73 Reds

He's never held accountable? He's been held more accountable than any politician in history, especially given his short time in politics. Don't mistake overcoming and prevailing with being held accountable. Prosecutors, judges, juries and the electorate hold him accountable. Admit it, you just don't like the outcome.

They value their own lives and aren't willing to die for "the cause". Ideology can be blinding.

No allies have been lost. In fact they are being gained by the day. And as for relinquishing power through less welfare, it's called growing up and personal responsibility by the rest of the World. Unless you are one of those parents who has to support your no-good kids for their adult lives, you're happy to "relinquish" such "power".

Oh, you mean paying disproportionately for everyone else's benefit? How about the usual metrics like GDP, crime statistics, border security, return to capitalism, military strength and zeal?

By what measure?

I think the issue here is much more clear cut. Liberals want to focus on essentially one person - all day every day. Conservatives, at least for the most part want to discuss policies.

Actually, I have time and you guys are fun. But too many people here get too emotionally wrapped up in what amounts to nonsense. Like I said, I prefer to discuss these issues face to face rather than online (this is the only social media presence I really have) - people are a lot more apt to think and react in a constructive way when you are looking straight at them. Its really not hard to avoid politics when discussing most individual companies because unless you're trading the day's events, politics comes and goes and has little long term effect on corporate profits. And when it does, its too late to do anything about it anyway.

I won't ask you to define "asshole" because you don't like answering questions ("what is democracy built on?"); fair enough. But maybe this dialogue will help you decide to do away with this thread once and for all. I get plenty of practice with friends and family over drinks and cigars so conversations like this are somewhat superfluous and nobody's mind is being changed anyway and your complaints about everything Trump largely fall on deaf ears other than a few like-minded posters who read like AI companions. What say you?

Of course. And evidently nepo-babies are always bad unless they work for your beloved Fairfax. A little consistency would be nice.

Right; a brand that has value. You understand the importance and value of brands, don't you, being an investor and all? Someone has to maintain the brand or it dies.

Sure, don't forget which one was, and continues to be an abject failure. And which ones contribute to society and our tax base. Details matter.

Oh wise one, please do tell: What was democracy built on?

The very idea that you compare Trump's children to Hunter Biden pretty much says it all.

That's a lot of words for..... nothing? Politicians say and do things all the time. You call them lies and attacks. I see them differently. Again, Trump was elected to change and disrupt. He didn't ask anyone's permission but US voters. Constantly making mountains out of mole hills only reflects a lack of perspective. Yours, not his or mine. You evidently could have cared less that the US was on a path to [worse than] nowhere under the prior Administration. But your vote doesn't count. Complaining about every utterance and act only reinforces the notion that its all in your perspective as opposed to reality. The reality is a stronger US is better for the World. Feel free to disagree but when most of our allies are essentially feckless someone has to take a stand and its the US pretty much every time but only with the right guy in charge.

A dividend would refresh a lot of memories. As a long term owner I don't want one and am happy if they keep repurchasing shares as the result of short memories. But if I were younger and just started buying the stock, I'd think differently and vote for a dividend.

Can't say that I enjoy it. Most of them have never accomplished anything in their lives other than politics and they are largely supported by people who have no desire to accomplish anything but Kumbaya and feigned moral superiority. Just sad.

Don't hold your breath. The real issue is that none of them have ever come up with one viable idea to address the issues of the day. Their leaders are empty suits who only know how to complain. I'll take new ideas and strategies to tackle age-old problems any day even if they don't work. At least there are attempts being made.

Sanjeev, it all comes down to a complete lack of perspective. I mean, there are some really bad actors in the World but you all just want to focus on one individual who rents space in the White House. Where is the anger and dismay on the Left for the truly despicable? Oh wait, they don't fit the narrative.

Sanjeev, Iran started the war. Sorry you've been asleep for the past five decades.

John, easy to vent on an anonymous message board.

What did he think about arming terrorist proxies?

Those countries are not run by religious fanatics where the religion dictates that Westerners must be annihilated. We have reached a seemingly mutual detante' with Russia and N. Korea. Both leaders place value on human life. Really can't believe this is even open for debate. Ideology and TDS really does a number on some folks.

Cubs, you don't do business with terrorists and those who seek your destruction. You can tell them the same thing 100 times over and they'll never learn unless they are stupid enough to do their own business with people who hate them and seek to destroy them, which is probably the only way they'd learn.

Blake, when you allow one individual or meaningless indicators to dictate your investing, you're lost. This Board demonstrates that there is always an opportunity if you are willing to look.

Obama had an opportunity to do some real good in the region. Looking back, even Jimmy Carter helped negotiate and broker the first peace deals between Israel and some of its fiercest enemies - Egypt and the PLO led by Arafat. Jordan came later. These deals were a start but were kind of inevitable because in each war Israel had with its immediate neighbors, it could have destroyed them if not stopped prematurely by outside influences. Arguably the Abraham accords are even more of an achievement because formerly hostile Arab countries are now convinced that doing business with Israel is mutually beneficial and this is the first time when Arab countries actually support Israel in its fight against terrorism and financiers. As is always the case, Trump will receive no credit whatsoever. As someone with a vested interest in Israel and its existence, I hold that Obama demonstrated remarkable naivite in what could be possible while Trump continues to push for better times for the entire region through a mix of strength, diplomacy and military force, as needed, completely defying politics in the name of what is right.