America

[Stom]

Yeah, but on the other hand, at a certain point, when that person repeatedly insists on voting for the Leopards Eating Faces, ignoring every obvious sign that their faces are on the menu too, and cry foul when their face gets a chunk bitten out of it, it gets to a point where the only possible answer is "what the fuck did you think was going to happen." Doubly so when it involves the Leopards repeatedly, and loudly, shouting about exactly whom they are, over and over again. Like, the shit that's happening right now? Homeboy said repeatedly "this is exactly what I'm going to do." When someone tells you who they are, it's always in your best interests to believe them. If you refuse to do so, then that's on you.

Because if we don't try to understand why they missed or ignored the red flags, we'll never learn what we need to do better, both politically and as a society.

As there is a lot to learn from this, just as there has been a lot to learn in Hungary from the Fidesz rule. And just as there has been a lot to learn in the UK from the Brexit debacle.

If you don't learn, if all you do is bleat about stupid people, you may still get your change of government...

But instead of Bernie Sanders, you get Keir Starmer.

Instead of Gergely Karacsony, you get Peter Magyar.

And so on.

So, yeah, without thinking about how it's better for my mental health, there's a lot more positive to come out of thinking about their reasons and not dismissing them.

But then, a lot of these people were happy to vote for someone who represents the interests of the kind of people that are comfortable in debating the rights of marginalised people, one of the demographics that I belong to - and often, fail to consider that they themselves are marginalised. Like, what the fuck do they expect, when they turn around and express remorse for doing so repeatedly.

They're not owed forgiveness from people like me and my friends. People like me and my friends are not fucking props for them to use so they can pretend they've earned some sort of moral absolution, when they've been doing their level best to make life more difficult for people like me or my friends for as long as we can remember. Like "now that I pretend to give a shit, all is forgiven, right?" Fuck you, fuck your feelings, it doesn't work like that. We don't owe them a goddamned thing, and pardon fucking me if I'm a bit sceptical.

I totally get that.

And I know that I don't feel like I owe forgiveness to anyone.

Because you cannot owe it.

Because giving forgiveness is the most powerful tool you can give...for yourself. And I know it's so often preached in Christianity, and therefore shunned by many of us who look at the church and see toxicity...

But it's also a spiritual thing. Because forgiving someone isn't about them deserving your forgiveness or not, but about you being able to let go of the pain and the blocks, and make progress.

Anyway.

This doesn't bother me anymore. I don't get triggered by Trump, by Brexit, by Fidesz, by anything. And it's improved my mental health so much, just simply being able to separate out a scholarly interest in politics from my personal belief system.

[Puja]

Yeah, but on the other hand, at a certain point, when that person repeatedly insists on voting for the Leopards Eating Faces, ignoring every obvious sign that their faces are on the menu too, and cry foul when their face gets a chunk bitten out of it, it gets to a point where the only possible answer is "what the fuck did you think was going to happen." Doubly so when it involves the Leopards repeatedly, and loudly, shouting about exactly whom they are, over and over again. Like, the shit that's happening right now? Homeboy said repeatedly "this is exactly what I'm going to do." When someone tells you who they are, it's always in your best interests to believe them. If you refuse to do so, then that's on you.

Because if we don't try to understand why they missed or ignored the red flags, we'll never learn what we need to do better, both politically and as a society.

As there is a lot to learn from this, just as there has been a lot to learn in Hungary from the Fidesz rule. And just as there has been a lot to learn in the UK from the Brexit debacle.

If you don't learn, if all you do is bleat about stupid people, you may still get your change of government...

But instead of Bernie Sanders, you get Keir Starmer.

Instead of Gergely Karacsony, you get Peter Magyar.

And so on.

So, yeah, without thinking about how it's better for my mental health, there's a lot more positive to come out of thinking about their reasons and not dismissing them.

But then, a lot of these people were happy to vote for someone who represents the interests of the kind of people that are comfortable in debating the rights of marginalised people, one of the demographics that I belong to - and often, fail to consider that they themselves are marginalised. Like, what the fuck do they expect, when they turn around and express remorse for doing so repeatedly.

They're not owed forgiveness from people like me and my friends. People like me and my friends are not fucking props for them to use so they can pretend they've earned some sort of moral absolution, when they've been doing their level best to make life more difficult for people like me or my friends for as long as we can remember. Like "now that I pretend to give a shit, all is forgiven, right?" Fuck you, fuck your feelings, it doesn't work like that. We don't owe them a goddamned thing, and pardon fucking me if I'm a bit sceptical.

I'm with you on most of it. Personally and morally, I'm with you for all of it. On a human psychological level though, we cannot acquire a new electorate and we can't get change without getting at least some of the stupid people to vote with us. Responding to, "I didn' think the leopards would eat my face," with, "I fucking told you! Didn't I? And you didn't fucking listen!" will not result in learning, understanding, or growth, but a visceral antipathy for the side that's in their favour, possibly even to the extent of going back to the Leopards because, while they might eat faces, they also promised to Own The Libs that've been crowing at you.

Do the stupid people morally deserve the space and support to have learning, understanding, and growth? Fuck no - we fucking told them! Didn't we? And they didn't fucking listen! But that's a separate question to whether we **need** them to have it.

Puja

[paddy no 11]

So, the gutting of the USAID programmes and the Inflation Reduction Act has had wide reaching consequences, including those in the agricultural sector - who overwhelmingly voted for Trump by a 3:1 ratio.

Meanwhile, deregulation has also caused the US to become the only "developed" (lol) country where H5N1 is ripping through cow herds, because it is legal to feed cows chicken shit.


Them face-eating leopards will be eating like kings for a while.

Farm worker identified with new strain of bird flu

[Son of Mathonwy]

So, the gutting of the USAID programmes and the Inflation Reduction Act has had wide reaching consequences, including those in the agricultural sector - who overwhelmingly voted for Trump by a 3:1 ratio.

Meanwhile, deregulation has also caused the US to become the only "developed" (lol) country where H5N1 is ripping through cow herds, because it is legal to feed cows chicken shit.


Them face-eating leopards will be eating like kings for a while.

Farm worker identified with new strain of bird flu

The US has the perfect president (and health secretary!) to deal with another pandemic.

[paddy no 11]

So, the gutting of the USAID programmes and the Inflation Reduction Act has had wide reaching consequences, including those in the agricultural sector - who overwhelmingly voted for Trump by a 3:1 ratio.

Meanwhile, deregulation has also caused the US to become the only "developed" (lol) country where H5N1 is ripping through cow herds, because it is legal to feed cows chicken shit.


Them face-eating leopards will be eating like kings for a while.

Farm worker identified with new strain of bird flu

The US has the perfect president (and health secretary!) to deal with another pandemic.

As long as they keep it over there!

[Mikey Brown]

I can only imagine how insane the reaction to a new pandemic would be from MAGA 2.0.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Farm worker identified with new strain of bird flu

The US has the perfect president (and health secretary!) to deal with another pandemic.

As long as they keep it over there!

Can we call it American Flu?? Although I'm sure Trump would find some way to blame minorities, or the Chinese, for it.

[Son of Mathonwy]

I can only imagine how insane the reaction to a new pandemic would be from MAGA 2.0.

Send 'em to Gitmo.

[Puja]

Broken clock being right twice a day and all, plus the sheer volume of "ideas" that he has, he was overdue accidentally saying something I agreed with: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ssia-china

Not that any of the savings would go towards fixing the incredibly broken system that sees people in the richest country in the world have lower quality of life than people in some developing nations, but the idea of the US not spending quite so much on the military has value to it.

Puja

[Son of Mathonwy]

That country, it is fucked.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Another fascist salute? More ambiguous than Musk's, and (unlike Musk) Bannon denies it, calling it a wave.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... alute-cpac

[Sandydragon]

Broken clock being right twice a day and all, plus the sheer volume of "ideas" that he has, he was overdue accidentally saying something I agreed with: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ssia-china

Not that any of the savings would go towards fixing the incredibly broken system that sees people in the richest country in the world have lower quality of life than people in some developing nations, but the idea of the US not spending quite so much on the military has value to it.

Puja

Of all the things to criticise the US for, spending too much on defence that has benefitted us is probably the wrong target.

After all, we re all quite keen that America continue to support Ukraine so we should be consistent in agreeing that America needs to spend a fair bit on defence to support its allies, some of whom aren’t spending enough.

Americas economy is big enough to afford other things as well

[Puja]

Broken clock being right twice a day and all, plus the sheer volume of "ideas" that he has, he was overdue accidentally saying something I agreed with: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ssia-china

Not that any of the savings would go towards fixing the incredibly broken system that sees people in the richest country in the world have lower quality of life than people in some developing nations, but the idea of the US not spending quite so much on the military has value to it.

Puja

Of all the things to criticise the US for, spending too much on defence that has benefitted us is probably the wrong target.

After all, we re all quite keen that America continue to support Ukraine so we should be consistent in agreeing that America needs to spend a fair bit on defence to support its allies, some of whom aren’t spending enough.

Americas economy is big enough to afford other things as well

The USA spends over $900bn each year on its armed forces - that is more than the next 12 militaries in the world combined. Or, as another way to put it, 40% of the entire planet's military spending each year is American. And that's not taking into account the budgets for things like the CIA, which would be under military intelligence budgets for a lot of countries, or the fact that their police forces have a larger amount of military equipment than a fair few countries.

I think it's safe to say that they could afford to cut it a touch and still support Ukraine if they wanted to. Quite apart from anything else, I'm pretty sure not all of that $900bn is going to where it's supposed to/being spent wisely, so if Musk was actually serious about finding fraud and waste in government spending, it would probably be a prime place to look.

Instead, he's going after Veterans' Services for the massive savings to be made by cutting the suicide and mental health crisis phoneline.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

This is 2 weeks old, but I managed to miss it
Trump State Department official has repeatedly called for mass sterilization of ‘low-IQ trash’

[Son of Mathonwy]

This is 2 weeks old, but I managed to miss it
Trump State Department official has repeatedly called for mass sterilization of ‘low-IQ trash’

Yeah, it's not really been widely reporter on (nothing in the Guardian even) because it's not new news, just like 'oh yeah Trump hired a eugenicist'. So he's got a eugenicist, a Nazi, what next, a cannibal?

https://www.wonkette.com/p/trump-unders ... ate-dreamt

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah there’s no shock value anymore. The “I could shoot a man in the middle of times square” thing doesn’t even sound far-fetched enough anymore.

[Sandydragon]

Broken clock being right twice a day and all, plus the sheer volume of "ideas" that he has, he was overdue accidentally saying something I agreed with: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ssia-china

Not that any of the savings would go towards fixing the incredibly broken system that sees people in the richest country in the world have lower quality of life than people in some developing nations, but the idea of the US not spending quite so much on the military has value to it.

Puja

Of all the things to criticise the US for, spending too much on defence that has benefitted us is probably the wrong target.

After all, we re all quite keen that America continue to support Ukraine so we should be consistent in agreeing that America needs to spend a fair bit on defence to support its allies, some of whom aren’t spending enough.

Americas economy is big enough to afford other things as well

The USA spends over $900bn each year on its armed forces - that is more than the next 12 militaries in the world combined. Or, as another way to put it, 40% of the entire planet's military spending each year is American. And that's not taking into account the budgets for things like the CIA, which would be under military intelligence budgets for a lot of countries, or the fact that their police forces have a larger amount of military equipment than a fair few countries.

I think it's safe to say that they could afford to cut it a touch and still support Ukraine if they wanted to. Quite apart from anything else, I'm pretty sure not all of that $900bn is going to where it's supposed to/being spent wisely, so if Musk was actually serious about finding fraud and waste in government spending, it would probably be a prime place to look.

Instead, he's going after Veterans' Services for the massive savings to be made by cutting the suicide and mental health crisis phoneline.

Puja

Now match that spend to commitments and programmes. It’s a huge amount for sure. But it’s not time to reduce that commitment despite the orange idiots views.

All government procurement is wasteful and especially in defence given many projects involve doing something for the first time

[Mikey Brown]

Any chance of an update from our resident Trumper on the ground?

[Son of Mathonwy]

I think it's odds on that US democracy is effectively over. With Trump loyalists in most positions, a supine congress, presidential immunity from prosecution, Trump's willingness to pardon anyone for anything at any time (and many violent loyalists shielded by this), I don't see the law being enforced against him. I think elections will continue but high (and increasingly brazen) levels of voter suppression in swing states will lock the Republicans into power. Who will protest if Trump's loyalist FBI is ready to lock them up?

The main ways I can see this being avoided are:

1) US law somehow prevails. I now doubt this.

2) Trump's excesses - particularly Elon Musk's excesses - (both the hugely regressive tax & wellfare changes, and the huge disruption and number of federal layoffs) are too much for the public, and he loses support on a massive scale, with big civil unrest. This could cause the Republicans to drop him (and use congress against him) and make even high levels of voter suppression insufficient to maintain power.

3) Trump becomes incapacitated or dies and Vance is unable to fill his shoes convincingly, so there's a struggle for power within the Republican party. However it's quite possible that Vance or someone else could assume command (of MAGA) and continue to wield the antidemocratic tools Trump created.

[Which Tyler]

You're forgetting "States (trying to) making it illegal to oppose Trump"


GOP lawmakers push to ban North Carolina from suing Trump, after lawsuits find success

Tennessee Bill Would Prohibit Voting Against Trump Immigration Policies

Not to mention:
In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote
and
we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless... if the left allows it to be.

[Son of Mathonwy]

You're forgetting "States (trying to) making it illegal to oppose Trump"


GOP lawmakers push to ban North Carolina from suing Trump, after lawsuits find success

Tennessee Bill Would Prohibit Voting Against Trump Immigration Policies

Not to mention:
In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote
and
we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless... if the left allows it to be.

Yes, all that too. His options for a third term:

1) Change the constitution. This is well beyond the Republicans' powers so is unlikely at this time.

2) Just run again. Ignore the constitution. Who would stop him? If it went to the supreme court I suspect they would somehow find the 22nd amendment irrelevant in this case (even though it explicitly forbids being elected president a third time).

3) Arguably he might be able to run for vice president next time, then have the elected president stand down for him to take their place. This would get around the 22nd amendment which only prohibits being elected president more than twice (rather than being president more than twice). It would probably be unconstitutional to run as vice president at that point due to the 12th amendment but I've no doubt the supreme court would allow it (for people called Donald Trump).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-se ... nstitution

If he's still up for it, and the citizens aren't trying to lynch him, I think he takes option 2.

[paddy no 11]

That's some sham interview

[Which Tyler]

Well, that went well.
And in front of all those cameras too - great way of having such a high powered, important meeting.

[paddy no 11]

2 bully's beating a guy up

[Which Tyler]

Headline should be:

Russian asset tried to bully an independent Ukrainian.
Ukrainian stood strong and holds his head up high, Russian asset doesn't even realise that he's embarrassed himself.