Putin: Hey Krasnov, it’s becoming too obvious. Tone it down a little, I’ll even give you permission to say you are angry at me. Don’t forget papa bear still loves you. 🥰🍆🍒

I guess she could always seek out a position of leadership at the EU, like von der Leyen or Costa.

Supposedly a safe haven for crooked politicians who failed their respective countries before their people had enough of them.

Greetings from Costaland Portugal.

If they before could do it, imagine now with the full US backing by the new fascist administration.

They don’t even have to pretend to be good, they can just do whatever they want because any guardrails that might have been there are now gone.

I want a future of peace worldwide, but we’ll have to suffer a lot more as a species before we reach that point. If we even get there in any kind of future, since there’s no shortage of lunatics with red nuclear buttons spread across the world who rather watch the world burn than give up their power.

Maybe he could take the opportunity, accept Merz’s invitation and stop by Germany. Unless this is a “dictators club only” trip.

*Wink wink

I mean, with all the censoring and pandering to Musk, allowing for entire bot swarms to the point it really becomes obvious it’s happening - who could have predicted this?

That’s right, kids. Allying yourself with fascist tendencies in any way, shape or form will hurt you in the long run. Just provide the damn service people are looking for and stop playing god, trying to use your platform to shape opinions and censor statements you or your buddies don’t like.

We should ask ourselves why those sanctions are there in the first place, and if looking at Russia today is there any change to their behavior to justify lifting them.

“We are being mean to poor peaceful Russia, as they’re friends who happen to have personally benefitted the current President of the US” is not a valid reason to lift sanctions.

Guessed as much with the wave of censorship many people, including myself, noticed and shared, pretty much exclusively to anti-MAGA opinions, and regardless of them being constructive and objective.

That, and the increase in bot activity in european and canadian subreddits, to the point it felt there were more pro-MAGA’s demotivating and belittling people trying to make a change, than actual europeans or canadians.

It’s one thing to not agree with my opinion, it’s a-ok with me and everyone has a right to it. I even agree with moderating extreme and violent statements when necessary. It’s another thing entirely to censor my opinion because you don’t like it. And on a forum like Reddit that’s inadmissible.

Nuked my account, changed to Lemmy and never looked back. And I’m happy for it. If you can’t take my opinion without trying to take my voice away I’ll just leave you alone in your echo chamber.

What are you gonna do? Tariff yourself into isolation? While Europe, UK, Canada, Mexico and possibly the rest of the British commonwealth trade and work more together to make up for the loss of the US?

If you think you don’t need us then stop crying about it. Just do it. The free world has called your bluff, so either admit you’re weak and take the loss graciously, or take the consequences of your continued actions (though we already know which option will be chosen).

Bring it on, homeboy. 🖕

Donald Trump is the first US President since World War Two to challenge the role that his country set for itself many decades ago.

Keywords here are “set for itself”, despite what Americans like to say about other countries depending on their leadership.

They conveniently ignore that at the time the US voluntarily took that role Europe was completely torn apart and destroyed, while the US had the luxury of sitting out most of the war with that ‘big, beautiful ocean’ apart, which Trump is so proud of. And no neighbors posing any kind of threat. They helped indirectly at first, sure, but only really jumped in at the end, after the war had made it to US shores through Pearl Harbor.

Let’s not pretend the US hasn’t benefitted massively from its prestigious position, setting its currency as the world trade currency, NATO article 5 post 9/11, lack of proper taxation by Europe on US digital products and services we consume, and the list goes on and on.

The US is absolutely and objectively not a poor victim here. As much as they like to pretend it. They were allowed to prosper because the world chose to follow their desires. And a leader without followers is just a delusional guy in an echo chamber.

You don’t get to crave leadership, protagonism and glory, and at the same time complain about others relying on you. You can’t be both a hero and a victim at once. You don’t get to have it both ways.

That’s sad to hear. Well, alternatively, when conditions like these get in the way malicious compliance tends to be the answer. Let them go, but they shouldn’t be surprised that the people don’t welcome them and make them feel as unwanted as possible.

All this while we (allies) start paving the long, bureocratic and legal way to defend ourselves, by rethinking and adjusting these same accords and treaties that prove themselves to be liabilities in these circumstances. They’re there to protect stability and balance, after all, not to excuse bullies wanting to impose themselves on other nations.

Deem them all persona-non-grata until they’ve backed down completely. Same for Canada, Panama, Germany and any other nation in the crosshairs of the US, whether for annexation or political tampering.

Strong worded letters won’t do anything with these sleezebags. Only actions. Otherwise they’ll always go up to you and grab your lollipop, because they know all you’ll do is complain without taking action. And words alone don’t hurt sociopaths who don’t care about feelings.

To them it’s literally ‘as easy as taking candy from a child’, because they know the child won’t defend itself beyond crying - and that’s what they want and expect. God forbid you actually defend yourselves, they’ll be offended and take to social media to condemn you.

Yup. In several countries, including my own (Portugal), the ‘far right’ who tends to repeat Trump’s talking points is raising red flags all over.

Poilievre in Canada, Farage in the UK, the whole AfD/Musk/Vance debacle in Germany, and so on. And many of these parties were gaining strong traction with each election. Now Trump’s image association with them might as well be a radioactive label.

I think someone mixed up this one and the other recently arrested legalized US german immigrant.

Perhaps a swap at the border would do the trick. 🤔

I’m sure he did. Who else but Trump as President of the US Russia Oblast?

If Trump died it’d have been a huge wrench in the decades-spanning Russian plans for slow destabilization of the west.

Funny. I thought Apple, Meta, Facebook and Google facing lawsuits in Europe over breaking EU laws was completely unfair, according to Mango Mussolini.

How (mo)ironic, as usual. 🙄

I was wondering why our own former portuguese PM Mr. Costa could so easily get into his current position of EU leadership right after resigning due to a great corruption scandal that ended his mandate early.

Likeminded friends watch each other’s backs, naturally. 🙄

Yup, this is a good thing, as many people not following current US developments might not be well aware of the potential dangers of traveling there, and the lack of rights for certain groups.

Your average person will likely just assume media blew things out of proportion (as they often do), that it’s just ‘the latest drama’ and nothing should happen since, c’mon, it’s the US - freest nation on the planet right?

So being aware of the policy shift is a good thing, otherwise many people would be caught by surprise when there even with all the legal paperwork, visas and permits.

Yup. “But we’re not there yet”, so they say. “Too soon to act rashly”.

'First they started mass deportations, but it wasn’t a corrupt system yet, so we did not act.

Then they started refusing people who were critical of them, but it wasn’t a corrupt system yet, so we did not act.

Then they started blatantly taking money from the poor and give it to the rich, but it wasn’t a corrupt system yet, so we did not act.

Finally they fully took over the nation, but by then all the people who would have acted were already gone and dealt with.’

Not all, but the gist of it. Thankfully some bubbles of resistance are starting to form in the US, but the main people who were elected to uphold the law and fight this democraticly are already bribed or blackmailed, so it’s in great part up to the people, and whatever stance the army ends up taking when they are forced to choose between loyalty to the constitution, or an individual.

Hey, that’s a good thing in my book, I guess.

Same way as America prospered with talent fleeing a corrupt Europe in the past, now Europe can get that lost talent back from a corrupt America. The more they feel unwelcome and undervalued the more they will flock or stay wherever their talent can flourish and advance our progress as a society.

No complaints from me on that. 🤷‍♂️

This should be standard, and very good on France for doing it. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

And I say this as someone who lives on a highly seismic region, where I used to see more awareness years ago. Pretty sure if nowadays we had a major earthquake or volcanic eruption most people would just panic, cause chaos and not have anything prepared for such an event. That’s the unnecessarily scary part.

We should always acknowledge the uncomfortable possibilities, not stick our heads in the sand and hope trouble never comes knocking at the door.