To impeach, or not to impeach

[Kinser79]

(11-25-2019, 08:20 AM)pbrower2a Wrote:

(11-25-2019, 04:29 AM)Kinser79 Wrote: I find it amusing that PBR can in one breath say:  " He [Trump] is as much a break with the past as was Andrew Jackson, who rates 19." And yet in the next deny my assessment that Trump is in fact the Gray Champion of the Jacksonian Type.  I've long contended that there are essentially two types of actors in American politics.  One faction is historically represented by Andrew Jackson, the other by Alexander Hamilton.

I'm also reluctant to rate serving US Presidents.  Current politics has a tendency to color perceptions for at least 25 years.  Shit man its taken that long for most people to realize that LBJ was a shitty president and Nixon was relatively decent (apart from having criminals for underlings).  And even still most Boomers, particularly Blue ones, hate Nixon with a burning passion and the man has been dead for over a quarter century now.

Much of contemporary rating is on style at the expense of substance. Eisenhower often got the derision of top intellectuals because hedid not defer to them as did prior and subsequent Presidents. If something went right with Ike, then it was pure luck. LBJ had some wondrous legislation, but he was a disaster as a wartime leader. Nixon's political agenda was unobjectionable, but

(1) his dirty-tricks campaign, of which the Watergate break-in is simply the best known of misdeeds... trying to get the therapist's files on Daniel Ellsberg exemplifies a flagrant violation of medical ethics (physicians often post warnings to the effect that any unauthorized access to patient files is a crime, and

(2) Nixon pointlessly opened the spigots on the money supply and accelerated federal spending so that he could be re-elected by a huge margin -- and from that came the stagflation that led to the defeat of his two successors. Trump is doing much the same.

Note well: inflation is back.

I remember seeing praise for Calvin Coolidge from soon after his Presidency ended. Coolidge got credit for peace and prosperity. Only later would historians find the alleged prosperity of the 1920's superficial. Coolidge sponsored the speculative boom in real estate and securities that imploded a few months after Hoover succeeded him. Economic bubbles invariably end in financial panics; wholesome economic policy does not implode. Coolidge squeezed Germany with reparations that weakened German democracy and allowed the installation of... need I go further? Peace and prosperity? Those would collapse later because of Coolidge policies.

Everything comes down to Hitler with you doesn't it.  That isn't a question, that is a statement.

Now on to the Substance:

1.  LBJ's legislation was not wondrous.  Most of it was absolutely devastating.  It is amusing to me that prior to the so-called Great Society programs Black marrage rates were far higher than White rates, and crime rates far lower.  And yes largely this was by design.  Women, particularly single women, overwhelmingly support socialism and socialism-light while Men do not.

2.  Are you alleging that Richard M. Nixon personally stole this persons medical records?  Or did he simply tell his criminal underlings to get dirt on him and this is how they did it.  Intent matters in a court of law, and if the intent was simply to get dirt on an opponent Nixon can hardly be faulted.  Getting dirt on one's opponents is standard fare in politics, and has been since the time of Ancient Athens.

3.  Stagflation was largely the result of massive welfare payouts and attempting to run a war at the same time.  Both policies of LBJ and not Nixon.  With one the Democratic Majority in Congress wouldn't overturn something that was bringing home the bacon in their districts (a practice as old as the republic itself) on the other I think Nixon actually thought that our involvement in Vietnam was winnable.  GI Hubris?  Maybe.  But also something that LBJ was also guilty of.

4.  I know inflation is back.  Actually it never went away.  I'm half your age and I've noticed that the prices of everything have risen greatly over my lifetime.  Fed Target is 2% inflation per year.  Interestingly that same rate results in a halving of the value of the currency in just 50 years.  The only reason people even want USD right now is they can buy oil from the OPEC states for them.  How long will that last?

5.  The 1920s and its bubble were a result of largely a lack of policy from Coolidge.  Mind you had there been an equal lack of policy from Hoover the depression would have ended much much sooner.

As for reparations from Germany, the greater share was going to Britain and France.  The US was a major creditor to Germany but after the war as we were issuing them loans to back up the Mark.  I highly recommend that you watch the Youtube Series "Between the Wars".  Not that I think you'll actually learn anything--I don't think you've learned anything since you realized Hitler can be used as a universal boogey-man but for those others on the forum it is a good series.