There is also a cost to those deals, a cost in legal and financial independence that the countries later realise restrict their freedom to run their own countries for their own interests. They find that subsidizing their industries to develop them brings punishment from the US, that they cannot take control of their own resources, they cannot even control their own drug policies but have to align to US policies.
Most countries want trade deals, but without the unnecessary baggage forced on them, which is just financial imperialism that ultimately benefits the US more. Trump brought this into focus by his usual greedy bullying loudmouth antics, however it is just normal US policy, and a more presentable face on the policy just pushes it into the background but doesn't make it any more acceptable.
I was talking figuratively…
And I was talking of the 1960s! .... 50 years after 1914.
The 1960s was the decade that the Empire, on which the Sun never sets, was finally wound up. Apart for a few silly little bits like Gibraltar and the Falklands.
There is also a cost to those deals, a cost in legal and financial independence that the countries later realise restrict their freedom to run their own countries for their own interests.
I believe this was the main argument in favour of Brexit. I'm not a Tory so I don't buy that argument.
Now the White House is mocking Trump for his cognitive decline.
https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1749131121114091648
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
The abortion is is problematic for the Republican Party but it doesn't seem to the a problem for Trump. Trump can be credited with the Supreme Court judgement..... if you like the judgement. But he can't really be blamed for it if you don't becuase the judgement was probably as much of a surprise to him as every one else. but it wasn't his idea and he hasn't really nailed his colours to that mast. If someone is pro-trump and also pro-choice he's still your man becuase in his usual 'lots people are saying' way he hasn't really positioned himself with either lobby but said enough for people to cherrypick what they want to hear. Turn isn't a republican. He's a cuckoo in the Republican nest
Trump really repulsed suburban college educated women, enough of them switched to Biden to make the difference in 2020. Even if they don't personally blame Trump for the abortion ban, they blame the Republican Party and Trump's name is at the top of that list. I think the poll numbers show that people are ambivalent about Biden, but once it gets back to a Trump versus Biden showdown, the dislike for Trump and the Republican Party will be what matters.
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..
Even if they had defeated the Soviets, they could never of invaded the UK mainland.
They simply didn't have the Naval power, skills or knowledge to invade.
Operation Sealion was planned to use ad-hoc civilian ships and barges. The majority were un-powered barges that were to be towed by under powered barges. They would of been stationary or going backwards at some point in their crossing of the English Channel.
Even if the first wave had made it across, then the possibility of turning those beached barges around and getting back to France was very slim.
Basically the Royal Navy would of absolutely destroyed them.
Regarding Russia, after Operation Barbarossa failed in 1941, Case Blue, that was launched in 1942, had objectives that were further than achieved in 1941 with less resources.
This pretty much nails Trump's influence.
https://twitter.com/mckaycoppins/status/1749977606684828024
Germany could never of invaded the UK mainland.
True, but the Russians wouldn't have stopped at Berlin if the Allies hadn't landed. The Americans were absolutely essential to Britain's survival and Europe as a democratic collection of countries. Thank you USA. Brits recently voted to weaken Europe as political, economic and strategic entity, I'm sure that the US population is equally capable of voting to self harm.
Speculating and rewriting history gets you nowhere. And if you are going to do it at least look at the bigger picture.
Look to the future and the future looks bleak if enough Americans vote for Trump, Bernie Sanders ain't wrong. The US is for the moment a democracy, something of a rarity on planet Earth, Trump doesn't like that.
I visited this thread... then went over to the gram and this popped up immediately... algorithms be algorithming today 🤣
Look to the future and the future looks bleak
The future’s bright. The future’s orange.
I'm increasingly in the camp that POTUS Trump 2.0 is inevitable.
Trump is not the problem - he's just a very effective stupid magnet and American has an astonishingly large number of stupids considering (or maybe because of) their collective wealth and privileges.
No, the problem is that the old saner GOP have not stood up to him to give the sane republican voter a place to hang their hat. And more importantly the Democrats have not succession planned properly. Biden should have been here as a one term president to steady the ship and restore grown up governance and made clear from year one that he was not going to stand again. I'm not sure if it is the act of an egotist or a desperate old man prepared to sacrifice the last years of his life as no one else could do the job. My suspicion is it's both - an egotist who thinks no one else could do the job. Too many traditional democrat votes have no confidence in him because of his age and Trump is too skilful/nasty at sowing seeds of doubt in the stupider swing voters of Biden's faculties. He's just too easy a target.
Whatever - sad times ahead I fear. I'm no fan of the US - either the people or their general attitude/ethos or their influence across the globe. Too many Americans make my teeth itch. But I'm not sure I'm ready for what's next.
What is the chance of two old men meeting their natural ends in the next 8 months? Got to hand it to Trump - for a 77 year old who has made little effort to look after himself all his life, he seems to have remarkable energy levels. Unfortunately.
I’m increasingly in the camp that POTUS Trump 2.0 is inevitable.
I don't think so, he is appealing to his base, not expanding it.
The problem could be how many votes Biden loses since 2020, Biden will still comfortably win the popular vote IMO, but with voter suppression and gerrymandering the electoral college could be close.
It's not a commanding win for Trump in NH, despite two rivals who (in theory at least) took votes from him pulling out. His vote share really should have increased substantially. DeSantis polled at 20% in Iowa - where have all these voters gone?
Remember, these are committed Republican voters, a large chunk of whom, when asked, said they wouldn't vote for him in an actual general election vs Biden.
He's effectively the incumbent and leading light of the Republican party, only taking just over half of the votes, whereas Haley, who has had to share the spotlight with the also-rans, was pretty close.
South Carolina is crucial. Home turf for Haley, if she doesn't win there, fair enough.
Plus, Trump's brain is a heap of rotting cabbage. The breakdown in his mental faculties is accelerating hard right now, he can't even string a sentence together.
I don’t think so, he is appealing to his base, not expanding it.
I think that's all he needs to do. Democrat and swing voter apathy or lack of resolve to keep him out will do the rest.
Yes, but in Trump’s case, It’s difficult to quantify cognitive decline for someone who had so little cognitive ability to begin with.
To be fair to Trump, he is (or was) quite talented at spotting what audiences liked and following up on those. He is an effective salesman who knows how to trigger people's emotions. He has always been a bullshitter, but he was very good at it. Now he really does seem to get confused and lose the plot of what he's saying.
Actually, more depressingly, I notice that the NH primaries allow non-republicans to sling in a vote for their favoured republican candidate (which is rather weird), so if you take those out, it's 74% for Trump in a primary that should be fairly good for Haley.
Oh well.
Haley 'bet the house' in NH - and didn't even get close.
As for un-registered voters in NH registering to vote for a preferred candidate - that's not weird; what definitely is weird is...
un-registered voter goes to vote in NH, registers, votes and can then de-register to become un-registered again.
I have no idea if that is unique to NH or if it's allowed in other states.
In NH the electorate numbers are un-registered 342k, registered dems and GOP at 263k each - as reported by CNN.
The primary was Haley's to lose - and she did.
November will, disappointingly and concerningly, be a straight fight between Biden and trump.
Trump only needs to lose a few percent of Republican voters to make November an easy win for Biden.
https://twitter.com/GregTSargent/status/1750128693161128138
$83 million dollars in damages: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-68109585
Second E Jean Carrol case
Donald Trump fined $83.3m
The former president must pay E Jean Carroll a total of $83.3m, including to $65m in punitive restitution. He will also have to pay $7.3m for Carroll’s reputation repair.
Lolz
dagnamit! too slow
And only 3 hours to come to that decision
He did a flounce out of court I hear too?
Petulant little sh*t bag.😁
Offffff good
the prosecution only asked for £24 million
Tw*t tax on top
lols
he will be furious
Will he actually pay anything though? Can he instruct his lawyers to appeal and tie it up in court till he dies?
Will he be able to restrain himself from doing it again?
has he even got that much money?
Good.
It's already been legally established that he 'forcibly inserted his finger(s) into...' I won't go on.
But as it's a civil case, this action is purely to define how much he should pay, not whether he is guilty of sexual assault/rape. He's already been found guilty.
How on earth can people still vote for him?
Trumps initial reply on his own media network:
Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!
Ok, don ....
I understand (off twitter) that he has to put the $83 million up in order to appeal
Delicious
If he gets back in that tweet will be more prophetic than we could imagine but with manbaby pulling the levers.
Trumps lawyer confirming that “yes….she is thick as mince”
https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1751007094528975289?s=20
So trump bragging about how many $$$$ he is worth in the other trial was used in this case to set the award amount.
The bestest of bestest business mind.
Apparently going bankrupt won't help either as she will be his biggest creditor.
hahah, brilliant... I expect a lot of whining and moaning, but this must be it for him, he's surely, finaly, done for after this?
mr fez - the term used in the defamation case, with specific reference to sexual assault, is 'digital penetration'.
donny was sticking his finger where it wasn't wanted.
mr fez – the term used in the defamation case, with specific reference to sexual assault, is ‘digital penetration’.
donny was sticking his finger where it wasn’t wanted
Well, I don't think there's any confusion as to if he was pen-testing her fire wall for security vulnerabilities!
I'm not sure that this is as helpful to Trump as Rudy thinks it is.
https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1751044280406167692
Did he go for anal bleaching but had the wrong end done? Wtaf?
He doesn't look, or speak like a well man.
'it's not rape, it's 'only' sexual assault', well thanks for that Mr G! the courts have already established that, this rulling is just to specify how much money Trump, as a sexual predator, has to pay his victim for said sexual abuse!
Thankfully, it's a lot.
I hope Trumps lawyer got her fee up front.
To be fair, Trumps lawyer looks like someone who fell out of a cocktail bar at 4pm on a friday night and started screaming about the lack of taxis, at a lamp post.
