If even Fico thinks Trump is not entirely compos mentis...

POLITICO Europe@politico.eu · 6mo ago

Slovak PM Robert Fico was left shocked by Donald Trump’s state of mind after a recent meeting with him, he told his European counterparts at a summit last week, according to five diplomats briefed on the conversation.

To celebrate the publication of @d-j-frost.bsky.social and mine’s book ‘In Solidarity, Under Suspicion: The British Far Left from 1956’, I am giving away a copy to one randomly chosen person who reposts this post by 11.59pm ACST Sunday 1 Feb. manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/

🚨🚨 #NATO SG Mark #Rutte is to my mind massively undermining European #unity and efforts to build up their #defence and #security in what I see as a statement which only plays in the hands of #Putin and #Trump. 🧵https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-defense-nato-mark-rutte-us-politics-threats-gdp/

Europe can’t defend itself without the US, NATO’s Rutte warns

The EU should stop dreaming of creating a European pillar for NATO and continue to build ties with the U.S. despite Trump, the alliance secretary-general said.

politico.eu

"Hitler was also one of those “patriots” terrified by what the NSS calls “civilisational erasure”" giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... "Should Germans who know their history just smile and say, “Why not? Freedom of speech is after all sacred.” It takes cocksure Americans to spout such idiocy."

The Maga war on European democracy

America’s national security strategy projects internal fears abroad

giftarticle.ft.com

The 🇺🇸 Deputy Secretary of State has today made your choice as a European very clear: 1️⃣Live in a vassal state of either America or Russia 2️⃣Live in a united federal EU Which do you choose? www.TheOwnedContinent.eu

I could be proven wrong within days or even hours, but I think this is a decision Trump is constitutionally unable to make. On one hand, he would demonstrate power, which he confuses with strength. On the other, he would face potentially disastrous consequences of which he is terrified.

The key chart right now: Usually US economic pain is cushioned by falling bond yields and a strengthening dollar, which mean lower interest rates and more spending power for consumers. This time we’re seeing the opposite, meaning the pain will be amplified.

All right I got fed up and had to write this. And I’m sure after reading it carefully, Trump will stop saying this www.propublica.org/article/hist...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last yr.

Trump: "You know, our country was the strongest, believe it or not, from 1870 to 1913. You know why? It was all tariff based. We had no income tax." (This is nonsense.)

In just two months, DOGE has —lost— the government an estimated half a trillion dollars. I propose that Musk pay it back personally.

Josh Marshall@joshtpm.bsky.social · last yr.

This continues to be the biggest story in the country: DOGE has already squandered half a trillion dollars in 6 weeks. Not billion. half a trillion, $500 billion talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/irs-p...

Talked to a business friend deeply involved in CEO world, knows Trump and Scott Bessent. Calls Trump “a drunk driver taking the economy off the cliff into a needless recession,’ says Bessent told him he agrees. Predicts “he’ll be the shortest tenured Sec of Treasury in history.”

"We wanted to see Hayes electrical substation which is famous not just in Europe, but in the whole world"

Because of Brexit, the U.K. is blocked from the €150bn EU defence fund. Leaving the Single Market will go down in history as the greatest act of British self harm this century. www.thetimes.com/article/baae...

British arms industry blocked from €150bn EU defence fund

The money must be spent on weapons from EU-based defence companies, ruling out suppliers in the UK, Turkey and the US

thetimes.com

I'm a great fan of @pkellner.bsky.social and his substack, which I recommend to you all. His piece today is interesting, reproducing the Times editorial following Chamberlain's trip to Munich. kellnerp.substack.com/p/peace-for-... 1/5

Peace for our time?

A warning from history, courtesy of The Times, on how NOT to deal with tyrants who want to annex the country next door.

kellnerp.substack.com

The discourse JD Vance uses towards Germany, Ukraine and Europe is a deliberate ideological othering that is a step towards declaring Europeans as the supposed civilisational enemies of the United States

WarTranslated (Dmitri)@wartranslated.bsky.social · last yr.

"Europe is on the brink of civilizational suicide," US Vice President Vance told Fox News. "Countries don’t control borders, restrict free speech. If Germany takes in millions more incompatible migrants, it’ll destroy itself. America can’t save it."

SitRep - 13/03/25 - Russia doesn't like a ceasefire on these terms. An overview of the daily events in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Putin said that a ceasefire would only be accepted if Ukraine stops mobilization, training, and re-armament. REPOST=appreciated 1/X

A rare map of the Technate of America drawn by the Technocracy, Inc., 1940 (or the Technocracy movement), which Elon Musk's Canadian maternal grandfather was a member of until he was arrested when the organisation was proscribed in 1943.

Inside Russia's shadow war in the Baltic Sea - a series of suspected sabotage incidents has exposed the vulnerability of Europe’s undersea infrastructure ig.ft.com/baltic-sea/

Inside Russia’s shadow war in the Baltics

A series of suspected sabotage incidents has exposed the vulnerability of Europe’s undersea infrastructure

ig.ft.com

After Elon Musk has been insinuating to turn off Starlink in Ukraine, Poland‘s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is reminding Musk that Poland is paying for it, and he is making clear that if Musk follows through that Poland will abandon Starlink altogether for being an unreliable service.

Some of us have been saying this since 2020 and even before: Dems should make corruption *the* central issue in US politics and public life and go on the offensive against GOP/MAGA/Trump transparent and hypocritical corruption and grifting. Most voters hate corruption.

Some thoughts on the European response to the chaos now emanating from the White House - on Ukraine and more broadly, based on chats with senior European policymakers directly or indirectly involved in formulating the bloc's response 1/

"Let’s start with security guarantees. Putin has never agreed to them for Ukraine—in any form" Read Bob Kagan on the Trump capitulation to Russia www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Trump Is Offering Putin Another Munich

Hitler didn’t want a peace deal, and neither does Putin.

theatlantic.com

Tadaa.

lol, from UK satirical magazine Private Eye

NEW: The actions of Trump and Vance in recent weeks highlight something under-appreciated. The American right is now ideologically closer to countries like Russia, Turkey and in some senses China, than to the rest of the west (even the conservative west). My column: www.ft.com/content/3046...

If Trump can secure a source of revenue (tariffs) that doesn't need Congressional approval, & can spend the proceeds without Congressional permission, he'll have done what Charles I failed to do in the C17th. Trump wants to govern as an elective monarch. The GOP in Congress must decide if it cares.

@privateeyenews.bsky.social on top form as usual this issue.

Tesla not allowed 🤭🤗