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I want to understand rich people better

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Nickyjo

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Don't get me wrong, I live comfortably. But the recent news about Pence staying at Trumps place in Ireland and the US paying for it, plus other real (or exaggerated) stories about Donald's corruption, violation of the emoluments clause, etc., makes me wonder: what is it about someone like Trump, apparently a multi-billionaire, that makes him want more? Yes, I know that some wealthy people got that way by looking to make money at every opportunity, but Donald, your are president of the United States, give it a rest for a few years. I am reminded of the line in Wall Street, where the Michael Douglas character is asked, "Just how big a yacht do you need to water ski behind?"

Any billionaires out there who can explain why Donald really cares if people spend money at his place? (And is there a bigger ***** than Pence around?)
 
Nickyjo said:
Don't get me wrong, I live comfortably. But the recent news about Pence staying at Trumps place in Ireland and the US paying for it, plus other real (or exaggerated) stories about Donald's corruption, violation of the emoluments clause, etc., makes me wonder: what is it about someone like Trump, apparently a multi-billionaire, that makes him want more? Yes, I know that some wealthy people got that way by looking to make money at every opportunity, but Donald, your are president of the United States, give it a rest for a few years. I am reminded of the line in Wall Street, where the Michael Douglas character is asked, "Just how big a yacht do you need to water ski behind?"

Any billionaires out there who can explain why Donald really cares if people spend money at his place? (And is there a bigger ***** than Pence around?)
Click to expand...

What is your definition of "rich"? Seems you are focused on billionaires. Much like Bernie Sanders quit talking about millionaires since he became one and focuses on billionaires in some of his talks.
 
Nickyjo said:
Don't get me wrong, I live comfortably. But the recent news about Pence staying at Trumps place in Ireland and the US paying for it, plus other real (or exaggerated) stories about Donald's corruption, violation of the emoluments clause, etc., makes me wonder: what is it about someone like Trump, apparently a multi-billionaire, that makes him want more? Yes, I know that some wealthy people got that way by looking to make money at every opportunity, but Donald, your are president of the United States, give it a rest for a few years. I am reminded of the line in Wall Street, where the Michael Douglas character is asked, "Just how big a yacht do you need to water ski behind?"

Any billionaires out there who can explain why Donald really cares if people spend money at his place? (And is there a bigger ***** than Pence around?)
Click to expand...

Can you prove that Trump made Pence stay at his property in Ireland?

I'll wait...
 
Nickyjo said:
Don't get me wrong, I live comfortably. But the recent news about Pence staying at Trumps place in Ireland and the US paying for it, plus other real (or exaggerated) stories about Donald's corruption, violation of the emoluments clause, etc., makes me wonder: what is it about someone like Trump, apparently a multi-billionaire, that makes him want more? Yes, I know that some wealthy people got that way by looking to make money at every opportunity, but Donald, your are president of the United States, give it a rest for a few years. I am reminded of the line in Wall Street, where the Michael Douglas character is asked, "Just how big a yacht do you need to water ski behind?"

Any billionaires out there who can explain why Donald really cares if people spend money at his place? (And is there a bigger ***** than Pence around?)
Click to expand...

It's a compulsion in Trump. It's the same gene his brother had that made him a degenerate drunk manifest differently.
 
Nickyjo said:
Don't get me wrong, I live comfortably. But the recent news about Pence staying at Trumps place in Ireland and the US paying for it, plus other real (or exaggerated) stories about Donald's corruption, violation of the emoluments clause, etc., makes me wonder: what is it about someone like Trump, apparently a multi-billionaire, that makes him want more? Yes, I know that some wealthy people got that way by looking to make money at every opportunity, but Donald, your are president of the United States, give it a rest for a few years. I am reminded of the line in Wall Street, where the Michael Douglas character is asked, "Just how big a yacht do you need to water ski behind?"

Any billionaires out there who can explain why Donald really cares if people spend money at his place? (And is there a bigger ***** than Pence around?)
Click to expand...

I doubt Trump cares nearly as much whether people stay at his hotels in this sense as much as the people who are looking for something about Trump.

It would be interesting to know if the number of people having business with the WH stayed in his DC hotel in significantly less numbers when Obama was president than stay there with Trump as president.
 
trixare4kids said:
Can you prove that Trump made Pence stay at his property in Ireland?

I'll wait...
Click to expand...

Excellent question. The assumption seems to be that Trump personally books all government travel through his travel agency and favors personally owned venues.
 
mike2810 said:
What is your definition of "rich"?

++ I thought I was clear, someone like Trump.

Seems you are focused on billionaires. Much like Bernie Sanders quit talking about millionaires since he became one and focuses on billionaires in some of his talks.
Click to expand...

++ And your point is?
 
trixare4kids said:
Can you prove that Trump made Pence stay at his property in Ireland?

I'll wait...
Click to expand...

Reportedly Trump "suggested" he stay there. Pence the ***** now denies it. My question was to ask about Trump and other billionaire's motives. Why leave yourself open to more criticism? You have enough money. Don't have Pence stay at your pad miles away from the meeting at taxpayer expense.
 
Nickyjo said:
Reportedly Trump "suggested" he stay there. Pence the ***** now denies it. My question was to ask about Trump and other billionaire's motives. Why leave yourself open to more criticism? You have enough money. Don't have Pence stay at your pad miles away from the meeting at taxpayer expense.
Click to expand...

You do know what "reportedly" means, don't you?

Thanks for admitting that you cannot prove that Trump made Pence stay at his resort. Too bad this fact alone blows your CT out of the water.
;)


:2wave: Glad we got that squared away...
 
Nickyjo said:
Reportedly Trump "suggested" he stay there. Pence the ***** now denies it. My question was to ask about Trump and other billionaire's motives. Why leave yourself open to more criticism? You have enough money. Don't have Pence stay at your pad miles away from the meeting at taxpayer expense.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen the manifest. Have you? Reportedly? By who?

I have no idea why Pence flew where he did. I doubt that it had anything to do with Trump needing the business
 
Nickyjo said:
Don't get me wrong, I live comfortably. But the recent news about Pence staying at Trumps place in Ireland and the US paying for it, plus other real (or exaggerated) stories about Donald's corruption, violation of the emoluments clause, etc., makes me wonder: what is it about someone like Trump, apparently a multi-billionaire, that makes him want more? Yes, I know that some wealthy people got that way by looking to make money at every opportunity, but Donald, your are president of the United States, give it a rest for a few years. I am reminded of the line in Wall Street, where the Michael Douglas character is asked, "Just how big a yacht do you need to water ski behind?"

Any billionaires out there who can explain why Donald really cares if people spend money at his place? (And is there a bigger ***** than Pence around?)
Click to expand...

Money is one of the tools some people use to measure the success of their business models. Why would someone want to stop being successful?
 
Nickyjo said:
++ And your point is?
Click to expand...

There are "rich people" that belong to the other party. For example, do you believe Pelosi stays at a Motel 6 when she travels?

The reason I asked for your definition of "rich" was to see how many of our elected leaders fit into that category.
 
Nickyjo said:
Don't get me wrong, I live comfortably. But the recent news about Pence staying at Trumps place in Ireland and the US paying for it, plus other real (or exaggerated) stories about Donald's corruption, violation of the emoluments clause, etc., makes me wonder: what is it about someone like Trump, apparently a multi-billionaire, that makes him want more? Yes, I know that some wealthy people got that way by looking to make money at every opportunity, but Donald, your are president of the United States, give it a rest for a few years. I am reminded of the line in Wall Street, where the Michael Douglas character is asked, "Just how big a yacht do you need to water ski behind?"
Any billionaires out there who can explain why Donald really cares if people spend money at his place? (And is there a bigger ***** than Pence around?)
Click to expand...

First of all, your listening to people talk about the emoluments clause as if they know anything about it from a legal standpoint. They don't. The Vice President staying at a Trump Hotel isn't making Trump any richer. It's a drop in the bucket. And, it's not illegal. Nor, did Trump care where he stayed. It's talked about because Trump's work has created a great economy and now all the people on the left have to talk about is nit-picking nonsense. Call Americans racist. Call Americans homophobic. Call Americans terrorists. It's the Soviet style of politics thing to do. De-humanize those that don't agree with you instead of debating.

As for what YOU think a person should earn and what wealth YOU think someone should have is the exact commandment God made to not COVET what others have whether its property or their spouse. What business is it of yours, Michael Douglas (who has tens of millions of dollars of wealth), Bernie Sanders or anyone else? The great thing about America is you can have what you want, life, liberty and the pursuit of property (happiness to some and others other happiness).
 
Nickyjo said:
++ And your point is?
Click to expand...

Only the powerful can be rich. You think Sanders will give up one of his three million dollar mansions when the government becomes a top down socialist dictatorship? No! It's not a matter of being too rich. It's a matter of how a few can control the lives of 320 million people while enjoying everything they take away from everyone else.
 
Cougarbear said:
First of all, your listening to people talk about the emoluments clause as if they know anything about it from a legal standpoint. They don't. The Vice President staying at a Trump Hotel isn't making Trump any richer. It's a drop in the bucket. And, it's not illegal.
Click to expand...

No drops are allowed in that bucket. Trump can't make money off the United States, other than the salary provided for holding the office. He can't use the influence of his office to steer federal contracts, business, or dollars to his company for his own financial benefit, regardless of how many "drops in the bucket" that naked corruption represents.

The Constitution said:
The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.
Click to expand...

But, grifters gonna grift.
 
Lutherf said:
Money is one of the tools some people use to measure the success of their business models. Why would someone want to stop being successful?
Click to expand...

Some people who are successful want to see others become successful too. Trump seems to be one who does. He's closed the wealth gap of blacks and whites in half. He's elevated incomes and lowered taxes. He's promoted a system of capitalism that has brought back jobs in a big way and through meaningful jobs as well like in the manufacturing sector. Trump wants others to enjoy the opportunity of building wealth. And, that makes socialists very angry.
 
Greenbeard said:
No drops are allowed in that bucket. Trump can't make money off the United States, other than the salary provided for holding the office. He can't use the influence of his office to steer federal contracts, business, or dollars to his company for his own financial benefit, regardless of how many "drops in the bucket" that naked corruption represents.But, grifters gonna grift.
Click to expand...

And, that again is a big fat lie. Like I said, you don't know that law. If what you say is true, how did Bernie Sanders get so wealthy? And, most of the politicians.
 
jimbo said:
I doubt Trump cares nearly as much whether people stay at his hotels in this sense as much as the people who are looking for something about Trump.

It would be interesting to know if the number of people having business with the WH stayed in his DC hotel in significantly less numbers when Obama was president than stay there with Trump as president.
Click to expand...

Good points, but "bribery", or better stated, "quid pro quo", generally requires two participants. Someone responded to my OP that it is a compulsion with Trump. Perhaps. It also seems that simple ethics, like separating yourself from your businesses in return for the White House escapes him. People do not have to look very hard for something about Trump. Most telling and disturbing signs to me were the stories of the Trump Foundation and Trump U.

Trump is like Prof. Harold Hill, the flim-flam man from the Sound of Music, only without the charm, though one has to stand in awe at his bold-as-brass approach, e.g., giving running of his businesses to his kids and then inviting them into the White House.
 
Nickyjo said:
Don't get me wrong, I live comfortably. But the recent news about Pence staying at Trumps place in Ireland and the US paying for it, plus other real (or exaggerated) stories about Donald's corruption, violation of the emoluments clause, etc., makes me wonder: what is it about someone like Trump, apparently a multi-billionaire, that makes him want more? Yes, I know that some wealthy people got that way by looking to make money at every opportunity, but Donald, your are president of the United States, give it a rest for a few years. I am reminded of the line in Wall Street, where the Michael Douglas character is asked, "Just how big a yacht do you need to water ski behind?"

Any billionaires out there who can explain why Donald really cares if people spend money at his place? (And is there a bigger ***** than Pence around?)
Click to expand...
First, why would Pence NOT pay to stay in Trump's hotel - do you think they don't pay if they stay somewhere else?

Second, understand that a person that starts and builds a business that is successful doesn't just pull an Obama(irony intended) and say "well I've made enough, time to close the business". Also understand that it isn't the business own that controls how much he makes - it's the people that buy his product and service and continue to do so. Jeff Bezos isn't rich because he came up with the idea of selling books on the Internet; he's rich because he saw the potential of selling all kinds of stuff on the internet AND people responded to it. If we weren't will to pay outlandishly to what someone play a game or sing a song professional athletes and entertainers would be playing on playgrounds and singing on the street.
 
Cougarbear said:
Some people who are successful want to see others become successful too. Trump seems to be one who does. He's closed the wealth gap of blacks and whites in half. He's elevated incomes and lowered taxes. He's promoted a system of capitalism that has brought back jobs in a big way and through meaningful jobs as well like in the manufacturing sector. Trump wants others to enjoy the opportunity of building wealth. And, that makes socialists very angry.
Click to expand...

No doubt about it. It's actually rather difficult to become economically successful without bringing others along in that success.

Many of the people I see complaining about economic inequality tend to think of the economy ass a zero sum game. They seem to believe that if person X makes money then that's less money that person Y can make. Life really doesn't work that way at all. There really are no limits on what a person can make if they hit all the right marks and no matter how much they make it precludes exactly nobody from duplicating or exceeding that level of economic success.
 
Nickyjo said:
Good points, but "bribery", or better stated, "quid pro quo", generally requires two participants. Someone responded to my OP that it is a compulsion with Trump. Perhaps. It also seems that simple ethics, like separating yourself from your businesses in return for the White House escapes him. People do not have to look very hard for something about Trump. Most telling and disturbing signs to me were the stories of the Trump Foundation and Trump U.

Trump is like Prof. Harold Hill, the flim-flam man from the Sound of Music, only without the charm, though one has to stand in awe at his bold-as-brass approach, e.g., giving running of his businesses to his kids and then inviting them into the White House.
Click to expand...

All of that is speculation.
 
Cougarbear said:
And, that again is a big fat lie. Like I said, you don't know that law. If what you say is true, how did Bernie Sanders get so wealthy? And, most of the politicians.
Click to expand...

If? The Constitution explicitly says the President can't use his office to enrich himself with taxpayer dollars. Full stop.

Putting aside the plain text of the Constitution, it's mind-boggling that some believe a presidential right to self-deal with public dollars is a concept worth defending.
 
Greenbeard said:
If? The Constitution explicitly says the President can't use his office to enrich himself with taxpayer dollars. Full stop.

Putting aside the plain text of the Constitution, it's mind-boggling that some believe a presidential right to self-deal with public dollars is a concept worth defending.
Click to expand...

Is that really what the Constitution says or is that your interpretation of something in the Constitution?

Or is it something Rachel Maddow said and you just took at face value?
 
Lutherf said:
Is that really what the Constitution says or is that your interpretation of something in the Constitution?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's really what it says. Going to call for an amendment to allow grifting?
 
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