General Politics Thread

[the-pi-guy]

(Retweeted by Elon Musk)

👇 @TheAliceSmith pic.twitter.com/0XnBtwJSMq

— Rothmus 🏴 (@Rothmus) March 13, 2025

[kitler53]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/us/politics/trump-tariffs-auto-industry-corporate-executives.html

i am honestly just posting this article so i can highlight one particular quote that is soo backhanded it is hilarious:

For corporate America, including some major donors, the shock of Mr. Trump's second term is that it turns out he really does believe the thing he's been saying publicly for 40 years

[kitler53]

https://electrek.co/2025/03/19/elon-musk-promotes-negative-tesla-survey-turned-positive-by-bots/

Elon Musk promotes negative Tesla survey turned positive by bots


Amid this evident crisis for Tesla in Germany, we reported last week on a survey of 100,000 people by Germany's popular T-Online publication that showed that only 3% of respondents would consider buying a Tesla vehicle.

Our article on the survey went viral, with millions of views on X:

  

However, we were surprised yesterday when Musk himself shared the same survey, but with entirely different results.

Musk shared a post that claimed the survey now points to "70% of people in Germany would buy a Tesla again":



This reversal of the results of the ongoing poll raised some red flags.

Sure enough, T Online has now reported that the survey has been manipulated by bots, with 253,000 votes coming from just two IP addresses in the US:

Where these votes—and the sudden reversal of opinion—came from was initially unclear. At first glance, the number of article views in recent days and the number of survey participants do not seem to match. Initial internal research now shows that 253,000 of the votes cast came from just two IP addresses in the US . This suggests that the survey may have been manipulated.

They shut down the survey after those findings were revealed.

[the-pi-guy]

IRS braces for $500bn drop in revenue as taxpayers skip filings in wake of DOGE cuts at agency


Going well. 

[the-pi-guy]

Elon Musk asserts the administration is going to "go after" people "pushing the propaganda" against Tesla, claiming, "Those are the real villains."

Musk does not look well. 

[kitler53]

IRS braces for $500bn drop in revenue as taxpayers skip filings in wake of DOGE cuts at agency


Going well.

yeah, seriously.   IRS should be expanded not decreased.   tax evasion is a huuuge hit to america's incomes.   we could probably balance the budget if everyone just payed their taxes like they are suppose to.

[the-pi-guy]

Wisconsin did it. 

[kitler53]

holy fudge:





take a look specifically at china, taiwan, cambodia, vietnam.   switch 2 is getting a price increase tomorrow...

[the-pi-guy]

holy fudge:


take a look specifically at china, taiwan, cambodia, vietnam.  switch 2 is getting a price increase tomorrow...

Maybe the Switch 2 was only supposed to be $300.

[kitler53]

https://www.axios.com/2025/04/02/trump-tariffs-australia-uninhabited-heard-mcdonald-islands

President Trump's sweeping tariffs announced Wednesday extend to countries and territories across the world — including the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean.

The remote UNESCO World Heritage-listed Australian territory, which features a mostly barren landscape, was included in the list of baseline 10% taxes on U.S. imports, along with mainland Australia.

The Heard and McDonald Islands were included because they are Australian territory, according to a White House official.
This region that features the only volcanically active subantarctic islands is "teeming" with colonies of seals, penguins and other birds, per an Australian Antarctic Program post.

[kitler53]

feel like a great day to dredge this up:

[the-pi-guy]

The Bulwark The American Age is over, and it ended because the American people were no longer worthy of it

We have a deeply stupid government—from our economically illiterate president to our craven and foolish secretary of state, from the freelancing billionaire dilettante who is gutting American soft power to the vaccine-denying health secretary who is firing as much talent as he can. From the senior economics advisor who thinks comic books are good investments, to the senators who voted to confirm this cabinet of hacks, to the representatives who stumble over themselves justifying each new inane MAGA pronouncement.

But also, we have the government we deserve.

The American age is over. And it ended because the American people were no longer worthy of it.

[the-pi-guy]

I'm so tired of Republican sociopaths.

I posted on FB about something, my Uncle commented - and basically he's okay with deporting "violent" US citizens; it's a better deal than getting shot.  

[kitler53]

I'm so tired of Republican sociopaths.

I posted on FB about something, my Uncle commented - and basically he's okay with deporting "violent" US citizens; it's a better deal than getting shot. 

when i was a kid my dad said to me, "Gays should stop (advocating for equal rights) and just be thankful we don't kill them like in other countries".


of course he's a strong "supporter of the constitution".    ..just not the constitution as written.  the constitution as he imagines it's written because he's never bothered to read/understand any of it.   mostly it's just a matter of only certain kinds of people should have rights and those rights should be absolute and everyone else should accept being dominated.

[the-pi-guy]

Right, because Grandma is on X.

This is corruption, plain and simple. https://t.co/zGlUFvnVLv

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) April 11, 2025