Canadian Politics Today

Beyond Canada => American Politics => Topic started by: Michael Hardner on January 19, 2019, 11:01:22 am


Title: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 19, 2019, 11:01:22 am
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/conrad-black-americas-resurgence-is-reshaping-the-world

Wow.  Horseshit.

The one thing that he says that matters is about oil imports - and he said it got worse under Obama, not really true:

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=oil_imports

Fracking and other supplies have been impacting for awhile.

He said a lot about Europe but nothing about the US's declining influence or lack of leadership.

And look for the word DEFICIT in the piece.  Nothing.

Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Omni on January 19, 2019, 12:29:59 pm
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/conrad-black-americas-resurgence-is-reshaping-the-world

Wow.  Horseshit.

The one thing that he says that matters is about oil imports - and he said it got worse under Obama, not really true:

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=oil_imports

Fracking and other supplies have been impacting for awhile.

Conrad is simply able to deliver similar horseshit only with a slightly more developed vocabulary than can Trump.
As to deficit, perhaps it wasn't mentioned because they didn't have enough room in the column for all the zero's it would take to represent in numerically.     

He said a lot about Europe but nothing about the US's declining influence or lack of leadership.

And look for the word DEFICIT in the piece.  Nothing.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 19, 2019, 04:54:51 pm
We think the US is an evil empire.  Wait until China becomes the most powerful country in the world.  Sometimes you don't appreciate things (even flawed things) until they're gone.

The British Empire, Napolean's France, Hitler's Germany, the Russian Empire & the USSR, Imperial Japan & China, Spanish conquistadors. the Roman Empire etc.  There's never been a "less evil" global superpower or empire in world history.

We should bring China to its knees until they make trade fair with us.  Conrad Black points out the giant trade surplus between China and the US.  We should absolutely fear it as China's GDP has risen in the last 20 years and continues to at a rate so far beyond anything the world has seen in the last 60 years.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Omni on January 19, 2019, 05:09:03 pm
We think the US is an evil empire.  Wait until China becomes the most powerful country in the world.  Sometimes you don't appreciate things (even flawed things) until they're gone.

The British Empire, Napolean's France, Hitler's Germany, the Russian Empire & the USSR, Imperial Japan & China, Spanish conquistadors. the Roman Empire etc.  There's never been a "less evil" global superpower or empire in world history.

We should bring China to its knees until they make trade fair with us.  Conrad Black points out the giant trade surplus between China and the US.  We should absolutely fear it as China's GDP has risen in the last 20 years and continues to at a rate so far beyond anything the world has seen in the last 60 years.

Um, didn't you just post this over on another thread?

I find extremely hypocritical and morally disgusting that Congress has the gumption to refuse to fund a border wall but has found it perfectly acceptable on so many occasions to fund the POTUS' more ridiculous wars and other military engagements that have killed hundreds of thousands over the decades.  Great job!
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 19, 2019, 05:40:28 pm
Um, didn't you just post this over on another thread?

I find extremely hypocritical and morally disgusting that Congress has the gumption to refuse to fund a border wall but has found it perfectly acceptable on so many occasions to fund the POTUS' more ridiculous wars and other military engagements that have killed hundreds of thousands over the decades.  Great job!

Yes.  Key word:  "more ridiculous".  Like the Iraq War.  I don't oppose the US using it's military power when it's to the the advantage of global order and western preeminence, while balancing ethics and sovereignty of other countries.

The Vietnam War and Iraq War were not to the benefit of the US, the West, or the global order, yet Congress kept funding these and other efforts.  Apparently a border wall is the last straw though!
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 19, 2019, 06:07:09 pm
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/conrad-black-americas-resurgence-is-reshaping-the-world

Wow.  Horseshit.

I agree with a lot (not all) of what Conrad is saying.  However, he doesn't balance out his analysis with the harm Trump has been doing.

The US has needed a leader free of the shackles of PC cowardliness and the obedience of corporate political donors.  There's been others over the years, like Jesse Ventura, Ralph Nader, Mike Gravel etc.  What the US doesn't need is a corrupt compulsive liar egomaniac in bed with one of America's biggest enemies (Putin).

The US needs to put its boot up the ass of its rivals with a smile and a handshake.  Trump is good at the 1st part but bad at the 2nd part.  Obama was good at the 2nd part but not the 1st part.  He wouldn't stand up to Russia or China or N.Korea, he was afraid of the grave repercussions, which is also somewhat understandable.  He just wasn't tough enough.  Trump is, he's fearless, but that's also his flaw.  Leaders like Reagan & JFK, maybe Clinton had the tough-but-nice-thing down.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 20, 2019, 08:23:12 am
The US has needed a leader free of the shackles of PC cowardliness and the obedience of corporate political donors.
For the latter = yes.  For the former = why ? I know it's annoying and doesn't play across political groups.

China is a rival, but the conventional wisdom is that tarrifs and zero-sum trade policy won't do it.

The US lost its advantage.  I would say skimping on education and intrastructure, and accumulating wealth at the top did that but let's talk.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: kimmy on January 20, 2019, 11:51:57 am
I just skimmed the article, because Conrad Black is incredibly ridiculous in his writing style.  I never really understood the word "bloviating" before I read Black's columns.  I don't think I've ever seen a published writer with a worse content to volume ratio than Lord Black.

His notion of an American resurgence seems poorly defended.  North Korea is on its best behavior? Really?  North Korea is doing exactly what they were doing before Trump's absurd summit with Li'l Kim.   China? Trump's trade war against China isn't a success.  Oil?  Black is just plain wrong regarding oil.  The surge in US oil production started long before Trump took office.   He points to the yellow-vest mobs in France as evidence that Macron is screwing up... if so, what has that got to do with a US resurgence? 

Internationally what Black calls a US resurgence is actually a withdrawal from international influence.  Domestically the supposed resurgence is supported by little more than very high employment figures for the time being.

 -k
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 20, 2019, 12:50:22 pm
For the latter = yes.  For the former = why ? I know it's annoying and doesn't play across political groups.

Annoying isn't an issue.  Too much PC talk/action from a political leader is bad because sometimes you need to speak and enact policy that is good or necessarily even if it will offend a vocal minority.  Yes you have to be diplomatic but sometimes **** just needs to get done.

Quote
China is a rival, but the conventional wisdom is that tarrifs and zero-sum trade policy won't do it.

Conventional wisdom has failed so far.  I don't know what the answer is, but if we're going to trade with China it should be about equally beneficial.  The trade deficit is incredible.

Quote
The US lost its advantage.  I would say skimping on education and intrastructure, and accumulating wealth at the top did that but let's talk.

Sure that's part of it.  But China has 1.3 billion people and a ferociously improving economy.  I doubt anything can be done to stop China growing in power and the US losing power relatively as a result.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 20, 2019, 12:55:57 pm
1. Annoying isn't an issue.  Too much PC talk/action from a political leader is bad because sometimes you need to speak and enact policy that is good or necessarily even if it will offend a vocal minority.  Yes you have to be diplomatic but sometimes **** just needs to get done.

2. Conventional wisdom has failed so far.  I don't know what the answer is, but if we're going to trade with China it should be about equally beneficial.  The trade deficit is incredible.

3. I doubt anything can be done to stop China growing in power and the US losing power relatively as a result.

1. 2.  Can you explain more ?

3.  But you still say .... "The US needs to put its boot up the ass of its rivals with a smile and a handshake"  Did the UK do that when it lost advantage?
 
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 20, 2019, 01:21:17 pm
His notion of an American resurgence seems poorly defended.  North Korea is on its best behavior? Really?  North Korea is doing exactly what they were doing before Trump's absurd summit with Li'l Kim.   China? Trump's trade war against China isn't a success.

I'm not in any position to evaluate the success (or not) of the China trade war (i'm not an economist, and many economists don't know wtf they're talking about anyways), nor the complexities of what's happening in North Korea especially regarding its nukes (it's so secret & the N.Koreans so sneaky who the hell would even know that for sure).  I'm not sure how you are or how you reached these conclusions, but i'm all ears.

What I do know is that the US is no longer China or North Korea's ****.  Russia well that's another story LOL. 

Quote
Internationally what Black calls a US resurgence is actually a withdrawal from international influence.

Trump is grabbing everyone (besides Russia!) who acts against US interests, bending them over a table and dry humping them.  Whether that produces offspring i guess remains to be seen.  Not sure how that shows US withdrawal from international influence though.  He's told NATO to go eff themselves until the other members actually contribute their agreed amount, you can call that withdrawal or you can call it a negotiating tactic.

Trump has been wrong more times to count, but he's not 100% wrong 100% of the time, despite what everybody (excluding MAGA hat-wearers) claim.   Take Obama and sew Trump's balls on him then give him Bernie Sander's honestly & ethics & you'd have a perfect POTUS. To even defend any part of any of Trump's policies is to be risked being called a racist MAGA supporter. I refuse to virtue signal to the angry mob.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Omni on January 20, 2019, 01:46:34 pm
I'm not in any position to evaluate the success (or not) of the China trade war (i'm not an economist, and many economists don't know wtf they're talking about anyways), nor the complexities of what's happening in North Korea especially regarding its nukes (it's so secret & the N.Koreans so sneaky who the hell would even know that for sure).  I'm not sure how you are or how you reached these conclusions, but i'm all ears.

What I do know is that the US is no longer China or North Korea's ****.  Russia well that's another story LOL. 

Trump is grabbing everyone (besides Russia!) who acts against US interests, bending them over a table and dry humping them.  Whether that produces offspring i guess remains to be seen.  Not sure how that shows US withdrawal from international influence though.  He's told NATO to go eff themselves until the other members actually contribute their agreed amount, you can call that withdrawal or you can call it a negotiating tactic.

Trump has been wrong more times to count, but he's not 100% wrong 100% of the time, despite what everybody (excluding MAGA hat-wearers) claim.   Take Obama and sew Trump's balls on him then give him Bernie Sander's honestly & ethics & you'd have a perfect POTUS. To even defend any part of any of Trump's policies is to be risked being called a racist MAGA supporter. I refuse to virtue signal to the angry mob.

OMG, Trump isn't "dry humping" anyone. To start with I doubt he has the balls to do it so to suggest sewing what he has got onto Obama is a complete sacrilege to even suggest. What he is getting is the middle finger from country leaders who used to be important allies. The EU would be one good example. Who's **** he is would be Fat Kim's for one, Trump has invited a murderous dictator onto the world stage with him suggesting it's an attempt to cause NK to denuc, while sat photos show Kim is carrying on as per normal. He's obviously also Putin's **** if you happen to have suffered through the Helsinki meeting where Trump kissed Putin's ass while completely gutting the entire US intelligence community. Hopefully for the US, Cohen's testimony coming up Feb 7 and Mueller's report when ever it comes out will begin the process of removing Mr. Bonespurs from office.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: ?Impact on January 20, 2019, 02:26:29 pm
Trump is, he's fearless, but that's also his flaw.

I would say reckless is a better description.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: wilber on January 20, 2019, 02:39:36 pm
Yes.  Key word:  "more ridiculous".  Like the Iraq War.  I don't oppose the US using it's military power when it's to the the advantage of global order and western preeminence, while balancing ethics and sovereignty of other countries.

The Vietnam War and Iraq War were not to the benefit of the US, the West, or the global order, yet Congress kept funding these and other efforts.  Apparently a border wall is the last straw though!

I think the “wall” is just the pretence for a power struggle between Congress and the President. 5.7 B isn’t much in the American scheme of things (only 1/2% of next years forcast deficit) but Mexico was supposed to be paying for it. I think Trump will probably get his wall but not until after government workers are getting paid again.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Omni on January 20, 2019, 02:53:49 pm
I wonder why Trump hasn't reached into his bag of nick names to lay one on Nancy Pelosi. Maybe he knows he has met his match and/or his handlers have advised him not to play with fire.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: wilber on January 20, 2019, 08:43:12 pm
Because he knows he has no choice but to deal with Pelosi, he just can’t blow her off.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Michael Hardner on January 21, 2019, 06:15:42 am
THREAD DRIFT !!!  >:(
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: waldo on January 21, 2019, 07:32:40 am
the guy who did 'Big House' time for fraud & obstruction of justice... that guy... who has repeatedly supported Trump in the past?

Quote from: Conrad Black
This irritating mind reading by people who don’t know me, this imputation of motives, I think, is discreditable. There is, at this point, no thought of a pardon whatsoever.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: cybercoma on January 21, 2019, 08:58:18 am
In the 1980s, Conrad Black was an executive with Dominion Food Stores. He robbed those employees of their pensions back then. Completely raided the corporate accounts and **** off with the money. As we all know, he went on to fleece thousands of other people too. The guy is a real piece of **** and I refuse to humour anything he produces by even reading it. He can get **** and his article isn't going to get traffic from me.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 21, 2019, 05:48:46 pm
THREAD DRIFT !!!  >:(

Don't tell Charles, he'll shut this place down!
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 21, 2019, 05:50:06 pm
I would say reckless is a better description.

I'd agree.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Queefer Sutherland on January 21, 2019, 05:52:21 pm
What he is getting is the middle finger from country leaders who used to be important allies. The EU would be one good example.

I agree.  He's way too abrasive.

Quote
Who's **** he is would be Fat Kim's for one, Trump has invited a murderous dictator onto the world stage with him suggesting it's an attempt to cause NK to denuc, while sat photos show Kim is carrying on as per normal.

Trump threatened to annihilate Kim & his country with nuclear weapons.  I wouldn't say that makes Trump Kim's ****.  But yeah Kim will obviously try his best to give any US POTUS the run-around.
Title: Re: Conrad Black on the US "Resurgence"
Post by: Omni on January 21, 2019, 09:34:20 pm
I agree.  He's way too abrasive.

Trump threatened to annihilate Kim & his country with nuclear weapons.  I wouldn't say that makes Trump Kim's ****.  But yeah Kim will obviously try his best to give any US POTUS the run-around.

One day Trump's gonna bomb Fat Kim, the next he is parading around a world stage with him, the next he is inviting him to the WH. All the while Kim is continuing building his nukes. I think we all know who fell for the run around.