To think that now is the time for powerful voices to speak up…

[Alifemoreordinary123]

I’m not highly educated or hugely politically savvy. But like many people, I’m horrified by Trump and Musk’s approach, propaganda and ideology. It’s increasingly possibly they will take the world to a very dark place. I keep thinking, surely there are enough counter powers - people with power and influence, leaders from business, media, the arts, politics across the Western world to try and counter some of their rhetoric. I’m not naive to the immense power they hold, but surely reason, sense, logic and hope will win over?

You are 100% right. If we’d not acquiesced at first to Hitler I wonder what would have happened.

Edited to say; The ‘First they came for’ poem was here but it disappeared when I posted.

This ☝️

Trump is just withdrawing the US from (expensive) stuff that he doesn't think they should be involved in. Totally fair enough. Every other country in the World can step in to fill the void if they want to.

That’s not all he is doing though is it?

@Ablondiebutagoody is he though?
I thought he’d just suggested the Ukraine started a war with Russia?

I wish our government was being as forthright as Trump and Co are. I’m cheering them on. It’s world changing, yes. But in a good way.

What exactly do you object to? Cost cutting? Reducing financial waste? Stopping fraud? Efficiency?

You are correct.

It’s world changing, yes. But in a good way.

Really? Appeasing Putin is a good thing?

Are you that shortsighted, really?

The war was going on and on and on and on. It was costing the U.S. a fortune.

You keep your enemies close.

You are wrong and the parallels between now and the start of WWII are frightening. It’s very dangerous rhetoric.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Who cares what he says? The end result is that the US will stop funding the Ukrainian war effort. Time for other countries to step up.........
No. Thought not. So Trump is a monster for withdrawing, but literally not one single other country is willing to do it without him.

Yes, you’re right - over in the Middle East it’s chilling how similar it it is to WWII. While over on campuses, safe and warm, a bunch of stuck-up college students have been cheering on Hamas.

Nothing to do with Trump!

All the heads of the independent regulators in the US, now have to report into Trump. There is now no effective regulation - they can do what they want, with no-one to hold them to account.

The people who voted will learn, the hard way.

Best thing we can do is to work around them.. closer links to Europe, Canada, Australia etc.

Let them be isolationist.

Listening to how Trump and Musk have spoken about Ukraine - I agree. I haven't liked how they have started to try and tell the UK what we should be doing either. In my head I have the Love Actually speech to the president that maybe needs to be said out loud...

	Prime Minister?
	<a class="break-all" href="https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0000424/?ref_=ttqu_qu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prime Minister</a>: I love that word &quot;relationship.&quot; Covers all manner of sins, doesn&#039;t it? I fear that this has become a bad relationship; a relationship based on the President taking exactly what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to, erm... Britain. We may be a small country, but we&#039;re a great one, too. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham&#039;s right foot. David Beckham&#039;s left foot, come to that. And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that.

No. He wants Ukraine to hand over half its mineral rights. He’s called its leader a dictator. He supports the Russian attempt to annex Ukraine. That’s far more than simply withdrawing military aid.

Bless you. Easy to parrot someone else’s lines and completely miss the point, isn’t it?

Absolutely. Appeasing him is dangerous. If you give a bully an inch they will take much more than a mile. You have to stand up to them. We appeased Hitler and kept him close at the start of WWII and look what happened there.

He did and the he called Zelinsky a dictator for not having elections despite Ukraine having a rule about no elections during war. Signed in 2015 so before Zelinsky was elected.

Trump doesn't let facts get in the way of his rhetoric

Missing the point how?

Putin helped him get elected. They are not enemies, but allies. It will be Poland and Finland next.

It’s been debunked. Repeatedly. Next.

It is absolutely the point.

No, it hasn’t. Next.

I believe continuing this conversation would be like trying to teach a fish to ride a bicycle.