Chit-Chat: The Feels

[ProudMary]

If you or those you care about are planning to attend any of the nationwide 50501/Hands Off 2025 protests tomorrow, please take a moment to read this piece regarding phone security.

How to secure your phone before attending a protest. Protect your digital security.

https://www.theverge.com/21276979/phone-protest-demonstration-activism-digital-how-to-security-privacy

[lookeyloo]

31 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

If you or those you care about are planning to attend any of the nationwide 50501/Hands Off 2025 protests tomorrow, please take a moment to read this piece regarding phone security.

How to secure your phone before attending a protest. Protect your digital security.

https://www.theverge.com/21276979/phone-protest-demonstration-activism-digital-how-to-security-privacy

thanks, we are going to one.  Will follow this advice.

[Annber03]

2 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Her sobering account made me cry. Thank you for posting this, @PRgal.

Shame, shame, shame on President Trump for not attending this and paying respect to our fallen soldiers. A golf tournament at his own club? Paid millions by the Saudis? Meanwhile, most of America is losing its shirt, its jobs. 

No, you don't understand, we just need to quit wallowing in misery all the time, remember? 

[Affogato]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

I wanted to post about this yesterday, but life got in the way.

With the vacuum that DJT has created in international relations, you just knew thst one of the major powers was going to step up to fill it.

China had already been working in Africa on providing roads. Now they've stepped into the shoes of the decimated USAID. The Musk chainsawed layoffs happened so quickly thst the US didn't even get to properly close offices. China quite literally walked into USAID offices in many African nations, changed the signs to China Aid, marked stockpiled provisions with the China Aid label and followed the US playbook. Decades of good will,  established through providing ground level assistance, gone in a flash. There's no coming back from this. 

The right wing always complains about ANY foreign aid given to developing nations, but if you look at any federal budgets over the years, regardless of party in power, the amount is usually miniscule. It's always been a bargain in terms of return on the investment. I'm so sad about this on a human level and concerned about the shift in international power on the political chess board. 

And then there's Myanmar, where China has also taken the reins.

Via the Anna Bower account on BlueSky, see the screenshot below. This is the actual link.

https://bsky.app/profile/annabower.bsky.social/post/3llwqmiyjfk2m

 

And as for desperately needed aid after the earthquake in Myanmar, it's China who's shown up.

Add this to the aggressive maneuvers China is making against Taiwan right now and it seems evident that China has decided that it's time for them to be at the forefront. It's the smart move with an incompetent US regime in place. 

With US absent, China steps in for earthquake-hit Myanmar

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/with-us-absent-china-steps-earthquake-hit-myanmar-2025-04-02/

 

 

Everyone knew this would happen. Make America Insignificant. 

[Absolom]

When you put a cry baby toddler in charge and add an egocentric loon as his sidekick, this is the kind of mind boggling nonsense you get.  Who couldn't see this from outer space before it happened?  

It's worse than I expected in some ways and not quite as bad in a couple others, but I knew Trump should not be responsible for more than a TV show from the first time I saw him live.

Edited 6 hours ago by Absolom

[Anela]

They are confirming that they haven’t brought that man back from El Salvador, because they don’t want to.  They’re ignoring a judge’s orders again.  
 

Edited 6 hours ago by Anela

[Makai]

2 hours ago, isalicat said:

Beyond this one guy's post, I would want a real proven source for this assertion - otherwise I think it is really heinous to spread this kind of "information" on line.

‘Inhumane conditions’ and death at Miami’s Krome migrant detention center

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‘They are being treated like dogs': Families concerned over living conditions at Krome Detention Center

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Viral video raises concerns over conditions at Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade

Miami's ICE Detention Center Holding Twice Its Capacity Amid Crackdown, Detainees Subjected to Inhumane Conditions: Report

[Dimity]

19 minutes ago, Anela said:

They are confirming that they haven’t brought that man back from El Salvador, because they don’t want to.  They’re ignoring a judge’s orders again.  
 

Not unexpected but they aren't even pretending to care.  This is beyond disgusting at this point.  That "we suggest" my god the sarcastic don't give a damn, totally lacking in professionalism attitude.  And  yet all the little Trumpers out there will applaud this.

[tearknee]

I am thinking of America as it was, as it should be and as it can be again. I would prefer not to think of it as it is. I am also thinking of the many millions of Americans who refuse to accept the rule of such people, and who are in it for the long haul to make America in every sense great again.  

Spoiler

 

Edited 5 hours ago by tearknee

[tres bien]

3 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Her sobering account made me cry. Thank you for posting this, @PRgal.

Shame, shame, shame on President Trump for not attending this and paying respect to our fallen soldiers. A golf tournament at his own club? Paid millions by the Saudis? Meanwhile, most of America is losing its shirt, its jobs. 

He did this the first time around too

As well as standing in Arlington National Cemetery and calling our fallen soldiers sucker and loosers

[Anela]

Ohio GOP is dismantling funding for libraries. Or trying to.  I hate them   

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ohio/comments/1jratfe/heartbreaking_email/

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, Affogato said:

Everyone knew this would happen. Make America Insignificant. 

Edited 4 hours ago by peacheslatour

[peacheslatour]

[tearknee]

15 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

He and "the colony will fall" people have more in common than they realize.

[Milk-Eyed Mender]

The current occupant of the Oval Office, at his inauguration: “My life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.” 

After surviving a mere two months of 47's bottomless pit of bullshit, I'm thinking God needs to come up with a better plan or we need a better God. 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Milk-Eyed Mender
Wording

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, Milk-Eyed Mender said:

The current occupant of the Oval Office, at his inauguration: “My life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.” 

After surviving a mere two months of 47's bottomless pit of bullshit, I'm thinking God needs to come up with a better plan or we need a better God.

What I heard at the GOP Convention: "God saved Donald Trump for a reason!" Me at the time: "Yeah, to get his clock cleaned by Kamala."

My belief of a higher power is shaky in general. I remember a video centered on the poem "God Sent a Dictator." If this is a divine test, America is failing miserably. But I don't think there is a God. If there is such a being, it might not be benevolent.

How much does the Christian Right hate liberals if they go to bed with someone who is NOT down with their agenda? With Pence, I figured that he thought Trump would get bored, rage-quit or keel over, then he could go The Handmaid's Tale on the nation. As he saw the gallows on that cold January afternoon, I wonder if he thought that his dreams meant dick.