Now I know it is too early for the DEMs to start counting their eggs, however with Trump annoying and energizing so many people. One never knows...
CNN GOP may be in Trouble in 2018
CNN 2018 may Mean Impeachment
Of course the good news is that the DEMs seem to have no limits to how socialistic they want to make the country... So the GOP folks may still have a chance of getting elected.
CNN DEMs can Lose it by being Too Liberal
CNN GOP may be in Trouble in 2018
CNN 2018 may Mean Impeachment
Of course the good news is that the DEMs seem to have no limits to how socialistic they want to make the country... So the GOP folks may still have a chance of getting elected.
CNN DEMs can Lose it by being Too Liberal
31 comments:
We have a whole list of stuff we would like to do. That's why calling Democrats "obstructionist" is both wrong and counter intuitive.
The history of the last month shows us that it's the Democrats who are willing to reach deals with the dealmaker in chief. In fact, it takes enormous effort from Republicans in Congress to prevent the making of deals with us.
--Hiram
The funniest thing I heard lately was Trump talking about he wanted to punish insurance companies for the sin of making too much money. Before that, when is the last time you heard Republican leaders complaining business was too profitable. And the assumption that Trump was making that Democrats, socialists to a man and woman that we all are, would come to the defense of insurance companies to defend their profitability. Holy single payer, Batman!
The weird things about the Donald, is that he so obsessed with his idea of himself as a negotiator is that he not only negotiates with himself, he is also is quick to renege on the deal he makes. He resides mentally in a wilderness of deal making, and he can't find the way out.
--Hiram
Hiram, It seems to me that the DEMs are every bit as obstructionist as the GOP was under Obama...
"Hiram, It seems to me that the DEMs are every bit as obstructionist as the GOP was under Obama..."
How so, specifically?
I could be incorrect but it seems that few Democrats have chosen to vote with their GOP peers on most of the topics that have been discussed so far.
I would think at least a few Democrats would be moderate, however unfortunately in this modern world of the far Left and Right... I am unsure if there are many who will vote against their party's wishes.
Given the GovTrack Chart I am not sure this will change.
Hiram, It seems to me that the DEMs are every bit as obstructionist as the GOP was under Obama...
People may or may not like what we do, but we do a lot. Republicans currently control all three branches of government and seem unable to do anything.
I could be incorrect but it seems that few Democrats have chosen to vote with their GOP peers on most of the topics that have been discussed so far.
It's fairly common for GOP bills to have some Democratic support. What is a real tell on the GOP side is that none of them support Democratic legislation. How likely is that absent coercion?
--Hiram
"People may or may not like what we do, but we do a lot."
I think DEMs mostly like to do 2 things:
- collect money from successful citizens and give it to citizens who are likely to vote for DEMs.
- pass regulations that try to protect nearly everyone from everything no matter the consequences and costs.
Both of which unfortunately tend to reduce America's ability to compete well in a global economy.
I don't imposing taxes on rich people as a goal of DFL policy. We just don't mind much if they do. To claim otherwise is an example of projection. Taxes are central to what it is to be a Republican. There is little else that unifies them.
Never been to a DFL meeting where folks talked about the joys of regulation. But we live in a time where Congress is dysfunctional. And this is true for both parties. The vast majority of Donald Trump's claimed successes have been done through executive order because a Congress he nominally controls, was unable to act. And in a checks and balances system, when one branch fails, the balance shifts to the other two branches. Very little of what happens in government today was envisioned by Congress but certainly the way power shifts between branches, was.
In terms of competitiveness, slave labor in theory at least, went out with the Civil War. As high as Donald Trump wants to erect his wall, Republicans are not shy about trying to import the hideous working conditions their backers finds so lucrative to promote abroad.
--Hiram
Oh come now... We need to lessen income inequality by using government to take more from the successful folks to give to the unsuccessful folks and public employees is one of the Democrats most common themes.
As for the regs, my guess is the party talk goes something like we need to regulate ______ because _________ may be _________ by _______ if we don't.
How again does a secure border and intolerance of illegal workers help import hideous working conditions? To me fewer workers for the same number of jobs promotes higher wages and better conditions. What am I missing?
Of course us American consumers will need to be willing to pay a bit more for those high domestic content products and services to pay for the workers improved quality of life.
"I could be incorrect but it seems that few Democrats have chosen to vote with their GOP peers on most of the topics that have been discussed so far."
Voting no is not the same as obstruction.
Can you provide me with an example of actual Democratic obstruction? Like, say, equivalent to Republicans refusing to give a hearing to a Supreme Court nominee?
"Both of which unfortunately tend to reduce America's ability to compete well in a global economy."
You persist with this talking point despite the ample evidence that has been provided over the years showing that among first-world countries, America is neither unusually taxed or regulated. In fact, we tend to be middle-to-low on both.
"As for the regs, my guess is the party talk goes something like we need to regulate ______ because _________ may be _________ by _______ if we don't."
Good Lord, you're insufferable.
How again does a secure border and intolerance of illegal workers help import hideous working conditions?
It keeps workers where they are where they are more easily exploited by tyrannical regimes, the responsibility for which, is deniable by American companies.
--Hiram
Sean,
You mean this comparison where we only succeed in "the ability to get credit" and the "ability to go bankrupt".
Otherwise it looks like we are a long way down the list in the other areas. :-)
Here is an example...
We need to regulate "healthcare because "people" may be "denied care" by "heartless care givers" if we don't.
"Otherwise it looks like we are a long way down the list in the other areas. :-)"
In the aggregate, we do pretty darn well compared to other countries.
Now look who is spinning the data from his source?
My view is we want US to be number 1, and not just because it is easy to get loans and go bankrupt.
We're ranked eighth in the world. Our economy is *not* being crushed by taxes and regulations compared to others. I realize that acknowledging this fact would destroy your frame of how the world works, but you'll have to take the personal responsibility for that.
Let's see...
51st in starting a business
39th in dealing with construction permits
36th in getting electricity
36th in registering property
36th in paying taxes
35th in trading across borders
Those are some pretty big numbers.
One more note: Americans enjoy big houses, great food, nice yards, nice trips, etc and many other things that give us a high standard of living compared to many in the rest of the world.
Plus we fund the "world police" in order to promote peace and lots of world trade.
If we want to be able to continue to afford these things, we need to continue to create a lot of wealth by being more creative, effective and efficient than other countries... (ie low waste)
If we want to be like and live like the rest of the people in the world... Then we can be the same as them.
Hiram, I am still puzzled.
How again does a secure border and intolerance of illegal workers help import hideous working conditions?
"It keeps workers where they are where they are more easily exploited by tyrannical regimes, the responsibility for which, is deniable by American companies."
How is this importing anything and what is the impact on American workers of having 11 million fewer illegal workers competing with them for jobs?
And please remember the story by one of my Professors.
He was against the different jobs that younger people in SE Asia were doing until he went there and learned about what these younger people would be doing if the jobs were not there.
The worst example was that rural families would sell their daughters to the sex / human trafficking folks to raise money.
Sewing 12 hours a day for a base wage sounds terrible to us, but we know little.
The expectation that we're going to be #1 in the world in everything is absurd. In every single one of the categories you mention, we lead many of our primary competitors on the world stage.
51st in starting a business -- better than China, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan, Mexico
39th in dealing with construction permits -- better than Canada, Japan, Israel, Mexico, Italy, Spain, China, India
36th in getting electricity -- better than Brazil, Israel, Spain, China, Mexico, Canada
36th in registering property -- better than South Korea, China, Canada, U.K., Japan, Spain, Germany, Israel, Brazil, India
36th in paying taxes -- better than Spain, Germany, France, Japan, Israel, Mexico, Italy, China, India, Brazil
35th in trading across borders -- better than Germany, Hong Kong, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Israel, Mexico, China, India
The fact that our economy -- for all of its faults -- has led the first world recovery post 2008 is testament to the fact that our business environment isn't crippling at all.
"Sewing 12 hours a day for a base wage sounds terrible to us, but we know little."
Having 12-year-old kids sew clothes for pennies is certainly one way to improve "ease of business".
I think #1 would be unrealistic, but maybe in the Top 20 across the board would be a great goal.
Then I vote we boycott all overseas clothing suppliers and let little boys be forced back into the fields and/or go hungry. And the little girls can go to the brothels and/or go hungry.
What again is your solution for ending poverty in the high population areas in SE Asia? I mean since you seem against sending millions of dollars into their economy yearly.
Please remember that things were plenty rough in China before we pushed many trillions of dollars into the economy via trade. Now they are my biggest customer.
What again is your solution for ending poverty in the high population areas in SE Asia?
I think people in Asia should be paid more. And we need to take a look at the burdens on American business, that businesses in Asia do not have.
The irony of questions like that is that for years and decades, Democrats have been told by Republicans that free trade is beneficial. Reluctantly, we sort of went wrong. And then Donald Trump comes along, a guy who tells us all those policies pressed on Democrats were wrong, and that it's the Republican party who will put America first.
==Hiram
Hiram,
We can not convince the American consumers that they should be happy to pay more for high domestic content products and services, so I am pretty sure they won't do so for people 10's of thousands of miles away.
Free trade is a two edge sword. In this case, global free trade is great for the American consumers who get the best, most featured, highest quality, etc for a good price. Of course this means that many great jobs moved elsewhere to follow the consumer's dollars.
So the reality is that neither viewpoint is wrong, it is just a matter of who you want to help... And who pays for doing so...
We can not convince the American consumers that they should be happy to pay more for high domestic content products and services, so I am pretty sure they won't do so for people 10's of thousands of miles away.
Maybe not, but it's hardly consumers fault. Professional sports franchises are the only businesses allowed to blame their business problems on their customers.
There are of course many things we could do to make American workers more competitive in the global marketplace. We just don't do them.
President Trump was very clear in his campaign about his desire to prioritize the interests of workers. He seems to have been less clear both in his mind about who would be hurt by that. But that didn't seem to bother the folks who voted for him.
--Hiram
It is likely that Trump's voters are more likely to buy domestic products and services when given a choice. I see many fewer foreign cars when I am out in the rural communities.
Trump's voters are very much the turkeys who voted for an early Thanksgiving. Trump seems to show no interested in formulating any sort of policy that implements his campaign promises to them, in the economic area. He just said the stuff that got the biggest cheers.
--Hiram
Now I don't think much of Trump's character, however he does seem to be showing tenacity towards many of his campaign promises.
- Exiting TPP and putting in tariffs
- Exiting Paris Accords
- Reducing regulation
- Reducing taxes
- Ending ACA federal regulations
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