"Flooding the Zone"

[Marener]

As a negotiating tactic to get what we want from them in economic concessions.

The Mexican government just agreed to negotiate as well as send troops to the border right now.

Trump is negotiating with Canada as we speak.

Sending troops to the border helps inflation?

 

[martybegan]

Sending troops to the border helps inflation?

Mexico sending troops helps prevent smuggling and illegals crossing.

Synergy.

 

[berg80]

Just musing over how Merchan will like JAIL!!!

Greg

When do you think the show trials will begin?

 

[westwall]

The High Price Of Kakistocracy

As we inch toward the holidays and the news slows, I wanted to step back and offer a bit more context on the slew of absurdist Trump nominations. The sheer number of unqualified miscreants that Trump has chosen to cast for his second season is overwhelming to the mind and to the mechanisms in place to screen out the worst and dimmest.

“The volume of controversial nominees will force senators to prioritize their battles, allowing some to advance simply due to limited time and attention,” law professor Alan Z. Rozenshtein writes at Lawfare.

I highly recommend Rozenshtein’s piece. It places Trump’s approach to nominations in a broader historical and political context. Here’s a sampling:

Trump’s nominations represent an unprecedented triple assault on constitutional appointment norms: First, many are unqualified or hostile to their agencies’ missions. Second, rather than making a few controversial picks, Trump has flooded the zone, nominating an entire slate of problematic candidates that burdens the Senate’s capacity for proper vetting. And third, Trump has signaled willingness to circumvent the confirmation process through legally dubious tactics such as forced Senate adjournment. Together, these moves threaten to transform the appointments process from a constitutional safeguard into a vehicle for installing loyalists regardless of competence.
Trump Casts The Worst And Dimmest For Season 2

The term "kakistocracy" (rule by the worst) emerged from obscurity during the first Trump administration. The word, which was previously used to describe troubled foreign governments, gained mainstream usage as critics pointed to controversial appointments such as Tom Price at the Department of Health and Human Services and Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency—officials whose qualifications and conduct drew widespread criticism.

With President-elect Donald Trump's imminent return to power, "kakistocracy" is back in public conversation. As the Economist noted by making it “word of the year,” Google searches for the term spiked in November: first after Trump's victory, then after he nominated controversial officials for cabinet positions, including Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of health and human services, and again when Gaetz withdrew his nomination amid criticism. And Trump's recent nomination of Kash Patel to lead the FBI has only intensified concerns about an impending kakistocracy.
The Constitution of Kakistocracy

I had been thinking about writing a post with that title for a while. Due to the number of outrages already piling up. Once I saw the linked article I decided to go ahead. The corruption involving Musk's Tesla car company being advantaged by ending accident reporting for self driving cars, the rampant crypto conflicts of interest following trump's foray in to the crypto biz, the onslaught of unqualified cabinet nominees, the attempts to intimidate the media and political opponents, being some of the more obvious examples.

It brings back memories of the chaos and corruption of trump 1.0. Cabinet nominees being forced to resign for legal and ethical violations. trump firing IG's who were investigating the admin. The refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas. The broken promise, and lies, about the wall. The obstruction of Mueller's investigation. Mike Flynn and Comey being fired within weeks of the inauguration. The lies about the inauguration itself. Many more incidents trumples have stuffed down their memory holes.

Whether by accident or design it can be disorienting. How do you fully examine the background of unqualified cabinet nominees when there are so many of them? How do you stop the cronyism regarding Musk when there's so much regarding crypto? But it must be done. Now it not the time to falter. Now is the time for vigilance.

Cry harder

 

[westwall]

When do you think the show trials will begin?

We've already had those, dumbass. Now the adults are in charge so that bullshit is over.

 

[Marener]

Mexico sending troops helps prevent smuggling and illegals crossing.

Synergy.

Which has nothing to do with inflation.

It feels like you’re giving him credit for fixing the problem he made.

 

[martybegan]

Which has nothing to do with inflation.

It feels like you’re giving him credit for fixing the problem he made.

Fixing the problems he inherited.

All your arguments depend on fixating on one or two things, when there are many problems he is trying to solve.

 

[Marener]

Fixing the problems he inherited.

All your arguments depend on fixating on one or two things, when there are many problems he is trying to solve.

Inflation was by far the most important issue in the election and it seems as though it’s an afterthought.

Unless he brings prices down, then he isn’t fixing anything.

It’s fun watching you dance to avoid admitting anything that goes against MAGA programming.

 

[martybegan]

Inflation was by far the most important issue in the election and it seems as though it’s an afterthought.

Unless he brings prices down, then he isn’t fixing anything.

It’s fun watching you dance to avoid admitting anything that goes against MAGA programming.

Immigration was right up there.

And it was the economy in general, with inflation as the lead symptom.

What would Harris have done? Raise taxes and make sure every child could lop their genitals off?

 

[Tommy Tainant]

This has obviously been a dizzying few days since the Inauguration, with too many actions and orders and proclamations to mention. The incoming team was clearly pretty freakin' busy once victory was secured and preparations were being made to get (back) in. I don't think the country (planet?) has ever seen anything like this.

My guess is that, in addition to "flooding the zone" so that keeping up with and/or opposing any individual thing is pretty much a waste of effort, this administration figures it has to muddle through all of this (getting past teriffs, installing loyalists throughout the government, and making all the other myriad changes) and show actual tangible results before the mid-term elections. Clear outcomes to which they can point to make the chaos worth it. This kind of complete overhaul of, um, everything isn't going to show results, one way or the other, for a while.

Thoughts?

Trump Floods The Zone, Leaving Opposition Drowning

Donald Trump's opponents have spent the days since his inauguration playing political whack-a-mole over a torrent of orders specifically calibrated to overwhelm and bewilder, say analysts, as the new president gets to work on his radical policy agenda.

www.barrons.com

They are throwing in aa lot of performative culture war crap to appease his simple minded base. I do wonder if his blitz is the best way.
But then again he doesnt have any serious policies ro implement. So he will stick with his circus act. I doubt he will have much to show by the midterms.

 

[d0gbreath]

His 3D chess is really just a:

 

[Nostra]

NOW what are you talking about, Trumpster?

The unconstitutional orders you brought up, Dunce.

 

[Mac1958]

The unconstitutional orders you brought up, Dunce.

I said "if", Einstein. Twice.

Do you know what "if" means? Is English your first language?

You're trying too hard.

<flick>

 

[Marener]

Immigration was right up there.

And it was the economy in general, with inflation as the lead symptom.

What would Harris have done? Raise taxes and make sure every child could lop their genitals off?

Since unemployment was low, inflation was low, GDP was growing, I’m not sure anyone needed to do anything except not screw it up.

But Trump promised much more, didn’t he?

 

[Nostra]

I said "if", Einstein. Twice.

Do you know what "if" means? Is English your first language?

You're trying too hard.

<flick>

Glad I could educate you, Simp.

 

[martybegan]

Since unemployment was low, inflation was low, GDP was growing, I’m not sure anyone needed to do anything except not screw it up.

But Trump promised much more, didn’t he?

lower, lower, not growing enough.

Corrected that for ya.

 

[Marener]

lower, lower, not growing enough.

Corrected that for ya.

So unemployment goes from 4.1% to 3.8% and you guys declare it was a miracle brought on us by dear leader?

 

[martybegan]

So unemployment goes from 4.1% to 3.8% and you guys declare it was a miracle brought on us by dear leader?

Considering every time they released the numbers the past 4 years they "corrected" them a few months later to hide bad news, I don't trust any of those numbers right now.

 

[Marener]

Considering every time they released the numbers the past 4 years they "corrected" them a few months later to hide bad news, I don't trust any of those numbers right now.

Is that actually true or is that just what you’re told to believe?

 

[rightwinger]

The issue isn't them speaking about things they don't like, the issue is them refusing to carry out things they don't like.

They are not supposed to decide policy, just implement it.

If they can't work with that, they can resign or get fired.

Nobody is saying otherwise
You are expected to follow direction
Otherwise you are insubordinate