Sundance's take on the first day from TLR:
Apparently the six-against-one plan was considered unfair to the six, so they added two more.
Unfortunately for Canada, France, Germany and the U.K., Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte are not foolish enough to take on Godzilla. As an entirely predictable outcome, President Trump won again.
It’s just so darned funny to watch this play out. The era of the titan is back, and deliciously the titan is an American President, Donald J Trump. He’s one guy, and he has them all surrounded; and he’s laughing the entire time. He’s impenetrable, sharp, funny as heck and monolithic in stature making all of his opposition look decidedly less-than.
Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau try to use pontificating snark; it matters not. They seem like foolish gnats. Merkel, May, Tusk and Junker are standing there with their jaws agape. Shinzo Abe and Giuseppe Conte are trying not to laugh – but gosh, you can tell they are loving it. Titans just don’t get embarrassed, they dominate.
Looks like Trump is standing his ground on elimination of perennial US trade deficits:
Trump responded: “We’re going to deal with the unfair trade practices. If you look at what Canada, and Mexico, the European Union – all of them – have been doing to us for many, many decades. We have to change it. And they understand it’s going to happen,” Trump said.
G7+2 Cry Uncle – President Trump Unfazed and Undeterred, Tariffs Will Continue Until Equity Improves… https://t.co/pDcG3HWhOT pic.twitter.com/1bNaCZxXel— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) June 8, 2018
"And his bill will come due soon enough...."
ReplyDeleteYe olde "unspecific doom forecast"
Textbook cognitive dissonance reaction 101... Get over it already...
Franko's material competence is cognitive dissonance.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are not qualified to comment on Trump if you didnt vote for him... all youre going to do is blather on as a response to your CD more of your doom forecasts or conspiracy theories, LOLs, etc... ... ie no value added...
ReplyDeleteAnd people that did vote for Trump as obviously not qualified to comment on him since they are biased toward him. No value added.
ReplyDeleteBack atcha.
White Trump voters would rather eat dirt and live in a box under a bridge than let non-whites get anything 'for free'.
ReplyDeleteI would say rather the GOP base that the party has cultivated since Nixon's Southern strategy to take back the "solid South" form Democrats and turn it into a solid base for the GOP. Trump just pick up what was already available to him.
ReplyDeleteI would characterize "Trump voters" as populist nationalists.
The immigration thing is an extension of traditional GOP racism for political gain that Trump picked up on as a political issue. He did not create this either.
I don't see Trump as a party innovator in this respect. He realized the establishment GOP had been playing the base for so long without delivering what they wanted that they were ripe for picking. He was correct. But it was not only racism, and I think it might be difficult to show that this was even the chief factor.
I would say it was more a general sense of being screwed that he played very well.
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ReplyDeleteEndlessly amusing to me how the ptb and orthodoxy generally think anyone who disagrees must be ignorant of their model and framing. Loved how the G-7 leaders came to the meeting ready to educate Trump about how trade works and the proper way to negotiate trade deals. Arrogant, ignorant academic bastards.
ReplyDeleteTom, I directly benefit from immigration as I live in a town bristling with activity because of those people and their talents converging on the place, and I fully 100 percent support immigration reform. I have no idea why you accept the left characterization of immigration reform as implicitly racist. Racist is keeping an underclass of undocumented partial citizens living in the shadows. Racist is lowering wages of all the poor and poc by refusing to regulate immigration. Racist is allowing people to be abused and enslaved because they are an underclass. Racism is about laws and systems that discriminate, not about saying something insensitive or impolite. Being nice and polite while stabbing people in the chest isn't morally or ethically superior to enabling people to live well, society to function.
I don't say that everyone that is against illegal immigration or immigration without concern for background is racist. There are entirely rational reasons for holding this, and I hold these views myself. Border should be secure, immigration should be regulated and those that threaten the safety of others and the good order of the nation should be excluded, with due process.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I have eyes and ears and realize that a lot of the anti-immigration thang is driven by racism that is directed at either non-whites in general or else particular categories, e.g., "Asians." This tends to be locally based, conditioned by facts on the ground.
I think a lot of people like me also realize, that illegal immigration didn't come out of nowhere, but rather there are economic reasons for it and political influence strong enough to serve those interests.
For a long time, it was "guest workers" by day and "illegal immigrants" by night. That went on for years and now there is a another problem to deal with along with the still unresolved issues around the freeing of the slaves post Civil War.
These are testing issues with no simple solution that is politically viable at this point. I don't agree with a policy that would deport children that were both in the US and haven't done anything to merit getting tossed.
There is an article in the local paper today about a teen that was recently deported to Mexico where he was murdered three weeks later, apparently by gangs according to his friends here. He had never even been to Mexico.
I would characterize "Trump voters" as populist nationalists.
ReplyDeleteI would classify them as:
50% anybody other than Hillary
15% gimme another tax cut
35% still counting on their fingers
Once I saw that BLM activists rushed the stage and took forcefully microphone from Sanders during Bernie Sanders campaign and he stood there and did nothing, It was clear to me that cultural leftist BS and identity politics would run wild if Sanders became president. Sanders is a strong believer in balanced budgets(at least he was according to Mosler). So it was Varoufakis and Tsipras moment for the left, they still supported him just like they did during the Greece showdown when the the fake saviors said they would not leave euro. Trump was really the best option.
ReplyDeleteTo me "Trump voters" is different from the entire cohort that voted for Trump. I don't see the protest vote as anything more than that. They did not vote for but against. I would call them "the anyone-but-Hillary" cohort. Some voted for DJT, others didn't vote, others voted for Jill Stein, etc.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any studies that disaggregate this and analyze the various motives.
" let non-whites"
ReplyDeletethen youre a 'diversity' Obama/Hillary voter based on your racial bias here... so now youre going all conspiracy that Trump is "part of the Russian mafia!" or some shit out of dissonance...
We just had 8 years of a war President and then 8 years of a diversity President...
Public voted for a business President now as the domestic economy needs some work after 16 years of neglect by the previous 2 Presidential admins who had other priorities than the US domestic economy....
Its called Democracy get over it...
If you go all off the handle everytime you dont get your specific way then you have the maturity of a child... grow up youre 60 years old already....
I don't think it is a matter of diversity as much as a matter of fairness and justice.
ReplyDeleteBy law, all illegal immigrants should be deported but under the circumstances I don't think that this is fair of just in all cases, especially youth trapped in a situation that they did not create and that the their parents did not entirely create. The US was lax in enforcement, one hand, and secondly, business lobbied for a weak policy.
Changing that now by enforcing the law literally would be against the spirit of the law, which is justice.
I don't see this as having to do with skin color essentially. It just so happens that a lot of people caught up in it are categorized as not-white. In fact, at least some of them don't have a distinctive skin color that would identify them as "different." Certainly that should not be a criterion for whether they stay or go.
" people that did vote for Trump as obviously not qualified to comment on him since they are biased "
ReplyDeleteNo Tom you are wrong here because we Trump voters arent triggered... we have no dissonance at what is going on... it went our way...
From the standpoint of CD Theory at least, the dissonance is going to be in the people who didnt vote for Trump...
So if you look at something Trump does and it leaves you scratching your head, then if you are seeking an opinion from someone else to help you make sense of it, you HAVE TO go to a Trump voter who has the best chance of being able to explain it to you... not a guarantee of an accurate interpretation but the best chance... a never Trumper or a Hillary voter is just going to spew nonsense borne of their CD at the sight of Trump winning...
Moreover, the diversity thang is not just about "race," an inaccurate word to begin with. It should be ethnicity. It's about multiculturalism and minorities in general and it boils down to rights that protect minorities and their interests from the tyranny of the majority. That is a constitutional issue, and there are arguments from many sides over it. How the US Constitution is interpreted depends on the attitude of the majority of SCOTUS.
ReplyDelete"I don't see this as having to do with skin color essentially. It just so happens that a lot of people caught up in it are categorized as not-white. In fact, at least some of them don't have a distinctive skin color that would identify them as "different." Certainly that should not be a criterion for whether they stay or go."
ReplyDeleteAnd certainly it is not. I personally know this person from Sweden who lived in US illegally and was deported after many years living in US.
diversity is about gender, race and sexuality...
ReplyDeleteObama did a good job with it...
Now over to Trump to get back to our domestic material systems which are in need of some work after 16 years of war and diversity initiatives...
No Tom you are wrong here because we Trump voters arent triggered... we have no dissonance at what is going on... it went our way...
ReplyDeleteYou are only one of millions of people that voted for Trump, and the people you know that voted for Trump are probably like you, since we tend to associate with people with whom we feel affiliation.
I know some that were anti-Hillary voters that wanted to vote but didn't want to waste a vote by voting third party, so they voted for DJT as the only alternative in their view. To them voting third party or writing-in would be tantamount to not voting given the US political system being configured the way it is as a two-party system.
Many people think that those who voted for Jill Stein might as well have just stayed home. I thought of that option, but decided that at least the votes for Stein would be counted, while not voting would be amorphous.
BTW, as I said at the time, I could not morally vote for either HRC as a war monger or DJT as a proponent of torture. So the chief reason was not political.
If Sanders had been on the ticket, I would have voted for him, even though I don't agree with him on all issues.
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ReplyDeleteMore proof that Trumptards would set themselves on fire if they thought it would piss off 'liberals'. lol
ReplyDeleteBTW, Obama was also a War President...and a center/right Corporatist.
So-called immigration is about material system, namely, labor. The US needs to have a reasonable guest worker program that meets the needs of the parties and their interests. This could include a path to citizenship, for example, as a military veteran.
ReplyDeleteBuilding a wall is not going to resolve the many issues involved, some of which relate importantly to "material systems."
Julian Assange worked to get Trump elected because he knew that would be the best method of destroying The American Empire. And all these idiots who voted for him think he's doing great, when he's really wrecking everything. That is why CIA/NSA etc are out to get him. They are Agents of Empire and right now, Trump is Enemy #1.
ReplyDeleteTrump told Germany he didn't want them "sending cars to the USA" anymore. They then informed him most German cars are actually built in the USA.
ReplyDeleteFor VW, they only build the Passat in the US
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Volkswagen_Group_factories
The Jetta and Golf are their big sellers... Jetta built in Mexico and Golf in Brazil and Chyina...
No Audis built in US:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.carsdirect.com/car-buying/where-are-audi-cars-built
We just had 8 years of a war President and then 8 years of a diversity President...
ReplyDeleteBOn bombed and invaded more countries than Bush.
He probably wanted to demonstrate that a LGBT military could still get the job done...
ReplyDeleteObama isn’t biased anti-war like you guys...
ReplyDeleteMatt, have your served during war time. Ever lost a loved or friend, or have one physically disabled or psychologically traumatized.
ReplyDeleteDefensive wars are the only just wars in the Western tradition and should only be fought as a matter of necessity. There is no admission of just war in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, where all wars are unjust but defensive war may be a necessity.
Only psychopaths and sociopaths are pro-war.
Offensive war is aggression and is a crime against humanity, of which the US stand convicted on several counts with wars of choice.
Im not pro-war biased nor I am anti-war biased...
ReplyDeleteYour 'fallacy of the excluded middle..."
I can take it or leave it...
Warfare has some sort of demonstrative purpose in the current era Tom...
ReplyDelete"the present wicked eon" Gal 1:4
"the days are wicked" Eph 5:16
This is not a good time we are in and we are going to see a lot of f-ed up shit like warfare, "out of money!" morons in charge, libertarianism rampant, etc.. Some days might be better than others but this is not good times overall...
"I am entreating you ... not to be configured to this eon" Romans 12
You simply are not configured to this eon (era) if youre so 100% anti-war biased... this is why I think your consciousness is probably conformed to a future eon maybe 1,000 years hence...
I can take it or leave it...
ReplyDeleteMost people that are indifferent to war are ignorant of it and its effects. They are unqualified to hold a mature opinion.
Warfare has some sort of demonstrative purpose in the current era Tom...
ReplyDeleteWarfare other than defensive always has a demonstrated purpose. It is extension of power, control of territory, and increase in wealth. I
t's a expression of the evolutionary trait of alpa-male dominance that demand submission of everyone else and confronts other alphas for dominance. It's animalistic, not human.
A chief purpose of culture and tradition, including the rule of law, is to distinguish humans from other animals that are ruled by the law of the jungle.
"expression of the evolutionary trait of alpa-male dominance "
ReplyDeleteCould also be a "get even!" mentality... revenge, vendettas, ... plain sadistic nature... invade to get the gold, maybe others.. yeah there are those 'Dominionists' who want to wage war in the Middle East like the old Christian crusades or wtf... things are all f-ed up...
We (mankind) cannot escape the fallibility of our flesh Tom... at this time...
"For it is not the good that I will that I am doing, but the evil that I am not willing, this I am putting into practice." Rom 7.19
Its f-ed up times...
Seems MF [lol @ that] has lost his everylovin' mind. 😛😛😛😛😛
ReplyDeleteYeah we can look back at human history and we can see we've always had warfare all the time and you guys then say "that is not normal!"
ReplyDelete????
Its normal...
Warrior class is probably 1/4 of humanity... and you guys are going all around saying these people dont exist???? Or shouldnt exist????
@adamcbest
ReplyDelete3h3 hours ago
Fox & Friends accidentally said this about the Singapore summit: "regardless of what happens in that meeting between the two dictators."
This gaffe is probably the most honest thing ever said in the program's history. pic.twitter.com/eooBanu9b2
We (mankind) cannot escape the fallibility of our flesh Tom... at this time..
ReplyDeleteThat is why humanity evolved morals and laws.
In war, there is always the claim that is based on either law or morals and the other side is in violation. This is the basis for liberal interventionism, R2P, etc. as justification for wars of choice rather than defense. America as global cop.
Yeah we can look back at human history and we can see we've always had warfare all the time and you guys then say "that is not normal!"
ReplyDeleteNormalizing war is psychopathic/sociopathic.
It is the old "everybody does it" lame excuse.
@sarahkendzior
ReplyDeleteBonus: The Fox & Friends host who said it is the daughter of the US ambassador to Russia
D E A D LOL