Here's what happens when the world's richest man buys the presidency

[Lacessit]

9 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

I do: $100,000 in 1953 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1,181,621.72 in 2024

 

That's just the starting salary - doesn't include personal wealth.

 

https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1953?amount=100000

 

ETA: remember I said 'rich' people being presidents.

Voters not so much: Burgess, Director, Bureau of the Cen- sus, Department of Commerce. The median income of men with money incomes in 1953 was estimated at $3,200, about $100 or 4 percent greater in in 1952. The median income of women was estimated at about $1,200 in both years.

I still fail to see how what you are posting is connected to my post.

 

"An oligarch is a member of a small group of powerful people who control a country or an industry. They are typically extremely wealthy and influential, often using their wealth to exert political influence. Oligarchs are often associated with corruption and cronyism, as they may use their power to enrich themselves and their allies at the expense of the general public."

 

There is wealthy, and there is extremely wealthy. In that respect, Trump and his associates such as Musk are a few football fields away from what has been.

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, RocketDog said:

Just stating facts.

Take it leave it.

You're the one emotionally involved.

I'm very emotionally happy that Harris lost.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm very emotionally happy that Harris lost.

So are all the dictators and oligarchs in the world. 

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, BarBoy said:

The west has given the world the best of everything.

Everyone else just copies.

 

Hip hop and rap are not the best- they are the worst. Gangsta culture isn't great either.

Forever wars are something the US should avoid exporting as well.

[RocketDog]

8 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm very emotionally happy that Harris lost.

I guess you're pretty excited about Christmas coming too. Will Santa Claus bring you a new bike? Maybe even a Trump action figure for your burgeoning (look it up) collection.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, RocketDog said:

I guess you're pretty excited about Christmas coming too. Will Santa Claus bring you a new bike?

Christmas is for kids and I don't have any, so it's just another day.

[simple1]

14 hours ago, khunJam said:

Umm…..excuse me sir but the world’s richest man did not buy the presidency. Please try not to apply your name on op’s it looks rather unbecoming.

 

When posting OP opinion pieces member's name is provided automatically. Matter of opinion right now if Musk has bought his way into trump's inner influencer circle, to my mind certainly looks as though he has done so.

[G_Money]

23 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

Doesn't matter who.... you're claiming otherwise with no backup, right?

 

https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/factsheets/HowAreSocialSecurity.htm#:~:text=Social Security is financed through,self-employed pay 12.4 percent.

 

https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/fyOps.html

 

 

I already knew how it’s funded.

 

I was saying the funds have been used for other purposes along with SS.

[G_Money]

23 hours ago, Hawaiian said:

I read both articles prior to you posting the 2 links just to get it from "the horses mouth."  Unfortunately, some don't want to accept information even when it comes from an official government source.

 

So the government never lies?  

[Hawaiian]

44 minutes ago, G_Money said:

So the government never lies?  

Please point out what is not true in those two links.  Are you saying the statistics provided by SSA are doctored?

[G_Money]

1 hour ago, Hawaiian said:

Please point out what is not true in those two links.  Are you saying the statistics provided by SSA are doctored?

Nothing in those links indicates the money in trust fund is used solely for SS benefits.

My point is the funds have also been used for other purposes.

 

I’m well aware of how the trust fund is financed through payroll taxes. 
 

 

[mrwebb8825]

11 hours ago, Lacessit said:

"An oligarch is a member of a small group of powerful people who control a country or an industry. They are typically extremely wealthy and influential, often using their wealth to exert political influence. Oligarchs are often associated with corruption and cronyism, as they may use their power to enrich themselves and their allies at the expense of the general public."

OK, to your point and apparent misunderstanding: Oligarch - noun: oligarch; plural noun: oligarchs

1. a ruler in an oligarchy. (noun: oligarchy; plural noun: oligarchies)

1. a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.

   • a country governed by an oligarchy.

     "the English aristocratic oligarchy of the 19th century"

2. a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence (particularly with reference to individuals who benefited from the privatization of state-run industries after the collapse of the Soviet Union).

 

Who are the 7 oligarchs?

The most influential oligarchs from the Yeltsin era include Roman Abramovich, Boris Berezovsky, Vladimir Gusinsky, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Vladimir Potanin, Alexander Smolensky and Vladimir Vinogradov.

 

Pursuing this further takes to a narrowed searc of just the US and we find:

Is the United States an oligarchy?

Several commentators and scholars have suggested that the United States demonstrates characteristics of an oligarchy, particularly in relation to the concentration of wealth and political influence among a small elite, as exemplified by the list of top (political party) donors.So, Who's on "The List": https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/biggest-donors?cycle=2024&view=fc

Go look; of the top 25, 17 are (R), 6 are (D) and 2 are pole riders (donated both ways - like betting black and red on a roulette wheel I guess)

Oddly absent from the top 25 are George Soroes, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, (who, it turned out only takes money to promote Dems), Taylor Swift (closed out recent tour a billionaire)

So, are rich people running the country? DUH! Problem is, they control the dissemination of public information to the average "Joe".

The "Shake-Up" that occurred in this last election is that the young folks produced their own platforms and completely turned off MSM. The campaign managers from both sides hit these platforms from polar opposite angles. The Dems tried to buy their way in with brain-dead entertainers even lying about why Beyonce' showed up.

The Reps became influencers. Go figure. 😁

Hope this clears things up for you.

[flexomike]

On 12/16/2024 at 7:19 PM, simple1 said:

 

Where would oil industry and it's executives donations be recorded?

most likely on their income tax filing. No one is going to make that large of a donation without using the tax deduction.

[gamb00ler]

14 hours ago, G_Money said:

My point is the funds have also been used for other purposes.

 

..... and how do you support your opinion?

 

Since the GOP love to reduce government expenditures wherever possible, don't you think they would publish anything they uncovered in terms of mismanagement of SS trust funds?

 

Can you find such reports by your GOP heroes?

 

Since 2001, GOP have controlled the House 9 times vs 3 for the Democrats.  That's plenty of opportunity to investigate the use of SS trust funds.

 

Since 2001 the GOP have controlled the Senate for 6 Congresses.... also plenty of opportunity to investigate and report misuse of SS trust funds.

 

If there is misuse, then I would have to say the GOP are incompetent investigators.

[illisdean]

20 hours ago, RocketDog said:

I guess you're pretty excited about Christmas coming too. Will Santa Claus bring you a new bike? Maybe even a Trump action figure for your burgeoning (look it up) collection.

Here's one for you....available on Amazon now.

 

 

[illisdean]

Elon can bring sound business decisions and effective change via DOGE. He has 18 months to perform and execute positive reform.

 

 

[gamb00ler]

1 minute ago, illisdean said:

Elon can bring sound business decisions and effective change via DOGE. He has 18 months to perform and execute positive reform.

 

 

Sure.... the only problem is the government is NOT a business and using business style goals does not produce optimal governmental results.  Musk has been focused on what he wants and what's good for himself not what all citizens want and need.  Do you think disadvantaged youth are excited about going to Mars?

[illisdean]

3 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

Sure.... the only problem is the government is NOT a business and using business style goals does not produce optimal governmental results.  Musk has been focused on what he wants and what's good for himself not what all citizens want and need.  Do you think disadvantaged youth are excited about going to Mars?

Trump is a business person, Biden, Harris are not. Government is woefully inefficient and needs to be streamlined to "make a profit" and thats what business savvy experts alike Trump, Elon, Vivek bring to the table, so why not? Nothing good be worse than Biden's reign of destruction and Kamala's border security immigration debacle. Problem is all the haters want to see the MAGA America first revolution fail even before it gets started. They (the haters) prefer to dine on <deleted> sandwiches than witness Trump create success in America. 

[illisdean]

3 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

Musk has been focused on what he wants and what's good for himself not what all citizens want and need.  Do you think disadvantaged youth are excited about going to Mars?

How so? Have some examples?

 

What does Mars have to do with anything? LOL

[b17]

On 12/16/2024 at 3:02 PM, simple1 said:

Interesting opinion piece...

 

GOP legislators are toying with reducing payouts under the system, including raising the retirement age and other benefit cuts. As one GOP representative recently told Fox Business Network, “we're going to have to have some hard decisions” on Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.

 

Trump’s GOP will be making “hard” choices, meaning they will be cutting benefits, in order to fund tax cuts for wealthy donors.

 

Here's what happens when the world's richest man buys the presidency | Opinion

It mystifies me that so many seemingly educated and experienced members of this forum appear so in favour of welcoming oligarchy and fascism to the USA. Didn't their parents and grandparents fight against tyranny back in WW 2? How soon they forget....

[honcho]

On 12/16/2024 at 10:55 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Don't worry, they are not smart enough to realize that.

proof of the pudding is in the eating.... you may live to eat your words... Trump will do his best to make america great again, and my bet against all odds he will succeed!

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/21/2024 at 5:00 PM, simple1 said:

 

When posting OP opinion pieces member's name is provided automatically. Matter of opinion right now if Musk has bought his way into trump's inner influencer circle, to my mind certainly looks as though he has done so.

Musk can't do any worse than the clowns currently in the W H.

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

Sure.... the only problem is the government is NOT a business and using business style goals does not produce optimal governmental results.  Musk has been focused on what he wants and what's good for himself not what all citizens want and need.  Do you think disadvantaged youth are excited about going to Mars?

If the US government was run like a business, most of the cabinet and certainly the POTUS and VP would have got the boot long ago.

No business would run up such a large deficit through wasteful spending and survive.

The US government badly needs some grown ups in charge.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

7 hours ago, honcho said:

proof of the pudding is in the eating.... you may live to eat your words... Trump will do his best to make america great again, and my bet against all odds he will succeed!

I hope he will succeed.

But then, when was America "great"? 

Trump will definitely help Musk and others to get even richer. Maybe that is what his MAGA fans want.

[scottiejohn]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Musk can't do any worse than the clowns currently in the W H.

I would not bet on that!

[jerrymahoney]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The US government badly needs some grown ups in charge.

And, at least for now, they seem to be coming from Republicans in the House and Senate.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I hope he will succeed.

But then, when was America "great"? 

Trump will definitely help Musk and others to get even richer. Maybe that is what his MAGA fans want.

The USA was great in the period between WW2 and the assassination of JFK, but only for white folk, IMO.

 

I think MAGA fans just want an end to gender and MMCC insanity, and decent jobs that pay a decent wage. They'd probably like a better health system and no wars as well.

[Jingthing]

36 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The USA was great in the period between WW2 and the assassination of JFK, but only for white folk, IMO.

 

I think MAGA fans just want an end to gender and MMCC insanity, and decent jobs that pay a decent wage. They'd probably like a better health system and no wars as well.

They want a strong man oligarchy /autocracy led by a dictator God.

 

 

[candide]

Here's what happens....

 

"The spending agreement released Tuesday included a bipartisan provision to limit and screen U.S. investments in China, among dozens of other proposals attached to the 1,500-page bill.

As the CEO and largest stockholder in Tesla, Musk has extensive business connections to China. The company operates a major manufacturing plant in Shanghai and has sought to build deeper connections with Chinese companies.

DeLauro cited Tesla’s operations in China as a reason for Musk to derail a bill containing limits on investments in the country, and she cited potential issues with technologies such as self-driving cars and long-lasting batteries being made in China."

https://thehill.com/business/5051709-musk-delauro-spending-bill-china/

[paddypower]

On 12/16/2024 at 7:17 PM, Yellowtail said:

So no record of Trump getting a billion from oil executives, huh? Oops 

 

Trump promising to drill is something new?

 

 

He doesn't need it - he has made more money selling most of the ambassadors' appointments . If he does get it, it will be channelled into the Bibles Fund, or one of the many other charitable oranizations that Trump sets up every time he farts. Get serious - this is the only man in the world to go bankrupt operating a casino. 555