Puja wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2024 10:31 am
US Politics since 2016 has been dominated by rich billionaires gaining power out of petty spite because someone laughed at them. Trump has been on the record saying that a major factor in him deciding to get into politics was Obama roasting him for his birtherism during the White House Correspondents comedy dinner. And now we have Elon Musk, who took over Twitter because he didn't like people saying mean stuff about him, then endured several months of cock-ups, poor decisions, and getting roasted by most of the planet, and responded by diving into the arms of the right wing who didn't laugh at him, and seeking power apparently to demonstrate how absolutely smart he actually is and how he was right all along about everything.
Oh, and he thinks he's funny. "Department of Governmental Efficiency " (DoGE). How witty, the name you've given to letting an imbecile flail around and dismantle the bits of the government and civil service that he doesn't understand! It's a funny meme! I think I'd prefer the Shiba Inu to be in charge! I suspect it would do less damage!
I just thank the gods below and everburning that he's not a natural US citizen and can't aim for President himself. Although if he ingratiates himself to Trump enough, maybe there'll be a constitutional amendment and we still can face the prospect of Musk 2028.
Puja
Yes, I had the same thank god moment when that crossed my mind a few days ago.
It'll be amazing if the US has a functioning state in 4 years time. No matter, Trump and Musk will be a lot richer.
paddy no 11 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2024 1:08 pm
This going to be some swindle similar to Russia in the 1990's
Yeah, I am wondering how far they're going to take it. Will they try to steal the businesses of the other tech oligarchs? Or just push government business their way? Will Trump go for bribes or actual expropriation or merely set the system to be even more billionaire-friendly? If Trump gets gets justice in his pocket, Putin-style, anything is possible.
Son of Mathonwy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 12:41 pm
Given how awful Harris is on Gaza I can totally understand how Americans, especially Muslims, could choose to abstain*. But abstaining would be a mistake, no matter how gutting it would be to give genocide supporter Harris some kind of approval.
The argument I'd make is that abstaining is like giving both Harris and Trump a vote (the effect is the same). And what kind of a fool would give Trump a vote? So a vote for Harris is the least bad option. Just hold your nose.
* but not vote for Trump, that's insane, he'd be at least as bad on Gaza and worse on everything else.
I absolutely understand not wanting to reward Harris for her continual outreach to Republicans and abandonment of her base (on the basis that, "You have to vote for me or he wins!") - it's the same complaint I had about Starmer in our election. However, the difference is that Starmer was guaranteed a win and so it was safe to protest vote Green - allow Trump in and you're going from Harris's "We might occasionally look sternly at Israel and it is theoretically possible that there might be a line that we draw, somewhere" level of genocide approval to Trump's "Bibi is my mate and can do no wrong, plus I reckon there's money to be made in beachfront property in Gaza if we can make the people who own it disappear" level of genocide approval.
Surely that's worse?
Puja
Agreed. It is literally the lesser of two evils.
I wonder how Muslims who didn't vote, or voted for Trump are feeling now, with Mike "no such thing as a Palestinian" Huckabee's nomination for ambassador to Israel?
The crazy thing is I can still, emotionally, get what they did if they abstained, or voted Green. They fucked up, but I still sort of get it (if I don't use my brain). If they voted for Trump though . . .
You see, I totally get it. I don't agree with it, but I get it completely.
People have been screwed over. Their lives are worse than they were 10 years ago, and it's really hard for them to vote for what is, essentially, more of the same.
That "same" has led them to a place they don't want to be.
So, you have a choice: more of the same from people who have shown you that your interests do not come first.
Or someone from outside the system who tells you that he's going to put you first...
And it's not an easy fix in Murica. The economic and political system does not lend itself to anything but extreme right monetary systems.
How seriously does/should anyone take all this talk of Russian assets/meddling/misinformation? Trump, Gabbard, Musk etc. all have some pretty dodgy links, there's been a recent uncovering of Russian funding behind many divisive right-wing pundits and influencers, but I find it hard to weed through the hysteria and understand which threats are really concerning.
It is looking more like Trump is going to Truss-up things - appointing idiots and zealots, no grown-ups to tell him he's going to break things. Like Truss and Kwarteng on acid, speed and steroids, with rocket boosters, riding an atom bomb into the heart of a star about to go supernova.
