RocketFarmer

One of the by-products of the internet has been an increase in the amount of complaining in general.

They learned it all from Linus.

One of the by-products of the internet has been an increase in the amount of complaining in general.

One of the by-products of the internet has been an increase in the amount of complaining in general.

Got to keep up the hate America post count, eh?
 
Have to live under a rock to not be exposed to all the movies where America or an "American protagonist" isn't involved.  But when your examples list Michael Bay and Marvel, that's not exactly an indication of a broad movie-going experience.
 
Hell, seems like half of the "American" actors are Canadian anyway.  Not to mention British, a.k.a. "the good ones".

We're going to run into the same kind of issues Andrew Carnegie ran into.  Carnegie, despite the "robber baron" propaganda which was started by JP Morgan and company, voluntarily set up a minimum wage and wasn't as antiunion as the situation with Frick and the Pinkertons later on would have you believe.  But he had to adjust these policies as the share of manual labor over automation decreased due to the explosion of industrialization. That's where he started to run into problems. 
 
As robotics and AI come more and more into reality, human labor, and not just manual human labor, will deserve less of a share of the reward for less of a share of the labor.  In many cases people will just be let go.
 
We're already at the point where some people think they ought to be paid over $10 just for showing up.  I think many are in for a rude awakening.  Huge percentages of the population will probably lead to social unrest, and many of the rich are already preparing for that reality.  We'll have to see what sort of policies are put into place that counter that.  It may just mean the opportunity to work and make a decent wage is over and you are now just a ward of the state.  

Answer to the OPs question: A Snowball's Chance in Hell.  Too may people married to the idea that the minimum wage is a good thing, and too may paranoid people who think the world will end if not for government.
 
TL;DR
 
Higher minimum wage requirements on businesses, the higher the unemployment rate.  So for many people, they'll just go on welfare.  Those who survive the ax will have to live with increased prices due to employers passing on the costs.
 
Predictions of disaster for no legal minimum wage are so far overstated it's funny.  About as funny as the paranoia that companies are out to screw people over.  There will be turbulence with any change.  Just as raising minimum wage with have impacts.
 
If you are currently dependent on a minimum wage now, then you really aren't in a good position.  For when the wage is increased, you are more likely to be the one to get let go.  The beneficiaries of these laws are actually unions, where they win by driving cheaper labor out of the work force.  Many union contacts also base their rates on minimum wage, so on top of lower skilled workers being driven from the market place, they get a raise.
 
In general, wages have not kept pace with the rest of the economy.  This is because businesses have been forced to expend more money/costs on regulator costs, hidden taxes and fees, and other such devices to prop up the leviathan government that has to pay for all that free stuff.  So when the next freebie gets handed out, it's the working people who bear the cost.  Each person that leaves the work force ends up adding more to the overall burden for everyone else to support.
 
My view:
Eliminate the minimum wage.  Artificial limits don't work.  To me, your specific job category and the prevalent market wages drive the starting wage (each can be very different from the legal minimum wage).  Businesses who have a need for skilled workers can hire people at below market level wages, train them up to make them skilled workers, and then increase the wages accordingly.  Currently it's become far too difficult to get younger people who don't have the skill set developed into the productive, working class.  Part of this is due to artificial limits to starting wages. Eliminate protectionist policies and regulations on businesses (those that essentially give certain companies a monopoly over others).  So if a company attempts to "screw people over", they are not protected from other companies entering to compete against them and drive them from the market due to their bad behavior.  Or for that matter, a group of employees who'd rather work for themselves and drive the bad company from the market. Eliminate restrictions on collective bargaining.  Option to be in a union or not should be up to the individual, and said unions should not have special protections from government.  This makes it incumbent on the union to be responsive to the employees and the employer.  The union must provide a tangible benefit rather than just be an institution of corruption and control. Eliminate the "freebies", and thus the costs associated.  It's really hard for some people to let go of the idea that getting stuff for free is a good thing, especially when the "free" stuff costs society so much more.  The so-called free stuff benefits also tend to snowball out of control until what was meant to be free for those who really needed it becomes necessity for just about everyone.  Education, healthcare, retirement, etc., all started off as assistance to that small percent who couldn't afford to pay for what was at the time affordable to most, to grow into costs that only the rich can afford today.  Providers of these things just didn't decide to demand more or increase costs.  The free money thrown into these markets drove the costs, and in the process led to many totally unnecessary things - like many of the worthless degrees colleges offer these days (and the requirement that you must have a college degree for a job that doesn't really require one or even use it).  You can also throw in other government misadventures into this mix.  Unnecessary wars, huge government contracts for things we don't really need, financial and corporate bailouts, etc.  That's the "free" stuff we give to corporations, which in my opinion don't require or deserve a dime. Bottom line.  I am not a politician and do not expect to ever be a politician.  My ideas in the grand scheme are irrelevant, and are most if not all of the opinions on this board.  I don't expect minimum wage laws to go away anytime soon because too many people believe in the myths surrounding minimum wage.  I think it's more likely that automation via robots and advanced intelligence will drive people from the workplace until everyone is either a business owner or on some form of welfare (i.e., a comfortable slave).  Maybe the question is will people demand a minimum wage for robots and AI in order to retain jobs for humans?  Already seeing some in Europe pushing for rights for robots/AI, so who knows what will happen in the next 20, 30, 50, 75 years?

I'm still waiting for Trump to do something before coming to judge him.
 
Trump says something stupid, cocky or controversial = water is wet.  He's that neighborhood kid that always has to have the last word, regardless of whether he's right or wrong.  Getting spun up over that, to me, makes you a bit of a kook.
 
Talk is cheap.  Political talk is really cheap; practically worthless.
 
He's going to have to propose the necessary changes, and there are a lot of those, and have the support to pass the required legislation.  Pissing people off won't accomplish that.  So we'll see how he acts as president versus being the constant ass he tends to be.
 
Among those changes/issues that he's going to have to address:
A $20 Trillion debt that's growing daily.  Everything else pales in comparison to this.  If the USA does not fix this, it's just a matter of time before there's a financial collapse.  Can't predict when that will happen, but it will happen if it's not addressed.  Only thing propping the US is the fact the Dollar is used as a reserve currency and no other country has really step up to replace it - although many are trying; China the hardest. Healthcare reform that's fair, effective, and doesn't leave people out in the cold.  Government single payer isn't the solution, neither is the 50s style insurance model, both of which drive medical costs up.  This one isn't easy and is not a one step fix.  They'll need to kill the obviously stupid parts of the current law, and come up better ideas. End of USA as World Police. Significant reductions in regulations that only tend to serve corporate interests and the special interest groups at the expense of the country and everyday Americans.  You could easily reinvigorate the US economy, and in the process the World economy, by tackling the mountain of regulations.  Regulations are where crony capitalists (actually corporatists) have their teeth into government. Congressional backbone to reel in the expansive authority of the various agencies and administrations they've set up with practically carte blanche power to issue one regulation after another (actually thousands of regulations after another) that exceed the original purpose and powers established by the Legislature.  It's one thing to provide the ability for an agency to have some flexibility within the scope of their power as provided by the legislature, and something quite different when they exceed that scope and start legislating anew (a power reserved to Congress).  If this doesn't get fixed, then you're back in 4 years essentially fixing the regulation mess again, and frankly the opportunity to fix regulations does not come very often given the nature of the politicians in office. So after the parties are over tonight, the real Trump Presidency will have to begin.  We'll see.
 
 

Incorrect assertion of what I have stated.  Read it again.  No judgment passed, just find it interesting in the situation where a specific group that idealized heroism held a somewhat pragmatic practice (pragmatic in their time) of infanticide.  If there's a comparison to be made it's that these decisions (when to declare legally when life begins) are often as complex and arbitrary as they are today.

Proof of conscious thought is indeed arbitrary.  Right now it's in the realm of theory that is not settled science.  So it's not so easy to know precisely when a human is a "person" other than the standard biological measures.  Among the first of these is a separate heartbeat, which occurs quite early in gestation.
 
Oh and Google/Facebook/Amazon owns everyone's DNA - or at least that's their goal.  [I'm joking, btw]

Apparently the people who are offended by what they say or think.  I agree, if you don't share the same morals or principles, you shouldn't really care.
 
I'd also say those with so-called moral principles should not harass those who choose to live a different way.  But you'll always have a busybody that will make it their mission in life to tell other people they're wrong.  I think they totally missed the point on morals as self-guiding.

I'm still waiting for Trump to do something before coming to judge him.
 
Trump says something stupid, cocky or controversial = water is wet.  He's that neighborhood kid that always has to have the last word, regardless of whether he's right or wrong.  Getting spun up over that, to me, makes you a bit of a kook.
 
Talk is cheap.  Political talk is really cheap; practically worthless.
 
He's going to have to propose the necessary changes, and there are a lot of those, and have the support to pass the required legislation.  Pissing people off won't accomplish that.  So we'll see how he acts as president versus being the constant ass he tends to be.
 
Among those changes/issues that he's going to have to address:
A $20 Trillion debt that's growing daily.  Everything else pales in comparison to this.  If the USA does not fix this, it's just a matter of time before there's a financial collapse.  Can't predict when that will happen, but it will happen if it's not addressed.  Only thing propping the US is the fact the Dollar is used as a reserve currency and no other country has really step up to replace it - although many are trying; China the hardest. Healthcare reform that's fair, effective, and doesn't leave people out in the cold.  Government single payer isn't the solution, neither is the 50s style insurance model, both of which drive medical costs up.  This one isn't easy and is not a one step fix.  They'll need to kill the obviously stupid parts of the current law, and come up better ideas. End of USA as World Police. Significant reductions in regulations that only tend to serve corporate interests and the special interest groups at the expense of the country and everyday Americans.  You could easily reinvigorate the US economy, and in the process the World economy, by tackling the mountain of regulations.  Regulations are where crony capitalists (actually corporatists) have their teeth into government. Congressional backbone to reel in the expansive authority of the various agencies and administrations they've set up with practically carte blanche power to issue one regulation after another (actually thousands of regulations after another) that exceed the original purpose and powers established by the Legislature.  It's one thing to provide the ability for an agency to have some flexibility within the scope of their power as provided by the legislature, and something quite different when they exceed that scope and start legislating anew (a power reserved to Congress).  If this doesn't get fixed, then you're back in 4 years essentially fixing the regulation mess again, and frankly the opportunity to fix regulations does not come very often given the nature of the politicians in office. So after the parties are over tonight, the real Trump Presidency will have to begin.  We'll see.
 
 

I'm still waiting for Trump to do something before coming to judge him.
 
Trump says something stupid, cocky or controversial = water is wet.  He's that neighborhood kid that always has to have the last word, regardless of whether he's right or wrong.  Getting spun up over that, to me, makes you a bit of a kook.
 
Talk is cheap.  Political talk is really cheap; practically worthless.
 
He's going to have to propose the necessary changes, and there are a lot of those, and have the support to pass the required legislation.  Pissing people off won't accomplish that.  So we'll see how he acts as president versus being the constant ass he tends to be.
 
Among those changes/issues that he's going to have to address:
A $20 Trillion debt that's growing daily.  Everything else pales in comparison to this.  If the USA does not fix this, it's just a matter of time before there's a financial collapse.  Can't predict when that will happen, but it will happen if it's not addressed.  Only thing propping the US is the fact the Dollar is used as a reserve currency and no other country has really step up to replace it - although many are trying; China the hardest. Healthcare reform that's fair, effective, and doesn't leave people out in the cold.  Government single payer isn't the solution, neither is the 50s style insurance model, both of which drive medical costs up.  This one isn't easy and is not a one step fix.  They'll need to kill the obviously stupid parts of the current law, and come up better ideas. End of USA as World Police. Significant reductions in regulations that only tend to serve corporate interests and the special interest groups at the expense of the country and everyday Americans.  You could easily reinvigorate the US economy, and in the process the World economy, by tackling the mountain of regulations.  Regulations are where crony capitalists (actually corporatists) have their teeth into government. Congressional backbone to reel in the expansive authority of the various agencies and administrations they've set up with practically carte blanche power to issue one regulation after another (actually thousands of regulations after another) that exceed the original purpose and powers established by the Legislature.  It's one thing to provide the ability for an agency to have some flexibility within the scope of their power as provided by the legislature, and something quite different when they exceed that scope and start legislating anew (a power reserved to Congress).  If this doesn't get fixed, then you're back in 4 years essentially fixing the regulation mess again, and frankly the opportunity to fix regulations does not come very often given the nature of the politicians in office. So after the parties are over tonight, the real Trump Presidency will have to begin.  We'll see.
 
 

I'm still waiting for Trump to do something before coming to judge him.
 
Trump says something stupid, cocky or controversial = water is wet.  He's that neighborhood kid that always has to have the last word, regardless of whether he's right or wrong.  Getting spun up over that, to me, makes you a bit of a kook.
 
Talk is cheap.  Political talk is really cheap; practically worthless.
 
He's going to have to propose the necessary changes, and there are a lot of those, and have the support to pass the required legislation.  Pissing people off won't accomplish that.  So we'll see how he acts as president versus being the constant ass he tends to be.
 
Among those changes/issues that he's going to have to address:
A $20 Trillion debt that's growing daily.  Everything else pales in comparison to this.  If the USA does not fix this, it's just a matter of time before there's a financial collapse.  Can't predict when that will happen, but it will happen if it's not addressed.  Only thing propping the US is the fact the Dollar is used as a reserve currency and no other country has really step up to replace it - although many are trying; China the hardest. Healthcare reform that's fair, effective, and doesn't leave people out in the cold.  Government single payer isn't the solution, neither is the 50s style insurance model, both of which drive medical costs up.  This one isn't easy and is not a one step fix.  They'll need to kill the obviously stupid parts of the current law, and come up better ideas. End of USA as World Police. Significant reductions in regulations that only tend to serve corporate interests and the special interest groups at the expense of the country and everyday Americans.  You could easily reinvigorate the US economy, and in the process the World economy, by tackling the mountain of regulations.  Regulations are where crony capitalists (actually corporatists) have their teeth into government. Congressional backbone to reel in the expansive authority of the various agencies and administrations they've set up with practically carte blanche power to issue one regulation after another (actually thousands of regulations after another) that exceed the original purpose and powers established by the Legislature.  It's one thing to provide the ability for an agency to have some flexibility within the scope of their power as provided by the legislature, and something quite different when they exceed that scope and start legislating anew (a power reserved to Congress).  If this doesn't get fixed, then you're back in 4 years essentially fixing the regulation mess again, and frankly the opportunity to fix regulations does not come very often given the nature of the politicians in office. So after the parties are over tonight, the real Trump Presidency will have to begin.  We'll see.
 
 

I'm still waiting for Trump to do something before coming to judge him.
 
Trump says something stupid, cocky or controversial = water is wet.  He's that neighborhood kid that always has to have the last word, regardless of whether he's right or wrong.  Getting spun up over that, to me, makes you a bit of a kook.
 
Talk is cheap.  Political talk is really cheap; practically worthless.
 
He's going to have to propose the necessary changes, and there are a lot of those, and have the support to pass the required legislation.  Pissing people off won't accomplish that.  So we'll see how he acts as president versus being the constant ass he tends to be.
 
Among those changes/issues that he's going to have to address:
A $20 Trillion debt that's growing daily.  Everything else pales in comparison to this.  If the USA does not fix this, it's just a matter of time before there's a financial collapse.  Can't predict when that will happen, but it will happen if it's not addressed.  Only thing propping the US is the fact the Dollar is used as a reserve currency and no other country has really step up to replace it - although many are trying; China the hardest. Healthcare reform that's fair, effective, and doesn't leave people out in the cold.  Government single payer isn't the solution, neither is the 50s style insurance model, both of which drive medical costs up.  This one isn't easy and is not a one step fix.  They'll need to kill the obviously stupid parts of the current law, and come up better ideas. End of USA as World Police. Significant reductions in regulations that only tend to serve corporate interests and the special interest groups at the expense of the country and everyday Americans.  You could easily reinvigorate the US economy, and in the process the World economy, by tackling the mountain of regulations.  Regulations are where crony capitalists (actually corporatists) have their teeth into government. Congressional backbone to reel in the expansive authority of the various agencies and administrations they've set up with practically carte blanche power to issue one regulation after another (actually thousands of regulations after another) that exceed the original purpose and powers established by the Legislature.  It's one thing to provide the ability for an agency to have some flexibility within the scope of their power as provided by the legislature, and something quite different when they exceed that scope and start legislating anew (a power reserved to Congress).  If this doesn't get fixed, then you're back in 4 years essentially fixing the regulation mess again, and frankly the opportunity to fix regulations does not come very often given the nature of the politicians in office. So after the parties are over tonight, the real Trump Presidency will have to begin.  We'll see.
 
 

Gene manipulation is part of natural evolution, just takes a lot longer.
 
Have to also realize that with intentional modifications for improvements come unintended consequences.  What do you do with the mistakes?  And if you are successful, what do these "improved" humans do with you?
 
As a side note, with these super-humans come super-diseases.  Don't be too sure that we'd have the upper hand on disease.  You could end up engineering the disease that kills everyone off.

Your poll is flawed.  You could technically be a nationalist multiculturalist or a single race supremacist globalist.  It's like comparing a color to a shape.
 
Also each term needs to specify degree. You can be against a one world government without being a supremacist nationalist, just as you can be against multiculturalism and not be a neo Nazi.  In fact culture and race are two different things.  You will also find that vastly different cultures can share a lot in common without surrendering their identity, but that doesn't mean they are always or easily interchangeable.  So in that sense, multiculturalism is a myth.  As much a myth as "white people made everything".

Ye olde bait and switch...

If spreading disinformation is illegal, then you are already in big trouble since all that matters then is who decides what information is. 
 
What you're suggesting with the guy in Washington DC with the gun at the pizza place is equivalent to suggesting that video games cause kids to commit acts of violence.  You'll also suggest the mere existence of the gun is dangerous.  You will interject just about anything to come up with a reason to justify silencing other people.  "Safety" has been the excuse made to imprison or outright kill people in many, many countries, including countries who claim to be free - like the US.  I guess next you will suggest the harvesting of human organs from people who dissent much like they do in China. 
 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2016/06/23/asia/china-organ-harvesting/index.html?client=safari

This is another non-issue.  He will need to divest from certain financial interests that may cause a conflict of interest for said companies.  While the POTUS may be exempt from conflict of interest laws, the companies are not.  Congress could ban or bar them from doing business with the federal government.
 
It's a non-issue because Trump has already acknowledged that he needs to divest.  The only question had been the timing.  His team has been more focused on building their administration, and have delayed divestment until January.  Nothing to see here folks. 

I find it hilarious to hear people from other countries with far stricter immigration policies criticizing the US on their weak, frequently unenforced immigration policy for being too strict.
 
Immigration, legal or illegal, is an issue in the US because of the practice of giving free "benefits" when the country and states are financially incapable of providing such resources (whether those resources/benefits suck or not is the subject of a different thread).  The US is broke and has been for a long time.  Only reason they've not gone the way of many so-called third world countries (and second world countries, mind you) is because the US dollar is still held as a reserve currency, and the US manipulates the hell out of that (not to mention economic blackmail on a scale never before seen in history).  The number of US citizens who don't pay federal income taxes is somewhere between 45-48% (withholding taxes are offset by income tax returns, plus some even get more than they pay in via "earned income credits").  So they have a significant number of people who want to push for more "free" stuff.  Not a recipe for a fiscally responsible nation (and it's not like the actual tax payers are any more responsible either).  Throwing more people into that equation, especially in larger numbers very, very quickly, and some parts of the country can't manage it at all.  So I think any meaningful immigration reform has to be also address tax reform and the overall level of benefits aligned to something...like maybe actual mathematics.
 
I personally am for the free movement of people to seek liberty and opportunity, provided it does not violate other people's rights.  And to a degree, when you move into a new cultural area you have to expect some changes either on your part or others, but mostly on yours.  After all, it would be a bit arrogant to move to China and expect them to change their culture and language for you.  At the same time to expect the culture not to change due to a large influx of new arrivals would be rather naive.  Most immigration policies are (or should be) concerned with culture, and more specifically to protect the native culture to the greatest extent possible.  Many countries also try to bring in skilled immigrants versus unskilled immigrants, because there's a desire to have immigration add beneficial gains rather than add non-beneficial gains (a.k.a, problems).  And notice the focus on culture rather than people.  An immigrant that embraces the new culture is generally going to be more successful than an immigrant that does not.  When you get a large number of new arrivals that cling to their old culture you no longer have immigration, instead you have colonialization.  You see this in areas with so-called "No Go" zones, which are essentially micro-nations of one particular cultural group.  Get enough of these and you get something more akin to Balkanization.  It's not good.

I recommend  https://www.muscleforlife.com/
 
First because the guy knows his stuff and won't steer you down a path that is worthless or flat out harmful for your health.  I take it by bigger you mean more muscular and stronger, and you aren't looking to do that via drugs.  Height is a combo of genetics and nutrition, so eating nutritious food can only help with that.  Also assume you are male, although info is still applicable for females. 
 
At 12 you still have about a year before growth hormones and what not start to kick into gear. So take any recommendations with your age in mind.  Good news is that over the next 5-6 years you will see a ton of progress provided you have the right plan and put in the work.
 
At the same time, if you're looking at pictures of fitness models and The Rock, please realize you will probably never reach that level because most do that via drugs or the time and effort required is more than you could reasonably afford.  So don't let the visuals reach unreasonable expectations or lead you down the path of drugs, stress or just really bad decisions. 

"Fake news" is a fake issue.  Disinformation and propaganda have been around forever.  So-called "real news" groups engage in it all the time. Buyer beware for all news.
 
What's really at play is a corporatist, largely globalist media that has steadily been losing their grip on their dominating influence on news, as well as defeat of the politicians and parties they shill for in elections.  So they are attempting to pressure the tech companies to alter their policies to kill alternative news. 
 
In the age of information we live in, anyone can declare themselves a journalist.  There are no restrictions on such declarations, no certification or license required (exception being traditional broadcast media requiring FCC license).  The single, independent journalist is in fact in line with traditional pampleteers that have helped shape a lot of good public discussion and political action.  The abolition of slavery and the movement for the freedom of and from religion being among these.  So I don't buy the assertion that these are not journalists.
 
So while out of 100 independent journalist well less than half may be legitimate in the sense of reporting factual, unbiased information, it's up to the consumer to figure it out.  Quit being a lazy prick.  Also, no one is forcing anyone to consume such information.

"Fake news" is a fake issue.  Disinformation and propaganda have been around forever.  So-called "real news" groups engage in it all the time. Buyer beware for all news.
 
What's really at play is a corporatist, largely globalist media that has steadily been losing their grip on their dominating influence on news, as well as defeat of the politicians and parties they shill for in elections.  So they are attempting to pressure the tech companies to alter their policies to kill alternative news. 
 
In the age of information we live in, anyone can declare themselves a journalist.  There are no restrictions on such declarations, no certification or license required (exception being traditional broadcast media requiring FCC license).  The single, independent journalist is in fact in line with traditional pampleteers that have helped shape a lot of good public discussion and political action.  The abolition of slavery and the movement for the freedom of and from religion being among these.  So I don't buy the assertion that these are not journalists.
 
So while out of 100 independent journalist well less than half may be legitimate in the sense of reporting factual, unbiased information, it's up to the consumer to figure it out.  Quit being a lazy prick.  Also, no one is forcing anyone to consume such information.

How far could he have gone?
 
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article119671093.html