President Donald J. Trump

[Dr. MD MD]

When finally pressed for details will one of them screech ''at this point what difference does it make?''

The proof they provided was a screenshot from the video game Fallout 4, apparently.  :

[Jackstar]

the graphic is a bit misleading

[Hautex]

Shape of things to come....... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVxzE51HcbQ

[21st Century Man]

Shape of things to come....... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVxzE51HcbQ

I liked that.   I'm fine as long as they don't play the Mexican National Anthem.

[Kidnostad3]

Republicans continue to shoot themselves squarely in their wingtips.  Whatever the merits (or lack of merit) of their action to put a leash on the Office of Congressional Ethics it looks for all the world  like a move to hide wrongdoing and foil Trump'e efforts to drain the swamp.  Why now?  Their timing couldn't be worse. They'll never be able to spin this one as anything other than just another political power play and boneheaded expenditure of political capital.  What the fuck can they be thinking?

I realize that I'm just  stating the obvious here but I felt the need to vent

d ://www.rollcall.com/news/policy/house-gop-shoots-move-scrap-appropriations-committee

[21st Century Man]

Republicans continue to shoot themselves squarely in their wingtips.  Whatever the merits (or lack of merit) of their action to put a leash on the Office of Congressional Ethics it looks for all the world  like a move to hide wrongdoing and foil Trump'e efforts to drain the swamp.  Why now?  Their timing couldn't be worse. They'll never be able to spin this one as anything other than another political power grab.  What the fuck can they be thinking?





http://www.rollcall.com/news/policy/house-gop-shoots-move-scrap-appropriations-committee

That was a stupid move.  Republicans have their ethics problems just as Democrats do.  I'd rather they get rid of the legislative filibuster than do this.

[Juan]

What the fuck can they be thinking?

They're thinking about how to keep both hands in the pie.

[Kidnostad3]

They're thinking about how to keep both hands in the pie.

No doubt, but they could at least have been smart enough to disguise their intentions a little by waiting for more important business to taken up by the new Congress before they acted.  What's the hurry?  Why not do it 6 or 8 months hence.  Estupidos!

[ItsOver]

Crap.  More damn jobs.  Stop the insanity!

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/03/news/economy/ford-700-jobs-trump/index.html

[Yorkshire pud]

Crap.  More damn jobs.  Stop the insanity!

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/03/news/economy/ford-700-jobs-trump/index.html

I wonder what they've been promised? 700 jobs must be worth at least 50 big ones to Ford.

[Kidnostad3]

Wow!  Just heard that the Reps reversed themselves on their dumb-shit move.  But they're still dumb-shits for even thinking about it.

This is spooky.  Do you think that they monitor Belgab.  Just askin'.

[Designx]

Crap.  More damn jobs.  Stop the insanity!

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/03/news/economy/ford-700-jobs-trump/index.html

Ford will still be building the vehicle in an existing plant in Mexico. The 700 million "investment" in Michigan may have already been planned before Trump.
I think this is all designed to make both parties look good. Business will be business and public perception is critical to financial success.

[Kidnostad3]

I wonder what they've been promised? 700 jobs must be worth at least 50 big ones to Ford.

Hey Pud, welcome aboard.  You are a real time witness to American politics at its worst. 

[Yorkshire pud]

Wow!  Just heard that the Reps reversed themselves on their dumb-shit move.  But they're still dumb-shits for even thinking about it.

This is spooky.  Do you think that they monitor Belgab.  Just askin'.

Isn't it mandatory? The collective finger is on the pulse here.

[Yorkshire pud]

Hey Pud, welcome aboard.  You are a real time witness to American politics at its worst.

I read the rep thing, and didn't comment about it because it occured it wasn't a popular move by them. Foot shooting at its best.

[Kidnostad3]

Isn't it mandatory? The collective finger is on the pulse here.

Absafuckinglutely!  The bastards are sneaky and devious and bear watching at all times.

[Yorkshire pud]

Ford will still be building the vehicle in an existing plant in Mexico. The 700 million "investment" in Michigan may have already been planned before Trump.
I think this is all designed to make both parties look good. Business will be business and public perception is critical to financial success.

Or being generous to all concerned, it might be contracted staff. Not directly employed by Ford, without the protection of the company. Pensions, sick leave etc.

[Kidnostad3]

I read the rep thing, and didn't comment about it because it occured it wasn't a popular move by them. Foot shooting at its best.

God I hate it when you're right.

[Yorkshire pud]

God I hate it when you're right.

See how easy it is to come around? In next to no time we'll have revoked the D of I, replaced vowels in Americanish, and re named Pennsylvania Avenue, Yorkshire Mall.

[Kidnostad3]

See how easy it is to come around? In next to no time we'll have revoked the D of I, replaced vowels in Americanish, and re named Pennsylvania Avenue, Yorkshire Mall.

Not bloody likely!

[SciFiAuthor]

I liked that.   I'm fine as long as they don't play the Mexican National Anthem.

I liked it too. That dude's got a powerful voice.

[SciFiAuthor]

I wonder what they've been promised? 700 jobs must be worth at least 50 big ones to Ford.

Your powers of selective information belief amaze me. You'll buy that Trump has Putin connections based on a mish-mosh some reporter came up with regarding past business deals in New York that involved a smattering of people formerly from various FSU republics. There it's quite okay, believe the reporter's conclusion and go with "if the shoe fits". But if Ford says that the business environment in the US looks more positive so it makes sense again to invest in the US, there it *must* ... without any evidence whatsoever ... have been accomplished through some sort of back door deal. This in the face of literally every indicator from the DOW to construction rates to consumer confidence showing immense positivity about the economy for 2017.

You've kind of gone all Jackstar on us (sorry Jack *smooch*). Anything Trump does *MUST* be crooked in the same grain that everything is explainable by conspiracy theory alone. Reality doesn't matter anymore.

[SciFiAuthor]

Or being generous to all concerned, it might be contracted staff. Not directly employed by Ford, without the protection of the company. Pensions, sick leave etc.

Just a lil' quote from the article you passed up because it doesn't support your echo chamber worldview.

"The United Auto Workers union that represents Ford workers was "thrilled" with Ford's new plans"

[SciFiAuthor]

And Pud, this is exactly why Europe scares me and why you should distance yourself as far as you can from the EU.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hitlers-mein-kampf-becomes-german-bestseller-publisher-112022916.html

Populism tends to like to go back to its roots. In the US that means constitutionalism and electing people like Donald Trump to shake everything up. Constitutionalism and live-and-let-live is the basic character of the American right, not racism or anything else. In Europe, however, it means the European right and they are very much a different kettle of fish. 

[Yorkshire pud]

Just a lil' quote from the article you passed up because it doesn't support your echo chamber worldview.

"The United Auto Workers union that represents Ford workers was "thrilled" with Ford's new plans"

I don't doubt they are. And confidence in a new broom isn't unprecidented at all. Nearly every newly elected leader in the west enjoys a honeymoon where the plans are laid out as almost discovering fire.

I remember that Thatcher was almost universally revered by formally staunch Labour party voters, (and certain unions) because they'd been absolutely fucked by the actions of the unions and the previous Labour governments. They were just fed up with it, and not without good reason. Thatcher promised that from then on, there would be no more 'lame ducks' supported by the state (tax payers), and that the country would prosper.

What was missed by most was the lame ducks employed hundreds of thousands of taxpayers who would in short measure become tax burdens because of mass unemployment. 60000 directly or indirectly employed because of steel in the Sheffield area lost their jobs. With no provision or forward thinking by the government how those skilled steel workers might be employed in other ways.

Yep, she was seen as the new hope for the UK, but unless you lived around London (90% don't) and a hedge fund manager, the fortunes of so called 'trickle down economics' were a mere pipe dream.

[Designx]

One thing I will give Trump credit for is the axing of Megan Kelley on Fox. She's picked up a job at NBC making less money. Pretty brave of Fox since she is the second most watched program on the channel.

[21st Century Man]

One thing I will give Trump credit for is the axing of Megan Kelley on Fox. She's picked up a job at NBC making less money. Pretty brave of Fox since she is the second most watched program on the channel.

She lost me a while back.  I'm glad she is going.  Her "war on women" question that she gave Trump at the first debate was the straw that broke the camel's back.

[The King of Kings]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cOnbpnlriE

[K_Dubb]

And Pud, this is exactly why Europe scares me and why you should distance yourself as far as you can from the EU.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hitlers-mein-kampf-becomes-german-bestseller-publisher-112022916.html

Populism tends to like to go back to its roots. In the US that means constitutionalism and electing people like Donald Trump to shake everything up. Constitutionalism and live-and-let-live is the basic character of the American right, not racism or anything else. In Europe, however, it means the European right and they are very much a different kettle of fish.

Yep, we move right and we get guys in silly tricornes and wigs.  They move right, they get Roderick Spode.

As many drawbacks as the two-party system has, it does tend to keep those creatures under the rug where they belong.

[SciFiAuthor]

I don't doubt they are. And confidence in a new broom isn't unprecidented at all. Nearly every newly elected leader in the west enjoys a honeymoon where the plans are laid out as almost discovering fire.

Yeah, the talking heads have been pushing that one lately talking about honeymoons and all. I'm guessing it's to cast a pall over the economy after the first 100 days, which we weren't supposed to do after Obama's hope and change 2008 election. We were supposed to look past the hundred days. It was probably a good idea in hindsight I guess given that his election tanked the stock market.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=6185247

Anyway, such are the media narratives you lefties always fall for.

I remember that Thatcher was almost universally revered by formally staunch Labour party voters, (and certain unions) because they'd been absolutely fucked by the actions of the unions a nd the previous Labour governments. They were just fed up with it, and not without good reason. Thatcher promised that from then on, there would be no more 'lame ducks' supported by the state (tax payers), and that the country would prosper.

I don't know what to think of Thatcher, I was like ten when she was in power and she was a leader of a foreign country. I just vaguely remember the Falklands war and talk of the "Iron Lady". That said, I'm surprised she's not seen as a visionary like Hillary Clinton who openly stated that she wanted to put US coal miners in the unemployment line for the sake of the environment. Oh wait, Thatcher wasn't a Labour politician. If she had been, she'd be seen very differently by you lot today.

What was missed by most was the lame ducks employed hundreds of thousands of taxpayers who would in short measure become tax burdens because of mass unemployment. 60000 directly or indirectly employed because of steel in the Sheffield area lost their jobs. With no provision or forward thinking by the government how those skilled steel workers might be employed in other ways.

Yeah, we bailed out some industries too. I wasn't against that per se, it can be an absolute disaster if you don't bail out industries such as banking and automotive. I wasn't against Bush and Obama doing that. But at the same time, you can't keep them on life support forever. I would say that Thatcher's mistake was in acting too quickly and not paying enough attention to job placement and retraining.

Yep, she was seen as the new hope for the UK, but unless you lived around London (90% don't) and a hedge fund manager, the fortunes of so called 'trickle down economics' were a mere pipe dream.

It's not really a problem with trickle down economics, a positive prosperous economy does raise all boats. We saw that in the 90's and historically. The problem is in a lack of dynamic response from the government in the time that precedes an economic downturn. In 2008, for example, everyone knew that a housing bubble had formed except the government. I knew in the 90's that housing prices were screwy and going too high too quickly because of a forming credit bubble. But people like Greenspan had no idea. It's the same situation now with things like technological unemployment which Janet Yellen hasn't a clue is a serious threat. We will see it rear its ugly head however as Trump's returning factories do indeed come back, but underperform in job creation as they will mostly be automated. Still, it's better to have the means of production domestic than foreign, automated or not.