Trump Thread

[Seamus Fermanagh]

He will run it into the ground. But how much damage in the meantime? He's looking into whether he can pardon himself along with all the hangers on, he's trying to erode most other departments of their independence and is now casting his eyes on undermining the freedom of the press. A "good" President (and there's not been one for quite a while) would try to get Congress to work together in a bipartisan way. Obama tried initially but apparently it wasn't his natural style and he initially had the votes to force things through. I suppose Trump is so universally vilified he might help unify them all against him.

Internationally, China is gleefully moving into the vacuum that is left be that a new world bank, a free trade area in Asia. Whilst Trump tries to make everything into a simple zero-sum game. These are long term trends, but they are accelerating. And it's only been 6 months!

It feels worse that it really has been because of the hype. The lives of most Americans are about the same as they were a year or 18 months back. Our economy still grows slower than we want, but grows. We pay our taxes. We mostly get to do what we want health and money permitting etc. We've had gridlock in Washington many times in the past, and will again. We have had less than stellar Presidents several times (Grant, Harding, Carter, Buchannan...) and we survive those stretches too.

[Montmorency]

It feels worse that it really has been because of the hype. The lives of most Americans are about the same as they were a year or 18 months back. Our economy still grows slower than we want, but grows. We pay our taxes. We mostly get to do what we want health and money permitting etc. We've had gridlock in Washington many times in the past, and will again. We have had less than stellar Presidents several times (Grant, Harding, Carter, Buchannan...) and we survive those stretches too.

I think many Democrats are less upset about the President himself than his empowered officials, and the people who voted him into office.

Hey, up to a third of the country has steadfastly stood by the Nixon administration for two generations. Even the Pentagon is beginning to admit the American Empire is in terminal decline and the post-war order along with it. Trump's presidency is part-and-parcel of decline and degeneration, not something to be handily swept away as the dropped crockery of a youthful and careless Nation.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I think many Democrats are less upset about the President himself than his empowered officials, and the people who voted him into office.

Hey, up to a third of the country has steadfastly stood by the Nixon administration for two generations. Even the Pentagon is beginning to admit the American Empire is in terminal decline and the post-war order along with it. Trump's presidency is part-and-parcel of decline and degeneration, not something to be handily swept away as the dropped crockery of a youthful and careless Nation.

Fair points. But if you are correct, Trump is more symptom than problem. And this too shall pass.

[Montmorency]

Fair points. But if you are correct, Trump is more symptom than problem. And this too shall pass.

We too shall pass.

Given that the dedication to the Statue of Liberty is outdated, we should replace it with a new slogan for the country: "Great, but not exceptional".


Anyway, a tidbit about the Reconciliation process used in the final stages of the health insurance reform event (and previously in passing the ACA/Obamacare and the Bush tax cuts): I understood that the process can be deployed once per fiscal year, and that it counts once each on the separate topics of spending, revenue (taxes), and the debt ceiling. What I didn't know was that the AHCA/BCRA technically took up both the spending slot and the revenue slot. In other words, no possible Reconciliation on tax reform this year.

Unless they pass a new budget and reset the Reconciliation meter.

This may explain why the Republicans don't seem to be prepared to tackle tax reform in the near-term, and why some in the White House have still been pushing to necro health insurance reform.