re: The great Herschel Walker named to the President's Council on Sports

I'd take a JFK.

I think I would take anybody who had even half a soul to actually do something for the people and not for the handful of people writing big checks in their own sec interest.

Supreme Court was wrong to rule in favor of big corporations buying elections for their own self interest. I think it was Buchanan who argued that while game theory should work in public policy (The theory simplified in "A Beautiful Mind") it is hampered when a few special interests can control the many by outspending them on who represents them in government. A big issue with Trump is not what party he belongs too but how easily his price is manipulated by those outside the best interest of the USA - ESPECIALLY RUSSIA - which no other president in my lifetime seemed willing to entertain such a bargain.

I am not saying we have to go back to McCarthyism but a healthy distrust of both Russia and China is probably in the best long term interest of America and the American people. Better to work in the interest of the Americas (especially the North Americas) than to sell our collective souls to the Middle East (oil), China (manufacturing), and Russia (politics). Would rather focus on the next generation of USA youth, who are most like us, than to trust foreign landlords for our future economic health.



Seems pretty simple to put the leadership back in line with the actual citizens

Zero corporate money for elections
(If you can not physically cast a vote, you can not contribute money)

No more soft money and PAC's
(If it is intended to skirt the FEC, it needs to go)

Only allow contributions from individuals and cap what they can give
10,000 for presidential (primary + general)
5,000 for Congressional and Governor (primary + general)
1,000 for state and local elections (primary + general)

Allow other parties to grow when the D's and R's are not working for the people
(More competition gives voters more choices)

More transparency on who is running ads and how they invade privacy to target

quote:

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S Korea says he did

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South Korea's says this but how does she know? The North says no and the South says "maybe".

I am on the side of skeptical and think the prosperity viewed from the olympics and China (North Korea's daddy) have had the greater impact. I believe Kim took a train to China (which is why the trip missed the US intelligence radar). US had the Korean War won until China showed up at the Yalu River and kicked the US back. Pretty sure North Korea will not do a damn thing without daddy China's approval.

Time will tell but it seems odd the North would issue such a vehement denial if the long game was better trade and relations with the US. A bit more cynical (but probably correct) observation is that North Korea will do what China tells them and South Korea will do what the United States tells them. As such their individual press will reflect the the mood of their parent country.

North will deny Trump
South will acknowledge Trump

Trump may have nothing to do with what happens but with a mid term election in the news the Republicans would be foolish not to press for involvement even if it did not exist. Since the 1980's and the rise of the spin doctors it becomes increasing hard to separate the truth from the spin. Both Ronald and Bill may have been the best at this while Trump seems a bit more like P T Barnum who was also a showman first and politician later as it suited his personal agenda.


From Wik

Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, politician and businessman remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017). Although Barnum was also an author, publisher, philanthropist, and for some time a politician, he said of himself, "I am a showman by profession...and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me," and his personal aim was "to put money in his own coffers." Barnum is widely, but erroneously, credited with coining the phrase "There's a sucker born every minute."

I will state the 4th estate has suffered greatly in modern times and now seems to spout the political aims of the side an individual press falls under. In the name of profits we have lost the prophets such as Morrow standing up to McCarthyism and the NYT standing up against the war in Vietnam. In the past decade or two I find this lack of independence and serious journalism (actual research behind stories) as a major contributor to the eventual downfall of the US in the next 25 to 50 years.

A thread about Herschel turns into a referendum on the Trump administration... really?

Let's be honest, it is very difficult to give trump credit for much of anything with the exceptions of withdrawing from the TPP (he recently put out feelers about trying to undo that decision and was told absolutely not) and withdrawing from the Paris climate accords. Soon he may pull out of the Iraq deal as well which would be something he should get credit/blame for (very dumb imo considering he has no backup plan). He could also be blamed for more rapidly increasing insurance premiums by getting rid of the individual mandate.

Those are about the only big ticket items trump gets credit/blame for (aside from his attacks on our judicial, justice and intelligence people and institutions).

I say this because trump has zero understanding of anything policywise. He doesn't read. He doesn't learn. He doesn't know what is in what he signs. He signed the house version of Obamacare repeal having no clue what was in it. Congress and his aides have put a whole bunch of roll backs of mostly minor Obama executive orders in front of him which he just blindly signs. There is no way he read 1% of the new tax bill and no way he understood more than a tiny fraction of it. They put it in front of him and he signed it.

With immigration, he was ready to sign whatever Congress came up with until Miller and some hardliners talked him out of it by scaring him that his base would revolt.

There is simply not a lot to credit or blame trump with outside of the items mentioned and weakening certain institutions which will be fine when he is gone. He just is not interested in understanding the responsibilities of his job or doing his job. He is interested in ratings, polls, and the limelight and that's about it.