The end of the American century

[Tom Sawyer]

Wait, how do we blame Americans being fat on President Trumps again?

America has had an obesity crisis for every single day of Trump's presidency and he has done absolutely nothing while in office to deal with this. There comes a point where he's responsible and that point was about 40 minutes ago.

 

[Malintent]

Really? Have you met the typical American? Are you aware of how the rest of the world views Americans, and have for decades now? These fat, self absorbed, "exceptional" people, many of whom can't find the USA on world map.... It is a far cry from what Americans were post WW2. USA peaked in the 70s and 80s and has been in decline since. It was and is only a matter of time before the US empire fades into obscurity and other world powers come to the front.

He says as he shoves another bite of poutine into his maw, and washes it down with maple syrup liberally doused with salt from the tears of realization that Canadia will never be that world power at the front of the line.

Poutine... where French Fries go to die a slow soggy death in a cesspool of terrible gravy

 

[dismal]

Wait, how do we blame Americans being fat on President Trumps again?

America has had an obesity crisis for every single day of Trump's presidency and he has done absolutely nothing while in office to deal with this. There comes a point where he's responsible and that point was about 40 minutes ago.

Yes, you're right. There is a new President, and that means there is a new person to hold accountable for everything that goes wrong. Something is not Bush's fault for the first time in 16 years.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

America has had an obesity crisis for every single day of Trump's presidency and he has done absolutely nothing while in office to deal with this. There comes a point where he's responsible and that point was about 40 minutes ago.

Yes, you're right. There is a new President, and that means there is a new person to hold accountable for everything that goes wrong. Something is not Bush's fault for the first time in 16 years.

Well, let's not go overboard. Trump is kind of Bush's fault.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Yes, you're right. There is a new President, and that means there is a new person to hold accountable for everything that goes wrong. Something is not Bush's fault for the first time in 16 years.

Well, let's not go overboard. Trump is kind of Bush's fault.

The decision to make Sarah Palin the VP running mate is a bit more at fault. But gosh, you'd think dismal would be happier right now. He seems to be upset about a bunch of strawmen and red herrings.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Well, let's not go overboard. Trump is kind of Bush's fault.

The decision to make Sarah Palin the VP running mate is a bit more at fault. But gosh, you'd think dismal would be happier right now. He seems to be upset about a bunch of strawmen and red herrings.

I'm upset that my faith in the intelligence and competency of the American people has once again been proven to be wrong. I keep thinking you're better than you actually are and I have no idea where it is that I get my positive opinion of you from.

 

[Ford]

But gosh, you'd think dismal would be happier right now. He seems to be upset about a bunch of strawmen and red herrings.

Being a sore winner is the new thing to do. #MAGA

 

[Nice Squirrel]

The decision to make Sarah Palin the VP running mate is a bit more at fault. But gosh, you'd think dismal would be happier right now. He seems to be upset about a bunch of strawmen and red herrings.

I'm upset that my faith in the intelligence and competency of the American people has once again been proven to be wrong. I keep thinking you're better than you actually are and I have no idea where it is that I get my positive opinion of you from.

 

[Elixir]

I'm upset that my faith in the intelligence and competency of the American people has once again been proven to be wrong. I keep thinking you're better than you actually are and I have no idea where it is that I get my positive opinion of you from.

Hey, I resemble that! I'm intelligent and competent. It's the rest of the country you have to worry about!

 

[TV and credit cards]

With a successful con, the mark doesn't realize he's been taken until long after the con man is gone. If he ever realizes it at all.
Trickle down economics. I'm going with, if ever.
There's no introspection. No lesson learned.

This is kind of the ultimate expression of trickle down economics. We had elected leaders dutifully handing all the money over to rich people, hoping that some of it would wind up in our pocketbooks. Now we've actually cut out the middleman, and put one of the billionaires in charge...hoping for a different result.

I was listening to Marketplace last night on the way home. It is NPR's business show. They're doing a series on Erie, PA, talking to the working class folks who voted for Trump hoping he'd bring back the manufacturing jobs that the city and county once counted on. They all believe he's going to do it, and without exception not a single one of them has a guess as to how. They just think that because he's a businessman, and because he's rich, he'll get it done.

None of them seem to realize that he's exactly the sort of person who is responsible for those jobs leaving in the first place. Oh, he didn't get rich in an industry that outsources jobs (though his products are made overseas) but he also didn't get rich by being nice to people and showering his employees with great pay and benefits. He's a ruthless, greedy scion of a ruthless, greedy slumlord, and has no actual history of helping out the little guy...or anyone but himself, for that matter.

No. No they don't realize it, do they? And we could ask them why Obama didn't institute Sharia and take all their guns too. There will be no answer for that either. They go by bellyfeel. But they are the children of people who worked hard and were able to provide for their families. That was their observation of life. Who slowly and painfully came to realize that world was no more. Who are trying to provide the life they had as children to their children and are failing. Who are mocked by the college educated for being fat and stupid. And in the same breath are scolded for blaming the non-whites they see these same college educated speaking out for. Who wouldn't be bitter? And these dried up little towns are all across America. You can drive through their town squares and imagine what they once were. I do. The houses are all still there with people living in them. Houses that are impossible to sell. Families living in them scraping by on a combined income of maybe $25 an hour. There are millions of them, all across America. They are watching TV. Watching the media mourn the death of some mouthy black teen in some disadvantaged neighborhood somewhere.
They are a disadvantaged segment of society who were forgotten. And they came out to vote.

 

[NightSky]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/donald-trump-in-the-white-house-is-the-end-of-the-american-century-20170119-gtv1ae.html

On April 6, 1917, the United States officially entered World War I. Just ten weeks short of 100 years later, Donald Trump is being sworn in as President of the United States. And thus ends the "American Century".

You had your chance. And now you've blown it. Time for China's century. I'm not at all confident that their hegemony will be an improvement over yours.

I respectfully disagree with the cited article: While I remain apprehensive of President Trump taking in the reins at the White House as I do see him as unfit to assume the most powerful position in the world currently, I don't believe his election and subsequent win and assuming of office is any indication of the end to American hegemony on the global stage or America's recognized supremacy as the world's #1 leader.

While China has had unparalleled economic growth and holds $1.115 trillion debt of America as of October 2016, I doubt America will allow China to supplant as the #1 superpower even if China maintains the current position of being the chief driver of the global economy. Also, President Trump is the wild card. In a game of one-upmanship, I do not see President Trump quietly letting another president or country win one over him in any way; his worst and also perhaps best trait is that he expects to win and that too always, and winners like him do so by always arranging and rearranging ideas, things, plans, and people to suit themselves because they've learned to never take no for an answer and his no-prisoners' attitude is one that will make his presidency probably an absolutely appalling yet at the same time an edge-of-the-seat high-and-low thrilling ride.

Therefore, while I do have concerns and doubts about his competence for the job, what I do not have is doubt or concerns over America remaining the #1 superpower. I think China or Russia should yet hold off celebrating or becoming cocky about President Trump's win as spelling the end of American supremacy because America still carries a big stick and President Trump I doubt would be concerned about using it to do whatever he feels is the thing to do to remain in that position. The irony of his presidency is that not only has he built suspense of what he'll actually do in office compared to what he's said he'll do due to his notorious and marked inconsistency, his inconsistency means he's not the least afraid of going against or back on his word. I remain gravely concerned over President Trump's attitude, and it hasn't escaped me that he'll learn of the nuclear codes and is probably a person and president who'll be least afraid to use either the threat of it or it itself if and when he thinks or feels it's justified (whatever the reason).

Most people are afraid of losing something which reins in their attitude on any stage of public arena in the globe, be it reputation, job, family, money, or supporters, but here I doubt President Trump's concerned with any of those because he doesn't have a reputation to lose, he doesn't and has never needed a job, he has more than enough money and he's primed himself with his presidency to make more even if he's removed himself absolutely from the day-to-day operation of his businesses, and his family has proven to him that blood is thicker than water, and his supporters have (or so it seems) sworn unwavering fealty to him as he's their chosen overlord. So, I don't think it's the end of "American Century" as the article has stated but a beginning of a dangerous albeit still very much an "American Century."

Peace.

 

[Elixir]

his worst and also perhaps best trait is that he expects to win and that too always, and winners like him do so by always arranging and rearranging ideas, things, plans, and people to suit themselves because they've learned to never take no for an answer and his no-prisoners' attitude is one that will make his presidency probably an absolutely appalling yet at the same time an edge-of-the-seat high-and-low thrilling ride.

It's the playing chess with pigeons problem. They knock over all the pieces and shit on the board. Trump, should he find himself losing with no other easy option for retaining his perceived primacy, is likely to nuke whoever pissed him off.
I don't relish being number one among highly radioactive countries that are 75% uninhabitable... and I think Trump would rather be #1 in THAT situation vs. being #2 among thriving, peaceful countries.

Oh - and by any objective rating, Trump is already #2, after his boss behind the curtain - Uncle Vlad.