Radiorum

Kennedy has amplified baseless claims suggesting a link between antidepressants like Prozac and school shootings. “Prior to the introduction of Prozac, we had almost none of these events,” he told billionaire Elon Musk last year. But research shows that most school shooters were not previously treated with psychotropic medications — and even when they were, there was no association between those drugs and the shootings. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rfk-jr-health-stances-vaccines-fluoride-raw-milk-rcna180244

Yes, research and investigation is a good thing. But for the top Health guy in the US to make the claim without evidence is irresponsible.

Trump is installing what scholars call patrimonialism. His mass firings, defiance of laws, disregarding the plain language of statues, court rulings, and the Constitution, antagonizing allies, incursion into the arts (naming himself the chair of the Kennedy Centre) all support this idea. As he installs patrimonialism, Trump sees the state as “little more than (his) extended household” … the state does “not exist as a separate entity.” Rather, he is running it as if it were his personal property or family business. When he declares “He who saves the Country does not violate any Law.” – he is claiming to be the symbolic father of the people - or according to Tucker Carlson “Daddy” (who should give the country a vigorous spanking) – the state’s personification and protector – a hallmark of patrimonialism. Patrimonialism infects government by replacing impersonal, formal lines of authority with personalized, informal ones, like announcing out of nowhere the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, or a U.S. occupation of Gaza, or having your number-two man (an unelected billionaire) send out an email to thousands of federal employees asking them what they did last week and a failure to respond would be taken as a resignation. Patrimonialism may transition to full-blown authoritarianism. “…as patrimonialism snips the government’s procedural tendons, it weakens and eventually cripples the state … Electoral processes and constitutional norms cannot survive long when patrimonial legitimacy begins to dominate the political arena…” Patrimonialism is based on individual loyalty and connections, on rewarding friends and punishing enemies. As one prominent Republican said of Trump, “If you’re his friend, he’s your friend. If you’re not his friend, he’s not your friend.” The main ruling principle of patrimonialism is: “Stay on the ruler’s good side, or else.” Trump is even spearheading a purge of prosecutors who investigated January 6 for no other reason than they did their job. Trump is patrimonialism’s “perfect organism.” He recognizes no distinction between what is public and private, legal and illegal, formal and informal, national and personal. “He can’t tell the difference between his own personal interest and the national interest, if he even understands what the national interest is,” John Bolton, who served as national security adviser in Trump’s first term, told The Bulwark. The question now is: How long will the American people allow Trump to run the country according to his arbitrary whims, for no other reason than to exploit it for his own political, personal and financial gain?

If you have any evidence of a causal link between SSRIs and violence, I invite you to share it. Also - to note - violence directed outward towards other people requires a different psychology than violence directed inward towards oneself.

This analogy to what Trump is doing is not only fiction, it is ridiculous fiction Lol, oh well, if Ted Cruz, who has completely sold his soul to Trump, said it, it must be true! /s

Yes, this is what Trump used to pull the wool over your eyes. Can you not see that American democracy, and its pluralistic nature, is threatened if key government positions are filled with loyalists and power is concentrated in the hands of a small group of ideologically aligned individuals?

Trump is a mob boss and MAGA are his soldiers. Republicans in Congress have consistently folded to Trump, with hardly a whiff of pushback, not only because they fear “the primary” – and want their political survival - but also because the threat of violence against them from MAGA is real. For example: And some who voted not to convict after the 2020 impeachment, and voted to certify the results of the 2020 election, did so because they feared for themselves and their family. The list of politicians who moved against Trump and ended up getting death threats is long. He inflames his base to violence. It's an important aspect of his power. “They’re Scared Shitless”: The threat of Political Violence Informing Trump’s Grip on Congress

But they are not your words. You just parrot what Trump and his ilk tell you. See? Man, you have been so brainwashed.

This seems an explanation for why and how Trump was able to exploit those who felt left behind. It does not excuse him, it damns him. He operates best with enemies, and he bequeathed that to his base. What fraud, waste and abuse necessitated shutting done the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

This is rich, as I have seen no rationality from you. And to suggest that testosterone confers "rational thought" is to miss that in fact testosterone makes men think with the smaller of their heads.

I know where truth lies. Do you?

If this is what you think is being affected, you are sorely deluded. No, I haven't. What will they do for me?

You really, really need to stop listening to Trump. Let's not forget Navalny. This is what happens to those who oppose Putin. Poisoning, imprisonment, death.

Again, for you, it's not about how ordinary people will be affected, but "getting the other side.' Have you considered professional counselling for your persecution complex? Lol, clearly! OMG, how stupid can a person be?

You are so ignorant, it's sad.

You are clearly ignorant of Musk The only thing I cry for is America.

Wow, this thread is strangely silent. Must have stumped the MAGAts.

Some Republicans are speaking out, but without actually criticizing Trump “Make no mistake about it: That invasion was the responsibility of one human being on the face of this planet. It was Vladimir Putin,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) said, referring to the Russian president. Tillis also said there is no “equivalency” between Putin and Zelensky. “Russia is the aggressor; there’s no question about that,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota). “[Trump] can speak for himself, but in my view there is no question who started the war.” “When it comes to blame for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I blame Putin above all others,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) posted on X. About the only one to address Trump head-on was Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-Louisiana). “Here’s where I disagree with the White House,” Kennedy said, adding: “I think Vladimir Putin started the war. I also believe, through bitter experience, that Vladimir Putin is a gangster. He’s a gangster with a black heart. He makes Jeffrey Dahmer look like Mother Teresa. He has Stalin’s taste for blood.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said, “I would certainly never refer to President Zelensky as a dictator,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) called Zelensky the “duly elected” president of Ukraine. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she disagreed with that characterization. “I think he’s factually wrong on those points,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) told NOTUS, adding that Trump might have certain motives for this misinformation. “As a negotiator he’s always positioning and he’s in a negotiating mood these days.” Perhaps the most robust rebuke came from a member of the House, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska), who ticked through Trump’s claims and picked them apart them one by one in an X post. “Putin started this war,” Bacon said. “Putin committed war crimes. Putin is the dictator who murdered his opponents. The EU nations have contributed more to Ukraine. Zelensky polls over 50%. Ukraine wants to be part of the West, Putin hates the West. I don’t accept George Orwell’s doublethink.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/19/republicans-rebuke-trump-ukraine-gently/

Sadly, this is what we have come to. All that oil Canada exports to the US (4 million barrels/day) can find another buyer Canada is now looking at making oil deals with China China would be happy to buy our oil. The US is closing doors, and we'll look for open doors. We need to move away from the instability of the US.

Now you are just being disingenuous this kind of reply actually proves that I was right - that you would rather "get me" than discuss in good faith More disingenuity More proof of what drives you

I discovered some new information (which does not excuse Musk but damns him) and added it to the discussion. You should try it sometimes. It’s called progress. What a massive misrepresentation of my post.

Let’s look at the record: When Trump first announced the enterprise in November, he said Musk … “will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (‘DOGE’).” Dec. 22 – Trump said, “And we will create the new Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk.” Jan. 19 - Trump said, “We will create the new Department of Government Efficiency, headed by a gentleman named Elon Musk.” Feb. 4 - Musk referred to DOGE as “we.” Feb. 9 – Trump said Musk has “been terrific” and suggested that he has been hiring people: “He comes in with a hundred very smart people.” At a Feb. 11 news conference, Trump asked Musk to mention things that “your team” has discovered. According to Trump’s Executive Order forming DOGE - Yet - Joshua Fisher, director of the White House’s Office of Administration, now says - “Mr. Musk is not the U.S. DOGE Service administrator.” Well, if it is not Musk, who the hell is it? These people are as crooked, and as polluted, as the Cuyahoga River.

he called it "the biggest fraud in history" - nothing right about that. That he misused the numbers is clear. Whether he did it because he is wholly incompetent at what he is supposed to be doing, or he knew it was more sh*t he could use to flood the zone, I will leave up to you ... during an Oval Office press conference, stating a “cursory examination of Social Security” revealed “crazy things.” “We’ve got people in there that are 150 years old,” Musk said on February 11. “Now, do you know anyone who’s 150? I don’t, OK. They should be in the Guinness Book of World Records. … I think they’re probably dead, is my guess, or they should be very famous, one of the two.” And you interpretation leaves me with the impression you did not read my entire post.

This reminds me of Putin's interview with Tucker Carlsen about a year ago, during which Putin blamed Poland for Hitler's invasion of them in 1939, as if justifying his own invasion. "Hitler just wanted to 'realize his plans' and Poland was 'uncooperative' and 'forced' Hitler to attack and start World War II, Putin said. "So, 1939, late August. "Hitler: Poland, we want to annex you, agree! "Poland: We don't agree, we are a sovereign state and will remain so. "Hitler: You force me to conquer you by force. I declare war against you. God knows, it's your fault! "And Putin says: Hitler had no choice but to start with Poland. In the interview, Putin stated, "The Poles forced, they played too long and forced Hitler to start World War II with them. Why did the war begin with Poland on September 1, 1939? "Poland was uncooperative. Hitler had nothing else to do in the realization of his plans but to start with Poland" *** So, I guess that is what happened between Putin and Ukraine. Putin: We want your country. Ukraine: No. Putin: Then we must invade you and it is all your fault!

I have found some answers that show Musk used these numbers falsely, and raise questions about his intent and duplicity. Elon Musk said he might have uncovered “the biggest fraud in history” when he found millions of people over age 100 listed in a Social Security database… … but a 2023 agency inspector general report found “almost none” of the 18.9 million people listed as 100 or older were receiving benefits… A Social Security list known as the “Numident” — which is what Musk is believed to be referring to — shows far more centenarians than are actually alive, but that doesn’t mean they’re being sent checks. The inspector general’s 2023 audit found that Social Security’s Numident included approximately 18.9 million people listed as 100 or older but not dead — far more than the 86,000 centenarians living in the U.S. at the time of the review. However, “almost none” of the 18.9 million were receiving Social Security payments, the report concluded. Instead, only 44,000 people over 100 were getting benefits — closer to the actual centenarian population. A separate 2015 audit of Social Security found just 3 confirmed instances of employment fraud in a sample of 6.5 million deceased individuals. O’Malley said the main fraud concern is when people call in and try to switch accounts, hijacking benefits from the living, not the dead. This all does not explain why Musk tried to pass off the Numident as evidence of massive fraud that he should have known didn’t exist. I'm not sure how you can believe anything he say.