The US Hamster Wheel

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llondel
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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4781 Post by llondel » Tue May 28, 2019 6:28 pm

The problem with the US is that it is very willing to go blow stuff up in other countries but gets outraged when other countries return the compliment

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4782 Post by Undried Plum » Tue May 28, 2019 6:50 pm

John Hill wrote:
Tue May 28, 2019 8:29 am
I don't know if fascism leads to militarism or the other way around?
It's neither. It's not an either:or thing, not is it a chicken:egg situation.

Militarism forms the fundamental basis of fascism. It is integral to it.

That's why the fasces so clearly show the axes which depict the dominance of the military over the people held in bondage are absent on the fasces which are displayed on the Oval Office wall and the armchair pillars of the Lincoln memorial. It was illegal to possess weapons within arms reach of the Emperor.

As goes Rome, so goes The Empire. Slavishly aping its model. Just bigger; nastier; and more ostentatious. That's all.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4783 Post by Slasher » Sat Jun 01, 2019 3:33 am

Just an opinion piece I thought was worth sharing:


Why Trump Will Do Anything to End the Trade War

By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud

Who has the best negotiating position in the trade war?

If you ask most Americans, they'd say Trump. But they're dead wrong...

This is typical, of course. What folks in the U.S. believe about China is usually way off-base. And as I explained last Friday, this is the difference between perception and reality.

The trade war is a great example. Folks believe the U.S. has the upper hand... They believe we hold all the cards. But boy, is that a mistake.

A closer look reveals something quite different. And it tells me that Trump will do just about anything to end the trade war.

Let me explain...

The trade war – which the world thought was coming to an end – is now back on.

Earlier this month, the U.S. and China were set to sign a major trade deal. But China backed out at the last minute. It said the terms of the deal were no longer acceptable.

As a result, the U.S. raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods three weeks ago. And the U.S. government has since released a list of another $300 billion in Chinese goods that could see new tariffs.

The Chinese have already announced plans to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. goods in June – $60 billion worth. So it seems we're back to square one.

Of course, since the entire world thought the deal was as good as final, both the U.S. and Chinese stock markets have taken a beating.

The question everyone's asking now is, "What happens next?"

To answer that, we need to examine who's in the position of power right now. And the answer isn't what most folks believe.

Before I explain this, I urge you not to get mad at me for what I'm about to say. I'm not being un-American. It's simply the most logical answer in front of investors today.

Consider this...

What does President Donald Trump want most in this world?
The answer is simple: He wants to maintain his perch at the top – to get re-elected.

Which U.S. states does he need to win to get re-elected?
This answer is simple, too: What he needs are the states that could go either way... basically, the farming states in the Midwest.

What could the Chinese do to really punish Trump and keep him from getting what he wants?
Yet again, this answer is simple: Punish the voters in the states that Trump needs to win the 2020 election.

Simply put, by continuing to buy fewer and fewer U.S. crops, China hits Trump where it hurts the most... votes.

This idea has major implications. Most of all, it means that as we near the election, Trump moves from a position of power to a position of weakness in trade negotiations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has no term limit. He's in power for life, theoretically. And that means he can stomach short-term pain to win the long-term war.

That's not true for Trump. So as time goes on, Trump will likely do anything necessary to end the trade war and win the votes he needs most.

Let me be clear: We can't know how long it will take. But a resolution to these tensions seems almost certain to me. It's a necessity not just for the U.S. – but for the man calling the shots.

That's why I view the trade war as a short-term problem. And it's why I continue to be incredibly bullish on Chinese stocks in the coming years.

- Source: stansberryresearch.com

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4784 Post by BenThere » Mon Jun 03, 2019 3:26 pm

Consider this...

What does President Donald Trump want most in this world?
The answer is simple: He wants to maintain his perch at the top – to get re-elected.

Which U.S. states does he need to win to get re-elected?
This answer is simple, too: What he needs are the states that could go either way... basically, the farming states in the Midwest.

What could the Chinese do to really punish Trump and keep him from getting what he wants?
Yet again, this answer is simple: Punish the voters in the states that Trump needs to win the 2020 election.

Simply put, by continuing to buy fewer and fewer U.S. crops, China hits Trump where it hurts the most... votes.
Stansberry often comes up with interesting takes on events and analysis of their consequences. On the other hand it goes off the deep end at times. I think the premises are wrong in this instance. I don't think President Trump's overriding concern is re-election. He cares most about righting what he sees as wrong with the US. I believe that's why he sacrificed his life of leisure and opulence to take on this job, donating his salary, working his butt off, and using his presidential power to implement the changes he perceives need to be made. If he is rejected by the vote in 2020 I'm sure he'll be happy to walk away from the abuse from and resistance of the opposition, comfortable that he put in an honest effort to fix problems, like energy independence, a moribund economy, high unemployment, border chaos, regulatory burdens, and others.

The farm states, except for California, where US agriculture is one of the primary breadbaskets of the world, are going to vote for President Trump regardless of the trade consequences. The more correct premise is that China needs our trade much more than the US needs theirs. There are other low cost sources for what China provides available for development. And if China doesn't want to buy our soybeans, rice, corn and wheat the market is world-wide, and the productivity, value-added processing, shipping logistics, and other factors are at least a match for our competitors in the agricultural markets. We pay our farmers not to grow as much as they can. As the population of the world grows demand will not be an issue. There will probably be some dislocations and adjustments in the short term and the administration is making substantial efforts to mitigate their effects.

I think Stansberry is off-base on this one. We'll see.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4785 Post by Undried Plum » Tue Jun 04, 2019 10:43 pm

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HM can be quite subtle in her putdowns

#4786 Post by Undried Plum » Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:02 pm

Last year, when meeting Chump, she wore a brooch given to her by the Obamas.

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HM can be quite subtle in her putdowns

#4787 Post by Undried Plum » Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:06 pm

This year she wore a ruby tiara, made of rubies given to her by the people of Burma to ward off evil spirits!

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4788 Post by Slasher » Wed Jun 05, 2019 2:12 am

BenThere wrote:
Mon Jun 03, 2019 3:26 pm
I think Stansberry is off-base on this one. We'll see.
I hear what you say mate but again the opinion piece is from purely an investor standpoint. Whatever reason Trump wants to win 2020 is irrelevant in this context. My thinking is he needs another 4 years for the fruits of his present labours to be realised. These present 4 years aren't enough time.

You're right about Stansberry going off the deep end sometimes. While Steve tends to shoot from the hip, Porter mulls too long and overthinks. Remember his 'End of America' campaign in 2009? I'm still waiting.

On another note it's good to see the hard left Dems are losing the Internet war to more concervative elements. As Americans have finally woken up that MSM are fake news, that Faecesbook and Twatter have banned intellectually sensible people deeming them 'far right' (i.e. Prager U, PJW, Ben Shapiro(?), Alex Jones et al) after pressure from CNN MSNBC and ABC, Fox News and other alt media have had dramatic rises in viewership at the expense of the fake news outlets. I understand the Washingup Pist and New York Slimes are suffering as well.

Recommend you look up Tim Pool's videos (Timcast) on these subjects. This guy is left of centre but says it like it is and is quite critical of America's Left without any rants or snowflaking.








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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4789 Post by Krystal n Chips » Fri Jun 07, 2019 3:54 pm

"Making America great again "......we've heard this "once or twice " over recent years.

Hence you might think, if this were not simply a strapline for Brand Trump that is, then investing in just such a testimony would be a given.

Not so......still, that's capitalism and private enterprise for you.

There again, the word International was never going to be understood by Trump anyway.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48560874

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4790 Post by BenThere » Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:33 pm

As I watched President Trump's interactions with the Queen, my perception is they had a mutual regard, and I thought that interaction went quite well. I didn't perceive the clumsiness widely reported by the voracious Trump critics.

Then he went to Normandy and delivered what I thought was an apolitical, thoughtful, and well-delivered speech focused on the courage, nobility, and success of the Normandy invasion, drawing no attention to himself or invoking politics, but simply expressing gratitude and respect for the men who made it all happen at great cost in blood. I was most impressed by the dignity of Trump and his family. I was quite proud of him.

How he perseveres in the face of the continual attacks on him, his character, his family - all the while ignoring his successes, only verifies his greatness. History will record the Trump era in a most positive light if the narrative of the left wing ideologues can be rejected for what it is and truth be told.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4791 Post by Slasher » Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:31 am

BenThere wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:33 pm
...but simply expressing gratitude and respect for the men who made it all happen at great cost in blood.

How he perseveres in the face of the continual attacks on him, his character, his family - all the while ignoring his successes, only verifies his greatness.
They are rightly called the Greatest Generation and always will be. If I was on one of the initial landing barges I would've shat something fierce. I think in all honesty I would've jumped over the side, swam underwater and hid among Rommel's asparagus till the muck stopped flying around, assuming I made it that far in one piece.

Having been airline capts ourselves Ben we know the feeling of being reminded everything we've done bloody wrong and never the things we've done damn right. It's the same with the POTUS. The difference is Americans are waking up to the left's ***** and the socialist media (both mainstream and internet) are unwittingly doing a good job in ensuring they do so.

As a F/O I flew with capts who had great personalities but couldn't fly for sh!t. And the opposites - those who were arses personally but the type you want in the LHS when things go horribly tits up on a dark and stormy night. Trump IMO is the latter. Obama the former.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4792 Post by BenThere » Sat Jun 08, 2019 3:10 am

Right, Slasher.

Whether you're in the right or left seat, you work with the guy beside you. You figure out his quirks and determine what you need to do to make the flight go right, adjusting to personalities, capabilities, fatigue and other conditions, and do the best you can. My take was always to keep the flight as safe as I could and be assertive when necessary. Being a retired airline pilot I claim I did it right.

I had a few interesting interactions over the years because I was hired later than others in the airline business where I was their squadron commander in USAF reserve but they were the captain at Northwest and later Delta (when I moved to wide-bodies as FO) and I was the FO on an airline trip. In such cases you play your role and do your job, respecting the position of the guy you're working with.

The courage of D-day soldiers sets the bar for me. Also the early WWII bombers that went out on missions over Europe with very high casualties. Those guys had a high likelihood they wouldn't survive. I've read accounts from some who lived through it that they didn't even want to get to know the replacement crews because if they did it was all the more painful when they were lost. I can't imagine facing prospects such as they faced with that level of courage and commitment to the mission. I will always be in awe of them.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4793 Post by Krystal n Chips » Sat Jun 08, 2019 4:13 am

BenThere wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:33 pm
As I watched President Trump's interactions with the Queen, my perception is they had a mutual regard, and I thought that interaction went quite well. I didn't perceive the clumsiness widely reported by the voracious Trump critics.

Then he went to Normandy and delivered what I thought was an apolitical, thoughtful, and well-delivered speech focused on the courage, nobility, and success of the Normandy invasion, drawing no attention to himself or invoking politics, but simply expressing gratitude and respect for the men who made it all happen at great cost in blood. I was most impressed by the dignity of Trump and his family. I was quite proud of him.

How he perseveres in the face of the continual attacks on him, his character, his family - all the while ignoring his successes, only verifies his greatness. History will record the Trump era in a most positive light if the narrative of the left wing ideologues can be rejected for what it is and truth be told.
True, he did manage not to overshadow the commemorations and let the event speak for itself.

Thereafter, the last paragraph in fact, what successes did you have in mind as non have been evident thus far, and, about the personal attacks....these would be the one's he makes on an almost daily basis I assume ?

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4794 Post by Undried Plum » Sat Jun 08, 2019 6:37 am

He's not the first president to use the date of the calendar to associate himself in glory with what was actually the misery of conscripts who were sent into battle.

Funny thing is: those sad suckers, who were told to jump off landing craft into ear-deep water while carrying heavy kit and to climb up a well-defended cliff to capture non-existent guns, didn't have the wit or the money to dodge the draft by faking a bone spur or faking attendance at Home Guard training evenings.

Herr Drumpff is an arse. Ein Deutsche arsch. No amount of Brasso on that turd will alter reality.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4795 Post by Boac » Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:02 am

Can any of our indisputably wise Trumpers translate this tweet into intelligent speech? There could be a jab for you in the White House....

"Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago. They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!
June 7, 2019
"

The problem the real world has is that it was thought that the Moon was part of the plans to go to Mars? Everyone (except the Chump and his adoring crowd) are confused - does the US just need to go to the moon to get to Mars since Mars is 'part' of it or not? Can someone tell NASA?

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4796 Post by Slasher » Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:38 am

I recall reading somewhere in the mid '70s that NASA may return to the Moon circa 1985 and bung a manned base on it. By the 19990s it would be developed enough to construct and launch unmanned probes to Mars (and beyond) and later as a platform for manned missions to the Red Planet in early 2000s. Gravity being 1/6th of Earth's and less fuel required etc.

I think that's what Trump meant "of which Moon is a part" but that was the old plan. It's obvious to me a manned Mars trip will be launched from our own lump of rock 'stead of Luna.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4797 Post by BenThere » Mon Jun 10, 2019 1:21 pm



Came across this video record made at the beginning of the Trump campaign. It was his manifesto, and at the time not many believed he had a chance.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4798 Post by Boac » Mon Jun 10, 2019 3:50 pm

Slasher - you are well behind the times! In early May, the President said he planned to allocate an additional $1.6 billion for space exploration and tweeted, “Under my Administration, we are restoring @NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars,” referring to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Poor confused Chump.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4799 Post by Undried Plum » Mon Jun 10, 2019 7:03 pm

Manned space exploration is nuts. Completely unjustifiable.

You can do so much more with unmanned vehicles, either in hydrospace or outer space. Much cheaper; much more effective; much less risky.

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Re: The US Hamster Wheel

#4800 Post by llondel » Tue Jun 11, 2019 12:48 am

Less likely that someone will leak about how it was all faked, too.

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