Best Of

Morning all, I was going to post last night but didn't get round to it.

America stands at a crossroads. We can see that the regime has two choices - fall next year, or embed itself for the long haul.

If they follow the constitution then MAGA loses control, a lot of them go to jail, and perhaps America will once again align itself with democracy instead of with dictators. But that means various people taking the brave pill and doing the right thing.

Or they do the other thing. The naughty list of media becomes the banned list. The opinion polls go the way of the economic measures he's dispensed with. And he provokes violence in cities by sending in blackshirts from out of state to create the excuse to send in more troops, arrest officials and "postpone" elections.

In either case, the World Cup will be symbolic of the state of things. A bloated absurdity of a tournament where officials want 5 years of penis size measurements and a pledge of fealty to the fuhrer before they let you into a country where tickets for the tournament cost $fuckoff.

I remember World Cup Italia 90, where for Egypt games there were a lot of Egyptian Navy personnel filling the seats. This time they will fill the seats with stormtroopers. With normals arrested at the end of the quarter...

Mike Pence was a horrible man who nodded along to many horrible things between 2016 and 2020. But at the vital moment he stood firm and did the right thing.

Is there a Mike Pence in the current Administration? I think Team MAGA learned their lesson, unfortunately.

Pence isn’t a horrible man. He’s a committed evangelical Christian and you probably don’t agree with many of his positions. But he’s not a “horrible man” any more than Sadiq Khan is.

I can cope with the concept that many evangelical "Christians" are horrible because they seem to have a bible that only has bits of Genesis and Leviticus. All that woke Jesus stuff can get right out. We're about to see the same from the Reform "Christians" where Jesus opened the temple to the shirt sellers and told thy neighbour to fuck off from whence they came.

As for Pence, his replacement is a man who called the President a Nazi and then decided that he wanted to be Rudolf Hess. Could Vance oust the regime? Sure - to install himself as leader.

The big question remains Trump. We can say pretty confidently that he has serious health conditions. Will one of these incapacitate him and thus force a change? Or like previous mad dictators does he just step it up?

That makes them wrong, not bad people.

Trump was rightly criticised for describing Khan as “horrible” and “vicious”. Others should be held to the same standard

There are a lot of bad ideas, but very few bad people once we get past the Putins of this world.

Yes Trump does sometimes go too far with his language, and American political discourse in general is much more coarse than elsewhere, even before the current incumbent takes it to another level.

Trump is a bad person. He has been judged guilty of sexual assault and been credibly accused of much similar. He is a racist. He is openly corrupt. He is a liar. He is appeasing Russia for reasons unclear. He cheats at golf.
Are Trump's supporters bad people? Not most of them. But they have voted for a guy who is ruining many people's lives and they seem to be fine with that so I don't think they are great people.

Given this is a new thread but this is important for TSE I will post this again.

Definitive proof that Die Hard is a Christmas Movie

If you watch Die Hard straight after Love Actually, Alan Rickman will be punished for what he did to Emma Thompson.

As a man of the people I speak for the nation.

So you think Love Actually is a Summer Movie?

Love Actually is a terrible movie that whitewashes terrible male behaviour, and contains little love, actually.

My Letterboxd review https://boxd.it/5jCVEp

And Die Hard is a Christmas Movie. https://boxd.it/5jCVEp

Whilst you're avoiding Love Actually (I have never seen it and can't say I'm tempted), perhaps you'd have time to answer William Glenn's question on Putin?

Namely that if Putin was in favour of Britain giving up strategic British colonial assets, would you switch your positive view on giving them up - as you seem to expect those in favour of Brexit to do?

Foxy will no doubt answer if and as he wishes, but what is the 'if' doing in your second sentence? Does anyone doubt that Putin is in favour of Britain giving up strategic British colonial assets?

Given that that must be clear to everyone, including @Foxy, haven't you already got your answer?

This is of the same order of saying that building motorways is bad, because Hitler did it.

Yes, but Brexit was bad for Britain, as all the polling shows.

I think Robert Shrimsley is spot on here:

"In his endorsement of Brexit trade freedoms, Starmer resembles Alec Guinness’s half-mad colonel in The Bridge on the River Kwai, defending an edifice he has forgotten was built for the benefit of the other side."

https://www.ft.com/content/2d0003db-2c46-4926-9d47-0bd6723a9c9e
https://bsky.app/profile/robertshrimsley.bsky.social/post/3m7pok7aas22i

The original purpose of the EU was an economic community which was the attraction for the UK. When it started to become a political union, there was always going to be an issue of the differing legal codes as they are not compatible (TLDR Top down v Bottom up) So to get back to UK's preferred position (economic union and not political), Brexit plus economic cooperation appears to be the route chosen. Short term disruption for longer term gain.

It's never been explained to me why the UK could accept political union, and I say that as someone who has been to the EU on political trips a few times as well as sitting with MEP's listening to why EU membership was good for their respective countries.

There was one exception though which was Ireland who were pretty negative at the thought of having to take back Ulster and it economic issues through Brexit.

You are quite wrong. From the very beginning the EU was a political project, and Ted Heath was quite open about it, as this speech, celebrating the UK entry makes quite clear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRtmuEZg0p8

The debate was not about the economics. It was then, and has been ever since about the politics. The people who have been dishonest are those who claim they were fooled into a political project, when they wished to limit integration - if that were even possible- solely to economics. The only way to develop economic cooperation was to establish a clear political dimension. The idea that the Common Law and Roman law systems were somehow fundamentally incompatible is also horseshit. Within the UK itself, the Scottish, Roman law system functions perfectly well, with appropriate adjustments with the wider Common Law system.

Those opposed to the European project have hidden behind the delusion that "nobody told us". Yes they did, and now, whether through the Macron suggestion of a new European Political Community, or some enhanced Council of Europe, or by re-entry into some or all of the EU structure themselves, the UK now has little choice but to accept reality.

The Atlantic Alliance is fatally wounded. Trump is not a partner that we can trust, and the whole basis of trust with the USA has been fatally undermined. The choices are increasingly clear to the British people and we must act accordingly and quickly.

Is there a Mike Pence in the current Administration? I think Team MAGA learned their lesson, unfortunately.

Stuffing the administration with incompetent loyalists brings its own problems

@atrupar.com‬

MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported?

NOEM: We haven't deported veterans

MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m7pyay4ndm2w

@thetnholler.bsky.social‬

🔥 @repdeliaramirez to @KristiNoem: “Bottom Line: You lie with impunity. You reject checks & balances. You ignore Congress & the courts… you can either resign, Trump will fire you, or you’ll be impeached.

You’re going to be held accountable. I’m going to make sure of that.”

https://bsky.app/profile/thetnholler.bsky.social/post/3m7rc2dcrmc2e

This guy?

This is why people hate congressional hearings and don’t trust the media.

ICE didn’t deport a veteran. Sae Joon Park self-deported to South Korea.

He never pursued citizenship during his decades here and his green card was revoked under Obama in 2009 due to drug possession.

https://x.com/ljmoynihan/status/1999336182203797991

BREAKING: Democrats CAUGHT in massive fake news operation in DHS Sec. Kristi Noem hearing - lying that President Trump deported a Veteran to South Korea

Rep. Magaziner tried a "gotcha": "We are now joined on Zoom by a veteran YOU deported."

HE SELF-DEPORTED.

Sae Joon Park had a removal order over felony drug charges and bail jumping - and was NOT a citizen, but a green card holder.

Democrats lie, lie, LIE.

https://x.com/ericldaugh/status/1999200511820763484

You still fall for MAGA lies. Here, https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-blumenthal-demand-answers-on-forced-self-deportation-of-disabled-purple-heart-veteran-in-hawaii , Dem Senator Hirono sets out the case. The letter notes that his green card was revoked, but he was allowed to stay. The letter notes that he self-deported, because the Trump administration forced him to. The Democrats never said he was a citizen. All this was stated by the Democrats back in August.

You don't think that revoking his green card was a way of getting him to self-deport ?

In 2009, by Obama, after felony drugs offences and skipping bail.

It’s rather amusing to see the Democrats line up behind the idea that foreign felons shouldn’t be deported, of course totally forgetting to mention the felony bit.

It’s “Maryland Man” all over again, they think that if they keep omitting and ignoring that he’s a violent gang member, people will eventually believe he’s just a happy family man being deported by Evil Orange.

Felony drugs offences in 2009 doesn’t mean he’s a violent gang member.

In any event, is he a veteran or not, which is the actual issue being discussed.

You’re confusing two people, the gang member is a different individual the Democrats and media also keep lying about by omission.

This guy is a veteran, but he wasn’t deported, he chose to leave the US of his own volition.

Sandpit no offence but that’s total horseshit. Just because someone “self deported” under threat of indefinite detention doesn’t mean they chose to leave the US of their own volition. You really do drink the kool aid sometimes.

It's a Wonderful Life.

No other Christmas film comes close.

I know this sounds bitter but I hate that film . I was hoping Stewart would jump ! I’m not averse to some feel good films but I found it just nauseating.

I'm a sucker for a feel good film.

My favourite film to watch over Christmas is Singing in the Rain .

Not a Christmas film though. (Mind you, neither is The Sound of Music though it always seemed to be on every Christmas when I was a kid.)

For similar reasons I think of The Great Escape as a Christmas film.

Yes, it used to be a highlight of my childhood Xmasses, hoping that just one time McQueen would actually make it over that second fence. When the special Xmas Radio Times arrived I would rush to see when it was going to be on - as I vaguely recall, it dropped back from the Xmas day slot to later over the bank holidays. Then it disappeared from the Christmas TV schedule altogether, but occasionally surfaces over Easter.

Anyhow, here's the dog at the very spot where the motorcycle/fence scene was filmed....actually nowhere near Switzerland!

‪@jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

The European Union has triggered Article 122 to indefinitely immobilise the assets of the Russian Central Bank, worth a whopping €210 billion.

I explain what just happened and why this is such a big deal for Europeans.

https://bsky.app/profile/jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social/post/3m7q6klczks2w

No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.

Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?

I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.

This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.

Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.

Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.