President Donald J. Trump

[GuerrillaUnReal]

lol. 21. I am so glad I hang out here. Such an education for me. All my evil progressive liberal democrat friends, including me, have been saying the exact opposite forever.
But I have to say the cognitive dissonance between the "factions" depresses me.

Take your racist, sexist, homophobic, cis, microaggressive bullshit somewhere else. BellGab is a safe space.

[Richard Groyper]

I think the thing that amuses me the most about Trump is he's made all his detractors infallible political and economic experts.

I'm going to miss the Zodiac Killer... 

[Teh PeNgu1n oF dOOm]

I think the thing that amuses me the most about Trump is he's made all his detractors infallible political and economic experts.

Yeah, Trump is real sorry to hear that, cause now, Trump will snatch every mother fucker birthday.

[TigerLily]

“No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” HL Mencken.

You are living in a weird era over there where all that traditional attributes that were considered virtues in the public sphere are being disregarded by Trump supporters. If you point out Trump's lies, they giggle and say "oh, that's just Trump being Trump". If you show that he goes back on his word then they tell you that it just goes to show you what a badass businessman he is, who has the balls to make America great again. Experience? Fuck that! (go, Heather!). Almost any valid criticism gets batted back as coming from the elitist establishment and ignored. There is no possibility for rational discussion, because Trump 2016 is essentially a religious movement that can't be treated in a rational way.

Too many people get sucked into the talk radio/24 news culture, where everything becomes polarised into liberal or conservative. They've lost the ability to have a nuanced view and don't realise that you can't have one without the other. Without (broadly speaking) liberals we'd still be living in feudalism, while conservatives manage to apply the brakes when necessary and stop things travelling too far, too fast. The big problem now is that people are motivated almost exclusively with what they don't like instead of what they do. That's the big appeal of Trump, whose supporters seem to be galvanised by all the things they dislike without sparing a thought for he probably landscape of four/eight years of Trump.

All of those items you quoted work for Trump right now. You don't need to be all that smart to ride this wave, you just need to be sufficiently cunning and cynical. Trump even admitted himself that his support is so deeply rooted that there was almost nothing he could do, including murder, that would dissuade them from their support.

The Voice of Reason in a Posh Accent

[TigerLily]

Ah!  The Pontification fm across the pond.  Thanks for that. Here, take this two bux, run down to starbux and get me a cuppa, will ya?  Thaaaaanks.

Gunny. I'm afraid you just proved SV's point

[TigerLily]

Take your racist, sexist, homophobic, cis, microaggressive bullshit somewhere else. BellGab is a safe space.

Back atcha, sweetie

[SredniVashtar]

It is rigged and there is no "free trade". China, Japan, Mexico and Germany have many more trade restrictions and tariffs than the US...they prefer to buy internally and limit imports...it's a fact...

Also, those nations rely on the US to pay for a significant part of their national defense...they use that money on their social welfare systems...

I think the US military are in these places because they want to safeguard their interests, rather than it being some kind of welfare scheme for indigent nations. If they pull out then they will have to be sure that their replacements do a good enough job, otherwise they'd have to go back in at even more cost. You can look at the bottom line and see it as unnecessary expense  wasted on 'furriners' or regard it as more far-sighted, as an attempt to preserve global security.

If you are going to put up big blockades on imports then you would be impeding businesses from organising themselves in the most profitable way possibility. Do you want capitalism, or not? Do people want to pay even  more inflated prices for their Apple toys because it would help their nation? Unlikely. If you are going to do this then you have to accept that what you believe in is basically socialistic, and quit your complaining about 'leftists', because you have become one of them.

[chefist]

I think the US military are in these places because they want to safeguard their interests, rather than it being some kind of welfare scheme for indigent nations. If they pull out then they will have to be sure that their replacements do a good enough job, otherwise they'd have to go back in at even more cost. You can look at the bottom line and see it as unnecessary expense  wasted on 'furriners' or regard it as more far-sighted, as an attempt to preserve global security.

If you are going to put up big blockades on imports then you would be impeding businesses from organising themselves in the most profitable way possibility. Do you want capitalism, or not? Do people want to pay even  more inflated prices for their Apple toys because it would help their nation? Unlikely. If you are going to do this then you have to accept that what you believe in is basically socialistic, and quit your complaining about 'leftists' because you have become one of them.

You would have to do it slowly, but it actually is already starting to happen. Automation is moving many jobs back to countries like the US, UK and Europe. Trump makes a good point in that you can have "free trade", but if you make a bad trade deal then it will not work long term IF the is a huge trade deficit on one side or the other.

[SredniVashtar]

You would have to do it slowly, but it actually is already starting to happen. Automation is moving many jobs back to countries like the US, UK and Europe. Trump makes a good point in that you can have "free trade", but if you make a bad trade deal then it will not work long term IF the is a huge trade deficit on one side or the other.

I'm sure that it will be a great comfort for those people thrown out of work to learn that their jobs were taken by American machines rather than Chinese slave labour. I'm not a billionaire, but even I can figure out that a good trade deal is better than a bad one. I don't think his supporters really have that view, though, because they just want to pull up the drawbridge and keep everyone else out. An insular view that a section of your population (I don't know how large) often gets seduced by. They don't see the costs that protectionism will entail - it might be a good idea, but they won't want to live with the impact.

[Little Hater]

No one is being paid to shill for Hillary. It's a Republican-funded lie and a pathetic attempt at smearing her campaign.

Smear her campaign? Donald Trump has some things to answer for, chief among them the Trump University fraud, and we can be sure the media will try to hold his feet to the fire about them in the general election campaign, but, as far as I know, Mr. Trump isn't currently the subject of a months-long investigation by 150+ FBI agents (who answer to a Democratic president)

[GuerrillaUnReal]

Smear her campaign? Donald Trump has some things to answer for, chief among them the Trump University fraud, and we can be sure the media will try to hold his feet to the fire about them in the general election campaign, but, as far as I know, Mr. Trump isn't currently the subject of a months-long investigation by 150+ FBI agents (who answer to a Democratic president)

Who are you to doubt Hillary Clinton?

[Teh PeNgu1n oF dOOm]

This site really wants me to date arab women and set up a subscription to date arab women.

Is this site an ISIS honeypot?

[paladin1991]

Gunny. I'm afraid you just proved SV's point

Never show your fear.  That's for lesser humans.

[chefist]

I'm sure that it will be a great comfort for those people thrown out of work to learn that their jobs were taken by American machines rather than Chinese slave labour. I'm not a billionaire, but even I can figure out that a good trade deal is better than a bad one. I don't think his supporters really have that view, though, because they just want to pull up the drawbridge and keep everyone else out. An insular view that a section (I don't know how large) often gets seduced by. They don't see the costs that protectionism will entail - it might be a good idea, but they won't want to live with the impact.

What I meant is that jobs that were in China are being repatriated back to the US as companies automate. It really is not complicated to the Trump voter. You can draw unemployment/welfare, or work at an $8-$10 an hour job, or work at a factory job for $20-$25 an hour IF it existed.

The average welfare recipient in the US gets around $28,800 in direct benefits. Those benefits are not taxed of course, so one would need a job paying around $16/hour to make up for it. Trump voters (not clearly a mix of the right and left) are looking for a promise of something that pays more than the average service job (fast food, retail, etc).

[GuerrillaUnReal]

>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-36214738
>Former Republican presidents will not endorse Trump

>Former US presidents George H W Bush and George W Bush will not endorse Donald Trump's candidacy for president, aides have told local media.
>This marks a first for the 91-year-old former president Bush, who had endorsed Republicans in the past five elections.
>They had each supported past Republican presidential nominees John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012.

That's the best news I've heard in the last few days.

[paladin1991]

This site really wants me to date arab women and set up a subscription to date arab women.

Is this site an ISIS honeypot?

Looking at that avatar of your girlfriend, you better hope so.  Here, let me throw in a couple of bux for your subscription.

[chefist]

That's the best news I've heard in the last few days.

I agree...the Bush brand is completely tainted...it will draw more Dem voters to Trump...

[VtaGeezer]

Trump isn't the problem, it's people like you who think they're smart but can't see beyond their own prejudices. Trump is a typical chancer, he's not evil; but he could do a lot of damage, just as anyone else could who is manifestly not fit to hold an important post. You might see yourself as a tough-talking iconoclast, whereas you're really just an impractical dreamer.

I'll try to refrain from confusing you with facts again. Imagined evils are much easier to use as justification.

PS- The actual attribution of the Mencken quote is murky but more references do have it your way than mine.

[GuerrillaUnReal]

I agree...the Bush brand is completely tainted...it will draw more Dem voters to Trump...

Exactly. I think anyone under 35 had been automatically programmed to hate the Bushes with a lot of valid reasons. Them crying in the corner is the best thing that could happen for the Republicans this election cycle. Look how far they pushed Jeb during the primaries (right off a fucking cliff  )

This election cycle is doing a lot to restore my faith in America. I felt the same way I feel now in 2008 and it's cool to watch American continually adjust.

If the Republicans were smart they'd embrace this revolution and start looking for young, bad ass conservatives and centrists to kill off the old blood. Milo would be a perfect example of one.

[GuerrillaUnReal]

Hey Yorkshire, I told you that you limeys would fall in line to the God Emperor.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/05/david-cameron-donald-trump-deserves-respect

Quote from Reddit

>ALL THESE LEADERS NOW APOLOGIZING AND BACKING TRUMP BECAUSE HE'S ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING ELECTED
HOLY FUCKING LEL

[paladin1991]

Hey Yorkshire, I told you that you limeys would fall in line to the God Emperor.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/05/david-cameron-donald-trump-deserves-respect

Yep.  Britain is our bitch.

[chefist]

Exactly. I think anyone under 35 had been automatically programmed to hate the Bushes with a lot of valid reasons. Them crying in the corner is the best thing that could happen for the Republicans this election cycle. Look how far they pushed Jeb during the primaries (right off a fucking cliff  )

This election cycle is doing a lot to restore my faith in America. I felt the same way I feel now in 2008 and it's cool to watch American continually adjust.

If the Republicans were smart they'd embrace this revolution and start looking for young, bad ass conservatives and centrists to kill off the old blood. Milo would be a perfect example of one.

I think what we are seeing is that are figuring out who were actually the ideologues and or egocentric power brokers in the party...

1. Ideologues are: Cruz, Levin, Beck
2. Bitter establishment: Bush's, McCain, Romney, Rove
3. Establishment that put party and beating Hillary first: Rollins, Priebus, Rubio, Kasich, Limbaugh, Hannity, and many more...

Items 1 and 2 are in a very big minority right now...

[chefist]

Hey Yorkshire, I told you that you limeys would fall in line to the God Emperor.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/05/david-cameron-donald-trump-deserves-respect

Quote from Reddit

Vicente Fox is also apologizing now!

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/vicente-fox-apologizes-trump-222842

[RealCool Daddio]

Well, didn't take long for the oppo to start:

https://twitter.com/TheBriefing2016/status/727981521064202240

[mikuthing01]

Vicente Fox is also apologizing now!

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/vicente-fox-apologizes-trump-222842

He knows hes going to be paying for the wall

[Lt.Uhura]

The president of the United States has a limited amount of policy power. So, all the hand wringing, and "butthurt" regarding a potential Trump presidency is a bit absurd. No matter whom the winner is, they will probably won't come close to fulfilling most of their campaign promises. We all know this. The best we can hope for is a president that doesn't make matters worse.

Like him or not, Trump is a successful businessman. (80% of businesses fail.) I believe him when he says he wants to keep jobs here in the states. I see that as a positive quality,..if he wins the general election. I hope 'President Trump' runs the country like a business. Yes, eaiser said than done, but it can be done. Trump can do this.

Why would you believe he's sincere about keeping jobs in the U.S. when his own business model depends on cheap foreign labor.  His daughter too.  Evidently, another benefit of using overseas labor is not having to abide by U.S. safety standards.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/07/ivanka-trump-scarves-made-in-china-recalled.html

[chefist]

Why would you believe he's sincere about keeping jobs in the U.S. when his own business model depends on cheap foreign labor.  His daughter too.  Evidently, another benefit of using overseas labor is not having to abide by U.S. safety standards.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/07/ivanka-trump-scarves-made-in-china-recalled.html

His retort is simple...he advocates for smart trade, no cutting off all trade...he freely admits he does business with China...also, he's not shutting down one of his golf courses or resorts and moving it to another country...

[GuerrillaUnReal]

I think what we are seeing is that are figuring out who were actually the ideologues and or egocentric power brokers in the party...

1. Ideologues are: Cruz, Levin, Beck
2. Bitter establishment: Bush's, McCain, Romney, Rove
3. Establishment that put party and beating Hillary first: Rollins, Priebus, Rubio, Kasich, Limbaugh, Hannity, and many more...

Items 1 and 2 are in a very big minority right now...

Yeah, it's amazing watching the people I detested the most in politics over the last fifteen years dying off like a bad drug wave. But these idiots have completely strayed from the majority of the country and went off into their delusional bubble. The stupidest thing they did was to completely disregard the youth which resulted in them becoming a de facto boogeyman for a generation.

The left has gone so out of control that there's no way these discredited limp old men would have ever been able to stop them. But this country is done with their bullshit. Polls overwhelmingly show Americans are tired of political correctness and the left's bullshit. But there was nothing to stop them for the last several years.

We're witnessing an organic revolution being born. Trump announcing his Presidency a few months ago was the first shot. Trump winning the primaries was like the invasion of fucking Normandy. If the Republicans are smart they'll embrace this energy and start incorporating young, dangerous, brilliant people into their ranks before the entire thing is burnt to the ground for fun.

[chefist]

Yeah, it's amazing watching the people I detested the most in politics over the last fifteen years dying off like a bad drug wave. But these idiots have completely strayed from the majority of the country and went off into their delusional bubble. The stupidest thing they did was to completely disregard the youth which resulted in them becoming a de facto boogeyman for a generation.

The left has gone so out of control that there's no way these discredited limp old men would have ever been able to stop them. But this country is done with their bullshit. Polls overwhelmingly show Americans are tired of political correctness and the left's bullshit. But there was nothing to stop them for the last several years.

We're witnessing an organic revolution right now being born. Trump announcing his Presidency a few months ago was the first shot. Trump winning the primaries was like the invasion of fucking Normandy. If the Republicans are smart they'll embrace this energy and start incorporating young, dangerous, brilliant people into their ranks before the entire thing is burnt to the ground for fun.

I think many are coming to grips with it...and you are right, they are seeing many young people go over to the Trump camp, and want that to be the future of the party...they finally realize they won't get elected running as a "conservative Reagan Republican" anymore...nor can they win trying to be the current, wimp ass "Right Leaning Democratic Party" either...the populous is awakening to the fact both parties are bought and paid for, and will rebel on both sides...we see this with Bernie and Trump...

[GuerrillaUnReal]

I think many are coming to grips with it...and you are right, they are seeing many young people go over to the Trump camp, and want that to be the future of the party...they finally realize they won't get elected running as a "conservative Reagan Republican" anymore...nor can they win trying to be the current, wimp ass "Right Leaning Democratic Party" either...the populous is awakening to the fact both parties are bought and paid for, and will rebel on both sides...we see this with Bernie and Trump...

Think about how much time and energy the Republicans spent trying to create utterly retarded movements like the Tea Party, Obama Obstruction and Anti-LBGTBBQ rhetoric. Then realize Trump decimated his three biggest opponents in the Republican primaries spending 1/4 the money any of them did. What was the Republican Party six months ago is dead.