The American Constitution

[JoeKitchen]

Like an iPhone, you mean?

Well, you got me there. 

But then again, I usually get 4 years out of my iPhones and never buy the newest generation. 

My point was that I'd rather buy something that is quality made then purchasing a lower quality product repeatably, ultimately spending more money over time.  Although there are exceptions, much of what comes out of China is not that great. 

[Alan Klein]

I've already acknowledged that there's an element of this out there, but the other side of this is NOT, "..and therefore every attack on a person of color or a women has NO basis in racism or sexism."

If you say Hillary Clinton is corrupt, it's not necessarily rooted in sexism.  If you saw she's a corrupt old nag, and ugly as sin to boot, THEN there's a good case to be made that by concentrating on appearance - a commodity that men have traditionally judged as valuable in women - you're firmly in sexist territory.

Likewise, if you tell Obama to go back to Hawaii, you're probably not being racist.  If you tell Obama to go back to Africa, well, you're probably being racist.   And if you actually have no idea whether Obama is from Hawaii or Africa, and tell him to go back to the country he came from, assuming it can't be the USA, you might be racist AND stupid, or just stupid.   This isn't hard stuff.

But she is an old nag and ugly.  Why is that sexist?  If it's OK to call Trump an orange clown, and my look at his orange yellow hair, and not consider that sexist, I think it's OK to comment on a woman's ugliness.  Let's be fair about it.

[Alan Klein]

What about using the term 'sh*thole countries?'
I suspect that we all used such language when were were young and impulsive.  I suspect that most of us outgrew this and do not use such language in public.  The President is 'supposed' to be an example for all of us (it would be interesting to know whether anyone disagrees with that).  Such language as this and much of what the President says in Tweets is not only unbecoming but can be dangerous as well.

I agree that presidents should be more careful what they said.  But Obama played the race card for political reasons and the left said nothing about it.   It stirred up more racial animosity that wasn't necessary.  It's all wrong. 

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

I'm pleased to know that you now believe that taxes cost Americans precisely zero, since they all go back to the collective US Government. 

If you define “Americans” as consumers+government, yes. Mine “zero” comment stays, and implies nothing about how is that zero achieved. Plus 10 against minus 10 is still zero, just as plus 70 vs. minus 70 is. The debate about tax burden is about 10 vs. 70, not whether the cost is zero or not.

[jeremyrh]

But she is an old nag and ugly.  Why is that sexist?  If it's OK to call Trump an orange clown, and my look at his orange yellow hair, and not consider that sexist, I think it's OK to comment on a woman's ugliness.  Let's be fair about it.

For the same reason it's racist to comment on a Jew's big nose - even if he HAS got a big nose.  It's what you choose to comment on that's the point.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

What about using the term 'sh*thole countries?'..l

A beautifully descriptive, matter-of-fact term. Were they not, there would be no refugees.

[Alan Klein]

How did Obama reducing hacking by 90%? 

The Chinese promised to stop again just weeks ago in negotiation with the Trump administration.  We thought there was a deal.  Then they reneged and cancelled all things they agreed to in negotiations.  They're up to their usual stalling practices trying to wait out TRump.  It's a game they play.  Trump knows that game and won;t play along.

[Alan Klein]

to think that the President can stop malicious hacking is a joke of the highest order.  Hacking goes on all the time by nation states (including the US which has launched malware on other nation states) and individuals.  There was a story about 20 or so cities whose computer systems got infected by ransomware.  Hostpital systems have been shut down, etc. etc.  What do you expect the President to do about all this??

So we should let them steal our stuff?

[JoeKitchen]

What about using the term 'sh*thole countries?'
I suspect that we all used such language when were were young and impulsive.  I suspect that most of us outgrew this and do not use such language in public.  The President is 'supposed' to be an example for all of us (it would be interesting to know whether anyone disagrees with that).  Such language as this and much of what the President says in Tweets is not only unbecoming but can be dangerous as well.

Although certainly not a good thing to say, I don't consider that racist either.  It was a very rude critique of other countries that, I admit, is below the office of the presidency. 

Most countries, other then the USA, Canada, and a few others, are partly based upon an overall majority ethnicity.  Germany is made up of Germans, Japan is made up of Japanese, etc.  If we were to consider this critique racist just because it was directed towards a country with an overall ethnic majority that the person critiquing does not share, then any critique of any country by anyone who does not share that country's ethnicity would also have to be racist by this argument.  This is of course non-sense. 

Now, as I noted before, I don't feel this was an appropriate way to critique these countries by the president and I do not condone it.  It was certainly rude and makes foreign interactions more difficult. 

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

For the same reason it's racist to comment on a Jew's big nose - even if he HAS got a big nose.  It's what you choose to comment on that's the point.

Just because for the lefties, everything is racist. I simply refuse to accept you (collectively) as the judge, jury, and executioner, that is, someone who determines the definition, accuses me on the basis of that, and punishes me.

[JoeKitchen]

So we acknowledge that Bush got nothing done, Clinton got nothing done, Obama secured a temporary 90% reduction in one aspect of IP theft and when he lost power through the normal cycle of American politics it went back to the previous levels, and it's foolish to suggest he got anything done?  That's nonsensical.

Okay, he did get something.  But what he did certainly did not solve the issue.  It merely stemmed the tide. 

It's like some repeat offenders on parole.  They act nice up until they are off parole.  Only when they get caught again, the punishment becomes more severe, as it should. 

Talk is cheap.  Eventually you have to do something if the actions dont stop. 

It is beyond apparent that what Obama did had no lasting effects.  Now we can argue what the next level of response should be, but to suggest that we just continue along with what failed in the past, as if it will suddenly work now, is foolish. 

[jeremyrh]

Just because for the lefties, everything is racist. I simply refuse to accept you (collectively) as the judge, jury, and executioner, that is, someone who determines the definition, accuses me on the basis of that, and punishes me.

Nothing to do with "lefties" - that's your personal obsession. That and your hard-on for AOC.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Nothing to do with "lefties" ...

Of course it has everything to do with lefties. They are the ones who constantly strive to expand the meaning of words, accuse everyone, even within themselves, of racism, etc.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... I don't feel this was an appropriate way to critique these countries by the president and I do not condone it.  It was certainly rude and makes foreign interactions more difficult. 

As is calling the proposal of the mightiest country in the world "absurd." Which was done publicly. Wasn't the shithole comment made behind closed doors, not publicly, and then leaked to damage Trump?

Calling a spade a spade has its benefits.

[jeremyrh]

Of course it has everything to do with lefties. They are the ones who constantly strive to expand the meaning of words, accuse everyone, even within themselves, of racism, etc.

If you have followed British politics (and I don't recommend that you should) you will know that the press have been whining about Labour's "institutional racism" for the last 2 years. Not a peep about Conservative racism, even when they elect a man who talks about "picaninnies" as their leader.

[Peter McLennan]

Of course it has everything to do with lefties. They are the ones who constantly strive to expand the meaning of words, accuse everyone, even within themselves, of racism, etc.

Rash generalizations demean your rhetorical reputation.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Rash generalizations demean your rhetorical reputation.

I have one?

Positive, I assume, as only such can be demeaned

[Alan Klein]

If you have followed British politics (and I don't recommend that you should) you will know that the press have been whining about Labour's "institutional racism" for the last 2 years. Not a peep about Conservative racism, even when they elect a man who talks about "picaninnies" as their leader.

I don't follow British politics; it seems so opaque.  On the other hand, everyone has such an educated English accent.  Are they really bigoted?

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

For the same reason it's racist to comment on a Jew's big nose - even if he HAS got a big nose.  It's what you choose to comment on that's the point.

My daughter has dual citizenship (US and Serbian). However, she spent only about 2-3 weeks of her life in Serbia, when she was 11. During the visit, she asked me: "Dad, do all Serbs have big noses?" I guess you would say that "racism" runs in the family 

[Alan Goldhammer]

Well, you got me there. 

But then again, I usually get 4 years out of my iPhones and never buy the newest generation. 

My point was that I'd rather buy something that is quality made then purchasing a lower quality product repeatably, ultimately spending more money over time.  Although there are exceptions, much of what comes out of China is not that great.

One can say the same things about a lot of things manufactured in the US.  A log of computer and computer component manufacturing moved to China over the past 20 years.  IBM sold their PC business to Lenovo who manufacture high quality notebooks, printers and other stuff.  One may not like the Chinese economic system but most of the electronics are excellent products.  I always try to find US manufacturers when making purchase decisions and have owned some US manufacturing company stock from time to time.  It's now very difficult to find US products that meet my quality standards.