Trump IS the Republican Party

Argus · October 29, 2016

19 hours ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

Even if true, so what ? (Less ideology is better.) Why does it matter to a foreign national ?

You just finished saying you support ideology reinforced by actions. Now you say the less ideology the better. I think you're about as much a conservative as Donald Trump.

Argus · October 29, 2016

18 hours ago, Bonam said:

This isn't a defense of Trump (I detest him) but this particular criticism is not well thought out. Only about half of businesses can outperform the stock market index, and the other half will necessarily under-perform the index,

So some businesses are winners and some are losers. And Trump's businesses have been losers which makes him far from a genius.

In fact, his entire reputation as a great businessman comes from his TV show, which is part of the promotional efforts he engaged in after the banks threatened to bankrupt him personally, and not just his businesses. All his lines were scripted in the TV show and he was carefully made up and lighted in luxurious looking offices and board rooms to give that impression. But as the banker quoted in an earlier story on him said, he was a great promotor but as a CEO he left a lot to be desired in his understanding of finances.

msj · October 29, 2016

19 hours ago, Bonam said:

This isn't a defense of Trump (I detest him) but this particular criticism is not well thought out. Only about half of businesses can outperform the stock market index, and the other half will necessarily under-perform the index, since by definition the performance of the index is the average of all the businesses it contains (which one would expect would also be similar to the average for privately held businesses). Many solid businesses have performed a few percent worse than the index.

The only time we have Trump involved in a public company that company failed while Trump profited from it like a con man.

That is the public record for Trump since he will not release more information.

Also, to say that half of public companies underperform dismisses survivorship bias in the stock exchanges.

More companies than not fail and underperform.

Trump's only excursion into this realm was a spectacular failure so he is, at best, with publicly available information, among the common failures rather than among the middling and certainly not among the "great" businesses.

Stop enabling con men.

bush_cheney2004 · October 29, 2016

2 hours ago, msj said:

Stop enabling con men.

So con women are OK ? The Clintons even took Trump's money.

August1991 · October 30, 2016

On 2016-10-28 at 1:33 PM, Argus said:

Of course! But I'd think the stupid gulls voting Republican would show a little of that self-interest rather than voting in a party which kicks them in the head every year.

No, because those foolish Scandinavians have voted for politicians who fund their roads, bridges and airports properly, pay for what they build, and don't exempt the rich from paying taxes. There is virtually no poverty in Scandinavian countries, and universal health care. The citizens have far, far more vacation time off and far more benefits of every kind. So who are the fools, them or you?

The Scandinavian model, transferred to the US, leads to New Jersey.

Argus, I doubt that you would be willing to provide/divulge all your personal information to the federal government in the manner that the average Swede happily supplies to Swedish bureaucrats.

====

This top-down, centralized, leftist, Obamacare, Bob Rae ideal is not sustainable. Like the Soviet Union, it doesn't work. Eventually, it blows up.

Wilber · October 30, 2016

Scandinavia is not the Soviet Union. The concentration of wealth within fewer and fewer people is not sustainable either. Historically it leads to instability and often violence.

Argus · October 30, 2016

9 hours ago, August1991 said:

, centralized, leftist, Obamacare, Bob Rae ideal is not sustainable. Like the Soviet Union, it doesn't work. Eventually, it blows up.

Really? Care to compare the debt load of Scandinavian countries with the rising debt load of Canada and the US?

Wilber · October 31, 2016

On 2016-10-30 at 9:30 AM, Argus said:

Really? Care to compare the debt load of Scandinavian countries with the rising debt load of Canada and the US?

We look pretty shabby compared to countries most like us as well. Debt to GDP: Australia 36.8 but increasing, New Zealand 24.6 and declining. Canada 91.5, US 104.7, both increasing.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Wilber

August1991 · November 1, 2016

On 10/30/2016 at 10:52 AM, Wilber said:

Scandinavia is not the Soviet Union.

Precisely.

And Sweden, transferred to the US, is New Jersey.

Edited November 1, 2016 by August1991

August1991 · November 1, 2016

On 10/30/2016 at 0:30 PM, Argus said:

Really? Care to compare the debt load of Scandinavian countries with the rising debt load of Canada and the US?

Care to discuss the Kamprad Foundation? How about Norway, the country?

=====

In a small country of a few million people, it is easy to speak of "virtuous signalling" - while employing tax avoidance and being a free rider.

Argus, Europeans (such as Swedes) have enjoyed a free world but have avoided paying taxes to guarantee this world.

Go figure.

Edited November 1, 2016 by August1991

Wilber · November 1, 2016

9 minutes ago, August1991 said:

Precisely.

And Sweden in the US is New Jersey.

How do you figure that.

Gross government debt as % of GDP US 106% Canada 84% Sweden 38%

Net government debt as % of GDP US 87.5% Canada 37% Sweden -17%

No one would dispute that the US spends a greater amount on defence but as a % of GDP, Sweden spent 10% more than Canada on defence in 2015.

Sweden has no alliances so must look after itself. It builds its own combat ships, aircraft, armoured vehicles. and some other weapons systems. Bofors, now owned by BAE builds some of the most widely used naval and armoured vehicle guns in the world. Our frigates use them.

August1991 · November 1, 2016

9 minutes ago, Wilber said:

How do you figure that.

Gross government debt as % of GDP US 106% Canada 84% Sweden 38%

Net government debt as % of GDP US 87.5% Canada 37% Sweden -17%

No one would dispute that the US spends a greater amount on defence but as a % of GDP, Sweden spent 10% more than Canada on defence in 2015.

Sweden has no alliances so must look after itself. It builds its own combat ships, aircraft, armoured vehicles. and some other weapons systems. Bofors, now owned by BAE builds some of the most widely used naval and armoured vehicle guns in the world. Our frigates use them.

New Jersey....

Wilber · November 1, 2016

Bofors CV90

Bofors 57MM naval gun in Swedish stealth patrol vessel.

New Jersey has these?

kimmy · November 1, 2016

9 hours ago, August1991 said:

New Jersey....

What the hell does that even mean?

-k

Wilber · November 1, 2016

20 minutes ago, kimmy said:

What the hell does that even mean?

-k

Glad I'm not the only one left wondering.

Argus · November 1, 2016

13 hours ago, August1991 said:

Precisely.

And Sweden, transferred to the US, is New Jersey.

Care to compare the poverty level or crime rate or budgetary deficits of Sweden vs New Jersey?

August1991 · November 2, 2016

16 hours ago, kimmy said:

What the hell does that even mean?

-k

Have you ever been to New Jersey? Maryland?

Have you ever been to Baltimore? Philadelphia? Kimmy, have you ever driven on the New Jersey Turnpike?

Edited November 2, 2016 by August1991

August1991 · November 2, 2016

12 hours ago, Argus said:

Care to compare the poverty level or crime rate or budgetary deficits of Sweden vs New Jersey?

In Sweden, people openly and honestly divulge all their personal information to the State.

In New Jersey, even when the State buys asphalt or concrete, it must verify and check twice.

Edited November 2, 2016 by August1991

kimmy · November 2, 2016

8 hours ago, August1991 said:

Have you ever been to New Jersey? Maryland?

Have you ever been to Baltimore? Philadelphia? Kimmy, have you ever driven on the New Jersey Turnpike?

I'm not sure what my travel itinerary has to do with the inane argument you're trying to make, August.

"Sweden is New Jersey". Huh? Is this some kind of word-assocation game? Denmark is Mississippi, Romania is Puerto Rico, Slovakia is Guam, Croatia is blue, Portugal is butterflies? I don't get it. Is it a Rorschach test? I hold up a map Belgium and you shout out "polar bear"?

Are you trying to argue that Sweden, like New Jersey, is full of crowded turnpikes because of reasons? Are you suggesting that Sweden is some sort of dystopian urban hellscape full of crime and violence, like the Baltimore we see on US crime TV shows? I don't think either of those suggestions has any factual basis, and I think the comparison you'd have us make falls flat as a result. In suggesting that perhaps Sweden is full of crowded turnpikes and urban gang violence because of social or fiscal policies, I think you've utterly failed to make the case you think you've made.

To your "Sweden is New Jersey" idea, let me reply: "Kansas is Somalia!" Ha! Respond to that!

-k

August1991 · November 4, 2016

On 11/2/2016 at 10:56 AM, kimmy said:

To your "Sweden is New Jersey" idea, let me reply: "Kansas is Somalia!" Ha! Respond to that!

-k

You have made my point for me, kimmy. Why is living in Kansas better than living in Somalia?

======

But you missed my broader point:

My comparison was not Sweden and New Jersey; it was the idea of transferring Swedish government/bureaucrats/policies to America.

As progressives would say nowadays, "it's not sustainable".

Cum Laude · November 4, 2016

On 10/29/2016 at 11:37 AM, Argus said:

You just finished saying you support ideology reinforced by actions. Now you say the less ideology the better. I think you're about as much a conservative as Donald Trump.

Someone stole my Trump sign in so I decided to go steal a Hillary sign. I ran out of gas trying to find one! Go Trump!!!!

dre · November 5, 2016

On 10/31/2016 at 9:35 PM, Wilber said:

How do you figure that.

Gross government debt as % of GDP US 106% Canada 84% Sweden 38%

Net government debt as % of GDP US 87.5% Canada 37% Sweden -17%

No one would dispute that the US spends a greater amount on defence but as a % of GDP, Sweden spent 10% more than Canada on defence in 2015.

Sweden has no alliances so must look after itself. It builds its own combat ships, aircraft, armoured vehicles. and some other weapons systems. Bofors, now owned by BAE builds some of the most widely used naval and armoured vehicle guns in the world. Our frigates use them.

You hit the nail right on the head.

Let me expand on it a little bit... Sweden is traditionally a forestry based economy but they have taken a totally different approach than Canada. Canada allows foreign multi nationals to run the business side in exchange for jobs (cutting down trees for example), and paltry royalties (stumpage fees, etc). Sweden (being a forestry based economy) has companies that manufacture equipment. Chainsaws, skidders, faller bunchers. Huskavarna, and Stil. They sell us the tools we use to cut down our own trees... Some of them are not even allowed to be used in Sweden because they cut down so much timber and create less jobs. Then we have Ikea... A global furniture giant. They sell us our wooden furniture too!

Canadians lack business acumen. Its been too easy for us to live working for foreign companies that set up here. We work in the oil patch for Suncor... We make cars in Ontario for Ford and GM. We cut down trees for Western Forest Products in BC. We make almost nothing. We just rape the environment, and sell services to each other. That's it.

And to make things worse we have gleefully bought into the whole "free trade / services based economy lie'. This is why we have a gigantic current account deficit. Theres just too damn many people not doing real work. For every person that actually picks up a shovel or makes a widget there are 3 people who just shuffle paper. They sell real estate, or work in the bloated financial services sector, or make a living flogging crappy Chinese imports to other Canadians.

Stupid things happen to stupid people.

Wilber · November 7, 2016

SKF. Largest manufacturer of bearings in the world. Swedish.

Bonam · November 7, 2016

On 11/5/2016 at 10:36 AM, dre said:

Canadians lack business acumen. Its been too easy for us to live working for foreign companies that set up here. We work in the oil patch for Suncor... We make cars in Ontario for Ford and GM. We cut down trees for Western Forest Products in BC. We make almost nothing. We just rape the environment, and sell services to each other. That's it.

And to make things worse we have gleefully bought into the whole "free trade / services based economy lie'. This is why we have a gigantic current account deficit. Theres just too damn many people not doing real work. For every person that actually picks up a shovel or makes a widget there are 3 people who just shuffle paper. They sell real estate, or work in the bloated financial services sector, or make a living flogging crappy Chinese imports to other Canadians.

I don't think Canadians have inherently more or less "business acumen" compared to other people around the world. If Canada lacks major companies compared to similar countries, I would look for the causes deeper than just assuming it is an inherent deficiency in Canadian people or culture.

As for the service sector, which you bemoan comprising 70% of the Canadian economy... you should know that your vaunted example of Sweden has the service sector comprising 71% of the economy. And the United States, home of most of the world's most innovative corporations (which you lament Canada having too few of) has a service sector comprising 80% of its economy (the highest of any country in the world). The reality is almost everything that isn't literally sitting in a factory operating a machine or working on a farm is considered to be part of the "service sector". Engineers, inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists, programmers, educators, doctors, etc, which are the driving forces behind most of the innovation, technological progress, and economic growth that we see in the present and going forward are all in the "service sector".

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

Edited November 7, 2016 by Bonam