Posts Made By: Brian McFarland

Originally Posted by James Lacey

It's ridiculous. A trade war with Mexico would be devastating. From what I understand, they are our largest trade partner right now, not China. For example, Ford, GM, Whirlpool, etc., have substantial manufacturing plants in Monterrey, not to mention all the car parts made in Mexico. If you need a new car, I hope you bought it before all this started. And the cost of repairs will go up too. And if you voted for Trump because you wanted lower grocery prices, you will be sorely disappointed. A lot of our produce comes from Mexico. And if you voted for Trump because you thought he would lower housing prices, you will also be sorely disappointed. The tariffs on Canada will undoubtedly raise the cost of building materials, just like in his first term.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

I gotta disagree with you on this one: It'll be blame on Biden or something or someone else. MAGA types virtually never fess up to being remorseful or wrong about anything...

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

I gotta disagree with you on this one: It'll be blame on Biden or something or someone else. MAGA types virtually never fess up to being remorseful or wrong about anything...

Originally Posted by David Cotterell

Understanding is not approval. I see that you, Rod, clearly grok the distinction.  Alas, others do not.

e.g.  I understand why a guy would rob a bank.  He's poor, or too lazy to work for an honest living or mentally unstable or a combination. But I do not approve of the robbing of banks.

Dave

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

What is 'grok' the distinction?  I am unfamiliar with that word.  Was this a typo?  If not could you please define it, so that I'm clear as to what you are saying?  

Thank you.

Originally Posted by James Brown

Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land, if I remember correctly.

Originally Posted by James Lacey

It's pretty typical: the guy who constantly accuses everyone else of being illiterate and puppets doesn't know the difference between know and no.

You don't have to be an economic genius to know that Trump's mass deportation plan would be devastating. The housing and construction business in Texas depends heavily on immigrant labor and would come to a crashing halt if illegal and undocumented workers were deported. As I understand, the dairy business is in a similar situation and relies heavily on similar labor to operate 24/7. Without that labor, they would go out of business since they have to operate 24/7 to produce enough products to stay profitable. I'm sure many other industries, such as meat-packing and agriculture, are similarly dependent.

Originally Posted by James Brown

I agree.  Here is my logic on this issue:  

1.  Genuine mass deportation would indeed grind the economy in the sectors you mention to a halt.  (Besides being impossible to implement.
2.  The government is not going to grind the economy to a halt on purpose.
3.  Therefore, there will be no "mass" deportations.

So my conclusion is that Trump is blowing smoke about mass deportations, and also that the press that breathlessly reports these stories is blowing smoke too, knowing full well from their contacts inside the government that there is no true desire and no effective means to implement mass deportations.  Makes for a good campaign promise and a good opposition story though!

I would not be surprised to see an effort to deport those who engage in criminal activity beyond sneaking in.  Also the rate of illegal immigration can be curbed a ton without impacting the economy.

Do you agree, or am I missing something?  Seriously.

Originally Posted by Jim Moscheck

This thread is about Matt Gaetz, the former R congressman from Florida. Your buddy Trump loves him. So you don't want to comment on Gaetz, what does that tell us about you? 

Why don't you start a new thread about Biden if that's who you want to talk about.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

"More than 15,000 doctors across the country signed an open letter urging senators to vote against President-elect Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Robert F. Kennedy Jr."

"In the letter, physicians say they are “appalled” by Trump’s “reckless” appointment of Kennedy, arguing he would be “dangerous” if confirmed to the top public health post."

“This appointment is an affront to the principles of public health, the tireless dedication of medical professionals, and the trust that millions of Americans place in the health care system,” the letter reads. 


“RFK Jr. Has a well-documented history of spreading dangerous disinformation on vaccines and public health interventions, leaving vulnerable communities unprotected and placing millions of lives at risk. His appointment is a direct threat to the safety of our patients and the public at large.”

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5076993-doctors-oppose-kennedy-nomination/