What a got damn shitshow. [warning politics]

[SlatchJim]

Yugi, that vid was hilarious, and I sent a copy to my immediate family for their amusement.
While I'd consider myself pretty conservative, I have friends that wouldn't find anything funny about it, so their loss  and they don't get to see it.

My politics are summed up as: I don't believe the left, don't trust the right, and have no faith in my own ability to do the job any better.    In my job, you get to see first hand how so many government positions are held by people who's only qualification is that they fear losing their job and being totally unqualified to do anything productive in the private sector.

[Tom]

The Netherlands are the most overrated county ever, totally all talk and no action, believe me, I know, that's why they are full of crime and poverty.

[pdxmike]

The Netherlands are the most overrated county ever, totally all talk and no action, believe me, I know, that's why they are full of crime and poverty.

Yes, it's about as low as a country can go.  The only place lower is the Netherworld.

[tautologies]

In my job, you get to see first hand how so many government positions are held by people who's only qualification is that they fear losing their job and being totally unqualified to do anything productive in the private sector.

Not that I don't believe you...but do you feel this is very different in private enterprise, though?

I think this comes down the corporate culture, and certainly, you have companies where politics in the company is crippling to the company too. I have met both sides of this coin...government workers that are absolutely committed to and really good at their job.

In general private enterprise people are maybe more efficient, but they are also usually paid a lot better too.
 

[tautologies]

If you care about nothing else...you have to care about the environment: http://www.businessinsider.com/epa-freeze-trump-2017-1?r=UK&IR=T

Trump is fulfilling his promise to screw over the planet. This is a man who claims that climate change is a conspiracy perpetrated by China to hurt US businesses...

WTF!!!

[yugi]

^ On this folks outside the USA also have a dog in this race.
Our planet is a common cause. Simply crazy in this day and age to disrespect the environment.

Ajit Pai as FCC chairman? Net neutrality is a fundamental piece of the open Internet. The US was a guardian of the open Internet. If that goes what happens next?

Backing Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is not going to ease tension in the Middle East. It inflames tensions. That much is clear.

Not good.

China, BTW, is taking the moral higher ground on climate change. They also stand to gain in trade and in regional power with the collapse of the TPP deal.

It’s definitely pretty crazy. Typical short term thinking. Not quite sure how this will all work out. Risky gambles.


PS. The man wears pathetically ill fitting suits. It's spooky. I presumed it's to hide how fat he is but WTF is up with Pence and Spicer? They also just have a complete lack of taste or they feel a need to dress like the bully boss?

[tautologies]

Yup, pulling out of the TPP is the biggest gift Trump could give to China..one I am sure they will receive with open arms.

[tautologies]

On the Net Neutrality issue, I have more than one thing to say. Removing net neutrality is shifting the bargaining power from innovation and upstarts to large telecoms. I am not convinced that it will break the Internet, but I do think it will break the Internet as is stands. I think there is some risk that it will split up, not necessarily due to netneutrality, but due to other things Trump has said.

Right now the US has a safe harbor standing with the EU...I doubt it will stay that way, which makes it more expensive to produce and offer transatlantic services. It makes no sense, like a lot of the shit Trump is doing. The worst part is that we have been through this before. Power to your house? Imagine if the electrical company decided what you could use the power for? Or the mistakes that were done with telecoms when phones were introduced.

I can't even believe the GOP is willing to go along with it. Taking away net neutrality is anti-competitive. The policy-makers lack of technological insight is disturbing.

[PonoBill]

In my job, you get to see first hand how so many government positions are held by people who's only qualification is that they fear losing their job and being totally unqualified to do anything productive in the private sector.

Not that I don't believe you...but do you feel this is very different in private enterprise, though?

Night and day. the only companies I've experienced with the level of bullshit found in government is regulated monopolies like utilities. Other than that, there is generally some level of competence required beyond navigating the bureacracy and survival. Of course there are people in government who work hard who are good at their jobs. That would be the four out of thirty I referred to. Could be more than that in some agencies but simply consider this--the top level of bureaucracy is appointed as political party favors. Where do you find that in the corporate world. Of course there is politics in business.

[tautologies]

Yeah I get that. I am not sure if that is due to the bargaining power of unions..because it seems to me that even private companies that are in industries that are heavily influenced by unions seems to have a slightly slower pace. Now I am not against unions by default, but there has to be a balance.

Now I am definitely not saying the governments should be running companies, because I also do not think that corporate minded people should be running government. It isn't a business in the same sense, and I am worried that the US will feel the brunt of that...

Well let me modify that...great leaders / managers /  visionaries with a lot of knowledge, a bit of humility, and deep empathy that can attract great people I am sure can succeed in almost any job, but that is obviously not the case with Trump. 

[yugi]

is this for real!?
   www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jan/24/journalists-charged-felonies-trump-inauguration-unrest

[johnysmoke]

is this for real!?
   www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jan/24/journalists-charged-felonies-trump-inauguration-unrest

Not sure, but this seems pretty real, has been on several different sources.

http://fortune.com/2017/01/24/trump-gag-order/?xid=soc_socialflow_facebook_FORTUNE

[raf]

How long before folks who voted for Trump start feeling like they made a mistake?  Any yet?  1 month from now?  Thats the silver lining, if there is one.

[stoneaxe]

They grabbed a bunch of people that were smashing stuff. These folks were in the crowd. How about we wait and see how it pans out before getting too outraged? From the photos some look like any other protester that has outfitted themselves with helmets and goggles and is pointing their cellphone. I find it interesting how some of these folks self label as "freelance journalist and activist"...tell me...exactly how do you write a story without bias when you're an activist? According to NPR this morning the job of journalists is to bring the facts forward without bias. 

Mistake? He's doing what he said he would do. I don't like some of what he's doing.....still very happy Clinton isn't president. I do think there is a good chance he'll go too far. Like I said above, unless he makes significant improvements he's gone in 4 years.

[PonoBill]

How long before folks who voted for Trump start feeling like they made a mistake?  Any yet?  1 month from now?  Thats the silver lining, if there is one.

You do recall that pretty much everyone but the skinny bit of hardcore on both ends of the spectrum considered the choices they had were to toss their vote away, vote for the status quo with someone they considered a greedy evil liar, of something different with someone they considered a greedy, evil liar.

Where's the mistake? The hardcore on both ends are getting exactly what they expected, and so are the people in the middle.

The regret I expect is within the Republican party.