American transition to oligarchy

[T1 Terry]

With so many countries selling off their US debt, The US are going to have to borrow heavily to pay for the future plans Trump and Musk have for the USA. The problem is, the borrowing cost will go up while the old debt value will drop ..... but who is buying the debt and who will buy the future debt? If you p*ss off every country by applying tariffs, they aren't going to be keen on risking good money on the hope that the USD remains the reserve currency.

I see reports that countries are developing their own crypto currency as an alternative to paying in USD, a few places I buy from in China have recently offered the crypto yuan (YCC) as an alternate payment method and most of the Chinese sales platforms off discounts for "coin" transactions.
I really think he's done it this time, if the US lose the USD as the reserve currency, it's all over for the USA as we once knew it ..... It will be a shock to the "entitled" class in the US .... just might take a while for them to realise .... they really don't know much of what happens outside their own little world ....

T1 Terry

[drlizau]

I have cousins in Canada, and am watching the Canadian reaction to the trade situation. Just like in my corner of Australia, when China wasn't buying Aus wine, we didn't buy Chinese goods, so the Canadians are avoiding US produce and travel. These actions become ingrained in household purchasing habits, and last even when we don't have a tariff argument any more.
People say "you bought a Chinese car?" and I answer "they are buying our wine again, so I am OK with a Chinese car"

[Nagaman]

Apparently the nasty crude from Canada is what the US refineries CAN process......... but the Lite Sweet Crude from TX they CAN'T. Suddenly that pipeline from Canada is now a no-go......for some reason

[Nagaman]

The weird whacky world of House Speaker Mike Johnson. From ProPublica - sex and the religious rhapsody:https://youtu.be/cfubBag5nWU?si=4zafxyWbTd_Dnmp1

[Nagaman]

Götterdämmerung !!! Vance is the only one who understands .....
Increasingly the Trump Musk administration is NOW ignoring Court Orders..... Brown University Professor/medical specialist deported: https://youtu.be/K_7t_u9Cuvg?si=7x2J0ZXh2O4x02JC

[eddyb]

This guy is pretty factual.

https://youtu.be/O2Z0Y-mFMBk

[Nagaman]

Nine weeks in and the Judicial Branch of Government being ignored, undermined - and being prepared for elimination ?.
Who is there left to ENFORCE a Court Order ?.
Will there be future elections ?.
What's NOT possible now ?.

[T1 Terry]

With General Motors openly taking Trump on and planning to reduce the US workforce and moving even more jobs out of the US has really pulled the mat out from under him. The announcement that GM is deeply invested into EVs so it doesn't fall behind the rest of the world, also flies in the face of the Trump agenda.

Seems his idea of nationalising the US vehicle industry, like Putin did with Gazprom, and then skimming money out of it to his own pockets, like Putin does, is looking like it will fall over, maybe with him and Musk under the rubble ....

There seems little doubt now that Trump has single handedly destroyed any chance America could ever be great again, with the vehicle manufacturing collapse within the US and the USD close behind it ...... Will Musk turn tail and run ..... but where would he go, he seems to be equally unpopular in the USA as anywhere else in the world ......

T1 Terry

[T1 Terry]

This could be the last silly move Trump makes to destroy the USA's fragile superiority with the USD being the primary currency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X7cRoR8c7U
Who is advising this bloke, he surely couldn't have got there on his own if he does this sort of nonsense

T1 Terry

[brunohill]

Who is advising this bloke,

T1 Terry

Putin

[Nagaman]

Elon Musk BY EXECUTIVE ORDER is to be in-charge of determining exactly who is of an acceptable standard to vote FROM NOW ON.
The Head of Doge will eliminate from voter rolls, those considered non-qualified or (an imagined) threat to the ACCEPTABLE outcome......it would appear.
One man rule has arrived.......a monarchical system is in train (Trump loves the pomp and circumstance). It's 'been' a bit of a joke. He IS. a joke .... but much more threatening NOW.https://youtu.be/npOWfzKPOCU?si=5Ftq8QGiRufjL8_j

[Nagaman]

It appears that visitors to the US are required to give you mobile security code and the immigration officials take note of your social media comments - then decide if you are acceptable to the Trump 'regime'. People are being turned around and exported..... PDQ. AND...... it's an approach the Israeli immigration authorities also impose on visitors.......eg members of the UK Labour Party were turned around because of their utterances.
Drip drip drip

[jonescg]

Yeah, that's authoritarianism for you right there.

[Nagaman]

ICE enforces 400+ federal laws to endure public safety
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GKzYRsyJhCUndaKV9

[coulomb]

immigration officials take note of your social media comments - then decide if you are acceptable to the Trump 'regime'. People are being turned around and exported..... PDQ.

I'd want to see evidence of this.

The regime is bad, but I'm not convinced it's yet that bad.

[Nagaman]

immigration officials take note of your social media comments - then decide if you are acceptable to the Trump 'regime'. People are being turned around and exported..... PDQ.

I'd want to see evidence of this.

The regime is bad, but I'm not convinced it's yet that bad.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/n ... 594653007/
Just one of numerous reports. It replicates the McCarthy era..... lecturers/letters to the editor/papers etc in the 50s. I suspect that a visa application triggers "research".
The US population has never been educated beyond the academic classics. The non-academic achievers are amazingly clueless about living/education/health/welfare/life expectancy standards.....and the media understands that they "switch off" on it. They are a potentially dangerous lot because of it.

Of further interest for those inclined - Oliver Stone's documentary series The Untold History of the United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Untol ... ted_States

In another field .....many actors killed their career by not toeing the soft Hollywood line of obedience to the Administration's message.
America talks freedom..... selectively.

[Nagaman]

Permanent Resident - deported for having an inconvenient opinion expressed on social media.....no free speech for HIM . Pregnant wife left behind.
Such is America today. From Raw News:https://youtu.be/Kbf2Rg_jUDc?si=JV-RQ5a2e8NqYfhd
Old media has ceased to be of any value beyond cheap entertainment.

[Nagaman]

Obvious issue for the Musk administration: https://photos.app.goo.gl/3kP3BpWauyStoPi7A

[drlizau]

when a "pastor" can't manage to spell the word "evil" I really wonder at the educational system.
The rest of the copied post about satellites, i didn't realise they were so powerful

[Nagaman]

when a "pastor" can't manage to spell the word "evil" I really wonder at the educational system.
The rest of the copied post about satellites, i didn't realise they were so powerful

Grade 6 education standards explains it I guess.

[coulomb]

Grade 6 education standards explains it I guess.

I think I could spell "evil" by grade 6.

[Nagaman]

If you intend visiting the US you might consider the use of a burner phone !!!
https://newrepublic.com/post/193958/eu- ... ones-trump
There are no Rights in America anymore. The SC in a 9-0 vote instructed, that an innocent deportee to the el Salvadorian jail, be returned asap. Trump is ignoring the order. America is now a lawless nation subject to the whims of just one man ..... The dictator.

[Nagaman]

The Ways and Means - the ending of democracy is being engineered TODAY........and the House sits meekly by.
Professor Chris Norlund: https://youtu.be/0-j16U9mFkk?si=tBuGBVjkw9lybIFU
Line of succession - Trump > JD Vance > Chris Johnson ...... best of luck America !.

[Nagaman]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/nyre ... d-ice.html

[Nagaman]

Today's The Rest is Politics US.
Anthony Scaramoocci's comment on Wall Street's attitude to the tariffs.......they all hate it, but they aren't prepared to say anything critical about them "...... because they are afraid for their families".
Visiting the US means leaving your social media comments behind......take a burner phone/laptop.
Such is America today !!!.