The Republican Agenda 2016 forward

[SouprMatt]

The MAGA faithful love these cabinet picks.

Trump’s Cabinet Picks, Panned in Washington, Thrill Many of His Voters

Where Donald J. Trump’s critics see underqualified nominees with questionable judgment, his voters described them as mavericks recruited to shake up Washington.

www.nytimes.com

“It’s a masterpiece,’’ Eileen Margolis, 58, who lives in Weston, Fla., and owns a tattoo business, said of Mr. Trump’s cabinet picks unveiled over the past week. “If it was a painting, it would be a Picasso.”

“I think it’s so crazy, and I love it,’’ Merrill McCollum, 60, of Bozeman, Mont., said of the nominees.

She said the backlash to some of Mr. Trump’s appointments did not surprise her, because in her view, his opponents have been blinded by the media.
“They’re losing it, and I’m enjoying every minute of it,” Ms. Hutz said of Mr. Trump’s critics.

Those are the folks who see this all as a way to F over their fellow Americans, and aren’t even shy about it.

Then you have the rubes:

Many Muslim voters backed Mr. Trump to protest the Biden administration’s unwavering support for Israel in its war against Gaza.
One of those voters, Khaled Saffuri, a Palestinian American of Fairfax County, Va., said he worried that Mr. Rubio, the secretary of state nominee, is “pro-Israel to no limit.” But Mr. Saffuri believes if Mr. Trump keeps his campaign promises, he will step in to end the war.
“I didn’t think he was going to appoint angels,” said Mr. Saffuri, 65, who leads a foundation involved in foreign policy issues

Sam Alasri, who heads a Yemeni political organization in Michigan, said he was also willing to give Mr. Trump the benefit of the doubt.
He said that Mr. Trump’s nominations, including Representative Elise Stefanik for U.N. ambassador and former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas as ambassador to Israel, raised some concern.
But, “we trust him,” Mr. Alasri said of Mr. Trump. “I trust his word.”

Has DJT ever displayed a trustworthy moment in his entire life? His word is worth less than the air expended to utter it.

Gotta say, I can’t disagree with @Jay Mysteri0 ‘s post above, and these quotes from voters really do show a lot of people take freedom for granted. As long as they get to F somebody else over, they will ignore a million red flags and warning bells. Which makes me think if we lose freedoms and prices go way up due to tariffs, they will never blame Trump or take ownership of their own choice to put him in office. Instead, they will blame the good people they made a point to screw over with their votes.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

To be a LITTLE more cheerful?

How I feel about things.

 

[SouprMatt]

In case the circus has distracted anybody (or everybody), let’s remember what the Republican agenda has been and continues to be.

Judge blocks Biden administration's rule to expand overtime pay for millions

A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S.

apnews.com

Under the federal law, nearly all hourly workers in the U.S. are entitled to overtime pay after 40 hours a week. But many salaried workers are exempt from that requirement — unless they earn below a certain level.

The Labor Department’s now-scuttled rule would have marked the biggest increase to that cap in decades. Employers were required pay overtime to salaried workers who make less than $43,888 a year in certain executive, administrative and professional roles as of July 1 — and that was set to rise to $58,656 next year.

As you can see, the agenda is to funnel more money to the wealthy on the backs of average people. Even 58K is a low salary to be exempted from overtime pay. But $43K? And not a dime of overtime pay if you work more than 40 hours?

And of course, the judge who blocked the rule was appointed by supposed friend of the working class, Mr. 45 himself.

 

[P___X]

In case the circus has distracted anybody (or everybody), let’s remember what the Republican agenda has been and continues to be.

Judge blocks Biden administration's rule to expand overtime pay for millions

A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S.

apnews.com

As you can see, the agenda is to funnel more money to the wealthy on the backs of average people. Even 58K is a low salary to be exempted from overtime pay. But $43K? And not a dime of overtime pay if you work more than 40 hours?

And of course, the judge who blocked the rule was appointed by supposed friend of the working class, Mr. 45 himself.

"David French, executive vice president of government relations for the National Retail Federation — one of the groups that challenged the Labor Department’s rule — maintained in a statement Friday that the changes “would have curtailed retailers’ ability to offer the most flexible, generous and tailored benefits packages to lower-level exempt employees across the industry.”

You don't get it , these employers are actually generous that they provide "benefits". Also when Joe Smith from FL who currently makes $42345 a year benefits, because he won't have to pay OT either when he becomes this billionaire he's always known he'd become one day 🤣 🤣 🤣

I've had a discussion with a friend who told me not to approach Americans differently because of the election results, because I told her, from here on all I'm going to care about is my family's "financial independence". Unfortunately, you can't make adults suddenly believe in compassion or solidarity. If a society lacks these values, the best thing you can do is prepare to shield yourself from whatever turmoil is gonna come.

Although a different kind of solidarity is rising:


this is pretty fucked up and it's gonna snowball

 

[Thomas Veil]

Everything has been perverted.

Just as I'm loathe to fly our flag nowadays lest someone think I'm endorsing MAGA, the letters USA have become a symbol of antagonism toward the rest of the world, and the word "Christian" no longer represents anything Christ would recognize.

Trump and his movement have turned these previously positive symbols and ideas into things to be ashamed of.

What the hell must the rest of the world think of us?

 

[Thomas Veil]

Well of course. 🤨

Trump transition live updates: Trump announces fracking business leader as energy secretary

Donald Trump is wasting no time in planning his return to the White House.

abcnews.go.com

"There is no climate crisis, and we're not in the midst of an energy transition either," Wright said in a video posted to LinkedIn last year.

This guy is also responsible for our nukes.

Dear god...

 

[P___X]

What the hell must the rest of the world think of us?

Look at Trump, list all the things that come to your mind. That's what the world has been thinking of the USA! USA!
Now, we've proven them right😀

BTW, at this point, the only way this movement goes away is when everything would crash loudly and violently. And, BTW, this is why people like Orbán promote this movement. They think they'll gain more influence on or independence from US foreign policy if the it all crashes. Unless it takes down global economy, as it did in 2008...or even 2020.

 

[P___X]

Well of course. 🤨

Trump transition live updates: Trump announces fracking business leader as energy secretary

Donald Trump is wasting no time in planning his return to the White House.

abcnews.go.com

This guy is also responsible for our nukes.

Dear god...

This is like a game of "who would be the most absurd pick for this position"?😀 Like reverse fantasy football, the person with the worst performing team wins.

 

[P___X]

BTW, the reason I think this insane cabinet is actually a good thing is because with mildly to moderately incompetent people (first trump admin), it took a major stress test (COVID) and the president's personality disorder to reveal why Trump 1.0 was a disaster. With where the economy was heading, even with a moderately incompetent staff it would be a slow cooker with the consequences of incompetence being way too abstract for Americans to notice. However, thus far, the cabinet seems like a dream team to demonstrate why trumpism is a dead end. The heat is definitely cranked up on that froggo.

 

[SouprMatt]

Just thinking about the 22 studies Jay posted in another thread agreeing on the massive amounts of money we’d save with a single-payer healthcare system.

And yet, Republican propaganda so strongly associated it with Communism that no mainstream Democrat would campaign on it.

The agenda is to keep healthcare executives rich and all of us sick. And it’s quite successful. There are “third world” countries with better life expectancy than the USA.

 

[P___X]

Just thinking about the 22 studies Jay posted in another thread agreeing on the massive amounts of money we’d save with a single-payer healthcare system.

And yet, Republican propaganda so strongly associated it with Communism that no mainstream Democrat would campaign on it.

The agenda is to keep healthcare executives rich and all of us sick. And it’s quite successful. There are “third world” countries with better life expectancy than the USA.

DOGE will make healthcare cheap🤣

To me the next interestinv thing will be how Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists will impact americans’ health given that obesity related morbidity is responsible for like a third of or even more (guessed numbers) of our healthcare expenses. Covering these drugs would make people healthier and healthcare cheaper, but it would also lower Americans’ (junk) food consumption. I wonder what big Food would do next. Probably increase prices (shrinkflation 2.0).

 

[Thomas Veil]

BTW, the reason I think this insane cabinet is actually a good thing is because with mildly to moderately incompetent people (first trump admin), it took a major stress test (COVID) and the president's personality disorder to reveal why Trump 1.0 was a disaster. …the cabinet seems like a dream team to demonstrate why trumpism is a dead end. The heat is definitely cranked up on that froggo.

I get it, but the only problems with this are

• a large percentage of MAGA is impervious to learning anything—even expensive lessons. Even from total disasters. Climate change could turn the world into a flaming wasteland, and somehow it wouldn’t be Trump’s fault, it would be the libs’.
• even if some of them do learn the lesson, with Mr. Anti-Vax RFK in charge a lot of people are going to have to die first.

 

[SouprMatt]

I get it, but the only problems with this are

• a large percentage of MAGA is impervious to learning anything—even expensive lessons. Even from total disasters. Climate change could turn the world into a flaming wasteland, and somehow it wouldn’t be Trump’s fault, it would be the libs’.
• even if some of them do learn the lesson, with Mr. Anti-Vax RFK in charge a lot of people are going to have to die first.

They blame Fauci for the pandemic, not Trump for sending mixed messages about it, and undermining the scientists and doctors at every turn. Their stupidity is incurable.

When prices spike and unemployment triples due to tariffs and deportations, they will blame everybody but themselves and 45.

 

[P___X]

I get it, but the only problems with this are

• a large percentage of MAGA is impervious to learning anything—even expensive lessons. Even from total disasters. Climate change could turn the world into a flaming wasteland, and somehow it wouldn’t be Trump’s fault, it would be the libs’.
• even if some of them do learn the lesson, with Mr. Anti-Vax RFK in charge a lot of people are going to have to die first.

And you are 100% right on this.

They blame Fauci for the pandemic, not Trump for sending mixed messages about it, and undermining the scientists and doctors at every turn. Their stupidity is incurable.

And this is the perfect example.

When prices spike and unemployment triples due to tariffs and deportations, they will blame everybody but themselves and 45.

And this is exactly what will happen.

OTOH the single conclusion I could draw thus far from this election is that post Citizens United, US politics is about weaponized anger. And anger management starts on January 6th. Fox News will suddenly start telling people how good the economy is and how great the deportations are going, so they'll be happy and excited. Things will be going really well and then once that narrative is established and the next election cycle approaches they'll have to start telling their listeners how these trumpian achievements are under the attack by the liberals who want to ruin America.

Forget about the hardcore MAGA people. As long as extreme right wing media exists they will never convert.
It's about the 10 million voters who sat out this election and the pretendependents whose bread and butter is pseudo equivalency.

 

[Huntn]

Yeah, we do.

We need to "dunk on" everyone who voted against their best interests. I mean, what was the final calculus? If I sit this one, Black men & women, White women, transgender, demonized immigrants, and anyone else were going to pick up the slack for them so they felt better? How'd that work out?

I mean all the Christian nationalists got behind their choice, what did anyone think was going to happen?

I realize that's harsh, but after listening to over & over breakdowns of why 45 won, ...it's simple. More people who understandably valued their own positions in this country wanted a guy, over the wide ranging of coalitions who didn't want the guy. How many times did we say this over in the other place. A protest vote or a non vote, is a vote for whoever wins. Congratulations, you helped decide the winner anyways. Enjoy your prize.

In other words selfishness will be the end of us, especially believing a habitual liar, and it’s based on the sacrifices they are apparently too STUPID to know they are making…😡 There’s a strong argument here, that we as a species are unworthy of success.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

In other words selfishness will be the end of us, especially believing a habitual liar, and it’s based on the sacrifices they are apparently too STUPID to know they are making…😡 There’s a strong argument here, that we as a species are unworthy of success.

Yes.

For some of us, a base part of our nature is self destruction.

 

[Thomas Veil]

Aaaand here we go.

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday confirmed he would declare a national emergency to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.

Overnight, Trump responded to a social media post from Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton, who said earlier this month there are reports the incoming administration is preparing such a declaration and to use "military assets" to deport the migrants.

“TRUE!!!” Trump wrote.

Trump pledged to get started on mass deportations as soon as he enters office.

"On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out," he said during a rally at Madison Square Garden in the closing days of the presidential race. "I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible."

Purely aside from Trump's warlike language and the scary prospect of mobilizing the military and the National Guard to carry out his threat, what would be the effect of kicking out all these people?

There are an estimated 11 million unauthorized migrants living in the U.S. without legal immigration status. Removing them could cost billions of dollars per year, according to estimates from the American Immigration Council.

Plus, mass deportations could have a broader economic impact by resulting in a loss of tax revenue and labor shortages....

"If you took away my workforce, you wouldn't eat. If you go into the San Joaquin Valley and you start doing what you're saying, it's over. The country will stop, literally stop because the food system won't move," said Manuel Cunha Jr., the president of the Nisei Farmers League.

Call it the Trumpocalypse.

We might even need a separate thread by that name to catalogue Trump's upcoming crimes against the United States.

Trump confirms plan to declare national emergency, use military for mass deportations

President-elect Donald Trump is emphasizing his plan to declare a national emergency to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations.

abcnews.go.com

 

[SouprMatt]

Musk and Ramaswamy claim they will cut federal spending by $2 trillion a year!

If you exclude Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans' benefits... you have $1.7 trillion left for everything else, INCLUDING defense.

Since Trump promised not to cut any of the departments mentioned above, I guess their plan is to completely shut down the entire federal government, fire everybody in the military, and still be $300 billion short of their goal.

Tech bros are NOT geniuses. They got lucky. That's it.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

Musk and Ramaswamy claim they will cut federal spending by $2 trillion a year!

If you exclude Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans' benefits... you have $1.7 trillion left for everything else, INCLUDING defense.

Since Trump promised not to cut any of the departments mentioned above, I guess their plan is to completely shut down the entire federal government, fire everybody in the military, and still be $300 billion short of their goal.

Tech bros are NOT geniuses. They got lucky. That's it.

Well, emo did promise hardship.

So if we don't have a working gov't to save on money, I guess that's the hardship he refers to?

Of course that means the gov't doesn't take in any money, but also curbs the defense that 45 so eagerly wants to use against everyone?

 

[P___X]

Aaaand here we go.






Purely aside from Trump's warlike language and the scary prospect of mobilizing the military and the National Guard to carry out his threat, what would be the effect of kicking out all these people?





Call it the Trumpocalypse.

We might even need a separate thread by that name to catalogue Trump's upcoming crimes against the United States.

Trump confirms plan to declare national emergency, use military for mass deportations

President-elect Donald Trump is emphasizing his plan to declare a national emergency to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations.

abcnews.go.com

Bhut mah grohceriessssssss!!!!1!!!!

Musk and Ramaswamy claim they will cut federal spending by $2 trillion a year!

If you exclude Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans' benefits... you have $1.7 trillion left for everything else, INCLUDING defense.

Since Trump promised not to cut any of the departments mentioned above, I guess their plan is to completely shut down the entire federal government, fire everybody in the military, and still be $300 billion short of their goal.

Tech bros are NOT geniuses. They got lucky. That's it.

Expect the guvmint to work like Xitter😀