tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post2954208165878916686..comments2024-03-19T07:10:27.303-07:00Comments on Quark Soup by David Appell: Trump Lying About "The Greatest Economy In History"David Appellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-72674785758000948922020-09-08T05:33:13.701-07:002020-09-08T05:33:13.701-07:00It doesn't bode well for democracy in the USA....It doesn't bode well for democracy in the USA. How could you have a discussion about the relative merits of welfare if one party can't even agree on whether the Mueller investigation was actually led by Trump, who pretended to collude with Russia in order to hire Mueller to secretly investigate the Democrats?Layzejhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346550512734519728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-88955888395962230802020-09-08T04:57:13.750-07:002020-09-08T04:57:13.750-07:00There was a poll which found 50% of Republicans ei...<i>There was a poll which found 50% of Republicans either believed the Qanon conspiracy theory or partially believed it. It's quite frightening that half of the people who are going to vote for Trump are so divorced from reality.</i><br /><br />It's a chicken/egg dilemma if you ask me.Layzejhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346550512734519728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-26075282187519946712020-09-07T16:58:15.845-07:002020-09-07T16:58:15.845-07:00QAnon in unimportant.
Is it? There are people who...<i>QAnon in unimportant.</i><br /><br />Is it? There are people who believe in QAnon now getting elected to Congress. David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-23065513754764746972020-09-07T16:52:58.434-07:002020-09-07T16:52:58.434-07:00JD: and even the Heritage Foundation report, right...JD: and even the Heritage Foundation report, right-wing as they are, found 1,071 cases of election fraud in (according to my searching) the year starting 1982 and ending in 2017. That's 36 years, so 30 cases/yr. That's in a country that casts ~a billion votes/year, when you count all races, (and probably more). Taking a billion, it comes to a fraud level of 0.000003%.<br /><br />There are problems with voting, whether in person or by mail, that are far bigger than this, and no doubt inevitable, so complaining about such fraud is not productive or worth it.<br />David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-33765653982851956182020-09-07T16:39:25.599-07:002020-09-07T16:39:25.599-07:00David: Neither the anonymous source in the NY Post...David: Neither the anonymous source in the NY Post article, or the NY Post, provides any evidence to support any of his claims. Nothing. There's no reason to believe him whatsoever. He could just as easily be someone working for Trump looking to create uncertainty about mail-in-voting. The article is worthless.<br />David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-32748754525253983442020-09-07T16:32:39.584-07:002020-09-07T16:32:39.584-07:00David in Cal said...
See Confessions of a voter fr...David in Cal said...<br />See Confessions of a voter fraud: I was a master at fixing mail-in ballots<br />https://nypost.com/2020/08/29/political-insider-explains-voter-fraud-with-mail-in-ballots/<br /><br />Oh please. That article uses an anonymous source. Up above you criticized The Atlantic for using anonymous sources.<br /><br />You aren't consistent, David. You believe what you want/need to believe, regardless of its source or support, while claiming you do the exact opposite! But here you slipped up and showed the truth.David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-58030518185909582852020-09-07T16:26:26.591-07:002020-09-07T16:26:26.591-07:00Blogger David in Cal said...
"David - Much of...Blogger David in Cal said...<br />"David - Much of what you wrote is incorrect. I suggest that we either stop debating Trayvon Martin or else base our discussion on the trial transcripts."<br /><br />Our sources have differing accounts. As for the trial transcripts, they aren't trustworthy, because George Zimmerman isn't trustworthy. He's of low character, as he's shown again and again over the years since he murdered Martin (who he had no business following in the first place).David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-1801397473739667012020-09-07T16:16:21.934-07:002020-09-07T16:16:21.934-07:00There's no equivalence. QAnon in unimportant. ...<i>There's no equivalence. QAnon in unimportant. Media claim that some specific large number of people believe various crazy conspiracy theories. </i><br /><br />There was a poll which found 50% of Republicans either believed the Qanon conspiracy theory or partially believed it. It's quite frightening that half of the people who are going to vote for Trump are so divorced from reality. Twenty years ago if someone told a doctor they believed that stuff he would have considered having them admitted to a mental institution. J. D. https://www.blogger.com/profile/05284687881713945607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-24714092005687025662020-09-07T16:10:44.388-07:002020-09-07T16:10:44.388-07:00David in Cal wrote:
"According to the Cato In...David in Cal wrote:<br />"According to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, since the Johnson Administration, almost $15 trillion has been spent on welfare, with poverty rates being about the same as during the Johnson Administration."<br /><br />This really isn't very much money.<br /><br />US population in 1965 = 194 M<br />US population in 2020 = 331 M<br /><br />So the average population over this time period is 263 M.<br /><br />The poverty rate fluctuates a little, but averages about 13% over this time period:<br /><br />https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/sites/main/files/imagecache/lightbox/main-images/poverty_rate_historical_0.jpg<br /><br />so every year about 34 M people are in poverty over this time period, on average.<br /><br />Over 55 years that's 1,870 M peopleinpoverty*years.<br /><br />So $15 T comes to $8,000/peopleinpoverty/yr.<br /><br />It's pretty tough for a person to live on $8,000 per year. Very tough. <br /><br />You didn't give a source for CATO's number, so I don't know if it's corrected for inflation. I suspect it is, because $8,000/personinpoverty/yr sounds about right to me -- the US does not treat the poor well and is very stingy in how it supports them. It's almost a crime to be poor in America -- many of whom, by the way, are white and live in rural America.David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-41786064961456042152020-09-07T16:05:11.902-07:002020-09-07T16:05:11.902-07:00Wow. That's some equivalency your trying to ma...<i>Wow. That's some equivalency your trying to maintain there. QAnon comspiracy = Welfare policy? Really?</i><br /><br />I can see a connection. Welfare is about providing money to feed poor babies and Qanon is about stopping the rich elite eating poor babies. Both perfectly commendable IMO. J. D. https://www.blogger.com/profile/05284687881713945607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-16073856632734711712020-09-07T15:52:02.388-07:002020-09-07T15:52:02.388-07:00Layzej - There's no equivalence. QAnon in unim...Layzej - There's no equivalence. QAnon in unimportant. Media claim that some specific large number of people believe various crazy conspiracy theories. However, the media have no actual measure of how many believe in any give conspiracy. Nor have the media pointed out any way in which the QAnon believers harm the country. They get a lot of publicity only because they support Trump.<br /><br />The War on Poverty is extremely important. It has cost a stupendous amount of money, yet it has not succeeded. That makes it terribly important and terribly sad.<br /><br />CheersDavid in Calhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10222355423128534221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-65225831577929152342020-09-07T15:51:21.475-07:002020-09-07T15:51:21.475-07:00DiC: An article in a Murdoch newspaper using an an...DiC: An article in a Murdoch newspaper using an anonymous Joe as a source. I didn't quote the story about Trump denigrating soldiers until it had been confirmed by various sources including one that is normally pro Trump. Which made it highly likely that the original article was quoting sources who had worked inside the Trump administration. What makes your story even less credible is that the only organisation they quote to say that it might be true is the Heritage Foundation. Who are a right wing libertarian propaganda group. Sorry David this looks just as credible as Bill Barr saying on CNN the other day that there was a case of electoral fraud in Texas involving 7000 votes. Which turned out to be a lie. J. D. https://www.blogger.com/profile/05284687881713945607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-63890939161799445062020-09-07T15:44:56.283-07:002020-09-07T15:44:56.283-07:00David - Much of what you wrote is incorrect. I sug...David - Much of what you wrote is incorrect. I suggest that we either stop debating Trayvon Martin or else base our discussion on the trial transcripts. <br /><br />BTW you say Trayvon Martin's memorial is none of my business. However, I am not a racist. I disapprove of a memorial that hurts black people bothers me.<br /><br />CheersDavid in Calhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10222355423128534221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-75945606980118453662020-09-07T15:40:50.848-07:002020-09-07T15:40:50.848-07:00David in Cal wrote:
"Kyle Rittenhouse needs d...David in Cal wrote:<br />"Kyle Rittenhouse needs defending from people who call him a criminal and murderer. Even the liberal New York Times reported that the video makes a strong case that Rittenhouse acted in self defense."<br /><br />Before the skateboard incident, Rittenhouse shot a man in the head and killed him at a gas station.<br /><br />Furthermore, Rittenhouse wasn't legally allowed to carry a gun there in Wisconsin, let along an assault rifle. <br /><br />"For media to equate paintball shooters with arsonists and looters shows their huge bias."<br /><br />I'm not equating anything, and you yet are again trying to change the subject. I'm talking about the people on the caravan through Portland who choose to, unprovoked, shoot people with paintball guns and spray them with pepper spray. Paintballs can hit someone in the eye and potentially blind them. What of these sins? They don't matter, huh?<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H2o1BgAzA0David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-43161298540604196992020-09-07T15:18:57.656-07:002020-09-07T15:18:57.656-07:00Wow. That's some equivalency your trying to m...Wow. That's some equivalency your trying to maintain there. QAnon comspiracy = Welfare policy? Really?Layzejhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346550512734519728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-71176563906172888222020-09-07T15:18:18.479-07:002020-09-07T15:18:18.479-07:00And if Trayvon Martin doesn't deserve a memori...And if Trayvon Martin doesn't deserve a memorial -- which really isn't any of your business -- does George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or any Confederate general or soldier?<br /><br />Washington and Jefferson owned dozens of slaves -- far more serious than being a "juvenile delinquent" -- and Jefferson even committed adultery with at least one of his, and fathering children, all in secret. Where does this rank on the delinquency scale? <br /><br />What about the Confederates? Not just treasons, but treasons for the cause of being able to own people and force them to do anything told of them and beat them as desired. Tough to get more delinquent than that -- and they were adults, not juveniles with still developing brains. Well, at least they didn't burn blacks in ovens, so they weren't total pieces of shit on the delinquency scale from -1 to 0. Still, they got plenty of memorials, didn't they?David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-37294957790861849152020-09-07T15:09:44.058-07:002020-09-07T15:09:44.058-07:00BTW, Zimmerman has hardly been an angel since the ...BTW, Zimmerman has hardly been an angel since the Martin shooting and has shown he has difficulty controlling his emotions and actions:<br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Zimmerman#Life_after_the_trialDavid Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-83353834940966804412020-09-07T15:07:02.616-07:002020-09-07T15:07:02.616-07:00David: Oddly, Wikipedia doesn't have any menti...David: Oddly, Wikipedia doesn't have any mention of Martin first attacking Zimmerman. But it does make clear that Zimmerman was clearly itching for a fight:<br /><br />"On the evening of February 26, 2012, Zimmerman observed Martin as he returned to the Twin Lakes housing community after having walked to a nearby convenience store.[41][Note 3] At the time, Zimmerman was driving through the neighborhood on a personal errand.[42]<br /><br />"At approximately 7:09 p.m.,[Note 4] Zimmerman called the Sanford police non-emergency number to report a suspicious person in the Twin Lakes community.[44] Zimmerman said, <br /><br />"We've had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there's a real suspicious guy …".[2] He described an unknown male "just walking around looking about" in the rain and said, "This guy looks like he is up to no good or he is on drugs or something."[45] Zimmerman reported that the person had his hand in his waistband and was walking around looking at homes.[46] He also mentioned that Martin was wearing a "dark hoodie, like a grey hoodie."[47] On the recording, Zimmerman is heard saying, "these assholes, they always get away."[48][49]<br /><br />About two minutes into the call, Zimmerman said, "he's running".[50] The dispatcher asked, "He's running? Which way is he running?"[51] Noises on the tape at this point have been interpreted by some media outlets as the sound of a car door chime, possibly indicating Zimmerman opened his car door.[52] Zimmerman followed Martin, eventually losing sight of him.[50] The dispatcher asked Zimmerman if he was following him. When Zimmerman answered, "yeah", the dispatcher said, "We don't need you to do that." Zimmerman responded, "Okay."[53] Zimmerman asked that police call him upon their arrival so he could provide his location.[50] Zimmerman ended the call at 7:15 p.m.<br /><br />After Zimmerman ended his call with police, a violent encounter took place between him and Martin. It ended with Zimmerman fatally shooting Martin 70 yards (65 m) from the rear door of the townhouse where Martin was staying.<br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin#Shooting<br /><br />It was only Zimmerman who claimed Martin beat him -- and he's hardly a unbiased source. <br /><br />The fact is that Zimmerman had no business repeatedly pursuing Martin, who was simply walking through the complex, for which he was pursued and killed.David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-36848575507323651502020-09-07T14:57:34.810-07:002020-09-07T14:57:34.810-07:00Layzej - IMHO almost all politicians of both parti...Layzej - IMHO almost all politicians of both parties are substantially divorced from reality. That's why problems persist despite expensive government programs. The War on Poverty is Example #1. <br /><br />According to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, since the Johnson Administration, almost $15 trillion has been spent on welfare, with poverty rates being about the same as during the Johnson Administration.<br /><br />https://www.google.com/search?q=cost+of+war+on+poverty&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS751US751&oq=cost+of+war+on+poverty&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l2.3407j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8<br /><br />CheersDavid in Calhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10222355423128534221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-56340951025283022422020-09-07T14:54:09.140-07:002020-09-07T14:54:09.140-07:00Thomas - the risk of mass mail voting is not so mu...Thomas - the risk of mass mail voting is not so much that a vote might not be counted. It's more the risk that a whole bunch of phony votes will be sent in. It would be easy for a partisan or for Russia or China to print a bunch of forged ballots and mail them in.<br /><br />See <i><b>Confessions of a voter fraud: I was a master at fixing mail-in ballots</b><br /><br />A top Democratic operative says voter fraud, especially with mail-in ballots, is no myth. And he knows this because he’s been doing it, on a grand scale, for decades.</i><br /><br />https://nypost.com/2020/08/29/political-insider-explains-voter-fraud-with-mail-in-ballots/<br /><br />CheersDavid in Calhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10222355423128534221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-80830768725269765342020-09-07T09:40:07.383-07:002020-09-07T09:40:07.383-07:00Layzej, don't lots of military vote by mail an...Layzej, don't lots of military vote by mail anyway? Then their votes risk not being counted so it doesn't matter if they start leaning Biden.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13637003962678558195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-75351229604354516722020-09-07T08:41:02.863-07:002020-09-07T08:41:02.863-07:00Entropic man post about QAnon above.
DiC, you n...Entropic man post about QAnon above. <br /><br />DiC, you noted that "Trump doesn't have any particular interest in the truth. He uses words as tools. His interest is in whether a statement will help him achieve his goals. That practice is both disgusting and effective."<br /><br />It may be effective, but does it bother you that the republican party has become quite so divorced from reality? Layzejhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346550512734519728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-90795772096056114142020-09-07T08:32:41.366-07:002020-09-07T08:32:41.366-07:00DA: Except his wife was also in France on the same...DA: <i>Except his wife was also in France on the same trip</i><br /><br />A twisted web indeed.<br /><br />JD: <i>It illustrates why there is no chance of changing the minds of Trump’s base</i><br /><br />He may be <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/08/31/as-trumps-popularity-slips-in-latest-military-times-poll-more-troops-say-theyll-vote-for-biden/" rel="nofollow">losing the military</a> though: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/08/31/as-trumps-popularity-slips-in-latest-military-times-poll-more-troops-say-theyll-vote-for-biden/Layzejhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346550512734519728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-23449500446284338672020-09-07T08:12:48.718-07:002020-09-07T08:12:48.718-07:00So DiC has managed to change the subject again. It...So DiC has managed to change the subject again. It illustrates why there is no chance of changing the minds of Trump’s base though. They will just say "it's a hoax". Or in this case that the insult wasn't really aimed at the person we have all seen him insult multiple times, it was aimed at a completely different person. <br />From what I've seen regarding the Atlantic story it's an open secret that John Kelly is the main source. He is being heavily criticized for not talking publicly about it but working with an unstable president left him drained and he knows that if it's right out in the open that he is the source Trump will set his attack dogs on him.<br />What is encouraging is that a lot of operatives from past Republican campaigns know that Trump is unfit for office. They are working in tandem with the Biden campaign to get Trump out of office and put an end to his corruption. J. D. https://www.blogger.com/profile/05284687881713945607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-23569482057823241152020-09-07T03:10:25.843-07:002020-09-07T03:10:25.843-07:00I confess, I'm finding the Donald Trump Show v...I confess, I'm finding the Donald Trump Show very entertaining at the moment.<br /><br />With friends like these, who needs enemies?<br /><br />https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/53498434<br />Entropic manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08924031505275303068noreply@blogger.com