HEM: Semi-Regular Observations
-
7/26/18 - A Kansas City Start special. Purposefully avoid putting favorable Trump headlines on the front page. And then water down and misrepresent by use of a headline that ignores the real story. The left obviously is so histrionic related to any the “Trump”, all objectivity is lost. The trade and tariff issue is a great example. Trump knows that free trade is the best result. The goal of Trumps long-needed tactics are to balance the trade field. For too long, the US has been a willing victim to unfair trade practices. Trump’s efforts are to level that playing field for American companies and workers. The way to do that, if other nations won’t agree, is to make them hurt. Significant story related to the EU’s recent concessions … only because of Trump’s tactics. Nowhere near the front page. Big item. It’s not “pulling back from the trade war”, it is the EU’s reaction to our policies that are now hurting the EU. The EU, economically, is much more fragile. This is winning.
https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/national-international/article215481800.html
-
Maybe you should take a semi-regular dump and you wouldn’t be so full of shit?
Jesus. The poor white male snowflake getting attacked relentlessly by meanie liberals.
-
@DanR I think this is his dumping grounds and I respect that. It’s what this forum is here for. let’s talk.
@HighEliteMajor Regarding the first post from Fox News, you’ve quoted an editorial that was hand-selected with the intent of enraging you and strengthening your biases and generalizations. This isn’t a representative sample of anything. What does it prove, other than that Anne Hathaway, as seen through the lens of Fox News, has half-baked opinions about social issues? What did you expect?
Would a pacifist choose to watch MMA? No. So why would you read that gutter rag? Seems equally counterintuitive and masochistic.
I like your second story a lot better, it has some meat to it, and is more representative of your actual thought process and not just an emotional response to a stimulus.
I was thinking this morning about the Senate Foreign Relations committee, led by Republicans, getting visibly irritated with Pompeo. He basically told them that the things Trump says aren’t policy, and that we should look entirely at what this administration is doing as their actual policy.
I thought about that… Do words matter? Are words policy? And I decided, yes, yes they are. What you say as President of the United States is policy unto itself, because it shapes the court of public opinion, and what is socially acceptable and what isn’t.
And maybe, why I get angry at Trump is similar to why you get angry with Anne Hathaway in that respect. Both are running their mouths. Both stand on a platform that has an audience. The difference is, one is an actress and the other is President of the United States.
-
Someone’s prescription needs refilling.
-
@HighEliteMajor I think as the United States abandons trade partners they will just trade with someone else. That’s not winning.
The European Union finalized the largest trade agreement in its history earlier this month. The deal with Japan covers nearly a third of the global economy and creates one of the largest free trade areas in the world.
The $12 billion bailout of American farmers getting hit by fallout from the trade wars isn’t winning.
Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, was highly critical of the plan in an interview with CBS News. “At no point have I heard a farmer or rancher say we want more bailouts. We want more welfare,” said Sasse. “What they want is less trade war. There’s no ambiguity about this from the producers in my state.”
Sasse called trade wars “stupid,” and said the president misunderstands the economic forces at play.
“The president often talks as if governments are at the center of this transaction. They aren’t. And American families and American producers would like governments to get out of the way so they can buy and sell the stuff they want and so that our farmers and ranchers can feed the world,” he said. “The president’s tone regularly suggests somehow that the government has created this bounty. It’s not true. Workers have created this bounty and governments are the ones messing it up.”
Digging into Trump’s policies does not seem to illuminate a hidden, misunderstood brilliance that the mainstream media neglects. It usually does the opposite for me. The more I learn, the more it is apparent that Trump is a bullshit artist, and in reality isn’t getting much useful done, but creating plenty of chaos everywhere, and taking credit for grandiose interpretations of his actions.
-
I guess I was the only one to read the first posts before they were edited.
-
Pharmacy calling @mayjay, your Rx is ready for pick up.
Ahem. Just emulation-kidding you.
Puhlease, can we get beyond the drug smearing of posters to some substance, or at least to some drug-smear-free misdirects?
Drug smears always make the board rat using the drug smear appear:
a.) clueless about the topic; or
b.) misdirecting during a shill-lighting shift; or
c.) suffering Peyronnie’s Syndrome and unwilling to man-up about it.
Rock Chalk!
Rock Chalk again!!!
-
@jaybate-1.0 Doesn’t smearing the smearer perpetuate the smear?
I’d love to hear you weigh in on the issues brought up, other than pills and fecal matter (I didn’t see the original @DanR. Sounds like it got walked back successfully. The luxuries of anonymity!)
-
@HighEliteMajor “White privilege is a myth for black people to be lazy” one of my best friends who grew up in the same shitty neighborhood as me who is black. Don’t get me started on the laughable bs that is white privilege, when I lived on the shit side of town the common denominator was single parents not race. The funniest thing to me thinking back to those days was my mom worked 2 jobs, as a bank teller til mid afternoon then JcPenny til 10 but my as formly mentioned my black friends mom didn’t work but when he stayed the night at my house we’d always go raid his house for snacks because they had way more food than we ever had, shoot they also had hot water (it sucks to boil water on the stove and dump into the bath tub if you didn’t wanna freeze in the winter). One of my other best friends is 1/4 Hispanic, he went to the same college as me but at half the price because he got a minority scholarship (we actually joke about it because he doesnt look Hispanic at all, in fact he’s whiter than a ghost). But some how I’m the only one in this group that is privileged. Now racism unfortunately does still exist and it ain’t just a black deal but that’s another issue. In terms of politics, Democrats are lying bastards but so are republicans. The media twists what actually happened to make their side look better regardless of the side.
-
@kjayhawks Privilege in this usage doesn’t mean having money, or things, or a good job, or education, or anything you are focused on. It means that you can walk into virtually any store or building in the country and no one will think twice. A black American is immediately under suspicion.
The real lesson of your stories is how economic level is a weird factor in racial relations. Poverty affects many more whites in total in this country than blacks, yet poor whites have allowed themselves to be deluded into thinking it is in their interest to continue supporting rich whites. Poor whites and poor blacks should be banding together, but TPTB continue to successfully turn the two groups against each other.
-
@jaybate-1.0 I took all my meds, thank you, but mine are not to prevent lunatic verbal assaults on entire groups of people just because they are of different color or political bent. If I rant, it is really still just the medicated me.
-
@mayjay I guess I don’t really think that way, maybe it’s because I grew up kids that were several different races. I’m not saying what you said doesn’t happen but I’m not worried or keeping an extra eye on anyone because they are black or any other race. I work with mostly white people and Hispanics, we don’t point out a black person or treat them any differently when they come in. Like I said I think racism is still a thing for sure but me being white in Atlanta or Indianapolis wasn’t a good thing at all. I was experiencing what you’re talking about where you walk in and everybody in the place is mean mugging you.
-
mayjay said:
@jaybate-1.0 I took all my meds, thank you, but mine are not to prevent lunatic verbal assaults on entire groups of people just because they are of different color or political bent. If I rant, it is really still just the medicated me.
————————
No buts.
-
@approxinfinity one of the few things I’d agree with Trump on is the tariffs. It has yet to hit consumer items. $12B subsidy is a drop in the bucket compared to the overall message being sent.
Besides how he has handled Russia, I can’t say that he has done as bad of a job with foreign diplomacy as many like to paint the picture of.
It is honestly refreshing to see someone be a hardass with the rest of the world when we have the leverage. NATO falls apart without us. He should be a dick to NATO members not on pace to meet their agreed upon spending. He should put Iran in their place. He should put China in their place and force them to start making ethical business practices apart of the norm.
Free trade will come back at some point. But the only major market to still be down since the tariffs have been implemented is the Shanghai Stock Index. American investors still have plenty of confidence.
-
7/27/18 - The national anthem issue is a simple one. The employer dictates the workplace. It’s that simple. As an employer, it’s bad business for me to permit my receptionist to wear a “never Trump” shirt or “Lock her up” shirt. I can determine if I permit that. But I can dictate employee apparel so it coincides with my wishes for my business – MY business. Not my employees’ business. The NFL is the employer. The players the employees. The employees, however, can shape the rules to the extent that they have power and leverage. They don’t. Whether their value can convince the owners to cede control. We don’t see this issue in the NBA or MLB, and of course not in hockey. Never mind that that the players that participate in this faux protest, this undeniable show of weakness, are sorely misguided at best and purposefully dishonest at worst. This is about employers being able to control their workplace so as to ensure that customers aren’t alienated. And, of course, Trump is on the right side of this issue. The Cowboys are leading here. I may become a Cowboys fan.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24207562/stephen-jones-players-stand-cowboy
-
@Kcmatt7 I don’t disagree with holding countries responsible for meeting their agreed upon spending in NATO but I don’t know if there was ever a discussion of pace to meet the 2% by 2024 that was already agreed upon before Trump. Was there? And suggesting that we may not come to military aid of a Nation that isn’t paid up is not the right way to do it. Global interdependence and security is important. I frankly don’t want a free wheeling gambler as President. I don’t want to cast doubt on our alliances and our global positions.
-
@HighEliteMajor do you make your employees stand and stare at a flag while the national anthem plays and you film them and stream it on YouTube?
I will guess that the product in your case is not the employees. In the case of the NFL the product IS the players.
This really speaks to the disconnect with some fans not recognizing that. They want what the player can do but not who the player is.
Frankly who cares if the players want to kneel? The resistance in this case imo is not the players. The resistance is the fans who want to piss and moan about something minor and the demagogues that take up the pitchfork and megaphone and stoke the fire, because they know it will make Fox news viewers fall in line.
-
@approxinfinity There was not an agreed upon pace but all have projections and many countries said they would not meet the 2% by the deadline.
-
I have no issues with NFL owners not hiring guys who don’t stand for the National Anthem. The Fans are the customers and if the owners are losing money (opportunity cost-wise, of course they are still turning a profit) I have no issues with them shipping off players to teams or fanbases that are ok with that. But there are a ton of Chiefs fans that are veterans and I can’t blame them for protesting the protests by not watching.
My dad, a veteran and a guy who has not missed a Chiefs game for probably 40 years, didn’t watch a single game last season. He dropped the NFL cable package and now spends his events budget on the Royals and Sporting and may never watch another Chiefs game.
I don’t think that there is a disconnect from the fans. I think they have just as much right to be pissed about it as the players have to do it. If enough fans quit watching football because of it, the players will ultimately be the ones hurt by the protests. If the sport ever stops growing, it is players salaries that will take a nose-dive. I think that is where the disconnect is. The players do not recognize that. Especially when considering that their main demographic is exactly who they are pissing off. Middle-Class, Middle-Aged White Men are those people who are most likely to buy season tickets, pay for $30 Parking, $150 jerseys and $12 beers. They are the people who prop the sport up. And they are the same reason that you can buy Chiefs season tickets for $200 right now. I can’t tell you how many Fire Fighter and Cops I know that gave up there tickets this season. There used to be a couple of groups my family knew of (about 50 in each) and they gave up there seats this season. That is at least $50k in yearly revenue lost.
I guess my question really is for those who think the players should be allowed to do what they want, why can’t the fans also do what they want? Why must the fans be the ones who get over it? It comes off hypocritical. Especially when the fans are the ones paying for the product. The truth is that the kneeling, albeit a minor part of the product, completely changes the product for some people. Football is American as it gets, and the uber patriotic f-ing love football. So, when football no longer is patriotic (in their eyes) the product has changed. They have every right to not watch it. Owners have every right to be pissed when fans no longer spend money because a player is doing something to cost them money.
I will watch all 20+ Chiefs games this season, but I have no issues with anyone who won’t because of National Anthem protests.
-
@approxinfinity And does HEM get paid surreptitiously by the military for playing the anthem and having sponsored patriotic celebrations every game?
Every totalitarian state in history has coerced kneeling, oaths, or salutes from its subjects, and drastically punished independence of expression. How on earth can any American support doing it here? What good does it do? Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Sinclair Lewis are all spinning in their graves, weeping while crying, “We tried to warn you!”
-
I don’t agree with the protests and haven’t watched much NFL games since. The problem is I don’t wanna see some millionaire whining about he’s oppressed. If things are that bad for you in this country, move out. I don’t get it man up, people are just too lazy to leave, no ones got a gun to their head holding them here. Not to mention if people of race have it so gosh darn bad how are you making millions? How was our last president black? It flat out doesn’t add up. Once again I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist but it several non white folks that have came from shit backgrounds and made it by not point fingers and wasting time. Its tough in the world these days no doubt but most white folks I know gotta grind and work just like everyone else.I don’t want to deal with politics everytime I turn on the TV or drive down the road. Obviously oppression is defined differently by people as @mayjay said but I just a Twitter post today that said all you have to do is mark caucasian on a job app and you get it. From what I see on Facebook and Twitter, hundreds of thousands of people, maybe even millions think because I’m white I went to the same college as my dad for free, got a BMW and a $500,000 house, I’m just waiting for pop to retire so I can be CEO. Some of it is flat-out laughable and it’s funny to me because these athletes got more opportunities and chances than most because they were good at silly game. I personally don’t care if you wanna fight for what you believe in but not standing while we present our flag,which stands for those freedoms you are using to protest is pretty idiotic when you think about it. If you want to change the world, be the the change. If you see something wrong, try and do something constructive to fix not get media attention after all you’re millionaire (I give Kaepernick credit because he actually has put money forward to help kids in bad neighborhoods, but he’s still a fool because he opposes oppression while wearing Castro shirts). That and as stated the country pays these teams to show our colors and flag. @approxinfinity So would it be ok for you to tell off Trump or Hillary supporters at your job causing lost business and be pissed if you got fired?
-
I suggest you guys watch the movie Gladiator (again?). This isn’t remotely similar to what a receptionist does at a small business.
Again with the hypocritical word. Our president can’t stop spewing late night contradictory messages on Twitter. Would anyone argue that this is the fully endorsed proper channel for a President? Clearly our age embraces freedom of expression in unconventional channels.
-
@approxinfinity Now I think most that folks would agree that Trump runs his Twitter like a pissed off-teenager. That and the protest started before Trump was elected. But I really think it’s a little extreme to compare the situation to Gladiator, let’s not blow it way outta proportion people ain’t dying because of it. It’s very similar to a business, because it is a business. It’s entertainment, people are mad so they are spending their time and money on other entertainment. The players are losing customers by doing it.
-
@kjayhawks I think it was people dying that generated the protests in the first placce, so yes, for the protestors, it is a life and death issue.
-
@mayjay some people were killed by police if that’s what you mean but it had fart fire nothing to do with the people actually protesting. Several people couldn’t follow simple rules In those cases as well. If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. I’m not gonna say I side with the police everytime but about 80 percent of the time from the videos and stuff I’ve seen. I don’t break laws so I don’t have many encounters with police. It’s like not the people protesting are being killed, that’s why it’s different than gladiator. It’s a real a simple concept.
-
@HighEliteMajor CNN actually gave Trump some credit for the economy. I know this story is kind of a flavorless acquiescence and might be necessary to smooth out the consistency of their liberal brand of stew, but i found it relevant to your criticism that MSM does not give Trump credit.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/27/politics/donald-trump-economy-trade-gdp-growth-credit/index.html
-
@Kcmatt7 Your dad’s interpretation of the playing of the national anthem differs from the interpretation of the players. Let me ask a direct question. Does your Dad watch Fox News and support Trump? I ask because I think if it weren’t for the spin artists stoking the fire here and galvanizing voter groups into a single voting block, the story would be “hey, the players have an issue with standing, but they say they have nothing but respect for the troops”. That story is drowned out by the my-way-or-the-highway “NO! THE NATIONAL ANTHEM CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING! THEY SHOULD ALL LEAVE THIS COUNTRY!” logic.
More than one perspective can be valid. It is, at the end of the day, an opinion of what the National Anthem means, nothing more.
You say the fans can be pissed off if they want to be. I believe they don’t want to be pissed off. Nobody wants to be angry all the time. It’s the noise they listen to that is making them mad and intolerant of other perspectives.
-
@approxinfinity absolutely my dad is a Fox News drone. But, to his credit, he was pissed before it became a Trump rallying cry.
And while the players say that, my dad is also a police officer. So it is more of a slap in his face than just being a former vet.
I don’t think, in my dads case, Trump would have anything to do with him being pissed about this.
I mean, imagine serving your country and community for over 30 years of your life, and then people don’t appreciate that.
To you and me, the issue is small and stupid. And I truthfully believe that we are probably numb to it at this point. But to him it is a spit in the face of his entire life’s work.
-
@Kcmatt7 I’m sure he’d be pissed given his background but I would hope he’d get over it and find resolution if not for Fox galvanizing and encouraging intolerance. On the other side, the players probably would have felt heard with a President inviting them to the White House to talk or whatever and would have desisted by now.
These guys are not letting divisions heal, they’re pouring salt in wounds.
-
@approxinfinity well I think it should have never been a presidential issue. But I also think neither side is doing anything wrong?
It is not wrong for players to kneel and use the platform they have earned.
It is not wrong for anyone, including the president, to use their platform to get people to boycott games and teams that have players kneeling.
And, to be honest, why would the president stop hitting on this? He has won the battle. Players who would easily make a roster if not for the kneeeling are not even signed. The players have essentially lost the battle. The public has spoken. Stand or lose millions.
-
@approxinfinity and again, why are the police officers and veterans the ones who have to get over it? Sorry, I just can’t wrap my mind around it. I mean, it MATTERS to them. They are getting flipped the bird basically.
And you want them to get over it and give money to the people flipping them the bird every Sunday? Not happening man.
Especially when they are the ones with leverage right now.
-
@Kcmatt7 the two groups are not acting the same.
Group A - Players Interpreting honoring national anthem with “hand over breast” as an acceptance of injustices in our culture, and making slight variation in how they honor national anthem to signify that police brutality toward black people is not acceptable.
Group B - Insulted People Interpreting honoring national anthem with “hand over breast” as a salute to our military, and any variation in how it is honored as a grievous insult to their values.
Group B (Insulted People) is reacting to Group A (Players) here. They are being encouraged to react in an intolerant manner… ARE acting in an intolerant manner.
Conversely, based upon what their cause is, the case that Group A (Players) is intolerant is if you think that they aren’t being tolerant enough of police crimes against black people.
-
Wait… did someone actually say police officer should get over it?? Wow!
-
@approxinfinity What are they doing that is intolerant, specifically?
-
@Woodrow resolving a conflict like this takes acknowledgement that there is an issue, communication and collaboration.
Again, saying “these people protest specific acts of police violence, therefore they hate all cops and I need to be offended!” Is not the right conclusion but you will never hear Fox News make that distinction.
-
@Kcmatt7 they are intolerant of peaceful protest.
-
I want to continue to point out that it is not the people that are the problem here, as I see it. An emotional response as a police officer to people protesting the acts of police officers makes sense. It is the media encouraging the perpetuation of single-threaded thoughts on the issue that is a big problem, keeping people from more nuanced stances, compromise and understanding.
-
All right everyone group hug! Let’s just leave it where it is!
-
@kjayhawks We had a yard sale today in 83 up to 95 heat. Maybe a group handshake would be better than a hug!
-
@mayjay lmao we may stick together if you’re involved
-
@kjayhawks My contribution to unity!
-
7/31/18 - Lebron James, a complete sham. He now attacks Trump, claiming Trump is using sports to divide the country. Of course, Trump did no such thing. Trump did not kneel on an NFL field during the national anthem. That singular act is the act of division – it is an attack on our country and what a great majority hold important and sacred. That’s the act of division, so we’re clear. That was the act of injecting politics into sports. What James is irritated with is that someone with a national voice has the temerity to speak out against this woefully ignorant and misguided behavior. We’ve seen the histrionics here – referencing totalitarian regimes and such other alarmist baloney. No one is required to march, bow, salute, place hand over heart, sing, or curtsey, which is a purposefully false narrative promulgated by leftists. Remember that – it is purposeful dishonesty. No, the truth is that all that is asked is that an individual, during work hours, at his place of employment, not show disrespect for the national anthem and just stand quietly. That is all. Nothing affirmative or objective. Just stand quietly. Anything suggested beyond that is the classic “fake news.” Made up. It’s exactly what we expect from the left. Guys like Lebron get to talk because they have a microphone in their face. They never debate, they never get challenged. That’s how the left operates best. No debate or discussion.
Of course, others, like Dak Prescott, get it: "I never protest during the anthem, and I don’t think that’s the time or the venue to do so. The game of football has always brought me such peace, and I think it does the same for a lot of people … When you bring such a controversy to the stadium, to the field, to the game, it takes away. It takes away from that."
-
If this issue is so important, I always wondered why is it that all these players that kneel on company time don’t do it on their own time? They have the money, resources and connections to set up events like town hall meetings or press conferences to discuss the issue outside the football field but I just don’t see this happening. I know of many players that quietly do a lot of outstanding community work without looking or asking for the limelight or credit but the more vocal protesters do nothing. Something to think about.
Here is an article I found that uniquely describes the current situation and points out the real issues in the black community.
-
@HighEliteMajor said:
Guys like Lebron get to talk because they have a microphone in their face. They never debate, they never get challenged. That’s how the left operates best. No debate or discussion.
Isn’t that exactly what you are doing here? Every post you’ve made has been a declaration with no acknowledgement of anyone’s response.
-
Read this. Or this. Or this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, or this.
When you finish that, then read this, this, this, this, this, this, and definitely this.
-
@justanotherfan lol, that I like!
-
Cute. Perhaps you should re-read my post where I said…
“I know of many players that quietly do a lot of outstanding community work without looking or asking for the limelight or credit but the more vocal protesters do nothing.”
I don’t need you to tell about the good work players do. My comment was about the protesting football players and most of your references are about basketball players.
Again, this is what I wrote…
“If this issue is so important, I always wondered why is it that all these players that kneel on company time don’t do it on their own time? They have the money, resources and connections to set up events like town hall meetings or press conferences to discuss the issue outside the football field but I just don’t see this happening.”
Here, I was talking about discussing the issue at the center of the protest, not charity work, and I don’t see that happening other than ranting and raving against Trump which does nothing to solve this issue that has been there since long before Trump jumped into politics and will likely be around long after he is gone.
Now, maybe you can give your opinion on the article I cited.
-
@JayHawkFanToo thats why he posted links to storied about the “more vocal protesters” doing things…
-
@JayHawkFanToo What about the one entitled “Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins speak at congressional forum on community-police relations. For the second time in six months, NFL players visit Capitol Hill to push for change”
That sounds like doing something off the field to me.
-
You also need to re-read my post in which I already indicated that many players do great community/charity work so there is no need to lecture me on something I readily acknowledged on my original post. All the links except one about ride alongs are about charity work and most about basketball players.
The “football” players protest was not and is not about charity but about the claim that police kill black people indiscriminately and I don’t see much being done by the players to address this particular issue.
Maybe you took the time read the one article I cited and would care to comment on it?
