@L-i-am

Oh, the US is heading towards oligarchy. It's clear as day.

What I think we're seeing is a resurgence of fascism. Not the nazi variant, though, but the original, Mussolini-style form of autocracy that is essentially a non-ideologic blend of chaos, cruelty and pomp, topped off with cynical disregard for common decency and societal norms.

In short: institutional hooliganism.

America, most likely, will not be made 'great again'. It'll be sullied by people who simply aren't interested in such niceties as the common good.

The best we can hope for, I think, is that the US's institutions, its democracy, will prove to be sturdy enough to survive four years of this corrosive darkness, and that, in the meantime, there will be no violence in the streets.

Won't happen anytime soon, I think. No-one in the Republican Party dares to take on Trump, and the Democrats know any attempt to get rid of him without firm Republican support would be futile, even counterproductive. So ... things'll have to get worse first. Civil unrest, violence, that sort of thing. It's all rather frightening, from where I'm standing.

(Hi kids!)

@Mike-Amos said in Elephant in the room:

Carving up the world in favour of trump, putin and ping.

If that's what he's trying to do, he's not doing a very good job. Russia and China might benefit, but the US won't, and certainly not its citizens.

The postwar international order, that took decades to build, brought the US (relative) peace and prosperity, and Trump has upended it in 2 months.

Paired with the demolition of the federal government, this is not going to end well for you guys.

@L-i-am said in Elephant in the room:

Hi stinkie. where have you been? I have missed you ugly renders

@B2Pi said in Elephant in the room:

Yall are nuts. President Trump is a Kennedy'esque liberal, who happens to be aligned with the Republican Party (for those of you who are old enough or educated enough, much like Eisenhower).

He is
1.) Anti-Free Trade
2.) Socially Liberal (pro-gay rights, ETOP's back to the states)
3.) Anti war

May he and his successors continue driving Democrat scum crazy.

Mkay.

@Mike-Amos said in Elephant in the room:

Sidling up to putin and dumping on just about everyone else does nobody any good.

My thoughts exactly. This sh*tshow is bad for everyone -except for Russia and China.

I'm guessing Trump is wooing Putin because he'd like to drive a wedge between the Russians and the Chinese, but honestly, I'd be surprised if that worked. I'm rather sure, on the other hand, that he'll manage to diminish the US's standing and influence.

Also, if Trump and Musk continue to dismantle the American government, they'll likely leave the US's democracy in an perilous state. Which is worrisome.

@L-i-am said in Elephant in the room:

Chat GTP is very accurate and objective

It simply scoops up information it finds around the internet.

I've made it write short articles on Dutch and Flemish writers, and believe me, what it came up with was quite often way off.

I'm not sure, btw, Trump wants to tank the US economy. Never attribute to malice that which etc.

I'm guessing you guys heard about the Signal thing. These people are dumb.

@L-i-am

Oh, the US is heading towards oligarchy. It's clear as day.

What I think we're seeing is a resurgence of fascism. Not the nazi variant, though, but the original, Mussolini-style form of autocracy that is essentially a non-ideologic blend of chaos, cruelty and pomp, topped off with cynical disregard for common decency and societal norms.

In short: institutional hooliganism.

America, most likely, will not be made 'great again'. It'll be sullied by people who simply aren't interested in such niceties as the common good.

The best we can hope for, I think, is that the US's institutions, its democracy, will prove to be sturdy enough to survive four years of this corrosive darkness, and that, in the meantime, there will be no violence in the streets.

@L-i-am said in Elephant in the room:

Chat GTP is very accurate and objective

It simply scoops up information it finds around the internet.

I've made it write short articles on Dutch and Flemish writers, and believe me, what it came up with was quite often way off.

I'm not sure, btw, Trump wants to tank the US economy. Never attribute to malice that which etc.

I'm guessing you guys heard about the Signal thing. These people are dumb.

@Mike-Amos said in Elephant in the room:

Sidling up to putin and dumping on just about everyone else does nobody any good.

My thoughts exactly. This sh*tshow is bad for everyone -except for Russia and China.

I'm guessing Trump is wooing Putin because he'd like to drive a wedge between the Russians and the Chinese, but honestly, I'd be surprised if that worked. I'm rather sure, on the other hand, that he'll manage to diminish the US's standing and influence.

Also, if Trump and Musk continue to dismantle the American government, they'll likely leave the US's democracy in an perilous state. Which is worrisome.

@B2Pi said in Elephant in the room:

Yall are nuts. President Trump is a Kennedy'esque liberal, who happens to be aligned with the Republican Party (for those of you who are old enough or educated enough, much like Eisenhower).

He is
1.) Anti-Free Trade
2.) Socially Liberal (pro-gay rights, ETOP's back to the states)
3.) Anti war

May he and his successors continue driving Democrat scum crazy.

Mkay.

@Mike-Amos said in Elephant in the room:

Carving up the world in favour of trump, putin and ping.

If that's what he's trying to do, he's not doing a very good job. Russia and China might benefit, but the US won't, and certainly not its citizens.

The postwar international order, that took decades to build, brought the US (relative) peace and prosperity, and Trump has upended it in 2 months.

Paired with the demolition of the federal government, this is not going to end well for you guys.

@L-i-am said in Elephant in the room:

Hi stinkie. where have you been? I have missed you ugly renders

Won't happen anytime soon, I think. No-one in the Republican Party dares to take on Trump, and the Democrats know any attempt to get rid of him without firm Republican support would be futile, even counterproductive. So ... things'll have to get worse first. Civil unrest, violence, that sort of thing. It's all rather frightening, from where I'm standing.

(Hi kids!)

@mike amos said:

This is what politics looks like right now, great image mate.

Thanks. And yeah. Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.

Still much prefer these times to the Dark Ages, though.

I just like how the smoke looks.

Thanks. You forgot 'sexy', though.

@pilou said:

Borat ?

Lenin on acid.