Trump is starting to deliver

[RVonse]

You say that like the protesters are unemployed or "living in the street." That's REALLY cute.

In the rust belt there are a LOT of young people who are struggling in a big way right now. Many of them have gone into debt for education and still can not find decent employment. I know a lot of them who should be starting families of their own but can do no more than live in their parents basement right now. And a parents basement is no place to start a family. Maybe not all of the protester's are young but I think that many of them are. It is speculation on my part, but I still believe if those same people could become more part of a growing economy they would soon lose interest in Trump's deficiencies.

I offer you a counter-theory: Donald Trump will use his administration the same way he used his business empire, following the same pattern of behavior in the white house. He will use the office of the presidency to push business deals, energy investments, defense contracts, he will push for more and more privatization of education and sweeten the pot for the health insurance industry, all while expecting -- if not outright demanding -- kickbacks from those industries in the form of partnerships with his businesses and his own investments. All of this while at the same time sucking up to evangelicals and white nationalists to get them to donate to his reelection fund and help finance local pet projects that fall in line with his overall agenda. He will in various nonsensical ways spit rhetoric about how everything he's doing is good for America and good for the economy and will continue to profit off his actions, paying no attention to legality or decorum, attack and denounce his critics, and pretty much do as he pleases.

Like a new manager who hires all of his home boys to run the store, the result is a tidal wave of graft and corruption, with the most aggressive and ambitious individuals ending up in positions of power. Those same individuals are then free to use those positions to pursue longstanding grudges against their rivals (white nationalists, teabaggers, anti-abortionists, homophobes, nativists, etc) and with no one to reign them in, it's open season on everyone who dared speak up before.

I'm sure that'll be GREAT for the middle class.

We will see what happens. But I really do think the voters have wakened up. They have just shown in a big way they are past tired of the corruption as usual. We still do not know if Trump will bring more jobs but it is so far looking good and I am hoping for the best. And I for one hope he succeeds because I live in the US.

 

[Juma]

In the rust belt there are a LOT of young people who are struggling in a big way right now. Many of them have gone into debt for education and still can not find decent employment. I know a lot of them who should be starting families of their own but can do no more than live in their parents basement right now. And a parents basement is no place to start a family. Maybe not all of the protester's are young but I think that many of them are. It is speculation on my part, but I still believe if those same people could become more part of a growing economy they would soon lose interest in Trump's deficiencies.

I offer you a counter-theory: Donald Trump will use his administration the same way he used his business empire, following the same pattern of behavior in the white house. He will use the office of the presidency to push business deals, energy investments, defense contracts, he will push for more and more privatization of education and sweeten the pot for the health insurance industry, all while expecting -- if not outright demanding -- kickbacks from those industries in the form of partnerships with his businesses and his own investments. All of this while at the same time sucking up to evangelicals and white nationalists to get them to donate to his reelection fund and help finance local pet projects that fall in line with his overall agenda. He will in various nonsensical ways spit rhetoric about how everything he's doing is good for America and good for the economy and will continue to profit off his actions, paying no attention to legality or decorum, attack and denounce his critics, and pretty much do as he pleases.

Like a new manager who hires all of his home boys to run the store, the result is a tidal wave of graft and corruption, with the most aggressive and ambitious individuals ending up in positions of power. Those same individuals are then free to use those positions to pursue longstanding grudges against their rivals (white nationalists, teabaggers, anti-abortionists, homophobes, nativists, etc) and with no one to reign them in, it's open season on everyone who dared speak up before.

I'm sure that'll be GREAT for the middle class.

We will see what happens. But I really do think the voters have wakened up. They have just shown in a big way they are past tired of the corruption as usual. We still do not know if Trump will bring more jobs but it is so far looking good and I am hoping for the best. And I for one hope he succeeds because I live in the US.

Some voters have surely woken up and shown what total idiots they are.

And when it comes to corruption: what corruption are you talking about?

 

[RVonse]

And when it comes to corruption: what corruption are you talking about?

The political establishment responsible for our disastrous trade deals, massive illegal immigration and economic and foreign policies that have bled our country dry. A global power structure responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped our country of its wealth and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations and political entities.

That's mostly the kind of corruption I am talking about although Crazy Eddie describes a few others as well.

If Trump does fail, the only solution is for the American people to become even more radical.

 

[credoconsolans]

And when it comes to corruption: what corruption are you talking about?

The political establishment responsible for our disastrous trade deals, massive illegal immigration and economic and foreign policies that have bled our country dry. A global power structure responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped our country of its wealth and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations and political entities.

That's mostly the kind of corruption I am talking about although Crazy Eddie describes a few others as well.

If Trump does fail, the only solution is for the American people to become even more radical.

Uh, Trump is part of the 1% who made all that happen.

That's why critics laugh at Trump supporters who fondly fantasize that he's "one of them" and will work to change the status quo that he helped maintain.

 

[RVonse]

The political establishment responsible for our disastrous trade deals, massive illegal immigration and economic and foreign policies that have bled our country dry. A global power structure responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped our country of its wealth and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations and political entities.

That's mostly the kind of corruption I am talking about although Crazy Eddie describes a few others as well.

If Trump does fail, the only solution is for the American people to become even more radical.

Uh, Trump is part of the 1% who made all that happen.

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money. The elite have never liked Trump and they still hate him with a passion. The elite establishment all consider him to be white trash.

 

[Ford]

Uh, Trump is part of the 1% who made all that happen.

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money. The elite have never liked Trump and they still hate him with a passion. The elite establishment all consider him to be white trash.

He has a lot more in common with them than just money. Whatever his fellow elites may think about him personally, he is just like them in many ways. Ruthless in his pursuit of wealth. Willing to step on the little guy to make a buck. Giving a tiny fraction of his wealth (if at all) to charity while portraying himself as a generous philanthropist. And like a lot of people born into money he's completely out of touch with the struggles of working and middle class people. His lack of empathy was on display when he was feuding with the Khan family. Their son volunteered for service and sacrificed himself to save his fellow soldiers. Trump actually believes he can relate to that kind of sacrifice because some of his business ventures failed.

The other thing Trump has in common with the "elites" (at least on the GOP side) is that he appears to believe that the path to empowering the middle and working class to improve their lot in life is to empower the upper class and hope some of it flows downhill. Tax cuts on big business. Tax cuts on big investments. Deregulation of financial institutions, energy companies, and other big businesses. None of his plans released so far directly help those working and middle class voters who threw their lot in with Trump.

Trump, like many of the "elites," is also a CEO. The head of a huge company with many employees. A boss. The sort of person who has been getting steadily richer while the wages of his (and every other company's) employees stay stagnant. They collect huge bonuses when the company does well, while the employees who actually do the work are told to pound sand and be lucky they have a job. Now - with Trump in the White House and the GOP in charge of Congress - the country is being told essentially: "we're going to make your lives better by giving your boss another raise."

It amazes me that there are still people who think this is going to work out for them.

 

[laughing dog]

Uh, Trump is part of the 1% who made all that happen.

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money. The elite have never liked Trump and they still hate him with a passion. The elite establishment all consider him to be white trash.

That is irrelevant - Trump admits he plays the elite corruption game and succeeds.

 

[Deepak]

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money. The elite have never liked Trump and they still hate him with a passion. The elite establishment all consider him to be white trash.

That is irrelevant - Trump admits he plays the elite corruption game and succeeds.

 

[Horatio Parker]

Now he's saying that if you're Prez, there's no conflict of interest running personal businesses at the same time…

Which makes me think he's just advertised "bomb me" to the whole planet.

So if, say, ISIS takes him up and destroys one of his hotels…do we go to war?

Interesting times...

 

[LordKiran]

Since I wrote the OP, United States Steel rose another 12% higher to 32 today. And the market broke 19000 for the first time ever.
.

And the Dollar is up compared to the Euro, Yen, and Yuan. We will have to wait to see whether this is justified expectation or not. But it does seem to indicate that the world markets are expecting a stronger US economy.

To be fair, markets are fickel and prone to changes not based on anything economics related.

 

[Elixir]

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money.

Blessed??? ROFLROFLROFL!
He's not blessed, he has lied cheated, stolen and defrauded people his whole life. IOW, he totally embodies the 1% who have perpetrated and perpetuated the economic inequity that fuels the divisions in this country - and once again Trump takes advantage of it. Anyone in the "working class" who feels robbed and thinks Trump will do anything but further impoverish them, is a moron deserving of the fate that lies in store.

 

[Horatio Parker]

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money. The elite have never liked Trump and they still hate him with a passion. The elite establishment all consider him to be white trash.

The only thing? How do you think people become part of the 1%? Apply for membership?

 

[LordKiran]

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money. The elite have never liked Trump and they still hate him with a passion. The elite establishment all consider him to be white trash.

The only thing? How do you think people become part of the 1%? Apply for membership?

As I understand there's auditions as well.

 

[bilby]

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money. The elite have never liked Trump and they still hate him with a passion. The elite establishment all consider him to be white trash.

The only thing? How do you think people become part of the 1%? Apply for membership?

No, no; You have to be blessed.

It's all in the hands of the Gods, and we mere mortals shouldn't question it.

 

[RVonse]

No he's not. The only thing he has in common with them is being blessed with lots of money. The elite have never liked Trump and they still hate him with a passion. The elite establishment all consider him to be white trash.

The only thing? How do you think people become part of the 1%? Apply for membership?

That's because there is a difference between being in the elite establishment and wealth. Many people in the elite establishment are 1%ers but that is not what put them there.

Neither Trump or Bill Gates or Warren Buffet are a part of the elite establishment yet they all have great wealth. The key to knowing this is that none of those people had any means to steer the country into the ditch that it is in today.

OTOH, most of those people from congress and other parts of the government including the fed are part of the elite establishment. Many of them do have extreme wealth as well, but that is not what places them in that group. It's their willingness to sell out the country that places them in the group. The key to knowing this is people who had nothing before a life of government, now have extreme wealth, yet had no other means of getting extreme wealth except from the government position that they held. Voters were smart enough to figure some of this out during the last election.

 

[Horatio Parker]

The only thing? How do you think people become part of the 1%? Apply for membership?

That's because there is a difference between being in the elite establishment and wealth. Many people in the elite establishment are 1%ers but that is not what put them there.

Neither Trump or Bill Gates or Warren Buffet are a part of the elite establishment yet they all have great wealth. The key to knowing this is that none of those people had any means to steer the country into the ditch that it is in today.

OTOH, most of those people from congress and other parts of the government including the fed are part of the elite establishment. Many of them do have extreme wealth as well, but that is not what places them in that group. It's their willingness to sell out the country that places them in the group. The key to knowing this is people who had nothing before a life of government, now have extreme wealth, yet had no other means of getting extreme wealth except from the government position that they held. Voters were smart enough to figure some of this out during the last election.

I get it.

The 1 per centers you approve of are not the elite. The ones you don't are.

Buffet is no man of the people. He's just better at PR than many. Nor is Gates.

And certainly not Trump, who has said recently that it's perfectly fine for him to use the presidency to increase his wealth.

 

[Ford]

The key to knowing this is people who had nothing before a life of government, now have extreme wealth, yet had no other means of getting extreme wealth except from the government position that they held.

It would be easier on your part (and more honest) if you just said "Hillary Clinton."

 

[skepticalbip]

The key to knowing this is people who had nothing before a life of government, now have extreme wealth, yet had no other means of getting extreme wealth except from the government position that they held.

It would be easier on your part (and more honest) if you just said "Hillary Clinton."

Clinton isn't the only one in the establishment elite. There are a hell of a lot of Senators, Representatives, and government officials in department level posts who became wealthy through influence provided by their positions. Its called crony capitalism - providing government favoritism for self enrichment.

 

[Horatio Parker]

The key to knowing this is people who had nothing before a life of government, now have extreme wealth, yet had no other means of getting extreme wealth except from the government position that they held.

It would be easier on your part (and more honest) if you just said "Hillary Clinton."

He's drawing the wrong conclusion. Trump wants in because he wants to make a fortune like the Clintons.

Look at the revolving door between politics, books and media. Huckabee, Palin, Cain without even mentioning those who go into lobbying, where they make as much or more money without the high profile.

Holding Trump up as a moral antidote is laughable.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

In the rust belt there are a LOT of young people who are struggling in a big way right now. Many of them have gone into debt for education and still can not find decent employment. I know a lot of them who should be starting families of their own but can do no more than live in their parents basement right now. And a parents basement is no place to start a family. Maybe not all of the protester's are young but I think that many of them are. It is speculation on my part...

Obviously. And without a lot of solid data to go on, you are evidently glossing over the fact that a huge number of people who didn't vote for Trump ALREADY HAVE families. This economic recession we've been struggling with has been going on for almost nine years now, which means there are a lot of young mothers and fathers who have been underemployed for the entire lifetime of their children and struggling to make ends meet right up until the moment Trump won the presidency and promised to kick them in the collective balls.

I still believe if those same people could become more part of a growing economy they would soon lose interest in Trump's deficiencies.

That's a huge "if" considering the economy has BEEN growing for at least the last five years and none of us have been allowed to benefit from it. Wages are still stagnant even as productivity continues to soar.

And THAT'S before you consider the fact that there is a certain very large portion of the population for whom Trump's "deficiencies" are antithetical to their very existence. Not everyone in America is in a position where "His platform appeals very strongly to white nationalists and religious conservatives" isn't a massive deal breaker.

To put that in simpler terms: "The fox would do wonders for the economy" is not that big of a selling point for a community of hens.

We still do not know if Trump will bring more jobs but it is so far looking good...

"So far?" of what? He hasn't taken office yet, and as yet has no power whatsoever to affect policy until/unless he is sworn in. What you're basically saying is PRESIDENT OBAMA continues to be good for the economy in the waning months of his presidency, but that kind of goes without saying, doesn't it?

I for one hope he succeeds because I live in the US.

I for one hope he fails in 90% of his campaign promises, considering who those promises were directed against.