Has the US crossed the Rubicon? - Trump thread #142

[Spandauer]

Here be dragons.

Previous thread:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5307874-are-we-feeling-liberated-yet-trump-thread-141

Or even a re-vote if a court decides that votes were wrongly excluded / included. I remember the Tory candidate for Winchester in 1997 losing by about 8, he sued and the court annulled the vote...

...In the re-run he lost by 22,000 votes.

I know this is a US thread but my god the huge shift towards reform is horrifying.

Reform won by 6 votes following the recount.

Australia votes tomorrow and they too, are affected by Trump.

"It's not the campaign either party thought they would be having," says Amy Remeikis, chief political analyst at the Australia Institute think tank. "The looming figure of Trump is overshadowing the domestic campaign but also forcing Australia's leaders to do something they haven't had to do in a long time - examine Australia's links to the US." BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9w80ndlp2yo

That’s what they did in 2016, with Brexit. They only ever talked to Farage, and international news was only Trump at the same time. You can tell I still take it personally.

It was worth waiting for (it was unblocked by the time I looked at the thread!) - thank you, @logicisall, it makes complete sense in the context of Trump.

I am a bit gobsmacked this morning as I’m sure I heard Katty Kay say on the latest TRIP US podcast that Trump is a very intelligent man. Sly, devious, slippery, slimy, egotistical, selfish, manipulative, self-interested, unempathetic, obnoxious, monstrous, outrageous, unpleasant, snolllygoster, and cockwomble are all words I would happily apply to the man, but “intelligent”. Really, Katty? I may have to have a cup of covfefe and listen again when I’m a bit more awake.

Andrea bloody Jenkyns, people. I despair, I really do.

I’m afraid that makes me really despair about the people in Lincolnshire, @Serpentstooth. Are they the same ones who voted for Brexit and then had fruit rotting in the fields in the summer because they had nobody from 27 other countries to pick it cheaply?
ETA: Andrea Jenkyns is stuck in my mind as the former Education Minister who rudely stuck her finger up at the crowd as she entered the HoP (possibly because they were booing her, but that was still an unprofessional, vulgar reaction for a politician). I might have that wrong, though.

You are not wrong Jaichange. Barbarians are through the gates, invited in. I'm old, thank heavens, I won't be around to see the world these monsters create. I'm sorry for future generations. Look what we're giving them.

The very same people @Jaichangecentfoisdenom
You know the quote about the definition of madness? That thing about doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome?

Sly, devious, slippery, slimy, egotistical, selfish, manipulative, self-interested, unempathetic, obnoxious, monstrous, outrageous, unpleasant, snolllygoster, and cockwomble are all words I would happily apply to the man

@Jaichangecentfoisdenom You know you won't get around him with flattery...🤢

Australia: like the US they are associated afflicted with some really dumb Trumpy politicians, e.g. Morrison and Abbot and they tend to be on the right. There's a reason why it's called the Lucky Country: their mineral wealth will always mean they avoid disaster.

I see that Lil’ Marco has actually had NSA added to his brief on top of State. So now I think they’re trying to to see how much pressure they can apply to him before he breaks.

Of course we all know he’s only the work experience kid when it comes to State.

I forgot to add - FFS Reform?!

How different life could be right now it that plane crash in 2010 had an alternative outcome …

Tories have had the biggest losses, I note. Still not forgiven after the 14 year car crash, but labour is unpopular too.

It looks like Reform has picked up the disaffected vote.

Yes I agree. I suppose why have incompetence when you can have incompetence AND bigotry.

Who the fuck is looking at what’s going on in the US and saying “yes please give me some of that”?

Think what I might have written had I a Roget’s Thesaurus to hand!

Better that they make fools of themselves at council level.

Think of it this way...

Turnout is lower than a general.
Think of this as a big opinion poll.

Then imagine the results if the Conservatives and Reform do band together.

🤯😱

Read an article in the Telegraph saying that Waltz and Rubio were the only ‘hawkish’ ones left re China and Russia. Now it’s only Rubio isolated, the rest are Russia doves. Article generally saying that the direction this is taking is very bad for democracy.

regular readers will know that my antipathy towards "AI" is the fact that no one can really define intelligence. (Leading to the axiom that anyone who does is wrong).

As we all know, you can be "intelligent" and yet unable to go a day without needing someone to remove the lego from the nose.

@SerendipityJane I use AI a lot, but it's important to check the answers and modify your question if necessary. The latest version of ChatGPT allows you to choose which response you prefer. Deepseek, is stuck in up to June 2024 answers.

I really like how ChatGpt can organise info in a very similar way to how I think.

He said, she said.
1 - Trump claims trade discussions were already underway. Beijing denied this was the case.

2 - Yesterday, Weibo account linked to Chinese state media said the US had been seeking to initiate discussions. The US has not disputed this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg419qw9g15o

Oh Trump is sooo going to be the first to blink!

Yes, the BBC are shocking ATM. What happened to impartiality and investigative journalism, so much coverage of Reform and it is completely irresponsible. I was listening to Americast on I player but it is the same, so intent on being balanced it ends up sounding like a justification of Trump's actions. I was speaking with friends and family about this who were the Radio 4 demographic, champions of the BBC but they are switching off, finding alternatives.