President Trump

[acbytesla]

Understatement. The US has, what, a 600 billion dollar "defense" budget? More than the next 12 countries combined, and over half of the entire US budget, apparently.

Exactly. I'm amazed at how so many of these red neck Republicans rail against welfare or subsidized health care and totally ignore how they are getting screwed by the military industrial complex, big Pharma and the insurance and banking industry. Apparently it's OK to be sodomized by them. They must use a different kind of lube.

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

Apparently it's OK to be sodomized by them. They must use a different kind of lube.

It's very effective stuff. I've never tried it for that though.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIL-L-63460

 

[acbytesla]

Only "over half" if you ignore Medicare and stuff.

Easy to read pie charts:
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/spending/

Keep in mind that there are sizable "health and retirement costs" associated with the military that never is included as "military costs". It's one of those "externalities" of the military.

 

[acbytesla]

It's very effective stuff. I've never tried it for that though.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIL-L-63460

The military has all the best. I hear it is better than KY Ultra.

 

[NoahFence]

Roads, schools, military, police and courts aren't what has us Trillions in debt and isn't why our economy is suffering from too much regulation.

LOL

Lemme guess - welfare programs and immigrants is why we're in debt?

 

[Aber]

I was trying to find more info on this. As a citizen, I wouldn't want to reveal my tax records either. From what I could tell, most presidents release the tax records from the times they were in office. Releasing your tax records from the years prior to the presidency seems to have started with Obama. Not sure that makes any difference to this discussion, I just thought it was interesting.

http://www.taxhistory.org/www/website.nsf/web/presidentialtaxreturns

Not quite correct. Presidential NOMINEES have disclosed their latest tax returns from Ronald Reagan onwards.

Earlier years, and returns while in office, have, I understand, been more variable.

 

[Regnad Kcin]

Mr. Trump will not be releasing his tax returns. Now (and for his term(s)) more than ever he'll claim special privileges.

 

[logger]

What about smokestack or vehicle emissions or banking regulations?

Banking regulations could be scaled way back, but if an entity fails it shouldn't be bailed out. That would bring up many other things that need to be addressed too.
I don't have to do emissions, I'm a farm.

But let's look closer at the regulations you mentioned. I can see a purpose for the sprinklers and a fee to hook up to the water main. Ever hear about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory? Also, how much do you think it cost to put in the water main and who do you think should pay for it?

The water main is a few thousand plus labor and the permittee is already on the hook for that.

 

[logger]

Let's argue about specific regulations instead of whining about them in general.

My experience is most of them have legitimate purposes and some go too far. I'm all in favor of addressing those that should be revised and eliminated.

But I also know the nature of humanity and how many individuals will do pretty much anything to save or make a buck including having unsafe working environments and polluting the air water, land and food that we eat. How they will cheat their fellow man if it means more for themselves. Without regulations and enforcement, how can you count on your blood pressure medicine actually being medicine that will help you?

I just gave you specifics, you want to argue air, water, and food. I'm talking about things government does that hurt business directly.

Another one would be, if I'm logging on a property with a stream there is a buffer of between 75 and 250 ft. The government doesn't want me driving my skidder in those areas, they want me to drag the trees that meet harvesting requirements out of those stream buffer areas. Ideally I could back up to those logs, lift them and drag them out. Now I have to take much more time and effort dragging those logs hundreds of feet, not to mention the trench it creates dragging without one end off the ground.

How about having a tax code so large it takes a team of accountants to figure it out, not to mention the mistakes that are made.
Frankly if you're not in business, you're not going to understand these things.

 

[logger]

So, you're saying Trump should be helping out this particular type of special snowflake, because monies. Ignore all the externalities and consequences for others. Typical.

Ahh no, I'm just giving you a dumb government regulation that has caused this company to stick with their old well.

 

[logger]

So you ignore the majority of the budget as being irrelevant. It really is medicare which is why we are going to purge the elderly.

I don't think the elderly are worried about republicans purging them. Your Obamacare has helped them see what the left wants to do with them.

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

I don't think the elderly are worried about republicans purging them. Your Obamacare has helped them see what the left wants to do with them.

Please expand on this point. I'm curious to learn what "the left" wants to do with the elderly.

 

[logger]

Logger thinks the environment is a toilet and we shouldn't care about it. I'd bet money he owns a new diesel truck that he has deleted the EGR and DPF. If you don't logger, my apologies. But I know he knows what I am talking about.

And you would lose that bet. I own four trucks all gas.

And I don't have to go through emissions either but they all run Very well because that is what is efficient.

 

[logger]

Understatement. The US has, what, a 600 billion dollar "defense" budget? More than the next 12 countries combined, and over half of the entire US budget, apparently.

That budget is what keeps you from speaking Farsi
What could your country possibly do to protect itself? You're welcome!!

 

[logger]

Exactly. I'm amazed at how so many of these red neck Republicans rail against welfare or subsidized health care and totally ignore how they are getting screwed by the military industrial complex, big Pharma and the insurance and banking industry. Apparently it's OK to be sodomized by them. They must use a different kind of lube.

They realize defense is what the federal government is charged with.

How does the banking, insurance and big pharma screw them?

 

[Belz...]

That budget is what keeps you from speaking Farsi
What could your country possibly do to protect itself? You're welcome!!

Protect itself against what and whom? Who is this imaginary enemy that you think would roll over the US if its defense budget was a mere 300 billion?

It's the same conservative trick we see all the time: fear of some boogeyman, somewhere.

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

Protect itself against what and whom? Who is this imaginary enemy that you think would roll over the US if its defense budget was a mere 300 billion?

It's the same conservative trick we see all the time: fear of some boogeyman, somewhere.

Ooga booga! Farsi speakers gonna get ya! All the way from Iran, baby, better call Uncle Sam to scare off the yellowish-brown people!

 

[Belz...]

Ooga booga! Farsi speakers gonna get ya! All the way from Iran, baby, better call Uncle Sam to scare off the yellowish-brown people!

I'm on the line right now, but all I get is the stupid "waiting" music.

 

[acbytesla]

They realize defense is what the federal government is charged with.

How does the banking, insurance and big pharma screw them?

It is also charged with establishing justice and promoting the general welfare. The US military budget is far greater than needed for the defense of the United States. In 250 years we have been attacked by a foreign nation a total of twice. 1812 and 1941.

Here are some ways Big Pharma screws Americans.
The cost of prescription drugs is considerably higher in the US than any developed nation in the world. I could buy the medicines my brother use to take 150 miles north of here for about $10,000 less a year. Drugs in the US could be considerably cheaper if American politicians weren't in Big Pharma's pocket.

There are countless ways how insurance companies legally cheat their customers including price fixing, collusion and denial of claims.

 

[acbytesla]

Banking regulations could be scaled way back, but if an entity fails it shouldn't be bailed out. That would bring up many other things that need to be addressed too.
I don't have to do emissions, I'm a farm.

The water main is a few thousand plus labor and the permittee is already on the hook for that.

I can't speak intelligently about the cost of the water main where this business was, but my guess is you are grossly minimizing the cost. A simple example would be the fee I paid 2 years ago to King County. $10,000 just for the right to connect to the sewer and that didn't include the costs and it was more than fair. Somebody has to pay for the 2 billion dollar sewage treatment plant and miles of conveyance.

As for banking regulations being given scaled back. That is nuts. They need to be increased...particularly reimplementing Glass Steagal. The problem is the banks in particular is not like any other business where we can just let lots of them fail. One only need to look at the causes of the Great Depression to understand that. Banks screw us all more regularly than just about any one else. Time and time again through history, without controls Banks have proved that they are generally untrustworthy. My biggest problem with former President Clinton was his signing the Banking and Commodities reform Acts, I believe the seeds of 2008 collapse were sown then.