patrick.net

jazz_music says

Deregulation is really bad too

Not necessarily.

Most regulations are designed to prevent competition by rivals and not to protect the public.

John Kenneth Galbraith introduced me to this idea. It seems to be correct.

When any corporation accumulates enough power, it creates regulations specifically to hinder free market competition.

jazz_music says

Deregulation is really bad too, that’s exactly the opposite of what we need.

Problem is not deregulation as such, but that after deregulation banksters do stupid stuff and then politicians bail them out on public dime. Without bailouts, next generation of banksters would be more careful (after the previous generation would have gone broke and FUCKING JUMPED OUT OF WINDOWS).

The SOP is as follows: banksters first whine about too much regulations, and when those are removed (after hefty bribes), they go all out with stupid stuff, pay themselves billions, company is driven into ground, and then they go to politicians, bribe them once more - and - voila! - banks are solvent again, but banksters are billions richer.

Either very few regulations and no bailouts whatsoever, or turn banks into highly regulated public utilities with CEO of bank earning on order of US Pres salary, no bonuses, What we have now is an abomination, worst of those two combined.

jazz_music says

and enjoy laughing at the smart people

Again, doesn't that seem kind of self-congratulatory?

This is a major factor in driving people away from the Democratic Party.

The thing is, they're not smart.

The smart set spends most of their time attacking actual smart people with amazing track records, like Elon Musk or that guy from the Cold Harbor Lab.

Reusable Rockets? RNA? Fuck that, you don't know about the oppression Left Handed Lesbian Midget Albanian Albinos face on a daily basis. I bet you never read one line of Susan Sontag!

rd6B says

turn banks into highly regulated public utilities

Do you mean "end the fed"?

rd6B says

The SOP is as follows: banksters first whine about too much regulations, and when those are removed (after hefty bribes), they go all out with stupid stuff, pay themselves billions, company is driven into ground, and then they go to politicians, bribe them once more - and - voila! - banks are solvent again, but banksters are billions richer.

Yes. I wasn't talking about financial regulations though. Those seem good.

But some "anti-pollution" regulation does little for the environment and a lot to hinder competitors.

jazz_music says

none have job security

Nonsense!

If you have skills you can put them to use or hire yourself out to someone. If you work hard and are willing to put in the effort you will be successful.

If you're a victim waiting to be made whole by the system you'll be disappointed.

jazz_music says

Only Trump possesses the truth now.

Don't worry. He'll share it with us.

Patrick says

jazz_music says

Deregulation is really bad too

Not necessarily.

Most regulations are designed to prevent competition by rivals and not to protect the public.

John Kenneth Galbraith introduced me to this idea. It seems to be correct.

framing regulation as if it were salt in a soup is the lie. regulation is rules for an industrial game. we need proper rules, not more or less salt in the soup.

Onvacation says

Do you mean "end the fed"?

that would be fantastic

APOCALYPSEFUCKisShostakovitch says

The VTB/DB note is still in force and ready to describe exactly who owns Donnie the Cunt.

Kind of amazing that Trump has been able to hide that note for so long, with Democrats baying for his blood for 4 years now.

Trump must be some kind of genius, lol.

Or maybe the note doesn't exist.

Onvacation says

If you work hard and are willing to put in the effort you will be successful.

Sure, hard work still counts for something in America.

But jazz is right about "privileges inherited". Black and Hispanic people get inherited privileges through the color of their skin alone.

(Non-Jewish) White people, on the other hand, are actively discriminated against because of the color of their skin. They are rejected from universities and not eligible for many scholarships and government programs for no reason other than their race.

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-myth-of-american-meritocracy/

Both sides are throwing bombshells at each other. Why do they all turn out to be duds?

Patrick says

Kind of amazing that Trump has been able to hide that note for so long, with Democrats baying for his blood for 4 years now.

Trump must be some kind of genius, lol.

Or maybe the note doesn't exist.

I am very confident that something like that exists, may be not in writing. In former Soviet Union, crap like that is standard operating procedure. If you deal with E. European crooks, you will get dirty. See Manafort - that is the only thing they could get him for.

Let's not elevate our Great leader to the level 9000 of Infallible, Omnihonest Deity. He is better than Ms Clinton and Mr Biden by a mile, but he is not a saint.

Patrick says

(Non-Jewish) White people

At universities Jewish White people are discriminated just like Non-Jewish White people at least in sciences/engineering.

rd6B says

See Manafort - that is the only thing they could get him for.

Who they? You mean the corrupt FBI?

They investigated everyone around Trump looking for any kind of dirt and the only thing they could find is Flynn talked to the Russian ambassador and Manafort's dealings from long before he ever worked for Trump.

Where's the beef?

rd6B says

He is better than Ms Clinton and Mr Biden by a mile, but he is not a saint.

Agreed! Clinton and Biden can't hold a candle to the greatness that is our president Trump.

jazz_music says

The worst bailout ever just happened after 2 consecutive devastating tax gifts to the top wealthy few even. Those fucks just love Trump, and while Trump campaigns incessantly the GOP operates in the shadows shutting down any part of government that doesn’t directly benefit the top donors.

If they would allow rich people to go broke, as opposed to continuously bailing them out with public money and low interest rates, that would not be a problem. If they were incompetent and too self-enriching (paying themselves too much instead of making sure that company does well), they would go broke and JUMP!

Onvacation says

Who they? You mean the corrupt FBI?

They investigated everyone around Trump looking for any kind of dirt and the only thing they could find is Flynn talked to the Russian ambassador and Manafort's dealings from long before he ever worked for Trump.

Where's the beef?

they got Manafort for his Ukraine dealings, not Trump. Point is that if someone (such as Manafort) deals with E. Europe, you WILL be able to get him as business there is, shall we say, very specific.
With Deutsche bank note, perhaps it does not have trump's name on it, but some kind of shell company/associate or something like that, so they can't get to him, I am not sure as I know nothing more than we can find in media - @AF?

jazz_music says

Meritocracy fails, some are lucky.

My point is that what you say is laudable but not good enough, not true enough, not even civilized.

Then there are corrupt markets, and privileges inherited etc., etc.

Meritocracy is not a lottery. To be successful you need hard work and talent. If you have little talent you need to work harder.

If you can't make it in the most egalitarian country in the history of the world it might not be the system that has the problem.

jazz_music says

Onvacation says

the congressional impeachment process exonerated him.

No Barr may have said that, I’m not sure what that even means in his position,

It means our president was not guilty of the trumped up charges that came about after the whistle-blower didn't like the way Trump talked on the phone.

Patrick says

Sure, hard work still counts for something in America.

But jazz is right about "privileges inherited". Black and Hispanic people get inherited privileges through the color of their skin alone.

People from the ghetto are successful. People born in power become stripper chasing coke heads. I am not denying that some are born with privilege. I am just saying that America has opportunity for those willing to pursue it.

Patrick says

(Non-Jewish) White people, on the other hand, are actively discriminated against because of the color of their skin. They are rejected from universities and not eligible for many scholarships and government programs for no reason other than their race.

No doubt.
I am looking forward to when we "will one day live in a nation where they [our children] will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

rd6B says

they got Manafort for his Ukraine dealings,

I thought it was Joe that got Hunter a job? What did Manafort do wrong in the Ukraine during his time with Trump?

Onvacation says

What did Manafort do wrong in the Ukraine during his time with Trump?

Nothing during that time. Before, he was advising Yanukovich in Ukrainian presidential elections and get paid under table, which is normal there.
And yes, it is 100% clear to anyone with a single brain cell that Biden Jr also was bribed. In this particular case, money was even laundered through the least scrupulous of Baltic banks, which is saying a lot (as in most of them have no scruples whatsoever, at least until they are forced to have them).

jazz_music says

If you are the best at what you do they will try to replace you with somebody younger who commands a lower compensation and ultimately you become unemployable no matter how great your skill and effort.

Friend of mine had that issue in an engineering company. He was going to be fired in a month, but then when just hired cheaper youngsters screwed up bridge design, they went back on this and he still has a job. Luck, I guess...

We went from Russia Russia Russia
To
Caged children, caged children, caged children
To
Corona Corona Corona

Wealthy assholes on the left won’t give up power easily, that’s for sure. Just have to keep strong and kick their ass constantly.

jazz_music says

It’s amazing that management couldn’t just pull a Trump and claim it is the greatest success.

Such a situation will cost some manager their job every time if they can’t get out in front of it.

win-win for management
fired him ---> SAVINGS! in salary
did not fire him ---> saved the project!

These days managerial types get cut only in extremely bad situations, as in using wrong pronouns or defying illogical orders of superiors. A former student of mine fixed production error which was interfering with plant operation and was there because manager was stupid, did not listen to engineers, and was trying to be cheap. Company lost hundreds of millions, and manager was pushed out of company...just to be hired as VP for something for a much larger company.

jazz_music says

That’s why I say meritocracy is a nice dream that owners wish you all to believe in but don’t ever dare to depend on it being true LOL.

You are right about large companies - they PRETEND that there is meritocracy. Small companies would go out of business quickly if they do not hire good people. And we see the problem again - bailouts of large incompetents just because they have political clout. Let'em go broke, and smaller companies will pick up the pieces...

a non-posting friend writes:

from the Kissinger article:

Robert Gates, former director of the CIA and U.S. Secretary of Defense, admitted in a recent interview with the Washington Post that sanctions against Russia do not any good for the U.S. In The National Interest, Robert Kaplan describes Russia as a “problem from hell” because it cannot be subdued. Kaplan offered reasons why it is necessary for Russia to “move away from its one-sided alliance with China” and find balance with the U.S.

Washington’s misguided policy of aggression to maintain a unipolar world order worked in the favor of China and Russia, especially in accelerating their cooperation. The West can no longer suppress China’s economic power or Russia’s military power. Military strategists in the West are aware that the Russo-Sino cooperation cannot be compensated by anything.

this is EXACTLY what I am trying to tell you; Patrick!!!! Biden is being an imbecile by provoking Russia and China at the same time. We should be cooperating and working with the Russians so as to draw them away from their tightening embrace of the Chinese

Remember that this is one of the main reasons I told you that I have certain favorable attitudes towards Trump on this avoiding of foreign wars, and pointed out that if Hillary had been elected, we would have been at war in Syria in just a few months

> https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/kissinger-warns-washington-accept-new-global-system-or-face-pre-wwi-geopolitical
>
> this is essentially what I'm telling you -- the US is done as the global hegemon, and this continuing shit of threatening and insulting and sanctioning and harassing Russia and China will lead to a catastrophe. We need to worry about securing our own borders, rebuilding our manufacturing economy, cutting down the power of the Banks, Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Financial capital in general, having valid education like we had after WW2 (doing away with overt ideological indoctrination ins schools), rebuilding our infrastructure. It is not our duty to mandate the international organization of Asia or E Europe, or to constantly interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. We also need to really really work on repairing the integrity and solidity of the dollar
>
>
> Sent with ProtonMail Secure Email.
>

https://twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/1286625544604463104#m

Rasmussen Reports
@Rasmussen_Poll
24 Jul 2020
The Real Russian Swindle

Evidence dribbling out now indicates "Trump Russian Collusion" was a politically designed & media propelled fabrication. Relentlessly pushed & fake, it interfered with voter opinion, likely delivering the House to Democrats in the 2018 midterms. #sick

Rb6d says

You are right about large companies - they PRETEND that there is meritocracy. Small companies would go out of business quickly if they do not hire good people. And we see the problem again - bailouts of large incompetents just because they have political clout. Let'em go broke, and smaller companies will pick up the pieces...

The two chick CEOs of Yahoo! and HP

MisdemeanorRebellionNoCoupForYou says

The two chick CEOs of Yahoo! and HP

+ the whole damned banking system in 2008

https://greenwald.substack.com/p/trump-doj-obtained-data-on-schiff?token=patrick.net

Trump DOJ Obtained Data on Schiff and Swalwell, Two Long-Time Champions of Domestic Spying

The two California Democrats join the long list of politicians who enable spying on ordinary citizens, then angrily object when they themselves are targeted.

The Trump Justice Department in 2017 and early 2018 issued subpoenas to Apple to obtain the communications records of at least two Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee, Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA). According to The New York Times, DOJ prosecutors attempting to determine who leaked classified information to the media about Russiagate suspected the two House Democrats were the culprits, and to prove that, they obtained their communications records as well as those of family members, including minor children.

A DOJ leak investigation aimed at sitting members of Congress is highly unusual. Both the Obama and Trump administrations, in a hunt for leakers, created controversy by obtaining the communications records of journalists, including — in the case of the Obama DOJ — the family members of those journalists. But investigating members of the House Intelligence Committee for leaking crimes — as opposed to corruption or other standard criminal charges — can present different dangers. Neither Congressman was charged with any crimes and the investigation reportedly bore no fruit.

The two House Democrats, among the most fanatical disseminators of baseless Russiagate conspiracies and long known to serve as anonymous sources of leaks to liberal media outlets, reacted with predictable outrage.

Hunter Biden Facilitated Deal for Democratic Consultants Now Under Federal Investigation
Emails show Biden served as conduit between Burisma Holdings and Blue Star Strategies

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/hunter-biden-facilitated-deal-for-democratic-consultants-now-under-federal-investigation/

Emails from Hunter Biden's laptop show he was instrumental in setting up a consulting deal between a Ukrainian energy company and two Democratic consultants under investigation for violating foreign lobbying laws.

Biden and colleagues at the private equity firm Rosemont Seneca helped Burisma Holdings hire Blue Star Strategies, a firm owned by former Clinton administration officials Sally Painter and Karen Tramontano. Biden's emails show he played a bigger role than anyone had known in arranging Blue Star's consulting work for Burisma. Neither Biden nor the Blue Star founders registered their work under the Lobbying Disclosure Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Biden's work as a middleman could also explain why federal prosecutors began scrutinizing Blue Star's work for Burisma. Republicans have scrutinized Biden over his work for the company, one of Ukraine's largest natural gas producers, as well as with various Chinese companies. Federal prosecutors are also investigating Biden over his tax affairs and foreign business dealings.

Nothing to see here, move along, it is Drumpf who is the most corrupt HITLER! in visible Universe...

Glenn Greenwald
@ggreenwald
Aug 19
Russia during the first 6 months of Biden's presidency:

* Received a presidential summit for Putin
* Won their key geo-strategic goal: completion of pipeline to Germany
* NYT, today: "With Afghan Collapse, Moscow Takes Charge in Central Asia" 🇷🇺

In sum, the Kremlin has won far more in the first 6 months of Biden's presidency than they did in 4 years under Trump. That's just an indisputable fact. It's not even close.

What does Vladimir Putin have on Biden or the Biden family: personally, politically or financially?

https://patriotpost.us/articles/84215?utm_medium=patrick.net&utm_source=patrick.net&utm_campaign=patrick.net&utm_content=body

WaPo Admits Steele Dossier Is Bogus
The Leftmedia outlet was one of the biggest pushers of the dossier as evidence of Russian collusion.


PRINT

LISTEN
In a classic instance of an end-of-the-week news dump, The Washington Post last Friday afternoon published an article acknowledging that it had issued corrections to two of its investigative articles on the bogus Christopher Steele dossier, one from March 2017 and the other from February 2019. The Post stated that the two articles in question “had identified a Belarusian American businessman as a key source of the ‘Steele dossier,’” but now it “could no longer stand by the accuracy of those elements of the story.” It could no longer stand because the Post got caught pushing fake news.

As John Durham’s investigation has slowly but steadily identified and honed in on the conspirators involved in creating and orchestrating the Trump/Russia collusion hoax, the latest being an indictment of Russian-American analyst Igor Danchenko on five counts of lying to the FBI, the Post is now engaged in damage control.

They always admit what they knew only when it’s no longer relevant.

https://notthebee.com/article/the-washington-post-has-had-to-correct-over-a-dozen-articles-related-to-the-junk-steele-dossier-that-launched-the-trump-russia-collusion-conspiracy-theory

The Washington Post Has Had To Correct Over A Dozen Articles Related To The Junk "Steele Dossier" That Helped Launch The Trump-Russia Collusion Conspiracy Theory

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/alfa-bank-ping-russiagate/?source=patrick.net

These new disclosures suggest that Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, the two former Wall Street Journal reporters behind Fusion, used the same strategy to publicize the Steele dossier and the Alfa Bank pinging story. Along with others, they simultaneously funneled information about suspected collusion to journalists, the FBI, and lawmakers—and then told reporters that government officials were investigating the issue. The result was a feedback loop that convinced journalists who already abhorred Trump for good reasons to believe they were on the right track.