Now That Trump's President... (not any more!)

lol

  On 11/19/2016 at 1:35 AM, phling said:

This has begun to haunt my dreams

Suicide might be my only way out

apparently the switchboard at relevant office is lighting up

I'm not defending anyone here, but this whole entire Russia conspiracy theory peddling is really ridiculous. Can someone provide any proof at all that Russia is meddling with our government? I hope to god not to have another "Saddam has WMDs" incident.

That interview with Bannon in Hollywood reporter is quite interesting, btw.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-bannon-trump-tower-interview-trumps-strategist-plots-new-political-movement-948747

Helps to get past the hysteria and outrage about the coming Trump administration, imo. Have to admit I'm growing really tired of most of the media just doing what they have been doing the entire campaign: looking for anything to be outraged about. I understand the concerns, but all this emotional outrage and taking some imaginary moral high-ground is really a waste of time and an annoyance. But I'm sure it sells and creates money for them.

  On 11/19/2016 at 8:48 PM, goDel said:

That interview with Bannon in Hollywood reporter is quite interesting, btw.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-bannon-trump-tower-interview-trumps-strategist-plots-new-political-movement-948747

 

Helps to get past the hysteria and outrage about the coming Trump administration, imo. Have to admit I'm growing really tired of most of the media just doing what they have been doing the entire campaign: looking for anything to be outraged about. I understand the concerns, but all this emotional outrage and taking some imaginary moral high-ground is really a waste of time and an annoyance. But I'm sure it sells and creates money for them.

indeed. the media isn't really serving its purpose

thanks for the link to that full article. it's a really interesting read. 

Trump settles university lawsuit for $25 million

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/trump-agrees-settle-fraud-case-25-million-source-203554555.html

interesting glenn greenwald intercept piece about dems blaming everyone and not being introspective

https://theintercept.com/2016/11/18/the-stark-contrast-between-the-gops-self-criticism-in-2012-and-the-democrats-blame-everyone-else-posture-now/

  On 11/19/2016 at 11:24 PM, Hoodie said:

 

  On 11/19/2016 at 8:48 PM, goDel said:

That interview with Bannon in Hollywood reporter is quite interesting, btw.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-bannon-trump-tower-interview-trumps-strategist-plots-new-political-movement-948747

 

Helps to get past the hysteria and outrage about the coming Trump administration, imo. Have to admit I'm growing really tired of most of the media just doing what they have been doing the entire campaign: looking for anything to be outraged about. I understand the concerns, but all this emotional outrage and taking some imaginary moral high-ground is really a waste of time and an annoyance. But I'm sure it sells and creates money for them.

 

very interesting indeed. i'm intrigued with this infrastructure plan, really hope it works out.

 

yeah.. it's a shame it's coupled with all kinds of racism, misogyny, anit immigrantation ferver etc etc.. not to mention whatever security apparatus is brewing. i think that these people do speak in rhetoric and bannon is a guy who is always going to be on message.. the article is a good story on him. a look into who these people are and what's guiding them. 

as always.. we'll see. 

  On 11/19/2016 at 8:34 PM, clarktrent said:

I'm not defending anyone here, but this whole entire Russia conspiracy theory peddling is really ridiculous. Can someone provide any proof at all that Russia is meddling with our government? I hope to god not to have another "Saddam has WMDs" incident.

They were meddling but the extent and effectiveness is overblown. Major nations do that all the time. The US in South American, UK in former commonwealth nations, France in former colonies, China in Africa and SE Asia, Japan and Asia in WW2, USSR and now Russia in former states, etc.

Same with Trump and Putin's interests, I think that is very speculative. I'm skeptical there is a deep conspiracy between him and Russia over say, the Ukraine. Even if he is just gesturing it is still troublesome and wrong for the POTUS to do.

also, worth remembering the republicans blocked obama infrastructure bill repeatedly.

even so, still had best jobs report since 1972

wat    huh ???   

https://twitter.com/dkipke12/status/799802254794571777

Good times and hearty lols tbqh

"harassed", lol. the guy fucking ran away as soon the cast's address began.

Pence is awful. i hope boos follow him around forever.  really.. he's a terrible prick of a human being. 

the hamilton cast was respectful though.. not sure what the hubbub is about. 

I read a summary of his policy stances. wrong in every possible way. against minimum wage increases cos they "hurt the working poor" (somehow?!), against public healthcare cos it "encroaches on private life" (lol) - how does someone live with this doublethink?

  On 11/20/2016 at 5:51 AM, usagi said:

I read a summary of his policy stances. wrong in every possible way. against minimum wage increases cos they "hurt the working poor" (somehow?!), against public healthcare cos it "encroaches on private life" (lol) - how does someone live with this doublethink?

he's nuts.  he's done awful things as governor of indiana. some of it is truly just astounding.. 

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/mike-pence-isnt-boring-hes-one-americas-most-extreme-governors

http://www.indems.org/mike-pence-to-run-on-record-really/

• In March, Pence signed a bill into law requiring burial or cremation for aborted fetuses.
• Last month, Pence said he'd like to "send Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history."
• Pence signed a 2015 bill permitting Indiana business owners to cite religious beliefs as a reason to refuse service to gay and lesbian customers.
• As Indiana's governor, Pence slashed Planned Parenthood funding, arguably contributing to one county's HIV outbreak.
• During his 12 years as a congressman, Pence voted against nearly every piece of environmental legislation.
• Pence voted to bar the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases.
• Pence voted for opening the Atlantic up to offshore oil drilling.
• As a congressman, Pence gave a floor speech advocating the teaching of creationism in public schools.
• Pence wrote an op-ed arguing that "smoking doesn't kill."
• Pence has advocated the use of public funds for conversion therapy, a discredited and potentially harmful form of anti-gay therapy.
• Gov. Pence funneled $3.5 million in Indiana's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, intended for needy families with children, to crisis pregnancy centers, which counsel women against having abortions.
• Gov. Pence refused to comply with Obama administration rules aimed at reducing prison rape.
• As congressman, Pence voted in favor of a bill that would have allowed for the detention of undocumented immigrants seeking hospital treatment.
• Pence co-sponsored a bill in Congress that would have eliminated automatic citizenship for children born on US soil to undocumented parents.
• Pence was one of 31 governors to oppose the resettlement of Syrian refugees in his state, declaring that state agencies wouldn't cover the cost of some social services for Syrian refugees. His behavior earned him a strong rebuke from a panel of three federal judges, including one whom Donald Trump put on his Supreme Court nominee short list.

  On 11/20/2016 at 5:40 AM, ignatius said:

Pence is awful. i hope boos follow him around forever. really.. he's a terrible prick of a human being.

 

the hamilton cast was respectful though.. not sure what the hubbub is about.

 

https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/799981762793394176

Lol and they have the nerve to call the "left" soft.

  On 11/20/2016 at 5:51 AM, usagi said:

against minimum wage increases cos they "hurt the working poor" (somehow?!)

devils advocate: in low cost of living and rural places raising minimum wage would force many small employers a lot of layoffs and eliminate incentive gaps in income between entry level workers and experienced/competant employees

That is the exception more than the rule though and it is a larger point that such regions have high unemployment, high levels of welfare, less social and health services, high levels of drug use, and lower standards of living. IIRC the very red state of mississippi has the highest enrollment in Medicaid and a school district with both the highest number of children who are undernourished and the highest number of students who are obese. Yet those are the same states that fight off soda tax and slash food stamp programs.

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  On 11/20/2016 at 4:45 PM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 11/20/2016 at 5:51 AM, usagi said:

against minimum wage increases cos they "hurt the working poor" (somehow?!)

devils advocate: in low cost of living and rural places raising minimum wage would force many small employers a lot of layoffs and eliminate incentive gaps in income between entry level workers and experienced/competant employees

 

 

 

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And as a footnote, minimum wage increases have a ripple effect where ALL wages readjust to retain differential incentives (although the effect dissipates the further 'up' you look). But this effect happens geographically, too: if (say) Portland, OR sets a $15/hour minimum wage, then the wages of surrounding cities will readjust likewise (and the effect will dissipate the farther 'out' you look).

But anyway, I think the hidden premise of min-wage hike critics is often that markets should decide wages, but hey politics is a game of pragmatism, and so you gotta toss these Marxists some occasional crumbs so they won't storm the gates. And what? They want *more*? But they're already getting way more than they deserve!

^ i am thinking the same thing about "bringing the jobs back to america" actually. all this talk about the terrible trade deals and the jobs... (as we are below 5% unemployment)

what is the mechanism by which we keep the jobs here? is it artificially adding expense to getting cheap labor, materials and products from abroad? or just not allowing it?

as an employer, how would you feel about donald trump preventing you from getting cheap resources for your business? call it a trade deal if you want, it seems like an infringement of freedom.

the result will be the job creators having to spend more... therefor being less successful.

so we will retrieve some mexican factories, and in exchange there will be less business growth and creation.

those factory jobs that apparently we want so bad will be replaced by automation anyway. we want to be the ones programming the robots, not the ones getting replaced by the robots.

this is the country of silicon valley, of google, facebook, amazon, etc, in the era since nafta. that will change if we implement trade rules aimed at locking out the resource market

i don't see how we are not trading the good jobs for the bad jobs if we go that way, and offering up some of our freedom at the same time.

but it made a good sound bite

  On 11/20/2016 at 5:22 PM, very honest said:

^ i am thinking the same thing about "bringing the jobs back to america" actually. all this talk about the terrible trade deals and the jobs... (as we are below 5% unemployment)

 

what is the mechanism by which we keep the jobs here? is it artificially adding expense to getting cheap labor, materials and products from abroad? or just not allowing it?

 

as an employer, how would you feel about donald trump preventing you from getting cheap resources for your business? call it a trade deal if you want, it seems like an infringement of freedom.

 

the result will be the job creators having to spend more... therefor being less successful.

 

so we will retrieve some mexican factories, and in exchange there will be less business growth and creation.

 

those factory jobs that apparently we want so bad will be replaced by automation anyway. we want to be the ones programming the robots, not the ones getting replaced by the robots.

 

this is the country of silicon valley, of google, facebook, amazon, etc, in the era since nafta. that will change if we implement trade rules aimed at locking out the resource market

 

i don't see how we are not trading the good jobs for the bad jobs if we go that way, and offering up some of our freedom at the same time.

 

but it made a good sound bite

Adam Smith's "invisible hand" was essentially the painfully-naive notion that a corporation would stay in America because the people in it like America and Americans and want it/them to succeed, and so they'd factor America's well-being into their bottom line.

In (the current) reality, it takes things like massive tax breaks and tariffs/duties to incentivize businesses to stay (and disincentivize them from leaving, if there's a difference). And this also puts (downward) pressure on wages. Plus there's also PR/brand 'value' in operating in America.

But anyway it's essentially just a massive web of incentives and disincentives that determine whether a business stays or goes.

  On 11/20/2016 at 5:56 AM, ignatius said:

 

  On 11/20/2016 at 5:51 AM, usagi said:

I read a summary of his policy stances. wrong in every possible way. against minimum wage increases cos they "hurt the working poor" (somehow?!), against public healthcare cos it "encroaches on private life" (lol) - how does someone live with this doublethink?

 

he's nuts.  he's done awful things as governor of indiana. some of it is truly just astounding.. 

 

yeah he's really the most stereotypical asshat republican out there