USA Midterms....

[AuroraSaab]

But you don't mention many other aspects about their influence that can impact us eg if Trump goes ahead with his trade tariffs we'll be suffering the "US influence" - so I feel it reasonable to think the world might benefit from a US is not so dominant.

Ian

True, but this is just the same as 'EU influence', eg in putting huge tarrifs on Chinese electrics vehicles. Big economies will take steps to protect themselves and the US are no different. Every country acts in their own self interest.

I feel we shouldn’t be too pessimistic. He’s still to be sworn in and who knows if he’ll survive to see inauguration day?

I think he'll let each state decide on many of the contentious issues so he'll be neither as actively terrible or actively wonderful as his detractors/supporters expect.

 

[icowden]

Vance is onboard with project 2025, isn't he? He maybe isn't as batshit crazy as Trump but he's definitely dangerous.

Possibly more. There was some conjecture that they might let Trump settle in, then declare him medically unfit so that Vance can take over.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Possibly more. There was some conjecture that they might let Trump settle in, then declare him medically unfit so that Vance can take over.

Conjecture! That's me convinced.

What this and the UK elections have shown is that nobody has a bloody clue as to what will happen in politics, but that doesn't stop them saying that they do, especially on the internet where every other person is in on some secret plot or other.

 

[Ian H]

A left-wing view:-
...Harris’s “nomination” was the least democratic in history. She was quickly bounced from the 2020 primaries by Tulsi Gabbard’s four-minute condemnation of her as a ruthless California prosecutor who jailed poor black women for keeping their kids out of school, even when the children were ill, and promoted keeping black men in prison because the state needed the money from their slave labour.

Though she portrayed herself as a champion of the people, her record as California attorney-general had her giving lip service to this claim but often instead siding with the banks and big tech to the point where Larry Fink, head of the largest investment firm in the world, claimed that in the eyes of the financial industry there was no difference between Trump and Harris....

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/democracy-was-not-ballot-democrats-made-sure

 

[Beebo]

A left-wing view:-
...Harris’s “nomination” was the least democratic in history. She was quickly bounced from the 2020 primaries by Tulsi Gabbard’s four-minute condemnation of her as a ruthless California prosecutor who jailed poor black women for keeping their kids out of school, even when the children were ill, and promoted keeping black men in prison because the state needed the money from their slave labour.

Though she portrayed herself as a champion of the people, her record as California attorney-general had her giving lip service to this claim but often instead siding with the banks and big tech to the point where Larry Fink, head of the largest investment firm in the world, claimed that in the eyes of the financial industry there was no difference between Trump and Harris....

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/democracy-was-not-ballot-democrats-made-sure

But in the circumstances they had no choice but to go with Harris.
A much smarter move would have been for Biden to drop out 6 months earlier. It didn’t happen and we know what happened next.

 

[spen666]

Wonder if Donald will order Prince Harry's Visa Application to be released?

Depending on what that said, could Donald revoke his US Citizenship if Harry lied re drug taking on application?


Imagine the political fall out if Donald did do that.... will be time to get the popcorn out and watch social media explode

 

[bobzmyunkle]

especially on the internet where every other person is in on some secret plot or other.

Except Project 2025 isn't very secret.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Except Project 2025 isn't very secret.

I didn't know that "some conjecture that they might let Trump settle in, then declare him medically unfit so that Vance can take over" was part of Project 25.

 

[icowden]

I didn't know that "some conjecture that they might let Trump settle in, then declare him medically unfit so that Vance can take over" was part of Project 25.

It isn't. It's just conjecture.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/sto...e-vice-president-25th-amendment-replace-trump

 

[Rusty Nails]

It isn't. It's just conjecture.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/sto...e-vice-president-25th-amendment-replace-trump

I know. It was a sarcastic response to bobzmyuncle's post.

To confirm the author of that article was talking through his backside you just need to read what he says about Harris's campaign:
"watching her handle the challenge of an abbreviated campaign with skill, humanity and toughness". Granted she had little time but her performance was certainly underwhelming.

I suspect that, had he stood, Biden would have suffered as large a defeat as, or even worse than, Harris because of his obvious and increasing frailty. The Democrats shot themselves in the foot with their choice of candidate(s).

 

[Ian H]

But in the circumstances they had no choice but to go with Harris.
A much smarter move would have been for Biden to drop out 6 months earlier. It didn’t happen and we know what happened next.

There's more over a longer timescale in the article.

 

[qigong chimp]

Scourge of God.
It's all in hand.

 

[stowie]

True, but this is just the same as 'EU influence', eg in putting huge tarrifs on Chinese electrics vehicles. Big economies will take steps to protect themselves and the US are no different. Every country acts in their own self interest

Trump's import tax policy reminds me somewhat of the old import substitution strategies used by Latin America and India post world war II.

For countries like India that were building from a colonial past that skewed manufacturing, it made some sense at least on a theoretical basis. Although it was very largely abandoned in towards the end of the last century as it created a whole bunch of other problems and skews that in some cases were no better than the issues they were designed to solve. For an advanced nation, it seems an odd choice.

 

[cookiemonster]

Lady Liberty's had enough. Jumped on the first JFK to Scotland flight and downing a bottle of whisky.

 

[Psamathe]

But in the circumstances they had no choice but to go with Harris.
A much smarter move would have been for Biden to drop out 6 months earlier. It didn’t happen and we know what happened next.

I agree. Having listened endless commentary on the result, apparently Biden's approval ratings were such that he'd never have won even without the disaster of the debate. But that he clung on so long prevented the Democrats from having a proper "Primary" to chose the best candidate and that would not have been Harris. Harris was the only option at the point Biden finally dropped out.

Harris carried too much baggage in that she was VP in the administration that caused all the issues voters were moving to Trump over - and she could not separate herself from that. To separate herself from the issues the electorate were concerned about would have been disloyal (vote losing problem) and self-critical (vote losing problem).

So my view (claiming no expertise) is that the failure all comes from Biden.

Ian