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Uncoach

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Interesting article. Colorado has really changed for the worse since they went blue. Not as bad as Illinois, but a classic example that Dems cannot be trusted with economic issues and social issues that are a drag on the economy, as well.

www.city-journal.org

Californication Catches Up with Colorado

Blue-state governance has transformed this once-booming state into an economic and demographic laggard.
www.city-journal.org www.city-journal.org
 
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bung23

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Feb 27, 2005
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JeffT819 said:
There are many mainstream progressive Protestant denominations that study the Bible very deeply and believe that the Bible is telling us abortion is not murder. Don't be so sure you have a monopoly on religious truth.
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One of the dumbest and most misguided posts I’ve ever seen on here. Bravo. The fact that you typed “mainstream progressive” and were dead serious tells me all I need to know. You are too far gone Jeff.
 
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bung23

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JeffT819 said:
The Methodist viewpoint is a reasonable one. I don't know anyone who says that a fetus isn't alive but there is considerable debate if it is a human life. Hence the debate whethet abortion is murder. I am personally not in favor of abortion but I believe that abortion should be legal.

The main objections to abortion are on religious grounds. The US government was formed on the principle of separation of church and state. I don't want the US to be a theocracy so I support legal abortions regardless of my personal beliefs.
Click to expand...
OMG
What is it then, Jeffy??? A freaking dog? A llama? That is officially the stupidest sentence ever typed on this board.
 
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tjfleck6

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bung23 said:
OMG
What is it then, Jeffy??? A freaking dog? A llama? That is officially the stupidest sentence ever typed on this board.
Click to expand...
Child-less cat man is what he is. No kids and apparently never wanted any. If he had lost one to a miscarriage, he might perhaps have a different view. But, as a deranged childless CFO it is binary to him: born is a life (unless you are Obama and voted for infanticide), unborn = not a life.

Had a totally deranged couple of far left liberals as neighbors. They couldn't have children, so they paid 10k for in vitro. Years after their wonderful kids were born, abortion came up and they said they were NOT alive until birth. Just complete and total mental illness.
 
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JeffT819

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ILisBest said:
Jeff, this your party? I think Newsome is polling to be the Dem candidate for 2028 POTUS. Any questions?

Click to expand...

You are going to criticize another politician for something stupid he said and you support Trump? Trump says something stupid and offensive everyday but you support him without question. You can’t be serious.
 
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Uncoach

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Uncoach

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ILisBest said:
My Step-dad is a volunteer at his church. He was police officer for over 40 years and shoots at a range every week. I would guess there are plenty of qualified people to shoot back at a nut that enters for nefarious reasons.
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Unless I’m reading the Florida information wrong, the armed volunteers doing security still have to pass a background check and hold a specific firearms license with the state.
 
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JeffT819

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tjfleck6 said:
Child-less cat man is what he is. No kids and apparently never wanted any. If he had lost one to a miscarriage, he might perhaps have a different view. But, as a deranged childless CFO it is binary to him: born is a life (unless you are Obama and voted for infanticide), unborn = not a life.

Had a totally deranged couple of far left liberals as neighbors. They couldn't have children, so they paid 10k for in vitro. Years after their wonderful kids were born, abortion came up and they said they were NOT alive until birth. Just complete and total mental illness.
Click to expand...
I am a dog person. Nuance is not your friend.
 
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dtrain79

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Jul 13, 2006
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Kevin Williamson, a beast among men, summarizes the economic illiteracy and utter stupidity of the tariff regime better than anyone else.

Slightly more important, in the long run, is the ideological content: Protectionism is a dumb and backward economic policy that may serve the short- to middle-term interests of a small number of market incumbents but which does not serve the overall economy very well. The relatively dynamic and risk-exposed U.S. economy has lifted Americans’ standard of living relative to the rest of the world, while the relatively statist, risk-averse, protectionist economic policies of the rich nations of Europe have produced relatively low growth, to such an extent that U.S. GDP per capita is now half-again as much as Germany’s and twice the average of the European Union. Japan’s GDP per capita is lower than that of West Virginia or Mississippi, our two poorest states. Trump’s notion that the rest of the world has been getting over on the United States through crafty trade policy is utterly unsupported by the facts—it is pure flat-earther economics. The fact that ignorant protectionism is on the upswing in both parties—Joe Biden’s trade policies were substantially similar to what Trump pursued in his first administration—is a catastrophe for American economic thinking.

The Court Has Acted on Tariffs. Now Congress Must Act, Too. - The Dispatch
 
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bung23

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JeffT819 said:
A disaster waiting to happen. Untrained security? I am sure that will work out well
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Jeff, it’s to protect against your deranged commie lib folk who try to run up in a church and cause problems. This is what happens when the deranged run amok. Churches have been soft targets and I’m glad they’re hardening.
 
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ILisBest

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dtrain79 said:
Kevin Williamson, a beast among men, summarizes the economic illiteracy and utter stupidity of the tariff regime better than anyone else.

Slightly more important, in the long run, is the ideological content: Protectionism is a dumb and backward economic policy that may serve the short- to middle-term interests of a small number of market incumbents but which does not serve the overall economy very well. The relatively dynamic and risk-exposed U.S. economy has lifted Americans’ standard of living relative to the rest of the world, while the relatively statist, risk-averse, protectionist economic policies of the rich nations of Europe have produced relatively low growth, to such an extent that U.S. GDP per capita is now half-again as much as Germany’s and twice the average of the European Union. Japan’s GDP per capita is lower than that of West Virginia or Mississippi, our two poorest states. Trump’s notion that the rest of the world has been getting over on the United States through crafty trade policy is utterly unsupported by the facts—it is pure flat-earther economics. The fact that ignorant protectionism is on the upswing in both parties—Joe Biden’s trade policies were substantially similar to what Trump pursued in his first administration—is a catastrophe for American economic thinking.

The Court Has Acted on Tariffs. Now Congress Must Act, Too. - The Dispatch
Click to expand...
Kevin D. Williamson, the national correspondent for The Dispatch (and previously a longtime writer at National Review), has been one of the most prominent conservative critics of Donald Trump since at least 2015, when he authored the book The Case Against Trump. His views on Trump have been consistently negative, portraying him as unfit for office due to character flaws, incompetence, authoritarian tendencies, laziness, and policy inconsistencies (e.g., labeling Trump a "socialist" in economic approach or a "poisonous buffoon").

Areas Where Williamson Has Been Proven Wrong
  • Electoral Predictions and Viability:
    • In 2016, Williamson was part of the "Never Trump" movement and dismissed Trump's chances of winning the GOP nomination or general election, viewing him as a fringe figure who would flame out. Trump won both, defying Williamson's (and many conservatives') expectations. Williamson later acknowledged this indirectly in writings, noting how Trump's appeal to working-class voters (which he had critiqued harshly in pieces like his 2016 National Review essay on "white ghetto" pathologies) proved politically potent.
    • For the 2024 election, Williamson wrote extensively against Trump, calling him a "moral grotesque" who attempted a coup and arguing in October 2024 that neither candidate (Trump or Kamala Harris) was qualified but Trump's deficiencies were far worse. He implied Trump was unelectable among principled conservatives, yet Trump won decisively. In a post-election piece (December 2025), Williamson reflected on this, suggesting the "Trump movement" might already be in "death twitches," but early 2026 indicators (e.g., Trump's policy rollouts like tariffs) show sustained influence, contradicting that optimism.
  • Underestimating Trump's Policy Durability and Appeal:
    • Williamson has criticized Trump's economic policies as reactive, protectionist, and non-conservative (e.g., tariffs as "socialist" interventions). However, Trump's trade agenda (including 2025 expansions) has resonated with voters and boosted sectors like steel, as seen in recent economic data—areas where Williamson predicted broader failure or backlash. In a 2025 podcast appearance on Free the Economy, he doubled down on perils of populism but admitted neoliberalism's past successes (which Trump opposes) didn't prevent his rise.
    • On foreign policy, Williamson warned Trump would weaken U.S. alliances (e.g., against China), but Trump's second term has seen aggressive stances on China via tariffs. Some alliances (e.g., with Europe) have held despite bluster, partially disproving dire predictions of isolationism.
Cmon man, he is an anti Trumper that has been wrong quite a bit on Trump.

According to him, Trump couldn't even win the WH. Whoops!
 
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dtrain79

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ILisBest said:
Kevin D. Williamson, the national correspondent for The Dispatch (and previously a longtime writer at National Review), has been one of the most prominent conservative critics of Donald Trump since at least 2015, when he authored the book The Case Against Trump. His views on Trump have been consistently negative, portraying him as unfit for office due to character flaws, incompetence, authoritarian tendencies, laziness, and policy inconsistencies (e.g., labeling Trump a "socialist" in economic approach or a "poisonous buffoon").

Areas Where Williamson Has Been Proven Wrong
  • Electoral Predictions and Viability:
    • In 2016, Williamson was part of the "Never Trump" movement and dismissed Trump's chances of winning the GOP nomination or general election, viewing him as a fringe figure who would flame out. Trump won both, defying Williamson's (and many conservatives') expectations. Williamson later acknowledged this indirectly in writings, noting how Trump's appeal to working-class voters (which he had critiqued harshly in pieces like his 2016 National Review essay on "white ghetto" pathologies) proved politically potent.
    • For the 2024 election, Williamson wrote extensively against Trump, calling him a "moral grotesque" who attempted a coup and arguing in October 2024 that neither candidate (Trump or Kamala Harris) was qualified but Trump's deficiencies were far worse. He implied Trump was unelectable among principled conservatives, yet Trump won decisively. In a post-election piece (December 2025), Williamson reflected on this, suggesting the "Trump movement" might already be in "death twitches," but early 2026 indicators (e.g., Trump's policy rollouts like tariffs) show sustained influence, contradicting that optimism.
  • Underestimating Trump's Policy Durability and Appeal:
    • Williamson has criticized Trump's economic policies as reactive, protectionist, and non-conservative (e.g., tariffs as "socialist" interventions). However, Trump's trade agenda (including 2025 expansions) has resonated with voters and boosted sectors like steel, as seen in recent economic data—areas where Williamson predicted broader failure or backlash. In a 2025 podcast appearance on Free the Economy, he doubled down on perils of populism but admitted neoliberalism's past successes (which Trump opposes) didn't prevent his rise.
    • On foreign policy, Williamson warned Trump would weaken U.S. alliances (e.g., against China), but Trump's second term has seen aggressive stances on China via tariffs. Some alliances (e.g., with Europe) have held despite bluster, partially disproving dire predictions of isolationism.
Cmon man, he is an anti Trumper that has been wrong quite a bit on Trump.

According to him, Trump couldn't even win the WH. Whoops!
Click to expand...

I’m not sure electoral projections and economic analysis are the same thing. One is like sports betting, the other is a bit more grounded in actual data based on past experience.

I could have told you Williamson hates Trump if you’d asked. Doesn’t make a word of his take on tariffs wrong, tho.

Williamson generally detests autocratic leaders. I have a soft spot for Pinochet all things considered, Williamson does not, even if I’m sure he’d openly acknowledge Allende was an economic train wreck.

Me personally, while I’m pretty certain you thought Biden would lose, believe you should have been allowed to credibly criticize his bad policy. The issue is the quality of the argument, not the quality of the person making it (even if Williamson is great), with rare exceptions.
 
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Uncoach

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Giorgia Meloni is strong. US needs to stay strong vs Europe. The EU sucks and there are more than a few euro countries that are starting to figure it out.

www.threads.com

POLITICAL SPEECH (@political.speech) on Threads

BREAKING: 🇮🇹 Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni: "You raise your voice to defend your people and they call you racist. You want your children to grow up in a safe neighborhood and they call you xenophobic. We want the laws of your country to be written by Italians, not by a bureaucrat in...
www.threads.com www.threads.com
 
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ILisBest

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dtrain79 said:
I’m not sure electoral projections and economic analysis are the same thing. One is like sports betting, the other is a bit more grounded in actual data based on past experience.

I could have told you Williamson hates Trump if you’d asked. Doesn’t make a word of his take on tariffs wrong, tho.

Williamson generally detests autocratic leaders. I have a soft spot for Pinochet all things considered, Williamson does not, even if I’m sure he’d openly acknowledge Allende was an economic train wreck.

Me personally, while I’m pretty certain you thought Biden would lose, believe you should have been allowed to credibly criticize his bad policy. The issue is the quality of the argument, not the quality of the person making it (even if Williamson is great), with rare exceptions.
Click to expand...
He literally thought Kamala would be a better president even though it would have been a cackling drunk continuing the Biden policies. She also would have let the Trump tax cuts expire for those over 400k per year. Not much of a R with that vote. We have had our debates on tariffs, but Trumps tariffs are unprecedented. So, it is anyones guess. Well, kinda like sports betting.
 
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dtrain79

Heisman
Jul 13, 2006
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ILisBest said:
He literally thought Kamala would be a better president even though it would have been a cackling drunk continuing the Biden policies. She also would have let the Trump tax cuts expire for those over 400k per year. Not much of a R with that vote. We have had our debates on tariffs, but Trumps tariffs are unprecedented. So, it is anyones guess. Well, kinda like sports betting.
Click to expand...

There is nothing "unprecedented" about the impact of large global tariffs. There's large bodies of research demonstrating that they protect established and often sclerotic companies from outside competition, thus stifling innovation and growth. It's why they haven't been a key part of either party's platform since the 1930s (not a great era to cite to when it comes to economic success).

As I repeatedly have said, there is more evidence that targeted tariffs with specific policy aims have been more common and are more justifiable. Even the Chinese government is underwriting steel production and dumping it cheap in the US market (this has happened in the past, I know Japan did it and maybe China has too), then there's a real risk to domestic production, and tariffs may be a wise policy course. There are arguments for tariffs when it comes to protections of critical production (certain defense sectors and certain goods/materials).

But that isn't what Trump did in Round 1 and it's not what he's doing in Round 2 (which also is likely to get nuked by courts, as there is no balance of payments deficit, which is different than the trade deficit). He's imposing large, generalized tariffs across the globe.

The most unique part of the situation is how little many companies seem to care about paying some tariffs. I think they see them as temporary and not something that requires a long-term response. I guess that's unprecedented. At this point tariffs just become a tax on US importers and consumers, who are footing about 85-90% of the bill.
 
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