2 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

Did you not understand the purpose of the thread? Presumably from the avatar you are allowed to vote also.

As I was the 1st to respond, not having several current replies, I didn't want to be rude so I tried. PEACE

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/foot-mouth-disease-outbreak-central-europe-leads-animal-120740832

You can read the whole story here^^ - When I 1st saw this headline scroll across the bottom of the morning news, I laughed thinking it was going to be a hit piece about European Leaders. (I grew up calling it Hoof-And Mouth on our ranch)

After rereading the headline AFTER my 1 cupa jo I started thinking about all the stories in the news and had a chilling thought. The tariff standoff between XI and President Trump includes Beef. China has been upping it's imports of beef from the us year after year at a steady pace until a 997.67% increase in 2021. As of 2024 they they are the #3 importer of US beef.

Wonder if China started the FAM in Europe so they would buy US beef and sell it to China trying to circumvent tariffs.

What do you guys think?

20 hours ago, Social Media said:

At a recent meeting in Moscow, senior Russian MP Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma’s defence committee, declared that Satanism, much like the “international LGBT movement” previously outlawed by the Kremlin, represents a form of Western aggression aimed at undermining Russian sovereignty.

I knew there was a hidden agenda.

Take them out now! They make Putin look like a schoolyard bully. 🤠

2 hours ago, placeholder said:

Why is it that the most advanced industries in America are mostly clustered around cities where major research is engaged in by universities?

Because those were the first 13 colonies?

13 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

I would be embarrassed if I was American.
Voted for him once, ok a mistake, but twice is just stupidity.

And which, pray tell, magical kingdom do you live in with peace and harmony? Glasshouses and all...

LINE is free 100% of the time. Audio, VDO, Group Chat and texts. Only thing on your list it doesn't do (correct me if I'm wrong) is landline. Do people really still have those?

There's also Microsoft Teams.

Someone else will have to help with LL.

On 4/8/2025 at 2:46 AM, CharlieH said:

• EU Pushback: Brussels disputes the $350bn figure and prepares 25% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel/aluminum, set for a Wednesday vote.

 

Why It Matters:
The collapse of negotiations risks escalating the transatlantic trade war, with EU officials warning of “extremely aggressive” countermeasures if talks fail. Trump’s focus on energy exports—a sector Europe has historically resisted—reflects a hardline strategy to rebalance trade through unilateral demands.

Didn't know Brussels was an independent country.

"This is our offer, take it or else" is not going to get the EU very far at the table. When they stop strutting around, puffing out their chests and slapping each other on the back they'll realize that nobody cared what they threatened.

Might be time to change his walkout song to "Another One Bites The Dust". 

I'm happy to see the insanity getting a slap-down. Even Schumer stated; "If we allow the government shutdown we'll lose the only thing we've got left to fight him, the courts" (from memory-his "Why I caved" speech after the CF vote humiliation)

On 4/7/2025 at 7:49 PM, JonnyF said:

Lots of mights, mays, potentiallys and coulds in that article.

 

Interesting that a 54% import tariff "could" increase the price by 218%. 😄

 

I picked up my 16 Pro Max a couple of weeks ago. Good phones. I predict they will sell well.  

American carriers are giving them away for free for switching providers.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=companies+with+a+free+iphone16+deal

It also begs the question of content posting. Why mostly speculation of doomsday and hit pieces based on opinion writing?

Why not post both sides of each? Just thinking out loud.

4 hours ago, Mark Nothing said:

Conveniently Trump appointed Mark Uyeda, the chairman of the securities and exchange commission, the agency responsible for overseeing market manipulation and insider trading to his post in January 2025.  An "investigation" will be unlikely.  One of the benefits of appointing a buddy who knows how to play ball.  No point in wasting valuable government resources on a nonevent.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Which Countries Are Retaliating and Which Are Negotiating Trump's Tariffs?

https://www.investopedia.com/which-countries-are-retaliating-and-which-are-negotiating-trump-s-tariffs-update-11711796

Add "Shifty Schiff" in the mix and you get wash, rinse, repeat.
COLLUSION:
IG Report Confirms Schiff FISA Memo Media Praised Was Riddled With Lies Nearly two years later, the inspector general's report vindicates the Nunes memo while showing that the Schiff memo was riddled with lies and false statements.

https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110281/documents/HHRG-116-JU00-20191204-SD1284.pdf

On 4/6/2025 at 7:03 PM, Social Media said:

A coroner ruled that social media posts after his arrest directly contributed to his death.

I find this bit interesting given the coroner being the one to interpret 'how he felt' and 'what he was thinking' WHEN he died. I'm no medical expert here but I'm pretty sure he was neither "Feeling" nor "Thinking" by the time they met. Now, IF he had also performed an autopsy on his social media posts, platforms, groups followed....

On Topic: They do this in the US but it's cops running it. 🤠

On 4/6/2025 at 8:28 PM, Digitalbanana said:

One of democracies failings is when 51% of the electorate are idiots trapped inside their own social media echo chambers.

True that. Thank God the last election cycle trimmed that down to around 40% and falling. 2026 should clear out another 15-30% of what's left. (pun intended) 😁

On Topic: The stock market is already coming back AND over 70 countries are all lined up to beg forgiveness and work with the US. The senate has already passed the President Trump's budget and congress is filling in the rest. This WILL be finished and passed before Oct. 2025. For those of you that do NOT see these, watch here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/past-events/press-secretary-karoline-leavitt-briefs-members-of-the-media-apr-8-2025/

I saw Armageddon also, but, it was meteors raining down from the skies and Billy Bob Thorton was prepping Bruce Willis to fly up and drill a bomb hole in the mother asteroid to save the world. It was "The Core" where Europe got wiped out and the oceans boiled.

On 4/3/2025 at 10:55 PM, RSD1 said:

How much of the following is already in play now, and where?
 

ChatGPT's answer:

 

That’s a heavy but thought-provoking question. If we’re exploring this as a theoretical or fictional scenario, maybe as a plot for a story or a political thought experiment, then it would make sense to look at it through the lens of plausible actions that could systematically weaken or destabilize a powerful nation from the top down. Here are some steps such a leader might take:

 

1. Undermine Institutions

Attack the credibility of key institutions like the judiciary, free press, intelligence agencies, and electoral systems. Cast doubt on their integrity to erode public trust.

2. Polarize the Population

Stoke division along racial, religious, economic, or ideological lines. Encourage tribalism and turn groups against each other to create internal chaos and distrust.

3. Corrupt the Rule of Law

Appoint loyalists instead of qualified professionals, weaken checks and balances, pardon allies indiscriminately, and ignore legal norms.

4. Suppress Dissent

Use state power to silence critics, intimidate journalists, and limit free expression. Target whistleblowers and protestors under the guise of national security or public order.

5. Destroy Alliances

Withdraw from international treaties, insult allies, and cozy up to adversaries. Undermine global credibility and weaken strategic partnerships.

6. Tank the Economy

Implement reckless fiscal or trade policies, stir up investor fear, ignore inflation or debt, and mismanage crises to trigger recessions or long-term decline.

7. Exploit National Emergencies

Use crises like pandemics, wars, or economic collapses to seize more power, suspend civil liberties, and push through unpopular or extreme policies.

8. Weaken the Military

Undermine the chain of command, politicize the military, purge experienced leaders, or engage in reckless conflicts that sap strength and morale.

9. Manipulate Elections

Interfere with voting systems, suppress voter turnout, question results, or delay elections to create uncertainty or justify emergency rule.

10. Encourage Conspiracy and Disinformation

Flood public discourse with false narratives to confuse people, distort reality, and make truth seem subjective or unknowable.

 

---

 

Grok's answer:

 

A president intent on destroying their own superpower would likely focus on undermining its core strengths—economic stability, military power, social cohesion, and global influence. Here’s a hypothetical breakdown of steps they might take:

 

1. Economic Sabotage: Push policies that tank the economy—massive, unsustainable debt through reckless spending or tax cuts with no plan to balance it, devalue the currency by meddling with central bank independence, or impose crippling trade barriers that alienate allies and disrupt supply chains. Encourage corruption to drain public funds and erode trust in institutions.

2. Military Weakening: Slash defense budgets without strategy, abandon key alliances like NATO, or pull troops from critical global hotspots, leaving a vacuum for rivals to exploit. Neglect infrastructure like naval fleets or cyber defenses, and leak sensitive intel to adversaries under the guise of “transparency.”

3. Social Division: Amplify cultural rifts by picking fights over divisive issues, weaponizing media to pit groups against each other—race, class, religion, whatever works. Undermine education with propaganda or defunding, ensuring a less capable future workforce. Ignore or exacerbate public health crises to sow chaos.

4. Institutional Erosion: Appoint loyalists over competence to key positions—judges, generals, agency heads—turning government into a personal fiefdom. Attack the rule of law by pardoning cronies, ignoring court rulings, or rigging elections. Dismantle checks and balances by bullying Congress or the press into submission.

5. Global Isolation: Pick pointless fights with allies, cozy up to hostile powers, and ditch international agreements—trade, climate, security—leaving the country friendless and exposed. Project weakness by botching responses to crises, inviting opportunists to test borders or influence.

6. Infrastructure Collapse: Let roads, bridges, power grids, and tech networks rot through neglect or outright sabotage. Block disaster relief or recovery efforts, turning natural setbacks into permanent scars.

 

The result? A superpower gutted from within—broke, divided, defenseless, and irrelevant. Historically, no leader’s pulled this off single-handedly; it’d take a mix of intent, incompetence, and a complicit or apathetic system. Look at cases like Venezuela under Maduro—hyperinflation, exodus, and isolation—or Rome’s later emperors fiddling while barbarians closed in. Self-destruction’s a slow burn, not a switch flip.

 

 

 

Try asking Grok this question: Where do you see America in 4 years? This the answer I got from Chatgpt:

On 4/3/2025 at 11:03 PM, Presnock said:

BTW, why didn't his tariff chart have Russia on it?

Here’s The Full List Of Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs Announced Wednesday

"Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Fox News Wednesday Russia wasn’t on the list because sanctions already imposed on the country prevent most U.S.-Russia trade so higher tariffs weren’t necessary."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/04/02/heres-the-full-list-of-trumps-reciprocal-tariffs-announced-wednesday/

Google is your friend.

7 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Biden did not give Iran billions of dollars.

Biden Allows Iran to Access Another $10 Billion Amid Gaza War

On 4/4/2025 at 3:20 AM, Purdey said:

White males seem to dominate the IT industry globally. However, Thailand has the highest proportion of female CEOs in the world, with 30% of companies employing female CEOs. Thats not DEI, that's because they are good.

In bed?

4 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

the value of US dollar has remained relatively stable, with a 0.720% increase compared to its value 7 days ago.

3 hours ago, CallumWK said:

 

You do understand that means the dollar has weakened since yesterday?

I haven't seen 34.4 to 1 in awhile.

On 4/3/2025 at 7:08 PM, Social Media said:

If he gets it wrong, the economic consequences could be far more chaotic than anything his rhetoric has suggested so far.

Not even a hint of positivity.

On 4/4/2025 at 12:55 AM, BLMFem said:

Trump’s Tariffs Were Supposed to Boost the Dollar. Why the Opposite Happened.

BS as usual:

The exchange rate for US dollar to Thai bahts is currently 34.123 today, reflecting a -0.828% change since yesterday. Over the past week, the value of US dollar has remained relatively stable, with a 0.720% increase compared to its value 7 days ago.

2 hours ago, BexMan said:

I would not want to be living in the US if they went nuclear against China. It would surely lead to mutual destruction with Chinas access to 600+ nuclear warheads. Fortunately These Heads of state recognise this and are extremely unlikely to use them, especially in the defence of another Country.

I agree about the nukes. I was referencing them metaphorically. We have stuff that can do the same now w/o atomic use.

My 1st targets would be their 'ironworks', dry dock, shipyard and sink all 3 of their carriers. Then activate the Halo system in S.Korea, Japan and Taiwan (after adding 3 more each in secret).

On 4/4/2025 at 3:18 AM, thongplay said:

Nothing. like those in USA. (Except for Tesla). Never will be. Americans want a higher standard of living without earning it.

A little more insight and a little less oversight.

Top 10 US Manufacturing Companies Leading the Automation Revolution

https://sciotex.com/top-10-us-manufacturing-companies-leading-the-automation-revolution/