Bill Maher Wants an Economic Recession

[Aquila King 19,649]

Quote

HBO’s “Real Time” host Bill Maher admitted that he hopes the American economy will crash so that President Donald Trump will be voted out of office.

Maher, along with his panel, discussed the success of the Trump administration’s growing economy, but remained skeptical about how long the prosperity will last.

“I feel like the bottom has to fall out at some point, and by the way, I’m hoping for it because I think one way you get rid of Trump is a crashing economy,” Maher said during the June 8 show. “So please, bring on the recession. Sorry if that hurts people but it’s either root for a recession, or you lose your democracy.”

http://www.newsweek.com/bill-maher-donald-trump-economy-recession-967984

I wanted to make this thread for a number of reasons.

1) I can't stand it when people defend someone on everything say or do simply because they're on 'your side' of the political spectrum. Too many people are defending absolutely everything Trump says and does no matter how outrageous it is solely for partisan reasons, so for me to ignore or defend this while calling out others who do so towards Trump would be hypocritical of me. Even though I agree with Bill Maher on most things policy wise, I'm disgusted by these comments and think he should be called out for it.

2) I think Bill Maher is demonstrably wrong about the state of the economy. We're currently in the typical republican boom-bust cycle of economic growth, where the wealthy and corporations are booming due to massive tax cuts, but soon the middle class and poor will run out of money to spend on things from having all their wealth sucked up to the top, and we'll hit yet another recession. It happened under Bush, it'll happen again under Trump. Just give it time.

3) It is disgustingly wrong to wish for anyone to suffer the hardships of an economic recession solely for the sake of ousting the current political figure. I despise Trump, but I do so precisely because I see the suffering he causes. I want him out of office so as to end the suffering, that doesn't mean I want more suffering to exist so as to get him out of office. That's completely backward to the entire point of opposing Trump in the first place. If Trump were somehow magically making everyone's lives better (as I'm sure many of you here will claim and despite that being not at all true) then I would genuinely support him, not want to get him out of office. If things are genuinely going good under Trump, then I'd reevaluate my assessment of him, not wish for more suffering to be cause so as to better get rid of the guy. That's just hatred for the man, not hatred for what he does.

So yeah, I'm a proud progressive who agrees with Bill Maher on most policy positions, yet I'm calling him out for his partisan hackery BS. Conservatives take note next time one of your fellow conservatives says or does something outrageous or dumb.

[bmk1245 3,274]

9 minutes ago, Aquila King said:

I wanted to make this thread for a number of reasons.

1) I can't stand it when people defend someone on everything say or do simply because they're on 'your side' of the political spectrum. Too many people are defending absolutely everything Trump says and does no matter how outrageous it is solely for partisan reasons, so for me to ignore or defend this while calling out others who do so towards Trump would be hypocritical of me. Even though I agree with Bill Maher on most things policy wise, I'm disgusted by these comments and think he should be called out for it.

2) I think Bill Maher is demonstrably wrong about the state of the economy. We're currently in the typical republican boom-bust cycle of economic growth, where the wealthy and corporations are booming due to massive tax cuts, but soon the middle class and poor will run out of money to spend on things from having all their wealth sucked up to the top, and we'll hit yet another recession. It happened under Bush, it'll happen again under Trump. Just give it time.

3) It is disgustingly wrong to wish for anyone to suffer the hardships of an economic recession solely for the sake of ousting the current political figure. I despise Trump, but I do so precisely because I see the suffering he causes. I want him out of office so as to end the suffering, that doesn't mean I want more suffering to exist so as to get him out of office. That's completely backward to the entire point of opposing Trump in the first place. If Trump were somehow magically making everyone's lives better (as I'm sure many of you here will claim and despite that being not at all true) then I would genuinely support him, not want to get him out of office. If things are genuinely going good under Trump, then I'd reevaluate my assessment of him, not wish for more suffering to be cause so as to better get rid of the guy. That's just hatred for the man, not hatred for what he does.

So yeah, I'm a proud progressive who agrees with Bill Maher on most policy positions, yet I'm calling him out for his partisan hackery BS. Conservatives take note next time one of your fellow conservatives says or does something outrageous or dumb.

No matter how much I like Maher, but here he is proposing to cut his schlang out of spite. 

Kinda: "Have problems with your wife? Cut your schlang off. Now she will know what she lost".

Edited June 12, 2018 by bmk1245

[and then 29,390]

He's at least honest about his intentions.  The rest of the media seem to be all onboard with "by any means necessary", they just won't admit it.

[CrimsonKing 20,898]

15 minutes ago, bmk1245 said:

No matter how much I like Maher, but here he is proposing to cut his schlang out of spite. 

Kinda: "Have problems with your wife? Cut your schlang off. Now she will know what she lost".

No no...no no...

I can't stand Maher,he is a talentless nut sack who is known for nothing more than his pathetic whining about EVERYTHING...

That outta the way ...he isn't "proposing to cut HIS schlang off outta spite"...key word here being HIS,him and his ilk in hollywood already have their millions and guaranteed contracts to give them some security to fall back on...

No Bill here wants an economic recession that will kill the economy and hurt his viewing audience...complete and utter scumbag!

[hacktorp 1,846]

Bill Maher is simply trying to set the American public up to blame Trump when the economy (and the stock market) tanks, as he knows it will.

Nearly everyone knows this economy is illusory and over-ripe for a 2008 redux...or worse.  The game right now is to seize the narrative over who to blame for it.

Trump knows it but is playing along with the phony Fed assessment that things are great.  This will allow Trump to point the finger at the Fed and accuse them (rightfully) of misleading the public with false and phony statistics.

Hillary knew it and was expected by her handlers to return to the old banker playbook of starting a major war to clear the decks for a reset with all the major players (banking elite) still in control.

Investors know it and are quietly moving out of stocks while the bag-holders (pension funds, etc) continue to be mesmerized by rising stock indexes which are really just a reflection of easy-money corporate buybacks...not a healthy economy.

World powers know it as it is largely behind the current re-shuffling of the world order with the US and her traditional allies taking a much less hegemonic role over world politics as well as the rise of countries like China and Russia.

So I really don't blame Maher for "hoping" the economy goes down...it will regardless of what he says.  All he is really doing is attempting to condition the American public to blame Trump for it.

And I'm not hoping for hardship on anyone either, but what Trump has done by denying the "war card" to the banking elite is to force them into the open and expose them for their own bankrupt condition and call attention to their corrupt, enslaving, and now dying debt-based money system.

Perhaps an alternative is already waiting in the wings.

[GlitterRose 24,595]

Oh psssh.

What he wants is for Trump to be voted out of office because he sees the dangers to democracy that he poses.

He's not wishing hardships on people. 

He pretty much thinks what you think. That the bottom's gonna fall out, and that it will affect the vote. 

Wanna wish that the bottom doesn't fall out and we get this for another 4 years?

I didn't think so. 

I think it's outrageous that you're calling this disgusting, when he pretty much thinks exactly the same way you do.

There'll be plenty of Trump supporters ready to crucify Bill Maher over this. They don't need you to help. 

[GlitterRose 24,595]

Quite honestly, I'd prefer a recession to losing our democracy.

That's the way he sees it. People can hate on him for it, but he's calling it how he sees it. 

Where are all the free speech lovers to defend him?

[CrimsonKing 20,898]

1 minute ago, ChaosRose said:

 

Where are all the free speech lovers to defend him?

He's free to think and say as he wishes...as ANYONE is free to critisize him for it...recessions aren't "party proof",they hurt all sides of normal people equally!

Not like he's losing his show over it,not like he's ever used the "N word" on air either and kept his job...  

[Michelle 18,816]

6 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

He's not wishing hardships on people

Don't kid yourself. He couldn't care less if the "underclass" people lose their houses or jobs. If that is the class of people you want to align yourself with, have at it...oh defender of the underdogs.

[Sir Wearer of Hats 27,253]

9 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

Quite honestly, I'd prefer a recession to losing our democracy.

That's the way he sees it. People can hate on him for it, but he's calling it how he sees it. 

Where are all the free speech lovers to defend him?

He’s free to say it, but he’s not free from folks thinking poorly of him fro saying it.

[GlitterRose 24,595]

11 minutes ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

He’s free to say it, but he’s not free from folks thinking poorly of him fro saying it.

That's fine, but I can see why he said it.

What happens when there's a good economy...or the illusion of one?

Incumbents get re-elected. 

What does he think will happen if Trump is re-elected?

More erosion of democracy. 

I'm not sure how much more you can get when you've got a POTUS saying he could pardon himself, but I'm sure Trump could...well...trump that. 

[GlitterRose 24,595]

2 hours ago, and then said:

He's at least honest about his intentions.  The rest of the media seem to be all onboard with "by any means necessary", they just won't admit it.

What intentions?

Last I heard, Bill Maher does not control the economy.

[GlitterRose 24,595]

19 minutes ago, Michelle said:

Don't kid yourself. He couldn't care less if the "underclass" people lose their houses or jobs. If that is the class of people you want to align yourself with, have at it...oh defender of the underdogs.

Of course he cares. The whole point is that he cares.

He already believes that the economy is going to tank. 

He just hopes that when it does tank, it happens in time to save democracy. 

[Michelle 18,816]

1 minute ago, ChaosRose said:

He just hopes that when it does tank, it happens in time to save democracy. 

Exactly how is our democracy being threatened?

[Michelle 18,816]

Obama extended and expanded the Patriot Act you guys rallied against when Bush implemented it. Not a peep from any of you. What exactly has Trump done to end democracy?

[GlitterRose 24,595]

7 minutes ago, Michelle said:

Exactly how is our democracy being threatened?

Well...we have a POTUS who says he can pardon himself. That is essentially a king. 

How about that?

And there's that whole selling us out to Russia, aligning with dictators, and destroying relationships with our democratic allies. 

Whether you believe that democracy is being threatened isn't actually relevant, though.

What's relevant is what Bill Maher believes that caused him to make that statement. 

If you're going to criticize him, at least view the statement in its proper context. 

Since he believes there are essentially two choices...not even choices...possibilities ?  inevitabilities ? here (recession or the end of democracy) and neither of them are good...he's hoping for the lesser of two evils.

Edited June 12, 2018 by ChaosRose

[CrimsonKing 20,898]

Just now, Michelle said:

Obama extended and expanded the Patriot Act you guys rallied against when Bush implemented it. Not a peep from any of you. What exactly has Trump done to end democracy?

One of the greatest attacks on freedom in our country's history...all wrapped up in a left/right love fest at the top!...16 years of stupidity 

[Michelle 18,816]

1 minute ago, ChaosRose said:

Well...we have a POTUS who says he can pardon himself. That is essentially a king. 

How about that?

And there's that whole selling us out to Russia, aligning with dictators, and destroying relationships with our democratic allies. 

A king? He can't be voted out after he serves his term now?

What did the Russians accomplish getting Trump elected exactly?

 

[Sir Wearer of Hats 27,253]

6 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

Well...we have a POTUS who says he can pardon himself. That is essentially a king. 

Either he can, and in which case he’ll use laws that have been in place for ages. Or he can’t.

Neither position is indicitive of El Trumpo eroding democracy.

[GlitterRose 24,595]

Just now, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

Either he can, and in which case he’ll use laws that have been in place for ages. Or he can’t.

Neither position is indicitive of El Trumpo eroding democracy.

If the POTUS is above the law, then there is no democracy.

But again...it isn't actually relevant whether or not you believe it's the end of democracy.

What matters for context is what Bill Maher believes.

And he believes that if Trump remains POTUS that we can kiss democracy goodbye. 

He also believes that it's inevitable that the economy is going to tank.

He's not hoping for hardship. He knows hardship is gonna happen.

What he said was all about timing...will it happen in time to save democracy?

He hopes so. 

[CrimsonKing 20,898]

5 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

...he's hoping for the lesser of two evils.

I'm not Trumps biggest supporter,nor do i think he is the greatest president since sliced bread 

But one thing i have absolutely LOVED about his presidency is he has exposed Dems and Republicans at the top as being one and the exact same behind closed doors,just as i have been screaming for years!

They have been scamming the masses in front of cameras for years and "the people" have bought it and divided themselves,meanwhile they sit back once the cameras stop rolling shaking hands and exchanging pats on the back about their multi million dollar "investments" together...

[GlitterRose 24,595]

4 minutes ago, Michelle said:

A king? He can't be voted out after he serves his term now?

What did the Russians accomplish getting Trump elected exactly?

 

Well, if there's the illusion of a good economy...

which was the whole point Bill Maher was making...

he might just get voted in again. And then he'll have 4 more years to implement the destruction of democracy.

I'm not going to rehash the other thread, which I'm sure you've visited, daily. 

We won't agree, anyway. But that doesn't matter. 

[GlitterRose 24,595]

1 minute ago, CrimsonKing said:

I'm not Trumps biggest supporter,nor do i think he is the greatest president since sliced bread 

But one thing i have absolutely LOVED about his presidency is he has exposed Dems and Republicans at the top as being one and the exact same behind closed doors,just as i have been screaming for years!

They have been scamming the masses in front of cameras for years and "the people" have bought it and divided themselves,meanwhile they sit back once the cameras stop rolling shaking hands and exchanging pats on the back about their multi million dollar "investments" together...

I think it's rather a bit asymmetrical, really.

He tries to make it seem like they're one in the same, but this is a new level of swampyness, and it's on his watch. 

[Michelle 18,816]

1 minute ago, CrimsonKing said:

I'm not Trumps biggest supporter,nor do i think he is the greatest president since sliced bread 

But one thing i have absolutely LOVED about his presidency is he has exposed Dems and Republicans at the top as being one and the exact same behind closed doors,just as i have been screaming for years!

They have been scamming the masses in front of cameras for years and "the people" have bought it and divided themselves,meanwhile they sit back once the cameras stop rolling shaking hands and exchanging pats on the back about their multi million dollar "investments" together...

The sad part is....the people falling for it.

[CrimsonKing 20,898]

2 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

If the POTUS is above the law, then there is no democracy.

Presidents,congressmen,and well ANYONE with power have been breaking and then changing laws that would put us little people behind bars for centuries for atleast the last 100 years...they just simply have the money to get away with it and then change said laws