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

[billy rubin]

i just tell people i was born in the chickasaw nation and let them figure it out

my grandparents were married in indian territory, in the same town.

now its oklahoma, in the home of the brave.

[Recusant]

America the Depraved as I now call it.

The people had one job and failed it miserably.

On my birthday this year, I am distraught, worried about the future. I have no avenue to escape this country, nor do I know if any country is going to be safe. I just have to hope that my state will resist the Christofascists and hold strong.

January 20th I'll be thoroughly distracted with starting a training program and starting physical therapy. But even with those distractions it's going to be rough to keep my mind off of the doom.

I wish you many happy returns to this auspicious point in our orbit of Sol! As for the god-bothering/grifting/authoritarian bastards, don't let them grind you down. You've got the right idea I think--try to live a good life in spite of the dismaying vagaries of the republic.

[Icarus]

Harmonie, Recusant has the right advice. I add my encouragement as well.  If it matters, you can know that you have friends in South Africa, England, Tasmania, Norway, California, Florida, and several other places as well. Not many people can make that boast.

A  shamefully corrupted Latin version of Recusant's advice is Nulle Carborundum Bastardus.  (don't let the bastards grind you down)

[Tank]

America the Depraved as I now call it.

The people had one job and failed it miserably.

On my birthday this year, I am distraught, worried about the future. I have no avenue to escape this country, nor do I know if any country is going to be safe. I just have to hope that my state will resist the Christofascists and hold strong.

January 20th I'll be thoroughly distracted with starting a training program and starting physical therapy. But even with those distractions it's going to be rough to keep my mind off of the doom.

Chin up.. It's only 4 years. How bad can it get? 

[Tank]

Seriously though. Just buy popcorn and watch the circus. He's a clown. The sensible Republicans and there are many, can't stand him either.

[Asmodean]

Your nation has its problems. Donald Trump may or may not be one, depending on your angle and what you are hoping for, but then every nation has something worthy of criticising, and yet every nation has people living their lives as best they can.

Who knows, perhaps the Democrats will have a good, long look in the mirror and make themselves easier to elect the next time around. Until then, grab that popcorn by whatever passes for a pussy in a ball of expanded maize seed and wait for the fireworks... Or wish the powers that be the best of luck and resume normal activities. Both seem better-adjusted ways of approaching the coming political season than "all-consuming" and/or illness-inducing Trump-derangement.

If Bill Maher could do it, then so can you.

[Old Seer]

Your nation has its problems. Donald Trump may or may not be one, depending on your angle and what you are hoping for, but then every nation has something worthy of criticising, and yet every nation has people living their lives as best they can.

Who knows, perhaps the Democrats will have a good, long look in the mirror and make themselves easier to elect the next time around. Until then, grab that popcorn by whatever passes for a pussy in a ball of expanded maize seed and wait for the fireworks... Or wish the powers that be the best of luck and resume normal activities. Both seem better-adjusted ways of approaching the coming political season than "all-consuming" and/or illness-inducing Trump-derangement.

If Bill Maher could do it, then so can you.

For the first time in my life I voted in the last national election. Trump is the better deal, the other was no deal.

[Asmodean]

My view of Trump is probably belaboured enough around these threads, but the long and short of it is that I don't think he is "literally God," nor do I think that he's "literally worse than Hitler." That position is based on his first term, during which I have changed my opinion from some very mild Trump-derangement following his 2016 victory, through "meh... He's OK. Bought me a new used car through some cleverly placed stock options" to "he's mostly remarkable for the quality (or, lack thereof) of shit that comes out of his mouth. Other than that, just another businessman-turned-bureaucrat."

He's a old loud-mouth politician, who has his positive and negative aspects.

If the positive aspects of a Trump term in the White House out-weigh the negative in a given voter's subjective opinion, then he's overall worth voting for. If not - not.

From there, you can expand to "is he better than the competition?" Well, if the competition's main selling point is "I be a alternative to Orange Man Bad," then personally, I lean towards "yes." At times wild and/or wildly-ambitious though they may be, at least Trump has some ideas on the table.

I'm not American, and so I do not vote there, nor do I try to tell the American people who to vote for. with that in mind, for me, the main selling point of Kamala was that she was probably better for the Ukraine situation. Europe is fucking toothless and happens to need the United States to prevent Russia from achieving victory. Conversely, Trump is likely to leave Israel alone to try and get the job done in their regional war - even help Israel do it well, if all the stars aligned just right. That said, my world, much like the United States and the lives of her citizens, keeps ticking - as it would have, regardless of the outcome.

Yeah, it may be that my "best case scenario" for Ukraine has shifted from defeating Russia to plodding through the next four years somehow, then seeing what happens, but... Such is life. For some people, the price of milk is a far more important issue than some expensive foreign war - and legitimately so. I prioritise as I do because I can afford it, and that reality is not lost on me.

[Old Seer]

Actually I did vote in a presidential election in the past. I've been around to long I guess, but voted for Kennedy back in the day whilst IN the USMC and haven't since. I was in service under Ike and Kennedy. I voted for Trump because of to maintain Americanism over globalism, and to preserve the constitution. Whilst not perfect it's the better deal to me. 

[Asmodean]

I voted for Trump because of to maintain Americanism over globalism

This is something I fully understand and support. Americans, just like everyone else, should vote with their own best interests in mind. When those interests happen to coincide to some degree with the interests of others - well, excellent! When not - to each, their own.

[Icarus]

[/quote]
This is something I fully understand and support. Americans, just like everyone else, should vote with their own best interests in mind. When those interests happen to coincide to some degree with the interests of others - well, excellent! When not - to each, their own.
[/quote]

During the recent presidential election, voters did NOT vote in their own best interests. They did vote for absurd promises that would affect their lives in a decidedly negative way.  Trumps promise to lower taxes sounds good but there are more downsides than good ones when the nations debt continues to grow almost exponentially. .....What the Hell? only a few more trillion dollars of debt? What could that hurt? 

Deport all those immigrants that are doing 30% of all construction work....What could that hurt?  Who is going to harvest our fruits and vegetables when we deport all those Latinos?

The US has critical need for more ships for both commercial and military uses. Shipyards in the US are years behind because they cannot hire enough workers with the needed skills. Surprise, Mexicans, Guatamalans, venezuelans and the rest can weld, paint, pipe fit, and more.  They have plenty of other needed skills and many of them already work at shipyards. Should we further cripple the industry by deporting them? Does anyone of the voters know how much it will cost to deport millions of undocumented immigrants?  The answer is billions. But we can cut taxes, Right?

Best interests ?  in a pigs ass!

[Recusant]

Well said, man. 

[zorkan]

What I don't understand about America is their interference in British politics.
Like "president" Musk commenting on internal affairs which should be handled by the Westminster government.
His comment on child grooming gangs in the Manchester area has now influenced the leader of the opposition into calling for a full enquiry.

[billy rubin]

thats mostly a musk thing, not something american.

he sticks his face through any hole in the fence he notices.

[Dark Lightning]

Indeed. Felon Husk doesn't represent the US, inasmuch as he isn't even an appointed worker thereof, let alone an elected one. He represents himself.