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Vance is about as charismatic as a dirty wet blanket though. And he's completely owned by the billionaires and oligarchs who put him where he is.

MAGA is a authoritarian, bigoted personality cult, first and foremost. So the underlying causes of Trump may not die with him, but it's going to take a hell of a personality to channel and ride it to the same level as he has.

US looks a basket case politically at the moment. All upmanship. Until they get their house in order, get over each other and pull together politically for the better of the nation, or have their fecking civil war, whatever it takes, cos as it stands they're impossible to deal with. Agreements written in pencil couldn't describe them any better. Because you just don't know what's coming 4 years down the line.

Brits not much better politically but most of the harm they're doing to themselves. At least a trade deal with them will have value or credibility.

Yes China can't believe their luck. Talk about blowing your toes off.

Pencil, or in Trumps case crayon!

Definitely a touch of crayon but Trump is just one American. There's 350 million more of them. If he were to drop dead today I'm not sure how much changes, embarrassing tantrums aside.

That is going to be the big question. Does this insanity die when Trump is done, or is it here to stay?

There are plenty of Republicans who deploy the culture war poison on immigrants, minorities, LBGTQ people, scientific issues like climate change and vaccines, etc. etc., but would still be relatively sane on ecomonic and international issues.

I say relative, because they'll still try to gut social services so they can give their corporate and billionaire donors massive tax cuts and breaks, but at least they'll not blow up the global economy with moronic, self-defeating policies like tarriffs and will be more pragmatic in that they won't threaten to conquer the likes of Greenland and won't sidle up to Putin and the Kims while alienating long-standing western allies.

My feeling is that most of the MAGAts primarily love the cruelty and the permission they feel they get to reveal and revel in their bigotry and racism, so as long as their culture war needs are met, the GOP will back off some of the economic and foreign policy madness.

It looks like they are taking my approach from my Champ Man days...filter 'right winger', Pace-20, Crossing-20...hit return!

Alright let's work down the list and see who we can get!

The way things are looking, Hughes is just as well to be getting out to go to Saudi. This summer is turning into an embarrassment, and last summer is shaping up to be downgraded towards the post-2002 WC season when they brought in stalworts like El Hadj Djouff and Diao.

At this point, they should nearly just go with what they have, give some minutes to the likes of Nyoni and Koumas, and try again in January or next summer. They're going to get fleeced, whoever they try to get in now.

Liverpool once again playing a blinder on the transfer front!

Apparently they've pulled out of the deal for Minteh due to Brighton wanting 80m, and the young PSG lad, Mbayye (sp?) is apparently now looking elsewhere. No progress on Barcola either (not that you'd want them forking out 145m for him!). And now they're apparently looking at Sarr at Palace. Who would be a good signing, but why the hell would you go back to Palace in the closing days of the window after the Guehi farce last year?

Palace will be smelling the desperation, just like Brighton and PSG.

He's gonna change Lake Ontario to Lake America now apparently

The Canadians should call his bluff, tell them they'll change the name to Lake Trump, watch him drop all tarriffs and threats, and thus expose him (again!) for being the self-interested, self-dealing, treasonous grifter that he is.

Jesus. A decent human being who uses her profile for good. Rip.

Big time. A life well lived.

RIP

There are conspiracy theories that they are in the process of discrediting elections with a view to cancelling them... I suspect like the story Trump will resign and Vance will pardon him it is probably bollocks.

They should get wiped out but who knows. Some of the canada stuff you start to see is ludicrous. You're not dealing with adult human beings here. People vote for this. The mind boggles.

It will hopefully end up as bollocks, but they are still going to try their damnedest to steal the election.

And unlike in 2020, there is no guarantee that the courts and rule-of-law Republicans will block them this time out.

It's going to be "heads I win, tails you cheated" on steroids.

The question is whether it will work.

Because in an election in ordinary times, Trump's and his administration's conduct and corruption would amount to a midterm defeat of historic proportions.

Bit of a smash and grab there!! Not at the races for large parts of the game. That defence is going to be a nightmare this year.
Thought Liverpool were static and slow in the most. Not a great sign, but early days.

I thought it was more the midfield that was the issue on those breaks (not saying Kerkez and Frimpong were great). Massive holes for Newcastle to run through unchallenged. But it doesn't appear to be a priority in the transfer market.

Blessed to get an undeserved point. I thought Koumas and, especially Munoz, made a difference when they came on. Trying to cram Rio onto right wing is going to take a lot of work. He should be left on the other wing where he can make a difference.

Jimmy staying another year with Donegal.

Good news for us!

Have a slight fancy for Chelsea.

Ancelotti,Conte,Mourinho all won Chelsea the league title in their 1st season in charge. Can the highly rated Xabi Alonso do the same?

He won the Bundesliga with leverkusen and had 71% win percentage with Real Madrid before stepping down

Made some good signings and look to have a better balance to their team and squad this year. Getting their best players such as Cole Palmer to play to potential will be key.

Also, No European competition distraction so can focus fully on the Premier League. Spurs are the same so should have a much improved league campaign this season.

That's a good shout on Chelsea and even Spurs. No Europe could make a big difference, especially for a new manager trying to implement a new system of playing on a new club. Lots of time on the training pitch, and fewer fatigue and burnout injuries to deal with. It was a big help to United last year when Carrick came in, and Bruno Fernandes and even Casimiro excelled with the lighter match load. Didn't do Liverpool any harm in 16-17 in Klopp's first full season when he was able to drill a still poor enough squad, with the addition of Mane and Wijnaldum, into CL qualifiers with no midweek European football to worry about.

Brilliant drummer.

I believe he'd been back playing a few gigs, before having to cancel last week.

Only Billy Gibbons left of their long time line up.

Chat they will take over completely in a year or 2...as you say armamike time will tell.

For all the shit FSG have got through the years, for the most part they've been great owners... bar a few things

Absolutely, commercial astute, invested in the club rather than just bleeding it, good signings (in general), maintained a good PR/culture within the club. Has worked out in their favour too as the value of the club rose drastically.
If Bezos has the same impact I'd be delighted. 

I think you have to give them credit for investing in Anfield too without simply letting it decay round them like UTD or Chelsea's owners.

Absolutely, just seemed to have a decent long term strategy.
Also has to be said that Klopp was a major cog in the revival. More impact than any other person involved. Prob a bit of luck that he became available at the right time. Without him, I'm not sure we'd be looking back on the era as fondly. But they made it happen. 

Yeah, but you can say that about any generational manager or player.

Ferguson could have been snapped up by another team and the 90s and 00s doesn't happen for United.

Same with Shankly at Liverpool. Or who knew that Bob Paisley would take what Shankly had built and turn Liverpool into an utter machine?

Not saying it's the case here but have seen first hand perfectly healthy animals being euthanised by these so called experts who said they were suffering.

"So-called experts"?

What was the context?

"During those inspections, officials found conditions on the farm to be extremely poor. The land was described as severely poached, animal housing was poorly maintained and bedding was dirty. Inspectors also found animals had insufficient access to feed and water, while some of the limited feed available had been contaminated with urine and dung.

A large number of animals were found to be suffering unnecessarily, with 29 animals ultimately euthanised to prevent further suffering.

Inspectors also discovered approximately 33 animal carcasses and a quantity of animal bones on the farm"

If this is all true and the animals were culled to end their suffering, what is the outrage about here?

Disclaimer - I know nothing about this except this thread and a brief report on RTE which basically outlines the same.

Wasn't Harris once a "stickie"?
That other yoke was always an anti everything Irish nasty.
Conor Cruise O'Brien?

I think I remember Conor Cruise turning up at some loyalist shindig and getting chased out of it. I enjoyed that bit lol

Back in my 90s college days, I remember Conor Cruise sitting proudly at a UCD L&H debate night about the peace process in support of Robert McCartney. McCartney did  not go over well with the UCD audience.

David Ervine on the other hand came across as the epitome of reason and bridge building.