Want to understand what Trump is doing? Part 2

I had some interesting Feedback from an online contact living in the USA about the current chaos caused by DOGE's precipitate actions

"there are not just legal challenges.

Several agencies which saw staff cut indiscriminately are now frantically trying to hire many of them back.

This is difficult because

They are trying to contact them via emails - headed with words along the lines of “Very Important, Do Not Ignore” - sent to official email addresses, from which they have been cut off since the day that they were unceremoniously fired.

Not a surprise: quite a lot of those they have managed to contact have decided that they’ll take their chances trying to get jobs in the private sector, as they don’t trust the administration not to turn around and fire them again in a few months time.

The cuts continue, though. On Friday RFK Jr. offered nearly all employees in his department the “opportunity to resign” in return for a $25,000 payment.

This includes world class researchers at the Centers for Disease control, and the National Institutes of Health.

There’s a great opportunity for research institutions around the world to swoop in, and snap up some amazing talent, to the benefit of health/disease research in their countries, and long lasting detriment here.

imaround

This is what we are watching this week.

www.newsweek.com/gop-release-new-budget-bill-trillion-spending-2041778

I had hoped for a full bill and a government shutdown, but I think k rhey are going to get this resolution through.

Which means we have to drag out the daily drama to September. It is just kicking the can down the road.

From the outside it looks like the cuts will fall on the DOJustice and other unspecified ones, but nothing like Trump wanted?

sacking sucking

Churchview

This is what Oxfam has to say about Trump

“From his first days in office back in 2017, President Trump launched a blistering series of attacks on refugees, immigrants, the environment, public health, women, workers, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, and the middle-class. He deliberately sowed division and incited violence, isolating the U.S. from our allies. He has stoked the rise of white supremacy and authoritarianism while undermining critical international institutions that provide lifesaving support for people in crisis all around the world."  

To give him his (undeserved) due, the (very) rich have been sacking the life out of the poor and middle-class for decades - I sold guess since the 1970s. He is just doing it on an industrial scale.

How you reverse this is the difficult question. We probably still have time hut I'm not sure any party in the UK has the will and in the USA they don't have the power.

This is what we are watching this week.

www.newsweek.com/gop-release-new-budget-bill-trillion-spending-2041778

I had hoped for a full bill and a government shutdown, but I think k rhey are going to get this resolution through.

Which means we have to drag out the daily drama to September. It is just kicking the can down the road.

No he isn't going to change.

This is what Oxfam has to say about Trump

“From his first days in office back in 2017, President Trump launched a blistering series of attacks on refugees, immigrants, the environment, public health, women, workers, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, and the middle-class. He deliberately sowed division and incited violence, isolating the U.S. from our allies. He has stoked the rise of white supremacy and authoritarianism while undermining critical international institutions that provide lifesaving support for people in crisis all around the world."  

😡

I think I’m grasping at straws tbh.

He isn’t going to change is he?

The cracks are starting to show.

Wyllow3

Not to mention the going behind Israels back to talk to Hamas - but dont know a lot about that one.

I imagine Hamas are used to hyperbole, and Trump has issued promises of all hell breaking loose before. I doubt they will bat an eye. Afterall Bibi has already let all hell loose in Gaza.

Wyllow3

Not to mention the going behind Israels back to talk to Hamas - but dont know a lot about that one.

And behind Zelenskyy’s back to talk to Ukrainian opposition parties to gauge appetite to overthrow him. That is low.

imaround

I can't even begin to imagine how many laws this breaks, but that it happens at all should scare everyone.

They are using AI to scroll social media and anyone who "appears" pro-hamas (so pro-Palestine, which is completely different than Hamas) will have thier visas cancelled.

www.axios.com/2025/03/06/state-department-ai-revoke-foreign-student-visas-hamas

Oh dear. I was just beginning to think Trump was backtracking on his imbecility by not putting in place crippling tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a month.
So he backtracks on some imbecility in order to impose his imbecility elsewhere 🙄

Whitewavemark2

Did I hear this morning that Trump has given up on Gazaland?

I do know that Middle Eastern countries have put forward a reconstruction plan, but it does involve a 2 state solution as they say (and I agree) that unless the Palestinians are given sovereignty and the complete roll back if Israel, the region will be condemned to war for ever.

I did catch Egypt and others prepared to help with reconstruction a week or so ago, but he's threatened Hamas with "you are dead" if no immediate hostage release as far as I can work out.

Did I hear this morning that Trump has given up on Gazaland?

I do know that Middle Eastern countries have put forward a reconstruction plan, but it does involve a 2 state solution as they say (and I agree) that unless the Palestinians are given sovereignty and the complete roll back if Israel, the region will be condemned to war for ever.

Not to mention the going behind Israels back to talk to Hamas - but dont know a lot about that one.

Trump appears to be rolling back on his over excitement when he first took office.

So, tariffs - Canada and Mexico have been delayed , so let’s hope the push back by both countries against the big bully have effect of him backing down.

Nothing yet about his threatened annexation of Greenland, Panama and Canada - but I suspect that will be quietly dropped if the countries under question stand up very firmly to the big bully.

With regard to Russia, there is talk about USA sanctions on Russian banks and other stuff. We shall see.

Its one of those matters that appears on the surface to be reasonable as in genuine counter terror monitoring but its clear it will not distinguish between anyone who really does support Hamas from many who have expressed concern for Palestinians at any point in their communications.

There will be a large number of US nationals as well who will get caught up in what could well turn out to be a witch hunt - including just those who just support a two state solution instead of Trumps' ethnic cleaning plans for Gaza.

It seems very ironical for some of us Brits who are accused by Vance and Musk as culling free speech.

I can't even begin to imagine how many laws this breaks, but that it happens at all should scare everyone.

They are using AI to scroll social media and anyone who "appears" pro-hamas (so pro-Palestine, which is completely different than Hamas) will have thier visas cancelled.

www.axios.com/2025/03/06/state-department-ai-revoke-foreign-student-visas-hamas

US federal workers hit back at Trump mass firings with class action complaints

www.reuters.com/legal/us-federal-workers-hit-back-trump-mass-firings-with-class-action-complaints-2025-03-06/

It's bizarre, when you read what they can and can't access. Well, at the moment. I expect more sites will be blocked off. so much for freedom of speech/information.

They are now limiting what employees at Social Security can read online.

archive.ph/RWyhN

Yes.

Thanks for the good news though imaround
Keep it coming.
🙏🏾

I have heard about the veterans, and this comes hard on the heels of Vance offending allies in Europe and UK by calling them random countries that hadn’t fought a war in 30 years. At first this seemed specifically aimed at the UK and France seeing as Vance was talking about boots on the ground in Ukraine as a peacekeeping force, and only the UK and France had volunteered. But he then said he didn’t mean the UK and France, but other countries, however most other countries in Europe and allies from further afield served alongside the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, some sadly losing their lives.
Many in the armed forces have been outraged by this and Starmer addressed this in the House of Commons today by recognising and respecting those who lost their lives or were injured.
Ukrainians also sent service personnel to fight alongside the US.
It seems Trump and Vance are determined to offend the very people who fought for the US. Yet they will call themselves patriots.
More like complete idiots.

Trump is still an idiot and his speech was nothing but lies and propaganda, as usual.

Good News today though!

The good news is 1) the Democrats fillibustered a bill yesterday. I know this bill wont be popular here, but this is a good sign that the Dems can in fact push back in Congress.

He also lost some Supreme Court cases. That is important because it means they could try and stop him in the future.

Trumps team does appear to be trying to get around the injunctions already against them by changing the wording of the executive orders and memos. But they aren't openly going against them.

And lastly, he has pissed a lot of MAGA off this week. Especially the veterans. I don't think he wants to waken that sleeping giant, but he already did.

I can't believe any veteran ever supported him after he stood on a heros grave in the United States' most hallowed ground for a photo op. Or calling them losers. Or saying that his medal given to private citizens is better then all the Purple Hearts and Silver Stars they are earning on combat.

Well, I mean, he told them who he was and they didn't believe him. So losing their care should t come as a surprise.