Let's All Do Something Nice For Donald Trump

[Tessera]

Do not want a wall but - they do work:  Impact on the number of illegal migrants entering Hungary

Attempted border entries have fallen since the barrier was constructed. During the month of September 2015 there was a total number of 138,396 migrant entries, and within the first two weeks of November the average daily number of intercepted migrants decreased to only 15, which is a daily reduction of more than 4,500.[38]

Your comment presumes that the border fence had an appreciable impact upon illegal immigration. There could be many factors at work. For example, efforts made on the Mexican side to improve their law enforcement, a change in leadership in Mexico (they have a different president now), improving economic conditions in Mexico, and so forth.

Cause and effect is what we're talking about here. Imagine that every time a large group comes across the border, it happened to be raining. Should we deduce that rain causes immigration..? Should we double the number of border guards on rainy days..? Or should we simply deduce that the weather had nothing to do with it, and there may be other factors..?

Fences will not deter anyone who is dead set on crossing the border. They'll get a ladder. They'll get a hacksaw. They'll dig a tunnel.

Meanwhile, statistics show us that the vast majority of illegal immigrants are people who came into the USA legally and then deliberately over-stayed their visas. That is a fact... so a fence or a wall or whatever would have no effects of any kind on the majority of illegal immigrants. Trump's wall is nothing but a big waste of money... we have much better and more high-tech (and cheaper) ways to monitor border crossings.

As far as drugs entering the USA are concerned, nearly all of them come in through legal points of entry and so again, a wall wouldn't have any effect upon drug trafficking.

Trump's wall is a big red herring. Don't get sucked in by the hype.

The best answer to illegal immigration is to improve the conditions in these people's country of origin. If their lives could be made better where they were born and raised, then why would they want to leave..?

[Cylnar]

I didn't but with her apparent stupidity, she does make an easy target.  Both sides keep dragging up crap from years ago that have no bearing on anything - the latest being the Gov of VA. 

What "apparent stupidity"? Her insistence on a 70% top marginal tax rate? Medicare for all? A Green New Deal? Ocasio-Cortez is so stupid that she won second place in a GLOBAL science fair in high school with a microbiology project and had an asteroid named after her (23238 Ocasio-Cortez). This dumb bitch also graduated with Latin honors (cum laude) from Boston University, majoring in economics and international relations; interned under the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, and worked as an organizer on the Sanders campaign in 2016. She is such a moron that she managed to defeat an entrenched DNC water carrier (no less than the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus), Joe Crowley, primarying his ass from the left while working as a bartender!

It's funny how AOC gets critiqued by the empty suits (and empty heads) on Fake News, projecting their own idiocy onto her, Dunning-Kruger style. When she was critiqued by bleach-blonde bobblehead Tomi Lahren as "not successful in real life" I had to laugh. Lahren's only "talent" lies in her looks, which she is slowly cooking away in tanning beds, and betraying the liberal ideas she espoused in high school and college before she realized there was more money in being a cute, tanned blonde serving up right-wing hot takes to horny, aging Republican males. So yeah...consider the source before you snap to judgment on the intelligence of a progressive...

[Tessera]

Don't sweat it, Cylnar. And you are quite right, of course. 

The perception that AOC is stupid can trace its roots down to our long history of beautiful and sexually desirable women being labeled "bimbos."

The inner narrative goes something like this:

"She's so sexy... look at that gorgeous girl. But she probably wouldn't even look twice at a dork like me. Hell, she probably has a boyfriend already. Some big dumb jock, no doubt. Well fine... so I can't have her. She's probably stupid, anyway. And I hate stupid girls."

It's pretty much the same as Aesop's fable about The Fox And The Grapes. The grapes are unattainable... so naturally, they must be sour.

AOC just happens to be a highly intelligent and incredibly motivated young woman, who also looks like a Playboy Playmate.

I predict that before much longer, AOC will emerge as the de facto leader of the Democratic party.

[caninelegion]

I didn't but with her apparent stupidity, she does make an easy target.  Both sides keep dragging up crap from years ago that have no bearing on anything - the latest being the Gov of VA. 

What "apparent stupidity"? Her insistence on a 70% top marginal tax rate? Medicare for all? A Green New Deal? Ocasio-Cortez is so stupid that she won second place in a GLOBAL science fair in high school with a microbiology project and had an asteroid named after her (23238 Ocasio-Cortez). This dumb bitch also graduated with Latin honors (cum laude) from Boston University, majoring in economics and international relations; interned under the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, and worked as an organizer on the Sanders campaign in 2016. She is such a moron that she managed to defeat an entrenched DNC water carrier (no less than the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus), Joe Crowley, primarying his ass from the left while working as a bartender!

It's funny how AOC gets critiqued by the empty suits (and empty heads) on Fake News, projecting their own idiocy onto her, Dunning-Kruger style. When she was critiqued by bleach-blonde bobblehead Tomi Lahren as "not successful in real life" I had to laugh. Lahren's only "talent" lies in her looks, which she is slowly cooking away in tanning beds, and betraying the liberal ideas she espoused in high school and college before she realized there was more money in being a cute, tanned blonde serving up right-wing hot takes to horny, aging Republican males. So yeah...consider the source before you snap to judgment on the intelligence of a progressive...

Exactly; sure fire way to end up like Cuba or Venezuela.  Heck, they went from the highest per capita income in South America to the lowest in the world.  Continuing trying something that has continually failed while expecting it to work is a definition of crazy plus, her "facts" are so far off it makes one wonder if she ever attended school.  She's kind of like a 12-year old in Congress.  Hope Biden runs. 

[Cylnar]

So you think the best bet to defeat Trump is to run a centrist, Republican-lite candidate like Obama or either of the Clintons.

Yeah, that's why Hillary is President now...oh wait, she's not...that's why we're talking about defeating Trump in the first place!

"More of the same" is exactly what you are proposing. And you're right, it doesn't work. That's why we have Trump now. Whatever else can be said about him, he is definitely NOT "more of the same"...

[Tessera]

Exactly; sure fire way to end up like Cuba or Venezuela.  Heck, they went from the highest per capita income in South America to the lowest in the world.  Continuing trying something that has continually failed while expecting it to work is a definition of crazy plus, her "facts" are so far off it makes one wonder if she ever attended school.  She's kind of like a 12-year old in Congress.  Hope Biden runs.

Canine, it's clear that your comments have come straight out of Fox News. I knew it the minute I saw your reference to Venezuela. Let me clue you into something here: democratic socialism didn't screw up Venezuela... widespread corruption and foreign meddling did. The USA has been meddling in the internal affairs of Venezuela, ever since the days when Hugo Chavez declared that Venezuela's oil wealth would become state-owned. He effectively kicked out the American Big Oil companies... and they've been waging an economic war with Venezuela ever since.

Wanna talk about the merits of democratic socialism..? Then let's talk about Norway. Or Sweden. Or Finland. Or Denmark. You'll never see those success stories mentioned on Fox News, because all of their brainless attacks upon democratic socialism would instantly fall to pieces... and they know it.

Moreover, if I asked you to be more specific regarding AOC and her policies, I'll bet $100 right this minute that you won't be able to do it. I'm serious: if you can cite any verifiable facts which conclusively prove that AOC is full of shit, then I'll pay you $100 via PayPal. I mean it.

Consider this: AOC has already become a superstar in Washington. She has been appointed to one of the most powerful House committees that exists. She has galvanized Millenials in a way that no other politician aside from Bernie Sanders has ever done before. She has put a bug so far up the asses of the far-right that they chomp at the bit looking for excuses to mindlessly attack her. And she has only been in office for a month. That's it... one month, and she has already turned Washington upside-down. That's not something that stupid people do... it's something that very smart and effective people do.

As for AOC's education, it is actually rather impressive. My mother went to the same college that AOC attended... Boston University. My mother has been a tenured college English professor for 35 years (and counting). Do you know who taught at B.U. when my mother was a student there..? Isaac Asimov... that's who. It's a very good school.

Please stop watching Fox News. Their insidious propaganda will turn you into a moron. I think you're better than that, don't you..? I've always thought so.

PS -- I agree with Cylnar. We don't need Joe Biden or any other "moderate" candidates. Do you know what "moderates" are..? They're people who sit on the fence and refuse to take a strong position on ANY issue, preferring to twiddle their thumbs and call for everything to remain the same as it always was. That's not the road to progress. That's not the road to advancement. That's a prescription for stagnation and continued neglect of the serious problems that this country faces. No... we don't need Joe Biden, or Corey Booker, or Gillibrand, or anyone else who sucks Wall Street's cock. What we need are truly progressive candidates who will better reflect the gradual swing to the left that we are currently experiencing in America. Candidates who will shun Big Money and hunker down with the rest of us at the grassroots level. Do you want a president who represents YOU... or do you want a president who represents billionaires..? If you prefer the latter, then vote for Donald Trump and then sit back and watch him fuck you up the ass for four more years.

[Tessera]

Tonight... during his State of the Union address.... Donald Trump
will share his plans for a better and brighter future for us all:




I know you're all looking forward to it as much as I am.   

[Cylnar]

Actually, that's more likely to be Mike Pence's plan, were he ever to become President. That bible-thumping creep would probably see it as his sacred duty to launch Armageddon and bring the biblical End Times to humanity, in the name of Jeebus. Ted Cruz would likely do the same thing, not that he would ever get the chance.

Trump is more likely to blow up the world in a fit of pique, because some head of state said something mean about him. Maybe if Daddy Vlad publicly ridiculed him or was caught on a hot mic boasting that Trump was his puppet.

[Tessera]

Actually, that's more likely to be Mike Pence's plan, were he ever to become President. That bible-thumping creep would probably see it as his sacred duty to launch Armageddon and bring the biblical End Times to humanity, in the name of Jeebus.

You know what you just reminded me of..? Ever see the movie The Dead Zone..?

Martin Sheen's character.

[caninelegion]

Actually, that's more likely to be Mike Pence's plan, were he ever to become President. That bible-thumping creep would probably see it as his sacred duty to launch Armageddon and bring the biblical End Times to humanity, in the name of Jeebus. Ted Cruz would likely do the same thing, not that he would ever get the chance.

Trump is more likely to blow up the world in a fit of pique, because some head of state said something mean about him. Maybe if Daddy Vlad publicly ridiculed him or was caught on a hot mic boasting that Trump was his puppet.

Sorry; as I stated before, I do not get news from propaganda outlets like Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, etc.  I have to ask, though, do you?  Really seems like it.  Anyway, though, I broke rule number one and have discussed politics.  I really don't care if people agree with me or not and as all minds are made up, there really no cause to so I'll go mute (probably) but I will wind this down with a story.  When Carter was President, I became disillusioned with the changes in the Democrat Party so left it.  Some years later, even my father, who usually voted straight ticket Democrat, switched to the Republican Party when he retired from the steel mills.  I asked him why and he told me that the Democrat Party was good for the working man but terrible for those retired.  I myself could never join the Republican Party so stayed independent.  I witnessed several cruddy Presidents - GHW Bush, Clinton (did he ever speak the truth in his life?), GW Bush, and Obama.  I have not been a Trump supporter but, given that he was running against Hillary and having my primary candidate lose out, I voted for him.   Really, the main reason we are stuck with Trump is due to Hillary as the candidate and Obama.  I didn't expect much from Trump since both parties despise him so I can't be disappointed.  I have come to three conclusions over the years:

1.  We need a viable third party.  My suggestion has been for years that the socialist wing of the Democrat Party form its own party, the Constutionalist wing of the Republican Party form its own party, and the so called RINOS and blue dogs form their own party.  That way, the current split in both parties would be gone (well, until they'd come up with new ones) and there'd be three homogeneous parties.  No need for divisive race or ethnics based policies to get votes that way either.
2.  Term limits to end entrenched power by the political class elites and return power to the people.
3.  This space intentionally left blank

I am scared, really.  I've seen this country become more and more fascist since the 60s with the government getting more and more powerful at the expense of the people.  The Constitution is now only followed when convenient and changed at the whim of a judge.  We need positive change but that won't happen with the entrenched power of political elites (both parties), special interest groups (Greens, environmentalists, etc) with deep pockets, and with the entrenched position between socialism and Constitutionalism that we currently have.  The world looks so much like it did in 1919 with the same divides which bred the form of socialism called fascism and that didn't work too well for the world. 

[Tessera]

Sorry; as I stated before, I do not get news from propaganda outlets like Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, etc.

So then, where do you get your news from..?

And I can fill in that blank space on your list: we need to remove Big Money from our political system.

[Tessera]

Bernie Sanders Responds to Trump's State of the Union Address

[caninelegion]

Sorry; as I stated before, I do not get news from propaganda outlets like Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, etc.

So then, where do you get your news from..?

News may not be the best label - I tend to read things later in journals such "Foreign Affairs" and "Airforce" (journal of the Air Force Association).  Day to day?  I just glance at the headlines - often from US News (which is shaky itself). 

And I can fill in that blank space on your list: we need to remove Big Money from our political system.

No argument there.  The problem is doing so without 1st amendment killing - not easy even if the powers that be would allow it. 

Edit: Formatting.

[caninelegion]

So you think the best bet to defeat Trump is to run a centrist, Republican-lite candidate like Obama or either of the Clintons.

Shultz might work. 

Yeah, that's why Hillary is President now...oh wait, she's not...that's why we're talking about defeating Trump in the first place!

Hillary had too much baggage and all knew she was corrupt as hell.  She'd been completely made over at least twice depending on how the wind blew.  The last election was one of two unelectable candidates - Trump simply had less baggage plus the Democrat Party has essentially abandoned the working class for identity politics;  many went to Trump.

"More of the same" is exactly what you are proposing. And you're right, it doesn't work. That's why we have Trump now. Whatever else can be said about him, he is definitely NOT "more of the same"...

--  and therein lies the problem - neither party backs him so if anything is to get done, teeth have to be pulled.  The two-party monopoly is the problem with it's entrenched power that goes with it.  How to fix it?  Convention of the states would be a start but big money would likely spoil the milk there too.  I'm afraid it'll take a major war or a depression or some other large disaster to break the mold we made in the last 50 years.  Really, this started 150 years ago when the first republic was changed into the second via the Civil War - the big government cancer has been growing since.  What does the Constitution say?  The federal government has three areas and three areas only that it is responsible for (national defense, international relations, and interstate commerce).  The rest is left to the states and local government.  If we want to return to being a free people, we need to return to this.  How?  I haven't the foggiest but world government is the wrong direction.  I for one don't need some namby pandy bunch of elitists telling me how to think with their one size fits all approach. 

Edit: Formatting.

[Cylnar]

And I can fill in that blank space on your list: we need to remove Big Money from our political system.

No argument there.  The problem is doing so without 1st amendment killing - not easy even if the powers that be would allow it. 

The Framers, elitist white supremacists that they were, did NOT intend for corporations to be able to donate millions of dollars to political candidates and thus effectively buy elections. Even back then they were worried about increasing corporate power. Don't let the likes of "constitutional originalists" like the fortunately dead Antonin Scalia and the unfortunately living Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh fool you. The Citizens United and McCutcheon decisions were dictated by Big Money and then Scalia twisted the Constitution like a pretzel to justify and pretend that corporations had all the rights of a natural person (a human being) eventually to include the right to have their own protected religious opinions (the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision).

Corporations were long given a cherry-picked sample of personhood provisions by law derived from the Constitution, but not by the Constitution itself. This enabled corporations to be sued and to file bankruptcy without ruining their founders and investors (they only lost their investments, not their shirts). All that needs to happen to effectively reverse Citizens United absent a constitutional amendment delineating the EXACT rights and non-rights of a corporation (still the best solution) is 1) Elect a progressive. Not some plutocrat like Howard Schultz, but someone like Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren (or AOC, who will be 35, the Constitutional minimum age, in 2025 when she would take office). 2) Appoint two more justices to the Supreme Court, defeating the Republican theft of Scalia's seat that Obama should have been able to fill and creating a liberal majority (nine justices is traditional, but not statutory - there have been as many as 12 justices at one time). 3) Wait for an appropriate case to be presented and then rule correctly, to overturn as much of the prior horrible decisions as possible (it might take more than one case). 4) Legislate (or amend) strict limitations on individual donations to candidates, parties or PACs, and prohibit donations by corporations entirely, and eliminate all dark money. First Amendment NOT killed whatsoever.

[Tessera]

The Citizens United decision was such a fat load of bullshit, that I don't even know where to begin. So I'll just limit my comments and keep it simple.

First off... corporations are not people. Corporations are abstract financial entities. And corporations in their present form didn't even exist when the Constitution was written. If they had, then you can bet your ass that there would have been an amendment prohibiting the sort of crap that the Citizens United decision permits.

Furthermore, this has never been a free speech issue... and I have no idea why the Supreme Court viewed it as such. Money is not speech. Money is finance. Nowhere in the First Amendment does it say "You have the right to spend as much money as you wish in order to corrupt the integrity of the political process." Bribery is not free speech. Bribery is a crime.

"Free speech" would be the right for corporations to publicly promote a particular candidate or agenda, via oratory or some sort of big halftime show in the media, or putting up billboards all over the place, or whatever. But they do exactly the opposite: they keep everything as quiet and as secret as they can, and just funnel ridiculous amounts of cash under the table to some politician or political group. That's not speech... that's conspiratorial. They aren't speaking out in favor or in opposition to anything... they're using clandestine financial pressure to effectively purchase the political process, and rob the rest of us of our democratic power. Most of the time, they funnel that money through some fictitious third-party entities, in order to hide their identity. Again -- that's not speech. That's conspiratorial.

Isn't it interesting that we have laws which prohibit any sort of political advertising within 300 feet of a polling place..? Isn't that a free speech issue, too..? The inconsistency and the hypocrisy of the Citizen's United decision will go down in history as being one of the most partisan and corrupt Supreme Court decisions of all time.

[Tessera]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Rips Washington A New Asshole

Watch this video:

https://youtu.be/AljakpXAh7c

That's AOC today... humorously asking some very serious questions in her House committee.

Still think she's stupid..? I was cheering and laughing throughout that entire performance.

Okay... I definitely know who I want to run for president in 2028. This girl is a gift from the gods.

[caninelegion]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Rips Washington A New Asshole

Watch this video:

https://youtu.be/AljakpXAh7c

That's AOC today... humorously asking some very serious questions in her House committee.

Still think she's stupid..? I was cheering and laughing throughout that entire performance.

Okay... I definitely know who I want to run for president in 2028. This girl is a gift from the gods.

true; for Trump