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Post election day

CougEd

Hall Of Fame
Dec 22, 2002
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Since we now know Trump is going to be our President, how should both Dems and Magas and Rep evaluate his performance. And no I don't mean the first week or the first month, but enough time to pass that we know if he has been successful in his plan, which I have seen mixed messages on it so not sure if my items I will list are accurate.

1) He said he will have the biggest mass deportation ever on the first day. I know that is impossible, but what is a real number in the first 8 months? Will they be able to round up 200k and within 8 months, or is that too big of an expectation or I am under stating what might happen. What should be a reasonable benchmark? Or is it simply to cut off border crossings and that is the fix to the problem

2) Inflation- what will be the expectation moving forward on gas prices and food prices....in two years what should be a good number on that and our economy. Where will be a good inflation number and a bad one, and an ok one Unemployment will stay the same, go down or go up.

3) Trans- will there be a national mandate they can't participate in sports and also have to have separate locker rooms. What is the time frame and what will he do to solve this issue?

4) Ukraine- what will be the end game. A negotiation where Ukraine gives Russia the 20% they have now? US cuts off all aid and Russia continues towards eve and westward? How long will it take Trump to accomplish his goals? I know he said it would take him a day. But I know that isn't possible.

5) Abortion- in four years will there be a national abortion ban and IVF?

6) Obama Care...will it finally be repealed and what will the better plan be?

7) Will our debt be higher , lower or within a trillion (the same)?

8) Will there be adjustments to Medicare and Social Security?
 
I'll reply...but I'm going to be honest, it's going to be a rug-pull and nothing much will change. That's not a "Got Ya'!" moment on Trump so much as it's the typical behavior of American politicians and our system. They make big promises, they don't get much done, everybody associated gets wealthier.

1) The border needs to be secured and a much better system of immigration needs to be designed. The system should operate in a manner where educated, trained immigrants get priority (along with their families). There should also be a real lottery to make it fair for everyone who wants to immigrate. Human trafficking, whether it's for immigration or something more nefarious, needs to result in capital punishment.

2) Inflation. It can't be fixed. Voters of a certain persuassion ushered in artificial wage increases that caused increases for goods and services. When you give people an artificial wage, those who already have means will get the increase from them in short order. For instance, if you're a landlord, you're raising rents to get a cut. Corporations that employ minimally trained/educated workers who are given artifical wage increases will take their cut (disingenously stating that they're raising prices to cover the increase). So it's a never ending situation of one party screaming for a "livable wage" and then that "livable wage" becomes unlivable in short order. Neither party can fix this and...as long as Americans continue to act retarded when it comes to personal debt...the voters can't either.

3) Trans is mental illness. We have an epidemic of mental illness in this country, but trans is just a small (but weirdly whiny) part of it. I think that when the Lady Cougs plan SDSU in volleyball, they should forfeit. The only people who can (and should) fix this are the women who are being screwed by trans sociopaths who don't care about the harm they're doing. Unfortunately, they're in a tough spot because the party they're overwhelmingly supportive of (Democrats) is proactive in the trans movement. The only way to fix this is for elite women athletes to simply forfeit until it becomes too big a problem for sport; then we can have adult conversations about trans garbage.

4) Ukraine. They're in a tough spot, but it's not anymore my problem than it is a Ukrainian's that we have the problems we have. We've sent a lot of money and materiel to them, but you can't keep throwing money at a problem with no solution. We're not going to send the 10th Mtn. Division to augment Ukrainian forces along the Russian border; nobody has the appetite to send American troops in mass to the Ukraine. So money/materiels isn't working, troops aren't going...there's only one answer: Negotiate a shitsandwich peace treaty with Putin. There's simply no win in this fight...only dead guys.

5) Abortion. I like the model they use in most of Western Europe: Elective abortion until 12 weeks, all other abortions (rape/incest, mother's health) at the discretion of the mother and the medical team. Yeah, it makes me feel icky if a rape victim aborts a fetus at say 28 weeks...but I can deal with that in my head. But elective abortion is different...usually comes from irresponsibility on both parties. We have such widespread access to contraceptives (subsidized and otherwise), there's no reason to act like a reckless asshole when it comes to sex. And, I hate that African-Americans have such high rates of abortion; there are those in the black community that realize this is a sort of holocaust for them. We have to figure out the reasons why they can't figure out contraception (you see abortion rates far lower with Latinos and Whites, it's almost non-existent with Asian-Americans). Those conversations though are going to result in a shitshow...

6) Obamacare. Let the states continue to mandate coverages on their own, it should be a state's rights issue. Nobody wants Medicare for all because it's unaffordable, all sides save retards like AOC and Bernie realize this. And talking Medicare, we're going to have real big problems with that in short order...old Boomers getting even older and living too long (sorry, Ed). Let states figure coverages out on their own, let people make the choice as to what kind of coverage they want and where they want to live. If I'm a poor guy in Idaho, I just move across the border to WA when my health because a consistent issue and I let the Puget Sound taxpayers/insurance subscribers subsidize my care. Simple as.

7) Debt. More than a trillion. Much more in four years. But that's not on Trump or even the Democrats, that's on Americans living paycheck to paycheck while still consuming too much garbage. We don't save anymore, we just spend on credit. As such, we don't even consider the staggering amount of spending (and debt service) being done on our behalf by our elected leaders (both parties). Hell, they don't/can't even read the spending bills because they're thousands of pages and stuffed with earmarks and pet projects. But it's our own fault in the end and we deserve all the pain that is going to come. Well...unless we mint that "magic coin" that will wipe out our national debt!

8) Medicare/SS. Of course there'll have to be adjustments. Too much going out, not enough coming in. I mean, you can continue to fund them with debt, but that just exasperates inflation...so it's a treadmill situation. We're going to need to find a way to house the elderly in a manner that isn't assisted care and yet gives them access to help when they need it. The solution is not $5K+/month convalescent care, because there isn't enough in the coffers to cover that and it's getting worse by the minute as the Boomers move through live stages. Perhaps planned communities exclusively for the elderly in centralized locations with ready, on-site care; sort of like all those trailer communities in Arizona but with beefed up urgent care clinics? And for each four planned communities of (10K per) in a regional area of five square miles, you have a full-service hospital catering to the elderly. You staff the clinics and hospitals with physicians and nurses on a government program that forgives debt and offers other perks (0% mortgages, etc.); maybe even make it something like "national service" which you see in Europe. I mean, it's a bit creepy to warehouse people (and you can't make people do this), but we're already informally doing it with the young thanks to the housing mess. At least we can be more logistically oriented when it comes to the elderly. But in the end, I don't think anybody is really giving this problem much thought other than to print more money.

For the record, I'm buying a place in Belize to go with my retirement "trailer" in a Tucson retirement community. These problems shouldn't have much effect on me and my spouse; my children are educated and will receive the proceeds of our current home (to be used to buy their own homes) when the time comes. Most of these problems are just theatre to me...and I love to get a rise out people when they argue from "know-it-all, cocksure" point about any of them. I can be quite the contrarian for shits and giggles.
 
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Since we now know Trump is going to be our President, how should both Dems and Magas and Rep evaluate his performance. And no I don't mean the first week or the first month, but enough time to pass that we know if he has been successful in his plan, which I have seen mixed messages on it so not sure if my items I will list are accurate.

1) He said he will have the biggest mass deportation ever on the first day. I know that is impossible, but what is a real number in the first 8 months? Will they be able to round up 200k and within 8 months, or is that too big of an expectation or I am under stating what might happen. What should be a reasonable benchmark? Or is it simply to cut off border crossings and that is the fix to the problem

2) Inflation- what will be the expectation moving forward on gas prices and food prices....in two years what should be a good number on that and our economy. Where will be a good inflation number and a bad one, and an ok one Unemployment will stay the same, go down or go up.

3) Trans- will there be a national mandate they can't participate in sports and also have to have separate locker rooms. What is the time frame and what will he do to solve this issue?

4) Ukraine- what will be the end game. A negotiation where Ukraine gives Russia the 20% they have now? US cuts off all aid and Russia continues towards eve and westward? How long will it take Trump to accomplish his goals? I know he said it would take him a day. But I know that isn't possible.

5) Abortion- in four years will there be a national abortion ban and IVF?

6) Obama Care...will it finally be repealed and what will the better plan be?

7) Will our debt be higher , lower or within a trillion (the same)?

8) Will there be adjustments to Medicare and Social Security?
Debate is over. Time for leaders to lead and pick it up in two years.
 
I'll reply...but I'm going to be honest, it's going to be a rug-pull and nothing much will change. That's not a "Got Ya'!" moment on Trump so much as it's the typical behavior of American politicians and our system. They make big promises, they don't get much done, everybody associated gets wealthier.

1) The border needs to be secured and a much better system of immigration needs to be designed. The system should operate in a manner where educated, trained immigrants get priority (along with their families). There should also be a real lottery to make it fair for everyone who wants to immigrate. Human trafficking, whether it's for immigration or something more nefarious, needs to result in capital punishment.

2) Inflation. It can't be fixed. Voters of a certain persuassion ushered in artificial wage increases that caused increases for goods and services. When you give people an artificial wage, those who already have means will get the increase from them in short order. For instance, if you're a landlord, you're raising rents to get a cut. Corporations that employ minimally trained/educated workers who are given artifical wage increases will take their cut (disingenously stating that they're raising prices to cover the increase). So it's a never ending situation of one party screaming for a "livable wage" and then that "livable wage" becomes unlivable in short order. Neither party can fix this and...as long as Americans continue to act retarded when it comes to personal debt...the voters can't either.

3) Trans is mental illness. We have an epidemic of mental illness in this country, but trans is just a small (but weirdly whiny) part of it. I think that when the Lady Cougs plan SDSU in volleyball, they should forfeit. The only people who can (and should) fix this are the women who are being screwed by trans sociopaths who don't care about the harm they're doing. Unfortunately, they're in a tough spot because the party they're overwhelmingly supportive of (Democrats) is proactive in the trans movement. The only way to fix this is for elite women athletes to simply forfeit until it becomes too big a problem for sport; then we can have adult conversations about trans garbage.

4) Ukraine. They're in a tough spot, but it's not anymore my problem than it is a Ukrainian's that we have the problems we have. We've sent a lot of money and materiel to them, but you can't keep throwing money at a problem with no solution. We're not going to send the 10th Mtn. Division to augment Ukrainian forces along the Russian border; nobody has the appetite to send American troops in mass to the Ukraine. So money/materiels isn't working, troops aren't going...there's only one answer: Negotiate a shitsandwich peace treaty with Putin. There's simply no win in this fight...only dead guys.

5) Abortion. I like the model they use in most of Western Europe: Elective abortion until 12 weeks, all other abortions (rape/incest, mother's health) at the discretion of the mother and the medical team. Yeah, it makes me feel icky if a rape victim aborts a fetus at say 28 weeks...but I can deal with that in my head. But elective abortion is different...usually comes from irresponsibility on both parties. We have such widespread access to contraceptives (subsidized and otherwise), there's no reason to act like a reckless asshole when it comes to sex. And, I hate that African-Americans have such high rates of abortion; there are those in the black community that realize this is a sort of holocaust for them. We have to figure out the reasons why they can't figure out contraception (you see abortion rates far lower with Latinos and Whites, it's almost non-existent with Asian-Americans). Those conversations though are going to result in a shitshow...

6) Obamacare. Let the states continue to mandate coverages on their own, it should be a state's rights issue. Nobody wants Medicare for all because it's unaffordable, all sides save retards like AOC and Bernie realize this. And talking Medicare, we're going to have real big problems with that in short order...old Boomers getting even older and living too long (sorry, Ed). Let states figure coverages out on their own, let people make the choice as to what kind of coverage they want and where they want to live. If I'm a poor guy in Idaho, I just move across the border to WA when my health because a consistent issue and I let the Puget Sound taxpayers/insurance subscribers subsidize my care. Simple as.

7) Debt. More than a trillion. Much more in four years. But that's not on Trump or even the Democrats, that's on Americans living paycheck to paycheck while still consuming too much garbage. We don't save anymore, we just spend on credit. As such, we don't even consider the staggering amount of spending (and debt service) being done on our behalf by our elected leaders (both parties). Hell, they don't/can't even read the spending bills because they're thousands of pages and stuffed with earmarks and pet projects. But it's our own fault in the end and we deserve all the pain that is going to come. Well...unless we mint that "magic coin" that will wipe out our national debt!

8) Medicare/SS. Of course there'll have to be adjustments. Too much going out, not enough coming in. I mean, you can continue to fund them with debt, but that just exasperates inflation...so it's a treadmill situation. We're going to need to find a way to house the elderly in a manner that isn't assisted care and yet gives them access to help when they need it. The solution is not $5K+/month convalescent care, because there isn't enough in the coffers to cover that and it's getting worse by the minute as the Boomers move through live stages. Perhaps planned communities exclusively for the elderly in centralized locations with ready, on-site care; sort of like all those trailer communities in Arizona but with beefed up urgent care clinics? And for each four planned communities of (10K per) in a regional area of five square miles, you have a full-service hospital catering to the elderly. You staff the clinics and hospitals with physicians and nurses on a government program that forgives debt and offers other perks (0% mortgages, etc.); maybe even make it something like "national service" which you see in Europe. I mean, it's a bit creepy to warehouse people (and you can't make people do this), but we're already informally doing it with the young thanks to the housing mess. At least we can be more logistically oriented when it comes to the elderly. But in the end, I don't think anybody is really giving this problem much thought other than to print more money.

For the record, I'm buying a place in Belize to go with my retirement "trailer" in a Tucson retirement community. These problems shouldn't have much effect on me and my spouse; my children are educated and will receive the proceeds of our current home (to be used to buy their own homes) when the time comes. Most of these problems are just theatre to me...and I love to get a rise out people when they argue from "know-it-all, cocksure" point about any of them. I can be quite the contrarian for shits and giggles.
Pretty goddam thoughtful post Always. Not sure why Ed had to start a thread mimicking the one I started, but whatever. To respond to your thoughts, in order:

1. Immigration - yep yep yep. It's F-ed up and the entire country knows it. As I posted elsewhere, I'm OK with the pendulum swinging the other way for now

2. Inflation - as far as the "artificial wage", as a Washington resident I agree. This endless annual increase in the minimum wage just has to stop, but it won't because of the left-wingers. On the other side we have the ridiculously low federal minimum wage of $7.25. I mean c'mon. Unchanged since 2009. While 30+ states have mandated a higher minimum wage, how about raising the federal bar to $10?

3. Trans - nothing to add here. Except I think you meant SJSU, not SDSU

4. Ukraine - yeah they are F-ed. I agree that a shitsandwich deal is the only end. Don't like or agree with it, but I really don't want to see mushroom clouds above Hanford in my lifetime. Above Seattle? Another discussion. :)

5. Abortion - I believe 7 (or 8) states, red and blue, passed bills to set decent standards. Sans Florida who stayed at 6 weeks. I'm pro-choice, but a 12- or 15-week threshhold seems like a livable compromise. By then you know you are pregnant, and choices can be made. Fully in favor of rape/incest provisions/exceptions

6. Obamacare - Our healthcare system is so F-ed up. I had some medical issues this year, and what a clusterf- it was all the way up and down. The Docs themselves were OK, but Geezus the outrageous charges and insurance agreements and everything else. Here is where we need some intelligent people on all sides to really analyze things and try to fix them

7. Federal debt/deficit - Sorry billionaires, the only way we are going to harness this dragon is to jack up taxes on rich people. They have been getting richer for decades while most people languish. They lived or inherited the American Dream. They sure as shit have enough money to pony up some more. Remember the highest tax rate was 70% before Reagan, who was responsible for blowing up the deficit. Not advocating a return to that, but something has to bend. But good luck on that.

8, SS and Medicare. Not much to add, but it pains me to read about how many people have zip in the bank and depend on SS. While I watch a slew of life insurance commercials peddling "burial" insurance. I worked hard and was moderately successful, but even back in my low-earning early years I was frugal and putting some in retirement. Since we are going to have -0- inflation under your pal Trump, at least that will stem the annual COL increases. Again, tax the rich. F-em.
 
Debate is over. Time for leaders to lead and pick it up in two years.
Leaders do lead....I am willing to set realistic expectations of that leading. CEO's give guidance all the time. If you tell me the mass deportation will be 10k that gives me a baseline. For someone who could go look up answer on Laura Lunatic's site, I would think this would be easy to answer.
 
I'll reply...but I'm going to be honest, it's going to be a rug-pull and nothing much will change. That's not a "Got Ya'!" moment on Trump so much as it's the typical behavior of American politicians and our system. They make big promises, they don't get much done, everybody associated gets wealthier.

A reply to your reply

1) Dems missed a great opportunity to explain their ...what is it called Flip Flop on immigration. The answer was simple as to why they changed course and they owe it to Gregg Abbott. The easiest answer would have been- "politics is local and how it affects people. People in the State of Washington really don't feel the affects of immigration, meanwhile people in Texas don't have the forest fires the state of Washington has. So our needs at the time were different. Once Abbott made everyone feel the pain it changed the dems perspective and change needed to happen.

A second thought, after seeing the crushing defeat and fueled in good part of Latino men voting for Trump despite his disparaging remarks on Mexicans and immigrants, if they don't care why should I care more about their plight? That was an eye opener for me.

2) Inflation- the biggest issue for middle America and no one can fix it. Corporations (free market capitalism) moved jobs offshore to save wages. While CEO pay and management pay has gone up 8 times (or way more in some cases) since 1990 compared to average workers wages doubling in that same period of time, so not sure it is clear as what you say the proplem. But even if true, not sure how Trump and Vance will placate those whose number one concern is wages and cost of living.

When someone says "are they too stupid to understand" I would approach it a different way. Rich people always vote their own interests. Never fails. Others always vote the dream, even when it is against their own self interests.

3) Just out of curiosity, do you think those who are gay is a mental illness? This one is not a hill I would die on. However, it is not a issue I would change my voting for because there are 100 kids in 50 states participating in sports. I believe my daughter and a woman who started for UW basketball have played against a trans kid...not sure it is a big deal for those who play in team sports.

I do believe they could swim and run track and they get a ribbon for participating and their time and records are like Barry Bonds records. And I will say I am not sure this is a mental illness, and it would not surprise me in 10 years they discover there is a gene that is different than those who are not trans or gay.

4) Ukraine- best money we ever spent. A drop in the bucket. You could take all of Europe and we spend more money on our national defense. We spent billions to put the USSR's economy into the stone ages. Why let a nuclear power reconstitute and gain even more power? And in 1933 US parents were thinking "this is none of our concerns" and 11 years later we are sending kids to fight in Europe. Ukraine has fought with valor and would make our fathers, grand fathers proud of the undying service to defend their freedom.

Abortion- after life issue for those who are God fearing people that is between them and their God. 95 % of abortions are withing the first 12 weeks. 1% are after 5 months. But seems to me it is the woman's right to choose.

5) They always say Medicare for all is unsustainable. Reminds me when the state of Washington had state run liquor stores. The argument (which I bought and voted for) was privatize the stores and the distribution would be better and that the costs would go down because of efficiency. Funny, one month after the liquor went to the grocery stores, it was more expensive.

6) Debt...it is on both parties. Trump cutting income but not cutting expenses, Bush going to two wars, Bush 1 going into Kuwait, Reagan also cutting income, Obama and Biden spending money. But Trump was the worst. But the fiscal conservatives are no where to be found. What happened to the people who were supposed to be the fiscal police in the Freedom Caucus...I think I know what was more important for that group.


Why Belize? I have never been and my scout (my younger brother ) loves Costa Rica, liked Panama as well. And he has a friend who moved to Columbia...the danger seems to have ratcheted down.

 
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