Bored of Peace? Let's Mambo! - Trump Thread #158

[Spandauer]

Cuba - the appetiser to Greenland?

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5501326-war-huh-good-god-what-is-it-good-for-absolutely-nothing-trump-thread-157

Cuba is being ignored in all the discussion about war. What he's doing to the Cuban people us disgusting.

This.

Seems to be trying to murder people on all fronts right now.

Apparently ICE agents aren't 'legally allowed' to screen travellers...

Other than running traveler divestment lanes, by law without statutorily required training and certification ICE agents can’t conduct the actual screening, including ID verification at the screening checkpoint. (Not that the law has stopped this administration)

He didn't answer that question.

Pretty much his standard answer to everything was "We're working on a plan, it will start on Monday".

To tell the truth, I didn't hear any specific information regarding ICE agents being involved with Customs. It was mostly about them 'helping' TSA. Some airports are reporting TSA staff shortages of up to 50% due to the fact that they're now working without paychecks.

No DHS budget agreement = no funding = no paychecks. So (IMHO)calling in ICE is Scrotus' way to piss off the public with the intent of forcing the Dems to end the shutdown. Another reason this will be a clusterfuck. That's exactly what Scrotus wants it to be!

(Not that the law has stopped this administration)

And it won't stop them this time, either.

Thing is, the long security lines are totally due to a shortage of screeners. From all reports people have been exasperated but not unruly and I haven't read any reports of violence in the lines. So if they aren't planning on having them 'get involved' with screening what are they going to do? Patrol the lines masked and in full tactical gear to 'keep an eye' on intimidate some happy family heading to Disney or some poor bastard heading home from an exhausting business trip? Yeah, that'll really speed up the screening, won't it?

And it appears that 'immigration enforcement' may also be involved. Scrotus has said he wants them to conduct the "immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants" in the airport.

This is just another of his "because I can" decrees and to garner back some of that MAGA support he's lost with his 'victory' in Iran..

TL;DR. Qatars exit from the LNG market for a few years means Europes gas os worth more hinting at the possiblity of ECB raising rates whist the US can't (because Trump can't affect US interest rates).

Markets will sell dollars to buy Euros.

@AcrossthePond55

Re the TSA, is there anything in the news if it is legal for them to perform their job if they are not paid ?

And just to chuck another spanner in, surely the insurance has a say ?

So to get this straight ... ICE agents are being paid and TSA are not, and ICE are the reason TSA are not being paid.

That should endear them to their new co-workers - no?

Bob, I'd like to introduce you to Dick.
Dick will be doing your job now and you won't be paid anymore. Dick will have a big gun, too.

...Bob fucks off home.

It's all tied up in the funding congress has approved.

The Democrats have put forward a bill to fully fund the TSA 5 times. And 5 times the GOP have rejected it.

We are headed towards another shutdown.

SCABS

I don't want to tempt fate so I'm leaving the bottle at the store, since I had one ready in Nov'24 - but it will be my first purchase after 'the' news.

I need to maintain my sanity so not even looking. Just reading comments to sane posts on X starts me ruminating for hours. These threads satisfy my need to keep fairly up to date amongst kindred spirits (and spare my family members).

(And thank you for the new thread, @Spandauer 💐)

If there was a God - or if prayer and/or black magic worked, Trump, Putin and Netanyahu would be singing three part harmonies in the great hereafter by now.

Got it. Trump, Putin and Netanyahu are living proof that God does not exist.

Add in Kim Jong Un and the Four Horsemen are saddled up and ready to rodeo.

Deeply unpleasant Kim Jong Un may be, I can't say I have much of a quarrel for now.

Fair enough; he has been quiet of late. I was just thinking of a fourth wrong 'un to make up the unholy quartet...

If there is a God, I reckon he is likely sat back in his deckchair sipping coconut beer on the Andaman Islands, browsing MumsNet on his IHarp.

Always amazes me how the "God of the gaps" folk miss out the Andaman Islanders before they progress onto the 2nd law of thermodynamics. Uncontacted being the key.

Prove me wrong :-)

And as predicted, this is what he's doing to Cuba.

And all to soften up an independent sovereign nation for a hostile military takeover, to distract from a paedophile's crimes, and to put the latest version of the Mafia back in charge.

www.currentaffairs.org/news/turn-the-lights-back-on

In 1969 the US put a man on the moon
In 2026 they can't put a paedophile in jail.

Nice BTC explainer about things that may be missed

The word "Omnishambles" appears to have found a new dictionary definition

As federal employees (I was a Fed for 35 years and numerous shutdowns) 'essential employees' are required to be on duty during a shutdown even if they aren't being paid. So is the military. Because employees always end up getting paid for that time once a new CR or budget was passed*. But no, they couldn't be required to work for no pay in any other circumstance. Another interesting thing about federal work is that employees are prohibited from striking. It's a dismissible offense. Thus the 'sick calls'. Some because of what in LEO circles they call it the 'Blue Flu' and some because employees have had to take other jobs to feed their families.

As far as insurance if you're talking about work comp, that's through the Dept of Labor and is in effect.

*Yes, I know with Scrotus all bets are off and he has threatened in both this shutdown and others that employees will not be 'made good' when a budget is passed. But like always TACO.

Yes. Because ICE and TSA have different budgets. In Trump's 'bigly etc etc bill' ICE was funded through (IIRC) 2029 so they already have their budget. He did not extend that courtesy to any other agency.

Now I want to hear more...