"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

"Demonstrate to the world there is ‘No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy’ than a U.S. Marine.”

I *REALLY* like this guy!!!

Our (hopefully) soon to be SecDef...

I like this guy! :D

I whole-heartedly and 1000% agree with President Elect Trump on this...

And we come to find out that most of the cast of HAMILTON... yunno, the ones that thought they had the moral authority to sit in judgement of VP-Elect Pence..... ALSO haven't voted in quite a while...

What IS it about Left Wingery activists?? Is there some sort of HYPOCRISY CLAUSE or something???

No need to apologize.
I prefer long winded and detailed to short and vague.

In my opinion, the way you describe yourself and your economic views puts you to the left of Hillary, Obama and Cameron and more in line with Merkel... particularly the "with a strong safety net" bit and the "leadership of a country that encourages free movement of capital has an obligation to address the implications for the losers" part.
The "universal wage to spread the increasing wealth across more people" belief is practically Corbyn territory.

"To me, this is where the U.S. governments have fallen down for decades."
In your opinion, is there a line that has been or can be crossed by these free trade deals where that "falling down" would cause you to stop supporting these deals?

As far as "large scale heavy manufacturing" goes, the decline seems to be related to the level of development... as in, once a nation falls into the developed category, demand decreases to just growth, maintenance and replacement.
However, the decline isn't complete as new cars, buildings, washing machines, etc. will still be needed.
I think we should be pursuing a strategy like Germany, where technology and automation reduce the labor costs while maintaining the industries instead of offshoring.

Our current policies cater to the "anything for an extra nickel of profit" for our one percenters Wall Street ideology... a focus on the short term rather than stability and quality.

I see the same ideology being followed in the "other manufacturing classes however - high tech (e.g. fabs), simple discrete (component assembly lines), process (e.g. pharma), etc"

Neither Dems nor Repubs are working to alleviate the pain of those who are losing out, nor even discussing ending the tax breaks that incentivize offshoring.

So, how do you think we achieve some progress?

A

"I'm thinking to myself, 'Don't slap the President, Don't slap the President..'... Next thing I know, I am backhanding him like a mouthy caddy!!"
-Mayor Winston, SPIN CITY

:D

Yea, I think those barrel inkers have been neutered.. :D

It’s important to understand why liberals are so angry and so scared. They are angry because they believe they have a moral right to command us, apparently bestowed by Gaia or #Science or having gone to Yale, and we are irredeemably deplorable for not submitting to their benevolent dictatorship.
http://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2016/11/21/brace-yourself-for-four-years-of-nonstop-freakoutrage-n2248518

Yup, yup, yup......

Democrat Tulsi Gabbard Considered For Trump Cabinet
https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrat-tulsi-gabbard-considered-trump-160642017.html

Like I keep telling ya'all..

Trump is an INDEPENDENT who doesn't care if a person has a -D or a -R after their name...

What I had said is that ya'all had some really good ideas about how to safeguard legally cast votes, but ya'all didn't follow thru by explaining the logistics of what ya'all proposed...

Lucifer is in the details...

Well, Lucifer was in Sam Winchester, but normally, Lucifer is in the details.. :D

And yet, Trump picked a fight with EVERYONE who buys ink by the barrel during the election..

And BEAT them all.. Mercilessly!!!

So, while your saying is accurate, apparently it doesn't apply to Trump... :D

But yet, you agree with Hate Crime laws which amount to the same thing...

Enhanced charges due to the specifics of the crime, ie SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

For me, it's simple.. If a scumbag is robbing a bank and shoots a cop in the commission of a robbery, the cop is no less dead, true...

But when a cop is targeted, ambushed and executed, that is an attack on society as a whole... It demonstrates an intent to attack society not found in the heat of the moment attacks on LEOs...

As such, I believe it warrants the Special Circumstances designation that would make an automatic death penalty warranted...

Yer loss ... :D

But that is EXACTLY what you said..

Here are the three things I'll judge Trump on:

1. Total number of hate crimes (measured by the FBI UCR system).

The NUMBER ONE thing you'll judge Trump on is the total number of hate crimes..

Michale -

My question:
So now are you willing to address what should be done to safeguard legally-cast votes to ensure transparency, due diligence and accountability for every voter?

Your reply:
I already have...

I definitely missed your contribution to how to safe-guard legally-cast votes. I'm guessing it's going to go off into a rant about voter fraud again...

Have you ever read Giovanni Guareschi's "Don Camillo" books. They are marvelous short stories about a Catholic Priest and a Communist Mayor in a little village in the Po Valley just after WW2. Politics separates them but the underlying theme is that when they get exhausted fighting each other they realize that they both want the same things. The music of Verdi, a good cigar, a glass of local wine, so see a young mother with her baby dressed up for a Christening and that all the people in the village are happy and safe.

You should find them and read them. They were very valuable to me as a kid:

https://www.amazon.com/Little-World-Don-Camillo-Book-ebook/dp/B00HAMIVUC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

So every time I see Bill Clinton with a fat smug smile on his face stand up during the 4th July Parades when the Irish go by I was to punch him. Reagan wasn't much better, in fact, given that he was President when he allowed the open funding of the IRA as these officers were killed, I'd hold him more accountable. And Carter.

The history of Ireland is complex and I have family on both sides (my grandparents committed the ultimate sin - a Catholic married a Protestant - they had to move away and even at my christening there was a family battle). I'm not picking sides, but I am condemning the open funding of cop killers in Irish bars throughout the United States.

She was on protection duty outside the Libyan Embassy in 1984 and shot from within the Embassy. Qaddafi then took the British Embassy staff in Tripoli hostage until all the Iranian Embassy staff were released. This was one of my biggest disappointments with Margaret Thatcher, but she was in an impossible position because it was quite clear that Qaddafi would have killed all of the British staff without blinking an eye.

The killer was never identified, but Qaddafi's government admitted responsibility and paid compensation to WPC Fletcher's family.

If you don't like my characterization of Trump, then ignore it.

You also put a lot of words in other people's mouths. For instance, you seem to have decided that I'm going to blame Trump for all hate crimes. I'm not. I suspect that his divisive style will result in an increase in hate crimes, so I intend to track that. But we will need to see a correlation AND a causation. So I'll look for the correlation and then determine if Trump is the cause, or it has nothing to do with him.

Plus, these are my decisions to make. I asked for yours and you wanted the death penalty for a specific style of police execution (ambush). Frankly, I'd do away with the death penalty altogether, because I don't think it makes any difference to the number of murders, but does make the decent part of society (i.e. not cop killers) complicit in a ritualized form of killing which I think increases the number of murders in society. Some research backs me up, some contradicts this view.

Regardless of my views on the death penalty, if we are going to have an enhanced sentence for cop killing, the method of killing is unimportant to me. Ambush, heat of the moment, attempt to prompt Blue suicide - I'd make the enhanced penalty apply to all.

But here is what I'd also do. I'd make sure that the change made things better. I'd track the number of cop deaths. What if, knowing that he was going to be executed without any other option, a cop killer went on a rampage and killed as many cops as possible - they only have one life to lose. Or if they tracked down and killed a cop's partner to try to eliminate a possible witness, etc.

Lastly, I'm going to point you to a tragic list, the total list of all British Police Officers killed in the line of duty.

If you really care about cops lives, I'd like you to think about why this list, which covers 115 years and 10 months is less than we suffer in less than 10.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_police_officers_killed_in_the_line_of_duty

You see, this is why I expect that it will be IMPOSSIBLE to have a logical and rational conversation with people like you and Balthasar, etc etc...

In ya'all's world, TRUMP is totally responsible when Russian forces bomb a hospital in Aleppo, yet Obama is COMPLETELY blameless when US forces bomb a hospital in Afghanistan...

In ya'all's world, TRUMP is totally responsible for all hate crimes committed during his administration yet Obama is COMPLETELY blameless for all hate crimes committed under OBAMA'S administration...

This is pre-election all over again.... Ya'all live in ya'all's own little world where "Trump Is Toast" and Hillary is our next President...

Then why won't you accept the Officer Memorial numbers - it is one of the other. You either care about the methods or care about the outcomes.

You won't track the outcomes, so you therefore only care about the methods.

These are people who track the stats so they can hold people like Trump, Obama and all the other politicians to account for the each and every loss of one of our finest, and you won't help them in case it makes you feel bad.

Textbook definition of a fanboy.

I don't need to. These are my criteria with measurements you or anybody else can track.

When are you going to have the guts to put your measurable criteria up?

No... We have laws to punish killers..

I want to see a universal FEDERAL law that can be applied to those who AMBUSH cops and, when it results in the death of cops, I want an automatic death penalty...

You never showed any concern if more cops were killed, just that you wanted to feel better about cop killer laws.

That's beneath contempt and not worthy of any response beyond this one...

Ever hear the saying "don't pick a fight with somebody who buys ink by the barrel".

Trump forgets that Brietbart is a tiny outlet and FB and Google are putting "Fake News" filters in place.

Let's hope he takes the same approach to Congress. This will be even more fun than expected.

You said you wanted laws to punish cop killers. We already have laws to punish cop killers. What if Trump's laws backfire (like that has never happened) and more cops are killed?

You never showed any concern if more cops were killed, just that you wanted to feel better about cop killer laws.

You said you wanted laws to punish cop killers. We already have laws to punish cop killers. What if Trump's laws backfire (like that has never happened) and more cops are killed?

You never showed any concern if more cops were killed, just that you wanted to feel better about cop killer laws.

Bloody marvelous. He just can't stop himself. Does he think the media is going to be impressed or roll over for him.

After this gets out (thanks NY Post) every media outlet will be bending over backwards to show they aren't intimidated.

There will be a badge of honor for the first to get sued and win on 1st amendment rights.

Yes, ya'all let Obama off the hook for EVERYTHING Obama DID...

Now you want me to applaud Trump for everything he MIGHT DO...

And you don't see any incongruity in that because you are so blinded by Party loyalty and partisan hatred...

When Trump fraks up, I'll express my displeasure...

When Trump does good, I'll express my approval...

If you need more than that... well...

How Trump..... what???

I have already expressed what I want to see... Like I said.. You don't like it so you ignore it...

Typical Democrat...

For years you whine about how everybody here let's Obama, etc. etc. off the hook for everything, but you are not a fanboy and will judge Trump on his merits.

Time to put up or shut up.

Nice.... :D

Like I said.. Happy as a clam.... :D

Lighten up.

Are you kidding?? I am as happy as a clam... :D

I just thought we were having a serious discussion about the merits of the Democrat disintegration as a viable political force for this and the next generation....

But hay, I can joke about it too if that's where we want to be... :D

I already listed mine.. But you didn't like them.

They are measurable, as you admit, beyond how you feel. So you don't care how many cops are killed, just that you feel good about how Trump?

He was able to tweet like a "pouting teenager" and was STILL able to bring down the biggest political campaign juggarnaut in the history of the world..

Touchy about your little demigod, aren't you.

Lighten up.

Especially when they disprove your hysterical attacks against Trump.. :D

You don't need to agree with my choices.

And you don't need to base your choices on logic and science rather than a partisan Party agenda..

But it would be nice if you did...

I notice you are too chicken to list yours.

I already listed mine.. But you didn't like them.

No I didn't.

So then you posted here condemning Obama for the bombing??

Link???

But look at the stock markets soaring after Trump's election...

I have little interest in the weekly movements of the stock market.

WRONG!

No I didn't.

Why???

Because I want the planet to be in good shape for my kids and their kids.

You don't need to agree with my choices.

I notice you are too chicken to list yours.

Of course, you give Obama a pass when he bombed the DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS Hospital in Afghanistan..

Not a Democrat my left arse cheek... :^/

Sure... All the dreamers have to do is go down to a local government office and put their names in a database.. :D

:D I am sure they will be all for doing that.. :D

The correct answer is" WE DON'T KNOW

Just ta help you out a little... :D

Well it only took Putin one phone call to Trump to decide that he could bomb children's hospitals in Aleppo with impunity - which he did with tragic results the next day (thanks Donald!)

Here are some ways Obama could troll Trump:

1. Appoint Bernie to the Supreme Court on January 3rd when there is a forced Senate recess. After the Garland intransigence McConnell deserves it.

2. Grant presidential pardons to all "dreamers"

3. Free Chelsea Handler and pardon Snowden

4. Make January 20th official Small Handed Person Appreciation Day and make Donald Trump the Parade King

OK, so you are saying that Putin will take Ukraine by March of 2017...

I'll hold you to that...

The only question is, will you admit you were wrong.. :D

1. Will he ever be able to make a point without waving his hands around like a choreographer?

2. How long will it take to turn his tangle of conflicts of interest into a Gordian knot? He's got to choose between mistresses here, which was admittedly never his strong point.

My gods, the minutiae..

And don't forget Trump's hair.. That, of course, automatically disqualifies him for the presidency...

And, to think, at one time the Left Wingery was actually CREDIBLE on the whole diversity and tolerance thing... :^/

Well, ya'all have definitely given up THAT high ground... :^/

Like I asked Neil..

Do you actually HEAR yerself??? :^/

Why does Trump's tweets concern you so??

He was able to tweet like a "pouting teenager" and was STILL able to bring down the biggest political campaign juggarnaut in the history of the world..

You personally don't like it?? Fine... admit that...

But it doesn't seem to have had a negative impact on Trump's ability to accomplish the mission...

2. Will he ever admit his hands are significantly smaller than average

WOW.. Now THAT is really relevant, eh???

Again, I have to ask.. Do you HEAR yourself???

1. Total number of hate crimes (measured by the FBI UCR system).

Really???

So, Trump is going to be responsible for ALL the hate crimes committed after his presidency begins..

So, of course, you blame Obama for ALL the hate crimes and ALL the cop killings committed by black people since OBAMA's presidency began, right??

2. A basket of the deficit, unemployment rate and GDP growth (measured by the OMB, Dept. of Labor and the Fed)

That's a fair critique..

But look at the stock markets soaring after Trump's election...

3. CO2 Percentage in the Atmosphere (measured by ESRL)

Why???

We have a record amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, yet global temps haven't kept pace....

Why is that??

You could also add:

1. Will he stop tweeting like a pouting teenager at SNL

2. Will he ever admit his hands are significantly smaller than average

3. Will he manage to keep his zipper up if he is in DC and Melania is in NYC?

1. Will he ever be able to make a point without waving his hands around like a choreographer?

2. How long will it take to turn his tangle of conflicts of interest into a Gordian knot? He's got to choose between mistresses here, which was admittedly never his strong point.

3. How many days after the inauguration will we have to wait before Putin marches back into the Ukraine? I'm guessing two months - Putin will want cool, but not cold weather when he starts killing people.

Not at all..

Well then, we are back at step 1. Since personal vindictiveness isn't at the heart of your fanboydom, what are the three issues most important to you that made you choose Trump over Clinton and how will you measure them empirically?

Your current answer is the opposite of "Not at all".

You can't bring yourself to admit it though. Don't worry, nobody was expecting anything else than "I like being a troll".

Here are the three things I'll judge Trump on:

1. Total number of hate crimes (measured by the FBI UCR system).

2. A basket of the deficit, unemployment rate and GDP growth (measured by the OMB, Dept. of Labor and the Fed)

3. CO2 Percentage in the Atmosphere (measured by ESRL)

Which isn't to say that I didn't give as good as I got...

Not trying to play a martyr here..

I was 50% of the problem, I readily admit.... :D

I enjoy being right when everyone told me I would be wrong...

Sue me... :D

Not at all..

That was just an added bonus.. Considering all the abuse I have endured over the past 1+ year, a thoroughly enjoyable bonus... :D

would probably prefer an intelligent discussion to the verbal sniping you and I enjoy.

Why not do both?? :D

Intelligent verbal sniping... :D

Ahhh.. I know.. Because you can't acknowledge any intelligence that doesn't toe your Party line... :D

Who are you getting back at? We don't care. We can just block you at will or leave the site, as I presume many do who see this as a troll-dominated forum. CW must make some calculation based on keeping you, after all he wants an increasingly growing number of followers and would probably prefer an intelligent discussion to the verbal sniping you and I enjoy.

Ask me again in two years...

How will you decide if Trump is a BAD President in two years time??

If they are so easy to articulate, what are YOUR metrics??

Oh wait.. You have ALREADY decided that Trump is a bad president..

My bust... :D

If you want to count my finding humor in the takedown of the arrogance as "vindication", then I surely won't stand in the way of you feeling good.. :D

American pride...

American exceptionalism....

With great power comes great responsibility....

Prove me wrong.

That ship has sailed, my friend.. :D

Point to three key policies that were important enough to you to pick Trump over Hillary, and how, empirically, you will judge him on his performance in two years time.

The over-abundance of political correctness in every aspect of our lives...

Illegal Immigration...

Bringing the rule of law back to American soil...

Trump can do no wrong if he makes you feel good.

Exactly...

And if Trump starts doing things that don't make me feel good, don't make me feel better about America and being an American, you'll be sure that I will say something..

Unlike everyone (mostly) here who gave Obama a pass on EVERYTHING that they slammed Bush for because Obama had a '-D' after his name....

You just vindicated points #1 and #3 above.

Whatever gets you through the day.

I'm not a coffee drinker, so I don't partake..

I DO find it funny as hell though seeing the almighty arrogant taken down a couple notches...

You reap what you sow.. They'all have no one to blame but themselves....

Seems the basket of deplorables gets the last laugh...

At the moment, based on your oeuvre, I'd go with:

1. Liberals will be unhappy in Starbucks
2. Hillary and Obama don't like the police and let illegal immigrants stay.
3. Trump says things that annoy educated people.

Prove me wrong. Point to three key policies that were important enough to you to pick Trump over Hillary, and how, empirically, you will judge him on his performance in two years time.

I think you are too scared to. You know you picked a bomb throwing con man and will resist all attempts to pin him down because, like all fanboys, Trump can do no wrong if he makes you feel good.

So far you have chosen: my feelings.

Try to keep up. We are discussing how you will decide if Trump is a good President in two years time, since you claim not to be a fanboy.

Holding Trump ACCOUNTABLE!!????

For what!???

TWELVE DAYS of being President Elect and YOU want to hold him.... ACCOUNTABLE!!????

EIGHT YEARS of Democrat blundering and incompetence and YOU want to hold Trump "accountable" for 12 days of being President-Elect...

For frak's sake!!! Do you even HEAR yourself!???

Just a lot of nose-rubbing vindication.. :D

Whatever gets you through the day.

The issue is, always has been and always will be.. ILLEGAL immigration...

We know. The stats I linked to were for illegal immigration removals.

We all know how it ended..

Yes. In a vote count. If we had chosen the President on how most people thought the election would have turned out we would have Hillary.

You are just goose stepping all over the parade ground trying to avoid having to hold Trump to any accountability beyond "how you feel". Don't think we aren't noticing.

Man up. Pick some real numbers.

You scold everybody for not accepting Trump (which I've not actually noticed anybody do except in your feverish brain). You counter by holding up the electoral college result. Goose and gander, and all that.

This is not unlike the way Trumpers are protesting Starbucks: by buying lots of Starbucks.

It's not about protesting Starbucks..

Starbucks hasn't really done anything that requires protesting...

It's about rubbing it in the noses of the Left Wingery how wrong they are and how vindicated Trump supporters feel..

As I read it on Facebook...

"Wanna have some fun... Go to Starbucks and order something and say your name is TRUMP. Then, when they yell out TRUMP, watch all the liberals start bawling anew..."

:D

No protest involved at all..

Just a lot of nose-rubbing vindication.. :D

Yes - I vote in every election and strongly recommend my kids do too.

May I ask who you would have supported in a Bernie vs Trump matchup?

Bernie. Trump is a crook and a con man. Bernie is left of center. I think Hillary is center-right - like Merkel and David Cameron.

I'm that old cliche - center-right fiscally, strong capitalist with a strong safety net, and progressive on social issues.

I pointed out the popular vote because Michale said "the American people have spoken", not because I'm disputing the results. Trump won with the system we have. I had no problem with the system before the election, and don't now.

Re Manufacturing - to me this equates to all manufacturing, not just large scale heavy manufacturing (steel mills, car plants, etc.) - if you use a different definition let me know. Large scale heavy manufacturing is on the decline across the world. China will probably be the last country that can use cheap labor to grab economic market share via this method. There are other manufacturing classes however - high tech (e.g. fabs), simple discrete (component assembly lines), process (e.g. pharma), etc.

In my opinion, and this is definitely an opinion as I know alternatives, automation and technical progress are removing the most expensive aspects from many manufacturing processes - the people. I think it is a mistake to try to reverse this, as countries such as Japan who have too few people will just get an unassailable advantage in the market. Thus we need to think about the impact of these trends. There are two major possibilities: better education so our workforce can do jobs other countries populations can't and/or a universal wage to spread the increasing wealth across more people.

The United States does not seem to value education with the intensity of South Korea, China, Finland or Singapore (to name some examples), and I think this is a headwind that we ignore. We are very wealthy however and I think our social security net could be a lot more generous (measured by the Gini).

Re: Free Trade

I think there are two major advantages to free trade, and one major disadvantage. The advantages are that a bigger market results in more wealth (i.e. the pie is bigger overall). The other advantage is that interconnected supply chains get businesses to temper international conflicts (as I predict Trump will quickly find out if he tries to bring in protectionist measures). The disadvantage is that the free movement of capital is easier to achieve than the free movement of labor for political reasons (hence the outrage over illegal immigration both here and in Europe). This free movement of capital means that a plant can move from the U.S. to Mexico either directly (e.g. Carrier) or indirectly (e.g. the furniture industry). The leadership of a country that encourages free movement of capital has an obligation to address the implications for the losers. To me, this is where the U.S. governments have fallen down for decades.

I definitely support ending tax breaks that encourage offshoring.

I think I answered all your questions. Sorry for being long winded.

That's an interesting, and usually mis-used quote, not from a cop in NY, but from the eminent Justice Potter Stewart, who, in an obscenity case out of Ohio, was being asked to declare a theatrical release - Louis Malle's The Lovers - to be hard-core pornography. You can see The Lovers today. It's really tame. Potter agreed:

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard-core pornography"], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that."

Your use of this analogy in this context is inadvertently instructive. Like the hysterics who brought The Lovers to court, you and the rest of the Trump zealots would have us look at immigration and find it obscene. Like Potter, we've looked, and it doesn't fit the definition. And future generations will look at it and wonder what all of the fuss was about.

Trump voters have to man up and finally admit that the Immigration Debate is actually about their perception that society is changing in a way that they don't like, that internationalism and multiculturalism is something they don't like.

And to prove it, they elected a man who conducts more business outside of the US than inside, and has a wife that can barely speak english. Traditional values? She's his third wife.

This is not unlike the way Trumpers are protesting Starbucks: by buying lots of Starbucks.

*I* am not making any decisions...

I am reacting to OTHER people making the decisions... yes... based on how I FEEL about them...

You can spout numbers and statistics and polls til the cows come home..

We have had a LOT about that the last year, no??

And yet, all of us stated how we FEEL about those numbers and polls and statistics...

We all know how it ended..

The issue is NOT immigration....

The issue is, always has been and always will be.. ILLEGAL immigration...

OK on the not a Dem thing.
So, it's not party loyalty at the root of your displeasure.
Are you a voter?
May I ask who you would have supported in a Bernie vs Trump matchup?

Harping on the popular vote is fine if you're arguing the mandate thing or just trying to annoy Trump and his supporters, but the "if the rules were different Hillary would have won" bit is sort of like-
If I had bacon, I'd make bacon and eggs, if I had eggs.

As far as manufacturing, I take it the number of jobs in manufacturing in the US declining seemingly doesn't meet your definition of "declining".
That seems like a very convenient approach for a proponent of free trade deals to take... an approach that masks the real harm being caused.

Do you support ending the tax breaks that subsidize and incentivize the offshoring of US manufacturing jobs?

A

How do you feel about owning the Brooklyn Bridge? I've got a great one for you. Don't worry about anything else, just think how you will 'feel' when you 'perceive' you are the owner of a great bridge that people from the world over know. I'll rename it "Michale's Really Cool Bridge" for you.

What do you mean you want the data that proves I own it?

I wish I could be more specific, but I can't.

You can't - but the numbers are there. Are you afraid of what they will say in two years time? Maybe you aren't as confident a fanboy as you like to when you strut around and fire off missives that make you feel good.

Reality is a bitch. Get used to it. It is about time for both you and Trump.

Man up and pick something measurable.

All politics. On both sides. What are the hard numbers? Are the number of illegal immigrants going up or down? Is the decrease due to fewer coming in than voluntary leavers, or is effective use of the current laws and new laws making an impact.

Is this how you make decisions? On how you feel?

How do you think the families of fallen officers will feel if you told them that Trump made you feel better, but they pointed you to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial fund statistics showing a 50% increase in officer shootings?

This is drivel Michale - how are you going to tell the people of another devastated town in the mid-West that you "feel" immigration laws are working better when their local factories have closed down.

Are you just part of the con?

DAPA, DACA, DAMA, DAQA, DARHMA, GREGG, etc etc etc...

Entire court battles have been fought so that Obama can ignore immigration laws....

Prove me wrong. Pick some hard numbers from e.g. the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial fund statistics and the DHS.

I really can't give you hard numbers because this particular world is not black and white...

But I can give you some general markers..

Number of arrests...

Number of deportations...

Number of Illegal Immigrant committing murders and assaults...

Less gang activity from gangs like MS13 would be a good example of increased immigration enforcement..

It's like a New York cop's definition of pornography..

"I may not be able to define it, but I sure as hell will know it when I see it.."

When we see proper immigration laws enforcement, we'll know it..

When employers start whining that they are getting pinched too much by ICE, we'll know it..

When illegal immigrants actually run AWAY from Border LEOs instead of running TO Border LEOs, we'll know it..

I wish I could be more specific, but I can't...

Check my history - I've said this many times.

Let me be clear though - I strongly supported Hillary over Trump, Bernie, et al. I still think she would be the best President and I'm unhappy she lost.

Really. Some numbers, or do you just 'feel' that is your 'perception'?

You're the second Weigantian to claim they are not a Democrat..

I find that funny to read, especially AFTER the election??

Maybe being a Democrat is embarrassing now?? :D heh

How about moving the dial on the issues?

C'mon - pick something you can measure. You keep scolding us for not giving Trump a chance. I contend he is a conman who tells people what they want to hear so they feel good, but then does nothing but empties their pockets.

Prove me wrong. Pick some hard numbers from e.g. the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial fund statistics and the DHS.

Of course I WANT to see that.. Who doesn't???

But that's not what I said..

I want the Trump administration to take a harder line against attacks on cops than the Obama administration has... Especially attacks that are in the form of ambushes...

Put another way...

The Obama administration has made it clear that attacks on black people BECAUSE they are black people are heinous crimes and should be pursued nearly maniacally and punished to the extent of the law and, if that's not harsh enough, then create more laws to MAKE it harsher...

I would like to see that same passion addressing attacks on cops BECAUSE they are cops..

"Being a cop is not what we do, it's who we are.."
-James Woods, THE HARD WAY

#2 Immigration - Increase in enforcement of immigration laws - how are you going to measure that?

The number of REAL arrests, including TBSs.. The number of actual deportations and the numbers snared up in raids and such...

The Obama Administration was able to make clear exactly how many immigration laws they are ignoring...

I am sure the Trump Administration can make it as clear how many immigration laws they are enforcing...

How about measuring the numbers of aliens removed (first column of table 39 from the DHS Year Book)?

https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2014/table39

Note: returns are "self deportations" not the active implementation of the immigration laws you seek.

1. Beaten
2. Bomb
3. Poisoned
4. Shot
5. Stabbed
6. Strangled
7. Terrorist Attack

Stick with 3.

But basically you want to see:

1. A decrease in the numbers of LEO's killed in the line of duty via more punitive penalties. This should be easy to measure. Are you OK with the following numbers from this web site:

http://www.nleomf.org/facts/officer-fatalities-data/causes.html

I expect to see enforcement of our immigration laws WIDELY increase...

A crackdown on protesters who attack LEO...

Killing cops by ambush a federal crime that, upon conviction, is an automatic Death Penalty...

More as they come to me...

I'm not a Democrat, but then I align currently with most Democratic policies because the Republicans have rejected science (in particular AGW and Evolution).

They are also mean and nasty mfers at the moment.

I think manufacturing is going the way of agriculture - it will be a smaller and smaller part of the workforce, but an important capability that countries need to generate the wealth for their populations.

Manufacturing has been the on ramp for emerging economies, but I don't think this will continue - just as the banana republics were able to bootstrap via agriculture in the past, but agriculture isn't a viable on ramp today.

"Drive faster so we get there before the gas runs out"

This joke might be pertinent in a few years time.

"4. U.S. Manufacturing has declined since the 1980s."

"4. "Manufacturers have experienced tremendous growth over the past couple decades, making them more “lean” and helping them become more competitive globally. Output per hour for all workers in the manufacturing sector has increased by more than 2.5 times since 1987. In contrast, productivity is roughly 1.7 times greater for all nonfarm businesses. Note that durable goods manufacturers have seen even greater growth, almost tripling its labor productivity over that time frame"

I don't see any mention about the number of manufacturing jobs.

Output per hour and increased productivity doesn't mean there wasn't a decline.
Did you forget to include job numbers or is that irrelevant to you?

I also noticed that the other day you claimed something along the lines that the US needed Mexican low wage workers and that you were happy that Merkel was running again in Germany.
Are you a Democrat?

Your nonsense about the popular vote makes me think so.

A

In two years time (2018 election season) what are the three key changes you expect from Trump?

e.g. (these are just examples)

1. GDP Growth
2. # Illegal Immigrants in the Country
3. Growth in coal mining employment

I HAVE to agree with Michale on this one.

Thank you...

It may yet come to that.. Trump might be the worstest leader in all of creation and we might see world leaders beating feet to Berlin's door...

But the mantle of Leader Of The Free World doesn't change simply because of Trump's election to the Presidency...

Like I said above.. Give him a CHANCE to fail before you declare him a failure...

It would give the claim a LOT more credibility, don'tcha think??

Nothing is ever 100% anything..

"Well, ma'am.. I find it hard to believe that ANYONE can be 100% dick.."
-John C Reilly, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

:D

2. Forcing the police to be an internal INS group will only catch a small percentage of illegals

Even if that were true, among that small percentage MIGHT be another murderer or rapist...

3. Strict employer enforcement isn't on the cards. This is the area where the needle could be moved most. I wonder why we don't hear about that from Republicans?

Republicans don't matter.. TRUMP is at the wheel.. At he has already said that stricter employer enforcement is part and parcel to his border package..

Why not give it a CHANCE to fail before you declare it a failure??

If we were discussing Republicans... well, you know the rest..

That's what ya'all don't understand yet.

For all intents and purposes, Trump is an INDEPENDENT...

It would not surprise me in the least if Trump put Democrats in cabinet positions and in advisory positions..