The Man From Del MonteMar 18
Charlie Stross

RE: https://mastodon.social/@eunews/116246343568518024

Just noting that if you want British military help it's a bad idea to sneer that they didn't do anything in Afghanistan (500+ war dead). I mean, this is a really low bar to cross? Sneering at allies: not sensible, you never know what next week will bring.

Mar 18 at 10:17amWeb
Show threadjon crowcroftMar 18
@cstross trump's modus operandi - to mar-a-largo = to spoil, damage, disfigure, or ruin its perfection, appearance, or enjoyment, broadly.
Show threadSeiðrMar 18
@cstross Hope his tension skyrockets and has a painful demise.
Show threadStefan Edward JonesMar 19

@Illuminatus @cstross

Ye Gawdz, with his diet, the man must be 50% arterial plaque. How has he lasted so long?

Show threadAlexander Goeres 𒀯Mar 18
@Charlie Stross well, trump only has lackeys ...
Charlie Stross (@[email protected])

47.8K Posts, 1.64K Following, 28.1K Followers · Scottish resident SF/F author (he/him/they/them). Three times Hugo Award winner, 30+ novels in print. Does not play well with Nazis. Abolish the monarchy! Born in a world with 320ppm atmospheric CO2, 3.3 billion people. @cstross.bsky.social on Bluesky blog at: https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/ FOLLOW REQUESTS: don't expect a reciprocal follow. And I will reject requests from folks with no profile and/or no tooting history.

The Wandering Shop
Show threadTTimoMar 18
@cstross also maybe don't threaten European territories ..
Show threadJuha AuteroMar 18
@cstross https://youtu.be/NGrLb6W5YOM?is=3L506kadK73Ejl1E
Céline Dion - All By Myself (Official Remastered HD Video)

YouTube
Show threadtroy_friz_zellMar 18

@cstross

The man is a psychopath. He has no allies. He has no friends.

Show threadCharlie StrossMar 18
@troy_frizzell The difference is that some psychopaths have sufficient impulse control and planning not to shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly. They *can* model other peoples' likely reactions and plan for their own future success. Trump simply doesn't. (Combination of narcissism and senile dementia.)
Show threadIsaac Ji KuoMar 18

@cstross @troy_frizzell Okay, look. The orange POTUS does actually know how to lavish praise on others. Putin, Kim Jung Un, people like that.

So it's not like Trump is simply incapable of basic politeness. It's just that he explicitly chooses to only extend it to the most awful people possible, who absolutely do not deserve it.

Show threadOlivier Roux (moose)Mar 18
@cstross you think Trump is aware of “next week”?
Show threadJaime RobertsonMar 18
@cstross My reaction when I saw about Donnie whining that our former allies won’t help him with yet another pointless, illegal war in Western Asia was “You broke it, you bought it.”
Show threadmmbyMar 18
@cstross on top of the moral/emotional angle, joining that madness doesn't come out net positive, diplomatically - and on top of that we know not to put much faith into any promises made by the US admin
Show threadNathan StandingMar 18

@cstross
A reminder that Trump isn't the United States.

Most people here hate the war, and that Trump is using our stuff for his whim. We love how our allies are reacting. Trump's a boob who deserves to be humiliated.

And who knows? Maybe rational allies will help end this idiotic war a smidge faster.

Show threadCharlie StrossMar 18
@cryptosantra I know it. (I have lots of US friends and used to visit regularly, often spending a couple of months there each year—before Trump fucked everything royally from 2016 onwards. I would *like* to visit again, but that's just not safe until the regime collapses and the entire system does a reboot from cold.)
Show threadStefan Edward JonesMar 19

@cstross @cryptosantra Hoping that is soon.

It is heartening to read about young MAGA types realizing they've been had.

Show threadacmMar 18
@cstross He has no idea of "alliance" other than "people I can use"...
Show threadJürgen HubertMar 19

@cstross

Even German chancellor Merz seems to have found his limit on how much American cock he will suck over this.

Show threadDouglas Edwards Mar 21

@juergen_hubert @cstross He doesn't think of them as allies, he thinks of them as minions.

Which is also not a good idea.

#AmericanNero

Show threadSkookumchickMar 19
@cstross
Show threadStingray's Badger FriendMar 21

@cstross

But spineless #Starmer thinks that giving in to Trump's requests will help him.

It certainly won't help his popularity. The British people don't want this war, they don't want more British deaths, they don't want more refugees.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-keir-starmer-gives-permission-36901567

Starmer says US can use UK bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting ships

It came just hours after Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said allowing British military bases to be used by US forces will be viewed as an act of aggression

The Mirror
Show threadNathan SalwenMar 21
@cstross And consult with allies before beginning a foolish adventure.