Category: Politics

Understanding U.S. Tariffs: Costs and Consequences

In 2025, U.S. tariffs are taxes levied by the federal government on imported goods at the border. While intended to protect domestic industries and reduce trade deficits, these duties directly impact American citizens through higher prices and broader economic shifts.

What are the 2025 U.S. Tariffs?

As of late 2025, the U.S. has implemented an aggressive trade regime characterized by widespread “reciprocal” and sectoral tariffs: 

  • Baseline Tariff: A minimum 10% baseline tariff applies to imports from nearly all trading partners.
  • Sectoral Tariffs: High specific duties apply to key industries, including:
    • Automobiles and Parts: 25% on most foreign-made cars and light trucks.
    • Metals: 50% on steel and aluminum (up from 25% earlier in the year).
    • Pharmaceuticals: 100% on branded or patented drugs, unless the company builds manufacturing plants in the U.S..
    • Lumber and Furniture: 10% on timber and up to 50% on kitchen cabinets and some furniture.
    • De Minimis Change: On August 29, 2025, the $800 exemption for low-value imports was removed, making small packages from retailers like Shein or Temu subject to duties.

How They Affect American Citizens

The primary impact on citizens is financial, as tariffs act as a “consumption tax” passed from businesses to individuals. 

1. Increased Costs of Living

  • Direct Price Hikes: Importers often pass the cost of the tariff directly to consumers. In 2025, households face an average estimated loss of $1,100 to $2,700 annually.
  • Specific Good Impacts: By late 2025, shoppers have seen significant price jumps in staples:
    • Groceries: Up 2.7%, with beef and coffee surging by 14% and 19%, respectively.
    • Cars: New car prices have risen by an average of $4,000 to $6,500 due to auto and metal tariffs.
    • Apparel: Clothing and leather goods prices have increased by up to 28%.

2. Regressive Tax Burden

Tariffs disproportionately affect lower-income families because they spend a larger share of their income on essential goods that are now more expensive. The poorest 20% of households face a tax increase equivalent to roughly 6% of their income, compared to only 1.7% for the top 1% of earners.

3. Labor Market and Job Security

  • Sector Gains vs. Losses: While tariffs aim to boost manufacturing jobs, research indicates that job losses in “downstream” industries (which use imported materials) often outweigh gains in protected industries.
  • Unemployment: Projections suggest the current tariff policy could lead to an increase in the unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points by the end of 2026. 

4. Retaliation Impacts

Trading partners like China and Canada have imposed their own “tit-for-tat” tariffs on U.S. exports. This hurts American farmers and manufacturers who sell products abroad, further straining local economies. 

5. Reduced Consumer Choice 

Higher costs and trade uncertainty often lead retailers to carry fewer imported brands, resulting in fewer options and lower product variety for American shoppers. 

In essence, tariffs act as a regressive tax, raising the cost of living and operating for Americans while often failing to deliver promised economic benefits, shifting costs from foreign producers to domestic consumers and businesses. 

Taxman (Remastered 2009)

Political Strategy or Mental Illness? Analyzing Trump’s Statements

President Trump is described as “delusional” by mental health professionals, political commentators, and world leaders due to his persistent assertion of claims that directly contradict documented facts. These descriptions often center on several key behaviors:

Clinical and Psychological Perspectives

  • Fixed False Beliefs: Psychiatrists define a delusion as a “fixed false belief” that is resistant to reason or confrontation with fact. Experts have cited his insistence on “stolen” elections and exaggerated crowd sizes as fulfilling this criteria.
  • Narcissistic Personality: Many specialists argue his perceived delusions are rooted in Malignant Narcissism or Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which can lead to a “delusional detachment from reality” to protect an inflated self-image or “personal myth of greatness”.
  • The Gospel of Positive Thinking: Some analysts link his behavior to his lifelong adherence to Norman Vincent Peale’s “Power of Positive Thinking,” where reality is shaped by one’s own mental attitude, leading to a refusal to acknowledge negative outcomes. 

Recent Examples and Actions (2024-2025)

  • Economic Claims: Critics describe his 2025 assertions that tariffs “magically” bring in billions from foreign countries—rather than taxing domestic consumers—as economically “nuts” and detached from reality.
  • Polling Discrepancies: In late 2025, Trump was described as delusional for claiming he had the “highest poll numbers” of his career on Truth Social, despite concurrent data from the Associated Press and Fox News showing some of his worst approval ratings.
  • Foreign Policy Assertions: Observers pointed to “delusional fantasies” in his 2025 claims regarding foreign leaders, such as incorrectly stating he ended a war between Azerbaijan and Albania (two countries not at war) and suggesting he could “own” or “take over” the Gaza Strip for real estate development.
  • Annexation of Canada: His public discussion in 2025 about Canada potentially becoming the “51st state” was cited as an example of a belief system that ignores the reality of sovereign nations and public opinion.

Debates and Counterpoints

  • Political Strategy vs. Mental Illness: Some observers argue he is “crazy like a fox,” using conspiracy theories and falsehoods as calculated tools for political success rather than out of a true clinical delusion.
  • The Goldwater Rule: The American Psychiatric Association’s “Goldwater Rule” prohibits members from diagnosing public figures without a personal examination, causing some professionals to push back against colleagues who label the president “delusional” publicly.
  • “Trump Derangement Syndrome”: Supporters often use this term to argue that it is actually his critics who are delusional, reacting irrationally to his unconventional but effective political style. 
Buffalo Springfield – For What It’s Worth (Official Audio)

Economic Black Holes: The Threat of Extreme Wealth Inequality

I think those with wealth and power seek to sustain or increase said wealth and power. The system’s not flawed from the players perspective it is simply one to be used and manipulated to bend to ones own rules and will.

We don’t need monarchs to supress and control us, as we now have a feudal system where the masses work or starve for millionaires and billionaires.

The desire for political and economic domination among wealthy individuals stems from a complex interplay of psychological factors, the nature of wealth accumulation, and systemic influences.

Key reasons include:

Power and Control Wealth provides power and influence, which some individuals enjoy exercising over others. The ability to control one’s own outcomes and exert influence over others becomes an appealing strategy for maintaining status.

Personality Traits Psychologists have noted a correlation between high socioeconomic status and certain personality traits referred to as the “dark triad”:

Machiavellianism: A willingness to manipulate and exploit others for personal gain.

Narcissism: An over-inflated sense of self-importance and entitlement, coupled with a lack of empathy.

Psychopathy: Characterized by a lack of empathy or remorse, antisocial behavior, and a desire to dominate others.

Systemic Reinforcement In highly unequal societies, dominance-based strategies can be more effective and carry less risk of backlash, as those with less power have fewer resources to resist. The existing system often rewards selfish actions, creating a feedback loop where those who engage in such behaviour become wealthier and more powerful.

Fear and Insecurity For some, the drive to accumulate and maintain power is rooted in fear—a fear of losing their status, security, or identity.

Addiction and Competition The pursuit of power and wealth can become an addiction, as achieving success can trigger dopamine responses in the brain. This is often reinforced by a competitive mindset, where status is a relative game, and there’s a constant drive to be “on top”.

Lack of Empathy The wealthy may live in social “bubbles,” isolating them from the realities of those with fewer resources and leading to a reduced capacity for empathy for those in lower socioeconomic classes.

Mega wealth can form economic black holes that suck up and damage alomst everything else in its path.

Extreme wealth concentration is widely reported by major economic institutions as an ongoing and accelerating issue that leads to significant economic and social damage, effectively acting as the “economic black holes” you describe. It exacerbates poverty, distorts democratic processes, and can impede overall economic growth, particularly in developing nations. 

Current State of Wealth Concentration

Recent reports from 2025 highlight the severity of the situation:

  • Millionaires own nearly half of the world’s total personal wealth.
  • The top 10% of earners in the U.S. owned almost two-thirds of the total wealth in Q1 2025, while the bottom 50% owned just 2.5%.
  • Between 2000 and 2024, the world’s top 1% captured 41% of all new wealth, compared to just 1% for the bottom 50%.
  • A recent study found that the world’s richest people own three times more wealth than the bottom half of the global population combined. 

Key Economic and Social Damages

The effects of this wealth concentration are far-reaching and consistently linked to negative outcomes:

  • Impeded Economic Growth: While some level of inequality might incentivize innovation in developed economies, research in 2025 indicates that excessive inequality generally acts as a brake on growth, especially in developing countries. This is partly due to reduced aggregate demand and underinvestment in human capital (education and healthcare) among lower-income groups.
  • Increased Poverty and Precarity: High wealth inequality drives poverty and economic insecurity for those at the bottom. The absence of a financial safety net means many households struggle to manage unexpected shocks, and a significant portion of the population can have net negative wealth (more debt than assets).
  • Distortion of Democracy and Power: Extreme wealth translates into disproportionate political power, allowing the rich to influence rules and policies in their favor, such as through lax inheritance tax laws. This creates a vicious cycle that entrenches inequality and erodes public trust in institutions.
  • Amplification of Other Inequalities: Wealth disparities amplify existing inequalities based on race, gender, and geography. For example, studies show significant wealth gaps between ethnic groups and a substantial difference in average wealth between men and women.
  • Environmental Harm: Consumption patterns of the wealthy elite drive higher carbon emissions, while the poorest populations, who contribute least to climate change, are often the most vulnerable to its impacts. 

Regional Inequality

Wealth inequality is a global issue but is most severe in certain regions. Brazil, Russia, and South Africa have the highest Gini coefficients for wealth inequality in 2024, indicating a highly concentrated distribution of assets. In contrast, countries like Slovakia and Belgium exhibit more even wealth distribution, often attributed to strong social safety nets and policies promoting broader asset ownership.

Future Outlook and Recommendations

Experts warn that without significant policy interventions, such as progressive taxation and stronger social safety nets, the current high levels of inequality are likely to persist or worsen. The next decade is projected to see trillions of dollars in wealth passed down through inheritance, which, in the absence of effective inheritance taxes, is expected to further entrench wealth disparities and undermine social mobility.

Why does Donald Trump lie and why do people want to believe him?

Analysts suggest several reasons for the unprecedented frequency and nature of Trump’s lies: 

Political Strategy: Lying serves as a deliberate tactic to “flood the zone” with claims, overwhelming media fact-checkers and public discourse. Falsehoods, such as claims about the 2020 election, can be more interesting and emotionally engaging than complicated truths. Some analysts characterize his statements as “bullshit” rather than lies, arguing he often disregards the truth entirely to guide group beliefs in a politically desirable direction.

Strengthening Group Identity: Psychologists note that some of his statements are “blue lies”—falsehoods told on behalf of a group that can strengthen bonds among members of that group.

Psychological Factors: Observers point to personality traits such as narcissism, where lying helps him look better, avoid blame or embarrassment, and maintain an image of strength. He rarely, if ever, accepts responsibility for mistakes and may get “duping delight” from successfully convincing others of falsehoods.

Repetition: Trump is known for repeating claims, aware that frequent repetition can eventually make people believe false information is true, a phenomenon known as the illusory truth effect. 

Why People Want to Believe Him?

The reasons people believe Trump’s falsehoods are complex and rooted in human psychology and social dynamics:              

Identity and Partisanship: For many, political affiliation has become a tribal identity. Believing Trump’s claims can be a way to express loyalty to this group and boost self-esteem by feeling like a “winner” rather than a “loser”. Challenging a falsehood might feel like an attack on their personal identity.

Confirmation Bias and Information Bubbles: People tend to seek information that confirms their existing beliefs (confirmation bias). Many of Trump’s supporters rely on right-leaning news outlets that echo his claims and rarely present contrary evidence, creating a feedback loop where his version of events is the only one they hear.

Emotional Appeals: Trump’s rhetoric often appeals to emotions and instincts rather than rational analysis, making vivid, emotionally charged images that stick in the mind more effectively than facts.

Distrust of Mainstream Sources: By repeatedly attacking the mainstream media as “fake news” and the “enemy of the people,” Trump undermines their credibility with his base. This encourages his supporters to trust only him as their source of truth.

First Aid Kit – America

What does the Republican party think of Hitler today?

Republican right in the US holds a range of views on Hitler, with the mainstream and many senior figures condemning him and Nazism, while an extreme fringe openly expresses praise, antisemitic rhetoric, and Holocaust denial. These extremist views have a significant point of internal conflict within the party. 

Mainstream Condemnation

The official stance of the Republican Party, and the views expressed by most of its prominent figures, is one of strong condemnation of Adolf Hitler, Nazism, and antisemitism.

Official Denunciations: High-ranking officials, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Ted Cruz, have explicitly denounced incidents of praise for Hitler and antisemitic remarks among Young Republican groups, calling for those responsible to step down.

Rejection of Extremism: Mainstream commentators and politicians like Sean Hannity and Laura Loomer have called for the GOP to dismiss Nazi sympathizers and white nationalists within their ranks.

Public Opinion: A majority of Republicans (60%) view Hitler as a “completely bad person,” according to a 2024 YouGov poll. 

Fringe and Extremist Views

Despite the official stance, recent years have seen the rise of an influential far-right fringe that has brought explicitly pro-Hitler and antisemitic sentiments into public discourse. 

Open Admiration: Far-right figures such as white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who once dined with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, have publicly called Hitler “f***ing cool” and dismissed Holocaust education as “propaganda”.

Leaked Communications: Messages from private group chats of young Republican leaders across multiple states, which were leaked to the media in late 2025, revealed extensive racist and antisemitic rhetoric, including praise for Hitler and jokes about gas chambers.

Holocaust Denial/Exaggeration: A December 2025 Manhattan Institute survey reported that 37% of Republicans believe the Holocaust was exaggerated or did not occur. 

Internal Conflict

These divergent views have created a clear division. Figures like Senator Ted Cruz have described the rise of this antisemitism as an “existential crisis” for the party, while others have been accused of being slow to condemn or even giving a platform to individuals with extremist views. This conflict highlights a tension between the traditional conservative movement and the influence of a growing, more extreme, nationalist faction. 

David Rovics – How Far Is It From Here To Nuremberg

The poor will always have you

The phrase, “The poor will always have you,” is an inversion of a well-known quote from the New Testament of the Bible, which in modern translations generally reads, “The poor you will always have with you“. 

This statement is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (26:11), Mark (14:7), and John (12:8), and is part of Jesus’ response to his disciples when they object to a woman anointing him with expensive perfume that could have been sold to help the poor. 

Origin and Context

Jesus’ statement is a direct allusion to Deuteronomy 15:11 in the Old Testament, which states, “For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land”. 

Meaning and Interpretation

When Jesus said this, he was not dismissing the plight of the poor or suggesting that poverty is an unchangeable fate to be ignored. Instead, the original context highlights several points: 

  • A Call to Action: By referencing Deuteronomy, Jesus was reminding his followers of their ongoing, God-given responsibility to be open-handed and generous toward the poor.
  • Prioritizing Worship: The statement served as a defense of the woman’s act of worship. Jesus emphasized that while the disciples would always have opportunities to help the poor, the unique, physical opportunity to honor him before his imminent death and burial was fleeting.
  • Critique of Motives: In John’s Gospel, the objection came from Judas Iscariot, who was a thief and did not genuinely care for the poor, adding a layer of rebuke to those who use concern for the needy as a mask for their own self-righteousness or misplaced priorities. 

In summary, the phrase is a reminder of the perpetual existence of poverty in a fallen world and a constant call for believers to show ongoing compassion and generosity, but it also establishes the importance of wholehearted devotion and worship of Christ.

I am not normally one for looking to biblical texts for inspiration but this just struck a cord with me this morning. Although I am employed (happyish in my work) receive enough pay to keep a roof over my head and to try to save money for rainy days and buy goods and services that I think I need in my life, there is very little leftover to do anything else with after that.

Not that I need more money for myself but there is also a complete lack of employment opportunities to move up any form of career ladder nowadays across Britain, even if I made the time and effort to apply for other jobs. Unlike in my youth, administration manager roles or project support staff roles roles just no longer exist in a way like they used to. I know people with a desire to work that are finding it extremely difficult to step into employment now and have never witnessed an employment market as difficult and competitive as the one that exists today.

There are ways and means of getting into work and you must go the extra mile if unemployed every time to prove your worth to potential employers. I have always looked to work in a place of my choice doing something that interests me as a volunteer when out of work and that has always proved so far to be an excellent stepping stone to employed work and also a huge motivator to get out of bed and rewarding me with enjoyment and self respect.

I had up until recently been contributing small amounts or money each month to the Green Party and also a charity called International Rescue. I stopped those payments recently and it has to some extent been playing on my mind. How can someone like me help people those with less than what I have.

I would like to think there are many ways I can continue to help others. Such as how I vote, what I advocate for in the political system. What I say on my blog, what I believe in and live by. Helping a friend with less cash than me with a drink on a night out or making sure they have enough money to safely get a taxi home or other little things like that are small wins that help the people that I respect and want to support.

Poverty has felt like a real life possibility for me at times one which could if I am unlucky enough or we are all propelled into some cataclysm come back top haunt me. I was homeless (for a very short time myself once, which lead to me having the home that I have now lived in for over 15 years provided by a housing association which I now also work voluntarily for on a scrutiny panel to help improve the housing association for others, they have helped me so I am helping them now. I have always found in life that when I can not afford to give to a charity or good cause financially I can always make up for by giving my time and effort instead.

I have also been on benefits in the past when out of work or unwell with which without which I could have had nothing although saying that I have always had the love and support of my parents. They will not always be around to help me though which does make me focus my mind on ensuring I am there to stand on my own two feet on my own. To think of safety nets is not just theoretical for me but absolutely vital in order to have gone from where I was to where I am today.

To pay my way in life and hold my own not relying on anyone now financially but myself is a huge achievement to me. Though some might see holding your own and paying your way as perhaps a form of failure to me it is a genuine success. Well it must be some kind of religious quotes day for me so I will bail out with another interesting quote from the bible. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.

JAMES – Sit Down (Original Rough Trade Version Music Video)

How to Identify Your Political Bias Effectively

Are you a Faith and Flag Conservative? Progressive Left? Or somewhere in between?

Determining your political bias involves a combination of 

self-reflection, using structured assessment tools, and being critically aware of your information sources. 

1. Structured Self-Assessment Tools

Quizzes and surveys designed by research organizations and political scientists can help quantify your views on various social, economic, and foreign policy issues, and map them onto a political spectrum. 

  • Political Typology Quizzes: The Pew Research Center offers a quiz that categorizes your beliefs into specific groups based on nationally representative surveys.
  • The Political Compass: This survey places your views on a two-dimensional chart, with an economic scale (left/right) and a social scale (authoritarian/libertarian).
  • 8 Values Political Quiz: This tool rates your leanings on four axes: Economic, Diplomatic, State, and Society, providing a detailed breakdown.
  • Implicit Association Tests (IAT): Offered by Harvard, the IAT can help reveal unconscious biases or automatic associations you might have regarding different social and political groups, which can influence your conscious beliefs.
  • General Voter Quizzes: Websites like Britain’s Choice and Vote Compass offer quizzes tailored to specific elections and demographics, comparing your views to those of political parties or “tribes” in your country. 

2. Critical Self-Reflection

Beyond quizzes, genuine self-reflection is key. Consider the following:

  • Your Core Values: Identify the fundamental principles that drive your decisions (e.g., individual freedom, equality, order, tradition).
  • Views on Specific Issues: Reflect on your stances on a range of issues, such as taxation, healthcare, immigration, environmental regulations, and social welfare programs. Your positions across different topics may not always align perfectly with one single ideology.
  • The “Why”: Understand the reasoning behind your views. Are they based on personal experience, family upbringing, education, or deep-seated psychological traits (e.g., openness to experience, threat perception)? 

3. Analyzing Your Information Diet

The media you consume significantly shapes and often reinforces your existing biases (confirmation bias). 

  • Diversify Your Sources: Actively seek out news and opinions from sources across the political spectrum.
  • Use Media Bias Tools: Websites like AllSides, Media Bias/Fact Check, and Ad Fontes Media provide ratings for news sources, allowing you to compare how different outlets cover the same story and identify potential leanings in language or framing.
  • Recognize Confirmation Bias: Be aware of the tendency to favor information that confirms your pre-existing beliefs and to dismiss evidence that challenges them. 

By combining these methods, you can gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of your own political leanings and biases.

My best fit

Establishment Liberals

… along with 13% of the public

Roughly half of Establishment Liberals describe their political views as liberal. They hold liberal positions on nearly all issues and support an expanded role for government and a larger social safety net. They also hold liberal attitudes on issues of racial and ethnic equality. Establishment Liberals are more likely than any other group to say that compromise is how things get done in politics. About half say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the country today, and an overwhelming majority say they approve of the job Joe Biden is doing as president.

liberal Huw

Progressive Activists

13% of the population

‘It’s not really a meritocracy we live in. The people who have privilege to begin with are far more likely to end up in their dream career.’
Sally, 29, South East England

Progressive Activists are highly-educated, urban, and more likely than any other group to be in work. They think globally and are motivated to fight inequality and injustice. Their sense of personal identity is connected to their strong political and social beliefs. They are often supporters of Labour, the Greens and, in Scotland, the SNP. They like to take part in debates and have their voice heard. They are far more active in posting about politics on social media than any other group, and are big consumers of news from many sources, with The Guardian newspaper a big favourite.

Top priorities: Climate change, the economy, inequality

Compared to other groups:

More likely to say they are ‘extremely worried’ about climate change than any other group (72 per cent v 34 per cent average)

Much more pessimistic about the direction the country is heading in, with only 2 per cent saying it is going in the right direction (v 29 per cent average)

Strongly believe that the system is rigged to serve the rich and influential (95 per cent v 67 per cent average)

Very engaged with the news, with 83 per cent reporting use of social media in the past day, 54 per cent reading a newspaper online or in print, and 17 per cent reading a blog – in all cases more than any other segment

Much more active on social media, with 55 per cent posting political content on social media – more than four times as much as any other segment

Least confident that once we are through the worst of the Covid-19 crisis, we will address the problems in society (68 per cent v 46 per cent average). 

More likely to think that the people they agree with politically need to stick to their beliefs and fight (35 per cent v 22 per cent average)

Least proud of being British of any segment (22 per cent v 59 per cent  average) and most likely to say their national identity is not important to them (55 per cent v 24 per cent average)

Strongly believe that white people have advantages over ethnic minorities (93 per cent v 60 per cent average)

Strongly believe that immigration has had a positive impact on the UK (85 per cent v 43 per cent average)

STAND BY ME. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) – John Lennon (official music video HD)

Why Learning from Mistakes is Crucial

A repeated mistake is like running around on a giant hamster wheel, exhausted and weary not knowing how to step off the darn thing or where the stop button is or not knowing when or how to press the stop button or how or when to step off. Repeating the same mistakes again and again while not learning a thing from them is defiantly a mad idea!

To repeat a mistake is often described as making a choice rather than an accident the second or subsequent time. 

Common sayings and proverbs related to this concept include:

  • “A mistake repeated more than once is a choice.” – Paulo Coelho
  • “You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it’s not a mistake, it’s a choice.” – Unknown
  • “If you make the same mistake twice, it is no longer a mistake, it is a habit.”
  • “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” (Often attributed to Albert Einstein, but likely not his)
  • “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”
  • “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (from the Book of Proverbs in the Bible). 

The underlying idea in these expressions is the importance of learning from past errors and taking responsibility for one’s actions and the resulting consequences.

It seems to me politics is the biggest field of play, where this type of collective irresponsibility tends to take place.

Where an elected wealth of political officials, wish to control our finances and keep people within poverty instead of lifting them up out of it, maintain and enhance their own wealth crying foul to those from abroad that might no longer wish to be impoverished . Hmm what would Jesus think of such monetarising people and forces? From what I have read of the bible and learned from my religious teachers then those that choose to enrich themselves at the expense of others such as billionaires, wealthy politicians, using their own power to line their pockets with even greater profits, would repulse the son of god and if you believe in monsters heading to your definition of hell then that is what they likely are too.

What attracts, tempts or even provides people with conviction to vote for such inhumane politicians is hard to know what thoughts go through their heads or try to contemplate what they believe in and why they have those thought thought for such hateful people and views I do not know and will (god willing) likely never know or have.

Life is precious and time is short and for each of the power-hungry politicians voted into power across the globe chosen by their peers or people – Trump, Putin, Xi and Netanyahu are all incredibly dangerous political beasts we will be incredibly fortuitous to escape this time in the worlds history unscathed. Sadly each leader will be thinking from their own perspective, that they must be strong men in order to fight and conquer their own monsters. But what happens when they are the monsters that should instead need to be stopped or in someway fought.

They each poses within them the capability to light a match that within their hands could then set fire to million trees and sadly it takes only one of these four to strike first to make it all come crashing down.

When we are born into this world we arrive with nothing and when we depart this earth we depart with as little as when we arrived. It is what we do with our time here that truly makes our existence all worthwhile.

The National – ‘The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness’

Trump is waging a personal war on our world and us

In real-time with continued unquenchable thirst to manipulation freedoms and thoughts by working to silencing the press that disagree with him or shut down comedians that make fun of him.

Corporation America, the once big belly of the beast of free speech and freedom, now live in fear of Trump and that’s exactly how he wants it and that’s the game he continues to play and he is winning said game. Corporations bend the knee to Trump and these are profound changes to organisations being driven by what makes Donald Trump happy and what makes him laugh and smile. They now look to do what they have to do to make him leave them alone or so to entertain him like a Roman Emperor but instead of sitting at the coliseum standing up and encouraging the massed crowds to be baying for the blood of his enemies he instead takes to social media platforms where he does the same their instead.

Facts and freedom of speech and even a sense of humour are now obstacles to pleasing him. Trump is a fighter and he takes no prisoners and is never happier than when in conflict with others. No good will come from such a war hungry spirit.

But while this war hungry spirit also just so happens to be the President of the USA, manipulating all the powers of the oval office to his will and ensuring his role as commander in chief of America is done purely to suit him, so that he is at war with anyone that might disagree with him or find what he does funny at his expense and call him out or show signs of not lapping up his distortions of truth and reality or all out lies and frankly his bullshit, well right now if your not pro Trump it seems that anything goes in taking you down or denying you oxygen in main stream media channels. The support of the Donald Trump administration really is the only ticket in town that Trump wants to be shown and he’s flexing his political muscles to make this happen right now.

Comedians in western democracies have often entertained us and enlightened us on the dark side of power and media manipulation. Comedians have long used humour to hold political and media figures accountable, exposing hypocrisy and misuse of power through satire, parody, and blunt commentary. By questioning authority and deconstructing official narratives, they offer a powerful counter-narrative to the political status quo.  

Deconstructing the illusion of power

  • Holding leaders accountable: Political comedy makes even the most untouchable or authoritarian leaders appear fallible and human, bringing their power back down to earth. By mocking perceived weaknesses or moral failings, comedians can diminish the aura of infallibility that some leaders try to cultivate.
  • Forcing uncomfortable truths: In oppressive regimes, satire can serve as a release valve and a form of resistance, allowing citizens to share grievances about inefficiency or injustice. Comedians may frame their jabs as a joke, giving them cover while still managing to “sting our consciousness” and highlight moral failures.
  • Targeting hypocrisy: Many comedians specialize in revealing the gap between a politician’s public image and their private actions. By zeroing in on inconsistencies and absurdities, they expose the performance of politics and the self-serving nature of some political agendas. 

Exposing media manipulation

  • Calling out media bias: Comedians like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have long parodied the format of news and punditry shows, drawing attention to how bias shapes the media landscape. This form of parody allows them to critique biased reporting and manipulative framing from within the media’s own structure.
  • Dissecting algorithmic influence: More recently, comedians have turned their attention to the digital landscape. Jon Stewart, for example, has dissected how social media algorithms are designed to incentivize extreme engagement, manipulate users, and promote polarized and misleading content for profit.
  • Focusing on underreported stories: Programs like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver dedicate long segments to covering complex issues that mainstream outlets often ignore or simplify. By using a mix of thorough research and comedy, they shed light on the systemic failures and manipulative practices behind issues like predatory lending, data mining, and problematic local media coverage. 

Famous comedians and their methods

  • The Daily Show (Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah): Famously used a fake news format to deliver hard-hitting political commentary. The show’s “moment of Zen” provided a memorable critique of media absurdity, while field reports and interviews challenged political figures and conventional wisdom.
  • The Colbert Report (Stephen Colbert): Featured Colbert in a satirical persona of a right-wing pundit, mimicking figures like Bill O’Reilly. By using hyperbole to argue from this fabricated, self-important position, Colbert exposed the flaws and hypocrisy of personality-driven political commentary.
  • Last Week Tonight (John Oliver): Combines in-depth investigative reporting with comedic segments. The show often takes on complex policy issues, holding corporations and political systems accountable with deep dives that go far beyond typical news coverage.

ABC suspends talk show host Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely over remarks about right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk’s killing, suddenly the denial of a comedian to express his sense of humour in a joke and have freedom of speech is not making anyone laugh, except perhaps Trump and his supporters who have been calling for the cancelation of his critics for quite some time now.

I expect in Trumps eyes if you silence all mainstream criticism of him he can do no wrong and be seen to tell no lies.

Fascism has never been slain it has only been sleeping

Modern fascism, is a post-WWII far-right, ultranationalist ideology that adapts classic fascist characteristics like authoritarianism, a cult of the leader, and aggressive nationalism to modern contexts, incorporating contemporary tools such as social media and identity politics to promote xenophobia, racial nationalism, and often a perception of national decline. While rejecting the overt totalitarianism of historical fascism, neo-fascism shares a fundamental distrust of democracy, liberalism, and pluralism, aiming to create a unified, ethnically homogenous nation-state through populism and the suppression of opposition. 

How Far Is It From Here to Nuremberg? By David Rovics

Key Characteristics of Modern Fascism (Neo-Fascism)

  • Populist Ultranationalism:A central focus on a fervent, exclusionary form of nationalism that emphasizes the nation’s identity and perceived victimhood, often tied to ethnic or racial superiority. 
  • Authoritarianism:Support for a strong, centralized government headed by a cult-like leader who claims infallibility and suppresses dissent. 
  • Identity Politics:The use of immigration, ethnicity, race, and gender to create an “us vs. them” narrative, identifying scapegoats for societal problems. 
  • Modern Tools:The use of new technologies like social media and AI to spread propaganda, organize, and recruit members. 
  • Nativism and Xenophobia:Strong opposition to immigration, globalization, and multiculturalism, fostering a belief that these elements threaten national culture and identity. 
  • Opposition to Democracy:A rejection of liberalism, democracy, pluralism, and social democracy, seeing them as weak or divisive. 
  • Disdain for Human Rights:A focus on national “purity” and a willingness to disregard or suppress human rights for the perceived good of the nation

When we start to dehumanise an individual we risk dehumanising everyone and to what end that could lead is as yet unclear. Sadly the politics of hate and difference continue to grow heavy on my mind. I have a number of social media accounts that I sit and watch when wanting to unwind and unplug and this weekend for the first time ever, there were a lot of pro English, White pride and hate to others content seeping onto the pages that I scroll through, being promoted on social media posts underlined with the view I have my right to hate and not care what you thing. Ignorance is their weapon of mass media manipulation.

The bullshit is easy to spread across fields of social media accounts and watch the seeds of hate grow across across the pages which they then harvested likes and further their spread of opinions of ignorance and hate. I believe with all my heart there is more that unites humanity than divides it but that seems a tough sell at present.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_(human_categorization)#:~:text=Race%20is%20a%20categorization%20of,characterized%20by%20close%20kinship%20relations.

On Wikipedia in relation to ‘Race (Human) stated the following:- Modern science regards race as a social construct, an identity which is assigned based on rules made by society. While partly based on physical similarities within groups, race does not have an inherent physical or biological meaning. The concept of race is foundational to racism, the belief that humans can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another.