Posted on 11/28/2019 11:01:55 PM PST by TECTopcat
First of all i cannot imagine the hate that must go into the thinking that you want to "shut down Trump supporters" ... at thanksgiving-really Thanksgiving?!. And I know these numbers don't make sense with record low unemployment but I need some help deconstruct job growth numbers: Here's article:
Today hundreds of millions of Americans will sit down with close friends and family over heaping portions of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. After the usual small talk about chilly weather and the days football matchups, discussions will inevitably shift to politics. In a country bitterly divided over the Trump presidency and his looming impeachment, heated arguments will begin. Tempers and passions are likely to flare. But they shouldnt.
Political discussions should not be about left or right, Democrat vs. Republican. Instead, they should be about what is objectively right or wrong for the country. Thanks to the enormously corrosive effects of partisan, ratings-driven media outlets (and the dangerous echo chambers they fuel), such fact-based, ideologically neutral distinctions have largely disintegrated.
With these realities in mind, the facts are simply not on Trumps side. A few discussion points from the perspective of a political independent on key topics follow:
The Economy: President Donald Trump made the economy a centerpiece of his 2016 campaign. Three years into his presidency, Trump relentlessly touts job growth under his administration. But it is important to note that 1.1 million fewer jobs were created during Trumps first 33 months in office compared to Obamas last 33. Trump also promised to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. But manufacturing is now the smallest share of the American economy in 72 years. Meanwhile, median household income, an important economic measure, has remained largely stagnant over Trumps first three years in office. Trump administration spin aside, increases in household income trail those under Obama, which grew steadily toward the end of his administration.
Moreover, in selling a massive tax cut to the public, Trump promised 4, 5, even 6 percent annual economic growth. With dismal growth expected this quarter, Trump will finish his first term with a high-water mark of 2.9 percent annual economic growth (in 2018) matching Obamas economic record. Apparently, Trumps much-touted rollbacks of regulations protecting American workers and the environment had very little effect on economic growth. Moreover, the massive Trump tax cut, which overwhelmingly benefitted the wealthy and corporate interests, did not pay for itself, as Trump predicted it would. Perhaps worst of all, despite his repeated promises and assurances, Trumps tax cut had almost no effect on the economy.
This stunning lack of growth begs the question: Why are we racking up trillions in debt (much of it bought up by China) thanks to the Trump tax cut? The only discernible effect of the Trump tax cut appears to be an explosion in wealth and income inequality. Indeed, inequality in America is now at levels not seen since Wall Street greed caused the economic crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. For his part, Trump told his ultra-wealthy friends that You all just got a lot richer immediately after his tax cut was passed.
But a system where three citizens own more wealth than the poorest half of the country cannot be sustainable. Indeed, with inequality fueling large-scale, brutally violent protests around the world, Americans would be wise to take heed of the pitfalls of extreme wealth concentrated in the hands of a few. And, if contemporary warnings do not suffice, the French, Russian and Cuban revolutions, among many others, serve as stark reminders of what may be to come if wealth is further concentrated in the United States.
Moreover, as a direct result of the massive Trump tax cut for the wealthy, 2018 was the first year ever that tax revenues actually declined in a relatively strong economy. This paved the way for the Trump administration to post the largest monthly deficit in U.S. history, further driving up the federal debt. While many commentators blame Obama for skyrocketing debt during his administration, they conveniently ignore that those increases according to the U.S. Treasury were overwhelmingly due to the long-term compounding effects of the massive George W. Bush tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy.
The (relatively small) debts accrued due to the Obama administrations aggressive economic recovery policies helped bring unemployment down from a high of 10 percent to 4.7 percent, an impressive decline of more than 5 percentage points. It should come as no surprise that economists overwhelmingly credit Obamas policies with bringing the U.S. economy back to life after the Great Recession an economy which Trump now loudly claims credit for.
Lastly, stock market gains are by no means an indicator of economic well-being on Main Street. After all, Wal-Marts stock could skyrocket, only to leave millions of Americans stuck in painfully low-paying jobs. But despite relentlessly touting Wall Street gains, Trump significantly trails both Obama and Clinton in stock market performance at this point in their respective presidencies.
Health care: Trump (and GOP) efforts to undo the Affordable Care Act resulted in 1.1 million Americans losing health coverage in 2018. This breaks a 10-year streak of rising numbers of insured Americans.
Tragically, two-thirds of Americans filing for bankruptcy do so because they cannot afford to pay medical bills often despite having health insurance. Perhaps worse, America is seeing an alarming increase in deaths of despair, particularly among the white, working-class citizens who turned out in droves to vote Trump into office. An increasing mortality rate is not the sign of a healthy economy or country; it is a hallmark of staggering wealth and income inequality.
Immigration: Deportations are far lower under the Trump administration compared to the same period during the Obama administration.
Foreign Policy: Trump should be commended for standing up to Chinas unfair trade and economic espionage practices. But despite branding himself the ultimate dealmaker, Trumps deal-making abilities on the international stage have proven abysmal. North Koreas brutal dictator, for one, played Trump like a fiddle. By exploiting Trumps weakness for pageantry and flashy photo opportunities, Kim Jong Un hoodwinked an oblivious Trump into gaining international legitimacy for his murderous regime.
In Iran, Trumps disastrous (and utterly failed) maximum pressure campaign displays a stunning misunderstanding of Iranian history and strategic priorities. Indeed, Trumps unilateral withdrawal from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal negotiated alongside Americas closest allies and supported by key figures in the U.S. and Israeli security establishments represents a tremendous blunder that is emboldening the worst, most conservative, anti-American factions in Iran. Trumps withdrawal from the agreement also gives cover for Iran to inch ever-closer to obtaining a nuclear bomb.
It should come as no wonder that America is the laughingstock of the world. With Trump siding with authoritarians and dictators around the world, American credibility and popularity on the international stage has plummeted to historic lows.
Impeachment: Democrats claim that Trump improperly (and illegally) withheld crucial security assistance to a close American ally at war for personal gain. A litany of (decidedly unimpeachable) patriots delivered a series of devastating blows to Trumps defense. Even Fox News anchors and analysts have slammed Trumps actions as impeachable. At the end of the day, only one question matters: Why was the security assistance to Ukraine stopped? The answer is painfully obvious.
Identity Politics: Trump has railed against political correctness. But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Andrew Yang have all spoken out against the corrosive effects of identity politics and political correctness run amok. Perhaps most importantly, President Obamas forceful rejections of woke culture and ideological purity should be a wakeup call for the left. Continuing to push such divisive narratives will further alienate the crucial voters in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin who decide American presidential elections.
How about those millions of Americans being thankful they have a dinner to sit down to for one, a roof under which they sit for another and family/friends to share the day with. Nothing is guaranteed and we ought to be thankful for everything! Even though I am not American I also thank God for FR, as it keeps me semi-sane, for everything else!
B.S. He doubled the debt.
Here’s a real howler from the comments section:
“Well I see you have your racist card all stamped. Obstruction, Corruption they both qualify him as a crook, thief, bigot, racist and a lot of other things. But you should turn in your female credentials because any woman who would vote for a man that admits to sexually assualting women, does not deserve the respect of either men or women. Like for you explain that to your daughter if you have one. By supporting trump you just admitted that sexual assualt is fine with you and meets the high standards of someone you voted for to put in the highest office of the land. Guess that pretty much defines your lack of character.”
really good breakdown-tku
I looked up the region where I grew up as a kid (Huntsville, Ala). They are down to 2.1-percent unemployment. If you can just show a high school diploma, clean drug test, and positive attitude....you’ve got yourself a job. I’m not talking about McDonalds or Taco Bell...but an actual $14 to $16 an hour job with local industry or businesses. It’s been sixty years since it’s been that low.
Yet another hate filled ‘journalist’ who thinks that he is smarter than the rest of us.
Vote President Trump four more years, folks.
JoMa
Keep political talk outside at the front door.
I guess that is why I stay away from “family” during the holidays. Just my wife, the dogs and I to portion out the food and goodies with.
So I’m supposed to pay attention to what this Deep State Swamp dweller has to say, ...
Why?
Our family is unified. My two brothers and their wives are pro-Trump. My daughters and their husbands are pro-Trump. Our Thanksgiving dinner was like a Trump rally and all of us are thankful for DJT.
“Those jobs aren’t coming back!” - Barack Hussein Obama
Fuel prices have dropped because of an end to Obama’s horrible energy policies.
We are now exporting more oil than we are importing.
Obama said he was okay with $4/gallon gasoline. I am not. Currently I’m paying just over $2/gallon.
It should come as no wonder that America is the laughingstock of the world.
How our MSM, foreign MSM and our idiotic TV shows spin things is why were laughed at.
I recently had the opportunity to show a first-time EU visitor some heartland America for a week. We did various heartland stuff, visited heartland venues, mingled with heartlanders, got to know some of them. We talked about how America is portrayed there. I gave him good info about Trump hed never heard.
Were basically portrayed there as stupid yahoos, acting just like our sit-com characters, shooting our guns all over, hitting people with our Bibles, and Trump = Hitler.
At weeks end, our visitor had a very, very different view of us. He hesitantly agreed his media misrepresented us greatly, and also Trump.
Anti-America propaganda here and abroad is rampant.
They always leave out the word ‘LET’ in Trump’s talk with Billy Bush.... ‘and they LET you’
LET...To give one’s consent to, ok, sanction, permit, endorse, consent, authorize, approve, approbate, allow
#Democrats4TruthOverFacts
The purposefully slow climb instantly jumped started the economy, jobs, and markets with DJT's election and has continued apace and will continue as more jobs return from overseas. It'll take more than 3 years to undo 8 years of Obama.
As for deficits: Obie decimated the military, basically surrendering to China and Russia. DJT has spent mega bucks to reverse that, such that we now have some degree of self defense in place...and soon a border wall.
Obie's policies--despite the author's glowing statistics--created millions and millions of dependents. Welfare, food stamps, etc. DJT reversed it.
Success is not how many people govt. helps, but rather how many no longer need govt. assistance.
Socially--via the courts--Obie created a culture that doesn't know which bathroom to use, nor whether they are to be addressed as a he, she, or an it, and allows men to compete athletically with women.
I will acknowledge Obie did fundamentally change things, as he promised, but the taste of things did not and does not agree us.
He wanted us to believe that high unemployment, fewer jobs, more workers not finding work, higher grocery and fuel prices, lousy housing market, higher taxes, less money in our pockets and more expensive health insurance premiums was just the way it was going to be from now on.
He was only preparing us for what really was to come if Hillary had been elected as planned. Massive socialism and big government control.
Trump's election changed all that dynamic and turned the numbers upside down from Obama's lousy, the "new normal" economy.
Americans don't want to hear lousy news from our leaders. Obama preached lousy news all of the time. Pessimism.
Trump's economy is the best in my lifetime. He gives Americans hope for their future. Optimism.
Who would want to ruin a good meal at a family get-together by trying to start arguments about Trump? Leave it to the liberals to think that this was appropriate.
In all of the years of having Thanksgiving dinners at my folks' house growing up and afterwards as an adult before they both passed away, and the Thanksgiving dinners at the home of my wife and I, including yesterday's get-together, I don't ever recall our family discussing politics at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
I suppose I should expect liberals to want to talk politics at the dinner table on a day we are supposed to be giving thanks for our blessings in life.
They don't count their blessings because they have none in their lives. Their whole lives are filled with hate, being offended and trying to become victims of something somehow.
My family all love Trump and so there are no arguments about him. If we did have a liberal amongst us, they would not be welcomed into our home on Thanksgiving if their goal was to piss the rest of us off over politics.
They also have NASA and materials science work too.
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