Does this frighten you or is your heart lightened? Surely, it's a complicated mix, whichever side you're on.
If, overall, you support the Democratic Party, yes, of course, you feel good, but what worries you about the prospect of the Democratic Party control of Congress? What's the downside?
If, overall, you support the GOP, it's got to hurt, but how might your party benefit long term?
I'm asking these questions with the assumption that Joe Biden will be sworn in as President. Please don't use the comments here to bring up the challenge to the Electoral College, which is doomed and which must be blamed, at least in part, for the GOP losses in the Georgia runoff.
Posts
399 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 399 of 399Actually, I'm not cynical enough to believe every member of Congress (in either party) are solely there to aggrandize their wealth and power, or that none are there trying to do what they truly believe is best.
Tulsi, gone, seemed to have some principles besides self-advancement, although she was good at that too. Devin Nunes seems honest. I'm not an expert who's looked closely into all of them, but are there any other notable ones who jump out as being public service minded and also prominent? Maybe not every single member of Congress is corrupt to the core, but I assume every single prominent one is. And specifically, they're owned by the military industrial complex in whatever flavor it manifests in their area.
If only Loeffler had been a better friend to Israel, this wouldn't have happened.
Special thanks to Inga and Howard. They're enjoying themselves immensely, and they should.
"On my second week of patrol, when I was not knowin' shit, we roll by Spooky's one night. I observe this old, black fool, named Too Fine, all drunk, beating the shit out of this female Doberman. Beautiful dog, seven months old. Too Fine's whoopin' her with a garden hose. This dog's just crying, shaking. I grew up with Dobermans. I was pissed. I tell my T.O. 'I'm gonna take him.' And my T.O. is like: 'No, no. It's cool.' "
I agree quite a bit with the Gipper's narrative. Once you developed a model of what was happening; it became clear that the logical course was for the left to be more bold in their actions. And they were.
Nobody was held to account for mishandling the highest levels of national secrets. Nobody was held to account for working with foreign agents that attempt to blackmail a duly elected President using a false dossier. Nobody was held to account for wiretapping an opponents campaign. Nobody is going to be held to account for voter irregularities.
However, a few kids visiting DC will be held to account for showing their support to the President. Some may say police officers aren't being held to account for shooting armed assailants with knives; but just try defending your own home against a mob brandishing weapons, or try to provide aid to businesses being burned down by a mob. And if there are too many of you; then they'll just turn off power to your region in the name of global warming and potential wild fires, until you learn to vote the right way. Even if you do vote the right way; they'll keep you under control with covid lockdowns, while they travel to Davos to discuss resetting how much wealth you have.
On the other hand, this isn't new. Turn the clock back 100 years, and you'll see a lot of similarities. Things did continue to get worse, but in 25 years, all was better. In the meantime, I'm confident that model is holding up, and therefore I'm able to make rational decisions that will protect me and my family. I think most here will do the same.
The Trump Presidency opened our eyes to the previously unknown depth of the swamp. The leftmedia, the Democrats, Big Tech, the RINOs, the African-American community have proved to be irretrievably corrupt and apparently proud of it. They have given us a preposterous Biden/Harris Presidency. Imagine VP Roundheels soon to be POTUS as if Biden is not absurd enough. And Senator Raphael Warnock? Seriously?
A doddering grifter in the White House, open borders, socialists in Congress, ChiCom pimps everywhere, infanticide, anti-frackers, anti-Christians, amnesty for illegals, tax increases, gun grabs, Brownshirts and other criminals destroying Democrat cities, Green New Deal, gun grabs, etc., what could go wrong?
Wait till the Democrats give us runaway inflation... stock market crash... totalitarian state... Antifa unleashed...
Then Ann, let's see who is laughing... not voting has it's on consequences.
Our media is corrupt. That is the worst part of our national disaster.
mockturtle said...
With risk of sounding like a conspiracy-nut, we need to see the global picture here to understand what is going on. The Great Reset and all that. There are conspiracies that are not just theories. Trust me on this.
Here's some appetizers this morning:
Maduro's grip tightens as Venezuelan socialists take control of once-defiant congress
-Fox News
‘Total submission’: With mass arrests, China neutralizes Hong Kong democracy movement
-Washington Post
But do not forget--when his party and his country needed him, Trump was fighting alongside Bernie.
And they said he couldn't reach across the aisle and work with Democrats ...
Seriously, though, pushing the old buttons doesn't really work that well anymore. It didn't work that well for Trump in the campaign and it doesn't work that well against Trump now.
Arguable too: if Perdue and Loeffler had been against the $2000 stimulus, they would have lost by even more votes (if they did lose).
wendybar said...
...
...Warnock beat up his wife.
Untrue; and not just untrue, but defamatory. Maybe, if the Trump Party eventually has its way on Sec. 230, Senator Warnock will be able to sue you, and Althouse.
Instead of pinning hopes on the feckless Republican majority in the Senate, those not-Democrats will have to fight Democrats in the street. Some judicial nominations will now go Democrat leftist now, but otherwise, what has Mitch McConnell done? 20016-18 was mostly a waste of Republican control of Congress. On the other hand, the 2008-10 Democratic party control roused many and eventually led to Trump.
In the day to day, the contrast between what the Democrats try to impose and what Trump accomplished will be all the more stark. This is likely to inflame the 2022 response.
One very good thing that is likely to occur is that J.J. Watt retires, returns to Wisconsin, and challenges Tammy Baldwin in the next election for her senate seat.
In the long term we are all dead.
The local media in GA hide all of Warnocks sins and crimes.
oh joy! Democrats are all above the law.
hid
The Court dissolved itself in an act of seppuku, i guess barrett was the surprise except robert barnes warned us about her.
Nothing wrong with gold, especially if it's coin or bullion or bars.
>>
Krugerrands travel better.
I don't trust your crypto crap.
"though you'll have plenty of money, there's nothing that money will buy"
He ust mentally abused her, banged as much of the flock as possible and ran over her foot you despicable piece of shit.
Which was cool because orange man bad. You fucking scumbag.
Arguable too: if Perdue and Loeffler had been against the $2000 stimulus, they would have lost by even more votes (if they did lose).
Who knows. The point is: it's a no-win situation. Like the GOP can possibly outbid the dems on free government money. Offal and Warlock only had to say: "if we win, We can guarantee to get $2,000, if they win, McConnell will block it."
Trump literally helped the democrats buy votes with my taxmoney. It's one of the most politically stupid things I have ever seen in my life.
Congrats, guys. Enjoy your $2,000 Trump check. I hope it was worth it.
However, given the number who are entirely self-serving, combined with those whose convictions as to "what is best" are wrong, we will continue to have the ongoing clusterfuck that enriches and empowers the rich and powerful and shits on everyone else.
This seems completely indisputable to me. It blows my mind that there are people who still believe there is a partisan solution to this problem. Republicans and Democrats are a choice between the gas chamber and a firing squad. The Deplorables are hopeless. Their fixation on Trump is a matter of total desperation. They’re all but waving the white flag.
Based on yesterday's results: if it weren't for abortion rights, Georgia would never again elect a white candidate to a statewide office.
Congress will be part of a Vichy regime. This is certain. So forget horse trading and let's make a deal. Orders will be issued and blue states will enforce them. Lawyers will not object if the Masked Ones start putting them in jail. The question is: what will the Red states do?
Good Things Coming in the Future
Congress will give the country back to the First People who are a Chinese people and we will become an Autonomous Region like the Uighur area.
Then us folks in the camps will pay off the national debt with our work.
So there's that.
To quote Clubber Lang (Mr. T's character from Rocky 3) my predicition is "Pain" for at least the next few years and perhaps forever. It seems like nothing short of a total economic collapse could bring some sanity back to our Republic, which given the almost certain spending and printing frenzy combined with the raising of taxes seems fairly likely to me.
The left successfully installed a vote-cheat scheme in some major blue cities. that will spread.
vote integrity is all that matters. and a fair honest press.
We have neither now.
USA = something between a corrupt banana republic and Soviet woke-mob.
Thats about 150/month for these lockdowns
blanket vilification of "the rich" is exactly what the ultra wealthy leftwing democratics in power want.
"Except that we're not replacing the GOP with Dems, we're replacing the Trump admin. The Trump admin was not beholden to the military industrial complex in the way the uniparty has been captured, so you're wrong here."
I'll give Trump credit for recently vetoing a budget increase for the War Department, though Congress--majorities in both parties--voted to override Trump's veto.
"The public policy changes will be significant, as we just saw the party of war and perpetual global conflict retake office."
Trump didn't end any of our ongoing wars. He seemed to want to try to instigate war with Iran, but Iran is well enough aware not to react recklessly to provocations. Both parties are parties of "war and perpetual global conflict." It's all about increasing (or at least maintaining) America's global dominance and further enriching corporate bank accounts.
"This is why despite your pretensions to being a leftist or a radical, if you don't know where you stand on Biden v. Trump, you ain't no radical."
Hahaha! I have never presented myself as or claimed to be or a "leftist or a radical." I state my opinions; there a number of dim witted halfwits here who characterize me as a "commie" or a "Stalinist" or other such sort of radical.
Witness said...
Just keep shrinking the party, and eventually it'll be so big they won't be able to steal the elections!
The GOPe and democrats are one and the same. It's all one big party for DC insiders they exist to serve themselves and only themselves.
the only thing I'm confident in about the 2020 election cycle is that both parties will learn the wrong lessons from it.
BidenFamilyTaxPayerFundedCrackPipe said...
Our media is corrupt. That is the worst part of our national disaster.
I totally agree with this.
I would feel better about the Dems taking over if my own Dem governor could get any kind of solid plan out about COVID vaccinations so she can live up to the Dem Hero YasssKweeen reputation she's gotten for banning seed sales to keep us safe.
Yes, "both parties are the parties of war and perpetual conflict," which is precisely why the Trump admin was the best thing to happen to geopolitics and America's role in them in decades.
If a Dem or conventional GOP were in power the last four years, we would likely have intervened more significantly in Syria and Libya. In East Asia, we'd still be hostage to China's N. Korea shenanigans--it's easy to forget that Trump defanged China's vicious little pet. As to Iran, you could look at what Trump and say he wanted war, or you could look at those actions and say that a display of vigor and accountability, like TR's big stick, increases the likelihood of peaceable solutions.
She hasnt finished swallowing her daily guinea pig assortment maybee.
"blanket vilification of "the rich" is exactly what the ultra wealthy leftwing democratics in power want."
That, and to reinstate the state and local tax deduction that'll save them money because they live in high-tax cities/states.
But of course, those leftwing democratic asshats aren't rich, are they? They're just Regular Folks, like Joe from Scranton...
In 2018, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife took a $10,000 deduction for state and local taxes on their federal tax return (the most recent tax return available for review). While this deduction provided the Bidens with some tax savings, it was a fraction of the substantial savings they could have realized if not for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which was signed into law at the end of 2017.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposed a $10,000 cap on the "SALT deduction," which is the federal deduction you can claim for state and local taxes (SALT) if you itemize. Effectively, the SALT cap reduced the Biden's tax deductions by nearly $352,000.
Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed, Democrats have been working to repeal the SALT deduction cap. Biden has expressed support for repeal and other leading Democrats (including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi) have targeted the cap.
https://www.fool.com/taxes/2020/09/30/biden-repeal-gop-tax-change-reduced-deductions/
My advice:
1) Buy stocks of American flag-making companies now, this morning.
2) Don't stand near the border in San Diego; I don't want to see any of you get trampled.
"Wait till the Democrats give us runaway inflation... stock market crash...."
It's possible; last time it was the Republicans. Actually, it's a constant of capitalism, in which financial crashes are constant and cyclical.
Chuck said Untrue; and not just untrue, but defamatory. Maybe, if the Trump Party eventually has its way on Sec. 230, Senator Warnock will be able to sue you, and Althouse.
So I guess that means Justice Kavanaugh can sue you, all the media and all of the crooked lying politicians and actresses that accused him of rape when THAT didn't happen?? Hypocritical Chucky,.....so very Progressive of you..
He seemed to want to try to instigate war with Iran
I have to disagree with that. My impression was exactly the opposite, that Iran wanted to provoke a response and Trump didn't play along, judging Iran to be mostly irrelevant and best left to fail. Once Soleimani was gone, Iranian influence in the region declined greatly.
"As to Iran, you could look at what Trump and say he wanted war, or you could look at those actions and say that a display of vigor and accountability, like TR's big stick, increases the likelihood of peaceable solutions."
Diplomacy can achieve the same goals. Trump trashed an agreement Obama had forged with Iran. How is that helping achieve (or maintain) a peaceable solution?
It’s hard to have something thoughtful to say when I don’t really care too much about the outcome. I guess I’m surprised. I thought that the gop would win it all. I don’t expect much from the dems except maybe a little more stimulus towards the pandemic. Maybe some changes in healthcare. They can’t do much, nor are they willing to. We won’t see too much meaningful change.
From where I sit, it’s an exciting time for America. To be sure, the Democrats in Congress need to avoid what happened to them in 1994 and 2010. Nancy, Chuck, and Joe seem to get that.
+1.37% Dow.
Not much a crash.
Trump uncovered and exposed lot of corruption. It's too bad he is so strange and unprofessional. I say this with gratitude towards him, that he beat Hillary and uncovered so much.
But the media machine and the corrupt Pelosi-Clinton-Schitt-show swiftly did all they could to smother all negative info about any D, and all access to the knowledge of leftwing corruption.
People don't like Trump based solely on style. sad.
Actually, it's a constant of capitalism
Actually, it is a constant of history. No system escapes unscathed from events.
Balfegor said..."All that said, unified Democratic control is probably good for me personally. I'm a well-off urban professional, after all. It's poor and rural voters who are going to pay the price."
Don't forget where your food and energy comes from. The cities could be made useless with very little sabotage from patriots that care.
I think we can all agree that both parties are corrupt. The Dems might have the edge and certainly hold the historic record but the GOP is nothing but a self-serving part of the overall corruptocracy. Trump at least identified the Deep State, which includes the Pentagon. Unfortunately, it's so well entrenched it's too late to dig it out. It will destroy itself but, in the meantime, we can only hope to save ourselves and our families. Our republic is toast.
The democrat party is Castro.
Maybe, if the Trump Party eventually has its way on Sec. 230, Senator Warnock will be able to sue you, and Althouse.
Presumably Warnock is a public figure and can't sue and changes to Sec. 230 won't change that. Certainly, unproven claims have been made against politicians all the time, especially against Trump, and libel suits don't result. And while it's not proven that Warnock ran over his wife's foot, something will turn up sooner or later.
Congrats, guys. Enjoy your $2,000 Trump check. I hope it was worth it.
Given all the shutdowns, a traditional Republican "don't spend the money" response wouldn't have worked at the polls. If you think of COVID and the responses to it as a hurricane, it might make more sense. The usual rules don't apply to disasters and acts of God.
Me? Glad I moved back to Canada.
America has been a force for good in the world and a great country. I am not sure it will be anymore. Not so much because of Biden but because of voters who support riots, race quotas, and defunding the police. I expect the Democrats to start punishing Red America very soon.
I'm a conservative but I'm happy. The GOP has become so corrupted that I'm a bit relieved that the Dems will control everything. The GOP needs to be broken and remade, and my hope is that this finally breaks it so something better can be born.
The Democrats are also corrupt, but they need a strong GOP to break them. I like a strong two-party system, but not a weak and corrupt one. I have faith in the future of this country.
This is what Gretchen Whitmer tweeted this morning:
How was Iran behaving under the JCPOA? Consider the level of terrorist activity in the region, which went down after we exited the agreement. See little "c" chuck's comment above: withdrawing from an agreement that destabilizes a region IS diplomacy, which is both entering and exiting and also amending agreements.
I persist on this topic because while you're no radical, you do seem genuinely against stupid and vicious wars. And Trump is the only leader in a long time who actually spoke and acted in a way that reduced our exposure to military conflict and saw a net reduction in hostilities in which we are involved. That's a big fucking difference between Trump and the uniparty. And that's going to change, quickly, with the uniparty reasserting its control.
If this were a normal legit loss - meh.The fact fraud won the election. That the Democrat party has successfully blocked laws that would prevent voter fraud, big tech actively working to push dem party talking points while blocking those on the right,legacy media lying to the public... That has me very depressed.
The first important change is already occuring - the influx of illegals over the border has already begun. With the restaurant industry decimated where will these new illegals work. Maybe building mansions for the upper middle class which always does so well under the party that claims to be for the poor.
Not my president. Not my congress.
Can you do political nullification, or is that right restricted to juries? We'll see.
Browndog said...
This is what Gretchen Whitmer tweeted this morning:
And this is what the MAGA shitheads were doing in an airport, and on a plane, when they encountered Senator Mitt Romney:
https://www.the-sun.com/news/2087513/maga-fans-scream-traitor-mitt-romney-flight-dc/
So do the math; take away from the Democrats about 10 or 15 percent of their furthest-left voters. And those voters go away to some fringe party.
And add to the Democrats 35 or 40 per cent of the Republican Party; all of the educated professional-class suburban voters.
Beat that, Trumpers.
Given that the Dems are scarcely distinguishable from the Republicans, I expect no significant change in public policy. Those who talk of the Dems "pushing through a radical agenda" are either opposition propagandists who know better or idiots who don't.
Party vs. Party? Sure, I'm in agreement. Conservatives vs liberals? Distinct differences. Liberals vs. Lefties like yourself? As scarcely distinguishable as GOP vs Dem.
You'll laugh at that last point, and I'll ask why, and I won't get an answer.
This result was completely obvious to me a week after the election when it was clear that the GOP in D.C. was happy to be rid of Trump as long as they didn't have to take an active role in the process. The GOP still doesn't get it- the Democrats will now never give up mail in ballots, nor will the Democrats allow good verification of such ballots- Republicans weren't even able to get this in Georgia- a state with a GOP legislature, governor, and secretary of state. The die is cast now- even if the 50/50 Senate with Joe Manchin as the balancer doesn't pass mass amnesty for illegal immigrants and statehood for PR and DC, the 2022 elections will give the Democrats solid control of both houses- all this happy talk about how midterms always favor the party out of power is delusional without accounting for the sudden changes being wrought in voting methods. What we have now is just open and obvious ballot stuffing by the Democrats, and to stay competitive, the Republicans will now need to do the exact same thing- stuff the ballot box.
@daskol:
If a Dem or conventional GOP were in power the last four years, we would likely have intervened more significantly in Syria and Libya.
I think this is undoubtedly true. Mattis resigned as SecDef over withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan.
In East Asia, we'd still be hostage to China's N. Korea shenanigans--it's easy to forget that Trump defanged China's vicious little pet.
I think this is completely untrue. In what way is North Korea "defanged" in a way it wasn't before 2016? It has continued with missile development, has tested a new tactical ballistic missile, and has unveiled a road-mobile ICBM.
As to Iran, you could look at what Trump and say he wanted war, or you could look at those actions and say that a display of vigor and accountability, like TR's big stick, increases the likelihood of peaceable solutions.
Trump's policy towards Iran has very little to do with Roosevelt's notion of big stick diplomacy, particularly the "speak softly" component. Attempting to force the total capitulation of one side in a dispute is not a "peaceable solution."
And add to the Democrats 35 or 40 per cent of the Republican Party; all of the educated professional-class suburban voters.
Serious wishful thinking, Chuck. Lunatics like yourself are the small (but vocal) minority.
Browndog- thanks for that. Now I know what she's doing rather than telling her beloved Michiganders how to get our parents vaccinated.
Trump trashed an agreement Obama had forged with Iran.
Good. It was a silly agreement founded on the idea that Iran was a legitimate hegemon and would bring peace to the area through empire. Did it bring peace? No.
Antifa is a terrorist organization (idea!) that began after Madonna and Kathy Griffin did their thing.
Yancey - I recall what you said after the election in Nov. You were right.
You nailed it.
No it goes back to the 30s if not farther back in the Marxist action groups
1. End of filibuster.
2. Amnesty for all illegal aliens present within the country.
3. Functionally open borders.
4. D.C. Statehood
5. Puerto Rico Statehood
Last American should turn out the lights.
I support the Trump agenda. However, a first term president generally has both chambers for their first two years. I want Biden to have that. Otherwise, Biden voters won't have a clear understanding of exactly what they voted for.
Short term pain for long term gain hopefully.
@I Callahan:
Party vs. Party? Sure, I'm in agreement. Conservatives vs liberals? Distinct differences. Liberals vs. Lefties like yourself? As scarcely distinguishable as GOP vs Dem.
You'll laugh at that last point, and I'll ask why, and I won't get an answer.
Granted this wasn't addressed to me, but there is a difference between "liberals" and "lefties." It's the difference between Elizabeth Warren supporters versus Bernie Sanders supporters. It's the difference between the people who read The Intercept and Jacobin versus the people who read The Nation and Mother Jones. Liberals love the Clintons; lefties hate them.
Undoing the damage that trump has wrought on our body politic will not be easy but kicking Mitch to the curb makes it possible. I see a Biden term in which the MAGAt resistance is ineffective and futile but they get more and more red faced with each passing day and more alienated from logic and decency. Driven to even shakier sources of information than Qnon and OAN, eventually Trumpers will abandon anything as fake news, that doesn’t come out of the fat ass con man ‘s Twitter machine.
GRW3 said...
Watch for the coming Democrat civil war. A bunch have already expressed dismay at how close they came to losing their elections because of the nuts. The nuts will demand full steam ahead when Congress starts.
Lots of truth in this statement. I get subjected to CNN a lot because it has become an addiction for some of my misguided family members and have been hearing Anderson and Fredo claim there's a civil war going on in the Republican party night after night for the past six months. Since it's been my experience that the American Left (which CNN is a part of) are past masters of projection I can only conclude that this is reality for the Democrats.
In fact, I'll go ahead and say it's probably going to be a lot more fun than we imagine!
Chuck - you should be thrilled. Your party - the corrupt democrats - they won.
And with that, their cheating and lying. You're all set.
What are you going to do after Trump is gone? Will you continue to obsess over him? My guess is - yes. because Trump-hate is a good business for the left.
Market’s up which surprises me. I guess they are looking for a BIG stimulus from Biden. They are expecting the crocodile to eat them last.
We survived a Schumer/Pelosi administration once before when The Light Bringer decided to take the last 6 years of his presidency off to concentrate on being a celebrity. We can survive another two years. I have faith in the power of the American people despite my complete lack of faith in our government.
@chuck:
Good. It was a silly agreement founded on the idea that Iran was a legitimate hegemon and would bring peace to the area through empire. Did it bring peace? No.
That is just complete bullshit. It was "founded" on no such "idea." One of the signs that the JCPOA was a good deal is how often its critics have to resort to total lies to criticize it.
"'Trump trashed an agreement Obama had forged with Iran.'
"Good. It was a silly agreement founded on the idea that Iran was a legitimate hegemon and would bring peace to the area through empire. Did it bring peace? No."
What peace was supposed to have been brought and was not?
Iran is a legitimate state, (I don't know about your term "hegemon"). How is it not? What harm was brought by the US/Iran agreement? The US is a far more violent world actor than Iran. Are we a "legitimate hegemon?" To the degree we are a hegemon, legitimate or not, it is through our exercise of (and threat to exercise) our power against other nations, (when bribery doesn't work).
Silly Silly Althouse... Pretending that any of this matters now and America will just continue on business as usual... Whistling you're cruel neutrality mantra past the graveyard of American democracy where the bodies of all who died for it are being desecrated and turned into Democrat voters...
This election was stolen, as will every other election be moving forward. The Democrats have consolidated their power, perfected their corruption, and closed off every avenue or forum by which our grievances could be redressed (courts, legislature, executive, media, education, big tech, etc...)
And here you sit, as if this is all some sort of amusing political bon mot or appetizer to be consumed and critiqued over cocktails at one of your "cultured" parties where everyone titters and scoffs at the pitiful rubes in fly-over country and their "simple" ideals of the American system.
You may not realize it yet Ann, but this is truly the final death blow to America. The Democrats will NEVER again allow someone like Trump, or those whos supported him, to challenge or threaten their power ever again. No matter how much we rally or protest or get out the vote, or get 150 million American's to vote against them, they control the vote counting software / hardware / election processes and will continue to do whatever is necessary to invalidate / destroy / override the will of the people and declare that "once again" they are victories... Remember, its not who votes that counts, but who counts the votes who counts, and so we the people no longer have any say in our own Government.
So we could tell ourselves comforting lies... continue to participate and vote in meaningless elections. Cling desperately to the illusion that someday, somehow we'll get lucky and our voices will be heard... But that will be a delusion.. Just like yours that this is all just normal politics...
So my advice to you and everyone on this blog is to hunker down, buckle up, and focus on preparing to protect your family and make a stand. Move out of the cities into the rural areas. Make close friends with other conservatives in your communities. Have food / water / guns / ammo / medicine stocked up and a defense plan. Stop paying taxes. Go off grid as much as possible. Learn to farm / hunt. If possible, move to another country where there is still some semblance of sanity (though who knows for how long). Things are going to go bad very very quickly from here on out.
Make no mistake... WE ARE NOW AT WAR... The only question is whether people will wake up in time and fight, or submit meekly to what is coming...
Good luck patriots. May God protect us and save the remnant.
I hope I'm not infringing Ann's understandable request that this thread should not be turned into another thread on the election results, but can I ask the learned friends like David Begley about what happens if the election result as presently certified is implemented in terns of Harris/Biden in the White House, and Democratic control of Congress, but, that situation is called into question by later revelations?
This depends firstly on there being extant court challenges to the results - there has been such a flurry of activity and partisan comment on the litigation that I'm not sure where we stand. Are there cases left where, although the plaintiffs were refused injunctive relief against certification of results, the cases will ultimately proceed to trial so that all the affidavits about exclusion of R poll watchers and evidence of dead voters etc. will be assessed? If so, and if such cases were successful in a sufficient number of States to call into question the 270 electoral college threshold, what happens next? It seems this would not alter the fact that Biden or (after a short interval) Harris had been sworn in as President, but it would remove the basis on which they were sworn in.
The fact that a radical democrat with ties to Farrakhan won in GEORGIA of all places should scare the fuck out of you.
Texas is next, and then there wont even be a need to cheat at elections anymore.
What the hell has happened to my country?
Keep your powder dry...if you can find any.
Chuck(D) -
Mitt was heckled on a plane. So?
So what? are you wanting to ban free speech now?
Josh Hawley and his family were attacked by Nazi-Stalinist Antifa Democratic Antfia goons - AT HIS HOUSE.
You cool with that?
Fuck the Mullahs. The Mullahs of Iran are a cash cow money whore exchange between corrupt elite D's and the mad Mullah money machine.
PJ57 said...
1. End of filibuster.
2. Amnesty for all illegal aliens present within the country.
3. Functionally open borders.
4. D.C. Statehood
5. Puerto Rico Statehood
Last American should turn out the lights.
You forgot the only one that matters: Packing the Supreme Court. D.C. Statehood can't happen until that happens.
A marxist super-majority on the Court supplants the Constitution.
Market’s up which surprises me. I guess they are looking for a BIG stimulus from Biden. They are expecting the crocodile to eat them last.
Giving people $2000 will certainly benefit big companies like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft in the near term. Lots of people will be buying XBox Series Xs, new MacBooks, and 86 inch OLEDs. Of course it's highly unlikely to do a damn thing for suffering small businesses, your local restaurants and hair salons ect. But the Uniparty have always found small businesses annoying to have to deal with anyway. If they die, so much the better.
"You'll laugh at that last point, and I'll ask why, and I won't get an answer."
I don't even understand your point.
Your bringing up differences between "liberals" and "leftists" seems a baffling non sequitur to me. I was speaking of the two major parties who exercise political power in the U.S. (And, as J. Farmer points out, "liberals" and "leftists" are not similar or comparable.)
1400 just a pittance, for the shuttered businesses and ahattered lives now and in the future.
"Fuck the Mullahs. The Mullahs of Iran are a cash cow money whore exchange between corrupt elite D's and the mad Mullah money machine."
Exactly...a giant money laundering situation.
You don't think that millions of dollars of that cash wasn't kicked back to a lot of people?
Now we'll see how the NYT and its vast mimeographers scrutinize our national leadership for the next 2 yrs. Not encouraged, but curious.
And people said 2020 was a bad year.
Giving people $2000 will certainly benefit big companies like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft in the near term. Lots of people will be buying XBox Series Xs, new MacBooks, and 86 inch OLEDs. Of course it's highly unlikely to do a damn thing for suffering small businesses, your local restaurants and hair salons ect. But the Uniparty have always found small businesses annoying to have to deal with anyway. If they die, so much the better.
Well--then the government will need to give out even more money next summer when small businesses are open, right?
Universal Basic Income is here, and Trump was its Godfather.
Schumer and Pelosi won't make the mistakes made in 2009-2010- at that point in time they didn't have access to the methods for ensuring the midterms of 2010 don't happen.
None of the following will happen in the next 24 months:
Amnesty, PR/DC statehood, packing SCOTUS.
The Democrats will wait until 2023 to pass all of those items including nationwide, no excuse needed mail in voting. The House is now unwinnable for the Republicans- to win the House, the Republicans need at least 15 seats in California, and they are competitive in only 11 now, and that number is shrinking, not growing. The rise of mail-in ballots in California has now cemented the Democrats control of the House- they will retake all the seats they lost in 2020, and by comfortable margins, in 2022. They will also win the Senate seats in WI, PA, and NC in 2022- and easily. They might well win a couple of other seats in the Senate, but they won't need them- 53-47 is firm control of a filibusterless Senate.
"Oh, give me a fucking break."
Buncha petulant, catastrophizing drama queens here.
Communism is always descending on the USA and landing in south america.
Well--then the government will need to give out even more money next summer when small businesses are open, right?
Honestly at this point I'm confused as to why they don't give everyone a million dollars each. Then everyone can be rich.
Robert Cook said...
(And, as J. Farmer points out, "liberals" and "leftists" are not similar or comparable.)
While true this is irrelevant. There are so few public liberals they might as well not exist. The various types of leftists differ slightly in tactics but little in goals or substance, but whose main conflict is who gets to decide how their plunder will be split.
So far no one has mentioned the impact that 'climate change' regulations will have on our country. Here in the West this is a major concern. Biden has already promised to phase out fossil fuels.
My one fear is that Biden might try to make good on his long-held desire to cut Social Security and Medicare. If he tries, I hope those in Congress are fearful enough of outrage from their constituents to reject the idea.
Cut? He's going to increase them and replace them with a UBI.
Getting rid of Mitch McConnell has to be seen as positive, if one has any sense of morality or decency. So those of us that are true patriots are overjoyed. On the other hand;
Is today’s the biggest protest against American democracy and the Constitution in the history of the DC?
It's okay if the Republicans can win again soon, but very bad if they don't win again for 30 years or so.
"A marxist super-majority on the Court supplants the Constitution."
Hahahahahaha!!!
There's a loooooong way to go before a "Marxist super-majority" can dominate the Supreme Court. It has to start with getting one Marxist on the court. No signs of that happening in the future remaining for most of us posting here.
Jeezus! What is it some of you folks are on? Moonshine? Meth? 'Shrooms? Acid? Skank? Some nasty combination of several or all of these?
"There are so few public liberals they might as well not exist."
And even fewer leftists, (assuming you're talking about those in political office).
A trillion dollars divided by 330,000,000 is $3030, DD Driver- it is even more if you don't give it to people who are still employed or retired (like me). It isn't like McConnell didn't want to spend a trillion dollars on the stimulus package- he passed the fucking bill, didn't he? No, McConnell simply didn't want to give more than 1/5 of the stimulus those most needing it. This wasn't Trump's fault- it was McConnell's. All McConnell had to do was reprioritize the trillion dollars- in short, yes, he could have outbid the Democrats on this item within the constraints of the trillion dollar figure.
Iran is a legitimate state
Never said it wasn't. The question is, would helping it reestablish the Persian Empire bring peace?
The US is a far more violent world actor than Iran.
Of course it is, it is much larger. You could have said the same of any major power in the past, it is the way of things. War is the heritage of humanity, no amount of philosophy will change that fact, although several Christian denominations have given it a good shot. If you want peace, join the Seventh Day Adventists or one of the Alsatian Anabaptist denominations.
TeaBagHag said...
Getting rid of Mitch McConnell has to be seen as positive, if one has any sense of morality or decency. So those of us that are true patriots are overjoyed. On the other hand;
Is today’s the biggest protest against American democracy and the Constitution in the history of the DC?
Lol. With "friends" like you, and Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh, the Republican Party needs no new enemies.
And no, the turnout for the rally looks to be like the turnout for an Oak Ridge Boys concert (about 1200 middle-aged crackers from West Bumfuck):
https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1346854732019675137
mockturtle said...
So far no one has mentioned the impact that 'climate change' regulations will have on our country. Here in the West this is a major concern. Biden has already promised to phase out fossil fuels.
That was coming via the Executive branch irregardless of the Georgia outcome.
Besides, most sitting republican Senators are already, and have been, on board to one degree or another.
DavidUW said...
Nothing wrong with gold, especially if it's coin or bullion or bars.
"They will throw their silver into the streets; their gold will be like something unclean. On the day of ADONAI'S wrath their silver and gold won't be able to rescue them. These things won't satisfy their hunger, these things won't fill their stomachs, because these are what caused them to sin."
Ezekiel 7:19
Has the countdown clock now begun? :)
Like they will allow you to keep any of your gold, that will be forfeit to the government.
Re: Nicholas:
I hope I'm not infringing Ann's understandable request that this thread should not be turned into another thread on the election results, but can I ask the learned friends like David Begley about what happens if the election result as presently certified is implemented in terns of Harris/Biden in the White House, and Democratic control of Congress, but, that situation is called into question by later revelations?
Not an election lawyer, but my guess would be nothing happens. The 1982 elections in Illinois were rife with fraud (the prosecutor estimated 100,000+ fraudulent votes), and a bunch of people were convicted, but the results weren't overturned, and the official acts by the legislators and officials potentially fraudulently elected never repudiated or anything as far as I am aware. Not every wrong can be remedied through legal process -- nor should judges be trusted or relied on for this kind of thing. The solution, such as it is, is just pushing for better election security and future elections. Election security is indeed better than it was in 1982 too. E.g. one egregious example was a straight Democratic ticket ballot getting run 198 times. That could happen today, I guess, but (1) observers should be in a position to catch it, and (2) hand recounts would catch the discrepancy. There's room for improvement on other fronts, e.g. people fraudulently voting in the name of other registered voters. But long term, improvement is possible.
Yay!!!!!
This was all self inflicted.
If you all had't listened to the unhinged ravings of the Cheeto, the outcome might have been different.
vicki from Pasadena
Yancey Ward said...
A trillion dollars divided by 330,000,000 is $3030, DD Driver- it is even more if you don't give it to people who are still employed or retired (like me). It isn't like McConnell didn't want to spend a trillion dollars on the stimulus package- he passed the fucking bill, didn't he? No, McConnell simply didn't want to give more than 1/5 of the stimulus those most needing it. This wasn't Trump's fault- it was McConnell's. All McConnell had to do was reprioritize the trillion dollars- in short, yes, he could have outbid the Democrats on this item within the constraints of the trillion dollar figure.
If that is what Trump wanted, he could have negotiated it himself months ago. But Trump outsourced the job to Mnuchin, and went back to playing golf and Tweeting nonsense about how he wuz robbed in the election.
Don't make yourself look silly by repeating that garbage about how the stimulus was negotiated. Trump made it clear that he would sign what was negotiated by McConnell and Mnuchin. Before he changed his psychotic little mind.
We will see how much damage the democrats can do in 2 years. I think the mainstreaming of cancel culture and Critical Race Theory (enshrined racism) will be worst parts. I hate high taxes, but that can be easily repealed. Making racism lawful is going to be hard stop.
...I hope I'm not infringing Ann's understandable request that this thread should not be turned into another thread on the election results, but can I ask...
Yipes; I let the comments here sidetrack me into doing what Althouse didn't want. That's it. I'm outta here for now. Thanks for the reminder.
CNN is talking about how Ossoff can "pad" his totals or margin with votes from Atlanta and Savannah. "Padding" a budget or a resume means indulging in shenanigans to make the budget bigger or the resume more impressive, so one could easily infer that "padding the totals" likewise implies deception and fraud.
Doubtless it was all very innocent and they were talking about legitimate late returns coming in from heavily-Democrat precincts, but really one could easily take what they were saying "out of context" as a reference to cheating (maybe even a recommendation to cheat).
That is essentially what the media did with Trump's phone call with Raffensburger: the took it out of context.
Well, Chuck, I guess that settles it, then- Trump is to blame for legislation McConnell wrote and passed in the Senate and was planning to pass over Trump's veto if issued.
BFTPFCP @9:18am...
You had it right the first time. The GA media will continue to hide the crimes, as Warnock’s crimes will continue.
I will lay this down right now- 2022 midterms:
Democrats reclaim every seat they lost this cycle plus at least 5 more;
Democrats win at least 53 seats in the Senate;
Chuck blames Trump for the GOP's losses.
Browndog said...
...
"Here's some appetizers this morning:
Maduro's grip tightens as Venezuelan socialists take control of once-defiant congress
-Fox News
‘Total submission’: With mass arrests, China neutralizes Hong Kong democracy movement
-Washington Post"
I'll add this, from Cuba - article is in Spanish but I'll translate the quote.
2020 Was the 'Hardest Year' for Cuba, According to the Cuban Center for Human Rights
Excerpt:
"The Cuban Center for Human Rights (CCDH) is forceful in its December report: the year that has just ended has been "the hardest" for the Island. The reasons, according to the organization led by Marta Beatriz Roque, are not only due to the covid-19 pandemic, but to "the scarcity, the lack of freedoms and the repressed life that the Cuban leads, basically dedicated to subsisting."
...
The report recalls that on December 10, the regime took to the streets to "celebrate" Human Rights Day, while State Security kept independent journalists and activists under siege.
2021 "will involve a labor and economic outlook considered one of the worst in the history of the nation, amid a scene of heightened social conflicts"
It also emphasizes that the Government continues to harass the participants in the San Isidro barracks in November, with the aim of "prohibiting them from leaving" their homes, including Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Ileana Hernández, Esteban RodrÃguez, Maykel Castillo, Omara Ruiz Urquiola, Anamelys Ramos, Zuleydis Gómez Cepero and Héctor Luis Valdés Corcho."
It's the difference between Elizabeth Warren supporters versus Bernie Sanders supporters. It's the difference between the people who read The Intercept and Jacobin versus the people who read The Nation and Mother Jones. Liberals love the Clintons; lefties hate them.
There isn't a dime's worth of difference, policy-wise, between any of these comparisons. The only distinction (not difference) is that Socialists are just more impatient. They're all going in the same direction.
Yancy-if the Free Money was going to people who "need it," I would have no problem with. That is not what is happening and you know it. Unless you really believe everyone earning less than 75k should be considered to be suffering from a "financial hardship." That's a touch argument, but good luck
One of the signs that the JCPOA was a good deal is how often its critics have to resort to total lies to criticize it.
What lies are those? Giving money to a terrorist state is NOT a good deal no matter how you slice it. What on earth makes you think Iran is going to be a good faith actor, when after that deal was made they went AGAINST everything they agreed to do?
“Untrue; and not just untrue, but defamatory. Maybe, if the Trump Party eventually has its way on Sec. 230, Senator Warnock will be able to sue you, and Althouse.”
Chuck, LLR, defends the Marxist, America hating, anti-Semitic, pro-abort Pastor against an allegation that he beat his wife when all he did was run over her foot with his car.
There it is, Chuckie. Another Democrat you can be proud of while wallowing in your TDS. It will be interesting to watch RINOs and Never Trumpers trying to rehab the party without Trumpers. Maybe they can bring Paul Ryan back.
The US is a far more violent world actor than Iran. Are we a "legitimate hegemon?" To the degree we are a hegemon, legitimate or not, it is through our exercise of (and threat to exercise) our power against other nations, (when bribery doesn't work).
When RC says stuff like this, it completely negates his point that he doesn't say whether he's a lefty. The above point (that somehow we're more violent than Iran) is utterly laughable on it's face. And it's something only a leftist intellectual would believe.
"Padding" a budget or a resume means indulging in shenanigans to make the budget bigger or the resume more impressive, so one could easily infer that "padding the totals" likewise implies deception and fraud.
But, padding your lead in an athletic events just means scoring points that you need just in case your opponent mounts a comeback.
Your bringing up differences between "liberals" and "leftists" seems a baffling non sequitur to me. I was speaking of the two major parties who exercise political power in the U.S.
On this, we agree.
(And, as J. Farmer points out, "liberals" and "leftists" are not similar or comparable.)
On this, we flat-out disagree. What policies do leftists believe in that today's "liberals" do not? And vice-versa? And be careful how you answer, because what they SAY they believe isn't always what they actually believe. Actions have a part of this argument as well.
That's building a lead. Padding a lead is gilding the lily.
Redistricting will move seats from the northeast and midwest to the south and southwest, but here is the problem for the Republican Party- they no longer really control redistricting- that is done by federal district court judges and/or state supreme courts.
The real problem for the Republican Party is that they have no real desire to fight over anything any longer.
@Robert Cook:
Jeezus! What is it some of you folks are on? Moonshine? Meth? 'Shrooms? Acid? Skank? Some nasty combination of several or all of these?
As someone who has had experience with "several or all of these" (skank?), I know that our society is not under threat from a cohort of "Marxists." It's leftover narrative from the Cold War era. It's been my experience that the people most likely to describe things as "Marxist" are least likely to be conversant in anything Marx ever wrote or did.
There is actually a critique of capitalism in the conservative tradition in the late 18th and early 19th century that in many ways predicts Marx's critique. From its perspective, it sees Marxist thought as "right description, wrong prescription." One of Marx's primary concerns was not inequality per se but alienation. They both saw capitalism as radically reorganizing society and sweeping away traditional social foundations.
Loefler has a future in the Trumper GOP party of the future.
She showed her loyalty to trump by also losing Georgia.
What policies do leftists believe in that today's "liberals" do not?
Read the writings of Dershewicz and Turley. It's not even so much about "policies" as it is about process and the rule of law. Liberals still believe in individual rights, process, and the rule of law. For progressives, the result is the only thing that matters.
Here's an example: progressives think the First Amendment needs to be reigned in to ban hate speech. Liberals are appalled by the suggestion.
Alienation, yes 100 million dead leaves a lot of alienation, firing squads famine dethe odd decapitation or two.
There is actually a critique of capitalism in the conservative tradition in the late 18th and early 19th century that in many ways predicts Marx's critique. From its perspective, it sees Marxist thought as "right description, wrong prescription." One of Marx's primary concerns was not inequality per se but alienation. They both saw capitalism as radically reorganizing society and sweeping away traditional social foundations.
I'd love to read this if you have a link. My first knee-jerk reaction to the critique you describe is that the opposite happened. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt and continuing with Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Clinton and Obama, it was left-leaning political ideas that radically reorganized society and swept away traditional social foundations. But since it was written in the 18th and 19th centuries, it proves that leftist ideas never seem to die, no matter how many times they fail when tried.
They both saw capitalism as radically reorganizing society and sweeping away traditional social foundations.
Which is precisely what Marxism seeks to do, and does when implemented in any of hits many Hydra-headed variations.
The idea that capitalism radically reorganizes society and sweeps away traditional social formations might be valid if capitalism was an ideology in the Marxian sense. But capitalism is not an ideology.
Liberals are appalled by the suggestion.
Not so.
Despite his lowering black unemployment and picking up a few extra votes it is evident that African-Americans were the tools by which the leftmedia and the Dems brought about Trump’s downfall.
It does leave one wondering. Trump was offering jobs and financial support for black universities. What were Democrats offering? Support for BLM Marxists, freedom to loot and riot, defunding the police, crime ridden cities, etc. It’s really just a matter of priorities, isn’t it?
Read the writings of Dershewicz and Turley. It's not even so much about "policies" as it is about process and the rule of law. Liberals still believe in individual rights, process, and the rule of law. For progressives, the result is the only thing that matters. Here's an example: progressives think the First Amendment needs to be reigned in to ban hate speech. Liberals are appalled by the suggestion.
Let's not forget that the liberals that existed in Congress in the 70's and 80's, are the progressives of today. In other words, they moved in the very direction I said they'd move. Turley and Dershowitz are great examples, but the dearth of them proves the point: there ARE no liberals anymore. These guys are law professors and opinion writers, NOT congresspeople or department heads. All that's left are progressives.
Take Joe Biden for example - look at what he said in the 70's vs what he's saying today. Is there even a similarity between the two now?
Dershewicz and Turley - “liberals” - are a minority in that party... exceptions, not the rule.
@I Callahan:
What lies are those? Giving money to a terrorist state is NOT a good deal no matter how you slice it. What on earth makes you think Iran is going to be a good faith actor, when after that deal was made they went AGAINST everything they agreed to do?
Your last sentence is the answer to your first. Instead of making a substantive critique of the deal, you're just making shit up.
Actually allen drury was very farsighted in his later works come nineveh come tyre was most on point. What would happen if we lost the Cold war.
He was a soviet tool even back to the late 70s, although not as expressive as ted kennedy would later prove to be.
I don't know. I'm disappointed. I looked forward to a Republican Senate frustrating the new administration at (most) every turn.
But, the Democrats are not exactly in ideological lockstep. Aren't there still House Democrats representing fairly conservative districts? Not wise to tick off the constituents too much.
Wasn't it Mark Twain who said, "I belong to no organized political party. I'm a Democrat." The "leftist" agenda may find it rougher going than the agonized commentariat here imagines.
I certainly hope so.
mockturtle said... "So far no one has mentioned the impact that 'climate change' regulations will have on our country. Here in the West this is a major concern. Biden has already promised to phase out fossil fuels."
OK, I'll mention it again, which I have several times on this blog over the past few years.
The Green New Deal is both technically and economically impossible. Any attempt to eliminate fossil fuels - as energy, or more importantly, as a chemical raw material - will bring our economy to its knees and put millions of people out of work. There is almost nothing you use on a daily basis that is not directly or indirectly dependent on the production and use of fossil fuels. An economy cannot run on unpredictable sources of energy like sunlight and wind, that's why we replaced them as energy sources decades ago with steam and then electricity produced from fossil fuels, and later, nuclear power, in large central power plants that can generate needed energy on demand. Germany and Australia have already learned this the hard way and we don't need to repeat their mistake.
The whole "climate change" scam is the greatest scientific fraud in world history.
@I Callahan:
Starting with Teddy Roosevelt and continuing with Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Clinton and Obama, it was left-leaning political ideas that radically reorganized society and swept away traditional social foundations. But since it was written in the 18th and 19th centuries, it proves that leftist ideas never seem to die, no matter how many times they fail when tried.
You conveniently left a few names off your list. Nixon's actions in 1971 did not have any effect on society. Remember stagflation? The remedy of which were the policies undertaken in the late 70s and early 80s, collectively known as "neoliberalism." These policies were supported by Reagan and Bush (e.g. trade liberalization, financialization, immigration, structural reforms/Washington consensus, militarism, budget/trade deficits, etc.) and carried on by Clinton, Bush, and Obama. And largely by Trump as well.
And largely by Trump as well.
While Trump didn't exactly overthrow the neoliberal order, you can point to several meaningful ways in which Trump diverged from it. You know, the things you consistently elide when you try to characterize Trump and his policies and their impact.
Re: I Callahan:
Starting with Teddy Roosevelt and continuing with Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Clinton and Obama, it was left-leaning political ideas that radically reorganized society and swept away traditional social foundations.
But if you think about the late 18th and early 19th century in England, what's happening? It's the Industrial Revolution, and the growth of the factory system. Men (and women) who would be working agriculture or cottage industry out at home in the villages would relocate to the cities to work in new factories. Mobility and wage labour necessarily unsettled traditional customs. Not that grubbing in the dirt is better than manning an assembly line -- people around the world have flocked to the latter as soon as it becomes available. But it necessarily entails a disruption of the arrangements and expectations that were in place before.
Now that we know what African Americans want (11:15) let’s figure out what those Biden voting suburban women want.
We know teachers, mostly women, want paychecks for staying home. What about the others? Abortions on demand? Free birth control? Trannies ruling womens’ sports? Lockdowns? Crime? ChiComs? Open borders?
It certainly isn’t economic prosperity or Constitutional government.
Oh well, to borrow from Mencken on democracy and elections, “[Democrat women] know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”
Now that we know what African Americans want (11:15) let’s figure out what those Biden voting suburban women want.
I'm looking forward to women in media proudly proclaiming they'd give a man a blowjob to protect abortion. It will be much better than when they had to hide those mens' trips to Caribbean islands.
@daskol:
While Trump didn't exactly overthrow the neoliberal order, you can point to several meaningful ways in which Trump diverged from it.
This is why I supported Trump in the first place. He proved that you could diverge from it and win an election. He tapped into a similar base of support as Ross Perot but from within the Republican Party. Trump was always going to be constrained in what he could do. But even within that constraint he was pretty inept. He doesn’t get that the trade deficit with China isn’t some scheme on their part but a system we set up and encouraged. We wanted US companies to use Chinese labor and facilities in order to lower their costs. We wanted Chinese money to flow into US financial institutions seeking high rates of return. We wanted a growing Chinese middle class to be a market for US products. Globalization wasn’t something that happened to us; it was something we created.
For all his supposed ineptitude, as regards China, Trump's admin meaningfully changed things such as the Huawei 5g diplomatic campaign in Europe and the trade measures he took bilaterally. You're nipping at his ankles.
As a Democrat, I am very happy and pleasantly surprised with this result.
The upside here is that Democrats will be able to do more to help the nation deal with the public health and economic consequences of the pandemic.
A second upside is that Trump's disgraceful behavior post election, which cost his party the Senate, may reduce his standing amoung Republicans over the next four years. That would be a healty development for both parties.
The downside? I do not see much danger of a far left takeover. The Democrats need their moderate legislators in order to pass anything and they also will welcome help from moderate Republicans like Romney, Collins and Murkowski. Legislation satisfactory to Manchin or Collins will not embody far left dreams.
That does not mean that everything the Democracts do will meet common sense standards. For one thing, they seem to be boxed into the stupid idea of giving $2000 checks even to people who do not need them, instead of giving any extra stimulus money to those who are in desperate need of it and will spend it, and to build back damaged parts of the economy and polity.
"Actually, I'm not cynical enough to believe every member of Congress (in either party) are solely there to aggrandize their wealth and power, or that none are there trying to do what they truly believe is best. "
Actually I am that cynical. I see no reason to believe anyone is there other than to enrich themselves.
@Balfegor:
Not that grubbing in the dirt is better than manning an assembly line -- people around the world have flocked to the latter as soon as it becomes available. But it necessarily entails a disruption of the arrangements and expectations that were in place before.
I agree. Though not of the same order of magnitude, I think we’ve seen a similar disruption as we move from an industrial to a post-industrial society.
Benjamin Barber’s 1995 book Jihad vs McWorld describes the manner in which globalization disrupts traditional societies. Marx himself described this process in the The Communist Manifesto.
I share the grave concern that others have expressed about our elections, but in my view that’s the one thing that we at least have the slightest possibility of working to fix.
Election laws are made by the states and if I’m not mistaken, the GOP controls a majority of state legislatures. The only path that makes sense for us to pursue now is to push for real reform.
It’s mind boggling that it wasn’t addressed by our inept officials before it got to this point. I don’t know that I believe that Raffensperger was compromised, but he certainly hasn’t done his damn job and the whole GOP in GA has been asleep at the wheel,
"As someone who has had experience with 'several or all of these' (skank?)"
I mistakenly typed in "skank" instead of "junk." (Where is my head?)
There was some talk in the media before the election about the "racist roots" of Georgia's run-off system.
I guess all that is on hold now until the Democrats manage to lose a Georgia run-off.
What gets missed in discussions is the degree to which corporate and capitalist interests cooperate with big government progressivism.
Also missed, the degree to which this is conspiratorial and the degree to which it's just natural or unavoidable.
@daskol:
For all his supposed ineptitude, as regards China, Trump's admin meaningfully changed things such as the Huawei 5g diplomatic campaign in Europe and the trade measures he took bilaterally. You're nipping at his ankles.
The bilateral negotiations amounted to very little. Even the much ballyhooed agreement by China to purchase $200 billion in US goods and services was a bogus win. Another managed trade effort to dictate outcomes.
the whole GOP in GA has been asleep at the wheel
Lots of politicians are asleep at the wheel, many of them Democrats: Cuomo, Newsom, Whitmer, the mayors of Portland, Minneapolis, New York City, and Seattle. The question is whether any of them will pay a price. That is where the Republicans fail, they need more Abbot and De Santis, fewer confused club members. I note that the Republicans don't seem as geriatric as the Democrats, Biden is the last stand of the ancien regime, after him, le déluge. How it all turns out, I haven't a clue.
Please don't use the comments here to bring up the challenge to the Electoral College, which is doomed and which must be blamed, at least in part, for the GOP losses in the Georgia runoff.
McConnel blew it by not passing the $2,000 check bill. That was really stupid.
The major conflict is between the cities and the country side, that hasn't changed. City people have no clue, and if they continue to lord it over the country side it could all come tumbling down.
but how might your party benefit long term?
The republican party is dead and has been since they turned on the Tea Party. I've always said that Trump was a symptom and not a cause. There is too much at stake in Washington with regards to the influence the USA exerts on the world finances to allow an outsider like Trump to be in a position of power. They thought he was going to lose in 2016 though, so they didn't have to do any work to ensure he lost. It explains why Hillary was so upset. By the time they realized he was going to win, it was too late.
On the flip side, the same issue applies with someone like Bernie on the DNC side. They can't ever let him be in charge either. Luckily he seems to be easily bought off.
So now the DNC controls the whole thing. But who controls it? Is it Nancy? She barely maintained her speakership. Schumer? He has an even smaller margin. Biden? The man was the most highly managed candidate since Hillary. Is he going to be able to lead his party? Kamala? She fashions herself a leader, but there isn't much evidence of it. She flip flopped on the campaign trail more than anyone.
Is it Obama? Maybe. He can certainly still lead the party membership. But does he want to do that work?
I have a feeling it's China.
It's going to be interesting.
Do you recognize the value of symbols, Farmer, or is life reduced entirely to a set of metrics, and what can't be measured or measured easily just isn't that important? Public sentiment on China in the US and in Europe has been changed, as amorphous as that concept may seem. Trump broke the uniparty/neoliberal orthodoxy on "free trade." These are big things, both in terms of their immediate symbolic value and in the way such moves interact in a complex system. So both in terms of what can be measured today by trade deficits or other metrics, but also in terms of what may come next, Trump's measures effected significant change.
Election laws are made by the states and if I’m not mistaken, the GOP controls a majority of state legislatures.
Congress has the power to overrule them in the case of federal elections.
@Lurker21:
What gets missed in discussions is the degree to which corporate and capitalist interests cooperate with big government progressivism.
Also missed, the degree to which this is conspiratorial and the degree to which it's just natural or unavoidable.
I agree. I think replacing “political economy” with “economics” has played a role in this. It’s not uncommon to hear people talk about “the economy” and “the government” as if they’re two separate things. They are intricately and inexorably interconnected. Corporate law is a political decision. State power underwrites the ability to enforce contracts.
@daskol:
Trump broke the uniparty/neoliberal orthodoxy on "free trade." These are big things, both in terms of their immediate symbolic value and in the way such moves interact in a complex system.
I agree with that completely. My entire take on Trump has been that his win was symbolically important, but technically he was inept. Trumpism, not Trump.
The basis of civilization is agriculture. American agriculture depends on fossil fuels, fertilizer, railroads, trucking, machinery, emigrant labor, and farmers. I do wonder where the farmers, ranchers, and miners of tomorrow will come from. It is well to remember that England underwent an agricultural revolution before the countryside moved to the cities during the industrial revolution.
Thank you Trump. This was all possible because of you. Presidency, House and Senate.
"And no, the turnout for the rally looks to be like the turnout for an Oak Ridge Boys concert (about 1200 middle-aged crackers from West Bumfuck):"
Eunuch Chuck is a liar. Google for images. Massive crowd.
@Brian:
I have a feeling it's China.
It's going to be interesting.
Where do American corporate and financial interests factor into this grand scheme of yours?
McConnel blew it by not passing the $2,000 check bill. That was really stupid.
And a bill with about 5000 pages less redistributive change to special and peculiar interests. If they intend to yield to cargo cult (intuitive) science and force people... persons to kneel, then they could at minimum offer refundable credits and fill in the missing links with a public smoothing function (e.g. welfare) to compensate. Trump was right: Pro-Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. The American dream.
I mistakenly typed in "skank" instead of "junk." (Where is my head?)
It’s in a dark, dank, fetid place for sure.
fossil fuels
Hydrocarbon fuels. Sequester or recycle the baby... Fetal-American, save the environment.
"I mistakenly typed in "skank" instead of "junk." (Where is my head?)"
It’s in a dark, dank, fetid place for sure.
That is so diversitist. It's lost in a black hole... uh, whore h/t NAACP.
Re:Danno:
Don't forget where your food and energy comes from.
My US residence is in the DC area. We'll be the last to feel the economic squeeze because this is where all the apparatchiks and commissars who do the squeezing live (although on the flip side, we'll be the first to go through the Gleichschaltung). I don't think I'm going to suffer much here in the Capitol even if ordinary people out in the Districts do. And if they rise up to overthrow us, well, that's why I have a condo overseas to flee to. Once this coronavirus pandemic recedes and the borders reopen that is.
Blogger Dust Bunny Queen said...
@ Roughcoat
Ammo.
1/6/21, 8:07 AM
Where? Where?!
Blogger Inga said...
Thank you Trump. This was all possible because of you. Presidency, House and Senate.
1/6/21, 12:36 PM
So now what? Now you have got that totalitarian, fascist, control freak who wanted to control everyones lives is out, you are going to want to...leave everyone alone?
Congratulations, you Trumpists have now shown yourselves to be the psychos we always suspected you of being.
I've been through enough in this life of mine to not fear this. It is yet to be revealed what is really behind this "by any means necessary" drive. Today is the anniversary of the loss of an uncle I only have seen pictures of. Shot down over the Solomons in his P-38 1/6/43 along with others while on patrol. They were all kids, with their lives ahead of them. They gave their lives so democrats could continually fuck this country in the ass while liberals stand by and theorize. Guess one could say I have an opinion.
Just wanted to give you an even 375 comments on this.
The bright side... open borders, meth and fentanyl. Democrat babies' bodies fallin from the sky.
I don't care. After what the GOP didn't do for the last four years, what difference does it make now?
Your vote is worthless. Why bother?
Time for the next step.
"Thank you Trump. This was all possible because of you. Presidency, House and Senate."
The Dems barely kept the House, which the 'experts' said they'd expand on, and if you think about it, makes no sense if Biden received more votes than any person in history. Yeah...right. Meanwhile the Senate is virtually tied. If Manchin moves over...whoops.
And in the end, you've got two years to do all the damage you can, because everyone knows that two years of unheeded greed for what they want to do will be enough Democrat for everyone. The House and Senate flip back in 2022. Not a doubt.
Now...you're time is short so get moving.
By the way, it would be stunning to see Joe Manchin switch parties now, after all the to-do in Georgia. It'd be hilarious.
It looks as thought the Democrats have now lost control of Congress. The building at least.
I can hardly wait for my next stimulus check. I have never owned a gun, but will be buying an AR-15.
SensibleCitizen said...
I support the Trump agenda. However, a first term president generally has both chambers for their first two years. I want Biden to have that. Otherwise, Biden voters won't have a clear understanding of exactly what they voted for.
Short term pain for long term gain hopefully.
1/6/21, 10:04 AM
Sorry but that is just wishcasting.
When it all goes to shit, which it is virtually guaranteed to do with Dems in control, the Dems and media (I know, I repeat myself) will:
a) last repub admin fault
b) Trump fault
c) ignore it/not cover it
d) thanks to gracious leader Harris, chocolate rations are being raised from 30 grams to 25 grams per week
e) all of the above
Thank you Trump. This was all possible because of you. Presidency, House and Senate.
Did you say the same thing in 2016 when Republicans controlled all three, too?
Did you thank Trump? Did you thank Obama?
Where do I go to join the Resistance?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising
I'm asking these questions with the assumption that . . .
. . . that we here haven't answered and discussed those questions to death already. Before the general election, after the general election, before the runoff, during the runoff, after the runoff.
Goin Galt.
Having lived for many years in New York, I can only tell the rest of the country to get ready to enjoy Schumer TV News every night, with a double feature on slow Sundays.
Having lived for many years in New York, I can only tell the rest of the country to get ready to enjoy Schumer TV News every night, with a double feature on slow Sundays.
--- It's been my experience that the people most likely to describe things as "Marxist" are least likely to be conversant in anything Marx ever wrote or did. [J Farmer]
Mr. Knowsitall Boredom pronounces.
Friedrich, the most dangerous place to be is in between Schumer and a camera. Maybe that's what happened to that poor girl in the Capital today.
What is more frightening is your delusion that you are some sort of an extremely neutral person. That level of delusion require a category of its own in the APA manual
J. Farmer said...
"@Brian:
I have a feeling it's China.
It's going to be interesting.
Where do American corporate and financial interests factor into this grand scheme of yours?"
"Where ever there is a market, that market will be filled"
The Dems will lose the House for sure in 2022 and may lose the Senate.
'The dems will lose an election' ... what a quaint concept.
Election laws are made by the states and if I’m not mistaken, the GOP controls a majority of state legislatures. The only path that makes sense for us to pursue now is to push for real reform.
Now that dems know they can steal elections with impunity, how long do you think Republican majorities at the state level will remain? Long enough to enact real election reform? Dream on.
It's time for 75 million Americans to turn their backs on the feckless Republicans and attack the deep state from another front.
Daskol said:And specifically, they're owned by the military industrial complex in whatever flavor it manifests in their area.
What's the over-under on the US sending troops into Syria? I'll go with March 15.
Why is Chuck still here?
@Kai Akker:
--- It's been my experience that the people most likely to describe things as "Marxist" are least likely to be conversant in anything Marx ever wrote or did. [J Farmer]
Mr. Knowsitall Boredom pronounces.
Guilty as charged. When it comes to what’s “been my experience,” I am a know-it-all.
Why is Inga still here?
Post a Comment