What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Syt]

Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister stood up to Musk's lies on Starlink (pointing out the Poles are paying for it, it's not a Musk gift), so Musk told him "be quiet, small man" while Rubio wanted him to say thanks for Starlink.

Rubio said Poland should be grateful for Starlink because without it, "Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now."

https://bsky.app/profile/tendar.bsky.social/post/3ljxhhbygbc2w

Has Rubio looked at a map recently?

[The Brain]

Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister stood up to Musk's lies on Starlink (pointing out the Poles are paying for it, it's not a Musk gift), so Musk told him "be quiet, small man" while Rubio wanted him to say thanks for Starlink.

Rubio said Poland should be grateful for Starlink because without it, "Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now."

https://bsky.app/profile/tendar.bsky.social/post/3ljxhhbygbc2w

Has Rubio looked at a map recently?

Too busy cosplaying Priest.

[PJL]

Not to mention the semi-autonomous Belarus oblast that is also next to Poland.

[The Minsky Moment]

On the one hand, not nationalizing Starlink years ago was a lost opportunity. On the other hand, if it had been, then Musk would still control it now.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister stood up to Musk's lies on Starlink (pointing out the Poles are paying for it, it's not a Musk gift), so Musk told him "be quiet, small man" while Rubio wanted him to say thanks for Starlink.

Rubio said Poland should be grateful for Starlink because without it, "Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now."

https://bsky.app/profile/tendar.bsky.social/post/3ljxhhbygbc2w

Has Rubio looked at a map recently?

Maps are too woke.

[grumbler]

Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister stood up to Musk's lies on Starlink (pointing out the Poles are paying for it, it's not a Musk gift), so Musk told him "be quiet, small man" while Rubio wanted him to say thanks for Starlink.

Rubio said Poland should be grateful for Starlink because without it, "Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now."

https://bsky.app/profile/tendar.bsky.social/post/3ljxhhbygbc2w

Rubio seems to think that Starlink is the only satellite communications system. If it didn't exist, Ukraine would just have used one of the other services.

[Josquius]

A piece on the US ability to press the off button on foreign militaries.

https://global4cast.org/2025/02/kill-switch-how-the-u-s-can-shut-down-europes-military-in-an-instant/

[viper37]

US added to international watchlist for rapid decline in civic freedoms

The United States has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, which identifies countries that the global civil rights watchdog believes are currently experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms.
Civicus, an international non-profit organization dedicated to "strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world", announced the inclusion of the US on the non-profit's first watchlist of 2025 on Monday, alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia.

The watchlist is part of the Civicus Monitor, which tracks developments in civic freedoms across 198 countries. Other countries that have previously been featured on the watchlist in recent years include Zimbabwe, Argentina, El Salvador and the United Arab Emirates.

All is going according to plan.

[grumbler]

A piece on the US ability to press the off button on foreign militaries.

https://global4cast.org/2025/02/kill-switch-how-the-u-s-can-shut-down-europes-military-in-an-instant/

An excellent example of why we need to look at these sorts of claims with skepticism.  Nothing in the article actually describes a "kill switch." The claim that the F-35 "requires continuous software updates from Lockheed Martin via ALIS/ODIN" to operate is absurd on the face of it; if an enemy just jams the link, then all F-35s (including those flown by the US) are disabled? I don't think so.

Similarly, the F-16s in European service could be cut off from updates, but not from current capabilities, and they are obsolescent in European service anyway.

The MQ-9 Reaper Drone can be operated through US-supplied satellite links, but does not need such links to operate. It can operate in autonomous mode, by standard radio, or by other satellite links.

That's all three of the first three claims that are not true.  I could go on, but that clickbait piece isn't worth the time.

[HisMajestyBOB]

The President has two buttons on his desk: one orders a diet coke, and the other immediately disables all F-35s worldwide.

[viper37]

An excellent example of why we need to look at these sorts of claims with skepticism.  Nothing in the article actually describes a "kill switch." The claim that the F-35 "requires continuous software updates from Lockheed Martin via ALIS/ODIN" to operate is absurd on the face of it; if an enemy just jams the link, then all F-35s (including those flown by the US) are disabled? I don't think so.

The F-35 aren't disabled, it's the stealth capabalities that are, from what I understand:
Link

Now, the main argument for choosing a F-35 over any other aircraft is it's stealth ability.  Otherwise, a Rafale seems to be the superior aircraft.

[grumbler]

US added to international watchlist for rapid decline in civic freedoms

The United States has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, which identifies countries that the global civil rights watchdog believes are currently experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms.
Civicus, an international non-profit organization dedicated to "strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world", announced the inclusion of the US on the non-profit's first watchlist of 2025 on Monday, alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia.

The watchlist is part of the Civicus Monitor, which tracks developments in civic freedoms across 198 countries. Other countries that have previously been featured on the watchlist in recent years include Zimbabwe, Argentina, El Salvador and the United Arab Emirates.

All is going according to plan.

This sort of over-reaction does not help. Declaring that civic rights are lessoned by random Trump tweets threatening this or that is just feeding the MAGAts' conviction that organizations like Civicus Monitor are hopelessly partisan, and making it therefor easier for MAGAts to convince the non-MAGAt right that there is a conspiracy against them.

Sure, warn about the absolutely possible erosion of rights if Trump's plans come to fruition, but don't start declaring those rights eroded based on a suspicion that they will be. Crying wolf helps no one.

[The Brain]

Resistance should start when we KNOW that the train hasn't stopped at a resort-like resettlement village.

[grumbler]

The F-35 aren't disabled, it's the stealth capabalities that are, from what I understand:
Link

Now, the main argument for choosing a F-35 over any other aircraft is it's stealth ability.  Otherwise, a Rafale seems to be the superior aircraft.

Again, there isn't a kill switch, as the article points out.  The risk is
1. That the US will stop maintaining/updating the Canadian F-35s, and
2. That the popular, even if wrong, perception that the US has such a capability erodes the public (and hence Parliamentary) support for such a purchase.

The Rafale doesn't provide nearly the same capability, but may be the smart choice because France now seems like a more reliable partner than the US.

[crazy canuck]

The President has two buttons on his desk: one orders a diet coke, and the other immediately disables all F-35s worldwide.