The Trump Presidency | Biden Inaugurated

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4bars

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The Army is loyal to the constitution first and foremost, not the President.

By all accounts Trump is heavily unpopular with the Army....
by the high ranks maybe. not the troops where has plenty of support
 

Sky1981

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The Army is loyal to the constitution first and foremost, not the President.

By all accounts Trump is heavily unpopular with the Army....
Problem is, senate thinks "X city" is having an unrest and sending military to quell it is constitutional, no matter how conditionally conditioned it is behind the screen.

If the SCotus ratifies Trump as a winner, then defending him is the right thing to do constitutionally.
 

KirkDuyt

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I was actually just looking up some numbers right now. The reason the claim struck me so hard is that Germany have been running such a huge current account surplus, and if anything Germans are excess savers compared to their consumption, but current account balance is of course very aggregate so maybe it was something else.

An excerpt (pdf warning) from the OECD Factbook talks about net household saving rates. 2013 as a comparison (doesn't seem to matter much which year, it looks like): Germany 9.1 %, EU 28 4.7, Euro area 6.1, Italy 3.9, France 9.1, U.K. 0.0.

Eurostat mainly operate with gross household savings rate instead of net, numbers from 2018: Germany 18.5 %, EU 10.3, Euro zone 12.5, France 13.9, Italy 10.0, UK and Spain 6.0.

Maybe @Libano had something else in mind, but I'm drawing a blank.
I think I found it, it was a map (the embed tweet menu is working for some reason) of median net wealth per household. This map showed Italy having more of it than almost all of Europe. Doesn't take pension in to account however, or the divide between rich and poor, number of people in a household etc.

Think it might be that one @Libano is talking about.
 

WPMUFC

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The Army is loyal to the constitution first and foremost, not the President.

By all accounts Trump is heavily unpopular with the Army....
You do realise that what you've actually said is "military personnel are loyal to a piece of paper". Once the system comes crumbling down, what is said on paper is irrelevant, that is how authoritarians usurp liberal democracies. They just have to convince enough people that a piece of paper is just a piece of paper.
 

NotThatSoph

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I think I found it, it was a map (the embed tweet menu is working for some reason) of median net wealth per household. This map showed Italy having more of it than almost all of Europe. Doesn't take pension in to account however, or the divide between rich and poor, number of people in a household etc.

Think it might be that one @Libano is talking about.
Right, that's possible.

Wealth is a very tricky thing to measure, but I think considering Germans have a substantially higher income than Italians and Spaniards, and higher than both Brits and French people, it's a stretch and a half to claim that Germans are surprisingly poor.
 

Wittmann45

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That polling, if it's the one I'm thinking of, was very flawed. It largely polled officers.
Yeah, the 538 podcast talked about the poll and were very critical. I believe it was a poll of subscribers to a particular program/military magazine who were largely career members of the military. From what I remember them saying, career military personnel tend to lean left, while 4 year recruits tend to lean right, so the poll was flawed in that it was drawing largely from a left leaning portion of the military

That being said, Trump has made a number of disparaging remarks about the military and General Mattis, who seems to be as popular a retired military officer as anyone around, has not mixed words about how dangerous he views Trump.
 

JuveGER

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Are you located in Germany? Cause this doesn't have any basis in facts that I'm aware of. You're just repeating AfD talking points now, which are probably repeated in international right-wing media.
According to surveys, Merkel is by far the most highly rated politician in Germany. And the 2015 refugee crisis has little to no relevance today for the large majority of Germans, as no "harm" and no "catastrophic effects" are felt. It's nonsense.
 

Vooon

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Well, for what it's worth we might actually be witnessing in real time how a modern western democracy step by step is sliding into a more and more autocratic state under Trump. And it's happening with the help of elected members of the Senate, Congress, a more and more politized justice department, and likely the judiciary itself in the upcoming battle of ballot counting. This is how democracies die.

It's scary as hell that it has come to this to be honest.
 

Drifter

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Internal polls must be telling him he's in trouble. You would not be doing this if you felt you were winning. Or maybe this was in his plans all along.
 

Dr. StrangeHate

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He's not leaving folks.
If Obama had said this, I wonder what the reaction would have been. I know Biden is not that guy but hopefully some one in his team becomes a mega troll and says all of these things when democrats are in power.
 

SirAF

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Internal polls must be telling him he's in trouble. You would not be doing this if you felt you were winning. Or maybe this was in his plans all along.
He IS in trouble. Five polls out of PA came out yesterday showing Biden up by 3, 4, 6, 9 and 5.

The +6 and +9 came from pollsters with a B/C rating.
 

cyberman

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Just get rid of them? Its a democracy shit show but it solves a bigger problem down the line. Trumo isnt getting the votes either way
 

Beachryan

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Wonder if Collins is still concerned. Guess she has bigger problems right now.

Personally I've no problem whatsoever with Trump saying these things. He has more experience with WWE than he does the constitution. He's a trashfire of human being, as is his right.

But where the hell are all the constitution protectors in the GOP we always hear from? Where are the judges, the scholars, the sheer uproar at what he's doing? Silence.

Can you imagine desiring a civil war for Donald f'king Trump? That's the man you die on a hill for? A man that wouldn't remember your name if you saved his life?
 

Mike Smalling

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Yes, He suddenly feels that this is open to fraud. Which there as been no evidence of.
Of course. Can't really come as a surprise, since he also complained about the election four years ago, when he actually won.

It is going to be pretty interesting to see, whether any Republicans are actually going to step in and defend their democracy at some point. I'm guessing some might if he loses, but not until then - and all of the damage is actually being done by Trump now.
 

Libano

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According to surveys, Merkel is by far the most highly rated politician in Germany. And the 2015 refugee crisis has little to no relevance today for the large majority of Germans, as no "harm" and no "catastrophic effects" are felt. It's nonsense.
You are of course entitled to your own opinion on Merkel, if you are happy with the job she's doing, more power to you. I think she's an extremely talented politician who knows how to sit out a war, impose her will and get rid of opposition without getting her hands dirty. Her career path is paved with the corpses of ambitious politicians trying challenge her authority (Koch, Merz, Seehofer etc. etc.). She is very good at what she does, a silent assassin.

Merkel has an 88% approval rating according to state television surveys. Those are Honecker / Lukashenko numbers, not anything based in reality. Mainstream media are generally toeing the government line. Critical, independent journalism is scarce. This reminds me of the late 80's in East Germany. Opposing views are simply positioned as 'right wing' or 'anti-semitic' conspiracies, playing perfectly into the perpetual German post WW2 guilt, the stick to squash any notion of national pride and identity forever.

Merkel stands for less German autonomy, more EU, unsustainable immigration creating rising social, ethnic and religious tension as well as a massive burden on the country's social system - especially in the big cities. Taxes have been rising continuously for many years, bureaucracy and regulatory pressure is becoming a real problem for small business owners - you need permits for the most ridiculous things. The pension system is under water and living on borrowed time.

Then there's the unanswered question of German sovereignty. The country is still an occupied area and has been since WW1 - there never was a peace treaty, a prerequisite to regaining sovereignty. Germans don't even have a proper constitution, just a much weaker law book ("Grundgesetz"). That's another issue that will never be resolved under Merkel. It might not be important to you, to me it is. I believe more in sovereign nations than in handing over power to a bureaucratic, undemocratic and corporate-friendly power structure like the EU.

In short, Merkel's vision is one of a weak Germany and a strong EU. I don't share that vision at all.

Life is great in Germany if you're a government employee. Guaranteed income in good times and bad times and zero skin in the game. Higher-up's are treated and behaving like royalty, especially within politics or the German tax collection agency.
 
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Cloud7

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You are of course entitled to your own opinion on Merkel, if you are happy with the job she's doing, more power to you. I think she's an extremely talented politician who knows how to sit out a war, impose her will and get rid of opposition without getting her hands dirty. Her career path is paved with the corpses of ambitious politicians trying challenge her authority (Koch, Merz, Seehofer etc. etc.). She is very good at what she does, a silent assassin.

Merkel has an 88% approval ratings according to state television surveys. Those are Honecker / Lukashenko numbers, not anything based in reality. Mainstream media are generally toeing the government line. Critical, independent journalism is scarce. This reminds me of the late 80's in East Germany. Opposing views are simply positioned as 'right wing' or 'anti-semitic' conspiracies, playing perfectly into the perpetual German post WW2 guilt, the stick to squash any notion of national pride and identity forever.

Merkel stands for less German autonomy, more EU, unsustainable immigration creating rising social, ethnic and religious tension as well as a massive burden on the country's social system - especially in the big cities. Taxes have been rising continuously for many years, bureaucracy and regulatory pressure is becoming a real problem for small business owners - you need permits for the most ridiculous things. The pension system is under water and living on borrowed time.

Then there's the unanswered question of German sovereignty. The country is still an occupied area and has been since WW1 - there never was a peace treaty, a prerequisite to regaining sovereignty. Germans don't even have a proper constitution, just a much weaker law book ("Grundgesetz"). That's another issue that will never be resolved under Merkel. It might not be important to you, to me it is. I believe more in sovereign nations than in handing over power to a bureaucratic, undemocratic and corporate-friendly power structure like the EU.

In short, Merkel's vision is one of a weak Germany and a strong EU. I don't share that vision at all.

Life is great in Germany if you're a government employee. Guaranteed income in good times and bad times and zero skin in the game. Higher-up's are treated and behaving like royalty, especially within politics or the German tax collection agency.
This entire post reads like a checklist of the generic right wing talking points. Someone can play bingo with this.
 

Shez

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Hmmm I live in Germany and not a gov employee. Life in Germany is great. Period

pan euorpeanism is a strength. Germany growth has been on the back of what it gets from the EU due to merkels policies as well
 

Zehner

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You are of course entitled to your own opinion on Merkel, if you are happy with the job she's doing, more power to you. I think she's an extremely talented politician who knows how to sit out a war, impose her will and get rid of opposition without getting her hands dirty. Her career path is paved with the corpses of ambitious politicians trying challenge her authority (Koch, Merz, Seehofer etc. etc.). She is very good at what she does, a silent assassin.

Merkel has an 88% approval rating according to state television surveys. Those are Honecker / Lukashenko numbers, not anything based in reality. Mainstream media are generally toeing the government line. Critical, independent journalism is scarce. This reminds me of the late 80's in East Germany. Opposing views are simply positioned as 'right wing' or 'anti-semitic' conspiracies, playing perfectly into the perpetual German post WW2 guilt, the stick to squash any notion of national pride and identity forever.

Merkel stands for less German autonomy, more EU, unsustainable immigration creating rising social, ethnic and religious tension as well as a massive burden on the country's social system - especially in the big cities. Taxes have been rising continuously for many years, bureaucracy and regulatory pressure is becoming a real problem for small business owners - you need permits for the most ridiculous things. The pension system is under water and living on borrowed time.

Then there's the unanswered question of German sovereignty. The country is still an occupied area and has been since WW1 - there never was a peace treaty, a prerequisite to regaining sovereignty. Germans don't even have a proper constitution, just a much weaker law book ("Grundgesetz"). That's another issue that will never be resolved under Merkel. It might not be important to you, to me it is. I believe more in sovereign nations than in handing over power to a bureaucratic, undemocratic and corporate-friendly power structure like the EU.

In short, Merkel's vision is one of a weak Germany and a strong EU. I don't share that vision at all.

Life is great in Germany if you're a government employee. Guaranteed income in good times and bad times and zero skin in the game. Higher-up's are treated and behaving like royalty, especially within politics or the German tax collection agency.

Just for the record: This is bullshit. Just in case somebody who doesn't live in Germany stumbles upon this mumbling and wonders if he's talking sense.
 

Cheimoon

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Just for the record: This is bullshit. Just in case somebody who doesn't live in Germany stumbles upon this mumbling and wonders if he's talking sense.
At this point, he's just a touch of racism away from going total Reichsbürger (link).

Anyway, Trump. With @Beachryan, amazing that virtually no-one in the GOP is calling Trump out on this. But then the GOP has been big on voter suppression since forever; Trump is just upping the rhetoric a notch. So not so amazing after all.
 

Marcosdeto

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Stop talking about Merkel in the Trump's thread or i'll tell Rado N

he will come with his apron and duster and will wipe you all, you'll see

PS: Trump sucks cock, see? i said something about DT so i can't be accused for not complying with the "stay on topic" rule
 

NotworkSte

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Yeah, the 538 podcast talked about the poll and were very critical. I believe it was a poll of subscribers to a particular program/military magazine who were largely career members of the military. From what I remember them saying, career military personnel tend to lean left, while 4 year recruits tend to lean right, so the poll was flawed in that it was drawing largely from a left leaning portion of the military

That being said, Trump has made a number of disparaging remarks about the military and General Mattis, who seems to be as popular a retired military officer as anyone around, has not mixed words about how dangerous he views Trump.
Support also seems to vary per service generally. The Air Force is much more left leaning that the USMC for example which would be further to the right. Lot of cognitive dissonance in the Corp though on their love of Trump and Mattis. Then again the Corp just banned flying the confederate flag a few months ago, tells you something.
I have exposure to the AF through CAP and the AF has done a lot of good progressive things recently addressing racism head on. Kaleth Wright was very vocal.
 

GiddyUp

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He's not leaving folks.
Is there any posters in here that still don't agree that voting Dem right down the ballot is the smartest and decent thing to do?
This is a nationalist coup in the making.
 

GiddyUp

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If Obama had said this, I wonder what the reaction would have been. I know Biden is not that guy but hopefully some one in his team becomes a mega troll and says all of these things when democrats are in power.
Bring back Alan Grayson, the only Democrat with the balls to say what has to be said.
 

GiddyUp

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You are of course entitled to your own opinion on Merkel, if you are happy with the job she's doing, more power to you. I think she's an extremely talented politician who knows how to sit out a war, impose her will and get rid of opposition without getting her hands dirty. Her career path is paved with the corpses of ambitious politicians trying challenge her authority (Koch, Merz, Seehofer etc. etc.). She is very good at what she does, a silent assassin.

Merkel has an 88% approval rating according to state television surveys. Those are Honecker / Lukashenko numbers, not anything based in reality. Mainstream media are generally toeing the government line. Critical, independent journalism is scarce. This reminds me of the late 80's in East Germany. Opposing views are simply positioned as 'right wing' or 'anti-semitic' conspiracies, playing perfectly into the perpetual German post WW2 guilt, the stick to squash any notion of national pride and identity forever.

Merkel stands for less German autonomy, more EU, unsustainable immigration creating rising social, ethnic and religious tension as well as a massive burden on the country's social system - especially in the big cities. Taxes have been rising continuously for many years, bureaucracy and regulatory pressure is becoming a real problem for small business owners - you need permits for the most ridiculous things. The pension system is under water and living on borrowed time.

Then there's the unanswered question of German sovereignty. The country is still an occupied area and has been since WW1 - there never was a peace treaty, a prerequisite to regaining sovereignty. Germans don't even have a proper constitution, just a much weaker law book ("Grundgesetz"). That's another issue that will never be resolved under Merkel. It might not be important to you, to me it is. I believe more in sovereign nations than in handing over power to a bureaucratic, undemocratic and corporate-friendly power structure like the EU.

In short, Merkel's vision is one of a weak Germany and a strong EU. I don't share that vision at all.

Life is great in Germany if you're a government employee. Guaranteed income in good times and bad times and zero skin in the game. Higher-up's are treated and behaving like royalty, especially within politics or the German tax collection agency.
Your taking fecking shite pal and you fecking know it.
 

GiddyUp

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Stop talking about Merkel in the Trump's thread or i'll tell Rado N

he will come with his apron and duster and will wipe you all, you'll see

PS: Trump sucks cock, see? i said something about DT so i can't be accused for not complying with the "stay on topic" rule
The most juvenile poster in this thread ladies and gentlemen.
 

Libano

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Your taking fecking shite pal and you fecking know it.
Nah, I simply have a different opinion on the matter. Diversity of thought is not something that is welcomed with open arms around here. Rather than discussing concrete talking points, ad hominem attacks and throwing fellow posters under the bus for cheap applause from the group seem to be more popular options.

But, as mentioned before, it's a Trump thread.
 
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