IMO President Elect Trump would do well to avoid appointing ideologues to jobs in his administration. Republican Part hacks, neocon war-mongers, R2P do-gooders, all these will, if they can, drag him toward high risk positions that he can ill afford given the high level of resistance to his legitimacy among left wing Americans.
He will have Steve Bannon in the building to give him the right wing's point of view and Priebus for balance in trying to deal with the Congress and everyone else in Washington.
President Trump IMO has little regard or respect for the traditional Republican leadership. IMO that is a good thing. The GOP wants to gut entitlements and other popular programs. Trump knows he can't do that without destroying his position in the minds of his supporters.
Therefore he is going to have to work with the Democrats in Congress. They may be in the minority but their votes will be needed to overcome GOP resistance to many of the things he will want to do.
For God's sake, no neocons and no "movement conservatives." pl
robt willmann,
The CIA cares not a whit for Special Forces soldiers. They use us just like they use recruited agents. I hope Trump rescinds the Presidential findings that allows the CIA to use Special Forces in this manner on day one of his presidency. Day two at the latest. Since he's said he wants to end supporting the Islamic rebels in Syria, I'm pretty damned sure he'll cut the CIA's nuts. I still don't like the man, but I'll happily toast him when he does this.
Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 14 November 2016 at 08:53 PM
I must admit that this is pretty funny. You should have copy-righted this and tried to sell it to Woody Allen or to Saturday Night Live - it would have been a hit.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 14 November 2016 at 09:45 PM
I think that what you describe as a setting "government policy with our hearts" had never been tested in real situations and when it was, it was found to be wonting.
Likewise in the European Union and in US in the case of Haitians 2 decades ago.
That type of pose only encourages immigration and all manners of refugees. You should have just stated that "We are an Anglo-Saxon Culture steeped in the traditions of England and we do not wish to dilute that culture. "
It would have been both more forthright and more comprehensible to foreigners. I mean, Indonesian do resent one million Australian Christians moving into Indonesia; it work both ways.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 14 November 2016 at 09:54 PM
In regards to MD - USSR had the largest percentage of female physicians but the heads of departments, the directors of research institutes, and influential and creative researchers were almost all men.
In US, in my opinion, women leave STEM - outside of Health Sciences - because they are not interested in working hard without tangible material awards that are commensurate with what they perceive to be their efforts. And there are things that women absolutely refuse to do, no matter how much they are bribed. One of them is writing computer programs professionally.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 14 November 2016 at 09:59 PM
""An individual mandate coupled with subsidies for private insurance as a means for universal healthcare was considered the best way to win the support of the Senate because it had been included in prior bipartisan reform proposals. The concept goes back to at least 1989, when the conservative Heritage Foundation proposed an individual mandate as an alternative to single-payer health care.[111] It was championed for a time by conservative economists and Republican senators as a market-based approach to healthcare reform on the basis of individual responsibility and avoidance of free rider problems. Specifically, because the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requires any hospital participating in Medicare (nearly all do) to provide emergency care to anyone who needs it, the government often indirectly bore the cost of those without the ability to pay.[112][113][114]""
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act
Posted by: Brunswick | 14 November 2016 at 10:29 PM
Wow! That's a big bowl of words salad ;) I prefer Laura's simple version.
Posted by: TonyL | 14 November 2016 at 10:41 PM
Please, please, please, no John Bolton for the sake of our country!
Posted by: john | 15 November 2016 at 12:21 AM
Now overlay net federal tax payers map with red votes. Notice anything in common?
Posted by: Robert C | 15 November 2016 at 01:29 AM
Lemur,
You're doing great work here pushing back against the fellow travelers and fifth columnists. Glad to have you on board. When real life slows down, we'll stir things up a bit.
Posted by: Tyler | 15 November 2016 at 03:21 AM
PirateLaddie,
Floaters? LOL!
I love your other idea.
Posted by: Cee | 15 November 2016 at 05:36 AM
Andy,
Maybe this is a keep your enemies close strategy to control them or crush them.
Posted by: Cee | 15 November 2016 at 05:42 AM
Hmm, Julius Evola? Along the lines of Arthur Crowley too?
Or simply along the lines of some type of counter-revolution to save the Occident from decline?
Posted by: LeaNder | 15 November 2016 at 05:49 AM
Because if there is one thing Hitler has gone down in infamy for, it was being stickler for deporting Poles who snuck across the border to live the German Dream.
this is a curious statement. I think I know what you may have in mind. Never mind how misguided this statement is in the larger context.
Posted by: LeaNder | 15 November 2016 at 06:02 AM
Shaun,
Can I send your child to a cry-in or recommend coloring book or play doh therapy since YOU became hysterical and shared your fears? In the fifties and sixties my father was a Freedom Rider and we weren't allowed to know everything about what he was doing or about all of the places he was going until we were much older. We were told he was away on business. I saw my mother cry when she thought I wasn't looking but she didn't raise fearful, spoiled, irrational adults LIKE YOU ARE.
Blame the HRC and the DNC for the Pied Piper strategy of elevating the man and people you are complaining about now.
There are liberal bigots too who are worse because the stab in the back comes as a surprise. Complain about them much? The alt right don't pretend and I'm glad to know who I'm feeling with.
Calm down!
Posted by: Cee | 15 November 2016 at 06:08 AM
Again, blame the right people
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XaxCVJU1K1U
Posted by: Cee | 15 November 2016 at 06:50 AM
But I have long believed that privatising Medicare was part of Obama's long-range vision as well.
I don't think so. My semi-informed impression was that he heavily underestimated the power of lobbies he had to confront.
Who were in charge in this context in the government?
Someone around here not too long ago, maybe two, linked to an international perspective of an American expert on matters. I realized how easy it is to misunderstand a system you cannot go into details in a documentary. Or one you are not familiar with. Maybe the author himself misread some matters. Hard to tell in hindsight to what extend. At one point he could have, but didn't specify on something that may have sent the wrong signal.
Posted by: LeaNder | 15 November 2016 at 07:08 AM
Ah! Ah!
I have personally no idea who Steve Bannon is and I don't really care but this might be a serious recommendation:
https://twitter.com/AlvinGrissomII/status/798422865657950209
Posted by: jld | 15 November 2016 at 07:19 AM
Colonel
or someone who knows the intricacies and travails within the govt.
Why is the President-Elect asking for security clearance for his three children and most probably SIL?
FWIW: According to the LATimes, Jared Kushner (may be others also) didn't know that the West Wing politicals would vacate the place with the new administration coming in.
Posted by: The Beaver | 15 November 2016 at 08:11 AM
Beaver
The security clearance system is a function of the Executive Branch although authorized by law. Since you are Canadian and do not really have an Executive Branch that is separate from the legislative function the sole authority of the US president over the system may not be clear to you. You do not have to be employed by the US Government to be given a security clearance and access as a consultant. You do not have to be paid. Trump uses family members as advisers and sounding boards. He will want to continue that. In that context he will want them to see classified information so that their advice can be worthwhile. I see no reason why he should not do that although it would be wise to follow the existing regulations with regard to investigations prior to clearance. This is a separate issue from the means he will use to separate himself from his businesses. Those difficulties seem insurmountable to me and a source of future embarrassment. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 15 November 2016 at 08:33 AM
I agree, Fred:
Through all the gobbledygook and bamboozlement,
on the surface, with admittedly not a solid grasp of the history of Health Care discussions, legal approaches on matters in the US, Ryan's take on matters reminds me of developments over here. Beyond realizing, I didn't know much about it till recently.
But yes: From that perspective the author may well be misguided about what premiums, does or could signify.
But we do not have a single-payer system ... As an afterthought it reminds me of a book by a Swedish, I think, economist who lured me into his study via an aesthetic approach. It's a while ago, I read it, but he looked into single payer systems.
Posted by: LeaNder | 15 November 2016 at 08:40 AM
TTG
Yes. Oddly the depiction in one of the Rambo films of the predatory and callous attitude many CIA DO types toward SF soldiers has a lot of truth in it. I am altogether in favor of getting the CIA out of any covert actions that involve US soldiers. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 15 November 2016 at 08:42 AM
Pacifica Advocate
As you know I have been writing that cooperation is possible and I think that cooperation is especially likely with the Bernyites on specific issues of interest to them like healthcare. Obama can see that on the horizon and wants to be part of it. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 15 November 2016 at 08:49 AM
TTG
I detect a level of sympathy for the "blue" in you that I had not seen before. I take you point about intermixture in these county sized blocks but IMO the real issue is dominance in those spaces. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 15 November 2016 at 08:52 AM
origin
You don't like the constitutional structure of the US? Perhaps you should start agitating for a constitutional convention. That would be interesting. Women are inheriting the earth? I don't remember that one among the Beatitudes, but if you say so ... pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 15 November 2016 at 08:55 AM
>>For God's sake, no neocons.
Trump's "senior adviser on national security" is James Woolsey. Woolsey is doing the media rounds right for Trump now so I'm surprised no one is mentioning him.
Woolsey is the 'Henry Kissinger' of the neo-cons, he is part of every neocon committee and a member of every neocon board.
He became CIA director under Clinton as part of their courtship of the neo-cons then he was a member of the PNAC crowd that moved into the WhiteHouse in 2000. He was the man who *personally* worked to create and spread the "Saddam did 911" disinfo (about the same time as he become VP at Booz Allen in 2002). He has spent the last decade trying to gin up war in Iran.
I respect this website for calling things like they are - but the Colonel said "For God's sake, no neocons..." and no one mentioned that the neo-con's disinfo kingpin just moved in. Strange days.
Posted by: Luther Blissett | 15 November 2016 at 09:05 AM