How will Donald Trump change politics and the presidency?

[Skjellyfetti]

Heck, I would've voted for Bernie over Trump if the Dems hadn't rigged their own primary. As it is I voted for Jill Stein and I get labeled as "solidly right" as a result. Who knew?!?

You said you voted for her because she was a woman, though - not because of policy...

[GannonFan]

Heck, I would've voted for Bernie over Trump if the Dems hadn't rigged their own primary. As it is I voted for Jill Stein and I get labeled as "solidly right" as a result. Who knew?!?

You said you voted for her because she was a woman, though - not because of policy...

And because she wasn't Trump. I would've been fine with Bernie, policies included.

[CAA Flagship]

You said you voted for her because she was a woman, though - not because of policy...

And because she wasn't Trump. I would've been fine with Bernie, policies included.

Wow.

[Chizzang]

And because she wasn't Trump. I would've been fine with Bernie, policies included.

Wow.

Badmouthing success destroys wealth...



(You need to start rebuilding your credibility)

[GannonFan]

And because she wasn't Trump. I would've been fine with Bernie, policies included.

Wow.

I didn't say I loved everything he was about, but he also would've gotten none of it done with a GOP Congress and I think we need to move to a single payer system like England anyway - it's inevitable and I'm already saving up for access into the private market where the good medical care will be anyway. Oh, and Trump was always going to be a carnival show and potentially criminal - I don't believe the Russia stuff at all, I think that was a smokescreen (illegal too) just to investigate Trump, but the dude's clearly skirted the law for decades now. Obviously, the two choices the duopoly was going to give us was never good anyway.

[Pwns]

America's wealth primarily comes from an abundance of natural resources, being the only unscathed industrial nation after WWII, and having previously competent governments managing its finances.

How do you explain South Korea, Japan, and Singapore?

Why isn't Canada or Russia's economy bigger than ours? And what about sub-Saharan Africa? Some pretty vast oil and mineral wealth over there.

[93henfan]

And what about sub-Saharan Africa?

[CID1990]

Wow.

I didn't say I loved everything he was about, but he also would've gotten none of it done with a GOP Congress and I think we need to move to a single payer system like England anyway - it's inevitable and I'm already saving up for access into the private market where the good medical care will be anyway. Oh, and Trump was always going to be a carnival show and potentially criminal - I don't believe the Russia stuff at all, I think that was a smokescreen (illegal too) just to investigate Trump, but the dude's clearly skirted the law for decades now. Obviously, the two choices the duopoly was going to give us was never good anyway.

You just nailed what I’ve been thinking the whole time

We’ve got a New York real estate developer (probably only slightly less corrupt than the Gambino family) and people have to concoct stuff to go after him over? The left’s lack of focus on this is epic

[Ibanez]

I didn't say I loved everything he was about, but he also would've gotten none of it done with a GOP Congress and I think we need to move to a single payer system like England anyway - it's inevitable and I'm already saving up for access into the private market where the good medical care will be anyway. Oh, and Trump was always going to be a carnival show and potentially criminal - I don't believe the Russia stuff at all, I think that was a smokescreen (illegal too) just to investigate Trump, but the dude's clearly skirted the law for decades now. Obviously, the two choices the duopoly was going to give us was never good anyway.

You just nailed what I’ve been thinking the whole time

We’ve got a New York real estate developer (probably only slightly less corrupt than the Gambino family) and people have to concoct stuff to go after him over? The left’s lack of focus on this is epic

Right? As if his body of work over the last 30-40 years wasn't evidence enough that he was a low life criminal.

But Hillary....

[css75]

I love how trip gets a huge does of Democracy Now and then comes on here and spews craps like he does only to get completely shat on.

Trip you have a STEM degree, you should be crushing it. But hey, if you wanna spend all your dough on experiences and not save for retirement, that's fine just don't come back expecting folks to cover your ass for retirement.

I don't read Democracy Now. And I'm doing fine (for now); I live below my means, have a side gig, save a decent chunk for retirement, have disposable income to donate, and live a generally content life.

But let's not pretend there's a fair playing field - I certainly have more advantages than others, but less than others as well. There's a reason the distribution of wealth in this nation is the worst since the Gilded age (even more so among races).

And I laugh at AZ. Besides corporations, the military is the biggest welfare queen around. And what's worse is the old-boys network of ex-military members who've been sucking the government dry in the veil of "consulting." Instead of it being a force of public good, it's become another example of Americans gaming the system because they can. I'd love for Congress, journalists, and the President to seriously investigate the military-industrial complex; there's too many ex-members in our government who wink and nod with their buddies in the "consulting" world. In reality, we call that corruption.

On the flip-side, the military is a good example of how universal healthcare can work.

The military is one of the government spending options that is actually in the constitution, most are not, examples HUD, DOE, and many more.


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[css75]

This point can't be overstated.

What bothers me is the justice system for white collar crime...if they get caught/prosecuted. And even if they get caught, they pay tens of millions for stealing hundreds of million, serve little to no time, and have no legal impediments put on them. If you're a 20-something who gets caught stealing or in possession of drugs, you get arrested, fined to the point of poverty unless you can't even afford that, and then go to prison for years. And then in prison, we focus more on punishment than reform. Then when you get out, you have no skills and even if you do, only a few places hire ex-cons. Now your life is completely messed up to the point where your options are limited to low-paid positions or worse, criminal activity.

It's insanity that a crime totaling less than a few hundred dollars can end you, yet white-collar crimes of billions cost relatively nothing. It may as well be considered a tax for doing crime.

Now I don't mean to make excuses for bad behavior, but I can at least empathize with the traps low-level criminals might find themselves in. I read comments like, "Good riddance, another worthless criminal off the street!", but that person could shoplift an entire Best Buy and it's not a drop in the bucket compared to the dollar amount white collar criminals are getting away with. And every time the law catches up with ordinary citizens, it throws them further down a hole they'll never climb out of. But not only that, this injustice also creates a particularly uneven generational transfer of wealth which hurts nations in the long-term.

Haha tell this to Mychal Kendricks, formerly of the Cleveland Browns....

If he was in Congress, it would be legal.


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[Ibanez]

I don't read Democracy Now. And I'm doing fine (for now); I live below my means, have a side gig, save a decent chunk for retirement, have disposable income to donate, and live a generally content life.

But let's not pretend there's a fair playing field - I certainly have more advantages than others, but less than others as well. There's a reason the distribution of wealth in this nation is the worst since the Gilded age (even more so among races).

And I laugh at AZ. Besides corporations, the military is the biggest welfare queen around. And what's worse is the old-boys network of ex-military members who've been sucking the government dry in the veil of "consulting." Instead of it being a force of public good, it's become another example of Americans gaming the system because they can. I'd love for Congress, journalists, and the President to seriously investigate the military-industrial complex; there's too many ex-members in our government who wink and nod with their buddies in the "consulting" world. In reality, we call that corruption.

On the flip-side, the military is a good example of how universal healthcare can work.

The military is one of the government spending options that is actually in the constitution, most are not, examples HUD, DOE, and many more.


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Yeah. but the military can be better funded and not such a boondoggle. Some of us that have either been in the service (Az, 93, Cid, Col) or worked for the Gov't (me, 93, Cid, Col) have witnessed that fraud, waste and abuse that's rampant and KNOW that it can be better managed and financed. WE waste money on the stupidest stuff. I worked on a USMC project that deployed the below picture:




Yet, we had YACHTS. Gov't purchased yachts. $5M worth. All bought with project funds and used to test radio equipment. Or how about the $100s of thousands spent on a massive fleet of F-550s and third wheel trailers to haul all of this instead of a HMMWV and it's trailer.

[CID1990]

The military is one of the government spending options that is actually in the constitution, most are not, examples HUD, DOE, and many more.


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Yeah. but the military can be better funded and not such a boondoggle. Some of us that have either been in the service (Az, 93, Cid, Col) or worked for the Gov't (me, 93, Cid, Col) have witnessed that fraud, waste and abuse that's rampant and KNOW that it can be better managed and financed. WE waste money on the stupidest stuff. I worked on a USMC project that deployed the below picture:




Yet, we had YACHTS. Gov't purchased yachts. $5M worth. All bought with project funds and used to test radio equipment. Or how about the $100s of thousands spent on a massive fleet of F-550s and third wheel trailers to haul all of this instead of a HMMWV and it's trailer.

Fix the Federal procurement rules and that’s 75% of the battle right there

[AZGrizFan]

The playing field is already equal. If you’re born with a brain, two arms and two legs then the field is equal. What;s done on the field IS up to the players. And likely you’re in the (shitty, I guess) position you’re in because of choices YOU made in YOUR life. Quit blaming America and society and capitalism. You sound like a whiny little fuck.

Bullshit... ^ it's rigged

I don't particularly care because I have benefited greatly from the "system" such as it is
but it is not a level playing field and the idea (conciet) that such a thing should even exist is ridiculous

Humans are flawed brutal creatures
brimming with contrivances prejudices and bias
There is no such thing as "a level playing field"

This is why guys like Paul Manafort can commit $20 Million in bank fraud
and if it wasn't for a special council he'd have gotten away with it...
Thousands of dudes just like him that are presently NOT under investigation
are killin' it and robbing the system blind

1) There's no such thing as a level playing field
2) If you're stupid enough to think there should be one - by default - you lose
3) People defending the absurdity of a level playing field is only because that want to believe it

Life's Rules:
1) Take full advantage of your opportunities - frequently they come disguised as hard work
2) As screwed up as things might seem - it's as good as it's gonna get - keep moving forward
3) Pay no attention to what other people have (fancy possessions) you don't need any of that sh!t
4) Find the loopholes skirt the edges play the game and understand high risk... then bet on yourself

OK, Nostradumbass. You should try some original thought sometime.

[AZGrizFan]

This is why guys like Paul Manafort can commit $20 Million in bank fraud
and if it wasn't for a special council he'd have gotten away with it...
Thousands of dudes just like him that are presently NOT under investigation
are killin' it and robbing the system blind

This point can't be overstated.

What bothers me is the justice system for white collar crime...if they get caught/prosecuted. And even if they get caught, they pay tens of millions for stealing hundreds of million, serve little to no time, and have no legal impediments put on them. If you're a 20-something who gets caught stealing or in possession of drugs, you get arrested, fined to the point of poverty unless you can't even afford that, and then go to prison for years. And then in prison, we focus more on punishment than reform. Then when you get out, you have no skills and even if you do, only a few places hire ex-cons. Now your life is completely messed up to the point where your options are limited to low-paid positions or worse, criminal activity.

It's insanity that a crime totaling less than a few hundred dollars can end you, yet white-collar crimes of billions cost relatively nothing. It may as well be considered a tax for doing crime.

Now I don't mean to make excuses for bad behavior, but I can at least empathize with the traps low-level criminals might find themselves in. I read comments like, "Good riddance, another worthless criminal off the street!", but that person could shoplift an entire Best Buy and it's not a drop in the bucket compared to the dollar amount white collar criminals are getting away with. And every time the law catches up with ordinary citizens, it throws them further down a hole they'll never climb out of. But not only that, this injustice also creates a particularly uneven generational transfer of wealth which hurts nations in the long-term.

You act like this is “new”.

Here’s a piece of advice for you (at any level): don’t break the law. And seriously, don’t break the law and then fucking bitch about how you’re getting “screwed by the system”. Then you ARE just a whiny little fuck.

Here’s another piece of advice for you: The military healthcare system is Exhibit A for why Universal healthcare would be a massive failure. The government has taken a fairly simple concept and fucked it up beyond belief. Between the red tape involved in VA healthcare and the countless stories of lack of concern/care/empathy found in VA hospitals across this country it should be clear to everyone that that would be the LAST system we’d want to emulate.

And finally, I invite you to pick up a rifle and stand a fucking post. If you think the military is just one big “welfare program” and ex-military men/women are just siphoning off the system you need a gigantic wake up call. All those folks missing limbs, in wheelchairs, etc., might disagree slightly with you. The “old boys” network you so casually mock is literally less than 1/100th of 1% of folks who served, yet you act like it’s rampant. You paint with the broadest fucking brush of anybody I’ve ever seen. And when that comment comes from ME, that’s saying something.

[Col Hogan]

The playing field is already equal. If you’re born with a brain, two arms and two legs then the field is equal. What;s done on the field IS up to the players. And likely you’re in the (shitty, I guess) position you’re in because of choices YOU made in YOUR life. Quit blaming America and society and capitalism. You sound like a whiny little ****.

Bullshit... ^ it's rigged

I don't particularly care because I have benefited greatly from the "system" such as it is
but it is not a level playing field and the idea (conciet) that such a thing should even exist is ridiculous

Humans are flawed brutal creatures
brimming with contrivances prejudices and bias
There is no such thing as "a level playing field"

This is why guys like Paul Manafort can commit $20 Million in bank fraud
and if it wasn't for a special council he'd have gotten away with it...
Thousands of dudes just like him that are presently NOT under investigation
are killin' it and robbing the system blind

1) There's no such thing as a level playing field
2) If you're stupid enough to think there should be one - by default - you lose
3) People defending the absurdity of a level playing field is only because that want to believe it

Life's Rules:
1) Take full advantage of your opportunities - frequently they come disguised as hard work
2) As screwed up as things might seem - it's as good as it's gonna get - keep moving forward
3) Pay no attention to what other people have (fancy possessions) you don't need any of that sh!t
4) Find the loopholes skirt the edges play the game and understand high risk... then bet on yourself

Cleets, I love most of your stuff...I don’t always agree but you make me think...

What I love about your post above is how trip and Kalm jumped all over the bolded paragraph and totally ignored your three points I underlined...

And your point #1 is critical...

[93henfan]

Yeah. but the military can be better funded and not such a boondoggle. Some of us that have either been in the service (Az, 93, Cid, Col) or worked for the Gov't (me, 93, Cid, Col) have witnessed that fraud, waste and abuse that's rampant and KNOW that it can be better managed and financed. WE waste money on the stupidest stuff. I worked on a USMC project that deployed the below picture:




Yet, we had YACHTS. Gov't purchased yachts. $5M worth. All bought with project funds and used to test radio equipment. Or how about the $100s of thousands spent on a massive fleet of F-550s and third wheel trailers to haul all of this instead of a HMMWV and it's trailer.

Fix the Federal procurement rules and that’s 75% of the battle right there

Such as? Do you mean “budget rules”? They’re the biggest problem. Our appropriations laws reward those agencies who spend ALL of their budget by essentially maintaining it going forward. Agencies who don’t spend all get reductions.

That’s stoopid, and I’ve been saying it for years.

It might also be enlightening for the public to see the black dollars spent.

[CID1990]

Fix the Federal procurement rules and that’s 75% of the battle right there

Such as? Do you mean “budget rules”? They’re the biggest problem. Our appropriations laws reward those agencies who spend ALL of their budget by essentially maintaining it going forward. Agencies who don’t spend all get reductions.

That’s stoopid, and I’ve been saying it for years.

It might also be enlightening for the public to see the black dollars spent.

Spend it or lose it is definitely a problem but procurement is where we get 200 dollar hammers -

Our consular systems are a hodge podge of terrible platforms, all designed by different vendors (the system I use was designed by a company that had never done anything remotely related to software design... they made the low bid and THEN they started a subsidiary to actually code the system

We could have gone to Microsoft or Apple for a comprehensive platform for 1/4th the overall price and it would last for 30 years with only small tweaks

but there are rules preventing us from going to just one vendor for all our systems

so we get the Chinese fire drill version


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[93henfan]

Such as? Do you mean “budget rules”? They’re the biggest problem. Our appropriations laws reward those agencies who spend ALL of their budget by essentially maintaining it going forward. Agencies who don’t spend all get reductions.

That’s stoopid, and I’ve been saying it for years.

It might also be enlightening for the public to see the black dollars spent.

Spend it or lose it is definitely a problem but procurement is where we get 200 dollar hammers -

Our consular systems are a hodge podge of terrible platforms, all designed by different vendors (the system I use was designed by a company that had never done anything remotely related to software design... they made the low bid and THEN they started a subsidiary to actually code the system

We could have gone to Microsoft or Apple for a comprehensive platform for 1/4th the overall price and it would last for 30 years with only small tweaks

but there are rules preventing us from going to just one vendor for all our systems

so we get the Chinese fire drill version


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DoS procurement is notoriously bad. Even worse than us. You guys could fuck up a wet dream. I just read an IG report on one of your construction projects in Afghanistan and it was flabbergasting. Like, I know your construction contracting officers aren’t engineers, but c’mon. No smoke detectors in a prison. That was just the first finding I saw that made me say OMFG.

Lol State.

Also, State is trying to partner with us on IT reform and our guys are like, not only no, but hell no.

We are all Microsoft for OS and all Google for mail. It works well.

[CID1990]

Spend it or lose it is definitely a problem but procurement is where we get 200 dollar hammers -

Our consular systems are a hodge podge of terrible platforms, all designed by different vendors (the system I use was designed by a company that had never done anything remotely related to software design... they made the low bid and THEN they started a subsidiary to actually code the system

We could have gone to Microsoft or Apple for a comprehensive platform for 1/4th the overall price and it would last for 30 years with only small tweaks

but there are rules preventing us from going to just one vendor for all our systems

so we get the Chinese fire drill version


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DoS procurement is notoriously bad. Even worse than us. You guys could **** up a wet dream. I just read an IG report on one of your construction projects in Afghanistan and it was flabbergasting. Like, I know your construction contracting officers aren’t engineers, but c’mon. No smoke detectors in a prison. That was just the first finding I saw that made me say OMFG.

Lol State.

Nobody shakes their heads more than the end users

OBS routinely designs new embassy and consulate complexes that are less functional than the 40 - 50 year old facilities they replace


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[Col Hogan]

Fix the Federal procurement rules and that’s 75% of the battle right there

Such as? Do you mean “budget rules”? They’re the biggest problem. Our appropriations laws reward those agencies who spend ALL of their budget by essentially maintaining it going forward. Agencies who don’t spend all get reductions.

That’s stoopid, and I’ve been saying it for years.

It might also be enlightening for the public to see the black dollars spent.

In 1993, Vice President Al Gore led the National Performance Review...which was also called Reinventing Government...

Lots of interesting reading came from the Review...but one of its best recommendations, IMHO, was to change from the still used budget system, to one that rewarded efficiency and saved money at the same time...

Congress would have nothing to do with that, because it takes some control of money from the various committees and puts it into the department heads, all who are in the Executive Branch...

[Ibanez]

You have to reform procurements and that includes the type of contract vehicles available, awarding to companies that can actually perform the work instead of a small business that’ll just farm it out among other things. 93 is surely the SME here, I haven’t been involved in federal procurement in about 7 yrs. The Navy, IMO, starting shifting gears then and they were going for quality and efficiency over everything else.


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[Col Hogan]

You have to reform procurements and that includes the type of contract vehicles available, awarding to companies that can actually perform the work instead of a small business that’ll just farm it out among other things. 93 is surely the SME here, I haven’t been involved in federal procurement in about 7 yrs. The Navy, IMO, starting shifting gears then and they were going for quality and efficiency over everything else.


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I agree that 93 is the SME here, but Al Gore’s 1993 review tried to fix it...see how far they got...

Al Gore is showing me this ashtray. It is a standard, regulation federal "ash receiver, tobacco, desk type" and Gore has 10 pages of regulations to prove it. He flips through the specifications, giggling. "Can you believe this?" he says. "It's incredible. This is what you have to do if you want to sell the government an ashtray...Now, here's my favorite. This is the specification for how you test it." You put the ashtray on a plank, "a maple plank. It has to be maple, 44.5 millimeters thick." And you hit it with a steel punch "point ground to a 60 percent included angle" and a hammer. "The specimen should break into a small number of irregularly shaped pieces, not greater in number than 35." Gore is losing it now, bellylaughing. "But wait! Now we get to the specification of the pieces." To be counted as regulation shards, they must be "6.4 millimeters or more, on any three of its adjacent edges..."

https://www.newsweek.com/vice-presidents-ashtray-192480

[Ibanez]

You have to reform procurements and that includes the type of contract vehicles available, awarding to companies that can actually perform the work instead of a small business that’ll just farm it out among other things. 93 is surely the SME here, I haven’t been involved in federal procurement in about 7 yrs. The Navy, IMO, starting shifting gears then and they were going for quality and efficiency over everything else.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree that 93 is the SME here, but Al Gore’s 1993 review tried to fix it...see how far they got...

Al Gore is showing me this ashtray. It is a standard, regulation federal "ash receiver, tobacco, desk type" and Gore has 10 pages of regulations to prove it. He flips through the specifications, giggling. "Can you believe this?" he says. "It's incredible. This is what you have to do if you want to sell the government an ashtray...Now, here's my favorite. This is the specification for how you test it." You put the ashtray on a plank, "a maple plank. It has to be maple, 44.5 millimeters thick." And you hit it with a steel punch "point ground to a 60 percent included angle" and a hammer. "The specimen should break into a small number of irregularly shaped pieces, not greater in number than 35." Gore is losing it now, bellylaughing. "But wait! Now we get to the specification of the pieces." To be counted as regulation shards, they must be "6.4 millimeters or more, on any three of its adjacent edges..."

https://www.newsweek.com/vice-presidents-ashtray-192480

That's ridiculous.


The truth is that if you want the gov't to spend money more wisely and be more efficiency, then a lot of the hands in the pot will be missing out, which means some people will lose their jobs. Now...which congressperson is going to vote for that?

[Ibanez]

You have to reform procurements and that includes the type of contract vehicles available, awarding to companies that can actually perform the work instead of a small business that’ll just farm it out among other things. 93 is surely the SME here, I haven’t been involved in federal procurement in about 7 yrs. The Navy, IMO, starting shifting gears then and they were going for quality and efficiency over everything else.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree that 93 is the SME here, but Al Gore’s 1993 review tried to fix it...see how far they got...

Al Gore is showing me this ashtray. It is a standard, regulation federal "ash receiver, tobacco, desk type" and Gore has 10 pages of regulations to prove it. He flips through the specifications, giggling. "Can you believe this?" he says. "It's incredible. This is what you have to do if you want to sell the government an ashtray...Now, here's my favorite. This is the specification for how you test it." You put the ashtray on a plank, "a maple plank. It has to be maple, 44.5 millimeters thick." And you hit it with a steel punch "point ground to a 60 percent included angle" and a hammer. "The specimen should break into a small number of irregularly shaped pieces, not greater in number than 35." Gore is losing it now, bellylaughing. "But wait! Now we get to the specification of the pieces." To be counted as regulation shards, they must be "6.4 millimeters or more, on any three of its adjacent edges..."

https://www.newsweek.com/vice-presidents-ashtray-192480

That's ridiculous.


The truth is that if you want the gov't to spend money more wisely and be more efficiencent, then a lot of the hands in the pot will be missing out, which means some people will lose their jobs. Now...which congressperson is going to vote for that?