Thursday, March 16, 2017

Hundreds protest Trump in Willow Run for the Ides of March


The Ides of Trump was not the only protest against the president yesterday.  Trump flew into Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti and was greeted by both detractors and supporters.  MLive shows both in Trump protest meets Trump support at Willow Run site in Ypsilanti Township.



The scene outside Trump's visit to Michigan on March 15, 2017.

The Michigan Daily has more in Protesters gather outside Trump's Ypsilanti rally.
As wind speeds surged and temperatures plummeted Wednesday afternoon, activists gathered near the Willow Run manufacturing complex in Ypsilanti to protest President Donald Trump’s arrival and speech in the city.

With just two days’ notice of the presidential visit, several grassroots organizations from the community organized the protest. Despite the lack of time available, they still managed to draw a crowd of about 400 people.
It seemed bigger in the video, but it still looked impressive.

What about the other side?
The protest took place on one side of Airplane Road, just outside the Willow Run facilities. On the other side of the road stood a handful of Trump supporters, who came to counter the protest with a large float sporting Trump signs and American flags.
That's what the video showed, hundreds against Trump, maybe twenty supporting him.

Now, why was he in town?
Trump arrived at Willow Run — the future site for the American Center for Mobility’s autonomous and connected vehicle-testing facility — to hold a roundtable with executives from the automotive industry and speak to select employees. During the speech, he announced plans to review the EPA’s auto-emissions standards, and roll back restrictions he deems unnecessary.
WOOD-TV has video in Trump announces challenge to Obama-era fuel standards.

President Trump is set to announce in Michigan plans to re-examine federal requirements that regulate the fuel efficiency of new vehicles.
Ugh.  If I had known that's what Trump was going to do and I could get off work, I'd have been protesting, too.

Trump believes that Americans face a choice between jobs and the environment and he chose jobs -- never mind that we can have both.  Also never mind that when the U.S. auto industry was resisting making more fuel-efficient cars while Japan's auto companies were embracing doing so, the value of Ford and GM went down, while Honda's and Toyota's values went up, as seen in this slide from "An Inconvenient Truth."


Then again, Trump is not a big one for data and facts.  Instead, he'd rather listen to Alex Jones, who thinks that climate change is a hoax.  I wish I could say the same about Alex Jones.

I feel like having a drink after writing that.  Fortunately, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day.  Perfect timing!

14 comments:

  1. It truly was the Ides of March. The "so-called" judges ruled against the Muslim ban again. Not just Caesar, but all of us are going to die. Nice knowing you!

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    Replies
    1. "All of us are going to die" -- except Infidel 753. He thinks life extension will keep show up soon enough to postpone his end indefinitely. I'm not that optimistic.

      "Nice knowing you!" Same to you. :-)

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    2. Oh, it's coming. Don't know if I'll make it that long, but it's coming.

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    3. Extending the maximum human lifespan? Yes, it is. Immortality through technology? I'm not sure about that.

      Just the same, thanks for stopping by and linking to this entry at Crooks&Liars!

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    4. I'll settle for immorality through technology. :-)

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    5. Would that include uploading your consciousness into a computer or a network, a la Max Headroom? That would be one way to achieve that goal.

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    6. I'm more and more thinking that's the only way to do it. Research on biological longevity seems to be moving too slowly. And in the long run we need to get away from the inherent fragility of biology.

      Of course it will only be worth doing when virtual reality can replicate the experiences of life -- there's no point in existing as a mere disembodied consciousness with nothing to do. Immortality is worthless without immorality. :-)

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    7. "[T]here's no point in existing as a mere disembodied consciousness with nothing to do. Immortality is worthless without immorality."

      I've run into that idea before, in The Order of the Stick. One of the characters dies and his soul enters the Heaven of Lawful Good characters in Dungeons and Dragons. There he's greeted by a guide that informs him of what he can do for eternity. Here are the lines that bear on your point.

      Roy's Archon: Now, I've taken the liberty of preparing a map with a few of the attractions that I felt may appeal to you.
      Roy: "Attractions"?
      Roy's Archon: Sure. We couldn't call it Paradise if you just sat around all the time doing nothing.

      Panel 5
      A female elf holding a mug of beer stands in front of a tavern.
      Roy's Archon: For example, I've highlighted the Tavern of Infinite One-Night Stands...
      Elf: I'm really interested in hearing you talk about yourself.
      ...
      Roy: Is there any place to eat?
      Roy's Archon: Well, you don't strictly NEED to eat anymore, but if you just want to enjoy the taste of food, I'd recommend All Steaks Go to Heaven, just past the Bless-asteria.

      Panel 9
      Roy: What's this big red star?
      Roy's Archon: That's your mother's house. I recommend going there first.

      Panel 10
      Roy's Archon: When you've been here a while, you can requisition your own house, but until then, you'll be staying with your closest relative.
      Roy: Which is my mother.
      Roy's Archon: Which is your mother, yes.

      Panel 11
      Roy: So... I could have all the one-night stands I want, but I'd have to have them at my Mom's house?
      Roy: Are you trying to make people feel guilty about sex?
      Roy's Archon: Actually, yes. We've found that our Lawful patrons generally expect it that way.


      So one can be as bad as you want in Heaven so long as you were good in life. Here's to hoping that the virtual reality for technologically ascended is as good as that!

      P.S. Thanks to you, this is now the most commented on entry posted during the sixth year of my blog. It's passed "Infidel 753 and I talk fossils," where the conversation ceased after 12 comments.

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  2. Replies
    1. Greater in its degree of hugeosity than 20, for sure. If you want really big you'll have to go back to January 21.

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    2. Ed, for two days notice and holding the event on a work day? Not bad at all.

      Infidel, I love all the readers coming here from Crooks&Liars, even naysayers like Ed.

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  3. In 1990 3% of germany's electricity came from renewables, today it's 25%. They're phasing out nuclear energy by 2020. They lead the world in patents for renewables and the industry employs 370,000 people.
    Renewable energy is inevitable and should be driving our economy now.

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    Replies
    1. And this is a point too many Americans miss. Progress will continue whether the US participates or not. Trump cannot lead the world backward. He can only surrender American leadership to other countries which are more forward-looking.

      India is on track to exceed its renewable-energy goals under the Paris agreement. Brazil already has millions of ethanol-fueled cars on the road. Arab countries are exploiting their vast areas of useless desert to build giant solar-power plants, to export electricity to Europe in the future. It's happening -- even if Trump makes our own country a laggard.

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    2. I second this emotion. Trump wants to lead us into a glorious past (for some), not a bright, shiny future for all.

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