Project Autocracy

[chasfh]

59 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

Another member of the Trump Crime Syndicate joins the ranks

 https://bsky.app/profile/jamiegangel.bsky.social/post/3lc6zyr33zk2j
 

His son in law's father. The guy he pardoned. 
 

 

Yeah, but see, it's all the same kind of crime Trump indulges in, so, Kushner's a good fella.

[Tiger337]

20 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Yeah, but see, it's all the same kind of crime Trump indulges in, so, Kushner's a good fella.

For wealthy people, white collar crimes are not crimes.  It's just smart business.  

[smr-nj]

1 hour ago, CMRivdogs said:

Another member of the Trump Crime Syndicate joins the ranks

 https://bsky.app/profile/jamiegangel.bsky.social/post/3lc6zyr33zk2j
 

His son in law's father. The guy he pardoned. 
 

 

Chris Christie better find a good place to hide. lol.  He’s the one who prosecuted senior Kushner.  You gotta know there’s gonna be payback.

[chasfh]

On 11/29/2024 at 10:08 AM, CMRivdogs said:

Such an uplifting message from the incoming guy

https://politicalwire.com/2024/11/28/speaking-of-thanks/

 

Trump misspelled “except for”.

 

[romad1]

‪George Bredewoud‬ ‪@gwbutrecht.bsky.social‬

·

4m

The next four years of American Horror Story will unfold in the White House. It’s unbelievable we’ve come to this. The world watches in dread as sociopath Trump and his cronies steer the U.S. towards ruin, dragging NATO and climate efforts down with them.

Edited December 1, 2024 by romad1

[LaceyLou]

On 11/30/2024 at 8:04 AM, oblong said:

 I have a group of female acquaintances who did nothing but whine about how much Biden screwed up the economy yet on Friday they took pictures from every store they went to from about 4:30 on.  My ass.  But that’s white trash for you.  They got a “great deal” on some crap.  

And let me guess... instead of supporting small businesses they went to big box stores? 

And how many of the labels on that stuff say 'made in China?' Asking for a friend....

[ewsieg]

25 minutes ago, LaceyLou said:

And let me guess... instead of supporting small businesses they went to big box stores? 

And how many of the labels on that stuff say 'made in China?' Asking for a friend....

There is a legitimate complaint that it's nearly impossible to find stuff made in America unless specifically sought out, even at many small businesses.  The fact that neither party has been able to do much to deal with it for so long is part of the reason why many voted to 'burn it all down'.  

[Tiger337]

33 minutes ago, ewsieg said:

There is a legitimate complaint that it's nearly impossible to find stuff made in America unless specifically sought out, even at many small businesses.  The fact that neither party has been able to do much to deal with it for so long is part of the reason why many voted to 'burn it all down'.  

Nothing will ever be done about it regardless because it's more efficient to make stuff outside of America.  If something is done about it, we'll become a less prosperous country.  The oligarchy will not allow it.    

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, ewsieg said:

There is a legitimate complaint that it's nearly impossible to find stuff made in America unless specifically sought out, even at many small businesses.  The fact that neither party has been able to do much to deal with it for so long is part of the reason why many voted to 'burn it all down'.  

I’m sure the red hats will be totally cool with paying 50% more for crap products “Made in the USA” by immigrants shielded from deportation by manufacturers run by christian nationalists in league with the MAGA swamp monsters in Washington.

 

Edited December 1, 2024 by chasfh

[LaceyLou]

2 hours ago, ewsieg said:

There is a legitimate complaint that it's nearly impossible to find stuff made in America unless specifically sought out, even at many small businesses.  The fact that neither party has been able to do much to deal with it for so long is part of the reason why many voted to 'burn it all down'.  

True, although I disagree with those who want to burn it down. While not perfect, there's still an awful lot in this country that works well and/or can be fixed. 

And honestly I think Oblong's point was that people who are able to spend a whole day shopping probably aren't struggling nearly as much as they claimed-and I agree with him. 

[Tiger337]

Burning everything down is stupid.  America is a great country with some things that need to be fixed.  You don't tear down something that's great.  You try to fix what's broken.    

[gehringer_2]

15 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Burning everything down is stupid.  America is a great country with some things that need to be fixed.  You don't tear down something that's great.  You try to fix what's broken.    

yeah - that's a great myth. Things get better in small increments when people keep plugging away to make things better, they get worse in big chunks when people start breaking stuff. 

I think we tend to think this way because the feed our selves such deep fantasies about America's history: "We are a revolutionary nation". No, we are not really. France's reign of terror was revolutionary, Leninism was revolutionary, Cuba was revolutionary, the Chinese cultural revolution was revolutionary. What happened beginning in 1776 in the American colonies was actually a fight more to keep things the way they were - they way they had gradually evolved in the colonies while the Brits weren't paying that much attention,  than to change things. It was the Brits who wanted to force the colonies to change - to pay more to support the Crown and accede to more direct rule from England than where things had evolved. It was more a war of conservation than revolution.  Which is why the outcome didn't look like France or Russia.

Edited December 1, 2024 by gehringer_2

[Tiger337]

1 minute ago, gehringer_2 said:

yeah - that's a great myth. Things get better in small increments when people keep plugging to make things better, they get worse in big chunks when things get broken.

That's like when a sports team is good but fans scream for an overhaul when it goes into a slump.  

[chasfh]

31 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Burning everything down is stupid.  America is a great country with some things that need to be fixed.  You don't tear down something that's great.  You try to fix what's broken.    

They don't think America is great. That's why they want to break it.

[ewsieg]

3 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Nothing will ever be done about it regardless because it's more efficient to make stuff outside of America.  If something is done about it, we'll become a less prosperous country.  The oligarchy will not allow it.    

I disagree that we'll become less prosperous, at least in terms of a generic 'if we do something about it'.  If Trump does something about it, yes I agree, but the pendulum swung to far.  Quality products, at least some products, can be made here by companies willing to make a profit, but aren't driven by profit only.   Every text book you find about business will say mgmt's responsibility is shareholder value.  Unfortunately way to many have redefined shareholder value as the biggest profit in the shortest time possible.  You can have American companies making quality products, paying American workers, and still being profitable, just not the most profitable possible.

But yes, large tariffs forcing companies to either pass that on to us or bring it into the US regardless of what the market may dictate, plus how businesses define shareholder value today... it won't be pretty.

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, ewsieg said:

I disagree that we'll become less prosperous, at least in terms of a generic 'if we do something about it'.  If Trump does something about it, yes I agree, but the pendulum swung to far.  Quality products, at least some products, can be made here by companies willing to make a profit, but aren't driven by profit only.   Every text book you find about business will say mgmt's responsibility is shareholder value.  Unfortunately way to many have redefined shareholder value as the biggest profit in the shortest time possible.  You can have American companies making quality products, paying American workers, and still being profitable, just not the most profitable possible.

But yes, large tariffs forcing companies to either pass that on to us or bring it into the US regardless of what the market may dictate, plus how businesses define shareholder value today... it won't be pretty.

There is the problem right there.  EVERYTHING is about making the biggest profit possible.  There are small companies that are trying to make a profit while also being an important part of the community, but they are becoming a smaller and smaller part of our total economny.  I would love to see that reversed, but the mega corportations now have so much power and influence, I don't see it ever happening especially not with one of the wealthiest men in the world in lock step with the President.    

[Tiger337]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

They don't think America is great. That's why they want to break it.

Yes, I know.  They want to go back the 1950s if not earlier.  

[gehringer_2]

2 hours ago, ewsieg said:

I disagree that we'll become less prosperous, at least in terms of a generic 'if we do something about it'.  If Trump does something about it, yes I agree, but the pendulum swung to far.  Quality products, at least some products, can be made here by companies willing to make a profit, but aren't driven by profit only.   Every text book you find about business will say mgmt's responsibility is shareholder value.  Unfortunately way to many have redefined shareholder value as the biggest profit in the shortest time possible.  You can have American companies making quality products, paying American workers, and still being profitable, just not the most profitable possible.

But yes, large tariffs forcing companies to either pass that on to us or bring it into the US regardless of what the market may dictate, plus how businesses define shareholder value today... it won't be pretty.

It's complex, of course. To raise US wages and restore the middle class, it would be helpful if certain types of manufacturing is reshored - but not just anything. The kind of manufacturing that can support high paid workers is mostly capital intensive processing were each worker manages machines or automation that leverages his hourly output to support a higher way. Things that are mostly handwork - like light assembly, will not pay the kind of wages to make a reshoring effort worthwhile. So how to you do it? Tariffs can create the pressure for it to happen, but investment and tax policy can be just as effective. Along the same line - a better take than just stand alone tariffs is to tie them into a system to recover the externalities that companies often do offshoring to avoid - such as pollution control, site remediations requirements, resource depletion, labor standards. You could group these kinds of things under the heading of 'leveling the playing field.'

[chasfh]

54 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Yes, I know.  They want to go back the 1950s if not earlier.  

Indeed. Preferably early 1950s.

[CMRivdogs]

2 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Indeed. Preferably early 1950s.

Unions were probably at their strongest level in the early 50s, at the same time there were a lot of strikes. The country was still enjoying the effects of winning WWII, but also involved in Korea. The middle class was in ascendant.

I don't see any way to get us back there. Especially under the incoming administration. I think we're heading back to the early 1930s, early depression.

[LaceyLou]

I think they want a new gilded age.

[romad1]

They want to return to pre-MLK, pre-civil rights, Mississippi Burning. 

[chasfh]

15 hours ago, CMRivdogs said:

Unions were probably at their strongest level in the early 50s, at the same time there were a lot of strikes. The country was still enjoying the effects of winning WWII, but also involved in Korea. The middle class was in ascendant.

I don't see any way to get us back there. Especially under the incoming administration. I think we're heading back to the early 1930s, early depression.

Well, they don’t want to go back to all of the early 1950s.

[Tigeraholic1]

15 hours ago, romad1 said:

They want to return to pre-MLK, pre-civil rights, Mississippi Burning. 

Hang in there little buddy.... This could be part of your reflection at the end of your book.

[romad1]

https://bsky.app/profile/amandamarcotte.bsky.social/post/3lchzub2das2g

Article

https://www.salon.com/2024/12/04/elon-musks-twitter-harassment-of-employees-shows-doge-is-weaker-than-he-pretends/

I'd say the fear of Musk destroying the professional civil service is not unjustified.