Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

Aaaaaaand North Korea test fires more missiles

[lineygoblue]

Which is the equivalent of me firing a 5 cent bottle rocket toward Nebraska in an attempt to hit The Wizard ....

[iam416]

Things are horrific.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Things are horrific.

[Hannibal]

Have there been any polls out there on tariffs?

My gut tells me that it's a big time losing issue, even in states hit by the erosion of manufacturing.

Trump needs to stick to immigration and economy (low unemployment).

[Hannibal]

Your choice in the next election is between:

1. Somebody who promises to turn our country into Weimer Republic 2.0 or Venezuela

or

2. A completely ineffective narcissistic nut case who isn't going to do anything of note, policy-wise.

I'll still take #2 since I know the catastrophe that awaits us if #1 happens. But #1 is pretty inevitable at this point. If not in 2020, then 2024 or 2028 at the latest. Texas is no more than 10 years away from flipping to blue and never voting Republican again. It's going to be California 2.0 and that is entirely 100% because of demographic changes that the Democrats have been driving while the Republicans stand by idly because they are afraid of being called "racist". Ted Cruz's narrow reelection victory should be a huge wakeup call for Republicans.

[Jeff Buchanan]

This is a good read. It outlines the need for the US to issue Treasuries to fund a near one trillion dollar shortfall in the US budget just passed by Congress and signed by the President last month. What makes it interesting to me is that, as usual, there are both concerning and not so concerning views of the "flood" of debt instruments that are about to be issued by the US Treasury. Those that like financial doomsday predictions will take the article one way, those that are more sanguine the other.

The second point is that economists think that in order for the global debt market to support the coming flood of US debt the Fed needs to lower interests rate 50 - 100 basis points.... and to do it NOW if not a month ago. How US short term interest rates set by the Fed are connected to the ability of global debt markets to support the anticipated level of US borrowing is complex and my point here is that Trump may be spot on criticizing the Fed for not lowering interest rates sooner and more robustly.

It follows then to conclude that the media that is highly critical of Trump's complaining about the Fed don't have a clue about why he may be right.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-us-treasury-is-about-to-flood-the-market-with-debt-to-fund-a-1-trillion-deficit-heres-why-that-is-a-worry-2019-08-15?mod=MW_story_top_stories

[Dr. Strangelove]

[Hannibal]

Yeah it's pretty obvious that the bolded part is never going to happen. Except for once a year at his State of the Union address.

The more generalized "bashing of immigrants" doesn't play well with a lot of swing voters, but some intelligent form of that conversation does need to happen. But it is off limits, for the most part.

[Jeff Buchanan]

It depends what he says about immigration.

I listened to an NPR interview of NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio yesterday. He spoke of the need for the D's to focus on Trump's patently racist viewpoint of US immigration. He likened Trump's messaging to that of times past when Chinese immigrants were vilified and pointed out that most of Trump's immigration policies are based on raising up the white male and subjugating women and people of color - Hispanics, blacks, Muslims - refusing these people entry into the US. de Blasio has a point.

That viewpoint will resonate with Trump haters and possibly the undecided because it is fairly accurate if you base that assessment on Trump's poorly thought out utterings. The R's could improve their chances of keeping Trump in office if they took up more reasonable and achievable position on immigration such as fast tracking paths to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and their children already in the US, immigrant worker programs while at the same time remaining tough on illegal or abusive immigrant entry.

Trump needs to clean up his enforcement methodology - bad optics that allow his opponents to criticize him. He needs to pay attention to that shit instead of give his critics the finger. I suspect that most US voters believe properly controlled immigration is an American tradition, understand that both skilled and unskilled immigrants keep the US economy going, while also believing that it should not be an automatic right for non-citizens residing/working in the US to be granted or have full access to the same benefits available to US citizens.

[Ghengis Jon]

...I suspect that most US voters believe properly controlled immigration is an American tradition, understand that both skilled and unskilled immigrants keep the US economy going, while also believing that it should not be an automatic right for non-citizens residing/working in the US to be granted or have full access to the same benefits available to US citizens....

EFZ. Everyone except for the Russian asset in the Oval Office.


On a side note, here's something for de Blasio's desk. The ensuing screeching tweets would be priceless.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/15/opinions/how-to-drive-trump-nuts-dantonio/index.html

[iam416]

EFZ. Everyone except for the Russian asset in the Oval Office.

And EVERY motherfucker running for the chance to beat PDJT. So, yeah, we're in a great place on immigration. PDJT and the Rs are fundamentally correct. But, as noted, his "messaging" gets in the way.

[froot loops]

This is a good read. It outlines the need for the US to issue Treasuries to fund a near one trillion dollar shortfall in the US budget just passed by Congress and signed by the President last month. What makes it interesting to me is that, as usual, there are both concerning and not so concerning views of the "flood" of debt instruments that are about to be issued by the US Treasury. Those that like financial doomsday predictions will take the article one way, those that are more sanguine the other.

The second point is that economists think that in order for the global debt market to support the coming flood of US debt the Fed needs to lower interests rate 50 - 100 basis points.... and to do it NOW if not a month ago. How US short term interest rates set by the Fed are connected to the ability of global debt markets to support the anticipated level of US borrowing is complex and my point here is that Trump may be spot on criticizing the Fed for not lowering interest rates sooner and more robustly.

It follows then to conclude that the media that is highly critical of Trump's complaining about the Fed don't have a clue about why he may be right.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/th...ry_top_stories

Here's a points about complaining about the Fed.

1. The hands off approach about the Fed by the administration is a fairly new. The Fed values and needs independence. When George HW Bush was jawboning it, it backfired and may have doomed his re-election. Since then until now, presidents have kept it at arms length.

2. The worst thing to do is have the Fed appear it is bending to the whim of any president, especially when it is clear Trump only cares about re-election in regards to the Fed.

3. It isn't the Fed's fault for this stupid trade war, a lot of this shit is the result of unforced errors. Trump is the problem, interest rates may need to drop to put out fires, but Trump is the arsonist.

[Ghengis Jon]

Let the fire burn. Its not the Fed Reserve that is responsible for reining in the incredible stupidity of the executive branch. Maybe if the GOP had taken it's deep throating face out of Trump's lap we wouldn't be in the situation we find ourselves. Perhaps we as a nation need this period of pain to ensure that the next America's Shitstain(from either side of the aisle) never gets elected. We have a bull market coming to a premature end because of the policies of a buffoon who made a career out of bankrupting companies. We have a buffoon who uses only ineffective situational tariffs and ignores the other 49 arrows in his economic quiver in his horribly failing attempt to right a long festering wrong. And then repeatedly LIES to AMERICANS about it's effectiveness and that oh by the way the Chinese are paying the bill. As Trump's unchecked failures are needlessly damaging the market, he demands the Fed to cut rates that will damage savers, IRA CD holders, and pension funds that have fled the market's volatility. Trump clearly believes that cost-free money to business is the antidote to his criminal ineptitude, at everyone else's expense.


Its too bad Trump doesn't have his moral guidance counselor around any longer. Together, they could continue to joyfully destroy other people's lives.


best pals.JPG

[Ghengis Jon]

Trump uses one other economic arrow besides the ineffective Trump Tax on American Business. Day late and a dollar short, but in the right direction nonetheless.

https://www.apnews.com/25844ad720c54d4bbc4abb739a46a13c