Trump

[.45cultist]

So far it's civil, and it looks like the tools for a later war timeline or a modification of the canon timelines are here. This might generate quite a bit of interesting material.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by kato13

This is my favorite factoid on the subject.

Yeah ... but NYC has a larger population than most of those 13 countries, so it's not quite the factoid it would seem.

[kato13]

Originally Posted by copeab

Yeah ... but NYC has a larger population than most of those 13 countries, so it's not quite the factoid it would seem.

That is why I used the less respected "factoid" over "fact". However you would expect tanks and planes to cost more than police cruisers.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

I waited 2 hours in line to vote.

That would be utterly unheard of here. It almost seems like things are set up in the US to discourage people from voting.

[CDAT]

Originally Posted by copeab

Yeah ... but NYC has a larger population than most of those 13 countries, so it's not quite the factoid it would seem.

I would think that it depends, does New York spend more total, or a higher %? If it is just more overall but a lower % the the population size makes no difference. Also if they spend a higher % and more overall then does the population size make any difference here? It reminds me of Desert Storm/Shield there was one African (I think) nation that only sent one infantry company to be part of the coalition. Several of the troops I knew were saying that was a joke and a slap in the face, sending so few. But when you looked at their total military it was only about a battalion in all. So they were sending a higher % than any other force.

[dragoon500ly]

It's do with the unexpectedly large numbers that turned out, those that forgot to bring their registration cards and their driver's license, simply because, while you have to show a license to do any thing else, how dare you be asked to prove you are a registered voter! Not to mention those who assumed that you can vote in any precinct, as many times as you want.

Then toss in voter rolls that have not been updated due to people moving or dying....it's amazing that it only took a week to get all of the state's validated.

And people wonder why the purchases of alcohol go through the roof!!!!!!

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Targan

That would be utterly unheard of here. It almost seems like things are set up in the US to discourage people from voting.

It's really not, if you're willing to be a little proactive. You can vote by mail here. I sent in my ballot two weeks or so before election day. I didn't even have to leave the comfort of my own home.

[kato13]

Originally Posted by Raellus

It's really not, if you're willing to be a little proactive. You can vote by mail here. I sent in my ballot two weeks or so before election day. I didn't even have to leave the comfort of my own home.

I also had virtually no problems. Walked maybe 50 yards to my polling place, had a 2 min issue when they tried to convince me to use a obviously broken electronic voting machine, but I finished my paper ballot in about 10 min (lots of judges to vote on)

These voter waits seem to crop up in years and areas with unexpected turnout. I do think that states would like people to have an easy time voting, but they do not provide extra resources "just in case" and generally base their assumptions on how many voted in similar elections in prior years.

https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/
has a list of what states vote early. I was surprised at the mix of states that don't allow early voting (or restricted it to Absentee only requiring an excuse). Red, Blue, and swing states are all there. Michigan and Pennsylvania (both swing states) had almost unheard of turnout in some counties and that coupled with their lack of early voting could certainly lead to unexpected waits.

[Adm.Lee]

Originally Posted by kato13

I also had virtually no problems.

Me, neither; No line at all. My county's early-voting site/election commission HQ is very close to my house, there were a lot of cars in that parking lot all day long, it seemed.

https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/
has a list of what states vote early. I was surprised at the mix of states that don't allow early voting (or restricted it to Absentee only requiring an excuse). Red, Blue, and swing states are all there. Michigan and Pennsylvania (both swing states) had almost unheard of turnout in some counties and that coupled with their lack of early voting could certainly lead to unexpected waits.

Ohio has about a month of early voting. There was a "Golden Week" in which one could register and vote on the same day, but that was closed this year, for what seemed obvious reasons.

[RN7]

Here are ten projects that Trump could make a start on to rebuild some of America's infrastructure and take a leaf out of FDR's book.

From the New York Times.

1) Hudson River rail tunnel (Cost: $23.9 billion)

The Northeast Corridor needs another rail link connecting NYC/Manhattan and northern New Jersey. The current overcrowded tunnel is over 100 years old and was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

2) California high-speed rail (Cost: $65 billion)

This would be America’s first modern high-speed rail project and could connect San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours.

3) The Gordie Howe International Bridge (Cost: $2.1 billion)

Detroit needs another link with Canada. The privately owned Ambassador Bridge,which connects Detroit and Windsor serves over three million vehicles a year and is one of the busiest border crossings in North America.

4) Project Clean Lake (Cost: $3 billion)

Seven new sewage and water tunnels would rescue Cleveland’s antiquated lines, which are overwhelmed by even moderate rainfall and feed contaminated water into Lake Erie.

5) Northeast Corridor maglev (Cost: $100 billion)

Magnetically levitated trains traveling at 300 miles per hour on a cushion of air could cut the commute from New York to Washington to an hour and render the painfully slow Acela obsolete.

6) Miami sea wall (Cost: $20 billion)

Miami is one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels and ocean surges. If the Atlantic Ocean rises just five feet, 96 percent of Miami Beach will be submerged. A system of levees, sea walls and storm surge protectors like the Netherlands uses, which are giant sea doors that open and close automatically to protect Rotterdam could be attractive and effective. Miami could be a prototype for other endangered coastal cities and ports including Boston, Charleston, Galveston, Savannah and New Orleans.

7) Denver I-70 east (Cost: $1.17 billion)

Denver is trying to put a section of Interstate 70 underground to reconnect the city’s urban fabric and use four acres of the reclaimed space for parks, bike paths and walks, and farmers’ markets. The green space could be much larger, further reducing pollution.

8) Maryland Purple Line (Cost: $5.6 billion)

The Washington metro area suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in America. The state of Maryland wants to build more than 16 miles of light rail to link its suburbs to Washington’s existing Metro system and Amtrak. Supporters say it would remove 17,000 cars each day from area roads.

9) South Carolina dams (Cost: $685 million)

After a single heavy rain in 2015 breached more than 50 dams and caused widespread flooding, the Army Corps of Engineers assessed over 600 dams in South Carolina as either “high” or “significant” hazards. A single large project could modernize the state’s system of dams and water control.

10) Texas bullet train (Cost: $10 billion)

Even without a federal program Texas is actively looking for private investors for a high-speed rail link between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Passengers would make the 240-mile, one-stop trip in 90 minutes. If successful the line could be extended to San Antonio and Austin.

[Cdnwolf]

So more importantly how many have updated their end of the world survival supplies and started to learn how to knit and weave cloth like I am doing lol.

[Cdnwolf]

Just saw this.... perfect for this thread lol.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by Targan

That would be utterly unheard of here. It almost seems like things are set up in the US to discourage people from voting.

They are trying to teach the elderly election officials a computer verification system, they were much faster looking through the paper books. And the turnout was much larger as well.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

So more importantly how many have updated their end of the world survival supplies and started to learn how to knit and weave cloth like I am doing lol.

You just reminded me to double check my storm supplies before the winter cold settles in. My target shooting was reduced due to the rampant hoarding and I hope that subsides. That's as close to TEOTWAWKI prep I get.

[dragoon500ly]

During the pre-election comedy show, Trump promised to raise the strength of the Army to 540,000 (50 brigade combat teams), just caught a story on military.com where the SecArmy advised the President Elect to not raise the strength limit as the current strength is enough to allow us to field sufficient troops for joint task forces.

The Marines are crying out for enough amphibious ships to be moved to the Pacific to allow a MEF (marine division, air wing plus support), citing the increased tensions on the PacRim.

As far as the Air Farce goes, just buy another 200 F-35s in order to control the skies and everything will be alright, especially if they can retire the non-sexy A-10 fleet...

As can be seen, it's politics as usual in Wonderland East as the services demand more dollars for less bang, but promotions galore for the senior officers, medals for surviving those inter-office fire fights and paper cut wounds, not to mention requests for ever more gaudy uniforms, new executive jets and those ten martinis lunches and all on the tax payers dime!

Sometimes I think the only way to clean out the cesspool at the Pentagon is to have a couple of Ohio class subs dump a few dozen SLBMs...just to make sure!!!

[RN7]

So one week in and the world is already changing.

He is going to build the Wall, he is making real his threat to deport millions of illegal immigrants and criminals to Mexico, wants to build up the US military to near Cold War levels, has just banned citizens and refugees from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen from entering the US, and has all but stated that he would prefer that refugees from war thorn countries coming to America be Christian rather than Muslim.

In one week NATO and the European Union are dreading waking up in the morning to hear the latest salvo coming out of Washington, the United Nations and the Muslim world is in a catatonic depression, and Mexico is facing the greatest political crisis in its history and Trump hasn't even started with the economic sanctions yet.

What's going to happen when he starts dealing with real issues. ISIS, the Iran nuclear deal, North Korea and Chinese trade and sabre rattling in the South China Sea?

This is becoming mad comic stuff material but really how could you see Trump handling China.

Xi Jinping: "Taiwan and the islands in the South China Sea are Chinese sovereign territory"

Trump: "We will be moving the US Seventh Fleet from Japan to Taiwan and basing US nuclear forces in Taiwan, and BTW will recognise the KMT as the legitimate government of China.

As regards Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions. " Close your nuclear facilities down or we will bomb the crap out of you"

But at least Britain is a bit happier as Trump as put Churchill's bust back in the Oval Office and has announced a presidential visit to the UK this year were he hopes to play golf with the Queen at Balmoral Castle!

[dragoon500ly]

Got to admit that I had serious doubts about Trump during the election, but I will say this, it has been one wild week in office!

The major news networks are in full meltdown, Hollywood celebrities are showing their complete lack of education and utter disdain for "Middle Americans", college students are behaving worse then kindergarteners, and the professional protesters are getting busted and facing serious jail time and fines if convicted.

Week Two promises to be even more insane!

[LBraden]

Never before has your signature been more relevant Dragoon.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

Got to admit that I had serious doubts about Trump during the election, but I will say this, it has been one wild week in office!

The major news networks are in full meltdown, Hollywood celebrities are showing their complete lack of education and utter disdain for "Middle Americans", college students are behaving worse then kindergarteners, and the professional protesters are getting busted and facing serious jail time and fines if convicted.

Week Two promises to be even more insane!

Not to mention that the bigots are in full froth.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Not to mention that the bigots are in full froth.

You sir, are not just whistling Dixie!

[The Dark]

One of my concerns right now is that the administration is still extremely raw and unaccustomed to the language used in crafting law, to the extent that the immigration ban had to be revised because (as originally written) it prohibited Muslim members of the US Armed Forces from returning to the United States if deployed in Iraq. Now, that was completely not the intent of the order, but it was so poorly worded that it was the effect. The law of unintended consequences is harsh enough without throwing in shoddy language skills to exacerbate the issue.

[pmulcahy11b]

This is really, really not the place for such a thread.

[kato13]

Agreed, Locked.