Political Posts

[dwy000]

Just now, 73 Reds said:

There is a concept called "best evidence".  It is primarily associated with formal legal proceedings but clearly applicable here.  Releasing what a deranged group wants just because they want it is senseless.

Its not releasing what a deranged group wants. Its releasing what Trump promised.  Its releasing what his base has said they want.  Its releasing what the House wants (which is why they're going home early to avoid).  And most importantly, its allowing Trump to prove what he's claimed all along - that this is a big nothing burger.  Why would you not????

[73 Reds]

Just now, dwy000 said:

Its not releasing what a deranged group wants. Its releasing what Trump promised.  Its releasing what his base has said they want.  Its releasing what the House wants (which is why they're going home early to avoid).  And most importantly, its allowing Trump to prove what he's claimed all along - that this is a big nothing burger.  Why would you not????

Why would I not?  Because what you call evidence may be anything but.  Did it occur to you that there may be reasons wholly unrelated to your conspiracy theories why whatever they may have has not been made public? 

[dwy000]

Just now, 73 Reds said:

Why would I not?  Because what you call evidence may be anything but.  Did it occur to you that there may be reasons wholly unrelated to your conspiracy theories why whatever they may have has not been made public? 

I'm not the one with conspiracy theories.  Ironically enough its the people arguing against the rel3ase coming up with guesses and theories as to why Trump should not do exactly what he promised to do.  Not once has this been argued as to why it should not be released.  And the longer it goes on and the harder Trump pushes to stop it, the guiltier he looks.  If he has nothing to hide, release them - as promised. 

[changegonnacome]

55 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

Its amazing to watch koolaiders move from "release the files" to twisting around trying to make excuses why its okay not to now.

 

Its funny to watch Trump impale himself on this issue.....he chose the wrong strategy......there is political pain for him in Epstein files no doubt.....but he's made it 100x worse for himself by trying to keep it hid from view likes this.....those files are coming out now by hook or by crook.....and as I say he's made the potlical price to be paid much worse than it otherwise would have been.

 

Trump is not a paedo....and I dont believe for a second that the Epstein files indicates any definitive wrongdoing by the President in the past.....but what they do show from recent reporting.....is Epstein wasn't just an acquaintance of Donald in 80's & 90's as he'd like you to believe.....Epstein and Trump we're very very very good friends......many who knew both men at the time have indicated that they we're for this period what some might call chidlishly 'best' friends.....the Epstein files will likely show a pattern of communication & meetings in this period that confirms what many observers from that period have said publicly that they we're bros....the hung out together alot.....they had the same interests - money & women.....and that isnt a crime.....but it is politically toxic...and most especially now that he has spent weeks trying to re-direct MAGAS attention to other things....most recently Obama treason etc.......when this info comes out it will accelerate the Trump lame duck timeline where the GOP and those within it start thinking about the post-Trump era and who will replace him at the top of the party.

 

Nope the walls aren't coming, he wont be leaving office in a couple of months time.......but his agenda, the almost total control over the GOP he exerted in H1 2025 looks to me like 'peak' Donald.....it was always going to be so.....the Epstein stuff has just slammed on the accelerator of the politically inevitable....the decay of Trump's power and influence.....dont get me wrong...sub Donald for any President with the same dynamics....two term, 80yrs old and not doing well in the polls....Trump at times has looked immune to political gravity....but he's not going to dodge the bullet which is becoming yesterday's man quicker than he would like.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2025 by changegonnacome

[73 Reds]

7 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

I'm not the one with conspiracy theories.  Ironically enough its the people arguing against the rel3ase coming up with guesses and theories as to why Trump should not do exactly what he promised to do.  Not once has this been argued as to why it should not be released.  And the longer it goes on and the harder Trump pushes to stop it, the guiltier he looks.  If he has nothing to hide, release them - as promised. 

You are here clammering for the release of unknown "files".  What you won't admit is even if they release "files" you will not be satisfied.  You will claim that they withheld, redacted, altered or ignored what should have been released but was not.  There is nothing that will change a mindset that so clearly has obvious motives beyond the "release of files".  And furthermore, whatever happens to be released will be subject to a permanent stream of rumors, innuendo, hype, speculation and hyperbole by your types and the media so that nothing will ever be enough.  

Edited July 23, 2025 by 73 Reds
spelling

[TwoCitiesCapital]

19 minutes ago, 73 Reds said:

Why would I not?  Because what you call evidence may be anything but.  Did it occur to you that there may be reasons wholly unrelated to your conspiracy theories why whatever they may have has not been made public? 

 

The ONLY reason to not release these is because it likely implicates the politically connected and wealthy on BOTH sides of the aisle. Is why the Democrats did nothing about it as well. 

 

But the Democrats didn't campaign on protecting the country from pedophiles or promise the release of the data or scream at the top of their lungs for the accountability of it all during the last election.

 

And neither Biden nor Kamala were on flight logs for Epstein nor are they pictured with him nor had friendships spanning a decade with him nor did they write him bawdy letters for his 50th birthday. 

 

So my guess is it's probably a bit more damaging to MAGA and their second-coming of Christ at this point. So they'll rake Trump over the coals for this, as he raked them, but both know the docs won't be released - especially not by Trump who is likely implicated in them. 

Edited July 23, 2025 by TwoCitiesCapital

[dwy000]

11 minutes ago, 73 Reds said:

You are here clammering for the release of unknown "files".  What you won't admit is even if they release "files" you will not be satisfied.  You will claim that they withheld, redacted, altered or ignored what should have been released but was not.  There is nothing that will change a mindset that so clearly has obvious motives beyond the "release of files".  And furthermore, whatever happens to be released will be subject to a permanent stream of rumors, innuendo, hype, speculation and hyperbole by your types and the media so that nothing will ever be enough.  

How would you know reaction if they wont actually release anything to react to?  The rumors and innuendo are worse for not releasing. At least once everything's out people can move on.

 

I honestly never thought Trump was a pedophile but that the files would have some negative stuff about his relationship with Epstein. Now I'm questioning whether maybe he is.  Because how bad must the stuff in there be that this is a better outcome?

[changegonnacome]

Not sure if any Japan/auto experts here.........15% tariff on Japanese autos???......looks to me like that isnt enough to close the cost to manufacturer delta between the US and Japan (i've seen ~20% as being a good ballpark as the delta).....so in a practical sense not a huge incentive to move incremental entry level manufacturing capacity on-shore especially when you layer on the Japanese domestic desire to keep homegrown manufacturing at home......

 

So this 15% tariff....doesn't reach the high bar required for incremental US on-shoring......and Japanese autos retain their cost competitiveness versus US producers.......while out-performing them in quality/reliability......

 

Whatever flows through to consumers here (& given entry level auto margins) most of the 15% will in time end up flowing through to US consumers.....how does this not represent a lets call it a 10% federal sales tax on cars sold to the bottom 20% of American households (by income) with no discernable quid pro quo in terms of a factory down the street producing Honda Civics or whatever.

 

More and more as these tariffs deals get done......it looks to me like its a shakedown exercise for cash....shaking down allies and stealthy shaking down US consumers.....no doubt about it Donald is showing the US had untapped trading leverage with its trading partners.....going after that untapped leverage reminds me of large retailer in a death spiral shaking down its suppliers for lower prices and extended payment terms.......you get to do that trick once......but you torch all the goodwill you have....in a business sense....its short term greedy versus long terms greedy....the Treasury account will get a boost from all this revenue this year and next.......I wonder if you looked out a bit further 5 , 10, 15yrs.....do these actions (shaking down global partners for a short term cash infusion).....optimize the wealth and prosperity of the US 10 or 20yrs out......I'm not sure....it all seems a little short sighted & unstrategic. 

Edited July 23, 2025 by changegonnacome

[John Hjorth]

4 hours ago, dealraker said:

...  When did you gain the role of telling me what to do in life?  What a fucking babyfied chicken shit comment. ^[1]

 

Needless to say, I have been trying to control my propensity to uncontrolled laughter now for the last about 4 hours, and I can't hold it back any longer, I'm giving in. 

 

A tiny footnote kicked in here, though :

 

^[1] Here by tested in live production environment, - but please don't try it a home! 

 

[TwoCitiesCapital]

51 minutes ago, changegonnacome said:

how does this not represent a lets call it a 10% federal sales tax on cars sold to the bottom 20% of American households (by income) with no discernable quid pro quo in terms of a factory down the street producing Honda Civics or whatever.

 

That's exactly what this is. Give your billionaire buddies tax breaks and partially fill the hole by kicking people of Medicare, gutting social safety nets, cutting funding to emergency response organizations, gut the IRS, and then make the lower- and middle-classes pay more via tarriffs. 

 

 

51 minutes ago, changegonnacome said:

it all seems a little short sighted & unstrategic. 

 

This describes everything this man does - including calling for the release of the Epstein files

[73 Reds]

1 hour ago, TwoCitiesCapital said:

 

The ONLY reason to not release these is because it likely implicates the politically connected and wealthy on BOTH sides of the aisle. Is why the Democrats did nothing about it as well. 

 

But the Democrats didn't campaign on protecting the country from pedophiles or promise the release of the data or scream at the top of their lungs for the accountability of it all during the last election.

 

And neither Biden nor Kamala were on flight logs for Epstein nor are they pictured with him nor had friendships spanning a decade with him nor did they write him bawdy letters for his 50th birthday. 

 

So my guess is it's probably a bit more damaging to MAGA and their second-coming of Christ at this point. So they'll rake Trump over the coals for this, as he raked them, but both know the docs won't be released - especially not by Trump who is likely implicated in them. 

Perhaps the best reason not to release anything is that nothing good will come of it.  

[changegonnacome]

14 minutes ago, TwoCitiesCapital said:

then make the lower- and middle-classes pay more via tarriffs. 

 

Yep....and looks like 15% deal incoming for the EU......this is something I can speak to with a bit of authority......I know the cost differentials between the US and EU for manufacturing across a few different industries (medical devices & other high end manufacturing).........25-30% is a good ballpark.......nobody is on-shoring to the USA and away from Europe for a headline 15% tariff......but the reality as everyone knows is that the 15% tariff is not absorbed 100% by the manufacturer....depending on the product, elasticity of demand & competitive environment.....I think a good average is to assume that maybe, just maybe the manufacturer is eating 5% at best.....for things like medical devices its going to be a lot less...they are not good domestic substitutes for lots of these products.

 

So the reality is that 25-30% cost delta to production in the USA versus EU has now closed to at best 20-25%......no incremental factories land in the US as a result of this.....US consumers/insurance compabies absorb a ~10% cost increase on EU goods including things like medical devices (stents, hips) etc.

 

The other dirty secret that Trump wouldn't like anyone to know - these arent trade deals of course......they are kind of temporary trade conditions......basically memorandums of understanding with all the tremendously boring details to be hammered out..........the EU, Japan, China....know whats up.....Trump is 18 months out from being a lame duck President (likely sooner due to Epstein stuff)....there are endless legal challenges to his powers to do this.....regardless I will be SHOCKED if any of the large trading partners (EU, Canada, Japan) sign an actual trade deal during Trump's term.....they will run down the clock....first to supreme court certainity, then to the mid-terms and the begining of his lame duck session and then out to his departure.

[changegonnacome]

 

Meanwhile...Trump says drug prices are coming down 1000%! I can't wait....they are going to pay me to take my medicine.

[TwoCitiesCapital]

34 minutes ago, 73 Reds said:

Perhaps the best reason not to release anything is that nothing good will come of it.  

 

The ONLY 'nothing good' that would come from exposing members of a child-sex ring is that exposing them would be embarrassing for those who did the exposing. 

 

Which is why they haven't been released by either party - and won't be. 

 

There is no other valid reason for protecting child molesters

Edited July 23, 2025 by TwoCitiesCapital

[TwoCitiesCapital]

33 minutes ago, changegonnacome said:

 The other dirty secret that Trump wouldn't like anyone to know - these arent trade deals of course......they are kind of temporary trade conditions......basically memorandums of understanding with all the tremendously boring details to be hammered out

 

Even if they were 'deals' - there is nothing stopping Trump from throwing them out in 12-24 months and blaming Biden for how badly they were negotiated. 

 

Anyone agreeing to these terms thinking they're fixed is a fool - Trump has already proven he doesn't have the integrity to stick with the terms of his prior 'deals'. These will be no different. 

 

Just agree to whatever, drag out the negotiations putting as little effort into them as possible, and then drop them when the next administration comes in. 

[73 Reds]

Just now, TwoCitiesCapital said:

 

The ONLY 'nothing good' that would come from exposing members of a child-sex ring is that exposing them would be embarrassing for those who did the exposing. 

 

Which is why they haven't been released by either party - and won't be. 

 

There is no other valid reason for protecting child molesters

Again, we have live witnesses.  The incarcerated ring-leader and her victims.  These people are the best sources of information.  But it is far too convenient to blame Trump for every malfeasance.  When is any other politician blamed for not following through on campaign rhetoric?  When has any other politician ever come close to fulfilling the number of promises that he made?  But no, there is no double standard here, LOL.

[TwoCitiesCapital]

9 minutes ago, 73 Reds said:

When is any other politician blamed for not following through on campaign rhetoric?  

 

Literally happens all of the time LOL

[73 Reds]

4 minutes ago, TwoCitiesCapital said:

 

Literally happens all of the time LOL

Like when they are up for re-election?  Glad to be politically unaffiliated.

[TwoCitiesCapital]

1 minute ago, 73 Reds said:

Like when they are up for re-election?  Glad to be politically unaffiliated.

 

Yes! Exactly! I knew several Democrats who were critical of Biden after his first term and how he handled things.

 

As a matter of fact, it was a feeling that was so widespread that the Democratic party eventually felt forced to pivot candidates late in the game. 

 

If only both parties were able to exhibit such self reflection...

[changegonnacome]

17 minutes ago, TwoCitiesCapital said:

Just agree to whatever, drag out the negotiations putting as little effort into them as possible, and then drop them when the next administration comes in. 

Yep I can assure you - this is most certainly the EU playbook

 

Trump is racing towards being yesterday’s man….in fact, the Epstein debacle, is accelerating this phenomenon.

 

EU et al are happy to pay a small Trump surtax for at most 30 months….and they won’t sign any legal agreement that will stick during that time….they know the story with this WH, after the PR event, after the flashbulbs are gone….Trump doesn’t follow through…the PR announcement is the point….real change, substantial , permanent reform is hard work……and nobody is there to slap you on the back…..PR events & MOU signings and investment commitments of trillions of imaginary dollars are way more fun!

[73 Reds]

Just now, TwoCitiesCapital said:

 

Yes! Exactly! I knew several Democrats who were critical of Biden after his first term and how he handled things.

 

As a matter of fact, it was a feeling that was so widespread that the Democratic party eventually felt forced to pivot candidates late in the game. 

 

If only both parties were able to exhibit such self reflection...

Huh?  Biden didn't know what day it was.  They didn't "pivot" because they wanted to.  You know damn well that if he had performed even adequately in the debate with Trump he would have been the candidate.  Yet I suppose non-democrats were the only folks who noticed Biden's decline.  His shortcomings would have been funny if not so embarrassingly sad.  And to make matters worse, they then selected a candidate who was even more mentally deficient than Biden.  That warrants no credit.  In the mean time he left us in a bad place at the end of his term.  I voted to right those wrongs, not for a candidate or his personal issues.  For every John Fetterman there are 100 empty seats and a number of democratic Congress Men and Women whose ideals are downright mortifying.    

[Castanza]

2 hours ago, John Hjorth said:

 

Needless to say, I have been trying to control my propensity to uncontrolled laughter now for the last about 4 hours, and I can't hold it back any longer, I'm giving in. 

 

A tiny footnote kicked in here, though :

 

^[1] Here by tested in live production environment, - but please don't try it a home! 

 

 

Would be funnier if @dealraker learned to read and respond within the context of a comment (perhaps a limitation of forum discussion). Regardless I guess he decided to take a general comment very personally.  But it is a good reminder to me as to why I've avoided this entire  politics section till yesterday....resembles a bunch of monkeys slinging shit....I guess even semi intelligent people can't put their pitchforks down for more than a few minutes at a time. 

 

Stay classy folks 

[dwy000]

47 minutes ago, 73 Reds said:

Again, we have live witnesses.  The incarcerated ring-leader and her victims.  These people are the best sources of information.  But it is far too convenient to blame Trump for every malfeasance.  When is any other politician blamed for not following through on campaign rhetoric?  When has any other politician ever come close to fulfilling the number of promises that he made?  But no, there is no double standard here, LOL.

The files would not only have the testimony of live witnesses but also all the documents, videos and everything else that was removed from Esptein's homes and office.  If there's nothing to see then just release it all!!  The only reason not to release the very thing he's promised many times to release is that it implicates him.  

 

Why continue to find excuses not to release information on relationships with a convicted pedophile?  Especially the same people who were calling to release it for the longest time.

[73 Reds]

5 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

The files would not only have the testimony of live witnesses but also all the documents, videos and everything else that was removed from Esptein's homes and office.  If there's nothing to see then just release it all!!  The only reason not to release the very thing he's promised many times to release is that it implicates him.  

 

Why continue to find excuses not to release information on relationships with a convicted pedophile?  Especially the same people who were calling to release it for the longest time.

Ugh, files are not live "anything".  And only someone with severe TDS would come out and say that the only reason Trump won't release something is that it implicates him.  You've succeeded in proving my point - thanks.  Beating a dead horse won't revive it. 

Edited July 23, 2025 by 73 Reds
word

[dwy000]

3 minutes ago, 73 Reds said:

Ugh, files are not live "anything".  And only someone with severe TDS would come out and say that the only reason Trump won't release something is that it implicates him.  You've succeeded in proving my point - thanks.  Beating a dead horse won't revive it. 

And diverting, denying and obfuscating won't make the issue go away.  It only makes him look more and more guilty because what's he trying to hide?

 

I get arguments and disagreements on policies and issues but surely connections with a convicted pedophile should be something that everyone can agree should be made public regardless of who gets implicated (from both parties or public life).