monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

@farmerman,

Yeah, he is definitely on that ADHD (whatever that exactly means - I'm not sure) spectrum as well.

I personally think that much of where is issues come from have to do with his riches. I think because he's financially privileged, he feels above the rest of us and by that fact, can pretty much do what he wants. He's said as much. Not an uncommon thing for people of his status. Hell, lots of people feel this way, they just don't have the power to carry out the desire without penalty.

I don't think he's totally incorrigible though. There's something else about him. A certain 'fatherly' essence. I almost think that he thinks of others less fortunate than him as children. Almost a Platonic (Nietzschean?) view of the structure of society. I think its common view among the uber rich and politicians. He's multifaceted that's for sure, but as you alluded these facets are not amenable to running a country.

That's interesting that you've actually worked for the man though it doesn't sound like a very positive experience.

1 Reply

@catbeasy,

Quote:

I don't think he's totally incorrigible though. There's something else about him. A certain 'fatherly' essence. I almost think that he thinks of others less fortunate than him as children.

That's a far more benign take than mine. Earlier, you made some allusions to our primate nature. I did a semester in primate studies with Bierute Galdikas. Primates (like most other social animals) organize themselves in dominance hierarchies. That is Trump's game (even Rush Limbaugh has pointed that out). Almost every move he makes is in aid of this need to dominate others. Nothing to do with wanting to be others' father, it seems to me.

One quick further point here. There is a common resistance in elements of the right which really does not like the notion of equality. That's not just a meritocratic ideology or preference. It is that if dominance cannot be realized, they have no means of measuring themselves against others. They need people below to define themselves in a particular way.

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@catbeasy,

Now hold on there just a minute I don't want to fence with you I just want money!!

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It looks like Kentucky is going to be awash in all things good and pure.

Quote:

Gov. Matt Bevin has declared 2017 the “Year of the Bible” in Kentucky even though he proclaimed 2016 the “Year of the Bible” last December.

Both proclamations pleased Pastor Mark Harrell of Victory Christian Fellowship church in Somerset, who said Wednesday that Bevin’s actions are in support of a statewide Bible reading marathon.

The “Kentucky 120 United Bible Reading Marathon” is a statewide event to get people in all 120 Kentucky counties to read aloud the entire Bible in the first three or so days of the new year.

http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article122292969.html

Isn't that just special

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@blatham,

Yes. I also agree to disagree. I think the outcome of government intervention and force feeding tolerance would and does have a negative effect.

It's not always about what what we do, but how we do it is equally important.

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Jesus bloody christ. Lewandowski was on Fox and Friends and said as far as priorities go, "draining the swamp is down near the bottom".

How the **** you fans can believe anything this bastard has told you confounds me utterly.

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@tony5732,

Quote:

I think the outcome of government intervention and force feeding tolerance would and does have a negative effect.

"force feeding"?

Of course there will be negative effects. Utterly impossible for anything else to be true where ideas and values are not perfectly aligned. Taking laws off the books that had previously made interracial marriage illegal produced some negative effects as regards racial bigots being damned unhappy. Laws allowing abortion pissed some off. Laws prohibiting it piss people off.

There's no simple way out of these countless divergences in what citizens desire as law and in social arrangements. But why choose the retrograde step of supporting prejudice? Why not, instead, follow the intention of the founding documents of your nation that promotes, as the most senior value, equality?

1 Reply

@blatham,

Or we can do it like this.......

WAYS TO BUILD TOLERANCE OF SEXUALITY WITHOUT MAKING CRAZY LAWS.

1. Gay pride parades.
2. Starbucks
3. Open discussions through sites like A2K
4. Speeches from political leaders about homosexuality.
5. Billboards
7. Facebook
8. Celebrities
9. Come up with more ideas along these lines.

1 Reply

@blatham,

blatham wrote:

Quote:
You contradict yourself. The law can act for good or evil, as you illustrated. Restraint on the power of government is a nesessary element of a meaningful solution.

That's a meaningless statement. Of course laws can prove negative or positive. That gets you nowhere at all.

Miscegenation laws were broadly bolstered or justified by appeals to scripture. Obviously, they were bad laws for reasons now obvious to most of us (though in some southern states, a surprisingly high percentage of Republicans still believe interracial marriage ought to be illegal). Subsequent or contemporary laws were put in place to outlaw discrimination against blacks (or interracial couples). Government laws aren't the frigging problem. Stupid prejudices are.

You still don't get it. Governments have stupid prejudices too - as you illustrated in your recitation of previous laws. Replacing them with new **** is no improvement. Government action is not necessarily either the best or even a suitable solution for every problem. Moreover the cumulative effect of an escess of this of it is the loss of individual freedom. THat too is one of the founding porinciples of this country.

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There's an undercurrent in all of this that ought to be addressed.

It is a commonplace assumption among certain sorts of religious groups, particularly the more extreme or orthodox elements, that their faith notions are so unfailingly true and right that it is justified to enforce their notions outside of their community and onto all others. Obviously, Muslim extremists hold this notion. But Christian extremists do as well. Likewise, some orthodox Jews like the fellows in New York who spit on an 8 year old girl whose clothing they considered immodest.

These folks also commonly hold that because their ideas are truer than all others that any secular law which contravenes their ideas are illegitimate and must be eradicated in the community.

All that is the more extreme end of the spectrum. But less extreme theists sometimes hold that the sincerity of their beliefs grants them special dispensation. Religious beliefs, they'll content, are unique and deserve unique consideration.

To those people, I say, **** you.

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@tony5732,

Quote:

WITHOUT MAKING CRAZY LAWS.

Nothing crazy about protecting harmless minority groups in the community from being marginalized.

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@blatham,

I agree with your general statements. However, I also add that 'fatherly' element to his facets. I don't think it is the dominant theme in his life though it may contribute to his charisma. I think it displays itself in various ways, probably allows him to sleep at night and perhaps not hate himself. I don't know that part though. I'll have to further consult my crystal ball..

As for that point about some folks not having a means to measure themselves against others. I think we all must do this, nay? When dominance isn't realized for folks like Trump, I think that is the event upon which they are able to measure themselves. For whatever reasons it is cogent, unpleasant and is the thing that drives them to achieve dominance. Though I do agree that they need people below them to have a satisfactory self image.

btw, I don't think this makes him less dangerous. I do agree that his dominant theme is dominancy in a bad sense. He obviously can't deal with others having issues with him very well, he lives up to his last name.

Very cool that you were able to participate in primate studies. Very little prepares you for understanding human behaviour than studying these beings, our differences and similarities..

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@georgeob1,

Quote:

the cumulative effect of an escess of this of it is the loss of individual freedom.

You really need to build a Conestoga wagon and steer it west, george. Get away from the 300,000,000 people. Sure, you'll hit water in about ten minutes from where you are but you're a naval guy.

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@catbeasy,

Quote:

As for that point about some folks not having a means to measure themselves against others. I think we all must do this, nay?

Yes. Not much in this life is simple, is it?

The primate studies was such a delight. Galdikas was one of the three ladies that Louis Leakey sent out to study the three species we term "great apes" (we're the fourth). She went to Borneo to study orangutans. Amazing woman. I learned so much that's applicable to us.

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Some of you will have heard this morning that Kellyanne Conway will be working for Trump in the WH. Function is messaging.

So, that's really wonderful for those of us who respect honesty and truthfulness and desire a well informed citizenry. You betcha.

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You Yanqui dogs. You wanna know who's cool? You wanna know what makes us so damned exceptional here in the north? You probably don't. You probably don't have the cojones to even peek.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/stony-plain-alberta-zamboni-jesse-myshak-1.3908294?cmp=rss

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@blatham,

Because I value equality so much that I think EVERYONE should be free, not just people who think one way or the other. I think liberty was pretty important too. I am not willing to give up liberty for equality, instead I embrace the concept of enjoying both liberty and equality together, by choice not by control.

It's not a perfect concept, but neither is yours. That's why I agree to disagree.

1 Reply

@georgeob1,

georgeob1 wrote:

....and, possibly through some new, as yet undefined form of public private partnership, stimulate a major investment in public infrastructure

On this particular point, do you much care if the infrastructure projects are ones that fix existing deficiencies (for example, water pipes in Flint or crumbling bridges in Mississippi or levies in Louisiana) or new projects like tollways?

Quote:

I can think of few Presidents who were as divisive for the country as is Obama. By contrast Trump is reaching out to his opposition within the Republican party and to a lesser extent beyond it.

So Obama is decisive I assume because he doesn't curry much favor among the republican opposition (but by contrast, has high support in his party), but you're giving credit to Trump because he's reaching out to his OWN PARTY to gain support because he doesn't much have it. If he doesn't reach out to the democratic opposition will you peg him as divisive I wonder.

I'm laughing at how low the bar you've set for Trump is, and it's one that Obama has surpassed by miles yet your expectations of him are essentially impossible.

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A man of super genius and integrity and incredible honesty who cares - it's amazing how much he cares - for the average guy

Quote:

Citing two anonymous Trump associates familiar with the conversation, the Washington Post reported that Newsmax chief executive Christopher Ruddy was hosting Koch and his wife, Julia, for dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, when Trump appeared alongside incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

The Post reported that Trump and Koch then had an informal conversation about the President-elect’s preparations for his administration. The meeting had been orchestrated by Ruddy, according to the report.

The chat is hardly the first step Trump has taken to re-establish ties to many of the billionaires he blamed for selling out working-class voters during the presidential campaign. He had dinner Saturday at Mar-a-Lago with Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim, whom he blamed on the campaign trail for amplifying multiple stories of his alleged sexual aggressions.

“Reporters of the New York Times, they’re not journalists, they’re corporate lobbyist for Carlos Slim and for Hillary Clinton,” Trump said in October.

After meeting with Slim, Trump changed his tone, writing on Twitter: "Carlos Slim, the great businessman from Mexico, called me about getting together for a meeting. We met, HE IS A GREAT GUY!"

Click here for a chance to get what looks exactly like an oil painting of Donald on black velvet for only $300,000

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@tony5732,

Quote:

That's why I agree to disagree.

That's ok.

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