The art of this deal

Carl Muecke's take:

 

 

Comments

[teri dudas]

I've got to say, Jon you have reached a new low in childishness.

Do you stamp your feet and throw food also?

[Bradley Dranka]

The gospel according to trump: Cut, Cut, Cut social programs, but, but, but Guns, Guns, Guns because they're my God, God, God.

[Bradley Dranka]

ms. dudas...Still here, Brad, old boy; I'm enjoying your angst.

And THAT is mature?

[Concern Troll]

Actually the philosophy is simply
"Devil take the hindmost"

So, in a lifeboat world, one begins to wonder how many will perish without realizing they are now embroiled in a conflict they did not imagine, brought by someone they never thought would be in charge, in a society grown strange to their habits.

In short, we regress, and the savagery of the American Soul is once again revealed to the world. It is ironic that we now have a naked president who will use the power to achieve things that those who came before could not conceive.

In short, without the measure of humanity that covered our naked power, we stand revealed as another bad world power, and our passing from the scene of hegemony will not be mourned at this minute, but over the next century.

We, America, have returned to savagery and reaction. Without real foresight, we now build machines that will cause humanity much turmoil and crisis.

So many genies, so many open bottles, it is simply a moment in time before it all begins to really fray.

And other countries, eager for a small bite, all nip us into distraction, while our vital energies and monies are diverted into private and wasteful uses. Like Rome before, we now have our https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Licinius_Crassus ,

Next comes the triumvirate. The appeal of the Democratic party reminds me of the populares of Romes.

Panem et circenses.

Until our own barbarians overwhelm us.

[Ken Atherton]

For an administration whose motto supposedly is "Devil take the hindmost", the words of its senior counselor, Kellyanne Conway, seem oddly inconsistent:

She said that “this whole (Russian) conspiracy” is a “waste of people’s oxygen, and air and resources and time when we could be helping those who are hungry, who need health care, who are in poverty, who need tax relief, entrepreneurs who want to get off the ground.”

Conway even noted that Christie had come to her home recently to discuss his effort to improve services for drug addicts.

http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/columnists/mike-kelly/2017/03/12/mike-kelly-conway-suggests-even-wider-surveillance-trump-campaign/99060910/

One may say that such language is insincere, though now that the election is over I'd like to know what audience such remarks are directed to. Perhaps the media? But since when does the Trump administration placate the media? Or is Conway acting independently in making such remarks on the record?

Still, I can't help feeling that many of the concerns about Trump are overwrought. His positions are wildly inconsistent, and much of his campaign rhetoric was itself facile and manipulative. Much of it was, well, rhetorical.

If his deportation numbers even come close to matching those of Barack Obama, I'll be surprised.

I don't think Trump's attempts at detente with the Russians are such a bad thing, at least not insofar as the fight against radical Islamic terrorism is concerned. The U.S. was supporting anti-Assad groups long after the liberal/secular rebels had taken a backseat to a coalition of fundamentalists dominated by an Al Qaeda affiliate. The media narrative regarding both the rebels and the Kurds has for the most part been simplistic.

Reflexive opposition to the Russians has been a neoconservative staple for a very long time, and Hillary Clinton was aping their rhetoric in her foreign policy pronouncements. Anyone who has studied Putin knows that this is a sure way to increase Russian recalcitrance, and Trump may be trying to catch flies with honey rather than vinegar.

It does seem as though Trump has a sneaking admiration for Putin. But then so do many conservatives, as noted by this 2014 WaPo piece:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/worldviews/wp/2014/08/25/why-u-s-conservatives-love-russias-vladimir-putin/

No doubt Trump would welcome the chance to consolidate executive power, but until the country has a major economic crisis on the order of the Great Depression, or a major terrorist outrage on the order of nuclear or biological warfare, I don't see Congress ceding it's power or the American people ceding major liberties in exchange for security.

Nor do I see the leadership or veteran members of the Republican Party sharing Trump's populist tendencies or fringe obsessions, despite pathetic attempts by the RNC to hitch their wagon to Trump's star in grassroots fundraising efforts.

[Ken Atherton]

Incidentally, it isn't clear to me that a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, as much as it would advance the mainstream Republican agenda in some cases, would facilitate the Trump administration's more unusual positions, much less usher in a new era of fascism, as some liberals have suggested:

https://www.google.com/amp/www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/amp8701082/president-trump-scotus-neil-gorsuch-disagree/

The same question applies to some of the already existing conservative members of the Court.

[Bradley Dranka]

Ken Atherton, I do think trump's continuing anathema for environmental regulations is an extreme position. Because it is right NOW in 2017 we are seeing (by temperature) that we are at the "tipping point" for effecting any mitigation in warming trends. And trump and his "economy first" cronies couldn't care less about anyone else in their "America first" gospel.

Mother Nature doesn't give a hoot or holler in hell about our political machinations.

Simply put, we are putting so much energy INTO the atmosphere, which will go into the oceans--and will come back to man in the form of more extreme and damaging weather.

Not to mention the sea-level rise, which will affect many of the have-nots of the world. If we do nothing about this, it will foster a growing hatred of the developed world among those destitute people--and they will see the USA as the leader of indifference to their plight. This will happen because its most unlikely the USA will go on either an economic or energy diet to give those destitute peoples some chance at some semblance of a decent life from less of a sea-level rise.

That rise will be seen by them as taking away THEIR lives, liberties, and pursuing happiness--and we will be seen as the culprits in our continuing gluttony.

[Ruben Perez]

2.6 billion people in China/India will soon dwarf the U.S. carbon footprint.

The numbers look like this side by side.

318,000,000
2,600,000,000

If you have ocean property. Sell.

[Cal Lash]

For you optimists.

https://medium.com/@dailyzen/time-the-destroyer-3c2aa3c963f#.tbtn0ati1

For Ruben the man with a Bulgarian pessimistic views

We all agree that pessimism is a mark of superior intellect.
John Kenneth Galbraith

Pessimism is as American as apple pie. Frozen apple pie with a slice of processed cheese.
George Will

A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.
Don Marquis

[Ruben Perez]

Cal, I said I had a bulging disc, I didn't say I was Bulgarian. Jeez !

[Cal Lash]

Ruben
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-feffer/who-are-the-worlds-top-pe_b_2404353.html

[Bradley Dranka]

Ruben,

Do you think there's ANY chance China and India (not to mention the other countries of the world) will have much incentive to emit less greenhouse gases now that trump has become totally indifferent and even hostile to the idea of global warming?

The USA holds the moral LOW ground on this one.

[Ruben Perez]

No chance.

[Cal Lash]

Ruben happy pie day. It was a good movie too.

[Rogue Columnist]

Debra Stark win in Phoenix council district 3 race is a big deal. First Democrat to win this north Phx seat in 30 years.

[Mark in Scottsdale]

Pretty remarkable win when you look at the district boundaries. Of course, being the appointed incumbent for a period helps a little, but her getting out and hitting the pavement helped, I'm sure, and in my mind a Democrat talking about law and order and police hiring and so forth. Speaking on topics like that is a nice change of pace. That's one way to win some crossover voters since they're real issues in the city of Phoenix.

Here's an interesting, recent article about the light rail, Stark held a session to hear resident complaints about habitually problematic light-rail scofflaws.
http://kjzz.org/content/446890/phoenix-residents-tired-drug-addicts-light-rail

I agree they do need more security/police, and much more aggressive ticket/fare enforcement to deal with these problems.

Obviously, as long as the state and country continue to punt on the need for more confined housing situations for the mentally ill, and a more aggressive approach to drug interdiction, light rail will continue to suffer these problems. The current approach has not worked, is not working, and will continue not to work.

People ride that train all day long back and forth, especially if it's hold or cold or raining, and everyone sees it and complains about it, so why isn't anything done about it?

Additionally, these problems have a negative effect on businesses and homes near the rail line. Mostly, I observe people being just habitual mild nuisances, but now and then I see actual menace to the safety of others and/or themselves (violence).

It's not a problem unique to Phoenix, though, or solely to the homeless, addicted or mentally ill. I have seen over the years around the country people from all manner of backgrounds who displayed a complete disrespect for public transit and its employees. Some of the most egregious acts I've seen on public transport have been committed by intoxicated party people who had money and a home to go to but just felt like a train or bus wasn't worth their acting like civilized human beings.