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clearspira wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2025 8:27 pm
Trump does not understand the concept of soft power.
Why does foreign aid exist? Humanitarian reasons, yes of course partly, but it also makes those countries grateful to you. I once saw a meme that went along the lines of ''every time America comes to our country we get a lecture, every time China comes to our country we get a new road.''
We can quibble on the details of what China is asking for that road, but a lot of people just don't care.
America has held the position of the world cultural zeitgeist for a long time. The rest of the world watched American films, ate American burgers, wore American jeans and thanked America for its generosity. I'm sorry to tell you all this, but China and India especially are competing with America in these markets now. The petrodollar is dying too so America does not even have that any more either.
Trump's tariffs, Trump's foreign aid cuts, Trump's threats to invade Greenland and Panama, Trump's extreme far right views, Trump associating himself with criminals - these things are not going to Make America Great Again whatever that actually means. They'll make people turn somewhere else.
Sorry but you're dead wrong.
It was everytime BRITAIN comes to our country.
Not the one I saw.
I have also seen variations of it such as "every time America comes to our country we get bombed".
I'm really not trying to, or care enough, to start an argument on this; but America's foreign reputation is that of a loud-mouthed bully. The days of the word "USA" invoking hope and inspiration have been gone for a long time.
Frankly, the fundamental difference between Britain and America is that we were never seen as heroic to begin with (which is a reputation that we very much earned i am not disputing that). But you can thank that "soft power" i speak of for being considered the world's good guy. Foreigners watched American heroes saving the world and lapped it up. Probably one of the reasons why the superhero genre is drying up is that a man clad in the Stars and Stripes coming to the rescue is now met with derision.
Well they put through that trans ban on the military everyone knew was coming. Didn't even bother to make up an excuse or pretense, just "Dear Leader says you're bad".
One can only match, move by move, the machinations of fate... and thus defy the tyrannous stars.
hammerofglass wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2025 1:01 pm
Well they put through that trans ban on the military everyone knew was coming. Didn't even bother to make up an excuse or pretense, just "Dear Leader says you're bad".
The Democrats seem to be going with the idea of letting the Republicans show just what monsters they are without challenging them on anything.
Well if they let his new thing to stop all Federal disbursements at 5PM tonight get through (and effectively seize Congress's power of the purse) that's basically the ball game.
One can only match, move by move, the machinations of fate... and thus defy the tyrannous stars.
hammerofglass wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2025 1:01 pm
Well they put through that trans ban on the military everyone knew was coming. Didn't even bother to make up an excuse or pretense, just "Dear Leader says you're bad".
The Democrats seem to be going with the idea of letting the Republicans show just what monsters they are without challenging them on anything.
A bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it works.
But AOC made an angry Tweet!!!111 That'll show these fascistic arseholes!!!111
"If you get shot up by an A6M Reisen and your plane splits into pieces - does that mean it's divided by Zero?
- xoxSAUERKRAUTxox
Madner Kami wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2025 11:56 pm
But AOC made an angry Tweet!!!111 That'll show these fascistic arseholes!!!111
I'm not sure it's a bad strategy to be honest. None of these people seemed to think THEY would be affected by their social security, medicare, and other entitlements being stolen. Maybe it's time they realized Trump isn't their friend.
It's important to remember that at this stage the Republican president's strategy is to overwhelm and demoralize the resistance by throwing out everything they have, whether they expect it to stick, be enforceabel, or hold up in court, or not. Conserve your energy and don't panic until you see the actual follow through.
"Believe me, there’s nothing so terrible that someone won’t support it."
— Un Lun Dun, China Mieville
A lot of rumbling on reddit is this is all part of Project 2025: Sow unrest, have 'something' happen like a riot or even mass protests, declare martial law, take full control.
On an aside I have been watching 'Time Ghost' since 2014. They did WW1 and WW2 in real time and are currently covering Korea in real time. They also have the 'Rise of Hitler' series going on right now which just started which covers 1930 through 1933. They'll cover every month in a weekly episode. I bring this up since in the comments of those videos someone stated that it took 53 days for Hitler to fully become a dictator.
March 14 will be 53 days from January 20. 'Beware the ides of March.'
It's OK to make mistakes as long as you don't make the same ones. If you do then you're not learning.
m4a2000 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2025 4:01 am
A lot of rumbling on reddit is this is all part of Project 2025: Sow unrest, have 'something' happen like a riot or even mass protests, declare martial law, take full control.
On an aside I have been watching 'Time Ghost' since 2014. They did WW1 and WW2 in real time and are currently covering Korea in real time. They also have the 'Rise of Hitler' series going on right now which just started which covers 1930 through 1933. They'll cover every month in a weekly episode. I bring this up since in the comments of those videos someone stated that it took 53 days for Hitler to fully become a dictator.
March 14 will be 53 days from January 20. 'Beware the ides of March.'
I don't disagree but I do think that the one key difference between Germany and America is the 2nd ammendment. I think civil war is the most likely outcome to something like that. Or in other words, Syria, not Germany.
