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

Perhaps, but even in the 1920s Germany was one of the best places in the world to live, compared to just about anywhere outside Europe and North America. It had suffered a (self-inflicted) humiliation, and was undergoing economic turmoil but the country still functioned for all that. I think it's the sense of grievance and wounded pride that counts, and that may or may not accord with reality.

Looks like yesterday's free falling stock market was not a blip.

Enter the bear market

I watched Jerome Powell's statement. He warned of inflation and a slowing of growth.

He didn't look very liberated.😦

Susie Dent

Word of the day is ‘quiddler’ (18th century): one who focuses on unimportant issues while avoiding the important ones, or who fiddles/plays golf while Rome burns.

He’s just not wishing hard enough. He should try manifesting.

I’d imagine a lot of people’s 401ks aren’t feeling liberated either.

Quiddler, great word. Sits nicely alongside Quisling, doesn't it Bigly? What would Vlad think?. Both should instantly return to everyday speech.

Liquidation Day. Thanks Bigly, God help you when your voters remember to look at their pension funds.

Is that true about the pharmaceuticals being exempt? Not doubting you but relatives of my husband work in ROI in the pharma industry which is huge over there, and they were quite worried. Haven't heard much more....

Have you a link perhaps?

Edit.... maybe it's pharma in UK you mean?

Well, I would fully expect an armed response from NATO allies. And for the US to be kicked out of NATO.

Conscription? I predict a flow of young men (and women should the rules be changed) into Canada, Mexico and any other country that will have them. Some will be going to flee the draft. Others will be going to join the militaries of those countries supplying NATO troops, just as some have gone to Ukraine and joined the Forces there. My sons are past draft age, at least they are according to current rules. But they'd both leave the Country if necessary.

Politically, who knows? The Dems would be shouting blue murder about Article 25 and impeachment. But unless they gain a majority they're probably powerless if they 'stay within the law'. Would the GOP say "now he's gone too far!!!!" and take decisive action to get him out of office? I'd love to say 'yes', but I can't.

Would the Military refuse orders to attack Canada or to turn on US citizens? I'd love to say 'no', but once again I can't. He's stacking the Top Brass. And the US military 'rank and file' is chock full of Trump supporters. You'd be amazed at how many. So even if the Brass refused to order troops out, I predict there would be a lot of 'desertion and reformation' as Trump's 'personal army', his own 'Brownshirts'.

As far as domestically, I honestly don't know. The MAGAts that were formerly in our lives were all frothing at the mouth for a chance to grab their guns and 'Defend the Country' from the 'Libtards'. I think there would be a goodly number of Dems who would be prepared to do the same, but we'd be woefully outgunned. Literally. So I don't know if you'd see an actual armed uprising from the left.

I just hope it never comes to pass.

ROI.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/04/us-retreats-global-trade-ireland-eu-opposite-trump-tariffs

"Last year, Ireland exported €72bn worth of goods to the US. So a 20% tariff is huge. It could have been worse. For now, pharmaceuticals, which represent 60% of those exports, are exempt. However, that may only be a temporary reprieve."

Incidentally, it's details like this that can give smaller countries leverage over bigger ones.

Yes, this would be a poor decision.

She may be small but she is fierce... in the business arena.

Beware Denmark’s quiet power.
Trump and Vance see the small Scandinavian nation as a pushover, but Denmark is a business giant. They may regret messing with it.
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/europe/69679/beware-greenland-denmark-quiet-power

One example:
...On 2nd April, only days after Vance’s
Greenland jaunt, news of a significant business transaction arrived. Lanco Group, a US infrastructure company, and the Canadian railway firm Canadian Pacific Kansas City were selling the railway connecting the ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. The canal is another part of the world Trump wants the US to control; he alleges that China dominates the canal, though Panama insists it is in charge. But the North American owners of the the crucial railway running alongside the canal have decided to sell it—to AP Møller-Maersk, the Danish shipping giant.

As an aside, I really want to Photoshop some of these into the background of that image of JDV.

That explains a lot

https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social/post/3llz3owj3jk2w

🚨Judge Xinis orders the Trump administration to bring back Kilmar Abrego, the Maryland father who was deported to El Salvador, the one place it was outright illegal for the United States to deport him to.

Now the question of compliance comes up. How will the admin respond? How will Bukele respond?

The FEMA chief was forced to take a LIE DETECTOR TEST by the Department of Homeland Security to see if he leaked details from a key meeting to reporters.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/04/fema-chief-given-lie-detector-test-after-leak-of-private-meeting-politico-00272302

Re Starmer
He's not that popular as far as I can tell - he may have a big majority in parliament but on low voter turnout
Which remains irrelevant.
UK MPs can be elected with 24.9% of the vote.
THey are still solidly in place till the next election.

Starmer (Unlike Trump) has an unassailable majority in the Commons for the next 4 years.
He can be as brave as he likes

On the invading Canada point, half of Canadians polled said they were ready to personally defend Canada if attacked. Hopefully Trump’s advisors know at least enough of their own history to see how holding an unwilling country, with resourceful and motivated citizens, even poorly armed and resourced, is a fool’s errand. As for the draft, Canada is still full of American draft dodgers from the last time!

they can take Canada. I doubt they can keep Canada.

Obama’s Blistering New Takedown of Trump Gives Dems a Way Forward

In an appearance on Thursday, the former president laid out the connection between Trump’s lawlessness and—yes—the price of eggs.
Will other Democrats follow?

https://newrepublic.com/article/193641/obama-speech-trump-takedown-democrats-fight

He can be as brave as he likes

He can pander to people who want big gestures and scunner the country even more than it’s already scunnered (mostly by those who pandered to those who like big gestures), or he can walk a more considered path and salvage what he can.

That’s real bravery, not talking bigly.

Cross cultural but

Single Sex sport
Only in certain western countries is it deemed odd to demand
female sport for females
The countries that deny that are going to be at the receiving end of the current economic dominance.
How will they cope with being sidelined where they used to be dominant ?

Fencing will not stay worldwide if USA fencing continues to allow men to epee women. UK Fencing has read the wind.
If the balance of influence shifts, 'progressive' parties have the furthest to move back to reality

As do MAGA ' economists'

I'm sorry, but I can't make head or tail of what this is saying or what it's in reference to, other than that it's the usual Mumsnet overegging on trans issues and the 15 or 20 trans women in competitive sports.

Are you quoting someone?

I know we disagree on this issue, but I'm not trying to be provocative, just at a bit of a loss on this one.

Well, I used to be a pretty good epeeist. Team national champion 7 years running back home.

I trained with men. All. The. Time. Because that is how you get good - by fencing people who are stronger, better, faster than you. I competed in the few mixed competitions that were available in the UK and defeated lots of men. And my best friend, female, won one of those overall one year, defeating ALL the men.

Fencing is a bad example because it's 90% about technique and accuracy.

And the infinitesimally tiny % of transwomen who abuse their privilege is not the main problem the world has to deal with. It's not even the main problem women have to deal with. Let's sort it out when we have dealt with misogyny, rape, the glass ceiling, the gender pay gap, bodily autonomy, the glass ceiling, everyday sexism - the big stuff.

@Wallaw
One peanut in a meal stops it being nut free

Is female sport for females or not ?

The Democrats seem determined to hang on to a strategy that loses in the USA
and definitely isolates the USA in the rest of the world
for absolutely nothing

The Olympics are in the USA in 2028
It would be gutting for all if the best US women had not qualified
because heats are being messed up with men who are not eligible for international competition.
I struggle to understand ANY sports Mom who is willing to see her daughters shoved aside like this.

The "gender vote" was only around 1%
So was Trump's margin of victory