President Donald J. Trump

[onan]

the republican party has been "fucked and finished" for about ten years now.

I mostly agree with you. However, I think the GOP started nose diving during or just after the Vietnam war. As much as I didn't care for Goldwater's stance on wars and funding for the military industrial complex, he did believe the government had no business interfering with personal choices (perhaps not all choices, but certainly those in the bedroom). The meandering away from that stance has slowly eroded and fractured the republican party.

Now, if the democrats cannot reign in their fashion of intolerance, we will be seeing a similar implosion from the DNC.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

Trump can say all he wants, but somebody should tell him that a president can't change tariff policy unilaterally. Even if he were to successfully negotiate a hypothetical deal, Congress would still have to approve it.  There are also terms of treaties and trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries, as well as WTO rules the U.S. has agreed to, that would have to be broken in order to change many of our tariff policies.  Those are some formidable obstacles to overcome even for an amazingly brilliant and successful negotiator and deal maker as Trump.

[MV/Liberace!]

Complete and utter bullshit, every last word of it.  Free trade is a cornerstone of the modern American Conservative idealogy, as embodied by St. Ronnie:

i think it's a misreading of the temperature of things to position reagan as everybody's final word on what is or isn't conservative or what is/isn't acceptable among republicans.  i think reagan was a great president in a lot of ways, but my eyes start to glaze over when i hear self described conservatives prattle on and on about his purity.  the first example that comes to mind is reagan's decision to force states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age.  states that didn't adhere to the standard faced the withholding of federal highway funds.  so much for the sanctity of state sovereignty.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

i think it's a misreading of the temperature of things to position reagan as everybody's final word on what is or isn't conservative or what is/isn't acceptable among republicans.  i think reagan was a great president in a lot of ways, but my eyes start to glaze over when i hear self described conservatives prattle on and on about his purity.  the first example that comes to mind is reagan's decision to force states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age.  states that didn't adhere to the standard faced the withholding of federal highway funds.  so much for the sanctity of state sovereignty.

Completely agree about the drinking age extortion, although the older I get the higher I think it should be.  Right now, twenty-six feels about right.

Praise MV!

[RealCool Daddio]

i think it's a misreading of the temperature of things to position reagan as everybody's final word on what is or isn't conservative or what is/isn't acceptable among republicans.  i think reagan was a great president in a lot of ways, but my eyes start to glaze over when i hear self described conservatives prattle on and on about his purity.  the first example that comes to mind is reagan's decision to force states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age.  states that didn't adhere to the standard faced the withholding of federal highway funds.  so much for the sanctity of state sovereignty.

yeah, I probably should have said "cornerstone of modern conservative fiscal ideology."   

[MV/Liberace!]

Right now, twenty-six feels about right.

heh heh

[albrecht]

the republican party has been "fucked and finished" for about ten years now.

1965 was the year the Republican Party, and the country, was doomed. Thanks Kennedy, Hart, and Celler.

[SciFiAuthor]

i think it's a misreading of the temperature of things to position reagan as everybody's final word on what is or isn't conservative or what is/isn't acceptable among republicans.  i think reagan was a great president in a lot of ways, but my eyes start to glaze over when i hear self described conservatives prattle on and on about his purity.  the first example that comes to mind is reagan's decision to force states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age.  states that didn't adhere to the standard faced the withholding of federal highway funds.  so much for the sanctity of state sovereignty.

Reagan has morphed into a myth of sorts, especially lately with people like Mark Levin anointing him as a saint. He was in fact a moderate that was well-liked by tons of Democrats. Unfortunately that allowed Goldwater's brand of conservatism to morph into the conservatism of today, which isn't all that conservative. You rightly point out the erosion of state's rights under Reagan, but one can also make the case that the war on drugs was not conservative either, as was famously noted by William F. Buckley. Neither is free trade, which only became en vogue in the mainstream during the Reagan era and taken to unbelievable heights by both parties when they agreed to NAFTA, which I think now most people realize was a disaster. I don't think there is any such thing as "purity" within conservatism, rather it's been morphed, moved around, screwed with largely through the 90's talk radio phenomenon, and shifted to become something Goldwater and people like William F. Buckley would find almost foreign if they were around today.

[RealCool Daddio]

... Neither is free trade, which only became en vogue in the mainstream during the Reagan era and taken to unbelievable heights by both parties when they agreed to NAFTA, which I think now most people realize was a disaster. I don't think there is any such thing as "purity" within conservatism, rather it's been morphed, moved around, screwed with largely through the 90's talk radio phenomenon, and shifted to become something Goldwater and people like William F. Buckley would find almost foreign if they were around today.

Free trade and fiscal conservatism are intrinsically linked.  You are either being disingenuous, or just plain don't understand the differences between conservatism and nationalism.  In either case, I expect better from you.

[Showroom Dummy]

Reagan has morphed into a myth of sorts, especially lately with people like Mark Levin anointing him as a saint. He was in fact a moderate that was well-liked by tons of Democrats. Unfortunately that allowed Goldwater's brand of conservatism to morph into the conservatism of today, which isn't all that conservative. You rightly point out the erosion of state's rights under Reagan, but one can also make the case that the war on drugs was not conservative either, as was famously noted by William F. Buckley. Neither is free trade, which only became en vogue in the mainstream during the Reagan era and taken to unbelievable heights by both parties when they agreed to NAFTA, which I think now most people realize was a disaster. I don't think there is any such thing as "purity" within conservatism, rather it's been morphed, moved around, screwed with largely through the 90's talk radio phenomenon, and shifted to become something Goldwater and people like William F. Buckley would find almost foreign if they were around today.

lets not forget this
Savings and loan crisis in which 747 institutions failed and had to be rescued with $160 billion in taxpayer dollars. Reagan's "elimination of loopholes" in the tax code included the elimination of the "passive loss" provisions that subsidized rental housing. Because this was removed retroactively, it bankrupted many real estate developments which used this tax break as a premise, which in turn bankrupted 747 Savings and Loans, many of whom were operating more or less as banks, thus requiring the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to cover their debts and losses with tax payer money. This with some other "deregulation" policies, ultimately led to the largest political and financial scandal in U.S. history to that date, the savings and loan crisis. The ultimate cost of the crisis is estimated to have totaled around $150 billion, about $125 billion of which was directly subsidized by the U.S. government, which further increased the large budget deficits of the early 1990s

[SciFiAuthor]

Free trade and fiscal conservatism are intrinsically linked.  You are either being disingenuous, or just plain don't understand the differences between conservatism and nationalism.  In either case, I expect better from you.

Where did I say it wasn't the current conservative position? My point is that it's actually not conservative historically and is a relatively recent phenomenon.

[PrairieGhost]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO-NA73FsW8

[VtaGeezer]

Free trade is a cornerstone of the modern American Conservative ideology, as embodied by St. Ronnie, and its complete and utter bullshit, every last word of it...

FIFY
The world has laughed at US trade policy since long before mainland China sold us its first pair of plastic flip-flops.

[RealCool Daddio]

Where did I say it wasn't the current conservative position? My point is that it's actually not conservative historically and is a relatively recent phenomenon.

What qualifies as recent?  It has been 85 years.

"The infamous Smoot-Hawley tariff of 1930 was the last outrage inflicted by the Republican protectionists. Rates on dutiable imports rose to their highest levels in over 100 years. Increases of 50 percent were common and some rates went up 100 percent. Table 1 indicates how much tariffs increased during the 1920s as a result of both the Fordney-McCumber and Smoot-Hawley tariffs. A recent analysis estimates that the Smoot-Hawley tariff, on average, doubled the tariffs over those in the Underwood Act.

Figure 2:
Collapse of World Trade Following Smoot-Hawley



Economists and historians continue to debate how important the Smoot-Hawley tariff was in causing the Great Depression. Whatever the degree, the effect certainly was adverse and the tariff was certainly bad policy. As Figure 2 indicates, world trade virtually collapsed following passage of the Smoot-Hawley tariff. Thus, if that tariff was not the single cause of the Great Depression, it certainly made a bad situation worse."

Source: Cato Institute.

http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/truth-about-trade-history

[VtaGeezer]

lets not forget this
Savings and loan crisis in which 747 institutions failed and had to be rescued with $160 billion in taxpayer dollars.

At least we saw a lot of bankers and politicians go to jail over the S&L debacle.

[SciFiAuthor]

What qualifies as recent?  It has been 85 years.

"The infamous Smoot-Hawley tariff of 1930 was the last outrage inflicted by the Republican protectionists. Rates on dutiable imports rose to their highest levels in over 100 years. Increases of 50 percent were common and some rates went up 100 percent. Table 1 indicates how much tariffs increased during the 1920s as a result of both the Fordney-McCumber and Smoot-Hawley tariffs. A recent analysis estimates that the Smoot-Hawley tariff, on average, doubled the tariffs over those in the Underwood Act.

Figure 2:
Collapse of World Trade Following Smoot-Hawley



Economists and historians continue to debate how important the Smoot-Hawley tariff was in causing the Great Depression. Whatever the degree, the effect certainly was adverse and the tariff was certainly bad policy. As Figure 2 indicates, world trade virtually collapsed following passage of the Smoot-Hawley tariff. Thus, if that tariff was not the single cause of the Great Depression, it certainly made a bad situation worse."

Source: Cato Institute.

http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/truth-about-trade-history

Less than that, tariffing didn't drop to nominal levels until the 1950's. Free trade didn't begin entering GOP politics in a major way in the US until the 1980's. It's always, however, been present on the Democrat side all the way back to Jefferson. If they'd have had their way instead of Washington and Alexander Hamilton's tariffing, the US would have never developed into an industrial nation at all. As Adam Smith noted, rich countries get that way because of manufacturing, and we've foolishly squandered ours away because of free trade.

[Keyser Söze]

What qualifies as recent?  It has been 85 years.

"The infamous Smoot-Hawley tariff of 1930 was the last outrage inflicted by the Republican protectionists. Rates on dutiable imports rose to their highest levels in over 100 years. Increases of 50 percent were common and some rates went up 100 percent. Table 1 indicates how much tariffs increased during the 1920s as a result of both the Fordney-McCumber and Smoot-Hawley tariffs. A recent analysis estimates that the Smoot-Hawley tariff, on average, doubled the tariffs over those in the Underwood Act.

Figure 2:
Collapse of World Trade Following Smoot-Hawley



Economists and historians continue to debate how important the Smoot-Hawley tariff was in causing the Great Depression. Whatever the degree, the effect certainly was adverse and the tariff was certainly bad policy. As Figure 2 indicates, world trade virtually collapsed following passage of the Smoot-Hawley tariff. Thus, if that tariff was not the single cause of the Great Depression, it certainly made a bad situation worse."

Source: Cato Institute.

http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/truth-about-trade-history

Dude, Nice bar graph, maybe it would looked nicer as a pie chart.

[Showroom Dummy]

the trump baby

[MV/Liberace!]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO-NA73FsW8

i noticed this moment last night as well.

[Walks_At_Night]

i noticed this moment last night as well.

Damn.   Did anyone listen to Alex Jones today?  He would have had a small, baby cow right there on air
after playing that clip.

[GravitySucks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO-NA73FsW8

Leave it to Newt. Was it real or was it tongue-in-cheek?

Newt should not go on any hunting trips.

[Keyser Söze]

i noticed this moment last night as well.

Republican Secret Society Handshake.

[DanTSX]

Free trade and fiscal conservatism are intrinsically linked.  You are either being disingenuous, or just plain don't understand the differences between conservatism and nationalism.  In either case, I expect better from you.

How, exactly?

[DanTSX]

Keep in mind that Romney was a corporate raider who purposely sought out companies to specifically put thousands out of jobs for his own personal financial gain.

Yeah that's the bad kind of capitalism.  Nobody but the bad guys win.


Trump just builds nice hotels, golf courses, condos, and casinos.  People get jobs.  Property values go up. Things look nice.   Good experiences for working families to learn skills, work good jobs, etc.  That's the good type.





TRUMP 2016
R
U
M
P

2
0
1
6

[21st Century Man]

So now Trump is flexible and regarding his latest flip-flop, he now sees the need for many H1B visas. What's the next issue he will be flexible on?  The wall? Maybe we will now pay for the wall. The deportation of illegals?   Higher taxes for the middle class?  He is no better than most of the politicians in DC and at least they are not authoritarians.  Wake up, folks. He is just another corporatist.

[albrecht]

So now Trump is flexible and regarding his latest flip-flop, he now sees the need for many H1B visas. What's the next issue he will be flexible on?  The wall? Maybe we will now pay for the wall. The deportation of illegals?   Higher taxes for the middle class?  He is no better than most of the politicians in DC and at least they are not authoritarians.  Wake up, folks. He is just another corporatist.

But if the corporatists serve the state and people's interests maybe a good thing? Oh wait, might heard of this theory before....

[Value Of Pi]

And what's up with all of Trump's contributions to Hillary, Democrats, Republicans and anyone else in politics who could do him favors over the years? Says he, it was just business. That shut everyone up, despite the fact that he was himself one of the corrupting special interests he now complains about. But, you know, he's flexible. Fuggedaboutdit.

[RealCool Daddio]

Dude, Nice bar graph, maybe it would looked nicer as a pie chart.

Greetings Keyser, and let me be the first to welcome you to the internet!  We are sure that, in time, you'll feel right at home.  Unfortunately, for the time being, you have been granted "n00b" or "newbie" status.  What is this, you ask?  Well, it is a generally derogatory term for people new to the internet and social media, and who are not yet comfortable in their online skins.  How did we know, you ask?  Well here is a handy pie chart:

[Zetaspeak]

And what's up with all of Trump's contributions to Hillary, Democrats, Republicans and anyone else in politics who could do him favors over the years? Says he, it was just business. That shut everyone up, despite the fact that he was himself one of the corrupting special interests he now complains about. But, you know, he's flexible. Fuggedaboutdit.

The guy is such a walking contradiction. He wants everything made here, but his products are made in China. He talks like the biggest Hawk out there in wanting to take oil fields and have military strength but then talks about how much of a disaster the wars have been and then starts talking like an isolationist. He talks like a stereotypical "free market"  but then wants to put restrictions on what business operate.

That probably the strangest of the whole thing, he doesn't really stand for anything and his supporters don't seem to care. It's like they don't know or car what the job of Prez is? I remember a rally the Trump misspoke and said he was for something instead of against it (which I give him the benefit of the doubt, doing so much live rallies a misspeak can happen) but what was really strange is the the crowd reacted positive for Trump saying he was for something, even though it was a misspeak and he meant to say against it. It like a bunch of Trump supporters don't even know what they believe in. I hear so many times Trump supporters interviewed and they seem to like the guy's personality but hardly ever mentions specific of what he will bring to the position.

Trump supporters seem almost like teenage girls who like the Kardashians, they are fans but what do the Karashians actually do or accomplish. It's kind of like Trump, he's got no political resume to speak of, he has no past successes in the political world on any level, he doesn't have a history of political beliefs and his current agenda is paper thin and inconsistent. But Trump supports seem to have a crush on him but no substance behind it.

[The King of Kings]

https://www.facebook.com/DisdainForPlebs/videos/1008569475890166/

During the debates, the BBB sent a fax saying Trump University had an "A" rating, but the cunt bimbo moderator along with her cuck co-moderators decided to ignore it.

Fox News Lies.