"I Alone Can Fix It"

[kallend 1,621]

 

David Von Drehle 

June 12, 2020 at 2:21 p.m. CDT

“I alone can fix it,” said Donald Trump in 2016. Four years later, it’s clear he wasn’t talking about national unity, race relations, public health, deficit spending or decaying infrastructure. Maybe he meant the coal industry.

No sector of the economy received more love from candidate Trump than the producers of “beautiful, clean coal.” His mass rallies almost invariably included paeans to these victims of supposed climate-change lunacy, and his audiences cheered his promise to restore coal mining to its former glory as the fossil fuel of choice for the generation of electricity.

Four years later, let’s see how Mr. Fix-It is doing with coal.

Peabody (formerly Peabody Energy) is by far the largest coal producer in the United States, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. With mines throughout the country, the company suffered under the anti-coal policies of the Obama administration and entered bankruptcy in 2016. Trump was speaking Peabody’s language when he pledged to end “the war on coal.” Under the new administration, the reorganized company roared out of bankruptcy and back into the Fortune 500.

Initially, things looked good. By June 2018, Peabody’s stock was selling for nearly $47 per share. But now that Trump has had more time to work his magic, Peabody is hemorrhaging, and its share price has plunged to less than $3.50.

Arch Coal is the next biggest outfit, with 13 percent of the U.S. market in 2018. Its share price has fared better than Peabody’s, despite losing more than 60 percent of its value during Trump’s time in office.

The No. 3 and No. 4 producers in the EIA rankings, Cloud Peak Energy and Murray Energy, are both in bankruptcy. Fifth on the list is Alliance Resource Partners (ARP), headquartered in Tulsa, where Trump plans to hold his first covid-era rally on June 19. ARP chief executive Joe Craft is a product of impoverished Eastern Kentucky who bootstrapped his way into the billionaire class. He donated $1 million for the Trump inauguration festivities, and his wife, Kelly Craft, is now U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Craft’s company has not fared well, either.

Six years into the Obama administration, a share of Alliance Resource stock cost nearly $50. By the time Trump took office, the price had fallen by half. No wonder Craft chipped in for a celebration. Help was on the way, right?

Wrong. Despite Trump’s love for coal and his self-proclaimed hypercompetence, Craft’s stock now sells for around four bucks per share.

The collapse of coal is not exclusively Trump’s doing. It is the result of abundant natural gas and changing consumer priorities among carbon-conscious Americans. Power companies continue to shutter their coal-fired plants because, as one utility executive told me, “our customers don’t want it.” Ten years ago, coal generated more than half of America’s electricity; today, coal accounts for about one-fifth — and falling. The fastest growing electricity source is wind.

But Trump pledged to change all that; thus coal is emblematic of the president’s executive fecklessness. Though numerous as stars in the night sky, Trump’s words are hollow. When it comes to promises, Trump is full of something, but it’s not results.

There is no wall along the southern border. Having promised to build 450 miles of new barrier by November, he’s already far behind schedule. The relatively short stretch he has managed to build is not impenetrable, as Trump promised. According to Customs and Border Patrol records, obtained by The Post’s Nick Miroff, the Trump barrier is so easily breached that, during one month last fall, smugglers cut 18 holes in a single stretch.

And no, Mexico hasn’t paid a peso for construction, despite Trump’s incessant campaign promises. The president found the money the same place he goes to fund most of his pet projects: our grandchildren’s pockets. Having boasted that he could balance the budget “relatively quickly,” Trump has engaged in an orgy of deficit spending.

He promised extraordinary economic growth. When primary opponent Jeb Bush promised a 4 percent growth rate, candidate Trump offered “five or even six.” In fact, his best annual performance has been 2.9 percent. Currently, he’s presiding over the deepest crash since the Great Depression.

“America will never bow to a foreign nation,” Trump promised — but he groveled after the crown prince of Saudi Arabia rather than insist on justice after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. He abandoned the Kurds in Syria to Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Cutting U.S. forces in Germany is his latest kowtow to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump hasn’t delivered a China trade deal. He hasn’t delivered a denuclearized North Korea. He hasn’t delivered Middle East peace. As for making America great again — his signature campaign promise — two-thirds or more of registered voters now believe that the nation is on the wrong track.

What can voters say, given such a performance? How about: “You’re fired.”

[Phil1111 908]

Just when you thought trump was done feeding the pigs at the trough. The Trump administration just snuck through its most devious coal subsidy yet  Dec 23, 2019

Its a long complex story but once again spinless GOP hacks and trump. Have managed to reward friends at the public expense.

[turtlespeed 212]

5 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

Have managed to reward friends at the public expense.

What amazes me, is that you say that last part as if no one else does that, or has done it before.

Really?  That is your "gotcha" moment?

[Phil1111 908]

24 minutes ago, turtlespeed said:

What amazes me, is that you say that last part as if no one else does that, or has done it before.

Really?  That is your "gotcha" moment?

The trump tribe's idea of gotcha. Make counter accusation to distract.

[kallend 1,621]

"According to Customs and Border Patrol records, obtained by The Post’s Nick Miroff, the Trump barrier is so easily breached that, during one month last fall, smugglers cut 18 holes in a single stretch."

I expect Donald thought they were making a new golf course for him.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

3 hours ago, Phil1111 said:

The trump tribe's idea of gotcha. Make counter accusation to distract.

Hi Phil,

Or as Andy9o8 would say, 'Hey, look over here.'

Jerry Baumchen 

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

7 hours ago, Phil1111 said:

The trump tribe's idea of gotcha. Make counter accusation to distract.

Actually, it's the 'false equivalence' technique.

You know, 'there are very fine people on both sides', although only one of the 'sides' drove a car into a crowd and killed someone.

The Trump corruption has gone so far beyond anything in modern history, there is NO equivalence.

But, of course, the Trumpettes conveniently ignore that.

On 6/12/2020 at 5:29 PM, kallend said:

...“America will never bow to a foreign nation,” Trump promised — but he groveled after the crown prince of Saudi Arabia rather than insist on justice after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. He abandoned the Kurds in Syria to Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Cutting U.S. forces in Germany is his latest kowtow to Russian President Vladimir Putin...

The author neglected to mention the bowing and scraping he did in the joint press conference with Putin. Of course, afterwards, when Putin wasn't there, he talked tough, pretending he didn't do what he had just done.

Pick your own source:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Trump+press+conference+Putin&oq=Trump+press+conference+Putin&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.8478j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Or the way Trump elevated KJU's status. Essentially ensuring that North Korea will never give up it's nukes. Calling a murderous despot a 'great guy' and fawning all over him. Giving him the prestige of a one-on-one sit down with the President of the US. 

[yobnoc 142]

On 6/13/2020 at 6:58 PM, wolfriverjoe said:

Or the way Trump elevated KJU's status. Essentially ensuring that North Korea will never give up it's nukes. Calling a murderous despot a 'great guy' and fawning all over him. Giving him the prestige of a one-on-one sit down with the President of the US. 

Don't forget: he "fell in love" with him too.  Blech...

[Phil1111 908]

3 hours ago, yobnoc said:

Don't forget: he "fell in love" with him too.  Blech...

Now Kim has given trump the finger by blowing up the liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.

"North Korea’s military on Tuesday threatened to move back into zones that were demilitarized under inter-Korean peace agreements in 2018 as the country continued to dial up pressure on Seoul amid stalled nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.

The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army said it’s reviewing a ruling party recommendation to advance into unspecified border areas that had been demilitarized under agreements with the South, which would “turn the front line into a fortress.”

From trump crickets, because there is an election to talk about and neither FOX nor OAN has told him what to say on the Kim subject.

[turtlespeed 212]

21 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

Now Kim has given trump the finger by blowing up the liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.

"North Korea’s military on Tuesday threatened to move back into zones that were demilitarized under inter-Korean peace agreements in 2018 as the country continued to dial up pressure on Seoul amid stalled nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.

The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army said it’s reviewing a ruling party recommendation to advance into unspecified border areas that had been demilitarized under agreements with the South, which would “turn the front line into a fortress.”

From trump crickets, because there is an election to talk about and neither FOX nor OAN has told him what to say on the Kim subject.

I'm pretty sure that was a finger to South Korea. 

 . . . But, you can put Trump into anything if you are obsessed enough to put the effort in.

I remember when I was like that with Hillary.  I got past it.

[Phil1111 908]

26 minutes ago, turtlespeed said:

I'm pretty sure that was a finger to South Korea. 

 . . . But, you can put Trump into anything if you are obsessed enough to put the effort in.

I remember when I was like that with Hillary.  I got past it.

In North Korea the US is the enemy. Its the US that wants to invade Kim's regime. Not S. Korea. "the reality Kim Jong Un presents at home, as he insists he is protecting his country from the nuclear threat posed by the United States and that the hardship his citizens must endure is the result of American hostility."

So you got past HRC in the last couple days? Congratulations. I'm sure that once trump's election spending kicks into gear. The flashbacks of blame will come back.

[turtlespeed 212]

4 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

In North Korea the US is the enemy. Its the US that wants to invade Kim's regime. Not S. Korea. "the reality Kim Jong Un presents at home, as he insists he is protecting his country from the nuclear threat posed by the United States and that the hardship his citizens must endure is the result of American hostility."

So you got past HRC in the last couple days? Congratulations. I'm sure that once trump's election spending kicks into gear. The flashbacks of blame will come back.

Nah - I'm not as susceptible as the left WRT trump.

[wmw999 2,116]

39 minutes ago, turtlespeed said:

I'm pretty sure that was a finger to South Korea. 

 . . . But, you can put Trump into anything if you are obsessed enough to put the effort in.

I remember when I was like that with Hillary.  I got past it.

Trump is still relevant in the US, Hillary isn't. 

Wendy P.

[turtlespeed 212]

Just now, wmw999 said:

Trump is still relevant in the US, Hillary isn't. 

Wendy P.

Ah . . . So the obsession is OK then. Got it.

[normiss 620]

5 minutes ago, wmw999 said:

Trump is still relevant in the US, Hillary isn't. 

Wendy P.

Turtle can't let go of Trump, Obama, or Hillary - at least based on the few comments I see thanks to the quote function lacking the ignore filter layer.

[wmw999 2,116]

6 minutes ago, turtlespeed said:

Ah . . . So the obsession is OK then. Got it.

It's got more of a point. Obsession is rarely good; even the magnificent ones rob the person of other dimensions. It's why CEO's of major corporations generally need spouses who do all the social stuff for them, and why many (but not all) major scientists don't have longstanding marriages to equals outside their fields.

Wendy P.

[wmw999 2,116]

One thing to consider is that some things that seemed like major problems 4 years ago don't look so bad any more, do they... 

Wendy P.

[jakee 1,254]

33 minutes ago, turtlespeed said:

Ah . . . So the obsession is OK then. Got it.

The sanctimonious hypocrisy isn't. So you've apparently got over Hillary several years after she effectively quit politics, just like you got over Obama after his terms were up. I'm sure that a few years after Pelosi retires you'll get over her, and after Biden leaves the White House you'll get over him too. Then you can continue being smug and superior about your bipartisan open mindedness while not having to change a thing about how you treat any democrats in government while they are actually governing.

[turtlespeed 212]

52 minutes ago, jakee said:

The sanctimonious hypocrisy isn't. So you've apparently got over Hillary several years after she effectively quit politics, just like you got over Obama after his terms were up. I'm sure that a few years after Pelosi retires you'll get over her, and after Biden leaves the White House you'll get over him too. Then you can continue being smug and superior about your bipartisan open mindedness while not having to change a thing about how you treat any democrats in government while they are actually governing.

Your inability to take a joke is telling.

[jakee 1,254]

35 minutes ago, turtlespeed said:

Your inability to take a joke is telling.

Your reply to Phil was not a joke.

[billvon 2,384]

8 minutes ago, jakee said:

Your reply to Phil was not a joke.

It becomes a joke when a statement doesn't have the desired effect, or the poster reconsiders.  Then it retroactively becomes a joke.  Geez, you liberals have no sense of humor!

[okalb 78]

11 minutes ago, billvon said:

It becomes a joke when a statement doesn't have the desired effect, or the poster reconsiders.  Then it retroactively becomes a joke.  Geez, you liberals have no sense of humor!

 

[yoink 321]

14 minutes ago, billvon said:

It becomes a joke when a statement doesn't have the desired effect, or the poster reconsiders.  Then it retroactively becomes a joke.  Geez, you liberals have no sense of humor!

I heard the term Shrodinger's Douchebag recently.

 

Edit: Damnit, okalb beat me to it! Quick fingers!

Edited June 17, 2020 by yoink

[turtlespeed 212]

1 hour ago, jakee said:

Your reply to Phil was not a joke.

Just because you didn't feel it that way - doesn't make that true either.

[jakee 1,254]

40 minutes ago, turtlespeed said:

Just because you didn't feel it that way - doesn't make that true either.

So which bit were you not serious about? You don't think anyone here obsesses over Trump, or you haven't gotten over obsessing about Hillary?