President Trump and US politics catchall

[Flockwitt]

I’d be careful of such a trade alliance with China. It should include India and Japan as a counter balance.

[Guy Smiley]

Yes, for sure... India and NZ already have a FTA don't they? along with China... damn, but yes, some hefty balance would be good although I've been thinking a bit today about how much of a bully the US has been under the guise of benevolent protector. I'm not sure there would be a world of difference aligning with China, we are all too aware of China's human rights record but our great ally is no angel in that regard either. Do we harbour some sort of familiarity bias?

[Sandstorm]

Do we have to give up Hollywood films and watch Chinese and Indian productions exclusively?

[I like neeps]

It's hard to believe that people so dismayed by Trump's siding with Putin and trade policy want stronger ties with China and India. Which two economic powerhouses do you all think have been buying cheap Russia oil and gas the last three years?! I think you all need to take a step back and remember China and India's facilitation of the Russian invasion.

[Flockwitt]

For mine, I'm going to wait till the mid-terms before drawing final judgement on the US. This Trump 2 version isn't necessarily what a bunch of voters thought they were going to get no matter how brainwashed the worst of the MAGA crowd are.

[Uncle fester]

For mine, I'm going to wait till the mid-terms before drawing final judgement on the US. This Trump 2 version isn't necessarily what a bunch of voters thought they were going to get no matter how brainwashed the worst of the MAGA crowd are.

Two years is a long long time and plenty of time to fire anybody who opposes them and stack courts even more in their favour.

[Hal Jordan]

Trump backing down on tariffs on Canada - paused in many areas until April.

This is about market instability, see which hedge funds are making a fortune.

No way someone isn't being given the tip off, either.

[_Os_]

Just out of interest, and so I can put Firewater's entertaining gibberish in the right box, can anyone sane tell me what MIC actually stands for? The only conspiracy theory I could find was about information being fed to Presidential candidates during debates.

Military Industrial Complex I assume.

Got to laugh at his take all this is hurting the arms industry.

The share prices of European arms manufacturers are going up at such a pace they're almost vertical. Rheinmetall must really be suffering from their 172% increase over the last year which has accelerated since the Hegseth speech. They're going out of business for sure.

[geordie_6]

Supreme Court reject Trump's request to withhold payment from foreign aid groups. Coney Barrett and Roberts joined the liberal judges for a 5-4 decision.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-suprem ... 025-03-05/

Astonishing that four judges would agree that it's legal to not pay for contracted work that has already been completed.

THOSE four judges though?

[Raggs]

For mine, I'm going to wait till the mid-terms before drawing final judgement on the US. This Trump 2 version isn't necessarily what a bunch of voters thought they were going to get no matter how brainwashed the worst of the MAGA crowd are.

It might not be what they thought they were going to get, but he's mostly doing what he said he'd do, or trying to. So if they aren't going to believe him when he speaks, I mean I know he lies a lot, but surely you don't take from that, that he's secretly holding out on a wonderful truth...

[Sandstorm]

Just out of interest, and so I can put Firewater's entertaining gibberish in the right box, can anyone sane tell me what MIC actually stands for? The only conspiracy theory I could find was about information being fed to Presidential candidates during debates.

Military Industrial Complex I assume.

Got to laugh at his take all this is hurting the arms industry.

The share prices of European arms manufacturers are going up at such a pace they're almost vertical. Rheinmetall must really be suffering from their 172% increase over the last year which has accelerated since the Hegseth speech. They're going out of business for sure.

Yup. EU companies are winning while US Arms manufacturers are losing.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-defen ... WDhhcfdsTf

[Biffer]

For mine, I'm going to wait till the mid-terms before drawing final judgement on the US. This Trump 2 version isn't necessarily what a bunch of voters thought they were going to get no matter how brainwashed the worst of the MAGA crowd are.

It might not be what they thought they were going to get, but he's mostly doing what he said he'd do, or trying to. So if they aren't going to believe him when he speaks, I mean I know he lies a lot, but surely you don't take from that, that he's secretly holding out on a wonderful truth...

There's a significant subsection of tghe alt right who have been conditioned to believe in a higher, hidden truth for years now, through QAnon and conspiracy theories. It's the default mindset - what you see isn't the whole story, the truth is being kept from you.

[Flockwitt]

For mine, I'm going to wait till the mid-terms before drawing final judgement on the US. This Trump 2 version isn't necessarily what a bunch of voters thought they were going to get no matter how brainwashed the worst of the MAGA crowd are.

Two years is a long long time and plenty of time to fire anybody who opposes them and stack courts even more in their favour.

That's actually part and parcel what I mean. Because they've got a chance to rein this in, or it could go the other way and 4 years of this kind of damage may well be irrecoverable.

[dpedin]

Nutter

Apparently I was a nutter and a bit mental just a few weeks ago, now it seems everyone is getting on the same page now? I am not sure I have enough Tin Foil Hats to go round!

On a serious point I accept it is difficult for folk to handle or accept the complete destruction of system of government in the so called biggest and greatest democracy in the world but that is what is happening in plain sight. The coup is well underway and its chances of success are very very high. The pillars of Government are now completely powerless - Trump controls, mostly through coercion etc, both Houses and they just ignore the judiciary and carry on. Even if the courts find against the Gov who implements the court findings - the DOJ - and who heads that up? A certain Pam Bondi a leading light in the development of Project 2025! They actually told us what they were going to do and to be fair to them they are sticking to their promises as listed in Project 2025. The clever nutters behind Trump have ensured they have their zealots in place in every position of authority and power in the US Government, including the military. Couple this with the financial backing of the Tech Bros and other right wing capitalists and the coup is almost complete. The US has all but gone! This will not end after 4 years, by then the dictatorship will have been well established and future elections will be no fairer than those in Russia. The Prussians are not coming over the horizon to win the battle for the goodies!

Nutter

Tell me again I'm the nutter when you have the US Secretary of State going on TV like this! Other prominent US politicians and supporters have been doing the same. It reminds me of the trends that used to take over at my secondary school in the 70's when everyone wanted to be part of the gang and had to have the latest gear.

https://x.com/dm_deluca/status/18977062 ... h8tOyeCXzQ

It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny what you see happening in front of your eyes! As Orwell said 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.' These guys have gone completely loco, a bunch of grown men with crosses marked on their foreheads is for me a sure sign the US is lost. Yes I know the links to Ash Wednesday etc but this is more a signal that right wing, radical white supremacists, religious zealots now control the US Government. God help us!

[Slick]

Apparently I was a nutter and a bit mental just a few weeks ago, now it seems everyone is getting on the same page now? I am not sure I have enough Tin Foil Hats to go round!

On a serious point I accept it is difficult for folk to handle or accept the complete destruction of system of government in the so called biggest and greatest democracy in the world but that is what is happening in plain sight. The coup is well underway and its chances of success are very very high. The pillars of Government are now completely powerless - Trump controls, mostly through coercion etc, both Houses and they just ignore the judiciary and carry on. Even if the courts find against the Gov who implements the court findings - the DOJ - and who heads that up? A certain Pam Bondi a leading light in the development of Project 2025! They actually told us what they were going to do and to be fair to them they are sticking to their promises as listed in Project 2025. The clever nutters behind Trump have ensured they have their zealots in place in every position of authority and power in the US Government, including the military. Couple this with the financial backing of the Tech Bros and other right wing capitalists and the coup is almost complete. The US has all but gone! This will not end after 4 years, by then the dictatorship will have been well established and future elections will be no fairer than those in Russia. The Prussians are not coming over the horizon to win the battle for the goodies!

Nutter

Tell me again I'm the nutter when you have the US Secretary of State going on TV like this! Other prominent US politicians and supporters have been doing the same. It reminds me of the trends that used to take over at my secondary school in the 70's when everyone wanted to be part of the gang and had to have the latest gear.

https://x.com/dm_deluca/status/18977062 ... h8tOyeCXzQ

It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny what you see happening in front of your eyes! As Orwell said 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.' These guys have gone completely loco, a bunch of grown men with crosses marked on their foreheads is for me a sure sign the US is lost. Yes I know the links to Ash Wednesday etc but this is more a signal that right wing, radical white supremacists, religious zealots now control the US Government. God help us!

Did I expect it to be mad - yes

Did I expect to be this mad - no, not close

But I do think some of the analysis flying around here is completely over the top and, frankly, sounds a lot like the conspiracy theory nutters who we all laugh at.

[Sinkers]

Apparently I was a nutter and a bit mental just a few weeks ago, now it seems everyone is getting on the same page now? I am not sure I have enough Tin Foil Hats to go round!

On a serious point I accept it is difficult for folk to handle or accept the complete destruction of system of government in the so called biggest and greatest democracy in the world but that is what is happening in plain sight. The coup is well underway and its chances of success are very very high. The pillars of Government are now completely powerless - Trump controls, mostly through coercion etc, both Houses and they just ignore the judiciary and carry on. Even if the courts find against the Gov who implements the court findings - the DOJ - and who heads that up? A certain Pam Bondi a leading light in the development of Project 2025! They actually told us what they were going to do and to be fair to them they are sticking to their promises as listed in Project 2025. The clever nutters behind Trump have ensured they have their zealots in place in every position of authority and power in the US Government, including the military. Couple this with the financial backing of the Tech Bros and other right wing capitalists and the coup is almost complete. The US has all but gone! This will not end after 4 years, by then the dictatorship will have been well established and future elections will be no fairer than those in Russia. The Prussians are not coming over the horizon to win the battle for the goodies!

Nutter

Tell me again I'm the nutter when you have the US Secretary of State going on TV like this! Other prominent US politicians and supporters have been doing the same. It reminds me of the trends that used to take over at my secondary school in the 70's when everyone wanted to be part of the gang and had to have the latest gear.

https://x.com/dm_deluca/status/18977062 ... h8tOyeCXzQ

It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny what you see happening in front of your eyes! As Orwell said 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.' These guys have gone completely loco, a bunch of grown men with crosses marked on their foreheads is for me a sure sign the US is lost. Yes I know the links to Ash Wednesday etc but this is more a signal that right wing, radical white supremacists, religious zealots now control the US Government. God help us!

And the subject at hand was Gaza?
I see another 9-11 or worse coming if the fuck around down there too much

[Paddington Bear]

Apparently I was a nutter and a bit mental just a few weeks ago, now it seems everyone is getting on the same page now? I am not sure I have enough Tin Foil Hats to go round!

On a serious point I accept it is difficult for folk to handle or accept the complete destruction of system of government in the so called biggest and greatest democracy in the world but that is what is happening in plain sight. The coup is well underway and its chances of success are very very high. The pillars of Government are now completely powerless - Trump controls, mostly through coercion etc, both Houses and they just ignore the judiciary and carry on. Even if the courts find against the Gov who implements the court findings - the DOJ - and who heads that up? A certain Pam Bondi a leading light in the development of Project 2025! They actually told us what they were going to do and to be fair to them they are sticking to their promises as listed in Project 2025. The clever nutters behind Trump have ensured they have their zealots in place in every position of authority and power in the US Government, including the military. Couple this with the financial backing of the Tech Bros and other right wing capitalists and the coup is almost complete. The US has all but gone! This will not end after 4 years, by then the dictatorship will have been well established and future elections will be no fairer than those in Russia. The Prussians are not coming over the horizon to win the battle for the goodies!

Nutter

Tell me again I'm the nutter when you have the US Secretary of State going on TV like this! Other prominent US politicians and supporters have been doing the same. It reminds me of the trends that used to take over at my secondary school in the 70's when everyone wanted to be part of the gang and had to have the latest gear.

https://x.com/dm_deluca/status/18977062 ... h8tOyeCXzQ

It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny what you see happening in front of your eyes! As Orwell said 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.' These guys have gone completely loco, a bunch of grown men with crosses marked on their foreheads is for me a sure sign the US is lost. Yes I know the links to Ash Wednesday etc but this is more a signal that right wing, radical white supremacists, religious zealots now control the US Government. God help us!

How can you talk about conspiracy theories based around crosses on people’s heads and then in the next breath accept that it’s a pretty normal thing for practising Catholics to do on Ash Wednesday?

[laurent]

Nutter

Tell me again I'm the nutter when you have the US Secretary of State going on TV like this! Other prominent US politicians and supporters have been doing the same. It reminds me of the trends that used to take over at my secondary school in the 70's when everyone wanted to be part of the gang and had to have the latest gear.

https://x.com/dm_deluca/status/18977062 ... h8tOyeCXzQ

It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny what you see happening in front of your eyes! As Orwell said 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.' These guys have gone completely loco, a bunch of grown men with crosses marked on their foreheads is for me a sure sign the US is lost. Yes I know the links to Ash Wednesday etc but this is more a signal that right wing, radical white supremacists, religious zealots now control the US Government. God help us!

How can you talk about conspiracy theories based around crosses on people’s heads and then in the next breath accept that it’s a pretty normal thing for practising Catholics to do on Ash Wednesday?

Not this obvious and seriously not in many countries. Never saw it before moving to Ireland where this is nowhere this obvious.
PS my grandparents where practicing catholics and I was spending my childhood wednesday at my grandparents place.

[Blackmac]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but there are reports that Carlos Slim has pulled a $22 billion collaboration with Starlink after Musk tweeted that he was involved in organised crime.

[Paddington Bear]

Tell me again I'm the nutter when you have the US Secretary of State going on TV like this! Other prominent US politicians and supporters have been doing the same. It reminds me of the trends that used to take over at my secondary school in the 70's when everyone wanted to be part of the gang and had to have the latest gear.

https://x.com/dm_deluca/status/18977062 ... h8tOyeCXzQ

It is becoming increasingly difficult to deny what you see happening in front of your eyes! As Orwell said 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.' These guys have gone completely loco, a bunch of grown men with crosses marked on their foreheads is for me a sure sign the US is lost. Yes I know the links to Ash Wednesday etc but this is more a signal that right wing, radical white supremacists, religious zealots now control the US Government. God help us!

How can you talk about conspiracy theories based around crosses on people’s heads and then in the next breath accept that it’s a pretty normal thing for practising Catholics to do on Ash Wednesday?

Not this obvious and seriously not in many countries. Never saw it before moving to Ireland where this is nowhere this obvious.
PS my grandparents where practicing catholics and I was spending my childhood wednesday at my grandparents place.

I’m not a Catholic but it’s pretty common among those that are actively so in anglophone countries

[Guy Smiley]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but there are reports that Carlos Slim has pulled a $22 billion collaboration with Starlink after Musk tweeted that he was involved in organised crime.

A couple of us mentioned it a day or two ago without going into the detail. Carlos shat on Musk from a great height, long may it continue,


PB, refer back to the tweeted image that dpedin posted. That is NOT NORMAL.

[tabascoboy]

Hard to believe this could happen, but with the current admin...

[Biffer]

Hard to believe this could happen, but with the current admin...

People used to say it was hard to believe he'd be allowed to ride roughshod over congress. but it seems to be happening.
People used to say you couldn't have a convicted felon as President, but it's happened.

[Hal Jordan]

I administered statutory declarations for no less then four nuns on Wednesday, and only.one of them had the ashen cross on her forehead.

My daughter came home with a cross as well, and was most disgruntled as she had done the old "crossed arms means no thanks" but had been tagged anyway.

[Uncle fester]

Hard to believe this could happen, but with the current admin...

People used to say it was hard to believe he'd be allowed to ride roughshod over congress. but it seems to be happening.
People used to say you couldn't have a convicted felon as President, but it's happened.

Rattling on about the 1908 treaty and garbled justifications for land grabs. That kind of thing sound familiar yeah?

[Uncle fester]

For mine, I'm going to wait till the mid-terms before drawing final judgement on the US. This Trump 2 version isn't necessarily what a bunch of voters thought they were going to get no matter how brainwashed the worst of the MAGA crowd are.

Two years is a long long time and plenty of time to fire anybody who opposes them and stack courts even more in their favour.

That's actually part and parcel what I mean. Because they've got a chance to rein this in, or it could go the other way and 4 years of this kind of damage may well be irrecoverable.

If resistance continues to be as passive as it has been, I think two years time is too late.

What does give me hope is how thick the administration are. Witness Felon antagonising a major investor with a careless tweet.

There is bound to be a general strike at some point. They are trying to kill the teachers union so I'm making a wild guess that's where it might start.

Given how shit the democrat party has been, I wouldn't be surprised to see a tea party version of the democrats to pop up.

[sockwithaticket]

Lots of this going around it seems.

Also

[fishfoodie]

I love that while bone spurs continues to show what a coward he is when faced with a determined adversary, the Canadians are taking their time to kick America in the balls !!

Kudos to Ontario for boycotting all American booze, & putting surcharges on energy exports until the tariffs are withdrawn completely, instead of just the bullshit delays. Its a truism that all bullies are cowards, & the best way of dealing with them is standing up to them & making them back down !

While the Mid-Terms might be two years away, the primaries are much closer, so in reality the GOP has a year at the most before they need to make uncomfortable decisions; i.e. they need to choose between survival & a President who can't Legally stand again !

[Niegs]

Hard to believe this could happen, but with the current admin...

'Fun' fact. That border would run right through the town where I grew up.

I wonder if it was chosen, because everything south of it is arable (and big cities, of course) and north rocky/foresty/swampy?

[tabascoboy]

I love that while bone spurs continues to show what a coward he is when faced with a determined adversary, the Canadians are taking their time to kick America in the balls !!

Kudos to Ontario for boycotting all American booze, & putting surcharges on energy exports until the tariffs are withdrawn completely, instead of just the bullshit delays. Its a truism that all bullies are cowards, & the best way of dealing with them is standing up to them & making them back down !

While the Mid-Terms might be two years away, the primaries are much closer, so in reality the GOP has a year at the most before they need to make uncomfortable decisions; i.e. they need to choose between survival & a President who can't Legally stand again !

Constitutions can be changed, he can ask his pal Vlad for advice on that

[Biffer]

Fulbright scholars funding withdrawn. 12,500 US citizens left overseas with no funding.

[Uncle fester]

Enola Gay is being cancelled for being DEI.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurra ... dei-purge/

[TedMaul]

The transgender mice really scoop this for me.

[sockwithaticket]

Yeah, mistaking transgenic for transgender is down there with the morons who conflate pedophile and pediatrician.

And of course the base lap it up because in their fevered imaginations of course
those damned demonrats would spend millions of dollars on making mice trans.

A lot of people likened the last Trump presidency to Idiocracy, but in that the morons in government actually listened to someone smarter than them and weren't wantonly malicious.

[Uncle fester]

I'm waiting for the banning of trans fat.

[Hal Jordan]

I'm waiting for the banning of trans fat.

The US food industry would cease to exist.

[Oxbow]

I'm waiting for the banning of trans fat.

The US food industry would cease to exist.

On the plus side, so would most of Donald Trump.

[Blackmac]

Trump Turnberry has been vandalised. Buildings and greens. Surprised it has taken this long and doubt it will be the last time.

[tabascoboy]

Trump Turnberry has been vandalised. Buildings and greens. Surprised it has taken this long and doubt it will be the last time.

Ayrshire to become the USA's 52nd state?

[Sandstorm]

Trump Turnberry has been vandalised. Buildings and greens. Surprised it has taken this long and doubt it will be the last time.

Ayrshire to become the USA's 52nd state?

Nuke ‘em from Greenland.