Donald Trump the Megathread part II - mod warnings in OP, Updated 18/03/25

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167319#Comment_123167319

Why are you equating tearing down statues of murderers, traitors and slavers with actual war? Is it the both sides thing yet again?

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167244#Comment_123167244

Right-leaning media are arguably traitorous though. They are supporting Trump and some of them even hoping he inflicts damage on Ireland i.e. hoping that the Taoiseach is not invited to the White House and that FDI companies pull out of Ireland (e.g. Ian O'Doherty and some others).

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166667#Comment_123166667

"European countries may not recognize the annexed lands, may not release the sanctions, may not go back to buying Russian gas and oil. I'll bet Putin is expecting all them in any deal."

Now that Europe is energy independent of Russia you can be dam right that Europe will not fall for buying cheap energy ftom Russia again for a long time anyway.

Europe fell for it once and once is enough. Russia has lost its best chance of being a great economy but then it was never going to be that with Putin anyway as he been there 20+ years and it's still not a great economy. It's GDP is still less than that of Italy a Country many times smaller than Russia.

Russia going have been the strongest best Economy in the world not instead is a war mongering basket case isolated from most of the World untill Trimp got into power.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167460#Comment_123167460

I'd say there's a serious justification to be made that "arguably" is superfluous. You've hack media like gript.ie trying to turn people against each other and then you've establishment media like the Daily Mail and The Sun which both spent decades lobbying for the UK to leave the EU knowing that their privately educated staff would be shielded from the consequences.

Leroy42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167244#Comment_123167244

Are there any examples of where they should be pro-Trump?

Seems to me that Trump is a clear threat to the EU and the West as a whole. He continues to side with the US enemies over their supposed allies (he starts talks with Putin yet excludes US ally Ukraine!).

His announcements are adversarial, and he shows zero respect for Europe or the relationship between the two regions. Even the UK, who thought they might be able to use their 'special relationship' and Brexit to forge closer trade links were repeatedly put down and dismissed.

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167319#Comment_123167319

We all remember the great war of 2013 when FAS was dissolved and SOLAS emerged in its place.

What sort of mind sees everything as a battle

randomname2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166806#Comment_123166806

Definitely not in a room with just Trump and Putin

aloyisious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167492#Comment_123167492

I think Trump has aided NATO with his ranting against it and has damaged trust in the US as a worthwhile military ally. I hope that the wake-up call he shouted at NATO and Europe to up its military abilities is not what Putin would have preferred. Certainly his activities were more helpful initially to Putin's special military operation but not now.

Those with able brains in both political parties in the US will have to assess what harm Trump and Musk are doing to the US now and consider what'll happen if those two clowns get their mitts into the Pentagon and rein them in pronto. After he fired the US Coast Guard Commandant for no good reason, its obvious as the nose on his face what Trump will do to the military across the board. He'll tear it apart with the willing aid of Musk all in the name of their fake god; cost-cutting & economies.

realdanbreen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167625#Comment_123167625

I'm inclined ro agree with you. If ever there was a case for Europe to plough money into defense and arm itself to the teeth now is the time to do it.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167630#Comment_123167630

Having seen the draft budget proposals all these "Cost savings and efficiencies" are aimed at achieving 1 thing - Facilitating a massive tax cut for the Ultra wealthy.

They are talking about expanding the Debt ceiling by $4.5$ and to increase the budget deficit by another $4T all to fund increased spending on Defense , "Immigration" and Tax cuts.

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167638#Comment_123167638

But it's a disgrace, Joe. We need de money for de housin' but de guddernmint is spendin' two-hunderidid' million on fighter planes.

Europe has been at peace for so long that defence spending has kind of faded out of importance, and economies have reconfigured themselves in kind. There's no doubt that European countries need to rearm right now, but it will be undermined every step of the way by the sentiment above. It seems inevitable that there will be a very uncertain period after the USA well and truly pulls the rug out. I don't think the US will be in any way a reliable partner under Trump if it even decides to stay in NATO.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123165408#Comment_123165408

Yes thats whats reported. Costs huge money to Ferry a president around and he travels far more than anyone else. Mostly so he doesnt have to work. Photo ops are better

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167016#Comment_123167016

Of course I realise how crazy that sounds, just look at the men in charge!

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167638#Comment_123167638

Cool. Are you prepared to pay more tax?

Patrick2010

Looks like Trumps press secretary has the same attitude to debt as her boss…

In 2022, Leavitt faced a Federal Election Commission complaint from End Citizens United

alleging Leavitt's campaign and treasurer illegally accepted campaign donations over the legal limit and never repaid her donors.[24] In January 2025, Leavitt disclosed in 17 amended campaign filings $326,370 in unpaid campaign debts she had failed to disclose for several years.[24] Roughly $200,000 of the debt was composed of illicit campaign donations made in excess of campaign finance limits she never paid back, in violation of campaign finance laws

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karoline_Leavitt

realdanbreen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167680#Comment_123167680

Obviously. I mean i was also prepared to pay more tax for an efficient and equally cost distributed water supply but every gobshite with a hi vis jacket or a child's buggy to push or a tri colour to drape was out marching against it so that fucked that.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167035#Comment_123167035

You say that Russia should get to keep Crimea and Donbass because "most" of the residents want to be Russian - Not sure that's true though.

I never said Russia should "get" anything. I said that in the event of peace breaking out that it wouldn't be a bad return to let Russians live in Russia. If they don't want to then fine but at least let them run referendums in those areas to find out

You also say that "Russification" is ok as well for the same reasons.

Were we happy with the Anglicization of NI ??

Russification of parts of Ukraine that want to be part of Russia Vs Anglicisation of a territory that has no interest in the Anglican faith. One of these things is not like the other

Would the Unionist population be happy if we did to them all the things that we KNOW Russia are already doing to Donbass and Crimea to those that aren't loyal to them???

One of these things is not like the other

Russia should get NOTHING in return for their actions over the last decade , absolutely NOTHING.

Ideally they wouldn't but if there's nothing on offer for them then the war will only continue

Giving them anything will only further embolden Putin , he'll use the downtime to rearm and replenish and simply go again , either back into Ukraine or into any other of the neighbouring States that he has his eye on.

The purpose of a peace deal is for peace. If either side uses the peace deal to re-arm and replenish and go again then they are not been faithful to their side of the deal.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166063#Comment_123166063

Biden wasn't cutting food programmes to save a few quid then pishing it up against the wall on a jaunt to a football game. The extra security required for an event like that quadrupled the normal cost. I presume its why they don't attend sports events more often.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167026#Comment_123167026

Care to quote where I said that?

Champagne Sally

deleted

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166313#Comment_123166313

You could wipe your arse with the US constitution as its not worth the paper its written on. No one in the 1700's could conceive what the world would be like today and the US treats this document like the 10 commandments. Every constsitution evolves to suit the times and challenges a country faces, but not the US. The much vaunted checks and balances have proven to be beyond useless which was plain to see for anyone with half a brain. It'll take a military coup to stop the Trump train and given that more than 50% of them would be of a MAGA persuassion then thats highly unlikely.

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167745#Comment_123167745

It's really the oppositionality of the two parties that prevents sensible amendments from getting passed. The country is so polarised that they'd have a hard time agreeing that water is wet. Veneration of their constitution is really just a function of that.

Interestingly, I see that the last amendment was in 1992 - 33 years ago. Five years after their fairness doctrine in media was abolished. This is when the balkanisation of their media began to set in and the line was increasingly drawn, and the two parties have found it increasingly hard to find common ground ever since.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166806#Comment_123166806

You don't negociate by telling one party they can't be involved in the talks whilst also telling them their demands are far fetched. What kind of position is that and whats to negociate. Trump is saving Putins bacon here. Russia are in serious financial bother and their army is done. Quantity of crap is still there, but no quality. Refining capacity cut by 50%. Ukraine starting to get a foothold and Trump kicks the legs out from under them. The great negociator strikes again

Quin_Dub

The Privatisation of Cruelty

This is the CEO of a Private Prison firm in the US

CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger could barely contain his excitement about the Laken Riley Act and Trump’s anti-immigration executive orders.

CoreCivic is so excited by its daily calls with the Trump administration that it is spending at least $40 million to renovate facilities even before inking new contracts, CEO Damon Hininger said on the call for investors.

“I have worked at CoreCivic for 32 years, and this is truly one of the most exciting periods in my career with the company,” Hininger said, adding that he expects “perhaps the most significant growth in our company’s history over the next several years.”

Vile

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167460#Comment_123167460

I will say that we should stay the hell away from the white house. No good can come of it. Being anywhere in Trumps orbit means hes going to crash into you like the great big meteorite of shít that he is. Keep the head down and stay the hell out of his way as long as we can. The government has fcuked us by ignoring/not supporting Irish businesses and instead outsourcing our jobs market to the US. Its only a matter of time before that comes crashing down like the 2008 crisis all over again. The more contact you have with him the faster it'll happen.

uptherebels

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167724#Comment_123167724

Care to provide a source for your earlier claim that I requested?

Wolf359f

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167655#Comment_123167655

Basically cut social budgets by over 2 trillion to help fund a tax cut. Obviously the worst off will be most affected by cuts and gains the least from tax cuts. Absolutely no surprise there.

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167745#Comment_123167745

If only there was a legal system to effect amendments to the constitution. It could have introduced 27 amendments over the course of 200 years if they had. But I think I might plead the 5th as the whether they do have some such system

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167911#Comment_123167911

Ah yes, really important things like implimenting and repealing prohibition. Whilst still holding on to essential originals such as the quartering of soldiers. Its bang up to date.

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167937#Comment_123167937

What do you propose - that a constitution can be ripped up on a 50%+1 basis?