Here is the bottom line: free movement of capital and by capital allows for growth in some places and lack of growth in others. The definition of the health of a nation determined by measurement of growth is faulty on its face. There are so many things that play into what we call "the economy" and what should be called the political economy. Furst and foremost we must understand that capitalism's purpose is NOT providing jobs. Providing jobs is a side effect, one that capital attempts to minimize, of capitalism. The reality is that capitalism merely reflects two things, division of labor and a legal system that supports property rights. Anything else is again a side effect for good or ill depending upon your pov. To think that there are not losers when there are winners is simplistic. Capital is not interested in anything other than return/interest/profit which are all claims on future growth. Marx was both right and wrong. Capital doesn't arbitrarily carry the seeds of its own destruction. However since the economy is by nature embedded in society it does carry inherent instability which infects society.

As for Sir Donald the Orange his word salad regarding "national security" is simplistic and foolish. National security is a myth that politicians grab onto when they have no other ideas. as a small example what does Donnie think will happen should his trade war with the PRC escalate? Who controls the vast majority of rare earth minerals which are critical to electronics that powers virtually everything in our lives?

Dutch Wrote:

Lonely, thanks. However you are forgetting that the biggest problem is CORRUPTION! As long as "money" runs the show, then not any form of government works. Also if you let "uneducated" super religious people of the "dumb" States run the show then the result is as it is right now. Kentucky should not run the country, but McConnell does.

Thus get the "money out of all things in government; no more "slush funds to bribe" no more "Super PAC's", no more "billionaires" with influence, no more lobbyists, no NRA influence, elections without money (limit it to very small donations to be able to cover the cost only) no more Trump type rally's etc. with huge cost for flying an huge plane and hundreds of "secret service people" Trump's trips have cost the tax payer now after two years at least 500 million. Thus there is lots to fix on this "silly" island. If you elect an "dumb mob" uneducated President then you also get dumb followers as well "mob" type people in the government. Also it would be wise to indeed to rewrite the Constitution, for instance "no electoral college" an strict detailed section on the limits of the President and qualifications to become one. Each time someone says: "this never happened before"; the Constitution does not cover it" You can't go on forever with "case" laws only and let a zillion lawyers tinker with it. Any "base law" should always be caught up with the "times". Due to the fact our "base laws" are full of holes and written 200 years ago, then Trump or others have no problem to become dictators. Doing nothing will get us into an Venezuela situation. Trump already did prove where the "loopholes" are.

Dutch, I will disagree slightly. While corruption and the influence of money is a major issue it is superseded by stupidity, ignorance, racism and exceptionalism. Even if money were rooted completely out of politics Trump could have run and likely would have won.

Now the electoral college which was created so that slaveholding states wouldn't lose their slaves needs to go away. the concept that this would mean that so-called plover country would be ignored is ridiculous. They would still have congresspeople and senators. That the candidate one particular party would be directly elected does not damage "flyover" country. If Republicans can produce a candidate that is electable strictly on policy as opposed to pandering to so-called swing states then so be it. Conservatism requires limiting the vote and the electoral college is one way to do that.

The name of the book is "How Democracies Die" by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.

Dutch Wrote:

I guess like you said; no form of government is perfect. But don't forget we have an two party system, without anything in the "middle" to balance the "system. While like in the Netherlands you've got about 11 parties (which is again too much), but at least the "middle" is covered; it is not ideal either. The issue here is that due to the 2 party system you get polarization. In our present case, it is also asking for "fanaticism" or even "fascism"; also it creates an "Freedom caucus" of oddball idiots of which you can't get rid of, just like the "tea party". So there must be something wrong in this form of governing.

In order to prevent such, I've said so many times what the cause is. It has to do with the "education" as well no rigorous screening/vetting of candidates for all these functions, including the President. The half ass system of doing so gets this country in the present situation. Any idiot can run for an position if he/she shoves/collects enough "money" to get "in". Thus again it is the "all over" corruption (and no stringent "background checks"/tax returns etc. for any candidates) which gets us into the present situation. Thus an self inflicted wound again.

wwjd Wrote:

The only strategy I think he ever thinks about is his exit strategy. He wings everything else based on the color of the wind.

If he perceives himself cornered, my best guess is that his plan is to resign and pardon's in advance his entire inner circle as he flies to Mara-largo. He'll fain having a heart attack as the reason for resigning, or whatever, declare victory, and go build Trump towers in Moscow and North Korea.

....leaving us with Mike Pence, who will save us from homosexuality.

that guy in AZ Wrote:

Pence was in Phoenix on Tuesday of this week to warn against undermining Trump's border emergency.

But of course.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/03/05/president-trump-emergency-order-mike-pence-border-wall-security/3073186002/

Less discouraging, though, is a news item that popped up this morning in the DC Tribune:

http://dctribune.org/robert-mueller-has-his-sights-on-mike-pence-say-hello-to-president-pelosi/

It is an encouraging article, since it points out how both Trump AND Pence would be removed from office, thus making Nancy Pelosi the president of the United States.

It makes me giddy just thinking about it.

What do we take away from CPAC? The Republican Party lacks for a moral, ethical center. By embracing a completely amoral person as their party’s leader they have forsaken any claims to morality. Anti-choice in combination with groveling in the filth for lucre is not morality. Nativist pseudo-patriotism is not morality.

This being said please let me be clear: the system of electing a president is still as it was in 2016. Mueller cannot be counted on to deliver some hoped for death blow to both Trump and the Republican Party. Not because he is incompetent but because such a result may not exist. Therefore it is critical that the Democratic Party have strategy and tactics for all 50 states. Imo, the Republican Party is at its most dangerous right now.

In the past the Democratic Party has not missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity and has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Weaponized social media must be taken into consideration as well. The Democratic Party can be very successful in 2020 if they are sufficiently prepared.

Dockadams Wrote: You will go blind looking at nude pictures.

Well, I only did it 'til I had to wear glasses.

Dutch Wrote:

I looked at about half of it; my conclusion is: I've never seen such an "kindergarten" as this. It is time they learn to have an "REAL" productive meeting. If I would act like Meadows or Jordan in an meeting at our company, I would have been tossed out.

Already right at the start Meadows screamed and wanted some nutty thing to get rid of the whole proceedings. Cummins was an typical "sweet" Democrat who allowed way too much "garbage" to float up. Like the total idiot of Meadows who hired in an black girl standing up to prove that Trump was not an racist. Sorry the "rules" for such meetings should be drastically changed. A bunch of amateurs! At the start of the meeting there should have been an very clear and strong message, that this meeting SOLELY was to get Cohen to tell what he knew about Trump's "world"; thus not that Cohen could be "torpedoed/attacked"; because he was solely invited to tell his side what he knew about Trump . Then also the "chairman" should have said: the one's who don't follow these rules will be removed.

Sorry the way I looked at it, means that the "stupid" part of this country is totally uneducated and has no manners at all, let alone on how to hold an discussion; yes indeed Meadows and Jordan an some others do come from the "stupid" States. The same as McConnell etc. If we want these type of people to run our country, then it is down the drain, like happens in any other "uneducated" country.

Schmidt Wrote: In a way these Bible classes have many teaching similarities to that of the Wahhabism brand of Islam being taught in Saudi financed Madrassas around the world. That's not to equate Wahhabism with any form of modern Christianity, but the indoctrination to the respective faiths is an important aspect of spreading the faith at a very young age starting with Sunday schools.