Chris A
DJT and the Republicans had a resounding victory and it looks like they will have both houses of congress. Now the work begins. I'm looking forward to a spirited discussion with the group. Let 'er rip!
harryopal1
A major element is the cost of living and affordable housing either for rent or buying. Raising tariffs on imports will have an immediate inflationary effect as apart from food, probably 80% of what people are buying comes from China. It will be interesting to see how Trump approaches his objectives of ending war in the Middle East and Ukraine. A lot to try and achieve in just 4 years.
Chris A
A major element is the cost of living and affordable housing either for rent or buying. Raising tariffs on imports will have an immediate inflationary effect as apart from food, probably 80% of what people are buying comes from China. It will be interesting to see how Trump approaches his objectives of ending war in the Middle East and Ukraine. A lot to try and achieve in just 4 years.[/QUOTE]Time, patience, and the ability to overcome what will likely be some pretty heavy resistance to the new (old) sheriff in town implementing his policies will bear directly on DJT's success. Not only does the new administration and congress have to try and clean up almost 4 years of willful destruction of the economy and the open border debacle, to be successful in the long term will require dismantling of the elements of the bloated federal government that contribute to what is known as the 4th branch of the government - the unelected bureaucracy. You mention the cost of housing. I offer the following to provide a sample of the cost regulations on a new home:[URL='https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/news-and-economics/docs/housing-economics-plus/special-studies/2021/special-study-government-regulation-in-the-price-of-a-new-home-may-2021.pdf']Regulations Cost[/URL]Trump bringing on Elon Musk to head up what will be a new office of government efficiency to address the bloat is to me a very exciting prospect. Musk has stated that a 2 trillion dollar / year reduction in the federal budget is quite achievable. Regarding tariffs, they worked his first term and there's no reason to believe they won't work this term. Ideally, moving the industries and manufacturing back to the US is the end goal. America First is the slogan and although we have all gotten used to living in a global economy, perhaps scaling back will slow down or arrest the march toward globalism. My fear is that the deep state will not go quietly, but DJT is far smarter and seasoned than what he was in the 1st term. I for one am pretty excited.
Chris A
A major element is the cost of living and affordable housing either for rent or buying. Raising tariffs on imports will have an immediate inflationary effect as apart from food, probably 80% of what people are buying comes from China. It will be interesting to see how Trump approaches his objectives of ending war in the Middle East and Ukraine. A lot to try and achieve in just 4 years.[/QUOTE]I did not address your comments re: Trump's approach to ending the wars in the ME and Ukraine. For the ME, it is reported that when Netenyahu met with/ Trump when he was last in the States, that Trump told him he needs to have the war there finished there finished by the time he takes office in January. Netanyahu fired his defense minister 3 days ago. A coincidence? Without a doubt, Trump is more supportive of Isreal than the Biden regime and perhaps the imminent win by Trump will be the green light to step up the intensity. Another factor will be Trump reimposing or enforcing sanctions on Iran that were lifted / relaxed / not enforced by the Biden admin. FWiW, the Iranian Rial hit an all time low upon confirmation Trump was elected.Regarding the war in Ukraine, it is just another "forever war" sponsored by the CIA meant to enrich the benefactors of the military industrial complex. An article for consideration:[URL='https://newrepublic.com/article/166233/ukraine-war-us-military-spending-biden']Ukraine War Article[/URL]Ending the war there will probably mean Ukraine giving up some land and a promise not to expand NATO in return for not exposing the abject corruption or prosecution of such.Yes, a lot to get done in 4 years. I think that Trump's pick of JD Vance for his running mate was somewhat calculated on having a probable successor with many of the same values as Trump. Vance is another outsider and him being picked caused a pretty big ripple through the establishment and at the time drew some fire. The guy is only 40 years old and although he does not have the same presence as Trump, at least he has the same values and appears to have a lot of the same "in your face" qualities. Get the politicians out of politics.
Shadrach
I think this is a grave mistake, and will come back and bite the butt of all that think they are safe from Trumps foolish re-election. He cares only for the rich, and power!
Chris A
I think this is a grave mistake, and will come back and bite the butt of all that think they are safe from Trumps foolish re-election. He cares only for the rich, and power![/QUOTE]It's a bit ironic, but the democrat party you once knew left you a while ago. Whereas in the 1990's the republicans controlled 70% of the wealth in the US, now the democrats control 70% of the wealth. Whereas the democrats have historically been anti-war, it is now the republicans that are largely the party opposed to war with some exceptions like Lindsey Graham and war hawks that will lose relevance over time. Trump is definitely against war, but believes in peace through strength. And finally, the democrats historically have been the party of free speech, however now they are the biggest abusers of free speech through censorship. Especially in the social media world.Try to educate yourself and also try to get your news from news sources outside of the mainstream media that are nothing more than the propaganda machine of the democrat party. Also, it might be useful to shift your perspective from being the ever present victim.
harryopal1
Well it is pretty clear that Chris is a tub thumping Trump supporter. Trump is such a wilfu character and his sense of what is true is a bit like that of the Chinese Communist Party in that whatever he says today is the truth and if they or Trump says something different tomorrow then that is the truth and death to the heretics. However, early September, I said this to other family members:"I watched the presidential debate. Kamala Harris did well and in any debate assessment you would take it that she won the debate. Not sure that it will have a significant impact on voting. Take management of an economy, four economists and you would have six completely different assessments as to the best way to go. This with people who have studied and involved with economics most of their lives. So how well does the average person understand economics? Very poorly. Self included. For all his bluster, Trump's repetitive "Make America Great Again" has an instant appeal now for the many millions, if not the majority of Americans who feel they are struggling and somehow being punished by the present state of affairs with inflation and rising costs. So, do they go with Making America Great Again or more of the same economics which Trump asserts have resulted in the present crisis?And in times of crisis being able to blame illegal immigrants is attractive. So Trump has that sewn up. Being compassionate and understanding and having some kind of humanitarian approach to illegal migrants? I don't think so.Stopping the wars? Trump claims to be able to resolve all these issues while the present incumbents have not succeeded whatever their good intentions or negotiations. So Trump lies and blusters but he is a rogue and to many people more attractive than just another well presented, polished performer who is seen as just that.... a performer. I fear Trump may win the next election."A bit further along the track I think the Democrats will decide they need a man in the lead up to the next election and Kamala will be pushed aside.
Balifrog
As a non American, I have a neutral approach. I am not brainwashed since birth between Red vs Blue...First of all it is sad that a country with 335 million inhabitants can not come up with some younger, educated and credible candidates...If I had to vote I would have choosen Trump. At least with him you know where you stand. I beared 5 min with Kamala during the "debate"...Loud mouthed shouting Yankee woman she is. Had she won she would have been in the backseat and the deepstate would have been driving, led by the military industry lobby, Big Pharma and O & G !Hopefully Trump will speak with Putin, stop the weapon and money flow to Kiev, and kick out Zelensky. Enough dead already that could have been avoided.Next I hope he blows up NATO, which is now a purely destructive entity.Tariffs and sanctions never work. Russia's and China's GDP are progressing faster than the US, France or Germany one...BTW hats off for the way he reacted when being shot at. Not many 78 y old would have reacted like him ! Macron would have shit his pants.If he wins the house, it will be a nice democratically elected dictatorship.And trust him to put only very loyal people at top position. Absolute loyalty comes before the law or constitution for him !Just my 2 cents...
Shadrach
It seems Chris and Balifrog, have a blind eye when it comes to fascist dictators. If they had listen to his ranting about shooting, locking up, expelling all immigrants and Senators and Congressman and women. He spewed hate and revenge, when Harris spoke of progression, and working with all Americans. I fear he will only do more harm, than good for all the World. He and his cronies want to abolish all abortions, even when it is from rape and incest. They want to cut aid to the elderly, and even stop helping feed poor children. But, I am tired of hearing all of it. I give up. I will be apathetic from now on, and not give a shit about any of it. Already in my life time, I have seen many Presidents come and go, and they promise the moon and stars, and deliver very little. But America is a huge country, and seems to survive and roll on. Saying Trump stood strong when he got his ear nicked, was a political stunt, and he played it perfectly. All I can say is it is a sad state of affairs, when people approve, and desire TYRANTS like T-rump. Time will tell, and sadly many people will suffer, from this debacle.
Chris A
[USER=23970]@harryopal1[/USER] and [USER=22703]@Shadrach[/USER] - it would appear that you both have been well indoctrinated. I don't have the energy to try and convince you that your view(s) are not based in reality and that you've bought the left's narrative hook, line, and sinker. How about we keep this dialogue going and as Trump's time in office progresses, we discuss the highlights and lowlights? My guess is that as long as you're getting your information from the legacy / left wing media, your view or opinion is not going to deviate from the BS they feed you.
Balifrog
It seems Chris and Balifrog, have a blind eye when it comes to fascist dictators. If they had listen to his ranting about shooting, locking up, expelling all immigrants and Senators and Congressman and women. He spewed hate and revenge, when Harris spoke of progression, and working with all Americans. I fear he will only do more harm, than good for all the World. He and his cronies want to abolish all abortions, even when it is from rape and incest. They want to cut aid to the elderly, and even stop helping feed poor children.But, I am tired of hearing all of it. I give up. I will be apathetic from now on, and not give a shit about any of it. Already in my life time, I have seen many Presidents come and go, and they promise the moon and stars, and deliver very little. But America is a huge country, and seems to survive and roll on. Saying Trump stood strong when he got his ear nicked, was a political stunt, and he played it perfectly. All I can say is it is a sad state of affairs, when people approve, and desire TYRANTS like T-rump. Time will tell, and sadly many people will suffer, from this debacle.[/QUOTE]Man, the US has enough problems, but bickering between Red and Blue seems more important...- Racism is horrible in the US- Drug use out of control- Opoids rampant- Mass murders every week- No proper Social Security, medical coverage for all- Pension system for the rich only- Homeless people out of control- The American dream now is combining 2 part time jobs at Mc Donald- Religious zealots brainwashing the peopleAnd I could go on.....
harryopal1
[USER=23970]@harryopal1[/USER] and [USER=22703]@Shadrach[/USER] - it would appear that you both have been well indoctrinated. I don't have the energy to try and convince you that your view(s) are not based in reality and that you've bought the left's narrative hook, line, and sinker. How about we keep this dialogue going and as Trump's time in office progresses, we discuss the highlights and lowlights? My guess is that as long as you're getting your information from the legacy / left wing media, your view or opinion is not going to deviate from the BS they feed you.[/QUOTE]Having worked in media for over 30 years, print, radio, TV, film I think I have a reasonably critical eye when it comes to analysing information. Indoctrinated? I don't think so. But then, as you say, it will be interesting to see how things unravel as time progresses.
Chris A
Yes, let's see how it goes and keep the dialogue going. Just curious, how long have you been out of the media business? An interesting article for you from MSN. Actually a left leaning media organization. I would suggest as we go along in exploring the Trump presidency, that we reference articles as much as practically possible to present proof or at least reference for our positions. [URL='https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/unprecedented-positive-media-for-harris-89-negative-for-trump/ar-AA1p44yn']Media Bias Article [/URL]
Markit
I truly feel that I've been so lied to, brow beaten and shamed in almost every aspect of my life since the outbreak of the pandemic until just about yesterday that I actually doubt any "opinions" I may have as being direct products of that maltreatment. Due to this I will withhold, for the moment, any prognosis or, dare I say, expression of hope that might flutter in my pigeon-like breast until such time as the war in Ukraine is stopped, the war in the ME has been won, Britain stops being a shinning example of George Orwell's 1984 made real and Phizer is broken up and closed down.
harryopal1
Yes, let's see how it goes and keep the dialogue going. Just curious, how long have you been out of the media business? An interesting article for you from MSN. Actually a left leaning media organization. I would suggest as we go along in exploring the Trump presidency, that we reference articles as much as practically possible to present proof or at least reference for our positions.[URL='https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/unprecedented-positive-media-for-harris-89-negative-for-trump/ar-AA1p44yn']Media Bias Article[/URL][/QUOTE]I basically finished working as a journalist when I was in Kenya in 1992 but since then have maintained an interest in international affairs and each morning reference sources in Australia, Britain, the US, the Middle East, France, Singapore and Indonesia but always with a critical eye. Occasionally look at propaganda from China and tap into English newspapers in Africa and other parts of the world.
Chris A
[COLOR=rgb(184, 49, 47)]I truly feel that I've been so lied to, brow beaten and shamed in almost every aspect of my life since the outbreak of the pandemic[/COLOR] until just about yesterday that I actually doubt any "opinions" I may have as being direct products of that maltreatment. Due to this I will withhold, for the moment, any prognosis or, dare I say, expression of hope that might flutter in my pigeon-like breast until such time as the war in Ukraine is stopped, the war in the ME has been won, Britain stops being a shinning example of George Orwell's 1984 made real and Phizer is broken up and closed down.[/QUOTE]It started long before the pandemic. Hopefully the mean tweeting orange man and both houses of congress will have the stones to fully expose the level of corruption and extent of PSYOPS used. Prior to the pandemic, we were just frogs being slowly boiled and with the pandemic, lines were crossed that exposed some true intent and people started waking up. The twitter files were just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you hate or love the US, it is truly the last bastion of free speech and the times we will live through (hopefully) in the next few years along with radical change will dictate whether we remain free or are enslaved.
Chris A
[COLOR=rgb(184, 49, 47)]I truly feel that I've been so lied to, brow beaten and shamed in almost every aspect of my life since the outbreak of the pandemic[/COLOR] until just about yesterday that I actually doubt any "opinions" I may have as being direct products of that maltreatment. Due to this I will withhold, for the moment, any prognosis or, dare I say, expression of hope that might flutter in my pigeon-like breast until such time as the war in Ukraine is stopped, the war in the ME has been won, Britain stops being a shinning example of George Orwell's 1984 made real and Phizer is broken up and closed down.[/QUOTE]It started long before the pandemic. Hopefully the mean tweeting orange man and both houses of congress will have the stones to fully expose the level of corruption and extent of PSYOPS used. Prior to the pandemic, we were just frogs being slowly boiled and with the pandemic, lines were crossed that exposed some true intent and people started waking up. The twitter files were just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you hate or love the US, it is truly the last bastion of free speech and the times we will live through (hopefully) in the next few years along with radical change will dictate whether we remain free or are enslaved.
Chris A
Man, the US has enough problems, but bickering between Red and Blue seems more important...- Racism is horrible in the US- Drug use out of control- Opoids rampant- Mass murders every week- No proper Social Security, medical coverage for all- Pension system for the rich only- Homeless people out of control- The American dream now is combining 2 part time jobs at Mc Donald- Religious zealots brainwashing the peopleAnd I could go on.....[/QUOTE]I don't necessarily agree with all of your points. Especially that racism is horrible in the US. I will agree that there is work to do and some of that work is restoring law and order and closing the border. My belief is that if Trump and his team are decisive in their actions showing true leadership and they are supported by congress, that the chaos will subside along with the most egregious corruption. Once that is done, perhaps the social issues you mention can get some attention. Since the Vietnam war and including all of the "9/11" wars that the US started, at least 4.5 trillion dollars has been spent on these wars. Those wars made a lot of the elite class very wealthy. What if those expenditures were applied to the social issues you mention?My only real issue with a lot of what you mention is the government's role in the administration of the programs and the very real possibility that a dependence on the government is created that is a demotivating and creates a dependent class. Here's a pretty good read that captures some of that analysis:[URL='https://libertarianinstitute.org/economics/lbj-great-society-war-on-poverty-welfare-state-helped-ruin-black-communities/']Great Society[/URL]Being a cynic and having seen the actions of the democrats and based upon some candid comments made by LBJ that you can look up, a lot of the motivation for starting the social programs was to create a dependent class that would reliably vote democrat in the future. All to maintain control and very likely not out of compassion or altruism. Let's see how things go.
Shadrach
Everyone of you made good points. I agree with Markit, and feel like slowing down my brain, back to more of an observer point of view, and not let the media sway me this way or that. We have to remember that America is based on immigration. Remember the Europeans came and did their best, to annihilate the Native Americans. I had many Native Americans as friends and lived and traded with them for years. I would grow produce, and they would provide dried deer meat (jerky). I felt sorry for them, because they were forced to live like the White man, and didn't really fit in, so many of them turned to drugs, and alcohol abuse. I went to their homes and saw their traditional buckskin clothing made with buckskin, adorned with beadwork, and eagle feathers. We learned, and made and wore our own buckskin clothing, also. So back to the subject of immigration. There is no way America can survive without the immigrants now. Almost all farm, nanny, hotel, kitchen, construction, work is done by Latino immigrants! To be honest, the White European descendants, that call themselves Americans now, are too lazy, fat, feel they are superior to do these menial, but necessary jobs! So the new administration, as I'll call it will ruffle their feathers with pomp and glory, but really cannot deport 20 million so called illegal immigrants from America. As so many before, this Administration will come and go. I can only hope America will ride it out, and be OK. It is time to equalize the wealth more. The elite rich, have far too much control and have to be brought down to size. I'm afraid as before they, and the corporations, will get huge tax breaks, and the middle class will have to carry the load. Time will tell.
Chris A
Everyone of you made good points. I agree with Markit, and feel like slowing down my brain, back to more of an observer point of view, and not let the media sway me this way or that. We have to remember that America is based on immigration. Remember the Europeans came and did their best, to annihilate the Native Americans. I had many Native Americans as friends and lived and traded with them for years. I would grow produce, and they would provide dried deer meat (jerky). I felt sorry for them, because they were forced to live like the White man, and didn't really fit in, so many of them turned to drugs, and alcohol abuse. I went to their homes and saw their traditional buckskin clothing made with buckskin, adorned with beadwork, and eagle feathers. We learned, and made and wore our own buckskin clothing, also.So back to the subject of immigration. There is no way America can survive without the immigrants now. Almost all farm, nanny, hotel, kitchen, construction, work is done by Latino immigrants! To be honest, the White European descendants, that call themselves Americans now, are too lazy, fat, feel they are superior to do these menial, but necessary jobs! So the new administration, as I'll call it will ruffle their feathers with pomp and glory, but really cannot deport 20 million so called illegal immigrants from America. As so many before, this Administration will come and go. I can only hope America will ride it out, and be OK. It is time to equalize the wealth more. The elite rich, have far too much control and have to be brought down to size. I'm afraid as before they, and the corporations, will get huge tax breaks, and the middle class will have to carry the load. Time will tell.[/QUOTE]Oh Shadrach, I think you need to look deeper into some of these issues to gain a better understanding of and a better informed opinion. First, I don't think that it is realistic to blame the present citizenry for what were colonial actions in the past - especially when it occurred ~ 3 centuries ago. Just out of curiosity, what is your view on the push by some black Americans for reparations?So, maybe think about the last 3.5 years of unfettered [B]illegal[/B] immigration sponsored by the liberal left. As I mentioned before, its main intent is to try and set up a reliable future voting block that the democrats would hope to use to remain in power for perpetuity. Another intent is to bring in cheap labor. Cheap labor by illegal immigrants does not contribute to the tax base and the social services the illegal immigrants receive cost the US taxpayers a sizable sum of money and in many cases, an overall erosion of services. Who benefits the most from cheap labor? Well, I don't think it's the middle class and would argue that it is the elite class. I will concede that immigration in general needs to be reformed, however dealing with the current mess needs to take precedence, You say it's time to equalize wealth more. I couldn't agree more as long as it's not a forced redistribution of wealth and based upon providing opportunities for people to raise themselves up. Of course in an authoritarian regime that is the democrat's end goal, there would be a lot of impetus to eliminate the middle class and have a lower class to rule over and have the government provide all that is needed.Again, let's keep the dialogue going to highlight and lowlight the actions of the upcoming republican lead government.
