Biden's Age

[zeke4ahs]

That’s a matter of opinion, like all things. I care more about policy than the person. I can explain right from wrong to my kid. I can’t explain to her why the business is shut down because of taxes, regs and wage hikes, by way of simplistic example. As for Warren having the right “heart,” that too is a loaded morality question. Warren supports later term abortions (post 20 weeks). To me that’s immoral.

Trump had the lowest unemployment rate among minorities in over 50 years. Employment over handouts is morality to me.

Perhaps we ought not be thinking as much with our heart and more with our head. Trump is vile, but if he employs more people than his heartfelt opponent, that’s what matters. Let parents teach morality. Hell my kid pays zero attention to trump. Zero. If I go in her room I hear arianna grande. I’m far more worried about her influence on her than trump’s.

This virus has left us in unchartered waters. Two things should motivate the election: who is best suited to oversee a recovery and who is best equipped to handle the pandemic. I couldn’t care less how they behave otherwise.

I recall when Republicans were aghast that a President received a blow job and bemoaned the fact that they had to explain it to their kids. Now they could suddenly care less about a role model. You should spend some time in classrooms talking to teachers about how much more difficult their job is under Trump, the type of name calling, bullying, threats of deportation going on. You should check the rapid rise in hate crimes now that our president thinks there are very fine people on both sides. You should travel to other countries and pay attention to the hit on the reputation the US has taken having an immoral international laughingstock as our leader. The whole world feels sorry for us that we are in the midst of a pandemic with a feckless coward of a leader who cares for nothing except his poll numbers.

 

[mcmurtry66]

I recall when Republicans were aghast that a President received a blow job and bemoaned the fact that they had to explain it to their kids. Now they could suddenly care less about a role model. You should spend some time in classrooms talking to teachers about how much more difficult their job is under Trump, the type of name calling, bullying, threats of deportation going on. You should check the rapid rise in hate crimes now that our president thinks there are very fine people on both sides. You should travel to other countries and pay attention to the hit on the reputation the US has taken having an immoral international laughingstock as our leader. The whole world feels sorry for us that we are in the midst of a pandemic with a feckless coward of a leader who cares for nothing except his poll numbers.

You must be wearing all white again. As for Clinton. I loved him as president. Couldn’t care less about the Monica stuff. I don’t care a bit about how we’re perceived in the world. They’re quick to cash our checks. Policy not perception.

 

[zeke4ahs]

I don't see how she sleeps at night with him in office

Trust me there’s a lot of people who have trouble sleeping around the world with a moron, an idiot,with the IQ of a fifth grader in the Oval Office. And those are quotes from people who work with him. But as long as he can fool the stupid people...

 

[Standard Issue]

I recall when Republicans were aghast that a President received a blow job and bemoaned the fact that they had to explain it to their kids. Now they could suddenly care less about a role model. You should spend some time in classrooms talking to teachers about how much more difficult their job is under Trump, the type of name calling, bullying, threats of deportation going on. You should check the rapid rise in hate crimes now that our president thinks there are very fine people on both sides. You should travel to other countries and pay attention to the hit on the reputation the US has taken having an immoral international laughingstock as our leader. The whole world feels sorry for us that we are in the midst of a pandemic with a feckless coward of a leader who cares for nothing except his poll numbers.

I saw a quote (I don't think it was here)
"The world is watching America the way Americans watched "The Tiger King".

 

[zeke4ahs]

The dominant lesson of this pandemic is that our government had grown to be excessively bureaucratic and that played into lack of preparation and inability to rapidly respond. The first thing that was done at every single level of government was to declare a national emergency, 50 state emergencies, and countless local emergencies. The practical effect of emergency declarations is to sweep away government red tape. A recovery will also require a bureaucratic housecleaning. If anybody is steeped in the problems of excessive bureaucracy it would be a land developer/builder. Trump is the right person for the job that needs to be done.

The only job Trump is the man for is cleaning out prison toilets .

 

[mcmurtry66]

I saw a quote (I don't think it was here)
"The world is watching America the way Americans watched "The Tiger King".

Why on Earth would you care. There isn’t a moment in my activities of daily living that I stop to think hmmmm I wonder how we’re perceived in the world. I think about my kid’s grades. Family’s health. How I’m going to meet Payroll. If I’m going to have enough for quarterlies. What it means if my right arm feels numb. A million other worries, large and small. How Sweden looks at us. Lol. Never. Absurd. If you are worried about what other counties think of us count your blessings as you’ve led a charmed life.

 

[Standard Issue]

Why on Earth would you care.

1. I don't.
2. Are you to dim to understand the corollary?

 

[mcmurtry66]

1. I don't.
2. Are you to dim to understand the corollary?

Lmao hardly. Dim is to even post something so dumb.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

I've read concerns about Biden's age in this thread as well as elsewhere. Yet, I have never seen anybody mentioning Trump's age.

So, I decided to check them myself, and this is what I have found:
Biden: 77
Trump: 74

The difference is 3 years or 3 1/2 at most if you take account their respective birthdays.
Do 3 years really make the difference?
Do the Democrats become senile earlier than the Republicans?

Educate me!
TIA

TBF, yes at that age, 3-1/2 years can be a big difference. But you have to compare the two individuals. One is still articulate (if not somewhat hampered by his stutter) and able to expound in detail about any of the issues facing our country today, with details about what as POTUS he would do about them. The other, well, he just let's his diarrhea of the mouth go with the flow and you get what you get. Two very different individuals there. Given the choice that we'll be presented this November, I'll take Joe's extra 3-1/2 years.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

Check the time he wrote that. Probably didn’t have his adderral yet. I was hungover as hell one day about five years ago and my paralegal asked me what was wrong. I told her I feel like a truck hit me and I have a hearing. She goes here take this. Adderral. I took that thing and next thing you know I was doing 60 in a 30 contemplating how I could cure cancer. Haven’t taken one since but damn I see how one could get addicted.

So, he can't think worth a shit without Adderral...mkay.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

I would be remiss not to point out that it is "Colombia", not "Columbia".

Carry on.

Thanks, Karen.

 

[mcmurtry66]

So, he can't think worth a shit without Adderral...mkay.

Probably.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

a probable progressive decline in the area where the aneurisms were located.

Do you have a link to evidence to support that assertion?

From what I know about aneurysms (which might surprise you), there is nothing to suggest a progressive decline in the areas of the brain that were affected by his initial ruptured aneurysm. Either tissue died as a result of lack of blood flow during the rupture, or it didn't. If it did, results of that would have been apparent early on. There's nothing I'm aware of that would suggest a long-term impact, or degradation, on the area affected by the rupture that didn't become apparent in testing immediately after the surgery.

The second procedure - correct me if I'm wrong here - was preventative to repair an aneurysm that had not ruptured, hence no tissue damage as a result of lack of blood flow.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

Tbf Mac, A POTUS is about the person as much as his policies. A good POTUS will be a good manager as well as a leader. Look at the poor example that Trump has been for the next generation of kids. How do you rationalise his behaviour to your own kids?

Moreover, being a horrible character, he seems to be a believer of crony capitalism. He has accelerated the corruption of an already damaged system; broken all the walls of decency and conventional decorum.

Biden by all accounts seems to be a centrist, a decent person who probably is in a better person to empathise with the plight of the poor, or people who will be struggling after the wreckage of the Covid-19 than say a Trump. If he so chooses Warren so be it. A person with the right heart though you may not always agree with all her policies. (Though I will agree with some of her positions esp on healthcare.)

As Twenty succinctly said, he rather vote for a corpse than Trump.

But for all Trump's flaws, he has been enabled by McTurtle. I would rather have McTurtle out if given a choice of Trump or McTurtle.

He has to be the first to go.

This point is not to be glossed over. The unholy alliance of Trump and Turtle has been very damaging to this country. If for no other reason, it would be beneficial to the country to have a POTUS who is not in lock-step with the current Majority Leader in the Senate for a while.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

You must be wearing all white again. As for Clinton. I loved him as president. Couldn’t care less about the Monica stuff. I don’t care a bit about how we’re perceived in the world. They’re quick to cash our checks. Policy not perception.

I get your point, but I disagree, in that how the USA is perceived in the world, I believe, is important. Our country has built a reputation, post-World War, as the world's preeminent super-power. That was not just built upon dollars exchanged. It was facilitated in large part upon other countries looking to us as an example to strive toward. We're the world's most successful example of a representative democracy. We were that "shining city upon the hill" that Reagan so famously mentioned. Through all the sausage-making, we've managed to manage ourselves in a way that other countries have looked up to. We have traditionally been charitable. We've been engaged on the world's stage. In short, we've been the dominant world player, yet open and willing to accept all who want to come take part in our grand experiment.

Now, under this POTUS, we've taken a back seat and have backed off our openness. Now we're just saying, "what's in it for us?" That's not traditionally been our position which the world's governments have appreciated us for. That goodwill we built up has worked in our favor. But now we've ceded much of that goodwill over the last 3-1/2 years. To our detriment I fear.

 

[mcmurtry66]

I get your point, but I disagree, in that how the USA is perceived in the world, I believe, is important. Our country has built a reputation, post-World War, as the world's preeminent super-power. That was not just built upon dollars exchanged. It was facilitated in large part upon other countries looking to us as an example to strive toward. We're the world's most successful example of a representative democracy. Through all the sausage-making, we've managed to manage ourselves in a way that other countries have looked up to. We have traditionally been charitable. We've been engaged on the world's stage. We've been traditionally inclusive. In short, we've been the dominant world player, yet open and willing to accept all who want to come take part in our grand experiment.

Now, under this POTUS, we've taken a back seat and have backed off our openness. Now we're just saying, "what's in it for us?" That's not traditionally been our position which the world's governments have appreciated us for. That goodwill we built up has worked in our favor. But now we've ceded much of that goodwill over the last 3-1/2 years. To our detriment I fear.

Good post cream. I just respectfully philosophically disagree. I prefer trump’s mantra of not being policeman to the world for free; not having imbalanced trade deals, becoming less reliant on foreign production and more reliant on our own production. In this way we won’t be in the bind we find ourselves in today re pharmaceuticals produced in China etc. I don’t want to be the world’s Salvation Army. I want to keep more of the money I work for and we work for. I don’t want to be the largest contributor to WHO etc. I don’t want to subsidize other countries. I want my tax money to stay in my own business. Is that being asshole? Maybe. That said I understand your perspective. I just don’t care what people in other countries think of us.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

Good post cream. I just respectfully philosophically disagree. I prefer trump’s mantra of not being policeman to the world for free; not having imbalanced trade deals, becoming less reliant on foreign production and more reliant on our own production. In this way we won’t be in the bind we find ourselves in today re pharmaceuticals produced in China. I don’t want to be the world’s Salvation Army. I want to keep more of the money I work for. I want my tax money to stay in my own business. Is that being asshole? Maybe. That said I understand your perspective.

And I get you. In fairness, I can go along with some reset as far as our near-total reliance on China for so much of our critical supplies. I think that is a benefit that might come out of this crisis - a realization that putting all of our eggs in that basket could backfire on us, as this crisis has shown. I would love to see some manufacturing come back to our shores as a result of this. I worked in manufacturing for many years. I saw first-hand the effects of sending all of our manufacturing off-shore. It wasn't a pretty picture.

But, I maintain, our stature on the world stage is what I'm talking about here. We've ceded much of our standing through this "what's in it for me" posture the current administration has adopted. This is why it's important to have experienced, smart, dedicated and apolitical diplomatic staff dedicated to these issues. This POTUS has gutted so many staff-level positions whom used to be in charge of handling issues like this. Lacking a competent administration, he's just winging it on whatever his thoughts are at a given time (or whatever he hands over to Jared to solve), and that's what we've got to run with. We need competency in the WH. But we don't have it.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

Do you have a link to evidence to support that assertion?

From what I know about aneurysms (which might surprise you), there is nothing to suggest a progressive decline in the areas of the brain that were affected by his initial ruptured aneurysm. Either tissue died as a result of lack of blood flow during the rupture, or it didn't. If it did, results of that would have been apparent early on. There's nothing I'm aware of that would suggest a long-term impact, or degradation, on the area affected by the rupture that didn't become apparent in testing immediately after the surgery.

The second procedure - correct me if I'm wrong here - was preventative to repair an aneurysm that had not ruptured, hence no tissue damage as a result of lack of blood flow.

A conversation with a neuroradiologist. I was talking about "senior moments" and he said probably brain damage. It's the surgery, not the aneurysm per se.

 

[Standard Issue]

Lmao hardly. Dim is to even post something so dumb.

Unbunch your panties, it was a goofy quote comparing two white trash train wrecks. Rump is living proof that cash doesn't buy class.

 

[mcmurtry66]

And I get you. In fairness, I can go along with some reset as far as our near-total reliance on China for so much of our critical supplies. I think that is a benefit that might come out of this crisis - a realization that putting all of our eggs in that basket could backfire on us, as this crisis has shown. I would love to see some manufacturing come back to our shores as a result of this. I worked in manufacturing for many years. I saw first-hand the effects of sending all of our manufacturing off-shore. It wasn't a pretty picture.

But, I maintain, our stature on the world stage is what I'm talking about here. We've ceded much of our standing through this "what's in it for me" posture the current administration has adopted. This is why it's important to have experienced, smart, dedicated and apolitical diplomatic staff dedicated to these issues. This POTUS has gutted so many staff-level positions whom used to be in charge of handling issues like this. Lacking a competent administration, he's just winging it on whatever his thoughts are at a given time (or whatever he hands over to Jared to solve), and that's what we've got to run with. We need competency in the WH. But we don't have it.

Like you I’m fairly well-versed in manufacturing (small-time) but manufacturing nonetheless. I see it everyday. I do it all day long. And I see how vital taxation, regulations, wages, and foreign options are on a daily basis.

As for the importance of our status globally. I just don’t know enough about foreign policy to know how much it does or doesn’t matter. I’m living a micro existence in the middle of the country. And drunk for a fair portion of it.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

It's the surgery, not the aneurysm per se.

What does that mean? Anesthesia? Wound trauma? What?

 

[mcmurtry66]

Unbunch your panties, it was a goofy quote comparing two white trash train wrecks. Rump is living proof that cash doesn't buy class.

Fair enough.

 

[CO. Hoosier]

What does that mean? Anesthesia? Wound trauma? What?

I assumed wound trauma but I didn't take his deposition about it.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

Like you I’m fairly well-versed in manufacturing (small-time) but manufacturing nonetheless. I see it everyday. I do it all day long. And I see how vital taxation, regulations, wages, and foreign options are on a daily basis.

As for the importance of our status globally. I just don’t know enough about foreign policy to know how much it does or doesn’t matter. I’m living a micro existence in the middle of the country. And drunk for a fair portion of it.

I worked for over 20 years for a very large, Fortune 500, electronics manufacturer that was a major Tier-1 supplier to the automotive industry. I survived several down-sizing's the company imposed, Great Recession, etc. During the Great Recession, I accepted a position as Controller for a program to reduce the company's bottom-line costs by ~400M/yr. I did that position for 2-1/2 years - long enough to get us through the crisis. We were successful and Wall Street responded in kind. I was working with Plant Managers and other regional executives who were doing things such as winding down manufacturing plants in the US, Germany, Asian locations, etc. This was a period of mass-consolidation for our company of over 25K employees worldwide. I was crunching spreadsheets and approving plans for mass layoffs of hundreds or thousands of employees at various locations worldwide. It was a traumatic experience. I reported to senior executive leadership in this project, on a weekly basis. They had gambled that Wall Street would be receptive to our project, and everything rode on the success of this project. I was in daily meetings with Plant Managers, holding them accountable to meeting their layoff projections, and demanding they provide justification on why they may not be meeting their targets. It was eye-opening and enlightening. In the end, the program was successful and we managed to stay in business.

 

[sglowrider]

Problem with resetting and wanting to put the genie back into the bottle is a tad moot. YOu first need to go back to looking at why there was a need to bring China onto the world stage or the trading platform to start with ie WTO.
Once China onboard, basically the dragon was unleashed but people either didn't expect it to grow and be so dominant. So either they miscalculated their reasons for pushing for China's entry into the WTO or they were naive or the greed of globalisation back then blinded them.

Now, let's look at it from China's perspective as of today: You asked us to join to world (trading) community so that everyone can play with the same rules. But now that we have a bigger seat on the big boy's table you are telling us that you say its all a crock (globalisation) and that free trade's really really bad?

Its the law of unintended consequences at play here. It's wanting your cake and eat it moment now. You need to look at this longitudinally.

One thing that has happened during the early 90s and now is that due to globalisation/trade we have had a more stable world due to its interconnectivity. We are forgetting the prosperity that was achieved through the last 25yrs. But not the other side of the coin is biting us and thus the isolationism, populism and the nationalism raging now.

Looking back what could have mitigated all this were in my view the widening income gap. So how or another, the 'con' (or don a term for the next generation of kids) was that if you provide the investor class and the corporations with lower tax trade and innovation would blossom.

No true.

Necessity is the mother of all innovation. Besides its not the large corporations that are the innovators. It's the startups.
And with all the tax cuts and budgetary cuts, as a result, to narrow the budgetary deficits, where are we now? Crumbling infrastructure, real income for the middle class hasn't grow in a decade and a ever grown federal debt.

You unleash another beast ... remember back in the 80s and early 90s, the evil scapegoat then was Japan?

More self-reflection is required.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

I assumed wound trauma but I didn't take his deposition about it.

Wound trauma would have no lingering, degrading impact on an individual's cognitive ability.

 

[cosmickid]

FARC? Columbia? Are you kidding? Part of being an executive is knowing when to give a shit. We spend billions on the state department and intelligence agencies whose day to day job is to pay attention to FARC. I’m good with that.

You do realize that I didn't pull that out of thin air-right? It's right in the link I posted, but here's an even more graphic example...Trump has no problem discussing Venezuela, but he doesn't even understand what the Colombian reporter is talking about. Trump is totally oblivious, probably because he can't be bothered to read his daily National Security briefing. Or anything else, for that matter...

Again my point is that Biden even just as a candidate would have been well versed on this topic...

"Bricio Segovia: About Colombia. How do you feel about former FARC guerrillas calling to rearm [inaudible]

Donald Trump: Colombia, you say?

BS: Yeah, former guerrillas of the FARC…

DT: You’re talking about the country of Colombia?

BS: Yeah, the country of Colombia…

DT: Yeah, we have a great relationship and they’re not doing badly. They have a problem because of Venezuela, a lot of people are pouring in, but Colombia, we’ve had a great relationship with Colombia."

https://colombiareports.com/youre-t...ry-of-colombia-trump-on-peace-process-crisis/

 

[sglowrider]

Like you I’m fairly well-versed in manufacturing (small-time) but manufacturing nonetheless. I see it everyday. I do it all day long. And I see how vital taxation, regulations, wages, and foreign options are on a daily basis.

As for the importance of our status globally. I just don’t know enough about foreign policy to know how much it does or doesn’t matter. I’m living a micro existence in the middle of the country. And drunk for a fair portion of it.

When you guys are having your nightcaps, I am drinking my coffee for the morning!

 

[hoot1]

I get your point, but I disagree, in that how the USA is perceived in the world, I believe, is important. Our country has built a reputation, post-World War, as the world's preeminent super-power. That was not just built upon dollars exchanged. It was facilitated in large part upon other countries looking to us as an example to strive toward. We're the world's most successful example of a representative democracy. We were that "shining city upon the hill" that Reagan so famously mentioned. Through all the sausage-making, we've managed to manage ourselves in a way that other countries have looked up to. We have traditionally been charitable. We've been engaged on the world's stage. We've been traditionally inclusive. In short, we've been the dominant world player, yet open and willing to accept all who want to come take part in our grand experiment.

Now, under this POTUS, we've taken a back seat and have backed off our openness. Now we're just saying, "what's in it for us?" That's not traditionally been our position which the world's governments have appreciated us for. That goodwill we built up has worked in our favor. But now we've ceded much of that goodwill over the last 3-1/2 years. To our detriment I fear.

C&C, agree with your general point about the U. S. not being universally admired as it was at some point following WWII. However I would argue our peak popularity in the eyes of the rest of the world came long before Trump.

During the Cold War (1945-1987) the world focused on our democratic/ capitalism versus the Soviet Union's Communist Party/ government ownership choices. During this period we showed the world that a
democratically elected government and capitalism ( private ownership) could provide for its citizens better than communism. To prove we could better provide we increased Social Security benefits, passed Medicare, and subsidized incomes for the poor. To name a few.

Today the programs increased and added to help ordinary citizens compete with communism during the Cold War are now referred to as being socialism and/or communism.

Thus in the final analysis, the very programs which made us more popular in the eyes of the rest of the world are now called socialistic and communistic by some of our own people.

The question I ask is... How can the rest of the world know for what we stand since the end of the Cold War when we are so divided on this very question?

 

[mcmurtry66]

I worked for over 20 years for a very large, Fortune 500, electronics manufacturer. that was a major Tier-1 supplier to the automotive industry. I survived several down-sizing's the company imposed, Great Recession, etc. During the Great Recession, I accepted a position as Controller for a program to reduce the company's bottom-line costs by ~400M/yr. I did that position for 2-1/2 years - long enough to get us through the crisis. We were successful and Wall Street responded in kind. I was working with Plant Managers and other regional executives who were doing things such as winding down manufacturing plants in the US, Germany, Asian locations, etc. This was a period of mass-consolidation for our company of over 25K employees worldwide. I was crunching spreadsheets and approving plans for mass layoffs of hundreds or thousands of employees at various locations worldwide. It was a traumatic experience. I reported to senior executive leadership in this project, on a weekly basis. They had gambled that Wall Street would be receptive to our project, and everything rode on the success of this project. I was in daily meetings with Plant Managers, holding them accountable to meeting their layoff projections, and demanding they provide justification on why they may not be meeting their targets. It was eye-opening and enlightening. In the end, the program was successful and we managed to stay in business.

Wow!! That’s manufacturing at an entirely different level. We’re super small time. We coordinate with a half dozen companies to manufacture protective gear for sports. All cut and sew factories. 10-150 employees. Tight margins and getting by but it’s tough. We’re all made in America and it ain’t easy.

 

[mcmurtry66]

When you guys are having your nightcaps, I am drinking my coffee for the morning!

Ha! Since this damn Covid I’ve moved my “happy hour” to earlier than it should be!

 

[sglowrider]

C&C, agree with your general point about the U. S. not being universally admired as it was at some point following WWII. However I would argue our peak popularity in the eyes of the rest of the world came long before Trump.

During the Cold War (1945-1987) the world focused on our democratic/ capitalism versus the Soviet Union's Communist Party/ government ownership choices. During this period we showed the world that a
democratically elected government and capitalism ( private ownership) could provide for its citizens better than communism. To prove we could better provide we increased Social Security benefits, passed Medicare, and subsidized incomes for the poor. To name a few.

Today the programs increased and added to help ordinary citizens compete with communism during the Cold War are now referred to as being socialism and/or communism.

Thus in the final analysis, the very programs which made us more popular in the eyes of the rest of the world are now called socialistic and communistic by some of our own people.

The question I ask is... How can the rest of the world know for what we stand since the end of the Cold War when we are so divided on this very question?

How its perceived is that they are either very naive or very immature. You tout one thing but the moment it doesn't favour you, you want to change the rules or start saying the opposite of what you had claimed before.
Sort of the stuff you hear at kid's school yard games.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

C&C, agree with your general point about the U. S. not being universally admired as it was at some point following WWII. However I would argue our peak popularity in the eyes of the rest of the world came long before Trump.

During the Cold War (1945-1987) the world focused on our democratic/ capitalism versus the Soviet Union's Communist Party/ government ownership choices. During this period we showed the world that a
democratically elected government and capitalism ( private ownership) could provide for its citizens better than communism. To prove we could better provide we increased Social Security benefits, passed Medicare, and subsidized incomes for the poor. To name a few.

Today the programs increased and added to help ordinary citizens compete with communism during the Cold War are now referred to as being socialism and/or communism.

Thus in the final analysis, the very programs which made us more popular in the eyes of the rest of the world are now called socialistic and communistic by some of our own people.

The question I ask is... How can the rest of the world know for what we stand since the end of the Cold War when we are so divided on this very question?

I agree, and I think the confusion comes in large part by the current administration and their enabling Republican party who like to frame those social safety net programs as "socialist" or "communist."

In any form of government, no mater what it be, there will always be a need for a social safety net. If the current GOP want to frame that as "socialist" well, let them. Whatever.

 

[UncleMark]

Wound trauma would have no lingering, degrading impact on an individual's cognitive ability.

He's flailing. All you'll get now is more dodging and weaving.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

Wow!! That’s manufacturing at an entirely different level. We’re super small time. We coordinate with a half dozen companies to manufacture protective gear for sports. All cut and sew factories. 10-150 employees. Tight margins and getting by but it’s tough. We’re all made in America and it ain’t easy.

I can relate and I understand the challenges you face.

 

[mcmurtry66]

I can relate and I understand the challenges you face.

It’s changed my perspective immensely. For almost 20 years I was a trial lawyer. Voted democrat as a condition precedent. Had to. But you get out to rural America and see how people are living and working in factories you see the other side. One of our old contractors was in the middle of nowhere. Literally the only job in town. They were a cut and sew factory that made football uniforms. They had under armour’s contract and made all the sec’s football uniforms. They employed about 250 women. Mostly cut and sew. $9.50 an hour. Most these women’s husbands were truckers. Combined they lived nice lives in rural America. A little thing like bumping min wage to $15 an hour puts every one of them women out of work. Those jobs will immediately go to Mexico. And this is the case all over America. And most the people are trump voters. The point without placating anyone is that there really are two sides of the coin to so many issues we face.

 

[Cream&Crimson]

It’s changed my perspective immensely. For almost 20 years I was a trial lawyer. Voted democrat as a condition precedent. Had to. But you get out to rural America and see how people are living and working in factories you see the other side. One of our old contractors was in the middle of nowhere. Literally the only job in town. They were a cut and sew factory that made football uniforms. They had under armour’s contract and made all the sec’s football uniforms. They employed about 250 women. Mostly cut and sew. $9.50 an hour. Most these women’s husbands were truckers. Combined they lived nice lives in rural America. A little thing like bumping min wage to $15 an hour puts every one of them women out of work. Those jobs will immediately go to Mexico. And this is the case all over America. And most the people are trump voters. The point without placating anyone is that there really are two sides of the coin to so many issues we face.

I hear ya man. The facility I worked at during that time I outlined before was an outlying factory in Elkhart, IN. During the peak of that factory's production in the late-90s, we employed around 3,00 people. By the time my program was completed we were down to a few hundred. I had moved on, accepted another role with the company for a few years then bounced to another company altogether. That factory in Elkhart has since closed. They went from ~3000 to zero. Sucks to see that happen first-hand.

 

[mcmurtry66]

I hear ya man. The facility I worked at during that time I outlined before was an outlying factory in Elkhart, IN. During the peak of that factory's production in the late-90s, we employed around 3,00 people. By the time my program was completed we were down to a few hundred. I had moved on, accepted another role with the company for a few years then bounced to another company altogether. That factory in Elkhart has since closed. They went from ~3000 to zero. Sucks to see that happen first-hand.

I cannot imagine the stress and sadness in watching that.

 

[TommyCracker]

Why on Earth would you care. There isn’t a moment in my activities of daily living that I stop to think hmmmm I wonder how we’re perceived in the world. I think about my kid’s grades. Family’s health. How I’m going to meet Payroll. If I’m going to have enough for quarterlies. What it means if my right arm feels numb. A million other worries, large and small. How Sweden looks at us. Lol. Never. Absurd. If you are worried about what other counties think of us count your blessings as you’ve led a charmed life.

I'll give you a historical example... Woodrow Wilson VS Teddy Roosevelt.

Wilson won the presidency and had an American Only way of thinking which was why he was so slow to get into WWI.

Roosevelt understood how important and how powerful it is to be a force on the world stage.

Roosevelt probably gets us into the war a couple of years before and helps crush the Germans. More importantly Russia which was a democratic state isn't basically destroyed by the war....which allowed for the rise of Lenin and then Stalin (which is what happens when countries take heavy war tolls. The economy crumbles, people need scapegoats and dictators rise and overthrow the current govt).

That led to a century of cold war fears.

Worse yet having a weak and now communist Russia meant that instead of having strong European allies in the west and the east, we just had them in the west. Russia maybe doesn't break up into Poland, Ukraine etc and is the direct western neighbor of Germany.

We are then in a stronger position, with strong democratic allies surrounding it, to put down the Nazi uprising.

Teddy VS Wilson basically would have completely changed our life in the 20th century.

We need strong allies and we need world footprint of influence.

So instead of

 

[sglowrider]

I'll give you a historical example... Woodrow Wilson VS Teddy Roosevelt.

Wilson won the presidency and had an American Only way of thinking which was why he was so slow to get into WWI.

Roosevelt understood how important and how powerful it is to be a force on the world stage.

Roosevelt probably gets us into the war a couple of years before and helps crush the Germans. More importantly Russia which was a democratic state isn't basically destroyed by the war....which allowed for the rise of Lenin and then Stalin (which is what happens when countries take heavy war tolls. The economy crumbles, people need scapegoats and dictators rise and overthrow the current govt).

That led to a century of cold war fears.

Worse yet having a weak and now communist Russia meant that instead of having strong European allies in the west and the east, we just had them in the west. Russia maybe doesn't break up into Poland, Ukraine etc and is the direct western neighbor of Germany.

We are then in a stronger position, with strong democratic allies surrounding it, to put down the Nazi uprising.

Teddy VS Wilson basically would have completely changed our life in the 20th century.

We need strong allies and we need world footprint of influence.

So instead of

My weekend binge: The Plot Against America