Adm
Active Member
Or karma is real and that's why Trump is president... [ducks and runs]
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Or karma is real and that's why Trump is president... [ducks and runs]
lolachampcar
Well-Known Member
Agreed.
We have EXACTLY the government we deserve for who we are at this point in time.
We have EXACTLY the government we deserve for who we are at this point in time.
Here's more evidence (argument) from Five Thirty-eight re: electoral vulnerability.
Russians Are Targeting Private Election Companies, Too — And States Aren’t Doing Much About It
Russians Are Targeting Private Election Companies, Too — And States Aren’t Doing Much About It
Whether Russia is doing this or not, it seems the electorate doesn't rank the Russia story very high at all.
Immigration Surges to Top of Most Important Problem List
The "Situation with Russia" doesn't even rank above 1%.
I feel more comfortable socializing here than I did with colleagues when a full-time teacher. Part of that is because teaching about foreign governments and international relations is usually a multi-disciplinary enterprise. I learned more from historians, philosophers, economists, geographers, etc., than fellow teachers of government. Hence I am pleasantly surprised by the enlightened discourse here, but I shouldn't be. It is possible my prejudice that the wealthy are insulated from Christian concern for the poor is misplaced. (I assume, and hope, you are all wealthier than we.)
Where I may disagree is on the issue of financing social welfare. For doubters, let's do the usual scientific trick of symmetry. I'm all for practical considerations of financing, but how often do we apply those same standards for social welfare expenditures, to cost-benefit considerations for procurement of weapons or the decision to advance policies, say, the Iraq or Vietnam Wars?
A modern Ev Dirksen might say, "a trillion here, a trillion there, and soon you're talking about big money."
As a third grader in the forties I was so proud to receive my very own green, small, but thick dictionary on my desk at school on the first day of class along with other mates in Illinois. We could take them home and keep them, mind you. It was more than half a century later that I marveled we had such wealth in the middle of a vast but just war.
Where I may disagree is on the issue of financing social welfare. For doubters, let's do the usual scientific trick of symmetry. I'm all for practical considerations of financing, but how often do we apply those same standards for social welfare expenditures, to cost-benefit considerations for procurement of weapons or the decision to advance policies, say, the Iraq or Vietnam Wars?
A modern Ev Dirksen might say, "a trillion here, a trillion there, and soon you're talking about big money."
As a third grader in the forties I was so proud to receive my very own green, small, but thick dictionary on my desk at school on the first day of class along with other mates in Illinois. We could take them home and keep them, mind you. It was more than half a century later that I marveled we had such wealth in the middle of a vast but just war.
Perhaps Trump is right, public relations is more important than reality. Reminds me of the character in Miller's Death of a Salesman, "it doesn't matter what you say, just how you say it."
Where would we be with a different president? Say, a leader not just a follower stoking innate prejudice. (Just a thought experiment.)
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JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Not sure why you think that's a "Christian concern". Concern for the poor/weak predates Christianity and certainly many modern "Christians", i.e. conservative religious types, seem to have no concern at all for the poor. Many churches completely ignore the teachings of Christ and are nothing more than shrines to excessive spending.
Agreed. Though a non-believer I was raised a Christian so that is the origin of my concern. (I'm not an original thinker.) Bearing in mind the so-called Christians you refer to I try to rub it in wherever/whenever possible. You can't argue with them, just reassert the principles of Christianity's origins. Just think about President Pence!
Where I err is in not giving credit to other religious teaching which is similar.Edit: Bolded added.
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JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I think the majority of people, who did not vote for this government, might disagree.
Krugerrand
Meow
lolachampcar
Well-Known Member
Well, lets look at that for a moment...
We elected a president that thought torture was a good idea (and who was not smart enough to understand the rules had changed, we were no longer dealing with nation state actors and thus invading countries made no sense when addressing the particular problem at hand).
We elected a president who was a serial abuser of women. His wife made it her life's mission to destroy those women and, had ti not been for a blue dress, she would have completely succeeded.
We considered the above wife for president.
It seems like our decision making has been deteriorating steadily over a very long time. I'm a firm believer in consequences for poor decisions and I strongly suspect Trump is one of those consequences.
and its not improving. The latest bit of news about the Kochs using their network to combat the current administration and this effort being hailed as the latest saving move is more of the move down the rabbit hole. We are now putting our faith in big money interests to solve our problems. What could possibly go wrong (hint, still a believer that the fire is worse than the frying pan).
Until we change as voters, the rest will not change and we will continue in a corrupt dysfunctional spiral (my opinion of course).
Yep, we got what we deserved.
The above was written for the 30% of left overs. I think there were something like 35% of voters that thought Nixon was rail roaded / framed even as he climbed abort the helicopter for the last time. It seems like 35% will be for their side no matter what the reality of a situation is. That leaves 30% who are "left over" and have a chance for independent thought.
Monitors - please feel free to move or delete if too far off topic
I'm not at all convinced Trump is successful in any way. He was successful in having a wealthy father. In manhood (and I use the term loosely) he darkens everything he touches. Where would he be without bankruptcy laws? Signs of success? His electoral success depends on the weakness of others, both his supporters, his opponents, ignorance of voters, lazy reporters, venal business tycoons, and the list goes on.
Karma implies consequences for one's actions. What is it Jefferson said, "I tremble for my country when I remember that God is just?" My wife prays for the benefit of others and thus earns possible credit toward her sins in past lives. I can't imagine Trump praying; that would acknowledge existence of a higher power. That's really sad. We must pray for him, non-believers as well. Who is it who said "they know not what they do?"
To get somewhere in the same universe as investing, pray for the shorts too. Other losers.
Karma implies consequences for one's actions. What is it Jefferson said, "I tremble for my country when I remember that God is just?" My wife prays for the benefit of others and thus earns possible credit toward her sins in past lives. I can't imagine Trump praying; that would acknowledge existence of a higher power. That's really sad. We must pray for him, non-believers as well. Who is it who said "they know not what they do?"
To get somewhere in the same universe as investing, pray for the shorts too. Other losers.
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JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Prayer is an irrational waste of time, so I'll pass.
Trump is the consequence of a failed electoral system which did not perform as it was supposed to. Let's not pretend the other candidate or the preceding president were just as bad as Trump simply because they had their own issues.
Not really. The electoral system performed -exactly- how the founding fathers intended.
Ignore parties and ignore the candidates and look at the system setup itself.
It's meant to give weaker states more representative power.
If you ditched the electoral system, you can simply have one city like San Francisco or New York decide who the President is (and everything else) for the entire country.
How Democrats plan to pay for Universal Health Care & Free College educations....she needs help with her math because she might be a little short, Universal health care is going to cost +$30T anyone know how much free college is going to run?
Full article at:
Koch-backed study finds ‘Medicare for All’ would save U.S. trillions
So Bernie Sander's would save your country money, everybody would be covered, and people wouldn't be paying health insurance company premiums. Seems like a good scenario to me.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
No, one of the functions of the electoral college was to insure that if the populace elected an obviously unfit candidate the electoral voters would vote to prevent that. They failed to do so in this case.
Realistically, the electoral college is comprised of the party of the candidate. If the electoral college did not choose the President, the House of Representatives would have.
I don't think the outcome would have changed in any case. Short of very few outliers, the electoral college tows the party line - no matter who the candidate is.
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