#47 President Donald Trump

DE4173

🫡

Q: Two of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s political rivals have confirmed that they have been in contact with members of US President Donald Trump’s entourage following a Politico report published on Thursday in which an alleged bid to remove Zelensky from office was revealed.How can this happen in a democracy?

A: The situation you’ve described—where political rivals of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are reportedly in contact with members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s entourage, potentially as part of an effort to remove Zelensky from office—raises complex questions about democracy, sovereignty, and international influence. To address how this can happen in a democracy, let’s break it down critically and examine the dynamics at play.

In a functioning democracy, leaders are typically chosen and removed through established mechanisms like elections, impeachment, or constitutional processes, all driven by the will of the people or their representatives. Ukraine, despite its democratic framework, is under extraordinary strain due to the ongoing war with Russia, which has led to martial law and the suspension of elections since 2022. This creates a unique context where normal democratic processes are paused, potentially opening the door to alternative power struggles—both domestic and international.

The reported contacts between Zelensky’s rivals (such as Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko) and Trump’s team suggest a scenario where external actors (in this case, elements of the U.S. administration) might be engaging with internal opposition figures to influence Ukraine’s leadership. This isn’t inherently undemocratic if it’s just dialogue—after all, democracies allow for free communication and political maneuvering. However, if it involves a coordinated push to oust a sitting leader outside of legal or electoral channels, it challenges democratic norms. Here’s how this can unfold:

Wartime Context and Suspended Elections: Ukraine’s martial law, enacted after Russia’s 2022 invasion, has postponed elections, leaving Zelensky in power beyond what would have been his normal term. While this is legally justified under Ukrainian law during wartime, it creates a perception of vulnerability. Political rivals might see this as an opportunity to position themselves as alternatives, especially if they sense weakening international support for Zelensky. Foreign actors, like Trump’s entourage, could exploit this by engaging with those rivals, bypassing the democratic process that’s currently on hold.

Foreign Influence in Domestic Politics: Democracies aren’t immune to external meddling. History is full of examples—think of U.S. or Soviet interventions during the Cold War. If Trump’s team is indeed pressuring Zelensky to step aside (as suggested by reports of their frustration after a contentious Oval Office meeting on February 28, 2025), and simultaneously courting his rivals, it’s a form of soft power projection. This doesn’t violate democracy’s legal structure outright but tests its spirit, especially if it undermines a leader who still enjoys significant domestic support (polls from early 2025 show Zelensky’s approval around 57-63%).

Opposition Ambition and Realpolitik: Zelensky’s rivals, like Poroshenko and Tymoshenko, are seasoned politicians with their own ambitions. In a democracy, opposition figures naturally seek power, often by aligning with influential allies—domestic or foreign. Their outreach to Trump’s team could be a pragmatic move to gain leverage, especially if they believe U.S. support is shifting away from Zelensky. This is less a failure of democracy and more a reflection of how political actors operate within its gray areas, particularly under crisis conditions.

U.S. Policy Shift and Transactional Diplomacy: The Trump administration’s apparent pivot toward a rapid peace deal with Russia, even at Ukraine’s expense, signals a transactional approach. Reports indicate Trump’s frustration with Zelensky’s resistance to concessions, coupled with praise for Putin, might motivate efforts to find a more pliable Ukrainian leader. While this isn’t democratic in the sense of respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty, it’s not illegal under international law—nations often back their preferred candidates or factions in other countries. The democratic breakdown would occur if this pressure forces Zelensky out without Ukrainian consent.

So, how can this happen in a democracy? It can because democracies, especially fragile or stressed ones like Ukraine’s, aren’t airtight against external influence or internal opportunism. The system relies on checks—like elections or public accountability—that are currently sidelined by war. Meanwhile, foreign powers and domestic rivals can maneuver in the resulting vacuum, not by breaking laws but by exploiting the situation’s ambiguity. If Zelensky were removed through such backroom dealings rather than a transparent process, it’d be a subversion of democratic principles—but not an impossible one given the circumstances.

The real test of Ukraine’s democracy would come if and when elections resume. Until then, this looks more like a power play in a suspended democratic state than a outright violation of its rules. The irony? Both Zelensky’s rivals and Trump’s team might argue they’re acting to “restore” democracy—by ending the war or ensuring a leader aligns with their vision—while critics would call it a betrayal of the very system they claim to uphold.

The Juggler

mace1229 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

Is it crap and nonsense if it corrects something that is not true?

Sure bud. How about using your brain instead of something an app spits out at you? Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Chat GPT is so stupid.
when will easter fall on 4/21?

Easter will fall on April 21st in 2024. The date of Easter changes every year, as it's determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In 2024, that works out to April 21st!

No it won't/didn't!

I refuse to utilize anything AI related. It is making people more stupid by the hour. 

DE4173

The Juggler said:

mace1229 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

Is it crap and nonsense if it corrects something that is not true?

Sure bud. How about using your brain instead of something an app spits out at you? Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Chat GPT is so stupid.
when will easter fall on 4/21?

Easter will fall on April 21st in 2024. The date of Easter changes every year, as it's determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In 2024, that works out to April 21st!

No it won't/didn't!

I refuse to utilize anything AI related. It is making people more stupid by the hour. 

I mean, I don't know the answers to all the questions asked. How is it different than me googling or going to twitter, threads, instagram, etc., Are those people not using their brains and instead copying/pasting what an app spits out at them?

I'm trying to understand, honestly. ✌️

The Juggler

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

mace1229 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

Is it crap and nonsense if it corrects something that is not true?

Sure bud. How about using your brain instead of something an app spits out at you? Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Chat GPT is so stupid.
when will easter fall on 4/21?

Easter will fall on April 21st in 2024. The date of Easter changes every year, as it's determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In 2024, that works out to April 21st!

No it won't/didn't!

I refuse to utilize anything AI related. It is making people more stupid by the hour. 

I mean, I don't know the answers to all the questions asked. How is it different than me googling or going to twitter, threads, instagram, etc., Are those people not using their brains and instead copying/pasting what an app spits out at them?

I'm trying to understand, honestly. ✌️

Read a newspaper

The Juggler

Were these idiots just not paying attention last year? All Trump talked about were tariffs and transgender kids. 

You voted for the wrong person, morons.


https://thehill.com/business/5179089-majority-say-us-not-other-countries-will-feel-brunt-of-trump-tariffs-poll/

Majority say US, not other countries, will feel brunt of Trump tariffs: Poll

When asked about “the cost of tariffs on foreign products imported into the U.S.,” 54 percent of the respondents in The Economist/YouGov poll said they believe “mostly companies and people in the U.S” will feel their weight. Twenty-four percent said “mostly companies and people in the country exporting products” will suffer the consequences.

DE4173

mace1229 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

Is it crap and nonsense if it corrects something that is not true?

Sure bud. How about using your brain instead of something an app spits out at you? Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Chat GPT is so stupid.
when will easter fall on 4/21?

Easter will fall on April 21st in 2024. The date of Easter changes every year, as it's determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In 2024, that works out to April 21st!

No it won't/didn't!

Who said anything about ChatGPT?

Q: When will Easter fall on 4/21?

A: Easter Sunday is determined by the ecclesiastical approximation of the first Sunday after the first full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the vernal equinox (set as March 21 in the ecclesiastical calendar). This means Easter can fall between March 22 and April 25. To find when Easter Sunday will next fall on April 21, we need to look at future years where this calculation aligns.

Historically and moving forward:

• Easter Sunday fell on April 21 in 2019.
• The next occurrence after 2019 is in 2030.

Upcoming Dates for Easter on April 21:

• April 21, 2030
• April 21, 2041 (after an 11-year cycle, common in the Easter date pattern)
• April 21, 2052 (another 11-year cycle)

This pattern isn’t perfectly regular due to the interplay of lunar cycles, the 19-year Metonic cycle, and leap years, but April 21 is a relatively frequent Easter date. For example, it also occurred in 2002, 2013, and 2019 in recent decades.

So, if you’re asking about the next time Easter lands on April 21 from today (March 6, 2025), it’s April 21, 2030.

DE4173

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

mace1229 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

Is it crap and nonsense if it corrects something that is not true?

Sure bud. How about using your brain instead of something an app spits out at you? Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Chat GPT is so stupid.
when will easter fall on 4/21?

Easter will fall on April 21st in 2024. The date of Easter changes every year, as it's determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In 2024, that works out to April 21st!

No it won't/didn't!

I refuse to utilize anything AI related. It is making people more stupid by the hour. 

I mean, I don't know the answers to all the questions asked. How is it different than me googling or going to twitter, threads, instagram, etc., Are those people not using their brains and instead copying/pasting what an app spits out at them?

I'm trying to understand, honestly. ✌️

Read a newspaper

People are reading newspapers and posting their findings here.

The Juggler

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

mace1229 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

Is it crap and nonsense if it corrects something that is not true?

Sure bud. How about using your brain instead of something an app spits out at you? Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Chat GPT is so stupid.
when will easter fall on 4/21?

Easter will fall on April 21st in 2024. The date of Easter changes every year, as it's determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In 2024, that works out to April 21st!

No it won't/didn't!

I refuse to utilize anything AI related. It is making people more stupid by the hour. 

I mean, I don't know the answers to all the questions asked. How is it different than me googling or going to twitter, threads, instagram, etc., Are those people not using their brains and instead copying/pasting what an app spits out at them?

I'm trying to understand, honestly. ✌️

Read a newspaper

People are reading newspapers and posting their findings here.

Well digesting information is good. What's wrong with that?

It seems better than just asking a question to some bot/app and then copying and pasting a wall of text with no link to anything. I also believe the mods want links posted whenever you're referring to an article or something. Not sure what the guideline it is for whatever you're doing though...

cincybearcat

WTF was the men in women sports thread closed?

DE4173

cincybearcat said:

WTF was the men in women sports thread closed?

Was that the one where people were talking about people being banned vs in time out?

cincybearcat

DE4173 said:

cincybearcat said:

WTF was the men in women sports thread closed?

Was that the one where people were talking about people being banned vs in time out?

Yes, but cmon....started a new version.  Such a weird mod move.

DE4173

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

mace1229 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

Is it crap and nonsense if it corrects something that is not true?

Sure bud. How about using your brain instead of something an app spits out at you? Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Chat GPT is so stupid.
when will easter fall on 4/21?

Easter will fall on April 21st in 2024. The date of Easter changes every year, as it's determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In 2024, that works out to April 21st!

No it won't/didn't!

I refuse to utilize anything AI related. It is making people more stupid by the hour. 

I mean, I don't know the answers to all the questions asked. How is it different than me googling or going to twitter, threads, instagram, etc., Are those people not using their brains and instead copying/pasting what an app spits out at them?

I'm trying to understand, honestly. ✌️

Read a newspaper

People are reading newspapers and posting their findings here.

Well digesting information is good. What's wrong with that?

It seems better than just asking a question to some bot/app and then copying and pasting a wall of text with no link to anything. I also believe the mods want links posted whenever you're referring to an article or something. Not sure what the guideline it is for whatever you're doing though...

People do read newspapers, but people here also post from non-physical news avenues like the Internet and apps like twitter, threads, instagram etc. What is the difference? Is that crap or nonsense? Are they not using their brains?

If a post, with or without a link, contains misinformation, people would want the correct information.

The postings contain information from multiple sources (ex: CNBC, Time, WSJ, CNN, thehil.com, ABC News, BBC, Forbes, factcheck.org, cbp.gov, npr.org, Newsweek, etc). 

Maybe we're talking past each other here. I appreciate the discussion.

The Juggler

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

The Juggler said:

mace1229 said:

The Juggler said:

DE4173 said:

Is it crap and nonsense if it corrects something that is not true?

Sure bud. How about using your brain instead of something an app spits out at you? Nobody wants to read a wall of text.

Chat GPT is so stupid.
when will easter fall on 4/21?

Easter will fall on April 21st in 2024. The date of Easter changes every year, as it's determined by the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In 2024, that works out to April 21st!

No it won't/didn't!

I refuse to utilize anything AI related. It is making people more stupid by the hour. 

I mean, I don't know the answers to all the questions asked. How is it different than me googling or going to twitter, threads, instagram, etc., Are those people not using their brains and instead copying/pasting what an app spits out at them?

I'm trying to understand, honestly. ✌️

Read a newspaper

People are reading newspapers and posting their findings here.

Well digesting information is good. What's wrong with that?

It seems better than just asking a question to some bot/app and then copying and pasting a wall of text with no link to anything. I also believe the mods want links posted whenever you're referring to an article or something. Not sure what the guideline it is for whatever you're doing though...

People do read newspapers, but people here also post from non-physical news avenues like the Internet and apps like twitter, threads, instagram etc. What is the difference? Is that crap or nonsense? Are they not using their brains?

If a post, with or without a link, contains misinformation, people would want the correct information.

The postings contain information from multiple sources (ex: CNBC, Time, WSJ, CNN, thehil.com, ABC News, BBC, Forbes, factcheck.org, cbp.gov, npr.org, Newsweek, etc). 

Maybe we're talking past each other here. I appreciate the discussion.

Your posts that you say are coming from AI look like gibberish with no links and they go on and on and on. Nobody is going to trust a wall of text with no link and nobody is going to want to take the time to read all of that on a message board. 

If your postings actually do contain info from those legit sources, just post a link to that legit article.

Also, I wasn't implying that you need to buy a physical copy of a newspaper. But consider a subscription to your local paper's online service. You'd be supporting local journalism and you'd be getting your news from a more valid source than "artificial intelligence."

mickeyrat

https://www.threads.net/@the_oneofthree/post/DG3RcRYPsv3?xmt=AQGzx7g0626h2McZQ8MSHbr0GnGeEaPYWABV4xqpYQIZuA

Canadian authorities display 835 kilograms of seized drugs smuggled across the US border into Canada...🇨🇦

mickeyrat

https://www.threads.net/@phoenixrisingdead/post/DGzREcBPXoP?xmt=AQGz4sNhcrEZQv5ccRlFeZEK1YTTiwwwbDVgzBbiOIIRfQ

Trump hates intelligent questions because he has no answers. So he starts insulting reporters and their news organizations. No wonder he bankrupted his businesses. Kudos to Kaitlan Collins for ignoring him and persisting with follow-up questions.

mickeyrat

Five Eyes spy alliance—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom—are reportedly have paused intelligence sharing with USA .

Poncier

Honda Fact-Checks Trump’s Claim of a New Indiana Plant  


What, he lied you say?
No way. Must be the first time ever.

Halifax2TheMax

mickeyrat said:

Five Eyes spy alliance—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom—are reportedly have paused intelligence sharing with USA .

As well they should! The US is now a direct pipeline to Putin on the ritz.

mickeyrat

https://www.threads.net/@titusnation/post/DG4BwXnysoe?xmt=AQGzY-fIeh-tLKRnjsNXK1wmePP9wU7qyYNI0EFjF5M69w

Just remember, he negotiated with the Taliban, not the Afghan government.

They released 5000 Afghan fighters. One of them blew up and killed 13 marines.
Just remember.

mickeyrat

video...

https://www.threads.net/@maddowshow/post/DGzJY-YunHc?xmt=AQGzbcP8u62suQgM0nIkm3iVxnoBCF-rTxqKHAda-Ty2NQ

While the work done at the NIH is very valuable, Rep. Raskin hopes they are also working on a treatment for malignant narcissistic personality disorder because... you know...