[late]

Trump's attempt to delay one of the trials failed yesterday: "A judge ruled Thursday that jury selection for Donald Trump’s hush money trial would begin March 25, setting a date with history for what would be the first criminal prosecution of an ex-president."
Admin Edit:(Non-Paywall Link added) https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/16/poli ... index.html

The House impeachment farce had no evidence, but it did have a witness. The witless witness has been criminally charged by the FBI for lying about the Bidens."

The attempt to remove Fanni Willis got blown sky high yesterday. Willis took the stand and eviscerated the defense. Turns out the witness alleging misconduct neglected to mention that she was forced out. Which means it was an evidentiary hearing without any evidence...

And a speculative freebie: Trump wants a relative to run the Republican party, it is likely he wants to sluice that money into defending himself in court.

And one other detail, the MAGA nuts are pushing people in the Republican party out, and replacing them. But it turns out they suck at the things all politicians do, like organise and fund raise. Or to put it bluntly, work...



I am feeling a little better about the country today. Speaking of today, judgement could be handed down today in his NY business trial. That's the one that could take his businesses away from him.

[Tainari88]

Late, Trump is just going to keep on keeping on until he can't. But the US government is not going to get better soon. They keep producing bad politicians.

[late]

Late, Trump is just going to keep on keeping on until he can't. But the US government is not going to get better soon. They keep producing bad politicians.

Biden is a thousand times better than Trump, and that's a conservative estimate.

[Rancid]

Late, Trump is just going to keep on keeping on until he can't. But the US government is not going to get better soon. They keep producing bad politicians.

The only way it has a chance of getting better, is to not have Trump and his MAGA dip shits in the US government.

Trump is bad for the planet, so while it may be true to point out the US government will still suck with Biden. It's important to realize it will be far worse, and likely no chance to make it better with Trump. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

[Tainari88]

Biden is a thousand times better than Trump, and that's a conservative estimate.

Let us say he is? The problem is that he has tried to get legislation that is good done. For example, the child tax credit in a real sense that cut child poverty in half or more in the USA. It does not pass because of the past people like Sinema and Manchin whom are BOTH Democrats. You have asshole democrats in that party Late. They are really Republicans in disguise. I really dislike the quality of the Left in American standard politics. They might as well be pieces of shit Republicans. There is hardly any difference.

They are paralyzed with crap most of the time and the system is not changing enough at all. It is stagnant and getting worse.

Got to do what MORENA did in Mexico. Stop hating on the far left and DEVELOP a very tough hard left, integrate it and expand it. Because the Republicans will be almost neo Nazis in its totality soon, and unless you have the absolute opposite in there to CLASH....you will not have resistance to the pull. You have a squishy middle and no real LEFT. And a very strong and hard and nasty Hard Right making violence moves for dictatorship? You will lose that fight. Use some math. Like a graph that is hard left, hard right....pull....and you will pull the hard Right further to the middle. If you want to compromise and avoid a civil war down the road? The HARD LEFT has to make an appearance Late.

In the sixties in the USA, they had a hard Left. Despite MCCarthyism and all that....the Right responded and has eroded everything the Left has accomplished over that period to now. Bush I and Bush II, Reagan, and Trump, and so on. The Clintons were neoliberals who were never hard left or even very strong liberals. You are far more liberal than the Clintons. So is Stiglitz. Who worked for the Clinton administration.

You might think there might be a civil war if the Hard Left makes an appearance in the USA. The truth is that the US is so far Right that if they do not produce a hard Left soon? The middle Right that the Democrat party Sinema, Manchin MIERDA group is going to do? Will lose that tug-of-war guaranteed.

[Tainari88]

The only way it has a chance of getting better, is to not have Trump and his MAGA dip shits in the US government.

Trump is bad for the planet, so while it may be true to point out the US government will still suck with Biden. It's important to realize it will be far worse, and likely no chance to make it better with Trump. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

My husband is a far left socialist like I am. But he is voting for Biden, because for him Trump is a fucking time bomb waiting to go off. So he has no illusions. Socialists will not be in charge in the USA any time soon. Just go for Biden even though he keeps getting his policies rejected or watered down and he sucks at a lot of stuff.

He holds his nose and votes for Biden.

Who were the American socialists @Rancid ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o ... ted_States

They are the opposite of warmongering people. The opposite of breaking up the Unions and back organized labor and worker rights and working class rights. They also back free education for the university students. They advocate for civil and human rights. They are truly a real needed group in the USA. But you fall for the propaganda all the time. You believe the lies about us being authoritarian killers and so on. It is far far from the truth. But if you believe lies all damn day? The Nazis will do a sweep. So will the White Supremacists. The fucking Trumps and all the MAGA crowd and the authoritarian Right. Because you allow Capitalism to be worshiped like a God. Stop that shit. It is not God. it is a nightmare if not dealt with and regulated and pressured. You took the pressure off those classist, racist fucks and now they are back to eradicate the MLK Jr era gains.

You did it. By believing shit about socialism. That is the truth.



Me? I have always been consistent. Socialist and socialism. In Puerto Rico, in the USA and in Mexico now. In Puerto Rico socialism is back. It is gaining. From a small percentage it is now in striking distance between the two major parties. Another four election cycles and voila...a majority. It is a majority in Mexico. It is a great political movement in Latin America. The US is stuck in neo nazi Trump shit.

Because the liberals do not respect the hard left and would rather let the shit on the Right get farther and farther out there than be radicalized. Too much cushy cushy for the liberals. It is a failed point of view. To counter balance the scales in political discourse and power, you need both of the extremes to be balanced and then the MODERATE middle has a chance and eventually the back and forth produces results for the working people and lower classes. Otherwise it is all down the toilet.

Most nations in Europe have far more developed Leftist politics. The USA does not.

It is in danger of the Nazi coup now. It is its own fault. They chose to kill off the socialism. I have very little tears for that shit. Get it together in TIME!!

[Rancid]

He holds his nose and votes for Biden.

Exactly, that is what everyone should be doing this election cycle. Because even though Biden is "more of the same", more of the same is far far far far better than what Trump has to offer.

The socialists will not have a chance at all if Trump is elected. If Biden is elected, socialists live to fight another day.

[Tainari88]

Exactly, that is what everyone should be doing this election cycle. Because even though Biden is "more of the same", more of the same is far far far far better than what Trump has to offer.

The socialists will not have a chance at all if Trump is elected. If Biden is elected, socialists live to fight another day.

No Rancid darling. The Democratic party killed off the Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders. They killed him off with a bad bid with Hillary Clinton. Even right wing freaks knew that a farther left candidate could have beaten Trump. But they put an establishment neoliberal like Hillary in the seat. She did not work hard enough in getting rid of the threat. She also, underestimated that Trump. The USA does not respect popular votes Rancid. Hillary woman got 3 million more American votes than Trump did but Trump won the electoral votes. You should change that shit. The Democrats never do. They do not change what is wrong with not respecting popular votes. Why? Do you know why? They do not change that rule. Nor do they change the filibuster rule in the Senate either. Examine the system.

If you do a good examination it says some truths about the state of American democracy today.

The Democratic Party does not fix the problems. They do not expel the Sinema Manchin types from the Democratic party. They do not back the more radical socialist element. Have you thought about why they don't Rancid?

I can't back another politician that sucks. From either party. It is not going to move anything forward. In terms of Colorado it is a blue state. My Biden or non Biden vote is not going to sway the state vote for Trump. Trump is gonna lose Colorado. The ones you should work on are Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, your native state of Texas and a couple of others. Because the Nazis are dedicated. And they never got pressured into oblivion because deep in the core of American politics the racist fucks that Nazis represent are the ones who were like fucking ticks embedded in there for a very long time. I experienced it as a Puerto Rican. But many of the snowed by American bullshit never really got exposed to how fascist those racists in charge are. They are much more of a common phenomenon in the USA than many want to believe.

Stop hiding your heads in the sand. They are coming for raw power. Because democracy is for the birds if democracy means Black presidents, and wishy washy liberals in charge of their guns and their towns. The Nazi Fascist MODUS OPERANDI has been consistent in their messaging, philosophies and thoughts. It is this...they would rather burn an entire society or nation down to the studs and into the ground than share power with the enemy or give up power to whom they deem their racial, socioeconomic, and political inferiors. They are the epitome of discriminatory thoughts.

If you do not get that? You will.

For me, fear drives the RIGHT in the world. Fear of the other. Fear of losing power. Fear of losing money. Fear of losing position. And they will use violence and kill everything and anything that moves standing in their way.

They have very little you can negotiate with. Nothing moderate works with them.

Unfortunately, you killed off the scale side that brings balance. Due to fear of the majority. The working people having power. Again, discrimination and class conscious shit is the territory of the Right too. You side with them? You will do everything to undermine democracy simply because the poor and the working class are the majority of the world on planet Earth.

Why that is never discussed with people in politics is a mystery to me in the USA. It is discussed in many other nations. But in the USA they avoid history, avoid Political science and avoid open discussions on power relationships. For obvious reasons.

[Rancid]

No Rancid darling. The Democratic party killed off the Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders.....

I think you are missing the big picture. The arrow of time has moved towards a more progressive system. I am not slave today. I was not denied education, etc. etc. This would not have been possible 50 years ago, 100 years ago, etc. etc.

Bernie sanders today, has been able to push awareness around socialistic ideas far better than he did back in the 90s, 80s, and earlier. Why? Because the system and culture has slowly moved towards more progress.

I think you need to learn to realize that incremental gains exist. There will be set backs, but incrementally, over time, leftist ideas have won out slowly. This is exactly the problem with American leftist IMO. They don't know how take the small wins. They don't understand that sometimes we have to make progress incrementally. They don't seem to look at the big picture.

You really think AOC would have been elected back in say... 1980? There is progress you seem to not be seeing.

So you can view SAnders as being railroaded or whatever by the Democratic party, or you can be happy that the party even accepted him and other more left leaning figures. SOmething that wouldn't have happened in the past.

Trump will put a stop to even the incremental progress. Biden, while not the leftist hero you wish him to be, wouldn't stop it in its tracks. Slow it down? Sure, stop it? no.

Again, seems like you want to throw the baby out with the bath water.

[noemon]

I think you need to learn to realize that incremental gains exist.

You haven't shown that Biden has offered incremental gains on anything. You assert it without argument or evidence.

Trump will put a stop to even the incremental progress. Biden, while not the leftist hero you wish him to be, wouldn't stop it in its tracks. Slow it down? Sure, stop it? no.

Same as above. You assert something without argument or evidence.

Trump is bad for the planet, so while it may be true to point out the US government will still suck with Biden. It's important to realize it will be far worse, and likely no chance to make it better with Trump. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Also the same. The planetary public opinion most likely disagrees than agrees with you. Trump's foreign policy is some aeons more positive than Biden's.

1) pro-democrat Iranians want Trump and want the US to stop dancing with the Mullahs whom Carter installed in the first place.
2) most Europeans prefer Trump as they know the war with Russia will come to an end. European public opinion by and large is more against the war than they are agaist Putin.
3) Israelis, the same.
4) Saudis and other M-E allies? It's not even funny. Trump got them to sign peace with Israel, while Biden has alienated both Saudi and Egypt.
5) India? Not even funny there either. Trump brought India back into the western fold after decades of US Democrats treating India with contempt and as an enemy. Most people are even unaware that the US has had an effective arms embrago against India until Trump.


---------------


The fact is mere assertions combined with some pyschological pressure(with us or against us, idiots vs smart) is not actually convincing anybody.

The war in Ukraine is stripping the Democrats of all remaining moral standing as they very clearly do not want either victory or defeat, they just want a perenial swamp sucking in Ukrainian & Russian lives and European money in perpetuity.

[ingliz]

The verdict in the financial fraud case is in.

Guilty as charged with no mitigating factors. A $350 million fine and banned from running any business in New York for three years, plus court-appointed monitors looking at anything he does after that forever more.

[Rancid]

You haven't shown that Biden has offered incremental gains on anything. You assert it without argument or evidence.

Biden doesn't offer fascism.

Anyway, if you want progress, student loan forgiveness would be an example (something MAGA blocked). Effectively subsidizing people's higher level education is incremental.

1) pro-democrat Iranians want Trump and want the US to stop dancing with the Mullahs whom Carter installed in the first place.
2) most Europeans prefer Trump as they know the war with Russia will come to an end. European public opinion by and large is more against the war than they are agaist Putin.
3) Israelis, the same.
4) Saudis and other M-E allies? It's not even funny. Trump got them to sign peace with Israel, while Biden has alienated Saudi and Egypt.
5) India? Not even funny there either. Trump brought India back into the western fold after decades of US Democrats treating India with contempt and as an enemy.

I guess all these people like fascism then. Careful what you wish for. Trump has no principles, he will throw all of those nations under the bus in a heart beat. Whatever his personal interest is, like a dictator. That would be very bad long term.

[Rancid]

The verdict in the financial fraud case is in.

Guilty as charged with no mitigating factors. A $350 million fine and banned from running any business in New York for three years, plus court-appointed monitors looking at anything he does after that forever more.

I'm sure he can get his moron sycophants to pay for him.

[noemon]

Biden doesn't offer fascism.
I guess all these people like fascism then.

It seems to me the only person who uses fascism in practice is you. You are polarising everything and everybody as well.

Careful what you wish for. Trump has no principles, he will throw all of those nations under the bus in a heart beat.

Once again, that is Biden and the Democrats. They have dropped all their allies, used them for carrors and have alienated everybody. Trump & Pompeo on the other hand have been a lot more solid and a lot more productive, globally.

It was under Trump & Pompeo that India, Saudi, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Greece were brought under a cooperative defense architecture though Saudi, Israel and Egypt soured after the Gaza invasion, but it is under Biden that this security architecture has been undermined, A LOT.

And Ukraine, Ukraine would be without war and still intact today had it been Trump at the helm. He would have given Putin neutrality assurances and that would have been the end of it.

Instead, you promote a quicksand policy that kills people and evaporates money.

[Rancid]

@noemon

Not sure how it's polarizing to be against a dude that tried to overthrown on election, but sure. whatever

[noemon]

Not sure how it's polarizing to be against a dude that tried to overthrown on election, but sure. whatever

It doesn't give you any right to call everyone that disagrees with you as a "fascist" or a "moron".

More importantly it does not address the specific arguments you quoted, nor does it add anything to the conversation.

Also, not even his opponents consider the couple of hundrend of magas as an actual threat to American Democracy.

-------------------

The fact is that despite his temperament, evident stupidity and crassness Democrats still are unable to offer an alternative to him. And even you are still unable to hold down a conversation showing how Biden and the Democrats are allegedly better for the world. They are not, despite comparing them against Trump.

[Rancid]

@noemon, alright. Let me reset the language.

As for foreign policy, various analysts largely concluded Trump's foreign policy was an incoherent mess basically. Any benefit, was largely happenstance. All of which, is no guarantee to be continued if he is elected again. The executive branch will be as incoherent as it was before.

I'm not going to go searching for those different articles/analysis because it's a waste of time. Meaning, I'm sure it wouldn't make you see things differently anyway.

[Skynet]

Considering what Reagan did like Iran-Contra affair, is Trump a saint.

[noemon]

@noemon, alright. Let me reset the language.

As for foreign policy, various analysts largely concluded Trump's foreign policy was an incoherent mess basically. Any benefit, was largely happenstance. All of which, is no guarantee to be continued if he is elected again. The executive branch will be as incoherent as it was before.

Right...happenstance. Or could it just be that Trump simply had a better team than Biden. Pompeo for example is some orders above everybody else in the Biden administration. He is largely the architect behind Trump's extremely succesfull foreign policy as well as reining on Trump too. Also former CIA director but clearly a competent one that saw things differently from the standard deep state view.

I'm not going to go searching for those different articles/analysis because it's a waste of time. Meaning, I'm sure it wouldn't make you see things differently anyway.

This is both rude and insulting. Unlike you, I am not in any way beholden to American politics and I can actually be convinced if presented with a solid argument. While the same cannot be said for you.

[Rancid]

This is both rude and insulting. Unlike you, I am not in any way beholden to American politics and I can actually be convinced if presented with a solid argument. While the same cannot be said for you.

So let's reset on this as well. I'm sorry insulted you by suggesting you are ridged when discussing things like this.

As for the second part. There are lots of long (1-3hr in some occasions) talks (many on youtube) from places like CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) which have touched on this topic (among many many other topics). People have posted a bit from Peter Zeihan (Geopolitical analysis/author) here as well which has stated similar about Trump's foreign policy (in context of other things too). Few other folks/groups I can't remember names because I don't specifically catalog every time I read/watch something like this. YOu can add them to your reading/watching list if you'd like.