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

First we take Manhattan then we take Berlin...

I listened to Jeffry Sachs addressing the EU parliment - I assume over a year ago as ML Wallace and Clare Daly were in the ‘audience’. Most of what he said made perfect sence to me. BUT three things JUMPED out , namely:-

(1) he said that you talk directly to your adversary and clearly express your concerns to him and ask him to consider how he might address them and visa versa - and at all times discussions are held - using cool heads - in a courteous and fair manner. My issue with that is what if you are dealing with with a psychopath, someone with a serious ADHD condition , a cleptomaniac , a serial rapist, a misogynist, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Am only asking the question , but did Stalin, Hitler Mussolini,, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, have such conditions as outlined above or similar issues.
Note that I have NOT NAMED current national or ex leaders still alive

(2) he mentioned that the US got ‘shirty’ when Russia was thinking of placing nuclear missiles in Cuba. And , he said, Putin does not want Ukr Joining NATO and therefor having nuclear missiles placed. Within 8 minutes from Moscow. But can Ukr not join NATO and without having to place any nuclear missiles in its country? Ukr can buy / make its own guns, tanks, drones, or whatever from its own resources and the only difference that NATO membership would bestow would be that if it was attacked that other NATO members won.d come to it’s aid.
As a side issue , nuke sites do not have to be next or near Russia because of technological advances. They could be anyplace in the world because of ships/ submarines

The talk about banning Twitter is a bit short sighted. It's already bleeding money and advertisers are getting off it. It's not even a social media site these days. It's just there to serve Musk and his narcissism.

Banning it in Europe would play into his hands immensely. It would cause even more division amongst people. And Musk and his cult would be able to play the free speech/censorship card. What Europe should (already) be doing is pool its collective talent and resources to build a real competitor to X.

The same goes for all the major US based online services. We've allowed ourselves to become far too reliant and beholden to a small number corporation that will never have our best interests at heart.

I understand people “reacting” - a lot of this has been fast paced and frankly brutal over last few weeks- and given this is a discussion thread I can also understand instant reactions being posted -hopefully though, over coming weeks and months people will get the measure of each “event” and try and respond with a more measured approach - I guess it’s hard to be positive right now

The point about traditional media is dead though (especially in America). Traditional media is now the mouthpiece for whatever interest group the billionaire that owns it wants.

I miss the days when news organisations reported the facts without the endless stream of opinionated idiots chiming in to put a spin on it. US news media is nothing but entertainment now.

its on the 3 minute mark on this SNL skit…. the whole clip is hilarious

On looking back at Fridays media event in the Oval Office, I realised I had missed the bigger picture. Following on from the barring of the Associated Press from the White House and AF one on Trumps orders because it wont obey his order to use Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico, there was a change in whom could assign the seating at White House briefings from it being the press pool who decided who sat where and asked questions by a rota system it controlled to one where the White House is now assigning the seats so as to control the media and its questions.

The bigger picture now is that Trump has co-opted the media [the free press] attending the White House media events to broadcast his propaganda to the world and there was no mention of his misuse of the media there to broadcast his personal attack on Zelenskyy.

It's alarming that some of the owners of the Free Press papers are editing and shutting down anything critical of Trump or Musk being published in the papers. Tomorrow's address of congress by him should be revealing in so far as whom will be allowed televise and report on the address.

On the Sky News programme there's a side screen with the words 6.30PM US President Trump to make investment announcement. Nothing further as to what he's going to say so the screen will be watched to hear what means by investment; federal or private.

I assume that if he's going to interfere with private investment, he'll have to use some section of US law rarely used. The powers he has to decide on federal funding use might be averse to Congress decisions on funding things. With tomorrows speech to Congress ahead of him, he might try and forestall trouble there by mentioning what's on his mind tonight.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plans to invest $100 billion in the United States ?

In my day (I'm only early 40's btw), we would ridicule that sort of crap. How are young men falling for that nowadays?

US has approximately 9 times the population of Ukraine. If the US was invaded and affected proportionally as Ukraine is, you would have:

4 to 5 million American casualties

45 million American refugees

62 million Americans displaced

20% of the land area of America in enemy hands, maybe 10 states

Nearly all American cities bombed

180,000 American children kidnapped

Would Trump and Vance be expressing gratitude to a country suggesting that the US cede 20% of their lands to an enemy without any security guarantees? This to an enemy who had previously broken every previous agreement?

Would they be happy to hand over minerals worth 5 trillion dollars?

Would they mind being berated if they didn't accept these conditions as being 'not interested in peace or diplomacy'?

While I agree, massive dick worship is kinda.....