It’s a shame Obama was so effete and ineffective and boring. All that truth-telling got us nowhere. — NOS4A2

Well, besides rescuing the economy from the great recession, passing health care reform where over 20 million Americans gained coverage, and so on. One notable achievement that's related to not being a childlike liar, Obama was the first president since Dwight Eisenhower to serve two terms with no serious personal or political scandal.

No, it doesn't. — NOS4A2

There you have it, Tim.

I wager it gets tiring holding people to inhuman standards. — NOS4A2

It's exhausting in Trump's case.

Just a little graphical comparison for you:

How about a practical test.

Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from ‘angels.’ Some are very tough, hardened criminals.

I was the person who saved Pre-Existing Conditions in your healthcare.

'Years of economic decay are over' because Trump 'reversed the failed economic policies of the previous administration.'

Some of the Democrats have been talking about ending (coverage for) pre-existing conditions.

In many places, like California, the same person votes many times. You probably heard about that. They always like to say 'oh that's a conspiracy theory.' Not a conspiracy theory, folks. Millions and millions of people.

Over the last two years, the number of murders in America and America’s major cities has dropped, unlike here (Chicago), by more than 10%.

Originally "almost all models predicted" Dorian would hit Alabama.

California "admitted" there were "a million" illegal votes in the 2016 presidential election.

There has never been, ever before, an administration that’s been so open and transparent.

"The noise (from windmills) causes cancer.

Democrats let him (cop killer Luis Bracamontes) into our country," and "Democrats let him stay."

Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad," including Somalia and Ukraine.

Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and the rest of the corrupt Democrats made a promise to their crazy left-wing base that they would impeach me even BEFORE I took office.

Today I opened a major Apple Manufacturing plant in Texas that will bring high paying jobs back to America.

Does this stuff ever get old, @NOS4A2?

There are studies that claim the US spends twice as much on healthcare and performs less well in medical outcomes compared to countries such as the Netherlands.

The cost of insurance and what it covers depends on factors like the size of the subscriber network, employer contribution, age, etc. For extensive medical care it's likely there would be deductibles, copays, and coverage limits, even for good plans.

In regard to paid leave...

That wouldn’t be a good test because everyone knows that socialists eat their children.

I'm not American so I've got excellent social security but I do pay about 52% taxes after deductibles. I wouldn't know what a realistic upper middle class US family income would look like. — Benkei

Devils advocacy aside for a moment, would you prefer the current American model, all things being equal? The tax rate would be about half of wherever you are.

Funny question for someone who lives in Ojai.

The social safety net is there to make sure that even if tragedy happens to you, you won't become destitute. — Artemis

This also helps to stabilize the economy and reduce the severity of downturns.

You repeated the same lie. Perhaps a little skepticism moving forward? — NOS4A2

Now you're suggesting that Trump did not claim that criticisms to his administration’s actions surrounding the coronavirus issue (cuts to CDC funding etc.) are a hoax? You previously indicated that he did make that claim when you wrote: "That's right."

Two Democrats lying about something doesn't constitute a plot by the Democrats to oust the sitting president. I think we can agree on that.

Secularist acts moral, you bet your sweet toosh that s/he is acting moral because s/he is moral. — god must be atheist

Nonsense, it’s immoral to bet on sweet tooshes.

I love TDS. — Nobeernolife

How about DDS (Democrat Derangement Syndrome)?

The playbook is old at this point. But for them to try to use a pandemic [coronavirus], and seemingly hope that it comes here and kills millions of people so that they can end Donald Trump's streak of winning, is a new level of sickness. — Lil Trump Jr.

How does one seemingly hope for millions to die, btw? I suppose that delusions may seem real. Maybe that’s what he means.

I was claiming the headline was false, fake news. I would also claim that what Trump said was true. — NOS4A2

It was fake but it's true? Lol.

So Bloomberg and Biden engaged in a little harmless hyperbole. Isn't that what you say when Trump lies? Pretty dumb to lie about it though when the truth would have been nearly as damming, that the Trump admin tried to cut CDC funding but was prevented by congress.

That’s right. He did not say Coronavirus is Democrats' 'new hoax'. So why would the NYT say that? — NOS4A2

I've pointed out that in the posted video there's a clip of Trump saying “and this is their new hoax.” Granted that it's not always easy to decipher his rambling nonsense, but are you claiming that he wasn't referring to Democrats and the coronavirus? If he wasn't then who and what was he referring to?

Did he or did he not say Coronavirus is the Democrat’s new hoax?
— NOS4A2

Calling it a hoax is to deny that it is a problem, and it doesn't matter who "their new hoax" refers to. The denial itself is the problem. — creativesoul

Just to be clear, I believe Trump is claiming that criticisms to his administration’s actions surrounding the issue (cuts to CDC funding etc.) is a hoax, or something like that, and not that the virus itself is a hoax.

Lol

The title reads:

“Donald Trump: Coronavirus is Democrats' 'new hoax'”

I image that most Trump supporters have poor reading comprehension, or just tend to see what they want to see.
— praxis

Did trump say that? No. But anti-Trumpers like to believe what they’re told. — NOS4A2

In the posted video, Trump says “and this is their new hoax.” If you’re too brainwashed to believe that he wasn’t referring to Democrats and the coronavirus, well, then there’s little chance of me opening you eyes.

The title reads:

“Donald Trump: Coronavirus is Democrats' 'new hoax'”

I image that most Trump supporters have poor reading comprehension, or just tend to see what they want to see.

Where exactly did they say that?

While in the process of politicizing the Coronavirus, Trump claims that the Democrats are politicizing it.



Junior goes much further.



They seem to have a low opinion of their supporters intelligence.

Mostly my guiding principle is liberty and freedom when it comes to politics, so I err on the side of personal responsibility rather than government coercion. — NOS4A2

With freedom comes responsibility, as Roosevelt said, but unfortunately there is mountains of evidence that proves the fact that many industries, in effort to increase profits or please shareholders, act irresponsibly in regard to sustainability or long-term human flourishing.

As I said from the start, branding is a form of promotion. Promotion isn’t necessarily commercial, obviously.

I'm not trying to promote anything here — Pfhorrest

Of course you are. Your personal logo, for instance, gives the impression (to me at least) that you value nature, and in effect promotes that value.

You might say that you’re not deliberately or consciously branding. If so, it’s kind of funny that you’re using a method of deliberate branding (logo design) so casually. Not to suggest that there’s anything wrong with that, other than possibly being blind to ones own motivations to some degree.

Speaking of wisdom, the maxim gnothi seauton comes to mind.

Utilizing a logo is an aspect of branding, which is a form of promotion. So the question appears to be:

Should I promote my book or myself on this forum?

That depends on what your goals are and whatever strategy you may have developed for achieving those goals. I would guess that you're at least mostly interested in promoting your book and haven't really put much thought into a plan for doing that, or perhaps even a firm end-goal. Of course, a common approach is to use a personal brand to promote a book, in which case you might want to reconsider branding the book itself, with a logo and whatever else.

Note that an essential quality of branding is that it should be as meaningful as possible to whomever you're trying to promote it to. I find the book branding to be meaningless, if not plain false. The "book of questions" is really a book of your views or a 'book of answers'.

Your personal logo gives me the impression that you value nature.

What’s stopping you from protecting the environment, providing solutions and providing the services you demand of government? What’s stopping you from mobilizing your countrymen to some form of action? — NOS4A2

This mobilization of countrymen would require some sort of organizing administration or, as some might call it, government. Hey wait a tick, we already got one.

Besides, Denmark and Sweden are mainly populated by Danes and Swedes, who have the massive advantage of generally NOT being American. ;-) — Wayfarer

I can’t help thinking that a society that could elect, and in all likelihood re-elect, Trump, may not be sufficient developed for increased socialism.

You're just confused. — Xtrix

He’s not confused, this is just how he plays his game.

Which religion? — Athena

Any one that dangles the “enlightenment” carrot, I suppose.

Enlightenment has everything to do with our liberty and a nation of human excellence capable of liberty and being self-governing. The Spirit of American brandishes the Sword of Justice in the mural of the gods in the US Capitol building. These are more eastern concepts than western Christianity. :zip: — Athena

I would say that the Western concept of enlightenment is quite different from that of the Eastern. The Eastern is based on emptiness, which may possess a liberating quality, however, it still exists within a religious framework and bound to a hierarchical authority system and dogmatism.

Do you still contend that “Denmark and Sweden (among others) are failed states”?

Last week on a shuttle ride to LAX we were talking to a couple of government health agents (CDC? I don’t recall exactly) deployed there and they confirmed this. They said a mask would have to have a perfect seal and of a more effective design than the cloth or paper ones.

Nevertheless, in Honolulu about 20% of all the Asian tourists you see have these masks on, and business in Chinatown is down by about 15-30%. I think that I read that’s the case for all Chinatowns.

... monastic, religious, or spiritual life may involve such a transcendent process. However this may only be one of a number of exalted states/tools practiced/used during a living process/journey. — Punshhh

Such as???

Bone spurs. That’s all you got, eh? — NOS4A2

No, I said just for starters. Here's Trump curtseying like a bitch...



Or how about his 'fire and fury' moment. Look at the body language, the folded arms are a form of 'self-comforting', literally hugging himself. To Trump culties it may look like a tough posture, but to those who can read body language, the anxiety is evident and not at all macho.

Your unrelenting defense of Trump proves this to be false.

Not a strand of chewing gum can connect that premise to your conclusion. — NOS4A2

You defend him as though he’s your cult leader.

Someone who whines about bone spurs, the fake news media, etc etc, doesn’t ring macho to me.

I don’t even want to know what you think is macho. — NOS4A2

For starters, someone who’s willing to fight for their country rather than whine about bone spurs. Someone who is actually self-made and didn’t inherit almost half a billion.

I don’t want a pope, I just want an elected official to do his job. — NOS4A2

Your unrelenting defense of Trump proves this to be false.

They played Macho Man by the Village People when Trump entered the stadium. That doesn’t ring “Billy Graham” to me. — NOS4A2

Someone who whines about bone spurs, being treated unfairly by the fake news media, etc etc, doesn’t ring macho to me.

... on the ground, things are more complex and embedded in the cultures in which they originated and practice in a religious life is key. — Punshhh

On the ground, or anywhere else for that matter, we may derive the benefit (primarily meaning) of religion and/or manipulate ourselves into a state of what is typically referred to as “transcendence.” The experience of transcendence does not require a religious framework. The major benefits of a transcendent experience are that it subdues our sense of self or DMN neurology with the effect of reducing existential anxiety and depatterning the mind.

I believe it’s true that if a person could successfully reduce the activity of an overactive DMN they would generally suffer less because, in addition to the afore mentioned benefits, they wouldn’t worry as much, fret about things, second guess themselves, etc. And again, this does not require a religion. Stoicism, for example, is a non-religious philosophy/practice that may help to subdue an overactive DMN.

They claim that ignorance (of our true nature: emptiness) is the cause. You can’t suffer if there’s no you.
try telling your body that when, for example, you feel the cane of a Zen master on your back.
But more seriously, we are half physical body, a body which should be cared for. So the emptiness would be of the mind, while living a simple modest life with the body. — Punshhh

They claim that everything is empty. The body or mind makes no difference.

I saw the 30 Americans exhibition yesterday. Very powerful, I thought.



In addition to the artist statement, all the works were accompanied by a quote (not specific to the piece) from the artists in enlarged letters. I think it gave a bit of insight into the artist's general drive.

Roger that.