Amid the daily drenching of treasonous-lunacy, can we agree to wish calm-sanity on the world in 2026, as we leave benighted 2025 behind us?
I'll drop a little humor into this missive at the very end, along with Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah & Kwanza etc. wishes. But meanwhile...
...let's keep poking at on my 35+ - likely futile - proposals that liberals, Democrats and their residually-sane conservative neighbors might enact, to fix many flaws exploited lately by enemies of our enlightenment and republic.
This series began with an appraisal of political tactics to win elections, especially the most successful one of the last 50 years, the "Contract With America" concocted by Newt Gingrich in 1994 to bury any remnants of the Rooseveltean coalition, commencing decades of Republican dominance. A 'contract' hypocritically betrayed by the GOP! Still, it worked for them. We need to know why.
In Part Three I listed in SUMMARY form all my own proposed winning promises! Some need legislation to either overcome a veto or await a non-traitor president. (Though far easier to pass than a Constitutional amendments, so stop whining about the Electoral College!) But half a dozen are internal reforms Congress can make no matter who's in the Oval Office.
In Parts 4-7 I commenced dissecting and explaining each of the proposals. Some would directly solve some of the weaknesses Donald Trump has exposed in the U.S. system.
So, let's continue.
== The immigration dilemma ==
Scream "racism!" all day, but that won't cancel a fact few liberals ever admit or confront. That enemies of the Enlightenment and liberalism found an effective tactic, a way to f---up western nations, politically.
The tactic? Drive hmany thousands of hapless, innocent refugees across borders into generously liberal democracies! Then watch, giggling, as millions of voters in those countries swing rightward at the polls.
Cringe and deny and evade thinking about it, all you like. But when your enemy employs a winning tactic - in this case leveraging your own goodness and generosity against you - it might be sapient to notice! (As you should notice the tactical effectiveness of the Gingrich 'contract.')
Dig it. In order to do good things in this world (many of them suggested in this series) you must have political power! And sorry - alas - that means prioritizing.
You can't do everything. So do things first that will both improve matters and win more elections and give us the power to do more good things! Um... duh?
Anyway, here I offer a potential way to approach that sweet spot in a vexing issue. Remaining generous,while countering the till-now 100% effective Putin refugee ploy.
IMMIGRATION REFORM: There are already proposed immigration law reforms on the table, worked out by sincere Democrats and sincere Republicans, back when the latter were still a thing. These bipartisan reforms will be revisited, debated, updated and then brought to a vote.
In addition, if a foreign nation is a top ten source of refugees seeking U.S. asylum from persecution in their homelands, then by law it shall be incumbent upon the political and social elites in that nation to help solve the problem, or else take responsibility for causing their citizens to flee.
Upon verification that their regime is among those top ten, that nation’s elites will be billed, enforceably, for U.S. expenses in giving refuge to that nation’s citizens. Further, all trade and other advantages of said elites will be suspended and access to the United States banned, except for the purpose of negotiating ways that the U.S. can help in that nation’s rise to both liberty and prosperity, thus reducing refugee flows in the best possible way.
== Hurt him where it hurts most ==
With due allowance and leeway for needs of the Office of President, public property shall be accounted-for. The manager will allocate which portions of any trip expense should be deemed private and thereupon – above a basic, reasonable allowance – shall be billed to the president or his/her party.
This office shall supervise annual physical and mental examination by external experts for all senior office holders including the President, Vice President, Cabinet members and leaders of Congress.
Any group of twenty senators or House members or state governors may choose one periodical, network or other news source to get credentialed to the Press Pools in Congress, the White House and State and Defense Departments, spreading inquiry across all party lines and ensuring that all rational points of view get access.
== Cancel the many levels of graft! (Well... a lot of them) ==
Here's another one that may seem obvious. Only note what I say about presidential libraries! These have morphed into massive ego shrines, where ex-presidents get to "keep" the lavish gifts they receive from individuals and foreign potentates, so long as they are officially 'on (permanent) loan' from the National Archives!
Donald Trump has even declared that he plans to 'donate' the big Qatari 747 jet, via the Archives, to his post-presidential library for his own personal and permanent use!
Dig it: we can get Obama and Clinton and (maybe reluctantly) GW Bush to sign off on this. And we can word it in a way where the grifters cannot plausibly refuse.
EMOLUMENTS AND GIFTS ACT: Emoluments and gifts and other forms of valuable beneficence bestowed upon the president, or members of Congress, or judges, or their staffs shall be more strictly defined and transparently controlled.
All existing and future presidential libraries or museums or any kind of shrine shall strictly limit the holding, display or lending of gifts to, from, or by a president or ex-president, which shall instead be owned and held (except for facsimiles) by the Smithsonian.
Donations by corporations or wealthy individuals to pet projects of a president or other members of government, including presidential libraries or inauguration events, shall be presumed to be illegal bribery unless they are approved by a nonpartisan ethical commission.
== And finally... ==
Finally, here's one they'll never pass, though it could benefit the nation, immensely.
BUDGETS: If Congress fails to fulfill its budgetary obligations or to raise the debt ceiling, the result will not be a ‘government shutdown.’ Rather, all pay and benefits will cease going to any Senator or Representative whose annual income is above the national average, until appropriate legislation has passed, at which point only 50% of any backlog arrears may be made-up.
== Were these ones kinda 'obvious'? ==
Yeah, obvious, schmobvious. They must be explicit in order to be useful as a sales-pitched Newer Deal!
And if you pass most of them, you'll make clear what should have been, back when Pelosi, Sanders, Schumer, AOC, Liz Warren and the resut united to pass the 2021-22 Miracle Bills. That Democrats are serious about wanting democracy and institutions to work.
Turns out those miracle bills were far from enough! So let's get on with the job of rescuing a flawed system. One that only happened to give humanity its best and most hopeful era, ever.
The Greatest - GI Bill - Generation is watching us. Let's not let 'em down.
======================================================
== Oh, yeah... here's that humorous lagniappe... ==
I promised wry amusement. Re the Epstein pedophilia and now 'redaction' scandal: this was all eerily predicted in a fun/absurd Kirsten Dunst film "Dick" (1999). Nixon hires two flakey 15 year olds as White House dog walkers... who fall in love with him and croon fantasies into the president's office tape recorder...
...tapes that soon are subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee. And Dick realizes... "I can survive all the rest, the burglary, the coverups, the bribes.... But messing with 15 year olds will get me lynched!"
So he erases their love songs, leading to the 18 minute "Gap"!
In light of the the pathetic Bondi 'redactions' and Epstein's pal -- the pussy-grabber -- having on-record said "I like 'em young" ... have I uncovered "Dick" as an important part of the training set for the AI that's running this simulation?
Tell me another place online where you get connections like this!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah & Kwanza etc. wishes for sanity, peace and joy in years ahead.
And to hell with the aliens who've been shining a stoopidity ray upon us. Vamoose, twerps, or we'll getcha, someday.
157 comments:
Debt Ceiling
The best solution is the one that most other countries use
If the Legislature cannot pass a budget then THAT is the trigger for a General Election - with your constitution you probably can't just go for a General election - but you may be able to say that if the Legislature does not pass a budget all of the individual seats become vacant and require special elections
Asylum Seekers
The problem is that it takes YEARS for the
"They can stay - Send them back"
decision to be made - which means that there are hundreds of thousands of people "In Limbo" - they cannot "work" and need to be supported
If that decision took weeks instead of years then that number would be massively reduced
It would be a LOT cheaper to massively increase the decision making people and as a result reduce the people in Limbo
And THAT problem is also a major issue in the UK!!!
Sorry Duncan, neither is as significant as it would be to tell the elites in oppressor nations "If you drive your people to flee to us then YOU will pay all expenses and we may consider that an act of war.
Lots of people son't understand why the world's oldest major Republic could not use parliamentary snap elections. As a continental nation with poor infrastructure, it took weeks for most states to send reps to DC. A regular calendar election cycle made more sense. And parliamentary systems have their own troubles.
NOW, would I love to see a snap election on Trump? The GOP would be driven into the nuttery hinterland where it currently deserves.
I suspect a 95% drop in the number of "Asylum Seekers in Limbo" is actually far more effective than trying to extract money from people in foreign lands -
I am pretty damn sure that the only ones that you will be able to extract money from will be the ones who have zero actual power
1) How many regime changes have worked out in producing less refugees, lately?
2) As of the Nations south of your border, most of those corrupt elites are beholden to American business interests - how do you believe those billionaires willing to turn the US itself into a fascist shithole country will deal with that?
3) Even if implemented - how do you think those countries will align themselves? China was kept out of Panama because of military threats, but it is comparatively tiny.*
4) Good luck of trying to influence other first-world nations to freeze or confiscate the money. Your soft power political capital was gone the moment we realized we have been sold out.
*Thinking of it, I would be very surprised if the Maduro regime would not get military support from China via Brazil. And even if the regime is replaced, you will likely have a civil war or an insurgency, at least at the proportions of Iraq.
Oh, I forgot: With the death of US AID and an estimated 14 million people, your soft power influence in those regions is now soaked up by China, Russia and middle powers like the Arab nations.
Finally, Mr. Climate Change will not care if you sanction him.
There is another point you should address: How to regain the trust of your former partners.
I very much assume that the transatlantic and other partnerships will be down the gutter far more than they are now (we are already at a point were intelligence services are becoming hostile to each other).
I don't think the Biden "We're Back" approach will suffice, because a) we are projected to have conventional deterrence capability in 2029*, and b) there might have been committed more war crimes or other atrocities by the US by then.
*Barring Russia invading earlier, and hoping what is left of the alliance willing to defend the Baltics and Poland will suffice.
From the Sneetches book by Dr. Seuss:
All the rest of that day, on those wild screaming beaches,
The Fix-it-Up Chappie kept fixing up Sneetches.
Off again! On again!
In again! Out again!
Through the machines they raced round and about again,
Changing their stars every minute or two.
They kept paying money. They kept running through
Until neither the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew
Whether this one was that one…or that one was this one
Or which one was what one…or what one was who.
I suppose that's what "transgender for everyone" looks like.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/13/opinion/gop-women-misogyny-problem.html
There’s this thing going around on the internet right now — a theory of political behavior — and it’s basically that everyone’s 12. So if you’re Elon Musk, of course you’re obsessed with robots and cars and going to space. You’re 12 years old, right? Trump is like a 12-year-old’s idea of masculine authority.
Yeah, that sounds about right.
Although late to the party, it's nice to see Dr Brin concede that 'Mass Migration equals War & Invasion', a point that Voxday & the Alt-Right have argued for a long time but the progressive left has consistently denied.
Even so, it's somewhat disheartening to see our fine host doubling-down on the whole 'Independent Tool' argument, as constitutional doctrine has long held that 'independent' government agencies, functionaries & flunkies who do not answer to the direct will of the citizen equal a very undemocratic tyranny.
Currently in the US, we see this tyranny in action as low level federal judges routinely veto & overrule the decisions of the democratically elected Executive & Congressional branches, a tyrannical act that the left currently celebrates when directed against their political opposition, but would roundly condemn if the same tyrannical authority was used veto & overrule the pro-sanctuary, pro-gun control, pro-abortion & pro-diversity agenda of the progressive left.
From his 'Executive Office Managers' to his 'Inspector Generals' to his uncheckable intelligence agencies, every aspect of Dr Brin's 'independent shadow government' is unconstitutional as it violates the Separation of Powers doctrine by placing an unaccountable tyrant over & above the elected representatives of the people.
That said, I have things to go & people to do, so I'll step away for a month or so to allow Dr Brin to proselytize unhindered.
Best
Duncan processing asylum seekers quicker is good. How does it limit the flow inward that riles up EVERY voting populace where it happens and turns the electorate to the right? You are perfectly illustrating liberal derangement... an inability to face hard, practical choices and keep the power to do good things.
Oger is doing the same thing. We have banned and cornered and asset pressured right wing elits before. Care to put wager on it? Agin, you ignore the core point. And it truly does make liberals writhe.
"I don't think the Biden "We're Back" approach will suffice, because a) we are projected to have conventional deterrence capability in 2029*, and b) there might have been committed more war crimes or other atrocities by the US by then."
JESUS seruiously? THREE utterly bizarre statements.
So Europe is re-arming, to take up its proper responsibilities after 80 years building lovely socialist-generous states under total (and costly) US protection? Great! I am glad of that and welcome the degree to which YOU will be protecting US from Putin etc. for a while. It is your turn. It is so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so your turn.
Feel free as ingrates to shrug off the debt of those 80 years. Though I doubt most Europeans will be utter ingrates, like you. I predict (bet on it?) that the next Biden saying "we're back!" will be greeted with hosannahs of joy almost as ecstatic as those emitted by the sane 60% over here.
Especially here, in the satrapy of California, the most creative and productive and advanced nation on the globe, who have to endure dominance by the mercurial USA far more than you ever had to.
True, this time we're going to have to repair far, far more damage than after DT's 1st term, as you say. But what seems most churlish about your wretched sentences between the quotation marks is your utter lack of sympathy for our torment.
In fact, I think I detect a tone of hand-rubbing glee. And if THAT is also the attitude of your neighbors, then I have choice words for fusking ingrates.
I think I detect a tone of hand-rubbing glee.
Just so you know, I'm hearing a different vibe. The sober recognition that, after many quarrels and reconciliations, this time the on-again, off-again girlfriend has crossed a line that makes it difficult to take her back, or even want to.
It is possible to reconcile after such a revelation, but it's not easy, and both sides have to really be motivated to do so.
It may be a hobby that I parse for a 3 second skim WHICH insanity style locum is in. This time he is logical and aiming in my (very) general direction. Though still jibbering loco.
His cult has the presidency, Congress and Supreme Court all locked up. Such power would be constrained in the past by tradition, an assumption of professionalism and the notion of coming elections. ALL of those are being demolished right now. Because they know (1) they will lose any future fair election massively, and (2) they have committed vast crimes that will be revealed and acted upon, as soon as raw power does not protect them. They must act now.
Professionalism is being smashed in all directions. Hence my efforts to offer ways to protect it. Across the nation electoral cheats are already under way. As in states gerrymandered so that citizens cannot even theoretically eject the corrupt party in power.
But I got going typing and should stop. He is, after all, even in the less-incoherent phases, utterly crazy. And he has already made clear his plans for us, if we let him.
LOL, this Peak Pax Americana, California cult boomer world savior mentality is so yesterday. The world doesn’t actually want or need saving by you; it’s moving on. I don’t just say that to be flippant; I observe it everywhere, in what is happening, how people talk; almost NOBODY thinks like you any more, or buys what you’re selling. It’s a boomer nostalgia act, for a time when your message was more plausible. It’s also stunningly arrogant, to lecture everyone about how great you are, better everything else in history *combined*, and when they reject that message, to brush them off as “ingrates”. You really think this is gonna win friends and influence people? Brilliant.
Take a look in the mirror, dude: your arrogant boomer America cultism is a big part of the problem and the reason the world is moving on. But like I said before, I don’t expect anything to change your mind; only funerals can do that.
The FBI has stated that they have 1000 agents and 20 lawyers working on redaction on the Epstein-Trump files. So far, we have zero leaks of unredacted files.
What does that tell us?
1) They have not built in much redundancy to the process in order to ID leakers. If 10 people have seen a file that leaks, then there are 10 suspects for the leak. If two people have seen a file, then there are two suspects. They are reducing the number of eyes on files in order to be able to hone in on leakers.
2) We have not heard of prosecutions for attempted leaking. Even if a leaker prosecution was made under seal, we would probably know something was up, simply because an FBI would "disappear" after being arrested. This is the sort of gossip that would leak, because 500+ people would know that Agent X wasn't at work and wasn't fired. There have not even been rumors of lots of agents being reassigned to other work (while they were under formal investigation).
3) They are almost-certainly using AI to find leakers. Manual checking just makes more potential leakers. No leaks means using AI. Also means the owners / managers / programmers of the AI have blackmail on the DoJ. If an AI is checking for leaks, then anyone with access to the AI has access to the Trump-Epstein files, the ID of potential leakers, and the ID of those involved with criminal cover-up. In order for Trump and the oligarchs in the files to trust the AI owner, they would have to be someone that was already blackmailed, or was willing to be.
4) The DoJ has a remarkably small number of agents that take their oath to our constitution. seriously. No leaks = no patriots.
5) The bureaucratic mechanisms for allocating the files to be redacted are not heavily staffed and must be true loyalists.
6) When this is over, any FBI agent that touched the files and did not leak must lose their job and be barred from law enforcement employment. Any AI owner whose AI was used must be barred from government contracts and the company broken up. Employees and "consultants" from the AI companies should never be allowed any sort of governmental contracts or jobs.
matthew's #1,2, 3 do NOT lead to #4. or #5. It is not their JOB to 'leak.' Yes, individual agents can and should be wrestling daily with their conscience and sense of duty. Know that the latter is riven by loyalty to the law, to principle to the nation and basic decency, which, alas, are now in conflict. But the TIMING of such things is not up to YOU of all people to judge.
I hope that Biden set aside some of the best people into bureaucratically obscure and safe places where Bannon cannot find them, with orders to prepare for a moment of maximum legality AND effectiveness... but given Biden's lack of other preparations, I fear he did not, alas.
But m's entire premise is base upon assumptions of INCOMPETENCE on the part of those he is asking ato act competently. It's not even logical.
Though I agree with his last sentence when it comes to the most-complicit.
Think, will you? There is only one 'leak' that will be a devastating cure and it is not in the Epstein files.
Dr Brin
The flow of asylum seekers is NOT the problem - somebody who is accepted for asylum is almost invisible - just somebody else working away
The visible issue is the people who are seeking asylum and who are in limbo - these are the people who are being housed at government expense - they are not permitted to work and must be supported
These are the ones that the right wing throw into people's faces
The actual numbers are almost irelevant as the right wing will lie about them anyway - as they are doing about the numbers that Biden let in
Duncan you illustrate the desperation of folks on the left to evade addressing the problem in front of their eye... that Putin's gambit works. It works 100% and every single time. It has worked in countries where asylum adjudication is far less bad than in the US. It works and works, and you folks will squirm and change the subject and deny it is something to confront, head on.
That POWER matters and you'll only get the power to do good things if you prioritize.
Biden et al could not ignore it, though. Which is why top dems DID augment border security and deportations. In fact YOUR distraction meme about adjudication implies massive deportation of those who are adjudicated as non persecuted!
Nothing can be done about this reflexive regidity of doctrine, alas. We are in our present situation partly because of polemical and doctrinal rigidity on our own side.
Larry hits it, mostly. Note that the rift Always was there since Vietnam, and deepened during Iraq. Venezuela will not do much to close it, and neither will Canada or Greenland. I do not believe they are off the table.
And there is of course the regime change goal in the National Security Strategy (which was called "Divorce papers" over here by respected Media)
But there is another point:
Industrial autarky. Currently, we lack three systems that are not in par with what they US can deliver: F35, Patriot Defense Missile systems and tactical nuclear warheads.
The "Killswitch" debate made everyone scramble for closing the gaps. That will take time, but already major military hardware companies are in the red numbers because we stopped ordering.
With other words, we don't need your Tech anymore.
Oh, and while I can see where your spite comes from:
You had 35 years to build up a working welfare state since the end of the Cold war. You chose not to have one.
Both the Clinton and Bush Junior administrations torpedoed the European integration and unification process, which was central to the European Defense Initiative (which got quietly killed).
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, Obama chose to ignore the Budapest Treaty (you know, the piece of worthless paper in which Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons in Exchange for security guarantees) and thereby showing the world the worth of American promises (and those of Euro co-signers, to be fair).
Sympathy for your torment?
I am in political analysis mode, doctor. That in of itself forbids an emotional stance. And I will save that for the people directly affected by the policies like those in detention by ICE, the Epstein victims, protesters and public persons being targeted by both death threats and law enforcement, the people dying from the stop of USAID and measles and in areas Trump will choose to invade.
Sympathy for your personal torment?
Like, guilt, shame?
National guilt and shame?
Sorry, but I don't believe that works.
Guilt and shame is useless.
Taking responsibility is not.
Which has four general steps:
1) Admitting the mistakes and wrongdoings;
2) Making ammends
3) Taking steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again;
4) Remembering "The Thing" and steps 1-3.
So, I repeat but rephrase my question:
What could a possible President Newsom and a blue Congress do to regain the trust of allies?
After the US have allied with our enemies foreign & domestic, advanced the climate change, helped to destroy the rule of law between nations, have committed crimes of war and against humanity (which are already there, and I dare not to fathom how extensive they will be in three years.)?
Or, if that does not give you any ideas:
What could they fail to do so the split remains permanent?
A Christmahanakwanzaa miracle for me.
Not only is there a brand new "Knives Out" movie on Netflix, but they've also got The West Wing back again.
Thank you, Santa.
We have banned and cornered and asset pressured right wing elits before.
Like, Merrick Garland did?
"Die Kleinen hängt man, die Großen lässt man laufen."
Dr Brin
Re Europe and military power
After WW2 America USED Europe as its primary shield against the USSR - yes that did help Europe but its main function was to stop the USSR a mutual defence
After the USSR fell we ended up with a much much smaller "enemy" and the European defense spend was cut
Back then we thought that Russia had a more powerful military than any ONE european nation - but that Russia was less powerful than two of the biggest European nations
The Russian invasion of Ukraine showed that Russia was LESS powerful than the top five european nations
America has never been "defending europe" - and if the USA spent more on its military that was for its own selfish reasons
The ONLY reason that europe would need to increase its defence spending is if they have to think of America as an enemy
Do you really think that would be a good idea??
Dr Brin
The USA is pretty bad about making the decisions on asylum
But so is every other country that I know about!! - they are all terrible and all take far too long
"YOUR distraction meme about adjudication implies massive deportation of those who are adjudicated as non-persecuted!"
Yes it does - and THAT is one of the problems - if a person is NOT being persecuted then they should NOT be able to stay - deporting them is 100% the correct decision
THAT is probably the point where your "blaming the lefties" has a lot of merit
as some of them will be against the deportation
Jesus I am DONE with this utter shit: "After WW2 America USED Europe as its primary shield against the USSR ..."
Okay. so you admit deporation is an essential part of answering the Putin refugee gambit. Most on the left won't even admit that much.
And no... if we considered Europe a frontier satrapy we'd have DRAFTED millions of Europeans into those front lines. But our protection came without much of a price tage and you got to (smugly) make socialist paradises while calling us warmongers for protecting you. Feh.
Hi Dr Brin
Against the USSR - we protected you just as much as you protected us - especially as the battleground was to be in Europe - NOT in the USA
Against Russia - we have not NEEDED protection!
The fact that you CHOSE to waste huge amounts of resources on your military is your problem - not ours
Eisenhower said - "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex."
Only you ignored him!
The drivel you just spewed, dear Duncan, is so diametrically opposite to true it is simply stunning. None of your sentences are remotely connected to reality. Were you an adversary I'd offer my usual wager stakes. But as-is, I'll simply shake my head in sad resignation of some ingrate-moronic insipidity by someone - an ally - whom I like.
Dr Brin
Please point to any single point where my comment is NOT 100% true
Against the USSR - we protected you just as much as you protected us - especially as the battleground was to be in Europe - NOT in the USA
100% true
Against Russia - we have not NEEDED protection!
100% true - Russia has never been as powerful as "the rest of NATO" - it does have more nukes but either France or the UK have enough to destroy Russia
The fact that you CHOSE to waste huge amounts of resources on your military is your problem - not ours
100% true -
Eisenhower said - "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex."
Only you ignored him!
100% true
it does have more nukes but either France or the UK have enough to destroy Russia
An important problem. French and British nukes are all high caliber - you cannot answer "in kind" if tacticals are used. It is MAD from the start.
Not feeling particularly Christmas-y over the state of the world this morning. Maybe these excerpts can help explain:
Billy Joel:
I need a doctor for my pressure pills.
I need a lawyer for my medical bills.
I need a banker to finance my home,
But I need security to back my loan.
It isn't new what I'm going through,
But everybody knows you got to break sometime.
Another night I fought the good fight,
But I'm getting closer to the borderline.
Then there's this from the 1966 Batman tv show:
Henchman: "Not Plan High-C boss. That could bring the whole world down around us!"
Minstrel: "So what? Who cares? It's their world!"
In line with that second quote, I'm getting to where I wouldn't mind seeing a nuclear strike on Moscow, and to heck with whatever retaliation they are or aren't capable of. At worst, civilization ends quickly instead of the painful, lingering death it's currently being subjected to. Best case, a Russlandrein continent (if that's a word).
Ok, that's really only my petulant id speaking. My ego is not there yet. But it's getting closer to the borderline.
Duncan, I'll not bother. Those assertions can be yammer-repeated all you want, as magical incantations to feel righteous. But they are all diametrically opposite to true. That you believe them is kinda sad, as is your need to recite them as magic subjectivity spells. Sigh and alack.
Perhaps I have the same bleeding heart disease as Duncan does. My own political views underwent a major realignment in 2015 (the year of Brexit, and the year of the Golden Escalator, and the second year of Gamergate). Prior to that I was a generic anti-authoritarian, the thing I hated the most was intelligence agencies, and the thing I loved the most was the open source movement. In 2015 anti-nationalism jumped to the top of my list of political priorities, so even the CIA got some begrudging respect from me as it was seen as the deepest part of the "deep state," and my hatred of those who hate the deep state runs deep.
So anyway, my political views are still in that holding pattern, and I'm first and foremost an anti-nationalist. Neoliberalism and even neoconservatism are to me definitively lesser evils than nationalism, which to me is just another word for fascism, period, full stop.
Pre-2015, my views on immigration were that more immigration definitely makes the job market more competitive, at least for those of us who don't have purple squirrel resumes. With that in mind, I thought number of visas issued that allow employment should be somehow countercyclical...high in times of low unemployment and vice versa. I was also strongly of the view (which I still am) that if the number of applicants far exceeds the number of visas to be issued, the decision procedure should definitely be a visa lottery. Just as Dr. Brin believes that competition is the only known antidote to error, I'm similarly convinced that randomiation is the only known antidote to bias.
Once the Tea Party brand of anti-immigration fueled conservative pushed and shoved its way to the forefront, my recalcitrant side kicked in and I started exploring ideas such as "No Borders," "No One Is Illegal," and "Abolish ICE."
I try to follow political trends worldwide, and I am very pessimistic. I am very pessimistic because even when the relatively good guys win an election (as in the most recent elections in France, Canada, Germany and a few others), it's by the skin of their teeth, and in seemingly every democracy there's an anti-immigration (i.e., fascist) party that has a 30-40% "floor" and putting together a majority coalition that excludes these fascist parties keeps getting harder and harder. I will not feel good about the political state of the world until some country (even a small one) has an election in which the nationalist faction is DEFINITIVELY defeated.
So yeah, aggressively anti-immigration politics, as far as I am concerned, is a fascist position. In American history, "America First" was a slogan of Nazi sympathizers during the lead-up to WWII, and in Trump's first inaugural speech, when he repeated that slogan three times, an absolute chill went down my spine. I am still terrified of the anti-immigration movement. If I were a politician I would position myself diametrically opposed to it. But I'm not a politician.
But our protection came without much of a price tage and you got to (smugly) make socialist paradises while calling us warmongers for protecting you
Well, let's keep some things straight:
1) Until 1990, American, British and French forces in Germany were both occupation and defense forces.
2) Even with that, Germany fielded 600.000 active duty soldiers plus ten times the number of tanks and fighters we have now.
3) Our social system was WAY MORE generous than it is now. It was mostly mutilated during the Schröder era.
4) The 2+4 treaties which regulated the reunion of both German states and ended World War II formally limits our Maximum of active soldiers to 385.000, peace or war.
5) We paid at least one quarter of the costs of Desert Storm. The special tax to keep some sheiks in their palaces and give Bush Senior a political moment to shine ended Last years.
6) We unanimously voted yes on Article V after 9/11. Shall I recount what we sacrificed there?
7) Both Sweden and Finnland had a much more extensive welfare state AND a working military - and were not under your Protection until last year, when they have up their historic neutrality .
8) Yes, then, 2003 in Iraq and now with Panama, Canada, Greenland and Venezuela, you monger for war.
Whenever conversation turns to WWII and post war strategy lately, I'm inclined to check out. Too many of us have assumption differences that aren't consistent with historical facts and the ways people thought at the time.
I encountered lectures on YouTube by a Naval War College prof that look at strategy and a geopolitical perspective. Her name is Sarah Paine. I find it difficult (mostly) to refute some of her positions, but in is a neat little term that most captured me. When people face an opponent and can't think like that opponent, they are playing half-court table tennis. She explains the impact of this in strategic thinking and tactical plans for wars, but it applies broadly enough that I can see some of us playing that game. We think we are debating each other, but really... the other half of the table is raised and we are playing against ourselves.
Anyway, I offer a 1 hour video of her giving a lecture that covers strategic differences between maritime and continental powers and what the industrial revolution did to the old world orders. She has a lot of other material online that is more in the 3-5 minute range, but they lack context. Consider her points because I'm not interested in half-court ping pong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETwpDE6yhaU
Nationalism is normal. Everywhere you go, people tend to prefer their own country, people, culture etc. Demonizing this as “fascism” may say more about your extremism than about nationalism’s. In my experience, it’s mostly a subset of WEIRDs and some religious and ideological fanatics who believe in no-borders globalism, and put that abstraction above normal, flesh-and-blood, ethnic, cultural, historic and geographic ties. Everybody else just thinks they’re...weird. In democracies, normalcy, including nationalism, should tend to prevail, despite the best efforts of influential weirdos.
Your kind have lived in an upside-down world, marinated from birth in weird, exceptionalist ideas about globalism and “E Pluribus Unum” which almost nobody else believes in. As the world moves back to normalcy post-Pax Americana, it’s natural that these upside-down people think the world is turning upside down. But that’s just, like your opinion, man.
That’s as simple as I can explain it, but of course I don’t expect it to make the slightest impact on your thinking. Good luck fight normalcy in the name of “anti-fascism”, LOL.
7) Everyone participating in the maritime trade order was essentially under our protection whether we were smart enough to understand that or not. Also, it really doesn't have to be said. The maritime trade order's primary defense strategy involves stifling wars so economic growth on one side (our collective side) makes them too stupid to fight later.
Sweden and Finland played the smart play in terms of what was said, but participated anyway. Especially Sweden.
FBI agents swear an oath to the constitution. It is 100% their duty to leak if they witness or are asked to perform unlawful acts, like covering up for a pedophile president and his buddies.
That you do not see this shows how little you understand about what the job of the DoJ actually is.
I explore how people who are basically sane share one trait, a degree of satiability - if you get what you say you want, it should decrease that need in favor of other desires and add some marginal happiness. But satiability AND satiation (different things) have a side effect that is partly based on culture. If you are also possessed of curiosity and a somewhat broad culture, then they tend to lead to greater inclusiveness... a wider expansion of what 'my nation' and 'my people' actually mean.
I talk about that horizon expansion here: http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2015/07/altruistic-horizons-our-tribal-natures.html "Altruistic Horizons: Our tribal natures, the 'fear effect' vs. inclusion.."
Locum and treebeard illustrate what happens when the insane (insatiable) witness this process. It enrages them to see inclusion into the 'nation' or tribe of those they deem unworthy. Despite the spectacular success of this project -which in America has seen each generation - sometimes with difficulty - expanding inclusion outward - They assume the boundaries THEY grew up with are the right places to stop. Italians and Irish? Who could object to those?
There is another insanity illustrated by matthew and his ilk. Every emotion and passion that used to vest into your nation NOW is given to the Inclusion Process ITSELF! Anyone asking to discuss and negotiate the parameters of immigration... or extension of inclusion to previously nonexistent groups like trans or furries... is in itself an assault directly on their 'nation'... which is the forward edge of tolerance expansion. Not America or even America's story, but the tribe of those pushing (often sanctimoniously) the expansion's next stages.
History shows that radical revolutions can go as sour as feudalism ever was. Incrementalism is frustrating! Especially to fervent utopians who want it all at once. But it is incremental revolutions that last...
...that is, until the forces of reaction massively and unsapiently set things up so that the only alternatives are either a return to wretched feudalism or... Robspierre.
Oger:
1- so? We kept Honekcker out. Tell the Poles, latvians, Czechs etc they should turn down the gift and welcome back to KGB. Go on. I'll wait.
2- armed by US and part of a huge deterrence that at times barely worked, like the Berlin Airlift
3- your business. But I doubt it worked out that way when it comes to statistics of well-being.
4-Yeh, like anyone is paying any attention to that?
5- I would like to see proof of that cost thing. In any event, both Iraq wars were staged by the Bush family to benefit their adopted family, the Saudi Royal House... and CHeney's logistic companies with no-bid contracts.
So foreign powers long ago took over the Republican party and thus the nation, sometimes? That doesn't erase the world George Marshall etc built.
6- Yes. And Trump's betrayal of NATO is part of his loyalty to Putin, so?
7- BULL! Sweden and Finland were under the general Pax deterrence umbrella and knew it. Just like Uruguay and Tonga were.
8- Utter utter and complete bullshit. NAME ONE other top nation that ever kept such a vibrantly progressive (and deeply flawed) peace, for the best 80 years the world ever saw.
Rome? Sparta? Persia? Pax Brittanica? Germany in Namibia or Flanders or Poland? CHINA or RUSSIA?
90%+ of all the world's adults have never witnessed war with their own eyes. FIND me another such time. Ever ever ever ever. 95% of world children are in school. TELL US about the NET horror of Pax Americana.
But... GREENLAND? Seriously?
The world will explode with joy when America comes back from this nadir in our recurring civil war. And you will, too, even if you don't admit it.
I've been watching her, too.
General question to the group
Dr Brin thinks these are all "wrong" - is that a general view?
Against the USSR - we protected you just as much as you protected us - especially as the battleground was to be in Europe - NOT in the USA
100% true
Against Russia - we have not NEEDED protection!
100% true - Russia has never been as powerful as "the rest of NATO" - it does have more nukes but either France or the UK have enough to destroy Russia
The fact that you CHOSE to waste huge amounts of resources on your military is your problem - not ours
100% true -
Eisenhower said - "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex."
Only you ignored him!
100% true
Maybe someone here can help me get past a perception issue I’m having with the Epstein file release kerfuffle. At the core of my problem is my inability to see the point for making it the political exercise many seem to want to create.
1. Given: Trump is a sexual predator and has committed crimes for which he has yet to be indicted, let alone convicted. (No great leap of imagination here I think.)
2. Given: No indictment for his known and unknown crimes is likely to exist in the next couple of years except maybe if they involve State criminal law. (No great leap again. The feds won’t indict him and Impeachment is toothless.)
3. Given: Prevention of his future crimes is more valuable to the Rule of Law right now than recognition of his past known and unknown crimes. (Priorities anyone?)
So… our focus on Epstein’s evidence and Trump’s appearance there strikes me as a prioritization failure. As much as I want to see Trump roasted for what he has done, I want MORE to see him neutered, thus unable to seed more harm. If I point out the priority failure, though, I could appear to be insensitive, no? Our own sanctimony junkies are f&*(ing with priorities.
I think we need to spend more time thinking about the actions of brown shirt thugs who are daily creating fresh horrors. We are tipping into a war with Venezuela… over what exactly? How is that in our interests? Meanwhile, we focus our indignation on past crimes?
Who is 'WE' here? The rest of the western world? If so you haven't watched Sarah Paine yet.
Baloney, crap and pure garbage, Duncan and now I do demand wager stakes. All three are so so idiotically and diametrically opposite to true at every level that I am fatigued. Have your atty contact me when you have escrowed stakes.
Alfred I agree that there are other issues that should be pushed forward. But what's crucial about Epstein in the crashing poll numbers as - one at a time - Republicans with some residual sense of decency decide to opt out.
David,
Heh. She seems to be riding a popularity wave right now. The short video content is all over my feed, but that's probably the algorithm. I think it is her longer talks that matter more. In those she has time to cover context instead of make assertions.
I ran into a couple of other lectures from the Naval War College that'd I'd never have seen otherwise. One involved how war gaming worked and wound up shaping US naval strategy in the years before and after WWI that essentially cemented the approach used by the US in WWII. Strategic thinking is so VERY different from tactics. 8)
BTW Finland and Sweden joined NATO precisely BECAUSE:
1. Russia was seriously dangeous and scary to them
and
2. The USA seemed declining in its till-then reliability as the umbrella bulwark that everyone counted on for 80 years.
Those WERE their reasons! And both are diametrically opposite to the absurd counterfactual fantasies offered by Duncan.
I would like to see proof of that cost thing
From Wikipedia, costs of the Gulf War:
The cost of the war to the United States was calculated by the US Congress in April 1992 to be $61.1 billion(equivalent to $122 billion in 2024). About $52 billion of that amount was paid by other countries: $36 billion by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states of the Persian Gulf; $16 billion by Germany and Japan (which sent no combat forces due to their constitutions.
These costs were merged with other, reunification based costs into the so called Solidarity Tax (and to be honest, just a drop of water of the two trillions generated over 34 years).
The world will explode with joy when America comes back from this nadir in our recurring civil war. And you will, too, even if you don't admit it.
1) I don't believe you are at the Nadir yet.There are still three years to go.
2) I will be glad and relieved when it finally happens. The world? Well, let's say everyone north of the Rio Grande and the Mediterranean, West of Russia, and East of China will be.
But... GREENLAND? Seriously?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/22/denmark-summon-us-ambassador-trump-greenland-envoy-appointment
1- so? We kept Honekcker out. Tell the Poles, latvians, Czechs etc they should turn down the gift and welcome back to KGB. Go on. I'll wait.
Well, the Poles and Baltics will never return voluntarily. I am not sure about Hungary, Czechia, Slowakia, and Bulgaria is struggling, too. Romania has come back from the brink, for a moment. Serbia is dusting of plans they had to bury thirty years ago.
And yes, sadly, a large number of East Germans want to be part of Ruski Mir again.
Only Albania is stable, somehow. Odd.
They assume the boundaries THEY grew up with are the right places to stop. Italians and Irish? Who could object to those?
Within my lifetime, both Jews and Catholics were considered by American conservatives to be less than full citizens, not welcome in their country clubs or boardrooms. Who would have guesses back then that the supreme court would have six Catholics and no WASPs? And how much more that court has done for the agenda of those conservatives than any ethnically pure court ever managed.
Maybe someone here can help me get past a perception issue I’m having with the Epstein file release kerfuffle. At the core of my problem is my inability to see the point for making it the political exercise many seem to want to create.
...
I want MORE to see him neutered, thus unable to seed more harm.
I think you answered your own question there.
The only way to neuter Trump is to separate him from his Brownshirt enforcers. And Epstein seems to be the one issue which is able to drive a wedge between the them.
@Dr Brin,
You have the right of it that potential Russian threats did drive Finland and Sweden into joining NATO.
However, I'm not convinced of your second point. This happened during the Biden years, when the US was mending fences with NATO, and when US protection was probably part of the incentive for membership.
Trump had indeed made noises about abandoning NATO during his first term, but by the time of the war in Ukraine, it didn't seem likely that he would ever be president again, and the arguments that NATO was obsolete was being proven as false as the arguments that the Voting Rights Act is obsolete. If anything, the alliance was reviving.
Hal Sparks often explains his theory (which I believe) on why DJT is so fixated on Greenland, Canada, Venezuela, and the Panama Canal.
Peter Theil and Elon Musk are proponents of the "Technate of America". The map in this linked article is instructive.
https://bostonraremaps.com/inventory/technocracy-inc-technate-of-america-1940/?srsltid=AfmBOoptWdD9PX4pyYleGf74U1nGRKZJ3uayxmlj2ys5LvlYa5647LEI
wow, Der Oger. Even if you are exaggerating about eastern Europe - and I am sure you are - that is all very disturbing news.
Greenland , sure , as an idiotic narcissist's obsession, but as "American warmongering?" Jeez take a stress pill.
A bizarre rare map offers insights into the range of bizarre political ideas that have flourished in times of stress. The Technocracy movement had its brief heyday in the 1930s, amid the Great Depression and disillusionment with apparently oligarch suborned democracy. It's a fascinating article, and the map creepily overlaps the vision of today's Donald Trump+PeterThiel White House, plus the openly-expressed fantasy of Putin for the globe to be divided into spheres of influence (giving him Eurasia and to China everything southward.) With the USA converted into comfy fascism run by CEO-kings aided by the technological elite, isolationist and minding its own business.
(In fact, Beijing's goal is Siberia and Russia ain't getting Europe or even Ukraine or Kaliningrad... a separate matter.)
The version of technocracy described in this informative article is not the only one that was bruited in that era. You can see a more benign and romantically utopian version in HG Wells's 'Things to Come' (watch the movie!) But this map was promulgated by an especially nasty one. Howard Scott's incarnation that revolves around an "energy theory of value."
What's not mentioned in the article is that alternate 'theories of value" were all the rage, then, all of them engendered by Karl Marx's Labor Theory of Value. The LTV - while in its own right deeply stupid - did serve a useful function by illustrating how capitalists use profits to re-invest in new factories and productive capacity. With the ultimate effect of labor-proletariates seizing all that capital back, when capitalism has completed its historical function. (Another of Karl's wish fantasies.)
An Energy Theory of Value - while just as stupid as LTV in its essence - is finding renewed vigor among the Thielites and tech bros as they plunge ahead to suck lakes and rivers dry and send electricity prices stratospheric in a rush to feed energy to voracious new proletarians - artificial intelligences who will render human workers secondary and then obediently stay in their proper, subservient place. Right.
Remember that almost no true scientists ever bought into Technocracy. They are the only elites who reliably eschew power fantasies. And therefor - ironically? - are likely the only trustworthy ones.
If all of this inspires some of you to look a little farther, fine. But I have been urging greater awareness of Marx for a couple of decades and I know of no one who has listened, not even libertarians, whose doyenne -- Ayn Rand -- was (albeit heretically) as utterly Marxist as they come.
And after another wasted 20 minutes... goodnight.
https://bostonraremaps.com/inventory/technocracy-inc-technate-of-america-1940/?
Thanks for that link Larry and for the hour of lifespan it cost me! ;-)
Thanks LH for this link.
The 2026 election polls are making the RNC sweat, but I'm unsure if even a blue tsunami will change the current course of the rumpT criminal enterprise backed by a complicit Supreme court. Like Ogre, I think the US national nadir is still to come. There are still 36 and change months between today and 6 Jan 2029; unless the Senate flips, it's likely that 1-2 Fascist Supremes will retire and be replaced by youthful Heritage Foundation Sith clones. Even if the Orange Unit fails his annual saving throw vs. a natural death, he'll be replaced by Vance, and even if he sinks into a coma, no 25th Amendment solution will occur.
Nothing in politics is forever, but we may be about to find out just how much ruin there is in this nation.
Pappenheimer
P.S. Heather Cox Richardson is someone I listen to/read and she wrote this recently -
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-20-2025
She notes that, although Congress passed a law (bipartisanly) to unleash the Epstein Files, the rumpT Executive (Justice, specifically) is circumventing or ignoring written law (I'd use the word 'flouting', actually). Expect to see a lot more of this if control of the House or even the Senate shifts. There are a lot of people who could Go To Jail, Do Not Pass Go, Do not Collect $200 under a Democratic administration. The old saw about 'might just as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb' applies.
Ayn Rand's vision as a mirror to Marxism as Satanism* is to Christianity is an accurate analogy, I think.
*Old style, not the current merry pranksters messing with state laws
Pappenheimer
P.S. And don't talk to me about NOAA/NWS cuts in personnel, many of which had to be rehired. Farthing wise and fiver foolish.
Here's another take by a German: https://brusselssignal.eu/2025/12/the-eu-could-be-gone-in-four-years-a-revolutionary-eruption-is-coming/
EU as the USSR in '88 sounds plausible to me. I gather the gap between elite rhetoric and realities on the ground is similar. As I've been saying for years, by 2030 we're gonna be living in a very different world.
2- armed by US and part of a huge deterrence that at times barely worked, like the Berlin Airlift
Well, the tanks (Leopard I+II, Cheetah, Puma) were mainly built by Rheinmetall, the Tornado was a joint British, Italian and German Project to replace the American F104 Starfighter, also called "Widowmaker".
What really mattered were nuclear weapons and air defense missiles.
3- your business. But I doubt it worked out that way when it comes to statistics of well-being.
Oh, it increased the gap between rich and poor, shrunk the middle class and fertilized the ground for the Far Right.
Like it did everywhere.
Oh, and the whole Navy-Thing mattered too, as explained by Sarah Paine.
So foreign powers long ago took over the Republican party and thus the nation, sometimes? That doesn't erase the world George Marshall etc built.
No. But the point of my initial discussion was:
If you go bezerk once per decade and shit in the international order, why should we trust you in the future? Especially, if we achieve defense autarky and internal unity (though both are still long, hard roads to travel)?
Think of that question not of a hidden accusation, but as a suggestion for long-term policy changes.
The Author is an Austrian, and linked to a circle of right-wing academics around Victor Orban. He apparently learned his pol sci crafts at the University of Kentucky.
As we are looking forward to the New Year just remember that there are still 37 months between today and 6 Jan 2029.
We haven't hit bottom yet.
The worst is yet to come.
And when I see the poorly educated MAGA folks suffer the most as the result of Trump's own policies I will spend the next three years scornfully laughing at them and enjoying every moment of schadenfreude.
So at least there is that to look forward to.
Other things to look forward to:
Retailers are increasing prices after the holidays, driven by ongoing inflation, supply chain costs, and new tariffs (like the "Tanenbaum Tariff"), affecting everything from electronics to toys, with major players like Amazon, Walmart, and Target seeing price hikes.
Without the Obamacare extensions, health care costs for lower/middle income Americans (aka Trump voters) will spike along with shutting down of rural medical facilities and hospitals in rural areas (aka Trump counties) - giving me even more opportunity for laughter at the expense of those dumb fucks who voted for this.
Meanwhile, global warming (which continues to be denied only by cynical liars and first class morons) was the highest it has ever been in 2025. It's going even higher - well above the 1.5 deg C threshold. Then 2 then 4.
And our grandchildren will curse us for failing to keep the Earth from becoming a hellish wasteland.
Near term, expect higher food prices, more weather related disasters, concurrent financial/property losses and skyrocketing insurance premiums.
One thing you won't see is the East Wing of the White House being rebuilt after Trump destroyed it.
Its an old con he has always played in property development - a fake project which serves as cover for bribes (aka donations) from those seeking his favor (aka private donors) and subsequent money laundering.
And its the perfect symbol for what he is doing to America.
Happy New Year.
As we watch Trump's health deteriorate and he follows his father Fred's path into senile dementia, look for him to act worse.
As narcissists die, they become more like themselves and are more open about it
Their sick, evil core becomes more apparent.
(Highly recommend Hospice Nurse Julie for all end of life information, her videos are fascinating):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9mPgG4KCSk
What Happens When a Narcissist Dies
I have
run into as a hospice nurse many people
who are at the end of their life. I
guess I could just say not good people
in the sense of they're not emotionally
mature. They don't know how to
communicate. So it makes things really
difficult. They have a lot of anger
issues. So they can be really mean and
nasty. Right? Like I said, not everyone
dying is going to act like a perfect
angel.
People die the way they live.
Dr Brin:
Thanks for that link Larry and for the hour of lifespan it cost me! ;-)
You're welcome, although I honestly thought that was the kind of thing you would already have been aware of. I'm usually so late to the party when it comes to awareness of items of cultural or historical significance that I assume something like that is already common knowledge. And when I link to such things, it's more in the manner of alluding to a well-known quote from Star Trek than it is to introducing readers here to a new concept.
I ran into this phenomenon at work a few years ago--must have been just before COVID. My family and I watched a re-run of SNL which featured a Halloween-themed skit about a ridiculous character named David Pumpkin. It was one of those "so stupid it's funny" things that we simultaneously laughed our asses off and wondered why we were doing so. So the next week at work, I mentioned how I finally saw the David Pumpkin skit, expecting that it was already old news to anyone else. Turned out, no one at work knew what the heck I was referring to until I spread a YouTube link around. Then, for some time, whenever anyone at a meeting asked "Any questions?", there was much giggling like schoolgirls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS00xWnqwvI
I explore how people who are basically sane share one trait, a degree of satiability - if you get what you say you want, it should decrease that need in favor of other desires and add some marginal happiness.
I don't really have the time but the tortured cries of our common language call me back, as 'satiability' and 'satiation' technically refer to one's ability to be content with circumstance, and Treebeard & myself are perhaps the only satiable ones here, whereas Incrementalists are 'insatiable' by definition even though they restrict their incessant demands to dribs & drabs in their gradual pursuit of the infinite.
Inclusion is an entirely different idea, an 'insatiable' one if one assumes ever expanding boundaries of inclusion as our fine host does & a uniquely WEIRD one which is not shared by 90% of humanity.
See you in a month or so.
Best
______
Even though our fine host eagerly awaits Epstein File revelations, do you remember when Dr Brin's Transparent Society predicted the "The End of Photography as Proof of Anything at All" ? I mean, really then, what does he & his progressive cohort expect this probably fake evidence to prove?
The irony is that Canada would actually be a bone in the throat of the USA.
Firstly, Canada is not a set of states making a bid for independence, but a country that has been in existence for a century and a half that was founded by people who explicitly rejected the American Revolution..all three founding nations. There WILL be strife over any kind of annexation, not just political strife, but strife of a more kinetic sort. A constant oozing sore that will extend into lower 48 itself as other groups find common cause with the canucks.
It would throw out the balance of power between the Democrats and Republicans in ways even Democrats might find uncomfortable, especially once the clannish and highly regional Canadian politicians rise to power in American parties..politicians who are used to level of party discipline that does not exist in American Politics.
Finally, and less obvious is that the consolidation of the north american regions into a single border will not decrease regionalism, but increase it. Its true an Albertan has more in common in some ways with a Montanan than he does with a Newfoundlander, but it is also true that Montanan has more in common with an Albertan in some ways than he does with a Californian.
Fearless Leader apparently stated he would have a direct hand in designing the new Trump-class 'battleship' he is currently blathering about AND demanding the building of his new 'Golden Fleet' be expedited. The ships will also carry nuclear weapons. And lasers.
First, this is insane. Second, how will this be paid for and where will these ships be built? Third, (and 4th, and on and on) who puts nukes on a surface vessel these days? Is the laser weapon system operational, and what will power it? Does he seriously expect even one of these white floating elephants to be completed before he leaves office?
The stupid, it burns with the incandescence of a magnesium-armored APC.
Pappenheimer
@Pappenheimer,
During Trump v1.0, I began to believe a theory that Trump had become fascinated with how far he could push the envelope and get away with it. And when no one stopped him, he was actually surprised (at first). So he'd push a little further, trying to find just where the line was that he could not cross.
By Trump v2.0, he has come to believe that there is no such line. That he literally could shoot a civilian on Pennsylvania Avenue* and not lose a single supporter, either among the voting public or the government. So now, he just indulges his basest whims for entertainment value.
* Shooting someone on Fifth Avenue would have him facing New York state charges.
A pop-cultural Essay of the modern right:
https://youtu.be/LVMXAcSLULU?si=YAzNI10_HdD_vYBz
Tl, dv: The modern day conservatives fake to be the Joker, the Riddler and other villains, not to be Bruce Wayne.
I already imagine auch a thing being downed by a Venezuelan submarine drone.
Someone should tell him of the fate of the Bismarck.
I used to scoff at comic book villain dialogue like, "Wherever there was tyranny, ruthlessness, injustice, the Red Skull was there, preying on the weak and helpless!" Everyone actually thinks they're the heroes of their story, and no one actually aspires to be cartoon supervillains.
Then came ISIS and Boku Haram to change my mind. And now, the modern day Republican Party.
The name for this class of warship is 'cruiser' and they are being phased out by the Navy, not-in, for good reasons. There's no overlap with "battleship" except ego and a board game. Flattering* this dizzy, narcissist loon is now a top job among the sane in DC. Bigger news is the flight of sane Heritage Foundation staff to Pence. I sniff big news from that "satiably and merely corrupt" wing of the GOP, in late winter.
Do any of you recall Larry Niven's THE FLIGHT OF THE HORSE? In which catering to the whims of a moronic-child ruller of Earth is a fulltime job?
During Trump 1.0 the ADULTS he appointed - mostly bad men but non-blackmailed grownups - DID thwart him. He corrected that.
Speaking of dizzy loons, I MUST learn to scroll past locu, "Satiable'? He won't be satisfied till every one of us here (and yes, eventually including treebeard) is shot... after torture and evisceration.
https://www.thereset.news/p/breaking-heres-the-60-minutes-segment?utm_source=substack
Fascist CBS has been trying to take down links like the above to the "60 Minutes" story about the CECOT torture prison that was spiked by propagandist Bari Weiss. It will probably not work eventually, but it does as of this posting.
Watched it. TBH, I heard or watched multiple reports of CECOT over the past six months in our media.
Let's add Mr. Weiss and Mr. Ellison to the list of people sent to The Hague when this is over.
Bari Weiss is a girl, but otherwise yes.
(I'm a bad liberal for saying "girl" in that context. I can live with it.)
Ogre,
"Someone should tell him of the fate of the Bismarck."
Well, he actually asked why we don't have battleships any more, so it's likely that he literally does not know.
Perhaps he can be shown pictures of the last hours of the Prince of Wales and Repulse, the Yamato and Musashi, the California...no, that last one was hit at dock in Pearl Harbor and refloated in time to reenter the war and Yamato of course was dredged up to become Japan's first armored spaceship, according to the historical documents.
It'd be all for nothing, I suspect, and the same question would be asked the next day. Nothing sticks in that brain any more.
Pappenheimer
Papenheimer almost gets post-of-the day. Har! Though the California got her revenge at Surigao Strait.
The "Trump Class Battleship" rendering is basically a photoshop-stretched version of the DDG destroyer with another big gun "bing-bing-bing-pow!" and a missile launched from the helicopter pad in back. Nonsense. But it would still be a CG cruiser.
Ok let's Bet
Against the USSR - we protected you just as much as you protected us - especially as the battleground was to be in Europe - NOT in the USA
100% true
You are saying that the USSR was NOT threatening the USA???
I am willing to put $1000 on that
Against Russia - we have not NEEDED protection!
100% true -
Russia has never been as powerful as "the rest of NATO" - it does have more nukes but either France or the UK have enough to destroy Russia
You are saying that Russia was more powerful than "the rest of NATO"
I am willing to put $1000 on that
The experiment was performed - Russia attacked Ukraine - which was LESS powerful than the top three European countries INDIVIDUALLY
The fact that you CHOSE to waste huge amounts of resources on your military is your problem - not ours
100% true -
You are saying that Europeans somehow twisted your arms???
I am willing to put $1000 on that
Eisenhower said - "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex."
Only you ignored him!
100% true
You are saying that either Eisenhower did not say that?
- or that the US Government heard and did "guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex"?
I am willing to put $1000 on that
The Marshal Plan was brilliant - one of the best ideas in international politics EVER!
But it was not "100% Altruistic" - it was designed to help a Europe that had been smashed by WW2 to recover in order to assist the USA against their "enemy"
Sweden and Finland joined NATO not because the USA was withdrawing (although that was important) but mainly because Putin had shown that he could not be trusted
USA ----------------997 Billion
Potential Enemies
China --------------314
Russia ------------149
Total ---------------463
European Allies
Germany-----------88
UK ------------------82
Ukraine ------------65
France --------------65
Poland ------------38
Italy -----------------38
Canada ------------30
Turkey --------------25
Spain ------==------25
Netherlands -------23
Sweden-------------12
Norway -------------10
Denmark -----------10
Belgium -------------9
Greece----------------8
Finland ---------------7
Total -----------------535
America's European allies spend nearly FOUR TIMES as much on their military as their likely enemy
America alone spends over twice as much as their potential enemies
The problem with that calculations that the wages and hardware costs used to be/are much lower in Russia and China than in the Western alliance.
Also, we loose much money in bureaucracy and byzantine procurement structures (though the same can be said about Russia and China, and they have the added problem of corruption.)
https://bsky.app/profile/willbunch.bsky.social/post/3mao2bhoi7l2m
1. Keep your eye on the ball, people
That Epstein-Larry Nassar letter has fake written all over it -- N. Virginia postmark, after JE's death, in a handwriting that appears not his own
It's hard not to think DOJ WANTED this out there to then be debunked and thus discredit every mention of Trump...
Yucking my yum on Christmas Eve. But dang it, he's probably right.
https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2025/Items/Dec24-2.html
One of the documents that appeared in the second release, before quickly disappearing, was a "letter" from Jeffrey Epstein to convicted child molester Dr. Larry Nassar, in which Epstein ostensibly wrote "Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls..." There's actually more to the quote, but it's not great for a family-friendly site. Just hours after the letter was released, the FBI declared it to be a fake, which is why it was removed.
We believe it was a fake, because it's way too ham-fisted and obvious, and because the postmark on the letter was from Virginia, and was 3 days after Epstein died in New York. We also believe that "Oops! This shouldn't have been in there!" was a stunt perpetrated by the FBI, or someone else in the administration, so as to put the idea out there, "You know, ANY of these records could be phony." And, just in case anyone missed that message, the DoJ posted a note to eX-Twitter shortly thereafter that says: "Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already."
So, yeah.
The problem with that calculations that the wages and hardware costs used to be/are much lower in Russia and China than in the Western alliance.
Yes, the amount of money spent is a poor proxy for capabilities. It's just easier to compare between countries than other measures would be. Like looking for your lost wallet under the lamppost because the light is better there.
What we're really trying to compare is some measure of what each country is capable of achieving with their stockpile of weaponry. Probably even needing to separate offensive and defensive capabilities and match each against each other nation. But that's messy and not easily calculated or presented in a meaningful way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/20/us/politics/turning-points-americafest-ben-shapiro.html
On Friday, Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian American who is running for governor of Ohio as a Republican, took on a faction on the right that is pushing the idea that so-called “heritage Americans” — people whose families have been in the country for multiple generations — have a greater claim to the nation than more recent arrivals.
Mr. Ramaswamy assailed the idea as a “blood and soil” conception of citizenship, one that is “un-American at its core” and “about as loony as anything the woke left has actually put up.”
Wow. Never thought I'd agree with anything Vivek Ramaswamy said, but he's absolutely right here. Maybe he found out that being a "non-white nationalist" as he once referred to himself doesn't mean what he thought it meant to his fellow right-wingers.
I will not even scan this jibbering nonsense. It is truly a sign of mental illness. I'll address it further when it is worth my time. Back up this frantic drool with $5000 in atty escrowed wager stakes.
He thought he was one of the good ones.
And that is for the easily quantifyable stuff.
How to gauge things like unit cohesion, ingenuity and fighting spirit/morale?
He thought he was one of the good ones.
He either thought or pretended to think that "white nationalist" meant only someone who loved his country and who happened to be white. So he himself was a "non-white nationalist". Like, "We're all just different people who have in common that we love America. What's so terrible about the white ones?"
Except that that's not what "white nationalist" means at all. It refers to a theory that this country is the rightful property only of people whose ancestry is of specific northern European countries, and that only such people are full citizens. Everyone else living here is either a guest, the hired help, or an intruder. And Vivek Ramaswamy seems to be discovering that he's not one of the chosen.
Sic Semper Fascisti, I suppose.
I'll be away for a while with the Christian part of my family.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Defence spending - Yes it's not 1 = 1 - but it is a first approximation
In addition it is MUCH MUCH more costly to attack and invade than to defend
The European allies with 535 Billion could possibly attack and invade Russia with 149 Billion - but possibly not
Russia would need at least twice the 535 Billion that the defenders have to attack and invade successfully
What has happened to "OGH"? - can somebody tell me which of the "bets" that we were discussing is even slightly questionable??
Against the USSR - we protected you just as much as you protected us - especially as the battleground was to be in Europe - NOT in the USA
100% true
You are saying that the USSR was NOT threatening the USA???
I am willing to put $1000 on that
Against Russia - (CLARIFICATION - NOT the USSR) - we have not NEEDED protection!
100% true -
Russia has never been as powerful as "the rest of NATO" - it does have more nukes but either France or the UK have enough to destroy Russia
You are saying that Russia was more powerful than "the rest of NATO"
I am willing to put $1000 on that
The experiment was performed - Russia attacked Ukraine - which was LESS powerful than the top three European countries INDIVIDUALLY
The fact that you CHOSE to waste huge amounts of resources on your military is your problem - not ours
100% true -
You are saying that Europeans somehow twisted your arms???
I am willing to put $1000 on that
Eisenhower said - "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex."
Only you ignored him!
100% true
You are saying that either Eisenhower did not say that?
- or that the US Government heard and did "guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex"?
I am willing to put $1000 on that
Happy Years End Festivities!
You really believe the brown shirts give a damn about Epstein related material? I don't.
I'd love to be proved wrong, though. If that helps neuter him, bring on the shears.
Once per generation isn't that unusual for us.
That's what's happening right now... and it's not just us.
Pappenheimer,
Not to sound supportive of stupid naval ideas...
but the laser weapons are real enough. You'll see them on a lot of ships soon because they help provide drone defense. *
Sea Whiz for the wall of lead... or whatever the heck they use. Lasers for the wall of coherent light. Together they spell out "DON'T F*&K WITH ME".
* THAT we are doing this is public knowledge nowadays.
How effective these systems are is not.
Merry Christmas and every other variation on the theme everyone.
May you be surrounded by as much family as won't push you past your ability to cope. 8)
jibber away Duncan. These are masturbation incantations.
Alfred Differ:
You really believe the brown shirts give a damn about Epstein related material? I don't.
The Q-Anons certainly do. They weren't after pedophiles as an excuse to malign Democrats. They sincerely thought Democrats were part of a pedophile ring and that Trump would take care of them. The pedophilia, not the politics, is what they really disdain.
Anyone who suffered persecution because of Satanic Panic, Pizzagate and Trans hate can open a bottle of champaign now. Including Hillary Clinton.
Yesterday, news broke that the US are targeting Digital Services Act architect and former commissioner Thierry Breton and various Anti-Hate and Anti-Disinformation groups with entry bans. One British fellow faces deportation.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/23/politics/sanctions-censorship-state-rubio
The revolution he sought was a far deeper one, without which reforms could only be superficial and transitory. If he could cleanse the human
heart of selfish desire, cruelty, and lust, utopia would come of itself, and all those institutions that rise out of human greed and violence, and the consequent need for law, would disappear. Since this would be the profoundest of all revolutions, beside which all others would be mere coups d'etat of class ousting class and exploiting in its turn, Christ was in this spiritual sense the greatest revolutionist in history.
"Caesar and Christ"
By Will Durant
Also the most delusional, clearly. Utopia is "no place"; there's no place with humans that won't have selfish desire, lust, etc. What this dude preached is not for flesh and blood humans and not for this world. Like other revolutionary faiths descended from it (e.g. Communism and Progressivism), it puts inhuman ideals above humanity as it is, and is therefore doomed to fail.
Preachings to be nicer fall into general categories:
1- the sanctimoniously utopianism that Treebeard speaks of, unattainable excuses for idealists to feel smug.
2. Priests using Jesus or caste reincarnation to hammer peasants to stay in their place and earn some ultimate reward for never questioning their inheritance brat, bully-rapist lords.
3. "Come on guys. We all know we're imperfect and can never reach the ideal; but how about we set things up so people who treat each other decently or compete fairly get some of the advantages that used to go to spoiled brats? And use positive sum games to eliminate most hunger or fear, so we can all rise incrementally up Maslowe's Hierarchy of Needs and expand horizons a bit more, each generation?"
In yowling smugly at #1, Treebeard is - of course - acting in service to #2. And since he has no hope of being a lord, his aim is to become one of the dogs scampering under the lords' banquet tables, getting nice bones and leavings off the floor, that mere peasants never see.
#3 is proved, utterly proved and terrifying to zero- and negative-sum personalities, who cannot even give regard to the society that practiced it and gave them absolutely everything - every comfort - they ever had. Hence their top trait is not churlish nastiness or even stoopidity. They are ingrates. And that is truly one of the deepest nasty traits there is.
"A person's a person, no matter how small" - from "Horton Hears a Who!"
Evidence of the post-war journey from hate to brotherhood. No miracles, delusions, or utopias, just a rational choosing of civilization.
Alfred,
Re: naval lasers
Not discounting the future use of lasers - though particle beams were going to be the thing of the future back in the late 70's and 80's - but trying to design and deploy a ship around a not-yet-developed weapon system is a fool's errand. If you've followed the fate of the Zumwalt-class, it's an object lesson - and there were going to be 24 Zumwalts, close to the Trumpeting of 25 'battleships'. In fact, the Zumwalt was basically a dry run for whatever stupid and costly fiasco the Epstein-class will be.
Have a great seasons' turn, y'all.
Pappenheimer
Actually we need to hope and pray we have a huge lead in lasers n' such. Or war is a'coming. Nothing to do with the insane 'battleship' which was sized for Trump's ego but photoshop stretched from a DDG concept. Don't tell him, though.
Okay. Well... I'm not a fan of pointing out the pedo's to win in the political arena, but I won't stand in the way. The enemy of my enemy and all that.
Still.... ick.
Pappenheimer,
I'm a US Navy contractor and have been for about 15 years. Yah. I'm aware of a few things and won't mention what isn't already out in the public sourced back to official releases.
The lasers aren't a not-yet-developed system.
Neither are they all that the Orange Doofus wants to believe they are.
I invite every nation that wants to compete with us on this front to spend the heaps and gobs of money that we've been spending developing these things. 8)
Yeah Alfred. My impression too.
Being more advanced in a new weapon is a good thing - but it's not something that should be relied upon!
Especially as China is now producing LOTS of engineers and scientists
They are welcome to spend the heaps and gobs of money it takes to do all this.*
[They don't, though. Espionage is their game right now. On SOME fronts they are innovating, but they aren't in the top league yet.]
Alfred,
As I said - NOT to be relied on! - you may be right - but possibly not
@Alfred:
To be honest, I believe the US spy on everyone else as much as the Chinese do.
The British have developed the Dragonfire system and successfully tested it. It might be the answer to Battlefield drones once produced widely.
Here is a short report:
https://youtu.be/Vg2IuPKqvt4?si=zDTVSwCVbIGKbHof
The British have developed the Dragonfire system and successfully tested it. It might be the answer to Battlefield drones once produced widely.
Here is a short report:
https://youtu.be/Vg2IuPKqvt4?si=zDTVSwCVbIGKbHof
Checked the front page.
No, I didn't get my Christmas wish.
Der Oger: while the US Intel services certainly have their tentacles around the world... (1) they are being systematiccally demolished as we speak, and this is not something you should want. And...
...(2) It is laughable to image their scale is anything close to 1% of the Chinese efforts.
China gives away their A.I. and Social Media offerings.
Nothing is free.
alfred,
Quite willing to accept an opposing viewpoint on the newest weapon systems, but my subconscious is whispering "Mk IV torpedo".
There are tests and there are tests, and all new tech has teething problems. Not a good idea to discover such a problem just after the "This is not a drill" part.
Pappenheimer
P.S. Re: US espionage, have to agree with Dr. Brin, with the added proviso of "why would anyone share info with the US when it's all going directly to Putin (and probably Xi) anyway?" Intel pooling with other nations used to be a US strength.
Der Oger,
I don't doubt it. I'm certain that's how we caught up in the 19th century. Also, when industrial espionage and national security overlap, there isn't much to be done about it except recognize the reality.
Back with one of my space start-ups, we went through the steps to patent our work. We also knew that the patents would just slow down the stealing. Putting ideas in the open is generally a good thing for markets, though, even if the innovators wish they could hold onto secrets and get filthy rich... or just richer.
...subconscious is whispering "Mk IV torpedo"
Damn. Missed again? How can that be? (Heh.)
Seriously, though, I hear you. I just don't worry too much about the Orange Doofus convincing my co-workers to be THAT stupid. I like working with smart people... and many of them are.
Please do take note that people are shooting at US Navy assets over there near Yemen. Public knowledge. Real tests.
It's a massive "Pretense of Knowledge" experiment underway.
I hear ya.
Preaching to the choir.
Damn the autocorrect. Mk XIV, of course
1) That would mean we are still allies. We are not. We have to expect hostile operations by CIA and NSA. If your services botch it, and botch it grand on a level that publicly underscores the incompetence of the Trump administration, well, that would be a win for the other side, no?
2) Actually, it is around 10%, with around 50% of the 300 billion damage coming from Russia and China. While it is about ransomware and cybercrime with the latter, the US have used it to give American companies an advantage in larger contracts.
Of course, the remedy is to give the US services only info you want to be relayed to the Kremlin.
@Alfred,
The Office of Protection of the Constitution (the German intelligence service responsible for counterintelligence) has, afaik, put a number in the damage done to our economy by the US alone. It is about 30 billion per year iirc.
That is the number we pay currently for migrants.
And it is not simply about research secrets and new technologies, but also about contracts and business opportunities.
I was not thinking so much about the Torpedo mess - more about the Nazi "superweapons" each of which REDUCED the German military potential
And for the same reasons - Fascism does NOT permit criticism so Alfred's smart people could be overidden by the idiots appointed to lead them
WOW a really smart fellow commented on my Newer Deal series here on Substack:
https://substack.com/inbox/post/182641803?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true
It's fairly long and very insightful.
Der Oger,
Come now. Allies have a long history of spying on each other. It's an old game that gets tolerated as long as no secrets leak TOO much.
Years ago during one of the space startups I worked at we had a contract that caught the interest of the NRO. These are US Intel folks. They were intensely curious to know if we could do what we claimed we could. (Turned out we couldn't, but that was revealed later.) They knew we had no security clearances and did not normally get involved with them, so they had to give us the "Allies are Spies too" introductory course. I remember well the lesson as it pertained to the French intelligence folks. They gave us exact details and then politely hinted that we shouldn't talk openly about it. Were were to let them play the game, but KNOW where the ears were and how they rummaged through your stuff. Foreknowledge was sufficient to ensure no harm was done.
Allies do spy on each other and there is a wonderful transparency argument for why we should tolerate it. Push against it and national security interests will quickly drive the arms race to where you don't see they are still doing it. Better to let them because then one has counter espionage options available.
Der Oger,
What's a few billion between friends. 8)
Seriously, though... yah. I get it. That's not peanuts to everyone.
...Alfred's smart people could be overidden by the idiots appointed to lead them
That's always a possibility, but never underestimate a naval officer's training when it comes to the casting of shade. I think the Marines are better at it on average, but Naval officers get exactly nowhere without a surplus of brain cells to rub together.
Even the civilian workforce has its ways of copying with the politics. The last few months have been... educational for me.
Rather excellent summary!
Alfred: Maybe that was all fine and good as long as we were allies. But that ship has sailed. What I expect the US services doing is the following:
1) Tampering with the elections. While the process itself safe, mostly, I can imagine actions around it. Oppo research, blackmail, and even staged "terror attacks" happening just prior to the elections. Like, the last time. (Miraculously, we haven't had one since the last federal election.)
2) Speaking of, cooperation to combat international terrorism and crime may be history, too. See the Brits dropping out in the Carribean, lately.
3) The attack on regulators and activists I mentioned earlier is just beginning. I assume the attacks in Euro institutions and civil rights NGOs will intensify. And maybe to a point were some people stop presenting the other cheek and return favors.
The author adresses something that (correct me if I am wrong) isn't dealt with in your reform proposals:
The cultural distortion the US (and most of the Western nations) have gone through the last forty years.
While I value your proposed installation of railguards against future tyrants as being way more effective than the previous system of "gentleman's agreement" solutions, I do not see the culture being addressed, the ground for future descents into authoritarianism being salted.
Oh, and then it is always people manning the walls ... If they refuse to fight back even as they are already blowing pieces out of it and advancing with ladders, no guardrails will be effective. They are just a waste of tree-life even if they sound nice on paper.
The left keeps trying to restore norms instead of ratcheting their own. “When they go low, we go high” is anti-ratchet thinking. It assumes the game will eventually return to fair play if we just demonstrate good faith long enough.
It won’t. The gates are down. The gatekeepers are gone. Good faith is a vulnerability now, not a virtue.
Wise and true.
...and even staged "terror attacks" happening just prior to the elections. Like, the last time. (Miraculously, we haven't had one since the last federal election.)
That happens here too. Remember when Trump was being shot at every weekend before the Republican convention in 2024? Now, crickets.
https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2025/Items/Dec27-2.html
...
A defamation claim is notoriously difficult to bring, not only because one has to prove malice when it involves a public figure like Trump, but also because the truth is a complete defense. And in order to prove the truth of the alleged defamatory statement, one is entitled to discovery from the plaintiff. That extends to anything and everything related to that claim. In addition, if a plaintiff claims damages, those claims are also subject to discovery, so the defendant can refute them.
It appears that at least one group has finally figured this out. In 2022, Trump sued the Pulitzer Prize board for defamation for awarding prizes to The New York Times and The Washington Post for reporting on Russia's involvement in the 2016 election and Trump's campaign's ties that were examined by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. He claims that he has suffered personal and financial harm as a result of those awards. That's a pretty bold assertion, since it's pretty hard for any one entity to hurt a sitting president (since they are covered so widely, by so many outlets). Further, the Pulitzer board did not do the original reporting, or any reporting at all. They just gave awards to the folks who DID do the reporting.
In response to Trump's (obviously spurious) claim, the Board has now served discovery requests seeking all of Trump's tax returns from 2015 to the present, all documents related to his finances and all sources of income for that period and comprehensive medical and psychological records, as well as records of any prescription drugs he's taking. According to the Board, Trump has made all of that relevant by claiming he's been financially and personally harmed by the Board's actions. Trump has 30 days to comply with the requests. And since Trump filed this lawsuit in Florida, which is known for being very averse to these types of nuisance suits, the rules are very broad for defense requests such as these.
In addition to that, since Trump is claiming that the prizes had a "significant impact" on the 2020 election, the Board is also demanding proof of that claim as well as records relating to all of his other defamation suits, including ones brought against him by E. Jean Carroll. Trump is about to get a very big taste of his own medicine. The only question we have is: Why in the world did it take so long for someone to fight back like this? Our prediction for this case? TACO. There's no way he's going to give up all that info, especially given that much of it would become a matter of public record.
...
Oh, yeah! Time to invest in popcorn shares.
Jesus, Oger, your ingrate reflex is as bad as Duncan's. "That would mean we are still allies. We are not. We have to expect hostile operations by CIA and NSA."
Seriously? These agaencies are made of PEOPLE! Right now 95% of them are still loyal and still your allies, working in utter agony. Those who resist openly are fired and hence most are keeping their heads down, doing what they can.
(The 2000? Justice Department folks who have resigned are fools. They should have stayed at their desks defying Trump to fire them and then suing under the Civil Service Act.)
I pray that Biden made allowances for all of this and tucked some of the best folks into obscure bureaucratic corners to keep working with allies, though I see no evidence that old Joe made ANY such preparations. Though if competently done, I would likely not see it.
But the crux is this. Trump has been eviscerating those services treating them as ENEMIES. And your failure to note this is truly sad. Since now WE are counting on allied services to catch wind of the next 9/11! Which I bet Putin-Trump are desperately concocting, right now, in order to panic the US public and complete their USA coup in time to save themselves.
What's disappointing is how you notice none of that, which should be as plain as the back of your hand.
Rather, your ingrate reflex is to smugly assume a silly stereotype. Not the CIA as filled with real people - professionals with unchanged loyalty to the West - but as a buggaboo set of three scary letters! Oh, my!
As an excuse to shrug off any obligation toward us. It saddens me.
Jesus, Oger, your ingrate reflex is as bad as Duncan's. "That would mean we are still allies. We are not. We have to expect hostile operations by CIA and NSA."
Seriously? These agaencies are made of PEOPLE! Right now 95% of them are still loyal and still your allies, working in utter agony. Those who resist openly are fired and hence most are keeping their heads down, doing what they can.
(The 2000? Justice Department folks who have resigned are fools. They should have stayed at their desks defying Trump to fire them and then suing under the Civil Service Act.)
I pray that Biden made allowances for all of this and tucked some of the best folks into obscure bureaucratic corners to keep working with allies, though I see no evidence that old Joe made ANY such preparations. Though if competently done, I would likely not see it.
But the crux is this. Trump has been eviscerating those services treating them as ENEMIES. And your failure to note this is truly sad. Since now WE are counting on allied services to catch wind of the next 9/11! Which I bet Putin-Trump are desperately concocting, right now, in order to panic the US public and complete their USA coup in time to save themselves.
What's disappointing is how you notice none of that, which should be as plain as the back of your hand.
Rather, your ingrate reflex is to smugly assume a silly stereotype. Not the CIA as filled with real people - professionals with unchanged loyalty to the West - but as a buggaboo set of three scary letters! Oh, my!
As an excuse to shrug off any obligation toward us. It saddens me.
Cool that some of you went and read the "Mongoose" piece. I think the fellow is amazing.
I am really hoping you are right, that they would refuse or subvert hostile orders to be given. I really hope I am wrong with my assumptions.
That said, it would be unwise not to prepare for further betrayals. The Ukraine peace talks charade, the new national security strategy and a dozen other policy changes have made it hard to trust you.
Of course these institutions are made up of people - but people are being fired, replaced, and will go into internal exile. Many will want to keep their jobs and compromise, just follow orders.
Like, firing on fishing boats and shipwrecked survivors.
In the end, nations have interests, not friends.
And it is in our interest that we prepare for a war against Russia (which is at least supported by Tulsi Gabbard) we will have to face alone. NATO is on it's deathbed.
It is also in our interest to fight off your oligarchs who conspire with radicals to overthrow our democracies and destroy the EU.
It is not ingratitude, it is preparation.
Here's his latest and it's no fluke. He really is the real deal.
https://substack.com/inbox/post/182712102?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=3584888&post_id=182712102&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=lgm8k&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Important insights into the continuing "Russia Thing." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSxlgnsB43g
There’s a story about an autistic programmer whose partner asked, “Would you like to take the garbage out?” He considered the question. No, he decided, he would not like to take the garbage out. Nobody likes taking garbage out. So he didn’t do it. When she finally just said “Take the garbage out,” he did it immediately. Because that was clear. That was actionable
@Alfred, this is why I sometimes wonder if I'm on the spectrum. Because my mom and I had that exact conversation when I was a kid, and she could not understand why I took "Would you like to take out the garbage?" to be an insult to my integrity, forcing me to reply with what we both knew was a lie because it's the only possible polite reply. My internal response, though I wouldn't have put it like this to my mother, was "Don't piss on me and tell me it's raining."
She thought her wording was politeness--the equivalent of "Would you please...", which sort of means the same thing, but I don't feel insulted by it.
As an adult, I've learned not to take everything so literally, but this bit in the substack article brought that back to mind.
onward to Part Nine.
onward
onward
There is a LOT of history between our nations -
Most of the time we have been "allies" - most of the time the relationship has been friendly and beneficial to both
But from time to time the USA has worked against the UK and the commonwealth
And that was all before you elected Trump
Your "professionals with unchanged loyalty to the West" did not stop the USA back then - why would we expect them to stop them now?
I had the same discussion with my mom too, but I was just being a smart ass
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