Chit-Chat: The Feels

[Affogato]

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

From a Rep perspective, I could give you a number of reasons but suffice it to say that IMO Amy is way more qualified. She knows exactly what she would have done differently than Biden, and she doesn't spout word salad. 

I have not seen either one's resume. I just know what appeals to Reps, and unfortunately for Dems, it wasn't KH.

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.

Edited March 13 by Affogato

[tres bien]

Senator Fetterman argues against the chaos of a government shutdown while republicans say if the government shuts down the democrats will be blamed 

To Fetterman. STFU. Name me one other sitting democrat member of congress that went groveling to Mara Logo

What happens to the democrats if they swallow a poison pill versus blocking the 100% republican crafted CR

As part of the democrats base I have no answers 

[Dimity]

Maybe Republicans will learn that they work for the American people not for Donald Trump. Probably not.

Edited March 13 by Dimity

[BetyBee]

If my book club is an indicator of where Americans are right now, yesterday's meeting was upsetting and eye opening. We discussed A Fever in the Heartland, by Timothy Egan, about the rise of the KKK in Indiana and elsewhere, in the 1920s. The similarity to what is going on right now was stunning. It's well written, but many in our group didn't finish the book. One of those non-finishers was adamant, opining repeatedly that the brutally raped woman "didn't scream". I wanted to say, "was her skirt too short too?" Anyway, she was also both sidesing the similarities to today until I nearly walked out. Another man, an elderly Air Force retiree, informed the group that a democracy can't last in America, because there are too many people and the country is too big. I assume he means a Republic can't hold either, but 🤷‍♀️. The retired history teacher told us to relax, that the courts will stop Trump, because of the Constitution. I disagree, but I admire her faith. Anyway, I came home discouraged by the discussion. I considered leaving the group, but decided to skip future non-fiction book discussions that might get political. I usually love my book club meetings. I do recommend that book. 

[Affogato]

20 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Senator Fetterman argues against the chaos of a government shutdown while republicans say if the government shuts down the democrats will be blamed 

To Fetterman. STFU. Name me one other sitting democrat member of congress that went groveling to Mara Logo

What happens to the democrats if they swallow a poison pill versus blocking the 100% republican crafted CR

As part of the democrats base I have no answers 

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. 

[bluegirl147]

49 minutes ago, Affogato said:

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). 

Or as he likes to say weaving. I go back and forth in thinking yes  he is deliberating using word salads to confuse us or he is clearly in the midst of his slide into dementia. Either way I don't understand how anyone can think he is anything but an idiot.

37 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Senator Fetterman argues against the chaos of a government shutdown while republicans say if the government shuts down the democrats will be blamed 

To Fetterman. STFU. Name me one other sitting democrat member of congress that went groveling to Mara Logo

I've said this before but it bears repeating.  Fetterman has been a huge disappointment.  I won't be surprised if he is primaried. 

39 minutes ago, tres bien said:

What happens to the democrats if they swallow a poison pill versus blocking the 100% republican crafted CR

As part of the democrats base I have no answers 

If they block the CR they will be blamed for the government shutdown.  I won't be surprised if some Dems like Fetterman cross the aisle and vote for it.  

33 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Maybe Republicans will learn that they work for the American people not for Donald Trump. Probably not.

They have seen what happens to Reps who don't abide by Trump's wishes.  Liz Cheney gone.  Adam Kinzinger gone. I'm sure Trump and Musk are making a list of Reps that aren't voting for what they want.

30 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

One of those non-finishers was adamant, opining repeatedly that the brutally raped woman "didn't scream". I wanted to say, "was her skirt too short too?"

I would have asked her that.  I've done it before when I hear someone question whether it was rape or not. I was in a garage once and the TV was tuned to some news station and it was during the time the Cosby story broke. One of the mechanics said why are they picking on him.  I said because multiple women say he raped them. Do you think they are all lying?  He quickly went back to fixing cars. Men get intimidated when their stupid questions are answered with the truth. 

36 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

Another man, an elderly Air Force retiree, informed the group that a democracy can't last in America, because there are too many people and the country is too big.

What he means is too many people don't have a voice since Citizens United turned speech into money and some people have too much to say money.

 

[Affogato]

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. 

[bluegirl147]

10 minutes ago, Affogato said:

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. 

For a lot of people making America great again it means making all those "others" either disappear or go back to knowing their place.  That is why we are seeing all the DEI rollbacks and the attempt at mass deportation.  For other people it means everyone being prosperous.  They think good paying manufacturing jobs are coming back. That isn't going to happen but they are desperate to believe that so they will continue to listen to the snake oil salesman.

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Affogato said:

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.

I agree with you 99.9% on everything here, except Trump has not been formally diagnosed as a narcissist or with NPD. Many, many psychologists think he is one and have even written letters to the NYT and made commercials to alert the public on their opinions, but they don't amount to a formal diagnosis. He has not ever been assessed and diagnosed by professionals. That involves more than observation at a distance.

Even Allen Francis, one of the writers of the DSM IV is against people calling Trump that even though he agrees that he seems to fit the definition. I know professionals take their diagnoses very seriously and refrain from calling people something unless they've been assessed up close. I see where he's coming from but I disagree with him that psychologists and non professionals shouldn't make their unofficial opinions known. In Trump's case it's so blatantly obvious that it doesn't even take an advanced degree in anything to see how he fits the definition to a T. And he himself seems to apply the word to Trump despite what else he says.

Here's an article on Allen Francis and why he wants people to stop calling Trump a narcissist:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday-edition-1.3984065/stop-saying-trump-has-narcissistic-personality-disorder-says-psychiatrist-who-defined-it-1.3984073

Again, I understand his position but I don't agree that we should all stop calling Trump that.

He is also quoted in the article as saying this:

In a letter to the New York Times, Frances, a retired Duke University professor, wrote that Trump "may be a world-class narcissist, but this doesn't make him mentally ill, because he does not suffer from the distress and impairment required to diagnose mental disorder."

I agree that narcissism and NPD are not mental illnesses (they are personality disorders), but given that he said this in 2017 I wonder what he would say now as I know people are starting to see more real signs of some kind of mental impairment with Trump.

He is also down as saying this on X, which is very prophetic of what we see Trump acting out today:

 

[bluegirl147]

3 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

He has not ever been assessed and diagnosed by professionals.

Trump is way too far gone to benefit from therapy but could you imagine a therapy session with him? I've been in therapy for almost 10 years and it works for me but you have to be honest with your therapist and yourself for it work.  Trump is simply incapable of that.

[BetyBee]

31 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

What he means is too many people don't have a voice since Citizens United turned speech into money and some people have too much to say money.

I hope that is what he meant! I'm not a fan of the rape questioning woman, but I do like the old Air Force guy! Thank you, @bluegirl147- that makes me feel better about the whole thing. It was really hard to get a word in yesterday. People were really excited. We're heavy on retired people, but we had a bright, interesting young woman who was there for the first time. She shared a lot and it's always interesting to listen to the pov of younger people. 

[Yeah No]

1 minute ago, bluegirl147 said:

Trump is way too far gone to benefit from therapy but could you imagine a therapy session with him? I've been in therapy for almost 10 years and it works for me but you have to be honest with your therapist and yourself for it work.  Trump is simply incapable of that.

Yes, unfortunately therapy works best with "garden variety neurotics" and not people with full blown, advanced personality disorders like NPD. I've always heard that it's because neurotics are more likely to take responsibility for their actions and wellness, while those with personality disorders instead blame everyone else for everything they do and how they fare in life. And we see an awful lot of that coming from Trump. I almost can't believe what an incredible example of narcissism he is. Seeing him in action is better education for what that is than anything I ever learned from a textbook.

[tres bien]

New day new tariff threat!

Donny so big mad at  EU for imposing a 50% duty on US Whisky he’ll show them. He’ll impose a 200% tariff on all alcohol from the EU

Glad he has so much time on his hands to Make America Great Again 

[Dimity]

1 minute ago, tres bien said:

New day new tariff threat!

Donny so big mad at  EU for imposing a 50% duty on US Whisky he’ll show them. He’ll impose a 200% tariff on all alcohol from the EU

Glad he has so much time on his hands to Make America Great Again 

I think he actually does want to have another Great Depression.   And this one will be the greatest one, the biggest one, the best one.

[tres bien]

Trump and Musk perfect for each other 

Per JP Morgan “we struggle to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly”

They see Tesla stock being slashed in half

Boo hoo

[Affogato]

6 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I agree with you 99.9% on everything here, except Trump has not been formally diagnosed as a narcissist or with NPD. Many, many psychologists think he is one and have even written letters to the NYT and made commercials to alert the public on their opinions, but they don't amount to a formal diagnosis. He has not ever been assessed and diagnosed by professionals. That involves more than observation at a distance.

Even Allen Francis, one of the writers of the DSM IV is against people calling Trump that even though he agrees that he seems to fit the definition. I know professionals take their diagnoses very seriously and refrain from calling people something unless they've been assessed up close. I see where he's coming from but I disagree with him that psychologists and non professionals shouldn't make their unofficial opinions known. In Trump's case it's so blatantly obvious that it doesn't even take an advanced degree in anything to see how he fits the definition to a T. And he himself seems to apply the word to Trump despite what else he says.

Here's an article on Allen Francis and why he wants people to stop calling Trump a narcissist:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday-edition-1.3984065/stop-saying-trump-has-narcissistic-personality-disorder-says-psychiatrist-who-defined-it-1.3984073

Again, I understand his position but I don't agree that we should all stop calling Trump that.

He is also quoted in the article as saying this:

In a letter to the New York Times, Frances, a retired Duke University professor, wrote that Trump "may be a world-class narcissist, but this doesn't make him mentally ill, because he does not suffer from the distress and impairment required to diagnose mental disorder."

I agree that narcissism and NPD are not mental illnesses (they are personality disorders), but given that he said this in 2017 I wonder what he would say now as I know people are starting to see more real signs of some kind of mental impairment with Trump.

He is also down as saying this on X, which is very prophetic of what we see Trump acting out today:

 

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. 
 

 

16 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I think he actually does want to have another Great Depression.   And this one will be the greatest one, the biggest one, the best one.

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. 

[Affogato]

46 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Yes, unfortunately therapy works best with "garden variety neurotics" and not people with full blown, advanced personality disorders like NPD. I've always heard that it's because neurotics are more likely to take responsibility for their actions and wellness, while those with personality disorders instead blame everyone else for everything they do and how they fare in life. And we see an awful lot of that coming from Trump. I almost can't believe what an incredible example of narcissism he is. Seeing him in action is better education for what that is than anything I ever learned from a textbook.

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

Edited March 13 by Affogato

[Dimity]

25 minutes ago, tres bien said:

They see Tesla stock being slashed in half

Boo hoo

I keep seeing stuff posted by various Tesla owners/groups talking about how other car companies have had a history of Nazi ties.  Way to admit you know your guy is a Nazi without coming out and saying you know your guy is a Nazi!

[Affogato]

2 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I keep seeing stuff posted by various Tesla owners/groups talking about how other car companies have had a history of Nazi ties.  Way to admit you know your guy is a Nazi without coming out and saying you know your guy is a Nazi!

Currently a Nazi is worse. 

[Yeah No]

15 minutes ago, Affogato said:

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.
 

Yes, as stated I agree completely. I'm not one to stand on formal diagnoses but many professionals get fussy about claiming that someone has been diagnosed when technically they haven't. And the reason there's so little real diagnosis of people with NPD is because they rarely put themselves in a position to be formally diagnosed. They are slippery characters and know how to avoid any kind of responsibility for anything. Even when caught red handed they blame everyone else and take the attention off themselves. Unfortunately in Trump's case he has many devotees that are willing to believe him no matter what. 

It really gets me how now you're hearing about Republicans that are willing to let Trump risk their financial futures and take a financial hit in the stock market for his tariff BS. These are the same people that would scream bloody murder if they were told a Democrat lost them ONE PENNY of their hard earned money even if it was proven that it wasn't the Democrat's fault. And heaven forbid they should lose a little more in taxes to go to people they don't think "deserve" to get government benefits. No, it's better to lose 50% of their fortunes or retirement money to Trump than let one penny go to a poor, unfortunate minority.

[bluegirl147]

37 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

. I almost can't believe what an incredible example of narcissism he is.

I wonder if he he hadn't been born rich and had everyone cater to him his whole life  would he still be as bad as he is. Nature or nurture?

34 minutes ago, tres bien said:

New day new tariff threat!

Donny so big mad at  EU for imposing a 50% duty on US Whisky he’ll show them. He’ll impose a 200% tariff on all alcohol from the EU

Glad he has so much time on his hands to Make America Great Again 

He isn't used to people not falling in line. He is like a spoiled brat who kicks over the sandcastle other kids built in a snit.

33 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I think he actually does want to have another Great Depression.  

He won't be affected. He won't have to wait in a bread line.

30 minutes ago, tres bien said:

They see Tesla stock being slashed in half

It would be karma if Tesla bottoms out.  Musk wants to fuck with other people's livelihoods then he should get a taste himself.

22 minutes ago, Affogato said:

There is a book where 27 (i think)people qualified to diagnose the condition in trump do so and state their reasons.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6145972/

This is that book.  The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President

 

20 minutes ago, Affogato said:

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

It also makes him more dangerous and reckless.

1 minute ago, Yeah No said:

No, it's better to lose 50% of their fortunes or retirement money to Trump than let one penny go to a poor, unfortunate minority.

History is filled with people who hurt themselves just so all those undeserving others hurt more. Also see the people who willingly drank the Kool Aid.

[Yeah No]

2 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I wonder if he he hadn't been born rich and had everyone cater to him his whole life  would he still be as bad as he is. Nature or nurture?

He isn't used to people not falling in line. He is like a spoiled brat who kicks over the sandcastle other kids built in a snit.

He won't be affected. He won't have to wait in a bread line.

It would be karma if Tesla bottoms out.  Musk wants to fuck with other people's livelihoods then he should get a taste himself.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6145972/

This is that book.  The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President

 

It also makes him more dangerous and reckless.

Yeah I wonder about that myself but I usually land on it being a little bit of both nature/nurture. In his case I can see where both come into play. It's interesting to listen to his niece and nephew (Mary and Fred III) who were born to the lesser successful alcoholic brother in the family, Fred Trump, Jr. It is said that Fred Jr. succumbed to Donald's incessant jabs which ate away at his self confidence. He left the real estate business and became a pilot but that didn't stop Donald from putting him down and supposedly that helped drive him to alcoholism. So this shows that even being born to successful parents doesn't guarantee what kind of character a child has. Donald is basically what I would call a "bad seed" and was born that way.

[Dimity]

6 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

History is filled with people who hurt themselves just so all those undeserving others hurt more.

We have had people on this thread insist that whatever happens it's all worth it because - fraud. Even though the instances of fraud discovered so far have been insignificant especially compared to what is being risked.  The thing is though so far they haven't really had any serious hit.  If their retirement savings are wiped out and thanks to Trump/Musk there is no social safety net - or a very holey one at best - they can cling to their reverence for their Dear Leader but that won't put food on the table.  But I'm sure it will a comfort to them to know that Trump will continue to eat his hamburgers on gold plates.

[bluegirl147]

4 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Yeah I wonder about that myself but I usually land on it being a little bit of both nature/nurture. In his case I can see where both come into play. It's interesting to listen to his niece and nephew (Mary and Fred III) who were born to the lesser successful alcoholic brother in the family, Fred Trump, Jr. It is said that Fred Jr. succumbed to Donald's incessant jabs which ate away at his self confidence. He left the real estate business and became a pilot but that didn't stop Donald from putting him down and supposedly that helped drive him to alcoholism. So this shows that even being born to successful parents doesn't guarantee what kind of character a child has. Donald is basically what I would call a "bad seed" and was born that way.

I read Mary and Fred's books and my heart broke for their dad.  He didn't have that killer instinct that his father Fred Sr. wanted him to have. Donald even has a kid showed signs of the awful human being he would become.  Just imagine how different the world would be if Fred Jr. had stayed in the family business and thrived at it. Donald wouldn't have become the Donald.

[Yeah No]

3 minutes ago, Dimity said:

We have had people on this thread insist that whatever happens it's all worth it because - fraud. Even though the instances of fraud discovered so far have been insignificant especially compared to what is being risked.  The thing is though so far they haven't really had any serious hit.  If their retirement savings are wiped out and thanks to Trump/Musk there is no social safety net - or a very holey one at best - they can cling to their reverence for their Dear Leader but that won't put food on the table.  But I'm sure it will a comfort to them to know that Trump will continue to eat his hamburgers on gold plates.

Their self sacrificial devotion to Trump is almost parallel to that of the early Christian martyrs who would die for Christ. Only Trump is not worthy of sacrificing one's life and livelihood over. These people are rather cutting of their noses to spite their faces. We can only hope that future events will make them realize that, although at this point I don't hold out much hope of that.

[Affogato]

24 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Yes, as stated I agree completely. I'm not one to stand on formal diagnoses but many professionals get fussy about claiming that someone has been diagnosed when technically they haven't. And the reason there's so little real diagnosis of people with NPD is because they rarely put themselves in a position to be formally diagnosed. They are slippery characters and know how to avoid any kind of responsibility for anything. Even when caught red handed they blame everyone else and take the attention off themselves. Unfortunately in Trump's case he has many devotees that are willing to believe him no matter what. 

It really gets me how now you're hearing about Republicans that are willing to let Trump risk their financial futures and take a financial hit in the stock market for his tariff BS. These are the same people that would scream bloody murder if they were told a Democrat lost them ONE PENNY of their hard earned money even if it was proven that it wasn't the Democrat's fault. And heaven forbid they should lose a little more in taxes to go to people they don't think "deserve" to get government benefits. No, it's better to lose 50% of their fortunes or retirement money to Trump than let one penny go to a poor, unfortunate minority.

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. 

[Yeah No]

Has anyone had the nerve to look at their retirement/investment accounts to see how much damage has been done to them? I am still deathly afraid to do it. It's eating away at my stomach but I fear that I'll feel even worse if I dare to peek. And I'm holding my tongue with my husband about it too, which makes it even worse. I don't want to get him upset too. I have been talking with friends about it but they too have been afraid to look at their accounts.

[laurakaye]

1 hour ago, Dimity said:

I think he actually does want to have another Great Depression.   And this one will be the greatest one, the biggest one, the best one.

"People are saying that this is the Greatest Depression we've ever had.  They have never seen anything like it.  This will be the biggest, best one that anyone has ever seen.  Everyone is saying it.  No one has had a bigger Depression than me."

Edited March 13 by laurakaye

[suomi]

Previously when it posted new claims, DOGE, Mr. Musk’s government-restructuring effort, had included identifying details about the cuts it took credit for. That allowed the public to fact-check its work by comparing its figures with federal spending databases and talking to the groups whose funding had been cut.

This time, it did not include those details. A White House official said that was done for security purposes.

The result was that the group’s new claims appeared impossible to check.

The New York Times, at first, found a way around the group’s obfuscation. That is because Mr. Musk’s group had briefly embedded the federal identification numbers of these grants in the publicly available source code. The Times used those numbers to match DOGE’s claims with reality, and to discover that they contained the same kind of errors that it had made in the past.

Mr. Musk’s group later removed those identifiers from the code, and posted more batches of claims that could not be verified at all.

That shift was a major step back from one of Mr. Musk’s core promises about his group: that it would be “maximally transparent.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/us/politics/doge-errors-funding-grants-claims.html

[bluegirl147]

4 minutes ago, Affogato said:

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. 

Yes I do think two things are going on at once. Trump has his agenda which is to stay in office for as long as he lives. Because yes narcissism but I also think he thinks charges will be awaiting him when he leaves. And someone (rich donors most likely) have their agenda which is get even richer.

7 minutes ago, Affogato said:

They are looking forward to the time when there are no taxes or regulations. 

Oh goody. So if starvation or lack of basic health care doesn't kill us pollution or the unsafe conditions everywhere will.

[Affogato]

13 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

"People are saying that this is the Greatest Depression we've ever had.  They have never seen anything like it.  This will be the biggest, best one that anyone has ever seen.  Everyone is saying it.  No one has had a bigger Depression than me."

I’d LOL but I can’t. 

[fastiller]

1 hour ago, Dimity said:

I think he actually does want to have another Great Depression.   And this one will be the greatest one, the biggest one, the best one.

 

16 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

"People are saying that this is the Greatest Depression we've ever had.  They have never seen anything like it.  This will be the biggest, best one that anyone has ever seen.  Everyone is saying it.  No one has had a bigger Depression than me."

"Nobody is more depressed than my people."

[tearknee]

"Men get intimidated when their stupid questions are answered with the truth". 

tbf, I find the same true of the far left cranks (pacifism, socialism) and the far right cranks ("V"-esque aliens in human skinsuits and cell phones beaming messages into your brain).

[Affogato]

13 minutes ago, tearknee said:

"Men get intimidated when their stupid questions are answered with the truth". 

tbf, I find the same true of the far left cranks (pacifism, socialism) and the far right cranks ("V"-esque aliens in human skinsuits and cell phones beaming messages into your brain).

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. 

[tres bien]

Former presidential candidate and Chair of the DNC Howard Dean says if the democrats surrender to the GOP they will be giving up the one check they have on Trump and will possibly face a huge backlash from base

”The GOP strategy is just a gun to the heads of the American people and we should not follow along with it. I don’t plan to support any democrat who does. We can primary incumbents too” said Dean

Well that settles that 

Edited March 13 by tres bien

[bluegirl147]

1 minute ago, tres bien said:

Former presidential candidate and Chair of the DNC Howard Dean says if the democrats surrender to the GOP they will be giving up the one check they have on Trump and will possibly face a huge backlash from base

”The GOP strategy is just a gun to the heads of the American people and we should not follow along with it. I don’t plan to support any democrat who does. We can primary incumbents too” said Dean

Well in that settles that 

He isn't wrong. Going along with this CR so they can keep the government open so Musk can take a hatchet, oh I'm sorry chainsaw, to it. I know Dean doesn't have any influence anymore but we need more Democrats to speak out. Sorry not sorry but if you keep silent then I'm going to assume you don't mind what is happening.

[shapeshifter]

Just video chatted with my sister. 
Ugh.
It was after my video with my therapist.
So, bad timing.
My sister has been a Canadian citizen since the Vietnam War, and says all Canadians and Europeans (she's vacationing in Spain for 6 weeks) hate all Americans. 
I questioned whether it was "all" and she said yes, because the half of us who voted against you-know-who et al. didn't do enough to convince the other half. 

I'm pretty sure this is just my sister being my sister, but…

Going to have some tea and go for a walk.

[Lugal]

8 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

I'm glad you think I'm cute 😜 I still don't understand exactly what EM would do with said information. We're talking about millions of people. I can't imagine he's plotting against every American for whatever reason. And if he's doing what he does by order of the president, I consider that being authorized. 

What can't he do with it? Hundreds of millions of data points about millions of Americans, that information is a treasure trove. It can help determine demographic data and consumer trends, giving Musk an unfair advantage against competitors, not to mention using it to train Musk's inferior AI, or even just selling it to advertisers.

And "when the President does it, that means that it is not illegal, by definition" didn't work for Nixon, it doesn't work now.

[tres bien]

They have to twist themselves into a pretzel every day to feed this shit to their viewers 

Laura Ingraham advises viewers to “ignore the tumbling stock market because Trump is good for business “

Guess she got her marching orders on her direct line from the White House 

[suomi]

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to offer jobs back to all probationary employees who were fired last month from the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury and Veterans Affairs under directions by the Office of Personnel Management, a ruling that could reinstate thousands of employees who were ousted as part of the president’s push to slash the federal workforce.

Judge William Alsup said at a hearing in U.S. District Court in San Francisco that OPM — which serves as the federal government’s human resources agency — had no legal authority to direct the mass firings in phone calls and written communications last month. He added that individual agencies could follow the steps laid out in a federal law called the Reduction in Force Act to pare back their staffs.

The ruling marked the most significant challenge so far to President Donald Trump’s effort to shrink and reshape the sprawling, 2.3-million person federal workforce. Alsup also extended a temporary restraining order he had granted last month to a group of labor unions and advocacy groups who sued over the terminations.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/03/13/trump-probationary-federal-worker-firings-judge-ruling/

[bluegirl147]

15 minutes ago, tres bien said:

They have to twist themselves into a pretzel every day to feed this shit to their viewers 

Laura Ingraham advises viewers to “ignore the tumbling stock market because Trump is good for business “

Guess she got her marching orders on her direct line from the White House 

Meanwhile she is on the phone with her broker saying sell.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/white-house-pulls-cdc-director-nomination-day-confirmation-hearing-rcna196208

The White House pulled this anti vaxxer's nomination because he didn't have the votes.  Knowing Trump he will make him acting director which doesn't need confirmation.

 

[lookeyloo]

5 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Meanwhile she is on the phone with her broker saying sell.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/white-house-pulls-cdc-director-nomination-day-confirmation-hearing-rcna196208

The White House pulled this anti vaxxer's nomination because he didn't have the votes.  Knowing Trump he will make him acting director which doesn't need confirmation.

 

I am surprised his threats didn't work this time, yet.

[PRgal]

CEOs basically don't have the guts to call out on You Know Who, according to the Wall Street Journal.

I'm totally NOT surprised about this.  Those guys never have guts to call out on the government.

[Kemper]

2 minutes ago, PRgal said:

CEOs basically don't have the guts to call out on You Know Who, according to the Wall Street Journal.

I'm totally NOT surprised about this.  Those guys never have guts to call out on the government.

Because they feel it is not in their best interest. They will wait it out and end up making money. That is what it is always always about.

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Just video chatted with my sister. 
Ugh.
It was after my video with my therapist.
So, bad timing.
My sister has been a Canadian citizen since the Vietnam War, and says all Canadians and Europeans (she's vacationing in Spain for 6 weeks) hate all Americans. 
I questioned whether it was "all" and she said yes, because the half of us who voted against you-know-who et al. didn't do enough to convince the other half. 

I'm pretty sure this is just my sister being my sister, but…

Going to have some tea and go for a walk.

For me, it's more of my hatred of your GOVERNMENT than some random American, especially one from a blue state.  I'm still purchasing items from blue states (but only if an equivalent from Canada, Europe or Asia isn't available.  I'm pretty brand loyal to some products too).  

[bluegirl147]

19 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

I am surprised his threats didn't work this time, yet.

I doubt Trump even knows this guy's name. He was probably suggested by RFK.  There are only so many hours in the day. Trump can't be expected to threaten everyone that doesn't fall in line. He has to concentrate on threatening Canada. And Greenland. And Panama. And Ukraine.

[tres bien]

42 minutes ago, PRgal said:

CEOs basically don't have the guts to call out on You Know Who, according to the Wall Street Journal.

I'm totally NOT surprised about this.  Those guys never have guts to call out on the government.

FFS what a pathetic group of “business leaders “

Sadly Trump’s poisoned every business leader and they’re all afraid of him 

Edited March 13 by tres bien

[PRgal]

31 minutes ago, Kemper said:

Because they feel it is not in their best interest. They will wait it out and end up making money. That is what it is always always about.

I asked my dad about your comment and here's what he said:

Hard to know. All depends on how Trump behaves in the next 6 months 

[Dimity]

35 minutes ago, PRgal said:

For me, it's more of my hatred of your GOVERNMENT than some random American, especially one from a blue state.  I'm still purchasing items from blue states (but only if an equivalent from Canada, Europe or Asia isn't available.  I'm pretty brand loyal to some products too).  

Same.  I am sure there are some who hate all Americans right now but most of us are a little more discerning than that!  I can't promise things won't get more heated if, well, things get more heated, but right now @shapeshifter your sister may be reading too much into Canadians standing up for themselves.

[Affogato]

17 minutes ago, PRgal said:

I asked my dad about your comment and here's what he said:

Hard to know. All depends on how Trump behaves in the next 6 months 

I’ll be under the bed.