Kasper Lauest
@kasperlauest.bsky.social
Danish highschool teacher. US politics nerd. Pragmatic progressive. Music lover.
...Putin couldn't have wished for a better scenario.
February 24, 2025 at 1:24 PM
...Putin couldn't have wished for a better scenario.
My primary thought is that NATO is close to being dead. I don't think anybody in Europe truly believes that the US will protect us anymore, or at least as long as Trump is in power. That means that Europe is forced into a new security structure independent of the US. It is truly the end of an era.
February 24, 2025 at 1:24 PM
My primary thought is that NATO is close to being dead. I don't think anybody in Europe truly believes that the US will protect us anymore, or at least as long as Trump is in power. That means that Europe is forced into a new security structure independent of the US. It is truly the end of an era.
...If we abandon the Ukrainians, the expenditures we've had supporting Ukraine is gonna look like absolutely nothing in comparison to our future expenses trying to contain Putin.
February 24, 2025 at 10:49 AM
...If we abandon the Ukrainians, the expenditures we've had supporting Ukraine is gonna look like absolutely nothing in comparison to our future expenses trying to contain Putin.
...we are talking about massively increasing our defense budgets, yet we can't give a few percentages of GDP to support the Ukrainians? The "great powers" of Europe in particular should be embarrassed, but the great leaders of the west (the US) really doesn't have much to be proud of either.
February 24, 2025 at 10:48 AM
...we are talking about massively increasing our defense budgets, yet we can't give a few percentages of GDP to support the Ukrainians? The "great powers" of Europe in particular should be embarrassed, but the great leaders of the west (the US) really doesn't have much to be proud of either.
This site tracks it: www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-a...
Plenty of other sites do as well and the figure seems to be around $119 billion for the US. Whether there is something not accounted for there, I do not know. You can be certain that Trump is full of it as usual though.
Plenty of other sites do as well and the figure seems to be around $119 billion for the US. Whether there is something not accounted for there, I do not know. You can be certain that Trump is full of it as usual though.
Ukraine Support Tracker - A Database of Military, Financial and Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine
The Ukraine Support Tracker lists and quantifies military, financial and humanitarian aid promised by governments to Ukraine.
www.ifw-kiel.de
February 24, 2025 at 9:54 AM
This site tracks it: www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-a...
Plenty of other sites do as well and the figure seems to be around $119 billion for the US. Whether there is something not accounted for there, I do not know. You can be certain that Trump is full of it as usual though.
Plenty of other sites do as well and the figure seems to be around $119 billion for the US. Whether there is something not accounted for there, I do not know. You can be certain that Trump is full of it as usual though.
Yes indeed, but we have been too willing to totally give up the playing field to the right wingers here. We absolutely need to find some way to address frustrated young men in a meaningful way. I don't pretend to know how to best do this, but I know that we are currently losing the battle.
January 4, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Yes indeed, but we have been too willing to totally give up the playing field to the right wingers here. We absolutely need to find some way to address frustrated young men in a meaningful way. I don't pretend to know how to best do this, but I know that we are currently losing the battle.
What's worse is that the GOP will NEVER vote to convict Trump in the senate regardless of whether he orders the murder of every democratic politician.
December 14, 2024 at 4:54 PM
What's worse is that the GOP will NEVER vote to convict Trump in the senate regardless of whether he orders the murder of every democratic politician.
There's a cultural assumption that Democratic women are "very liberal". The same can be said for black democrats. So a black woman is really up against it here. Even someone who was a top prosecutor. Add to that an uninformed public and ineffective democratic messaging and you have a problem.
December 11, 2024 at 11:51 AM
There's a cultural assumption that Democratic women are "very liberal". The same can be said for black democrats. So a black woman is really up against it here. Even someone who was a top prosecutor. Add to that an uninformed public and ineffective democratic messaging and you have a problem.
Perception is reality. Republicans have a much more effective propaganda machine than democrats. In two months time everybody will talk about how great the economy is.
December 11, 2024 at 7:58 AM
Perception is reality. Republicans have a much more effective propaganda machine than democrats. In two months time everybody will talk about how great the economy is.
What is even your source for this? All I could find was that there were a ton of cases filed preelection. I assume most of which will just be thrown out of court. There is absolutely no realistic scenario where court cases are going to invalidate the 2024 election.
December 11, 2024 at 7:27 AM
What is even your source for this? All I could find was that there were a ton of cases filed preelection. I assume most of which will just be thrown out of court. There is absolutely no realistic scenario where court cases are going to invalidate the 2024 election.
Yes. They are like the 61 court cases that Trump and his allies brought after the 2020 election. None of these cases are going to change the outcome of the 2024 election. I would bet my house on it.
December 11, 2024 at 7:20 AM
Yes. They are like the 61 court cases that Trump and his allies brought after the 2020 election. None of these cases are going to change the outcome of the 2024 election. I would bet my house on it.
Trump did win this election, unfortunately. Just like in 2020, there are no indications of wide spread voter fraud. Let's not go all Qanon on this, please.
December 11, 2024 at 7:18 AM
Trump did win this election, unfortunately. Just like in 2020, there are no indications of wide spread voter fraud. Let's not go all Qanon on this, please.
Recounts wouldn't change anything.
December 9, 2024 at 9:33 AM
Recounts wouldn't change anything.
He's my favourite politician and yes, I do believe he can work in a IRL setting. I'm very sceptical about his broader appeal on the big stage, but I'd love to be proven wrong.
December 6, 2024 at 5:22 PM
He's my favourite politician and yes, I do believe he can work in a IRL setting. I'm very sceptical about his broader appeal on the big stage, but I'd love to be proven wrong.
But Obama is also the college professor type. I think he won not so much because of his ability to sell democratic policies, but because of his ability to sell HIMSELF as a messianic figure of hope and change. That is one way forward, I suppose, but also one that is fairly hard to replicate.
December 6, 2024 at 12:24 PM
But Obama is also the college professor type. I think he won not so much because of his ability to sell democratic policies, but because of his ability to sell HIMSELF as a messianic figure of hope and change. That is one way forward, I suppose, but also one that is fairly hard to replicate.
It's tough because we do have strong communicators (ie Buttigieg), but most of them are of the "college professor" type who the WWC generally abhors. Basically we need a Bill Clinton type who is a strong communicator AND has a folksy charm (preferably without the questionable morals).
December 6, 2024 at 12:13 PM
It's tough because we do have strong communicators (ie Buttigieg), but most of them are of the "college professor" type who the WWC generally abhors. Basically we need a Bill Clinton type who is a strong communicator AND has a folksy charm (preferably without the questionable morals).
The GOP propaganda machine has long been great at ALL getting on the same page at the same time and just HAMMERING home their "points" regardless of whether it is based in reality or not. Whereas the "liberal" media are always preoccupied with being fair and nuanced. It is very much an uneven fight.
December 6, 2024 at 11:42 AM
The GOP propaganda machine has long been great at ALL getting on the same page at the same time and just HAMMERING home their "points" regardless of whether it is based in reality or not. Whereas the "liberal" media are always preoccupied with being fair and nuanced. It is very much an uneven fight.
One can hope that the clear abuses of power from unelected Elon Musk will waken up more people to this fact. Unfortunately, so far only the EU and only to a very small extent are even beginning to address this problem.
December 6, 2024 at 9:56 AM
One can hope that the clear abuses of power from unelected Elon Musk will waken up more people to this fact. Unfortunately, so far only the EU and only to a very small extent are even beginning to address this problem.
Well, you had me there for a second.
December 3, 2024 at 4:06 PM
Well, you had me there for a second.
Really? Where do you see this?
December 3, 2024 at 4:04 PM
Really? Where do you see this?