America - The Official Thread

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I'd wager the majority of first cars are chosen based heavily on what one has readily available to them and can afford rather than one's political and socioeconomic leanings.

I understand that very well, my first drive was an opel Astra, which doenst say anything about me, but that doesnt mean I cant engage in some friendly banter?
 
I understand that very well, my first drive was an opel Astra, which doenst say anything about me, but that doesnt mean I cant engage in some friendly banter?
:odd:

At what point did it take an unfriendly turn?

I was simply highlighting the fact that it was indicated as a first car, which--even for people inclined to use the vehicle they drive or particular brands they show appreciation for as a statement regarding their views toward social issues--isn't necessarily going to conform to any particular bent when it's dictated much more by necessity.

That said, I really don't understand the narrative that suggests what one likes as far as automotive manufacturers go is inherently indicative of their views toward social issues. Can it be? Absolutely! There's a stereotype attributed to Prius owners that they are sanctimonious environmentalists, and stereotypes are founded in experience, but I know a couple of people who bought Priuses (Prii?) during the gas crunch.

I suspect there are a substantial number of people to whom it never would have occurred to buy a Volvo before having seen Roger Moore driving one on The Saint, who may well not have even been aware it was a Swedish company, and that's kind of the idea behind commercial sponsorship in the film and television industry.

Beyond that--and I'm certainly not saying this is the case here--there's the convention involving the ironic representation of branding.
 
:odd:

At what point did it take an unfriendly turn?

I was simply highlighting the fact that it was indicated as a first car, which--even for people inclined to use the vehicle they drive or particular brands they show appreciation for as a statement regarding their views toward social issues--isn't necessarily going to conform to any particular bent when it's dictated much more by necessity.

That said, I really don't understand the narrative that suggests what one likes as far as automotive manufacturers is inherently indicative of their views toward social issues. Can it be? Absolutely! There's a stereotype attributed to Prius owners that they are sanctimonious environmentalists, and stereotypes are founded in experience, but I know a couple of people who bought Priuses during the gas crunch.

I suspect there are a substantial number of people to whom it never would have occurred to buy a Volvo before having seen Roger Moore driving one on The Saint, who may well not have even been aware it was a Swedish company, and that's kind of the idea behind commercial sponsorship in the film and television industry.

Beyond that--and I'm certainly not saying this is the case here--there's the convention involving the ironic representation of branding.

? I am confused? I wasnt offended or unfriendly? I was just pointing out I was shifting the conversation to something not so "political"

Edit: I understand the confusion now. With "friendly" banter I suggested someone was unfriendly. I will fault it to my broken written english. Obviously I meant that I wanted to shift to some lighter conversation.
 
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? I am confused? I wasnt offended or unfriendly? I was just pointing out I was shifting the conversation to something not so "political"
Yeah...I inferred from the comment that my interjection was interpreted as me somehow saying one can't engage in friendly banter, which most definitely was not my intention and, frankly, requires a great deal of reading between the lines to infer. As I said, I was clarifying that the notion of a first car often doesn't say much about an individual other than what they could afford at the time of purchase. Subsequent purchases not as hindered by available funds may or may not mean more.

The rest was me contributing to the discussion at hand.

The irony is strong with this one.
Right? Funny enough, my gut instinct* told me the exact same thing.

*See what I did there?
 
Yeah...I inferred from the comment that my interjection was interpreted as me somehow saying one can't engage in friendly banter, which most definitely was not my intention and, frankly, requires a great deal of reading between the lines to infer. As I said, I was clarifying that the notion of a first car often doesn't say much about an individual other than what they could afford at the time of purchase. Subsequent purchases not as hindered by available funds may or may not mean more.

The rest was me contributing to the discussion at hand.


Right? Funny enough, my gut instinct* told me the exact same thing.

*See what I did there?

I started the convorsation out of curiosity if the stereotype of a US owner of a certain brand is different then european. Being dutch I perhaps associate VW less with Nazi then you guys in the US.
 
The irony is strong with this one.
Really? Like the IG said no collusion or the FBI director saying no reasonable prosecutor blah blah... And the news Trump Russia!! Yeah I'll keep thinking for myself thanks...
 
Being dutch I perhaps associate VW less with Nazi then you guys in the US.
Ignorance is the only logical explanation for Volkswagen to be believed to be preponderantly Nazi-driven. Sure, the genesis was in KdF, a socialist construct to prop up the German industrial workforce, but Volkswagen as a major automotive force really started with the British; indeed the original plan was to demolish the Wolfsburg facility before Ivan Hirst and Charles Radclyffe of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Corps stepped in.
 
Wow.... just wow....
Keep on wowing! He sat with a smirk on his face the whole interview, she should be in prison and after almost 2 years there is no proof Trump/Russia rigged the election, yet there is plenty of proof they(DNC) screwed Bernie out of the election.
But the news WON'T tell you that...
 
yet there is plenty of proof they(DNC) screwed Bernie out of the election.
But the news WON'T tell you that...
Euhm...it actually kinda did. Having actually watched the news at the time, I saw plenty of back and forth between narratives asserting Sanders spoiling favor for Clinton among left supporters and Clinton and DNC not allowing Sanders a fair shake at acquiring the nod for the GE against Trump who had been well established as the RNC candidate.

See, I got (and indeed still do) my news directly from the news itself rather than while listening to conservative commentary on the liberal media agenda while driving a truck or a bus or...whatever.*


after almost 2 years there is no proof Trump/Russia rigged the election
So that's the Special Counsel's primary directive? Gee, this whole time I've been going by this:
ASCIRI.jpg

And given the number of indictments of, and guilty pleas from, actors local and abroad, it seems proof of concept has been well established.

I have to wonder...since your belief seems to be that Mueller's only directive is to indict Trump, would you jump to her defense should Clinton be found connected, shouting "she isn't Trump and because of that she shouldn't be punished"?


she should be in prison
I feel like I've asked this before; why?

He sat with a smirk on his face the whole interview
I feel like you don't know what a smirk is.

Smirk:

how-to-handle-a-bully-like-donald-trump.jpg


Not a smirk:

Screenshot_20180727-120614.png


If you can point me to a nice chunk of time during said interview in which the IG (pictured on the right--I feel like I need to point that out because Representative Gowdy isn't smirking either) spends a great deal of time smirking, I'm more than willing to have a look.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?44681...horowitz-testifies-clinton-email-probe-report

You'll note that the video wasn't even paused when I pulled the screenshot; I just thumbed the progress bar randomly until Horowitz could be seen clearly and snapped it quick before the camera angle changed.
 
Keep on wowing! He sat with a smirk on his face the whole interview, she should be in prison and after almost 2 years there is no proof Trump/Russia rigged the election, yet there is plenty of proof they(DNC) screwed Bernie out of the election.
But the news WON'T tell you that...
I am european by the way. But what I understand there is undeniable proof that Russia tried to influence the election. You are right there is no proof Trump colluded. Where is the proof Bernie was screwed? You might be one of the most ignorant people I have ever come accross. I dont mind an opposing opinion or point of view. But you just made statements without any sources. For research purposes though I would like to now what kind of profession do you do? What is the source of your statements and theories? Dont tell me you thought all of them all by yourself?
 
For some strange reason, US economic growth is way up. The only good way out of debt is economic growth.

Here's how experts and analysts reacted to Friday’s big GDP number 1 Hour Ago | 01:20

Gross domestic product grew at a solid 4.1 percent pace in the second quarter, its best pace since 2014, boosting hopes that the economy is ready to break out of its decade-long slumber.

The number matched expectations from economists surveyed by Reuters and was boosted by a surge in consumer spending and business investment. Stock market futures edged lower on the news while government bond yields moved lower.

That's the fastest rate of the growth since the 4.9 percent in the third quarter of 2014 and the third-best growth rate since the Great Recession. In addition to the strong second quarter, the Commerce Department revised its first-quarter reading up from 2 percent to 2.2 percent.


"We're on track to hit the highest annual growth rate in over 13 years," President Donald Trump said in remarks an hour after the report hit. "And I will say this right now and I will say it strongly, as the deals come in one by one, we're going to go a lot higher than these numbers, and these are great numbers."

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/27/us-gdp-q2-2018.html
 
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For some strange reason, US economic growth is way up. Probably pulled it out of our ass, as Imari might say.


Here's how experts and analysts reacted to Friday’s big GDP number 1 Hour Ago | 01:20

Gross domestic product grew at a solid 4.1 percent pace in the second quarter, its best pace since 2014, boosting hopes that the economy is ready to break out of its decade-long slumber.

The number matched expectations from economists surveyed by Reuters and was boosted by a surge in consumer spending and business investment. Stock market futures edged lower on the news while government bond yields moved lower.

That's the fastest rate of the growth since the 4.9 percent in the third quarter of 2014 and the third-best growth rate since the Great Recession. In addition to the strong second quarter, the Commerce Department revised its first-quarter reading up from 2 percent to 2.2 percent.


"We're on track to hit the highest annual growth rate in over 13 years," President Donald Trump said in remarks an hour after the report hit. "And I will say this right now and I will say it strongly, as the deals come in one by one, we're going to go a lot higher than these numbers, and these are great numbers."

Personally I never argued Trump would be bad for the stockmarket. But my personal gripe is the message of hate. It is amusing you are using the "fake"news as source. Didnt Trump just say you shouldnt believe anything the mainstream news report?

Btw these numbers are the situation before the trade war so you need to see them in perspective. On the short Term the tax cuts have a positive effect on the economy. My worry is if, on the long term, the profits the corporations make, will stimulate business development. I really hope the rich dont just get richer, but will eventually trickle down? There is no proof trickledown economics actually benefits the mid-low class families.

I'm not sure that has anything substantive to do with anything being discussed here.

He is criticising the news for not being truthfull and one should think for himself. I am curious what kind of profession he does. To me he sounds very ignorant, but for all I know he could be a doctor, engineer, attorney, factory worker, truckdriver etc. I was taught in school and college to use the news as a source of facts. (while also doing due diligence)

edit: added response @TexRex
 
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Half of me is suspicious that they actually want to be friends, but the other half still has hope that they really want to destroy each other.

It's a penis measuring contest among two dudes that want to be (or are) "bros".

And I don't mean bros as in friends, but rather actually bros. You know the ones that ask "do you even lift?", smash crispy boys, and talk about how their dad is going to sue their dad while wearing a pink polo with the collar popped.
 
I am european by the way. But what I understand there is undeniable proof that Russia tried to influence the election. You are right there is no proof Trump colluded. Where is the proof Bernie was screwed? You might be one of the most ignorant people I have ever come accross. I dont mind an opposing opinion or point of view. But you just made statements without any sources. For research purposes though I would like to now what kind of profession do you do? What is the source of your statements and theories? Dont tell me you thought all of them all by yourself?
The DNC admitted they screwed him! He received a million dollar mansion in Maine after he dropped out and endorsed Hillary. Seems the news is keeping you ignorant...
And I'm a truck driver, not rigs but box trucks.
I'll answer you later @TexRex
 
He is criticising the news for not being truthfull and one should think for himself. I am curious what kind of profession he does. To me he sounds very ignorant, but for all I know he could be a doctor, engineer, attorney, factory worker, truckdriver etc. I was taught in school and college to use the news as a source of facts. (while also doing due diligence)
I get that, but not a single one of those professions precludes an individual from being ignorant with regards to politics. That said, since politics affects us all, one ought to strive to be as informed as possible regardless of their profession, therefor I don't understand how one's profession is pertinent in a political discussion.

I'll answer you later @TexRex
While I appreciate you acknowledging my comments and establishing the intent to respond, I don't need you to tell me--if a response comes, it comes. I also appreciate very much the approach you used to establish that intent, rather than the previous "I don't have time". So thank you for that.

Onward.


The DNC admitted they screwed him!
I think I'm going to need a source for that.

He received a million dollar mansion in Maine after he dropped out and endorsed Hillary.
I'm definitely going to need a source for that. I'm aware that he acquired a $575,000 1,800sqft lakefront property in Vermont, which is said to be roughly three times the median home value in VT (approximately $190,000), a purchase that necessitated the sale of a Maine property that had been in his wife's family for a century.

The story was originally reported by Seven Days and can be read here.

Edit: The "mansion" in VT can be seen here.
 
No I haven't I'm still over 50 miles from home... But I retract the million dollar claim.
So presumably you didn't bother to read the VF article and merely opted to reject it outright due to the source. I discovered, and I'm sure that Ten can back this up, that a wide array of outlets covered the purchase.

Edit:



:lol:

THAT NARRATIVE!!!

The video pales in comparison to the comment section though...

Screenshot_20180727-160414.png
Screenshot_20180727-160332.png


Yeah, no...he actually can't do whatever he wants with it once the campaign is over, Gary.
 
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I agree Sanders was pretty much hosed by the Democrats in the primary. Even Elizabeth Warren seemed to think so. Also, according to book Hacks: The Inside Story by Donna Brazile, who was a DNC chair seems to point that way too. Finally, if the WikiLeaks e-mails are true, then that is enough evidence to point to a rigged primary with the DNC.

The only reason that I think Trump won the White House is due to the Democrats running Clinton. Although, I still firmly believe the whole Trump v. Clinton thing is part of a wider conspiracy to get Clinton elected that backfired in an epic fashion.

On the flip side, I do wonder if all primaries are in fact rigged in some way for both the Democrats and Republicans. I don't believe there's evidence the GOP does this, at least no evidence with regards to the 2016 election, but if something came out it wouldn't surprise me in the least.
 
I do wonder if all primaries are in fact rigged in some way for both the Democrats and Republicans. I don't believe there's evidence the GOP does this, at least no evidence with regards to the 2016 election, but if something came out it wouldn't surprise me in the least.
War is too important to be left to the generals, and elections too important to be left to the voters.
 
Finally home...

So that's the Special Counsel's primary directive? Gee, this whole time I've been going by this:
It should be strictly about Russia. The 12 indictments sent to Russia are ok, getting people for simply lying and busting their balls for unrelated info is way beyond "any other matters within the scope".
It's like when the police stop you cause there is an "increase in burglaries in the area" and you end up going to jail for a joint or an unpaid ticket, it's entrapment. I'm telling you from personal experience.
Like Stormy, what in gods name does she have to do with Russia? Nothing! Yet a convenient no knock search warrant of Trumps lawyer unearthed her, or confirmed her... IMO this whole sham IS a witch hunt. section (b) point (i) is the investigation, point (iii) is to find ANYTHING to try and impeach Trump. I don't care what the news says.
If you can point me to a nice chunk of time during said interview in which the IG (pictured on the right--I feel like I need to point that out because Representative Gowdy isn't smirking either) spends a great deal of time smirking, I'm more than willing to have a look.
I should have specified Strock(I don't know how to spell his name, dude with the texts and his work side chick...)
So thank you for that.
You're welcome, I'm sorry it came off as being rude or dismissive last time.
And I just read the VF artical, it has as much proof he actually paid for it as I do it was given to him...
I feel like I've asked this before; why?
For starters her "foundation" was a fraud... Herman Cain still has his foundation even after his campaign drop out. How convenient she shuts it down after the loss. Sounds like a money laundering schem, and that isn't Hannity or Herman in my ear. You don't just shut down a foundation cause you lost. And the 30k emails...
 
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