Thoughts on Trumps NABJ interview?

[Incogneeto]

[beej]

Anyone starting to think that citizens united was a bad idea?

The problem isn't citizens united. the problem is that our watch dogs fell for the ole "toss 'em a raw beef steak trick."

[neurosis]

The problem isn't citizens united. the problem is that our watch dogs fell for the ole "toss 'em a raw beef steak trick."

I've listened to a lot of discussions on how money in politics has destroyed our politicians support for us common folk.  I've heard some good arguments from the other side. Do you have any? 

 

[beej]

I don't know if these are good arguments or not, but this is what I think.

Jeff Bezos has a lot of money invested in his company. He makes a lot of money but he also has a lot to lose if the US Government doesn't have smart policies. IMO he has the right to donate money to any politician he wants to help protect the policies that he thinks, not only helps his company, but the people that his company employs. I don't agree with Jeff Bezos on many political ideas, but I can see what's at stake for him. Think for example, that the US was to go to war with a country that he does business in, I can see why he would oppose that. Or if a president wants to create tariffs on imports from one of his biggest suppliers. I can see why he would not want that. Maybe I disagree with him on it, but I can still see his dilemma. 

So that's my take on corporations donating big money to politicians. But you might say, what about the little guy? Well it's a concern. But the little guy has tools he can also use. The NRA is made of common people who have banded together to fight for their rights. They are probably more powerful that Jeff Bezos in the political arena. The National Tool & Machining Assoc. is made up of small businesses as well. They join together in an effort to persuade or elect officials with their way of thinking often opposed to the ideas that Jeff Bezos wants.  So too, is the labor union. It's a collection of blue collar workers that have been able to donate large sums of money to one candidate or another to promote their ideologies I may not agree with labor unions on some issues, but I also see that if labor unions can donate a big chunk of money to a political candidate why can't the corporations that they are opposing?

I don't believe it's a perfect system and I'm not naive about the corruption that ensues. But from the beginning we wanted a government that guarantees freedom of speech, and free speech is often ugly, but compelled speech is far worse, in my opinion.

[CNCAppsJames]

Anyone starting to think that citizens united was a bad idea?

This case is one of the cases where upon initial ruling I was 100% ok with. Now I'm a little on the torn side. The unintended consequence has been the overt free-for-all. That said, I still think the ruling was sound because prior to Citizens United, Labor Unions were on preferential footing over corporations. Let's face it labor unions are like 99% in the bag for Democrats and it may even be 100% despite a substantial percentage of it's membership not aligning with Democrats.

What I wish could happen is 1) Outlaw Super-PACs, 2) Outlaw PACs, 3) Outlaw donations from EVERYWHERE except verified US citizens. That means no Labor Union Money and no Corporate money. 4) Limit campaign expenditures to a certain amount based on the office; POTUS would be the highest because POTUS has to advertise nationally, Sentaors get 1/2 the amount POTUS would get, House would get 1/2 the amount of Senators.

JM2C

[Incogneeto]

This case is one of the cases where upon initial ruling I was 100% ok with. Now I'm a little on the torn side. The unintended consequence has been the overt free-for-all. That said, I still think the ruling was sound because prior to Citizens United, Labor Unions were on preferential footing over corporations. Let's face it labor unions are like 99% in the bag for Democrats and it may even be 100% despite a substantial percentage of it's membership not aligning with Democrats.

What I wish could happen is 1) Outlaw Super-PACs, 2) Outlaw PACs, 3) Outlaw donations from EVERYWHERE except verified US citizens. That means no Labor Union Money and no Corporate money. 4) Limit campaign expenditures to a certain amount based on the office; POTUS would be the highest because POTUS has to advertise nationally, Sentaors get 1/2 the amount POTUS would get, House would get 1/2 the amount of Senators.

JM2C

"NutBoi"

[CNCAppsJames]

"NutBoi"

If I'm gonna dream, I'm gonna dream BIG!

[Incogneeto]

^^^^^ Funny^^^^^^^^^^^

[Jim at Gentex]

Let's face it labor unions are like 99% in the bag for Democrats and it may even be 100% despite a substantial percentage of it's membership not aligning with Democrats.

True story...
I have a friend who retired from the auto industry in Detroit a little more than 20 years ago and moved to Pennsylvania when his daughter got married and settled here.

He tells me he still gets a phone call from his union rep every four years, right before every Presidential election, to 'remind' him of which candidate the union is supporting (hint: it is ALWAYS the one with the D after their name...), and adding the subtle threat of 'something bad' happening to his pension if the 'wrong' person were to win.

He just chuckles and tells them to have a nice day, but I wonder how many people actually take that stuff to heart and take their subtle threats seriously.

I have stated here before many times that I worked in two different union shops in my career, and that I am unabashedly anti-union precisely because of those types of bullying tactics.

[CNCAppsJames]

True story...
I have a friend who retired from the auto industry in Detroit a little more than 20 years ago and moved to Pennsylvania when his daughter got married and settled here.

He tells me he still gets a phone call from his union rep every four years, right before every Presidential election, to 'remind' him of which candidate the union is supporting (hint: it is ALWAYS the one with the D after their name...), and adding the subtle threat of 'something bad' happening to his pension if the 'wrong' person were to win.

He just chuckles and tells them to have a nice day, but I wonder how many people actually take that stuff to heart and take their subtle threats seriously.

I have stated here before many times that I worked in two different union shops in my career, and that I am unabashedly anti-union precisely because of those types of bullying tactics.

I've been threatened by a Union thug.

I was working in a Union shop... it was contract time. They were refusing to let us read the contract for ourselves. So I started paperwork to decertify the Union (making it an Open Shop). The shop steward brought some thug from the hall. After work one day, dude approached me and said "very bad things would happen to me if I continue the decertification" process. 

And that was that.

I was a 23 year old with a wife and a kid.

Fuckin' union shitbirds. Their arguments "for" unions are old a tired. They know this. All they have now are threats and intimidation.

[Jim at Gentex]

Coming from a coal mining region, I can definitely say that unions were needed back in the day because many people were essentially caught up in slave labor, working long hours for peanuts, and in dangerous working conditions.

Now the pendulum has swung to the other extreme and they are mostly overpaid underworked thugs who try to pull that intimidation shit on their members because, yeah, that's all they have.

They practically bankrupted the automobile industry by constantly demanding more and more money and benefits and are at least partly to blame for the ridiculously high prices of new cars today.

I know my opinion isn't popular, but they did it and now they own it. 

[mowens]

One thing I do like about Kansas is that it's a right to work state. And constitutional carry. 

[Incogneeto]

One thing I do like about Kansas is that it's a right to work state. And constitutional carry. 

Same as Indiana.

[CNCAppsJames]

One thing I do like about Kansas is that it's a right to work state. And constitutional carry. 

As is Utah. #Murrica