Vance has always been dismissive of Europe - both our politics and our military he's more a "U.S.A, U.S.A" chanter than Trump ever has been. He also seems to believe strongly that he knows everything, y'know, because he served in the military for all of 3 years as a journalist and because he had a tough upbringing and was made something of, that, well....what else is there to learn? He's been there and done that the "hard way". This ignores that he used the USA military to go to college (some might argue that was the whole goal) and that he's relentlessly used his upbrining as leverage to get into politics and that he's changed his spots (politics) so much that he's almost unrecognizable to past versions of himself. This is a man out to leverage everything he can use to get everything he thinks he deserves. In many respects he's more dangerous than Trump as more people seem to believe what he's saying.
Rubio first to quit/get sacked? Much as I despise him, he could be the guy to call out Trump and pull the GOP back a little? Possibly.
He gave up a good job as Senator for Florida that he held from 2011 to when he joined the cabinet in January. He could have been influential from Congress. Suckered??
He gave up a good job as Senator for Florida that he held from 2011 to when he joined the cabinet in January. He could have been influential from Congress. Suckered??
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Watching the contortions of any Tory MPs under Johnson/Truss/Sunak who might have harboured any supposedly one-nation sentiment should have made us realise that pigs at a trough don't give up their place willingly.
It remains to be seen if the same will be true of socialists in the 2025 Labour Party.
For the likes of Rubio it is inconceivable. To resign over a matter of principle is impossible if you don't have any principles to begin with.
That seems pretty much spot on Daffy. Vance definitely seems to fit the Boris Johnson political mould where his only goal is his own personal advancement and he believes in nothing else other than that. He’s front and centre gobbing off all the MAGA nonsense, but it’s just what suits him at this particular moment. I’m sure that if the US electorate didn’t like those particular opinions, then he has many others he’d be more than happy to trot out. He’s very dangerous as it seems to be him that’s ratcheting up the rhetoric on pretty much everything and becoming increasingly extreme. It looks like the ambush of Zolenskyy was his doing.
I’m sure that as the economic impact of Trumps moronic tariffs start to bite and inflation heads through the roof, he’ll be on hand to blame China, the EU, Canada, Mexico and anyone else who’s a handy scapegoat at any given moment.
Why is it that a large chunk of the American electorate seem to lionise any old idiot who bangs on about growing up in a cardboard box in a forest in Iowa and whose only possessions were a gun and a bible? It leaves the door wide open to charlatans like Vance
Rubio's little face when that journalist questioned why zelensky wasn't wearing a suit spoke volumes..
Say what you like about him, but he knows fine well that he's working for/surrounded by absolute idiots.
I don't think there will be resignations, apparently being seen to go against Trump is followed by death threats from the maga ultras .
I reckon there will be sackings though. Once it's impossible to deny some of these decisions are wrong and normal Americans feel it in their pocket o, thers will be sacrificed to maintain the illusion of Trumps greatness .
I wonder when the US will experience it's first "faulty window" incident
Vance and Trump will get a right shock when Modi turns up not wearing a suit.
I wonder when the US will experience it's first "faulty window" incident
I'm wondering how the secret service can stomach doing their jobs at the moment.
Rubio first to quit/get sacked? Much as I despise him, he could be the guy to call out Trump and pull the GOP back a little? Possibly
Nope, think it will take longer than that to grow back his spine. You know things are f*cked when people who where once reasonable on a topic, have been turned and now fight against what they know/knew to be the truth. Rubio is just one of many now.
Saw a very interesting piece from msnbc's Rachel Maddow (yes, an echo chamber outlet for those in denial/mourning for democracy), where they astutely compared the Ernest Lundeen spy scandal of 1940 with shenanigans of today. The echoes are chilling. I'm aware i am the intended audience, but it's a good piece:
The Tories reticence and coyness about Trump didn’t last long.
From the Guardian this morning:
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have shown a “refreshing” dynamism and sense of purpose which could be seen as a model for other governments wanting to get things done at speed, a senior Conservative has said.
Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, has previously been a strong backer of Trump and his main aide, at one point saying Musk had potentially “saved humanity”: by rescuing Twitter from a “left-leaning elite”.
More recently, many other Conservatives have been reining in their praise for the increasingly erratic US president.
But not Griffith. Asked by Sky News for his view of Trump’s record so far, Griffith said he was “envious of the dynamism, not the bombast”.
He went on:
You’ve clearly got a change government coming in with a clear set of plans to address some of the big challenges that all western economies face – high levels of public spending, and sometimes an inefficient public service that makes people feel government isn’t on their side.
You have seen a dynamism with the president, with Elon Musk, that I think is relatively refreshing. And it’s right that governments with strong democratic mandates have the ability to get on and do things
I'm wondering how the secret service can stomach doing their jobs at the moment.
I expect happily enough. Remember Pence didnt trust his guards during the insurrection attempt.
I see he has reiterated his intention to annexe Greenland. Luckily even if the Greenlanders wanted to be US subjects it would take more than 4 years to put into operation.
If a member of his personal praetorian guard turns on him, it will probably be because he isn't going far enough.
All those proponents of the 2nd Amendment being a tool to protect America against tyranny seem to have gone quiet, too.
Luckily even if the Greenlanders wanted to be US subjects it would take more than 4 years to put into operation.
Do any legal means of annexing a state against the wishes of its population and government(s) exist? Even if the Greenlanders were persuaded, I can't see the Danes just rolling over at that point.
And it’s right that governments with strong democratic mandates have the ability to get on and do things
How many MPs do the Tories have again?
🤣🤣
Remember Pence didnt trust his guards during the insurrection attempt.
The subsequent hearing was told that he didn't want to get in his motorcade and leave the Capitol Building because it was feared that it would be targeted by rioters and they hadn't increased the detail despite intelligence, but that wasn't about trust in that sense.
He sat in a Senate underground car park with his security team for 5 hours
President Trump has been busy revoking secret service protection from Mike Pompeo, Brian Hook and John Bolton https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/01/23/donald-trump-revokes-mike-pompeos-taxpayer-funded-security-detail/
If a member of his personal praetorian guard turns on him, it will probably be because he isn't going far enough.
Are you suggesting that the Secret Service may be on the more extreme side than Trump?
So Zelenskyy may be heading back to the White House. He should take Starmer and Macron with him. Let’s show some effing unity.
Maybe he should bring some frozen sausages to hammer into the Whitehouse lawn?
Do any legal means of annexing a state against the wishes of its population and government(s) exist? Even if the Greenlanders were persuaded, I can't see the Danes just rolling over at that point.
Came here to ask the same thing, but saw that Vance had insulted the UK by saying it had not fought a war in 30 years. Odd that, I guess what I saw in 2012 and 2016 was just a dream.
Maybe he's alluding to us not participating in the great triumph of invading Grenada ?
Do any legal means of annexing a state against the wishes of its population and government(s) exist?
I believe the traditional method is to hold a ballot but rig it in some way or other.
Why is it that a large chunk of the American electorate seem to lionise any old idiot who bangs on about growing up in a cardboard box in a forest in Iowa and whose only possessions were a gun and a bible?
Same reason loads of Brits will hate someone who grew up rich, regardless of how good they might actually be at running a country or department.
Walked past a bloke in central Belfast twice today in a MAGA hat and a Jesus banner broadcasting speeches from President Trump. He did appear to lift people's spirits going by their reactions.
Random question regarding the tariffa.
I know the cost is applied to the end product, but that additional xx% of cost on the product who gets that?
Does it go to the treasury or to the supplier?
Treasury
Came here to ask the same thing, but saw that Vance had insulted the UK by saying it had not fought a war in 30 years. Odd that, I guess what I saw in 2012 and 2016 was just a dream.
Maybe he's alluding to us not participating in the great triumph of invading Grenada ?
I'm trying to think of when the last time the US fought a war anything like Russia's invasion of Ukraine with both sides hurling huge amounts of shells back and forth. Korea maybe?
2hr congress Speech by Trump
Only 2hr speech? That's weak as President. President Trump should give at least a 4hr speech to be considered beautiful speech. 😀
Does it go to the treasury or to the supplier?
As Del says to the treasury hence the claim it can be used to counter tax cuts for the oligarchs.
The beautiful American people will pay, pay, and pay again. God bless them.
US Capitalism has peaked, withdrawl of security to a victim nation by a Dictator to make a few dollars. This is not new for the USA but it's the first time it's been done in plain sight.
WW1 almost the 11th hour, to get a seat at the peace table.
1930s on the bones of their arse their economy was built on WW2
WW2 sent destroyers to South Africa to take the last UK gold reserve, didn't declare war on Germany.
Stamped every rifle under lend lease as US property just to remind the infantry who gave them a gun.
WW2 Roosevelt told Churchill and Stalin to wake him up when they had sorted Poland out to discuss West Germany.
Post WW2 the Marshall Plan every dollar was from profits made in WW2.
Dwight Eisinhower recognised the Industrial Military Complex.
Rubio's little face when that journalist questioned why zelensky wasn't wearing a suit spoke volumes..
Say what you like about him, but he knows fine well that he's working for/surrounded by absolute idiots.
Yep, I was vaguely paying attention to what Rubio was saying about Trump 4/5 years ago and about Russia/Ukraine at the start of the war. Be interested to see if all his old tweets and stuff are still online. I'm not a Rubio fan or anything but can't imagine he's comfortable with what's going on.
As I don't want to encourage him having his own thread, the is excellent from The Rest is Politics. (The News Agents is great at the moment as well)
https://youtube.com/shorts/zvqZRkMW37s?si=r4rL6d7QqzaubC1P
As Del says to the treasury hence the claim it can be used to counter tax cuts for the oligarchs.
This is what I don't get with the focus on tariffs (and perhaps reinforces the idea that they are not the main event).
To fund cuts on an ongoing basis the tariffs would have to be permanent which is at odds with their current use as the big stick for other concessions. Also, one of the stated aims is encouraging production in the US - at which point tariffs become less effective anyway if consumers are buying local.
Oh, and walk-backs already - temporary tariff exemption for car manufacturers.
Be interested to see if all his old tweets and stuff are still online. I'm not a Rubio fan or anything but can't imagine he's comfortable with what's going on
Every post that a politician makes gets screenshotted and recorded. His hypocrisy is well documented but the one thing that Trump has taught GOP politicians is that shamelessness is their most powerful tool. Rubio wants to be president one day and his only hope to achieve that is to echo MAGA talking points.
To fund cuts on an ongoing basis the tariffs would have to be permanent which is at odds with their current use as the big stick for other concessions. Also, one of the stated aims is encouraging production in the US - at which point tariffs become less effective anyway if consumers are buying local.
Exactly. Investors kinda assumed that Trump was just using tariffs as a stick to get concessions, but it's not obvious what concessions he actually wants, especially from Canada. Then, when they realized he was serious, stock markets fell because tariffs would cause massive harm to the U.S. economy. As revenue gathering exercise, they will be ineffective except in the short term because people will either reduce their purchasing or switch to local suppliers.
Maybe thats it? Maybe Trumps deal is to gift Ukraine to Russia, and in return Russia fixes a referendum in Greenland for them to Join the US? Russia is pretty good at that kind of thing.
Re: Tariffs. Make no sense until you realise that he's just using them as a cudgel to get what he wants from other countries.
I'm not sure that anyone would recognise an election in Greenland that was rigged. The population is small enough (and independent enough) that you would know something was up.
With Trump, everything is about money, either personal wealth for him or his family, or for the people that backed him into office as kick-backs. The tariffs are there because he's a bully and the money that the Treasury gets from them will go, as oldmanmtb said, to fund tax cuts for the ultra rich. In the long term it _will_ screw the US, but the rich do not care, Trump sure as hell does not care and the poor/everyone else will be told that the fault is with someone else and not him.
With Trump: Follow the money.
This is the thing I don't get with the ultra rich now, they are surely smart enough to realise that they are damaging the economies that are needed for them to profit from, or are they really so indoctrinated into the dogma of greed that they actually believe that they can just keep taking and taking everything without consequence. When they are living in golden castles in the sky while everyone else is in shanty towns where do they think their wealth will come from, what the **** is their end game.
This is the problem with the growth doctrine, it has already reached the point where the growth just goes to the few and is making life worse for the many, we need redistribution not growth, we need affordability not continued asset inflation.
Man loses job for speaking truth. OK, given his job he arguably should have been more discreet but we all know he was right. You'd hope that more people pointing this stuff out might make some Americans do their own fact checking and think again.
BBC News - NZ fires envoy to UK who questioned Trump's grasp of history
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3yew446k5o
Ooh a funny one, those secret documents that he was keeping at the golf course(that got him into trouble), he’s took them back.
Goff, a former foreign minister and lawmaker in the centre-left Labour Party, was appointed as ambassador to the UK in 2023.Peters leads the populist NZ First party in the current right-leaning coalition governing New Zealand. https://www.reuters.com/world/new-zealand-sacks-ambassador-uk-after-he-questions-trumps-grasp-history-2025-03-06/
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark was among those who criticised Mr Goff's sacking, saying it was backed by a "very thin excuse". (from the BBC article^^)
I love the fact that the Canadian and Mexican trade deal that he has been slagging off as 'The worst deal in the world. I don't know how this was passed". Was negotiated and signed by him during his last term.
How do you shame someone who is proud of their own BS?
