Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Warning]

Someone plugging their ears and shouting "you're wrong" rather than having a discussion? Say it ain't so.

I'll discuss more when you substantiate your claims about the contents of TPP, secondly I already gave you enough to think about when I proved you wrong on your racism point, so you can mull on that one for a bit.

[drongo44]

I'll discuss more when you substantiate your claims about the contents of TPP, secondly I already gave you enough to think about when I proved you wrong on your racism point, so you can mull on that one for a bit.

Calling people who disagree with you "racist" didn't work in 2016, it won't work now.

In 1993, the broadest assurance by those selling this model - including almost all Republicans and President Clinton - was that it would create U.S. jobs by expanding the trade surplus the U.S. then enjoyed with Mexico... Now the U.S. suffers chronic $60 billion-$70 billion annual trade deficits with Mexico and by this summer the accumulated U.S. current account losses with Mexico under NAFTA will pass $1 trillion.

This was the result of NAFTA, an agreement with very similar terms. Three countries are required to trade with each other (and fast-track the proposal or abolishing of laws that impede this, limiting the individual liberties of every nation involved), and now that it's in place its removal would damage not only the US but both Canada and Mexico. What did it do for Canada and Mexico?

A 2007 study found that NAFTA has "almost zero welfare impact on member and nonmember countries."[35] A 2015 study found that Canada's welfare decreased by 0.06% as a result of the NAFTA tariff reductions, and that Canada's intra-bloc trade increased by 11%.

Maquiladoras (Mexican assembly plants that take in imported components and produce goods for export) have become the landmark of trade in Mexico. They moved to Mexico from the United States, hence the debate over the loss of American jobs. Income in the maquiladora sector has increased 15.5% since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994.[37] Other sectors now benefit from the free trade agreement, and the share of exports to the US from non-border states has increased in the last five years[when?] while the share of exports from border states has decreased. This has allowed rapid growth in non-border metropolitan areas such as Toluca, León and Puebla; all larger in population than Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, and Reynosa.

Two well-off nations prop up the third, poorer one. And it's only "propped up" because it's leeching, not forming anything sustainable in the long run.

And you want something similar, this TPP, to pass? No thanks. Australia might not be the economic giant the US is but it's impressive in its own right, and even if we did merely get the Canadian "nothing really happened as a result," it's not worth the risk of suffering as bad as the US did from their NAFTA. It's a terrible model. No one other than much smaller and poorer nations have any reason to support it.

[Breccia]

He didn't favor white nationalists, he specified both sides are to blame.

Saying both sides are to blame, when one of the sides are literally Nazis, is enough.

Can't help but notice you skipped the two times he was sued by the federal government, and lost, for being a racist.
@Warning is right, though, which is why this is the last time I'm going to respond to you. What you said about Merkel being the worst politician in 200 years was enough, this post is just white icing on your white cake. No thanks.

EDIT: Well, that didn't last long.

[Resurgo]

I'm almost wondering if that was Tijuana in disguise...

[Felya]

I'm almost wondering if that was Tijuana in disguise...

No, I triggered him by pointing to Australian policy. There is no way Tijuana would crack over Stolen Generations.

[Breccia]

A GOP chairman announces he isn't running for re-election --

"You already posted that. Like, six times or so."

Well, then, one more won't kill you.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), the chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee who defied his party to vote against President Trump's tax cuts, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection.

Frelinghuysen, 71, was a top Democratic target given the tilt of his district, which Trump won over Hillary Clinton in 2016 by just a percentage point.

Trump's low approval ratings only raised Democratic hopes that they could defeat Frelinghuysen if he sought a 13th term — especially after passage of a tax-cut bill that puts a $10,000 ceiling on the exemption for local and state taxes and property taxes, which was expected to hit the Republican's district hard.

Frelinghuysen had touted his bipartisan credentials, but his decision to retire suggests he faced a difficult path at best to win reelection.

“I have worked in a bipartisan manner, not just in times of crisis but always, because I believe it best serves my constituents, my state and our country," Frelinghuysen said in a statement.

"I have sincerely endeavored to earn that trust every day and I thank my constituents and my home state of New Jersey for the honor to serve and I will continue to do so to the best of my abilities through the end of my term," he said.

He follows endangered GOP lawmakers such as Reps. Darrell Issa (Calif.) and Ed Royce (Calif.) in deciding to retire. Frelinghuysen is only in his first term as House Appropriations Committee chairman, a top post that lawmakers traditionally serve in for years.

Democrats need a net gain of 24 seats in this fall's midterms to win back control of the House.

Frelinghuysen has found himself at odds with the House GOP conference repeatedly over the last year.

After initially opposing a GOP ObamaCare repeal-and-replace bill, Frelinghuysen voted for his party's ObamaCare legislation in May — and then came under criticism from activists in his district.

He was one of 12 House Republicans to vote against the GOP’s tax overhaul in December, and warned at the time that it would lead to tax increases for his constituents and “damage our state’s housing market and business environment.”

Honestly, kind of surprised. Trump is less popular in NJ than the nation as a whole, and Chris Christie is riding that ski slope all the way down to single-digit approval ratings. You'd think a GOP member opposed to Trump might have a better shot at surviving an election. Guess not.

[cubby]

A GOP chairman announces he isn't running for re-election --

"You already posted that. Like, six times or so."

Well, then, one more won't kill you.

Honestly, kind of surprised. Trump is less popular in NJ than the nation as a whole, and Chris Christie is riding that ski slope all the way down to single-digit approval ratings. You'd think a GOP member opposed to Trump might have a better shot at surviving an election. Guess not.

I wonder what kind of polling data is causing them to retire in such droves. I mean, it was already unprecedented. Plus, the Dems have a HUGE uphill battle just because the Senate election schedule was randomly unkind to them for 2018.

[Breccia]

So, anyone else looking forward to the State of the Uniom address?

Psst: re-read that carefully

[Flarelaine]

Even worse, I have a sneaking suspicion that if I were to ask you about a more intricate policy detail, one not sensationalized on CNN, you wouldn't know the "right response" if I didn't tell you what the president's stance is first.

Dude, you're barking up the wrong tree. Ask him about stuff and he'll hit you with the book.

[Paranoid Android]

So, anyone else looking forward to the State of the Uniom address?

Psst: re-read that carefully

Hell No! On one hand I should watch in order to form my opinion instead of reading second-hand from political pundits. But I just can't stand 2 minutes of listening to that moron speak.

My bet his speech will okay so Trump will actually get praise for again being normal. Amazing where we are at with our President these days.

- - - Updated - - -

The Trump Shit show in an invitation.

Guests invited to Trump's "State of the Uniom" after typo was printed on tickets https://t.co/b490uW00hq https://t.co/UkJjw5rZSf

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/958077308727889926

[akris15]

Oh the tweet irony...

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/958086065914564609

Trump told McCabe to ask his wife how it felt to be a loser: report

[Breccia]

The Trump Shit show in an invitation.

You literally quoted the post where I brought this up.

[Shadowferal]

Oh the tweet irony... https://twitter.com/thehill/status/958086065914564609 Trump told McCabe to ask his wife how it felt to be a loser: report

Fucking classy...

[Odinfrost]

Oh the tweet irony...

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/958086065914564609

Trump told McCabe to ask his wife how it felt to be a loser: report

So why did he say that? What would he gain from it? Is this reality, because this sounds more like a five year old than a man elected as the leader of a country

[Edge-]

So why did he say that? What would he gain from it? Is this reality, because this sounds more like a five year old than a man elected as the leader of a country

The man elected as the leader of the US is emotionally and psychologically a 5 year old, so it fits.

[Vankrys]

The man elected as the leader of the US is emotionally and psychologically a 5 year old, so it fits.

did he hide it and fool you during the election campaign, or did you think "what the heck, let's elect a moron"?

[Elegiac]

did he hide it and fooled you during the election campaign, or you thought what the heck, let's elect a moron?

Considering you lot almost elected femme-Trump, I wouldn't be so quick to cast judgment.

[zorkuus]

So why did he say that? What would he gain from it?

ego

Also because he's stupid. He thinks stuff like this is the mark of a very stable genius.

[Vankrys]

Considering you lot almost elected femme-Trump, I wouldn't be so quick to cast judgment.

66% to 34% though i admit, a third of my countrymen are angry moron.
But even Le Pen wouldn't even dare put the country in debt to give a fat tax cut for the wealthy, she'd be heading to the guillotine within the first month.

[Skroe]

Hell No! On one hand I should watch in order to form my opinion instead of reading second-hand from political pundits. But I just can't stand 2 minutes of listening to that moron speak.

My bet his speech will okay so Trump will actually get praise for again being normal. Amazing where we are at with our President these days.

- - - Updated - - -

The Trump Shit show in an invitation.



https://twitter.com/thehill/status/958077308727889926

This is going to be the first State of the Union I don't watch live or after the fact since I was like 14 or something.

Nothing that man says can possibly interest me other than a full confession for his crimes.