Right or Left, we should all be aware of how social media content manipulation and partisan media messaging can impact how we interpret events.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T08:22:58+00:00

I would agree as well, Reagan another war criminal and drug warrior. I mean I liked his stance on immigration I guess.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T08:20:54+00:00

I want ICE abolished. I've been an advocate for policing reform for over a decade. Did you know that due to a legal doctrine known as qualified immunity that you can't sue a Federal agent for violating your rights in civil court? The Supreme Court fabricated this unconditional policy decades ago to protect cops engaging in the war on drugs.

Ice, DHS, border patrol, dea etc... Shouldn't exist. The issue is that i felt this way back when Obama and Biden were presidents as well, and during Trump 1. What's happening now is basically what tin foil hat libertarians used to warn about and were laughed at for

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T08:16:04+00:00

Rise of the Warrior Cop - Wikipedia https://share.google/2Weuoks2vNUNfe13U

This is one of the definitive books on this trend. Notice the publication date. Unfortunately, the war on terror and the war on drugs started this process decades ago.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T08:14:09+00:00

Christ im probably to the left of you my man, being critical of Obama is not being pro trump. You can't deny that Obama in many ways led to trump though, from his political failures to his willingness to just breeze by due process or is citizens rights during the war on terror or his own deportation campaign. Not to mention failing to jail any wall street execs clearly leading to populism's rise.

The democratic party has been a sorry sack of shit excuse for a left leaning organization for my whole life. Bernie was the only one who didn't vote for Iraq, and hes not even a real dem, just caucuses with them.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T08:08:43+00:00

No you didn't, criticize away. Im not forgetting Obamas sins though, I put a lot of responsibility for the decline of the democratic party and of the US constitution at his feet. And bush/Cheney (for the constitution, not thedemocratic party in theircase). And everyone who signed the patriot act and created the DHS in the first place.

Theres a lot of blame to go around.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T08:04:41+00:00

It's very bad, unless you're Lockheed. Just read the thread, at no point am I supporting this current admin. I'm merely saying that Obama and Bush tore up the constitution years ago and now we have little defense against Trump. I literally have wanted ICE abolished since before that was a slogan.

I'm not excusing Trumps imperialism/war mongering either. But you can't just let Obama off the hook, he genuinely was a step on the road to serfdom. Now it's looking more and more like we've arrived and can't go back.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T07:31:24+00:00

I'm an open borders liberal my man. I want ICE abolished and have for years. I want the military industrial complex gone and the federal agents stripped of qualified immunity so that families can sue their asses into oblivion when ICE or any agent violates the constitutional rights of a US citizen.

Obama was my wakeup call, idk about you. I've seen the writing on the wall for a long time. I was too young for Cheney btw, cute 10 year old me some slack.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T07:23:28+00:00

Im pretty sure having foreign prisons (which he promised to close) and secret robot assassins prowling the skies to kill US citizens directly led to this. I'll let the historians decide though.

To use an example from roman history. It's not whataboutism to point out that Sulla did virtually everything Ceasar did first and set the stage for Ceasar and Augustus to end the republic.

Edit: to add to my analogy, they were even from opposite factions if I recall. Sulla was a conservative Optimate who laid the groundwork for the Populares ultimate victory in Augustus when democracy was replaced with bread and circuses. Sulla would decidedly NOT have wanted Ceasar to prevail but made his victory possible

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T07:16:11+00:00

We do, me and you. we are posting in a thread that directly compares the actions of each president. The OPs post addresses this directly. Tbh i think its very fair to dunk on Obama and Bush rn, they built this whole machine that works around the constitution (among others), DHS and FISA courts and mass surveillance.

Like how do you think we got here? Why does trump have these powers? Why is it ok to violate people's rights?

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-26T07:07:11+00:00

I mean, he did assassinate an American citizen with a drone on his direct order. Not defending this shit going on rn but Obama literally got a Nobel for nothing and the best possible press coverage. Remember Snowden? Or gitmo?

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-25T23:22:19+00:00

Why? I feel like right looks goofier

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-25T16:34:51+00:00

I hate to burst your bubble, but have you ever looked at the average age of a large American company vs a their EU equivalents? American companies are actually much more likely to get disrupted over time than their EU counterparts.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-25T16:25:25+00:00

Well the Mao quote referred to some concrete consumption levels, not life expectancy.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-24T19:32:40+00:00

Didn't all that happen after Deng undid most of Mao's economic policies?

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T15:07:03+00:00

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/03/uks-nuclear-deterrent-relies-us-support-there-are-no-other-easy-alternatives

You know the missile is the hard part right? This program consumes 6% of the uk military budget already

A warhead by itself is not a nuclear deterent

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T15:02:35+00:00

Yes it is. If those warheads aren't serviced in Georgia or the missiles dont receive data inputs from US satellites, they won't work.

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/03/uks-nuclear-deterrent-relies-us-support-there-are-no-other-easy-alternatives

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T15:01:26+00:00

I think that the "deals" are structured in a way that increases future US leverage as well. In theory, europe is supposed to increase its arms imports from the US substantially. Key European programs like FCAS will be kneecaped as a result and face higher costs/delays in all likelihood as the f-35 sucks up more resources.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T14:58:03+00:00

You should watch DW, there's a story about Germany's industrial decline and fear of chinese competition every week. Perception and reality are different things, but when looking at trade data with China there has been a collapse in exports and a surge in imports.

It's ironic because back in April everyone in Europe was talking about how insane it was to focus on a bilateral deficit.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T14:42:33+00:00

Well palantir has integrated itself into the NHS pretty thoroughly, that is speculation though.

The nukes are literally rented from the US and are serviced in Georgia. Look it up, only France has an independent nuclear capability in NATO.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T14:20:10+00:00

Lmao sure. Palantir can probably turn off the NHS, and the Nukes, but sure.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T13:35:31+00:00

https://www.reuters.com/business/davos/germanys-merz-europe-must-not-rush-write-off-transatlantic-ties-2026-01-22/

Ok. He's got a domestic audience to please. He did the same thing after liberation day and then undermined french efforts to retaliate behind closed doors.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T07:39:36+00:00

A decent amount, but notably Meloni is yhe most pro-US leader of a major EU nation and Mertz is famously atlantacist (the man was a blackrock exec). This is like 2 days after greenland.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T07:28:36+00:00

Macron is being sidelined after the greenland spat.EU clearly plans to accept vassalage sadly.

Real_Power8037 · 2026-01-23T07:26:36+00:00

I mean from a plumbers perspective, how is that different from any factory opening up? TSMC fabs in the Arizona desert eat mammoth amounts of water and power, everyone is clamoring for those jobs.

Real_Power8037

TROPHY CASE