President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

I'd build up what seemed to be a decent amount of points, but then would get lapped by applicants with preference points.

Justin pretty much nailed it.

It was about a decade ago, during the first few waves of industry layoffs when a 48-year-old thought it might be a good idea to start looking for lifeboats.

Not quite as urgent for this 58-year-old.

 

Oh yeah. Forgot that.

 

I also forgot the time POTUS wanted to eliminate the 14th Amendment via an executive order.

 

presented without comment

How the Media Turned the MAGA Teens Into Martyrs

Covington Smear Job Exposes Crisis of Citizenship | National Review

 

One of the biggest cost for entertainment, we should always remember, t.v., internet, phone. Never paid for tv programming and phone bill was probably 30.00 a month. yeah, I'm old and I am not saying people should not have those items but we need to remember that we are paying $200 ish more per month because of those things, than our parents did.

 

LOL GOP

 

Now, come on: The Williamson piece has some moments that are pretty good.

"And making common cause with morons and lunatics can backfire: Ask a conservative about Ted Nugent."

I mean, that's pretty good.

 

I didn't say a word

literally 'presented without comment'

two opposing points of view

 

Just the 14th? He wouldn’t stop there.

 

That's fair, to an extent, but only to an extent. Isn't the apples-to-apple comparison, "What does it cost to be a functioning member of your peer/status group?" Or, less debatable, "What does it cost to be a contributing member to mass society and popular culture?" No, the average American in 2018 does not need all the movie/sports channels to be a contributing member to mass society. So, no, he doesn't need to pay $200 a month to the cable company. But doesn't he/she need home Internet access in order to remain "plugged-in" to the world at large? If you don't have a cell phone, are you really able to function at society's baseline? That, plus access to basic cable channels, will cost you, what, $150 a month?

Even if the average person is "wasting" an extra $100 a month for premium levels of access to our standard modes of information and communication, that $1,200 a year ain't the primary reason Americans are strapped for cash. Besides, the cost of even the minimum level of access to our standard information/communication networks is 50 percent higher than the cost of the same level of access to the same class of networks 30 years ago.

There's no doubt we are a wasteful country. I'm not denying consumerism is a thing. But the amount of dollars the American consumer "wastes" pales in comparison to the increase in the amount of money that Americans must spend in order to maintain the same relative levels of access to information, communication, health care, housing, transportation and education that they had 30 years ago. Especially when calculated as a percentage of median wages.

I'm not sure that the level of individual waste is any different from that in your average corporation, when it comes to gratuitous, non-necessary spending. I mean, seriously -- we're currently taking issue with the spending habits of workers who WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT. So why do conversations like these so often turn to blaming the individual for his own plight rather than considering ways we can make it easier for him to deal with said plight?

 

Anyone know if the "President" and Congress are negotiating a resolution to the shutdown?

Are they even in touch?

 

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