Phoenix, redirecting money from the military industrial complex and propping up corrupt regimes and terrorists around the globe to rebuilding US infrastructure is neither left wing or right wing. It's common sense.

Public-Private Partnership.

The choice is not limited to either being done entirely by the state or entirely by private enterprise.

The government under Trump can contract various private enterprises to rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure. As well as the wall.

The Trump Organization as a private enterprise will take part in the rebuilding.

Competition will be involved. Those PEs must compete with each other in the contract bidding process to win the contract to undertake a certain project. Private profit is also at stake, so they have to try their best. This makes use of the strong points of market economy.

Alternatively, the government can lead by first undertaking an important but risky project, and then transfer it to PEs when it has stabilized.

After the trend is set, and this became a lucrative business, PEs will automatically jump into it, forming a dynamic market. The government can take its hand off it.

There are many ways.

Rebuilding America's infrastructure is the right direction, and a selling point. Trump should adopt this approach.

For those who are worried that this is a "big government" idea which is traditionally part of the Democratic platform: that is precisely part of the point. I wrote this in the OP:

Quote: (05-04-2016 10:05 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

It allows Trump to put forward a theme that no Republican president has ever done. In fact, it's more of a Democratic theme, and many "true conservative" types will scream and shout about "Big Government" and how evil it is, and how we don't have money for it. That's great -- it will allow the general public to see Trump for the pragmatic, centrist moderate that he is, someone who is not afraid to borrow ideas from the left and who only cares about America first, not any rigid ideology.

It's good and important for Trump to show the voters that he doesn't care if a proposal is Republican or Democratic, liberal and conservative. All that he cares about is that it's good for America.

To reiterate other points from the OP:

1. The country really needs it, and people know this. Our airports, roads, bridges, tunnels etc are ancient and in disrepair. We do look like a third world country compared to places which had more recently invested in their infrastructure. This will have to happen sooner or later. To not invest in infrastructure when it is actually crumbling, interest rates are at record lows, and the economy is otherwise stagnant, is not "conservative", it's just dumb and shortsighted.

2. Democrats have proposed doing this in the past, but guess what? They failed. Obama had a nearly 1 trillion dollar stimulus, but why is our infrastructure crumbling more than ever? Trump has a unique credibility on this subject because he is a LIFELONG BUILDER, with a real reputation for delivering ahead of schedule and under budget. He can say, they couldn't do it because they wouldn't know where to start or how to go about it; I can and will. He has as much or more credibility on this than on any other subject. He'd be a fool not to use it, and highlight the Democrats' incompetence and corruption in the process.

3. Those who want Trump to be some sort of ideological purist understand neither Trump nor the stakes of this election. Trump never presented himself as any kind of small government conservative. He is an American nationalist and an America firster, who can liberate and unleash great American ENERGIES. He can win as a largely non-ideological figure who has no regard and no patience for the pieties of the left and the right alike. Like he's been saying lately, "I am a conservative, but really who cares? We've got to get the country back on track".

The stakes of this election are great. While a Hillary win is not the end of civilization or the end of America, it would foster the continuation of some of the worst and most unpleasant tendencies in our society. A Trump win would be a stunning rebuke to our enemies, and this is not because of any ideology but because of the difference in kind that Trump himself embodies, and because of the American energies that he liberates. It is very important to set all ideological purity aside and keep our eyes on the prize. Trump will have to pander relentlessly to women; he will ally himself with politicians that would be considered "cucks" or worse on this forum, and may well choose one of them to be his running mate; and he will, if he is smart, freely borrow themes and ideas from Democrats and Republicans alike, as long as they fit in with his vision of Making America Great Again. All these things are good and necessary, and should be welcomed by those who keep the goal in sight. For those who have forgotten or become distracted, that goal is simple:

To WIN, to defeat the HAG, and to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.

Having slept on TLOZ's idea, I think it's brilliant. Not only are bridges concrete objects that involve positive action, but they're also rhetorical devices that steal Hillary's language and frame.

So when Hillary says we need to build bridges uniting ourselves with our Mexican immigrants, people will think of Trump.

When she says, "Make America Whole Again", people will think of the bridges, and Trump.

When Hillary proposes any political proposal, Trump can say, "That proposal is really complex and difficult, much more so than repairing America's bridges. And when you were in Congress, our bridges became a disaster. If you couldn't do something so simple and important like fixing our bridges, then what makes you think you can successfully implement your proposal?"

Not nearly all Americans are smart enough to understand complex foreign policy, but they can understand bridge building. And they can also understand that they've wanted to do something as beautiful and wealth-producing as bridge building. Trump can then portray the government as so stupid and corrupt that they couldn't let the American people repair their own bridges.

Great thread, LOZ.

I work the trades in Chicago and before that I worked for the railroad. The problem I foresee is that the white people in our great country by and large aren't cutout for heavy construction. Sans the one's already in it or some select few in their late 20's early 30's. I have noticed the men in those age groups still have a decent work ethic. Early 20's just aren't cut out for this: they don't have the work ethic and have no discipline or respect. I'm sure people have been saying that for generations, but this current crop isn't worth a shit.

The dirty secret in construction: outside of the skilled trades it's all Mexican workers. The 45 story I'm working at now has probably almost 30-40% Mexican workers. Granted, these guys bust their ass, but they're doing jobs white people don't want to do: drywall, taping, concrete finishers/laborers. The last one is pure irony: if we're going to build that wall it's going to be white guys running and driving the concrete booms and Mexicans doing the labor/finishing. There are some concrete outfits here that are 100% pure off the boat Irish, but by and large it's Mexicans doing the labor and finishing.

So if we truly want to make America Great Again, it should be done by American citizens, but I just don't see there being a large enough pool of citizens who want to do/can handle heavy construction.

Hopefully I'm wrong because I would love to see more good, strong American citizens working the trades and rebuilding this country.

Quote: (05-05-2016 11:39 AM)Monty_Brogan Wrote:  

Great thread, LOZ.

I work the trades in Chicago and before that I worked for the railroad. The problem I foresee is the white people by and large don't/aren't cut for heavy construction. Sans the one's already in it or some select few in their late 20's early 30's. I have noticed the men in those age groups still have a decent work ethic. Early 20's just aren't cut out for this: they don't have the work ethic and have no discipline or respect. I'm sure people have been saying that for generations, but this current crop isn't worth a shit.

The dirty secret in construction: outside of the skilled trades it's all Mexican workers. The 45 story I'm working at now has probably almost 30-40% Mexican workers. Granted, these guys bust their ass, but they're doing jobs white people don't want to do: drywall, taping, concrete finishers/laborers. The last one is pure irony: if we're going to build that wall it's going to be white guys running and driving the concrete booms and Mexicans doing the labor/finishing. There are some concrete outfits here that are 100% pure off the boat Irish, but by and large it's Mexicans doing the labor and finishing.

So if we truly want to make America Great Again, it should be done by American citizens, but I just don't see there being a large enough pool of citizens who want to do/can handle heavy construction.

Hopefully I'm wrong because I would love to see more good, strong American citizens working the trades and rebuilding this country.

Yes there needs to be a cultural change which can only really happen through some sudden realistic changes to the market. There was a similar situation in Moscow before the economic crisis. The government decided that it would be better to have ethnic Russians do the undesirable jobs rather than migrants from the Stans. Taking this hard line worked, and undocumented workers were quickly deported.

If this is only Part One, I think we're in for a treat. Lizard of Oz's commentary and predictions regarding the Trump campaign have consistently been on point. This man knows what he is talking about and I hope that those in Trump's war room have access to this forum.

Brilliant write-up LOZ

I totally agree, and anyone who knows Trump or has read his books will attest, he is a BUILDER through and through. If you've read Art Of The Deal, you will know that all he talks about is negotiating real estate deals, negotiating contracts and permits with govt, building hotels, building casinos, building towers, building resorts etc etc. One of his greatest joys in life is negotiating deals to build enormous things, it's in his blood and it's how he's made his fortune. He has talked about Rebuilding America many times in his campaign speeches as well, and if you haven't noticed then you haven't been listening. He has often compared us to other countries he goes to like UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, etc and asked why their airports, roads, bridges are all so superior to ours now. He has repeatedly said he wants to stop funding countries like China who have built up their infrastructure immensely over the last few decades at our expense, and now he wants to make our country beautiful and the best in the world again.

To me it's a throwback to one of the greatest Presidents ever, Franklin D Roosevelt (D) and his New Deal where he rebuilt America and put many Americans back to work after the Great Depression. Even if FDR was a Democrat, he was also a Populist like Trump, and has many other similarities in character as well the state of the World economy when both men were in charge. Andrew Jackson was another great Democrat who was also a Populist.

http://content.time.com/time/specials/pa...86,00.html
This is a good article telling how FDR had his own communist Huey Long (like Bernie Sanders) to fight against, who was to the Left of FDR's already progressive campaign. To stop the communist/socialist uprising that had started after the Great Depression FDR absorbed his message and ideas on rebuilding the infrastructure, and gained broader support that led to him winning re-election more than any President ever. This is also an olive branch from Trump to Bernie Bros, and all their socialist views.

As you know Trump was a long time Democrat and is a hybrid candidate if there ever was one, right now isn't the time to pigeonhole his kind of innovation and label everything D & R, we need new ideas and compromise on both sides of the aisle to create new alliances. We will need more public works projects like this to get the economy going and bring us out of our own Modern Depression. This is all part of Trump's larger plan to create more jobs and put Americans to work as well, and it's just common sense. Rebuild America to Make America Great Again.

An excellent proposal, and if you read Crippled America, he devotes an entire chapter to it.

It's also an issue he's personally involved in and has lampooned the incompetence of government for a long time. Read about how he rebuilt the Wollman Skating rink in Central Park. The city couldn't get this thing done for 6 years, a simple skating rink! Trump got it done in 4 months and nearly a million dollars under budget. There haven't been any problems with it since, and as I pass by it all the time, I see the big red TRUMP mark on it with a smirk on my lips.

Trump was a big figure in the city's renaissance from "the bad old days" in the 70's and 80's. His developments reclaimed crumbling neighborhoods LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. Even 5th avenue and Columbus Circle were crumbling. Grand Central/42nd street was basically a slum. Trump redevloped them all and they are better today than they ever were.

Let him take that message out to the country. The sea hag constantly touts her "experience." Trump can easily just flip the script and say "your experience is in starting wars and sending our jobs overseas, remember NAFTA? My experience is in rebuilding neighborhoods and communities and bringing jobs to them, and I'm gonna do that for our country and we will make America great again - better than ever before."

Drop the mic. Done.

PLEASE SPREAD THIS AROUND!

Quote: (05-05-2016 12:40 PM)DamienCasanova Wrote:  

Brilliant write-up LOZ

I totally agree, and anyone who knows Trump or has read his books will attest, he is a BUILDER through and through. If you've read Art Of The Deal, you will know that all he talks about is negotiating real estate deals, negotiating contracts and permits with govt, building hotels, building casinos, building towers, building resorts etc etc. One of his greatest joys in life is negotiating deals to build enormous things, it's in his blood and it's how he's made his fortune. He has talked about Rebuilding America many times in his campaign speeches as well, and if you haven't noticed then you haven't been listening. He has often compared us to other countries he goes to like UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, etc and asked why their airports, roads, bridges are all so superior to ours now. He has repeatedly said he wants to stop funding countries like China who have built up their infrastructure immensely over the last few decades at our expense, and now he wants to make our country beautiful and the best in the world again.

To me it's a throwback to one of the greatest Presidents ever, Franklin D Roosevelt (D) and his New Deal where he rebuilt America and put many Americans back to work after the Great Depression. Even if FDR was a Democrat, he was also a Populist like Trump, and has many other similarities in character as well the state of the World economy when both men were in charge. Andrew Jackson was another great Democrat who was also a Populist.

http://content.time.com/time/specials/pa...86,00.html
This is a good article telling how FDR had his own communist Huey Long (like Bernie Sanders) to fight against, who was to the Left of FDR's already progressive campaign. To stop the communist/socialist uprising that had started after the Great Depression FDR absorbed his message and ideas on rebuilding the infrastructure, and gained broader support that led to him winning re-election more than any President ever. This is also an olive branch from Trump to Bernie Bros, and all their socialist views.

As you know Trump was a long time Democrat and is a hybrid candidate if there ever was one, right now isn't the time to pigeonhole his kind of innovation and label everything D & R, we need new ideas and compromise on both sides of the aisle to create new alliances. We will need more public works projects like this to get the economy going and bring us out of our own Modern Depression. This is all part of Trump's larger plan to create more jobs and put Americans to work as well, and it's just common sense. Rebuild America to Make America Great Again.

Phoenix disagrees:

Quote: (07-27-2015 12:40 PM)Phoenix Wrote:  

FDR was the worst president America ever had. An outright thug who permanently damaged the constitution in a way that was eventually used to start the drug war. Some of his actions, like burning farm produce to stop prices falling, clearly paint him as an outright moron or even lunatic. The actual economic record doesn't point whatsoever to he 'got America out of the depression', in spite of the widely circulated myth that he did.
The depression of 1920 lasted for no more than two years because the government did nothing. The depression of 1929 lasted until WW2 because of FDR.

Quote: (05-05-2016 01:43 PM)Libertas Wrote:  

An excellent proposal, and if you read Crippled America, he devotes an entire chapter to it.

It's also an issue he's personally involved in and has lampooned the incompetence of government for a long time. Read about how he rebuilt the Wollman Skating rink in Central Park. The city couldn't get this thing done for 6 years, a simple skating rink! Trump got it done in 4 months and nearly a million dollars under budget. There haven't been any problems with it since, and as I pass by it all the time, I see the big red TRUMP mark on it with a smirk on my lips.

Trump was a big figure in the city's renaissance from "the bad old days" in the 70's and 80's. His developments reclaimed crumbling neighborhoods LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. Even 5th avenue and Columbus Circle were crumbling. Grand Central/42nd street was basically a slum. Trump redevloped them all and they are better today than they ever were.

Let him take that message out to the country. The sea hag constantly touts her "experience." Trump can easily just flip the script and say "your experience is in starting wars and sending our jobs overseas, remember NAFTA? My experience is in rebuilding neighborhoods and communities and bringing jobs to them, and I'm gonna do that for our country and we will make America great again - better than ever before."

Drop the mic. Done.!

Great point made and illustrated (Trump having proved over and over again that he is a great builder and energizer), Libertas. By the way, congratulations on (correctly) guessing, as early as the 28th of April, that Cruz' campaign was totally dead. ( http://masculineepic.com/index.html/2016/...ruz-story/ )

^Lol did you have that quote bookmarked or something? But yeah, I stand by it.

1920 recession ends in two years with little government intervention. Gets forgotten.
1929 recession becomes Great Depression as FDR 'does a great job', ending only in 1940s when he sends all those unemployed to Europe with a gun. You know a president did great when he precipitates a presidential term limit constitutional amendment.

Quote: (05-05-2016 06:03 AM)Phoenix Wrote:  

Even 350+ million people couldn't rebuild America's infrastructure? Are they all disabled? Trump's buildings, as a private businessman, do not crumble. That's why he has his high reputation -- which took decades to construct. He's north of 70 now. He has had personal lifetime incentive, as his sons will inherent ownership of his personal brand and his companies, as he did from his father before him. A government has no such incentive unless perhaps it's a monarchy. Which in the US it is not.

If you want to stop elephants going extinct, you sell them. https://ricochet.com/archives/privatize-the-elephant/

If you want bridges to stop collapsing, you sell them. Preferably to someone like Trump.

This is not ideological, unrealistic, or self-serving. It is purely fact.

I don't disagree with the premise at all - I'm trying to get the point across that this will not happen, even if Trump wanted to pursue this strategy he could not accomplish it.

I don't understand how you are not seeing the scale and complications involved, or how radical and difficult it would be to suddenly get an entire nations local and states governments to sell every road, freeway, bridge etc to private parties.

How is that not purely idealistic? Surely you can concede it is highly improbable that this could happen.

The article you linked is about state wildlife parks in Africa being sold to private companies, and it is successful because tourists provide income. How does that relate to a bridge? What profit motive is there for a private company to buy a bridge or road, unless it becomes toll based access? They aren't tourist attraction wildlife parks. You also mentioned the railway in Japan. These are not comparable to what we are talking about. If we were talking about a new "something system" that needs to be operated and staffed and produces income then absolutely, we should go the private route, and we have and do in this country in some instances.

On the other hand, who is going to buy every bridge, road, freeway etc, and why are they doing so? Why are the going to spend the billions of dollars that are needed, not just for purchase but also to rebuild? How will it be recouped? I assume the citizens are paying in some way, in that case is it not exactly like a tax? Then, is it not exactly the situation as it exists today except a different man in control?

Maybe you mean you just want private enterprise to rebuild infrastructure, not necessarily own it? If thats the case, then mission accomplished. Private construction companies already build the vast majority of infrastructure in the U.S.. The jobs created by these projects are private sector jobs, they aren't government workers doing the freeway expansion I can see from my condo.

Putting those questions aside, the federal government doesn't control the vast majority of what the states choose to do. A president could not make this extreme change happen unless everyone involved wanted to pursue it.

You haven't said anything that would make this type of mass change over of all infrastructure to private hands remotely plausible. There isn't an example of anything comparable to what you're suggesting anywhere in the world, likely for good reason.

You are suggesting a complete societal and governmental change (it's not just a train or wildlife park) to a libertarian based model, which has no precedent, and trying to say it is realistic, plausible and worth considering.

In my opinion, that is, indeed, the definition of pure idealism.

This is not a condemnation of the value of the ideals themselves, as you've tried to frame my posts, but of the realistic chance of them being implemented.

I love a good conspiracy theory, but FDR pulling our country out of the Great Depression and stopping the freefall by putting people to work rebuilding our infrastructure is a "widely circulated myth" now? I doubt any of us were around to see it ourselves, but has history been re-written and all of us lied to in history class just to protect FDR's legacy? He did the job the people elected him to do, get them back to work...What else was he going to do with what he inherited from his predecessors? Of course nothing will probably ever boom an economy as immediately as WW2, but being smart and prudent and focusing on local jobs is a slow and arduous climb back up the economic mountain. No one said it would be easy and immediately gratifying and turn the economy around in a few months. But the fact is the New Deal worked for a lot of people, for morale, and for the economy. Not everything is so black and white, there are many good and bad parts to such a massive initiative, but on a utilitarian scale it did far more good for more people than it harmed.

There was a recession in the economy in the early 2000s as well under Bush as the tech bubble of the 90s burst, and that was short lived and quickly forgotten once 9/11 happened and we went to war. It was a run-up to the big depression in 2008, which Obama did a "great job" of fixing so far, as we are still in the middle of the worst Depression since the Great Depression. We have only delayed the inevitable because monetary policies like Quantitative Easing, ZIRP, and starting wars with every country we can hasn't helped things. You could also say the Depression of 2008 has lasted this long because of Clinton/Bush/Obama policies of the 90s and 00s that started when we began outsourcing our economy through NAFTA and we became a nation of consuming and not producing in-house anymore. Our economy really died when it became hollowed out in the early 2000s, and it's been nothing but corruption, banksters theft of public money, lies, damn lies and statistics since then. We've been kicking the can down the road delaying the inevitable for 16 years (as long as the Great Depression). Trump's policies would in a way be a return to at least pre-Clinton era economics and a determination to be more self-reliant and populist.

I don't think the term limit restriction was a referendum on how horrible FDR's time in office was, that's a take i've never heard before. FDR must have been one of the most loved Presidents ever to get elected 4 times, i'm not a personal fan or anything, just observing that he seemed a very popular figure in American history. I thought it was more an issue of his health after his 4 terms, and the office of President was creeping towards a monarchy/dictatorship.

I would love to see American infrastructure improved.

I feel embarrassed for you guys arriving at JFK; airports in the 3rd World are better...and upon leaving it is painfully obvious how old and dilapidated things are.

I've oft wondered why there isn't a word for those, like me, who love America (anglophile, francophile etc)...It would be great for your collective national self esteem for the country to look and feel like the richest, most powerful nation on Earth.

It would be great to see Trump get Elon Musk and his guys on board for projects like this. America has the talent and the know-how to make some seriously bold moves. Imagine hyperloops or mag-levs whipping around the entire USA. Im not an expert on the topic but if Tesla's new car is all its cracked up to be, it would be huge to be able to kickstart a shift to electric vehicles. Good for the environment, frees America from foreign (Middle Eastern) oil, puts americans to work, creates world-class infrastructure, and would have MASSIVE bi-partisan appeal. all good things that align with both his domestic and foreign policy.

Quote: (05-05-2016 01:43 PM)Libertas Wrote:  

An excellent proposal, and if you read Crippled America, he devotes an entire chapter to it.

It's also an issue he's personally involved in and has lampooned the incompetence of government for a long time. Read about how he rebuilt the Wollman Skating rink in Central Park. The city couldn't get this thing done for 6 years, a simple skating rink! Trump got it done in 4 months and nearly a million dollars under budget. There haven't been any problems with it since, and as I pass by it all the time, I see the big red TRUMP mark on it with a smirk on my lips.

Trump was a big figure in the city's renaissance from "the bad old days" in the 70's and 80's. His developments reclaimed crumbling neighborhoods LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. Even 5th avenue and Columbus Circle were crumbling. Grand Central/42nd street was basically a slum. Trump redevloped them all and they are better today than they ever were.

Let him take that message out to the country. The sea hag constantly touts her "experience." Trump can easily just flip the script and say "your experience is in starting wars and sending our jobs overseas, remember NAFTA? My experience is in rebuilding neighborhoods and communities and bringing jobs to them, and I'm gonna do that for our country and we will make America great again - better than ever before."

Drop the mic. Done.

PLEASE SPREAD THIS AROUND!

He just mentioned a smattering of this at his first post-nomination rally in West Virginia.

Like clockwork.

Right on cue, Trump starts a major campaign push for rebuilding America's infrastructure:

Donald Trump is campaigning on the new deal

Quote:Quote:

Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump reiterated his commitment to a massive increase in infrastructure spending. “Maybe my greatest strength is the economy, jobs, and building,” Trump said. “We do have to rebuild our infrastructure.”

“This is not something that’s front-and-center [for] a lot of far-right conservatives in terms of ... " right-leaning CNBC host Joe Kernen observed, before trailing off. “You’re not going to tack to the right to try to garner more support from that part of the party?”

“I don’t tack right or left. I tack what’s right,” Trump replied.

He's also talking about how he is an "infrastructure person", and how he "knows how to build". And he mentions how people who don't know the ins and outs of the business get taken for a ride by the construction companies, something that would never happen with him.

Basically, he is hitting every point in this post the morning after it was made.

Video is here:

Smart Dems are panicking about Trump's pivot to the infrastructure theme:

https://twitter.com/DavidKusnet/status/7...3791298561

Quote:Quote:

David Kusnet
‏@DavidKusnet

#HillaryClinton needs to stress her #RebuildAmerica program before #Trump claims #Infrastructure issue.

4:33 PM - 5 May 2016

https://twitter.com/Michael_Stahler/stat...7879872516

Quote:Quote:

michael
‏@Michael_Stahler

started listening to some of trump's speeches to note trends. he's drifting from walls and deportation to infrastructure and corruption...
2:56 PM - 5 May 2016

Trump had a massive rally in Charleston, WV tonight. The whole rally is well worth seeing -- it had a great vibe, the crowd was pumped and Trump was at his best. But there are two parts in particular where Trump talks about rebuilding America's infrastructure. One starts at 33:36, and the other one starts at 39:54. Check them out:






In the first segment, he talks about himself and how he knows all the ins and outs of rebuilding infrastructure and not getting taken for a ride by construction companies -- because he is a BUILDER who has done this his whole life. In the second segment he talks about how we have crumbling airports and snail-paced trains that go CHUG... CHUG... CHUG... but it's going to change when he's president.

Ron Paul shows why Paul Ryan is a true globalist Rat-Cuck - hint - Mr. Trump is not if favor of these mega bailouts of territories and Cities as the money just disappears and does not go into productive infrastructure and just supports bloated Government Dem-Rino-Cuck Jobs and Pensions.

Dear Deepdiver,

In the fantasy-world known as Washington, D.C., there’s always a hard-working American citizen to stick with the bill for the failures of out-of-control government officials.

So with time running out before the U.S. House votes on a new scheme to bail out tax-and-spend government officials in Puerto Rico, I have to ask...

Deepdiver, are you ready to be House Speaker Paul Ryan’s stooge?

Are you ready to foot the bill for Puerto Rico’s government officials who’ve racked up BILLIONS in debts they can no longer pay?

I hope the answer is a resounding, “NOOOO!”

The truth is, the stakes couldn’t be higher in this fight.

If you and I don’t stop this bailout scheme, I can virtually guarantee that Puerto Rico will only be the beginning.

It’s only a matter of time until cash-strapped municipalities like Chicago -- and states like California, Illinois, and New Jersey -- start showing up to Washington, D.C. with their hands outstretched.

That’s why I’m counting on you to please sign your special NO BAILOUTS petitions to House Speaker Paul Ryan and your U.S. Representative right away.

You see, for decades, tax-and-spenders who have gained power throughout the country have turned the cities and states they’ve ruled into little more than political playpens.

*** They’ve taxed their citizens into oblivion -- with many ultimately choosing to leave for greener pastures.

*** They’ve pushed ever-growing cushy entitlement spending programs.

*** They’ve signed off on ridiculous union contracts and padded government payrolls to create more voters dependent on their spending.

*** They’ve handed out bloated pensions to political backers like Halloween candy.

Then, when their economic chickens come home to roost -- and bills can’t be met -- they’re now looking to you and me to bail them out?

Deepdiver, this is effectively what’s happening in Puerto Rico.

As you may have heard, on May 2, Puerto Rico’s Governor chose to default on $422 million in debt payments instead of cutting back on government payments and services.

And on July 1, Puerto Rico is facing $2 billion in new debt payments on top of the whopping $73 BILLION they owe.

Yet, with a brand-new BIGGER deadline looming, his message to Congress is, "I'm keeping the spending spigots open no matter what... You guys have the American taxpayers bail me out.”

How did Puerto Rico get into this mess?

The same way localities and states ruled by tax-and-spenders have all over the country.

Spending has been out of control for years.

Government is by far the biggest employer in the territory.

Less than half of Puerto Rico’s citizens are employed or even looking for a job -- a situation which suits the politicians and bureaucrats, who owe their power to Puerto Rico’s ever growing social welfare programs, just fine.

Taxes and a stifled economy have sent 440,000 of its people packing over the past decade.

A sky-high minimum wage continues to make it difficult for business owners to invest in new hires.

Any right-thinking person’s solution to all of these problems would be simple.

How about, “STOP THE MADNESS!”

But to the Washington, D.C. elites in BOTH parties, bad government policies and politicians can never be to blame.

Instead, they’re worried about things like “international prestige.”

After all, think of the “embarrassment” it would be for a U.S. territory to go bankrupt – or have to cut back on spending!

So for weeks now, House Speaker Paul Ryan has been beating the bushes to drum up support for his Puerto Rico Bailout -- even claiming it’s just simply “debt restructuring!”

But Ryan’s “debt restructuring” plan would allow the Puerto Rican Government to keep spending, guaranteeing another, larger crisis down the road.

Meaning this year’s bailout will be the first of many!

Thankfully, many of the most liberty-minded House Republicans aren’t buying it.

After all, in order for any scheme to keep Puerto Rico’s creditors at bay to work, American tax dollars will ultimately have to be put on the line.

But Speaker Ryan knows there’s another path at his disposal... A path that ultimately DESTROYED John Boehner’s Speakership.

That’s cozying up to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, sprinkling the Puerto Rico Bailout bill with any goodies she wants, and RAMMING it through the U.S. House using primarily Democrat votes.

Deepdiver, you and I can’t let this happen.

There’s too much at stake.

The good news is, the American people have barely begun to weigh in on this looming DISASTER.

So if you and I can make enough House members feel the heat, along with Speaker Ryan, I believe we can stop it.

But I’m counting on your immediate action.

With your help, Campaign for Liberty is ready to flood Congress with petitions just like the ones I’ve made up for you.

Of course, if you and I are going to stop this scheme, it can’t end there.

I need to be able to fund an all-out U.S. mail, email and social media blitz.

Then, if I have the resources, I’d like to be able to run hard-hitting Internet and even TV ads in targeted districts.

Deepdiver, we can’t lose this fight.

If we do, even the small (and sometimes BIG) steps toward progress being made at the state and local level in recent years will be lost forever.

There will be nothing holding back localities and state governments, knowing Congress will be there to bail them out.

So will you please sign your petitions right away?

And if at all possible, will you please agree to a
generous contribution of $50?
I know I’m asking a lot. I know that’s probably a big stretch.

But Deepdiver, you know the stakes.

Our federal government is over $19 TRILLION in debt. And there’s no one to bail us out.

If $50 is just too much, please agree to $25 or at least $10.

With time running out, please act at once.

Please let House Speaker Paul Ryan and your U.S. Representative know where you stand, and agree to your most generous contribution of $50, $25 or at least $10 right away.

For Liberty,

Ron Paul
Chairman

P.S. If you and I don’t stop this Puerto Rico bailout scheme, I can virtually guarantee this will only be the beginning.

It’s only a matter of time until cash-strapped municipalities like Chicago -- and states like California, Illinois, and New Jersey -- start showing up to Washington, D.C. with their hands outstretched.

That’s why I’m counting on you to please sign your special NO BAILOUTS petitions to House Speaker Paul Ryan and your U.S. Representative right away.

And please, if you possibly can, agree to your most generous contribution of $50, $25 or at least $10 IMMEDIATELY!

Quote: (05-05-2016 09:00 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

Trump had a massive rally in Charleston, WV tonight. The whole rally is well worth seeing -- it had a great vibe, the crowd was pumped and Trump was at his best. But there are two parts in particular where Trump talks about rebuilding America's infrastructure. One starts at 33:36, and the other one starts at 39:54. Check them out:

In the first segment, he talks about himself and how he knows all the ins and outs of rebuilding infrastructure and not getting taken for a ride by construction companies -- because he is a BUILDER who has done this his whole life. In the second segment he talks about how we have crumbling airports and snail-paced trains that go CHUG... CHUG... CHUG... but it's going to change when he's president.

This was great. The Obama administration has destroyed the coal industry and coal electric generation with regulations.

http://www.europac.com/

On a lengthy interview on CNBC this morning, Donald Trump, the now presumptive Republican nominee, looked back on his business history to lay the groundwork to what he would do as President. He came as close as any major presidential contender to saying that America's formula for economic recovery might involve repaying our creditors less than what we owe. This is a major development that should be rewriting the playbook on Wall Street and call into question the risk-free nature of U.S. Treasuries.

Despite his public image as a premiere pitchman, marketeer, and builder of some of the world's most heavily gilded residential properties, Donald Trump owes his business success to his ability to walk into a roomful of people to whom he owes money and, through the use of threats, promises, bluster, and hardball negotiations, convince them to accept less than what he owes. Time and again he has used competitors' prior lending mistakes as a lever to get what he wants. That's why he has said repeatedly that he is "the king of debt."

Now that he has dispensed with all Republican rivals, the Donald is free to stake out economic positions that are in fact to the left of his likely opponent, Hillary Clinton. He made it clear that his priorities would involve massive infrastructure spending on America's roads, bridges, and airports. He also proposes some vague replacement for Obamacare, which certainly would involve some government financing. Given that such moves could massively increase the Federal budget deficits, these are positions that the Republican Congress has refused to touch.

But Trump also acknowledged a hint of realism that other politicians can't. He said that the U.S. economy remains extremely dependent on ultra-low interest rates, and that even a 1% increase in rates could be devastating. As a serial borrower, Trump "loves low interest rates" and made it clear that he would replace Janet Yellen with a Republican Fed chairperson who feels the same (this is a bit like finding a vegetarian that loves cheeseburgers). But he also seems to understand that rates can't stay this low forever.

But how can we borrow more, in an environment where rates are bound to rise, without making our debt service costs rise substantially? Simple, you renegotiate, and force your creditors to either take less than what they are owed, or to wait longer before we pay (i.e. extending maturities, turning 3-year notes into 30-year Treasuries bonds with the same coupon.) He seems to understand that such radical moves would convince international investors to seek greener pastures, which would then devastate the value of the dollar. But he seems to be just fine with that.

In the CNBC interview he said that a strong dollar sounds good "on paper" but that a weak currency offers much greater benefits in the real world. In fact, he credits weak currencies as the primary weapon used by China to engineer its own success. He wants to do the same for America. Will voters support a plan whereby we stiff the Chinese and use the money to build shiny new airports and to finance health care options? I think they will.

Of course the Achilles heel of such a plan is that a significantly weaker dollar is bound to usher in a wave of inflation that could rival that of the 1970s. If Trump and his new lackeys at the Fed are unwilling to raise rates to counter that trend, the poor especially will suffer as purchasing power evaporates and poverty rates could soar. Debt has been his friend his entire career. Why should the leopard change his spots now? Especially as he has been so successful in taking down all the prey in his path.

Quote: (05-05-2016 03:42 PM)DamienCasanova Wrote:  

I love a good conspiracy theory, but FDR pulling our country out of the Great Depression and stopping the freefall by putting people to work rebuilding our infrastructure is a "widely circulated myth" now? I doubt any of us were around to see it ourselves, but has history been re-written and all of us lied to in history class just to protect FDR's legacy?

You are in a forum where it is regularly reported and recorded that young people at the high school and university level are the subject of serious indoctrination about gender norms and feminism, to such an extent that it's turning the millennial generation at large into pussies. It is occurring in an institution - public education - where the Left holds sway thanks to public education being highly unionised. Yet you doubt that history can be rewritten by the victors, or by those who have control of the schools?

There's a very long critical analysis of FDR's legacy that we could do here, but part of it depends on your worldview and whether you fall closer to the libertarian end of the spectrum, so it's probably not worth going into in detail.

Broadly speaking, I agree with Phoenix: FDR was not just a clown in hindsight, his own treasury secretary, Morgenthau testified to a Senate that they were pulling the Homer Simpson At The Powerplant On Meltdown tactic of pressing buttons at random. FDR was and is the Great Saint Of The Left because he was the initiator of the Gimmedat culture. He put up bill after bill that got bounced by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, and eventually in 1937 stacked the Supreme Court to get his legislation passed. That, combined with his running for three terms against the tradition handed down from Washington, was what made people afraid he was going to turn into a dictator ... though frankly it was more the court-stacking that evidenced that than running three terms. Depending on how you regard World War 2, he was also a war profiteer. When he moved away from isolationism, he set the stage for globalisation (leaving aside he also reduced tariffs, which Hoover had allowed through under the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.)

And you know that complaint we have about how the IRS was targeting Trump because he was a threat to the establishment? Well, guess who originated that strategem, per Wikipedia:

Quote:Quote:

To protect the New Deal, in 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Morgenthau to examine the taxes of William Randolph Hearst because FDR was "advised that Hearst was planning to use his newspapers to launch a major attack on the New Deal and its economic policies." Treasury Secretary Morgenthau explained that he examined the taxes of William Randolph Hearst and actress Marion Davies and "advised FDR to mount a preemptive attack on both her and Hearst."