The future of the US

[JerryBaumchen 1,436]

Hi folks,

Looks like the Gunfight at the OK Corral is about to happen:  Supreme Court denies Trump administration request to cancel $2B in foreign aid 

It will be interesting to see how the Trumper takes it.

Jerry Baumchen

PS)  I am stunned,” Alito wrote - Nope, he is just stupid.

Edited March 5 by JerryBaumchen

[billvon 3,070]

55 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi folks,

Looks like the Gunfight at the OK Corral is about to happen: 

No, it's not.  They will deny a few Trump orders to make them seem impartial.  Nothing will fundamentally change.

 

[nigel99 568]

https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/s/unxqzqDuSz

Serms Trump has at last succeeded in getting Europe to agreeing to spend more on defence.

I wonder if the idiot realises the money will be spent in Europe on European products? 

[JoeWeber 2,823]

4 hours ago, nigel99 said:

https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/s/unxqzqDuSz

Serms Trump has at last succeeded in getting Europe to agreeing to spend more on defence.

I wonder if the idiot realises the money will be spent in Europe on European products? 

Maybe, maybe not. The European Defense Material Industries, while excellent producers, will need to ramp up capacity which will take a lot of money and years. For a bonus, from whom do you suppose they'll need to turn to for weapons while they make up for going on the cheap? You guessed it, the USA just as your own country does because Australia also relies on uncle sugar for the serious kit and just now bumped your defense spending up to a whopping 2.02% of GDP so you can continue to contribute your annual one half of one percent to the world defense bucket. 

[nigel99 568]

3 hours ago, JoeWeber said:

Maybe, maybe not. The European Defense Material Industries, while excellent producers, will need to ramp up capacity which will take a lot of money and years. For a bonus, from whom do you suppose they'll need to turn to for weapons while they make up for going on the cheap? You guessed it, the USA just as your own country does because Australia also relies on uncle sugar for the serious kit and just now bumped your defense spending up to a whopping 2.02% of GDP so you can continue to contribute your annual one half of one percent to the world defense bucket. 

Sure it’s limited but Europe does have the ability to manufacture planes and other weapons.

Aus is just a big mining supplier for all our posturing. Vegemite sucks compared to marmite and kangaroos taste shit, so I don’t think we need worry about being invaded any time soon :)

[kallend 2,106]

It's pretty obvious that some of our closest allies no longer regard the US as a reliable friend.

 

It's not clear how this will play out.

[JoeWeber 2,823]

8 hours ago, nigel99 said:

Sure it’s limited but Europe does have the ability to manufacture planes and other weapons.

Aus is just a big mining supplier for all our posturing. Vegemite sucks compared to marmite and kangaroos taste shit, so I don’t think we need worry about being invaded any time soon :)

Ability and capacity are different things and don't think China wouldn't be happier not paying for your minerals or that anyone will come to help you when you haven't helped yourselves or couldn't help them.

[jakee 1,563]

11 hours ago, nigel99 said:

Vegemite sucks compared to marmite 

Yeah, what's that about? Like, literally why is vegemite? Just sits there on the shelf making the world around it a slightly worse place.

3 hours ago, kallend said:

It's pretty obvious that some of our closest allies no longer regard the US as a reliable friend.

It's not clear how this will play out.

From a European and particularly UK perspective there is a growing silver lining. Joe was right that Europe needs to get it's head around generating the ability to stand completely alone when needed, and I think that the positive moves in that direction will take some of the wind out of the far right sails across europe. Most of the far right parties and politicians in Europe have disappeared entirely up Trump's arse, while Trump himself is very successfully alienating all but the most hardcore right wing voters, so suddenly the traditional middle ground looks a lot stronger.

Starmer is growing into a leadership role with Europe, and given that the biggest pro-Brexit voice Farage is the most pathetically obsequious Trump sycophant you could imagine I think the terror that liberal politicians in the UK have felt about doing anything that might lead to closer ties with Europe will rapidly start to receed and we can get some common sense cross border cooperation back.

Meanwhile Emmanuel Macron is damn near having a Churchill moment (which is ironic given France's rather lackluster material support for Ukraine in contrast to their status as Europe's largest arms manfuacturer) and that again is very welcome in staving off the growing threat of National Rally and Marine Le Pen. (Leader of National Rally and daughter of founder, 40 year leader and holocaust denier Jean-Marie Le Pen. Why is it all these 'power to the people' right wing populist movements are actually completely closed shops? Almost as if they're not really representing anyone's interests but their own. Anyway, I digress...)

[JerryBaumchen 1,436]

13 hours ago, nigel99 said:

Sure it’s limited but Europe does have the ability to manufacture planes and other weapons.

Aus is just a big mining supplier for all our posturing. Vegemite sucks compared to marmite and kangaroos taste shit, so I don’t think we need worry about being invaded any time soon :)

Hi Nigel,

I've eaten kangaroo while down under.  It is not bad; not on my list of favorites, though.

Jerry Baumchen

[kallend 2,106]

1 hour ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Nigel,

I've eaten kangaroo while down under.  It is not bad; not on my list of favorites, though.

Jerry Baumchen

I was told to avoid the gristly end.

 

[nigel99 568]

4 hours ago, jakee said:

Yeah, what's that about? Like, literally why is vegemite? Just sits there on the shelf making the world around it a slightly worse place.

I once bought Andy (popsjumper) a jar of marmite, as it’s one of the few things you don’t see in the US. Poor guy tried a teaspoon full straight out the jar :)

Aussies get very upset when told Vegemite is inferior. 

[nigel99 568]

11 hours ago, JoeWeber said:

Ability and capacity are different things

I realise they are different projects and objectives, but I think it’s great that the French/Europeans successfully launched the Ariane 6 rocket and a spy satellite, the same day that starship failed again.

Also having worked with and for Americans I think they often overlook cultural differences. Americans love to boast and celebrate, a lot of other cultures just quietly get on and do the work (used to drive my boss mad that our team weren’t all ra ra ra over successes)

Edited March 7 by nigel99

[kallend 2,106]

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist . . . . . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/03/12/marco-rubio-mahmoud-khalil-deportation/

[jakee 1,563]

19 minutes ago, kallend said:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist . . . . . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/03/12/marco-rubio-mahmoud-khalil-deportation/

That's cool, JD Vance can just come back and lecture us Europeans about what true free speech looks like again.

[dogyks 9]

If you want to support Hamas, Gaza awaits.

[jakee 1,563]

38 minutes ago, dogyks said:

If you want to support Hamas, Gaza awaits.

See - true American freedom of speech!

[nigel99 568]

https://youtu.be/gEinZzXFcXM?si=J-Z-cEuT4q8FGWNE

Rep John Larson on Elon Musk and Trump. Don’t know who he is, but this is off Fox and wow is he passionate.

[nigel99 568]

5 hours ago, jakee said:

That's cool, JD Vance can just come back and lecture us Europeans about what true free speech looks like again.

Yeah, absolute dickhead and alarm bells are going off all over civil and human rights watch organisations about the loss of freedom of speech in the US.

Honestly, it irks me the arrogance and ignorance of everyone who claims that America is the beacon of freedom and democracy. 

[JerryBaumchen 1,436]

5 hours ago, nigel99 said:

Yeah, absolute dickhead and alarm bells are going off all over civil and human rights watch organisations about the loss of freedom of speech in the US.

Honestly, it irks me the arrogance and ignorance of everyone who claims that America is the beacon of freedom and democracy. 

Hi Nigel,

freedom and democracy in this country is not dead yet.

For some of us, the glass if 1/2 full.

If we do not turn back the MAGA tide next Nov, then I might agree with you.

Jerry Baumchen

 

[nigel99 568]

20 minutes ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Nigel,

freedom and democracy in this country is not dead yet.

For some of us, the glass if 1/2 full.

If we do not turn back the MAGA tide next Nov, then I might agree with you.

Jerry Baumchen

 

It’s more the attitude that the rest of the west doesn’t have the freedom. 

[wmw999 2,534]

Arrogance combined with a lack of self-examination is a lot easier when you've always been on top. You kind of think you deserve it. Look at nearly every rich kid who goes to a great high school, has tutoring help, and gets into a name college because daddy and/or mommy can largely pay for it. They ALL think they earned it. Some of them did, but few of us see behind the scenes at others' homes, where their parents were depressed because they were working shit jobs (or being a housewife because it's all that was available -- and no, not all women want that), left their kids' schooling entirely up to the kids (no tutoring, no making sure there was enrichment going on), and told the kid "you can only apply to three colleges because we can't afford the application fee," while the kid is largely dependent on the public school guidance counselor to advise as to college. Equal opportunity? It's easier to get to home plate when you start out on third than on first, and even easier than when they make you buy the bat and pay for admission to the game.

Wendy P.

[wmw999 2,534]

Just now, wmw999 said:

Arrogance combined with a lack of self-examination is a lot easier when you've always been on top. You kind of think you deserve it. Look at nearly every rich kid who goes to a great high school, has tutoring help, and gets into a name college because daddy and/or mommy can largely pay for it. They ALL think they earned it. Some of them did, but few of us see behind the scenes at others' homes, where their parents were depressed because they were working shit jobs (or being a housewife because it's all that was available -- and no, not all women want that), left their kids' schooling entirely up to the kids (no tutoring, no making sure there was enrichment going on), and told the kid "you can only apply to three colleges because we can't afford the application fee," while the kid is largely dependent on the public school guidance counselor to advise as to college. Equal opportunity? It's easier to get to home plate when you start out on third than on first, and even easier than when they make you buy the bat and pay for admission to the game.

Wendy P. (probably born on second)

 

[normiss 851]

18 hours ago, dogyks said:

If you want to support Hamas, Gaza awaits.

Ethnic cleansing seems to be the chosen solution.

That CLEARLY makes Israel and the US so much more respected as leaders of the free world.

I'll never understand THIS fight over a religious piece of land. I have long felt Israel is the real problem.

Lock people up for 70+ years, limit their food, water, supplies, electricity, jobs, security, flatten their houses on occasion. Only to then getting upset because those people lash out in retribution.

But we're not allowed to have that view, nor ask about it.

 

It's become quite disappointing to see the world exposed to how awful humans actually are. 

I thought we were better.

I was wrong.

[wmw999 2,534]

31 minutes ago, normiss said:

It's become quite disappointing to see the world exposed to how awful humans actually are. 

I thought we were better.

I was wrong.

We can only be individuals. Like that kid picking up starfish on the beach.

Wendy P.

[kallend 2,106]

18 hours ago, dogyks said:

If you want to support Hamas, Gaza awaits.

Doesn't it bother you that a legal US resident can be arrested and possibly deported just for expressing opinions that Trump doesn't like?  To the best of my knowledge he hasn't been convicted of, or even charged with, a crime.

 

Once you start restricting the scope of the 1st Amendment, where do you stop?