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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 3d

I would not like to be the one paying the White House's ketchup bill today.

An AI generated image of Donald Trump sitting in the Oval Office, with the facial expression of a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. The walls and golden ornaments are covered with ketchup, and two empty bottles of ketchup are on the resolute desk.

betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 3d

That was Carr though :)
Then again, the show has a rich history of scatological humor dating all the way back to mr. Hanky, the Christmas poo, or indeed the first episode where Cartman gets an anal probe :)

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 3d

I can literally only imagine that in South Park style.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 3d

Wow, that speech on how Ms. Machado was selected for the Nobel peace prize was amazing. This was not merely a Trump snub; this was the committee making clear they have awarded the prize to the anti-Trump, someone whose values are diametrically opposite of his worst authoritarian tendencies. Bravo.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 3d

I would be absolutely unsurprised... The real award the man deserves is to be dragged before the ICC for his war crimes.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 3d

My sincerest condolences to the Norwegian and Venezuelan people, who are likely to feel swift and immediate economic sanctions or even military reprisals by noted Nobel Peace prize nominee Donald Trump.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

Clearly you have misunderstood my point entirely... Which seems to be an indictment of the American education system.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

www.euronews.com/culture/2025...

Clearly, Merz doesn't want to repeat his country's historic error toward the Jewish people.
So he repeats his country's historic mistake of siding with genocide.

Not every Jew is Israeli.
But every genocide is genocide.

German chancellor threatens to boycott Eurovision if Israel excluded

Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that if Israel is excluded from Eurovision 2026, Germany will not take part.

www.euronews.com

betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

Absolutely not. I spoke out against the treatment of Gazans long before October 7th, and I think I abundantly make clear my sympathy for the plight of a people oppressed in an open air prison because of a group that rose to power before half of them were even born, let alone of voting age.

betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

If you've read the entire thread, you know I agree.
But that still shouldn't excuse the slaughter of civilians, who shouldn't have to die for the actions of their government any more than the Gazan people should suffer for the actions of Hamas.

betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

Even if they do, there's still a lot missing in the peace plan; especially regarding the west bank, where ever more illegal Israeli settlements keep cropping up, making a lasting peace in a two state solution nearly impossible. One can only hope that true peacemakers will rise up... שלום, سلام

betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

Hospitals have been bombed. Journalists and aid workers have been targeted and murdered. Critical aid supplies have been denied, and when they were allowed, fire was opened on innocent civilians just trying to get their first meal in days. Let's hope the cease-fire talks work, but I am cautious.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

Because two years later, it should be clear that it's not just Hamas who have grievously miscalculated; so has the Israeli government. It should be impossible not to condemn the October 7th attack. It should be equally impossible not to condemn the genocide by the Israeli government in Gaza.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

often cut off from trade, and crucial facilities like running water or electricity. But after such barbarism, who could ignore Israel's right to defend its own people? And who could sympathize with the barbarians? Nothing can excuse such slaughter of innocent people. Nothing.

Not even October 7th.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

I mean, at that point, sure, there had been terrorist attacks, but it was also hard not to empathize with a population living in an open air prison, half of whom had been born after Hamas rose to power; treated forever as second class citizens through no fault of their own,

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

My thoughts this day are unequivocally with the victims and their families, not in the least the hostages that are still not returned.
On that horrible day, I was sure that Hamas had not only committed a horrible crime, but they had made a crucial error.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

2 years ago today, Hamas committed an atrocious attack against civilians who were peacefully enjoying a music festival, brutally ending the lives of 1200 people, wounding thousands more, and traumatizing millions. I condemned that attack emphatically that day, and I condemn it today.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 6d

Merz: ik ga mij heel duidelijk afzetten van de historische fout die mijn land tegen de Joden heeft gemaakt.
Ook Merz: mijn land kiest dan maar opnieuw aan de kant van genocide.

Niet elke jood is een Israeli, Friedrich. Maar alle slachtoffers van genocide zijn slachtoffers van genocide.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 9d

I know your politicians tell you it's better over there than it is in "socialist" Europe, but in so many ways, it really isn't; not even before the fascists took over.

Child mortality:
Belgium and EU: 0.4%
USA: 0.6%

Self-reported happiness:
Belgium: 6.91
USA: 6.72
Source: ourworldindata.org

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 9d

Mortality is not a measure of health, as it is skewed by demographic composition, it just means we have more old people. Because our life expectancy is 3 years longer than the USA. We do have a high tax burden, but also working social security in case of unemployment and a decent retirement age.

betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 9d

Also... I hope that condescending tone is merely meant for your own enjoyment, because it certainly doesn't help get your point across. Let's do our best to keep things civil, the Internet already sucks enough.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 9d

Yes I do, because I happen to live in a country with a healthcare system that works exactly like the ACA was originally intended, with individual mandates and all that stuff y'all deemed "too socialist". And my country actually still functions. That's Belgium, btw.

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 9d

Nope. That's the result of people gradually stripping away everything that made the ACW work in the first place...

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 9d

Senator, at this point, I feel like the only thing to do is take a broken, creaky COUNTRY, smash it to the ground, and rebuild from the ground up. Congress is broken. SCOTUS is broken. Your elections led to Trump in the White House. Your media and education are hijacked by fascists. I could go on...

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betheb86.bsky.social @betheb86.bsky.social · 9d

So, the USA is openly committing war crimes in the Caribbean sea, the illegal shuttering of already funded USAID operations have already cost the lives of thousands of people, ICE is raiding entire buildings and deporting people to concentration camps in El Salvador. International community, u home?