Credit Where Credit is Due: a shout out thread for Things Trump Did Right

[Shadowy Man]

You know, were I an Australian in particular, I might have some sympathy for Trump based only on the relative pacifism of his first term. Horrifying as most of his foreign policy is, he dragged us into no new wars, almost uniquely for a US president, which means we didn't drag any of our allies into any new wars either.

Will that continue? Hard to say. Two weeks in, he's threatened two campaigns of conquest and colonization, one for Greenland and one for Gaza. He likes the letter G, apparently, so Gambia and Grenada should probably consider themselves on watch as well. But a threat is not troops landed. This might be a version of that famous American presidential dictum "Walk loudly but carry a small stick".

Three. You forgot about Panama.

 

[KCFlyer]

It would REALLY be funny if it wasn’t the same thing he’s going to the USA. But yes,
LOOK AT X NOW!!!

Takes it's value from about $19 billion to under $1 billion.

 

[Shadowy Man]

It would REALLY be funny if it wasn’t the same thing he’s going to the USA. But yes,
LOOK AT X NOW!!!

Takes it's value from about $19 billion to under $1 billion.

Think of the tax write-off!!

 

[Elixir]

It would REALLY be funny if it wasn’t the same thing he’s going to the USA. But yes,
LOOK AT X NOW!!!

Takes it's value from about $19 billion to under $1 billion.

The kind of greatness @RVonse wishes upon our country.
No wonder this place is becoming a shithole.

 

[Elixir]

It would REALLY be funny if it wasn’t the same thing he’s going to the USA. But yes,
LOOK AT X NOW!!!

Takes it's value from about $19 billion to under $1 billion.

Think of the tax write-off!!

He did.

1. In 2024, Musk likely paid little to no federal income tax, as Tesla, his company, reported zero federal income tax on $2.3 billion of U.S. income.
2. For the 2021 tax year, Musk paid approximately $11 billion in federal taxes, which he claimed was the largest individual tax payment in U.S. history.
3. In 2018, Musk paid zero federal income tax, despite his wealth increasing by billions.
4. Between 2014 and 2018, Musk paid $455 million in federal income taxes on a wealth increase of $13.9 billion, equating to a tax rate of 3.27%.
5. In 2015 and 2017, Musk paid $68,000 and $65,000 in federal income tax, respectively.
These figures demonstrate significant fluctuations in Musk’s tax payments, with years of little to no tax interspersed with a notably large payment in 2021.

 

[Swammerdami]

To the Federal Reserve, coins and bills are not an expense, they are tools.

Since when does the Federal Reserve have anything to do with producing coins? They buy coins from Treasury as needed for normal banking operations. Obviously this is very different from paper currency which is issued BY the FedRes (though printed by BPE).

Paying the mint and the BPE to produce them is an investment in infrastructure. And the Fed makes a profit on the collector's market taking some of them out of circulation. This is why it took so long to kill the penny.

Cite?

BTW, the profits of the Federal Reserve Banks are paid first to its member banks, up to 6% of their investment, just like dividends on preferred stock. (AFAIK the FedRes has never missed a dividend payment.) Any additional profit is paid, once a year IIRC, to the U.S. government.

Carl Sagen[sic] once said [sic] "Extraordinary claims should require extraordinary proof"

I'm not one to nitpick the spelling of a surname, or even the other blunders which unapologetic has pointed out.
I just thought the poster/quote combination here was hilarious!!

Since the same woebegone poster -- apparently only skimming the thread and not understanding that Reagan took the U.S. off the "copper standard" ( ) in 1982, thought his Messiah was canceling the penny to save copper, perhaps I should show the compositions of U.S. coins in circulation. (Apologies for any errors.)

* Gold coins -- typically 90% gold, 10% copper, but with variations
* Silver coins prior to LBJ -- 90% silver (89.24% before 1837); 10% copper
* "Silver" coins after LBJ -- Net: 91.7% copper; 8.3% zinc (core is pure copper)
* 5-cent coin, before 1873 -- silver half-dime
* 5-cent coin, 1873-1941 -- 75% copper; 25% nickel
* 5-cent coin, 1942-1945 -- 56% copper; 35% silver; 9% manganese
* 5-cent coin, 1946-present -- 75% copper; 25% nickel
* 1-cent coin until 1943 -- 95% copper; 5% zinc
* 1-cent coin, 1943 -- 99% steel, with thin layer of zinc
* 1-cent coin, 1944-1981 -- 95% copper; 5% zinc
* 1-cent coin, 1982-present -- 97.5% zinc; 2.5% copper

 

[Swammerdami]

When Musk first took over Twitter many said that he ruined that company when he demolished the kitchen and the garage. But look at X now. Look at Tesla and SpaceX. Tesla is doing what GM said couldn't be done and SpaceX is doing what normal people thought couldn't be done. Musk has unusual skills at succeeding where normal people routinely fail.

Tesla Has the Highest Fatal Accident Rate of All Auto Brands, Study Finds: Tesla vehicles suffer fatal accidents at a rate that's twice the industry average

Is this with or without self-driving active?

Elon Musk's Massive Rocket Explosion May Have Caused Significant Atmospheric Pollution​

Whoopsie, SpaceX Blew Up Two Rockets and Punched a Massive Hole in One of Earth's Layers​

Planes could be in danger from falling space debris as recent SpaceX rocket explosion highlights new data

Mus himself apologized for this tragedy:

The fireball in the sky was entertaining as hell!!!

 

[RVonse]

No wonder this place is becoming a shithole.

Ya think? Just becoming a shithole? Where have you been living not to notice your shitty living wages way before the arrival of Trump over the last 20 years? You must be living in some protected coveted ivory cove on one of the elite coasts.

I guess you haven't visited Detroit or any of the other shitholes in the midwest since 2008. I guess you haven't wondered why everyone excepting tech billionaires or people already owning assets are doing worse and worse each and every year. I guess you haven't wondered why there is no auto industry or heavy manufacturing to speak of anymore. I guess you haven't wondered why our own government cares more about moving manufacturing to China than the US. I guess you haven't wondered why China's approach seems to be working and the US doesn't. I guess you haven't wondered about the fake and fabricated system the government keeps in concert with the fed.

Why do you think the MAGA movement started in the first place? Just for a social activity and a good time?

It is more than obvious many people were and are supporting a major change and even willing to pay some short term dues to get there. Business as usual hasn't been getting us there. MAGA was and is ready for adults to take charge and fix problems.

 

[Jarhyn]

When Musk first took over Twitter many said that he ruined that company when he demolished the kitchen and the garage. But look at X now

I did. Those people? They were right, he fucked it up massively. It's ruined.

It's literally a social media company for Nazis now.

Everyone I know dumped the platform, except the Nazis, right about the time they stated they would feed all user data into Grok.

Before then, it was used primarily in the communities I run in because "the artists were there", and the artists were there "because that's where all my customers are".

Everyone in the mean time was like "a blue checkmark is a lot like a red arm band at this point", and they detested being economically trapped there.

The platform is owned by a South African apartheid heir who just talked about "pulling the root of the weed" as if he didn't grow up using the South African word for that to refer to black people.

He is buddy-buddy with the son of a Nazi Sympathizer, who happens to be president.

Anyone who likes the platform MORE now should set off every red flag you have, and have you stationed, armed, between them and any mechanism or means to enact such an agenda.

 

[KCFlyer]

Is this with or without self-driving active?

I'm sure several were, and we aren't sure why because then name "autopilot" doesn't imply anything bad. But one reason may be that one of Tesla's selling points is the 0-60 times that make teenage boys and old men with erectile dysfunction feel cool has people feeling like they are Big Daddy Don Garlits (look him up if you are under 45) on their trips to the grocery store. They built a monstrosity that weighs.3 and a half tons and goes from zero to 60 in under 3 seconds. So maybe this power and speed leads people to driving much faster than normal...just to show off.

 

[KCFlyer]

MAGA was and is ready for adults to take charge and fix problems.

So what did they do? Put an autistic drug addict who acts like a teenager in charge of a group of kids who can't legally order a beer in a bar.

 

[laughing dog]

It would REALLY be funny if it wasn’t the same thing he’s going to the USA. But yes,
LOOK AT X NOW!!!

Takes it's value from about $19 billion to under $1 billion.

The kind of greatness @RVonse wishes upon our country.
No wonder this place is becoming a shithole.

If the USA gets the same devaluation, a shithole would look like an improvement.

 

[KCFlyer]

Leon has cut so much waste that Trump was able to celebrate by flying AF1 and all that it entails from Mar a Lago to New Orleans to go see half a football game.

 

[Jarhyn]

Leon has cut so much waste that Trump was able to celebrate by flying AF1 and all that it entails from Mar a Lago to New Orleans to go see half a football game.

IKR?

 

[Shadowy Man]

No wonder this place is becoming a shithole.

Ya think? Just becoming a shithole? Where have you been living not to notice your shitty living wages way before the arrival of Trump over the last 20 years? You must be living in some protected coveted ivory cove on one of the elite coasts.

I guess you haven't visited Detroit or any of the other shitholes in the midwest since 2008. I guess you haven't wondered why everyone excepting tech billionaires or people already owning assets are doing worse and worse each and every year. I guess you haven't wondered why there is no auto industry or heavy manufacturing to speak of anymore. I guess you haven't wondered why our own government cares more about moving manufacturing to China than the US. I guess you haven't wondered why China's approach seems to be working and the US doesn't. I guess you haven't wondered about the fake and fabricated system the government keeps in concert with the fed.

Why do you think the MAGA movement started in the first place? Just for a social activity and a good time?

It is more than obvious many people were and are supporting a major change and even willing to pay some short term dues to get there. Business as usual hasn't been getting us there. MAGA was and is ready for adults to take charge and fix problems.

Ok, so please explain which Trump policies will improve this and why. Show your work, please.

 

[Swammerdami]

No wonder this place is becoming a shithole.

Ya think? Just becoming a shithole? Where have you been living not to notice your shitty living wages way before the arrival of Trump over the last 20 years? You must be living in some protected coveted ivory cove on one of the elite coasts.

I guess you haven't visited Detroit or any of the other shitholes in the midwest since 2008.

Like a bot with an IQ of 0.8, it's Garbage In Garbage Out with this one.
Sean Hannity or Who-The-F**k whinges in his ear about teh eevul Demoncrats, so he assumes Detroit fell with B. Hussein O. As the graph shows it was the OPPOSITE. Auto manufacturing employment fell during Bush-43 and ROSE under BHO.

What's the line on @RVonse issuing yet another retraction? I'll bet he blames his ignorance on "fake news." What's the Over/Under on how many hundreds of these retractions he'll issue before admitting that he's never had anything to offer but misinformation.

The Decline and Resurgence of the U.S. Auto Industry | Economic Policy Institute​

 

[Shadowy Man]

So, if Musk is finding that our taxes have been used wasteful or fraudulently can we expect to get our tax money back? Typically, if someone defrauds you out of your money you expect to get reimbursed.

When should I expect my refund?

 

[Politesse]

No wonder this place is becoming a shithole.

Ya think? Just becoming a shithole? Where have you been living not to notice your shitty living wages way before the arrival of Trump over the last 20 years? You must be living in some protected coveted ivory cove on one of the elite coasts.

I guess you haven't visited Detroit or any of the other shitholes in the midwest since 2008. I guess you haven't wondered why everyone excepting tech billionaires or people already owning assets are doing worse and worse each and every year. I guess you haven't wondered why there is no auto industry or heavy manufacturing to speak of anymore. I guess you haven't wondered why our own government cares more about moving manufacturing to China than the US. I guess you haven't wondered why China's approach seems to be working and the US doesn't. I guess you haven't wondered about the fake and fabricated system the government keeps in concert with the fed.

Why do you think the MAGA movement started in the first place? Just for a social activity and a good time?

It is more than obvious many people were and are supporting a major change and even willing to pay some short term dues to get there. Business as usual hasn't been getting us there. MAGA was and is ready for adults to take charge and fix problems.

You don't know shit about Detroit, do you? It's not just a "shit hole", and it deserves a better future than Republicans would ever allow it to have. There's a reason Michigan voting maps have a bright blob of blue on the lower right corner of the mitten. Some people, a lot of people, when presented with a challenge start thinking about creative ways to address that problem, and Detroit is a great place to go if want to see what happens when a neighborhood refuses to accept decay and corruption as an inevitable reality.

As for being an adult and dealing with things, I hope you're joking. Trump acts like a fucking toddler, and his followers are simps. When have any of them actually accomplished anything? They don't do stuff, they just whine and cry about what other people are doing and call it a day.

 

[Elixir]

I can’t stop laughing at the fool who thinks I live on the coast.
Here in rural Colorado, at 8000 feet of elevation where my water is pure rock-filtered snowmelt, even the conservative ranchers understand what the shithole water is doing to deluded Trumpsuckers wallowing in the shithole of Trumpistan.

 

[Politesse]

I can’t stop laughing at the fool who thinks I live on the coast.
Here in rural Colorado, at 8000 feet of elevation where my water is pure rock-filtered snowmelt, even the conservative ranchers understand what the shithole water is doing to deluded Trumpsuckers wallowing in the shithole of Trumpistan.

But is the snow not ivory in color? Checkmate, demoncrats!