This european feels exactly the same way. Let us support each other even more than before, and if the dictators want deals they'll have to accept our terms.

We all are already suffering the consequences of being majorly dependent to an economic world power. Not excited to depend on them ever again.

Business relations? Yes, if needed and to our benefit. Dependency? Nope.

Best hope is for her to survive until this regime is toppled, how long that takes, and then seek compensation. Same for Mr. Garcia and any other wrongfully affected person.

Sadly the key here is really holding on and surviving these savages and their cult, but even in other countries, while 'safer' it's still not a complete guarantee. Hopefully they do evade the fascism and find some good samaritans along the way. 🤞

Looking forward to where this goes if Europe sticks to its guns when things get ugly. Let them belittle us, let them antagonize, misdirect and make fun.

We haven't even started pressing where it really hurts the US and its oligarchs. Which is precisely their precious digital exports we all consume and barely tax.

Never give in to bullies. Absolutely never, no matter how enticing or harmless they make it seem. Watch them repeat a Trump-China by poking the bear then sheepishly back down and say "Europe needs to make a deal with us" when it bites their behind.

Thank you for the input. Given the current US admin's way of doing things, I have to wonder if they really see the problem in its entirety, or a crudely simplified version of it.

I mean, these are the same people who started a global trade war to get manufacturing over to the US, as if that would magically happen overnight or even with the high amount of uncertainty for business investments. It really seems to them the simplest solutions are the best ones - flip the tariff switch and done, problem solved, the US is great again after "a brief period of hurt" (whatever that specifically means), as if there weren't a million nuances to the current workings of world global societies.

Anyways, regardless of the how's and why's, we can only guess what goes on on the heads of these people...

Wasn't it always the case, though? Wasn't he always implying that "Ukraine better be ready to lose some land" - aka we don't know how to force Russia out of the lands it already invaded? Or how to balance the clear conflict of interests between aiding Ukraine stop an invasion and Trump's agenda of getting the US closer to Russia as an economic ally?

Funny. The only difference I see is that he is now fully committed to make Ukraine capitulate by any means he can, perhaps in a last ditch effort to get that mineral deal since he needs it more now due to China stopping the mineral supply. Notice how he only began this ultimatum right after China stopped the minerals. Not suspicious timing at all.

In any case, better for incompetents to step away than fumbling the game even worse than they already did since taking office. Some "help" simply isn't worth the cost. Europe and any other allies of freedom will see this through, one way or another.

Just don't come begging for rewards or reparations once Russia's imperialist ambitions are stopped. The US is only owed what it contributed until Biden left (and the real value, not the overinflated one), plus a nice good discount for the Trump admin's interference and undermining Ukraine. And that's being generous.

Trump rant about the EU existing just to screw with the US incoming. As if the fact that we don't even properly tax the US on its digital services exports wasn't enough.

So let's prioritize, Donny. Those with more felonies and broken laws go first, since they're the main thugs society should focus on. Deal?

I think he means "tired of the pushback and profit loss from actively bribing the system into becoming the shadow POTUS running the world behind the scenes".

How else could he attempt to advance to Mars Colonization, his lifelong dream as someone with a God-Iron-Man-Savior complex, during his lifetime?

He knows with the current progress rate he could help pave the way to Mars for humanity, but not live the dream himself, or take full credit for that achievement. And we know just how "selfless" he is.

If anything he was "rescued", or "promoted to headquarters" if you will. Because he was too good a man for these times ahead, and sadly had been getting weaker for a while. And the world is morally poorer for his departure.

I don't view the Vatican as the shining beacon of light it wants to be, but Pope Francis was a great Pope, who more than talking, walked the walk and lead by example. Loved by catholics and even people of other religions, as well as many atheists/agnostics. A unifying force of good.

Yet before he went he made sure his last big act was to admonish Vance and the Trump administration. Good on him.

Sure didn't see this one coming, ironically. Before the pope had passed away I commented this on another post.

Bet the poor Pope couldn't even attend because in addition to his health issues he must have felt the evil pressure oozing from Vance.

Welp, poor Francis. He was a good one, and difficult to replace especially in these uncertain times.

The silver lining is that he really made his last big act in life to admonish Vance, and by extension the Trump admin, about their wrongdoing. He has my gratitude for that.

That's the issue. Too much threatening, too little going forward with it.

No one wants unnecessary conflict. We all want to get along. But when you have people acting in bad faith, who know you're bluffing, they'll take advantage of you everytime.

Because they know you'll complain but that's the extent of it. If they act in bad faith apply consequences, don't hold back. When they complain or throw a pity party don't waver. They knew it was coming, they were warned.

With the US adding fuel to the fire we're at a crossroads in history. Russia wants to buy time, and excessive bureocracy and empty threats only aid them and their cronies.

Decades from now students will learn about this whole period in schools - and they'll call the teachers liars and say there's a shadow government altering history.

Because no one will believe we had this level of stupidity and idiocracy. You literally can't make this shit up if you tried your best.

He's really going around bragging "Heh hurr durr, check out these plans I have access to because I'm the mf'ing top dog, I'm so good, let those doubters calling me a drunk eat a fat one." Repeatedly. Micro pp energy all the way.

Even if that's real, which doesn't look like it, what's keeping them from forcing Mr. Garcia onto a chair, hold him down, while they tattoo it?

This administration and their dictator allies have shown to have no constraints, no guardrails, time and time again. Consistently. You can always blindly trust them to bs and lie their way through anything.

You gonna tell me people who tried to stage Mr. Garcia sipping some Margaritas by a hotel pool wouldn't stoop so low as to place fake tattoos on him? Yeah, that's the thing with dishonesty - even if you tell the truth once it's still gonna be called into question. The boy who cried wolf, and all that.

Oh no, Vance got Vance'd... Lucky it wasn't televised for the whole world to see.

Anyways, can't wait for the snarky tantrum and projection condemning the Pope once he's far away.

Bet the poor Pope couldn't even attend because in addition to his health issues he must have felt the evil pressure oozing from Vance.

When Mr. Garcia gets back to the US take his family and put them in safety in another country - Canada, Europe, so long as they're far from El Salvador or Trump. Political asylum anywhere safe, since he can be considered now a person of interest to those wanting to upkeep democracy, and a danger to those undermining it.

I'm sure there's plenty of people sympathetic to this cause and wanting Mr. Garcia to be able to freely speak without fear about what he's endured.

As soon as he's back in the US he'll have a big red bullseye on his back, guaranteed.

Bro really thought, after everyone else involved since 2014, he could just get in the room and say:

• "Hey, c'mon. Let's just stop this. Killing is bad, peace is good. I also want Ukraine to give up all the taken territory and I want 50% of Ukraine's minerals in perpetuity, in exchange for nothing.
• "And then everyone clapped, and the war ended for good, just like that, with everyone happy. Zelensky hugged Putin, both kissed Trump's ring, and they shared some champagne overlooking the beautiful US Gaza Trumpland sunset, surrounded by AI bearded ladies".
• The End.

Children raised on silver spoons often expect others to simply obey them, no questions asked.

Slow clap. He really managed to come in when Ukraine had the upper hand with allied help, weakened their efforts by humiliating, extorting and cutting off aid and intel, as well as making them lose their bargaining chip in Kursk, and now they just say "this is too much after all" and bail out.

Just to show up again at the end to claim victory after Europe and any other allies have seen this through. Mark my words.

Inb4 Trump claims American Indians are just Indians from India who tried to fool true 'muricans.

I really have this naive dream that when this all is over and they have to face consequences justice opens an exception of irony for the lot of them and gives them the medicine they so defended - no due process, straight to foreign gulag. Then photo op in front of their cell.

I don't expect it to happen in the slightest. But god, would I accept it so well. These people need to be made an example of, otherwise there'll always be a whole army of them lined up for the next attempt.

Heard of the whistleblower related to DOGE who claims the tech group hired by Musk had already tried to breach government for years or so?

And how with each DOGE visit to a given department it always followed tactics of distraction and getting stored data, then suddenly leaving?

And how there's suddenly many breach attempts by suspicious hackers linked to Russia right after DOGE visits?

Or how the biggest culprit of government bloating by hecking far, the Department of Defense, same department who has failed several audits, was never a target of DOGE?

Hm... Not suspicious at all. Sadly I can't recall the source, but I think it was on YouTube.