Ruminations – 15jan20 (updated 16jan20)

Temper your antipathies.  We seem to hate with pleasure, and even before we have looked; and always does this inborn and vulgar aversion rise against the most eminent of men.  Gracian #46

George Rebane

On the China Deal, Phase One.  The Dems have been busy all day lambasting Trump’s latest accomplishment (having nothing similar to offer during their tenure), led by a TDS qui patitur maximus Chuck Schumer (for you plebes, that’s Latin for ‘one who suffers maximally’), and one who today tells the country that the deal is really bad for America, and that China’s Xi has Trump by the short hairs.  Well, Schumer has no financial skin in the trade game, but the millions of people who do, voted with their wallets to push the markets to new highs on the news.  That is one of the main differences between progressive talk and realworld walk.

Uncritically celebrating everything Trump - that's what our progressive readers continue to accuse the right leaning commenters of RR.   These pages are an open archive demonstrating that such charges are unmitigated crap.  There is no one on the conservetarian side who blindly approves of everything Trump does.  Au contraire, in turn we all take The Donald to task for his foibles, be they running off at the mouth/tweet, or something of more moment like tariffs.  It is our progressive pinheads who unconditionally genuflect to everything that comes out of Team Nancy’s star chamber – again verified by the long record of this weblog.  But the bottom line is that no RR readers of whatever stripe give unconditional adulation to Trump.  We are all critics – some irrationally rabid, some constructive.

Curious solutions proposed for the homeless problem.  It seems common wisdom holds that if a community expands its welcoming housing, nutrition, and other caring services for the homeless, that this will put an end to it – in short, once we gather them all under roof and feed them, then the homeless problem will be solved.  Apparently no one has refreshed themselves on the experience of Middletown, Ohio; most certainly not the sympathetic community leaders of Austin, Texas who are among the most recently surprised as to what really happens when common wisdom is applied.  (more here and here)

[16jan20 update]  Liberal logic on parade.  Virginia is passing a blatantly cynical law to make residents safe from gun violence by outlawing private indoor gun ranges where gun safety is taught and practiced by private individuals.  Only the most lame and/or cynical minds would seek to pass such a law that further proscribes the Second Amendment.  These people have no sense of shame when behaving so in the public forum; it’s only their expression of raw power as the dominant party of that state - and it's yet one more harbinger of what to expect when socialist autocracy becomes dominant in any land.  California has long been subject to and victim of such trepidations and travesties from the Democrats.

Comments

[Bill Tozer]

“It is our progressive pinheads who unconditionally genuflect to everything that comes out of Team Nancy’s star chamber – again verified by the long record of this weblog.” —Dr. Rebane

New word: genuflect
verb (used without object)
1) to bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor in reverence or worship.
2) to express a servile attitude
———-
Charlie Brown with Lev Parnas documents in his hot little hand races toward the football Lucy is holding. Nooooo! Bad Lucy bad. Somebody best see it Charlie Brown is ok.

Ambassador Yovanovitch Yovanovitch Yovanovitch is in deep doo-doo. Why did she lie, why, why, why? Funny how many boomerangs Team Blue has been throwing and then seeing, in frozen horror, the boomerangs spinning back home at eye level. Call Acme Rents.

[scenes]

From a progressive standpoint, it's a crying shame that they needlessly attacked Trump from the get-go. The trenches are now in place and the battlefield goes how it goes.

I can easily see where a Republican President who is largely free from the inertia of Republican policy could have easily been nudged in terms of health policy, antitrust, job training. Instead, war was declared on Day 1. Perhaps all it shows is that Trump's stated policy of enforcing immigration law ran afoul of the primary binding agent in the US (and European) Left, encouragement of mass immigration from the Third World. Nothing else really mattered and so war was declared.

To me, a thing that is hard to excuse from the Blue Mob was the invention of Russia as the main foe and danger in this world. All that was accomplished was a needless escalation with the other large scale nuclear military. I think that Steve Bannon really has it right (with numerous interviews) that China is the main existential threat to the US in terms of states.

[Robert Cross]

another example of unmitigated crap -- The GOA (government accounting office), which is the congressional watchdog for you light thinkers, has determined that the trumpler administration ILLEGALLY withheld Ukraine aid. You wanted someone to point out a crime.. well here you go. Weasel out of this one.

“Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law......OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). The withholding was not a programmatic delay. Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA.”

[Todd Juvinall]

Oh BoobieC you just fall for all that fake crap. Are you that much a moron? Apparently. No laws were broken and the GAO is all deep state and TDS freaks. You people fall for anything.

[George Rebane]

Granted that the aid was delayed. I don't know exactly what stipulation Congress put on the timely delivery of the aid, but nevertheless it was delivered so quickly that the Ukrainian president didn't even know that there was a delay in effect, let alone that preconditions had been put on its delivery, as claimed by Democrats. Bottom line, none of this dust-up comes even close to being an impeachable offense. The whole thing has been political kabuki (witness the solemn Democrat procession across the Capitol rotunda yesterday) from its Jan 2017 start.

[Bill Tozer]

Baghdad Bob @ 9:35 am

Oh, Waldo’s Odlaq beat you to it @ 7:29 am over on the Sandbox. Gotta get up pretty early to sneak one past him/her. You snooze, you lose.

No need to ‘weasel’ out this one. No prob, Bob. Trump and his goons with take care of this minor ‘problem’. After all, after 2023 we are going to declare Trumpf God Emperor for Life, maybe before. Just you wait and see.

Beware the Bible thumping Gun clinging uneducated Deplorables. Vive la résistance!

[Odlaw]

,,,Yes Robert,,,listen to Todd

...He makes all kinds of sense

[fish]

Posted by: Roberta Cross | 16 January 2020 at 09:35 AM

I for one get up every morning grateful that such a "deep thinker" graces us with her presence.....

You're a real American hero Bertie!

[fish]

Uncritically celebrating everything Trump - that's what our progressive readers continue to accuse the right leaning commenters of RR.

Really more a mockery of their faith in all its manifestations!

[Gregory]

bobbi 935am

normal action is take it to court
post normal action is impeach the president?

[Odlaw]

Re,,,Uncritically celebrating everything Trump,,,

The closest thing I have seen to criticism of Trump by our local conservatories might be the very few times George has mentioned something to the effect that he is not in total lock step with Trump or any of his cronies or partners in crime...

The usual response from '''conservetarians''' is denial of any criticism and blank stares

Recently though I was witness to fish almost not-hating Mayor Pete...kudos fish!!!

[Odlaw]

Re,,,China Deal, Phase One,,,

Let's check the wayback machine....

TRUMP: “After my heavily negotiated trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Kingdom agreed to spend and invest $450 billion in the United States. This is a record amount of money. It will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, tremendous economic development, and much additional wealth for the United States. Of the $450 billion, $110 billion will be spent on the purchase of military equipment from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and many other great U.S. defense contractors. If we foolishly cancel these contracts, Russia and China would be the enormous beneficiaries — and very happy to acquire all of this newfound business.”

...as of 2018...Even though Trump claimed the arms deal was worth $110 billion, the Saudis have only followed through on purchases worth $14.5 billion. Last year's "deal" was merely a memorandum of understanding regarding arms sales over the coming decade.

...as of 2019...Defying Congress, Trump sets $8 billion-plus in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE

How's that going for Trump???

[RCross]

George 9:48 -- I don't know exactly what stipulation Congress put on the timely delivery of the aid, but nevertheless it was delivered so quickly that the Ukrainian president didn't even know that there was a delay in effect, let alone that preconditions had been put on its delivery, as claimed by Democrats.

so what...it doesn't matter what Ukraine knew or didn't know.. the law was broken. The Democrats aren't "claiming" anything, they are reporting proven facts... deep state and fake news excuses aside.

[George Rebane]

RCross 1129am - If 'no harm, no foul' isn't supposed to work here, and that technical breach is enough to remove a president, how come it didn't work when Obama was president and, for openers, broke about every part and promise of his Obamacare law? Is there a double standard here?

[fish]

Posted by: Odlaw | 16 January 2020 at 11:01 AM

Recently though I was witness to fish almost not-hating Mayor Pete...kudos fish!!!

Well it was more a case of me feeling more contempt for him once his endorsement of yet another faddish police practice became more well known.....

Anti-Discrimination Police Training Under Mayor Pete Warned Against 'Languageism,' 'Sizeism'

Wait long enough and something screwy always turns up with progressives!

https://pjmedia.com/trending/anti-discrimination-police-training-under-mayor-pete-warned-against-languageism-sizeism/

[RCross]

George 11:41 -- by your logic, plotting a terror attack is not a crime because no one was really hurt. All I am saying is that the law is the law and a law was broken. You, on the other hand, are free to generate whatever rationalizations for why a law can be broken with impunity that you care to. Additionally the continuous "Obama did this Obama did that" excuse really doesn't matter. He is no longer President and what he did or didn't do is no longer relevant to a discussion of today's events. The republicans had control of BOTH the House and the Senate in 2014, so why didn't they go after Obama for your alleged transgressions? Probably because there weren't any real transgressions that existed beyond the right wing noise machine of which you are a part.

[George Rebane]

RCross 106pm - No, only by your logic can those be connected. And by your logic established precedence cannot be used to adjudicate current acts. As long as you do some crap while wearing a title, that no longer matters as soon as you relinquish the title.
https://pjmedia.com/trending/the-gao-ruled-obama-broke-the-law-but-no-one-called-for-his-impeachment/

This is a complex situation that doesn't succumb to your simplistic analysis. The bottom line point is that Trump did NOTHING impeachable that satisfies any stretch of "treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors". It is only the craven politics of disappointment that you and yours suffers from and for which you now seek retribution.

[rcross]

"only by your logic can those be connected". .. actually the logic is quite simple... attempting a crime is a crime in and of itself, whether or not that crime is actually accomplished. You simply attempt to deflect the issues surrounding the current situation by kicking a dead horse.

That the GAO ruled Obama broke the law and no one called for his impeachment establishes no precedent. That was a decision made by the majority party republicans who obviously didn't think trading a few prisoners, a common practice, rose to any level of concern. Not the case with asking foreign governments to interfere with our electoral process, for starters.

" It is only the craven politics of disappointment that you and yours suffers from and for which you now seek retribution." -- you have got to be kidding. The overturn the election mantra is straight out of propaganda central. Besides trumpler actually lost the vote. Perhaps the mantra should be to overturn the antiquated and biased Electoral college.

I and mine simply want the truth...something trumpler and co. seem to be pulling every string they can find on every Chatty Cathy they can find to avoid becoming public.

It is only the craven politics of backing a criminal that you and yours suffers from and for which you now continue to invent lame excuses for trumpler's bizarre, unpredictable, and criminal behavior that is both a danger to our democracy and world peace not to mention any women within groping distance.

[George Rebane]

rcross 415pm - Excellent disclosure. And now we know again why the country is irretrievable divided by asymmetric contingents - one wanting to dominate and suppress the other side, and the remainder wanting only their own land in which to be free as the Founders intended.

[Bill Tozer]

Toss this under the broad category of Liberal Logic on Parade:

Asians are broad topic, especially using the EU lingo. And “Asians” attacked the 1,000 women in France one New Years Eve.

Report: British Police Refused To Arrest 97 Abusers For Fear They Would ‘Stoke Racial Tensions’

https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-british-police-refused-to-arrest-97-abusers-for-fear-they-would-stoke-racial-tensions?

Stupid and stupider.

[odlaW]

On the China Deal, Phase One

,,,It will be interesting to see what China spends $100 Billion on during each of the next two years...

In 2019 we imported $418.6 Billion in stuff from China and we exported $97.75 Billion
In 2018 we imported $539.7 Billion in stuff from China and we exported $120.1 Billion

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-all-the-stuff-the-us-imports-from-china-thats-causing-a-huge-trade-deficit-2018-03-23
https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html#2019

[scenes]

Speaking of China, a book I'd suggest.

https://www.amazon.com/AI-Superpowers-China-Silicon-Valley/dp/B07G8KTTX4

If nothing else, the evolution of internet companies in China is worth the read.

[fish]

Besides trumpler actually lost the vote. Perhaps the mantra should be to overturn the antiquated and biased Electoral college.

I and mine simply want the truth.......

Oh Bertie .......simply delightful......best laugh in days! A deep thinker like yourself sharing your deep thoughts with us!

So deep!

[odlaW]

,,,Can someone enlighten us as to which, if any, of these demands were met with this latest greatest Chinese trade deal???

Or what the deal struck just an election talking point???

And why did Master Negotiator Trump back down on the ZTE ban???

This Phase 1 deal seems to boil down to '''China is going to spend a lot of money in the US for 2 years...so that will only last until Trump is voted out of office...

...China also is spending a lot of money buying up homes along the west coast and large agricultural acreages in the midwest. So,,,sure,,,they will be buying a lot of soy and sorghum but from farms they own...it is a win-win!!!

And is this deal any different than his BS deal with Saudis who were supposed to be buying hundreds of Billions worth of stuff from America???

'''China must …

■ Cut its trade surplus by $100 billion in the 12 months starting in June, and by another $100 billion in the following 12 months.

■ Halt all subsidies to advanced manufacturing industries in its so-called Made In China 2025 program. The program covers 10 sectors, including aircraft manufacturing, electric cars, robotics, computer microchips and artificial intelligence.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/business/china-us-trade-talks.html

■ Accept that the United States may restrict imports from the industries under Made in China 2025.

■ Take “immediate, verifiable steps” to halt cyberespionage into commercial networks in the United States.

■ Strengthen intellectual property protections.

■ Accept United States restrictions on Chinese investments in sensitive technologies without retaliating.

■ Cut its tariffs, which currently average 10 percent, to the same level as in the United States, where they average 3.5 percent for all “noncritical sectors.”

■ Open up its services and agricultural sectors to full American competition.

The United States also stipulated that the two sides should meet every quarter to review progress.'''

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/business/china-us-trade-talks.html

[George Rebane]

odlaW 1041am - Were you expecting trade deals to be in perpetuity? Almost all trade deals all have sunsets to be re-negotiated as situations change. And most certainly the first trade deal coming out of a long overdue trade war with Chine will come in phases as the two parties develop a new and improved trade relationship. Again, what was the point you were trying to make?

[odlaW]

,,,George,,,the only real thing I saw come out of the trade deal is the pledge to spend some money for a couple of years...the same BS that Trump spouted about Saudi spending...

Why is this such good news for you and why are you so accepting that further negotiations are imminent??? The Chinese are in it for the long game...Trump is only in it for the short term...

You had the exact opposite view of Phase 1 of the Iran Nuclear deal that if Hillary had been elected would have been re-negotiated as situations changed...

[George Rebane]

odlaW 1117am - My comment stands in the face of your future predictions of failure. Trump is in it for his ego-sustaining legacy, which means the long term - were his accomplishments to be abrogated when he leaves office, he will have achieved bupkus. And the Iran deal is an apples/oranges comparison - see if you can spot the differences.

[odlaW]

,,,George,,,I did not predict failure. Time will tell.

Apples to apples in the respect that both were deals with foreign governments that were understood to be what most considered ‘’’a good start’’’. The nuke deal even had the blessing of the P5+1,,,(United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China—plus Germany) and the European Union.

Conservatives bitched and moaned about it and Obama hater Trump voided it.
Now Trump has a ‘’’good start?’’’ with China but it is just a 2 year deal.
His Saudi deal is not bearing much fruit
and the honeymoon with Lil Kim seems to be over...

I wish Trump good luck with his legacy...