Phil1111

You're not the only one: "Strolling in bright sunshine across the immaculately raked gravel of Paris's Tuileries gardens, Barbara and Rick Wilson from The Dalles, Oregon, were not exactly in disguise. But earlier that morning, on their very first trip to France, Rick, 74, had taken an unusual precaution. Before leaving his hotel, he'd taken a small piece of black tape and covered up the Stars and Stripes flag on the corner of his baseball cap. "We're sick about it. It's horrible. Just horrible," said Rick, as he and his wife contemplated the sudden sense of shame and embarrassment they said they now felt, as Americans, following President Trump's abrupt moves on global trading tariffs. Barbara, 70, even had a Canadian lapel pin in her pocket – a gift from another tourist - which she thought might come in useful if further subterfuge proved necessary." Its OK Barbara, we don't mind.

Speaking of fraud Trump had a fundraiser in the White House last night. All the usual contributors were there except Elon. All of Trump's new "friends" were there to lobby for exemptions to the new tariffs for their business. Trump had his solid 24k gold Iphone on display a gift from Apple just a month ago. For the rest of America's business who couldn't kiss the golden ring.Couldn't come up with solid gold "gifts". US Customs and Border protection will accept your tariff payments.

Speaking of cowboys: "Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US will "blow up" foreign crime groups if needed, possibly in collaboration with other countries. "Now they're gonna help us find these people and blow them up, if that's what it takes," Rubio said during a visit to Ecuador...."The president has said he wants to wage war on these groups because they've been waging war on us for 30 years and no-one has responded." The US Department of Defence in now renamed the Department of War to better reflect the war on domestic jaywalkers in Washington. Together with the war on high speed boats in international waters. Too bad many CIA officers hired in the last two years were fired in May. They might have come in handy identifying all the new gangs who have waged "war" against America for the last 30 years.

"In his first term, he(Trump) praised then-President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines for doing an “unbelievable job on the drug problem” in the nation where Mr. Duterte’s government had sanctioned gunning down suspected drug dealers in the streets....Mr. Duterte was arrested this year and is facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court over his drug war." Conceivably Trump could face the exact same charges as Duterte. The International Criminal Court for which the US is not a signatory, could indict Trump and he could be arrested subsequent to his presidency in another country. i.e. when he goes golfing in Scotland.

Hence the justification to kidnap US citizens by Russia, N.Korea, Iran, etc. Governmental regulations of these countries sets aside the "right to life", due process, etc, I guess US included. The US constitution says that only Congress has the power to declare war. Article II - which lays out the president's powers - says that "the president shall be Commander in Chief of the Army" and some constitutional experts have suggested that this grants the president the power to authorize strikes against military targets Drug traffickers are not military targets no matter what Trump states.If they are then every vessel operating anywhere could be a target not for boarding and search but instead for summary sinking. If this is allowed to stand Trump directing predator drone attacks on Mexican soil. Air to air shootdowns of "smugglers aircraft" is next. Labelling any group, any country, any individual an "enemy" will be enough for Trump to order a military kill command. "Trump was asked by host Maria Bartiromo about how he would handle bureaucrats who might seek to undermine him in a potential second term. "I always say, we have two enemies," Trump said, adding: "We have the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within, and the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia and all these countries." Trump added that a "smart president" could handle outside adversaries "pretty easily," but "the thing that's tougher to handle are these lunatics that we have inside, like Adam Schiff." "I call him the enemy from within," he added."

"Key Aspects of Ostracism Purpose: It served as a preemptive measure to remove potential threats to Athenian democracy and prevent the rise of overly powerful individuals who could undermine the constitutional order. The Vote: A secret vote was held where citizens would write the name of the person they wished to ostracize on a shard of pottery (ostrakon). Required Threshold: A significant number of votes was required for an ostracism to be valid, often a quorum of at least 6,000 votes. Duration of Exile: The ostracized individual was forced into a ten-year exile from Athens. Moderation: Despite the dramatic nature of the process, it was used with restraint, with only a small number of individuals being ostracized over two centuries." Today it could be abused too regularly IMO

I'm surprised that the entire US chain of command has not made a peep in protest.

You don't think?....nah...well.... Do you think Trump will give the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the January 6th insurrectionists as Trump has labelled them as "heroes"? Triumph of the Insurrectionists "The Trump administration is on a mission to turn the perpetrators of January 6 into heroes." After all: "House creates panel to investigate Jan. 6 subcommittee after long delay." and "One of the rioters’ lawyers wants to create a panel that would decide on financial damages for what the rioters believe were unfair prosecutions." and well! A federal judge has authorized a $2,200 refund to a Jan. 6 rioter whose felony conviction was dropped after President Donald Trump issued a blanket pardon to those who breached the Capitol or attacked police. Could they also double up and get the Congressional medal of Honor? After all Trump has called them "martyrs, heroes and warriors".

You go girl.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States. Now thanks to Donald Trump its worthless. Donald Trump says he will award Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rudy Giuliani For those who forgot: The Discipline of Rudy Giuliani and the Real Fraud of the 2020 Election

In other countries you mush show diseased mouths and missing throats on cigarette packages. Heaven forbid the clean and antiseptic messaging of mere numbers of dead, wounded children be expanded to show the truth.

Agree, pyramid scheme, suckers game, there are hundreds of crypto schemes possibly thousands out there. Foolish, greedy little pigs all waiting to get slaughtered. But face it be bibles, steaks, university, casinos, etc. Trump always makes out like a bandit.

Trump has pulled the handle on the presidential slot machine and raked in another $5 billion for his family. This brings his total net earnings since last fall to a neat $7.2 billion all juiced off the presidency. Merica there is no country like it. "Donald Trump and his family made approximately $5 billion on Monday when WLFI, the token associated with their crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, began trading on public markets. But World Liberty is far from the only crypto-based money-making business the president has going on right now. Indeed, it seems that on any given day, the leader of the free world—who once called Bitcoin a “scam” but is now “a big crypto fan” who wants to build a “strategic bitcoin reserve”*—is finding new opportunities to enrich himself through crypto dealings." Face it Americans love to treat their convicted felons,...er... presidents in a kingly fashion. "In July, Trump signed into law the GENIUS Act, which makes it easier for banks and other financial entities to issue digital currencies known as stablecoins. During the signing at the White House, he told reporters: “I pledged that we would bring back American liberty and leadership and make the United States the crypto capital of the world. And that’s what we’ve done under the Trump administration.” (Critics were less enthused about the new law, with Carla Sanchez-Adams, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, saying it would “benefit only crypto-billionaires and large corporate actors while exposing ordinary consumers to incredible risk with no protection.”)"

Trump loves to drive friendships and laughs.Among America's enemies. India previously had been courted as a friend and as a counter to China. With his lies to Modi about single handily driving peace between India and Pakistan. In order to win his cherished Nobel Peace prize. Then his India tariffs . India is firmly back in the camp of Russia and China. Now numbering collectively about three billion people. Yep Trump sure can work wonders.

Its actually healthy in a way. Its the perfect scientific proof that Darwin was right. Republicans won't get vaccinated, or see their physicians.Will spend more of their disposable income on gas guzzling vehicles instead of healthy eating. They will send their children off to work at menial jobs after they graduate from grade eight. Because Trump is bringing back furniture manufacturing to the US. Or they'll get jobs sewing T-shirts because of high tariffs. There is always a cost to stupidity.

So its come out now as to why India has additional tariffs for buying Russian oil and China doesn't. Even though China buys twice as much when nat gas is included. As the whole world knows Trump covets the Nobel Peace prize. President Obama was awarded this in 2009 for "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples". Which of course Trump has done everything in his power to destroy. But I digress. Trump claimed to have single handed achieved peace between Pakistan and India for their latest skirmish. This pissed off the prime minister of India Modi. Pakistan of course playing the praise the Trump angle nominated Trump for the award. This at the same time when Pakistan was negotiating a new weapons buy from China. Modi called out Trump on this lie by stating that India and Pakistan had negotiated the peace themselves.

Agree, demand is suggested to rise by 87 GW by the end of the decade and require up to $1.4 trillion in that same period of time. Thats more spending in the 2024-2030 period than in the preceding twelve years.

The question should be. Does anyone think Trump's secret service protections lasts 30 minutes into the next democrat administration?

I thought that Berlusconi was worst than Trump during Trump's first term. But this Trump term blows the windows out. Most of Berlusconi's bad reputation arose from his bunga-bunga parties. Berlusconi had corruption issues but nothing close to Trump. Obviously politics can be discussed without offending others.

Oh they'll die out. The pockets of very religious evangelicals who support the cause and have big families. Are a small part of the demographic. The majority of MAGA are old White people that are not adapting to changing employment and social dynamics. Hence the need for redistricting to sustain a feeble grasp on power. AI and the failure to bring back dead industries to the US like coal mining, aluminum smelting, etc. Are going to be the final nails in the coffin for a species that couldn't adapt, change. So the species dies off because it couldn't survive.

Thats understandable. Its well known thought the world that MAGA republicans seldom leave the state in which they were born.I was recently on a dive boat with all of the rest of the divers Americans, mostly from Florida. I knew enough to keep my mouth shut about politics. You don't perhaps have a Canadian flag on your baggage-backpacks do you? Kidding aside travelling Americans likely appreciate how the rest of the world functions. Furthermore wouldn't bringing up US politics be a direct insult? Unless of course you're in Hungary, Israel or Turkey. This may help: How to pretend you’re Canadian when you travel They are all From TEXAS!

Sure Trump. Sure American patriots that believe every race can be and are Americans.

White nationalists feel threatened. Hard working and more intelligent immigrants are a threat. They fight a losing battle.

Speaking of using the state(taxpayers) as a piggy bank for personal gain. First there was the Big Beautiful Bill to enrich the rich and tax the poor. Then tariffs sold as "Liberation Day" to shift even more of the tax burden to the poor. Now "Early this year, Steven Cook was a lawyer representing chemical companies suing to block a new rule that would force them to clean up pollution from “forever chemicals,” which are linked to low birthrates and cancer. Now Mr. Cook is in a senior role at the Environmental Protection Agency, where he has proposed scrapping the same rule his former clients were challenging in court. His effort could shift cleanup costs away from polluters and onto taxpayers, according to internal E.P.A. documents reviewed by The New York Times." Perhaps this should be in the "US is the laughing stock thread", but I digress.

Aboriginals want to kick the white immigrants out? Good on them mate.