A corrupt oligarchy is the best that America can hope for

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Felix

Donald Trump has already broken America.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

10 Responses to A corrupt oligarchy is the best that America can hope for

  2. y2kurtus says:
    December 7, 2016 at 3:41 am

    Good evening Felix,

    I have followed your wonderful work for many years. I followed you so closely in your time at Reuters that you once wrote a blog post in response to a reply I penned in those beautifully long comment threads your posts would so often spawn.

    I live in Brunswick, Maine and work in Portland, ME two of the most progressive communities on the east coast. Citation needed 🙂

    I have been a banker my entire adult life… but I work at a community bank, a mutual, far more similar to one of your cherished credit unions than JPMorgan.

    I write to you today to plead for you to search for some lemonade to help swallow this most bitter pill you and nearly all of my friends and neighbors are sickened by. I know how you feel… I went to the polls with my wife and 18-year old daughter who was voting in her first election…. both of course excited to make history together. I held my 6 year old son in my arms as I cast my ballot against Trump and begrudgingly for the first democrat I ever voted for in my life. (and before you rush to judgement remember that my small state is well represented by a moderate republican woman and a thoughtful independent gentleman who is so popular he doesn’t need the democrats to raise money or tell him how to vote (though he supports most progressive causes just the same.)

    Do you know those misleading county by county vote maps that make democrats look like they are confined to the coasts and small island cities floating in a sea of red? One of my friends made a comment that really resonated with me…LIFE ITSELF (food, water, energy) literally flows from the vast red expanses into the enlightened blue world. Think of that for a moment…

    …The New York Times and many others rightly point out that it is the Blue World that picks up the larger share of the tab for social services and the cost of our government. True of course. It is very generally the “Blue World” which gives us advances in education, health, the arts, and technological innovation. No argument there.

    …still though… it was the people who live in the places that feed us and keep the lights on that gave us the result we have. Call me an optimist, but I refuse to believe that people smart enough to coax our corn out of the ground or turn pine trees into toilet paper were fooled into voting against their own self interest as Robert Reich or Paul Krugman would tell you. America is not broken. Divided obviously… but not broken.

    Keep up your good work and live life to the fullest my friend!

  3. Peter Schaeffer says:
    December 7, 2016 at 4:40 pm

    Felix, once you start overtly lying, no one takes you seriously.

    “His voters voted for a chaos monkey who would deport millions of immigrants”

    An immigrant is a person lawfully admitted to the United States for purposes of permanent residence.

    Trump wants to deport illegal aliens. Illegal alien is simply a statement of fact. “Immigrants” is a lie. Don’t lie.

    You will get caught.

  4. Peter Schaeffer says:
    December 7, 2016 at 4:44 pm

    At least at this point, Donald Trump is more likely to save American than kill it.

    DJT stopped the TPP. That’s a pure win for the American people.
    DJT killed the $4 billion Air Force One. Another win for America.
    DJT has improved America’s foreign relations with Russia, the Philippines, Israel, etc. All wins for America.
    DJT may (possibly) helped to bring down Renzi in Italy. Another win for America.
    DJT will (probably) appoint conservatives to the Supreme Court. Another win for America.
    DJT has proposed a 35% tariff on offshoring. If he gets it (a big if), another big win for America.

  5. Peter Schaeffer says:
    December 7, 2016 at 4:53 pm

    “make America unspeakably racist again”

    You mean like Hillary (the hater) and her BLM supporters? That racist?

    You mean like Symone Sanders? Let me quote from the SS

    “And in my opinion we don’t need white people leading the Democratic party right now”

    So racism is bad except when the racists are Democrats? Really?

    Of course, the same SS condoned racist violence against Trump supporters

    “Dem Strategist Mocks Trump Supporter Beat Up By Mob: ‘Oh My Goodness, Poor White People!’”

    So racism is bad except when the racists are Democrats? Really?

  6. Peter Varhol says:
    December 7, 2016 at 10:14 pm

    First, y2kurtus, I remember you (I was Curmudgeon57 on Reuters, and reside next door in New Hampshire). ++1 on what you said.

    Second, and longer,

    I have a confession to make. My older sister, my best friend and a person I deeply love and respect, voted for Donald Trump. I understand her reasons for doing so, and we have not disowned one another as a result. In fact, it was only with the greatest reluctance that I voted for Clinton.

    Today, even before he takes the oath of office, I am unhappy. First, let me step back. My sister voted for Trump because she intensely disliked Clinton, and believed that Trump, as a professional CEO, would appoint professional and competent people to run the government.

    But with Trump, everything is a deal. The Carrier deal. The Masayoshi Son Softbank deal, the Boeing deal that is bound to happen. I’m sure there will be many other such announcements in the future.

    As for appointing professional and competent administrators, um, no. I think we know that by now, and enough said.

    I do recognize that Trump is doing what just about every politician does, albeit using somewhat different language. First, you reward your friends and you stick it to those who are not. Second, you take credit for deals that cost your adversaries little or nothing, yet make it seem like you are delivering far more than you are.

    My rationale is less than, well, rational. Despite the dirtiness of politics in general, I feel sullied by Trump’s references to deals. Yes, our government deals, often more nakedly and crassly than we would prefer. I don’t mean to tuck that under the covers. I would like to be able to call that diplomacy, but it is in fact base deal-making. But it’s not at all clear that Trump’s version of it furthers any agenda but his own. Perhaps he has earned that privilege, but I would like to see some evidence of that assertion first.

    Alternatively I believe that Clinton represented the antithesis of what America should in fact be about. I am sure she will largely retire from public life, except for the often and unadvertised speaking engagement at the most profitable levels of society.

    But I think that Trump represents the same coin (both figuratively and literally), albeit with a different slant. Clinton may have added the teaspoon of (probably bitter) sugar, but it would have been every bit as bad.

    I may simply be saying “A pox on everyone.” But you see, I happen to think the person matters. I think we have had some decent Presidents in my adult life, which now spans four decades.

    This election, whoever we may have ended up with, was destined to disappoint, and I fully appreciate the larger societal forces that caused it. I should wait to judge, but I am dismayed, at both the choices and the result. The American people deserve better.

  7. Peter Varhol says:
    December 7, 2016 at 10:17 pm

    And, y2kurtus, if my geography serves me, you have one h*** of a commute. I love Portland, have run in the Old Port races for the last two years. I know that Felix cycles in NYC, perhaps he would be less uptight if he ran instead 🙂 .

  8. y2kurtus says:
    December 9, 2016 at 4:02 am

    @ Peter Varhol I remember your posts as Crudgemon as well! I am no expert on deals or marriage but I have been faithful to my wife since our first kiss 12 years ago… we make deals with each other on almost a daily basis. I don’t see how two parties with somewhat different goals working to find some mutually advantageous arrangement is anything but a success to be celebrated.

    There are some things trump has done that are simply unforgivable… I suppose that makes me a lousy catholic…. but I can live with a few of his proposed appointments so far. Wilber Ross should make a wonderful commerce secretary…. he has saved or reccessated dozens of failing companies over the years. (yes I’m sure if Senator Warren sifted through the numerous deals he’s done she could find things to object too.)

    I would absolutely love to see Mitt Romney as Sec State. Should Trump nominate him to that post after Romney’s well reasoned trashing of him while the primary process was still in doubt…. it would frankly be the greatest public act of forgiveness since Christ himself.

    Lastly I agree we have had decent presidents… The elder Bush was an American hero and I feel guilty as hell I never voted for Obama… too liberal & unproven the first time and Romney was my dream candidate the 2nd time. After 8 years the economy has gone from the gutter to full employment, the stock market has tripled, and BinLaden is where he belongs… sure you could make a list of things you don’t like about Obama but as far as I’m concerned he can have the next spot on mount Rushmore.

  9. screw trump says:
    December 9, 2016 at 8:09 pm

    Pft. F Trump and his little slavic boyfriend Putin.

  10. Peter Varhol says:
    December 10, 2016 at 12:16 am

    @y2kurtus, great to communicate again. I do have a problem with Obama. It may seem trivial, but hear me out. He went to, and vocally praised SXSW. This is the tech/social/gamer/music festival in Austin that attracts about 10,000 people every year. And it is the the conference that made it possible for antisocial male gamers to threaten the lives of women interested in gaming, to the point where sessions on violence against women in gaming had to be cancelled because of death threats. Obama was at this conference, speaking on the government’s right to hack our phones.

    That was wrong in so many ways, by the President and by people who believe that this event is in any way benign and supportive, and most especially those that make threats.

    Free speech is letting those who disagree with us have a platform for doing so. Without fear of violence or retaliation. It is not threatening them, and those who cannot discern that difference are simply wrong, in a strong sense. Instead, Obama supported them with his presence and lack of condemnation.

    I am a tech guy. I have been fortunate in my life to know many smart and capable women who are at least my equal. I don’t know what Obama thought he was doing, but it was very wrong.

Comments are closed.