In funnier news; Stephen King has been thrown off X for calling Elon the “First Lady”
I can't attend Musk.
He went to court to defend his right to call a guy a pedo for literally saving the lives of a load of kids trapped underwater in a cave... But suspend someone for what is a obviously a satirical joke.
Why are these far right defenders of their self approved type of free speech such snow flakes when it really comes down to it?
found “we will hold the coming administration to account” particularly interesting. How does a British low circulation newspaper expect to hold the President of the United States to account?
47 million US readers and growing.
By comparison Fox News typically gets between 1.5 and 2.5m viewers.
When in power Trump puts incredible strain on the press. It doesn't matter when his bulllshit is coming out through Truth Social or from a Mar a Lago fundraiser. But when it's coming out through Whitehouse channels it both can't be ignored but also can't just be printed verbatim without proper journalistic due diligence.
Trump says he's doing things more than he actually does them, so the volume of output the media has to cover is huge and 10s or 1000s of his Whitehouse briefings contained lies which had to be checked and countered. The strain news rooms were under through the first administration was emmence - (theres a fly on wall documentary out there somewhere of one of the US paper's battling to deal with the sheer tide of bullshit)
What makes Trump problematic in that sense is he's fundamentally a bullshitter rather than a lier. To tell a lie you need to know what the truth is in order to deceive people. A bullshitter has no idea what the truth is and doesn't care whether what they are saying is true or not - they don't have any of the tells of a lier becuase they don't even know if they are lying. So to fact check him its not just a case of presenting the truth you have to try and find out if there even is a truth.
So the Guardian has more influence in US politics than Fox News?
I will bear that in mind the next time I hear that everything is the fault of the right-wing media.
Edit: Btw the adult population of the United States is approximately 258 million, it is impressive to think nearly a fifth of them read the Guardian. Shame that the Guardian doesn't have that sort of influence in the UK, presumably.
47 million US readers and growing.
I doubt that.
Are they just counting hits on their site?
Given the recent election result, how can we be sure there are 47 million Americans who can read?
Guardian stats are clicks onto their website. For comparison that is roughly the same as The Daily Mail.
fenderextender
Free Member
Wait until folk figure out what making up the US shortfall in Ukraine’s defence will do to standards of living in Europe.
I was just reading this funnily enough. The EU partly, allowing a huge "levelling up" fund to now be spent (mostly indirectly) on military infrastructure etc.
I'm glad they are using Trump's isolationist policies seriously. A bit late mind you and still a long way to go!
Hopefully it's readable.
Jan 6th rioter expecting a pardon:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0jen70m88o
Quote of the year: '“I believe he's a man of his word,” Evans told the BBC.'
AHHHHHAhahahahahahahahahahaha.
willard
Full Member
Jan 6th rioter expecting a pardon:https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0jen70m88o
Quote of the year: ‘“I believe he’s a man of his word,” Evans told the BBC.’
AHHHHHAhahahahahahahahahahaha.
In fairness he probably will as it's an easy win to keep his base onside... But yeah, expecting him to do it due to being a man of his word! Hmmm....!
I think we will see more of what the next season of Trump, will be like pretty quick ,if he does pardon the rioters it’s going to be over the steal of the previous election which won’t be good.
^^ He's going to really go for it over the next 4 years. I have no idea where the worlds is going to end up. About the only positive I can rake up is that Europe will finally realise the US can no longer be relied upon. Pity we aren't part of the EU in these uncertain times though! Its a shit time to be going it alone.
Going to be one hell of a ride!l
What makes Trump problematic in that sense is he’s fundamentally a bullshitter rather than a lier. To tell a lie you need to know what the truth is in order to deceive people. A bullshitter has no idea what the truth is and doesn’t care whether what they are saying is true or not – they don’t have any of the tells of a lier becuase they don’t even know if they are lying. So to fact check him its not just a case of presenting the truth you have to try and find out if there even is a truth.
The other issue is he will ‘weaponise’ everything you do and effectively turn it back on you as an organised ‘witch hunt’.
The continual attacking trumps lies actually doesn’t seem to be the solution to the problem.
The continual attacking trumps lies actually doesn’t seem to be the solution to the problem.
Allow him to install a macdonalds in the foyer of the whitehouse and bring on the heart attack, trouble is then we'd have vance as president and all the trump appointed freaks and goons running around.
Isn’t Ukraine in Europe? Or aren’t their standards of living important?
Ukraine is on the globe and global security is a global concern. What's your point?
Allow him to install a macdonalds in the foyer of the whitehouse
There already is one in the Pentagon.
So this just appeared in the middle of my Strava feed - it's tempting....
Maybe as the Eu, or for me the UK, we should start charging the likes of Musk, Zuc, Bezo, et. al.
A fair charge to operate in this territory?
People whine like pigs when tax goes up, but they forget the UK government is giving away billions upon billions to offshore acconts.
Just spoke to a US friend in Florida. He's very happy that Trump won and is already giving him credit for the price of petrol falling at the pumps.
already giving him credit for the price of petrol falling at the pumps.
Truly God moves in mysterious ways.
already giving him credit for the price of petrol falling at the pumps.
Last time I checked (checks notes) the dems are still running the US government? Maybe they should be thanking Biden or the global oil prices?
It's gonna get really ****** up really quickly when trump is sworn in, in January.
price of petrol falling at the pumps.
Let's hope the leopards don't eat his face when the trump tariffs increase the cost of living. I'm sure he is thinking it'll only affect the libs.
Let’s hope the leopards don’t eat his face when the trump tariffs increase the cost of living. I’m sure he is thinking it’ll only affect the libs.
Yeah, that's going to come as a bit of a surprise to many over there.
Sadly, it's going to hit our economy, not to mention pretty much most other economies in the world one way or another. If not directly, in other ways.
All that said, poor bloody Ukraine and Gaza.
As for the middle East in general, I wonder if Trump will give the nod for Israel to hit Iran's nuclear sites if things get heated again. Can't say id be surprised.
Truly God moves in mysterious ways.
Much like the passage of faeces through my non functioning colon
Sadly, it’s going to hit our economy
I expect the right wing media - DM, Express etc will be blaming the Labour party for any issues.
Remember, its not the fault of Trump, or even Brexit, even though we would have had a lot more clout were we still a part of. It is all the fault of Keir Starmer and the Labour party
I see that Trump has appointment Elon Musk as the head of a newly created "Department of Government Efficiency", which despite its name won't actually be a government department at all and will very handily get round the little problem of laws governing federal employees and conflicts of interest.
What could possibly go wrong with someone who has no experience in government being responsible for running the United States government administration as if it is a business? I believe that Elon Musk wants to scrap three quarters of government departments.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cut backs on "government waste" and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: "99 is enough".
I bet that Trump's declared greatest foe, China, will be carefully scrutinising the benefits that small/tiny government brings the United States.
As long as the top jobs like defence secretary go to someone sensible it'll all work out fine....
I see that Trump has appointment Elon Musk as the head of a newly created “Department of Government Efficiency”, which despite its name won’t actually be a government department at all and will very handily get round the little problem of laws governing federal employees and conflicts of interest.
What could possibly go wrong with someone who has no experience in government being responsible for running the United States government administration as if it is a business? I believe that Elon Musk wants to scrap three quarters of government departments.
Funny isn't it that the electorate at large won't mind people in the deep state joining the unemployment queue...
What could possibly go wrong
Was my immediate reaction. More worried by that appointment than Trumps election win, though it's a bit chicken and egg
How long until Trump turns on Musk? I will give it 6 months after the handover at most, and wouldn't be surprised if it even happens before the election certification.
The Secretary of Defense is being described as a "military veteran".
While technically correct, he was a junior officer in the National Guard.
he was a junior officer in the National Guard
Who deployed on more than one occasion to a theatre of war, has a CIB and Bronze Star.
So very correct to describe him as a 'military veteran', although the actual technical term would be 'Combat Veteran'.
This isn't the burn you think it is.
Mr Hesgeth has plenty of questionable things in his recent past that may make him a random pick. His military career isn't one of them.
How long until Trump turns on Musk? I will give it 6 months after the handover at most,
We're assuming it will be Trump kicking out Musk and not the other way around? Getting rid of presidents and elections is a sure fire way to improve government efficiency.
How long until Trump turns on Musk?
Or maybe the other way round? Or perhaps both against each other simultaneously?
Their relationship brings to mind the Boris Johnson Dominic Cummings relationship to me. Although I am not sure if the relationship between lazy and incompetent narcissists and their overambitious advisors always pan out the same.
@relapsed_mandalorian - How does that make him qualified to have a senior appointment in the US Government?
He's a man who left the military because he felt his politics left him ostracised.
He was a Covid denier.
He called for convicted war criminals to be pardoned.
He is a climate change denier.
He's more Trump than Trump.
Just because he's was a part time junior officer, doesn't qualify him for his new role.
His real job was an "equity capital markets analyst ".
How does that make him qualified to have a senior appointment in the US Government?
He didn't say it did! This is what he said..
Mr Hesgeth has plenty of questionable things in his recent past that may make him a random pick. His military career isn’t one of them.
I agree he's a terrible choice, but I also agree it's not because of his military service history
Exactly why does his military service, or lack thereof (in your opinion) disqualify him?
Was Rumsfeld qualified? Panetta? And look how things went under their tenure.
All the other stuff you've listed is more than enough reason to question his suitability for the role, but his service in your wholly unqualified and ignorant position is not.
How does that make him qualified to have a senior appointment in the US Government?
I think that is the surprising aspect of the appointment, the fact that the current Secretary of Defense has an impressive portfolio of commands which Trump's appointee does not begin to match.
Although in fairness Trump might struggle to find a highly qualified person whose views closely match his for the post
Edit: The reference to Rumsfeld is a fair one although Rumsfeld was widely seen as a political heavyweight rather than a TV presenter. Plus it is of course debatable whether Rumsfeld proved to be an effective Secretary of Defense.
Tbf..how many of the uk's previous defense secretaries had military exp? A quick Google tells me not many.
he fact that the current Secretary of Defense has an impressive portfolio of commands
Yet still managed to lie and obfuscate congress and go AWOL, 'impressive' commands or no, he hasn't covered himself in glory.
But more a politician than Hesgeth.
Exactly why does his military service, or lack thereof (in your opinion) disqualify him?
It neither qualifies him or disqualifies him.
It's spin. It's the fetism of the armed forces.
It's the same as Penny Mordaunt dressing in a RN Captains uniform and people saying she would make a great PM as she can hold a sword.
Just because he's shot at people and been shot at does not mean he's going to be any good at something entirely unrelated. Or make him a better person.
The man's an absolute piece of shit.
https://twitter.com/wdavisx3/status/1856492966686367908
Tbf..how many of the uk’s previous defense secretaries had military exp? A quick Google tells me not many.
If you look back through the US Defense Secretary appointments quite a few have been non-military, I don't think it's an issue at all. One could argue it may help with relationships but your knowledge will be weighted in your area of service, so you'll be left with blindspots in regards to the other arms of which the US has a far wider portfolio than the UK.
Even the godlike Mattis didn't last long under Trump, I image Hesgeth will last even less, that's if he even gets confirmed.
Tbf..how many of the uk’s previous defense secretaries had military exp? A quick Google tells me not many.
Isn't that because in the UK Defence Secretaries have to be members of parliament which restricts the choice? In the United States they can have a very lengthy military career, I think it is also much more expected in the US that they have a military background.
Trump's choice suggests nepotism more than a carefully thought appointment.
