.

Trump’s early initiatives in his second term as president of the United States bear the marks of populism, authoritarianism, illiberalism, and imperialism.

He issued an executive order allowing unbridled freedom of speech (including on social media) while dictating the terms of allowable expression and identities to national institutions, demanding political loyalty from civil servants, and threatening retaliation against dissent.

His administration has ordered federal employees and diplomats to cease communications on a range of issues, including “diversity, equity and inclusion,” “environmental justice” and “gender ideology.”

Trump himself continues to criticise the news media, calling journalists the “enemy of the people.” He is suing various media organizations—including the board of the Pulitzer Prizes, the Des Moines Register, and its parent company, Gannett—over journalism he claims was libellous or unfair.

The White House removed the independent inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency in an unprecedented purge to clear the way for Trump to install loyalists in the crucial role of identifying fraud, waste and abuse in the government. These dismissals violate federal law requiring Congress to receive 30 days’ notice of any intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.

Trump has been ruthlessly bullying his counterparts in Canada, Denmark (in respect of Greenland), Panama for imperialistic territorial expansion, and Columbia for it to accept to recuperate its illegal migrants from the US.

Populists (like Trump) claim that they, and they alone, represent people. They portray their political competitors as part of the immoral, corrupt elite, and when ruling, they refuse to recognise any opposition as legitimate.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change indicates :

« Over 50 per cent of populist leaders amend or rewrite their countries’ constitutions, and many of these changes extend term limits or weaken checks on executive power. The evidence also suggests that populists’ attacks on the rule of law open the way to greater corruption: 40 per cent of populist leaders are indicted on corruption charges.

Overall, 23 per cent of populists cause significant democratic backsliding. Populist governments are about four times more likely than non-populist ones to harm democratic institutions. »

.

Rubbish. As a majority of Americans would say to all Lefty hissy fits. They have the man they want, and it's a matter of stiff cheese for the limp-wristed and weak-minded,

One of the good moves by Trump:

President Trump has banned transgender (what a ridiculous word) types from military service because they are “mentally ill and unfit for duty”. There are 15,000 of them, requiring persistent drugs and hormones that have a “severely debilitating impact on their psychological wellness”.

The defence forces are a defence force, not a social experiment.

Dear Banjo,

Thank you for this discussion.

People who are opposed to Trump generally have particular
issues that they are concerned about or upset at him
because of the actions in those areas. Yet they get
accused of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome".
Being concerned about particular issues is not
derangement.

His supporters continue with accusations "You hate him".
When it's about his behaviour and not him.

The problem is - it will take decades to repair. The
damage will continue long after he's gone and some of it
will never be fixed.

Unfortunately Trump is a character and a symbol who is
viewed as being more than a mere mortal by his MAGA
cultists. And in that role Trump has permission for
revenge, craven power, and permission for him,
to engage in the worst human behaviour.

It appears that the man views American politics
as a TV program where he is the star,
casting agent, and producer.

Foxy,
You really don't appear to ever express a single ounce of common sense. The only man at the moment to effectively make a move to weed out the parasitic Woke & drain that swamp & you condemn him. For crying out loud, would you rather have the Woke continue ruin already terribly fragile societies ? To condemn Trump says more about your mentality than his competence ! Don't you ever get embarrassed for supporting the parasitic ?

I just can't help it. Don't ya just love the tRumpster's claims of "draining the swamp." I agree, yes, there is a swamp, but tRump fills it with his blind apologists which means it is an even more putrid swamp. (Or are these people there just for the immediate power? or the warm fuzzy feeling they get being near the epicenter of power?)

tRump as a human being has no redeeming qualities and deserves the same respect he dishes out to anyone he deems lesser than him (which judging by his actions and words to date, appears to be the rest of humanity.)

Indyvidual,

I would like to understand a lot more about what
is driving how you're feeling about me and learn what
values you have that you think I don't.

I'd like to know what's going on with you because
frankly - I'm not comfortable with your negativity.

This is not a productive way to discuss anything.
It does not encourage further conversation.

Dear Foxy
How I take my hat off to you. You always, with great patience and courtesy, try to examine both sides of a situation as you see it and arrive at a position. What a shame that others on these forums are so hostile and closed minded when you reach a different conclusion to them. Such people are obviously confronted when they encounter someone not part of their ‘tribe’ and resort to well-trodden, but ultimately inaccurate cliches.

Personally, I don’t have your tolerance (or manners) when confronted by people so fearful that they cling onto someone like the 47th president of the USA to save them. My fingers are trembling as I type this – Kudos to you

Dear Aries54,

Thank you for your kind words.

I try to actively share knowledge and dodge the spitballs.
But it does get a bit much at times. I'm uneasy about looking
at the worst bits of people so I try to understand why and
where they're coming from. But it's not always easy. I also
habe to watch my own biases as well.

Thanks again.

I would like to understand a lot more about what
is driving how you're feeling about me and learn what
values you have that you think I don't.
Foxy,
Easy, just read your posts !

.

Dear ttbn,

.

I understand where you are coming from. However, I cross-checked all the information before posting it.

But naturally, if you have any evidence to the contrary, ttbn, I would be very grateful if you would kindly share it with me.

To tell you the truth, I’m not so sure that Trump would deny much of it himself. He seems to think that everything he does is fully justified.

As I see it, the Americans knowingly elected a “bad guy”, a convicted criminal, to be their president – simply because they had the impression that he knew better than anyone else what was wrong and considered that he was the only one capable of fixing it.

Many of his fans I saw interviewed on television declared : “He’s just like us !”. Most appeared to be from the Midwest and it was obvious that none were billionaires like Trump, nor even millionaires.

As we have seen, Trump is already hard at work, and already reaping the benefits of the deal. According to Forbes, “Donald Trump has presided over the most lucrative post-presidency in American history, selling his supporters NFTs, coffee-table books and, most importantly, shares of a money-losing social-media venture. His net worth to date is US $5.5 billion.”

And that’s not all. The best (or should I say the worst) is yet to come. The ‘hired gun” has hit the jackpot, and he will probably not leave this time until he has broken the bank. It could even cost his American benefactors much of their individual rights.

They have handed him the keys to American democracy and he'll probably make good use of them.

.

"bear the marks of populism, authoritarianism, illiberalism, and imperialism."

Wow someone found a use for his thesaurus.

Populism? When we have one side describing t'other as deplorables, or clingers "to guns and religion", or asserting that EVERYONE who attended a Trump rally were Nazis, well I'd have thought anyone aspiring to free-thinking would see where the true populists are. OTOH, if you have someone who suggests that there are fine people on both sides or who goes into bat for Californians who voted against him, ....well no populism there.

Authoritarian? Oh he's doing things I don't agree with.

Illiberal? Yeah the other side are liberals and he should follow their policies. Struth.

Imperial? He has no imperial ambitions against Canada or Panama despite what the enemedia might tell you.

During the Trump first term, the civil service, which is supposed to be there to implement the president's policies and serves at the pleasure of the president, openly and proudly sought to undemocratically thwart his policies. And they succeeded to a degree.

This new Trump term is determined to not allow that undemocratic practice to replicate. We've already seen civil servants asserting that they have instituted measures to defeat or significantly delay MAGA policies. DEI was banned so they just renamed it. Generals who lied to Trump in the first term, are asserting they'll do it again. And the civil service is inundated with pro-Democrat operatives who spent years covering up for the corrupt Biden regime.

Any wonder therefore that Trump and MAGA are determined to remove these uncivil civil servants and replace them with people who will do what the electorate voted for.

Trump's landslide via a majority of voters shows how pathetic and pointless criticism of the man is. So, you don't like him. He doesn't give a stuff, nor do the majority of American voters who do like him. That's why he is now, once again, the President of the United States of America and leader of the Free World. Not some wan ker on OLO.

Bleatings from an anonymous, foreign bunch of wan kers are totally dumb-arsed and pathetic.

Someone calling herself Sophia Efthimiatu believes that there is comfort and freedom in having ‘nothing to say’. She describes silence as a “humbling awareness of self, acquired painfully for the most part.

“To have nothing to say is liberating. For one, you immediately notice that everyone around you has yet to reach that conclusion”.

We forget that we have the option to remain quiet, and succumb to “numbing feeds” populated mostly by ego and narcissism. We have lost the art of ‘recipience’. We don't just hear something and let it go.

People who have no part in American elections, but choose to insult American voters (as they insult Australian voters when things don't go their - the wan kers’ - way), should take notice and shut TFU.

So much for freedom of speech?

"Today, it was my great honor to sign an Executive Order banning the chemical castration and medical mutilation of innocent children in the United States of America. Our Nation will no longer fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support so-called “gender affirming care,” which has already ruined far too many precious lives. My Order directs Agencies to use every available means to cut off Federal financial participation in institutions which seek to provide these barbaric medical procedures, that should have never been allowed to take place!"

Apparently Trump has also instructed the DOJ to look into the possible prosecution of those who perpetrated these acts on the innocent kids.

So much for freedom of speech?
Foxy,
There's freedom of speech which cancels out indoctrination perpetuating Woke waffle !

Hi mhaze,
Some kids are actually born a little mixed up.
Whilst I don't wish to make things harder for them, I think all of it needs to be wound back because it all got a little crazy.
- No complaints here, by and large kids need to be protected from those promoting rainbow thinking.

So Americas not going to threaten and blackmail countries to be pro LGBT anymore, that's nice.

"Apparently Trump has also instructed the DOJ to look into the possible prosecution of those who perpetrated these acts on the innocent kids."
There's a lot of things going on with 'innocent kids' in America.
Child trafficking is out of hand.

Trumps going to have to get rid of Zelensky
The Russians won't even sit at the table with him.
And he really needs to get rid of that General Kellogg, he's clueless.
He's making similar mistakes to last time, surrounding himself with people that will lie to him and try to manipulate him into an outcome they want, not carry out his policies.

Senator Ralph Babet sees the coming election as an opportunity to “vote to ensure the jackboot of globalism remains firmly on our neck”, or a “vote for freedom and rebirth”.

He also queries why “too many” Australians believe that the Liberal Party is a serious alternative to the Labor Party when, “they are nothing of the sort”. He believes that there is “no serious difference” between the two major parties.

Babet reckons Australian politics is about as authentic as Pro-wrestling: a display to attract the masses. It's an illusion to make the average person think that he can change things by voting for the same sorts of people they always do - just swinging between slightly different parties.

The Senator of course is looking for support for himself and his minor party; but he is right in what he says about Liberal and Labor. Both are more frightened of the faceless bureaucrats than they are of voters. And just try getting past the goons in their offices with an enquiry they might not like.

Australians have one hell of a cheek criticising Donald Trump when our own circus is in such a parlous state because we don't have, can't have, a leader like him. In Australia pretence wins over substance.

Liberal, Labor, and the new communist Greens simply do not represent an electorate that has been ground down so much that they have lost interest in politics and vote only because they have to. What a mess we are in!

Google Maps is going to update its app to show the new locations names ordered by Trump. Mt Denali becomes Mt McKinley and the Gulf of Mexico becomes the Gulf of America. MAGA smiles.

So what mhaze, they're not globally recognised name changes.
And Google, well that's just America standing in support of America isn't it?

"Gulf of MAGAland anyone?"

There's no coming back from America (or is it AmeriKKKa?).
Not for the world. America has chosen a felon. A chaos
agent - someone likely to cause a geopolitical earthquake
unlike anything the world has seen since 1945. Look at his
cabinet of misfits - alleged sex traffickers, fabulously
disqualified kooks and genuine villains.

In electing Trump a man who campaigned on open fascism -
A man who will gift Russian president Putin a victory
in Ukraine which means Russian troops could be a threat
to other NATO countries. The world could be at war.

A plurality of American voters (not a majority) have
voted for cruelty, racism, bigotry, and stupidity with
their eyes wide open. And he's not going to resign.
Until the old man croaks free and fair elections are
a thing of the past.

And there's some here who want this for Australia.

Unbelievable!

.

Dear mhaze,

.

Of course, there are many populisms and populists around the world, cultural, socio-economic, political, etc. There are leftist and rightist populisms. We seem to be living in an age of populism.

As I indicated in my initial post on this thread, Trump’s recent decisions no doubt forbode the nature of the political agenda he has in mind for his second term as president of the United States :

Populism :

Populism is a political argument that pits ordinary people against a corrupt government elite, but the concentration of power in a charismatic leader, the sole representative of the people, can undermine the separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, indispensable for a durable democracy.

Authoritarianism :

Authoritarianism is a political system that has no mechanism for the transfer of executive power and limits civil liberties and political rights to its citizens. It is characterized by highly concentrated and centralized government power maintained by political repression and the exclusion of potential challengers.

Illiberalism :

Illiberalism includes tactics, and practices used by forces in power to roll back checks and balances. Illiberal leaders and political parties threaten democracy by targeting judicial oversight, pluralistic and fair political systems, independent media, and open civil society. Illiberal governments often intimidate regular citizens through digital surveillance tools. To avoid criticism, surveillance is usually done in the name of “national security measures”.

Imperialism :

Imperialism is the State policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas. Imperialism involves the use of power, by military, economic or some subtler means.

If this is the route Trump intends to take, and any of it materialises, the backlash could be dramatic, to say the least !

.

(or is it AmeriKKKa?)
How much more hateful & inciteful can one become ? The majority of African Americans voted against a society with people like Foxy !
Thank God the tide for stupidity in Australia I now turning against it too !

Indyvidual,

You're not the dumbest person on earth, but you'd
sure better hope he doesn't die.

Indyvidual,

You ask how much more hateful and inciteful can one become?

It seems there's no end in sight to US president's actions.

What is hateful and has caused quite a stir is that the US
president signs an executive order to use Guantanamo Bay
into a migrant detention centre.

This has sparked an outcry. Why aren't you condenming that?

It's morally indefensible and raises significant civil
liberties and humanitarian concerns.

The Prime Minister of Belgium writer on X:

Hours after the Holocaust Memorial Day Trump opens a prison
for immigrants at Guantanamo".

Banjo,

I know what those things are. But just describing them and then insinuating that they apply to Trump isn't all that useful, valid or even rigorous.

For example, while you might be able to distort Trump's views to suit this or that assertion, why does it apply to him and not for example the Biden regime. Were they less authoritarian, less populist, less imperialistic (as per your definition) that Trump 2.0 or even Trump 1.0?

If you distort and apply these definitions to Trump but ignore the fact that, using those same criteria, they apply to almost every president since Teddy Roosevelt, then of what use is it?

Zero.

___________________________________________________________________

Does anyone else get the feeling that Foxy isn't entirely happy with the way democracy works.</sarc> Its fine when it elects people she supports but when it elects people she dislikes, then generalised tantrums are the go.

"president signs an executive order to use Guantanamo Bay into a migrant detention centre."

president signs an executive order to turn Guantanamo Bay into a illegal immigrants detention centre.

There you go....fixed it for you.

"It seems there's no end in sight to US president's actions."
Foxy gets something right. Trump promised massive change and in line with keeping his promises he's implementing those changes. (a politician keeping his promises...no wonder Foxy's confused).

MAGA is changing the US. Soon it will change the world. What a great time to be alive.

Hi Ho Hi Ho, off to Guantanamo they go. President Trump announced that these people are serious criminals who have committed crimes in the US. Venezuela's crime rate dropped by 77% when their scum moved illegally to the US. They will find it harder to move from Gitmo, where they will probably die. Yippee.

I think that most rational people would find that
when asked - "What motivates you?" Would find -
An answer of - " Malice" or "Money" or "Power" or all
three - inappropirate.

Not for Trump supporters. He is a character and a symbol
who's viewed as being more than a mere mortal by his
MAGA cultists.

It's all part and parcel of the MAGA movement's intense
fact aversion and widespread resistance to observing
the truth and reality.

America is in regression.

In his role Trump is given permission for revenge, craven
power, and permission for all of them to engage in the
worst human behaviour.

It must be great for his supporters to have a leader
who is a genius, and is never wrong and has amazing genes,
a reality TV star, and now an aspiring dictator who can
do what he wants - because only he can "Save America"
and the world. A type of God and Messiah?

Wow. Breathtaking!

What Trump says and what he does are two different things.

Will he really do what he says regarding Guantanamo Bay?

He says he will send migrants who are in the US illegally
to a new detention centre in Guantanamo Bay.

Trump said up tp 30,000 migrants would be sent to the
US facility in Cuba.

No timeline has been given for when the centre will open
or when migrants will start to be sent there.

"We're going to send them out to Guantanamo Bay" Trump
said but did not elaborate.

"No timeline has been given for when the centre will open
or when migrants will start to be sent there."

Well since it was previously used to house illegal immigrants, it shouldn't take too long to get it operational again. OTOH, since most of the illegals detained so far have been flown back to their home country and with countries all over falling into line following what happened to Columbia (even China abjectly said they'd take their people back), it might take a while to get to the 30,000 figure.

Of course, since it was previously used to house illegals by a Democrat (Bill Clinton), people like Foxy will try very hard to not know that.

"It's all part and parcel of the MAGA movement's intense
fact aversion and widespread resistance to observing
the truth and reality."

Coming from Foxy, that's hilarious. Earlier in this thread she told us to get "facts first" only to link to an article which was completely erroneous.

__________________________________________________________________

More good news....Trump's pick to head the US EPA. Lee Zeldin, has been approved, with three Democrats voting to support Trump. Maybe now this out-of-control agency can be made to serve the needs of the US rather than the fantasies of the UN.

.

Dear Zero,

.

You wrote :

« … while you might be able to distort Trump's views to suit this or that assertion, why does it apply to him and not for example the Biden regime … If you distort and apply these definitions … they apply to almost every president since Teddy Roosevelt … »
.

It is not necessary to distort “Trump’s views” to classify him as an illiberal, authoritarian, populist, or imperialist. It is sufficient to compare the precise description of each of those qualifiers with what Trump says and does.

They do not apply to “almost every president since Teddy Roosevelt”. However, there are a number of presidents in the world today to whom they do apply, e.g., Orban in Hungary, Erdogan in Turkey, Milei in Argentina, are current populist presidents of their countries, to name a few.

Some considered Obama to be a populist but later accused him of not keeping his promises :

http://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/how-barack-obama-contributed-to-the-left-populist-wave/

.

Mhaze, I'm wondering if the boy-child 47th president of the USA who has 'drained the swamp' will appoint one of his business cronies to run Guantanamo Bay, who will of course, in turn, charge the USA taxpayers squillions of dollars. Hmmmmmm shades of Manus Island if you ask me.

And for all those singing the praises of how popular the boy-child is, a new Gallop poll has shown that after his first week in the job, he is the least popular president since the poll was first taken way back in the 1950's. Yep, the 1st president ever to score less than 50% popularr after their 1st week in the job. Well done. But of course, we all know that the Gallop poll is a ' ... left wing Marxist plot ...' don't we?

Hi Aries54,

It's difficult to argue with people who see Trump
as more than a mere mortal who if going to Make
America Great Again and who give him permission
for revenge, craven power, and permission for
them to engage in the worst human behaviour.

And of course any critics will have smear tactics
thrown at them.

These same people supported Cardinal Pell's innocence.

http://abc.net.au/news/2025-01-31/george-pell-ballarat-abused-boys/104863920

Yes I saw that Foxy. And yet there are still some on this forum who claim that being 'woke' is worse than adopting the christian ethics of the late cardinal. Unbelievable isn't it?

According to Trump, dwarfs don't make good air traffic controllers. I say that they were a big hit in The Wizard of Oz and only cost half as much to hire as Toto.

Hi Fester,

You asked why do I believe UNRWA and not Israel?

Because for more than 70 years UNRWA has provided support
for Palestinian refugees across the Middle East despite
the organizations clash with Israeli officials over its
work.

Israel has repeatedly accused UNRWA employees without
providing proof and also by its continued blockades of
humanitarian aid. UNRWA has been a victim to a fierce
disinformation campaign to portray the agency as a
terrorist organization and yet the organization has
delivered two thirds of all food assistance and
provided shlter to over a million displaced people.

Banjo,

This is just a case of taking some words that you consider to be derogatory and then applying them to people you disagree with, without the slightest effort to show how they apply.

And then amazingly, while making a list of authoritarian, illiberal, imperialistic leaders, you somehow manage to leave Putin and Xi OFF the list. Anyone doing that has no place claiming to have " a keen sense of justice and humanity" let alone "perspective".

__________________________________________________________________

Aries creates a little fantasy scenario around GITMO and then proceeds to pretend its the real world. I'm not sure he can tell the difference.

______________________________________________________________

Trump's been in power for a week and the usual crowd have already forgotten how bad his predecessor was, how corrupt that regime had become, how low the US had fallen and how much work will be required to fix it. But being on the left has always meant having a very short memory.

__________________________________________________________________

"we all know that the Gallop poll is a ' ... left wing Marxist plot ...' don't we?"

Aries returns to his fantasy world. He must find it comforting there.

Meanwhile Rasmussen finds Trump approval at 53% and most surprisingly, higher among blacks and Hispanics than among whites.

See Aries, we can all cherry-pick our data if that's your bent.

________________________________________________________________

Oh BTW, why aren't all those who whined for over a year that we needed a ceasefire in Gaza praising Trump's efforts in achieving it. Or would their heads explode if they did that. I guess we're in for four years of the TDS crowd never actually seeing his successes. We've been there before.

This has sparked an outcry. Why aren't you condemning that?
Foxy,
Because I see it it as the best opportunity yet for these economic refugees to return to their homelands & rebuild them rather than keep running away. The outcries are from the western do-gooders who have no intention of helping them.
What would be the ultimate outcome if no stop is put to such migration ? I'm certain that you'd be one of the last to take in refugees & outnumber you in your own home. If the Woke are as compassionate as they demand others to be why don't they offer to work in those countries & help build them up so that refugees reduce in numbers asap !

"This has sparked an outcry"

There was no outcry.

There was the usual tantrums from the usual crowd for the usual reasons. But most USians fully support Trump's efforts to get the violent members of the illegals the hell out of their country, their cities, their communities.

What Trump's critics fear most about him is that, unlike other politicians, he keeps his promises. A majority of Americans knew that he means what says, and they installed him in a landslide.

Trump doesn't play by the established rules of politics, as the lefty media and the lunatic left expect all politicians to do; and they will keep screeching and pulling out their hair for the next 4 years when, hopefully, JD Vance will take over, giving us another term of entertainment from the nutbag losers.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

1. « This is just a case of taking some words that you consider to be derogatory and then applying them to people you disagree with, without the slightest effort to show how they apply »
.

Perhaps you’re right, mhaze. The reason I provided definitions for each of the words (populism, authoritarianism, illiberalism and imperialism) was, as I indicated to Zero, to allow the reader “to compare the precise description of each qualifier with what Trump actually says and does”.

As you say, I could have gone a step further and provided a complete inventory of Trump’s corresponding words and deeds – and deliver the final product – not just a DIY with a user manual.

I preferred the DIY method because it allows the reader to judge for himself.

As for Trump, I can’t say I have ever had a very favourable opinion of him. I found him surprisingly vulgar and stupid at times for someone of his intelligence and social status. He seems to reflect occasionally with his reptilian brain (primitive, instinctual brain), far too often (for my liking) with his limbic system (mammalian, emotional brain) but, happily, on a more regular basis, with his neocortex (rational human brain).

I made this observation when examining his words and deeds. That is how I proceeded, not the other way around. I did not commence with a predetermined conclusion and apply that to Trump as you suggest.
.

2. « … while making a list of authoritarian, illiberal, imperialistic leaders, you somehow manage to leave Putin and Xi OFF the list »
.

I did not make a list, mhaze. I simply indicated the names of three political leaders to illustrate my point. I could have cited Putin and Xi but felt that they were better described as tyrants. Perhaps you will agree that Trump, Orban, Erdogan and Milei have not yet reached that stage of development - and hopefully, never will.
.

It would appear that Mhaze is so entranced with the cult of the boy-child 47th president of the USA that he has lost the ability to recognise sarcasm.

The Lowy Institute tells us that:

"In the interests of world democracies including
Australia, they are sound when the United States
is well-governed, cohesive, appealing, and strong".

They say that - "During Trump's first presidency
America was - poorly governed, divided, ugly,
and weak".

Have Trump's beliefs altered in the past four years
or will he be even less restrained this time around?"

It appears that he won't be less restrained.

What is concerning for Australia (or should be)
is that as the Lowy Institute points out:

"In foreign policy Australia's instincts run counter
to Trump's impulses. Trump is sympathetic to isolationism,
Australians are inclined towards internationalism. Trump
swoons over autocrats and strongmen. Australia is an
old democracy and a free society".

"Trump is an alliance sceptic. Whereas Australians are alliance
believers. Last time Trump treated allies not as friends but
as freeloaders. He threw shade on the principle of
collective defence and handled carelessly intelligence that
allies provided to Washington".

cont'd ...

cont'd ...

The Lowy Institute says that:

"Canberra should brace for the turbulance on the issues
of trade, China, and AUKUS - and also the tariffs ahead".

We're told that:

"Australia will need to continue to build up its own
national capabilities and work with other allies and
like-minded nations especially in our region to
reinforce the liberal international order that Trump
disparages".

Aries,

Oh it was sarcasm!! Methinks you are very bad at sarcasm then. And not all that good at walking back inane claims.

______________________________________________________________________

Long term advocate for the globalist elites - the Lowy Institute - tells Foxy what she wants to hear. She believes them.

Stop the presses!

____________________________________________________________________

Banjo,

"I did not make a list, mhaze. I simply indicated the names of three political leaders to illustrate my point."

And by sheer chance they were all right of centre. No Macron, no Scholz, no Trudeau.

You might want to pretend that it was mere happenstance that the list included only right of centre leaders. I'll draw my own conclusions and use that to make my own assessment of your vaunted lack of bias.

I note that you are trying very hard to avoid my point by pretending to misunderstand it. So again.... if you simply assert that Trump (and your other right-of-centre bogeymen) are authoritarian, populist, imperialistic etc without actually showing the actual traits that make it so, then you have shown nothing - zero. There's an old philosophic trick where an empty cup is offered with the assertion that it contains one's favourite drink. All you need to do is fill it with said drink.

Aspects of every US leader since Teddy Roosevelt could be used to claim the same for them. Ditto most leaders of Britain, France, Germany. If all are then none are, or at least the exercise is fatuous.

'I want Trump to be authoritarian and therefore he is', is a path to nowhere.

Its asserted without evidence that Trump is an agent of disunity.

What those who make the claim mean is that unity is only possible if everyone agrees with them. Its their main way of viewing the world.

But Trump, at the moment, is an agent of unity for the US.

In the last few days, RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard have fronted the Senate as Trump's nomination for various government positions. Both were until recently Democrats and in better times would have been seen as natural successors to the dills who ran the Biden presidency. But they found a home in MAGA because it better fulfills the aspirations that the Democrat party used to adhere to.

And not just those two. There are any number of other leading lights of the moderate left who recognise themselves in MAGA rather than the current far-left DNC.

"These senate confirmation hearings are highlighting the fact that MAGA is actually a unity movement, with the best of the Republicans AND the best of the Democrats, taking the country forward together and leaving the decrepit old guard behind."

This notion that its an act of disunity to not follow the radical left wherever it goes is bonkers.

I suspect most here won't understand that.

Oh dear, Mhaze you have just proved my point exactly. I haven't walked back any of my comments or opinions. You entirely missed my sarcastic bit (twice now) regarding the Gallop poll. Do try to keep up.

Oh so you're not walking back your claim about GITMO and really do think Trump will use it to make money for a friend. You can't have it both ways.. Ditto your cherry-picking of polls.

Perhaps Aries is a devotee of Derrida's 'obscurantisme terroriste' ie writing that is so unfathomable that all possible interpretations can be attached to it, such that the author, aware of the fatuousness of the stated views, can claim to be right no matter what.

____________________________________________________________________

More winning:
* Columbia is now recommended that all their citizens voluntarily return home
* Venezuela has released 6 of the hostage held by them
* Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China will be instituted this week.
* The 51 traitorous signatories of the letter saying the Hunter Biden laptop was Russia disinformation having already had their security clearances revoked are now barred from entering any Federal building. That'll put a crimp in their lobbying careers.
* Hunter Biden can't work out why his artwork is no longer selling!! :)
* Some Europeans are now telling Denmark they had it coming given that they've spent the last 40 years bludging on the US on security matters. They spend less than 1.7% on defence.

___________________________________________________________________

While searching through past posts looking for a link I'd posted a few years back, I came across this from February 2021.. "It is way more likely that he'll [Trump] be a presidential candidate in 2024 than Xiden, and that gives him plenty of time to start to weed out the rats in the ranks." Pretty chuffed to have been so prescient. (http://tiny.cc/80g8001).

Hi Aries54,

I've come across an interesting article that tells us:

"Trump won because he was a better candidate with a
better message".

There's still many who believe believe that both
his policies and approach
won't work and will probably do a lot of damage in the end.

But to millions of Americans, whether they admit it or not
Trump offered real hope. Many, looked upon
him as a protector. "Daddy's home".

The article tells us that Americans now have a choice.
Those who didn't support Trump we're told - they can
rage at Trump and his supporters. Or they can spend months
in arguments about whether he meets the criteria of a
fascist or they can properly try to understand
what happened to get him elected and then try to mount a
serious fightback.

There's more at:

http://theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/09/we-can-rage-about-donald-trump-or-we-can-be-curious-about-why-he-appealed-to-so-many

We'll have to wait and see what Americans will eventually choose to do.

No Mhaze I don't play silly double speak games. I don't have the time, patience or inclination.

Hi Foxy

Thank you for that. I have a friend who worked as part of the committee for Kamala. He told us that the members of that particular committee received so many credible death threats that everyone on the committee was moved off shore and were forced to work remotely during the campaign. Yes, the mis-information and outright provocation etc. We could go on, but those blinded by his apparent genius fob it all off with their own delusions. At least I agree with some posters on this blog who say they elected him and there ain't nothing we can do. Except wait and hold our breath. Cheers for now.

Good Morning Aries54,

Trump remains the same politician he has always been:

http://abc.net.au/news/2025-02-01/donald-trump-washington-dc-plane-helicopter-crash-analysis/104884782

To a hammer everything is a nail.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

1. « … No Macron, no Scholz, no Trudeau »
.

So far as I can judge, mhaze, Macron, Scholz and Trudeau are not beacons of populism, authoritarianism, illiberalism and imperialism.

That said, I must admit that while I know Macron reasonably well, that’s not the case for the other two. So, if you could enlighten me a little on Scholz and Trudeau I’m more than willing to revise my judgment.

You seem to regret that I did not cite any leftists as examples. Perhaps I could have cited Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico. You mentioned Putin and Xi in one of your previous posts, but as I pointed out, it's called tyranny when all powers belong to one person, which it is with them.
.

2. « But Trump, at the moment, is an agent of unity for the US »
.

On condition that any such “unity”, if it exists, is the sole result of people exercising their own free will without outside influence, mhaze, that’s fine. But your caveat “at the moment” raises serious doubt. It could be a fleeting moment.

Perhaps it has already passed – if, indeed, it ever existed !

.

" He told us that the members of that particular committee received so many credible death threats that everyone on the committee was moved off shore and were forced to work remotely during the campaign. "

Ahem.... I seem to recall that someone on the Republican side actually, rather than imagined, survived two assassination attempts. Now who was that?

And rather than moving people offshore, operatives from the British Labour Party were moved onshore to help Harris's disastrous campaign.

______________________________________________________________________

"So far as I can judge, mhaze, Macron, Scholz and Trudeau are not beacons of populism, authoritarianism, illiberalism and imperialism."

That was rather my point. They no more fit those descriptors than does Trump given that you haven't bothered to show how he does. But if you decided to twist the meanings of those words to fit Trump, that same twisting would also be used to fit these others as well.

Again Banjo, just to summarise, you picked a bunch of derogatory words, said they applied to Trump without showing how and have ever since demurred to show how.

______________________________________________________________________

"is the sole result of people exercising their own free will without outside influence, mhaze, that’s fine. "

Well I'm pretty sure the people I mentioned did indeed join MAGA and the revolution of their own free will. Just as a host of others have done over the past twelve months.

" It could be a fleeting moment."

You hope.

It won't be permanent. These golden ages never are. But a decade will be enough to change the course of US and world history.

And the movement is expanding. A march in Britain in support of free-speech had the crowd dancing to YMCA which you might recall is the MAGA theme song.

https://youtu.be/10uX2EhSflA?si=K-wytip7KlVm3KtH

Here's another example of Wokeness !

https://youtu.be/bKhR9i5CGkA?si=goyJ4LBcSnlffifv

.

Dear mhaze,

.

Thanks for that.

I see from your posts that you continue to think that I have some hidden agenda, parti-pris, prejudice, ideology to defend, or axe-to-grind.

Please be assured that if ever that should transpire from my posts it is unconscious, undesired, contrary to my principles, and against my will. It could, of course, be an unintended error of expression or lack of precision on my part or, perhaps, a false presumption or error of interpretation of the reader.

Once again, I affirm what I wrote to you on another thread (“Donald Trump Day One”) :

« As for me, my compass on life’s journey is to head for the facts and limit my beliefs to a strict minimum as they tend to cloud my vision and take me in the wrong direction.

I aspire to pragmatism, free thinking and a keen sense of justice and humanity. I maintain that cap as best I can but occasionally get disoriented – usually due to my complaisance, laziness, ignorance or incompetence. »

Perhaps I should add that while I continue to take a keen interest in individual and team sports (having practised both for many years), I have always had a distinct aversion to gregarious behaviour ever since I stepped out of the cradle and have never had any social or political affiliations or allegiances of any kind, and never will.

I place too great a value on my freedom of thought and opinion.

My judgments about Trump and Maga may be wrong, mhaze, but they are my own. Perhaps I am not well informed, lack information, and am victim of misinformation and disinformation. I come to OLO to bounce my thoughts and opinions off the minds of others to test, enrich, refine, confirm or abandon them.

I see it as a give-and-take operation. I profit from you, and you profit from me – no strings attached. We can take it or leave it as we like.

BTW, I don’t count on “hope”, as you suggest. Either I achieve it, or I deal with it.

.

Here's the thing in a nutshell, Banjo.

Its all too easy to label Trump as a populist, authoritarian etc. Everyone does it; everyone knows its true. so just repeating it requires no thought, let alone evidence.

So when suddenly someone asks for the basis of the assertions, there is a rush for the exists. Sure a case can be made that he's authoritarian/populist but only if the generally accepted meaning of those terms is twisted to suit the purpose. And that twisted meaning can then be applied to other, more favoured (?), leaders. If Trump's a populist then so was Harris, so is Macron, so is Starmer. If Trump's authoritarian, then so was Biden, so is Macron, so is Scholz.

If definitions of terms can be so distorted that they apply to all leaders, then they are useless.

They just become things people say without thought or evidence.

Dear Banjo,

This may be of interest:

http://news.berkeley.edu/2025/01/21/theres-a-term-for-trumps-political-style-authoritarian-populism/

Thanks Foxy, the article basically makes my point - although not as well as I did...grin.

That's what I was talking about - when you have to distort the meaning of the terms to suit a disdain for Trump, the new meaning applies to most all democratic leaders.

And is thereby useless.

More winning...... Panama, following a single visit by Marco Rubio, Trump's Secretary of State, has caved and will begin the process of removing Chinese influence over the canal, extract itself from the tender embrace of Xi's Belt and Roads and begin the process of handing control back to the US.

Trump and Musk have come out hard against USAID which is encouraging.
http://youtu.be/vnZT5ZUiELU
His moves against China and tariffs for everyone not so.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

« It’s all too easy to label Trump as a populist, authoritarian etc. … Sure, a case can be made that he's authoritarian/populist but only if the generally accepted meaning of those terms is twisted to suit the purpose … when suddenly someone asks for the basis of the assertions, there is a rush for the exists »
.

Well, I didn’t see Foxy rushing for the exits, mhaze. She stood her ground and provided a link to an article published by the University of California, Berkely Press, dated 21.01.2025, entitled : “ There’s a term for Trump’s political style: authoritarian populism”.

The sub-title of the article indicates:

« Researchers at UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute identify defining traits of the type of politics leaders like Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni employ.

In the 2024 Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities, UC Berkely is ranked the 5th best university in the world after Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and Cambridge. Oxford is ranked the 6th best, after Berkley.

On reading the article you conclude : “Thanks Foxy, the article basically makes my point … That's what I was talking about - when you have to distort the meaning of the terms to suit a disdain for Trump, the new meaning applies to most all democratic leaders …”

That’s a despicable attempt to denigrate the ethics of the research, mhaze. The researchers clearly explain :

.

(Continued …)

.

.

(Continued …)

.

« Today, authoritarian populists use both populist and authoritarian tactics, mostly combined and pursued in strategically advantageous ways. Populist appeals are invoked as a justification mechanism for illiberal and often undemocratic practices, but populism alone cannot help us understand the substance of the nativist and exclusionary political project. As mentioned, authoritarianism is often used to refer to a type of regime (or in social psychology, to a series of personality traits). Conceiving of authoritarianism not only as a political system but as a set of practices via this updated terminology can help us understand how authoritarian practices are used in systems that do not fit the description of an authoritarian state or in countries that may be evolving into previously unseen regime types. »

It’s preposterous to suggest that the academic researchers of such a reputable institution would purposely and maliciously “distort the meaning of the terms to suit a disdain for Trump”. They are constantly under the scrutiny of their peers all around the world and could only cause irreparable, long-lasting damage to their prestigious institution.

The fact that you feel the need to go to such desperate and despicable means to defend Trump and his Maga zealots speaks volumes about your confidence in his and their credibility and respectability.

Here is the Primer of the research :

http://belonging.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/2024-11/FearGrievanceandtheOther_Nov2024.pdf

.

The United Nations has lost its way. Anti-democratic leaders have managed to white-ant the UN. Described as a “useful idiot’s vehicle for lawfare, advocating for anything and everything except liberal democracies”.

The UN is no longer relevant.

The UN is almost entirely funded by America. It certainly couldn't function without America. Hopefully, when he has finished fixing America, Donald Trump will fix the UN, one way or another. He has dumped WHO. That's a start.

It's a pity that Australia doesn't have someone with oomph of Donald Trump.

Banjo ,

I wasn't suggesting that the artcile distorted the meaning of these terms to suit an anti-Trump agenda, but that people like you and Foxy do.

Again, neither of you have disdained to actually offer a definition of populist or authoritarian or imperialist that might apply to Trump but not apply to other leaders who you obviously favour. Hence my rush for the exits comment.

Most of Foxy's linked article is about how to redefine populism and authoritarian so that it doesn't have its ordinarily understood meaning. I've got no problem with that so long as the new meaning is explicitly defined and understood. The article even points out that this new meaning applies to left leaning governments and left lean political movements.

But that's not what you did. You applied the traditional meaning and then tried to pretend it applied to Trump and other right-of-centre leaders you dislike.

For example, the artcile says "Populism, meanwhile, occurs when leaders rhetorically divide the population into two groups: the majority versus the elites." Well why doesn't that apply to Hilary with her deplorable designations. The country was divided in us (the elect) and them (the deplorables). But you don't want that to be true so you demur defining the term and pretend it just applies to Trump.

I've seen this so often before. Its why I was on to it so quickly.

Trump is not an authoritarian. Not a populist. Not imperialistic. At least not using the ordinary meaning of those terms. But people who can't address his actual aims, policies and aspirations logically, seek to simply label him with terms they think of as derogatory and see that as enough. And that's why they fail to understand what's actually happen right under their noses.

More winning:

Panama caved.

Now Canada's caved, promising to increase their surveillance at the border and cut back the level of fentanyl making it across to the US. Trump's put them on a 1 month probation. New Canadian elections will be held in March when its likely a new right-of-centre government will be installed who are completely on-board with Trump's aims vis a vis the border. So expect to see Trump leaving the tariffs hanging until then.

Now Mexico's caved. They've agree to send 10,000 troops to the border to try to stop the flow of illegals and the flow of fentanyl. Again Trump has put them on a one month probation. Talks between the Mexican leadership and Rubio are scheduled to try to cement the new arrangements within that month.

This must be all very confusing to those who just don't and refuse to, understand MAGA

After giving up our manufacturing base, and aside from digging up rocks and shipping them overseas, we don’t have much of an economy.

It is delusional to believe that Australia can have any significant manufacturing industry while we allow nearly all manufactured goods to be imported from China and other similar countries duty-free.

We can never have a meaningful manufacturing industry in Australia the way things stand.

In the US, Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said that his countries “almost religious commitment to free and unfettered trade at the expense of our national economy, shrunk the middle class, left the working class in crisis, collapsed industrial capacity, and pushed critical supply chains into the hands of adversaries and rivals”.

We have the same situation here; we just don't have a Trump or Rubio to put things right, and probably never will. We are still stuck in the open borders Hawke-Keating-Howard era”

Conservatism appears to to regain common & practical sense in many societies that have been sabotaged by Wokeness. The parasitic deliberately wrongly refer to this as "authoritarian ". As indoctrination education is the cradle of Wokeness it must become the Nr 1 target for reform !
Start with banning Uni student protesters from re-entering University ! Those burning the national flag also forfeit their privilege to attend University & receive sponsorship !
If anyone can think of a better way to wake up the Woke let us know !

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

1. « I wasn't suggesting that the artcile distorted the meaning of these terms to suit an anti-Trump agenda, but that people like you and Foxy do. »
.

No, we did not distort them, mhaze. The fact that Trump is an authoritarian populist and imperialist has nothing to do with us. He is what he is and there’s nothing we can do about it.
.

2. « Again, neither of you have disdained to actually offer a definition of populist or authoritarian or imperialist that might apply to Trump but not apply to other leaders who you obviously favour. »
.

Neither of us has “disdained” to offer such definitions, mhaze. But, as you seem to have forgotten, I posted to you personally, specific definitions of Trump’s populism, authoritarianism and imperialism, on this thread 5 days ago on Thursday, 30 January 2025 9:17:59 AM – and you replied to me that same day at 12:22:40 PM.

I preceded these definitions with the following remark :

« Of course, there are many populisms and populists around the world, cultural, socio-economic, political, etc. There are leftist and rightist populisms. We seem to be living in an age of populism. »

The definitions apply, not only to Trump, mhaze. They apply to many political leaders – but they do not apply to all political leaders.

They do not apply, as you claim, to other leaders whom I “obviously favour” – because I do not favour anybody. I disfavour all and vote for the least unfavourable.
.

3. « … the artcile says "Populism, meanwhile, occurs when leaders rhetorically divide the population into two groups: the majority versus the elites." Well why doesn't that apply to Hilary with her deplorable designations. The country was divided in us (the elect) and them (the deplorables). »
.

(Continued …)

.

.

(Continued …)

.

The citation you indicated is incomplete, mhaze. To understand why populism applies to Trump but not to Hillary you must complete the citation :

« Populism, meanwhile, occurs when leaders rhetorically divide the population into two groups: the majority versus the elites. These leaders position themselves the true representatives of the majority group [the ordinary people]. This anti-establishment “us-versus-them” struggle is at the center of populist rhetoric, the researchers concluded.»

Trump considers that he, alone, represents the majority (the ordinary people) against a corrupt government elite (represented by Hilary – lock her up !).

Unlike Trump, Hilary does not position herself in that manner as a populist leader.
.

4. « Trump is not an authoritarian. Not a populist. Not imperialistic. At least not using the ordinary meaning of those terms. »
.

You only have to look at the ruthless, brutal manner Trump has acted during the first three weeks of his presidency, both domestically and internationally, mhaze. The evidence is there for all to see.

Trump has :

• Temporarily frozen all federal grants, loans and financial assistance, signaling a desire to challenge Congress' power of the purse.

• Offered "deferred resignations" to roughly 2 million federal workers, promising to pay them through September even though the government hasn't been funded past March 14.

• Fired at least 17 independent agency watchdogs, openly defying a statute requiring an explanation to Congress 30 days in advance.

• Fired federal prosecutors involved in Trump-related investigations and hinted at an additional purge for thousands of FBI agents.

• Signed an executive order directing the attorney general not to enforce the law Congress passed requiring TikTok to be sold by its Chinese parent company or face a U.S. ban.

• Imposed tariffs on imported goods from Canada, Mexico and China – with more to come on other countries

• Made threats of military intervention regarding Greenland and Panama.

• Declared he wants to take over Canada as the 51st State of the United States.

.

Banjo wrote: " specific definitions of Trump’s populism, authoritarianism and imperialism, "

No you offered generic descriptions and then refused to show how they specifically applied to Trump and none of the other plethora of world leaders you you admire.

To continue a metaphor I used in another thread, its as though you described water and then declared that Trump, and Trump alone, wants to drown everyone.

Still its obvious that you just want to use what you consider to be derogatory words to describe Trump and have no intention to analysis why they apply to him and not others. So be it.

To finish, it was noted t'other day that Trump is the first authoritarian in history who wants to REDUCE the size of government. I suspect that won't compute.

"• Signed an executive order directing the attorney general not to enforce the law Congress passed requiring TikTok to be sold by its Chinese parent company or face a U.S. ban.

• Imposed tariffs on imported goods from Canada, Mexico and China – with more to come on other countries

• Made threats of military intervention regarding Greenland and Panama.

• Declared he wants to take over Canada as the 51st State of the United States."

None, literally none of that is true.

For example, he didn't make threats of intervention in Greenland or Panama, just, in answering a question, didn't rule it out. You won't understand the difference but it was all part of the negotiations by tweet that is the new world. Note that both Panama and Denmark are now towing the line.

Just for those who haven't been able to keep up to date with what's been going on in the US....

http://rumble.com/v6grhlj-white-house-press-secretary-karoline-leavitt-shares-recap-of-president-trum.html

Banjo Paterson,
Just because you can't grasp the difference between ruthless & necessity doesn't make your interpretation a fact apart from the fact that you don't comprehend !

Trump and Netanyahu have now put up a more formalised suggestion on
what to do with Gaza. I note that recently they have allowed the Gazans
to return to the northern Gaza.
I think this is a clever move. The Gazans will sit in tents amid the
ruined buildings or inside damaged buildings with collapsed stairwells
and damaged infrastructure such as various pipes etc.
The only work being done will be locals moving concrete rubble out of
their way and no insurance to pay for even small rebuilds.
A month or two will go by with no improvement, or even a promise of
a rebuild because no one will be able to pay the cost.

Then along comes Trump with an offer to build them new houses in a new
town of new houses somewhere in the Middle East.
They will be given jobs to work on the building projects clearing
the Gaza site and building their new homes.
Would you turn down the offer of work and new housing ?
What will Trump get out of it ?
A new resort on the Mediterranean with miles of beach a new Florida or
Gold Coast. Whats to lose ?

.

Dear mhaze,

.

I see that Trump has just floated a balloon declaring that he plans to evacuate the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and have it occupied by the US as the new owners :

« "The United States will take control of the Gaza Strip, and we will do a good job with it. We will own it and we will be responsible for the dismantling of all dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons that are on the site," »

We’ll see how long that balloon stays in the air.

That’s all for now, mhaze.

I’m sure you’ve got my message. I’ll be following future developments, like most of us here on OLO no doubt, and will probably have more to say in due course.

Until then …

.

Banjo,

At least you realise Trump's Gaza 'plan' is just his opening gambit. So you have learned something.

Dear Banjo,

According to Amnesty International "Donald Trump's
description of Gaza as a" demolition site"
completely fails to include the Israeli government's
responsibility for causing the devastation to the
Palestinian territory">

" Nor did Trump acknowledge the "Us government's
role in providing arms that have repeatedly been
used to carry out deadly, unlawful attacks in
Gaza".

"It's more important than ever for the international
community to categorically reject these proposals
and expediate diplomatic efforts to live within
international law, and to end Israel's unlawful
occupation, dismantle apartheid, and uphold
human rights for Palestinians and Israelis".

Dear Banjo,

Here's more:

http://amnesty.org.au/israel-opt-president-trumps-claim-that-us-will-take-over-gaza-and-forcibly-deport-palestinians-appalling-and-disgusting/

the Israeli government's
responsibility for causing the devastation to the
Palestinian territory">
Foxy,
get yourself a bit orientated ! Israel is not responsible for doing that, Hamas is ! It's like stating that the Government is responsible for building jails !
You sure should have an afternoon on a couch in a psychiatrist's office !

President Trump has the highest net approval of any President in US history.

A majority of Americans like:

. Border security and deportation of criminals
. The war on woke
. Declaration of two genders
. Government cost cutting
. Protection of unborn babies
. Withdrawal from the Paris Accord
. Withdrawal from WHO
. Banning trannies from the military
. Reinstatement of unvaccinated military personal
. Defence of religious freedom

And he has only just started.

"President Trump has the highest net approval of any President in US history."
Honeymoon period, wait till the cost of his tariffs start to bite.
People are gullible and stupid.

Americas not going to win any trade wars and they don't have friends as their threats of tariffs on allies show.
The world just adapts to whichever loose cannon is in the Whitehouse at the time.

People are gullible and stupid.
Armchair Critic,
I don't disagree however, every other election many do come to their senses or economic reasons force them to.
Trump does not appeal to people who depend on selling their soul. He is a beacon of hope to people who care & accept that pulling one's weight is getting better results as a society.
He appears to follow the principle of symbiosis rather than the Peter Principle of parasitism which is rampant in that swamp known as bureaucracy.
Bureaucratic incompetent managing is costing many people their livelihood & ruins society.
Anyone who is against what Trump, Milei, Polivre, Meloni etc are trying to do is not a considerate person !

Dutton says Trump brings 'gravitas', as Albanese's response to Gaza plan labelled 'pathetic'
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/peter-dutton-reacts-to-donald-trumps-gaza-plan-as-anthony-albaneses-response-criticised/xbh8h11ut

"At the same time, Leavitt walked back Trump's earlier assertion that Gazans needed to be permanently resettled in neighbouring countries, saying instead that they should be "temporarily relocated" for the rebuilding process.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio also said the idea was for Gazans to leave the territory for an 'interim' period of reconstruction and debris-clearing."

Should I believe this, or does someone have a bridge to sell me?

* 'an interim period of reconstruction and debris-clearing'
How dumb would you have to be to believe this was their sole intention.
"We're here to help",
- Yeah sure you are.

Between bombmaker and bombdropper, neither care about the ones living under those bombs.

Let us face the facts; is there any other option ?
The Arab countries won't fund the clearing and rebuilding just to
install another group of terrorists to do it all again and again !
The Gazans can sit in the ruins and rave on and on and no one else is
going to spend such enormous amount of money just to have to go do it
all over again five years later.

Even Trump might pull out if the Koran is not modified by the Islamic
scholars to remove the verses calling for the killing of Jews.

btw, I heard a discussion about laws passed today in Canberra about
hate speech. Will that apply to printed text ?
If so the Koran will be banned !

Here's an interesting take on the above events
http://www.youtube.com/live/ZcE0WgF80U8?t=641

.

Well, as could be expected, Trump’s test balloon is beginning to deflate somewhat and has already lost quite a bit of height. It’s gradually coming down but the westerly wind blowing in from the (extreme) right continues to keep it in the air.

Coming from a visionary real estate multi-billionaire, the idea was quite brilliant really, but a luxury riviera with five-star accommodation and room service would be far beyond the reach of the poor average Palestinian family. Far too upmarket. They could never afford it.

I guess that explains why Trump took the precaution of saying that the new Middle East Riviera would rival with the world’s best and be sure to attract members of the wealthy jet-set from all around the world … not just the Palestinians but ... including the Palestinians.

He probably had in mind those Palestinians who are wealthy members of Hamas which the US lists as an Islamist terrorist organisation generously financed by Iran, Qatar, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and a few others.

The cash-loaded Hamas boys could climb out of their underground tunnels, for example, on weekends, public holidays and summer vacations, or even take special leave, and enjoy the luxuries of Trump’s fabulous Middle East Riviera.

Hey ! That's great isn't it ? Sounds like a bonanza !

Let's "Make Gaza Great Again" !

.

.

“Excuse me, Mr President, what about the other 2 million Gazans ?”

“Ah, them ? They’re losers. That’s their problem. Send‘em somewhere else !”

“Egypt and Jordan’ll take’em.”

.

I heard an interesting take on the situation last night, which argues Trump knows he can't remove the Palestinians, but it was about making a trap for Netanyahu, where Trump claims the U.S. is now in charge of Gaza, removing it from Netanyahu's hands, which will lead to Netanyahu's ousting.

I think Trump wants out of all the U.S. endless wars, including the ones instigated by Netanyahu himself. That's why he and Musk have gone after USAID, I'm waiting to see if they will go after the NED as well.

I think things will get interesting when Gabbard become Director of National Intelligence, responsible for giving Trump his daily brief.
The fact that she went to Syria and met with Assad makes her an interesting choice.

"I heard a discussion about laws passed today in Canberra about
hate speech. Will that apply to printed text ?
If so the Koran will be banned"

Good one Baz. But I think that we all know that "hate speech" is only what the Left doesn't like. Any legislation would be used only against white, Christian conservatives and anyone else not a barking-mad Leftist.

Why only talk about the "Barking-Mad Leftists?"

Life is more interesting than that surely.

What about the "Goose-Stepping Right-Wingers?"

Or the "Fish & Chippie One Nationists?"

Or the "Small-Minded Confused Conservatives?"

Or the "Messianic Trumpsters?"

There's heaps of others to add to the list.

We're living in such exciting times.And there's so many choices.

Take your pick.

Don't let sanity prevail.

Let's go for the lunatic-fringe.

Let's divide not unite.

Finger-pointing is more fun.

Let's keep up the "them" and "us" - we know where we
belong and they don't. Never have. Never will!

Yay!

The biggest mistake the Trump Derangement Syndrome crowd make is to assume that Trump is a fool. From that they assume that everything he does is foolish.

Of course, when they see his 'foolish' ideas, like imposing tariffs on Mexico or pressuring Panama over the canal, turn out to achieve exactly what he wanted, they rapidly forget it and move to talk about something else - anything else.

So we move to the Gaza gambit. What has changed since Trump floated his idea? Well suddenly the world, particularly the Arab world, are talking about options and solutions other than the perpetually failing two-state solution - the solution that never solved anything.

Of course, people who have no understanding of the history of this have very firm opinions that they knew what they're talking about. Trump talks about making it the Riviera of the MiddleEast and they mock his idea. But its not his idea. Its been talked about for decades. When Israel handed Gaza over to the Palestinians (another thing that seems to have been gratuitously forgotten) all sorts of groups -including the UN- talked about exactly that. It was considered a great idea then, but as soon as Trump mentions it, it magically becomes bonkers!!

In one swoop, Trump has put the final nail in the coffin of the two-state solution. Everyone is now trying to work out what replaces it.

Trump's playing 3D chess. The rest are reading up on the rules for checkers.

In other Trumpian news, he's signed an Executive Order banning men from competing in women's sports. J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame is, for one, very pleased with the outcome, as are myriad female athletes.

Another iconic image from the era of Trump....
http://tiny.cc/f349001

Trump last week signed an EO that recreated the notion that there are two genders ending the idiocy of the last 5 years....

100,000 years BP - 2020AD .... two genders.
2020 - 2025....47 genders.
2025 - ? .....two genders.

Of course, this lunacy only applied to the left in the west. The rest of the planet never fell for it. Now Trump has put an end to it.

________________________________________________________________

Trump's tariff diplomacy is now so successful that we have Central American nations offering him things he didn't even ask for! El Salvador has offered to house dangerous US criminals in its own jails.

______________________________________________________________________

Elon's DOGE boys are uncovering all sorts of shenanigans in the corrupt old regime. We'd need a new thread to cover all the corruption that's being unearthed but one of the more interesting is the amount of US government funds being secretly funnelled to anti-Trump media - Politico was virtually a fully own subsidiary of the CIA and gigantic sums were being given to the New York Times, and ABC favourite Bill Kristol's never-Trump think tanks

what Trump says must not be taken literally.
The man is unstable.

The Australian government is bound to uphold
international law. If Australia and the international
community cannot prevent the US and Israel from
following through with the so called "Trump Gazan plan"
then international law and a rules-based order will
be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Not going to happen.

There's more evidence that the loony Left here and in the US since Trump's election are “gibbering idiots”.

A Democrat politician state politician has had herself sterilised because she was “scared President Trump might make contraception inaccessible”.

She doesn't want to “ navigate a pregnancy in Donald Trump’s America”.

It has to be recognised, of course, that Laurie Pohutsky might be a bit more loonier than the average Leftist lunatic.

As a bi-sexual, she has probably done everyone a favour, including any child she might have had.

https://politicom.com.au/michigan-democrat-state-legislator-sterilizes-herself-to-avoid-giving-birth-in-donald-trumps-america/

Isn't it funny how some of those things identify as everything else rather than what they are-utterly screwed up unhinged things !

The fear of Trump is driving Leftists battier and battier; assuming to know what the most popular President of all time can and cannot do.

All based on complete ignorance of course, and on the narrow experience of living in Australia under third rate politicians, who have kept Australia in the 1970s and flared trousers.

Australia is now a global outlier, with hopeless leaders who are an embarrassment when compared with Trump. The hysterical Lefties need not fear that our Dad and Dave mob will follow Trump's America. They can remain smug in their stupid, ignorant mindset.

Well, now HAMAS's latest memo; Any Garzan that willingly leaves Garza
will be killed. Anyone else involved in Trumps plan will be killed.
Arab countries don't want them, only HAMAS wants them still in Garza.
After the cease fire ends;
No international contractors would tender for jobs there.
Best solution, bomb all the intact buildings, after suitable warnings
of course.
Then if any Hamas funded improvements then destroy them.
Flood the tunnels with sea water.
HAMAS is imposing a stalled situation.
Just leave Gaza as is as a warning to other terrorists that the Garza
situation is what you will get no matter where you are based.
What Arab country would refund the building of Garza with the
risk of a repeat history, just let them live in the rubble with Hamas.
We owe them nothing, they were happy to cheer on 7/10/23 let them cheer HAMAS.

President Trump is poised to sign an executive order wielding the might of American sanctions against the International Criminal Court. This is to do with the absurd issuing by the ICC of warrants for the Israeli PM and his ex Defence Minister.

The great Selena Zito, one of the first journalists to recognise the the truth about MAGA almost a decade ago, observed back in September 2016 that Trump's supporters take him seriously but not literally, while his opponents take him literally but not seriously.

Foxy said ... "what Trump says must not be taken literally."

Hurrah. She finally gets it. She's finally caught on, or caught up.

Foxy said... "The man is unstable."

oops... and there it goes. For a fleeting moment she understood. But just a fleeting moment.

There's an interesting article from Oxford University
in the UK. Expert comment talks about what
US president's second term might mean to the world?
Some of the issues raised are - "World leaders now
have to take Trump seriously even though quite a
few may have supported Biden or potential Harris.
Now they have to acknowledge a new reality".

"Foreign leaders now have to work with a new leader
who appears to be divisive and they will also have
to assess whether traditional alliances still hold".

"Trump has demonstrated a willingness to break with
conventions. Global leaders will need to balance their
national interests knowing they may not be able to
always rely on US Foreign Policy norms".

We're told that "Trump is now more politically
powerful than ever and that really will shape how
other nations will engage with the US over the next
four years".

There's more at:

http://ox.ac.uk/news/2025-02-05-expert-comment-what-might-president-trump-s-second-term-mean-world

It is interesting, there does not appear to be a serious alternative
put up by anybody.
Hamas seems to want the Garzans to live in the rubble with the rats.
Why won't the Islamic countries put up the money for a rebuild ?
I have not seen any response from Iran. Have I missed it ?
Or do they have worries of their own ? eg attack on their nuke program ?

It all looks like the Islamists have been neutered by one Trump comment.

Hi mhaze,
" We'd need a new thread to cover all the corruption that's being unearthed but one of the more interesting is the amount of US government funds being secretly funnelled to anti-Trump media - Politico was virtually a fully own subsidiary of the CIA and gigantic sums were being given to the New York Times, and ABC favourite Bill Kristol's never-Trump think tanks."

Yes you probably would need a new thread, I tried to tell you all about USAID, the amount of things that have come out already are pretty damning but we all knew the Democrats were up to all sorts of things, Politico - 32m paying money to write anti Trump articles.

.

The Politico scandal

.

Trump wrote on his social media :

« THE LEFT WING ‘RAG,’ KNOWN AS ‘POLITICO,’ SEEMS TO HAVE RECEIVED $8,000,000. Did the New York Times receive money? Who else did? THIS COULD BE THE BIGGEST SCANDAL OF THEM ALL, PERHAPS THE BIGGEST IN HISTORY! THE DEMOCRATS CAN’T HIDE FROM THIS ONE. TOO BIG, TOO DIRTY! » :
http://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113956778707659340

The problem is the Politico scandal was just disinformation spread by “a handful of conservative influencers and others posting their thoughts and conspiratorial webs online, for Musk to see”.

It worked beautifully. Musk launched a new crackdown. The US Department of Agriculture stopped payments. The General Services Administration was ordered to cancel “every single media contract” the agency expenses, including Politico, its subsidiaries, and the BBC :

http://www.vox.com/elon-musk/398699/conspiracy-theory-trump-elon-musk-politico-bbc-ap-usaid-subscription-million

.

.

Trump’s second term is off to a flying start. It's quite entertaining in a way—if it were not so damaging for the people affected by his decisions.

It’s too early to judge what added value they bring to the table, if any. We’ll have to wait until the dust settles to find out.

Hopefully, it will not be too late to reverse the changes if need be.

.

Trump to sign executive order ending the push for paper straws
http://x.com/elonmusk/status/1887886625318818292

http://x.com/wikileaks/status/1887501752213409919
USAID was funding over 6,200 journalists across 707 media outlets and 279 "media" NGOs, including nine out of ten media outlets in Ukraine.

AC, the money the Biden regime gave to Politico and a massive range of other friendly outlets, didn't come from USAID - at least not solely from USAID. For example of the now $34 million given to Politico around $8 million came from USAID. The rest was from a range of other Biden departments including Treasury. Corruption on a grand scale.

It has to be remembered that this is taxpayer funds. At the same time they were telling hurricane victims in North Carolina that funding was tight and what they got was all the government could afford. they were splashing money around friendly media outlets like it was confetti. And all the while blowing the budget and creating massive debt for their grandkids to deal with.

And now we have people like Banjo, relying on other Uniparty friendly media like Vox, trying to tell us there's nothing to see - its all a grand Trumpian conspiracy, dontcha know. Well the actual bucks weren't a fiction and the thing about conspiracy theories over the past few years is that they almost always turn out to be true.

But Banjo has all the terms down pat. Oh its a conspiracy theory. Oh its disinformation. Well these days disinformation is really facts the left would prefer weren't mentioned. But DOGE is mentioning it and they've only just got started

_____________________________________________________________________

".... ending the push for paper straws"

Make milkshakes great again.

There was a funny meme doing the rounds during the LA fires while Governor Newsom was desperately trying to blame anyone other than his government. They story was that he was clutching at straws but realised he'd banned them a few years ago.

"if it were not so damaging for the people affected by his decisions."

Yeah I bet the girls who no longer have to deal with men invading their sport and stealing their medals, glory and funding are really damaged by that decision.

And I bet all the J6 political prisoners who are now free are really sad about Trump's decisions.

And all the small cities in the mid-west who are now seeing their illegal alien invaders rounded up. I bet they've got the sads over that.

And the oil workers and pipeline builders (and the towns that house them) who've now got very real prospects of recovering the jobs Biden yanked from them. They'd definitely be down in the dumps.

and....and... and...

But in the world inhabited by the likes of Banjo, these people are incidental. For Banjo, some people who used to live off the public teat and can longer do that, they're much more important than those deplorables who support Trump and his decisions.

3D chess.

According to Reuters (who hasn't yet been identified as receiving some of Biden's largess), Egypt is trying to form a coalition of Arab states including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE to undertake and fund the rebuilding of Gaza without the need to move the Gazans elsewhere.

They (re)build it - they own it and all the responsibilities that come with that.

Trump wins again.

___________________________________________________________________

Just as an aside to the unending Trump wins, it should also be noted that Netanyahu has been rolling double 6 for quite a while now.

Not long after the 7 October massacre he made a speech saying that once this new conflict was over, the Middle East would look very different and heavily to the advantage of Israel.

Since then...

* Hamas has been all but wiped out and all its original leadership are with their 72 virgins.

* Hezbullah is all but wiped out and all its original leadership and a large portion of its forces, are with Allah. The civil authorities in Lebanon are starting to recover control of their country.

* Assad is no more and Syria, completely denuded of modern weapons won't be a threat to Israel or any of its neighbours for a decade or three,

* the Houthis have been bombed into silence.

* and finally, and most importantly, Iran is cowed. Its aerial defences are obliterated, its overseas empire of terror gone, its missile weapons shown to be no match for Israel's Iron Dome, its economy in disarray.

War is never good for a country. But on the whole 2024 was a pretty good year for Netanyahu and Israel. And with Trump having their back, 2025 is looking even better

More stuff keeps pouring out of the opening up of the Biden regime's books.

People are now reminded that Politico, who we now know was funded to the tune of $34 million minimum, was the goto outlet when the deep state was trying to kill the Hunter Biden laptop facts. Politico was the outlet that first uncritically published the claims of 51 intel agents that the laptop was Russian disinformation. And they continued pushing the story even after it became obviously untenable to do so.

It has been truly pointed out that the Biden kleptocracy started its term by denying that what was on the Hunter laptop was true and ended by given Hunter Biden a pardon for what was on his laptop. And Politico was supportive through the whole sorry process.

______________________________________________________________________

Yesterday the Bureau of Labour announced that they'd overcounted 650,000 jobs supposedly created by the Biden regime. That is there were 650,000 LESS jobs created in 2024 than they claimed leading up to the election.

But wait, there's more. This isn't the first time they've made an adjustment. Earlier in 2024 they admitted they'd overcounted by 850,000.

So in total, they've claimed there were 1.4million more jobs created by the Biden regime than the truth. And that's what we know of so far. There's every chance that the economy the Democrats handed over to Trump is in far worse shape than the regime and the deep state were prepared to acknowledge.

The DOGE boys will be targeting the Bureau of Labour very soon to try to work out if these 'errors' were truly due to monumental incompetence or due to fudging the books to try to save their bacon.

Expect more sh!t to hit the fan.

There's more at the following:

http://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/donald-trump-wins-presidency-thanks-to-lack-of-media-scrutiny,19157

It's natural for a cowed media when facing a president out
for revenge.

Foxy thinks that an article that starts off..."THE RE-ELECTION of Donald Trump – an abomination of a human being" is going to give an unbiased analysis of the reasons behind Trump's victories.

Its sad what TDS has done to Foxy.

That coalition of Arab states that are going to rebuild Gaza better get
a move on because it looks like the cycle is about five years long and
they won't have the job done before Hamas attacks again and Israel
knocks it all down again.

Has Trump been buying shares in a building material company ?

https://www.facebook.com/home.php

Explanatory enough ?

Its sad what TDS has done to Foxy?

What's even sader is America has a bloke meant to be
the most powerful man in the world and who acts like a
twitter troll.

America should put the Trumpster in the Dumpster!

And, Peter Dutton does not for many push the right
buttons.

That's also sad.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

« … of the now $34 million given to Politico around $8 million came from USAID. The rest was from a range of other Biden departments including Treasury. Corruption on a grand scale. »

I have not found any evidence of corruption, mhaze, nor have I found any suggestion by anybody (other than you) that there is evidence of corruption. You say it was “corruption on a grand scale”. How many people were involved ? Who committed the corruption ? Have they been apprehended ? If so, what are the charges ? If you have evidence of the corruption, would you kindly share it with me.

Failing that, mhaze, I’m afraid I can only conclude that there does not appear to have been any corruption of any sort. My understanding is that various government entities subscribed, not to Politico, the digital newspaper, but to Politico Pro, which provides in-depth coverage and information on about a dozen major topics that interest them. Politico Pro does not receive any government subsidies. The large majority of clients are from the private sector.

According to an article on foxnews.com, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is quoted as having declared :

« … any government funding Politico had been receiving will end as President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cracks down on spending.

I can confirm that the more than $8 million taxpayer dollars that have gone to, essentially, subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers dime, will no longer be happening »

Leavitt refers to the subscriptions as “subsidies”, but they were payments for specific services requested and received by the government entities that outsourced them. All such work that is ordered and performed to the satisfaction of the client merits payment and is not a subsidy. It is payment for services rendered.

Leavitt made no suggestion that there had been any “corruption on a grand scale”, mhaze.

Politico issued this note to its readers :

http://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/06/politico-note-to-readers-00202917

The CEO of Politico’s parent company wrote this to Trump :

http://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/06/media/mathias-dopfner-fareed-zakaria-politico/index.html

.

Same old Banjo.

Defines 'corruption' in a very narrow sense and then says he can't see any.

But there's all sorts of corruption possible. In this case it was multitudinous payments from all sorts of government entities to all sorts of media in the expectation that favourable coverage would follow.

If businessman 'B' gave monies to parliamentarian 'P' in the expectation that 'P' would vote in the right way when 'B' required it, it may not be corruption in the legal sense. But it corrupts the good governance of the nation.

Same here. Taxpayer monies were passed to media for reasons that had nothing to do with benefiting the public. Corruption of good governance. In the case of the deep state they got amply repaid through Politico's subservient repeating of deep state talking points vis a vis the Hunter laptop, as just one of myriad examples.

" It is payment for services rendered."

And the services rendered were grovelling repetition of deep state talking points.

Your quotes from Leavitt are four days old. Things are moving much faster than that so the $8 million figure is wildly out-of-date.

see below.

Comparing the Liberals with Labor: Dutton with Albanese; listening to what one politician says about an opposing politician, is all a waste of time.

Both major parties are rubbish. What they are thought of was evident from their low first preference votes at the last election.

Globally, traditional parties seem to have had the stick. Minority government looms for Australia, too.

Only main-party politicians tell us how bad minority government is for the obvious reason that they want as much control over us as they can get.

People on the right fear a Green-Labor minority government. There small party options that are not Green. If we do have a minority government this year, it can be a Dutton minority government rather than a Albanese minority government. We just have to vote for the lesser of two evils these days.

For an insight as to what's really happening with DOGE and how the entire deep state apparatus is being upended, this article is fascinating ....

http://tiny.cc/omb9001

One of the things I find interesting is that its always been assumed that innovations like AI would become tools for the bureaucracy to control even more of our life. Few saw it as a way to tear the bureaucratic state down.

Every day the claims that Trump is authoritarian become more laughable.

Not everyone is laughing.

One time Liberal politician Richard Alston says that the biggest loser of the Trump election was not Kamala Harris, but Xi Jinping. The US Navy Is still the biggest in the world, and Trump is not going to tolerate the CCP's shenanigans in the South China Sea and the threats to Taiwan.

Economically, China is lumbering on,while the US goes “from strength to strength”.

As leaders, Trump has had many years experience in private enterprise in the building and construction sector, making billions, while Xi is just a “machine politician” who has worked his way up the greasy pole, “never having to earn a living in private enterprise”.

We have one like that here.

And while the Leftists think Trump is no good because of personal flaws, they forget one of their own, Bob Hawke who was flawed to hell, but nevertheless, a helluva of a good Prime Minister.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

« Banjo … defines 'corruption' in a very narrow sense .. »
.

I did not do that, mhaze, you did. You wrote “corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury”, not just someone doing something for someone else in the hope that the latter would return the compliment.

“You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours” is a social practice we inherited from our common ancestors with the chimpanzees. Most of us continue to exhibit that instinct. It is a cooperative way of living together harmoniously in society. It has nothing to do with corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury”.

Elon Musk also claimed that The New York Times had received "tens of millions" from the U.S. government over the past five years.

Newsweek's Fact Check team found that the claim is based on faulty research. It quoted a search of U.S. government spending that included unrelated organizations. An accurate search reveals that U.S. government agencies spent about $1.6 million over the past five years on The New York Times services, almost entirely on subscriptions.

The New York Times confirmed that it has received no federal grants and that subscriptions have been bought for decades under Democratic and Republican administrations, including the first Trump administration. That revenue earned from federal subscriptions amounts to "less than 1/1000th of what we take in annually."

Perhaps the next media outlet to come under Musk’s team of brilliant young geeks will be Fox News.

I’d be interested to hear what you think of that possibility, mhaze – but take your time – when you’ve stopped laughing will be fine.

Here is the Newsweek Fact Check article :

http://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-us-government-did-not-give-new-york-times-tens-millions-2027981

.

Trump needs to sack more bureaucrats.

Anti-Trump bureaucrats are working to sabotage the Trump Administration’s efforts to rid America of criminal aliens. They have been giving advanced warnings to illegals in Los Angeles, which is one of the first places targeted.

This is not the first time stackable scumbags on the public purse have warned illegal criminals of coming raids. They are warning actual members of criminal gangs.

Some devotion to their country and employer!

Trump will have to get even tougher, with public servants and judges working against him. It is highly likely that people supposed to be serving America are in the pay of criminal gangs who came across the border illegally. Why else would they want to protect foreign criminals? The border force itself needs a good look at.

Banjo,

Again with the narrow definition. No one is saying that there were secret payments under the table, brown envelopes etc. No one is saying that there ought to be prosecutions for theft.

You rely on these claims to then regurgitate the legacy media's talking points, who hope to convince people that there is nothing to see. They'll be grateful to know that in your case it worked.

You rely on the fact that most of the money was subscriptions as though its decisive. But you've utterly missed the point. These inappropriate subscriptions were the means the funds were passed to organizations like Politico, Associated Press and NYT.

When you have one government department with 141 $12000/yr subscriptions to Politico, you know something smells.

These massive levels of subscriptions exploded in 2021-2022 and coincided with the medias efforts to assist the Democrats. I've already mentioned Politico's role in suppressing the Hunter Laptop facts. There are ex Politico journalists report they had stories unfavourable to the Democrats killed by Politico management.

And we know how helpful the NYT was in keeping a lid on Biden's growing incapacity, running, for example, a series of articles trying to debunk videos showing his decline.

Again these subsidies disguised as subscriptions that exploded in 2021-22 went to friendly media. You won't be surprised therefore that little went to Fox. Well not you but someone who isn't blinded by TDS.

Just because the subscriptions weren't illegal doesn't mean they weren't corrupt. Strange that that would go over your head.

As to the volume of funds that went to the NYT, Newsweek, creating smoke-screens, is working off old data. The DOGE algorithms are finding links that aren't apparent in the standard government databases that Newsweek uses. Monies that were filtered through third parties are now being uncovered. And multitudinous NYT subsidiaries are being conflated eg the NYT Education Dept!!.

Put your hands over your eyes and declare you can't see anything if you wish. But the facts are clear and the funds have stopped and those that supped at the taxpayer trough are screaming at their losses.

And the news keeps getting worse for the US deep state.

Musk now reveals that Treasury official have confirmed that AT LEAST $100 billion (with a 'B') gets paid annually to people who don't have a Social Security Number or any other recognised ID. Of that, they confirm that AT LEAST $50 Billion is fraudulent with the status of the other $50B unknown.

They knew about this but did nothing because their main concern was not to rock the boat and refusing payments to people potentially rocked the boat.

that's now stopped.

Note: this is BEFORE the DOGE boys have run the numbers through their algorithms. Expect that number to rise substantially.

Musk said he'd find savings on $1 Trillion (with a 'T') and probably $2 Trillion. Its looking like that job might be easier than thought.

________________________________________________________________

Australia isn't the US and the Australian system isn't the US system. But bureaucracy is bureaucracy. One wonders what would be found if the same type of AI algorithms were run through the Australian data

It is good for Americans that Trump is hopping into USAID, which has been using their tax dollars to aid drag Queens and other overseas perverts, and other crap in countries who hate America:

. DEI in Serbia
. A transgender opera Columbia
. Sex-”changing" in Guatemala
. Irrigation for opium poppies in Afghanistan
. Meals for al Qaeda-related terrorists in Syria,

just to name a few of the abuses of US taxpayers’ money.

Let's hope that a Dutton government has a good hard look at where and what for our foreign aid is used.

And some on this forum don't want Australia to send
aid to women and children in Gaza.

Sad really.

Sad really.
Foxy,
Yes it is very sad but with the benefit of hindsight it is also looking into the future !

There is no future for those who don't get aid.

Not wanting to send aid via UNWRA isn't the same as not wanting to send aid.

Its a concept that some find difficult to fathom.

There are many concepts that some find difficult
to understand therefore they deny them because only
they know the "truth"and they're never wrong.

Truth,
Foxy,
There are many truths. The truths in that conflict of stupidity are the truths that any help will be redirected to more sabotage which in turn will lead to more reprisals resulting in more suffering for the innocent & those claiming to be innocent !
Good will has been rejected for longer than anyone has ever been alive so, it's about time this rejection gets dealt with in the only way it will be understood by those taking good will for granted ! Step 1, close their support bases in the Western countries !

"only they know the "truth" and they're never wrong."

I don't think its right to say that there are people who are never wrong.

Struth, even I've been known to make the odd error. I think the last one was in 2017, although I could be wrong about that.

mhaze,

Is Trump ever wrong?

"Is Trump ever wrong?"

Of course he is.

For example, he used to be a registered Democrat.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

« Just because the subscriptions weren't illegal doesn't mean they weren't corrupt. »
.

Right. So all you need to do now, Maze, is prove your claim that the subscriptions represented “corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury” and send us the details so that we can check it out.

Please provide.

.

"Not wanting to send aid via UNWRA isn't the same as not wanting to send aid.
Its a concept that some find difficult to fathom."

How exactly if you're sending milk, break, meat, vegetables and medicine.
Hamas is the government, you're sending aid to them.

You can't say we want to send aid to Palestinians, but we want Hamas to have nothing to do with it.
Can't have your cake and eat it too sorry.

Either you send aid to those in need, or you don't simple.

"So all you need to do now, Maze, is prove your claim that the subscriptions represented “corruption on a grand scale"

Already done. A massive number of massively overpriced subscriptions to bulletins that told these agencies what they already knew represented an under-the-table way of passing taxpayer monies to friendly news organisations to ensure they remained friendly. I've already given several examples of how those friendly news organisations repaid the favour.

Banjo, I get that there is no level of evidence that will convince you of the corruption this involved so it'd be futile to find more and more examples.

But ask yourself this.... if this was all so above-board, why did they go to such lengths to hide it and why are they trying very hard now through the courts to suppress it?

The most enjoyable part of all this is that its only just begun and the mental gymnastics that people like you have to go through to try to convince someone, including yourself, that it was innocent, is a marvel to behold.

mhaze,

Two words:

Go Away!

America needs you!

We don't!

AC,

I said I wanted to cut UNWRA out of the loop but you somehow read that as wanting to cut Hamas out of the loop. Huh!! !

But Hamas is no long the government. Hamas is merely a band of thugs that are armed against a disarmed citizenry. Sure, they steal a lot of the stuff that is meant for their fellow Gazans but tht doesn't mean they have a right to the goods meant for their fellow Gazans.

Aid can easily be distributed via other agencies that AREN'T attached to the corrupt UN.

mhaze,

Still buying the propaganda.

So sad.

Go Trumpster!

Go away!

“Generally, when auditors find that an organization’s accounting system makes errors easy to commit and difficult to spot, they assume the system is designed that way because it is intended to facilitate fraud.
Maybe that’s not true here. Maybe the federal government is simply incompetent.

If that’s the case, though, then maybe it shouldn’t get so much of our money. ”

http://tiny.cc/8pk9001

"the Social Security Administration has no mechanism to prevent duplicate Social Security numbers from being issued — “which further enables MASSIVE FRAUD!!”

Fraud? incompetence? Whatever. Changes will be made.

Again, one wonders what would happen if the same forensic audit was done on the Australian Federal system.

____________________________________________________________

Foxy,
Throwing a tantrum is never a good look.

mhaze,

Neither is stooping to personal attacks.

Go away!

.

Dear mhaze,

.

I asked you to prove your claim that the subscriptions represented “corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury” and send us the details so that we could check it out.
.

You did not post a single link to your information source to allow us to check and evaluate it.

I have searched the internet and have not found any mention whatsoever of what you claim to be “corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury”.

You alone, mahaze, have made that claim and as "mhaze" is a pseudo whose authority on such matters I am unable to verify. Whatever you say about your own claim does not qualify as proof.

To claim that subscriptions to major US media outlets represent “corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury” is a grave accusation that Trump and his administration would not have failed to exploit a maximum if it were true, both in the media and before the courts.

Given your evasive responses and lack of concrete proof, mhaze, I suggest you calm down and cease your wild accusations.

Let Trump and his boys carry on with their extensive spring-cleaning operation and we’ll make our judgments after the dust settles and we are able to see more clearly.

I understand the last time it was done was 32 years ago by Bill Clinton in 1993. The review lasted six months and made 384 recommendations to improve the federal bureaucracy. At the time, Clinton signed a bill that offered federal workers buyouts of up to $25,000 to reduce the workforce.

He is reported to have terminated 377,000 federal employees during his term of office.

Elon Musk and his team of brilliant young geeks will probably do it faster with the help of AI.

Whether they do it better or not, quantitatively and qualitatively, remains to be seen.

.

Let's have a look at Albanese's authoritarian, buy definitely not popular, achievements:

. Biggest decline in real wages in the developed world (- 8.7%)
. 7 consecutive quarters of per capita recession
. Over a million immigrants in 2 years. 70% then in any other two year period
. Devastating housing crisis caused by above
. Food costs up 12%.
. Housing costs up 14%
. Rents up 17%
. Electricity up 32%
. Gas up 34%
. Productivity down by 6%
. 27,000 business gone
. 36,000 new federal employees $16 billion per year

And, it seems that he will not be achieving much with Donald Trump, who has accused Australia of breaking a verbal agreement to reduce steel and aluminium imports to America.

Albanese has been accused of mishandling the situation; he has been described as a “rookie” and being “naive” for thinking that one phone call might have solved any trade problems we might have with the US. He has been advised to get tips from Joe Hockey, who knows and understands the President.

Albanese and his chums are not the people we need to get satisfactory deals on trade.

“Tariffs are the greatest thing ever invented,’ Trump recently told the crowd at a campaign stop in Michigan. ‘The most beautiful world in the English language is tariff…”. (Donald Trump)

Our apologies for leaders remain ideologically stuck in the 80s and early 90s when questions about trade policy were supposedly solved for all time. We allow close to 100 percent of Chinese manufactured goods to be imported duty free.

So long as that continues, our country will never have a serious manufacturing industry.

Banjo,

I get that there is no level of evidence that will get you to admit that this was corruption. You don't want it to be so and thus, in your world it isn't so.

But in my world, a government surreptitiously passing gigantic funds to friendly media in order to get favourable reportage from said media, is government corruption. That's the evidence that you are averting your eyes from seeing.

And not just favourable reporting but reporting designed to alter electoral outcomes by censoring, willingly self-censoring, information unfavourable to the ruling elite that was surreptitiously passing on taxpayer funds.

You don't want to call that corruption then so be it. But if that's not corruption then the word has no meaning.

http://tiny.cc/bxo9001

Corruption all the way down.

"So long as that continues, our country will never have a serious manufacturing industry."

So lets say Australia created a 100% tariff on Chinese imports.
Australians would have to pay double for everything, so that overpriced Australian goods can hopefully become a cheaper and more competitive option.

Tell me do you think Aussies can make a better toaster for a $15 retail price than this $7.50 one from Kmart?

http://www.kmart.com.au/product/2-slice-toaster-white-42663881/

All you are doing is making Aussies pay more for everything (Robbing the wallets of consumers) so that a few workers on the dole get a job in a factory making an item that we can still barely compete with foreigners with.

There won't be any profits based on the higher cost of rent, wages and electricity but you may place a few people in jobs.

If there is no items that we can realistically compete with China with anyway, what's even the point?
The nation's consumers lose.

And who are we creating the jobs for anyway, Albo and his million immigrants to gain what - a little bit of income tax when the government wastes billions anyway.

The whole thing is a shiteshow.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You wrote :

« I get that there is no level of evidence that will get you to admit that this was corruption … but in my world … that's the evidence … »
.

There lies the problem, mhaze – your problem. You are too quick to condemn.

As you declare, “in [your] world … that’s the evidence”, but “[your] world” is the world as you perceive and interpret it through the lens of your personal preconceptions, beliefs and experiences.

[Your world] is precisely that. It is your world, mhaze, and it is unique.

Reality is different. Reality is “that which exists, independent of ideas concerning it”.

What seems evident to you is not proof, mhaze. Proof requires a far greater degree of certainty than the so-called evidence that you present. Proof sends people to the gallows – and even at that level of certainty, terrible mistakes sometimes later come to light.

I asked you to prove your claim that the subscriptions represented “corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury” and send us the details so that we could investigate.

In your last post, you indicate as evidence: “a government surreptitiously passing gigantic funds to friendly media in order to get favourable reportage from said media, is government corruption” – which you accuse me of considering to be : “evidence that [I am] averting [my] eyes from seeing”.

Please be assured, mhaze, that I examined your so-called evidence scrupulously. The “government” was USAID (an independent US government agency). The payments were not “surreptitious”. They were done normally. And as for the “gigantic funds”, it appears they were not quite so “gigantic” :

http://thedispatch.com/article/fact-check-politico-usaid-funding/

You also imply that dealing with “friendly media” rather than “hostile media” is an incriminating factor “in order to get favourable reportage”. That’s a grave accusation, mhaze, that necessitates irrefutable proof.

Instead of irrefutable proof, you simply insinuate that there has been foul play.

But I don’t expect you to take my word for it, mhaze. Perhaps you might like to obtain the professional opinion of a reputable independent lawyer.

.

Banjo,

We both know that there is no level of evidence that you'd accept as proof. Struth, you can't even identify what level of proof you'd accept!!

Struth again, you can't even offer a definition of what you consider corruption to be which makes demonstrating it, let alone proving it, tad difficult, n'est pas?

The fact that no one can prove that the third planet in the Proxima Centauri system isn't made of strawberry yoghurt doesn't prove it is.

That the obvious corruption of the USAID funding of supposedly independent media around the world can't be shown to a level that satisfies your undefined standards, doesn't show there was no corruption.

There's all sorts of ways to view it. The fact that they tried, and are still trying, to hide it from the American public is proof enough to my mind that it was corrupt and they know it was corrupt.

Thankfully the corruption has now been bought to an end. Hopefully the corrupt organisations will follow suit.

Americans are getting madder by the day as all this info comes out.
(Warning - p's and q's)
http://x.com/ever_e_mann/status/1889870252982595839
http://x.com/elonmusk/status/1889842156627697897

Hi mhaze,

I know you don't like Berletic, but he's not that bad.

A Look at the USAID Limited Hangout: Sharpening, Not Dismantling US Regime Change Abroad
http://www.youtube.com/live/jefH3P79lwE

.

Dear mhaze,

.

I’m sorry for disappointing you.

But you must prove your claim (that “the subscriptions represented corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury”) to such a degree that there is no reasonable doubt left in the mind of a rational person, juror or judge.

That is known in law as the principle of “beyond a reasonable doubt”. It is the highest level of certainty. It requires near absolute certainty. While some legal scholars and practitioners have attempted to assign a numerical value to the standard, such as 99% certainty, there is no consensus or official metric to quantify it but, at least, it does give you an idea of the high quality and standard of the proof required.

The object of such a high level of proof is to uphold the presumption of innocence and protect individuals from wrongful convictions.

As I indicated in the detailed analysis of the evidence you posted on this thread (cf., my previous post), “instead of irrefutable proof, you simply insinuate that there has been foul play”. That, I’m afraid, is grossly insufficient.

If you continue to have any doubt about that, mhaze, allow me, once again, to suggest that you obtain the professional opinion of a reputable independent lawyer.

.

In the early hours of Sunday Australian time, Trump's deadline for the release of all Israel hostages runs out, and we will see if his “all hell will break loose", if they are not released, was bluff and bluster or real.

"But you must prove your claim (that “the subscriptions represented corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury”) to such a degree that there is no reasonable doubt left in the mind of a rational person, juror or judge."

Why?

Sit down while you read this, but OLO isn't a court of law. One of those 'O's stands for 'opinion'. And its my opinion, based on the balance of probabilities, that this was outright corruption of the supposedly 'independent' media. Its also my opinion that you know that and are trying desperately to find some way of denying it.

“Matt Perna went inside the capital amidst of a giant crowd. He had no weapons. He entered through an open door in the middle of a large crowd on 2:20 and he left at 2:58. He stayed within the velvet ropes. He touched nothing. He broke nothing. He hurt no one. He took nothing.”

He was informed by a friend there was a wanted picture of him on an FBI website. He CALLED his local FBI office and turned himself in.

He was initially charged with two misdemeanors (1) knowingly entering a restrictive ground or building (2) disorderly conduct on capital grounds. This was his first encounter with the law.

He was arrested. Facebook and Instagram disabled his accounts, have they disabled Diddy’s yet? The media ran hit piece after hit piece. He was smeared, bullied and defamed every single day.

On January 22, 2021, he was charged with an additional felony which was obstruction of an official proceeding. A change the DOJ knew they couldn’t prove. A statute that didn’t apply. This was ultimately thrown out by the Supreme Court.

His girlfriend left him. After that Matt was depressed and anxious. The DOJ cancelled hearings, they kept delaying and searching for more evidence. Month after the month the prosecution continued to stall, they continued to say they were looking for more evidence and Judge Bates allowed it.

The DOJ came back and offered Matt Perna 6-12 months and he entered into a guilty plea. Judge Bates set the sentencing hearing out two more months. As time continued Matt got more and more depressed and anxious and afraid.

Right before the 7 year anniversary of his mother’s death, his lawyer called and said they are adding a terrorism enhancement which would make his sentence end up being 41-72 months.

Three days later he hung himself."

"In the early hours of Sunday Australian time, Trump's deadline for the release of all Israel hostages runs out, and we will see if his “all hell will break loose", if they are not released, was bluff and bluster or real."

I think he knows the Palestinians won't give them all up so freely.
Trumps stupid, it's HIS ceasefire deal which only originally called for 3 hostages to be released on Saturday.
He changed his own deal.

I think he's giving Bibi an out to start bombing the Palestinians again which was a deal Bibi made with his right wing counterparts, that the deal would never reach stage 2.

Everything changed in regards to the Ukraine war in the last 24 hours as well.
It seems Kelloggs out and Steve Witkoff is in as Trumps head negotiator.
He's the one who made Bibi sign the ceasefire agreement.
He flew to Moscow and spent 3 and a half hours in discussions before the Trump Putin call.
It wasn't just Ukraine on the agenda.
It was many many different issues.
Game over for Zelensky.

Trump never said he wanted all the hostages released, just all the ones that had been promised that Hamas were threatening to withhold.

They've now caved and agreed to continue to abide by the ceasefire.

Trump wins again. And Hamas now knows the consequences of trying to change the rules half way through. They either tow the line Trump has set for them or face further decimation.

I don't think they were the ones trying to break the agreement.
As I understand it, the reason they were threatening to not release hostages was because they considered Israel to have already broken it, and they were responding to that issue.
Not sure the full details.

Paid to Lie

Did any of you ever notice that when different western news media in different countries discussed a particular topic, lets say Russia or Trump for example, they all seemed to be reading from the same script and in lock step?

Like for example

Russia is going to invade Western Europe

They were all being paid to lie by USAID.

The people telling the truth were always quickly labelled as

'spreading Russian propaganda' - as the lies must be reinforced.

They said 'Trump is a danger to democracy'
But only because Trump was to dismantle their world of lies.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

I wrote : « "But you must prove your claim (that “the subscriptions represented corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury”) … »

And you ask : « Why ? »
.

Because that’s a very grave accusation that you should not make without proof – or, at least, good solid facts to back it up.

You obviously don’t. All you have done so far is insinuate that there has been foul play.

The fact is neither you nor I nor even Trump and his brilliant young geeks can prove it. They have not made the slightest effort to investigate it, and probably never will. Even if they did, it’s extremely difficult to prove. The best they could do was to insinuate it – which you not only relayed but even amplified as “corruption on a grand scale”.

Insinuation is not proof, mhaze – whether it be on this OLO Forum or elsewhere – and, in addition, there is a very real risk that such grave accusations could end up one day in a court of law.

All we know right now is that various US government entities paid huge sums of money to a company called Politico Pro – which is not the Politico news and opinion website based in Virginia, USA that we are familiar with.

Politico Pro is a subscription-based service for professionals, such as lobbyists analysts, and others which provides policy intelligence coverage on technology, energy, and other sectors.

Since it was launched in 2010, many departments of US government entities have outsourced work to Politico Pro. It is impossible to determine whether the payments respected the US Bona Fide Need Rule (31 USC, Section 1502) and were justified or not. That would require a thorough investigation by a team of auditors and experts in the domains concerned.

There is no suggestion, and most unlikely, that the Trump administration intends to do that.

« The 'independent' media is [not] trying desperately to find some way of denying it » as you pretend, mhaze.

It's a vast operation of Trump propaganda.

.

"It's a vast operation of Trump propaganda."

I think you need to prove that beyond reasonable doubt.

.

That's just the way I interpret it, mhaze.

I submit the show in Trump's office in the White House with Elon Musk and his son the X Factor as evidence.

Enjoy your weekend,

.

"That's just the way I interpret it, mhaze."

Oh its your opinion?

See how that works?

.

Dear mhaze,

.

I have never left sight of it.

Some opinions can get you into trouble.

Better be careful !

.

The story I heard last week, that $8 million per year was spent on Politico Pro, totaling 30m and staff are now not being paid their salaries or something, but that's not the only media USAID were funding.
http://youtu.be/YHiGZznA9o4

There seems to be a lot of he says / she says atm.
It's hard to know what's true for every individual claim.

So Banjo,

My opinions need to be proven beyond reasonable doubt while your opinions should be accepted as just your interpretation.

Ever thought of a little self-reflection?

.

Dear mhaze,

.

It's not a question of whose opinion it is, yours, mine, or somebody else’s.

It’s a question of what that opinion expresses, how it is expressed, the context in which it is expressed and the effect it may have on others who may not see it as an opinion at all.

Some may see it as fact, information of which they were not aware, and act on it – perhaps violently and with dramatic consequences.

What you wrote was :

« the subscriptions represented corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury »

That does not appear to be expressing an opinion. It appears to be a statement of fact. It is a serious accusation of a major offence.

What I wrote was :

« It's a vast operation of Trump propaganda ».

That also appears to be a statement of fact.

It was my interpretation of the same events based on my detailed analysis of the facts, and the elaborate public presentation filmed on TV from Trump’s office in the White House of the “extraordinary expenses” uncovered by Elon Musk’s team of brilliant young geeks. The fact that neither Trump nor Musk made the slightest allusion to corruption of any sort, gave the event an air of propaganda.

The point is not who said what, mhaze. I’m happy for you to be saying what I said and vice versa. But I think it’s important to see the difference between the form and significance of the two statements.

Both could be understood as statements of fact, but the former is ill-founded and could have dire consequences, whereas the risk of that occurring with the latter is negligible.

To me, that makes all the difference

.

Vance gave the Europeans a serious dressing down.
More or less called them all a bunch of out of control authoriatarians.
Worth the watch, great speech.

Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks at the Munich Security Conference
http://www.youtube.com/live/pCOsgfINdKg

Banjo,

Ya gotta be kidding.

According to you, your opinion, stated as though its a fact is okey-dokey because it is, IN YOUR OPINION, a fact, whereas my opinion stated as a fact, is not OK because, IN YOUR OPINION, its not a fact.

I wish I could explain to you how bonkers that it, but I don't think you'd get it.

Your opinions are fact and my facts are opinion!! !! Struth.

____________________________________________________________________

AC,

Yes, a glorious speech. Quite possibly the best heard in Europe since Reagan's 'tear down this wall' speech.

JJ Vance is also a politician who relishes being interviewed by Leftists media activists and Leftist hecklers.

We don’t have those sorts of politicians in Australia: who, unlike Vance, don’t just stop while the heckling stops, then start again: and if the heckling starts again, have the balls to tell the interview he or she has no control over the audience.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

You declared :

« The subscriptions represented corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury »
.

When pressed to provide proof of that declaration, you indicated that it was based on the following evidence :

« … in my world, a government surreptitiously passing gigantic funds to friendly media in order to get favourable reportage from said media, is government corruption. »

To which I replied : “Instead of irrefutable proof, you simply insinuate that there has been foul play. That, I’m afraid, is grossly insufficient.”

Your response was : « … it’s my opinion, based on the balance of probabilities, that this was outright corruption of the supposedly 'independent' media. »

So, your initial declaration, that you had expressed as an established fact – and vigorously defended as such right throughout this lengthy discussion – was merely an opinion.

I find that extremely misleading and highly regrettable.

All too often, some posters here on OLO express their opinions as though they were expressing established facts. There is no clear indication of whether they are expressing facts or opinions. It is impossible to distinguish between the two.

Whereas I wrote : « It's a vast operation of Trump propaganda » as a logical conclusion of the technical elements I indicated, rendering it impossible to prove corruption in the absence of a thorough detailed investigation, backed up by the fact that neither Trump nor Musk made the slightest allusion to corruption of any sort during their TV “show” in Trump’s office in the White House.

You can bet your boots that if there had been “corruption on a grand scale … including Treasury” as you claim, both Trump and Musk would have been jumping up and down and shouting it from the rooftops for all the world to see – and Trump would have immediately sued Biden and his administration in every court in the land, including the supreme court if necessary – shouting “lock him up !”.

.

Well Banjo, you've dug yourself into an inescapable hole, trying to claim that your opinions don't need to be proven beyond reasonable doubt while mine do.

I think I'll leave you there.

.

Dear mhaze,

.

The fact that you have a reasonable doubt about my conclusion is not surprising – given that I have expressed a reasonable doubt about your opinion.

It will be interesting to see how things work out in the long run.

These exchanges have been quite fruitful, mhaze. I appreciate your contribution.

Many thanks.

.

Dear Banjo,

I admire your civility and patience.

I'm finding it more and more
difficult to respond to posters who
do not present an accurate and full picture on
issues. Be it on Donald Trump, Israel and Palestine,
or country histories. It would certainly help if they
gleaned their information from reputable sources.
Unfortunately, they're incapable of doing that and
only present selective, narrow, and limited views.

Thank you for continuing to post and keeping things
balanced and on track.

It is greatly appreciated.

WOW! What a turn up for the books, Trump is now calling Ukrainian President Zelenskyy a dictator, as he sidelines Ukraine and Europe in the Russian Ukrainian War. Where are all the Forums Trumpeters now, as Dangerous Doctor Donald cosies up to that "Man Of Democracy" Putin. Yes these Trumpsters such as mhaze, were all gung-ho with Ukraine good, Russia bad, all the time they were singing the praises of their folk hero Donald. Well seems Donald is prepared to sacrifice Ukraine to Putin, provide he, sorry America, get a cut of the action with all those soon to be Russian lovely Ukrainian resources.

A BIG TICK to Foxy as the only poster here, who was pointing out how bad both Putin and Trump were. Foxy, I expect the Kudos Kid to be along shortly to sprinkle you with his wonderful pixie dust. Plus there will be heaps of adulation from Indy, mhaze and ttbn.

Dear Paul,

It's not easy trying to clarify and understand the history
of any issue, both in the past and in the present. My
father, an academic) taught me to question inherited assumptions.
He wanted me to find out for myself and set the historical
record straight