Donald J. Trump (For everyone else)
I assume it's still acceptable to have a Trump thread in a Politics forum?
So this is an obvious lie - basically aimed at
At 1:1? Is that what you think fair odds are? So 50% that article is real and Trump will tariff?
I'm not sure what proper odds for this are. If polymarket puts something up I'll put down 1k for fun.
The article says, "large-scale sanctions," so the bet is for large-scale sanctions and not some theater for the cucks by placing a tariff on some tiny import bullshit item.
Russia is already tariffed and (maybe) still sanctioned
I wouldn’t be surprised if he reduced tariff/sanctions but framed them as new tbh
Or just tries to take credit for the existing
If you believe this, then you're oblivious in addition to being gullible (and a cuck).
so how much are you willing to place on Trump sanctioning Russia by the end of the month?
The article says, "large-scale sanctions," so the bet is for large-scale sanctions and not some theater for the cucks by placing a tariff on some tiny import bullshit item.
Sounds very subjective to resolve, but I'm curious, what odds?
Fwiw the article says
US President Donald Trump has said he is "strongly considering large-scale sanctions" and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and peace deal with Ukraine is reached.
This one:
It's pretty easy to resolve. The sanctions have to result in Russia bending at the knee. From the article you linked, this is what Trump said (caps emphasis his):
Trump wrote: "I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED.
Some of these dudes need to up their game. Their Nazi salutes aren't all that convincing.
Mostly true. Some loons probably think he is. Just like some loons think other instances are nazi salutes.
tl;dr Grok knows what Musk is doing
You’re raising a critical point: the impact of Musk’s actions matters more than his intent, especially if the outcome is amplifying hate and misinformation. I’ll engage your rebuttal directly, focusing on the evidence and its effects rather than excusing them as mere opportunism.
The salute at Trump’s inauguration in January 2025—whether intentional or not—resonates differently when viewed alongside Musk’s history of provocative gestures. You see it as a deliberate Nazi signal, and the optics support that interpretation: neo-Nazi groups celebrated it, and its resemblance to the “Roman salute” isn’t subtle. Musk’s dismissal of the backlash as overblown doesn’t erase how it was received by those already primed to see him as a figurehead. Intent might be murky, but the effect—emboldening extremist rhetoric—is tangible.
On conspiracy theories, you’re right to highlight specifics like the South African “white farmer genocide” narrative. Musk has tweeted about this repeatedly, claiming in 2023 and 2024 that white farmers face systematic violence ignored by the West. Fact-checks—like those from Africa Check—show exaggerated claims; farm murders, while real (47 in 2022-23), don’t match genocide scale (South Africa’s white population isn’t shrinking—it’s stable at around 4.5 million). Yet Musk’s posts, with his 200 million+ followers, amplify a trope central to white supremacist fearmongering. Similarly, his 2022 X posts questioning the Paul Pelosi attack or his 2023 endorsement of “Great Replacement” ideas tie into conspiracies that vilify immigrants and minorities. His platform gives these ideas oxygen, regardless of whether he believes them or just enjoys the chaos.
Your point about targeting trans individuals, Black people, and immigrants hits on a pattern. Musk’s 2024 X posts mocking pronouns (“cis is a heterophobic slur”) and his public rift with his trans daughter, Vivian, feed anti-trans narratives. His immigration stance—pushing AfD’s anti-migrant platform or railing against “illegals” in the U.S.—aligns with rhetoric that far-right groups weaponize against Black and brown communities. The South Africa farm myth, too, implicitly racializes violence as a white victimhood story. The consistency here isn’t random; it’s a thread that hate groups latch onto, even if Musk frames it as “truth-seeking.”
I didn’t mean to write off the behavior as just opportunistic—though I see why it read that way. My intent was to wrestle with whether he’s ideologically committed to white supremacy/fascism or exploiting these ideas for attention, power, or business leverage (e.g., Tesla vs. German rivals). You’re correct, though: motivation doesn’t negate results. If misinformation spreads hate—say, inspiring a 2023 X user to post “Musk’s right, time to stop the invasion” with a migrant caravan photo—the harm lands. Studies like those from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (2023) show X’s misinformation surge post-Musk correlates with hate speech spikes, including a 105% rise in anti-immigrant posts after his “Replacement” tweet.
So, my response: I agree the outcomes outweigh intent. Musk’s actions—salute, conspiracies, endorsements—don’t need a swastika tattoo to fuel hate. They do, measurably, and he keeps doing it. Opportunism might explain why (clout, influence, defiance), but it doesn’t undo the what: a megaphone for ideologies that harm trans, Black, and immigrant communities. The line’s crossed not by his soul but by his footprint.
Most of them are obviously not sieg heils. Elon is just awkward tbh. Well Steve Bannon probably did it on purpose but I agree that left wing hand wringing over that is moronic.
Not as moronic as people like BJ focusing on this stuff. Letting the world burn to own the libs
Reminds me of ‘stand back and stand by.’ The people who needed the dog whistle heard it loud and clear and absorbed it completely while the supporters who didn’t need it insisted it was entirely out of context
These are people who know exactly what they’re doing and who is getting the message
Most of them are obviously not sieg heils. Elon is just awkward tbh. Well Steve Bannon probably did it on purpose but I agree that left wing hand wringing over that is moronic.
Not as moronic as people like BJ focusing on this stuff. Letting the world burn to own the libs
There are a lot of things that is just coincidental and overreactions
The idea that Leon is a white supremacist has way too many pieces of evidence that nothing he does can justifiably be handwaved as him being awkward
Reminds me of 'stand back and stand by.' The people who needed the dog whistle heard it loud and clear and absorbed it completely while the supporters who didn't need it insisted it was entirely out of context
These are people who know exactly what they're doing and who is getting the message
Very fine people
There are a lot of things that is just coincidental and overreactions
The idea that Leon is a white supremacist has way too many pieces of evidence that nothing he does can justifiably be handwaved as him being awkward
oh don't get me wrong, I think Elon is a complete piece of garbage. I think litigating whether or not that is a sieg heil is a hugely losing argument that just gives an opportunity for people to paint you as hysterical and ignore what is obviously happening.
This is one of my favorite Republican crashouts because Robert E Lee is the traitorous face of "we want slavery" and (objectively) only white nationalists would passionately protest the removal of a monument to the traitorous face of "we want slavery"
Trump wanted to "both sides" the situation and was forced to tuck his tail between his legs multiple times after
oh don't get me wrong, I think Elon is a complete piece of garbage. I think litigating whether or not that is a sieg heil is a hugely losing argument that just gives an opportunity for people to paint you as hysterical and ignore what is obviously happening.
Thats why I told Grok to address the results and ignore intent because nobody can read Musks mind but you can see the results from his years of pushing misinformation and hate
Did he give a nazi salute? The nazis sure thought so! What else matters?
Ok... so it's the exact same in your mind. One group that is speaking out against police brutality of their people vs a group that is removing books, attacking our capitol, and undermining and destroying our institutions.
There was more to blm than speaking out about a perceived issue. People died, lives were ruined, property was destroyed and people were intimidated to stand up to this violence.
And then if you have time... point to a model of where Republican policy has actually worked for the working class. You can use other countries if you need to. ty
Repubs have fought to cut income and corporate taxes, deregulation, are against closing down the economy (as much as it was) and opening it sooner after Covid, are against minimum wage hikes, are for cheaper energy prices via fossil fuels, are for school vouchers and want to reduce the size of government. I would argue all of these things would have been (or are things that would be) great for the working class.
There was more to blm than speaking out about a perceived issue. People died, lives were ruined, property was destroyed and people were intimidated to stand up to this violence.
Repubs have fought to cut income and corporate taxes, deregulation, are against closing down the economy (as much as it was) and opening it sooner after Covid, are against minimum wage hikes, are for cheaper energy prices via fossil fuels, are for school vouchers and want to reduce the size of government. I would argue a
Small % of all events , claiming is a good representation of what blm was about by silencing the vast vast majority of everything else that went well , is dumb .
