Reality is the problem?

With the Trump tweets and the many times we have been told so and so did not mean that, they meant ------. Maybe we just need to come to terms with what we all will accept as reality. Which facts and which sources do you accept? Which dictionary do you agree has the definitions of words you will accept? I mean who would think someone would try to claim someone did not mean wiretap when they used the word wiretap?

Dying canaries

I have said before, one idea I have is that we are finally starting to see the real effects of 37 years of GOP control. In the 80's there was the oil glut with pumped huge amounts into the economy so soon after the OPEC embargos of the 70's. Along with the long delayed recovery people coasted through the 80's on easy credit while the middle class and lower's pay began to stagnate. Then with NAFTA and other "free" trade deals in the 90's and we really began to see the gutting of decent paying jobs. Almost every job created was at lower pay, lower benefits, less stability, the loss of the idea of pensions. When we get to 00's we see the monetization of home loans and suddenly everyone can get a home and tons of easy credit. All through this time we keep seeing the off shoring of jobs begin to creep further up into the economy beyond just manufacturing. Once the 08 meltdown hits, bills become due. Suddenly there is no more credit and since 2009 we have not seen it relax much at all for most consumers.

All sound like crap right, all made up?

Let me make my case

The troubles at the American mall are coming to a boil

Why 2016 Has Been a Lousy Year For Restaurants

Applebee's, TGIF Fridays, and Chili's are trying to claw their way out of a restaurant death trap


What do all of these have in common? They all depend on the middle class and lower for their sales. The malls that cater to the rich are doing just fine. Hear of any high end retailers in trouble? The band-aids are gone folks. The fact that the middle class has actually lost ground economically over the last 37 years can no longer be hidden. And given the inept way Trump and company are bumbling around their fuck ups could kick the GOP poor into action and see who is really screwing them. They already got a taste with Trumpcare v1.

ADDENDUM

Looks like I might not be so wrong?

America’s Retailers Are Closing Stores Faster Than Ever

Always room for some Flipper

The rats begin to turn on each other

Earlier this afternoon the following story broke

Roger Stone: Kushner Is Leaking Intel to Scarborough


It seemed odd at the time, given the insane list of items on Kushner's plate.


Daily Show bit on Kushner's roles

- Middle East Peace

   AND

- Reform the entire federal government.

Among many many other items on a 32 yr old guy who has worked real estate. Really, does any sane person think he can do any of these, let alone do more than 1? I guess this is a sign of how trusted Kushner is by Trump. So with those given and that Roger Stone is a long time Bannon guy, the story makes sense. But why now, why start to claim Kushner was a leaker? This has all the finger prints of Bannon and allows them to start to lay on a bit of that good ole "you can't trust joooz" chestnut.


But then about 2 hours ago the following came out

Bannon out of NSC

So, what the Bannon story line what prompted the removal of Bannon, or was Bannon removal due to what Kushner along with Trump's only daughter Ivanka were tell him?

Something to consider

https://twitter.com/matthewstoller/status/849617916442152960

People more and more are waking to the fact that our current economic system in the USA is not going to be tenable for much longer. Far too much capital has been acquired by far too few people. Along with Citizens United and Corporate Personhood and now we have a oligarchy. With the ability to openly buy elections and now we have basically thrown the idea of democracy out the window.

Think it's bull shit? Let me lay it out a bit for you



Gupta and Swenson (2003) studied the contributions made by the executives and PACs of 473 companies who stood to profit from a change in tax legislation related to export profits.  They found that the amount a firm’s PAC and executives contributed to the tax-writing members of Congress was positively related to the anticipated financial gains to the firm.



The Influence of Campaign Contributions on Legislative Policy



Studies have shown, buying, oops, I mean "donating" to politicians does work. How do we decide that one would wonder, well let's look at how elected officials react to the concerns of people. One would assume if all things were equal, all people would have around the same level of response from the government as everyone else right, *wink*?

I believe the tipping point to all of this is when people wake up, and I think it might be getting close. At moment the most fervent supporters of Trump are those most hurting, those who feel abandoned and in reality they have been. But they don't yet know, they are starting to face the same shit those stuck living in the ghettos of Detroit and Chicago, Gerry Indiana, Flint, etc have known for decades, once you no longer provide any value, you disappear. Those in rural America, who have had such a vastly oversized influence for so long due to their assured support of the GOP and their gerrymandering are seeing, jobs are not coming back for them. The area is not going to be improved, the roads will be allowed to go to shit. Drinking water, clean water is for closers, not moochers, right?

As for the waking up, look at what happened with Trumpcare, the reaction to Trump's budget as of late. You are seeing more and more rural Trump supporters start to realize they were once again sold a bill of goods. But see unlike times in the past, like in 2012, there are not democrats to blame for the GOP's failure to deliver on any promises to the people at large. See like always, the only way to reach the GOP voter is to impact them directly, like say take their health insurance, or eliminating support for job training, or medicaid for the most sick in poor families. Once Mr and Mrs Smith, loyal GOP supporters, who are glad they are getting rid of those pesky brown people and glad they are kicking the moochers off the goberment's teat, but once their aunt can no longer afford her care and they get to watch her die slowly from cancer, they seem to change their take on things a bit.

Here is the thing, once people realize they have a common foe, they often let old divisions drop. You should keep your ears open for more and more tea party folk start to renounce the GOP and start to support Bernie. I think we have a bit of time still, but once enough people start really seeing what is going on the issue of income inequality better be in process of being addressed. Just remember the French Revolution, it was not over baked goods.


Economic Inequality: It's Far Worse Than You Think - Scientific American

Brain food

Tree Lobsters

The above is a really interesting story about a fascinating creature - Lord Howe Island stick insect, one of the largest in the world and thought extinct until they found a few living on a rock in the ocean that looks like something out of a Bond movie for a villain's lair.

Things to worry about Pt 1

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-growing-divide-between-the-haves-and-the-have-nots-in-one-stunning-chart-2017-03-30?mod=mw_share_facebook

This article should scare the shit out of you.

"And it’s not due to the aging population. Rather, income has actually dropped for the working class. In fact, none of the growth from 1980 to 2014 went to the bottom 50%, the study pointed out. Only 32% went to the middle class, while the top 10% reaped 68% of the growth. A full 36% went to the 1% alone. Troubling?"

Wow, no shit, go back and look at history, now long can a tiny fraction fuck over vast swaths of the population before violence begins? We are more than 1 generation into a period of contractions for a large portion of the American public. The only reason people have not responded sooner is due to a couple of bandaids - Easy credit and weak home loans.

The first, the easy credit and the oil slump in the 80's helped drop up Reagan and Bush most of their term. It was the slight attempts of Bill Clinton in the 90's that helped keep things afloat. Remember the dip of 00 and the bursting of the Dotcom bubble? Not long after we had the explosion of easy loans due to the monetization of loans and the higher returns seen from higher risk instruments. And I am not talking about all loans, people with lower credit do need chances to prove they can handle a loan, IF they can prove they earn enough to pay it back. The big problem was the no-proof of income loans and no proof of anything loans. Almost all of the ARM with huge balloon payments that the majority of consumers could not cover. The whole thing was built on the false assumption that home values will never drop.

So now, we have 2 of the big bandaids removed and more and more of the American public is starting to wake up to how far behind they really are. Along with Cheeolini shitting on everything like a puppy which is starting to wake more people up. Don't take my word for it

- Trumpcare
- Trump budget cuts
- All the vacations
   etc

You are starting to see growing signs of discontent among all people who have been left behind. Some are starting to see through the GOP lies. And here is another thing, the DNC better wake the fuck up, their only hope is the message of Sen Warren and Sen Sanders, legit progressive action to help all people. We have allowed drift to the right for far too long. Fuck, Nixon would be considered almost a liberal to the GOP now.