As it nears time to bid everyone a good night's rest I would just say I cannot recall a time when each morning I wonder what on earth is going to be the headlines not least because Trump is awake and destroying much that we have taken for granted for most of my lifetime
Anyway, good night to one and all and let's hope that decency and integrity are given a chance even if these are very dark days
America is lurching into a late Soviet stupor, where nothing works, government doesn't do anything, the leader is a decrepit husk, and the wealthiest cronies of the leader steal everything they can rip off the walls while the people starve.
NYT says nobody has a fucking clue about the motivation behind Trump’s anti-Canada policies, with some speculation that he simply doesn’t like Justin Trudeau.
Is anyone going to actually point out Donald Trump is going mad. Not doing politically dubious things. But entering literal madness.
In one or two recent clips I've seen of him, he reminds me of my grandfather before he passed. Touch of what we now call dementia. Just a bit angry, a little confused about what he'd said the day before, occasionally lash out at people who tried to help as he didn't believe he needed it as he didn't understand what he'd done an hour before.
We've had complaints about the US press covering for Biden before. It wouldn't surprise me to see it again for another similarly aged president. Maybe that's why JD felt he had to step into the conversation on Friday.
NYT says nobody has a fucking clue about the motivation behind Trump’s anti-Canada policies, with some speculation that he simply doesn’t like Justin Trudeau.
Then he's done a shit fucking job because his idiotic outbursts and anti-Canada policies have destroyed the CPC recovery and now the Liberals will cling onto power.
NYT says nobody has a fucking clue about the motivation behind Trump’s anti-Canada policies, with some speculation that he simply doesn’t like Justin Trudeau.
Is anyone going to actually point out Donald Trump is going mad. Not doing politically dubious things. But entering literal madness.
Some of us on PB have been saying this for ages.
Indeed. Slowly people are catching up though.
I still think things will get a hell of a lot worse. All kinds of crazy stuff that would have been met with derision a few months ago is now occurring. And there are things I can see happening that even today people would think I'm nuts if I suggested them, but as each day passes I get more certain I'm sadly right about where we are headed.
NYT says nobody has a fucking clue about the motivation behind Trump’s anti-Canada policies, with some speculation that he simply doesn’t like Justin Trudeau.
Is anyone going to actually point out Donald Trump is going mad. Not doing politically dubious things. But entering literal madness.
Some of us on PB have been saying this for ages.
Indeed. Slowly people are catching up though.
I still think things will get a hell of a lot worse. All kinds of crazy stuff that would have been met with derision a few months ago is now occurring. And there are things I can see happening that even today people would think I'm nuts if I suggested them, but as each day passes I get more certain I'm sadly right about where we are headed.
Yep.
Americans are going to have to decide whether to fight to retain their republic. It is going to be brutal. Trump 2.0 is taking no prisoners and in the end the other side will have to decide likewise.
I think the big wake up call for the US will be when Rolls Royce overtakes Lockheed (and maybe even Raytheon) in terms of market value, the US is destroying their defence sector at the moment and millions of very highly paid blue collar and white collar jobs in manufacturing and research. It's one thing for Trump to cut domestic defence spending, it's quite another for him to alienate all of Europe and push us down the road to excluding US companies from our supply chain within 5 years.
This is going to get much messier than Trump has realised.
I think the big wake up call for the US will be when Rolls Royce overtakes Lockheed (and maybe even Raytheon) in terms of market value, the US is destroying their defence sector at the moment and millions of very highly paid blue collar and white collar jobs in manufacturing and research. It's one thing for Trump to cut domestic defence spending, it's quite another for him to alienate all of Europe and push us down the road to excluding US companies from our supply chain within 5 years.
This is going to get much messier than Trump has realised.
I think the big wake up call for the US will be when Rolls Royce overtakes Lockheed (and maybe even Raytheon) in terms of market value, the US is destroying their defence sector at the moment and millions of very highly paid blue collar and white collar jobs in manufacturing and research. It's one thing for Trump to cut domestic defence spending, it's quite another for him to alienate all of Europe and push us down the road to excluding US companies from our supply chain within 5 years.
This is going to get much messier than Trump has realised.
It’s not long since everyone was saying don’t buy the Leopard, as the Germans might not let you actually use it. Rheinmetal’s stock is up something like 50% in the last month.
I think the big wake up call for the US will be when Rolls Royce overtakes Lockheed (and maybe even Raytheon) in terms of market value, the US is destroying their defence sector at the moment and millions of very highly paid blue collar and white collar jobs in manufacturing and research. It's one thing for Trump to cut domestic defence spending, it's quite another for him to alienate all of Europe and push us down the road to excluding US companies from our supply chain within 5 years.
This is going to get much messier than Trump has realised.
Wanted to ask google whether UK or US had more Rolls Royce operations, but Google AI thinks the car company and the jet engine company are the same:
"While Rolls-Royce has significant operations in both the UK and the US, the key difference is that the majority of Rolls-Royce car production happens in the UK at their Goodwood facility, whereas the US operations are primarily focused on manufacturing aircraft engines, with their largest facility located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and heavily involved in defense aerospace contracts due to the special security arrangements allowed to the US subsidiary"
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
I don't see how this marks any change from the Guardian's usual view that the UK should realign with the EU? Including the usual quotes from Anand Menon Agree that it's hope casting, also sadly Peter Walker is typical of the current mediocre standard of Guardian journalism. Viner and nepotism are rendering it to a grey sludge. Sadly the FT is wincingly expensive
NYT says nobody has a fucking clue about the motivation behind Trump’s anti-Canada policies, with some speculation that he simply doesn’t like Justin Trudeau.
Then he's done a shit fucking job because his idiotic outbursts and anti-Canada policies have destroyed the CPC recovery and now the Liberals will cling onto power.
It’s still going to be hard going for the Libs as they’ve been in power for a long time . If Mark Carney wins the Lib leadership and becomes the new PM he really should go for a quick election and hope that Trumps unhinged Canada hate and tariffs are continuing . Poilievre is basically a career politician and that will count against him versus Carney .
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
To make the chips in the US that Trump wants made there he needs know how that is 100% owned by the Taiwanese and specialist hardware which I think is mainly from European firms.
Actually if you want to your money on someone getting a hole in the head, its not Trump, its Musk.
Vance must be close behind in the firing line.
An American friend of mine has a dark dark theory: Musk and Vance have started appearing with ther kids everywhere, on their shoulders and the like, because it makes an assassination attempt much more morally complex, and ergo less likely
I'd usually dismiss it, but then I remember "they" tried to kill Trump at least twice, and came exceptionally close - and quite a few PBers openly expressed regrets that the guy in Pennsylvania missed
Your friend has the lowest opinion yet of Musk and Vance. Astonishing that any father would put their kids in the firing line and hide behind them
I said Musk was using his kid as a human shield on here weeks ago. It's fucking obvious.
He is absolutely paranoid, I sincerely hope with good justification, about his personal security. His protection detail is now over 100 people. I also think it's why he's started travelling on AF1.
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
To make the chips in the US that Trump wants made there he needs know how that is 100% owned by the Taiwanese and specialist hardware which I think is mainly from European firms.
Tbf, Intel seems to be regaining much of their engineering skills base with 18A, they just showed matching SRAM density to TSMC 2nm and I've heard that yields for their next gen CPUs are up over 50%, not good enough for a GPU contract from Nvidia but definitely puts them in the frame for Apple and Qualcomm contracts.
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..
Are you fucking kidding? I, LG83 and a few others have been running that signal up the foremast stay on here for years.
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
That would take years, in the meantime Trump is increasing US security assistance for Taiwan even as he reduces it for Ukraine
I still think on the upside its made it easier for us as a country to go through the divorce with America. Messy, but like others have said if it makes us poorer I really don’t care, such is my disdain for Trump
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
That would take years, in the meantime Trump is increasing US security assistance for Taiwan even as he reduces it for Ukraine
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
That would take years, in the meantime Trump is increasing US security assistance for Taiwan even as he reduces it for Ukraine
It was 7 days ago, Trump's administration is unfreezing $870 million in security assistance for Taiwan.
Not one European or western nation even recognises Taiwan as an independent nation (apart from the Holy See) so they would all do sod all if China invaded it, at least Trump's administration is giving them some support even as he cuts it for Ukraine.
Getting a Taiwan semiconductor business to invest in the US makes sense though as additional US security for its chips
Ukraine aid: The United States is temporarily suspending all military aid to Ukraine, according to a senior administration official, who said the aid would not resume until President Trump determined that Ukraine had demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia. The order is to take effect immediately, affecting hundreds of million of dollars in arms and ammunition in the pipelines and on order. The decision comes amid the fallout of a heated Oval Office meeting on Friday between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
Tbf, Intel seems to be regaining much of their engineering skills base with 18A, they just showed matching SRAM density to TSMC 2nm and I've heard that yields for their next gen CPUs are up over 50%, not good enough for a GPU contract from Nvidia but definitely puts them in the frame for Apple and Qualcomm contracts.
Intel still has many weaknesses. A big one is packaging, they've never managed to get multi-die packages to anywhere near the sophistication TSMC has. That's enabled AMD to leverage TSMC's advantage to almost eliminate Intel from the gaming market and make substantial progress pushing them out of the datacentre also.
Ukraine aid: The United States is temporarily suspending all military aid to Ukraine, according to a senior administration official, who said the aid would not resume until President Trump determined that Ukraine had demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia. The order is to take effect immediately, affecting hundreds of million of dollars in arms and ammunition in the pipelines and on order. The decision comes amid the fallout of a heated Oval Office meeting on Friday between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
He's temporarily suspending help until Ukraine surrenders, after which he will permanently suspend them.
The U.S. Treasury Department has said it would not enforce an anti-money laundering law that obliges millions of business entities to disclose the identities of their real beneficial owners, per Reuters https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1896387685222326618
The order could allow the Trump administration to make mail voting — which was used by tens of millions of voters last year — more difficult. Trump has repeatedly said he’d like to end the practice, falsely claiming it allows for widespread fraud.
“Taking over the Postal Service just kind of opens up a whole Pandora’s box of mischief,” said Barbara Smith Warner, the executive director of National Vote at Home Institute, a nonprofit which works to increase voters’ access to and confidence in mail voting.
“This is a way that the federal government could put a really big thumb on the scale and impact every state’s ability to run their own elections,” she added.
The move will likely be swiftly challenged as a violation of the Constitution and the Postal Reorganization Act, an almost 55-year-old law that states: “The exercise of the power of the Postal Service shall be directed by a Board of Governors composed of 11 members.”
However, if the executive order is upheld by courts — or if Trump ignores court orders against it — he would have immense power over mail delivery...
Everything that's taking place in the USA is a reminder of what happens when around 50% of the voting public lose confidence in orthodox government as we've understood it since about 1945. I hope it doesn't happen in other western countries, but it could if the same mistakes are made.
Everything that's taking place in the USA is a reminder of what happens when around 50% of the voting public lose confidence in orthodox government as we've understood it since about 1945. I hope it doesn't happen in other western countries, but it could if the same mistakes are made.
I'm not sure it's as simple as that. I'm surprised at how fast the American public have - for want of a better word - knelt. If Trump ignores court findings against him and enforcement measures are also ignored, then that speaks to a problem with the American people, not Trump. America's trump (ouch) card during the Cold War was its moral stance - freedom, fuck yeah. But this new transactional administration ignoring court orders is anti-freedom: you can't have freedom without law.
And I know you know that, because we're (just finished) reading the same book...
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
We predicted this the other day. The US (and rest of the world) needs to ensure they are covered in case China zaps Taiwan. The paradox is that this removes the need to defend Taiwan.
The only possible good news for Taiwan is that China might move for the Chinese part of Siberia next. A land war between two nuclear powers. What could go wrong?
Everything that's taking place in the USA is a reminder of what happens when around 50% of the voting public lose confidence in orthodox government as we've understood it since about 1945. I hope it doesn't happen in other western countries, but it could if the same mistakes are made.
No, that is what happens when a major party is taken over and retains its voters out of enthusiasm for the new ways, inertia, and because the other lot are worse. We saw this happen here with both the Conservative and Labour parties in living memory.
NYT says nobody has a fucking clue about the motivation behind Trump’s anti-Canada policies, with some speculation that he simply doesn’t like Justin Trudeau.
Is anyone going to actually point out Donald Trump is going mad. Not doing politically dubious things. But entering literal madness.
In one or two recent clips I've seen of him, he reminds me of my grandfather before he passed. Touch of what we now call dementia. Just a bit angry, a little confused about what he'd said the day before, occasionally lash out at people who tried to help as he didn't believe he needed it as he didn't understand what he'd done an hour before.
We've had complaints about the US press covering for Biden before. It wouldn't surprise me to see it again for another similarly aged president. Maybe that's why JD felt he had to step into the conversation on Friday.
iirc John Bolton said something along those lines. Trouble is, Bolton and Trump have been at each other's throats for years.
On pb even Leon has conceded Trump has shown signs of marble lossage.
I've mostly lost interest in Trump and his appointments. It's obvious he's simply picking people who are going to most annoy his opponents.
Trump is picking people he knows, whether because he has seen them on telly or has worked with them in the past. The McMahons who run WWE wrestling fall into the latter camp (Trump is even in the WWE Hall of Fame) as explained in this 2023 article:-
It was really quite sad seeing Starmer having to stand there pretending the US was still an ally .
Even in the extreme case that we have already decided to cut loose from the US entirely, the UK and our European allies would need a chunk of time to do the hard yards to establish the foundations for that independence, and meanwhile our leaders would have to pretend that we still want to be America’s best friend. That’s the invidious position that Starmer is in.
Trump is a mad bully. I hope all Companies refuse to trade with the USA to.make him see sense.. the only way to deal wilth a bully is to give him.some of his own medecine. I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
You can say what you like about Pol Pot, but he was HUGE fan of the Two Ronnies.
Especially the Mastermind sketch.
Not sure you could say what you liked about him!
There's a Two Ronnies sketch I remember but can't find with a quick check. Maybe a hotel reception desk? The final joke is one of the ronnies walking out from behind the desk with a huge furry tail attached. Anyone?
Trump is a mad bully. I hope all Companies refuse to trade with the USA to.make him see sense.. the only way to deal wilth a bully is to give him.some of his own medecine. I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
We can all do our bit. Who needs Netflix and Apple TV, anyway?
Actually if you want to your money on someone getting a hole in the head, its not Trump, its Musk.
Vance must be close behind in the firing line.
An American friend of mine has a dark dark theory: Musk and Vance have started appearing with ther kids everywhere, on their shoulders and the like, because it makes an assassination attempt much more morally complex, and ergo less likely
I'd usually dismiss it, but then I remember "they" tried to kill Trump at least twice, and came exceptionally close - and quite a few PBers openly expressed regrets that the guy in Pennsylvania missed
Which was stupid, because we'd have ended up with Vance instead.
He hadn’t actually been nominated at that point. More likely it would have been De Santis.
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Everything that's taking place in the USA is a reminder of what happens when around 50% of the voting public lose confidence in orthodox government as we've understood it since about 1945. I hope it doesn't happen in other western countries, but it could if the same mistakes are made.
Trump was voted in as an orthodox President, not least based on his cost of gas and his time served in term one. For some bizarre reason January 6th and his convictions were ignored. The majority didn't vote for the Dictatorship they got.
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
It takes years to build though.
So do the easy stuff now and you can spin out the value added for year 4…
Trump is a mad bully. I hope all Companies refuse to trade with the USA to.make him see sense.. the only way to deal wilth a bully is to give him.some of his own medecine. I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
We can all do our bit. Who needs Netflix and Apple TV, anyway?
No more Kellogs cornflakes nor GrapeNuts and any sauces that are of American origin. No holiday to anything American. No Pepsi or Coca Cola and the like No American beers...Burban etc. Let the US feel the power of the Consumer.
Trump is a mad bully. I hope all Companies refuse to trade with the USA to.make him see sense.. the only way to deal wilth a bully is to give him.some of his own medecine. I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
Isn’t there a Twattish Petty Dictator Inn that he can be stuck in?
Trump is a mad bully. I hope all Companies refuse to trade with the USA to.make him see sense.. the only way to deal wilth a bully is to give him.some of his own medecine. I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
Isn’t there a Twattish Petty Dictator Inn that he can be stuck in?
Trump is a mad bully. I hope all Companies refuse to trade with the USA to.make him see sense.. the only way to deal wilth a bully is to give him.some of his own medecine. I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
Isn’t there a Twattish Petty Dictator Inn that he can be stuck in?
Where did Pinochet stay a few years ago? He could have his suite. Failing that Turnbury.
Trump is a mad bully. I hope all Companies refuse to trade with the USA to.make him see sense.. the only way to deal wilth a bully is to give him.some of his own medecine. I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
Isn’t there a Twattish Petty Dictator Inn that he can be stuck in?
Where did Pinochet stay a few years ago? He could have his suite. Failing that Turnbury.
Would that bring him in range of @malcolmg and his ballistic turnips?
Trump is a mad bully. I hope all Companies refuse to trade with the USA to.make him see sense.. the only way to deal wilth a bully is to give him.some of his own medecine. I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
Isn’t there a Twattish Petty Dictator Inn that he can be stuck in?
Where did Pinochet stay a few years ago? He could have his suite. Failing that Turnbury.
I hear Broadmoor is quite nice at this time of year
That's the only way Trump will ever be accused of having a big knob.
The international grand order of knobs, wankers and arseholes has just filed a complaint against the Western Australian leader. “His comments are an insult to centuries of proud knobbery. “
One good thing about Trump is how he as brought people together. In the U.K. and on PB we’re currently pretty united. In the face of end of western alliances, it turns out there’s not that much between us. At least most of us.
One good thing about Trump is how he as brought people together. In the U.K. and on PB we’re currently pretty united. In the face of end of western alliances, it turns out there’s not that much between us. At least most of us.
Absolutely - indeed we saw it in the commons yesterday and the obnoxious Farage received a welcome unwelcome
I’m looking forward to Vance and Co blasting others who have dressed “disrespectfully” in the White House since bad suits and ties are apparently the respectful mode of dress in the Oval Office.
America is lurching into a late Soviet stupor, where nothing works, government doesn't do anything, the leader is a decrepit husk, and the wealthiest cronies of the leader steal everything they can rip off the walls while the people starve.
One good thing about Trump is how he as brought people together. In the U.K. and on PB we’re currently pretty united. In the face of end of western alliances, it turns out there’s not that much between us. At least most of us.
Yes, but we're not all aligned on the cause. There're still idiots blaming the Dems for Trump.
Trump (and his party - and it is *his* party) were willing to say any lie to get elected. The truth is nowhere near as appealing as a lie.
Especially the bad old "It's all someone else's fault!"
We saw this with trans - people supporting Trump because he was anti-trans, supposedly to 'protect women'. Yet in doing so, they voted in Trump, himself an abuser and user of women, and helped Musk - whose companies have had to pay off women because of his actions. And also voted in a party that is systematically removing the rights of women.
But the anti-trans people can sit back and know they've protected women. Not.
Awful woman. Truly awful. She originally ran on the basis of retiring after two terms, reneged on that and then clutches her pearls ever harder as the US descends whilst ensuring she never ever acts as a brake. Barf.
One good thing about Trump is how he as brought people together. In the U.K. and on PB we’re currently pretty united. In the face of end of western alliances, it turns out there’s not that much between us. At least most of us.
Yes, but we're not all aligned on the cause. There're still idiots blaming the Dems for Trump.
Trump (and his party - and it is *his* party) were willing to say any lie to get elected. The truth is nowhere near as appealing as a lie.
Especially the bad old "It's all someone else's fault!"
We saw this with trans - people supporting Trump because he was anti-trans, supposedly to 'protect women'. Yet in doing so, they voted in Trump, himself an abuser and user of women, and helped Musk - whose companies have had to pay off women because of his actions. And also voted in a party that is systematically removing the rights of women.
But the anti-trans people can sit back and know they've protected women. Not.
Unfortunately, agreeing how we got here doesn’t really help us. There is no way back, we’re in a new world now.
That being said, it may just help us deal with home grown putinists. The first task is to puncture their bubbles IMO. Flood the zone.
One good thing about Trump is how he as brought people together. In the U.K. and on PB we’re currently pretty united. In the face of end of western alliances, it turns out there’s not that much between us. At least most of us.
Yes, but we're not all aligned on the cause. There're still idiots blaming the Dems for Trump.
Trump (and his party - and it is *his* party) were willing to say any lie to get elected. The truth is nowhere near as appealing as a lie.
Especially the bad old "It's all someone else's fault!"
We saw this with trans - people supporting Trump because he was anti-trans, supposedly to 'protect women'. Yet in doing so, they voted in Trump, himself an abuser and user of women, and helped Musk - whose companies have had to pay off women because of his actions. And also voted in a party that is systematically removing the rights of women.
But the anti-trans people can sit back and know they've protected women. Not.
Unfortunately, agreeing how we got here doesn’t really help us. There is no way back, we’re in a new world now.
That being said, it may just help us deal with home grown putinists. The first task is to puncture their bubbles IMO. Flood the zone.
Keep an eye out for politicians and parties that give overly-simplistic answers to complex questions - especially when their answer is: "It's all someone else's fault!"
Which has been Farage's shtick for decades. First everything that was wrong in the world was the fault of the EU; now it is the fault of immigrants.
Oh, and mothers breast-feeding in public. It's their fault too.
As good as ever on the analysis. Interesting that they are diving back into history to keep their feet on the ground - one presenter remarks that he is working through Churchill's War Memoirs, and Christopher Walker's "Sleepwalkers", which is about how WW1 started.
Everything that's taking place in the USA is a reminder of what happens when around 50% of the voting public lose confidence in orthodox government as we've understood it since about 1945. I hope it doesn't happen in other western countries, but it could if the same mistakes are made.
They didn’t lose confidence. Their confidence was undermined by propaganda and lies.
A good point, sadly. At the moment we do not appear to be too much a target of his (we are for Musk, though...). But I do not see that continuing. Anyone not fully on board with MAGA is an enemy to Trump.
Well yes, but he's slunk off now the waveforms have totally collapsed and what was obvious to everyone must now be obvious to him. He's an intelligent chap.
There have been two times in the last four and a bit years when I have felt afraid in a way that I had never felt afraid before. Am I just getting to be a fearful old man, or for a person who grew up on the hope of the Berlin Wall coming down, are we genuinely living in more dangerous times, when the future is uncertain and could rapidly deteriorate if we are led badly?
Those two times were: 1. On January 6th 2021, when an attempt to overthrow democracy in the US was made by a mob storming the US capitol. 2. On February 24th 2022, when Russian tanks headed across the border towards Kyiv.
Having Trump end military support for Ukraine is not quite at the same level. I've seen it coming for months so the shock value isn't quite there. It's not that far off, though. The sustained and vitriolic attack by Trump and his mobster cronies on Zelenskyy, parroting Russia's propaganda, is sickening.
The one bit of good news that I did hear yesterday was a statement from the CDU's Merz, calling the White House argument premeditated. There's hope that some of Europe's politicians get it, and see what is happening clearly.
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
I think the fly in the ointment is time. You don't shift umpteen major silicon fabs in a couple of years; I don't see it happening by the end of this Govt in the USA, or whilst Trump is vaguely compos mentis.
That throws up the risk of his regime continuing, or him, being replaced, or overriding US democracy.
I'm not sure how it applies, but corporations can be amoral. Both Ford and IBM operated in Germany through WW2.
Ukraine aid: The United States is temporarily suspending all military aid to Ukraine, according to a senior administration official, who said the aid would not resume until President Trump determined that Ukraine had demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia. The order is to take effect immediately, affecting hundreds of million of dollars in arms and ammunition in the pipelines and on order. The decision comes amid the fallout of a heated Oval Office meeting on Friday between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
This sounds depressingly symmetrical enough to appeal to the type of mind that is in Trump's administration.
To my mind there are shades of Oliver North and Iran-Contra. Get something from one place and use it somewhere else because that is convenient.
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
I think the fly in the ointment is time. You don't shift umpteen major silicon fabs in a couple of years; I don't see it happening by the end of this Govt in the USA, or whilst Trump is vaguely compos mentis.
That throws up the risk of his regime continuing, or him, being replaced, or overriding US democracy.
I'm not sure how it applies, but corporations can be amoral. Both Ford and IBM operated in Germany through WW2.
And many American companies helped the USSR industrialise after the great depression. It was a good earner at the time.
The thing is though, I am unsure whether it was a good or bad thing. It ignored the massive amount of human rights abuses Stalin was committing, but the vast industry it created helped Russia in WW2. However it was also used against the west *after* WW2.
Jan 24: +8.2% Feb 7: +4.8% Feb 21: +1.5% Today: +0.1%
That he remains at +0.1% is a horrifying indictment of America.
That puts the bed the idea that those who voted for him have been betrayed.
You can't coddle Reform/MAGA out of existence. Their behaviour is more cult than politics. Debate and challenge often embeds their views further. There might be something in levelling up, in lower immigration in the long run - but you get the sense nothing will ever suffice.
Everything that's taking place in the USA is a reminder of what happens when around 50% of the voting public lose confidence in orthodox government as we've understood it since about 1945. I hope it doesn't happen in other western countries, but it could if the same mistakes are made.
They didn’t lose confidence. Their confidence was undermined by propaganda and lies.
Sorry but that is just stupid. Look at the way the Middle Class has collapsed in the US since the 1970s. Or the red wall in the UK. Yes there were lies about the cause but all they did was hide the fact that the people in power simply didn't care about huge swathes of the electorate and thought that they were stupid enough to keep voting for them no matter what shit they piled on them. Give them no alternative and it didn't matter that things were getting steadily worse.
Successive governments in many Western countries created the conditions for people like Trump to thrive because they put their ideology ahead of the good of the people they were elected to serve. If it hadn't been Trump it would have been someone else equally bad because Governments, Corporations and the whole system was designed as a great big Fuck You to working people.
Comments
America is lurching into a late Soviet stupor, where nothing works, government doesn't do anything, the leader is a decrepit husk, and the wealthiest cronies of the leader steal everything they can rip off the walls while the people starve.
https://bsky.app/profile/rothschildmd.bsky.social/post/3ljj2lu3nkk2z
We've had complaints about the US press covering for Biden before. It wouldn't surprise me to see it again for another similarly aged president. Maybe that's why JD felt he had to step into the conversation on Friday.
I still think things will get a hell of a lot worse. All kinds of crazy stuff that would have been met with derision a few months ago is now occurring. And there are things I can see happening that even today people would think I'm nuts if I suggested them, but as each day passes I get more certain I'm sadly right about where we are headed.
Latest this evening..
The Blue Whale's anus can stretch to over 1m wide, making it the second largest arsehole on the planet.
Americans are going to have to decide whether to fight to retain their republic. It is going to be brutal. Trump 2.0 is taking no prisoners and in the end the other side will have to decide likewise.
This is going to get much messier than Trump has realised.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/03/britain-is-back-did-ukraine-crisis-talks-create-a-post-brexit-turning-point
A masterpiece of its genre.
Rheinmetal’s stock is up something like 50% in the last month.
"While Rolls-Royce has significant operations in both the UK and the US, the key difference is that the majority of Rolls-Royce car production happens in the UK at their Goodwood facility, whereas the US operations are primarily focused on manufacturing aircraft engines, with their largest facility located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and heavily involved in defense aerospace contracts due to the special security arrangements allowed to the US subsidiary"
There goes Taiwan.
Trump on relocating chips manufacturing to the US: "It will at least give us a position where we have in this very very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the US if something should happen with Taiwan."
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896652085367542270
Clueless moron.
On the other hand Starmer is now the only person capable of holding the transatliance together.
In so doing, Wlwhatever happens, he's certainly raised Britain's international status compared to Sunak, Truss, May and Johnson.
Transatlantic alliance.
Agree that it's hope casting, also sadly Peter Walker is typical of the current mediocre standard of Guardian journalism. Viner and nepotism are rendering it to a grey sludge. Sadly the FT is wincingly expensive
He is absolutely paranoid, I sincerely hope with good justification, about his personal security. His protection detail is now over 100 people. I also think it's why he's started travelling on AF1.
Jan 24: +8.2%
Feb 7: +4.8%
Feb 21: +1.5%
Today: +0.1%
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/27/g-s1-50823/trump-china-taiwan-foreign-security-aid
https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/1896702662701207593
@SenatorCollins on Trump’s tariffs: “I'm very concerned about the tariffs going into effect...
Not one European or western nation even recognises Taiwan as an independent nation (apart from the Holy See) so they would all do sod all if China invaded it, at least Trump's administration is giving them some support even as he cuts it for Ukraine.
Getting a Taiwan semiconductor business to invest in the US makes sense though as additional US security for its chips
Ukraine aid: The United States is temporarily suspending all military aid to Ukraine, according to a senior administration official, who said the aid would not resume until President Trump determined that Ukraine had demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia. The order is to take effect immediately, affecting hundreds of million of dollars in arms and ammunition in the pipelines and on order. The decision comes amid the fallout of a heated Oval Office meeting on Friday between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1896387685222326618
https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/trump-postal-service-executive-order-mail-voting-threat/
President Donald Trump may soon attempt to absorb the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), an independent agency, into his administration by issuing an executive order that reportedly would dissolve the service’s leadership.
The order could allow the Trump administration to make mail voting — which was used by tens of millions of voters last year — more difficult. Trump has repeatedly said he’d like to end the practice, falsely claiming it allows for widespread fraud.
“Taking over the Postal Service just kind of opens up a whole Pandora’s box of mischief,” said Barbara Smith Warner, the executive director of National Vote at Home Institute, a nonprofit which works to increase voters’ access to and confidence in mail voting.
“This is a way that the federal government could put a really big thumb on the scale and impact every state’s ability to run their own elections,” she added.
The move will likely be swiftly challenged as a violation of the Constitution and the Postal Reorganization Act, an almost 55-year-old law that states: “The exercise of the power of the Postal Service shall be directed by a Board of Governors composed of 11 members.”
However, if the executive order is upheld by courts — or if Trump ignores court orders against it — he would have immense power over mail delivery...
And I know you know that, because we're (just finished) reading the same book...
This includes 40,000 2,000-pound bombs which the US military claim is “unsuitable for urban combat”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfHKsDaPmug (15 mins)
https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1896718215109111820?s=61
Surely as a senior executive she must have had some knowledge of the NDA’s.
She also took a piledriver off Kane.
The only possible good news for Taiwan is that China might move for the Chinese part of Siberia next. A land war between two nuclear powers. What could go wrong?
On pb even Leon has conceded Trump has shown signs of marble lossage.
Trouble is, Biden set the benchmark.
Donald Trump's History With The WWE Explained
https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1193431/donald-trumps-history-with-the-wwe-explained/
I am sure the King can be indisposed at the time of Trumps visit.. if it now takes
place.. let him stay in a Premier Inn
I think you’re thinking of the Morecambe and Wise vampire and dragon sketch.
Not that he’s necessarily much better.
So do the easy stuff now and you can spin out the value added for year 4…
No Pepsi or Coca Cola and the like No American beers...Burban etc.
Let the US feel the power of the Consumer.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/04/wa-premier-roger-cook-calls-us-vice-president-jd-vance-a-knob
A knob lacking in self awareness.
Vance knocks Zelensky for ‘sense of entitlement’ after Oval Office spat
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5174313-vance-zelensky-fox-interview/
I said last night that waking in the morning you wonder what Trump has done overnight and this morning this is Skys breaking news
Goodness me, also I cannot log on normally as I am getting a scam warning about the site so I am on vanilla
https://news.sky.com/story/trump-pauses-us-military-aid-to-ukraine-13321048
Trump (and his party - and it is *his* party) were willing to say any lie to get elected. The truth is nowhere near as appealing as a lie.
Especially the bad old "It's all someone else's fault!"
We saw this with trans - people supporting Trump because he was anti-trans, supposedly to 'protect women'. Yet in doing so, they voted in Trump, himself an abuser and user of women, and helped Musk - whose companies have had to pay off women because of his actions. And also voted in a party that is systematically removing the rights of women.
But the anti-trans people can sit back and know they've protected women. Not.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c241vp9yv1mo
With every day that goes by the case for a strong European defence policy becomes more urgent.
That being said, it may just help us deal with home grown putinists. The first task is to puncture their bubbles IMO. Flood the zone.
Does anyone actually disagree with this now?
Which has been Farage's shtick for decades. First everything that was wrong in the world was the fault of the EU; now it is the fault of immigrants.
Oh, and mothers breast-feeding in public. It's their fault too.
One of their presenters was invited to be one of the 8 or 9 who interviewed President Zelenskyy at the airport:
Our Private Q&A with President Zelensky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Gjrs1A4NI
As good as ever on the analysis. Interesting that they are diving back into history to keep their feet on the ground - one presenter remarks that he is working through Churchill's War Memoirs, and Christopher Walker's "Sleepwalkers", which is about how WW1 started.
This segment: https://youtu.be/G6Gjrs1A4NI?t=2873 .
Does anyone actually disagree with this now?
https://youtu.be/5c2etjMl3WM?si=uMEfHn-imbOMFzux
I bet he's still a fan of Musk, though.
Those two times were:
1. On January 6th 2021, when an attempt to overthrow democracy in the US was made by a mob storming the US capitol.
2. On February 24th 2022, when Russian tanks headed across the border towards Kyiv.
Having Trump end military support for Ukraine is not quite at the same level. I've seen it coming for months so the shock value isn't quite there. It's not that far off, though. The sustained and vitriolic attack by Trump and his mobster cronies on Zelenskyy, parroting Russia's propaganda, is sickening.
The one bit of good news that I did hear yesterday was a statement from the CDU's Merz, calling the White House argument premeditated. There's hope that some of Europe's politicians get it, and see what is happening clearly.
That throws up the risk of his regime continuing, or him, being replaced, or overriding US democracy.
I'm not sure how it applies, but corporations can be amoral. Both Ford and IBM operated in Germany through WW2. This sounds depressingly symmetrical enough to appeal to the type of mind that is in Trump's administration.
To my mind there are shades of Oliver North and Iran-Contra. Get something from one place and use it somewhere else because that is convenient.
"Mobile typos" sounds like a get a different set every time I reread the same comment.
The thing is though, I am unsure whether it was a good or bad thing. It ignored the massive amount of human rights abuses Stalin was committing, but the vast industry it created helped Russia in WW2. However it was also used against the west *after* WW2.
You can't coddle Reform/MAGA out of existence. Their behaviour is more cult than politics. Debate and challenge often embeds their views further. There might be something in levelling up, in lower immigration in the long run - but you get the sense nothing will ever suffice.
Successive governments in many Western countries created the conditions for people like Trump to thrive because they put their ideology ahead of the good of the people they were elected to serve. If it hadn't been Trump it would have been someone else equally bad because Governments, Corporations and the whole system was designed as a great big Fuck You to working people.