Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Elegiac]

Hmm.

So, apparently NK celebrated the firing of Bolton by saying they were willing to start talks again, then fired a pair of missiles.

Okay, philistine. The firing of the missiles is obviously intended to be symbolic for the firing of a warhawk, just like the uranium enrichment facility is intended to be symbolic of the toxic methods Trump is using to enrich himself.

[Redwyrm]

Trusting anybody in the GOP is always a mistake. At some point the democrats will accept the GOP is 100% bad actors and act accordingly.

This was one of Obama's biggest faults. He kept trying to play nice. And each time he extended his hand the GOP ripped it off and slapped him with it.

[Breccia]

Purdue Pharma is apparently looking at a settlement in which they pay $12 billion (instantly going bankrupt) and the owning company gives up control and also $3 billion of their own money.

States that don't like it will probably find other ways to go after them.

Also, Axios points out that Israel and Bolton bonded over hating Iran, so again, Israel's not happy over current developments. Upon hearing this information from the Israelis, Trump naturally turned around and told the Russians.

[Thekri]

This was one of Obama's biggest faults. He kept trying to play nice. And each time he extended his hand the GOP ripped it off and slapped him with it.

Fun fact, the Democratic house leadership has supported HR. 51. So called because it would make DC a state, because DC voted to become a state with 86% of the vote in 2016. So the second that Democrats take the Senate, they can make DC a state and keep the Republicans from taking it back.

Because that is purely what the Republicans deserve at this point, if they don't play fair, they shouldn't expect it from the demcrats. They will be lucky if the Democrats don't add Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa too, and considering how Republicans treat those territories, those are 8 Senate seats the GOP will never touch.

[Breccia]

They will be lucky if the Democrats don't add Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa too

I support making Puerto Rico a state so that tragedy of a FEMA fuckup doesn't happen to them again.

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There has not been a White House press briefing in six months.

Cancelling the event is really the only option, when you can't answer direct questions, but prefer to lie without being challenged.

[kaid]

Fun fact, the Democratic house leadership has supported HR. 51. So called because it would make DC a state, because DC voted to become a state with 86% of the vote in 2016. So the second that Democrats take the Senate, they can make DC a state and keep the Republicans from taking it back.

Because that is purely what the Republicans deserve at this point, if they don't play fair, they shouldn't expect it from the demcrats. They will be lucky if the Democrats don't add Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa too, and considering how Republicans treat those territories, those are 8 Senate seats the GOP will never touch.

Really at this point the dems priority has to be statehood for DC and PR if pr is willing. When you have DC with more population than 2 or 3 red states combined its really necessary and after what happened during the last few hurricanes its pretty clear that PR pretty much needs statehood if it's to be treated well. The bulk of the population of the US just does not understand the concept of full US citizens in an area that does not actually get the same powers as a state.

[Redwyrm]

I support making Puerto Rico a state so that tragedy of a FEMA fuckup doesn't happen to them again.

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There has not been a White House press briefing in six months.

Cancelling the event is really the only option, when you can't answer direct questions, but prefer to lie without being challenged.

Trump (assuming he is still President) would still find a way to fuck over Puerto Rico as a state. He basically just stole millions in relief for hurricane impacts for Puerto Rico to fund his wall.

[Shalcker]

Purdue Pharma is apparently looking at a settlement in which they pay $12 billion (instantly going bankrupt) and the owning company gives up control and also $3 billion of their own money.

States that don't like it will probably find other ways to go after them.

Also, Axios points out that Israel and Bolton bonded over hating Iran, so again, Israel's not happy over current developments. Upon hearing this information from the Israelis, Trump naturally turned around and told the Russians.

It's not like Israelis don't complain to Russians directly all the time.

[Thekri]

Trump (assuming he is still President) would still find a way to fuck over Puerto Rico as a state. He basically just stole millions in relief for hurricane impacts for Puerto Rico to fund his wall.

A lot harder with 4 new democratic senators from DC and PR. He could try, but just a democratic house has managed to checkmate him pretty well so far. Give the democrats the senate as well, and he would absolutely nothing to work with. He couldn't do much except fuss until the Democrats found about 10 GOP senators willing to impeach him.

Still, the scenario is pretty far fetched, because I don't see a scenario where the Democrats take the senate without also taking the White House. More likely the opposite, they get the White House but Moscow Mitch stays burrowed into the American government like a parasite.

[Edge-]

https://twitter.com/RudyGiuliani/sta...63086178185217

I see Giuliani isn't missing an opportunity to be a gigantic piece of shit.

[Breccia]

So let's talk about negative interest rates.

They fucking suck.

I'm just going to summarize from CNN because, at this point, FOX News was also labeled Fake News and also their headline story is Omar, who let me remind everyone, did not negotiate with terrorists, that was Trump.

1) As we've already discussed, negative interest rates are a tax on banks, and also people trying to use savings accounts. It would screw older people nearing retirement, who usually have their money in safer situations than the stock market, but those are all about to lose rate and therefore value.

2) The EU and Japan tried it. It didn't go so hot.

3) Deutsche Bank lost 75% or so of their value after Germany went negative rates. True, some of that could be people yanking their money when Deutsche Bank admitted they were laundering Russian money.

4) The US spending on interest is scheduled to increase 14% this year, and the CBO just upped their 2020 deficit to $1 trillion.

"What does that have to do with negative rates?"

Well, it's why Trump is looking to do this. The tax cut for the rich is not going coming close to paying for itself, and he's desperate.

5) For those thinking this will save them some CC debt, they're in for a surprise. Credit card rates are at near record highs, driven by a variety of factors. Cutting that down a point or so wouldn't make a huge difference -- a couple bucks a month to an average family.

6) This one's on me: the Federal Reserve makes some money loaning to other banks. In addition to what cutting rates would do to that income, banks irate at a rate cut could simply choose not to do this, either borrowing from other banks or just failing and being bailed out.

7) To the best of my knowledge, the Fed rate has never been negative. But I'm having a hard time finding anything before 1960. I did find that it hit 1.5% during the Great Depression, but that's as low as it got around then. So I'm just going to say "this has never happened" and let someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Obviously, Trump saying this doesn't make it so. It is an admission the economy's in trouble, and that the only thing that can save it is a risky gamble we've seen fail before.

[Zan15]

So let's talk about negative interest rates.

They fucking suck.


5) For those thinking this will save them some CC debt, they're in for a surprise. Credit card rates are at near record highs, driven by a variety of factors. Cutting that down a point or so wouldn't make a huge difference -- a couple bucks a month to an average family.
.

credit card rates will never go down.
You could make the prime rate -10% and they will just update their terms to be prime + 50%

somehow credit cards can charge 15-20-30%+ above prime but a loan shark or even day/payday loaners can't in some states.

but that's what you get when corporations have such power in the govt. two sets of rules

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https://twitter.com/RudyGiuliani/sta...63086178185217

I see Giuliani isn't missing an opportunity to be a gigantic piece of shit.

wow those responses are brutal.

sad that people didn't realize he was only popular for a very short time after 9/11.
was shit before and was shit after.

[Elegiac]

wow those responses are brutal.

Imagine being New York's mayor during 9/11 and being so thoroughly disliked after the fact the trending reply to your remembrance tweet is that Thanos pinup with his ass out.

[Breccia]

I see Giuliani isn't missing an opportunity to be a gigantic piece of shit.

Um...is he suggesting Antifa is the problem? On 9/11? I'm not sure what this is, I don't speak Fascist.

[Paranoid Android]

https://twitter.com/RudyGiuliani/sta...63086178185217

I see Giuliani isn't missing an opportunity to be a gigantic piece of shit.

It's all they have is to install fear and hate for one side of the American people. Hate and Fear is the right's best elixir.

[Elegiac]

Um...is he suggesting Antifa is the problem? On 9/11? I'm not sure what this is, I don't speak Fascist.

Remember Trump's getting cozy with the people behind 9/11 so they have to invent a new Goldstein for the Hate Week.

[Xeones]

Um...is he suggesting Antifa is the problem? On 9/11? I'm not sure what this is, I don't speak Fascist.

I think he is trying to equate them. Some of those signs were reading "burn it down".

[pathora44]

wow those responses are brutal.

sad that people didn't realize he was only popular for a very short time after 9/11.
was shit before and was shit after.

Trump only hires the best people. The biggest and worst smelling pieces of shit around i.e. the best.

[Thekri]

I think he is trying to equate them. Some of those signs were reading "burn it down".

I am pretty sure the protestors were promoting the valid political theory of Pyrocracy, the theory that government is more effective when it is on fire. /s

Really, this is all part of the generic message that any disruption of public order is to be brutally suppressed. Somehow they conflate public protest with being anti-American, which is a pervasive theme on the right. The sheer irony of this is somehow lost on them.

[Canpinter]

https://twitter.com/RudyGiuliani/sta...63086178185217

I see Giuliani isn't missing an opportunity to be a gigantic piece of shit.

jesus christ why the fuck would he post that?