A day without stupid?

[ZiprHead]

FIRST LOOK: WOULD YOU KEEP TRUMP AS U.S. CEO? — New Bloomberg Businessweek cover: “If America were a company would you keep this CEO?” Bloomberg Editor in Chief John Micklethwait writes “that Donald Trump should be judged on his competency as a chief executive since no president has tried to claim the mantle of CEO-in-chief as completely as Trump.

http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-money/2017/05/18/brady-stays-bullish-220375

Ouch!

 

[funinspace]

FIRST LOOK: WOULD YOU KEEP TRUMP AS U.S. CEO? — New Bloomberg Businessweek cover: “If America were a company would you keep this CEO?” Bloomberg Editor in Chief John Micklethwait writes “that Donald Trump should be judged on his competency as a chief executive since no president has tried to claim the mantle of CEO-in-chief as completely as Trump.

http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-money/2017/05/18/brady-stays-bullish-220375

Ouch!

Good article! I liked these 2 snips:

There appears to be little structure in the White House. It’s more like a court than a company, with the king retiring to bed with a cheeseburger and spontaneously tweeting orders.
<snip>
There is a semi-charitable explanation for much of this chaos. Trump does not have any experience as a CEO—at least in the sense that most of corporate America would recognize. One telling irony: Many of the banking executives now trying to curry favor with him would never have lent him money in the past. His skills were in dealmaking, rather than running a large organization. The core Trump company had barely 100 people.

Yep, he headed a bunch of LLC's not a corporation. Don the Con wouldn't last this long as CEO of GE, IBM, or DLTR...

 

[SimpleDon]

FIRST LOOK: WOULD YOU KEEP TRUMP AS U.S. CEO? — New Bloomberg Businessweek cover: “If America were a company would you keep this CEO?” Bloomberg Editor in Chief John Micklethwait writes “that Donald Trump should be judged on his competency as a chief executive since no president has tried to claim the mantle of CEO-in-chief as completely as Trump.

http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-money/2017/05/18/brady-stays-bullish-220375

Ouch!

The problem is compounded by the fact that the meme of "the government should be run like a business" is in and of itself wrong. The government should be run like a government.

The businesses that want to produce the highest returns are run over the edge of known risks. But there is no equal to "creative destruction" in government, especially for the federal government.

Also, the government defines and oversees the operation of businesses and the economy. Things that seem to be simple and obvious when running a business become complex and anything but obvious when you have to take care of the many competing interests of society as a whole, as the government must.

 

[Opoponax]

At some point, some influential person or group needs to point out that experience in politics matters. This whole notion that an outsider can do the job has now been so thoroughly disproved, that it should never happen again.

I wonder if Ross Perot, once getting some insight into what being POTUS actually entailed, dropped out because of that. Of course, he came back after dropping out, but it was likely out of a feeling of obligation to his supporters. And his heart wasn't in it when he did come back. But I can't believe he would've been as incompetent as Trump because as quirky as he was, he did seem to have the actual best interest of the country as his goal, regardless of whether he was right about anything.

Trump meanwhile, after being granted what should've insight into the actual job, didn't understand what he was looking at and still doesn't understand it in any meaningful way. It is fair to say that any of us could've done a less awful job than Trump. Just by crawling under the desk in the Oval Office and only coming out at night would be a better way of governing that what Trump has done.

 

[SimpleDon]

At some point, some influential person or group needs to point out that experience in politics matters. This whole notion that an outsider can do the job has now been so thoroughly disproved, that it should never happen again.

I wonder if Ross Perot, once getting some insight into what being POTUS actually entailed, dropped out because of that. Of course, he came back after dropping out, but it was likely out of a feeling of obligation to his supporters. And his heart wasn't in it when he did come back. But I can't believe he would've been as incompetent as Trump because as quirky as he was, he did seem to have the actual best interest of the country as his goal, regardless of whether he was right about anything.

Trump meanwhile, after being granted what should've insight into the actual job, didn't understand what he was looking at and still doesn't understand it in any meaningful way. It is fair to say that any of us could've done a less awful job than Trump. Just by crawling under the desk in the Oval Office and only coming out at night would be a better way of governing that what Trump has done.

This is where the parliamentary system has an advantage over our two party system. No one becomes the leader of a major party and therefore a candidate for Prime Minister without working their way through the ranks of government or at the very least, through shadow governments. It is not a guarantee of competence but it improves the odds of it.

 

[ideologyhunter]

A friend of mine, looking for any redemptive value whatever in Donald's presidency, says that this will at least kill forever the notion that we can solve our problems by putting businessmen in office. 'Run the guv'ment like a business!!' I don't buy it, though. The Right is a) endlessly resourceful with propaganda; b) incapable of owning up to error -- shit, they even start needless wars and defend them to the end; and c) theologically wedded to their pro-business, pro-wealth orthodoxy.

 

[DrZoidberg]

Today delivers

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39965107

So apparently maintaining a functioning democratic country and keeping politicians from abusing power, is now a "witch hunt".

Who thinks that the next thing he says is that war is peace, ignorance is strength and freedom is slavery? Or maybe that comes next week?

 

[fromderinside]

Are you insane? If the media wouldn't be fanning this, they wouldn't be doing their jobs. They're not pointing out thngs that isn't there. Trump really did all this shit. He's a political leader on the same level as Moammar Gadhafi or Kim Jong Un. Ie, a total joke.

Yeah, but Muammar Gaddafi did it with full regalia

Give Trump time. Soon someone will show him this.

Nixon'as Palace guard.

 

[4321lynx]

Trump is the most inept Apprentice President the USA has ever had.

He appears to think and believe that he is "shaking up Washington", "draining the Swamp," etc etc and so beginning "to make America great again", His problem is that he is cunning and not clever, and is so narcisisitic that he genuinely believes that all of his ideas and Tweets are right and "great" for everyone and should have the respect accorded to the Gettysburg Address. He certainly is shaking up the whole world, but not in a good way. How long this will be tolerated by the US public and its politicians remais to be seen. I share Winston Churchill's opinion that "in the end America will do the right thing, after trying everything else."

 

[funinspace]

A good article by the guy that was the ghost writer for The Art of the Deal, not that many haven't figured out that Don the Con is a narcissist...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...is-rooted-in-his-past/?utm_term=.306c8acd2d4e

To survive, I concluded from our conversations, Trump felt compelled to go to war with the world. It was a binary, zero-sum choice for him: You either dominated or you submitted. You either created and exploited fear, or you succumbed to it — as he thought his older brother had. This narrow, defensive outlook took hold at a very early age, and it never evolved.
<snip>
A key part of that story is that facts are whatever Trump deems them to be on any given day. When he is challenged, he instinctively doubles down — even when what he has just said is demonstrably false. I saw that countless times, whether it was as trivial as exaggerating the number of floors at Trump Tower or as consequential as telling me that his casinos were performing well when they were actually going bankrupt. In the same way, Trump sees no contradiction at all in changing his story about why he fired Comey and thereby undermining the statements of his aides, or in any other lie he tells. His aim is never accuracy; it’s domination.
<snip>
Even 30 years later, I vividly remember the ominous feeling when Trump got angry about some perceived slight. Everyone around him knew that you were best off keeping your distance at those times, or, if that wasn’t possible, that you should resist disagreeing with him in any way.

In the hundreds of Trump’s phone calls I listened in on with his consent, and the dozens of meetings I attended with him, I can never remember anyone disagreeing with him about anything.

 

[Artemus]

A good article by the guy that was the ghost writer for The Art of the Deal, not that many haven't figured out that Don the Con is a narcissist...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...is-rooted-in-his-past/?utm_term=.306c8acd2d4e

To survive, I concluded from our conversations, Trump felt compelled to go to war with the world. It was a binary, zero-sum choice for him: You either dominated or you submitted. You either created and exploited fear, or you succumbed to it — as he thought his older brother had. This narrow, defensive outlook took hold at a very early age, and it never evolved.
<snip>
A key part of that story is that facts are whatever Trump deems them to be on any given day. When he is challenged, he instinctively doubles down — even when what he has just said is demonstrably false. I saw that countless times, whether it was as trivial as exaggerating the number of floors at Trump Tower or as consequential as telling me that his casinos were performing well when they were actually going bankrupt. In the same way, Trump sees no contradiction at all in changing his story about why he fired Comey and thereby undermining the statements of his aides, or in any other lie he tells. His aim is never accuracy; it’s domination.
<snip>
Even 30 years later, I vividly remember the ominous feeling when Trump got angry about some perceived slight. Everyone around him knew that you were best off keeping your distance at those times, or, if that wasn’t possible, that you should resist disagreeing with him in any way.

In the hundreds of Trump’s phone calls I listened in on with his consent, and the dozens of meetings I attended with him, I can never remember anyone disagreeing with him about anything.

He was on CNN last night. Wife and I both uttered "Wow!" when he finished. It would be worth tracking down if you can find it.

 

[starwater]

A good article by the guy that was the ghost writer for The Art of the Deal, not that many haven't figured out that Don the Con is a narcissist...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...is-rooted-in-his-past/?utm_term=.306c8acd2d4e

To survive, I concluded from our conversations, Trump felt compelled to go to war with the world. It was a binary, zero-sum choice for him: You either dominated or you submitted. You either created and exploited fear, or you succumbed to it — as he thought his older brother had. This narrow, defensive outlook took hold at a very early age, and it never evolved.
<snip>
A key part of that story is that facts are whatever Trump deems them to be on any given day. When he is challenged, he instinctively doubles down — even when what he has just said is demonstrably false. I saw that countless times, whether it was as trivial as exaggerating the number of floors at Trump Tower or as consequential as telling me that his casinos were performing well when they were actually going bankrupt. In the same way, Trump sees no contradiction at all in changing his story about why he fired Comey and thereby undermining the statements of his aides, or in any other lie he tells. His aim is never accuracy; it’s domination.
<snip>
Even 30 years later, I vividly remember the ominous feeling when Trump got angry about some perceived slight. Everyone around him knew that you were best off keeping your distance at those times, or, if that wasn’t possible, that you should resist disagreeing with him in any way.

In the hundreds of Trump’s phone calls I listened in on with his consent, and the dozens of meetings I attended with him, I can never remember anyone disagreeing with him about anything.

I read that article and it says a lot about Don the Con. He is still an infant. If he doesn't get his way or people disagree with him, he throws a temper tantrum (tweets), and everybody is mean and out to get me (recent comments at commencement speech)

 

[whichphilosophy]

It's not just Trump shooting his mouth off; its others also. For instance Marxist Butt-hurt groups who are trying to censor free speech in universities and the media and Politicians at war with each other, thus being destracted from the real issues facing the USA.

Let's home the US can now conduct a rational investigation into the allegations yet not supported in fact which are being fanned in the media.
Putin's description of the situation as Schizophrenic is befitting.

Wut? But they're not the president. Trump doesn't become smart because you're able to find somebody dumber. You're applying preposterous standards. Compare him to, let's say, Obama. I don't think Obama said or did anything he hadn't thought through. Which is his job. It is also Trump's job. Trump doesn't represent himself. He represents the whole country as well as the Republican party. He has two hats on at the moment. Whenver he opens his mouth he needs to figure out what hat he is wearing and how he can best serve the people he represents. That means listening to his advisers. Not spouting his mouth off. That's his job. The actual job. I don't think he's doing it.

Random Marxist commentators on the street don't have that job. They can say whatever they want because they only represent whatever tiny organisation they represent. You can't compare them.

Are you insane? If the media wouldn't be fanning this, they wouldn't be doing their jobs. They're not pointing out thngs that isn't there. Trump really did all this shit. He's a political leader on the same level as Moammar Gadhafi or Kim Jong Un. Ie, a total joke.

The problem is that many do not distinguish between allegations and actualities.
No investigations have been done to conclude whether any of the allegations are true or not. We had these with Clinton and now with Trump.
As for his policies, like them or not he made these very clear during the election and they are not news.
Media doesn't exist for truth or the promotion of democracy. It exists to make money by selling copy by giving their own take on third hand information. The only thing the Clintons were found guilty of was Bill's use of his pecker, and nobody really cared as he is such a likeable chap.

Moammar Gadhafi provided free education , free healthcare to the end of university, 0% interest on bank loans for citizens, free water, free electricity subsidies for citizens who bought a car. He as also handing a lot his power into the people's committees. Further he separated church from state and discouraged polygamy in this modern society.

Whatever bad he did, the Western allies obsession with regime change decided to help remove this government and replace it with chaos. Now there are 3 self acclaimed regimes in that area and mass poverty. Within those areas are several mini caliphates.
'Hilary's' famous quote after his death was, "We came, we saw, he died." Now the Jihadists have a large portion of Libya and there is a constant conflict.

 

[whichphilosophy]

A friend of mine, looking for any redemptive value whatever in Donald's presidency, says that this will at least kill forever the notion that we can solve our problems by putting businessmen in office. 'Run the guv'ment like a business!!' I don't buy it, though. The Right is a) endlessly resourceful with propaganda; b) incapable of owning up to error -- shit, they even start needless wars and defend them to the end; and c) theologically wedded to their pro-business, pro-wealth orthodoxy.

When you run a government you must balance the books, just like a business. Photocopying functions work in the same way, accounting works the same way, and the methods of efficient management do not change. There are also good businessmen and bad businessmen. Likewise there are good and bad governments.

The US is what, US$20T in debt, which doubled under Obama. How can a businessman do any worse.

 

[Playball40]

So much of this is just nonsense, it's amazing.

"Mexico will PAY for the wall"
"All I’m saying is I’ll make great deals and we’ll get them done and we don’t to have use executive orders and all the stuff..."
"You’re going to end up with great health care for a fraction of the price and that’s gonna take place immediately after we go in. Okay? Immediately."

Seriously, I could go on and on. Trump is a liar.

And really? You think the media has free reign to print anything and everything and there's no accountability? Ever? You REALLY believe that T is a 'victim' of a media witch hunt, here?

And what the flying fuck does 'regime change' in Libya have to do with T's lies, manipulation and bullshit?

Wut? But they're not the president. Trump doesn't become smart because you're able to find somebody dumber. You're applying preposterous standards. Compare him to, let's say, Obama. I don't think Obama said or did anything he hadn't thought through. Which is his job. It is also Trump's job. Trump doesn't represent himself. He represents the whole country as well as the Republican party. He has two hats on at the moment. Whenver he opens his mouth he needs to figure out what hat he is wearing and how he can best serve the people he represents. That means listening to his advisers. Not spouting his mouth off. That's his job. The actual job. I don't think he's doing it.

Random Marxist commentators on the street don't have that job. They can say whatever they want because they only represent whatever tiny organisation they represent. You can't compare them.

Are you insane? If the media wouldn't be fanning this, they wouldn't be doing their jobs. They're not pointing out thngs that isn't there. Trump really did all this shit. He's a political leader on the same level as Moammar Gadhafi or Kim Jong Un. Ie, a total joke.

The problem is that many do not distinguish between allegations and actualities.
No investigations have been done to conclude whether any of the allegations are true or not. We had these with Clinton and now with Trump.
As for his policies, like them or not he made these very clear during the election and they are not news.
Media doesn't exist for truth or the promotion of democracy. It exists to make money by selling copy by giving their own take on third hand information. The only thing the Clintons were found guilty of was Bill's use of his pecker, and nobody really cared as he is such a likeable chap.

Moammar Gadhafi provided free education , free healthcare to the end of university, 0% interest on bank loans for citizens, free water, free electricity subsidies for citizens who bought a car. He as also handing a lot his power into the people's committees. Further he separated church from state and discouraged polygamy in this modern society.

Whatever bad he did, the Western allies obsession with regime change decided to help remove this government and replace it with chaos. Now there are 3 self acclaimed regimes in that area and mass poverty. Within those areas are several mini caliphates.
'Hilary's' famous quote after his death was, "We came, we saw, he died." Now the Jihadists have a large portion of Libya and there is a constant conflict.

- - - Updated - - -

A friend of mine, looking for any redemptive value whatever in Donald's presidency, says that this will at least kill forever the notion that we can solve our problems by putting businessmen in office. 'Run the guv'ment like a business!!' I don't buy it, though. The Right is a) endlessly resourceful with propaganda; b) incapable of owning up to error -- shit, they even start needless wars and defend them to the end; and c) theologically wedded to their pro-business, pro-wealth orthodoxy.

When you run a government you must balance the books, just like a business. Photocopying functions work in the same way, accounting works the same way, and the methods of efficient management do not change. There are also good businessmen and bad businessmen. Likewise there are good and bad governments.

The US is what, US$20T in debt, which doubled under Obama. How can a businessman do any worse.

Please tell me what is the service/product and who are the clients? The government is the antithesis of a business....which is why we NEED it. Seriously...it's moronic to think otherwise.

 

[funinspace]

A friend of mine, looking for any redemptive value whatever in Donald's presidency, says that this will at least kill forever the notion that we can solve our problems by putting businessmen in office. 'Run the guv'ment like a business!!' I don't buy it, though. The Right is a) endlessly resourceful with propaganda; b) incapable of owning up to error -- shit, they even start needless wars and defend them to the end; and c) theologically wedded to their pro-business, pro-wealth orthodoxy.

When you run a government you must balance the books, just like a business.

Uh, governments are not "just like a business", that is just stupid....

On other random thoughts...

The US is what, US$20T in debt, which doubled under Obama.

It doubled under the lesser Bush as well...so what? Maybe you didn't notice a financial crisis in 2008-9?

How can a businessman do any worse.

We are currently in the petri dish...lab results will eventually arrive...so far no pixie dust has been detected.

 

[braces_for_impact]

Since Trump came to office, has there been a day when he didn't do or say anything outrageously stupid?

I've taken a quick look, and it's just utter mind-blowing idiocy every day. Most days several times a day.

It's not just Trump shooting his mouth off; its others also. For instance Marxist Butt-hurt groups who are trying to censor free speech in universities and the media and Politicians at war with each other, thus being destracted from the real issues facing the USA.

Let's home the US can now conduct a rational investigation into the allegations yet not supported in fact which are being fanned in the media.
Putin's description of the situation as Schizophrenic is befitting.

You're about to go into a George Soros rant aren't you.

 

[Angry Floof]

Since Trump came to office, has there been a day when he didn't do or say anything outrageously stupid?

Nope.

I've taken a quick look, and it's just utter mind-blowing idiocy every day. Most days several times a day.

Yep.

 

[braces_for_impact]

The thing is, for the news agencies, political junkies, regular people etc. there is SO much thanks to Trump, that a lot falls through the cracks as the next fuck up rears it's ugly head. Like some have said, sometimes these issues come several times a day. There are people though, that have jobs that depend on keeping track of all this, and they will be waiting in line for their turn to take a whack at the orange pinata.

 

[whichphilosophy]

So much of this is just nonsense, it's amazing.

"Mexico will PAY for the wall"
"All I’m saying is I’ll make great deals and we’ll get them done and we don’t to have use executive orders and all the stuff..."
"You’re going to end up with great health care for a fraction of the price and that’s gonna take place immediately after we go in. Okay? Immediately."

Seriously, I could go on and on. Trump is a liar.

And really? You think the media has free reign to print anything and everything and there's no accountability? Ever? You REALLY believe that T is a 'victim' of a media witch hunt, here?

And what the flying fuck does 'regime change' in Libya have to do with T's lies, manipulation and bullshit?

The problem is that many do not distinguish between allegations and actualities.
No investigations have been done to conclude whether any of the allegations are true or not. We had these with Clinton and now with Trump.
As for his policies, like them or not he made these very clear during the election and they are not news.
Media doesn't exist for truth or the promotion of democracy. It exists to make money by selling copy by giving their own take on third hand information. The only thing the Clintons were found guilty of was Bill's use of his pecker, and nobody really cared as he is such a likeable chap.

Moammar Gadhafi provided free education , free healthcare to the end of university, 0% interest on bank loans for citizens, free water, free electricity subsidies for citizens who bought a car. He as also handing a lot his power into the people's committees. Further he separated church from state and discouraged polygamy in this modern society.

Whatever bad he did, the Western allies obsession with regime change decided to help remove this government and replace it with chaos. Now there are 3 self acclaimed regimes in that area and mass poverty. Within those areas are several mini caliphates.
'Hilary's' famous quote after his death was, "We came, we saw, he died." Now the Jihadists have a large portion of Libya and there is a constant conflict.

- - - Updated - - -

A friend of mine, looking for any redemptive value whatever in Donald's presidency, says that this will at least kill forever the notion that we can solve our problems by putting businessmen in office. 'Run the guv'ment like a business!!' I don't buy it, though. The Right is a) endlessly resourceful with propaganda; b) incapable of owning up to error -- shit, they even start needless wars and defend them to the end; and c) theologically wedded to their pro-business, pro-wealth orthodoxy.

When you run a government you must balance the books, just like a business. Photocopying functions work in the same way, accounting works the same way, and the methods of efficient management do not change. There are also good businessmen and bad businessmen. Likewise there are good and bad governments.

The US is what, US$20T in debt, which doubled under Obama. How can a businessman do any worse.

Please tell me what is the service/product and who are the clients? The government is the antithesis of a business....which is why we NEED it. Seriously...it's moronic to think otherwise.

The wall was in his manifesto so this was not news, nor the rest of what he said, right or wrong.

The media does print without accountability. If you look carefully it puts in 'alleged' or 'suspected of doing things.'

It seems the media only has to accuse or someone has to accuse, with no supporting evidence and it is implied as fact. This happened also regarding the Clintons.
Certain channels are clearly biased. Fox News (pro Trump) and the BBC, CNN are anti-Trump.
I watch the BBC quite often. When there is news about Trump, it then has a panel or an expert, all of which are critical of Trump. It does not show anyone who is in favour of what he says.

The US healthcare is hyper expensive because it seems drug orientated. It could learn from Cuba which supplies 100% free healthcare at a fraction of the cost and does not cause the country to go into debt each year.

The government is an organisation which collects payment (taxation) to supply common beneficial services such as social services, education, defence, social housing (UK) education, healthcare structure, roads, protection of citizens (law enforcement). In addition it will supply emergency relief services
In some countries the government subcontracts its work such as refuse collection, medical and social services.

Further, transportation and utilities are provided by the government. However many of these have transferred to private ownership or on a subcontract basis. Private subcontractors may streamline the services to save costs.

If the expenses exceed taxation then eventually the government could run into debt and even bankruptcy.

As I said whether an organisation is governmental or a business it has to at least ensure its incomings exceed its
outgoings.

Every few years the public choose a new government but the obligations are the same.