It has been a crazy few weeks, as the world absorbs the news of a second Trump term. Cleaning Up has aired three episodes. But I have also been busy on UK politics, bus safety, and a spot of shopping!
Unifying climate models and economic models sounds like the blind leading the blind. For what it’s worth I would put more faith in climate modelling (backed by the scientific method) over economic modelling which always seem to carry the rider “all things being equal”.
Michael -- I greatly appreciated your response - not just because you made my exact point -- but because it proves that you read what is sent to you.
You are correct is stating that voting processes have historical backgrounds - and ours has worked for the last 244 years.
That track record was broken in the last one before this latest one -- because Trump refused to concede the election --and has been allowed to orchestrate a coup -- by showing that one of our two
Political Parties - was made up of people who have now finally shown themselves to be what they really are -- to a person: a Nazi.
The Electoral College was what he won - and here is my point of disagreeing with your position:
--- sitting out an election - when one is a citizen of the Country to be "governed" by that election -- is also a vote -- like it or not.
I don't know what the UK legal definition / understanding concerning what a Dictator is -- but here in the US -- Dictator means "...consolidating all power to one person...".
That is diametrically opposite / and thus "harmful" to the legal definition of a true Republic - which the US was supposedly set up as -- but really wasn't.
For reasons unknown -- the "Founding Fathers", "believing" that the "common man at the time" (as women were not allowed to vote at the time) -- didn't have the intelligence to make up his own mind as to who or what to vote for.
They added the "Electoral College" - in the stated belief that even though it was "proclaimed" that there would be "one man - one vote" - the Electoral College would "even out the "playing field if you will" between the more populated areas and the less populated areas - actually putting a thumb on the scale for equality toward less populated areas of the US.
The 280,000 votes being spread over 6 states - actually represent less that 1/2 of 1% of the total votes counted -- but because those 6 states were winner take all states - with much less population in them -- the Electoral College count totally skewed the results.
Back to the self-proclaimed Dictator bit.
By US legal definition -- if you vote for a "self-declared Dictator" -- you are voting - with the intent to cause harm to the Country that you as a citizen of that Country you owe allegiance to.
Over here - that's "in-your-face" Treason -- full stop.
And if you don't vote - with a self-proclaimed Dictator being allowed to run - because of the fact that Trump knowingly stacked the Judiciary with the 6 Judases now sitting on the Supreme Court -- that is a de-facto vote for the Dictator -- which is also, by definition - the intent to cause harm to the Country, i.e., it's also an act of Treason - full stop.
I doubt very much - with the vast differences between the Tory and Labour Governments in the UK -- that either Party , let alone the people in the UK: -- would tolerate a Dictator - let alone vote one into office.
A Partisan - yes -- a Dictator - no.
So you have to take into consideration that although the US has had close and angry elections in the past: -- there has never been a case -- until now - where a President / not being re-elected / refused to concede and then orchestrated outright lies and disinformation being constantly thrown at people via the Internet and Cable TV with Fox News - via a Rupert Murdoch fire-hose (which the UK also has) --- where it turns out that the majority who voted (and didn't vote, thereby creating a deficit) for the Dictator - "won" - bringing to power a Nazi Government if you care to read their Project 2025 manual. - causing major harm to the Country:
--- and History has shown -- that they don't give in - they have to be eradicated - b y Military action.
By definition - this election was illegal -- and because there is no other Military force other than the US Military itself - that will come to "right this wrong" - as we /our US Military did - in 1776 / and in both World-Wars -- against basically Nazi regimes / or a King in the 1776 case:
--- you should not be just scared -- you should be terrified. - because first Europe, and then the UK -- will be next - unless strong- drastic actions are taken -- for the sake of the World.
I hear you, but you still need to accept that Orange Man won this time round fair and square. Unless you accept that and understand why people voted the way they did, I am afraid more and more detailed descriptions of the risks won't get you anywhere. I wish you luck, we all need it.
Michael -- you better check your numbers on the resounding win by Trump.
It' tuning out that it's about 280,000 votes spread over 6 states -- all in the middle of the US which were Conservative - but now MAGA Trumplican Country -- and every voter for Trump - by legal definition under Treason - a Traitor to the Country that they owe allegiance to as citizens of that Country: because loud-mouth - stated he was a Traitor - be self-declaring he would be a Dictator on Day 1.
You can have your opinions -and blow your smoke up the the UK's orifice -- but when speaking of my Country - which is most likely going to become a full-on Nazi Dictatorship:
--- unless you and your types in the UK and elsewhere -- are willing to come help us from this -- as the we / the US did for the UK in WW II:
--- at least have the decency to first - get your "facts - and I cleaned that up" straight - before you pontificate.
Scott, I despise the man as much as you do, and I'm scared for the world.
But Trump won the electoral college by 312 to 226, not even close. He won seven out of eight contested states, and Republicans win the House and the Senate. It wasn't close.
He may not have won the popular vote but so what. Voting systems are the result of historical processes and none are perfect. In the UK we have a first-past-the-post system that gives landslide winds to candidates who don't win the popular vote, and no one suggests the UK is not a democracy.
If Dems want to change the system and save the world, they need to stop whining and start winning elections.
Great format. I enjoyed the bite sized chunks across different topics on my morning commute by train.
Unifying climate models and economic models sounds like the blind leading the blind. For what it’s worth I would put more faith in climate modelling (backed by the scientific method) over economic modelling which always seem to carry the rider “all things being equal”.
Does Nordhaus still think 3C is optimal? I thought he had revised that since.
If he has changed his view, it’s news to me. If you find evidence of that, please provide a link.
Michael -- I greatly appreciated your response - not just because you made my exact point -- but because it proves that you read what is sent to you.
You are correct is stating that voting processes have historical backgrounds - and ours has worked for the last 244 years.
That track record was broken in the last one before this latest one -- because Trump refused to concede the election --and has been allowed to orchestrate a coup -- by showing that one of our two
Political Parties - was made up of people who have now finally shown themselves to be what they really are -- to a person: a Nazi.
The Electoral College was what he won - and here is my point of disagreeing with your position:
--- sitting out an election - when one is a citizen of the Country to be "governed" by that election -- is also a vote -- like it or not.
I don't know what the UK legal definition / understanding concerning what a Dictator is -- but here in the US -- Dictator means "...consolidating all power to one person...".
That is diametrically opposite / and thus "harmful" to the legal definition of a true Republic - which the US was supposedly set up as -- but really wasn't.
For reasons unknown -- the "Founding Fathers", "believing" that the "common man at the time" (as women were not allowed to vote at the time) -- didn't have the intelligence to make up his own mind as to who or what to vote for.
They added the "Electoral College" - in the stated belief that even though it was "proclaimed" that there would be "one man - one vote" - the Electoral College would "even out the "playing field if you will" between the more populated areas and the less populated areas - actually putting a thumb on the scale for equality toward less populated areas of the US.
The 280,000 votes being spread over 6 states - actually represent less that 1/2 of 1% of the total votes counted -- but because those 6 states were winner take all states - with much less population in them -- the Electoral College count totally skewed the results.
Back to the self-proclaimed Dictator bit.
By US legal definition -- if you vote for a "self-declared Dictator" -- you are voting - with the intent to cause harm to the Country that you as a citizen of that Country you owe allegiance to.
Over here - that's "in-your-face" Treason -- full stop.
And if you don't vote - with a self-proclaimed Dictator being allowed to run - because of the fact that Trump knowingly stacked the Judiciary with the 6 Judases now sitting on the Supreme Court -- that is a de-facto vote for the Dictator -- which is also, by definition - the intent to cause harm to the Country, i.e., it's also an act of Treason - full stop.
I doubt very much - with the vast differences between the Tory and Labour Governments in the UK -- that either Party , let alone the people in the UK: -- would tolerate a Dictator - let alone vote one into office.
A Partisan - yes -- a Dictator - no.
So you have to take into consideration that although the US has had close and angry elections in the past: -- there has never been a case -- until now - where a President / not being re-elected / refused to concede and then orchestrated outright lies and disinformation being constantly thrown at people via the Internet and Cable TV with Fox News - via a Rupert Murdoch fire-hose (which the UK also has) --- where it turns out that the majority who voted (and didn't vote, thereby creating a deficit) for the Dictator - "won" - bringing to power a Nazi Government if you care to read their Project 2025 manual. - causing major harm to the Country:
--- and History has shown -- that they don't give in - they have to be eradicated - b y Military action.
By definition - this election was illegal -- and because there is no other Military force other than the US Military itself - that will come to "right this wrong" - as we /our US Military did - in 1776 / and in both World-Wars -- against basically Nazi regimes / or a King in the 1776 case:
--- you should not be just scared -- you should be terrified. - because first Europe, and then the UK -- will be next - unless strong- drastic actions are taken -- for the sake of the World.
I hear you, but you still need to accept that Orange Man won this time round fair and square. Unless you accept that and understand why people voted the way they did, I am afraid more and more detailed descriptions of the risks won't get you anywhere. I wish you luck, we all need it.
Michael -- you better check your numbers on the resounding win by Trump.
It' tuning out that it's about 280,000 votes spread over 6 states -- all in the middle of the US which were Conservative - but now MAGA Trumplican Country -- and every voter for Trump - by legal definition under Treason - a Traitor to the Country that they owe allegiance to as citizens of that Country: because loud-mouth - stated he was a Traitor - be self-declaring he would be a Dictator on Day 1.
You can have your opinions -and blow your smoke up the the UK's orifice -- but when speaking of my Country - which is most likely going to become a full-on Nazi Dictatorship:
--- unless you and your types in the UK and elsewhere -- are willing to come help us from this -- as the we / the US did for the UK in WW II:
--- at least have the decency to first - get your "facts - and I cleaned that up" straight - before you pontificate.
Scott, I despise the man as much as you do, and I'm scared for the world.
But Trump won the electoral college by 312 to 226, not even close. He won seven out of eight contested states, and Republicans win the House and the Senate. It wasn't close.
He may not have won the popular vote but so what. Voting systems are the result of historical processes and none are perfect. In the UK we have a first-past-the-post system that gives landslide winds to candidates who don't win the popular vote, and no one suggests the UK is not a democracy.
If Dems want to change the system and save the world, they need to stop whining and start winning elections.