I have a hard time sympathising with anyone that voted for Trump. That's for sure. Anyone who was happy with America's foreign policies in the past 20 years would get the same treatment.

I think it's important to recognise that there are many people in America who resent what their country is going through and often resent the actions of their government.

Many Americans are isolationist. Many are progressive. There's a real mix of different beliefs.

I would honestly blame their system of government more than the average American. The system seems designed to exploit the average citizen as mich as possible whilst enriching those in power. In fact I would argue you could not create a better supposedly "democratic" system actually designed to exploit average workers if you tried.

It's almost as if the US is an oligarchy and that the ultra wealthy are able to govern the nation with political influence and shield themselves from the law.

This should be a wake up call to all citizens. It doesn't matter who you elect. Your interests will never be represented until this oligarchy is broken up or destroyed.

I think what this actually means is that some companies are now using technology to extract as much money as they possibly can from you and me.

I bet it will soon be the majority (if it isn't already).

Transparency International highlighted the UK has slipped due to record spending on election campaigning . Labour, Conservatives and Reform have been guilty of this in various instances.

It's easy to blame a single party, as some commenters in here might, but this is very clearly a systemic issue.

There need to be strict limits on campaign spending and absolute transparency about where that money has come from.

No more overseas donors. No more Think Tanks taking donations for "research", from opaque sources and funneling it back to the party.

Politics needs to be cleaned up and freed from the grasp of these rich wankers who think because they have more money they can set the rules on how we as a people are governed.

How many more people have to be murdered before Congress act?

How many more innocent civilians have to die at the hands of the government before the elected representatives of those people take action?

The USA is descending into an authoritarian state and Congress is letting it happen.

They could end it whenever they want. This on them as well as criminals perpetrating these heinous crimes.

don't understand how technology can fuck their tiny brains forever.

Have you heard of the expression "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"?

Because it seems rather appropriate for this.

I mean, it's great that they left their posts to protect their own integrity. Bravo.

Where is the fight though? Why aren't these people going out and telling the world that this administration is corrupting the rule of law?

They have the information. They can tell the world exactly what they're doing over there. They've seen it. Yet none of them come forward.

For an administration like this to succeed in what they're doing it also takes a massive lack of action from those that could stop it or speak out against it.

All I see are cowards interested in themselves. If they really wanted to have any integrity they would be in front of the cameras, together, telling the whole world exactly what happened.

But they're not.

It shows a really quite astounding lack of self awareness to even think that it's worth having a premier in the UK.

Had she been even remotely aware of how we (I'm from the UK) feel about her husband over here, she would know that this was inevitable.

Her husband is universally despised in this country. Even by the Right.

And indeed starmer already did more damage than the tories did in over a decade.

Sorry but what is that opinion based on?

As a Brit I can assure you that a) he has absolutely most certainly not done more than the previous Tory governments to mess the country up. Lizz Truss, for only a single example, ruined the economy in 40 odd days. b) the prevailing opinion is not that he has been worse than the Tories. The reason many people say they want to vote Reform is precisely because they are a right wing party that are not the Tories.

I'm very curious as to what you think his government has done that is worse than the 14 years of austerity, wrecked public finances, crumbling infrastructure and over population that the Tories provided? Obviously you are entitled to an opinion but I struggle to see what facts it could be based on.

Calling it now. Nothing will happen.

A slap on the wrist here. A scapegoat there. Nothing serious.

The people that run America want this to happen. The mega-wealthy. They don't care. They are in charge.

The people could be if they rose up or protested enough. They won't though. As long as they have their TV shows and food on the table the majority sadly don't give a shit.

Welcome to America.

Anything and everything is susceptible to private wealth and exploitation of the poor.

Doesn't matter if it's your health or your property or you name it. It can and will be exploited to take money from you. The plebs.

Didn't they say this last time?

People are starting to realise they're full of it.

It's funny how so many people are willing to write letters but none of these powerful people are willing to go there, see for themselves what's happening and speak about it.

They all talk big but they never, ever put themselves anywhere near harms way. Not even politically, let alone physically.

Everyone knows the "all it takes for bad to prevail is for good people to do nothing" quote or whatever it is. The Democrats are the living embodiment of that saying. As long as they get re-elected and still have their money they couldn't care less.

I think a lot of people are aware but when your elected representatives won't represent you, what do you do?

Personally, and I know this would be very difficult to organise, but I believe the most effective tool ordinary citizens have against Trump is a general strike.

The markets have been shown to be the only thing effective at restraining Trump. He only cares about money.

Workers are what make the economy, not the businesses. They have nothing without the hard work of everyday men and women.

Denying them labour in an organised manner could cripple the entire country.

Look at Britain in the 1970s/1980s or The Russian Revolution.

I'm aware it's very difficult to achieve but I remain resolute in my belief that it is the most effective tool available. By far.

Cancelled the right to a trial by jury for up to 3 years in prison, from 1 passed in 2020, cancelling the magna carta without a fight.

I thought these changes were still in the proposal stage? They are bad though and I disagree with them.

I don't disagree with anything else you've listed. I'm just struggling to see how any of that is worse than what 14 years of a Tory government provided? On top of a ruined economy, failing public services, huge NHS waiting times etc. they also introduced the 9k tuition fees.

Are you a UK citizen? If so are you a particularly young one?

Because I can tell you now that if you were of voting age living through those Tory governments and you were living in the country, as me, you would be far more bitter about the 14 years of turning our country to shit than a year and a half of an incompetent slightly authoritarian Labour government.

The majority of people would say the same. The Tories were voted out by a sweeping majority in 2024 because of this. UK citizens loathed the party and a good deal many still do, hence the rise of Reform.

I understand why you are angry at Starmer's government and your criticisms are fair, but I do not at all believe that your opinion that his government, over one and a half years, has been worse than the previous 14 years of Tory governance is founded on anything tangible whatsoever.

The DNC and corporate Democrats would rather have a fascist takeover than empower actual leftwing policies, so I don't think that eventuality really bothers them as much as the possibility of losing control over the power structures of the Democratic party does.

I believe, as I'm sure many of you do, that this is because even though open and fair democracy is at stake here, their wealth is not.

A left wing agenda threatens their wealth. That is clearly the thing they care about most, to the detriment of their electorate.

I think it makes perfect sense for the power structures of the DNC to act like this will be a fair election, the best outcome for them is it won't be and it will thus make the job of leaders in the DNC far easier.

Wow. I consider myself very cynical and but even I never would have thought of it like that. It does make sense though. If they take action now after delaying so long there will be cries of "what took you so long". They need Trump to do something so awful, like abandon democracy completely, that the finger will only ever be pointed at him as the villain.

The US is crying out for competent third party that better represents the electorate. If funding could somehow be secured (massive or even impossible if) then they would surely wipe the floor with the Republicans and Democrats. By now many people surely feel they are no longer represented by either party.

Someone is going to make so much money selling iron lungs when they roll out polio 2.0 in a couple of years.

I had never heard that expression before and had to look it up. Very interesting but they've been obsolete for decades now.

The procedure since the 1960s has been to delivery positive pressure ventilation to expand the lungs via tracheotomy, rather than housing the patient in the irong lung (negative pressure chamber).

Did get me reading about Paul Alexander too. The man who used an iron lung for 70 odd years, achieving a degree and a career as an attorney and author. Worth a read!

Not trying to prove you wrong. Just wanted to share info on the subject. Thanks for the comment. Sent me down a rabbit hole!

Farage is a racist but first and foremost he's a con man. I honestly don't think he would care if you were or weren't because it doesn't give him money, nor take it away. The man wants wealth and power off the back of the British people and if being racist gets it for him, so be it. He'll be whatever he needs to be to get publicity and get rich. He's like the political version of a (racist) Britain's Got Talent contestant.

Amen.

Let them clearly show they support the brutal and oppressive tactics. Then there's no debate when this is finally over as to who stood up and aho didn't.

I think we're starting to see a shift in foreign policy though. Especially after Davos.

Carnie's speech was powerful. European leaders got Trump to back down (so they think) after organising and preparing a strong, unified response that spooked the markets.

I think they are finally starting to realise that he can't be placated, he isn't going away and that he needs to be stood up to.

Maybe I'm just hopeful.