president Maduro captured after US strikes

[bastion]

Interesting, this could escalate things. I wonder if Putin will try to send anything out and open on the surface to meet them and us, I'm sure there are a mess of subs nearby from many players.

Putin has sent a Russian sub and warships to escort the Venuzuelan tanker around the UK/Northern Europe which massively raises the stakes if there is a US-UK attempt to capture it.

[Sky727]

Where is the Venezuelan oil going and what will be done with the money. Democrats trying to find something they can lie about and still sound believable. 

[putnam6]

Then tell every other country on the planet to stop tariffs.

lol

Exactly, I highly suggest anybody with serious fact-based concerns about the "terrible" tariffs get the Reuters free newsletter about tariff updates. Reuters was ahead on the textiles and apparel Chinese-related tariffs being mostly unaffected for the season, for example. 

There's a lot of give and take occurring with rates being eliminated in some sectors and raised in others

For example, this should have a positive impact on reopening the furniture industry in North Carolina 

Trump delays tariff hike for upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets by one year

Here's some other news... Like the first headline, this likely shows a shift away from China in certain sectors. This is a good thing for all countries and eases China's dominance, influence, and control in those sectors. 

Italy says the US has sharply cut proposed pasta duties. New and constant tariff negotiations allow the ability to adjust and maximize each sector's efficiency on the fly. 

 

Vietnam's annual growth reaches 8% as trade surplus with US hits record despite tariffs 
Trump warns of higher tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases 
Italy says US has sharply cut proposed pasta duties after a review
China imposes curbs on beef imports to protect domestic industry 

[UltraBudgie]

It really is temping to be sad for the liberals whose illusions are being crushed.

Then they lash out with their bitterness, hatred, and blame-casting.

And it is obvious how much they still emotionally need that bubble. The bubble of pretending that the world had moved beyond 'power'. The bubble sold to them by politicians pandering to children. The bubble that was bought for them by the petrodollar. The petrodollar that, for a time, stood as a power proxy. The petrodollar that they loathed, railed against, and called unfair.

Now they are seeing a world without it. A new world where the bones are bare.

A new world where America acts the exact same as it always has, except without the altruistic pretense they still demand slathered over every action.

A new world where they can't pretend the Monroe doctrine hasn't existed for almost 200 years, and the Roosevelt Corollary for over 100.

A new world where their economic supremacy doesn't come from the smug sense of liberal righteousness that they wore as a blindfold.

When it was once their world, in the old times, when the last-gasp of Obama's hopium was still in the air, they would not relent. They were the future, everyone else a Neanderthal, deplorable, despicable atavisms, soon to be extinct.

Then Trump won. Rumsfeld became a Democrat. Kissinger lived to 100 and was buried a hero. Their old world died, the reality behind the curtain was revealed, and they just couldn't handle the America that they suddenly could no longer deny they were living in, and had been living in all along.

But deny they did. For 10 long years. He must be a Russian stooge! He's Hitler! This is our America! Blue wave! Hashtag resist!

But the one transition the left didn't want is now complete. The transition to reality. The transition away from their whiny, insufferable, self-deluded childishness. The final disappearance of Hunter Thompson's broken wave of false, impractical hippy idealism, washed out to sea at last.

So now, I'm sad for them no longer. The jagged shards of their bitterness just aren't cutting anything, anymore. Like it or not, they've grown the hell up.

[FlyersFan]

I would expect at least thousands of different views and political requirements of such a large population in so many disparate situations.

You're still not getting it.   Lots of people say they want the positions but then there are primaries and a process that brings the number down to a reasonable amount for a general election.   You can't have a general election with hundreds of people trying to get the same position.   They have to be weeded out to make it reasonable.   You can't have televised debates with hundreds of people.   You can't have a party paying for commercials on TV for hundreds of people.   That's ridiculous.   The process brings it down to the most wanted people to go against the other most wanted people.

[FlyersFan]

People may be required to sacrifice certain liberties or privileges like privacy, autonomy, freedom of travel, right to ownership or any restrictions or limitations the system may require to maintain security and functionality

Zohran Mamdani comes to mind.

[FlyersFan]

Sounds a lot like "democrat" socialism.

Calling it "Democrat" socialism is lipstick on a pig.
It's really just marxist socialism.
They put 'democrat' in the name so the lemmings will think it's okay.
But it's not.

[David64]

You want proof that TDS is real ?

Liberals/Democrats went from "No Kings' to crying over an actual Dictator being taken down.

Let that sink in.

[angelchemuel]

US special forces board that Venezuelan/Russian tanker in Atlantic.
Breaking news.
Rainbows
Jane
ETA there is no oil on it! It came from Iran to Venezuela and was heading to Russia. Question is..... what is on that tanker? Second.... where will they take the tanker?
Link to new thread on this topic here

[Sky727]

Exciting Times; is Cuba next without a shot fired ?