|
Post by samadams10 on May 20, 2022 5:42:11 GMT -8
In the current stock market decline, the aerospace and defense stocks and ETFs faring much better.
|
|
|
Post by lakeshow on May 20, 2022 7:44:57 GMT -8
$40 billion in military aid just approved isn’t going to Raytheon et. al. for free. Although I do not question the importance of that aid, I don’t think the military contractors and industries are suffering because of war in the Ukraine. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq II were a huge boondoggle and the ones who truly profited were the Halliburton’s of the world (of which Dick Cheney was the top executive…go figure). Trump’s friend Erik Prince, brother of Betsy Devos, made out like gangbusters too (you can’t write this sh*t up). Little do people also know, but these “wars on terrorism” completely changed military procurement, planning, strategy, etc for all the wrong reasons. From billion dollar cruisers designed for land combat (where you can’t even use the guns anymore because of no ammo), submarines built for shallow water fights near the shore instead of optimized for the deep sea, Littoral Combat Ships that are completely useless (so much so that the Navy is retiring ships barely 3 years old), light transport vehicles built for IEDs (which we left in droves in Afghanistan for the Taliban to now use), and personnel force structure, these were all designed to fight the “war on terror” and are minimally useful and/or are vulnerable in a pier-to-pier fight like against Russian and China. This was trillions of dollars spent for an oil war. Meanwhile China and Russia were developing hypersonic missiles to destroy high value targets and long range air defense systems to neutralize US air power. These military procurements lined the pockets of defense contractors and they are getting even more money now that the threat has now shifted back to superpower conflicts. Such a waste. The cost of 10 LCS ships could have but a significant dent in poverty in the US, homelessness, drug treatment, and food programs. Now our strategic shift will be used to justify even more trillions to be spent in defense. It’s funny how certain conservatives are so focused of getting rid of abortion rights, but couldn’t give a damn about the life of the children and mothers born on this world. They are more focused on better ways of killing people. Dwight Eisenhower called this the Military Industrial Complex syndrome. He warned Americans about this in the early 50s.
|
|
|
Post by history2b on May 20, 2022 7:48:45 GMT -8
Yes Eisenhower did but this is why it’s important to point out the political cycle of the time. Ike was a Republican, but when he was President the tax rate for corporations was 90%. That is not a typo. When he was President the country was thriving and expanding due to how it spent its money within society. Roosevelt’s New Deal set the stage for this ideology of governing that both parties followed more or less for the next several decades.
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 20, 2022 11:18:45 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 20, 2022 11:30:51 GMT -8
Not surprising at all. Corporate sell out. Like I said, alienating your own base is pretty darn stupid. Done nothing on climate change, healthcare, and covid surges again.
Biden's approval dips to lowest of presidency: AP-NORC poll
President Joe Biden’s approval rating dipped to the lowest point of his presidency in May, a new poll shows, with deepening pessimism emerging among members of his own Democratic Party.
Overall, only about 2 in 10 adults say the U.S. is heading in the right direction or the economy is good, both down from about 3 in 10 a month earlier. Those drops were concentrated among Democrats, with just 33% within the president’s party saying the country is headed in the right direction, down from 49% in April.
Republicans have not been warm to Biden for a while. Less than 1 in 10 approve of the president or his handling of the economy, but that's no different from last month
|
|
|
Post by history2b on May 20, 2022 13:39:15 GMT -8
Funny thing about that polling is that Biden is handling the economy like a traditional Republican. Corporate handouts, military contracts, treating Covid like it’s over because Republicans don’t want to worry about it anymore.
The same people polled would change their vote the other way if Master Trump was on television and Twitter everyday talking about how great the exact same economy is.
Governing like this does not work. It has been proven for quite a long time. Present an alternative to the American people and suddenly they all dive back into a shell branding alternatives as “socialist” despite not being able to define what socialism is with a gun to their head.
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 20, 2022 18:02:13 GMT -8
Funny thing about that polling is that Biden is handling the economy like a traditional Republican. Corporate handouts, military contracts, treating Covid like it’s over because Republicans don’t want to worry about it anymore. The same people polled would change their vote the other way if Master Trump was on television and Twitter everyday talking about how great the exact same economy is. Governing like this does not work. It has been proven for quite a long time. Present an alternative to the American people and suddenly they all dive back into a shell branding alternatives as “socialist” despite not being able to define what socialism is with a gun to their head. Exactly. This is my biggest frustration. He's pandering to trump voters while giving the bird to his own. I mean the guy is nuts. I'm no age discriminator but there's got to be an age range for the most important job in the land.
|
|
|
Post by lakeshow on May 20, 2022 18:25:27 GMT -8
On the one hand, I really am enjoying these debates with you guys because despite what you might be thinking, I am learning through these discussions, and they challenge my thinking and analysis whether I agree with all that is said or not. It's actually giving me more ammo for how to challenge my students next year when we get into government and economic policy and why they think and vote the way they do.
On the other hand, it's disheartening because the last thing I wanted was for us to be on this thread ripping the next president after Trump. I think Biden has a tough job any way you slice it. All presidents will be severely criticized for their policy making, but we're living in such desperate and unique times that the level of criticism I believe is at an all-time high. In Biden's case, it's coming from the right, but he's got the burden to satisfy all if not most within his party too. His poll numbers are at an all-time low and the stock market is tanking right now. It's not looking good for him, but as I always say, in politics 2 years is a lifetime and things can turn around. I want him to be successful because if he's not, we're certainly looking at possibly a worse situation with a conservative president being elected and God forbid, Trump running or a Trump clone running and winning again.
That said, I don't care how low Biden's poll numbers are, I will not vote for Trump in 2024 or another Republican candidate who thinks like Trump, nor will I sit it out. I'll roll the dices with the Democratic candidate and let the cards fall where they will. What we really need is another Obama. And Biden is certainly not him.
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 22, 2022 6:11:03 GMT -8
All presidents will severly be criticized no doubt but here's the rub. Criticism from folks you supported you is truly something any president should be concerned about. Case in point. Dr Reiner who was very critical of Trump CDC says Biden CDC is blatantly gaslighting the public. www.yahoo.com/finance/news/u-sixth-covid-wave-doesn-090000798.html
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 22, 2022 6:14:59 GMT -8
"Meanwhile, the CDC propagates delusional thinking that community levels are very low while the real and important data convey that transmission is very high throughout most of the country. Not only does this further beget cases by instilling false confidence, but it is conveniently feeding the myth that the pandemic is over—precisely what everyone wants to believe"
Lies for votes folks. Lies for big business and big money. I don't see how this is any better than the former guys policy. He wanted the same except press held hom more accountable. They give the current guy a free pass.
Look at the NBA games. You'd think it's 2018.
|
|
|
Post by history2b on May 22, 2022 9:44:40 GMT -8
I completely agree with you Sam, it is a travesty on the part of Washington and the 50 state governments at the moment.
But for me I pay attention specifically to language in moments like this. When I zero in on the language I am getting things back like “just a cold” “it’s never going away” and “we have to learn to live with it.” When masses and masses of people, both liberals and conservatives, start talking like this it means more than likely several things.
First and foremost to me is illustrates how indoctrinated the American people are. “Just a cold.” Now everyone should run out into the frenzy of capital spending, back with fat ass dirty people smearing their mucus on tables, door handles etc cause all you’re going to get is a “cold.” The US had some of the worst cold / flu prevention practices in the world before Covid, but since the consciousness of that does not exist, now we simply get to revert back to that but with the added element of Covid.
Yesterday I lost another life long family friend to Covid. She wasn’t the first I knew to go, not by far, but she was someone who had been suffering with symptoms since January. Spent time on a ventilator, was released from the hospital after weeks of being on it. The last 2-3 weeks she was getting slowly better and was starting a lung treatment when suddenly she just stopped breathing. She leaves behind 2 sons and a husband all of whom are devastated.
I think about people like them before I think about any dumbass who wants to tell me “it’s just a cold.” I think about why that dumbass thinks like that and where the thought came from. How this is the new condition we simply have to accept because people aren’t going to be bothered with the painful practice of wearing a mask or inconvenience of mass testing.
From all of this I can only deduct that our economy is and has been extremely dependent on uniformed consumers making moronic decisions with their paltry salaries based on superficial motivations of keeping up with the Jones’s. Like hamsters on a wheel, you have to make sure you’re doing enough to be worthy in our world, to just be alive and well is not good enough. It’s about what you have and where you’ve gone that you have show everyone that counts.
The part of it all that bothers me the most is that Covid is clearly the beginning of a new world, created by rising global temperatures. Aside from the obvious, indisputable changes in global climate conditions, we are seeing a rise in infectious diseases and a massive decline in species population. If anyone cares to pull their snout out from their Cheetos bag long enough to care we are living through a decline in species populations on par with what happened to the dinosaurs 250 million years ago. Birds, insects, fish, even mammals are on steep declines throughout industrialized parts of the world.
Even though the consequences of drilling into the earths crust to extract oil has been known to some degree for at least 100 years the public relations departments of such firms and conservative think tanks made a concerted effort to change the language of how we can discuss such a matter. In the 70s 80s and 90s it was referred to as “global warming” because the planet was in fact warming. But these groups worked together to squash that label and brand it “climate change” because global warming sounded too ominous. Interestingly enough the mass media bought it and now it is almost universally referred to as climate change in the western world.
Language…
|
|
hackashaq
::| Basketball Guru |::
Posts: 3,292
|
Post by hackashaq on May 22, 2022 10:10:21 GMT -8
The long years of low interest rates really helped the rich disproportionately compared to the poor. It allowed the rich to essentially get free money and buy up even more assets at depressed prices both after the 2008 debacle and in 2020 during the lockdown. It is no accident that the rich like Jeff Bezos became Dr. Evil level rich during the pandemic. You now have bozos like Musk spewing out “free speech” idiocy and the environment can support 2x the current word population nonsense on the world stage. They’ve amassed so much wealth, they are literally turning into Bond villains.
When the merry go round stops, like it’s doing now, again it will be the poor and middle class who suffer. The $200 child credits were used for the next iPhone and everyone is buying Gucci bags using Affirm and getting deeper into debt. There have been little to no wage inflation even in this era of the “Great Resignation” and with 8% inflation or greater, that’s like an 8% reduction in your pay. The rich will get richer here, again.
By the way, the “Great Resignation” should really be the “Great ‘Wow! I realized my job really does suck!”
The Dems biggest problem is that they are conservative trying to put on the mantle of great liberals, and they are having a really really difficult time trying to make themselves believe it. Their hearts are just not into it. It’s like telling someone to like vanilla when they really don’t. They try it to get votes, but when in their smoking jackets and sipping their Louis XIII cognac, it’s just not in their nature.
It’s ironic in that both liberals and conservatives think this country is going to hell, but for completely different reasons. It’s a sign that the political system has utterly collapsed. This is how empires die.
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 22, 2022 11:58:18 GMT -8
Sorry to hear about your loss 2b. That's awful and so tragic. Just a cold myth really makes me want to punch the wall. It's downright stupid and devious and propagated by exploiters who want to herd the sheep back into "in-person" consumerism so that the rich and powerful can continue to add to their billions and trillions and buy more politicians more often. Here's an alarming report. Like it says, all these assholes including ones at CDC and the Biden admin COVID czar Ashish Jha will be nowhere to be found to console those experiencing long covid symptoms including up to 40 pct of the popn who were vaccinated and never hospitalized. Meanwhile the let er rip strategy is gearing up for multiple annual infections. There's a real risk of mass collapse of the healthcare and disability insurance systems in a matter of time. Nobkdy gives a shit though - it's all about now now now me me me. It's just a cold. Just the flu. I have friends saying they'd rather get covid then the flu as it's so mild. www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/long-covid-study-hospitalizations-rcna29601What you said about decline of species is not something I was aware of. The link to climate definitely makes sense but alas it's too late for humanity. I don't see humans coming together for anything at this point. Consumerism, my conviniences, my selfish wants and my life first Trumps everything. We can expect similar gaslighting on our way to a climate catastrophe. Also, I always thought switch from global warming to climate change was to shut the idiots who were complaining how they wish there was global warming in the winter. Trump was a big user of this. Interesting to see a different perspective on this.
|
|
|
Post by lakeshow on May 23, 2022 11:15:30 GMT -8
I completely agree with you Sam, it is a travesty on the part of Washington and the 50 state governments at the moment. But for me I pay attention specifically to language in moments like this. When I zero in on the language I am getting things back like “just a cold” “it’s never going away” and “we have to learn to live with it.” When masses and masses of people, both liberals and conservatives, start talking like this it means more than likely several things. First and foremost to me is illustrates how indoctrinated the American people are. “Just a cold.” Now everyone should run out into the frenzy of capital spending, back with fat ass dirty people smearing their mucus on tables, door handles etc cause all you’re going to get is a “cold.” The US had some of the worst cold / flu prevention practices in the world before Covid, but since the consciousness of that does not exist, now we simply get to revert back to that but with the added element of Covid. Yesterday I lost another life long family friend to Covid. She wasn’t the first I knew to go, not by far, but she was someone who had been suffering with symptoms since January. Spent time on a ventilator, was released from the hospital after weeks of being on it. The last 2-3 weeks she was getting slowly better and was starting a lung treatment when suddenly she just stopped breathing. She leaves behind 2 sons and a husband all of whom are devastated. I think about people like them before I think about any dumbass who wants to tell me “it’s just a cold.” I think about why that dumbass thinks like that and where the thought came from. How this is the new condition we simply have to accept because people aren’t going to be bothered with the painful practice of wearing a mask or inconvenience of mass testing. From all of this I can only deduct that our economy is and has been extremely dependent on uniformed consumers making moronic decisions with their paltry salaries based on superficial motivations of keeping up with the Jones’s. Like hamsters on a wheel, you have to make sure you’re doing enough to be worthy in our world, to just be alive and well is not good enough. It’s about what you have and where you’ve gone that you have show everyone that counts. The part of it all that bothers me the most is that Covid is clearly the beginning of a new world, created by rising global temperatures. Aside from the obvious, indisputable changes in global climate conditions, we are seeing a rise in infectious diseases and a massive decline in species population. If anyone cares to pull their snout out from their Cheetos bag long enough to care we are living through a decline in species populations on par with what happened to the dinosaurs 250 million years ago. Birds, insects, fish, even mammals are on steep declines throughout industrialized parts of the world. Even though the consequences of drilling into the earths crust to extract oil has been known to some degree for at least 100 years the public relations departments of such firms and conservative think tanks made a concerted effort to change the language of how we can discuss such a matter. In the 70s 80s and 90s it was referred to as “global warming” because the planet was in fact warming. But these groups worked together to squash that label and brand it “climate change” because global warming sounded too ominous. Interestingly enough the mass media bought it and now it is almost universally referred to as climate change in the western world. Language… Sorry about your loss brother. When I hear stories like this, it makes me more grateful for what I have and getting through Covid myself. I didn't have it like your friend had it, but I will never forget that her fate could have easily been mine.
|
|
|
Post by history2b on May 24, 2022 15:55:08 GMT -8
Just another day in the United Shitholes of America.
|
|
|
Post by lakeshow on May 24, 2022 18:19:11 GMT -8
All I have to say is that if you did not hear Steve Kerr's pre-game speech to the media about the school shooting in TX today, then you need to go to ESPN or Youtube and listen to it.
It's one of the most poignant direct speech about Washington politicians I have ever heard.
Kudos to Kerr and Popovich for speaking their minds and they don't care what anybody else thinks.
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 25, 2022 18:44:16 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 25, 2022 18:46:48 GMT -8
Where's the urgency if 20 pct of the population will have a chronic condition? Thats 65 million souls. But it's more important to protect the constitutional freedoms of anti maskers. Moronic beyond belief. www.yahoo.com/news/vaccines-offer-little-protection-against-181647062.htmlThe COVID-19 vaccines, while holding up strong against hospitalization and death, offer little protection against long COVID, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Nature Medicine. The findings are disappointing, if not surprising, to researchers who were once hopeful that vaccination could significantly reduce the risk of long COVID.
|
|
|
Post by samadams10 on May 25, 2022 18:48:09 GMT -8
Frieden was Obama's CDC Director.
|
|
hackashaq
::| Basketball Guru |::
Posts: 3,292
|
Post by hackashaq on May 25, 2022 22:28:39 GMT -8
I had COVID late last year, and I still can’t smell or taste right. It’s a minor thing, but it sucks not to be able to taste or smell the things you loved in the past….good food, good drink, spring flowers or the smell you get after a rain shower.
Anyway, I never thought a person or groups of people could politicize a worldwide health issue, but it was done. If we can’t come together in literal life and death issues, what chance have we got to really improve society and life in general for everyone.
Like entropy, I think society, organization, civilization is not meant to last. Nature tends toward disorder and decay, from states of high energy to disassociation. Maybe this is just a sign of things to come.
Sorry to sound so negative, but after Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, and now Uvalde, we still have people spewing conspiracy talk, refusal to move on changes, failure of people of power to actually do what needs to be done to protect people, the same old tired political rhetoric.
Soros, usually someone I don’t usually agree with, recently said something that I kinda agree with. He said it in the context of Putin’s war distracting the world from things that need our attention, global warming for example. He said essentially Earth may not survive.
This I agree with in the sense that we have appeared lose all ability to work in unison for the greater good. We have proven too easy to push apart and destroy in small pieces.
I am hoping before I die that real positive change and progress happens, but I’m not hopeful at this point. The level of hate have risen to so high a level. I truly hope I’m wrong in thinking that dystopia is right around the corner, but I have no indications otherwise.
|
|