🇳🇱🇧🇪 🇪🇺 🇺🇦🇺🇸🇬🇧. Tech enthusiast. Positive thinker. Growth investor (🇺🇸 stock market). STOP Fascism!
Ghent
Joined July 2009
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The communist-in-chief boarded himself up in Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by Avenger missile defense systems…. 🤡
Time’s up for Donald Trump and the cowards that enabled him!
Bart van Bakel retweeted
Ten hours before the polls closed, Trump announced he’s ending U.S. aid to Israel.
Half the country cheered.
The other half rolled their eyes.
Both missed it.
Joe Kent, who ran the National Counterterrorism Center until he quit over exactly this, posted a breakdown within hours that nobody outside the national security world will read.
So I broke it down the way you’d explain it over the hood of a truck. It ends in the Gulf, and it ends this week.
Bart van Bakel retweeted
BREAKING: SABOTAGE! Gov. Ron DeSantis throws a HUGE wrench into Trump's midterm hopes by publicly admitting that the Iran War is driving up gas prices and hurting Americans.
This is a stunning last-minute betrayal...
"Some of these Republicans are saying 'Oh well the gas, duh duh duh, don't worry it's not a big deal like—' They're trying to blame Biden for it," DeSantis told commentator Stephen A. Smith on SiriusXM last night. "No, no, no, listen. We just got to be honest. Gas is higher. It hurts people, working class people, and it's higher because of this conflict. That's just a fact!"
"If you can't admit that to voters then you're gaslighting them and they're not going to listen to you on other things," he added.
Obviously, those of us who exist outside of the MAGA cult realized this fact long ago but coming from a prominent Republican like DeSantis, it's a bombshell. Though he didn't bluntly phrase it as such, the message boils down to "If you're angry about gas prices, don't vote Republican."
Trump and his media proxies have been desperately insisting for months that high gas prices are Biden's fault (and in some absurd cases, even claimed that Obama was to blame). They provided no justification for this assertion beyond vague assertions that "Democrat policies" are bad for the economy. But anyone with a working brain and even a cursory understanding of geopolitics knows that the insane prices at the pump are a result of the Iran War.
Trump launched this conflict to forward Israeli interests in the region. It resulted in the incredibly predictable closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which then had rippling effects on the global oil market. It's difficult to imagine a more clear-cut case of Point A to Point B cause and effect.
So why is DeSantis admitting this now? He almost certainly still harbors lingering resentment towards Trump for humiliating him during the 2024 presidential primary and likely sees an opportunity here to hurt a weakened enemy.
But more importantly, this is DeSantis positioning himself for a 2028 run. He knows that the Trump era is coming to an ignominious end today and that JD Vance and Marco Rubio — the most likely heirs apparent to the MAGA king — are going to be tied to this administration's deeply unpopular war, an economic collapse, and the Epstein coverup. By staking a flag against the war now, DeSantis hopes to carve out a lane for himself.
When he does run, we have to remember that this man would make an awful President. He's a hardcore fascist, with no real beliefs beyond pursuit of personal power. He'll sell the working class out to corporations, gleefully pursue an Israel First agenda, and set the stage for yet another Republican financial crisis.
Even when Trump is gone, we have to keep voting blue!
Please ❤️ and share to help spread DeSantis's sabotage!
Bart van Bakel retweeted
Dear MAGA, let me explain something.
You have been taught that anything with the word social in it is communism. It isn’t. Social Security isn’t communism. Medicare isn’t communism. And neither is the public school your children attend or the fire department that saves your house.
Norway and Denmark are capitalist countries. People own businesses, buy houses, make fortunes, invest in stocks and own guns. The difference is that their governments make capitalism work for ordinary people, not just billionaires.
Here is what that means in everyday life. You get cancer. You receive treatment without facing a ruinous hospital bill. Your wife has a baby. She gets months of paid parental leave. Your child wants to attend university. Tuition is free at public universities for eligible students.
You work hard. You get five weeks of paid vacation. You lose your job. There is a safety net to help you get back on your feet And none of this requires giving up your house, your truck, your religion or your freedom.
Now here is the part you really need to understand.
You are already paying taxes. The question is what you get back.
In Europe, more of that money comes back to ordinary families through healthcare, education and financial security.
In America, politicians have convinced millions of working people that asking for those things is socialism, while demanding lower taxes for billionaires is freedom.
You have been persuaded to fight against benefits you would personally enjoy, in order to protect fortunes you will never possess.
Elon Musk does not need you to defend his wallet. Your family needs you to defend yours.
Bart van Bakel retweeted
This morning on Election Day, Trump goes on Fox News and announces he’s going to stop $4 billion dollars per year aid to Israel.
Last year when my amendment to strip funding to Israel failed in the House bc only 6 members of congress including myself voted for it, I was labeled an antisemite.
Amazing how being on the verge of Republicans getting wiped out in the midterms changes hearts and minds.
Reality is, Israel is financially rich with state funded healthcare and college while Americans are financially suffering with a $40 trillion dollar national debt.
And the majority of Americans are furious our tax dollars and military weapons have been used to kill 22,000 children in Gaza.
Trump getting permission from Netanyahu to end annual aid to Israel isn’t going to change today’s election results.
Nor is it going to end the war with Iran or stop Israel from murdering innocent Palestinians.
But it does show you how bad the polling is on that issue.
🚨 Israel Falls Flag!
Trump falls for it again!
It’s why the people reject Trump!
! youtu.be/HEquo57cBxg?is=vQrV…
Bart van Bakel retweeted
There's something I need to get off my chest. I'm getting increasingly frustrated watching parts of the @Tesla community ridicule @BMW and @MercedesBenz for their efforts in Level 2 automated driving. Seriously? Have we forgotten where Tesla was just a few years ago?
Tesla chose its own path with FSD, exceeding existing UNECE regulations, trying to push their rules, because in the US that is easy. That approach pushed boundaries, but also created significant delays for bringing FSD Supervised to European roads.
Meanwhile, BMW and Mercedes are taking a different approach. They're developing systems around existing UNECE regulatory frameworks, potentially making broader international deployment easier. And somehow, that's something to ridicule?
Remember when FSD first appeared? The message from the Tesla community was loud and clear: "We need this everywhere. It will save lives!” I been supporting that message ever since.
But now that other manufacturers are developing increasingly capable driving assistance systems, many Tesla supporters will not acknowledge the effort. Suddenly, if it doesn't have a Tesla badge, it's not worth celebrating.
So let me get this straight: when Tesla develops technology that could improve road safety, we should celebrate it and demand worldwide adoption. But when BMW, Mercedes, or anyone else develops technology pursuing those same goals, we should ridicule it? How does that make any sense?
What disappoints me most is how a big part of the Tesla community seem to have lost the early-adopter mentality that made it so interesting in the first place. Being an early adopter means embracing innovation, challenging established thinking, and getting excited about technological progress. Not blindly defending a single brand while dismissing everything its competitors achieve.
You all know I've been a Tesla supporter for years. I love what Tesla has accomplished and will still accomplish. But supporting Tesla doesn't require me to pretend that everyone else is standing still. Other manufacturers (e.g. also @XPENG_Global) are coming. They're investing, developing, improving, and challenging Tesla.
And we should WANT that! Competition drives innovation. Competition accelerates progress. Competition benefits customers.
Tesla made EVs desirable and pushed advanced Level 2 driving assistance into the spotlight. Today, virtually every major manufacturer offers EVs, and increasingly sophisticated driving assistance systems are becoming more widespread. That's progress. And ultimately, isn't that what we wanted all along?
The goal was never to have every car on the road be a Tesla. The goal was to make driving safer for everyone, regardless of the badge on the hood/bonnet.
If another manufacturer develops technology that genuinely makes our roads safer, I'll celebrate that just as much as I celebrate Tesla's achievements. Because I support the mission, not just the brand. And I genuinely wish more of the Tesla community would remember the difference.
MAGA really has become MIGA
BREAKING: Trump TORPEDOES Republicans at the last second by announcing that he'll "move to Israel" and run for prime minister if Americans "get tired" of him as we head to the polls.
He just said the quiet part out loud...
"Mr. President, I just want to clarify something you said earlier when it comes to Israel aid. We understand we've cut off aid to Israel, that we were giving them $4 billion, and you're no longer going to be giving them $4 billion," Fox's Brian Kilmeade said to Trump during an interview.
"We were giving them $4 billion," said Trump. "We are, but it gets cut off at the end of the year."
"Why?" asked Kilmeade.
"Why? Because they don't need it, Brian. I mean, I asked them, because they don't need it," said Trump. "And because why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed when they don't need it? It's a bad talking point, because you say, why don't we give everybody $4 billion? Israel's our number one. We give them more than anybody else. And they no longer need it. We've been doing it for years. I've been doing it. But Israel is a very thriving country."
"They don't need it. If they did need it, I would say keep it going. But Bibi Netanyahu, we reached an agreement on that," added Trump. "And can I be honest with you? He brought it up. He brought it up. He said, I think it would be appropriate if we do not receive aid. Because he understands that this is one of their points of contention. Israel's been a great ally, much more reliable than most. I mean, look what happened with Europe, although they did give me Greenland for the United States."
Now, hold on a second.
Cut off aid to Israel?
That sure doesn't sound like Trump, the most rabidly "Israel First" President in American history. This is the same guy who launched a disastrous war of aggression against Iran, with no American interests at stake, just because Netanyahu asked him to. So what's going on here? The answer, you won't be surprised to learn, is not what it seems.
Netanyahu is indeed pushing for an end to formal American financial support for his country, but it's not because he no longer wants American bombs, bullets, and drones to fuel his bloody dreams of conquest. It's because he realizes that Israel's approval in the U.S. has cratered thanks to the slaughter in Gaza. In a few short years, most Americans will likely support ending ALL aid to Israel. Netanyahu is getting ahead of that problem by removing the easy to see (and thus curtail) financial aid in favor of a deeper, more opaque entwining of the U.S. and Israeli militaries.
Rather than $4 billion in aid, Israeli officials are proposing a $16 billion joint American-Israeli fund for researching and developing new weapons. In other words, our support wouldn't evaporate, it would shapeshift. The proposed 2027 National Defense Authorization Act would greatly expand these joint-defense initiatives. On top of that, the new arrangement would give Congress less direct control to curtail Israeli aggression.
“But this is a Netanyahu ruse to say, ‘Okay, we don’t want the aid, but let’s just have joint production on the weapons,'" explained Rep. Ro Khanna.
In other words, Trump isn't suddenly deciding to revert to his promises of putting America's interests first, he's simply occluding the ways in which he prioritizes Israel. Which is why it makes sense that he'd fantasize about moving there.
"So I'm the number one, I was so voted, I'm at 99% approval rating in Israel can you believe it?" Trump said during that Fox interview. "In fact, if people ever got tired of me in the U.S. I'll move to Israel and become Prime minister. But I'm at ninety— Think of it! I'm at ninety-nine— I have the highest approval rating of anybody in history, because I've been— You know I've been— They've been a great partner but what we did, we stopped Iran."
While Trump appears to have pulled that 99% number straight out of his diaper-clad rear end, he does indeed enjoy high approval in Israel with a recent Gallup poll showing that 62% of Israelis approve of U.S. leadership.
Of course, that's cold comfort for the American people, who are being forced to pay higher grocery and gas prices because of a war that was started solely to aid in Israel's territorial expansion in the Middle East.
Israel may approve of Trump, but the U.S. does not. And today, we show him that at the polls!
Please ❤️ and share if you wish that Trump WOULD move to Israel!
Bart van Bakel retweeted
BREAKING: Trump TORPEDOES Republicans at the last second by announcing that he'll "move to Israel" and run for prime minister if Americans "get tired" of him as we head to the polls.
He just said the quiet part out loud...
"Mr. President, I just want to clarify something you said earlier when it comes to Israel aid. We understand we've cut off aid to Israel, that we were giving them $4 billion, and you're no longer going to be giving them $4 billion," Fox's Brian Kilmeade said to Trump during an interview.
"We were giving them $4 billion," said Trump. "We are, but it gets cut off at the end of the year."
"Why?" asked Kilmeade.
"Why? Because they don't need it, Brian. I mean, I asked them, because they don't need it," said Trump. "And because why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed when they don't need it? It's a bad talking point, because you say, why don't we give everybody $4 billion? Israel's our number one. We give them more than anybody else. And they no longer need it. We've been doing it for years. I've been doing it. But Israel is a very thriving country."
"They don't need it. If they did need it, I would say keep it going. But Bibi Netanyahu, we reached an agreement on that," added Trump. "And can I be honest with you? He brought it up. He brought it up. He said, I think it would be appropriate if we do not receive aid. Because he understands that this is one of their points of contention. Israel's been a great ally, much more reliable than most. I mean, look what happened with Europe, although they did give me Greenland for the United States."
Now, hold on a second.
Cut off aid to Israel?
That sure doesn't sound like Trump, the most rabidly "Israel First" President in American history. This is the same guy who launched a disastrous war of aggression against Iran, with no American interests at stake, just because Netanyahu asked him to. So what's going on here? The answer, you won't be surprised to learn, is not what it seems.
Netanyahu is indeed pushing for an end to formal American financial support for his country, but it's not because he no longer wants American bombs, bullets, and drones to fuel his bloody dreams of conquest. It's because he realizes that Israel's approval in the U.S. has cratered thanks to the slaughter in Gaza. In a few short years, most Americans will likely support ending ALL aid to Israel. Netanyahu is getting ahead of that problem by removing the easy to see (and thus curtail) financial aid in favor of a deeper, more opaque entwining of the U.S. and Israeli militaries.
Rather than $4 billion in aid, Israeli officials are proposing a $16 billion joint American-Israeli fund for researching and developing new weapons. In other words, our support wouldn't evaporate, it would shapeshift. The proposed 2027 National Defense Authorization Act would greatly expand these joint-defense initiatives. On top of that, the new arrangement would give Congress less direct control to curtail Israeli aggression.
“But this is a Netanyahu ruse to say, ‘Okay, we don’t want the aid, but let’s just have joint production on the weapons,'" explained Rep. Ro Khanna.
In other words, Trump isn't suddenly deciding to revert to his promises of putting America's interests first, he's simply occluding the ways in which he prioritizes Israel. Which is why it makes sense that he'd fantasize about moving there.
"So I'm the number one, I was so voted, I'm at 99% approval rating in Israel can you believe it?" Trump said during that Fox interview. "In fact, if people ever got tired of me in the U.S. I'll move to Israel and become Prime minister. But I'm at ninety— Think of it! I'm at ninety-nine— I have the highest approval rating of anybody in history, because I've been— You know I've been— They've been a great partner but what we did, we stopped Iran."
While Trump appears to have pulled that 99% number straight out of his diaper-clad rear end, he does indeed enjoy high approval in Israel with a recent Gallup poll showing that 62% of Israelis approve of U.S. leadership.
Of course, that's cold comfort for the American people, who are being forced to pay higher grocery and gas prices because of a war that was started solely to aid in Israel's territorial expansion in the Middle East.
Israel may approve of Trump, but the U.S. does not. And today, we show him that at the polls!
Please ❤️ and share if you wish that Trump WOULD move to Israel!
Bart van Bakel retweeted
Eminem has allowed Abdul-El-Sayed's campaign to use his classic, “Not Afraid” in a new ad. #Michigan
Bart van Bakel retweeted
Michigan. It's time. It's up to us to show the country what's possible.
The world is watching.
Polls are open 7AM-8PM.
Bart van Bakel retweeted
BREAKING: In a terribly embarrassing moment for Trump, Fox News has to cut away from his speech because he isn’t making any coherent sense. It’s beyond clear Trump is senile. Retweet so all Americans see this.
Bart van Bakel retweeted
The world has now watched what was supposedly the planet's second-mightiest military spend a dozen years failing to subdue a European country of forty million people. And the penny has finally dropped: the idea of doing the same to Poland, the Baltics, Germany, France, UK, Finland, Italy, Romania or Scandinavia or whatever can be filed under fantasies, right next to Russia's reputation.
Anyone still toying with that thought is welcome to go and have a lie-down.
Bart van Bakel retweeted
I appear to have outwitted the algorithms at X. Which, frankly, is rather like outsmarting a toaster.
Normally, when I write “Trump is a…” followed by something less than flattering, the post limps along with 4,000 or 5,000 views.
But this time, I announced, with all the ceremony of a royal wedding: “Ladies and gentlemen! The President of the United States 🇺🇸”
And suddenly, the algorithm went absolutely nuts. 1.3 MILLION views.
Presumably, the magnificent machinery at X decided this was a stirring tribute to America’s glorious leader and opened the floodgates.
Unfortunately for them, as anyone who watched the video will appreciate, it was nothing of the sort.
I’ve effectively persuaded Trump’s own cheerleading machine to distribute the joke to an enormous audience.
Rather a splendid catch, if I may say so myself.
Bart van Bakel retweeted
Great news Democratic House majority looks all but certain, and the polls indicate that they should also win the upper chamber. In fact, Democrats’ Senate win probability as of our final update is just a few percentage points lower than their House win probability was at launch.
Our forecast is now final and "official". 🐬🐬🐬
natesilver.net/p/nate-silver…
