Election Open Thread

I only just found your blog yesterday, but I desperately need to hear your thoughts on the current situations..

To put my first post in a bit of perspective, the original post in this Reddit thread lists virtually all the programs affected by Trump’s Executive Order today. I’m on two of those programs; not sure how much most of my family is on some of these.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LeopardsAteMyFace/comments/1ic87kz/heres_a_full_list_of_everything_trump_is_cutting/

The tl;dr is that if this EO is allowed to stand, the Federal Government is effectively gone.

He can’t actually cut any funding on his own. Funding is congress’s responsibility. A federal judge slapped him with a temporary injunction, at least, so those EOs were only active for about 1 day, not enough time to do anything.

In the short run, the real threat is that dealing with his firehose of nonsense might let something slip through, setting something important back for years. In the long run, the main threat is whether congress eventually capitulates and lets him play dictator.

@Snowberry,

The ‘something else’ in the background (or at least one of said things anyway) is Elon Musk – who was neither voted into government by the voters nor vetted in any way shape or form by Congress – now has access to the computer systems and databases run by the US Treasury Department. Evidently he and his loyal goon squad Dodge forced out the Treasury guy telling him ‘no’ over the weekend.

Because who else but ‘the worlds richest man’ should have the final say on where all that money and the personal data connected to those payments goes.

Putin must be in a vodka coma by now with all the celebratory drinking he’s been doing of late.

@Snowberry

Back in the olden days of yahoo email, I got a random one that literally threatened my life. I sent them an email back basically laughing in their faces, and nothing happened. These days, I might be a little more cautious, since technology is so invasive these days and people are easy to d0x, and just report it instead. Not sure if I did at the time, but I think so, since I didn’t want them to try threatening anyone else.

@everyone else

I hope you’re all doing well, or at least surviving, as the Nazis openly take over this fucking country with seemingly no way to stop them. I’m trying to survive this the same way I survived covid: by essentially becoming a hermit and staying inside forever. But I know most people don’t have that option, so I’m hoping the rest of you stay safe out there. A big thank you to those of you still fighting the good fight, because I don’t know if I can anymore.

https://x.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1886529228193022429

I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border.

In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada- U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering. I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million.

Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together.

Lol trudeau bends the knee

I remember when WeHuntedTheMammoth used to like him.

And even if it was legitimate, it doesn’t mean people should just sit back and allow President Musk to rob them blind with the help of his VP Trump.

Well I think my marriage might be over from all of this.

You know what’s worse? Living in a totalitarian regime where you have no other choice but to be ruled by a single person indefinitely. The privilege is through the roof.

Potato? You’d better be saying that in self-aware sarcasm; I don’t know you well enough to afford you the benefit of the doubt.

@Ooglyboggles:
That’s not really Trudeau bending the knee, though… aside from the idea of a ‘fentanyl czar’, the rest of it is all stuff that Canada had offered to do back in December. It’s nothing new.

Also left out of that particular Tweet is the way the federal and provincial governments here had already been threatening targeted retaliatory sanctions, focusing entirely on the states that had voted for Trump. This went all the way down to things like provincial liquor sales boards refusing to stock Kentucky Bourbon.

That Tweet was just the carrot half of the classic carrot-and-stick approach. Threaten something that would make Trump rather less popular in his key support states, while at the same time allowing him an ‘out’ that at least lets him ‘claim victory’ even though he doesn’t get anything more than he would have had he agreed to it over a month ago.

There’s an old adage that “diplomacy is the art of saying ‘nice doggy’ while looking for a bigger stick”.

(And frankly, an actual trade war would have badly damaged the North American auto industry. The biggest auto parts supplier, Magna International, is a Canadian company. The ‘Auto Pact’ was signed almost sixty years ago, and variations on it have been implemented in all later trade agreements. The auto manufacturers love it because cars and parts flowing back and forth across the border tariff-free makes it easier for them to do focused and specialized assembly lines wherever they want and then ship the cars to where they’re needed afterwards. Breaking that would have set the auto industry back years while it re-organized. And that’s on top of the fact that, as Trump’s people are also dumping things like environmental requirements, it would guarantee that nobody anywhere in the world would be buying American-made cars because they wouldn’t meet anybody else’s rules.)

A PSA from Hopalong Ginsburg:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b-GJQi1Ayk

If he’ll drive you to the criming, he’s a Fed
If he’ll drive you to the criming, he’s a Fed
If you don’t know much about him
And you can’t get there without him
If he’ll drive you to the criming, he’s a Fed

If his friend has got the weapons, he’s a Fed
If his friend has got the weapons, he’s a Fed
If you’re running off your mouth
And his buddy lives down south
If his friend has got the weapons, he’s a Fed

If he’s got a stupid haircut, he’s a Fed 
If he’s got a stupid haircut, he’s a Fed 
If his haircut’s tight and high
Looks better in a suit and tie
If he’s got a stupid haircut, he’s a Fed

If he says you don’t need OPSEC, he’s a Fed 
If he says you don’t need OPSEC, he’s a Fed 
If he wants you to repeat it
Where the chat room won’t delete it
If he says you don’t need OPSEC, he’s a Fed

If he’s always pushing violence, he’s a Fed
If he’s always pushing violence, he’s a Fed
If he wants you to start killing
Cause his bosses need a villain
If he’s always pushing violence, he’s a Fed

If he says his plan is foolproof, he’s a Fed 
If he says his plan is foolproof, he’s a Fed 
If his plan is his design
And he’s sharing it online
If he says his plan is foolproof, he’s a Fed

If he’ll sell you auto switches, he’s a Fed 
If he’ll sell you auto switches, he’s a Fed 
If he links you to a site
And he tells you it’s all right
If he’ll sell you auto switches, he’s a Fed

If he’s wearing high-end khakis, he’s a Fed
If he’s wearing high-end khakis, he’s a Fed
Polo shirt and Ray-Ban shades
Protest sign is not homemade
If he’s wearing high-end khakis, he’s a Fed

He told me that Elon doing the Nazi salute was because he’s autistic and now I’m just like…. Who are you and who the fuck do you think you’re talking to.