The Trump Presidency

[Pete]

I refuse to wholesale support whatever the democrats come up with anymore. I have done that for 32 years. I am done with it. They have violated my trust. Going forward, I will pick and choose the issues that I support based on my own judgment and not the propaganda of a given party.

I agree that the Democrats don't deserve wholesale support but I also don't think wholesale support (or excusing) of everything Elon Musk says or does is the best alternative.

That’s why I don’t wholesale support everything Elon Musk does. And I also choose to not get bent out of shape by really pussy crap while he’s still achieving gains on the things that really matter.

Yeah I hedged it with "excusing" what you don't wholesale support. What is the "really pussy crap" you're referring to?

A current topical example of this is Trans rights.  This is a hot topic at the moment in our country. I am 100% in full support of trans rights. However, if a trade has to be made, and it means sacrificing trans rights for meaningful progress on one of the other three big issues for me (national debt/economy, defense, AI) then so be it.

I accept that I do not live in a world where I get everything that I want. I also accept that I live in a world where compromises must be made, and that frequently horrible collateral damage occurs even when we make the right decision for the aggregate good . I do not like that and I do not approve of it, but I accept it.

Too many Democrats seem willing to compromise on the most important things in order to achieve an ideological victory that benefits very few relative to the detriments.

[Pete]

I'll also say that these silicon valley guys aren't particularly smart, they just have an interesting scheme for chasing money and a few have hit the lottery which feeds this weird bubble economy. For every SpaceX and Facebook there's a hundred Juiceros or Theranos-like companies. They won't save the country, even if their main objective wasn't to get rich.

Such as it has always been in capitalism and such as it will always be in capitalism.

Again, I do not approve of that, nor do I  like that. I accept that.

[Pete]

I hate venture capital firms. My company was bought by a venture capital firm and it has been terrible for all the employees.

I don’t like the tech bros. I don’t think that they are better than anyone else in their ability nor in their morality.

They do drive our economy and in areas of critical importance to our national security, they  currently have the wheel.

None of my feelings about what I like or don’t like changes a rough ridin' thing.

[michigancat]

I refuse to wholesale support whatever the democrats come up with anymore. I have done that for 32 years. I am done with it. They have violated my trust. Going forward, I will pick and choose the issues that I support based on my own judgment and not the propaganda of a given party.

I agree that the Democrats don't deserve wholesale support but I also don't think wholesale support (or excusing) of everything Elon Musk says or does is the best alternative.

That’s why I don’t wholesale support everything Elon Musk does. And I also choose to not get bent out of shape by really pussy crap while he’s still achieving gains on the things that really matter.

Yeah I hedged it with "excusing" what you don't wholesale support. What is the "really pussy crap" you're referring to?

A current topical example of this is Trans rights.  This is a hot topic at the moment in our country. I am 100% in full support of trans rights. However, if a trade has to be made, and it means sacrificing trans rights for meaningful progress on one of the other three big issues for me (national debt/economy, defense, AI) then so be it.

I accept that I do not live in a world where I get everything that I want. I also accept that I live in a world where compromises must be made, and that frequently horrible collateral damage occurs even when we make the right decision for the aggregate good . I do not like that and I do not approve of it, but I accept it.

Too many Democrats seem willing to compromise on the most important things in order to achieve an ideological victory that benefits very few relative to the detriments.

What if Musk and Republicans talked about Jews the same way they talk about trans folks?  Would that cause you to question their altruism in regards to your "important issues"?

[michigancat]

I hate venture capital firms. My company was bought by a venture capital firm and it has been terrible for all the employees.

I don’t like the tech bros. I don’t think that they are better than anyone else in their ability nor in their morality.

They do drive our economy and in areas of critical importance to our national security, they  currently have the wheel.

None of my feelings about what I like or don’t like changes a rough ridin' thing.

My main issue with tech bros is their actual product usually isn't that great. It's almost always shitty.

[Pete]

I refuse to wholesale support whatever the democrats come up with anymore. I have done that for 32 years. I am done with it. They have violated my trust. Going forward, I will pick and choose the issues that I support based on my own judgment and not the propaganda of a given party.

I agree that the Democrats don't deserve wholesale support but I also don't think wholesale support (or excusing) of everything Elon Musk says or does is the best alternative.

That’s why I don’t wholesale support everything Elon Musk does. And I also choose to not get bent out of shape by really pussy crap while he’s still achieving gains on the things that really matter.

Yeah I hedged it with "excusing" what you don't wholesale support. What is the "really pussy crap" you're referring to?

A current topical example of this is Trans rights.  This is a hot topic at the moment in our country. I am 100% in full support of trans rights. However, if a trade has to be made, and it means sacrificing trans rights for meaningful progress on one of the other three big issues for me (national debt/economy, defense, AI) then so be it.

I accept that I do not live in a world where I get everything that I want. I also accept that I live in a world where compromises must be made, and that frequently horrible collateral damage occurs even when we make the right decision for the aggregate good . I do not like that and I do not approve of it, but I accept it.

Too many Democrats seem willing to compromise on the most important things in order to achieve an ideological victory that benefits very few relative to the detriments.

What if Musk and Republicans talked about Jews the same way they talk about trans folks?  Would that cause you to question their altruism in regards to your "important issues"?

Firstly, I don’t think that musk or any of those guys is altruistic. I absolutely 100% assume that they are in it for themselves. I do not require someone to be altruistic in order to reach common cause with them or compromise with them to achieve an outcome.

No sacred cows for me. Show progress on the big 3 issues and the rest is up for compromise and negotiation.

[Pete]

I hate venture capital firms. My company was bought by a venture capital firm and it has been terrible for all the employees.

I don’t like the tech bros. I don’t think that they are better than anyone else in their ability nor in their morality.

They do drive our economy and in areas of critical importance to our national security, they  currently have the wheel.

None of my feelings about what I like or don’t like changes a rough ridin' thing.

My main issue with tech bros is their actual product usually isn't that great. It's almost always shitty.

The market will solve that in time. Capitalism is not going away in America. I am not required to like that, and I am not required to approve of it. I am only required to accept it.

[Pete]

I do acknowledge that there are people out there who would rather see the United States burned to the ground, than give up on some of their ideological principles. I am not one of those people.

As long as we are the best available alternative among the superpowers, I think we should press ahead and make the most of our situation.

[Pete]

Put another way let’s solve the debt crisis, ensure our defense, and ensure that we are not subject to a foreign power’s AI, and then worry about the rest of the rough ridin' crap. Everything else is a luxury item.

[Pete]

And it’s gonna feel really shitty while we watch people like Donald Trump achieve very selfish personal gains in the midst of the rest of the country sacrificing. I need to be a grown-up and accept that this sometimes happens and keep pushing forward.

[michigancat]

Do you think Trump's actions are making America and the world safer or helping with the national debt? Hell even with AI?

[Pete]

Do you think Trump's actions are making America and the world safer or helping with the national debt? Hell even with AI?

Which action are you referring to?

[Pete]

There are many things that Trump is doing that do not help America at all and there are other things that Trump is doing that I think will help America.

And I feel like I need to note that I do not think Trump‘s goals are to help America. I think his goals are to help himself. I do not think Trump is altruistic in any way.

[michigancat]

Do you think Trump's actions are making America and the world safer or helping with the national debt? Hell even with AI?

Which action are you referring to?

You tell me! You implied that the democrats were focused too focused on "pussy issues" to address issues with defense and the national debt. I assumed you thought the Trump/Musk administration offered positive alternatives in those areas. What are they?

[star seed 7]

Do you think Trump's actions are making America and the world safer or helping with the national debt? Hell even with AI?

Which action are you referring to?

Like... Any that you can think of?

[star seed 7]

I'd like to remind people that like 5 years ago everyone thought Spracne was a Trumper too. Not me, obviously, but before the overturn of roe it was quite a common accusation.

[Spracne]

I refuse to wholesale support whatever the democrats come up with anymore. I have done that for 32 years. I am done with it. They have violated my trust. Going forward, I will pick and choose the issues that I support based on my own judgment and not the propaganda of a given party.

I agree that the Democrats don't deserve wholesale support but I also don't think wholesale support (or excusing) of everything Elon Musk says or does is the best alternative.

That’s why I don’t wholesale support everything Elon Musk does. And I also choose to not get bent out of shape by really pussy crap while he’s still achieving gains on the things that really matter.

Yeah I hedged it with "excusing" what you don't wholesale support. What is the "really pussy crap" you're referring to?

A current topical example of this is Trans rights.  This is a hot topic at the moment in our country. I am 100% in full support of trans rights. However, if a trade has to be made, and it means sacrificing trans rights for meaningful progress on one of the other three big issues for me (national debt/economy, defense, AI) then so be it.

I accept that I do not live in a world where I get everything that I want. I also accept that I live in a world where compromises must be made, and that frequently horrible collateral damage occurs even when we make the right decision for the aggregate good . I do not like that and I do not approve of it, but I accept it.

Too many Democrats seem willing to compromise on the most important things in order to achieve an ideological victory that benefits very few relative to the detriments.

Did you make any significant changes to your diet recently? Cut out carbohydrates entirely, perhaps? Are you doing keto?

[Stevesie60]

If that's what you gotta tell yourself, that's great. But there are plenty of times where Jesus gives advice to others and it is taught as if it was said to all believers. I just want to say I have a hard time believe that if the God of the Bible exists, that God would tell anyone to spend money on themselves, keep a bunch in savings (a la the story about manna), but that's what I see by every believer.

Ultimately, to declare that this world is secondary to you, then SURELY you agree giving away all possessions is the best way to get rewarded in Heaven,
which is your primary concern, no?

Yeah, Jesus had a pretty strong "take care of people today, God will provide for you tomorrow" message.

I paid very little attention in Sunday school and church but even I picked up this is kind of the main thing.  If you’re taking the family to the Bahamas you aren’t doing it like the Bible would.  It’s fine you can just admit you’re looking out for your soul but not really living like Jesus would and specifically rejecting his key teachings.

Explain Genesis 41 to me then in terms of you all's insistence that you only "take care of people today, God will provide for you tomorrow."

Is any kind of vacation ok? Even God rested for a day and Christ rested away from people.

So you are arguing that God does not provide?

They didn't spend thousands of dollars that could have gone to the poor in order to rest.

[Stevesie60]

Trump’s pathological lying and ridiculous exaggerations undermine the integrity of his supporters efforts and entrenches their opposition.

The most likely outcome come will be that Trump‘s gonna eff all this up. It’s what he does. He’s gonna declare victory after having found a couple hundred billion dollars of savings and even his most ardent supporters are gonna know that he didn’t even get close to accomplishing what he said he was going to accomplish.  Just like last time.

The odds are that MAGA will fizzle out due to Trump‘s broken promises and maga’s disillusionment as they realize it.

The second most likely outcome, should Trump somehow actually be able to cut spending to a level where we balance the budget, is that Trump supporters will have to give up so much personally that they will come to resent the massive tax breaks Trump gives to the rich. In that case, Maga still goes down in flames fighting with each other about how much they’ve been used and abused by the rich and their maga leaders.

Trump could murder a million 3 year olds per year his entire presidency and his supporters would say "Yes! This is to show the libs how bad abortion is!" and support him even more for it. No chance he loses supporters no matter how bad it gets.

[BIG APPLE CAT]

Put another way let’s solve the debt crisis, ensure our defense, and ensure that we are not subject to a foreign power’s AI, and then worry about the rest of the rough ridin' crap. Everything else is a luxury item.

Pete my concern is that these tech bros will be incredibly antithetical to your stated goals. It’s clear they think the United States government should be run more like a for profit business. And while trimming some fat in a for profit business might make stock price go up, that doesn’t necessarily translate to governing a country. Furthermore, these cuts in spending will be heavily emphasized so they can avoid having to increase their taxes, in fact if anything they’ll be giving themselves even bigger tax cuts (but it’s fine, you see, the money they save they’ll put back into their companies creating more jobs, a trickle down effect, total win-win)

And lastly but bigly, there is a lot of baked in failure with how these guys operate. If one of their businesses fail, oh well ho hum, write off the loss and move on. I’m not sure failure is an option for the United States economy.

[Dugout DickStone]

Gas is 2.69.  Let’s see how this goes

[Dugout DickStone]

Dow looking to take off like a rocket in the morning eh?

[steve dave]

imagine you voted for this guy

[michigancat]

imagine you voted for this guy

https://bsky.app/profile/rodger.bsky.social/post/3lh7nx6nmss25

[Rage Against the McKee]

I expect Trump to continue expanding the deficit at a faster rate than Biden did, just like he did during his first term.