President Donald Trump

[baldgriff]

If you eliminate some of the programs (not all social benefit programs) or reduce spending on things like "military spending" and then put that money back in the taxpayers pocket that helps the individual by putting real dollars in their hands. Its a start.

Edit to add:

Businesses may try lose money on products that are substandard - and it affects their bottom lines. When the government wastes money on things like "The War on Drugs" or $100 hammers it effects all of us.

[cardboardbox]

I’m not sure that changes anything since they all voted against it now. The test will be when they flip control of house and senate and then vote in favor or let it expire. Then true colors will be shown.

I'm interested in seeing if "RESIST!" has its limits.

[Bernie Brewer]

If you eliminate some of the programs (not all social benefit programs) or reduce spending on things like "military spending" and then put that money back in the taxpayers pocket that helps the individual by putting real dollars in their hands. Its a start.

Edit to add:

Businesses may try lose money on products that are substandard - and it affects their bottom lines. When the government wastes money on things like "The War on Drugs" or $100 hammers it effects all of us.

I doubt many businesses “try” to lose money, particularly on R&D projects. Sometimes you gotta throw shit against the wall to see what sticks. Look at Kodak, Bell and Howell, Motarola, and endless companies that didn’t innovate. Countless retailers, tech companies, supply chain to auto industry, etc. they’re gone because they didn’t/couldn’t evolve. The Enron’s are rare. The Polaroids are not. If companies try anything, they try to minimize that taxable impact on profits. As you or someone suggested, CEO’s are rarely THE boss. They are certainly charged with running the company and pay can be very disproportionate to average employee costs. But, that’s capitalism. Even Steve Jobs was just an employee. He got fired. CEOs get fired all the time. Some walk with large parachutes others not so much. But they take the risks, and are held accountable. They answer to Boards and ultimately the Boards answer to shareholders, big and small, though admittedly big shareholders with larger stakes hold more sway. This isn’t a far comparison to government. The “CEOs” (all elected officials and appointees) in government hold no larger ownership than the smallest shareholder (in theory). And they are often not held accountable for their actions. We talk about 11% favorability rating for Congress, not GOP or Dems, the whole. But when election time comes we re-elect the same people because we believe our guy is good everyone else sucks! If there is too much waste in business the leaders are fired or the company itself ceases to exist. In government waste gets you re-elected.

[baldgriff]

I doubt many businesses “try” to lose money, particularly on R&D projects. Sometimes you gotta throw shit against the wall to see what sticks. Look at Kodak, Bell and Howell, Motarola, and endless companies that didn’t innovate. Countless retailers, tech companies, supply chain to auto industry, etc. they’re gone because they didn’t/couldn’t evolve. The Enron’s are rare. The Polaroids are not. If companies try anything, they try to minimize that taxable impact on profits. As you or someone suggested, CEO’s are rarely THE boss. They are certainly charged with running the company and pay can be very disproportionate to average employee costs. But, that’s capitalism. Even Steve Jobs was just an employee. He got fired. CEOs get fired all the time. Some walk with large parachutes others not so much. But they take the risks, and are held accountable. They answer to Boards and ultimately the Boards answer to shareholders, big and small, though admittedly big shareholders with larger stakes hold more sway. This isn’t a far comparison to government. The “CEOs” (all elected officials and appointees) in government hold no larger ownership than the smallest shareholder (in theory). And they are often not held accountable for their actions. We talk about 11% favorability rating for Congress, not GOP or Dems, the whole. But when election time comes we re-elect the same people because we believe our guy is good everyone else sucks! If there is too much waste in business the leaders are fired or the company itself ceases to exist. In government waste gets you re-elected.

I meant to say try to promote new products and fail.. sorry got ahead of myself. Business is typically not in it to lose money.

[fuhrdog]

With no intent to direct this towards anyone, Hey, here's an idea. Can we now stop measuring penises and get back to Trump.

One last thing RB, be careful, if you’re objective and give Trump any credit you’ll be outted as a closet supporter. I mean you are, but you’re still wanting to stay in the closet, right? Oh and Fresno will demand you pay because us closet trumpsters are moochers living off the teet!

Kinda contradictory quotes. I know better than to post in political threads here but after our little back and forth, I let you and a couple others get their last shots in and I dropped it. Then you post about stopping measuring penises and just a little later continue on even after someone agreed with you to some extent. I think your advice in the first quote is good, hopefully both sides can follow it.

[revo]

Is there a reason why Trump keeps bragging about a 46% approval rating (from right leaning Rasmussen Reports, no less)? 50 fucking polls have him hovering around 35%, and the dumbass brags about the ONE poll that has him higher. That's a great idea, I'm going to find the broken scale and use that to tell me what I really weigh!

And for the record, I never heard either of the last couple of presidents brag about their FAR higher approval ratings (Bush was at almost 90% at the tail end of 2001, and Obama almost 70% in early 2009).

I'm a little surprised he bashed the NFL players, because he's like the guy who does the TD celebration dance when his team is down 52-7.

[cardboardbox]

Kinda contradictory quotes. I know better than to post in political threads here but after our little back and forth, I let you and a couple others get their last shots in and I dropped it. Then you post about stopping measuring penises and just a little later continue on even after someone agreed with you to some extent. I think your advice in the first quote is good, hopefully both sides can follow it.

does BB need to add sarcasm tags next time?

[fuhrdog]

does BB need to add sarcasm tags next time?

I knew you'd be the first to respond.

[cardboardbox]

I knew you'd be the first to respond.

I try to help you out.

[fuhrdog]

I try to help you out.

You forgot your sarcasm tags.

[Bernie Brewer]

Kinda contradictory quotes. I know better than to post in political threads here but after our little back and forth, I let you and a couple others get their last shots in and I dropped it. Then you post about stopping measuring penises and just a little later continue on even after someone agreed with you to some extent. I think your advice in the first quote is good, hopefully both sides can follow it.

No intent to direct at you. In fact, they were kind of contradictory. I can't even remember who said I was a closet Trumpster, TBTH, it just seemed like several posters laid this rap on me. Oh well, I'm a big boy, but I fight back! And, the second comment was meant more for Redbirds than anyone else as he and I have been having several offline discussions, because we respect each other enough to talk in normal voices (well, type in normal fonts! Ya know, until he went and used the wrong font! I kid, I kid.). He was sitting out for a bit and I encouraged him to disagree with me more publicly. Why, because I really value his commentary and when he is lays his points out, he is persuasive. At least to me. And, I am glad he's back. Now recall in his second post he agreed with my premise that everything isn't bleak, my words not his, and that Trump has had some "great" (his words not mine) accomplishments. I'm not sure they're great, so I was being a bit sarcastic that he was willing to acknowledge what others seemingly won't, because to do so, somehow that became tacit support for Trump, which it most definitely is not! Trump has accomplished stuff. Is it the right stuff or the helpful stuff, who knows. Its probably both, but time will tell.

The whole penis thing started when someone suggested that I and others with whom he/they disagree, are freeloaders and don't contribute financially to the site. I did not ask Jason to comment and defend me, because I wasn't looking to validate this silly distraction from the discussion.

Truly, I hold no grudges and don't mean to offend, but I will defend myself and others when I think someone is becoming a bully or whatever. Unless you tell me otherwise, we're good. I wouldn't want it any other way. I am good with healthy disagreement, just not being labeled as anything I am not.

And lastly, please post in the political threads. No one should feel that their voice isn't worth hearing, or more importantly that the other voices are so offensive that you can't listen. We need these discussions, some are hard, but most are important, on this Board and in this country. Its the only way forward to search for common ground.

[cardboardbox]

[sarcasm]You forgot your sarcasm tags.[/sarcasm]

fify.

[Redbirds Fan]

No intent to direct at you. In fact, they were kind of contradictory. I can't even remember who said I was a closet Trumpster, TBTH, it just seemed like several posters laid this rap on me. Oh well, I'm a big boy, but I fight back! And, the second comment was meant more for Redbirds than anyone else as he and I have been having several offline discussions, because we respect each other enough to talk in normal voices (well, type in normal fonts! Ya know, until he went and used the wrong font! I kid, I kid.). He was sitting out for a bit and I encouraged him to disagree with me more publicly. Why, because I really value his commentary and when he is lays his points out, he is persuasive. At least to me. And, I am glad he's back. Now recall in his second post he agreed with my premise that everything isn't bleak, my words not his, and that Trump has had some "great" (his words not mine) accomplishments. I'm not sure they're great, so I was being a bit sarcastic that he was willing to acknowledge what others seemingly won't, because to do so, somehow that became tacit support for Trump, which it most definitely is not! Trump has accomplished stuff. Is it the right stuff or the helpful stuff, who knows. Its probably both, but time will tell.

The whole penis thing started when someone suggested that I and others with whom he/they disagree, are freeloaders and don't contribute financially to the site. I did not ask Jason to comment and defend me, because I wasn't looking to validate this silly distraction from the discussion.

Truly, I hold no grudges and don't mean to offend, but I will defend myself and others when I think someone is becoming a bully or whatever. Unless you tell me otherwise, we're good. I wouldn't want it any other way. I am good with healthy disagreement, just not being labeled as anything I am not.

And lastly, please post in the political threads. No one should feel that their voice isn't worth hearing, or more importantly that the other voices are so offensive that you can't listen. We need these discussions, some are hard, but most are important, on this Board and in this country. Its the only way forward to search for common ground.

Let's not put words in my mouth. I never said Trump had any "great" accomplishments. Major accomplishments, yes, but not in a good sense. I think the things he has acheived, while they have definitely promoted the agenda of the ultra-right, have hurt the country in many ways. A prime example is the appointment of underqualified ideologues to the bench, particularly the Courts of Appeal. So far he has placed 12 appellate judges, as compared to a total of 12 by the three previous presidents during their respective first years. Many of the judges he has nominated were put up purely for their partisan views, and at least two had never tried a case in their lives. Trump has no respect for the Court system, so he has chosen to attack it from within.

EDIT: And I'm not a fan, closet or otherwise. I'm not one of those who think "in the long run, it could be good for the system". I think any good he might accidentally do will be so outweighed by the accidental and intentional harm that he will go down in history as a big league disaster. Sad.

[Bernie Brewer]

Let's not put words in my mouth. I never said Trump had any "great" accomplishments. Major accomplishments, yes, but not in a good sense. I think the things he has acheived, while they have definitely promoted the agenda of the ultra-right, have hurt the country in many ways. A prime example is the appointment of underqualified ideologues to the bench, particularly the Courts of Appeal. So far he has placed 12 appellate judges, as compared to a total of 12 by the three previous presidents during their respective first years. Many of the judges he has nominated were put up purely for their partisan views, and at least two had never tried a case in their lives. Trump has no respect for the Court system, so he has chosen to attack it from within.

I did in fact misquote you. Sorry. You said "Trump has accomplished a great deal to advance the cause of the right, but not always the things he most often lists as among his greatest hits." And, reading IS fundamental! I misread your comment.

And, didn't the Senate confirmation hearing root those bad appointees out? I can't argue with you on these attempts to appoint high unqualified people. It was ridiculous to even the most naive of us.

[cardboardbox]

I did in fact misquote you. Sorry. You said "Trump has accomplished a great deal to advance the cause of the right, but not always the things he most often lists as among his greatest hits." And, reading IS fundamental! I misread your comment.

And, didn't the Senate confirmation hearing root those bad appointees out? I can't argue with you on these attempts to appoint high unqualified people. It was ridiculous to even the most naive of us.

they were trying to go too fast to keep breaking their own record. Just need to slow down a bit.