Trump is my favourite comedian of the year already (11 Viewers)

[tisza]

Some alleged drug traffickers are more equal than others - https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/02/politics/juan-orlando-hernandez-pardon

Never about drugs. Even DEA have admitted very little goes via Venezuela.
We'll find out at some stage what exactly the ulterior motive was for this particular pardon -certainly not the bs spouted to the wider world

 

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[djr8369]

Agree to disagree on that point but we’ll find common ground that the intervention is ultimately taken to forward US interests one way or the other.

I think you misunderstand people’s frustration. It’s not that we don’t see it advances their interests it’s that we think it’s morally wrong.

 

[Jamesimus]

Yes I’m sure the pictures coming out via the broadcasters reflect the true picture…..

I think by and large there will be a lot of happy Venezuelans tbh. That of course does not make what’s happened right!

 

[SkyBlueBarmy84]

It’s all quite simple:

Ukraine: Graphite, Titanium, Lithium, Uranium
Venezuela: Oil
DRC: Cobalt, Lithium, Uranium
Pakistan: Oil
Palestine: Gas

It’s just pure resource imperialism - and the US autocrats / electorate know it, but don’t really care as it strengthens their strategic interests and further enriches the country.

Watch out, Cornwall, the tin mines are probably next…

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

I think you misunderstand people’s frustration. It’s not that we don’t see it advances their interests it’s that we think it’s morally wrong.

In your view, why is it morally wrong?

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

It’s all quite simple:

Ukraine: Graphite, Titanium, Lithium, Uranium
Venezuela: Oil
DRC: Cobalt, Lithium, Uranium
Pakistan: Oil
Palestine: Gas

It’s just pure resource imperialism - and the US autocrats / electorate know it, but don’t really care as it strengthens their strategic interests and further enriches the country.

Watch out, Cornwall, the tin mines are probably next…

Yep, the same game China and Russia are playing. The question is, therefore, which horse are you backing?

 

[djr8369]

In your view, why is it morally wrong?

Does that really need explaining?

 

[Ian1779]

Of course - but you’ll probably find more people unhappy at Starmer than happy with him. Shall we overthrow him whilst we are at it?

 

[SkyBlueBarmy84]

What is it they say: it’s like choosing who you want to catch your wife in bed with; your best (‘special’) friend or your (longstanding) worst enemy.

Anyway, sadly, the views of Britain - and each of us on here - are entirely irrelevant. We are just corks in the ocean. The tide will go in, and the tide will go out, we just have to stay aware and afloat in our own way.

The same game that’s been played for a thousand years, and will be played for a thousand more. Obviously that doesn’t make it any less depressing though.

 

[Sick Boy]

Of course - but you’ll probably find more people unhappy at Starmer than happy with him. Shall we overthrow him whilst we are at it?

I think you mean a foreign power that then runs the country before installing a puppet.

 

[SBT]

It’s a v narrow question, but to name a few:
Japan
South Korea
West Germny
Panama
Granada

Can’t say I know much about Panama and Granada, but basically you’re saying the best case scenario dates back 70 or 80 years?

 

[eastwoodsdustman]

IS that not a big "if"? Afghanistan,Iraq, Libya (all worse regimes than Venezuela) haven't become flourishing democracies when leaderships were removed.

They are sending money to the taliban. D”They definitely have interests in afghanistan still.

 

[wingy]

Pillage and plunder enjoy your spoils Gentlemen x!!

 

[eastwoodsdustman]

At times like these the UK shows it is best in the world at stepping in to make a pointless gesture.
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Don’t tell me spit the dogs been captured too.

 

[Captain Dart]

Don’t tell me spit the dogs been captured too.

In a dog pound in Guantanamo Bay sadly.

 

[stupot07]

Reports coming through now from Nicolás Maduro’s vice president in Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, that contrast sharply from the portrayal given by Donald Trump at the presidential press conference in the US earlier.

There, Trump said he understood she’d be sworn in as president of Venezuela, following the US capturing and taking away Maduro, and that she had, essentially, agreed to cooperate with the US because she had no “choice”.

Now Rodriguez, a staunch loyalist of Maduro, has appeared on state television and across radio stations in there, saying that Maduro “is Venezuela’s only president”.

She described Maduro’ as having been kidnapped and called for him and his wife to be freed.

Rodriguez spoke on state television from Caracas with her brother, national assembly head Jorge Rodriguez, interior minister Diosdado Cabello and the foreign and defense ministers, Reuters reports.

Rodriguez called for calm and unity to defend the country amid Maduro’s “kidnapping” and said Venezuela will never be the colony of any nation

 

[Captain Dart]

I am not entirely sure what offering Micky Quinn political asylum will achieve but have an open mind.

It's not Micky Quinn, you're not old enough to know the truth.

 

[Captain Dart]

Khamenei must be getting nervous over in Iran.

Zelensky has had to change his pants twice today.

 

[SkyBlueBarmy84]

Zelensky has had to change his pants twice today.

Nah, the ‘precious earth’ deal ensures his safety…

The reason Trump is getting pissy with Putin is because he’s still refusing to ‘do a deal’ for the Donbas - if Russia holds that land, then Trump’s minerals deal with Zelensky is undermined.

The Donbas will ultimately be split between Russia and Ukraine, and governed by an ‘independent’ council. It’ll just be the governance logistics that are still being debated, with both sides wanting 51% control…

 

[SBAndy]

Never about drugs. Even DEA have admitted very little goes via Venezuela.
We'll find out at some stage what exactly the ulterior motive was for this particular pardon -certainly not the bs spouted to the wider world

At least a bunch of fishermen weren’t blown up for no reason then.

 

[chiefdave]

Reports coming through now from Nicolás Maduro’s vice president in Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, that contrast sharply from the portrayal given by Donald Trump at the presidential press conference in the US earlier.

Most predictable news of the day.

 

[Ian1779]

I think you mean a foreign power that then runs the country before installing a puppet.

Netanyahu it is then

 

[SkyBlueMatt]

Never about drugs. Even DEA have admitted very little goes via Venezuela.
We'll find out at some stage what exactly the ulterior motive was for this particular pardon -certainly not the bs spouted to the wider world

I don't think it's all that hard to work out.

The two reasons rhyme with shmepstein and schhhoil.

Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk

 

[mmttww]

Shmepstein and Schhhoil.

another one for the 'Good Band Name' list.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Can’t say I know much about Panama and Granada, but basically you’re saying the best case scenario dates back 70 or 80 years?

No, on the contrary. The interventions in more recent times (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Haiti, Somalia) failed because the institutions to support liberal democracies were either v weak or didn’t exist.

Going back to the partition of India, one of the main reasons India was able to sustain a democracy and Pakistan descended into authoritarianism is primarily because the newly-created Indian state had inherited the state apparatus of the British Raj and Pakistan didn’t.

The neocon policies of forcing regime change and nation building ultimately failed because the institutions and political culture wasn’t in place to sustain a democracy.

In Venezuela, it should be more viable for a peaceful transfer of power and democracy to flourish again. Time will tell and I’m optimistic.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Literally none of it applies to the USA. What are you talking about?

You could argue that Trump’s domination of the Republican constitutes a ‘cult of personality’… but would you apply the logic to the Democrat party? Hillary Clinton and Biden were Obama continuation candidates and the Democrat machine actively conspired against Bernie Sanders. Obama also ‘strongly suggested’ Biden make way for Kamala Harris. Then there’s a the weird obsession Democrats have with wanting Michelle Obama to run for president which is similar to how some republicans want a Trump dynasty. A desire for dynasties in US politics is actually deeply weird, for what it’s worth.

Trump dominates the Republican Party, I’ll absolutely agree with that. If we’re being balanced, you cannot argue that Obama doesn’t dominate the Democrat party today.

Well, no, because that support is very much conditional. Being a continuation candidate is kind of the point of a political party if you're following a set of policies and ideologies you believe in - it's nothing like a personality cult. If they did even 10% of what Trump has done almost everyone would be calling for them to be removed and locked up.

Trump's support is pretty much unconditional. He can do whatever the fuck he likes and his supporters will claim he did the right thing and it was all perfectly legal. Then when Trump says the exact opposite a day later they'll say that was the right thing instead.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

You need to move on. The American people had their say and they elected him despite Jan 6th and everything else you said. Ironically, he may have lost the Republican nomination had the lawfare against not been initiated.

Jan 2029 he’ll leave office and they’ll be the end of it.

I’ll ask for a final time, do you think Maduro is a dictator?

I guess we'll see won't we.

He started talking about having a third term almost immediately after the last election. That will only intensify over the next couple of years.

Unless he dies or is rendered completely incapable, I fully expect to see his name on the ballot at the next election.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Thank you, that wasn’t hard.

Back to Trump, he wasn’t polling well before the legal proceedings against him commenced. The Republican presidential debates went from attacking Trump’s first term to all candidates pulling ranks and backing him. The image of mugshot galvanised his base and like or not, propelled him to be the Republican nominee and President.

Trump hasn’t faced criminal charges and the opportunity to charge him was lost when he won the Republican nominee for President.

That’s the cause and effect, whether you like it or not.

Yep, nothing gets you votes in a sane place like being arrested! And with a ton of video evidence of you actually doing what it was you were arrested for.

I can just see Starmer having his mugshot taken in the run up to the next election to boost his chances.

 

[chiefdave]

He started talking about having a third term almost immediately after the last election. That will only intensify over the next couple of years.

There were reports of a meeting with an 'expert' at the end of last year.

White House says US would be ‘lucky’ if Trump stayed for third term​

Comments follow reports that US president discussed idea with constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz

The US would be “lucky” if Donald Trump remained in office for a constitutionally prohibited third term, the White House has said following revelations that he discussed the possibility with the lawyer and constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz.

The bold assertion came despite successive polls showing plunging approval ratings for Trump amid widespread discontent over his administration’s economic performance and lingering controversy over his links to the disgraced late financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

“There has never been an Administration that has accomplished as much in less than one year than the Trump Administration,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Axios.

“The American people would be lucky to have President Trump in office for even longer.”

 

[djr8369]

I guess we'll see won't we.

He started talking about having a third term almost immediately after the last election. That will only intensify over the next couple of years.

Unless he dies or is rendered completely incapable, I fully expect to see his name on the ballot at the next election.

Steve Bannon gave an interview to The Economist just a few weeks ago where he said he was certain there would be a third term and they had several ideas in place to make it happen.

 

[Sick Boy]

I guess we'll see won't we.

He started talking about having a third term almost immediately after the last election. That will only intensify over the next couple of years.

Unless he dies or is rendered completely incapable, I fully expect to see his name on the ballot at the next election.

I’m not entirely convinced that Sleepy Old Don will even last the current term at this rate.

 

[Ectemnius]

At times like these the UK shows it is best in the world at stepping in to make a pointless gesture.
View attachment 48065

What about Spit the dog? What was his part in all of this?

 

[rondog1973]

In your view, why is it morally wrong?

Fuckin hell!

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Does that really need explaining?

Fuckin hell!

Yes, it dos need explaining.

Maduro and his government was illegitimate and he was a dictator. The regime is indefensible and Venezuelans appear to be rejoicing that he’s been toppled.

It’s also initially a strategic victory against China who is dependent on oil imports.

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

I find this wild. They took him to a ship, then Guantanamo Bay, then to fucking New York. Seems crazy you would keep him in such a big city.