Quotable Quotes

[sear]

"...if the 'war' is won it is due to the republicans and if the 'war' is lost it is due to the democrats ..." chatchy

“When I was in Bangkok, I was eating at a restaurant with a friend when Bill Murray passed by, took a French fry from our basket, dipped it in ketchup, ate it, and said "No one's ever going to believe you" before walking out.” chatchy

"Merry Christmas"

 

[Shiftless2]

"China and the United States can, together, solve all the problems of the world, if you think about it." ~ Trump

 

[sear]

"... if you think about it." ~ Trump

And if we don't?

"China and the United States can, together, solve all the problems of the world, ..." ~ Trump

Each has limited resources.
The proportion each devotes to thwarting the other leaves less remaining for constructive pursuits. It is a proportion as familiar as the "guns vs butter" pie chart.

We might take hope President Elect Trump, if your history solidly established you as a uniter, instead of a divider.
Unfortunately your well established performance record corroborates your confrontational style.

You threatening the world's manufacturing master (China) with tariffs is more likely to inspire Chinese confrontation, than cooperation. Our dear neighbor Canada is already maneuvering to respond / counter Trump threatened tariffs.

Think it through D.J.
Kissing up to Kim Jong Un, and Vlad Putin can not reward you anywhere near as richly as establishing a synergistic détente with China, as you are quoted above as acknowledging. You're crossways with yourself Donald. Straighten up.

 

[Shiftless2]

You threatening the world's manufacturing master (China) with tariffs is more likely to inspire Chinese confrontation, than cooperation. Our dear neighbor Canada is already maneuvering to respond / counter Trump threatened tariffs.

The people who believe Trump's claims re tariffs just assume that those other countries are going to sit by and do nothing. It never occurs to them that those countries are going to institute countervailing tariffs on American good.

 

[sear]

The people who believe Trump's claims re tariffs just assume that those other countries are going to sit by and do nothing. It never occurs to them that those countries are going to institute countervailing tariffs on American good.

Yet another example of static-modeling a dynamic scenario.
It is the classic "trade war".
Do you suppose Trump ever heard of Smoot-Hawley?

Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act​

1930 U.S. trade law placing and raising tariffs on tens of thousands of imports

The Tariff Act of 1930 (codified at 19 U.S.C. ch. 4), commonly known as the Smoot–Hawley Tariff or Hawley–Smoot Tariff, was a law that implemented protectionist trade policies in the United States. Sponsored by Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Willis C. Hawley, it was signed by President Herbert Hoover on June 17, 1930. The act raised US tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods.

The tariffs under the act, excluding duty-free imports, were the second highest in United States history, exceeded by only the Tariff of 1828. The Act prompted retaliatory tariffs by many other countries. The Act and tariffs imposed by America's trading partners in retaliation were major factors of the reduction of American exports and imports by 67% during the Great Depression. Economists and economic historians have a consensus view that the passage of the Smoot–Hawley Tariff worsened the effects of the Great Depression.
More from Wikipedia

Well D.J.,
Is the Great Depression the inspiration you're hoping to duplicate? If so you're likely to succeed. It has in the past.
Doubt it?
What would YOU do President Trump, if they began hurling tariffs at YOU? Let 'em?
I don't think so.

 

[Shiftless2]

For the record, before the enactment of NAFTA, Mexico imposed higher tariffs on US goods than the US did on Mexican ones.

 

[sear]

"For the record, before the enactment of NAFTA, Mexico imposed higher tariffs on US goods than the US did on Mexican ones." S2 #1,186

a) I did not know that. Was it a trivial difference? A charitable difference?
b) This is how they handicap a horse race. https://www.horseracebase.com/horse-racing-weight.php
Tilt the playing field to help make it a little less unfair? To get a break on the price of tequila?

Bottom Line:
Trump's too special to take a college course in international trade online, too busy between the election & inauguration. So he'll be dragging U.S. through his presidential O.J.T. "We know that protectionism makes the world poorer." George Will Stock up on canned food.

 

[Shiftless2]

"McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president. They took his name off Mount McKinley. That's what they do to people. President McKinley was the president that was responsible for creating a vast sum of money. That's one of the reasons that we're going to bring back the name of Mount McKinley, because I think he deserves it." ~ Trump

Long story buy McKinley was the original "American name" for the mountain but it had always been known as Denali in Alaska. Trump had promised to reverse the name change prior to the 2016 election.

Denali–Mount McKinley naming dispute - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

However

After the 2016 presidential election, President Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke reportedly asked Alaskan senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski if they wanted Trump to reverse the name change. The two senators told Trump that they did not want this to happen, and Trump agreed not to reverse the name change.

 

[sear]

"McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president. They took his name off ..." Trump #1,188

One of the charming / laughable characteristics about outsized ego: it's conspicuous, unmistakable.



It appears Trump has had 4 years to ruminate over his failure to leave his gooey presidential
fingerprints after his previous 4 year term.
Perhaps the egotistical Trump thinks a little karma credit might help, reviving presidential notoriety
for Denali / McKinley. Will it help preserve the Trump reputation?

PS Donald:
it's not uncommon for buildings to be renamed. Remember the Pan Am building? Visible from Trump Tower?
It's called Met Life now.

 

[Shiftless2]

As if threatening to take over the Panama Canal wasn't enough now he wants Greenland (he tried that last time and was told to go pound sand)

"For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity. Ken will do a wonderful job in representing the interests of the United States." ~ Trump, announcing his choice of Ken Howery for ambassador to Denmark

 

[sear]

Trump is nuts.

"... the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity." ~ Trump, announcing his choice of Ken Howery for ambassador to Denmark #1,190

- piffle -
a) We've done magnificently the way it is. Why is change necessary now?
b) The U.S. already has military presence in Greenland, Pituffik Space Base, home to the 821st Space Base Group. Trump himself advocated for our Space Force, not the first to have done so. If Trump has rational reason to believe NATO member sovereignty & Western values cannot be preserved without an expanded U.S. / NATO / Western military presence on Greenland, that may be subject to negotiation. But U.S. "ownership and control of Greenland"? Why not the Riviera?

"... the United States of America feels ..." ~ Trump

- piffle -

---

me·ton·y·my (mə-tŏnə-mē)
n. pl. me·ton·y·mies
A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or of the sword for military power.
[Late Latin metōnymia, from Greek metōnumiā : meta-, meta- + onuma, name; see n-men- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

---

"... feels ..." ~ Trump

- piffle -
Nations don't "feel" D.J.
Crooked world leaders connive.

 

[Shiftless2]

Gary Crimble to you
Gary Crimble to you
Gary Crimble dear Rudolph
Gary Crimble me too.
-- The Beatles, singing a Christmas greeting to fans in 1963

 

[sear]

Gary Crimble to you
Gary Crimble to you
Gary Crimble dear Rudolph
Gary Crimble me too.
-- The Beatles, singing a Christmas greeting to fans in 1963 #1,192

Before my time?
Or have I forgotten? Thanks for the reminder S2.

"Happy Christmas !" & a
Merry New Year
to All

Christmas -
What other time of the year
do you sit in front of a dead tree
and eat candy out of a sock?

 

[Shiftless2]

"Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal...To those lucky 'souls' [whose death sentences President Biden commuted to life in prison, I] say, GO TO HELL!" ~ Trump

 

[sear]

If Mohammed will not go to the mountain, bring the mountain to Mohammed?

"GO TO HELL!" ~ Trump #1,194

No need for the arduous journey Mr. President. On inauguration day, Hell arrives here. Best of luck to US sir.

 

[Shiftless2]

I only have one question. What is woke?

"Woke has to stop. Because along with everything else, it's destroying our country. We're going to stop woke. Woke is bullshit." ~ Trump

 

[sear]

"What is woke?" #1,196

woke (wōk)
adj. wok·er, wok·est
Slang
Aware of the injustice of the social system in which one lives: “The phenomenon of being woke is a cultural push to challenge problematic norms, systemic injustices and the overall status quo through complete awareness” (Raven Cras).
[African American Vernacular English, past participle of wake, to wake; see WAKE1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

It seems to be a contemptuous dismissal of being socially aware, and favoring conscientious policies.
In practical terms I suspect that's their way of assuaging their own guilt for knowing that they are not. A fig leaf for the -me first- culture.

Is it significantly more than name-calling?

 

[Shiftless2]

It seems to be a contemptuous dismissal of being socially aware, and favoring conscientious policies.
In practical terms I suspect that's their way of assuaging their own guilt for knowing that they are not. A fig leaf for the -me first- culture.

 

[sear]

"What is woke?" S2 #1,196

Yes. That's their strategy. And it's working for them.
They're not denying the enlightened argument. They're not even engaging in it, they'd lose if they did, and they know it.

So instead they evade the debate by dismissing the engagement with an obscure, vague pejorative, "woke". Theirs is a viable strategy when winning is more important than legitimacy. They didn't invent it, they updated it.

"The primitive simplicity of their minds (the masses) rend them a more easy prey to a big lie than a small one for they themselves often tell little lies but would be ashamed to tell the big ones ... The victor will never be asked if they told the truth. ... Success is the sole earthly judge of right & wrong."
"Truth is not as important as success." Adolf Hitler

note:
Perhaps mere irony, but on these eve of the first of "4 more years" we note the simultaneous passing of a man of integrity, President of the United States of America James Earl Carter.
Say goodbye to James, and hello to Donald.

 

[sear]

Part #1 of 2
New Year's Resolutions:

No such thing as a one-sided coin. First the tails side of the Trump wooden nickel:

"Woke has to stop. Because along with everything else, it's destroying our country. We're going to stop woke. Woke is ***" ~ Trump #1,196

And now heads, direct from Good Housekeeping:

65 Achievable New Year's Resolutions You'll Actually Keep By Zee Krstic and Cameron Jenkins Updated: Dec 31, 2024​

Be more mindful.​

Contrary to popular belief, mindfulness doesn’t require hours of weekly meditation or any special training. In fact, practicing mindfulness is just doing everything you can to be grateful for what you have in the moment, where you are in life and who you are right now, says Sabrina Romanoff, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist in New York City and Yeshiva University professor. Romanoff and other mental health professionals say committing to mindfulness can help you become a better person in less than a year.

RELATED: Mindfulness Activities to Reduce Stress and Increase Calm

65 New Year's Resolutions Ideas to Start 2025 on the Right Foot

#46: Write to yourself every day.

www.goodhousekeeping.com