Pro’s and Con’s of Elon Musk

[MigL]

On 3/21/2025 at 10:35 PM, Trurl said:

The news isn’t worth watching.

All news is worth watching.
You just need to realize it's not W Cronkite's news anymore.
All news these days, is infected by political spin and ideology ( just like society is ), so you need to do some leg-work for yourself in the way of critically thinking about what is presented/fed to you.
Think for yourself, don't let others do it for you.

[iNow]

1 hour ago, MigL said:

All news these days, is infected by political spin and ideology

While all newscasting is done by humans and all humans have biases, some sources are particularly good at avoiding spin and focusing instead on providing objective information not on tribal preconception reinforcement and narrative creation (PBS Newshour, as one example), but watching it often feels like eating broccoli so few put forth the effort and prefer the simple “ooh that makes me feel good” stuff. 

I also advocate for triangulating data across multiple mostly trustworthy sources (such as national defense or global economy focused sources) and forming your own views based on how they overlap and differ with one another, much like you said:

1 hour ago, MigL said:

Think for yourself, don't let others do it for you.

On another note… dear leader will now get  a new plane from Boeing in the F-47. Trump is an infant with daddy issues.

 

[MigL]

I like broccoli ...

The F-47 ( where did that designation come from ? ) has been in the works for some time. It was formerly known as the NGAD program for an advanced 'system of systems' air defense fighter to replace the F-22, as the numbers of F-22s were inadequate and restarting production would be prohibitively expensive, F-16 and F-15 are reaching developmental obsolescence, and the F-35 and B-21 cannot do the air dominance mission.

Europe is in even worse shape, as two competing programs are set to artificially increase costs ( like EF2000 and Rafale ). The French/German/Spanish FCAS program for a 6th Gen fighter will directly compete with the British/Italian/Japanese GCAP program,
Unfortunately these programs need to go ahead as Europe doesn't have an American  partner in NATO that it can rely on anymore and needs to be self-sufficient in defense.

It's too bad Canada doesn't have the option of waiting/partnering on these European systems, otherwise we could cancel the F-35, as we can't rely on the US anymore either ( they actually seek to annex us as the 51st state ).
 

[MSC]

4 minutes ago, MigL said:

It's too bad Canada doesn't have the option of waiting/partnering on these European systems, otherwise we could cancel the F-35, as we can't rely on the US anymore either ( they actually seek to annex us as the 51st state )

This makes me think of two scenarios that would be hilarious to see go down. Scenario one, Trump succeeds in making Canada a new US state, then with their new reps and electoral college votes, vote Republicans down into catastrophic election defeats. 

Scenario two, Trump succeeds in making a third presidential term legal, but then Obama beats his ass in an election. 

I know both of these scenarios are unlikely but yeah, those would be some good examples of critical backfires and self owns. 

[TheVat]

4 hours ago, MigL said:

The F-47 ( where did that designation come from ? ) has been in the works for some time. It was formerly known as the NGAD program for an advanced 'system of systems' air defense fighter to replace the F-22, as the numbers of F-22s were inadequate and restarting production would be prohibitively expensive, F-16 and F-15 are reaching developmental obsolescence, and the F-35 and B-21 cannot do the air dominance mission.

El Douche (who I generally prefer not to mention by his name anymore) is the 47th potus, and I often refer to him as 47, to stress his transitory nature.  I am relieved to know that the 47 suffix for the jet fighter is just coincidental in that respect. 

Also, seems fitting a member named Mig would show some knowledge of jet fighters.  🙂

4 hours ago, MSC said:

This makes me think of two scenarios that would be hilarious to see go down. Scenario one, Trump succeeds in making Canada a new US state, then with their new reps and electoral college votes, vote Republicans down into catastrophic election defeats. 

With 41 million population, that would be (if my calc is correct) 56 electoral votes.  If they use the WTA system used in 48 states now, that would be some serious clout.  Unlikely, but yes, fun to imagine.  

[pzkpfw]

45 minutes ago, TheVat said:

El Douche (who I generally prefer not to mention by his name anymore) is the 47th potus, and I often refer to him as 47, to stress his transitory nature.  I am relieved to know that the 47 suffix for the jet fighter is just coincidental in that respect. 

... 

The fighter has been in development a while, that's normal, as the next thing always has to be started.

But it wasn't called F47 until Mango Mussolini announced the name.

Edited Sunday at 08:55 PM by pzkpfw

[CharonY]

5 hours ago, MSC said:

Trump succeeds in making Canada a new US state, then with their new reps and electoral college votes, vote Republicans down into catastrophic election defeats. 

Mighty optimistic for you tho think that the Canadians (except perhaps Albertans) are allowed to vote.

 

5 hours ago, MSC said:

Scenario two, Trump succeeds in making a third presidential term legal, but then Obama beats his ass in an election. 

Quite optimistic for you to assume that a Kenyan national (as determined by executive order) is allowed to run.

[MigL]

1 hour ago, TheVat said:

With 41 million population, that would be (if my calc is correct) 56 electoral votes.

His first order post annexation, would be to deport all the immigrants, leaving only the approx. 5% indigenous population.
He doesn't want our people, just our resources, and development potential for ski resorts ( like the Gaza Riviera ).

[iNow]

8 hours ago, MigL said:

The F-47 ( where did that designation come from ? )

From the fact that calling it the F-Trump would’ve pleased the wrong audiences. 🥸

[MSC]

15 hours ago, CharonY said:

Quite optimistic for you to assume that a Kenyan national (as determined by executive order) is allowed to run.

I must have missed that executive order and it's really fucked up, that Trump is so deranged and ridiculous that if you told me he had legit signed an executive order trying to claim Obama is Kenyan, I'd probably believe it. Oh my God has he actually done that? 

16 hours ago, TheVat said:

El Douche (who I generally prefer not to mention by his name anymore) is the 47th potus, and I often refer to him as 47, to stress his transitory nature.  I am relieved to know that the 47 suffix for the jet fighter is just coincidental in that respect. 

Also, seems fitting a member named Mig would show some knowledge of jet fighters.  🙂

With 41 million population, that would be (if my calc is correct) 56 electoral votes.  If they use the WTA system used in 48 states now, that would be some serious clout.  Unlikely, but yes, fun to imagine.  

Yeah I need to start thwarting keyword exploits now and may have to pare down my online presence and hide anything anti-TFG I've said. Still waiting for the conditions on my GC to be removed and they are demanding immigrants social media info now to apply for new GCs or to naturalise. I was going to become a citizen of the USA in a few short years from now, but with Trump in the Whitehouse and the USA going to hell, might be better to just keep my British citizenship as an exit clause. 

Honestly if my daughter wasn't American I'd already be gone. She and my girlfriend are all that keep me here at this point. 

That said, if things start to get a little to... Reich like, I'd rather be where the resistance to that needs to be, but maybe I'd send my daughter back to the UK at least. 

Solidaridad immigrante!

Edited Monday at 12:17 PM by MSC

[TheVat]

13 hours ago, iNow said:

From the fact that calling it the F-Trump would’ve pleased the wrong audiences. 🥸

(rimshot)

 

16 hours ago, pzkpfw said:

But it wasn't called F47 until Mango Mussolini announced the name.

Apparently so.  Well, that kind of ruins my use of 47 to reference him.  I was trying not to give him more keystrokes than necessary or acknowledge his humanity, so...back to the drawing board.  

ETA:  they could name the new fighter after Elon Musk.  Call it....the F-elon.  

[geordief]

9 minutes ago, TheVat said:

 

 

Apparently so.  Well, that kind of ruins my use of 47 to reference him.  I was trying not to give him more keystrokes than necessary or acknowledge his humanity, so...back to the drawing board.  

3B ?

[MSC]

36 minutes ago, TheVat said:

they could name the new fighter after Elon Musk.  Call it....the F-elon.

That still sounds like it could be about TFG! Felon-in-Chief. There, that's its new title, still begins with an F, just not the one that begins with F that it wants...

FIC, can that be confused with anything else?

13 hours ago, iNow said:

From the fact that calling it the F-Trump would’ve pleased the wrong audiences. 🥸

I'll call it that if someone drives the nose of it right up his... Peepee hole. 

Edited Monday at 02:04 PM by MSC

[CharonY]

3 hours ago, MSC said:

I must have missed that executive order and it's really fucked up, that Trump is so deranged and ridiculous that if you told me he had legit signed an executive order trying to claim Obama is Kenyan, I'd probably believe it. Oh my God has he actually done that? 

Sorry, no he didn't (yet). I was being, well, I am not sure what that was. He did however declare the right to designate anyone as terrorist or invader as he so chooses and defied court orders for the deportation of folks without due process (by simply designating them gang members). This would be the second constitutional crisis (the first being the dismantling of USAID by stepping on congressional powers). Considering his other unconstitutional desires (including birthright citizenship), it would not be a huge stretch that he could try to revoke citizenship. But again, he didn't do it and I apologize if anyone thought he did. For now, at least.

[TheVat]

5 hours ago, CharonY said:

Sorry, no he didn't (yet). I was being, well, I am not sure what that was.

Droll and satirical?  There's a fine line between today's satire of TP and the next day's news.  Really, I would say all TP satire is like a dog chasing a car, and the dog can never quite catch the car, as it wildly goes over curbs and yards and gardens and down storm culverts and through chicken coops and nursing homes and so on.

[J.C.MacSwell]

On 3/23/2025 at 5:09 PM, TheVat said:

I often refer to him as 47, to stress his transitory nature.  

AHOTUS works for me

[dimreepr]

17 hours ago, TheVat said:

Droll and satirical?  There's a fine line between today's satire of TP and the next day's news.  Really, I would say all TP satire is like a dog chasing a car, and the dog can never quite catch the car, as it wildly goes over curbs and yards and gardens and down storm culverts and through chicken coops and nursing homes and so on.

Indeed, the wolfs gotta do what it has too, and red riding-hood has to survive...

[TheVat]

Quote

Musk appears to be laying the groundwork to privatize some space and satellite operations now under the authority of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), or steer lucrative contracts toward his SpaceX and Starlink companies, former agency employees say.

They’re sounding the alarm as at least four other federal agencies have reportedly begun pushing new contracts toward Musk’s Starlink satellite internet company

Mindbendingly corrupt.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/25/doge-musk-spacex-starlink-contracts

 

[iNow]

And yet totally unsurprising and on brand 

[CharonY]

I think the fact that this is being normalized is a huge issue in itself. Rather unfortunately flooding the zone really works in the age of short - SQUIRREL!

[J.C.MacSwell]

Oligarchs gotta oligarch. Does the Trump regime not come up with anything outside the Putin playbook?

[CharonY]

1 hour ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

Oligarchs gotta oligarch. Does the Trump regime not come up with anything outside the Putin playbook?

Are they allowed to?

[MSC]

53 minutes ago, CharonY said:

Are they allowed to?

Of course not! Is betrayal to Mother Russia, Putin will order court martial, then shortly after, firing squad. Is how they do, in Russia, you not go to court martial, court martial go to you. 

[iNow]

6 hours ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

Oligarchs gotta oligarch. Does the Trump regime not come up with anything outside the Putin playbook?

Of course they do. They also look at and borrow from the playbooks of Viktor Orban, and KJU, and Recep Erdogan, and Nayib Bukele, and Jair Bolsonaro, and Javier Milei and others still, such as those used by tin pot dictators across Africa for decades. 
 

https://afrikanza.com/blogs/culture-history/worst-african-dictators

Quote

Most surprisingly, some of the worst African dictators didn't even have to overthrow for power, it was given to them.

Dictatorship is one of the many forms that is even to this day still prevalent on the continent of Africa. Many African leaders take office as a democratic leader but often times, the hunger for power drives them to become dictators.

 

Edited 6 hours ago by iNow