The Jeff Cumberbatch Column – A Return to the Monarchy?
Jeff Cumberbatch – Columnist, Barbados Advocate
“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter…” –Winston Churchill.
“Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time…” –Winston Churchill
The story is that the deliberations of the US Constitutional Convention of 1787 were held in strict secrecy. Consequently, curious citizens gathered outside Independence Hall when the proceedings ended in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors. Their answer was soon provided. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin on his exit, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
As did most of my friends by their own admission, I spent last Wednesday morning in a funk of astonishment and disbelief at the events that had transpired in the US a few hours before. We were trying, as Maureen Dowd put it in her opinion piece in the New York Times last Wednesday, to “absorb the impossible”. Despite the geographical inexactitude and patent vagueness of his campaign slogan to “Make America Great Again”; despite his petulance and clear unease at articulating clearly any policy position; despite his clear contempt for those of a race or culture different from his own; despite his abandonment by the Republican establishment after flagrant displays of an offensive misogyny and mimicry of the disabled; and despite the unanimous certainty of the pre-election polls to the contrary, Donald J Trump had secured the mandate of the people (via the Electoral College) to become the next President of the United States of America.
And yet, on further reflection, it is not that difficult to explain this alarming event, although no single factor will suffice. For one, there is the vagary of democracy itself. Churchill’s dictum in the epigraph might seem uncharitable and perhaps even out of sync with our current constitutional ethos, but it may serve eloquently to explain in part some surprising results in recent democratic decisions such as the BREXIT referendum in the UK, the rejection of the peace accord in Colombia, the Trump victory and perhaps some others besides. And polls are mostly unable to predict these types of results because the actuality is that very few responders want to be perceived as being out of step with the prevailing view. I can count, on fewer than four fingers, the number of individuals who, to my knowledge, contemplated that Trump would have won this contest and even so, this was mostly because they hated Mrs. Hillary Clinton more.
This point as to the unthinking nature of voters should not be understated. In an interesting column published online in Foreign Policy, Jason Brennan first posits inarguably that “democracy is supposed to enact the will of the people” and then queries “but what if the people have no clue what they’re doing?” His thesis is that most voters are ignorant or misinformed because the costs to them of acquiring political information greatly exceed the potential benefits. He likens the democratic exercise to a professor telling her hypothetical class of 210 million that in their final exam no individual will receive his or her personal grade but that everyone will get the same grade. In that case, he argues, no one would bother to study and the common grade would be an “F”. He concludes therefore, “…voting is more like doing the wave at a sports game than it is like choosing policy.”
For some, it might have been precisely this Brennanesque stance of belittling the native intelligence of the ordinary voter that led ineluctably to the Trump triumph. One writer has argued persuasively that the choice made on Tuesday last might have been less of a instinctual default option and more of an “intelligent” choice. For him, anger and uncertainty at the inexorable march of globalization and technology had reached such a pitch that many voters were ready for disruption [of the status quo] at any cost.
“Enough of elites; enough of experts; enough of the status quo; enough of the politically correct; enough of the liberal intelligentsia and cultural overlords with their predominant place in the media; enough of the financial wizards who brought the 2008 meltdown and stagnant incomes and jobs disappearing offshore” is how Roger Cohen expresses their collective frustration in the New York Times, a worldview that could find some commonality in Trump’s sloganeering and would be antithetical rather to the Clinton campaign where the candidate herself was perceived as the epitome of this perverse state of affairs.
Indeed, more than a few commentators in recent days have focused their readership’s attention on the unsuitability of Mrs. Clinton as the worthiest Democratic opponent for Mr. Trump. Not-so- easily-dismissed suspicions about the moral authenticity of the process that brought her the nomination as the candidate of the Democratic Party; her coziness with “them” (the financial and social establishment) and a regrettable sense of entitlement that, perhaps unfairly, suggested that she should be free from popular and legal scrutiny –what Maureen Dowd calls a “miasma of financial and ethical cheesiness”; would scarcely have endeared Mrs. Clinton to the alienated rural voter in the counties and states of Middle America.
Nor should we discount lightly the bigotry that might have induced apoplexy should a female be allowed to follow a blackish individual into the White House and that would have felt itself threatened by the inexorable “browning” of a formerly whitish USA.
Today’s headline to this column poses a question for further debate. It is part of a broader inquiry as to what type of President is Trump likely to be. Given his flip-flopping with the truth during his campaign, it would be mere conjecture to base this conclusion purely on his utterances then. Will he be the candidate who claims that he knows more about ISIS than even the generals on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and thus be the individual defender of the “Free World” or will the demands and stresses of the office, so clearly evident in the frosting of the crowns of both Presidents Clinton and Obama during their respective tenures, humble him sufficiently to tone down his inflammatory exclusionist rhetoric?
The defining characteristic of the republican system of government as distinct from that of the monarchical that the US would have successfully rebelled against in 1776, is its checks and balances inherent in the constitutional construct of the separation of powers to ensure that no one branch impinges on the exclusive preserve of the other. Trump’s campaign discourse made a mockery of this principle with his frequent references as to what “I” would do. There was no correspondingly frequent mention of “my administration”.
Now, with the Republicans controlling both the Senate and Congress, and with a President Trump, emboldened by his electoral mandate, entitled to reject the Republican establishment as a consequence of their earlier treatment causing him to do it “all by himself”, the circumstances are ideal for a return to a quasi-monarchical system of “Trumpism”.
Barbados Underground 
Lol…and in which upside down parallel world does Thompson’s spirit now reside, that should frghten the yardfowls for the balance of the day…haha haha.
http://ow.ly/seCD306gtxh
And on and on.
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Good Morning Pacha…….Hope you had good night’s rest cause I did.
Other than taking all the legal deductions and then some under the present tax code, how can I achieve a deduction in my Corp Tax short of a change in the tax law? No bs plz.
Where has Bolton been elevated to?
BTW…why do you have such a violent, mushroom reaction whenever you Assume that someone think you are located somewhere in the C’bean. What’s wrong with the C’bean? What’s wrong with beautiful Barbados? Does it mean that you have an inferior intellect if u are associated with that region?
I think I’ll submit ur name to Donald Trump in lieu of Bolton/Kissinger. D’Accord?
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Hopi in street lingo you are a sell out. A low lifevwho have sold the black race dignity and integrity to a bunch of racist goons and a scam artist likr donald Trump .u ought to be ashamed of yourself
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/16/donald-trump-university-trial-request-delay-denied?CMP=share_btn_fb
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@ac…….Had I supported the Wicked Witch of the West to be POTUS would I still be a sell out and a traitor of the black race dignity? BTW where can I find this Black Race Dignity….in ur politicians, schools, churches, strip clubs, Black households, social clubs or prisons?
Show me Black folk who are interested in their history other than slavery which makes them so comfortable in a victim mentality they don’t even have to think for themselves nor do for themselves. Just sit around and listen to lying media outlets. Slavery is a couple of pages in our Mystery book which is universal, but are the majority of us interested in the rest of the book?
All the ass we ever do is complain, complain and criticize and the chieftains who complain and criticize so much don’t build a damn thing.
I take pride in being in the minority in my political leaning and since you’ve tried ad convicted me bring out the rope.
I live in two worlds ac not one and definitely not yours.
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Take what pride! but then again there is false pride that which you might be alluding. How in the name of God a person of the black race can asdociste themselves with a person like DT in any way shape or manner all in the name if self gain
My mother always said “show me a person’s friends and she can tell what kind of a person they are.
You abilty to easily dismissed DT character with his association with his friends tell a lot about the way your character is define in one word Ugly
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Hopi @12.39 pm.
Regrettably there is much truth to your points.
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@ac. I refuse to go along with the majority of ‘my people’ because they are clueless and ignorant to the hilt and they seem to just wallow in their ignorance like hogs. I’ve always spoken positively and in support of Black folk while pointing out that they are the most stupid people on the planet. So don’t get it twisted ac, nothing has changed about me. I cherish the fact that I can think independently. Why don’t Black folk put forth sensible choices?
I just left BIM after a week there. Had to take care of some business and a little RR. I’m in the process of aiding some youngsters to get a business off the ground and lo and behold who’s getting in their way…a dumb, nignorant, bad-minded Negro. So you tell me today who is the enemy of Black folk? Get yaself a mirror?
@MB….You can’t say that too loudly. You too might get crucified.
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Hopi
We know not of your situation but you may want to consider re-domiciling your company. To NV or DE in the USA.
Or consider other low tax domiciles – the Isle of Man, Barbados
Depending on company size you may want to consider one or both.
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@Pacha…Small.
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Look Hopi not going go tell you what to do but i have a history that reminds me NEVER TO FORGET
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@ ac November 17, 2016 at 1:42 PM
“My mother always said “show me a person’s friends and she can tell what kind of a person they are.
You abilty to easily dismissed DT character with his association with his friends tell a lot about the way your character is define in one word Ugly..”
So your mother advice never really succeeded in molding you?
Because if her advice had any effect you would be in position to “define” the characters of the persons who have been permanent fixtures in the in the estimable and cosy company of Greenverbs.
Now that explains the ‘ugliness’ we see in that dangerous lying party of crooks and con men.
Your mother was right. When you sleep with dogs you bound to wake up with fleas.
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Or wake up as yardfowls…lol
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Listen miller what evidence you have that i am associated with the party you mentioned. In any case the analogy and comparisons are far fetched between DT and the part u mentionef and it is only a yarddog of your pedigree who would bark at a shadow
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http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/89214/cosby-trying-rape-dismissed
Chad…things are not going yall way at all…, first the judge in Trumps racketeering and fraud Trump university refuses to adjourn the case, means he gotta go to court next week for fraud, now Cosby cant get his rape case dismissed….can you say karma…lol
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Hopi,
Dem is got me pun hay like a rotating Jesus crucifying real regular like a tonic–3X / day. lol
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DT is the resurrected snake from the garden of Eden the stories about his friends and associates become more shocking everyday
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@ ac November 17, 2016 at 8:14 PM
You very rough on your man David Thompy bozie… 🙂
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Bushy,
Did you support Donald Trump (DT)? Leff out David Thompson.The people supported him The American people; the minority (Hillary Clinton won the popular vote) voted for Donald Trump. It is beyond my understanding how BLACK people: as distinct from Uncle Toms, could have voted for Donald Trump, after the horrible things he said about them and other minorities and still hold him to their bosoms. One other thing that fills me with loathing is the complete exclusion of the Indigenous people, who’s land they stole, murdered for, and whose treaties they have completely ignored, fro any discussion on the determination of the future of their country. It is as if the do not even exist, have no opinions, and have no voice in its existence.. Just like Trump proposes to do with treaties involving countries all over the world that he wants to throw out the window. And don’t tell me that he plans to “negotiate” them. What about renovating the treaties they signed with the Native Leaders? What about decisions of the Supreme court that some presidents deliberately ignored. Like the one Andrew Jackson; Slave owner, made resulting in the removal by force of all Indians east of the Mississippi to walk the trail of Tears fro Georgia to Illinoi, resulting in the death of over two thousand of the Cherokees.
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Reddit User billclintonisarap1st has reportedly uncovered a new mysterious death linked to Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. His reddit post reports that Monica Petersen was found dead under “suspicious circumstances” while working for the Human Trafficking Center in Haiti.
Monica had been critical of the Clinton Foundation’s dealings even sharing a highly detailed article highlighting Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation’s despicable dealings in Haiti as well as their connections to Billionaire Carlos Slim and the New York Times.
A friend reports on what she was researching:
A friend of Monica’s Bella Robinson confirms that Monica was in Haiti at the time of her death and was investigating “the Clintons possible ties to a pedophile ring.”
As Bella reports her family “hasn’t been able to get any straight answers about her death.”
And she doesn’t believe it is appropriate to post what she knows in public.
One of her friends, after finding out about her death, has suggested continuing her work and heading to Haiti to find answers.
According to her Facebook, Monica Petersen had checked into Port Au Prince, Haiti.
The reddit user believes that Monica was onto something and that she “very likely…found out about #PizzaGate”
PizzaGate is the disgusting elite child trafficking network with links to the occult.
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MoneyB….let’s see how the above develops.
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http://ow.ly/FinQ306ipJz
Your friend.
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“Alvin Cummins November 17, 2016 at 11:19 PM #
Bushy,
Did you support Donald Trump (DT)? Leff out David Thompson.The people supported him The American people; the minority (Hillary Clinton won the popular vote) voted for Donald Trump. It is beyond my understanding how BLACK people: as distinct from Uncle Toms, could have voted for Donald Trump, after the horrible things he said about them and other minorities and still hold him to their bosoms. One other thing that fills me with loathing is the complete exclusion of the Indigenous people, who’s land they stole, murdered for, and whose treaties they have completely ignored, fro any discussion on the determination of the future of their country. It is as if the do not even exist, have no opinions, and have no voice in its existence.. Just like Trump proposes to do with treaties involving countries all over the world that he wants to throw out the window. And don’t tell me that he plans to “negotiate” them. What about renovating the treaties they signed with the Native Leaders? What about decisions of the Supreme court that some presidents deliberately ignored. Like the one Andrew Jackson; Slave owner, made resulting in the removal by force of all Indians east of the Mississippi to walk the trail of Tears fro Georgia to Illinoi, resulting in the death of over two thousand of the Cherokees.”
You should know when you write such distortion that I am not going to let it pass. The selection of the President of the USA has been from time immemorial been governed by a system called the ‘Electoral college’ and not by the majority of votes. Despite what you and other sore losers are now trying to introduce into the mix; it is a visionary system because it provides a balance and ensures the will of the people is fairly expressed by ensuring that large states do not have an advantage over smaller states because of population size.
You cannot understand how black people unless they are Uncle Toms whatever that is could have voted for Mr Trump after the horrible things he said about them. I cannot understand how the Obamas could place themselves out on a limb for Mrs Clinton either given the horrible things the Clintons said about them in the 2007 election. One which come to mind and has never been refuted is that Mr Obama would once be bringing them their coffee.
The indigenous people were disenfranchised by not only the descendants of the Clintons and the Trumps but by immigrants from all walks of life who settled in the 13 colonies who from all accounts eventually associated themselves with the Democratic ideals of jim crow laws, Ku klux Klan activity, lynchings, segregation and such like activities which were prevalent up to the sixties. There is evidence t indicate that the same indigenous people also had African slaves. so wheel and deal again.
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Hopi
http://nvsos.gov/sos/businesses/the-nevada-advantage
OK. Please see link. We still have limited info but let us assume that a Nevada corp can acquire current operations where these are, in which ever State.
To form the Nevada corp will cost less than 1K. The Nevada C corp acquires current small company on formation. This is merely a paper transaction. Once acquired all income could be passed through to Directors of Nevada corp. Therefore there will be NO federal corporation tax because there is no income to the corporation. Directors only pay about 7 percent personal income, state tax, in Nevada.
It’s all legal. No Trumpism necessary. There is a tax planner’s detail that could be sent through…. no additional costs.
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The worst thing that had happened in America during the last millenium and up to a week or so ago was when the Native Americans had pity on the First American colonists at Plymouth Rock and helped them to survive their first winter there. That mistake pales in comparison with what is now happening in America re. the hostile takeover of the Government of the USA by Donald Trump to establish the Trump Dynasty. That is where all the clues are pointing.
It now seems almost certain that Trump will get his way in setting up a rubber stamp Cabinet, and host of advisors, that will ensure that the Trump’ agenda, practically unaltered from the expectations of his pronouncements on the campaign trail, will be put on the front burner and implemented expeditiously, some aspects perhaps even before the Inauguration in early January.
There seems to be few in the Government that understand the existential threat that Trump represents, with the possible exception of Rand Paul and Harry Read. It now seems that former critics like Cruz, Romney, Paul Ryan, et al are now, enthusiastically joining the bandwagon in a shortsighted hypocritical re-re-positioning designed for their selfish purposes.
The current deliberate middle of the road, stance of Obama, while appearing to be the best option at this time, does not seem to take the existential nature of the Trump threat to the country and the World into full consideration. There seems to be some things that Obama could do to slow Trump’s progress towards establishing new behaviours for Government in the USA that would become the norm after Trump has gone. Why does Obama seem not to be doing anything of substance or strategic import in that regard?
The hypocritical GOP establishment, similarly, in their monkey Trump MAGA caps, seems set to sell out the National and people’s interests and embrace Trump’s imminent imperial reign with all its obvious warts and dire probabilities.
One only has to connect the dots between all that is known of Trump’s life style and promises; and the people that have been announced so far to have been offered important Cabinet positions; and Trump’s seeming insistence to operate outside the former rules for Presidential control and checks and balances; to recognize that what is being set up is an old style imperial Government.
Trump’s life story has shown that at 70 years of age he has practically always got his way while living a faux Imperial life style (Check out the ornate nature of his palaces and the stories emanating from his staff). In the face of this, can any of the BU regulars see him not advancing a thrust to become a de-facto Emperor when he becomes President?
I think there is good reason to expect that he will not be controlled when he becomes President unless the imperial possibility is recognized for what it is by all the current Government institutions and a secret strategy put in place to cut that possibility off at the knees asap.
Sadly, the events of the last week suggest that far from being controlled, he continues to get his own way and will continue doing so until he becomes the de-jure Emperor.
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Of course the above is a little over-the-top hyperbole but I think that the implied denouement is not beyond the realms of current probability, given the unique characteristics of the man and the manner in which he surmounted all odds in capturing the Presidency. Indeed, it would be uncharacteristic of his progress so far if he stopped at this stage of merely becoming a normal President, subject to normal controls.
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@ac…..See what happens when you open up that ‘can of worms’ that is your life?
@MB…..Don’t mind these mealy-mouth bloggers man, stand your ground esp. if u know ur right.
@Pacha……TY. I’ll look into it.
@Alvin Cummings…..What horrible things did Donald Trump say about Blacks btw Uncle Tom was a good man. Who told you that indigenous people are completely excluded and do you really care about them or is this some feign indignation?
The indigenous peoples of the US are not the so-called Indians.
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http://ow.ly/gEPP306jyIV
It has not even started yet.
I am feeling sypathy for those who tried keep to Trump out, but those who wished him on the US…will be getting exactly what they paid for and deserve.
The candidates were all ugly, the campaign was ugly, just an ugly situation developing into an ugly 4 years.
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-oversight-committee-finances-conflict-of-interest-russia-charity-tax-returns-a7425041.html
Trump ad hs finances must be investigated, too many people are concerned….the US is not a Caribbean island where people do not call for and demand investigations.
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“Another matter which has raised eyebrows is Mr Trump’s alleged ties to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and Russian financing after American banks stopped lending him money due to his many bankruptcies.”
Lol, hahaha, lol….living of bankruptcies and debt..lol, hahaha lol…slick…and broke.
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BUSINESSMAN SIR CHARLES WILLIAMS has taken issue with a University of the West Indies lecturer’s statements about landownership in Barbados.
http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/89254/whites-major-landowners#sthash.xhqwwxiR.dpuf
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All they gotta do is go to the land registy and research what Cow claims he owns and start looking for forged title deeds, it’s been going on since 1964….the land thefts in Barbados.
And expose the results on the blogs. ..lol
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http://ow.ly/dOUw306jFMc
This happened under the Obama administration despite multiple people trying to stop it, just imagine what it will be like for black people, their children and grandchildren under the racists Trump, Sessions, Bannon, Flynne and the list just keeps growing.
Knowing how irony works in conjunction with karma, the blacks who were dumb enough to vote Trump, are the same 13% black males and 4% females and their progeny will most like be the victms of that racist regime.
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Just saw a report that Trump has reached a 25 Million dollar settlement in the case where it was claimed that he stiffed a number of people in his Trump University scam. I wonder what it will cost him to settle all the other lawsuits against him and if Money Brain and the other BU Trump loyalists will now conclude that this proves that they were all lying on him to get his money.
One more win to Trump. Uh tell wunnah he unstoppable. Hail the King!
In the meantime there were a number of typically flawed Cabinet selections today. Wonder what he will offer to Romney?
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Yeah…either settle or get his ass impeached….and thrown in prison for fraud and racketeering…lol
Trump is such a lowlife he could have settled that fraud case over 6 years ago, but that is what they got as president elect, they scaped the bottom of the barrel.
He is still skating on thin ice though, there are still at least 70 more lawsuits to settle for various scams, ah guess he will be borrowing more money from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Japan, everywhere to settle those cases, cause he cant get a dime from US banks, too many bankruptcies. ..lol
Where is Chad.
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are we–
U arent there yet!
Made it clear that Trump was not my guy to people who can read. My mission was to point out that HRC was not better, that the perceived outsider was likely to receive more support than most Recessive Liberals could imagine but never said I thought that Trump would make a good Pres.
What happened to Slick Willie’s with his Uni case where he was being paid large sums eg $400k/ yr?????? Very suspicious.
Romney should get what he deserves—- nothing or low level. Trump cornfused Cruz for purpose!
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the KKK has infiltrated the White House legally
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the resurrected snake Donald Trump told another big lie fostering a story on the people of the USA stating an untruth as a fact and then taking full credit for the contents of the story
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Broken news.
” Ruptured sewage main on Spry Street ”
http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/89443/ruptured-sewage-main-spry-street
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Ac
Trump is not the only one stating an untruth as a fact.Your PM shouted to the speaker on Monday or Tuesday that the BLP had done nothing to improve the BWA in the last 30 years and expect the the pit bull Estwick to fix in a few months what they failed wo do in 30 years.What an infernal low life untruth which could only come from a dem.Owen Arthur,David Simmons and Henry Ford can put the record straight when Erskine Sandiford took away the millions of dollars Nickie Sealy had created as a nest egg for main replacements.Sandiford took the millions from the BWA and placed it in the consolidated fund,robbing the BWA of valuable asset replacement funding from which up to this day,it has not recovered,all compliments of the inefficient rotten lying democratic lying party.You and your PM can go tell that story to the marines.Informed Bajans know its a rotten lie,the stench of which emanates from Bay St.
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Trump claims he doesn’t settle and he asserted that people who settle lawsuits are losers, looks like the prospect of being cross examined as President Elect before the whole country brought a swift change in his attitude. I still think that the flood gates will open because those folks who may have been scared away by his legal bulldogs will be emboldened because he has too much to lose. Ah wonder what some folks in Florida thinks of their Atty. General Pam Bondi? She was about to launch a suit against Trump U when a well- placed donation to her campaign put a stop to that notion.
He was in TO some years ago preaching the art of Real Estate investing @ $500.00 a pop that suckers gobbled up (MB were you there?) dem folks aint getting their money back.
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Gabriel if tge PM is telling an untruth then the blp leadership should step up and correct
The snake Trump has mastered the art of presenting fake news
The man is a brazen liar and america and the world has accepted them
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http://ow.ly/YRZV306kxOT
They are dirty, lowdown snakes, give them hell.
http://ow.ly/uSHM306kyfI
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-university-25-million-settlement-nyc-attorney-general-president-elect-a7425841.html
The loser settles…fraud that he is.
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queen-royal-family-abolished-republic-funding-rise-buckingham-palace-a7425446.html
Yep…the brits know it really is time to rid the taxpayers of the parasitic monarchy.
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This should answer Jeff’s question.
Lol…this british commenter said it best, let the damn dump that is buckingham palace burn down or flood out, put Liz Windsor the witch in a council house, let her and her progeny get a taste of real life instead of the slavery funded fantasy they have all lived on century after century for hundreds of years, draining the earth and stealing land and whole countries.
Let all the artifacts burn or become waterlogged, they are ALL stolen from other countries anyway….of course hanging the whole lot of rats is an even cheaper option, or just crank up the guillotine on the green.
Oh what a difference 60 years, information exchange and the age of enlightenment makes, it is unfair to the british people and those that have been victimized around the globe for hundreds of years by this fraud family the Windsors….and all their lies.
“VitusVerdegast
Made my blood boil reading this. I’ve got a better solution:
how about abolishing the monarchy altogether and confiscating all ‘their’ wealth and assets and ploughing it into the NHS? Meanwhile, put the Windsors in a council house somewhere and give them a taste of the real world. Or maybe just hang the lot of them like the rats they are.
They’re just a tribe of p*** taking parasites, an affront to morality and equality, and a total anachronism.”
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MoneyB….me thinks yours and Chad’s big brain scheme to install a Trump shit government just backfired….BUG FRICKING TIME….lol, hahaha, lol.., and those JEWS now planning to register as MUSLIMS will also move to Canada…a much better base from which to fight Trump and his racist idiots…lol, hahaha, lol.
Well Well & Consequences November 19, 2016 at 9:11 AM #
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-jewish-muslim-registry-president-elect-rights-adl-anti-defamation-league-a7426341.html
Oh the irony..lol
Somebody help me here, please, now if the JEWS start registering themselves as MUSLIMS in the US…MUSLIMS…I tell you, as they are now threatening to do, just imagine the possibilities..lol hahaha, lol.
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http://www.businessinsider.com/wef-ranking-of-best-school-systems-in-the-world-2016-2016-11?utm_content=buffere30c8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer%2F%2F%2F%2F/#9-japan-56-1
11 Best School Systems Globally—Bim ranked in 11th?
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WW
Install WHAT? U giving me credit for what?
There is only one potential Pol I trust and that is me as Benevolent Dictator! lol
Maybe Jeff and certain other Bajans would be considered as trustworthy.
I have been against Shill as you well know.
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WW
If they really want to send the Rad Muslims crazy, then register Jews as Muslims and let’s see how that works out.
There is no major immediate demand for Muslim immigrants. Take time and process them very slowly especially from Shariah and madrassa school zones. Mosques in the US should have comprehensive surveillance devices as should KKK, white Supremacists and all potential nut jobs. Why permit people from known CrazyAss areas when they are millions of brilliant and hardworking people from India/ China/ The C’bean who just want an opportunity for a better life that does not include Dominating the host country with their “religion” which can be Law Shariah, a cult, or ISIS extreme?
Will Bim take 25,000? Bajans are cleverer than that! Bajans dont even like the ones they have who want to segregate by schools and recently by their own walled complex. Bajans dont even want Guyanese, Trinis and Jammies!
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@are-we- and @Sargeant…. Do let us all relax and meditate with peaceful purpose. And use this old balm to salve the flesh wounds from Mr Trump flashing rapier with these…
“A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.” And more forceful,
… ” The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.”
All circa 15th-16th century from Niccolo Machiavelli, of course.
Throughout the campaign it was made popular that Trump dd not read biographies and such…balderdash. Even if he didn’t, mentors like Roy Cohn his legal attack beast in early days certainly did so he got the knowledge anyhow.
Trump is and has practiced Machiavellian purpose perfectly.
Undoubtedly Trump will make a colossal error. The problem for his adversaries is whether it will be now or seven years on.
Already he is trending to grave error (commingling his family in transition and then expecting them to operate his ‘blind trust’) but he is also moving into governance mode with aplomb (Sec of State Romney would be a ‘seminal’ princely move).
Time will tell how he is viewed as a President, so we need to get beyond his campaign rhetoric.
Let’s all reread the Prince (Sun Tzu, et al ) and weep because Trump the master is way ahead of us all !!!
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MoneyB..you do realize that the rating of 11 is the cut off point and it’s graded up to high school, mostly state funded….neither US or UK made it from 1 to 11, clearing showing that the education system of the last 50 years…needs an upgrade, worldwide.
Barvpbados is holding on at #11…. if they drop to 12, they are out of the standing.
In essence, what they have given us is the 11 best of the worst education system, the worst being the ones 12 and up., this just means that something must be done to maintain standing from 1-11.
As we know Japan is holding their own, but it wreaks havoc on social behaviors, major problems, suicides, there gotta be a better way.
My experience is age 3-5…montessori system….7-11 private school, no 11 plus, then back to Barbados…private school 13….16…..6th form for 2 years….then back to wherever for university…it works well but cannot be done by everyone.
However, the university grads are complaining it’s a scam, most of what they learned, they cannot apply it in life and they just end up in debt with 75% catching hell to find a job, technical is the way to go they say, even my kids had an issue with top universities.
There gotta be a better way. All these education ministries with highly qualified taxpayer funded public servants and no one seems to be able to engineer something better…they are useless.
They introduced common core in NY…and it’s destroying the kids mentally, every state and city got their own version of stagnation for the children, unless you can pay for private education or home schooling. which delivers individual attention. …a better way, which again, the majority cannot afford.
How is your girl Killary…lol
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MoneyB. …you will be so shocked that the rad Muslims and secular, radical Jews will come together with one common goal…, the enemy of my enemy is my friend….and jump Trump and his racists…he will not be only shocked, but totally awed….that’s the one thing those 2 groups will ever agree on, a mutual threat to their existence. ..then they will return to fighting and killing each other….lol
http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-trump-germany-2016-11
Isnt reality sweet. Shocked and awed..lol
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And u can add the blacks to that group who would be calling for Trump impeachment as he does his best to undermine the laws and Constitution specifically designed with individual guarantees if human rights and the pursuit of happiness
Trump would be in for a rude awakening as he pushes the envelope further and further away from democracy and into an era or authoritarian dictatorship.
In the weeks and months he would tried to discredit the fourth estate with his early morning pronunciation of tweets and fake news
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Well Well,
Haven’t you been trying for years to tell me that if our ministers were in America they would be put in jail? Try to put Trump and his cohorts in jail now. Try and tell me about Nepotism. What portfolio does Trump’s son in law hold? What blind trust what? when the heads of the blind trust are your wife, your children etc. You telling me that when Trump lie down next to his wife she went cooing tell him what happening? Boll…
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I dont like nepotism either but there is no actual Law against it for the POTUS!
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By Law, Trump could actually run his Business and the US simultaneously.
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MB
you are intelligent enough to understand the LAW and politics don’t frequently mix well. And when the Pres sends his operatives into the large US organizations to seek help, they will tell him to kindly go F**k himself, because they are “smart too”. He cannot bully them around as he has become accustomed to doing elsewhere.
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Barbadians who are always looking to the USA political system as a measuring stick for transparency would be sorely disappointed as Trump unveils the laws that are meant to protect the wealthy as he did by avoiding to pay his taxes and his utterances of his now famous words I am smart which he intends to incorporate to business practices taking them from the Trump Tower to the White House
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NTH OBS
I never commented on the Optics or my opinion only on the legal aspect as I understand it.
Personally, I dont think he should be paying too much attention to the business as he has professionals and clever children to accomplish that. Nepotism is not usually a good idea. My own father benefited from a clever boss who appreciated that his own son required good management assistance.
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ac you are confused. Allow me to illustrate.
The GoB decides to fund its business locally. That is a POLICY DECISION. The transparency associated with that decision is not the decision itself, but rather its governance of the operation of that policy.
The GoB goes on to state their Policy will be carried out by having the NIS purchase government instruments. In other words, they are going to trade cash within the NIS for government issued instruments, Bonds T-Bills etc
The TRANSPARENCY is how this is done? So at one end you have the CBB which is issuing these instruments on behalf of GoB, and NIS at the other who is acquiring them. The CBB issues reports, but at the other end we haven’t seen an annual report from the NIS in umpteen years???
Suddenly there is smoke. The transparency is clouded. Why is this so? Do they not have a Board whose responsibility it is to oversee management? Is it not Standard operating practice to produce annual reports? And the smoke, the ability to see clearly (transparency) doesn’t disappear until such a report is produced.
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MoneyB…where are you getting your laws, you are making them up.
http://ow.ly/SRBJ306l1k9
No
And
http://ow.ly/Bqz5306l1oq
Ya making up crap to legitimize the fraud that is Trump, there are laws in place specifically for this, though some things are unprecedented, Congress can enact more laws to put up barriers to Trump’s idiocy. He cannot operate in a vacuum, there are 3 branches of government. ..,
…..and you do not want bad examples set for the copycats ya have in Barbados’ parliament…ya know they are already corrupt….and idiots.
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MB
you are deftly deflecting, what WW&C referred to me elsewhere as being flippant.
I mean you spend weeks on BU slamming HRC. The intent? To prove she was just as unsuitable as Trump? The BU Luminati have you clearly pegged as a Trump supporter, even though you say, you never said he would make a good president. So what, you just stirring the pot for sport? Playing the devil’s advocate.
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Trump would get shut down…real fast.
“5 U.S. Code § 3110 – Employment of relatives; restrictions
Current through Pub. L. 114-38. (See Public Laws for the current Congress.)
US Code
Notes
Authorities (CFR)
prev | next
(a) For the purpose of this section—
(1) “agency” means—
(A) an Executive agency;
(B) an office, agency, or other establishment in the legislative branch;
(C) an office, agency, or other establishment in the judicial branch; and
(D) the government of the District of Columbia;
(2) “public official” means an officer (including the President and a Member of Congress), a member of the uniformed service, an employee and any other individual, in whom is vested the authority by law, rule, or regulation, or to whom the authority has been delegated, to appoint, employ, promote, or advance individuals, or to recommend individuals for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement in connection with employment in an agency; and
(3) “relative” means, with respect to a public official, an individual who is related to the public official as father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half sister.
(b) A public official may not appoint, employ, promote, advance, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, in or to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official. An individual may not be appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in or to a civilian position in an agency if such appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement has been advocated by a public official, serving in or exercising jurisdiction or control over the agency, who is a relative of the individual.
(c) An individual appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in violation of this section is not entitled to pay, and money may not be paid from the Treasury as pay to an individual so appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced.
(d) The Office of Personnel Management may prescribe regulations authorizing the temporary employment, in the event of emergencies resulting from natural disasters or similar unforeseen events or circumstances, of individuals whose employment would otherwise be prohibited by this section.
(e) This section shall not be construed to prohibit the appointment of an individual who is a preference eligible in any case in which the passing over of that individual on a certificate of eligibles furnished under section 3317(a) of this title will result in the selection for appointment of an individual who is not a preference eligible.
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WW,
Did U read the links?
The children could serve once not paid and not in high position requiring Senate approval.
There is no law forcing a Blind Trust etc.
Like I stated I believe Trump should avoid both situations.
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http://ow.ly/fYvs306l2zx
A bill has already been presented to the house to rein in Trump and conflicts of interest.
Read and weep MoneyB. …lol the US has faults like every country, but being a banana republic….is not one.
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As advisors….not elected officials MoneyB. …there is a yuuge and bigly differnce….lol
“Dem takes aim at Trump with bill to prevent conflicts of interest
© Getty Images
In a move targeting President-elect Donald Trump, a House Democrat has introduced legislation requiring presidents to eliminate potential conflicts of interest with their personal finances.
Rep. Katherine Clark’s (D-Mass.) bill would require the president and vice president to put their assets in a certified blind trust or inform the public and Office of Government Ethics when they make decisions affecting their financial interests.
“Every recent president in modern history has taken steps to ensure his financial interests do not conflict with the needs of the American people. The American people need to be able to trust that the President’s decisions are based on the best interests of families at home, and not the President’s financial interests,” Clark said in a statement.
Past presidents have placed their assets in blind trusts, which are managed by independent trustees. Trump, meanwhile, has said he plans for his adult children to manage his business dealings once he takes office in January.
That’s raised questions about how Trump will be able to avoid potential conflicts of interest with his global business while serving in the White House.
His three adult children were influential advisers during the campaign and are all on the Trump’s presidential transition team.
Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, was photographed sitting in on her father’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday in Trump Tower.
U.S. presidents and vice presidents are exempt from a law that bars executive branch employees from engaging in government activities in which they or their families have a financial stake. The law does not apply to members of Congress or federal judges, either.
In the meantime, Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will have to release annual financial disclosures throughout their terms.
The Wall Street Journal wrote in an editorial this week that Trump’s “best option” would be to liquidate his stake in his company. It warned that Trump would otherwise be questioned about his motives during debates over issues like tax reform and Wall Street regulation.
“The political damage to a new Administration could be extensive. If Mr. Trump doesn’t liquidate, he will be accused of a pecuniary motive any time he takes a policy position,” the editorial states.
The editorial further noted that Trump’s rival in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton, had been attacked for ties to her family’s namesake charitable foundation while serving as secretary of State.
“Millions of Americans have put their trust in Mr. Trump to succeed as President and improve their lives, not treat this as a four-year hiatus from his business,” it said.”
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NTH OBS
My intent was to see how people would react in this matter, their biases, beliefs, opinions and much more. It was obvious to me that this would be a very controversial election and there was much FUN to be had— especially watching people who thought they understood what is really going on not just in the US but in Western Europe and elsewhere—massive move to the Right hopefully not too extreme Right! Watching the Brainwashed is always fun.
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I suspected as much.
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WW
NOT a Banana Republic? Wid Shill and Trump as candidates? Pleeez! lol
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BTW do U guys know that there is a very high probability of a Recession soon. The correlation with new Presidents and Recession is exceedingly high. Are U ready?
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All ya talking MoneyB……elected officials influence all policies…advisers cant, they can be shut down and shut out…That’s the yuuge and bigly difference.
I beat up on the US tirelessly when I am of a mood, but ya gotta admire their system of checks and balances…not perfect, but workable, they still got a lot of work to do, long way to go..
….Trump is testing the system and they will remember the 20 years and 1 billions dollars he escaped with from the tax man, he will propably get some personalized handcuffs when they are through with him…for that stunt, his farts will be recorded.
And you know if he had me to deal with it would be a one way ticket to Florence Supermax…lol
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MoneyB. …google it yaself….Trump is inheriting a robust economy, you mean he knows everything about everything and cant turn back a recession….I thought you were moving to the US after the Trump win…though.
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WW
LOCK all a Washington DC up the lobbyists etc just build the Prison around Washington DC.
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WW
Strong wha? NOT economy!!!
Never has so much $$$$$$$ been created and spent for so little Econ Growth–that is a World Record!
Fact: US grew 1.5% for the year ended 30th Sep 2016. This has been the most anemic Recovery on record.
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I assume you will have noted that without any movement by the Fed or the BoC, certain banks here have led the way with minimal increases in interest rates, at least initially at the loaning end. what is your read?
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Banks are desperate to increase their spreads. Cnd banks are very worried about Mortgages and RE prices. The problem is that the Governments are the biggest borrowers and want to keep rates low. Note that rates stayed in a low range from 1932 -53= 21 yrs (and for most of the 1800s). The situation is unprecedented and the only sure thing is uncertainty going forward. Massive quantities of excrement could intersect with the oscillating device!
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“Money Brain November 19, 2016 at 3:25 PM #
WW
LOCK all a Washington DC up the lobbyists etc just build the Prison around Washington DC.”
It was Trump said he was going to “Drain the Swamp”…in Washington, that was not me.
Right around the same time you and Chad had Trump walking on water….no need to worry about the US economy, Trump can fix that, no matter how bad, that is according to you and Chad.
So what recession what..lol
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MB…spread is x-y? Even if BoC rate is 10%, they will still have a spread. You are accurate that low interest rates primary product is debt, and today due to Gov’t debt they are particularly sensitive.
The Banks/lenders concern about mortgages (their exposure) is their problem? Nobody begged or forced them to lend? In my first business back in the late 80’s my largest customers were banks where mortgagees had dropped off the keys and said “Good luck”. Now they had to fix up those assets and offload them.
But here you have DT, who apart from “helping” certain public officials to get what he wanted, he even has a party who rejected him, is following the same yard fowl mentality of those party folks who came before him. He can select whomever he wants? I hope we begin to see persons of other allegiances or he is going to fall into the same trap of those who preceded him. The same narrow one-sided opinions.
This becomes the largest failure of all our so called democratic systems. Once elected they go and support and choose from largely only those who supported them and “share their opinions”. A failure of all these essentially two party systems.
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http://ow.ly/X7sk306l7GM
That’s it Nprthern, the world needs an upgrade, from the 2 party systems which are becoming more and mire destructive, from the degrading school systems likewise, they have all this time to fight among themselves,about who has the best and greatest philosophies, but no time for progressive uogrades….so therefore, we are getting degradation between political, educational and religious systems.
A total systems failure.
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http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/protesters-swarm-white-nationalist-conference-article-1.2880219
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Now everyone sees the ultimate fates of political pimps.
Rudy and Christies…”has been humans”….lol
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-claims-mike-pence-harassed-at-hamilton-rejected-by-cast-twitter-a7427981.html
Can’t touch freedom of expression.
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Tony Blair is ‘returning to politics’ because he thinks Jeremy Corbyn is ‘a nutter’
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Blair is a follower, he just wants to be part of the scum party with Donald Trump now gathering themselves together in the UK and elsewhere for their next coordinated financial assault on the world’s people….using whatever means at their disposal.
Don’t for one minute think this is not being well coordinated.
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http://ow.ly/2Tnq306lRz9
Everyone is now on their guard.
http://ow.ly/5Bw4306lRIe
Highly debatable since Clinton would nit need to use the same people to achieve thecsame slimy results, besides, she and Trump are friends, same lowlife.
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@Money Brain November 19, 2016 at 3:29 PM re “Fact: US grew 1.5% for the year ended 30th Sep 2016. This has been the most anemic Recovery on record.”
Statistics can be used as a cudgel or of course as like carrot to be a leading indicator of good. So let’s take your cudgel and make it a carrot.
That anemic growth you bash came after a few years of basically slowing growth. Coming from 4.2% in the mid 60’s period to just under 3% at the time of the ’08 crash. Then there were quarters in 2008 – 2009 where there was NEGATIVE growth rates: -0.3 and -3.1% being highlights. That had NOTHING to do with Obama.
Chad45 often makes the illogical remark that Obama was not an economist and thus had no idea what he was doing so I lump your broadside of poor GDP growth in that bowl of deplorable illogic.
The US economy cannot be reshaped so drastically in four or even eight short years to forestall years of operational issues. And certainly based on the abyss from which Obama climbed it is economic pyrotechnics to use the stats as you are doing.
It seems that many people forget that Bush 43 oversaw Y’uuge expenditures (stimulus) to the economy with the military spending of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. That was massive inflows to the economy. Yet on average growth continued to slow as compared to ten years segments going back to that 60’s period mentioned. And of course we still had that small matter of the financial crash.
Just saying…without too long a palaver.
Oh, I’m sure you will jump all over my comment that ‘The US economy cannot be reshaped so drastically…’. So let me add now: unless like Trump you will offer supply-side tax cuts and stimulus that will EXPLODE the deficit to Mars.
Yes the economy has grown comparatively quite slowly, but so too the world economy been undergoing shocks not seen previously.
Blame Obama if that makes perfect sense to you. Otherwise if you are serious and rational really explore the underlying issues. He takes some blame surely but his team did a really great job to get the economy trending upwards as it is. That’s my carrot!
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Dribs,
Where did I blame Barry?
It is a fact that never has so much money been created (double what came before in History $9 TR) for so little result.
I would suggest that you are correct that it takes a long while for an aircraft carrier to turn around. I would not blame or praise Barry on this as Presidents rely on advice from the Fed, Treasury, Commerce etc and are subject to the Global situation.
The US economy, trade relationships etc has been mismanaged for a very long time.
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Dribs,
I blame Slick Willie for repealing the Financial Laws and Regs in 1998 which caused the 2008 Collapse. Additionally, I blame him for the changes made by the Bureau of Labour Statistics–BLS which I refer to as just BS! All the Stats coming out of Govt are crooked as hell. If dem swallow a nail dem excrete a screw!
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Signing off
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http://ow.ly/BpZ6306m7eA
Smart guy.
http://ow.ly/4bJ4306m7h2
Realy, realy good theatre, so much more better than TV….lol
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MB
You can blame slick willie all you like,the fact remains the man left a hefty surplus in the Budget and the elephants trampled all over it giving the top 1% every conceivable tax break they could dream up.Who in his right mind would have Dick Cheney as a VP,a hardliner just slightly worse than the maniac Bolton.You will see wars and more wars in the next 4 years.
Meanwhile what democracy is there that of 2 candidates one got nearly 2 million votes than the other and still lost the election.
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Gabby,
He left a surplus BUT totally left an atomic financial bomb with his repealing of Financial Laws/ Regs!!! Who PAY he fah dat???????????????
U and many innocent people have paid the price for that act and U have not seen the worst yet!
Crying about a system the DEMonics supported when they win–the Electoral College? If the ShilLIARy had won all a wunna would not say a ting bout dat.
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Gabby,
Wars???? Who scaled up Afghanistan? Who left Iraq prematurely saying,”we left because of Bush’s planned departure” HINT HRC!
Who destroyed Libya, Egypt, encouraged Iran?
Who makes the armaments, munitions etc, who therefore has BIG$$$$$$$$$$$$ to pay US Pols? Which US party has ever slammed these war mongers? JFK did not want to escalate Vietnam and what happened to him? JFK also wanted to reform/ remove the Federal Reserve Bank and that is not so good for longevity.
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It seems that there is a move afoot by Clinton sympathizers to ask for recounts in some key battleground states citing statistical irregularities. I had hinted of such a possibility in posts around the election time. Now it is looking as if the Donald Trump election will take the US into dangerously uncharted territory.
See the below article.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/report-experts-believe-swing-state-095745950.html
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