EU provides burner phones to officials traveling to US amid espionage concerns

[TooQik]

This really highlights the amount of mistrust the EU has towards the US Government right now, regardless of your stance on why it's happening.

We're seeing the political and economic landscape change dramatically on a day to day basis.

 

[airbornex]

Burner phones and basic laptops? Next up, EU staffers booking Airbnbs under fake names and ordering room service with cash. We’re one diplomatic incident away from full-on Cold War cosplay.

 

[kiwigraeme]

If you support terrorism like Hamas you should be removed, if your here illegally why should we waste money, Even if you went in court you're still deported because you can't legally be here.

How is supporting normal folks in Gaza supporting Hamas ?
Bet you don't know much really about it

Why do you think people are entitled to basic human rights ?
Who has more rights in Gaza you a tourist or a local- really who has more rights - the tourist by far .

You know lots of Israelis are against the killing of civilians

Would you criticise Trump's solution - complete and final removal of all people with no real compensation - same as 750 000 lost their homes, businesses in 1948 with no compensation.
To build Trump Gaza

I actually think you know very little about it - I have been in Israel , Syria, Past through palestine to see other parts of Israel , Jordan. I was in Beirut went a Israeli gunship targeted an apartment 100m away from me with rockets - saw huge camp in southern Lebanon from a distance as Israelis jets flew over daily, Spoken to lots of israelis in my travels and in the country itself

Not saying I know the solution - Britain stuffed up the creation of Israel. But what's happening now only aids the fanatics on both sides , not the average person
Yes Israelis were angry about people kidnapped - yet also now angry the plan was well known about and people in charge allowed it to happen - why did they do that ? sacrifice their own , not the first or last time that has happened.

So to think Gaza equals Hamas and those people 100% wrong and those 100% right is very foolish

 

[Puiu]

Why wasn't this a thing up until now?

The democrats don't want to end wars, the democrats these days are the warmongers, look who is demanding we send American's into Ukraine to die. At the end of the day what we need to do is tell the planet peace, you guys do whatever you want, want to invade each other we don't care, heck open sales of American weapons to the highest bidder to keep the defense contractors happy.



I'm fine with leaving, I don't care who is occupying Paris, it could be Russian, Chinese or French I don't really care, its your problem.

"its your problem" - said nobody who depends on the whole world.

I don't understand how americans think they can live in a bubble, isolated from the rest, when they are the most dependent country in the world on external power, trade, manpower, help and influence.

Do you truly think the US $ won't be replaced as the global reserve currency? Such arrogance. If that happens the US will collapse into 1000 pieces.

 

[dangh]

Whatever this discussion is about, being denied entry to a country because you wrote something not nice about the orange fuhrer is not showing really good light on the freedom of speech. And this freedom was created exactly to allow people criticise government, anything else was just a bonus.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

I'm an independent so I have no team to defend. While some democrats would not go for it (politicians get bought on both sides of the isle) you would stand a much better chance with them to trade defense contracts for better healthcare, housing, education, aid to children, than the current state of the republican party.

I'm independent as well. I disagree that Democrats would be a better chance given defense contracts haven't waivered regardless of which party has the presidency and/or congress.

And politicians don't trade anymore, they only add more spending. If we actually had to have a balanced budget then your point would be true, but these days we simply print and borrow more money for everything.

 

[candle86]

How is supporting normal folks in Gaza supporting Hamas ?
Bet you don't know much really about it

Why do you think people are entitled to basic human rights ?
Who has more rights in Gaza you a tourist or a local- really who has more rights - the tourist by far .

You know lots of Israelis are against the killing of civilians

Would you criticise Trump's solution - complete and final removal of all people with no real compensation - same as 750 000 lost their homes, businesses in 1948 with no compensation.
To build Trump Gaza

I actually think you know very little about it - I have been in Israel , Syria, Past through palestine to see other parts of Israel , Jordan. I was in Beirut went a Israeli gunship targeted an apartment 100m away from me with rockets - saw huge camp in southern Lebanon from a distance as Israelis jets flew over daily, Spoken to lots of israelis in my travels and in the country itself

Not saying I know the solution - Britain stuffed up the creation of Israel. But what's happening now only aids the fanatics on both sides , not the average person
Yes Israelis were angry about people kidnapped - yet also now angry the plan was well known about and people in charge allowed it to happen - why did they do that ? sacrifice their own , not the first or last time that has happened.

So to think Gaza equals Hamas and those people 100% wrong and those 100% right is very foolish

do they try to take back their control from Hamas? Nope they offer zero resistance to them, they show them support so the people are complicant, not being opposed to your terrorist masters is the same as being for them. As for the land, it was promised to the Children of Isreal as their gift from God and they where commanded to slaughter all who reside in it that are not children of Isreal.

Why wasn't this a thing up until now?

"its your problem" - said nobody who depends on the whole world.

I don't understand how americans think they can live in a bubble, isolated from the rest, when they are the most dependent country in the world on external power, trade, manpower, help and influence.

Do you truly think the US $ won't be replaced as the global reserve currency? Such arrogance. If that happens the US will collapse into 1000 pieces.

I think your confused, Europe is dependent on America, Asia is dependent on America, America has twice in its history been Isolationist and both times the Average American had a better higher quality of life compared to the standards elsewhere in the world and not by a small amount either. I don't care of the dollar is the world's reserve currency, I don't care about a ton of oversea bases, I care about the fact that our military provided your defense for the last 70 years and we never got a thank you, you never once offered to help pay for that, instead you dedicated your money into your people and expected America to just keep supplementing your militaries. If the US pulls out of Europe you don't have the manpower or equipment to actually defend yourself, this is why Europe is panicking right now, you let your militaries atrophy, your war surplus dates back to the 50's and 60's, you haven't invested in them in so long. America has been taken advantage of enough, its time the money we spend defending Germany or Estonia instead go to Americans.

 

[lonetac]

I would not call Europe's military incompetent but scaling back would make sense but...the republicans would never go for it. Two out of every three dollars the pentagon spends goes to defense contractors, that leaves just one dollar towards the troops. Maybe we should spend some of the defense contractor budget on healthcare, housing, and education.
Three of the biggest defense contractors
Lockheed Martin - donated $1 million towards trumps inauguration
SpaceX - run by that guy who gutted any government agency that had over site on any of his companies
Boeing - also donated $1 million to trumps inauguration and shockingly just got a contract in march worth over 20 billion from the convicted criminal.

been saying this for years.

We could not buy 3 of our 1200+ fighter jets and 10 of our 1000s of missles and we could end homelessness and hunger in America but no... we need more bombs and more jets...

 

[lonetac]

Why wasn't this a thing up until now?

"its your problem" - said nobody who depends on the whole world.

I don't understand how americans think they can live in a bubble, isolated from the rest, when they are the most dependent country in the world on external power, trade, manpower, help and influence.

Do you truly think the US $ won't be replaced as the global reserve currency? Such arrogance. If that happens the US will collapse into 1000 pieces.

Trust me when I say he is very much the exception. Majority of Americans think folks like this are whacky, far right and ridiculous. They get emboldened on the internet but in person, they never speak up or they are draped in MAGA gear, bumper stickers, hats, shirts, shoes, bibles complaining about gay ppl with purple hair being their entire identity. its hilarious and most of our country is laughing at them.

The pendulum will swing back and these gloaters will be put in their place. Unfortunately we have to deal with what is happening.

Just keep in mind, just because Trump undoes something or does something, doesnt mean it cant be reversed in the next presidency.

 

[candle86]

Trust me when I say he is very much the exception. Majority of Americans think folks like this are whacky, far right and ridiculous. They get emboldened on the internet but in person, they never speak up or they are draped in MAGA gear, bumper stickers, hats, shirts, shoes, bibles complaining about gay ppl with purple hair being their entire identity. its hilarious and most of our country is laughing at them.

The pendulum will swing back and these gloaters will be put in their place. Unfortunately we have to deal with what is happening.

Just keep in mind, just because Trump undoes something or does something, doesnt mean it cant be reversed in the next presidency.

Except we are the majority, the era of the globalist is over, your destruction of the American dream is over, your selling out of American values is over, your shopping our jobs overseas is over, your environmental laws that make millions unemployed are over. The silent majority is tired of your crap.

 

[dirtyferret]

And politicians don't trade anymore, they only add more spending. If we actually had to have a balanced budget then your point would be true, but these days we simply print and borrow more money for everything.

that's true somewhat but you can also add debt to the nation without spending, the top recent presidents for adding debt (by % of GDP) to our nation are (minus FDR & WW since they are the top two due to world wars)
Reagan - far and away added a ton of debt to the country, more than twice the next guy. Tax cuts to the rich, cut social programs, increased defense spending. We are still paying for Reaganomics today.

Bush Jr
Obama
Bush Sr
trump
Nixon
Biden
Carter
Clinton - last president to have a "balanced" budget

 

[Puiu]

Except we are the majority, the era of the globalist is over, your destruction of the American dream is over, your selling out of American values is over, your shopping our jobs overseas is over, your environmental laws that make millions unemployed are over. The silent majority is tired of your crap.

Pfff hahahaha. This is just too funny. The amount of misinformation you believe is staggering.

Common sense dictates that such comments are just trolling... but you are serious...

And the whole world is laughing while Putin is giving orders to his little dog trump.

 

[lonetac]

Pfff hahahaha. This is just too funny. The amount of misinformation you believe is staggering.

Common sense dictates that such comments are just trolling... but you are serious...

And the whole world is laughing while Putin is giving orders to his little dog trump.

It doesnt even warrant a response. Folks like this are very much the minority although very vocal.

 

[Megalomaniac]

I used to take an old iPhone to foreign countries and buy a sim card to use their network as I tend to vacation for 2 months at a time each summer internationally. Lately I just don't care and I let AT&T simply charge me more and switch me over to their network so I can enjoy my data plan, Google maps and a constant location beacon just in case I went missing.

 

[Puiu]

It doesnt even warrant a response. Folks like this are very much the minority although very vocal.

I usually do it because I get some really weird and funny responses

 

[Underdog]

Well the EU says the alliance is over, sounds good, time to bring every single America Solider, Plane, Tank, Drone, bullet, shell, bomb, missile, ship, sub, artillery, truck, Humvee, AA system, and anything I missed back to the US, let Europe figure it out since the Alliance is over, I'm sure they can protect themselves from Russia with their incompetent militaries

Quite a challenge now that the US is on intimate terms with Putin.

 

[USAvenger]

Except we are the majority, the era of the globalist is over, your destruction of the American dream is over, your selling out of American values is over, your shopping our jobs overseas is over, your environmental laws that make millions unemployed are over. The silent majority is tired of your crap.

You're wasting your time replying to these clowns. My suggestion to you would be to hit the ignore button and let them have their echo chamber of misery.

 

[StrikerRocket]

Well the EU says the alliance is over, sounds good, time to bring every single America Solider, Plane, Tank, Drone, bullet, shell, bomb, missile, ship, sub, artillery, truck, Humvee, AA system, and anything I missed back to the US, let Europe figure it out since the Alliance is over, I'm sure they can protect themselves from Russia with their incompetent militaries

I think you're wrong here: Trump himself said so acting as he is, not the EU. Some Americans are such bigots and are so entitled it's a real shame!

 

[candle86]

You're wasting your time replying to these clowns. My suggestion to you would be to hit the ignore button and let them have their echo chamber of misery.

your right, talking to those without functional frontal lobes can be a real challange, its just sad that so many are brainwashed globalists

 

[Underdog]

It hits a raw nerve when I hear people claiming how the west owes its freedom to America for winning WW2. US banks financed both sides, Hitler and Europe. That's what they call hedging your bets. And ever since the US has supported wars everywhere by selling their arms. No war? No worries. They'll start one and sell arms to both sides. Google how many US military bases are located around the world. If they were there to keep the peace then Great, but I see it as something quite different.

I do agree that Europe has depended on the US too much in modern times and they need to get serious and build up their own integrated defenses. They should develop their own systems using home grown tech. so they can stop buying from the US. And as far as the so-called "special relationship" between the US and UK........... it has never existed in any significant way. All the help from US came at a price. No such thing as a free lunch. Divorce can be such sweet sorrow. Trump can fart in the bath and wreck the world stock markets. Time for change.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

that's true somewhat but you can also add debt to the nation without spending, the top recent presidents for adding debt (by % of GDP) to our nation are (minus FDR & WW since they are the top two due to world wars)
Reagan - far and away added a ton of debt to the country, more than twice the next guy. Tax cuts to the rich, cut social programs, increased defense spending. We are still paying for Reaganomics today.

Bush Jr
Obama
Bush Sr
trump
Nixon
Biden
Carter
Clinton - last president to have a "balanced" budget

You cannot add debt without spending. You add debt by spending more than tax revenue.

And cutting tax rates does not equal cutting tax revenue, in fact, it is usually the opposite. Milton Friedman has several speeches online about this. Higher tax rates A) motivate people to find ways to not pay (both legally and not) and B) make it financially viable to spend money to reduce your taxes through accountants, lawyers, creating tax shelters such as trusts, etc.

There have been many documented cases where states and cities have raised tax rates and collected less revenue, and lowered rates and collected more.

 

[dirtyferret]

You cannot add debt without spending. You add debt by spending more than tax revenue.

That's inaccurate as you can add debt through sales of bonds or acquiring loans. While usually you then spend the money you don't necessarily have to.
As for Friedman, that's nice but I personally don't place too much value into a guy who said "a company has no social responsibility to the public or society; its only responsibility is to its shareholders". I understand a company's fiduciary responsibilities to the shareholders but there are many documented cases of companies putting the public and society in harm through their actions to only serve the shareholders.

While I do appreciate your desire to go off on a tangent with your response to my initial post, I don't see it worthy of my time or off any intellectual value. You can (I'm sure you will) reply in some sort of fit after being proven wrong on debt or how Friedman is the man, that's fine, you have my permission, I just don't care. Adieu.