Politics

RobertDyck · 2017-01-20 07:14:27

Tom, you're biased and stupid. The Iranian government needs power for its economy. The agreement includes inspections to ensure nuclear technology isn't used for weapons. Considering the German inspectors found Iraq had dismantled it's nuclear and biological weapons, and did discover and cease cannon shells designed to deliver chemical weapons, this shows weapons inspectors do their job. When agents of George W. Bush claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, they said that because they still had the receipts. America sold them to Iraq. But the German weapons inspectors had ensure all those weapons were either seized or destroyed. So I trust UN inspectors from Western Europe more than any American Republican.

That said, yes Iran's actions are suspicious. At one point they tried to claim it was for medical isotopes. That's Canada's scam. Canada built a facility in Canada as part of the Manhattan Project. After World War 2 it was converted to medical isotopes. Canada invented medical isotopes, it was a way to use military technology for productive peaceful purposes. But specifically that Canadian facility has been maintained in such a way that the engineers, technicians, and scientists are actively practising the skills they need to make nuclear material for weapons. And they assemble radioactive material into finely machined devices that can be used by radio-medicine technicians at a hospital to produce very short-lived isotopes for medical purposes. The fact they assembly radioactive material into finely machined devices means they are practising the skills they need to assembly a nuclear weapon. Canada completely disarmed itself of all nuclear weapons, but we are the country that invented how to produce bomb grade plutonium, during the Manhattan Project we taught the United States how to make bomb grade plutonium. You could call that the ultimate case of nuclear proliferation. So Canada doesn't have any nuclear weapons, but does have a nuclear weapons factory. Actually under the previous administration it fell into disrepair, but that's another story. My point is when Iran claimed they wanted to make "medial isotopes", that's Canada's scam. Hide our nuclear weapons factory as a medical isotope factory. You can't kid a kidder.

But the next point is the US provided weapons grade uranium to Israel. I'm sure you want to defend Israel, but they are just one side of a conflict that has been going on for millennia. When Jesus of Nazareth tried to resolve that dispute it was 1,000 years old. If Jesus couldn't resolve it, why do you think you can? So giving nuclear weapons to Israel was inflammatory! According to one UK news report several years ago, Israel had 200 nuclear warheads. I'm sure today they still have at least that many. As long as Israel has them, at least one Arab country has to have them too. Just for balance. If anyone tries to use them, they can be stopped. As the president of France said, many countries have the ability to stop a nuclear missile. If any Arab country attempted a first strike, they would become a radioactive hole in the ground. I was hoping a NATO leader would say that, but other NATO leaders hushed him up as soon as he did so. But the point is if you want to ensure no Arab country has nuclear weapons, the first thing you have to do is take away all nuclear weapons from Israel? Not willing to do so? Then STF Up!

Tom Kalbfus · 2017-01-21 01:41:41

RobertDyck wrote:

Tom, you're biased and stupid. The Iranian government needs power for its economy.

It doesn't have to be nuclear power though. Why do you suppose Iran is so interested in generating power by splitting atoms? Why not go with Solar or burning oil or natural gas? You haven't answered that question. Nuclear power isn't the most cost effective way to generate electricity, especially when you take all the safety considerations. Now how come the people who protested Three Mile Island, seem okay with Iran having nuclear reactors of their own, when in fact on several occasions they have stated that they deliberately wanted to harm people? They like to give explosives to Hamas so they can blow up Israelis, now you want to give them the means to manufacture nuclear bombs?

The agreement includes inspections to ensure nuclear technology isn't used for weapons.

It is much easier simply not to allow them to have nuclear reactors in the first place! Iran has on numerous occasions threatened the American people with Genocide, that is what they mean when they say "Death to America!" It is not a salutation!

Considering the German inspectors found Iraq had dismantled it's nuclear and biological weapons, and did discover and cease cannon shells designed to deliver chemical weapons, this shows weapons inspectors do their job.

Do you want your neighbor to have a pet Grizzly Bear? Do you want to let him walk his grizzly in front of your house, would you want that grizzly near your children. If your neighbor assures you that its a tame grizzly would you feel better about it? That is how I feel about Iranians and nuclear power, they are no honest, they are not peaceful, they seek to destabilize their neighbors, they seek to overthrow the government of Israel, and they have not promised to cease and desist this behavior, and you still want them to have nuclear reactors! That's crazy! Iran has promised "Death to America!" Iran wants nuclear reactors! I can't assume their intensions are peaceful given these two facts, and it is fortunate that Barack Obama is no longer President! Donald Trump may have to go to war with Iran to stop them from getting nuclear weapons, since they have promised to kill us!

When agents of George W. Bush claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, they said that because they still had the receipts. America sold them to Iraq. But the German weapons inspectors had ensure all those weapons were either seized or destroyed. So I trust UN inspectors from Western Europe more than any American Republican.
That said, yes Iran's actions are suspicious. At one point they tried to claim it was for medical isotopes. That's Canada's scam. Canada built a facility in Canada as part of the Manhattan Project. After World War 2 it was converted to medical isotopes. Canada invented medical isotopes, it was a way to use military technology for productive peaceful purposes. But specifically that Canadian facility has been maintained in such a way that the engineers, technicians, and scientists are actively practising the skills they need to make nuclear material for weapons. And they assemble radioactive material into finely machined devices that can be used by radio-medicine technicians at a hospital to produce very short-lived isotopes for medical purposes. The fact they assembly radioactive material into finely machined devices means they are practising the skills they need to assembly a nuclear weapon. Canada completely disarmed itself of all nuclear weapons, but we are the country that invented how to produce bomb grade plutonium, during the Manhattan Project we taught the United States how to make bomb grade plutonium. You could call that the ultimate case of nuclear proliferation. So Canada doesn't have any nuclear weapons, but does have a nuclear weapons factory. Actually under the previous administration it fell into disrepair, but that's another story. My point is when Iran claimed they wanted to make "medial isotopes", that's Canada's scam. Hide our nuclear weapons factory as a medical isotope factory. You can't kid a kidder.
But the next point is the US provided weapons grade uranium to Israel. I'm sure you want to defend Israel, but they are just one side of a conflict that has been going on for millennia. When Jesus of Nazareth tried to resolve that dispute it was 1,000 years old. If Jesus couldn't resolve it, why do you think you can?

In Jesus' day there were no Muslims, Islam is a more recent religion than Christianity, so Jesus never encountered any Muslims, because they didn't exist, he did however warn about "false prophets".

So giving nuclear weapons to Israel was inflammatory!

Lind of like the burning of the Reichstag was inflammatory, it served Hitler's purpose, and he claimed it was done by Jews. What you have to remember is that there is good and evil in this world, both sides are not equal, and I consider support of terrorism to be evil.

According to one UK news report several years ago, Israel had 200 nuclear warheads. I'm sure today they still have at least that many.

Has Israel ever used a nuke on anybody? Have they ever promised to exterminate anybody? Iran has done the second, how can you be sure it won't use nukes to accomplish its stated goals of wiping Israel off the map, and delivering Death to America? I'd rather be safe than sorry, if we have to invade Iran to stop them from having nukes then so be it! Sending soldiers into harms way is definitely preferable to letting the Iranians nuke our cities, whether by missile or by terrorist!

As long as Israel has them, at least one Arab country has to have them too. Just for balance.

Why does it have to be an Arab country? Russia has nukes, isn't that enough? Israel isn't threatening any Arab countries, so they have no reason to need nukes, Iran is threatening a lot of countries! Israel has behaved itself, Iran hasn't! Your argument is an argument for everyone to have nukes, and that is just stupid! Would you really feel safer in a World where everyone has nukes? Thus far the nations that have nukes have not used them in a War excepting World War II, but if you increase the nations that have them, you increase the chances of having a nuclear war. Israel has nukes, but has not used them, do you really think that ISIS, the Taliban, or Al Qaeda would use those nukes if they had them? Anybody who think he has God on his side and is willing to sacrifice his life is more likely to use nuclear weapons than someone who is more rational.

If anyone tries to use them, they can be stopped. As the president of France said, many countries have the ability to stop a nuclear missile. If any Arab country attempted a first strike, they would become a radioactive hole in the ground. I was hoping a NATO leader would say that, but other NATO leaders hushed him up as soon as he did so. But the point is if you want to ensure no Arab country has nuclear weapons, the first thing you have to do is take away all nuclear weapons from Israel? Not willing to do so? Then STF Up!

Would you rather have that radioactive hole in the ground, or would you rather stop them from getting nuclear weapons in the first place? I would rather we go to war to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons than have a nuclear war with Iran, even if it was one that we could win! Do you really want to spread the radiation around by giving nukes to irresponsible Muslims?

SpaceNut · 2017-01-21 13:05:19

Tom safety considerations do not matter to a peoples that use them as suicide bombers, human shields ....which are the extreemist of them....

Muslims, Islam or Catholic, Christanity or Hinduism, Buddihism each are off shoots of the one that was there.... http://www.wisegeek.org/which-are-the-o … -world.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_r … traditions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups

GW Johnson · 2017-01-21 15:33:49

Extremism is bad, whether religious or political. Both lead to the same bloody repression. All through history.

GW

Tom Kalbfus · 2017-01-21 20:27:15

SpaceNut wrote:

Tom safety considerations do not matter to a peoples that use them as suicide bombers, human shields ....which are the extreemist of them....
Muslims, Islam or Catholic, Christanity or Hinduism, Buddihism each are off shoots of the one that was there.... http://www.wisegeek.org/which-are-the-o … -world.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_r … traditions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups

Which is why we need to stop them from having atomic bombs, they don't care about their own lives, but they are a threat to us, and if they play with atomic bombs they will release radioactivity, I'd rather not give them these toys, nor give them $100 million per hostage they released as Obama did, so they can buy more nuclear materials and technology! Obama's criterion seems to have been to help the Iranians develop nuclear weapons so as to deter the next Administration from invading Iran conventionally. The thing is, if Iran has nukes, we might not have any choice! If they don't care about themselves, we certainly can't deter them with our nukes, we can only kill them! Their fanaticism dies with them if we kill them fast enough before they can spread their infection, and if they do that, we have to kill more! We have to stop them before they have enough nukes to destroy us, if their mission is to destroy us with no regards to their own survival, then the only way they can do that is if they build up their nuclear arsenal to a point where they can target every one of our cities, and they won't attack us until they reach that point. If they have one or two nukes, they will wait till they have more, when they have a hundred, they will wait till they have several thousand, and when they have several thousand and they think they've reached a point where they can overwhelm our defenses and destroy all our major cities, then they will launch their attack, "knowing" in their mind that they'll go to Heaven when we retaliate! Muslims don't act like normal people, they have this all too common behavior of using suicide attacks to achieve their objectives. I don't want them having nukes. I think we should stop them no matter what I takes! We can trust them to behave the way normal humans behave when regarding their own survival! So we should assume they will not be deterred and act accordingly!

SpaceNut · 2017-01-21 20:41:41

Not all are evil....

Israeli Leader to Iran: 'We Are Your Friend, Not Your Enemy'

Trump's cabinet nominees President-elect Trump has about 4,000 government positions to fill, including some of the most important posts in the US government.

kbd512 · 2017-01-22 07:05:55

I don't want any Middle Eastern country to have nuclear weapons... ever. The people inhabiting those lands have been trying to exterminate each other for the past couple millennia or so and show no signs of stopping. That said, there hasn't been a recent rash of Christian or Buddhist terrorists flying planes into buildings or blowing themselves up in schools, shopping malls, and nightclubs. The hypocrisy of Christians murdering people who are only murdering their own children is not lost on me. Thus far, their have been no nations threatening nuclear war over abortions. If that ever comes to pass, then maybe it's time for us to get rid of our nuclear weapons. In any event, permitting theocracies to acquire nuclear weapons is very similar to permitting known arsonists to acquire gasoline and matches. If you're too ignorant to know what the most likely result will be, then you deserve to get burned. Ultimately, most moderately industrialized nations can acquire nuclear weapons if they choose to do so. We should still do what we can to discourage that practice.

Tom Kalbfus · 2017-01-22 08:59:35

SpaceNut wrote:

Not all are evil....
Israeli Leader to Iran: 'We Are Your Friend, Not Your Enemy'
Trump's cabinet nominees President-elect Trump has about 4,000 government positions to fill, including some of the most important posts in the US government.

Not all Germans were evil during Word War II either, but the Germans that weren't fighting us weren't our concern, our concern was those that were. I can imagine Poland on September 1, 1939, The Germans were invading Poles are either fleeing or fighting the invaders and then someone says to them, "Not all Germans are evil."

The fact is were in a war, and have been in a war for the last 16 years, the Majority of the Muslims decided to declare war on the West, they ones in Iran are not trying to overthrow their government as it declares war on the West. The Muslims that ran away, dropping their weapons while ISIS invaded their cities were deciding that it was safer to go with the radicals and declare war on the West than to fight ISIS. I hope that comforts them when the Trump Administration decides to strike back! They are engaging a nuclear power in a bid to conquer the world. Most Muslims in these societies have not tried to stop this, even though ISIS could be leading tem towards their nuclear destruction. How destructive it is for us depends on whether we let them develop nuclear weapons or not! I'd rather have US troops invade and occupy their countries indefinitely that to face any of these radical Muslims countries having nuclear weapons. If radical Muslim countries get nuclear weapons, then a nuclear war is inevitable, its just a matter of how destructive for us its going to be. Do we wait for them to get more nuclear weapons, or do we strike them now? Do we wait for them to attack us when they think the have enough nuclear weapons to destroy us, or do we attack them sooner and suffer less destruction for it? I don't think there can be any peace with nuclear armed radical Islam, their philosophy rules out peace, their who mission is to wage a war to conquer the world and spread Islam, and they are willing to die to do this! That is why this war has lasted 16 years.

The War on Terror is not going to end at the Peace Table, it is only going to end with their destruction or ours.

Last edited by Tom Kalbfus (2017-01-22 09:00:50)

SpaceNut · 2017-01-22 14:50:44

Bio page of first lady Melania Trump on the whitehouse.gov did for a bit to tout modeling and jewelry line as it referenced her clothing line on QVC could be seen as an endorsement.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pow … d7ce0184f6
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/ … index.html

Update to bio softened... and now reads....as a self promotional 1 liner....
https://www.whitehouse.gov/administrati … ania-trump

Melania is also a successful entrepreneur. In April 2010, Melania Trump launched her own jewelry collection.

Not sure if many heard or saw the womens protest marches but it seems to have been global in quite a huge number of people, numerous cities and nations.... http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/womens- … the-world/

Now onto Death and Taxes

How Trump's proposals may affect every income tax bracket appears to be a revenue raising method.....

SpaceNut · 2017-01-22 17:12:51

Speaking of Taxes and the breaking with tradition, conflict of interests and ethics Donald Trump Will Not Release Tax Returns, White House Adviser Says

Whitehouse.gov petition with more than 200,000 signatures calling on Trump to release his tax returns. Any petition on the site that receives 100,000 signatures in 30 days receives a response from the White House; this petition reached twice that in two days.
"The White House response is that he's not going to release his tax returns," Conway said in an interview on ABC's "This Week."
Experts agree that Trump's ethics plan falls short of eliminating conflicts of interest for multiple reasons, including the fact that his business will be operated by his sons and his assets will not be placed in a blind trust under independent control.

After broken promise, WikiLeaks seeks Donald Trump's tax returns
There is now the same target on Trump that Hillary had.....Also the hacking group Anonomys has said that its going to be a hard 4 years for Trump as well...

The conflict of interests are ot going away since he did not hand over control of his many business ventures and its now got Ethics lawsuit to claim Trump is in violation of Constitution by accepting payments from foreign governments through his business empire.

Trump owns or has a position in at least 564 businesses and partnerships that have done businesses in at least 25 foreign countries, according to a CNN analysis. Trump's refusal to divest means "he is now getting cash and favors from foreign governments through guests and events at his hotels, leases in his buildings, and valuable real estate deals abroad."

Trump is still criticizing American intelligence with a despicable display of self-aggrandizement of the wall of 117 stars in the CIA lobby memorializing fallen officers. This is the same as the Trump does not like POWs that are captured as they are not Hero's or the fallen Gold star solders whom have lost there lifes protecting freedom.....

More Nato response with British Tanks Roll on Channel Tunnel Test Run Amid Trump, Russia Fears in the dead of night this week, Britain's military sent five tanks down the 30-mile "Chunnel" to test whether it would be an effective route for forces if deployed to places such as Eastern Europe amid tensions between Russia and NATO.

SpaceNut · 2017-01-22 17:47:44

Trump's cabinet is still very empty as the Trump's Cabinet picks face questions from both parties; McConnell 'confident' and “dubious” about eight or nine of Trump's picks -- citing potential conflicts of interests and policy stands.

Day 1 signed executive orders:

The executive order addressing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) seeks to allow relevant agency heads to waive or defer provisions that “impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.”

Repeal of ACA:
Top Trump aide: 20M on Obamacare "will not be without coverage" in transition to new plan which directed federal agencies to minimize the financial burdens...

Stopped reduction in loan lending for FHA:
FHA mortgage premium cuts helping low-income homebuyers cancelled by President Trump

With a housing market still not rebounding in sales and a slowed foreclosure the housing market is still set to fall again with keeping people from getting out of the renting trap.....

SpaceNut · 2017-01-24 18:36:22

Lying has worked for Donald Trump -- so why stop now? Trump's complaints and distortions suggest that even as he carries out his duties as President, he will reflexively promote his alternative view of reality. When you demand that others reject what they know to be true in favor of a gilded vision that favors your side, you are bound to receive a demoralizing response.

His alternative view was that hacking has not done anything to his chances to win... but then why did the same hacker who breached 500 ISIS accounts Hacker to Trump: Fix your security settings on Twitter

Another executive order:
Trump advances controversial oil pipelines with executive action

actions to advance approval of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines, actions declaring oil pipelines constructed in the US should be built with US materials, streamlining the regulatory process for pipeline construction and shortening the environmental review process. Trump also vowed to "renegotiate some of the terms" of the Keystone bill and said he would then seek to "get that pipeline built."

So corporate greed over the rights of the people and of the damage to the enviroment....

"President Trump is legally required to honor our treaty rights and provide a fair and reasonable pipeline process," said Standing Rock Sioux Tribe chairman Dave Archambault II in a statement. "Americans know this pipeline was unfairly rerouted towards our nation and without our consent. The existing pipeline route risks infringing on our treaty rights, contaminating our water and the water of 17 million Americans downstream."

Chose a different route to protect the water system.....

Should have taken the right side of the first reservation to run the pipeline down and a bit farther away from the second and there is no problems....

Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization that represents the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, told CNN they were prepared to act if Trump seeks to cut off the environmental review ordered by the Obama administration in December.
"Nothing in the Presidential Memorandum changes that or even addresses (that decision)," lead attorney Jan Hasselman said in an email. "If the Corps responds to this directive by issuing the easement without the (Environmental Impact Statement) process, it will be violating the law and subjecting itself to additional litigation."

There is that thing called Ethics again which Trump does not seem to know the meaning of.

SpaceNut · 2017-01-24 21:14:50

Here is more of those executive orders....

Trump admin orders EPA media blackout and contract freeze

Restrictions on EPA communications worry environmentalists

So more disbelief of global warming effects....

Sea level rise will disproportionately hit U.S. this century, NOAA warns sea levels will rise by about one foot by the end of this century. In the worst-case scenario, global sea levels will rise by 8.2 feet.

Those Nasa satellites must be lying about the warmest temperatures for 2016 ...

Blue mists over the Great Smoky Mountains visible from space

SpaceNut · 2017-01-24 21:50:47

List of Trump's executive orders

An order that directs federal agencies to ease the “regulatory burdens” of ObamaCare. It orders agencies to “waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement” of ObamaCare that imposes a “fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.”
An order imposing a hiring freeze for some federal government workers as a way to shrink the size of government. This excludes the military, as Trump noted at the signing.
He signed a notice that the U.S. will begin withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Trump called the order "a great thing for the American worker."
An order to reinstate the so-called "Mexico City Policy" – a ban on federal funds to international groups that perform abortions or lobby to legalize or promote abortion. The policy was instituted in 1984 by President Reagan, but has gone into and out of effect depending on the party in power in the White House.

Two orders reviving the Keystone XL pipeline and Dakota Access piplines. He also signed three other related orders that would: expedite the environmental permitting process for infrastructure projects related to the pipelines; direct the Commerce Department to streamline the manufacturing permitting process; and give the Commerce Department 180 days to maximize the use of U.S. steel in the pipeline.

SpaceNut · 2017-01-24 22:11:10

Roads are not being properly maintained and its due to the high cost to keep them in a safe condition...
of which you can see by the table that they are no where near funding by these methods of collection to pay for them.

https://taxfoundation.org/gasoline-taxe … d-spending

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/us/a … .html?_r=0

One in ten U.S. bridges in urgent need of repair Study: 58,000 U.S. bridges found to be 'structurally deficient'
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/thousands-o … -collapse/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/tr … story.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016 … /80512038/

Report to congress https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL34127.pdf

RobertDyck · 2017-01-25 04:03:08

America First, Netherlands Second

Are Americans on this forum familiar with the "Ministry of Silly Walks"?

Terraformer · 2017-01-25 07:31:11

The simple truth is, Donald Trump is one of the safest President's America has had in a long while.

Is his domestic and economic policy lacking? Certainly. No worse than the President's immediately preceding him, but I suspect he'll largely continue the same bad policies of drug war, spying on the population, security theater, massive government spending, building infrastructure that's not needed... no pluses there, but no worse than the alternative.

Cultural policy? Doesn't have one. He's not a culture war President. Which is a very good thing. I don't think he's interested that much in how you wish to live, or how you think others should live.

Foreign policy? Much better. He's anti-interventionist, and doesn't try to stoke tensions with Russia.

Is he the best? No, I would have much preferred a Paul-Amash ticket. Is he better than the alternative? Much better.

Tom Kalbfus · 2017-01-25 08:24:51

SpaceNut wrote:

Here is more of those executive orders....
Trump admin orders EPA media blackout and contract freeze
Restrictions on EPA communications worry environmentalists
So more disbelief of global warming effects....
Sea level rise will disproportionately hit U.S. this century, NOAA warns sea levels will rise by about one foot by the end of this century. In the worst-case scenario, global sea levels will rise by 8.2 feet.
Those Nasa satellites must be lying about the warmest temperatures for 2016 ...
Blue mists over the Great Smoky Mountains visible from space

I won't be around at the end of this century to note a 1 foot rise in the sea levels, I'm sure my grandchildren and great grand children will be able to handle the situation quite well, they will have technologies we don't have, and they will be smart enough not to build houses too close to the ocean. I think by 2100, our ability to reach space will have improved substantially, we will finally be able to build those O'Neill colonies, we'll have advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. I don't think that 1 foot rise in sea levels will prove to be much of a challenge to them.

Tom Kalbfus · 2017-01-25 08:42:55

SpaceNut wrote:

Roads are not being properly maintained and its due to the high cost to keep them in a safe condition...
of which you can see by the table that they are no where near funding by these methods of collection to pay for them.
https://taxfoundation.org/gasoline-taxe … d-spending
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/us/a … .html?_r=0
One in ten U.S. bridges in urgent need of repair Study: 58,000 U.S. bridges found to be 'structurally deficient'
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/thousands-o … -collapse/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/tr … story.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016 … /80512038/
Report to congress https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL34127.pdf

Trump is a businessman, perhaps there are cheaper ways to maintain and repair the infrastructure than are currently being used. If the highways and bridges were privatized, the companies running them would be responsible for repairs and upgrades, they could use the EZ-Pass cashless tolls to raise money just as governments currently do, and they could cut the cost of construction by hiring non-union labor, and not have those construction workers basically sit on the highways practically doing nothing while they cause traffic jams. I've seen construction zones that have lasted years with construction workers spending time redirecting traffic and getting paid. Maybe we could spend less time providing these people with stable employment and more into actually fixing our highways and bridges. A government doesn't have much incentive to do this, they like to create jobs, a private company would have more incentive to keep costs down and fix those roads and bridges as quickly as possible so they can earn a profit. They can charge whatever tolls they think the market will bear, and if the market will not bear them, then maybe those roads and bridges are not as useful as we thought. The cashless toll system will allow for more privately run highways and bridges. Governments can earn some money by selling them to private companies, and when those companies change the toll, it will not be a political issue as it is now.

GW Johnson · 2017-01-25 11:20:39

Tom:

Well, you're so wrong about so many things. A sampling:

We all had Trump's entire campaign during which to spot the general uninformed unfitness, and the chronic lying, and the insecurity about being criticized. "Fair" has nothing to do with it, it is just a simple matter of observing public behavior.

As I said (and you ignored), I hope he does succeed. But he has an awful lot to learn and an awful lot of character flaws to address, to be successful. So I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for him to succeed. He will do us a lot of damage while he learns. If he learns.

As for the "tea party" extremists, that movement really was the Reagan Revolution that got Reagan elected. They just didn't call it "tea party" back then. Same right-wing extremists that allied with the religious extremists to get out their vote too. Some of the originals were the KKK-types who left the democratic party in the years right after the 1965 civil rights act. Before that, they were "southern conservative democrats".

When Bill Clinton won, the leaders of this right-wing extremist bunch holed up and developed a new strategy of obstructionism (prioritizing party advantage above the duties of the jobs they swore to do). They still didn't use the name "tea party", but it's the same bunch. The ringleaders who turned the right-shifted GOP into the "party of no" were Newt Gingrich, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and a couple of other names I no longer remember after so many years. But it was Gingrich that forced a government shutdown during those years.

This was also about the time right-wing extremist talk radio became so popular with the extremist conservative voter crowd. It inflamed the "base" to be even more extremist, which is how Eric Cantor got "tea partied" in his primary, still long before the name "tea party" was used.

It's only in the last decade or so that the name "tea party" sprung up from the grass roots, and the most of the extremist right wing of the GOP adopted it, and has been steadily purging out all mainstream republicans who will not adopt extremist positions.

There, that's the history of the GOP for the last 40 years. I could tell an equally sordid tale about the democrats, but I won't, to save space. As I said, I am an independent (something you also chose to ignore). I don't like either one of them.

It's history like that which proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that party agendas (from either side!!) make really bad public policy.

The obstructionism has to go. The extremism has to go. This is the same bullshit that brought the Nazis, the Bolsheviks, and the Fascists to power.

Personally, in my opinion, breaking oaths of office to prioritize party advantage over doing the duties of said office should be treated as treason. It meets the definition under the "aid and comfort to the enemy" clause, and there are certainly millions of witnesses in an age of mass media. We'd certainly have a lot of offices to re-fill, if we were to do that.

GW

elderflower · 2017-01-25 11:23:46

We need a "Like" button GWJ. Moderators please note.

SpaceNut · 2017-01-25 18:50:35

elderflower wrote:

We need a "Like" button GWJ. Moderators please note.

Ya that would be cool....

But it would need Admin level to create and impliment

SpaceNut · 2017-01-25 21:53:15

So what are American in store for from this president..oh just a continued gutting without care... how about starting with congress.. Trump wants to kill these 17 agencies: Here's what they cost
Donald Trump's planned budget cuts appear to be targeted more at undercutting Democratic priorities...to eliminate roughly $10.5 trillion in spending over the next 10 years.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
Minority Business Development Agency
Economic Development Administration
International Trade Administration
Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Office of Violence Against Women
Legal Services Corporation
Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department
Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Office of Electricity Deliverability and Energy Reliability
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Office of Fossil Energy

RobertDyck · 2017-01-25 22:11:23

SpaceNut wrote:

elderflower wrote:
We need a "Like" button GWJ. Moderators please note.
Ya that would be cool....
But it would need Admin level to create and impliment

Doing some quick research... This forum is based on forum software called FluxBB. In 2006, before the Great Crash, it was based on PHPBB so has already gone through an upgrade. The next version is in Beta, called Flarum. It's a complete re-write, so would have major impact on New Mars. And it's still in Beta test. But the feature list includes a "Like" button, and appears optimized for mobile devices such as smart phones. The example forum on the development website looks significantly different than New Mars. Not sure I like it. So maybe, maybe not. I'm not an admin, just speculating.

Tom Kalbfus · 2017-01-26 07:16:08

SpaceNut wrote:

So what are American in store for from this president..oh just a continued gutting without care... how about starting with congress.. Trump wants to kill these 17 agencies: Here's what they cost
Donald Trump's planned budget cuts appear to be targeted more at undercutting Democratic priorities...to eliminate roughly $10.5 trillion in spending over the next 10 years.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
Minority Business Development Agency
Economic Development Administration
International Trade Administration
Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Office of Violence Against Women
Legal Services Corporation
Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department
Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Office of Electricity Deliverability and Energy Reliability
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Office of Fossil Energy

At least Trump is trying to cut the Budget, and honestly, do we really need a corporation for public broadcasting? We have so many channels, and television is obsolete anyway. We can watch shows on the internet! You know, I kind of like the History Channel, I like the Discovery Channel, those channels produce shows similar to PBS, an of course there is BBC America, for the kids there is Nickelodeon, Disney Junior etc. We can live without a National Endowment for the Arts, Artists can earn their money the old fashioned way, by selling their art! The National Endowment for the Humanities, ditto, hey can sell tickets to their shows and if they are any good, people will buy them. Minority Business Development? Lets get real, its been 152 years since the slaves have been freed, racial discrimination is so low that we've elected our first black President, and that is before we've even had a first woman president and our first Jewish President, its time to kick the crutches out and let minorities fend for themselves in the job market! Racial discrimination can't be that much of a problem if we've elected our first black president, money spent here is better spent elsewhere or used to pay down the debt. Economic Development Administration? The best economic development would be to cut taxes and let the economy grow, Obama's record on this is abysmal. I can see the thinking of Trump on most of these programs, no one will die if we cut them!

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