USA Politics (redux)

[T. D.]

There aren't enough emojis for this one...  ...Grifter's gonna grift.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/10/gop-praises-trump-after-he-urges-republican-donors-to-send-money-directly-to-him.html

...Trump's PAC has reportedly raised tens of millions of dollars since it was formed after the Nov. 3 election. That money can be used for "just about anything" Trump wants, experts say — including providing benefits for himself and his family.

"It's entirely possible Trump could use Save America both to maintain control and influence over the Republican Party and also to benefit himself and his family members personally," Brendan Fischer, Federal Reform Program director at the Campaign Legal Center, told CNBC.

At the same time Trump is pushing his own PAC, he is demanding that the GOP stop using his name and likeness in its own fundraising efforts....

[Fëanor]

There aren't enough emojis for this one...  ...Grifter's gonna grift.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/10/gop-praises-trump-after-he-urges-republican-donors-to-send-money-directly-to-him.html

...Trump's PAC has reportedly raised tens of millions of dollars since it was formed after the Nov. 3 election. That money can be used for "just about anything" Trump wants, experts say — including providing benefits for himself and his family.

"It's entirely possible Trump could use Save America both to maintain control and influence over the Republican Party and also to benefit himself and his family members personally," Brendan Fischer, Federal Reform Program director at the Campaign Legal Center, told CNBC.

At the same time Trump is pushing his own PAC, he is demanding that the GOP stop using his name and likeness in its own fundraising efforts....

The whole Trump phenomenon is a tale of gullibility.

[71 dB]

The whole Trump phenomenon is a tale of gullibility.

It tells a lot about the US when the king of conmen became the president.

[SimonNZ]

Your constant sweeping anti-americanisms go well beyond criticism and into insulting and ignorant prejudice or bigotry.

[T. D.]

Your constant sweeping anti-americanisms go well beyond criticism and into insulting and ignorant prejudice or bigotry.

I'm American, rarely agree with 71db on matters political, but have no problem with that last one...if the shoe fits, etc.

[arpeggio]

I have not participated in this thread for awhile because it was just too much.

I had an interesting discussion with my brother who is a real Trumpster.

From talking with him he sounded really demoralized and fatalistic.  He realizes that Trump messed up the country but can not bring himself to acknowledge it.

[SimonNZ]

I have not participated in this thread for awhile because it was just too much.

I had an interesting discussion with my brother who is a real Trumpster.

From talking with him he sounded really demoralized and fatalistic.  He realizes that Trump messed up the country but can not bring himself to acknowledge it.

Did he / does he believe Trump actually won the election?

[71 dB]

Your constant sweeping anti-americanisms go well beyond criticism and into insulting and ignorant prejudice or bigotry.

I am far from anti-American. I am pointing out the problems because I want the country to become better and Americans to have better life.
A lot of Americans are stupid and ignorant, but that's not because they were born that way. It's because of the oligarchy making main stream media a status quo aparatus for the top 1 % so that most people never get to learn about the truth about things. Yes, people become ignorant and stupid if they are constantly told lies as facts. Unfortunately ignorance has it's consequences. 

[71 dB]

I have not participated in this thread for awhile because it was just too much.

I had an interesting discussion with my brother who is a real Trumpster.

From talking with him he sounded really demoralized and fatalistic.  He realizes that Trump messed up the country but can not bring himself to acknowledge it.

The bolded part alone is a major step in the right direction. Of course it will take time for him to get over this. Be supportive and undertanding.

[milk]

I have not participated in this thread for awhile because it was just too much.

I had an interesting discussion with my brother who is a real Trumpster.

From talking with him he sounded really demoralized and fatalistic.  He realizes that Trump messed up the country but can not bring himself to acknowledge it.

My sister lives in a total alternate reality where Trump indeed won and Biden is a socialist. She won't even talk to our parents (or me) anymore because they won't go along with it. She won't put politics aside for family or anything else. I guess she believes she's living through something like 1930s Nazi Germany. She got into the whole thing by way of anti-vaccination.

[71 dB]

My sister lives in a total alternate reality where Trump indeed won and Biden is a socialist. She won't even talk to our parents (or me) anymore because they won't go along with it. She won't put politics aside for family or anything else. I guess she believes she's living through something like 1930s Nazi Germany. She got into the whole thing by way of anti-vaccination.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister. Must be hard for your family and you to deal with the situation. Almost anyone can be brainwashed to anything these days... 

[Fëanor]

My sister lives in a total alternate reality where Trump indeed won and Biden is a socialist. She won't even talk to our parents (or me) anymore because they won't go along with it. She won't put politics aside for family or anything else. I guess she believes she's living through something like 1930s Nazi Germany. She got into the whole thing by way of anti-vaccination.

Germans were sucked in by the BIG LIE that their country lost only because their country was "stabbed in the back" by Communists, socialists, and Jews.  Trumpites believe their conman's BIG LIE that he really won the election that was stolen from him by Democrats.

... The parallel is chilling.

[Karl Henning]

Take It From a Swede, Forget the 'Fight for $15'

Judging by comments from progressive groups and the White House, the "fight for $15" isn't over, even though the $15-minimum wage provision originally included in the recent $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill was stripped out before passage due to the arcana of the budget process. But take it from those of us who live in Northern Europe's social democracies: It's not a good idea.

[drogulus]

Take It From a Swede, Forget the 'Fight for $15'

Judging by comments from progressive groups and the White House, the "fight for $15" isn't over, even though the $15-minimum wage provision originally included in the recent $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill was stripped out before passage due to the arcana of the budget process. But take it from those of us who live in Northern Europe's social democracies: It's not a good idea.

If America were to follow Europe's example, the unemployment rate among immigrants could increase by several times its current level. The continued intake of immigrants could exacerbate already inflamed racial tensions. It's difficult to imagine better circumstances for Trumpism to be resurrected, especially considering the clear relationship between youth unemployment and crime.

     No, it won't happen like that, or it would have happened in high minimum wage states now. Of course, if the minimum wage stays where it is, immigrants can always go to higher wage states where jobs are more plentiful. And many open businesses, too, which is easier in the U.S.

     The notion that higher pay is bad for business is conservative defeatism. Your workers are my customers and my workers are your customers. Raising the bottom rate creates new jobs from higher demand while it loses others. It's a positive sum trade. Otherwise the whole country would be racing to the bottom and Mississippi would be the Land of Opportunity.

[Karl Henning]

Not ashamed to admit that I enjoyed hearing President Biden's address.

[71 dB]

Take It From a Swede, Forget the 'Fight for $15'

Judging by comments from progressive groups and the White House, the "fight for $15" isn't over, even though the $15-minimum wage provision originally included in the recent $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill was stripped out before passage due to the arcana of the budget process. But take it from those of us who live in Northern Europe's social democracies: It's not a good idea.

Yet another oligarch-friendly story. Sweden has strong unions and wellfare.

[MusicTurner]

Take It From a Swede, Forget the 'Fight for $15'

Judging by comments from progressive groups and the White House, the "fight for $15" isn't over, even though the $15-minimum wage provision originally included in the recent $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill was stripped out before passage due to the arcana of the budget process. But take it from those of us who live in Northern Europe's social democracies: It's not a good idea.

The youth unemployment rate given for Sweden is quite dubious, since for example students, starting from 15 years, expecting to begin in a job in three months, all this parallel to their studies, are ranked as unemployed.

Btw the author himself is 29 years old.

[The new erato]

A minimum wage ought to be unnecessary in a well organized, transparent and democratic society. That this discussion exists says a lot about the USA.

[71 dB]

A minimum wage ought to be unneccesary in a well organized, transparent and democratic society. That this discussion exists says a lot about the USA.

This is true. We don't have minimum wage laws here in Nordic countries. It's assumed people who work full time should be payed decently. However, since the US is too oligarchic and corrupt politically to become a well organized, transparent and democratic society in the near future, $15 living wage is an important "temporary" solution to avoid wage slavery.

[BasilValentine]

This is true. We don't have minimum wage laws here in Nordic countries. It's assumed people who work full time should be payed decently. However, since the US is too oligarchic and corrupt politically to become a well organized, transparent and democratic society in the near future, $15 living wage is an important "temporary" solution to avoid wage slavery.

In addition to wage slavery we also have rent slavery and debt slavery.