Former President Donald J. Trump

[Jimbo]

And we're off!

[jimboo]

It's gonna be great people , it really is. It will be .... beautiful....it really will....beautiful.

[zoomboogity]

"I am Donald J. Trump, billionaire. i own a mansion and a yacht."

Again!

"I am Donald J. Trump, billionaire. i own a mansion and a yacht."

Again!

"I am..."

[Jimbo]

I didn't hate his speech. It was coherent. Little scary when he invoked the Lindbergh "America First" phrase. (Philip Roth readers know what that means.) A little insulting to Obama insinuating how Obama hadn't protected the workers by allowing foreigners to take jobs and that from now he will get shit right in America. And the Russia thing arose in my mind when he said that he'll reassess the US's policy to work with other nations (including Russia I assume) to fight Radical Islamic Terrorism. That's right he said those words. (Wonder if Sam Harris approves of him now.) All in all, I hope he somehow can bring peace to the world and prosperity to the poor. Good luck President Trump.

[toomanyhatz]

I hope he somehow can bring peace to the world and prosperity to the poor.

I keep telling you, he has absolutely no interest in doing either of those things.

[harvey k-tel]

All I know is that I chose the wrong month to go booze-free.

[The Prof]

"Some people may disagree...I don't know.....

.....maybe they're not allowed to speak....you tell me......

but I tell you.... we have the cheese....we have the graters......

....we're gonna make America grate again...

....it will be beautiful".

[Jimbo]

Jimmy Dore remarked Trump's speech promising jobs as he did was a speech Bernie Sanders might have made if he had won. If, despite Toomanyhatz's pessimism, Trump comes through with a jobs program rebuilding based upon the infrastructure who would mind? Workers would get work and his buddies in the building trade would make oodles.

[...]

DT has had a busy first day...

Removed climate change page from the Presidential website and replaced it with a page about drilling for oil

Removed LBGT page from the Presidential website

Taken the first steps to repeal Obamacare

[Deebank]

Jimmy Dore remarked Trump's speech promising jobs as he did was a speech Bernie Sanders might have made if he had won. If, despite Toomanyhatz's pessimism, Trump comes through with a jobs program rebuilding based upon the infrastructure who would mind? Workers would get work and his buddies in the building trade would make oodles.

The thing about this is that you can't just click your fingers and employ thousands - hundreds of thousands in building infrastructure.
Firstly it is now a highly mechanised trade (which it wasn't to the same extent in the 20s and 30s) you need skilled operators and people who can use and program complicated machinery. Even a standard excavator or dumper needs expert handling. People need to be trained from school for these (often shitty, hard and challenging) jobs. Secondly I expect a large proportion of the people doing these jobs now are immigrants - possibly illegal - but they are the ones with the knowledge.

I wonder how much time the AMerican people are willing to give Trump to work his miracle because you can't do stuff like this in 100 days.

[mentalist (slight return)]

I'm not sure that people voted for him really think anything will materially change, and if they are disappointed they'll blame it on something else.

[Deebank]

And you can't cut corners either.
I'm no expert, but the US is certainly one of the most litigious places on this planet. So if you send Joe Schmo out into the construction business without the right training and equipment and he screws up, it's goodnight Vienna!

I would also add that construction needs a fraction of the people involved in its processes thn it did when the Golden Gate Bridge or the Hoover Dam were built.

Automation and mechanisation are not forces that Trump can fight with repatriations.

[Deebank]

I'm not sure that people voted for him really think anything will materially change, and if they are disappointed they'll blame it on something else.

From the interviews and vox pops I've seen from places like the rust belt I would say there is a massive expectation.

Who will be blamed when it doesn't happen is a moot point though certainly.

The irony is that against the background of the crash of 2008, Obama has actually turned things around - 2% growth and rising employment. That is of no comfort to those 'left behind' though.

I fully expect Trump will capitalise on Obama's progress when the time comes -if he doesn't completely wreck it in the meantime.

[Jimbo]

Jimmy Dore remarked Trump's speech promising jobs as he did was a speech Bernie Sanders might have made if he had won. If, despite Toomanyhatz's pessimism, Trump comes through with a jobs program rebuilding based upon the infrastructure who would mind? Workers would get work and his buddies in the building trade would make oodles.

The thing about this is that you can't just click your fingers and employ thousands - hundreds of thousands in building infrastructure.

You are right, of course. I was going to joke about how there are never enough flagmen but there are mechanized robots dressed like flagmen to wave cars away nowadays, not to mention the electronic signal signboards.

But then again, if each community bids to have their school, hospital and municipal buildings repaired or rebuilt, along with bridges, sewers, and roads, that would be something that should spur the economy. It would be a massive program, of course, and most unlike what we think Trump would do as a fiscal conservative, but imagine how he'd spring into action if all the structures were named after him. Donald J. Trump National Highway.

[...]

imagine how he'd spring into action if all the structures were named after him. Donald J. Trump National Highway.

Worryingly, names like the Donald J Trump Nuclear Wasteland also have a nice ring to them

[Six String]

I'm not sure that people voted for him really think anything will materially change, and if they are disappointed they'll blame it on something else.

The irony is that against the background of the crash of 2008, Obama has actually turned things around - 2% growth and rising employment. That is of no comfort to those 'left behind' though.

Apparently those people have shorter memories or they hated Obama enough to ignore the fact that he successfully pulled us away from the edge of doomsday. The Republicans go on and on about the slow growth so even they are suffering frm amnesia as well. That speech was very scary, just like his campaign.

[...]

I'm not sure that people voted for him really think anything will materially change, and if they are disappointed they'll blame it on something else.

The irony is that against the background of the crash of 2008, Obama has actually turned things around - 2% growth and rising employment. That is of no comfort to those 'left behind' though.

Apparently those people have shorter memories or they hated Obama enough to ignore the fact that he successfully pulled us away from the edge of doomsday. The Republicans go on and on about the slow growth so even they are suffering frm amnesia as well. That speech was very scary, just like his campaign.

A lot, lot scarier than his campaign as now he is in power and cam actually do something.

To paraphrase Gary Yonge from today's Guardian, "the hands that once grabbed pussy now hold the nuclear codes".

[Davey the Fat Boy]

How long until one or more of the countries we have difficulty with starts encroaching on its neighbors to test our new child President? Can't imagine it'll be more than a month.

[...]

If he spends the next four years dealing with trivial shit like the low turn out for his inauguration as he has been doing this weekend,
the world may yet get to avoid a potentially very unpleasant bullet.

Given DT's inability to count, one can understand the repeated (six, count em!) failures of his businesses.

[Jimbo]

How long until one or more of the countries we have difficulty with starts encroaching on its neighbors to test our new child President? Can't imagine it'll be more than a month.

All thanks to Hillary and the Democrats.