Linguoboy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 3:34 pmWhat "efforts"? I've heard about him grandstanding on the issue in speeches, but has there actually been any kind of official proposal, let alone an attempt to contact anyone who could conceivably entertain an offer?
Trudeau said there wasn't "a snowball's chance in hell" that Canada would merge with the USA, the Prime Minister of Greenland has repeatedly stated that Greenland is not for sale, and President José Raúl Mulino says Panama has no intention of selling the canal. Granted, these could simply be hard initial bargaining conditions, but until there's an actual offer it's all nothing more than bluster from someone with a strong track record of not following through on his promises and proposals.
Everyone said the same thing when Hitler came to power, that he was merely bluffing about wanting to expand Germany and annex neighboring countries. We should start with the assumption that Trump, like his spiritual predecessors, is sincere in his malign declarations.
keenir wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 4:35 pmAlso, it took us over 200 years to accept the possibility of a Catholic President...we turned down the Philipines(sp), and have been doing a song-and-dance with P.R......does Trump think MAGA is going to accept Quebec?
That assumes they decide to grant statehood to Canadian provinces. It seems more likely to me that Canada becomes a US territory (or several) like Puerto Rico with some level of autonomy but no vote in US elections or congressional seats.
Mureta ikan topaasenni. Koomát terratomít juneeratu!
Remember, I was right about Die Antwoord | He/him
malloc wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 5:18 pmWe should start with the assumption that Trump, like his spiritual predecessors, is sincere in his malign declarations.
No, we should not, for reasons I and linguoboy have already given. And you should not, if you want to participate in this thread.
What we have seen of Trump is that he is not very good at following through with his promises, e.g. not only did Mexico not pay for the wall, very little of it was built in the first place (what was built was largely repairs to existing walls).
Travis B. wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 5:52 pm
e.g. not only did Mexico not pay for the wall, very little of it was built in the first place (what was built was largely repairs to existing walls).
I remember one of his officials saying that the wall might be "virtual", and someone on social media commenting that this meant migrants would have to wear Google Glasses so that they could see it.
Travis B. wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 5:52 pm
e.g. not only did Mexico not pay for the wall, very little of it was built in the first place (what was built was largely repairs to existing walls).
I remember one of his officials saying that the wall might be "virtual", and someone on social media commenting that this meant migrants would have to wear Google Glasses so that they could see it.
Zju wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 3:15 pm
So what does everyone think about Trump's efforts to acquire Canada, Greenland and Panama canal?
I called it: he will meaningfully hurt the US's reputation as a trustworthy and stable hegemon in the eyes of us allies. (https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idR ... 012025RP1/) but I don't think he will actually invade Denmark anytime soon. I'd bet like 1 currencies against 10 that he will invade either canada, greenland, panama or some other nominal us ally before his term is up (i pay 1 buck if he doesn't, i get 10 if he does) which is to say I have high but not total certainty he won't do so, but such talk *is* destabilizing even if it's just talk.
_____
How true do we think it is that musk is like the shadow president?
Torco wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2025 9:40 amHow true do we think it is that musk is like the shadow president?
I think that's overstating it. He has influence over Trump and his policies, but more than Stephen Miller or Steve Bannon during his first term? I don't see it. The memoirs of former staff are filled with anecdotes about how difficult it is to get DJT to focus on anything or understand how government actually works and his mental capacities have only declined since then (quite seriously, according to some sources).
yeah, shadow president implies that he has more power than the real president (or that the real president isn't etcetera) and that's almost certainly false: but it's pretty clear that heading a government agency that closes (or at least hamstrings) other government agencies qualifies as more power than Bannon would have had, no?
As the saying somewhat goes, having too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the meal, especially when both cooks are egotistical narcissistic megalomaniacal billionaires.
Travis B. wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 5:52 pm
What we have seen of Trump is that he is not very good at following through with his promises, e.g. not only did Mexico not pay for the wall, very little of it was built in the first place (what was built was largely repairs to existing walls).
I think one BBC News interviewee put it best: Trump's specialty is sucking the air out of rooms, so nobody has the energy (or time) to engage in serious conversations.
Heck, he's doing this during parts of Carter's funeral!
Zju wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 3:15 pm
So what does everyone think about Trump's efforts to acquire Canada, Greenland and Panama canal?
I'm suprised that there has been surprising little protest -- there have been official reactions, but not as much as we can expect.
I don't know what that means -- maybe Trump isn't really taken that seriously?
As the saying somewhat goes, having too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the meal, especially when both cooks are egotistical narcissistic megalomaniacal billionaires.
I give them about a year. The visa thing was already difficult, and that was even before the official inauguration.
Zju wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2025 3:15 pm
So what does everyone think about Trump's efforts to acquire Canada, Greenland and Panama canal?
I'm suprised that there has been surprising little protest -- there have been official reactions, but not as much as we can expect.
I don't know what that means -- maybe Trump isn't really taken that seriously?
More like, people have no idea how to react, I guess.
Ares Land wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 10:35 amI'm suprised that there has been surprising little protest -- there have been official reactions, but not as much as we can expect.
I don't know what that means -- maybe Trump isn't really taken that seriously?
I feel like there is much less outrage against Trump this time as compared with the last time he was elected. Perhaps the general population has simply moved far to the right or maybe people are simply burnt out and too tired to fight anymore.
Mureta ikan topaasenni. Koomát terratomít juneeratu!
Remember, I was right about Die Antwoord | He/him
A fair guess is that, if you know a king is coming, or an authoritarian strongman which is similar enough, it's in your own best interest to not be seen to oppose him: kings tend to be unkind towards those that publicly announce their disloyalty to the king.
Or possibly neither of you are in a position to declare what the "general population" feels, or what the plans of activists are.
I'd note that the second post in this thread, Emily's, helpfully points out protests scheduled for Jan. 20. So it is accurate to say that no protests are planned, if you ignore the protests that are planned.
While acknowledging that Harris was far from perfect and would not have solved the deeper systemic issues facing this country, I cannot overstate how much I wish she had won. She would not have gotten us off the death row of late-stage capitalism by any means, but she would have given us a last minute reprieve.
Mureta ikan topaasenni. Koomát terratomít juneeratu!
Remember, I was right about Die Antwoord | He/him
