Listening to PBS Newshour this morn as is my habit with breakfast (broadcast in the USA Dec. 2). Naturally, one segment discussion is on Trump's Cabinet nominees. I confess mixed emotions on these appointees. Absolutely, I read Trump's stated goal of disrupting/upsetting the federal government normal ways of doing things with trepidation. My outlook remains that Trump was/is the wrong person for this ... the thought of bull in a china shop comes to mind. Certainly, many of his picks are extremists potentially capable of destroying the US federal government through "ham fisted" actions. BUT ... I recognize the justified frustration/anger built up in the working middle class increasingly over the past several decades and as the result of the policies. actions/inactions of both major political parties.. I attribute the growing income/wealth gap for getting to the point where ... well, I can understand the recent election result. I seriously doubt the Trump will address this very real economic issue in favor of working middle class interests. The American citizens are demanding change (seemingly at any cost).

Up, probably 

3 minutes ago, Wrwest said:

I seriously doubt the Trump will address this very real economic issue in favor of working middle class interests.

 

Nearly all of his picks are rich people .

He thinks that a America will become great again by promoting businesses and let the millionaires design the economy ...

We will see if that works out ...

By raising import taxes , he will make life more expensive for the average citizen .

Other concerned countries will retaliate by rising their import taxes for american goods as well ...

Will that be good for the american economy ...? Time will tell ...

I think that he will isolate America at a time when many countries are not happy with american supremacy and want a new world order ... away from the $ .

The simple question is, what is Trump's motivation?

Does he want to do what is good for the USA and all it's (legal) citizens? Or does he want to "own the libs" and help himself and his buddies?

I guess he also has to do a little for his voters so that they don't get upset with him. But how much does he really care about them?

 

28 minutes ago, Wrwest said:

My outlook remains that Trump was/is the wrong person for this ... the thought of bull in a china shop comes to mind.

If not Trump, then who? Bernie may have been a better choice but we know what they did to him.

There was, and is no more suitable person to be that candidate available PERIOD. The people can't wait for the chance a better will come along in 4, 8, 12 years.

 

Sometimes an institution has to be destroyed to be built up better, and IMO that is certainly applicable to Congress and the entire cesspit of Washington political shenanigans.

Too much money is involved, elections cost too much, and debts need to be repaid to bad people.

13 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The simple question is, what is Trump's motivation?

Does he want to do what is good for the USA and all it's (legal) citizens? Or does he want to "own the libs" and help himself and his buddies?

I guess he also has to do a little for his voters so that they don't get upset with him. But how much does he really care about them?

 

Does Trump need more money? Does Trump think he will make more friends as POTUS, Is there some benefit to being POTUS that I'm unaware of?

If Trump's only motivation was to "own the libs" and help himself and his buddies" ( do his buddies need helping- I doubt Elon needs any help. ) he hasn't gone about it very well. He'd need to be a whole lot sneakier.

 

He helped a lot of non elites last time, so that may be his motivation, or perhaps he just hates Washington. Whatever his reason, he has, and will have to, put up with more cra***lla than any man in the history of US politics.

9 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

, Is there some benefit to being POTUS that I'm unaware of?

 

Becoming POTUS helped him to avoid prison .

Soon , he can pardon himself and anybody inside his circle .

THAT is a big benefit of becoming president ,

But I an sure you know all this .

34 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Does Trump need more money?

Does he need money? Personally, I think he has enough, but that's me.

It seems there are few rich people out there who don't want to be even richer.

And obviously he loves when people line up to kiss his feet. 

 

1 hour ago, Wrwest said:

Listening to PBS Newshour this morn as is my habit with breakfast (broadcast in the USA Dec. 2). Naturally, one segment discussion is on Trump's Cabinet nominees. I confess mixed emotions on these appointees. Absolutely, I read Trump's stated goal of disrupting/upsetting the federal government normal ways of doing things with trepidation. My outlook remains that Trump was/is the wrong person for this ... the thought of bull in a china shop comes to mind. Certainly, many of his picks are extremists potentially capable of destroying the US federal government through "ham fisted" actions.

Agree in the main and one nomination which should alarm people is the nomination of Robert F Kennedy  jr, who I believe is an absolute nutter..........read on and be alarmed:- 

 

How Robert F. Kennedy jnr has worked abroad to weaken global public health policy

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-has-worked-abroad-to-weaken-global-public-health-policy/RU2DOOMDJJBQLANDOGIN7RN4OA/

It's quite possible, or maybe just a coincidence, that Trump nominated people like Gaetz, Kennedy and Gabbard to satisfy a certain element of his supporters, knowing they would be shot down.  Now that he has been elected, he really doesn't need their support, so that's probably not the reason.

Anyone out there care to comment?

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Agree in the main and one nomination which should alarm people is the nomination of Robert F Kennedy  jr, who I believe is an absolute nutter..........read on and be alarmed:- 

 

How Robert F. Kennedy jnr has worked abroad to weaken global public health policy

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-has-worked-abroad-to-weaken-global-public-health-policy/RU2DOOMDJJBQLANDOGIN7RN4OA/

Kennedy is not just a nutter, he's dangerous.

4 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

It's quite possible, or maybe just a coincidence, that Trump nominated people like Gaetz and Gabbard to satisfy a certain element of his supporters, knowing they would be shot down.  Now that he has been elected, he really doesn't need their support, so that's probably not the reason.

Anyone out there care to comment?

 

I think he knew there would be a monumental backlash in the case of Gaetz......a classic case of OMG look over there.....and his other picks now, whilst many might still consider to be controversial, start to look almost normal (not RFK of course).

21 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If not Trump, then who? Bernie may have been a better choice but we know what they did to him.

There was, and is no more suitable person to be that candidate available PERIOD. The people can't wait for the chance a better will come along in 4, 8, 12 years.

 

Sometimes an institution has to be destroyed to be built up better, and IMO that is certainly applicable to Congress and the entire cesspit of Washington political shenanigans.

Too much money is involved, elections cost too much, and debts need to be repaid to bad people.

I agree. I held out hope for putting the pressure on a winning Democrat party election but ... as you say, the citizenry reached a point of no more time and elected the disruptor. As a member of the American working middle class forced out of the USA in retirement to a lower cost country, I certainly understand the justified frustration/anger. I remain thinking that Trump and his ilk may well stress test the continued existence of the country. Agree also, that both major political parties stalled too long in addressing the real issues out of money interests. Most US society institutions ... politics, justice, education, healthcare ... have been corrupted by money interests. I do not think Trump and his ilk will address the underlying income/wealth gap and I do not know if my country will survive. I confess to observing from a distance.

Trump certainly can't do any worst than the previous 9 idiots, in my lifetime, who got the USA in the state that it is now.

 

Besides, he'll only be there for 4 years.  Didn't cause the 'end of days' with his last administration, so I think the USA & world is safe for the next 4 years, if Biden's puppeteers don't implode things before Jan 20th 

2 hours ago, Wrwest said:

I agree. I held out hope for putting the pressure on a winning Democrat party election but ... as you say, the citizenry reached a point of no more time and elected the disruptor. As a member of the American working middle class forced out of the USA in retirement to a lower cost country, I certainly understand the justified frustration/anger. I remain thinking that Trump and his ilk may well stress test the continued existence of the country. Agree also, that both major political parties stalled too long in addressing the real issues out of money interests. Most US society institutions ... politics, justice, education, healthcare ... have been corrupted by money interests. I do not think Trump and his ilk will address the underlying income/wealth gap and I do not know if my country will survive. I confess to observing from a distance.

While I don't see the future, IMO the US may split into 3, The 2 liberal coasts and middle America, with a coastline in the south. The divisions are rather large to keep papering over.

On 12/3/2024 at 10:13 AM, Wrwest said:

Listening to PBS Newshour this morn

That’s a severe mistake 

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Trump certainly can't do any worst than the previous 9 idiots, in my lifetime, who got the USA in the state that it is now.

 

Besides, he'll only be there for 4 years.  Didn't cause the 'end of days' with his last administration, so I think the USA & world is safe for the next 4 years, if Biden's puppeteers don't implode things before Jan 20th 

Zelensky has been muttering about joining NATO. Wouldn't be surprised if Biden let him just to sabotage Trump. A man that pardons his own son after saying he would not has no morals and could probably do anything to make it difficult for Trump.

23 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

Becoming POTUS helped him to avoid prison .

Soon , he can pardon himself and anybody inside his circle .

THAT is a big benefit of becoming president ,

But I an sure you know all this .

No doubt you can post the relevant part of the constitution that says he could pardon himself? If you can't you are making it up as usual.

30 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

While I don't see the future, IMO the US may split into 3, The 2 liberal coasts and middle America, with a coastline in the south. The divisions are rather large to keep papering over.

Unaffordable for middle America.

25 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No doubt you can post the relevant part of the constitution that says he could pardon himself? If you can't you are making it up as usual.

It works the other way, where does it say he can't pardon himself?

I predict that by Jan 20th 2025 Trump will have reneged on the majority of his current nominations having conceded to rational advice in the face of the increasingly devolving global stability.

Even the pursuit of "policies" will be limited to only those that preserve his personal status of legal immunity and pseudo wealth.

As it has, is, and will continue to do the Pentagon will attempt to perpetuate failing US hegemony regardless of Trump.

 

Most of Trump's nominations will likely be confirmed.  I don'r see a problem with them, except for the Neocons.  A good way to start WW III if he actually listens to any of them.  Maybe they're just there for show.  Listen to Trump because God only knows what the Neocons have in mind.  Great for negotiations. 

 

Still, even if Trump gets his cabinet, he's got a mess on his hands.  Musk and Ramaswamy want to cut two trillion dollars.  A nice goal, but there isn't really two trillion dollars to cut, unless they cut into the military budget and Medicare/Medicaid in a big way.  And I'm afraid the public isn't prepared for the financial meltdown that's in store.  But there's no real alternative.  The banking system can't handle much more debt, the country owes 34 trillion dollars, and the situation is rapidly deteriorating and unsustainable. 

 

Trump won't be running for reelection, so he won't be much bothered by the polls.  

 

 

On 12/3/2024 at 11:38 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

Does he need money? Personally, I think he has enough, but that's me.

It seems there are few rich people out there who don't want to be even richer.

And obviously he loves when people line up to kiss his feet. 

 

Actually, I rather suspect that he has, relatively speaking, little cash. Assets are mortgaged up to the hilt and massive fines and damages,( which may or may not go away) for all sorts of things will claim what he has got and more.

 

Trump is, like I suspect many wealthy old men, under the impression that he will live forever, and he will be tackling all the grifting opportunities open to him as President.

Trump name has no value in hotel world.

Never had very high and many faced law suits, like in Florida.

In his NY Trump "flag ship" hotel he only owned kitchen and the garage....

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/13/business/trump-hotel-waikiki/index.html

 

 

On 12/4/2024 at 4:46 PM, stevenl said:

It works the other way, where does it say he can't pardon himself?

There is absolutely no chance that the drafters of the constitution even considered that possibility, and as such, the Supreme Court would disallow it, IMO.

IMO if they even imagined that crooks people would be making a life time career of being in congress they would have put a limit on the number of terms served, perhaps 3.

On 12/6/2024 at 2:01 AM, GypsyT said:

Trump name has no value in hotel world.

Never had very high and many faced law suits, like in Florida.

In his NY Trump "flag ship" hotel he only owned kitchen and the garage....

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/13/business/trump-hotel-waikiki/index.html

 

 

You like deflecting?

Just more liberal tears, masquerading as concerns about future stuff that didn't happen in his first term.

 

Mommy, Mommy, what happens if there's a monster in my closet...

 

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

There is absolutely no chance that the drafters of the constitution even considered that possibility, and as such, the Supreme Court would disallow it, IMO.

IMO if they even imagined that crooks people would be making a life time career of being in congress they would have put a limit on the number of terms served, perhaps 3.

Nice distraction from your earlier claim he can't pardon himself 'since the constitution doesn't specifically say he can'.

On 12/4/2024 at 10:45 AM, stevenl said:

Unaffordable for middle America.

And thus, I and millions of other Americans are retired in lower cost countries.

 

Just in;

"Below our Southern border is filled with chaos, violence, and corruption. The government is in shambles and the people are always fighting amongst themselves"

 

 

 

Thank god I live in Canada.