Donald Trump and Joseph Smith

[Kishkumen]

I think we may have overestimated the strength and resilience of democracy and the institutions needed to implement and sustain it. We have a world under stress and a general movement away from democracy and toward autocracy. Perhaps we're suffering from aspects of evolved human nature that were a feature in the past, but a bug today. Trump has become a promoter of violence, with the MAGA movement following behind. What Matt Gaetz said at the Iowa state fair would have been anathema a couple of decades ago. Today, violence is an inherent part of being a Republican politician. This road leads to nothing good.

I agree with you about the resilience of democracy. It seems that a large minority of Americans only supports democratic principles as long as they get what they want. If they don’t, they are happy to throw in with an authoritarian who promises to give them what they want.

[Kishkumen]

A legitimate angle to take, Reverend. I've compared the Church to the DPRK lately, but I think comparisons to Trump are also valid.

There are strong parallels between Smith and Trump in terms of raw tribalism and cluster B personal traits. As leaders, they also seem to appeal to the same kind of base -- essentially, nutters.

I think in modern times when freedom has been on the table, it slips in the following progression:

libertarianism ---> contrariansim ---> authoritarianism

In rhetoric, Mormonism puts all the power in the hands of the individual, who can go directly to God for answers and even receive the father, spiritual gifts, administering angels, and there's no paid ministry.

One difference between Smith and Trump is that Trump is a negative hero and Smith is not. Smith was a good speaker and charismatic; a great salesman, Trump isn't. He's not just an open criminal, but openly incompetent and nonsensical, impersonal, no sense of humor, but these are all virtues for Republican opposites day; and every day is opposites day. The Trump NFT cards are funny because of the exaggerations; if it were Putin they wouldn't be meant tongue-in-cheek. He's not charismatic in the least, but he is entertaining, and a lot of that is how is he going to disrespect his position next; what's he going to say that's unconventional or out of line.

Very insightful, Dean. I think the LDS Church of today is the DPRK. The Mormons of the 19th century were more like Trumpists. Your three stages model looks pretty accurate to me.

[Moksha]

Trump is a non-stop fountain of lies. His followers revel in and celebrate his criminality. They even describe themselves as being part of the Orange Mafia and Trump brags that he has been indicted more than Al Capone. At least Joseph only bragged that he was greater than Jesus.

[honorentheos]

Hi ajax,

Republican Jerome Powell's interest rates cuts to take their toll.

Oh please Jerome Powell is no conservative. The fact that the interest rates depend on some unelected bureaucret was never true laisee faire free market capitalism.

Would you remind me what was going on here in this 2019 article?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday continued to pressure the Federal Reserve and the central bank’s chairman to lower interest rates, saying its policies were hampering U.S. growth and reducing the country’s ability to compete economically.

“Doing great with China and other Trade Deals. The only problem we have is Jay Powell and the Fed. He’s like a golfer who can’t putt, has no touch. Big U.S. growth if he does the right thing, BIG CUT - but don’t count on him!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

“We are competing with many countries that have a far lower interest rate, and we should be lower than them,” he added.

The comments by Trump, who has repeatedly criticized the Federal Reserve’s policies, come as he seeks to downplay worries that a trade war between the United States and China could weigh on the U.S. economy and trigger a possible recession before the November 2020 presidential election. (emphasis added)

Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari, who does not have a vote on the Fed’s monetary policy committee this year but participates in policy discussions at the central bank, urged the Fed to use forward guidance as the global economy has slowed in an op-ed published in the Financial Times on Wednesday.

Source:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKCN1VB1I2

[honorentheos]

The result?

The Federal Reserve has made the following decisions to implement the monetary policy stance announced by the Federal Open Market Committee in its statement on September 18, 2019:

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System voted unanimously to lower the interest rate paid on required and excess reserve balances to 1.80 percent, effective September 19, 2019. Setting the interest rate paid on required and excess reserve balances 20 basis points below the top of the target range for the federal funds rate is intended to foster trading in the federal funds market at rates well within the FOMC's target range.

Source: https://www.federalreserve.gov/newseven ... %2C%202019.

[honorentheos]

https://www.ft.com/content/ce9dac68-c27 ... 6d1d0455f4

This is the article noted at the end of the Reuters article that is worth a read for it's own sake. 2019 wasn't a golden period in US economics, ajax.

[honorentheos]

Hey ajax,

Aside from who is president, we're in a world decoupling trade (beginning with Trump) and declining birth rates,

There's no shortage of poor and irresponsible people having kids. What we lack are people of faith who are willing to sacrifice and actually put the time and effort into raising strong and capable kids.

Gadianton is drawing your attention to a large shift in geopolitics. The non sequitur you gave in response suggests you don't understand the comment.

When you read something you don't understand, why is your typical response a tired right-wing talk show propaganda point rather than looking into the comment? If you don't have the time, I suppose you could ignore it. But what it suggests to me is you don't recognize the ignorance in your reply. You saw something about birth rates being mentioned, you answered the question with what sticks in your craw regarding birth rates whether or not it applied, and moved on.

I suggest you spend some time reading up on current geopolitical trends.

[Gadianton]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday continued to pressure the Federal Reserve and the central bank’s chairman to lower interest rates

I doubt you'll get a response from Ajax.

Ajax has a refined, winning formula. Trump is our economic savior, and if he isn't it's because RINOs and Democrats, and if he still isn't, then no comment and move on to the next point.

[ajax18]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday continued to pressure the Federal Reserve and the central bank’s chairman to lower interest rates

I doubt you'll get a response from Ajax.

Ajax has a refined, winning formula. Trump is our economic savior, and if he isn't it's because RINOs and Democrats, and if he still isn't, then no comment and move on to the next point.

Are you better off now than you were in 2019 Gad? Honor are you better off now than in 2019?

I know most of you left coast liberals employ illegal immigrant nannies, gardners or even the occasional Mexican chair etc. Perhaps an emforced border is a threat to your way of life the same as abolitionism was a threat to southern planters. At least southern planters didn't shift the cost of feeding, clothing, medical care onto their felliow American citizens.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

I doubt you'll get a response from Ajax.

Ajax has a refined, winning formula. Trump is our economic savior, and if he isn't it's because RINOs and Democrats, and if he still isn't, then no comment and move on to the next point.

Are you better off now than you were in 2019 Gad? Honor are you better off now than in 2019?

I know most of you left coast liberals employ illegal immigrant nannies, gardners or even the occasional Mexican chair etc. Perhaps an emforced border is a threat to your way of life the same as abolitionism was a threat to southern planters. At least southern planters didn't shift the cost of feeding, clothing, medical care onto their felliow American citizens.

-_-