Politics

[KJE81]

Trumps unpopularity in Europe is one of the things that makes him wildly popular with the far right in the US… I’d bet he hopes to get his European approval levels even lower if he can..

The far right in the US sees liberal Europe as a lost cause and they want the US to stop pandering to leftist European leadership.. they see foreign policy under presidents like Obama and Clinton who were popular in Europe as one of the primary reasons we are in the position we are as a country right now (Biden doesn’t count.. both the US and Europe know his brain has melted in the first 6 months of his presidency),,,

In their eyes, if Europe likes something, they want nothing to do with it… if Europe opposes it, it’s probably something good for the US to pursue..

If conservatives are the minority in Europe… Trump definitely wants only minority approval… anything else would harm his base in the US…

And as we’ve discussed before.. a conservative in Europe is more similar to a centrist or even a slightly left of center person in the US.. especially on social issues…

So Trump doesn’t want the support or approval of those Europeans either… he only cares to appeal to what most Europeans would consider far right…

I am sure thats true, I was however just pointing out why the Trump endorsement and Vance visits did not yielded any results.

On the other hand I bet that If there were a free election in Russia a Trump endorsement would probably yield better results Judging by the results in the polls linked in my previous post

 

[Altitude sickness]

Eric Swawell and and Mayor Pete grew beards and started swearing more. To appear manly.

Apparently, Swalwell can’t handle toxic masculinity, Raping women. He should blame the MAGA beard.

At least no one is falling for the reason the Democrats and their cohorts the Media are giving for why after all these years they finally care that Swalwell is a serial rapist. That we actually believe they care about those women. Above winning the race

They were sliding in the California governor’s race. And he was going to be a liability so the bat signal went out to throw him overboard.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

They also look great when the seals go out and there’s gear all over the place, both on the windmill and certainly on the ground around it for quite a ways

Meant to say gear oil!

 

[Killingtime]

I have been hearing since my 20's that our Social Security program is going to become insolvent within "10 years"... its been almost 40 years.. and it still hasnt happened... but.. if you look at all of the major market predictors, theyre now saying parts of Social Security will have to be eliminated by the "mid 2030's"... (so I guess we're still 10 years out? after 40 years of waiting?)

The problem is.. the federal government always finds a way to avoid insolvency.. and will continue to believe they can avoid it... until at some point, they cant..

then what happens?

Alan Greenspan said back in 05 that social security benefits will never stop being payed because they will just keep printing money. He even admitted even if that money is worth nothing.
Back In the 60’s or 70’s there was a congressman saying the exact same thing that social security was unsustainable but also that government would alway pay the benefit they owed even if the benefits held no value.


It seems that quantitative easing since 2011 was not detrimental to the greater population until they gave everyone money in 2020-21 and really devalued what money is really worth.

 

[Killingtime]

Was a

That's because Social Security was a Democrat Shyster Heist from day 1.

Ponzi scheme that should have ended in the 30’s right after its creation.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Alan Greenspan said back in 05 that social security benefits will never stop being payed because they will just keep printing money. He even admitted even if that money is worth nothing.
Back In the 60’s or 70’s there was a congressman saying the exact same thing that social security was unsustainable but also that government would alway pay the benefit they owed even if the benefits held no value.


It seems that quantitative easing since 2011 was not detrimental to the greater population until they gave everyone money in 2020-21 and really devalued what money is really worth.

Greenspan was the guy in 2008 who said "Yeah, let the banks fail. No regulation is good for the economy in the end. It's survival of the fittest.". Had a hard time convincing all those families who lost their homes and/or life savings. A real success story.

 

[Flipper Dude]

“They also look great when the seals go out and there’s gear all over the place, both on the windmill and certainly on the ground around it for quite a ways”

Meant to say gear oil!

I’m from Texas. You did say gear oil.

 

[Killingtime]

Can't disagree, but at my age it would hurt my personal economy to have to do without it.

I’m a millennial and most of my circle have lived with the knowledge that it will not be there.. or worth anything if it is. I view it as a bs tax with no return and go about my day. I told my best friend use it as a incentive to make enough money that you hit the cap (184k this year) and don’t have to pay it any more on your income after that.

 

[Killingtime]

I a

By the time I retire I will have paid into it for 56 years and there was never a choice not too since I dont own my own business. I think when I get there and I can't collect at least some of what I paid into it I will be more than a little pissed. And quit calling Social Security an entitlement I paid for mine.

I Agree but it’s kind of like every other tax that we pay that we get no return or lol a bad return on our investment

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Well, I wake up this morning and check the news to see what stupid shit Trump is up to today. He did not fail to entertain/alarm. Now it's the Pope who's "terrible." This latest diatribe apparently came right out of left field ... on Mars. I agree with the Pontiff. No need to be alarmed. No one pays attention to anything Trump says anymore. Just a babbling fool. A diplomatic nincompoop extraordinaire. I'm sure Trump will be miffed again this year when he's again not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for bad mouthing every world leader ... except Putin and his Hungarian buddy. Norway better prepare for a hundred percent tariff on lutefisk.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Alan Greenspan said back in 05 that social security benefits will never stop being payed because they will just keep printing money. He even admitted even if that money is worth nothing.
Back In the 60’s or 70’s there was a congressman saying the exact same thing that social security was unsustainable but also that government would alway pay the benefit they owed even if the benefits held no value.


It seems that quantitative easing since 2011 was not detrimental to the greater population until they gave everyone money in 2020-21 and really devalued what money is really worth.

I remember Alan Greenspan saying that and it scared the shit out of me. I also figured out that they no intention of ever paying down the debt but the plan was to devalue the currency.

I believe the reason why they said inflation was transitory was because the plan was to devalue the currency, they just got too aggressive and people actually noticed that their paper dollars didnt actually have value.

 

[Killingtime]

Greenspan was the guy in 2008 who said "Yeah, let the banks fail. No regulation is good for the economy in the end. It's survival of the fittest.". Had a hard time convincing all those families who lost their homes and/or life savings. A real success story.

Never said he was a good guy. Just putting what he quoted.

 

[RLD]

In short term, possibly yes.

But situation is so complicated that no one can see what will happen in the future.
Russian oil and gas is under import embargo to EU.
Major oil suppliers from gulf are blocked.
When sanctions against Russia were implemented, this detail has not been foreseen.

USA which was the first major Ukraine supporter, and directed initial EU policy on Ukraine is apparently out of direct support.
EU is left dry on that front.
As of now, Eu is let to run proxy war on loans.
Next year another 90 bil loan?
I am not the economist but in long term I think this is not sustainable.

The interesting part is: Hungary (under Orban), was building a pipe line over Serbia to get oil.
Will that project be stopped now, when Orban is out?
If that changes, and project is stopped, will it be good for Hungary (a land locked country)?

Also, Orban was effectively stopping uncontrolled immigration to Hungary, despite official EU policy.
How is that going to develop?
Yet to be seen, and it will not be seen in short term time frame, but in decades to come

In long term - the outcomes in EU are unpredictable.

Since the start of Iran conflict, Ukraine war has been much less present in daily media.
It seams it is coming to 2nd priority of EU.
If MSM are any indication of main stream policies.

few days ago:
President Zelensky calls for new military alliance, in EU if USA leaves Nato, including Turkey.
Interesting approach. This I found surprising.
He was after all the "Nato baby".

Turkey is arguably the strongest Euroepan Nato member, with strong industry, and strong economy but also in the same time continuously denied to join EU since 1997 when they applied.
Now, they are good enough?

EU must expand if US leaves NATO, Zelenskyy says

Ukraine’s president said the bloc “can’t match” Russia without Ukraine and Turkey.

tvpworld.com

Well all sorts of money flowing into Ukraine is deficit financed. I think the plan for this 90 billion is to secure it against seized Russian assets, which makes it more of a seizure than a loan per se. It sure does buy Ukraine more time to fight in a functional way though. Orban going down was a big loss for Putin.

I am not surprised Zelensky is talking about a new military alliance. It is pretty clear that Ukraine is not getting into NATO so he needs alternatives.

 

[RLD]

I’m guessing they thought that the new leaders might back down when faced with more air strikes?? Vance didn’t go to agree to the ridiculous Iranian demands. The US tried. Now nobody can say we didn’t.

They might have backed down but not in 24 hours.

BTW I think the blockade is a good call, certainly better than the release of oil sanctions a few weeks back. But for a blockade like this to be effective it takes time. Months at minimum. I don't know if this administration has the patience to wait it out as long as it will take.

 

[RLD]

If this was before the war. I would probably agree with you, but given they really weren't in a position to negotiate in equal terms, they were there to negotiate how to get the beatings to stop. I honestly think in that position 21 hours was too long. It could have been 1 hour and 5 minutes.

US: Are you willing to give up your quest for nuclear weapons.

Iran: No

US: You have 1 hour to change your mind or else we are leaving. If you change your mind we can continue to negotiate the terms. Get up and walk out.

But...as far as I can tell, the beatings have stopped. Trump says the ceasefire is holding and I don't think we will see any new U.S. attacks soon.

And while I think the blockade is a good strategy, it is not much different than previous "maximum pressure" sanctions. Iran is pretty inured to those I would think. The contest is between Iran's ability to bear real suffering and the Trump administration's ability to bear political suffering. Now we will see.

 

[Wheels]

Now he is mad at the Pope..


Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP


Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump · April 12, 2026, 8:56 PM

It’s important to know that Catholic Charities was one of the largest beneficiaries of bringing illegals into America. The Catholic Church was paid hundreds of millions by the American taxpayer to settle illegals in America. They were paid hundreds of millions by tax payers through NGO’s to feed and transport illegals on their trips to America.

The Chicago Pope was one of the largest beneficiaries of this free flow of funds. Trump shut off an important inflow of capital to the Catholic Church in America. I would give more credence to the Pope’s position and statements if he wasn’t a beneficiary of the system Trump shut down.

 

[Brent in Az]

It’s important to know that Catholic Charities was one of the largest beneficiaries of bringing illegals into America. The Catholic Church was paid hundreds of millions by the American taxpayer to settle illegals in America. They were paid hundreds of millions by tax payers through NGO’s to feed and transport illegals on their trips to America.

The Chicago Pope was one of the largest beneficiaries of this free flow of funds. Trump shut off an important inflow of capital to the Catholic Church in America. I would give more credence to the Pope’s position and statements if he wasn’t a beneficiary of the system Trump shut down.

And there is blood on the hands of the Catholic Church for doing so.

 

[LivingTheDream]

But...as far as I can tell, the beatings have stopped. Trump says the ceasefire is holding and I don't think we will see any new U.S. attacks soon.

And while I think the blockade is a good strategy, it is not much different than previous "maximum pressure" sanctions. Iran is pretty inured to those I would think. The contest is between Iran's ability to bear real suffering and the Trump administration's ability to bear political suffering. Now we will see.

I can agree with a lot of this, but I am guessing we will see new attacks sooner than later. I think the only thing that really stops continued attacks is a potential internal uprising.

 

[Tanks]

If this was before the war. I would probably agree with you, but given they really weren't in a position to negotiate in equal terms, they were there to negotiate how to get the beatings to stop

Iran thinks it has the upper hand and can outlast the USA.

 

[AJ Peacock]

Iran thinks it has the upper hand and can outlast the USA.

With the help of the Democrats, they may be right.

AJ