Politics

[Tundra Tiger]

Everyone has to play by the rules they have to play by. Like I or not Elon has his own set of rules.

I have not heard any value or finances tied to Musk doing what he is doing for DOGE. He is a friend of the president, and was given the ability to be involved in the government.

He can't be bought, obviously has zero regard for anyone having anything that can be held over him.

Like him or not, he is doing what he is doing because of the circumstances in his life that brought him where he is today.

1. The Biden administration absolutely screwed with him and his companies daily. Other companies would get more money out of the deal #Boeing Strarliner for instance. Or not be held to any kind of standard. Space X got fined several hundred thousand dollars for dumping distilled water on the ground.

2. His kid got tricked into allowing a doctor to transition his older boy.

3. Any value Musk brings to the table is 100% his, he didn't get it off some political feat or bureaucratic dance. He is 100% self made. Multiple times over since he was a child.

4. His companies have been devalued by billions since he supported the president.

I don't care what he wears. He isn't a politician, he is there to fix things. Make things better for everyone on the planet.

If I was the president, I would feel the same as I do today. I would be so thankful that Elon Musk is involved with this government, he could show up in shorts and flip-flops and a tank top and I would welcome him with loving arms.

I have zero issue with Musk. I just happen to see the parallel with the comment about attire on a public stage and Zelensky. And while we're at it, Fetterman has been much more reasonable than I would have guessed since being elected, but someone still needs to school him about dressing for the job, IMHO.

 

[Muskox]

I have zero issue with Musk. I just happen to see the parallel with the comment about attire on a public stage and Zelensky. And while we're at it, Fetterman has been much more reasonable than I would have guessed since being elected, but someone still needs to school him about dressing for the job, IMHO.

I voted in New Mexico (so blue, so sad nothing can be done). So I didn't vote for Fetterman. Yes he needs to put on his big boy pants at some point. But he isn't as bad as I thought he was.

 

[Wheels]

Interesting perspective and good article by Hemingway on the Trump/Zelensky meeting.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1895872853930545214

 

[Brent in Az]

Petition to recall Maine Governor reaches 22,000 signatures

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Good.
I DO thank the Republican Congress. I’m tired of bailing out Europe, war, and debt. Until Russia and China are at the Mexican or Canadian border I don’t really give a flying flip in a rolling donut what or whom they fornicate with.

The problem with the basis of that mentality as I see it is that the bombed out city’s when your finally willing to fight become your own. If we have to fight a war I’d far rather leave the mess in someone else’s door yard. Their still plowing unexploded ordnance out of fields in France from ww1 and 2 there are untold millions of abandoned land mines on the world but there all in someone else’s back field currently.

 

[ActionBob]

Musk is not a president of a nation.

And Musk is donating his very valuable time! Not looking for Billions of dollars of hand outs....

 

[ActionBob]

Petition to recall Maine Governor reaches 22,000 signatures

How many are needed?

 

[ActionBob]

Interesting perspective and good article by Hemingway on the Trump/Zelensky meeting.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1895872853930545214

Great points. Well worth having a look.

 

[Neophyte]

The problem with the basis of that mentality as I see it is that the bombed out city’s when your finally willing to fight become your own. If we have to fight a war I’d far rather leave the mess in someone else’s door yard. Their still plowing unexploded ordnance out of fields in France from ww1 and 2 there are untold millions of abandoned land mines on the world but there all in someone else’s back field currently.

Meh.

 

[Red Leg]

The conscripts of Ukraine are being taken from their homes as soon as they turn 18 and forced to fight. Maybe younger. Ukraine is hemorrhaging young men to the meat grinder.

American tax payers have something like 300,000,000,000 USD in this war. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crew8y7pwd5o

Every American alive today has personally spent $1000 for this meat grinder in Ukraine.

I spent 20 years in the military, and fought in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo. I am pretty much over this BS of paying for wars just so the military industrial complex can get richer.

People say things with such absolute certainty. The minimum draft age in Ukraine is actually 27. Ukraine is considering lowering it to 25.

As for the so called military industrial complex we have provided exactly 106 billion to Ukraine over three years. The $500 billion dollar lie Trump first told or the $350 billion lie he told to Zelensky's face were wrong by 5x and 3X respectively. Then again, maybe our president really doesn't know.

The vast majority of the military portion of that was for refurbishment and transport of our moth-balled equipment and munitions - much of which we would have to eventually demil at significant costs. No major defense corporation was getting rich off of that relatively tiny investment. I should remind that is from a country that spent over 6 trillion dollars just last year. That is a place where I would suggest we might want to look for savings (thank you Elon).

Many of us in this dialogue served. My nation's critical national interests have never been more important to me.

 

[Brent in Az]

How many are needed?

None. It is purely a symbolic gesture against the governor's policies.
Maine is one of 30 states that does not have the legal provisions to recall a Governor.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Meh.

Meh? You like the sight of amputated children running around who’s only crime is playing out side?

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

I’m not sure why it would matter what the draft age is ? When there is a foreign invasion every able bodied man should fight to defend his country. I personally don’t understand why other nations except young able bodied men as refugees.

 

[Wheels]

Good article by VDH regarding Trump/Zelensky.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1895892571664343159

 

[Scott CWO]

I found it absolutely wonderful that the little guy with the bad clothes was having none of Trump or Vance's sanctimonious BS - "I am for the world!" Seriously!?! Putin invades Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people, led by Zelensky, have the courage to fight the invader to a standstill. Therefore, they are responsible for courting World War III. Putin and Lavrov must be laughing to tears between vodka shots. I think they should award Trump a Hero of the Motherland award. Thank God a large number of republican senators aren't complete Trump sycophants.

I think it is worth reflection that the two places that will see these clips played the most will be MAGA world sites and Russian State TV.

Apparently, they are still negotiating - maybe a win/win deal can yet emerge form this nonsense. Unfortunately, they have publicly put themselves in a place where neither can be perceived to have backed down.

Yes and as embarrassing as it was to see Vance’s and Trump’s ridiculous performance, my hat is off to Zelensky for standing up to Trump’s exaggerations and BS in public. Probably not what was best for Ukraine but someone had to do it. Macron also stood up to Trump in the Oval Office a bit for lies during that press conference. Trump is used to speaking exaggerated BS all the time - talking about millions and millions of people dying, most of Ukraine’s cities being destroyed, etc… while the Russian military is reduced to using golf carts for troop carriers. We have a rare opportunity to put Russia in its place and here’s Trump giving them a partial victory!

I support many of the domestic things Trump is doing but his handling of Ukraine and Europe is a crap show. I’m all for getting Europe to spend more for their own defense as well but abandoning Ukraine is not the way.

I guess Vance and Trump didn’t appreciate Zelensky speaking truth to power in public but then Trump should learn to cut these news conferences short and stop bloviating. Everything was okay just moments earlier and contrary to Vance’s statement, Zelensky did thank the USA and the President for their support several times earlier in this same news conference.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

@Red Leg for curiosity sake would now be the time for the U.S. to deal with Russia on and for all? They’ve already used up there military equipment.

 

[Scott CWO]

Scott is hardly a sycophant

A bit of spin there. Zelensky made a mistake but so did Vance and Trump. Trump doesn’t like being fact checked.

 

[Red Leg]

Good article by VDH regarding Trump/Zelensky.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1895892571664343159

Excellent as always and I only disagree with a couple of his assumptions.

He, like many here, seem certain that Trump will work for a conclusion to the war that will justify Ukraine's sacrifice, the West's investment, and not simply further embolden Putin. I have heard absolutely nothing from Trump, Vance, or any of his primary advisors that would lead me to conclude that is the case. In fact, I am not completely certain Trump actually fully understands what our national interests are with respect to Europe and Russia. I am absolutely certain that worries Ukraine and everyone in Europe except perhaps Victor Orban.

Secondly, as long as Russia is trying to defeat Ukraine, it is getting weaker not stronger. No one realizes this more than Putin. I am convinced that Putin sees Trump as his last remaining card. Ukrainian forces have begun retaking areas that were seized over the last nine months. Russia can't even reclaim the ground taken by the UA in Kursk.

Putin needs a deal soon if not now, and it is Ukraine and the West that actually hold the superior negotiating position. I personally have little confidence Trump intends to exploit it even if he were corrected on the facts on the ground. Sometimes leadership is quite a bit more than an Atlantic City real-estate deal.

 

[Red Leg]

@Red Leg for curiosity sake would now be the time for the U.S. to deal with Russia on and for all? They’ve already used up there military equipment.

See above

 

[OxfordTheCat]

So your gotcha moment, which trimmed my actual statement and thus... the key point (that the NYT has a history rife with propaganda,) is all because I said Stalin instead of Russia.

Got it. Real zinger. You seem to then by implication be OK with the fact that the NYT intentionally suppressed the Ukraine holodomor.
Shall we expand on their involvement with the 3rd reich (sp?) as Hitler was coming to power?
Maybe there's a misspelling in there you can pounce upon or something.

Give me a break.

Don't read too much into it. This is all still theatre.

I just had a laugh pointing it out, I suggest you do as well.

All in good natured fun, not meant to be inflammatory.
Cheers