Open Thread - Thurs 24 Apr - 2025 - What Comes Around Goes Around
What Comes Around Goes Around
Long, long, long ago, I worked at AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) when the company first started exporting production to Asia. Us little workers, those of us who ran the machines that made the chips, or tested them, or packaged them up for shipping, us... well, WE were pretty upset. We knew this meant that there would be less jobs, that regular workers would be screwed over and that AMD was going to go from a company that proudly cared about things like keeping production in the USA and workers' rights, to yet another typical American business.
So, TPTB exported shipping to Asia. About this time, my father retired from AMD; he didn't like a lot of these changes. I stopped working there because I was going to Grad school in PA. And... everything we, the workers, predicted came true. Thanks Reagan! Thanks Clinton! Thanks Nixon! And everyone else!
Cartoon from a while back, by John Pritchett
Now it's 40 years after the beginning of the shift many American companies made to production overseas and we are all reaping the rewards, or suffering from the outcomes, aren't we? I don't think Trump's actions are going to make anything better, unless he couples them with forcing the companies to bring production back to the USA, and having the government help train and create the workers those companies need. After all, back 40 years ago, a lot of my fellow workers were immigrants and/or lower class and/or colored.
MUSIC!
I've been going through some old records/recordings of mine; basically stuff from local groups in the music scene in the Bay Area in the late 70's and early 80's. And I came across a song I adore; it's immediately become an ear worm again. Back then, I figured it was about Reagan, or someone like him, but now, I'm relating it to Trump. What do you think? The group that wrote it and performed it never hit it big, but dang, I love this song...
The Imposters: King of America
'All he wants is, to be the King of America...' Sounds about right to me!
So whatcha think? Got any old ear worms that are appropriate today too? And here's the open thread - remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
Thursday has Arrived!
Hope Thursday is great for everyone. Yesterday, Wednesday, sucked for me. Had to take Nikko to the vet for a wellness exam. He's fine, it's just a check-up before he's neutered. Anyway, got everything ready to go and... my beloved car wouldn't start. I had to contact the vet to cancel the appointment, and then wait for AAA and the tow truck. It all sucked! Hubby helped a lot. Car's at the repair shop. I'll make another appointment for the wellness check at the vet's today and hopefully I won't eat too many more peanut butter cups (stress food!)
.
What's up with y'all? Hope it's good!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Who of the three was or still is the best liar ? /nt
https://www.euronews.com/live
Reagan was the best liar.
That's because he didn't know he was lying. He believed that his own projections, impressions, and fantasy outcomes were known truths.
Psychologists note that hypocrites and narcissists, like Reagan and Trump, seldom notice that they are lying. They believe that they are sharing the truth with their audience. Many US and UK politicians fit this definition. Reagan is a classic example. He fabulated constantly about his ambitious and expensive proposals (Star Wars) and his nefarious operations. Reagan never seemed to know he was lying. By contrast, Bill Clinton always knew when he was lying. And so did Richard Nixon. They told lies to bend opinions and to protect themselves. There are quite a few politicians who believe their own lies and quote the lies of others, in order to get their way.
It turns out, the American people like being lied to, when it comes to politics. They prefer media channels that spread the lies they want to believe. The lies told on Fox News makes certain viewers feel good or empowered. The same holds true for the lies spread by MSNBC. Propaganda and lies that are told to national audiences are sent to key licensed media broadcasters, in the form of Daily Talking Points and trigger words. Intelligence assets who are employed in large media outlets, keep the talking points and misinformation in play when news is discussed.
These are my observations.
Best liar?
That is so hard to decide. I think Reagan was the best, in terms of people still worship him, or something. But, how's about Clinton and the trade deals and all the changes he made to social care and so on? I dunno. Nixon was maybe the worst liar, because he got caught.
Obama has been a masterful liar. He might even beat out Reagan at that. Heh. And Trump is right up there with Reagan.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
p-nut butter cups sound better than Valiums
good luck with the car!
Zionism is a social disease
Thing about the peanut butter cups...
Is Nikko can share by licking my fingers
The car stuff is gonna be long, but the repair people are good. It should be done by next Tuesday night. Part of the problem is getting the parts... it needs a new starter and some other things. Sheez.
Great music! Thank you for sharing it!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning, sima!
Here is a good explanation of Unitary Executive Theory, or dictatorship, as it were.
Sima, you and your dad experienced an industry going away, and I am watching my legal profession and system being shredded. The court I participate in today may not be around in a few years, or a few months.
The article says we have to resist and make demands of congress. Since when does congress bend to the will of the people?
https://www.theburningplatform.com/2025/04/24/how-a-president-becomes-a-...
Well, we just have to see how it all shakes out.
My car was in the shop 2 days last week. Giant pain in the ass. I should have tried peanut butter cups.
Good luck with Jaska's wellness check!
Thanks for the OT, chica!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Shredding the legal system?
Dang, dang, dang. 'They' are taking away everything we have to fight them without blood, aren't they? And how can we resist and demand congress to do anything? I mean, even if congress did, Trump'll just ignore it. I bet the only people who can resist now, are the powers in the military, IF they want to resist. Gah.
My car is gonna be in the shop until Tuesday night, probably. They gotta get parts, and that takes time. Hopefully I won't run out of peanut butter cups! At least there is sun forecast for the weekend. I'll get a lot of gardening done!
That was a good article, thanks for sharing it. Have a great Friday and weekend!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
I'm with you, Sima
Got my Electronics Engineering Tech degree just in time to watch the industry sail off for cheaper manufacturing pastures. Took forever to pay off the student loan. I hate Clinton so much I don't have much left over for anyone else, even Trump. So, there's a positive side to everything after all.
Ahh, student loans.
I remember those. The college I went to was ruinously expensive at the time, and is much worse today- I have no idea how anyone of ordinary means can even think of going there now. Despite working as many jobs as I could fit in, I finished school with a 6-figure student loan debt, all of which loans were actually extended by the school itself. And I did indeed dutifully pay them all off, within the 10 year mandatory repayment interval.
I still remember writing the last check on the last date of that 10 years, with so much pleasure... I paid it all off, except for leaving a balance of $0.01 owed. And sure enough, they sent me a bill for that penny: every month, for the next 2.5 years. At the then-current first-class postage rate (15 cents at first, though it went up to 18 for the last bit), they spent $4.75 or thereabouts in the Quixotic attempt to recover that last lonely penny.
That's when it became clear to me that my college had, in fact, been taken over by MBAs. (;-)
You couldn't do that these days- you'd be in Gitmo so fast your head would spin. They finally just quit sending them one day. I still had that last bill framed and hung on my office wall, right up until the house burned down. That's one of the things I miss the most.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Where I have fun with these geeks
I will pay one penny more and just let it float.
It may confuse their computers, but still it is in
their debt ratio. Can't let a penny slide in this new
age of exact ability.
Zionism is a social disease
Truth be told,
I did even worse than that. At the time, they also sent out fundraising snailmails to alums that contained return-postage-guaranteed envelopes. 2 or 3 times, I was annoyed enough with them that I carefully wrapped a brick in kraft paper, stuck the empty return envelope on it, and mailed that back- which I figured cost them 50 or 60 cents to get out of hock at the USPS.
They quit doing that, too. But it never occurred to me to overpay them by that penny. That would have been fun as well...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
I get an email
at the beginning of each month from Wells Fargo notifying me they are unable to process the loan payment on my car. I paid off the loan in 2016.
I told myself I need to stop drinking.
But I'm not about to start listening to some drunk who talks to himself.
That's hilarious!
I still get a yearly snailmail message from the California DMV telling me that the car that I listed as inoperative could be put back on the road legally again if I just paid the following fines and jumped through the following hoops.
Of course, I took the car off the road to convert it into a pure race car that could never possibly be street legal again. That was 1995. I haven't lived in CA since 1998, and I haven't owned that car since 2008, but, by Gawd, the DMV's hope springs eternal- and there is nothing whatsoever that I can do that will convince them otherwise.
It's a funny ol' world, innit?
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Sheez!
Paid off almost 10 years ago and they still send you a notification? Gads! So much for customer service Hahahaha.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Hi Social
I don't know if this applies to your situation, but I was thinking that If you have an estate to leave, it might be worth clearing up the issue of payment due, so that potentially it doesn’t become an issue in executing your estate? I am quite uninformed about these matters, but the thought occurred to me?
Hi, janis
I'll have to talk to the people at the bank. Again. I've talked to them about this before in the past but I still keep getting the notice every month.
I told myself I need to stop drinking.
But I'm not about to start listening to some drunk who talks to himself.
Talking to the bank again is the best you can do
Send them the proof of ownership, and save the email correspondence.
Student Loans...
Paying off those loans felt so good, and so hard. I was lucky, archaeology departments didn't usually have engineers wanting to join, and so I got helped. But my overseas study had to be paid for by me. Luckily, it was overseas, and cheap compared to American Universities, even if I had to pay full tuition.
As for a bill for a penny, what the hell? I mean, really, what the hell? Sounds like something they'd do for a scam now, doesn't it?
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Totally understand your Clinton hatred
I felt and feel the same way. It was so obvious to we little people what was going to happen when they shipped off the manufacturing. I dunno, I just dunno where to go from here as an economy. Maybe I'm too old to know. *sigh*
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning Sima. The comment I wrote hours ago seems
to have never posted, but that's probably nobody's loss. I rarely get earworms because I have songs that i can begin thinking of which will drive the earworms out of my mind. Wide, wide river and kill for peace by the Fugs usually work, also, the inimitable Help I'm a Rock.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
I looked up the songs...
Am not familiar with them, or was not. Wide, Wide River - 'River of Sh^t' - great quote. I'm sorry I missed this song as I was growing up. Pretty sure my parents made sure of that
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Hi el
Thanks for the music and sentiments.
Hi Sima
I enjoyed your ear worm, and OT.
I have several Harry Belafonte songs going round and round in my head. It's because tomorrow will be the 2nd anniversary of his death, and I’ve been listening to his music and reading about his life. He was a staple in my house as a child, and continues to be a favourite. I deeply respect what he did with his success as a singer, in a life-long effort against injustice at home and afar.
Have a good weekend you all.
ps.
There were too few american small to medium size businesses back then whose vision included caring for their employees as integral to their success, and a desire to provide a product to be proud of. Maybe a sense of sincere pride is what was lost, and so hard to regain.