ruling, but it would seem to me that if this person did not directly write a check so to speak to this company, then it was a recommend by him to its Legislative body or board of supervisors or or others who would have voted on this issue. And I’m not gonna bother reading it because it’s so twisted and comes to such a conclusion that is nowhere near what you defined. And that’s the problem today with the Democrats is not the Republicans don’t do it too but lately the Democrats don’t tell people the truth. The people find out and the Democrats approval rating is now on the 20% range.
Well, you are wrong in your analysis about them making the right call. I am an attorney and I have studied campaign finance law, read the case, and understand its import. The reason you can't understand it and won't read it is that Justice Kavanaugh tied himself into knots trying to come to the conclusion he wanted. He made hypotheticals out to be concerns that warranted allowing corruption so as not to punish "innocent" things. But this has been the trend of the Roberts Court since Citizens United and McCutcheon and all of the other subsequent election finance rulings.
You are also mischaracterizing the displeasure with Democrats right now. It's not that Democratic voters think that Democratic politicians should be more like Republicans, but that they are being far too complacent and not standing up to vigorously oppose the takeover of the Republic. Some Democrats are beginning to get the message, but I think that Jeffries and Schumer are hopeless. We need new leadership that is fearless.
The question remains, why are you so sanguine about the Trump administration?
By the way, when you talk about campaign, finance law, it’s like talking about an oxymoron. You and I both know how much dark money there is in campaigns these days, so people are allowed to do dirty deeds in the name of campaign finance law. Wow.
Well, you just lowered my opinion of you when you come out to say, I should think differently or more align with you because you’re an attorney, or that it might make you more credible which is does not
it’s actually the opposite in fact, attorneys have become in many cases, the vermin of society with BILLBOARD after BILLBOARD after BILLBOARD “ gaming” the system when it comes to accidents. And we wonder why our insurance premiums were so high on our automobiles. That may not be a forte of yours, but it sure doesn’t help the industry.
Now to address your other issue
You know, you thought they were correct when the Supreme Court came out with Roe v. Wade only to have an overturn decades later.
And now it’s back where it should be in my opinion at the local level state by state rather than a blanket. People choose to live where they want and if they don’t like the laws they can leave just like it’s happening in mass in California, Illinois and New York and where are they heading? Red states.
Recently, I might add the Roberts Court has been adversarial to the current administration. When you have district courts, placing National injunctions by the dozens against an administration, stopping them from doing their executive branch decisions, and overreaching their district authority. The court has sided with the judges in the way that they need to proceed to stop. What’s happening right now?
What is horrible about that decision is that administrations and Congress can play tit for tat anytime they want now. But I hate to say this, because I’m not a Republican that the Democrats have behaved abusive when it comes to this lawfare while Republicans have been more restrained. 64 Various injunctions attempted against the current administration were only 12 or 14 against Biden and Obama. And if we were to multiply the time Biden Obama were in office versus the time Trump were in office by the time Trump is done there will have been. 1024 injunctions against the Trump administration in four years versus only 26 such injunctions against Brock Obama and Biden in 12 years. Oooooops.
So Edwin, let’s try being honest.
Problem with the Democrats being complacent is because Trump took away all the air. He has garnered support from formerly ardent, Democrats voters and strongholds. The Democrats have no agenda, except for resist, and even Carville is laughing his ass off at that.
Resisting violence and continuing to talk about Elon Musk, like it really made a difference who Trump touted as the person handling DOGE. What a farce. He could’ve asked Steven Miller or worse, Ted Cruz as the head of DOGE . What would you have said that he’s not elected? Oooops again. They care more about the person, and hating the person than they do about exactly what they’re succeeding in finding in reducing government, waste and fraud. I’m guessing you haven’t seen my two posts by Nancy Pelosi herself and Bernie Sanders, himself talking about terrorist, and the post from Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and Al Gore touting waste fraud and abuse the original originators of DOGE under a different name.
You cannot fight back when you don’t have any weapons to fight with
Right now the Democrats are in disarray they have no agenda except for resist they have no leader ship, and no leaders to appoint to. They have no goals, and even when it comes to their votes are voting against the American people. Doubling down on stupid. Poles were done by NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN about how people feel about men in women’s sports 80% of the public do not want men participating in women’s sports and when Congress brought it up every single democrat voted against it they supported the 20% like dummies
When republican made a really stupid comment the other day specifically about Chuck Schumer, but it could be told about Jeffries or any other members of the mouthpieces today in the Democrat party. You don’t just make the same mistake twice you make it over and over and over again just to make sure.
And this one will shock you I’m not a fan of Donald Trump. I don’t like what comes out of his mouth. I don’t like some of the stuff that he spews, but I’m able to separate what he says from accomplishing what he promises, and I like when he promises and he’s doing exactly what he promises and no politician in my memory other than maybe Bill Clinton has been able to do that. He clearly outlined and designated the things he was going to do if elected and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
The public said immigration was the most important thing to them, of course, right next to their favorite hoax of the day, climate change
They said immigration was critically important, but AOC said it can’t be helped unless we have legislation. And if you heard Donald Trump with his speech to joint session of Congress, he just buried her way underground on that one when she said you need legislation, which, of course also means delay and 52 days later the border was closed and went from 11,000 crossings a day by illegals to 70 crossings a day by illegals. Now they don’t care about that at all. Amazing.
All they cared about under Biden was how the hell did he inflate the price of almost everything you breathe during his administration 20% on groceries doubling the price of gas tripling almost the price of Mortgages, etc. and in less than two months, pretty much lower, the price of eggs, lowered the price of gas by a dollar lowered the price of mortgages and lower the rate of inflation. And he’s got 46 More wonderful months to go.
He is restructuring the entire manufacturing industry in this country and of course there’s gonna be some initial pain and you can’t just turn it around in a heartbeat. $5 trillion has already been pledged by companies to either relocate here start to build here or invest here and already manufacturing jobs are starting to be promised to come back such as a new auto plant in Indiana by Honda I believe.
So it’s not about Trump it’s about policy and always has been and always should be. Do you want somebody that talks nice and sweet and has compassion which is good but it’s not what makes the country tick what makes the country Tech is a good economic base wealth of the middle class which has been decimated in the last 40 years a great education system where our education system has slipped from first in 1979 2/40 today.
If you’d like to reply, no problem, but please save the fact that you’re an attorney in the future it really just lowers your credibility
Why are you always personal? Why can't you discuss the topics and ideas without denigrating people?
Good for your husband for not being vindictive. By not joining the campaign of hate and division, maybe the reasonable Republicans will join us to stop the destruction. We cannot go back. And we shouldn't try. But out of the ashes...the phoenix will rise.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Most of the republican voters wanted change in our government, change that is beneficial and long overdue. A con artist picks up on peoples' desires and exploits them. That's what that orange traitor has done.
We are not each others enemies, we are all Americans. If we learn nothing else from this disaster, it's that we really care about one another and we need to work together to repair the damage to our lives and our country.
1000% celeste!
Susan don’t be that agreeable with people that call him a traitor without a line with Russia because none of that is true none of that not one little piece and I noticed it it’s very quiet around here tonight stock market had a little bit of a turnaround today and we all know it’s only tentative but it certainly is an incredible sign and it takes all the air out of the economy etc. etc.
What I have been saying for weeks and months is everybody just calm down wait for some results. Be patient then if it doesn’t work out rant and rave if that makes you feel better. In the meantime, apparently some 90 countries in our asking for a meeting to negotiate Terrace the only exceptions to the rule of Cours for China and the euro nations that decided to up the ante, but that’ll get fixed as well. Susan have a good evening.
I could not agree more. Trump is a con artist. Thank you, Celeste!
And he’s conning how? Yikes
What disaster? Lol. Yikes. In just 70 days he’s accomplished more than Biden did from Delaware Beach in four years well actually maybe only a year and a half until he became mentally defective which is now coming out more and more every day.
You come across as especially pathetic today, Rick
Did you happen to see the links I sent you? I sent four links this morning to a great number of people one link from Nancy Pelosi fervently supporting tariffs back in 1996 another one from Bernie Sanders in 2008 on C-SPAN fervently supporting tariffs as well. If you haven’t seen them, I’d be more than happy to get them for you.
I also posted two more or maybe three from Clinton and gore and Obama, who are the inventors of the original DOGE. You only difference is that Gosia now has been more successful than Obama and Clinton although Obama did fire/lay off half 1 million people and deported 2 million illegal aliens so the news says
Tariffs that are carefully targeted are one thing. What Trump is doing is very similar to what DOGE is doing to our infrastructure. Burning everything to the ground. Don't you know any history? Review the Gilded Age and how tariffs worked out back then. Tariff wars are good for no one and the world economy is not a zero sum game. We had an economy that was the envy of the world and in a few short weeks, Trump and his pals have trashed it.
There are no “reasonable Republicans.” They vote with Trump. Plus, just being Republicans they create a majority in Congress.
I believe there are. Have you listened to The Bulwark?
Well, wouldn’t it be embarrassing if he did gloat in three years later, he gloated 10 times more. No one is gloating, but everybody that voted for Trump is very happy. If you really thought there was a problem you sell everything you own in the stock market today but you’re not doing that are you and why? You know damn well why
Trump is gloating because he is wrecking everything and he's too ignorant to understand what he's doing. The real question is why you are supporting him. You don't appear to be a billionaire.
So Edwin, how did the wreckage go today? It’s only one day in the life but it’s eerily quiet here with people were jumping up and down the past five days. Chicken little was running amuck
Like I tell everybody Edwin, just calm down take a breath and be patient
You don’t head honestly, you don’t listen very well. What are the reasons he won? This election was the following who’s bill is now being worked out in the Senate and will be toy back-and-forth for the next couple three weeks and then end up on the floor of both houses to be voted upon and the main precepts of that bill is the following. No tax on tips no tax on overtime and especially for you. No tax on Social Security income.
Either get your head on straight and listen to other channels, and stop believing things that are simply not true.
By the way, so far, he’s wrecked nothing on the contrary, and only 60 days of a presidency he’s created miracles. He is taking Joe’s open border, although it might not have even been Joes now that we know he was non compos mentis. It’s gone from 11,000 illegals A day to only 70 per day when AOC, the brilliant genius of the left said there have to be legislation to control the border. She also said that the world would be dead from climate change in about four years so start packing.
He has brought home hostages were Joe Biden has not even reached out to bring them back. He has brought back a couple of astronauts that it has been admitted that Joe Biden did not want to do. He has begun to deport, many illegal criminals. He has passed the law that will not allow men to participate in women’s sports although every idiot on the Democratic side in Congress voted against it when 80% of the country is foreign and you wonder why your popularity is so low or favorability
His department of justice has now deported I understand about 50,000 individuals or arrested. His department of justice is now arrested. Three of the top 10 most wanted. People on the FBI’s list were Biden did nothing. And he’s trying to make peace in the world, and had a true set up between Israel and hummus, and a true set up between Russia and Ukraine , until they both ruined it well, all Joe did was the fuel, a war, killing a million people Destroying cities entirely where people used to live. He has now filed very strangely against antisemitism. And he created Department of government efficiency, which was first discussed and originated in the Clinton-Gore administration and followed up thoroughly and repeatedly in the Obama administration Who relieved a half million federal workers from the payroll While you liberals to totally quiet versus today, and he deported 2 million illegals. The double standards and hypocrisy are stunning.
And that’s why he won the popular vote the electoral college votes by a great margin over 85% of every single county in America turn redder than the election previous. He helped win the house and the senate And now it only the fourth or fifth time in recent political history he has control of both houses of Congress at least for now. Let’s not remind you that every case where a president had this position that the following election ended up in a flip-flop in one or both houses so he’s trying to get as much done as he can and unfortunately for you. he’s succeeding
Rick, full disclosure from the the start...I am a left leaning moderate. I am a retired psychologist who worked specifically with felons. I am all for reducing inefficiency or waste in a very measured way. That is not what happened. The methods were cruel and haphazard. Let me stop right here a moment...it makes me feel sick to witness how we have been treating each other. It began with the Regan era. We the people are being manipulated to fight each other so those in power (remember Regan really did have dementia so he was also being used, although he had started the policies in CA) can do what they want. The hatred and rage is overwhelming. Heather and Timothy Snyder are historians. Tim's area of expertise is tyranny. We are replaying the 1930's. Trump has admitted he thinks Mckinley was the golden age. He was not.
I was not a fan of Biden but I have to admit that I was better off. (I worked for a non-profit so worked long hours for decent but not exceptional wage.)
To shorten this...I believe in our Constitution and the Rule of Law. And I also believe Congress, both sides, lost sight of why they were elected. They are supposed to listen to their constituents and work together for the greatest good of ALL the people. That means we all compromise.
If I were in control of the United States government today, I would push forward, one premise, or one rule of law that I believe will change everything for the better. TERM LIMITS. And I have a litany of reasons why some being more obvious than others.
I’d like to know your thoughts on that
I do not think politics should be a career. I think it should be considered service to the country.
Susan , I think we could get along just fine. I encountered a very special saying short while ago that I will share with you kind of semi analogy
People go through life, wondering if they ever made a difference in the world…. Veterans don’t have that problem. I would like to see Congress people feel that way as well but they have to be honest they have to communicate with each other and they have to do what’s best for the country despite the divisions it needs to be a give-and-take and they need to look at America America, America, and try to fulfill the promise of America till the day they die
Actually, I think it actually began in the right in the Nixon era. But I don’t see it pitting people against each other. I see the inflexibility of both sides instead of trying to get together. But perhaps you will like this, but I’ve heard contrarian stories as well. My favorite president to work together to solve issues was Bill Clinton despite his wandering, PP.
Between him and Nook English they solve most of the legislative problems of the era together. It was a very successful eight years for this country in my opinion.
The other hand, Barack Obama did exactly the opposite. He was, and is as divisive as they come. He is a racist and a divider.
Both of Bush presidencies was like dumb and dumber. George the younger, at least love this country very much and that’s how he directed his presidency based on his affection for America but he was pretty much dumb as a rock.
Biden should’ve never been president and what’s coming out now maybe never was. Everything he did turned to crap and worse. Mostly, including the border, and the inflation and the wars.
I will go back and read a little bit more of your post but that’s where I am right now
If you would like to offer practical and rational discourse in opposition, Rick, that would be welcome. I, for one, am so over the sarcastic remarks thrown back and forth. I am from the era when we could "argue" our points and still be friends.
Honestly Susan, that’s all that I’ve been doing, but if you were me you would probably evaluate yourself as honestly as I do I am the wolf in a flock of sheep here and there are frankly too many sheep year that come here unfortunately just to commiserate with each other I have been called every name in the book I’ve been insulted a great while I’ve been told to get the F out and I’ve been told to go F myself So maybe you understand where the sarcasm or the antipathy comes from.
So let me repeat all of my doing since I’m on this thread is offering practical and rational discourse but people here for the most part are really close minded… they only want to see out of one eye and hear out of one ear they are deluded in fantasies and fables that don’t exist so it’s very hard to deal with it in medication but if you’d like to do so, I’ll be more than happy to do it with you
I would ask you, Rick, if you are open to considering the other side? It is something I struggle with, I know.
I always consider the other side I always look at both sides of a story I would make a very good juror in my opinion. As I mentioned to you, I think I might’ve mentioned to you, I tend to be physically conservative and socially liberal. But my liberal sides has its limits and I’ll see if I can find them better for you.
I came from abject poverty. My father died when I was six and my mother was a minimum wage worker her whole life. We struggle financially, and if not for the, I think they called it a widow survivor check of I believe she got $100 for me and my sister a month if not for that we would’ve lived on the street. My mother was a Russian immigrant with very little English. I did not have any skills, and essentially was a seamstress for a Furrier. She showed the linings to the pelts.
When I say these things have my limits, I believe in equal treatment equal consideration, but I have my limits when it comes to special consideration. Any medication‘s that’s where I draw the line. For example, the latest pick up so they speak in the world is this transgender issue. I have absolutely no problem with what somebody wants to do with their own body but I don’t believe in giving them special treatment. They make a choice in our society, and you have to live in our society and the choice they made, unfortunately comes with some struggles.
I do not see the value in giving ethnicities of any kind of special treatment, but I implore that they receive equal treatment.
I was raised right by my mother and always respected everyone, no matter where they came from the matter of the color of their skin, their language, etc. and I pride myself on that.
It actually sickens me now that the character and the persona of Martin Luther King has been basically turned over in his grave.
I am Jewish and I take pride in being Jewish but it’s not anything I brag about. I don’t wear any Jewish jewelry and I don’t make any announcements of the fact that I’m Jewish. We have had our own share of suffering and degradation, and it continues even more virulently today.
I look at maybe things from that perspective as to how people suffer without being their fault… However, I believe that life is a do it yourself proposition with few exceptions.
So there’s an overview for you.
So far as our work ethic and our financial status, we worked harder than most Americans, and due to that, and our ability and our drive have been successful to we’ve been able to retire early and live off our savings and our Social Security for the last 13 years.
Thank you for sharing! I think we are aligned on the basics but evaluate details differently. I, too, am liberal son social issues and lean more conservatively fiscally. I believe we should treat evwryone equally but acknowledge that doesn't happen. I recognize racial discrimination. My parents were racist. Even though all my grandparents immigrated from Italy. My dad was a factory worker who eventually was promoted to foreman. We were blue collar and then middle class. Women in the Italian culture were property. I was the oldest of three in a wildly dysfunctional family. I just retires at 72 because, as I said before, I chose to work in an non-profit agency. I need social security as one of the legs of my retirement plan. I have also have a rare kidney disease that is currently in remission. I have been on my own since my divorce in 1990. I worked hard for the good of society and my clients. So I am angry when a billionaire calls me a parasite and wants to take money and services from those at the lower end of the financial spectrum so he and other billionaires can have more money.
And on one final note for the day, I’m so glad we’ve connected, and despite our differences, as you suggested earlier, we indeed could get along nicely.
Well, this is my opinion. I don’t see the racism like you do. Certainly there are individual races today, but America pretty much has bent over backwards to show its fairness. I’ll give you an example of reverse racism is when you have something in Congress called the Black Caucus
It represents I don’t know 50 or 60 representatives, and in Washington why should there be a black caucus? There’s no white pockets there’s no Hispanic caucus there’s no Asian caucus. That’s not equal
Again, there are individual certainly who are and remain racist, but when you elect 50 or 60 blacks to Congress, or a President of the United States and a black presidential candidate and she gets 73 million votes I don’t see the racism. And frankly, my opinion is that term is overused by a lot.
I should have started out this particular post, but I don’t wanna go back and rephrase it. Who is my fervent died in Stone view that no one is going to touch your Medicare, nor mine not gonna happen nor Medicaid nor Social Security And every time the media starts talking about way it makes me sick to my stomach because they’re a bin commitment and commitments and promises and promises by the people in Congress by Elon Musk by Donald Trump that they look at Social Security as sacred and even worse when Donald Trump is supporting and a inventing a bill, which says no tax on Social Security, which could only increase benefits that’s where it will end up. I would be highly shocked if it ended up any differently.
I’m rambling on now, but I just hate when the Legacy news media leverages term just to get a rise from its constituents when nothing suggest the point they’re trying to make
Now is also the time to tell others to be sure to register to vote for 2026. And then act like your life was at stake.
Debbie: I advise getting all documentation of citizenship, just in case. Including name matches for people who changed their names for any reason, just in case. I expect voter suppression plans may escalate and some will move forward everywhere. Especially in swing states.
You poor dear. What are the greatest quotes? I’ve heard lately is this country is so great that even the haters won’t leave.
With the way it's going, people better start to register NOW! it might take forever to register the year you want to vote.
Yes. Do it now!!! Here's my cautionary tale: when I went to the NJ DMV to get a six-point license last year, I was told that my birth certificate, the one I had used to first obtain and then renew my passport, as well as, a six-point license in another state, was not sufficient. (After 70 years!!!). I had to obtain an "official birth certificate" from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the New Jersey state capitol in Trenton. As I lived near the city, I did this in person.
To add to this, my marriage certificate from my second union was also rejected so I had to obtain an "official" one from the place in which I was married, also fortunately close to home.
Imagine how long this would have taken if I had lived in another state or abroad. So get all of your papers in order ASAP. And then vote as if your life depends on it because it does.
Everybody should vote in every election 2026 is no different from any other but just keep in mind you’ve got 46 more beautiful months of Trump coming up in America reimagined to what it was when the middle class actually had a voice
The middle class had a voice because of two things: 1) high marginal tax rates on the rich and high capital gains taxes and 2) strong unions. The middle class doesn't have a voice because Reagan, Clinton, W, and Obama sold them out. Trump doesn't care about the middle class and Musk literally called us ants to be destroyed by progress. You need to pay attention to facts and history. Your gullibility is showing.
Michael ability when the bill comes attempts to resurrect the middle class and rhythm of unneeded and unwanted taxes out you’ll apologize if you’re don’t mind
The only people who are gullible or most of the people here, who don’t change the channel who thinks, for example, that oh a N, or Fox News, or any other news organization is entertainment, and not news that they dismiss out of hand. And the only way you can be gullible is the only listen to one side of the story
Trump has absolutely no use for anyone who isn’t a billionaire. The rest of us are apparently useless leeches on what he wants for himself.
Exactly why he has got to go. Again, protect our voting rights so that in 2026, the majority in Congress can change and we can put a stop to most of the damage yet to be done by that traitor.
He may not have any use for us, but the feeling is mutual...and there are more of us! The Wisconsin result proves that if enough of us take action, we will win, billionaires be damned.
Really well you had 100 million invested in a Supreme Court election in a state like Wisconsin. Not one of your larger entities amongst the states. And you don’t care about at least 25 million of that money was to support Crawford by billionaires from out of the state
That is the problem with many of you, who only see out of one eye, and only hear out of one ear. $100 million of out-of-state money for a STATE Supreme Court election amazing.
But at least you guys did something really really well you voted in voter ID good for you and thank goodness for that.
Now tell the public that your Supreme Court was already in Lipoa control so it didn’t really change anything.
Are you for real? That was defense against Musk buying the seat in order to get a good outcome for his cases in front of the Court. If you are so concerned about the corrupting influence of money, how come you aren't screaming to overturn Citizens United and McCutcheon?
Wait Edwin, are you suggesting that our courts don’t follow the law and just vote for who gave them the most money. I would suspect that in the case of Juan Marchan. Not necessarily showing the Supreme Court
That’s not why Elon entered the debate in Wisconsin. Trying to keep the Republicans in power in the house that’s his entire goal because that’s the only way to Trump will be able to execute his administration the way he promised to do so.
Keep in mind he’s worth a couple hundred billion he could’ve thrown 100 billion at the election if it was that critical. I said in my earlier post, the Supreme Court was already in control of the Democrats before the election. The concern in Wisconsin was well if its For three now and two Republicans get elected then they lose the opportunity to gerrymander the state. I couldn’t stop laughing when one of the links oh NPR about places what a surprise said, the non-partisan courts 4 to 3 liberal majority will remain in place. Guess what Edwin there’s been no change in a court. Perils with the Democrats if they lost those two votes, the Republicans would’ve gained control of the Supreme Court, and was would be able to protect the current district lines not to be gerrymandered that’s it end of story. And now, with Stefanik, staying in Congress, and the two wins in Florida, there may not be an issue in any event not to mention that they’re probably gonna get their big beautiful bill pass long before the next election.
No tax on tips no tax on overtime no tax on Social Security and that benefits who? The bill is being worked on as we speak but of course they’re not gonna tell you that on this thread
It benefits politicians now that bribes have been reclassified as gratuities. Please try to keep up.
Edwin, you could be one of the most naïve people here and there are many of them, but here’s a particular. And there are lots of them unfortunately and that’s why I keep crying and crying and crying term limits. Very recently, there have been a lot of exposure as far as the wealth and net worth of many politicians. You seem to think that this is something new which points to your incredible naïveté.
Makes 194,000 a month and her net worth is 200 million a part of that which is her husband when she is nice enough to impart all she knows about the stock market and companies to her husband so he can make the incredibly well timed investments
Chuck Schumer has a salary of 195,000 a year and he is worth 65 million
How does that happen?
There are members of Congress on both sides of the aisle that threw a mere amount of salary. Let’s say $175,000 a year have become multi multimillionaires now how the hell does that happen?
AOC who is a new member of Congress is already worth from what I understand about 20 million that’s what I understand. I’m not sure it’s accurate but that’s what I’ve heard if you’d like I can do some research for you and maybe give you some more updates but for you to think that this is something new is a joke, an absolute joke, and I’m not condoning it at all, but if you think the Supreme Court has just made this legal, give me a break But as I said in my earlier missive, I guess Joe Biden is off the hook now, especially when he does it serve tip surrepetitiously
And you think that the rest of his mania is good for the country? Extorting money from law firms and universities; defunding libraries???; closing down Social Security offices, defunding FEMA; trespassing on students' and others' first amendment rights; promising to cut our national parks for drilling and extractions? And do you think calling good people "scum" is mature and decent for the leader of a powerful country? Do you????
Here’s a couple of things I think about his “mania”. I don’t know about extorting money from loft terms. You’ll have to bring me up to speed on that one, but if universities which get a lot of federal money are not living up to the law, then they don’t merit federal funds. So for example, at Columbia University, who is supporting antisemitism and not protecting its Jewish students. I’m not sure about the funding libraries unless the money was not being spent on the library for its own good there’s been a lot of waste in that area as well so that could be the issue. I’d have to study that. Most business these days is done online by Stephanie just out of curiosity when was the last time you have been to a Social Security office? Oooooops. People people generally go once now they’ve made it easier to go online and sign up and get verified, etc.. as far as first amendment rights as you probably have heard the much used phrase that I don’t particularly like although it should be updated. You cannot allowed to yell fire in a filled theater. When people threaten other people’s lives as one did the other day saying that if you see an ice agent, you should shoot him that certainly is free speech according to you right you’re just able to threaten anybody, but now he’s in jail and probably to prison, so there are limits even to free speech that you’d have to understand.
I know he’s looking to drill in many places, but I’m not sure about drilling in national parks. There are plenty places that we can drill and if it makes sense to do so then they will, but these are private companies who have to make investments economic investments to assure that they are drilling is going to be successful otherwise they won’t drill in the first place
One of my high school classmates believe it or not was actually an executive for Beel who did what I was just saying above he was the research analyst that was able to tell geologically where the potential for a well would be by researching it all
I’m not exactly sure who he’s calling scum but if you’d like to point out the details of that I’d be more than happy to respond and I don’t necessarily agree with you unless perhaps it’s true but I’d have to see first before I’d make A comment
My heart is not bleeding for these m*therf*ckers.
Neither is mine. Sadly, the MAGAts in my former work cohort seem to be in a disinformation bubble where everything is good. “Buy low, sell high opportunities” statements abound; what fortune are you gonna make on your pension and social security income??? Feckin’ idiots.
celeste, I hope your husband told them to CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES.
I have read that calls are more effective than emails, and don't bother with snail mail.
The reps particularly need to hear from their constituents.
Perhaps you could print out small notes with the phone numbers of your senators and your rep, and give them to your husband to hand out to them?
A great idea
I love the way you think! I send them baked goods from time to time. It seems like a good time to send some their way, with a note for good wishes at this tough time! Tact!
The people who voted for the convicted felon who bc are now saying, “I didn’t vote for this” need to call their Republican members of Congress on a regular basis and tell them to stand up to the felon. If they truly care about what’s happening they need to take action NOW.
Maybe you had a dream that that’s the case but unfortunately, he’s becoming more popular with his supporters than ever before.
As a poster I saw points out...it's not right versus left. It's too versus bottom. Guess who's who. tRumpers, you've been had.
Well, I guess you sold all your stock the other day who has been hard?
Today was only one day with many more to come in fact 45 months or more. You have to come everybody. Just calm down and be patient. Been awful quiet here tonight. Oh boy the haters. Just hate America coming back.
Amen!
I agree Celeste.
My thought: "I'm not asking for an apology, just help right the damn boat!"
Any smart Americans are doing just the opposite of walking away they’re doubling down i’m not beliefs. We are re-creating a new government system, and Rome wasn’t built in a day for a good quote apropos to hear in the moment. I’m guessing if you feel this way, you’ve sold all your stock and you’re leaving the country? But you’re not doing that you’re gonna sit there and not sell anything and wait because you have confidence that it’s gonna come back and you’re right
Rick, “ We are re-creating a new government system,”
1) “we” who?
2) would you care to give a citation for that… you mean the Projectb2025 document? Or the Curtis Yarvin / Peter Theil junk?
3) are you a troll?
https://www.thenerdreich.com/tech-elites-vs-government-katherine-boyles-strange-speech/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/magazine/curtis-yarvin-interview.html
https://www.thenerdreich.com/reboot-elon-musk-ceo-dictator-doge/
https://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/education-libertarian/
Sheesh, Rick.
Do me a favor and take your project 25 nonsense and put it on the shelf somewhere so it can collect dust for the next 50 years.
Project 25 was initiated by project 25. Heritage foundation was not initiated by Trump. It was not bought into by Trump however, just like any book if you could take a book that you absolutely hate you’ll find some things in there that you like project 25 is no difference there are many basic precept in project 25 that ring true such as no men in women’s sports for example, unless you’re part of the 20% of the country, they believe that there should be men in women’s Sports. Trump is running the same playbook that he invented and talked about on Oprah Winfrey back in the 80s and hadn’t nothing to do with project 25. I’m serious you guys need to change the channel and watch some other stuff. They’re only feeding you one side of the story and since you’re only looking at one side of the story, that’s what you believe and it’s really pathetic.
As a computer programmer with over 50 years designing, maintaining, installing and converting systems used by hundreds of thousands of users, I am terrified of what Musk is proposing to do to the SS system. According to a GAO memo from 2009 the system sends and receives data from over 800 other state and Federal systems.
Musk is an idiot as are his DOGE boys if they think they can replace their databases and myriad applications in 4 months.
And there is NOBODY that can stop him. If and when this happens the 70+ million of his will no longer receive our payments from SSA.
Senator Crapo of Idaho is head of the Senate Committee responsible for SS. Let him know that you know Trump and his Republican buddies are going to screw us all.
Gary, don't tell me that they are not acting as if they had decided already that it won't be any future election they have to be concerned about. We are getting distracted and taking certain rights for granted but we have to start, at least, a conversation regarding my gut feeling. And I hope I'm totally wrong.
Not wrong, I fear, nor are you alone. It's like the "2025 blindness".
If you want to track it, check out Ed Weir. https://www.youtube.com/@MyGovExpert
exactly. People are acting like this is a temporary thing and in a couple of years we will revert back. THEY ARE BREAKING EVERYTHING. I picture the inner workings of the US now as the gross images I see of the war torn, bombed our countries.
Elections? Smh. I think we saw the last free and fair presidential election last year.
I’m not sure that last election was free or fair.
Judy Croft Barkume, “ I’m not sure that last election was free or fair.”
Strong claims (about the conduct of the 2024 election) call for strong explanations, not conspiracy whispers, not syre where your comment is going. Redistricting unfair, well documented, yet quasi-legal and a stacked supreme court, yes agreed, not fair. Voting machine antics, bring your receipts. Don’t advance theories like Mike Lindel / Rudy Giuliani without bringing receipts. Their receipts turned out to be nonexistant, or non-determinative, or just paranoid rants. Ask yourself why and how one third of the eligible electorate did not go to vote, that is the problem.
There was enough voter suppression in 2024, never mind other possible shenanigans, to have swung the result to Trump.
https://sdvoice.info/trump-lost-vote-suppression-won-here-are-the-numbers/
Marj- I don’t believe 2024 was entirely free and fair. The swing states were all they needed to win, and they had the time, tools and plan. GWB may have “only” stolen Ohio (many published articles and books. What Happened in Ohio is a good one), but it worked. And now they have more options- and used them.
I was a cobol programmer in the 80's. This was because of affirmative action and my grandmother was worried about my future and gave me $5000 to get trained in a career path. I was on a trip thru multiple jobs with on the job training. You can't break a Cobol system as the format is structured in a proven pattern. The tech bro's use web coding that is built to be modular and can be moved around and reused. This will turn out social security system into swiss cheese.
I worked on a system that generated those modules with reusable code and C generators in the 90’s. It made quick work of thousands of lines of code.
But it still had to be tested. I've used code generators as well and it does save time, but the programmer still has to know what they're doing.
There's no question that programming is way more efficient than it was 20 or 30 years ago. And the tools that are available have really simplified things.
There was a Senior VP at a company I worked at. He would come to IT and tell a programmer that he wanted a report on his desk at 8 am that did such and such. If the report wasn't on his desk, he would fire the programmer. But, they had Quikjob and Sort and other tools which made these requests possible. Was the VP an asshole? Of course and we all hated him, but he knew it could be done.
Absolutely! I wrote test plans to go along with all that code.
When I changed jobs and went into a testing only role on Windows NT machines (give me back my DOS prompt) every time a new release came out we had to uninstall and reinstall NT. Then when I’d report a problem to the programmer they’d say “it always worked that way”. I’d get out my handy test plan and show them. This job was an exercise in futility and I only stayed a year to fulfill my headhunter contract so I didn’t have to pay a fee.
This is exactly how I see the muskrats coding.
Rewrite in a couple months, like they claim? Crazy.
Who does testing and evaluates the results when half people with that knowledge are fired or forced into retirement?
How are the ancestral COBOL systems and data formats documented?
There is said to be hundreds if not thousands of linked databases and allied data sources and systems with links to and fromSSA. Surely the nubes know if you break the linkage to another data source you don’t have a working system, it all collapses?
And we're supposed to believe the DOGE boys, are geniuses that know what they are doing. They are updating SS records marking millions of them as deceased. Supposedly, they are only updating the records where the people's current age is greater than 115. But why do it at all? It's the programs that check the current age with a simple IF THEN ELSE statement. Fucking morons.
Eleanor, Gary, it gets worse now. More of the ‘move fast and break things’ stuff published today 4/5 at Wired mag:
“DOGE Is Planning a Hackathon [NEXT WEEK] at the IRS. It Wants Easier Access to Taxpayer Data…
DOGE operatives have repeatedly referred to the software company Palantir as a possible partner in creating a “mega API” at the IRS, sources tell WIRED.”
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-hackathon-irs-data-palantir/
Wiz kid of Elmo’s wrecking ball, “Corcos has discussed plans for DOGE to build “one new API to rule them all,” making IRS data more easily accessible for cloud platforms, sources say. APIs, or application programming interfaces, enable different applications to exchange data, and could be used to move IRS data into the cloud. The cloud platform could become the “read center of all IRS systems,” a source with direct knowledge tells WIRED, meaning anyone with access could view and possibly manipulate all IRS data in one place.
“Over the last few weeks, DOGE has requested the names of the IRS’s best engineers from agency staffers. Next week, DOGE and IRS leadership are expected to host dozens of engineers in DC so they can begin “ripping up the old systems” and building the API, an IRS engineering source tells WIRED. The goal is to have this task completed within 30 days. Sources say there have been multiple discussions about involving third-party cloud and software providers like Palantir in the implementation.”
….” Last Friday, DOGE suddenly placed around 50 IRS technologists on administrative leave. On Thursday, even more technologists were cut, including the director of cybersecurity architecture and implementation, deputy chief information security officer, and acting director of security risk management.”
People reading will recall Palantier is Peter Theil’s company, isn’t it?
So, the partitioning of databases in the federal government, for reasons some combination of privacy, statutory requirements, or sensetivity of data? That’s going to be gone in months, and congress will again reneg on any statute enforcement THAT IS THEIR REASON FOR BEING A BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT.
And that WIRED story ends with this:
“We love disruption and whatever is good for America will be good for Americans and very good for Palantir,” Palantir CEO Alex Karp said in a February earnings call. “Disruption at the end of the day exposes things that aren't working. There will be ups and downs. This is a revolution, some people are going to get their heads cut off.” [ooh. Watch that reference, tech bro.]
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-hackathon-irs-data-palantir/
Subscibe to WIRED, they are doing good reporting.
Gary, thank you. I immediately stopped reading and called his DC office and left a message.
For the ease of others here, this is the number:
202-224-6142.
PLEASE, pick up your phones NOW and call Crapo.
Moselle, thanks. Just called. I told him we don't trust Elon and his boys. If they need to bring a system up to date do it the right way but not in this way which just creates chaos.
THANK YOU CAROL!!
Thanks, Moselle, I called immediately and left a message. Here’s hoping his lines remain busy 24/7!
Thanks , done!
Thank you, Sheila!
I have littered the comment area as each time some good person here posted a suggestion of a Congresscritter to call, I did so.
I hope if you come across the other numbers, you call them, too.
Have a great weekend!
Done 💥
Senator Crapo? That's really his name?
Yes (ha). Pronounced ‘cray-poe’.
Maybe cray-cray?
Crapo? He is a True Believer of MAGA!
Thanks Gary, I emailed him this morning.
Gary, as a fellow traveller in tech (retired from), I totally agree with you. Most people don’t understand what ‘root access’ means but we do. The first breech was those first couple cabinet secretaries and dept heads whom the Senate approved (GSA, Treasury, OMB), and who provided the imprimatur (or ‘impression of authoritative permission’) to existing staff to allow God-level access to systems and server administrator accounts. The dam breeched, the wave spread as these idiots barged through flashing their (temporary contractor) badges. Unthinkable breech, at any tech company I worked you couldn’t even get in the door let alone the server room with these antics, yet, they buffaloed their way in. The fact that the defense/national security posts are headed by syncophantic morons and tv personalities, and now the NSA head ousted, gives rise to greatest concern. And here we are. Recalling a link, for those wanting to read about…
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/02/doge-god-mode-access/681719/
It may be a subtle difference but instead of "tariffs don't work the way he wants them to," I would say tariffs don't work the way he's believed they do for decades. This despite his B.S. in economics from an Ivy League university.
Well, Trump’s professor at Wharton did say that Trump was one of the dumbest students he ever had, and Trump wants to inflict that stupidity on the nation.
Good point. But isn't it time to consider that the "stupidity" $Trump is inflicting on America (and the world) is not really stupidity. But it is a deliberate attempt to disassemble the American leadership of the free world. That weakening our governmental structures serves two very intentional purposes.
1. Help Putin's Russia expand its influence around the world as we create humanitarian vacuums. Yes, HELP PUTIN. Not just because $Trump admires Putin - but because $Trump has been a Russian asset since the 1980s.
When banks stopped loaning to $Trump, Russians stepped in to bail him out. $Trump Jr told us so! NOTHING happens financially in Russia without Putin's direction. He controls the entire system. $Trump and Putin are intertwined like mating snakes.
2. As our prosperity collapses, the Fascists, led by a blackmailed con man will blame all previous presidents and the "Deep State" for the troubles. "See how bad 'government' is?" Time to privatize everything.
The latest shot across the bow was the announcement that $Trump wants to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He just installed Pulte (a home builder !!!???) to lead a public entity. Please read this:
https://moneywise.com/real-estate/donald-trumps-new-housing-chief-launches-major-shakeup-at-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-your-mortgage
Medicare and Social Security are next!
I think it is well past the time that we expect $Trump to be anything but a financial partner of Putin. Trump just allowed Putin's top finance guy in the White House. The next day, insane tariffs are levied on every country - except Russia.
I agree that Trump has been a Russian asset since the late 80s and that Russian money is what has helped create the myth of success that was sold to a gullible public. But it's more than his coziness with Putin, Trump is following the authoritarian playbook. I love James O'Brien and his low-key but devastating assessments of US and UK politics. The first segment of yesterday's show lays it all out, point by point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KdnZf5PWAA
And I can’t tell you how deeply sorry I feel for those of you who actually believe anything having to do with Russia do you have a Russia on the brain it’s metastasized to your entire body.
There is a famous word in Jewish that I believe applies here and it’s called rochMones. Utter pity and sadness.
And by the way, for this, my own personal belief is Adam Chef should be hung by his ankles in public until he passes away
Yes he did. He further said Trump came to class thinking he already knew everything. Donny retains the same lack of interest in learning anything, which is dangerous in a leader.
He told the head of the Econ department at the U of Chicago, re tariffs, and I quote because I heard him: You don't know what you’re talking about.
The hubris is truly astounding.
He has the way to say that, and if he can prove them wrong, what are you gonna say then? As I said to Paul here, you remind me of one of these political zealots that if the Republicans came up with a plan to save you 10% of your income in a year, you would still say it’s crap. But I’ll keep giving you an alternatives to look at even though you don’t even wanna look at them.
Well, I hope you learned a little something today AA it’s not over til it’s over be it was only one day just like the past three days they were only one day and there’s 45 months left to go calm down take a breath and by the way, don’t listen to the bullshit about anything happening with our precious social Security and Medicare
Donald was doted on and protected because of his learning disability. He grew up believing he's a Very Special Boy, and nobody ever tried to disabuse him of that error. When you can't learn, but everyone around you asserts that you already know everything, a perfect storm of ignorance and hubris is created.
Fact Nanny here: Donald is the 4th of five children. His mother was quite ill for much of his early childhood and his father lacked the ability to nurture his young son. Which is to say that Donald grew up not knowing love or affection while at the same time being provided with all the creature comforts available to a wealthy family. It wasn't until Fred Jr. refused to go into the family business that Fred Sr. began using Don to get a toe-hold in Manhattan real estate circles. Knowing how unloved he was is the only thing about Trump's biography that elicits any compassion from me.
Oops!
I expect Eric relates to his Uncle Robert.
From what I've read, Fred and Mary Ann were absentee parents, but Donald's sisters catered to Donald.
Any compassion you might feel for Donald should be cancelled out by knowing the way he later abused Freddy, cheated his other siblings and exploited his few friends. As Donald, himself, would put it, "He's a bad guy."
As I would put it, "May he writhe in torment."
100% on target regarding the scumbag president stupidity but remember he is surrounded by ideologist like J D Vance, his most likely successor. He and others are the real danger in the near future. Thanks for your comment Kathy.
The tarriffs might be effective in some industries if we still had factories in place to replace foreign plants and equipment. We don't.
IMHO the no 1 loser is Canada, and I think he is doing it to force them to sell their sovereignity. Shades of Stalin. Putin.
He has the data from the trade representative and other sources that track all this. I don't think Musk or Navarro, et al are looking at better deals for the consumer.
Some investors use "value" analysis. Not These guys. They speculate. Trump went bankrupt 6 times. In NY he has to have a couyrt appointed monitor because he's unreliable.
Donald may think economic warfare could force Canada to capitulate, but PM Mark Carney has already signaled the country's response. And it's not capitulation.
It's important to remember that Donald has failed at every business endeavor he's undertaken. After Fred died and there was no more financial reserve for Donald, his personal finances remained in the red until he signed The Apprentice deal. The show did well because he was NOT in charge. He was merely an actor playing the role of a successful tycoon.
Donald is a failure at everything. He failed to get the Trump family accepted by NYC Society. He failed in business. He will fail in taking Canada.
The low labor costs that fueled offshoring 1980-2010: how will those costs be re-shored back to the USA? It doesn’t work. Re-shoring manufacturing and “cheap stuff made in the USA” doesn’t work as a plan, and his cabinet economists know it. The USA became a consumer goods and services-based economy.
Maybe all the kids can work the factories and fields for sub-tip wages or for $5/day. Hi Florida, I’m looking at you!
Not even consumer based. It's all about immediate gratification. "Sales" is not important under "growth" theory.
BTW, robots in manufacturing did as much as offshroing to make those jobs obsolite. But Biden infrastructure, CHIPS are another matter.
Once upon a time I held hearings in Greewood Mississippi, home of Mississippi Burning, but also the museum Cottonlandia. I attended a lecture by engineers. They had a device that would have eliminated stoop labor in cotton production. Could pick, card, even sew with one robot. Many years later I met a lobbyist for the cotton industry and asked him...he said that had the industry accepted those robots, technoogy would have mede them obsolite by the next year.... Not worth the investment because under the tax code and growth analysis future investment and research and devlopment mean nothing.
That degree was purchased by his father.
Most everyone I know who went to Wharton came home to bankrupt their family business.
There are a few minor exceptions -- and they aren't Trumpers.
Just like his draft dodging to get out of the Viet Nam war.
Would you like a list of some of the most successful people in the world that never went to college?
Remind folks that The Boston Tea Party was a revolt against tariffs imposed by another imperial government on us.
The Tea Party Republicans took an oath: "no new taxes."
These tariffs are taxes.
Do you know was awful noisy here the last three days but I don’t understand. It’s awful quiet here tonight. I’ve said it 100 times for everybody here 45 months to go be patient take a breath stop the panic. The sky is not falling like you think it’s falling which is really laughable.
Yes they are on every foreign nation that we’ve been allowing to buy our products for cheap and they come back and send us products and tear of them Daniel you;re hopeless.
What is your explanation for the tariffs he is levying on islands with no human inhabitants and, thus, no exports to the US?
Would you like to talk about the meaningful issues today or would you like to talk about farts in the wind? Anyone can pick on misspellings capital letters sentence, structure, syntax punctuation, but in the end, the only thing that counts is the content and meaning that bring the results. If you would like to deal with minutia enjoy yourself.
It’s kind of like the signal chat everyone is aroused by the signal chat, and that there was a breach of privacy and confidentiality but nothing happened because of it. It won’t happen again like that, and the essence of the entire conversation was about a strike that ended up doing exactly what it intended to do. PRECISELY. Nobody in this thread, even gave a shit that it was a military victory and successful. All they cared about was this breach of privacy Now, if that would’ve caused the death of 13 Americans as a failure of leadership did in Afghanistan then it might be worth talking about a little bit more
You really should be paid for all the work you do to prop up the idiocy of the Trump regime. Case in point, I asked you to explain Trump's tariffs on uninhabited islands and you come back with a complete non sequitur that borders on masterful. So, about those tariffs, please make this make sense:
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/03/nx-s1-5345891/world-reacts-to-trump-tariffs-with-ire-dismay-and-confusion
"There's growing concern about a global economic downturn due to President Trump's unconventional thinking on international trade. But adding to the concern is the confusion about what countries the president is targeting. Take, for example, Israel, a very strong ally of the U.S. It was hit with an additional 17% tariff. That despite the fact that Israel pledged to cancel all tariffs on American imports earlier this week. You have many countries on the list that could hardly be described as economic powerhouses whose policies are threatening the U.S., but they import far less from the U.S. than they export to America - places like Guyana, which faces 38% U.S. levies now. It's a similar figure for Iraq. There are many more examples like this.
But some of Trump's targets get even more baffling. Take Heard Island and McDonald Islands - this is a group of islands in the Antarctic. They're uninhabited except for penguins and seals and, consequently, had no exports to the U.S. But the islands are facing 10% tariffs. So too with Svalbard and Jan Mayen, two Norwegian territories. Jan Mayen is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and a former whaling station. No one lives there permanently, and its economy is zero, but it's now subject to 10% tariffs.
Then there's the French territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This is off the coast of Newfoundland and Canada, population of about 5,000. It exports fish to the U.S. It's now facing a 50% tariff. That's more than double what France was hit with. Lesotho in Southern Africa - which in March Trump described as a country nobody has ever heard of - it's one of the poorest countries in the world and exports mostly diamonds and textiles to the U.S. It also faces 50% tariffs, the highest figure on Trump's list.
Also curious is what countries were left off the list - Russia, which does little trade with the U.S. anyway, thanks to sanctions. Also, Canada and Mexico were spared, but preexisting tariffs on most Canadian and Mexican goods will remain. And today, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced measures to mirror U.S. tariffs on automobiles."
The Trump regime? You need to look in a mirror.
It’s called the Trump presidency because he won the election unlike Biden, who is not even present for his election mentally
As I said earlier misty, there will be a downturn because the world has been turned on in and they are no longer receiving the benefits and the generosity of America that they’ve been receiving for 40 years or more.
And it’s America’s fault we did it to ourselves and now we’re going to crawl out of it and everybody around the world is not gonna be happy because they’re gonna lose their free meal. Now it’s going to be an even keel and they don’t like that And please do yourself a favor if you want to make a point don’t use the $24 we’re going to gain by the islands or whatever islands you’re talking about that have no inhabitants it’s insignificant it doesn’t even need mentioning it’s an amoeba in the big picture body of what Trump is doing.
But But I will commit to you this and be honest. I have spent many sleepless nights worrying about the survival of obscure islands, or Norwegian territories. Lololol. Sigh
Your refusal to acknowledge the utter stupidity of Trump's tariffs is astonishing. But it is dwarfed by your inability to acknowledge the very real harm this will do to the economy of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! The vast difference between targeted tariffs, which would require actual thought, and across-the-board tariffs regardless of whether they make sense or not (and most of them don't), is the difference between crawling toward a goal and rushing to jump off a steep cliff without a parachute.
IF there was languishing infrastructure in the US to take up the slack and immediately hire the American workers whose jobs will be lost by the tariffs then it might make sense. But both are missing at this time. How long can millions of people hang on while the investments are made, the buildings refurbished or built and the workers trained? Instead of emulating McKinley, Trump seems well on his way to emulating Hoover.
Minor point but the revolt was against the Stamp Act, which taxed everything. Yes, tariffs are ultimately taxes but there isn't a line on an invoice that says tariffs.
Yeah almost the same Rachel. Wow. Omg. Oh Lord.
One of his professors in the prestigious Wharton School of Business said he was the dumbest student he'd ever had. I imagine that teacher watching this unfold and looking like a parody of Edvard Munch's, The Scream.
If he was alive today, I'm sure he'd just shake his head at the gullibility of American voters. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/12/1705902/-Former-Wharton-Professor-Donald-Trump-Is-the-Dumbest-Goddam-Student-I-Ever-Had
Did you say that when Biden was elected or when he was thrown overboard and a mental defective done nothing woman was put in his place and 73 million people voted for that idiot ?
I bet he never earned that degree; his father probably paid for that degree.
Other than the presidency, Trump has never earned anything in his life. And, despite the votes, it's safe to say that he didn't really earn that either.
The presidency was bought for Trump by Mr. Musk.
Wow Linda, you come up with some good ideas. Sometimes the one above makes me think you’re on an LSD trip or something like that.
In 90 days, Kamala Harris raised $2 billion and out spent Trump two to one in the final campaign. The idiots on the left side actually raced $2 billion for this twerk to run for president. I wouldn’t hire her to be a cashier at one of my restaurants.
The Death of Expertise is what a brilliant UofMN history professor calls our current epoch. People feel they have all knowledge at their fingertips (SmartPhones, social media) and can know the correct information without the need for nerdy experts. And The Dunning-Kruger effect describes the tendency of people with limited knowledge or skill in a particular area to overestimate their own competence.
Then there is also the declining cognitive abilities of many in the population, due to attention deficit (caused by rapid-fire information and stress overload).
A perfect storm.
One of the few things I remember from my high school days is a teacher saying that the global IQ was declining. That was in the early 1960s. Wish I'd known then to keep track of the evidence of his claim.
Oh, I think you’re absolutely correct about the IQ and here’s why.
One of the worst presidents in history, although he had a very good heart invented the Department of Education. Since then, we’ve decided not to educate our children. And there was back to back that up. In 1979 we were in the number one position ranked in education in the world. 30 years later we were number 18th. Today we are Ranked 40th. High school students come out of high school not even knowing how to read or do basic math. And I could tell you horror stories having only restaurants and have people come in to apply for a job when they needed help filling out the application and couldn’t tell how much change to give From a $20 bill if the bill was $18.04.
It’s not only about IQ it’s about challenging and pushing people to learn
So after a number of bankruptcies, tell me how the dummy created the wealth that he has amassed? I’ve listed you a number of people that have had bankruptcies and came out of it successfully some of the most famous people and inventors in the US history. Unfortunately, for you, Donald Trump will be one of those.
Today the stock market continues to crater while the big fool is off golfing. Welcome to our world.
I would love to see Congress limit Trump's expense account. I'm sick and tired of paying for his golfing trips every week and for his $20 million trip to go to the Super Bowl for a photo-op.
And today the market good one? If you care at all for America, which is doubtful, you would say well. Today was a good day for America but no, there’s nothing here because all you do is hate.
What are you, blind? As well as stupid? The market went up because Trump paused the damage to the world economy that he himself caused.
And I damn well know he did it because his superiors to,d him he over- reached. Not because he knows what he is doing. No hate, just reality. It bit him on that ass that he lied about everyone kissing. Trump can do no wrong, right?
You are a profound fool. Get some rest.
Just what I told you, Martin our issues in progress and it’s gonna take time to work them out because it’s been 40 years since we’ve been treated right on trade and it’s gonna take a little work to get it back to normal. And for all of those, we think that yesterday was contrived and set up well guess that’s not the case if you look at the market today, but nothing in the world has changed other than negotiations. Nothing P. A. T. I. E. N. C. E.
Well, I laid out a whole post, but somehow it got lost when I try to correct the spelling of one word, but I’ll try it all over again
You’re gonna need to simmer down and stop the hate. or it’s gonna kill you. I am not ignorant, nor the fool but you need a mirror to determine who it is and here’s why
The market did not go up today because Trump pause the tariffs . The market went up today because Trump wanted negotiations and the strategy readily set out from the beginning and the media and the market understands now. He has given the 75 countries that have come forward to negotiate power of situation to meet with him, and to renegotiate the terms of our trade and tariffs. You really don’t think too deeply do you nor too far ahead.
As I said to you many times, and I’ve told everybody here nobody has the patience and when you hate you, don’t care about patience you just care about attacks you don’t care about how embarrassing it will be when you find out you were wrong. This has been Trump strategy all along. He wants to negotiate. He’s a constant and adamant negotiator, and he got exactly what he wanted as well as he put the pressure on China big-time, who is now isolated itself.
He will spend the next 75 days, negotiating new tariff deals, and and other related deals with all these countries, and will come out better for it in 90 days or more if it takes a little bit while longer but it’s going to start immediately. It’s people like you that fit the equation if Trump found the cure of cancer, you would find fault in that
You were relishing in the fact that Trump demolish the stock market and Tesla lost his ass for two or three days, but when the Market comes back up at 95 or 90% of the losses that it took, came back in one day highest single day point increase in market history, or you can talk about is the reason is because Trump pauses tariffs you don’t care about all the money that people got back on that now we are in the driver seat once again. Hate makes you blind, Martin it makes you unable to think rationally and thoroughly.
And by the way, nothing happened in the world economy not a damn thing other than the scare tactics that your media tries to dictate to you on a daily basis and you swallow it like mothers milk.
Patience is a virtue hate is an early killer
By the way, one thing I forgot to mention, Trump does wrong many times with his mouth. He could be a little bit more compassionate he could be a little bit more tactful he could be a little bit more humanitarian. I don’t like what comes out of his mouth. I love what comes out of his pen. His policies work, and his policies comes out of his intrinsic and innate knowledge of what to do. I’m able to separate what comes out of his mouth from what comes out of his pen. There’s a world of difference between the two. It’s amazing the Democrats today were wondering if you had planned this all along so his billionaire buddies could make a deal on the market going back up after I drop so drastically for two days or three days and it might even drop again tomorrow. Who knows but instead of wishing Americans well after the rise today all they could do was try to find fault in what Trump did, and all he did is exactly what he wanted to do and his plan is working to perfection.
And lastly, he doesn’t have a boss he doesn’t have anyone telling him what to do so give it up already it’s a lost cause.
And I’ll say it once again and I’ll say it 1 million times patience is a virtue. Haters don’t seem to have the need to have patience.
45 more beautiful months. And he has China on its heels right now, and you should stop bragging about it. They will have to come to the table.
B.S. is the right term for what he knows!
Wharton school has now been discredited by the orange idiot. Sorry for the decent graduates who are embarrassed by the one who is destroying their reputations.
To be fair, U Penn isn't the only Ivy that has cause to be embarrassed. Look at the number of idiots with undergraduate and/or graduate degrees from elite universities. A few years ago I had too much time on my hand and made a list of those from Harvard.
Alex Acosta
Elaine Chao
Mike Esper
Mike Pompeo
Wilbur Ross
Jared Kushner
Neal Gorsuch
Ron De Santis
Roy Mabus
Tom Cotton
Ted Cruz
Martha McSally
Ben Sasse
Pat Toomey
Dan Crenshaw
Elise Stefanik
Ben Shapiro
Agreed. I have always thought that the Ivies are not a healthy breeding ground because there are too many entitled people there.
Well, you just made my point thank you very much. Nothing against you, Pam but in general antisemitism a pretty disgusting behavior for those who supported, and for those who actually participate in it
Would you like a list of all the people that started some of the most amazing companies in the world and didn’t even have a college degree. You know there’s a saying that I’ve seen proven out in many cases, and the people I encounter in my business dealings. There are too many damn educated derelicts. Just like Jackson Browns song. That started off strong only to surrender.
People thought they could do well by studying the inter-workings of the relationship between Nepal and Ghana. Etc. Or the philosophy of Zen and how it fits into the 1800 economic matrix.
Certainly a college degree shooting for a better outcome, and usually does but only a small percentage of those folks have actually ascertained what they set out to do in the first place
You have to have a drive you have to have a ganas. You have to have the will to work long hours for many years to get what you want college degrees don’t teach any of that. And many people do it naturally with intrinsic gifts. So touting a college degree I think put you in a more assured income strata, but by no means guarantees that you’re going to be what you think you’re gonna be if you don’t want to put the work in.
Many of today’s most successful companies started out with somebody who didn’t necessarily have a degree from a revered institution so stop the nonsense OK
Just when I think your responses couldn't be more non-contributory, more nonsensical, or, importantly, more of a distraction from the discussion, you go and outdo yourself. Congratulations.
Well it’s nice that you portray the fact that a college degree is an alike putting a halo over your head. Do you know why there’s two major parties in this country because there is more than one way to solve a problem. What you learn in one college may be different than you learn in another and yet you both get degrees or masters or even doctorate yet come from different disciplines. And your ignorance of that fact, astounds me.
For the most part, I’m the only one that’s contributing because everyone else is agreeing with everyone else and you’re not gonna get the opposing point of you which is absolutely necessary in order to make it decision just like you’re in a court room on a jury, do you have to see you and hear both sides of the argument in order to render a fair decision some thing apparently you haven’t learned
Thank you I take that as a compliment. But I’m not sure if you have a degree in economics, sufficient enough to address the issues of the day as an example tariffs, and the economy. Did you happen to see Nancy Pelosi is long winded diatribe on how much we need to have terrace. Have you seen the Bernie Sanders interview on C-SPAN in 2008 where he espouses the need for tariffs? If not, I’d be more than happy to share with you the links, and these are hardened Democrats or even left of Democrats. It’s like having a knee replacement as an example. If you have any replacement, you’re not gonna get up and start jogging the next day. Well, that’s a simple analogy that even you can understand so be patient give it time and in time if they don’t work, as I said, to One of your recent posters that if it turns out that it’s wrong I’ll raise my right hand and say hey I was wrong which is different than the Democrats which are still playing with the same playbook that got them to a 20% approval rate. It’s so sad.
MisTBlu, tRump most certainly DESERVES his B.S. in virtually every field he has “studied”!
And that’s exactly why he’s been elected president twice once by popular vote? I for one I’m stumped John. lol
Change the freaking channel. And you’ll see why
After the last 2 days of free-fall of the stock market in response to another of tRump’s bizarre efforts at ruling the world Rick, ‘twould seem most of us, especially your Dear Leader, would benefit from “changing the freaking channel!"
Cat got your tongue tonight, John? Just like the past three days it’s just another day. Why not just watch and learn, and make judgment in six months or so? Because today, all you did, was embarrass yourself for your past rants
Well, if you like history, John, try going back to 1980s on a Oprah Winfrey show when Trump touted tariffs as a way to go about fair trade and as well as I pointed out to you big proponent of terrorist were none other than Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders.
I guess the vast majority of investors and funds voting with their feet must be ‘wrong’ about 47’s horsefeathers economics. we will see how it turns out, I’m sure ‘Rick sender’ has stayed fully invested and is catching that falling knife of a market (in his teeth, no less).
Lmao. People like you kill me are so myopic. Months ago as I do before every election I redirect my more. Shall I call them risky investments, or risky your investments to something more stable and firm in interest bearing platforms because the biggest influencer in the market on an immediate basis is doubt and the unknown of future events. I have not pulled a dime out of the market and have not suffered. In fact I’m very happy exactly where I am and as soon as there’s a turnaround, which will be very shortly, I will reinvest again and some more company specific investments.
A few years ago, the market tumble 3000 points and panic lit the room Three years later the market had increased by 10,000 points and this is the history of the market
And I love that you guys have a knee-jerk reaction when things like this happen when you didn’t sell everything either because you know it’s coming back just go look in the mirror and lie to yourself Sigh
Happy trails to you rick sender, may you roam freely. Give that keyboard (or your LLM) a rest.
You know, I know too many PhD‘s in various fields that are utterly crazy and the predictions that they make based on what they learned in school have been 100% incorrect. Paul Krugman for example, hasn’t made a good call in years and he was actually upside down in his estimate of what was gonna happen in Trump’s first administration. Robert Reich is exactly the same in my opinion. I could use when he writes as toilet paper, and I would be very comfortable doing that. This is what happens Misty, when PhD‘s in certain devices become political pawns and buy into one side of an argument, because they staunchly support their party instead of staunchly supporting what they learned in school from a economics perspective not from a political perspective
BS is absolutely what he gleaned from his schooling. If daddy endows a chair, little Donny doesn’t have to crack a book, and if he doesn’t get good grades, the endowment goes away. Now, I’m not saying that’s what happened, it explains his negotiating technique. God help us all if those he targets cave.
Rick seems like a bot account. I base this on the amount of time he spends posting. I just attended a webinar which leads me to suspect this. In that case, he is probably a Russian agent account. So, I am grateful to the person who taught me to collapse what "he" says, so that I don't need to see it to interrupt the flow of other comments.
The left is going to have to understand that not everything that makes you a success in life is learned in school. In fact there’s a big poster I have that I picked up in college that said there are far too many college educated Derelicts in the world. People get an education in philosophy and become carpenters, which is fine, but they didn’t learn anything about carpentry in school.
Then you have people like many savants that don’t need school to take them to success take Mark Zuckerberg, for example. There were five-year-olds that could sit down in a piano with the first time and play. There are people like Bobby Fisher who didn’t learn how to play chess in school. And there are people like Elon Musk and Alexander, Graham Bell and Enrico, Femi and Thomas Edison. That took what they learned in school and enhanced it beyond anything they learned in school.
So stop doubting education as the end all and be all of a human being because that’s all the left seems to wanna do is that and keep referencing them back to some book that was written 50 years ago that is no longer applicable because the entire world has changed since then
Like all mob bosses, he believes that everyone has a price. You don't pay up he breaks your legs.
Or your bank account, your medical care, your Social Security income.
or you’re absolute absence/ignorance of reality
Badda Boom!
Well, in some cases here, Harvey, you’re correct all foreign governments have a price and he’s not breaking the legs, but he sure putting a lot of pressure on them and they’re coming to the table.
Or your economy. And he’s correct it’s called negotiating And what’s funny is when Chuck Schumer just buckled to Trump a couple weeks ago his party is going apeshit over the fact that he did that and didn’t “NEGOTIATE’ with Trump on the reconciliation bill to not shut down the government and get something out of it, but didn’t. And now to tell you how I don’t even have the synonym, stupid, dumb, idiotic, los, have shown that AOC is more popular than Chuck Schumer to succeed him in the Senate. But everyone forgets that in only four years according to her, we’re all going to die in this planet is going to implode. Lol
Everything in life is a choice/negotiation. And provided it’s not blackmail. That’s how this world gets along every single day. You negotiate with your boss for a higher salary you negotiate with your significant other in various areas of your relationship Life is a do to yourself proposition with very few exceptions
Yes please! The rest of the world needs to thumb their collective noses at this lunatic. Will it be painful? Indeed, for everyone. Will it be worth it? You bet. Make the bully look like the anal opening that he is, and he will eventually collapse in on himself. It can't come soon enough, for the entire world.
I agree. Perhaps Europe, in particular, can apply some lessons learned from Vlad's Russia towards this "administration". I would very much like to see this thing collapse in upon itself as well. I am quite concerned about this friendship and advisor in Vlad though. He has so far not allowed his situation to implode and will certainly do his best in order it not happen here. So, to me, that is troubling.
Daniel, I’m gonna wait but what would you say if Trump’s administration succeeded? Omg. Imagine the fear, the craziness, the negativity.
so as I’ve sent to any of you in the circumstance that his big beautiful bill that includes no tax on tips no tax on Social Security and no tax on overtime gets approved by Congress. What will you say then about the anal opening?
On the other hand, the past president, anal opening was sealed shut, and what turned out that everything he did was full of shit for this country.
Anyone want a bigger mess? Have we got a guy for you!
Yeah that’s what you said in 2020 and how did that work out with the non compos mentis robotic president that now coming out that he should’ve never run in the first place let alone for reelection now all the people are writing books especially Democrats that the writing was on the wall for at least 2 1/2 to 3 years. That’s your guy don’t forget it
Linda, read something yesterday that I am taking more or less with a grain of salt, that death star is preparing to throw muskrat under the bus. I am thinking it will happen once muskrat has completed the damage.
Linda, Jonathan V. Last of The Bulwark said it best last night, in a clarifying and chilling piece that lays it all out: "The American Age Is Over".
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-american-age-is-over?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&utm_medium=email&r=48m03&triedRedirect=true
Yes Doug, I read that piece. I agree. I have been saying, since last summer when I read the first chapter of Project 2025 in my book club, which was The Dept. of Education, that it was a formula for turning the US into a third world country. I taught in one and I know what it looks like. Then, as I read more I realized it would turn the US into a third world, Christian Nationalist Theocracy. Of course, it is a Kakistocracy, Kleptocracy and Oligarchy too. Chilling is correct! Also, as a history major, I think of the blood, sweat and tears that went into making the US what it is, and tantruming trump is destroying it all, like a toddler on a bender with blocks.
I agree, Linda. And I think of the complicity of the Republicans by standing by while he fiddles. And not to mix my Roman emperors, but I think of the courage it took Roman senators to get rid of Caesar. Mind you, I'm not calling for that, but it's astonishing to me that a formidable bunch of Republicans in the House and Senate don't band together and say “Enough is enough!”, get rid of Johnson (at least) and demand a return to checks and balances.
And after Musk, there will be Vance and Donalds Cabinet members, and Steven Miller especially.
Trump gets tired of people. I don't believe he likes Vance at all, do you? He treats him like the stepchild. All of the cabinet members are expendable to him. However, Stephen Miller has lasted. We shall just see. There are some predictable things about Trump, which is he gravitates to Putin and when he is in power he is a lot less likable to his adoring fans than when he is just a grievance monkey.
Hey Linda and what did Joe Biden think of Kamala Harris? Lmao. Oooops.
Well, he actually made her borders czar. how did that work out? HFS
what’s really funny about what you said Susan is the following for the last eight or nine years Elon Musk has been almost a demigod for the left inventing an automobile that helped to create a prevention against climate change. Nothing changed in the way he manufactured cars or shot off rockets or controlled. A huge company of communication services called Starlink that helped areas that couldn’t get service get service totally effed up made up hate against Elon Musk is so bereft of reality. It’s defies comprehension. All we keep hearing is he’s not elected. He’s not elected. He’s not elected. He’s not elected, which has nothing to do with the issue at hand not an effing thing.
Donald Trump could have appointed Ted Cruz or even worse, cash Patel to head up DOGE then what would have been your defense? And who would you protest against then?
When it spills over to Trump, he will no doubt respond, "Tariffs? I don't know anything about tariffs! Elon, must have done those. Elon, get in here right now, and tell everyone about your tariffs!!"
Did Elon send you to Mars already? I.e or aka what planet are you living on? Just for history sake’s Trump has been talking about tariffs since interviewing on Oprah Winfrey show back in the early 80s.
I hope they, countries, people, gather in solidarity where there will be strength.
And just like the quintessential liberal hoping against America couldn’t be better said Potter. The outer world first America last. That’s what the left personifies today.
Stupid..still at your age. Wasting the time you have left obsessively trying to prove something here to yourself about your own wisdom, using hate and ignorance as well as off the wall accusations... similar to Trump actually. Dummies don't know we are all connected. Go away.
Wait? I’m the one using hate? lol omg. Do you read any of these posts at all everyone of the people here hate Donald Trump! The left are the haters around protesting Tesla, which is about the stupidest thing I have ever seen the most double standard and hypocritical thing I’ve ever seen.
Trump could’ve appointed Ted Cruz or cash Patel to head up those where were they go to protest then he’s not elected he’s not elected he’s got elected there is the hate and there’s are morons
I’m the dummy? We are not connected, and you know why we’re not connected because the left is now fully disconnected. Disconnected from the truth, disconnected from reality, disconnected because their entire being is full of TDS, MDS, and gullibility.
You were like many others here, who talked about items, hypothetically, ethereally, I have no factual specifics to back up your statements.
I’m not the one calling Trump or Elon Hitler. I’m not the one talking about fascism. I’m not the one talking about oligarchy or dictatorship
When the Democrats win an election, and if executive orders start flowing from the White House or the auto pen LOL everything is just fine but when Trump does it, it’s autocracy DISREGARDING AN ELECTION ….
You are the epitome of what they say is when the Democrats accuse the Republicans of doing something when they were actually doing it themselves. And you are the poster child for the same calling me hateful
Right now I’m thrilled to death and hate nothing other than frustration with people who don’t learn and don’t want to learn, don’t want to change the channel.
By the way, Potter, this is directed only to you. I don’t want to impugn other people here but when you start calling me stupid I have to let out a huge belly laugh. I don’t have a belly. I have pretty much been on the correct side of politics my whole life voting twice for Billy the wandering PP was probably the third best president in history, other than a few major mistakes but we all make mistakes. And you know why he was so good because he was smart enough to work with Gingrich to bring the party to agreement rather than splintering the country. And we are here today splintered because of one Barack Hussein, Obama.
So you can go along your merry way but if you have any sense at all, you’ll wait a year or so to see how things progress and then you could make a partial judgment because you have 45 more months to go to be able to evaluate as president.
The sad truth is we didn’t hear this rhetoric from you when Biden double the price of everything on a daily basis or allow us 11,000 illegal migrants in this country every day or against the general precepts of Democrats want peace I don’t like guns Biden sending hundreds of billions of dollars to Ukraine to kill people instead of trying to create peace.
I am a happy go lucky guy 90% of the time at a completely successful business career. I’ve been retired for 12 years after coming out of abject poverty as a child and right now I’m smiling every day. I have no hate at all. Merely frustration with so many misguided haters here
I would have bet a lot that you would respond. Pathetic, I am not game. Go away. PS.. I did not read this diatribe.
I am wondering if the Euro will replace the US dollar as the main currency of trade. Or perhaps the Yuan... as a worst-case scenario.
Trump is banking on crypto. We shall see. It is early days, but feels like years. It is too many years of Trump.
Well welcome to the real world ROBIN many huge countries I’ve been talking about this for years and years like China Brazil, etc., to change the world’s currency barometer. And guess what it could happen having nothing to do with today because they’ve been working on it for decades.
Rumor has it that Musk is going. Who do you all expect will be Trump’s Tool for Chaos?
You and everybody else here pretty much.
I would say Trump is and will always be the one who will be the main tool for chaos, and with Musk gone, people with notice it more and remember how tired they got of him during covid. The new covid is tariffs.
How about give Mr. Trump a quiet time to enjoy his golf? No one deserves continued criticisms without Sunday holoidays. After all he was elected, unlike Musk. We must share our responsibility and giving him a quiet weekend is one way.
Another ignorant soul talking about musk wasn’t elected. Yikes. I have never seen so much misguided hate in my life. As I’ve said 20 times here posting Trump could’ve picked Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio or anybody to head up those now what would you say? Why don’t you talk about what those is accomplishing instead of who’s the head of doge idiot
Looks like we have another troll. Best to ignore from here on out…
What about the hundred thousands of your hypocrites walking in the ts Monday with signs that read FREE SPEECH. Do you think it would be better if the government didn’t listen to you from here on out?
“……the tariffs don't work in the way he wants them too.”
Oh they’ll work exactly as he wants them to. Tarrifs put more money in the treasury which he will (pretty much already does )control. Money is power, he wants both.
We shall see. I have my thoughts about this, but they are too bleak to post. I am in Europe, and I know my groceries will still be cheaper even with tariffs,
Food here is way cheaper than in the USA, and the cost of living is lower. Germany is ranked 23 and the US 13. I think we should look at these numbers again next year.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp
Of course, I will be spending much more when I come back to the USA, so it is a lose-lose.
Maybe you haven’t noticed we just had an election and he has the power and he already has the wealth and he’s 78 years old and could live on $1 billion a year for the rest of his life and never run out of money. Let’s have some patience. Shall we knee jerk reactions or seldom correct?
He’s still just trying to stay out of jail.
Like Netanyahu.
Who is now cavorting with Orban!
That’s actually going to be the J6 committee and Adam shift and not necessarily in that order. I’m sure we’ll be looking at some of the 51 liars as well
Oh, the friendly tourist BS.
Your head may have been under sand but the people who weren't watching Fox saw the attempt to steal the election by violent mob attack, organized by Trump.
Yeah William I’m sure a few hundred people are going to overthrow the government only if you’re totally delusional. But it’s OK when one black man dies to create $2 billion worth of damage kill 25 police policeman burned down cities take over police precincts and occupy large portions of north western cities. Only one person died on January 6 and she was an innocent bystander shot by police. Hmmmmm with no convictions and the guy who accidentally killed George Floyd was convicted so what was all they mayhem for? And like I said earlier, it’s been a good day. I hit a nerve people or maybe waking up.
Troll
Are you a Russian troll? Or is this just fun for you- poking fun as our nation’s foundations burn to the ground?
When you read the post, I just made with quotes and speeches from the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama, Obama.
Obviously, denial is King here I don’t wanna sit and paste all day, so please look them up for major speeches denoting that Pelosi and Bernie supported tariffs fervently and that the inventor of doge were actually Bill Clinton and Barack Obama ooooooooops
And please take something for your Russian delusion
🙄
Crashed the economy.
Went golfing.
Uhhuhhuhuhuhuh.
That’s about as high as Trump’s intellectual level is going at the moment: the Beavis & Butthead level.
What could go wrong with the scenario you described Duch?
To the scumbag president's intellectual level, include all of his followers and you have a complete picture. Sad but true.
A mentally and physically deteriorating mob boss’s side hussel. I am not convinced he know his left from his right side currently. Who ever is in front of him showering praise and suggesting tariffs based on a distorted AI model (Musk/Doge) or firings of key cybersecurity experts (Loomer).
This is a bit of a back story in some of the nuttier tariff impositions, reminiscent of the dead people getting social security data usage. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/04/revealed-how-trump-tariffs-slugged-norfolk-island-and-uninhabited-heard-and-mcdonald-islands?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Why don’t you change the channel and do something too confirm or deny Social Security’s problems? DOGE.GOV. AND THEN LOOK AT THE INTERVIEW WITH THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF SOCIAL SECURITY HAVING TO DO WITH DOGE. IT WILL SHOCK YOU INTO BELIEVING.
Heather: "Republican members of Congress could stop Trump at any time. In the case of tariffs, they could simply reassert their constitutional power to manage tariffs. If they choose not to and the economy doesn’t recover and thrive as Trump keeps promising, voters can be expected to hold them, as well as him, to account.".
Grassley asserts congressional authority to oversee trade. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-republican-pushes-congressional-approval-presidents-tariffs-2025-04-03/
Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, joined Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington in introducing a bipartisan bill to rein in presidential authority over tariffs and give Congress more control over future trade duties.
Why It Matters
The bipartisan bill comes a day after President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day," in which he imposed a new round of sweeping tariffs on foreign imports, reigniting debate over executive power in trade policy.
Several Republicans, many of whom are Trump allies, have raised concerns about Trump's tariffs, warning that they will raise prices and derail the economy. Many economists have warned that significant tariffs could spark a recession and that American consumers would end up shouldering the burden of the tariffs as importers pass on costs in the form of higher prices.
Maybe this is the start of shared government. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
Daniel, what some senators are trying, won't result in any practical action unless M. Johnson decided to do something positive for this country. I'm not hopeful.
We work on it every day. You obviously are not following Feathers of Hope. The protests should be tactical. Don't waste time on Democrats or MAGA Republicans. 22 senate Republicans and dozens of Republican House members support Ukraine funding.
Musk's humiliation in Wisconsin should be an object lesson to Reps in majority Dem districts like mine.
If their constituents and donors protest, we'll pick up a few.
Daniel, Thank you. I attempted to call Sen Grassley, but his DC office voicemail is full.
I was able to get through to the Cedar Rapids voicemail at 319 363 6832
I thanked him for opposing the tariffs, and also mentioned that as an agricultural state, the farming community needs the USAID to be reversed, and that seniors will be left sick and in poverty if the safety nets are effectively GONE thanks to Trump. I ended by saying that Trump is NOT faithfully executing the laws of the US and it is time to remove him.
I am asking all the LFAA readers to stop right now and call his office.
EDIT: I also called Sen Thune and MAGA Mike Johnson. I said that although I'm not their constituents, I am calling them because of their leadership roles. I said that the tariff impact on the market is draining my retirement funds, and that with SS, Medicare and Medicaid on the chopping block, they will leave seniors sick and impoverished. I couldn't get through to MAGA Mike's DC office so I called a district one.
Sen Thune 202 224 2321
Rep Johnson 337 423 4232
PLEASE everyone, stop reading and call their offices now. Thank you.
Great. Ernst and your House members should be hearing it.....
Not just farmers. Car dealers, students will lose Pell grants and loans will be called.
I think nationally, national security is important. https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/in-the-news/iowas-us-senators-representatives-want-more-aid-ukraine
Tell Johnson to stop the Fake National Emergency which will stop the tariffs.
https://twitchy.com/amy-curtis/2025/04/03/flashback-pelosi-on-china-trade-deficits-and-tariffs-n2410909
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/04/03/watch-nancy-pelosi-in-1996-assails-u-s-free-trade-with-china-is-this-reciprocal/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH1uHvCMM3c
Nancy Pelosi in 1996 a fervent supporter of tariffs check the link above in her own words and Bernie Sanders in his own words in 2008 on C-SPAN doing exactly the same.
You are not only misinformed Daniel but uninformed
America had a choice when NAFTA came around pay Americans a little bit higher wage or buy goods cheaper from other countries and so for 40 years the middle class has been disappearing and you wonder why ? Now China produces about 80% of our medicines. I hope you’re happy.
I was for targeted tariffs when we still had an infrastructure. Unfortuanately corporate vultures like Mitt Romney sold the goose that laid the golden egg. The plants in my hometown were razed... The workers had to relocate...to Mejico. El Trumpo as #45 fortified NAFTA.
Need to find the wormhole in space and go back in time....
In all Trump is trying to do to bring all those factories back. By the way, when was Romney president? He was a senator. And now plants are coming back $5 trillion have been committed to build factories and businesses here. Did you hear the auto workers union speaking yesterday the fireman’s union yesterday they were excited and they’re backing Trump 100% because he’s going to bring back factories. That’s the goal. The decision America is gonna have to make which it made it back in the days was we’d rather buy cheap goods from elsewhere, then produce them here and pay American workers a higher wage. And now we’re sitting at the point where China imports us all our medicine great call huh? We can buy jeans for less and refrigerators for less while American sit on the sidelines out of work especially the middle class.
Well our most dangerous enemy is now a petulant child who traffics in perverted ideologies, who is holding our freedoms hostage, destroying a once healthy economy, diminishing accountability by the government, depressing public access to news and education and public debate - darkness is swallowing our country.
Looks more like an extortion racket
@ Peter Pappas. Every member of the Trump family, his cabinet, etc should be scrutinized to see whether they are shorting.
It IS a side hustle to him! What is the likeliest result of these over-the-top tariffs? One by one, the CEO's of companies hurt by the excessive tariffs will come to Trump and beg for tariff relief. And Trump will grant the relief graciously...after a suitably humiliating amount of groveling and the payment of cash or favors or both. Putin will be very pleased by the toppling of the U.S.'s booming economy and the loss of our premier position of leadership. Putie might even pat Twumpie on his iddle head for this gift.
Republican members of Congress have the constitutional authority to regulate tariffs, yet many have allowed former President Trump to act unilaterally in this area. They could reassert their power at any time, particularly if his tariff policies harm the economy. If the economy fails to improve, as Trump repeatedly promises, voters may hold not only him but also Congressional Republicans accountable for inaction. Their continued support or silence implies shared responsibility for the outcomes of Trump’s trade strategies. With clear constitutional tools available, their decision not to act could have serious political consequences. In a democracy, elected officials are expected to serve as checks and balances—failing to do so can shift blame and electoral backlash onto the entire party.
And the maggots got hustled! Screwed, left behind, fired, forgotten! 4F
Never cared about anything, did he, really, just his bloviating ego! Now he can play golf and fiddle, with himself.
Love the English term…’He’s real wanker!’ We used the term jerk, he’s that too! Maybe they are the same thing…playing Mr Potato Head! “I’m just looking for my balls, they were here someplace?”
But the bottom line is he’s really Putin’s ‘asshole for hire’…Manafort made that deal many years ago. And got screwed too.
Trump's tariff "operation" & Musk's DOGE with surgery by chainsaw will not kill the "patient", but will bring on recession or worse...economic pandemic, panic, depression on a scale that most of us have never experienced.
Trumpian malevolence & malignant stupidity will tank the economy. It’s what Republicans do. https://newrepublic.com/article/193360/trump-tank-economy-liberation-tariffs
When MAGAs realize how Trump policies screw them: "I blame Biden. He shoulda done a better job explaining how Trump's policies were gonna screw people like me. That's why I'm still MAGA.”
Trump World & CalvinBall: ignore facts & science; make rules up as you go…
Everything he's ever done has been a side hustle, he doesn't know anything about real work, even in his own businesses.
And hopefully if everything goes right, Mr. Pappas in two weeks or maybe three, depending upon intermit intermingling circumstances, there will be a bill presented to Congress, no tax on tips , no tax on Social Security, and no tax on overtime.
The perfect remedy to help Trump? Are you effing kidding me? It will close our border. It will increase our military, and it will help assure further manufacturing business in the United States.
Dream on....
The only one dreaming are the Democrats. They are in total in complete disarray and their approval rating which was 36% a month ago lowered to 27% two weeks ago is now at 21% according to CBS and NBC and CNN
And all they need to do is instead of pushing all the energy into resisting is to organize an agenda. Have a goal have a plan select a couple of leaders that have some ideas that the American people see is rational and helpful for the country. Right now they have none of that. And a country needs at least two parties.
who let the troll out?
It's a "propaganda lamprey: round mouth and all."
Stop feeding it and it should go away.
Facts let the troll out. Go read the links, then come back and let’s talk.
I’m a non-fiction reader, but thanks anyway
That’s funny you say that because most people here keep asking for facts. You’re not gonna find them reading about Bilbo Baggins
Yeah, no tax on social security because social security will be eliminated. Solved that one.
Did you even read Heather’s newsletter?
You probably said it right. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime--well there will not be either overtime or jobs or tips coming in from non-existent jobs. And Social Security will not be taxed because it will be closed, shuttered, and collected monies will go to those who have dismantled it.
Lmao.
I’m curious if in your reading about or thinking about the return of manufacturing jobs to the US you’ve factored in the research that robots/AI are projected to take over all manufacturing jobs in the next couple of years. I think the assumption is that moving manufacturing back here will “bring back” jobs? But what if the assumptions behind all of this disruption (and lost value of capital in the markets) are wrong?
By the way, Kate, I would also like to add one other thing that just dawned on me when AI comes to fruition , it will make production of goods and services less expensive, which indeed will lower prices in many cases because it won’t need the manpower in specific industries and such
Yeah, but guess what AI builds needs human help to build robots. It takes people to be involved in the manufacturer, production and design and construction of the robots and yes right now many of our cars are built with AI, but there are parts that have to be built and there is construction that it has to happen and there is maintenance that has to happen. Continued maintenance. And people have to run them. There are industries that will use AI and there are some that will not to major degree.
Well, and it’s not a couple of years it’s gonna take a lot longer than that and along the way people are gonna get educated and how to deal with this, but they are still going to be the middle class not the rich and not the poor unless the poor want to become more educated which they should
And lastly, Kate, I don’t ever deal in what if’s. I am a very results oriented individual in fact, all the minutia and all the talk and all the BS and all the fighting and all the political arguments along the way mean nothing to me whatsoever If things work out, that’s what I look at if they don’t that’s what I look at. And that’s why more and more the unions are now supporting Trump because they see that plants and jobs will come back, including as you saw hopefully yesterday the United auto workers
Add to that that so far other companies have added some $5 trillion to our economy or will be adding in the form of factories jobs plants and industry and I’m excited about the fact that’s some of that at least to begin with will be in medicine and prescription drugs Which you’d have to admit. It’s pretty scary when the vast majority of our drugs are not produced in China.
Also, this is a major step. It’s a major rework and reinventing and read structuring of our middle income job class so it’s not gonna happen overnight.
I’m not happy at the pace that Is being pushed, but I’m a novice. I like the overall concept a lot by the way as does Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders and I hope you’ve seen those speeches that they made if you haven’t please get back to me and let me know and I will send you the links.
"You’re going to see employment leaping starting today,” in fact, both automaker Stellantis and appliance manufacturer Whirlpool announced layoffs because of the tariffs." This reporting reveals, in my opinion, a fundamental flaw of American management practice. That is working people are bearing the cost ofuncertainty under changes in economic policies, while stock owners can maintain living.
Peter, I usually call him death star, but my other nickname for him is mafia don and he is certainly living up to that one.