And droning innocent families and lying about it. Remember ISIS-K?

Oh, don't get me started.

But doesn't that imply ruthless cunning and a double agenda, though?

I don’t think they could coordinate on such a level. It’s just blind and stupid instinct at this point. Lying is easy, but coordinating the division of the entire West is something I don’t think they could execute. That’s to give them too much credit.

At any rate, I haven’t seen much evidence of conspiracy. In the United States, for instance, those who put together crossfire hurricane and duped a swath of true believers into pretending the president coordinated with the Kremlin to subvert the United States were acting like teenagers who just so happened to have a little power and influence. Reading their emails, text messages, testimonies etc. revealed blind emotion and poor reasoning. They believed the most obvious nonsense and were equipped with enough hubris not to question their own susceptibility.

Alright, so what do you make of something like this?



Are the things being described the product of non-conspiratorial dummies?

Old Joe versus The Clown

:sweat: :cry:

Manufacturing Consent describes a time over 40 years ago, from before the fall of the Berlin Wall, when information wasn’t as prevalent. The freedom to persuade, which Chomsky argued was in the hands of the few, isn’t as possible as it once was. I’m speaking of a generation or two later.

What would you point to as evidence that people are trying to keep other people divided, with malice and not stupidity, so as to push their own agenda in the background?

Suitable examples of the US government pulling this trick on its citizenry run all the way into the present. You really believe something changed for the better between then and now?

In terms of proof, obviously I don't have anything that qualifies as actual proof. Though, it seems self-evident to me that US domestic politics is just an inflammatory clownshow to keep people distracted and occupied with things that don't matter.

The malice is self-evident when we view the genocidal levels of mayhem the US wreaks on various parts of the world with the tacit approval of its citizenry.

Lastly, the fact that the US government has been successfully pulling this trick for decades shows that they're not stupid; their citizenry is stupid.

that US domestic politics is just an inflammatory clownshow — Tzeentch

... playing into the hands of hungry foreign powers? There's evidence to contend with. ^{(2019Sep11, 2020Oct15, 2022Oct26, 2023Nov6, 2024Jan2, 2024Feb9, 2024Feb15, 2024Mar27, 2024Mar27, 2024May2)}

The rise of dumb is real enough. ^{(2024Apr8, 2024Apr26, 2024Jun20)} :D

Evidently, some of this crap isn't just the US, by the way.

Yeah, he has dementia.

Edit: the press is actually pushing that Biden has a "stutter"? That is braindeadly funny.

Edit 2: Older but recent clip of Biden explaining he doesn't stutter https://x.com/cedrichohnstadt/status/1807232341644837112 he stuttered as a kid from nervousness of speaking publically. Obviously Biden does not have a speech disorder. People have never been around dementia patients, but now they also have never been around people who actually have pathological stuttering. Surprising lack of lived experience.

The 70 year old anti-vax conspiracy theorist who has dealt with literal brain worms... we really have a great slate of candidates this year. — Mr Bee

Perhaps the Democrats should have thought of this last fall, when there was a chance to have a robust series of primary contests.

Biden's age-related cognitive impairment has been on display in his public appearances since at least 2019. Why did the Dems go down the path of denial, instead of dealing with the issue far sooner?

It's a valid question. I'm not the only one asking it. The question many Americans are asking themselves is: What did the media know, and when did they know it?

Everybody who has been around dementia patients will see what is going on. The patient's regress to a child-like state is symptomatic of dementia: — Lionino

That clip is heartbreaking. Jill is a monster.

Steven Bannon, en route to prison, today: “Trump’s Thursday (debate) was a Pyrrhic victory. … You’re going to take out a guy you know you can beat and beat badly, and we’re going to have a wild card.”

I think you should distinguish the Democrat voters with whoever's running the DNC. The Democrats by and large didn't want Biden to run in 2024 and the DNC as usual didn't listen.

... playing into the hands of hungry foreign powers? — jorndoe

The US is the quintessential hungry foreign power.

Also, wasn't the whole Russia-gate thing proven to be bullshit, just like 99.9% of everything that's written in the media?

Time to wisen up folks.

Also, wasn't the whole Russia-gate thing proven to be bullshit, just like 99.9% of everything that's written in the media? — Tzeentch

If you mean the Müller enquiry then no, it wasn't Bullshit.

I'm pretty sure the whole story that Trump was a Russian asset has been more or less proven to be utter bullshit - a literal fabrication.

I advise you to read the report and make up your own mind. My take away, there was Russian interference, Trump welcomed it and there were a lot of connections between his team and Russian assets. Lack of evidence (in part due to obstruction) and the limitations of the investigation itself meant not everything could be fully investigated. It's not an open or shut case either way. And at least the obstruction were actual crimes that nobody was ever prosecuted for.

So, technically speaking, what would be options to replace Biden as a candidate? At what time and who can do it?

, the US is already up there. There are others that you keep diverting from, this being another example, despite evidence. No worries, I guess others will have to pick up the slack.

, Whitmer maybe? I guess it's a bit late for anyone to jump in.

The news media have been floating names. Pretty much a bunch of governor names like Newsom and Whitmer. Also, unfortunately, Kamala Harris.

Doesn't really matter though if Biden doesn't want to step aside. If he does, then things will probably move quickly.

Doesn't the democratic party have internal rules to force a candidate to step down?

Maybe but I doubt they'd want to force gramps out when he's kicking and screaming. The Dems crave unity above all else so it's unlikely there will be an independent open revolt or attempt to replace Biden unless he says he is okay with it. Of course, that unity is ironically a great reason why the worries about the chaos of a replacement are unfounded IMO. They'll fall in line behind a new guy if they're allowed to. After all if the consesus was that questioning an octogenarian candidate's capability months ago when they had ample opportunity to pivot was considered "helping Trump", then I don't see anyone complaining about a Whitmer candidacy post convention, even Kamala and her dozen or so diehard supporters.

No.

1July24

SCOTUS rules, in effect, that POTUS is a "King" with Absolute Immunity from criminal prosecution for Official Acts.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-supreme-court-immunity-1.7251423

So, as an official act of National Security, POTUS aka "King Joseph I" SHOULD "decree" by Executive Order (A) immediately strip US citizenship and Secret Service protection from, (B) immediately freeze and then seize all domestic and foreign assets from, and (C) immediately incarcerate in The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp Trump and his MAGA gang of January 6 & Russian Collusion co-conspirators indefinitely.

But will "King Joseph I" do this?

No. Even though, as of today, it's (apparently) legal for POTUS to do so. :angry:

that POTUS is a "King" with Absolute Immunity from criminal prosecution for Official Acts. — 180 Proof

Absolute immunity for constitutional acts and the presumption of immunity on other official acts, and non on non-official acts.

Seemed fairly obvious they would do this. The real decision was already known: delay as much as possible so there’s no trial before the election.

I think you should distinguish the Democrat voters with whoever's running the DNC. The Democrats by and large didn't want Biden to run in 2024 and the DNC as usual didn't listen. — Mr Bee

Good point there. The DNC screwed Bernie in 2016 and 2020.

(edit) The least democratic institution in the country is the Democratic national committee.

I don't disagree with much of what you wrote, but trust in US government and media is at very low levels, whereas trust in the EU is at high levels. That's really all I need to know about a stupid citizenry.

As for Russia-gate, I totally agree, and it was proven to be bullshit. The Mueller report, which was transferred from a failed and and highly-criticized investigation called Crossfire Hurricane, was fruit from the same poisonous tree. It turns out they ended up investigating the wrong campaign. Subsequent investigations implicated no one but the Clinton campaign and the FBI. As you can see that debacle is still having its effect on pliant minds.

A republic, if you can keep it. — Benjamin Franklin

:fire: :mask: