monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

@Olivier5,

Quote:

Obama played the cool, smart, even intellectual president but he never daigned to get his hands dirty at politics.

You got that right. He tipped his hat as a phony 'Hope & Change' president within days of his election.

His own campaign website asked for the changes that people wanted and he promised to listen and act. And then he immediately laughed and joked about the people who suggested the top two issues and ignored them once elected.

I didn't vote for him but I honestly hoped he was what he promised to be. But he proved to be a ******* hypocritical liar. Not that he's alone there...

We'll soon see if Trump does the same

1 Reply

@McGentrix,

The "alt-right" is a political phenomenon that has flourished with the aid of Trump's rhetoric and Bannon's operations. There are undeniable racist and anti-Semitic elements in the movement. There's been a lot of reporting on this and the history is discernible (mainly southern and with roots back through the John Birch Society).

The video you show is not a comparable thing. It's a group of black juvenile criminals beating on someone and yelling that he voted Trump. Political activists? Do you really believe any of them did or can vote? Do you expect they spend hours on the internet arguing political ideas? Do you even know this victim was a Trump supporter? There's nothing other than that video and the claim made. Where do you get stuff like this? How did this come to your attention?

2 Replies

@Leadfoot,

I don't think your anywhere close to the truth on that, Leadfoot. Take a look at this:

Quote:

Obama’s Top 50 Accomplishments, Revisited
The comprehensive legacy of the 44th President.

WashMonthly

1 Reply

@blatham,

blatham wrote:

The video you show is not a comparable thing.... Do you even know this victim was a Trump supporter? There's nothing other than that video and the claim made. Where do you get stuff like this? How did this come to your attention?

The better question is how could it escape your attention? Let me guess, eh? It was never published in Pravda, that it?

Of course they're "not comparable." That was Gent's point. But, as always, you think the only thing that is significant is ideology. For you, the "bad" thing is incorrect thought. Compared to that, a severe beating is insignificant. What a cheese-eater.

But, what I want to know is: Why is the world would you ask this? Is it in any way relevant?

Quote:

Do you even know this victim was a Trump supporter?

If so, how?

0 Replies

@blatham,

I read the list.

I didn't say he didn't do anything. But he did nothing that wasn't already in the flow of his generally left leaning, business as usual politics. i.e. - No Change

My disappointment in him was his lack of political courage

1 Reply

@Leadfoot,

"No change" is false. Unless you define "change" in some manner which does not allow for massive institutional impediments. There are now some 15 million individuals with health insurance who wouldn't have had it before, or millions with pre-existing conditions who wouldn't have had it before. That's very real.

What do you think he could have done but had no courage to do that was actually doable? Why do you think it would have been doable? Or, what did you want him to do?

1 Reply

@blatham,

blatham wrote:

OK. Time to repeat a fundamental online truism:

Don't feed the trolls. Just don't do it. If you can't abide the sort of posts they write, put them on ignore. But don't respond, and particularly, don't respond in kind. It is how sites like this head towards the bad place.

This is a forum to which participants ostensibly come to exchange ideas and opinions, agree and disagree: in short to express themselves and encounter viewpoints other than their own.

It is not the private domain of any particular participant, no matter how some may attempt or feel a need to dominate it. The idea Blatham expressed above is more fitting for an adolescent fraternity or sorority than any grouping of adults. Everyone here has a right to express him or herself as they wish within the limits enforced by the moderators here, and to agree or disagree as they wish. An effort to exclude others, or to urge others to do so, is antithetical to the expressed puroise of this site.

2 Replies

@georgeob1,

I have to go with Blatham on this.

0 Replies

@georgeob1,

Troll: One who doesn't happen to subscribe to your particular line of bullshit.

Genius: Anyone who does.

2 Replies

@Olivier5,

Olivier5 wrote:

\I was thinking the exact same thing doing the dishes two days ago. His legacy is... well, Trump. Obama played the cool, smart, even intellectual president but he never daigned to get his hands dirty at politics. He enjoyed and still has got so much popular support. He could have pushed back aggressively on the Republicans and tea baggers, got involved in reforming the Democrats, promoted pro-poor Dem candidates and honest reformist congressmen, promote good quality public education, react to the Snowden revelations by fencing in intel agencies, etc. What a waste of talent.

It appears you are suggesting Obama should have been more like Bernie Sanders, who truly did evoke much more public enthusiasn for his proposals during the Depmocrat primary than did Obama during his term. That said, my view is that Sander's (rather shopworn) economic policies would have been very damaging to our economy and untimately to its intended beneficiaries, and very likely could not win an election.. Frankly it's not clear to me just where Obama stood on these issues. Instead I have the impression that his heart was really in the international apology tour he took early in his first term, and an underlying antipathy for America's culture that I saw throught his Presidency. My opinion is that public perceptions of this played a strong role in Trump's victory.

Talent is as talent does. I'm not sure that much was really wasted during the last eight years. If we dodn't see it in eight years it likely wasn't there.

1 Reply

@layman,

The amusing thing is that Blathy and his homeys will congratulate each other on how tolerant and open-minded they are, how much they welcome "diversity," how non-authoritarian they are, how much they value free speech, etc., ad nauseam. Just like the college snowflakes who demand that they be provided with "safe spaces," ya know?

Aint nobody easier to fool than your own damn self, some say.

0 Replies

@Olivier5,

Olivier5 wrote:

I was thinking the exact same thing doing the dishes two days ago. His legacy is... well, Trump. Obama played the cool, smart, even intellectual president but he never daigned to get his hands dirty at politics. He enjoyed and still has got so much popular support. He could have pushed back aggressively on the Republicans and tea baggers, got involved in reforming the Democrats, promoted pro-poor Dem candidates and honest reformist congressmen, promote good quality public education, react to the Snowden revelations by fencing in intel agencies, etc. What a waste of talent.

And it's quite ironic that because he didn't want to sink to the low level of building (mutually beneficial) relationships and working out deals, the president who, in my lifetime, has been most obsessed with his "legacy," will see it so easily shredded. Apparently he thought that a) Hillary would do the hard work of transposing his Executive actions into bi-partisan legislation b) Hillary's coattails would carry in Dem majorities in both houses and it would be Obamacare partisan politics all over again, or c) After his enlightened reign, Americans would keep installing Dem presidents to build on his brilliant foundation for the next 100 years.

It provides insight into his narcissistic, patrician state of mind.

I have a feeling he was a lot more devastated by Trump's election than he let on in the weeks following the election. He sort of tipped his hand when he went into overtime during his first meeting with President-Elect Trump in a effort to convince him to help preserve his precious legacy. There was a stink of fear and desperation one could smell through the TV.

He showed how quick and easy it was to obtain some short lived victories through Executive action, and by doing so, with such frequency, he has set the stage for present and future Imperial presidencies.

By failing to see his chosen successor assume the reins, we will now see how easy it is for imperial edicts to be disposed of with the right election result.

This of course leaves the nation in the unsatisfactory position of being subject to the ill effects of fiats that there is no guarantee will be swept aside by the next emperor.

Even with judges who are willing to turn back the abusive power grabs of a rogue Executive branch (And the Courts smacked Obama around on more than one occasion) mischief is made and time and money wasted.

I think we will look back on these 8 years and realize that Obama did in some ways fundamentally transform the way our government operates but we won't be looking back fondly, because as sure as shite, there will be plenty of Republicans who brayed loudly about Obama's abuse of power, but will be A-OK with it in Trump's term...providing it involves something that suits their political interests.

Of course we can be thankful that there will be no shortage of progressives around to explain how it was brilliant and justified when Obama did it, but tyrannical when Trump does.

1 Reply

@georgeob1,

I just think he could have been more combative than he was.

1 Reply

@Olivier5,

Olivier5 wrote:

I just think he could have been more combative than he was.

I agree, except to note tha the was combatitive, but in an indirect and passive-agressive way, demeaning the virtue and intentions of his political opponents, but, as you indicated, avoiding any direct engagement with them to find a synthesis or resolution of concrete issues. Instead he stayed above the fray on an elevated abstract (and safe, untroubled) plane. In my experience such people rarely acomplish much.

0 Replies

@Olivier5,

Now I think it was at least as old a word usage as what Roger said, a derogatory wording meaning rat.

I don't know now if that great pecorino I ate was totally fresh or semi-stagionato, just that it was wonderful. Might have been served with fresh fava beans.

One of our design clients was the woman who started a company by making cheese from the goats in her yard.. and later sold the company.

I just looked up California cheeses and found this..

Humboldt Fog, Cypress Grove Chevre
World famous Humboldt Fog may be responsible for solidifying California's place in the cheesemaking world. Progressive techniques combined with some old-world nuances (the ash rind) impressed the world nearly 20 years ago, and now this cheese is a household name among aficionados. Even if you don't enjoy this chevre, it's one to know about it.

0 Replies

@layman,

layman wrote:

Troll: One who doesn't happen to subscribe to your particular line of bullshit.

Genius: Anyone who does.

I agree, and believe it is unfortunate. Blatham does have a point of view and perspective with some real merits. However his increasing predisposition to treat challenge or disagreement as inherently evil and indicative of a dark conspiracy evokes what, to me, is the essence of fanaticism. Doubt and skepticism are the essence of science and any search for right understanding. None of us can be sure, beyond doubt, of most of the ideas we advocate. Recognizing this is a prerequisite for sanity and civilized behavior.

Trump may turn out to be a highly successful President, .... or a failure, or anything in between. None of us yet knows for sure. He could fail because of some external event even if his ideas are sound. He could faill because of ineptitude in excuting good ideas or policy, and he could fail with skillfully executed byut incorrect policy. He could also suceed in any of the analogous converses of the above possibilities.

Disagreement about likelihoods or outcomes to date is reasonable and often constructive, but expressions of certainty are the hallmark of a fool. It appears from another post I read that the esteemed Michael Moore has recently proclaimed that the Obama presidency accomplished little. No mention was made of the eulogistic praise he offered at the start in 2004 and the certainty he then expressed of the reeults that would follow. That to me suggests that Moore is not one who should be taken seriously ( a comment which I expect that most people see as obvious.)

2 Replies

Full text: Trump's executive order on Obamacare

Quote:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 20, 2017

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

MINIMIZING THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PENDING REPEAL

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. It is the policy of my Administration to seek the prompt repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended (the "Act"). In the meantime, pending such repeal, it is imperative for the executive branch to ensure that the law is being efficiently implemented, take all actions consistent with law to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the Act, and prepare to afford the States more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market.

Sec. 2. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) and the heads of all other executive departments and agencies (agencies) with authorities and responsibilities under the Act shall exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.

Sec. 3. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Secretary and the heads of all other executive departments and agencies with authorities and responsibilities under the Act, shall exercise all authority and discretion available to them to provide greater flexibility to States and cooperate with them in implementing healthcare programs.

Sec. 4. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the head of each department or agency with responsibilities relating to healthcare or health insurance shall encourage the development of a free and open market in interstate commerce for the offering of healthcare services and health insurance, with the goal of achieving and preserving maximum options for patients and consumers.

Sec. 5. To the extent that carrying out the directives in this order would require revision of regulations issued through notice-and-comment rulemaking, the heads of agencies shall comply with the Administrative Procedure Act and other
2

applicable statutes in considering or promulgating such regulatory revisions.

Sec. 6. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 20, 2017.

# # #

1 Reply

@georgeob1,

I agree; nobody knows how Trump will perform as our president. He was elected as our president; most are at least provided a honeymoon period, but Gallup polls shows his approval rating is 37% before he even started.
My only hope for a Trump presidency is that he keeps our economy growing. That's a more difficult task than most realize, because the world's economy is struggling.
My only worry about Trump is he thinks he knows more than the experts.
(He claimed he knows more than the generals.)

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

Quote:

My only worry about Trump is he thinks he knows more than the experts.
(He claimed he knows more than the generals.)

Oh, goodness no, ci. He couldn't have said such a thing. That would be insane.

1 Reply

@blatham,

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/04/17-issues-that-donald-trump-knows-better-than-anyone-else-according-to-donald-trump/?client=safari

1 Reply

monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know