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https://rollcall.com/2024/05/01/biden-takes-aim-at-trump-era-tax-cuts-and-his-own-campaign-promise/
Biden takes aim at Trump-era tax cuts — and his own campaign promise
President misleads blue-collar workers about 2017 law
President Joe Biden leaves the Capitol on March 15. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
President Joe Biden leaves the Capitol on March 15. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
By David Winston
Posted May 1, 2024 at 6:02am
Two weeks ago, President Joe Biden took aim at the Republicans’ 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and its provisions that are due to expire in 2025. He told electrical union workers, “It’s going to expire, and if I’m reelected it’s going to stay expired.”
Biden didn’t just violate his pledge to not raise taxes on anyone making under $400,000; he shattered it with his boast to the union crowd.
And, according to House Ways and Means Committee Republicans, if Congress fails to extend the Trump-era tax cuts, it means an average American family of four making $75,000 will get hit with a $1,500 tax increase. “Main Street businesses will face a 43.4 percent tax rate” and “working parents will suffer from a Child Tax Credit slashed in half” along with the standard deduction every taxpayer is due.
Contrary to what Biden and his supporters would have us believe, most Americans got a tax cut thanks to the 2017 law, which Biden loves to demonize. Biden has been peddling disinformation on the 2017 tax cuts for years. When running for president in 2019, Biden said, “There’s a $2 trillion tax cut last year. Did you feel it? Did you get anything from it? Of course not. Of course not. All of it went to folks at the top and corporations.”
In a May 1, 2019, Washington Post “Fact Checker” column, Glenn Kessler called foul on then-candidate Biden’s claim. “But Biden, with his loose language, ends up in the Four-Pinocchio territory. He asserts that no Americans but those at the top received any tax cut in 2018, which is clearly false,” Kessler wrote.
An April 14, 2019, New York Times article started with this: “If you’re an American taxpayer, you probably got a tax cut last year. And there’s a good chance you don’t believe it.” It went on: “To a large degree, the gap between perception and reality on the tax cuts appears to flow from a sustained — and misleading — effort by liberal opponents of the law to brand it as a broad middle-class tax increase. … Experts are divided on whether the tax law was a good idea. But there is little disagreement on this core point: Most people got a tax cut.”
Currently, the middle class is getting hit hard by inflation. Since Biden became president, overall weekly wages have gone up 14.2 percent, while overall prices have gone up 19.4 percent. Sixty percent of the country believes inflation is getting worse, according to the “Winning the Issues” survey of 1,000 registered voters conducted April 27-29.
Despite the president’s almost historically poor marks for his handling of inflation, the Biden team and his supporters on Capitol Hill seem to be sticking to more of the same: economic and tax policies that will take even more money out of people’s pockets, with one big exception.
If the TCJA isn’t extended, the big winners won’t be the families and small businesses struggling to stay afloat in the Biden economy. No, the big winners will be the top earners in high-tax states who will benefit the most as the cap on state and local tax deduction expires. This deduction applies only to those who itemize their returns, which leaves about 90 percent of taxpayers out in the cold.
This would be a huge tax break for those upper-income earners and millionaires in states like California, New Jersey and New York with high tax burdens. Those states could then increase taxes even further knowing that 39.6 percent of those tax increases would be paid by the federal government as wealthy taxpayers take the SALT deduction when filing their federal taxes.
It boils down to this: If you are a taxpayer who doesn’t itemize and instead uses the standard deduction, you get to pick up the bill for millionaires in New York and California who get a big tax break for living in a profligate state.
Without an extension, there will also be a significant impact on businesses, especially small businesses, as more of their revenue would become taxable, making them less competitive and financially sound. Make no mistake, those additional costs would be passed on to consumers, hurting small businesses and increasing prices for customers already suffering from inflation.
Biden’s current economic policies have been unable to effectively deal with inflation, as it has remained at or above 3 percent for 10 consecutive months. In the latest consumer price index report, inflation increased from 3.2 percent in February to 3.5 percent in March, which was similar to an increase in the personal consumption expenditures index, always a focus of the Federal Reserve.
With inflation back on the rise, the Federal Reserve has hesitated on reducing interest rates, keeping the economy in a volatile state, reflected by a Bureau of Economic Analysis first-quarter gross domestic product increase of only 1.6 percent in its advance estimate. This was well below the 2.4 percent expected by economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal.
Listening to Biden on the campaign trail, he remains committed to economic policies that have produced the worst inflation in four decades. If given another four years, Biden would increase taxes just when people need more income to deal with rising prices. Biden’s problem isn’t the Trump-era tax law. It’s how to fund his massive spending plans that are driving trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see.
And about those electrical union workers who heard Biden pledge to end the TCJA? Here’s what he didn’t tell them.
The average earnings of a union electrician, according to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, is $81,404, along with an average pretax 401(k) contribution of $9,860. If that worker is married to a stay-at-home-parent with two kids and Biden keeps his promise to let the 2017 law expire, based on the Tax Foundation’s “2026 Tax Calculator,” the worker and their spouse would pay an additional $1,423 in federal taxes, a 1.9 percent reduction in take-home pay.
So much for promises.
13 Reasons Why People Put Others Down
1. To make themselves feel better.
As backwards as it may sound, these people feel better about themselves by making others feel worse.
They will typically have low self-esteem, and their misguided way of boosting it is to take aim at another person.
Even though they, themselves, are insecure, a common technique they’ll use is to pinpoint the insecurities of others.
Their ego will get temporary relief from its own pain by inflicting hurt upon someone else.
Of course, this relief does not last long, and so the perpetrator is always on the lookout for ways to put people down.
2. They are jealous.
Given their low self-esteem, it aggrieves them to see someone else doing well, in any sense of the word.
Their jealousy causes them to lash out. Their aim is to bring the other person down to their level by belittling their successes or happiness.
Yes, it’s spiteful, but it’s the only way they know how to approach those people who have what they want.
The underlying message is: “If I can’t feel good about myself, neither can you.”
3. To make themselves feel important.
Nobody likes to feel small or insignificant. But some people use put downs to give themselves greater importance.
This is often as part of a group or in a hierarchy where they believe that attacking someone else gives their own standing a boost.
What these people don’t realize is that, whilst this approach might work to a small extent in some cut-throat business arenas, it often has the opposite effect in general life.
4. To make other people like them.
Making someone the butt of a well-considered joke amongst a group of friends can make everyone laugh.
However, some people take this approach in other situations, thinking that it will help others feel more positively toward them.
It won’t.
These people really care what others think of them, but even if they generate some smiles or chuckles at the expense of their victim, the underlying feeling will often be that of awkwardness.
5. To get attention.
Some people feel a little lost when people aren’t paying attention to them. And so they make fun of others in order to get the attention they desire.
Despite the previous point, it’s not unusual for attention-seekers to be almost as happy with negative attention as they are with positive attention.
Any attention makes them feel noticed and gives people a reason to interact with them.
6. To feel in control.
Putting someone else down provides a level of control, and this can make it extremely tempting.
Some people have grown up feeling very little control over their lives, often due to childhood difficulties or trauma.
Many bullies, for instance, either have been or are being bullied themselves and so to get that sense of control back, they “punch down” to someone they perceive as weaker.
7. They are using displacement as a defense mechanism.
The bully in the previous point is an example of someone using the psychological strategy of displacement to deal with their negative emotions.
Essentially, displacement involves taking a hostile emotion from one situation and transferring it to another.
A person may, for example, take their stress, anxiety, or anger from one part of their life and find an outlet for it by knocking others down.
This is an unhealthy and destructive way to deal with one’s own difficult feelings.
8. To weaken the resolve of another person with a view to manipulating them.
This could be the malignant narcissist who simply wants to destroy his victim’s self-esteem in order to control them.
It could also be a person seeking to guilt trip someone into doing what they want them to do.
Putting others down and belittling them can weaken their self-belief and assertiveness, making them easier to influence.
9. They have a negative outlook on life.
Some people seem to live with crippling negativity that affects the way they view everything they come in contact with.
They are, pessimistic, cynical, and utterly disparaging of anyone else’s positivity.
Putting others down is almost second nature to them. It’s an automatic response to anything remotely cheerful.
If you share good news with such a person or seek some words of encouragement, you are likely to receive the polar opposite.
10. They have low social and emotional intelligence.
Some people struggle to grasp many social norms. They do things that most others simply know not to do.
Neither do they have the emotional intelligence to understand that their actions directly affect how other people feel.
Mocking, making fun, and putting others down is something they do because they don’t receive the usual alarms in their mind that tell them what they are doing is not okay.
Often they can’t understand why the target of their mockery is so offended.
11. They fall foul of stereotypes.
They might allow their preconceived notions of who a person is to taint their behavior toward them.
For example, a person who relies on state welfare handouts to get by might be judged, by some, as being lazy, unintelligent, and lacking in ambition.
It doesn’t matter how far from the truth these things are, some people might express such unkind thoughts openly.
12. They are unwilling to listen to an opposing point of view.
When a person holds a particularly strong stance on a topic, they are unlikely to be open to different points of view.
Some people can handle such disagreements in a mature manner, but others will seek to tear down the views and opinions that go against their own.
This can lead to attacks on the views themselves and put downs of the person who holds them.
Phrases such as, “You’re so naive,” “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” and “I can’t believe you really think that,” are all forms of belittling.
13. They don’t know how to communicate properly.
Some people may resort to making fun of others because they don’t know how to effectively communicate their true thoughts and feelings.
They either feel unable to express themselves, or they simply cannot find the right words to say what they want to say.
So, to avoid having to try, they use mockery and put downs as a means of distraction and to prevent any heartfelt conversations from taking place.
I could back it up but when i posted them they made you come unglued/upset so I stopped.
thanks for the ignored I apperciate that and I truely hope some where in the future you see the light.
and snowflake lol if only you knew but I did expect some sort of a cut down from you.
Sounds like your confession to me. How did you get so lazy minded? Since you can't explain any of your statements or views or have any backup at all of why you have them, and have to revert to the same old cult garbage tactics. That's all you got? What a friggin snowflake.
Done and ignored; end.
all I can say is My God how did you get so brian washed.
I would say we're better off. At least the current President isn't mass killing us and selling our national secrets to foreigners or selling a can of beans from the presidency for favors and personal gain. The stock market is better off. What do you consider better off? Jobs are better. Wages are better compared to historical differences in inflation and increase in a wages together. Infrastructure attention and funding for it greatly improved, attention to our climate crisis, even though not even close to enough, has greatly improved compared to trump. We've started to minimize dependence on China and other sources, making good progress or at least more than any time in current history and a lot more than trump did, which is pretty much nill. Trump took in millions from China and put it in his pocket.
Border wasn't secure, hasn't been secure for ages and trump didn't secure it, had a cheap barrier that literally blew over several times in as little as 30 mph gusts and was put up without any supporting mechanisms to make it any real barrier which promptly was penetrated on a regular basis and causing constant repair and damage replacement ever since. At one point, trump released more migrants into the US percentage wise than Biden. Don't really fault him for that part other than he was just focusing on the political theater for himself with a "wall", and only doing a half ass job protecting the border.
Without the manpower, resources, and means (money from congress), barriers are worthless and won't stop the onslaughts of migrants. Plus most of trump's barriers was just replacement and repair of old barriers, and very little of a new wall comparatively. Barriers are still continuing to being put up, using the money that was appropriated from congress for it from the trump's time. That's just his job following a structured system and the laws of governing.
Laws are made in congress, funding from congress. When republicans had the house, senate, and the white house, did they do anything that would change the laws regarding our migrant problem? No. Why trump failed in court with his policies on immigration and other issues, and that was with a lot of republican judges. The president has to follow the laws, if the laws don't address the problem, congress has to get to work and do their job. For reference see this site;
https://policyintegrity.org/trump-court-roundup Use the drop down lists for different queries.
What are the republicans doing now under direction of trump? Blocking the funds that would help secure our border and just using immigration for political fodder.
Just one example, there's lots of them;
Scanners that spot smuggled fentanyl at the border sit unused because Congress hasn't provided the cash to install them
The money to install the screeners was in the supplemental funding request Republicans blocked.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/border-fentanyl-scanners-unused-congress-provided-no-money-rcna141432
Inflation is a pretty complex subject, causes of and beginning of a flaring inflation begins before it actually happens, sometimes way before and it definitely doesn't happen overnight or just because administrations change in the short run. It also can become sticky even if all the right things are done. What was the cause of recent inflation? 40-50% was caused by corporate greed, so there's that out of the way. We had a devastating virus that killed millions with trump and republican party killing 100's of thousands of people helping that kill rate along. I for one will never forget or ignore the massive slaughter they perpetrated, neither will all the ones left that lost and still losing. It was a crime against humanity. Expenses from that crime are still being paid, some to never recover from the financial burden that was put upon them, let alone the emotional, physical, and mental damage that followed. All contributing to the inflation rate.
Supply and demand issues entailed a big part. Trump and the republicans taking from the poor and giving to the rich didn't help anything out. You own a house? How's your insurance rates going? The climate crisis, in which trump did everything he could to hide it, and favor the fossil fuel industry taking kickbacks from them in the form of political funding for himself at the cost put to us. The insurance industry lost 120 Billion last year to the climate crisis. We've got to pay for that and we will. Even if you rent, the insurance rates have a lot to do with increases in your rent, also has a lot to do with anyone's ability to buy a house or maintain it. That's part of the inflation rate and not Biden's doing. You bring up cost of gas, blaming President Biden for it. There's evidence of price manipulation by oil companies controlling the price affecting gas prices at the pump. That's nothing new, they've been controlling and buying politicians and justices for quite a while. Why the environmental mess we're in. Are you aware that the trump administration allowed for full control and ownership of one of the largest refining plant and a jewel of refining plants in Texas to the Saudi's? They import a lot of their own oil in, refine it here in the states at their own plant, and sell it to the American people. I'd say that's a part of inflation and what we pay at the pump. Trumps family got billions from the Saudi's, so I guess it paid him to look the other way,
And if an administration is given an utter mess to deal with like President Biden had/has to deal with, it takes a lot to come out of it, especially with a disjointed and conflicting congress following instructions from a guy who has no business instructing, telling them to sabotage anything President Biden does no matter what, no exceptions, conflict and mayhem creation allowed only.
There was war and conflicts, people killing people, constant cyber attacks upon us from Russia, North Korea, and China. You want to blame President Biden for Putin attacking Ukraine, blame Biden for some terrorists attacking Israel, please. If trump had his way, Russia could take over the world as long as there's something in it for him.
I could go on, but I think that's more than enough. Don't want to overdo it. lol. I'll let it go and agree with you on one point, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
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Humans allow themselves to become enslaved
By buying into irrational statist ideas
Superstitions, lies, concepts, terms (words), definitions, and arguments
~ Frederick Mann ~
Comment on the above quote
The people never give up their liberties
But under some delusion
- Edmund Burke: (1784)
Biden doesn't show signs of Dementia
In your opinion does Biden have dementia? Are you voting for Biden?
ok so I read your whole peice and I'll answer by asking a question.
were we better off 4 yrs ago or now?
4 yrs ago
Border secure no wars inflation under 3% I could go on but you get the point right.
Now one more time I left you all because I was upsetting you guys but you all keep posting to me why? just let it go ok?
Just as I was having a little hope and giving you an open door, you start slamming it shut with bs like that statement. If that's what you read into my words, better go back and read it again. I thought I was pretty clear. Your accusation sounds more like a confession. No one is right on everything, I'm sure not, but someone who is part of a cult, any cult, or "want to debate or discuss the validity of all those things spoken about", or just continue to repeat and support disinformation wars, will be almost always wrong. If you believe in and support all those things I mentioned, then yes I'm in the right, and your in the wrong and I have no patience for that kind of debate or discussion.
It may be more about willful ignorance to have basis for your views that make your errors and the inability to debate or discuss your views. Garbage in, garbage out as they say.
Maybe you want a dictatorship and everything that comes with that, trump said "many people want that". You'd be in the wrong. It's not up for discussion.
When someone backs a convicted criminal and a known profussive liar, grifter, fraud, and a convicted sexual predator, they are in the wrong. That's not debatable.
When somebody backs a mitigation war against mitigation methods to a very deadly virus, going against 100's of years of proven science, and in doing so killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of people in the US and causing all that expense and misery, they are in the wrong. No respect is given or deserved.
When someone tries to argue numbers and facts and arguing that 2+2 isn't 4 or just plain ignore it all together, and believe it's whatever trump says it is. They are in the wrong. There is no debate and no working with those kind of ideals.
If you want to come and espouse "Biden and open border policies" you better come with knowledge of the total situation now and over the decades with facts and figures backing your views, not just repeat bs republican one liners without the documentations to back that line. Also valid reasons for backing the action to dismiss the most aggressive border policy in ages written by republicans and democrats for the only reason that it might help President Biden and the people address the current problem. What are the specific policies that have been made that make you feel the president isn't doing his job; show your work as they say.
If you want to talk about the economy and infrastructure, you need to show some numbers, facts, and figures, all of them and show what specific policies that trump had during his time that was better, got more done to give you the view voting for trump is right. I'm not going to give you the time of day if all you do is go on trump's political speech and promises coming from a man that's suffering from dementia that I guarantee you he's not going to last to do anything even if he wasn't just a total liar.
If you want to talk about world affairs, don't come talk to me about acts supporting Putin or Orbin, or come without due diligence and omitting the subject of trump and family stealing and selling pieces of America to foreigners for their profit.
Want to talk about law and order, there's facts and numbers out there to go by. If all you want to do is ignore all the crime involved with the person you give your vote for and want to allow him to be above the law, you have no validity, especially if you want to discuss republicans bs of "the Biden crime family" to try to deflect from their own crimes.
In other words, you don't have to agree with me on anything to discuss or debate, but if you just come and post the same old bs republican lines, disinformation tactics, and trump with his party's repetitive lies, and those are the only reasons for your views or why you are right, you are barking up the wrong tree.
Maybe you would consider putting a different foot forward, you started to show a little willingness, so I responded with giving a little back and opening a door to ways that might work for an open dialogue, at least that was my intent. But I don't have the patience, desire, or the time for lost causes.
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Michael Ian Black: Here’s the Speech Trump Should Give at Barron’s Graduation
VERY STABLE GENIUS
The 45th president has the opportunity to lay his unique brand of wisdom on his son’s graduating high school class.
Michael Ian Black
Updated May 01, 2024 4:28PM EDT Published May 01, 2024 4:46AM EDT
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty
Now that Judge Juan Merchan has ruled that the World’s #1 Dad, Donald Trump, is permitted to skip a day of his criminal trial to attend his youngest son Barron’s high school graduation, I thought it might be a nice idea for a professional writer to prepare some remarks for the former president to deliver to the graduates. Just a few words of life advice from an old man who has seen and done it all.
And, because I’m a generous spirit, I decided to take up the assignment myself.
I’ll set the scene. As the high school band performs a stirring rendition of The Village People’s “YMCA,” President 45 strides onto stage, perhaps performing his “I’m flossing the space between my ears” dance. Magic.
Then, the speech:
“To the wonderful students of this very expensive private school whose name I do not know, congratulations. Today is the day all of your hard work pays off as we celebrate your incredible achievement. Not as incredible as being elected President of the United States twice, the way I was, but incredible nonetheless.
Your incredible administrators came to me with tears in their eyes to ask if I would deliver a few words of advice as you begin the next chapter of your lives. Perhaps you will attend one of our corrupt universities or join the military to serve this great country of ours, although I have to tell you, some of the dumbest people I ever met in my life were generals. John Kelly, what a disaster. That’s why we need tough generals like the great Mike Flynn who was treated so unfairly by the failing New York Times.
My first piece of advice would be to have me as your father. (Hold for laughter and applause.) Barron knows that better than anybody. Stand up, Barron. Look at the size of that kid. Tallest presidential son in history, they tell me. Even Honest Abe didn’t have kids that tall. Taller even than James Comey, who I had to fire like a dog.
You’ve got to be loyal, kids. Loyalty is everything, isn’t that right, darling? (Turn to Melania.) Our beautiful First Lady is here. No other First Lady in our nation’s history has a figure like hers.
Stand up, Melania. Spin around. Look at that figure, just gorgeous. Can you imagine Ted Cruz’s ugly wife doing that? Not a chance. Sit down, darling, and try to put a smile on your face. Thank you darling. Be best.
Back to the advice. Find yourself a good lawyer. I mean a killer. Preferably Jewish, but not like Michael Cohen even though I did more for his people than just about anybody in history, except Moses. And some very smart people think I did even more than him.
Here’s a piece of advice nobody else will tell you—no email. You can still do the Tik Tok. I know kids love the Tik Tok even though Sleepy Joe wants to ban it. Terrible.
But the email is no good. Even when you erase an email, they tell me it’s still out there on “The Cloud.” Do you know what that is? I call it “The Cloud.” Everything you ever write on the computer lives up there forever. Well, if you don’t have anything up there, guess what?
We call that “plausible deniability,” folks.
As my great friend Roy Cohn once said, “Deny, deny, deny.” You don’t even have to know what you’re denying. You weren’t there, you don’t know about it, it’s somebody else’s fault.
You are the future leaders of this great nation which won’t be a nation much longer if I don’t win the White House.
It’s true. If I don’t win the White House in November, most of you will be dead within six months. My wonderful family will be safe but the rest of you will be on the streets killing each other for half a Chicken McNugget and a thimbleful of gasoline.
We love our Chicken McNuggets, don’t we, folks?
So sad.
(Leaving some space here for the former president to ramble incoherently for 90-100 minutes before wrapping up.)
In conclusion, great job.
I hope all of you go out there and make a tremendous fortune. And when you do, I hope you remember that it was your favorite president who cut your taxes. It was me, your favorite president, who saved this nation from pronouns. It was me, your favorite president, who created the greatest vaccine this nation ever produced in the shortest amount of time ever which I am hoping none of you took because it’s poison.
Thank you very much and God bless America.”
At this point, 45 picks up the stack of diplomas and throws them into the audience the way he did with paper towels to the victims of the hurricane in Puerto Rico as people salute, applaud, and—almost certainly—vomit.
Not implying anything, I stated "Dementia is no joke and very serious and devastating ordeal. I have personally been involved and saw it with an inlaw." It's a very long slow miserable road through hell and back. Both for the one inflicted and all the ones around them. Do a little research on it.
Everything else that I posted was written by someone else (who I agree with), the video was with a health professional with the backing of 100's of health professionals and their knowledge. Medical science and serious professionals all over the US aren't implying either, they are stating facts.
Any implications were that you get up at all hours and clean the shit and puke off them, try to calm their fears and pain of not knowing who you are or where they are, feeding them, making decisions and keeping them from hurting themselves or others. It takes everything in ones soul to handle it, not to give up and quit, continue to address it 24/7, even if you know that there will be nothing but increased suffering until the inevitable cruel end. You do it until it is just past your abilities and have to give them to the professionals (or if you're lucky, sooner to the undertaker), come to a realization that you have to say goodby to someone that will never hear it. The agony of defeat to an unbeatable foe.
What you don't do is put that inflicted person in charge of you or your country, they are not even in charge of themselves. Nor do you put people in power that is using that person having dementia for only their route to power, power undeserved, giving them leadership that they are unqualified for and just a threat to what little bit of democracy we have left.
But that's not implying, nor is it an opinion, just a statement of facts. We're not even getting into all the other deviousness that's involved with trump.
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Are you implying Trump's cognitive faculties are worst than Biden's?
Michael Cohen's Tweets Mocking Donald Trump Draw Laughs From Courtroom
(Huff Post) Whoops. A gag order hearing during Donald Trump’s first criminal trial in New York went a bit sideways Thursday morning, as Trump attorney Todd Blanche entered into the record a series of tweets mocking his client ? drawing laughs from the courtroom. One series of tweets from former Trump fixer Michael Cohen repeatedly employed a nickname for Trump, “Von ShitzInPantz,” which Blanche read aloud for those in attendance — including his client. Blanche also said that Cohen had retweeted an edited image of Trump as a pudgy, bright orange superhero named “Super Victim,” with the image sparking laughter in the courtroom.
Discussing or debating real policy, real numbers or scientific facts, and not the made up bs would be great, all for it. But if you want to debate or discuss the validity of all those things spoken about above as being a choice, your just going to be shitting uphill.
Let me see if I got this right, if I change the way I think and believe everything you say we can have a discussion about why your right on everything?
If your honest about that, thank you, and hope for a realistic dialog about realistic issues. If that happens, I, personally will give you any respect deserved for that goal. Might find others will too. One fact is for sure, division, especially division based on unrealistic issues, lies, and disinformation campaigns, will lead us all (the people governed) to being conquered and a much lower quality of life. There are way too many more serious issues against all of us in our world today to fight against. Fighting amongst ourselves; we will surely lose. "They" know this and why hate and conflict are subjecting us to the melee. First steps are the hardest but can be the most important.
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Dementia is no joke and very serious and devastating ordeal. I have personally been involved and saw it with an inlaw.
The Shallow State
@OurShallowState
Holy sh*t, Trump's language problems are clearly worsening, and his medications are being ratcheted. Yesterday, several forms of aphasia were at play, and the energy level at Wisconsin and Michigan were markedly different.
Sometimes, he just mispronounces, sometimes he makes up entirely new words, and most times he doesn't quickly catch the gaffes and correct them anymore - which is significant evidence that he's worsening. And sometimes now he short-circuits like a computer with frayed wires.
I'm going to pull no punches here:
Dr Gartner's well-covered chronology of Trump's cognitive issues has proven accurate. He's now supported by more than a small army of influential clinicians and mental health pros. As you've heard me say many times, neurological decline is not linear but as any of us who've lost loved ones to the disease can attest - when it goes bad ... it goes bad.
Having said all that, the MAIN POINT I want to reiterate is that Trump's neurological decay is the new Big Lie. I guarantee - GUARANTEE- that this IS being medically and otherwise addressed. His aides know much of the truth, if not all. They guard this secret with their lives. None of them care about Trump the man, but they very much care about Trump, the conduit to power.
I don't know how many more rallies we'll see. He can't sustain cogency after a while. His oratory is really limited to super-friendly environs for short periods, where he can speak on repetitive autopilot, or to a camera with no interplay, like outside court.
There must be a team figuring out not only how to keep it secret, but how to medicate him, how to recalibrate him afterward, what the rest pattern is, etc. Some in his circle must privately wonder what he will look, and sound like by Nov.
The MSM is starting to cover the gaffes more, but they're so selfishly careful to stay away from references to medical issues or declines, which they still consider conjecture. How much is legal concerns, and how much is willful blindness, we cannot know. We do know that Trump is their meal ticket. And I suspect that as soon as they report objectively on this, which I believe they will have to do at some point, it will probably move the needle in the polls, and impact everything else - including who he selects as a running mate, whether donors want to feed money to a guy who will - eventually - begin to lose self-awareness.
8:13 AM · May 2, 2024·823.6K Views
I'll just add a couple of things to look for: Watch his mobility, his gait, and his physical appearance - dementia eventually impacts these. The "falling asleep in court" is significant. Also - see whether he again references his cognition - Trump likes to get ahead of negatives by saying the opposite of truth, and as we all know - his projection is often a confession.
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Thx you I'll have to give some serious thought to what you just said :+)
If your "political views" support dictatorships (at best a kleptocracy), support massive voter suppression (subscribing to the Big Lie for republicans cover to a voter suppression campaign), supports a party that supports our adversaries, support a party that kills 100's of thousands of Americans on their own soil, supports blocking protection on our borders for the pure purpose of helping a criminal and his crimes upon this nation, support corrupt judges (put in by corrupt republicans), support climate denial, its causes and effects, support white supremacists, fake patriots and homegrown terrorists, support all the constant lies and disinformation, support republican created culture wars, support a person that doesn't have the emotional or mental capacity or ability to lead others let alone a country, and so much, much more.................................you have made yourself the enemy and part of why our country is right now.
Maybe you don't support those things and just ignorant to the facts. Then maybe your not the enemy, but you and others like you with your beliefs are one of the biggest dangers to OUR country and the society within it and will be addressed as such. I assume that you have at least the average intelligence, so that would lead to that you are not stupid and choosing to be ignorant, choosing to follow or practice stupidity. Your right, "all it takes is to stop" and use your intelligence that you were born with. That is if you're not the enemy.
Discussing or debating real policy, real numbers or scientific facts, and not the made up bs would be great, all for it. But if you want to debate or discuss the validity of all those things spoken about above as being a choice, your just going to be shitting uphill.
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Michael Cohen’s Mean Nickname For Trump | Noem Defends Killing Her Puppy | Boeing Sends A Message
I Hate To Harsh Anyone's Mellow, But Justice Amy Coney Barrett Is Not Some Kind Of Hero
I'm thinking in particular of The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus, who sees some hope in Barrett's brief walk-on role as Not Insane Person in the dramas of the moment.
By Charles P. Pierce PUBLISHED: MAY 02, 2024 5:03 PM EDT
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a60674203/amy-coney-barrett-abortion-ruling/
Alex Wong//Getty Images
Ruth Marcus of The Washington Post, onetime scourge of teenaged potty-mouths—I kid! I kid!—is the latest smart person to go digging for the pony in the current carefully manufactured conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Marcus seems impressed by some mavericky impulses out of Justice Amy Coney Barrett who, to be entirely fair, does not seem to be as much of a wild-eyed fanatic as Justice Sam Alito, as much of a conservative apparatchik as Justice Neil Gorsuch, as much of a vengeful sublet as Justice Clarence Thomas, as much of a lab-grown wingnut as Justice Brett Kavanaugh, or as much of a predictable irrelevance as Chief Justice John Roberts. That's all of them, I think.
Anyway, Marcus sees some hope in Barrett's brief walk-on role as Not Insane Person in the dramas of the moment.
Still, benchmarking Barrett against her conservative colleagues — and against expectations at the time she was confirmed — she has been what passes for a pleasant surprise since being named to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020. Barrett’s long-standing ties to a conservative Catholic group, People of Praise, raised warnings that she would be an eager handmaid to the conservative male majority; in reality, Barrett has been no submissive pushover. And despite academic writings that suggested Barrett would not hesitate to overturn constitutional law precedents with which she disagreed, her judicial opinions have shown her to be more cautious technocrat than ideological fence-swinger.
I don't mean to harsh anyone's mellow but, at the moment, Florida is living through an example of Barrett's "hesitation" to overturn one particular constitutional law precedent. From Politico:
Florida’s six-week abortion ban went into effect Wednesday, making the procedure nearly impossible to access for many would-be patients throughout most of the southern United States. Women from Florida to Texas are cut off from obtaining abortions either entirely or beyond the very beginning stages of pregnancy — unless they have the time and means to travel across states to a place where appointments are available, an option many women will not have.
The shift away from abortion access in Florida opens a new phase in the post-Roe v. Wade world, with severe new limitations on abortion in place across a vast and unbroken stretch of the country. The new landscape further limits access to care for women and is guaranteed to strain reproductive health care services in nearby states that still allow for broad access to the procedure.
Leaving aside for the moment the clear fact that Barrett played hide-and-seek with the truth in her accelerated confirmation hearings as deftly as her brethren did, she is as responsible as the rest of them for the consequences of the Dobbs decision. Every woman who has suffered since that decision is on Barrett's tab as much as she is on Alito's. Any woman who dies as a result of complications that could've been avoided with a therapeutic abortion goes on her side of the ledger as starkly as it's written in Kavanaugh's. That's not moderation. That's accessorial conduct, and history is going to arraign her for it as surely as it's going to arraign the other members of the carefully manufactured conservative majority.
Marcus also cites, as a number of observers have, Barrett's performance during the oral arguments in the presidential immunity case.
In the immunity case, Barrett tag-teamed with Justice Elena Kagan to obtain potentially significant concessions from Trump attorney D. John Sauer about actions Trump took as president that Sauer acknowledged could still be prosecuted because they constituted private acts. Barrett expressed incredulity at Sauer’s claim that the constitutional remedy of impeachment means that a president can only be criminally convicted if he is first impeached and removed from office.
“There are many other people who are subject to impeachment, including the nine sitting on this bench, and I don’t think anyone has ever suggested that impeachment would have to be the gateway to criminal prosecution for any of the many other officers subject to impeachment,” Barrett said. “So why is the president different when the impeachment clause doesn’t say so?”
All these wise heads miss the entire point. The Supreme Court never should have taken this nonsense case in the first place. Barrett had no apparent problem with the order that granted certiorari back in February, nor with the four-month delay in hearing the case.
The whole point of taking the case on at all arguably was to delay the actual trial until after the November election. Barrett's vaunted middle position also added to the delay and if, as expected, the Court devises some phony procedure to distinguish between "official" and "private" presidential actions, Barrett is the one who gave them the running room to do so. Hope is a thing with feathers. Alas, so is a vulture.
You know you folks don't have keep trying to make me your enemy just because we have different political views.
Thats the way our country is right now but it doesn't have to be..
All it takes is to stop.
Really may I ask what you do for a living??? I'm a retired home builder- town ship supervisor- Building inspector so I think I could at least handle the building fire part. wheel maybe be tuff
Oh I forgot to ad I'm pretty good at day trading also
check my 4 plays from yesterday to today...
https://investorshub.advfn.com/Bottom-swing-plays-29717
If everyone was like you we wouldn’t have invented the wheel or discovered how to make fire.
Republicans wants the cult to believe inflation is all Biden's fault. President Biden made the gas cost more than 2 bucks, President Biden caused the price of eggs at the market. The lies constantly repeated to enlist the the emotions to put them in power. It's only the lazy mind that won't look farther than the political talking point.
In a Senate hearing on corporate price gouging an expert says:
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) May 2, 2024
"In the second and third quarters of 2023, corporate profits drove over half of inflation — 53% of inflation.
Over the last 40 years before the pandemic, profits drove just 11% of inflation."
Via: @accountable_us pic.twitter.com/hpCegaO03K
While you've been paying through the nose at the gas pump, U.S. oil companies have allegedly been conspiring to keep prices high.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) May 2, 2024
Just so happens that Big Oil spent more on stock buybacks and dividends in 2023 than ever before.
Textbook corporate greed. https://t.co/rLi0O7QAfp
Rep. Scott Perry shared post from pro-Nazi and white nationalist account
https://www.mediamatters.org/white-nationalism/rep-scott-perry-shared-post-pro-nazi-and-white-nationalist-account
WRITTEN BY ERIC HANANOKI
PUBLISHED 05/02/24 10:02 AM EDT
In previously unreported activity, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) shared a post claiming that “indigenous Brits are LITERALLY being replaced by foreign men.” Perry’s post was taken from a social media account that has promoted pro-Nazi material, shared white nationalist propaganda, and attacked people for being Jewish (as when it posted, “shut up jew boy,” in response to a comment).
This isn’t the first time that Media Matters has documented a Republican member of the House of Representatives sharing material from a pro-Nazi media source: Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), who is a member of the House Freedom Caucus with Perry, last year twice promoted sites that denied the Holocaust and praised Adolf Hitler. Media Matters has also repeatedly documented how Republican officeholders have engaged with or shared content from extremist and bigoted accounts.
Perry is a far-right member of Congress who frequently appears in right-wing media. He has a history of promoting conspiracy theories and played a key role in the Republican attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania...............................................
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what ever. have good day
Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Gunning for Mike Johnson
She announced plans to call a vote to oust the Speaker of the House next week.
By Charles P. Pierce PUBLISHED: MAY 01, 2024 2:19 PM EDT
reps greene and massie press conference on house speakership
Bill Clark//Getty Images
“The beauty parlor is full of sailors / The circus is in town.” — Bob Dylan
You didn’t think she was going away quietly, did you? From The Washington Post:
Standing alongside Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who also supports removing Johnson, Greene announced during a morning news conference that she is formally bringing up her motion next week. She intends to act under special rules forcing the House to vote on the motion within two full legislative days.
Republican leadership will then decide when to bring up the vote once Greene triggers it. “Mike Johnson is not capable of that job. He has proven it over and over again,” Greene said, adding that she wants to see lawmakers vote on the record. “Now we have [Democratic leader] Hakeem Jeffries coming out over and over again, embracing Mike Johnson with a warm hug and a big wet sloppy kiss.…They want to keep the band together.
“Everybody needs a weekend to prepare. I’m not irresponsible. I care about my conference. I have been measured. I have given this time. I have been giving warning after warning,” Greene said. “It was a warning to stop serving the Democrats and support our Republican conference and support our agenda. And [Johnson] didn’t do it.”
Of course, Johnson and the rest of the Republican squishes had to know this was coming. Greene has no skills applicable to the job of making the laws, or any apparent desire to acquire them. Now, we know that minority leader Hakeem Jeffries has committed the Democratic caucus to the defense of Speaker Moses.
Jeffries has said the Democrats will vote to table Greene’s motion to vacate. Even more fascinating is the fact that, by next week, newly elected Rep. Tim Kennedy, Democrat of New York, is due to be sworn in, cutting Johnson’s majority to a single vote and intensifying Speaker Moses’s need to make nice with the Democrats if he wants to do anything, including remain speaker.
“Bless her heart,” Johnson said, deploying a subtle insult often used in the South. “I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about her. I’ve got to do my job, and we do the right thing and we let the chips fall where they may.” In response, Massie said that Greene is “the most serious representative up here.”
“If you listen to the speech that she just gave, she captured exactly what Republicans back home are thinking. They are tired of this swamp,” he said.
Speaker Moses, with the deft southern shiv, bless his heart. As for Massie, he knows that if Greene falls, he and the rest of the Angry Children’s Caucus are next. She’s the blunted tip of a broken spear.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a60660988/marjorie-taylor-greene-mike-johnson-vote/
You make a lot of assumptions, jump to a lot of conclusions, both of which garner criticism and yes, ridicule from those who do not suffer ill-informed fools gladly.
Maddow: In Wisconsin, Republicans are running a Selina Meyer understudy who is from California.. In Pennsylvania, Republicans are running a guy who lives in Connecticut… but wait, there’s more pic.twitter.com/bAmgknWTys
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 30, 2024
From one side;
Trump, confused: GOP growth is plunging pic.twitter.com/zqhukGkzD4
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) May 1, 2024
Trump takes credit for veterans legislation passed during the Obama-Biden administration in 2014 pic.twitter.com/heefy25CoU
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) May 1, 2024
Wisconsin has always been at the front lines of the fight for unions and working people, from the Bay View Massacre in 1886 to the first comprehensive public sector union law in 1959.https://t.co/B06Ue9ERSL
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
Trump wants votes from union members, but he stiffs them just as surely as he stiffed his own contractors. He’ll promise the world. But North American Building Trade Unions President Sean McGarvey knows what becomes of those promises—watch:https://t.co/W9IUCEMF9L
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
Trump packed the Supreme Court with anti-labor justices. Thanks to his appointment of Neil Gorsuch, in 2018 the right-leaning court ruled 5-4 in a case that gutted public sector unions. https://t.co/1iIPVkceSo
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
During 2023’s UAW strike, Trump sought UAW’s endorsement by speaking at an auto parts plant in Michigan. Too bad the plant was non-union. Non-union folks held “Autoworkers for Trump” signs. For workers, Trump talks the talk, but won’t walk the walk. https://t.co/OqjzJzbpnF
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
Over and over, President Biden shows why he’s the most pro-union president in history, reaching out to organizers at union-averse companies like Starbucks and Amazon to show his support for employees’ efforts to unionize. https://t.co/KWlANM1VAM
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
Unlike Trump, @JoeBiden believes unions mean a stronger workforce. In 2021, he established a White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment to encourage more union organizing.https://t.co/QmIhfhvhtR
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
And while Trump’s NLRB cronies tried to undo labor progress, Biden’s appointees are doing what the board was meant to do—protect and support union workers.https://t.co/MzqOy0OQO6
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
In 2011, Gov. Scott Walker’s Act 10 stripped bargaining power from public employees. Walker and the GOP went on to pass a so-called right-to-work law smashing private sector unions as well. This century, no state has had a bigger decline in union density than Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/p7kMHPSEAC
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
And in 2023, at long last, union membership in Wisconsin started going up. In his State of the State Address, Governor @Tony4WI declared the Year of the Worker.https://t.co/QL7ZBN6d5C
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
Trump wants to bamboozle Wisconsin workers about his agenda.@WisDems—a proud union shop!—is fighting back. We want every worker to know who’s on their side, and who isn’t.
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
We need your help. Chip in any amount: https://t.co/8s8smXAa1c
Wisconsin has about 205,000 union members. Trump’s margin of victory in 2016 here was 22,748. In 2020, Biden won by 20,682. Union members can decide Wisconsin. And Wisconsin can decide this whole national election.https://t.co/KmZqw1BgQd
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
Unions will be doing all they can to inform and mobilize their members. Your help can ensure that @WisDems can do the same. This election is a jump ball—and with your help, we’ll scale up our organizing and comms work and ensure truth defeats lies. https://t.co/8s8smXAa1c
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 30, 2024
Well one person told me he like to insult me and one told me I was dense so I just assume I had upset them. I don't have a problem with people not agreeing with me if everyone had agreed with me Biden wouldn't be president lol
And why do you assume we were "upset"? As noted, we do not agree with you. That's all.
I said I was leaving because I was upsetting people I' don't get mad its a waste of time.
Partly my fault...I mentioned that I don't open Links on posts or messages without some kind of message or quote with them....
i thought I could have a conversation with people here...
You are doing that. You're learning we don't agree with you, and why. So I have no idea why you're going away mad.
Yes. And most of Trump's misstatements were deliberate lies, not simple mistakes.
Lots of people have a terrible memory for names. I know I do.
DEA set to reclassify cannabis as support for legalization grows
By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is on the brink of a historic move that could reshape American drug policy. On Tuesday, April 30, The Associated Press reported that the agency is preparing to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug, recognizing its medical uses and low potential for abuse.
Five sources familiar with the matter, speaking anonymously, confirmed the DEA’s proposal to the AP. If approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget, this change would mark the most significant shift in the agency’s drug policy in over 50 years.
Under the proposed plan, cannabis would be moved from Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, alongside substances like ketamine and some anabolic steroids. However, the reclassification would not legalize cannabis outright.
Despite the reclassification, cannabis would remain a controlled substance under federal law. This means individuals and business operating in the cannabis industry must still comply with federal regulations.
The reclassification proposal comes after a recommendation by the federal Health and Human Services Department. If approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget, the process would then move to a public comment period.
Following the public comment period, the DEA will review the feedback and, if necessary, make adjustments to the proposal. Eventually, the agency will publish the final rule.
The move comes after President Joe Biden’s call for a review of federal cannabis laws in October 2022. He also pardoned thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession.
In an election year, the announcement could help Biden boost support among young voters, who overwhelmingly support cannabis legalization. In addition, recent polls show growing support for legalization with 70% of adults in favor, according to Gallup.
However, not everyone is on board with the DEA’s decision. Former DEA Deputy Administrator Jack Riley expressed concerns about the potential risks, citing cannabis as a possible gateway drug.
https://san.com/cc/report-dea-set-to-reclassify-cannabis-as-support-for-legalization-grows/
It's time to talk about @RobertKennedyJr. Because despite his royal Democratic lineage, he is a right-wing, MAGA-aligned crank. It is vital that voters considering Kennedy know this about him.
— Matt Bennett (@ThirdWayMattB) May 1, 2024
Here's a thread with just SOME of the evidence. There's more. A lot more. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/D9axGeNm2x
Fair question. And the answer is low-information voters who would vote for Biden in a head-to-head w/Trump but see the Kennedy name and think he's someone he most certainly is not.
— Matt Bennett (@ThirdWayMattB) May 1, 2024
It only takes a few thousand in key states to swing the election to Trump. https://t.co/iSj35YfeoN
What's your point. When I was driving around in a little gas bug many decades ago, I was finding gas for under 20 cents a gallon. When I walked off the showroom with a 1981 MK1 Caddy pickup with a 1.6 diesel eng, diesel was cheaper than gas and could find it for under a buck. Inflation and the world oil barons and cartels, here and abroad, pretty much eliminated that luxury and destroyed our planet. Along with their power and control over our world of oil, spending billions over the decades buying our politicians, judges, and attacking science, democracy, creating wars, and diminishing our time on this planet, costing just in the US 100's of thousands of deaths, birth defects, illnesses, and $trillions every year in health and climate costs.
It's a dirty business that does dirty deals with dirty people and controls and doles out life and death for a profit of power and money to the ones who cause the dirtiness.
Well in that case I'm glad I made your day
BTW not sure if you trade or not but if you do you may want to check CETX
nah I like insulting ill informed people who when presented with facts scurry off
are ya sure cause i think I detect a little anger there yet.
No you haven't ruined my day how could you? I always like to help ill-informed people.
I think I'll leave you all to your thread here, i thought I could have a conversation with people here but I see I upset everyone way to much. have a good day if I havn't ruined it for you.
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Try and post something intelligent. If you can't then it sucks to be you.
There are posters who still don't seem to understand the above. Posting nonsensical posts are simply thread disruptions when it comes to
the main topic of the board. However other topics of the day such as sports, weather and trivia are certainly allowed considering that we all need
a little break now and again.
At a formal cocktail party 2 things that should never be discussed are religion and politics. Consider the dress code here semi-formal. You can discuss religion (in context with the news of the day) but preaching to the choir/heathens will get you sent off. No one here is looking to be converted.
And by all means please read this post. No explanation is needed.
How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=124646062
Please do not post links to boards where posters here can not respond to the referenced link. It is frustrating not to be able to refute the original post.
A 4-Step Guide to Ranting Productively
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=141041965
The 25 Words You Need to Stop Saying to Improve Your Communication Skills
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=140233496
Congratulations!
You have finally reached the end of the internet!
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=144506693
Journalists are not the enemy
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=142942649
You Have a Right to Weariness
The struggle for goodness and decency is an eternal struggle, not a seasonal one.
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=144842805
All people are welcome to post here and I'll put a moratorium on banning and the inmates have been set free. I don't think banning in hindsight was the right way to go.
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