Trump officials will screen NIH funding opportunities
^{— Sara Reardon, Jon Cohen, Jocelyn Kaiser · Science/AAAS · Mar 26, 2025}

Less and less separation, independence, ... Political imposition, scientific grants to align with government messaging, ... Creepy.

Hmm

A secretary can invite anyone to meetings with visiting counterparts, but attendee lists are usually carefully limited to those who need to be there and attendees are typically expected to possess security clearances given the delicate nature of the discussions, according to defense officials and people familiar with the meeting. There is often security near the meeting space to keep away uninvited attendees. — Hegseth Brought His Wife to Sensitive Meetings With Foreign Military Officials · WSJ · Mar 28, 2025

Why hasn't there been any fraud cases yet?

I'm thinking there are some cases where social media messages can be evidence.
This was posted on a verified account (I added the embedded link):

Exactly.
My son, Xavier, died. He was killed by the woke mind virus.
Now, the woke mind virus will die. — Elon Musk · Mar 22, 2025

I think Musk's rationale for what he says/does came up in this thread.
The above message could serve as evidence.

But, moderation is a thankless, tedious job; going into that detail could make the job unreasonably time-consuming. :)

Cause for concern? The commentary doesn't strike me as radicalism or propaganda, which are typical accusations.

Re: America turning from democracy to authoritarianism:

I teach both American and international government. For years, I’ve been going over “case study” states, from mostly democratic (UK), to democratizing-but-corrupt (Mexico, Nigeria), to illiberal-authoritarian (Russia), to theocratic (Iran), to traditional authoritarian (China).

When it comes to the difference between democracy and authoritarianism, one thing Americans need to understand is that there’s never one single moment when you become an authoritarian state; no leader will stand up and announce, “I am now a dictator.”

Putin is the classic case study in the gradual, effective subversion of democracy. Russia had been democratizing for about a decade when he took over in 2000, and now – even though Russia ostensibly still has the appearance of democracy (elections, separation of powers, federalism, and a constitution) – none of that matters. Putin is in absolute control. And Putin is, coincidentally (?), the authoritarian most vocally admired by Donald Trump.

But how screwed are we? Well, as any first-year political science student can tell you, there are – very simple, clear-cut, definitive – ways to tell when your democracy is in danger. Let’s go over them, shall we?

1. You know you’re drifting toward authoritarianism when … your Legislative Branch cedes power to your President.

Montesquieu (and later Madison) envisioned the Legislative Branch as the primary workhorse of government: it was made – in part – to check the President’s excesses. It has far more powers than the President, it’s more representative of the people than the President, and it was specifically given the ability to restrain, overrule, or remove the President. In all of U.S. history, the legislature was never intended to be subservient to executive power. When a President’s rule sidesteps legislative functions – and Congress allows it – the balance of power is subverted.

For the record, Putin’s rise initially faced resistance from his own legislative Duma – serving their constitutional function – until he cowed them, forced out resistors, and intimidated dissent, eventually rewriting the rules around elections to install loyalists exclusively.

Ask yourself: Has the U.S. Congress been ceding power to President Trump, diminishing in importance as the president’s role grows?

2. You know you’re drifting toward authoritarianism when … corporatism becomes normalized.

Corporatism is a political system in which for-profit business groups (i.e., mass media and energy) become the most impactful partners in the government’s policymaking process.

Authoritarians need industry leaders (and more importantly, their money) to spread their influence. Consequently, deals are made and favors traded (tax cuts in exchange for favorable reporting, for instance) that further enhance the power of the oligarchs and the President over that of the people.

For the record, Putin allowed profiteering for oligarchs who would help him (the Rotenburgs and Yuri Kovalchuk), and persecuted or jailed those who opposed him (Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky).

Ask yourself: Has President Trump empowered corporations who aided him and diminished those who opposed him in order to gain more power?

3. You know you’re drifting toward authoritarianism when … you begin to wonder if your President will obey the Constitution.

Rule of law is considered one of the four pillars of democracy, and the U.S. – despite its foibles – has a strong tradition of adherence to this concept. For many countries, the constitution is just a piece of paper, altered on the fly when it suits the regime (example: every Chinese president before Xi Jinping had term limits; now – with a wave of the pen – he does not). If obeying the U.S. Constitution becomes a question rather than an expectation, that is not in the American tradition of democracy.

For the record, Putin regularly violates the civil liberties present within the Russian constitution: restricting protests, intimidating (or outright murdering) journalists, and jailing political opponents.

Ask yourself: Have President Trump’s actions ever threatened constitutional norms or the rule of law in pursuit of personal gain?

4. You know you’re drifting toward authoritarianism when … your President creates enemies for you to turn on, both internally and externally.

This is pretty much textbook fascism, frankly, but I’m shocked at how easily it’s getting overlooked. Look, one cannot be a hero without a villain – and who is more easily vanquished than the vulnerable? If you can turn your citizenry onto a witch hunt against its own people, that’s a useful tool for power grabs in the name of “security.” And if you can turn them against a foreign adversary, even better: nothing promotes nationalism like warfare … especially easily won warfare.

Ask yourself: Has President Trump encouraged us to turn on any of our fellow Americans … or created any new foreign enemies out of historic allies?

5. You know you’re drifting toward authoritarianism when … your President elevates loyalty to himself personally over loyalty to the country.

Consider: though most cabinet members are rotated out when a new president enters, the vast majority of bureaucrats and soldiers (everyone from staff sergeants to park rangers) stay in place, keeping the machinery of government running, as their oath is to the Constitution – not a specific human being. Authoritarians see that as insufficient, replacing elements of the bureaucracy – especially military and law enforcement – who will criticize implementation, or refuse illegal execution, of presidential will.

For the record, one of Putin’s first actions as President was to put the FSB (their version of the FBI) under direct control of the President (himself). Prior to that, there had been a detachment between law enforcement and political power, expected and traditional in western democracies. From May 17, 2000 onward, they became a tool of his will, incrementally expanded in power and wielded against his enemies.

Ask yourself: Has President Trump appointed government agents – especially military and law enforcement – who have vocalized loyalty to him personally, and advocated for vengeance against his political enemies?

Sigh. I’m tired, but I could go on and on. There’s a phrase that’s been paraded lately: “Democracy dies in darkness.” In my experience, that’s not necessarily what’s happening here. Despite the backslide in democratic qualities we’re experiencing, the one we have in spades is transparency: thanks to a vibrant media ecosystem – and Trump’s narcissistic self-promotion – we are constantly aware of the moves he’s making to subvert the norms of our regime.

That said, as democracy dies in America, it won’t be in darkness. It will be in plain sight – and with our permission. — Roman Sheremeta (Case Western Reserve University, Chapman University)

As they say of the ancient Romans, "The Republic didn't fall in a day", something like that. Putin also violated Russian Criminal Code Article 353, by the way.

I'm sure many could use $1M, but is it tax-free? Might Musk come ask for "a favor" sometime in the future? :D Flirting with bribery? Musk can certainly afford it many times over. Ethics? Doesn't look like healthy democracy to me. Two months and a week into Trump's presidency (second round).

Exciting to announce our first million dollar award for supporting our petition against activist judges in Wisconsin!

Next million dollar award will be announced in 2 days. — Elon Musk · Mar 26, 2025

What's going on here?

Turkish student at Tufts University detained, video shows masked people handcuffing her
^{— Jake Offenhartz, Kathy McCormack, Michael Casey · AP · Mar 26, 2025}

ICE is above the courts?

Not the first such story. I don't fear so much for her (physical) safety at the moment, yet if symptomatic, this backsliding doesn't bode well. By the way, so much for free speech that the current administration has berated others about. Trust erosion. At least the press isn't outlawed when reporting this.

The arresting officers ultimately report to Lyons (ICE), who reports to Noem (Homeland Security), who reports to Trump. Who's above the courts here, if anyone?

Gave me a good chuckle

Goose, bear, Trump (below Vance) - has Benny Hill audio, too :D

More fun - Trump march :D

My apologies for the spam, please delete if found inappropriate

Is Trump that simple/unprincipled?

I know a little something that so many do not appreciate about Donald, but that those of us who worked with him in the financial services game have known for many decades—LONG before he ever made a run at politics.

His stated motives rarely reveal his true agenda. His showmanship and charisma bedazzles the uninformed, which is exactly how he likes it. He never signed a contract or met an agreement he wouldn’t violate or wriggle out of if it suited his hidden agenda. He never met an investor whose purse he didn’t consider his own in some strategic way. And he never met a human being he wouldn’t screw in order to advance or satisfy himself.

If you want to understand his beef with Panama, don’t look at the canal to which he now points. Look at Trump enterprises and their fraught financial and criminal relationship with Panama, and look to the Russian oligarchs who bought condos in his Panama Tower.

If you want to understand his fixation with Gaza, don’t look at the Palestinian or Israeli people; look at the real estate value he now perceives that Gaza holds, and he’d like to unlock.

If you want to understand his insane, obsessive beef with energy renewable windmills, don’t look at the wind energy aspect; look at his beef with Scotland over his golf course and the nearby windmills that damaged his idea of its aesthetics.

If you want to understand his irrational hatred of Obama, don’t look at the policies of the Obama administration; look to the annual press corp dinner where Obama poked fun at him and bruised his ego.

If you want to understand his demonization of Democrats, look not to Democratic social policy, but to the fact they didn’t want him to run under color of their party.

If you want to understand his hatred of “immigrants” don’t look to the actual contributions and challenges related to immigration, but to his own germophobia and personal disgust for all things “dirty and brown.”

What he does SO masterfully, as many sociopaths do, is figure out how to align, however temporarily, his own personal agenda with the drives of those he can then USE to help him execute it.

And the GOP fell right in line with that abusive strategy. The GOP now looks much like a battered wife who would LOVE to quit Trump, but who also knows their financial security, personal comfort, and social status would collapse if they ran away. And they fear they won’t get much sympathy or support from the people who tried to warn them not to marry the dude—a serial, liar, cheater, thief, sadist, and a generally Bad Person.

Many of the GOP politicians today are busily masking their own abuse from the general public; at some point, however, as they watch their power continue to erode, their reputations get smashed, and themselves get blamed for the extensive abuse they now suffer, something’s gonna give.

I don’t know what it is, but every bone in my body FEELS an energetic convergence heading toward a massive, MASSIVE explosion—coming soon. — Eileen Workman · Feb 13, 2025

:D

, the point was just that there hasn't been unconditional support.
Right, the deeds of the supporters haven't been on par with their words.
And then governments change, and things go up in the air (again).

Why did the U.S. shift focus from Ukrainian elections to changing Ukraine’s Constitution?

Maybe because they finally read the Constitution of Ukraine.

Previously, the thinking was: Zelensky is bad because he refuses to sign a capitulation. So, let’s replace him with a “good” candidate — Zaluzhnyi, Poroshenko, Tymoshenko, or someone else. That would require elections.

Then it became clear that no current political figure is willing to sign a capitulation either because it goes against the Constitution of Ukraine. So, the new plan: find a candidate willing to change the Constitution.

But that scenario won’t work either. Only the parliament, which represents the Ukrainian people, can amend the Constitution — and only one-third of Ukrainians are even considering the possibility of territorial concessions.

So what’s left for the Americans to do? Increase political pressure on Ukraine — which is exactly what they’re doing.

And the russians? Step up attacks at the front, intensify airstrikes and the information war — anything to trigger collapse.

But there’s one fundamental contradiction here: Russia’s strategy is to drag things out. More attacks. Delayed negotiations. More visits by Witkoff. Trump portraits, and so on. They have time until the end of the year — and they intend to use it to either break Ukraine or seize more territory.

Meanwhile, the U.S. needs speed. The “best negotiator” and “great peacemaker” has promised to end the war in 24 hours. Now, it’s becoming clear that his capitulation plan isn’t working, and he has to come up with new excuses daily — in front of the cameras and the American people.

What’s the outlook?

Once the U.S. realizes that pressure on Ukraine isn’t working, they’ll either start pressuring Russia — or walk away and dump the problem on Europe. — Валерій Пекар via Roman Sheremeta · Mar 23, 2025

Don't know if this was posted already, but here goes anyway.

And to be honest with you, Canada only works as a state. — Trump · The White House · Mar 13, 2025

I’ve covered a lot of Donald Trump press conferences over the years. I’ve seen him lie, deflect, and embarrass himself in countless ways. But what I just witnessed in the Oval Office may have been the most off-the-rails, unhinged display yet.
Trump sat down with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte — a serious figure there to talk about security and alliance unity — but Trump wasn’t interested in that. No, Trump used the opportunity to fantasize about annexing Canada. He actually said, “Canada only works as a state,” and gushed about how the U.S. would look on a map if we just erased the border and took Canada as our own. This wasn’t satire. This wasn’t a joke. This was the president rambling about absorbing another sovereign nation — while the NATO secretary general sat there watching this clown show unfold.
And it didn’t stop there. Trump started pushing the idea of conquering Greenland too, saying NATO might need to get involved in helping the U.S. take it over — as if it’s a game of Risk. He literally said we "need it for international security" and tried to rope NATO into his imperial fever dream. The look on Rutte’s face said it all.
Then, Trump pivoted to his usual bigotry. Instead of talking about defense cooperation or global security, Trump bragged about how he uses transgender people as political pawns to rile up his base before elections — saying Republicans should “bring it up a week before the election” to win votes. In other words, he openly admitted he sees cruelty and manufactured culture war nonsense as a campaign strategy. Despicable.
When asked about American small businesses hurting from tariffs, Trump did what he always does: lie and bluster. “You’re going to be so much richer,” he said. Meanwhile, Medicaid is being gutted, Social Security is under threat, and Trump’s billionaire cronies are cheering as the safety net burns.
Oh, and then Trump suggested we start sending drug dealers to the Netherlands — yes, you read that right — in a bizarre attempt at humor that landed more like a diplomatic insult, especially considering the NATO secretary general used to be the prime minister of the Netherlands.
He kept rambling about how the U.S. doesn’t need anything from Canada, said the European Union is “very nasty,” claimed we can’t sell cars in Europe (not true), and then told an utterly deranged story about how he “invaded Los Angeles” to turn on the water — another lie pulled from his fantasyland. What actually happened was that he diverted water from Northern California, destroying farmland and hurting his own voters in the process.
To top it off, he said our allies shouldn’t worry about Putin, brushing off any concerns about Russian aggression with a shrug.
Let me be blunt: This is not normal. This is not politics-as-usual. This is a dangerous, unstable person with authoritarian fantasies, spewing nonsense in front of our closest allies while the world watches. — White House reporter via Ben Meiselas

Doesn't seem normal to me either, but that by itself isn't as objectionable + serious + putrid as much of what he said.

The decision to support them or not, and under what conditions, is ours. The idea that we should just follow them, wherever that may lead us, is insane considering what is at stake. — ChatteringMonkey

The Ukrainians haven't been supported unconditionally. (Imagine if someone like Utkin had been at the helm in Kyiv. :gasp:) Actually, there's been so much caution that some of it amounted to tip-toeing — which is playing Putin's game; recall, the Kremlin says what they want others to hear regardless; they're not omnipotent.
The Ukrainians, the victims, have said "No"; most of the world concurred. :shrug:
As mentioned, expect responses. (Do you really want to see the Ukrainians being shιt all over (again), plus open expansion of anti-democracy?)
Putin can be deterred if the Ukrainians want to. Non-appeasement + discouragement also mean wider impact.
(Meh Why do the re-re-repetitions (have to) keep coming?)

, I was referring to washrooms alone; sure there are...challenges.

Can almost hear Putin speaking here ...

Vance: Denmark, which controls Greenland, is not doing its job and it's not being a good ally (— ONEST NETWORK · Mar 24, 2025 · 20s)


JD Vance warns Denmark 'not a good ally' & hints Trump could invade Greenland (— The Sun · Mar 24, 2025 · 2m:25s)


The Greenlanders should just repeat "Thanks, but no", and send them home, but they're more diplomatic than so.

The Thule base has been around since World War 2. Cooperation between Greenland/Denmark and the US. Extending the cooperation should be easy enough. Land grabbing is a whole other matter. Trump/Vance are lying (again).

Of course they will use what they have against us — ChatteringMonkey

The sanctions were reactionary. It's not customary to impose sanctions out of the blue. :D Getting into re-re-repetition here.

The Kremlin invaded annexed assimilated. While being bombed, Ukraine has been in the process of reforms (with results). Putin's Russia has regressed longer (press + media freedom, freedom of assembly, democracy + free fair certified elections, gone; industrialized manipulation + propaganda, implemented). Expect reactions.

, you know there are public places with only one kind of washroom, yes? Works just fine. All this crap makes the "anti-woke" appear suspicious.

Just some guys babbling

Ukraine is not even a state — Putin (2006)

There is no Ukraine — Surkov (2020)

Canada is not a real country — Musk (Feb 24, 2025)

:D Thought there was something familiar here

^{Musk got unlucky, various onlookers grabbed his post before he deleted it}

More of the same ...

Homeland Security makes cuts to offices overseeing civil rights protections
^{— Rebecca Santana · AP · Mar 21, 2025}

And Russia isn't going to attack Europe on its own, because they can't.

Non of this is real. — ChatteringMonkey

They already have...

doppelganger, matrioska, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2024, 2024, 2024, 2024, 2024, 2024, 2024, 2025, 2025, ... (plus they invaded Ukraine)

And then...

Pete Hegseth Orders US Cyber Command to Stand Down on Russia: Reports (— Brendan Cole · Newsweek · Mar 3, 2025)

Are people in the US more interested in entertainment than facts/ethics?



Can't help but think about who benefits. Foreign adversaries come to mind.

,

apparently has no particular understanding of the situation/environment.

By the way, it's not the EU in particular here, but Europe.

They have national independence, are diverse, you find all kinds of haggling and bureaucracy. There's been hesitance, for example that Germany should rise again, and Hungary is...out on the side. Just watch, someone will start yelling that von der Leyen (the EU), or whoever, is going for a power grab. Whatever.

I guess Macron tried to start cutting through all that with some success. Whatever happens, the situation/environment at hand benefits Putin's Russia, and disadvantages Europe's nations, hence the attempt to...do something.

Europe's contribution to NATO is higher than the US'. By GDP %, some individual nations are lower, some higher, and it's a legitimate enough complaint that those lower should carry more weight.

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez drew a crowd, I guess the opposition is alive:

34,000 People. Biggest Political Rally in Denver Since 2008. (— Bernie Sanders · Mar 22, 2025 · 2m:3s)


AOC and Bernie Sanders draw thousands of people at 'Fighting Oligarchy' rally in Denver (— Sudiksha Kochi · USA TODAY · Mar 22, 2025)

Ehm...

French scientist denied US entry after phone messages critical of Trump found
^{— Robert Mackey · Guardian · Mar 19, 2025}

that reflect hatred toward Trump and can be described as terrorism

Might be called propaganda (or counter-propaganda), yet the footage and circumstances look genuine:

Russia tried to jail me for making this video in Kursk (— Caolan Robertson · Mar 20, 2025 · 13m:26s)



, shouldn't that be over in the Trump thread?

, hence we fight the good fight. :wink: (wanted to type something profound here, but ehh nothing came to mind :smile:)

, dumbassery indeed.

Senators Justin Eichorn, Eric Lucero, Steve Drazkowski, Nathan Wesenberg, Glenn Gruenhagen take creepiness to another level (Mar 18, 2025):
SF 2589 as introduced - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

The conspiracy of greed runs deep in the human soul. — Pantagruel

I'm thinking it goes further.
Among some 8 billion people, for just about any idea, you can find someone that somehow believes so, or defends the idea.
Diversity/plasticity is both a strength and a weakness.
Education might help.
Well, then again, someone will then say "education is indoctrination" or whatever.
And so ethics get relativized, along with whatever else.
:shrug:

, the theories, speculation and available evidence sure have pointed in whatever directions over time. Fifty/fifty seems as good a guess as any. Or 33% with a third possibility.

A good couple of weeks ago, the Trump team more or less assaulted Zelenskyy at the White House, and now ...

‘No one has been played as hard as Trump’: Reaction to Trump and Putin’s phone call (— MSNBC · Mar 18, 2025 · 10m:45s)


But, OK, the 10-minute clip didn't have Trump to comment. Starting to feel sorry for the guy.

Have they shιt all over Ukraine yet (again)? Reports a couple of months apart:

Donald Trump Said He'd End Ukraine War in First 24 Hours. He Hasn't
^{— Brendan Cole · Newsweek · Jan 23, 2025}
We've never been closer to a Ukraine peace deal, White House says ahead of Trump-Putin talks
^{— Johanna Chisholm et al · BBC · Mar 17, 2025}

I guess it turned out differently. Well, he was just "a little bit sarcastic".

The Alien Enemies Act: What to know about a 1798 law that Trump has invoked for deportations
^{— Tim Sullivan, Elliot Spagat, Regina Garcia Cano · AP · Mar 17, 2025}

Consolidating more powers? (With his flock cheering in the background?)

The power’s gone to his head now. Looks like it’s going to crash and burn.
https://bsky.app/profile/50501movement.bsky.social/post/3lkkkrvu5as2r — Punshhh

Yeah. Kind of what you might expect from a petulant child. His followers apparently don't care.

No evidence for Trump claim about 'void' Biden pardons and autopen
^{— Lucy Gilder, Tamara Kovacevic, Shayan Sardarizadeh · BBC · Mar 17, 2025}

Trump White House has asked U.S. military to develop options for the Panama Canal, officials say
^{— Courtney Kube, Gordon Lubold, Carol E Lee · NBC · Mar 13, 2025}

Given that you say some of the stupidest things on this forum, and can barely keep up in this conversation without making up diversions, I’d be weary of accusing anyone of stupidity. — Mikie

?

, some protests in the US also:

https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/nation/2025/03/14/va-veterans-cuts-doge/82418660007/

None reported in Russia, though. That'd be dangerous or illegal.

We simply can't be outsourcing all of our metals production overseas because it's just too big of a national security risk. There must be some amount of domestic production. — BitconnectCarlos

A great opportunity for Trump to build some plants. In the name of National Security. :up: For that matter, there's a crowd of very rich folks right behind him.

A couple of months old:

Musk examines how to oust Starmer as UK prime minister before next election
^{— Anna Gross, Joe Miller, Lucy Fisher · Financial Times · Jan 9, 2025}

Yet, kind of telling. Seems like Musk's efforts haven't paid off.

On another note, in late Feb, Macron and Starmer gently corrected Trump in public on separate occasions. I guess no one really cares any longer.

Shouldn't come as a surprise:

Russia is conducting ‘state-sponsored terrorism’ against Europe, EU chief diplomat warns
^{— Antoaneta Roussi, Laurens Cerulus · POLITICO · Mar 12, 2025}

Furthermore, European diversity makes it easier to attack.

Impact?

, you believe so?

Trump's trade war timeline 2.0: An up-to-date guide (PIIE)

An overview of the lot suggests differently.
There goes the AUSFTA as well...