President Biden says that 3,500,000,000,000 equals 0.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by scottw

if not for the guy stashing money in panama or wherever...the guy working at McDonalds would be filthy rich....

amazing how obsessed some are with other people's money, assets, success.....

if only we could institute global communism to combat this global inequity...

gotta give the chinese credit for coming up with the idea to spread global communism through a pandemic by creating a nasty virus...pretty brilliant and working fabulously

"if not for the guy stashing money in panama or wherever...the guy working at McDonalds would be filthy rich...."

How do you debate someone who thinks it's bad that people are incentivized to park their cash in our country, as opposed to storing it in Grand Cayman?

when you spend your whole life in the public sector, and all you do is listen without question to MSNBC, I guess you conclude that all business is sinister, and that we don't want Pablo Escobar's money here, and no one who works in the private sector is any better, therefore we shouldn't want any of it.

"amazing how obsessed some are with other people's money, assets, success...."

It's so much easier to demonize the successful, than it is to just admit it's more likely they worked harder, made better decisions, took more chances, etc...and of course sometimes they're just luckier, and sometimes they're unethical. But not much of the time.

"gotta give the chinese credit for coming up with the idea to spread global communism through a pandemic by creating a nasty virus."

Aided by gain-of-research function that was almost certainly funded by Fauci.

[The Dad Fisherman]

You're missing the point Jim, it's not a lock-down if you call it "Covid Protocols"
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

You're missing the point Jim, it's not a lock-down if you call it "Covid Protocols"
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Silly me.

I have 2 friends who mortgaged their house to send their daughter to that school (and I have two brothers who graduated from there). Liberal like you can't believe. She can't go to class, eat with anyone, have anyone in her room except her roommate, can't go to anyone else's room, can't join a club or go to a sporting event.

Every single kid and employee is vaccinated, and they're testing everyone weekly. So naturally, there are some positive test cases, but no one is sick. The school is freaking out over the number of test cases, maybe someone told them that vaccinated people can't get covid, which isn't remotely true.

We need to stop trying to manage the number of positive test cases (which likely can't be stopped with this virus), and concentrate on minimizing the number of people who get really sick.

Hope you're doing well.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

You're missing the point Jim, it's not a lock-down if you call it "Covid Protocols"
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Auschwitz wasn't a "death camp", it was a re-education center.

[Got Stripers]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Auschwitz wasn't a "death camp", it was a re-education center.

If only 100,00 died and these mandates were in play I’d agree it’s extreme and unwarranted, but it’s now over 700,000 dead and it’s not over, so whine all you want. Hey don’t vaccinate your kids Home school them, drive your hog in mass without a helmet, screw paying the evil government taxes to fund the new order, light up a cigarette in your office and have all the freedom you want.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Got Stripers

If only 100,00 died and these mandates were in play I’d agree it’s extreme and unwarranted, but it’s now over 700,000 dead and it’s not over, so whine all you want. Hey drive your hog in mass without a helmet, screw paying the evil government taxes to fund the new order, lidon’t vaccinate your kids Home school them,ght up a cigarette in your office and have all the freedom you want.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

My 15 year old is vaccinated, so are my wife and I, I'm totally on board with the vaccine. All the data I've seen, say vaccines are effective at reducing the risk of getting seriously sick from covid. I don't see evidence that the vaccines are a great shield against getting covid.

"it’s not over"

My point is, if "over" means no one can get covid anymore, then it will probably never be over. Never. You know how many viruses have effectively been eliminated? Any idea? One. O-N-E. 1. Smallpox.

So we need to ask ourselves how much of what constitutes a normal childhood, are we willing to deny our children, for what may be no real benefit? We're probably all going to get covid at some point, maybe more than once, like the flu.

"don’t vaccinate your kids Home school them, drive your hog in mass without a helmet, screw paying the evil government taxes to fund the new order, light up a cigarette in your office and have all the freedom you want."

Yup, that's exactly what I said.

It's a very common tactic among stupid people with a weak argument, to ignore what the person winning the argument actually said, and respond instead to something that I never came close to saying. When I'm debating someone who acts like I said something I never came close to saying, that means I won.

Show me any large population of healthy, vaccinated people, and I guarantee that if you test all of them, many will test positive and don't feel sick. That's how this disease works. Huge numbers of people get it, very few get seriously sick.

Amazing. The side you support has no problem locking down healthy vaccinated people, but show zero concern when thousands of unvaccinated, untested illegals cross our border daily, and end up in our cities and towns.

Here, according to all the right-wing nuts at NBC news, 18% of illegal migrants tested, tested positive for covid. Almost 1 out of 5. And Democrats adamantly deny that there's any reason to be concerned that more than 150,000 illegals a month cross the southern border.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...itive-n1276244

[wdmso]

Originally Posted by Jim

Almost 1 out of 5. And Democrats adamantly deny that there's any reason to be concerned that more than 150,000 illegals a month cross the southern border.

[url

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/18-percent-migrant-families-leaving-border-patrol-custody-tested-positive-n1276244[/url]

Jim is now selling the lie that the Covid spike is cause by illegals classic.

Jim you like most other spoon fed conservatives think apprehension equals entry to the United States

U.S. border arrests top 1 million in fiscal year 2021 Yet all the hospitals are filled with nonvaccinated people not immigrants

A total of 11,445 refugees were allowed into the United States during the budget year that ended on Thursday, 2021

Some invasion! now let hear the argument what about the ones they didn’t catch! Yes what about them anyone have a number ? Love to hear it and see the source
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

"it’s not over"

My point is, if "over" means no one can get covid anymore, then it will probably never be over. Never. You know how many viruses have effectively been eliminated? Any idea? One. O-N-E. 1. Smallpox.



It's a very common tactic among stupid people with a weak argument, to ignore what the person winning the argument actually said, and respond instead to something that I never came close to saying. When I'm debating someone who acts like I said something I never came close to saying, that means I won.

We have largely eradicated Polio, tetanus, Flu, Hepatitis A+B, Rubella, Hib, Measles, Pertussis, Rotavirus, Mumps, Chickenpox, Diphtheria and Pneumococcal Disease and completely eradicated smallpox and rinderpest. Widespread vaccination is responsible for that.

[Got Stripers]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

My 15 year old is vaccinated, so are my wife and I, I'm totally on board with the vaccine. All the data I've seen, say vaccines are effective at reducing the risk of getting seriously sick from covid. I don't see evidence that the vaccines are a great shield against getting covid.

"it’s not over"

My point is, if "over" means no one can get covid anymore, then it will probably never be over. Never. You know how many viruses have effectively been eliminated? Any idea? One. O-N-E. 1. Smallpox.

So we need to ask ourselves how much of what constitutes a normal childhood, are we willing to deny our children, for what may be no real benefit? We're probably all going to get covid at some point, maybe more than once, like the flu.

"don’t vaccinate your kids Home school them, drive your hog in mass without a helmet, screw paying the evil government taxes to fund the new order, light up a cigarette in your office and have all the freedom you want."

Yup, that's exactly what I said.

It's a very common tactic among stupid people with a weak argument, to ignore what the person winning the argument actually said, and respond instead to something that I never came close to saying. When I'm debating someone who acts like I said something I never came close to saying, that means I won.

Show me any large population of healthy, vaccinated people, and I guarantee that if you test all of them, many will test positive and don't feel sick. That's how this disease works. Huge numbers of people get it, very few get seriously sick.

Amazing. The side you support has no problem locking down healthy vaccinated people, but show zero concern when thousands of unvaccinated, untested illegals cross our border daily, and end up in our cities and towns.

Here, according to all the right-wing nuts at NBC news, 18% of illegal migrants tested, tested positive for covid. Almost 1 out of 5. And Democrats adamantly deny that there's any reason to be concerned that more than 150,000 illegals a month cross the southern border.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...itive-n1276244

Keep believing you have the winning argument haha
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

You're missing the point Jim, it's not a lock-down if you call it "Covid Protocols"
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Auschwitz wasn't a "death camp", it was a re-education center.

October first was the day compulsory indoor masking ended in Portugal. An 85% vaccination rate pays off.

The moronavirus is the most dangerous variant of all.

Keep believing boys, we will get to a million yet.

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

The American Right’s “21st-century Leninism”

The dismissal of Steve Bannon — leading intellectual of the US alt-right — before the first anniversary of Trump’s presidency comes as false relief. In fact, Bannon’s White House adventure was only one stage of a long journey — the migration of revolutionary-populist language, tactics, and strategies from the left to the right. Bannon has reportedly said: “I’m a Leninist. Lenin … wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.” But what does this Leninism consist of? In a complex democracy, Leninism can only maintain itself as a populism of the long revolution. For decades, social science has insisted that due to entrenched institutions, no third party can succeed in the US. This very “scientific fact” has enabled a smug self-certainty among liberal leftists and autonomists/anarchists (who find therein further justification for, respectively, their subservience to neoliberalism and evasion of organized politics). The American far right has subverted this “fact.” It was as if they were following directions from a 21st-century, condensed version of Lenin’s (1902) What is to Be Done?, starting with the sentence: “If you can’t build a party, paralyze the party; circumvent it; and take it over.” They did all three simultaneously. Our imaginary, revised What is to Be Done? would then continue: “Before you become the de jure leaders of the party, make sure all of its institutions are crippled.” If the Tea Party (a populist grouping among Republicans) had not already paralyzed the Republican establishment, the latter would have been able to stop Trump’s rise.

American right-wing populism is Leninism under democratic conditions. Unlike the Russian Bolsheviks who had to avoid almost all above-ground society and politics, American rightists embrace society. The revised What is to Be Done? would therefore say: “Organize in every cell of society. Don’t underestimate any venue of organization and politics, even if (especially if) it seems to belong to the enemy camp.” The right learned not to leave education, science, and culture to the monopoly of the left. “Appropriate the organizational terrain and ideology of your enemy, to the extent possible. Dismantle whatever you fail to appropriate.” Starting with Andrew Breitbart himself, the founder of the “alt-right” media outlet, the right read the Frankfurt School; it made healthcare a big deal; and with the rise of Trump and Bannon, it promises jobs and infrastructure.

Today the Leninist Right cannot ignore the existence of other potentially populist forces on the social map, however meager they may be. The 21st-century What is to Be Done? would thus conclude with the sentence: “If certain trenches of the enemy appear to be beyond the reach of any of these tactics, provoke its occupants into immature and illegitimate action.” As the alt-right descended on the University of California, Berkeley and other pockets of residual left-wing influence in early 2017, liberals came to their defense (in the name of “free speech”) when a far left without a mass base attacked them. Liberal enthusiasm for “free speech” diminished slightly after an alt-rightist drove a truck into an anti-racist crowd in Charlottesville, but the Washington Post still emphasized far left violence and the alt-right’s freedoms when the latter returned to Berkeley in September 2017. Many birds are killed with one stone: the enemy is divided; its confusion, lack of will, and weakness are exposed; its reputation is tarnished; and the far right itself is further galvanized.

Since “the state” today is more complex than any 20th-century definition could capture, “smashing” it involves much less dramatic action than in 1917, at least for now. We still don’t know what the right holds in store for the time when the existing institutions are completely incapacitated, but we may soon find out. Right after his resignation, Steve Bannon declared “war” on his enemies, adding gleefully that he is returning to his “weapons” (meaning electronic media). A populist revolution in a land of entrenched (if decaying) liberalism is an uphill battle, and is bound to suffer setbacks. But the show is far from over.

This is the kind of BS you thrive on. There was a series of TV ads some time ago created for Pabst beer in which something was almost but not quite accomplished, such as a football player being tackled just short of the end zone. And the broadcasters voice which spoke in a stereotyped Japanese accent would always determine that it was "crose enough!"

For you, it is a fact when the verbiage, somehow, is "crose enough" to appear true. Your linked verbiage, to begin with, is structured around something Bannon supposedly said, but which (even by Snopes) is unproven. There is no proof that Bannon said he is a Leninist. But it is "crose enough" that somebody claims Bannon said it.

Then the author of the verbiage spins a trail of unproven labels (such as Bannon being a " leading intellectual of the US alt-right"--he is not alt-right but is accused of being so--which is "crose enough") opinions, interpretations, and presumptions or possibilities, and conjectured attributions that could describe a whole lot of folks including those on the American political left--i.e. Democrats--and quotes not by Bannon, but all part of an overall bag of BS which somehow implies that Bannon is the grand contradiction-- an alt-right Leninist. At least "crose enough" to the possibility that it must be a fact.

You do this "crose enough" kind of $hit a lot.

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by detbuch

This is the kind of BS you thrive on. There was a series of TV ads some time ago created for Pabst beer in which something was almost but not quite accomplished, such as a football player being tackled just short of the end zone. And the broadcasters voice which spoke in a stereotyped Japanese accent would always determine that it was "crose enough!"

For you, it is a fact when the verbiage, somehow, is "crose enough" to appear true. Your linked verbiage, to begin with, is structured around something Bannon supposedly said, but which (even by Snopes) is unproven. There is no proof that Bannon said he is a Leninist. But it is "crose enough" that somebody claims Bannon said it.

Then the author of the verbiage spins a trail of unproven labels (such as Bannon being a " leading intellectual of the US alt-right"--he is not alt-right but is accused of being so--which is "crose enough") opinions, interpretations, and presumptions or possibilities, and conjectured attributions that could describe a whole lot of folks including those on the American political left--i.e. Democrats--and quotes not by Bannon, but all part of an overall bag of BS which somehow implies that Bannon is the grand contradiction-- an alt-right Leninist. At least "crose enough" to the possibility that it must be a fact.

You do this "crose enough" kind of $hit a lot.

That’s been your justification for shutting your eyes, holding your hands over your ears and yelling since the last guy was elected.

You said last week you’d be glad if Congress defaulted on the debt.

Just what do you think that would do to Americans
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

That’s been your justification for shutting your eyes, holding your hands over your ears and yelling since the last guy was elected.

My eyes are wide open and my ears are not covered by my hands. That's why I know that you posted something based on an unproven premise, and that you spit out false labels and have been "yelling" and blatantly lying since the last guy was elected and before that.

You said last week you’d be glad if Congress defaulted on the debt.

Just what do you think that would do to Americans

Just what do you think will be done to Americans if Congress keeps raising the debt ceiling without actually having a budget? That has to stop. It would have been less painful if it had stopped long ago. I suppose the public pain will eventually become greater and greater the longer we put up with extravagant, irresponsible, and unsustainable government spending.

We Americans are in a precarious position if we have to continuously depend on more and more spending by a bankrupt government in order to sustain our personal welfare.

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by detbuch

Just what do you think will be done to Americans if Congress keeps raising the debt ceiling without actually having a budget? That has to stop. It would have been less painful if it had stopped long ago. I suppose the public pain will eventually become greater and greater the longer we put up with extravagant, irresponsible, and unsustainable government spending.

We Americans are in a precarious position if we have to continuously depend on more and more spending by a bankrupt government in order to sustain our personal welfare.

There are two things you need to learn about America:
1) We’ve got a lot of money. We’re the richest country on the face of the planet.
2) None of us think we’ve got a lot of money.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[scottw]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

There are two things you need to learn about America:

1) We’ve got a lot of money. We’re the richest country on the face of the planet.
2) None of us think we’ve got a lot of money.

Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

who is "we've"

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

There are two things you need to learn about America:
1) We’ve got a lot of money. We’re the richest country on the face of the planet.
2) None of us think we’ve got a lot of money.

Either you contradicted yourself, or you don't consider yourself one of us or we that are the Americans you speak of.

[Pete F.]

ETTD

In a profile in New York magazine published Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham expressed remorse over her stint in the White House: “I don’t think I can rebrand. I think this will follow me forever. I believe that I was part of something unusually evil, and I hope that it was a one-time lesson for our country and that I can be a part of making sure that at least that evil doesn’t come back now.”
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

ETTD

In a profile in New York magazine published Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham expressed remorse over her stint in the White House: “I don’t think I can rebrand. I think this will follow me forever. I believe that I was part of something unusually evil, and I hope that it was a one-time lesson for our country and that I can be a part of making sure that at least that evil doesn’t come back now.”
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

This is comical--"unusually evil"? As opposed to the usual commonplace evil that lurks in our politics? And she doesn't think she can "rebrand"? Isn't branding part of the usual evil? I guess she thinks she just won't be allowed to create a new and better facade. Did she not think that what she was doing at the time was unusually evil? Now that it's over she does a mea culpa and writes a book to make it all better? (But it's really about someone else's culpa.) And hope for a best seller? Many times on this forum Republicans or "Conservatives" have been called things like porn merchant or other forms of money grubbing if they wrote a book or had a successful radio show, etc. But when an Anti-Trumper writes a book . . . let's pay attention . . . it's really important . . . the nation is at stake!

Don't know everything that's in the book, but the articles about it and her interviews about it that I've seen don't point to any Russian collusions, or treasons, or impeachable offenses. If that is true, then maybe that's why she didn't seem to feel "unusually" evil during her tenure with Trump. Maybe just the usual, common evils of political lying and messy procedures and chaotic running of things and personal scandals and foibles that often, if not usually, accompany political campaigns.

And if she helps to scuttle a Trump attempt to get the Republican nomination, that's OK by me. I'm hoping he doesn't run. But if he gets the nod and runs, I'll vote for him over any Democrat because, as I've said over and over, for me it's not about him, but about defeating Progressivism--though that's looking more and more unlikely.

No doubt you'll be happy with the impending Brave New World of unimpeded government power. For sure, we won't have to be concerned about things like government spending our money that it doesn't have . . . money will be no object . . . government will always have our money . . . or may not even need money . . . just have the power to do, or make us do, whatever it deems necessary. We won't have to quibble about mandates or individual rights and freedoms. We will all dutifully do as government tells us to do, and be assured that it is all rightly so. And we won't have to be concerned about pandemics. Government will prevent them. Maybe just occasional outbursts of some disease or other which will be quickly quelled by good government control . . . of everything.

[scottw]

Originally Posted by detbuch

This is comical--"unusually evil"? As opposed to the usual commonplace evil that lurks in our politics? .

more of pete's bombshells.....

[Pete F.]

Now do “Ted” Cruz
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Pete F.]

700,000 people have vanished in the US, & Americans are wondering where all the service staff went

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

700,000 people have vanished in the US, & Americans are wondering where all the service staff went

Except that as of September 2021, 77% of covid fatalities have been for people aged 65+.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...vid-by-age-us/

You will make up ANYTHING to sling arrows at the right.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

700,000 people have vanished in the US, & Americans are wondering where all the service staff went

Crazy, huh, can't believe how hard it is to get service staff over the age of 65, these days, since this all started. That usually is the target hiring age of the service industry too
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Crazy, huh, can't believe how hard it is to get service staff over the age of 65, these days, since this all started. That usually is the target hiring age of the service industry too
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

150K were not

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

150K were not

Now take out the over 50's, because most of the service staff folks are usually younger than that. Then narrow it down to what percentage of the workforce that works as service staff

Number keeps getting smaller doesn't it?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Now take out the over 50's, because most of the service staff folks are usually younger than that. Then narrow it down to what percentage of the workforce that works as service staff

Number keeps getting smaller doesn't it?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

And here, according to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics, as of July there were over 9 million unfilled jobs in the private sector.

300,000 in construction
900,000 in manufacturing
1,400,000 in retail/wholesale
500,000 in transportation/warehousing/utilities
1,800,000 in leisure and hospitality
400,000 in other services

Somehow, according to Pete, the 150,000 people under 65 who died of covid, were filling all of those jobs.

In that case, maybe they worked themselves to death, maybe they didn't actually die of covid.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.t01.htm

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Crazy, huh, can't believe how hard it is to get service staff over the age of 65, these days, since this all started. That usually is the target hiring age of the service industry too
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

It's unbelievable what people will do, when the facts aren't on their side, but they can't admit it.

They claim to care about the deaths, but not one of them criticized Gov Cuomo for forcing nursing homes to admit residents who tested positive for a disease which we all knew was going to target the elderly. They were giving him emmys in the middle of that, calling him the "gold standard".

[Pete F.]

Under Trump there were more migrants than any year since 2005
Trump reduced aid to Central America, it didn’t make it better there.
Now once again we end up with more people seeking a chance and willing to risk their lives to do that.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

Under Trump there were more migrants than any year since 2005
Trump reduced aid to Central America, it didn’t make it better there.
Now once again we end up with more people seeking a chance and willing to risk their lives to do that.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

are there more illegal crossings now than under trump? yes or no?

i give trump bad marks on the border, he campaigned on sealing it up but didn’t.

but crossings have skyrocketed under this administration. can you admit that? No you can’t.
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[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

are there more illegal crossings now than under trump? yes or no?

i give trump bad marks on the border, he campaigned on sealing it up but didn’t.

but crossings have skyrocketed under this administration. can you admit that? No you can’t.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Did I deny that?

I gave the reason why, but you think that there is a magic thing that stops illegal immigration without doing anything about the things that push people to leave where they are.

Just think how bad things would have to be to take your family and go to an unknown place.

No immigration reform has been done since Reagan, who did it with a Democratic Congress.