Donald! Trump!

His defenCe secretary pick has promised not to get shitfaced while in the job. High standards indeed.

“Over the weekend, the New Yorker reported that Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was known to drink excessively. It quoted a former staffer at a veterans non-profit that he led saying: “I’ve seen him drunk so many times. I’ve seen him dragged away not a few times but multiple times. To have him at the Pentagon would be scary.”

The Hill reports that Hegseth told Roger Wicker, a Republican senator who will chair the armed services committee, that he will stay sober if he gets the defense secretary job. Speaking to reporters, Wicker said: “I think that’s probably a good idea.”

Who will protect us from advancing Russian aggression then? Not France, Not Germany either…

And based on the recent wargaming, we can’t protect them either – our military will be gone on 6 months apparently.

The world is looking an increasingly dangerous place.

I can easily see the US staying out of a European war.

In the same way that he was going to withdraw all US troops from Syria in 2019, “BRINGING OUR SOLDIERS BACK HOME”

This promptly sparked an assault on US-backed rebels, tore up a truce agreement and in the confusion dozens of ISIS prisoners escaped.

As C-in-C he oversaw the deployment of 14000 more troops to the middle-east to deter those waiting for the US power vacuum

PS the US still has a base in Syria at al-Tanf (established in March 2016, less than a year before his election)

Does anyone really think Russia that has failed so badly in Ukraine can attack europe? They wouldn’t stand a chance, I doubt they have enought tug boats to tow there decrepit navy around.

They will just continue to destabilise and cause trouble with propaganda and misinformation.

The right wing populist are revelling in the propaganda as they benefit from it, and the centrists are toothless and capitulating to it at every turn. We won’t be attacked militarily by russia, they will just tear us down from the inside as our Governments fail to address the problems.

And based on the recent wargaming, we can’t protect them either – our military will be gone on 6 months apparently.

I saw that, alarmist to say the least. I believe it used Russian meat grinder levels of attrition and it assumes Russia bypasses the rest of Europe and attacks the UK directly which is also a tiny bit implausible.

Does anyone really think Russia that has failed so badly in Ukraine can attack europe?

It absolutely can, either as a desperate last throw of the dice by a failing Putin, or as a follow-up to a Trump based appeasement deal in Ukraine.

Success for Russia probably looks very different to how you and I see it. But everyone will lose.

They will just continue to destabilise and cause trouble with propaganda and misinformation.

The right wing populist are revelling in the propaganda as they benefit from it, and the centrists are toothless and capitulating to it at every turn.

I can agree with you on that. If democratic nations had put as much effort into countering the misinformation and bots as Russia and it friends have, the world would look a different place. We’ve been behind the curve since we’ll before Brexit.

His defenCe secretary pick has promised not to get shitfaced while in the job. High standards indeed.

The email to Hegseth from hs mum is a sobering read

Son,

I have tried to keep quiet about your character and behavior, but after listening to the way you made Samantha feel today, I cannot stay silent. And as a woman and your mother I feel I must speak out..

You are an abuser of women — that is the ugly truth and I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.

I am not a saint, far from it.. so don’t throw that in my face,. but your abuse over the years to women (dishonesty, sleeping around, betrayal, debasing, belittling) needs to be called out.

Sam is a good mother and a good person (under the circumstances that you created) and I know deep down you know that. For you to try to label her as “unstable” for your own advantage is despicable and abusive. Is there any sense of decency left in you? She did not ask for or deserve any of what has come to her by your hand. Neither did Meredith.

I know you think this is one big competition and that we have taken her side… bunk… we are on the side of good and that is not you. (Go ahead and call me self-righteous, I dont’ care)

Don’t you dare run to her and cry foul that we shared with us… that’s what babies do. It’s time for someone (I wish it was a strong man) to stand up to your abusive behavior and call it out, especially against women

We still love you, but we are broken by your behavior and lack of character. I don’t want to write emails like this and never thought I would. If it damages our relationship further, then so be it, but at least I have said my piece. [Redacted]

And yes, we are praying for you (and you don’t deserve to know how we are praying, so skip the snarky reply)

I don’t want an answer to this… I don’t want to debate with you. You twist and abuse everything I say anyway. But… On behalf of all the women (and I know it’s many) you have abused in some way, I say… get some help and take an honest look at yourself…

Mom

The only way that Russia could really attack Europe would be to launch a nuclear first strike but they know that Britain and France have nuclear deterrents so Russia would be devastated even if the U.S. didn’t join in. Putin’s goal is to make Russia into a world power again, not to see it incinerated.

Russia doesn’t have the conventional capability to defeat Ukraine, let alone go through Poland, Germany, and France in order to get to Britain. They can’t ship troops out through the Black Sea and Mediterranean because Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Spain are all NATO members and trying to launch an amphibious operation from the Baltic would be just as futile. That leaves sailing from Murmansk through the artic or from Vladivostok down through the Pacific and Indian Oceans, around Africa, and then attacking from the south. So, no, Russia doesn’t have the capacity to attack Europe except by launching a suicidal nuclear strike.

Russia is attacking Europe, and has been doing so for decades. What constitutes an “attack” has changed.

rubbish – its just defending itself from that orrible nato

centrists are toothless

As are the leftist

I didn’t include the “left” because I am not aware of any “leftist” party in power in Europe at the moment or in recent history.

Yep that’s the problem, toothless as a result of not gaining enough support from the respective electorates.

President-elect Donald Trump wastes no time getting down to business in the Middle East.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-saudi-arabia-hotels-b2661211.html

It might not bring lasting peace, or even temporary peace, but it should bring in big fat profits and that’s what really matters. To Donald Trump.

“Following the remarkable success of Trump International Oman, as well as our most recent ventures in Dubai and Jeddah, we are thrilled to announce two additional projects in Riyadh,” Eric Trump, the president-elect’s son who oversees the company’s real estate interests, said in a statement.

Donald Trump named Time Person of the Year again

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c36e71wg7z9o

“For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a- generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America’s role in the world”

If I know Trump he will be coy and feel embarrassed when he reads that.

Came here to post the same thing – I thought it was satire, then I remembered I was on the BBC website.

Wonder who their woman of the year will be.

An interesting article which might cast a bit of light on Donald Trump’s voter appeal…….his strength might be that he himself and those around him are perceived to be oddballs and misfits, which I guess will attract those desperate for very significant change

https://archive.li/2024.12.13-052321/https://www.ft.com/content/2e2603bf-a297-445f-bbad-20a619af7688

Who will protect us from advancing Russian aggression then? Not France, Not Germany either…

France has a bigger military than the UK, along with nuclear weapons, Germany is about the same size.

I can easily see the US staying out of a European war.

Well, that approach worked for them last time.

But these things always come knocking

Russia couldn’t even invade Ukraine properly. They wouldn’t do well against Euro Nato forces.

Who will protect us from advancing Russian aggression then? Not France, Not Germany either…

How does Russia invade UK, but bypass France. Asking for a friend.

Softer targets like Moldova are more of a concern.

How does Russia invade the UK? By buying the property, the politicians, the businesses.

Why invade when you can destabilise? It worked in many of the former USSR states (and arguably the USA and UK).

Why invade when you can destabilise?

Or just blow shit up for fun – they haven’t invaded much of Ukraine, but they’ve damaged a hell of a lot of it.

Or just blow shit up for fun – they haven’t invaded much of Ukraine, but they’ve damaged a hell of a lot of it.

To be fair that wasnt the plan.

Quick decapitation strike into Kyiv and then watch the country surrender and become part of the glorious new USSR.

Its only when that failed that they ended up going for trashing everything.

Got to agree with that ^^

And the UK is in no way comparable to Ukraine in terms of possible aggression from Russia. There are no Russian speaking regions in the UK nor pro-Russian elected politicians nor is it next door nor was ever part of one country.

There is no logical reason at all to believe that Russia has any interest in absorbing the UK. It’s an overcrowded country with shit weather and frankly shit food and drink

It’s a…country with shit weather and frankly shit food and drink

You’ve clearly never been to Russia

Time person of the year is insane. 1938: Hitler 1939: Stalin.

Churchill won it a few times. Putin won it too. Then like Greta Thunberg is in there randomly alongside a few other none dictator types.

Problem with Person of the Year is that it’s basically the most significant person of the year, not the most virtuous. Like it or not, Trump has led a massive realignment of U.S. and global politics. The old Republican party was out of touch with its base and the party establishment either had to join the MAGA crowd or get pushed out. The Democratic party completely misjudged the electoral climate and spouted silly slogans like “democratic socialism” and “defund the police” that have zero appeal to normal people. Trump will absolutely go down as one of the most consequential presidents of the modern era, along with F.D.R. and Reagan – F.D.R. remade America, Reagan ended the New Deal era, now Trump has killed Reaganism. That’s a BFD, hence the Man of the Year award.

Apparently he’s just won a defamation case as ABC labled him a ‘rapist’….when in fact he was ‘only’ found guilty of being a ‘sex abuser’…

15 million quid…

Words absolutely fail me..

The Democratic party completely misjudged the electoral climate and spouted silly slogans like “democratic socialism”

Kamala Harris spoke about democratic socialism? It sounds like the sort of claim that Trump supporters would make.

Have you got any links to back up that claim because it would represent a very significant change in stance from Kamala Harris?

“Sen. Kamala Harris says she’s no democratic socialist”

https://apnews.com/united-states-presidential-election-1d5789a50f854a5ab897292015343810

So the Trump/Musk axis of chaos is doing it’s thing.

I’ve never quite understood how the US budget/government shutdown rodeo operates, but here we go again.

The fact that Musk, in his non governmental role to shrink the government he’s not a part of, is using false statements on X to campaign against the budget is really very worrying. I fear these two are going to make Truss and Kwarteng look like rank amateurs at disaster capitalism.

BBC News – Trump-backed bill to keep US government running fails to pass
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6l9e3jq7xo

Im sure more than one surrounding Trump are going to end up in court, so his term in office is going to be a bonanza for lawyers(again).

The whole Trump/Musk thing is going to explode at some point, two massive narcissistic egos, Trump with his agenda, Musk with his and X as his megaphone. Given that Trump is out at the end of this term King Maker Musk will start looking for someone else to back around the midterms.

That’d be Farage then.

The whole Trump/Musk thing is going to explode at some point, two massive narcissistic egos, Trump with his agenda, Musk with his and X as his megaphone.

I was going to say somehting similar…how long can Trumps ego tollerate playing second fiddle to President Musk, or is his title Regent Musk? 😉

Given that Trump is out at the end of this term King Maker Musk will start looking for someone else to back around the midterms.

This is bigger than Trump, Trump is just a useful puppet at the moment – one term is all his puppetmasters need to use him to rip up the rulebook in their favour, given the republicans control the courts and both houses… Once that is done, Trump is just a paperweight – Musk can just buy a new GOP presidential candidate for the term after.

I wonder if/when he will realise that?

I’ve never quite understood how the US budget/government shutdown rodeo operates, but here we go again.

The fact that Musk, in his non governmental role to shrink the government he’s not a part of, is using false statements on X to campaign against the budget

It works like this. The President has to get a budget approved by Congress. That involves a lot of horse trading, unless the President’s party has large majorities in both houses, there will need to be compromises and deals to get a bipartisan majority.

However, although the budget authorizes the administration to spend money (a lot of which is mandated entitlement spending like social security), it doesn’t authorize the administration to borrow money to pay for it. The President has to go back to Congress to get permission to borrow money to pay for the budget that Congress has already approved. A lot of Republicans just view any government spending as bad so they use the debt ceiling negotiations to try to hold the President hostage and extract budget cuts for future budgets. The commonsensical thing to do would be to do away with the debt ceiling and automatically approve whatever borrowing is needed to pay for the budgeted costs but there are too many people in Congress who want to keep the leverage.

This thread should really be renamed as Elon! Musk!..

This thread should really be renamed as Elon! Musk!..

Or merged with the existing one.

There’s another BBC article gone up talking more about Musk’s role in all this, and all I can visualise is the US heading straight for an iceberg towing quite a lot of the “western” world behind it.

There’s another BBC article gone up talking more about Musk’s role in all this,

Leaving aside the issue of whether Musk is actually a good businessman, the idea that business leaders would make good national leaders is pretty dumb. They are different jobs and I think most business leaders don’t really understand the concept of the government providing public services. I don’t think Musk has any idea what he’s doing here and how brutally public opinion can turn when pension cheques don’t arrive on time.

I don’t think Musk has any idea what he’s doing here and how brutally public opinion can turn when pension cheques don’t arrive on time.

I don’t think his modus operandi involves being a public servant… deregulating his areas of business interest and paying no taxes on the other hand….

Time person of the year is insane. 1938: Hitler 1939: Stalin.

Churchill won it a few times. Putin won it too. Then like Greta Thunberg is in there randomly alongside a few other none dictator types.

I was Time’s Person of the Year in 2006.