Vivek Ramaswamy and persecuted Christians

[Robert]

By his own words, he doesn't support ANY of those rights or freedoms even though there are MANY people who find all of them contained within the Constitution. Nor does he even support the Constitution as written as he wants to repeal the 26th Amendment.

I do not support the 17th Amendment. Does that make me not support the Constitution? Just because someone disagrees with an amendment does not mean they do not support the Constitution. Like those that struck down prohibition.

[Ken]

To get a better idea of what Ramaswamy stands for I went straight to the source. His campaign web site: https://www.vivek2024.com/

I was most definitely not impressed. It little more than a disorganized jumble of what are mostly completely unserious memes. And for someone who claims to support the Constitution it is curious that so many of his ideas are blatantly unconstitutional. The sum total of his policy ideas are grouped into 5 categories of 5 proposals each. https://www.vivek2024.com/america-first-2-0/

1. Revive American National Identity
2. Unleash the American Economy: Achieve >5% GDP growth
3. Declare Independence from Communist China
4. Dismantle Managerial Bureaucracy
3. End Weaponization of Government & Financial Markets

That's it. Nothing on health care, the environment, education, criminal justice, taxes, crime, addiction, gun violence, immigration, etc. etc.

And if you take a peek inside these proposals for specifics you find little more than trite nonsense. For example, under "Unleash the American Economy his biggest proposal is

"Put Americans back to work: dismantle Lyndon Johnson's failed "Great Society"

OK, the current unemployment rate is 3.8% which is about as low as it has been in 50 years. I'm not sure how much lower it can go without unleashing more inflation. The Fed is actually pushing in the opposite direction. But what about the Great Society? This suggests he doesn't have any idea what he is talking about. What were some of the key programs in Johnson's Great Society?

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Civil Rights Act
• Voting Rights Act
• Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Clean Air Act
• Clean Water Act

We really going to roll back the clock that far? And in any event, that would have to start with Congress anyway not the President who has no authority to repeal any Great Society program on his own.

Here's another:

Move >75% of federal employees out of Washington D.C. & end pro-lazy “remote work” option

Um... maybe someone should tell Vivek that 93% of civilian federal employees ALREADY work outside of Washington DC? California has more federal employees than Washington DC, as does Texas. And if you count the military (which I did not) the percentages that work outside DC are even higher. Add in the Post Office and the percentages are even higher.

Here's another good one:

Cut wasteful expenditures: White House, not individual agencies, will submit budget requests to Congress

Newsflash Vivek. That is actually what happens. For the past 100 years, by law White House has submitted its budget requests to Congress not individual agencies. The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 requires it. For example, here is the White House's fiscal year 2023 budget request: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u ... fy2023.pdf which was submitted exactly 100 years after the very first White House budget request submitted to Congress by President Harding in 1923.

Of course Congress often just ignores the White House budget request and does its own thing. But it is most definitely the White House that makes the request. Individual agencies don't go to Congress hat in hand.

It just goes on and on with endless similar nonsense. My daughter's HS government class could have come up with something better and more intelligent in a weekend.

[barnhart]

He still thinks the salient economic system at play in China is Communism?

Still I agree increased independence may be a good idea.

[Ken]

He still thinks the salient economic system at play in China is Communism?

Still I agree increased independence may be a good idea.

Except that when you look at his actual proposals it is more nonsense. Here they are:

• Hold the CCP accountable for Covid-19: use all financial levers
• Achieve semiconductor independence: secure our modern way of life
• Stop CCP affiliates from buying American land
• Use our military to annihilate Mexican drug cartels: defend against the CCP’s opium war
• Ban U.S. businesses from expanding in China until the CCP stops cheating

What does any of that actually mean in terms of actual policy? We going to invade Mexico?

Ban US businesses from expanding into China? What does that actually mean? Apple can't manufacture iPhones in China? Tesla can't manufacture battery parts in China?

So if Apple can't make iPhones in China but Samsung (a Korean company) can, then what? Apple just gives up worldwide market share to Samsung because they can't compete on price? Most phones are sold overseas not in the US.

This stuff might get applause at GOP fundraisers in Iowa, but none of it is actually serious.

[Robert]

To get a better idea of what Ramaswamy stands for I went straight to the source. His campaign web site: https://www.vivek2024.com/

I was most definitely not impressed. It little more than a disorganized jumble of what are mostly completely unserious memes.

Strange. I found many areas of information. Since you are a Democrat, you will not be voting in the Republican primary, so it matters not that you do not like him.

Since he is far behind the front runner of the Republican primary, not sure it matters much since he will most likely not get the nomination.

You do not need to like him. I do and feel no need to justify it to you.

[Ken]

To get a better idea of what Ramaswamy stands for I went straight to the source. His campaign web site: https://www.vivek2024.com/

I was most definitely not impressed. It little more than a disorganized jumble of what are mostly completely unserious memes.

Strange. I found many areas of information. Since you are a Democrat, you will not be voting in the Republican primary, so it matters not that you do not like him.

Since he is far behind the front runner of the Republican primary, not sure it matters much since he will most likely not get the nomination.

You do not need to like him. I do and feel no need to justify it to you.

Is he running to be the chair of the RNC? Or is he running to be the president of the entire country?

I expect Democrats to have coherent and intelligent policy proposals as well. Although that standard wasn't met with the recent candidacy of RFJ Jr. either.

[Robert]

I expect Democrats to have coherent and intelligent policy proposals as well.

For some reason, coherent and President Biden do not seem to go together for me.

[Ken]

I expect Democrats to have coherent and intelligent policy proposals as well.

For some reason, coherent and President Biden do not seem to go together for me.

The Biden Administration lays out its policy proposals in the 2024 Budget Proposal.

It is all right here for all to see. I count 41 specific policy proposals: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing ... year-2024/

Feel free to nitpick which ones are incoherent, unconstitutional or nonsensical. It is a nice compare and contrast to Ramaswamy's 25 policy proposals.

[temporal1]

Not man versus man, man versus cabal.
The many unorganized, diverse citizens willing to serve are the best hope for the U.S.

Real life is messy. Embrace it. Be grateful for it. The alternate is earthly prison. Efficient, not free.
Don’t go out and choose it!

[Robert]

Feel free to nitpick which ones are incoherent, unconstitutional or nonsensical.

I did not say the Biden Administration policies were incoherent. I said President Biden was.