[davidjay]

Following the State of the Union, what did Adam Ant know?

We don't follow fashion
That'd be a joke
You know we're going to set them, set them
So everyone can take note, take note
When they saw you kneeling
Crying words that you mean
Opening their eyeballs, eyeballs
Pretending that you're Al Green, Al Green

I doubt Trump knows anything about Kevin Rowland.

[Bones McCoy]

[Tubby Isaacs]

Seems like Ukraine is receiving intelligence and military assistance again. Is there any logic to this at all?

Still, I suppose Ukraine appreciates it. And perhaps a sign that the Government's approach is better than the Bluesky consensus that Starmer should just "stop being deluded" and whatnot.

God knows what happens next though.

[satnav]

Isn't Trump just seeking to manipulate the markets to line the pockets of some of his associates? Every time Trump withdraws military assistance to Ukraine share prices in arms companies will take a hit. Those in the know can then pick up cheap shares and when Trump flip flops a week later the shares quickly rise in value allowing those in the know to make a quick buck.

Flip flopping over tariffs also provides opportunities for Trump's associates to make a quick killing if they buy and sell shares at the right time.

[Oboogie]

Isn't Trump just seeking to manipulate the markets to line the pockets of some of his associates? Every time Trump withdraws military assistance to Ukraine share prices in arms companies will take a hit. Those in the know can then pick up cheap shares and when Trump flip flops a week later the shares quickly rise in value allowing those in the know to make a quick buck.

Flip flopping over tariffs also provides opportunities for Trump's associates to make a quick killing if they buy and sell shares at the right time.

I assume that's what going on because it's what makes sense. I wonder how many Russian oligarchs are having their cards marked?

[Youngian]

And perhaps a sign that the Government's approach is better than the Bluesky consensus that Starmer should just "stop being deluded" and whatnot.

A sign that the government will yield to Trump in order to pursue purely transactional trade relationships. In which case let’s save money and stop supporting Ukraine and NATO commitments in Europe. After all Trump and Putin would spare the UK from war if it keeps its nose out opposing their new world order. And the UK can just pursue trade deals with whoever. Getting Brexit done some might say (especially the Russian embassy).

Britain did not immediately retaliate to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Wednesday
Britain had hoped to avoid tariffs on its steel sector, which is small but produces specialist products for defence and other industries. Trump said last month the two countries might reach a bilateral trade deal that would avert duties. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-re ... 025-03-12/

[Andy McDandy]

I think it's perhaps just a power flex - see what I can do, do you want me nice or nasty?

Because he is that fucking petty.

Also, he seems to get off on the exercise of power (aka signing executive orders) regardless of the content.

[Youngian]

Now Trump's bent Ontario and the UK over the table we can observe whether Rob Ford or Keir Starmer's approach yields results.

[Abernathy]

Apparently, the EU was formed “for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the USA”.

Does Lee Harvey Oswald have any living relatives that might fancy a little job ?

[kreuzberger]

He aimed for the head which would not make a blind bit of difference. It's probably a kevlar syrup, anyway.

[Bones McCoy]

Now he's lost the Crips.

[The Weeping Angel]

it's amazing how badly so many american journalists have done such a bad job at holding trump to any form of account.

[Killer Whale]

[kreuzberger]

When they launch an attack on history, you know you're fucked. This is merely confirmation of that.

[Andy McDandy]

Vietnam won a lot of America round to the idea of civil rights. Black youths were disproportionately drafted, and served in frontline roles on a par with white soldiers (as opposed to in WW1 and 2, where they were largely confined to support and logistics roles). It's hard to tell a guy who's gone through hell, ostensibly for your country, that he's not worthy. Besides, going back as far as the Romans, and probably earlier, the concept of respect and rights in exchange for service isn't new.

[Bones McCoy]

The objective here is extremely transparent.
Erase any evidence of the wrong sort of people from the right sort of public jobs.

I'm sure readers can fill in the wrong and right sorts.


We then revert to the myth that everything good and worthwhile was built by white American men.
Stir in a bit of the Dixie lost cause that never went away.

Stick it on the pile beside "America feeds the world", "American funds the world".

[Bones McCoy]

Today.

Some shit about previous presidential pardons don't count because of Autopen.

[Killer Whale]

Fucking hell.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvge4l109r3o

US President Donald Trump has signed an order to strip back federally funded news organisation Voice of America, accusing it of being "anti-Trump" and "radical".

A White House statement said the order would "ensure taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda", and included quotes from politicians and right-wing media criticising the broadcaster.

VOA, still primarily a radio service, was set up during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda. It says it currently reaches hundreds of millions of people globally each week.

Mike Abramowitz, VOA's director, said he and virtually his entire staff of 1,300 people had been put on paid leave.

Abramowitz said that the order left VOA unable to carry out its "vital mission... especially critical today, when America's adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States".

This is now literally crazy. I hesitate to comment that it feels like we're living in a movie, but maybe the fact is that the US is now in the control of people who do indeed think that they're living in a movie.

[Abernathy]

If/when the USA gets to the end of this self-inflicted nightmare (like Brexit on fucking steroids), there are some serious questions that it needs to be asking itself, and coming up with answers to.

Principally, how, in the name of all that’s holy, in what is alleged to be the most advanced democratic nation-state on the planet, was a man who should by all rights have been behind bars years ago, and not permitted to get within a baw-hair of standing for election as president, not only manage to do so, but actually get elected, set about upturning the USA’s economy, society, and international reputation, with a long-term intention of ignoring the constitutional restriction on any president serving beyond two terms? A man who is rumoured, with considerable credibility, to be an paid “asset” of Putin’s Russia to boot.

Other constitutional matters requiring urgent attention/revision are :

- abolition of the ludicrous second amendment and associated reform of gun control legislation.
- scrapping the totally un-necessary electoral college for presidential elections.
- scrapping, or at least drastically restricting, the power both of the presidential decree and the presidential pardon. Particularly under the current president, both have become devalued and toxically politicised, to the detriment of the American people. The presidential decree in particular, grotesquely abused by Trump (simply because he can, arguably always was a constitutional absurdity.

There may be other questions, but these seem to me to be the most urgent and egregious.

[Oboogie]

Fucking hell.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvge4l109r3o

US President Donald Trump has signed an order to strip back federally funded news organisation Voice of America, accusing it of being "anti-Trump" and "radical".

A White House statement said the order would "ensure taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda", and included quotes from politicians and right-wing media criticising the broadcaster.

VOA, still primarily a radio service, was set up during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda. It says it currently reaches hundreds of millions of people globally each week.

Mike Abramowitz, VOA's director, said he and virtually his entire staff of 1,300 people had been put on paid leave.

Abramowitz said that the order left VOA unable to carry out its "vital mission... especially critical today, when America's adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States".

This is now literally crazy. I hesitate to comment that it feels like we're living in a movie, but maybe the fact is that the US is now in the control of people who do indeed think that they're living in a movie.

The "Biased BBC" mob will be green with envy!