Did not have "Pope in headline news as the good guy" on my bingo card, I have to say.
The pope seems to be rather enjoying how much he's winding Trump up (which admittedly doesn't seem to take much).
I'm just waiting for him to use this as a retort in their ongoing spat...
that flavour of Christian Nationalist doesn't have much time for Popes in Rome.
It depends. Maga does consist of several different groups all of which claim unerring loyalty to Trump.
The Christian Nationalists as exemplified by Hegseth.
Then you have the Catholics as exemplified by Vance and his paymasters and then several of the Supreme Court judges (think 4?).
All currently united despite their dislike of each other behind Trump. Although that now seems to be splintering and some I think has always been a marriage of convenience especially Vance and co.
🤣
It's the irony of both being the the exception to the expected norm in their forms of government. The Pope is dictator for life, but is the good guy, and Trump is proving that democracy doesn't work.
So Vance is lecturing the Pope not to comment on matters of theology in regard to the Iran war.
The pope really does need to dust off the excommunication rulebook.
I wonder if Vances new book about becoming a Roman Catholic has a chapter "Who put the pope in charge - all the ways he is wrong".
I have a niggling suspicion Vance needs to think either a)maybe I need to listen harder to the sermons or b)join Hegseth in his church instead.
richmtb
Still worth it for Jon Stewart
He's so bloody good isn't he. 😁
I checked, you can't send the pope an e-mail, but you can write his a letter:
Secretariat of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, 00120 Vatican City
It might be worthwhile doing, but I suspect that Vance has not done anything that is technically bad enough to earn him an excommunication (if that would even mean anything to him).
Latest Eye cover is a cracker - its not on the eye website yet so i won't spoil it but its funny.
dementia don is at it again
i think trump knows his end is near that's why he's become obsessed with getting his name on buildings and being gods emissary on earth
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mjjvx46d2s2y
Did not have "Pope in headline news as the good guy" on my bingo card, I have to say.
Yep, TBH never saw that whole Pope thing coming, only in Trumpland.
Not sure about the Jesus thing as he does think he was saved after that bullet missed him so that one wasn’t that surprising.
I read an article by an American political commentator this week saying that Trump doesn't actually give a flying **** about the mid-term elections as he knows he's personally done anyway. Hence his behavior over the last week. He's just indulging his unhinged narcissism and couldn't give a monkeys about the fallout for everybody else.
You'd think that maybe the Republicans might have had a mosey across the Atlantic and noted what happens when you let a raving, self-serving egomaniac do what the hell they like for a couple of years, including purging the party of non-believers? What are the Tories presently polling at? 16%?
It's going to be interesting to see where the MAGA movement will be when he either elevates himself to heaven in his Jesus get-up or the men in white coats come to carry him away. It's such a cult of one man that the I doubt the JD Vances and Hegseths are going to hold much electoral appeal to anyone but the craziest of the crazies. Hopefully he'll do for the Republicans what Boris Johnson and Liz Truss did for the Tories
Did not have "Pope in headline news as the good guy" on my bingo card, I have to say.
Im just waiting until they start calling each other paedophiles
Not sure where Radical Left Lunatics fits in with, I suppose this is going to be a new thing with AI graphic tools that people can make images of themselves with Jesus but I just don’t know anyone who would think it would be a Good idea to post on social media or forward the pictures.
Just seems the sort of thing a nut job would do.
‘I was never a very religious man” followed by that image - WTAF they really do go in for worshipping at the alter of Trump.
It's funny tho - cos you know he's supposed to be trying to stop a war he started, but here we are looking at him either being AI Jesus or cuddling AI Jesus.
I would love be taught history in 50 years to see what was made of the mad President. Presuming of course that when the cult leader is dead some normality also comes back.
It's going to be interesting to see where the MAGA movement will be when he either elevates himself to heaven in his Jesus get-up or the men in white coats come to carry him away. It's such a cult of one man that the I doubt the JD Vances and Hegseths are going to hold much electoral appeal to anyone but the craziest of the crazies. Hopefully he'll do for the Republicans what Boris Johnson and Liz Truss did for the Tories
The presidential system kinda prevents them from doing a Truss, unless he either dies or they enact the 25th amendment (or the Republicans join in impeaching him) he's there for the full term. I suspect he's the Boris, but Vance is the May and while we object to the direction he leans, he'll lean whichever way the wind blows to gain power. Of the rest Hegseth seems the most Truss like in believing their own nonsense. The rest all seem like they're just there to say yes to Trump and collect lucrative paychecks.
I read an article by an American political commentator this week saying that Trump doesn't actually give a flying **** about the mid-term elections as he knows he's personally done anyway
His final two years would become rather unpleasant if the democrats get a decent number of seats. A super majority seems unlikely but flipping both is seeming ever more likely.
My guess he is just lashing out because it wasnt as easy as he was told and hence wahhhhhhhhhh time to throw his toys at whoever is closest.
Scary thing is there is supposedly a habit of second term presidents if they lose the senate and the House to start looking overseas more since they retain more autonomy to act there. So he has started early!
In other news Leavitt has come out with the line that the Trump christ photo was doctored.
Not quite sure where she is going with that one to be honest. Is it an attempted excuse for Trump saying he was a Doctor? Also doctored image is normally used for a photo deliberately edited to deceive vs an AI slopfest.
I read an article by an American political commentator this week saying that Trump doesn't actually give a flying **** about the mid-term elections as he knows he's personally done anyway
His final two years would become rather unpleasant if the democrats get a decent number of seats. A super majority seems unlikely but flipping both is seeming ever more likely.
I don't think he cares a great deal about losing the mid-terms as he won't see it as a referendum on him as he's not on the ballot. It'll be the republican party's fault and their failure not his - and he has not interest in the GOP's future.
I actually don't think he'll mind the houses being in democratic control. I mean he'll complain about it constantly obviously but thats what he thrives on. He's well aware he'll be impeached if they do get control - but so what, being impeached did him no harm at all the last two times round and what was at stake then? Being disqualified from running for public office in future? Not really a threat any more. It all attention.
Not quite sure where she is going with that one to be honest. Is it an attempted excuse for Trump saying he was a Doctor? Also doctored image is normally used for a photo deliberately edited to deceive vs an AI slopfest.
theres sort of grain of truth in that. It's an image trump re-posted rather than something the Whitehouse itself generated, a bit of Magafan fan art. But it's not a straight re-post - it seems they fettled the image a little bit before posting it. So something more has happened than just Trump clicking 'share'
The original was a post a Maga account posted a couple of months ago (and was widely criticised for then too). The Whitehouse's reposted version has a weird alteration where they've added some sort of angel/demon mashup. Its not really clear if they've added wings or an additional pair of outstretched arms, and something obscures the face and then theres sort of either a crown or horns - but its pretty zany alteration to make into an already pretty unhinged image
Vance's argument that the current conflict meets the Christian concept of "Just War Theory" requires the conditions below to be met before entering a conflict:
- Just Cause: War must be fought for a valid reason, such as defending against aggression or protecting innocent life.
- Legitimate Authority: War must be declared by a lawful government or sovereign authority, not private individuals.
- Right Intention: The goal must be to correct a violated order or secure peace, not for territorial gain or revenge.
- Last Resort: All peaceful alternatives (negotiation, diplomacy, sanctions) must be exhausted first.
- Proportionality: The potential good achieved by the war must outweigh the inevitable evil and destruction.
- Reasonable Prospect of Success: The war should not be futile; there must be a realistic chance of winning.
I have an inkling that some people may dispute that all these were met.
The Whitehouse's reposted version has a weird alteration where they've added some sort of angel/demon mashup.
Interesting. I did see that and wondered what the **** was going on there. I am not sure thats the worse part of the image though and worthy of announcing its doctored.
My bet is still on someone who dislikes the mango Mussolini sending it to him.
I have an inkling that some people may dispute that all these were met.
"Some people" being most of the Catholic heirarchy.
I mean they are 2000 years too late but they seem to finally practice what they preach.
"Some people" being most of the Catholic heirarchy.
Yeah but what do they know?
I assume Vances publishers are wincing every time he opens his mouth at the moment.
I think the audience for his book coming out in a couple of months about starting protestant then becoming an atheist before converting to being a Roman Catholic would be mostly attractive to a Roman Catholic audience.
Since he seems to be writing the postscript to the second edition "this is why I got excommunicated" I feel this might reduce that audience.
Now J (Divan) Vance is lecturing the Pope regarding quoting theology!
The wierd horned creature in the original Jesus Trump picture is apparently Baal, according to a couple of different sources I read the other day.
The whole thing is heretical regardless.
Daily Show has a take on that low turn JD Vance event
This is all just your standard, run of the mill stuff really. A country at war suddenly feels the need to have a discussion about religious theology as the countries leader decides to start a fight with the pope.
Happens all the time.
He's well aware he'll be impeached if they do get control - but so what, being impeached did him no harm at all the last two times round and what was at stake then? Being disqualified from running for public office in future? Not really a threat any more. It all attention.
TBH he also walked away with a certain ruling
Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclu- sive constitutional authority.
Still plenty of time for mischief.
He's never suffered any real-world consequences for anything he's ever done in his entire miserable life. Rape, bankruptcy, forming an insurrection, to name but a few. No wonder he's like he is
While I'm no fan of trump or the US's action I'm also not all that keen on consuming entertainment manufactured by agents of a government who butchers thousands of its own citizens. These meme makers are the only people in Iran with access to the internet and while they are using 'silliness' as a tool in interviews they're also quoting Jean Baudrillard. They are neither nice people or daft. I've a few friends who are Iranian and they have no problem recognising the videos for what they are and the makers of them for who they are.
The response from people who should really know better, to Iranian propaganda is wild.
In other news, your occasional reminder than outside his dementia and the fact his brain is collapsing inside his skull he remains a man who has always been bat-shit crazy.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/15/trump-diet-coke-soda-kills-cancer
While I'm no fan of trump or the US's action I'm also not all that keen on consuming entertainment manufactured by agents of a government who butchers thousands of its own citizens. These meme makers are theonlypeople in Iran with access to the internet and while they are using 'silliness' as a tool in interviews they're also quotingJean Baudrillard. They are neither nice people or daft. I've a few friends who are Iranian and they have no problem recognising the videos for what they are and the makers of them for who they are.
Sorry, I think you had a typo in there and said Iran where I think you meant USA?
The response from people who should really know better, to Iranian propaganda is wild.
I think most of them realize that the world isn't black and white, but that in this case it's two shades of particularly dark grey that are making things worse for everyone and we'd all quite happily watch both regimes collapse and be replaced by something better.
The response from people who should really know better, to Iranian propaganda is wild.
It's wild?, you won't believe what happened next headline?.........Yeah it's amusing but ultimately created by a theocratic regime who terrorises millions and kills untold thousands....much like all propaganda which tries to divert attention
(could include the U.S. and Israeli propaganda here........although absolutely ****-all they attempt is amusing despite how they brand their particular form of genocide)
I've avoided watching all the Iranian propaganda. That so many people are so willing to spread it is utterly depressing. But see also the stuff coming out of the Whitehouse. The Iranian government killing Iranians isn't a joke. But neither is the USA government killing Iranians a joke, even though from the POTUS down it is being treated as one in its propaganda.
Now J (Divan) Vance is lecturing the Pope regarding quoting theology!
A great piece on FB by an American Catholic priest setting out the requirements for a "just war" under the agreed Catholic doctrine and it was even more brutally obvious why this disaster does not meet any of the criteria.
Vance is out of his depth in a puddle
Yeah it's amusing
I think you may have misunderstood what I (clearly poorly) wrote, that Iranian propaganda is being spread all over social media by chuckling idiots who say idiotic things in support of it because it takes the piss out of Trump. They conveniently ignore, or forgot, or just plain don't know that the people making it are themselves; massive arseholes.
Some fair points made about sharing stuff originating from the Iranian regime. Mea culpa, in the form of one of the "Lego videos", can't remember if it was on here or the Iran thread. However....
I and I think most of us are well aware that the Iranian regime are a bunch of twunts. The thing is though, we get an extremely one sided view of the conflict and much of what we are exposed to emanating from the US administration, could also be considered to be propaganda imv. So I think there is merit in taking a look at some of the material being put out by Iran, as a balance but also as a study in propaganda methodology.
I follow the Ukraine war closely and I watch clips of Russian state TV from propagandists like Vladimir Solovyov for the same reason. I have shared some of these on the Ukraine thread, not because I support the Kremlin POV! but because I think there is value in seeing what both sides think, or at least the message they want to put out.
Some of the Iranian stuff is slick, uses social media in an extremely canny way and actually contains a lot of hard hitting home truths amongst the obvious rhetoric and conspiracy nonsense. I reckon most on here are savvy enough to spot the difference between the two and I think it is worth taking a look at. YMMV.
Edit. For clarity, as bad as the current US administration is, I'm absolutely not claiming there is any kind of equivalence between what is still a democracy and a brutal theocratic dictatorship. Just that the messaging put out by both needs to looked at by anyone wanting to get a better understanding of the war.
The wierd horned creature in the original Jesus Trump picture is apparently Baal, according to a couple of different sources I read the other day.
The Iranian Lego trolling posted in the Iran thread make reference to Baal as well.
I've avoided watching all the Iranian propaganda. That so many people are so willing to spread it is utterly depressing.
I couldn't agree more.
Now J (Divan) Vance is lecturing the Pope regarding quoting theology!
he needs to turn his attention to hegseth who has delivered a sermon to the pentagon quoting a passage from Ezekiel 25/ 17. Not the one from the bible though - the one from pulp fiction
Propaganda: The systematic dissemination of information, esp. in a biased or misleading way, in order to promote a particular cause or point of view, often a political agenda. Also: information disseminated in this way; the means or media by which such ideas are disseminated.
This thread? BBC news? Fox news? Al Jazeera news? Iranian state television news?
Is trump losing it or is that propaganda from his opponents?
I haven't watched any of the Iranian propaganda clips but they are definitely working because they are being talked about so much. Do you think they took the deliberate step of Lego movie to be polar opposite to DoW's macho top gun chuck Norris style? Does doing that make it stand out and be talked about as opposed to laughed at?
I am also aware of the irony of posting on a propaganda thread and choosing which propaganda to accept.
he needs to turn his attention to hegseth who has delivered a sermon to the pentagon quoting a passage from Ezekiel 25/ 17. Not the one from the bible though - the one from pulp fiction
It's fitting that Hegseth misquoted a film as he is definitely a film character himself. The tragedy is that he doesn't realise it. Maybe he would if he were ever sober?
He's never suffered any real-world consequences for anything he's ever done in his entire miserable life. Rape, bankruptcy, forming an insurrection, to name but a few. No wonder he's like he is
This. Plus despite everything he's still been voted in as President, twice. He's absolutely no cause to change his ways.
All he's using the presidency for is enriching himself and his family, trying to get his name and image on as much stuff as possible, and jetting round on AF/M 1.
He's carving out an alternative narrative for himself and his followers that's completely at odds to the reality, but he couldn't care less. He's in power and he's getting even richer. He's not a politician/statesman, he's no loyalty to the Republican party, nor anyone outwith his family. The long term effects on the GOP or Americans in general is just not something he cares about.
So I think there is merit in taking a look at some of the material being put out by Iran
I absolutely agree, I've watched some of them. I think it's genuinely fascinating to watch this other "war" in real time, but it's pretty depressing seeing some of them pop up time and again with some vacuous commentary on SM channels.
