Trump's tariff wars...long post.

[mcnach]

23 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

Indeed but you missed the second part which is having decided that he is doing the opposite but against his allies. The weird thing is that with all the various conspiracy theorists there doesn’t seem to be a conspiracy that Trump is a fully bought up and paid for Russian asset. I don’t believe that by the way. I prefer the simple explanation that he is a buffoon.

 

No, I didn't miss it, but the guy is as reliable as a Scottish Summer, so to me it would make a lot of sense to stop relying on the US. If that's the consequence of this shit show, it might be a good thing indeed.

[tegs07]

14 minutes ago, mcnach said:

 

No, I didn't miss it, but the guy is as reliable as a Scottish Summer, so to me it would make a lot of sense to stop relying on the US. If that's the consequence of this shit show, it might be a good thing indeed.

From some recent conversations it looks like Canada has very much reached that conclusion. 

[TimR]

Drive against wasting public money continues as CDC to study whether vaccines cause autism. 🤡

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/health/vaccines-autism-cdc-rfk-jr.html

 

 

[mcnach]

4 minutes ago, TimR said:

Drive against wasting public money continues as CDC to study whether vaccines cause autism. 🤡

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/health/vaccines-autism-cdc-rfk-jr.html

 

 

 

 

When someone doesn't seem to grasp the difference between transgender and transgenic, I find it difficult to be surprised at anything else coming from them.

 

The most worrying bit is not what Trump says, but the laughter in the audience... they do not seem to be laughing at Orange Manchild, but rather WITH him. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/NewsThump/videos/959779133022572

[Count Bassy]

Having seen Trump over that last few days, constant changing of his mind, stumbling over his word, repeating phrases etc.  I can't see him lasting the four years. Depend how much dementure they will tolerate.

Unfornately when he goes we get Vance, which could be even worse.

 

PS: I am not qualified to diagnose dementure.

[Steve Browning]

5 minutes ago, Count Bassy said:

Having seen Trump over that last few days, constant changing of his mind, stumbling over his word, repeating phrases etc.  I can't see him lasting the four years. Depend how much dementure they will tolerate.

Unfornately when he goes we get Vance, which could be even worse.

 

PS: I am not qualified to diagnose dementure.

 

... or spell it (sorry). No offence intended.

[tegs07]

3 minutes ago, Count Bassy said:

Having seen Trump over that last few days, constant changing of his mind, stumbling over his word, repeating phrases etc.  I can't see him lasting the four years. Depend how much dementure they will tolerate.

Unfornately when he goes we get Vance, which could be even worse.

 

PS: I am not qualified to diagnose dementure.

Vance is far, far worse. Trump is basically a narcissist but does try and get transactional results. Vance is just a bombastic, delusional arrogant bully.

 

TBH I wouldn’t be surprised if he oversteps his remit and ends up in a heated clash with Trump before long.

[Steve Browning]

Maybe Trump will ultimately take another leaf out of his hero's playbook and see whather or not gravity applies to him.

[Obrienp]

Going away from tariffs again (sorry), we can start quantifying the amount of blood Trump has on his hands as a result of his recent decisions. It currently stands at 20 Ukrainian civilians (as far as we know). He doesn’t seem too bothered: Putin’s actions are “what anyone would do” and they are pounding the Ukrainians more than they were before. Both statements are true but it is the complete lack of concern that he shows for the loss of life that I find completely inhuman. No previous US leader would have said what he did, even if their decisions had caused the loss of life. They would at least have said they regretted the deaths and didn’t condone Russia’s actions. His language suggests he approves of it. 

[Russ]

1 hour ago, tegs07 said:

Vance is far, far worse. Trump is basically a narcissist but does try and get transactional results. Vance is just a bombastic, delusional arrogant bully.

 

TBH I wouldn’t be surprised if he oversteps his remit and ends up in a heated clash with Trump before long.

Vance is arguably more extreme than Tr**p. He’s the guy who the Project 2025 loonies want in charge to enact their agenda. 

 

But he’s also not a cult leader in the way that his boss is - MAGA is Tr**p, and Tr**p is MAGA. He dies, the movement dies. There will be other right-wing movements - thinking back to the Tea Party and so on - but, as far as MAGA goes, his passing would be the end of it. 

[Beer of the Bass]

I can't see Vance winning in a free and fair election, at least. I can't see what charisma, personality, appeal etc that Trump is meant to have, but it's clear that many people do see that in him. Vance, not so much!

Though how the integrity of the next presidential election will look, I would not like to say.

Edited 21 hours ago by Beer of the Bass

[Count Bassy]

Can Trump actually dismiss and replace Vance, or is he stuck with him since he was on the election ticket?

[prowla]

1 minute ago, Count Bassy said:

Can Trump actually dismiss and replace Vance, or is he stuck with him since he was on the election ticket?

I think someone said Trump should advance with his policies and he mistook it for add Vance.

[chris_b]

6 hours ago, Russ said:

. . . . But he’s also not a cult leader in the way that his boss is - MAGA is Tr**p, and Tr**p is MAGA. He dies, the movement dies.

 

Trump's main job is to end the Constitution and declare martial law. After that he's expendable because there won't be any more elections.

 

 

6 hours ago, Beer of the Bass said:

I can't see Vance winning in a free and fair election, at least.

 

Though how the integrity of the next presidential election will look, I would not like to say.

 

As above. If everything goes to plan, 2024 was the last US election. 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by chris_b

[peteb]

10 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

Trump's main job is to end the Constitution and declare martial law. After that he's expendable because there won't be any more elections.

 

 

 

As above. If everything goes to plan, 2025 was the last US election. 

 

 

I don't think that is really the plan. I think it is more to establish a political structure (Project 25) to serve the oligarchy that makes elections irrelevant. 

 

Edited 19 hours ago by peteb

[Buddster]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

But he’s also not a cult leader in the way that his boss is - MAGA is Tr**p, and Tr**p is MAGA. He dies, the movement dies. There will be other right-wing movements - thinking back to the Tea Party and so on - but, as far as MAGA goes, his passing would be the end of it. 

Very true.

By then, trump would have served his purpose as a puppet. Wokeness/Democrats is/are the enemy of the people and by implication European liberals. Project 2025 will be well underway and MAGA won't be needed. 

[TimR]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

But he’s also not a cult leader in the way that his boss is - MAGA is Tr**p, and Tr**p is MAGA. He dies, the movement dies. There will be other right-wing movements - thinking back to the Tea Party and so on - but, as far as MAGA goes, his passing would be the end of it. 

 

I think the more extreme Trump and Vance become, the quicker the end will come. I still don't see thie lasting much into the Summer before there's a massive backlash. People love summer demonstrations.

Edited 19 hours ago by TimR

[Beer of the Bass]

4 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

Trump's main job is to end the Constitution and declare martial law. After that he's expendable because there won't be any more elections.

 

 

 

As above. If everything goes to plan, 2025 was the last US election. 

 

 

North Korea has elections (after a fashion), as do Rwanda and Putin's Russia. There are a number of ways democracy can be compromised while keeping some semblance of an election for the optics. Those aren't much better than no elections, but I wonder if they might want to keep the claim to legitimacy that "winning" a compromised election would offer.

[PaulWarning]

the USA are very proud of their democracy, land of the free and all that, there's no way free elections won't happen in the future

[Russ]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

Vance is arguably more extreme than Tr**p. He’s the guy who the Project 2025 loonies want in charge to enact their agenda. 

 

But he’s also not a cult leader in the way that his boss is - MAGA is Tr**p, and Tr**p is MAGA. He dies, the movement dies. There will be other right-wing movements - thinking back to the Tea Party and so on - but, as far as MAGA goes, his passing would be the end of it. 

Me neither, but it all depends on who the Dems would put up against him. They're rudderless right now and there's no obvious leader emerging. 

 

If they can find another Obama or Clinton-type character (or even a younger Bernie Sanders), they're good. But if it ends up being another somewhat underwhelming rank-and-file Dem, then they're screwed. 

[peteb]

1 minute ago, PaulWarning said:

the USA are very proud of their democracy, land of the free and all that, there's no way free elections won't happen in the future

 

But do the MAGA followers care any more? They are cheering on Trump's 'reforms' and were happy to support an attempted insurrection when an election went against them. Trump is also trying to stack future elections against a Democrat win, therefore not 'free' elections. 

 

I think that Project 25 is more about making elections irrelevant rather than stopping them! 

 

[Beer of the Bass]

15 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

the USA are very proud of their democracy, land of the free and all that, there's no way free elections won't happen in the future

 

Trump didn't display a lot of respect for the democratic process after losing in 2020 - l suspect the only reason there wasn't a successful coup at that point was that their plan was simply to win the election and they hadn't prepared for the possibility of a loss. They will have learned from that, I'm sure, and the lesson will not be to allow an election loss and transfer power peacefully.

[SteveXFR]

3 hours ago, TimR said:

Drive against wasting public money continues as CDC to study whether vaccines cause autism. 🤡

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/health/vaccines-autism-cdc-rfk-jr.html

 

 

 

This may be a study with an outcome already decided. 

I've read that people believe this link because autism diagnosis is becoming so much more common as vaccination has become standard. In reality it's more common because it's better understood and is getting diagnosed. It just went undiagnosed before but certainly existed. 

[TimR]

42 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

This may be a study with an outcome already decided. 

I've read that people believe this link because autism diagnosis is becoming so much more common as vaccination has become standard. In reality it's more common because it's better understood and is getting diagnosed. It just went undiagnosed before but certainly existed. 

 

I'm sure it will have already been decided by RFK. 🤣

 

The problem is this nonsense spreads worldwide and risks us all. It's not a game.

Edited 18 hours ago by TimR

[SteveXFR]

25 minutes ago, TimR said:

 

I'm sure it will have already been decided by RFK. 🤣

 

The problem is this nonsense spreads worldwide and risks us all. It's not a game.

 

Exactly. There's been multiple studies in to this and they found no link but RFK has decided the result in advance.