Where is/can Donald Trump take US (sic)?

[luutzu]

Stole this from somewhere else, remember the US is the richest nation in the world.

The highest inequality in the developed world, parlous levels of equality of opportunity for large sections of society. A health 'system' that abandons ill people to an early death or bankrupts them to pay for a medical procedure. Add to this, chronic levels of poverty and homelessness.

High levels of insecurity in work and minimal employment rights for very many, high levels of personal debt and all out assault on environmental regulations and quality of life by the administration that seems to despise anything even distantly related to the natural world.

An underfunded education system which is about the lowest ranked in the developed world and a racial divide which is more than an embarrassment; it's a disgrace.

The country's infrastructure is an international joke as much of it it hasn't been renewed in eighty plus years.

The reality for so many Americans is pretty bleak.

There's plenty of freedom though.

 

[moXJO]

Stole this from somewhere else, remember the US is the richest nation in the world.

The highest inequality in the developed world, parlous levels of equality of opportunity for large sections of society. A health 'system' that abandons ill people to an early death or bankrupts them to pay for a medical procedure. Add to this, chronic levels of poverty and homelessness.

High levels of insecurity in work and minimal employment rights for very many, high levels of personal debt and all out assault on environmental regulations and quality of life by the administration that seems to despise anything even distantly related to the natural world.

An underfunded education system which is about the lowest ranked in the developed world and a racial divide which is more than an embarrassment; it's a disgrace.

The country's infrastructure is an international joke as much of it it hasn't been renewed in eighty plus years.

The reality for so many Americans is pretty bleak.

True in a lot of aspects. But what do people say about australia?
Look at the aborigines living in poverty despite welfare.

If I want to become an expert in a field the US is where its at(or was).

 

[Tisme]

You have to put emojis with satire.

Heard that the EU, Russia and China are ganging up against the US by setting up some sort of financial dome where their corporations can do business with Iran without being sanctioned by the US.

Old Europe used to just take orders. Now they're working with enemies to work with an enemy?

In other news, Russia is deploying their S300 [?] anti-aircraft missile defense system to Syria. Something Israel had asked them not to a few years back.

But since the downing of a Russian spy plan where, it is alledged, Israeli jets flew a sortie over Syria without much warning to the Russian, Assad's surface to air missile let go a few rounds... to which the Israeli hid behind a Russian spy plane, causing 15 Russian death.

Now, either Israel will have to limit their defense against Iran in Syria to a few unarmed Syrians... or keep up the weekly drop and potentially bringing in the US, the EU, Russia smack bang, no pssy footing, boots and all, into Syria... then Tehran.

If you're a crazy warmongering idiot, you'd be thinking that since Trump is a once in a lifetime chance for Armageddon (or regional hegemony, whichever comes first)... and since he might not have a second term... better sacrifice a few pawns quickly to mourn and avenge.

depends which machine I'm on and what glasses are available with the emoticons, but my avatar descriptor should be a constant reminder.

if you were a business man who saw a wider market opportunity to piggyback someone else's infrastructure spend would you try to stop them? Let China and Russia deplete their wealth on second rate weaponry and large armies, let them setup trading posts and when China does what it has always done (become a factional empire of feudal rulers) jump in and profit.

India will be the next big thing and they have no love loss for the Chinese.

 

[luutzu]

depends which machine I'm on and what glasses are available with the emoticons, but my avatar descriptor should be a constant reminder.

if you were a business man who saw a wider market opportunity to piggyback someone else's infrastructure spend would you try to stop them? Let China and Russia deplete their wealth on second rate weaponry and large armies, let them setup trading posts and when China does what it has always done (become a factional empire of feudal rulers) jump in and profit.

India will be the next big thing and they have no love loss for the Chinese.

The people is the sovereign in modern China. So it is currently a united fiefdom - like the US. Hence not much risk if it breaking out again that way.

After the GFC, a couple incident where the IMF and World Bank told Chinese debtor nations to forget about the debt... the comrades seem to have wised up and started their own Infrastructure Bank and other international tools of empire.

Such as trading in Yuan instead of all US dollars; like linking their empire with high speed rail while the other guy's collapsing, derailing, crumbling.

But I'm sure the US is betting on what you're saying though.

They did bet that China will be compliant like Mexico... didn't work out that way did it?

Now if you're China and a future colony you're investing in... say, Malaysia... got itself a new PM and "decided" to stop a $20B project you've spent a few good billions on. Would you just walk away or park a couple carriers off their coast to say hello?

---------

btw, reading about the Mitsui of Japan.

Apparently the Meiji Restoration took placed around 1867... in a couple decade it turn a feudal state with local lords into a more federated provincial system.

Encouraged western education, engineering... Modernise their industries.

I think the successor to Meji continue the trajectory and within a couple of decades a bunch of peasants sank a fleet of modern, top of the shelve Russian fleet.

Seems that a country could take as little as a generation or two to turn themselves into a "centre of civilisation", butchering barbarians all over.

 

[Tisme]

The people is the sovereign in modern China. So it is currently a united fiefdom - like the US. Hence not much risk if it breaking out again that way.

After the GFC, a couple incident where the IMF and World Bank told Chinese debtor nations to forget about the debt... the comrades seem to have wised up and started their own Infrastructure Bank and other international tools of empire.

Such as trading in Yuan instead of all US dollars; like linking their empire with high speed rail while the other guy's collapsing, derailing, crumbling.

But I'm sure the US is betting on what you're saying though.

They did bet that China will be compliant like Mexico... didn't work out that way did it?

Now if you're China and a future colony you're investing in... say, Malaysia... got itself a new PM and "decided" to stop a $20B project you've spent a few good billions on. Would you just walk away or park a couple carriers off their coast to say hello?

---------

btw, reading about the Mitsui of Japan.

Apparently the Meiji Restoration took placed around 1867... in a couple decade it turn a feudal state with local lords into a more federated provincial system.

Encouraged western education, engineering... Modernise their industries.

I think the successor to Meji continue the trajectory and within a couple of decades a bunch of peasants sank a fleet of modern, top of the shelve Russian fleet.

Seems that a country could take as little as a generation or two to turn themselves into a "centre of civilisation", butchering barbarians all over.

I still think India will be the force majeur of Asia:

e.g.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/now...est-naval-base-east-of-the-suez-canal-1215952

 

[IFocus]

Every time I go there I lament how the population accept the lack of social systems we have here, but they seem to accept it as the good life. I guess a large % of the citizens don't know any better and prefer to believe the patriotism hammered into them cradle to grave.

Totally agree, the culture is interesting was in Mexico mid 80's surfing down the west coast and regularly ran into US surfers from across the country. Remember one night a group of Aussies talking to a group from Florida/Texas/California the Americans were genuinely stunned that we didn't think the US was the best place in the world or that we didn't want to live there.

They were good guys but to us cynical Australians they were unworldly / totally brainwashed by the US system.

 

[luutzu]

I still think India will be the force majeur of Asia:

e.g.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/now...est-naval-base-east-of-the-suez-canal-1215952

Haven't heard much about India. Maybe that's the way they like it but seems their military so far are more for literal defence rather than global peace-keeping.

China is getting real friendly with Pakistan to India's West; it just forgave Sri Lanka's previous president for taking its billions; Myanmar is straddling between Uncle Sam or Uncle Mao's spirit. Then there's Bangladesh not liking the Indians too much for diverting rivers and what not - that's opportunity there.

In that Chinese game of Go... being surrounded like that is called being owned. The Indian might not feel it yet.

Internally, India's caste system is holding back social and economic progress for hundreds of millions. One of Modi's campaign pledge a few years back was a toilet for every household... hope he already delivered on that since.

Only a few years ago that India's and China's smog and pollution problem got the same headline. I've only read that China is doing something about it. Like switching dramatically over to LNG, away from coal... making massive investment in renewable, high tech, infrastructure.

For example, just got a notification yesterday from China's tech YT channel showing how they managed to assembled some 300km of high speed rail tracks in 5.5hours. Cutting travel time between another two major cities from 7 hours down to 90minutes.

That's a massive reduction in energy consumption, pollution, productivity.

And by the look of that video, seem the Chinese have figured out how to lay the tracks faster. From older videos I've seen, the old ways would remove/place the sleepers one at a time, track goes on top etc.

Their new method, maybe they got it from newer approach... they pre-install the rail/sleepers sections and just stack and join them like those toy train sets.

 

[sptrawler]

The Fed Reserve has increased interest rates, for the third time this year, with one more expected and more raising next year.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-27/us-central-bank-hikes-rates/10307294?section=business

Our interest rates should start following next year, which will be nice, for the self funded.

 

[basilio]

 

[sptrawler]

I guess basilio, we will have to see how Trump goes in the 2020 election, unless the media can get rid of him before.

 

[basilio]

Michale Lewis, author of The Big Short, has written a book on the the Trump transition into government.
Fascinating and terrifying. But it ceratinly adds to ones knowledge base.

This guy doesn’t know anything’: the inside story of Trump’s shambolic transition team
Illustration: Nathalie Lees
Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball and The Big Short, reveals how Trump’s bungled presidential transition set the template for his time in the White House

Thu 27 Sep 2018 01.00 EDT

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1003

Chris Christie noticed a piece in the New York Times – that’s how it all started. The New Jersey governor had dropped out of the presidential race in February 2016 and thrown what support he had behind Donald Trump. In late April, he saw the article. It described meetings between representatives of the remaining candidates still in the race – Trump, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders – and the Obama White House. Anyone who still had any kind of shot at becoming president of the United States apparently needed to start preparing to run the federal government. The guy Trump sent to the meeting was, in Christie’s estimation, comically underqualified. Christie called up Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, to ask why this critical job had not been handed to someone who actually knew something about government. “We don’t have anyone,” said Lewandowski.

Christie volunteered himself for the job: head of the Donald Trump presidential transition team. “It’s the next best thing to being president,” he told friends. “You get to plan the presidency.” He went to see Trump about it. Trump said he didn’t want a presidential transition team. Why did anyone need to plan anything before he actually became president? It’s legally required, said Christie. Trump asked where the money was going to come from to pay for the transition team. Christie explained that Trump could either pay for it himself or take it out of campaign funds. Trump didn’t want to pay for it himself. He didn’t want to take it out of campaign funds, either, but he agreed, grudgingly, that Christie should go ahead and raise a separate fund to pay for his transition team. “But not too much!” he said.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...ide-story-of-trumps-shambolic-transition-team

 

[sptrawler]

Well like I said, there is plenty of hate mail against him, the election should tell the story. IMO
Not long to go till the election, just hang on to the hate, hold the anger embrace it.

 

[CanOz]

Pretty sure most Australians wouldn't accept this....

 

[SirRumpole]

View attachment 89517 Pretty sure most Australians wouldn't accept this....

If the Democrats were a "working man's Party" like our Labor Party is, they wouldn't accept it either.

It's pretty clear that they are just a pale shadow of the Republicans.

 

[CanOz]

They dems don't have the votes at the moment to oppose much mate. Give it few months.

 

[CanOz]

For the record, i believe Trumps trade war is long over due. Perhaps it will get all countries thinking of trade that is more balanced. I don't think it is possible for a country the size of the US, a highly developed nation, to get to the point where there is balanced trade between the US and China. It just doesn't add up.

 

[basilio]

Trump tax avoidance claims: New York authorities launch 'vigorous investigation' into story on president's finances
President participated in 'dubious tax schemes' including 'outright fraud', New York Times report alleges

• Chris Baynes
• 16 hours ago
• 20 comments

Click to follow
The Independent US
New York state tax authorities are investigating allegations that Donald Trump participated in “dubious tax schemes” including “instances of outright fraud” that increased his wealth by hundreds of millions of dollars.

A New York Times investigation uncovered a “vast trove of confidential tax returns and financial records” which the newspaper said showed the president and his siblings set up a fake corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents.

Mr Trump is said to have received the equivalent of at least $413m (£318m) from his father Fred C Trump’s property empire, with much of the money allegedly accumulated through tax evasion.

The state’s Department of Taxation and Finance said it was “reviewing the allegations in the NYT article and is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation”.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...n-fred-inheritance-millions-nyt-a8566091.html

 

[basilio]

This article is very good if anyone is interested in a closer look at the elements behind the Trump alleged tax evasion/avoidance story.

Did the Trump family’s tax practices break the law? An expert explains.
Donald Trump’s family avoided taxes, but did they evade them? We asked an expert why the difference matters.
By Gaby Del Valle@gabydvjgaby.delvalle@voxmedia.com Oct 3, 2018, 6:20pm EDT
Share

Donald Trump and Fred Trump attend The Art of the Deal book party on December 12, 1987, at Trump Tower in New York City.
Ron Galella/WireImage


On Tuesday, the New York Times published a bombshell investigation that claims President Donald Trump — who repeatedly bragged on the campaign trail about being a “self-made” billionaire — actually inherited his wealth largely through creative, and possibly illegal, accounting done alongside his father, real estate mogul Fred Trump.

Though Trump has repeatedly boasted about using his business acumen to transform a “small loan” of $1 million from his father into billions, the Times found something quite different. When the younger Trump was just a toddler, the report says, Fred Trump began giving him part-ownership of several properties. Doing so allowed the elder Trump to funnel money directly into his son’s accounts, thus letting him sidestep the 55 percent gifts and inheritance tax. Fred Trump also gave his son at least $60.7 million in loans, many of which were interest-free and not tethered to a repayment schedule.

Some key takeaways from the report:

1. In 1990, Fred Trump sent a man named Howard Snyder to Donald Trump’s Atlantic City casino with a $3.35 million check, which Snyder used to buy casino chips. He left the casino without even hitting the craps table. That money was, in effect, an untaxed gift from father to son.
2. Beginning in 1992, Fred Trump’s real estate business began purchasing boilers, refrigerators, cleaning supplies, and other equipment from a company called All County Building Supply & Maintenance instead of a wholesaler. All County, which was owned by Donald Trump and his siblings and charged much higher rates than other suppliers, seems to have been a shell company that existed only to siphon Fred Trump’s money to his children under the guise of business transactions.
3. In 1995, Fred Trump began transferring ownership of his properties to his children through grantor-related annuity trusts (GRATs), a mechanism through which wealthy families can pass on property to their children without paying gift or inheritance taxes.https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10/3/17934360/trump-taxes-illegal-new-york-times-expose

 

[Tisme]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
On Tuesday, the New York Times published a bombshell investigation that claims President Donald Trump — who repeatedly bragged on the campaign trail about being a “self-made” billionaire — actually inherited his wealth largely through creative, and possibly illegal, accounting done alongside his father, real estate mogul Fred Trump....................

Looking back on the your recent link posts in this thread, everyone of them have the editorial flavour of those old magazines that shouted some nonsense as if sliced bread had just been invented, but the content was a yawn.

I appreciate you are passionate about saving the world from itself, but perhaps some of you own conflicted thoughts would be more of a balanced perspective than some socialist information factory churn.

 

[SirRumpole]

For the record, i believe Trumps trade war is long over due. Perhaps it will get all countries thinking of trade that is more balanced. I don't think it is possible for a country the size of the US, a highly developed nation, to get to the point where there is balanced trade between the US and China. It just doesn't add up.

Europe has been an exlusive trade cartel for decades, so if your keep people out of your club for that long, at some time they are going to respond in kind.