Trump's Second Term

[EHocking]

A disturbing thought, space aliens finally land and who would they end up talking to? Trump, a chilling thought, he'd probably send them to San Salvador

Aliens land in the USA
“Take us to your leader”
“My name is Vladimir Putin. You wish to talk?”

 

[Norman Alexander]

Russia has already invaded and annexed Ukrainian territory once before: Crimea in 2014. Then they rested for a few years. This current invasion is their second excursion. If they get a deal to annex the Ukrainian territory they now occupy, they can certainly stop and say "Da! We good here, everybody! Go back to knitting." Then a few years later, lather, rinse and repeat.

 

[angrysoba]

But surely if the Ukrainians just give him the Sudetenland... I mean Crimea, Putin will just stop. And if he doesn't, well, then he'll look like the bad guy.

Or something equally facile.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

There's nothing regular about him.

More fibre in his diet might fix that. <inevitably ninja'd>

 

[Norman Alexander]

But surely if the Ukrainians just give him the Sudetenland... I mean Crimea, Putin will just stop. And if he doesn't, well, then he'll look like the bad guy.

Or something equally facile.

Yeah, not like this is the first time for the fascist rodeo.

 

[Darat]

They missed an o.

 

[Dr.Sid]

I bet he even sucks at pooping ..

 

[Andy_Ross]

Donald on Powell

"There can be a SLOWING of the economy unless Mr. Too Late, a major loser, lowers interest rates, NOW,"

 

[Andy_Ross]

Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration claiming that its freezing of federal grants worth billions of dollars is unlawful.

Harvard University sues Trump administration over funding freeze

The lawsuit signals a sharp escalation of a feud between the elite institution and the new presidency.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Andy_Ross]

US sets tariffs of up to 3,521% on South East Asia solar panels

The US Commerce Department has announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 3,521% on imports of solar panels from four South East Asian countries.

It comes after an investigation that began a year ago when several major solar equipment producers asked the administration of then-President Joe Biden to protect their US operations.

US sets tariffs of up to 3,521% on South East Asia solar panels

Several Chinese solar companies with factories across the region could face steep new tariffs.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[3point14]

This is absolutely great for Putin. The US military top office is now a rolling bin-fire of craptacular incompetence and in-fighting. With a giant orange slug as the toppest brass who could not give a flying ◊◊◊◊ about this, just wants a birthday parade. FUBAR is the nicest description. Hopefully the military hierarchy can hold things together until a more competent leadership is established. In four years...

Not a bug...

 

[The Don]

US sets tariffs of up to 3,521% on South East Asia solar panels

The US Commerce Department has announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 3,521% on imports of solar panels from four South East Asian countries.

It comes after an investigation that began a year ago when several major solar equipment producers asked the administration of then-President Joe Biden to protect their US operations.

US sets tariffs of up to 3,521% on South East Asia solar panels

Several Chinese solar companies with factories across the region could face steep new tariffs.

www.bbc.co.uk

Well that will certainly bring down electricity costs for US consumers.

It'll presumably allow US manufacturers to produce overpriced solar panels that make domestic installation less cost effective and which are prohibitively expensive to export.

 

[Norman Alexander]

You would think someone would find a way to get between him and his phone and tweet something, if not statesmanlike, at least less crass.

Given the reasonable quality of the grammar and spelling, etc., that's already happening. I vaguely recall a number of observant posters here believe the posts are composed by literate flunkies who have to listen to, interpret, synthesize, collate, and write up Trump's garbled ramblings and splutterings from the bathroom at 4 a.m in between the farts. Plus they have to make these missives "look like Trump". So I suspect each Xcretion/"truth" goes through a number of review stages before it gets posted.

 

[Norman Alexander]

US sets tariffs of up to 3,521% on South East Asia solar panels

The US Commerce Department has announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 3,521% on imports of solar panels from four South East Asian countries.

It comes after an investigation that began a year ago when several major solar equipment producers asked the administration of then-President Joe Biden to protect their US operations.

US sets tariffs of up to 3,521% on South East Asia solar panels

Several Chinese solar companies with factories across the region could face steep new tariffs.

www.bbc.co.uk

So US solar panel manufacturers can price their product at about 35 times the cost of manufacture, and still be competitive in the USA with the imported products. Because the US public has to pay that price.

Got it.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world will be very interested in snapping up the SE Asian product at 1/35^th the price of the American product.

 

[Norman Alexander]

Donald on Powell

"There can be a SLOWING of the economy unless Mr. Too Late, a major loser, lowers interest rates, NOW,"

Trust Trump to demand the far worserer of two options.

 

[Random]

I get your point, and it's interesting, but I think one major flaw is that you are assuming that this will put Ukraine in US favor. I don't trust this administration a bit, and I don't think willingness to compromise or the appearance of being deserving will change our fearless leader's disastrous policy. It might help to reveal to those not yet willing to acknowledge it, how much he is in the Russian bag, but otherwise, I doubt it will have much of the effect you hope for.

I thought I posted this above but it seems as usual I forgot to push the button.

Others have since responded, and I do also think it a mistake to pronounce a willingness to give up territory, insincere or not. Not only does it send the message that much of the war was unnecessary, but it risks that the Russians will take the offer. After all, it's Russia. They can easily take the offer, claim a settlement, and then invent a reason for breaking the deal and invading again.

I think you trust both Russia and the US more than is prudent.

Giving up territory doesn't even address the main sticking point, security guarantees. Russia has been a flat "no" to anything that would restrict Russia's ability to invade Ukraine in the future.

 

[Resume]

Trump says he backs Hegseth, which means he's out.

US president Donald Trump has said he backs beleaguered defense secretary Pete Hegseth as the row over his use of the Signal messaging deepended, amid a series of chaotic missteps from the administration with grave consequences.

A legal battle with Harvard University appears to have been triggered by a letter sent to the university from the administration prematurely, people have been wrongfully deported, and the IRS has run through a succession of leaders in record time.

Trump said criticism of Hegseth was “fake news” and that pursuing the issue was a “waste of time”. Hegseth has been accused of sharing military details in two different Signal chat groups.

Harrison Fields, a spokesperson for the White House, denied the administration was dysfunctional, saying “You can’t have this many results with high levels of dysfunction”. He did not specify which results the administration was proud of.

I would like to know the "results" of which Fields speaks. Tanking stock market? Ignoring court orders? Threatening U.S. citizens with deportation? Threatening law firms, universities, media outlets, long term allies?

 

[Tero]

You went to college and studied woke things like science and history? MAGA and Trump must punish you.

Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social)

Trump’s Education Department will begin collection next month on federal student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for up to 5.3 million borrowers. That change will mark an end to a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic...

bsky.app

He left enough of the department education to collect money. Once all the money is collected, all of the federal govt. is cut off from colleges.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

That Guardian article says the Harvard letter was sent 'prematurely'.

Is that what the Trump regime are now claiming? So they think the problem was not that they threatened to do Harvard maximum harm unless they submit to regular ideological purity inspections, it was that they threatened to do Harvard maximum harm unless they submit to regular ideological purity inspections earlier than they had intended to do so.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

Aside: Is it just me or does this use of 'garnishing' to mean cutting a portion off one's wages sound really strange? It makes me think of people getting their pay packet with a bit of decorative salad on the side.

<edit to add> Okay I looked it up. It seems like that use of garnishing gets its name not from the taking away of wages but rather the giving of it to the body it's owed to. So it's something added not something taken away.

As you were. Carry on.