Patterico's Pontifications

4/4/2018

Trade War: China to Impose New Tariffs, As Trump Tweets His Stupid Response

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 2:30 pm



China, which previously threatened tariffs on pork, fruit, and other commodities, today expanded the list to include soybeans, cars, and airplanes. The Bezos #FAKENEWS!!1! Washington Post reports:

President Trump showed no sign Wednesday of backing down from an escalating trade confrontation with China, even as financial markets wobbled and American farmers and manufacturers warned that he was inviting a damaging commercial clash.

Hours after the Chinese government announced plans to match the president’s tariffs on $50 billion in imported Chinese goods with import levies on American soybeans, cars and airplanes, Trump fired off a pair of bellicose tweets.

“When you’re already $500 Billion DOWN, you can’t lose!” the president wrote in a possible reference to last year’s $566 billion U.S. deficit in goods and services trade.

Wall Street was less sanguine. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 500 points in early trading before rebounding by midday. Soybean prices also plunged more than 5 percent as traders grappled with the possible closure of a market that bought roughly half of U.S. exports of the commodity last year.

As alluded to in the Post article, the Dunce in Chief responded to the news in his trademark embarrassingly ignorant style:

Those who are economically literate understand that a “trade deficit” is a good thing. I have explained this at length before:

Even the much-maligned “trade deficit” is actually a good thing, not a bad thing. If you’re ignorant (like Trump), you hear the word “deficit” and assume that it must be somehow bad. The matter should have been put to rest with Adam Smith’s book “The Wealth of Nations.” Smith proclaimed: “Nothing can be more absurd than this whole doctrine of the balance of trade.” As financial writer Simon Constable said, “a big trade deficit shows that you got more for your exports than did the other country.”

Those trying to explain economics must often feel like Ben Stein as he tries to explain the dangers of tariffs to a roomful of Trumpist protectionists vacant high-school students:

Those who say that China declared a trade war on us, and we are just responding, point to studies that show, for example, that Chinese currency manipulations “raise the cost of all American goods and services in China by somewhere between 25-40%.” Who does that sound like it hurts? Anyone? Anyone? The Chinese. And if the cost of Chinese goods goes up here, who does that hurt? Anyone? Anyone? Americans.

Some argue that some American businesses can’t compete with cheaper Chinese goods. That may be. So, your “conservative” solution is to enlist a central government to take away Americans’ freedom to buy less expensive goods? We are to hurt everyone, to protect a handful of businesses that can’t compete — and this is the “American way”?

Like free trade, innovation also drives certain companies out of business as it lowers prices and increases the standard of living generally. Should we therefore get the government to outlaw or slow the growth of innovation, to protect the companies whose obsolete products are hurt by innovation?

Think about it. The invention of the gas-powered motor vehicle fueled economic growth and brought about an increase in the standard of living. But it didn’t help everyone! In particular, that invention really hurt the folks who invested in horse and buggy businesses. People were driven out of work! Investors lost their shirts! Businesses went under! Using protectionist logic, we should have prevented the invention of motor vehicles, obviously. What’s the difference? It’s the very same logic that says we should restrict consumer freedom and impose higher costs on American consumers in the name of protecting a handful of companies.

And make no mistake: while our tariffs “protect” some American companies, they harm far more American companies, as I have also explained before:

[T]wo-thirds of the materials that we import are not consumer goods, but rather inputs into American production. To the extent that we restrict and tax those inputs, we raise the cost of American production — which makes us less productive, not more productive.

The irony here is that the tariffs China announced today hurt China more than they hurt us. But if you believe otherwise, and subscribe to the Trumpist notion that Country A’s tariffs on good from Country B hurt Country B, then China really hit us hard today. Yet the very same people who don’t understand economics and have never read Adam Smith will cheer this — because it has nothing to do with policy, but rather with the appearance of “fighting back.” Even if all the blows land on us, who cares? He fights!

[Cross-posted at RedState and The Jury Talks Back.]

377 Responses to “Trade War: China to Impose New Tariffs, As Trump Tweets His Stupid Response”

  1. Ding.

    Patterico (952b17)

  2. Considering that Chinese companies already own a large number of the companies that make these products (pork specifically,) either they’re not particularly serious about these tariffs or they’re hoping that their ownership lets them circumvent the tarriff in some way.

    Regardless, if Trump maneuvers China into hurting themselves more than we hurt ourselves, then it’s in fact a 3-D chess win, no?

    And sorry, “I will raise the price of consumer goods to force Americans to keep enough local manufactures to employ their population and defend their country” will never, ever, ever be countered by appeals to hypothetical Ricardian economics. There is no good greater than the good of the sovereign nation, because only the good of a sovereign nation has someone actually responsible for it.

    Here’s how people actually concerned with the nation talk about these things:

    “As it happens, the US with its disastrous 37% labor-force nonparticipation rate (ie, the real measurement of “unemployment”, which is commonly cited in terms of the meaningless benefit-claims number), besides borrowing $1.2T a year, runs a trade deficit of $600B a year. Ie, 3% of US GDP. What does this mean?

    What it means is that if USG entirely eliminated foreign trade, closing its ports like Tokugawa Japan, US businesses would experience an immediate 3% jump in gross revenue, and hence in employment. Of course, this would involve a boom in import substitution industries and a bust in export industries, but the net effect would be a boom. 500B ain’t nothing. The hedonic effect, of course, would be negative – but as we’ve seen, inadequate hedonism is anything but our problem.

    We could do even better than this. We could eliminate imports, while maintaining exports. Of course, we would be admitting the mercantilist reality of world trade, something our Asian trading “partners” already understand. Does it hurt that much to say: “Friedrich List was right?” Let’s say that retaliation would cut our exports not to zero, but just in half. In that case, we have $0 in imports and $650B in exports, meaning a net gain in revenue to US businesses of roughly 1.2T – and that’s not counting a multiplier effect of money spent over and over again.

    Again, we’d see some hedonic pain. We’d also see something like a 10% boost in AGDP overnight, as all the crap we buy from China now had to be made in America.”

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  3. I like how President Trump’s facing down them dirty chinesers – they’re stealing the blueprints and the patents and the prototypes!

    This is the exact opposite of benevolence, how these chinesers do on us.

    But President Trump’s gonna get it sorted out, and then we can start to rebuild the trust with these people. It’s gonna be a long and silky road, but with President Trump’s help we’ll get there.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  4. “I will raise the price of consumer goods to force Americans to keep enough local manufactures to employ their population and defend their country”

    seems like that’s a very good way to convince the American consumer that their money now no longer stretches as far as it did and their quality of life has been *deliberately* reduced by their government.

    aphrael (3f0569)

  5. You know who else was really pro-free trade because those American goods just cost too damn much? The Confederacy.

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  6. Regardless, if Trump maneuvers China into hurting themselves more than we hurt ourselves, then it’s in fact a 3-D chess win, no?

    No. Because he’s doing it by hurting us.

    Here’s how people actually concerned with the nation talk about these things:

    That reads like a suggestion that I am not actually concerned with the nation. If that’s what you’re saying, be a man and come right out and say it. Don’t imply it like a coward.

    If it’s not what you mean, please clarify, because your writing makes that seem like a reasonable reading.

    Patterico (952b17)

  7. seems like that’s a very good way to convince the American consumer that their money now no longer stretches as far as it did and their quality of life has been *deliberately* reduced by their government.

    At least people who understand what’s going on, yes.

    Patterico (952b17)

  8. “seems like that’s a very good way to convince the American consumer that their money now no longer stretches as far as it did and their quality of life has been *deliberately* reduced by their government.”

    Or by a smaller and smaller oligarchy of margin-busting businessmen, Jeff Bezos chief among them. We’ve already been living in the hyperinflation of reduced product quality and service for the same previous price that’s simply either lied about, quietly outsourced, or papered over by various managerial and legal shenanigans, much more often in business than in government.

    We can either take serious action to restore things to their true value now or wait for the hyperinflation to hit on the fiduciary side of the equation.

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  9. ok let me explain

    these tariffs aren’t like how you say – your argument shifts from the forest (trade writ large) to the trees (trade with the dirty chinesers)

    having a trade deficit is all well and good in the main – a lil deficit with these ones here a little deficit with the ones with the funny hats

    yay trading is fun

    but a persistent gigantic deficit with one sneaky cheating thieving dirty dirty partner – this is no good!

    and these tariffs are targeting the sneaky dirty chinesers

    so what does that do?

    it does NOT mean we can’t have yummy chinese silkies all up in it

    it just means that we’ll be sourcing them from places like vietnam and bangladesh instead – and incentivizing the people who produce in china to open factories in other countries with which we have more healthy and more respectful trading relationships with

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  10. “That reads like a suggestion that I am not actually concerned with the nation. If that’s what you’re saying, be a man and come right out and say it. Don’t imply it like a coward.”

    Ricardian economics and Adam Smith theorizing is all about the ‘greatest good for the greatest number’, and they don’t care who specifically benefits from it. Could be honorable American people, could be Chinese robber barons and Indian slave drivers…we’re just telling you that this is the greatest of all possible goods!

    Not making this as clear and upfront as possible makes YOU the coward. Or perhaps, more charitably:

    “As List puts it, free trade is the weapon of the strong. England and later America adopted free trade when we were strong. Well, face it, we’re not strong anymore. But we keep hitting ourselves over the head with the weapon. Why? It’s simple: blithering idiocy.”

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  11. What matters is land and title. Everything else is just stuff that gets bought and sold.
    I think no matter how this plays out most are going to get killed just to prove some damned point.

    I just roll with it.

    Of course, migration is just for critters.

    neal (869afa)

  12. “What matters is land and title. Everything else is just stuff that gets bought and sold.”

    I got you some great deals on Roman titles to Gallic border lands circa 510 AE…no one’s making any more of these, let me tell you!

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  13. What burns me is that it always seems to be agriculture that takes the hit with tariffs. So it’s just pork, who cares? Well it’s food folks. And you drive the farmers out of business and you are driving your own food costs up and your food supply down. Maybe it’s just my agricultural upbringing (born and raised on a real working cattle ranch – dad didn’t have hired hands, he had kids) but I have to believe if it was a product produced by the white collars of Washington (or any big city where they think milk comes from the grocery store) they’d be thinking a different story. But it’s just pigs, what’s the big deal? It’s not just pork, it’s:
    Yellow soybean
    Black soybean
    Corn
    Cornflour
    Uncombed cotton
    Cotton linters
    Sorghum
    Brewing or distilling dregs and waste
    Other durum wheat
    Other wheat and mixed wheat
    Whole and half head fresh and cold beef
    Fresh and cold beef with bones
    Fresh and cold boneless beef
    Frozen beef with bones
    Frozen boneless beef
    Frozen boneless meat
    Other frozen beef chops
    Dried cranberries
    Frozen orange juice
    Non-frozen orange juice
    That’s not counting the tobacco and whiskies that are on the list. And of course there are non-agricultural items but I can guarantee you that for the American farmer losing their Chinese market will put some of the out of business. There are over 100 items the Chinese are threatening tariffs on but the car market will just add to the price of their car and survive, the farmer won’t be able to do that.

    Marci (98fec4)

  14. a product produced by the white collars of Washington

    this is the intellectual property the filthy chinesers just outright steal

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  15. Marci: all of that stuff was well on its way to being roboticized prior to the major immivasions of 1965. In short:

    “Back when the trade team first released their guidelines and principles, I pointed out how little attention manufacturing and re-industrialization was getting. Rather, the goals were to scoop up even more goodies for agriculture and finance, who had already made out like bandits on the original deal.

    Reminder: NAFTA gutted our manufacturing while boosting agriculture, and vice versa in Mexico — they got our factories, we drove their farms out of business.

    The whole point of Trump’s tirades against NAFTA was that manufacturing uniquely makes working and middle-class people more prosperous, and that farming does not (“All we send Japan is beef”). He’s correct. Agriculture made the average person poorer, shorter, and sicker. It was not until the Industrial Revolution completed itself that average people gained back their stature, health, and now had immense wealth on top of it. That also narrowed the inequality gap that had grown so wide under agriculture.

    Simply put, if the NAFTA re-negotiations do not move our economy in the direction of re-industrialization, they will be a failure for the economic nationalists. We will never have a prosperous middle and working class by toiling in the Nebraska corn fields, and very few of us will be able to start our own farm-to-table boutique bistro to make a good living off of the foodie trend.

    It’s either manufacturing or poverty.”

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  16. I just heard the presidential press secretary insist on TV that “We’re very lucky that we have the best negotiator at the table, in the President.”

    So how lucky is that, exactly? I believe I asked in comments a few days ago if Trumpkins here could enlighten me on any significant and successful negotiation that Trump has actually closed during the first third of his presidency. I did check back, but got no takers so far as I know. Are there any now? Any Trumpkins who can point to a successful example of Trump actually demonstrating the “Art of the Deal”?

    (PS: Gorsuch doesn’t count, that wasn’t a negotiation. The tax cut bill doesn’t count, that was a negotiation, but between Schumer, Pelosi, McConnell, and Ryan over how just how much the GOP would capitulate to Dem funding demands, in a complete vacuum of meaningful presidential participation beyond his signature on the final product.)

    Beldar (fa637a)

  17. (Sorry, garbled that last parenthetical (in #16) by conflating the tax cut bill with the budget bill; I was referring to the latter. Trump didn’t contribute materially to the tax cut bill either, though, beyond signing it: it was a deal negotiated and struck within the GOP caucuses in the House & Senate.)

    Beldar (fa637a)

  18. @3.But President Trump’s gonna get it sorted out, and then we can start to rebuild the trust with these people.

    But build the wall, first, eh, Mr. Feet. The judgment of the latest Opium Warriors- a bankruptcy king and a cocaine addict- is as sound as the dollar!!

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  19. 16. Any Trumpkins who can point to a successful example of Trump actually demonstrating the “Art of the Deal”?

    He won.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  20. Again, the textbook exercise in economic theory ignores realities of the geopolitical marketplace.

    China isn’t trying to acquire US marketshare simply to maximize Chinese company profits through economies of scale – making selling us cheap goods good for them and good for us — China is maneuvering itself into a market dominant position so suppress other entrants in to the market, and then manipulate the markets to its advantage.

    Is it a good idea from a domestic cyber security perspective to have China be the dominant manufacturer of server systems that power most of the internet?

    If not, then when a China company infringes on patents held by US companies, and is thereafter sued, is it simply a matter of “Austrian Economics” to shrug it off when a Chinese military backed sovereign wealth fund finances the patent litigation, and then steps in to provide financing in a hostile takeover bid to bring an end to the litigation?

    Is it a fair trade practice for Chinese government policy to prohibit US companies from independently selling goods and services into the Chinese market, and only allow such sales through a newly created joint-venture enterprise by the US company seeking access to the Chinese market, and a Chinese military-owned company, where the Gov’t mandated joint venture agreement requires transfer and shared ownership of any proprietary technology that is needed to produce the goods or services that form the business of the joint-venture enterprise?

    These are some of the “trade war” practices that China engages in as part of our “Free Trade” agreement that is so beneficial to US consumers.

    At some point higher prices are a cost of sovereign preservation.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  21. And tariffs imposed on fungible goods like agricultural commodities really have little impact in a global marketplace.

    I read one economist who pointed out that another large scale soy bean producer like Brazil will possibly be able to pick up better paying customers in China since the cost of US soy beans will be higher with the tariff and Brazil can undercut US farmers’ prices. But the realities of the market are such that Brazil can’t significantly ramp up its production, so there will be Brazilian customers who lose their supply to the Chinese, and they will have to look for their soy beans somewhere else — like the US.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  22. Allahpundit has a great article on the same subject, and quotes an economist who points out the obvious:

    One of the ironies of trade protectionism is that, with tariffs and import quotas, we do to ourselves in times of peace what foreign nations do to us with blockades to keep imports from entering our country in times of war.

    Or consider that we impose sanctions on U.S. enemies such as North Korea, Russia and Iran because we want them to feel the economic pain of being deprived of imports. But now, we are imposing sanctions on our own country by punishing with tariffs in order to make Americans more prosperous. If ever there were a crisis of logic, this is it.
    [emphasis added]

    That economist is Spanky’s chief economic advisor, Larry Kudlow.

    “Crisis of logic” indeed…

    Dave (7d6b88)

  23. Economist Is Said to Enter A Six-Month Drug Program

    By SYLVIA NASAR, NYT, 7-4-95

    Lawrence A. Kudlow, the former Wall Street economist, went to Minneapolis yesterday to check into a long-term, residential drug treatment program at Hazelden Foundation, his wife, Judith, said.

    Mr. Kudlow, 47, agreed to undergo the six-month Hazelden program, where Kitty Dukakis, Eric Clapton and other well-known people have sought help, after three shorter treatments in the last two and half years for cocaine and alcohol habits, his wife said yesterday.

    Fifteen months ago, Mr. Kudlow made a highly public confession of his drug problem shortly after he was forced to resign as chief economist at Bear Stearns. He also made a fresh career start as a conservative political commentator for television and magazines and said he believed that he had overcome his addiction.

    But over the weekend, court papers filed by Mrs. Kudlow indicated that he may have lost his battle against cocaine. In a filing on Thursday, she petitioned the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan for a divorce and an order to prevent Mr. Kudlow from tapping their Bear Stearn’s retirement account to pay for a weeks-long cocaine binge. “The defendant will use such money to buy cocaine,” she stated in an affidavit, “and in so doing will likely suffer a fatal overdose and will dissipate the only remaining liquid marital assets.”

    Mr. Kudlow could not be reached for comment yesterday. A Hazelden spokesman said the treatment center could not say whether or not a patient had checked in because of Federal regulations.

    Mr. Kudlow’s apparent setback comes a time when he appeared to have turned his career around. After losing his $800,000-a-year Wall Street job, Mr. Kudlow landed quickly on his feet. His disclosure of cocaine problems in an interview with The New York Times prompted an outpouring of sympathy. He landed a consulting position at Montgomery Securities in San Francisco.

    And Mr. Kudlow, who was President Ronald Reagan’s budget director and considered one of the brighter lights in the New York Republican Party, regained his political footing. He became economics editor of the conservative magazine National Review and started dispensing political advice again, sharing a platform with Gov. Christine Whitman of New Jersey. Indeed, Mr. Kudlow had urged her to cut taxes sharply, an issue that helped sweep her into office.

    As recently as several weeks ago, Mr. Kudlow seemed to have regained his former professional stature. He shared a dais last month with Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, when he addressed New York’s financial elite. A few weeks earlier, Mr. Kudlow was appointed by Jack F. Kemp, Secretary of Housing under President George Bush, to a commission to study how best to cut taxes. Always immaculately dressed and ready with a clever line, Mr. Kudlow seemed always to be racing between television studios and from speech to speech.

    There were occasional signs of stress: the client presentation at Montgomery Securities that he missed or missed deadlines at the National Review. In the end, the occasional slip turned into something far more frightening.

    “He had slips but he was sober for big intervals,” Mrs. Kudlow said in a telephone interview. “He was doing everything. He was going to A.A. He was going to church. He was seeing his counselor. He was determined to overcome this, but it just overpowered him.”

    According to Mrs. Kudlow, her husband initially resisted the idea of long-term treatment, which is expensive, disruptive and almost impossible to hide, even though two month long and one weeklong treatment program had not been enough. Instead, he turned more to drugs.

    In the end, she said she decided to act. Mrs. Kudlow, a former press secretary for the Department of Justice and now a painter, said she did not intend to end her marriage to Mr. Kudlow. The divorce action, she said, was a legal device to keep him from using the money to buy more cocaine. As it turned out, she added, it also helped convince Mr. Kudlow that he had to take drastic measures.

    “It came down to saving his life,” she said. “I have no intention of divorcing him, but I had to take a hard line.”

    What happens now? Mrs. Kudlow said she looks forward to life together with him but a very different one from the fast-paced, high profile existence the couple shared in Manhattan. She said in the affidavit that she planned to sell their apartments to pay for Mr. Kudlow’s treatment and to begin a new life outside of New York City with her husband.

    https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/04/business/economist-is-said-to-enter-a-six-month-drug-program.html

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  24. No Chinese cars… evah!!!

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  25. Kudlow straightened himself out, ASPCA, what’s your excuse?

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  26. One of the ironies of trade protectionism is that, with tariffs and import quotas, we do to ourselves in times of peace what foreign nations do to us with blockades to keep imports from entering our country in times of war.

    this is typical allahpundit hackery

    we’re not tariffing anything the dirty chinesers sell us what we can’t get from other far more respectable countries

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  27. @25. 25.Kudlow straightened himself out… =Haiku!= Gesundheit!

    Prove it. The record demonstrates repeated evidence and patterns of poor judgment. There’s 320 million Americans to choose from but our Captain settled on him. And why??

    “Because you’re on television, dummy.” – Arthur Jensen [Ned Beatty] ‘Network’ 1976

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  28. An example of 21:

    One of the ag products involved are lemons.

    Depending on the quality of root stock used, it usually takes lemon tree 3-5 years to bear its first fruit.

    But it takes another 3-4 years before a lemon tree bears a commercially viable quantity of fruit — i.e., there is enough fruit on the tree to make it profitable to go through the harvesting, sorting, packaging, and shipping costs per tree.

    So, a lemon growing competitor to the US would not be able to move in on the China market while at the same time maintaining the same level of sales in the markets it already occupies.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  29. this is typical allahpundit hackery

    Except that those aren’t Allahpundit’s words.

    Those are the words of the man President Dennison appointed to be his chief economic advisor.

    Dave (7d6b88)

  30. thank you for doing clarify on that point Mr. Dave

    but this is the argument what was adduced by hackypundit, and it’s not germane to a discussion of these terrifically targeted trump tariffs

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  31. So the traders overreacted like (ferrets on double expresso) ht Dennis miller, of course they said nee to how the Chinese had put up their tariff walls.

    narciso (d1f714)

  32. What’s the “conservative solution” to China’s widescale, ongoing theft of intellectual property and technology?

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  33. ASPCA, why the TCM-fueled armchair general buffoonery on your end?

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  34. @30. Terrifically Targeted Trump Tariffs, eh, Mr. Feet!

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  35. @33. Security clearances, Colonel. Seems Snowman Kudlow puts the High-in-ku.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  36. He no more does that than you put the ass in asshole, ASPCA

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  37. If you need to ask, coronello, you most likely know the answer.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  38. @35. =Haiku!= Gesundheit!=

    Prove it.

    He’s an easy mark for blackmail and an obvious security risk. Aside from his blatant illegal drug use and record of poor judgment in his private sector past a snowman who serviced a $10,000/month cocaine habit (in 1985 dollars) has no business pitching economic advice for the United States government any more than you’d want him to be your heart surgeon or airline pilot w/his record; he barely can manage himself and there’s better people driving nails and school buses available for the gig. The safest place for Kudlow and America is in a cable TV studio.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  39. Yes twtwenty three years ago, by that standard Obama couldbt hold a security clearance, not that he cared about such things,

    narciso (d1f714)

  40. So, your “conservative” solution is to enlist a central government to take away Americans’ freedom to buy less expensive goods?

    I would like the freedom to employ the legions of legal minds in South Asia for litigation work in the U.S., without a visa and without passing the bar, and at one tenth the cost — but I guess the conservative solution is to enlist a central government to prevent that, since the “conservative” lawyers here don’t seem to be bothered by that particular trade barrier.

    random viking (6a54c2)

  41. Meanwhile……

    Lauren Hogg
    @lauren_hoggs
    Today when I walk into school I will be greeted with armed police, wand detectors and clear backpacks.

    Is this what my high school experience is going to be like? 3 more years of this…

    Someday when my kids ask me about my high school experience what am I going to tell them?
    _

    Colonel Assault Mom
    @colonel_potter
    You demanded the government make you safer. You got it. Enjoy.
    _

    ((AG)))
    @AG_Conservative
    Replying to @colonel_potter and @redsteeze
    Sorry, that safety was only supposed to come at the expense of other people’s rights and privelages.

    harkin (077308)

  42. There is also the .matter of the latest grishebko squirrel re roger stone, it came up bupkis. But honestly we’ll find something someday

    narciso (d1f714)

  43. I would like the freedom to employ the legions of legal minds in South Asia for litigation work in the U.S., without a visa and without passing the bar, and at one tenth the cost

    That’s how I feel about the guys who do my yardwork and shovel my snow, but some asshole is building a wall to keep them out.

    nk (dbc370)

  44. The problem with importing sine sharp fellow say viet dinh is we have to send them Jeffrey toobin that could be considered an act of war.

    narciso (d1f714)

  45. @39. $10,000/month blown is a horn section not a toot.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  46. India used to have a 40% tariff on Canadian peas (who knew) after prime minister Hans it went up to 60%

    narciso (d1f714)

  47. @44. That’s how I feel about the guys who do my yardwork and shovel my snow, but some asshole is building a wall to keep them out.

    He’s controlling the stink w/Right Guard; via aerosol and roll-on.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  48. 46.India used to have a 40% tariff on Canadian peas (who knew) after prime minister Hans it went up to 60%

    Currying favor.

    “Don’t have a cow, man.” – Bart Simpson ‘The Simpsons’ Fox TV

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  49. @13 Marci

    Let’s hope Chinese Google blocks all of that gluten free nonsense.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  50. Chinese Google

    WonTon Snoop.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  51. I’m no expert on macroeconomics. I do know that tariffs are a tax which is money that is taken from the American consumer and thrown into the tatted-up tranny black hole which is the government.

    nk (dbc370)

  52. but some asshole is building a wall to keep them out

    that’s it just keep complaining and it’ll be a wall *plus* a balrog

    and then you be all 🙁

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  53. If you’re going to argue for tariffs, make honest arguments.

    nk (dbc370)

  54. “When intelligence intercepts picked up Michael Flynn, the new national security adviser, talking to the Russian ambassador in late December, the Obama Justice Department saw that as a possible violation of the Logan Act. (It wasn’t; many foreign policy experts saw nothing wrong with that.)
    Nevertheless, four days into the Trump administration, Sally Yates, the Obama holdover leading the Justice Department, sent agents to the White House to question Flynn, ostensibly on the suspicion that he might have violated the Logan Act. (She also said she was worried that Flynn might be subject to blackmail, which seemed at least as dubious as a Logan Act violation.)

    It was that interview that ultimately resulted in Flynn pleading guilty to one count of lying to the FBI…

    Now fast forward to the transition. In early January 2017, intelligence chiefs James Comey, John Brennan, Mike Rogers, and James Clapper traveled to Trump Tower to brief the president-elect on Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 campaign.
    After the briefing, by a plan they devised earlier, three of them left the room, leaving Comey alone with Trump. Comey gave Trump a summary of the dossier, including the Moscow sex scene.

    Imagine that. The very first time the incoming president met the FBI director face to face, the FBI’s message was: We know about you and those hookers in Moscow.

    In their new book Russian Roulette, authors Michael Isikoff and David Corn report Trump thought the FBI was blackmailing him:

    “Trump had seen this sort of thing before,” they write. “Certainly, his old mentor Roy Cohn — the notorious fixer for mobsters and crooked pols — knew how this worked. So too did Comey’s famous predecessor J. Edgar Hoover, who had quietly let it be known to politicians and celebrities that he possessed information that could destroy their careers in a New York minute.”

    The intel chiefs’ briefing of Trump soon leaked to the media. And the fact that top officials had seen fit to tell the incoming president about the dossier made it a legitimate news story. Within hours, BuzzFeed published the entire dossier on the Internet.

    As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said as all this was happening: “You take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday of getting back at you.”

    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/byron-york-on-the-trump-russia-investigation-and-the-rule-of-law

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  55. SWC@20
    So how does imposing tariffs on unrelated articles protect US computer manufacturing?

    It’s logical to impose tariffs or sanctions on imports competing with computer manufacturing, but not on anything else.

    Kishnevi (158466)

  56. tariffs are a tax

    are they really though

    what if you

    just as a, you know

    just as a conceptual exercise

    what if you just in your head imagined the tremendously tidy sum of the trump tax cuts and the terrifically targeted trump tariffs were all combined into one big turducken of value?

    as you can see you come out way ahead!

    and the dirty chinesers are like holy mao-pickles it’s a good thing our testicles are so small cause we just been kicked in our dinky chineser balls!

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  57. South Florida doesnr have much in the way of industry, so its embarking of the brave new world of the service industry: I’m being cereal.

    narciso (d1f714)

  58. WonTon Snoop

    🙂 that was clever mister

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  59. Dysphoria Sam, your argument works only if the US has manufacturing capacity to replace the imports. On most things, it does not and has not for several decaded.

    You also assume that US consumers will keep buying those items at the higher price in the same quality. That assumption is at best highly optimistic.

    Kishnevi (158466)

  60. How about huawei phones, they are secure like the mayonaisse jar in the funk and wagnalls front poechm

    narciso (d1f714)

  61. Narciso, I don’t remember a time when there was any real manufacturing going on in SE FL except sugar in Palm Beach County and a few t-shirt producers in Hialeah Gardens, and I’ve been here since July 1969.

    Kishnevi (158466)

  62. Well if you’re going to have a metroplex in the 5-10 million people, we going to nerd some,

    narciso (d1f714)

  63. @23 DCSCA

    Republicans don’t really believe in agricultural free trade.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  64. what if you just in your head imagined the tremendously tidy sum of the trump tax cuts and the terrifically targeted trump tariffs were all combined into one big turducken of value?

    It might be a wash for the people who benefited from the tax cuts. But it’s a complicated way of doing things. To take less from one pocket and more from the other. Why not just keep the government’s hand out of our pockets altogether?

    nk (dbc370)

  65. Really if you’re going that far back, back then even David brick had flashes of sanity.

    narciso (d1f714)

  66. Why not just keep the government’s hand out of our pockets altogether?

    because Mr. nk seriously french toast america you have to look at it with the perspicaciousness like how President Trump does

    with the status and the gquo we have now

    it’s the filthy chineser government what has its hand in our pockets!

    and that’s why this is so wonderful and fresh like crispy baby sugar peas (non-canada ones)

    the dirty chinesers had tamed us and trained us like how pedophile Mitt Romney did on his slicked-up and ready boy toy Paul Ryan

    the whole lexicon and conversational memes and vocabulary you need to describe the dirty chinesers and their obscene trade-rape of america?

    it was withered it was non-existent!

    now people are waking up they’re saying

    man them chinesers sure are a filthy greedy dirt-people

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  67. oops i did a typo

    with the status and the *quo* we have now is how that should say

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  68. …our Captain settled on him. And why??

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 4/4/2018 @ 4:51 pm

    The economy of scales.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  69. What’s the “conservative solution” to China’s widescale, ongoing theft of intellectual property and technology?

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a) — 4/4/2018 @ 5:25 pm

    We could sell them the rope that hangs us but hemp is only now going into production in KY after how many years.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  70. Republicans don’t really believe in agricultural free trade.


    Why paint with a broad brush when you can us a roller, right Pinandpuller?

    Rev.Hoagie (1b0402)

  71. this is what you get when you google “chocolate and grapefruit”

    i’m pretty goddamn intrigued

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  72. No like chocolatey bacon, seems all wrong.

    narciso (d1f714)

  73. but I guess the conservative solution is to enlist a central government to prevent that, since the “conservative” lawyers here don’t seem to be bothered by that particular trade barrier.

    random viking (6a54c2) — 4/4/2018 @ 6:02 pm

    I think you might be surprised as I have raised similar questions in the past. But that’s not really the point. We should be pushing for robot lawyers who fight for you!

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  74. Mr. Reverend now is the time to plant your victory garden just as the ground is starting to thaw

    this way the run-off nourishes the roots and tendrils of your freedom produce

    america america god did his trump on thee

    and it’s so good up in your hood

    it makes you wanna pee

    someplace obama slept

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  75. What happens when the robot lawyers go Roy batty, also bow do you know when you have a good one.

    narciso (d1f714)

  76. Why paint with a broad brush when you can us a roller, right Pinandpuller?

    Rev.Hoagie (1b0402) — 4/4/2018 @ 7:03 pm

    Respectfully, I was referencing cocaine.

    I don’t know if noel has clocked out for the day or the week but this may be a good time to say something I was thinking about this afternoon. If anyone here misinterprets me it’s usually my fault. Just sayin’.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  77. Using protectionist logic, we should have prevented the invention of motor vehicles, obviously. What’s the difference? It’s the very same logic….

    This logic works well in a courtroom with an O.J. jury.

    The motor vehicle was an invention— an advancement in technology. Using destitute populations in squalid working conditions at pennies per hour to replace entire industries in the West is exactly the same, from the lofty perch of a protected class (e.g., lawyers, public workers, academics, etc.) who would be at the mercy of the same destitute populations if not for the trade barriers that work to their benefit.

    random viking (6a54c2)

  78. Don’t buy your kids any of those cheap knock-off clear backpacks mr harkin. They support worldwide terrorism.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  79. Using destitute populations in squalid working conditions at pennies per hour to replace entire industries in the West is *exactly* the same

    this is actually 100% comparable to how those nasty fight for 15 vermin are gonna be replaced by friendly helpful robots

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  80. That’s how I feel about the guys who do my yardwork and shovel my snow, but some asshole is building a wall to keep them out.

    nk (dbc370) — 4/4/2018 @ 6:12 pm

    Can’t Tomas Sawyer and Negrito Santiago pole up El Gran Rio?

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  81. If you’re going to argue for tariffs, make honest arguments.

    nk (dbc370) — 4/4/2018 @ 6:35 pm

    It’s a tax you can choose to pay.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  82. I didn’t think we should be selling wheat to Russia during the Cold War and I didn’t think we should be buying rocket tubes from them after, but what do I know. I think the strongest argument is the one touched on by shipwreckedcrew — that “our” multinationals are partnering with the Chinese military, a knife being sharpened for our throats.

    nk (dbc370)

  83. here this is at least as good the combination as the choco-grapefruit

    it was kinda hard to get a crowd cause you could still smell the sardines a little bit

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  84. The lesbian mothers who went off the cliff, the media is trying to paint them as suicide.

    Problem is that section of highway 1 is all cliff and on good days with perfect clear visibility, no rain on the ground, that turnout is a posted 25 mph turn. You go too fast hopefully you bounce off the barrier and avoid the drink.
    Perfect days are few along the North coast. The overwhelming majority of days are overcast. Twilight is fog.

    The original story had it the van never braked engine full speed ahead into oblivion.

    Doesn’t sound right to me.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  85. Mr. Reverend now is the time to plant your victory garden just as the ground is starting to thaw
    this way the run-off nourishes the roots and tendrils of your freedom produce…

    I think The Farmer’s Almanac bases planting schedules around Wrestlemania.

    someplace obama slept
    happyfeet (28a91b) — 4/4/2018 @ 7:08 pm

    Tiffany Haddish is cute but she has an Obama mole all up in it like The State Department.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  86. Well the grain embargo, it was the late zbig brezinski’s idea, yes back in the 90s outfit like hambrecht and quist which brought the apple issue but also kept the lights on with salon, were partnered with Chinese darpa (costind)

    narciso (d1f714)

  87. The original story had it the van never braked engine full speed ahead into oblivion.

    i read where “the speedometer stuck at 90”

    is that really a thing?

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  88. you really do see a lot of movies

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  89. That’s how I feel about the guys who do my yardwork and shovel my snow, but some asshole is building a wall to keep them out.

    nk (dbc370) — 4/4/2018 @ 6:12 pm

    Can’t Tomas Sawyer and Negrito Santiago pole up El Gran Rio?
    Pinandpuller (01a5a3) — 4/4/2018 @ 7:30 pm

    Too shay.

    Tyey can at least overstay their visas.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  90. I finally saw Terminator 3. It was dumb. But at least it was not disgusting. Like Pirates of the Caribbean. How do the movie theaters sell any food or drink when they show those movies?

    nk (dbc370)

  91. The original story had it the van never braked engine full speed ahead into oblivion.

    i read where “the speedometer stuck at 90″

    is that really a thing?

    happyfeet (28a91b) — 4/4/2018 @ 8:02 pm

    It was on my Mustang.

    The CHP Officer told me that was no excuse when she gave me a ticket for going 125.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  92. i’m completely gay for Nick Stahl after Carnivale

    good texas boy and he’s working again and i hope his story is triumphal at the end in some crazy improbable way like how that iron man guy did

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  93. I deserved it.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  94. That was out 15 years ago, back when it was thought Arnold would stop jsgement day, not be its author, Claire Danes hasn’t really changed since then.

    narciso (d1f714)

  95. But to be fair, I wasn’t going largely over the speed of traffic on the I-5.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  96. It was on my Mustang.

    this was more like how the designated california authority figures realized the lesbians were suicidal maniacs cause the speedometer was “stuck at 90” when they recovered it

    from the icy waters

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  97. ever notice how Claire Danes and Jared Leto are never in the same room at the same time anymore

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  98. She asked me, “Do you know why I pulled you over?”

    I said, because, “I was the easiest one to catch.”

    That did me in.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  99. The original story had it the van never braked engine full speed ahead into oblivion.

    Doesn’t sound right to me.

    papertiger (c8116c) — 4/4/2018 @ 7:53 pm

    Self driving lesbians and robot lawyers. They’re the future.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  100. lesbians are so passionate

    love that about them

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  101. Happy, I wasn’t really going 125. That’s just how she wrote the ticket, but I was speeding.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  102. I kind of knew how dumb the movie would be when the lady Terminator manifests in a fashionable dress shop and walks out on the street naked to rob clothes off a passerby. But I kept watching anyway.

    nk (dbc370)

  103. when people say how you gotta fly under the radar in california they’re not just being cute Mr. 57

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  104. lesbians are so passionate

    love that about them
    happyfeet (28a91b) — 4/4/2018 @ 8:22 pm

    Also I sell turkey basters.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  105. I apologize to everyone for my last.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  106. She asked me, “Do you know why I pulled you over?”

    This is not a joke! That is an interrogator’s trick that dates back to at least the Inquisition. “Do you know why we have summoned/arrested you?” To get your guilty conscience to convict you out of your own mouth of crimes they might not even know about. Just say “No”.

    nk (dbc370)

  107. Well they have to be naked but also fashionable, Kristen had recently being in a top gunnish series with James brolin

    narciso (d1f714)

  108. Lol Steve57.

    A number of years ago I was driving a commercial truck combination that was governed to 72. Somehow the speedometer got stuck at 20mph which disabled the governor on I24 Eand at certain points felt incredibly dangerous. It didn’t just feel like it, it was. But I persisted.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  109. The trouble with female woman lesbian mammals is that breasts are persistent and ovulation hidden and that’s incredibly frustrating.

    As marmorkrebs became more popular, owners grew increasingly puzzled. The crayfish seemed to be laying eggs without mating. The progeny were all female, and each one grew up ready to reproduce.

    In 2003, scientists confirmed that the marbled crayfish were indeed making clones of themselves. They sequenced small bits of DNA from the animals, which bore a striking similarity to a group of crayfish species called Procambarus, native to North America and Central America.

    Ten years later, Dr. Lyko and his colleagues set out to determine the entire genome of the marbled crayfish. By then, it was no longer just an aquarium oddity.

    For nearly two decades, marbled crayfish have been multiplying like Tribbles on the legendary “Star Trek” episode. “People would start out with a single animal, and a year later they would have a couple hundred,” said Dr. Lyko.

    NYT’s

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  110. 24+ hours later i feel like the youtube shooter girl made some bad choices but she was a valuable member of humanity whereas i don’t know that automatically about google employees

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  111. … speaking of persian vegan lesbians with guns I mean

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  112. there’s actually really really good crawfish not far from me at The Angry Crab

    which I think is probably closer to Mr. nk than me

    do the “maniac” sauce

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  113. I kind of knew how dumb the movie would be when the lady Terminator manifests in a fashionable dress shop and walks out on the street naked to rob clothes off a passerby. But I kept watching anyway.

    nk (dbc370) — 4/4/2018 @ 8:24 pm

    As you say, khaleesi. Or is that the fourth movie?

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  114. I kind of knew how dumb the movie would be when the lady Terminator manifests in a fashionable dress shop and walks out on the street naked to rob clothes off a passerby. But I kept watching anyway.

    nk (dbc370) — 4/4/2018 @ 8:24 pm

    As you say, khaleesi. Or is that the fourth movie?

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  115. and while we’re on the subject of persian gun-toting lesbians what kind of grown-up heterosexual man says oh sure yes I’d like to “head the FBI”

    Mueller Comey Wray

    mi ritmo!

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  116. Well there is an obligatory scene in no 5, its even more muddled than btf2

    narciso (d1f714)

  117. To spate you the need to see it, the terminator went back to 1979, when he killed Sarah’s parents, but nit before the other terminator saves here, Kyle reuse is sent back to 1997, while Jon Connor played by the fellow now playing Ted Kennedy is possessed by skynet back in 2029, somehow he meets up with then in 2015, jk Simmons is playing the bewildered psychiatrists.

    narciso (d1f714)

  118. ’t just feel like it

    >

    In the Stang 90 felt like 55. And I can’t…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvV3nn_de2k

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  119. Mueller quellbar

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  120. 30 knots through the Tsugaru straight.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  121. It Works phonetically also wray is Stuart Sutcliffe in this scenario

    narciso (d1f714)

  122. “So how lucky is that, exactly? I believe I asked in comments a few days ago if Trumpkins here could enlighten me on any significant and successful negotiation that Trump has actually closed during the first third of his presidency.”

    Given that Congress doesn’t CLOSE things so much as move a big pile of money in very general directions (they don’r really even pass budgets anymore) this sounds pretty weaselly. Obamacare is simply the latest Schrodinger’s Bill, we’re kind of sure it exists but any attempt to measure it causes it to shift in shape and position. If you want Trump to bust into the Capitol, light the red lightsaber and shout I AM THE SENATE then just say so!

    “I did check back, but got no takers so far as I know. Are there any now? Any Trumpkins who can point to a successful example of Trump actually demonstrating the “Art of the Deal”?”

    He crushed DACA, just like he said he would, he tarriffed China, just like he said he would, he won the election, just like he said he would, he gutted the hell out of various active parasitical executive agencies just like he said he would, he smashed refugee admissions into the very low five figures, he brought the stock market roaring back so hard it keeps surging forward even as he bleeds the big monopolistic market leaders.

    “(PS: Gorsuch doesn’t count, that wasn’t a negotiation.”

    Y-you didn’t NEGOTIATE for this massive victory, all you did was cheer the players on as they executed it!

    “The tax cut bill doesn’t count, that was a negotiation, but between Schumer, Pelosi, McConnell, and Ryan over how just how much the GOP would capitulate to Dem funding demands, in a complete vacuum of meaningful presidential participation beyond his signature on the final product.)”

    Y-you didn’t NEGOTIATE according to the rules, all you did was highlight all the companies that were suddenly offering positions and raises thanks to the tax cut, why couldn’t you get dragged into the weeds of Congressional negotiation rather than doing boring Presidential stuff like running PR for it?

    Trump didn’t NEGOTIATE the need to send the military to the border either, he just signed a bill with a crapton of military money and then started hinted very strongly that he’d like to use it to build his wall, and that he’ll keep an expensive military force deployed on the border till he gets it to highlight the fact that it is in fact Congress’ fault that he isn’t done with it already!

    It’s like OFFICIAL NEGOTIATIONS are a trap that bugmen rope dumb people into accepting while the intelligent do their own thing in creative ways after all the dust has settled.

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  123. Speed is relative, nk.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  124. Now fake news is when Maggie ‘rizzotto tray’ haberman makes a claim without foundation, relying on anonymous, real news would have been reporting on if report when it was commissioned back in the summer of 2017, oddly no one had that story, what was being reported then?

    narciso (d1f714)

  125. Well, ok, but the next time you’re traveling with a body in the trunk and fail to signal a lane change and a cop pulls you over and asks “Do you know why I stopped you?” and he means the lane change and you say “Yeah, somebody told you I have a body in the trunk” don’t say I didn’t warn you.

    nk (dbc370)

  126. That might have happened in three days to kill, but the gendarme don’t seem to make those kind of stops.

    narciso (d1f714)

  127. He crushed DACA, just like he said he would

    Do you think we have no memory?

    He promised to “immediately eliminate” DACA.

    1.25 years into his term, it’s still not eliminated. He didn’t even pretend to start the process until nine months in.

    he tarriffed China, just like he said he would

    He tariffed *us*, not China.

    He promised to declare China a currency manipulator “on day one”. Are you gonna try to tell us he did that “just like he said he would” too?

    And that check from Mexico for 100% of the cost of the wall is in the mail, right?

    Dave (445e97)

  128. Thank you for reminding Mr, Dave, yes this would be about the penalty for currency manulTion

    narciso (d1f714)

  129. narciso, have you been watching J.K. Simmons in season one of “Counterpart”? I think he’s knocking it out of the park. Weird show, though — an unrequited but terribly nuanced and sweet love story, wrapped in a violent noir spy story, about interactions across a sort of “Checkpoint Charlie” in Berlin between two parallel universes, one ours, the other having branched off from ours (or from their perspective, ours from theirs) 30-odd years ago. I was afraid it would remind me too much of the “Patty Duke Show,” but Simmons avoids being cheesy.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  130. (I always expect him to turn to the camera, after every scene of major carnage and catastrophe, and to say, “Yup, and at Farmer’s, we covered it!” [cue the tag music] But that would be … cheesy.)

    Beldar (fa637a)

  131. Gosh, Dysp, thanks for your sprawling ramble in #123 above, in which you ranted and raved about something (I’m not sure what), but failed to identify a single deal that Trump has closed in the first third of his presidency.

    The point being: Is he a great deal negotiator? Judging by results, one must conclude that he’s not any kind of deal negotiator at all.

    You’ve nicely proved my point. You might want to see someone about that stutter, though.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  132. if it’s a good deal you can be goddamn sure it was negotiated by Mr. President Trump! (U.S.)

    the freshmaker!

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  133. @68. He’ll run a tab on Uncle Sam’s cuff, PP, and have another Kuddy Snark on the rocks:

    ‘I broke down…’ TV star and former Reagan adviser Larry Kudlow admits he’s still struggling with his drug and alcohol addiction after 18 years of being sober by Marie-louise Olson 11-22-2013

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511827/I-broke–TV-star-Reagan-adviser-Larry-Kudlow-admits-hes-struggling-drug-alcohol-addiction-18-years-sober.html#ixzz5Bm4tYBhh

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  134. since trump’s gone i been lost without a trace i dream at night i can only see His face

    oh wait there he is

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  135. 134.if it’s a good deal you can be goddamn sure it was negotiated by Mr. President Trump! (U.S.)

    And always know when to punt, pass or kick, Mr. Feet:

    http://www.espn.com/…/five-things-know-donald-trump-usfl-experience

    #1. Trump is widely blamed for the demise of the USFL

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  136. and you know what donny is widely blamed for the demise of donny and marie

    but she was all up into the opioids and he did everything he could

    he did everything he could and a damn sight more

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  137. I heard a radio ad for the Ted Kennedy movie and the last warning was (Contains),” Historical Smoking.” Hilarious.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  138. @138. Oh my, Mr. Feet, with those credentials Marie can easily replace Larry as CEA for the Fall TeeVee sweeps.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  139. . He’ll run a tab on Uncle Sam’s cuff, PP, and have another Kuddy Snark on the rocks:

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 4/4/2018 @ 11:04 pm

    I thought you were ok with socialized medicine. I bet if Conor McGregor fought Drugs and Alcohol he would last at least 12 rounds.

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  140. @139. Coffin nail warnings aside, isn’t Hope Floats a remake?

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  141. @141. I bet if Conor McGregor fought Drugs and Alcohol he would last at least 12 rounds.

    After the fifth, he’d lose it.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  142. 113.there’s actually really really good crawfish not far from me at The Angry Crab

    The Angry Crab… so Mr. Cruz is now a shellfish restauranteur, eh, Mr. Feet.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  143. We need to start confiscating kids from women. It’s for the children.

    The two young children of Carolina Panthers employee Christina Treadway were strangled to death by their mother hours before she killed herself, according to multiple reports.

    On Jan. 13, Treadway’s 7-year-old son Isaiah Miller and her 3-year-old daughter Iliyah Miller were found dead in their Charlotte home after their mother jumped to her death from a highway bridge.

    MSN

    Pinandpuller (01a5a3)

  144. “He crushed DACA, just like he said he would

    Do you think we have no memory?

    He promised to “immediately eliminate” DACA.”

    Again, if you want Trump to don the black hood, ignite the red lightsaber, and walk into every crazy bug-eyed federal court in America and yell I AM THE SUPREME COURT!!! before slaughtering every traitorous political appointee, then just say so. His pronouncements on DACAs death turned out to be much more prescient that everyone else’s pronouncements on DACA’s life, barring your people’s Perpetual Lawsuit Initiative.

    “1.25 years into his term, it’s still not eliminated. He didn’t even pretend to start the process until nine months in.”

    Which makes him light-years faster on this issue than any other Congress, or President.

    He tariffed *us*, not China.”

    Your “us” may not be U.S., if you get what I mean.

    “He promised to declare China a currency manipulator “on day one”. Are you gonna try to tell us he did that “just like he said he would” too?”

    He did declare as such. Unfortunately a whole lot of federal employees got extremely mad about enforcing the declaration until he left a large-enough pile of skulls to send the right message.

    “And that check from Mexico for 100% of the cost of the wall is in the mail, right?”

    Quite literally, yes. The ongoing remittances are literally available for farming anytime Congress wishes to reach out and take them. I suspect that their willingness to do so will wax much more greatly with the approaching elections. He’s already forced Mexico to stop a caravan with a tweet. Imagine what he can force them to relinquish once the rest of the Republicans start falling into line!

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  145. “Gosh, Dysp, thanks for your sprawling ramble in #123 above, in which you ranted and raved about something (I’m not sure what), but failed to identify a single deal that Trump has closed in the first third of his presidency.

    The point being: Is he a great deal negotiator? Judging by results, one must conclude that he’s not any kind of deal negotiator at all.”

    WHINE WHINE WHINE WHEN I GET CRUSHED IN A DEBATE I BURBLE SOMETHING ABOUT HOW YOU DIDN’T REALLY ANSWER IT ACCORDING TO MY CONSTANTLY-REDEFINING TERMS WHICH NEVER MATCH REALITY OR ATTEMPT COMPARISONS WITH OTHER PRESIDENTS IN SIMILAR POSITIONS.

    Go get a real job.

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  146. We need to start confiscating kids from women. It’s for the children.

    I heard a self important liberal a while back saying the same thing. As if future won’t judge us.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  147. “There are carrots and sticks in life. But [Trump’s] ultimately a free trader.”– Larry the Kudlow Guy

    Something your bartender told you, eh, Snowman: carrot sticks for Bloody Marys and swizzles for Kuddy Snarks on the rocks.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  148. Which makes him light-years faster on this issue than any other Congress, or President.

    You’re just inventing more false narrative.

    Since Congress didn’t pass it in the first place, Congress could not rescind it.

    The GOP congress supported the litigation (US vs. Texas) which successfully blocked DAPA and planned extensions to DACA. This happened years before Trump did anything.

    Trump promised to eliminate it “immediately”, and he didn’t. Period.

    Dave (445e97)

  149. As before…damn’ shame if it works out well.

    Richard Aubrey (10ef71)

  150. Trump promised to eliminate it “immediately”, and he didn’t. Period.
    Dave (445e97) — 4/5/2018 @ 3:21 am


    Are you whining again about a politician breaking a promise, cupcake? First just because someone makes a statement or identifies a goal does not make it a promise. Second, stop whining or go join the “march for our lives” with the other whiner, Hogg. You and that broken promise meme have become stupefyingly ridiculous.

    Rev.Hoagie (1b0402)

  151. Immediate gratification is the American Way Of Life, Hoagie. Has been since the Baby Boomers came of age to spend what their parents and grandparents had sweated and bled for, and taught it to the subsequent generations.

    But I don’t think Dave is being serious. It’s his version of “tatted-up tranny slutboy”.

    nk (dbc370)

  152. Cut ConDave some slack, Hoagie! He’s had issues ever since he was kicked out of the all-gurl band in Doncaster many years ago.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  153. ASPCA has gone snowblind…

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  154. good morning Mr. Patterico you’re not doing good defends on this post hope all is well let’s get some of that yellow comment action going

    meanwhile i love President Trump so much oh god i love him so much

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  155. Chanting “Free Trade good, tariffs bad” isn’t an argument. Repetitious insults and non-sequiturs may impress lawyers and ignorant dumbos, but no one else.

    Raising tariffs may decrease the number of goods imported, but how much depends on the goods involved and the ability to buy from other countries at a lower price.

    IOW, its complicated. And why isn’t Patterico attacking China for being so “STUPID”. After all, according to him, China should be reducing its tariffs no matter what Trump does. Because Tariffs are ALWAYS BAD. Right?

    rcocean (a72eb2)

  156. excellent point Mr. ocean and cogently argued

    you’re awesome

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  157. And why isn’t Patterico attacking China for being so “STUPID”. After all, according to him, China should be reducing its tariffs no matter what Trump does. Because Tariffs are ALWAYS BAD. Right?

    Patterico wrote:

    The irony here is that the tariffs China announced today hurt China more than they hurt us.

    In the post. What he did not do is put an audio clip right before it that said “Learn how to read!”

    nk (dbc370)

  158. the dirty chinese have anti-trade policies in place that go far beyond tariffs

    they’re like the mafia but with super-tiny testicles and absolutely no concept of honor

    plus they killed all the girls so the chineser boys don’t even know what to do with their day

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  159. @ Dysp: I have a real job, and you have no clue what a “debate” is. One of the rules of debating online, though, is that he who uses all-caps first loses.

    I am adding your name to my blocking list, and notify you thereof not because you’ll care, but so no one else will be surprised that I’m ignoring you ever after.

    Patterico, your comments are a swamp, with a small handful of diamonds in it, and only the blocker script makes it possible for me to continue visiting. This entire post is filled with hateful comments, most of them from sad chumps.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  160. I’m being serious to the extent that I want to push back against the fable that Trump is either
    a) honest, or
    b) effective

    He lied his @ss off during the campaign, promising everyone ridiculous, impossible sh*t, and (unsurprisingly, especially given his resolute ignorance and incorrigible laziness) he has delivered on basically none of it.

    He was conning gullible people then, and some of us pointed it out. And he’s still conning the same people, who are now reduced to trying to convince us that the sky is plaid and 2 + 2 = covfefe.

    Dave (445e97)

  161. I’ve actually read this entire page of comments so far, without using the blocking script, to see if any Trumpkins had attempted to identify a big deal Trump has negotiated and closed during the first third of his presidency.

    And even the sad chumps have bupkis.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  162. “@ Dysp: I have a real job, and you have no clue what a “debate” is. One of the rules of debating online, though, is that he who uses all-caps first loses. I am adding your name to my blocking list, and notify you thereof not because you’ll care, but so no one else will be surprised that I’m ignoring you ever after.”

    I will continue owning your impotent self-important ramblings with everyday facts and logic so hard that you’ll have no choice but to respond to other people who respond to you with “actually I think Dysph got this one pretty well.” One of the rules of Internet debating is that he who blocks first loses, after all.

    “Patterico, your comments are a swamp, with a small handful of diamonds in it, and only the blocker script makes it possible for me to continue visiting. This entire post is filled with hateful comments, most of them from sad chumps.”

    MISTAH MANAGEH, I WAS ASSAULTED BY MALICIOUS HATEFACTS, I CAN’T FUNCTION HEAH, I’M BEIN’ DISRESPECTED, I NEED DA AUTHORITIES TO SHUT THIS PLACE DOWN, PEOPLE IS POSTIN’ LOUD, LOUD LIKE A BOOOOMB!

    The all-purpose answer to this whiny claptrap is this instantly evergreen response:

    “you have a serious problem distinguishing short, medium, and long term scenarios, therefore if a power-mad judge appointed by Obama from a naked sauna lineup temporarily blocks something, well it’s all over, Trump has been checkmated just like I always knew he would from my bureaucratic cubicle

    fortunately Trump does not share your mentally fragile perspective, or else he’d just sit there in the middle of the stairs in the White House with his head in his hands weeping incontinently

    you also have a serious problem coping with the back and forth of politics, you seem to think anything less than an unending chain of escalating victories is failure, and you have amnesia for every positive development but a girlfriend-like total recall for every negative one

    snap out of it or maybe just find a hobby that doesn’t involve you getting triggered by minor news items”

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  163. eh, the last part is great too:

    “there are multiple theaters of conflict here and they can’t all be won overnight…contrary to your obnoxiously know-it-all tone, everyone here is aware that Trump is up against an entire political and corporate establishment that finds his entire agenda anathema…which is why the progress he has made on various fronts is encouraging, including massive unforced errors by the opposition, which blew its own much-desired push to force a DACA amnesty and got totally outmaneuvered by a rookie president (make no mistake, while ICE is in Trump’s hands, no one in the establishment is pleased with status quo)

    thank God for Trump’s boundless and endlessly replenishing energy, it is a refreshing change from the dour, self-pitying pessimism of conservatives who just love to always be losing”

    Dysphoria Sam (a3c41a)

  164. I’m using an old computer while the newer one is in the shop and this one still has a Patterico bookmark.

    I see nothing has changed except fewer commenters but just as many comments.

    Beldar, what will you attribute the Korea agreement to ?

    Mike K (b3dd19)

  165. “you have a serious problem distinguishing short, medium, and long term scenarios, therefore if a power-mad judge appointed by Obama from a naked sauna lineup temporarily blocks something, well it’s all over, Trump has been checkmated just like I always knew he would from my bureaucratic cubicle

    fortunately Trump does not share your mentally fragile perspective, or else he’d just sit there in the middle of the stairs in the White House with his head in his hands weeping incontinently

    you also have a serious problem coping with the back and forth of politics, you seem to think anything less than an unending chain of escalating victories is failure, and you have amnesia for every positive development but a girlfriend-like total recall for every negative one

    This. So much this, though more broadly applied.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  166. thank you Mr. Sam for reminding us about how wonderful our president is, President Donald Trump

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  167. “I’ve actually read this entire page of comments so far,”

    And the world can rest easier…

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  168. 166, that is weird since the Foxconn giveaway was not until this Fiscal Year (July 2017 to July 2018), late last calendar year (2017). Probably a lot of toot to the Uni system and Forest Rangers to freeze them up in November – 10 electoral votes arent cheap and they may have been needed (though with MI-PA-FL turning, not so much).

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  169. …. you seem to think anything less than an unending chain of escalating victories is failure, and you have amnesia for every positive development but a girlfriend-like total recall for every negative one


    Hahahaha. I believe Dysphoria Sam just called you a ****.

    Rev.Hoagie (1b0402)

  170. @ Mike K: What Korea agreement?

    Ask me a question that isn’t in the future tense.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  171. Beldar,

    This comment section is a waste of time. It has become a clone of Ace’s comment section, with a dash of LGF thrown in. It is being trolled but by people who do it willingly and without pay (although there may be one exception). It’s a shame to see this happen to Patterico.com and to Americans, and it has even changed my willingness to trust juries.

    DRJ (15874d)

  172. But I am glad to see Mike K. I hope you are well, Dr Mike.

    DRJ (15874d)

  173. nonono Ace’s comments are more stream of consciousness and snarky one-offs these ones here evince thoughtful minds eager to engage

    i love Mr. Sam he’s my new favorite commenter in america

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  174. I’m waiting to hear what the conservative solution is that addresses China’s widescale, long standing and egregious theft of America’s intellectual property and technology. How do we combat that? What tools can we use?

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  175. maybe we could do the FBI on them

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  176. lol just kidding

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  177. This may prove informative…or maybe not…

    Contrasting Forms of Discourse

    In observing the interaction between Pastor Wilson and his critics in the recent debate, I believe that we were witnessing a collision of two radically contrasting modes of discourse. The first mode of discourse, represented by Pastor Wilson’s critics, was one in which sensitivity, inclusivity, and inoffensiveness are key values, and in which persons and positions are ordinarily closely related. The second mode of discourse, displayed by Pastor Wilson and his daughters, is one characterized and enabled by personal detachment from the issues under discussion, involving highly disputational and oppositional forms of rhetoric, scathing satire, and ideological combativeness.

    When these two forms of discourse collide they are frequently unable to understand each other and tend to bring out the worst in each other. The first form of discourse seems lacking in rationality and ideological challenge to the second; the second can appear cruel and devoid of sensitivity to the first. To those accustomed to the second mode of discourse, the cries of protest at supposedly offensive statements may appear to be little more than a dirty and underhand ploy intentionally adopted to derail the discussion by those whose ideological position can’t sustain critical challenge. However, these protests are probably less a ploy than the normal functioning of the particular mode of discourse characteristic of that community, often the only mode of discourse that those involved are proficient in.

    To those accustomed to the first mode of discourse, the scathing satire and sharp criticism of the second appears to be a vicious and personal attack, driven by a hateful animus, when those who adopt such modes of discourse are typically neither personally hurt nor aiming to cause such hurt. Rather, as this second form of discourse demands personal detachment from issues under discussion, ridicule does not aim to cause hurt, but to up the ante of the debate, exposing the weakness of the response to challenge, pushing opponents to come back with more substantial arguments or betray their lack of convincing support for their position. Within the first form of discourse, if you take offence, you can close down the discourse in your favour; in the second form of discourse, if all you can do is to take offence, you have conceded the argument to your opponent, as offence is not meaningful currency within such discourse.

    I also don’t think that sufficient attention is given to the manner in which differing forms of education prepare persons for participation in these different modes of discourse. There is a form of education – increasingly popular over the last few decades – which most values cooperation, collaboration, quietness, sedentariness, empathy, equality, non-competitiveness, conformity, a communal focus, inclusivity, affirmation, inoffensiveness, sensitivity, non-confrontation, a downplaying of physicality, and an orientation to the standard measures of grades, tests, and a closely defined curriculum (one could, with the appropriate qualifications, speak of this as a ‘feminization’ of education). Such a form of education encourages a form of public discourse within which there is a shared commitment and conformity to the social and ideological dogmas and values of liberal society, where everyone feels secure and accepted and conflict is avoided, but at the expense of independence of thought, exposure to challenge, the airing of deep differences, and truth-driven discourse.

    https://alastairadversaria.com/2012/08/07/of-triggering-and-the-triggered-part-4/

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  178. Beldar @162: This entire post is filled with hateful comments, most of them from sad chumps.

    Beldar has zero tolerance for hateful comments, except when he’s dispensing them.

    random viking (6a54c2)

  179. You should be thanking him, random Viking.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  180. . The ongoing remittances are literally available for farming anytime Congress wishes to reach out and take them.

    Do you realize you admitted you are fine with the idea of the US government confiscating money belonging to private individuals at will?

    Kishnevi (871225)

  181. “But I am glad to see Mike K. I hope you are well, Dr Mike.”

    Thank you. I wish this blog was more interested in other opinions but I wish you well.

    Beldar might observe that I used the term “will” suggesting a future event.

    I get enough TDS at Ricochet so will see you all some day.

    Mike K (b3dd19)

  182. Only lawyers know what a sad chump is.

    mg (9e54f8)

  183. Thank you for that link, Scorcher – it looks like a very interesting blog. I think discourse (and the structure of discourse) is a particularly important thing to think about in this day and age.

    Leviticus (efada1)

  184. “it has even changed my willingness to trust juries.”

    – DRJ

    Funny that you should mention that. It has played a large role in a similar shift in my own thinking.

    Leviticus (efada1)

  185. @155 Colonel Haiku

    Is that a Spinal Tap or Monty Python reference?

    Just a random thought: does Stratocaster mean Roman Camp in the Sky?

    Pinandpuller (87174f)

  186. Haiku,

    I commend Trump for selling upgraded F16 fighter components to Taiwan and for strengthening our military. Strength is what dictatorships like China respect. I hope Trump will also empower our military and national security agencies to counter and reciprocate any cyber incursions from China. Tariffs may sting but cyberattacks can maim.

    However, the real issue is Taiwan. I greatly fear Trump will cave on long-term support for Taiwan in order to get short-term concessions from the Chinese. I think that would be a disastrous mistake.

    DRJ (15874d)

  187. Lawyers have been corrupting juries forever.

    mg (9e54f8)

  188. “it has even changed my willingness to trust juries.”

    Welcome to the club. Many of us lost our willingness to trust lawyers many years ago.

    A few years ago, I got rejected from jury duty presumably for giving an honest answer that blew away the premise to a question from a prosecutor, a question posed directly to me. The prosecutor subsequently pretended he did not even hear my response to the question, segueing into an analogy about making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It was that moment that really drove home to me the underlying realities in the movie And Justice For All. And I’m certainly no fan of Hollywood.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  189. Ricardian economics and Adam Smith theorizing is all about the ‘greatest good for the greatest number’, and they don’t care who specifically benefits from it. Could be honorable American people, could be Chinese robber barons and Indian slave drivers…we’re just telling you that this is the greatest of all possible goods!

    Not making this as clear and upfront as possible makes YOU the coward.

    I’ve made it clear that Americans are hurt by tariffs, dipstick.

    Patterico (952b17)

  190. I’m using an old computer while the newer one is in the shop and this one still has a Patterico bookmark.

    I see nothing has changed except fewer commenters but just as many comments.

    Best of luck on getting your new one fixed.

    Patterico (952b17)

  191. Welcome to the club. Many of us lost our willingness to trust lawyers many years ago.

    A few years ago, I got rejected from jury duty presumably for giving an honest answer that blew away the premise to a question from a prosecutor

    Sounds like the prosecutor did his or her job in smoking you out.

    Patterico (952b17)

  192. I think discourse (and the structure of discourse) is a particularly important thing to think about in this day and age.

    I find the discourse on various blogs to be very much moderated by the degree of vitriol in the nature of the originating post. Much of the rough-and-tumble that goes on at Ace is due to the pugnacious nature of most of the articles there. Not being critical as I have significant appreciation for such. But what I do find disturbing is when such contentious language is used in a post and then someone like CBD (what kind of conservative mates a beloved childhood character with a sex toy for their ‘nick?) or Sefton comes riding in all fists up when they get an equally challenging comment in the Moronosphere.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  193. This comment section is a waste of time. It has become a clone of Ace’s comment section, with a dash of LGF thrown in.

    This is a rare moment of disagreement for us. There is no DRJ or Beldar or Leviticus or nk or aphrael or Dustin or Ed from SFV or [many others could be listed] at Ace’s.

    Yes, the place is largely overrun by Trumpers, but that’s a reflection of what Republicanism has become.

    Patterico (952b17)

  194. 189… no, PandP, ConDave really was, per his own admission, tossed from an all-gurl band over in England. I embellished the story with “Doncaster”, as that was where my paternal grandmother was from. I know she would’ve tossed his butt just on general principles.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  195. Sounds like the prosecutor did his or her job in smoking you out.

    Sure. So long as the job is not primarily to seek justice for the state, victim, or accused but to smoke out from jury pools people capable of independent thought rather than those easily led by a ring in the nose. And now we’re back to how people feel about lawyers. A pretty circle.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  196. Patterico, your comments are a swamp, with a small handful of diamonds in it, and only the blocker script makes it possible for me to continue visiting. This entire post is filled with hateful comments, most of them from sad chumps.

    The diamonds are what keep me coming back. I mostly ignore or mock the swamp.

    Patterico (952b17)

  197. 190… DRJ… I agree on Taiwan. I hope there would be something short of full on cyber warfare that would stop the Chinese. They will not allow American businesses to operate in their country without sharing the intellectual property and technology, as I understand it. But it’s one thing to go in with that understanding and another thing entirely when the Chinese steal it outright, which they’ve done for quite a while, our protests be damned.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  198. The tone isn’t set by the commenters.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  199. Commenters react to the tone. Guilt all the way around.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  200. Patterico, those people are rarely here and when we/they do show up, they are not welcome.

    DRJ (15874d)

  201. The tone of the posts during the Obama years was not happy or approving, so don’t blame Patterico. What has changed is that most of us agreed then and we don’t now. It gives me added respect for people like aphrael who remained polite despite disagreeing, but he came and went a lot. I find myself doing the same.

    DRJ (15874d)

  202. you just call out my name and you know wherever i am

    i’m a be running see you again

    yeah yeah yeah guitar solo

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  203. Commenters react to the tone. Guilt all the way around.

    Nope. Just another lame attempt on your part to shame me for not kissing Trump’s ass as much as you would like. I just checked and turns out I feel no guilt.

    Patterico, those people are rarely here and when we/they do show up, they are not welcome.

    You’re all very welcomed as far as I am concerned.

    I’m off this week and have not been good about monitoring comments. But to me, even if there is one sane comment for every 10 or 20, I treasure that sane comment. And you won’t find that sane comment at Ace’s, where the blog proprietor has gone so Trumpy he now calls people “cucks” without irony.

    Patterico (952b17)

  204. Best of luck on getting your new one fixed.

    Patterico (952b17)

    Thank, Patrick.

    The old one is a 20 year old MacBook Pro. The new one is a Macbook Air. The drive was too small and then several keys came detached so I took it in and had those fixed and a new SSD installed for 400 bucks. My wife was going to give me a new one for Christmas but I decided to save money. Two months later, more keys are loose and they will have to replace the whole top case. That will be $600. So, instead of $1100 for a new one, I will pay $1000 for the old one fixed up.

    I inherited my business sense from m y father, I fear.

    Have a good year.

    Mike K (b3dd19)

  205. The tone of the posts during the Obama years was not happy or approving, so don’t blame Patterico. What has changed is that most of us agreed then and we don’t now.

    I think “I hate the politician currently in office” is going to be my “tone” for the rest of the time I’m blogging. When that politician is a Democrat, people will be happy. When it’s Trump, they’ll be sad. I can take it. I write for the very few who are intellectually honest. The rest can go hang. Not literally. It’s an expression.

    Patterico (952b17)

  206. there are a lot of people what made very good arguments in favor of President Trump’s trade strategies you know

    i liked reading them it made me feel like i wasn’t so alone

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  207. The tone isn’t set by the commenters.

    It most assuredly is.

    Patterico (952b17)

  208. That’s not what I’m saying, Patterico. There’s a wide landscape between calling the POTUS what you call him, which is usually everything but a child of God, rank expletives included, and “kissing his ass”.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  209. That you can’t see that is a shame.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  210. thank God for Trump’s boundless and endlessly replenishing energy

    Yeah, firing off hate-tweets while watching Fox & Friends leaves plenty of gas in the tank for a round or three of golf…

    Dave (445e97)

  211. Lawyers are never popular, but I find it interesting that the vitriol against lawyers has stepped up considerably in the Age of Trump. The Rule of Law is a joke to these people; all that matters is “winning” (actually, they seem fine with losing as long as he seems to be “fighting”) and getting one’s way. Objective standards are derided as an obstacle to real-world issues.

    The only question is whether this is a phase which will pass.

    Patterico (952b17)

  212. That is another thing we disagree about. I don’t come here for one or two comments. I come here for the commenters I don’t agree with, because I want to understand what they think and why they think it. (They generally think I am attacking them because I ask questions, sometimes hard questions, but the ability to defend beliefs is an important part of testing beliefs.) But now that Trump is President, attacking the questioner is much more common now. Maybe it’s because that is what Trump does. He clearly believes attacking people is much easier than debating issues, but it’s a waste of time to me.

    DRJ (15874d)

  213. That’s not true. Some of us have great stories. Pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that’s their story: good times, noodle salad. What makes it so hard isn’t that you had it bad, but that you’re that pissed that so many others had it good.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  214. It’ll pass as soon as they stop adding unneeded cost and detrimental impact to society. They adversely impact nearly every facet of modern life.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  215. But they are needed… perhaps a vaccine to combat the negative characteristics and behaviors will be found. Okay, i’m Kidding about that.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  216. Government impacts our lives far more than lawyers ever could, but Trump supporters don’t want to rein in Trump.

    DRJ (15874d)

  217. That’s not what I’m saying, Patterico. There’s a wide landscape between calling the POTUS what you call him, which is usually everything but a child of God, rank expletives included, and “kissing his ass”.

    You’ve moderated your own aggressive tone recently, Haiku, and I should recognize that (as I do appreciate it and I have noticed it) and respond in kind.

    I guess my dominant reaction is that all you really seem to care about is whether a post is favorable to Trump. I don’t think you really care about my tone at all. I think you care about whether I am being positive to Trump, or negative to Trump. Period, full stop.

    My tone could be nasty to Democrats without restraint, and you would not disapprove. You’d go around quoting my passages on other blogs. If I started using “cuck” unironically — which is a pretty big departure in tone for Ace, by the way — you’d be fine with it as long as the people I labeled “cucks” were anti-Trump.

    So I can’t take you too seriously when you dip your toe in the waters of concern trolldom at my tone. Tone is not the issue for you. Favorability to Trump is.

    Even after he signed the omnibus, there is no real change in attitudes towards him here. What does that say about the importance of policy?

    Even after he signed the omnibus.

    Patterico (952b17)

  218. That is another thing we disagree about. I don’t come here for one or two comments. I come here for the commenters I don’t agree with, because I want to understand what they think and why they think it. (They generally think I am attacking them because I ask questions, sometimes hard questions, but the ability to defend beliefs is an important part of testing beliefs.) But now that Trump is President, attacking the questioner is much more common now. Maybe it’s because that is what Trump does. He clearly believes attacking people is much easier than debating issues, but it’s a waste of time to me.

    Attacking the questioner has always been the standard here, I think. There has always been a pile-on mentality when someone challenges the thinking of the majority. (Obviously, that’s hardly unique to this site.) It’s much easier to spot when you’re the target, but I think the lefties have faced that here forever — usually without grace, but (very rarely) with patience and levelheadedness.

    As you note, someone like aphrael has endured a lot of garbage over the course of a lot of years, and persists, which I admire. I couldn’t do it.

    I have always tried to combat the pile-on mentality — sometimes more successfully than others.

    Even today, I’m not happy with the way I am responding to people who disagree with me. Even in this comment thread. All I can do is try to recognize it and try to do better.

    Patterico (952b17)

  219. y’all are so close to understanding

    the key thing to really get your head around is that yes yes yes this is the age of trump

    there was such a smug certainty on behalf of the failmerican ruling class romney hillary mccain cnn paulryan (slickedupandready) jeb jeb jeb jeb jeb

    such a smug certainty that they’d accounted for all the variables that the sleigh ride would go on forever

    whose woods these are they thought they knew

    but whoopsie daisy here’s President Trump

    and it’s a beautiful testament to freedom and possibility

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  220. i like this but some people think it’s not funny

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  221. Attacking the questioner has always been the standard here,

    Really? I know it happens but there was a time when commenters addressed the ideas, not the messenger. Attacking the messenger was the exception, not the rule.

    DRJ (15874d)

  222. So is mipollie Hemingway a trumpkin, is. Lee Smith, is Sarah carter, those are three who have unravels the carp Glenn Simpson has shoveled for a year and a half.

    Re tariffs has the world really changed so utterly since the 19th and early 3020th century, yes one should thread the needle between fordney/mccumber and smooth Hawley.

    narciso (d1f714)

  223. The Rule of Law is a joke to these people;

    No. These people, as you call them, well some of them anyway, have come to realize that the law in practice has gone far afield from what they were sold vs. what they are receiving in practice. This is one of the primary reasons the principle of government is best what governs least has worked so well for Western civilization. The separation of law, what must be for a society to function, from morality, a very subjective beast.

    The main problem with law, as alluded to by someone else above (“get a real job” or some such), is that it is, or gradually becomes, sufficiently divorced from reality such that it only exists and thus can only be understood by what goes on in the various heads of lawyers and judges. It is not informed by reality until way too late. A poorly built building or bridge will fall quite quickly. A poorly run restaurant will go broke. An improperly installed toilet will…well leave that to your imagination. But bad law, as it is a natural extension of government, will endure for generations. See Wickard v. Filburn as my favorite example, but there are sooo many others.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  224. Really? I know it happens but there was a time when commenters addressed the ideas, not the messenger. Attacking the messenger was the exception, not the rule.

    I suppose it’s a matter of opinion but I think it happened a lot. I tried to be sensitive to it because I wanted debate, so I tried to step in when I saw it happening.

    Very often the people being piled on were asking for it. Obviously you aren’t, and Beldar isn’t. I try to be more aggressive when the piling on is unfair. It may be that I was absent this week because we’re on vacation.

    Patterico (952b17)

  225. “Attacking the messenger was the exception, not the rule.”

    – DRJ

    Eeeehhhhh, it has pretty much always depended on who is being engaged/challenged. Some people respond better to critical inquiry than others, as you have seen recently (e.g. in your attempts to ask questions of BuDuh).

    Leviticus (efada1)

  226. So is mipollie Hemingway a trumpkin

    Yes.

    Patterico (952b17)

  227. Skorcher,

    There is much justice in what you say.

    Patterico (952b17)

  228. Unless you think that Fortney mccumber was a step too far, I know I’m not being clear enough.

    So what to do with china practicing currency manipulation and dumping of commodities, take it up with the wto now seriously. China’s resource acquisition goes from koltan and uranium in the Congo, to oil in Sudan, to a basket of rare earths in the rakhine province of bursa.

    narciso (d1f714)

  229. The law is a tool, an instrument often for good, but more than it should happen, cam be usedcto freer the guilty and Tao the innocent.

    narciso (d1f714)

  230. “I guess my dominant reaction is that all you really seem to care about is whether a post is favorable to Trump. I don’t think you really care about my tone at all. I think you care about whether I am being positive to Trump, or negative to Trump. Period, full stop.

    My tone could be nasty to Democrats without restraint, and you would not disapprove. You’d go around quoting my passages on other blogs. If I started using “cuck” unironically — which is a pretty big departure in tone for Ace, by the way — you’d be fine with it as long as the people I labeled “cucks” were anti-Trump.

    So I can’t take you too seriously when you dip your toe in the waters of concern trolldom at my tone. Tone is not the issue for you. Favorability to Trump is.

    Even after he signed the omnibus, there is no real change in attitudes towards him here. What does that say about the importance of policy?

    Even after he signed the omnibus.“

    ============================================
    Nope, wrong. I think his signature on Omnibus has the potential to define his presidency… and not in a good way. I feel considerably less charitable toward the Republican-controlled Congress.

    I don’t comment on politics anywhere else, only comment sporadically at specific car-related sites. And your tone has improved, as well. At one point it seemed like you were trying to top yourself each new day… and not in a good way with respect to Trump. There are still times we agree and that makes me happy.

    As for the Democrats, anyone who finds them to be good faith participants in our democracy who care about the future of our country and the lives of its citizens is clearly not paying attention in my estimation.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  231. Who and what empowers government?

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  232. Even today, I’m not happy with the way I am responding to people who disagree with me

    You mean like calling me a liar because I disagree with you ?

    That’s what drove me away.

    There are leftists attacking me at Althouse with vicious obscene comments but the blogger stays neutral.

    I used to debate at leftist blogs like Washington Monthly until they banned me because I don;t support single payer.

    You are the only one who called me a liar, Patrick.

    Mike K (b3dd19)

  233. “Favorability” to Trump is not the issue I have with the tone, it’s factual unfairness. Like relying on a throw-.off line from an anti-Trump partisan as “proof” of a contentious issue and then abandoning the fight without acknowledging the factual error in that partisan’s analysis. “He said it and he was appointed by the GOP say who are you to complain?”

    The anti-Trump posts always begin with the presumption – often buttressed with reporting from such paragons of impartiality as the NYT and WaPo- that Trump is wrong or has screwed up because he’s Trump after all. And sometimes the critical thinking goes no further.

    Shipwreckedcrew (885b2a)

  234. I’m sure it’s been said, but tariffs on commodities from a single are a waste of time. Instead of us selling beef to China, we sell to France, France buys less from Argentina and Argentina ships to China. This is the same reason we don’t embargo Venezuelan oil.

    China would have to put tariffs on everyone’s beef imports for it to hurt the US, and they won’t. Same with other commodities.

    To the extent they purchase manufactured goods, that CAN hurt. But two can play that game and we only buy manufactured goods from China. They need our market far more than we need theirs.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  235. *single SOURCE

    Kevin M (752a26)

  236. i think the omnibus in context is very very interesting and the context is that President Trump’s fortunes are yoked to the failmerican economy and what do we know about the economy

    we know he inherited an economy way overdue for a recession what was only ever not in one cause of the sleazy federal reserve kept the training wheels on the food stamp administration for all 8 years while it raped the mother-loving crap out of jobs and industry and innovation

    and now food stamp’s gone and holy crap they realize they have to raise rates again

    and percentage-wise these increases are effing HUGE big like christmas santa claus easter bunny and happy hour popcorn shrimp all rolled up into one

    holy toledo these rate increases are huge and they are huge

    so when the slutty paulryan republicans hand him this stimulative fiscal omnibus

    what to do what to do

    i do not envy President Trump’s dilemma

    but I feel he chose the path of wisdom in the big picture and lost this battle that we might yet win the war

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  237. You mean like calling me a liar because I disagree with you ?

    That’s what drove me away.

    If I called you a liar, it would be because you lied, not because you disagreed with me.

    If you would like to dispute that, produce the links and quotes. You won’t, I confidently predict, because I don’t call people liars for simply disagreeing with me.

    You repeatedly said that “TDS” was what drove you away. But you never seemed to stay driven away. You still don’t.

    Patterico (952b17)

  238. “Favorability” to Trump is not the issue I have with the tone, it’s factual unfairness. Like relying on a throw-.off line from an anti-Trump partisan as “proof” of a contentious issue and then abandoning the fight without acknowledging the factual error in that partisan’s analysis. “He said it and he was appointed by the GOP say who are you to complain?”

    The anti-Trump posts always begin with the presumption – often buttressed with reporting from such paragons of impartiality as the NYT and WaPo- that Trump is wrong or has screwed up because he’s Trump after all. And sometimes the critical thinking goes no further.

    Nope. You’re fine with citing Big Media posts if they support Trump or a pro-Trump point or an attack on Trump opponents. The single and only time I get criticized for citing Big Media is when they oppose Trump.

    And I don’t take what Big Media says as gospel either. Neither do I disbelieve everything they report just because they’re Big Media. I take it case by case.

    I don’t find “you are always factually unfair” or “you never show critical thinking” accusations to be particularly helpful or fostering a positive discussion, frankly. Then again, relitigating something we have already discussed to death is not something I cherish either. Perhaps you could use your critical thinking to discuss this post and the things I say in this post, rather than engage in yet another tired generalized broadside against me.

    It’s actually remarkable to see how the Trumpers trumpet reports from Big Media when they like the facts being reported. The level of “critical thinking” that goes into reports that calls Hillary’s financial shenanigans into question, for example, is generally non-existent. (swc, you have at times been a refreshing exception on that front.)

    Patterico (952b17)

  239. Perhaps we should take up a collection to get Mike K’s new computer fixed faster.

    I feel uncharitable saying that, but I don’t appreciate his false accusations and it’s making me irritable.

    Patterico (952b17)

  240. Patterico,

    I for one don’t care if a post is favorable to Trump or not, but WHY it says what it says and whether the criticism (or praise) is justified. I have not yet seen unjustified praise of Trump in your powers, but I have seen unjustified or ill-considered criticism.

    For example, suggesting that tariffs on commodities from one country have any meaningful effect on anyone (except the receiving country) is economically unsound. This MAY even apply to cars, given the many sources and types. Tariffs on ALL imports of a commodity do have an effect, but that’s not what is considered here.

    China is living in a glass house, as ALL its exports are manufactured goods, and many have no easy alternative market. Not being able to sell cellphones into the US would hurt, for example, as all the other markets are saturated (and generally use different frequencies anyway). We’d be hurting ourselves, too, but the point of all this isn’t protectionism. It’s to get people negotiating.

    China’s real weapon is its Treasury holdings, but even then it’s a two-edged sword. They cannot use it without harming themselves at least as badly.

    All in all, China knows that they need the West more than the West needs them. And that simple fact means we will win.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  241. *in your POSTS.

    Damn fingers.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  242. The anti-Trump posts always begin with the presumption – often buttressed with reporting from such paragons of impartiality as the NYT and WaPo- that Trump is wrong or has screwed up because he’s Trump after all.

    Arriving at the right result by an totally incorrect method is as bad as getting a wrong result by an totally incorrect method – in some ways worse, since getting the wrong result exposes the defectiveness of the method to correction, while getting the right result appears to validate it.

    You’ll get zero credit for it on a physics exam, and the same should be true in law, or public policy. And for the same reasons.

    Dave (445e97)

  243. i dismiss almost all of the animosity against our president, President Donald Trump

    cause almost all of it’s just empty and relatively unreflective social positioning i think

    and come a few years in the harsh light of retrospect it’s gonna be really interesting to revisit

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  244. You’ll get zero credit for it on a physics exam, and the same should be true in law, or public policy. And for the same reasons.

    Getting the wrong result by the RIGHT method should also get you squat. If the bridge falls down, nobody cares that your method was correct.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  245. I for one don’t care if a post is favorable to Trump or not, but WHY it says what it says and whether the criticism (or praise) is justified. I have not yet seen unjustified praise of Trump in your powers, but I have seen unjustified or ill-considered criticism.

    For example, suggesting that tariffs on commodities from one country have any meaningful effect on anyone (except the receiving country) is economically unsound.

    I’m not sure you said what you meant to say, but I actually agree with the last sentence of the quote. It is therefore a bad example of proof that my views are unjustified or ill-considered, since you’re just restating what I have argued here in post after post.

    For example, tariffs on commodities from one country (China) into the U.S. have little meaningful effect on anyone except those in the receiving country (the U.S.). Quite so! The tariffs we impose mainly have an effect on Americans (those in the receiving country), because the tariffs hurt those of us who must pay more for goods.

    I have said this again and again.

    Patterico (952b17)

  246. Again, the textbook exercise in economic theory ignores realities of the geopolitical marketplace.

    China isn’t trying to acquire US marketshare simply to maximize Chinese company profits through economies of scale – making selling us cheap goods good for them and good for us — China is maneuvering itself into a market dominant position so suppress other entrants in to the market, and then manipulate the markets to its advantage.

    This is the boogeyman that anti-monopolists have always cited: the prospect that monopolies will drive out all competition and then jack up prices. The thing is, no such thing has ever happened — except with the help of the government.

    Patterico (952b17)

  247. Getting the wrong result by the RIGHT method should also get you squat. If the bridge falls down, nobody cares that your method was correct.

    Getting the wrong result by the (partially) right method gets you partial credit.

    Getting the wrong result by the (completely) right method is impossible, by definition.

    Dave (445e97)

  248. If China engages in theft of intellectual property, as Don Boudreaux argued in the YouTube video I posted a while back, we can certainly respond to that. Tariffs are the wrong way to do it, and in any case the citation of IP as a justification is but a fig leaf for Trump’s real motive, which is patently rank protectionism. He has made no bones about this, and cites section 301 only as a way to grab authority for the protectionism he foolishly seeks as an economic illiterate.

    Patterico (952b17)

  249. Trump really *is* a miracle worker:

    Rachel Maddow Beats Sean Hannity, Takes Title As Most-Watched Cable News Host

    A pox on both their houses…

    Dave (445e97)

  250. again people are not seeing the trees at all

    these wonderful tariffs are shining a spotlight on the dirty and mercenary practices of the sneaky chinesers

    when you look closely at how those nasty people do business it’s really not a flattering picture (the ugly practices of a very base and devolved culture)

    they have no concept of reciprocity, being so base and devolved culturally as they are

    and the chinesers have grown very very prideful and arrogant (snooty chinesers yuck)

    they do not like how people are suddenly looking at them like they are nasty and dirty

    they don’t like it that people are talking about their thieving and deceitful dirty communist ways

    they don’t like it one little bit no sir

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  251. China follows the only view of capitalism, they were exposed to, the robber baron, with borrowings from the godfather.

    narciso (d1f714)

  252. This post about Obama’s birth certificate dated in December 2008 had 291 comments and clearly included personal attacks (including attacks on Patterico), but they were comparatively rare attacks. Most of those comments were substantive and treated the personal attacks with humor/disdain. IMO the tone has changed.

    DRJ (15874d)

  253. Umm .. I have not seen unjustified praise in your posts menas that when you praise Trump it is always for things that ought to be praised.

    But sometimes (not always) your criticism of Trump is a bit broad. Like this post, for the reasons I mentioned.

    And I *do* think that these tariffs are [clumsy] attempts to get China to negotiate other problems, since tariffs in themselves are almost always negative-sum. Maybe I give Trump’s people too much credit, but Trump comes from a business world where “hostage-taking” is common. “Do this or I screw with that” both by Trump and to him.

    It seems in character that he would be throwing tantrums in order to get attention, rather than just throwing tantrums making a stink in order to get negotiations happening, rather than just making the stink.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  254. But you never seemed to stay driven away. You still don’t.

    I see nothing has changed,. Bye.

    Mike K (b3dd19)

  255. Getting the wrong result by the (partially) right method gets you partial credit.

    Not where I went to school. Then again, it was 30 years before anyone ever pulled a 4.0 at Mudd.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  256. Except for streiff, red state seems inveterately directed at scoring the latest aha, that the left trots out, Susan wright is a multiple offender on this regard.

    narciso (d1f714)

  257. Or, Trump could be starting a trade war because he thinks it’s the right thing to do, Kevin M:

    It is increasingly clear that Trump and his senior advisers are preoccupied by what they see as an economic threat from China. This is the prism through which they view all of Asia, except possibly for the North Korean nuclear threat. Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist, said that the president believes that U.S. support for globalization has created a middle class in China at the expense of American workers. As Trump and his trade advisers, Robert Lighthizer and Peter Navarro, see it, China is waging an economic war against the U.S. by means of unfair trade practices, currency manipulation, intellectual property theft and the use of state-owned enterprises.

    They are determined to retaliate and believe they can win a trade war. They are even willing to take actions that hurt the U.S. economy as long as they hurt China more.

    It might work to the extent it will cause pain, but isn’t there more risk than a normal business deal? How many of Trump’s business adversaries have a military and control the world’s second-largest economy?

    DRJ (15874d)

  258. Nope. You’re fine with citing Big Media posts if they support Trump or a pro-Trump point or an attack on Trump opponents. The single and only time I get criticized for citing Big Media is when they oppose Trump.

    Lordy. If Fox ran a positive story about Obama, I would be inclined to believe it 100%. Same if CNN, NYT or WaPo did for Trump.

    When Fox runs the usual glowing report about Trump, or when Big Media runs an anti-Trump piece, it should be met with a huge dose of skepticism.

    I hope this isn’t hard to understand.

    random viking (b80e5f)

  259. 189… no, PandP, ConDave really was, per his own admission, tossed from an all-gurl band over in England. I embellished the story with “Doncaster”, as that was where my paternal grandmother was from. I know she would’ve tossed his butt just on general principles.

    Are you saying Tory Spice didn’t get on with the rest?

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a) — 4/5/2018 @ 10:00 am

    The Earl of Doncaster came up in a Black Adder episode, that’s what I was thinking about.

    Baldrick: Why not make her think you prefer the company of men?
    Edmund: But I do, Baldrick, I do!
    Baldrick: No, no, My Lord. I mean, erm, the, er, intimate company of men…?
    Edmund: You don’t mean…like the Earl of Doncaster…?
    Baldrick: I mean just like the Earl of Doncaster.
    Edmund: That great radish? That steaming great left-footer? The Earl of Doncaster, Baldrick, has been riding side-saddle since he was seventeen.
    Baldrick: Mm! And who would want to marry the Earl of Doncaster?
    Edmund: Well, no-one wou– (realises) Brilliant! Of course! No- one would marry the Earl of Doncaster! … except, perhaps, the Duke of Beaufort.

    The Queen of Spain’s Beard

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  260. One thing about Trump that bothers me is how easily he takes risks with other people’s money. I hope he doesn’t risk lives that easily.

    DRJ (15874d)

  261. It seems in character that he would be […] making a stink in order to get negotiations happening, rather than just making the stink.

    He’s basically turned the US into the equivalent of a vexatious pro se litigant, trying to outmaneuver professionals who actually know what they’re doing.

    Dave (445e97)

  262. One thing about Trump that bothers me is how easily he takes risks with other people’s money. I hope he doesn’t risk lives that easily.

    after watching stupid soldier-butchering george w bush roll the dice in iraq and afghanistan to the tune of trillions of dollars and thousands of dead tatters and come a total crapper it’s hard to take this complain seriously

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  263. Not where I went to school.

    That’s odd. According to Mudd’s own statement on “judging performance”:

    Faculty assign grades that measure not only performance on tests and assignments but a level of mastery of the subject matter as well.

    Knowing enough to get 90% of the way to a correct solution demonstrates a higher level of mastery than writing your name on the exam and turning it in blank, don’t you think?

    Dave (445e97)

  264. You might like this happyfeet

    Warning: Language and Historical Smoking

    Billy Connolly Potatoes of the Night

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  265. He lied his @ss off during the campaign, promising everyone ridiculous, impossible sh*t, and (unsurprisingly, especially given his resolute ignorance and incorrigible laziness) he has delivered on basically none of it.

    Dave (445e97) — 4/5/2018 @ 8:21 am

    So you admit he was ready to be president on Day One?

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  266. i’ll watch it for sure in a bit but work isn’t letting me watch it right now

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  267. I’ve actually read this entire page of comments so far, without using the blocking script, to see if any Trumpkins had attempted to identify a big deal Trump has negotiated and closed during the first third of his presidency.

    And even the sad chumps have bupkis.

    Beldar (fa637a) — 4/5/2018 @ 8:25 am

    I don’t think you would characterize me as a sad chump. I will say that I agree with you that you can look long and hard for deals closed by good negotiation in the past however many months. Part of that is his fault for undercutting his own side and part of that is his own side undercutting him. But I look at the Trump Presidency and I see that infamous portrait of Obama fading like Marty McFly and I’m generally ok with it.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  268. @265. He’s a transient. The party is at war with itself and in the process of purging the conservatism of ’64. That’s why a Mona Charren gets booed at CPAC. Ponder what comes after Trump– and make it easy on yourself because there isn’t a preachy Ted Cruz in that future.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  269. Mr Beldar

    Just as a side issue did No Fault Divorce make negotiating easier or harder for lawyers, in your opinion?

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  270. @273. PP, fossils tell a story set in stone. But the skies are always blue and the bakeries full of fresh warm bread in East Berlin.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  271. Chinese crime syndicate’s alleged pot grows lead to seizure of 100 homes in Sacramento area

    In the largest operation of its kind, federal agents swept across the Sacramento region Tuesday and Wednesday targeting about 75 homes serving as suspected marijuana growing sites that authorities say are operated by a Chinese organized crime syndicate.

    The raids, which involved more than 500 federal, state and local agents, hit homes from Elk Grove to Sacramento to rural areas and are aimed at forcing the forfeiture of about 100 homes to the federal government, an effort valued at hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate and marijuana.

    “This represents one of the largest residential forfeiture efforts in the nation’s history,” the U.S. Justice Department said.

    The investigation began in 2014 as authorities began to see an uptick in marijuana growing operations concealed in residential neighborhoods throughout the Sacramento area and escalated in the past year as agents used utility bills and sophisticated financial analysis to track millions of dollars coming from China into the United States for the purchase of the homes.

    Not against people making ends meet with a backyard pot patch, but when Chinese nationals set up industrial scale using the Democrat AGW fan fiction to patch rooftops (solar power subsidized by the gov no less) it drives up an already hyper inflated residential housing market.

    This has horrible secondary ramifications. “Lesbian” Brady Bunchs can’t find living arrangements for their broods, even when pooling their resources. And by the way I’m not buying into the media fiction that the unfortunate family that drove off the edge of the map the other day were in fact lesbians. I think that was media spin to draw focus away from the plethora of Democrat policies that inevitably result in human tragedy (restricting new home starts, blocking road construction, denying infrastructure permits, water works and the like).

    Far more likely those were two women teaming up for survival, rather than a lifestyle choice.

    President Trump wants to block the Chinese, I’m all for it.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  272. OT, sorry but to those who wish to subject revenue sports to revere affirmative action this is a start one would think: http://deadspin.com/korean-basketball-leagues-new-rule-makes-some-foreign-p-1825020642

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  273. Ponder what comes after Trump– and make it easy on yourself because there isn’t a preachy Ted Cruz in that future.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 4/5/2018 @ 12:44 pm

    Are you saying Ted Cruz is the conservative wing on a flightless bird that has rats all up in its nest?

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  274. Dave @ 254, thats probably because some really old or vision impaired people or people with bad satellite service might mistake butch Maddow for Tucker Carlson.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  275. Ted Cruz could be biding his time, though I think the 2024 standard bearer could possibly holding a lower state office or be a frosh congressman now.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  276. You know, Dysphoria Sam, I like some of your lines and terminology but you’re starting to sound like the Ben Burn Wing of the ANG and indiscriminate carpet bombing all up in it hasn’t been fashionable for about 70 years.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  277. @253. Combating the pilfering of ‘intellectual property’ is more complex than just slapping tariffs on hard goods as you’ve noted. And it varies in degree and depth from industry to industry, too. Just look at the difficulties and expense Hollywood has faced trying to manage its product in that arena. Corporate security protecting ‘intellectual property’ is really a matter for the businesses concerned to manage, unless you want government deciding how to protect the secret formula for Coca-Cola and McDonald’s Big Mac sauce along with the detailed specs and engineering data of a Saturn V moon rocket– which BTW, the government has literally ‘misplaced’ – aka lost in the archives.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  278. @ Pin: I don’t include you among the Trumpkin chumps; my impression is that you’re someone who supports Trump when you believe he’s right, not someone who supports him blindly no matter what. You’re not the kind of guy who — finding himself unable to cite an example of a deal Trump has negotiated and closed while POTUS — insists that dealmaking is really just for p*ssies, even though Trump ran for POTUS and continues to tout himself as the world’s greatest negotiator and dealmaker. None of my fussing has been directed toward you or made with you in mind, sir, and to the contrary, I usually enjoy reading your comments, even when I don’t agree or agree only partially.

    No-fault divorces were intended to spare every party going through a divorce with the traumatic experience of having to prove physical or mental cruelty, adultery, or other traditional grounds for divorce; to the extent that limited the number of things lawyers must fight over, it had some pro-consumer effects. But traditional grounds still end up being fought over and argued anyway, in the context of deciding child support arrangements or arguing for a disproportionate award of jointly owned property or, in states with alimony, higher alimony payments. A startlingly high percentage of people going through a divorce remain willing to instruct their lawyers to fight instead of negotiating, and as before, those who can pay for that, get it, while those who can’t, don’t. Apart from its effect on legal costs and fees and lawyer revenues, however, I’m convinced that no-fault divorce has had, as its unintended but obvious consequence, a dramatic and lamentable cheapening in the significance and value of marriage as an institution, which in turn has devastated what’s now turning into a third generation of offspring from easily breakable and therefore fully broken homes.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  279. 281.Ted Cruz could be biding his time.

    Senators don’t bide time; they accrue voting records which only serves to weigh them down. His preachy personality doesn’t sell well nationally anymore than that know-it-all ‘nodding head’ style did coming from Hillary. By 2024, his messaging and style will be as stale as Texas Toast– assuming he is still in office. But yes, as you note, the likely new guy will be ‘a lower state office or be a frosh congressman now.’ The future is certainly not Mike Pence, who was on track to lose in Indiana as it was before he grabbed on to the brass ring. The times and the country are changing faster than many now around can keep up with.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  280. (I don’t generally do family law or divorce cases, although I’m occasionally called in as a hired gun on particularly nasty ones where there’s a lot at stake and one side decides it needs more courtroom firepower. The cases I see are almost all grudge matches among very rich people who’re making their litigation decisions on the basis of something other than economics. And the change to no-fault laws hasn’t restricted those people from wasting their time and money and energy on intra-familial jihad.)

    Beldar (fa637a)

  281. Ted Cruz won’t be able to raise money for a serious candidacy he’s having a hard time raising money just to stay where he is

    like Scott Walker and widdle Marco he blew the audition

    and I’m sure he understands that

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  282. @287. he blew the audition

    His Churchill impression fell flat, Mr. Feet.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  283. poor man

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  284. All Screen Names share something in common with Cindy Crawford in that we know that there’s at least one person out there who is sick of their sh*t.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  285. @290. ROFLMAO Translation: ‘Danger Will Robinson!’

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  286. 289.poor man

    W/a Goldman Sachs link.. you are a funny guy, Mr. Feet!

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  287. I see nothing has changed,. Bye.

    Try to mean it.

    Patterico (952b17)

  288. Sounds like the prosecutor did his or her job in smoking you out.

    Patterico (952b17) — 4/5/2018 @ 9:56 am

    That doesn’t mean the same thing everywhere

    The definition of “Smoke you out” is to get a person completely blitzed on weed for a very long time.
    Example: If a girl named Melissa said to a boy named Todd, Hey come work with me for four days and I will smoke you out. To accomplish this Melissa would have to get Todd high on weed for the full four days. If said girl only gives Todd one tiny roach on the first day this is “not smoking you out”.

    Urban Dictionary

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  289. the ted cruz clip’s interesting cause that’s the Ted we started off in 2016 with

    it’s authentic Ted

    he got more and more phony as the campaign wore on and it was greatly and lastingly to his detriment he did so

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  290. 256.China follows the only view of capitalism, they were exposed to, the robber baron, with borrowings from the godfather.

    Opium warriors.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  291. it’s authentic Ted

    ‘Authentic Ted’ sounds like he’s had his winkie caught in his zipper since 1989.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  292. OT, but this is golden:

    Rep. Gallego (D-AZ) said that he would “gladly work with [Spanky] when his ideas aren’t stupid and detrimental to the United States…”

    Tillman (a95660)

  293. But now that Trump is President, attacking the questioner is much more common now. Maybe it’s because that is what Trump does. He clearly believes attacking people is much easier than debating issues, but it’s a waste of time to me.

    DRJ (15874d) — 4/5/2018 @ 10:30 am

    I don’t support that and try to restrain myself. OTOH there are people I spar with, like Mr DCSCA, who are good natured overall and don’t seem to take things personally. It’s a consensual Cato/Inspector Clouseau exchange. Virtual Knock Out Games aren’t cool.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  294. Government impacts our lives far more than lawyers ever could, but Trump supporters don’t want to rein in Trump.

    DRJ (15874d) — 4/5/2018 @ 10:35 am

    In Trump America, loser pays.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  295. @224 happyfeet

    Owen Benjamin is a very smart and talented performer. I think you might really like his talk with Stefan Molyneaux (drink?) I don’t think your workplace would find any objectionable content

    Youtube

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  296. @300. It’s a consensual Cato/Inspector Clouseau exchange.

    More or less A Shot In The Dark, but do keep your hands off my asp. 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  297. Getting the wrong result by the (completely) right method is impossible, by definition.

    Dave (445e97) — 4/5/2018 @ 11:35 am

    I think that’s how they got Teflon.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  298. It might work to the extent it will cause pain, but isn’t there more risk than a normal business deal? How many of Trump’s business adversaries have a military and control the world’s second-largest economy?

    Yeah, maybe. But we have a number of unresolved issues with China, and they don’t seem to be interested in addressing them.

    The patent thing is a MUCH bigger problem than people think, largely because it’s unsexy and technical. But America is inventing EVERYTHING and China is robbing us blind, then selling us back products built from that technology. It’s insulting, dishonest AND undercuts the competition which HAS to pay the royalties to use the inventions. It is much more important than the copyright thing because bootleg copies of things are not necessarily displace sales.

    Then there is North Korea, which China has used as a catspaw for 60 years to deniably frack with the West. Now, they are destroying the non-proliferation treaty and China is tacitly allowing it. The idea that China hopes to somehow gain in a world with 57 nuclear powers seems insane, but that’s what it looks like.

    Then there is the South China Sea and those islands, and all eyes over there turn to us as the counterweight to China, including countries like VietNam.

    There are lots of reasons to be placing shots across the bow, which is how I view these tariffs. China has to know that if the US really wants to go to the mattresses in a trade war, we can crater their economy while experiences far less pain at home. And a cratered economy would put the ChiComs in real trouble. So, it has an effect.

    Hopefully we don’t take it very far because trade wars can become real wars if they turn existential.

    Do I wish that we had someone else in charge? Even, in this narrow policy branch, Hillary would be an improvement. I regret that this is not Romney’s second term. But we cannot wait until 2021 to address this stuff, particularly NK.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  299. More or less A Shot In The Dark, but do keep your hands off my asp. 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 4/5/2018 @ 2:37 pm

    In England they called you an officer of the loo.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  300. come a total crapper it’s hard to take this complain seriously

    Jane you ignorant slut. We won in Iraq. Then Obama pulled out and oddly still managed to frack everything.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  301. Government impacts our lives far more than lawyers ever could, but Trump supporters don’t want to rein in Trump.

    DRJ (15874d) — 4/5/2018 @ 10:35 am


    Are you actually trying to tell us that lawyers don’t run the government? Seriously? I got news for you DRJ, government impacts our lives because lawyers run the government. Is there any other group or profession whose entire reason for existence is to f**k the other guy? Hell, used car salesmen would be less harmful to the public and the Republic if they ran the government. Once you get past criminal lawyers, who actually help people and society the rest of the lawyers are the criminals.

    Rev.Hoagie (1b0402)

  302. Rachel Maddow Beats Sean Hannity, Takes Title As Most-Watched Cable News Host

    A pox on both their houses…

    Dave (445e97) — 4/5/2018 @ 11:49 am

    You forgot about the O’Reilly loofah and #Metoo Again Kelly demographics freed up from evening…slots. Zucker probably bought her a brand new Outback.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  303. what did we win again

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  304. also my name isn’t jane

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  305. Dave,

    Mudd in 2017 is not the school I went to. It’s all PC and safe zones, just like the rest of the world. They had one 4.0 in the first 30 years, now there’s grade infaltion. There’s been a dozen or two in the last 40 years.

    So, what they say now isn’t what was happening then. “If the bridge falls down, it doesn’t matter how close you were.” (actually said by an engineering prof back when)

    Kevin M (752a26)

  306. Knowing enough to get 90% of the way to a correct solution demonstrates a higher level of mastery than writing your name on the exam and turning it in blank, don’t you think?

    Dave (445e97) — 4/5/2018 @ 12:27 pm

    I had an electronics teacher who said he would give us a 100% on a test if we got every question wrong. That wasn’t as neat as putting 40 watts to pencil graphite but it was ayit.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  307. Dave–

    One thing that happened recently at Mudd was, after a push by the ultra-PC college president to get more minority students to attend, a group of professors wrote her to state that a lot of students didn’t seem to be as well prepared as before. This memo “leaked” and there was hell to pay, including ritual self-denunciation from the faculty.

    So, what they say now isn’t what they did then.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  308. @265. He’s a transient…

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 4/5/2018 @ 12:44 pm

    He lied about “Will Work for Food” too?

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  309. How does this relate to Mudd’s Women?

    #methree

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  310. @306. And in the RAF, PLO.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  311. He lied about “Will Work for Food” too?

    Particularly at Texas rallies: “Remember the Taco Bowl!”

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  312. I meant 40 volts. I’m not trying for a hundred.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  313. A stormy Captain just threw lawyer Michael Cohen under the wheels of AF1.

    “Loyality’s a fine thing.” – Gen. Frank Savage [Gregory Peck] ‘Twelve O’Clock High’ 1949

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  314. So, what they say now isn’t what they did then.

    The document I quoted is dated three years before that incident.

    I’m not known as an easy grader, but I’ll give you a point for creativity…

    🙂

    Dave (2dc885)

  315. “But America is inventing EVERYTHING and China is robbing us blind, then selling us back products built from that technology. It’s insulting, dishonest AND undercuts the competition which HAS to pay the royalties to use the inventions.“

    Do tell…

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  316. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ): the Best Democrat Politician public sector unions and lawyers can buy.

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  317. He’s basically turned the US into the equivalent of a vexatious pro se litigant, trying to outmaneuver professionals who actually know what they’re doing.

    Dave (445e97) — 4/5/2018 @ 12:10 pm

    After the Nucular Engineer gave away The Panama Canal negotiation is all academic.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  318. @253 DCSCA

    Hollywood’s strategy to beat China is putting out bad movies.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  319. @325. “Winning!” – Charlie Sheen

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  320. 251 — its not a “monopoly”, its an effort at hegemony over a market or sector of a market. Its a political exercise by China, not an economic exercise.

    And calling it a “boogeyman” doesn’t make it false.

    In fact, its demonstrably true.

    There are two (maybe more) broad types of tariff goals:

    1. The Boeing v. Airbus tariff: Airbus is subsidized by the consortium of Euro govs that own it, giving it tax advantages that artificially hold down Airbus’ costs in ways Boeing can’t. So the US Gov’t steps in with a tariff as a market-equalizing measure.

    I would agree with all your analysis about why that kind of tariff is a bad idea — the Euros retaliate, Airbus planes cost more for US air carriers, and Boeing sales decline in Europe.

    2. Tariffs meant to punish unfair trade practices that are not pursued for economic advantage, but rather for political advantage. Trump is trying to coerce better behavior out of China as a trading partner in a variety of areas. The US has a complaint lodged with the WTO already on many of China’s unfair trade practices. This is just an effort at the same ends via different means.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  321. I’m giving serious consideration to happyfeet’s proposition that, combined with the tax cuts, it’s part of an overall plan to increase national productivity.

    nk (dbc370)

  322. I hate lawyers…

    …on a case by case basis.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  323. “trying to outmaneuver professionals who actually know what they’re doing.

    Lol… all evidence to the contrary…

    Colonel Haiku (779a2a)

  324. @57 @61 Come a little farther south-

    Hemp is the new manufacturing industry. Goodbye to the local organic vegetable farms.

    I prefer tomatoes over cannabis, but in the last 40 years since my youth living here,

    I would be hard pressed to find one (unless I picked it myself in the very few fields left),

    that isn’t from Mexico or Canada. NAFTA has been to South Florida like the weed we are now growing here.

    Roxy (11db1c)

  325. Trump doesn’t just tweet stupid stuff. Yesterday he opened his mouth and whoa, did the stupid pile up fast. Loony blathering about Mexicans being rapists and how millions voted illegally. We all know that his own administration put a stop to the investigation into that voter fraud conspiracy theory. But hey, when he’s got 39 percent of the public that believes this garbage, why not?

    I’ll go check and see if FoxNews corrected him.

    noel (b4d580)

  326. Looney.

    noel (b4d580)

  327. “Looney blathering”? You’re the loon, noel.

    Another Illegal Alien Raped A Child In North Carolina

    April 4, 2018

    http://www.illegalaliencrimereport.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/366821_011.jpg

    Name: Justo Lopez
    Age: 41
    Date of Arrest: 03/20/2018
    Location: Pitt County
    Charge(s): First-degree statutory sex offense, indecent liberties with a child

    View this suspect’s booking info…

    You can read the “Daily Illegal Crime Report” for yourself and see just how loony you are wanting American women and children raped and murdered by people who shouldn’t even be here. An illegal raped the 16 year old daughter of a couple from my church. You may think Trump’s loony bur they don’t. You radical leftists have zero compassion for the victims of your policies. You don’t care about anybody but yourselves nor any reality that doesn’t push your narrative.

    If millions of non-citizens aren’t voting illegally tell us why the leftist democrat party resists every attempt at voter validation and why in radical leftist areas non-citizens are currently allowed to vote? What are they hiding? If illegals are not voting why do radical anti American leftist democrats so anxious to get them into America? You are either an idiot or a liar if you don’t believe illegals are voting especially in places like California. Willful denial of the problem is an admission and a lie.

    Rev.Hoagie (1b0402)

  328. Yea, Rev.Hoagie. The emperor has clothes. I get it.

    noel (b4d580)

  329. I have read reports that immigrants engage in more crime than natives and I have also read the opposite. But here is something we can agree on. Male immigrants rape many times more often than do female immigrants. So the solution is obvious, is it not, Rev.Hoagie?

    noel (b4d580)

  330. Sex changes at the border!

    nk (dbc370)

  331. Gotta ban those male immigrant rapists Rev.Hoagie or “you have zero compassion for the victims of your policies.”

    noel (b4d580)

  332. Rev.Hoagie says, “If illegals are not voting why do radical anti American leftist democrats so anxious to get them into America?”

    OK. So, let me clarify this line of thought if I may. We know that leftists are in favor of abortion rights. Does this mean all Mexican immigrants are getting abortions? But wait…you said that leftists want more illegal voters, not less?? Help me out here, Rev.Hoagie.

    noel (b4d580)

  333. By tanking the economy, Swampy Spanky’s gong to keep costing Republicans elections. At least there’s that.

    Tillman (a95660)

  334. Willing Suspension of Disbelief. Not just for movies anymore.

    noel (b4d580)

  335. Raspails tale, is not a warning for them, but an airation

    narciso (d1f714)

  336. And this just in….. It has been confirmed that Barron’s dad had to sign his NDA for him.

    noel (b4d580)

  337. Aspiration, Raspails though the invasion would come from Africa, but the post oil embargo agreements moved the origination farther north and west.

    narciso (d1f714)

  338. The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers. Right, Hoagie? It’s the perfect Trump quote.

    DRJ (15874d)

  339. Barron’s NDA has been in effect since 2008.

    noel (b4d580)

  340. OK. Its not true. Don’t look it up. Besides, his lawyer would have signed it… if it were true.

    noel (b4d580)

  341. The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.

    Heh! The real life basis for the character who said that, a member of Jack Cade’s gang, was summarily hanged by the Mayor of London. Bet he wished for a lawyer and a little bit of due process, then.

    nk (dbc370)

  342. But I think you do Trump an injustice, DRJ. Nobody loves lawyers more than he does. Nobody. Believe you me, I guarantee it. He hires enough of them. The last time I looked (a minute or so ago), he and his businesses were involved in about 3,500 lawsuits between 1986 and 2016.

    nk (dbc370)

  343. True. Maybe we should buy a commemorative Trumpy Bear, nk.

    DRJ (15874d)

  344. Unfortunately, I think it’s being marketed by someone in Texas. Pathetic.

    DRJ (15874d)

  345. Most of the TV I watch are cartoons on the Disney and Nickelodeon channels, and it’s face palm ridiculous some of the toys and games they’re selling to kids.

    nk (dbc370)

  346. The Disney marvel episodes as are the rebel ones are better scripted than the films.

    Btw shouldn’t there be a thread about the looser café standards.?

    narciso (d1f714)

  347. Bet he wished for a lawyer and a little bit of due process, then.


    As I said, nk, take away the criminal lawyers who actually have social value and all that’s left are bottom feeders. Everybody wants justice but $2 million from McD’s for pouring your own hot coffee on your own lap is not justice. Although neither is allowing the illegal alien murderer of Kate Steinle go free. So I guess the lawyers may have made a mess of criminal justice too.

    Rev.Hoagie (1b0402)

  348. I’m more into Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, Kick Buttowski, and the Fairly OddParents. The new cartoon Spiderman is nowhere near as good as the “friendly neighborhood Spiderman” of my childhood, and one and half episoded of Guardians of the Galaxy was all I could stomach. The cartoon Deadpool is superior to the movie one (much) but it did not last. Too violent I guess.

    nk (dbc370)

  349. Yes gravity falls, ctluthu for kids,

    narciso (d1f714)

  350. Everybody wants justice but $2 million from McD’s for pouring your own hot coffee on your own lap is not justice.

    It was $3 million and it was justice. She would have settled the case for $20,000 but McDonald’s only offered $800. So the case went to court where they proved that the McDonald’s operation manual required that the coffee be held at 180-190 degrees of temperature (that’s insane), among other things that pissed off the jury.

    nk (dbc370)

  351. Go gettem bob:
    dailycaller.com/2018/04/06/facebook-deleted-zuckerberg-personal-messages/?utm_campaign=atdailycaller&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social

    Who is the us atty for silicon valley?

    narciso (d1f714)

  352. As I said, nk, take away the criminal lawyers who actually have social value and all that’s left are bottom feeders.

    You obviously don’t know much about attorneys, except what you see on TV. I don’t know much about running a restaurant, so that makes us equally ignorant.

    DRJ (15874d)

  353. You obviously don’t know much about attorneys, except what you see on TV. I don’t know much about running a restaurant, so that makes us equally ignorant.

    Can’t speak for the RRev but for many of us who have had our fill of lawyers, the former is not true. Lawyers have their claws into virtually every interaction.

    Riders on the Philadelphia Mass Transit system pay 17 percent of every fare dollar to cover liability insurance costs for passenger injuries. Similarly, 15 to 25 percent of the cost of every ladder purchased is used to defray liability expenses.

    http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/Liability.html

    As for the latter, restauranteurs, or proprietors of pretty much any business these days, don’t tell lawyers how to run a law firm. Yet lawyers have no problem, especially in court after the fact, telling the rest of the country how businesses should be run. If McDonalds wants to sell it’s coffee at whatever temperature, let the consumers decide if that is “insane” or not. Scratch a lawyer and the statist underneath comes shining through.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  354. And lest some lawyer jump on my typo as an out, yes there’s an improper apostrophe in that “it’s”.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  355. If McDonalds wants to sell it’s coffee at whatever temperature, let the consumers decide if that is “insane” or not.

    Twelve consumers on the jury did. Some lawyer in a black robe, however, reduced their award of $2.7 million in punitive damages to $480,000. F***ing lawyers!

    nk (dbc370)

  356. Great violinist, but I’ll never be over the fact that she may be some part of my commuter rail fare.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  357. Not only that, her booking agent was manager of the vanpool program for the region’s suburban transit agency (not CTA).

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  358. F***ing lawyers!

    F lawyers picked the jury. I refer you to my comments above regarding jury duty. It is quite apparent to me, and based on every conversation I have ever had with people called to jury duty, that the lawyers have zero interest in having independent/critical thinking people on juries. You are the one who said serving coffee at such and such a temperature is “insane”. Seems you agree with the jury’s decision. I know your answer but I’d be curious to know what others here think…

    Which of these two things is more insane:
    1) Serving coffee at 185 degrees
    2) Awarding millions of dollars (much of which goes to the lawyers) because a customer spilled that coffee on their lap.

    Skorcher (5b282a)

  359. so why are the scumtrash palestinians burning tires today

    yeah that’s not weird and antisocial

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  360. To Happyfeet:

    As the funny chinese dude in the Hangover movies might say “But are people IN the tires?”

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  361. ugh you can’t put anything past these animals that’s for sure

    U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney sees President Donald Trump’s proposed $100 billion in new tariffs on China as a shot across the bow but doesn’t think it would lead to trade war.

    this are the surprise cause harvardtrash ben sasse’s wetting his panties and they’re usually pretty simpatico

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  362. Just pay that parking ticket, Skorcher!

    nk (dbc370)

  363. With a handle like that, Im thinking more speeding in excess of 100 and flames painted on the side of their car.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  364. Sasse has vacas to kill and wheat to sow in his state

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  365. How does this relate to Mudd’s Women?

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd is fictional. HOWEVER, Henry T Mudd was quite real. Heir to a mining fortune, he traveled with what can only be called a harem. Apparently he made some promises along the way, because when he died in 1990, there were several suits against the estate from the women, who he disinherited entirely.

    The Wiki is cleaned up a lot, but the newspapers of the day had great fun.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  366. Dave,

    That FAQ in #269 is aimed at explaining to graduate institutions why they don’t see applicants from Mudd with 3.9 GPAs a lot, like they might from USC.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  367. As far as the patent dispute, I’d rather use non-tariff barriers like the Japanese do/did. For example, bar any Chinese-sourced product from sale until they can PROVE that any patented idea embodied in the product is lawfully licensed.

    I suspect that iPhones would be OK’d fairly quickly, but Huawei and Lenovo might have more trouble.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  368. Yet lawyers have no problem, especially in court after the fact, telling the rest of the country how businesses should be run.

    It is said that, in any technical startup, when the MBAs join the board, get your resume in order, and when the lawyers join, it’s over.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  369. cause chineser products are creeps

    chineser products are weirdos

    what the hell they doin here

    they don’t belong here

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  370. It is quite apparent to me, and based on every conversation I have ever had with people called to jury duty, that the lawyers have zero interest in having independent/critical thinking people on juries.

    That you appear to consider this a revelation is telling.

    Of course they don’t. They want jurors who are likely to agree with their narrative of the case. It’s an adversarial system where both sides try to do the best they can for their clients.

    The civic/intellectual fulfillment of the potential jurors is not a consideration for either side.

    Dave (445e97)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.2426 secs.