U.S. Presidential Election 2016 (Sponsored by Betty Croker's Hamburger Helper)

[Ben]

Fancy telling us non-obsessed folk what's going on?

[Giggles]

Obsessed isn't the word. Absolutely lost it since the election result.

[niko_cee]

:D

Didn't that become a STOP THE STEAL symbol or something? Although I think it's either a crime to do it [being that the Yanks are mental about THE FLAG] or there's some other major issue with doing it.

[Dquincy]

1887152822497464790

[randomlegend]

Fancy telling us non-obsessed folk what's going on?

Means the State Department believes the United States is under serious threat and/or host to a hostile presence.

[niko_cee]

Musk is robbing the bank, and probably has been for as long as she has been alive.

[Yevrah]

Someone check on RL please?

[Pepe]

Like all whiny leftists, being outraged is his hobby and he is loving every second of it.

[randomlegend]

Like a parade of the brain damaged.

[Manc]

At this rate, he'll be shooting up the paediatrics ward

[Lewis]

To say half of Trump's platform is that the permanent bureaucracy is against him and his voters that flag stunt couldn't have been any more perfect really.

[phonics]

Mitch McConnell collapsed in public today again. It would be a fun hypothetical to see how the current congress/senate would work if you reduced the average age of congress by 15 and senate by 25.

That Republican Congresswoman who was in a dementia carehome for half her term and no-one batted an eyelid was mad.

[John Arne]

Who would have thought that Trump would act so irrationally, illegally or heartlessly. Shocking stuff. Still, he is funny, I guess.

[Dquincy]

Who would have thought that Trump would act so irrationally, illegally or heartlessly. Shocking stuff. Still, he is funny, I guess.

He getting stuff done. Action over inaction.

Support the man.

[Boydy]

DOGE Teen Owns ‘Tesla.Sexy LLC’ and Worked at Startup That Has Hired Convicted Hackers

https://www.wired.com/story/edward-coristine-tesla-sexy-path-networks-doge/

[phonics]

He getting stuff done. Action over inaction.

Support the man.

‘He makes the trains run on time’

[phonics]

Btw lol at one of the DOGEtards having to resign because he’d spent the prior month saying eugenics are good and Indians smell.

[Magic]

Btw lol at one of the DOGEtards having to resign because he’d spent the prior month saying eugenics are good and Indians smell.

And he hates my kind as well. Bastard.

[Spikey M]

Most people hate paedophiles mate.

[Kikó]

Lol.

[Pepe]

Most people. Not us. This is your safe space, Magic.

[Magic]

He's banning paper straws. :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

That's probably the most Trump law ever. Look after number one who lives exclusively off McDonald's milkshakes.

[Giggles]

Another symbolic victory that is greater than it looks.

[niko_cee]

As long as he's banning them and also unbanning plastic ones.

[randomlegend]

I see Vance has come out and said that the guy from Musk's goon squad who was posting overtly racist stuff about Indians on twitter should get his job back.

This despite Vance's wife being Indian.

Another one Giggles will be a fan of I imagine.

[randomlegend]

https://gizmodo.com/doge-staffer-previously-fired-from-cybersecurity-company-for-leaking-secrets-2000561131


DOGE Staffer Previously Fired From Cybersecurity Company for Leaking Secrets

:lol:

[Giggles]

I see Vance has come out and said that the guy from Musk's goon squad who was posting overtly racist stuff about Indians on twitter should get his job back.

This despite Vance's wife being Indian.

Another one Giggles will be a fan of I imagine.

Not really, though I'm not surprised you'd think that. The extreme left always want to package people in that way.

[randomlegend]

Not really, though I'm not surprised you'd think that. The extreme left always want to package people in that way.

Yeah I wonder why I'd think that the guy who wanted to burn immigrants alive might be on board with a bit of the old racism.

[Kikó]

ThE eXtReME LeFt

[Giggles]

Kiko posts like he did a 'how to win an internet' argument' course, but never did any follow-ups after 2005.

[Magic]

Are we still doing left vs right.

[Lofty]

I prefer to label it twats vs cunts.

[Kikó]

Kiko posts like he did a 'how to win an internet' argument' course, but never did any follow-ups after 2005.

Is this a sign of extreme communism my centrist
buddy?

[randomlegend]

Giggles having anything left of "burning immigrants alive" as "extreme left" really is special needs stuff.

[niko_cee]

Donald Trump will not deport Prince Harry, because “he’s got enough problems with his wife”.

In his first intervention on the case since taking office, Mr Trump told the New York Post that he had no interest in throwing the 40-year-old Duke of Sussex out of the United States.

“I don’t want to do that,” the president said. “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”

:D

[Spikey M]

:lol:

[Magic]

Fucking hell he's nailed it again. Musk dreams of being that funny.

[Ben]

:lol:

[randomlegend]

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5134725-elon-musk-impeachment-demand/

Not concerning at all.

[niko_cee]

It's the logical end point of a system which politicizes its judiciary. It's amazing they've made it so long without someone exploiting the stupidity of it as a system.

[Dquincy]

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5134725-elon-musk-impeachment-demand/

Not concerning at all.

It's mad that you seem ok with a government wasting millions of dollars, but take umbrage with the means that is revealing all this. Surely your partisan eyes can see that?

[Dquincy]

Does it also not raise concerns with you on what our government may be wasting tax payers money on?

[randomlegend]

You are too stupid for words.

They are cutting stuff - like the Consumer Protection Agency - which actually benefits normal people.

Meanwhile, they plan to fund $4.2 trillion of tax cuts for the wealthy:

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/2025-budget-stakes-high-income-tax-cuts-price-hiking-tariffs-would-harm

How you can look at a man like Musk and think he would come into this role giving a single shit about anything but his own interests - by way of increasing his own vast wealth and attaining a frightening level of power - is beyond belief. He doesn't have a beneficent cell in his entire body. The sheer level of gullibility when faced with these self-serving criminal billionaires is astonishing.

He would grind you up and sell you as animal food without a second thought if it was profitable.

[niko_cee]

They'd only waste the money anyway, much better to just let them die.

[Pepe]

https://i.imgur.com/RDpfvPj.png

:harold:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why haven't we done this with the so-called Irish Sea? Get on with it Sir Keir.

[Giggles]

Why haven't we done this with the so-called Irish Sea? Get on with it Sir Keir.

You certainly need someone less limp wristed for the likes of that. Resurrect Maggie.

[AJ23]

My father was a toolmaker. We're not laughing at him. We're laughing at you. You out of touch tool. Looking like a pig head in a butchers shop.

Be surprised if Cameron didn't put his cock in it.

https://www.tiktok.com/@novaramedia/video/7380791735217048864

[Jimmy Floyd]

You certainly need someone less limp wristed for the likes of that. Resurrect Maggie.

He's more likely to be negotiating a treaty to give you lot Anglesey.

[niko_cee]

I know he's known as an OUT OF THE BOX THINKER and all, but The Donald's approach to getting this No-bel he so clearly wants is, well, no-vel.

[niko_cee]

Time to go long on Almond prices, or whatever it is they grow in the Armpit of California.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/11/california-water-trump


“President Trump comes blundering into this complex situation with no understanding at all or no effort at understanding how it works,”

Easy copy and paste commentary.

[Pepe]

"What now appears to be a political stunt." Lol.

[Kikó]

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1161

My word.

[niko_cee]

They should call it East Dakota, in anticipation of Canada being West Dakota.

[Pepe]

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1161

My word.

:lol:

[Bam]

Red, White, and Blueland. :wtf:

What's he going to call Gaza when he turns that into the Middle Eastern riviera?

[Shindig]

Jesusland.

[Magic]

Trump Jesusland.

[Ben]

:facepalm:

[niko_cee]

Trump Jesusland.

:D

Yes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Thousands of Gazan dead commemorated by a risk-reward par 4. Apt. They could get Gary Player in to design it.

[Yevrah]

And Gary Neville to commentate, whilst highlighting the injustices.

[Lofty]

https://www.reddit.com/r/law/s/jp6u7uUV69

How long does Trump put up with this?

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's like a sort of XL with fries Dominic Cummings, isn't he.

[Spikey M]

He's like an autistic Labradoodle.

[Bernanke]

Love that he started bringing his little human shield with him after the attempt on Donald.

[Pepe]

No way that partnership lasts. Tronnie doesn't look the kind to enjoy sharing the spotlight.

[Magic]

He picked his nose and wiped it on Dump's desk lmao.

[Bernanke]

No way that partnership lasts. Tronnie doesn't look the kind to enjoy sharing the spotlight.

I think he might just not care at this point. I feel like there's a good chance Donnie was just in it as a get out of jail free card this time around, and will let the rest run the show. Like a worse Bush/Cheney term.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I saw Condy Rice getting up and down out of a bunker at the Pebble Beach pro-am last week, and it made me yearn for the old team. Cheney somehow avoiding the ground at time of writing, but no such luck for Powell or the great wordsmith Donny Rumsfeld.

[Dquincy]

You are too stupid for words.

They are cutting stuff - like the Consumer Protection Agency - which actually benefits normal people.

Meanwhile, they plan to fund $4.2 trillion of tax cuts for the wealthy:

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/2025-budget-stakes-high-income-tax-cuts-price-hiking-tariffs-would-harm

How you can look at a man like Musk and think he would come into this role giving a single shit about anything but his own interests - by way of increasing his own vast wealth and attaining a frightening level of power - is beyond belief. He doesn't have a beneficent cell in his entire body. The sheer level of gullibility when faced with these self-serving criminal billionaires is astonishing.

He would grind you up and sell you as animal food without a second thought if it was profitable.
You're too emotional for words.

Find something good to post about Trump, it might make you feel happier on the inside. Then we can all benefit from a more positive RL and enjoy you're sunnier disposition.

[randomlegend]

You're too emotional for words.

Find something good to post about Trump, it might make you feel happier on the inside. Then we can all benefit from a more positive RL and enjoy you're sunnier disposition.

You being a moron doesn't make me unhappy.

[randomlegend]

https://www.state.gov/procurement-forecast

It's a good job Musk is making all those "efficiency savings" so that the government can really put that money to good use helping the American people by - what's that - spending a few hundred million dollars on armoured Teslas :D

They aren't even trying to hide the corruption.

[randomlegend]

https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/statement-from-nyc-comptroller-lander-on-the-trump-administrations-illegal-reversal-of-fema-funding/

And literally stealing money directly out of a city's bank account. Rule of law is over.

[Bernanke]

1889844148594942289

He's as fried as Biden. Heritage Foundation and Elon will be running the show for the next 4 years.

[Pepe]

The cybertruck looks straight out of Timecop or something. Maybe we'll finally get the future the nineties promised us.

Tulsi :drool:

[Dquincy]

1889999406050730120

Mad the stuff this USAid has been spent on.

[niko_cee]

No fan of Rory Stewart, or, likely, his missus, but:


Turquoise Mountain has been working in Afghanistan since 2006 and continues to support thousands of families in Kabul, Bamiyan and the north of the country by providing humanitarian support, education, family health services and by generating livelihood opportunities through craft production and the preservation of built heritage.

No mention of guys in white paint wiping their wang on the floor [check it out [NSFW obvs] (https://x.com/search?q=white%20paint%20guy&src=typeahead_click)].

[randomlegend]

1889999406050730120

Mad the stuff this USAid has been spent on.

Do you ever consider looking things up before inflicting your stupidity on others or do you just believe any tweet you read?

[Dquincy]

No fan of Rory Stewart, or, likely, his missus, but:



No mention of guys in white paint wiping their wang on the floor [check it out [NSFW obvs] (https://x.com/search?q=white%20paint%20guy&src=typeahead_click)].
I still don't think that justifies that amount of American tax payer money being spent on it. Especially when you consider what they could redirect it to on their own shores. Probably not bulletproof Tesla's, mind.

[Dquincy]

Do you ever consider looking things up before inflicting your stupidity on others or do you just believe any tweet you read?

See above.

[niko_cee]

I still don't think that justifies that amount of American tax payer money being spent on it. Especially when you consider what they could redirect it to on their own shores. Probably not bulletproof Tesla's, mind.

What is a million quid/dollars going to do in America?

Fund about 30 minutes of tax cuts for Elon Musk?

The 'armored' Teslas is a bit of a non-story for me, the US taxpayer has been getting fleeced by their military industrial complex forever, so whether it is Boeing or Tesla does it really matter? If they want to actually save money maybe they should look inside the defence budget, but it's their money, they can do what they want with it. I wouldn't give it to Rory Stewart's wife either. Just don't lie about stuff pathologically.

[randomlegend]

What is a million quid/dollars going to do in America?

Fund about 30 minutes of tax cuts for Elon Musk?

The 'armored' Teslas is a bit of a non-story for me, the US taxpayer has been getting fleeced by their military industrial complex forever, so whether it is Boeing or Tesla does it really matter? If they want to actually save money maybe they should look inside the defence budget, but it's their money, they can do what they want with it. I wouldn't give it to Rory Stewart's wife either. Just don't lie about stuff pathologically.

Yes it does really matter, when Musk is the one leading the cutting of funding to other things and then having it diverted directly into his pocket.

That is a different level of corruption.

[niko_cee]

The cuts are to fund tax cuts, that's the big ticket item, not Tesla scoring a few orders.

Obviously the tax cuts are also bad [from certain perspectives], actually much worse.

Trump now saying VAT is a type of tariff is well into my head hurts territory.

[Magic]

How much is that Space X contract worth again lol.

[niko_cee]

The recently announced one was $39m which didn't seem much.

You've got to think that getting space launches to $80m a pop when NASA and the LEGACY CONTRACTORS have just spent the best part of five billion on the SLS and it doesn't even work is probably showing those SpaceX contracts might be value for money.

These things aren't the con.

[Yevrah]

If true, the stuff DOGE is shining a light on is absolutely wild and it will set a precedent for other governments around the World to follow suit.

Whether that's justification for riding rough shot over how these reforms should have been implemented I don't know, but (again if true) the level of gravy train piss taking spunking money up the wall is off the charts.

And I get the argument that this stuff is a drop in the ocean compared to the US' spending in totality, but a) it's still very early days in the project's life and b) they'd have been no worse off setting fire to the money rather than spending it on some of the areas highlighted and nobody would advocate that.

One also can't be livid at the prospect of Musk feathering his nest, which absolutely will be highlighted should it happen, while simultaneously not calling out the above for the chronic waste of money it appears to be.

[Yevrah]

Oh and I listened to the Musk/ Trump Oval Office interview on the way home and as an approach, it absolutely makes sense. Deep down we all know the same/similar shit will be happening here too.

[phonics]

If true, the stuff DOGE is shining a light on is absolutely wild and it will set a precedent for other governments around the World to follow suit.

Whether that's justification for riding rough shot over how these reforms should have been implemented I don't know, but (again if true) the level of gravy train piss taking spunking money up the wall is off the charts.

And I get the argument that this stuff is a drop in the ocean compared to the US' spending in totality, but a) it's still very early days in the project's life and b) they'd have been no worse off setting fire to the money rather than spending it on some of the areas highlighted and nobody would advocate that.

One also can't be livid at the prospect of Musk feathering his nest, which absolutely will be highlighted should it happen, while simultaneously not calling out the above for the chronic waste of money it appears to be.

This is truly the most moronic level of thinking I'd presume Quincy just ran his thoughts throught ChatGPT. I would run through the various reasons why but my presumption is that your retort would be 'but if he cuts loads of stuff they can just reimpliment the good stuff' which is just a facetious argument that makes the whole effort not worthwhile.

[Yevrah]

This is truly the most moronic level of thinking I'd presume Quincy just ran his thoughts throught ChatGPT. I would run through the various reasons why but my presumption is that your retort would be 'but if he cuts loads of stuff they can just reimpliment the good stuff' which is just a facetious argument that makes the whole effort not worthwhile.

Great. Thanks for your insight.

[phonics]

Great. Thanks for your insight.

Which department would you like to start with that has been DOGE'd

Department of Education
USAID
CFPB
NIH

I'm happy to discuss any of them but we have to be specific here otherwise I'm wasting my time.

[Yevrah]

Why is there a limestone mine housing federal retirement applications penned by hand?

Or feel free to run me through some of the other things highlighted here:

https://doge.gov/

Again, and I shouldn't have to repeat this, but I will, if these things are true.

[phonics]

Why is there a limestone mine housing federal retirement applications penned by hand?

How much would it cost to digitise an entire limestone mine worth of records and then create an IT system to have people be able to access this state by state? I'm going to presume more than the current budget.

[phonics]

Why is there a limestone mine housing federal retirement applications penned by hand?

Or feel free to run me through some of the other things highlighted here:

https://doge.gov/

Again, and I shouldn't have to repeat this, but I will, if these things are true.

this website is literally just a twitter feed and a page called savings that says 'we'll do this soon'. Are you fucking retarded?

Even taking them at their word the entire website works out at about 18 dollars per person saved. FUCKING AMAZING.

THIS FUCKING GRAPH COMPLAINS THAT THE LAWS HAVE TOO MANY WORDS FFS. THESE AREN'T SERIOUS PEOPLE.

https://i.imgur.com/s8MRKR4.png

[Yevrah]

How much would it cost to digitise an entire limestone mine worth of records and then create an IT system to have people be able to access this state by state? I'm going to presume more than the current budget.

Of course, but that's a one off hit that could have happened at any time since the mine was repurposed to do this (1955, right?) and after digitisation became a thing (decades ago). 700+ people are being employed in perpetuity to shift boxes and handwritten paper around a mine.

And I don't even think they're being employed directly as the mine has Iron Mountain livery on it, which a quick Google shows is a management services company, who'll obviously be making a margin on top of whatever the actual staff are paid.

But it's contracts with Elon Musk's businesses that are the only problem.

[Pepe]

Cutting anything DEI related is worth it even if it ends up costing billions tbh.

[Yevrah]

this website is literally just a twitter feed and a page called savings that says 'we'll do this soon'. Are you fucking retarded?

Even taking them at their word the entire website works out at about 18 dollars per person saved. FUCKING AMAZING.

You've wilfully ignored the point I raised above about them only just having started. And even if that was all there is "only $18 per person, so what's the point?" is an argument with an end game of "what's the point in ever doing anything".

[phonics]

So im going to ignore that I gave you the opportunity to actually break down the issues department by department and you chose to find something else that seems absurd and ignore that if you suggested to change it would be a massive budget boondoggle that would never get through congress or the senate and even if it did it would become a massive clusterfuck.

So instead lets say we streamline the fuck out of every department, absolutely nothing spent is wasted. What happens then?

[phonics]

You've wilfully ignored the point I raised above about them only just having started. And even if that was all there is "only $18 per person, so what's the point?" is an argument with an end game of "what's the point in ever doing anything".

No the argument is that at such scale it's better to waste a dollar per person to make their life 10 dollars better.

[phonics]

Also just btw, the Pentagon are missing 7 trillion dollars and DOGE don't seem to care, just the stuff that affects normal people. Weird that. Almost like the entire process is idealogical rather than economical.

[Yevrah]

So im going to ignore that I gave you the opportunity to actually break down the issues department by department and you chose to find something else that seems absurd and ignore that if you suggested to change it would be a massive budget boondoggle that would never get through congress or the senate and even if it did it would become a massive clusterfuck.

I literally do not know what you are doing with this. I said DOGE have highlighted waste (again, if true), you mentioned departments, I gave you examples of the waste they'd highlighted and somehow I'm now having to respond to this mess.



So instead lets say we streamline the fuck out of every department, absolutely nothing spent is wasted. What happens then?

One needs to find something else to for those people to do, that actually has a beneficial effect on the economy. Not easy I know, but there's a net benefit even if you can't as presumably the benefits they'd receive will be less than the salary they were being paid and they're not in post to continue spunking money up the wall.

[phonics]

It's so fucking moronic to live in the United Kingdom where cutting the knees out from any government agency has led to mass pollution, zero services, a generation of retarded zoomers and massive price increases and go 'you know what they need, the richest cokehead in the world to tell a 23 year old to do that'

[Yevrah]

Also just btw, the Pentagon are missing 7 trillion dollars and DOGE don't seem to care, just the stuff that affects normal people. Weird that. Almost like the entire process is idealogical rather than economical.

Again, they've been at this for days. The press briefing suggested the Pentagon is on the list. If that doesn't happen then that'd be a valid complaint. If you're fine with a mine being used to store hand penned retirement applications for seventy years I'm not quite sure why you're not fine with DOGE not covering everything in a fortnight.

[phonics]

One needs to find something else to for those people to do, that actually has a beneficial effect on the economy. Not easy I know, but there's a net benefit even if you can't as presumably the benefits they'd receive will be less than the salary they were being paid and they're not in post to continue spunking money up the wall.

ITS THE LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD. THE LIMESTONE MOLE PEOPLE STILL BUY THINGS.

This is insane.

[Yevrah]

ITS THE LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD. THE LIMESTONE MOLE PEOPLE STILL BUY THINGS.

Of course, but how long would it remain the World's largest economy if everyone was shifting boxes around a limestone mine?

Your argument appears now to have morphed into it's fine that things are shit. Anything better than entertaining the idea that people you hate might be onto something, I guess.

[phonics]

Yevrah, in this perfect world, the limestone mine gets digitised. So we spent hundreds of millions on this, and then hundreds of millions on creating the IT system. Then we spend millions on hiring IT people to make sure the Limestone Mine IT system doesn't get hacked or deleted state by state.

Or a few hundred people earn a living being mole people for retirement plans. Which sounds more efficient.

[phonics]

Of course, but how long would it remain the World's largest economy if everyone was shifting boxes around a limestone mine?

Your argument appears now to have morphed into it's fine that things are shit. Anything better than entertaining the idea that people you hate might be onto something, I guess.

No you refused to talk about anything that isn't the Limestone Mine that I think is an incredibly efficent way of doing things monetarilly.

Would you like a look at how Nuclear Weapons work on Floppy Disks?

https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2019/10/26/15/floppy-disks-nuclear.jpg

[Yevrah]

It's so fucking moronic to live in the United Kingdom where cutting the knees out from any government agency has led to mass pollution, zero services, a generation of retarded zoomers and massive price increases and go 'you know what they need, the richest cokehead in the world to tell a 23 year old to do that'

We cut things that actually mattered. If you're suggested spending $1.5m dollars on promoting DEI in Serbian workplaces actually matters then I'm not sure what to say to that.

Again, assuming that's true and it wasn't just a front for another purpose, which I'm inclined to believe it was as surely nobody could be that fucking stupid to sign that off thinking it would actually change anything.

[Yevrah]

No you refused to talk about anything that isn't the Limestone Mine that I think is an incredibly efficent way of doing things monetarilly.

A lie, I gave you an actual list of things that DOGE have highlighted and I haven't refused to talk about anything.

If it's an incredibly efficient way of doing it monetarily, why aren't actual businesses, that are run for, you know, profit, doing the same?

[phonics]

We cut things that actually mattered. If you're suggested spending $1.5m dollars on promoting DEI in Serbian workplaces actually matters then I'm not sure what to say to that.

Again, assuming that's true and it wasn't just a front for another purpose, which I'm inclined to believe it was as surely nobody could be that fucking stupid to sign that off thinking it would actually change anything.

That would be what anyone who isn't a dumbass call a bribe to keep certain people in Serbia onside. It's like you're actively ignoring that America has been running an Empire since we fell off.

[phonics]

A lie, I gave you an actual list of things that DOGE have highlighted and I haven't refused to talk about anything

You sent me a website that consisted of a grand total of 16 tweets, one of which was about renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

[Yevrah]

Yevrah, in this perfect world, the limestone mine gets digitised. So we spent hundreds of millions on this, and then hundreds of millions on creating the IT system. Then we spend millions on hiring IT people to make sure the Limestone Mine IT system doesn't get hacked or deleted state by state.

Or a few hundred people earn a living being mole people for retirement plans. Which sounds more efficient.

1) With that logic, why does/has any business bothered digitising anything?

2) 700 people at $50k a head (and I'd bet actual cash money it'll work out as much more than that) is $35m a year, forever.

[Yevrah]

You sent me a website that consisted of a grand total of 16 tweets, one of which was about renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Yes, I gave you examples of the things DOGE have highlighted. Are you saying the link did not contain examples of things DOGE have highlighted?

[Yevrah]

That would be what anyone who isn't a dumbass call a bribe to keep certain people in Serbia onside. It's like you're actively ignoring that America has been running an Empire since we fell off.

I wonder what I could have possibly meant by this...


Again, assuming that's true and it wasn't just a front for another purpose, which I'm inclined to believe it was as surely nobody could be that fucking stupid to sign that off thinking it would actually change anything.

[Yevrah]

Would you like a look at how Nuclear Weapons work on Floppy Disks?

Which immediately makes some sense. Shunting paper around a mine in 2025 when you're the World's biggest economy does not unless you're so utterly blinded by a hatred of Musk/Trump that you've lost all ability to be anything close to objective involving them.

[phonics]

2) 700 people at $50k a head (and I'd bet actual cash money it'll work out as much more than that) is $35m a year, forever.

You realise there are 50 states right? You'd then have to train and hire people per state. I presume there would have to be a head for each state for accountability, several travelling IT people to cover the state plus the risk of digital files being lost. Would that work out at less than that?

P.S. That's a grand total of 8 dollars per person to have a physical record of the entire countries retirees from 1970 to now.

[phonics]

Which immediately makes some sense. Shunting paper around a mine in 2025 when you're the World's biggest economy does not unless you're so utterly blinded by a hatred of Musk/Trump that you've lost all ability to be anything close to objective involving them.

You are the one blinded. You're suggesting spending billions to change something thats worked for 50 years.

[Yevrah]

You are the one blinded. You're suggesting spending billions to change something thats worked for 50 years.

Hand washing worked for centuries and still does, why don't we do that anymore?

[phonics]

Hand washing worked for centuries and still does, why don't we do that anymore?

Because the suggestion wasn't that we create one giant washing machine for 350 million people and if we shrink a few hundred thousand peoples clothes it's no big deal.

[Yevrah]

You realise there are 50 states right? You'd then have to train and hire people per state. I presume there would have to be a head for each state for accountability, several travelling IT people to cover the state plus the risk of digital files being lost. Would that work out at less than that?

I didn't know there were 50 states, so thanks for that. Mental note made.

And yes, I'm not suggesting digitising things is free, more that there's a reason that all businesses operating on a large scale and almost all below have done so.


P.S. That's a grand total of 8 dollars per person to have a physical record of the entire countries retirees from 1970 to now.

Which is a disingenuous way to look at it. Much like the approach insurance companies adopt when they try and sell you something you don't need. "it's only the price of a daily paper per day".

[Yevrah]

Because the suggestion wasn't that we create one giant washing machine for 350 million people and if we shrink a few hundred thousand peoples clothes it's no big deal.

We don't do it because it's massively inefficient. Using another example, should we go back to paper bank statements?

[Yevrah]

Right, I need to hit the sack. Night dude.

[phonics]

But reflecting on this all, even though I think I'm right, this is such a perfect reflection on what I said at the beginning. I asked for specific departments to take issue with so I would refute and show how they help people and instead I've gone back and forth on a fucking record bank that costs 35 million a year like that changes a single persons life if it continues to exist.

[phonics]

Right, I need to hit the sack. Night dude.

Night Yev, can I settle for this takeaway. If the followup on this absolutely absurd goose chase was 'man, if we could take all this waste away and then infuse the programs we believe in by taxing the richest people in the world by 5%' I could pretend to be on board. It's just looking for ideological savings to further hollow the state to give elon and his mates a tax break.

[Yevrah]

But reflecting on this all, even though I think I'm right, this is such a perfect reflection on what I said at the beginning. I asked for specific departments to take issue with so I would refute and show how they help people and instead I've gone back and forth on a fucking record bank that costs 35 million a year like that changes a single persons life if it continues to exist.

You asked a question that didn't relate to my post. I wasn't questioning the efficacy of those departments as a whole as I'm in no position to (I simply don't know enough about them), just that (if true) some of the waste that's been highlighted is wild.

[Yevrah]

It's just looking for ideological savings to further hollow the state to give elon and his mates a tax break.

If that happens, even if some of the other waste is eradicated, then it'll be a genuine disgrace and should be called out as such, which it thankfully clearly will be due to the rightful scrutiny this is all under.

Right, definitely bed now. :D

[phonics]

If that happens, even if some of the other waste is eradicated, then it'll be a genuine disgrace and should be called out as such, which it thankfully clearly will be due to the rightful scrutiny this is all under.

Right, definitely bed now. :D

You are literally Charlie Brown. Maybe this time you’ll get to kick the football.

[AJ23]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKSD8bB3JEc

[Kikó]

We are so back :cool:

I think I could take Doge at face value if the people running it and the president himself wasn't completely driven by filling their pockets. These "savings" are relatively meaningless and driven by ideology not cost effectiveness.

[Lofty]

You know when Elon kept pumping Doge up and everyone thought they were going to be rich off it? It's this again, all his supporters think he will implement these savings and it will benefit them somehow, they'll never see it and therefore it's almost redundant.

Also a very particular world view, the same type that thinks things like the postal service and public transport should be ran for profit and not as a service, it's not like they represent a wider benefit to the economy as a whole after all :moop:

[Ben]

Good morning gents.

[Jimmy Floyd]

As mentioned in the other thread, deadly Dom has an interesting take on DOGE, one can decide how much one agrees with it and as always he likes to link things back to himself, but I thought it was an interesting take beyond the boring dichotomy of MAGA / Bad Men Are Bad:


MAGA + Silicon Valley network + DOGE is an attempt at US regime change, a government that controls the government replacing the broken old system that’s driving up debt by $1 trillion every 100 days. The Overton Window is blown open. Ideas that were ‘extreme’ even six months ago are happening. The demonstration that ‘you can just do things very fast’ is inevitably causing pure panic in SW1 where a foundational principle for decades has been that the basic idea of war and business ‘does not, should not and must not apply to government’. Central to understanding modern SW1 is appreciating how both parties fought to maintain this principle as a cross-party foundation even during a once-a-century pandemic and the worst land war in Europe since Hitler. And they succeeded. In 2019 we campaigned against this principle. In 2020 we started dismantling it. Boris-Carrie surrendered and reinstated it. Every important system accelerated its decline 2021-4. Labour and Lib Dems attacked all attempts to move fast as proto-fascism. Across the West, the old parties converged on defending the old system’s 2020 collapse and did not seek political advantage by suggesting the government change the old system to stop killing people in droves and destroying vast value. The Valley-comes-to-DC story is therefore an existential menace to the old regime across the West as it explicitly challenges the protected status of the permanent administrative state to which politicians have handed power since 1945. Cf. This by Joe Lonsdale on DOGE, technical teams and ‘root access’ to understand some of why it’s hard for the regime media to cover this story. If you ask Cabinet Office officials ‘how many people work here’ they can’t answer. If you ask ‘how many people do you pay’ they can’t answer. Part of what the PM’s data science team we set up in 2020 was doing was what Lonsdale describes here for DOGE which is partly why McSweeney stopped the Cabinet Office closing it after he was tipped off by some good officials. And see this piece on Ron Conway, a Valley legend: ‘AM ON IT’ is the exact spiritual opposite of SW1 and will be a superpower in DC where DOGE deploys people to work all night in government buildings largely ‘WFH’. Hence the Democrats trying to use the courts to declare the combination of root access and AM ON IT unlawful: speed and technical competence are the enemy of the old regime and the courts their most reliable weapon. As in Britain, lawyers and judicial review are the core defence of the permanent regime against the voters’ demands for change.

[randomlegend]

All you really have to ask yourself is "have Musk or Trump ever done anything in their entire lives to benefit anyone that isn't themselves?"

The answer is no. Therefore you've got to be as gullible as a three year old to think they're starting now.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They've both given livelihoods to thousands and thousands and thousands of people.

[randomlegend]

We cut things that actually mattered.

Which is why Phonics linked you a list of things DOGE have or are cutting which absolutely "actually matter", but you've stubbornly refused to acknowledge them so you can talk in perpetuity about the one thing you think you've found that doesn't matter

[randomlegend]

They've both given livelihoods to thousands and thousands and thousands of people.

In the most exploitative way they could possibly get away with at every juncture in order to make themselves more (and more and more) money.

If they could make that money by using slaves they would have. I mean in Trump's case he has a long history of actually just not paying contractors he's employed so he essentially does treat them as slaves.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, but they've still done it. You and I haven't.

[Lofty]

They've both given livelihoods to thousands and thousands and thousands of people.

I'd argue with Tesla and X they already had them and he came in above them, and in some cases led to them having to leave.

As for Trump last time round he was firing people as quick as he was hiring them and there was a lot of talk about how he is renowned for doing business deals with the little guy then litigating them to death without paying his end, not sure that counts? It works for him obviously but not so beneficial to others.

[randomlegend]

Yeah, but they've still done it. You and I haven't.

And?

I said they've never done anything in order to benefit other people. You've given me an example of something they did to benefit themselves.

[Jimmy Floyd]

All those people having (often well-paid) jobs is a benefit. It's a results business. Doesn't make them good men, but if they get the state working more efficiently (as they say they will) then who cares.

[Kikó]

There is a reason why government shouldn't move fast and break things like 1) the data they hold is hugely sensitive and private 2) breaking things can mean people die 3) government bodies are there to be boring, safe and competent. That's why we have the private sector to take risk and are rewarded accordingly.

[randomlegend]

All those people having (often well-paid) jobs is a benefit. It's a results business. Doesn't make them good men, but if they get the state working more efficiently (as they say they will) then who cares.

Of course it matters. If someone who's never done anything altruistic in their life suddenly does something apparently for the good of the people you need to be asking what's in it for them?

[phonics]

Jimmys point is dumb anyway but then you factor in that Trump is famous for stiffing anyone he can on payment and then tying anyone who tries to get paid for their work up in legal proceedings for years to get them to accept pennies on the dollar. It just moves from dumb to retarded.

[Shindig]

There is a reason why government shouldn't move fast and break things like 1) the data they hold is hugely sensitive and private 2) breaking things can mean people die 3) government bodies are there to be boring, safe and competent. That's why we have the private sector to take risk and are rewarded accordingly.

I agree but Trump is definitely a President who thinks he needs to be seen doing things. The (well, his) public might see it as refreshing. I can't help but think whatever he does just gets restored to the old order when he's out.

[Magic]

If you want to see what the public think look at the Facebook comments on articles and don't go on Reddit. They're all bootlicking simps.

[niko_cee]

If that happens, even if some of the other waste is eradicated, then it'll be a genuine disgrace and should be called out as such, which it thankfully clearly will be due to the rightful scrutiny this is all under.


Haven't they literally just suggested / started legislation increasing the deficit by four trillion dollars largely to extend in terms of time and scope the Trump 1 tax cuts?

As for the mole people, I bet that'll be one of those things where capital expenditure comes out of budget X and so is tightly controlled but maintenance or whatever is out of budget Y and no one gives a fuck about that. Also, how have you not heard of Iron Mountain? Also, with their involvement it will obviously be somewhat kick back driven as well.

[phonics]

No they wouldn't do that. They're altruists who want what's best for the American people.

[Pepe]

If any of the 'boring, safe, and competent' governments of the past few decades had at least hinted at trying to reduce waste, we wouldn't need to rely on the current set of wackos to do it. I doubt they will do any meaningful progress, but at least I hope that they inspire future governments to give it a try.

[randomlegend]

So naive it's painful

[Manc]

If ever there was a time to unban Harold, this is it.

[Pepe]

So naive it's painful

Good point. Governments will continue being every bit as useless as before and the deficit will keep ballooning.

[Pepe]

If ever there was a time to unban Harold, this is it.

I'd be up for it, but there are too many cowards among us.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If the RLs carry on defending the status quo then democracy is pretty much guaranteed to fall within 10-20 years, people are simply fed up with the lack of delivery and that's why Trump wins elections as opposed to Kamala Harris, it's why there's AfD, it's why there's Reform. People will ask for strongmen who get things done as opposed to elected people who don't.

If fans of the status quo are willing to work with the inevitable radicals then it might hold on. No sign of that so far.

[Pepe]

They seem to be doubling down, if anything.

[Pepe]

Just occurred to me that my boy Rand Paul must be seething seeing others doing the cutting.

[randomlegend]

Good point. Governments will continue being every bit as useless as before and the deficit will keep ballooning.

Why do you believe Donald Trump and Elon Musk would have any interest in making government more efficient?

Hint: they don't, they are just trying to divert even more money to themselves via tax cuts.

The deficit will not get smaller and everything will get far more useless.

[Pepe]

Did you even read what I posted? I know that those two won't make anything better. But they are giving the appearance of trying, which is why they won. If the quite excellent democrats (or even the republicans once they win, for that matter) tried to do something once in a while as opposed to taking the moral high ground on everything, maybe people wouldn't resort to voting for this lot.

[randomlegend]

If the RLs carry on defending the status quo then democracy is pretty much guaranteed to fall within 10-20 years, people are simply fed up with the lack of delivery and that's why Trump wins elections as opposed to Kamala Harris, it's why there's AfD, it's why there's Reform. People will ask for strongmen who get things done as opposed to elected people who don't.

If fans of the status quo are willing to work with the inevitable radicals then it might hold on. No sign of that so far.

Completely false dichotomy.

Just because I think handing the keys to the government to Elon fucking Musk with carte blanche to do what he wants is a very bad idea doesn't mean I believe in "the status quo".

Those are not the only two possibilities.

[Magic]

Good point. Governments will continue being every bit as useless as before and the deficit will keep ballooning.

And what's wrong with that? They aren't meant to be run for profit (and lol neither are corporates these days).

I want my govt to make enormous losses making my experience of life better and easier.

[Pepe]

And what's wrong with that?

The more money that goes into debt repayment, the less that can go into leisure centers and whatnot. Also inflation. Basic stuff.


I want my govt to make enormous losses making my experience of life better and easier.

How is that going so far?

[Magic]

Pretty good here actually, we're not as privatised as England.

[Pepe]

Then why are you bitching all day? Go enjoy life, mate.

[randomlegend]

I don't even know what your position is any more.

Current government bad. Therefore Musk + Trump better. But no you agree they won't actually make anything better. But that's still better somehow. What?

[Magic]

Debt to who lol we literally print our own money.

[Magic]

"omg ure so dumb that's not how economy works omg mj!"

Fuck your economy it's all fake bullshit.

[Pepe]

I don't even know what your position is any more.

Current government bad. Therefore Musk + Trump better. But no you agree they won't actually make anything better. But that's still better somehow. What?

Current (non-Trump) government bad? Yes

Musk + Trump better? No

Musk + Trump catastrophic danger omg we should all panic the world is ending? No

Trump funny? Yes

Musk funny? No

If you need any more details, please ask.

[niko_cee]

Mush + Trump worse?

[Pepe]

Debt to who lol we literally print our own money.

The US spends about 20% of its budget on debt repayment. How large do you think that number should be before considering maybe not borrowing so much?

[randomlegend]

Ok so it's point 3 where you're wrong, good to know.

[Pepe]

Want to place a bet? I'll give you $100 now. If the world is still around by the time Trump's term ends, you give me $150. Deal?

Feel free to offer different terms. Just tell me what terrible thing you predict will occur and we can go from there.

[Pepe]

Mush + Trump worse?

Yes. Mush bad. Crisp good.

[randomlegend]

Disasters have already happened. The data access Musk has already had is a disaster. You don't want to accept or can't understand that, so there's nothing to be done.

Do I think they will literally lead us to MAD in the next four years? Probably not.

[Pepe]

So, if you were American, you should perhaps be worried about some bad actor having access to your data (my data has been compromised like five times at this point, by the way). You are not though. Tell me what bad thing will happen to the UK / World that merits you spending everyday reading and crying about the state of the US government.

[Pepe]

But yes, we definitely disagree on how concerned we should be about Musk's employees having access to a treasury database. That is ok.

[randomlegend]

I wasn't aware we had to be directly impacted by issues in order to post about them on here. It's an absolutely crazy situation happening in the biggest and most powerful nation in the world, hence interesting.

Having said that, it's also ridiculous to suggest American politics don't end up impacting politics in other Western nations, the UK probably more than any other.

If Musk successfully buys the American government (which it looks increasing like he has) then he's sure to try to extend that influence.

[randomlegend]

But yes, we definitely disagree on how concerned we should be about Musk's employees having access to a treasury database. That is ok.

Yeah I understand that's what you think, but you're wrong.

[Pepe]

No you are!

:handbags:

[randomlegend]

No you are!

:handbags:

You persistently engage like a child so I'm just responding in kind.

[Pepe]

You are the only person in here that constantly calls other names. I am perfectly fine with having disagreements.

[Pepe]

I do think that there is some potential of things going very wrong. The seem to be embracing chaos more this time around. I still trust the CHECKS AND BALANCES though.

[Lewis]

Musk has repeatedly said that government finances are unsustainable, and his companies are notably productive, so he is clearly genuine in wanting a more efficient government. Whether this is the best way to go about it, or will really make a difference without going after defence or whatever else, who knows; but people need a more compelling theory than it merely being a play to fund tax cuts (when did Republicans ever care about balancing tax cuts?) or him doing it to win piddling Tesla contracts.

[Lofty]

Tesla's productivity is dog shit compared to other car makers. As is their build quality.

[randomlegend]

Lewis

The opposite is true. You need an extremely compelling theory to explain why Musk would suddenly genuinely care about government efficiency.

The default position based on the entirety of his existence should be that he is doing it for his own ends because that's all he's ever done

[Lofty]

It's all a crypto rug pull and illicit trousering bonanza, it's really not that deep. The cunt literally said 'I will say incorrect things' when challenged the other day, as he went on to say a load more mental shit justifying why he was doing what he was doing.

[Lewis]

Lewis

The opposite is true. You need an extremely compelling theory to explain why Musk would suddenly genuinely care about government efficiency.

The default position based on the entirety of his existence should be that he is doing it for his own ends because that's all he's ever done

Without resorting to wibble like 'successfully buys the American government' (this idea requires all of the bad things said about Trump to not apply for some reason), what are the financial incentives at work here? If he wanted to make more and more money wouldn't he be better off just running his companies that have already made him the wealthiest man alive and lobbying for tax and regulation cuts that the Republicans are normally happy to make without any corresponding efficiency drives?

[Lewis]

Tesla's productivity is dog shit compared to other car makers. As is their build quality.

I think all but a select few of the world's car manufacturers are currently in a scramble for their continued existence. Tesla probably isn't one of them. But what about Space X? How do the other companies that catch re-usable rockets compare for efficiency and quality?

[Magic]

The US spends about 20% of its budget on debt repayment. How large do you think that number should be before considering maybe not borrowing so much?

Borrowing from who kthx

[randomlegend]

Without resorting to wibble like 'successfully buys the American government' (this idea requires all of the bad things said about Trump to not apply for some reason), what are the financial incentives at work here? If he wanted to make more and more money wouldn't he be better off just running his companies that have already made him the wealthiest man alive and lobbying for tax and regulation cuts that the Republicans are normally happy to make without any corresponding efficiency drives?

Yeah very rich people are never looking for more/faster/easier ways to get even richer, that's very true.

He also clearly loves the power.

[Pepe]

Borrowing from who kthx

https://www.voronoiapp.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.voronoiapp.com%2Fpubli c%2Fimages%2Fafc06dec-6bd6-465b-b42c-d9d183230766.webp&w=1200&q=85

[Lewis]

Yeah very rich people are never looking for more/faster/easier ways to get even richer, that's very true.

He also clearly loves the power.

Okay, but how does this make him richer? If his companies suffer because he is pissing around with Treasury databases then all the tax cuts in the world aren't going to make up for it. The only things the government could do to make him richer don't require him being this hands on.

I suspect he does like the power, but his power is dependent on Trump, who we are assured is a petty little man who doesn't like to be overshadowed, which surely puts a timer on it even if he ends up doing a very good job.

[niko_cee]

Yes. Mush bad. Crisp good.

The British Empire was built on Mush.

[niko_cee]

Without resorting to wibble like 'successfully buys the American government' (this idea requires all of the bad things said about Trump to not apply for some reason), what are the financial incentives at work here? If he wanted to make more and more money wouldn't he be better off just running his companies that have already made him the wealthiest man alive and lobbying for tax and regulation cuts that the Republicans are normally happy to make without any corresponding efficiency drives?

Isn't the argument as to why somewhat tied up in:


people are simply fed up with the lack of delivery

People feel this lack of delivery accounts for their sense that life has become worse for them / the common man [I make no judgment as to whether it has or not] and that some change to the status quo is indeed needed. In that world, simply delivering more Republican Tax Cuts™ isn't going to, well, cut it, is it? More of the same no thanks. So you need more of the same, as of course you want the same if you are very wealthy, but with a bit of flavour - government efficiency, blame Miguel over there for your lack of housing or poor healthcare, don't blame me the man that probably personally gets more US tax dollars than anyone else in the world etc *hyperbole alert*.

On the other side government should be a lot more efficient. The examples of waste are often egregious and it sometimes feels like the whole thing needs burning down and rebuilding, as long as you can do that without society falling apart. As Starmer said, there is a preponderance towards saying no to everything in the civil service/government, always finding a problem but never solving one, endless obfuscation. I'm sure the likes of Cummings thought the same. It is a difficult thing to try to get your head around solving, but instinctively I'm not sure the oligarch playbook is necessarily the one that is going to be of the greatest benefit to the largest number. We'll see, I guess.

We have a 4 year live experiment, apparent 'quiet competence' on the one side in the UK government and move fast and break shit can do culture on the other side of the pond. They'll probably both end up failing ignominiously for different reasons.

[Lofty]

I think all but a select few of the world's car manufacturers are currently in a scramble for their continued existence. Tesla probably isn't one of them. But what about Space X? How do the other companies that catch re-usable rockets compare for efficiency and quality?

Considering Tesla had such a head start with EVs they haven't exactly outperformed the traditional brands have they? Some Model 3s literrally have their bumpers drop off if you live in a higher than average rainfall area.

SpaceX is a good argument for Elon staying in his lane, you can throw all the resources and engineers you want at solving physics problems. Look how his application of the same principles worked at X: turns out people are a more fluid problem. Is he still suing the advertisers he told to fuck off for leaving?

[niko_cee]

As to what specifically motivates the likes of Musk, who the fuck knows. I can never get my head around it.

Why is Jamie Dimon going mental at 'zoomers'? As a retirement age person with probably hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank why has he been working 7 days a week since covid when he could be sipping pina coladas in the Caribbean? I think you have to just accept that on some level these people are just mad, which is why they get where they are, but also why they seem unable to stop.

[randomlegend]

Okay, but how does this make him richer? If his companies suffer because he is pissing around with Treasury databases then all the tax cuts in the world aren't going to make up for it. The only things the government could do to make him richer don't require him being this hands on.

I suspect he does like the power, but his power is dependent on Trump, who we are assured is a petty little man who doesn't like to be overshadowed, which surely puts a timer on it even if he ends up doing a very good job.

With the access his goons had to the treasury systems he could literally siphon money directly from the government into his own bank account.

[Dquincy]

RL's blind hatred for Musk is something else. Unless it's Karl Marx, you won't be happy.

In other news...and no I've not read into it and no I'm not going to.

1890224260083499340

[niko_cee]

Good job the big brains haven't instantly had their public facing internet presence hacked and defaced.

[niko_cee]

In other news...and no I've not read into it and no I'm not going to.

1890224260083499340

The only redeeming feature of that is the comments which are divided between far too many "lol this will never pass/they can't do this" type responses and people rightly calling the bill introducers weirdos. Do you need to stoop to that level to try and have a point? Along with the red, white and blueland stuff what is going on over there? Do they routinely have loads of banter bills? I can't imagine as yank banter must be one of the few things worse than actual banter, being as they are largely unaware of the concept of irony as a people. Do we routinely get this type of stupidity in our legislative process or do STATE'S RIGHTS exacerbate it ?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Their great failing is how earnest they are about everything. Just watch any Ken Burns doc. THE FLAG OF LIBERTY yeah alright Ken, that'll do.

I had to talk to America about small customers the other day. I used the phrase 'Joe Schmoe' which I thought would be up their alley. Texas Man just looked at me blankly and said 'Are you referring to the independent end user base?' Get a sense of humour, Chuck. Sorry, humOR.

[phonics]

Americans have the weirdest blank spots. I distinctly remember a situation where I had to have a good 15 minute conversation with an otherwise brilliant and intelligent colleague explaining the time descriptor of for example ‘half three’ as meaning half past three not half way to three (two thirty) or the even more infathomable interpretation that it meant one thirty (for instance ‘half seven’ would be three thirty)

[niko_cee]

:D

Amazing.

I think we should adopt that sort of time nomenclature.

See you at half twelve in the evening. *Head explodes*

[phonics]

Tbf they struggle enough with a 24 hour clock so it was unfair of me to expect they could understand such a radical concept as ‘just not using the word past’

[Magic]

Americans have the weirdest blank spots. I distinctly remember a situation where I had to have a good 15 minute conversation with an otherwise brilliant and intelligent colleague explaining the time descriptor of for example ‘half three’ as meaning half past three not half way to three (two thirty) or the even more infathomable interpretation that it meant one thirty (for instance ‘half seven’ would be three thirty)

"Back of" can get to fuck, though.

[Dquincy]

$310.38 savings per tax payer now. Good work boys.

[Shindig]

An Xbox Series S in every home, courtesy of Donald Trump.

[Pepe]

Just in time for the Switch 2.

[Ben]

Americans have the weirdest blank spots. I distinctly remember a situation where I had to have a good 15 minute conversation with an otherwise brilliant and intelligent colleague explaining the time descriptor of for example ‘half three’ as meaning half past three not half way to three (two thirty) or the even more infathomable interpretation that it meant one thirty (for instance ‘half seven’ would be three thirty)

That’s a common thing in other languages to be fair. All the Germans I work with would take “half three” to be 30 minutes until 3 too. But usually they grasp the concept within 10 seconds once you explain it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm mesmerised by that half seven idea.

'I start work at nine, and finish at half ten.'

[Serj]

Yeah, half three is simply "halfway to three" in German, maybe they got it from here. I always thought it's the Britons who are the weird ones on this. Never made the effort to find out what's more prevalent in other languages, though.

Edit: The half seven = three thirty interpretation is brilliant :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

Good use of 'Britons', only hear it these days when some have died in a far-flung plane crash.

French say et demie, Spanish y medio. So I'm afraid it's our central European brothers in arms who once again find themselves at social odds with the rest.

[Serj]

After a quick check I'm happy to see we can rely on our Germanic brethren in the North/North-West to also have adopted proper etiquette.

More to phonics point, the inflexibility or rather complete ignorance of the fact that other people do things differently even within the same language does come up with Americans especially, I feel. I remember spelling something out for a woman over there and when I said "zed" instead of "zee" that started a whole spinoff conversation because she'd never heard of that and it blew her mind.

Makes sense though, when you're basically a whole continental society within the same borders plus the world's dominant cultural power I guess it's natural to be very inward-focused.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought I spoke Spanish until I turned up in Colombia and started talking about conduciendo mi coche, they looked at me like I was a martian. In Spain you conduct a coach, in Latam you manage a car. Borges was right.

[Pepe]

Depends where in Latam.

[Ben]

I used to think I was half decent at understanding Spanish, then I heard some Chileans at work jabbering in the smoking shelter. The fuck is their lingo all about.

[Yevrah]

JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference. :D

[Yevrah]

All you really have to ask yourself is "have Musk or Trump ever done anything in their entire lives to benefit anyone that isn't themselves?"

The answer is no.

You have absolutely no way of knowing whether the answer is no.

[randomlegend]

Musk's team already doing a great job of keeping that data safe. Firs they got hacked, now they've released classified data online:

https://newrepublic.com/post/191580/elon-musk-doge-classified-us-intel-data-website

[Yevrah]

Hilarious to see Europe now shitting itself at the prospect of Ukraine/Russia US led peace talks. If the Orange-a-tang swoops in and sorts a deal out after three years of their pissing about with no end in sight they're all going to look like absolute twats.

[Kikó]

I'm sure Europe could have arranged a similar deal with Putin getting everything he wanted.

[Kikó]

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/14/climate/nuclear-nnsa-firings-trump/index.html getting rid of the waste :drool:

[Lofty]

Hilarious to see Europe now shitting itself at the prospect of Ukraine/Russia US led peace talks. If the Orange-a-tang swoops in and sorts a deal out after three years of their pissing about with no end in sight they're all going to look like absolute twats.

Oversimplification though, Trump has arranged a peace summit Moscow say they wont attend and prior to him the US were supporting Ukraine. He seems to be destabilising conflict zones like Gaza spouting all his plans.

[Magic]

Hilarious to see Europe now shitting itself at the prospect of Ukraine/Russia US led peace talks. If the Orange-a-tang swoops in and sorts a deal out after three years of their pissing about with no end in sight they're all going to look like absolute twats.

Worst take of all time imo

[Giggles]

Imagine that.

[Yevrah]

As I said upthread, those that despise Trump are incapable of ever admitting he might actually do something good, let alone that he has if he actually does.

[Yevrah]

Destabilising Gaza? I’d not noticed it was swimming in peace and stability.

[Kikó]

Yes, all praise Trump for his master negotiating skills of giving Putin everything he wants and asking for all of the minerals from Ukraine. That's amazing deal making.

[Giggles]

As I said upthread, those that despise Trump are incapable of ever admitting he might actually do something good, let alone that he has if he actually does.

Politics is just the new soccer for people who get old. Nobody has ever or will ever change anyone's mind about anything.

[Yevrah]

Yes, all praise Trump for his master negotiating skills of giving Putin everything he wants and asking for all of the minerals from Ukraine. That's amazing deal making.

Is that’s what’s actually happened, what you genuinely think will happen or how you’ll describe whatever does happen?

[Lofty]

Destabilising Gaza? I’d not noticed it was swimming in peace and stability.

In the middle of the cease fire and hostage exchange he was saying he was going to evict the Palestinians and make it a beach resort.

Honestly with regards to the Ukraine thing are you being contrary for the sake of it? All Russian response has been they aren't attending any peace talks. Trump's effort on this is like me setting up a date with Kelly Brook.

[Magic]

Politics is just the new soccer for people who get old. Nobody has ever or will ever change anyone's mind about anything.

Finally, a sensible post.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The difference between Trump and the EU is that the EU is a project which exists to uphold various isms and principles, whereas Trump has none of these. Now obviously if one is a fan of these isms and principles it means that you are unlikely to be a fan of Trump, but it also means he can negotiate with Putin as an arch-pragmatist, which the EU cannot, and nor could a Democrat president of the type that they have served up recently.

[Lewis]

I think all of the 'rare earths' are in the Russian bits of Ukraine anyway so Ukraine might as well offer Trump whatever access he wants.

Europe could easily replace the American contribution to Ukraine, and Trump probably isn't going to give Russia what it wants (they would be mongs to accept some frozen conflict at this point), so it's all just a shakedown to save money.

[randomlegend]

Is that’s what’s actually happened, what you genuinely think will happen or how you’ll describe whatever does happen?

That a deal won't happen, you'll resolutely ignore it and desperately search for the next "positive" thing Trump does until it turns out not to be positive and you can pretend that doesn't exist either.

[niko_cee]

I think all of the 'rare earths' are in the Russian bits of Ukraine anyway so Ukraine might as well offer Trump whatever access he wants.

Europe could easily replace the American contribution to Ukraine, and Trump probably isn't going to give Russia what it wants (they would be mongs to accept some frozen conflict at this point), so it's all just a shakedown to save money.

I was thinking surely their best bet would be to offer Trump an 'ownership position' in the Donbas, I mean, it literally has his name on it.

[Foe]

If the deal is “ok, putin, actually we will stop fighting for the land you’re trying to steal and we want to keep and give you the land you’re trying to steal that we are fighting for if you promise not to try and steal more” I’m pretty sure any of us could have made that deal, never mind Biden or Ukraine.

If Ukraine doesn’t have a security guarantee they might as well keep fighting now and hope Europe step up with resources into the fight if things look bleak.

I doubt Poland would want the Russians at their border.

You can’t reward aggression.

[John Arne]

Ok, just admitting to wanting to be a dictator now. Not at all worrying. Still, he is funny, I guess.

1890831570535055759

[AJ23]

The sooner people realise it's personality/controversy that gets you popularity, the better.

That goes for politics, onlyfans, instagram or otherwise.

Sad but true. Look at those twats KSI and Fake Paul for confirmation.

[AJ23]

I also don't trust Trump. This guy has been convicted of a lot of things, but he has been alleged of releasing secrets of Ukraine to Russia to Putin. From his last time in charge.

Of course then he can say I can stop this war. Dirty egotistical man. He's in tight with Putin, who he admires because he's a similar despot, and was a big part of why Brexit happened, to destabilise Europe. You can stop a war if you know the secrets. Look it up more. Now he'll look like the US hero with a deal :chortle:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/22/donald-trump-links-to-russia-steele-dossier-uk-book-claims

[phonics]

1891121406139601384

Very cool.

[randomlegend]

It's all good bro stop being so hysterical bro they are just beneficently cutting through the red tape bro.

[Pepe]

You can keep being hysterical and negative. Me, I will focus on the great positives:

1881507798040932522

:drool:

[Boydy]

Are low-flow toilets normal toilets as opposed to your ridiculous toilets that you can dip your balls in?

[Pepe]

I don't know what the cutoffs are, but my current upstairs toilet doesn't have enough power to flush one big shit in a single go. Criminal stuff.

[Dquincy]

That a deal won't happen, you'll resolutely ignore it and desperately search for the next "positive" thing Trump does until it turns out not to be positive and you can pretend that doesn't exist either.
This is children arguing in a playground level of conversation now.

[randomlegend]

Sorry it's still so far above your level.

[Dquincy]

Be that as it may, I want you to know you're better than this. Or you certainly can be.

[phonics]

The deal they offered Ukraine is genuinely mental. It makes the Versailles Treaty look generous.

[Magic]

Except Ukraine hasn't done anything wrong lol.

[Spikey M]

Unless he's playing some 12D chess, it's probably time to accept that RL was right. That Ukraine deal is some Mafia shit.