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Debt Rattle April 4 2025

Apr 042025
 
 April 4, 2025  Posted by at 9:14 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Add comments


Pablo Picasso Portrait of woman in wheelchair 1936

 

• This Is Good. Very, Very Good. (CTH)
• Beijing Slams Trump’s “Unilateral Bullying” Tariffs, Signals Retaliation (ZH)
• President Trump Ends Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Chinese Goods (CTH)
• World Leaders React To Trump’s Tariff Onslaught (RT)
• Here’s Why Trump Will Win the Tariff Standoff (Margolis)
• Kevin O’Leary Slams Canada’s ‘Sheer Stupidity’ in Trade Standoff With Trump (Margolis)
• How Could Trump Tackle Trap Set Up by Europe? (Sp.)
• Trump Teases Bombshell DOGE Finding: ‘What They Found Is Incredible’ (ZH)
• Trump Tariffs Breach NATO Rules – Norway (RT)
• Putin, Zelensky Ready To Make A Deal – Trump (RT)
• Putin Envoy Visits Washington (RT)
• Third Parties Attempting To Derail US-Russia Talks – Putin Envoy (RT)
• House Panels Press Probe of ActBlue Campaign Fundraising Operations (Adams)
• Dr. Oz Will Save Medicare, Strengthen Medicaid, Secure a Healthier America (DS)
• War With Iran ‘Almost Inevitable’ – France (RT)
• Hungary to Abandon ICC Over Concerns of Political Bias – Orban (Sp.)

 

 

 

 

WH tariffs

Batya Ungar-Sargon
https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1907606593509769654

Lutnick

https://twitter.com/TONYxTWO/status/1907779787730378838

BeckBoasberg

KUHN

Vance

Bernie
https://twitter.com/mazemoore/status/1907883583228051964

Beck

 

 

 

 

What Marine Le Pen and Trump’s tariffs have in common is they are both anti-globalist. The world is changing and everyone will have to adapt.

Here is “sundance” the lawyer:

• This Is Good. Very, Very Good. (CTH)

If it was weak, I would tell you it was weak. If it was a construct that contained dangerous consequences, I would warn you of them. If this trade/tariff regime was going to be harmful to the economy I would say so. This global trade reset (as outlined) doesn’t create doom – not even close, it creates discipline. What we’re seeing isn’t a reckless trade war. It’s a strategic recalibration targeting the structural imbalances that hollowed out American industry. The tariffs are reciprocal, calculated based on actual trade deficits. That’s not random or punitive—it’s mathematically fair. And they’re targeted: this isn’t a broad tax on everything. The focus is on finished goods, not the raw materials and components we need to build here. That protects domestic production and supply chains—not disrupts them.

Some worry this will destabilize capital markets. But this plan doesn’t touch interest rates, credit channels, or core financial plumbing. It doesn’t burden U.S. manufacturers or trigger input price spirals. Quite the opposite—it creates revenue and predictability; two things capital markets thrive on. It also closes loopholes like de minimis, reins in corporate arbitrage, and forces trading partners to play fair. If that creates discomfort for companies built on outsourcing and imbalance, that’s not doom. That’s a long-overdue correction. This isn’t the collapse of global trade. It’s the end of surrender and the beginning of mutual accountability.

This is good. Very, Very good.

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China had it good for a few decades. So of course they’re not rejoicing today.

“The era of Asia’s export manufacturing-led development has come to an end, and the region will need to develop markets closer to home.”

• Beijing Slams Trump’s “Unilateral Bullying” Tariffs, Signals Retaliation (ZH)

President Trump’s late afternoon announcement on Wednesday—”Liberation Day”—unveiled a far more aggressive tariff policy than top Wall Street analysts had anticipated, prompting panic dumping in global equities and futures markets overnight. Of particular concern is Trump’s stance toward China. The total effective tariff rate on Chinese imports surged to 54%, a dramatic increase of 34% from the previously imposed 20% in additional levies tied to fentanyl and earlier duties. Trump’s Liberation Day has drawn swift condemnation from Beijing, which has described the escalating tariff war as “unilateral bullying.” Nikkei Asia quoted China’s Ministry of Commerce, warning that it “firmly opposes” Trump’s tariffs and “will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests.”

The Commerce Ministry noted that the US “ignored” the benefits of a global trading system, adding, “The so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs,’ which are based on subjective and unilateral assessments by the United States, are not in line with the rules of international trade, seriously jeopardize the legitimate rights and interests of the parties concerned, and are typical of unilateral bullying.” The ministry did not discuss specifics on the countermeasures. A ministry spokesperson told reporters that Beijing hopes to “resolve various issues through equal consultation.” In other words, it’s just a matter of time before Beijing mounts a countermeasure against the US, whether that’s targeted tariffs, export controls, or other measures (such as targeting US Big Tech). Or as we’ve recently seen: Beijing Derailing Panama Port Deal.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sang the same tune: China “firmly opposes” Trump’s trade war escalation, which “seriously undermines” the rules-based global trading system. He urged Washington to resolve trade differences through talks. However, President Trump tried that with the Chinese Communist Party in his first term with the so-called “Phase One” agreement. Beijing committed to purchasing $200 billion of additional US exports. Yet, the phase one deal with the CCP was derailed by Covid disruptions. The Trump administration’s goal with reciprocal tariffs against literally the entire world, including some cases of near triple-digit reciprocal tariffs that will lead to a historic emerging markets shock, is to reverse a half-century or more of de-industrialization policies in the US that have hollowed out the nation’s core and produced a national security threat as the world fractures into a bipolar state.

In financial markets, the People’s Bank of China set the daily reference rate for the yuan at 7.1889 per dollar, weakening the currency. This allows the yuan to depreciate and support export competitiveness. A move like this will only draw accusations of currency manipulation from Trump. “We maintain our view that the PBOC will not allow a sharp [yuan] depreciation given capital outflow risks and the government’s objective to restore confidence in the Chinese economy,” HK Mizuho Securities analyst Ken Cheung wrote in a note earlier. Goldman analysts Andrew Tilton and others told clients:

“On April 2, President Trump announced “reciprocal” tariffs on trading partners with exclusion of products that are subject to sectoral tariffs, resulting in what we estimate to be an increase of 26pp in the average effective US tariff rate on China, which would bring the total effective tariff rate on Chinese goods to 58%. This is much higher than we and the market had expected. Similar to the experience when the previous two 10% tariff increases were imposed on China earlier this year, we think the Chinese government is likely to retaliate with some targeted tariffs on US products as well as non-tariff measures like export controls.

We expect policymakers to continue to resist significant CNY depreciation. We believe the government will step up easing measures to offset the additional growth drag from higher tariffs. We are not changing our 2025 full-year GDP growth forecast of 4.5% at this time due to better-than-expected Q1 data and increased policy easing expectations, as well as remaining uncertainties regarding whether some of the tariffs could be negotiated down in the coming months. That said, we acknowledge downside risk from slowing global growth after the large, across-the board US tariff increases.”

S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Ming Tan warned that Trump’s tariffs could exacerbate China’s weak economy: “The drag on China’s economy from higher tariffs will transmit to banks. We expect problem loans will rise over the next few years and could leap as high as 6.4% of total loans in a downside scenario.” Fred Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC, had a big-picture view for clients: “The era of Asia’s export manufacturing-led development has come to an end, and the region will need to develop markets closer to home.”

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No paper work for cheap trinkets picked up on a holiday. Makes sense. But when it becomes anything under $800, that sense changes profoundly. Now we’re talking laptops.

• President Trump Ends Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Chinese Goods (CTH)

The de minimis loophole comes from back in the 1930s. The idea back then was, say you went on a vacation to Paris, you shouldn’t have to file customs paperwork or pay taxes if you decided to ship some little Eiffel Tower statues to your friends back home. Congress in 2015 then raised the de minimis threshold from $200 to $800. However, the e-commerce world exploded, and Chinese companies began using the de minimis loophole to ship cheap goods (ex. Temu and Shein) into the USA direct to consumers without paying any customs duty. Yesterday as part of the global trade reset and tariff structure, President Trump revoked authorization for Chinese goods to transfer to the USA using the de minimis rule.

The de minimis exemption has been cancelled for all products coming out of China. The rule change only targets China and Chinese shippers. No one else. The minimum duty is $25, and the tariff rate is 30% for all products mailed from China into the USA that previously qualified under the de minimis rule. Beyond tariffs or sector specific countervailing duties, the removal of China to use the $800 de minimis exemption will destroy their economy. There is no way for manufacturers in China, marketed into the USA, to be able to survive if they are forced to collect and organize the requirements for U.S. custom and import duties. They will simply dissolve.

FACT SHEET – […] “Following the Secretary of Commerce’s notification that adequate systems are in place to collect tariff revenue, President Trump is ending duty-free de minimis treatment for covered goods from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong starting May 2, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT. Imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties, which shall be paid in accordance with applicable entry and payment procedures. All relevant postal items containing goods that are sent through the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item (increasing to $50 per item after June 1, 2025).

This is in lieu of any other duties, including those imposed by prior Orders. Carriers transporting these postal items must report shipment details to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), maintain an international carrier bond to ensure duty payment, and remit duties to CBP on a set schedule. CBP may require formal entry for any postal package instead of the specified duties. The Secretary of Commerce will submit a report within 90 days assessing the Order’s impact and considering whether to extend these rules to packages from Macau.”

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They can all make the deal to abolish their own tariffs.

• World Leaders React To Trump’s Tariff Onslaught (RT)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday rolled out a sweeping new wave of “reciprocal tariffs” as part of his so-called “Liberation Day” plan, sparking concerns over a potential global trade war. Trump announced that Washington would impose tariffs ranging from 10% to 49% on all countries based on the principle of reciprocity, declaring it a day of economic independence for the United States. Trump said the tariffs would be used to boost US manufacturing and that the measure would “make America wealthy again.” Many countries have reacted with dismay and have pledged retaliation. While a 10% base tariff was applied to all imports, many of the top US trading partners were hit with much steeper duties.

China China – branded one of the “worst offenders” by Trump – was hit with a new 34% tariff on its goods, in addition to an existing 20% levy, raising total duties to at least 54%. The US decision ignores the balance of interests established through years of multilateral trade negotiations and overlooks the fact that it has long reaped significant benefits from global trade, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. “China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests,” the ministry said. “There are no winners in trade wars, and there is no way out for protectionism. China urges the US to immediately lift unilateral tariffs and properly resolve differences with its trading partners through dialogue on an equal footing,” the ministry added.

Canada Canada, already subject to US tariffs, was spared the additional 10% baseline tariffs applied to many other countries due to its membership in the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). It’s unclear how much last week’s “extremely productive” call between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney influenced the decision to grant Canada a reprieve. Last month, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian goods and 10% on energy products, citing concerns over drugs and migrants crossing the border. Exceptions were made for importers who can prove their products comply with USMCA. Carney stated that while Trump had preserved key aspects of the commercial relationship between Canada and the US, the tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles were still coming into effect. “We are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures, we are going to protect our workers, and we are going to build the strongest economy in the G7,” Carney said.

Mexico Another major US trade partner, Mexico, also avoided Trump’s global tariff. The US president had earlier slapped 25% tariffs on its southern neighbor, citing failures to address migration and fentanyl trafficking, but later carved out exemptions for USMCA-compliant goods. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the country has no plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US and will “announce a comprehensive program, not a tit-for-tat on tariffs.” “Let’s see what announcement they make, but we have a plan to strengthen the economy under any circumstance,” Sheinbaum added.

EU European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the universal duties as a “major blow to the global economy.” She claimed that a new 20% US tariff on the EU would see “uncertainty spiral,” causing “dire” consequences “for millions of people around the globe.” The move will “trigger the rise of further protectionism,” von der Leyen argued, warning that the bloc is prepared to respond. “If you take on one of us, you take on all of us,” she stated. Echoing her remarks, European Council President Antonio Costa said a trade war between the EU and the US would “affect everyone,” and called Trump’s decision a “major economic mistake.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of Trump, criticized the decision as “wrong” but expressed her commitment to negotiating a deal with the US to “prevent a trade war.”

In Germany, the EU’s major economic powerhouse, which has been grappling with a downturn over the past two years, Economy Minister Robert Habeck slammed the US “obsession” with tariffs, warning that it “could put a spiral in motion that can tear countries into recession.” In France, President Emmanuel Macron is set to convene representatives from all business sectors affected by the import tariffs as producers are already counting future losses. Sales of French wine and spirits are expected to drop by at least 20% in the US, spirits exporters group FEVS told Reuters.

“We are indeed going to see an adverse effect on production,” French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas told broadcaster RTL. Trump “thinks he is the master of the world” but the EU is “ready for this trade war” and has a “whole range of tools,” she insisted. The sweeping tariffs will put jobs at risk on both sides of the Atlantic, according to Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin, who believes there is “no justification for this.” Goods from Ireland will be hit with a 20% tariff as part of measures Trump has imposed on the EU. “More than €4.2 billion worth of goods and services are traded between the EU and the US daily. Tariffs drive inflation, hurt people on both sides of the Atlantic, and put jobs at risk,” Martin said.

UK Britain was hit less hard than most other countries with a 10% duty imposed on its exports. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “nobody wins in a trade war” and vowed to “fight for the best deal for Britain.” He argued that there’s a “range of levers at our disposal” stressing, however, that the UK’s “intention remains to secure a deal” with the US. ‘Reciprocal’ duties, action against ‘pathetic’ EU: Key points from Trump’s global tariff announcementREAD MORE: ‘Reciprocal’ duties, action against ‘pathetic’ EU: Key points from Trump’s global tariff announcement

Japan Japan has “serious concerns” about the consistency of Trump’s tariffs with the WTO agreement and the Japan-US trade deal, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in a statement. Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto described the measures as “extremely regrettable” and stated that all options were under consideration. When asked whether Japan would retaliate against the 24% tariff imposed by the US, he said: “We need to decide what is best for Japan, and most effective, in a careful but bold and speedy manner.”

Israel Economic officials in Israel, a key US ally, were reportedly in “complete shock” over the 17% tariff imposed by Trump, according to local media. The country had eliminated all tariffs on American imports ahead of the announcement to ensure that Israel was exempt from new levies. “We are working to understand the motivation behind this move,” Ron Tomer, president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, said on Wednesday.

Ukraine The new 10% tariff announced by Trump on Ukrainian imports is “economic cynicism,” said Daniil Getmantsev, head of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Finance Committee. According to Getmantsev, the levy is unlikely to have a major negative impact on Ukraine, given the relatively small exports to the US. “But imposing such tariffs when our trade balance with the US shows a $2.6 billion deficit is, frankly, economic cynicism of the highest order,” he added.

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“Well, I would say they’ve been doing it to us for a long time. And, if they don’t like tariffs, then why do they have them?”

• Here’s Why Trump Will Win the Tariff Standoff (Margolis)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made it clear in an interview with CNN that the era of trade imbalances is over, and under President Trump, the U.S. will no longer tolerate unfair treatment. During a discussion with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Bessent confidently explained the administration’s position on tariffs and trade policy, signaling that Trump’s economic strategy is deliberate and well thought out. When pressed on how the administration’s policies could impact the auto industry, particularly regarding vehicles made with foreign parts, Bessent was blunt. “If half the cars coming into the United States are foreign-made, that’s hard to turn around overnight, as you know,” Collins said. “So what would you say to people in the auto industry who are worried about that timeline and how quickly that could shift?”

“Buy American,” Bessent said bluntly. He also clarified that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) exempts certain vehicles and parts from the new tariffs. Collins attempted to raise concerns from U.S. allies, questioning what the administration would say to countries like South Korea and Japan, which are now facing increased tariffs. Bessent’s response was direct: “Well, I would say they’ve been doing it to us for a long time. And, if they don’t like tariffs, then why do they have them?” His answer underscored the administration’s stance that America has been on the losing end of trade deals for too long.

As for whether the tariffs should be considered permanent, Bessent took a wait-and-see approach. “I think we’re gonna wait and see how this plays out,” he explained, suggesting that adjustments could be made based on how the policy unfolds. Collins also asked about the possibility of retaliation from other countries. Some foreign leaders have hinted at potential countermeasures, while others have opted to observe before making a move. Bessent urged patience. “One of the messages that I’d like to get out tonight is everybody sit back, take a deep breath, don’t immediately retaliate, let’s see where this goes. Because if you retaliate, that’s how we get escalation.”

When Collins pressed him on whether such escalation could turn into a full-fledged trade war, Bessent dismissed the idea. “Not a trade war. Depends on the country,” he said, before explaining that history favors the United States in such disputes. “Remember that the history of trade is, we are the deficit country. The deficit country has an advantage,” he explained. “[The others] are the surplus countries. The surplus countries traditionally always lose any kind of a trade escalation.”

His message to foreign governments was clear: Acting hastily would be a mistake.“ As a student of economic history or a professor of economic history, I’d advise against it,” he said. When Collins sought further clarification, he reinforced the point: “I would say that doing anything rash would be unwise.” Bessent’s remarks leave no doubt that Trump’s trade policies are rooted in historical precedent and strategic calculation. While globalists may panic, the Trump administration remains confident that America is in a stronger position than its trade partners. And history is on our side. Bessent’s message is clear: Trump knows exactly what he’s doing.

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Carney has elections coming. And his party polls great on anti-Trump thetoric. But he’ll still have to walk it back.

• Kevin O’Leary Slams Canada’s ‘Sheer Stupidity’ in Trade Standoff With Trump (Margolis)

Famed entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary eviscerated Canada’s leadership for its defiant stance against U.S. trade policies, calling the rhetoric from Interim Prime Minister Mark Carney “sheer stupidity” and warning that the country is in no position to win a trade war with President Trump. Speaking on CNN, O’Leary, who is himself Canadian, reacted to Carney’s inflammatory remarks. The prime minister declared, “We are cutting off all ties to the United States. There’s no cooperation anymore.” O’Leary dismissed the statement as political posturing with no basis in economic reality. “That, of course, is sheer stupidity,” he said. “Seventy-five percent of the output of the Canadian market for over a hundred years has been sold to the U.S., and 17 states in the U.S. call Canada their number one trading partner.”

O’Leary pointed out that despite Carney’s tough talk, Canada is economically dependent on the United States and cannot afford to play a game of brinkmanship with its largest trading partner. He argued that Carney’s remarks were more about political theatrics than sound economic policy. “If you wanna be tough and you wanna sound important and you’re trying to get elected and you’re the only person that can save every Canadian from the evil Trump, that’s exactly what you say,” O’Leary said, accusing Carney of exploiting anti-Trump sentiment to bolster his own political image. He likened Carney’s rhetoric to that of Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro, who has declared that U.S. tariffs would remain in place indefinitely. O’Leary was equally dismissive of such claims, calling them nothing more than political noise meant to rally supporters rather than provide real solutions.

“Navarro’s saying the same thing. ‘These tariffs are in perpetuity. We will fix this. We will push back the world’. All of this rhetoric and noise, it’s not the signal.” O’Leary argued that the best path forward would be a trade framework in which tariffs are removed entirely. “It’s all noise. And in the end, I think everybody’s better off if we get to reciprocal tariffs of zero,” he said. I think we all know that this is Trump’s goal, too. He wants free trade to actually be free trade. O’Leary emphasized that serious investors like himself look at the long-term picture rather than get caught up in the short-term panic created by political leaders. “So the countries you care about, that you wanna do business with, you end up with zero tariffs and you support a free trade mandate. It’s very hard to see that outcome in the cloud we’re in right now and all the rhetoric and jawboning, but if you’re an investor like I am, you think long term.”

While some have expressed concerns about rising inflation and housing prices, O’Leary cautioned that such economic shifts take time to unfold. “Not two weeks, not two months,” he said, pushing back against the notion that immediate catastrophe was looming. O’Leary noted that similar political grandstanding is happening in other countries as well. “Britain’s doing the same thing right now,” he pointed out. “You should hear the rhetoric in London today.” Ultimately, O’Leary was confident that the current wave of economic fearmongering would subside. “It too will pass,” he concluded, reinforcing his belief that Canada’s leadership needs to drop the empty threats and focus on practical solutions.

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“..the US’s Cold War era-based foreign policy perfectly suits European elites, who want Trump back into “the fold of the historical West..”

• How Could Trump Tackle Trap Set Up by Europe? (Sp.)

The US president earlier said that “from the standpoint of America, the EU treats us very, very unfairly, very badly. The US’s European allies set up a trap for the Trump administration to contain its “drastic” foreign policy shift, Alexander Yakovenko, Deputy Head of Rossiya Segodnya International Media Group, told Sputnik. Trump could get out of the trap if he “masters enough political will” and doesn’t “put up with the US foreign policy strategy of the Cold War era”, Yakovenko, who is also head of the Russian Security Council’s Expert Advisory Committee on global problems and international security, stressed. The expert noted that the US’s Cold War era-based foreign policy perfectly suits European elites, who want Trump back into “the fold of the historical West, as we have known it over the past 80 years.” The European elites are unwilling to change “their mentality and their worldview, they’d rather live in the world of their own, which I think doesn’t exist any longer,” Yakovenko emphasized.

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“President Trump had the courage to allow us to go across databases. He signed an executive order. It’s never been done before, where agencies could talk to each other and databases could talk with each other.”

• Trump Teases Bombshell DOGE Finding: ‘What They Found Is Incredible’ (ZH)

President Donald Trump teased another explosive revelation from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as Democrats and legacy media escalate their ongoing campaign against the cost-cutting initiative and its leader, Tesla CEO Elon Musk. While speaking with the press aboard Air Force One en route to South Florida for the weekend, Trump said: “They found something today that’s horrible,” adding. “You’ll find out very soon. What they found is incredible.” Trump also gave Musk credit for his leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has so far achieved an estimated savings of $140 billion, amounting to roughly $869.57 per taxpayer.

“Elon is fantastic,” the president said. “He’s a patriot. He found millions of dollars of fraud.” “He loves the country that’s why he does it,” he added. Addressing speculation about Musk’s future, Trump responded to reporters, “I want him to stay as long as possible.” The president also commented on the recent wave of violent attacks targeting Tesla vehicles and dealerships, incidents he has previously labeled as “terrorism.” “It’s a shame what they are doing with his car company,” he said. “It’s a great car, great product.” According to a since debunked Politico report citing unnamed sources, Trump has privately indicated to close associates that Musk plans to scale back his involvement as an advisor in the near future. While Musk and the White House denied the report, Trump told reporters on AF1 that “Elon is fantastic,” but he has “a number of companies to run.”

“I want him to stay as long as possible,” said Trump. “There’s going to be a point where he’s going to have to leave.” Over the weekend, at a Wisconsin rally aimed at boosting voter turnout, Musk and DOGE volunteer Antonio Gracias disclosed that millions of noncitizens were granted Social Security numbers under former President Joe Biden’s administration. They presented a chart illustrating a consistent annual rise, peaking at over 2 million in FY 2024, which concluded on September 30. In both FY23 and FY25—the latter starting in October and running through September of this year—approximately 1 million noncitizens received Social Security numbers.

“None of this would have happened without President Trump,” Gracias told Fox News. “President Trump had the courage to allow us to go across databases. He signed an executive order. It’s never been done before, where agencies could talk to each other and databases could talk with each other.” “That allowed us to connect all this data, to find these people across the system, across the benefit system, all the way to the voting records. It really took a lot of courage,” he added. Now the question is; what’s this ‘horrible’ thing DOGE found? And is it just a ‘LOOK, SQUIRREL!’ to distract from all the ‘fun’ we’re having in response to new tariffs?

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US must make Norway rich because they’re both in Nato?!

• Trump Tariffs Breach NATO Rules – Norway (RT)

Recently imposed US tariffs could breach NATO’s founding principles by undermining economic cooperation among allies, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has said. He raised the issue during the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday, public broadcaster NRK has reported. The official reportedly pointed to Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which commits members to strengthen economic ties to foster peace and stability within the alliance. “If you want a strong NATO, you should ensure that there is as much economic growth as possible in the NATO countries,” NKR quoted him as saying. “That was the insight of those who established NATO, that economic cooperation would be good for the entire alliance,” the diplomat added.

According to the outlet, Eide raised the matter directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the meeting, saying “We must be clear that protectionist measures between allies are a serious problem.” On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariff increases on numerous trading partners, including NATO countries. Norway is among those affected, facing a 15% duty on selected exports to the United States. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told NKR on Thursday that Oslo would seek to negotiate with the US over the tariffs.

“This is bad news, it is very serious,” Store said. “There is an opening for negotiations here, the Americans say, and we will use that in every possible way that we can,” he added. Trump’s announcement has sparked concern across the EU, with several NATO allies voicing fears that the tariffs could harm both trade and alliance unity. French President Emmanuel Macron has called the tariffs “brutal and unfounded,” and warned that retaliation could include a digital tax on American tech companies.

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“Europe has not been successful in dealing with President Putin, but I think I will be successful.” Well, to be honest, Europe is not trying.

• Putin, Zelensky Ready To Make A Deal – Trump (RT)

The leaders of Russia and Ukraine are ready to make a peace deal, US President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday. He has been trying to broker a ceasefire between the two neighbors since February. A reporter asked Trump on Air Force One about his communication with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. “I think he’s ready to make a deal. And I think that President [Vladimir] Putin is ready to make a deal,” Trump said. He declined to go into specifics but added that the US was having “a lot of good conversations about Ukraine and Russia.” “We like to see [the conflict] stopped as soon as possible because thousands of people have been killed in a week,” Trump said. “Europe has not been successful in dealing with President Putin, but I think I will be successful.”

Trump made his comments as Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, traveled to Washington, where he reportedly met with America’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. The sides mostly continued discussing steps to normalize bilateral relations frozen by the Biden administration in 2022, Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday evening. He noted the “positive dynamic” of the talks, adding that more meetings need to take place to resolve the differences. Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, told Fox Business on Wednesday that Trump has been “frustrated” with both Putin and Zelensky. He remained optimistic about the negotiations, saying that the sides were “on the precipice” of a comprehensive ceasefire.

Moscow has accused Kiev of multiple violations of the energy truce brokered by Trump last month. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian troops struck fuel depots, gas facilities, and the electrical grid, despite promising to respect a 30-day pause on such attacks. Kiev, for its part, claimed that Russia was breaching the same agreement. Russia has maintained that any long-term settlement would be viable only if the US and Ukraine address the “root causes” of the conflict. Moscow demands that Kiev abandon its plans to join NATO and recognize Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions as Russian territory.

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Note that Putin didn’t send his political envoy, but his business man.

• Putin Envoy Visits Washington (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, visited Washington on Thursday. He is the highest Russian official who traveled to the US since diplomatic contacts were suspended in 2022. Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, previously participated in the Russian-US talks in Riyadh on February 18, where both sides agreed to start gradually normalizing the ties severed by the Biden administration. Speaking to reporters on Thursday evening, Dmitriev noted that President Donald Trump and his team have a better understanding of Russia’s terms than his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. “We are seeing absolutely clearly that, unlike President Biden, the Trump administration is determined to resolve the whole spectrum of bilateral issues,” the diplomat said.

“They are very respectful. They are listening to Russia’s position, and are understanding Russia’s concerns. They are asking a lot of questions and finding compromises,” he added. “Naturally, there are differences. But there is dialogue, which we believe will help to overcome these differences,” Dmitriev said. The envoy said that he had discussions about restoring trade and normal business relations between the states. “Many American companies would like to replace European companies that have left Russia,” he said. Dmitriev stressed that Moscow is ready to work on business projects that would be beneficial to both countries. He added that the sides talked about potential cooperation in the Arctic and the development of rare-earth minerals. “We are actively working on the resumption of direct flights” between Russia and the US, he said. Dmitriev said that more rounds of talks will be needed to hammer out the deal.

Read more …

“We are seeing a coordinated campaign in the media, attempts by various politicians to undermine the relations between Russia and the US, and attempts to distort the statements made by Russia,” the diplomat said. “It happens on a daily basis.”

• Third Parties Attempting To Derail US-Russia Talks – Putin Envoy (RT)

Certain countries want to throw a wrench into the normalization of Russian-American relations, President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has said. He made his comment during a rare trip to Washington, where he met with top US officials. “Different countries are trying to derail this dialogue, derail the restoration of the Russian-American relations,” Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday evening. He noted that the negotiations have been accompanied by “a lot of rumors, incorrect quotes, and incorrect interpretations.” “A lot of people are interested in preventing the development of our relations. We are seeing a coordinated campaign in the media, attempts by various politicians to undermine the relations between Russia and the US, and attempts to distort the statements made by Russia,” the diplomat said. “It happens on a daily basis.”

“The best way to overcome disinformation is direct dialogue,” he stressed. Dmitriev reportedly met with Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has been one of the key US negotiators on Ukraine. According to NBC News, the Russian diplomat also met with Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Markwayne Mullin. According to Dmitriev, the sides mostly discussed steps to gradually amend the cooperation severed by the Biden administration in 2022. The agenda included possible partnership in the Arctic, the development of rare-earth minerals, and the resumption of direct flights between the countries, he said.

Some EU and Ukrainian politicians have attempted to dissuade Trump from restarting negotiations with Moscow. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, claimed last month that “Russia cannot really be trusted.” Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky suggested in February that Trump was trapped in a “disinformation bubble.” Trump has blamed Zelensky for the conflict, while his Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, argued that the EU should be sidelined during negotiations.

Read more …

Cue DOGE.

• House Panels Press Probe of ActBlue Campaign Fundraising Operations (Adams)

Top Republican House leaders have formally requested that ActBlue, one of the Democratic Party’s largest political action committees, turn over documents related to its governance and operations. In a letter dated April 2 to ActBlue President and Chief Executive Officer Regina Wallace-Jones, the chairmen of the House committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, and Administration requested documents and testimony from two employees of the organization. The names of the employees whose testimony was requested were redacted in the version of the letter that was made public. A source familiar with the investigation told The Daily Signal, “We expect ActBlue employees to participate in the transcribed interviews and submit the required documents.” The source explained, “If they fail to comply, all options are on the table.”

An ActBlue spokesperson told The Daily Signal, “As we have historically done, ActBlue will continue to respond to requests from the House committees.” In their letter, the committee chairs said that they were seeking “to investigate ActBlue’s fraud-prevention policies and practices, which may allow bad actors to make fraudulent political donations, including from foreign sources.” ActBlue is one of the largest fundraisers for the Democratic Party, and claims to have raised more than $16.7 billion for Democrats since it was founded in 2004. Prior to the recent turmoil in leadership, it was a widely trusted source for liberal giving. ActBlue has come under increasing scrutiny since it announced a wave of departures of top staff in February. The resignations included the organization’s highest-ranking legal officer, the chief revenue officer, and the assistant research director.

ActBlue has received donations from some of the Democratic Party’s most important fundraisers, including thousands of dollars from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. The Daily Signal has previously reported that the group may have received millions of dollars through fraudulent donations, according to testimony from some elderly Americans. One such individual, a retired Yale University professor, testified in a signed affidavit that he believed the donations in his name did not reflect his actual donation frequency or dollar amount. ActBlue charges a 3.95% processing fee on donations to it.

The organization also reportedly locked out Zain Ahmad, the last remaining member of the group’s general counsel’s office as of Feb. 26, from his email and other internal platforms. The letter from the House chairmen highlighted the organization’s actions toward Ahmad, who has been put on leave, and noted that ActBlue’s union reportedly told the group’s board that “those of us who work with our legal team in our day-to-day do not have clear direction on how to proceed with our work in their absence.” The House letter noted that fraudulent political donations “could amount to interstate criminal conduct,” citing a legal case that resulted in a Chinese national’s criminal conviction for improper donations.

Read more …

By Senator Roger Marshall. The idea is that Oz will execute RFK’s MAHA vision.

• Dr. Oz Will Save Medicare, Strengthen Medicaid, Secure a Healthier America (DS)

Medicaid and Medicare are on a path that should concern all Americans, but with the right leadership, we can turn their trajectory around. On its current course, Medicare, the government-run health insurance program for seniors, will fall off a financial cliff in as little as a decade—maybe even sooner. Meanwhile, Medicaid, the program that pays for health care for the poor, now covers more people than Medicare, placing an enormous strain on both state and federal budgets. As a nation, we face a chronic disease epidemic, and along with it, a crisis of unsustainable rising costs, high demand, and worsening patient outcomes. Over the past five years, Medicaid spending has surged by some 50%—another unsustainable trend that diverts funds from schools, roads, bridges, and high-speed internet.

Together, Medicare and Medicaid will each spend roughly a trillion dollars this year. That’s why we urgently need a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator who can rescue Medicare and fortify Medicaid. As both programs fall under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, we need a leader with a fresh perspective—one who prioritizes patient care while ensuring financial stability. This role demands someone who has experienced these programs at the grassroots level, where patients, doctors, and hospitals intersect. This person must be an exceptional communicator, capable of managing a $2 trillion budget and transforming an organization of 6,000 employees who oversee the health needs of 140 million Americans. This budget accounts for nearly a quarter of federal spending in a system that already overspends by $2 trillion annually.

Above all, we need someone who can help us in our mission to Make America Healthy Again. Thankfully, we have just the person for the job: Dr. Mehmet Oz. To America, he’s Dr. Oz: a world-renowned heart surgeon and the trusted star of a hit TV show. Some may also recognize him as an innovative inventor of lifesaving heart devices, holding both an M.D. and an MBA. But to me, Dr. Oz is a fellow physician and a good friend. He’s a devoted father of four and grandfather of four. He’s a person who cares deeply about finding solutions—a problem-solver ready to tackle the challenges of Medicaid and Medicare head-on, focusing on the health and safety of every American and ensuring those who rely on these programs continue to receive the care they deserve.

Dr. Oz is uniquely equipped to modernize health care. He will harness cutting-edge technology and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence to meet patients’ needs. He’ll champion transparency and prioritize quality outcomes over mere quantity of care or coverage. By empowering patients and providers with choices, he’ll drive higher-quality care. He’ll strengthen telehealth and address the distinct challenges of rural communities, along with those of the inner city. Thinking outside the box, he’ll uncover innovative solutions to our health care woes with full transparency.

Put simply, Dr. Oz is the right leader at the right time to execute President Donald Trump’s and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy’s vision to Make America Healthy Again. With his expertise, compassion, and bold leadership, he will transform the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services into a beacon of fiscal responsibility and patient-centered care. There’s no one better suited to save Medicare, strengthen Medicaid, and secure a healthier future for all Americans. I look forward to his swift confirmation and the work he will do to address our health crisis. With Dr. Oz, Secretary Kennedy, and President Trump at the helm, the best is truly yet to come for our health care system and its patients.

https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1907927964131668210

Read more …

Only Israel wants it.

• War With Iran ‘Almost Inevitable’ – France (RT)

A military conflict with Iran would be highly likely if attempts to renegotiate a new nuclear deal fail, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has warned. US President Donald Trump has threatened Tehran with a bombing campaign if it does not concede on its nuclear program, which Washington alleges is aimed at developing atomic weapons. The Iranian government, which vehemently denies the claims, has vowed to retaliate against any attack. Addressing French MPs on Wednesday after an Iran-focused government meeting led by President Emmanuel Macron, Barrot stated that without a new agreement, “a military confrontation would appear almost inevitable,” warning that such a scenario could further destabilize the Middle East.

In 2015, Iran and major world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) accord which restricted Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. However, in 2017 Trump unilaterally withdrew from the arrangement, which he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled “the worst deal ever,” opting instead for a campaign of “maximum pressure” through sanctions. The EU sought to provide Iran with means to bypass American pressure to preserve the JCPOA, but negotiations have since stalled. The standoff has bolstered a hardline foreign policy approach in Tehran, which refused to uphold its commitments in retaliation for Western failure to deliver on its part of the nuclear pact .

Since beginning his second presidential term in January, Trump has repeatedly issued threats of military action unless Tehran agrees to a new nuclear deal. In a recent interview, he stated, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. And it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.” Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defiantly responded to Trump on Monday, warning that the US and Israel “will definitely receive a strong, reciprocal blow” if they attack Iran. Amid the escalating tensions, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday it had deployed additional assets to the Middle East. According to Reuters sources, four B-2 bombers have been relocated to a base on Diego Garcia Island, positioning them for potential missions against Iran.

Read more …

“..the ICC is becoming a political entity rather than an impartial court upholding the rule of law..”

• Hungary to Abandon ICC Over Concerns of Political Bias – Orban (Sp.)

Hungary has decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), as it believes the institution has shifted from an independent judicial body to a politically motivated one in recent years, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Thursday. “We are convinced that the ICC is becoming a political entity rather than an impartial court upholding the rule of law. This has been particularly evident in its recent decision regarding Israel,” Orban stated at a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Orban, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will present a bill to parliament on Thursday, officially initiating Hungary’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

Earlier in the day, Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, confirmed that the Hungarian government had made the decision to leave the ICC, with the formal withdrawal process set to begin later on Thursday. The ICC’s disregard for the immunities of heads of state from countries that are not parties to the Rome Statute violates international law and thus undermines the court’s own legitimacy as an independent party in disputes. Moreover, its actions destabilize global security, making it difficult to view the ICC as a body acting on behalf of the international community.

Read more …

 

 

 

 

CO2

 

 

Calley Means
https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/1907512164933320833

 

 

Bowden
https://twitter.com/McCulloughFund/status/1907511535078936726

 

 

autism

 

 

Canaia
https://twitter.com/ContrarianTribe/status/1907779479168016572

 

 

Pi
https://twitter.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1907831288691614116

 

 

Car

 

 

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

 

 

 

 

 

Home › Forums › Debt Rattle April 4 2025

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  • April 4, 2025 at 9:14 am #185510
    Raúl Ilargi Meijer
    Keymaster

    Pablo Picasso Portrait of woman in wheelchair 1936   • This Is Good. Very, Very Good. (CTH) • Beijing Slams Trump’s “Unilateral Bullying” Tariffs
    [See the full post at: Debt Rattle April 4 2025]

    April 4, 2025 at 9:57 am #185512
    userzeroid
    Participant

    Some astute analysis from the Duran boys

    April 4, 2025 at 10:51 am #185513
    Dr D Rich
    Participant

    Not every day is a General fired, summarily.
    4
    Stars
    ….and a cutey from Hughesville Pee Aye

    NSA

    Recently his very public testimony was very publicly and very recently part of the very recent SecDef Peter Hegseth Saga Signal and Signal was supposed to be inSignalificant.
    Yet down goes a cutey 4-star **** and The General’s Deputy.

    Lara Loomer is supposedly connected to The Firing Deed??

    Gen. Timothy Haugh

    It’s probably another nothing-burger.
    This stuff is all top secret secret squirrel shit for the special ppl in the know, but I wonder who will first come publicly to Haugh’s defense or is an arrest Imminent?

    I want an arrest.
    I want a public perp walk or frog march.
    I know it’s projection of my very frustrated and increasingly vindictive inner object state, but the time is nigh for quite a bit of old fashioned Retributive Justice, you know, the very best kind.

    April 4, 2025 at 11:35 am #185514
    Dr. D
    Participant

    April 2, and tariffs.

    I have to say, by the Law of Nothing Ever Happens, nothing has happened. I hadn’t realized they could get EVERYONE, literally everyone, the man on the street, talking about tariffs, while if anything, espousing even DUMBER takes than ever before, yet here we are.

    Market drops some? That could lead to something, we’ll see the technicals. But to me it’s the sound and the fury, a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing. …Does tell you they’re over the target though, they’ve hit a nerve.

    “CIA Says ALIENS ATTACKED The Soviets In Declassified Documents, Turn Soldiers TO STONE” — Tim Pool

    So we got that goin’ for us. Sound and Fury, thrashing around trying everything, keep everybody busy and not thinking straight? Check. Soldier, remember your training; ignore all this and do your job.

    “Any nation that wants to control the valuation of its currency cannot possibly achieve global financial dominance, as the only way to gain and maintain global financial dominance is to surrender control of the currency’s valuation to the market via exporting currency in such vast quantities that the global market sets the value​…
    …There may be no winners of the game of Global Domination ™, and that is likely the best outcome. Any form of dominance generates its own undoing.” Hugh Smith

    They are hating America for being an Empire, then fighting tooth and nail to keep the Empire. I know because I talked to them this week. Then pointed it out to the usual results. Yes, if we bring jobs back we will be “Just another country” and “not be able to defend Europe”. …And not be an Empire. But isn’t that what you WANTED, Socialists? Progressives?

    Then they’re saying who’s going to “Win”? Um yeah I know all the caveats on that and have discussed them extensively. But essentially, who is going to win is whoever is LARGER. Whoever is at the present financial CORE. That’s us still, and barely. The center fails LAST.

    “‘Luigi Mangione’ Copycat Kills Pharmacy Worker In California”

    Stochastic terrorism. Now going really well, actually. Liberals are out shooting other Liberals. We tell them not to with a binder full of arguments, they don’t listen and do it anyway. That’s the Glorious Revolution. Murder of all against all, forever. “Three World Wars.” Satan’s delight! Hand rubbing, cackles. Goooooo Love and Tolerance!

    “When you refused to submit to the experimental gene therapy, did your close friends gather round you as in an intervention, and lovingly try to help you see the light? “

    And it makes you wonder why. They SHOULD have done this. The process prompts only this. If they have these beliefs, this is the only logical response. Doing the opposite not only doesn’t work, but made them smaller, closed all opportunity, and made them LOOK bad. Or logically should. Yet as you say NOT ONE did this. Not ONE. Now in my close family they are exceedingly logical and dispassionate, so when I said “We seem to be seeing this data, source: NIH” etc, they said, “Hmmmm, I’ll look.” But that still isn’t this, and since we seem so ordinary, I hadn’t realized we must be a 6 sigma outlier on that. “That” being at all concerned, interested, or following data. You know, I’m sure we all thought maybe that wasn’t like 100% uptake, but might be the 59% norm. But not like effective 0% data-users.

    “To me it smacks of moral superiority. Narcissism. Fear. Hatred. Lack of principle and personal sovereignty. A willingness to sacrifice principles, values, family, friends, and neighbors in order to be “safe” or “right”.

    Yes, and in good form, they then said it was ME who had to be proven right. I needed to “win” this. I mean sort of? When I think you’re committing suicide? But I did ultimately only make my case then rest, supporting them for when this inevitably happens. They did not do that for me. Several are dead, so I guess I don’t have to support them in a wheelchair. That’s not a win.

    “Yet for those around me, it doesn’t seem to have changed their level of trust.
    They still trust authority without question.”

    Yes. Stats say different, but I still only see two classes: those who saw it then and those who didn’t. No one’s moved between camps. Somehow they are saying we have dropping overall trust by “Argument by Authority Fallacy” but I don’t see it that much. But then unless you know someone’s story arc, it’s hard to tell from the outside. Eg, Ultra-Uber, yes-has-Trump-Flags all over the yard, says he was DNC until 2016. Yes, that’s 10 years now, but he was working democrat, now is this far over. And not ‘til then. Example.

    “donald trump is a murdering sack of crap every bit as evil as joe biden.”

    You are clearly not serious, so stop and think. He is most probably NOT as evil as Biden because he has not run Burisma, started WWIII, or a number of other, additional things that would make his bag equally full. That said, if he’s committed crimes, then we will prosecute him for those crimes, so in effect if he did one murder and Biden did 300 following Hillary, then the effective punishment would be the same. But they’re still not equal.

    Yes, I understand the Bunker buster and expansionary war rhetoric, you’re trying to get our attention, but especially now we can only convict people for things they DID do. That are REAL, provable, accurate. Causing a ceasefire and reminding the Gazans they can leave for elsewhere is not the same as killing them all, sir. I understand the point, but also understand mine. I am immensely pissed off, but I’m not going to let go of justice and accuracy.

    “It is hard for the US to cheapen it’s currency and maintain it’s reserve currency status.
    It is like having a cake and wanting to eat it too!
    You can only have one, not both.”

    This is exactly my point. They all come as a package. You can’t get the “Benefit” (see memes) of printing currency to steal stuff. So very suddenly, you need to change every economic foundation to 1953, with hard money, jobs, manufacturing, tariffs, tax structure, capital formation, etc. We got into this over 40-100 years. Now we need to get out of it in 100 days and everyone’s crying? What do you think we should do? Let it go on? As WES says, “gee, experts, doesn’t seem to be working!” Listen to us HARDER!

    So YES, we are leaving the Reserve currency, and this has MANY effects. One is that we are just one country now. Probably we need to KEEP the reserve currency too! By having a split internal/external dollar, and I think they found a way, but they won’t admit that’s what the system they’re shooting for is doing. That means YES, we need a Trade Net Zero. Pointed out in addition that this is only on GOODS, not on services, only REAL things matter now, if you want their direction and thinking.

    Yes, cheapening the currency matters, as that was NAFTA Part I: 1950-1979, we kept the US$ too high, gutted the Rustbelt, bled gold. …If we had been HONEST then…but what am I talking about, why bother? Now to what LEVEL is the US$ need to drop so it’s not rigged and artificially inflated, “Exorbitant Privilege”? And if it isn’t, they INSTANTLY we need to be at Trade Net Zero. Even one year of $36T bled would bankrupt any transition, instead of just letting us reach “Normal Nation” status.

    And sorry, I’m READING an article while LISTENING to a podcast while WRITING or composing another article in the back of my mind, so you’ll have to just do random, chronological order today, possible for a while. Or I’ll cut way back from being overwhelmed as I thought would happen.

    ASPNAZ has apparently been replaced with an entirely new, thoughtful person. All this weeks insights I agree with entirely. Thanks. Lezbe friends.

    JB: interesting run on “Adolescence” which I think is in your zone. They pop up this FICTION, this social engineering plant, in order for Parliament to lock down all England while letting 10 years of non-stop rapes continue, yet to have an investigation?

    Uh, no. It gets weirder. Sargon WATCHED the show, instead of just yakking off about a media buzz aaaaaaaannnnd???? …It’s the #Opposite of what they’re saying. The 12 year old white boy is INNOCENT. He never watched Andrew Tate. There is no online radicalization. Likes women. The villains are all the PROGRESSIVES, the establishment, the adults. Huh? I haven’t watched it and don’t mean to, but, Yup! Maybe they – Keir Stalin – hasn’t watched it either, but reminds me of Capt Marvel, the hero for attacking all refugee families of genocide, beating up any good man who’s concerned and tries to help her. She thinks she’s the hero. So when they see a show – probably written three years ago, mind, then shot last year, then finally edited and released now – where the adults are all tyrannical, failing, child-hating, abusive, self-serving narcissists, who abandon all life and all children to “Lord of the Flies”, they go “Yup!!! That’s my Peps! People who act like that and have these results are the Good People™! This is what a Glorious Revolution looks like when it’s truly tried!” …Or something. Fascinating.

    We have higher priorities, but if you thought the planet was g-d—-d mad before, here’s up a level. Adolescence = AntiAdolescence, BothNeitherAi.

    Business Owner: We’ve reached nirvana where every normal BillyBob can understand tariffs instinctively, in two seconds, but not one smart, educated person can.

    “The focus is on finished goods, not the raw materials and components we need to build here. That protects domestic production and supply chains—not disrupts them”

    Note this part. That’s why England and RUSSIA are exempt. Russia is nearly nothing, but raw materials what is. England is all services since they haven’t made anything useful in years, so 10%. Doesn’t hit those two parts. We’re dealing with the “Real” world, the Commodity world. Where we push atoms, not electrons.

    “China had it good for a few decades. So of course they’re not rejoicing today.
    “The era of Asia’s export manufacturing-led development has come to an end, and the region will need to develop markets closer to home.”

    We’ve been telling them for years and they know it. No surprise, they know they have to and should, so why would they try to buck it? “Gosh instad of giving those TVs and new cars to OUR people, we just have to, have to, have to give them to the U.S. for free.” Nope.

    ““It’s all noise. And in the end, I think everybody’s better off if we get to reciprocal tariffs of zero,” he said. I think we all know that this is Trump’s goal, too”

    There is grudging acceptance of this, which is good but remains to be seen.

    “President Donald Trump teased another explosive revelation from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)”

    Don’t want to hear it. And especially when Elon says there will be arrests and there aren’t. Shut your hole and show me.

    ““That was the insight of those who established NATO, that economic cooperation would be good for the entire alliance,”

    Uhhhhh, maybe, but they may have all agreed on a love for Led Zepplin too, but that’s not what NATO and the written agreements were about. They are a MILITARY organization. Now you go “All things are military, ackshully…” So Gimme.

    “• Putin, Zelensky Ready To Make A Deal – Trump (RT)

    Ten levels of NO here. Putin ONLY JUST said that Ze is illegitimate, not the leader. And there’s nobody else to sign with either. AND elections aren’t fast. AND Europe sabotaged all ceasefire by denying sanctions.

    “Note that Putin didn’t send his political envoy, but his business man.”

    So the clue in Dubai was they weren’t even talking about Ukraine. They were talking about overall positioning in world government and commerce of world powers. Trade, trade flows, balances, foundations, like Bretton Woods. Not to that level, but clues in that direction, and logically it would make sense that way. Especially if you have a world with no Europe.

    What do I mean? Europe = Globalism, everybody knows it. This was “The Plan”. Europe would go “No! Really we’re just some country, not like the UN World Government at all! And the only reason everyone has to follow every centrally-planned colonial edict on commerce, finance, environment, social engineering, censorship, is only because we make the bestest, smartestest regulations in the world!” …I cannot Goddamn BELIEVE that almost worked, like our world IQ must be 40. So, Europe, it was just an accident that the WHO, WEF, IMF, etc were all run in Europe or by Atlanticists? Because Asia is just so dumb like that and the yellow people couldn’t comprehend your super-big thoughts? Or Africa. Or South America? Or even the U.S. for that matter. We HQ them, but they sure aren’t OUR people.

    So IF you kill Globalism, the IMF, WHO, World Bank, USAID, all that, what happens? Essentially, no Europe. They become like, Uruguay, Nigeria, Thailand. You know: NORMAL countries. Right? Not saying they should disappear although it looks like they’re all going to murder each other again shortly, but not the Colonial Headquarters, you know?

    If Trump/Putin/Xi take all this out by re-configuring the world to STOP colonialism – hey I thought Colonialism was bad! — then Europe take a fatal hit and has to entirely rethink who they are and how they’re built.

    ““We are seeing a coordinated campaign in the media, attempts by various politicians to undermine the relations between Russia and the US,”

    NY Times expose’: Meant to so infuriate the Russian people with America that peace is impossible. Guess what is NOT in those 13,000 words? A SINGLE mention of anyone in Europe. Esp Britain. They are wee wittle innocents, never dun nuffin’. And no Sullivan-Blinken either, off the hook. So they want Russia mad at the United States and the United States alone. While Europe is openly arming for a full on invasionary war and march on Moscow. Thankfully AGAIN they treat Russians as illiterate serfs, the way they treat US like violent, mouth breathing rednecks. And miss EVERY chess move because they can’t adjust to how deeply this isn’t true. Russia is pissed, sure, but they also suffer a lot of pain stoically, it’s their superpower, and they’ll wait and laugh at getting the right guy good and hard, however long it takes. THEY know it’s not TRUMP, the American people.

    “Together, Medicare and Medicaid will each spend roughly a trillion dollars this year.”

    Yes and 2/3rds of it is waste and fraud.

    “Dr. Oz is uniquely equipped to modernize health care. He will harness cutting-edge technology and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence to meet patients’ needs”

    Oh my God, we’re all going to die. I was against Oz when I saw the job description, but if this is the approach, definitely no. …Luckily no one cares what I think, and most of these furry mascots don’t run anything anyway.

    “Best-selling author and scientist Gregg Braden warns that efforts to drastically reduce atmospheric CO₂ could bring us dangerously close to the extinction threshold, endangering all life on Earth:

    Luckily the thought that we could significantly affect this is pure nonsense.

    “Everybody that we know will either be autistic or they will be caring for somebody that’s autistic.” These are no longer numbers anyone can ignore. “

    It’s already true and they’re ignoring it just fine, thanks.

    200% cancer increase? No problem. 10 year olds dropping dead at recess? Great! Fatty liver disease for a 15 year old? I see no problem! Been that way my whole life, kids on milk cartons = “We’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas! Stock digit go up!” Goooooo Boomers!

    Star Trek: shows good acting. Makes me realize why I, we, used to go to movies and how ling it’s been since good acting. I think it’s more like STYLE, it’s a little over, while modern stuff is trying to be accurate, perfect similitude, and more importantly give the moment TIME. Time to unfold and be important instead of being in a rush.

    This is so polarized, I see a movie I think “Spiderman No Way Home” and it seems like they did four movies, we’re all relaxed, and no one was in a rush. Other ones, three hours, packed every minute and it’s like nothing was said. Comparing, let’s say, Kris Kristofferson, gives the moment TIME to unfold.

    April 4, 2025 at 12:18 pm #185515
    John Day
    Participant

    China Strikes Back: Slaps 34% Tariff On US Goods After Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’
    Touche’
    https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/china-strikes-back-slaps-34-tariff-us-goods-after-trumps-liberation-day

    April 4, 2025 at 12:36 pm #185516
    ByronBishop
    Participant

    I am always amused by the characterisation of the Chinese as great exploiters of the trade system. As I recall, it was American oligarchs who moved their factories to low-wage countries in order to save on labour costs, and it was the oligarchs who profited from all of that. Mr Trump does not call them out because they are his donors. American factory owners and shareholders and directors shipped those jobs overseas! How about some honesty here?

    April 4, 2025 at 12:50 pm #185517
    those darned kids
    Participant

    “What Marine Le Pen and Trump’s tariffs have in common is they are both anti-globalist. The world is changing and everyone will have to adapt.”

    nope.

    the world has already lost.

    April 4, 2025 at 12:54 pm #185518
    John Day
    Participant

    Deng Xiao Peng read The Limits To Growth, took it seriously, and set a 50 year plan for China to be #1 in global manufacturing before global manufacturing peaked-out, just before that. It worked.
    https://mahb.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/yale-publication-1.pdf

    April 4, 2025 at 12:54 pm #185519
    Just Some Randomer
    Participant

    @ByronBishop, nah man – those Chinese fellas sneaked over under cover of night, took all the factories apart and smuggled them back home to China before anyone knew what was happening. That’s what I’m hearing anyway.

    April 4, 2025 at 12:59 pm #185520
    those darned kids
    Participant

    calley means is 100% cia.

    bad, bad, bad.

    April 4, 2025 at 1:46 pm #185521
    zerosum
    Participant

    First you need to know the root of the problem you are trying to solve;
    So the real problem is how to make the USA competitive again

    The big picture, (topology).
    Two system.
    Trump’s Liberation Day, the tariffs war, and the rules-based global trading system,
    Change will produce a Winner, (convergence),
    ————
    • President Trump Ends Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Chinese Goods (CTH)

    The de minimis exemption has been cancelled for all products coming out of China.
    There is no way for manufacturers in China, marketed into the USA, to be able to survive if they are forced to collect and organize the requirements for U.S. custom and import duties.
    They will simply dissolve.
    All relevant postal items containing goods that are sent through the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item (increasing to $50 per item after June 1, 2025).

    “reciprocal tariffs” ( cost of mfg in Us)
    China, branded one of the “worst offenders”, (cost of mfg in China), raising total duties to at least 54%.
    ————
    • Third Parties Attempting To Derail US-Russia Talks – Putin Envoy (RT)

    He noted that the negotiations have been accompanied by “a lot of rumors, incorrect quotes, and incorrect interpretations.”
    “A lot of people are interested in preventing the development of our relations. We are seeing a coordinated campaign in the media, attempts by various politicians to undermine the relations between Russia and the US, and attempts to distort the statements made by Russia,” the diplomat said. “It happens on a daily basis.”

    —————-
    “There are probably 150 people who control healthcare in America …

    And they don’t want anything to change.”

    • Dr. Oz Will Save Medicare, Strengthen Medicaid, Secure a Healthier America (DS)

    help us in our mission to Make America Healthy Again.
    Medicaid and Medicare are on a path that should concern all Americans.

    Medicare, the government-run health insurance program for seniors, will fall off a financial cliff in as little as a decade—maybe even sooner.
    Meanwhile, Medicaid, the program that pays for health care for the poor, now covers more people than Medicare, placing an enormous strain on both state and federal budgets.
    As a nation, we face a chronic disease epidemic, and along with it, a crisis of unsustainable rising costs, high demand, and worsening patient outcomes.
    Over the past five years, Medicaid spending has surged by some 50%—another unsustainable trend that diverts funds from schools, roads, bridges, and high-speed internet.
    ———–
    https://x.com/McCulloughFund?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1907511535078936726%7Ctwgr%5Ef9f35519b75e7cec3918ec25a81a31d7d2a7cd11%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theautomaticearth.com%2F2025%2F04%2Fdebt-rattle-april-4-2025%2F

    WATCH – Dr. Mary Talley Bowden STUNS Tucker Carlson

    9 MILLION American children have received the latest COVID-19 mRNA booster shot… and no one’s talking about it.
    ———–

    April 4, 2025 at 2:38 pm #185524
    jb-hb
    Participant

    Adolescence, the Netflix fictional show about “Domestic Incel Terrorists,” which the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom referred to ON CAMERA as a DOCUMENTARY and which has been wildly promoted BY the Yoookay government, which attempts to mentally transfer disrespectful treatment of women, violence towards women, and knife crime, FROM a recently imported group TO 12 year old English boys.

    All part of the Socialist program attempting to give every single boy CPTSD – you know, fucking child abuse.

    You can see the same intent played out in the Gillette commercials. Did a young boy chew a graham cracker into an L shape, point it at someone and say “pew pew”? Well, make sure to call in a swat team to hopefully terrify him and scar him psychologically forever.

    Why? Ask A Socialist. In every interaction, there is an oppressor and the only question is WHO is the privileged oppressor. People are not individuals, they are part of blobs. These blobs share things like guilt, shame, and of course, therefore punishment. Children – provided they have XY chromosomes – are part of Patriarchy-blob, don’t you see? They just need to Do Better and be tormented.

    “Incel” = involuntarily celibate.

    This term was coined for any male expressing dissatisfaction anywhere, as an insult. You are supposed to frame any voiced concern by a male into a picture of a gross, low-status male in their parent’s basement, as super icky one. Whatever words they say or type should therefore be heard as “dog barks by icky male”

    Moreover, “incels” are, legend has it, SUPER misogynistic, violently so, and this has radicalized them into Far Right Extremism — because of how bitter they are at their inability to get laid, you see.

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LTu7HuK4rX4

    For example, Ethan Van Sciver was driven out of the Comic Book industry by socialists, who took it over and ruined it. He released his own books through IndieGoGo, socialists TRIED to cancel him, failed, he made millions that the now totally wokeist comic industry could get no % of.

    Despite having a wife and children and being very happy, socialists screeched everywhere in mad repetition insisted that he was an “incel”

    So the villian in “Adolescence” is an INCEL –

    You would WANT a 12 year old to be celibate, wouldn’t you? No? (well, not female school teachers…)

    And you… assume that TWELVE year olds, being rendered…. uh…. involuntarily celibate, have developed a full blown misogynistic hate for women??!?!? Because of the sexual frustration THEY HAVE YET TO BE CAPABLE OF EXPERIENCING????

    Oh, by the way, turns out the docume– fictional show was funded by the UK government. What a surprise.

    April 4, 2025 at 3:08 pm #185525
    jb-hb
    Participant

    They’re going to be showing this show as curriculum in UK – sorry, Yoookay – middle schools all over the country.

    April 4, 2025 at 3:09 pm #185526
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @DrD

    ASPNAZ has apparently been replaced with an entirely new, thoughtful person. All this weeks insights I agree with entirely. Lezbe friends..

    I noticed the same switcheroo, and agree that the new guy is way better than the last guy. However, and let us not ignore, forget nor minimize, the fact that some sort of purposeful deception is still at play, and that it is not an accident or personal foible. because the aspnaz username is still in use but NOT by the same guy. That moniker is a password protected “user-name/screen-name arrangement. The only way that the new guy can be using it is if he got from the same place the old guy did, which means that those two (or more) guys are connected, and that they are connected for a purpose that they choose not to share with the rest of us.

    I can only think of only one good reason for such deception, which is that the deceiver thinks that it’s not good for their purposes and intent for us to know what their true purposes and intent truly are.

    The new guy is quite rationally sweet and persuasive I must admit. So far. So was the last guy writing under the same “aspnaz” nom d’plume. So was whatsizname, “A Few Know The Truth”, and countless others before them.

    I am not complaining. What I am saying is critique not criticism. @Aspnaz is more than welcome to be here, so far as my opinion is concerned. I learn much from liars, and encourage them to lie to me at every opportunity because the more they lie the more I learn.

    So, what’s up @aspnaz? Why are you pretending to be someone who you are not, and have a truer purpose which you choose not to reveal?

    April 4, 2025 at 3:13 pm #185527
    phoenixvoice
    Participant

    @ Maxwell Quest

    Regarding “Covid time”…
    Technically, my closest friends who were themselves vaxxed and thought the entire world should be as well, mildly chided me, and shared the platitudes going around about why I should be vaxxed. I calmly refuted their points, stating that I was already immune, and that there was insufficient evidence to evaluate otherwise. If pressed, I could easily look up specific references of scientific papers that showed that my point had as much validity as the predominant narrative. I understand that two good friends of mine living at the local retirement community (in that time, one is his late 70s, the other in her late 80s,) shared a conversation clucking over my perfidy. I was not amused, but I recognized it for what it was — they cared, and they were “mothering me.” I was annoyed at the time, but I shrugged it off. They are still my friends.

    I warned the woman that I just spoke of not to take boosters…she said that she would do as her primary care doctor recommends — she likes her PCP. Her PCP has swallowed the vaccine rubbish hook, line, and sinker. I accepted her decision — there was nothing else that I could do. A few weeks later, I spent 3 hours with her a couple days after her first booster. I then had a headache for 3 days that would not respond to analgesics. (Shedding?)

    I warned the man that I spoke of in an email to several fellow musicians, cautioning them to refuse the boosters. A woman on that email brought in her husband, a well-respected professor at ASU, who must have made a lot of money over the years, judging by the niceness of their home. The ASU professor used mainstream Covid narrative stuff to reassure those who received my email that my views were full of holes like Swiss cheese. It was not cruel — he just cited official government (dis)info. I realized that my efforts were futile. We remain friends.

    My parents, sister living in AZ, and I were worried that my (already vaxxed) sibs in another state would vax their kids. My parents and sister were uncomfortable sharing their concerns with the other two siblings. I said that I would do it, because I knew that I could not live at ease knowing that I had been too fearful to share information that could have prevented the death and ill health of my nieces and nephews. I crafted and sent the email. My brother and sister in another state were not receptive, and politely told me so. At least I can rest easy knowing that I tried.

    Regarding the shunning at the public park…sure, it hurt emotionally a little bit. It was also kind of exhilarating and eye-opening. It freed me from the congregation. To see their hypocrisy on display, and their blindness to their own behavior, lemmings following the minister who personally confronted me — she saw it her duty to do so…I will never forget that. It was a thought-provoking 15-minutes. I was not surprised. I deliberately went maskless to a masked event to see what would ensue. My spouse and I were en route to a family dinner — I followed the experience with a conversation with my spouse in the car ride, and then several hours in the good company of my parents, sister, BIL, and their kids.

    One of the weird things about wokism is this treatment of emotional pain as some sort of horrid taboo. While
    I am all too familiar with how devastating and destructive on-going emotional pain can be, (causing cPTSD, etc.,) brief emotional pain is a part of the human condition. We learn from it. We grow and move on.

    April 4, 2025 at 3:33 pm #185528
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    Ya know, the more I think about it the more it sticks in my craw that @aspnaz is some kind of fake. If there is one thing that sets this forum apart from others it is that its participants (and what a motley crew we are) are who they present themselves to be. Except for @aspnaz.

    It’s okay with me if whoever-they-are chose to continue playing a purposefully deceptive game.

    But I have no intention of letting them slip through unnoticed or challenged as a freebie.

    Answer up @aspaz whoever you are and whatever your game is. What’s up, Bro?

    April 4, 2025 at 3:45 pm #185529
    jb-hb
    Participant

    Oh, forgot to mention – that Adolescence show – is based on a real knife murder by an illegal immigrant, which they race-swapped onto native born English boys. (because no real world example could be found)

    The UK government is enacting new policies “to fight young white incels” citing this SHOW as a reason!

    Starmer has called it a Documentary “accidentally” MULTIPLE times, including from prepared written speeches! Once in front of Parliment. oopsie.

    It only remains to find the connection to USAID funding.

    Hey UK, counter-suggestion:

    A show about a girl who falsely accuses a boy of rape. You can call it something catchy like “Mattress Girl” and show it in every middle school, right?

    Because injustice and lies are wrong and we don’t like things that are wrong ….right?

    Favorite comment so far – in light of Parliment needing to Do Something because of fictional TV shows

    I just watched Godzilla, and i want to know when starmer is going to tackle the kaiju problem? Godzilla should be shown in schools so that children can be made aware of the dangers of giant ancient monsters!

    April 4, 2025 at 4:01 pm #185530
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @JustSomeRandomer

    @ByronBishop, nah man – those Chinese fellas sneaked over under cover of night, took all the factories apart and smuggled them back home to China before anyone knew what was happening. That’s what I’m hearing anyway.

    Welllllll … Ya knowww … In a manner of speaking ……

    That’s exactly what they did, but the way that they managed to do it had a lot more moving pieces than that. At its most fundamentally basic level you could rightfully say that they did it the old fashioned way. The bought off, bribed and blackmailed American “leaders” (both business, banking and governmental), many off whom were all too willing and eager to take the money and betray their own country.

    The Chinese did it alright, and they had enthusiastically willing assistants from all over the place. You can’t really blame them though. It was self defense. The Western Empire was literally killing them (and had been for centuries) and it had finally got to the point where the rest of the world (China included) either had to fight back or DIE IN SLAVERY.

    Personally, I side with the rebels, but it has gotten so chaotic “out there” that it typically causes more confusion to put names to the warring factions than it is to just let the chaos work itself out according to First Principles basics like Good vs Bad , Truth vs Lie, and truly benevolent good will towards one’s fellow creatures vs violent hatred and death.

    April 4, 2025 at 4:06 pm #185531
    jb-hb
    Participant

    “I have never known a city or fortress to stand that possessed a postern gate wide enough to admit an ass laden with gold”

    -Philip of Macedon

    April 4, 2025 at 4:12 pm #185535
    zerosum
    Participant

    Cool invisible cape
    https://x.com/simpatico771/status/1907851369798635687

    April 4, 2025 at 4:43 pm #185536
    those darned kids
    Participant

    Well, I think the fine choices President Trump has made, especially Secretary Rubio and Secretary Hegseth, reflect the excellent judgement President Trump has consistently shown.

    With such guidance, America will truly be GREAT AGAIN.

    April 4, 2025 at 4:52 pm #185537
    John Day
    Participant

    Touche’
    Female Fencer Expelled For Refusing To Compete Against Male Opponent
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/female-fencer-expelled-refusing-compete-against-male-opponent

    April 4, 2025 at 4:58 pm #185538
    John Day
    Participant

    @DBS & Dr.D: This may be Aspnaz the Third. It was Aspnaz the Second who was more belligerent.

    @Aspnaz-III: Good-on-ya. Your devout father would prefer this.

    April 4, 2025 at 5:02 pm #185539
    John Day
    Participant

    @Zerosum: I think a green rain-slicker lined with a space-blanket would be about the same. That may be what it is.

    April 4, 2025 at 5:13 pm #185540
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    The United States has never shown the slightest hesitation or unwillingness to bomb the life out of anybody if a) there was money and power to be made from it, and b) they thought they could pull it off and get away with it.

    That’s basically all that you really need to know about U.S. Foreign Policy. And domestic policy too, for that matter, as the original inhabitants of the Continent can tell you.

    April 4, 2025 at 5:24 pm #185541
    jb-hb
    Participant

    I hope it is not lost on any resident Socialists that unlike AFKTT, I am not repeating the same talking point over and over. Instead, I think of something NEW every day. It’s my 1,000,000,001 Ways Socialists Wear Clown Shoes series. <honk>

    I like things like D&D, Star Wars, Libraries, Having a Job… when socialists ruin these things, I complain about it.

    I figure if someone was ruining your socialism, you’d complain about it. Instead, I get the impression there’s timid socialists and non-timid socialists. The timid ones watch every depredation, every absurdity, and lie limp and flat, waiting for the non-timid socialists to pick them up and carry them into the end zone where they can raise a socialist fist in victory.

    Otherwise, you’d see me as a friend and ally. After all, I’m doing the heavy lifting, complaining about and criticizing the ruination of YOUR favorite thing.

    I can’t completely tell if you’re waiting for ME to pick you up and carry you into one end zone or for non-timid socialists to pick you up and carry you into the OTHER end zone.

    But if it really WERE bothering you, if your Real Socialism were being ruined, there’s a very obvious response we’d be watching for

    https://i.pinimg.com/736x/4f/62/cf/4f62cf7df40f382e26813663f3b0b7be.jpg

    April 4, 2025 at 5:30 pm #185542
    DarkMatter
    Participant

    π
    If every possible numeric sequence is found in π you could digitize the entire universe in 3D down to the Planck length over its 14 billion year history in femtoseconds and that digitization would be found somewhere in π. Actually it would be found an infinite number of times in π. Humans can’t comprehend what infinite really means.

    April 4, 2025 at 5:32 pm #185543
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @jb_hb

    “I have never known a city or fortress to stand that possessed a postern gate wide enough to admit an ass laden with gold”

    -Philip of Macedon

    That observation is a real keeper. Phil may not have been a nice man, but he sure was a smart one.

    April 4, 2025 at 5:35 pm #185544
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @DarkMatter

    Humans can’t comprehend what infinite really means.

    All I know is that every time I’ve tried to comprehend infinity, I’ve had to give it up because I knew I would never get there.

    April 4, 2025 at 5:38 pm #185545
    those darned kids
    Participant

    i can’t do it. i tried to be tdk2, but my fingertips really ache.

    ok,

    back to normalito!

    April 4, 2025 at 5:40 pm #185546
    John Day
    Participant

    Old allegations investigated last year, a warning he did not heed:
    Russell Brand Charged With Rape, Sexual Assault
    The 49-year-old has previously denied all allegations, calling them “very, very hurtful,” and insisting that his relationships have been “absolutely, always consensual.”

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/russell-brand-charged-rape-sexual-assault

    April 4, 2025 at 5:42 pm #185547
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @DarkMatter

    π
    If every possible numeric sequence is found in π you could digitize the entire universe in 3D down to the Planck length over its 14 billion year history in femtoseconds and that digitization would be found somewhere in n.”

    You kick that off with a pretty big “If“. The irony in both the word and the statement is the fact that even though what you state is intuitively true, it would take an infinite amount of time to actually prove it.

    April 4, 2025 at 5:42 pm #185548
    those darned kids
    Participant

    good (bad?) socialists:

    https://img-aws.ehowcdn.com/750x428p/s3.amazonaws.com/cme_public_images/www_ehow_com/i.ehow.com/images/a04/pi/s3/build-amish-barn-800×800.jpg

    April 4, 2025 at 5:44 pm #185549
    those darned kids
    Participant

    bad (good?) socialists:

    April 4, 2025 at 5:45 pm #185550
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @ThoseDarnedKids

    Maybe the only good Socialist is the one that resides only in the minds of good Socialists.

    April 4, 2025 at 5:53 pm #185551
    those darned kids
    Participant

    oops

    April 4, 2025 at 5:58 pm #185552
    John Day
    Participant

    Matt Taibbi Files $10 Million Libel Suit Against Dem Rep. For Accusing Him Of ‘Serial Sexual Harassment’
    “Not ever accused”, says Taibbi.
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/matt-taibbi-files-10-million-libel-suit-against-dem-rep-accusing-him-serial-sexual

    April 4, 2025 at 5:59 pm #185553
    those darned kids
    Participant

    dbs!

    (oops not for thee, i double-tried for pic. nope.)

    anyhoo,

    i really don’t understand. the last time there was socialism in america was when hugo chavez gave a bunch of poor people in the u.s. free heating oil.

    oh, and when the cubans offered to help after katrina but were turned away.

    other than that, i don’t really understand.

    ¿¡is this why the fda is clamping down on amish farmers!?

    April 4, 2025 at 6:04 pm #185554
    John Day
    Participant

    Ugh!
    Hungary is withdrawing from the ICC, the Viktor Orban government has announced, hours after Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the country for a state visit. Orban while standing alongside Netanyahu for a press conference called The Hague-based court a “political tool”.
    https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/eu-state-withdraws-international-criminal-court

    April 4, 2025 at 6:24 pm #185555
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    Does anyone think that today’s leadership (and I use the word loosely) just woke up one fine morning and decided to lie to you about vitally important things, steal your stuff and try their darnedest to do you in?

    Or is it more likely the case that our leadership has been lying to us all along? Lots of ways to lie, ya know. One way is to know a truth but keep it secret for personal advantages, even though others are suffering terribly as consequence of that dangerous secret.

    I’ve been around the block a few times and I can testify with great certitude that friends do not keep secrets from friends and remain true friends for long. It just don’t work that way.

    And America’s so-called “leadership” has been keeping some very dark secrets from you for a very long time. In fact, they’ve been doing that for so long, and about such dark secrets, that they aren’t really your friend any more. Not even the ones who try to convince you that they are.

    C’mon folks. Donald Trump’s entire Administration is committing violently lethal ethnic cleansing in Gaza and comparable violence in Ukraine, Yemen and Syria … with more venues threatened and promised for the very near future. Do you think that his real reasons are the reasons that he’s telling you? Do you think he is being open and transparently honest with us about this whole Administration’s actual financial and political relationship with Israel and other Zionists elsewhere?

    Don’t become so outraged about the most recent lies that you forget that the lies of the past decades are STILL lies, and that those old lies are harming you as much or more right now than they did way back when you swallowed them the first time.

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