Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[froot loops]

Correct

[Dr. Strangelove]

Looking forward to seeing any actual evidence that Russia assisted Trump. Until they produce it, these stories need to be taken with a large grain of salt. The report released right before Obama leaves will hopefully have substance and not just innuendo.

I will say the bit in the Wash Po story about McConnell calling investigations into Russia 'partisan politics' is embarrassing for him. And I still supsect most congressional Republicans would be quietly pleased if Trump could be neutered almost completely and Pence effectively put in charge.

[iam416]

I reckon the Pence/Trump relationship you describe is roughly as it will be. I'm not sure there's anything you can do, though, to stop Trump from being the figurehead flying at 75,000 feet while Team Pence runs the ground show.

In any event, whatever the Congressional Rs do, it needs to be through the full legislative process. That means sending whatever they pass to the Senate for a full vote subject to fillibuster.

[hack]

Looking forward to seeing any actual evidence that Russia assisted Trump. Until they produce it, these stories need to be taken with a large grain of salt. The report released right before Obama leaves will hopefully have substance and not just innuendo.

I will say the bit in the Wash Po story about McConnell calling investigations into Russia 'partisan politics' is embarrassing for him. And I still supsect most congressional Republicans would be quietly pleased if Trump could be neutered almost completely and Pence effectively put in charge.

McConnell is one heck of a successful politician. Maybe only Cheney was more successful in doing what he wants, flaunting both law and custom, and daring the system to stop him. A guy like that isn't going to be easily embarrased.

What's alarming is that it seems, in the face of a legitimate security threat from a potentially hostile rival, we're just bogged down in partisan bullshit. The FBI seems to be interested in protecting Trump, and McConnell his avenues to more power and money. Hence, McCain and Graham are outraged. The CIA is now suddenly going on the offensive, probably because it perceives Obama as too tame to do anything but also maybe because Trump doesn't want briefings. The coordinated nature of last night's leaks -- half to the Post, half to the Times -- seem designed to step up pressure on the electoral college, and influence what the report Obama commissioned is going to say and recommend. Coordinated attacks in multiple parts of the system, like Al Q or ISIS.

IMO the only takeaway so far is that the deep state feels threatened, or maybe even more accurate to say the CIA isn't used to a president uninterested in what they have to say. (It should ask the State Department for some advice) It'll likely be watching for opportunities to check the administration's power. Normally the last thing we should want is unelected career G men boxing in elected representatives, but at this point it's pick your poison.

Anyhow here's what people seem to be looking to as the best hottake: https://www.emptywheel.net/2016/12/0...tube-footnote/.

[Da Geezer]

Jeff:

That was an interesting article. But the first graph could as well stand for the proposition that children of the lowest 83% of wage earners have a 92% chance of earning more than their parents. I think that shows a remarkable upward mobility in terms of income over generations. That the lower 1/3 of the top quartile have a 92% chance of earning more than their parents seems to me to indicate that the "American Dream" is alive and well (within the context of the article).

[Da Geezer]

Hack regarding the teaching of political correctness:

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

I have no problem with less hate and more reason. But I want to be able to send my children to a school furthers that end. Certainly, government schools today are functionaries of the liberal left, at least in terms of what is emphasized. That is why you see so much home-schooling and hostility to things like Common Core.

Remember what Hillary said, "...what if they make the wrong choice?...." It is not part of her consciousness to consider that what she considers "right" is an opinion and not a fact. Similarly, when Lois Lerner was asked about the "why" of her targeting of conservative organizations, she answered something like ".., well, everybody was saying that these Tea Party groups were dangerous..."

Hack, you live in a town dedicated to creating laws and regulations. That is what DC produces. Just because all around you are folks who believe as you do does not mean that what you believe is right. Yours is simply an opinion that happened to be rejected in November. And your city very much like the capital city in the Hunger Games.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jeff:

That was an interesting article. But the first graph could as well stand for the proposition that children of the lowest 83% of wage earners have a 92% chance of earning more than their parents. I think that shows a remarkable upward mobility in terms of income over generations. That the lower 1/3 of the top quartile have a 92% chance of earning more than their parents seems to me to indicate that the "American Dream" is alive and well (within the context of the article).

??? Maybe I'm misunderstading what you are saying. The first chart depicts only those borin 1940 and assigns to that group a high likelihood that they will earn more than their parents. As you add generations, the likelihood of that happening declines.

The researchers opine that the reason for that is income inequality. I think you would disagree with the underlying assumption the researchers are making and would also disagree with the methods, if you assume there is increasing income inequality across generations, on how to rectify it.

[Da Geezer]

Jeff:

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are saying.

No, it has a more simple explanation than that. I misread the chart. I didn't see it was for only 1940. Sorry.

I think a better chart from the article is:

http://www.equality-of-opportunity.org/

That is a pretty convincing chart supporting their thesis. As you say, the researchers opine that income inequality causes the lessening of the ability to achieve the American Dream. That seems reasonable to me. I happen to believe that income inequality has, as one component, inequality of ability. That is, many of the highest paying occupations today are more "brain-centric" rather than "muscle-centric". And, today, far fewer workers are needed to produce value in an information-age economy than in an industrial-age economy.

I've always believed that the income distribution in the US resembled a diamond rather than the pyramid that Marx wrote about. A large and prosperous middle class has been, historically, a very good thing.

[hack]

I have no problem with less hate and more reason. But I want to be able to send my children to a school furthers that end. Certainly, government schools today are functionaries of the liberal left, at least in terms of what is emphasized. That is why you see so much home-schooling and hostility to things like Common Core.


If you want less hate and more reason, send your kids through the public system. People don't because of great efforts to portray it as something it's not. Like when some people feared ``the homosexual agenda'' in schools. In the end, if you send your kid to a sect-specific school, you're by definition flirting with the wrong choice. Nothing reduces hate and increases reason more than exposure to people who are different than you.

Hack, you live in a town dedicated to creating laws and regulations. That is what DC produces. Just because all around you are folks who believe as you do does not mean that what you believe is right.

I'm 43, and moved here at age 40. I've lived in four countries, and in this one, two states as well as DC. If you want to be arguing from a position of knowledge you need to consider me a product of all of that, rather than of my last three years of life.

Yours is simply an opinion that happened to be rejected in November.

No it wasn't. Hillary's lead in the popular vote is still growing. If you oppose having less hate and more reason, then you should be glad the system is designed to overcount one group's voice, but that's still a shrinking minority.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Exxon CEO Tillerson will be Sec of State. He is the most pro-Russia of all the potential candidates Trump was considering and fought against the various sanctions we've levied against them since 2014. Putin personally pinned a medal on him a few years ago.

If there's anyone to help fuel conspiracy theories that Russia will control Trump, this was the guy to pick

[Dr. Strangelove]

Oh and John Bolton will be #2 at State. God help us all.

[froot loops]

I have no problem with less hate and more reason. But I want to be able to send my children to a school furthers that end. Certainly, government schools today are functionaries of the liberal left, at least in terms of what is emphasized. That is why you see so much home-schooling and hostility to things like Common Core.


If you want less hate and more reason, send your kids through the public system. People don't because of great efforts to portray it as something it's not. Like when some people feared ``the homosexual agenda'' in schools. In the end, if you send your kid to a sect-specific school, you're by definition flirting with the wrong choice. Nothing reduces hate and increases reason more than exposure to people who are different than you.

Hack, you live in a town dedicated to creating laws and regulations. That is what DC produces. Just because all around you are folks who believe as you do does not mean that what you believe is right.

I'm 43, and moved here at age 40. I've lived in four countries, and in this one, two states as well as DC. If you want to be arguing from a position of knowledge you need to consider me a product of all of that, rather than of my last three years of life.

Yours is simply an opinion that happened to be rejected in November.

No it wasn't. Hillary's lead in the popular vote is still growing. If you oppose having less hate and more reason, then you should be glad the system is designed to overcount one group's voice, but that's still a shrinking minority.

Excellent post

[froot loops]

Exxon CEO Tillerson will be Sec of State. He is the most pro-Russia of all the potential candidates Trump was considering and fought against the various sanctions we've levied against them since 2014. Putin personally pinned a medal on him a few years ago.

If there's anyone to help fuel conspiracy theories that Russia will control Trump, this was the guy to pick

Make America Great Again

[Whitley]

Make America Great Again

If that is what Russia wants.

I look forward to Russia telling the US what to do and more wars to show we want peace through strength.

[The Oracle]

Excellent post

Was thinking the same.