Europe really needs to beef up its defense industries and whatnot. America's unreliability is becoming an existential threat and it's clear that Trump and Co will be extremely opportunistic and quick to align with Russia.

Reagan removing the fairness doctrine and Murdoch setting up Fox News rank among the biggest blows in democracy and prosperity IMO.

I acknowledge that many left and center-left news organizations will also push agendas, tell partial truths, etc. (Fairness doctrine would help reign them in as well).

edit: Fairness doctrine didn't cover cable only radio. That'd still help cut down some misinformation but in an ideal world IMO it'd apply to most forms of media.

I still can't believe he nuked the Twitter brand. It was like the most valuable part of the platform. X is such a dumb, generic nothing name.

What an f'ing disgrace. She went to an American government office to apply legally for a visa. The absolute worst consequence should have been "we're sorry, we can't process your Visa and you'll need to return to your home country."

That's it.

This is a minor point compared to her suffering, but also, what an f'ing waste of taxpayer money. Some private facilities got good money I'm sure to lock this innocent lady up.

To be honest, this is just a signal that she probably wouldn't have been a good leader. Better than Trump, sure, but that bar is so low it's a tripping hazard.

She should have told Biden to pound sand after locking up the nomination.

But we should verify the claim before passing judgement.

From CNN:

" The move to detain the mayor of Turkey’s largest city, a key political battleground, comes after Istanbul University said on Tuesday it had annulled Imamoglu’s degree over irregularities, dealing a blow to the opposition and dashing the mayor’s presidential ambitions.

Without a university degree, Imamoglu of the main opposition CHP, would be disqualified from running for president.

Imamoglu said the university’s decision was illegal and outside its jurisdiction, and that he would launch a legal challenge “The decision of the Istanbul University Board of Directors is UNLAWFUL” he said. “The days when those who made this decision will be held accountable before history and justice are near.”

---- Yeah Erdogan isn't even pretending any more. Clearly just a move to take out the opposition.

I want to tell myself that there's no way in hell they would let this happen, let alone make it happen.

Then I remember it's the DNC.

Top "generals," plural I believe.

edit 1: just remembered different services use different ranks, the other confirmed fire was an admiral.

edit 2: Another general was indeed fired: Gen. James Slife

And they're likely getting replaced with diehard loyalists. The Joint Chiefs is already going to a MAGA if I heard correctly.

Quoting Lenin: "There are decades where nothing happens and there are weeks where decades happen."

And it's starting to feel like there are days when centuries happen.

If Trump genuinely, fully wants to drive the United States into authoritarianism, forcefully installing diehard loyalists in the military is one of the most crucial early steps.

I rarely lean into conspiracy theories and we're living in insanely complex times but this move has me genuinely worried. Hopefully, my fears turn out to be a figment of imagination.

If the flight wasn't full and they didn't allow them to move seats that's extremely messed up.

I genuinely didn't think it was satire when I saw the headline. Trump coming out and saying something like that is literally just par for course.

so it's not /s

And I am being serious here, it's actually bolded on the webpage.

I want to laugh. I want to cry. JFC. The world has gone insane.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/yes-biden-spent-millions-on-transgender-animal-experiments/

for now, I plan to dig deepering into the actual claim, but the wording of the press release is... something...

Economic desperation and lack of education. Think back to how dumb humans were just like 400 years ago, which is what 20 generations or something? Essentially no grasp of diseases in the modern sense. We are biologically 99.9999% or whatever the same as them.

Ebola spread during that ~2015 outbreak in large part because local customs meant washing the dead and otherwise being in close physical contact. Sadly, people simply didn't know better.

There's a list of experiments. They mostly sound pretty standard, looking at the effects of various (hormone, etc.) medications on things like breast cancer, reproduction, etc. Tons and tons of medical experiments covering all sorts of different things are carried out each year. And they're a big part of why the USA has long been a leader in drug and medical research.

Edit: The full press release:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/yes-biden-spent-millions-on-transgender-animal-experiments/

Can't wait until the summer rolls around and the fascists start arresting kids for setting up lemonade stands and whatnot.

It's also just so weak.

Not that macho'ism should be a major point or even desirable trait for a world leader IMO, but so many people like Trump because he's allegedly strong. Yet when I watch the above clip I just keep thinking "he's so weak and soft and overly sensitive to essentially everything." Like how can you want a tough leader, then watch that exchange and think "Trump is tough." What?

A robust Europe that could be more assertive on the world stage is good for the world in the long run. I say that as an American. Best of luck to the Germans, EU as a whole, the UK, and everyone else in the region.

We all know Vance was fondling that sofa when attention was turned elsewhere.

Trump sucks, I hope Ukraine wins,and I hope Putin is judged by history for his aggression and the general incompetence of his government.

But very few Russian embassies were ever closed, and rightly so. Some were downsized and suspected spies were given the boot. If Europe wants to do that with Americans, yeah smart.

Outright closing embassies would be a massive misstep, completely (edit: unwarranted, I mean) warranted, and miss the entire point of diplomacy.

Deep red states have long relied on wealthier, mostly blue states for hand outs. Without that flow of money many of those states would sink into underdeveloped status.

Edit: and if red states want to take a chainsaw to their own legs by turning off the money tap themselves, well have fun with that.

The fact that we are entering a time when a coup in the USA is a legitimate threat is so utterly terrifying.

From at least Reagan to now diehard conservatives have laid the foundation for all of this over the course of decades and Mitch McConnell and many of the other conservatives now in dismay at this shift absolutely played a crucial role in making it all possible.

I've always wondered what people in Germany felt in the 1930s. Well, now I know. I'm not saying Trump/Republicans are literal nazis and authoritarianism is inevitable but the utter chaos unfolding is reminiscent.