Severe Economic Suffering Is Taking A Very Heavy Toll On Millions Of American Families

Trump never really learned how to exercise real power. Nor did he surround himself with trustworthy people who shared his pro American values and who knew how to wield the levers of power. The result was that he never got control of critical Federal agencies such as Justice,CIA, FBI, NSA, Penatgon or State. Hiring Sessions and his family were the most obvious disasters. Once had high hopes for Steve Bannon ,but Bannon was not up for the challenge and is a good example pf the Peter Principle. Trump did much good but it could have been much more and could have been made permanent if he moved as quickly and effectively as the Democrats are now doing.

Sad but true. Trump should have fired everyone who had ever been in the same room as Obama his first day in office, instead he retained a lot of holdovers. Even his Chiefs of Staff were backstabbing uniparty members. He did a tremendous amount of good, but there were a lot of opportunities missed.

The Republicans were never going to let Trump do much; their own obstruction for the first two years (especially in repealing ObamaCare, which they publicly opposed to gain popular support and raise money) delivered the House to the Dems, so those Republican obstructionists could then point fingers at the Dems for the failure to implement the Trump agenda.

I’ve never been a supporter of third parties because of the practical issues involved, but now it is clear we need a SECOND party.

Hey I miss the 30 cent gas in the 70s. That and other gas prices prior to three months ago have zero to do with current gas prices and the increases we will continue to see through 2021. Food prices have absolutely shown large increases all through 2020 and will continue. When’s the last time you checked RE? I live in rural Kentucky and have been looking for property. The average in my area is 2 weeks on the market before EVERYTHING sells. The market is as hot as I’ve ever seen. After printing all those trillions last year with more to come, inflation, what me worry?

Bidding wars are happening in my neighborhood. I wish I could sell. But I’m so close to paying it off and don’t want another mortgage. I bought my house for 168K a single family one story 2100 square foot 2-car garage in a gated community. I have 79K left to pay. My neighbors sold their home very similar to mine for 287,500. I was stunned. I have a pond in back of my home that they don’t. So I can’t imagine what I could sell mine for. You are right though....crazy hot.

That is definitely the right idea; the opposition (as Bernie supporters found out with the Dems) is that the money bankrolling the party won’t stand idly by.

We don’t have superdelegates in our party, but when you watch what unfolded from early 2017 through 2020 you realize the party machine obstructed Trump at many turns - the money in the party didn’t want him, and used the Republican politicians in their pockets to basically void the election.

Excellent article to read.

The Chicago Contrarian

The Rise of Anti-Merit: Objective Criteria Goes by the Wayside in Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives at Chicago Companies

February 16, 2021 Alisa ROSENBAUM

Executives are worried about the legality and business impacts of “woke” discrimination in hiring and promotion.
Based on interviews with private sector leaders across the manufacturing and professional services industries, The Chicago Contrarian senses a radical shift in hiring and promotion policies in Chicagoland companies. 2021 has thrown “merit to the periphery,” creating what one local executive describes as “the rise of woke nepotism” in hiring and promotion.

This is a dramatic shift. “Even before the advent of modern democracies, businesses have generally relied upon one primary metric to gauge performance and the worth of individual employees and job candidates: merit,” he observes.
Granted, other factors also have historically played a key role in hiring and advancement. Economic cycles (i.e., growth vs. contraction), government policy/regulations (e.g., the elimination of the Keystone Pipeline will cost thousands of skilled workers their jobs), and interpersonal relationships also matter, no doubt. Yet despite these considerations, merit has been the single biggest factor that determines success for employers and employees alike in the past.
But times are changing.

Gaslighting merit.

“In 2021, what we are seeing is really the opposite of merit-based hiring,” a senior research analyst observes. “This can put up insurmountable barriers to those which fall outside of a selected bucket.” She notes that “2021 practices place primary emphasis for evaluation on alternative factors to merit. It deemphasizes demonstrated capability, skills, track record and certifications when considering recruitment, promotion and contract awards.”

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.