Politics Thread

[xuwillie]

What actually is it? Honestly have no clue what it even is

Simple terms, a group of people who have a budget of 40-50bB for other countries that can do whatever they want. Here are some examples

$2.5 MILLION to DEI in Serbia
$70,000 onan Irish DEI musical
$47,000 on transgender operas in Colombia
$32,000 on a trans comic book in Peru
20 MILLION for a Sesame Street in Iraq
56 MILLION to boost tourism in Egypt & Tunisia
$40 MILLION to build schools in Jordan

We do need to help countries but the last 4 years have gotten out of hand

[GoMuskies]

Not sure but Trump played a blinder getting Mexico and Canada to commit more resources to securing the border. Credit where credit is due.

I hope he doesn't fall too in love with this tactic. You can only go to the well so many times.

Weird (to me) how it played out, though. He told everyone on innauguration day exactly what he was going to do. Why did Mexico and Canada wait two weeks to do anything about it?

[XU_Lou]

The irony here is hysterical. Seriously, stop trusting things like youtube and X for your news source. It's embarrassing.

First of all, this is a really stupid comment. It's an interview, not an anonymous poster on a SM site.

I already said why he said that. Before you post again, read the article, it has charts where the money went, with even further analysis links if you’d like. It very closely matches what zelensky said. If you can’t understand that, I can’t help you any further.

Not really, just unfounded speculation. You and Paul, and the Dems in general seem to be running from this as fast as possible. I don't blame you, this is pretty embarrassing! Your comrade is throwing you under the bus. Don't forget, he was quite clear when he said this at the end of the clip:

"I don't know where all the money is.”

Not that it was being spent on weapons manufacturing. But rather, he said he doesn't know where it is, as if something's wrong. In another recent interview VZ had this exchange (below), which sheds much more light on what he's talking about. VZ is clearly suggesting corruption is involved on the American side. You libs should note that there are also many accusations of corruption within the VZ admin that's coming from within and out of Ukraine.

"Zelensky implied that this development may have been linked to corruption or lobbying on the side of U.S. companies."

"If we had $177 billion and if we get the half, where is the second half? If you find the second half, you will find corruption,"

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-...zelensky-says/


Volodymyr Zelenskyy
(02:21:36) Let’s take the aid you mentioned during the war. First of all, we have no money. We have no money except for the war. We received weapons from the United States of America, from Europe. If we take for example money from the United States of America during all this time of the war, around 177 billion have been voted for or decided upon, 177 billion. Let’s be honest, we have not received half of this money.

(02:22:20) The second point, which is very important, just as an example, is it corruption? The first question, whose corruption? This is the second. Here is just one small example for you. When the United States began to transfer US weapons, it was American money, but American weapons, money for these weapons. As a president, I had cargo jets, not in Ukraine. Because of the war, we moved them very quickly to Europe. We had cargo. We have good cargo fleet, very good because of Antonov. So I asked American side to grant me the opportunity because our jets are at another airfield and I asked America to give me the opportunity to use our jets for transfer, not to pay a lot. To whom? To your companies, to American companies. No, I didn’t get this opportunity. My jets stayed put and the United States jets, cargo jets moved these weapons. But everywhere you have to spend money so we could get more weapons, but we have to pay for this very expensive fleet. My question, is this corruption or not? Or lobbyism? What is it?

Lex Fridman
(02:24:05) You mean corruption on the part of the US companies?

Volodymyr Zelenskyy
(02:24:08) Yes. Making such decisions.

Lex Fridman
(02:24:10) Yes, I got it.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy
(02:24:11) The lobbying for such decisions involves some companies that make these decisions, but I can’t be open about it and I couldn’t speak loudly about it. I didn’t want, nor did I intend to cause any scandals to arise because otherwise you can freeze the support and that’s it. And that’s why when we talk about corruption, we must ask who is involved? If we had 177, and if we get the half, where’s the half? If you will find the second half, you will find corruption.

https://lexfridman.com/volodymyr-zelenskyy-transcript/



************************************************** ***********

Either way you look at this, this is a major embarrassment for the Biden admin, the deep state, the war hawks, and all the lemmings that jumped on board with this completely avoidable war. Either the Dems got in bed with a corrupt oligarch, got in bed with a wide-eyed liar, or they and their buddies in the military industrial complex have lined their pockets quite handsomely.

My guess is that we'll know a lot more once the Trump admin and DOGE take a closer look at the books.

No wonder Biden pardoned his entire family going back to 2014.

[Xville]

First of all, this is a really stupid comment. It's an interview, not an anonymous poster on a SM site.



Not really, just unfounded speculation. You and Paul, and the Dems in general seem to be running from this as fast as possible. I don't blame you, this is pretty embarrassing! Your comrade is throwing you under the bus. Don't forget, he was quite clear when he said this at the end of the clip:

"I don't know where all the money is.”

Not that it was being spent on weapons manufacturing. But rather, he said he doesn't know where it is, as if something's wrong. In another recent interview VZ had this exchange (below), which sheds much more light on what he's talking about. VZ is clearly suggesting corruption is involved on the American side. You libs should note that there are also many accusations of corruption within the VZ admin that's coming from within and out of Ukraine.

"Zelensky implied that this development may have been linked to corruption or lobbying on the side of U.S. companies."

"If we had $177 billion and if we get the half, where is the second half? If you find the second half, you will find corruption,"

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-...zelensky-says/


Volodymyr Zelenskyy
(02:21:36) LetÂ’s take the aid you mentioned during the war. First of all, we have no money. We have no money except for the war. We received weapons from the United States of America, from Europe. If we take for example money from the United States of America during all this time of the war, around 177 billion have been voted for or decided upon, 177 billion. LetÂ’s be honest, we have not received half of this money.

(02:22:20) The second point, which is very important, just as an example, is it corruption? The first question, whose corruption? This is the second. Here is just one small example for you. When the United States began to transfer US weapons, it was American money, but American weapons, money for these weapons. As a president, I had cargo jets, not in Ukraine. Because of the war, we moved them very quickly to Europe. We had cargo. We have good cargo fleet, very good because of Antonov. So I asked American side to grant me the opportunity because our jets are at another airfield and I asked America to give me the opportunity to use our jets for transfer, not to pay a lot. To whom? To your companies, to American companies. No, I didnÂ’t get this opportunity. My jets stayed put and the United States jets, cargo jets moved these weapons. But everywhere you have to spend money so we could get more weapons, but we have to pay for this very expensive fleet. My question, is this corruption or not? Or lobbyism? What is it?

Lex Fridman
(02:24:05) You mean corruption on the part of the US companies?

Volodymyr Zelenskyy
(02:24:08) Yes. Making such decisions.

Lex Fridman
(02:24:10) Yes, I got it.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy
(02:24:11) The lobbying for such decisions involves some companies that make these decisions, but I canÂ’t be open about it and I couldnÂ’t speak loudly about it. I didnÂ’t want, nor did I intend to cause any scandals to arise because otherwise you can freeze the support and thatÂ’s it. And thatÂ’s why when we talk about corruption, we must ask who is involved? If we had 177, and if we get the half, whereÂ’s the half? If you will find the second half, you will find corruption.

https://lexfridman.com/volodymyr-zelenskyy-transcript/



************************************************** ***********

Either way you look at this, this is a major embarrassment for the Biden admin, the deep state, the war hawks, and all the lemmings that jumped on board with this completely avoidable war. Either the Dems got in bed with a corrupt oligarch, got in bed with a wide-eyed liar, or they and their buddies in the military industrial complex have lined their pockets quite handsomely.

My guess is that we'll know a lot more once the Trump admin and DOGE take a closer look at the books.

No wonder Biden pardoned his entire family going back to 2014.

One of your links was to an anonymous social media content creator on x. IÂ’ve now answered several times where the money is and how itÂ’s being spent from an extremely reputable source, which mirrors exactly what Zelenskyy said in terms of dollars they have received. you choose to ignore that and go on a long diatribe about why or how zelensky answered questions. I donÂ’t even know what you are arguing about at this point. Your original post said the money we gave was a money laundering scheme and a scam. ThatÂ’s been refuted but now youÂ’ve moved on to the next thing. Later lou.

[noteggs]

Ok. So I gave you a direct link with direct evidence in a calm and concise manner, explaining what happened and from a non-biased U.S. think tank that’s been around since the 20s. You in turn, call it a non-sequitur and choose to believe a post on x. Your choice, but an interesting decision.
The article even closely matches exactly what zelensky said in terms of what they have directly received and in what fashion. But it’s a non-sequitur. That’s some interesting critical thinking skills.

Interesting read from CFR, but not biased? The same organization that believes in globalism and one world government?

Their board has a lot of democrats who served under former democratic presidents (including CBS face of the nation star Margaret Brennan and CNN’s Fareed Zakaria). None from republicans or Fox. Their group of individual donors gave 100% to democrats this past election cycle.

They may be nonprofit but certainly not nonpartisan. Yes there are some bias factor checkers say center left but some also say far left. Still article worth reading but…

[Xville]

Interesting read from CFR, but not biased? The same organization that believes in globalism and one world government?

Their board has a lot of democrats who served under former democratic presidents (including CBS face of the nation star Margaret Brennan and CNNÂ’s Fareed Zakaria). None from republicans or Fox. Their group of individual donors gave 100% to democrats this past election cycle.

They may be nonprofit but certainly not nonpartisan. Yes there are some bias factor checkers say center left but some also say far left. Still article worth reading butÂ…

What do you think is more reliable. A think tank that has been around since the 1920s or a social media content creator that posts to x? A number of their council members are republicans, and I’d like to know where you got that 100% of their donors gave to democrats?

I’ll concede that their board membership is skewed after looking it over.

[noteggs]

What do you think is more reliable. A think tank that has been around since the 1920s or a social media content creator that posts to x?

Neither to be honest. That is the problem with the net. We can always find something we agree with or makes our point. I’m just as guilty with this as well.

[Xville]

Neither to be honest. That is the problem with the net. We can always find something we agree with or makes our point. I’m just as guilty with this as well.

I’d also like to point out that within the article there is a link to an analysis done by the American enterprise institute, which is more right and backs up the layout here if that makes you feel more comfortable.

[paulxu]

I hope he doesn't fall too in love with this tactic. You can only go to the well so many times.

Weird (to me) how it played out, though. He told everyone on innauguration day exactly what he was going to do. Why did Mexico and Canada wait two weeks to do anything about it?

Some people may have benefited from shorting stock this morning.
Some of the supposed concessions need a little explanation. Biden got Mexico to surge troops to border without tariff threat.
Fentanyl was already decreasing and hardly any comes from the Canada side.
We agreed to trying to stop arms sales to Mexico which are arming the cartels.

Maybe people are waking up to the fact that middle America will pay for the tariffs while the top 1% are in line for a big tax break.
Hopefully.

[GoMuskies]

Jesus Christ paul, you're better than some of these guys on that score for sure, but you still regurgitate MSNBC talking points like nobody's business.

Nm