blastdoor

We are likely to soon find out if these tariffs are a shakedown for bribes or if Trump is really serious about them. 

foregoneconclusion said:

blastdoor said: The real difference -- and it's critically important to understand-- between then and now is that back then there was a system for selecting presidential candidates that was mostly run by elites, not the masses. Candidates were selected by party machines in the proverbial smoky back room. That process eliminated radical candidates and presented the populace with two mostly sane and reasonable, though still importantly different, choices. 

Gutting regulations and handing out tax cuts to the rich and corporations isn't anything new in the Republican party. They've been doing it for the last 45 years. Reagan, Bush I, Bush II and Trump are all the same in that regard and it always leads to higher income inequality and an economic crisis. Despite how predictable it is, a large percentage of the voting public still hasn't figured it out. 

It is a crime against reason and evidence to say that Trump is the same as those other presidents. He is radically worse. If you can't perceive that then you are a big part of the problem with America. 

foregoneconclusion said:

blastdoor said: The Great Depression resulted in FDR

The general population of the U.S. was smarter at that time. The current population still hasn't figured out that an anti-regulatory party isn't going to improve economic outcomes for anyone except the rich. 

I think it's important to understand that's not actually right. My grandparents were young adults who voted for FDR and their schooling ended at 8th grade. They had a lot of prejudices and misconceptions about the world. They voted for FDR not because they were geniuses, but because the alternative was Hoover. 

The real difference -- and it's critically important to understand-- between then and now is that back then there was a system for selecting presidential candidates that was mostly run by elites, not the masses. Candidates were selected by party machines in the proverbial smoky back room. That process eliminated radical candidates and presented the populace with two mostly sane and reasonable, though still importantly different, choices. 

Our problem today is that the system for nominating candidates, especially (apparently) in the Republican Party, has broken down, and deeply flawed people are able to become nominees. 

foregoneconclusion said:

Laying off hundreds of thousands of federal workers + gutting regulatory control + tariffs on major trading partners + yet another giant tax cut for the rich/corporations = another economic crash. It's just a matter of how soon it happens. It's also what the billionaire class is hoping for. 

https://theweek.com/articles/460179/charts-how-rich-won-great-recession

They should be careful what they wish for. The Great Depression resulted in FDR, and his policies essentially saved capitalism in the west, even though he is reviled by many in the billionaire class (and those who serve them). But it could have resulted in a more revolutionary outcome (as in French or Russian), which might not be so good for the billionaires. A lot of people across the political spectrum (but not in the top 1%) see Mangione as a hero, or are at least sympathetic to him. An economic collapse would supercharge that kind of sentiment. Musk might need a droid army to protect him at that point. 

Is the C1 integrated into the SOC or is it a separate chip?