Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2

Subject: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 12:36 PM

We're still sticking to just one Trump thread, but it appears that some of the longer ones are troublesome when loading so that last one is "closed for repairs." Here's the new one.

We can't open the entire former thread but you can see what individuals posted to that or any other thread if you go to your personal page or search on someone else and look at their individual thread messages.

This was my final message (on March 31) on the last thread:

In his continuing offensive offensive, when Trump put himself in charge of the Kennedy Center he offended a whole bunch of people. Intentionally.

From the Daily Beast Musician Who Quit Kennedy Center Issues a Chilling Warning About Trump

A musician who quit the Kennedy Center after Donald Trump took over as chair earlier this year issued a chilling warning about the president’s “authoritarian instinct.”

Ben Folds, the former artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra, told CBS News Sunday that he’s never seen political interference in the arts at this scale.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 12:47 PM

And in the good news for today, all of Musk's money didn't win them that Wisconsin supreme court seat, so the lawsuit against Musk that will go before that court isn't a slam dunk to let him off the hook.

The Justice Department judge (Ho) who was told to drop the case against the New York City mayor did so, but with prejudice. That means that while the mayor is probably guilty and in a Harris administration with no interference would mean he'd be found guilty. The matter before us is that since Trump wanted a cudgel to use against the mayor the corrupt Justice Department wanted charges dropped but still hanging over Mayor Adam's head and if he doesn't do what they want, then re-charge him. By dismissing with prejudice, the judge is saying they can't charge him again, so Trump has no more say in the matter.

What a slimy bunch of sewer rats.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 12:57 PM

Thanks SRS and to all the moderators here for your hard work in keeping Mudcat working properly.

I was pleased to read this article today because hitting (f)Elon Musk's "hip pocket nerve" may be the only way to really get to him and make him realise he is not financially and strategically bullet-proof.

[Note: Aussie slang: hip pocket nerve "An imaginary nerve that reacts whenever demands are made on one's money (especially in contexts such as government proposals to increase taxes). The term is from hip-pocket 'a trouser pocket that traditionally contains a wallet'."]

Tesla sales fall in first months of 2025 amid Elon Musk backlash

"In short: Tesla sales in the first three months of 2025 have fallen by a bigger-than-expected margin, will a slump in sales in the US, Europe and China.

"It comes amid increased electric vehicle competition and chief executive Elon Musk's embrace of far-right politics.

"What's next? Chinese company BYD is set to unseat Tesla as the world's number one EV seller later this year."

"Sales of Tesla electric vehicles have slumped 13 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, the company's worst quarterly result since 2022.

"It comes amid strengthening competition in the car market and a backlash to chief executive Elon Musk's embrace of far-right politics.

"The company's share price fell 2 per cent on Wednesday as the company recorded a bigger-than-expected drop in sales.

"The company sold just 336,681 vehicles between January to March, roughly 50,000 fewer cars than for the same period last year."

,,,



Also, on another topic, Australia and other countries are also waiting for the tariff announcements today. It looks like a lot of countries have counter-measures being laid out in waiting so the end result will probably be higher prices for US people. How Trump thinks this is good for the American people is beyond me!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: robomatic
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 02:23 PM

So much of this seems to be chaos for chaos' sake. Such as the recent stories of going for a third Presidential term here at the outset of TRMP 2. Dedicate yourself and yours to first principals, first making sure you have some.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 03:48 PM

So many shiny objects swirl around in the blowback from the muzzle blast that Bannon talks about. One suspects that the hard core MAGA are the audience for the third-term stuff, to keep them from noticing their social security is being whittled away or access completely gone to Medicaid.

If you can open this, here is a link to Timothy Snyder on Substack, the post is a video of John Lithgow reading the 20 lessons from his book On Tyranny.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 09:56 PM

The only reason Trump has the power to create global tariffs is because he declared an economic emergency on day one. The Economist magazine called the US economy the envy of the world but Donald says otherwise.

The Senate passed a law that reverses the Trump economic emergency powers and must be voted on by the House within 7 days.
The speaker of the House then made a rule that changes space time.
REALLY! He has declared that one legal day equals one orbit of the Earth around the Sun. The HOUSE now has 7 years to bring the emergency power bill to a vote.

How do ya like them apples?

If this new definition of time applies to a Presidential term it could make the term hundreds of years long.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 10:07 PM

Yes - the speaker of the house is the one who needs to fix that debacle they created when they said all of this legislative year counts as one day. Lunacy. (Does that mean I can put off paying my taxes?) I will be writing to my representative tomorrow about fixing that.

Meanwhile, Trump, who doesn't seem to understand the difference between customs duty paid at the border versus tariffs, imposed tariffs on the world.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 10:13 PM

That's ok because the world is now in the process of imposing reciprocating tariffs on the US. :-)

Even more costs to be borne by the average person while the rich oligarchs make merry in their mansions. Fiddling while Rome burns.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Apr 25 - 10:29 PM

Perhaps the one day equals a year only applies to one year, but the Parliamentarian has yet to respond.

A couple of months ago, I speculated how Trump could grift on his global tariff idea. Today, many of the tariff nations and islands are uninhabited, but when a country is large enough to pay for an exemption fee to be free of Trump tariffs, there still could be a boat load of cash that might be grifted. We shall see if 'special deals' or renegotiations are made. If not, an American consumer of a foreign nation's product will pay an exorbitant tax or do without.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 01:23 AM

And ‘aliens’ who work for businesses outside the US whose products are sold into the US will be at increased risk of losing their jobs as demand for those now-over-priced products falls.

It’s international economic terrorism.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 03:50 AM

He has no understanding of basic economics let alone complex world trade. Or maybe he does but predicts that his MAGA minions do not. Either way, Carney will make mincemeat of him!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 04:14 AM

trump's latest - 29% tariffs on Norfolk Island - a beautiful tiny little island, a tourist destination (pop. 2188) that is part of Australia & doesn't do any trade!

I've been there twice in 1975 & 2016, it's full of historic buildings & a graveyard where a number of American whalers were buried! Whaling on the Middle Ground

No known exports': Australia's Norfolk Island says it won't have to pay higher US tariffs Two uninhabited Australian islands and the external territory Norfolk Island were singled out for US tariffs....Norfolk Island was facing a 29 per cent tariff, which the US said was in response to the 58 per cent tariff (including currency manipulation and trade barriers) it faced from Norfolk Island.

A spokesperson for the Norfolk Island administrator told SBS News it had "no known exports" to the US.

"Tourism is the main industry on Norfolk Island and the primary driver of economic activity," she said.

"There are no known exports from Norfolk Island to the United States of America and no tariffs or known non-tariff trade barriers on goods coming to Norfolk Island," the spokesperson said. ...

... There was also confusion around why the Heard and McDonald islands, both uninhabited Australian external territories, were also singled out on Trump's list

The islands are populated by seals, penguins, and birds — but not by people.

The US has suggested a 10 per cent tariff will be placed on goods from these islands, a "reciprocal" tariff on the 10 per cent it believes it pays ...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 04:32 AM

I'm having fun!!
Reuters - A tiny Australian outpost gets a steep Trump tariff despite few exports    Reciprocal tariffs of 29% levied on Norfolk Island's exports to US
    US data shows it has had trade deficits with island for past 3 years
    Island's main industry is tourism, some of its business owners say

SYDNEY, April 3 (Reuters) - For Richard Cottle, owner of a concrete-mixing business on Norfolk Island, there was only one explanation when U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a hefty 29% tariff on the tiny territory about 600 miles off eastern Australia: "it was just a mistake".
Though the rugged volcanic island in the southern Pacific does ship a modest amount of Kentia palm seeds abroad, typically worth less than $1 million a year, mostly to Europe, news of the unusually steep tariff passed through its 2,188 residents on Thursday with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Norfolk Islanders overjoyed at brief elevation to tariff bad boys list

~~~~~~~~~~~~
The tiny Australian islands no one expected to draw Trump’s fury It’s two specks of land populated by penguins and seals.

Heard and McDonald islands, which sit 4000 kilometres south-west of Perth and are home to Australia’s only active volcanoes, are uninhabited apart from an occasional visit by scientists to check in on the unusual wildlife. (good pic of the inhabitants, caption - The inhabitants of Heard and McDonald islands – a tariff threat to the United States)

~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Nowhere on earth is safe’: Trump imposes tariffs on uninhabited islands near Antarctica ... Heard Island and McDonald Islands are among several “external territories” of Australia listed separately in the tariff list to Australia, which will see a 10% tariff imposed on its goods.

External territories are part of Australia and not self-governing but have a unique relationship with the federal government. Such territories featured on the White House list were the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island and Norfolk Island.

.... In 2023, Norfolk Island exported US$655,000 (A$1.04m) worth of goods to the US, with its main export being US$413,000 (A$658,000) worth of leather footwear, according to Observatory of Economic Complexity data.

But George Plant, the administrator of Norfolk Island, disputed the data. He told the Guardian: “There are no known exports from Norfolk Island to the United States and no tariffs or known non-tariff trade barriers on goods coming to Norfolk Island.”

Albanese said on Thursday: “Norfolk Island has got a 29% tariff. I’m not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States, but that just shows and exemplifies the fact that nowhere on earth is safe from this.”

The export figures from Heard Island and McDonald Islands are even more perplexing. The territory does have a fishery but no buildings or human habitation whatsoever.

Despite this, according to export data from the World Bank, the US imported US$1.4m (A$2.23m) of products from Heard Island and McDonald Islands in 2022, nearly all of which was “machinery and electrical” imports. It was not immediately clear what those goods were.

In the five years prior, imports from Heard Island and McDonald Islands ranged from US$15,000 (A$24,000) to US$325,000 (A$518,000) per year ...

OMG - leather footwear????? machinery & electrical devices??? - those penguins are very clever.

Who is inventing this "data"

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 04:49 AM

"Who is inventing this data?"

He's 'heard it' somewhere...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Aethelric
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 05:32 AM

“Hi Donald
My people think your people are starting to suspect our little arrangement.
We think you should get mad at me for a while.”

“Yeah O.K. Vlad, I’m good at getting mad.”

“You’re the best Donald. Oh, and no tariffs for Russia”

“You want me to get mad at you but not hit you with tariffs? How do I do that?

“One is the Ukraine and the other is the economy, stupid”

“OK. You can rely on me Vlad.”

“We both know that Donald.
????????”

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 07:13 AM

I was thinking this morning - ok I know that is bad for my health! Anyway there are 7bilion people in world so with a population of 300-400 million in the end the words doesn't really need the US market, so supply chain companies and other exporters could just decide it is not worth doing business with US any more and and cooperate towards a world wide reverse Boston Tea Party.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 09:08 AM

This debacle is being called worse than the worst case scenario.
The Trump message to all the nations of the world "Sit tight and take it. Do not retaliate or tariffs will go up. Wait and the current tariffs will be the high water mark that might be adjusted."

Aha, he wants bribes, while Americans will pay more, and Walmarts, Targets, and automakers will downsize. Farmers are on the immediate brink of bankruptcy. Last time, Trump had to bail out agriculture with 50 billion dollars.

This is not the gilded golden age anyone asked for.
Once everything is broken from food supply to health care and SS it tends to stay broken until it is slowly rebuilt during a depression after the current regime is gone.
How long is pain on a temporary basis?
Answer: Optimistically, it will take years. We already live in a world that is not coordinated and is set upon itself in many selfish ways.

Guess who did not go to the rescue of the 3,000 people killed in the recent earthquake. The MAGA YELL "Fuck them aliens". Down with USAID.
China helped.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: pattyClink
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 09:23 AM

Not only are Trump and Musk insane and incompetent, but the minions cooking up these tariff rates are demonstrating their gross incompetence. I imagine they are what is being produced by evangelical 'universities' these days. Major: Religion. Minor: Enshittification.

Yes, SPB-C, that's what's going on, the world order is changing and will no longer revolve around the USA.

Thomas Friedman on where the future is:

Original — https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/opinion/trump-tariffs-china.html

Archived — https://archive.ph/OZrfa#selection-4585.327-4585.335

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 09:23 AM

The only 'alien' (how I hate that fucking disgusting Americanism for anyone who happens to not have been born a Yank) in this whole crock o'shite is Donald Tump. He truly is NOT of this world.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 09:25 AM

Or even Trump!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 09:49 AM

We all are in an experiment by something bigger than Trump.
It is called Sentient and it is classified but you can find out a little bit about it. Sentient

Culture is random. We as a species are becoming more monocultural compared to ancient humans. That creates an obstacle or weakness for evolution. If you are a nerd, you might see that Trump is trying to create an autopoietic nation. He won't know what that means, but it takes an entire planet system in turmoil to create life, not a single locale. I don't think he knows much beyond making a quick buck by deception.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Fred
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 11:31 AM

Re: Trump.


There's an old Star Trek line that says it best:

"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it!"

Fred

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 11:32 AM

*Agree*, BWM, on both counts (both the loathing of the expression and the identification of the lizard person). I've been saying for Simply Ages that our King should withdraw that invitation to tea at Buck House, on the grounds that the orange moron is an enemy alien and a danger to our national security.

Meanwhile, there's an article by Rob Slade in RISKS 34:60, which I find pertinent (qv for link to the full lesson):

*Security for ordinary folks*: Lessons from Signalgate 1 - Rules

[ ... ]

So, day by day, herewith some security lessons, applicable to seniors, homemakers, owners of your own business, students of security, security professionals, and all the way down to vice presidents of superpowers.

"Security for ordinary folks": Lessons from Signalgate 1 - Rules

Lesson one: this is why we have information classification rules.

[ ... ]

First of all, this whole story, and scandal, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. I mean that, quite literally. Nicer people are people who tend to follow the rules. The MAGA camp is led by someone who not only doesn't think that the rules apply to him, he doesn't think that there *are* any rules at all. [ ... ]

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 11:43 AM

This seems to be the point at which the congress decides to act. Their gored oxen is the stock market. Until now just normal citizens worrying about social security wasn't enough to budge them. Now if the senate can light a fire under Johnson to stop the stupid one day is one year thing. So much happening, what was that about again?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 11:48 AM

News flash (from BBC ticker): French president Macron calls for suspension of investment in the US.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 02:02 PM

It was just pointed out to me that the tariffs are not an economic measure but a political one. Economicly they do not make sense but politically they do. As well as giving the hard of thinking the impression that the turnip is a strong man, it gives him a great sense of power over others. In some ways, sadly, they do give him power. Once he has broken the country and the electorate start to rebel against his regime he can relax some of the tariffs, lowering prices and pacifying those railing against the regime.

Hopefully the majority over there are wise to this but can action be taken soon enough?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Fred
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 02:31 PM

It's not just the US, it's more or less EVERY country. The people (or most of them) struggle and those in power don't.

It wouldn't matter who was in the White House, in No 10 or anywhere else, nothing can change and nothing WILL change until those in power put the people before self.

Just my opinion.

Fred

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 02:39 PM

£20 Grand disappeared off Mrs Backwoodsperson’s Pension fund since the tariffs announcement yesterday. Thank you very much, you fat, ugly, orange c**t.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Fred
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 03:06 PM

Bw,

I WAS wondering cos that's not the you I'm used to. Now it's clear. That stinks man!

Fred

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Fred
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 03:56 PM

Bw,

About your wife's pension fund, I mean.

Fred

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 04:23 PM

Yeah, sorry about the sweary bit Fred, but she’s worked her butt off and saved hard for years, for what she hopes will be a comfortable retirement, only to see her money disappearing because of that fat, greedy, selfish waste of oxygen.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 04:34 PM

Hitler did better in the Great Depression.

The WSJ finally agrees with my bribery/tariff scheme.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Fred
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 05:04 PM

Bw,

No, I totally get it mate. I'd be the same to be fair.

Fred

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Raggytash
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 07:05 PM

This may have slipped under the radar in the USA.


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/03/donald-trump-ordered-pay-legal-costs-steele-dossier-lawsuit

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Raggytash
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 07:21 PM

I've been browsing through a book about words and their meaning by the UK lexicographer Susie Dent.

Tonight in my reading I got up to "Trumperiness" to which she says

"This 19 the century word describes a state of being extremely showy but utterly worthless - in other words trashy. It is the first cousin tp "trumpet", from the French trompe. Trumpet"

A perfect description I think.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 07:21 PM

the United States is not a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), although it played a role in establishing the Rome Statute that created the ICC, and has previously signed the treaty, it has not ratified it and has withdrawn its signature. Now Hungary has quit the World Criminal Court. Our friends in Russia, North Korea etc. welcome the news.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 07:25 PM

All I can say is that the grassroots in the US is working on this. Hopefully Trump won't know what hit him when all of it finally starts working. I'd really love him to have a debilitating stroke from the angry response, but whatever. He needs to be disarmed (the Executive Orders and the proclamations are something Congress can cancel) and impeached.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 07:33 PM

We need a new/old national anthem. National Anthem by Trump

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 08:11 PM

The Senate now has a new bill to limit Trump's tariff power.

Trump is in his castle and all of us, American or not, are the outside power. We can surround the castle and hold a siege.
It may be the fight of our lives. It may reveal the king is a coward or that he cares so little about other people that many are killed.
But now it is a fight for survival and not just an inconvenience.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 08:12 PM

The question about the following review is whether Trump will interfere with it and whether he will sweep it under the rug, with all his other muck and garbage. (h to be back in olden times where the checks and balances, investigations and judicial systems could be trusted! :-(


Pentagon watchdog to review Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal app to convey plans for Houthi strike

"In short: The Pentagon's acting inspector general says he will review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of the Signal messaging app to convey plans for a military strike in Yemen.

"In a memorandum addressed to Mr Hegseth, the Inspector General's office said it would examine whether the use of Signal met Defense Department guidelines.
What's next?

"Mr Stebbins said the review would take place in Washington, DC as well as at Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 08:25 PM

I foresee a march larger than the women's march during Trump's 1st term. A siege is not trashing the White House but creating an embargo of the presidency. The Senate has reached its limit but the House is still hanging together for the time being.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 11:38 PM

Some of this nonsense the House and Senate can stop if they decide to act. "IF" being the key word here.

I have mutual funds that are down 12% right now.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 12:59 AM

SRS, on the topic of Trump's health, I noticed in the tariff announcement video that he appeared to be very stiff, not moving his head because his neck seemed stiff, and his stance was very stiff. I didn't watch the whole speech but I noticed the stiffness just before he turned to walk away at the end. He moved and walked like an automaton including keeping his body and head aligned and turning like he was made of a big block of wood.

He doesn't look very healthy in his face either. I think the stress is getting to him so a stroke might indeed be a possible health event for him.

I've resisted the temptation to say this, so you can delete it if you want, but given that he is a convicted rapist he probably hasn't had many women coming near him in private, so that form of stress relief might be being denied to him. (Sad! NOT!)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 03:17 AM

”He needs to be disarmed (the Executive Orders and the proclamations are something Congress can cancel) and impeached.”

On the current showing, it ain’t gonna happen. Congress appear to be paralysed (or in cahoots with The Mango Mussolini), and we all know how the other impeachments turned out.

Barring a debilitating health issue, or someone getting lucky with a bullet (I never thought I’d find myself supporting the American laissez-faire gun-ownership laws!), we’re stuck with the fat, ugly bastard for the next four years.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 07:20 AM

Last week I shifted my mutual funds into money market accounts. I'm not saying hurray for me, I'm just putting this out there as an option.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 07:28 AM

There is resistance and fighr in the people but in the meantime how will the poor survive such times as these? Many won't

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 07:50 AM

A good question earlier was, "Where did these Trump numbers come from?"

His minions only looked at the trade deficit numbers of a nation and applied the highest tariffs on those.

That was nonsense economics and nonsense math. There is a bad case of history deficit disorder going on but Trump believes he's a genius.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 08:32 AM

If you believe this shit-show is all Trump's own work, you are either very naive or very deluded. Trump is the garrulous glove-puppet, the distraction tactic if you will, for a bunch of very wealthy, very dangerous, very fascistic politicians and businessmen.

Keep your eyes on the ball.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 09:50 AM

Trump may an ignorant dupe but he is the head of this treacherous snake and without him this insanity wouldn't be possible.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 01:22 PM

From yesterday to today, starting from the same number on my mutual funds, they are now down 18%.

The pressure is finally being placed on Trump, but it took the Senators and House members probably looking at their own stock portfolios to begin to act. Piss poor reason for starting to speak up for their constituents.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 01:52 PM

Life is just a bowl of cheeries was popular in the 1930's.
Life is just a bowl of coronaries today.

The market has not crashed like in 1929, but it could go lower.
It has lost over 3 trillion dollars, but Trump sez we have 7 trillion rolling in. I recall that Hitler believed he had army divisions that did not exist, probably out of a denial his ego demanded.

Just because some US billionaires caved in to Trump does not mean the world will pay to play Trump's fear and favor game.
I believe he has lost. Its all over except for his firing purge of those he will blame. Meanwhile, what is lost is gone and will never suddenly reappear. If a correction does happen it will take 3 months to stabilize at an overall loss.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 03:07 PM

A South Korean Court removed their President today.
The people were behind the court. Stranger things could happen here.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 04:59 PM

Only in your dreams…

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 05:51 PM

comment from one of our political commentators this morning -

As the internet came alive with memes of outraged Heard Island penguins protesting at being hit with 10 per cent tariffs by the US on Thursday, others online were speculating about just how the Trump administration had come up with its tariffs formula, which not only hit the scenic penguin colony but the US military base on Diego Garcia.

There was some speculation that the White House might have asked ChatGPT for some suggestions the night before.

sandra

personally I go with the Hollow Earth theory - the penguins have established an industrial complex making leather shoes for their friends in Norfolk Island (no penguins there, but lotsa' birds) & electrical goods for themselves! I wonder what they are making for their Diego Garcia friends.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 05:55 PM

comment from one of our political commentators this morning -

As the internet came alive with memes of outraged Heard Island penguins protesting at being hit with 10 per cent tariffs by the US on Thursday, others online were speculating about just how the Trump administration had come up with its tariffs formula, which not only hit the scenic penguin colony but the US military base on Diego Garcia.

There was some speculation that the White House might have asked ChatGPT for some suggestions the night before.

sandra
Hollow Earth theory - the penguins have established an industrial complex making leather shoes for their friends in Norfolk Island (no penguins there, but lotsa' birds) & electrical goods for themselves! I wonder what they are making for their Diego Garcia friends.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 06:15 PM

Tomorrow, Saturday April 5, there are protests large and small
planned all over the United States.
The umbrella title appears to be Hands Off.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 06:45 PM

It's much larger than just the US. At this point there are protests scheduled in many other countries as well. https://handsoff2025.com/

There is one scheduled in London on the
North Terrace in front of the National Gallery (3pm on Sat, 5 April) at Trafalgar Square, London, UK
London WC2N 5DS, DC 20001

Also in Edinburgh, as well as in Netherlands, Belgium, France, and two in Portugal. There's also one on American Samoa, though I don't see any in Australasia.

They're all over the US. I'll be going to one in the town directly south of me. Alas, my city doesn't have one scheduled.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 07:32 PM

I haven't heard of any protests organised in Australia for April 5 but I'm sure there will be protests somewhere, maybe on a different day. We believe in free speech here so it's just another normal activity for us.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 09:46 PM

I previously linked to an author of project 2025 interview and his views on tariffs and government destruction. His name was Ron Vera,
...................................................................
IT TURNs OUT RON VERA IS NOT A REAL PERSON

The name is an anagram of Navarro. Ron Navarro is the Trump minion who has plunged the world into recession with his Trump approved plan.
It was Kutchner who initially went to the Amazon bookstore to find any like minded economist his father in law might enjoy to support.

source Rachel Maddow.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 04 Apr 25 - 09:57 PM

From: Donuel - PM
Date: 03 Apr 25 - 08:25 PM

I foresee a march larger than the women's march during Trump's 1st term.

A siege is not trashing the White House but creating an embargo of the presidency. The Senate has reached its limit but the House is still hanging together for the time being.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 02:09 AM

Stilly, we have a Federal election in a few weeks, so folk are busy there.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 03:19 AM

IT TURNs OUT RON VERA IS NOT A REAL PERSON

The name is an anagram of Navarro


No it isn't!

DC

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 03:25 AM

Ron Navarro is the Trump minion who has plunged the world into recession with his Trump approved plan.

Do you mean Peter Navarro?

DC

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 07:05 AM

Apologies for the lengthy copy/paste: I lack time to make it shorter.

Trump fires NSA boss, deputy

'Nonpartisan' intelligence chief booted less than two years into the job

President Trump yesterday fired the head of the NSA and US Cyber Command and his deputy.

The removal was confirmed today by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Pentagon declined to comment. [ ... ]

Senator Warner not only hit out at the dismissal of the NSA Director, but also alleged the decision was made following lobbying from a political ally-slash-fangirl of the President.

"It’s so crazy it defies belief: Trump refused to fire the people that embarrassed America and risked servicemembers’ lives in the Signalgate scandal," he tweeted. "But fired General Haugh, a nonpartisan national security expert, at the advice of a self-described 'pro-White nationalist.'"

The nationalist in question is Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist who visited President Trump on Thursday. She publicly describes herself as a proud Islamophobe and White nationalist.

The firing was also confirmed by Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), who is a ranking member on the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He said the decision made America less safe and demanded an explanation.

"I am deeply disturbed by the decision to remove General Haugh as Director of the National Security Agency," he said on Facebook.

"I have known General Haugh to be an honest and forthright leader who followed the law and put national security first - I fear those are precisely the qualities that could lead to his firing in this Administration. The Intelligence Committee and the American people need an immediate explanation for this decision, which makes all of us less safe."

[ ... ]

All in all it has been a bad 48 hours for America's national security community. At least five members of the National Security Council were given their marching orders on Thursday after the Loomer meeting.

"Always, we’re going to let go of people we don’t like, or people we don’t think can do the job, or people who may have loyalties to somebody else," Trump said on Air Force One while on his way to a Saudi Arabia-backed golf tournament. He denied Loomer had anything to do with it.

The Orange Excuse really does lack an output filter. He's actually said the quiet bit out loud.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 09:44 AM

> If you believe this shit-show is all Trump's own
> work, you are either very naive or very deluded.

*Agree*, BwM: he was only the original enabler. But once the lid's off the kludgie ---

His Execrance may or may not survive* long enough to (want to) repeal the "two terms and you're out" Amendment, but the succession is already settled .... unless Jealous Dunce pisses him off once too often first. In the meantime, he's stuck in his Isengard, obsessing over the palantir that binds him to his belovéd Controller.

* The sanity-clause Amendment (25th?) will be irrelevant: they'd just bribe the examiner.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 10:21 AM

I think Navarro is correct. When I speak from personal knowledge and opinion, I say what I mean literally or metaphorically. When I simply repeat a news report, I am only a messenger, despite typos. I did find Ron Vera curious and extreme. btw, Peter Navarro is a different Trumpy guy.

Lets suppose that Trumponomics would actually work with the US manufacturers exploding with new factories and robots. What goes along with manufacturing is the pollution they create. Without an EPA, the results would be A VERY NASTY MESS. Have you ever seen pictures of the Asian garbage fields and pollution from manufacturing? Woof!

Those with a 401K or similar savings who are about to retire are being told by Trump talking heads to sit back and wait another 5 years or more for the market to recover and reach 50,000. Don't believe it.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 10:36 AM

My parents lived through the Great Depression. Some of us lived through the recession.
They are not the same folks.

The implication of tariffs is MASSIVE and dwarfs the elimination of all government services, safety nets, and disaster relief.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 11:21 AM

Seems like you're a bit confused about the Ron "Vara"/Peter Navarro story, Don. This article might shed some light on the matter. Raw Story


Wouldn't be surprised if the crackpot winds
up back in the Clink.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 01:15 PM

They are very close to tearing the support system in the US to shreds.

https://5calls.org/issue/house-budget-cuts-medicaid-billionaire-tax-breaks/

Gotta make a big noise about this. Is there a way to stop final approval? Probably not, but the outcome will be so dreadful that we must try.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 02:14 PM

My mistake: the succession is far from settled. Now that Herself's finished the Sudokus (Sudoki?) in this week's New European and I've had time to read it, it appears JD has zero MAGA cred: no macho aura, and an incurable urge to look clever. Hegseth has the first without the second, plus practice as a F*x News presenter, and was heavily defended by the Glorious Leader over Signalgate, for starters. Matthew D'Ancona tips an interesting dark horse (Megyn Kelly), with supporting arguments, and there's doubtless other hot horses who I've not seen named yet.

But these speculations are all so much Kremlinology. There's also a worrying two-page article with the headline "When Fred Trump lost his mind", and the subhead "What happens if Donald goes the same way as his senile father --- and what if he already has?" Fred's end was deeply tragic: sitting every day in a Potemkin office, with "thick pads of cheap notepaper and an endless supply of blue Flair markers", signing forms which were never read, let alone acted on, and thinking he was still running his property empire.

I'll leave it there awhile.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 02:58 PM

Donnie does take after his dad. Who is more harmful to society, Charles Manson or Donald Trump?
Too bad Donnie canceled Alzheimer's research.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Raggytash
Date: 05 Apr 25 - 03:24 PM

Heard a whisper that Trump has ordered his family to sue his personal safety team in the event he is shot, The figure mentioned was millions per member of his team.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 03:53 AM

https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-tariffs-2-6668989-Apr2025/ a link to the journal and an article on Tariffs

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 05:30 AM

> Too bad Donnie canceled Alzheimer's research.

He refused to publish his health records (when Hilary did publish hers), or have a scan after the first shooting ....   Anyone would think he was terrified they'd find something.

But on a point of order: Was it him or Brain-Worm Junior who did the cancellation? for completeness of the Record.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 05:36 AM

Oh, and to answer your question, Donuel: Manson had a somewhat smaller blast radius.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 05:47 AM

That sounds about right, Raggy. Do the whispers mention poisoning? which leads me on to what may or may not have been a Dave Allen sketch:

The king receives a goblet of wine, and hands it to his poison-taster. The taster sips it, nods, and hands it back. The king takes a swallow. "April fool!" says the taster, and falls backwards, grinning happily.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 11:45 AM

In the US there are private equity firms that buy companies and take them apart. They make a profit on the pieces and whatever else is left struggles along, now paying rent to the party that bought the buildings they used to own to operate in. This happens to stores, to hospitals, to restaurants. To people who live in single-family homes. Those need to be outlawed.

Citizens United was the decision that gave personhood to businesses and allowed for the huge amounts of money that go into campaigns. It's how Musk bought Trump. That needs to be outlawed (again).

The $800+ Billion that goes into services for many millions of poor and old Americans via Medicaid supports hospitals, nursing homes, medical practices, medical temp agencies, medical equipment businesses, drug stores, housing assistance and more will go away - but the need for all of those services won't. People will die. Social Security pays only a pittance - a couple hundred dollars - toward burial costs (at least they used to). So as bodies stack up like cordwood, the billionaires will lose a major source of shoppers.

We pay into Medicare but the services supported by Medicare are also supported by Medicaid: if one goes away, the other is extremely crippled. So even those who aren't the extremely poor and old are going to lose a lot of access to care also. Oops. Oh, well.

But people say they voted for Trump because they thought a "businessman" could reduce the price of things. As media sources spiral downward what will be the lowest common denominator for news of what is going on? That's where the GOP will be spinning this mess and blaming it on Biden.

Our work ahead is dreadful.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 01:23 PM

But on a more positive note, read this article and have a look at some of the placards and the over-life-sized Trump themed costumes - some of them made me laugh out loud:

Thousands protest against Trump and Musk in 'Hands Off!' rallies across US and Europe

"Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in an anti-Trump protest in a score of locations across the US in what organisers expect to be the largest single day of protest against President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk.

"So-called 'Hands Off!' demonstrations were organised for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states in the United States by more than 150 civil rights organisations, labour unions, LBGTQIA+ advocates, veterans and elections activists.

"From the National Mall in Washington DC — where organisers told Reuters more than 20,000 were expected to attend — to Boston Common in Massachusetts, protesters assailed Mr Trump's and Mr Musk's actions on downsizing, the economy, immigration, recent tariffs and human rights."

...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 02:19 PM

Also, some other positive news in Oz.

As a result of the anti-Trump sentiments around the world Peter Dutton (the leader of the Oz opposition party, i.e. the conservative Liberal Party) has walked back a couple of his Trump-style policies for the Federal election next month. I think we can thank Trump's very unpopular tariff announcements for that. (Note: lucky for us the Liberal Party is not in the same extreme end of politics as the current US Republican party line but one of Dutton's political opponents referred to him as DOGE-y Dutton this week, comparing his policies to fElon Musk's abominable snowman tactics.)

And, a billionaire would-be politician here called Clive Palmer decided to rename his hugely unsuccessful political party Trumpet of Patriots, referring to Trump and hoping to hook the people in Oz who might sympathise with Trump's crazy ideas. Our local paper has been overloaded with daily ads for that party for the last few weeks, pending the Federal election, but when I read the Saturday edition there were no ads so the fall-out from Trump's tariff disaster may have hit Clive Palmer where it hurts.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 04:39 PM

Stilly, those equity firms have an equivalent animal in nature, the vulture.
Romney made his fortune as a vulture as much as a loan shark.
His 'corporations are people' argument became flesh and blood reality with Citizens United.

40 million Americans get food born illness per year, and 3,000 die.
Now that DOGE has hollowed out the FDA expect those numbers to go up.
The irony of Trump being food poisoned at McDonalds will also increase slightly. Produce causes half the reported illness' and meat causes the rest.

What will also become more poisonous are Trump's Maul Cops.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 06:11 PM

following on from Helen - our yellow man Clive (all his ads have a bright yellow background) spent $60 million in the 2019 Federal election & didn't get a single seat! This real fact led to a very clever - fake ad "from" IKEA saying he could have paid $27.99 for one of their popular chairs!

He spent $100 million in the 2022 election & got one seat, a MAGA style parrot who agrees with everything clive & trump say, spending for next month's election will no doubt will be more.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 06 Apr 25 - 07:22 PM

Sandra, I was going to use the word "parrot" too. I assume you meant that Clive is parroting Trump and Musk.

Maybe the name of the party could be changed to Strumpets of Parrots. LOL

Hubby sent me an image from an online computer game he plays where players can set up some scenes in the game. The image shows an end-of-the-world scenario with burning Teslas in front of a car dealership with a sign above the shopront saying "FELON MOTORS".

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 05:16 AM

This week I watched the 1990 movie of The Handmaid's Tale, starring Natasha Richardson and based on Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel which I read when it was first published. When I first read it and first saw the movie back in the '90's I really didn't think it was possible for that situation to become a reality.

With Trump's moves to build up the power of rich, white men and reduce the power of poorer people and specifically target women with his dystopian policies I have to admit that the situation in the novel and movie is not as far-fetched as I once thought. One of the key premises for the story is that climate change has had a negative impact on the ability of women to have children so fertile women are used as commodities to help rich powerful couples to have children and are subject to the power of those couples, and especially to the power of the man of the house.

I had to watch the movie in stages because it was so confronting. It's a different ballgame reading the book or watching the movie and thinking that it is so far out of the realms of possibility that it is just a fantasy, compared with seeing some of those dystopian fantasies becoming a reality IRL.

The whole basis of the story is scary.

The final series of the TV show will begin airing this week in Oz. I didn't like the TV show because I thought they dragged it out to great lengths and over-played the cruelty and torture, compared with Margaret Atwood's book which is cleverly subtle.

I'll watch the final TV series, but I'm not really expecting much compared with the original book and movie. It is being billed as the women fighting back and hopefully regaining control over their own lives.

The reason I am posting this in this thread is because I blame Trump and his cronies for bringing these types of dystopian fantasies into real life and watching the old movie again makes that realisation hit home with me even more.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 05:37 AM

> In the US there are private equity firms that buy
> companies and take them apart.

We get them in the UK too: the polite term for them is "asset strippers". They're easy to spot, as one or both of the words "capital" or "management" appear in the company name. One such predatory company is in the process of attempting to ingest Thames Water as we speak, ironically because Thames Water bankrupted itself by paying out dividends to shareholders from bank loans.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 07:37 AM

With enough elapsed time, the bad news for America is very good news for European economies and especially Chinese opportunities as everyone looks east and even Japan and the Pacific teams up with China.

Subject: RE: Dancin in the moonlight
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 03:21 PM

We get chaos almost every night
And when that ol' man tweets his bile so big and vile
It's a narcissistic plight
Everybody's losing all their birthrights

[Verse 2]
Everybody here is out of cash
High prices are up our ass
We keep things cheap, we keep things light
Everybody's losin all their birthrights

[Chorus]
Dancing in the floodlight
Everybody in the camps a fright
It's such a sad and unnatural sight
Everybody's losin all their birthright

[Verse 3]
They like their guns and always fight
We don't feel free we're all uptight
It's such a sad and unnatural sight
Everybody was dancing in the floodlight

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 05:39 PM

Trump had four years to dream up retribution against his critics.
Not in project 2025 is the revenge of removing the security of those who had foreign threats for actions like the killing of Sulamani and his political rivals. Also, his retribution against law firms is brand new. There is a challenge to the equality of people who are not WASPs or MAGA fans. The real Americans are only those loyal to Trump. The use of media is far more authoritarian in a very big brother way with constant Trump commercials.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 06:35 PM

I don't know who this guy is, and it makes me realize I should read that damned 900 page Project 2025 report. Or at least a summary of it.

Part 1: On April 20th, 2025, the United States may Cross the Point of No Return.

This essay scares the bejeezus out of folks who have shared it so far.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 07:00 PM

SRS, have the elected representatives in the Congress and Senate started taking useful action or are they all still sitting in the corner with their thumbs in their mouths, quaking in their boots?

Or are they strategically waiting for Trump to implode politically so that they can start acting like responsible adults again? I was very happy to see how many protests were held in the US and other countries. Hopefully that will put some pressure on the elected reps.

So far I have heard very little about any actions by politicians against Trump. Maybe I'm not looking at the best media sources.

At least it appears that fElon is getting pushed out of the front row. (I hope!)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 09:36 PM

A few GOP have stirred, but not enough to have an effect yet. But we're working on it!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Richard Atkins
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 09:46 PM

I guess Trump and his mates are making millions destroying world financial markets with planed share options to bet on a fall they create . A put option is a financial contract that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to sell an asset (like a stock) at a specific price (the strike price) by a certain date (the expiration date). The value of a put option increases as the underlying asset's price decreases, making them a tool for hedging against potential losses or speculating on price declines. A share option on increase in value can work as well as Trump now dictates world markets. Insider dealing is against the law but wat's wrong with another on the convicted felon list for nearly 4 years ?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 03:50 AM

Congress is divided. The Senate is barely able to stop Trump from using wartime emergency powers, but the House, under Mike Johnson, the speaker, will not budge. The SCOTUS did not rule on the use of emergency power but only said a challenge must come from Texas regarding deportations with no due process, and not Washington, D.C.
I don't think anyone expected a put option of a 6.5 trillion dollar MARKET loss. On CNN, MAGA hired talking heads defend the tariffs by saying 'there is no recession'...........................................yet

SCOTUS has ruled 5-4 that Trump can deport anyone under the war powers act as long as they get due process.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 04:57 AM

Canada's protest song

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 05:49 AM

”SCOTUS has ruled 5-4 that Trump can deport anyone under the war powers act as long as they get due process.”

Which country(ies) is/are the US at war with at the moment?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 10:01 AM

Very good question, BwM: which countries *aren't* they at war with? even itself?

And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided
against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided
against itself shall not stand.
       -- Matthew 12:25

But to your point, Helen:

> are they strategically waiting for Trump to implode
> politically

.... When it comes to doing something decisive, everybody wants to be second, as whoever's first is the nominated riot shield. But there's hopeful signs, however small. I found this near the foot of ....

As CISA braces for more cuts, threat intel sharing takes a hit

Will 'gutting' the civilian defense agency make American cybersecurity great again?

[ ... ]

Meanwhile, California Rep Eric Swalwell, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, last week called the cuts "schizophrenic," and indicated he plans to push legislation this year to codify JCDC into law.

[ ... ]

PS: I've just noticed that The Register's started using the tagline WORLD WAR FEE as a synonym for "trade tariff".

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 12:27 PM

.... Hoooo: just re-read your msg of 07 Apr 25 - 06:35 PM, Stilly, and followed the link, all the way down the rabbit-hole. Serious stare-at-the-wall time; "brown-trouser experience" ain't in it. All too plausible, and the odds shorten by the day minute.

And I think I have an inkling what the triggering excuse will be.* It won't actually matter quite who's there at the wheel, and who's out: now it's over the brow of the hill, the juggernaut can grind on with much of its geartrain missing.

* I'll refrain from giving someone ideas.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 02:19 PM

The link seems to be stating the same fears that I have been censured for voicing. Or am I missing something?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: robomatic
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 02:20 PM

MtF:

Our current crop of U S Republicans are operating off a limited set of principles:

"Early bird gets the worm;
Second mouse gets the cheese."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 03:03 PM

Oh! Sad! :-(

Billionaires turn on Donald Trump over 'economic nuclear war'

"Wealthy tech bros, former Playboy bunnies and Australian miners are turning on Donald Trump as the fallout continues from new tariffs he imposed on America’s trading partners late last week.

"Business leaders who previously donated to Trump’s campaign or showed support for the US president during his re-election bid have criticised the widespread tariffs, which have plunged the global stock market into chaos.

"The tariffs were designed to deal with "the highest trade imbalances" with the United States and were wide-ranging measures taken in a bid to prioritise US manufacturing.

"However their sweeping nature has sparked fears of a global recession as investors sell off trillions of dollars' worth of stocks.

"Even with a two per cent rebound on Tuesday, Australian stocks had still lost more than five per cent - or over $100 billion - in value since last Wednesday's close.

"Meanwhile the world’s 500 richest people suffered the biggest two-day loss ever recorded on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, losing a collective $887 billion.

"Business men and women who have previously backed Mr Trump’s policies and election platform have since turned on him, with some suffering billions of dollars wiped off their overall net worth."

...

There are losses shown for fElon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and three others, including an Aussie billionaire Gina Rinehart.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 04:05 PM

Dave, it's a well-crafted conspiracy theory — there are still a lot of obstacles in the way of such a thing happening. The anonymity of author "Aletheisthenes" tells me they're more interested in generating fear than encouraging people to participate in government. Call that guy alt alt left.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 05:11 PM

https://phys.org/news/2017-04-physicists-negative-mass.html


Who programs the AI matters. Rewriting history at the Naval Academy is easier than doing that at the Library of Congress. The Naval Academy has removed all mention of the holocaust by military orders.
The rabbit hole is not just deep it goes back a long time ago.
The library of Alexandria was not rewritten, just destroyed.
Was it a deliberate Roman act? I dunno, I wasn't there.

We might be able to make mass behave like negative mass but is it really negative mass?

There are human ways of expressing ideas without saying them directly like the above. AI should be able to do the same.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 05:59 PM

SCOTUS has mastered the Art of the Delay to assist Trump.
You know what they say about justice delayed.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 08:11 PM

oh gawd, our former hillbilly J.D.Vance has called the Chinese 'peasants', repeatedly. Hillbilly diplomacy at its best.
China is making this a big, hateful American cause celeb as big as the 104% tariffs due tomorrow.

China cannot unilaterally "call in" the U.S. debt it holds, as it's part of a contractual agreement with the U.S. government to repay the debt according to the agreed-upon schedule, just like any other loan.
However as long as Trump is breaking rules right and left who could say if China does the same and demands their money NOW. This could be a prelude to more than a financial tariff war if the Trump/Vance rude criminality continues.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Richard Atkins
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 10:31 PM

As Trump does his executive orders by the day himself. I don't notice any approval first with a Republican debate. This makes him a dictator by rule.
No wonder he "Got on so well" with Putin. Hitler had a following before concentration camps with locals outside Germany killing Jews with iron bars in the street where they lived on a propaganda doctrine then. I cringe at the clapping to this inane man from his political uneducated American followers

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 02:52 AM

I still don't quite get it but thanks for the response anyway, Stilly.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 10:27 AM

From memory:* the first library at Alexandria was torched (poss by accident) by the Romans, but Julius Caesar knew that the way to a girl's heart is through her library, so he said, "Here's one I swiped earlier," and donated it to Cleo. The last destruction came in two phases: first, the Cailiph decreed that anything in it which disagreeed with the Quran be burnt; then he, or a successor, decreed that anything which *agreed* with the Quran was mere duplication. (Does this start to sound familiar?)

Oh, and Jealous Dunce is and was about as much a hillbilly as people can become Michelin-star chefs by photoing their dinners. Or did I overlook the smiley there?

* No, I wasn't there either.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 12:25 PM

Richard most of the "executive orders" are illegal power grab attempts but he has a whole bunch of Project 2025 folks generating them so it's keeping attorneys and courts busy acting against them and getting it rescinded.

Dave, an unnamed conspiracy theorist has written a plausible scenario. But it misses a lot of the moving parts that are still in play. It's meant to scare people or it wouldn't be anonymous.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 12:42 PM

I shouldn't give MAGA nuts ideas about the Library of Congress

I almost did panic buying of a Chinese 1000 watt 48v 21 speed electric bike for only $369 delivered. US versions of that is $3K.
My existing aging electric bike won't go 30mph but I am aging too.
So I went with a portable sauna for only $100 so when insulin goes through the roof, I'll still be warm. Pharmaceuticals could go crazy.

There is not much we can do in defense. Converting to bonds makes the National debt service worse, going all cash would be eaten by inflation...every move you lose. MAGA talking heads say sit tight and buy the lows, but no one knows the low. Besides, growing from a low is slow.

If you have planned purchases, now is a good time as long as existing supplies are available here already. We will not be panic buying TP.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 01:05 PM

Stilly your optimism is commendable and there have been some anemic victories against authoritarianism but many things are already pretty bad. Is it worse than the W bailouts or .com bust - you bet.
Is it irreversible? Hell no.

But it will take time
and steel spines
that are hard to find
at least in Congress

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 02:20 PM

I'm not so much optimistic as I am trying to do some critical thinking and recognize that there are a lot of smart people out there trying to work out ways to neutralize the Trump effect it not outright remove him.

He's playing with the world economy like a spoiled child; today dropped all of them down to 10% tariffs (the usual is in the 1 - 1.5% range) except for China, where he's making it worse.

He's such a brain-dead puppet.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 03:00 PM

Just saw this on Facebook and thought it worth sharing

“In my life, I have watched John Kennedy talk on television about missiles in Cuba. I saw Lyndon Johnson look Richard Russell squarely in the eye and and say, "And we shall overcome."

I saw Richard Nixon resign and Gerald Ford tell the Congress that our long national nightmare was over.

I saw Jimmy Carter talk about malaise and Ronald Reagan talk about a shining city on a hill. I saw George H.W. Bush deliver the eulogy for the Soviet bloc, and Bill Clinton comfort the survivors of Timothy McVeigh's madness in Oklahoma City.

I saw George W. Bush struggle to make sense of it all on September 11, 2001, and I saw Barack Obama sing 'Amazing Grace' in the wounded sanctuary of Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

"These were the presidents of my lifetime. These were not perfect men. They were not perfect presidents, god knows. Not one of them was that. But they approached the job, and they took to the podium, with all the gravitas they could muster as appropriate to the job.

They tried, at least, to reach for something in the presidency that was beyond their grasp as ordinary human beings. They were not all ennobled by the attempt, but they tried nonetheless.
"And comes now this hopeless, vicious buffoon, and the audience of equally hopeless and vicious buffoons who laughed and cheered when he made sport of a woman whose lasting memory of the trauma she suffered is the laughter of the perpetrators.

Now here comes, a man swathed in scandal, with no interest beyond what he can put in his pocket and what he can put over on a universe of suckers, and he does something like this while occupying an office that we gave him, and while endowed with a public trust that he dishonors every day he wakes up in the White House.

"The scion of a multigenerational criminal enterprise, the parameters of which we are only now beginning to comprehend. A vessel for all the worst elements of the American condition. And a cheap, soulless bully besides.

We never have had such a cheap counterfeit of a president* as currently occupies the office. We never have had a president* so completely deserving of scorn and yet so small in the office that it almost seems a waste of time and energy to summon up the requisite contempt.

"Watch how a republic dies in the empty eyes of an empty man who feels nothing but his own imaginary greatness, and who cannot find in himself the decency simply to shut up even when it is in his best interest to do so. Presidents don't have to be heroes to be good presidents.

They just have to realize that their humanity is our common humanity, and that their political commonwealth is our political commonwealth, too.

Watch him behind the seal of the President of the United States. Isn't he a funny man? Isn't what happened to that lady hilarious? Watch the assembled morons cheer.

~CHARLES PIERCE

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 03:08 PM

I read this and am again really really pissed off that Joe did the decent thing but the foolish thing of appointing Merrick Garland as Attorney General. If Garland had acted right away and aggressively, this might all be moot and Trump would be in prison.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 06:09 PM

On! Off! On! OFF! ON!!! STOP!!!
But sir, we are traveling at ludicrous speed, its dangerous to stop...
STOP STOP STOP DAMIT
Dark Helmet is propelled into the wall...

It's seriously tariff bonkers over here

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 06:20 PM

Sorry SRS, but I read "really really pissed off that Joe" and thought it was moderator in-fighting. LOL

(Ok, it's not *our* Joe, but Joe Biden.)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 06:25 PM

Mission Impossible 13:
Mara Lago is flooded with a zone of fake world leaders waiting in line to meet, greet, and grovel for the President.
Prosthetic latex masks are prepared for 63 foreign leaders to beg, and kiss Trump's ass with an occaisional happy ending to plead for exemptions and favors regarding tariffs.
Once the most favorable terms are publicly secured and announced with secret deals too good to be true, an extreme prejudice conclusion is finally accomplished by Tom Cruz.

Hollywood ending:
Trump dies happier and more satisfied than he ever was in life.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 07:51 PM

To be fair, it was Mueller who first demurred to Congress to address Trump's crimes and misdemeanors. Garland followed the lead of Mueller, and Barr summarized everything as a vindication. Unfortunately, Mueller was in his failing years. Biden did not want to make Trump a martyr, and the ex-president slipped away. Garland is less accountable than Congress, and Biden did not pursue Trump's crimes and magnify a mob's response. Biden avoided weaponizing justice and thought he would let sleeping dogs lie.

Anyway, armchair analysis of the past could be viewed in any number of ways.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: The Sandman
Date: 10 Apr 25 - 04:15 AM

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrggqydxv5o
link from the BBC, People making lots of money from share rise after trump lessens some tariffs

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Apr 25 - 05:15 AM

Some DOGE hackers paid themselves 1.3 million in an unsigned contract they created in the Labor Department.
Source Wired Magazine.

A mudcater speculated insider trading would accompany the tariff scheme. Trump himself made two tweets on Truth Social to buy low NOW, right before he paused tariffs again.

The Justice Dept. will never see this case.

Trump reversed his tariffs because China began selling all its U.S. Treasury Bonds, which would have permanently destroyed the US economy.
The damage still exists. China knows how to play hardball after all.

btw Rich Americans were selling their T-bills as well as China.
That was the ultimate proof of a loss of faith in the US economy.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup rant
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Apr 25 - 04:01 PM

The wealthy power in the US has allowed their fearless, careless, clueless leader to lose trillions of dollars and has removed the wealthy's trick of borrowing with cheap interest rates to avoid inflation over the course of years of payback, since the interest is less than the inflation rate. Interest rates are also going up on our national debt, which will mean trillions more to service the national debt. When billionaires lose billions, I always thought it would be the motive for a necessary 'removal' by and for the true power base. When the useful idiot loses his usefulness, what is the need to keep them? The next liberation day will come around July 4th. By then
I guess the Mississippi will be renamed the Trump River, Mt McKinley will be a carved visage of Trump, and the new supersonic ICBMs will be named Super Trumpers, and perhaps the administration's greatest quest will be a brand new slave market. So far, the truth is stranger than fiction. Is a slave market what the wealthy are waiting for?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 05:18 AM

This might be an example of Trump shooting himself in the foot politically and strategically. The first of many, I hope.

(Can he sue himself if he shoots himself in the foot? Hmm?! I wonder. LOL)

Sorry, I'm posting the whole article because there are a lot of salient points worth reading.

Democratic senators want an investigation into potential market manipulation from Trump's inner circle

"In short: US Democrats have called for an investigation into whether anyone in Donald Trump's circle engaged in market manipulation.

"The president told followers on social media it was a great time to buy stocks, hours before his tariff decision on Wednesday.

"Within minutes of Mr Trump's social media post, the S&P 500 shot up more than 7 per cent.


"Democratic senators are calling for an urgent investigation into US President Donald Trump and his inner circle — including senior adviser Elon Musk, intending to find out if any market manipulation took place following his policy shift on 'Liberation Day' tariffs.

"Global markets plummeted in the days after President Trump announced select trading partners would be charged tariffs of up to 49 per cent on April 2. The S&P 500 shed $5.83 trillion in four days, representing its steepest losses since the index was created almost 70 years ago.

"But on the morning of April 9, Mr Trump began offering his followers reassurance in posts to Truth Social: 'BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well. The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!'

"Minutes later, he elaborated: 'THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT'

"It is not common for the US president to sign off with his initials. DJT is also the NASDAQ ticker for Trump Media and Technology Group, the operator of the social media platform Truth Social.

"About four hours later, Mr Trump announced a delay of 90 days on the tariffs in another social media post, choosing instead to impose a 10 per cent tariff in the interim.

"Within minutes of Mr Trump's social media post, the S&P 500 shot up more than 7 per cent. It finished the day up 9.5 per cent — its biggest one-day gain since 2008. The Nasdaq composite saw its second-largest session surge on record to finish 12.2 per cent higher.

"Democratic senators are now calling for an 'urgent inquiry', claiming the US president created circumstances where market manipulation could've taken place.

"'This sequence of events raises grave legal and ethics concerns,' Senator Adam Schiff said in a letter to the US Office of Government Ethics.

"'The president, his family and his advisers are uniquely positioned to be privy to and take advantage of non-publication information to inform their investment decisions.'

"Mr Schiff then cited Elon Musk as an example, claiming his position as a senior government adviser grants him access to information not available to the public that could affect his vast business interests.

"'Stock in Elon Musk's company, Tesla, increased 18 per cent immediately following the president's announcement to pause most tariffs,' Mr Schiff said.

"'The apparent conflict of interest issues President Trump's announcement presents regarding Mr Musk apply to all White House and executive branch employees — including special government employees — who may have access to non-public information regarding the deliberations and ultimate changes in tariff policy.'

"Democratic senator Chris Murphy said the US president telegraphed to his social media followers that they should buy stocks, alleging 'this could be an enormous scam'.

"'Trump's position changing every single hour gives ample opportunity for any individual who has early access to information … to make boatloads of money, either by investing at the right time or pulling their money out of the market at the right time,' he said in a video posted to social media.

"The Democratic senators allege Mr Trump's conduct presented opportunities where the market could've been manipulated.

"Market manipulation occurs when someone artificially affects the supply or demand for a security, such as causing stock prices to rise or fall dramatically.

"According to the United States Security and Investment Commission, it involves techniques that spread false or misleading information about a company, and by making a security appear either more actively traded or in less demand."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 05:50 AM

This common scam is called 'pump and dump'.
Today the market will drop again.
About 15 years ago, it was normal for congressional members to engage in insider trading. Things have tightened up somewhat* since then.
Until now.

*They symbolically convicted Martha Stewart and a guy from India.
meanwhile its business as usual.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 06:59 AM

My perspective is different than my critics because I am inside looking out while many here are outside looking in. I often hear media talking heads say, "I can't answer that because I am not inside Trump's head." I am willing to go there, as are many psychologists and other mental health workers. Some of you have seen how a narcissist responds to criticism with extreme, vengeful behavior. Often, the truth is a narcissist's greatest enemy that demands the most retribution. The smallest slight is magnified in their mind to an immense proportion. The unrelenting obsession is extraordinary.

No matter how much they want their ass kissed, satisfaction does not follow. The concept of therapy or change is anathema to them, so do not expect a lessening of their angst and punishing behavior.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 07:07 AM

We're not worthy.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 10:25 AM

The deportations without due process is nothing new to America.
Without any charges people have been put in Guantanamo prisons although some have been released after 14 years and on one occasion 7 years after being found not guilty because Obama did not want to appear lenient.

Now we are using El Salvador prisons, which are cheaper than Guantanamo. There is no evidence of extreme torture ther that existed in the Cuba prison.

I have never judged gillymor's worth.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 10:54 AM

Trump doesn't have the moral or legal high ground, unless Congress gives it to him. The courts already did, to a large degree, when they made him King. Now to get that point across to the courts and to congress.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Aethelric
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 01:30 PM

Interesting article by Craig Murray.

"There is a giant problem that commentators are ignoring. The United States’ trade deficit is of incredible proportions and is only sustainable because the dollar is the world’s reserve currency – a status it is going to lose."

Trump, Tariffs and Trade

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 04:58 PM

We could lose the status of the petrodollar system, which is essentially the global practice of exchanging oil for US dollars, rather than any other currency. This means that no matter what country is buying the oil, they pay the oil-producing country in petrodollars, which are denominated in US dollars.

This week, the dollar lost value, and there was a sell-off of the daddy of all markets, the bond market, where the most stable instrument was the T Bill. A loss of faith in the US economy under Trump is a real and present danger. This is not polemics or hyperbole.

Suppose you really wanted to build a factory in the US. You can not afford parts that come from China. Can you risk deportations? Can you risk retaliatory tariffs? Can you risk your investment for the next 4 years? Can you risk a government run by rejects and crazies that weren't good enough for Trump version 1?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 05:03 PM

I subscribe to a little newsletter called Wall Street On Parade and they haven't posted since last Sunday, which worries me. They are astute observers of the financial markets but they're mute? It's a small operation, her email is the one for subscribing and it's an old AOL account. But they're sharp. And I wonder if they've been threatened or somehow shut down.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 05:09 PM

Hope for the best, SRS. They might just have so much information/data to analyse and the changes are happening so quickly without warning that they need time to think clearly and analyse the multiple situations.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 07:02 PM

WSJ is owned by Murdoch, but even he is now critical of the self-immolation of the US economy.
So today was the deadline for TikTok. I wonder what happened.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 07:43 PM

Murdoch!? Bad news, that lot! Sorry from Oz for inflicting that family on the rest of the world. But if they are seeing the light maybe there is some hope.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Hrothgar
Date: 11 Apr 25 - 09:01 PM

I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that one of the reasons the US knocked over Saddam Hussein was that he was threatening to change the trading currency for Iraqi oil from US dollars to Euros.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Monique
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 03:44 AM

I read it too.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 07:42 AM

Side remark: someone picked up on a phrase in a recent New European, and celebrated it in the next issue's letters column: a description of our favourite South African as a "walking mid-life crisis". Seriously *Yes*.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 08:00 AM

What will class warfare become today? It won't be settled with a guillotine like it did in France. In America there was a children's book Little Lord Fauntelroy in 1886 that was conceivably a protest of the guilded age of spoiled rotten kids. Later it evolved into a kid who taught the snob grandfather social justice when it was a TV cartoon. Class warfare has many faces besides violence.

The billionaire class is making itself a target because they are openly showing how out of touch they really are. Some are surprisingly ignorant, which seems to be a requirement to get Trump's selection for high office.

I'm thinking of a comic strip that shows how stupid and mean they can be by using their real-life 'mistakes'. For example, the WWF woman in charge of the education department, in order to eliminate it, said she was impressed that A one programs will be used in education. Apparently, she knows about the steak sauce but not Artificial Intelligence.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 08:22 AM

Trump does not know that damn near everything we use comes from China.
Most stores feature Chinese goods exclusively like Harbor Tools, Walmart, Target and all the small outlets that new immigrant stores sell to make a living.

The Boston Tea Party was a big deal. I'm afraid that the coming protests over all the high-taxed goods will not be a bloodless coup.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 08:38 AM

I predict the emergence of many American second-hand used stores for clothing and appliances that will resemble new discount stores.

Also, the party that will show the greatest growth will be the Independent Party.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 09:06 AM

One less-bad side-effect of the tariff-war nonsense: It's giving the boardroom classes the excuse they've been looking for to *not* continue to pour money into Artificial Incompetence. For example:

Microsoft puts $1B US datacenter builds on hold amid AI, tariff uncertainty

Committed $80B capex for DCs as recently as January. We wonder what changed?

Microsoft has called a halt to the construction of three datacenter campuses in central Ohio, in a sign the tech giant is having to reappraise its infrastructure requirements amid uncertain economic circumstances and weaker-than-expected AI demand.

[ ... ]

World War Fee trumps Fear Of Missing Out. (I may wish to rephrase that.)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 09:16 AM

.... WWF: do you mean World Wildlife Fund or World* Wrestling Federation, Donuel? But point taken either way. Score one for sans-serif fonts.

* For suitably US-centric values of "world".

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Aethelric
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 09:17 AM

Crash the market. Tell all your friends AND DONORS to buy low. Boost the market; they sell high. Funds get pumped from pension schemes and savings to your friends AND DONORS coffers.

Only a completely unscrupulous bastard would do that.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 09:27 AM

"Only a completely unscrupulous bastard would do that."

A completely unscrupulous bastard like The Mango Mussolini, you mean?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 10:26 AM

The Constitutional crisis of Trump ignoring the courts is here and now. A cartoon depicting Trump's defiance of the courts was called illicit. Only a MAGA nazi would say that, however Eric Holder is most outraged by lawfirms bending the knee to Trump and if resistance does not happen now it will be too late.

1 Consumer confidence in America HAS NOT BEEN THIS LOW FOR 73 YEARS.
2 Rubio is interpreting the law so that even future beliefs that are antithetical to Trump are a deportable offense.
3 Safety nets for the sick, disabled, elderly and poor have been hollowed out to their breaking point.
4 April fascism will bring May Naziism, complete with an SS rounding people up to be sent to Concentration camps outside our borders.
1234 we don't want your fucking war

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 11:00 AM

This should get your blood boiling-

trump-brags-tariff-pause-made-billionaires-richer from The New Republic

I'd be surprised if he didn't try doing this again at the urging of his predatory acquaintances.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 11:06 AM

Homeland Security is now scouring social media via AI for anti Trump and Palestine war protestors. Only 88 University students have been deported so far. Remember SCOTUS has allowed US citizens to be deported under Trump's orders. People still think that only 'them' trouble makers are being disappeared, so it's not their concern.

Vacationing in the US feels like it is as popular as vacationing in North Korea and Russia.

Ha Ha Trump has increased the price of his McDonald's burger since they import Brazilian beef. He might still take comfort that the Rainforest is burned to make room for cow pastures.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 12:33 PM

The discussion of what is a Constitutional crisis has touched on many aspects of their behavior, but the White House ignoring and not answering court questions about the whereabouts and return Kilmar Abrego García when the Supreme Court says they have to return him is.

Now they play chicken. Let's see who swerves.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 02:25 PM

A hole has been plugged in the tariffs on China and I am thinking that the backlash from US citizens and businesses created this "fix":

US exempts smartphones, computers and other electronics from Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs

"In short: The Trump administration has exempted smartphones, computers and other electronics from its "reciprocal" tariffs.

"Semiconductors have also been excluded from a "baseline" 10 per cent tariff on most US trading partners.

"China, which is currently subject to an additional 145 per cent tariff implemented by the US government, has vowed to 'fight to the end' against the tariffs."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Apr 25 - 09:57 AM

In a way, this is the Gilded Age 2, but it is more like the Lying Age.
There is more lying about the truth by the government and MAGA extremophiles than I have ever seen.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: robomatic
Date: 13 Apr 25 - 03:21 PM

This stuff didn't work very well when they last used 18th century legislation under John Adams. It won't work this time, either.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Aethelric
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 06:53 AM

Strikes me that the millions of dollars that the US taxpayer pays to send trump golfing at the weekend is money well spent. Two days less havoc every week.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 07:44 AM

With a name like Kilmar Garcia in 2025 America, it is like 1935 Germany deporting Schlomo Goldstein by the SS to a concentration camp without due process by order of their glorious leader and his courts.

Trump lawyers are arguing that the Supreme Court can not order the release of innocent legal residents in America since deportation to a foreign country is a matter of executive foreign policy.???
Garcia was dragged away from an Ikea store here in town.

Trump continues to ignore court rulings but says he respects the courts.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 07:53 AM

Trump has shot himself in the foot, but Congress has gelded itself.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 11:54 AM

I'll see you those golfing trips, Aethelric, and raise you:

Pentagon celebrates snipping 0.58% from defense budget in IT, DEI cuts

$5.1B cancellations pitched as efficiency move, though costly Trump birthday parade mulled

The US Department of Defense (DOD) has canceled contracts for "consulting and other non-essential services" in the latest round of cuts conceived by Elon Musk's DOGE unit.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced the signing of a memorandum that terminates $5.1 billion in DOD contracts, emphasizing the "B" in "billion" – an accommodation for the impaired or perhaps just as a victory lap.

[ ... ]

"We're also terminating, on the DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] front, 11 more contracts for DEI, climate, COVID-19 response, and related non-essential activities across the department," Hegseth said.

Despite the mild belt-tightening, talk of a Trump birthday military parade has reportedly returned - this time penciled in for June 14, 2025, which doubles as his 79th birthday and Flag Day. The last time this idea rolled out, back in 2018, Trump scrapped the plan after Pentagon brass slapped a $92 million price tag on it and DC officials warned it'd cost another $21 million just to patch up the roads and cover public safety after the tanks and flyovers had their fun.

[ ... ]

.... see article in full, please. There's a surpisingly positive sting in the tail.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 12:56 PM

It occurred to me that as the confidence and value of the US dollar fall, Trump's and others' cryptocurrency is expected to rise in a typical hedge maneuver.

This is the ultimate James Bond villain plot that goes far beyond Goldfinger.

While I could be wrong, there does not seem to be mere coincidence involved here.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 01:05 PM

H F S

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 04:19 PM

This Newsweek article examines recent popularity polls and discusses some related issues.

The three paragraphs I quoted from the middle of the article indicate that buyers' remorse for some Republicans might be increasing. This could be a hopeful change of opinion from his previous supporters, IMHO.

Donald Trump's Approval Rating Falls to New Low With Republican Pollster

"President Donald Trump's approval rating has hit a new low, according to a recent poll conducted by a Republican-leaning firm.
Why It Matters

"Trump's approval rating is a key indicator of his political strength as he navigates his second presidential term and prepares for future policy battles.

"A shift in his numbers could influence support from Republican lawmakers, affect his ability to push through his agenda and shape the political landscape heading into the midterm election cycle in 2026."

...

"'A large majority of voters acknowledge the tariffs are delivering a bruising body blow to the economy in the near term. Will time reduce the pain? Some think it will, but a majority don't envision that happening,"' Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.

"Thomas Gift, an associate professor of political science and the director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, said Trump's handling of the tariff situation had alienated many voters.

"'Trump hasn't earned himself many supporters with his handling of the tariff situation. It's not only the policy that seems to irk voters but also the apparent lack of strategy, the impulsive decision-making, and the inconsistent messaging from the White House. Trump has long built his brand on being a master dealmaker and a savvy businessman. However, the last several days have dealt a serious huge blow to that image,' he said."

...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 05:43 PM

Trump still has 90% primary influence among Republicans. He would need to poll 38 or below to suffer any mutinies. He is at 48 at its lowest.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 06:21 PM

United States citizens could be taken off the streets onto planes for deportation. History is no stranger to such lawless regimes.

sounds like me but this is a quote from Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 06:22 PM

Yes but can you foresee his favourability rating getting higher or lower in the near future?

What does H F S mean?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 06:46 PM

Holy F-ing Shit

"If you ignore the current lawless regime, you do so at your own peril" quote Bernie Sanders on stage at Coachella last night.

48% is Trump's popularity poll but it is beginning to go underwater by some indications.

Trump said today, alongside the President of El Salvador, that there are certain homegrown people in the US he wants to deport to El Salvador prisons once more are built.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 07:26 PM

using this photo of him

Trump is angry at NBC News for using this photo of him, so please don't use this enhanced, enlarged version of it for anything

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Apr 25 - 05:02 AM

Trump’s gut tells him he’s got China on the ropes. He couldn’t be more wrong That Donald Trump, he’s a crafty fellow. His madcap series of tariffs followed by escalations and then exemptions and then more tariffs may have looked like “peak stupid”, as one British commentator called it.

But his secret intention all along was to isolate China, apparently. Other countries ended up with lower tariff penalties while China alone is slammed with a prohibitive 145 per cent tariff on all exports to the US ...

... According to Xi, it’s the US that has isolated itself by putting a tariff wall around the American economy, alienating every US ally and friend in the process. This week, Xi is embarking on a charm offensive of South-East Asia to emphasise the contrast between China’s stability and America’s destructive erraticism.

Who’s right? First, remember what Deng Xiaoping said. The father of modern China’s economic success observed that: “The Middle East has oil. China has rare earths.” ...

... Despite their name, rare earths aren’t rare at all. But concentrated, high-grade deposits are hard to find. The US isn’t well-endowed. It has only about 1 per cent of known economic reserves. ...

... So Xi’s new export ban is a potential boot on the throat of US manufacturing, medicine and military capability. Beijing is working out a detailed export licensing system so that it can resume exports with tight control over who gets what and when.

Does Donald Trump understand America’s vulnerability? Yes, that’s why he’s put a very public priority on shaking down Ukraine and Greenland for their rare earths deposits.

But he might not realise that it would take as long as 10 years for any of them to be developed into functioning mines. And his grasp of the detail might not be strong – in one extended set of remarks he repeatedly called them “raw earths” ...

...“The Trump administration may think it’s acting tough, but it’s, in fact, putting the US economy at the mercy of Chinese escalation. The US will face shortages of critical inputs ranging from basic ingredients of most pharmaceuticals to inexpensive semiconductors used in cars and home appliances to critical minerals for industrial processes including weapons production.” ...

... As world trade rearranges itself around America’s self-imposed tariff wall, it will be the US, not China, that finds itself isolated.

Trump said last week that he was making tariff decisions “instinctively”. Information? Expertise? That’s for wimps. Trump explained in his first term the source of his unique insight: “My gut tells me more sometimes than anybody else’s brain can ever tell me.”

Peter Hartcher is political editor and international editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 15 Apr 25 - 06:00 AM

Just because he uses a gold toilet does not mean his gut has golden ideas.
His global economic wisdom is in fact WORSE than the worst case scenario.

His delusions of having his 'ass kissed',as he puts it, by countries begging for his mercy are unfounded when it comes to meaningful trade.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 15 Apr 25 - 04:55 PM

This economic tidal wave will not arrive until midsummer.
Until then, I hope that invertebrate Congressmen are raptured, must attend to their family, or run for cover before the S storm.

A 3rd impeachment
may be the charm.
Stephen Miller
deserves more harm.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 03:09 AM

Taken from Facebook so apologies for the long C&P

The following is a reposting off a post from Peter Birkenhead and it made me cry, because he made me realize it’s all true. It’s long and if you don’t wanna cry too, you probably shouldn’t read it.
__________

We’ve been reading stories like this for over a decade. Each one meant to signify an inflection point, a turning of the tide. Yet the tide never turns.

As of today, Donald Trump’s supposedly “tanking” approval rating stands at 47%. Which is pretty much where it’s been for the past eleven years. Yes, there have been minor upticks and downturns of a few points here and there. Yes, a majority of Americans disapprove of the tariffs. Yes, a majority think the economy is heading in the wrong direction. And yes, a majority disapprove of the job Trump is doing.

That’s not new. Trump’s popularity has almost never been above 50%, except for very brief periods of time. He’s never needed it to be. His power derives not from the size but the durability of his popular support, and there’s rarely been an approval rating as stubbornly durable as his.

Especially given the hundreds — thousands — of incidents over the past decade that would have sunk the careers of, say, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, or Hillary Clinton.

Think of it. All the corruption, the scandal, the pain and death and misery. All the insults to human decency and injuries to democratic ideals.

And his numbers are still pretty much where they were when it all started.

I am uninterested in whatever minor fluctuation will follow yesterday’s vile display in the Oval Office, or tomorrow’s outrage, or next week’s. They will mean nothing.

What Trump supporters (as a whole, as a voting bloc, PLEASE don’t tell me about your MAGA cousin who’s having second thoughts) are thinking means nothing. The only thing that matters is what Trump’s opponents are thinking. What we’re thinking.

I remember making posts like this during Trump’s first term, and wondering exactly what I’m wondering right now.

Which is very much not, “What will it take for his supporters to turn away from him,” but rather, “What will it take for his opponents to realize his supporters won’t turn away from him?”

Because the answer to that question is crucial. It will shape everything that happens over the next few weeks and months.

If, as I suspect, a sizable number of us are sitting at home today thinking that Trump’s open defiance of a Supreme Court ruling, refusal to return an innocent, legal resident of the US from a gulag in El Salvador, and declaration that he wants to send American citizens to the same prison without due process, will somehow harm his approval rating, that does not bode well for our side.

Nothing will harm his approval rating.

Sure it might — might — go down a few points in the next few days. It won’t mean a thing. Give it a few weeks.

To believe otherwise is to not understand the story of the Trump era. The story of the Trump era isn’t “A bad man came along and duped a bunch of well-meaning, gullible people.” Donald Trump didn’t conjure his supporters from the ether with his magic MAGA wand. His supporters conjured him.

They wanted him. Badly. They’d been looking, searching, begging, screaming for someone like him, pushing every Republican candidate further and further to the right with every election cycle, demanding loudly that they “take a tougher” line on this, and “not give an inch” on that, that they “tell it like it is,” and “say what everyone is thinking,” for years. For decades.

They weren’t duped.

They are never going to see the light. (Of course a few will, here and there. But not in meaningful numbers.) There will be no scales falling from eyes, no epiphanies, no death bed conversions. Not among the bedrock base, which has not budged an inch in ten years.

They waved signs that said, MASS DEPORTATIONS NOW at their third Trump convention.

They weren’t duped.

The only duping that’s gone on is the self-duping many of us have been guilty of for many years. It’s a very human, very understandable, thing to do. To think better of your fellow human beings than perhaps they do themselves. To believe that, with enough patience, empathy, education and reason they are bound to see the error of their ways.

That belief is a dangerous one in this moment. It manifests in political choices that are bound to not only fail, but help the bad guys continue doing bad things.

It doesn’t matter if a few thousand Trump supporters see the error of their ways. It doesn’t matter if this or that Republican politician is momentarily seized by courage or conscience and speaks up about his or her disappointment in the president. The overwhelming majority of Trump supporters will remain Trump supporters NO MATTER WHAT.

Did you ever think you’d see Republican voters support a candidate who was openly subservient to Russia? Did you ever think you’d see them support a flagrant, serial adulterer and drug user? A denigrator of the military? A draft dodger? A New Yorker?

In 2014 Republicans raged at President Obama for supposedly not working hard enough to stop the Ebola epidemic. Six years later they followed Trump’s lead and physically threatened people working to stop an epidemic.

Nothing will shake them.

Well, almost nothing.

There is one thing, one thing Donald Trump could do to lose significant support. And no, it is not making his supporters “feel the pain.” It is not making them poor. These are people who are openly welcoming an imminent recession.

No, the one and only thing Donald Trump could do to tank his approval rating would be to stand in front of a camera and say, “Black and Latino people are as fully human as any white man or woman. They are possessed of the same inalienable rights, and deserving of the full enjoyment of those rights and the opportunities they promise, opportunities they have for too long been denied.”

Now THAT would be a deal breaker.

Because that’s the deal. They give him everything, he gives them fewer Black actors on their TV’s, fewer Black managers at their offices, fewer Latino pilots on their planes, fewer Spanish names on the backs of their team’s uniforms.

He breaks THAT deal, and all bets are off.

So we need to get it straight. We cannot see this struggle as a debate, as a project of persuasion. If some MAGA supporters are persuaded along the way, great! I say welcome them with open arms. And never, ever stop fighting hard to make their lives better. All of their lives.

But progress is going to come when we, not they, see the light. Before the left can meaningfully slow the MAGA rampage it needs to come to terms with the fact that the enemy isn’t merely Trump, but the people who put him in the White House.

That is a very hard thing for a lot of us on the left to accept about our countrymen. But this struggle is more analogous to a civil war than it is to a heightened disagreement between political parties. We won’t win it by persuading the enemy, but by overwhelming him.

Our energies should be channeled towards each other. Galvanizing, motivating, and enabling each other. Creating and sustaining solidarity. We can get a hundred first-time protestors out in the streets, or first-time voters to the polls, for the same investment it takes to turn one MAGA supporter toward the light.   

Our hope doesn’t lie in Trump’s poll numbers going down. It lies in our commitment to keeping students from being disappeared and government workers from being fired and cancer research labs from being defunded and democracy from being destroyed.

Our hope doesn’t lie with them, it lies with us.
__________

PS. It should be pretty obvious that I did not take this photograph. This is my black and white version of the portrait Sarah A. Boardman painted for the Colorado State Capitol. She did an amazing job of making him look better than he is, but I guess that’s what a portrait artist is supposed to do.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 03:58 AM

Just to make it clear, only the first line of the above post is mine

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 07:19 AM

Woo Hoo Harvard and farmers in Iowa are both resisting Trump's Nazi decrees.

Meanwhile, Trump's instructions for dealing with 9-to-0 Supreme Court rulings against him are the same as for shampoo, lather, rinse and repeat.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 07:51 AM

Trump has already lost his trade war against China    Beijing is hardly likely to roll over given its financial and global trading strength

... So who suffers most political stress from a total and violent economic decoupling? Xi’s tightly controlled China; or Trump’s febrile, restless America, where 100m consumers live on maxed-out credit cards and zero savings, acutely vulnerable to a price spike in day-to-day goods, with no safety margin if they lose their jobs?

Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, says China is “playing with a pair of twos”, which is one way to describe its stranglehold over critical minerals and much of the resource base of the 21st century hi-tech economy.

“The US civilian economy is totally disorganised and has no coherent plan if China cuts off rare earth supply,” said Jack Lifton, chairman of the Critical Minerals Institute.

China has already restricted exports of gallium, germanium, antimony and graphite over the last two years, and has now widened the list.

This stranglehold is no accident of the free market or geography. China has pursued a strategic policy to knock out rivals via predatory dumping and compelled its own smelting companies to overbuild refining capacity.

As is by now well known, it has gained 90pc control over the rare earth supply chain needed for robots, semiconductors, aviation, magnets, radar, electric vehicles, 5G & 6G wireless, power electronics, you name it ...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 10:38 AM

That's right, Sandra, but the restriction on Hollywood films has now been added to the trade war. Missing another Transformers movie is a win-win for them.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 11:42 AM

Fresh news on the Beeb (one hour old, as I speak):

Harvard just stood up to Trump. How long can it last?

.... plus two or more previous articles about Tr*mp freezing $2billion funding and threatening its tax-exempt status. Now I've got Neil Young's "Ohio" on an infinite loop in my head :-( . (Hm: is Crosby/Still/Nash/Young's entire back catalogue on the verboten list in Project 2025?)

"And so it begins," says Ambassador Kosh.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 11:42 AM

I realise that my earlier post was a long read so, to summarise, you will not win the war by converting trump supporters. They have created him in their own image and other than him becoming "liberal" they will support him whatever he does. The best option is to mobilise everyone else to do something about it. Makes sense to me!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 11:57 AM

Dave, Trump supporters will have to come around, because Social Security is very catholic in its recipients - and in many of the red states there are more GOP voters than Democratic who get Medicaid also. If they want to get the benefits they paid into they're going to have to get their representatives to take back many of the jobs they've willingly handed to Trump.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 11:59 AM

You're right about the trade war, Sandra. China has always played a very long game, traditionally getting in their retaliation not only first, but first by a generation or two; and the Klutz of the Golden Throne walked straight into their bear trap. His controller is doubtless in stitches .... for the moment.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 02:12 PM

I don't think they will realise, Stilly. The great god trump will tell them it is the fault of the Mexicans/Chinese/Democrats etc and they will believe him. You can't cure stupid :-(

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 02:16 PM

Their news sources (OAN, FAUX, etc.) probably aren't telling them about this right now. But one of these days they'll hear about a friend or family (or see themselves) the checks are not hitting the bank and then there will be a response.

I'm headed to a march on Saturday. Looks like rain (but the weather forecasting isn't as accurate now the Musk defunded NOAA).

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 02:34 PM

China is not taking the tariff war lying down but it appears there will be no real winners:

China halts orders of US-made Boeing planes in retaliation to Trump's tariffs

"In short: China has reportedly told its biggest airlines to pause deliveries of American-made Boeing jets.

"China's three biggest airlines were expected to buy more than 170 Boeing jets over the next three years in deals worth billions of dollars.

"What's next? An international aviation consultant says it may be 'a good thing' for the rest of the aviation world amid high demand for aircraft."

...

"International aviation consultant Neil Hansford said China would be the biggest loser from this latest trade spat.

"'In the end China is cutting off its nose to spite its face because [the country] has a shortage of aircraft after COVID,' he said."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 04:59 PM

A new meme describes Trump as mixing economic tequila and Qualudes.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 05:09 PM

Next, this:

Pentagon needs China's rare earths, Beijing just put them behind a permit wall. Oops

Trump’s tremendous trade tussle triggers troubling twist, theoretically

Well, well, well. If it isn't the consequences of thine actions. The Trump administration's global trade war is threatening to hit US military readiness.

[ ... ]

Read the original for more details, and ElReg's traditional stings in the tail.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 06:28 PM

Thats OK, the market has turned away from US weapons and is just going with other manufacturers who are still superior to Russian weapons. The layoffs and recession will hit progressives and magamites alike.

Welcome back, dioxin, hexachromium, and a rainbow of highly toxic and fatal pollution that Musk/Trump deregulation is inviting back to neighborhoods near you. It's billionaires who want deregulation for more profits and can live wherever there is no cancerous land and water. The air is another matter. Even with regulations, the cheating and surreptitious polluting were horrific, be it chemical or radioactive waste. Still, regulations saved some lives. Its open season on we the people.

There are some regulations that border on the ridiculous but the important ones are also going away by Billionaire orders.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 07:20 PM

Of the Billionaires, by the Billionaires and for the Billionaires.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Richard Atkins
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 09:07 PM

The sooner the impeachment process begins on the Trump dictator who passes his "Executive orders" above congress debate the better. A shame I have lost respect for America now

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Apr 25 - 10:10 PM

I am not finding a "gift article" link to the article I'm going to share to here - it is from the May issue so they may not be ready for it to be widely shared by subscribers.

In The Atlantic is the piece "America is Watching the Rise of a Dual State" by Aziz Huq.

Mr. Huq was interviewed today on a North Texas National Public Radio station (one that Trump is wanting to defund) noon interview program called Think; today's subject is Dictators sometimes take power quietly. Krys Boyd spent an hour talking to Huq about the article he wrote, and about the Fraenkel book he describes. You get a lot more information about the situation in the hour interview than you might get in the article. From Think:

Authoritarian regimes sometimes take power all at once – but other times they chip away at societal norms bit by bit. Aziz Huq teaches law at the University of Chicago, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss specifically how the Nazis rose to power and began to persecute Jews in part because the rest of German society just went about its business without objection. His article published in The Atlantic is “America Is Watching the Rise of a Dual State.”

There is a link at the top of that page to listen to the interview.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 08:51 AM

Meanwhile, back on the insecurity front:

EU gives staff 'burner phones, laptops' for US visits

That would put America on the same level as China for espionage

The European Commission is giving staffers visiting the US on official business burner laptops and phones to avoid espionage attempts, according to the Financial Times.

The use of clean and locked-down hardware is common practice for anyone visiting China, Russia, and other states where aggressive electronic surveillance is expected. Apparently the European Union has added the United States to that list.

[ ... ]

What I'd like to know is, given the tight integration between the UK and US spying institutions, whether the UK is also on the naughty list.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 10:48 AM

.... *Agree*, BwM and DtG: the whole mess is a civil war waiting to boil over. It's been said that we've only had one world war with a 20-year intermission; methinks the current troubles in the US have been pending since at least 1865 (2020 was merely a trial run). I really, really hope England doesn't back the wrong side again, but .... :-(

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 11:56 AM

I removed that very long copy/paste bit attributed to Liz Cheney. She didn't write it. Do some fact checking before sharing those, please.

If you want to read more about it, here is the fact check page.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 12:09 PM

OK, not written by Cheney, but it raised a lot of very valid points about the uselessness of the seemingly paralysed Congress, and I believe it was worth leaving up on here for that reason.

Itchy trigger-finger syndrome, Maggie?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 03:50 PM

It's always worth checking Snopes for fact checks:

Liz Cheney didn't write letter urging Democratic Party to fight Trump's 'authoritarian machine'

There is so much misinformation on the 'net. We can't get it right every time but SRS's trigger finger is essential to keep Mudcat on track. Thanks heaps SRS!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 04:23 PM

Surprise:

Signalgate chats vanish from CIA chief phone

Extraordinary rendition of data, or just dropped it out of a helicopter?

CIA Director John Ratcliffe's smartphone has almost no trace left of the infamous Signalgate chat – the one in which he and other top US national security officials discussed a secret upcoming military operation in a group Signal conversation a journalist was inadvertently added to.

That's according to the spy agency's own chief data officer Hurley Blankenship, who was tasked with preserving the group chat on his boss's phone after a judge demanded the messages be retained.

[ ... ]

Seems they left it too late, and the messages evaporated like, urm, let's say, like so much scotch mist. It's almost as if they think they've got something to hide, despite having published the book, but perhaps that's what makes them smart.

First entry in the Comments section:

Not to worry. Just ask The Atlantic. I'm sure they still have their copy.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 05:02 PM

The link I posted goes to a site that contains the same text, it just isn't a long tome in our thread now. There was nothing wrong with the points, but what bothers me is when people take perfectly good ideas and add a famous name to give it legs. That to me defeats the purpose of the post. I purposely do a lot more research now that Facebook doesn't do fact checking (not that they did a very good job of it before, and there are still conservative special interests out there flagging posts they don't like) and I'd already read this misattribution once today.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 05:14 PM

Trump has given attorney general Barbie Doll the names of two people he wants investigated, from his first administration. Not people who he thinks committed crimes; they simply didn't support his stolen election story in 2020 and now he wants the Justice Department to find something on them.

And in the Homegoods section of the administration, the My Pillow Guy has asked if Trump's IRS will stop an audit of his company. A Treasury Dept. official wrote to the IRS about "a high-profile friend of the President recently received an audit letter" and in the New York Times they spell out that "the message alarmed [IRS] agency staff that President Trump hoped to use the tax collector to protect his friends and allies from normal scrutiny. . ."

You think?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 08:00 PM

Liz Cheney is a hero in my estimation because she stands up for what she believes in, so her name should not be taken in vain IMHO.

Also IMHO Farcebook "facts" should be taken with a grain of salt. Fact checking social media posts should be second nature.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Apr 25 - 10:44 PM

Trump is now trying to bash universities that won't take out DEI programs or courses. Take away their grants and federal funding (all of this is illegal impoundment of funds already granted by past administrations and funded by congress.) He's trying to shut out law firms that worked for people who he doesn't like, or who worked against him (and the foolish ones buckle - but this is one of the easiest cases for law firms to win against Trump).

Many amendments of the Constitution have been trampled by these executive orders. He's acting like a goddammed king, and too many people are letting him get away with it (we hear about corporate CEOs paying $1 million for meals at Maralago to meet with Trump to keep doing business or lift tariff effects). Congress is letting him get away with it, even though they are the ones constitutionally assigned the task of negotiating and setting tariffs.

It seems that the only thing that gives Trump pleasure and a feeling of power is making people miserable.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 03:17 AM

Not just Trump - his supporters too! Another view from Facebook. This one by "Feminist News"

The question was posed, "Why do people continue supporting Trump no matter what he does?" A lady named Bev answered it this way:
“You all don't get it. I live in Trump country, in the Ozarks in southern Missouri, one of the last places where the KKK still has a relatively strong established presence.
They don't give a shit what he does. He's just something to rally around and hate liberals, that's it, period.
He absolutely realizes that and plays it up. They love it. He knows they love it.
The fact that people act like it's anything other than that proves to them that liberals are idiots, all the more reason for high fives all around.
If you keep getting caught up in "why do they not realize this problem" and "how can they still back Trump after this scandal," then you do not understand what the underlying motivating factor of his support is. It's fuck liberals, that's pretty much it.
Have you noticed he can do pretty much anything imaginable, and they'll explain some way that rationalizes it that makes zero logical sense?
Because they're not even keeping track of any coherent narrative, it's irrelevant. Fuck liberals is the only relevant thing.
Trust me; I know firsthand what I'm talking about.
That's why they just laugh at it all because you all don't even realize they truly don't give a fuck about whatever the conversation is about.
It's just a side mission story that doesn't matter anyway.
That's all just trivial details - the economy, health care, whatever.
Fuck liberals.
Look at the issue with not wearing the masks.
I can tell you what that's about. It's about exposing fear. They're playing chicken with nature, and whoever flinches just moved down their internal pecking order, one step closer to being a liberal.
You've got to understand the one core value that they hold above all others is hatred for what they consider weakness because that's what they believe strength is, hatred of weakness.
And I mean passionate, sadistic hatred.
And I'm not exaggerating. Believe me.
Sadistic, passionate hatred, and that's what proves they're strong, their passionate hatred for weakness.
Sometimes they will lump vulnerability in with weakness.
They do that because people tend to start humbling themselves when they're in some compromising or overwhelming circumstance, and to them, that's an obvious sign of weakness.
Kindness = weakness. Honesty = weakness.
Compromise = weakness.
They consider their very existence to be superior in every way to anyone who doesn't hate weakness as much as they do.
They consider liberals to be weak people that are inferior, almost a different species, and the fact that liberals are so weak is why they have to unite in large numbers, which they find disgusting, but it's that disgust that is a true expression of their natural superiority.
Go ahead and try to have a logical, rational conversation with them. Just keep in mind what I said here and be forewarned.”

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 03:38 AM

Helen , I’m normally very careful about fact checking, I slipped up this time - Mea Culpa, and ten ’Hail Mary’s’.

I’m always happy to admit my errors. If only others were so honest!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 04:35 AM

Thanks BWM. :-)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 05:13 AM

Trump acting like a king ?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 05:51 AM

I showed that to Herself, Sandra: Much laughter, and a wry "If only ...." The difference between GoldenThrone and Charlie Boy is that the latter knows it, while the former* is reenacting the last days of his own father.

Meanwhile, California sues President Tariff (as if the courts weren't his campaigning theatre of choice), and ....

Whistleblower describes DOGE IT dept rampage at America's labor watchdog

Ignored infosec rules, exfiltrated data … then the mysterious login attempts from a Russian IP address began – claim

Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation after a tech staffer at the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) blew the whistle on the cost-trimming DOGE's activities at the employment watchdog – which the staffer claims included being granted superuser status in contravention of standard operating procedures, exfiltrating data, and seemingly leaking credentials to someone with a Russian IP address.

* The former .... if only ....

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 10:16 AM

Meanwhile, back at the pretender:

Europe's cloud customers eyeing exit from US hyperscalers

'It's amazing how fast the change has been'

[ ... ]

"There are three factors," he [Nextcloud CEO Frank Karlitschek] told The Register. "The first is really the unreliability, because we see what Trump is doing and the danger is that things will be just switched off from one day to another for negotiation purposes. Then we see the whole question around pricing with the tariffs.

"And then the other thing is really the espionage factor. This is relatively new and surprising to me ... but now you see what Musk is doing, that you can access really confidential databases ... I think this is a realistic fear nowadays."

[ ... ]

.... not that the oik-in-chief would care, as long as he's got piles of top-secret bog paper next to his golden throne, and there's a continuous supply of sharpies.*

* I've only this last couple of weeks seen "sharpies": a display box of felt-tip pens in WH Smith's window. First thought: There's only twenty there. That wouldn't last the little offender five minutes.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Aethelric
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 10:20 AM

Italy has found the secret to dealing with the orange muppet - send an attractive female. Maybe Zelensky should have sent his wife.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 10:58 AM

Michigan sent their governor a couple of weeks ago and they ambushed her. She was at the White House on business and some of his aids hurried her into the Oval Office - she assumed it was a one-on-one visit but instead he was ready with his obnoxious Sharpie and signed a couple of more Executive Orders, to do with topical stuff (to him). She was humiliated and at one point hid her face behind a binder she was holding. Was this to make her less good in Democratic eyes (that was a side effect) or to use her presence in the room as a marketing ploy when talking to MAGA - "see, even Democratic governors are here for this stuff."

Don't send women thinking they'll be more effective, to Trump his only tool is a hammer and everyone who arrives looks like a nail.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 11:25 AM

Chris Krebs has the right approach: after he, and the company he's joined since being fired, get targeted for him having said that the 2020 election was "the most secure in American history" ....

Krebs throws himself on the grenade, resigns from SentinelOne after Trump revokes clearances

[ ... ]

"This is my fight, not the company's," Krebs says he told his boss.

"So with that, let's go," Krebs wrote on LinkedIn and signed off: "Illegitimi non carborundum."

Neat punchline, but it may be a career-limiting move. Once it's explained to him, the Pretender will be doubly pissed off.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 01:16 PM

--- Found it: I *knew* I'd seen this sort of centre-of-the-world syndrome before somewhere, and I've just seen this entry in Brewer's Britain and Ireland:

The clever men at Oxford
Know all there is to be knowed
But they none of them know one half as much
As intelligent Mr Toad!

       -- Kenneth Grahame; The Wind in The Willows (1908)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 01:32 PM

”The reference is to the late, great Terry Pratchett, BWM.”

Aaahh! Thanks Dave. I know SFA about him, other than that, for reasons I fail to understand, he seems to be held in great reverence by many people. Probably says more about me than them! ;-)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 01:47 PM

BWM, Sir Pterry's books are the cleverest, quirkiest, funniest books I have ever read. We have almost every fiction book he has written in our bookcase and as a former librarian I managed to convince a lot of people to read his books. The Discworld series would be a good place to start.

What would he have made of tRump, indeed?!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 04:53 PM

If DtG had said "Sir Pterry", Doug, would that have been any clearer?

Not really. I guessed that 'Sir Terry' referred to Terry Pratchet but 'Sir Pterry' makes no sense at all.

I looked up a Terry Pratchet reference to monarchy (which, unfortunately, I don't seem to ge able to make a link to). While I found it amusing, it was difficult to see how it fits into this thread other than a passing mention of Trump acting like a king.

DF

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 05:33 PM

Doug, Terry Pratchett was also known as "Pterry" so when he became Sir Terry Pratchett he obviously would then also be known as "Sir Pterry".

There would not be one *single* reference to monarchy. There would be references scattered throughout many of his books to monarchy or aristocracy, people in power etc.

It's kind of an in-joke to reference Pratchett in relation to any farcical, nonsensical situations relating to life generally or people in power doing doing eye-wateringly bewildering things which throw the lives of rest of the people into chaos. Hence the connection in the minds of Pratchett's fans to the Trump situation as it unfolds.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 08:47 PM

I haven't read any Pratchett other than Good Omens. Those four horsemen would fit very well with the Project 2025 plan and their steering of current events. And setting aside her fraught current life, I think Rawlings' Voldemort most accurately fits the Trump staying power and influence on bad people around him.

This is another big weekend for protests. Indivisible - events. Locally it is a couple of organizing groups working together. There is also a commercial boycott underway (April 18-20) during which time people are asked to not buy from big retailers (with the understanding that where no other choices are available or emergencies happen, do what you must and don't beat up on yourself). Will all of this work? I don't know. But the more it happens the more people who weren't otherwise engaged will notice and realize their retirement and health care (at the very least) is on the line also. And these big turnouts catch the attention of elected representatives.

Three friends are coming over here and will ride downtown with me. We'll travel light, using fanny packs under our clothes for ID, phones, bail money (joking). Raingear and signs. After Trump was elected I bought a small digital camera to use during this kind of event so my phone isn't exposed to whatever is going on during the event. Two weeks ago I was able to hold up the camera and grab shots of the crowd in a town where you wouldn't expect a protest to ever happen. Of maybe 30 photos I used four, and of the small videos I used one, but they speak volumes. It's not a great camera but I can crop and correct images before posting.

I'm making my signs tonight. Months ago I bought a case of large pieces of foam core that can have a message on both sides. One of them is going to say "Mad king Donald wants to trump the Constitution" (with a red circle and diagonal line over the top of "king"). The other will be something that conveys that even MAGA folks are going to lose their social security and Medicaid because of Trump.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 10:28 PM

David Brooks has for years been considered a Conservative voice and has debated liberal commentators on the PBS News Hour. But it is more and more clear that what was once "conservative" no longer exists. Or no longer has that name. Like Liz Cheney, the party moved around her and her position is now way left of before.

What’s Happening Is Not Normal. America Needs an Uprising That Is Not Normal.

Here's a bit of it:

It’s time for a comprehensive national civic uprising. It’s time for Americans in universities, law, business, nonprofits and the scientific community, and civil servants and beyond to form one coordinated mass movement. Trump is about power. The only way he’s going to be stopped is if he’s confronted by some movement that possesses rival power.

Peoples throughout history have done exactly this when confronted by an authoritarian assault. In their book, “Why Civil Resistance Works,” Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan looked at hundreds of nonviolent uprisings. These movements used many different tools at their disposal — lawsuits, mass rallies, strikes, work slowdowns, boycotts and other forms of noncooperation and resistance.

This is a gift article, so if you mouse over and copy the entire URL you can share out beyond here.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 18 Apr 25 - 10:43 PM

What about a sign saying "Make America a Democracy Again"?

".. lawsuits, mass rallies, strikes, work slowdowns, boycotts and other forms of noncooperation and resistance" all sound fairly normal in Oz, mainly because of the strong Union movements operating here for decades, defending the rights of the ordinary working people.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Apr 25 - 02:35 AM

is it true that Vance was a member of the KKK

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 19 Apr 25 - 10:25 AM

Helen: iirc the P-prefix thing was originally a side reference to Pyramids*, where the handmaiden Traci becomes "Ptraci" when she's outside the hero's kingdom (she speaks Ephebian with just a ptrace of an accent). But *agree* about the theraputic effect of laughter --- it oils the synapses summat wonderful. I do wonder what Sir Pterry would have made of He Who Must Not Be Tolerated.

* Corrections invited.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Apr 25 - 12:35 PM

98% humidity and rain expected in the next hour or so, then it will dry out.

I'm going to remove some of the off-topic stuff, and let's try to keep on topic. (Seems a good time for one of you to start a Pterry thread. I can move some of the deleted stuff over to it.)

The Supreme Court overnight (minus Thomas and Alito) stopped the next deportation without due process. No idea for how long or if it means all of these flights - it's a moving target and I've been busy making signs this morning.

I settled on a cartoon caricature of Trump with a crown (found on the internet and photoshopped) and my sign says "Donald Wants to Trump the Constitution." #NoKings #250Years #AmericanRevolution

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 19 Apr 25 - 01:24 PM

Good idea, SRS. I've refreshed this thread:

Terry Pratchett thread - it is one of many

Also I keep thinking it would be poetic justice if Trump caught COVID, given that he is an anti-vaxxer and remembering the huge number of Americans who died because of his anti-vax stance. Last time he was given the vaccination but he might refuse it this time because of his anti-vax buddy, RFK Jr.

He has been dabbling in the dark arts again re COVID:

Trump administration redirects COVID-19 sites to webpage supporting lab leak theory, criticises Joe Biden

"In short: The Trump administration has relaunched COVID-19 health websites, blaming the origins of the coronavirus on a lab leak in China and criticising former president Joe Biden.

"Websites such as Covid.gov and Covidtests.gov were formerly government-run websites where Americans could receive information on long COVID, vaccine options and testing resources.

"What's next? Beijing has said there was no credibility to claims that a laboratory leak likely caused the pandemic."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Rain Dog
Date: 19 Apr 25 - 01:55 PM

So who do believe Helen?
The USA or China?
How do you choose? Tossing a coin?

China has its own agenda just like the USA. Personally I am not keen on either of them at the moment. Just look at the havoc China is causing with regards to steel production in the west.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 19 Apr 25 - 04:36 PM

There is evidence of human bioengineering with Covid, but it is not incontrovertible evidence.

Trump paid someone to take his SATs for college entrance. Revenge against Universities has been a thing since Nixon, since upper-crust kids are more likely to be Republicans. Whodathunk Trump would make a Mao-style cultural revolution? Obama said Donald made no ideological comments on handover day at the White House.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 25 - 11:56 AM

The march in Fort Worth was huge, larger than what many of us expected (the permit estimated 200 participants). The group walked from the park around a route planned out through downtown, then back to the park where speakers addressed issues important to the group. During the march part the Fort Worth police, on motorcycles and bicycles, were professional and there were a few discreet waves when we waved at them; their job was to stop traffic at intersections as the crowd walked through. Police estimate of the group was 3,000. The weather cooperated (heavy rain forecast ended up to the north just enough) but it was quite muggy.

A Flickr album from someone at the march was shared on the AltNPS page this morning, a nice overview.

Marches draw attention to issues but they also help energize participants to keep up the activist work. As of this morning I think there are at least a dozen GOP house members who have said they won't vote for the budget package that would obliterate Medicaid (and because those dollars don't operate independent of all other health care, many local hospitals and services.) That's enough to stall the budget.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 20 Apr 25 - 02:02 PM

Well done, SRS and all other participants!!

I read an (Oz) ABC article about the number of marches throughout the US and the large numbers of people marching and it does appear to send a strong message to the politicians to take a stand as well.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Apr 25 - 03:19 PM

Psychopaths are surprisingly common; however, very few of them are deadly predators. They all share the inability to take responsibility and therefore, blame others. Empathy is generally unavailable to psychopaths but they often try to mimic empathy to play up to an audience as in game playing. That kind of manipulation is obvious to most people. People who ignore empathy in favor of a desired goal, like money, can turn psychopathy on and off as they need. That group is not composed of hard-core psychopaths, but is a subcategory like narcissists.
It would not be surprising if Trump had a murder buried in his past, but not necessarily by his own hand. He has bragged about getting away with murder on 5th Avenue.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Apr 25 - 05:43 PM

He will have many deaths on his hands, probably does already, with the wrenching of basic services provided by USAID, plus all of the domestic programs that are funded now but Congress from past budgets but from which he and Musk are impounding the dollars.

What are they doing with all of the money they stole from the programs it belongs to?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Apr 25 - 06:33 PM

thanks for the link, Maggie, I've shared it with my friends - I'm glad to see our penguins got a mention, & old ladies as well!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 08:23 AM

Surprisingly, relatively very little money has actually been stolen by DOGE.
Half of the money they claim that has been reaped by a reduction in force is a bald faced lie. The true aim is the destruction of agencies by hollowing them out and removing the individuals who have complete knowledge of how the benefits of their agency are achieved.

Somehow, DOGE claims the Pentagon has virtually no waste or inefficiency. The rest of the plan is to reappoint ignorant political hacks to crucial agencies to discipline employees to all be loyal to Trump or else.

What Trumpers think are crucial agencies is based on stupidity, Trump's gut, and conspiracy theory.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 11:32 AM

More info: What's three orders of magnitude between friends?

Downward DOGE: Elon Musk keeps revising cost-trimming goals in a familiar pattern

On top of that, Trump's increased federal spending almost completely negates $150B in cuts

Elon Musk's Trump-blessed DOGE unit has made a lot of noise and a lot of headlines for its heavy-handed hatchet tactics within supposedly bloated governmental organizations.

But its actual results are so far falling far short of the Tesla tycoon's original promises.

[ ... ]

Over-promising, under-delivering, dodgy receipts .... read on, esp for the punchlines (there's a bonus one which looks fascinating, but I can't follow the link to the WSJ).

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 01:08 PM

For those who sell out for money know they are guilty of racketeering but if the boss owns law enforcement or a new law like Citizens United that allows dark big money to pay their players to cheat they feel fairly secure in racketeering. It is a lucrative sickness that is hard to cure.

The biggest lobby in DC is the pharmaceutical lobby. That means they probably bribe the most Congressmen. None of this makes for efficiency in government but pay to play has deep roots that Trump can advance with Billionaires united.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 03:24 PM

MaJoC, I also tried to read a similar article on the website of The Atlantic about Elon Musk's harem after it was recommended on the PBS Washington Week with the Atlantic TV show this week. Scary!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 03:47 PM

I had other stuff to do today, but spent the morning listening to a couple of the podcasts of the Freakonomics radio show. I've wanted to know about the agency that was in existence that Musk supposedly took over (and I think all of the original staff resigned shortly thereafter because of what he was doing to break things.)

Yesterday I heard enough of the program to make a couple of notes so I could find the whole thing today. Stephen Dubner interviewed several people in a two-episode program about "Sludge," the term used now to describe administrative red tape.

Sludge, part 1 is interesting, and worth a listen.

Sludge, part 2 is where he interviews Jennifer Pahlka.

It’s probably not surprising that many of the personal sludge stories we received had to do with government sludge. And when you think about government sludge at this moment in time, you may well think of Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man and one of its most unusual. He has been deputized by Donald Trump to drain the D.C. swamp, to take a chainsaw to bureaucracy — pick your metaphor, there are plenty to go around. Musk runs a new entity called DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, which took over and renamed an existing entity called the U.S.D.S., or U.S. Digital Service. So we thought it’d be good to speak with one of the people who founded the U.S.D.S., a little over 10 years ago, under President Obama.

PAHLKA: I’m Jennifer Pahlka. I wrote a book called Recoding America: Why Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better.

Pahlka no longer works in government, but she’s usually adjacent.

PAHLKA: I work with governments — state, federal, and local — to increase their capacity, to achieve their policy goals. I founded a nonprofit that helps state and local governments do all that stuff.

That nonprofit is called Code for America. Pahlka does some other things as well.

PAHLKA: I served on the Defense Innovation Board, trying to help the Defense Department be better. I do stuff like that. I write a lot. I write a Substack called Eating Policy.

It was in 2014 that Pahlka co-founded the U.S. Digital Service. It was imagined as a kind of anti-sludge strike force, going from agency to agency to help them update their digital infrastructure. And how did Jennifer Pahlka become this kind of a fixer? I asked her; specifically, I asked what sort of superpower this requires.

I'll leave it to everyone to go listen to the program (or read the transcript - the part you see here is cut and paste from there). This program was recorded many weeks ago, before Musk had done as much damage as now. At about 42:10 into the program he asks her how she would have have approached what Musk has been tasked with now. The difference between how she might do it and Musk is doing it is that she knows what she's doing but wouldn't do it this way.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 04:06 PM

This is the link to a long news article, worth reading in full, but I'm not going to try to cut and paste from it. A ray of hope, maybe or just more scary Trump-induced chaos?

'Chaos' and 'dysfunction' reign inside Pete Hegseth's Pentagon following Signal scandals

"There are now numerous reports the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was sharing sensitive military plans in a second Signal chat — a development that has been slammed as the latest in a "month from hell" for the Pentagon.

"The reports have prompted calls for Mr Hegseth to be fired and come as the former top Pentagon spokesperson alleges the past month has seen 'chaos' and 'dysfunction' reign under his leadership."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 04:07 PM

Oh - and Noem the idiot doesn't know how to watch out for her handbag in a restaurant. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s bag, including $3,000 in cash, is stolen from DC restaurant

The thief got away with Noem’s driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and about $3,000 in cash, the law enforcement source said.

The Secret Service has launched an investigation to trace any use of Noem’s financial instruments, the person said.

Well, those $3000 financial instruments can go on their merry way. Who carries around that kind of cash? And blank checks? Who carries a checkbook these days?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 04:47 PM

Couldn't happen to a more deserving bimbo! And poetic justice indeed - having her ID, keys, passport and DHS access card stolen.

Literally LOL!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 07:03 PM

Since MAGA hats are made in China, a new one costs $32.50.

Perhaps a dog stole Noem's purse.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Apr 25 - 10:17 PM

The ACLU got another batch of deportees from El Paso on a bus headed to the airport and a flight El Salvador turned around and returned to the detention center. Rachel Maddow talked about it on her show tonight, then interviewed the attorney. He has a skill that has never before been required in the US, to keep people from being deported without due process. It looks like my $25 a month is going to a good cause.

Lawrence O'Donnell is starting his show with "Make America 1932 Again." Trump's assault on the marketplace continues, now going after the Federal Reserve head, but that doesn't affect the interest rates, a board sets the rates. Going after Powell will just continue to tank the stock market.

It looks like cars and car parts are going to go way up soon because of the tariffs; I need to schedule a brake job around the time of my next oil change (about 5000 miles), but the local newspaper opinion page says do the repairs or the work before the tariffs hit that will increase the price of the new brake pads and parts by 60%. How many "normal" purchases are now being bumped up or deferred because of this market?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Apr 25 - 03:32 AM

I see he is now "looking forward" to attending the Pope's funeral. I hope he is not invited!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Apr 25 - 04:22 AM

What is Hegseth's actual job?
He is the deputy President of WAR, a very serious position for a character who is jokey at best. He surrounds himself with his wife, who was his producer at FOX News, even at high-level secret meetings.

Tariffs are not a remedy that Trump thinks they are. The market is 'tariff-fied'. The economy is not 'tariff-ic'. The risk is a 'STAGFLATION' similar to what happened to Japan when their recession could not be remedied for over ten years.

Waiting for this shoe to fall is an anvil that could kill.


Nobody expected the Spanish Inquisition, or Project 2025, unless they read it before the election. But Americans rarely read and prefer to wait for the movie version.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Apr 25 - 12:12 PM

Helen, You'd think the New York Times would be right out in front of some of these stories, but they lagged a day behind your abc.net.au story about the disarray in Hegseth's Pentagon. Covered much the same thing, with a few interesting links to side stories. The Times and the Washington Post have become downright timid, following, not leading in reporting this administration. He has them cowed also.

I reported yesterday about the interview with Jennifer Pahlka, and have for now downloaded her book from my public library, though I did order a copy on paper as well. I think this is one where I will want to write in the margins and use post-it notes to find good quotes to share, so having a paper copy helps. This will be the book that helps me not just say "Musk doesn't know what he's doing" but to point out why it isn't working and what needs to be done. I'm still calling or writing several times a week to my representatives offices, and I don't want to just be "me, too!" in the complaining crowd. Elizabeth Warren is another one who is behind making the legislation work, not just pile on more rules to old rules. That said, you'd think they would want to keep the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), except oops, that group was going to limit what Musk could do on X regarding banking stuff.

We are at the #AmericanRevolution2.0 right now in time.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Apr 25 - 12:14 PM

Noem has the law on her side as the director of Homeland Security to remove the security team from the Obama family. I wonder if she will.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Apr 25 - 01:03 PM

Petty-acts-are-us is the motto of the Trump administration. I suspect all former presidents are looking into private security.

Pete Hegseth is in the swirling around in the toilet bowl mode right now; any moment he'll disappear from view entirely. From an interview with Elizabeth Warren today:

. . . “it is so clear that he is not ready for prime time. Look, we all knew this at the time he was originally nominated, that he was nominated principally because he was very, very, very, very loyal to Donald Trump, and he looked good on television and gave a kind of rah-rah talk around defense. But the truth was, he didn’t have the experience. He didn’t have the background. He made it clear that he didn’t think that a lot of us were serving in the military, particularly women, belong there, and had a contribution to make. And so it was, it was never a good idea to put this guy in.”

“And then he comes in and literally puts our entire national defense at risk, not once, but twice that we know of, and no one is sure,” Warren continued, adding, “this is something for which anyone who actually worked in the Department of Defense for Pete Hegseth would have been summarily fired.”

The whole conversation with Katie Couric is here.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 22 Apr 25 - 01:14 PM

The boot is on the other foot for Noem, now that she has been DOGE'd by a sneaky but brazen thief. Her driver's licence and DHS security tag stolen, money stolen and I assume her credit cards too, keys to her home stolen allowing access to her private life.

Trump is still claiming publicly to be supporting Hegseth but his usual tactic is to do that and then throw the person under the bus without warning.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 22 Apr 25 - 10:36 PM

SRS, I especially liked the sign on that Flickr page from the protests which says:

Eggs are so expensive because all the chickens are in Congress. Congress/Courts do your job. Remove Trump.

(It's second from the top, on the right of the page.)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 01:35 AM

Musk's Tesla stock is way down, they had a 71% decrease in sales this year. Poor baby. It's what most of his wealth is based upon.

Elon Musk Vows to Spend Less Time in Washington as Tesla’s Profit Drops 71%
The carmaker reported the sharp decline in quarterly earnings after its brand suffered because of its chief executive’s role in the Trump administration.

Mr. Musk told Wall Street analysts in a conference call that he would continue to spend “a day or two per week” on Washington matters, probably for the duration of Mr. Trump’s presidency. The billionaire executive is one of Mr. Trump’s closest confidants and has played a leading role in the president’s efforts to slash government spending and cut tens of thousands of federal government jobs.

He spoke less than two hours after Tesla said it had earned $409 million, down from $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2024. The company previously reported net profit of $1.1 billion last year, but revised the figure to reflect changes in the way cryptocurrency assets are valued.

Tesla sales have been slumping because of intense competition from Chinese carmakers like BYD, a lack of new models and Mr. Musk’s support of far-right causes, which has turned off some liberals and centrists from buying Tesla vehicles.

Mr. Musk said recent protests at Tesla showrooms around the world had been conducted by people who stood to lose government handouts because of his work with the Trump administration. “The real reason is that those who are receiving the waste and fraud wish it to continue,” he said.

Tesla remains the most valuable automaker in the world as measured by its stock price, and it sells far more electric vehicles in the United States than any other company.

The man is an idiot.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 05:23 AM

In response to Musk's comment about backing off DOGE, his Tesla shares went up 5%.

We all have witnessed the underground cesspool containing the internet of hate. It is fueled by those who have little or no compassion in their psyche. The step-by-step march toward the dehumanization of an individual, group, or genre is pushed forward by those without compassion. This lack of decency can be found on the playground, but in adults, it is immensely more destructive. Some people can not experience compassion, but 75% of people can. Identifying the megalomaniac, narcissist, or social psychopath early is the best defense against their unbridled hate. Concentrating those without compassion in government, law enforcement or volunteers to carry out illegal orders is how the holocaust became normalized to those who thought of themselves as superhuman.

For decades I have reminded those who listen that a descent into absolute hate happens step by step yet surprisingly quickly and is long lasting. It is spread by shouting but grows in silence.
Resist wherever you can..

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 05:59 PM

Meanwhile in the Land of Oz - Big Brother (aka mini-Musk) is watching you! Shudder

Why Trump-style attacks on workplaces haven't worked in Australia - 3rd image is brilliant, I hope to see it on posters & signs in our current pre-election climate.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 07:28 PM

The executive producer of 60 Minutes has resigned over undue pressure from the owner to avoid Trump stories since Trump has sued the show.

Edward R Murrow didn't back down over his McCarthy exposé.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 11:11 PM

I think they're going to be hearing a lot about Edward R. Murrow. Now is the time to stand firm, because in an echo of the McCarthy era people have already asked Trump and Musk "Have you no sense of decency?" regarding all of the slurs cast against all of the federal employees they've fired, about all of the people who will die because they closed down USAID, etc.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Apr 25 - 12:35 AM

Rick Steves: How Egypt after Arab Spring and the U.S. might be alike

Rick Steves is a well-known American travel writer and has produced travel television programs for years. Well known in his community for his liberal and humanitarian politics.

Assuming their election win gave them a mandate to reinvent the government according to their hard-line conservative vision, they turned Egyptian society upside down with a revolutionary fervor. They had no idea how to smartly wield power, but they were armed with a Project 2025-style blueprint (Egypt’s 2012 “Renaissance Project”) as they fed the finer points of the Egyptian deep state into a DOGE-like wood chipper. Within a year, Egyptians realized that running a country is more complicated than bumper sticker complaints and angry flag-waving, and the people rose up. After a bloody counterrevolution, Morsi ended up in jail, where he stayed until his death.

Traveling in Egypt during Morsi’s brief but chaotic presidency, the frustrations of being governed by an extreme party that was overreaching in the name of reform were as clear to me as the bread lines at the government bakeries. In fact, whenever previously reliable government-provided services (which the Morsi administration had “fixed” … but actually broken) malfunctioned, people would use their president’s name as a curse. So, instead of “Oh, shit,” they’d simply exclaim, “Morsi.”

Yes, in 2013, the universal way Egyptians would complain about something not working was to slam their fists on the table and shout their president’s name. “Morsi!” A light bulb flickers out with the power … “Morsi!” The garbage truck never arrives … “Morsi!” The internet fails … “Morsi!” A sewer overflows … “Morsi!” The Egyptian currency depreciates in value … “Morsi!” You get bombed by a pigeon? Even then … “Morsi!”

A decade later, here in America, our voters were pissed off at the price of eggs and riled up about the possibility of trans people in their bathrooms — and we, too, have elected a radical and destructive new government that ignores past norms and constitutional limits to implement a so-called “mandate.” To justify firing the dedicated public servants and nonpartisan experts whose rarely heralded hard work keeps things running smoothly and safely, the Trump White House has demonized America’s institutions as the “deep state.” And, as the impacts of that become clear, I predict that we will start suffering our own “Morsi” moments.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 24 Apr 25 - 06:28 AM

After Trump promised Mar-a-Lago dinners with the President and White House tours for the biggest Trump coin buyers, the crypto currency went up to 2.5 Billion dollars.


Selling the presidency has never been so lucrative and illegal.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Apr 25 - 12:54 PM

I want answers for myself and for how Trump and the Bad News Gang he brought to the White House justify the damage they're doing. I mentioned before an interview with the woman who (in the Obama years) established the United States Digital Service (USDS). Pahlka and her staff were the adults in the room, helping agencies shift to more workable technology. Huge job. Lots of layers of accountability with a legislative component. It seems the Musk approach is to throw out all of the people who know how things work and he's going to do something to the existing technology to replace all of them. It is clear to all that this ass-backwards approach just breaks things.

Nepotism has always been a feature of government, but not on the huge scale it was when the "spoils" system was in place. (Quick example: Hegeseth has put his inept brother in a job at the Pentagon. Two fools after the appointment of one.)

It has been mentioned before that during the Clinton administration they managed to reduce the size of government. DOGE, meet REGO. 32 years before Elon Musk, Al Gore did it

REGO was not a completely original idea either. Ronald Reagan, for instance, had empaneled the Grace Commission, which sought advice on how to cut waste and government inefficiency from more than 160 corporate executives and issued a 47-volume set of recommendations.

The difference with REGO, according to Elaine Kamarck, is that Gore’s team was able to follow up on their recommendations and get multiple pieces of legislation passed into law.

Today, Kamarck is the founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. But back in 1993, she was running the REGO effort with Gore at the White House.

“We passed a lot of laws, we cut regulations, and we cut the workforce,” Kamarck told me of the effort, which started as a review process and morphed into a major effort that lasted throughout Clinton’s presidency.

The Grace Commission was a huge embarrassment for Reagan and in his second term he didn't mention it much and the government grew huge.

This is the critical part of the Clinton/Gore effort:

At the same time, by the end of the REGO effort, the federal workforce was reduced by 351,000 positions, federal agencies had been reorganized and reams of red tape had been cut.

The red tape, the Sludge it's now referred to, was caused by regulations that were part of oversight, to be sure everything was done by the book and it involved layers of supervision. By surgically addressing that - legislatively - so the layers could be reduced, they were able to remove all of those redundant positions. (Chances are a lot of those people were able to move into openings in other agencies that weren't redundant. There are always openings begging to be filled for jobs that really do need doing.)

Musk has no interest in a fix that will stay in place, he's all for the drama (and grabbing the data as fast as he can).

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 24 Apr 25 - 03:04 PM

SRS said, "Musk has no interest in a fix that will stay in place, he's all for the drama (and grabbing the data as fast as he can)."

I also think, from various news articles I have seen, that he is all for doing sneaky tweaks on anything which could help or hinder his business interests.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Apr 25 - 06:15 PM

Last week there was a whistleblower from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) who reported the DOGE folks getting into the case data, turning off safety/security settings, deleting evidence of what they were doing while they were in the system, and an attempt to logon to the system within an hour by a Russian IP using an account and PW established during the DOGE visit. The block of Russian IP addresses is what kept that account from being opened. The NLRB folks reported it for an investigation; who knows where that stands now, but Musk and his kiddos aren't there for the reasons Trump or Musk said they are.

NPR exclusive: whistleblower says DOGE may have taken sensitive labor data

More from Chris Krebs who is being "investigated" by Trump's Justice Dept because he made the honest statement that the 2020 election was fair.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 24 Apr 25 - 06:21 PM

Putin is laughing himself to sleep every night, predicting the downfall of the US. And that is even with Trump calling him out on the attacks on Ukraine because of supposed ceasefire talks.

Trump criticises Putin over Russian missile attack on Kyiv

"In short: Donald Trump has hit out at Vladimir Putin after eight people were killed in Kyiv by a Russian missile and drone attack.

"The US president posted 'Vladimir, stop' on Truth Social, saying the strikes were 'not necessary' and 'bad timing'.

"What's next? European leaders have rounded on Moscow and said Ukraine cannot enter negotiations with Russia without a ceasefire in place."


Like Putin would take any notice of the Trump baby chucking a tantrum! It all fits into Putin's dastardly plans, one way or another IMHO.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 06:57 AM

China has an opportunity via a poorly run Pentagon, a trade war in their favor, and US intelligence weaknesses as the US teeters on recession. Ergo, a Chinese move on Taiwan by the dark of the moon sometime soon may be too attractive to miss.

My Taiwanese friends are visiting Taiwan this week, guessing that sooner is better than later.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 07:46 AM

Hegseth has been attacking the Houthis to open the commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, but he has failed to open the lanes.

We have lost six attack drones so far to Houthi fire and have spent untold millions without eliminating any Houthi leadership.
Hegseth has little to brag about regarding his not-so-secret war.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 11:51 AM

This is going to bite Patel in the ass. Let's hope it works its way up the chain and bites Trump also. Arresting a judge then tweeting about it? That isn't about justice, that is about threats & "making examples of" the legal system.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/04/25/wisconsin-judge-arrest-fbi-ice-immigration-enforcement/

According to reporting by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ICE agents arrived in the judge’s courtroom last Friday during a pre-trial hearing for Eduardo Flores Ruiz, a 30-year-old Mexican national who is facing misdemeanor battery charges in Wisconsin.

Dugan asked the agents to leave and speak to the circuit court’s chief judge, the Journal Sentinel reported. By the time they returned, Flores Ruiz had left.

“We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest,” Patel wrote in his post.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: robomatic
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 03:28 PM

The New York Times has a recent article on the George Santos sentencing.
So does The Guardian.

More significant is the reveal on the damage Trump and his 'team' expect to take out on Ukraine (Crimea).

There are more shoes to be dropped. Russian dancing boots.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 03:51 PM

This may be the Christmas without the usual toys.
I find it ironic that gifts like microscopes and telescopes, along with art supplies could grace the tree this season. Trump doesn't seem to like science and art.

There still might be tariff me Elmos for the rich kids but normal kids will see some changes.

Here are some different options
https://www.elizabethclareblog.com/100-ideas-for-a-no-toy-christmas-list/

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 04:07 PM

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-xi-china-tariffs/

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/25/trump-200-trade-deals-time-interview-trade-war-tariffs-00309294

Could Trump be lying to the world?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 04:49 PM

It seems to me the MAGA anthem is turning against Trump any day now.

Leave me the hell alone

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Apr 25 - 07:37 PM

Trump is finally a true billionaire with his crypto meme coin sales.
All the money goes to him from the purchase of these crypto coins which resemble an NFT more than a currency like Bitcoin. Even you could sell your own crypto meme coins, the process is fairly simple.
You however would not be able to promote sales by having dinner with the president or trade VIP White House tours for the most coins purchased.

I get a feeling that this scheme is so slimy it might find its way to the head of the grift list.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 26 Apr 25 - 03:01 AM

Has Marjorie Taylor Greene been questioned in Congress about insider trading because she had privileged information from meetings regarding the tariff decisions and subsequent decisions to pause the tariffs, and then she bought shares or something similar using that information?

I watched a YouTube video with that story but it may not have been completely reliable as an information source.

Personally, I am *really* hoping it was reliable information because:

It would be very satisfying to know that Congress has put her on the spot/given her a well-deserved grilling/given her a well-deserved bollocking (to use the Pommie phrase);

and it would be very satisfying to see her get caught out big-time, by misusing her privileged position for her own gain.

For her, I would like to see bringing back burning at the stake, but that would be inhumane, wouldn't it? (Sorry. Not sorry!)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 26 Apr 25 - 06:13 AM

Executive orders, tariffs and lawsuits: How the ‘deep state’ is outmanoeuvring Trump As the president’s second term nears the 100 day mark, it seems his radical agenda has this week been blunted on multiple fronts ...

... For the first time, whether Trump can push through his agenda is an open question. If he fails, analysts may well look back on this week as the moment serious cracks appeared. Because the blob is not rolling over. The blob is fighting back ...

... For the first time, whether Trump can push through his agenda is an open question. If he fails, analysts may well look back on this week as the moment serious cracks appeared. Because the blob is not rolling over. The blob is fighting back.
Things fall apart

If you were looking for a single document summarising Trump’s experience in office to date, you could do a lot worse than Executive Order 14257: the implementation of the “Liberation Day” tariffs targeting the “lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships” that posed “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States”.

Everything is there: the use of executive authority to make changes with immense and sweeping impact, legal rationales based on national security concerns and the declaration of a national emergency, the desire for greater independence and autonomy, Trump’s unique approach to negotiations, and the subsequent “lawfare” backlash. ...

... Just 100 days in, then, the stakes could hardly be higher. If Trump falters now, he may be doomed to see out the rest of his term raging in futility against the structures that thwarted him. And that is precisely what his enemies are hoping for. ...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Apr 25 - 10:20 AM

Undocumented immigrants are called illegal aliens, the rule of law is called the deep state, and deporting the most vulnerable US citizens is called throwing out the anchor babies. Yes, we are doing that now, even if the children have cancer.

Perhaps humans are intrinsically illegal, but I suspect it is because we are part of the animal kingdom. We often murder other animals to eat. There are terms of endearment and terms of hate. It is no coincidence that Trump uses many Nazi procedures. However, no one is another genocidal Hitler, until a global nuclear war by one man claims 7 billion human lives.

My point is to choose terms, whether rhetorical or historical, carefully from your own heart and not use the newest political expedient phrases and lies.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 27 Apr 25 - 04:16 AM

Hi all, regarding the Marjorie Taylor Greene story, I still don't know whether the YouTube podcast-type video was fact-based or just the usual made-up, social media concoctions of part fact, part fiction and part wishful thinking.

(I just did a typo above on "social media" and it read "social madia" -i.e. made-up concoction - so my subconscious is obviously in charge of my typing fingers. LOL)

There are articles on it from over a week ago so it has some basis in fact, but whether the podcaster was strictly adhering to the facts is another question. This video is by the same presenter and it looks like MTG's comments about the death of the Pope have pushed other news out of the spotlight:

IHIP News: MTG CELEBRATES DEATH of Pope; Hegseth ADMITS to Being LEAKER?!

[Note: IHI = "I've Had It" and P = Podcast I think.]

This is a Newsweek article about the insider trading allegations:

Marjorie Taylor Greene Faces 'Insider Trading' Probe Calls Over Stock Buys

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Apr 25 - 10:49 AM

Benedict Donald Trump is 99% retribution for all the 'nonsense' he never understood as well as those who never saw this coming.
There are people who perpetually feel wronged for no good reason.
If they knew their deep sense of insecurity was to blame, they would probably blame others even more.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 27 Apr 25 - 11:49 AM

Who is Benedict Donald Trump?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 27 Apr 25 - 03:44 PM

I'm assuming it is a reference to Benedict Arnold who betrayed America during the American Revolutionary War.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 27 Apr 25 - 05:03 PM

It seems like all the great prophets were misunderstood during their lifetime.
It could be argued that America betrayed Arnold first.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 27 Apr 25 - 06:08 PM

It has to be argued that Benedict Arnold was, in the end, a loyal subject of his king. It seems my wife is related to him and Justin Bieber. I consider the connection to Benedict the most worthy.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 28 Apr 25 - 07:31 AM

The MO of Trump is clearly everything or nothing.
Who did he pardon of the convicted 1-6 terrorists? All of them.
What countries did he choose to tariff? All of them.
What agencies did he hollow out? All of them.
Which immigrants did he initially deport. All of them, including citizens.

In a shooting war who would he attack? Everyone?

Recently, he has unceremoniously reversed some of his decrees.
Resistance works.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 28 Apr 25 - 08:07 AM

Bill Mahre called Trump an Orangutan. He was sued by Trump. Hair color was a match, but reading or speaking skills were amiss.
While orangutans can learn to associate plastic letter symbols with objects and actions, they do not possess the capacity to "read" in the human sense of understanding the meaning of written language. Words go right over their head. Studies have shown they can be trained to distinguish symbols and even follow sequences of symbols to obtain rewards, but this is more about recognizing specific visual patterns rather than comprehending the meaning of words or sentences. But words alone don’t equal human speech. Languages have grammar and syntax, which some believe may even be hardwired into the human brain. If other primates are born with this special skill, nobody has seen evidence of it yet.

In a world of spectrums, some primates may be thrown forward and some humans are throwbacks. ;^/
;

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Apr 25 - 02:37 PM

John Oliver on Last Week Tonight speaks at length about the state of US Health Care. It's as horrifying as you thought, and he's right.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 28 Apr 25 - 05:54 PM

I RULE THE WORLD !
quote Donald J Trump.

It sounds like he is getting sicker.

NIH archives of research are being digitally shredded and lost forever.
For what purpose is unknown to rational minds.
There is a MAGA understanding that breaking everything is owning the libs and science advocates, so the lord may rule again. The courageous front line warriors against pandemics have been fired. This leaves the power of prayer in the Congo and elsewhere.

As he runs the country and runs the world, Maddow says he is pretending that 170 miles of the border is a military base so he can seize people for trespassing on a military base and arrest them by military troops.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 07:26 AM

Anyone taking bets on how long it will be before he decalres the Canadian election a fraud?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 07:29 AM

The Trump has demonstrated that his bigly political power and influence remains un diminished, by helping Mark Carney (Liberal) to win the Canadian election…

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 12:23 PM

Trump certainly impacted the outcome of the Canadian election, and he is influencing EU policy as well, but none of it the way he wanted. Good.

Amazon announced, then unannounced, that it would reflect tariff costs in item prices in the website. Wuss. They really do need to make it apparent at a granular level, and that would show people what is what.

The administration thugs are doubling down on arrests and deportations now, and yet the GOP half of Congress still sits on its hands. If a couple of House Republicans had died instead of a couple of Democrats this year it would look a lot different right now.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 01:57 PM

I use Amazon regularly but I'm not a fan of some of their practices. After the White House declaring them to be hostile and political I ordered £75 of stuff today :-D

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 03:47 PM

If I stopped using services or subscribing to sites because they did something I didn't like I would be on a desert island right now with nothing to read, no communications, few places to buy materials or food, etc. You choose your battles. I didn't quite REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated) when the board wrote a letter baking the nomination of Doug Burgum, I wrote a letter telling them how disappointed I was and reminding them of just where they are located - in the heart of labor resistance territory (the "Wobblies" were from Washington State). I'm sure my one letter didn't do it, but darned if the board didn't come out a few weeks ago and withdraw their support. It's moot - chances were he was going to get in with or without their support, but the withdrawal did help in my eyes. They're listening to their co-op members (finally).

I support newspapers because I worked at a newspaper, I know what all goes on behind the scenes and how much value is added by the people who aren't on the front page. I did quit Twitter/X, after letting it ride unused for quite a while. I have a number of places I occasionally shop and now I try to keep it to never or almost never.

Right now a lot of people are unhappy and feeling like their voices aren't heard, mostly because of the intransigent GOP members of the House and Senate, refusing to budge off of a path to dictatorship. So I march and write and call. And talk others into doing the same. I found this Instagram video very helpful today: Video released from 5calls about how the calls can make a difference.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 29 Apr 25 - 05:43 PM

Letters have weight. They are seen as representing hundreds of a point of view from those who did not write a letter but feel the same way.

Trump has asked the DOJ about ways to employ troops on the streets and scenarios to declare martial law.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 03:25 AM

Google didn't turn up anything about that apart from some suggestion by him before he was elected. Can you provide a reliable source for that, Don?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 05:45 AM

MSNBC and local NBC.

background:
Trump’s January 20 executive order declared a national emergency at the US southern border and required the defence and homeland security secretaries to submit a report on border conditions within 90 days. The report should include “any recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807”, the executive order said.

He has recently asked the DOJ for further loopoles to deploy troops, suspend courts and militarize police. One such loophole is to declare hundreds of miles of border property a 'military' base so that arrests by military and serious charges beyond trespassing are made.
The climate of fear and use of polygraphs to expose anyone speaking to journalists will make certain stories more challenging to confirm on multiple Google sites which are being 'cleansed' by executive orders to ensure 'National Security'.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 05:59 AM

The use of the military on public streets has happened before and the rules are a bit fuzzy. Federal troops were deployed during the 1992 Los Angeles riots that were sparked by the acquittal of police officers in the beating of Rodney King. President George H.W. Bush invoked the Insurrection Act to send in troops, including army and marine units, along with riot-trained federal law enforcement officers, to restore order. This decision was made after state and local efforts to quell the unrest, including the deployment of the National Guard, proved insufficient.

Going way back, troops fired on and killed protesting farmers on the Capitol steps.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 07:19 AM

citizens raided by ICE

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 07:34 AM

Will you give us links to your sources for the last couple of posts please, Donald?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 11:56 AM

Isn't that special.   (Dana Garvy reference)
Why am I not inclined to spoon-feed Backwoodsman?
Could it be that he declares all my posts nonsense and not worth his time? Or is there a misunderstanding that even in the worst of times, comic relief, when recognized as such, is healing?
For those who have not lived the actual history of this country, Google, despite selling your data and featuring some results above others for profit, is still helpful. Use it yourself.

There is quite a bit of denying the free speech guarantee of our Constitution by our dear President. We are free to bring him to Justice and sue him. There have been 207 suits against him in the last 100 days. We have over 1600 days to go.










































For those who have not lived the history in this country, it is recommended to learn how to Google.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 12:34 PM

Many of the posts here speculate on the future repercussions of the damage being done today to our government agencies.
Disaster relief is probably going to be one of the greatest failures in our response to climate change as a result of DOGE.
Whether it's Hurricanes, fires, floods, or super storms the poor response will be a sad day for America, reminiscent of Katrina.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 12:38 PM

made up from the victims mouth

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 01:28 PM

I recall I was the first here to report on a new disease called COVID.
There was much criticism for my knowing very little about the disease.
There was plenty of disbelief.
Ask a journalist if there are cases in which they will not reveal their source. My association with NIH is at arm's length and some sources that need guarding. I have reposted general knowledge that has no attribution and some that does. I believe BW or gillymor do not seek healing or self education. I suppose they do not know their own motivation except discord.
There are people who discuss ideas and people who discuss people.
I prefer ideas. Let's stick to ideas if we won't agree on facts.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 01:34 PM

Too many people are harmed because police execute warrants at the wrong houses or haven't done their due diligence to learn who lives there now. Now the Trump troops are piling on and doing it even more. And as awful as the stories have been for most people with a sense of empathy, it is this story that may finally get through the chill of MAGA voters who want "other" people deported, arrested, tortured, robbed, harassed, or even killed, not people who look like them, White American citizens.

Trump is like the Gorgon character in the original Star Trek (played by attorney/actor Melvin Belli) who draws from the emotions of others to get his energy. He had to be laughed out of the Enterprise - it may take more than derision and laughter to get Trump out of the White House. Congress knows what to do, they need to be convinced it is in their best interest if not the best interest of the nation.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 30 Apr 25 - 04:50 PM

”Ask a journalist if there are cases in which they will not reveal their source. My association with NIH is at arm's length and some sources that need guarding. I have reposted general knowledge that has no attribution and some that does. I believe BW or gillymor do not seek healing or self education. I suppose they do not know their own motivation except discord.
There are people who discuss ideas and people who discuss people.
I prefer ideas. Let's stick to ideas if we won't agree on facts.”

Then at least behave with honesty and differentiate between ‘facts’ and ‘ideas’. If you’re stating facts, especially those which you claim are ‘out there’, there is no reason why you shouldn’t give attributions. Without attribution, your ‘facts’ are worth nothing more than the frequently unintelligible waffle you describe as ‘ideas’, whether yours or those you C&P.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 01 May 25 - 02:46 AM

Hubby sent me a pic of this. I thought it was just a meme but it looks like you can buy them.

Trump toilet brush

It would be very satisfying, IMHO, to see Trumps head and hair poking around in a $h1tty toilet bowl. LOL

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 May 25 - 07:57 AM

Trump pressures journalist to accept doctored photo as real: ‘Why don’t you just say yes?’ President lashed out at Terry Moran in tense TV interview, which included questions about deportations and tariffs.
Donald Trump
Trump pressures journalist to accept doctored photo as real: ‘Why don’t you just say yes?’

President lashed out at Terry Moran in tense TV interview, which included questions about deportations and tariffs

    US politics live – latest updates

Joseph Gedeon in Washington
Thu 1 May 2025 02.17 AEST

Donald Trump lashed out at an ABC journalist in a tense TV interview to mark 100 days of his second term in office, in which among other confrontations he angrily pushed correspondent Terry Moran to agree with him that a doctored photo was actually real, telling him: “Why don’t you just say yes.”

The 40-minute interview in the Oval Office veered off course when Moran pressed Trump on the case of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadorian man living in Maryland who was deported despite a protective court order. When Moran pointed out that the supreme court had ordered García’s return to the US, and suggested Trump had the power to comply by making a single phone call, the president bristled.

“I could,” Trump said – contradicting weeks of his administration’s insistence that he could not – but added: “I’m not the one making this decision. We have lawyers that don’t want to do this.”

“You’re the president,” Moran said, then after talking over each other, Trump said: “No, no, no, no. I follow the law. You want me to follow the law. If I were the president that just wanted to do anything, I’d probably keep him right where he is.”

“The supreme court says what the law is,” Moran pointed out.

The exchange deteriorated further when Trump insisted García had MS-13 tattoos on his knuckles, while Moran – after several times gently disagreeing and trying to move to a new topic – eventually pointed out that the image Trump was referring to had obviously been digitally altered.

“Why don’t you just say, ‘Yes, he does’ [have a gang tattoo] and, you know, go on to something else,” Trump said.

The US president added: “You do such a disservice … This is why people no longer believe the news, because it’s fake news.”

He then claimed he picked Moran to do the milestone interview “because frankly, I never heard of you”, and added: “Hey, they’re giving you the big break of a lifetime, you know – you’re doing the interview.” (read on)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 May 25 - 08:36 AM

He's a very dangerous, senile old fool.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 May 25 - 10:37 AM

That interview was played several times yesterday on different MSNBC programs, they each had features of it to discuss. Listening to Trump speak is torturous already, so repeating the worst stuff guarantees my hand racing to the mute button.

Food safety inspectors seem to be on the chopping block unless we make a big fuss, and even if they are restored by a court, are they really? Meanwhile Democrats are fighting among themselves, and with only a few exceptions not accomplishing a lot. So now the Biden/Harris team are stepping up and being interviewed and discussing the future and some folks are upset about that. My opinion, the amount that Harris lost by was tiny, the smallest margin of loss in something like 60 years. I'm not ready to throw out all of that experience and power in the party because some of the party think having lost is the end of the world. Mix and match, get it right next time. It won't be the same people running, but throwing out experienced folks instead of listening to their post mortem and what they think might work better next time at least gives more ammo to defeat all of this fascist dictatorship nonsense.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 May 25 - 10:56 AM

Waltz and Wong both got the chop (BBC News Channel just now). Is the Trump kingdom beginning to fall apart?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 01 May 25 - 11:26 AM

In extraordinary times like these there are some economic survival strategies that will help enlightened folks. We know for a fact that orders and shipping are way down because of tariffs. It's time to short the stock of those companies. Of course, Trump could change course, but all indications are that he won't in the short run. Also, some orders will try to bypass full tariffs by passing through a third country. They will do better and will probably rise. Big box stores may get exceptions, but those that don't can be shorted without worry.

Scavenger trading like this is what the Hedge funds will do, so copy them and you may recover losses from the market crash and likely win big. If you are new to the market use a fiduciary.
Remember, in times like these, there are risks of doing nothing and risks of doing something. Something is better than nothing.

If you have an economic advisor be sure to have this conversation with them.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 01 May 25 - 05:10 PM

It's Mayday, and Republicans essentially voted for using federal funds to deport US citizens. The reconciliation bill doesn't need a 2/3 majority, so it looks like Medicaid for the elderly and disabled will be axed.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 01 May 25 - 06:12 PM

Helen:
Hubby sent me a pic of this. I thought it was just a meme but it looks like you can buy them.

Trump toilet brush

It would be very satisfying, IMHO, to see Trumps head and hair poking around in a $h1tty toilet bowl. LOL

So in this case the shit is outside his head ;)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 May 25 - 06:35 PM

both!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 01 May 25 - 06:55 PM

As above, so below. Or in this case: as outside, so inside. LOL

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 May 25 - 08:15 PM

I can't find another way to share this reliably, so here is a long copy paste. The author appears to be Joseph Allman and he posted it to a page supporting Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger (who were both on the Jan. 6 committee and who lost their seats in recent election.)

I am going to go totally off brand and offer a theory that absolves Trump of the current state of America under his administration. I think we have a Weekend at Bernie’s situation going on in the White House. That interview with ABC was damning.

Donald Trump isn’t running the country. He’s being wheeled around like a bloated prop, a sagging orange husk made to dance on command like an undead circus bear for what’s left of the base — part nostalgia act, part cult relic, all rot.

What we’re seeing isn’t leadership. It’s a reanimation ritual and the pale, serpentine ghoul casting the spell is none other than Stephen “Gargamel” Miller, America’s most punchable necromancer.

Trump slurs through speeches like he’s gargling grave dirt. He babbles about the Declaration of Independence being a unifying love letter, can’t explain the Monroe Doctrine beyond “it was a doctrine that came from Monroe”, and insists a clearly photoshopped image of Abrego Garcia’s hands with MS-13 in Times New Roman font is a smoking gun worthy of ending due process. The man is gone. The lights have gone out. There’s nothing left behind his haunted eyes save Adderall fumes and Hannity reruns.

And yet, he lumbers on, taxidermied circus bear that he is, lacquered in orange bronzer and stuffed with Big Mac grease. His only purpose is to waltz for the crowd while his ghoulish wizard adviser yanks his rigor mortised tendons to animate him from backstage. Miller doesn’t care that the old man is mentally decomposing. That’s the point. A confused and vacant figurehead is easier to manipulate into signing off on whatever racist, Nazi-esque blueprint the American Goebbels is perpetrating.

This is Miller’s wet dream.

He’s not advising Trump — he’s possessing him. Every lie that Trump croaks, every grotesque culture war stunt, every fascistic fever dream about rounding up immigrants or dismantling our rights — it’s Miller’s handwriting etched on the inside of Trump’s skull.

Stephen Miller doesn’t need a sharp mind to question his blueprint for carrying out his own personal holocaust on brown people. He needs a pliable corpse with the official authority he lacks as a petty, sneaky, ill intentioned bureaucrat. Trump is the perfect meat puppet. He’s too dim, too desperate and too embalmed in grievance to question the dark script Stephen Miller is reciting. He’ll jerk and twitch, croaking the same refrains of “Beautiful Tarrifs” [sic] and “Biden, Biden, Biden” on command while the real monster whispers through the cracks.

That ABC interview proved this is no longer an administration. It’s Weekend at Donnie’s with Stephen Miller cackling from the shadows, narrowing his beady little eyes on what’s left of our civil rights.

If Central Casting was looking for someone to play a a nasty Nazi beaurocrat, Stephen Miller would pop to the top of the list.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 02 May 25 - 08:39 PM

Project 2025 is scripted for 180 days of semi-legal and unconstitutional Presidential orders. These orders are all things that could never pass Congress or would make proponents of these unpopular issues unelectable. I have called Republicans spineless cowards, but they have bravely put themselves on the chopping block anyway by supporting Trump to do the 2025 bidding. Check out their town halls.

A dancing bear clown is still a useful idiot for fascists.
I think Trump loves Putin because of a shared affection for racism and oligarchic rule. Putin loves useful idiots.

Trump has put FDR's answer to ending the depression in full reverse and is sending us all back into darkness.

Trump toilet paper and toilet brushes are not the answer. It is teamwork similar to the fight Harvard has doubled down on. While some judges are intimidated and fearful of Trump's goons for good reason, a brave court and courageous citizens will bear the slings and arrows of an outrageous emerging police state.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 May 25 - 10:05 AM

Correction: We have 1,358 more days of Trump's term.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 03 May 25 - 10:20 AM

cartoon: The Statue of Liberty has been arrested and deported.
France is entering talks with El Salvador for her return.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 May 25 - 11:29 AM

There was some pushback above against uncited remarks about "military on the public street" - something Trump claimed he would do even while he was running. Whoever is feeding him all of these awful executive orders has reached that part of the "to do" list on Project 2025.

From the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Trump's Expanded Domestic Military Use Should Worry Us All
Here's part of it:

How Has Trump Deployed the Military Domestically So Far?
On Inauguration Day, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, falsely claiming an invasion, and authorized a dramatic increase in the number of federalized National Guard troops deployed to the border under Title 10. Since then, he’s also sent combat vehicles to our border communities. So far, Trump’s domestic troop deployment has been limited to support for border operations. Troops have been supporting border wall construction and materials transportation, monitoring and detection assistance, and providing logistical assistance for civilian agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

But his actions are worsening the conditions under which civilian border communities live. Our southern border is home to approximately 19 million people, in addition to the regular business and trade commuters who come across the border every day. In recent years, U.S. citizens and other border residents have been exposed to intrusive civilian law enforcement surveillance, aggressive federal policing, border patrol checkpoints they must pass through for medical care and daily activities, and environmental degradation from border wall construction. Border patrol agents have engaged in deadly vehicular pursuits and excessive use of force against border residents, and in one of his initial executive orders, President Trump revoked the 2023 Customs and Border Protection policy to limit these deadly chases.

What Did Trump Do Most Recently?
On April 11, Trump issued a memorandum giving the Defense Department use and jurisdiction over public civilian lands along the border—including the Roosevelt Reservation in New Mexico and excluding Federal Indian Reservations—for military activities. Trump’s directive allows the secretary of defense to identify “military activities that are reasonably necessary and appropriate” including actions to “protect and maintain the security of military installations” and exclude people from newly designated “national defense areas.” In other words, Trump is opening the door to an expanding military role that goes beyond logistical support—and potentially beyond the identified zone.

The new policy has serious implications for border residents living under this expanded militarized zone, which includes cities like San Diego, CA; Nogales, Arizona; El Paso, Texas and other heavily populated, thriving communities. People in these areas could now face federal prosecution for trespassing if they unintentionally walk or drive onto a designated “national defense area.”

And from MSNBC: Trump’s new executive order promises to ‘unleash’ law enforcement. It won’t make us safer.
The EO's basic message is “police should not be sued, and we stand behind those who are.”

The next and final step in the plan is to turn the military loose everywhere to shoot protesters. He will try to do it, mark my words. He has said as much in the past, that crap about "the army can shoot them in the legs."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 03 May 25 - 06:47 PM

OFFS! [If you are not sure what that means, remember what F stands for - Oh, for F sake!]

One minute he's claiming that the Garcia tattoo photo is not doctored and the next minute...

Donald Trump posts AI image of himself as the pope ahead of Catholic Church conclave

[Note from me: it is also obvious that his old, haggard, senile face has been smudged using AI.]

"In short: US President Donald Trump has posted an artificial intelligence-generated image, depicting himself as the pope seated in an ornate chair, dressed in formal papal clothing.

"The image has drawn widespread condemnation from Catholic communities and Italian media, who have described it as a 'mockery' and 'pathological megalomania'.

"What's next? Catholic Church cardinals will gather in a conclave as part of an honoured tradition to elect the next pontiff."

...

"Mr Trump, who is not a Catholic and does not attend church regularly, posted the image on his Truth Social platform on Friday local time, less than a week after attending the funeral of Pope Francis, who died at 88 last month.

"The White House then reposted it on its official X account."

...


Note: The response around the world has been swift and damning, and this includes a group in the US called "Republicans against Trump" which describes itself as "pro-democracy conservative Republicans fighting Trump & Trumpism".

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 May 25 - 12:30 PM

Big marches in protest are being planned for Drumph's June birthday militaristic (Soviet or North Korea style) parade. He was told during the first term that the streets couldn't support the weight of the equipment he wanted out there so he was talked out of it. I haven't read closely about the plans this year, but I'm sure that is part of what will be discussed.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 May 25 - 02:02 PM

Gift article - New York Times - A Tidal Wave of Change Is Headed for the U.S. Economy
American consumers are not yet seeing much evidence of the drastic changes President Trump has made on trade. But they are on their way.

Here's a bit of the article:

The number of massive container ships carrying metal boxes of toys, furniture and other products departing China for the United States plummeted by about a third in April.

The reason consumers haven’t felt many of the effects yet is because it takes 20 to 40 days for a container ship to travel across the Pacific Ocean. It then takes another one to 10 days for Chinese goods to make their way by train or truck to various cities around the country, economists at Apollo Global Management wrote in a recent report. That means that the higher tariffs on China that went into effect at the beginning of April are just starting to result in a drop in the number of ships arriving at American ports, a trend that should intensify.

By late May or early June, consumers could start to see some empty shelves, and layoffs could occur for retailers and logistics industries. The major effects on the U.S. economy of shutting down trade with China will start to become apparent in the summer of 2025, when the United States might slip into a recession, said Torsten Slok, an economist at Apollo.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 04 May 25 - 02:46 PM

Thanks for that article, SRS. I watched the Oz TV show Planet America last week and they discussed the shipping times and how they are going to influence the timing of the downturn in the economy. I can't remember whether it was the episode on Wed 30 Aoril or Friday 2 May.

(Someone mentioned something here and I thought of it and then I couldn't remember what I was going to post about. You have just reminded me.)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 04 May 25 - 02:57 PM

I just checked the video and it was Friday 2 May "Trump's National Security Advisor out the door". They start discussing the economy from about 14:45 mins into the video and finish at about 20 mins. They raise some interesting ideas.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 05 May 25 - 05:28 AM

MAGA'ts celebrate Trump's middle finger still beating rock, paper, and scissors.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 May 25 - 11:03 AM

Helen, the math of the time it takes container ships from China to hit the West coast, the Gulf of Mexico (Houston), and the East coast isn't rocket science. And like they say, if Drumph changes his mind, it still takes months to get containers loaded and delivered from that point.

There are subsidiary markets that will be hugely impacted. I just finished reading Adam Minter's Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade. Those scrap shipments go back to China on the otherwise empty cargo ships. Metal, plastic, fiber, plastic, all have huge markets in China that will be in disarray as far as prices, available resources, etc. A lot of the material is used in China now for its own infrastructure, but there is still a great deal used in manufacturing that returns to the US.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 05 May 25 - 06:17 PM

Trump was struck a legal blow deep to the guts of fascism when a judge ruled against his unconstitutional attack against law firms that protected the rule of law.
The judge admonished the law firms that bent the knee, hid behind the furniture, and offered free legal services to Trump.

We all are the result of how we were raised. I was raised a free thinker, open-minded humanist, and lover of animals who have an innate intelligence far above what we usually recognize. I draw the line right after honey bees. Spiders are a grey zone.

My father gave half his estate to the ACLU since his parents escaped the Nazis early as immigrants who came through Ellis Island. Relatives who waited waited too long.
Unless you are a native American, your family history is one of immigration. Trump's grandfather was an immigrant. Melania was an immigrant. His first wife was an immigrant. His kids are born from an immigrant mom.

As a free thinker, I am accustomed to the criticism from those who are not.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: robomatic
Date: 05 May 25 - 06:24 PM

The image of TRMP physiognomy posted in papal robes was not a surprise. The re-posting of it apparently by TRMP self has not been good for my digestion. Soething about very very poor taste.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 05 May 25 - 06:43 PM

SRS, I think the *math(s) show(s) that tRump is not good at evaluating consequences.

* In Oz, we call it mathematics, so maths rather than math. I don't actually know why there is a difference in terminology for the same process.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 May 25 - 09:28 PM

As another free-thinker who was an interpretive historian at Ellis Island for several years - a point of clarity. Ellis Island stopped being a major immigrant processing station after the 1921 and 1924 immigration laws took full effect. After that, it was a holding station for people who had come in on ships (and later, planes) but were denied entry. If your relatives arrived before 1921, they may indeed have passed through Ellis Island.

A theme that often appears on Skip Gates' program Finding Your Roots is that the American branches of Jewish families arrived way before the wars that killed the families extant in Europe during the time of Hitler. Sounds like that was your family.

And ironically, I read an interesting article about Will Rogers home in California (it burned down in the January 2025 fires) - before Pacific Palisades was the high-end community it became, there was acreage to be had, and Will Rogers (who was huge 100 years ago, in movies, radio, print, and more) bought ~200 acres and built a house that over the years he enlarged. The property became a state park after his wife died. Rogers was a Cherokee from Oklahoma and one of his great lines was "my ancestors didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but they met the boat." https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-04/la-me-ln-palisades-fire-will-rogers-ranch

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 May 25 - 02:51 AM

He has now ruled that VE (Victory in Europe) day should not mention Eurore...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Hrothgar
Date: 06 May 25 - 03:46 AM

Why can't Trump become Pope?
At breakfast time, an Executive Order can make him a Catholic.
At morning tea time, an Executive Order can ordain him as a priest.
At lunch time, an Executive Order can consecrate him as a bishop.
At afternoon teatime, an Executive Order cam make him a cardinal.
At dinner time, An Executive Order can make him Pope, taking the name of Upid XLVII.
At supper time, an Executive Order will canonise him as St. Upid XLVII

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 06 May 25 - 06:25 AM

Ha ha, what a pope.


Tariffs on foreign made films, pictures, and plots are a head scratcher. Who pays? GOT was made in many foreign countries. Some blame Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, and Stallone for giving Trump the idea.

Air traffic controllers leaked Newark Airport is a clear and present danger to be avoided at all cost

The House has not figured out what the policies are but Memorial Day is the deadline for the 'one big beautiful bill'. The tax break, like no one has ever seen, won't be seen and will stay the same, except for billionaires.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 06 May 25 - 06:36 PM

I am partial to Australian films like Danny Deckchair, The man who sued god, The Nugget, and many more. A tariff on film is stranger than book tariffs.

Filk has shown how the security of the USA has hit a new low with the DOGE teenage antics on personal computers, Stilly has shown the courage of a protester and historian. I have shown an inside view of the extortion and grift combined with various degrees of ineptitude and illegality. Helen has shown the other side of the world's view of our disaster. BW has shown his relation to Steve and gillymor should be more worried.

"Some are born stupid, some achieve stupidity, and some have stupidity thrust upon them." Our President has confused his stupidity with self-aggrandized genius.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Raggytash
Date: 06 May 25 - 08:01 PM

"Some are born stupid, some achieve stupidity, and some have stupidity thrust upon them."

Donuel, you post the above as if it where a quote from someone.

I think most of us know the original quote from Malvalio which is bastardised in your quote but who quoted your quote.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 06 May 25 - 08:21 PM

My first thought was that Donuel was extrapolating on the old quote with specific reference to Trump's thought processes?! - no that isn't right - logic?! - nope, not that either - strategic thinking?! - no, again -very stable genius? Genius is in the eye of the beholder I suppose. LOL

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 May 25 - 09:05 PM

From The New Republic, May 1.

Even Trump Officials Are Hoarding Supplies Thanks to His Tariffs

Trump administration officials are stockpiling basic supplies in anticipation of skyrocketing prices from the president’s ill-advised tariffs.

Rolling Stone reports that at least three administration officials, including one Trump aide, are buying toilet paper, food items, and other household supplies in bulk. They also told the publication that they know other conservatives working in politics, both inside and outside of the White House, who are doing the same.

When asked why they were hoarding, the Trump aide said, “Because it would be stupid not to!” They added that they and their partner were “stashing cash” in their Washington, D.C.-area home but that they still support Trump’s tariffs, saying there will be “short-term pain” before long-term “prosperity.”

It’s clear that Republicans in power are fearful of the consequences of Trump’s tariffs. Some GOP senators have expressed their concerns publicly, and even allied with Democrats on a Wednesday vote to condemn Trump’s tariffs, only to be stymied when Vice President JD Vance cast his tie-breaking vote to shoot the effort down.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 07 May 25 - 01:01 AM

When Donuel paraphrased the quote from Shakespeare's character Malvolio it reminded me of an author mentioned in one of the management subjects I studied at Uni, many years ago.

I've been racking my brain trying to remember the name: Malvolio, Mephistopheles, etc?

While my brain was preoccupied with something else it finally popped into my head: Machiavelli

One of the lecturers seemed to like the Macchiavellian ideas. (She was not my favourite lecturer, BTW.) I've been thinking that Trump might be mirroring some of those ideas, but this quote from Section 6 of that summary page is worth noting:

"[His most well-known book] 'The Prince’ may have gained notoriety for its ruthlessness, but Machiavelli believed in a just government. As a civil servant, he had been one of the republic’s staunchest defenders.

"Although his treatise openly encouraged politicians to cheat, bribe, threaten and even kill if necessary, he acknowledged that without respect for justice, society would collapse into chaos."

So, one notable difference between The Prince and Trump!



A quote f

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 07 May 25 - 01:06 AM

Two more quotes:

"9. He became a theatrical stock character of evil

"By the 16th century, Machiavelli’s name had found itself in the English language as an epithet for crookedness.

"In Elizabethan theatre, it came to denote a dramatic type: the incorrigible schemer driven by greed and unbridled ambition."

...

[Note: I keep wondering how Hollywood will portray Trump after this drama is all over - if the Hollywood industry survives his machinations, that is, and if the drama ever ends.]

The last two paragraphs of the article:

"Machiavelli was the first political writer to separate politics from morality, placing great emphasis on practical strategies over philosophical ideas.

"Instead of focusing on what was right or wrong, he considered what needs to be achieved."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 May 25 - 10:24 AM

They pulled a lot of the punches offered here, but the New York Times finally put words in print that illustrate why the First Amendment is crucial. Fight to defeat Trump. (Free article.)

There Is a Way Forward: How to Defeat Trump’s Power Grab

It pains us to write these words. Whatever our policy differences with other modern presidents, every one of them fundamentally believed in democracy. They viewed freedom, constitutional checks and balances and respect for political opponents as “the bulwark of our Republic,” as Ronald Reagan said in the opening of his first Inaugural Address, while praising his predecessor Jimmy Carter.

The patriotic response to today’s threat is to oppose Mr. Trump. But it is to do so soberly and strategically, not reflexively or performatively. It is to build a coalition of Americans who disagree about many other subjects — who span conservative and progressive, internationalist and isolationist, religious and secular, business-friendly and labor-friendly, pro-immigration and restrictionist, laissez-faire and pro-government, pro-life and pro-choice — yet who believe that these subjects must be decided through democratic debate and constitutional processes rather than the dictates of a single man.

The building of this coalition should start with an acknowledgment that Mr. Trump is the legitimate president and many of his actions are legal. Some may even prove effective. He won the presidency fairly last year, by a narrow margin in the popular vote and a comfortable margin in the Electoral College. On several key issues, his views were closer to public opinion than those of Democrats. Since taking office, he has largely closed the southern border, and many of his immigration policies are both legal and popular. He has reoriented federal programs to focus less on race, which many voters support. He has pressured Western Europe to stop billing American taxpayers for its defense. Among these policies are many that we strongly oppose — such as pardoning Jan. 6 rioters, cozying up to Vladimir Putin of Russia and undermining Ukraine — but that a president has the authority to enact. Elections have consequences.

Mr. Trump nonetheless deserves criticism on these issues, and Congress members and grass-roots organizers should look for legal ways to thwart him. They even have a case study from his first term: the successful campaign to prevent him from repealing Obamacare, which relied on marshaling public opinion and pressuring other elected officials. Still, the distinction between Mr. Trump’s merely unwise actions and his undemocratic ones is crucial because it highlights the most urgent areas for political and legal opposition — and the ones that will require a grand coalition of people across the political spectrum. If Mr. Trump becomes the authoritarian president he seeks to be, the narrower policy fights will be lost anyway.

(This was dropped in using my phone, something that Mudcat doesn't lend itself well to, so apologies for coming back to fix it later.)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 07 May 25 - 04:19 PM

Them's fighting words! A glimmer of hope in the fight for democracy.

Thanks for posting that, SRS.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 07 May 25 - 04:34 PM

Smart businesses that rely on Chinese goods are using bonded warehouses that would only have to pay the prevailing tariff at the time of extraction, which is hopefully much lower at a future time.

There are no fixes the Fed could implement to combat stagflation. That's why recovery from that kind of recession takes a decade or more.

The damage done by tariffs is the square of the rate in economic modeling. The current tariffs are ten times higher than the Smoot-Halley tariffs. The damage, therefore, is expected to be ENORMOUS.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 07 May 25 - 04:45 PM

Just a quick comment about the recent Oz Federal elections. I don't want to hijack this thread.

The Oz Liberal/National Coalition Party which was not in power has been soundly defeated and one of the reasons for that defeat is that the leader, Peter Dutton, was echoing some of Donald Trump's statements.

For me, it is satisfying to see how the Oz voters defended our democratic processes and saw through Dutton's strange unworldly promises and his total disregard for the working people, the female voters, the First Nations voters, the climate action people, almost every type of demographic in the country.

My hope is for the American people to rise up against Trump and bring back true democracy and the checks and balances.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 07 May 25 - 05:32 PM

A good first step, Helen, would be for the members of Congress to each grow a pair of cojones and fight that fat, orange, badly-coiffed bastard.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 07 May 25 - 06:06 PM

millions are spent on his coiffed hair including surgery that by-passed a huge bald spot by cutting it out and pulling the sides of his scalp up to fill in the gap, and stitching it up like shortening trousers. Lately even an artful comb-over is failing to disguise progressive baldness.

Politics by executive order leaves out the Congress from trying to pass impossible laws. By doing nothing, they are not merely cowards but are a waste of space, time, and money. There is lots of money to be made in a lawless era rife with extortion, grift, and cons.
They are more greedy than cowards alone.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 07 May 25 - 07:19 PM

Regarding Trump's personal self-image, a few days ago I saw a news article and the image of Trump showed a rectangular patch on his face which looked like his actual wrinkly/crinkly skin and it was different to the smooth skin on the rest of the photo. I suspect the AI or human image enhancers forgot to smooth over that part of the photo.

I just found the link to the article but when I click the link it doesn't show that photo any more. It does show it on the search page. Scroll down to Film industry Mon 5 May. You will need to click the Load More Stories button.

This is the article: Donald Trump announces 100 per cent tariffs on movies 'produced in foreign lands'

There is a rectangle overlayed on his face just to the left i.e. to the left in the photo of his right cheek. I tried copying the image but it is just a small grainy photo and the rectangle is blurred along with the rest of the photo.

I did also notice the bald patch in a TV article this week where he was shown from behind.

And BTW, millions of $$ is just pocket money to Trump.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 07 May 25 - 07:48 PM

Trump hair viral moments: A look at his haircuts, the part, combover and hiding his bald spot

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 07 May 25 - 08:31 PM

I hope people here recognize that DJT has a high level of psychopathy.
He doesn't care about others who he insults, suffers harm, or are harmed by others who follow his lead. It is not his decision to not care but rather an inability to care. Narcissistic psychopaths often attempt to mimic a caring person but are clumsy in their attempt to control others and blame the victims. There is a need to harm others for extreme social psychopaths, preferably with impunity, but often with disregard for punishment. They usually claim they are the victims of other people's plans and have shallow affect when confronted, while displaying superficial charm.

Perhaps you have heard them say "you have no idea who you are dealing with" or "look what you made me do", "I'm getting upset, you better fix this".

Recognizing psychopaths could save your life or save you time money or manipulation.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 08 May 25 - 05:35 AM

RFK has poorly defined autism and wants to discover the cause which he has sadly said it is the MMR vaccine.

Having a dyslexic son I devoted time to look at possible causes.
After years of study and a freak accident that jump started a remarkable turnaround for Robert, my theorized cause for autism is a disruption of the method the brain uses to undo the process of the duplicity of function that is normally done around age 2. This doubling of neural pathways gets stuck and the doubling of pathways extends itself causing confusion and over stimulation. What was meant to be a plastic precaution for the brain remains in a doubled phase. A normal process removes the extra doubled neural pathways so by age 3 very little doubling remains. Data regarding brain weight confirms this among autistics whose brain weight is higher than non non-autistics. I could go on if there is interest and point out the accident that removed 90% of autistic symptoms.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 08 May 25 - 05:53 AM

WAPO claims tariff nations are urged to buy Elon's Starlink service.

It is also reported that Homeland Security tried to deport immigrants to Ukraine to no avail. Now Asian immigrants are planned to be deported to Libya.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 May 25 - 03:49 PM

The new Pope does not like Trump or Vance so the news says. Let's see how that goes!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 09 May 25 - 06:23 AM

The Pope is an America First MACA. Make Agnostics Christian Again

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 09 May 25 - 07:01 PM

Arrest of Democratic politicians begins

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 10 May 25 - 05:07 PM

In an attempt to distract myself from having seen "suspend habeas corpus" in a Trump-related BBC Red Button story, till I can read beyond those words ....

Seen on Have I Got News For You last night:

"As of Thursday, we have a new Pope ...."

[photo of Leo XIV on balcony in St Peter's Square]

".... and a new Antichrist."

[*that* deepfake]

Ian Hislop promptly promises to visit the host (David Tennant) in Alcratraz.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 May 25 - 07:02 PM

"Justice Harlan vs Donald Trump" from Behind The Headlines With Andrew Weissmann. The "balanced power structure of our republic" is the subject.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 11 May 25 - 04:30 AM

Transcribed from that BBC red button article:

Trump adminstration considers suspending habeas corpus

Donald Trump's administration is "actively looking at" suspending habeas corpus --- the right of a person to challenge their detention in court --- one of the US president's top aides has said.

Sephen Miller, the White House chief of staff, told reporters on Friday that the US constitution allowed for the legal liberty to be suspended in times of "rebellion or invasion".

His comments come as judges have sought to challenge some recent detentions made by the Trump administration in an effort to combat illegal immigration as well as remove dissenting foreign students.

"A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not," Miller said.

.... for suitably perverse values of "right". That article from Facebook quoted by Stilly is on the money: Miller's using Poor Diddums as a riot shield.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 11 May 25 - 07:10 AM

It's 1930s/40s Germany all over again. Remember how we all said, "It could never happen here!"? Not bloody much...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 11 May 25 - 10:02 AM

Lately, Trump answers questions about constitutionality with "I don't know, I'm not involved with that. There are genius lawyers who handle things like that".

I know there is a lot he doesn't know but who is in charge other than shyster Trump gangster lawyers?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 May 25 - 01:53 PM

Wow. Today it was announced that Qatar is giving Trump a $400M luxury 747 jet that he will use instead of Air Force One, and will keep it after he leaves office (donate to his library to use after that.)

The Grift is strong in this one.

Trump Is to Accept a Luxury 747 From Qatar for Use as Air Force One

The model that the government is using for addressing the ethical issues raised by the donation, the official said, is the one followed by President Ronald Reagan’s presidential library when it received the Air Force One he had flown on after it was retired from use. But at the time, Mr. Reagan did not use the plane to fly around himself. It was set up in the museum portion of his library.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 12 May 25 - 11:00 AM

Stilly that is like accepting a war room built by China.
Maybe there are no listening devices, but there could be emotional support scorpions on the cushions.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 May 25 - 11:32 AM

It's an invitation to being listened in on though very creative methods. Pinhole cameras as well.

RFK jr has nominated crackpot Casey Means, who *technically* is a medical doctor because she got to her internship, but she dropped out of the surgical internship to practice "alternative medicine." So not really a surgeon, her state medical license has been "inactive" since 2019, just another crackpot. She's big in the raw milk movement (according to the American Medical Association

Between 1998 and 2018, raw milk was linked to more than 2,500 hospitalizations and three deaths, according to the CDC and FDA. But “since the early 1900s, pasteurization has greatly reduced milk-borne illnesses.”

It's popular now though it is difficult to get, thank goodness. The FDA is stopping some of its food testing but some of the large grocery stores have their own testing programs to backup what the FDA used to do.

A commentator recently said something about Trump's taking gifts making him a possible victim of blackmail. Not this guy, his crimes are out in the open so there is no blackmail to prevent them being revealed and ruining his reputation. It is in tatters now and yet he sits in office.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 12 May 25 - 04:38 PM

Just when I thought the orange one couldn't go much further off the rails. WTF?

First group of white South Africans flying to the US under Trump refugee plan

"In short: The first set of white South Africans granted refugee status by the Trump administration have been flown the US.

"Treating white South Africans as refugees fleeing oppression has drawn a mixture of alarm and ridicule by South African authorities.

"What's next? A spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services says more arrivals are expected in the coming months.

"The first 49 white South Africans granted refugee status for being deemed victims of racial discrimination under an offer by US President Donald Trump have been flown to the US.

"Under Mr Trump, Washington has blocked mostly non-white refugee admissions from the rest of the world but is prioritising Afrikaners, the descendants of mostly Dutch settlers."

...

"President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed the white South Africans had left because they were opposed to policies aimed at addressing racial inequality persisting since apartheid.

"'We think that the American government has got the wrong end of the stick here, but we'll continue talking to them,' he said.

"Since Nelson Mandela brought democracy to South Africa in 1994, the once-ruling white minority has retained most of their wealth amassed since colonial times, Reuters said.

"White people still own three-quarters of private land and have about 20 times the wealth of the Black majority, international journal the Review of Political Economy revealed.

"Less than 10 per cent of white South Africans are out of work, compared with more than a third of their Black counterparts.

"US continues support for white South Africans

"However, the concern that minority white South Africans face discrimination from the Black majority has persisted in right-wing online chatrooms.

"It has also been echoed by Mr Trump's white South African-born ally Elon Musk.

...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 12 May 25 - 04:43 PM

And I think he is worried that Putin might get a Nobel Peace Prize instead of him, although it seems unlikely that Putin will even show up for the proposed peace talks.

Donald Trump floats ‘possibility’ of joining potential Zelenskyy-Putin talks on peace in Ukraine

"In short: Donald Trump has said he is open to joining potential peace talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"Talks between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine on ending the three-year war could take place this Thursday in Istanbul."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Lighter
Date: 12 May 25 - 08:39 PM

The Constitution specifically forbids the President from accepting any gift from a foreign government. without the express consent of Congress. Nor is White House staff permitted to accept anything, literally even lunch, from the outside.

Had any previous President accepted the gift of a $400,000,000 jet he'd have been impeached and convicted. Especially if it came from the most important financial backer of Hamas. Which it does.

I can hear Ms. Leavitt now: "Fake news. I can tell you with full transparency the plane is only worth $150,000,000."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 13 May 25 - 01:20 AM

He claims to be ‘draining the swamp’. He IS the swamp!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Lighter
Date: 13 May 25 - 08:54 AM

Now let's be fair. He hasn't mentioned "draining the swamp" in years.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 May 25 - 10:57 AM

The emoluments clause does take care of the gifts question - it says don't do it. Trump posted on his home social media site that the Air Force would be nuts not to accept the gift of his existing Air Force One when a new one comes into service. He just can't help himself.

We're three weeks out from the beginning of hurricane season and he has a wrecking ball in destroying FEMA.

I've written again to my congressman, and again stated bluntly that Trump is committing treason and should be impeached and convicted. I'll keep an eye out for unmarked cars slowly patrolling past the house.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Fred
Date: 13 May 25 - 11:31 AM

If I was a North American citizen, and I knew the hurricane season was upcoming, I'd keep away from Washington D.C, that being where the biggest bag of wind is!

Fred

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 13 May 25 - 11:42 AM

”Now let's be fair. He hasn't mentioned "draining the swamp" in years.”

In the past couple of weeks, a piece was shown on BBC News in which one of his team proudly declared that he was ‘draining the swamp’. Sorry I don’t remember who it was, but it definitely is still part of his propaganda.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 May 25 - 11:22 PM

The Trump family is raking in the dollars.

Business Expert Reveals How Much the Trumps Have Pocketed in Just Three Months—You Won’t Believe It

On Thursday, MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace sat down with business professor and podcast host Scott Galloway. What he revealed was jaw-dropping: “I think we essentially have become a kleptocracy that would make Putin blush. I mean, keep in mind that in the first three months, the Trump family has become $3 billion wealthier, so that’s a billion dollars a month.”

That’s not a typo. $3 billion. In three months.

Donald Trump is only a few months into what could be his second term as president, and the money is already pouring in—fast. Galloway made it clear: this isn’t normal, it’s not ethical, and it’s not happening in the dark. It’s happening in plain sight.

And it’s not just Trump. His sons, Don Jr. and Eric, are jet-setting around the Middle East—Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia—cutting deals. According to The New York Times, those deals directly benefit their father.

Then there’s the $Trump meme coin—an absurd cryptocurrency Trump launched days before retaking office. Now he’s planning a private dinner at Mar-a-Lago for top investors in the coin. We don’t know who they are. We probably never will. But they’re buying access, and they’re getting it.

So how is Trump getting away with this?

It’s not just about weak Democrats or cowardly Republicans. The real answer, Galloway and others argue, is the right-wing media machine that shields him from scrutiny and spins every outrage into either a nothingburger or a badge of honor.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 15 May 25 - 06:22 AM

Just watched as much as I could stand of the Fat, Orange, Badly-coiffed Blowhard addressing US troops in Doha. I wonder if Americans recognise the incongruity and delicious irony of a five-times draft-dodger addressing serving members of their armed forces as their Commander-in-Chief?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 15 May 25 - 10:17 AM

In this age of grievance politics, the revenge of the stupid has shown the smart people who is the boss. Free speech is being systematically abolished via media control, university control, citizenship control, and justice department control, leading to a nation of white men and no law.

The cost however is a destruction of all our innovation, invention, discovery, allies, market solvency, retail viability, intelligent security, scientific growth, a respect for history, and due process.

Grievance is beyond what could be blamed on the social justice silliness of the far left, but instead is a demand to bow to a King and have the wealthy join a procession to gift tribute to the King.

The threats of violence outnumber the targeted violence against our judges, lawyers, doctors, and scientists, but the floodgates of violence are only a moment away at the whim of a narcissist.

DH

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 15 May 25 - 10:21 AM

Does that boil down to a ‘Yes’, ‘No’, or ‘Maybe’, Don?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 15 May 25 - 10:44 AM

Trump detractors have been making fun of "General Bone Spurs" since he slithered into the ring.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 May 25 - 10:59 AM

The type of damage Trump is doing this time around is exponentially larger and more durable than when he was 45. It boils down to a lot of pushing back by the general population (and that boils down to a lot of people who don't think they have any skin in the game aren't paying attention as they also lose their rights.) Not a retiree, not a person of modest or no income needing health or housing assistance? Food stamps? The cost of the tariffs doesn't matter? Those folks have no idea what is about to hit them. They're largely the same group that didn't vote in the last election. Their silos are about influencers, hard news didn't make it into those echo chambers.

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments about the 16th Amendment case, the birthright citizenship that Trump is trying to say can't be available to babies born to non-citizens or undocumented immigrants. Whoever the lead attorney is in that Trump case has the most annoying case of vocal fry (worse even than RFK jr) that is really hard to listen to.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: gillymor
Date: 15 May 25 - 11:51 AM

...and about the same time he told an interviewer (Howard Stern, I believe) that VD was his Viet Nam. What a hero.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 15 May 25 - 01:34 PM

It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it; every complaint already contains revenge. He who obeys, does not listen to himself!
Friedrich Nietzsche


There are advantages that suffering pain can bring about, but going to the depths of endurance is not required for enlightenment.
The kind of pain Trump will inflict upon the modest and poor is something Trump and his family will eventually pay for.

John Sauer has been before the Supreme Court advocating for Trump before. His vocal fry is not as bad as his cruel point of view.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 15 May 25 - 03:00 PM

Donuel, you said, "The kind of pain Trump will inflict upon the modest and poor is something Trump and his family will eventually pay for."

That is exactly what I am hoping for. The Nobel Peace Prize is getting further from his reach, now that Putin declined his invitation to attend the peace talk with Zelenskyy.

"Definition of comeuppance /kum"up'?ns/noun

[Note: the quote below is from a quick internet search result which provided a link to the Wordnik page.]

"A punishment or retribution that one deserves; one's just desserts. An unpleasant experience a person endures, which is viewed by others as a just retribution for bad behavior; just deserts.

"'the Senator took bribes for years, and finally got his comeuppance when he was caught in a sting operation"

"A negative outcome which is justly deserved.

"The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition"

Among the examples on the right hand side of the Wordnik page is this:

"'If you love to hate the superrich, The Valet, a delectable comedy in which the great French actor Daniel Auteuil portrays a piggy billionaire industrialist facing his comeuppance, is a sinfully delicious bonbon,' writes Stephen Holden in the New York Times.

"GreenCine Daily: Interview. Francis Veber. 2007"

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 15 May 25 - 03:33 PM

And this is one of the issues Trump has to take responsibility for, RFK announcing cuts to Medicaid and then he was interrupted by a protest raising issues about the war in Gaza and Israel's actions leading to the deaths of over 50,000 people in Gaza:

Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen detained in vocal US senate protest about Gaza

"In short: Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, was detained by US Capitol Police and removed from a senate hearing after interrupting a testimony delivered by Robert F Kennedy Jr.

"The 74-year-old was among a group of demonstrators who startled the health secretary by shouting that 'Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza'.

"The businessman and philanthropist later told supporters that he plans to continue lobbying the US government to allow food and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip."

...

"The health secretary [RFK Jr] had been speaking about his department's budget proposal to slash Medicaid — the health insurance program for low-income families — when Mr Cohen stood up and interjected, before being placed in handcuffs by police."

...

"Israel's war in Gaza began after the October 7, 2023 attack by the Hamas terror organisation, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

"Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,928 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable.

"Gaza is at 'critical risk of famine', with the entire population facing a food crisis after more than two months of an Israeli aid blockade, and 22 percent facing a humanitarian 'catastrophe', a UN-backed food security monitor warned this week."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 May 25 - 06:45 PM

Leslie Jones on The Daily Show tells us exactly what she thinks.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 15 May 25 - 08:37 PM

If we listed all of Trump's sins, and all of the people who have been negatively affected by him, or who have died (e.g. COVID, or cutting USAID), how many pages would it be?

A very long toilet-roll?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 15 May 25 - 09:18 PM

I watched the Leslie Jones video - you go, Girl! - and watched this video from a link on the side of that page.

RFK is Screaming After BEING Caught Breaking The LAW in CONGRESS!

This is what we are all hoping to see: Trump's minions being called to account at the highest levels.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 15 May 25 - 10:17 PM

About the 'fancy' 13 year old airplane, it is a white elephant. Qatar has been trying to sell it for 5 years while amassing maintenance and storage fees. No one would buy it as predicted years ago. Sure Trump wants a toy. With enough loopholes he might get away with it. Even if he plasters his name on it and lets it sit and rot, it will still cost him money.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 May 25 - 10:23 PM

I think he's hoping the US would foot the bill to update the plane. It would quite possibly cost more than the plane is worth and take till the end of his term (I'm still betting he won't make it to the end.)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 25 - 03:30 AM

Bruce Springsteen started his European tour in my home town of Manchester with an attack on "treasonous Trump"

Good for him

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 25 - 04:16 AM

Saw the report on the Manchester Evening News FB Page, Dave. It’s a bit ‘clunky’, but an interesting read.

Good on Bruce - tell ‘em like it is, fella!

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 16 May 25 - 07:29 AM

Trump has never been happier cavorting with Kings and feeling like the King of Kings. His temporary reversal of manic tariffs and several other acts of goodwill are meant to help his approval rating, but they do not alleviate uncertainty.

I'm sure he would like to behave like a Saudi King and dismember Carl Bernstein and throw the pieces in the ocean.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 16 May 25 - 08:26 AM

I could have sworn I commented about that Qarari plane (though I didn't have the "five years" detail to hand --- thanks, Donuel). Methinks I composed it N+1 times, but scratched it each time before posting, lest someone take offence at me calling it a "gold-plated penis extension".

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 16 May 25 - 08:51 AM

PS: I've just remembered, from the arguments about Free Software, the "free as in speech" vs "free as in beer" controversy discussions. Then someone came up with "free as in puppy". The Klutz-in-Chief has just been sold a pup.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 May 25 - 11:20 AM

For all that this group is watching and discussing, I fear a lot of people aren't paying attention as their rights are taken away. Today feels like we've slipped through a time portal back to the 1950s. No birth control or abortion, more kids, moms at home with fewer rights. Segregation still active, White men in charge.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 16 May 25 - 04:45 PM

People are fine seeing the slaves, Aunt Jehmima, and Uncle Ben get fired over DEI racism or dark skinned children starve to death without USAID, but increase the price of beer, and an underground revolution could begin. I wonder what project 2025 has to say about internet porn. Once Medicaid is axed and the elderly are kicked out of nursing homes, and veterans are left on the street, all hell will break loose.
When bananas and coffee become luxury items, a black market of stolen coffee is sure to follow.

Will the scales fall from the eyes of MAGA rednecks? You bet your ass they will hols a Trump grudge.

Speaking of Trump grudges, Trump has demanded a criminal investigation of the former FBI director Comey for conspiracy to assassinate the President. You see he arranged seashells on the beach to spell out '8647'. Comey then posted the photo on social media.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 May 25 - 05:59 PM

86 - get rid of, out of stock. 47 - the orange turd. Harmless first amendment stuff. His widdle feewings are hurt by criticism from smarter people than he. Too bad he has a lot of Christian Nationalist advisors pushing his buttons.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 May 25 - 07:12 PM

There's an excellent short meme making the rounds. Trump's birthday is June 14, and the 250th anniversary of the US Army is June 14. Unfortunate overlap. The meme simply says "Draft Dodgers Don't Deserve A Military Parade." And really, anyone with a conscience would think it was inappropriate to hold a huge parade if they got out of the draft with "bone spurs."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 16 May 25 - 09:01 PM

In the 1969 draft lottery, which was held to determine the order in which men would be called for service during the Vietnam War, June 14th was assigned the lottery number 356.
#1 was the first to be drafted.
My draft number was 17.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 16 May 25 - 10:15 PM

SRS said, "His widdle feewings are hurt by criticism from smarter people than he."

Donald Trump criticises Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen on Truth Social

...

"Springsteen, known as The Boss, described the Trump administration as 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous" during a concert in Manchester this week — the first show in his current European tour.

"They're rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and moral society,' Springsteen said.

"'They're abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators.'"

...

IMHO it's a badge of honour being criticised by Trump.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 17 May 25 - 04:43 AM

From Occupy Democrats yesterday - on FB, but C&Pd here for the benefit of our non-FB-ers.

Link to Occupy Democrats’ piece on Facebook

“BREAKING: The president of the American Federation of Musicians fires a pummeling barrage at Donald Trump in retaliation for his unhinged attacks on industry superstars Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen.

The music world is uniting in force against MAGA...

"The American Federation of Musicians will not remain silent as two of our members – Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift – are singled out and personally attacked by the President of the United States," stated Tino Gagliardi, the president of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.

The AFM/AFofM is a widely respected labor union with nearly 66,000 members.

"Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift are not just brilliant musicians, they are role models and inspirations to millions of people in the United States and across the world," Gagliardi continued.

"Whether it’s Born in the USA or the Eras Tour, their music is timeless, impactful, and has deep cultural meaning. Musicians have the right to freedom of expression, and we stand in solidarity with all our members," he concluded.

Gagliardi's bold defense of the stars in question came after Trump lashed out on Truth Social.

"Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she’s no longer 'HOT?'" wrote the so-called president.

As Variety points out, Taylor Swift has never been more popular. In December, she concluded the highest grossing tour in history, raking in some $2 billion in grosses.

Trump's attack on Springsteen was lengthier, precipitated by the singer's anti-Trump remarks at a concert in England.

"I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States," Trump wrote.

"Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country," he went on.

"If I wasn’t elected, it would have been GONE by now! Sleepy Joe didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing, but Springsteen is 'dumb as a rock,' and couldn’t see what was going on, or could he (which is even worse!)?" he continued.

"This dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just 'standard fare.' Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!" he concluded.

The Truth Social meltdown occurred after Springsteen kicked off his hotly anticipated "Land of Hopes & Dreams" tour across Europe with a bombastic Trump takedown in Manchester.

"In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration," the singer told the crowd.

"Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!" he continued.   

Later in the show, Springsteen circled back—

"The last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me," he said.

"It’s in the union of people around a common set of values now that’s all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we’ve got is each other."   

"There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous sh*t going on out there right now. In America they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now," said Springsteen.

"In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death," he continued.

"In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers. They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that has led to a more just and plural society," Springsteen went on.   

"They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom," he said. "They are defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideological demands. They are removing residents off American streets and without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centers and prisons. This is all happening now."   

"A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government," he continued. "They have no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American."

"The America l’ve sung to you about for 50 years is real, and, regardless of its faults, is a great country with a great people," he said. "So we’ll survive this moment. Now, I have hope, because I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said. He said, 'In this world there isn’t as much humanity as one would like, but there’s enough.’ Let’s pray."

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 17 May 25 - 04:48 AM

I would never have decoded that numeric sequence. Even with your explanation it made no sense to me here in Oz but I now know what it means.

What is 8647? Secret Service investigates former FBI director James Comey over seashells photo

"The US Secret Service is investigating former FBI director James Comey after he posted a photo to social media that Republicans allege is an incitement of violence against President Donald Trump."

I think this part of the article is interesting:

"The '8647' and '8646' themes have been used as political slogans and on T-shirts during the administrations of both Mr Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden.

"Mr Trump himself has been accused of using social media posts to incite rioters, who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, to prevent the certification of Mr Biden's election victory.

"And he last year also posted on social media a video that featured an image of Mr Biden, who was then president, with his hands and feet tied together in the back of a pick-up truck."

Also a quote on that page from a post on X:

"Covie @covie_93

"The same people calling for Comey to be arrested for posting '8647' laughed and told us trump was joking when he posted a video with image showing Biden tied up in the back of a truck."


My comment: it's interesting the dichotomy between what Trump thinks he is allowed to say or do about people he doesn't like and when the boot is on the other foot and he himself is the target.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 17 May 25 - 05:00 AM

Seems to me that The Fat, Orange Baboon’s obsession with former Presidents, especially Joe Biden and Barack Obama, and his vitriolic outbursts against anyone who criticises him, could be symptoms of the growing Dementia he’s reportedly suffering from.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 May 25 - 06:20 AM

this article appeared today in our papers, & was originally published in the New York Times

‘Dystopia come to life’: How George Orwell wrote the book on Trump’s America The dire predictions of Orwell’s classic novel, 1984, are becoming a disturbing reality 75 years later
As US Vice President J. D. Vance dressed down European officials over two days in mid-February for criminalising far-right speech, his outrage built to the unkindest cut of all. “This is Orwellian,” he trumpeted, “and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy.”

A day later, George Orwell reappeared – this time wielded against US President Donald Trump after his truth-mangling suggestion that Ukraine was somehow responsible for Russia’s 2022 invasion. Even a fellow Republican, Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, couldn’t resist: “Putin started this war,” he posted on X, adding, “I don’t accept George Orwell’s doublethink.”

And as Trump unleashed a torrent of norm-puncturing executive orders, so many references to 1984 have flooded the political conversation that it feels as if nearly half the electorate joined the same book group. After the White House took facts on a loop-de-loop, claiming that officials who revealed details of strike plans in Yemen on a Signal chat had not disclosed classified information, hundreds of people posted the same Orwell quote on social media: “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” T-shirts with the same line are available on Etsy for as low as $US16. So is one with a fake Orwell quip: “I literally wrote a book to warn you all about this.” (read on)

Subject: RE: Men who are blind about themselves.
From: Donuel
Date: 17 May 25 - 10:26 AM

Just as Biden did not, could not, and would not recognize his own cognitive decline and inability to self-assess, Trump is unable and unwilling to see his own evil intent and savagery upon our nation, the world, and innocent people.

Looking within is a challenge many enlightened people undertake. Know thyself is an early philosophical truth that has failed the US Presidency for consecutive decades. Perhaps this scenario is purely coincidental or it is the most common failing of mankind. I do not know which.

One would assume the Constitution would protect the nation from men blind to themselves and instead create a nation of laws and not men.
Instead, Trump is playing 'catch me if you can,' and I will escape the grasp of law like I have time and again through delay and obfuscation.

Knowing yourself does not happen in a vacuum. It requires mentors, education and insight. When corrupt supporters are involved we fall into tribal gangsterism.

Perhaps only a few people will recognize the supreme importance of knowing the character of a leader to look within themselves truthfully but it is a crises that has appeared every century.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 May 25 - 10:57 AM

From the reviews it sounds like that Tapper book about Biden is a hatchet job, they asked enough people to say bad things about Biden until they found the worst then used them. I wouldn't look at that as non-fiction, it's wishful thinking that "Biden was worse" in the face of Trump being as bad as they come cognition-wise.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 17 May 25 - 11:24 AM

Thank you, Donuel. Your insight into Trump's self-awareness, thoughts and behaviour is, as we would say here in Oz, spot-on! You have hit the nail on the head.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 17 May 25 - 12:00 PM

Regarding the differences in self awareness between Biden and Trump, from my observations the main differences are in motivation, intention, aims, and the goals they want to achieve personally and in their respective roles as President.

In my opinion, Biden put his own health and well-being needs after the need to look after the country and take the right actions for the greater good. Trump's motivation, intention, aims and goals are totally centred around his own wants and needs and to hell with anyone or any institution or country who gets in his way.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 17 May 25 - 01:07 PM

Biden is a good man overall; however, when he could not recognize George Clooney, the jig was up. George was honest enough to tactfully tell the truth at the time. Cognitive decline has good and bad days.
Neuroscience has suffered from a linear 'diagnosis' paradigm when in reality everything is on a spectrum and frequency.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 17 May 25 - 01:44 PM

.... Straight-line graphs look neater than noisy ones, esp when you're looking for That Simple Answer to complex questions*. But with cognitive decline, where should one draw the line? to show changes over time in the minima, the maxima, or the average? if so, which average? or instead show the variation between worst and best? place your bets, mesdames et messieurs: I remember seeing a paper where the writer carefully excluded all sub-par events from his data, and ended up with a signal which he admitted was all but indistinguishable from pure noise.

* As famously satirised by Douglas Adams.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 17 May 25 - 01:59 PM

Just seen in the Comments on an ElReg article:

Putin probably told him [Poor Diddums] that a parade a year fixes erectile dysfunction.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 May 25 - 03:26 PM

I just saw a post about Ronald Reagan on Bluesky by Sherrilyn Ifill. And she shared a quote from Lesley Stahl in an article by David Corn (all forthright reporters each in their own way) in Mother Jones.

...Reagan didn't seem to know who I was. He gave me a distant look with those milky eyes and shook my hand weakly. Oh, my, he's gonzo, I thought. I have to go out on the lawn tonight and tell my countrymen that the president of the United States is a doddering space cadet. My heart began to hammer with the import. . . I was aware of the delicacy with which I would have to write my script. But I was quite sure of my diagnosis.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 May 25 - 03:48 PM

Latest executive order. It is not Eurovision, it is USvision. Our music saved Europe and they never said thank you. No-one knows more about songs than me. It is only because of me that people like music. I hate European music. It is nasty and fake news. I won Eurovision seventeen times and Biden covered it up.

They're coming to take me away
Ha ha
Ho ho
He he

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 17 May 25 - 04:33 PM

I have long speculated that Trumpists have scoured the internet for enemies and phone polls to pigeonhole the politics of individuals and families. My wife does not agree because the magaverse is too incompetent to assemble such a database. I have researched some of those polling services and have found a twenty-something CEO at the head of the snake.
With the recent DOGE efforts to erase/fire enemies based on race and ideology in government service, often without any evidence, I believe the enemy list has grown larger.

The Nazis declared an end to Jewish intellectualism with book burnings while Trump is doing much the same with anti DEI policies and his war on immigrants, threatening judges and FBI directors with treason punishable by prison or death by ardent Trumpists. With total control of Kennedy Center entertainment, the Library of Congress, and constant Trump propaganda commercials that blanket streaming TV and internet social twitterverse, there is a similar Nazi strategy to change the fabric of society.

Now here comes a 45 million dollar military parade on Trump's birthday in the nation's capital. Mara Lago, which is Trump's Berghoff, would make a suitable bunker for the Donald. Maybe he will add guard towers when blowback becomes larger.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 17 May 25 - 05:03 PM

Filk, I draw the line at the inability to recognize George Clooney or Taylor Swift. I might forget famous names on occasion due to dyslexia, but I still recognize the person.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 17 May 25 - 05:52 PM

My opinion on Biden in the election period was a man under intense pressure to try to save the democratic principles of his beloved country and he is not the man to give up under pressure. I think he would prefer to go down fighting than to give up the fight.

When he recognised that his cognitive problems, exacerbated by the extreme stress he was under, were not going to help the fight, he graciously gave up the reigns to a worthy successor. Unfortunately, it was late in the fight and the timing to the election put increasing pressure on Kamala Harris and the Democrats, and the opponents were and still are unscrupulous and vicious.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 17 May 25 - 09:19 PM

An observation on the dynamic between Pope Leo IV and Trump and it is worth reading the whole article, in my opinion. Basically the idea seems to be there is hope, but there are no easy answers:

Our future lies in the clash between the US president and Pope Leo, the anti-Trump. By Julia Baird on ABC (Oz) News

"Pope Leo XIV began his first speech with one word: 'Peace.'

"Yet even that was viewed as a provocation by ideologues who had already dismissed him as the 'woke pope'. It's an odd slur to cast on a person who has just said that perhaps racism isn't such a great thing, that we should love each other, that we should refrain from demonising the stateless. But this is the position Pope Leo has found himself in.

"Hard-right Trump adviser Laura Loomer quickly declared he 'is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis', arguing that the fact he now leads the Vatican is 'gross'.

"For MAGA, it often seems, anyone who is not pro-Trump is woke.

"This means Pope Leo, previously Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, is, like his predecessor Pope Francis, one of the few people — perhaps the only one — to offer a significant global alternative to the dominant 'America-first' US president.

"President Trump leads a country of 340 million. Pope Leo leads 1.4 billion globally.

"And now the two men are being pitted against each other in the popular imagination as President Trump rounds up migrants, cuts off aid and redefines the world order according to who holds the most cards, and Pope Leo calls for dignity for the poor and protection for refugees."

...

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Hrothgar
Date: 17 May 25 - 10:19 PM

Does it bother anyone that when the time comes for Trump to answer for all this, his lawyers will plead that he is mentally incompetent to stand trial?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: robomatic
Date: 17 May 25 - 10:20 PM

According to NPR's "On The Media" aired this evening, a delegation from South Africa was in Washington to gain support for recognition of their plight in their homeland under prejudice.

They got more than they thought they would bargain for!

It's hard to see how the divide in perceptions came to be, but the TRMP administrators along with ol' baldy himself decided to treat them as an endangered persecuted minority. And allow them to settle in these United States. Which is actually quite far from what they wanted or were asking for.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 May 25 - 10:30 PM

All of this drama with the Afrikaner's feeling discriminated against in South Africa begs the question - why come to the US? Why not go to the Netherlands where their earlier generations came from?

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Helen
Date: 17 May 25 - 10:46 PM

I don't know, Hrothgar. It would hurt his widdle feewings to admit to being mentally incompetent. :-D

robomatic, I saw a news article earlier this week which seemed to be saying that some of the white Afrikaaners wanted to emigrate to the US because they believe they are the subject of racism. (My comment is: WTF?)

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 May 25 - 10:55 PM

"I'm the Problem; It's Me": On the Confession the Mainstream Media Won't Make

Rebecca Solnit
17 May 2025

Part of the piece:

We in the USA are in deep trouble and a major reason for the trouble we're in is the mainstream media and their many persistent distortions of truth, fact, reality in service of their agendas and the limits of their worldview (and lack of resistance to intimidation by the right). That habit has contributed hugely to a misinformed electorate, which in turn contributes to the outcomes of elections. The msm have sins of omission (not covering or playing down important and impactful news, including out of deference to the right), sins of obsession (pumping up minor stories into manufactured scandal and drama), and sins of distortion ( many kinds of bias manifested in many ways).

These institution powers routinely pretend they have no actual influence but are somehow standing behind a glass partition just quietly observing what happened, so they takes no responsibility for outcome, even as they exhibit huge biases and overt agendas, up to and including major impact on American elections, which in turn do much to shape (or sabotage) the fate of the world. While right-wing media are regularly excoriated, mainstream media sabotages democracy and justice less obviously but, because of its broader audiences, more effectively.

Its players seem to play for each others' approval so they dogpile, build echo chambers, feed off each other, install filter bubbles and huddle behind confirmation biases. They collectively fabricate official versions of what happened that often diverge from the facts. Right now a prime example is contaminating the informational drinking water. It should be the dullest story ever, the smallest potatoes, the most nothing-scented nothingburger, but while the Trump Administration plays nice with autocrats in the middle east and terrorizes brown people who are undocumented, or here legally, or actually citizens, sabotages the global economy, and dismantles the federal government while trying to destroy all our rights and also the rule of law, media bigwigs Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios (but also a CNN pundit, because media inbreeding is a thing) are selling a book about Joe Biden with the pumped-up title Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. Books take a long time to write, edit, proofread, lay out, print, and distribute, so they likely decided to work on this before the election – perhaps they were hoping to do some damage to a Harris administration, but they're distracting from a Trump Administration instead. In Christian theology, original sin is what Adam and Eve committed by disobeying God; in American history, slavery is often said to be this nation's original sin; but in this book it's being old.

It discusses the Clooney episode and people who dispute it ever happened.
Skip down to the last two paragraphs:

One of the outrages of last summer was how the New York Times tried to, in a big front page story on July 8, insinuate that Biden had Parkinson's disease, by making drama about the fact that Dr. Kevin R. Cannard, a neurologist, had visited the White House several times while Biden was president. The Times apparently picked up the idea of calling the neurologist a Parkinson's expert from the right-wing New York Post (which belongs to Rupert Murdoch, who did a lot to bring us Trump in 2016), skipped the fact that some of the doctor's visits took place when Biden was not in residence, and ran a subhead that said "The White House implied that the doctor’s visits were related to treating other people," as if the shifty White House was saying something that could not be confirmed.

Cannard had, in fact, served in a clinic for White House employees through multiple administrations dating back to 2012. That Parkinson's story was part of the New York Times's furious campaign to force Biden's resignation--192 stories in less than two weeks focusing on his abysmal June debate performance and age--in one of the most outrageous transgressions of journalistic norms I've witnessed. It was the New York Times that published George Clooney's attack on Biden that July, whose claims the book in question here pumps up and Ambassador Gifford contradicts. I'm not interested in relitigating Biden's anything, but I am interested in mapping how major news media, functioning as an unaccountable fourth branch of government, misuse their power in destructive ways.

Subject: RE: Convicted felon US 47 Pres /Musk coup 2
From: Donuel
Date: 18 May 25 - 11:37 AM

The last time I was on TV, I said that I saw evidence of organic brain disease in Reagan's behavior. Everyone else on the panel condemned my comment. Three years later, Nancy wrote a letter about Reagan having Alzheimers. From what I have seen of Biden, there does seem to be a slippage and inability to focus on the point at his weakest moments.
You don't need to believe me but those who saw the Biden debate debacle are going to believe their eyes, not their lying eyes.

btw Trump now has 3 airplanes (2 Air Force one and his own plane)
He does not need 30 planes any more than a girl needs 30 dolls.