Are We Feeling Liberated Yet? - Trump thread #141

[Spandauer]

King Donald has bigly new tariffs, First Lady Elmo turns out to be ballot box poison and 'Pick Me Girl' Vance is a meanie to the EU.

(But at least the penguins on the Heard and McDonald Islands are wearing suits)

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5297058-trumpmusk-the-doge-and-pony-show-continues-trump-thread-140

All you need is a unique number to identify a person and then you can start matching across data bases.

And when people have access to a lot of sensitive databases, it's quite scary to see how much detail can be learnt about someone.

In the UK we do not get our NI Numbers until we are 16.
NHS numbers are earlier but can be re issued.

In the USA, SS numbers are issued at birth - I still have the little card that is more precious than my actual birth certificate

To be the executor of my dad's will I had to quote my SS number

To see if my sister is still alive they check who I am using my SS number

Read this earlier Bill Maher in The Hill talking about meeting Trump and Trump being gracious. And "A crazy person doesn’t live in the White House, a person who plays a crazy person on TV a lot lives there,"

Aibu told find this more concerning than if Trump was in private how he presents in public (not to mention his administration)?

thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5246225-bill-maher-donald-trump-white-house-visit/

Our NI numbers are assigned before 16 but we don't receive them until then unless claims for certain benefits are made. I received my boys' numbers when I claimed DLA for them.

I think this is right because when you claim child benefit for a child of any age it pays towards their state pension for which you need an NI number.

Interesting quick watch - why Apple make stuff in China. And it's not because it's low skilled cheap labour that China offers. It's high skilled labour that the US (like the UK) decided it wasn't interested in producing half a century ago.

In NZ, where I live, government departments siloed personal information, and didn't share it without good reason. I understand the reason was to protect personal information. Over the last decade or so, that's being unwound in the name of 'customer service' but what is happening in the US shows the risk of the wrong people getting their hands on the information.

On another tack, I'm wondering when our beef prices are going to rise due to increased exports to China (our beef is really nice) and whether we'll be deluged with shitty, hormone-riddled American pork.

@PickAChew I have the problem that my NI number was issued when I legally arrived in the UK (which was NOT when I actually arrived)
So my covid records were absolutely a mess until I got the GP surgery to override.

@Igotjelly
Um no. Pension entitlement is entirely linked to adult work record.
I checked mine for missing years this week.

The parent gets their "stamp" but not the child.

You learn something new every day! I literally always thought that was true. No idea why.

Trump Will Get His Showy (And Likely Expensive) Military Parade in D.C.
Trump’s 2018 plans for a parade of military tanks and planes down Pennsylvania Avenue NW were scuttled. But this year no one will stop him.
washingtoncitypaper.com/article/761814/trump-parade-military-dc/

God, I'm glad I don't live in DC. And I pity all the DC Fed employees who will be ordered outside to stand on the sidewalk pavement and cheer madly. Hell, his sycophantic agency heads will probably order buses out to ship them to the parade route so the 'crowds' are bigly enough.

I wonder if he'll be content to watch from a viewing platform or if he'll insist on being driven down the parade route, waving from the safety of his bullet proof limo.

Hahaha hahaha.

So Trump blinked and reduced most tariffs to a flat 10%. Now he's exempting the bulk of Chinese goods too.🙄

Has the USA gained anything for the trust and trillions of dollars lost this past week?

Who was it who posted the link to QI a few days back, about how the Portuguese dictator Salazar in his final years was led to believe he was still the generalissimo, but after his stroke they quietly handed his power to deputies?

This also what happened with Trump's grandad when he developed Dementia in his late 70's, as described in the latest from Mary Trump

Next thread title suggestion:

Orange Trump's Lettuce Liz Moment?

(Or is that too optimistic?)

Sorry, Trump's Dad rather than grandad

If Bill Maher was any more full of shit it would be coming out his ears (and I've thought that for years).

Essentially every person who worked in his first administration has said he was a batshit, crazy, narcissistic, demented loon. Half of them tried to stay on as long as they could just to keep him from exercising his worst, most insane impulses. But Bill Maher in one meeting got the real measure of the man? He's as deluded as Trump.

Fuck off, Bill, you toadying narcissistic both-sideser.

Can you tell I'm not a fan 😅

Watching the UFC last night and who should rock up but the glorious leader flanked by Hegseth, Gabbard, RFK and Elon (others were there but I now can’t recall who). So glad they were able to take some well earned time out from sending the World to Hell in a handcart

I'm with you there.

Mather trying to stay relevant.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/12/trump-military-control-us-mexico-border

How long will it take the tech trillionaires before they start a 'social credit' system like China? Abolish cash, assign online funny money credits according to our acceptibility and behavior, give people a choice as to how we pay for healthcare, education, travel, food, online fun, out of those. Put all the miscreants in open prisons paying their own way through labour.

I think Trump might have jumped a bit too fast with his tarriffs. Once the functional arrangements are in place they'll be back.

Finished goods and certain electricals are exempt from the Chiyna tariff
but essential manufacturing components for other industries are not
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-trump-tariffs-just-got-even-worse

New book 📖on the decision of Biden to stay on despite concerns over his ability

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/apr/13/biden-books-democrats

I listened to a podcast previously with the author. Can’t remember which pod but it was very interesting so will definitely give it a read.

Hmm. I’d be more convinced that Biden’s decline and lack of mental acuity and the ability to acknowledge it was the biggest issue if the opposition wasn’t Trump.