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OT: Bernie or Trump

I think that finger just pisses me off. No worries. It's unlikely we'll ever actually meet so it's all for not. I get annoyed because I have actually taken a start up to big business, all while risking it all. So I've experienced failure, success, failure, success... to a level that most can't appreciate and that's all do to capitalism. NOT BERNIE. The liberal camp is concerning, the Bernie camp is disturbing.

Some people don't want to own a business. I did it. I liked owning the business but I didn't like the industry. Its a ton of work to own a business, if you aren't doing something you enjoy, its not worth it. If someone doesn't want to own a business, that doesn't mean they don't understand economics or don't contribute to the economy. There are people at all levels of the economic spectrum that are conservative and that are liberal. My best friend growing up owns his own business. He's an accountant and owns his own firm. He has 5 CPAs working for him and a huge support staff. He's as liberal as they come. Another friend is charitably described as a "drone." He has a menial job where he goes in, clocks in, does the absolute bare minimum to stay employed. He's as conservative as their is.
 
Oh my God. I can't even imagine. Twice? Goodness gracious. That is just unimaginable to me.

Do you know what its going to be called or when its supposed to come out?

Early fall publication. Apparently books about death row are not good "summer" books. I suppose that makes sense.

Still unsettled on a name. AG is very much tied to the name he put on his first draft when he started writing it on death row. But it's not a good name and I'm almost certain that between me and the publishers, we'll be able to get him off of it.

I'll keep the board updated on it, potentially in the Making a Murderer thread, which appears to have a good chance of still being on the first page in a few months.
 
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Early fall publication. Apparently books about death row are not good "summer" books. I suppose that makes sense.

Still unsettled on a name. AG is very much tied to the name he put on his first draft when he started writing it on death row. But it's not a good name and I'm almost certain that between me and the publishers, we'll be able to get him off of it.

I'll keep the board updated on it, potentially in the Making a Murderer thread, which appears to have a good chance of still being on the first page in a few months.

Would you make sure to tag me in the thread when you have information about it? I would definitely like to read it.

I totally get death row books not being a summer book.

Is the title he wants to use "Screw you, Whitey?"
 
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I would love to hear what each of the Bernie supporters do for a living. Come on, tell the world how you contribute to the community. How you create jobs, invest in your neighbors, pay taxes, volunteer, provide financial support to your local charities.

You see, the people that do the above are statistically more likely to be conservative.

You got any..ummm...data to support that? Wow. That is quite the worldview you have there...
 
Trumps not perfect, but frankly, right now he kicks every other candidates ass. I'm including Dem or Repub.
 
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I'm just extremely curious what draws people to Trump once you strip away the misguided perception of what it means to be "a man" (let's call this toxic white masculinity) and the populist-racist casserole he's cooking up.

I mean, short of his "I'll say what I want, when I want, to whom I want" deal and his willingness to say all the racist stuff you're no longer allowed to say in polite company, what is there to like?

He has no legitimate policy platforms on anything other than proud jingoism. If we are to assume that being a good business person is a prerequisite to being a good president (it isn't, as some of history's worst presidents have been business types), he's not even that good a business man. There's no place in America where Trump invested heavier than in Atlantic City, which is about quite literally collapsing in front of our very eyes. Are we so stupid that we believe Donald Trump is special for inheriting hundreds of millions of dollars and being placed at the head of a corporation that his dad built (with the help of the federal government, FWIW)? I mean, I know that being born on third and thinking that you hit a triple is as much a pillar of the Republican mindset as, say, opposing gay rights, but is anyone actually impressed with Donald Trump's "business" experience, given that it was Fred Trump who truly built the company?

I recognize that many have been waiting, pleading, begging for a candidate to actually get in front of a microphone and say all the stuff about black, Mexican, and Muslim people that you've been wanting to say publicly for decades (damn that political correctness! always keeping you from saying the TRUTH!). But are we really to the point now that you'll vote any buffoon to the most powerful office on earth if he looks at you and confirms your feelings that America can't be "great" unless it's run in every way by people who look like you?
 
I'm just extremely curious what draws people to Trump once you strip away the misguided perception of what it means to be "a man" (let's call this toxic white masculinity) and the populist-racist casserole he's cooking up.

I mean, short of his "I'll say what I want, when I want, to whom I want" deal and his willingness to say all the racist stuff you're no longer allowed to say in polite company, what is there to like?

He has no legitimate policy platforms on anything other than proud jingoism. If we are to assume that being a good business person is a prerequisite to being a good president (it isn't, as some of history's worst presidents have been business types), he's not even that good a business man. There's no place in America where Trump invested heavier than in Atlantic City, which is about quite literally collapsing in front of our very eyes. Are we so stupid that we believe Donald Trump is special for inheriting hundreds of millions of dollars and being placed at the head of a corporation that his dad built (with the help of the federal government, FWIW)? I mean, I know that being born on third and thinking that you hit a triple is as much a pillar of the Republican mindset as, say, opposing gay rights, but is anyone actually impressed with Donald Trump's "business" experience, given that it was Fred Trump who truly built the company?

I recognize that many have been waiting, pleading, begging for a candidate to actually get in front of a microphone and say all the stuff about black, Mexican, and Muslim people that you've been wanting to say publicly for decades (damn that political correctness! always keeping you from saying the TRUTH!). But are we really to the point now that you'll vote any buffoon to the most powerful office on earth if he looks at you and confirms your feelings that America can't be "great" unless it's run in every way by people who look like you?

Well I think we've arrived at the bitter core of Higher Education. This post, like many of your others, is just dripping with racial rustling (underlined). You've topped it off with the always-beloved wealth inheritance assumption (bold).

From someone who has inherited nothing, and someone who would never allow race to factor into my presidential vote, I hope your jimmies find peace.
 
ANNND HERE COMES @appalachiatiger WITH A
Well I think we've arrived at the bitter core of Higher Education. This post, like many of your others, is just dripping with racial rustling (underlined). You've topped it off with the always-beloved wealth inheritance assumption (bold).

From someone who has inherited nothing, and someone who would never allow race to factor into my presidential vote, I hope your jimmies find peace.

YOU INHERITED AN ABOVE AVERAGE HEAD OF HAIR. QUITE NICE, ACTUALLY.
 
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go thru this list, i bet you will agree with at least half of it-

best thing to do is copy and paste in an excel sheet then go thru each item yea or nay then tally at the end how much you agree or disagree with this candidate.

dont pay any attention to who said this, where they are from, what they wear, how they speak, or what party they are from- all that is irrelevant...

  • Keep mortgage interest deduction; knock out carried interest. (Nov 2015)
  • Make economy dynamic; bring back jobs from China & Mexico. (Oct 2015)
  • Use increasing debt ceiling as bargaining chip. (Oct 2015)
  • Strong on debt limit; ask for a pound of flesh. (Oct 2015)
  • Grow the economy at 6% annually by ending inversions. (Oct 2015)
  • Cut defense budget, & entire EPA & Dept. of Education. (Oct 2015)
  • We owe $19T and we need a businessman to bring us back. (Sep 2015)
  • If debt reaches $24T, that's the point of no return. (Jun 2015)
  • We prospered after 9/11; we'll prosper after Great Recession. (Apr 2010)
  • 2006: Warned about impending implosion of financial sector. (Apr 2010)
  • Prepare for upcoming crash, bigger than 1929. (Jul 2000)
  • Optimistic about future of Atlantic City. (Jul 1990)
  • Rent control only benefits a privileged minority. (Jul 1987)
  • One-time 14.25% tax on wealth, to erase national debt. (Nov 1999)
  • Predicts 35% boost to economy from eliminating national debt. (Nov 1999)
  • Get U.S. money back into U.S.: address corporate inversion. (Nov 2015)
  • I've used bankruptcy laws to do a great job for my companies. (Aug 2015)
  • 2002: Participated in development boom of Jersey City. (Apr 2012)
  • 0% corporate tax would create millions of jobs. (Dec 2011)
  • Fight crony capitalism with a level playing field. (Dec 2011)
  • Wealthy move assets around globally based on tax incentives. (Apr 2011)
  • Business is an acquired skill based on discipline & focus. (Apr 2010)
  • Pragmatic positive: be positive, but be realistic. (Apr 2010)
  • Being a know-it-all shuts the door on new ideas. (Apr 2010)
  • The police are the most mistreated people in America. (Jan 2016)
  • Black lives matter, but we need strong police presence. (Aug 2015)
  • Capital punishment isn’t uncivilized; murderers living is. (Jul 2000)
  • Death penalty deters like violent TV leads kids astray. (Jul 2000)
  • Hold judges accountable; don’t reduce sentences. (Jul 2000)
  • For tough anti-crime policies; not criminals’ rights. (Jul 2000)
  • Brother died of alcoholism; so Donald never touched alcohol. (Jan 2016)
  • Study legalization, but don't legalize now. (Nov 2015)
  • Yes to medical marijuana; otherwise, decide state by state. (Oct 2015)
  • 1990: Drug enforcement is a joke; 2015: only medical pot. (Oct 2015)
  • Legalize drugs and use tax revenue to fund drug education. (Apr 2011)
  • Never drinks, smokes, nor does drugs. (Feb 2011)
  • Fired Miss USA crown winner due to drug over-indulgence. (Dec 2006)
  • Never touched drugs, nor alcohol, tobacco, or coffee. (Jul 2000)
  • Department of Education and Common Core. (Oct 2015)
  • We spend more per student than any other nation. (Jun 2015)
  • Common Core is a disaster. (Jun 2015)
  • Cut the Department of Education way, way down. (Jun 2015)
  • Founded Trump University to teach the art of deal-making. (Jun 2015)
  • Opposes Common Core. (Feb 2015)
  • Americans don't know their roots: study your ancestry. (Apr 2010)
  • Comprehensive education instead of limiting subjects. (Apr 2010)
  • Teach citizenship; stop “dumbing down”. (Jul 2000)
  • End “creative spelling,” “estimating,” & “empowerment”. (Jul 2000)
  • Bring on the competition; tear down the union walls. (Jul 2000)
  • School choice will improve public schools. (Jul 2000)
  • Maybe some climate change is manmade, but not all. (Jun 2015)
  • Climate change is a hoax. (Jun 2015)
  • No Cap-and-Tax: oil is this country's lifeblood. (Dec 2011)
  • Jobs will slump until our lifeblood--oil--is cheap again. (Dec 2011)
  • Enough natural gas in Marcellus Shale for 110 year supply. (Dec 2011)
  • Libya: No oil, no support; no exceptions. (Dec 2011)
  • It's incredible how slowly we're drilling for oil. (Mar 2011)
  • Oil is the lifeblood of all economies. (Apr 2010)
  • Diplomacy & respect crucial to our relationship with Russia. (Sep 2015)
  • Putin has no respect for America; I will get along with him. (Sep 2015)
  • We must deal with the maniac in North Korea with nukes. (Sep 2015)
  • China is our enemy; they're bilking us for billions. (Dec 2011)
  • When you love America, you protect it with no apologies. (Dec 2011)
  • By 2027, tsunami as China overtakes US as largest economy. (Dec 2011)
  • Things change; empires come and go. (Apr 2010)
  • Criticized Buchanan’s view on Hitler as appeasement. (Jul 2000)
  • Post-Cold War: switch from chess player to dealmaker. (Jul 2000)
  • Support Russia, but with strings attached. (Jul 2000)
  • China: lack of human rights prevents consumer development. (Jul 2000)
  • Be tougher on China-we’re too eager to please. (Jul 2000)
    Mideast
  • Too risky to take in Syrian refugees. (Nov 2015)
  • Let Russia bash ISIS; let Germany defend Ukraine. (Nov 2015)
  • Provide economic assistance to create a safe zone in Syria. (Oct 2015)
  • US should not train rebels it does not know or control. (Oct 2015)
  • Better to have Mideast strongmen than Mideast chaos. (Oct 2015)
  • Good that Russia is involved in Syria. (Oct 2015)
  • More sanctions on Iran; more support of Israel. (Jun 2015)
  • TPP is a horrible deal; no one has read its 5,600 pages. (Nov 2015)
  • Restrict free trade to keep jobs in US. (Oct 2015)
  • We don't beat China or Japan or Mexico in trade. (Aug 2015)
  • Disastrous deals because we don't have smart negotiators. (Jun 2015)
  • China and Japan are beating us; I can beat China. (Jun 2015)
  • 35% import tax on Mexican border. (Jun 2015)
  • Stupid people negotiate our trade bills, & trade won't work. (Jun 2015)
  • 20% tax on all imported goods. (Dec 2011)
  • Fair trade instead of embarrassing deal with South Korea. (Dec 2011)
  • Repatriate jobs that China has been stealing. (Dec 2011)
  • Embrace globalization and international markets. (Jan 2008)
  • Renegotiate tougher & fairer trade agreements. (Jul 2000)
  • President should be nation’s trade representative. (Dec 1999)
  • World views US trade officials as ‘saps’. (Dec 1999)
  • SuperPACs are a disaster and cause dishonesty. (Oct 2015)
  • Candidates should disavow PACs. (Oct 2015)
  • I'm not accepting any money from anybody. (Sep 2015)
  • Get rid of the regulations that are just destroying us. (Sep 2015)
  • I give to politicians; and they give back: that's broken!. (Aug 2015)
  • Two-term limit on NYC mayor is a terrible idea. (Sep 2010)
  • Government scrutiny is greatest threat to American Dream. (Jul 2000)
  • Ban soft money; but allow unlimited personal contributions. (Jul 2000)
  • Government should do public works & safety & little else. (Jul 2000)
  • Rebuilt Wollman Rink in 4 months; city failed for 6 years. (Jul 1987)
  • Mass shootings are due to a huge mental health problem. (Jan 2016)
  • No limits on guns; they save lives. (Jan 2016)
  • Keep enemies of the state away from guns. (Nov 2015)
  • Gun-free zones are target practice for sickos. (Oct 2015)
  • Gun ownership makes US safer, not more dangerous. (Oct 2015)
  • Mental health more important than gun control. (Oct 2015)
  • Laws are ineffective in preventing gun violence. (Oct 2015)
  • Gun violence is inevitable; regulations won't help. (Oct 2015)
  • Protect the Second Amendment, but address mental health. (Sep 2015)
  • Take guns from good people & bad people have target practice. (Jul 2015)
  • A very strong person on the Second Amendment. (Jun 2015)
  • I am against gun control. (Feb 2011)
  • Dems and Reps are both wrong on guns. (Jul 2000)
  • For assault weapon ban, waiting period, & background check. (Jul 2000)
  • Replace Obamacare with Health Savings Accounts. (Oct 2015)
  • I'm for vaccines, but in smaller quantities to avoid autism. (Sep 2015)
  • The insurance companies have total control over politicians. (Aug 2015)
  • We didn't have a free market before ObamaCare. (Jun 2015)
  • ObamaCare is a catastrophe that must be repealed & replaced. (Jun 2015)
  • Don't cut Medicare; grow the economy to keep benefits. (Jun 2015)
  • ObamaCare deductibles are so high that it's useless. (Jun 2015)
  • Save Medicare & Medicaid without cutting them to the bone. (Jan 2015)
  • Kill ObamaCare before it becomes a trillion-ton weight. (Dec 2011)
  • Increase insurance competition across state lines. (Dec 2011)
  • 1988: Flew sick kids cross-country on his private jet. (Apr 2010)
  • We must have universal health care. (Jul 2000)
  • Benghazi was a disaster; Gadhafi couldn't have been worse. (Dec 2015)
  • New Jersey Muslims celebrated after 9/11. (Nov 2015)
  • Bring back waterboarding and other interrogation methods. (Nov 2015)
  • Surveil mosques but don't close mosques. (Nov 2015)
  • New Jersey Muslims cheered on 9/11. (Nov 2015)
  • We worry about Iranian nukes but why not North Korean nukes? (Nov 2015)
  • We have a problem with radical Muslims. (Sep 2015)
  • Fix veteran's hospitals, and pay private doctors for them. (Sep 2015)
  • Enhanced interrogation a non-issue, compared to terrorism. (Aug 2015)
  • Our nuclear arsenal doesn't work; it's 30 years old. (Jun 2015)
  • Increased Veterans Day parade audience from 100 to 1 million. (Jun 2015)
  • Defeat ISIS and stop Islamic terrorists. (Jan 2015)
  • American interests come first; no apologies. (Dec 2011)
  • All freedoms flow from national security. (Dec 2011)
  • Business students should read Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". (Apr 2010)
  • 3% of GNP for military is too low. (Jul 2000)
  • Missile defense is inappropriate; focus on terrorism. (Jul 2000)
  • Prepare for bio-terrorism attack. (Jul 2000)
  • No apology for banning Muslims from entering America. (Jan 2016)
  • Need to keep database of Muslim refugees. (Nov 2015)
  • We must stop illegal immigration; it hurts us economically. (Nov 2015)
  • I don't care how they come in, if they come in legally. (Oct 2015)
  • Syrian refugees are a Trojan Horse. (Oct 2015)
  • Syrian refugee crisis partly our fault; but don't take any. (Oct 2015)
  • We're only country dumb enough for birthright citizenship. (Sep 2015)
  • Illegal immigrants populate many criminal gangs. (Sep 2015)
  • This is a country where we speak English, not Spanish. (Sep 2015)
  • Half of the undocumented residents in America are criminals. (Jun 2015)
  • We need strong borders; we need a wall. (Feb 2015)
  • Citizenship for illegal immigrants is a GOP suicide mission. (Mar 2013)
  • 351,000 illegal aliens are in our prisons; costing $1.1B. (Dec 2011)
  • Anchor babies were NEVER the intent of the 14th Amendment. (Dec 2011)
  • Invite foreigners graduating from college to stay in US. (Dec 2011)
  • Control borders; even legal immigration should be difficult. (Jul 2000)
  • Limit new immigration; focus on people already here. (Dec 1999)
    Mexico
  • Ship millions back to Mexico, like Eisenhower did. (Nov 2015)
  • Walls on borders work; just ask Israel. (Nov 2015)
  • Mexico will pay for wall, but not through tariffs. (Nov 2015)
  • I can get Mexico to pay for border wall; politicians can't. (Oct 2015)
  • The border wall will be well-managed and built correctly. (Aug 2015)
  • We need wall on Mexican border, but ok to have a door in it. (Aug 2015)
  • Mexican government is sending criminals across the border. (Aug 2015)
  • Building a wall will save money because it stops bad dudes. (Jul 2015)
  • OpEd: businesses & Republicans condemn anti-Mexico terms. (Jul 2015)
  • Make Mexico pay for wall with severe economics. (Jun 2015)
  • Mexico & Latin America send us drugs, crime, and rapists. (Jun 2015)
  • Build great wall on southern border; have Mexico pay for it. (Jun 2015)
  • Triple-layered fence & Predator drones on Mexican border. (Dec 2011)

  • Don't raise minimum wage; it makes us non-competitive. (Nov 2015)
  • I have relevant experience by creating jobs and assets. (Nov 2015)
  • Don't raise minimum wage, but create more opportunities. (Aug 2015)
  • Take jobs back from foreign countries to lower unemployment. (Aug 2015)
  • Real unemployment rate is 20%; don't believe 5.6%. (Jun 2015)
  • Raising business tax causes businesses to move jobs overseas. (Dec 2011)
  • Unions fight for pay; managers fight for less; consumers win. (Jul 2000)
  • Foreign companies are taking jobs from US. (Dec 1999)
    • will negotiate until American is great again. (Oct 2015)
    • My old liberal political views evolved like Reagan's did. (Aug 2015)
    • I want to win as a Republican, but might run as Independent. (Aug 2015)
    • In NYC almost everyone is Democrat, but I'm Republican. (Aug 2015)
    • Stoked Tea Party suspicions about Obama's legitimacy. (Jan 2012)
    • No more morning in America; we'll be mourning FOR America. (Dec 2011)
    • 5-point plan to return America to her former greatness. (Dec 2011)
    • USA is the greatest force for freedom world has ever known. (Dec 2011)
    • Bad students (like Obama) shouldn't go to Harvard. (Apr 2011)
    • If I run & win, our country will be great again. (Feb 2011)
    • Greatest fear? I don't have any; I only have "concerns". (Apr 2010)
    • I'm more humble than people might think. (Apr 2010)
    • 3 principles: One term, two-fisted policies, zero excuses. (Jul 2000)
    • Non-politicians are the wave of the future. (Jul 2000)
    • Burned by press too often to be available any more. (Jul 1990)
    • Toughness is equally strength, intelligence, & self-respect. (Jul 1990)
      Business Principles
    • I never forgive people who deceive me. (Oct 2015)
    • I believe in the toot-your-own-horn theory. (Apr 2010)
    • Build your reputation as "responsible, professional & loyal". (Apr 2010)
    • Never give up; look at the solution, not the problem. (Jan 2008)
    • To negotiate well, prepare and know as much as possible. (Jan 2008)
    • In the best negotiations, everyone wins. (Jan 2008)
    • Failure is not permanent. (Jan 2008)
    • Tell people you’re successful or they won’t know it. (Mar 2004)
    • Good management requires hiring good people. (Mar 2004)
    • Lessons: stay focused on big picture. (Mar 2004)
    • Surround yourself with people you can trust. (Mar 2004)
    • In business & politics, stands for getting things done. (Jul 2000)
    • Appealing to middle Americans leery of political elite. (Nov 1999)
    • Rules for surviving the perils of success. (Jul 1990)
    • I'll give up my Social Security; leave it to each person. (Sep 2015)
    • Cannot change Medicare or Soc.Sec. and still win elections. (Mar 2013)
    • Social Security isn't an "entitlement"; it's honoring a deal. (Dec 2011)
    • Disability Racket: $25B in fraudulent disability filings. (Dec 2011)
    • Pay off debt; put $3T interest savings into Trust Fund. (Jul 2000)
    • Let people invest their own retirement funds. (Jul 2000)
    • No government investment of retirement funds. (Jul 2000)
    • Cut taxes by $10T but don't increase deficit. (Oct 2015)
    • Repeal estate tax; it's double taxation. (Oct 2015)
    • Estate tax is unfair double taxation. (Oct 2015)
    • Do away with carried interest; it's unfair. (Oct 2015)
    • OpEd AdWatch: Trump more liberal on taxes than Democrats. (Sep 2015)
    • FactCheck: Proposed 14% tax on wealthy in 2000, but not now. (Sep 2015)
    • No net increase in taxes, but increases on wealthy. (Sep 2015)
    • Raise graduated taxes on hedge fund managers. (Sep 2015)
    • One-time 14% tax on wealthy to pay down national debt. (Jun 2015)
    • 4 brackets; 1-5-10-15%; kill death tax & corporate tax. (Dec 2011)
    • Cutting tax rates incentivizes a strong national work ethic. (Dec 2011)
    • Previously supported wealth tax; now supports Bush tax cuts. (Apr 2011)
    • Repeal the inheritance tax to offset one-time wealth tax. (Jul 2000)
    • Simplify tax code; end marriage penalty & other hidden taxes. (Jul 2000)
    • Opposes flat tax; benefits wealthy too much. (Jul 2000)
    • Personally avoids sales tax, but knows many people like it. (Dec 1999)
    • One-time 14.25% tax on wealth, to erase national debt. (Nov 1999)
    • Tax assets over $10 million, paid over 10 years. (Nov 1999)
    • Assad is a bad guy, but his replacement could be worse. (Nov 2015)
    • Let Russia make moves in Syria; it's a quagmire. (Nov 2015)
    • Strengthen military, but act defensively. (Oct 2015)
    • Good that Russia has entered Syrian conflict. (Oct 2015)
    • Radical violent Islam that must be feared, not Islam itself. (Sep 2015)
    • I'm pro-military but I opposed invading Iraq in 2003. (Sep 2015)
    • If Obama had attacked Syria, we wouldn't have refugees now. (Sep 2015)
    • Opposed Iraq war in 2004 & predicted Mideast destabilization. (Aug 2015)
    • Disgraceful deal gives Iran a lot & gets nothing for us. (Aug 2015)
    • Bomb the oil fields in Iraq to take on ISIS. (Jun 2015)
    • Boots on the ground to fight ISIS. (Jun 2015)
    • I said "don't hit Iraq," because it destabilized Middle East. (Jun 2015)
    • Hit ISIS hard and fast. (Feb 2015)
    • Take $1.5T in oil from Iraq to pay for US victims. (Mar 2013)
    • Iraq should pick up the tab for their own liberation. (Dec 2011)
    • Stop Iran's nuclear programs by any & all means necessary. (Dec 2011)
    • John McCain's actions in Vietnam were not "heroic". (Sep 2000)
    • Use force to stop North Korean nuke development. (Jul 2000)
    • Support Israel, our unsinkable Mideast aircraft carrier. (Jul 2000)
    • No humanitarian intervention; only to direct threats. (Jul 2000)


 
I'm just extremely curious what draws people to Trump once you strip away the misguided perception of what it means to be "a man" (let's call this toxic white masculinity) and the populist-racist casserole he's cooking up.

I mean, short of his "I'll say what I want, when I want, to whom I want" deal and his willingness to say all the racist stuff you're no longer allowed to say in polite company, what is there to like?

He has no legitimate policy platforms on anything other than proud jingoism. If we are to assume that being a good business person is a prerequisite to being a good president (it isn't, as some of history's worst presidents have been business types), he's not even that good a business man. There's no place in America where Trump invested heavier than in Atlantic City, which is about quite literally collapsing in front of our very eyes. Are we so stupid that we believe Donald Trump is special for inheriting hundreds of millions of dollars and being placed at the head of a corporation that his dad built (with the help of the federal government, FWIW)? I mean, I know that being born on third and thinking that you hit a triple is as much a pillar of the Republican mindset as, say, opposing gay rights, but is anyone actually impressed with Donald Trump's "business" experience, given that it was Fred Trump who truly built the company?

I recognize that many have been waiting, pleading, begging for a candidate to actually get in front of a microphone and say all the stuff about black, Mexican, and Muslim people that you've been wanting to say publicly for decades (damn that political correctness! always keeping you from saying the TRUTH!). But are we really to the point now that you'll vote any buffoon to the most powerful office on earth if he looks at you and confirms your feelings that America can't be "great" unless it's run in every way by people who look like you?


You are ignorant. Please change your name to "Needing Education." If you actually attempted to get an education...you deserve a complete refund. I feel bad enough for you that I am willing to help lobby for your refund. Wow!
 
Good post. This idea that only business owners actually contribute to society is, quite possibly, the dumbest thing I've ever read on this site.

However, I'm most interested in this memoir. Tell me more about this guy. The 12th guy to be exonerated seems like an odd number to choose. What was so interesting about him that makes him worth telling his story?

This guy sounds like such a pretentious asshole that I can't imagine his books would be any good. People on both sides of this "argument" (you included) need to learn how to disagree without resorting to insults and hyperbole.

That said, I should probably take some of my own medicine and acknowledge that even people who act like pricks on message boards can write good books. But I have the sneaking suspicion that Higher Education is actually the much reviled former tigernet poster and uber-douche coby d tiger.
 
I'm just extremely curious what draws people to Trump once you strip away the misguided perception of what it means to be "a man" (let's call this toxic white masculinity) and the populist-racist casserole he's cooking up.

I mean, short of his "I'll say what I want, when I want, to whom I want" deal and his willingness to say all the racist stuff you're no longer allowed to say in polite company, what is there to like?

He has no legitimate policy platforms on anything other than proud jingoism. If we are to assume that being a good business person is a prerequisite to being a good president (it isn't, as some of history's worst presidents have been business types), he's not even that good a business man. There's no place in America where Trump invested heavier than in Atlantic City, which is about quite literally collapsing in front of our very eyes. Are we so stupid that we believe Donald Trump is special for inheriting hundreds of millions of dollars and being placed at the head of a corporation that his dad built (with the help of the federal government, FWIW)? I mean, I know that being born on third and thinking that you hit a triple is as much a pillar of the Republican mindset as, say, opposing gay rights, but is anyone actually impressed with Donald Trump's "business" experience, given that it was Fred Trump who truly built the company?

I recognize that many have been waiting, pleading, begging for a candidate to actually get in front of a microphone and say all the stuff about black, Mexican, and Muslim people that you've been wanting to say publicly for decades (damn that political correctness! always keeping you from saying the TRUTH!). But are we really to the point now that you'll vote any buffoon to the most powerful office on earth if he looks at you and confirms your feelings that America can't be "great" unless it's run in every way by people who look like you?

It's condescending garbage like this that drives people to Trump. I don't think you're so much "curious what draws people to Trump" as you are interested in coming up with creative ways to insult people who like him as a presidential candidate. I also think the idea of Trump as president is ridiculous, but I'm less interested in scoring message board points by trying to make other people look bad than I am in understanding why a reasonable person might like Trump. People like Trump will continue to gain political traction as long as people like you simply dismiss others who would support people like Trump by pathologizing those supporters. Both Bernie and Trump draw support from people who feel their concerns have been ignored by "establishment" politicians who are only in it to perpetuate the status quo, and who are not entirely wrong in the assessment of the corruption of our political class.

That said, I found your last sentence in this post ironic considering the progressive rage for identity politics. You might consider, again, that if Trump is the harbinger of white identity politics, it's only because progressives have convinced many people that such a person is needed.
 
You are ignorant. Please change your name to "Needing Education." If you actually attempted to get an education...you deserve a complete refund. I feel bad enough for you that I am willing to help lobby for your refund. Wow!

The fun thing about the Internet, perhaps the most fun thing, is that it will, if you allow it to, challenge you and your bubble, and remind you that even though your backward ass belief system is totally normal in whatever shithole backwater you never made it out of, there are people--successful people, even--who see right through your bullshit for what it actually is.

I know that South Carolina and many of its contemporary states had to be dragged into the future by the federal government with congress's passing of the Civil Rights Act, and with SCOTUS's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (and other such rulings). We tend to fall into this deficit of thinking that the good people of South Carolina decided shortly after Martin Luther King's death that, gosh golly, that boy was right about all them things.

No such thing happened. The federal government stepped in and said, "**** you, states that have laws that treat black people like sub-citizen animals. Here's a little sweeping legislation that you'll have to follow." And South Carolina, like Mississippi, Alabama, and other states around it, went crying and kicking and screaming. There was no moral renaissance here that led to harmonious racial policy. There was the federal government's recognition that matters of constitutional importance (like equal protection) couldn't be left to the states, with their racist leaders representing largely racist constituents.

South Carolina and her contemporaries responded just as you might have suspected. By starting schools with the name Robert E. Lee Academy and John C. Calhoun Academy (among MANY others) so they could get their kids away from black folks for very cheap, and so they, themselves wouldn't have to sit and cheer alongside black folks at football games their kids would have never been able to participate in had those kids stayed in their local, integrated schools. They great legacy of South Carolina in the Civil Rights Act era is that even after the federal government made it play nice, the people responded by spending thousands of dollars to give their kid a shitty education in an all-white environment. And in most parts of the state, not much has changed on that front.

My point in all of this is to say, in essence, res ipsa loquitor. The thing speaks for itself. South Carolina of five decades ago was a haven for racism and I see no evidence that anything big happened to change the attitudes of the people who did all of those things way back when. The fantastical claims that their children just evolved beyond it after being raised by the very racists who opposed civil rights is too big a lie to swallow, and it's, of course, betrayed by the current state of our criminal justice system, which is evidence enough that South Carolina of today and South Carolina of 1963 are, if not twins, close cousins.

This is all to say that when a candidate comes into the state with big, brazen talk about building a wall, posting to his Twitter incorrect memes about black people and crime from white supremacist websites, and encourages brutality against Muslim-looking citizens who are doing absolutely nothing wrong, I have NO problem understanding why that person attracts a strong following.

The federal government silenced South Carolinians a few decades ago. Said, "Your brand of racism and discrimination is no longer acceptable" and pushed nasty conversations about Mexicans to the safe recesses of Thanksgiving dinner tables. Now, a candidate gets in front of a microphone and says those things that many South Carolinians have been wanting so badly to say out loud. I get his support completely, in the context of why people actually like him.

And, of course, these are sweeping generalities that don't apply to every person in the state, and probably not even the vast majority. But they apply to many, a majority of people who will pull the lever for the Donald.
 
This guy sounds like such a pretentious asshole that I can't imagine his books would be any good. People on both sides of this "argument" (you included) need to learn how to disagree without resorting to insults and hyperbole.

That said, I should probably take some of my own medicine and acknowledge that even people who act like pricks on message boards can write good books. But I have the sneaking suspicion that Higher Education is actually the much reviled former tigernet poster and uber-douche coby d tiger.

That the proper response to Donald Trump's insidious rhetoric is simple "disagreement" may be acceptable if Donald Trump himself didn't stoop to dangerous intimidation against people who don't look like him (or, gasp, agree with him).

What exactly do you want detractors of Trump to say? "Well, I surely disagree with you that the Muslim woman sitting at your rally should be physically assaulted and thrown out of the room because you don't like the way she looks."

I suppose that is one way to deal with him. It's disingenuous to suggest that the chasm between Donald Trump and people who disagree with him is just a splitting of opinions, though. I think most people see it as more than that, more of a moral stand. Which may be sanctimonious, but Trump makes it so easy.
 
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Um, that's not really a qualification. That's an opinion. My healthcare went up 18 cents a month this year after going about $1 last year. Of course, I live in a state that is fully participating so that keeps our costs down.
Most of my friends who own businesses or are self employed or contracted out pay around $1200 or more a month for a family of 4 on a middle of the road package right now. Most companies are completely doing away with a premium co-pay plan and switching to only one option. HSAs which transfer much more of the cost to the patient until a high deductible is met. As a healthy, active, single, 29 year old with a good job. My health care went from around $800 a year to around $1100 a year because I was forced onto a high deductible plan. 37.5% in the last 2 years. All of my friends and family have had their health insurance go up by a substantial amount. For the middle/working class. Obamacare has done the exact opposite of what we were told and that is why I was against it and I am still against it. I don't know any friends who have cheaper insurance now than before. All are higher, most are substantially higher. Small business owners and self employed citizens really got hit hard. An area that needs to be strengthened, not beat down.

I am happy yours only went up $1.18. Unfortunately for most middle and upper class Americans, that is not the case. It was, and is, much more.
 
That the proper response to Donald Trump's insidious rhetoric is simple "disagreement" may be acceptable if Donald Trump himself didn't stoop to dangerous intimidation against people who don't look like him (or, gasp, agree with him).

What exactly do you want detractors of Trump to say? "Well, I surely disagree with you that the Muslim woman sitting at your rally should be physically assaulted and thrown out of the room because you don't like the way she looks."

I suppose that is one way to deal with him. It's disingenuous to suggest that the chasm between Donald Trump and people who disagree with him is just a splitting of opinions, though. I think most people see it as more than that, more of a moral stand. Which may be sanctimonious, but Trump makes it so easy.

Whether that's the "proper response" or not, it's not a response that's going to persuade anyone but the already persuaded. Better would be something like this: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/430137/donald-trump-conservative-movement-menace. Some would say that a lot of what makes a response proper or not involves understanding the legitimate concerns of those who disagree with you, and explaining your position in a way that's likely to convince those people that you actually share concerns.
 
Most of my friends who own businesses or are self employed or contracted out pay around $1200 or more a month for a family of 4 on a middle of the road package right now. Most companies are completely doing away with a premium co-pay plan and switching to only one option. HSAs which transfer much more of the cost to the patient until a high deductible is met. As a healthy, active, single, 29 year old with a good job. My health care went from around $800 a year to around $1100 a year because I was forced onto a high deductible plan. 37.5% in the last 2 years. All of my friends and family have had their health insurance go up by a substantial amount. For the middle/working class. Obamacare has done the exact opposite of what we were told and that is why I was against it and I am still against it. I don't know any friends who have cheaper insurance now than before. All are higher, most are substantially higher. Small business owners and self employed citizens really got hit hard. An area that needs to be strengthened, not beat down.

I am happy yours only went up $1.18. Unfortunately for most middle and upper class Americans, that is not the case. It was, and is, much more.

What state do you and the people you know live in? I don't think people often realize how important that is. In states, like mine, that are fully participating, the healthcare cost increases are minimal. In states where the Governor refused to fully fund the medicare and medicaid using Federal funds that was a big component of the ACA for low-income families, the average health care cost increase has been substantial. If you live in a state that isn't fully funding and your health care premiums have gone up, blame your governor, not the ACA.
 
A whole lot of socialist bad scary, bad scary in this thread. To be expected, I guess. Me see scary word. Me heard that word bad.

And yes, to the extent that the "founding fathers" were rich white men who sought to extend their influence by marginalizing women and any group of color, yes, they are very similar to Donald Trump.

I suppose that's the best thing you can say about Trump. He behaves as if he'd be governing in the 1700s. I suppose I question why you believe this is a good thing.

This, and pretty much every other post by you, is just dripping with your superior intellect notion that you seem to have about yourself. Which is quite ironic given your views about others having the same kind of belief. Your board name could not be more perfect as you are the walking, talking personification of the nimrods who have infested colleges and universities across the country. It's one thing to be a kid and think the way you do. It's a great time to question and consider all angles. But to do it as an adult... UGH! Not good man. I wish you all the best. I hope you live in South Carolina or some uber liberal state where your vote is meaningless! :) If you hate our nation and its roots so much, why do you persist in trying to change it? Why not go where things are always a social utopia like you want? I will never understand that...
 
What state do you and the people you know live in? I don't think people often realize how important that is. In states, like mine, that are fully participating, the healthcare cost increases are minimal. In states where the Governor refused to fully fund the medicare and medicaid using Federal funds that was a big component of the ACA for low-income families, the average health care cost increase has been substantial. If you live in a state that isn't fully funding and your health care premiums have gone up, blame your governor, not the ACA.

You're actually quite wrong. But in parts of the country that were obscenely expensive, there have been successes. 65% of my clients are doctors. Anyone that thinks the ACA is successful should talk to them first. They will let you know it is not. There's more to this than just a monthly premium. I don't know where you get your "facts" but even states that did what they were supposed to are suffering tremendously. Not all, but a lot of them. Good grief...
 
You're actually quite wrong. But in parts of the country that were obscenely expensive, there have been successes. 65% of my clients are doctors. Anyone that thinks the ACA is successful should talk to them first. They will let you know it is not. There's more to this than just a monthly premium. I don't know where you get your "facts" but even states that did what they were supposed to are suffering tremendously. Not all, but a lot of them. Good grief...

No, I'm not but that's ok. I do a ton of work with health insurance companies. I know what I'm talking about here. The ACA has been an outstanding success- contrary to what Fox News wants you to believe. Talk to my buddy that was denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition that is now covered or my other friend who has a disabled child and was previously staring down the barrel of lifetime caps.
 
One of my biggest issues with the typical tax and redistribution argument is that the talk track focuses on the "billionaire class" or more specifically in your case, the Walton family. If that's the target of your redistribution efforts, then why are we raising taxes on your neighborhood orthodontist or a hard-working dual-income family? It doesn't make sense to raise taxes on income ranges anywhere close Obama's original target of $250K.

If you want to truly address the billionaire class, focus your efforts. Don't penalize the extremely hard-working, generally first generation successful people making in the hundreds. Similar argument on the death tax. Why $5M if your goal is to address billionaires?

And my primary political position isn't tax cuts. It's personal responsibility. I do think everyone, yes everyone, should pay their fair share of taxes. My definition of fair share is an almost identical % of income beyond a very basic cost of living.

This is exactly my view. Liberal wealth-distribution supporters love to tout how <1% of the people in the US own > 90% of the wealth. But the policies they support don't touch that 1%. They crush the next 9%-74%. But reality is that someone making $300K annually is closer to being below the poverty line then they are to the 1% crowd. Its an absurd argument devoid of facts on income and wealth levels. Meanwhile, the 1% crowd fills the pockets of enough politicians to keep grid-lock and make sure the middle is continually squeezed. (Note that Hillary talks about going after the 1% crowd, but she is in deep with so many in it that will never actually happen. Same with Trump. Bernie might actually try to go after them, but Congress wouldn't allow it.)

But the bigger issue with growing the Government to help those in need, is that more people are forced into the needy category and there is decreased incentive for personal responsibility. Or increased incentive to just let the Government handle the important things and accept whatever they provide. I think many powerful politicians prefer this direction. It takes freedom and control from people and gives it to those in the Government. Sadly, seems many people prefer this direction too.

We need a complete reform of taxes and Government budgeting in this country.
- How about a flat tax on ALL income beyond $50K, or $75K, or $100K. That way people can earn a living and save for things like education, healthcare & retirement... and do that without having to make $250K or more annually.
- How about a Federal Sales tax which collects 15% of every $1 on transactions by individuals and companies? No need for the IRS, as the collection system is already in place and the revenue flows up from local and State governments to the Fed. Pretty difficult to escape this system of taxes too. If you spend money in the US, you pay. Doesn't matter if you are a legal citizen or not, which sort of corrects the issue of illegals working around the tax system but collecting benefits provided by tax payers.
 
No, I'm not but that's ok. I do a ton of work with health insurance companies. I know what I'm talking about here. The ACA has been an outstanding success- contrary to what Fox News wants you to believe. Talk to my buddy that was denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition that is now covered or my other friend who has a disabled child and was previously staring down the barrel of lifetime caps.

I think you may be measuring success differently than others might. If your measure is just that more people are now covered by insurance, then of course it worked by virtue of explicit ukase. But if your measure is keeping costs down for coverage that people want, and simplifying the system, then it hasn't been so successful.

As for your assertion about costs in states where they didn't accept Federal funds for the Medicaid increase (Medicare has little to do with it), I'd like to see the evidence. One effect of having more people covered by plans in the exchanges would be having a wider pool, which would actually lower costs. Unless you're arguing that people who would be eligible for Medicaid access health care more often than people who are better off, I see no reason why having them in the exchange plan's pools would cause costs (especially of plans outside of the exchanges) to rise any faster than in states that accepted federal money.

I work for a medical non-profit in health care policy, and I can tell you that doctors pretty much hate the ACA. Now, you could argue that they just don't like it because it shakes up the business side of their work, threatens their reimbursement, and meddles in the care they give, and that all those things were necessary to provide everybody with health insurance, but they dislike it nonetheless.
 
No, I'm not but that's ok. I do a ton of work with health insurance companies. I know what I'm talking about here. The ACA has been an outstanding success- contrary to what Fox News wants you to believe. Talk to my buddy that was denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition that is now covered or my other friend who has a disabled child and was previously staring down the barrel of lifetime caps.

A. I don't watch Fox so I wouldn't know what you're talking about.
B. You're just making crap up about the ACA and insurance companies. Once the Fed bump goes bye bye, they go bye bye too. It's actually amazing to see someone say things with such conviction that are just flat out false.
C. Everyone supported doing something about covering pre-existing conditions and also finding ways to cover more people. To point out what everyone favored in principle about the ACA as somehow defining success is just dumb. Whether I throw you down a hill or you're able to slide down the hill or even hike down the hill would achieve the same result in different ways. It isn't about getting to the bottom of the hill, it's about how we get there and that's what matters. Further, we actually have to survive the trip down the hill.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money...grade-obamacare-affordable-care-act/76040322/

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_28979488/colorado-healthop-says-its-being-decertified-by-state

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-healthcare-costs-20150922-story.html

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/02/obamacare-prices-increase-for-those-who-dont-get-subsidies.html

Please let me know how the weather is in the land of unicorns and purple mushrooms.
 
I work for a medical non-profit in health care policy, and I can tell you that doctors pretty much hate the ACA. Now, you could argue that they just don't like it because it shakes up the business side of their work, threatens their reimbursement, and meddles in the care they give, and that all those things were necessary to provide everybody with health insurance, but they dislike it nonetheless.

A truer thing has never been said on this board. Frankly, it just might be a good thing that doctors hate it.
 
A good thing that doctors hate it? Are you insane? Doctors are the ones that put themselves through hell to actually care for people. Since when did you turn on them too?
 
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This, and pretty much every other post by you, is just dripping with your superior intellect notion that you seem to have about yourself. Which is quite ironic given your views about others having the same kind of belief. Your board name could not be more perfect as you are the walking, talking personification of the nimrods who have infested colleges and universities across the country. It's one thing to be a kid and think the way you do. It's a great time to question and consider all angles. But to do it as an adult... UGH! Not good man. I wish you all the best. I hope you live in South Carolina or some uber liberal state where your vote is meaningless! :) If you hate our nation and its roots so much, why do you persist in trying to change it? Why not go where things are always a social utopia like you want? I will never understand that...

Isn't that precisely why?

"Hate our nation" is hyperbole, of course, and I can't speak for Higher Education, but change in general is not a bad thing. I also think you misinterpret his attitude of superiority. Those who seek higher ed are often rejected by their peers who chose not to. Choosing either path is neither good, nor bad. But there's an entire generation of people who simply reject education for the sake of education, because it doesn't have the immediate goal of training for a specific job. And any attempt to improve society as a whole, rather than improve your own personal position is somehow pretentious. Simply having the TI handle "Higher Education" has probably already rustled many jimmies on this board.
 
Take a read dude. I'm trying hard to be nice but I admit, you have my blood up... LOL

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...age-by-2025-medical-school-association-warns/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-doctor-shortage-health-1111-20151105-story.html

And this doesn't even get into our massive shortage of doctors in rural America. In those places, the ACA has been crippling leaving millions without adequate care. Unbelievable that someone could be this narrow minded to not see the overarching issue we face and that the ACA being so cumbersome on doctors isn't going to help us solve an already mounting problem...
 
and remind you that even though your backward ass belief system is totally normal in whatever shithole backwater you never made it out of

...with their racist leaders representing largely racist constituents.

...so they could get their kids away from black folks for very cheap, and so they, themselves wouldn't have to sit and cheer alongside black folks at football games

South Carolina of five decades ago was a haven for racism and I see no evidence that anything big happened to change the attitudes of the people who did all of those things way back when.


The fantastical claims that their children just evolved beyond it after being raised by the very racists who opposed civil rights is too big a lie to swallow

pushed nasty conversations about Mexicans to the safe recesses of Thanksgiving dinner tables.

My goodness... This might be one of the most racist posts I've seen on Tigerillustrated. The hate that you clearly cling to is disturbing.

FWIW, I am a 4th generation Charlestonian and the shithole backwater that I can't seem to remove myself from is Mt. Pleasant, SC. My parents were born in the late 40s/early 50s and absolutely were not racist at all. My grandparents would drop some colloquial references once in a while that would make us blush, but certainly nothing malicious.

I really hope you are able to find help for some of the misguided views you hold and for the deep-seated anger you seem to have. Best of luck.
 
A truer thing has never been said on this board. Frankly, it just might be a good thing that doctors hate it.

Doctors probably need to take a little bit of a hit, but generally speaking, it's not a good thing when the providers of a service feel like they're being squeezed by political demands that aren't responsive to the market or to their expertise as providers. For instance, doctors can only afford to take on so many Medicaid patients because their reimbursement is so much lower than it is from private insurance- and even from Medicare. When Medicaid eligibility is expanded so that a much large portion of their patients are paying them a lot less, they're going to have to charge people with ACA plans or entirely private insurance more to cover the difference. Or they're just going to stop taking Medicaid patients, as some have done. The other option is that people end up with long waits to see a doctor because of the over-demand generated by subsidized care.

Another big effect of the ACA has been the centralization of providers in health systems, because independent practitioners simply either can't afford all the staff to keep up with all the things they now have to do, or because they need the backing of a system to handle the cost of the increase in Medicaid. The increased regulation of health care has, pretty predictably, resulted in individual providers and small hospitals losing power and large corporations gaining it.
 
T But reality is that someone making $300K annually is closer to being below the poverty line then they are to the 1% crowd. Its an absurd argument devoid of facts on income and wealth levels.

I don't think this is accurate.

In general the Top 1% makes around $400,000 a year per household. Top 5% is around $200,000 a year per household. Top 10% is around $150,000 per year per household, so unless the poverty line is $200,000 then you are not closer to the poverty line than the top 1% if you earn $300,000.
 
Um, that's not really a qualification. That's an opinion. My healthcare went up 18 cents a month this year after going about $1 last year. Of course, I live in a state that is fully participating so that keeps our costs down.
Yah people's brains fall apart when considering the bigger picture. NC didn't take the money and its killing the system... my insurance didn't go up tho, but thats because my employer ate the cost.

It's funny and sad that when a program is sabotaged just so people can say it doesn't work, which is what is happening in the carolinas. Politics is cancer/aids.
 
I'm just extremely curious what draws people to Trump once you strip away the misguided perception of what it means to be "a man" (let's call this toxic white masculinity) and the populist-racist casserole he's cooking up.

I mean, short of his "I'll say what I want, when I want, to whom I want" deal and his willingness to say all the racist stuff you're no longer allowed to say in polite company, what is there to like?

He has no legitimate policy platforms on anything other than proud jingoism. If we are to assume that being a good business person is a prerequisite to being a good president (it isn't, as some of history's worst presidents have been business types), he's not even that good a business man. There's no place in America where Trump invested heavier than in Atlantic City, which is about quite literally collapsing in front of our very eyes. Are we so stupid that we believe Donald Trump is special for inheriting hundreds of millions of dollars and being placed at the head of a corporation that his dad built (with the help of the federal government, FWIW)? I mean, I know that being born on third and thinking that you hit a triple is as much a pillar of the Republican mindset as, say, opposing gay rights, but is anyone actually impressed with Donald Trump's "business" experience, given that it was Fred Trump who truly built the company?

I recognize that many have been waiting, pleading, begging for a candidate to actually get in front of a microphone and say all the stuff about black, Mexican, and Muslim people that you've been wanting to say publicly for decades (damn that political correctness! always keeping you from saying the TRUTH!). But are we really to the point now that you'll vote any buffoon to the most powerful office on earth if he looks at you and confirms your feelings that America can't be "great" unless it's run in every way by people who look like you?

Thanks for posting, not just because I agree with you on every point, but also it's nice not feeling like I'm surrounded by crazy all the time.
 
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I don't think this is accurate.

In general the Top 1% makes around $400,000 a year per household. Top 5% is around $200,000 a year per household. Top 10% is around $150,000 per year per household, so unless the poverty line is $200,000 then you are not closer to the poverty line than the top 1% if you earn $300,000.

Maybe I did not state things clearly, sorry. Ready my post again... or here ya if you want the quote; "<1% of the people in the US own > 90% of the wealth".

Specifically I was responding to the exchange about the richest in America, which started with this quote; "When 62 families have accumulated more wealth than the bottom 50% of the entire world, some redistribution is called for... Tax cuts for billionaires just adds to an idle pile helping no one."

My point was about those who HOLD all the WEALTH. i.e. the Billionaires who were being discussed as the target for tax policies that would redistribute the wealth. Not really tied to household incomes. So really I should not have used 1%. I guess 0.1% or even 0.01% might be more like it. And yes, if your income is $300K/yr its true you are closer to being poor than you are to the Waltons.
 
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I don't really think ACA is the answer, but people also act like heath care was great and the costs were stabilized and then ACA just ruined a perfectly great cost effective system.

The biggest reason the prices rise are because people live longer and use more and more expensive healthcare.

Case in point, I have a relative that fought in WWII. Never drank or smoked. Not overweight, but not what would be considered a heathly eater by todays standards, but who ate well and exercised in the 50s. He has had 2 triple bypass surgeries, pace maker, double knee replacement, got in a wreck and was in the hospital and then rehab for 90 days, fell and in the hospital for 10 days, prostate cancer, hearing aids, probably takes 10 medications, goes goes to the doctor 25 times a year.

Still alive. Plenty of money, but gets healthcare through Medicare and VA. Likely has used well over a $1 Million in services.

Wife also works at the hospital in cancer and they will spend hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions basically chasing lost causes, extending life 2 months to 2 years.

To some extent this is what makes Americas Healthcare great, but also why it is so expensive.

Look at our healthcare cost. Not like the graph just starting going up with ACA.

health-care-spending-in-the-united-states-selected-oecd-countries_chart03.gif
 
Yah people's brains fall apart when considering the bigger picture. NC didn't take the money and its killing the system... my insurance didn't go up tho, but thats because my employer ate the cost.

It's funny and sad that when a program is sabotaged just so people can say it doesn't work, which is what is happening in the carolinas. Politics is cancer/aids.

Can you explain how not taking federal money to expand Medicaid in NC is supposedly "killing the system?" What if expanding Medicaid is the real problem?
 
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