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K N's avatar

Hilarious NPR report on swing voter focus groups in the US: All the voters say the economy is terrible, they can’t afford food or medicine, and that Trump will be better on the economy. In the follow up, the reporter tells Steve Inskeep that people are desperate and are talking like it’s 1934. Inskeep says “I know we have to listen to these people, but how much of their feelings about the economy is due to them being deceived by misinformation?” I guess grocery and gas receipts are now categorized as misinformation.

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Brian Hurley's avatar

But, but, diversity is our strength! I'm overwhelmed from the cultural enrichment that nobody voted or asked for.

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Don Hrehirchek's avatar

When in Rome, do as the Romans do! To bad that people from other countries can not or will not fit this in to their new land of opportunity!

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Paul Murray's avatar

I don't like the conflation of "honest" and "candid". It is possible to be honest and not candid. It is possible to be candid and not honest. My experience is that if you are candid, it doesn't matter whether you are honest on not honest. As Dennis Prager says, "I prefer clarity to agreement." Best always. PM

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JW's avatar

I don't get it. To be candid is to speak freely, and say what you really think. How could one be candid dishonestly?

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Paul Murray's avatar

Well, the Democrats say that is EXACTLY what President Trump is and does, right? It is possible to speak plainly, without filter, something that isn't true, or that the receiving party believes is not true. In most situations, people are reluctant to speak the truth and/or to speak plainly for fear of giving offense. That's when they start mixing "honest" and "candid". Maybe we should agree on "complete"? As in, "I am going to tell you everything I think about such-and-such, the acceptable and the unacceptable." Best always. PM

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Dean McLeod's avatar

Complete candor DOES demonstrate and create conflict if the speaker understands the opposing position of the listener. It depends on the context of the communication. Better to seek areas of agreement. Friendship and more comes from seeking commonality.

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MarcusTC's avatar

Very sad to lose the character of each distinct area :( happened in the US as well as each state lost its individuality. Now crossing the US, one town looks just like the next with the big chain restaurants and stores. Maybe a bit of regional dialect remains but almost gone. With the massive global integration we will just have one uninteresting globe

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Tim Pallies's avatar

I feel there is still a fair amount of character in many small towns, and perhaps even in the seedier parts of some cities. Of course, the cities part doesn't do me much good. Somehow I just don't enjoy them any longer.

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Worm Farmer extraordinaire's avatar

Hey Tim. have you finished that book you were working on? I can’t wait to read it.

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Tim Pallies's avatar

All done! You can read a sample here https://thetrumansburgproject.substack.com/p/read-a-sample or find it on Amazon https://rb.gy/qqxswb

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Worm Farmer extraordinaire's avatar

Thanks, Tim. Can’t wait to jump in!

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A.L.'s avatar

I keep getting flashbacks of Blade Runner. Maybe it was predictive programming.

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Spiff's avatar

As long as there is "growth," "diversity," and more power and wealth for our betters that's all that matters.

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MarcusTC's avatar

Interesting about that. Sometimes the diversity leads to issues. Diversity in and of itself is not always a positive. In fact different cultures bring different views on government, social structure, law, work ethic and savings rate. integrating those is often negative to the local society.

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Worm Farmer extraordinaire's avatar

Hey Marcus. Diversity is our downfall, not strength. I am with you 100% my friend.

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FreeB's avatar

The “New Ireland” at the rate of current third world migration soon won’t be recognisably “Ireland” at all.

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Bob Wetmore's avatar

Surprising commentary from Bill - thought he was better informed. Ireland "tame"? Is Bill aware of the widespread civil disturbances that have recently rocked Dublin? It's supposedly about "migration," but what's underneath is the poverty and lack of opportunity for Irish, especially young. Particularly acute is the almost complete absence of housing that they can afford, which have pushed many Irish to emigrate. The GDP numbers are fake, as Bill should have realized. No, the Irish aren't well-off - what's happened is that for tax and other reasons Ireland has become a haven for Big Finance, and it's Big Finance that has driven up GDP; little has trickled down to "the people." Good grief, Bill needs to do his homework, cease attending upscale affairs hosted for the rich, or hang 'em up.

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FVM's avatar

I wonder how the household income averages look when you compare the indigenous Irish to the newcomers? Does Luxembourg house the bedroom suburbs of Brussels, kind of like Northern Virginia gets the "Rich Men North of Richmond" living off flow of new money gushing out of DC?

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JayCee's avatar

Am waiting for the day when someone born and brought up in Scotland, white, black or brindle looses their Scottish accent or when the Irish no longer have Paddy, Sean & Murphy philosophy, to keep them from being normal ‘human be’ans’. !

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Mackinac's avatar

Excellent chart Tom, superb! Thanks, Very interesting insight. Wonder why time timing of this chart and the timing of the Dow / gold don't agree on timing? I wonder what your thoughts are on that?

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RICH's avatar

So you have a problem with progress?! We here in America get fresh imports every day of people capable of much more than just filling our tech valleys. Soon, they will be given voting rights. And if we are lucky, this new brain power will overcome our town halls, city halls, state capitals, and even the dc cesspool and make this land what they want it to be. Now that's progress. Don't forget to vote!

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