[John Riley]

I love what you said Shaun. It seems a little cracked in GB but here it is combustible. You’re right if you don’t live here you can’t feel the coming apart. The world better open their eyes.

[Jim Moonan]

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The facetiousness of the thread title is a bit off-putting but I understand your frustration. The effects of the gangrene caused by Trump has become protracted and will not be easy to to eradicate.

I wonder what TT would think of hearing the poem, "The Times, They Are A'Changin'" blaring from the loud speakers of the USS John McCain?


(Btw, Tommy Tuberville looks like the principal in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Where is Ferris Bueller when you need him?)

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[Michael Tyldesley]

MAGA Republicanism has its roots and ties with Brexit. The Brexit leave vote came first in 2016. Trumps people watched and learned from that win. He invited some of the Brexit campaign people over as consultants for his campaign and paraded Nigel Farage on rallies.

So, we have been sending help Shaun but not the kind you would wish for...

John, we're living with the consequences of Brexit here and we will be for decades regardless of changes of government. Labour accepts there's no way back into the EU. So when you dismiss GB's problems in comparison to those in the US, actually our acts of political self harm have been permanent whereas, it remains to be seen, but let's hope yours can be healed.

[Shaun J. Russell]

MAGA Republicanism has its roots and ties with Brexit. The Brexit leave vote came first in 2016. Trumps people watched and learned from that win. He invited some of the Brexit campaign people over as consultants for his campaign and paraded Nigel Farage on rallies.

No, not in the slightest. Honestly, I don't know where that idea even comes from. There's been a slow slide into MAGA Republicanism since GWB era -- that's when the Tea Party influence took hold, and was emboldened by McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate...which was considered a fatal mistake at the time, but also demonstrated the popularity of those fact-free, hype-driven ideas. It bubbled and seethed during Obama's terms, and only boiled over in 2016. One could argue that the core MAGA ideas are even stronger now than ever, though my hope is that enough people have weaned off the teat of extremism that there won't be a majority voting for the almost-certainly-MAGA-esque candidate (which will almost certainly be Trump). But that's just my hope, and in the end, the electoral college isn't about majorities, so...we shall see.

[Roger Slater]

If anything, Brexit was inspired by MAGA, though I suspect they come from a shared wellspring of bigotry and stupidity.

[Jim Moonan]

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Wild thought without much consideration given to it, but worth mentioning in this storm-tossed sea of troubles: By show of hands: How many would rather have AI politicians? AI judiciary? AI lawyers? What could go wrong?

It's just as errant thought. Carry on.
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[David Callin]

Originally Posted by Roger Slater

If anything, Brexit was inspired by MAGA

No, not at all. The origins of Brexit go back much further than that. But the two movements started to feed off each other once MAGA got going.

Brexit goes back far and deep into the British - or, perhaps, English - soul. Unfortunately.

[John Riley]

MAGA exists because Obama was president. It’s not a mystery.

[Michael Tyldesley]

Originally Posted by David Callin

Brexit goes back far and deep into the British - or, perhaps, English - soul. Unfortunately.

Yep, it's been dividing the country my entire lifetime and long before.

And the US isn't the first global superpower to decline and find its population fighting amongst themselves. Ancient Rome imploded well before the British Empire.

Jim, an earlier version ChatGPT was asked to say something positive about Trump and something positive about Biden. Its answer was four times longer for Biden so they reprogrammed it. The latest version gives them a positive reading of roughly the same length for both. There's can be clever manipulation going on through claimed balance.

[Gail White]

If you want to do something good for the country, or the planet, or the female sex, there's an easy thing you can do that will cost you nothing. Just never vote for a Republican. For any office from local on up.