What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Valmy]

I don't mind judging Trump on this, but he got elected promising he would do just that: not care about the world outside his border, and that pleases to a lot of Americans, apparently. 

We never wanted this but went along with it because the safety and security of the world supposedly depended on us. But we have been bombarded for decades about how we are in fact an evil empire who overthrows democratically elected governments and wages expensive wars of genocide and shit. That was not what we signed up for. So yes stopping the whole thing does please many Americans.

[Barrister]

In any case I am sure Spicey was referring to an actual successful business person running government not a reality TV star celebrity.

Like Lee Iacocca or Warren Buffet.  Oh wait, they never ran for a reason.

Let's stick with Robert McNamara then.

There's everyone's favourite billionaire-turned-politician Ross Perot!


Actually in Canada we've had a few businessmen-turned-politicians.  Paul Martin ran Canada Steamship Lines for 20 years before entering cabinet, and ultimately became PM.  Brian Mulroney was a labour lawyer who became CEO of a mining company before taking over the Federal PC Party.  And of course there's Belinda Stronach...

I take it back.  Businesspeople-turned-politicians are a silly idea.

[viper37]

But whatever. We are already being held responsible for Aleppo for not doing enough to stop it, or we did too much to cause it depending upon how exactly we are responsible for a situation we have barely anything to do with.

Your President could have taken actions against Syria long before Russia was there, instead of absolutely seeking a compromise as if Russia could be bargained with.  He had the exact same attitude with the Republicans and look what it got them: any compromise he made embolden them to be even more radical.

[The Minsky Moment]

I thought he was referring to the tweet that made everybody dump their Boeing stock for a few minutes.

Yes - I would say a basic pre-requisite for a pro-business presidential administration is that the President not single out and attack particular businesses simply out of pique.
So far the evidence is that Trump will be a pro-some-business administration.  Good for oil and gas drillers, not so good for solar and wind players, good for anyone currently regulated by Dodd-Frank, not so good for any business whose leadership promotes exports, H-1b visa program. etc.

[Valmy]

Your President could have taken actions against Syria long before Russia was there

But what would that have gotten us? We had no reason to support Assad and there was nobody else we really could support.

[Solmyr]

the private sphere is supposed to be more efficient

This is, of course, bullshit.

[derspiess]

I thought he was referring to the tweet that made everybody dump their Boeing stock for a few minutes.

Yes - I would say a basic pre-requisite for a pro-business presidential administration is that the President not single out and attack particular businesses simply out of pique.
So far the evidence is that Trump will be a pro-some-business administration.  Good for oil and gas drillers, not so good for solar and wind players, good for anyone currently regulated by Dodd-Frank, not so good for any business whose leadership promotes exports, H-1b visa program. etc.

There's a whole month for that all to change

[Solmyr]

If you have a leader with business experience he or she is going to have a better idea of the needs of business community.

Generally this means giving them taxpayers' money for free while letting them keep all the profits.

[merithyn]

A good friend of mine posted this to her Facebook page today:

Someone I know, who is an education administrator has received a survey from the Trump administration asking for statistical information regarding the religious affiliations of his staff, whether staff indicates belief in climate change, etc. The school policy is to not provide the information. Has anyone else received correspondence like this?

She lives in Chicago and moves in the same circles as many community college and university administrators, so I'm guessing that's who she's talking about though she doesn't specify.

Anyone else seen anything like this yet?

[The Minsky Moment]

There's a whole month for that all to change

And people said that Obama was the "hope" president. 

[Admiral Yi]

A good friend of mine posted this to her Facebook page today:

Someone I know, who is an education administrator has received a survey from the Trump administration asking for statistical information regarding the religious affiliations of his staff, whether staff indicates belief in climate change, etc. The school policy is to not provide the information. Has anyone else received correspondence like this?

She lives in Chicago and moves in the same circles as many community college and university administrators, so I'm guessing that's who she's talking about though she doesn't specify.

Anyone else seen anything like this yet?

I heard on NPR that Trump asked NASA for a list of employees who had something something climate change and NASA refused.

[derspiess]

the private sphere is supposed to be more efficient

This is, of course, bullshit.

Riiiight.

[CountDeMoney]

Your President could have taken actions against Syria long before Russia was there, instead of absolutely seeking a compromise as if Russia could be bargained with.  He had the exact same attitude with the Republicans and look what it got them: any compromise he made embolden them to be even more radical.

Let's not forget that he punted authorization for military action to Congress for a vote--yes, the same Congress that always bitched about Presidential overreach in unauthorized military action--and they voted No.  Right after the Brits voted No, as well.

Personally, I think he failed on Syria, but he's not the only one holding the Guilty sign, either.

[Oexmelin]

We never wanted this but went along with it because the safety and security of the world supposedly depended on us. But we have been bombarded for decades about how we are in fact an evil empire who overthrows democratically elected governments and wages expensive wars of genocide and shit. That was not what we signed up for. So yes stopping the whole thing does please many Americans.

I highly doubt the "World's Opinion" had ever that much of an impact upon American isolationism or the public at large. It simply reinforced the tacit sentiment that "The World is Jealous of our Greatness / Freedom". Vietnam showed America is perfectly capable of creating its own anti-imperialists, and quite frankly, I am also quite in the current context of anxiety about declension, sure some huge swath of the American public would also be happy with American imperialism if it was expressed with guns and carriers and the tough guy language of bully diplomacy. Much more pervasive, to me, is the constant, tacit understanding that the world outside of the US is a terrible place that can never be fixed and that it's not worth concerning oneself with the world anyway.

[derspiess]

I actually supported Obama when he said we weren't getting involved in Syria.  Just wish he had at least chosen a policy and stuck with it.