Base32

Some might say this is a standard Trump ploy, outlined in his upcoming sequel to the Art of the Deal, to How I Really Got the Deal, avaialble from all good book shops, but not Amazon, $24.99. Patriots can get their own signed copy for a mere $500 extra, while stocks last. Sarcasm aside, its hardly been hard fought shuttle diplomacy, has it?

So no love for Northern Ireland then? Or do you want them gone.

Well, he had the job before for 4 years, got fired, rehired. I've never known an employer provide a 3 year probationary period. Typically its 3 to 6 months. In the real world, he'll be having his mid-probation review, and conversations would be made about whether its best for him to move on. This is kind of where the 100 day approval rating polls came from' its a snap judgement by the electorate about how well a politician is doing. In a constitutional sense, his first actual review will be in the mid-terms. next year, which everyone will know won't actually be a bunch of local elections fought exclusively on local issues, but an actual poll of his performance to date. Its not looking good for him: https://news.gallup.com/poll/659534/trump-first-quarter-approval-rating-below-average.aspx Though neither is it looking great for the Democrats either. But ratings of individual members of the "opposition" is probab irrelevant. America doesn't really have a leader of the opposition. In 2013, no one was speculating about the popularity of the eventual winner of the 2016 election, because he didn't declare he was evenrunning until 2015. It might be that the Steve Bannon strategy is effectively nullifying effective opposition. Or maybe its just chaotic because the government doesn't know what it's doing.

The thing is, the German government during WW2 tried to make sure their graduates all came out to be good Nazis. But in the post war period, West Germany was mostly lead by politicians that other countries would consider to be "liberal" (using the Yankee misuse of the term). Universities teaching non-Jewish science, non-Jewish ideology didn't turn out a generation of racist pigs. Those protesting too much about what they seem as activism are probably weak minded; they know they have a weak will and are easily influenced, but project that onto the rest of us. Some people call them Mugs.

He's spouting things he read about. He has no idea what university is about. 18 year olds are old enough to vote, in most countries drink a beer, marry, divorce, have kids, vote and to go fight/die for their country. They can think for themselves. He probably wants Trade Unions banned, in case they infect apprentices with crazy ideas. Maybe ban some books. Some people are intent on infantilising the population. His avatar is a hackneyed lion, perhaps he's a big fan of the Lion King.

Sports fans find a reason to disagree. Sports is highly political. When Putin promises the 47th President a hockey match, that's political. When Americans watch USA play netball, and chant USA USA, that's political. When flags are raised during the winners ceremony in the Olympics, following a F1 race, that's political. When a President throws the first ball of the season, does a lap of Daytona, that's political. When Europe plays against the US in golf, that's political. I expect you want all theological colleges closed down, because they teach religion, ususally one sort of religion.

Communist stooge talk. Some would say the Americans much prefer the frontline to be Berlin and not Baltimore. That was the compact for the whole of the Cold War. A war in Europe ensured there wasn;t a war in North America. Look at a map. How quickly could Russia take Alaska, before America could get anyone up there to defend it. Sarah Palin could see Russia from her window.

Technically he won't be taking on NATO, just Europe. SHAPE is always headed by a US flag officer. But he reports to his President, not to any European leader. At best, there will be hesitation, while the SHAPE commander awaits a response from Washington. Worst case wargame scenario is that Russia can take the Baltic states in 36 hours (Rand Corp estimate). And then Russia controls the Baltic States. What then? How do you make the Russians leave? Fight them, and probably destroy those countries in the process. Sanctions? Open a new front? The casus belli for Russia would be to secure a corridor to Kalingrad, maybe in the middle of winter. They then lay effective siege to the Baltics. Support from Finland across the the Gulf of Finland will be difficult. Logistically, it would be difficult for NATO to get supplies to Helsinki except by air; the roads are not great in winter. They wuld be having to contest the Baltic for freedom of navigation. Russia might demand removal of NATO forces in return of safe passage. The position of the Baltic states has always been tenuous. A bellicose Poland might respond, trying to take back Polish territory (and no doubt the internet will be full of experts pointing out these areas were never really Polish, and Poland isn;t a real country anyhow), but the Americans have all just pulled out of Poland. Who has their backs?

Commie nonsense. The Baltics are top of his list to reform the USSR>

He's gambling on the same lack of unity as in 1939. In 1939, the German Army was comprehensively outgunned by its neighbours, if they acted collectively. But they did not. And Poland and most of Western Europe was over run in short order. Europe (France and UK) lack tactical nuclear weapons. Russia has tactical nuclear weapons. Would an invasion of Latvia cause Paris or Berlin to come running to its aid. NATO wargaming indicates that because of the small size of the Baltics, Russia could very quickly over run them before NATO reinforcements arrive. The current garrison would need to perform a holding action, but they are not exactly under a unified command, and potentially its like Singapore all over again, when a numerically superior British-Australian force surrendered to relatively ill equipped Japanese soldiers on push bikes (the Japanese seized the water supplies, making defence of the island impossible). Russia doesn't really need much of an army to invade and secure Latvia. Its tiny. Once taken, NATO forces in Estonia and Lithunia are in a very difficult position. They might even surrender without a fight, to spare destruction. Russian forces in Kalingrad could effectively control the Baltic, or try. Then you have maximum propaganda of defeated looking NATO troops being paraded through Moscow, as hostages. I can then imagine some Western politicians talking about new facts on the ground, and accepting it. Putin deploys a tactical nuclear weapon as a first strike, if his forces do start getting mullered. I have zero faith the Americans would respond. Europe can only respond with a strategic weapon, which are bigger, and far less accurate (so not much use in taking out military formations, more useful if you want to escalate to a whole city. I can see such a choice leading to hestitation and ultimately inaction. Where this goes wrong is miscalculation, which is how every World War started. Germany miscalculated. Japan miscalculated. The world paid the price.

The Rats are starting to eat each other. Actions like this were predicted. https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/04/17/he-was-the-governor-of-russia-s-kursk-region-when-ukraine-launched-a-surprise-incursion-now-alexey-smirnov-is-in-jail-facing-embezzlement-charges

Are you, perchance, interested in buying a bridge?

Ban any Activism. Religious Activism certainly. Clubs supporting sports teams. You write like a person who never attended a real university.

But no room for very fine people. Is Tommy Robinson ok to go to an American university, study journalism or something, kick off a bit with the "Filth" (as he calls them), which is ok because he's waving a flag, and he has a go-pro live streaming? He'll enroll using his 2nd Nomme de Guerre, Benny Hill. Curtailing the Left, ok, but should that also mean suppressing the "Right"? I'd also extend restrictions to the God Botherers, Agnostics, Atheists, Vegans, Vegetarians, militant Meat Eaters, Good Ol' Boys, Gingers and the OTC.

He had an un-American name (Juan, should be John like everyone else) and spoke with a funny accent. These are literally the reasons he was taken into custody. The Amish and Mennonites should be very afraid. They have strange accents, sometimes a bit halting in their English and don't dress like normal Americans. One wonders is ICE Agents are lacking a bit of nous. Almost suggests they tried for the FBI, but failed the County Sherrif's exams. Like the Fed version of Reno 911.

King Charles to throw a sickie? Prince William too busy visiting a Coastguard base, on the day, apologies sent. The 47th President left inspecting His Majesty's crack Royal Logistical Corps 150 Regiment (TA), accompanied by the Duck (!) of Edinburgh (Prince Eddie, the Actor Royal), accompanied by Capt (rtd) Mark "Froggie" Francois, MP, BA, MA, aka Uncle Albert, who will fill in the awkward gaps with how he approached the bacon buttiie shortage using Combined Arms in 1983, and how he fought in the trenches during the Brexit Wars, alongside Sqn Leader Steve "Chips" Baker.

The China block on rare earth is global, not just US. The US has 6 choices. 1. Extract more rare earths in the US. They are not rare, but their extraction is pretty toxic, This will no doubt include running rough shod over whole communities. There is a cost there, socially, medically and politically. 2. Extract more rare eartch from a region (Ukraine) that is probably the most mined region in the world. Oh, and stop a war involving a nuclear power. 3. Invade Greenland and gamble that first the geologists were correct, that you can get your rare earths out of the frigid Arstic ground in a country with virtualy no industrial infrastructure, because your domestic electronics industry calls it a day, and that the whole move doesn't completely break the Western alliance. 4. Invade Congo, and sort out a brutal civil war that makes ISIS's actions in Iraq and Syria look like a kiddies tea party. Calculate how many US military heads will be seen per night on sticks on the evenung news. 5. Declare war on China. 6. Sit down and talk to China. Probably concede everything.

Some Medtech companies are now laying off people and halting deliveries of medtech, because now they are rendered uneconomic. Things like needles, syringes, blood collection pouches. Of course the companies might try and find a CMO in the homeland, or maybe build a factory, buy in the tooling, to make needles in the US. But a change in manufacture requires the FDA to approve the change. And now the FDA is essentally freezing up because of DOGE. They can't even pass the cost onto the customer (hospitals) because they are tied into multi-year contracts, and so would have to sell as a massive loss. Wait until this starts filtering down to Diabetics who find their $5 glucose monitors are now $100, and their test strips are $2 each, not 50 cents.

Don't forget the Chinese tourists packing into Becester SHopping village, to buy Made in China brand names in the UK I was rather shocked to go in to the Citygate Factory Outlet Mall on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, and find most of the discount Nike goods were not from China, or anywhere in Asia, but from Turkey. A long time friend is an academic in Taipai. He is vehemently anti-Communist, but he had particular scorn reserved for Hong Kong Chinese, who he regarded as too "white" inside, and that they didn't think like Chinese At the time Hong Kong went back to China, he was pretty happy. I wonder why, because surely it was the Communists in charge now. maybe, he saud, but at least they are Chinese. Around about the same time, there was the Nick Leeson affair' the British broker who brought down Barents Bank after he tried to cover up losses using customer money. He went on the run for a little while, and ended up in a Singapore jail, before being transferred to a British prison. My friend thought the punishment was too lenient (think he got 5 years, which I thought was enough). My friend thought Leeson should have been executed, because of the harm he caused society. And thats the difference between Western individualism, and Chinese confucianism. The latter is all about a harmonious society. It's sometimes presumptuous to assume they are guided by the same moral British, well run, it wasn't a democracy. Chris Patton was probably the wrong choice for the final governor. Some suprising footage of a previous Chinese leader, Jiang Zemin, berating HK journalists in 3 languages, including English, concerning the HK Chief Executive. Its instructive. Chinese moral compasses are not Maoist, Leninist, Marxist. They are based on characteristics that are much older, very traditiona;. I suspect Taiwan is actually closer to Communist China than it is, say, the United States. Which means, they will work things out one day with their kith and kin.

Well, your question is false. Country level GDP is still published, so not sure why you are making up a falsehood in this respect, unless it is to spread discord and cause unecessary argument. GDP by city, or sometimes called GMP (Gross Metropolitian Product) started being calculated about 20 years ago, once the financial tools became available to make that sort of measurement. The EU regularly published GMP as part of its Eurostat dataset, and the BEA does the same in the US, but I think you knew that.

Face palm. If the GDP ranking was measured by state, city, your precious India would be further down the list. More likely than not, the last time India was ahead of California was probably about 1850, when the Koh-i-Noor diamond was considered but a trinket by its then owner, the richest man in the world at that time. Then California was largely taken over by Europeans fresh off the boat/wagon train, and mostly without 1776 baggage. Based on GDP, Texas is bigger than or comparable to Italy, New York bigger than Canada. Little ol' Ohio; richer than Switzerland (though the inhabitants probably don't feel that, which might tell you about flaws in using GDP as a yardstick. India is a very poor country). Common cause bound the 13 colonies together. Trade bound the other 37. It might unbind them. It might be the one thing that California and Texas agree on.

Yeah, spelling might be improved. Still, which way did the uneducated Russian masses in 1917 lean? Pete Hegseth; are you saying now he's a left wing plant? RFK Jr; another Harvard graduate. So is Elise Stefanik, your president's pick to represent him to the world. Vivek Ramaswamy, you know, the bloke who helped out Musk on DOGE, a Harvard old boy. First time round, the 45th President favoured Harvard graduates. Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner, Wilbur Ross, Mike Pompeo, Elaine Chao, Alexander Acosta, Rod Rosenstein, the Mooch, Kayleigh McEnany, Rachel Brand, Sarah Flores, Jeffrey Rosen, Stacy Cline Amin, John Bash, Ann Donaldson, Gregory Katsas, Michael McGinley, Schuyler Schouten, Zina Bash, Avrahm Berkowitz, Kenneth Juster, Gilbert Kaplan, and Henry J. Kerner. Of course, all of these graduates will likely agree with a statement that a Harvard education allowed them to think for themselves. If you disgree with that, ergo they are all leftist plants, and the President has been negligant. All of them, by your reckoning, under "leftist influence" and need to be "mericlessly" (sic) eradicated. You have a 50/50 chance of getting dementia or cancer. Your chances of surviving either depend on university research.

In the case of TB, unlike most other Western countries, the US doesn't pracice vaccination, and instead depends on surveillance measures to control spread (the reasons are complicated). The case of Andrew Speaker underlines why the research continues to be important. Its a disease that would have haunted the 47th President when he was younger, and likely impacted the majority of Europeans aged over 60 in some way, and its returning. The BCG vaccine also proved useful during the COVID pandemic in turbocharging the immune response in the elderly, for the very reasons you don't give it to very young babies.

Department of Homeland Security is canceling grants, with a twisted press release omitting life-saving counter terrorism research being carried out By cutting these grants, the safety of Americans and her armed forces is weakened. DHS grants are related to counter terrorism. I've worked on them before; serious stuff. I was in force protection. Harvard' research is about identifying extremism and radicalisation. Ideological vandalism which warms the hearts of America's enemies.

Some people defended the Omagh bombings, and blamed the police for shepherding people towards where the bombs were planted. America was rightfully outraged about the Japanese sneak attack on a sunday morning, December 7 1941. America and most of the world were outraged about 911, though the protagonists considered they had been at war with the US for most of their lives. And there would be some who seek to blame the US for both atrocities, for the scale of the casualties. It was Palm Sunday. Whether or not there was a military medal awarding ceremony os immaterial. To talk of legitimate targets is the language of the terrorist, the terrorist sympathizer and their lackeys. Should Russia now cancel all events related to the 80th Anniversary of VE Day? During WW2, Rembrance Sunday events were still carried out in Britain, attended, as always, by members of the Armed Forces. The Nazis never dared to attack these. The attack on Sumy remains a war crime, irrespective of any errors supposedly committed by the governor. Putin's apologists are the ones seeking to blame Ukraine for Russian barabarism.