[EmperorMagus]

Mentalist, on 27 February 2017 - 06:03 PM, said:

Wasn't he also the main beneficiary and partially the cause of the Asian Financial crisis in early 2000s?

Re: the Atlantic article- yeah, that sounds eerily like back home. And yeah, corruption is subtle- it takes about 20 years to get the people used to the culture of cronyism everywhere- and it's incredibly hard to go back after.

So, I'm not exactly familiar with the Asian Financial Crisis; so I can't really comment on that particular incident.

However, I am familiar with what Soros does. What he does is trade foreign currencies on the FOREX market. That's it. The guy is stupid rich and his trades carry a ridiculous amount of weight (meaning if he starts shorting the Rial with all his wealth the Iranian currencies is probably going to plunge like crazy, for a week).

But his wealth is nothing when compared to the wealth of UK or any other industrialized country. If the fundamentals of an economy are OK (if the economy is strong and the country's central bank has not done something stupid), George Soros cannot do shit. He makes money when he realizes that a central bank (like BoE) has a financial policy that is ... misguided. He starts buying the currency of that particular country over several months in the hopes of riding the wave down by selling first.

He can't destabilize anywhere with a halfway competent central bank.

[Tiste Simeon]

EmperorMagus, on 28 February 2017 - 08:27 AM, said:

He can't destabilize anywhere with a halfway competent central bank.

Brit here, that makes me nervous.

[Gorefest]

Mark Carney is Canadian though, so there is a fail-safe built in.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 28 February 2017 - 11:21 AM

[EmperorMagus]

http://www.cnn.com/2...linkId=34966255


These people are freakin' unhinged.

[worry]

Yah, and some sources are reporting it like they got sentenced for a "confederate flag confrontation" -- that's a headline quote, not my paraphrase. It makes the sentences seem harsh, until you read what they actually did.

On another note, I'd just like to say it's sickening when progressives start fawning over people like Chris Christie, Darrell Issa, and George W. Bush of all people just because they have common sense critiques of congress or DJT. Reminds me of last year when liberals started quoting and in some cases even lionizing Glenn Beck, Megan Kelly, Joe Walsh (the form Rep, not the Eagles guy), and Gretchen Carlson. These people are scumbags for life and they're largely responsible for this mess. George W. Bush chief among them.

Edit: by sickening, I mostly mean heart-sickening. A little bit gut-sickening too, I can't deny, but it's not like I don't understand the impulse.

This post has been edited by death rattle: 01 March 2017 - 12:18 AM

[HoosierDaddy]

death rattle, on 28 February 2017 - 11:51 PM, said:

Yah, and some sources are reporting it like they got sentenced for a "confederate flag confrontation" -- that's a headline quote, not my paraphrase. It makes the sentences seem harsh, until you read what they actually did.

On another note, I'd just like to say it's sickening when progressives start fawning over people like Chris Christie, Darrell Issa, and George W. Bush of all people just because they have common sense critiques of congress or DJT. Reminds me of last year when liberals started quoting and in some cases even lionizing Glenn Beck, Megan Kelly, Joe Walsh (the form Rep, not the Eagles guy), and Gretchen Carlson. These people are scumbags for life and they're largely responsible for this mess. George W. Bush chief among them.

Edit: by sickening, I mostly mean heart-sickening. A little bit gut-sickening too, I can't deny, but it's not like I don't understand the impulse.

To be fair, most of my "lionizing" of Megyn Kelly is that she is smoking hot. Calling out Trump just made me tingle a little.

Now, that's actually more sexist than anything political. So, I'll own that.

Truth as defense!

Not watching tonight, but it's supposed to be "toned down", "respectable Trump", which we've seen before. He can't keep at it for more than a week. Expect early morning tweets about the Dem members not clapping, not clapping loud enough, sitting down, or for hopefully calling him a liar.

[Hairshirt]

HoosierDaddy, on 01 March 2017 - 02:19 AM, said:

death rattle, on 28 February 2017 - 11:51 PM, said:

Yah, and some sources are reporting it like they got sentenced for a "confederate flag confrontation" -- that's a headline quote, not my paraphrase. It makes the sentences seem harsh, until you read what they actually did.

On another note, I'd just like to say it's sickening when progressives start fawning over people like Chris Christie, Darrell Issa, and George W. Bush of all people just because they have common sense critiques of congress or DJT. Reminds me of last year when liberals started quoting and in some cases even lionizing Glenn Beck, Megan Kelly, Joe Walsh (the form Rep, not the Eagles guy), and Gretchen Carlson. These people are scumbags for life and they're largely responsible for this mess. George W. Bush chief among them.

Edit: by sickening, I mostly mean heart-sickening. A little bit gut-sickening too, I can't deny, but it's not like I don't understand the impulse.

To be fair, most of my "lionizing" of Megyn Kelly is that she is smoking hot. Calling out Trump just made me tingle a little.

Now, that's actually more sexist than anything political. So, I'll own that.

Truth as defense!

Not watching tonight, but it's supposed to be "toned down", "respectable Trump", which we've seen before. He can't keep at it for more than a week. Expect early morning tweets about the Dem members not clapping, not clapping loud enough, sitting down, or for hopefully calling him a liar.

I'm sure it's happening right now! You do have to admit it does get kinda weird when the other side doesn't clap for something that goes beyond party lines. For example he said something about making it easier for women to start businesses and there were quite a few Dems that didn't clap, that's odd. The same crap happened during Obama's presidency too. I get you don't clap for policies you don't agree with, you shouldn't. But for obvious good things that everyone can support stop being a child and support it! I wonder if they're worried that if they are seen clapping they'll be accused of being soft on the opposition party. If that's the case we are in really bad shape.

Thank God they just gave a standing ovation to the girl with the rare disease! There's still hope it's not completely broken.

This post has been edited by Hairshirt: 01 March 2017 - 02:49 AM

[HoosierDaddy]

"Polarization."

We've seen the rational, composed Trump trick before. How many articles have been written about his "pivot" towards being presidential. It. Does. Not. Last.

Frankly, they are acting as expected. I'm surprised any are clapping. Must be from Blue-dog states.

[EmperorMagus]

Hairshirt, on 01 March 2017 - 02:44 AM, said:

I'm sure it's happening right now! You do have to admit it does get kinda weird when the other side doesn't clap for something that goes beyond party lines. For example he said something about making it easier for women to start businesses and there were quite a few Dems that didn't clap, that's odd. The same crap happened during Obama's presidency too. I get you don't clap for policies you don't agree with, you shouldn't. But for obvious good things that everyone can support stop being a child and support it! I wonder if they're worried that if they are seen clapping they'll be accused of being soft on the opposition party. If that's the case we are in really bad shape.

He says "making it easier for women to start businesses".

That doesn't mean that's what he is doing.

[Hairshirt]

I'm actually impressed with how many are clapping, maybe they can work together.

Or Trump will implode any minute now.

[worry]

They SHOULD be worried. Collaborators will be primaried. Period.

[HoosierDaddy]

death rattle, on 01 March 2017 - 03:12 AM, said:

They SHOULD be worried. Collaborators will be primaried. Period.

I understand the rationale, but don't think it's applicable.

Dem's, progressives, liberals, whatever you want to call them don't have the discipline to follow through in a general with a patently left of center politician in any state outside of the coasts or outside any major citities (<250,000 pop).

[worry]

I'm not predicting a Tea Party-style wave of progressive/leftist wins, but I think groundswell movements will be sustained -- Trump isn't going away any time soon, and neither are the cowards on the right who are avoiding their constituents at every turn, and a byproduct of the anger that generates is going to be feet held to the fire for milquetoast Dems as well. It's always an uphill battle against money, I recognize, but primaries from the left create an overall leftward shift, even if the establishment candidate wins.

[Hairshirt]

HoosierDaddy, on 01 March 2017 - 03:23 AM, said:

death rattle, on 01 March 2017 - 03:12 AM, said:

They SHOULD be worried. Collaborators will be primaried. Period.

I understand the rationale, but don't think it's applicable.

Dem's, progressives, liberals, whatever you want to call them don't have the discipline to follow through in a general with a patently left of center politician in any state outside of the coasts or outside any major citities (<250,000 pop).

This is true.

You also have to realize just how many people switched sides to vote for Trump as anti establishment. By not trying to compromise or even attempt to have a civil dialogue might put candidates in the category of "establishment" and those voters who flipped to Trump might stay there. The key is getting those voters back into the fold. I live in a very liberal area of a red state and I know a few Trumpers who did switch, and they're enthusiasm for him is waning. If libs can figure out how to win them back we're set. I don't know if being obstructionists will help or push people further away.

[HoosierDaddy]

Sorry. At this point obstruction is a must. Thus why I understand the rationale. But the American people cannot REWARD Republicans for 8 years of doing "everything in their power to stop Obama" and not receive their karma. Claiming "obstruction" when they let a SCJ nominee sit in limbo for a fucking year because they are toddlers who have it their way or the highway.

Don't like spending? Stop government.

Don't like natural debt? Refuse to raise limit to money we've already spent on mostly on unnecessary wars and bank bailouts that were caused by terrible oversight.

I could go on, and on, and on. This shit has become so endemic to the Republican endgame that it's just looked at as normal. It's not. This is not governing. This is not government. This is pathetic.

[worry]

I suppose you can think of it as obstructionism, but my money is on Trump never proposing anything realistically progressive, and a GOP congress never signing onto his empty gestures in that direction anyway. You'll notice that the infrastructure stuff wasn't in the floated Trump budget, for instance, and we know Mitch McConnell opposes any such project anyway.

So when it comes to the real nitty gritty, like the reality of what the Trump admin and congress are going to actually try to do, I don't want to see a D Senator or Rep say so much as "maybe". I'm not interested in "at least he got the trains running on time, I'll give him that" soul-selling. I'm not interested in sacrificing people of color, or trans people, or immigrants, so that (some) women (might) have an easier go of opening businesses.

[Hairshirt]

So do exactly what the Republicans did and do everything you just railed against? I don't know if that wins you votes is all I'm saying.

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm going to go to my office tomorrow and hear Trump hailed as a hero for this act.

Because that's what it is. It is an act. He's an actor.

"I didn't know healthcare was this complicated." Because you've never needed it. Never cared about. And have never researched anything about it in your life.

"I have a plan to defeat ISIS. I know more about ISIS than the generals." You got a SEAL, American Civilian, and child killed in your authorized action. And missed the target.

"I've got a massive infrastructure plan." Name it. Say it. You'll get Dem's on board as it actually creates jobs.

Etc., etc., etc.

First year out of office when they rank presidents? Trump #45. Maybe #90.

[HoosierDaddy]

Hairshirt, on 01 March 2017 - 03:54 AM, said:

So do exactly what the Republicans did and do everything you just railed against? I don't know if that wins you votes is all I'm saying.

I'd jokingly say that the best way to say to put out a dumpster fire is to throw far more gasoline on it so that it goes up quicker and really cleans it out.

No, Dems reach back out to the "economically anxious" (aka white rust belt workers), and maintain their stranglehold on minorities.

The Republican strength is white, middle class and lower class men and Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers are dying out, and those white men are increasingly being put on notice. Trump is their last breath effort to bring them back to relevance. Ain't going to work.

[worry]

Blocking Gorsuch from making the Supreme Court after what happened to Garland isn't any more "the same thing" than taking your stolen property back from a thief is "the same thing". But thinking of it in theoretical terms like the two sides of Lady Justice's balance, instead of specifics like a bill that helped 20 million people get insurance and banned rejections for pre-existing conditions vs a bill that would turn Medicaid into block grants and stuff the chronically ill into high risk pools, isn't more productive than blind obstructionism imo.