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

"Not what the Israelis had in mind"

That would be funny if it weren't so painfully naive.

I think he's leading us all down a rabbit hole. He's creating an artificial problem in order to have a stronger negotiating position when dealing with Saudi Arabia.

"This is Trumps opening offer- it’s much easier to post outrage than it is to post a constructive suggestion as to what are the alternatives - maybe some Arab countries will come together with a proposal - let’s see what they say - but I’ve no doubt there will be equal outrage at their suggestions."

Let's say the richest Arab nations (Saudi Arabia, Qatar etc) all come together and say they'll pay trillions for the land, will redevelop it, will house displaced Palestinians until it's finished and then return them to the area…. You think Israel will accept that? You think the US will accept that?

It's not about making offers on who funds the reconstruction of Gaza and what they intend to use it for (which is fairly callous in and of itself considering what has happened there over the last 18 months (edit: I don't mean you're callous, I mean the idea that the land is just essentially for sale with nations putting in funds to redevelop it in order to own it, the US included)). The aim was for Israel to take it over, and Israel knew they'd have the backing of the US (or at the very least, substantial investment from US interests) to rebuild and control it afterwards. No proposals will be entertained other than what Israel wants.

God I miss Robert Fisk.

You're joking right?

I don't agree with the attempted stroke the technical group tried to pull, but

1. It didn't work
2. It is absolutely nothing compared to the shenanigans the GOP have been pulling and getting away over the previous decades
3. It is even less than nothing compared to Trump sending in non government employee goons with zero oversight or legal basis to lock civil servants out of government buildings and seize control of the most sensitive IT infrastructure

There’s no doubt that the volume of EOs was by design, probably not designed by Trump, and fully intended to overwhelm any pushback.

The legal system moves very slowly and has been very ineffective in the US and the courts seem to be very heavily politicised and stuffed with Trump loyalists.

Meanwhile the Democratic Party seems to have been operating like it’s still 1995 — completely ignoring all of this and behaving like it’s all just a bit of blip, placing absolute faith in the ability of the system to just right itself.

A lot of Americans, including well educated ones who should be more analytical, seem to have this blind faith in the “Founding Fathers” and the constitutional system. It’s a world view steeped in exceptionalism, dogma, blind patriotism and intellectual laziness. The reality is that’s it was a great system by the standards of the late 1700s but many aspects of it have been fossilised.

American political and democratic culture has systematically been picked apart over the last few decades and that’s coincided with a collapse in social cohesion and social capital that has long been identified and discussed by social and political science, but ignored by everyone else —particularly politicians. The cracks were there — the tools to break them open were tabloid media in the 90s — talk radio and Fox News, that expanded to influencer operations on social media and …ever more polarised discussion and here we are — trust in democracy gone, and what amounts to a dictatorship and oligarchy emerging. There’s nothing remarkable about that speed — every historical European and South American dictatorship was just suddenly just installed, while everyone was waffling and claiming it could never happen…

Its a bit of an aside, but I am baffled by the people here who seem to think that 'Trump was joking' or 'Trump was trolling' are some way an appropriate excuse for the madder pronouncements of the (supposed) Leader of the Free World. Or indeed any leader of any country.

Leaders in that kind of position speak purposefully and carefully. What they say may be good or bad for their country or the rest of the world, but they are not frivolous, throw-away remarks that have to be interpreted by lackeys. Well, not since the days of in-bred, syphilitic, lunatic kings anyway.

When Jared Kushner, Trump's son in law, pointed out the real estate the potential of Gaza whilst it's population was being slaughtered we saw the true callousness of Trump thinking. I find it sad to live in a world so devoid of basic humanity. Trump and his entourage of monsters just of a different hew to Biden who was equally monstrous.

I fear the plan to ethnic cleanse the Gaza Strip may succeed. I have massive admiration for the Palestinian people and their love for their homeland. What they have endured at the hands of Israel takes us back to the modern day equivalent of the Holocaust. It is truly sickening that a country born out of Holocaust could perpetrate such evil on another people. Israel has rendered the term anti semitic permanently mute and worthless.

Israel has done more harm to itself than any so called anti semitic comment could ever do. It has put it's very right to exist as a country in it's present form in jeopardy. Sadly aided and abetted by the so called greatest democracy in the world America. Trump and Biden look like two sides of the same arse cheeks with one being more cruder than the other.

Firstly thank you for your reply and for being civil.

Yes I agree- this is Israel’s desired outcome and was all along and I posted similar in the Gaza thread way back.
I’m awaiting the Arab worlds response to this opening gambit to be honest - and considering Israel is now chipping away at the West Bank, who knows what will happen there -so far there appears to be silence. I can see Gaza remaining a bomb site for many years to come - probably tented cities springing up all over - a massive refugee crisis. Whatever the Arab worlds response, it will likely be as extreme as Trumps suggestion - stalemate

Now Trump pushing autism conspiracy theories, there's literally no break in terms of the dangerous nonsense.

"20 years ago, Autism in children was 1 in 10,000. NOW IT'S 1 in 34. WOW! Something's really wrong,"

If this keeps up, I could see secessionist movements gaining traction in blue states. California being the big one.

Israel knowing and letting the Hamas October attacks take place makes more sense now.

All part of the bigger plan to ethnic cleanse Gaza once and for all.

The final solution.

myself,personally,i think hes gone batshite nuts…ye do realise he has the nuclear codes too? dear superman,please save the world from trumpy-pantz

exactly this. He may be a nut job, spoofer, narcissist and psycho who won’t get to do all he rants about, but his words, aligned to his insanely powerful global role will have an impact and consequences.

Do point out where you have called out Trump's proposal for what it is - ethnic cleansing.

You've had multiple posts on the subject and not one acknowledging that.

Makes your comments about dementia appear particular crass doesn't it if that is how low you have to go for deflection now.

And here is another post where you fail to call out Trump for what he is, advocating ethnic cleansing.

Done so you can continue to post about how Trump is off to a great start, fulfilling his campaign promises.

So in scope of that, let us be clear - you will be praising declared ethnic cleansing.

That's entirely on you. Crass comments about dementia, all so you can continue defending a rapist who now openly advocates ethnic cleansing.