monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

You're a very funny lady, lady.

Discount stores often rely on the sale of factory seconds as a major part of their trade. Thirds get in bin.

Interesting rankings there. I hope there is no friction between the first two nominees.

There was a piece I read somewhere yesterday that detailed research which strongly suggested the DC area has an unusually high percentage of its population that match key traits found in psychopaths. And it certainly makes some sense presently to imagine DC as a totalitarian bulk bin. Grab 30 or 40 and head for the checkout.

Wow. I actually am in agreement with Builder.

This is what bothers me about the whole "open borders" concept:

But whose economy? What about the economies of the countries that the migrants have abandoned? Do we really want a world where we have a few economically successful, cosmopolitan, crowded countries on one end of the scale and a huge number of economically-challenged, environmentally-exploited "poverty prisons" on the other end where people live under chronic oppression and endemic corruption? By advertising ourselves as a beacon for all the world's talent aren't we encouraging a brain drain which is guaranteed to further hurt the economies of these under-developed, over-populated countries?

Don't misunderstand me here, though — I don't support Trump's immigration policies. At all. I do support a path to citizenship for the DACA people. Hell, a path to citizenship for every illegal already in the country. But cutting back on the number of people we allow into the country shouldn't be automatically seen as some sort of racist MAGA program. I really believe that all the rich nations that are being besieged by refugees, asylum seekers, and economic migrants need to work together to solve the problem through international aid programs which foster economic development and civil society. (Sounds very Sorosian, I know.) Sure, it would be very difficult and very expensive. But I think, in the long term, it makes more sense than just serving as magnet to the poor and desperate who find themselves increasingly unwelcome in states where they were once eagerly accepted.

Libtard nazism....

Many, many corporate interests in the United States, in Canada, in the United Kingdom and in the European Union certainly do want to see economically-challenged, environmentally-exploited "poverty prisons" on the other end where people live under chronic oppression and endemic corruption. They want cheap labor, they don't want to be trammeled by environmental regulation, fair labor standards, living wage provisions and certainly not by securities regulation. The eternal bottom line of corporate capitalism is the bottom line--and corporate boards and very likely the overwhelming majority of investors don't give a rat's ass about the cheap labor force or the nations they inhabit so long as they can maximize that bottom line. They're fine with the corruption and political oppression, so long as they get what they want. They're willing to pay a reasonable and small amount to exploit labor and trash the environment as it would be far, far less to the corporation than the cost of responsible behavior.

Face facts--the liberal democracies of the industrial world are effectvely national gated communities. They're willing to admit those who will do stoop labor and cut the lawns, clean the house, do the laundry--and they employ thousands of expensive, well-equipped and well-trained military and paramilitary types to keep the riffraff out of their gated communities.

By the way, Hightor, that's not personally directed . . . just sayin' . . .

'I would never throw Sarah Sanders out of my restaurant. Instead, I'd charge her $75 for a $25 steak. Then, when she questions me about it, I'd lie and tell her $75 is the regular price of a steak. When she points to the menu and shows me that $25 is the correct price, I'd tell her the menu is “fake news.” When she questions me a 3rd time, I'd lie again, blame the Democrats and tell her I have no choice but to charge her $75. When she questions me a 4th time, I'd tell her I'm signing an executive order changing the price back to $25, even though I already said it's the Democrats fault and there’s nothing I can do about it. When she complains about the entire experience on Yelp and says I lied to her face, I'd respond “I know it’s hard for you to understand short sentences, but please don’t take my words out of context” - the same smug words she had for CNN’s Jim Acosta, when he dared to question her statement that it's “biblical" to follow a law that doesn't exist requiring kids to be separated from their families.

No, I wouldn't throw Sarah Sanders out of my restaurant; I'd simply treat her the same way she and Donald Trump treat the American people: Lie to her face, tell her she's the liar, and be a smug, condescending asshole the entire time. ️Don't like it? Find a safe space, snowflake. '

Brian Joyce

Yes. And it is going to get worse, almost certainly. America's speeding rush towards a corrupt and totalitarian-style of governance and international relations is mirrored elsewhere. As the consequences of sea level rise and altered ecologies (thus land and food scarcity) continue to become more pronounced, migrations will increase and put further stresses on nations already moving towards bleak, angry "us" and "not us" modes of thought. The future could get very ugly.

It’s definitrly an “America First” program and one that Trump obviously supports.


The critiques you’re leveling against Latino immigration are the same and no more original than the critiques levied against all major waves of immigration going back to the birth of our nation.

They are no more true now than they were then.


If you’re the kind of person who believes that Americans need to have more babies to help the economy grow then you must realize that immigration achieves the same net result.

Also, I think you vastly overestimate the number that would leave other countries. Do you think the Congo will just empty and be left with nothing but that family down the block who won’t mow their lawn.

Jeez, Mr. Porsche, this makes me think that you did not really read what I wrote. My critique was leveled at the global phenomenon of population movement and the need of all the magnet countries to come up with a better solution. Do you believe it's a good thing for developing nations to see their most highly educated and entrepreneurial citizens leaving the country? And I challenge you to come up with evidence that critics of open borders during previous waves of immigration were expressing anything remotely similar to the concerns I've raised here. Yeah, ecology was a real concern around the time of our nation's founding.

I am emphatically not "that kind of American" — or that kind of human. More growth means more consumption. I'd prefer a sustainable economy which can adapt to declining populations in developed countries, not one that encourages the further exploitation of labor and destruction of the environment.

There is a republican who among the ideas, suggested something like you are describing. I remember when republicans would call ideas like that nation building as a bad thing. I think it would be good to get to the root of these countries who have such violence and corruption in their countries they have to flee every spring. However, I really don't see the US doing it; much less alone. It should be more a United Nations effort. I am not sure why it is not an issue there. (I am opening myself up for slurs against the UN, but I am not in the mood to argue today; so I will ignore it.)

While you raise valid points about the nature of corporate interests I think that the "advanced sectors" in developing economies are where we find the people who would be the most instrumental in reforming their own governments and standing up to foreign corporations.

This makes me wonder why Trump is so anti-immigration. It points out the disconnect between Trumpism and classical Republican pro-business economic philosophy.

Nothing about Trump makes sense, but that is a good point. He probably employees illegal immigrants by huge numbers in his various Hotels and Golf courts.

The “brain-drain” happens when immigrants who have a high aptitude for whatever is is they excel at are left to fend for themselves or become more worried about getting maleria and growing crops for their next meal.

Think of if Einstein were left to work all day growing crops to barely have enough food to eat instead of advancing our understand of the natural world as he did.

Jesus, this whole line of thinking is idiotic.

The promising-immigrant who moves to America for opportunity would serve his county of origin much more by doing well here and developing something that would change his countries future or even just simply sending money home each month.

The brain drain is not giving intelligent, hard working people the opportunities to become something great and exceptional. That’s a humanity brain-drain.

There are over 7 Billion people not living in America. The idea that several hundred thousand per year is something to worry about is simply idiotic.