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On April 11 2025 02:15 Legan wrote:
Reading up on the company that sold Zyklon B to Auschwitz this week was interesting. None of the indicted got longer than 8 years sentences, and many apparently did not know what went on in the camp even tho they had a factory inside the camps and had visited the camps personally. Quite a few were acquitted, and a few were released because of good behaviour and ended up in high industry positions. I don't think much has changed in how we would treat people related to similar violations. It is just so easy to claim that you did not know what was being done by the people you supported. I'm sure the world's richest standing next to each other at the inauguration will share amnesia about the event in the future. All will just be accidental, even if the results are catastrophic.
It's about Gaza, but it applies to a lot of US policy generally: One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
“This is an account of a fracture,” he writes, “a breaking away from the notion that the polite, western liberal ever stood for anything at all.” It is a deft, broken-hearted, rhetorical savaging of comfortable people who say nothing (or pay lip service) but care only about preserving normality, convincing themselves that these things only happen “to certain places, to certain people”.
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On April 11 2025 02:15 Legan wrote:
Reading up on the company that sold Zyklon B to Auschwitz this week was interesting. None of the indicted got longer than 8 years sentences, and many apparently did not know what went on in the camp even tho they had a factory inside the camps and had visited the camps personally. Quite a few were acquitted, and a few were released because of good behaviour and ended up in high industry positions. I don't think much has changed in how we would treat people related to similar violations. It is just so easy to claim that you did not know what was being done by the people you supported. I'm sure the world's richest standing next to each other at the inauguration will share amnesia about the event in the future. All will just be accidental, even if the results are catastrophic. We see it constantly, in a slightly less extreme form, with companies doing terrible/illegal things and somehow no one actually being responsible for it.
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I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths.
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On April 11 2025 02:40 Dan HH wrote:
I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths.
Those guys are related to this as doing things independently gives others cover for not knowing what these individuals did or at least not systematically ordering things. They are just a few bad apples spoiling everyone's reputation.
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This is what keeps me somewhat hopeful. Even Putin identified the competence of Nabiullina and forced her to stay as the central bank chair when she wanted to quit. The US regime keeps replacing everyone remotely competent with whoever praises Trump on TV or Twitter and it will bite them in the ass when there's no one left in the building that can open a laptop in less than 5 minutes.
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On April 11 2025 01:43 KT_Elwood wrote:
Corporate america is complicit with trump, if you act up, you are unemployable in a visible position or a danger to the company if you still have a social media account.
So much for "freedom" in the USA.
So "leaving in protest" gives you one defiant headline and spotlight for about 12 seconds, until the next avalanche of bullshit comes from Badgolf Shitler.
Yeah that‘s the CombatEX school of politics.
First he stream snipes you then he abuses your game.
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On April 11 2025 02:40 Dan HH wrote:
I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths.
I am more concerned with people who skirt the rules to line their own pockets, destroy small businesses to build transnational untouchable conglomerates whose #1 concerns are cheap exploitable labor and dependent consumer classes, than the facial expressions of people who enforce the law against brazen and systemic trampling of it.
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On April 11 2025 04:13 oBlade wrote:Show nested quote +On April 11 2025 02:40 Dan HH wrote:
I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths. I am more concerned with people who skirt the rules to line their own pockets, destroy small businesses to build transnational untouchable conglomerates whose #1 concerns are cheap exploitable labor and dependent consumer classes, than the facial expressions of people who enforce the law against brazen and systemic trampling of it.
k.
You can stop trying to quote bait me, I cannot in good consciensce engage in casual conversation with someone defending and advocating for the things you have defended and advocated.
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On April 11 2025 04:13 oBlade wrote:Show nested quote +On April 11 2025 02:40 Dan HH wrote:
I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths. I am more concerned with people who skirt the rules to line their own pockets, destroy small businesses to build transnational untouchable conglomerates whose #1 concerns are cheap exploitable labor and dependent consumer classes, than the facial expressions of people who enforce the law against brazen and systemic trampling of it.
What is the law worth when Trump just pardons people who side with him or run darknet market operations because it makes people buy crypto ?
Try besieging the Austrian parliament and breaking stuff in it and see who pardons you.
Vandalize the seat of US power = pardon
Burn cars = Terrorism
It‘s comical how the US is currently run.
It already was on his first term but it wasn‘t as obvious.
Dude has a Russian visum in the drawer.
I have to exercise a lot of restraint on the daily to not take a fat crap over the situation.
Case in point.
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I'm still hoping all this trade war stuff is just a form of over-exposure to where people mostly just go along with a China-focused trade war. Ruffle some feathers, give himself some breathing room to inch out little victories and generally frame himself as someone better off just working around.
I think there's enough EU/Canada/Mexico small issues he can use to frame himself as a champion once people are more glued to the USA vs China storyline. I say storyline because Trump basically manages his politics like television and usually can be predicted assuming its television.
If the trade war with China actually happens, I once again feel like its worth pointing out the trade war will push out any hopes of China taking Taiwan at least another 5 years. Even if we assume China "wins" the tradewar or whatever, there's no realistic way for China to deflect the whole thing such that they just stay right on track to take Taiwan. The Taiwan consideration is one of the reasons I think the trade war with China is real, even if the trade war with everyone else is not real.
Thinking about it more, I think all sorts of war game scenarios would end up concluding the best option the US has is to prevent the invasion to begin with through a trade war. There isn't much of a way to prevent China from trying to take Taiwan without direct military conflict. That conflict would be supremely bad for everyone involved. And the sociological impact of an actual military conflict would likely resonate for many years, if not generations.
The nature of "business is business" and whatnot provides a way for the US to prevent Taiwan from being taken without all the same messiness associated with full-ass military conflict. I think even if the trade war gets messy and both countries suffer a lot, the simple fact that its "trade" and not "military" allows for diplomatic ties to be repaired much more easily.
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I think its the oppisite really. If trump wanted a trade war, and the Chinese peasents talk does lend itself to wanting to go scorched earth against them, he would need coordination to make it work. By presenting the Chinese as the reliable trading partner in the room they isolate other nations even more to turn to china. The more power and influence China gets in global trade the more they can survive the hit if they do go after Taiwan. IF they decouple completely from American pork imports the only thing that could stop china from going after taiwan is an naval blockade. The smaller nations they source their food imports from wouldn't survive having their primary market taken from them like America theoretically could.
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I think the trade war will increase the possibility of china attacking taiwan instead of lowering the risk. War will inevitably disrupt trade, and incur loss to the companies, or at least make it more problematic. What is happening is that the potential cost of hot war is incurred in this trade war already. In some sense, the potential cost for china to attack taiwan decreased. It is counterintuitive to suggest the risk of hot war decrease as a result.
Unless the loss of trade between china and us somehow diminish the military capability of the chinese army, which there is no evidence of, at least for the things happened in this april 2025 trade war, I don't see any reason to suggest china will be less willing to attack taiwan after this round of trade war.
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On April 11 2025 05:31 Vivax wrote:Show nested quote +On April 11 2025 04:13 oBlade wrote:On April 11 2025 02:40 Dan HH wrote:
I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths. I am more concerned with people who skirt the rules to line their own pockets, destroy small businesses to build transnational untouchable conglomerates whose #1 concerns are cheap exploitable labor and dependent consumer classes, than the facial expressions of people who enforce the law against brazen and systemic trampling of it. What is the law worth when Trump just pardons people who side with him or run darknet market operations because it makes people buy crypto ? Try besieging the Austrian parliament and breaking stuff in it and see who pardons you. Vandalize the seat of US power = pardon Burn cars = Terrorism It‘s comical how the US is currently run. It already was on his first term but it wasn‘t as obvious. Dude has a Russian visum in the drawer. I have to exercise a lot of restraint on the daily to not take a fat crap over the situation. Case in point.
Maybe mass burning cars that are targeted based on the politics of the head of the company to induce fear would best be classified a youthful mistake? A tragic accident? Protected political speech? Mere hooliganism?
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On April 11 2025 14:11 oBlade wrote:Show nested quote +On April 11 2025 05:31 Vivax wrote:On April 11 2025 04:13 oBlade wrote:On April 11 2025 02:40 Dan HH wrote:
I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths. I am more concerned with people who skirt the rules to line their own pockets, destroy small businesses to build transnational untouchable conglomerates whose #1 concerns are cheap exploitable labor and dependent consumer classes, than the facial expressions of people who enforce the law against brazen and systemic trampling of it. What is the law worth when Trump just pardons people who side with him or run darknet market operations because it makes people buy crypto ? Try besieging the Austrian parliament and breaking stuff in it and see who pardons you. Vandalize the seat of US power = pardon Burn cars = Terrorism It‘s comical how the US is currently run. It already was on his first term but it wasn‘t as obvious. Dude has a Russian visum in the drawer. I have to exercise a lot of restraint on the daily to not take a fat crap over the situation. Case in point. Maybe mass burning cars that are targeted based on the politics of the head of the company to induce fear would best be classified a youthful mistake? A tragic accident? Protected political speech? Mere hooliganism?
Burning a couple of cars is small potatoes compared to getting into Congress looking to hang politicians. Just saying.
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Just consider the burning of cars in protest a way to recylce them without due process.
Somehow mass firing people, because of SPITE for their agencies, cutting poor people off help, putting wrong people in jail, threatening academia from using words like "women" in official publication. ( because saying "Women" will make you gay)... and even deport the wrong people is promoting "FREEEDOM" and "SECURITY" and of course it's no "crime".
Insider Trading when (R) does it: Not a crime.
Using insecure and off the records channels for top secret official communication ... when (R) does it.. not a crime!
Breaking and Entering into a federal agency: NOT A CRIME.. if whitetest boy alive has it done.
LOL.
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American agencies have been caught using a British man's tattoo as an example of what to expect on Venezuelan gang members.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly22xm8kx1o
"Pete Belton, 44, from Ilkeston says he was shocked to find his forearm featured in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document used to help identify alleged members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a transnational criminal organisation."
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Northern Ireland26225 Posts
On April 11 2025 14:11 oBlade wrote:Show nested quote +On April 11 2025 05:31 Vivax wrote:On April 11 2025 04:13 oBlade wrote:On April 11 2025 02:40 Dan HH wrote:
I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths. I am more concerned with people who skirt the rules to line their own pockets, destroy small businesses to build transnational untouchable conglomerates whose #1 concerns are cheap exploitable labor and dependent consumer classes, than the facial expressions of people who enforce the law against brazen and systemic trampling of it. What is the law worth when Trump just pardons people who side with him or run darknet market operations because it makes people buy crypto ? Try besieging the Austrian parliament and breaking stuff in it and see who pardons you. Vandalize the seat of US power = pardon Burn cars = Terrorism It‘s comical how the US is currently run. It already was on his first term but it wasn‘t as obvious. Dude has a Russian visum in the drawer. I have to exercise a lot of restraint on the daily to not take a fat crap over the situation. Case in point. Maybe mass burning cars that are targeted based on the politics of the head of the company to induce fear would best be classified a youthful mistake? A tragic accident? Protected political speech? Mere hooliganism?
Just banter really
Edit - To be clear I don’t support this and think it’s asinine, and indeed have posted to this effect before, just mocking oBlade’s rather selective pearl clutching
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On April 11 2025 14:49 EnDeR_ wrote:Show nested quote +On April 11 2025 14:11 oBlade wrote:On April 11 2025 05:31 Vivax wrote:On April 11 2025 04:13 oBlade wrote:On April 11 2025 02:40 Dan HH wrote:
I'm less concerned with corpo shitbags trying to make numbers go up no matter the circumstances, than I am with all the videos of gleeful smirking ICE agents that look like they were all just itching for someone to give them permission to act on their intrusive thoughts. They're not just following orders, this is like Chrismas for sociopaths. I am more concerned with people who skirt the rules to line their own pockets, destroy small businesses to build transnational untouchable conglomerates whose #1 concerns are cheap exploitable labor and dependent consumer classes, than the facial expressions of people who enforce the law against brazen and systemic trampling of it. What is the law worth when Trump just pardons people who side with him or run darknet market operations because it makes people buy crypto ? Try besieging the Austrian parliament and breaking stuff in it and see who pardons you. Vandalize the seat of US power = pardon Burn cars = Terrorism It‘s comical how the US is currently run. It already was on his first term but it wasn‘t as obvious. Dude has a Russian visum in the drawer. I have to exercise a lot of restraint on the daily to not take a fat crap over the situation. Case in point. Maybe mass burning cars that are targeted based on the politics of the head of the company to induce fear would best be classified a youthful mistake? A tragic accident? Protected political speech? Mere hooliganism? Burning a couple of cars is small potatoes compared to getting into Congress looking to hang politicians. Just saying.
yes. is it good that property is damaged or destroyed? no. but there are laws on the docket already, going full gung ho on "tesla burners", categorizing them as terrorists does not even muster comical. it's farcical.
people are pissed, and addressing the underlying reasons is key for lasting peace and good governance.
having the richest person on the planet destroying government programs ordinary people rely on... to survive... is so far beyond the pale. mind bending stuff.
doge and their leader then lied about massive fraud in the federal government, while being asked about it could not substantiate/verify anything.
and to top it off mr. ketamine/elmo then has the gall to act like the cringelord he is at CPAC with his chainsawbrother
+ Show Spoiler +
and some wanna tell me people being pissed at that are the problem?
I heard it once said that the "US is a developing nation with a gucci belt". how it is being run kinda fits the bill.
more good news...
73% of Americans are financially stressed. Two-thirds say tariff concerns are the source: CNBC survey
U.S. Budget Deficit Widens to $1.3 Trillion as Interest on Public Debt Hits Record
and for what exactly? what was achieved or is in the process of being achieved by the best people to ever lead, being led by the leader of leaders? if those are the collateral costs?
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Donald Trump's Secretary of Education (Linda McMahon) is desperately trying to one-up Trump's other Secretary of Education (Betsy DeVos) in just how uneducated the Secretary of Education can possibly be. Linda McMahon recently thought "A.I." (artificial intelligence) was actually "A1"... like the steak sauce:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6QL0c5BbCR4
This embarrassment even led the A1 steak sauce brand to make posts and ads making fun of her:
https://qz.com/linda-mcmahon-artificial-intelligence-ai-a-1-1851775785
The Republican party's vision has always been "If we create a dysfunctional and useless government, then we can convince people that all government is dysfunctional and useless", and that philosophy has been epitomized by Trump's quest to close down the Department of Education by making it implode with disastrous anti-education decisions like appointing DeVos and McMahon to be leaders of the DoE.
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On April 11 2025 10:53 Sermokala wrote:
I think its the oppisite really. If trump wanted a trade war, and the Chinese peasents talk does lend itself to wanting to go scorched earth against them, he would need coordination to make it work. By presenting the Chinese as the reliable trading partner in the room they isolate other nations even more to turn to china. The more power and influence China gets in global trade the more they can survive the hit if they do go after Taiwan. IF they decouple completely from American pork imports the only thing that could stop china from going after taiwan is an naval blockade. The smaller nations they source their food imports from wouldn't survive having their primary market taken from them like America theoretically could.
Is this line of reasoning not ignoring any economic damage caused by the trade war? People can argue over who gets hurt "the most" from this situation, but the reality is both countries will be harmed a great deal. Its not like whoever suffers the most is the only one who is harmed and the other side emerges totally unscathed.
I don't think the issue of Taiwan has ever been about total military strength. As-is, China has the ability to flatten Taiwan, but would not benefit from flattening Taiwan. China's only real option is to seize it and occupy it. But China and everyone else knows sanctions and whatnot create a need for them to be in a good position going into it.
The US complicating things with direct military intervention or anything else makes it precarious as well.
Taiwan is deeply important to China, but they have waited this long because they realize it really is not super duper urgent and will not provide an immediate significant benefit. They have a lot to lose and its difficult to predict how things will go. If a prolonged trade war really does happen, I have a hard time believing they'll have the stability they need to let things shake around a bit from Taiwan's occupation.
I'm not one of the types who insists China is perpetually on the verge of collapse, but China clearly chooses to play most situations as safely as they can. Their population and geography are both way too big to allow for instability. Things could spiral in a bad way if they bite off more than they can chew. And unless I am missing a critical detail, the immediate payoff of Taiwan simply doesn't exist. I don't think Xi would risk it.
But I of course say this with a great deal of ignorance. The specifics of the internals of China and the US are not known to any of us. We don't know how much each side are really willing to commit to this trade war. We don't know if China really is a paper tiger barely holding on, or wildly unstable. Many things are simply beyond reasonable prediction. But I am offering my 2 cents because its a fun conversation to have. If anyone knows more than me, I'm always happy to learn.
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EPT![[image loading]](https://www.financialexpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/diya-2025-02-21T074621.571.jpg?w=1024)
