[AMV] VS #1171 Kolonisatie van de Europese markt

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 21:19 schreef la_perle_rouge het volgende:
Idioten kiezen gekken.

The Senate just voted, 51-49, to confirm conspiracy theorist and election denier Kash Patel to be FBI Director.

ALL Democrats and two Republicans — Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski — voted NO.

51 Republicans voted YES.

https://bsky.app/profile/(...)l/post/3limzsgrmts2l

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President Donald J. Trump took office just one month ago, but has already accomplished more than most presidents do in their entire term as he makes good on his promise to usher in the New Golden Age of America.

Here is a non-comprehensive list of President Trump’s wins after just one month:

SECURING OUR HOMELAND:
President Trump declared a national emergency at the border and deployed the military, including the 10th Mountain Division, to secure our nation.

Illegal border crossings have hit lows not seen in decades as U.S. Border Patrol is re-empowered to once again enforce the law.
ABC News: “From Jan. 21 through Jan. 31, the number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border dropped 85% from the same period in 2024, according to data obtained by ABC News. In the 11 days after Jan. 20, migrants apprehended at ports of entry declined by 93%.”

Illegal aliens have started turning around in droves amid the crackdown.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that arrests of criminal illegal immigrants have doubled under President Trump.

President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, which requires illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft or violence to be detained — honoring the legacy of Laken Riley, a Georgia college student brutally murdered by an illegal alien released into the country.

President Trump ended “catch-and-release,” reversing the dangerous Biden-era policy that released dangerous illegal aliens back into our communities.

President Trump shut down the “CBP One” app, which “paroled” more than one million illegal immigrants into the country.
A migrant shelter in San Diego announced it will shut down after it has received no new arrivals since President Trump took office.

President Trump terminated all taxpayer-funded public benefits for illegal aliens.

President Trump ramped up deportation flights of criminal illegal aliens.
After President Trump announced “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures” against Colombia over its refusal to accept deportation flights from the U.S., the country’s president quickly backtracked — even offering the use of his personal plane for the deportations.
El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele offered to accept deportees of any nationality, including violent American criminals currently imprisoned in the U.S.

President Trump began transferring criminal illegal aliens to Guantanamo Bay ahead of their repatriation back to their own countries.

President Trump re-established the successful “Remain in Mexico” policy.
President Trump restarted construction of the border wall.

The Trump Administration officially declared Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the United Cartels, the Gulf Cartel, the Northeast Cartel, and the Michoacán Family as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) agreed to allow federal immigration officials to operate on Rikers Island and deport illegal alien criminals following his meeting with Border Czar Tom Homan.

Mexico announced a deployment of 10,000 troops to the border to combat illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking, while Canada announced a flurry of measures to combat fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking following

President Trump’s imposition of tariffs on the two countries.

President Trump implemented an additional 10% tariff on imports from China in order to stem the flow of illegal aliens and fentanyl.

President Trump ordered an end to birthright citizenship.
President Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

The Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New York and some of its elected officials over their willful failure to follow federal immigration law and announced that it will take action against so-called “sanctuary cities” for their obstruction of U.S. law.

The Department of Homeland Security “clawed back” tens of millions of dollars in funds paid by rogue FEMA officials to house illegal aliens in luxury New York City hotels.

President Trump reinstated the death penalty for federal capital crimes.

PROTECTING AMERICAN WORKERS AND FOSTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH:
President Trump restored a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevated the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports to protect these critical American industries from unfair foreign competition — a move praised by the Steel Manufacturers Association, the Aluminum Association, and businesses across the country.

Robert Simon, CEO of JSW Steel USA, praised President Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, celebrating them “as a project that will flood the U.S. with jobs as trading partners move their industries to U.S. soil to avoid tariffs.”

Makoto Uchida, the CEO of global automaker Nissan, said President Trump’s tariffs could push the car manufacturer to move its production from Mexico to the U.S.

President Trump unveiled a plan for fair and reciprocal trade, making clear to the world that the United States will no longer tolerate being ripped off.

President Trump secured hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments.
President Trump announced the largest artificial intelligence infrastructure project in history, securing $500 billion in planned private sector investment — with major CEOs agreeing it would not have been possible without President Trump’s leadership.
Saudi Arabia declared its intention to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years.
President Trump secured a $20 billion investment by DAMAC Properties to build new U.S.-based data centers.
Taiwan pledged to boost its investment in the United States.
Electronics giants Samsung and LG “are considering moving their plants in Mexico to the U.S.” now that President Trump is back in office.

In February, forecasters from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia revised their economic growth projections for the first quarter of 2025 up from 1.9% to 2.5%, and their unemployment rate projections for the quarter down from 4.2% to 4.1%.

After a meeting with President Trump, Stellantis announced it will reopen its assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois — putting 1,500 employees back to work — and build its next-generation Dodge Durango in Detroit, Michigan. The company also announced new investments in their Toledo, Ohio, and Kokomo, Indiana, facilities.

President Trump laid out a visionary plan to establish a Sovereign Wealth Fund to maximize the stewardship of the $5+ trillion in assets held by the United States.

Following President Trump’s victory, the S&P 500 set a new record as the stock market surged to record highs — while major Wall Street firms like JP Morgan Chase posted their highest ever annual profits.

LOWERING THE COST OF LIVING:
President Trump directed the heads of all executive departments and agencies to “deliver emergency price relief … to the American people and increase the prosperity of the American worker.”
President Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council to maximize use of the U.S.’ extensive energy resources, thereby enabling lower energy prices.
Crude oil prices have fallen over 5% since President Trump took office.

The Department of Energy postponed burdensome Biden-era efficiency standard rules for the following appliances, saving American consumers large sums:
Central air conditioners: Biden rules were slated to make air conditioners $1,100 more expensive, according to Alliance for Consumers.
Gas water heaters: Biden rules were slated to make water heaters $2,800 more expensive.
Clothes washers and dryers: Biden rules were slated to make washers $200 more expensive.
Light bulbs: Biden rules were slated to make light bulbs $140 more expensive.
Walk-in coolers and freezers, commercial refrigeration equipment, and air compressors.

The total cost of federal regulations in 2023 was a record-breaking $2.1 trillion, or $15,788 per U.S. household, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute. By requiring agencies to identify at least ten existing rules, regulations, or guidance documents to be repealed for every one rule they promulgate, President Trump has put the U.S. on track to severely reduce regulatory costs for everyday Americans.
The National Associations of Manufacturers found the cost of federal regulations was even greater — at $3.079 trillion in 2022.

Secretary Sean Duffy’s very first action at the Department of Transportation was to initiate rulemaking resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards — effectively eliminating the Biden-era electric vehicle mandate.
NBER economist Mark R. Jacobsen “estimates that a one-mpg increase in CAFE standards costs consumers of all income levels approximately 0.5% of their income in the first year of the increase. By the 10th year following the increase, however, this cost becomes regressive, as the increase drives up the price of used cars. A one-mpg increase in CAFE standards costs consumers earning less than $25,000 per year 1.12% of their income, but only costs consumers earning more than $75,000 per year 0.41% of their income.”

RE-ESTABLISHING AMERICAN STRENGTH:
President Trump secured the release of six American hostages in Venezuela, two Americans in Afghanistan, an American-Israeli citizen in Hamas captivity, a Pennsylvania teacher in Russian captivity, and an American citizen in Belarus — bringing the total number of American hostages released under President Trump to 11.

President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pursuit of finally securing peace as negotiations get underway.

President Trump restored maximum pressure on Iran, “sanctioning an international network for facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the People’s Republic of China.”

President Trump redesignated the Iran-backed Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a visit where he proposed a bold vision for securing lasting peace in Gaza.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman described the proposal as “brilliant, historic and the only idea I have heard in 50 years that has a chance of bringing security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region.”

President Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced his intention to “elevate Japan’s investment in the United States to an unprecedented amount of $1 trillion,” import “historic” quantities of LNG from Alaska, and open new auto plants in the U.S.

President Trump hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who announced that the Kingdom will accept 2,000 sick children from Gaza “as quickly as possible.”

President Trump hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit where they announced new deals between the two countries on immigration, trade, energy, and artificial intelligence.

President Trump banned funding to UNRWA — a United Nations agency that employed hundreds of Hamas and jihad operatives.

President Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, which has illegitimately asserted jurisdiction over internal U.S. matters and baselessly targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy to ensure no taxpayer dollars support foreign organizations that perform, or actively promote, abortion in other nations.
The Department of State ordered embassies worldwide to only fly the American flag — not activist flags.

President Trump declared all foreign policy must be conducted under the President’s direction, ensuring career diplomats reflect the foreign policy of the United States at all times.
The Department of State declared that U.S. foreign policy will be America First going forward.
Following a visit from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino agreed to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a debt-trap diplomacy scheme the Chinese Communist Party uses to gain influence over developing nations.
The U.S. rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which promotes and strengthens opportunities for women and girls around the world, and protects the family as the fundamental unit of society.

President Trump cracked down on anti-Semitism by canceling visas for foreign students who are Hamas sympathizers.
President Trump ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard following years of woke ideologies infiltrating U.S. service academies.
The U.S. Army barred transgender people from enlisting and stopped using taxpayer funds for sex change surgeries.
President Trump reinstated, with backpay, U.S. service members who were discharged under the military’s nonsensical COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth restored Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to “Fort Bragg,” in honor of a World War II hero.

President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization.

President Trump paused enforcement of the overregulation of American businesses abroad, which negatively impacted national security.

President Trump proclaimed “Gulf of America Day” after the Department of the Interior officially established it on its mapping databases.

President Trump initiated a process to build a next-generation missile defense shield over the United States.

UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY:
President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to unlock America’s full energy potential and bring down costs for American families.

President Trump rescinded every one of the Biden Administration’s job-killing, pro-China, anti-American energy regulations.

President Trump empowered Americans with choice in vehicles, showerheads, toilets, washing machines, light bulbs, and dishwashers, and killed Biden-era regulations that restricted water flow and mandated inadequate light bulb standards.

President Trump terminated the job-killing Green New Scam.

President Trump withdrew from the disastrous Paris Climate Agreement, which unfairly ripped off our country.

President Trump paused federal permitting for massive wind farms, which degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American consumers.

President Trump reversed bureaucratic regulations that impeded Alaska’s ability to develop its vast natural resources.

President Trump re-opened 625 million acres for offshore drilling, which Biden banned in his waning days, in order to “drill, baby, drill.”

President Trump scrapped an Obama-era rule on greenhouse gases.

President Trump ended the Liquefied Natural Gas pause and approved the first LNG project since the Biden Administration banned them last year.

BRINGING BACK COMMON SENSE:
Health systems across the nation stopped or downsized their sex change programs for minors following President Trump’s “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” executive order.
In Illinois, Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital paused sex-change surgeries for patients under 19 as it “work[s] to understand the rapidly evolving environment.”
In Colorado, Denver Health announced it would stop performing sex change surgeries on minor children, while UCHealth said it was ending so-called “gender-affirming care” for all minors.
In Washington, D.C., Children’s National Hospital “paused” prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapies for minors, while Northwest Washington Hospital did the same.
In Virginia, VCU Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond “suspended” providing transgender-related medication and surgeries for minors, while UVA Health also “suspended” transgender-related services for minors.

President Trump ended the unfair, demeaning practice of forcing women to compete against men in sports — which resulted in the NCAA changing its rules.
The Department of Education launched investigations into the California Interscholastic Federation and the Minnesota State High School League over their failures to comply.

President Trump made it the official policy of the U.S. government that there are only two sexes.
President Trump banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates at schools that receive federal funding.

President Trump rolled back the Biden-era push to mandate paper straws.
President Trump instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to stop production of the penny, which cost 3.69 cents each to make.

President Trump directed full enforcement of the Hyde Amendment, which bars taxpayer dollars from being used to fund or promote elective abortion.
The Department of Transportation terminated the approval for New York City’s burdensome “congestion pricing” scheme.

RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT
President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to maximize government productivity and ensure the best use of taxpayer funds — which has already achieved billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers.

President Trump commenced his plan to downsize the federal bureaucracy and eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity.
President Trump ordered federal workers to return to the office five days a week.

President Trump ordered federal agencies hire no more than one employee for every four employees who leave.

President Trump ended the wasteful Federal Executive Institute, which had become a training ground for bureaucrats.

President Trump ordered the termination of all federal Fake News media contracts.

President Trump ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren, which funneled cash to left-wing advocacy groups — to halt operations.
President Trump ordered an end to anti-Christian bias in the Federal Government.

President Trump ordered an examination of all regulations to assess any infringements on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
The Environmental Protection Agency canceled tens of millions of dollars in contracts to left-wing advocacy groups, announced an investigation into a scheme by Biden EPA staffers to shield billions of dollars from oversight and accountability, and put 168 “environmental justice” employees on leave.

President Trump stopped the waste, fraud, and abuse within USAID — ensuring taxpayers are no longer on the hook for funding the pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, such as sex changes in Guatemala.

President Trump ordered an end to the weaponization of the Federal Government against American citizens.
The Department of Justice immediately began rooting out politically motivated lawfare that occurred in the Biden Administration.

President Trump reversed the massive over-expansion of the IRS that took place during the Biden Administration.

President Trump eliminated discriminatory DEI offices, employees, and practices across the bureaucracy alongside a return to merit-based hiring — including at the Federal Aviation Administration, where the Biden Administration specifically recruited individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric issues.
As a result, taxpayer-funded PBS closed its DEI office, Disney dropped two of its DEI programs, Goldman Sachs ended its DEI policy, and Institutional Shareholder Services announced it would no longer consider diversity of company boards when making its voting recommendations.
The Federal Communications Commission opened an investigation into discriminatory DEI policies at Comcast, an entity it regulates.

President Trump ordered an end to all censorship of Americans by the federal government.

President Trump ordered a review of funding for all non-governmental organizations, so taxpayers are no longer funding those that undermine America’s interests.
The Department of State issued a “pause” on existing foreign aid grants to ensure accountability and efficiency.

President Trump lifted last-minute collective bargaining agreements issued by the Biden Administration, which sought to impede reform.

President Trump overrode bureaucratic red tape that limited water availability in California following the failure of the state’s water system during the devastating wildfires.

President Trump terminated the Biden-era electric vehicle mandate.

President Trump suspended the Biden-era EV charging program, which had resulted in just eight charging stations despite $7.5 billion earmarked for the program.

President Trump shut down the wasteful Biden-era “Climate Corps” program.
The Federal Communications Commission took action against a Soros-backed radio station that leaked sensitive information about ICE operations.

President Trump ordered the declassification of documents related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

President Trump opened the White House Press Briefing Room to non-legacy media outlets as the White House sets a new standard for transparency in the digital age.

President Trump reinstated press privileges for roughly 440 journalists who the Biden Administration sought to silence.

President Trump fired members of The Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees amid their obsession with perpetuating radical, left-wing ideology at taxpayer expense.

President Trump revoked the security clearances of the 51 “spies who lied.”

EMPOWERING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
President Trump established the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which redirects the national focus to promoting health rather than simply managing disease.

President Trump took executive action to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

President Trump established the White House Faith Office to protect Americans’ religious liberty.

President Trump ordered an end to the radical indoctrination of children in K-12 schools that receive federal funding.

President Trump took executive action to support parents in choosing the best education for their children.

President Trump established the Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets to strengthen U.S. leadership in digital finance.

President Trump granted full and unconditional pardons to 23 pro-life Americans who were unjustly persecuted by the Biden Administration.

President Trump pardoned two Washington, D.C., police officers who were imprisoned simply for doing their jobs of apprehending criminals.

President Trump has had his cabinet confirmed by the Senate at a far faster pace than his predecessors, with a majority of his cabinet earning confirmation in his first month.

https://www.whitehouse.go(...)ust-getting-started/

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 22:17 schreef opgebaarde het volgende:

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Kash Patel has published an enemies list of 60 people he calls “members of the deep state,” all of whom are public servants—both Democrats and Republicans. He has even said he plans to “shut down the FBI Hoover Building on Day 1 and reopen it the next day as a museum of the “deep state” and to target journalists and media professionals.

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https://www.judiciary.sen(...)t-enemies-of-america

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 18:31 schreef Janneke141 het volgende:

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En alsof die besparingen niet uiteindelijk tot meer kosten gaan leiden:
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https://www.gelderlander.(...)aontslagen~ad08b478/

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The study is an accounting of the cost of in-person audits carried out by the Internal Revenue Service relative to the taxes paid as the result of the audits. These in-person audits, in contrast to "correspondence audits" in which the IRS asks for information via letter, can be labor-intensive and expensive to administer. The researchers found in-person audits take just under 30 hours of labor on average and cost the agency $5,900. The returns are more than double, however, at $14,200, suggesting that for every dollar spent on audits, $2.17 comes back via tax collected.

But that's just the average, and it's misleading for two reasons.

First, that average didn't hold across the spectrum of income distribution. In-person audits of filers in the bottom 50% of income were simpler but netted less in taxes collected than the cost to administer at 96 cents on the dollar. Audits for the top 0.1% were much more complex but also much more remunerative, pushing the return to $6.29 on the dollar.

Second, the average doesn't consider the effect on tax collection in the years following an audit. When examining the tax returns of households that had been audited, tax receipts were higher in the following 14 years for which they have data. In a year, the post-audit deterrence effect was about 30% of the size of the taxes claimed by the audit but accumulates into more than three times the additional taxes collected.

One conclusion would be to simply push for more audits of the highest income filers. But the real takeaway is realizing that the goal of an audit isn't just to collect taxes owed but to encourage better tax behavior. In that sense, the audit is just the start of bigger payoff that will pay dividends many years into the future. The IRS estimates that the tax gap, the difference between taxes owed and taxes collected, was $606 billion in 2022, the most recent year of data.

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 22:33 schreef Lord-Ronddraai het volgende:

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Nee dat kost ze juist gigantisch geld de IRS is heel efficient.
https://www.timesfreepres(...)vernment-efficiency/
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Maar het lijkt ondertussen ook meer erop dat de bedoeling is dat de economie keihard crasht. Dan kunnen de aller rijksten vervolgens lekker goedkoop huizen van mensen die dakloos worden opkopen of goedkoop eigenaar worden van bedrijven die even in zwaar weer verkeren.

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 22:35 schreef Janneke141 het volgende:

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600 miljard aan niet-betaalde belastingen. Hoe dan.

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The gross tax gap is the amount of true tax liability that is not paid voluntarily and timely. The projected annual gross tax gap for TY 2022 is $ 696 billion. The voluntary compliance rate (VCR) is a ratio measure of relative compliance and is defined as the amount of “tax paid voluntarily and timely” divided by “total true tax,” expressed as a percentage. The projected VCR is 85.0 percent.

The TY 2022 gross tax gap comprises three components:

Nonfiling (tax not paid on time by those who do not file on time) $63 billion,
Underreporting (tax understated on timely filed returns) $539 billion, and
Underpayment (tax that was reported on time, but not paid on time) $94 billion.
The TY 2022 gross tax gap by type of tax:

Individual income tax $514 billion,
Corporate tax $50 billion,
Employment tax $127 billion, and
Estate tax $5 billion.

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 22:40 schreef Lord-Ronddraai het volgende:

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https://www.irs.gov/stati(...)0is%2085.0%20percent.

696 miljard afgerond naar benden is 600 miljard.

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 22:43 schreef Janneke141 het volgende:

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Ja, duh. In de post waar ik op reageer stond trouwens 606.

Maar hoe kan het dat er zo'n bizar bedrag aan verschuldigde belastingen niet wordt betaald. Daar begrijp ik echt heel weinig van.

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 22:39 schreef rutger05 het volgende:
Bekijk deze YouTube-video

Bernie Sanders neemt Trump vol onder vuur.

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 22:17 schreef opgebaarde het volgende:

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Kash Patel has published an enemies list of 60 people he calls “members of the deep state,” all of whom are public servants—both Democrats and Republicans. He has even said he plans to “shut down the FBI Hoover Building on Day 1 and reopen it the next day as a museum of the “deep state” and to target journalists and media professionals.

[ afbeelding ]

https://www.judiciary.sen(...)t-enemies-of-america

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 23:30 schreef Momo het volgende:
Ja zeg het maar

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 23:30 schreef Momo het volgende:
Ja zeg het maar

[ x ]

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Mr. Musk,

You recently criticized me and another prominent lawyer fighting for the rule of law and democracy in the United States. I am used to being attacked for my work, particularly on the platform you own and dominate.

I used to be a regular on Twitter, where I amassed over 900,000 followers — all organic except for the right-wing bots who seemed to grow in number. Like many others, I stopped regularly posting on the site because, under your stewardship, it became a hellscape of hate and misinformation.

I also used to buy your cars — first a Model X and then a Model S — back when you spoke optimistically about solving the climate crisis. My family no longer owns any of your cars and never will.

But this is not the reason I am writing. You don’t know me. You have no idea whether I have suffered trauma and if I have, how it has manifested. And it’s none of your business.

However, I will address your last point about generational trauma. I am Jewish, though many on your site simply call me “a jew.” Honestly, it’s often worse than that, but I’m sure you get the point. There was a time when Twitter would remove antisemitic posts, but under your leadership, tolerating the world’s oldest hatred now seems to be a permissible part of your “free speech” agenda.

Like many Jewish families, mine came to America because of trauma. They were fleeing persecution in the Pale of Settlement — the only area in the Russian Empire where Jews were legally allowed to reside. Even there, life was difficult — often traumatic. My family, like others, lived in a shtetl and was poor. Worse, pogroms were common — violent riots in which Jews were beaten, killed and expelled from their villages.

By the time my family fled, life in the Pale had become all but impossible for Jews. Tsar Nicholas II’s government spread anti-Jewish propaganda that encouraged Russians to attack and steal from Jews in their communities. My great-grandfather was fortunate to leave when he did. Those who stayed faced even worse circumstances when Hitler’s army later invaded.

That is the generational trauma I carry. The trauma of being treated as “other” by countrymen you once thought were your friends. The trauma of being scapegoated by authoritarian leaders. The trauma of fleeing while millions of others were systematically murdered. The trauma of watching powerful men treat it all as a joke — or worse.

As an immigrant yourself, you can no doubt sympathize with what it means to leave behind your country, extended family, friends and neighbors to come to the United States. Of course, you probably had more than 86 rubles in your pocket. You probably didn’t ride for nine days in the bottom of a ship or have your surname changed by immigration officials. Here is the ship manifest showing that my family did. Aron, age three, was my grandfather.



As new immigrants, life wasn’t easy. My family lived in cramped housing without hot water. They worked menial jobs — the kind immigrants still perform today.

Some may look down on those immigrants — the ones without fancy degrees — but my family was proud to work and grateful that the United States took them in. They found support within their Jewish community and a political home in the Democratic Party.

I became a lawyer to give back to the country that gave my family a chance. I specialize in representing Democratic campaigns because I believe in the party. I litigate voting rights cases because the right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy. I speak out about free and fair elections because they are under threat.

Now let me address the real crux of your post.

You are very rich and very powerful. You have thrown in with Donald Trump. Whether it is because you think you can control him or because you share his authoritarian vision, I do not know. I do not care.

Together, you and he are dismantling our government, undermining the rule of law and harming the most vulnerable in our society. I am just a lawyer. I do not have your wealth or your platform. I do not control the vast power of the federal government, nor do I have millions of adherents at my disposal to harass and intimidate my opponents. I may even carry generational trauma.

But you need to know this about me. I am the great-grandson of a man who led his family out of the shtetl to a strange land in search of a better life. I am the grandson of the three-year-old boy on that journey. As you know, my English name is Marc, but my Hebrew name is Elhanan (אֶלְחָנָן) — after the great warrior in David’s army who slew a powerful giant.

I will use every tool at my disposal to protect this country from Trump. I will litigate to defend voting rights until there are no cases left to bring. I will speak out against authoritarianism until my last breath.

I will not back down. I will not bow or scrape. I will never obey.

Defiantly,

Marc Elias

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 22:26 schreef Nober het volgende:
AMERICA IS BACK — AND PRESIDENT TRUMP IS JUST GETTING STARTED
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Voor wie het allemaal niet kon bijhouden.

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 23:30 schreef Momo het volgende:
Ja zeg het maar

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[ x ]

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Op donderdag 20 februari 2025 23:55 schreef Vis1980 het volgende:
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Man, deze dude speelt heel erg met zijn leven. (en met die van de rest van de wereld)

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Op vrijdag 21 februari 2025 00:38 schreef Momo het volgende:
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Weer een stukje family values met Elon

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Op vrijdag 21 februari 2025 00:42 schreef Kijkertje het volgende:
Maar als je Elon bekritiseert krijg je met Trump's DOJ te maken!

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