Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[SAY HER NAME]

Id be surprised if Trump can pull off a ceasefire. Weve seen what Trump deals look like. The afghanistan fiasco, the failure of the IP ceasefire and the USMCA that he is now blasting.

Trump is after the moment of signing a deal and he is willing to throw everything away to achieve it. He is however seeing a lot of backlash over this.

[D Luniz]

TRUMP TAKE BEEF!

Fat rich asshole and friends ruin another staple food of US citizens.

Restaurants issue urgent warning that a key ingredient will push up menu prices... and it's not eggs this time

For months, customers have been worried about eggs.

Grocery stores set purchase limits, restaurants like Waffle House added surcharges, and the price of a dozen of eggs reached historic peaks as the US battled bird flu.

Now restaurants – including McDonald's, Texas Roadhouse, and Shake Shack – are watching another issue: beef prices.

Beef and veal prices surged 5.5 percent higher in January compared to the same month last year, outpacing inflation in the rest of the American economy.

All those claims democrats were gonna take away burgers..

[Dontrike]

The poorest 40% do not pay taxes to begin with.

I know nothing about tax laws, loop holes, and all that, but in what world do you think the poor pay ZERO in taxes between sales, income, and so on?

[PhaelixWW]

I know nothing about tax laws, loop holes, and all that, but in what world do you think the poor pay ZERO in taxes between sales, income, and so on?

Under a certain level of income, you don't pay income tax, there is no federal sales tax, and low-income people are unlikely to pay property/luxury taxes, for example there is no federal property/luxury tax, also.

[TACOshake]

Considering how many of Bernie's former staff and loudest supporters have gone on to support Trump,Elon, Putin.. this is less of a surprise than.

The Ben and Jerry are MAGA and DOGE now?




Look, there needs to be a serious thread on how 70's counterculturism poisoned the left back then.
GenXers and Millenials reviving that BS has probably done the same now.
No wonder we got Reagan-but-Way-Shittier now.


Also, Limp Bikzut at Woddstock '99 ... the foreshadowing the maga redhats?

[Iphie]

Considering how many of Bernie's former staff and loudest supporters have gone on to support Trump,Elon, Putin.. this is less of a surprise than.

The Ben and Jerry are MAGA and DOGE now?




Look, there needs to be a serious thread on how 70's counterculturism poisoned the left back then.
GenXers and Millenials reviving that BS has probably done the same now.
No wonder we got Reagan-but-Way-Shittier now.


Also, Limp Bikzut at Woddstock '99 ... the foreshadowing the maga redhats?

I mean that tweet is from just after the inauguration, it would be interesting to see their stance now.

[gondrin]

Under a certain level of income, you don't pay income tax, there is no federal sales tax, and low-income people are unlikely to pay property/luxury taxes, for example there is no federal property/luxury tax, also.

This is false on multiple levels. Unless you are claiming a massive amount of deductions or make an extremely small amount, most working people pay income taxes. That amount is $14,600. While there is no federal sales tax, most states do have one(and multiple levels of it too). Some states have a sales tax on everything, the state I live in only taxes non food related items(this doesn't include alcohol or carbonated drinks that aren't consumed on the premises). Same with Property taxes as that is a completely local thing.

I know I made about 37k last year and had to owe another $425 in federal and that was without claiming any dependents throughout the year. I also had them take out an extra $10 per week. Mind you, this is with the standard deduction that everyone gets(since I do not have enough to go beyond that through itemized deductions). I also don't have children or any other dependents of any kind.

And that is just income tax. I also have to pay sales taxes, FICA taxes and the like and those are not deductible in any way.

[PhaelixWW]

This is false on multiple levels.

None of what I said was false.

Unless you are claiming a massive amount of deductions or make an extremely small amount, most working people pay income taxes.

Nobody said "most don't pay income tax". With whom exactly are you arguing?

But:

That amount is $14,600.

And there a number of credits that increase the amount under which you won't actually owe taxes.

While there is no federal sales tax...

And we're talking specifically about federal tax cut plans. This has nothing to do with state or local taxes.

[Xath]

I mean that tweet is from just after the inauguration, it would be interesting to see their stance now.

They just fired their ceo after blocking a post he was going to make about climate change sooooo

[Azadina]

So Ben & Jerrys is not only overpriced, but it's nazi Edolf supporting icecream too? What an easy choice to stay clear of it.

[Mekh]

So Ben & Jerrys is not only overpriced, but it's nazi Edolf supporting icecream too? What an easy choice to stay clear of it.

Not last I heard. But I don't eat their stuff either.

[En Sabah Nur]

I mean that tweet is from just after the inauguration, it would be interesting to see their stance now.

Based on his Twitter feed, he feels exactly the same. He seems very into cutting money from the Pentagon and military. At least he seems to recognise what is happening to Palestinians, I guess. So I dunno if you can realistically call him "MAGA"? I didn't do a massive dive into his entire feed, but just looks like he wants less military spending/waste. Shame DOGE really isn't the answer to that.

[Teriz]

How much does pootie respect Trump? Not very much at all.

The phone call the other day? Pootie kept Trump waiting for an hour as he was in a meeting with business men. When reminded of the appointment, he said "let him wait" to laughter from the audience.

Trump is such a beta.

https://theconversation.com/putin-ma...opy_url_button

The White House was touting this as some huge victory too.

Straight up propaganda from the Stepford wife at the podium along with that BS about those immigrants they kidnapped out of the country and sent to a torture prison in El Salvador. I'm up here feeling like Padme in RotS watching democracy die right before my eyes.

[Nymrohd]

Considering how many of Bernie's former staff and loudest supporters have gone on to support Trump,Elon, Putin.. this is less of a surprise than.

The Ben and Jerry are MAGA and DOGE now?




Look, there needs to be a serious thread on how 70's counterculturism poisoned the left back then.
GenXers and Millenials reviving that BS has probably done the same now.
No wonder we got Reagan-but-Way-Shittier now.


Also, Limp Bikzut at Woddstock '99 ... the foreshadowing the maga redhats?

Eh I am reading this as a challenge to cut defense spending. Isn't US defense spending actually bloated?

[alach]

Its insanity how much the US spends on their military. Thats how you can tell musk and trump aren't actually serious about cutting government waste and saving money, or they would have started there, instead of half a percent on food for the hungry, AIDs prevention in Africa, and all of that.

[Nymrohd]

Its insanity how much the US spends on their military. Thats how you can tell musk and trump aren't actually serious about cutting government waste and saving money, or they would have started there, instead of half a percent on food for the hungry, AIDs prevention in Africa, and all of that.

The question is how much of it is effective. US needs to spend a lot on their military because historically their foreign policy depends on projection and they are dependent on intercontinental trade so they need to keep the shipping lanes safe. And that just costs a ton more. The question is how much corruption is there?

[Odinfrost]

The question is how much of it is effective. US needs to spend a lot on their military because historically their foreign policy depends on projection and they are dependent on intercontinental trade so they need to keep the shipping lanes safe. And that just costs a ton more. The question is how much corruption is there?

Well, considering Trump wants to isolate the US, your first and second point is completely moot, so there's plenty to cut from

[alach]

I find it hard to believe that troops in S. Korea or Afghanistan needed to have a KFC and a Pizza Hut and a Burger King on each base. I doubt it would be very hard to find some areas to cut waste without upending peoples lives.

[Breccia]

Two things this morning.

First, story I'm seeing is that Putin has already broken the ceasefire. It lasted a few hours.

Two, the WSJ and likely others report

Months ago, policymakers presumed they would spend 2025 gradually cutting rates to keep inflation heading down without a big rise in joblessness to achieve the so-called soft landing. The latest projections point to the prospect that tariffs covering a swath of goods and materials will send up prices while sapping investment, sentiment and growth, at least in the short run.

“We now have inflation coming in from an exogenous source, but the underlying inflationary picture before that was basically 2½% inflation, 2% growth and 4% unemployment,” said Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday.

Officials projected weaker growth, higher unemployment and higher inflation than they had anticipated in December. Moreover, nearly all officials judged that if their forecasts were to be proven wrong, it would be in the direction of even softer growth, more joblessness and firmer price growth.

A combination of stagnant growth and higher prices, sometimes called stagflation, could make it harder for the Fed to cut interest rates this year to pre-empt any slowdown.

Naturally, Trump took the news as a personal attack.

The Fed would be MUCH better off CUTTING RATES as U.S. Tariffs start to transition (ease!) their way into the economy. Do the right thing

Yes, Trump either read the report that said "tariffs and layoffs aren't helping" from the nation's top experts, then said "yes they are because I said so, here come some tariffs and layoffs"...or didn't read the report and is making demands based on the lack of evidence.

"Couldn't Trump be correct?"

Tell you what, let's revisit that when the GDP report comes in.

[Kiria]

So errr are you guys ok with this lunatic doing these things?