Musk bruised at the WH before leaving - coincidence?

[Geronimo]

Hey, he just wanted to appeal to hardcore Republicans by following Reagan's example!

Does Trump and his horde of useful idiots understand that:

Debt to GDP was 31% immediately before Reagan's tax cuts and by the end of Reagan's second term it was 49%

Debt at the start of Trump's second term was 122% of GDP

Top marginal Tax rates were 70% at before Reagan's tax cuts which cut them to 50%

Top marginal Tax rates at the start of Trump's second term were 37% which he proposes to reduce to 25%

what exactly does the MAGA crowd think will allow Trump's plan to work? Leprechauns?

[ricketyclik]

"what exactly does the MAGA crowd think will allow Trump's plan to work?"

The peasants, same as it ever was.

[The Mad Monk]

aclu.org/notroops

[Geronimo]

I'm very concerned that one reason Trump may be trying to foment these otherwise politically harmful large-scale confrontations, especially involving national guard, is that his demonstrated paranoia may actually help him understand that he certainly does not have the absolute personal loyalty of the US military to use them for whatever he wants. He can probably imagine a lot of situations where they would refuse to follow his orders delivered through his hand-picked senior chain of command. These large domestic conflicts involving national guard might be him trying to slowly desensitize the military to domestic conflict involvement. I think he understands that if that if the desensitization gets bad enough that "disloyalty" to himself personally will be far less likely to arise in response to almost anything else he might do with the military. of course, for this to work it won't be near enough to commandeer national guard for these conflicts he'll need to involve the regular armed forces and that will certainly fail unless he can stoke these manufactured conflicts into something sufficiently appalling to give a good chance of mostly compliance when he crosses the Rubicon of ordering the regular armed forces in to put down the "rebellion".

Virtually all Democrat supporters would have no trouble believing this of Trump but I think everyone else in the US who lived under Trump's first term would never have imagined such a scenario being possible until after this second term began to unfold.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

Of course Newsom called Biden mentally Sharpe and fully engaged last year. I guess whichever lie works best for the moment. That's the lefts way.

[Ming]

No... the LIE is Trump's Way. Are you one of those morons that think the election he lost was stolen. If you do, let us know if you EVER find ANY proof.
And remember, the Military parade is for FLAG DAY and has absolutely nothing to do with his Birthday...

[My Wife Hates CIV]

And you were one of the morons who believed Adam. Let me know if you ever find any of his proof.

See ming, its not the lie that bothers the left, only who is telling it.

[pchang]

This seems even more appropriate for you and all the other MAGAts out there.

[Geronimo]

And you were one of the morons who believed Adam. Let me know if you ever find any of his proof.

See ming, its not the lie that bothers the left, only who is telling it.

How do you see large scale deportations in the face of labor shortages and tax cuts at unprecedented levels of debt to gdp ratio which rely on economic growth dependent on no worsening of the labor shortage and inflation that is explosively worsened by labor shortages as not demonstrating catastrophic incompetence by trump? Not to mention throwing away US soft power, throwing away its alliances, throwing away diplomatic credibility and throwing away its leading role in basic research. What has Trump delivered that could possibly out weigh all of that? Why would a weekend at Bernie's presidency be even close to as bad as all that?

Adding this section in hopes that it will make the single character edit less likely to be flagged as suspicious.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

You can cry the sky is falling all you want. The sky I see is beautiful blue and clear.

[N35t0r]

You can cry the sky is falling all you want. The sky I see is beautiful blue and clear.

Every regime needs it's bootlickers.

[Geronimo]

You can cry the sky is falling all you want. The sky I see is beautiful blue and clear.

So your one of those people who believes that the economy around you at any given moment is largely reflecting recent economic policy and that until the crap hitting the fan shows up on your doorstep it's great? You don't have to think?

[Provost Harrison]

Of course Newsom called Biden mentally Sharpe and fully engaged last year. I guess whichever lie works best for the moment. That's the lefts way.

It's funny isn't it that everyone not in your camp is a leftie? You know, over the years I have had many debates with Ming and one thing he is certainly not is a leftie. But the issue is the sheer shift of the Overton window in modern politics (worldwide). Once those perceived on the right of the centre now look like communists by comparison.

I suppose when you're in the position you are, everything to the left of Mussolini looks left-wing.

[Provost Harrison]

I also worry about the cognitive decline in some older people (MWHC may be a prime example, I remember he wasn't young when posting here 20+ years ago). I've seen the same problems in my extended family - too vulnerable to modern media (especially social media) tactics, lack of filter or critical thinking on the subject matter received.

It seems like a vulnerability in our population, especially when material conditions start to become more desperate (you can thank the sheer wealth inequality for that) then these ideas are able to gain traction.

[pchang]

Cognitive decline and alcohol abuse are strongly correlated.

[Aeson]

It's sadly not due to cognitive decline. It's a President and propaganda apparatus that accepts and stokes their hatred and bigotry.

It was only 65 years ago that segregation was ended. Ruby Bridges was spit on and threatened by crowds of people for being a 6 year old black girl who went to school. That sort of hatred is still there, simmering. Trump speaks to it with his demonization of immigrants.

[Dauphin]

I heard a comment (Dave Chappelle?) that the difference between a poor white person and a poor black person, is the white person thinks being poor shouldn’t be happening to them. The concept fits to some degree with the more general social and wealth inequality point, the toxic masculinity / incel mindset, and other life challenges these folk may experience. Many think that being disadvantaged must be someone’s fault, because it can’t be the natural order - they were promised so much more!

[Bereta_Eder]

what i find "hilarious" is the way trump sneaks dictatorship to the US. he does all the dictatorship stuff but names them different so as to fool the fools

kind of like the nazi salute of the swasticar guy