xylophone

As soon as I saw the reference to "Deep State" I moved away from this post, because although it seems to be a favourite of some folk, it really is a conspiracy theory which is often floated by those who don't know what they're talking about, but need to pin the blame on "XYZ" and once you see it is a favoured quote of Steve Bannon and Breitbart News, then you know you are well and truly down the rabbit hole and in cloud cuckoo land.

That explains a lot!!

Well you've already proven yourself to be a liar by virtue of your post regarding Trump's last speech and the lies he told, saying that all of the fact checkers findings were false, when you must know that they weren't......easily proven by researching the facts (anathema to you trumpies, I know) but try to open your mind just a little. That you are prepared to believe the lies and also recycle them, despite facts to the contrary, in turn labels you as a liar. You therefore go onto my list of undesirables, and furthermore your avatar name is exactly how I feel when I read your posts and also when I listen to trump rattling off his lies. Sorted.

There's none so blind as those who will not see.....you find them unreliable and untrustworthy because that suits your narrative/bias. However if you did a bit of research you would find out the truth, but you don't want to know the truth, because the truth hurts, even more so if you are a MAGA trumpie!

Look at any of the "Fact Checker" websites and they will all mirror the lies/untruths/misleading information that I highlighted in my post and if you think they are all "false" then you need to take a good look at yourself because "there's none so blind as those who will not see" (as the saying goes). Live in your alternate universe if that's what you want, but if you do, expect others to laugh at you......you poor soul.

To support that, one only has to look at the lies/falsehoods and inaccuracies in trumps last long and rambling speech.....absolutely unbelievable and for sure the MAGA/trumpies will lap up the speech and the lies, becauset hey are either naive, simple, gullible or desperate........ Fact check: Are millions of people older than 100 — including some older than 160 — collecting Social Security? Trump said: “We’re also identifying shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud in the Social Security program for our seniors.” This is false. Fact check: Trump says car plants are "opening up all over the place" This is mostly false. No automaker has announced a new plant since Trump took office and began instituting new tariffs. Reuters reported that Honda planned to produce 210,000 Civics in Indiana instead of Mexico, but the company hasn’t made a public announcement. Fact check: Trump claims illegal immigration "destroyed" Aurora, Colo., and Springfield, Ohio This is false. Springfield and Aurora have long been some of Trump’s favorite targets when it comes to examples of American cities he likes to nod to as being overrun by migrants, though he often misrepresents the situations there. Fact check: Is Canada, along with Mexico, to blame for the fentanyl crisis? Trump said of Canada and Mexico: “They’ve allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before, killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens and many very young, beautiful people, destroying families. Nobody has ever seen anything like it.” This is partly false. While fentanyl comes across the border from Mexico in significant numbers, Canada is hardly to blame for the crisis. In the 2024 fiscal year, fentanyl seizures at the northern border were just 43 pounds, according to Customs and Border Protection data. Health Fact check: Trump says more children are being diagnosed with autism Trump said: “As an example, not long ago, and you can’t even believe these numbers, 1 in 10,000 children had autism. One in 10,000, and now it’s 1 in 36. There’s something wrong. One in 36, think of that, so we’re going to find out what it is.” This needs context. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pointed to vaccines to explain the substantial rise in autism diagnoses in recent decades, which have ballooned from an estimated 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today. But the science is clear that vaccines don’t cause autism. International Fact check: Trump claims U.S. is spending much more on Ukraine than Europe Trump said: “Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine by far. Think of that. They’ve spent more buying Russian oil and gas than they have defending. And we’ve spent perhaps $350 billion, and they’ve spent $100 billion. And we have an ocean separating us, and they don’t. And Biden has authorized more money in this fight than Europe has spent.” This is mostly false. From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to last December, the United States had allocated $114.2 billion in aid to Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute, which is tracking aid to Ukraine. That’s not more than Europe spent: Those nations allocated more than $132.3 billion, with plans to allocate more. Polling Fact check: Is the share of Americans who think the country is on "right" track at a record high? Trump said: “For the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction.” This is false. While he doesn’t cite his source, it seems likely he’s pointing to a recent Rasmussen Reports poll showing that 47% say America’s on the “right track.” Rasmussen is a right-wing poll that regularly partners with conservative authors and outlets to sponsor its polling. And it’s controversial — the polling aggregation site FiveThirtyEight removed the poll from its averages last year over concerns about its partisanship and its methodology. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-checking-trumps-speech-congress-rcna194819

A great post which mirrors my thoughts and the thoughts of others I know......you have got this post "spot on" as the saying goes. Well thought through and laid out.....my compliments to you sir.

Who has given the most aid to Ukraine? European countries have provided €132 billion in aid (military, financial and humanitarian) as of December 2024, and the United States has provided €114 billion. Most of the US funding supports American industries who produce weapons and military equipment.

I wish you all the best in your recovery.

I believe he was angling for some security guarantees from the USA in relation to a ceasefire or an agreement with Russia, however Zelinski was trying to point out to Vance that without these any agreement with Russia would be pointless judging by what Russia did in relation to Crimea, but the clown and his assistant jumped on the bandwagon and basically ambushed the poor guy. It was a disgusting display by a couple of mindless bullies.

There is the proverbial "elephant in the room" which the MAGA Trumpies conveniently overlook because the United States essentially promised Ukraine eternal protection in exchange for giving up the nuclear weapons left over from the collapse of the Soviet Union. I have posted the link to the promise that Marco Rubio made to Ukraine about protecting them and offering them safety. Who would have thought that the US would renege on the promise they made to Ukraine. IMO in doing this, they have proven that they are a bunch of scumbags. Furthermore when Zelinsky tried to explain to Vance that it was useless trying to sign agreements with Russia, because previous agreements had not been adhered to and Russia had invaded Ukraine, he was basically "slapped down" by the orange clown and his assistant.

I posted a bar chart which shows that Europe spends more on defence than does the US.

What price the integrity of the US now after promising to protect Ukraine....give up your nuclear weapons/arsenal and we will protect you. What a load of....

Granted, simplistic my post may have been, however I then posted facts to back up my original post. And yes Ukraine did help the US after 9/11, but not to the tune of 200 billion and the US has not helped Ukraine to the tune of 200 billion, in fact Europe has assisted Ukraine to the tune of $266 billion, whilst the US figure is around $128 billion, although figures do vary. Ukraine: The Verkhovna Rada (parliament) declared solidarity with the United States, and offered moral, technical and military support to the extent of their infrastructure. Parliament passed three resolutions all in favor of assisting the United States following the attacks. Congressman Bob Schaffer expressed his gratitude towards Ukraine and its stance on terrorism, saying "Ukraine's condemnation of international terrorism, its much-appreciated support in the war on terrorism, its tough newly enacted laws to combat terrorism, and its commitment to fight at the side of the United States and its allies for civil society and democracy demonstrates the role Ukraine and her people intend to play in the emerging democracy. In events such as these the wealthiest countries are obviously expected to be the major providers of financial assistance, and there is one overarching consideration, by virtue of the speech which Marco Rubio gave when urging Ukraine to give up their nuclear arsenal in return for "protection" and I provided the link a few posts ago but I will do it again for you shortly, so the US has a moral obligation to defend Ukraine as promised by the Marco Rubio speech.....in effect the US gave its word to Ukraine. What is the value of the promise from the US now? Worthless??

I can't quite believe what you have written, because it shows a huge amount of naïveté, something befitting of a juvenile or someone with a lack of grey matter. The actions that were taken by countries around the world cost money and although it may not have been given to the USA directly, it was given to them indirectly in the form of aid and support, because to put these actions in place, surely does cost money...... Terrorist Finances. The world financial community is moving to starve the terrorists of their financial support. 196 countries support the financial war on terror; 142 countries have acted to freeze terrorist assets; in the U.S. alone, the assets of 153 known terrorists, terrorist organizations, and terrorist financial centers have been frozen; and major terrorist financial networks have been closed down. The military action in Afghanistan represents a global coalition effort. In addition to the United States, military assets are being deployed from many other nations, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Russia and Turkey. https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/wh/6947.htm#:~:text=NATO%2C OAS and ANZUS (Australia,the defense of American territory.

This from the archives of the US Dept of State should be enough to be getting on with............ Since September 11, President Bush has met with leaders from at least 51 different countries to help build support for the war against terrorism. -136 countries have offered a range of military assistance. -The U.S. has received 46 multilateral declarations of support from organizations. -The U.N. General Assembly and Security Council condemned the attacks on September 12. -NATO, OAS and ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.) quickly invoked their treaty obligations to support the United States. Our NATO allies are assisting directly in the defense of American territory. -142 countries have issued orders freezing the assets of suspected terrorists and organizations. -89 countries have granted over-flight authority for U.S. military aircraft. -76 countries have granted landing rights for U.S. military aircraft. -23 countries have agreed to host U.S. forces involved in offensive operations https://20012009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/wh/6947.htm#:~:text=NATO%2C%20OAS%20and%20ANZUS%20(Australia,the%20defense%20of%

Marco Rubio is exactly what you thought he was. Here, in a decade old clip, he gives an accurate history lesson - Ukraine gave up its post Soviet supply of nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances from the US, UK and Russia. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/21/1082124528/... Now Rubio is presiding Secretary of State as Ukraine is betrayed, first by Russia, and now by the Trump administration in an historically shameful display. ttps://youtu.be/FyJY_dq8_SM?feature=sharedh Disgusting. America and those who voted for trump should hang their heads in shame.

This is worth remembering, trump, vance & co.........

Furthermore he is recommending cod liver oil as a remedy for measles.......what an idiot. Seems that between them, the worm and the heroin have done a job on what small amount of grey matter he has left

And more nonsense and lies from the GOP Nazi heading up DOGE........he really has caught on to the trump style of lying!! Struggling-with-errors-doge-deletes-billions-more-from-list-of-savings. Among the largest claims that disappeared: A US$1.9 billion saving that the group said it had achieved by cancelling an Internal Revenue Service contract for tech help. Before Sunday night, this had been the biggest single saving on the site. But the New York Times reported that the contract was actually cancelled in November, while Joe Biden was President. A US$149m saving attributed to cancelling a contract to provide three administrative assistants at the Department of Health and Human Services. The entry on the site last week contained numerous errors, including a link to a different contract, with a different company, that did not involve administrative assistants or US$149m. On Sunday, after the Times mentioned this garbled entry, it disappeared. A US$133m saving that the group said had come from cancelling a US Agency for International Development contract for work in Libya. The contractor, Chemonics International, posted last year on LinkedIn that its work on that contract had already ended. Even after the changes to the group’s website, however, some errors remained. As of Monday morning, the list still included claims that Doge achieved US$106m in savings by cancelling a pair of contracts that the Coast Guard signed for administrative help. That was wrong. Federal procurement data shows that these contracts were actually completed in 2005 and 2006, when George W. Bush was President. A clown show run by the clowns-in-chief! The fat one has his orange make-up on and the other one is making up and lying about the non-existent "savings. Such nonsense. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/struggling-with-errors-doge-deletes-billions-more-from-list-of-savings/KTEQVKEFINF3JMX7TELK3SVG4I

This is Joe Biden's legacy........ "Compare the US with other big Western economies. At the end of 2024, America’s economy was 12.1% bigger than it was at the end of 2019, on the eve of the pandemic. Over the same period Canada grew 7.7%, France 4% and the UK 3.2%. Germany shrank 0.1%. That does not look like a country which is being ripped off. In fact, largely under Joe Biden, America thrived".

Now for some reality after the following nonsense uttered by trump........ “We’ve been helping everybody for years and to be honest I don’t think they appreciate it. So we are going to change that. We are going to change it fast. We are going to make America great again. We have to focus on our country.” It is hard to see much obvious impact of this claimed unfairness. America’s economy has boomed in recent years. Compare the US with other big Western economies. At the end of 2024, America’s economy was 12.1% bigger than it was at the end of 2019, on the eve of the pandemic. Over the same period Canada grew 7.7%, France 4% and the UK 3.2%. Germany shrank 0.1%. That does not look like a country which is being ripped off. In fact, largely under Joe Biden, America thrived. More nonsense and lies from the grifter in chief.

This certainly applies to trump and his MAGA goobers....... If you lie enough, you believe your own lies. Franz Suchomel

Good post and this letter from Lech Walesa sums up the White House debacle by trump and vance and look carefully at the last paragraph........ Former President of Poland Lech Walesa wrote the following letter to Trump. Your Excellency, Mr. President, We watched the report of your conversation with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, with fear and distaste. We find it insulting that you expect Ukraine to show respect and gratitude for the material assistance provided by the United States in its fight against Russia. Gratitude is owed to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed their blood in defense of the values of the free world. They have been dying on the front lines for more than 11 years in the name of these values and the independence of their homeland, which was attacked by Putin’s Russia. We do not understand how the leader of a country that symbolizes the free world cannot recognize this. Our alarm was also heightened by the atmosphere in the Oval Office during this conversation, which reminded us of the interrogations we endured at the hands of the Security Services and the debates in Communist courts. Prosecutors and judges, acting on behalf of the all-powerful communist political police, would explain to us that they held all the power while we held none. They demanded that we cease our activities, arguing that thousands of innocent people suffered because of us. They stripped us of our freedoms and civil rights because we refused to cooperate with the government or express gratitude for our oppression. We are shocked that President Volodymyr Zelensky was treated in the same manner. The history of the 20th century shows that whenever the United States sought to distance itself from democratic values and its European allies, it ultimately became a threat to itself. President Woodrow Wilson understood this when he decided in 1917 that the United States must join World War I. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood this when, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he resolved that the war to defend America must be fought not only in the Pacific but also in Europe, in alliance with the nations under attack by the Third Reich. We remember that without President Ronald Reagan and America’s financial commitment, the collapse of the Soviet empire would not have been possible. President Reagan recognized that millions of enslaved people suffered in Soviet Russia and the countries it had subjugated, including thousands of political prisoners who paid for their defense of democratic values with their freedom. His greatness lay, among other things, in his unwavering decision to call the USSR an “Empire of Evil” and to fight it decisively. We won, and today, the statue of President Ronald Reagan stands in Warsaw, facing the U.S. Embassy. Mr. President, material aid—military and financial—can never be equated with the blood shed in the name of Ukraine’s independence and the freedom of Europe and the entire free world. Human life is priceless; its value cannot be measured in money. Gratitude is due to those who sacrifice their blood and their freedom. This is self-evident to us, the people of Solidarity, former political prisoners of the communist regime under Soviet Russia. We call on the United States to uphold the guarantees made alongside Great Britain in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which established a direct obligation to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity in exchange for its relinquishment of nuclear weapons. These guarantees are unconditional—there is no mention of treating such assistance as an economic transaction. Signed, Lech Wałęsa, former political prisoner, President of Poland

You have to understand the type of people with whom you are dealing on these threads Trans because they are part of the MAGA/Trump alternate universe and the proof is here: – – They believe the election was stolen and their cohorts pursued this through the courts and lost and Fox News agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million and acknowledged the court's earlier ruling that Fox had broadcast false statements about Dominion. But the Trump goobers still believe the election was stolen – – if you can believe it. – They also believe that the J6 storming of the capital building was merely a "peaceful demonstration" despite the footage showing otherwise. – They supported Trump when he floated the "Obama birther lie", in effect ensuring that not only did Trump lie, so did they. – Many on this thread and similar others have repeated the false accusation that the US gave Ukraine $300 billion, and that is certainly not the case, proven by reputable statistics. – They support the man who has managed to bankrupt casinos and top-class hotels. – They believe Trump wrote a book called "The Art of the Deal" when in fact he didn't write even one paragraph of it (probably because he's not that well educated). – They support the man who started "Trump University", which turned out to be a huge scam, perpetrated by the ultimate grifter. Yet they won't acknowledge this. – They support him still, although he did say that he was going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it, and it didn't happen. In fact the American taxpayer paid for what little of it was built. – And they bought into the "bone spurs" lie amongst many other lies that this orange clown has uttered. Not enough time or room to be able to list all of the lies and dark deeds that the man wearing orange make up and hair spray has perpetrated – –hmmm, do you think he could be a closet queen? So to get back to my initial point, there is nothing to be gained in arguing with fools who have been taken in by the ultimate grifter, because in the end they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!