President Biden, critics corner

[wmw999 2,116]

12 minutes ago, winsor said:

Even if it was simply a Freudian slip, having the likes of Harris more in tune with reality than the CIC speaks badly for our prospects.

Biden has been committing wordos (that's really the word equivalent of a typo -- I said so) since roughly forever. I'm sure if he'd said "whatchamacallit" there'd've been a hue and cry as well. As opposed to us, perfectly-spoken and perfectly-thought-out that we are.

Wendy P.

[SkyDekker 1,120]

Like I said before, the Republicans have nothing substantive to offer. Their reply was all the standard talking points, all against something, nothing they can actually stand for, stand behind. The same we see here, the only response so far is that he misspoke and said Iranian in stead of Ukrainian.

[brenthutch 383]

1 minute ago, SkyDekker said:

Like I said before, the Republicans have nothing substantive to offer. Their reply was all the standard talking points, all against something, nothing they can actually stand for, stand behind. The same we see here, the only response so far is that he misspoke and said Iranian in stead of Ukrainian.

How about: secure border, energy independence, low taxes, low regulation, pro-police, pro- immigration (legal), focus on the individual vs identity/group, school choice.

BTW he said Uranian.

[SkyDekker 1,120]

3 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

secure border, energy independence, low taxes, low regulation, pro-police, pro- immigration (legal), focus on the individual vs identity/group, school choice

Those are buzz words, not policy. Don't believe me, here are some simple questions you will not be able to answer:

When were the borders secure? At what illegal immigration level and smuggling level would you consider the border secure?

Energy independence or just not importing oil?

What taxation rate is low? Where would income come from? Trickle down economics has constantly been shown to be ineffective.

Low regulation is not what Republicans want. What they want is only to regulate other people. Republcians are very busy regulating what women can do with their bodies, regulating what gay children can and cannot do, including what their parents can and cannot do. Republicans are trying to ban books. Texas town passed a resolution to replace "hello" with "heaveno". You don't want low regulation, you want regulation on everything but white Christian men.

Pro-police? January 6th shows that to be bullshit as well.

Pro-immigration? What does that mean? More topless models on genius visas, followed by "chain migration"?

Focus on the individual vs identity/group? So no need to honour the flag, or veterans? Taking a knee during the anthem no longer an issue? Those are all issues that relate to focusing on identity/group over individual.

School choice? Do you mean that schools should be forced to teach that maybe god really did create earth, a Christian god of course?

 

Like I said, buzz words. Republicans have nothing but buzz words.

[billvon 2,380]

39 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

energy independence

Best way to achieve that is:

1) Crash program to move us to EV's for private and commercial transportation
2) Accelerate buildout of solar/wind to provide charging power
3) Start construction of nuclear plants for baseload in every location that large hydro cannot perform that function

That will:

1) dramatically reduce gas prices (by reducing demand)
2) provide true energy independence that is not dependent on always finding new oil sources
3) allow us to become an oil exporter to balance our trade deficit

[Phil1111 908]

20 minutes ago, billvon said:

Best way to achieve that is:

1) Crash program to move us to EV's for private and commercial transportation
2) Accelerate buildout of solar/wind to provide charging power
3) Start construction of nuclear plants for baseload in every location that large hydro cannot perform that function

That will:

1) dramatically reduce gas prices (by reducing demand)
2) provide true energy independence that is not dependent on always finding new oil sources
3) allow us to become an oil exporter to balance our trade deficit

Spoken like an engineer. Unfortunately nuclear has enormous hurdles in approval. The recent spike in oil. Combined with the greed in oil companies wanting to throw almost every cent in cash to shareholders. Will likely drive more EV sales than anything else. No pun intended.

That and the refusal of GOP members to support infrastructure.spending makes your good points moot. With the exception of nuclear industry lobbying. If they spread enough cash around. A infrastructure bill might flash through congress like a burrito through Ted Cruz.

[airdvr 197]

On 2/28/2022 at 6:52 PM, billvon said:

Cool that the democratic party tolerates and encourages dissent and independent thought instead of crushing it.

Unless of course it's hoisted by the wrong folks.

[JoeWeber 2,294]

2 hours ago, winsor said:

Even if it was simply a Freudian slip, having the likes of Harris more in tune with reality than the CIC speaks badly for our prospects.

 

The man has a speech impediment. He's advanced to the pinnacle in a career that requires constant public and private speaking and, for him personally I dare say, a fair degree of humility. Neither you nor any others here can claim to know what mental work arounds Biden need must use constantly to keep from stuttering or running over his own words. Nor can you know the pressure of controlling your disability while giving a speech as impactful as the State of the Union Address.

Now maybe it's just a little too woke for you to give him any benefit of doubt but if he were my dad or kid or friend I'd be damn proud of him. As my President I'm double damn proud of him. 

There is much to pick on him for, why not go there instead?

[billvon 2,380]

18 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

Spoken like an engineer. Unfortunately nuclear has enormous hurdles in approval.

I agree 100%.  Which means we have to start them now if we have any hope of having them operational in the next 25 years.  The only two new reactors in the country have been in process for 20 years now - and MIGHT be ready for fueling by the end of the year.

Quote

Combined with the greed in oil companies wanting to throw almost every cent in cash to shareholders. Will likely drive more EV sales than anything else. 

Yeah, I saw an interesting essay by an industry analyst who believes that oil companies see the writing on the wall, and thus are trying to take as much profit as they can as quickly as they can before the bottom falls out.  (Which of course will accelerate the bottom falling out, but few investors look past the next year or so.)

[billvon 2,380]

19 minutes ago, airdvr said:

Unless of course it's hoisted by the wrong folks.

Of course.   Democrats are generally going to be against anything said by republicans and vice versa.

But if you are a republican and speak out against republicans, you are crushed.  You lose support.  You are removed from committees.  The local GOP nominates someone else next election cycle.  This has happened time and time again.  It's been stated as policy by none other than Reagan (who called it the 11th Commandment) and this was brutally enforced by Trump while he was in office.

That's the difference.

[Phil1111 908]

5 minutes ago, billvon said:

I agree 100%.  Which means we have to start them now if we have any hope of having them operational in the next 25 years.  The only two new reactors in the country have been in process for 20 years now - and MIGHT be ready for fueling by the end of the year.

Yeah, I saw an interesting essay by an industry analyst who believes that oil companies see the writing on the wall, and thus are trying to take as much profit as they can as quickly as they can before the bottom falls out.  (Which of course will accelerate the bottom falling out, but few investors look past the next year or so.)

Agree, time is of the essence.

Oil companies are increasing cap spending. But its very small in relation to their deteriorating reserves. Shareholders have gotten off like bandits in the last two years.

Nuclear power plants are being rebuilt to extend their service life. In most cases they are now going to run twice their original design service life.Germany mulls extending nuclear plants' life-span - economy minister

The new UN climate report looks likely to go unaddressed. War, politics, ignorance and lack of political will.the death knell of action, IMO.

[TriGirl 268]

33 minutes ago, billvon said:

Which means we have to start them now if we have any hope of having them operational in the next 25 years.

12-ish years ago -- the last time gas prices went through the roof -- Tampa talked about a train system.  Unfortunately gas prices came down before anything could really be approved, so the project was shelved.  I was hoping they would think ahead, to the development planned in the outer suburbs and any future fuel increases (so that by the time issues arose, the trains would already be running).  Alas, we have entered this round of gas hikes in the same state of affairs as we found ourselves then.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

46 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

The man has a speech impediment. He's advanced to the pinnacle in a career that requires constant public and private speaking and, for him personally I dare say, a fair degree of humility. Neither you nor any others here can claim to know what mental work arounds Biden need must use constantly to keep from stuttering or running over his own words. Nor can you know the pressure of controlling your disability while giving a speech as impactful as the State of the Union Address.

Now maybe it's just a little too woke for you to give him any benefit of doubt but if he were my dad or kid or friend I'd be damn proud of him. As my President I'm double damn proud of him. 

There is much to pick on him for, why not go there instead?

Hi Joe,

And, he is not Trump.

Jerry Baumchen

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

3 minutes ago, TriGirl said:

12-ish years ago -- the last time gas prices went through the roof -- Tampa talked about a train system.  Unfortunately gas prices came down before anything could really be approved, so the project was shelved.  I was hoping they would think ahead, to the development planned in the outer suburbs and any future fuel increases (so that by the time issues arose, the trains would already be running).  Alas, we have entered this round of gas hikes in the same state of affairs as we found ourselves then.

Hi Tri,

Most Americans have not been raised to accept short-term pain for long-term gain.

'I've got to have it now.'

Jerry Baumchen

[billvon 2,380]

15 minutes ago, TriGirl said:

12-ish years ago -- the last time gas prices went through the roof -- Tampa talked about a train system.  Unfortunately gas prices came down before anything could really be approved, so the project was shelved.  I was hoping they would think ahead, to the development planned in the outer suburbs and any future fuel increases (so that by the time issues arose, the trains would already be running).  Alas, we have entered this round of gas hikes in the same state of affairs as we found ourselves then.

We actually _did_ get a new light rail line set up from downtown to the UTC area in San Diego that opened a few months ago.  This means that people who work in UTC (workers that range from salespeople at the mall to professors at UCSD to tech people at the biotechs there) can live in cheaper places (like Chula Vista) and get to work without having to deal with traffic.  It also means that students at UCSD can get around their own campus - and get downtown, and to places like PB.  Heck, it even stops at the border, so people visiting San Diego can walk across the border and get almost anywhere.

There's even a stop - in SDSU - that's a real honest to god subway stop.  So we can say we have a subway.

[wmw999 2,116]

27 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Tri,

Most Americans have not been raised to accept short-term pain for long-term gain.

'I've got to have it now.'

Jerry Baumchen

Just look at all those Miami Beach high rise condos, with deferred maintenance. But if you (the rhetorical you, not the Jerry you) lived in one, and were hit with a $100,000 assessment for invisible maintenance, would you have the money to just do it? Or would you be in favor of kicking the can down the road?

My subdivision had an $800 assessment to build a new perimeter fence. It took over a year and a half, with multiple groups trying to negotiate with the former (failed) fence contractor. All while giant 80-lb pieces of perimeter fence were leaning and occasionally falling down. Finally it happened, but only because 3 separate groups were able to determine for themselves that no, the old contractor could not be negotiated with or trusted. And that was $800

Wendy P.

[brenthutch 383]

2 hours ago, SkyDekker said:

Those are buzz words, not policy. Don't believe me, here are some simple questions you will not be able to answer:

When were the borders secure? At what illegal immigration level and smuggling level would you consider the border secure?

Energy independence or just not importing oil?

What taxation rate is low? Where would income come from? Trickle down economics has constantly been shown to be ineffective.

Low regulation is not what Republicans want. What they want is only to regulate other people. Republcians are very busy regulating what women can do with their bodies, regulating what gay children can and cannot do, including what their parents can and cannot do. Republicans are trying to ban books. Texas town passed a resolution to replace "hello" with "heaveno". You don't want low regulation, you want regulation on everything but white Christian men.

Pro-police? January 6th shows that to be bullshit as well.

Pro-immigration? What does that mean? More topless models on genius visas, followed by "chain migration"?

Focus on the individual vs identity/group? So no need to honour the flag, or veterans? Taking a knee during the anthem no longer an issue? Those are all issues that relate to focusing on identity/group over individual.

School choice? Do you mean that schools should be forced to teach that maybe god really did create earth, a Christian god of course?

 

Like I said, buzz words. Republicans have nothing but buzz words.

I said secure the border, I didn’t opine on if it had been done in the past.  If Hungary can do it so can we

How about energy dominance, #1 fossil fuel producer

Lower taxes resulted in a growing economy, low inflation and record low unemployment.  Trickle down is a left wing buzzword not an economic theory

As a libertarian, I would not conflate the abortion issue with business regulation 

Pro police as opposed to defund the police

I would model our immigration policies off of Canada 

“a merit based permanent residence program which ranks candidates based on factors such as education, English or French language skills, work experience, and age. Additional factors include Canadian education or work experience, family in Canada, or a job offer. The Express Entry System is meant to attract the best and brightest applicants from around the world to fulfill Canadian labor needs.”

Flag burning and taking a knee is speech protected by the 1st Amendment 

School choice means allowing parents to choose a school that fits the needs of the child not the teachers Union 

Funny how you accuse me of using buzzwords while using them yourself 

 

 

[brenthutch 383]

2 hours ago, Phil1111 said:

A infrastructure bill might flash through congress like a burrito through Ted Cruz.

An infrastructure bill has already passed with bipartisan support.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

49 minutes ago, wmw999 said:

Just look at all those Miami Beach high rise condos, with deferred maintenance. But if you (the rhetorical you, not the Jerry you) lived in one, and were hit with a $100,000 assessment for invisible maintenance, would you have the money to just do it? Or would you be in favor of kicking the can down the road?

My subdivision had an $800 assessment to build a new perimeter fence. It took over a year and a half, with multiple groups trying to negotiate with the former (failed) fence contractor. All while giant 80-lb pieces of perimeter fence were leaning and occasionally falling down. Finally it happened, but only because 3 separate groups were able to determine for themselves that no, the old contractor could not be negotiated with or trusted. And that was $800

Wendy P.

Hi Wendy,

Sometimes the 'Credit Card Mentality' simply will not work.

Jerry Baumchen

PS)  I get my oil changes for my cars far in advance of what my Owner's Manuals recommend.

[SkyDekker 1,120]

28 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

I said secure the border, I didn’t opine on if it had been done in the past.  If Hungary can do it so can we

The European Court of Justice ruled Hungary broke EU law in how they have dealt with asylum seekers and migrants. Why am I not surprised that is what you want to modeled after.

 

33 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

Pro police as opposed to defund the police

Thank you for proving my point. You are generally just opposed to things in stead of actually standing for something.

 

35 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

School choice means allowing parents to choose a school that fits the needs of the child not the teachers Union 

Where in the US are kids forced to go to a particular school without any other options? Where is this actually a problem?

[brenthutch 383]

The US is not in the EU

It is ok to be against something sometimes, racism anyone?
 

The issue is viable options. Barriers include affordability and transportation.  

Edited March 2, 2022 by brenthutch

[jakee 1,254]

1 hour ago, brenthutch said:

I said secure the border, I didn’t opine on if it had been done in the past.  If Hungary can do it so can we

Anything your quasi-fascist proto-dictatorship can do...

[JoeWeber 2,294]

1 hour ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Wendy,

Sometimes the 'Credit Card Mentality' simply will not work.

Jerry Baumchen

PS)  I get my oil changes for my cars far in advance of what my Owner's Manuals recommend.

Those owners manuals are written by lawyers and oil company shills. An oil company friend, as in corner office type, tells me that modern oils and filters are good for a lot longer than recommended in the manual.

[wmw999 2,116]

My brother the car guy says the same thing -- the newer the oil, the longer it can last. But that's in a good engine, too.

"Change your oil every 3 months or 3000 miles" is, anymore, kind of like "lather, rinse, repeat." A great marketing scheme.

Wendy P.

[kallend 1,620]

1 hour ago, JoeWeber said:

Those owners manuals are written by lawyers and oil company shills. An oil company friend, as in corner office type, tells me that modern oils and filters are good for a lot longer than recommended in the manual.

1. The engine metallurgy is better now.

2. The modern oils are way better.

3. Unleaded gasoline does not contaminate oil like leaded gas did in the "good old days".  Aircraft piston engines running on 100LL ("low lead", not "no lead") still need their oil changed often.