Meanwhile, back on topic, Alina Hubba doesn’t know how to introduce evidence whilst cross examining or even how to ‘object’ - or pretty much anything else to do with court procedure, or in her own words - she’d rather be pretty than intelligent 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
lot of noise about the “bloody” hand of Trump!
'noise' but not 'news' as such. Plenty of other photos taken on the same day don't show anything.
There seems to be a certain element with the anti trump 'side' that seem to feel that Trump has to be played at his own game. Trumps supporters seem to be more ready to believe lies, especially if they are disgusted by them, and are uninterested in, even allergic to, facts. The facts about him being a sex offender, a fraudster and so on don't interest them at all. The lies he tells about others do.
Disgusting lies - Yes please! Disgusting truth? Boring.
So perhaps for no reason other than every other stragegy seems to be a waste of time they're trying out course, clumsily told, schoolyard bullying and mean lies. Just on the offchance they find some traction. "#trumpstinks" for instance or "wealthy man suffering from completely curable 19th century disease the the bad guy has in post-covid movies"
I guess they feel it costs nothing so why not.
Your definition of “liberal” is similarly flawed. There is nothing intrinsic in it requiring a “safety net” as the Irish victims of the potato famine demonstrate.
Modern liberalism is a different thing from classical libertarianism. They are both concerned with liberty, but the definition is different. Libertarians focus on acting unconstrained by others (negative liberty), modern liberals on what individuals can actually do (positive liberty), so a safety net is seen as enhancing liberty. Marxists absolutely do not share libertarians' view of what liberty is so the two ideologies aren't really compatible.
You seem to have answered your own question.
Pointing out the flaws in Republican logic gets no traction with them. Engaging with Trump intellectually is pointless as he has no capacity to listen. Arguing points of policy is worthless as they have none outside 'own the Dems'
You might as well talk about his incontinence, ill health and the fact he doesn't know who is the current president (he seems to think it still Obama) rather than try to be a grown up about it
In other news, our disgraced, compulsive liar, philandering ex-pm thinks that what the world needs is the US to have their disgraced, sex-offending, psychopathic ex-presidents back......
Can you get blisters playing pitch n putt?
Or is secondary syphilis the accurate diagnosis?
My guess is either being dumb enough to touch a handrail in negative double-digit temperatures and peeling his skin off, or fake tan blotches.
the fact he doesn’t know who is the current president (he seems to think it still Obama)
I'm starting to take more seriously the theory that Trump has suffered some serious cognitive decline and that the MAGA crew's constant attacks on Biden's age are intended to distract attention from Trump's age and health.
https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/1748542684367593960
https://twitter.com/TheNewsAgents/status/1748395667746091185?t=6EiLvS_FA15chtyYSrL1-w&s=19
Lord Owen suggesting Farage should be American Ambassador because he's got influence with Trump.
I listened to that, what an idiot.
probably - but I’m not really seeing anyone else in Uk politics making any plans or contigencies for a second trump term.
ive seen two disgraced former PM’s say they like the idea of a disgraced former president getting a second go- but with no actual plan attached to that for our country and its interests
Just by starting the conversation Owen’s done more than both our government and our government in waiting it seems
I’m starting to take more seriously the theory that Trump has suffered some serious cognitive decline and that the MAGA crew’s constant attacks on Biden’s age are intended to distract attention from Trump’s age and health.<br /><br />
Difficult to argue with these theories, he’s bragging about aceing a cognitive test that required identifying a whale, he was constantly tearing into Pelosi about security during the Jan 6th attack when it was nothing to do with her, not in any way her job, which he ought to know, and now he’s convinced Nikki Haley was Pelosi, while at the same time saying Haley isn’t an American, the whole Birtherism lie all over again.
The whole thing stinks. 💩 And it’s not just his hair products…
The Republican Party, however, have pretty much abandoned policy and are just trying to fight culture war battles.
...the MAGA crew’s constant attacks on Biden’s age are intended to distract attention...snip
The MAGA group have pretty much abandoned democracy. If you're threatened by a vote that you don't want and couldn't win then you go on the attack.
You don't do that by making a sound argument in Congress, you assault Congress. If, three years later, you don't like the vote then you propose a "motion to vacate" the US Speaker; without them, no vote.
Kevin McCarthy (Rep) was ahoist his own petard in October; he agreed to lower the bar to one vote as a condition of him getting the Speaker's position. MTG used the same low bar to threaten Mike Johnson (Rep Speaker) "I told Speaker Johnson if he made that deal in exchange for $60bn for Ukraine, I would vacate the chair and I still stand by those words."
This all flies in the face of numerous public polls AND the majority of what Congress (Rep and Dem) want. I suppose the next question is how you raise the bar to a majority if you can't get a vote through so that Congress is able to vote
I do not believe Trump is living with cognitive decline as such, more that his narcissism and personality disorder has left him in such a fantasy world that his grip on reality is slipping further. Anything he says is true in his mind and has has been encouraged to make wilder and wilder claims. I think he genuinely believe the election was rigged
Owen still believes Brexit was right, again, an idiot 🤷♂️
I do not believe Trump is living with cognitive decline as such
Indeed - you just have to look at his words and actions all through his life. 'Decline' - decline from what exactly?. It's hard to measure cognisance in someone who has no interest in reality. In the simplest terms he's a Bullshitter.
To tell the truth you have to know the truth
To lie.... you still have to know the truth.
Bullshitters have no interest in the truth. For them things are 'true' if they are what they are saying or thinking at that moment, and thats all that matters. Trump's only real skill is to be able to answer a question that he doesn't understand because he bullshits all the time.
I remember an interview with a reporter who had covered Trumps entry into the Casino business - he remembers thinking it odd that Trump was undertaking such a large project with no prior experience in the industry. The reporter would ask Trump question about the industry and get the sort of 'A lot of people are saying... six of one half a dozen of the other' answers that Trunp is very practiced in giving. So the reporter started asking questions that were completely false premises - about, say an upcoming change in particular licensing rule - where there was not rule and no announced change. Trump would answer in exactly the same way - make a statement of that was just the words question arranged in a different order, qualified with what he said 'everyone' or 'smart people' were also saying about it.
Bullshitters have no interest in the truth. For them things are ‘true’ if they are what they are saying or thinking at that moment, and thats all that matters. Trump’s only real skill is to be able to answer a question that he doesn’t understand because he bullshits all the time.
Exactly.
De Santis has pulled out the race - not sure if that helps or hinders Haley and tne others. Will his supporters go to Trump?
BBC News - Ron DeSantis suspends campaign for president
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68051757
De Santis has endorsed trump; even if only 50% of his supporters follow his endorsement I think that's Haley done for.
So, ten months of Biden and trump going
head-to-head with some 'seasoning' from various courts - looking at you, Supreme Court.
This is going to get very ugly very quickly.
Wonder if any deal has been done- join the ticket as VP?
De Santis has endorsed trump
After several months/years of abuse from trump for daring to stand against him. I have to wonder what goes through their minds.
If someone beats me to a promotion then thats life and I will work with them but if they spent the entire interview process abusing me then I think a)wouldnt endorse them and b)would be job hunting elsewhere.
That's a tragic outcome. By all means drop out, but don't endorse the Giant Wotsit when you do! Regardless of what "a majority of Republican Primary voters want", you should know better! Your country deserves better....probably.
After several months/years of abuse from trump for daring to stand against him. I have to wonder what goes through their minds.<br /><br />
I have my principles but if you don’t like them I have others
Terrified of getting on his wrong side and being victimised?
De Santis has pulled out the race – not sure if that helps or hinders Haley and tne others.
DeSantis tried to run to Trump's right - he seeded to figure that if he just went full attack on culture war stuff, the MAGA voters would choose him over Trump. Haley seems to have tried to run as "team normal" to pick up the more centrist Republicans who aren't into Trump's crazy stuff but don't like Democrats. Neither strategy worked but I can't imagine many DeSantis voters switching to Haley.
Made me chuckle.
https://twitter.com/santiagomayer_/status/1749161142700646618
De Santis has pulled out the race
Candidate who wasn't ever going to win, who nobody wanted finally gets the message and offers his support to a man who's done nothing but insult him...Welcome to the Republicans.
This whole thing could be an absolute disaster for both the USA and Europe.
Candidate who wasn’t ever going to win, who nobody wanted finally gets the message and offers his support to a man who’s done nothing but insult him…Welcome to the Republicans.
He's likely thinking he'd be a good bet for VP.
And in the right place in case DT gets incapacitated; either legally or physically.
Wouldn't have thought he was going to be a VP candidate, he'd have to do more than just endorse Trump in those circumstances, he'd have had to be a bootlicker from day one. He was slagging him off only a week ago.
Elise Stefanik seems to be the front-runner for that one. Absolutely devoid of a moral compass, will say anything to keep his favour.
Trump becoming president again is starting to look like a horrible inevitability, isn't it?
Trump becoming president again is starting to look like a horrible inevitability, isn’t it?
Yup.
I still think there are significant hurdles to Trump becoming president even if he wins the Republican nomination easily. The abortion issue has lost him a lot of support even among republican voters, which has woken them up to the abuse of the culture war. That may still be a minority of Republican voters, but is could be a significant minority.
However on the flip side the growth of the US economy is yet again not filtering down to those struggling with the cost of living crisis, these are the disenfranchised who last time came out to get rid of Trump. Now that they have 4 years again of being economically ignored by the Democrats it is likely they will not turn out again.
So there could be a significant percentage of the turnout in the last election who won't switch votes, but just feel they have no one to vote for and who will represent them.
With Joe Biden currently doing so much to undermine US influence and moral authority across the Middle East and the Global South, a second Trump presidency would prove to European governments that his first presidency was not simply a one-off never-to-be-repeated aberration, but a systematic failure of US society, thereby further emphasising the dangers of relying on close links with the US.
What we are witnessing are likely chapters in future history books which will be written to explain the decline of the United States as a world power.
Trump becoming president again is starting to look like a horrible inevitability, isn’t it?
I don't think it is. I think it will be tighter than 2020, but I don't think he can count his chickens. In nearly every election Trump endorsed candidates have lost, often quite badly, and where-ever Republican candidates have promoted stricter anti-abortion policies in their states, they're often facing such strong push back that some candidates are settling on a 15 week limit as a compromise.
What we are witnessing are likely chapters in future history books which will be written to explain the decline of the United States as a world power.
I don't think we are, there's still no military power anything like as capable as the US, the Russians military is practically worthless, and it turns out the massive corruption in the PLA has revealed that some missile silos are more or less irreparably broken, and in some cases filled with water rather than rocket-fuel - and this is just the stuff that the CCP has allowed to be published...I think this is a symptom of internal US politics where one party is only just holding itself together as a disparate group that are only loosely aligned (but still at least are committed to something approaching legitimacy and democracy*, and another party who've functionally left the planet and believe...well; nothing other than the desperate need to have power.
*As far as the word means in US politics. .
there’s still no military power anything like as capable as the US
United States global dominance has very little to do with military power. For example despite using tremendous amounts of resources Afghanistan was a total disaster for the US. And going way back they got their arses kicked in Vietnam. And we are talking about small impoverished and militarily weak countries.
US global dominance is based on its huge economic power and resources, which in turn relies heavily on influence, trade, and perceived moral authority.
This is currently taking a blow, for example South Africa taking a leadership role in the Global South by gaining moral authority as a result of its actions in the ICJ.
A second Trump presidency, were it to happen, would cause a huge strain to US-European relations.
And all this is occurring against the backdrop of growing Chinese global influence.
Military might won't massively help to stem the decline of US influence.
Edit: Obviously extremely different circumstances but Great Britain in 1914 was a huge military power. The British navy was the largest in the world and more than twice the combined size of the next two largest navies. How did that pan out 50 years later?
I heard it suggested a few years back that the United States was where Britain was in 1915. I suspect that might be a fair assessment.
and where-ever Republican candidates have promoted stricter anti-abortion policies in their states, they’re often facing such strong push back that some candidates are settling on a 15 week limit as a compromise.
That is looking like a major issue that the democrats can use to galvanise support - a tangible example of the dangers of a 2nd trump presidency
With Joe Biden currently doing so much to undermine US influence and moral authority across the Middle East
Trump is fully playing to the evangelicals, his moving the embassy to Jerusalem was wildly popular with that base.
Trump 2.0 wont just be a huge victory for Russia, it will see Israel completely unrestrained by America
I thought "the silver lining" to the first Trump presidency would be a pushback against US influence and the neoliberal economics it forces on much of the world through trade deals etc, unfortunately it never happened and I probably have less faith that it will have that effect a 2nd time around.
It was certainly a wake-up call for European governments MSP, they realised the folly of over reliance on the United States, and took measures with that in mind.
How did that pan out 50 years later?
We exchanged all our money for not being invaded by the Nazis, d'you remember?
And all this is occurring against the backdrop of growing Chinese global influence.
Authoritarian systems excel at showcasing their strengths and concealing their weaknesses. China, for all it's growth still has a declining population, low educational attainment and very obviously rampant central government sponsored corruption on a massive scale. It may dominate regionally, but it's never going to be a global super-power in the style of the US has been since the 1940's
never<br />
that’s a bold claim..I’m pretty sure once the nazi’s had dealt with everyone else they’d have turned their attention back to us..
Nah, @gobuchul is right, they'd never have managed it, even if they'd somehow got across the channel (Royal Navy) then they have to land on the coast, and not get bombed to shit by the RAF and mauled to bits by the Army and commonwealth forces already stationed in the UK They ran some war-games in the 1970's (using the 'at the time' plans and making it up on the hoof as the invasion progressed) and the Wehrmacht get their arses handed to them.
I was talking figuratively...
Anyway,,,Thread drift!
I thought “the silver lining” to the first Trump presidency would be a pushback against US influence and the neoliberal economics it forces on much of the world through trade deals etc
Most countries want trade deals with the U.S. so it would make no sense that they would do this. The U.S. is the wealthiest country on the planet and getting access to that market is really important for most other countries. Similarly with defense treaties - being in an alliance with the U.S. is very important for countries like Japan, South Korea, Poland, etc. who have hostile neighbours. Taiwan and Ukraine would utterly love to have formal defense treaties with the U.S. The international concern about Trump was that he would cut off access to the U.S. market and walk away from defense treaties. Other countries want those things, they have no desire to walk away from them.
