Antagonist in Chief

[Recording Engineer]

You guys believe the government?

You guys believe Trump is that important?

And before I’m told it’s not about him, but about the dirty, politically-motivated left law enforcement, just know you’re making BLM’s case; just on a different level. Yet again, seem apples to apples when you’re out of the box.

By the way, I don’t ever put anything past our government or anyone other. Still, what are you or I ever going to do about it? Have a few guns for deterrence? If it’s really as bad as it seems so many believe now, then that’s it. Either life goes on or you go down the rabbit hole, as it seems more and more people are doing now or at least their expressing it more; as everyone is an expert on everything.

I’ve said it before: The only way I can tell what is up or down is actual cases and convictions in the court of law and I know that’s still doesn’t fully guarantee anything. Also, I choose believe that the majority of people are good.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

You guys believe Trump is that important?

And before I’m told it’s not about him, but about the dirty, politically-motivated left law enforcement, just know you’re making BLM’s case; just on a different level. Yet again, seem apples to apples when you’re out of the box.

Corruption at the top levels of the most powerful domestically-focused government agencies is not equivalent to "systemic racism."

Still, what are you or I ever going to do about it? Have a few guns for deterrence? If it’s really as bad as it seems so many believe now, then that’s it. Either life goes on or you go down the rabbit hole

Defeatist attitude. Thankfully enough men and women of prior generations had the will, courage, and determination to stand up and do something...at Lexington and Concord, Breed's Hill, Charleston, Trenton, Valley Forge, King's Mountain, Cowpens, Yorktown, and all the rest so that we, their progeny, could thrive with the blessings of Liberty.

as it seems more and more people are doing now or at least their expressing it more; as everyone is an expert on everything.

You don't have to be an expert to see what's going on and what the dangers are.

I’ve said it before: The only way I can tell what is up or down is actual cases and convictions in the court of law and I know that’s still doesn’t fully guarantee anything. Also, I choose believe that the majority of people are good.

I agree that most people are good. But evil exists and all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

 

[fallout]

You guys believe Trump is that important?

In a sense yes but not in the way you're projecting but I'll keep it brief. For years we clamored for an 'outsider' to be in charge and whether you like the guy or not, that's what we got when he was elected. He obviously wasn't perfect by any stretch but can you name a president who was? I can't. The most important thing he's done IMHO was to expose the ruling class for what shit they are, leaving nothing for the imagination. I believe both democrats and republicans fall into this category. The thought of idiots like Pelosi, McConnell, McCarthy, Cheney, Schumer make me sick to my stomach. I'll throw Maxine into the mix just so your ilk can call me racist, whatever..

'Fuck the government' has been the war cry for musicians, entertainers and artists for as long as I can remember. Funny how that changed, eh? Are things somehow better now? I guess things change when you're on the payroll.

If you think the treatment Trump has gotten is because he's dumb, a racist, misogynist or whatever label you want to put on the guy, you're ignoring our past and drinking the kool-aid. The Bush family(dumb)? The Clintons(misogynist)? Obama(racist)? Anyone? I only mention those because that's as long as I've been paying attention and they've all been terrible. Trump could have been far better (IMHO) than any of those but how would we ever know with all the bullshit (impeachments, fake dossiers, etc.. the list goes on). The treatment he received and is still receiving is unprecedented. The ruling class are making him a martyr. Not sure where that gets us though.

And before I’m told it’s not about him, but about the dirty, politically-motivated left law enforcement, just know you’re making BLM’s case; just on a different level. Yet again, seem apples to apples when you’re out of the box.

This makes ZERO sense.

By the way, I don’t ever put anything past our government or anyone other.

No? Did you buy all the Trump/Russia bullshit? It was obviously bullshit from the start. Do you believe that the FBI is going to find nuclear secrets in Melania's sock drawer? It's all beyond ridiculous.

Still, what are you or I ever going to do about it? Have a few guns for deterrence?

Good question and I wish I had an answer. The only thing I can do are small things like volunteer my time for things like being a poll watcher and get involved in local politics. Not the way I'd like to use my spare time but maybe if enough of us did that we could make a difference? Hopium, I know but at least I won't sit idly while the country goes further to shit.. I'll also speak my mind no matter who agrees or disagrees.

If it’s really as bad as it seems so many believe now, then that’s it. Either life goes on or you go down the rabbit hole,

So we're supposed to be a bunch of pussies and take it? No thanks.

as it seems more and more people are doing now or at least their expressing it more;

People are fed up. I'm glad more are speaking up and I'd imagine even more will start speaking up, better late than never. Liberals have been spewing their bullshit for as long as I can remember.

I’ve said it before: The only way I can tell what is up or down is actual cases and convictions in the court of law and I know that’s still doesn’t fully guarantee anything. Also, I choose believe that the majority of people are good.

If the past 5 years are any indication, I can't take the court of law seriously until I see that it's not a 2-tiered system. If people can't see this, they either lack common sense or choose to be blind.

I also believe that the majority of people are good whether I agree with them politically or not. There's only one or two people here that I wouldn't sit down and have a beer with because they're just too over the top.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Way to go. Alternating insults with the "can we all get along" stick. It would be nice if moderators could behave like adults.

Please be man enough to criticize me personally if that is what you intend, instead of the diffuse "moderators"...From where I sit they all behave like adults and are often kinder and gentler than me.

You guys believe a lawyer? Let alone, Trump’s? Might as well believe Trump himself! Ha!

You guys believe the government?

Both good points.
===
As a student of several decades of history there is a natural ebb and flow of investigations from the party out of power. These are mostly of little consequence chasing etherial infractions. These last few years have seen the pendulum stuck and rather than swinging back the other way swinging further toward excesses.

This is historic and unlikely to end well after the minority becomes the next majority as they always do. Political payback is not pretty.

Of course the future has not happened yet so I may be wrong.

JR

 

[Recording Engineer]

Corruption at the top levels of the most powerful domestically-focused government agencies is not equivalent to "systemic racism."

If the past 5 years are any indication, I can't take the court of law seriously until I see that it's not a 2-tiered system.

You guys keep making the case. Wanting it both ways doesn’t make any sense… Too far in the box.

 

[hodad]

It's funny to see the rhetorical contortions (I thought about saying "logical," but there's so little logic to it) that folks on the right here and elsewhere have put themselves through in order to defend Trump. Of course, it doesn't help that many of the positions taken get undercut by each new release of information, and that Trump himself has shifted and dodged and weaseled and backpedaled pretty much consistently as well. So naturally, instead of admitting error, Trump and his supporters continue their crazy dance, struggling desperately to make their foreordained conclusion (ie, Trump is innocent!) fit with evidence that consistently and increasingly contradicts it.

Can Trump's supporters even hear themselves? Do they realize how utterly ridiculous they sound?

 

[crazydoc]

DSM 5:


Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a cluster B personality disorder defined as comprising a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.

Signs and symptoms​

In the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), [1] NPD is defined as comprising a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by the presence of at least 5 of the following 9 criteria:

• A grandiose sense of self-importance
• A preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
• A belief that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people or institutions
• A need for excessive admiration
• A sense of entitlement
• Interpersonally exploitive behavior
• A lack of empathy
• Envy of others or a belief that others are envious of him or her
• A demonstration of arrogant and haughty behaviors or attitudes

H.L. Mencken:

The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

The central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts.

 

[JohnRoberts]

TDS... Trump derangement syndrome, was originally Bush derangement syndrome when coined by Charles Krauthammer, (RIP) a psychiatrist in 2003.

Krauthammer, in an op-ed harshly criticizing Trump, commented that—in addition to general hysteria about Trump—the "Trump Derangement Syndrome" was the "inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and ... signs of psychic pathology" in his behavior.[12]

His observation seems pretty spot on...

JR

 

[crazydoc]

It's pretty scary when you don't know if the basis of someone's decision is due to a well thought out policy, or because of psychic pathology.

If it quacks like a duck...

 

[fallout]

..and here we are. How's the current 'well thought out policy' working?

 

[Matador]

..and here we are. How's the current 'well thought out policy' working?

#bds

 

[fallout]

#jobwelldone

 

[Matador]

#jobwelldone

Totally agreed. Biden's policies are so bad, he caused even worse inflation in the UK, Germany, Israel, Turkey, Sri Lanka, India, Sweden, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Egypt, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Denmark, and Portugal!

 

[hodad]

TDS... Trump derangement syndrome, was originally Bush derangement syndrome when coined by Charles Krauthammer, (RIP) a psychiatrist in 2003.

the "inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and ... signs of psychic pathology

Policy differences? It's pretty simple:

1. Trump broke the law.
2. Trump knew he broke the law.
3. Trump knew the DOJ knew he broke the law.
4. Trump was given a very generous 18 months to comply with the law, and on at least one occasion one of his lawyers had signed a statement noting as much.
5. Trump, in fact, was lying, and continued to be in violation of the law.
6. The FBI legally confiscated documents Trump was illegally holding.

Nothing about "policy differences" in any of that. And there's nothing "legitimate" about Trump knowingly and continually breaking the law.

All the nonsense spouted by Trump and his defenders is simply an effort to distract from the very simple facts stated above.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

Totally agreed. Biden's policies are so bad, he caused even worse inflation in the UK, Germany, Israel, Turkey, Sri Lanka, India, Sweden, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Egypt, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Denmark, and Portugal!

So we have "leadership" that's as poor as several other countries. That doesn't excuse the Biden/Harris parade of incompetence in any way. Why not compare to Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Japan, Australia, South Korea, etc?

https://inflationdata.com/articles/2022/05/21/worldwide-inflation-by-country-2022/

 

[john12ax7]

One only needs to look to M2 to understand current inflation. It's not something a president directly controls. Although Trump certainly deserves some blame for nominating an incompetent. And Biden deserves similar blame for continuing with said incompetent.

 

[living sounds]

Please be man enough to criticize me personally if that is what you intend, instead of the diffuse "moderators"...From where I sit they all behave like adults and are often kinder and gentler than me.

I'm just being polite.

 

[cyrano]

What's M2?

Totally agreed. Biden's policies are so bad, he caused even worse inflation in the UK, Germany, Israel, Turkey, Sri Lanka, India, Sweden, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Egypt, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Denmark, and Portugal!

I don't know about all of them, but fi Sri Lanka didn't need Biden at all to reach monster inflation levels. And I believe neither did Turkey. Then there's the case of Venezuela, where the inflation is clearly caused by US policy.

That doesn't mean some of his policies aren't bad, of course. But do you really believe he creates those policies himself?

I believe nobody could predict the pandemic and nobody knew exactly how to tackle that problem. I've seen problems handled worse, in any case.

What does worry me, is Biden's age. Old people were the wise ones, once. These days they seem to be the senile ones, sometimes.

 

[living sounds]

What's M2?

The money supply.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/m2.asp

 

[JohnRoberts]

What's M2?

M2 is one measure of money supply. Liquidity is somewhat fungible so central bank activity here has influence outside our borders. Over the last decade or so central bank activity around the world seems almost coordinated.

I don't know about all of them, but fi Sri Lanka didn't need Biden at all to reach monster inflation levels.

Individual nations can certainly make their local economy worse.

And I believe neither did Turkey.

Turkey has been in the news for refusing to raise interest rates, ignoring the obvious pressure on their currency.

Then there's the case of Venezuela, where the inflation is clearly caused by US policy.

Of course, blame the US for Chavez nationalizing the oil industry and driving it into the ground. Venezuela used to be one of the wealthiest nations in south america, now one of the poorest. Manduro hand picked by Chavez further gutted their democratic institutions. His government is propped up by Cuban secret police that he pays for with his declining oil output.

That doesn't mean some of his policies aren't bad, of course. But do you really believe he creates those policies himself?

It is an open question who is running the show (Ron Klain, Susan Rice,..)?

I believe nobody could predict the pandemic and nobody knew exactly how to tackle that problem. I've seen problems handled worse, in any case.

everything could be handled worse...

What does worry me, is Biden's age. Old people were the wise ones, once. These days they seem to be the senile ones, sometimes.

The comparison between the Joe Biden of even several years ago and now is striking when he is seen in older video clips. We have the 25th amendment, passed after the Kennedy assassination to deal with an incapacitated POTUS. Some democrats proposed using the 25th to unseat exPresident Trump because they still think he is crazy (TDS). VP Harris is probably President Biden's insurance against being unseated by his own cabinet before 2024.

I suspect POTUS gets cognitive testing during his health checkups. My own clinic doctor tested my short term memory at my last physical. I am not smart enough to diagnose POTUS from his public appearances but he look like an "old" 79 year old. Many people at that age are still mentally sharp.

JR