Just like a progressive, always looking for more money. I feel bad for any idiot who stays in Cali.

That's why we have a Republic and not a democracy. California can keep their madness there and not affect the other 49 states.

That's nothing. Come to Kryspy Kreme HQ's here in NC.

I was having a discussion with a black friend of mine here in Winston Salem. He was like a lot of you, talking about immigration and what Trump is doing. He then pivoted and started complaining about housing prices. Saying how in the hood you couldnt buy a house cheap anymore. He started whining about gentrification and how poor blacks cant afford rent anymore. I said "Who do you think is replacing blacks in the hood"? I asked him to look at all his new neighbors. He actually realized they were almost all Hispanic. I asked him what he thought the results of all that unfettered immigration that Biden did by letting in the rest of the world unchecked. I said, "Did you really think that was going to have no effect on blacks"?

For the first time, I had a progressive tell me I was right.

Immigration isn't at zero. There is a legal way to come into the nation, that way is open. Walking across the border is not open.

This is what I voted for. This is what a lot of Americans voted for. If you liberals think America is tired of our immigration situation, you will lose every time.

Great observation and great question.

#19 | Posted by snoofy

Why is it so "great"? Only because you want to refute what I'm saying or "great" because of it's truth?

Whose are they?

Someone in another group I follow.

A lot of people are reacting emotionally to the idea of oil tankers being seized, but most of the outrage comes from not understanding what is actually being discussed.
So let's slow this down and explain it clearly, legally, and step by step.

This is not war.
This is not piracy.
This is judgment enforcement " the same principle used every day when courts seize bank accounts, property, aircraft, or cargo from someone who lost in court and refuses to pay.

1. What Venezuela did (the part that always gets skipped)

In the 2000s, under Hugo Chvez, Venezuela seized oil projects owned by foreign companies, including major U.S. firms such as ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips.

This wasn't a policy disagreement.
It was expropriation:
Contracts were broken
Assets were taken
Compensation that had been agreed to was not paid

That is not controversial. It is historical fact.

2. What the courts decided

Those U.S. companies didn't complain on social media.
They went to international arbitration and U.S. courts " the proper legal venues.

They won.

The rulings were:
Final
Binding
Enforceable

Venezuela lost and was ordered to pay tens of billions of dollars in damages.

3. The real problem: Venezuela refused to pay

Here is the key point most critics ignore:

Venezuela refused to comply with the court judgments.

In any legal system " domestic or international " when a party:
Loses in court
Owes a judgment
Refuses to pay

... the law allows creditors to seize commercial assets belonging to the debtor outside its borders to satisfy the judgment.

This is called judgment enforcement.

Countries do not get a free pass simply because they are countries.

4. Why oil tankers even enter the conversation

Venezuela's primary commercial asset is oil.

Oil moves on oil tankers.

Those tankers:
Carry state-owned Venezuelan oil
Are commercial property, not military or diplomatic assets
Can be lawfully seized by court order in cooperating jurisdictions

This is no different in principle from seizing:
A bank account
A plane
A shipment of goods

Calling this "piracy" is legally incorrect.
Piracy is theft without lawful authority.
This is court-ordered seizure to collect a debt already ruled on.

5. The math everyone avoids

Let's use conservative, realistic numbers so no one can claim exaggeration.
Estimated unpaid court judgments: ~$35 billion
Oil price used: $62 per barrel
Typical large oil tanker (VLCC): ~2 million barrels

Value of one full tanker:
Gross value: ~$124 million
Net value after realistic court-sale discounts: ~$115 million

Now do the math:

$35,000,000,000 $115,000,000 300 tankers

That's where the number comes from.

Not one tanker.
Not ten.
About three hundred.

One tanker only covers about one-third of one percent of what Venezuela owes.

No, claimed to be fake

No, it's been proven you idiot.

Hans, Shut the ---- up.

#5 has been verified as fake.

How about if we focus on the living person whose name appears most in the Epstein Files, and it turns out that name is Trump.

No it isnt. Stop making up --------. Clinton is in there more than anyone else.

I think it's time to stop redacting names and faces and have these people come forward and let thing lie where they lie.

I'm tired of this second hand, he said she said --------. If Trump or anyone else did something, it needs to come out of someone's mouth, on the stand. And we need to stop focusing only on Trump. Lets focus on all of these ------------- and see what's there.

And keep in mind, just because someone flew on the jet doesnt imply wrong doing, even with Clinton. I say lets stop worrying about who flew with Epstein and worry about who we can verify went to the island and back it up with a victim's complaint. Anything else is just hearsay and smearing.

#2,

Much of what you are citing is Democrats voting for Democrats, much like your "Blue wave" this year in Democrat held areas. None of what you said in #2 applies to the country at large, only Democrats. At least in what I posted, it meant 73% of ALL Americans, not just Republicans.

You liberals love to play with stats...

I am reposting the flight logs of celebs that WENT TO LITTLE ST JAMES ISLAND ...
They include ....
Al Gore
Alec Baldwin
Anderson Cooper
Barack Obama
Bob Saget
Cindy Laupner
Courtney Love
Enud Barack
Ellen
Beyonce
Jay Z
Hillary
Jimmy Kimmel
Jim Carrey
John Legend
John Podesta
Justin Trudeau
Lady Gaga
Larry Summers (already stepped down)
Kevin Spacey (noted rapist)
Madonna
Meryl Streep (Pedo supporter)
Oprah (Also pedo supporter)
Patton Oswalt
Pharrel
Rachael Maddow
Rob Reiner
Robert DeNiro
Sarah Silverman
Stephen Cobert
Whoopi
Noam Chomsky

Why arent yall calling these people pedo's?

Inflation "had cooled significantly" with Biden

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

These are disseminated without offering persuasive supporting evidence; the video lacks context.

What do you expect? The smugglers to be registered as drug boats? Drug boats have looked like that for 30 years.

provided broad enforcement powers to the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy on the high seas against vessels without nationality

Are these boats registered? Are they waving a flag of a nation?

Are you really this stupid Doc?

Do you really think we don't have secret intelligence following these "boats" from when they are loaded? You don't think we have people on the inside?

KEY ECONOMIC METRICS MOVING THE RIGHT WAY..
" Inflation Has Cooled..
As of November 2025, headline inflation was 2.7% year-over-year, down from much higher levels in prior years ... though data gaps from the government shutdown complicate exact month-by-month comparisons ... . it is still trending down. Which is a good sign.
" Federal Deficit Has Decreased..
The U.S. federal budget deficit for fiscal year 2025 was about $1.775 trillion, down roughly $41 billion ...
As a share of GDP, the deficit dropped from 6.3% to 5.9%.
These are the first annual deficit reductions since 2022 ... due to Trump's tariffs.
' Prescription Drug Prices Are Coming Down..
In December 2025, the Trump administration and nine major drugmakers agreed to cut prices by up to 70% on key medicines and will offer discounted prices directly to consumers under a new platform ... .
Additional Medicare payment models are projected to save over $26 billion in drug costs by tying U.S. prices to international benchmarks. ..
POLICIES DRIVING THESE TRENDS..
Energy & Fuel
Expanded domestic energy production and reduced regulatory hurdles helped increase supply, putting downward pressure on gas prices and energy costs ...
" Inflation & Interest Rates
Stable inflation allows the Federal Reserve to cut rates ... it has already cut the federal funds rate several times in 2025, easing borrowing costs ...
' Drug Pricing Deals
The most-favored-nation pricing strategy and manufacturer agreements mean lower costs at the pharmacy counter and better Medicaid pricing..
' Deficit Reduction
Stronger revenues and tariff collections helped shrink the deficit, showing progress on fiscal discipline ...
FACTS OVER FEELINGS..
Let's be real:
" Inflation isn't collapsing " but it has cooled significantly from pandemic-era peaks.
" Deficits are still large " but they are smaller than the year before.
" Drug costs aren't free " but major companies have agreed to real price cuts, some up to 70% and new savings initiatives are projected to save billions ...
These are real numbers, backed by government reporting and reputable news outlets ...

KEY ECONOMIC METRICS MOVING THE RIGHT WAY..
" Inflation Has Cooled..
As of November 2025, headline inflation was 2.7% year-over-year, down from much higher levels in prior years ... though data gaps from the government shutdown complicate exact month-by-month comparisons ... . it is still trending down. Which is a good sign.
" Federal Deficit Has Decreased..
The U.S. federal budget deficit for fiscal year 2025 was about $1.775 trillion, down roughly $41 billion ...
As a share of GDP, the deficit dropped from 6.3% to 5.9%.
These are the first annual deficit reductions since 2022 ... due to Trump's tariffs.
' Prescription Drug Prices Are Coming Down..
In December 2025, the Trump administration and nine major drugmakers agreed to cut prices by up to 70% on key medicines and will offer discounted prices directly to consumers under a new platform ... .
Additional Medicare payment models are projected to save over $26 billion in drug costs by tying U.S. prices to international benchmarks. ..

To a certain degree...

I can agree with that, counselor..

#57,

Another Corky lie...

is that Trump knew what was going on with the girls, but he didn't report it to authorities

You can stop staying that lie, Corky..

It is widely believed by some sources and alleged in certain reports and emails that Donald Trump was the individual who reported Jeffrey Epstein to the authorities in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2004, which initiated the legal investigations into Epstein's sexual abuse allegations

Michael Wolff's Account: According to author Michael Wolff, Trump himself reported Epstein to the police in 2004, an episode that remained in the shadows for years.

You can stop with that talking point, Corky...

#49,

And yet, we are no closer to an answer to my #37.

I would post it on a thread about the Somalis frauding our government, but there isn't one posted by the progressives on this site.

I was just asking why.

they are embarrassed by something in the report.

That the majority of Americans don't like progressives?

Can someone explain to me why you progressives on this blog are not pissed about the Muslim/Somali fraud on our government in MN?

Trump's behavior screams guilty as hell.

Trump wasn't almost naked in a hot tub. Oh yea, that was Clinton. Is that suspicious behavior?

What would you be saying if Trump was in a picture in a hot tub with a woman?

I haven't heard you say anything about Clinton.