Juliajms

Working the system and doing what you have to do to survive. There are going to be a lot of people who have no choice but to do the same, including cancer and transplant patients.

That's not cheating the system. How many times has the orange menace declared bankruptcy?

I really don't know much about what she actually leaked, so I can't say what I think of this. I feel the same about Snowden. When the chips are down I don't really know if I think what he did was wrong because I haven't looked into it deeply enough.

For sure, because none of us know when we are going to come down with a catastrophic or chronic illness. I guess all we can do is hope that people will get fed up and vote differently next time.

Healthcare is going to spiral out of control, no doubt. People who are healthy will go to plans that have high deductibles. Young people without families will go back to not buying insurance, which leads to high premiums as the healthy bow out of the system until they need emergency care. There will be a lot less of the kind of preventative care that cuts healthcare costs overall. I'm really sad for the poor and the chronically ill.

I think that's true and what kills me is that at least two of the other extreme candidates were Latino. I think that Trump did a great job at "racial priming". Something I didn't even know existed until this election, but from my perspective it's all a big con. People who are already adults will always have white privilege to some extent. The education you received, the career you have are already a part of that. It won't change in the lifetime of these older people who are so worried about it. Before long a lot of them will be on social security and even Paul Ryan won't screw with it for those close to retirement (probably). So many of these manufacturing jobs that were lost would have benefited Latinos more going forward, just by the nature of demographics. It's a shame that it's not going to work out that way, but I agree it's never coming back. As other people have mentioned automation is going to screw a lot of people going forward. I feel bad for all the kids out there who just aren't academically inclined. There are going to be a lot of people stuck in low level service jobs, until those go away too, I suppose. For kids coming up they will be socialized under a new reality. It's going to be the only thing they know. All I hope for my own children is a meritocracy where everyone gets a chance to develop their ability. Yes, that's still a far off ideal, but I hope to see us get closer to that once these dark years are over.

I do think it's possible some of Trump's supporters will turn on him once things get bad enough. His approval ratings are already disastrously low. We're going to pay a terrible price for it, but I do think his election is waking people up (including myself).

Yeah, but I think there is reason to fear who will replace him. Israel's left is in more disarray then ours is. And I do find I somewhat ironic that Democrats are supporting Palestine. Try being gay or a woman in Gaza. Try stepping out of line and you'll find yourself being dragged to death behind a motorcycle or hung. I do agree that occupations are always going to be a stain on the occupying force. Humans who have absolute power over others always abuse it, but a "free Palestine" is going to be a hell hole too. Also, anyone who thinks the terrorism will end is dreaming. Still, I'm rooting for a two state solution to happen as soon as possible. Let the chips fall where they may. I guess that's easy to say when you don't live there though.

Ugh. We're going to have to get used to watching our country go backwards for at least four years.

^ I actually think the way Ivanka talks about her relationship with her father is incredibly sad. She actually brags about the fact that he always took her calls when she was a little girl, as if that's something special. No sense that he was the who had the responsibility to keep in touch with her. The whole family basically says that she is the favorite because she was the one who made the effort to keep the relationship going when she was a child. Baron always looks like such a sad little boy. All of this must be a nightmare for him. At least Melania seems like a good mother.

President Obama giving Joe Biden the Presidential medal of Freedom.

You aren't. Everyone needs to see the real life effect this has on individuals.

Like Jane says, there is some hope that Ohio will create it's own exchange. I'll be rooting for that to happen.

Even if Trump finds some way of coercing Mexico into paying for the wall (and I don't completely rule out that possibility), that will make us terrible bullies. I find it so ironic that the kids at that middle school got in trouble for shouting "build the wall" at their Latino classmates when all they were doing is imitating the adults around them, including the President! I just can't...ugh!

Jim Sciutto: CNN's @Acosta reports Trump spokesman @seanspicer told him he'll be kicked out of future press confs if he presses hard for ques again He was pretty aggressive. I know a lot of people hate the press but I find Trump's efforts to control and intimidate them very concerning.

^ I keep seeing that it's "unconfirmed", not sure how that can be if they documents are out there. Hopefully, we'll know more tomorrow. I think this is somehing that actually has legs though unlike so many of the previous scandals that Trump outlived. Here's hoping anyway.

I completely agree.

The weird part of that is his obsession with the Obama's. WTAF??

I'll confess I didn't. It seemed like too much of a conspiracy theory to me. Also, I didn't think it could be hidden if true, which I suppose it's coming out now, if this report has legs. Damn, things just keep getting stranger and stranger.

Yeah, but the sad thing is there are people including children who can't be vaccinated due to cancer and other illnesses. Those people rely on herd immunity, which the anti-vexxers are compromising.

Read this, it will blow your mind. It's in large part wealthy, educated parents who are the problem. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/09/vaccine-skeptics-vs-your-kids

Oh goody. A new bad thing I didn't consider has popped up. Trump is an antivaxxer and RFK Jr. is on his side. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/donald-trump-rfk-steamy-on-set-romance

I think the major problem here is that it would take a pretty big transfer of wealth to make the ACA work for more people. People up thread have asked why we can't make single payer work in the US and that's basically the reason. Europe has a much higher tax rate. The rich obviously don't want to be taxed more in the US. Don't get me started on the middle and lower classes who refuse to band together and make the rich pay more. So truly, if we can't tax the rich to make the ACA affordable to anyone but the poor, were does the money come from? I'd much rather see the debt increase then kick people off their health care. Maybe we can hope that's the direction the Republicans will go in rather than take away a benefit that people have become accustomed to and facing the political fallout.

I know you're right, but my mind keeps defaulting to this idea that that kind of pure evil can't keep winning. I guess I have to knock it into my head that it can and it has.

In something like 20 years. That's a long time to wait. A lot of irrevocable damage can be done in that time. Not to mention when 29% of Latino men vote for Trump, that tells me that as they move up the economic ladder they aren't necessarily going to stick with Democrats on mass. Not that I necessarily blame people for voting their own interests, I'm just saying I think it's a huge mistake to take anyone for granted.