President Donald Trump

[gcstomp]

Trump/Russia connection is been like shooting fish in a barrel. There can be no good explanation for the early results so far from the Mueller investigation, which has produced dozens of russia indictments,with inarguable detail down to what official had what alias and was at what terminal/building at what day/time as well as a number of guilty pleas from key Trump officials, and the layers of overlapping connections again and again to russia. When you say high ranking russian officials, you are saying Putin, there is no such thing as widespread freelancing in a foreign election without express order from just 1 guy.. The refusal of Trump to disclose tax returns, well, Mueller is privy to that, and following money trail will result in more happy days for Trump. I am willing to bet anything, literally anything, that there will be more indictments/guilty pleas as well as more state investigations spun from this federal, despite Guilliani claiming this is being wrapped up.

[nots]

The inflation rate was 1.6% in 2016, not 2.1%.

You’re going to cherrypick a single year under Obama from 7 years ago? How about that 2011 was the only year in his administration that was higher than either of Trump’s two years?

I’m not wrong here. It’s skyrocketing and going to get far worse if his ill-advised Trade War doesn’t end.

The average inflation rate from 1914-2018 is 3.27%. 34 times in the last 50 years, the inflation rate has exceeded 2.9%. Saying it’s skyrocketing is a blatant fallacy.

[Sour Masher]

The average inflation rate from 1914-2018 is 3.27%. 34 times in the last 50 years, the inflation rate has exceeded 2.9%. Saying it’s skyrocketing is a blatant fallacy.

You guys are making different points. It is both true that the inflation rate now is in line with historic norms and not all that alarming, and also true that a quick jump from historically low rates of 1.6% up to a rate of 2.9% can be described as a dramatic increase. It is an 81% increase from 1.6% to 2.9%, which is a more accurate way of looking at it than just a 1.3% increase.

Also, not a lot of folks are super worried about it being 2.9% now, but what Revo is saying is that it is going to keep going up. He didn't mean that it has skyrocketed (past tense) up to this point as a high mark, but that it is in the process of skyrocketing to a much higher number, if Trump's policies continue. Perhaps that is a point worthy of debate, and I'd benefit from such a debate on a topic I don't know a lot about. But a proper debate needs both sides to understand each other, and it seems like you are missing that Revo is saying we are in the middle of fast rising rates that will keep going up from historic lows past historic norms.

[TranaGreg]

as someone said recently, there's lies, damned lies, statistics, and whatever the hell is going on now ...

[Fresno Bob]

Inflation is great if you owe people money and Donald owes a lot of people a lot of money. At least I think so, I'd need to see his taxes to be sure.

[revo]

The average inflation rate from 1914-2018 is 3.27%. 34 times in the last 50 years, the inflation rate has exceeded 2.9%. Saying it’s skyrocketing is a blatant fallacy.

We're in a very low inflationary environment and have been for the last 10 years. The 2.9% rate is, besides the single year of Obama's administration that you pointed out, nearly double this 10-year average. That's not high in this environment? Adding a 25% tax on many imports -- and some are getting double tariffed -- won't add to it? Rising gas prices, helped by Dumb Donald's Iran policy, won't add to it?

And let's not forget the way to combat inflation is for the Fed to raise interest rates -- of which Dumb Donald has railed against Jerome Powell from doing.

[nots]

We're in a very low inflationary environment and have been for the last 10 years. The 2.9% rate is, besides the single year of Obama's administration that you pointed out, nearly double this 10-year average. That's not high in this environment? Adding a 25% tax on many imports -- and some are getting double tariffed -- won't add to it? Rising gas prices, helped by Dumb Donald's Iran policy, won't add to it?

And let's not forget the way to combat inflation is for the Fed to raise interest rates -- of which Dumb Donald has railed against Jerome Powell from doing.

Most economists (and certainly the Fed) have been more concerned about the negative inflation of the last decade. The goal of the Fed is 2% inflation. 2.9% isn’t worrying anyone except people on the Blue Team with an ax to grind.
PS-you’ve played out the Dumb Donald line.

[revo]

Most economists (and certainly the Fed) have been more concerned about the negative inflation of the last decade. The goal of the Fed is 2% inflation. 2.9% isn’t worrying anyone except people on the Blue Team with an ax to grind.
PS-you’ve played out the Dumb Donald line.

How about the fact wage growth -- despite a very low unemployment rate -- is not keeping up with the climbing inflation rate? Only a worry for the "Blue Team"? Well, possibly, considering Dopey Donald (how's that?) just disagrees with their own numbers, and then he has his hacks revise them.

And I tell you what -- when Dopey Donnie stops with the nicknames, I will too. Deal?

[nots]

How about the fact wage growth -- despite a very low unemployment rate -- is not keeping up with the climbing inflation rate? Only a worry for the "Blue Team"? Well, possibly, considering Dopey Donald (how's that?) just disagrees with their own numbers.

And I tell you what -- when Dopey Donnie stops with the nicknames, I will too. Deal?

Wage growth has been a problem for over a decade. Not sure it can be entirely pinned on Trump. Hopefully unemployment stays low and companies are forced to offer more pay to fill vacancies. With jobless claims hitting a 49 year low last month, I guess we will find out soon enough.
I wouldn’t pattern (or excuse) my behavior by using Donald Trump as my moral justification, but you do you.

[Teenwolf]

Wage growth has been a problem for over a decade. Not sure it can be pinned on Trump. Hopefully unemployment stays low and companies are forced to offer more pay to fill vacancies. With jobless claims hitting a 49 year low last month, I guess we will find out soon enough.
I wouldn’t pattern (or excuse) my behavior by using Donald Trump as my moral justification, but you do you.

How many of those jobs are being added because folks can no longer survive with just one job, they need 2 jobs and a side hustle just to get by?

I think you're underselling the economic fragility that as many as 50% of Americans are facing. Also failing to note Trump's cancellation of federal worker raises. Obama did the same, but that was under the recession... if the economy is booming, why are federal workers getting screwed out of minimal wage increases (under 3%) meaning they are actually falling behind the booming inflation rates?

I recently heard that the Trump tax cut gives away half a billion dollars in tax revenue every single day for 10 years ($2Tn divided by 3650 days, I think that math works)... the vast majority of the cuts are going to the top earners, it's not up for debate. Wages have a much stronger correlation with a healthy economy than the sheer unemployment rate. Trump's actions on unions, wages, taxes, and inflation have all created an even heavier deck stacked against poor people, citing unemployment being low is obfuscation.

[Fresno Bob]

in my mind the only smart thing Trump has done is to figure out how to screw wealthy democrats with his "tax cut", and he didn't even figure that part out, I'm sure it was Paul Ryan.

[Hi.I'm.Mandy]

in my mind the only smart thing Trump has done is to figure out how to screw wealthy democrats with his "tax cut", and he didn't even figure that part out, I'm sure it was Paul Ryan.

that and signing up to be VP on the Putin/Trump ticket in 2016

[nots]

How many of those jobs are being added because folks can no longer survive with just one job, they need 2 jobs and a side hustle just to get by?

I think you're underselling the economic fragility that as many as 50% of Americans are facing. Also failing to note Trump's cancellation of federal worker raises. Obama did the same, but that was under the recession... if the economy is booming, why are federal workers getting screwed out of minimal wage increases (under 3%) meaning they are actually falling behind the booming inflation rates?

I recently heard that the Trump tax cut gives away half a billion dollars in tax revenue every single day for 10 years ($2Tn divided by 3650 days, I think that math works)... the vast majority of the cuts are going to the top earners, it's not up for debate. Wages have a much stronger correlation with a healthy economy than the sheer unemployment rate. Trump's actions on unions, wages, taxes, and inflation have all created an even heavier deck stacked against poor people, citing unemployment being low is obfuscation.

The tax cuts expire in 2025 (though I am positive they will be extended regardless of which team is in power when they are set to expire) so I don’t understand your $500M/ day for 10 years. I also can’t find a source for up to ‘50% of Americans are facing economic fragility’, but I guess there is enough obfuscation (to use your word) and vagueness in that statement that you can’t really contest it.
Finally, the genesis of this conversation was my disputing that a 2.9% inflation rate was ‘skyrocketing’ or’booming’ as you’ve put it, but I will ask it another way: if in 2011 I posted that the inflation rate under Obama had skyrocketed from 1.5% in 2010 to a now booming 3%, would you have agreed with me?

[revo]

The tax cuts expire in 2025 (though I am positive they will be extended regardless of which team is in power when they are set to expire) so I don’t understand your $500M/ day for 10 years. I also can’t find a source for up to ‘50% of Americans are facing economic fragility’, but I guess there is enough obfuscation (to use your word) and vagueness in that statement that you can’t really contest it.
Finally, the genesis of this conversation was my disputing that a 2.9% inflation rate was ‘skyrocketing’ or’booming’ as you’ve put it, but I will ask it another way: if in 2011 I posted that the inflation rate under Obama had skyrocketed from 1.5% in 2010 to a now booming 3%, would you have agreed with me?

Yes, and many did.

U.S. Inflation Leaps as Food and Gas Prices Rise - The New York Times, May 13, 2011

CPI report: Biggest inflation jump in 3 years - CNN Money - Oct. 19, 2011

Consumer Confidence Survey: Inflation to Jump 200% in 2011 - Time Magazine - April 5, 2011

Leaps, jumps, what have you.....there was concern in 2011.

[onejayhawk]

I don't think polarization is the issue being flagged here. It's amorality, immaturity, pettiness, impetuousness, ignorance, recklessness, and affinity for anti-democratic strongman autocracy at home and abroad (which includes rooting out and punishing critics/opponents).

Which administration are we talking about? This sounds like the BOA, especially the anti-democratic strongman autocracy and the punishing critics/opponents. I voted for the man in 2008 and he made me regret it. His weaponization of the FBI/DoJ is a great scandal of this century so far. Considering that was not by a Clinton, that's saying something.

J