100 Days and Counting

[Mike Cl]

It's not difficult to share your pessimism, however we must keep fighting! This is all deja vu, the same people who still defend agent orange were wearing brown shirts and screaming with glee and a stretched out right arm 80 years ago! What could be worse than sitting back and doing nothing  when facing evil? I watch with horror other message boards, even in Canada, and realize you can't fight stupidity. But the least we can do is try.

It is difficult for me to share my pessimism--against my nature.  I have always said that the world is in the best shape it has ever been overall.  I still think so.  It's just that the sheer volume of the stupidity flowing from my country simply overwhelmed me. I'm still in a bit of shock--slowly recovering. 

What I do see is Drump is THE single biggest challenge this country has ever faced--and that includes both the Civil War and WWII.  Drump has offered this county the opportunity to learn to stop despotism here at home.  If we don't recognize it and oppose it, this country will cease to exist as anything but a shadow of what it was/could be.  If we, as country, learn and then fix this despot, we will emerge stronger and better.  If not.......................

This will be a difficult challenge for we are not a country that likes to think of nuances or ramifications.  The World's Greatest Generation likes to think they rose to the occasion.   They did not rise to anything; they had their head slammed into a wall and then they reacted.  Yes, they did a grand job of reacting, but they did not 'reason' the situation out.  Any generation would have done what they did.  There is only one Greatest Generation in our history--the Founding Fathers one.  They had no blueprints for doing what they did.  They had to deeply consider nuance and ramification for everything they did.  It was not easy, and it was not a given they would succeed.  And their constitution was not without flaws.  But they did take all that into consideration with the Amendment process--we have a way to create a better constitution at any time.  But it would take thinking--nuanced thinking about the ramification of changing the document.  Drump has slammed out heads into the wall.  I wonder how we will react.  I do have hope...................

[reasonist]

To an American, being European is a disease ... WW I, WW II, Communism ... what is not to like?  Oscar Wilde ... he's the man!  If he can't gay ... nobody can!

His sexuality doesn't diminish his genius. I am surprised you bring that up in a conversation.

[Hydra009]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-tax-law-firm-deep-ties-russia/story?id=47376041

Doing a great job throwing people off the scent.

[Baruch]

His sexuality doesn't diminish his genius. I am surprised you bring that up in a conversation.

I am not ashamed of his gayness, and neither would he.  But PC would be something to be ashamed of.  I didn't claim his sexuality diminished his art  any more than that of Leonardo or Michelangelo.  You brought it up because you are stereotyping me.  Don't worry, I ain't triggered, so no reason for me to file a class action suite against you ;-)

[reasonist]

I am not ashamed of his gayness, and neither would he.  But PC would be something to be ashamed of.  I didn't claim his sexuality diminished his art  any more than that of Leonardo or Michelangelo.  You brought it up because you are stereotyping me.  Don't worry, I ain't triggered, so no reason for me to file a class action suite against you ;-)

Much appreciated! :-))  no stereotyping - I just was surprised you brought it up since it is irrelevant to the quote.

[Baruch]

Much appreciated! :-))  no stereotyping - I just was surprised you brought it up since it is irrelevant to the quote.

My mind works by association ... he was gay, some folks here are gay ... he is also English, and some folks here are English.  I would think mentioning he was English ... might be relevant ... to me anyway.

[fencerider]

There is a landfill in West Covina called BKK. A history teacher told us in high school that they buried several tons of agent Orange there. Enough; as he put it; to take out all of Los Angeles County if an earthquake uncovered it.

Thomas Piketty writes in "Capital in the 21st Century" that from 1977 to 2007, 60% (!) of the total income in the US went to the top 1%!  Unsustainable.

Bernie Sanders has said several times on the radio how the distribution of wealth is currently in the U.S.

90% of US wealth in the hands of the top 10%
50% of US wealth in the hands of the top 1%
30%? of US wealth in the hands of the top 1/10%


Maybe some people will think this is offensive, but when somebody says "the greatest generation" you should be asking the greatest generation of what? My answer is "the greatest generation" of white American male bigots, racists, and xenophobes. U.S. went and cleaned up Germany after Russia did the heavy lifting ( KIA Russian military 27,000,000; German military 8,000,000; U.S military 418,000 - Russia killed 6 million Germans, U.S. killed only 1 million). Attack on Berlin would have failed if the bombers weren't escorted by African-American fighter pilots (all while whites were lynching black people back home). U.S. influence in the WWII would have been much less if wmn didnt take over every non-combat role possible in the military

[Unbeliever]

His sexuality doesn't diminish his genius. I am surprised you bring that up in a conversation.

Yeah, Baruch seems to have a thing about Wilde's sexuality, I've noticed that before. As if it matters at all to anyone at all...

[Unbeliever]

President Trump Wants Gerald Ford Carriers to Use ‘Goddamned Steam’ Catapults Instead of ‘No Good’ Electromagnetic Launchers

President Donald Trump wants the new Gerald Ford-class aircraft carriers to use older steam catapults to launch aircraft rather than the new electromagnetic launch system that the Navy has been developing for more than a decade.

I guess he never read the NT, where it says you shouldn't put new wine into old bottles...

[Unbeliever]

I'm really glad this guy's gone:

[Baruch]

President Trump Wants Gerald Ford Carriers to Use ‘Goddamned Steam’ Catapults Instead of ‘No Good’ Electromagnetic Launchers

I guess he never read the NT, where it says you shouldn't put new wine into old bottles...

There may be technical problems generating your own EMP pulse ... in how it effects the rest of the ship.  But then except for TR and FDR ... no President has known beans about the Navy, other than navy beans (served in the US Senate cafeteria I am told).

[Baruch]

Yeah, Baruch seems to have a thing about Wilde's sexuality, I've noticed that before. As if it matters at all to anyone at all...

Well, dead gay men don't matter, unless you are into that sort of thing ;-)

[Hydra009]

Trump expected to pick right-wing radio show host to head USDA

The USDA’s research section studies everything from climate change to nutrition. Under the 2008 Farm Bill, its leader is supposed to serve as the agency’s “chief scientist” and be chosen “from among distinguished scientists with specialized or significant experience in agricultural research, education, and economics.”

But Sam Clovis â€" who, according to sources with knowledge of the appointment and members of the agriculture trade press, is President Trump’s pick to oversee the section -- appears to have no such credentials.

Clovis has never taken a graduate course in science and is openly skeptical of climate change.

Clovis has repeatedly expressed skepticism over climate science, and has called efforts to address climate change “simply a mechanism for transferring wealth from one group of people to another.”

“I think our position is very clearly [that] Mr. Trump is a skeptic on climate change, and we need more science,” he said. “Once we get more science, we are going to make decisions.”

Also, I can't help but notice the lack of a "good" qualifier in front of "decisions".  I guess deciding is more important than discerning.

This isn't a done deal.  Trump could still pick someone a little bit more...(how do I put this?)...reality-aware for the post.  But that's the thing about making the guy with the crappy resume the head honcho; what are the odds that he's going to make wise hiring decisions?  He sure as hell hasn't made good calls with his other appointees.

[Baruch]

All of Trumps appointees seem to be hacks.  Unfortunate.  But climate change is being fought ... the American/Canadian/Japanese and European people responsible for most of it, are being herded to the abattoir.

[reasonist]

Try something interesting: I asked the last few days acquaintances, friends, family and on message boards a simple question for the die hard Trump fans,
"What must Trump do in order for you to say 'I was wrong, I got duped by a con-man and regret it.'"

I didn't get one answer to the question, everything was brought up form Obamacare to Benghazi but nobody was able to answer this simple question. It was great entertainment! Try it, see the reactions.