The Trump presidency
- Thread starter brogdale
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newbie
undisambiguated
cheers for that, I was beginning to think my understanding was completely skewed.
As it is, the list of companies taking on the president in defence of globalisation is quite interesting. Very few actually make anything real- Apple, Levis, a few more, but the main military industrial complex, including oil, cars, mining, engineering, aerospace, that's all missing, so is pharma, agribusiness, retail, utilities and so is finance capital, banks and the like. And Hollywood & the TV industry. Whether that's just a reflection of who gathered the group together or is actually how the battles will shape up remains to be seen.
taffboy gwyrdd
Embrace the confusion!
No one who goes on a demo ever does anything else. It's not allowed. I just made that up. Media will turn up for a plate of shit in the middle of the road if it fills space without much effort.
according to this they have?
bimble
floofy
Saw a comment like this online today: The Trump regime wants to create jobs that pay $30 a hour to make things which people currently make for $1 an hour. That's not optimism it's delusional.
Trump talks about manufacturing a lot, and about buying American, and half his economic action plan (during the election) was about slapping China down. But who will buy plastic buckets made in the USA ?
gorski
customised free radical
Heh, from the start I kept saying this guy is dangerous:
Trump’s F.D.A. Pick Could Undo Decades of Drug Safeguards
Trump’s F.D.A. Pick Could Undo Decades of Drug Safeguards
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
the queen will be lucky if that's all that happens.
Wilf
Slouching towards Billingham
As mentioned, I'm struggling to gather even 2 cheers for Bercow on this. Same time, it is quite unexpected that he phrased the whole thing so personally (at least in terms of politician speak). He has effectively accused Trump of personal racism and sexism:
Not exactly controversial, I'll admit, but it is slightly surprising.
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
So they have! bercow probably only cares about Westminster cos it's his tho
CrabbedOne
Walking sideways snippily
Well one shift is he's no deficit hawk as he sees leverage at very low rates as good thing. Basically tribute from bankers in terror of a huge client defaulting. In any case Republicans tend to lose focus on the debt in office and spend like drunken sailors. Bush certainly did.
Trump hasn't offered massive state investment beyond the usual porky military build up. His infrastructure stuff is basically a huge privatisation scheme of crumbling national assets with perks thrown out to well placed cronies. So is selling off Fanny&Freddy, the US mortgage markets, that were almost completely taken over by the state when they failed and are ripe highly profitable pickings once more. This is a Great Loot in preparation. It's not really neoliberal that's just crony capitalism red in tooth and claw but let's face it a lot of that has gone on previously. There's in fact lots of continuity in swampy matters.
I'd put laissez-faire economic liberalism at the heart of neoliberalism. An almost fanatical belief in markets and the guiding hand. Trump believes in markets but like most successful businessmen likes them bent to his advantage. None of this guiding hand bullshit. That's his model of government's role. Trump's a true capitalist but he sees great market value in that.
There's fundamentally no reason why you can't combine protectionism with free markets. The argument for Free Trade is fundamentally one of specialisation. A country the size of the US for instance could plausibly operate an unregulated market economy internally and be a complete autarky but Trump's never suggested that. He just believes the deals that construct the global system do not award the US the full economic primacy he (and he alone) could extract by using the country's might to divide and rule.
Indeed Trump's is not a vision without global ambitions or trade links. He likes trade just not on good terms for others. The others must lose. America must take most of the pie. He still covets Iraq's oil seeing it as a wicked sin that the US did not profit from it when it might have.
What he's after may be more like the early 20th system of globalisation that collapsed with WWI with the mighty US in the British role as the biggest pillaging mercantile empire. Once "Great Again" having newly rigged the global system in its favour America will be able to slap any lesser nation around and extract tribute from kowtowing vassals. Never again will this giant be tied down by Lilliputians and systems of law and alliances. He'll be like his huuugely more wealthy robber baron hero Putin. Putin is a piratical John Galt that he touches on with reverence like a talisman.
It will be a new assertion of US power not unlike when Ike effortlessly took the Limie's and Frog's Imperial toys away after Suez. A new world order. He hints at an American Greatness that hasn't existed. A gilded age of toweringly greedy Randian figures like himself. This isn't a new version of Pax Americana where he just diddles along with the Russians it is USA Rex.
This is a real estate's guys own Hobbesian vision born out of a playboy life of pussy grabbing, bullying competitors and fucking over the little guy. I don't actually think it has much to do with Bannon's clash of civilisation ravings. Trump loves his money as he does himself. Trump does not like Mexicans. Trump does not like the Chinese. Trump does not like Muslims. Trump does not like SNL. Trump persecutes on a whim because he can. It shows what a great guy Trump is. Trump likes quite a lot about neoliberalism. Trump's problem with it is it's not a good enough screw for a guy as great as Trump. And a lot of Americans like the singleminded gaudy selfishness of Trump. Lord help us.
Yuwipi Woman
Whack-A-Mole Queen
Yep. I have read Silent Spring.
An eye to the history books perhaps. When all this is over the rest of his party are going to be forever known as collaborationist scum, so best to put some clear blue water between them.
bimble
floofy
What's it like where you live Yuwipi Woman ? Do you think people who voted for trump are feeling happy and optimistic?
malatesta32
Not Serb. No, Really!
every now and again, an MP does or says the right thing. and it took everyone by surprise. it looked like all the tories had nipped out for a wee ... (3.48)
Yuwipi Woman
Whack-A-Mole Queen
I think even the people who voted for him are a little unsure, at least the ones capable of thought. Some people who voted for him, of course, are card carrying racists. They're as happy as pigs in slop.
This is a red state, so liberals are in short supply. They're in all-out, last ditch, freak-out mode, running from protest to protest. If we could have gotten that level of interest before the election, there's no telling how it would have turned out.
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
perma-smirk cunt imo
always that slightly lofty air of cynical indulgence and debate club.
bimble
floofy
Do you think there's lots of people protesting who didn't vote or voted 3rd party?
Yuwipi Woman
Whack-A-Mole Queen
I don't know. I don't really know many people who aren't politically active. I'm sure there's some who voted 3rd party, after voting for Bernie in the primary, since Bernie won the primary here. For the most part, they fell in line behind Clinton.
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redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Why? If there was would it mean something?
Yuwipi Woman
Whack-A-Mole Queen
not-bono-ever
meh
like yes and like no
yes thye want less restriction, no they do not chaos and volatility whipping around that will fuck up their game. Thier support will be temopered to enure there is just enough control to keep both sides happy
taffboy gwyrdd
Embrace the confusion!
taffboy gwyrdd
Embrace the confusion!
He appointed Goldman stooges (along with militarists and corporatists). He didn't have to be told. If he was told he is a fascist puppet in any case.
not-bono-ever
meh
all presidents have ex goldmans MD's on staff. there is good reason for that and its not due to the presidents being puppets
Johnny Canuck3
Well-Known Member
I have American relatives who voted for him, and they're pleased as punch. I always figured that they could think at least a little, given that they're mostly medical professionals. [A lot of them are pretty racist, though.]
Yuwipi Woman
Whack-A-Mole Queen
A lot of people don't think very much. They try to figure out what their group thinks and then they groupthink along with them. This can be true no matter which side of the line they fall on.
CrabbedOne
Walking sideways snippily
Well yes Trump represents continuity on Wall St but Mnuchin is a very interesting favourite to reward. His main qualification is being able to use the Federal government as an ATM. It's like a sadly transparent version of American Hustle with worse wigs.
Johnny Canuck3
Well-Known Member
I tried discussing Trump online with some of them - along with other unrelated Trump supporters. Big mistake. The general response to any questions I had or points I had to make, was that I was a 'liberal son of a bitch.'
Some of them have also said the same thing face to face to other of my Canadian relatives.
Yuwipi Woman
Whack-A-Mole Queen
I tried discussing Trump online with some of them - along with other unrelated Trump supporters. Big mistake. The general response to any questions I had or points I had to make, was that I was a 'liberal son of a bitch.'
Some of them have also said the same thing face to face to other of my Canadian relatives.
That's pretty much the response I get, except I get called a "snowflake" or a "stupid bitch." I actually got called a "nasty woman", which I hold in some pride.
... and I learned a new word: "cuck."
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