Affogato

The District of Columbia is being gutted. Traditionally democratic, too. Losing jobs and money for public services.

You tell them the baby died. Alternatively you pay them well and set them up elsewhere. Maybe you kill them. I’m not devoted to this, but it is a thought.

Yes, it is an AU. I haven’t read the book you mention. Interesting idea.

It isn’t set in the 90s. That isn’t the point. The point is not that. You are not supposed to ‘pin down a time period’. Of all the mysteries here, that one isn’t a mystery.

The babies can be birthed severed and taken away from the mothers.

‘Trump’ is dismantling the government. Musk is doing it chaotically. Vought and project 25 are doing it systematically, putting control in the hands of a dictator. Control of money and information. There is a genuine reason to fear that there will not be an election in four years, as we have known them. What is happening is not we have won and we are fulfilling our vision. This is a takeover of the government, using an emotionally dis regulated, unhealthy, childish old man (who is for some reason popular) as an initial wedge into the system . Trump doesn’t understand how to use usaid to create precedents to vet control of congresses pursestrings, nor does he care who it hurts. You know this. Does he seem smart? It also provides an opportunity for China to step in and provide aid, by the way will they? The US is writing itself out of world politics

Because he can do both. Personal i formation is personal. Also competence has not been the watchword. Petty personal revenge has been common. And Trump appears to have been cultivated as a Russian asset since the 70s. That sort of thing. I do want to point iut that he may not have been a russian asset earlier but that everyone in the world is aware that he is one now.

Yes but he is not that healthy. The bruising on his hand indicates blood thinners, not virility, and there are some indications of a stroke, which would explain the blood thinners. He eats and sleeps poorly and appears bored by long discussions.

Not Musk. Not Vought.

an interesting essay (and quote from same):: https://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2007/04/30/unified-theory-of-the-crank Unified theory of the crank By denialism on April 30, 2007. A crank is defined as a man who cannot be turned. - Nature, 8 Nov 1906 Here at denialism blog, we're very interested in what makes people cranks. Not only how one defines crankish behavior, but literally howpeople develop unreasonable attitudes about the world in the face of evidence to the contrary. Our definition of a crank, loosely, is a person who has unreasonable ideas about established science or facts that will not relent in defending their own, often laughable, version of the truth. Central to the crank is the "overvalued idea". That is some idea they've incorporated into their world view that they will not relinquish for any reason. Common overvalued ideas that are a source of crankery range from bigotry, antisemitism(holocaust deniers), biblical literalism (creationists - especially YEC's), egotism (as it relates to the complete unwillingness to ever be proven wrong) or an indiscriminant obsession with possessing "controversial" or iconoclastic ideas. Some people just love believing in things that no one in their right mind does, out of some obscure idea that it makes them seem smart or different.

I agree. Vance is giving off a Quayle vibe. He may have a useful place behind the scenes, but not in front of the camera. I doubt anyone around Trump will be allowed to have any strength of purpose or character or charisma. Most of the congressional Republicans with moral fiber have backed away, or will soon enough. Governors, I think, are the big pool of contestants. Or billionaires.

Really, who could win the next election?

Back to the narcissism. He loves the attention. Tariffs on. Tariffs off. You’re fired. Etc. He wants negative attention as much as he wants positive attention. Simply stopping is a fantastic strategy. I think there really won’t be much America left. People will have ro sell to other countries. In the end we will be a foreign subsidiary. 47s legacy.

I’ll be under the bed.

No. Pacifism and Socialism are respectable, long standing philosophical traditions that have been extensively studied and discussed. They are not faith based, even if people believe in them and even if they are important principles held by major religions. They are not the same as wearing a tinfoil hat to keep the aliens from controlling you.

I’d LOL but I can’t.

They are looking forward to the time when there are no taxes or regulations. Occams razor points out that calling 47 a narcissist explains most of his personal behavior and can predict it. I still believe someone is finessing his attempts to take over control of the countries finances from congress, and other things he is doing. I believe he wants another third term in office, because narcissist. I doubt anyone really believes this will happen. I believe others are tossing it around as a distraction from what is really happening.

Currently a Nazi is worse.

If he is having memory issues this may make the selfish, unempathetic behaviors seem more pronounced.

There is a book where 27 (i think)people qualified to diagnose the condition in trump do so and state their reasons. Narcissism, NPD, is rarely diagnosed because people who have it do not gravitate to therapists and are not generally willing to seek help for the condition. So, that is a pretty good indication that he is one, and likely closet to a formal diagnosis than most will ever get. And, yes, mentally ill people are a lot less likely to damage others than people with NPD. And narcissistic behavior and narcissistic abuse is really really common. So if people can get their heads around how toxic trump is, maybe Musk won’t succeed him. https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-You-Identifying-Narcissistic/dp/B0C6YLS58Y?dplnkId=d55ee633-434e-47fa-994a-9d23265d5df4&nodl=1 It's Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People Ramani Durvasula PhD here is a good book on the topic yes, the professional community wants to have their things be solid diagnoses like measels or pneumonia, but psychology doesn’t necessarily work that way. it is relevant to the political discourse, I think, because he is personally concentrating on punishing people who disagree, rewarding people who fawn in thim, and generally operating transactionally on all levels. He will react badly if you ignore him and then slither away. How does this work when our lives depend on certain outcomes? I don’t know. The diagnosis is not a hill to die on, sure, but the toxic behavior is that hill. Musk does. He is clear that things will be broken and then rebuilt. His example with the thing formerly known as twitter is a good example.

The ‘make america great again’ thing is so odd. In a short time we have gone from an important player in the world to a crazy person that needs to be watched carefully while you try to do your business around them. People in other developed nationsalready think our social programs are lacking and that most of our citizens live in squalid and hopeless conditions, poorly educated and without a real future. We are doubling down on that. I get that Maga was a resonse to that, but this is not the way to do better.

Fetterman appears to be trying to treat with the opposite party as if they were willing to listen to reason. He is wrong, very likely, and they won’t return the favor, but it is at least a respectable, law abiding attempt to be reasonable. i don’t know what the answer is. If Biden used Scott toilet paper in the White House, the Trump will pick another brand and use that, and we will all hear about it, whether we want to or not. This is why Biden pardoned people, because Trump is a petty and small minded narcissistic personality, bent on revenge that no one normal would ever think about. People in all parts of government are aware of his (basically toddler level) proclivities and trying not to get hit with flying oatmeal.

If you believe Kamala Harris spouted ‘word salad’ you do not understand the term. Trump, whether you voted for him or not, is a diagnosed narcissist and exhibits the specific behavior to gaslight through obsfuscation (and when he has nothing to say). https://abusewarrior.com/abuse/word-salad/ Narcissistic Personality Disorder People with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) often use a narcissistic word salad communication style. It’s characterized by a pattern of confusing, convoluted language that makes it difficult for others to understand what the person is trying to say.

Not to worry the world maybe the rest of the world, has better options https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/10-most-influential-people-shaping-electric-cars

https://enviroliteracy.org/is-it-bad-to-scruff-a-rabbit/ weird. Sorry.