i doubt any of those appointed by trump have amounted the fortunes they have through neither alturism or philanthropy....
jambalaya - Member@mike the logic is they are already rich so they can't be bought by lobbyists / industry etc.
^^^ This 😛
Worth a watch of the clip - well it's depressing but watch anyway.
The logic that the super rich can't be bought is great, what it doesn't rule out is their own self interest. The more worrying aspect is the appearance of the creationists, science denyers etc.
the logic is they are already rich so they can't be bought by lobbyists / industry etc.
Brilliant. And with all the extra money they're going to have when they reduce taxes for themselves they'll be even less inclined to be swayed by offers of filthy lucre. In fact, they're only [i]strengthening[/i] democracy. They'd be much more likely to buckle if not...
Well, my driver in the ride back to SFO today was pretty annoyed about Trump. As was everyone else I spoke to, though he was far and away the most forthright.
I thought that this being California, people would be fairly relaxed about it, especially given the recent change in regulation around marijuana, but apparently not.
Anyway, I saw this - seems even Sarah Palin has her doubts...
It's going to be a fun four years.
Ms Palin added: “Republicans oppose this, remember? Instead, we support competition on a level playing field, remember? Because we know special interest crony capitalism is one big fail.”
I think this was on the list of things everyone spotted early on, he actually has to work with the Republicans...
@old California is so Democrat Trump didn't even bother to campaign there. My relatives there one didn't bother to vote Democrcat as he said there was no point wasting time lining up.
Niw Trump os being critised for doing what he said he'd do keeping jobs in America ?
Niw Trump os being critised for doing what he said he'd do keeping jobs in America ?
No, being criticized for bunging some tax dollars at one company and not any other companies in similar positions.
He said he'd tax them and he gave them a tax break, can see why people might criticise him for doing the exact opposite of what he said. Also he made a bit of money due to being invested in the company.
The Chinese are pissed..
India aren't too happy either after the transcript of his phone call with Sharif
It's the one thing I like about Trump. Who are China to tell a (future) head of state who he can and can't talk to. So much international diplomacy is ridiculous and childish, it's OK to trade with Taiwan, just don't talk to them, nonsense!
I quite like that he's not bothered about appearances, though I'm not sure he's smart enough to back it up. Time will tell.
Must admit, I'm rather amused by it Fin - I'm half of rhe opinion that his attitude is the correct one - as long as this is a reliable shift in policy. If he carries on with unpredictable actions based on the whim of the moment, then it makes the US position less trustworthy and also increases the chance of a war kicking off.
increases the chance of a war kicking off.
Military Industrial Complex isn't it - sending a bit of business the way of America's defence contractors = jobs and GDP growth + a common enemy will handily help to unite a divided USA.
Mind you, Obama's been winding up the Chinese over South China Sea for months now - the above strategies are hardly Trumpian inventions...
Well done to Trump as I am with Trump on this.
I don't know why China sees this as a big deal after all Taiwan was a retreating govt that never surrender etc ...
China should just chill as Taiwan is Not HK.
I imagine Trump, May and Le Pen are right up for a bit of good ol' fashioned warring..
Raises morale, reduces population and is great for business.... Fresh starts and a shock to the system should make this planet great again
I'll give it another decade (tops) of relative piece for western civilisation
I imagine Trump, [b]May[/b] and Le Pen are right up for a bit of good ol' fashioned warring..
Didn't do Thatcher no harm, I say that right proper guv. Done us proud, she did.
sadly for Le Pen Fillon surprise selection in the centre right primaire suggests that she needs to go the other way and use left policies .
@mike the logic is they are already rich so they can't be bought by lobbyists / industry etc.
Of all the crap you've come out with that really has to be the most insane, stupid, hilarious comment of them all.
(EDIT: already done..... I should really keep a closer eye on this thread)
The Taiwan thing is quite funny, I am sure he just took the call without knowing the sensitivity. If the Chinese wanted to speak to Trump they should have called him first.
Of all the crap you've come out with that really has to be the most insane, stupid, hilarious comment of them all.
Calm down. Just repeated what I have read and heard first hand. It is one of Trump's strongest draws, he has made his money, he can't be bought which helped differentiate him from Clinton as that was one of her biggest weaknesses being seen to suck up to anyone for money. This has been widely cited as a factor in his success.
I imagine Trump, May and Le Pen are right up for a bit of good ol' fashioned warring..
Trump has very limited interest in "warring", he wants to deal with IS as they are responsible for terrorism against Americans and then imo he wants Europe to do more protecting itself. Even Obama was increasingly reluctant to get involved. I have no doubt countries and people will be begging for US intervention in conflicts.
cchris - FN have plenty of policies to appeal to the left, in the South they picked up towns from the communists via a direct switch to them.
China was trying to be dramatic there by testing their "soft" power. I think they are also trying to (re)assert their dominance in the region because of an unspoken understanding between Nixon and Mao. Time has changed.jambalaya - Member
The Taiwan thing is quite funny, I am sure he just took the call without knowing the sensitivity. If the Chinese wanted to speak to Trump they should have called him first.
Yes, Trump probably did not know the sensitivity but then there should not any big deal about his action after all USA is another superpower.
You may say that jambas.. but pandering to the populist xenophobic voters, trumps voters and the brexiteers is pandering to the seedy underbelly of [list]society, a colder, darker kind of mind..
This simpler, more reptilian, more predatory type of majority could easily be whipped up into a frenzy, easily persuaded to develop a bloodlust should the right wing leaders decide that it's the right time for it..
Garage and Johnson should be flogged through the streets for giving these under evolved louts a voice, when progress dictates that the kindest thing to do with the under evolved is to leave them to quietly shuffle off into the history books
Calm down. Just repeated what I have read and heard first hand. It is one of Trump's strongest draws, he has made his money, he can't be bought which helped differentiate him from Clinton as that was one of her biggest weaknesses being seen to suck up to anyone for money. This has been widely cited as a factor in his success.
OK, let's run with your "logic" for the time being: So, being rich makes you impervious to corruption does it? So no rich person has ever done anything dishonest, or taken any bribes, or bribed anyone else? Seriously?
Some dodgy millionaires for you (from a quick google search):
- The Koch brothers ($34bn each)
- Rupert Murdoch ($11.2bn)
- The Walton Family (many billions - worth as much as the bottom 41% of the US population)
- Silvio Berlusconi ($6.2bn)
- Oh, and let's not forget Trump himself.
Let's look at the facts specific to your point:
- You say they the millionaire status of Trump's cabinet make them impervious to lobbying and bribes. Hilary Clinton's average net worth is $31 million. Comparing this to the infographic above, that would put her less corruptible than 50% of Trump's new cabinet, and almost on a par with one other.
I hope, by now, you are realising just how ridiculous you are sounding on this matter.
OK, so you've "heard it first hand": So what you are saying is that you have heard a few people say it and thought it worthy enough to put if forward as your own idea (you didn't quote any third party sources in your original comment). What it also shows, if true, is a level of stupidity from the electorate (or at least the ones you know) that goes way beyond what I've already given them credit for.
The Taiwan thing is quite funny, I am sure he just took the call without knowing the sensitivity
Good job he's not in a position of responsibility then. I'd like the USA to be presided over by someone who knows.
"Hey, I just sold a shit load of weapons to those Korean dudes."
"Which Korean dudes, Doughnut?"
"Does it matter which?
"Oopsie!"
Perhaps he needs some sort of intelligence briefing to bring him up to speed, if only the US offered something like that.
Trump's priorities have already started to show, mentioning his international business partners in talks with heads of state it should be glaringly obvious who he's trying to make great, and it ain't the US.
China's stance on Taiwan is somewhat dubious, ditto them building/expanding various Islands and the conflict with Vietnam. Much is written about Russia but Chinese have been far worse with their creeping imperialism.
Is Taiwan an independent country or not ? If it is then Trump is perfectly entitled to take the call.
On the rich issue you have to understand the Americans have a very differemt mindset. They are a country of poor immigrants who ask for little except the opportunity to work and having a lot of money is absolutely not a negative trait. What they hate is politicians using their position of power to enrich themselves and the Clintons are top of that hate list.
Trump's wealth was a big positive factor for him in the election. The fact he is putting rich business people in positions of power is popular with his voter base.
Trying to judge Trump and America by European values is pointless. We are not electing him.
Is Taiwan an independent country or not ?
It's more complicated than that and you know it. The Chinese, rightly or wrongly, view Taiwan as part of China (as with Tibet) and world leaders have to work around it. It's called diplomacy.
First up
Is Taiwan an independent country or not ? If it is then Trump is perfectly entitled to take the call.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_status_of_Taiwan
A little bit to read but the simple answer is it's complicated. It would also be seen as a great way to manipulate a situation to try and place the call so you could "brag" about it later.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-aides-deny-plans-to-invest-in-taiwan-1480797511
Last month, Taiwanese media reported remarks by Cheng Wen-tsan, the mayor of the northern Taiwanese city of Taoyuan, that representatives for the Trump Organization had visited the city to explore a possible hotel venture near the city’s international airport.
Denied obviously...
@ Jamba
I wasn't judging anything by European standards, I was trying to figure out the logic behind your assertion that because someone is rich, they are beyond corruption, which is absolutely not the case.
As the people you are taking about are all rich, some of whom have been labeled as corrupt, and others have not ( as far as I'm aware), the logic must then follow that it isn't the size of your net worth that defines whether you are corrupt, it is whether you are a corrupt person, that decides if you are corrupt. Net worth has nothing to do with it.
If anti-corruption is such a big concern of the American populous, why have they voted for a president who has courted controversy and corruption his entire life?
Jambalaya your double standards are so bad you should be allowed two log ins.
jambalaya - Member
Trying to judge Trump and America by European values is pointless.
If that had been the opening line of this thread it wouldn't have got past page 1 😆
It's more complicated than that and you know it. The Chinese, rightly or wrongly, view Taiwan as part of China (as with Tibet) and world leaders have to work around it. It's called diplomacy.
Let's get this straight, The democratically elected future leader of the USA spoke to the democratically elected leader of Taiwan, a state to which the USA supplies both weapons and military training, and the lefties are up in arms because it offended the sensibilities of an undemocratic single party state with a terrible human rights record and no right of free speech?
Just think about that for a minute!
In other news, Trump has just said this:
[i]The U.S. is going to substantialy reduce taxes and regulations on businesses, but any business that leaves our country for another country, fires its employees, builds a new factory or plant in the other country, and then thinks it will sell its product back into the U.S. without retribution or consequence, is WRONG! There will be a tax on our soon to be strong border of 35% for these companies wanting to sell their product, cars, A.C. units etc., back across the border. This tax will make leaving financially difficult, but these companies are able to move between all 50 states and negotiate a tax free deal! Our country cannot keep losing these jobs, & won't these companies are able to move between all 50 states, with no tax or tariff being charged. Please be forewarned prior to making a very expensive mistake! THE UNITED STATES IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS[/i]
That's a massive line in the sand, the vested interests will be screaming.
Just think about that for a minute!
We all did, diplomacy is a strange thing isn't it.
On the business thing imagine how the US will feel when Iphones are 35% more expensive
Why on earth would we want to be diplomatic with an undemocratic single party state with a terrible human rights record and no right of free speech?
On the business thing imagine how the US will feel when Iphones are 35% more expensive
You understand that manufacturing/landed costs and retail price are different things, right? 🙄
atlaz - Member
Is Taiwan an independent country or not ?
It's more complicated than that and you know it. The Chinese, rightly or wrongly, view Taiwan as part of China (as with Tibet) and world leaders have to work around it. It's called diplomacy.
Yes, it is an independent country because they were the retreating govt that never surrender to the communist China.
However, Taiwan is just a small island by comparison to the mainland communist China so they let Taiwan be. In the mind of the communist Taiwan belong to China. i.e. one country with an unspoken understanding. Actually, I think the communist China gave up pursuing Taiwan because others like Merican and some EU nations come to Taiwan's help. Communist China in those days were still technologically behind so things come to a standstill but they view the defeated govt as non-legitimate. The communist China is now consolidating their power.
You understand that manufacturing/landed costs and retail price are different things, right?
I certainly do but I would have no idea how the Don would impose is new import tax, especially on things the US doesn't actually make.
Why on earth would we want to be diplomatic with an undemocratic single party state with a terrible human rights record and no right of free speech?
(I know don't feed the troll)
[img]
[/img]This is why you be nice to China, it is the place that manufactures most of the goods, holds the purse strings of a lot of places and will be critical to the future world.
Sorry to interrupt, but I've just stumbled across this and thought I'd share.
http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/08/technology/donald-trump-internet/index.html
[i]In a speech at the U.S.S. Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on Monday, Trump referenced the use by ISIS of social media as a recruitment tool. He recommended a discussion with Bill Gates to shut off parts of the Internet.
"We're losing a lot of people because of the Internet," Trump said. "We have to go see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what's happening. We have to talk to them about, maybe in certain areas, closing that Internet up in some way. Somebody will say, 'Oh freedom of speech, freedom of speech.' These are foolish people. We have a lot of foolish people."[/i]
(WTF has Bill Gates got to do with ISP regulation? Is that the only "computery" name he knows?)
We have a lot of foolish people."
We do indeed Donald. 😆
I think those GDP projections are nonsense. The US has the resources to achieve that growth, I don't think China does. Other countries on the list have a potential due to reserves of labour and resources that better used can produce higher growth. If the Chinese continue as they are they'll have another revolution on their hands.
What resources does China not have?
Water for one.
Well every forecast I found had them up there, regardless of future they are still a major player in the world economy. Being either deliberately provocative or doing it through a lack of understanding is a bad idea.
Alec Baldwin has said he will stop mocking Trump in his tv shows when Trump shows his tax return . 😆
This is why you be nice to China, it is the place that manufactures most of the goods
For now, automation will likely change that.
