The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: No smocking guns. - Page 1118 - Politics and Economics

Two Plus Two Forums Other Topics Politics

The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: No smocking guns.

...

Page 1118 of 5382

118 618 918 1018 1068 1098 1108 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1128 1138 1168 1218 1318 1618 2118

Last

Page 1118 of 5382

First

118 618 918 1018 1068 1098 1108 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1128 1138 1168 1218 1318 1618 2118

Last

04-25-2017 , 11:50 PM

#27926

MrAdvantage

Guest

Posts: n/a

Quote:

Originally Posted by mendicant loafer

well ahead of you. we've been out there every night, planting seedlings. massive cedar hedge, vancouver to quebec city. should prove to be just as effective as your southern border wall (cause who would ever think to simply fly over it...), but ours will cost zipdeedoda (cdn$$).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qB5gL9LUKvM

04-26-2017 , 12:18 AM

#27927

RV Life

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 1,935

I'm no military expert but doesn't this seem silly? Couldn't the US wipe this all out with a drone attack?

04-26-2017 , 12:18 AM

#27928

synth_floyd

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 7,074

I hope Mexico uses the US' money to pay for something. LUL

04-26-2017 , 12:23 AM

#27929

TheHip41

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 27,049

Quote:

Originally Posted by stinkubus

The reversal on China is definitely a pivot. I had the understanding the administration would've been able to act on tariffs on Chinese goods without congressional approval.

And why did he pivot?

Millions of dollars worth in trademarks

Which is illegal and impeachable.

But whatever. No one cares

04-26-2017 , 12:27 AM

#27930

fuluck414

veteran

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 3,281

Just confirming what we already knew

Quote:

As the president himself quipped Tuesday afternoon, preparing to sign his latest executive order: “It’s a lot of words. I won’t bother reading everything.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.24f5145b8496

04-26-2017 , 12:35 AM

#27931

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,091

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

I'm no military expert but doesn't this seem silly? Couldn't the US wipe this all out with a drone attack?

Trump is itching to use the MOAB again.

04-26-2017 , 12:44 AM

#27932

RV Life

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 1,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by microbet

Trump is itching to use the MOAB again.

You know what's funny? I hated Trump using the MOAB in Afghanistan. But here? Hell yea, go for it. He'd probably wipe out 25-50% of NK's military in one shot.

04-26-2017 , 12:47 AM

#27933

chuckleslovakian

LYNCH DURRON597

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 35,911

Quote:

Originally Posted by OmgGlutten!

Rand Paul writing a terrible op ed for Breitbart

http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...men-cut-taxes/

you know its terrible when ****ing Breitbart is your ****ing target audience

04-26-2017 , 12:56 AM

#27934

fuluck414

veteran

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 3,281

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

You know what's funny? I hated Trump using the MOAB in Afghanistan. But here? Hell yea, go for it. He'd probably wipe out 25-50% of NK's military in one shot.

I'm assuming they didn't dig up and move the ones pointing at Seoul. So probably not a good idea.

04-26-2017 , 01:12 AM

#27935

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,091

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

You know what's funny? I hated Trump using the MOAB in Afghanistan. But here? Hell yea, go for it. He'd probably wipe out 25-50% of NK's military in one shot.

North Korean Army has 1.1 million active duty, so not really. But, even if so, how do you justify wiping it out?

I don't like either target, but we are at war in Afghanistan with an authorization of the use of military force from congress. And ISIS does attack targets in Afghanistan.

04-26-2017 , 01:16 AM

#27936

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 100,220

Quote:

Originally Posted by PocketChads

Can you show me numbers about how it's gone too far

Numbers about fraud percentages

And a definition of what you consider to be entitlements, and like a pie graph of how much various programs make up this monolith called entitlements

Well one problem is that once you go on SSDI there's basically no mechanism to determine if you still need it other than self-reporting. Another problem is it's being used as a form of permanent unemployment insurance in a lot of economically depressed areas. There are tons of articles about this, it's not even really a secret.

I don't know if there's a better answer because these are places with very little jobs. But it's being used for other than its intended purpose.

http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

Quote:

In Hale County, Alabama, nearly 1 in 4 working-age adults is on disability.[2] On the day government checks come in every month, banks stay open late, Main Street fills up with cars, and anybody looking to unload an old TV or armchair has a yard sale.

Sonny Ryan, a retired judge in town, didn't hear disability cases in his courtroom. But the subject came up often. He described one exchange he had with a man who was on disability but looked healthy.

"Just out of curiosity, what is your disability?" the judge asked from the bench.
"I have high blood pressure," the man said.
"So do I," the judge said. "What else?"
"I have diabetes."
"So do I."

There's no diagnosis called disability. You don't go to the doctor and the doctor says, "We've run the tests and it looks like you have disability." It's squishy enough that you can end up with one person with high blood pressure who is labeled disabled and another who is not.

Quote:

"That's a kind of ugly secret of the American labor market," David Autor, an economist at MIT, told me. "Part of the reason our unemployment rates have been low, until recently, is that a lot of people who would have trouble finding jobs are on a different program."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/loc...=.196d5aaa87c3

Quote:

The decision that burdened Desmond Spencer was one that millions of Americans have faced over the past two decades as the number of people on disability has surged. Between 1996 and 2015, the number of working-age adults receiving disability climbed from 7.7 million to 13 million. The federal government this year will spend an estimated $192 billion on disability payments, more than the combined total for food stamps, welfare, housing subsidies and unemployment assistance.

The rise in disability has emerged as yet another indicator of a widening political, cultural and economic chasm between urban and rural America.

Quote:

This is how Spencer spends most of his days, ferrying to the dollar store and back, collecting soda, cigarettes and whatever else his family may want, and consoling them when he’s around. Most days he doesn’t mind. He likes feeling like the strong one when it seems as though almost everyone he knows is either applying for or already on disability. Just the night before, during a family dinner, it had struck him again.

“She walks, and it breaks her bones,” his cousin, who applied for disability after a nervous breakdown, had said of another relative receiving disability.

“She falls a lot,” added his aunt, who collects $733 monthly in disability checks because of back pain.

That second article is heartbreaking btw. I'm not even saying disability isn't the best solution for these people. Maybe it is. But let's be honest that it's being used more as permanent unemployment insurance than actual disability insurance.

04-26-2017 , 01:19 AM

#27937

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 100,220

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

You know what's funny? I hated Trump using the MOAB in Afghanistan. But here? Hell yea, go for it. He'd probably wipe out 25-50% of NK's military in one shot.

Extinguish 100k lives in a few days like we did in Iraq I. Yippee cayee MFer!

04-26-2017 , 01:35 AM

#27938

wheatrich

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 21,405

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckleslovakian

you know its terrible when ****ing Breitbart is your ****ing target audience

it's not far off from doing that being >= appearing on fox news politically. We live in a **** world.

04-26-2017 , 01:55 AM

#27939

chuckleslovakian

LYNCH DURRON597

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 35,911

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheatrich

it's not far off from doing that being >= appearing on fox news politically. We live in a **** world.

Went to Andy Barr's (my congressman) town hall Monday. Whew, was it heated. Now if only Rand Paul, or (ha) Mitch (haha) McConnell (hahaha like he would ever) have a town hall.

04-26-2017 , 02:24 AM

#27940

wheatrich

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 21,405

Quote:

Originally Posted by stinkubus

I'm sure you already know he won't have any.

Have you heard of a pension? That's the worst one.

04-26-2017 , 02:24 AM

#27941

SiMor29

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4,985

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noodle Wazlib

i'm pretty sure a better gotcha would be: what is the constitution?

I'm not even 75% sure he could answer: what is the united states of america?

I think for that to succeed you'd have to have a child ask the questions. Otherwise it would be framed as a librul interloper trying to set him up.

04-26-2017 , 02:38 AM

#27942

wheatrich

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 21,405

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckleslovakian

Went to Andy Barr's (my congressman) town hall Monday. Whew, was it heated. Now if only Rand Paul, or (ha) Mitch (haha) McConnell (hahaha like he would ever) have a town hall.

Well got to give a little kudos to the R's still holding them since mostly only D's in their districts are showing up. He and trump are right about the ACA imploding (those that disagree can feel free to pay my rising premiums (I've heard a few of lol olds ones, those are just unreal)) but the Republican solution to this problem is total bull**** obviously.

04-26-2017 , 03:03 AM

#27943

chuckleslovakian

LYNCH DURRON597

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 35,911

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheatrich

I'm with you. I actually dislike the ACA. It is imploding. But I feel that mostly comes from the Repubs doing everything they can do destroy the ACA instead of fixing it.

Andy tried to play up the AHCA. But yeah...after the pledge of allegiance it was full on, sorry Andy, but we see through you.

04-26-2017 , 03:16 AM

#27944

AllTheCheese

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 11,898

Quote:

Originally Posted by uke_master

ATC: you sound like a late grad student, is that right? Which university? That's pretty cool. I have heard of the horn problem in this context, yes I think we share quite a bit, I've studied a lot of hamiltonian systems (or more precisely quasi-hamiltonian systems which have moment maps that takes values in the Lie group instead).

Nice. I haven't heard of quasi-hamiltonian systems, but a quick search shows them to be pretty relevant to things I've worked on. As for my grad school, I'd rather not give too much identifying information away, but I do have my degree already and am postdoc-ing now.

(Sorry for the OT, non-math posters)

04-26-2017 , 03:23 AM

#27945

AllTheCheese

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 11,898

Sorry for you guys' premium increases, but Obamacare is not imploding. CBO predicts stability, barring Republican sabotage.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/15/u...ther.html?_r=0

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politi...ly-exaggerated

04-26-2017 , 03:45 AM

#27946

Minirra

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 1,672

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

I'm no military expert but doesn't this seem silly? Couldn't the US wipe this all out with a drone attack?

I was in the US field artillery branch so I guess I am sort of an expert, though I know almost nothing about NK gear other than it's generally old and sucks. Supposedly they have a 25-mile range on their best artillery pieces--which sounds high to me, but whatever--but who's going to observe fires that far out? I can't imagine trying to hit a carrier moving at 30 mph with indirect fire. Maybe with a good radar assist and computerized fire direction I guess.

That's assuming that we'd pull a $5 carrier up in range of all of that junk, though I can't think of a single good reason to. Carrier jets have ranges of hundreds of nautical miles. The geography doesn't require you to get super close.

I'll assume this photo is a politically orchestrated bit, I can't fathom any military going with this as doctrine. It doesn't look any less silly to me as it would somebody who plays Battlefield.

Last edited by Minirra; 04-26-2017 at 03:51 AM.

04-26-2017 , 03:46 AM

#27947

JacktheDumb

old hand

Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 1,427

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

I'm no military expert but doesn't this seem silly? Couldn't the US wipe this all out with a drone attack?

Seems more then enough to counter a imaginary carrier...

04-26-2017 , 04:00 AM

#27948

Our House

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 28,109

Didn't NK threaten to sink the Carl Vinson with a single shot?

04-26-2017 , 04:09 AM

#27949

AllTheCheese

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 11,898

More on Obamacare. Here's an analysis by Brookings.

http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2016/0...han-you-think/

Quote:

Moreover, ACA marketplace SLS plan premiums are still lower in 2016 than individual market premiums were in 2013, on average, and a full 20 percent below where the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) originally projected they would be when they first estimated the impacts of the ACA in 2009.

Health insurance was expensive before the ACA and continues to be, but the ACA appears to have had a salutary impact on premiums even while providing more robust coverage. Judging by the low or negative profits for many insurers on their ACA plan offerings and preliminary reports indicating significant marketplace premium increases for 2017 in many areas, premiums to date were likely set lower than they should have been. However, barring increases much larger than foreseen today, premiums are likely to remain notably below expectations, or where they would have been in the absence of the ACA.

For this analysis, we generally focus on average premiums for the second-lowest silver marketplace plan because they determine federal premium subsidies and represent the most common coverage level. CBO also provides good data on such plans, and this metric allows us to compare actual experience to the original predictions. A “silver” plan is one that has an actuarial value of 70 percent, meaning it pays for roughly 70 percent of the average enrollee’s covered health expenses.

While not a pure apples-to-apples comparison, the finding that SLS plans are available for a lower cost than individual market plans before 2014, on average, is significant. This is particularly true given that SLS plans have an actuarial value roughly 10 percentage points higher than the average for individual plans prior to 2014 (and thus pay roughly 17 percent more of an enrollee’s covered health care expenses).

...

This analysis finds that ACA marketplace premiums have been quite low to date. Indeed, it is likely that premiums through 2016 have been too low to be sustainable in many cases given the financial difficulties many insurers are having, whether the result of underestimating the cost of serving new populations, loss leader strategies to build a customer base, or other reasons. It is not surprising, then, that we are seeing higher premium increase requests for 2017.

Large premium increases for 2017, if they do occur, would certainly be jarring to existing enrollees (although federal premium subsidies would soften the impact for low- and middle-income consumers). However, even if ACA marketplace premiums grow significantly in 2017, they will still be much lower than individual market premiums would have been in the absence of the ACA, on average, according to our analysis. This finding holds true under any reasonable set of assumptions about premium growth in the individual market in the counterfactual scenario that the ACA was never enacted.

For instance, this analysis indicates that had premiums grown at 5 percent annually after 2013 in the absence of the ACA, average individual market premiums in 2017 for a 70 percent actuarial value plan (equivalent to “silver” level under the ACA) would have been between 30 and 50 percent higher on average than actual ACA premiums will be in 2017 for the second-lowest cost silver plan — even if marketplace premiums increase by 10 percent next year. Put another way, ACA premiums would have to grow by more than 44 percent in 2017 to approach where individual market premiums would have likely been in the absence of the ACA, even under conservative assumptions.

and one more link for good measure.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...nap-story.html

04-26-2017 , 04:33 AM

#27950

chuckleslovakian

LYNCH DURRON597

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 35,911

Maybe imploding was the wrong word. But what I mean is I am sure GOP is going to do everything possible to make sure ACA fails instead of strengthening it. Can't let Obama's legacy bill actually be a legacy.

Page 1118 of 5382

First

118 618 918 1018 1068 1098 1108 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1128 1138 1168 1218 1318 1618 2118

Last

...

Page 1118 of 5382

First

118 618 918 1018 1068 1098 1108 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1128 1138 1168 1218 1318 1618 2118

Last