SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
Is something wrong with this man? You'll understand our decision to postpone the final report in our current award-winning series, THE SQUALOR[S].
Last night's arrest of Nicolás Maduro has burned up our time today. As happenstance had it, we were watching Fox & Friends Weekend this morning when President Trump engaged in a lengthy phone call with a trio of friends (Charlie Hurt, Nicole Saphier, and Griff Jenkins).
Along with remarks about last night's action, standard claims littered the countryside during the lengthy interaction--and sure enough! Along the way, the sitting president did indeed revert to this:
‘A Disgrace!’ Trump Rages About His Own Election Defeat On Fox After Bombshell Attack
President Donald Trump raged about his own electoral defeat as he addressed the aftermath of the strike and capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on Fox News Saturday morning.
News broke after midnight Friday that the United States struck Venezuela’s capital of Caracas early Saturday morning, and at 4:21 AM, Trump announced on Truth Social that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and flown to the United States.
Trump called in on this week’s edition of Fox & Friends Saturday for a marathon interview, during which he resurrected the false claim that the 2020 election was “rigged”—a claim that underpinned a settlement that included a $787.5 million payout from Fox to Dominion Voting Systems.
[...]
Trump has spent years falsely claiming that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him and/or “stolen” from him, despite the fact that Biden defeated Trump in an electoral landslide that has been reaffirmed over and over by state officials from Trump’s own party and dozens of court decisions—and despite consistent mockery even from some allies.
So wrote Tommy Christopher. With respect to President Trump, he doesn't leave home without it—without this shopworn, dog-eared rant about the way he was robbed of victory in November 2020.
At Mediaite, Christopher has transcribed these latest nutty remarks. Also, you can watch the videotape of the president's rant:
JENKINS (1/3/26): Will you, Mr. President, throw your support behind opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who as you recall, won the Nobel Peace Prize and then in turn dedicated it to you for your efforts in pressuring Maduro? Are you going to fully support her to take over, to run the country.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we’re going to have to look at it. Right now, they have a vice president, as you know. I mean, I don’t know about what kind of an election that was. But you know, the election of Maduro was a disgrace, just like my election was a disgrace.
2020 was a disgrace. And you know, a real disgrace!
Now, 2024 was too big to rig. But what [Maduro] did was— I mean, his was open–I would say frankly—
You want to know the truth? I think Charlie [Hurt] would testify to this. It wasn’t a hell of a lot worse than what they did to us in 2020. It was—
Our election was a disgrace in 2020, and everyone knows it.
And now it’s, it’s come out, and it’s come out even in a legal forum. But it was disgraceful.
He had an election there was a rigged election and the people have no love for him. That’s for sure. He’d very little loyalty, if any loyalty He was a dictator, who was a tough cookie, and he ran it tough, and the people can’t believe they got so lucky.
The president also punished the trio of friends with standard unsupported claims about an array of other points. Maduro emptied his prisons and his insane asylums! He sent them all to the United States! Also, he sent hundreds of thousands of gang members!
Charlie Hurt was one of the friends with whom the president was speaking. Along the way, the president's dismissive comment about Machado prefigured the surprising revelations he would make during his subsequent press event.
With regard to his claims about the 2020 election:
More than five years later, President Trump never tires of this delusional claim. We say "delusional" because, on balance, it's our impression that he actually seems to believe the unsupported, unexplained claims he never tires of inserting into every attempted discussion.
In past reports, we've tried to outline the possible medical implications of this bizarre behavior. If it weren't for all the fixed ideas and delusional claims, if often seems that there would be no ideas or claims at all!
Should this sort of strange behavior be a point of public concern? Could the possibility of various medical problems possibly be seen as dangerous?
He went on and on, then on again, about the stolen election which wasn't stolen. Over here, in Blue America, as part of our own Squalor Blue, our major journalistic elites have agreed to sidestep, ignore and disappear this apparent problem.
Is something seriously wrong with this man? If so, that's a human tragedy, of course.
But is something seriously wrong with this man? Over here, in Blue America, Blue orgs have agreed not to ask!
Imagine how much higher Trump's Unemployment Rate would be, if ICE hadn't hired so many unemployable pieces of shit.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWell, if stating the obvious, commonly known fact that the 2020 election was rigged, confirmed by everyone including the Time magazine, is "bizarre behavior" to you, Bob, then yes, it's certainly a point of concern. You do need to go get your head examined.
"A shop-worn, dog-eared rant."
DeleteAnd all thats ever been missing is a little evidence.
DeleteHow asinine is the premise that the only election that was rigged against dementia orange was the one that occurred while he was the President? Jaggoffs and weirdos, the whole lot of you.
DeleteLong ago, in an interview with Bill Maher, Billy Bush (of Access Hollywood/"grab 'em by the p***y" tape fame) shared something Trump had once said to him:
ReplyDelete"...he said, 'Billy, look, you just tell them and they believe it. That's it: you just tell them and they believe. They just do.'"
Trump's reflexive recitations of his election grievances are just one example of behavior he's practiced on a wide variety of issues. "Just tell them and they believe." But it requires repetition.
It didn't take Billy Bush to reveal this about Trump. Not enough is said about Trump's mentor, Roy Cohn and the things Trump learned about power and politics from him.
DeleteSomerby is maintaining his belief that Trump lies because he is mentally ill, but Trump actually lies because it is how he gets what he wants in life. It works for him. That is sociopathy, but not mental illness. Somerby is confused about that.
The most important thing about Trump's interview today is not that he lied about a bunch of things. But for some reason, Somerby doesn't want to discuss the attack on Venezuela.
What exactly are the journalistic elites (red or blue) supposed to do about Trump's lying? They can't make him stop and if they debunk the old lies then they can't discuss the new ones. Our country is gradually coming to the realization that electing Trump was a bad idea. The latest polls are showing that he is losing the bro vote to buyer's remorse.
"You just say Epstein who? and they believe it. They just do. You just tell them and they believe."
DeletePlease remember this the next time Trump argues that he didn't really know Epstein that well, and besides he kicked him out of Mar a Lago, and he never wrote that birthday greeting with his signature on it in his handwriting. OK? Trump and Epstein had Thanksgiving dinner together in the White House in 2016.
"There is no evidence that Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein had dinner together at the White House.
DeleteRumors to this effect often stem from a 2017 email exchange where Epstein mentioned Trump's name in the context of Thanksgiving plans, but official White House records and news reports confirm Trump spent that Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida with his family."
Trump has never released any White House visitor records. That makes it hard to argue he wasn't there in the absence of any info either way. Trump has routinely ignored the Official Records Act and norms for providing transparency about the president's actions. The Epstein files released by Epstein's estate to the oversight committee show that Epstein was at the White House in 2016 for Thanksgiving dinner. Your beef is with those records. I don't know what Trump or Epstein may have done in 2017.
DeleteThere is evidence that Trump and Epstein remained close until Epstein's conviction.
DeleteThere is credible speculation that Epstein was murdered and that Trump was involved.
Trump is still at Mar a Lago according to the press that follows his actions. He has now spent 11 of 16 days at Mar a Lago golfing. When Trump golfs, the press is not allowed anywhere near the course, so there is no way of telling who he meets with or what he does on those trips. When a president is secretive like that, his claims about who he was with on what occasion are specious and unprovable. Fortunately, Epstein kept his own records. But we still don't know who Trump sees or what he does at his golf properties while the press is excluded.
DeleteI am wondering how it was possible for Trump to watch the invasion of Venezuela on a TV (he says) while at Mar a Lago, a place without a situation room and dubious communications faciltiies. How secure is any data there while Trump is not using a White House built and maintained to ensure the security of both the president and his activities.
If Venezuela planned and executed an operation to kidnap Trump in retaliation for his attack on Maduro, how safe would Trump be at Mar a Lago? How secure is it. It doesn't seem to be the kind of fortress that Maduro lived in, with steel doors. Trump overrides his doctor's advice. Is he also overriding the security concerns of the people assigned to protect him?
DeleteGiven the way the betting markets reacted to the invasion, there were leaks that were used for insider betting. We already know that Hegseth doesn't respect security and leaks info personally. I find it troubling that this laxity exists, but I am ambivalent about whether I would want a retaliatory attack to succeed.
It sounds counterintuitive but we need Trump to survive his term; he is dragging down the Republican party, doing Dems' work for them, and while Vance is deeply unpopular and can not succeed on his own, he could be dangerous if something were to happen to Trump and Vance took over - in that case we would be facing the likelihood of something close to a dictatorship.
DeleteIf something does happen to Trump, Vance would likely be involved. These people have no moral compass.
https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-2674845482/
Delete"Bloomberg further continued:
"Vance and President Donald Trump met on Friday covertly to discuss details of the U.S.'s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as the White House plans to temporarily 'run the country.' They met at the president’s golf club in West Palm Beach, but Vance was not at Mar-a-Lago on Friday evening due to security concerns, according to a spokesperson for Vance, who spoke on the condition of background."
The report stated, "Vice President Vance was deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest. He joined several late night meetings via secure video conference with National Security principals leading up to the operation. The Vice President briefly met with President Trump at the Trump golf club in West Palm Beach during the day Friday to discuss the strikes. The Vice President was not at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, as the National Security team was concerned a late-night motorcade movement by the Vice President while the operation was getting underway may tip off the Venezuelans. The Vice President joined by secure video conference throughout the night to monitor the operation. He returned to Cincinnati after the operation concluded. Due to increased security concerns, the Administration has aimed to limit the frequency and duration of the Vice President and President being co-located away from the White House."
Bloomberg's Mica Soellner added, "Vance kept away from Mar-a-Lago this weekend due to fear of tip off to Venezuelans."
"The VP - noticeably absent at Mar a Lago presser today - met w/ Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach on Friday and monitored Maduro capture via video conference," she added on social media.
Political analyst Rachael Bade characterized it as Vance's team "giving color about his involvement in Venezuela operation."
-------------------------
Trump is pretty obviously enjoying sneaking around and engaging in clandestine meetings in FL. This is unprofessional and not the way our nation's military engagements should be conducted. This is more like little boys playing games.
I am ashamed for both Vance and Trump. Real people were involved in that invasion and treating it like some spy game makes us look ridiculous. Golf clubs are not suitable locations for carrying out military operations. The incredibly bad judgment involved in this situation reflects badly on Trump, Vance and Hegseth. If no one can convince Trump to do things without grossly endangering civilians, he shouldn't be president.
These people are morons.
DeleteI want a professional military that doesn't bet on invasion times using inside info. I want a president that doesn't sneak around to golf courses to plan a military operation, and I want the White House and the president to behave like leaders and not spy children. Is that too much to ask?
DeleteBut look at Trump. He buried his first wife on his New Jersey golf course to get a tax deduction. He has no sense of how to do anything. Hegseth is too new to know how to conduct an operation either. Our military is being run by monkeys or fratboys conducting a panty raid. I want my tax money back.
Trump raped his first wife, and then paid her off to keep her silent after their divorce. Trump has been married three times, cheating on all his wives, the last known time was when Trump had sex with a porn star shortly after his wife gave birth, Trump was later convicted of illegally paying off the porn star to keep her silent.
DeleteLater that first wife died mysteriously, falling down stairs, yet the cause of death was blunt force trauma to her abdomen.
Trump then dumped his first wife in an unkempt section of his golf course to get a tax break. The grave is not maintained and is covered by weeds.
Trump's first wife was the daughter of a major KGB asset. Trump, a groomer, was himself groomed to be a Russian asset.
By every indication, Trump is well aware that he lost the 2020 election fair and square, and his supporters - the ones with triple digit IQs - are aware as well; Somerby's suggestion otherwise, speaks to his broader right wing agenda.
ReplyDeleteTrump is also aware that he conned some of his poorly educated supporters into believing he would be the "peace president", and now Trump is laughing all the way to the bank as he attacks other countries at will in order to plunder their resources.
DeleteAgree, well said. Trump has always known he lost, he is a grifter.
DeleteTrump lies! Who knew?
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows, but Republicans do not care; Republicans lacking integrity is a feature for them, not a bug.
DeleteWhat a pleasure to have a military that succeeds in its missions, both in Venezuela and in Iraq. As opposed to a fuckup military, like the Afghanistan withdrawal.
ReplyDeleteOn paper Biden’s Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was more qualified than Hegseth. But, reality shows that the opposite is true.
How much skill does it take to kidnap a man and his wife in bed in the middle of the night? Trump probably would be easy to kidnap too.
DeleteIn order to know how competent Hegseth would have been in the Afghanistan withdrawal, you would have to see him function under similar circumstances. There was nothing similar about this kidnapping of the President of the country in Venezuela, a country not at war or under insurgency, with no reason to expect an attack.
Please explain why Maduro's wife was taken and why she is being charged and held in jail.
As summarized by AI:
Delete"The 2020 agreement negotiated by the Trump administration with the Taliban, which set a firm May 2021 withdrawal deadline but did not include the Afghan government in negotiations or require the Taliban to cease their military campaign, is cited by the Biden administration and other analysts as a critical factor that severely constrained subsequent options and undermined the Afghan government's morale...
"The problems with the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 are extensive and include a rapid collapse of the Afghan government, a chaotic and deadly evacuation, significant humanitarian crisis and human rights abuses under the new Taliban regime, and a perceived degradation of U.S. national security and global credibility. "
It is important to avoid partisan analyses because the right has tended to blame every subsequent foreign policy failure, including the Ukraine war, on the Afghan withdrawal, which Biden did not plan but had to execute against an inflexible deadline in place when he took office.
"Defense of the Withdrawal's Competence
The Biden administration and its supporters defend the decision to withdraw, largely by shifting blame to the previous administration and emphasizing the strategic necessity of ending the war.
Doha Agreement Constraints: The White House's own review largely blamed President Donald Trump's administration and the 2020 Doha Agreement, which set a May 1, 2021 withdrawal date and constrained Biden's options by threatening a resumption of hostilities with the Taliban if the U.S. stayed.
Strategic Imperative: Supporters argue that staying longer would have meant sending more troops and continuing an indefinite war with no clear end, and that ending the "forever war" was in the U.S. national interest, allowing a focus on other challenges like competition with China.
Evacuation Success: The administration highlights the scale of the successful airlift, noting that more than 124,000 people were evacuated in 17 days, one of the largest civilian evacuation efforts in history.
Mission Accomplished: Some argue the original U.S. objective—bringing Osama bin Laden to justice and degrading al-Qaeda's ability to attack the U.S.—had been accomplished long before the withdrawal, and al-Qaeda's presence in Afghanistan is at a nadir.
In summary, the perception of the withdrawal's competence largely depends on whether one focuses on the strategic decision to leave after 20 years or the execution and immediate chaotic consequences of that departure. "
Hegseth is a joke. It would be a waste of US troops to allow him to execute any operation.
DeleteTrump first says that the operation went perfectly and no one was lost. Then he backtracked and said there were a couple of injuries that he didn't know the status of, then he backtracked some more and said there were civilian casualties and a messed up helicopter that he didn't know anything about.
Presidents are supposed to know the details when giving a report to the public about such an operation. It was embarrassing to listen to Trump brag about the perfect execution of his operation, and the other major operations he says he has run. He doesn't have a clue how to function as the leader of a country, and never did, even when he was not so obviously suffering from dementia.
DeleteLloyd Austin looks like a DEI-produced character. It seems likely that indeed he was.
The rest is natural and predictable.
See, this is the problem. Hegseth was picked for his job based on his looks, and he is doing a shitty job.
DeleteLet's get real, Hegseth was picked because he was a fellow sexual predator.
DeleteEarth to men: most women do not find Hegseth, or other men like him, attractive in the slightest.
DeleteNotice how masculine Republican women are, how they are transforming themselves into looking like drag queens.
Trump finds Hegseth attractive.
And this speaks to the *om*er*ti*i*m that runs rampant through Republican leaders, with a palpable latency and internalized disgust that then fuels their anger and hatred towards others that appear comfortable in their own skin.
It is no coincidence that Grindr crashes at every Republican gathering, that Republican are being outed left and right, from Mike Johnson to Benny Johnson to Lindsay Graham to all those Republican congressmen in the 90s and 2000s found out to have been living on the DL and grooming young males to Trump constantly talking about how other men look and the size of other men's penises.
Don't forget Jim Jordan looking the other way while he knew the boys on the wrestling team he coached were being assaulted by the team doctor.
Delete“What’s the mood at The Daily Howler?”
Deleteeh… there’s this:
Anonymouse 4:04pm: “How much skill does it take to kidnap a man and his wife in bed in the middle of the night?”
Is she talking about the Venezuelan dictator and his wife, or Fred and Ethel?
How much skill does it take? This has to be a Mickey Mouse operation given that it was conducted from Mar a Lago in a room hung with tableclothes as walls. This was amateur hour. There were casualties, which Trump is vague about, but it mainly succeeded because Maduro wasn't expecting anyone to try to kidnap him. It would be just as easy to break into Mar a Lago and take Trump, who doesn't seem to understand anything about military security.
DeleteMaduro and his wife were asleep, in their bedroom wearing bedclothes. They weren't difficult to take because no one expects a president to be stolen by the USA in such a ridiculous operation.
Trump has apparently gained nothing with this ploy, since the VP is vowing to oppose Trump's aggression and all of Maduro's henchmen are still in place. Except now Venezuelans are united in outrage. The US is too, except it is directed against Trump for engaging in such a ridiculous, illegal operation without Congressional approval.
How ridiculous is this? Vance had to sneak into a golf club to pretend he was not meeting the president. What a farce!
So Fred and Ethel it is.
DeleteVenezuelans have been killed by the strike. Do you want to make more jokes?
Delete
DeleteDon't know who this poster is, but I like what he said
@cremieuxrecueil
I am thoroughly enjoying seeing the thousands of comments from Venezuelans telling leftists to fuck themselves.
David in Cal,
DeleteDo all sexual predators turn you on?
Be honest.
If i remember correctly, it was the German citizens who told those with HDS (Hitler Derangement Syndrome) to go fuck themselves when they criticized Hitler for dealing with the "Jew problem".
DeleteDon't know the poster who wrote this, but you can't argue with their point.
Delete"Anyone who isn't a bigot, or isn't perfectly fine with bigotry, left the Republican Party over a quarter of a century ago."
Anonymouse 7:54pm, your level of understanding is the joke.
DeleteAI:
Yes, Nicolás Maduro had significant security, described as a "heavily fortified military fortress" with Cuban agents and advanced bunkers, but U.S. forces bypassed these defenses through extensive planning, intelligence (including a potential inside source), and overwhelming force (helicopters, Delta Force) to capture him from his bed, preventing him from reaching a steel-reinforced safe room.
Anonymouse 8:34am, no one blames you for distancing yourself from those tired attempts at bon mots.
Delete9:15: you’d almost think there was a group of people within the government who gather intelligence and assess risks…let’s call them the “deep state” for grins, whose info is relied upon by conmen presidents and tv host alcoholic defense department secretaries.
Delete"... those tired attempts at bon mots."
DeleteProject much?
The “invasion” was a farce; Putin let Trump have Maduro, the “kidnapping” was pre-arranged, presumably in exchange for favors regarding Ukraine.
DeleteFurthermore, this is just a redux of Operation Just Cause, with the same circumstances: a weak and unpopular president desperate for relevancy.
I took a lot of pride in how Biden managed the disastrous Trump/Pompeo surrender to the Taliban. Remember step one of the Trump/Pompeo surrender was the release of 5,000 terrorists from Pakistani prisons. Typical of the fucking idiot Trump, so stupid he wanted to host the Taliban on the 911 anniversary at Camp David to negotiate the surrender to them.
DeleteAnonymices, thanks for the argument on behalf of jockeying for what are good reasons to get involved with Venezuela, including the potential of a nuclear power at our backdoor. Yeah, that’s of interest to a lot of nations.
DeleteCanada has nuclear power and they are closer to our backdoor than Venezuela. They don't have nuclear weapons, but neither does Venezuela. Do you know the difference between nuclear power and nuclear weapons, Cecelia?
DeleteThe Republican war in Iraq was an unmitigated disaster, with Bush plummeting in the polls, leading to Obama - and about one million innocent civilians killed along with thousands of American soldiers.
ReplyDeleteIn Trump's first term, he dramatically increased drone attacks killing hundreds of innocent people, bombed various countries with no purpose, let Putin have his way, and had more American military deaths than Biden.
This term Trump and his team are even more bloodthirsty, Trump failed in his bombings of Iran and Yemen, so in anger he destroyed the east wing of the White House, pardoned drug lords, starting killing random people on boats, and has illegally attack another country and kidnapped its leader.
Eisenhower is rolling over in his grave; Trump has ruined the Republican Party for decades.
"But is something seriously wrong with this man? Over here, in Blue America, Blue orgs have agreed not to ask!"
ReplyDeleteWhat blue orgs? Does Somerby listen to Meidas Touch or David Pakman? First, obviously Somerby doesn't reside in Blue America, so he is not entitled to say "over here" as if he were blue himself. Second, blue America has been repeatedly asking what is wrong with Trump's health, with no good answers. Third, it is obvious (and has been, from the start) that Trump has poor judgment, a lack of education, and poor advisors, so he does not have the basic information to do his job, even if he were competent mentally. He thinks Venezuela stole "our oil" even though it is a separate country nowhere near the USA. But red America elected him anyway because he promised them prosperity. He has never delivered on that except for billionaires, but so what, says red America.
Several medical experts reporting in blue news sources have stated that they think Trump had a stroke or heart attack back around October, based on his treatment details. Others have analyzed his writing and shown a serious cognitive decline consistent with dementia, compared to his previous campaigning and years in office. But Somerby keeps insisting that Trump is mentally ill (based on no evidence beyond his own reading of the DSM and Bandy Lee/Mary Trump nearly ten years ago).
Of course there is "something wrong" with Trump. But you can tell that by looking at the fact that he just invaded Venezuela and stole their president. And he is riding around in his presidential limo buying marble from a home improvement store, instead of being president. And he eats three McDonald's meals at a single sitting, routinely while dosing himself with too much aspirin, against doctor's orders. Of course there is something wrong with Trump and you don't need to be a shrink to say so.
When is Somerby going to talk about what to do about Trump, instead of insisting that Blue America and its press must do something. Trump won because of guys like Somerby who lied about Biden's border policy and said he was too old. Now Somerby is living with the consequences while pretending he doesn't like it. If he doesn't like Trump, he should have supported Biden.
It is not too late. Somerby could promote what Newsom and Swalwell and other Democrats are saying every day. Somerby is the one who is silent when he should be speaking out and joining the resistance to Trump's insanity.
Agree.
DeleteTrump is our most corrupt and criminal president, yet Somerby diddles himself as he thumbs through the pages of the DSM, cherry picking items he does not even understand, and can not be bothered to learn about.
"When is Somerby going to talk about what to do about Trump, instead of insisting that Blue America and its press must do something."
DeleteHe's a media critic. It's right there on the masthead.
"He's a media critic. It's right there on the masthead."
DeleteLOL.
A media critic would note the media is a corporate-owned Right-wing rat-fucking operation.
DeleteLooks like Somerby learned how to be a media critic, from the same people who taught Cecelia how to be funny.
DeleteAnonymouse 8:09am, you could do some lessons. In your case anything is an improvement.
DeleteHardy har har.
DeleteAnonymouse 3:35pm, not so hearty.
DeleteThere is a video of Steven Pinker sitting next to Epstein on Epstein's private plane and a young female is heard saying "Where are you taking us?".
ReplyDeletehttps://www.threads.com/@barbaraj.sobel/post/DSgKFZfEdFr/video-a-really-disturbing-video-tied-to-the-epstein-files-is-going-around-allegedly
DeleteIt is hard to see the faces of Epstein or Pinker, if that is them, but the girl's voice is clear.
DeleteIt is a little blurry, in how the video is often presented because it is resized, although even in that case it clearly is Epstein and Pinker, but in the original video it is quite clear and undeniably Epstein and Pinker.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJOfwIlYgBc
Pretty gross stuff.
This was Trump's best friend for decades, Trump is truly a nightmare.
Also a witness testified that Pinker was on Epstein's island and that it was her job to show him a good time.
DeletePinker is disgusting, he needs to go back under that rock from whence he crawled, but pales in comparison to what Trump and Epstein were up to - grooming young and even underage girls to provide sex to wealthy elites.
Pinker is a piker. Trump raped 10 times as many children as Pinker, yet Pinker couldn't get the Republican Presidential nominee because he didn't give Republican voters the bigotry they crave like children crave sugar.
DeleteA professor who would take Epstein's plane and have sex with young girls would also sleep with students. Pinker needs to retire.
DeleteRemember that weirdo (not David, Cecelia, or Mao) who spent weeks here defending Pinkers pecker?
DeleteDemocrats are protesting Trump's actions, to the point of warning that his actions, and those of his staff, may be illegal. The press is reporting such statements (in case Somerby wants to claim they are turning away):
ReplyDeletehttps://www.rawstory.com/trump-venezuela-2674845118/
Republicans are standing up against Trump's illegal strike too:
Deletehttps://www.rawstory.com/trump-venezuela-2674845463/
Yes, the press is reporting this as well.
Rep Casten made a feeble comment, "the attacks on Venezuela, ... put staffers and military officials alike at legal risk." Casten doesn't even say the attacks definitely were not legal.
DeleteAnd Rep Bacon is worried that "Russia will use this to justify their actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan.” Does Bacon really think Russian needs something to justify their attack on Ukraine? Russia has been attacking Ukraine for years. And, China has all the justification they need to attack Taiwan, because Taiwan is a part of China.
In fact, Trump's military successfully took out a very bad leader. This single act is a blow against vicious international cartels AND against the spread of Communism. The biased media is doing what it can to disparage this great accomplishment.
The attack was illegal. Whether that puts a specific person at legal risk depends on their participation and may vary. There are negatives to what Trump did that you do not consider.
Delete@8:41 - which laws were violated by the attack? Thanks.
DeleteAUMF
DeleteActually, the AUMF seems to justify the attack. It gives the President very broad authority to initiate attacks all over the world.
DeleteSince its passage in 2001, U.S. presidents have interpreted their authority under the AUMF to extend beyond al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan to apply to numerous other groups as well as other geographic locales, due to the act's omission of any specific area of operations.[4] The adoption of this law does not require the targets to be state actors, but can include non-state actors, such as individual persons.[5] In December 2016, the Office of the President published a brief interpreting the AUMF as providing congressional authorization for the use of force against al-Qaeda and other militant groups.[6][7] Today, the full list of actors the U.S. military is fighting or believes itself authorized to fight under the 2001 AUMF is classified.[8]
The only representative to vote against the authorization in 2001 was Barbara Lee, who has consistently criticized it since for being a blank check giving the government unlimited powers to wage war without debate.[9]
Business Insider has reported that the AUMF has been used to allow military deployment in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Georgia, Yemen, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq, and Somalia.[10] The 2001 AUMF has enabled the US president to unilaterally launch military operations across the world without any congressional oversight or transparency for more than two decades. Between 2018 and 2020 alone, US forces initiated what it labelled "counter-terror" activities in 85 countries. Of these, the 2001 AUMF has been used to launch classified military campaigns in at least 22 countries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_of_2001
Venezuela posed no threat to the US.
DeleteBoth sides agree with the invasion more or less. There hasn't been much pushback from major Democrats. (They are pushing back that they weren't told about it, but not that it happened.) America is basically just one party.
DeleteIncorrect, 10:22.
DeleteI haven't seen any pushback from major Democrats opposing the invasion and kidnapping of Maduro. There's pushback on how he did it and what will happen now and that they didn't get to vote on it like I said. But I haven't seen any major Democrat oppose the invasion and taking him out.
DeleteThere's pushback about how Trump did it, but major Democrats seem to really actually love that he did it. Aren't you seeing all that cream in their jeans?
Delete10:36:
DeleteNo major Democrat has opposed the operation. They are just complaining they weren't told about it.
10:33 in that way, it's very similar to the disastrous invasion of Iraq which major Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden voted for and enthusiastically supported.
DeleteIt's really just one big party that exists to support elites and permanent war.
10:09:
DeleteYou won't see any major Democrats issuing any statements opposing what happened. Just how it happened. None of them are opposed to what happened. That's all there is to it.
Major Democrats are complaining that they didn't get to vote yes for the invasion. After all, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden and all major Democrats were able to vote yes for the disastrous invasion of Iraq.
DeleteThat's how things work when your country is a bloodthirsty military empire.
I haven’t been so exited about a power move by this country since 2003.
Delete11:25,
DeleteI think you just set a new record for being wrongest:
https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/01/the-dem-reaction
"This single act is a blow against vicious international cartels AND against the spread of Communism."
DeleteDiC, how much has Communism been spreading in the last, say, 50 years?
And what does this invasion have to do with Communism, whose main attributes are a classless society, common ownership of the means of production, and the abolition of private property, none of which are present in Venezuela?
You can see exactly how much Democrats support the invasion.
DeleteChuck Schumer
“Maduro is an illegitimate dictator. But launching military action without congressional authorization and without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless.”
Chris Coons
“I will not mourn Maduro’s removal from power, but the Trump administration owes our country transparency and a clear strategy.”
Adam Schiff
“Nicolás Maduro was a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela, terrorizing and oppressing its people for far too long but starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution…”
They oppose how the invasion was carried out, not the regime-change war itself.
None of them say : “Even with a clear plan, this would still be unjustified”, “Even with congressional approval, this would be wrong”, “Regime change is illegitimate regardless of authorization”.
That's how it works in a violent military empire with two parties that pretend to oppose each other. That's really all there is to say about it.
Take, for example, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. They voted for the Iraq war. They wanted that illegal invasion that killed millions. They supported it.
DeleteThe powerful elements of the Democratic party really never met a war and they weren't enthusiastic about. I can't think of any. War is their religion. Are there any wars or regime changes M
Deletemajor Democrats have opposed in the last 70 years?
12:14 I can't think of any.
Delete
Delete"And what does this invasion have to do with Communism..."
It helps to spread communist ideas, I think.
But it's a blow against anti-imperialism. Against BRICS, perhaps. A win for western imperialism, perhaps.
Perhaps. As usual, there will be probably a blowback. Who knows when. Who knows how devastating.
The Democratic party's love for war, violent military intervention and regime change is well documented. Let's put that aside for now though and focus on Trump and the Republicans. What a bunch of hypocritical dicks.
Delete
DeleteWell, the Democrat party is the party representing slaveholders. Domestic slaveholders in the past, their global equivalent nowadays. What did you expect?
22/51 Dems in the Senate voted against the Iraq war use of force resolution; 1/49 Republicans voted against it. Your narrative is faulty.,;
DeleteHow is it faulty?
DeleteMore loving Democrats like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton who who voted and supported the invasion of Iraq
DeleteMajor Democrats like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton provided the necessary votes of support for the illegal invasion of Iraq. If it were not for major Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, the war and all the dead may have been prevented. But they supported the illegal invasion and voted for it, pledging unwavering support. It's the same with this latest invasion. They don't protest against the invasion itself, they protest about how it's being done and for being left out of it.
DeleteHillary Clinton assured the Republicans that they would get their illegal invasion through support from the Democratic party. Once they had plenty of votes and war was assured, she let the rest of the Democrats cast no votes so their gullible constituents would think that the party was against the war. That's how the game works when you live in a violent military empire that has two fake parties that pretend they are against each other. You didn't fall for that one side is good and the other side is bad bit did you? That's the oldest trick in the book. You should develop some heuristics to prevent yourself from falling in that trap again.
DeletePretending there's no such thing as both sides is the fuel on which the perpetual killing machine runs.
DeleteJasmine Crockett was asked to give a statement about it but she was too busy eating fried chicken and watermelon to respond. Albeit she pledged a response after tonight's freak off.
DeleteI think we can all agree that gun owners are some of the worst Americans ever.
DeleteIf you support those pieces of shit who shoot-up rooms full of First graders, instead of using their 2nd Amendment rights to fight government tyranny, you are just as big of a piece of shit as they are. At least, that's what people who love the USA think.
DeleteThey aren't "both sides". They are one and the same side, the US establishment. They pretend to split into two organizations, pretending to argue viciously about some insignificant nonsense.
6:55,
DeleteThat's what all the people who want to excuse the Republican Party's global pedophile ring say.
That “insignificant nonsense” seeks to make a lot of difference to a lot of voters, 6:55.
DeleteCorrection: That “insignificant nonsense” seems to make a lot of difference to a lot of voters, 6:55.
Delete"That “insignificant nonsense” seems to make a lot of difference to a lot of voters"
DeleteThat's why it works. That's why they do it. You're learning.
Hector - Communism spread to Venezuela. Communism spread to substantial portion Ukraine, as we all know. Communism spread to Hong Kong -- a tragedy for that island.
DeleteDavid doesn't seem to understand the concept of self-determination. Britain returned Hong Kong to China when their 100-year lease expired. China was already communist. Russia is trying to impose itself on Ukraine, which is fighting for its existence as an independent nation. Whether they want to be communist or not is their choice, as it should be for the Venezuelan people.
DeleteTrump is being imperialist in his actions and words. The American people have sided with the rights of other nations to maintain their sovereignty, just as we fought for our own in our War of Independence. It is shocking that anyone, including Trump, would question that basic tenet of what it means to be American. Claiming that Venezuela has too much oil or Cuba is communist is no excuse for taking over other countries, as Trump has just done. I am ashamed that Trump is our president and I do not believe his actions are the will of any but a small minority of the American people. That Trump ignores the will of the people is another serious abrogation of the rights given by our Constitution, a violation of what it means to be American.
Corby, thank you for expressing your feelings about Trump's abrogations.
DeleteShall I tell you how I feel about what Trump and Epstein did to their victims? How about if I tell you how I feel about the way the National Park entrance fees have been increased to the point that American families can no longer enjoy our national heritage? Why are the parks competing with Disneyland all of a sudden?
DeleteIt is pretty obvious that Trump is trying to decrease attendance at the parks so that he can sell off park land to developers and ranch owners. It is another way of looting our nation's resources for the benefit of the wealthy.
DeleteIf you would like to, sure!
Delete"Communism spread to Venezuela. Communism spread to substantial portion Ukraine, as we all know. Communism spread to Hong Kong -- a tragedy for that island."
DeleteIn Hong Kong's case, you're confusing communism with something I suppose we could call dictatorial capitalism.
Neither Venezuela nor Ukraine are communist.
You simply don't know what you're talking about.
"You simply don't know what you're talking about."
DeleteLook who's talking!
DeleteChina is a communist country. And it's the greatest, most efficient, fastest growing economy in the world. Leaving all other economies far behind.
How 'bout 'dem apples?
China operates under a system called “state capitalism”.
DeleteThere was no invasion, just a pre arranged kidnapping, and all Dems and some Repubs are expressing opposition to this kidnapping.
The difference between Dems and Repubs is vast and readily evident; hilariously the trolls trying to con you into thinking Dems and Repubs are all the same, would never dream of voting for a Dem, these are not serious people, they’re just trolls.
DeleteChina operates under the Chinese Communist Party, which ideology is Marxism–Leninism, retard.
There is no such thing as “state capitalism”, retard. Never has been, never will be, can't be. It's an oxymoron. Every capitalist country has a state. Capitalist state advances the interests of capitalists. Unlike the CCP-controlled state in China.
Here is what AI says about it:
Delete"China's system is officially called a Socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics, combining communist political control under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with significant market-based economic activity, a model often described by outsiders as Party-state capitalism, where the CCP maintains ultimate control and directs economic goals. "
AI contradicts you @2:45. Here is the prompt I used:
DeleteWhat is the economic and political system of China called?
You can use that to take the deep dive, if you are willing to learn something instead of just here to call other people retards.
DeleteIt doesn't contradict anything I said, retard. And what I said is not controversial. China is a communist country, controlled by Marxist–Leninist Communist Party. That is not an opinion, that's a fact.
Another fact, the fact that CCP advances its Marxist–Leninist agenda using elements of market economy is not surprising. It's their country, they can do anything they want there.
Go eat a bag of dicks Mao, you flip flopping POS.
DeleteNo one is arguing there is a Republican voter who isn't a bigot. Even Trump and Vance say it's 100% true.
Delete
DeleteRather than trying to define Chinese Communism, we can just look at the definition of Communism to know that's not what China is.
Communism's main attributes are:
1. a classless society
2. common ownership of the means of production
3. the abolition of private property.
Is there wealth disparity in China? Private enterprise out the wazoo? Private property?
Then is it Communist?
People whose healthcare costs have gone up 100-300%, college grads with bleak job prospects, housewives spending 10-20% more for groceries, families priced out of college, businesses losing money from tariff policies, families priced out of home ownership, consumer spending a devalued dollar. Phoney daycare videos and the capture of some Venezuelan sleaze bag will almost certainly turn their lives around, just as did DOGE, ICE, a $400 million ballroom, and the still hidden Epstein files. Life is suddenly better for the average American.
ReplyDeleteCorporate America only hires illegal immigrants instead of white people, because the immigrants are smarter, harder workers, and much less of a risk of embezzling from the corporation.
DeleteWho could blame them?
Anonymouse 6:27am, and don’t leave out their usefulness in voting illegally for fun and profit. As we’ve recently seen that’s a win-win for anonymices.
DeleteOh, yes, they can be used for many different things. And be easily gotten rid of, when they get old, weak, or just plain unprofitable.
DeleteAnd of course our Democrat slaveholders' party know everything about this.
Does the fallacy in @2:42's comment have a name? That is, "medical costs increased a lot so increased fraud costs don't matter." If anything, the increase in medical costs makes it all the more desirable not to lose money to robbers.
DeleteI think the "logic" behind that fallacy may be that the price of something is a choice unrelated to its cost of production. In that world view, health insurance prices are high due to decisions by evil Republicans and insurance companies
You do realize that these are people you are talking about, Cecelia?
DeleteThe fallacy of relative privation, also known as the "appeal to worse problems" or "it could be worse," dismisses a problem or complaint by pointing to a worse one, suggesting the original issue isn't significant enough to warrant attention or discussion. It wrongly implies that one cannot address smaller problems if bigger ones exist, invalidating personal experiences and diminishing legitimate concerns by comparing them to extreme scenarios.
DeletePutting a name on a fallacy doesn't address the argument. You still need to engage with what was said.
DeleteFraud in healthcare is well studied, it is not unimportant but the amounts are relatively insignificant and the fraud is always on the provider side, not from beneficiaries.
DeleteDOGE was a complete failure, causing government spending to actually increase, saving us nothing.
Health insurance is going up due to Republicans dropping subsidies.
Privately run healthcare is expensive and inefficient - administrative costs run about 35%; government run healthcare is more affordable, gets better results, and is more efficient - administrative costs run about 2%.
Generally speaking inflation, which is not a force of nature, is primarily a function of corporations being allowed to gain enough power to increase prices at will.
There is no daycare fraud in MN, there was just the food charity fraud, which was masterminded by the White Christian that ran the charity and ran the fraud; the fraud was discovered by the Walz admin and then prosecuted by the Biden admin.
David is a troll in some far off land, Cecelia, also a troll, is a man pretending to be a woman; everything these trolls type is made up and misinformation.
Hey Cockcelia, show us the proofs of illegals voting you nimrod.
DeleteCecelia is not an incompetent, like Trump.
DeleteIt just seems that way because it;'s been over 10 years and she still can't identify a Republican voter who isn't a bigot.
Forget "erring". Not being able to identify a Republican voter who isn't a bigot is human.
"I am here in the new year to spread some cheer with wisdom from the rear!"
ReplyDeleteThus spoke The Fanny.
(Miss Fanny Titus)
Obama killed Osama Bin Laden, no congressional approval. Obama invaded Libya, the opposition kills Gaddafi. no approval. Biden killed the Al-Qaeda leader in 2022. No congressional approval. Trump swoops in and brings the man alive back to the U.S, Democrats go crazy. lol. As an independent who sits in the middle, Democrats to need to stop being hypocritical.
ReplyDeleteThe AUMF, passed by congress in September of 2001, specifically authorized the use of the United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the September 11 attacks. That included bin laden and al-Zawahiri, the al qaeda leader killed during the Biden administration.
DeleteSurely there must be plenty of other AUMFs, for example for the drug cartels and shit? Shouldn't be too difficult to find one suitable for pretty much any military strike.
DeleteAn AUMF dealing with Venezuela or drug cartels would have to be … passed by congress. The GOP has introduced such legislation. Meanwhile, a bill, sponsored by Jayapal (a Democrat) and Massie (a Republican), aims to end the 2001 AUMF.
DeleteIt's gratifying to see Trump embrace Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden's passion for invading other countries.
DeleteCan't you fucking maggot pussies ever defend King Orange Chickenshit without resorting to running behind Hillary's skirt and crying, "but Hillary did it, waawaawaa". What the fuck is wrong with you pussies anyway?
DeleteI don't know. I'm a Democrat.
DeleteAs a Democrat, it's gratifying to see Trump embrace the warmongering impulses of my party.
Delete12:19 It's just one party dude. You're relying on distinctions that are invented.
DeleteBiden didn't invade any other countries.
DeleteThey rely on the naivete of citizens like 12:19 who buy into the false distinctions between the two parties. It's called divide and rule. It's it's really one of the oldest and most effective tactics in the book. It's always worked well and it works really well now here in America. Especially for people who don't deal well with their own internal anger and psychological problems. It allows for them to funnel all that anger against the invented opposition side, instead of dealing with that anger on its own terms.
DeleteWhat are you going to do? People are afraid to confront their psychological problems. Giving them an outlet to blame them on external forces, on "others" works so well and has worked so well for so long. It's a system that just works. 12:19 is the perfect example of it working so well. There's nothing you can do about it. They are too weak to deal with their own anger. And giving them an outlet that it's everyone else's fault is just too tempting and easy. It will never change.
DeleteThis comment section functions as an emotional outsourcing system for 12:19 (and myself and others). It allows people to export anger through blame of others instead of processing it.
DeleteConverting pain into blame. It is effective for expressing anger, but structurally bad at resolving it.
There is no uni-party and there are important distinctions between our two parties that matter to people's lives and require that they vote carefully. If you don't think that is true, compare the way Biden and Trump handled covid and the economy. Or look at the Republican appointees to the Supreme Court who overturned Roe v Wade on a pretext, depriving women of control over their own health decisions. Democrats would never have done that.
DeleteThe trolls assigned to this blog today are especially annoying. Why does anyone bother to troll here when Somerby is already advancing Trump's interests and repeating Republican talking points?
Thanks for expressing your feelings Corby, Perry, a.
DeleteDo you realize that thoughts are different from feelings? To a large extent, thoughts determine feelings. Feelings tell us where we stand with respect to important goals, and whether things in the environment are good or bad for our survival. They are not ideas, beliefs, concepts, language, imagination, fantasies, reasoning, or any of the stuff that fits under the category "thoughts." Thoughts are conscious, feelings not so much unless someone focuses deliberately on them.
DeleteReducing someone's ideas and arguments and evidence to "feelings" is a way of diminishing them and dismissing what someone has said. As the right says "Fuck Your Feelings" and yet the left didn't go away. I don't expect that you will go away, but at least you could take your job seriously instead of blathering to take up space.
Great trolling Corby. You're the best. You have a great talent.
Delete
DeleteShe is not trolling. She is a retard, and this is how her brain works; or whatever it is she has for brain. Idiot-savant. Like Hoffman's character in Rain Man.
That would be really sad if she wasn't trolling and was serious. Really sad and scary!
DeleteInteresting that trolls always have an excuse for idiotic comments -- they can say "I was just trolling."
DeleteSomebody explain to me what country President Hillary invaded, u fucking idiots.
DeleteCorby, what is your bra size?
Delete"SATURDAY: There the president went again!"
ReplyDeleteWay to trivialize a major atrocity. Trump killed at least 40 civilians but it is just another day in the park?
Heather Cox Richardson explains:
ReplyDelete"Ben Lefebvre, Zack Colman, and James Bikales of Politico reported that oil companies are leery of Trump’s plan that they will invest billions of dollars in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil industry. Two sources told the journalists that while oil companies would like reimbursement for the equipment and infrastructure they left behind in Venezuela when its government nationalized the oil fields, they are unenthusiastic about Trump’s demand that they invest heavily in rebuilding Venezuela’s destroyed petroleum industry in order to recoup their losses.
They say they have no idea how badly the infrastructure has decayed, and little interest in investing when it is not clear who will be running the country in the future. The administration has failed to reach out to oil executives with a long-term plan, experts told the journalists. One source said “it feels very much a shoot-ready-aim exercise.”
That lack of preparation appears to be in keeping with the overall post-raid planning. Trump told reporters today that administration officials were “designating various people” to “run” Venezuela, “and we’re gonna let you know who those people are.” Tonight Robbie Gramer and Juan Forero of the Wall Street Journal said the administration is “racing to assemble an interim governing structure for Venezuela” but noted that “[t]he lack of details about what comes next led some U.S. officials to question why there was no detailed plan in place well before deposing Maduro.”
Gramer and Forero noted that Venezuela is twice the size of California and has 28 million people in it, millions of whom continue to support Maduro, whose government remains largely intact. Those supporters include armed cocaine-trafficking groups, some of whom fought as guerillas in Colombia, and an army of more than 100,000 soldiers.
Current and former U.S. officials told the reporter that the next phase of Trump’s operation in Venezuela is full of risks and the potential for blunders"
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-3-2026
"the next phase of Trump’s operation in Venezuela is full of risks and the potential for blunders"
DeleteTrue. That's always true when a government is overthrown, no matter how evil that government was.
"the next phase of Trump’s operation in Venezuela is full of risks and the potential for blunders"
DeleteExactly. She's not upset that the invasion happened. She's worried about how it happened and what may come next.
Hopefully some partisans will be able to see this distinction.
It is not our job to overthrow Venezuela's govt. That is the right of the people who live there. The point made by Heather Cox Richardson is that there was insufficient planning and thought, too little communication with affected parties, prior to Trump sending the military to kidnap Maduro. The failure to inform and seek authorization from Congress is only one aspect of the lack of planning. We know that Trump lacks impulse control (a symptom of dementia) but why did his advisors not prevent this fiasco? Is Trump surrounded by a gang of mini-Trumps?
Delete
DeleteWhat's so "evil" about Venezuelan government? I'm pretty sure most people in the world would call the US government "evil" in this incident, while describing Venezuela as the innocent victim.
Bloomberg said it well
DeleteIn the short term, the raid that plucked Maduro out of Caracas is a clear win for the administration. He’d stolen an election, imprisoned and tortured opponents, impoverished his country, and fueled a massive diaspora that destabilized the region. Few will mourn his exit. Venezuelans have at least a chance at a better future, and this in turn could relieve migration pressures in the US and elsewhere. The operation also showcased military capabilities that should give pause to other US adversaries.
At the same time, the longer-term risks are enormous...
12:51, Corby, Perry, a: thank you for expressing your feelings about this and for providing the link to Heather Cox Richardson. Perhaps you can let us know what other bloggers are thinking sometime today.
DeleteNo one in their right mind is going to defend Maduro. That's all you're seeing @12:51. It doesn't mean we want Trump to behave like Hitler. The quote says Trump tried to do this same thing in his first term, not that everyone was trying to get rid of Maduro regardless of party or that anyone else wanted to invade Venezuela. We have a Department of State, participate in the UN, and have an apparatus for negotiating with other nations. Our military is for DEFENSE not OFFENSE. Trump stands alone on this. Even Republicans are upset over it.
Delete@12:54 Where there is an (a) there should be a (b). Did they not teach you that at troll school?
DeleteThey said "get a nym" or you aren't being honest, brave and true. So I did. Now two-bit trolls want to use nyms to dox commenters, instead of dealing with the content of the comments. He or she missed Selby and Slabby and the nyms that came before Corby (forgot what they were) and a few in-between.
Substack writers are more than bloggers. Many also have podcasts. Robert Reich is a former cabinet member of Clinton's (Dept of Labor), now an academic. Heather Cox Richardson has a day job as a professor of History. Digby writes for Salon in addition to her award-winning blog, which she has written longer than Somerby has been here. Krugman now has a substack after leaving the NY Times. I especially admire Tiedrich and Borowitz because life is unbearable without humor.
Somerby's own laser focus on what he calls the blue press (which is now actually the billionaire-owned legacy media) ignores that the media has changed substantially. He needs to keep up with the times but then how could he both-sides red/blue America. He might have to actually discuss what blue America thinks and does, instead of labeling his Strawman "blue" so that he can attack liberals, supposedly from the left but actually from outer space.
Thank you for further expressing your feelings. Corby, Perry, a. Great trolling! You're the best. Always have been always will be.
DeleteOK, we get it that you are just a waste of space.
DeleteCorby: the undisputed Queen of all trolls. The greatest of them all. Mozart.
DeleteSitting on your ass while saying you condemn Maduro is just theatre, virtue-signaling. In some fantasy world we could have gotten rid of Maduro without military action. Here on earth the choice was to use military action against Maduro or leave him in power.
DeleteGiven that Trump chose the latter, I am thrilled by how skillfully our military pulled it off!
Delete"He’d stolen an election"
Look who's talking: lunatic election deniers.
What's so "evil" about Venezuelan government? Watch this brief video.
Deletehttps://instapundit.com/766901/
Why would I want to watch your video? Are you going to watch Bolivarian Revolutionary videos? You go first.
DeleteDavid, it is none of our business whether Venezuela is evil or not. The people who live there have the right to choose their own government and leaders.
DeleteIf Trump keeps invading other countries, an alliance of other nations will pool its resources and stop him militarily, to prevent further predation. WE will be bombed and invaded, just as Hitler was and Putin is now being sanctioned and resisted. There are alliances to protect seemingly weak nations like Venezuela (in this case Cuba, Russia and perhaps China). It may be that Russia is betraying Venezuela via prior arrangement with Trump, but other South and Central American countries are not going allow Trump to sweep them up one by one, as Hitler did in Europe. That is the lesson of WWII.
The problem with Trump's actions is that innocent people are dying and more will die if he continues, including American soldiers first, and then Americans on our own soil, if he doesn't stop. We have never been invaded before, but there is no guarantee that won't happen quickly if Trump keeps attacking our neighbors. War not something you do to negotiate a deal.
It is also part of American ideals to respect the borders of other countries, to encourage self-determination and to participate in the UN, treaties and diplomacy not violence. Trump is un-American, perhaps because he is under the influence of someone like Putin, or because he is allied with an American Nazi movement, or because he does whatever his flatterers tell him to, and our billionaires have put greed above patriotism.
Trump's failure to abide by US law and our Constitution coupled with invading another country and provoking war, strikes me as within the definition of treason, especially if Trump is allied with Putin on this.
There is some discussion that Putin may have swapped Venezuela to the US in exchange for Russia getting to keep Ukraine. Simon Rosenberg says:
Delete"Finally, as I’ve written, I think we should concerned that there was a furious set of talks between the Trump regime and Russia at the same time they were preparing their assault on Venezuela, as if they were somehow linked. Analyst Dave Troy found this nugget from career Russian expert Fiona Hill’s 2019 Congressional testimony.
[Fiona Hill said there was signalling about such a deal in 2019, copy of the transcript appeared here]
Congress returns tomorrow my friends, and we need to be very, very loud. Plan on calling you Rep and 2 Senators and let them know you expect them to both fight Trump’s insane attempt to take possession of Venezuela, and to work to pass the Russian sanctions bill that has been introduced in both the House and Senate."
https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/trump-starts-underwater-in-initial
DeleteThis is cute.
Deletehttps://x.com/mazemoore/status/2007868827355484611?s=46&t=oYvKLjVc8YzJIvwKoQTYBQ
@12:51 - Trump’s overthrow of Maduro IS what the Venezuelan people wanted. We know this because they’re celebrating in the streets.
Delete
DeleteNo, Venezuelan people are not celebrating in the streets of Venezuela, David.
Anti-Revolutionary element, oligarchs and their henchmen who left Venezuela long time ago, they celebrate, yes. Outside of the country.
That's normal; nothing unusual. They are hoping to get back what used to be their property in Venezuela. They're not going to get it, though; I don't think so. If Americans occupy the country (one way or another), they are taking all the shit to themselves, obviously.
David, did you fall for fake AI slop again? Don't feel bad. Elon fell for it too.
Deletehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/elon-musk-falls-for-fake-video-of-venezuelans-celebrating-trump/ar-AA1Tyu2d
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox7R_ij0LAc
DeleteAside from the fact that Trump campaigned on not intervening in other countries, do you believe that the US should topple every leader or regime it doesn’t like, and then run that country, as if we were imperial Rome, DiC?
Delete
ReplyDeleteI like Maduro. I like him a lot. Everyone on the Left likes Maduro.
Zohran Mamdani likes Maduro too, by the way.
No one likes Maduro. Trying to link Mamdani to Maduro is a transparent lie. You can fuck off now.
Delete
DeleteI like Maduro a lot.
Not only Mamdani himself, but his whole Democratic Socialists of America party love Maduro. And for a good reason: Maduro is a great anti-imperialist revolutionary leader.
What is the point of smearing Mamdani when he has already been elected?
DeleteWho is smearing Mamdani, retard? He loves Maduro, and good for him.
DeletePost a source for your claim that Mamdani loves Maduro. Otherwise you're full of shit.
DeleteSince you are unable to run two unusual names together in a search engine, retard, and prefer to type an insult instead, you're idiot but not savant.
DeletePut up or shut up.
DeleteYup full of shit.
DeleteYea, those Democratic Socialists and their wacky ideas about the USA having avery rich person tax policy that provides healthcare to all. All of Trump's billionaire cabinet members had maxed out their payroll taxes within two minutes of the New Year. But we pay in all year. Fucking dupes.
DeleteHey David - should another country take out Dementia Don for his oppressing Democratic Cities with "his" military?
ReplyDeleteWhat Trump's team has done this weekend is exactly what GWB's team thought they were going to do in Iraq--decapitate the government, toss the keys to a friendly stand-in, and reap the rewards.
ReplyDeleteIt all started out looking good. Soon, though, cracks showed up in the plan. The first was that the hand-picked stooge couldn't rally the support required to maintain order. Once the jockeying for power got underway, things disintegrated quickly.
I hope that doesn't happen in Venezuela. The people of the country have put up with enough. American troops don't need to be sent off to be Trump's police force.
I agree Quaker. I hope we do a better job in Venezuela than we did in Iraq. Kudos to you for not simply assuming that Venezuela will go badly because Iraq did, as some Trump opponents are doing.
DeleteSome are saying there is an agreement with Maduro, he is bought off, and he will be quickly pardoned.
DeleteThere is no actual regime change.
DeleteA year from now, if Maduro is actually tried and convicted, Trump will wonder what moron had him tried and convicted, and then pardon him.
DeleteKatie Miller has tweeted out a map of Greenland covered with a giant American flag.
ReplyDeleteGreenland has officially complained and Trump has said they’re next on his list. Trump needs to be impeached and removed, soon.
Delete