I find this kind of humorous after having to listen to Conservatives complain about Obama's Executive Actions. How he was terrible and over stepping his authority because he wanted to rule the country... MSN Trump Writes More Executive Orders Than
Here is Trump with a GOP government and he is stymied to the point of using "Decrees from the Emperor". Where is that great negotiator?
The Hill - Hypocrite in Chief
BI 7 Trump Complaints about Obama
USA Today Orders
WAPO Trump's Past EO Comments
Here is Trump with a GOP government and he is stymied to the point of using "Decrees from the Emperor". Where is that great negotiator?
"Obama goes around signing executive orders," Trump said in February 2016. "He can't even get along with the Democrats. He goes around signing all these executive orders. It's a basic disaster. You can't do it."
Trump said that same sort of thing regularly on the 2016 campaign trail. It was a perfect way to make the case that Obama was an out-of-control executive, trying to push his liberal agenda on the country via fiat."And I must say that I don't remember Obama ever threatening to censor our national media. Maybe Trump thinks he is the President of Russia, China or North Korea? :-)
The Hill - Hypocrite in Chief
BI 7 Trump Complaints about Obama
USA Today Orders
WAPO Trump's Past EO Comments
43 comments:
I am sure if you mine the data you can find stuff. To me what's interesting is how indifferent conservatives are to hypocrisy and the appearance of it. Democrats are constantly being attacked as hypocrites, often with considerable justification. We are often inconsistent, we often fail to live up to ideals we set for ourselves, and project on others. Our leaders ride around in limousines far too much, and eat more quiche than they should.
Still think trump is a better choice than Clinton? I see on the news and read in the paper words like unstable and unraveling to describe Trump and these words come from republicans and white house staffers.
Trump’s Tweets Are Damaging the Republican Character
my link is slightly related to the topic I think. Trump's desire to shut down the media does not fit at all with our democratic tradition.
I found the part about the rage of Trump's base interesting and disturbing. Where / how does this end and what does it mean for the future of the country?
I got this link from K. Drum who included his thought on this matter.
What Trump did yesterday, is kind of interesting. What denying the subsidies does is "implode" the market. What does it mean to implode a market? In this case it increases the level of risk for the participants. In economics of inurance, risk costs. The riskier the bet insurance companies assume, the more they are going to charge for it. And if they can't find people who will pay the price, they will simply get out of the market. A basic reason there are so few health insurance companies as it is, is that the risks are too high.
What does that mean for us? As with much else Trump does, his move was divisive. The rich won't be hurt, because they don't participate in the imploded markets. The poor won't be hurt because their premium supports remain unchanged. Their premiums will go up, but not what they pay. So where to the costs associated with market implosion fall? On taxpayers in the middle; those who make too much to get subsidized premiums, and who will pay the increased market costs in the form of higher taxes.
Trump said yesterday that the people who will be hurt will be the insurance companies, and based on news reports, this may happen to some extent. Some insurance companies have indicated that they will stick it out, something that's very good public relations for them. But in doing that, they will be putting the interests of their customers ahead of their shareholders, something they really can't continue to do in the long run. What will happen is that business will find a way to shift their costs to someone else, taxpayers, customers, doctors and nurses, or they will eliminate those costs altogether by getting out of the business.
--Hiram
Division is the hallmark of Trump's politics. And it's so obvious. Donald has 37% of the voters locked up. So that means he loses 63 to 37. So what's the solution. He has to find ways to divide up the vote against him, each into fragments of less that 37. So what does he do?
Think about the NFL. What people have been saying a lot is that the NFL is not political, a refuge from racial and other issues that divide America. It's one of the few areas where Black America and White America share common ground independent of race. Where many of us see an idealized version of what America could be, Donald Trump, with his predatory instincts, sees as a golden opportunity to divide and conquer. He zeros in, on the fault line, the flag protests and cracks it wide open. Suddenly, the narrative of unity the NFL has presented, is converted into a narrative of fear, that Donald Trump seeks to exploit. And the numbers Trump gleefully point to support that. NFL ratings are plunging. Attendance is in decline. People all America are burning the jerseys of the teams that they so enthusiastically supported just a matter of weeks ago.
Donald Trump's vision of fear triumphs again.
--Hiram
Laurie,
Agreed... The Trump true believers may not even get this very funny cartoon.
By the way, I also like this one.
And this one
The cartoon on Global Warming is funny only because most people believe that nonsense, that coal-burning is the CAUSE of all those NATURAL disasters. And I don't think cartoons can form the basis of calm, rational discourse.
Not a big global warming guy, but hurricanes in Ireland do give me pause.
--Hiram
Trump's nonsense move on the Iran deal is the a foreign policy disaster. For Trump to pull the U.S. to pull out of the deal when everyone agrees Iran is in compliance is going to make it harder to get a renegotiated agreement with Iran -- and it also is going to make it harder to get a diplomatic solution in North Korea.
The Iran deal had the backing not only of our allies, but China and Russia, too -- the two countries that are going to be critical to a North Korea deal. Meanwhile, what's the incentive for Iran or North Korea to cooperate with the U.S., when it's clear that even if they hold up their end of the deal, that the U.S. might pull the rug out anyway? Both countries are likely to calculate that they're better off racing towards developing nukes (Iran) or refining nuke-carrying ICBMs (North Korea) and betting that Trump is bluffing with his bluster.
Sean, you are correct only if Iran really is in compliance with the letter of the agreement (which should have been more tightly written). Still, when Trump says they are violating the "spirit" of the deal, and criticizing the deal repeatedly, minds may be changed in the international community, especially if they think the US can no longer be played for fools. Sometimes it pays to have a leader who is a little bit nuts and unpredictable. As Machiavelli says, it is better to be feared than loved. Especially if you can't buy love.
Hiram,
Just follow Jerry's lead and you will sleep blissfully.
Sean,
Though I agree that we should honor the nuclear treaty, I am curious if we could put sanctions on them for the missiles, terrorist support, etc... While maintaining it?
Jerry,
The US is foolish if we think we are the "supreme power" who gets to decide what North Korea and Iran will have for weapons and how they will treat their people... Trump promised to stop this over seas spending and interference and instead he doubles down on it.
When are you going to call him on his inconsistency?
Well we spend all that money on the military, we should get something in return.
I did watch Ken Burns' documentary, "The Vietnam War", all 18 hours of it. I had a lot of thoughts about it, but one thing that struck me was the ferocity of the fighting, and how ill suited, even irrelevant, the most powerful military in the world was to the conflict.
--Hiram
Hiram, that is a very intriguing thought. It reminded me of the way our guide summarized the Battle of Gettysburg. She said it was a "horrific example of 18th century tactics fought with 19th century weaponry." Vietnam was an example of 21st Century tactics (asymmetric warfare) employed against our 20th century weapons. We are faced with a "non-shooting war" with Iran and NK, that employs some 21st century tactics and a lot of just plain nutty behavior. You cannot reason with stupid and crazy, and it's not particularly wise to enter a fight.
John, I see no inconsistency, and I'm not sure I care much about it as a principle in every case. Trump said he would act in our best interests, and sometimes that means dealing with ruthless dictators differently than you deal with steadfast democratic allies. Let me ask this question: Suppose you have a contract for someone to build you a house. Six months later, after you have paid 1/2 down, not a single board has been delivered to the work site and the weeds are growing well. Do you "keep the agreement" and forward the other half of the money?
Actually it is more like signing a contract to give a person back their money and drop a specific law suit if they did XYZ.
Then the person is doing XYZ, and you threaten to renew the original lawsuit because you are unhappy that the person is doing ABC...
The reality is that Trump promised to pass infrastructure, cut spending, get Americans back to work and get raises flowing... And instead he is trying to distract his followers with everything but those results because he is failing...
So, you are unhappy that our unorthodox President is getting the right things done the "wrong" way? And that he is being remarkably effective against rabid opposition from all sides?
Please help me understand what he has gotten done?
As far as I know he is just like Obama, a lot of executive orders and reg changes and little in the way of actual laws that help normal Americans.
"...he is just like Obama..."
Barack Obama was able to get a monumental health care bill passed.
Oh...and he also didn't threaten a nation of 25 million people with destruction.
And he met with families of fallen soldiers.
And he didn't spend nearly as much time golfing as Trump.
The "both sides do it" argument is ludicrous.
Anything Trump is accomplishing is likely to be happening in spite of him, not because of him.
Moose
Moose,
You are correct that Obama did get ACA passed, however he did have more DEM Senators to work with. The GOP healthcare plan would have passed if Trump had those numbers on his side.
And yes Trump drives action through brinksmanship, for better or worse. This is forcing Congress to try to do something.
And I would say that Obama's limp dealings with Syria, Iran, North Korea and China sure did us no favors.
Now if he actually could stay focused on important issues, he may actually be ok.
"And I would say that Obama's limp dealings with Syria, Iran, North Korea and China sure did us no favors."
I don't recall any other country threatening us with Nuclear War during Obama's terms, do you?
Moose
And I would say that Obama's limp dealings with Syria, Iran, North Korea and China sure did us no favors.
We weren't willing to go to war, and they knew it. It's much the same with Trump. He threatens but our adversaries know his threats are meaningless. donald wants to be intimidating but with out popular support, he is a paper tiger. Just a few minutes the NFL shrugged him off.
--Hiram
Moose,
I do remember North Korea still proceeding with their developing those weapons at an alarming rate. The only way to get China to take stopping North Korea seriously is to ensure they know that North Korea's efforts may put their country and citizens at risk. Therefore the escalation seems to be helping.
To a near pacifist Obama China said one thing and did another.
"This is forcing Congress to try to do something."
The Alexander-Murray talks have been going on for months ... and now Trump has said he won't agree to their deal. So what's the next master plan from the great negotiator? Or are the hostages just going to die?
I just read that. Likely they will die from exposure at this rate.
Odd. We criticize Trump for violating the law when he DOESN'T, and then criticize him when he DOES follow the law, by stopping these payments.
Obama won't be the one remembered for starting World War III.
Moose
No, just for causing it.
No. We just criticize Trump because he usually over promises and under delivers.
"No, just for causing it."
Sorry. I'd write a response, but I can't stop laughing.
Moose
Moose,
I am pretty much there with you. I agree that Obama did little to prevent it, but that is a long way from saying he caused it.
It is kind of like saying that FDR caused WWII. :-)
Who allowed North Korea and Iran to gear up with nuclear missiles, destabilizing their regions and making the chance of devastating war much more likely? One can cause trouble either by action or by inaction.
Jerry,
What exactly do you think Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama should have done differently?
Please remember that these are independent countries doing weapons development just as the US does regularly. It is an interesting mystery.
You realize those are four different topics? At minimum, Obama should have learned from the "mistakes" or miscalculations or unreasonable assumptions made by his predecessors. His naivete' and disinterest in foreign affairs prevented him recognizing a madman, and actually encouraged the situation to become worse.
Jerry,
What exactly do you think Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama should have done differently?
Please remember that these are independent countries doing weapons development just as the US does regularly. It is an interesting mystery.
Jerry,
And please remember that so far Trump has not accomplished squat with regard to North Korea and it's weapons program...
Well other than sink to their level of making provocative statements...
Let's see. Reagan had 8, Bush 4, Clinton 8 and Obama 8-- 28 years total, and Trump has just passed 1. He has antagonized Kim, rattled his generals, sent a vast military presence off his shore, made a deal yesterday to greatly reinforce the So. Korea military, got the Chinese to pressure Kim through trade restrictions, and is quickly getting the rest of the world lined up. Now today he is subtly offering what I thought was the end game, a non-aggression pact in exchange for an end to the offensive nuclear missile regime. Not bad for the idiot you assume him to be.
And then there is this: "A year after Donald Trump was elected president, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has rallied 28.5 percent — the biggest one-year gain for the popular index under a newly elected commander-in-chief since the Great Depression."
Trump has accomplished nothing so far. NK is still busy developing and testing. Hopefully he does better but I at not holding my breath based on how he is doing on other things.
Maybe if he didn't act like a child with ADHD he would have better results.
And yes people like me with big stock holdings are happy... Unfortunately Wall Street and I were do great under Obama also.
Unemployment is still where it was and wages still are not growing.
I am starting to diversify slowly because this is starting to feel like a big bubble..
I cannot find any more diversity for my portfolio, though I am considering a higher cash position, or some stop orders for the inevitable correction.
Unemployment is down and wages are up, depending on where you get your stats.
Measures have been taken to contain NK, which though they have not yet solved the problem, at least stopped the can-kicking, pipe dreams and appeasement of the Obama years. That's progress.
And you can stop with the insults. I've long said that we need a President who seems "a little bit crazy." It keeps our enemies, foreign and domestic, guessing. Crazy like a fox.
I think only FOX or another far Right is reporting any significant change in the economy since Trump took over. It was getting consistently better under Obama and the trend has continued, though slowing somewhat under Trump as full employment was reached.
I consider putting some in cash as diversification. (ie cash, property, bonds, stocks US, stocks international, etc)
I see foxes as sly and focused. Maybe Trump is more Crazy Like a Honking Canadian Goose with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Pretty hard not to notice a 20% jump in the stock market, though, isn't it? And reaching the "impossible" 3% growth so quickly?
I mean, you can criticize the guy on "style points" or for "annoying the left/media" (a plus in my opinion), but whatever he is doing it is working.
Post a Comment