Politics

[spike.t]

Putin offers Russian and Ukrainian rare minerals to US

The proposal to give the US access to minerals would also include those from territories taken from Ukraine.

www.bbc.com

 

[deewayne2003]

This was on a UK cousin's IG feed, it was a video of a worker putting it up. They are all over London.

View attachment 667918

lol from the country putting people in jail and ceasing phones and computers for posting mean memes ….. more proof that it’s working, just like the Oaxaca street art

 

[Tundra Tiger]

We're probably talking past one another and actually agreeing on that one sentence..

An example I'd give you is a recent conversation I had with our HR director at my company..

I told her what I wanted to accomplish..

She came back to me with all of the associated problems... (essentially trying to tell me "we cant do that")...

My response was I don't want to hear about the problems.. that's your job to resolve them.. what I want to know is how we're going to get done what I told you I want to get done...

Im open to the subordinate staff telling me "we can do that boss... here's what its going to cost... " (whether they're talking financial cost, human capital cost, material resource cost, etc)... from there I'll make a decision as to whether or not I want to continue to plod forward on the path Ive put us on.. or put us on another path...

What Im not open to is anyone telling me "no" (unless they can substantiate that something I am asking them to do is illegal, immoral, or unethical... if that's the case they all know to throw the red flag, halt everything that's going on, and bring me exactly the facts that support why they think that)..

Trump appears to operate in a similar manner (albeit I think I am far less brash, brazen, and difficult to reason with)..

He decides he wants to do X... so that's what he expects to have happen... he knows (he isn't stupid) that there are going to be problems/challenges associated with any decision made or any path he chooses to follow... he expects the staff to resolve those problems and stay on the prescribed path..

Where I think he and I likely differ in leadership and management is, I think I am likely far more flexible where he is far more rigid.. I constantly take a pause along the way to an objective, listen to whats going on around me, look at what the outcomes are so far, etc.. and re-evaluate.. if things arent going as planned, Im going to convene the team, find out why, and either alter the course with the same final objective in mind.. or abandon the course altogether and find a completely new path to get us where we need to be...

I think Trump makes a decision, and then puts it in the rear view and doesn't think much about it again... Hes been described as someone that gets bored easily and that doesn't like to dwell on any single matter for very long.. I get the impression he calls a shot and then expects results.. and is then too preoccupied with the next matter of the day to bother giving any time or thought to yesterdays decision..

I agree. I am/was probably being unnecessarily nitpicky... kinda like when spelling or grammar issues cause my OCD to flare up. I absolutely think we agree on this.

 

[mdwest]

Tesla dropped from $400 to $300 which is %25 (%8 today) on the last 30 days.
He will care because this is just the beginning and the real effects will be seen in the next couple months.
Also his other company X (Twitter) is losing thousands of people every day.
All his other companies is irrelevant, if Tesla stock keeps dropping he'll hurt a lot.

what exactly do you think "hurt" looks like to a man worth $400B?

he is currently earning are a little over $96M a day.. and that number is increasing, not decreasing.. he literally has so much wealth that the money he currently has earns at a pace faster than it can be spent..

If his net worth dropped to lets say $250B.. do you think that's hurting? (he was only worth $250B this time last year.. I don't think he was hurting then)..

What if it dropped to $100B.. do you think that is hurting?

What Musk revels in is being the center of attention... he prescribes to PT Barnums belief that he doesn't care what the papers say about him.. as long as they spell his name right..

Those signs in the UK that @Tanks posted.. I'd bet you my next paycheck that not only does he not care, he likely finds them funny and enjoys that he has peoples feathers ruffled (including yours)..

He was hated by the right in most of his younger years (he is by no means a social conservative).. he's now been hated by the left for most of the last decade...

Much like trump, he couldn't give a shit.. your opinion, the opinion of Euros not buying his cars, etc.. matter not..

What matters is you're all still talking about him.. and he is still making money faster than anyone else on the planet..

Notice the focus on Tesla... because that's the only measurable negative..

The EU has zero impact on SpaceX.. because it chose LONG before last November not to invest in SpaceX..

The EU has zero impact on Starlink.. because it chose LONG before last November not to invest in Starlink and instead has been working on its own competitive system..

Notice no talk about Gigafactories.. because Musk has been telling several european nations to pound sand that want them (Scotland for example).. and other EU countries like Germany are so heavily invested they cant break away from any deal made ($5B invested by Germany already with more funding planned)..

Twitter/X, Tesla, etc.. are a small fraction of Musks wealth.. and whether or not people abandon those brands or not will have limited impact (this has already been discussed prior in this very thread, specifically about X/Twitter.. the BANKS are losing money on the Twitter deal.. Musk is very much raking in a fortune).. .

 

[WAB]

I truly believe that Musk is driven to improve systems and leave them better than he found them. I worry that he is moving too fast and a lot of good people are being jettisoned with the dead wood. I for one, would like to see a slightly moderated approach. Go at light speed on audits and discovery of ‘lost’ money. Engage in a more thoughtful approach to reorganization and staffing reductions. They absolutely need to happen, but they need to be done right.

 

[mdwest]

Putin offers Russian and Ukrainian rare minerals to US

The proposal to give the US access to minerals would also include those from territories taken from Ukraine.

www.bbc.com

like or hate that KGB asshole... there is no denying he is smart and knows how to play the game..

he knows what Trump has said he wants.. .

and he is now offering Trump what Zelensky has told Trump he cannot have...

 

[mdwest]

I truly believe that Musk is driven to improve systems and leave them better than he found them. I worry that he is moving too fast and a lot of good people are being jettisoned with the dead wood. I for one, would like to see a slightly moderated approach. Go at light speed on audits and discovery of ‘lost’ money. Engage in a more thoughtful approach to reorganization and staffing reductions. They absolutely need to happen, but they need to be done right.

I agree completely...

Im all for auditing the Fed Govt and making very large scale cuts, even knowing that there will be some pains associated with the changes.. as long as we know there are going to be long term rewards, Im all for short term discomforts..

But I keep asking myself.. would it have been so bad to take the first 90 days to dig in deep... and really know what you're dealing with at all levels.. and THEN start slashing and burning where appropriate?

I get that there is concern that given time and opportunity that entrenched bureaucrats could (would) take action to thwart efforts, create problems, etc... If that happens, fire them right on the spot.. and still wait 90 days to take your large scale action...

Make examples out of every person that willfully tries to block a legitimate action or create dissent..

I suppose some rationale could be that its not about the bureaucrats as much as its about the liberal courts and the politicians...

If you take immediate, decisive action, Pelosi, Schumer, et al and the courts are playing a catch up game... as opposed to taking a methodical and paced approach, where they have time to pull legal blocking maneuvers...

But I would have thought surely we could have found some sort of balance between the two..

I guess this is what extreme partisan politics brings us...

We get the government we deserve..

 

[CJW]

Police in the UK pay you a visit if you criticize a local official. The criticism was that she said he should resign.

Keep paying attention to Musk though. Easier than acknowledging that your own country is burning I guess.

 

[Mopani]

One wonders, what does Putin have in his hands, what he could use against Trump? Was Trump not only involved in dubious activities in the United States, but also in Russia? Are there photos showing Trump with Russian women in catchy situations?

It seems clear that Putin could use something against Trump if he did not obey his word. How else can one explain Trump's submission to Putin? But of course, Trump is not a politician, but a crazy real estate shark, you can't measure him with ordinary standards.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I’m guessing the Tesla stock price has more to do with the government mandates and subsidies ending.
But I’m sure sales will be impacted by the likes of Sheryl Crow.

Her pathetic protest sale was a phony stunt. She made a big show of selling it because of DOGE and Musk.

Watch the video it clearly shows leaves still on the trees. Records show she sold it months before trump was even in office. She pretends she sold it last week in protest of Musk.

But even if that is true. She donated the money to NPR the Bastain of rich white people. Hardly a MLK moment.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[mdwest]

One wonders, what does Putin have in his hands, what he could use against Trump? Was Trump not only involved in dubious activities in the United States, but also in Russia? Are there photos showing Trump with Russian women in catchy situations?

It seems clear that Putin could use something against Trump if he did not obey his word. How else can one explain Trump's submission to Putin? But of course, Trump is not a politician, but a crazy real estate shark, you can't measure him with ordinary standards.

based on the article posted above, what it appears that Putin has in his hands is rare earth minerals that he is offering Trump to support Russia rather than Ukraine in their conflict..

It was only a few weeks ago that Trump told Zelensky the price of the US supporting Ukraine was its rare earth minerals.. Zelensky declined...

Putin is now offering those same minerals up to Trump in the Russian held territories in Ukraine..

 

[mdwest]

I’m guessing the Tesla stock price has more to do with the government mandates and subsidies ending.
But I’m sure sales will be impacted by the likes of Sheryl Crow.

Her pathetic protest sale was a phony stunt. She made a big show of selling it because of DOGE and Musk.

Watch the video it clearly shows leaves still on the trees. Records show she sold it months before trump was even in office. She pretends she sold it last week in protest of Musk.

But even if that is true. She donated the money to NPR the Bastain of rich white people. Hardly a MLK moment.

No different than leftist moving out of the country in droves every time they don't like an election result...

theatrics and bullshit..

Im pretty sure no one other than those truly stupid or blind believe any of the crap that comes from the mouths of the entertainment industry anymore..

 

[Altitude sickness]

Didn’t Macron just state that Russia needs to reimburse not Ukraine ?

Wouldn’t Russia giving access to minerals for reimbursement be exactly what the NATO leaders said should happen ?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

The NSA’s Secret Sex Chats

Intelligence officials maintained a chatroom to discuss polyamory and transgender surgeries, internal documents reveal.

www.city-journal.org

 

[mdwest]

I spent a bit of time around Casey and his wife (genuinely a wonderfully nice and pleasant lady) during the bush administration... I have a good bit of respect for him and his opinions/positions on things..

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I spent a bit of time around Casey and his wife (genuinely a wonderfully nice and pleasant lady) during the bush administration... I have a good bit of respect for him and his opinions/positions on things..

I hadn't seen Casey on TV is quite awhile. He's aged well.

 

[SaintPanzer]

But I keep asking myself.. would it have been so bad to take the first 90 days to dig in deep... and really know what you're dealing with at all levels.. and THEN start slashing and burning where appropriate?

I mostly agree with you, but I have a question: When you say: "first 90 days..." is it possible he's reacting to things learned in his first 1461 days?

 

[mdwest]

I mostly agree with you, but I have a question: When you say: "first 90 days..." is it possible he's reacting to things learned in his first 1461 days?

valid point/question..