Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
It’s the sort of imperial arrogance that Americans stuck two fingers up to in 1775. Maybe they would like to remember that as they approach the 250th anniversary.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
William, William, William please remove the Ukrainian flag if you are going to post this Mafia shite.
Tommy Turd-Evil is not an oracle you should be consulting.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
Seems Trump is lashing out at Zelenskyy saying he won't put up with him any longer
My real fear is he turns against Starmer and Macron leaving everyone in a perilous military position
Goodness knows what comes next
Macron gets replaced by LePen shortly and Starmer by Nige. The peril increases substantially.
The test will be for traditional conservative parties.
IF she has a choice between supporting a minority Reform Government led by Farage and a continuing minority Labour Government led by Starmer, which way would Kemi Badenoch jump?
I can't now rule out the possibility of a minority Labour Government supported by both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats as the outcome of the next GE.
Yes, I’d now say that supporting Labour, in that situation, would be the patriotic thing to do.
On domestic policy Badenoch would be with Reform, on foreign policy with Labour, she would give neither Farage nor Starmer C +S
You simply don’t know that.
HY often puts himself in the shoes of Conservative leaders, and channels his own narrative. He's often correct of course.
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO won't even have stationary and letter heads anymore let alone a command structure and armies 🤷♂️
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
If that is true (and given the source, very large pinch of salt), then what's in it for Europe, whose future security is at stake ?
We'd be better off backing Ukraine and negotiating directly with Putin without the US.
Because that is where we'll be anyway if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin. We would get better terms now, while Russia is weak.
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
If that is true (and given the source, very large pinch of salt), then what's in it for Europe, whose future security is at stake ?
We'd be better off backing Ukraine and negotiating directly with Putin without the US.
Because that is where we'll be anyway if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin. We would get better terms now, while Russia is weak.
On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%
The threat of tariffs being imposed on business supply chains is scaring the bejeezus out of US business leaders. Until they have some kind of certainty they’re all holding back on investment plans & it’s going to cause GDP to fall off a cliff.
Trump will probably blame everyone else but himself, natch.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
Alienating and insulting most of America's former allies is really going to come back and bite them hard on the backside at some time in the future. Even if the MAGAs get chucked out in 2028 it is going to be years, if not decades, before they will ever be trusted again. They'd better hope Putin proves to be a loyal and trustworthy new ally.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
Hang on is the Pope dead or not dead? I’ve lost track.
ITV news saying just now his treatment is on going but he is seriously ill
No idea why it was posted he had died
I suspect the internet is channelling realistic assumption.
Of course the Vatican could well hang on to their news in order to get their ducks in a row. The news does seem inevitable.
Having read the news story, it does very much feel like that. They won’t give a prognosis, say it’s too premature to talk about him going back to the Vatican and say the situation is complex.
Shades of “Her Majesty’s doctors are concerned for her health” In some of that.
Hang on is the Pope dead or not dead? I’ve lost track.
ITV news saying just now his treatment is on going but he is seriously ill
No idea why it was posted he had died
I suspect the internet is channelling realistic assumption.
Of course the Vatican could well hang on to their news in order to get their ducks in a row. The news does seem inevitable.
Having read the news story, it does very much feel like that. They won’t give a prognosis, say it’s too premature to talk about him going back to the Vatican and say the situation is complex.
Shades of “Her Majesty’s doctors are concerned for her health” In some of that.
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO might not even be have stationary and letter heads anymore.
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
What a time to be alive.
I have been immersed in geopolitical pessimism for so much of the last 2 months that I was brought up short today by a comment from a client in the defence industry.
They said all their government affairs people are expecting a Democrat sweep of the midterms and that from that point the ability of the current administration to do much harm would be severely limited. So they’re planning for another just under 2 years of this and then a change.
Whether that just reflects old thinking that’s not caught up with a new reality I don’t know. It seemed very optimistic to me.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
The really depressing thing is I don’t think Tuberville has any idea that’s how it sounds (and is)
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
Yeah I'm pretty sure you can't restructure agriculture at a national scale in a month. That's the sort of mad stuff Stalin's Russia and the Khmer Rouge tried to do.
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
All the while maga is working systematically to eject cheap agricultural labour from the states 🙄🤣... America has an appointment with a fiscal crisis (and if the mar-a-lago accords happen a fraking black hole is going to open up an swallow the US economy, as forcing 100 year bonds on people holding us debt is just fancy words for debt default)
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
The US tends to import stuff like nuts, processed sugar, sweeteners, vegetables - and exports grains.
From a calorie point of view they are probably fine. But the sugar-crash might be quite something.
On the other hand, we don't necessarily need F35 equivalent planes: the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Dassault Mirage, and the Saab Grippen are all perfectly capable 4.5 Gen fighters.
None of which can fly off our carriers
Yep - it's a slight problem but go back even a year and I doubt anyone anywhere was saying that America was an untrustworthy partner..
All democratic countries are only one election away from betraying their allies. And all dictatorships are only one heartbeat away. Don't forget France flouncing out of NATO's command in the early 1960s and not rejoining for 45 years, or Germany's Ostpolitik in the 1970s. And that's not even mentioning Orban or Fiso. And had we elected Michael Foot or Jeremy Corbyn, we might not have been in a position to talk.
Of course, America matters more than all the other countries in NATO, indeed maybe more than all of them combined. And hopefully it will regain its sanity in four years. There are plenty of them who are disgusted with what Trump is doing, and that includes virtually everbody who knows anything about foreign policy.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
And the Yanks in 1776. Perhaps that document means nothing to them now?
On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%
The threat of tariffs being imposed on business supply chains is scaring the bejeezus out of US business leaders. Until they have some kind of certainty they’re all holding back on investment plans & it’s going to cause GDP to fall off a cliff.
Trump will probably blame everyone else but himself, natch.
The US GDP is 25% of global GDP but US market cap is 60% of global market cap. Two things will change- the market cap will now fall, to reflect the billions that the US tech sector will now not make (pissing over $100 billion against the wrong wall in AI) also the USD will no longer be the reserve currency. The impact of this second will cost the Americans their entire capital advantage. Result- huge funds flow to Europe, Korea and Japan.
Alienating and insulting most of America's former allies is really going to come back and bite them hard on the backside at some time in the future. Even if the MAGAs get chucked out in 2028 it is going to be years, if not decades, before they will ever be trusted again. They'd better hope Putin proves to be a loyal and trustworthy new ally.
Forget decades, this is forever. By the time America is again trusted to any degree their power will have waned anyway. They will never again have the trust and clout that Trump is destroying.
The Chinese government is probably thinking something along the lines of "what is happening is so crazy that maybe it's a really subtle trap?"
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
I'm just bored of these halfwitted takes on Trump, and all things Trumpian
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
Yeah I'm pretty sure you can't restructure agriculture at a national scale in a month. That's the sort of mad stuff Stalin's Russia and the Khmer Rouge tried to do.
Food in the U.S. is already astronomical, without levying a tariff on what they import.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
Alienating and insulting most of America's former allies is really going to come back and bite them hard on the backside at some time in the future. Even if the MAGAs get chucked out in 2028 it is going to be years, if not decades, before they will ever be trusted again. They'd better hope Putin proves to be a loyal and trustworthy new ally.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
Do you post this because you approve of Putin and Trump carving up Ukraine between them, or to demonstrate just what scumbags Trump and the Republican leadership really are?
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
Yeah I'm pretty sure you can't restructure agriculture at a national scale in a month. That's the sort of mad stuff Stalin's Russia and the Khmer Rouge tried to do.
They do seem to be in an almighty hurry. I know Trump is a very old man, but he can pace himself.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
And the Yanks in 1776. Perhaps that document means nothing to them now?
Lest we forget, Benjamin Franklin went to France to lobby for support in the war of independence, visiting Versailles in a plain top and a fur cap. Disrespectful bastard.
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
The US tends to import stuff like nuts, processed sugar, sweeteners, vegetables - and exports grains.
From a calorie point of view they are probably fine. But the sugar-crash might be quite something.
How many of those can be replaced by new US production and at what cost and at what timescale - surely at least a year even if US farmers can and want to do so.
Whereas it will lead to an immediate price increase.
On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%
The threat of tariffs being imposed on business supply chains is scaring the bejeezus out of US business leaders. Until they have some kind of certainty they’re all holding back on investment plans & it’s going to cause GDP to fall off a cliff.
Trump will probably blame everyone else but himself, natch.
The US GDP is 25% of global GDP but US market cap is 60% of global market cap. Two things will change- the market cap will now fall, to reflect the billions that the US tech sector will now not make (pissing over $100 billion against the wrong wall in AI) also the USD will no longer be the reserve currency. The impact of this second will cost the Americans their entire capital advantage. Result- huge funds flow to Europe, Korea and Japan.
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO won't even have stationary and letter heads anymore let alone a command structure and armies 🤷♂️
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
They said all their government affairs people are expecting a Democrat sweep of the midterms and that from that point the ability of the current administration to do much harm would be severely limited. So they’re planning for another just under 2 years of this and then a change.
Whether that just reflects old thinking that’s not caught up with a new reality I don’t know. It seemed very optimistic to me.
Are they not aware of Trump trashing the FCC, FEC, and other important bodies that protect elections? Are they unaware that Trump wants the Whitehouse to have the final say on legal decisions of US government organisations?
The chances of a genuinely free and fair federal election are just about nil.
To put it in simpler terms, if we are to have a world where the cost of being perceived as disrespectful by Trump, whether reasonably or not, is to be removed from government, then we'd better decide now whether we accede to that. If we put the choice off, then it will be forced on us.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
And the Yanks in 1776. Perhaps that document means nothing to them now?
And the Germans and Austro-Hungarians thought they could decide what happens to Serbia.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
If that is true (and given the source, very large pinch of salt), then what's in it for Europe, whose future security is at stake ?
We'd be better off backing Ukraine and negotiating directly with Putin without the US.
Because that is where we'll be anyway if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin. We would get better terms now, while Russia is weak.
They are so keen to declare it all done that they seem genuinely furious that poor Ukraine has the temerity to suggest it might have some concerns around events. I don't think it's an act either, not with Trump at least, he wants 'peace' and does not like the idea anyone might point out it will be far from a resolution of the conflict even if bullets stop flying.
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
The US tends to import stuff like nuts, processed sugar, sweeteners, vegetables - and exports grains.
From a calorie point of view they are probably fine. But the sugar-crash might be quite something.
processed sugar?
They will have no food industry left at all if they stop the flow of that?
Alienating and insulting most of America's former allies is really going to come back and bite them hard on the backside at some time in the future. Even if the MAGAs get chucked out in 2028 it is going to be years, if not decades, before they will ever be trusted again. They'd better hope Putin proves to be a loyal and trustworthy new ally.
Forget decades, this is forever. By the time America is again trusted to any degree their power will have waned anyway. They will never again have the trust and clout that Trump is destroying.
The Chinese government is probably thinking something along the lines of "what is happening is so crazy that maybe it's a really subtle trap?"
It’s the strategic folly at the heart of MAGA. The US won’t be big enough to stand up to China (or India) on its own, so it will need allies to help. We may answer “no” because Europe + UK/Aus/NZ + Japan + SK is.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
I'm just bored of these halfwitted takes on Trump, and all things Trumpian
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
He, for the most part isn't funny. His humour tends towards the cruel.
I suspect you are both on a similar comedic wavelength.
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO won't even have stationary and letter heads anymore let alone a command structure and armies 🤷♂️
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
What a time to be alive.
The US is getting into bed with a corpse.
I'm seeing plenty of tweets say 'Trump can't leave NATO', 'it's Congress decision', 'treaty needs the Senate to pass' etc etc
I'm guessing these peeps just haven't grasped how he works.
On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%
The threat of tariffs being imposed on business supply chains is scaring the bejeezus out of US business leaders. Until they have some kind of certainty they’re all holding back on investment plans & it’s going to cause GDP to fall off a cliff.
Trump will probably blame everyone else but himself, natch.
The US GDP is 25% of global GDP but US market cap is 60% of global market cap. Two things will change- the market cap will now fall, to reflect the billions that the US tech sector will now not make (pissing over $100 billion against the wrong wall in AI) also the USD will no longer be the reserve currency. The impact of this second will cost the Americans their entire capital advantage. Result- huge funds flow to Europe, Korea and Japan.
"the USD will no longer be the reserve currency."
What is the basis for this prediction?
If you can't extract your money which is a partial aim of the mar-a-lago accords then you will be looking for somewhere else where you can safely store your money.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
I'm just bored of these halfwitted takes on Trump, and all things Trumpian
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
He, for the most part isn't funny. His humour tends towards the cruel.
I suspect you are both on a similar comedic wavelength.
Trump would be very funny if he was a comedic creation. Sadly he is not, so the real world cruelty overrides it.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
He really is heroically unfunny. His defenders keep telling me he's a wind up merchant He isn't. He's a Fascist enabling cu*t. Harding used to be the worst President in US history. Yet Harding only delayed America's rise. Trump is worse. He is accelerating America's decline. His name will be down with that of Nero as one of the worst ruler in history.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
I'm just bored of these halfwitted takes on Trump, and all things Trumpian
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
I loathe Trump. I really do. Have had a horrible sinking feeling since he first emerged.
But there is a grain of truth here. When Trump is riffing at one of his rallies, and you pause and watch for a while, it is possible to discern the appeal. It's curious, unique, and entirely American. But it's there.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
If that is true (and given the source, very large pinch of salt), then what's in it for Europe, whose future security is at stake ?
We'd be better off backing Ukraine and negotiating directly with Putin without the US.
Because that is where we'll be anyway if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin. We would get better terms now, while Russia is weak.
They are so keen to declare it all done that they seem genuinely furious that poor Ukraine has the temerity to suggest it might have some concerns around events. I don't think it's an act either, not with Trump at least, he wants 'peace' and does not like the idea anyone might point out it will be far from a resolution of the conflict even if bullets stop flying.
I think it's a little different to that: Trump has convinced himself that he is one of history's great actors, and to stand in his way, is to attack him.
He wills something, and the world organizes itself accordingly. Anyone who has the temerity to attempt to negotiate with him is attempting to thwart him. And also, potentially, to render him visibly impotent.
That is what he is fighting. That is why he demands "respect" and "an apology".
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
And the Yanks in 1776. Perhaps that document means nothing to them now?
Lest we forget, Benjamin Franklin went to France to lobby for support in the war of independence, visiting Versailles in a plain top and a fur cap. Disrespectful bastard.
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
Yeah I'm pretty sure you can't restructure agriculture at a national scale in a month. That's the sort of mad stuff Stalin's Russia and the Khmer Rouge tried to do.
They do seem to be in an almighty hurry. I know Trump is a very old man, but he can pace himself.
I suspect they can't believe no one is trying to stop them.
Project 2025 seems incredibly well thought through, if totally batshit bonkers, so I'm guessing the pointy headed alt-right fundamentalists who actually put it together did wargame what would happen when the push-back begins and where it would come from.
They must be staggered that so far it is only a few junior court judges and SNL.
On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%
The threat of tariffs being imposed on business supply chains is scaring the bejeezus out of US business leaders. Until they have some kind of certainty they’re all holding back on investment plans & it’s going to cause GDP to fall off a cliff.
Trump will probably blame everyone else but himself, natch.
The US GDP is 25% of global GDP but US market cap is 60% of global market cap. Two things will change- the market cap will now fall, to reflect the billions that the US tech sector will now not make (pissing over $100 billion against the wrong wall in AI) also the USD will no longer be the reserve currency. The impact of this second will cost the Americans their entire capital advantage. Result- huge funds flow to Europe, Korea and Japan.
"the USD will no longer be the reserve currency."
What is the basis for this prediction?
The deal was they underwrote global peace via NATO. Now they won't do that, US allies are entitled to trade in the most efficient currency. So are America's enemies
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
I'm just bored of these halfwitted takes on Trump, and all things Trumpian
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
Yes, Trump can on occasion be funny. Even John Oliver, as rabid an anti-trumper as exists, has said that. No. it’s never subtle or clever. I do think he’s a lot less funny than he used to be, as there’s a bitterness to so much of his statements now, and his ego means he takes everything personally and lashes out. Like so much else even that element of him has devolved.
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO might not even be have stationary and letter heads anymore.
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
What a time to be alive.
I have been immersed in geopolitical pessimism for so much of the last 2 months that I was brought up short today by a comment from a client in the defence industry.
They said all their government affairs people are expecting a Democrat sweep of the midterms and that from that point the ability of the current administration to do much harm would be severely limited. So they’re planning for another just under 2 years of this and then a change.
Whether that just reflects old thinking that’s not caught up with a new reality I don’t know. It seemed very optimistic to me.
I don't know for sure that the constitution as we know it is still in place. This is what it has gotten to: we are not sure that mid-terms will add up to a hill of beans. Do you see this crowd nodding, shrugging and saying "it was fun while it lasted" or will it put in a fight to stay in power. The oligarchs don't look like it is a short jaunt .... they are looking to clear out the old system of politics and set up shop 🤷♂️ if the midterms have an effect.. I will belive it when I see it.
I suspect they can't believe no one is trying to stop them.
Project 2025 seems incredibly well thought through, if totally batshit bonkers, so I'm guessing the pointy headed alt-right fundamentalists who actually put it together did wargame what would happen when the push-back begins and where it would come from.
They must be staggered that so far it is only a few junior court judges and SNL.
Congress and the courts have already failed to bring Trump to account. I expect this to end with violence, but I couldn't guess which side may win.
On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%
The threat of tariffs being imposed on business supply chains is scaring the bejeezus out of US business leaders. Until they have some kind of certainty they’re all holding back on investment plans & it’s going to cause GDP to fall off a cliff.
Trump will probably blame everyone else but himself, natch.
The US GDP is 25% of global GDP but US market cap is 60% of global market cap. Two things will change- the market cap will now fall, to reflect the billions that the US tech sector will now not make (pissing over $100 billion against the wrong wall in AI) also the USD will no longer be the reserve currency. The impact of this second will cost the Americans their entire capital advantage. Result- huge funds flow to Europe, Korea and Japan.
"the USD will no longer be the reserve currency."
What is the basis for this prediction?
The deal was they underwrote global peace via NATO. Now they won't do that, US allies are entitled to trade in the most efficient currency. So are America's enemies
This is very Eurocentric, and the Europeans already created a single currency with the intention of rivalling the dollar while this ‘deal’ was supposedly in operation.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
I'm just bored of these halfwitted takes on Trump, and all things Trumpian
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
Well you cheer him on of course. But surely you must be feeling just a whisper of doubt now?
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
I'm just bored of these halfwitted takes on Trump, and all things Trumpian
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
He can be funny, I genuinely laughed out loud in my hungover state on Friday morning when he delivered the line about Starmer’s “beautiful accent” as it was so insincere but delivered so well with the punchline about how he would have been elected 20 years earlier if he had that accent.
Played on loads of tropes about Americans loving the British accent when in fact Starmer has a pretty crap adenoidal one. Trump’s timing can be great - his delivery otherwise is generally fucking weird - an inhuman cadence and a weird pitch.
He is however also an absolute fucking nightmare - you know it really and it’s always good to have a controversialist but he’s a proper dick who has surrounded himself with even bigger whoppers like the absolute knob who asked the question about Zelensky’s suit - seriously, Americans are amongst the worst dressed and least stylish people I ever meet.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
If that is true (and given the source, very large pinch of salt), then what's in it for Europe, whose future security is at stake ?
We'd be better off backing Ukraine and negotiating directly with Putin without the US.
Because that is where we'll be anyway if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin. We would get better terms now, while Russia is weak.
They are so keen to declare it all done that they seem genuinely furious that poor Ukraine has the temerity to suggest it might have some concerns around events. I don't think it's an act either, not with Trump at least, he wants 'peace' and does not like the idea anyone might point out it will be far from a resolution of the conflict even if bullets stop flying.
I think it's a little different to that: Trump has convinced himself that he is one of history's great actors, and to stand in his way, is to attack him.
He wills something, and the world organizes itself accordingly. Anyone who has the temerity to attempt to negotiate with him is attempting to thwart him. And also, potentially, to render him visibly impotent.
That is what he is fighting. That is why he demands "respect" and "an apology".
And still fools think we can negotiate with him.
The unfortunate thing is he’s succeeded all his life doing that, so of course he thinks that.
It’s so depressing and obvious as well. The personal attacks simply from other nations not aligning 100% to a line, when you’d never expect them to even if playing ball.
He’ll get a ‘deal’, but the vindictiveness was not necessary if all he wants is to play the statesman.
I suspect they can't believe no one is trying to stop them.
Project 2025 seems incredibly well thought through, if totally batshit bonkers, so I'm guessing the pointy headed alt-right fundamentalists who actually put it together did wargame what would happen when the push-back begins and where it would come from.
They must be staggered that so far it is only a few junior court judges and SNL.
Congress and the courts have already failed to bring Trump to account. I expect this to end with violence, but I couldn't guess which side may win.
Sadly, I think you are correct.
I am so tired of reading stuff about when the Dems win back the House in 2026.
Like this is going to be a normal season of swing back based on a free and fair election.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
Do you post this because you approve of Putin and Trump carving up Ukraine between them, or to demonstrate just what scumbags Trump and the Republican leadership really are?
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO might not even be have stationary and letter heads anymore.
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
What a time to be alive.
I have been immersed in geopolitical pessimism for so much of the last 2 months that I was brought up short today by a comment from a client in the defence industry.
They said all their government affairs people are expecting a Democrat sweep of the midterms and that from that point the ability of the current administration to do much harm would be severely limited. So they’re planning for another just under 2 years of this and then a change.
Whether that just reflects old thinking that’s not caught up with a new reality I don’t know. It seemed very optimistic to me.
There are three optimisms here, none with much justification: That there will be free and fair elections at all. That if there were the dems would win. That on the dems winning, the system as it then will be will enable the dems to sweep away all the detritus.
If my view (shared by many) of Trumpism is right, then they plan the sort of kleptocratic plutocratic oligarchic tyranny (this needs an agreed acronym BTW) which is not consistent with free elections, free speech or a free media.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
But it's not really is it? Ukraine decided to use a powerful backer (the US, with Europe in tow) to break away from Russia's sphere of influence. They would always have needed that protector and been dependent and beholden to them. Enough people decided that that was worth it. It was always a very high stakes game.
On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%
The threat of tariffs being imposed on business supply chains is scaring the bejeezus out of US business leaders. Until they have some kind of certainty they’re all holding back on investment plans & it’s going to cause GDP to fall off a cliff.
Trump will probably blame everyone else but himself, natch.
The US GDP is 25% of global GDP but US market cap is 60% of global market cap. Two things will change- the market cap will now fall, to reflect the billions that the US tech sector will now not make (pissing over $100 billion against the wrong wall in AI) also the USD will no longer be the reserve currency. The impact of this second will cost the Americans their entire capital advantage. Result- huge funds flow to Europe, Korea and Japan.
What’s the mindset in Estonia on recent developments?
NATO definitely does seem finished. I mean, Trump reportedly wanted out of it before, and he seems to be headed that way, and certainly he neither wants nor will receive trust from the other nations in it now.
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO might not even be have stationary and letter heads anymore.
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
What a time to be alive.
I have been immersed in geopolitical pessimism for so much of the last 2 months that I was brought up short today by a comment from a client in the defence industry.
They said all their government affairs people are expecting a Democrat sweep of the midterms and that from that point the ability of the current administration to do much harm would be severely limited. So they’re planning for another just under 2 years of this and then a change.
Whether that just reflects old thinking that’s not caught up with a new reality I don’t know. It seemed very optimistic to me.
I don't know for sure that the constitution as we know it is still in place. This is what it has gotten to: we are not sure that mid-terms will add up to a hill of beans. Do you see this crowd nodding, shrugging and saying "it was fun while it lasted" or will it put in a fight to stay in power. The oligarchs don't look like it is a short jaunt .... they are looking to clear out the old system of politics and set up shop 🤷♂️ if the midterms have an effect.. I will belive it when I see it.
Yep. Totally agree.
There are now god knows how many Trump people who know that if they lose power they will spend the rest of their life in a maximum security prison. They 'aint gonna go quietly.
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO might not even be have stationary and letter heads anymore.
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
What a time to be alive.
I have been immersed in geopolitical pessimism for so much of the last 2 months that I was brought up short today by a comment from a client in the defence industry.
They said all their government affairs people are expecting a Democrat sweep of the midterms and that from that point the ability of the current administration to do much harm would be severely limited. So they’re planning for another just under 2 years of this and then a change.
Whether that just reflects old thinking that’s not caught up with a new reality I don’t know. It seemed very optimistic to me.
There are three optimisms here, none with much justification: That there will be free and fair elections at all. That if there were the dems would win. That on the dems winning, the system as it then will be will enable the dems to sweep away all the detritus.
If my view (shared by many) of Trumpism is right, then they plan the sort of kleptocratic plutocratic oligarchic tyranny (this needs an agreed acronym BTW) which is not consistent with free elections, free speech or a free media.
But folk do underestimate the States. In the end, if they really went for it, California and New York might not play ball. That’s when the really nasty stuff happens.
NATO definitely does seem finished. I mean, Trump reportedly wanted out of it before, and he seems to be headed that way, and certainly he neither wants nor will receive trust from the other nations in it now.
The June Summit will be fun. And think about VE and VJ Day later in the year.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
But it's not really is it? Ukraine decided to use a powerful backer (the US, with Europe in tow) to break away from Russia's sphere of influence. They would always have needed that protector and been dependent and beholden to them. Enough people decided that that was worth it. It was always a very high stakes game.
Russia doesn't have a sphere of influence, this isn't the 19th century.
Can you imagine a Labour MP doing that now or in 1998? Or a Tory doing it in Jan 2020 or 1984/87? It’s sheer lunacy.
It's not enough to praise Trump - millions do that - they have to compete to show who loves him the most.
It's incredibly powerful, and makes you wonder, if he does not try for a third term, what influence he will wield when he is no longer President.
He retained the loyalty of the party even after January 6th and years between elections, quite unusual for the USA. No way that power just disappears in 2029, even if the successor is not someone with the name Trump.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
But it's not really is it? Ukraine decided to use a powerful backer (the US, with Europe in tow) to break away from Russia's sphere of influence. They would always have needed that protector and been dependent and beholden to them. Enough people decided that that was worth it. It was always a very high stakes game.
Russia doesn't have a sphere of influence, this isn't the 19th century.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
You're a connoisseur of autocrats, though, Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
I'm just bored of these halfwitted takes on Trump, and all things Trumpian
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
He can be funny, I genuinely laughed out loud in my hungover state on Friday morning when he delivered the line about Starmer’s “beautiful accent” as it was so insincere but delivered so well with the punchline about how he would have been elected 20 years earlier if he had that accent.
Played on loads of tropes about Americans loving the British accent when in fact Starmer has a pretty crap adenoidal one. Trump’s timing can be great - his delivery otherwise is generally fucking weird - an inhuman cadence and a weird pitch.
He is however also an absolute fucking nightmare - you know it really and it’s always good to have a controversialist but he’s a proper dick who has surrounded himself with even bigger whoppers like the absolute knob who asked the question about Zelensky’s suit - seriously, Americans are amongst the worst dressed and least stylish people I ever meet.
Anyway, this was funny like Trump can be.
I do half wonder if he was having a dig about Starmer's voice coach.
Can you imagine a Labour MP doing that now or in 1998? Or a Tory doing it in Jan 2020 or 1984/87? It’s sheer lunacy.
It's not enough to praise Trump - millions do that - they have to compete to show who loves him the most.
It's incredibly powerful, and makes you wonder, if he does not try for a third term, what influence he will wield when he is no longer President.
He retained the loyalty of the party even after January 6th and years between elections, quite unusual for the USA. No way that power just disappears in 2029, even if the successor is not someone with the name Trump.
Hang on is the Pope dead or not dead? I’ve lost track.
ITV news saying just now his treatment is on going but he is seriously ill
No idea why it was posted he had died
I suspect the internet is channelling realistic assumption.
Of course the Vatican could well hang on to their news in order to get their ducks in a row. The news does seem inevitable.
Having read the news story, it does very much feel like that. They won’t give a prognosis, say it’s too premature to talk about him going back to the Vatican and say the situation is complex.
Shades of “Her Majesty’s doctors are concerned for her health” In some of that.
Was pretty clear back then that she had passed already. Staged news snippets not withstanding.
Why do people not like Donald Trump? Nate White's response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It?s all surface.
This is cringe-worthy shite, with a large dash of excruciating British snobbery. Trump is genuinely funny. He might be worse than Hitler or a nastier version of Caligula, or merely a grim parallel with Pinochet, but he IS funny. If you watch him without prejudice - hard for many of middling wits - you will see it. Probably beyond you
In the pub. Just shown my wife. Her conclusion was 'What a Pillock you are'. Just saying
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
If that is true (and given the source, very large pinch of salt), then what's in it for Europe, whose future security is at stake ?
We'd be better off backing Ukraine and negotiating directly with Putin without the US.
Because that is where we'll be anyway if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin. We would get better terms now, while Russia is weak.
They are so keen to declare it all done that they seem genuinely furious that poor Ukraine has the temerity to suggest it might have some concerns around events. I don't think it's an act either, not with Trump at least, he wants 'peace' and does not like the idea anyone might point out it will be far from a resolution of the conflict even if bullets stop flying.
I think it's a little different to that: Trump has convinced himself that he is one of history's great actors, and to stand in his way, is to attack him.
He wills something, and the world organizes itself accordingly. Anyone who has the temerity to attempt to negotiate with him is attempting to thwart him. And also, potentially, to render him visibly impotent.
That is what he is fighting. That is why he demands "respect" and "an apology".
I suspect they can't believe no one is trying to stop them.
Project 2025 seems incredibly well thought through, if totally batshit bonkers, so I'm guessing the pointy headed alt-right fundamentalists who actually put it together did wargame what would happen when the push-back begins and where it would come from.
They must be staggered that so far it is only a few junior court judges and SNL.
Congress and the courts have already failed to bring Trump to account. I expect this to end with violence, but I couldn't guess which side may win.
The direction of travel is one where possibly the side that will win is the side the military takes. If this carries on in the 'my patience is exhausted' direction something is going to crack.
Reading the news I am beginning to think that NATO is finished.... America is going to pull out. I mean it is defunct anyway. Five eyes is finished. Nobody will share intelligence with the americans as it goes directly to moscow. But NATO might not even be have stationary and letter heads anymore.
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
What a time to be alive.
I have been immersed in geopolitical pessimism for so much of the last 2 months that I was brought up short today by a comment from a client in the defence industry.
They said all their government affairs people are expecting a Democrat sweep of the midterms and that from that point the ability of the current administration to do much harm would be severely limited. So they’re planning for another just under 2 years of this and then a change.
Whether that just reflects old thinking that’s not caught up with a new reality I don’t know. It seemed very optimistic to me.
I don't know for sure that the constitution as we know it is still in place. This is what it has gotten to: we are not sure that mid-terms will add up to a hill of beans. Do you see this crowd nodding, shrugging and saying "it was fun while it lasted" or will it put in a fight to stay in power. The oligarchs don't look like it is a short jaunt .... they are looking to clear out the old system of politics and set up shop 🤷♂️ if the midterms have an effect.. I will belive it when I see it.
Yep. Totally agree.
There are now god knows how many Trump people who know that if they lose power they will spend the rest of their life in a maximum security prison. They 'aint gonna go quietly.
This means there is de facto a constitutional crisis underway now... that should be enough to send the markets in a tail spin.
Sen Tuberville: "Zelenskyy's gonna play hardball, but you know what? He's not even in the game. It's gonna be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."
I know you’re just trolling, but that’s the sort of imperial arrogance Ukrainians stuck two fingers up to in 2014.
But it's not really is it? Ukraine decided to use a powerful backer (the US, with Europe in tow) to break away from Russia's sphere of influence. They would always have needed that protector and been dependent and beholden to them. Enough people decided that that was worth it. It was always a very high stakes game.
Russia doesn't have a sphere of influence, this isn't the 19th century.
When that gets brought up it really is a giveaway about someone's intentions. Ultimately it means that some nations are not allowed to have their own policies, yet it gets dressed up as some kind of shocking and underhanded thing that anyone would want to do that, or be aided to do it. Many words are expended to make that look 'realistic' and 'pragmatic', but fundamentally it's a condemnation of some nations having the temerity to even exist and want to choose their path, and I don't think there's a way around that.
In the eyes of much of the world, including the US President it would seem, Russia does still have a sphere of influence. Thank goodness the Baltics used the brief opportunity to get out of it, whereas poor Ukraine was too slow apparently and missed its chance.
Comments
No idea why it was posted he had died
Tommy Turd-Evil is not an oracle you should be consulting.
Firms are halting investment and hiring.
On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%
This is an earthquake in international relations unfolding: europe and america just can't agree on ukraine and the republican magas yearn to get into bed with Russia and putin.
What a time to be alive.
(Which is good, for my rather miserly industry).
So at least I can cling to that as Trump destroys everything that is sacred.
Of course the Vatican could well hang on to their news in order to get their ducks in a row. The news does seem inevitable.
We'd be better off backing Ukraine and negotiating directly with Putin without the US.
Because that is where we'll be anyway if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin.
We would get better terms now, while Russia is weak.
Donald Trump announced that his administration will level tariffs on “external” agricultural products beginning on 2 April. Writing on Truth Social, the president said:
To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!
I imagine that much of the agricultural produce the USA imports cannot be grown economically in the USA.
I'm also rather doubtful that US farmers can immediately increase production.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdddDwRq0zI&list=RDNdddDwRq0zI
Trump will probably blame everyone else but himself, natch.
Humour is a matter of taste, and you've always had a soft spot for the fash-adjacent.
I can certainly appreciate his rhetorical timing, in small doses, but he's about as funny as a well timed fart.
Shades of “Her Majesty’s doctors are concerned for her health” In some of that.
They said all their government affairs people are expecting a Democrat sweep of the midterms and that from that point the ability of the current administration to do much harm would be severely limited. So they’re planning for another just under 2 years of this and then a change.
Whether that just reflects old thinking that’s not caught up with a new reality I don’t know. It seemed very optimistic to me.
Likewise individuals will reduce discretionary spending.
Especially as there is less of a welfare safety net in the USA.
From a calorie point of view they are probably fine. But the sugar-crash might be quite something.
Of course, America matters more than all the other countries in NATO, indeed maybe more than all of them combined. And hopefully it will regain its sanity in four years. There are plenty of them who are disgusted with what Trump is doing, and that includes virtually everbody who knows anything about foreign policy.
Two things will change- the market cap will now fall, to reflect the billions that the US tech sector will now not make (pissing over $100 billion against the wrong wall in AI) also the USD will no longer be the reserve currency. The impact of this second will cost the Americans their entire capital advantage. Result- huge funds flow to Europe, Korea and Japan.
The Chinese government is probably thinking something along the lines of "what is happening is so crazy that maybe it's a really subtle trap?"
He IS funny, it's actually part of his skillset. He can take the piss out of himself, he is also very good at a brutal, funny putdown
Now, you don't HAVE to laugh. I'd have found it hard to laugh at a Hitler joke even if Adolf was as good as Eddie Izzard in his prime. But that viral, self regarding, cringey British screed about "Trump being utterly humourless" - predictably reiterated by classic centrist dad @kjh - is simply wince-worthy
It also enables Trump, and empowers him, that his enemies are driven so mad by him they cannot see him clearly and accurately. That is to his advantage
Welcome to the TRUMP SLUMP.
https://earlyamericanists.com/2017/02/15/roundtable-ambassador-in-a-hat-the-sartorial-power-of-benjamin-franklins-fur-cap/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/dressed-down-democracy-108373413/
Whereas it will lead to an immediate price increase.
None of this makes objective sense.
What is the basis for this prediction?
The chances of a genuinely free and fair federal election are just about nil.
If we put the choice off, then it will be forced on us.
They will have no food industry left at all if they stop the flow of that?
The balance of malice, greed and carelessness I will leave to future historians. The effect is the same.
I suspect you are both on a similar comedic wavelength.
I'm guessing these peeps just haven't grasped how he works.
He isn't. He's a Fascist enabling cu*t.
Harding used to be the worst President in US history. Yet Harding only delayed America's rise. Trump is worse. He is accelerating America's decline.
His name will be down with that of Nero as one of the worst ruler in history.
But there is a grain of truth here. When Trump is riffing at one of his rallies, and you pause and watch for a while, it is possible to discern the appeal. It's curious, unique, and entirely American. But it's there.
He wills something, and the world organizes itself accordingly. Anyone who has the temerity to attempt to negotiate with him is attempting to thwart him. And also, potentially, to render him visibly impotent.
That is what he is fighting. That is why he demands "respect" and "an apology".
And still fools think we can negotiate with him.
Project 2025 seems incredibly well thought through, if totally batshit bonkers, so I'm guessing the pointy headed alt-right fundamentalists who actually put it together did wargame what would happen when the push-back begins and where it would come from.
They must be staggered that so far it is only a few junior court judges and SNL.
It is through his incredibly poor diplomacy skills but I am glad we’ve finally found consensus.
Congressman Brandon Gill
@RepBrandonGill
🚨 I’m introducing the GOLDEN AGE ACT to put President Donald J. Trump on the $100 bill.
Let’s make history. 🔥
https://x.com/RepBrandonGill/status/1896621137653911676
What could affect America's reserve currency status, though unlikely, is a trade war and capital restrictions.
Sadly not whether they can be trusted, militarily.
Played on loads of tropes about Americans loving the British accent when in fact Starmer has a pretty crap adenoidal one. Trump’s timing can be great - his delivery otherwise is generally fucking weird - an inhuman cadence and a weird pitch.
He is however also an absolute fucking nightmare - you know it really and it’s always good to have a controversialist but he’s a proper dick who has surrounded himself with even bigger whoppers like the absolute knob who asked the question about Zelensky’s suit - seriously, Americans are amongst the worst dressed and least stylish people I ever meet.
Anyway, this was funny like Trump can be.
It’s so depressing and obvious as well. The personal attacks simply from other nations not aligning 100% to a line, when you’d never expect them to even if playing ball.
He’ll get a ‘deal’, but the vindictiveness was not necessary if all he wants is to play the statesman.
I am so tired of reading stuff about when the Dems win back the House in 2026.
Like this is going to be a normal season of swing back based on a free and fair election.
That there will be free and fair elections at all.
That if there were the dems would win.
That on the dems winning, the system as it then will be will enable the dems to sweep away all the detritus.
If my view (shared by many) of Trumpism is right, then they plan the sort of kleptocratic plutocratic oligarchic tyranny (this needs an agreed acronym BTW) which is not consistent with free elections, free speech or a free media.
https://x.com/robertjenrick/status/1896643105476215150
If Starmer was serious about placing the UK on a war footing, he would not have Ed Miliband as his Energy Secretary.
There are now god knows how many Trump people who know that if they lose power they will spend the rest of their life in a maximum security prison. They 'aint gonna go quietly.
It's incredibly powerful, and makes you wonder, if he does not try for a third term, what influence he will wield when he is no longer President.
He retained the loyalty of the party even after January 6th and years between elections, quite unusual for the USA. No way that power just disappears in 2029, even if the successor is not someone with the name Trump.
In the eyes of much of the world, including the US President it would seem, Russia does still have a sphere of influence. Thank goodness the Baltics used the brief opportunity to get out of it, whereas poor Ukraine was too slow apparently and missed its chance.