President Trump

[Emily's Cat]

Are you unfamiliar with conditional reasoning?

If you find the hypothesis unlikely, here's what you do. You say, "This seems unlikely, but if it were to happen, then .... "

Hypothetical reasoning and the fallacy of complex question are not at all similar.

I'm familiar with conditional reasoning. At this point, I'm giving Argumemnon a hard time, because he failed to include his hypothetical condition in his posts, and yet has been needling me for failing to take his unspoken condition into consideration. I'm being admittedly contrary on this topic now.

It's also a case where "If things were completely different than they are... then I'd be right, wouldn't I?" I feel compelled to be difficult when faced with conditions that are not even remotely reasonable, and which are crafted solely to make it appear that a particular viewpoint has legs.

 

[Minoosh]

To continue my pep talk to the press:

So now CNN home page is "Kushner vs. Christie". No. Christie's totally, all the way out, as CNN reported hours ago.

Meanwhile, 27 dead in regime blast in Aleppo, for crying out loud. This isn't on the home page, you have to click on World.

ETA: That might be old too - not sure

ETA2:

CNN has not been able to independently verify the impact of the strikes, having little access to the area

Man, these guys broke Desert Storm.
Al Jazeera says 80 dead.

 

[Emily's Cat]

Hitler didn't have to disarm 5he country or use the military to enforce his rule.

He DID disarm the Jewish citizens of the country, and he DID use the military to round them up on Kristallnacht.

People went along with it and goted for him. He encouragedgun ownership and marksmanship, it was patriotic and prepared people for military service.

As long as you weren't Jewish.

Any dictator in the US won't face a mass armed rising, whoever it is will be cheered by the masses and praised.

Why? Do you plan to keep your mouth shut and go along with it? I certainly don't.

 

[Dumb All Over]

Dow closes down 54 points today.

Unmitigated catastrophe!

 

[Emily's Cat]

It's also wrong to ignore the possibility. Trump IS not Hitler. But he is is an egomaniacal leader in waiting threatening minorities and changes in our democratic institutions.

Sure. But WW2 wasn't that long ago. Many of us are old enough to have talked with relatives who actually served during WW2 - my grandfather did. When I was a child, I spoke with many people who had been there first-hand. I think most of them have passed away by now, but we're not that far removed. If you can see it as a risk, why do you imagine that nobody else can?

 

[NoahFence]

Sure. But WW2 wasn't that long ago. Many of us are old enough to have talked with relatives who actually served during WW2 - my grandfather did. When I was a child, I spoke with many people who had been there first-hand. I think most of them have passed away by now, but we're not that far removed. If you can see it as a risk, why do you imagine that nobody else can?

Enough people saw Trump as a danger and still didn't care.

If Donald *********** Trump can be president, anything can happen in America.

 

[Belz...]

ftfy

I'm not assuming anything. I've told you this several times already. If you repeat this accusation again I will have to assume that you are being dishonest. I am arguing that whether the population is armed to begin with makes no difference. You argue otherwise. Fine.

Why do you thin it is evident that you assume the military will happily obey an illegal order?

WHERE DO I ASSUME THIS? Where the **** do you get this in my posts? I've told you repeatedly that this has nothing to do with my line of argument.

(sorry for the exasperation, but I'm getting tired of you saying this after so many explanations by me)

 

[ponderingturtle]

Most Americans don't realize exactly how much our petroleum prices are subsidized. It was a rude awakening the first time we drove up through BC, and saw that gas prices were higher than in the US... and then realized that was the price per liter.

No they are not subsidised we just haven't been raising taxes on them to pay for infrastructure in a very long time, so by and large we have very very low fuel taxes but no subsidies.

 

[Minoosh]

Al Jazeera:

Adham Sahloul, of the Syrian American Medical Society, which supports several hospitals in opposition areas, said it appeared the government was focusing its fire on Aleppo's medical infrastructure.

Assad apparently bombed a blood bank.

I don't know if the "rebels" are ISIS or not, but yes, let's bomb the hell out of whoever they are as Trump joins forces with Putin and Assad. I'm annoyed. But I also know people in Aleppo may have an agenda, Al Jazeera may have an agenda. Even the Al Jazeera reporter isn't actually in Syria.

 

[marplots]

Enough people saw Trump as a danger and still didn't care.

If Donald *********** Trump can be president, anything can happen in America.

It's the land of opportunity.

 

[Marcus]

No they are not subsidised we just haven't been raising taxes on them to pay for infrastructure in a very long time, so by and large we have very very low fuel taxes but no subsidies.

Depends on your definition I guess. Federal and state gas taxes are averaging around 48 cents per gallon in the US, unreasonably high in many other countries, IMHO.

 

[Andy_Ross]

He DID disarm the Jewish citizens of the country, and he DID use the military to round them up on Kristallnacht.

Which the masses applauded and eagerly helped, they were the enemy of the state and people.

As long as you weren't Jewish.

Jews were the enemy, the people wanted rid if them, what's your point?

Why? Do you plan to keep your mouth shut and go along with it? I certainly don't.

When the people join in and proclaim the new Fuhrer it's too late fir you, you will be one of the enemy and in the minority.

I'm not American. Not my monkeys, not my circus.

 

[Travis]

I despise Trump but talk of the US becoming The Fourth Reich is a bit premature.

I don't know. Just about any liberal blogger these days are getting lots of new comments talking an awful lot about putting them in ovens.

 

[dudalb]

Dow closes down 54 points today.

Unmitigated catastrophe!

Stop.Just Stop.

 

[CapelDodger]

Yes, but under the Trump Dictum Corollary, videos of someone saying something are no longer acceptable proof that someone actually said that something.

It was just Situation Room banter.

 

[Ambrosia]

In Québec. It's 1.05 a litre at least. So, just under 4 a gallon.

Ha!

Standard Unleaded here is ~£1.12/litre $1.39USD at todays exchange rates which is ...


$5.26 for one US Gallon.

(For the love of <insert preferred deity here> can you please start using the metric system)

Tax on fuel here is ~58p/litre then there is VAT @ 20% of total sale price

so at £1.12/litre VAT is 19p Giving a total of 77p in tax per litre which means approximately 70% of the cost at the pump goes to the government in tax.

These are supermarket prices, which are typically 5p/litre lower than petrol stations. Diesel is around £1.17/litre. Premium Unleaded is around £1.26/litre, Premium Diesel is around £1.31/litre.

 

[dudalb]

I don't know. Just about any liberal blogger these days are getting lots of new comments talking an awful lot about putting them in ovens.

If you guys are serious and not just going through a grieving process,then you should be out buying guns and ammo for the coming fight. If not, it is just venting.

 

[CapelDodger]

To be fair, voting red in California doesn't matter much.

Perhaps proportional attributions of electoral votes per state rather than winner-take-all policies would work better to encourage people to vote in their state, everything else being equal.

Shouldn't you just cut to the chase and go by the popular national vote? The electoral college does seem to me to be an anachronism, a solution to a problem that doesn't exist any more.

 

[Elagabalus]

If you guys are serious and not just going through a grieving process,then you should be out buying guns and ammo for the coming fight. If not, it is just venting.

As someone else said, we should just concentrate on buying all the ammo ...***WINK**

 

[acbytesla]

I notice Trump has said he will consider tariffs on Mexican-made Fords. Probably not gonna happen.

I don't know if 55 mpg by 2025 is doable at all, but if it's not, aren't manufacturers still on a level playing field? If they just stopped making trucks, people would still need vehicles. Ford could build some of those in Michigan or make awesome electric trucks.

Of course there is no free lunch - the electric truck still needs recharging, which means it's burning coal or other fossil fuels anyway. We need more nukes.

Sadly there will be job loss either way due to automation. Is it going to be much fun having a big truck when it drives itself?

You'd think by now most people would see the somewhat inverse relationship of having low-cost goods and high-wage jobs.

You've just nailed my problem with our God damn lazy electorate. None of the problems facing this country are simple and can be boiled down to a crappy bumper sticker or 140 character tweet. Sadly people have the attention spans of....Trump and the knowledge base of 3 year olds.

The number of people required to assemble an automobile has plummeted. I've been fortunate enough to tour the Tesla assembly plant and an Amazon distribution warehouse. You wouldn't believe how few people work at those places. And that is happening everywhere. I've been thinking for years about the best way for the economy and the government to deal with the advances in automation.

Sadly, it's clear that Trump really hasn't thought about it or if he has he has never spoke about it and discussed a solution. Ford is no more an American company than Toyota so why should it be able to avoid tarriffs that Toyota has to pay when they manufacture in Japan instead of Kentucky?

I want the solutions that will benefit the most amount of Americans. I could give a damn about the car manufacturers other than in their ability to provide inexpensive products and good jobs. So I have to care. They have to be profitable, but it shouldn't be at the expense of their employees or customers or the nation.

Maybe Trump is right. But I doubt it. The devil is in the details and Trump just runs his mouth as if he knows what he is talking about.