The reactions to Trump have been childish and demonstrative of the fact that the evil Left are shockingly bad losers, too stupid to realise that decent, normal people are fed up to the back teeth with their rantings and ravings, not to mention their desire to control people they have nothing but contempt for.

Sorry Mal, but I think this air brushed article that tries to claim Trump as a latter day Mother Teresa, says much more about you and your very second rate penmanship, than any perfectly understandable reaction to Mr Trump and a patently purloined Presidential election?
Alan B.

Yeah, its over blown at this stage, he hasn't even done nothing anyway. Could be more about the fact that 6 multinationals control 90% of the media and they might worry that globalisation will change under Trump in favour of craftsmen and women.

I don't know whether to be terrified about what the ramshackle Trump circus troupe might do next (or try to do), or simply sit back and enjoy the comedy of it all.

One inevitable effect of bad policy-making - often even of good policy-making - is its unintended consequences, which in this case could be catastrophic, certainly for America. For example, Trump's sucking-up to Putin AND attacks on Chinese economic policy could drive China, Japan, South Korea and Australia into a much tighter relationship, perhaps with Europe as well - a sort of Transcontinental Trade partnership excluding the US.

And does anybody really think that jobs will come back to the US if Trump imposes tariffs on goods from China (and other producers) including those produced by US companies ? That firms won't simply re-locate to countries without the tariffs ? Sure, jobs will 'come back' to the US, but they won't be the jobs which 'left': what enterprise won't be using more robots etc., i.e. totally different production techniques ? (Why do I always think of the last dung-beetles hanging around the arse of the last dying Diprotodon, vainly waiting ?)

So let's see: he's pissed off most of Europe, China, all of the rest of the Americas, bungle a raid in Yemen, threatened Iran - and kept sucking up to Putin.

He's threatened half the US population to make their health care less affordable. He's pissed off most non-whites in the US itself and put the wind up its migrants and refugees. He's alienated almost all of the press, not just in the US but around the world.

He hasn't even begun to Drain the Swamp, and probably won't. He may be facing opposition from some of his own appointees over who they can work with. He may have to face a multitude of legal charges over the links between his financial interests (and those of his appointees), his family and mega-insider trading.

All in barely six weeks. Onya, Donald !

Joe

yep group think has almost destroyed Italy. No reporting of the 100000 or so protesting against UN policy of forced illegal immigration. Also group think and deceit conned the gullible with man made gw nonsense. Trump is a breath of fresh air even know the facist are still throwing tantrums and causing violence usually funded by Soros and his sick borderless and immoral agenda.

Thanks, Runner.

I rest my case :)

Joe

For an interesting perspective on the appearance of the Trumpenfuhrer check out the essay by Nick Cohen titled Trumps Lies Are Not the Problem Its the Millions Who Swallow Them That Really Matter.

Nick was a very enthusiastic supporter of the shock-and-awe invasion of Iraq brought to the people of Iraq by the coalition-of-the-killing.

Also the essay the Madness of King Donald by Andrew Sullivan

Meanwhile, in my opinion the appearance of the Trumpenfuhrer means/signifies the the future of life human and non-human life on this planet has been well and truly trumped.

Trump is not a globalist, that's why the deep state want him gone.Trump is sending mixed signals and most including myself are confused by his words and actions. Even Russia who endorsed him are now having reservations.

Don't dwell on Trump. The people of looking into the case for abolition or amendment of Section 18C have "squibbed out" (The Australian) of doing anything about the rotten, authoritarian piece of trash legislation. Looks like we are stuck with it until we get a decent, freedom-loving mob in Canberra e.g. One Nation. Labor and Liberal don't give a damn about freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech needs to include unintended offense, so 18c might be tweaked to ensure it's allowed.

But never ever, harass and or vilify!

The standard practise of the banner waving homophobic and anti-abortion brigade? And demonstrably therefore, why "they" to a generic man, want 18c abolished!
Alan B

Perhaps it was inevitable that in a country characterized and controlled by junk culture, junk food and junk "reality"-TV, or in which every aspect of mass "culture" has been Mc-DONALD-ised that the DONALD has now been elected.
The people have elected someone in their own TV created image.

That's so cruel, Daffy.

I started up an "Original Thoughts" file last week, and had nothing until Monday, i.e.

Day #5: Does Trump and his cabinet represent one segment of the educated classes ? Crudely, its segments are made up of: (a) those bureaucrats, academics etc. who are in positions, blithely secure, doing okay; (b) those to the 'Left' of this group, not in power, or having a tenuous hold of it, nursing a grievance about society in general; and (c) those to the 'Right' and extreme 'Right', the business elites, military and not in power (now they are of course) with similar complaints.

Both (b) and (c), not having power, have decided that the institutions of society have to be torn down, to make way for a 'better society', 'a great society', etc., in which they have total power. Neither is remotely democratic. Both are thoroughly opportunistic. Group (c) now has power under Trump, but once in power, obstacles have to be removed, even if it means social destruction. That means elimination of groups (a) and (b).

But group (b) has been around for a long time. Marx himself was a disaffected member and so were Lenin and Mao. Their strategy was to use the lower classes as the battering rams to get into power, and then to use whatever means necessary to stay here. But both groups (b) and (c) believe that they have to destroy society in order to build their Utopia. Their fascist Utopias, as all Utopias are eventually.

Gramsci was probably the most open in setting out this agenda. He realised, after the failure of revolutions in Europe, that the working classes were not going to throw themselves on the battlements in the cause of group (b). So the 'Left', perhaps for the past fifty years, has been denigrating working people, as deplorables, bogans, yobs, etc.

[But wait, there's more !}

[continued]

"By default, they therefore have fewer means to gain power, not in class terms, so they have had to turn to 'issue politics', critiquing society as it is, as consumerist, materialist, hedonistic, in order to weaken its foundations in any way they can. So they attack freedom of expression, the institution of marriage, the notion of fixed genders, anything which will disorient and upturn current society.

On the other side, the 'Right' have thus been given opportunities to tear down society in their own way, by attacking, in turn, the 'Left' and what it purports to stand for, in order to put up their own power alternatives. This attack will greatly increase under Trump and his cabinet. In response of course, the 'Left' will of course increase their opposition to the 'Right'.

Are they two ghastly sides of the same coin ? Neither is interested in maintaining the status quo, or the status quo ante. Maybe this is Turnbull's dilemma here, that he has been trying to steer a middle course, of 'steady as she goes', incremental change. Perhaps Shorten has no other option either, except to cut down Turnbull. So what is it to be a liberal conservative, rather than a reactionary conservative ? Or to be a 'progressive conservative' , i.e. someone who wants social improvement and justice, but not via disruption to the basic institutions of current society, rather, to build on those institutional foundations and/or reform them in a progressive direction ?

It seems that both groups (b) and (c) devalue the hard lessons of the Enlightenment, as far as they have painfully evolved. Each wants to put in place a scenario which tears that down and assumes that somehow a better world can be built on its ruins.

Day #6: When a narrative is seriously challenged, its underlying rationale may come to the surface. viz. the Left's attack on freedom of expression may indicate its underlying totalitarianism, as does Trump's attack on the press.

To 'revolutionaries': (b) and (c), the past is unknowable and the present is indeterminate: only the future is certain."

Joe

What? Like the unknown knowns or the known unknowns or the unknown unknowns Joe?

There is a way forward to better times and better outcomes for all, none of which lies the endless divisive power struggle or the fighting over spoils of defeat!

But by understanding we are passengers in one lifeboat!

And need to work together in common purpose if we are to draw back from the raging waterfall that awaits those who just want to beat time?

While a divided crew row in opposite directions, or in ever decreasing circles and to hell with the eventual (unintended?) consequences!

Or stand and dance to the tune of hokey pokey? You put your left foot in, you take your left foot out and shake it all about. Then you put your right foot in and you take your right foot out and shake it all about, and that's what it's all about?

Well they look very busy and extremely energetic! If not downright TRiUMPhant?

But what avails if all we do is get too close to that last long drop to get together and row as one race, the human race, just trying to save the one planet that succors us all, flora, fauna and last but not least human beings!

And excluding any to favor the other just makes it worse for all!

Thus we saw the mountains of northern Ethiopia, denuded by drought stricken natives, scratching for a every root,twig or a grub, as the world watched, waited and waited!

None of us made richer by turning our face away time and again, just poorer as the remnant common herd, with a new (grate again) head bull running us back toward the (grate balls of furore) Great Depression/Great war?
Alan B.

Although there is plenty I could add to this topic, I want to simply share a couple of links.

The first is last nights Crosstalk 'Trump's Middle East' from RT.
http://youtu.be/prcuaQPijug

The next is a short discussion with David Knight from Infowars regards Trumps proposed economic policies, specifically the Border Adjustment Tax.
http://youtu.be/GoNZ30HKpIs

Hi AC,

You watch RT ? Gosh, what a surprise.

Hi Alan,

Yeah, I apologise for making my analysis unnecessarily difficult for you. Maybe I could put things more simply, if much more crudely:

Those groups within the educated classes: very, very crudely,

* Group (a) would have voted for Clinton;

* Group (b) would have voted for Sanders, if he had got up; and

* Group (c) voted for Trump.

Maybe it's just a useful way to pivot an analysis. Not too many unknowns there, although there may be some that nobody has noticed - the unknown unknowns, if you like - what Kant called the 'noumenal' as opposed to the 'phenomenal' i.e. what is already known.

Of course, the educated classes are not the only ones in the US, but they tend to become the talkers, the spokespeople, for other classes. Trump, for example, purports to articulate, stretching the word somewhat, the views and aspirations of much of the US population - a total of around 48 % in fact.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,

Joe

Hey Loudmouth,

"You watch RT ? Gosh, what a surprise."

Not overly, but I thought the topic regarding Trumps foreign policy would be interesting.

If you're asserting that RT is fake news or Russian propaganda, (and I must point out that combating RT was actually the original basis for the 'fake news' agenda) then I encourage you to actually watch the video and point out any topic or position that you felt was misrepresented.

Please argue the facts and not the rhetoric.
You really need to break free from that Corporate Media conditioning.

Hi AC,

Yes, I'm happy to assert that. Is he a Russian stooge ? I don't know, yet.

It looks like he might buckle on his promise to eject undocumented workers, mainly from Mexico, or Latin Americans coming to the US via Mexico. Or he might 'double down' on that promise. If he does, and millions are taken out of the US workforce, from some of the lowest-paid jobs, I wonder who would take those jobs. Americans ? Perhaps he can get his mate Putin to ship over a million or so Chechens.

And what might happen to prices if those workers are paid decent ages ? Prices of fruit and vegetables, for example. And with a source of cheap labour gone, will there be upward pressure on other prices that his working-class base has to pay ? Policies usually have unintended consequences.

Will jobs come back to the US if he slaps tariffs on overseas products ? Who really believes that ? Even US firms currently in the US might move overseas if their illegal cheap labour is taken off them.

Roll up, roll up ! I wouldn't miss this circus for quids.

Joe

Hey Loudmouth,
I support Trumps plan to secure the border and ensure all people coming to America are documented, just the same as I would for Australia.
I think this is a matter of safety towards existing US citizens and the government has both a mandate and a responsibility to do so.
I don't particularly like the idea of upending peoples lives, but lets face it they entered illegally, and this isn't really fair on the people who went about migrating the right way.

I've been thinking a little about this Free Trade v's Protectionism thing.
(Somewhat related to the second video I posted in my comment yesterday)

Question: By supporting 'Free Trade' are we in effect promoting slave labour of foreign countries?
And where is that going to leave everyone in the end?

Did you watch that second video yesterday by chance? it was worthwhile.

From what I understand Trump just wants to equalise the measures the Chinese and others are doing towards America.
Apparently US companies are charged export taxes but foreign companies are not charged import taxes.
You have to ask yourself if they were deliberately selling the nations workers out when they made those laws.

Why? Globalists...
I could point you to articles right here on this forum where they advocate levelling the playing field between nations; but really its a complete sellout of the country by corporations in support of a lower wage base.

I hear a lot about changing the tax laws, cutting regulations and big infrastructure projects being the main cornerstone of Trumps economic ideology.
All he has to do is take the nations foot of the citizens throats and the country should fire up on its own.

The man's an idiot. Dream on, AC :)

Trumpy is a breath of fresh air.

For the stale air denizens, that is a nightmare.

For us, surface dwellers, it is a breeze, on a cool day.

He will be fine, POTUS does have a lot of checks and balances, despite Obama's, tricky drone war killings.

We need Trumps, we need Hansons, we need oxygen and fresh air.