Phil1111

I like Netanyahu and Israel. But what he and trump both understand is what buttons to push. Netanyahu and Israeli politics is all about appealing to a narrow base. Because there are so many parties in Israel and so many coalition governments. Thats the same reason why trump professes to be a Christian. He can identify that base and knows what buttons to push.His personal actions preclude him from being a Christian. Muslims and Islam: Key findings in the U.S. and around the world http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/ Protestants are more likely than Muslims to think their religion should be the main source of law in America One of the most common accusations about Muslims from Islamophobes is that they want to institute Sharia, or Islamic law, here in America. But the overwhelming majority of American Muslims do not think Islam should be the main source of US law, and more than half (55 percent) said their religion should not be a source of American law at all. Meanwhile, it turns out that more Protestants (12 percent) actually believe their own religion should be the main source of American law than do Muslims (10 percent): https://www.vox.com/2016/3/17/11250800/american-muslims-poll

Ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake -- the entire world is being convulsed by a religious struggle. The fight is not about money or territory; it is not about poverty versus wealth; it is not about ancient customs versus modernity. No. The struggle is whether Hubal, the Moon God of Mecca, known as Allah, is supreme, or whether the Judeo-Christian Jehovah God of the Bible is Supreme. http://www.patrobertson.com/Speeches/IsraelLauder.asp Netanyahu: Evangelical Christians are Israel’s best friends “It’s a struggle of civilizations. It’s a struggle of free societies against the forces of militant Islam,” Netanyahu argued. “They want to conquer the Middle East, they want to destroy the State of Israel, and then they want to conquer the world.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-evangelical-christians-are-israels-best-friends/ "most American evangelicals have a simpler justification for their view: the Bible. “Israel and her right to the land is a key theme in the Hebrew Scripture,” said Darrell Bock, a senior research professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. “It is tied to divine promises many Christians believe are still in force.” A 2013 survey by Pew Research found that 82 percent of white evangelical Christians believe God gave Israel to the Jews. By contrast, only 40 percent of Jews in the United States believed that. In recent months, as Trump’s polling numbers have declined, white evangelical Christians, who make up about a quarter of the electorate, have become the only sizable segment of voters who continue to support him strongly. A Fox News poll in October showed 66 percent of white evangelicals supporting Trump. While that figure was down from 77 percent in September, it was still nearly 30 percentage points higher than the population as a whole. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/trump-jerusalem-evangelicals_us_5a284e66e4b03ece02ffcb15 Well at least Jared Kushner can clear his desk of his heavy schedule involving Middle east peace: Donald Trump Blows Up Jared Kushner’s “Ultimate Deal” A move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is expected to set off riots across the Middle East—and threaten any momentum toward a two-state solution. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/12/donald-trump-jared-kushners-jerusalem-israel-palestine Now he can concentrate on his poor memory about Russian events: "A 'serious case of amnesia': House Intel Democrat says Trump Jr. was 'pretty non-responsive' in 8-hour interview... "My takeaway is he has a very serious case of amnesia," Rep. Jackie Speier told CNN on Wednesday just after the lengthy interview ended. "He was pretty non-responsive on a lot of issues that, frankly, you would have a recollection of, considering it was just a year ago that many of these events took place when Donald Trump was the candidate," Speier said. "He was by his father’s side; he was campaigning with his father. And you get the impression in listening to him that he didn’t spend much time talking to his father." Swalwell agreed with Speier's characterization of Trump Jr.'s testimony as evasive and somewhat unhelpful, and said the Democrats plan to present the Republicans with legal arguments for why attorney-client privilege "doesn't apply" just because — as Trump Jr. asserted — lawyers were present for the conversations in question. http://www.newstimes.com/technology/businessinsider/article/A-serious-case-of-amnesia-House-Intel-Democrat-12411733.php

Agree on a rant that lays out the talking and walking points for a populist political presentation. IMO trump won 1/2 of his vote because of the economic degradation of working class Americans since the last recession. Together with their job worries that technology and international trade bring to future job prospects. Democrats should target these disenfranchised, poorer-paid, under qualified workers. With specific training, tax, economic program policies that benefit these groups. In order to capitalize on unfulfilled trump promises in midterm elections.

But they would have to be directed to do that (even if it's clandestinely) by the president, and this egomanaical preschooler isn't about to do that because it would be a tacit admission that he isn't 'the best' (TM) and 'favorite not-Hillary' president ever. The longer this shit goes on and the more we see of it, the more I'm convinced that we're just fucked until the next election. There will always be a willing fall-guy who volunteers to take a bullet for whatever idiocy of the moment the president begins, and I'm still not convinced that a republican government would actually impeach Trump even if there was incontrovertible proof of the most heinous crimes. I suspect they'll all rally around the shitshow until 2020 when hopefully they desert him en mass and get behind either Romney or Comey. The current Russia sanctions bill was brought ahead by congress. After a substantial delay trump signed it. http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/02/politics/donald-trump-russia-sanctions-bill/index.html

I remember reading about that but only in recent years. A secret deal by a presidential candidate to screw the president and help get Nixon elected. Makes the discussions about the Logan Act this year seem pretty tame. (I have no idea whether the Paris Peace talks could actually have achieved anything in '68 instead of 5 years later in '73. The North might not have been ready for that.) Well I substantially don't disagree with the substance of and representations of the series. A person has to be VERY careful about accepting a narrative in a movie or a book as fact. Movies have a very persuasive presentation of a version of fact or history. That makes it easy to draw the conscious into acceptance. That whats presented is the way it happened. It failed to present enough of the hard line that Le Duan and Ho felt. A line that believed that persistence would pay off. That given Chinese and Russian weapons. Together with the children of the revolution. America would capitulate sooner or later. The S. Vietnamese puppets would fold thereafter. Just as the French had done before that. For The North, the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu forever ingrained the idea in the minds of northern leadership. That one big or a couple big defeats. Would drive any imperialist western power, home. Yes I saw the series. Yes I know the N. Vietnamese leadership wavered from time to time. But every time they needed supplies. They were resupplied. Never was there a substantial pause in sending well equipped formations to the southern battlefield. Even as the North was mined, pounded and the population suffered. Food, SAM's, AAA, poured down from the Chinese border and by sea. To resupply them. Many, many, in the North were like the North Vietnamese mother in the series. I forget which episode. Which gave, I think it was 8-10 of her children to die for the "revolution". Yet as she stated truthfully. She was happy to do so. As a little side-note. I have a small 2 square foot piece of a camo parachute used by the 173rd Airborne brigade in the Junction City jump. It was given to me by a member of the 173rd. But I don't know if he made the jump himself.

Pro: Pence actually has an education in the law, and experience as a governor. And he is not an insane moron. Con: Since he is not insane, he could probably actually get his right-wing agenda into law. Well we have to weigh the options: trump: -insane moron -insane moron who trades insults with another nuclear armed moron. -insults every ally that the US has. -befriends every enemy that the US has in order to get personal hotels built. .... OK..,..OK, debate moot.

It will result in the further dumbing down of America. "Canada's labour force is increasingly reliant on well-educated immigrants who are enjoying employment rates that are broadly in line with the national average. The latest findings of the 2016 census provide an in-depth look at the national labour market, offering valuable data for government decision makers as well as Canadians looking to match their skills with jobs that are in demand. It also shows that Canada has the highest proportion of college graduates among developed nations, partly because recent immigrants are especially well-educated. The percentage of all immigrants with a master's or doctorate degree is twice that of the Canadian-born population." https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/census-2016-education-labour-employment-mobility/article37122392/ College Students Set to Lose Several Big Tax Breaks Under GOP Tax Plan http://time.com/money/5007540/gop-tax-plan-tax-breaks-college-students/

I agree. If it hasn't happened yet, doing nothing will ensure it happens in the future. Distractions within the US political agenda have largely precluded a debate on how to respond to these attacks. Thats not to say that the intelligence community dosn't have a good grasp on whats going on. The Senate Intelligence committee needs to get past the presidential aspects of the election. Needs to direct responses targeting Putin and his inner circle. It should involve disclosing Putin led Russian corruption and the theft of state assets. To the Russian people. Now Putin controls the Russian media and the political discourse. But in the end only rising public anger by Russians. Will clip Putin's kleptocratic wings. End the pseudo nationalism, the pseudo imperialism that Putin uses to distract Russians. From the protections of Putin's inner circle of oligarchs by the state. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/03/panama-papers-money-hidden-offshore

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), who for weeks has been the target of sexual misconduct allegations, announced on Tuesday that he will retire from the House... He said he was "retiring today." http://thehill.com/homenews/house/363282-conyers-announces-retirement-amid-sexual-misconduct-allegations Too bad it took so long for Nancy Pelosi to see the light.

'The RNC resumed supporting Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore' Well, we now know the true colors of the R's of this country; as if there was any real doubt. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/rnc-jumps-back-alabama-senate-race-after-trump-endorses-roy-n826496 Jerry Baumchen I'm a Republican and I'm still not voting for that tard. So you're the one!!! I've heard of you!! Kidding aside. I was very disappointed that John McCain voted for the tax bill. It has some good measures. But wealthy individuals came out of it like gangbusters.

I suspect the calculus is more along the lines of what kept Clinton in office. That WJC would play 'hide the salami' with any female that came within range was the worst kept secret in Little Rock or Washington. Clinton would appear to have had greater success in his extracurricular love life than did Moore, though his enthusiastic pursuit of sex reportedly reached a felonious level upon occasion. Among major flaws with which Moore has to work are that he has none of Clinton's charm and that he was (is?) attracted to pubescent females. Clinton used his position to have a rock star's love life. Where Paula Jones responded to Clinton's overtures with 'eeeew!,' most just said 'okay.' Moore, OTOH, developed a reputation for hanging around and flirting with underage girls. I suppose people who are attracted to youngsters assume that everyone is, but the fact that this is not the case may be what enables them in the first place. You have various priests who engage in things that simply would not occur to the the bulk of the flock, who thus don't pick up on it. The nature of politics is such that selecting a candidate is like trying to pick up a turd by the clean end. Some candidates' flaws are enough out of sight that their nature is akin to a coprolite, while others are reminiscent of ballistic diarrhea. I think Moore is closer to the latter category. While some dung is useful as fertilizer or fuel for fires, a piece of shit by any name is still a piece of shit. So it is with politicians. With Roy Moore, it is 'hold your nose and try not to gag when you vote.' Ah, the Miracle of Democracy at work! BSBD, Winsor Or the current state of US tribal politics. Which summarizes the reasoning of your thread. Of which. I more or less agree with.

Well...sort of... Its more what is typical of what occurs in the human mind in tribal societies. A mass psychosis so to speak. "a phenomenon that transmits collective illusions of threats, whether real or imaginary, through a population in society as a result of rumors and fear". So in basic terms a tribal leader orders his followers to attack another tribe and kill them all. Orders them to kill half of their own tribe because they are not true tribe members. That part of their tribe are enemies. Its how Hitler labeled Jews as the reason why Germany was not the best country in the world. Why Germany was being held back. Today Muslims and non documented people are the reasons why the US can't be #1. Why the US is being held back. Now the enemies within the tribe are democrats. They are so evil that even child molesters will be supported by the tribe if they will help defeat those who are so betraying to the GREAT,TRUE tribe. It helps to use simple labels to help those with weak uninquisitive minds. To better identify the enemy, to target the people that have no rights. "One of the most famous studies of obedience in psychology was carried out by Milgram (1963). Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University, conducted an experiment focusing on the conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience." https://www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html

If some pizzas were sent over to Mueller's offices. They could work overtime and get trump off to Martha Stewart's prison before summer. "K.T. McFarland, President Trump’s former deputy national security adviser, sent an email during the transition that appears to undermine her testimony before Congress in which she denied knowing anything about Michael Flynn's contacts with top Kremlin officials, The New York Times reported Monday." http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/363213-mcfarland-contradicts-herself-on-knowledge-flynns-contacts-with Perhaps trump will be best know for creating new jobs in the prison system.

What Business is worth $1.2 Trillion in U.S. Economy, More Than Google and Apple Combined? https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/lauretta-brown/georgetown-study-religion-worth-12-trillion-us-economy-more-google-and and a list of where the money is: http://www.etinside.com/?p=539 And the richest showing modesty which is one of the virtues of Christianity. "Since modesty is a part of an individual’s personality, his/her personal being, it is a virtue. If it is consistently expressed in one’s style of dress and behavior, it can bring significant benefits to an individual. It can strengthen or add other associated virtues to a modest person’s reputation or character. It can reinforce one’s reputation for humility and respectful behavior. When a person demonstrates a high level of personal self-respect by his/her modest way of dressing and behaving, he/she will probably also earn a high level of respect from others. Most of you know one or more examples of individuals who have lost all or most of anyone’s personal respect by their immodest styles of dress or behavior." http://www.christianityetc.org/modesty.php Here is that modest Christian conduct, he is #1 on the list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2WrZhIpGtA A little story by CBS on Taxes, Christianity and Kenneth Copeland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFnRSUHewN0

There is no reference to God being omnibenevolent. God is not fair. God is just. The third part of the triad is omnipresent. It is the Judeo-Christian belief that nothing existed before God. So, where did God come from? He is the I am that I am. He is the Alpha and the Omega. https://www.gotquestions.org/God-omnibenevolent.html http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2013/05/08/3754498.htm American Values Are Not Necessarily Christian Values https://www.westernseminary.edu/transformedblog/2015/01/28/american-values-are-not-necessarily-christian-values/ for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap "the results of this research increasingly suggests that the Religious Right played at least some role in America’s declining religiosity. .. The results of Hout and Fischer’s analysis were congruent with their hypothesis, though given the limitations of their methods, one could reasonably claim that they failed to decisively prove their case. But in the subsequent decade and a half, additional research has further strengthened their argument. American Grace, by Robert Putnam and David Campbell, for example, argued that declining levels of religious affiliation can be partly attributed to the Christian Right. A subsequent study by Hout and Fischer provided similar results. " http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/is-the-religious-right-to-blame-for-christianitys-decline/

Thanks for that. In the long term there are bigger issues than a $1 trillion hit to the deficit. The stagnation of US wages and employment income in the face of the recovery. Is a large part of why trump was elected. Moving America's workforce into upstream manufacturing jobs. From the jobs that are increasingly threatened by the new economy. - Increasing automation: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/13/artificial-intelligence-robots-threat-jobs-forrester-report https://www.wired.com/story/robots-threaten-bigger-slice-of-jobs-in-us-other-rich-nations/ -Job losses from changes to the delivery of goods and transportation: https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2017-jobs-automation-risk/ The tax budget as proposed, changes the ability to introduce programs to retrain due to fiscal restraints. The concepts that the federal government should be directing the economy. Seems to be a forgotten concept to republicans. Simply put 5-6 years from now the tax breaks to the average working American will end. Job displacing technologies will have a increasing bite on their wages. Together with the number of industries that employ lower skilled workers. Which brings the discussion back to your joke.

I think they got just the result they were looking for which is to sow confusion and create infighting and thereby sully our reputation on the international scene. We have half the country trying to ban people because of their religion, that's enough for terrorist recruiters to work with. Russia did get the result they were looking for tactically, and they will continue to sow divisions and chaos unless we in the west (republican, democrat, conservative, centrist and liberal) don't wise up and see the bigger threat. They can inflict deeper wounds to our democracy in the future. I'm most concerned with how deeply Russian linked hacker got into our election computers. The got the full voter rolls in more than half the states and if they wanted could have corrupted them just before the elections. This is a story that isn't getting the attention it deserves! We need to know the full truth how Trump interacted with Russia and all the links, etc. But just as important we need to understand the process and machinery Putin uses tried to influence elections in democratic countries, to be inoculated from it in the future. I personally feel it would be better for this country for trump to lose the next election fair and square to a centrist non-controversial candidate by an informed electorate, rather than have this investigation the result in a divisive impeachment of the president. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-would-impeach-trump-at-our-peril/2017/09/25/71c6f4aa-a21f-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html?utm_term=.42849fc79e02 If we proceed down an impeachment path while not bother fixing the flaws in our election systems, we are open to more hacking on election night in the future to the point where hacking could cause the result of a divisive campaign to truly be in doubt. This should be ringing alarm bells, but I get the sense that republicans and democrats are so intent in sticking it to each other that they don't see the bigger threat to all of us. Agree. IMO there are elected representatives who recognize the danger. But partisanship, or tribalism takes precedent. For better or worse they are aligning with trump to move legislation ahead. A related story: http://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/363060-missing-big-picture-in-flynn-plea-trump-team-crippled-american-diplomatic

Excellent analysis of how the plan benefits the trump-Kushner commercial real estate aspects of business. https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-tax-plan-is-full-of-goodies-for-wealthy-real-estate-investors-f53a51d271ff/ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/business/trump-benefit-tax-cuts.html http://fortune.com/2017/10/02/trump-gop-tax-plan-mortgage-interest-deduction/

I don't know whether or not I think it. On the one hand you are the country with the greatest ability to destroy global civilisation, and AFAIK the one that participates in more international conflicts than any other and projects its military might around the world more than any other. On the other hand there are less stable countries with access to far smaller, but still potentially destructive arsenals. It's tricky. What I do know is that your argument that the US isn't a global threat because the courts make it treat its own citizens fairly is a red herring. It's irrelevant to the rest of mankind. So you're saying Congress can undo anything Trump does, except the one thing he can do that would pose the biggest threat to mankind? And you think that helps your argument? Presumably a threat is: 1. Immediate and present, or 2. Some type of building or future threat. In addition the threat is "the biggest to mankind". -Russia has more nuclear weapons. In addition they are larger by yield(generally 25% larger) and dirtier because they are older designs. http://www.icanw.org/the-facts/nuclear-arsenals/ -Most of the conflicts that the US participated in recently were under UN, NATO and/or co-coalition, partnerships, participation, resolutions or under the agreements with host nations for defense. Perhaps you could name US precipitated conflicts which were either unlawful by international rights of self defense. Or unjust by principal? -I suggest that the recent Libyan conflict is a good example of how the US gets blamed. For helping secure the freedom of a people from tyranny. Most of the EU was asking for US airpower to help get rid of him. Obama was reluctant to get involved. -Its easy to blame the US for conflict. But how many tin pot dictators think twice before expanding economic, resource, military interests. Because of US Political and military power. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2016/04/25/the-u-s-cant-afford-to-end-its-global-leadership-role/ https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1631.html - Only the US has led against China's island building campaign in the South China Sea. http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/10/senators-to-trump-show-resolve-with-beijing-in-south-china-sea/ https://www.csis.org/programs/southeast-asia-program/south-china-sea-high-resolution As I have suggested and stated several times. Other countries operate unhindered under the sole direction of leadership without any checks or balances on either national or international actions. You seem to think that leaders just become unhinged and go to war. Study the history of war. You will learn that dictators, tyrants and those with imperial ambitions. Start by limiting domestic opposition. Controlling the domestic narrative on who is an enemy. President Putin is exactly in that position now. He has invaded Ukraine(by proxy), annexed Crimea, invaded Georgia, threatened the Baltic states and operates with impunity. Only when a leader developes aspirations beyond his borders can they realistically threaten "mankind". Courts and equal but legitimate arms of good governance control these actions. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/04/obamas-worst-mistake-libya/478461/ http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/23/europe/russia-military-adventures-baltics/index.html IMO this discussion lacks sufficient breath of international interests, war and history. I will concede that US leadership finds too many instances where US interests need a military solution.

That's an incomplete sentence. Since most countries [sic] courts tend to limit their jurisdiction to their citizens and/or unlawful conduct committed within their borders... what? How does that stop those countries being a threat to mankind as a whole? The dangerous actions of governments to their own citizens. not to everyone else's citizens. Bringing up the courts is a red herring. What court has ever stopped the US from going to war? What court is going to stop Trump if he gets into a nuclear pissing match with Kim? (Ok, he might be impeached for obstruction of justice before that happens, but that would be a coincidence.) If you think the US and trump are the biggest threat to mankind. Why don't you just come out and say it. Then support that proposition with specific examples. While trump could start a war to distract from his problems. Congress could cut funding immediately. Russia, China, Iran and N. Korea don't have a court system for which a party could make a claim against the political leadership and be successful. In addition none have the checks of other levels of equal governance. To limit a decision made by one political leader to enact war without the endorsement of other, free thinking, elected officials. Courts limit actions of no other country and no political party. That are mentioned in this thread with one exception. The US. Congress limits the actions of a president through a free vote. No other country(mentioned in this thread) has this equality of power. None of the other countries discussed in this thread has a constitution that is not flexible depending on the will of its leaders. If you and gowlerk think trump is the biggest threat to mankind. Just come out and say it. Support your position Vis-à-vis the other countries discussed. trump will be gone in 3-1/4 years. Or less. Putin, Kim, the Chinese communist ruling politburo will remain. No action by trump with the sole exception of a nuclear war could not be undone by congress, shortly. Or by a different administration when he leaves office. That would include his environmental deregulation. Together with any other of his actions. With regards to China, Russia, N. Korea. Their regimes would likely just carry on. The title of this thread is once again "What country is the biggest threat to mankind?" Is the threat immediate? The world stock markets and bond markets certainly don't think so. Is the threat, war on the Korean peninsula? Is that the threat to mankind? Certainly the UN doesn't seem too worked up about it. South Korea doesn't seem too concerned. trump is nothing less than fly poop on a window which seems to distract some here. From the view of what lies through the window. Its called a distraction.

A person should not confuse an individual who uses bluster, false bravado and bellicose statements designed to intimidate. With real aggression. Mr. Kim knows, as did his father before him, that the survival of his regime is all that matters. That the US provides a easy scapegoat for the failures and demands of the regime. Even though the US would destroy Kim, his regime and N. Korea in a nuclear war. That the US would all but destroy N. Korea in a conventional war. The cost in lives of South Koreans would be in the 100's of thousands. The cost to the US financially would be enormous, stunning. Perhaps several trillion dollars. The back and forth between Kim and trump. Are merely two ego's each acting out a respective role for largely domestic audiences. A threat to mankind is a regime that is not subject to the restrictions and oversight that democracies provide. That independent courts and a free press provides. Together with a imperialist motivation. Russia is a mild threat. Putin just wants the US to still be a bogyman for domestic purpose. As long as the kleptocracy can continue and no one touches his offshore billions. Why upset the ox cart. He has mild imperial ideologies.

Irrelevant to the 95% of mankind that doesn't live within the US, because the US judiciary has no influence at all over what the US gov't chooses to do to them. You do know that the title and subject of this thread is "What country is the biggest threat to mankind? " and the poll lists only four specific countries by name? Since most countries courts tend to limit their jurisdiction to their citizens and/or unlawful conduct committed within their borders. Independent courts with respects of individual rights tend to limit the dangerous actions of governments. Or leaders with dangerous international ideologies. You seem to be throwing red herrings in my direction.

EVERY member of the US Supreme Court is there on account of political affiliation. Ditto for most state supreme courts, and all judges in places where judges are elected. The AG is a political appointee, as are all the US Attorneys in the various states. Thats true. BUT the US judiciary has to a large extent ruled based upon the constitution. With possible religious exceptions from time to time. All countries have politics as a threat to equality, fairness and justice. Within the court process. Records of rulings counter to government actions, police actions and the actions of large special interest groups. In favor of the unrepresented, the weak and the vulnerable. Is the best indications of fairness within a justice system.

I assume that the provocative nature of the countries listed is inspired to provoke debate. Only the US has a functioning justice system which is virtually free of political interference. Only the US has a constitution with actual checks and balances on its leaders. Which todays events clearly illustrate. I would have put Iran on the list because it actively uses proxies to engage in war and terror. China has none of the aforementioned checks on the powers of its leadership. But acts more or less responsibly. Thats just my opinion, but there is: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/01/u-s-power-and-influence-increasingly-seen-as-threat-in-other-countries/ Carry on.

That question is nonsensical. It is not what corporations are for. Employees are valuable resources, and expensive to recruit and retain, but the goal is to spend as little as needed on them. That is one of the ways capitalism works. Sure. I don't fault the corporate execs for those decisions. They are going to do what they can to help their businesses. It is far, far more illustrative of the idiocy of both the Republican party and the "middle class" voters who put them into place. The Rs along with Trump and his minions keep touting how much better off those "ordinary people" will be because the businesses will spend so much of this money from the tax cuts on their employees. Gary Cohn was apparently taken aback at how few were actually planning on doing that. Kinda funny how the President's Economic Advisor knows so little about, you know, how businesses and the economy actually function. Never confuse acting with ignorance. They all know. Corporations have a duty to follow all law and to deliver profits to shareholders. The US federal reserve has pumped 4.4 trillion into the US economy since 2008. i.e. in the last decade. The EU central bank has pumped 2.4 trillion into the European union economy the last five years, more or less. They are both starting to unwind these programs. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEGDQ188S Meanwhile world government debt has gone from 60 to 94% since the last US recession. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS?view=chart https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/24/fed-sets-process-to-unravel-4-point-5-trillion-balance-sheet.html So if anyone believes the trump-republican tax plan is going to do anything. More than the .2-.4% US GDP stimulus to growth, that the was referenced in the Chicago study that I posted previously. They should read the stories again.