M61A1

I have no particular stance on Trump, but it's early days, too early to really see how things will actually pan out. Keep in mind that what you may consider a disaster, a Trump supporter may consider as a positive outcome. What has absolutely stunned me is the hypocrisy of those who preach tolerance, and ever since Trump was elected have done nothing but spew hatred and intolerance. Maybe this article of Janet Albrechtsen's might help you understand the silence.... On a dank and foggy Sunday morning in New York, barely a day after the inauguration of Donald Trump, the level of crazy in America’s left-liberal heartland became crystal clear. After an early morning run in Central Park, I quip to a man with a horse and carriage offering trips around the park: “Where’s your Trump badge?” The man opens his heavy jacket. His Trump badge is hidden inside. “Hey, you don’t need to be a shy Trump voter any more,” I laugh, “He’s President now.” “I have to hide it. My horse has been attacked by protesters. Democracy is great. People have a right to their views. But don’t attack my horse. When your side loses you have to accept that. This is wrong,” Tom says, on the day after the women’s march brought this and other cities to a standstill. Later I venture out from my hotel room wearing a red Make America Great Again cap. It’s half experiment, half up-yours to the bad losers. A well-dressed man in his 60s is in the lift as I enter at the 41st floor. “I support you,” he says quietly, even though we’re alone. “You’re brave to be stepping out in that.” We talk about how crazy that is after a democratic election and an inauguration. Later, walking around the Upper East and Upper West Side of NYC, not a single shout or snigger has been directed at the hat or its wearer. It wasn’t like that yesterday as the women’s march roared through the streets, over-emoting an election result. In fact, three for three in my favour tells its own crazy story. The second comment is a quick “I’m with you” from a bloke walking towards me. Later, at the annual Winter Antiques Fair at the Park Avenue Armory, I’m finishing off lunch at the cafe when two well-dressed upper-middle-class New Yorkers sit near me. The man asks politely whether my tomato soup is good. Yes, I say, and he tells me about his vegetarian chilli soup. After a few more sips of his soup, he motions to the Trump hat. “You’re brave to wear that hat,” he says quietly. “But I’m with you,” he adds, echoing my two previous interlocutors. Quietly, his wife says she is with me too. The New Yorkers were born in eastern Europe, one Czech, one Hungarian. Both had parents who were Holocaust survivors. They loathe the offensive side of Trump, the non-presidential tone, but they want economic prosperity and physical security. Simple as that. In this city at least, something akin to an underground movement has emerged from those two entirely natural human desires. When polite chitchat leads to barely audible talk about supporting Trump, it feels almost subversive. In NYC the shy Trump voter is still shy. Maybe more so now. The man in the cafe describes his monthly poetry reading group on the Upper West Side. His fellow poetry readers say they can’t sleep because of Trump. They don’t understand what’s happened or why. They don’t want to. “It shows how illiberal the so-called left-liberals are,” he tells me. “We can’t even talk politics with them. It’s just crazy stuff.” A few days later, a few remarks from Donald Trump’s chief White House strategist Steve Bannon confirm the level of crazy that has settled into the US political landscape. “The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while,” Bannon tells The New York Times. “I want you to quote this. The media here is the opposition party. They don’t understand the country. They still don’t understand why Donald Trump is the President of the United States.” Boom. “White House tells media to shut up”, raged the left-liberal media, proving in record speed Bannon’s critique of the media. That is a threat, roared The Guardian. The Huffington Post used Bannon’s remarks to accuse the Trump administration, barely a week old, of already looking like the worst of Richard Nixon. CNN’s Christiane Amanpour likened Bannon’s shut-up comment to the working of a totalitarian regime, quipping this is how you angle for an order of merit from the presidents of Egypt, Russia and Turkey. Dear Christiane, Turkey locks up more journalists than any other country. The US doesn’t imprison journalists for doing their job, whichever way they want to do it. Yours sincerely, Janet. Default outrage prevented the media from hearing Bannon’s real point: the media should listen more if they want to understand why Trump is President. Like the Upper West Side poetry group, the media still don’t want to listen and learn. Like the anti-Trump protesters, they still don’t want to understand Trump’s supporters. We know the outraged left-wing press didn’t listen to Trump supporters because even the publisher of the NYT apologised to subscribers after the election for its coverage. The Washington Post tried to make amends by running letters from Trump supporters. Pity the Post wasn’t interested before the election. We also know that sections of the left-liberal press openly adopted an oppositional stance to Trump because they admitted as much. Writing on the Daily Caller website last week, Rachel Stoltfoos reminded us that former National Public Radio boss Ken Stern advocated oppositional tactics because Trump is “an affront to American democracy”. Tellingly, Stern admitted the price: “The next time Fox News or Breitbart caterwaul about media bias, the claim will have substantially more bite.” The bite marks of bias grow deeper and more grotesque the longer the left-wing media refuses to listen. At his first official meeting, Trump spoke at CIA headquarters in Virginia. He was given a standing ovation and cheered during his speech. Over at CNN, TV hosts hyperventilated about Trump’s self-congratulatory remarks while standing in front of the agency’s memorial to its dead officers. CNN’s TV stars didn’t report the audience cheering Trump because they weren’t listening. Last week The Economist downgraded the US from a full to a flawed democracy. Its so-called Intelligence Unit explained the downgrade was due to a “further erosion of trust in government and elected officials there”. Using more intelligent criteria — say, the ability or failure to listen — the Intelligence Unit should have downgraded a media that failed to listen to Trump supporters, not to mention the woman who refused to listen to people she nicknamed deplorables. Where’s the flaw in a democracy when the candidate who listened most to those who are wary of DC politics won a democratic election and is now President? While American left-liberal media outlets resume normal programming of blocking their ears, top-rating shows on Foxtel’s Sky News Australia will be leaving the studio this year to listen and report on grassroots issues from people outside the big cities. As Sky’s David Speers said: “It’s incumbent on us in the media to do a better job of listening to those people who genuinely feel they’re not being heard or genuinely represented by the governing class.” Trump’s win is a wake-up call for our politicians to do the same or else feel the eventual backlash of shy voters emboldened by the privacy of the ballot box

The way I see it is that there can be passive resentment and active resentment. I wont waste my time sitting around stewing about it, but if someone asks me how I feel about it, makes a statement that I think needs to be addressed or is trying to pump young minds full of sky fairy belief, then I will speak out. Much the same as you would against child abuse, or poor aircraft maintenance, etc.

Another one, a bit more political...

I think that the best of our current crop of pollies can only deliver mediocrity, but I am sure that some of them could make things a lot worse, and I am not specifically talking about the like of Pauline. I guess that "worse" is also subjective, as my " worse", is probably a "wonderful" for Marty, and my "wonderful", would probably see Marty suicidal.

Errrr.....I'm sure DR said "talked tough AND lead the country to disaster", not "talked tough and lead the country to mediocrity"

Well.........it would considerably reduce the welfare budget.. Oh, don't forget coffee, an addict is an addict.

Even then, a lot of what they achieve objectively, is subjective as to whether it is a positive or negative outcome. There are people out there that still view Gillard as a success, but most don't.

I'm sure that they will use the data, but it's not the only reason. I can say that I am aware that it has been used to determine the level of care that you receive. An acquaintance of mine had a particularly bad leg fracture enroute to the gulf. Let's just say that the treatment was substandard due to his lack of aboriginality.

So then....Why is it at the top of the form, rather than with all the other questions about your history and such? While collecting data may be some of reason, it's not the only reason, and it is discriminatory.

Well, every time I've had to set foot in a hospital, I see the sign that says "racial discrimination will not be tolerated", then you fill out the form which right at the very top asks "are you of aboriginal or Torres Straight islander descent?" There is no such thing as reverse racism or reverse discrimination, anything that discriminates for someone, discriminates against someone else. I am not familiar with the mentioned Cathy Freeman thing, but assuming it occurred, you are correct in that it's not her fault, it's management's fault. The problem with it is that it IS racism, yet if you speak out, you are called a racist. Noel Pearson was (in my opinion) correct in what he has had to say on the matter of the racists of the left and ABC.

I've found out what's wrong with me.....

Absolutely.... the quickest way to accelerate and get out of the way.

I woke to ABC RN the other morning, and some people were discussing in a positive way about Trumps detailed policy about how he want to overhaul their health system. I had to check and make sure it really was ABC.

Hit the nail on the head....

I will still spell them all with lower case despite autocorrect's insistence........god, muslim, christian or jew, the very same way I might with car or dog, lest they become confused and think that I think their god is real.

The God Chemical: Brain Chemistry And Mysticism

Pretty much....I enjoy the holiday that goes with it. I think that the best thing about Christmas day is that while all the other people are stressed out from spending truckloads of cash, entertaining rellies they hate, for that one day, I can go places without the usual clods in the way. Whether it's a nice drive or ride, or going flying, it seems so much more pleasant with less people around, and that makes me feel much more at peace. That could possibly just be that the buildup to Christmas, with the mercenary shopping women dragging their husbands around as pack animals while they shop, with their complete lack of courtesy, manners and driving skill, makes me feel very antisocial.

I don't understand why men would want virgins......

Yes, physical assault. The pics the other day of Roz Ward, (anti-bullying campaigner) bullying some guy because he was wearing a Trump t-shirt, and while I'm not Pauline's biggest fan, One Nation has a right to meet, without these clowns threatening to hurt people if they dare get together. If I was Noel Pearson, I'd be angry too, I think he has a right to be angry, I also think they need to consider the possibility that he's correct in what he has said. Yeah, I'm aware that it's not just the left that are hypocritical, I just don't think that it's a big ask to expect that those who demand "tolerance " and call anyone who doesn't agree with them, racist or bigots, to actually apply the same standards to themselves. It probably shouldn't get up my nose as much as it does, but It just does. The racism," I'm better than you " thing could also easily apply to those who consider our indigenous so inferior and fragile that they need to be treated so condescendingly. As far as bigots go, I've been called a bigot before and it'll probably happen again, the bit that bothers me it that it's usually by some git that expects me to respect their opinion, even though the have no intention of respecting mine. I like the idea that we can have different opinions, and be allowed to talk about them, but I really hate it when when people like Roz Ward, Souttephomasane ( spelling?), and Gillian Triggs, want to shut down any opinion that doesn't comply with theirs.

Well, They way our loud, public, left have been behaving hasn't gone unnoticed. While they abuse and physically assault those that they disagree with, they are bigots. They are intolerant in the extreme of the opinions conflicting with theirs, and as they preach tolerance, that makes the hypocrites too. I also think that Noel Pearson is on the money with has scathing assessment of the ABC. They, and their loud supporters are racist, they discriminate by race, they hold people to a lower standard because of their race. They're a condescending bunch of racists.

And certainly don't forget all the bigots that got upset when he won...actually, I call out pretty much all the lefties for their racism and bigotry.

Well, if that ain't just plain weird.....I was under the impression the centre had moved about 3 notches to the left.

Marty & FT, a couple of weeks ago the majority of media thought the very idea that Trump could be elected was laughable....well keep laughing. They guy has just as much chance of doing something worthwhile as Hillary. I really don't think a whole lot will change, but I'm not dismissive, and I really hope that he can make some positive changes. That said, what you and I call worthwhile are probably at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The last line says enough.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/grace-collier/us-presidentelect-donald-trumps-manifesto-creates-tax-haven/news-story/bbbf2c7ce11bb991312d3781e884666e Cut and paste if link doesn't work GRACE COLLIER Columnist Melbourne @MsGraceCollier For media commentators like me, it is best to write from a position of knowledge rather than ignorance, prejudice and groupthink. This is the least readers are owed. And so I did something hardly any commentators have done. I bought a copy of Donald Trump’s book Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America and read it. Everyone is encouraged to do the same. You won’t regret it, I promise. The book is illuminating, fantastic and terrifying. It is the best political book I have read. Recently, a friend saw the book lying on a side table, at home. “Oh, but Trump is a racist, bigot, homophobe and sexist,” she exclaimed in horror. “Meh — whatever,” I replied. Maybe Trump is, and maybe Trump isn’t, but would it matter even if he were? Not to you and me it wouldn’t. We need to get past this puerile name-calling. I don’t care what Trump is, I care what Trump does. This is why I think it is important to examine what the new US president-elect says he is going to do, by reading Great Again, which outlines his policy intentions. If Australians are to believe any of it — and there is no reason not to — then Trump represents a threat to us all. Rest assured, though, none of us needs to worry our delicate little heads about discrimination, bullying, bigoted homophobic abuse or being groped on the you-know-what — I can guarantee Trump will grope none of you on the you-know-what. Yes, Trump is going to hurt us all, and hurt us badly, but not in the way many may think. Trump is going to hurt Australia by making America great again. When America is great again, and this will happen quickly — in fact, it is already happening and Trump hasn’t even taken office — Australia will be left behind. We will be like the pub no one drinks at any more, the once-popular restaurant everyone shuns. America will be like the shiny new joint just around the corner, with amazing decor, stunning food, incredible service, cheaper drinks; we won’t be able to compete. The markets know it, American companies know it, their citizens know it, yet we still haven’t realised. Now is the time for people to wake up. Our politicians need a reality check; someone better put a plan together. Next, a “trigger warning” for all those who think the solution to every problem is to raise tax or introduce a new one. Here is some bad news, snowflakes: there are lots of people here who own small to medium businesses, and/or have capital; these people provide jobs, have driven the housing boom and are propping up our economy. They don’t have to be here. When America is great again a lot of them will leave and go over there. Trump is going to change taxation and immigration laws for the purposes of enticing them. No one can stop them from going, but we need them to stay. Trump is going to cut corporate tax from 35 per cent to 15 per cent, and slash personal tax rates, too. The highest income tax rate will be 25 per cent, and the first $25,000 earned per person will be entirely tax exempt. When this happens, and it will happen very quickly — many people will take their capital, and bolt. Or they will live here for half the year but set up businesses over there, and make those businesses the owner of their businesses here. The profits will go offshore, even if some of the people don’t, and there is nothing our government can do about it. Tim Andrews, executive director of the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, agrees wholeheartedly. “If Trump gets his way, Australia will be left as one of the highest business taxers in the world, forcing businesses here to shut their doors and send jobs overseas. The government needs to take action on urgent tax reform to stop tax refugees fleeing Australia.” Our prospective tax refugees may be foreigners or native Aussies; regardless, they are people who can base themselves anywhere in the world. Any country will have them, especially Trump’s America; he wants people with money, who will start businesses, invest and create jobs for Americans. Trump says, “Our current immigration laws are upside down — they make it tough on the people we need to have here and easy for the people we don’t want here.” He is going to reverse that and will make it easier for people who can “contribute to this country” to move there. Troy Lanigan, Canadian chairman of the World Taxpayers Association, agrees. He says, “People and capital can move. All jurisdictions are in competition for people and money. Tax competition imposes discipline on governments to be more efficient.” Government efficient? Now that is a novel idea. The people in Canberra should try it and significantly cut taxes before it is too late and Trumpageddon is upon us.