Ah.

Just Trump being an old, kayfabing idiot.

The thing about Trump is that he’s a totally unreliable partner who is also dumb, impulsive, and easily manipulated. So it makes sense to play nice with him, but only if you don’t cede ideological or political ground, because you know he’s going to screw you over later.

"look at how much this first world country doesnt spend on defense and instead dopes my politcal hobby horse" yeah its cuz Big Pappa America has them on a protection plan

the non US west does not have that dog in them and would rather if we just showed ours in perpituity please

IMO this is a major reason why China is frequently significantly overrated in terms of relative global economic strength during various parts of its history. On paper it is 1st in GDP in the late 1800s, but in practice most of that is subsistence and very little of it is true economic activity.

I don't desire to have an argument about this but Chuck Schumer talks to Donald Trump about federal funding in the oval office all the time. Because it's in his job description to do so. And bluesky acts like it's time to put him up against the wall for treason every time he does so.

Shorthand: If someone expresses that US Imperialism is a stain upon the earth whose sin can never be washed clean, but Soviet or Chinese imperialism is either acceptable or just didn't happen, you're talking to a tankie.

I have heard this a lot whenever anyone posts about USAID, and I’ve just decided that anyone who badmouths USAID gets blocked on sight. Life is too short.

If you don't want to kick trans people out of bathrooms and sports to triangulate with 0.1% of voters in North Carolina OR demolish trans rights by electing Republicans because the Dems aren't sufficiently pro Palestine, you just might be a Liberal!

That's not bad. Texture it and it'll be better.

It's also fake. Likely AI.