President Trump

[newyorkguy]

Based on my knowledge of American history -- and I've been reading a lot about presidential elections recently -- it must be remembered that in the first eight or nine elections presidents were elected by state legislatures (by selecting "electors"). Massachusetts was one of the first states to go to a popular vote and gradually other states followed. By 1828 only Delaware and South Carolina still had their state legislators decide on the president instead of the general public. South Carolina held out until 1868 (and in that election Florida chose electors through the state legislature). It was not until 1872, in the 22nd presidential election, that all the states (then 37) chose the president by popular vote.

One of the reasons early on for the legislature's selecting the electors was to preserve the power of the states in selecting a chief executive who was not seen as having the political power (or importance) that the office of American president has gained over time. In the late 1700s and early 1800s it was Congress that ran the country, not the president, and members of the House of Representatives (but not the Senate) were elected by popular vote.

 

[fishbob]

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.

Not until you start spelling 'liter' correctly.

 

[steve s]

The ACLU has posted an open letter to Trump, warning him about his stated policies.

These proposals are not simply un-American and wrong-headed, they are unlawful and unconstitutional. They violate the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and 14th Amendments. If you do not reverse course and instead endeavor to make these campaign promises a reality, you will have to contend with the full firepower of the ACLU at every step.

https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-fre...ents-his-proposed-policies-well-see-him-court

Steve S

 

[a_unique_person]

The ACLU has posted an open letter to Trump, warning him about his stated policies.


https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-fre...ents-his-proposed-policies-well-see-him-court

Steve S

Yeah. I think Trump will own the court.

 

[Noztradamus]

Yeah. I think Trump will own the court.

the supreme court of the nation will be renamed Trump Court, because it's decisions will trump all the rest.

 

[acbytesla]

Yeah. I think Trump will own the court.

I don't think xo. The court may be somewhat partisan that's true but the court is very independent and a healthy respect for stare decisis.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Derail established

The rest of the world pretend to use it. I recently had to buy some small bolts. The ones available were labelled: 5/16" British Standard Thread 38mm long (briefly considered getting the 25mm instead, but went with the inch and a half).

Half a centurty after metrication!

My local fastener supplier is over on Teesside. Hawk Fasteners. They stock a full range of imperial sizes alongside metric.
There's still a lot of old machinery and equipment out there.

 

[Minoosh]

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.

Which do you think is worse - the loss of earning power or the loss of structure?

I was going to say the loss of "meaningful work," but that has always been a luxury. So just, say, loss of "occupation," which is a big part of how we identify ourselves. Or loss of usefulness, productivity, something like that.

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.

Cut taxes on the rich. Then the government just has to step back.

If Trump is capable of being humbled, I hope he is by now.

This would be in line with how Trump has said he will force American manufacturers to bring jobs back to the U.S. The reality is, a) Ford probably doesn't want to bring those jobs back to the U.S. and b) Ford is a very powerful corporation. I don't think Trump will find much support among fellow Republicans in Congress if he tried to enact punitive tariffs on Ford vehicles imported into the U.S. from Mexico.

Yeah but Donald will make them bring them back. Don't ask how just yet. And what does Congress want, policy-wise, other than to cut taxes on the rich? Individually, they want pork for their own districts. I don't really know how they're going to get that.

 

[Minoosh]

OK, now on CNN: Team Trump hasn't called the Pentagon. Ooh, are the widdle genwals at the Pentagon all butt-hurt because Donald hurt their feewings? Said in a tone of mocking derision - the correct tone, according to really obnoxious people. Tell the brass to chill, he knows more than you do.

A sign of copious rewriting on CNN:

But it was not immediately when those officials will actually arrive at agencies in Washington.

They left out the word "clear," but this was one of my favorite phrases as an editor. "It was not immediately clear" spackles over a lot of holes.

 

[acbytesla]

Which do you think is worse - the loss of earning power or the loss of structure?

I was going to say the loss of "meaningful work," but that has always been a luxury. So just, say, loss of "occupation," which is a big part of how we identify ourselves. Or loss of usefulness, productivity, something like that.

I think meaningful work. That said, I'm concerned about the transition more than anything. The economic principle is that new jobs will come along that we haven't thought of and just let Adam Smith's invisible hand do its work. But I don't think job creation can keep up with the job destruction. Some of the ideas kicked around has been the idea of a universal base income, but I don't believe in it. I think everyone who can should work. I think it's best for society and them. There is also a massive conundrum as to losses of jobs leads to losses of markets and deflationary pressures. That's not good for growth. Economic purists believe in letting it play out. I don't agree.

Cut taxes on the rich. Then the government just has to step back.

You know, I don't think that is even good for the rich. Short term yes, but not over the long run.

If Trump is capable of being humbled, I hope he is by now.
Yeah but Donald will make them bring them back. Don't ask how just yet. And what does Congress want, policy-wise, other than to cut taxes on the rich? Individually, they want pork for their own districts. I don't really know how they're going to get that.

. I'm hoping that Trump from New York sees the benefits of a good transit system. (But I wonder if he has ridden it in the last 40 years.

 

[Cain]

After Donald verbally attacked Megyn Kelly, "we had security guards the whole year," and the video gets worse from there. It also says a lot about the culture at Fox "News" that they deliberately didn't report this.

Lemme summarize the responses I've seen on the Internet: Megyn Kelly's just trying to suck up to the elite liberal media. Fox should fire her. She's a bimbo making things up, so we need to fight back against her lies by issuing death threats.

 

[Craig B]

The only way this could happen here is if the left were able to get more power. If hillary had been elected she would have made the supreme court go left. Effectively giving control to freedom hating leftists who feel they need to protect us from ourselves.

I think that view is what enabled Hitler to usurp power in Germany.

Many conservatives liked Hitler's social attitudes, his desire to smash trade unions, and his xenophobia. So what could be the harm in appointing him Chancellor? The only possible danger to the state comes from the commies and their fellow travellers the social democrats. So the conservatives thought. They repented in the smouldering ruins of Berlin twelve years later.

 

[quadraginta]

My local fastener supplier is over on Teesside. Hawk Fasteners. They stock a full range of imperial sizes alongside metric.
There's still a lot of old machinery and equipment out there.

I owned a number of Volvos over the years. I would run into mechanics who said they didn't work on them because of all the metric parts.

I did most of my own maintenance. I always thought it ironic that the only metric fastener I ever ran into on them was on 140 series Volvos on the inside of the Motorola alternators that some of them came with.

Those alternators were the only thing on the car designed and made in the U.S.

 

[SezMe]

No actually it isn't, its a group of people who fight to stay in power to enrich themselves. You're welcome!

In the context of Argumemnon's post which you quoted, that word has no referent. It also should be "it's", a contraction of "it is". What do you mean to say.

 

[SezMe]

Lordy

You do realize he is posting that because the left said the Dow would collapse from the Donald's election?

Yes, I know that. What's your point?

 

[Minoosh]

I'm hoping that Trump from New York sees the benefits of a good transit system. (But I wonder if he has ridden it in the last 40 years.

In his own way, IMO, Trump wants to be a good guy. But I don't know if his intentions will be of any use when lobbyists step in to pursue their own agendas. Is Trump the hardheaded negotiator he claims to be? Or is he the easily manipulated guy who makes potentially career-ending comments while wearing a microphone?

If his kids are involved I hope they are politically savvy enough to steer their father into good (or at least workable) decisions. Because Donald himself is very prone to gaffes, any one of which could deeply damage the positive image his voters have of him. If he slips it will because of something small, as I said in some other thread.

 

[SezMe]

I don't believe we were addressing you, and we're both allowed to discuss our exchanges here. You can always not read our posts if it bothers you so much.

It's like an auto accident. When you're back in the jam, you swear to not slow down and be a Lookie-Lou. But then you get to the action and you just can't avoid staring. Right?

I better never catch you bickering with another poster in the future.

Go for it. I've posted my share of bad posts, bad English and bad manners here so that one more comeuppance call will probably be fully justified.

 

[Darat]

It's the land of opportunity.

Just shows the American Dream is alive and kicking, anyone born to wealthy and socially connected parents can be wealthy and successful!

 

[SezMe]

True, logger. I'm also posting it as a direct response to the OP. My posts about the Dow in this thread happen to be more relevant to the OP than just about any other post (including SezMe's).

That's true. But based on the thread title, it has turned into a catchall thread to bitch about Trump. In that context, I'm spot on.

Quoted lest we forget how this thread started.

Quoted lest you forget that thread drift is a widely recognized phenomenon.

Hey, Argumemnon, now's your chance to give me hell.

 

[SezMe]

Its impossible right now but as Trump moves forward, there may be a time when much of this vote gets examined. You understand because we kinda want to know these things. Just remember what I said.

Are you suggesting that the secret ballot is endangered under Trump? Would you support such a move?