Let’s start by briefly covering his “EU Deal” from earlier in the week – the truth is that it is all smoke and mirrors. Here is some detail distilled from a thread. The revelation comes via a contrast between White House claims, and what the EU Commission says …
- White House: the 15% rate will apply to EU-made pharmaceuticals as of 1 August. Commission: the 15% rate will apply only after the US concludes its investigation. “There will be no tariffs on pharmaceuticals this Friday.“
- White House: the EU *will* invest $600 billion in the US economy and spend $750 billion in US energy by 2028. Commission: the pledges are an “intention” not a legally binding guarantee. The EU can’t dictate how the private sector spends its money.
- White House: the EU *agreed* to purchase significant amounts of US military equipment. Commission: there’s no deal whatsoever on defence. That’s just Trump’s impression.
- White House: the EU and the US will work together to address non-tariff barriers in agricultural trade, including streamlining requirements for sanitary certificates for US pork and dairy products. Commission: we made no concession on food safety and our right to regulate.
- White House: the sectoral tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper will remain unchanged. The EU will continue to pay 50% and the parties will discuss securing supply chains for these products. Commission: the 50% will apply only after a quota (yet to be determined) is exceeded.
- White House: the US and the EU intend to address unjustified digital trade barriers. Commission: no mention of this whatsoever. “There is absolutely no commitment on digital regulation or digital taxes,” a senior official said this morning.
For those that are seriously wondering who to believe, well let me put it this way – the White House “is not a reliable source for anything, their “Fact Sheet” is devoid of any actual facts, it is all propaganda. The actual “deal” is that he got what he needs, a big announcement. Details and execution mean nothing to him.
Neither do outcomes. He doesn’t care if tariffs on imports end up raising costs to consumers. He’s incapable of thinking beyond the present. The only thing that matters is the illusion of success.
Perpetual reminder – We pay the tariffs, its a tax on us, not them …
They are literally bragging about the amount of income they rake in from the taxes you will pay …
Get ready for lots more inflation …
I’m not speculating, this really is what is now happening …
As the stupidity prevails, “It’s idiosyncratic“, says one of his useful idiots when challenged by the stark reality of it all …
Canadian political cartoonist Graeme MacKay put out a reminder that it is US consumers that pay Tariffs, not Canadians
The degree of utter lunacy now in play is stratospheric. Below Spencer is polite when he writes “*absolute nonsense*”, because like you I have a far stronger set of words in mind …
Every consumer facing company is now sounding the alarm …
- We are just starting to pay the price for all the tariff incompetence. The real damage hasn’t even begun.
If you are wondering just how stupid it all really is, then here you go, it is this blatantly stupid …
- The above posting was a cue for lots of MAGA fools jumping in to claim that if you manufacture in the US tariffs don’t apply, because they are utterly oblivious to the reality of all the imported parts and materials used in US production.
One last observation on this.
Epstein Update
There is a significant percentage of MAGA who now believe that Trump really is guilty of the Epstein stuff … and … they don’t care. It really is a cult.
The response to the above news from some of her many victims was as follows …
It is with horror and outrage that we object to the preferential treatment convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has received. Ghislaine Maxwell is a sexual predator who physically assaulted minor children on multiple occasions, and she should never be shown any leniency. Yet, without any notification to the Maxwell victims, the government overnight has moved Maxwell to a minimum security luxury prison in Texas. This is the justice system failing victims right before our eyes
The American public should be enraged by the preferential treatment being given to a pedophile and a criminally charged child sex offender. The Trump administration should not credit a word Maxwell says, as the government itself sought charges against Maxwell for being a serial liar. This move smacks of a cover up. The victims deserve better
CBS NEWS, statement from Giuffre family: “It was shocking to hear Trump say he was aware Virginia was ‘stolen’ from Mar-A-Lago… we are asking for answers… If our sister could speak today, she would be most angered by the fact that the government is listening to a known perjurer.”
Hey, do you remember that edited video, the supposedly raw footage of Epstein’s cell that supposedly “proved” nobody went near him when he died, well guess what …
Insights from Epstein on Trump …
- Interview went out on Aug 2nd via Meidas Touch. Here it is, just 3 mins …
Meanwhile, what we all know is that a heavily edited version of the Epstein files, that has all references to Trump removed, is most probably being prepared. Mr Bone-spurs has cheated at everything his entire life, literally everything is rigged, so don’t be shocked to find out that this also gets the Epstein files massaged.
EPA Lunacy
Raw stupidity incarnate at Trump’s EPA…
- Quote from the above NPR article: “The EPA has crafted a proposal that would undo the government’s “endangerment finding,” a determination that pollutants from burning fossil fuels, such as carbon dioxide and methane, can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The finding has long served as the foundation for a host of policies and rules to address climate change. The EPA’s proposal to revoke the finding is currently under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.“
- This was announced as 150 million people across the country were under heat alerts. Fossil fuel interests spent nearly $100 million on Trump’s re-election. Then the industry pumped $19 million into his inaugural fund. They’re cashing in at the expense of the rest of us.
- It is not just an argument against climate science, it is an argument against the laws of physics.
- FYI, this EPA move is not a done deal, the courts could still overturn it.
Multiple layers of Lunacy and utter incompetence
The available evidence is that DOGE did no savings at all, and simply messed everything up …
- <me on my computer just deleting files randomly> goddam this is so efficient.
Projection on a truly epic scale …
But then there is also this plot twist, an even greater degree of hypocrisy …
The insider trading continues, wonder which people connected to Trump made money on this.
Apparently replacing actual data with a guess is the new normal …
Essentially DOGE fired the people who collected meaningful statistics. Now that they are gone, the government data is no longer reliable …
For anybody missed by DOGE, such as the person who did the recent jobs data … he is firing them …
… and to be clear, he then did it …
The Post-FEMA world …
ICE Gestapo updates
- “If something is not happening specifically to me it’s not happening, no matter how much you see it on camera“
Korean Scientist here legally on a green card and working on a cure for Lyme disease picked up and detained by ICE, for no reason and with no access to a lawyer …
Gaza Update
People are dying, and reporters are banned by Israel from reporting …
There is a reason why they are banned, it is to cover up murder, genocide, and war crimes …
- A nation state that behaves like this needs to be universally recognised as the Pariah State.
Yet it all continues and we are enabling it. Below, a far more accurate heading would be “Senate votes to support Genocide” …
Others however are starting to take decisive action …
Christian Nationalists
The nuttier right-wing religious fanatics within the MAGA cult are as always doing their thing, and so here are a few samples from the past week …
- Moses Mike Johnson, a fanatical Christian Nationalist in power, shut down Congress so Republicans wouldn’t have to vote on releasing the Epstein files and he’s now lying about what happened and is blaming the Democrats: “The Democrats did their dead-level best to quite literally shut down the operation of Congress.“ — (Lying is not a bug in the Christian nationalist belief system, it is literally the core foundational “value”)
- Last week, President Donald Trump had to be corrected in real time by Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell after making up a blatant lie, but in the topsy-turvy world of MAGA evangelicals like Gene Bailey, the exchange was a hilarious example of Powell getting humiliated by Trump. — (What can I say except to simply refer you to my comment on the previous item above. For a bit more context, Gene Bailey works for the king of religious grifters, Kenneth Copeland)
- Speaking of Copeland, yea, he is also grifting as usual off of MAGA. This past week Copeland declared that Trump is being protected by Archangel Michael and calls on angels to “pull those devils down that are attacking our president.” — (Fallwell’s dead. So is Robertson. And Swaggart. Copeland is 88 so will soon be joining the rest of the fraudsters in the bad place)
- MAGA Evangelist Sean Feucht says that the controversy over the services he has been leading in Canada is the result of “Christophobia.” — (Er … no Sean, the issue is that your Lord and Saviour has declared his intent to consume Canada).
- Each and every week Tim Barton reminds us that he will never stop making false claims just because they have been repeatedly debunked. — (As I often point out, “lying” is not a bug in the Christian Nationalist system, it is a core “value” baked into the fabric of their DNA)
- Mario Murillo says that God’s hand is upon Marco Rubio, possibly to become president in 2028 — (How exactly does God rig and fix an election for his “chosen one”, does he supernaturally alter ballots?)
- Lance Wallnau declares that President Donald Trump “is anointed to do what probably the Antichrist will end up doing in another iteration following, which is controlling the globe through commerce.” — (So Lance believes that Trump, whom he vigorously supports, is just like the AntiChrist, except of course the difference is that Trump is a deeply committed “Christian” who faithfully attends church each week … have I got that right?)
Weirdest of the Weird
This is always a tricky category because they are all deeply weird. To illustrate, here is a selection for you to pick “Weirdest” from …
Kyle Langford, who is running for Gov of CA has a plan to combat homelessness and unemployment that’s literally out of the Nazi playbook.
- It’s a Tweet of him standing outside Auschwitz with the comment “My 0% Unemployment Plan“.
- The Auschwitz Memorial Responded: “The instrumentalization of the tragedy of all those imprisoned and murdered in the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz for political messaging is a profound moral failure. Auschwitz is not a prop. Your post is an affront to the dignity of the victims and a disturbing display of insensitivity and disregard to horryfying human history“
Isabella Riley Moody says that “rape jokes are always funny” and any man who disagrees is “a simp cuck beta-ass bitch.“
- This is more to do with the Twitter algorithm that pays blue-ticks for engagement. It motivates and drives people like her to spout the most outrageous BS in exchange for $$$ … but it also the observation that she is personally will to do stuff like this says a great deal about her.
Fascist Christian nationalist pastor Joel Webbon does not support a free market because people will spend money on “things that are not virtuous” and therefore the state must shut down businesses he opposes: “The people want it, but the people are retarded. That’s shut down.“
- For this guy, the Puritans, who famously banned Dancing, Theatre, Blasphemy, and Christmas in the 1600s, would have been way too liberal.
- Oh come now, don’t be shocked. When your worldview is “Obey my whacky beliefs or burn in hell” then the only viable political system for evangelicals like him to embrace is totalitarianism.
As many keep pointing out, we have a serious border crises … for the border between church and state.
Meanwhile, I really don’t think this latest claim is going to help her in the defamation lawsuit …
The False Profit$
- It’s all religious cosplay, done to ensure he gets a consistent flow of donation $$$ from gullible MAGA marks
The threat of a tsunami following a recent earthquake never materialized and obviously that is thanks to the quick work of “prophetess” Kat Kerr, who sent the hosts of Heaven to stop it.
- Weather / Disaster manipulation claims are part of her grift, it is what she dishes up whenever something makes the news so that she can grift off it.
Religious Homophobia
So yes, this happened …
- RNS article is here
- They are quite determined to inflict real pain and human suffering on literally millions of people – take note, that’s their “Gospel”. My thoughts on them are literally unprintable.
- However, it is important to add this – legal analysts have cast doubt on the likelihood of the court reviewing Davis’ case, noting justices already declined to take up an earlier version of her case in 2020
Even More Political Cartoons from the past week
As always, there are many excellent cartoons.
Mike Luckovich – 90 Denials in 90 days
Media Sane-washing of Tyranny
The slippery slope …
- Article here by Margaret Sullivan, a highly influential journalist, media critic, and author.
- Quote: “There is a tendency to ‘both-sides’ reporting about the Trump administration,” Karr said of the Times, giving “equal weight to the forces of democracy and the forces of authoritarianism.” One sees this particularly in headlines and, he said, in feature reporting that glorifies and normalizes anti-democratic public officials with glowing attention, for example, to their fashion or lifestyle choices. That, he says, amounts to “soft-pedaling fascism.”
- There is also a Media Capitulation Index … which you can see here to see which outlets are independent and which are ranked at blatant propaganda.
Shame on those that roll over for the tyrant …
- Article is here.
- Quote: “The silencing is happening across America because Trump cannot stand criticism, because he’s vindictive as hell, and because he’s willing and able to use every department and agency of the federal government to punish any media corporations or universities that allow criticism of him.“
Finally
This is basically where we are now …
