America. 7/4/1776 to 11/5/2024.

[zorkan]

World War 3 has now begun, according to some sources.
https://www.politico.eu/article/ww3-officially-begun-ukraine-ex-top-general-valery-zaluzhny/

But Trump is here to save the world!
www.documentaries.org/films/john-titor-time-traveler/
Okay, so maybe the time-line is a bit out, but American cities are at risk of being nuked by the Russians.

Relieved to find I'm out of the way in the UK, or so explains the Daily Bullshit.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/chilling-ww3-nuke-map-reveals-34164430

[billy rubin]

matt gaetz has stepped down from his attourney general nomination, in the wake of threats to release his ethics investigation.

he has just announced he will not return to congress, in spite of winning the election for the next term after this.

i predict within 30 days he will announce that he has been hired by fox news as a television political commentator.

[Tank]

I would take that bet.

[Asmodean]

could also go political analyst at some punditry house or other.

Plenty a' "do-nothing-job" opportunities for the political ne'er-do-wells out there.

[Icarus]

The newest appointee to the job is Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of the state of Florida. She is much prettier than Gaetz but she is also an unapologetic suck up to Trump as well as having a far right mentality.  Aside from that, she is probably a competent lawyer but not up to speed as the U.S. attorney general. She will do the Orange Mans bidding to be sure. Let us see what the Senate will decide about her confirmation.

[billy rubin]

they will stamp their feet and make important speeches about democracy and their role in safeguarding our republic, and then they will vote to confirm anybody trump suggests.

they would have confirmed even gaetz but he dropped out when  the committee announced that they had testimony from witnesses he didnt know that they had interviewed. all the important people were already supporting gaetz.

this would all be funny if it werent my country running into the gutter.

[Tank]

There is an outside chance that this administration will be such a clusterfuck that America will learn a lesson? No? I thought not

[Asmodean]

this would all be funny if it werent my country running into the gutter.

Trump administration has yet to take office, so if your country is already running into an gutter, then maybe there are other explanations as to why.

If it still is after they've held office for a few months and with no sign of improvement, then maybe there be something to it. Until that time, the standing truth is that not being likeable, or even being a "bad" person by some measure or other, does not, generally speaking, preclude one from being good at one's job.

[billy rubin]

nobody in my government has been any good at it for many years.

the rot in my government goes back a long way. money is at the root, and a long practice of de-educating the people, balkanizing the politics, and  devising and supporting an oligarchy that makes the one in russia shrink into insignificance.

the democrats are no better than the republicans.  supposedly trump was the anti-christ, or so they said. but now theyre inviting  him to tea at the white house? how are they preparing for the end of america, no that hes going to be president? im not hearing anything. so was it all just an act?

 the democrats are as complicit as the republicans in the perpetuation of economic inequality. why did average americans lose their shirts in the financial crisis while obama gave millions to rich bankers? because democrats care about working people? i dont think so.

but i see no indication that trump is competent. he added 8 trillion dollars to my countries national debt, he already shut down the government once, hes announced his intentions with respect to domestic and foreign policy. he appointed revisionist judges to the courts, he withdrew from essential foreign treaties.

donald trump pulled out of from the iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions. he told iran, call me. iran told him to fuck himself. is the world safer? iran is now two weeks from weapons grade uranium, at any time.

trump told north korea to fear his wrath. kim jong un told him to fuck himself. is the world safer now? north korea continues to improve its ICBMs.

trump told china to shape up or ship out. china told trump to go fuck himself. the 200 billion dollar soy and corn deal with china went away, and trump took 28 billion dollars of my taxes bailing out american farmers. no socialism there.

trump adores putin. is the world a safer place with trump appeasing that dictator? we have two months until we see trumps master plan for peace in our time. i can predict what it will be.

theres no need to wait for what he ll do. looking at his cabinent , and his promises, and his previous behaviour, hes already doing it.

[Tom62]

These are interesting times we are going through. Not sure that I like it though or that things will improve. Just wait and see what happens, I guess.

[Tank]

Billy thank you for your local insight. That's what I love about this place and social media in general I get to see the opinions of real people.

[billy rubin]

actually, on the internet nobody knows that i am a dog.

[Tank]

Woof woof!

[Icarus]

I must be a dog of the same breed as Billy.

We have made a mistake while in the process of selecting our national leader. The degree of seriousness of the the mistake is yet to be determined. More than a few of us have come to believe that we have fucked ourselves..Royally!

It is of only small comfort that the Leapord will not eat MY face. The voters choice will almost surely lead to more inflation which will affect my own budget unfavorably.  I will manage somehow.  The less fortunate, which is something like 50% of the entire population, will fall onto harder times than ever. They are the ones who live paycheck to paycheck. Not because they are lazy or unworthy but because that is an economic situation in which they cannot escape. The sadist part of that scenario is that the disadvantaged will probably blame their plight on Biden or Obama or Harris. (SIGH)

[Asmodean]

Ah, but how can you know that just because a fuckening is Royal, that it is any less average than ye regular blue-collar one night stand, in huwhich cash is being exchanged for like... Chlamydia?

nobody in my government has been any good at it for many years.

Good post. I shall critique a point or two, but do view in in light of me generally approving of your position.

the rot in my government goes back a long way. money is at the root, and a long practice of de-educating the people, balkanizing the politics, and  devising and supporting an oligarchy that makes the one in russia shrink into insignificance.

I think there is more to it, though for once, not in a complicating sense.

Some people are drawn to money and/or risk and/or power. Among those people, it's not uncommon to be driven and to accept or simply not care about collateral damage on their way to achieving adequate quantities of both or either. People like that are attracted to and generally successful in politics, banking, policing, entrepreneurship and so forth.

As long as they do not accumulate power or wealth unchecked, I think they are a sum-total benefit to society, and a sizeable one at that. This is, I think, precisely where money in American politics comes in. A politician has to (seemingly) work harder to secure the cash flow for that next campaign than they do for those who would vote them in. You could work your ass off actually doing your job, or... You can owe some entity some undisclosed legislative favours and they will "buy" you an office.

but i see no indication that trump is competent. he added 8 trillion dollars to my countries national debt, he already shut down the government once, hes announced his intentions with respect to domestic and foreign policy. he appointed revisionist judges to the courts, he withdrew from essential foreign treaties.

I agree with raising the debt. While you can successfully live off a stack of credit cards, it is only viable until a repo agent tows your car, changes locks on your house and siezes your bank accounts.

I think the Iran nuclear deal was a bit of a waste. It was a bit like... Well, like imposing sanctions on Russia. They are still likely to end up with half of Ukraine and vote in another Putin when the old one dies of old age.

I don't see the viability of trying to deal with such nations in good faith. Assume that they will always do what is best for the ruling elites. (Actual or perceived "best.")

As for that toothless climate accord thing... Waste of time, paper and jet fuel. Sorry, it just is. You can't compel the world to "save" the world any more than you can compel an alcoholic to resist at an open bar.

trump told north korea to fear his wrath. kim jong un told him to fuck himself. is the world safer now? north korea continues to improve its ICBMs.

I would argue that the world was safer while he was in office. Trouble with leaders like Trump though, is that once they are out, the opportunists will pounce if they see half a opportunity.

trump told china to shape up or ship out. china told trump to go fuck himself. the 200 billion dollar soy and corn deal with china went away, and trump took 28 billion dollars of my taxes bailing out american farmers. no socialism there.

No Socialism there, indeed. The farms were not "turned over to the farmers." A good thing, overall.

trump adores putin. is the world a safer place with trump appeasing that dictator? we have two months until we see trumps master plan for peace in our time. i can predict what it will be.

Yeah, Trump is not ideal for muh Ukraine situation, but then no leader, European or American, is. What needs to happen is a serious discussion about putting NATO boots on Ukrainian soil. It would be costly as hell, but if Russia is not put firmly in its place now, then that price will still be "ours" to pay in the future. Will. Not could or might. I do stand by it.

theres no need to wait for what he ll do. looking at his cabinent , and his promises, and his previous behaviour, hes already doing it.

Perhaps. Though I think history a couple of generations into the future will be far kinder to Trump's time in office than the Left-leaning First-worlders of today are.