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#17 | Posted by Duckman at 2026-01-09 10:55 AM
Trump knows that Denmark will let the US do any "strategic" thing in Greenland that he wants. But Trump wants to join the above club so he can be a "great President".

Yes, he wants to be "consequential" and "permanent" in history. That's why hunt for Nobel and rebuilding of White House (and DC) as the buildings/structures will have Trump name attached to them. While EOs / "policies" can be rolled back, the last NSS is trying to make them fairly "permanent" and destroy as much of "new" world order (much as he did to Atlantic City) where the US was "top dog" as possible, which is dreams come true for Putin (and Xi). **

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#33 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-01-10 03:14 PM
But, isn't Greenland part of NATO, so aren't we already obligated to protect Greenland from a China or Russia attack?

More than that - we have specific defense agreement with Denmark, just as there was 1994 "Budapest Memorandum" about Ukraine's security:

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#6 | Posted by fortfisher at 2026-01-08 09:19 AM
... I thought Trump is a Russian stooge.

If you don't think Trump is Putin's stooge, you haven't been paying attention.

Just a few most recent statements and events should disabuse you of the notion that he isn't:

1. So-called 28-points "peace proposal" written by Kremlin and giving Putin everything he demanded that Trump was trying to impose on Ukraine and pressuring Zelensky to accept. One of the "points" specifically provided Putin and Trump with a $100B slush fund, as part of removing all sanctions and "re-integration" of Russia into world's economy and establishing closer ties between Russia and US.

2. Trump is attempting to essentially expand and join BRICS, creating Core-5 / C-5 (where the US would be a "junior partner") after he tried but failed to recreate G-8 by reinstating Russia into "outdated" G-7. That's after he and GOP Congress nixed joining TPP / Trans-Pacific Partnership :

|------- "It's a deal that's designed for China to come in, as they always do, through the back door and totally take advantage of everyone," Trump said then, yet China was not invited to join the trade pact, proposed and drafted specifically to reduce China's economic influence in the region and bringing signatories closer to the US. -------|

CPTPP, without US involvement, went into effect in 2018.

3. Trump's 2025 NSS document is "... formally accepting the same worldview that Russia and China have long insisted upon, that the world is carved into spheres...

... Trump administration endorses the very logic Vladimir Putin and other despots have used to justify expansionism."

It didn't work for Soviet Union, not working currently for Russia and China, and led to numerous ruinous wars.

Trump's demented "fever dreams" of LatAm colonies are not going to last 5 years, if that, but it's already doing lasting damage to the US, as countries are starting to turn away and establish their own "globalist" ties.

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2 Months Ago: Tulsi Gabbard Said US 'Cycle Of Regime Change' Was Over

That was in October 2025, so she was saying what the boss-man was saying then or what the boss-man wanted her to say... which may well be different from what the boss-man wanted her and others to say the next day / week / month... on another episode of President's Apprentice.

As the written words say, "Dementia works in mysterious ways. Dementia's thoughts and Its ways don't always make sense to us, but we can rest in the knowledge... that Its ways are higher than our ways... because Its ways are always part of a bigger plan."

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#238 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-06 02:12 PM
Your mom is free and universal.
.

Proof positive of knee-jerk reactions.
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#34 | Posted by BellRinger at 2026-01-04 03:04 PM
Take a bit of time to look to history and look up the word precedent'.

No need to look it up. There have been "precedents" for almost anything, with positive or negative outcomes, which may also depend on someone's time frame and/or perspective and someone's definition and emphasis on what the "success" (of achieving particular / "certain" goals) in any given case means... as politicians and PR professionals know very well.

As they say, "There is a first time for everything", "Past performance is no guarantee of future results", "Your mileage may very" etc., especially if the "results" part can be and keep being redefined and goal posts moved.

I oppose it also because US regime change has rarely gone well.

Except, if you took a bit of time to look closer, there actually has been no "regime" changed!

The players may have changed, but the "regime" stayed the same, and the [presumed] new regime of Machado is not and has never been in the plans - too disruptive and messy with no guarantee of "success" and would require "boots on the ground" and long-term planning, which Trump isn't known for, instead of quick "show of success" and moving on to the next episode of geopolitical "Apprentice" - so if you think that any this was about a regime "change" or for the US benefit you're on a very wrong track.

"Are you not entertained?!"

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#8 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-01-01 05:27 AM
I can't explain it, but the value of the $USD has actually increased in parts of Asia. If you live in the Philippines right now, you're doing good.

Canadian, Australian, New Zealand dollars and Euros jumped, then stabilized in range of about 9%-12% higher than USD since Trump's inauguration.

In Asia, China responded with lowering RMB/CNY-to-USD to well above 7, compared to usually maintained range of 6 (stronger RMB) - 7 (weaker RMB), then stabilized around weaker end of 7 RMB/USD.

Japanese YEN is still dropping (156 YEN/USD), even as the interest rates in Japan are at multi-year high, due to inflation flare-up.

Most of Asian countries, like Philippines, generally keep their currencies loosely pegged to China or Japan, barring special circumstances.
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Trump Is Already Discussing Preemptive Pardons

Of course.

Yet despite the increasingly atrocious and corrupt way the pardons have been dispensed by Trump (and Clinton, Biden et al), I see absolutely no suggestions to rectify the mistake by Founding Fathers of granting unconditional King's power and push for starting the Constitutional Amendment process to remove that power from the single person, which I believe would easily catch (fire emoji).

Pardons could still be granted, where deserved, by an unanimous consent (or very high percentage of votes) by selected committee of multi-party participants, but it would be substantially removed as a corrupt political tool.

I guess both parties are expressing faux outrage while hypocritically waiting for "their" King to grant pardons to "deserving" people or, as more and more likely, to whole groups of people. So neither party has real interest in changing "the system."

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. ... still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it." - Lord Acton

"BOTH SIDES!"
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#3 | Posted by Corky at 2025-12-11 08:14 PM
Whispers of a new diplomatic power group containing the US, Russia, China, India, and Japan swirl around Washington.

It's tentatively called Core-5 (C-5), as Trump's "answer" to "outdated" G-7 (after he tried but failed to revert back to G-8 by reinstating Russia) - more of a demented, scatter-brained thinking of Trump - if you look closer, Trump essentially wants US to join BRICS and drag Japan along as trophy.

Not that it could last, if it ever happens, though I am sure Russia and China will be happy to welcome subordinate Trump to humiliating "summit(s)" which he will only be happy to attend, to have a photo op and feel "equal" next to the "world leaders."

Trump was never known for long-term strategy, his "3-D chess" was just moving from scam to scam, from con to con.

He recently complained that "we lost India and Russia to... China" - not in the least understanding how this happened. Hint: "he didn't have the cards" he tried to play and his bluff was called.

Teddy R.'s "Bully pulpit" was never meant for actual bullies. He also said "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Trump's MO is TACO - bark out loud but wobble with limp d**k.

So weak Trump's choice of 'remedy' is "if you can't beat them, join them."

.

"Russia is praised for its strength. Also back on good terms is Chinese President Xi Jinping...

Worse than that - they know Trump is weak and a coward, who can only threaten and intimidate militarily weak and/or economically semi-dependent allies ("losers") who keep hoping it will be possible to maintain good, non-adversarial relations with the sane, post-Trump US.

|------- "Days after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi outraged China by suggesting a Chinese attack on Taiwan could mobilize a Tokyo military ... Xi called Trump and spent half an hour... [to read him the riot act] ... after which Trump called Japanese PM and told him to 'soften his stance' and dial down the rhetoric'..." -------|

.

Not understanding the times have drastically changed, mentally he lives in the past worlds / eras of 100 ("America First"), 200 ("Monroe Doctrine") and 300 years ago ("mercantilism"), and tries to fit / position the US somehow in this jumble of "policies," with Putin (and now Xi, after slapping down Don on trade) being "Trump's whisperers."

Obviously, none of these "policies" are workable today for a significant length of time; they not only conflict with each other but will inevitably lead to more and greater conflicts than we've seen since dissolution of Soviet Union. **

In the meantime he is abusing the power, that he himself never earned, downgrading the US leadership position in the world, both economically and militarily, and making its footprint smaller and weaker, due to isolationism because of his fantasy of trilateral "Trump world order" - trying to make himself "consequential" in history, same as inserting himself and putting his imprint - face and name - everywhere he can.

.

The Art of the Deal (1987):

"The final key to the way I promote is bravado. I play to people's fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That's why a little hyperbole never hurts. People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole. It's ... a very effective form of promotion. ... I do it to do it. ... I like making deals, preferably big deals. That's how I get my kicks."
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Another week, another study, used by "socialists" trying to re-establish long-debunked correlation of "average" life longevity to the [lack of] "free and universal / single-payer" and, obviously, the "socialism."

As usual, trying to pick and choose small samples of disparate facts to establish "correlation," let alone causation, fails even slightly more rigorous tests, and usually serves only people trying to convince themselves (time and again, with every new "study") that what they've been told "forever" and sincerely believe is true... or just used to influence younger audience, not well versed in statistics and fallacies.

This study itself immediately debunks the thesis of such "correlation" because there is big difference in longevity between the states, yet obviously, no difference between the "healthcare system" in Massachusetts's, Hawaii, Mississippi, Alabama and other states, since it's the same. So the differences or correlations are in many other variables; e.g., a lot closer to levels of education, wealth and income, diet, demographics and genetics (age, race, etc.), crime and suicides etc., and has nothing to do with the "healthcare system."

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#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-11-27 11:20 PM
Once, my doctor said I needed an MRI... So, I went to the hospital, and participated in the MRI experience.

Did you ask doctor's staff or call insurance company where to take MRI, or call the hospital to ask if they accept your insurance and/or how much MRI would cost before just walking in and saying "Can I do my MRI here?"

Most people understand that that's how medical insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid) works - standard practice.

Shortly afterwards, I received a letter with a bill enclosed. The letter ... said, ~we don't participate in any medical insurance plans, so you have to pay us directly. That will be (hundreds of dollars). Due date is (30 days later). Yes, it was valid.

Of course, it was valid. You received a bill for service rendered, which you signed the form for as "guarantor of payment" - again, standard practice.

OK, I never approved, or even asked, the entity who sent me that letter for their medical assistance. It seemed to be the private-equity-owned hospital...

Of course, you approved the procedure when you signed the forms (that's why the bill was valid) and "the entity" that sent you the bill is 99.9% likely to be the firm providing accounting/billing services for that hospital - again, standard practice. As former manager you should've understood that.

Whether the hospital is owned by "private equity" or not makes not a bit of difference in how billing is done, or whether they accept certain insurance for certain procedures. Shop carefully.

Fortunately, it was only a few hundred dollars?

That's what MRIs usually cost - $300-$600 depending on provider and body part.

I have seen reports on the local CT news of similar occurrences, but with tens of thousands of dollars involved.

Probably not for MRI, and by people who didn't bother to check the costs of procedures and coverage by their insurance beforehand.

Healthcare in the Country is broken.

When was it un-broken and what broke it this time?

It's clearly considered "broken" in the UK's "free and universal / single-payer" system?

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#127 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-11-25 04:04 PM
But how many millions more vacant houses do we have to build to meaningfully bring down home prices?

"We" don't have to build anything - builders do in areas where they can sell it. Millions of "vacant houses" (most probably owned by someone other than builders) in areas nobody wants to live in is a meaningless statistic... just like empty factories in areas few want to be... at least for now.

I explained that current problems are prices and interest rates - thanks to the government-induced "trickle-up" debts and inflation.

What incentive does a home builder have to build even more homes, increasing the supply, decreasing demand, and reducing their profits?

There are no profits if you don't sell houses where people want to live, just as there is no sense in building empty factories in the hope that "if we build it they will come."
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#124 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-11-25 03:42 PM |
You can look up yourself how much an american had to earn to afford a single family home, a car, insurance, and education for their kids. Compare 40 years ago to today

You can look up yourself that this is not just US phenomena.

One part of this in the US is that currently prices are high and mortgage rates are high, thanks to government-induced "trickle-up" inflation, and government "red tape" on issuing housing construction permits... and the funds and construction workers that would generally go to housing were busy building empty factories, some of which are now being converted to datacenters, also with borrowed money...

And this will become worse as housing construction workers will be in increasingly short supply due to Trump's immigration crackdown.
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#71 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-11-24 11:43 AM
My AI tells me that social welfare polices contribute to citizen well-being.

Countries often identified with socialist policies, like Finland, Denmark, and other Nordic nations, consistently rank high on happiness reports due to factors such as ... economic equality... While happiness is subjective and these nations have social democratic rather than purely socialist economies, the correlation is often cited .

That's "AI" problem.

Yes, "happiness" is very subjective, especially since the purported surveys don't really measure happiness - they derive single-number index ** from several categories and then try to "key in" (correlate) every year on "key subject", like age (2024), charity (2025) etc. - none of which is close to causation re happiness, let alone "socialism" - unless, of course, attempting to associate with or define "socialism" as "happy country" or "free, universal healthcare" and other random unrelated whatnots.

Here's just a few real correlations you can make just looking at couple of these lists:
1. Countries in the North (with long winters and snow) are much "happier" than countries in Africa (South)
2. Countries with a very small population (< 11M people) in peace are happier than the more populous countries at war. 3. Relatively small rich countries with mostly homogeneous population that didn't have to care much about rest of the world?

Is Sweden still "socialist" after becoming highest in Europe in wealth distribution inequality?
Why is "socialist" France (with lower inequality) ranked much lower than "socialist" Germany or "capitalist" US?

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**

From Active Measures archive of Trump-Russia/Putin connection :

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#20 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-11-21 12:23 PM
That looks like the "peace" plan was written by Pres Putin, and echoed by Pres Trump.
It looks more like a surrender plan to me.

It goes further than that.

The "28 points" are meant to convey that the "plan" is very detailed - but actually very short on very important details re "security guarantees" and other legalese as to who, how and when..., while very specific on one-sided benefits for Russia - the hallmark of Russia's and Trump's business agreements that end up in courts.

Most, like "1. Ukraine sovereignty will be confirmed" and "2. A comprehensive non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. All ambiguities of the last 30 years will be considered settled" and "3. It is expected that Russia will not invade neighboring countries and NATO will not expand further" are solidly one-sided but otherwise meaningless, as there were no "ambiguities" since 1994 Budapest treaty, when it was more than "expected" that Russia wouldn't invade Ukraine and Ukraine had very specific "reliable security guarantees" (point 5).

10. The U.S. guarantee:
-- The U.S. will receive compensation for the guarantee;
-- If Ukraine invades Russia, it will lose the guarantee;
-- If Ukraine launches a missile at Moscow or St. Petersburg ... the security guarantee will be deemed invalid.

The important outlines in parts of the plan that are clearly seen but have been missed by most prove that the "Trump plan" has been originated by Putin, given to Kyril Dmitriev to translate for Trump's "real estate 'Kissinger'" Witkoff to pass to Trump, to simultaneously claim credit and whitewash Putin's fingerprints.

13. Russia will be reintegrated into the global economy:
-- The lifting of sanctions will be discussed and agreed upon in stages and on a case-by-case basis.
-- The United States will enter into a long-term economic cooperation agreement for mutual development in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centers, rare earth metal extraction projects in the Arctic, and other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities.
-- Russia will be invited to rejoin the G8.

14. The remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint projects in specific areas. This fund will be aimed at strengthening relations and increasing common interests to create a strong incentive not to return to conflict.

IOW, long-term goals of Putin - full rehab for him and Russia. The world according to Trump's demented fantasy (fostered and fomented by Putin) : "US + Russia vs China, China, China."

Sounds just like Ribbentrop-Molotov pact in 1939, only now the rest of the world is invited to put stamp of approval on this... and we know how that one developed.

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#1 | Posted by Corky at 2025-11-17 05:22 PM
Ha... losing money in the Casino bidness was good training for losing money in the media bidness.

Mistake #1 - thinking that DJT/Trump Media is a "media business"
Mistake #2 - thinking that Trump and his cronies are "losing money"

Only the stupid "investors" who, for some reason, keep betting on Trump "brand" as if it ever paid off for outsiders, lose money by financing Trump's scams.

TMTG was never meant to be profitable - it's just another vehicle to draw/launder money from and increase the circle of Don's "affiliates" for other [scam] ventures - DJT's revenue for last 12 months was puny $3.6M; the 2024 salary and 'bonus' of figurehead CEO Devin Nunes alone was $1.6M and his other comp. was valued at >$44M when fully vested.

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#12 | Posted by truthhurts at 2025-11-10 06:19 PM
Renewable energy in the U.S. has seen substantial growth since 2000, with overall energy generation increasing by 91.2% between 2000 and 2020.

IOW, less than double in 20 years, coming from small base? That explains why so many solar and wind companies went under.

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#2 | Posted by jpw at 2025-11-07 01:23 PM
Is it even meant to be a profitable business and not merely a front or money laundering operation?

No, they don't care about "losses" from operations, which are mostly salaries and distributions to insiders.

All Trump's family new crypto-related companies (DJT/Trump Media, ABTC / American Bitcoin, WLFI etc.) are essentially pump-and-dump "crypto treasury companies" (like MSTR / Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy) which buy Bitcoin and other "coins" (including Trump-owned coins, like $WLF etc.) mostly with borrowed or "invested" money by people who expect favors from King Donald while he occupies White House, with some "expectation" that the price of the coins or the stock will go up.

Same thing as Don Jr's PEW / Grab-a-Gun Digital few months ago - converted to "crypto treasury company" immediately upon going public which crashed the price on Day 1, and few days later distributed $20M in available cash - the company's "value" is whatever is in its coins - might as well speculate on price of Bitcoin or other "coins" without overhead.

More companies with no business are doing this, but their price is essentially tied to whatever the price of coins in a portfolio... and recently cryptos, including Bitcoin, were starting to crash, so these "treasury" companies stocks are diving.
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#14 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-29 10:45 AM
It was?
What was the settlement.
Feel free to answer with a wall of text.

As usual, you didn't read the complete answer, so let me highlight it for you:

I am perfectly happy with "walls of text" being ignored by ignoramuses who wish to remain ignorant... and thanks to all those who let me know they are taking "active measures" to "ignore" them.

You and EffetePoser feel free to "drift away" and try to sound clever and waste more of your time on this non-subject. I am not going to waste mine.
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#9 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2025-10-29 08:03 AM
Dude, too much.
Walls of text get ignored...
Just Sayin'.

Dude, the subject of "walls of text" has been beaten to death and addressed and settled long time ago. I am perfectly happy with "walls of text" being ignored by ignoramuses who wish to remain ignorant... and thanks to all those who let me know they are taking "active measures" to "ignore" them. I make them very easy to find, so they can be easily ignored.

It's especially gratifying to hear that my relatively infrequent (and hopefully, informative) "walls of text" are being "ignored" by a low-level Russian matryoshka-doll troll whose job it is to spread disinformation and propaganda daily on US websites.

Just sayin'.

"Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
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#4 | Posted by truthhurts at 2025-10-27 07:17 PM
Election interference

#3 | Posted by bat4255 at 2025-10-27 12:35 PM
I would not be surprised if the dump reneges on the deal.

Actually, the "deal" was that the $20B "currency swap" (plus potentially up to $20B of US government-backed "private financing arrangements") was contingent on electing Milei's party... so Greater Buenos Aires had higher turnout, "incentivized" not to lose the bailout.

"U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that he could rescind $20 billion in financial assistance to his close ally in cash-strapped Argentina if Milei party loses in Sunday's vote."

It really is a temporary bailout, since even after peso's official devaluation of over 50% to 801ARS per USD$1 in December 2023 it's continuing to lose value (it's now down 49% TTM at ~1475ARS to USD$1) despite cash injection from IMF and promised Trumpy "swap+" and the peso is still hugely overvalued; economic growth lagged expectations and inflation is picking up again to above 30% annualized, as Milei's initially promised "dollarization" has not happened... (yet? or because, simply, in Argentina's case it's nearly impossible and would exchange the problem of "exchange rate band" for many others they no longer would be able to control)... so they are effectively still a dual currency economy, which burned up through Argentina's USD reserves.

Ironically, Milei who promised the "end of bailouts" is being bailed out by Trump who promised to "end the bailouts" of deadbeat allies.

Also, Argentina may be getting orangepilled (crypto lingo) despite Milei family's / sister Karina Milei involvement in crypto scandal cooked up by same creators that gave you $MELANIA coin.

Of course, Peronists had candidates with same ol' baggage of Cristina Kirchner (convicted and sentenced to 6 years in prison and lifetime ban from public office for corruption) and same ol' "winning" message of "We'll spend more, you'll feel better... for a while."