The Trump Presidency – 2016

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

Why do we need those troops there?

It gives us a strategic advantage over others in response to any crisis or event in the middle east or anywhere in western europe. We're able to send troops, supplies, and wounded soldiers someplace far closer than the US without the need to move aircraft carriers.

This also isn't about saving money. We're going to spend billions shifting some of those same troops to Poland because their president kisses Trump's ass and suggested the first base built there should be named Fort Trump.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Rehashing what was discussed on here a few months ago, but pulling troops from Germany is so incredibly shortsighted. We're willfully giving up a major strategic advantage because Trump only understands money on the most basic level.

What Putin wants, Putin gets.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

I don't think there are a ton of open jobs because losing that much retail & hospitality has created a void, but I know the quality of the employment pool will go up for the manufacturing and distribution centers. I already have close to a dozen employees (in what is supposed to be under a 100 person department) I'm staying in touch with about whether they want to stay on a LoA or officially come back. Keep moving the goalposts or ignoring the base fact that $30,000/year on top of state unemployment benefits has led to many (blue collar, and/or younger) people being paid more not to work than they had been paid previously, or would be paid if they re-entered the economy.

A UBI that is at the poverty level makes sense to me. A means tested cash infusion to all Americans makes sense to me. $28,800/year on top of state benefits to unemployed people, and $1,200 1/2x this year to people who are working seems like a pretty large imbalance, and one worth fixing going forward. YMMV.

Quality of the employment pool would also go up by raising pay. Something Amazon can definitely afford to do but chooses not to.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

Why do we need those troops there?

We don't. They aren't there to protect Europe anyway. We use troops in Germany to help with operations outside Europe.

Don't get me wrong, this is being done as a petty move against Germany and has nothing to do with what's best for America. But it really doesn't matter.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

You can't even get information on where the money went. Just trust them.

Here is nearly a billion dollar friendly loan going to Kodak. They aren't even ashamed of the handout, they are bragging on TV about giving it. No anger over this.

Follow up on this. Here is Kodak's stock.



This also seemed to make a lot of people rich who just so happened to have impeccable timing. This is a crime btw that no one will look into.

Kodak stock volume has ranged from 52k to 215k shares per day since July 1. On Monday, the day before WH announcement, 1,645,000 shares traded hands. https://t.co/d0Q0gCbVqq

— Reid Wilson (@PoliticsReid) July 29, 2020

[molson]

Amazon pay goes pretty far in poorer parts of the country. Dishwashers at the Whole Foods in my town make more than CNAs treating COVID patients down the street. The $15/hour minimum has been an absolute game changer in parts of the country like this. They fire and hire liberally and have their pick of employees because they're paying more than double the standard rate for similar types of jobs elsewhere in town.

The entry-level Whole Foods jobs are less than you could make unemployed now. But they have no problem finding people. If you can get in the front door, better to get your time and experience in, and move up the payscale, than sit at home and hope for Republicans in Congress to keep taking care of you. And there's a lot of security in grocery employment if you're not a fuckup. And if you're not lucky enough to be at Whole Foods, better to get experience and some good references somewhere else rather than sit at home, if you have that choice.

Of course this "Amazon advantage" is irrelevant in other places with higher minimum wages.

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Because most people would rather work than sit at home and do nothing (esp during the pandemic there isn't much to do in a lot of places aside from sitting home and watching TV).

re: Amazon paying $15 an hour. IIRC, they did that very soon after Bernie Sanders started introducing bills against Amazon.

Here's another part of it, wages have been able to be held down for some time because we had more workers than jobs. Prior to the whole COVID episode, many manufacturers in my sector (food and bev) were looking for workers and were beginning to increase wages to try and attract people. Then COVID hit, and it all went to hell.

A big part of wages is getting places to near full employment. I remember back in 2007 or so, it was before the crash, in Champaign, IL some fast food places were shutting down because they could not attract workers at $12 an hour. Now they would probably go to the kiosks, but I was floored wages were that high for fast food. My buddy who lived there said they were at essentially 0% (not actually) unemployment. As an entrepreneur, he was having to turn business away because he could not afford to hire the workers to work the projects (it was not economical). Of course 1-1/2 years later, wages came down and he was able to diversify because labor was cheaper with so many out of work.

[stevew]

Just wondering how many Tree guys I gotta call before I get a call back or someone to come out a do an estimate.

[molson]

Originally Posted by stevew

Just wondering how many Tree guys I gotta call before I get a call back or someone to come out a do an estimate.

I'd get so many more home improvement projects if I didn't dread the whole process of just getting them started. People don't call back, don't show up for in-home estimates, show up late, act annoyed when I finally get a hold of them, etc. I want to spend some money right now but I keep putting it off.

So to answer your question, 8, call 8 tree guys. Maybe 2 will get back to you and 1 will show up at your house.

[spleen1015]

I had that problem about 2 years ago when I was prepping my house to be sold. The driveway needed to be re-paved. I couldn't get anyone to even come give an estimate. Tried 30 or more companies.

While on a walk, my wife walked by some guys paving a sidewalk for the city. One of those guys ended up coming and doing it with his son on a Sunday for cash.

[damnMikeBrown]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

I had that problem about 2 years ago when I was prepping my house to be sold. The driveway needed to be re-paved. I couldn't get anyone to even come give an estimate. Tried 30 or more companies.

While on a walk, my wife walked by some guys paving a sidewalk for the city. One of those guys ended up coming and doing it with his son on a Sunday for cash.

This works! We found our tree guy the same way. He was the one doing all the trees for the park district. Worked some kind of week on/week off deal. With his week off, surprise, he does tree work. Don’t know how many tree guys we tried. Upwards of a dozen. Even had one come out and do some of the work only to disappear in to the either. The park district guy was amazing.

[albionmoonlight]

Some people, especially Democrats, seem confused by this thread. It's simple: faithful folks don't fear death because we believe in the afterlife. How long are we going to allow fear, over #COVID19, to control our lives? WI & IN are having fall sports, why can't we? #ILSen #Twill

— Fmr. Sheriff Mark Curran (R-IL) ���� (@ElectMarkCurran) July 30, 2020

How is "If you vote for me, you and your family members are more likely to suffer preventable illness and death, but the real issue is that y'all fear death too much" going to play in the suburbs this Fall?

[albionmoonlight]

dola:

I mean, this isn't even one of those "COVID is a hoax" guys. He admits that this will kill you. He just thinks you are a bad Christian if you mind.

[Ksyrup]

And Trump floats his first "delay the election" tweet. Post-November 3rd could be even uglier than the past 6 months have been.

[Edward64]

I get that billions are on the line so can appreciate the position the 4 are in and the BS from the 3.

It may have happened but not in the quote below, I would have thought Congress would have been prepared with some examples and made the 3 squirm more.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/30/tech/...ina/index.html

It's a question that gets to the heart of escalating tensions between the United States and China: "Do you believe that the Chinese government steals technology from US companies?"

And it was put to the CEOs of Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB) and Google (GOOGL) by Rep. Greg Steube, more than four hours into Wednesday's five-and-a-half hour Congressional antitrust hearing.
The answers were somewhat varied.

"I don't know of specific cases where we have been stolen from by the government," Apple CEO Tim Cook said. "I know of no case [of] ours where it occurred ... I can only speak to firsthand knowledge," he added.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai initially followed his lead.

"I have no firsthand knowledge of any information stolen from Google in this regard," he said. (Pichai later issued a correction, acknowledging a China-linked cyberattack on Google in 2009 in which the company said some of its intellectual property was stolen.)

Amazon's Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, said he had "heard many reports of that," though he added that "I haven't seen it personally."

Mark Zuckerberg was far more unequivocal.

"I think it's well documented that the Chinese government steals technology from American companies," the Facebook CEO said.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

And Trump floats his first "delay the election" tweet. Post-November 3rd could be even uglier than the past 6 months have been.

I could be way off base, but I think that the two competing concerns here are that (1) he does not want to be President anymore, but (2) he cannot handle the idea of losing.

So I think that the play will be to declare the election fraudulent, but to leave when he is supposed to, under protest.

Which is still pretty damaging, but not quite as bad as getting the Border Patrol goons to lead a coup.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I could be way off base, but I think that the two competing concerns here are that (1) he does not want to be President anymore, but (2) he cannot handle the idea of losing.

So I think that the play will be to declare the election fraudulent, but to leave when he is supposed to, under protest.

Which is still pretty damaging, but not quite as bad as getting the Border Patrol goons to lead a coup.

I disagree. If he can get away with this, along with suppression of vote and sending secret police out, he's locking us in. He'll be talking how Biden should be arrested next.

You can see his id unleashed, he knows he's unpopular, he knows there is a good chance without cheating, that he's gone and the reverberations to his ego (not to mention potential legal implications) that he would be a loser are not acceptable.

If he can't steal it, he'll burn it down.

[kingfc22]

Just checking in to see how Edward twists himself into a knot trying to suggest Trump is right in wanting to delay the election.

Please proceed.

[Flasch186]

This was literally the hyperbolic example I would use to test Trumpists to see how far they would go and to a fault almost all of them said that they wouldn't accept Trump not leaving office if he lost the election OR tried to delay an election so he could remain.

Lets see if they remain true to their word.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Just checking in to see how Edward twists himself into a knot trying to suggest Trump is right in wanting to delay the election.

Please proceed.

Hold on, they need to update his programming. Remarks aren’t prepared yet

[Lathum]

Can someone embed that tweet?

[lungs]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Just checking in to see how Edward twists himself into a knot trying to suggest Trump is right in wanting to delay the election.

Please proceed.

First we need a definition of “delay”.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by lungs

First we need a definition of “delay”.

Oh and I will wait for your APA or AMA cited sourced response.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

This was literally the hyperbolic example I would use to test Trumpists to see how far they would go and to a fault almost all of them said that they wouldn't accept Trump not leaving office if he lost the election OR tried to delay an election so he could remain.

Lets see if they remain true to their word.

Trump always gives them wiggle room.

He didn't stand next to Putin on stage and issue an order delaying the election. That would not be acceptable.

Instead, he talked about voter fraud and how maybe we should consider whether we should delay the election until we can do it safely.

What's the matter, Flasch? Do you think we should have fraud? Wouldn't you rather the election be done fairly? You are willing to keep schools and bars closed and have millions lose their jobs, but you are OK with elderly poll workers getting COVID and dying? You really don't think that the biggest pandemic is a century is worth having a mere discussion about having a safe election?

It's mainly instinct, but Trump's really good at this.

[NobodyHere]

Fauci says eye protection can help prevent spread of coronavirus

So who here is pro-goggle and who is anti-goggle?

[ISiddiqui]

2Q contracted by 9.5% - largest quarterly economic contraction on record. Jobless claims were 1.4 million again.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...2-coronavirus/

And increased unemployment benefits expire tomorrow...

[ISiddiqui]

I mean it makes sense. If the virus gets in your eyes, it can easily get in your bloodstream.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by lungs

First we need a definition of “delay”.

No need, pretty clear what that means. A "delay" without Congressional approval is not acceptable.

However, am still eagerly waiting for Webster (?) to come up with a new definition of racism. Until then I'll stick with the ADL-definition (they should know best shouldn't they?) instead of the made-up-twitter-speak which often conflates racism with plain old prejudice/bigotry.

With that said, I do not think Trump is wrong to question possibility of fraud with nation-wide mail-in. It is reasonable to assume with a "new process" there needs to be a review of how this would happen, the checks in place, audit trail etc. and some sort of governance if/when results are contested.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

This was literally the hyperbolic example I would use to test Trumpists to see how far they would go and to a fault almost all of them said that they wouldn't accept Trump not leaving office if he lost the election OR tried to delay an election so he could remain.

Lets see if they remain true to their word.

I think the general response to this among your standard neighborhood/in-law Trump supporters will be, "well, if you guys think COVID is such a big deal, you shouldn't have any problem with this!"

That's the way they don't have to back down either on COVID or on Trump's use of power.

From his perspective, I think he's just starting the hard push to train his supporters, and to tell himself, that the November results are not legitimate.

[JPhillips]

Shit. Herman Cain died from COVID.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Shit. Herman Cain died from COVID.

Whoa! I'd hope this means some people will take it more seriously, but who knows.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Can someone embed that tweet?

This tweet?

With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by Edward64

No need, pretty clear what that means. A "delay" without Congressional approval is not acceptable.

However, am still eagerly waiting for Webster (?) to come up with a new definition of racism. Until then I'll stick with the ADL-definition (they should know best shouldn't they?) instead of the made-up-twitter-speak which often conflates racism with plain old prejudice/bigotry.

With that said, I do not think Trump is wrong to question possibility of fraud with nation-wide mail-in. It is reasonable to assume with a "new process" there needs to be a review of how this would happen, the checks in place, audit trail etc. and some sort of governance if/when results are contested.

Voting occurs in the states and trying to spin this as a new “nation-wide” event is false on its face. The only nation wide service required is the USPS so unless you are suggesting Bob and Sally mail clerk are the masterminds behind a scheme to tamper with millions of ballots there is no issue or proof of this ever happening. . This is also not a “new process” as every state has some form of absentee ballot (ie vote from home, mail in voting, insert any other name here).

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Oh and I will wait for your APA or AMA cited sourced response.

Sorry if I missed this but would appreciate a response to #25696 & #25697 re:

I'm very interested in hearing your immigrant family members' perspective on American Exceptionalism and/or Land of Opportunity.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Voting occurs in the states and trying to spin this as a new “nation-wide” event is false on its face. The only nation wide service required is the USPS so unless you are suggesting Bob and Sally mail clerk are the masterminds behind a scheme to tamper with millions of ballots there is no issue or proof of this ever happening. . This is also not a “new process” as every state has some form of absentee ballot (ie vote from home, mail in voting, insert any other name here).

Oh, sorry if I misunderstood. Isn't the proposal to do nation-wide mail in voting? e.g. as in far greater degree and scale than absentee ballots?

If this is correct, it is a "new process". The scale and nos. are much, much greater.

If the request is just scale it up some (e.g. +10%), I agree its not new. But I didn't think that was the case.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Shit. Herman Cain died from COVID.

Damn.

For what?

RIP

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I mean it makes sense. If the virus gets in your eyes, it can easily get in your bloodstream.

I should've bought the full plague doctor mask instead of the half mask.

[stevew]

Did he use ZINC though? That’s the key

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

This tweet?

With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020

Thanks. Craziness.

[Jas_lov]

Not sure if this is where he got it but Cain was at the Tulsa rally. Hopefully people start taking this seriously.

[Lathum]

oops

dying to own the libs. Very next level.

Here’s just a few of the #BlackVoicesForTrump at tonight’s rally! Having a fantastic time!#TulsaRally2020 #Trumptulsa #TulsaTrumprally #MAGA #Trump2020 #Trump2020Landslide pic.twitter.com/27mUzkg7kL

— Herman Cain (@THEHermanCain) June 20, 2020

[kingfc22]

Sucks for him, but yea I'm past the point of remorse for these type of idiots of flaunt the direction science is telling us to follow.

[Lathum]

I honestly do not have one ounce of sympathy for someone who flaunts not wearing a mask then dies. IMO it is the same as driving drunk and killing yourself. Maybe worse since you can spread it to so many other people.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

This tweet?

With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020

He was keeping this in his back pocket to distract from major news. Something like record economic contraction. He knows there's no congressional support for delaying an election.

[spleen1015]

When does he want to delay it to?

As of noon on 1/20/2021 he is no longer POTUS if he doesn't win an election, so.....

[lungs]

I find it perplexing that he wasn’t being treated by that demon semen doctor? Surely he was given hydroxychloroquine....

[ISiddiqui]

Surreal that you have 3 Presidents at John Lewis' funeral, all of whom who will speak and the current occupant of the White House can't be bothered.

[PilotMan]

Edward is the bureaucrat's bureaucrat.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Surreal that you have 3 Presidents at John Lewis' funeral, all of whom who will speak and the current occupant of the White House can't be bothered.

His Twitter account doesn't tweet itself you know.



At least I think it doesn't.

[Thomkal]

I want to have sympathy but the blind ignorance makes it hard-I feel for his family and friends and I really really hope now that all those pictures of people around him/hugging him etc at the Tulsa rally get tested right now because most look younger than Cain and surely have a lot of life to live yet.