Politics

[CJW]

Who needs to worry about Trump or DOGE when Connecticut is releasing killer cannibals back into the public?

Connecticut ‘Cannibal Killer’ granted conditional release decade after eating homeless victim’s eye, brain

Doctors who’ve been treating Tyree Smith said he’s been fully rehabilitated, thanks to medications that quelled the voices in his head.

nypost.com

"To quote the director there, he is a joy. He is considered a support to the other people there,” forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caren Teitelbaum said.

“Once he was stable, he was a really calming presence for other patients.”

Ah, that's sweet.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Who needs to worry about Trump or DOGE when Connecticut is releasing killer cannibals back into the public?

Connecticut ‘Cannibal Killer’ granted conditional release decade after eating homeless victim’s eye, brain

Doctors who’ve been treating Tyree Smith said he’s been fully rehabilitated, thanks to medications that quelled the voices in his head.

nypost.com

Insanity

 

[Jeff505]

The government definitely needs to be trimmed down. My beef is the way they’re going about it. Treating fed employees as criminals just because they have a government job, mass firings without an exit interview or evaluation report. Most of all gloating about it. I’ve had to fire dozens of people and with the exception of one it broke my heart to do it.

As I’ve told before my daughter was one of the fired, in her termination email it sighted “poor performance” which was a TOTAL LIE, in her 18 months she never got a negative performance evaluation and her latest was perfect. She sent a copy of her evaluation report and a copy of the email but doesn’t expect to hear anything from the kids in charge.

I was listening to my ex Congressman the other day and when he was cleaning out his office he had the emblems of each branch of the military in his office. Whoever was in charge of the labor sent 8 people up to his office to get the emblems. They were made of styrofoam! At most 2 people could have done the job. That’s the crap that needs to be eliminated.

I am sorry to hear of your daughter losing her job, my daughter also works for the government as an auditor in the DOD. Her job was also on the line. For a long time federal employment has been bloated and ineffectual. To bring the federal work force back to accountability will cause trauma in many areas. This is a hard thing to stomach if a family member is affected. In an effort to restore the publics confidence that their tax dollars are being spent wisely this process seems to be at an accelerated pace. There will be casualties along the way, not all deserving of termination, I will put my hope in the positive our government is taking.

 

[deewayne2003]

Don’t blame them. I’m sure the transplants are insufferable.

I can only imagine….

I’ve heard it’s mainly L.A. people escaping in California covid lockdowns and discovered how well you can live in Mexico if you have money.

Mexico City especially has had protests about restaurants with English menus and people not speaking Spanish well over a year ago.

I mean the irony is like a Monty Python skit….

 

[Red Leg]

I am sorry to hear of your daughter losing her job, my daughter also works for the government as an auditor in the DOD. Her job was also on the line. For a long time federal employment has been bloated and ineffectual. To bring the federal work force back to accountability will cause trauma in many areas. This is a hard thing to stomach if a family member is affected. In an effort to restore the publics confidence that their tax dollars are being spent wisely this process seems to be at an accelerated pace. There will be casualties along the way, not all deserving of termination, I will put my hope in the positive our government is taking.

The government definitely needs to be trimmed down. My beef is the way they’re going about it. Treating fed employees as criminals just because they have a government job, mass firings without an exit interview or evaluation report. Most of all gloating about it. I’ve had to fire dozens of people and with the exception of one it broke my heart to do it.

As I’ve told before my daughter was one of the fired, in her termination email it sighted “poor performance” which was a TOTAL LIE, in her 18 months she never got a negative performance evaluation and her latest was perfect. She sent a copy of her evaluation report and a copy of the email but doesn’t expect to hear anything from the kids in charge.

I was listening to my ex Congressman the other day and when he was cleaning out his office he had the emblems of each branch of the military in his office. Whoever was in charge of the labor sent 8 people up to his office to get the emblems. They were made of styrofoam! At most 2 people could have done the job. That’s the crap that needs to be eliminated.

Arbitrarily firing good people does not build public confidence - it undermines it. The Trump base is all excited, but if this keeps up in this way, Trump will soon begin to hear it from both House and Senate republicans.

Indeed, @Hunt anything were it my daughter, both she and I would be writing letters to my congressman and both senators. There is a building backlash. Trump is a lame duck and not running again. Most of the rest of the republican leadership are very much interested in their next election.

 

[YancyW]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894163887374627143

 

[luger6]

Trump meets a grown up:

 

[Altitude sickness]

Business doesn’t typically work like that. If you raise your prices above those of your competitors, you no longer have a business.

Someone should alert Sotsu that their business model won’t work. Amazon still sells them at $549

 

[KJE81]

Someone should alert Sotsu that their business model won’t work. Amazon still sells them at $549

​

View attachment 667836​

It will be interesting to see wether the prices change on the 1 of march or if Amazon indeed will lower its profits by not putting the cost of the tariff on the customer then.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Also, the Amazon product could be a rip off. Even though the original is made in China too.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Back to the original point made. Any product stating a warning that the price increase is due to Trumps tariffs. Shows me exactly which products are being subsidized by their governments and shows me which products I would try to steer away from.

That isn’t always possible. But when possible I will not intentionally be buying products that come from a nation that has had tariffs on our products for decades. Then when the playing field is leveled they feign injury

 

[Altitude sickness]

I will most likely pause planning a trip to the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland until the EU tariffs are lowered. Which should be announced any day. So no real sacrifice I guess.

No one will be mistaking my protest as Gandhi like

 

[Foxi]

"But.. had the EU actually been pulling its weight in NATO all of these years.. had they been engaging in fair trade for the last several decades.. etc etc.. we probably wouldn't be where we are today...
Whether that's the EU's fault to not living up to the contracts (i.e. NATO, etc) they signed and agreed to.. or the US's fault for letting them get away with it for so long doesn't really matter does it?"


@mdwest
as if the USA (and the US corporations behind it) have ever allowed themselves to be treated unfairly ?
Do you really believe that ?
I asked Chat GTP now,because their databases are much bigger than our subjective opinions and spotty memories (I'm just talking about myself

Answer Chat GTP :

Donald Trump has often claimed during his presidency that the European Union (EU) treats the US unfairly, especially in trade. But whether this claim is objectively true depends on how you define “unfair”.
Arguments in favor of Trump's position:

Higher EU tariffs on US products
Trump has often criticized the EU for imposing higher tariffs on certain US products than vice versa. For example, the EU had a 10% tariff on US cars, while the US only levied 2.5% on European cars (excluding trucks, on which the US levies a 25% tariff).

Regulatory hurdles
The EU has strict regulations for imported goods (e.g. in the agricultural sector), which makes it more difficult for US companies to enter the European market.

US trade deficit with the EU
The US has a trade deficit with the EU, which Trump saw as evidence of unfair treatment. In 2019, the deficit was around 170 billion dollars.

Arguments against Trump's position:

Reciprocal tariffs and subsidies
The EU does impose higher tariffs on some US products, but the US does the same in other areas, e.g. with high tariffs on European trucks or aluminum and steel products.

Fair trade agreements
The trade rules between the EU and the US are based on mutually agreed WTO (World Trade Organization) rules that were not unilaterally set by the EU.
Arguments against Trump's position:

Reciprocal tariffs and subsidies
The EU does impose higher tariffs on some US products, but the US does the same in other areas, e.g. with high tariffs on European trucks or aluminum and steel products.

Fair trade agreements
The trade rules between the EU and the US are based on mutually agreed WTO (World Trade Organization) rules that were not unilaterally set by the EU.

Subsidies and competitive conditions
Both the EU and the US subsidize certain industries (e.g. the aviation industry with Airbus vs. Boeing), which has led to trade conflicts.

Conclusion:

Trump's claim is a simplified representation of reality. While there are differences in terms of trade, both sides benefit greatly from each other economically. Instead of speaking of “unfair” treatment, one could rather speak of different trade strategies and interests.

 

[Brent in Az]

Tr

Trump meets a grown up:

Trump meets the destroyer of France

 

[fourfive8]

It is interesting that the top two people in the FBI have an in depth understanding of Russia Gate and the lawfare that was perpetrated the past nine years. Perhaps I am reading more into this than I should but it seems Trump wants an accounting of past events.

Spot on I believe. Accountability chickens coming home to roost. Bongino was stating this yesterday after appointment.

 

[Red Leg]

"But.. had the EU actually been pulling its weight in NATO all of these years.. had they been engaging in fair trade for the last several decades.. etc etc.. we probably wouldn't be where we are today...
Whether that's the EU's fault to not living up to the contracts (i.e. NATO, etc) they signed and agreed to.. or the US's fault for letting them get away with it for so long doesn't really matter does it?"


@mdwest
as if the USA (and the US corporations behind it) have ever allowed themselves to be treated unfairly ?
Do you really believe that ?
I asked Chat GTP now,because their databases are much bigger than our subjective opinions and spotty memories (I'm just talking about myself

Answer Chat GTP :

Donald Trump has often claimed during his presidency that the European Union (EU) treats the US unfairly, especially in trade. But whether this claim is objectively true depends on how you define “unfair”.
Arguments in favor of Trump's position:

Higher EU tariffs on US products
Trump has often criticized the EU for imposing higher tariffs on certain US products than vice versa. For example, the EU had a 10% tariff on US cars, while the US only levied 2.5% on European cars (excluding trucks, on which the US levies a 25% tariff).

Regulatory hurdles
The EU has strict regulations for imported goods (e.g. in the agricultural sector), which makes it more difficult for US companies to enter the European market.

US trade deficit with the EU
The US has a trade deficit with the EU, which Trump saw as evidence of unfair treatment. In 2019, the deficit was around 170 billion dollars.

Arguments against Trump's position:

Reciprocal tariffs and subsidies
The EU does impose higher tariffs on some US products, but the US does the same in other areas, e.g. with high tariffs on European trucks or aluminum and steel products.

Fair trade agreements
The trade rules between the EU and the US are based on mutually agreed WTO (World Trade Organization) rules that were not unilaterally set by the EU.
Arguments against Trump's position:

Reciprocal tariffs and subsidies
The EU does impose higher tariffs on some US products, but the US does the same in other areas, e.g. with high tariffs on European trucks or aluminum and steel products.

Fair trade agreements
The trade rules between the EU and the US are based on mutually agreed WTO (World Trade Organization) rules that were not unilaterally set by the EU.

Subsidies and competitive conditions
Both the EU and the US subsidize certain industries (e.g. the aviation industry with Airbus vs. Boeing), which has led to trade conflicts.

Conclusion:

Trump's claim is a simplified representation of reality. While there are differences in terms of trade, both sides benefit greatly from each other economically. Instead of speaking of “unfair” treatment, one could rather speak of different trade strategies and interests.

Fascinating. So I decided to ask Grok (a dime for each of you who has read Heinllein's Stranger in a Strange Land) which is Elon's AI tool on X the same question. It tends to respond a little more conversationally than Chat GTP - probably because of all those high school seniors "researching" their homework on Chat.

The question of whether the US is treated unfairly by Europe in trade is a complex one, and it depends on how you define "unfair." Let’s break it down a bit.
The US and the EU have a massive trade relationship—think hundreds of billions of dollars in goods and services flowing both ways each year. The EU is one of the US’s biggest trading partners, and vice versa. On paper, it’s a pretty balanced deal: the US exports things like machinery, chemicals, and agricultural products to Europe, while Europe sends back cars, pharmaceuticals, and luxury goods. In 2022, for example, the US had a trade deficit with the EU of about $180 billion, but that’s not inherently "unfair"—it just reflects what each side buys and sells.
Where the friction comes in is with specific policies. The US has long griped about Europe’s tariffs and regulations. Take agriculture: the EU slaps high tariffs on US exports like beef and pork—sometimes over 20%—and has strict rules on things like GMOs and hormone-treated meat, which effectively lock out a lot of American farmers. Then there’s the Airbus-Boeing saga—decades of both sides accusing each other of illegal subsidies, with the WTO ruling that both the US and EU were guilty at different points. The EU’s had its own complaints, too, like when the US hit them with steel and aluminum tariffs under Trump in 2018, citing "national security," which Europe called a sham.
On the flip side, the US isn’t exactly a saint here. It’s got its own protectionist streaks—think "Buy American" rules or subsidies for industries like solar panels that tweak European competitors. And the EU argues its regulations aren’t unfair—they’re just about consumer safety and environmental standards, even if they do conveniently favor local producers sometimes.
So, is it unfair? If you’re in Washington, you might say Europe’s barriers are too high and their subsidies too sneaky. If you’re in Brussels, you’d counter that the US plays plenty of its own games. The truth is probably in the messy middle: both sides have self-interested policies that bend the rules, but neither’s getting totally shafted. Trade’s a negotiation, not a morality play—everyone’s trying to win something. What do you think—any specific trade beef you’re curious about?

You have to admit it would interesting to hear Trump attempt to articulate a EuroAmerican trade policy that was based on something other than accusations and perceived grievance.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Harley Davidson got pulled into the steel and Aluminum tariffs. Maybe symbolic, I’m not sure why the EU hit HD after the trump steel and aluminum tarrif.

My personal opinion is that S.korea, Japan and now maybe Taiwan are more vital allies than the EU.

The EU and US relationship is more equal. Our one country equals their 32 or so nations. And of course we need to remain partners. But.

IMHO Japan, S Korea and Taiwan bring more to the table. One on one.

The pacific rim nations are becoming more free while the EU goes off the deep end towards Marxism.

 

[mdwest]

"But.. had the EU actually been pulling its weight in NATO all of these years.. had they been engaging in fair trade for the last several decades.. etc etc.. we probably wouldn't be where we are today...
Whether that's the EU's fault to not living up to the contracts (i.e. NATO, etc) they signed and agreed to.. or the US's fault for letting them get away with it for so long doesn't really matter does it?"


@mdwest
as if the USA (and the US corporations behind it) have ever allowed themselves to be treated unfairly ?
Do you really believe that ?
I asked Chat GTP now,because their databases are much bigger than our subjective opinions and spotty memories (I'm just talking about myself

Answer Chat GTP :

Donald Trump has often claimed during his presidency that the European Union (EU) treats the US unfairly, especially in trade. But whether this claim is objectively true depends on how you define “unfair”.
Arguments in favor of Trump's position:

Higher EU tariffs on US products
Trump has often criticized the EU for imposing higher tariffs on certain US products than vice versa. For example, the EU had a 10% tariff on US cars, while the US only levied 2.5% on European cars (excluding trucks, on which the US levies a 25% tariff).

Regulatory hurdles
The EU has strict regulations for imported goods (e.g. in the agricultural sector), which makes it more difficult for US companies to enter the European market.

US trade deficit with the EU
The US has a trade deficit with the EU, which Trump saw as evidence of unfair treatment. In 2019, the deficit was around 170 billion dollars.

Arguments against Trump's position:

Reciprocal tariffs and subsidies
The EU does impose higher tariffs on some US products, but the US does the same in other areas, e.g. with high tariffs on European trucks or aluminum and steel products.

Fair trade agreements
The trade rules between the EU and the US are based on mutually agreed WTO (World Trade Organization) rules that were not unilaterally set by the EU.
Arguments against Trump's position:

Reciprocal tariffs and subsidies
The EU does impose higher tariffs on some US products, but the US does the same in other areas, e.g. with high tariffs on European trucks or aluminum and steel products.

Fair trade agreements
The trade rules between the EU and the US are based on mutually agreed WTO (World Trade Organization) rules that were not unilaterally set by the EU.

Subsidies and competitive conditions
Both the EU and the US subsidize certain industries (e.g. the aviation industry with Airbus vs. Boeing), which has led to trade conflicts.

Conclusion:

Trump's claim is a simplified representation of reality. While there are differences in terms of trade, both sides benefit greatly from each other economically. Instead of speaking of “unfair” treatment, one could rather speak of different trade strategies and interests.

You actually make my point for me..

It doesn’t matter who is at fault, who is to blame, or what the realities are in terms of how we got here…

The facts remain the facts…

The EU doesn’t have the same economic staying power to fight a trade war.. no one comes out of any war injury free.. but both the US and the EU know it will be much more painful for the EU, which is why we are already seeing negotiations specifically on the automobile industry tariffs…

Combine that economic challenge with the US threatening to stop supporting Ukraine, and now the EU has 2 huge economic burdens to bear.. they have to fight a trade war and up their military and aid spending at the same time…

But wait… that’s not all!

Every EU state took money from USAID last year (actually every year, for the last several years)… that money is now going away.. that’s less revenue in the EU coffers… Germany, the most developed and powerful economy in Europe took $15m in USAID dollars in 2023… 2024 hasn’t been accounted for yet, but I’d guess the number is similar)…

And… the EU is challenged with its own interests that have been propped up by USAID and DOS in the developing world that are no longer being funded… the EU has already said it lacks the ability to absorb USAID programs in Africa ($18b last year)..

Combine all of that.. and the EU is in a very difficult position right now..

How we got here doesn’t matter… how we get where we all want to be is going to be a very difficult proposition indeed…

And all the screaming, bitching, whining, complaining, etc about what an asshole Trump is isn’t going to solve the EU’s very big, very real problem..

Trump has the EU over a barrel.. and they know it.. they can capitulate and give him some of what he wants… or they can watch their economies crumble…

They might have wanted to think about that before prodding him so much the last time around…

Trump has an ego.. he is also resentful of people that publicly try to humiliate him (clearly much of what’s going on with Zelensky is personal for example)..

Perhaps if the EU tried a different approach it would get different results..


Edited to add: I found another US Govt website that addresses USAID money.. it does have an accounting of 2024 provided… $22M in disbursements were made to Germany in 2024 by USAID…

 

[Red Leg]

Harley Davidson got pulled into the steel and Aluminum tariffs. Maybe symbolic, I’m not sure why the EU hit HD after the trump steel and aluminum tarrif.

My personal opinion is that S.korea, Japan and now maybe Taiwan are more vital allies than the EU.

The EU and US relationship is more equal. Our one country equals their 32 or so nations. And of course we need to remain partners. But.

IMHO Japan, S Korea and Taiwan bring more to the table. One on one.

The pacific rim nations are becoming more free while the EU goes off the deep end towards Marxism.

The EU, around $900 billion in trade (imports and exports) pretty much dwarfs Japan, Taiwan, and S. Korea at $540 billion. US trade deficit ratio is about the same for both. The EU market is far deeper for a much more diverse opportunity set for US products.

I think Taiwan's role in semi-conductors may indeed give it an outsized importance to our economy, but of course that is rapidly changing with S Korea onshoring semi-conductor production in this country. Japan's and secondarily Korea's export focus other than tech is auto production.

I suspect the challenge of China provides the Pacific Rim with a perception of importance that the EU does not presently carry, but the sheer weight of trade isn't really close.

Looking at our trade deficit, for Marxists, the EU is pretty good at this capitalist trade model.

 

[Russ16]

Harley Davidson got pulled into the steel and Aluminum tariffs. Maybe symbolic, I’m not sure why the EU hit HD after the trump steel and aluminum tarrif.

My personal opinion is that S.korea, Japan and now maybe Taiwan are more vital allies than the EU.

The EU and US relationship is more equal. Our one country equals their 32 or so nations. And of course we need to remain partners. But.

IMHO Japan, S Korea and Taiwan bring more to the table. One on one.

The pacific rim nations are becoming more free while the EU goes off the deep end towards Marxism.

Harley Davidson was pulling because Paul Ryan was Speaker and he’s from Wisconsin. They also targeted bourbon (McConnell) and California wine (Pelosi). It was about political pressure.