What's your thoughts on Trump?

[abaris]

Looks like he picked Ben Carson to lead HUD. 

Leave it to him to assign a brillant surgeon to a post he's not the least bit qualified to lead. Maybe Surgeon General might have be a more fitting position? Just saying.

[c172]

"Oh, but he's black! Perfect for HUD. And that makes my cabinet all diverse 'n stuff!"

[Aroura]

I think that the founding fathers of the US understood that the electoral college could lead to that result.  While they would not have wanted it to happen, they felt it important enough to give low-population states a say to take the risk.  There are at least a few things about our government that are based on how things were done more than 100 or 200 years ago, but changing them can be difficult.  Getting rid of the electoral college will be near impossible because it would require the ratification of a new amendment by 3/4 of the states, and I think that there are too many states who would fear being disenfranchised under a popular vote system.

As someone who didn't vote for most of his life because of his stupid religion, I am keenly aware of how valuable that opportunity is.  But fewer than half of eligible Americans do so in presidential years, and far fewer still in between.  Those percentages are much worse as the demographics get younger.  And those younger voters skew liberal.  If we were somehow able to ditch the electoral college for a popular vote, those non-voters might be even less incentivized to get to the polls.  Republicans didn't just take the White House, they still have majorities in congress and have solid footholds in many local government positions throughout the country.  Instead of focusing on the electoral college, Democrats must figure out how to get more people to the polls.

As for the question in the OP: My thoughts on Trump are that he was more interested in running for President than in being President, and if the next four years turn out to be forgettable we'll have dodged a bullet.  But he already stumbled by publicizing a phone call with the President of Taiwan which could have long-lasting repercussions on our relations with China.  It's a bad way to start a presidency that hasn't even started yet.

Er .  .

The Taiwan card might be a toe in the door for reigning in mainland China's recent embrace of imperialism as demonstrated in it's intimidation of Vietnam, the Philippines and others with their building naval and air bases in international waters.  Also, flying nuclear capable bombers around Taiwan was quite a provocation, and one remarkably unremarked upon.  Standing up to hegemony shouldn't be ruled out of hand when the hegemony wasn't part of the Nixon/Carter/Reagan arrangement that set up the cold shoulder to Taiwan policy Kissinger pulled out of his ass.

Probably too much to hope for, but if mainland China is sufficiently aggrieved/motivated maybe they should consider putting a muzzle on Little Kim's nuclear program . . . .

And China's over reaction (IMO) was definitely NOT the way to play this hand, new game, new rules, maybe they could do a consult with the Clinton Institute for further details?

You know, it wasn't that he took the call that is the problem, nor is China's reaction the problem.

The problem is he was completely and utterly unaware that he MIGHT be taking a stance that changed policy, the problem is that he had no idea if he was doing something wrong or not.  He just wanted to take a congratulatory call, without even a thought that there might BE consequences, let alone what those consequences might entail.

How's that going to work out for all of us in the long run?  Well, again, I guess we have no choice but to wait and see.

[vorlon13]

The call was the culmination of a week or more behind the scenes negotiation between team Trump and Taiwan.

He had plenty of time to mull this over.

[GUBU]

And China's over reaction (IMO) was definitely NOT the way to play this hand, new game, new rules, maybe they could do a consult with the Clinton Institute for further details?

Why, what's Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer going to be able to do about it? First of all China's the one country with more military power behind it than the US, and frankly given the choice between autocratic China and insane USA Japan, Korea, Australia, NZ and most of SE Asia will probably fall behind the lesser of the two evils and side with the CCP (especially as economically they're too tied to China at the moment). Second of all, is Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer going to go against the wishes of his fellow buddies and the people he is ruling the US on behalf of? Remember so much of the US oligarchy's industry is tied up in Chinese slave labour, a war with China even if won will nearly destroy US industry, with nobody to produce the cheap goods the economy depends on.

Frankly Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer's sabre rattling against China is either the empty posturing of a coward who's wetting his pants in fear as we speak or the actions of a madman who wants to destroy his country (just like his hero did in 1945).

[Faith No More]

Leave it to him to assign a brillant surgeon to a post he's not the least bit qualified to lead. Maybe Surgeon General might have be a more fitting position? Just saying.

The justification is supposed to be that he grew up in public housing, which is not only a terrible reason, but totally false.

But hey, if there's one thing we should take away from this election, it should be that facts don't matter anymore.  Fantasy is peddled as fact, and a lot of Americans are too stupid to know the difference.

[Thumpalumpacus]

And China's over reaction (IMO) was definitely NOT the way to play this hand, new game, new rules, maybe they could do a consult with the Clinton Institute for further details?

Why, what's Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer going to be able to do about it? First of all China's the one country with more military power behind it than the US, and frankly given the choice between autocratic China and insane USA Japan, Korea, Australia, NZ and most of SE Asia will probably fall behind the lesser of the two evils and side with the CCP (especially as economically they're too tied to China at the moment). Second of all, is Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer going to go against the wishes of his fellow buddies and the people he is ruling the US on behalf of? Remember so much of the US oligarchy's industry is tied up in Chinese slave labour, a war with China even if won will nearly destroy US industry, with nobody to produce the cheap goods the economy depends on.

Frankly Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer's sabre rattling against China is either the empty posturing of a coward who's wetting his pants in fear as we speak or the actions of a madman who wants to destroy his country (just like his hero did in 1945).

I'm not sure what metric you're using to define military power, but by standards commonly used by analysts in the field, your statement is very far off base.

[Minimalist]

Probably too much to hope for, but if mainland China is sufficiently aggrieved/motivated maybe they should consider putting a muzzle on Little Kim's nuclear program . . . .

Or.... they might loosen up the leash.  Don't feel bad.  The Orange Fuckturd didn't think of that, either.

[vorlon13]

Looks like he picked Ben Carson to lead HUD. 

Leave it to him to assign a brillant surgeon to a post he's not the least bit qualified to lead. Maybe Surgeon General might have be a more fitting position? Just saying.

Lead?

How about lay off all the drones, sell the assets and lock the doors.

Even I could do that . . .

[GUBU]

Why, what's Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer going to be able to do about it? First of all China's the one country with more military power behind it than the US, and frankly given the choice between autocratic China and insane USA Japan, Korea, Australia, NZ and most of SE Asia will probably fall behind the lesser of the two evils and side with the CCP (especially as economically they're too tied to China at the moment). Second of all, is Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer going to go against the wishes of his fellow buddies and the people he is ruling the US on behalf of? Remember so much of the US oligarchy's industry is tied up in Chinese slave labour, a war with China even if won will nearly destroy US industry, with nobody to produce the cheap goods the economy depends on.

Frankly Herr Oberststurmbanngroppenfuhrer's sabre rattling against China is either the empty posturing of a coward who's wetting his pants in fear as we speak or the actions of a madman who wants to destroy his country (just like his hero did in 1945).

I'm not sure what metric you're using to define military power, but by standards commonly used by analysts in the field, your statement is very far off base.

Largest number of troops under arms in the world by a country mile. Equipment and materiel of equivalent standard to that of the USA. Not tangled up in a myriad of crises around the world of its own making. The most sophisticated cyber intelligence operation in the world.

China currently has a military of comparable power to the US's, except for international basing, and has a greater capacity to ramp up to. But the fact of the matter is China has the nuclear capacity to bury the US with vice versa also applying. Neither side will win.