Trumps Presidency 2025

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, Edman85 said:

I got news for you: they freely crime whether we bitch about it online or not.

Thanks for the update. Here’s some news for you: the more static they get while trying to crime, the less successful they are at it. We have to keep up the static.

[mtutiger]

I don't have Eddie's self restraint in tuning out (to my detriment probably), but I do think that part of why people are sort of tuned out (or at least not engaging as much with this stuff in online spaces) is because Trump won the popular vote and, at least in the context of how our elections are run (ie. EC), pretty decisively.

(Note: I don't think it was all that decisive.... this was more 2004 than 1984)

Ultimately because of this, there's a recognition that if we are to get out of this mess, it's going to have to be a longer game and that people are going to have to feel pain of touching the hot stove. Which, to be honest, still feels pretty underindexed.... I don't think a lot of what he's doing is going to be popular in practice.

That doesn't mean that there aren't ways to engage, certainly donating money and time to organizations that push back against the excesses is a good start. But outside of being an outlet for catharsis, there isn't much that posting about this stuff here ultimately accomplishes.

[romad1]

37 minutes ago, mtutiger said:

I don't have Eddie's self restraint in tuning out (to my detriment probably), but I do think that part of why people are sort of tuned out (or at least not engaging as much with this stuff in online spaces) is because Trump won the popular vote and, at least in the context of how our elections are run (ie. EC), pretty decisively.

(Note: I don't think it was all that decisive.... this was more 2004 than 1984)

Ultimately because of this, there's a recognition that if we are to get out of this mess, it's going to have to be a longer game and that people are going to have to feel pain of touching the hot stove. Which, to be honest, still feels pretty underindexed.... I don't think a lot of what he's doing is going to be popular in practice.

That doesn't mean that there aren't ways to engage, certainly donating money and time to organizations that push back against the excesses is a good start. But outside of being an outlet for catharsis, there isn't much that posting about this stuff here ultimately accomplishes.

I think this is mostly how i feel.  Still, have heart.  Its going to be hard to remember what being good to your fellow man and contributing to the general welfare means after these thugs are finished with this country: if they ever are.

[Tigeraholic1]

14 hours ago, mtutiger said:

Until interest rates come down nobody is leaving their 2-4% rate to buy an overly inflated priced home at 7%. Since he can’t EO interest rates we are stuck in the mud. 

[Kacie]

51 minutes ago, mtutiger said:

I don't have Eddie's self restraint in tuning out (to my detriment probably), but I do think that part of why people are sort of tuned out (or at least not engaging as much with this stuff in online spaces) is because Trump won the popular vote and, at least in the context of how our elections are run (ie. EC), pretty decisively.

(Note: I don't think it was all that decisive.... this was more 2004 than 1984)

Ultimately because of this, there's a recognition that if we are to get out of this mess, it's going to have to be a longer game and that people are going to have to feel pain of touching the hot stove. Which, to be honest, still feels pretty underindexed.... I don't think a lot of what he's doing is going to be popular in practice.

That doesn't mean that there aren't ways to engage, certainly donating money and time to organizations that push back against the excesses is a good start. But outside of being an outlet for catharsis, there isn't much that posting about this stuff here ultimately accomplishes.

I disagree.  I think seeing the dumb****ery and misinformation around us can be deflating and isolating.  Interacting with like minds who offer intelligent information and thoughtful perspectives is motivating.  We have what we have now due to social media influence and no reason to think it can't have the opposite effect if we can rid ourselves of some of the dinosaurs.

[pfife]

6 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Until interest rates come down nobody is leaving their 2-4% rate to buy an overly inflated priced home at 7%. Since he can’t EO interest rates we are stuck in the mud. 

Lol so hes doing nothing and you apparently accept it 

Absurd.

[Kacie]

4 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Until interest rates come down nobody is leaving their 2-4% rate to buy an overly inflated priced home at 7%. Since he can’t EO interest rates we are stuck in the mud. 

What is the plan to curtail inflation and lower prices?  That's what will bring down interest rates.  Dopey orange guy doesn't get basic economics.  He thinks you just wave a magic wand and lower rates and make all better.  That's what drove up inflation, not Joe Biden, not that the red hats will ever believe that.  What about rent controls?  He can control that.  How about increased wages?   What about less expenses for families to have more to spend on housing.  But he's literally doing the opposite of all that.  

[romad1]

The US Air Force is forbidding its professional education system from teaching about the Tuskegee Airmen!  

[romad1]

8 minutes ago, romad1 said:

The US Air Force is forbidding its professional education system from teaching about the Tuskegee Airmen!  

The African Americans who voted for Trump must be really proud this morning.

[Edman85]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

Thanks for the update. Here’s some news for you: the more static they get while trying to crime, the less successful they are at it. We have to keep up the static.

 

I'll go further into the epiphany I had, one I strayed from a little bit in the lead up and aftermath of the election, and why I am choosing this path.

 

First of all, I have a family member with an excruciating, chronically debilitating health condition that is taking a lot out of me emotionally and mentally. Additional stressors are not healthy at this point.

Second of all, as a federal employee, the issues are two fold. One: I do not trust DOGE et. al. to not retaliate against anybody criticizing this group on the socials, so best to keep it off. Second: there is sudden professional uncertainty I haven't had in 16 years, adding to that emotional and mental strain above.

Thinking back on my own life, I was definitely more of a passive political follower pre-Trump. Being more politically vocal starting around 2016 and crescendoing during the peak of the pandemic has made me some enemies. Now, while you can say "big whoop, not a big loss," when you have had a **** year (see the first paragraph) and you see all the friends you've hung out with on NYE for over a decade (except 2020) were hanging out and you weren't invited, it certainly makes you look inward and wanting to have a healthier way of trying to follow this stuff, because how I follow it leads to how I react to it. Oh, I do want to say due to more social cache back in 2016, I was able to successfully keep some people off the Trump Train at that time who have since jumped aboard. I want to try to build that cache back up.

So... every-10-minute updates, doom scrolling twitter, doom scrolling here or a similar forum elsewhere, seeing speculation, having text threads with friends mocking Trumpies, just the constant barrage of Trump news? I don't need it, and it makes me a worse person. Worst of all, it doesn't help stop Trump and the like; if anything it only makes it worse. I know it's bad. Enjoy embracing the doom. I'm going to try to enjoy the good parts of life that I can, and hopefully use that to regain some social influence and try to get people aboard the good side come fall 2026.

[romad1]

2 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

 

I'll go further into the epiphany I had, one I strayed from a little bit in the lead up and aftermath of the election, and why I am choosing this path.

 

First of all, I have a family member with an excruciating, chronically debilitating health condition that is taking a lot out of me emotionally and mentally. Additional stressors are not healthy at this point.

Second of all, as a federal employee, the issues are two fold. One: I do not trust DOGE et. al. to not retaliate against anybody criticizing this group on the socials, so best to keep it off. Second: there is sudden professional uncertainty I haven't had in 16 years, adding to that emotional and mental strain above.

Thinking back on my own life, I was definitely more of a passive political follower pre-Trump. Being more politically vocal starting around 2016 and crescendoing during the peak of the pandemic has made me some enemies. Now, while you can say "big whoop, not a big loss," when you have had a **** year (see the first paragraph) and you see all the friends you've hung out with on NYE for over a decade (except 2020) were hanging out and you weren't invited, it certainly makes you look inward and wanting to have a healthier way of trying to follow this stuff, because how I follow it leads to how I react to it. Oh, I do want to say due to more social cache back in 2016, I was able to successfully keep some people off the Trump Train at that time who have since jumped aboard. I want to try to build that cache back up.

So... every-10-minute updates, doom scrolling twitter, doom scrolling here or a similar forum elsewhere, seeing speculation, having text threads with friends mocking Trumpies, just the constant barrage of Trump news? I don't need it, and it makes me a worse person. Worst of all, it doesn't help stop Trump and the like; if anything it only makes it worse. I know it's bad. Enjoy embracing the doom. I'm going to try to enjoy the good parts of life that I can, and hopefully use that to regain some social influence and try to get people aboard the good side come fall 2026.

Can totally sympathize with this worldview but coming into this forum to do it isn't exactly the right way to screen out the bad things.   Some do need to share the insanity.  I would suggest you no longer share thoughts about the bad things going on in government from your public persona.  Anonymize and save your own ass. 

[mtutiger]

24 minutes ago, pfife said:

Lol so hes doing nothing and you apparently accept it 

Absurd.

He also ran on these things... These were big pieces of his campaign message

Promises Broken

[Tigeraholic1]

Pete is the leader our military needs. JD Vance a Marine swearing in a Marine. First in first last out, Semper Fi

Edited Saturday at 03:34 PM by Tigeraholic1

[oblong]

Despite my participation here I’m going along with Eddie. If I have the news on and they cut to a story on him, I change it. I don’t engage in person anymore. My social feeds are generally purged. I muted some like minded folks who feel the need to send every heather cox Richardson essay. (3 friends do this with the command “pay attention”.   All I can do is vote every election and perhaps give money.  But we aren’t changing anybody’s minds. My vote doesn’t count more if I have online screaming behind it.  It counts just the same as the guy around the block who thinks JFK Jr is still alive.  

[mtutiger]

I'm out of likes, but totally understand Eddie's POV.

[romad1]

One other thing:  The 1989 Revolutions in Eastern Europe only happened because of the cost of doing business for the various governments (i.e., the cost of the Hungarian border fence) was too high to sustain total control over their populations and were made more difficult because of the technology that was enabling free-er communications (in this case the Fax if you can believe it). 

You must make the cost of suppression too high to sustain.   It takes will and courage.  The forces of autocracy have many levers and they will try to stop you.  

[Hongbit]

15 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Pete is the leader our military needs. JD Vance a Marine swearing in a Marine. First in first last out, Semper Fi

[1776]

58 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Until interest rates come down nobody is leaving their 2-4% rate to buy an overly inflated priced home at 7%. Since he can’t EO interest rates we are stuck in the mud. 

To your point:

WSJ

U.S. existing-home sales fell in 2024 to the lowest level since 1995, the second straight year of anemic sales due to stubbornly high mortgage rates.

High costs related to homeownership sapped sales again. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage has hovered between 6% and 8% since late 2022, making it prohibitively expensive for many Americans to buy homes at current prices, which hit record highs last year. Rising home insurance and property tax costs are also adding to homeowners’ expenses. Unlike mortgage rates, which fluctuate, these costs are poised to continue rising.

[1776]

37 minutes ago, mtutiger said:

He also ran on these things... These were big pieces of his campaign message

Promises Broken

In all seriousness, be it Biden or Trump, what would you suggest either do in this specific instance and time?

The swearing in was what, a week ago? May be a little early to call broken promises.

Edited Saturday at 04:12 PM by 1776

[mtutiger]

11 minutes ago, 1776 said:

In all seriousness, be it Biden or Trump, what would you suggest either do in this specific instance and time?

Not threaten steep tariffs on other countries, for starters.

I have yet to hear a compelling case that these are necessary

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Questions for our Trump voting friends here about the economy and immigration. We know that many people on the right have said that "no one wants to work anymore." That was a common refrain post-Covid with all the labor shortages occurring. Currently, according to estimates from the Center for Migration Studies of New York and other groups/think tanks, there as many as 8.3 million undocumented immigrants work in the US economy. They make up an estimated 5.2% of the US workforce. In the agriculture, farm, and food processing industries undocumented immigrants make up nearly 40-44% of the workforce according to estimates from the USDA. Undocumented immigrants work in construction (est. 1.5 million), restaurants (est. 1 million), agriculture and farms (est. 320,000), groundskeeping/landscaping (est. 300,000), and food processing and manufacturing (est. 200,000), among many other occupations.

Donald Trump has talked about engaging in the largest mass deportation effort in history and has talked about deporting millions of undocumented people. So if no one wants to work, and we have these labor shortages in the US workforce, how is mass deporting some 8.3 million workers, or 5% or so of the labor force, going to help improve the economy? How is deporting 40-44% going to lower costs on food prices at the grocery store or at restaurants? If 5% or so of our labor force is deported, who is going to fill those jobs in agriculture/farm/food processing, construction, groundskeeping/landscaping, hospitality, housekeeping, etc.? How long will it take for businesses, small and large, to backfill these roles? Who does these jobs in the meantime while they are waiting to hire prospective employees, onboard, and adequately train them?

Edited Saturday at 04:30 PM by Mr.TaterSalad

[1776]

Just now, mtutiger said:

Not threaten steep tariffs on other countries, for starters.

I have yet to hear a compelling case that these are necessary

Expected that response and I totally agree. That’s not going to get us to where we need to be on its own though. 
Reducing rates is not an option and the bond market doesn’t seem to respond anyway. As I’m sure you’re aware, mortgage rates a moved up since the last cut. 
Article in WSJ yesterday that consumer spending, for the most part hasn’t slowed down. That’s a problem. 
Powell will speak this week and that will be very interesting. 

Still open to ideas for addressing the inflation issue. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

58 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Pete is the leader our military needs. JD Vance a Marine swearing in a Marine. First in first last out, Semper Fi

An alleged alcoholic, an alleged domestic abuser, an alleged sexual predator who paid a women off for $50,000, and a guy who had to resign from a military-related charitable organization for alleged financial impropriety is what we need?

Edited Saturday at 04:32 PM by Mr.TaterSalad

[mtutiger]

3 minutes ago, 1776 said:

Expected that response and I totally agree. That’s not going to get us to where we need to be on its own though. 

I mean, when I see the administration taking a loaded gun and and threatening to shoot ourselves in the foot on this particular issue... Yeah, I'm going to hold that against them.

[1776]

9 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Questions for our Trump voting friends here about the economy and immigration. We know that many people on the right have said that "no one wants to work anymore." That was a common refrain post-Covid with all the labor shortages occurring. Currently, according to estimates from the Center for Migration Studies of New York and other groups/think tanks, there as many as 8.3 million undocumented immigrants work in the US economy. They make up an estimated 5.2% of the US workforce. In the agriculture, farm, and food processing industries undocumented immigrants make up nearly 40-44% of the workforce according to estimates from the USDA. Undocumented immigrants work in construction (est. 1.5 million), restaurants (est. 1 million), agriculture and farms (est. 320,000), groundskeeping/landscaping (est. 300,000), and food processing and manufacturing (est. 200,000), among many other occupations.

Front and center, I did not vote for Trump.

I believe the current response to the immigration issue is an over reach. I think it is a very good example of the, “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” quote. 
The primary issue is that we have been in dire need of reformed/updated laws regarding immigration for years. Unfortunately, the recent attempt to act on it imploded. I’ll leave it at that. 
I’m sick of immigration policies being determined by the revolving door of presidents. Until congress can work to find a compromise on this, we’re where we are.