Donald I, emperor of the world.

[Pblakeney]

He was busy overnight! Now erasing inconvenient history.

"US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, which operates more than 20 museums and research centres visited by millions yearly in Washington DC and New York City.
The order directs the vice-president to "eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the institute's museums, centres and the National Zoo in Washington."

 

[briantrumpet]

Just in case anyone thought that Trump had any clue about anything: he forces input prices up massively through tariffs, then threatens carmakers who raise prices to cover the increased costs. He's an extortionist, pure and simple, and getting more insane by the day.

 

[Pinno718]

Bereft of policy, let's look like we are doing something positive. Lets dismantle stuff. Stuff that the MAGA's will approve of.
"You know, that project 2025 is clever stuff. Those guys are so clever. In fact they are the cleverist guys in the world. Apart from Elon. I mean he's even cleverer. The cleverest in my opinion. So clever I just do what they want me to do and sign the papers. Those guys are, you know, going to make everything so beautiful and we're going to have so much money, we won't know what to do with it..."

 

[Ian H]

Bereft of policy, let's look like we are doing something positive. Lets dismantle stuff. Stuff that the MAGA's will approve of.
"You know, that project 2025 is clever stuff. Those guys are so clever. In fact they are the cleverist guys in the world. Apart from Elon. I mean he's even cleverer. The cleverest in my opinion. So clever I just do what they want me to do and sign the papers. Those guys are, you know, going to make everything so beautiful and we're going to have so much money, we won't know what to do with it..."

Okay, you've convinced me.

 

[Rusty Nails]

The world is certainly changing since Trump took over the US and is being allowed to ride roughshod over their former constitutional form of government. Russia is playing him, or playing along with him and seem intent on carving a lot of the northern hemisphere up between them. Despite any pretensions of grandeur we may have had and how much we huff and puff we are powerless to change this and are going to have to make up our mind where we stand.

Are we going to become a de facto state of the US or swallow our pride and rejoin a readymade economic and political bloc?

I was always a lukewarm supporter of the EU and our membership, other than for trade/economic considerations, but I must admit that recent developments have convinced me I do not want to become part of the Trump led empire and would prefer to take my chances in a European bloc…as long as they/we can get our act together with a concerted front and pragmatic approach to defence spending as recognised already by those countries most vulnerable to Russian designs.

This is a wake up call to Europe.

 

[Pinno718]

The world is certainly changing since Trump took over the US and is being allowed to ride roughshod over their former constitutional form of government. Russia is playing him, or playing along with him and seem intent on carving a lot of the northern hemisphere up between them. Despite any pretensions of grandeur we may have had and how much we huff and puff we are powerless to change this and are going to have to make up our mind where we stand.

Are we going to become a de facto state of the US or swallow our pride and rejoin a readymade economic and political bloc?

I was always a lukewarm supporter of the EU and our membership, other than for trade/economic considerations, but I must admit that recent developments have convinced me I do not want to become part of the Trump led empire and would prefer to take my chances in a European bloc…as long as they/we can get our act together with a concerted front and pragmatic approach to defence spending as recognised already by those countries most vulnerable to Russian designs.

This is a wake up call to Europe.

Good points but slightly nihilistic. I am convinced that this bunch are not nearly organised sufficiently and will not become the 4th Reich.
They will implode. Trump has deployed a bunch of amateurs. Inexperienced amateurs.
Vance is not Himmel.
I am so far encouraged by the response in Europe I cannot square Starmer's approach where on the one hand he wants to unite Europe militarily but on the other, secure a trade deal before... was it Wednesday or next Wednesday? How would a trade deal sit aside our policy on Ukraine? Some one please tell me.
Would Trump say 'naughty Starmer. We done a deal with you and now you're doing this and this!?'

Ungrateful Brits ravaged by rape gangs.

 

[Rusty Nails]

The mid terms will certainly be an interesting pointer to Trump’s support by the public.

 

[Pinno718]

King Donald hasn't even mentioned the fires in Florida. He may if it looks like Mar E Lago goes up in smoke.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c7vz246407qo

"I've called the fire dept., they should be here".

 

[briantrumpet]

The mid terms will certainly be an interesting pointer to Trump’s support by the public.

...assuming that Project 2025 hasn't managed to do the fashy thing by then of skewing the electoral machinery to favour the Dear Leader... I've always found it bizarre how each state has different electoral laws & systems for national elections, but in the current situation it might be a bulwark against Trump taking control of the system. It's why Republicans are so desperate to get political control of the individual states' electoral boards and Supreme Courts.

 

[AndyRM]

He was busy overnight! Now erasing inconvenient history.

"US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, which operates more than 20 museums and research centres visited by millions yearly in Washington DC and New York City.
The order directs the vice-president to "eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the institute's museums, centres and the National Zoo in Washington."

I've just read the same article. It's insane, and rightly called a purge.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdjy1jmvvwzo

 

[Bazzer]

The mid terms will certainly be an interesting pointer to Trump’s support by the public.

The gerrymandering has continued the path trodden in the 2020 election, so these may not be an an accurate, at least so far as the published records are concerned, of voters' views.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

I had forgotten until reading in the Guardian today that the 2026 football World Cup is jointly held between USA, Canada & Mexico! Good luck sorting that one out 😂

 

[AndyRM]

I had forgotten until reading in the Guardian today that the 2026 football World Cup is jointly held between USA, Canada & Mexico! Good luck sorting that one out 😂

I've little (read: none) sympathy with FIFA on this one. They've played themselves by expanding the World Cup to the point where multiple country hosts are the only way it's going to work. Cconsidering most countries on the planet have historical and current arguments (albeit not quite on this scale), it's only going to get worse.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I had forgotten until reading in the Guardian today that the 2026 football World Cup is jointly held between USA, Canada & Mexico! Good luck sorting that one out 😂

According to the Donald that won’t be a problem.

 

[C R]

The trickle starts

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/26/yale-professor-fascism-canada

TL;DR Yale professor who studies fascism moves to Canada because he doesn't want his children growing under fascism.

Anecdotally, I have two texan colleagues. One who has lived in the UK for quite a while, the other moved to the UK last summer. Both have cancelled plans to visit the US for the foreseeable future.