It’s one poll but… – politicalbetting.com

numbertwelve said:

Hang on is the Pope dead or not dead? I’ve lost track.

numbertwelve said:

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

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896625861396140070

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.

StillWaters said:

HYUFD said:

Sean_F said:

Mexicanpete said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

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.

stodge said:

Mexicanpete said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

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.

https://x.com/atlantafed/status/1896598929564725716

On March 3, the #GDPNow model nowcast of real GDP growth in Q1 2025 is -2.8%

My bonus is 105% this year.
(Which is good, for my rather miserly industry).

So at least I can cling to that as Trump destroys everything that is sacred.

Foss said:

numbertwelve said:

Hang on is the Pope dead or not dead? I’ve lost track.

Schrodinger's Pope.

Gives me an excuse to post this catty track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdddDwRq0zI&list=RDNdddDwRq0zI

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atlantafed/status/1896598929564725716

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.

numbertwelve said:

Mexicanpete said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

numbertwelve said:

Hang on is the Pope dead or not dead? I’ve lost track.

numbertwelve said:

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.

Yeah, he's gone I suspect.

Gardenwalker said:

another_richard said:

Has their been a decision yet on tomorrow's tariffs for Canada and Mexico ?

Or are they still waiting for Trump to make a decision ?

It really isn't conducive to business for these things to be decided at such short notice and changeable on an unstable whim.

Why do you think GDP is starting to fall.
Firms are halting investment and hiring.

Indeed.

Likewise individuals will reduce discretionary spending.

Especially as there is less of a welfare safety net in the USA.

another_richard said:

From the Guardian:

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.

another_richard said:

From the Guardian:

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.

TimS said:

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896625861396140070

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?

OllyT said:

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?"

glw said:

another_richard said:

From the Guardian:

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.

Welcome to the TRUMP SLUMP.

biggles said:

TimS said:

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896625861396140070

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.

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/

He scary thing about Tuberville etc is that they must live entirely in their own demented information bubble.

None of this makes objective sense.

Cleitophon said:

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.

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.

Nigelb said:

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896625861396140070

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.

Gardenwalker said:

He scary thing about Tuberville etc is that they must live entirely in their own demented information bubble.

None of this makes objective sense.

Demented information bubbles is what social media has deliberately created.

The balance of malice, greed and carelessness I will leave to future historians. The effect is the same.

Leon said:

Nigelb said:

Leon said:

kjh said:

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.

rottenborough said:

Cicero said:

Phil said:

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atlantafed/status/1896598929564725716

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.

Leon said:

kjh said:

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.

kle4 said:

glw said:

another_richard said:

From the Guardian:

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.

Seems unlikely that anyone can replace the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency role, to be honest.

Leon said:

Nigelb said:

Leon said:

kjh said:

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.

Gardenwalker said:

Seems unlikely that anyone can replace the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency role, to be honest.

Wanna bet?

Cicero said:

rottenborough said:

Cicero said:

Phil said:

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atlantafed/status/1896598929564725716

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.

Leon said:

Nigelb said:

Leon said:

kjh said:

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?

Leon said:

Nigelb said:

Leon said:

kjh said:

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.

rottenborough said:

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

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.

FF43 said:

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896625861396140070

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?

Guess.

TimS said:

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896625861396140070

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.

Cleitophon said:

TimS said:

Cleitophon said:

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.

rottenborough said:

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

Because who needs Benjamin Franklin or the liberty bell in this brave new world?

williamglenn said:

Jenrick takes aim at the government’s weak spot:

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.

Definite 'ouch'.

williamglenn said:

Jenrick takes aim at the government’s weak spot:

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.

Very silly not to pick him as leader.

biggles said:

rottenborough said:

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

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.

The Cult of the Snake Oil Salesman is very very powerful.

rottenborough said:

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

It really is the cult of a cu*t.

williamglenn said:

Jenrick takes aim at the government’s weak spot:

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.

At least Jenrick isn't involved in government any more.

boulay said:

Leon said:

Nigelb said:

Leon said:

kjh said:

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.

kle4 said:

biggles said:

rottenborough said:

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

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.

Could he run for Senate? Not sure of the rules?

Leon said:

kjh said:

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

glw said:

rottenborough said:

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.

BartholomewRoberts said:

Luckyguy1983 said:

TimS said:

williamglenn said:

https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896625861396140070

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.