Renowned Economist: Trump is a "Delusional" threat

[_honorentheos]

You're focusing on the wrong thing, subbie. Rather than playing it like a sport with two competing sides, one should look at the rather glaring fact Trump's tariff activity is incredibly unpopular among economists in general. The reality this is descending into a trade war isn't sport. It's a new kind of crazy.

I'm reminded of Trump's claims he is a great negotiator...and the evidence for this is multiple decades of business deals that are straight damned scary if they foreshadow what the outcome will be for the nation. Our future, and that of our children, is in the hands of the mad king of structured bankruptcy and debt shell games. I'm sure the potential to get a pro-life Supreme Court makes it all totally worth it, though.

[_honorentheos]

Also saw this today. It underscores the argument in the OP that Trump's presidency is benefiting those who need it the least at the expense of the poor:
https://talkpoverty.org/2018/06/01/un-j ... s-poverty/

The United Nations has released a scathing report on poverty and inequality in the United States. The findings, which will be presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council on June 21, follow an official visit to the United States by Philip Alston, the U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, to investigate whether economic insecurity in the country undermines human rights.

The conclusions are damning. “The United States already leads the developed world in income and wealth inequality, and it is now moving full steam ahead to make itself even more unequal,” the report concludes. “High child and youth poverty rates perpetuate the intergenerational transmission of poverty very effectively, and ensure that the American dream is rapidly becoming the American illusion.”

The U.N. explicitly lays blame with the Trump administration for policies that actively increase poverty and inequality in the country. “The $1.5 trillion in tax cuts in December 2017 overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy and worsened inequality. The consequences of neglecting poverty and promoting inequality are clear,” it concludes. “The policies pursued over the past year seem deliberately designed to remove basic protections from the poorest, punish those who are not in employment and make even basic health care into a privilege to be earned rather than a right of citizenship.”

Yep. Totally winning.

[_honorentheos]

Here's another related story:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... spartanntp

President Trump is increasingly intervening in the economy, making decisions about corporate winners and losers in ways that Republicans for decades have insisted should be left to free markets — not the government.

...

On Friday, citing national security, Trump ordered the Energy Department to compel power-grid operators to buy from ailing coal and nuclear plants that otherwise would be forced to shut down because of competition from cheaper sources.

[_Brackite]

But we Americans elected the moron. We Americans are the real threat to the world.
It is painfully obvious that most Americans are very stupid.

Most Americans did not vote for Trump. Trump got about 46% of the vote nationwide. Trump got lucky by getting razor thin victory margins in PA, MI and WI. The Electoral College ended up electing and giving us Trump.

[_Brackite]

Rush pointed out that the left is losing its patience with voters. I think Democracy's days are numbered. Even planting a spy couldn't swing the election the way they wanted. I doubt many more elections will be left up to voters in the future.

Trey Gowdy: FBI’s Use of Informant for Trump Campaign Was Appropriate

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on Tuesday that the FBI’s use of an informant for the Trump campaign in 2016 was appropriate, joining top Democrats in disputing President Donald Trump’s characterization of the informant as a spy.

“I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do when they got the information they got, and that it has nothing to do with Donald Trump,” Gowdy said during an interview on Fox News.

In recent days, Trump has parroted misleading claims about the FBI’s use of the informant as part of its counter-intelligence investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, dubbing the individual a “spy” and referring to the controversy as “Spygate.”

Gowdy’s comments were significant because the former federal prosecutor participated in a classified briefing about the informant last week that was conducted by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The so-called “Gang of Eight”—which includes House and Senate leaders in addition to the top Republicans and Democrats on the intelligence committees—also joined the briefing. The Democrats present at the meeting previously released a joint statement saying they heard “no evidence” from Rosenstein and Wray that a “spy” was placed within the Trump campaign.

[_MeDotOrg]

I've been thinking about Donald Trump too much for a couple of years now. I get caught in thinking of the various aspects of his personality: his narcissism, which runs concurrently with his lack of empathy, his incredibly insecure ego, his obsession with the 'transactional now', which blinds him to the strategic percussions of short term gains, his inability to see that Americans are loyal to the Constitution and not Donald Trump, which is coupled with his increasing inability to differentiate between what he wants to be true and what is true.

But lately I've been just trying to stand back from the act of deconstructing Trump, and just let the totality of the man sink in. Sometimes it feels as uncomplicated as what Fareed Zakaria said nearly 2 years ago: Donald Trump is a BS artist. And the most disheartening thing for me is not that Trump is a BS artist, not even the Quisling Republicans that remain silent while his lawyers attempt to launch an assault on the Constitution, but that so many Americans bought, and continue to buy, his act.

[_canpakes]

Even planting a spy couldn't swing the election the way they wanted. I doubt many more elections will be left up to voters in the future.

I’m not seeing that you think through many things that you write. This post is another great example.

[_Jersey Girl]

Sometimes it feels as uncomplicated as what Fareed Zakaria said nearly 2 years ago: Donald Trump is a BS artist.

Not even.

You see there's a distinction to be made here regarding the subtle classifications of humans who BS and as one of few rep's of the East Coast on MDB, I'll elect myself to make it. Hang on to your word censor just a sec.

To suggest that DT is a BS artist is a gross insult to BS artist's everywhere. A BS artist is one who can sling BS with finesse. They're cool, they're clever, and they're slick.

DT couldn't finesse his way out of a paper bag.

No, I'm afraid that what we have in the form of DT (our actual President) is the common bullshitter. Bullshitters are obvious. They're full of crap and everyone knows it.

You're welcome.
;-)

[Guest]

DT couldn't finesse his way out of a paper bag.

No, I'm afraid that what we have in the form of DT (our actual President) is the common bullshitter. Bullshitters are obvious. They're full of crap and everyone knows it.

The last four words need a look.

If Trump is a common bullshitter and everyone knows it, then why do a large number of folks either believe or promote that BS?

Either those last four words are not completely true and many of his voters are simply very easily manipulated and/or ignorant, or some quantity of that subset are cognizant of being played by Trump because their deep-seated insecurities demand that they sacrifice their integrity in order to promote his BS in pursuing their need for ‘feeling right’ (as opposed to being right).

So we have a ‘liars or fools’ choice.

Neither option is a good one.

[_MeDotOrg]

Sometimes it feels as uncomplicated as what Fareed Zakaria said nearly 2 years ago: Donald Trump is a BS artist.

Not even.

You see there's a distinction to be made here regarding the subtle classifications of humans who BS and as one of few rep's of the East Coast on MDB, I'll elect myself to make it. Hang on to your word censor just a sec.

To suggest that DT is a BS artist is a gross insult to BS artist's everywhere. A BS artist is one who can sling BS with finesse. They're cool, they're clever, and they're slick.

DT couldn't finesse his way out of a paper bag.

No, I'm afraid that what we have in the form of DT (our actual President) is the common bullshitter. Bullshitters are obvious. They're full of crap and everyone knows it.

You're welcome.
;-)

I know what you're saying, Jersey Girl. Rhetorically he can succeed in front of an audience of supporters, there's a reason he hasn't held a press conference in over a year. He's simply not adroit enough to explain the contradictory statements he has made as President. But as I said, the most disheartening thing is that enough people bought his b.s. that he is now the President, and in the face all that has year and a half, a good chunk of the American public is still buying.

Think of the Presidency as a real estate deal. Trump sold himself to the American people to get the deal. Now like all b.s. deals, he must try to justify why it's not working out like he said it would, but the sale as already been made. Donald Trump has no interest in the Americans who did not want tenancy in his building. He has a lot more interest in the Americans that did vote for him. No press conferences, but lots of rallies.