patrick.net

thunderlips11 says

What trade treaties is the GOP Senate planning on renegotiating? How come the GOP Senate hasn't abrogated NAFTA in the past 20 years? DO tell.

I am not worried about trade treaties and think it is foolish to think we can drag back 19th and 20th century manufacturing jobs to America in a globalized world. Our trade output is higher now than before NAFTA and output per man hour is much higher thanks to automation.

We do have a big trade deficit, but roughly half of that is due to oil imports. And dopey trade protectionist policies are the reason we couldn't export our oil abroad which we now have plenty of thanks to frackers.

LOL...

Tenpoundbass says

Think of Donald running as President, as a Billionaires way of disputing the bill. And wants to change the Washington accounting laws, of give a shitness.

That's the beauty of the 2nd amendment.
Civilians in the countries that morphed into dictatorships did not have the depth of armaments to prevent this.

Ironman says

You're going to compare community organizer, half term senator Obama's accomplishments and background to Trump's accomplishments?

Really??

Trump is a trust-fund baby. Who couldn't make millions in US real estate when given that much money by one's father?

And about those famous "Trump Deals" he is constantly bragging about. Lots and lots of problems when you look under the hood. No wonder Trump tries to sue anyone that investigates his wealth claims?
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-02-24/a-look-inside-trump-s-global-deals-exposes-trouble-in-many-spots

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Trump is going to get absolutely murdered by the Liberal sycophant media in the General Election when they start hitting him with all the sleazy shit that the Republican establishment has inexplicably refused to bring up in the primary.

The media are holding their fire hoping Republicans are dumb enough to nominate Trump. Just wait until the Democrats start playing up how Trump literally brags in his books that he likes to sleep with married women. Trump is an UNREPENTANT adulterer and dumb as fuck evangelicals and so called social conservatives are flocking to him because they are in thrall of his celebrity.

Ironman says

Just a FYI for ya, Trump built his empire in the liberal BLUE town of NYC, if you aren't greasing the people who help get projects approved, you aren't a good businessman. He's come out a admitted it, he had to Pay to Play in the big City...

Spend some time working around in the 5 boroughs of NY, you'll learn quick.

So did Nurse Bloomberg.

I sure as shit don't want him as president either.

socal2 says

I am not worried about trade treaties and think it is foolish to think we can drag back 19th and 20th century manufacturing jobs to America in a globalized world. Our trade output is higher now than before NAFTA and output per man hour is much higher thanks to automation.

We do have a big trade deficit, but roughly half of that is due to oil imports. And dopey trade protectionist policies are the reason we couldn't export our oil abroad which we now have plenty of thanks to frackers.

All of the outsourcing was 100% generated in DC and NYC. GATT, WTO, NAFTA, TPP all began in the US by the top 1%. If we started it, we can stop it.

It's not some 'natural market phenomenon." It's taken massive amounts of money, bribes, chicanery, and outright lying to the public to get America to deindustrialize and become a globaloney state.

It's very natural and normal for Republics to degenerate into Plutocratic Oligarchies with a pastiche of democracy. We occasionally need the reverse of "labor discipline" I call "Oligarch discipline", where the oligarchs lose control and are on the backfoot for a while to maintain a balance.

It's a catch 22, because when a Democracy tries to reign in Overmighty Servants, there's always the Chance the Oligarchs will say "We rule, fuckheads. Hey, religious cunts in our payroll, and you dumb kulaks, come flock to the banner and join us to overthrow the populist scum". But if you don't do it, it will slowly happen over time anyway.

thunderlips11 says

It's not some 'natural market phenomenon." It's taken massive amounts of money, bribes, chicanery, and outright lying to the public to get America to deindustrialize and become a globaloney state.

Add to that Milton Friedman orchestrated an automatic 2% annual increase in the money supply.

There was a battle in Venice for one of their last outposts in Dalmatia or the western coast of Albania or Greece - a key place near the entrance to the Adriatic where it narrows between what was Yugoslavia and Italy. Corfu, maybe, I don't recall. The 1%er leaders valued their wealthy lives more than preserving the Venetian Republic - indeed, the very life blood of Venice - and browbeated the crews and captains eager for a fight into retreating, abandoning the fort that was holding out against the Ottomans.

It was better to rule a reduced Venice as a minor Oligarch, than risk their Oligarch lives to defend the Republic and the standard of living.

Traitors.

Nobody put more People in Prison, mostly for non-violent drug offenses, than Bill Clinton aided by his wife.

America under the Clintons surpassed Russia and China in imprisonment.

Only a balanced freedom lover who imprisoned millions of poor Americans, who called Snowden a traitor, empowered radicals by overthrowing stable regimes, believes any medical reform is impossible, and can't wait to get into a nuclear war with Russia over Ukraine, is the safe choice.

Please, pull for the proven record of the reliable and safe Hillary Clinton.

Remember, as a woman she won't feel any extra added pressure to act tough!

thunderlips11 says

It's not some 'natural market phenomenon." It's taken massive amounts of money, bribes, chicanery, and outright lying to the public to get America to deindustrialize and become a globaloney state.

About 150 years ago, about 70% of Americans were involved in farming. Now it is roughly 2% and we produce more food than ever and can feed the world thanks to innovation. Do you really think innovation hasn't played a major role in the decline of manufacturing jobs in the US as well?

Apparently many Americans think they are too good for farming or landscaping work. Do you think all the Millennials coming out of school with humanities degrees and $100k in student loan debt are desperate to find a factory job? My parents' generation were desperate to get out and not be stuck like their parents working in the local factory or coal mine.

I think many of these protectionist policies are clinging to a past that no longer exists.

socal2 says

About 150 years ago, about 70% of Americans were involved in farming. Now it is roughly 2% and we produce more food than ever and can feed the world thanks to innovation. Do you really think innovation hasn't played a major role in the decline of manufacturing jobs in the US as well?

The promise was millions of new high tech high paying jobs serving "a billion new customers". Of course, the NAFTA and MFN for China pushers knew from the get go they planned on outsourcing to China.

If they told the truth "Lose your job at the chip fabrication plant when it moves to Shenzen Province! Then make half as much at the Walmart Warehouse after you get foreclosed on!" it would have been defeated.

There is no future for a mass middle class without industrial jobs, period. P/T Starbucks and Warehouse jobs at barely above minimum wage cannot replace Full Time manufacturing jobs. There is a glut at for every broad field of college educated. Disney showed that high education, high performance College Educated Americans are at risk also.

Promote the General Welfare. Protect America - don't trade it away for Free.

Ironman says

Come on, you forgot to include his 4 bankruptcies in your rant. If you want to be consistent, you need to follow ALL the Mother Jones and Salon talking points!

And like many Trump supporters, you refuse to address any of Trump's past actions, support for Liberal/Crony Capitalist policies, narcissism, unrepentant adultery - and seem to have absolute religious faith in the shit that Trump is saying on the campaign trail in 2016.

We are blowing the most winnable election in a generation by running the equivalent of Nurse Bloomberg with a more vulgar mouth. This guy is going to let you down so hard if he manages to win the whole thing. He will be worse than the Jesse Ventura/Schwarzeneggar train wrecks and will fuck over Conservatives for a generation.

Ironman says

You think so, if there were so many skeletons in the closet, why hasn't Cruz thrown them out there with all the shit slinging going on between them?

I honestly think many of them thought Trump would implode on his own believing Trump had about 35% ceiling. The rest of the Republicans were more concerned about each other and wanted a 2 man race with Trump which they think they can win. So they have been attacking each other. That didn't pan out like they thought, so tonight's debate should be interesting.
Ironman says

The "Liberal sycophant media" have been digging forever, if they had crap on him, they would have rolled it out months ago.

They are holding their fire waiting for him to be safely nominated. How is Trump going to be able to attack Hillary for Bill's "war on women" when Trump fucking brags about sleeping with married women in his books? How many women are going to pull the lever for a dude on his 3rd wife who says creepy shit about banging his daughter and openly brags about sleeping around?

Ironman says

Trump's NOT a conservative (or a politician), he's more of a middle of the road moderate, so you can get your panties out of your crack.

Yep - just like Bloomberg. With the exception of gun control and Trump's loud mouth, there isn't that much difference between Bloomberg and Trump. I don't want a New York Liberal as President. Simple as that.

Ironman says

I don't either... Trump has bounced around all sides of the political arena, he's more about actually policy then if there is a D or R after it.

If you really believe Trump is "about policy" than why do you admit that he has "bounced around all sides"? FFS - just a few years ago he was saying Mitt Romney was too mean in saying we should enact immigration policies that would encourage illegals to self-deport.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/flashback-2012-trump-criticized-gop-for-being-mean-spirited-on-immigration/

But now Trump boosters really seem to believe Trump is all of a sudden a hard core immigration opponent despite his past statements and ACTIONS of hiring foreigners over Americans to work at his hotels?

Trump has no ideological core or beliefs - he is only for Trump and has a long history of screwing the little guy just as long as it helps his bottom line and brand. When you have no ideological core, I suppose it allows Trump to "bounce around all sides" of the issues depending on what side of the bed Trump wakes up on.

Ironman says

So, who's a better choice as YOUR perfect conservative Repub?

None are perfect, but of the remaining candidates Cruz, Rubio or Kasich are light-years better than any Democrat running (including Trump).

socal2 says

"Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach describes itself as “one of the most highly regarded private clubs in the world,” and it is not just the very-well-to-do who want to get in.

Since 2010, nearly 300 United States residents have applied or been referred for jobs as waiters, waitresses, cooks and housekeepers there. But according to federal records, only 17 have been hired.

In all but a handful of cases, Mar-a-Lago sought to fill the jobs with hundreds of foreign guest workers from Romania and other countries."

A business man has to compete with the rules that Obama and Bush created. Remember Trump didn't build that Obama DID!

Trump is winning get over it! Get on the right side of History bitches!

You don't like him. Just that alone is enough for me. He's got a lot on his plate if he can't take care of everything. Then I guess we'll have to wait for Conay West to get in there in 2024.

It's an "international club". Why would anyone not hire a sprinkling of nationalities from around the world?
That's just good business practice.

socal2 says

"Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach describes itself as “one of the most highly regarded private clubs in the world,” and it is not just the very-well-to-do who want to get in.

Since 2010, nearly 300 United States residents have applied or been referred for jobs as waiters, waitresses, cooks and housekeepers there. But according to federal records, only 17 have been hired.

In all but a handful of cases, Mar-a-Lago sought to fill the jobs with hundreds of foreign guest workers from Romania and other countries."

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/26/us/politics/donald-trump-taps-foreign-work-force-for-his-florida-club.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Tenpoundbass says

You don't like him. Just that alone is enough for me.

This is the best way to make the call on any issue: Just ask yourself "Will it piss off liberals?" and if so, do it.

There will be no place for liberals in the Trump Presidency, because there is no room for such people in a great country.

socal2 says

None are perfect, but of the remaining candidates Cruz, Rubio or Kasich are light-years better than any Democrat running (including Trump).

Ah, your neocon-lib status quo candidates.

As for Hillary (aka the Pro-Choice Rubio/Kasich), She most certainly will say and do anything to get elected; the Clintons are famous for triangulating and abandoning their base, who grovels back for more unlubricated Anal, just like blacks in South Carolina will do yet again.

SoftShell says

It's an "international club". Why would anyone not hire a sprinkling of nationalities from around the world?

That's just good business practice.

Nothing says continental style and class like "Romanians" - their very language being the language of love.

You can't fault Trump (on this or anything else).

By the way, the Clintons are to blame for the world we live in. Their adoption of neoliberalism and attempts to outflank Republicans from the right are exactly why we are in this position. They got a plurality or more of elected Democrats joining with Republicans to create the Prison Complex, the R2P bomb 'em all foreign policy which started when we backed the Utsashe and Muslim conquest of Serbia/Yugoslavia , Unlimited Outsourcing, H1-B expansion, college and insurance cost explosions, and of course financial deregulation. While blaming it all on white working class racism.

Trump was created by Bill Clinton.

Tenpoundbass says

A business man has to compete with the rules that Obama and Bush created.

No they don't.

Trump hired foreigners over Americans to maximize *HIS* profits. Or are we to believe that Trump's businesses are so precarious that they can't afford to pay their waiters and cooks a decent wage?

socal2 says

Trump hired foreigners over Americans to maximize *HIS* profits.

Or he didn't get the Obama dreamer tax credits.

Joe Kennedy pulled a lot of stock scams. Didn't stop him from regulating Wall Street.

thunderlips11 says

Please, pull for the proven record of the reliable and safe Hillary Clinton.

Remember, as a woman she won't feel any extra added pressure to act tough!

An important point. I could not agree more.

The amazing thing about Hillary is that she is both in bed with ISIS and too aggressively neocon - at the same time!

Only a truly evil piece of shit could be both a soft-on-our-enemies traitor and overly aggressive abroad. Diabolical!

HydroCabron says

The amazing thing about Hillary is that she is both in bed with ISIS and too aggressively neocon - both at the same time!

Yep. She thinks overthrowing Assad, even if it likely meant ISIS takeover of Syria, was more important.

Meanwhile, she blasts Assange and Snowden while breaking the Open Records law and endangering Top Secret information by taking it out of a secured facility, and hosting it on a private server in the AAA+ Code Level Burnt Sienna Secured zone of her Bathroom.

Ironman says

Now you know why Romney lost... "self-deport"?? Really???

Huh? Trump said enacting policies that encourage "self-deportation" alienated Hispanics and cost Romney the election.

But Trump saying he will forcefully deport millions of illegal hispanics, saying that Mexico is sending us their rapists and he will force Mexico to pay for the wall won't alienate Hispanics?

Bizarro-world stuff.

Hillary kicks puppies.

HydroCabron says

Hillary kicks puppies.

And Trump is the New Hitler.

Hillary told me that Obama is an inexperienced, dangerous Negro who is too tough on guns, not a real hardworking white American.

thunderlips11 says

There is no future for a mass middle class without industrial jobs, period. P/T Starbucks and Warehouse jobs at barely above minimum wage cannot replace Full Time manufacturing jobs. There is a glut at for every broad field of college educated. Disney showed that high education, high performance College Educated Americans are at risk also.

Promote the General Welfare. Protect America - don't trade it away for Free.

The issue is that it's not simply about the labor costs (although it is a significant component). The companies view themselves as citizens of the world and are excited by the newly created middle class in emerging market economies. These people represent an untapped pool of future customers. New customers are more valuable than existing customers because they appreciate their new found financial power and are not subject to habituation forces/laws of diminishing returns that represent weary western consumers. Plus they are not guilt-tripped for shopping because they are "not saving for retirement" or "not saving for college."

thunderlips11 says

And Trump is the New Hitler.

He does have a big tent!

"Donald Trump endorsed by former KKK leader David Duke"
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/trump-endorsed-kkk-neo-nazis-america-white-article-1.2543847

dublin hillz says

The companies view themselves as citizens of the world and are excited by the newly created middle class in emerging market economies.

Thomas Friedman Kool Aide. Companies exist to make profits. That's why they use slaves or children whenever possible.
They'll claim they're masters of the supply chain, then act surprised when somebody says "You source chocolate from this plantation with hundreds of child slaves on it!"
"We do?! Gee, we had *no idea*, yeah, that's the ticket."
dublin hillz says

These people represent an untapped pool of future customers.

When they start to make decent wages, they in turn get deindustrialized and the companies flee elsewhere.

dublin hillz says

New customers are more valuable than existing customers because they appreciate their new found financial power and are not subject to habituation forces/laws of diminishing returns that represent weary western consumers.

So, when the companies leave, who takes up the now-lost property tax base, corporate tax base? You guessed it! It's either debt or tax increases just to maintain the same levels.

indigenous says

"I think we should go much stronger than waterboarding," he said. In his view, "nothing should be taken off the table." Any form of sadism you can imagine, Trump will happily consider.

Being outrageous is not a bug, it's a feature.
It's the finger agitated at the establishment. And the free media attention too.

Heraclitusstudent says

indigenous says

"I think we should go much stronger than waterboarding," he said. In his view, "nothing should be taken off the table." Any form of sadism you can imagine, Trump will happily consider.

Being outrageous is not a bug, it's a feature.

It's the finger agitated at the establishment. And the free media attention too.

FYI: Hillary's flip flop on Torture.

In October 2006,Clinton spoke about exceptions to a no-torture policy when speaking to the New York Daily News. Clinton mentioned a "ticking time bomb" scenario in which a captured terrorist has knowledge of an imminent terror attack and interrogators want to use torture.

"In the event we were ever confronted with having to interrogate a detainee with knowledge of an imminent threat to millions of Americans, then the decision to depart from standard international practices must be made by the president, and the president must be held accountable," she said. "That very, very narrow exception within very, very limited circumstances is better than blasting a big hole in our entire law."

Then, on Sept. 26, 2007, Clinton said something different. During a debate, Tim Russert asked her about the ticking bomb scenario and here's what she said: "As a matter of policy, it cannot be American policy, period." She said she met with military generals who told her there is "very little evidence that it works."

In the days after the debate, the Republican National Committee criticized her for flip-flopping, and Obama said he would oppose torture "without exception or equivocation," according to Daily News reports.

Did Clinton change position because of her talks with the generals or because of the "politics of the moment"? We can't see inside Clinton's head, so our ruling doesn't reflect on that part of the statement. But it is clear she changed her mind about the "ticking bomb" scenario. So we rate Obama's claim True.

As usual, Hillary was for something, until a plurality made it safe for her to be against it.

See also gay marriage, prison complex, financial regulation, TPP, etc.

"Hillary: Center-right, until somebody else makes it safe to be Center-left."

Please submit a full proposal for Bill and Hillaries Orgy of Irresponsibility.

socal2 says

thunderlips11 says

And Trump is the New Hitler.

He does have a big tent!

"Donald Trump endorsed by former KKK leader David Duke"

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/trump-endorsed-kkk-neo-nazis-america-white-article-1.2543847

Ah, but we already know how many fucks DT gives about this endorsement and how many fucks DT gives about effete cultural-marxists coming out of the woodwork trying to use it against him. And that's what makes him so popular, he refuses to be guilty by association, clearly distinguishing him from the cuckservatives.

Trump got clobbered in last night's debate. He finally got exposed as the carnival barker he is. But it is probably too late as the Trump cult is too far gone down the rabbit hole now to see what is so clear before their own eyes. He is the only candidate that loses to Hillary in the national polls now - and the Media (and the Republicans) have barely begun their opposition research dump on him. Clinton is going to win by a landslide if we nominate this New York loud mouth trust fund baby.

Highlights revealed last night:

- Trump has hired illegal workers and was fined $1 million for doing so.
- Trump ran a “fake university” and is being sued for fraud over it.
- Trump has bankrupted companies.
- Trump inherited $200 million.
- Trump cuts deals with leftist politicians, including Harry Reid.
- Trump has no real plan for how to replace Obamacare.
- Trump supported socialized medicine.
- Trump isn’t doing well in head-to-head polling against Hillary Clinton.
- Trump won’t release his tax returns.
- The mainstream media will pick Trump apart over his taxes and his “fake university.”
- Trump can’t exploit Clinton’s weaknesses, such as the Clinton Foundation, because he has been friendly with Clinton and contributed to her Foundation.
- Trump is neutral as between Israel and the Palestinians.
- Trump now claims he opposed overthrowing Qaddafi, but there is video showing that he supported the military action against him.

Loved this bit of Trump too....."I don't repeat myself" "I DON"T REPEAT MYSELF!"

www.youtube.com/embed/KZ-G5TkTAbo

That was great performance by Rubio last night. Trump appeared to be stunned like a boxer who endured a few sharp jabs right in the face. Rubio exposed him as an empty suit, as an emperor with no clothes who runs on nothing but platitudes. That was a game changer and the timing could not be better right before super tuesday.