Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[froot loops]

I'm not sure why it is surprising about the Goldman Sachs guys being hired Trump ran as a Republican, he lied all the time and isn't tied to any ideology.

[hack]

You were discussing it in terms of letting the "old racists" die off, and hoping the youth would install your brave new world.


Why shouldn't I? You have a problem with looking forward to a future with less hate and more reason?

[froot loops]

To be clear, Goldman Sachs is pro-Goldman Sachs. They pay enough people on both sides to influence anyone but if they have their pick they are siding with the GOP. If Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren were elected and they did this, well that would be a surprise. But a Republican President, no surprise, the only surprise is they successfully tagged a democratic candidate like Clinton as the insider. Trump did talk about deregulating Wall Street.

[entropy]

I'm not sure why it is surprising about the Goldman Sachs guys being hired Trump ran as a Republican, he lied all the time and isn't tied to any ideology.

yet GS game a lot of money to the Clinton's over the years. But let's stick with tired relationships. So while having WS at his side doesn't surprise me (he's had to have friends in the past), GS does.

[entropy]

and the reality is even someone like Sanders would be limited in "clearing the swamp". This isn't a defense of Trump because I often wondered how he'd do it and keep things running.. Only so many good sources for many of these roles and both parties pull from them accordingly.

[hack]

even someone like Sanders would be limited in "clearing the swamp"

Yes. I would have been delighted if he could have accomplished a tenth of his swamp-draining agenda.

Only so many good sources for many of these roles and both parties pull from them accordingly.

I can't say for sure how big the pool is, and I suspect it's large enough that you can find regulators for Wall Street somewhere other than Wall Street, but now that you mention it I'd like to know if somebody has an idea of that.

[froot loops]

More encouraging signs for those looking to get rid of political correctness

http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/12/trumps-harassment-of-an-18-year-old-girl-on-twitter-led-to-death-threats.html

[hack]

For some people a safe space means a friendly professor's office hours. For others, it simply must be the entire country.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Bill O'Reilly lashes out at George Will, saying Will doesn't understand what socialism is (Trump merely practices 'hardball economics'). Bill-O says Trump is in charge of the country now and must not be undermined. Accuses Will of 'personal animus' towards Trump

Ironically, Bill has nursed a major grudge against Will for the past year for panning his book "Killing Reagan"

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/12/09/oreilly_george_will_undermining_trump_much_of_wills_negative_analysis_is_driven_by_personal_animus.html

[Jeff Buchanan]

This is an interesting piece of research. It clearly supports the notion that achieving the "American Dream" has become more difficult through generations.

What I don't think it does a great job of is supporting their argument that explains why and articulating ways to make it easier to achieve that goal (generationally earning more than your parents).

It's more of the income inequality argument. Take a look. Discuss.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/opinion/the-american-dream-quantified-at-last.html?_r=0

[froot loops]

Must not be undermined? He works at Fox, I am laughing audibly.

[froot loops]

On a side note I and my son have received some of those O'Reilly books for Christmas, as an avid reader of history books it's like giving Junie B Jones book to a Harry Bosch fan.

If I want an O'Reilly book make it Linux, Unix or scripting.

[hack]

I think two of the main solutions are there, Jeff -- labor laws and education. Get profiteers out of education, and give workers the rights they deserve instead of handicapping them, and regulate Wall Street properly. Do those three things and that's a massive dent. Three obvious things. If that's not enough, other solutions will be more easily identified as we go.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I think the two main solutions are there, Jeff -- labor laws and education.

Hack, the picture cartoon you posted doesn't show-up unless you cut and paste then view it.

It's easy to say "educate" the unemployed/under-employed. I think that's harder to do and do it right than it appears. I also think we've had this issue briefly come up before. There's a disconnect between what our secondary schools and universities are delivering out the door and what an emerging US economy needs.

I think it might have actually been you that posted at some point that the technical skills needed in the US economy explains why there are so may Indians, for example, that are coming here to work via the I-551, often known as a green card.

10 years ago in the construction boom that powered ATL's economy there was a huge increase in unskilled labor from South and Central America including Mexico. Over the last 3-5 years immigration has been coming from India where the skills the US IT economy needs is being met by the Indian Educational system.

[Jeff Buchanan]

On the labor laws issue ...... you need to be more specific about what you mean here. The cartoon isn't getting it for me.