Trump News

Trump’s support is now negative even among the white working class.

Trump downplays the dollar’s recent volatility, despite it being at its lowest level in 4 years.

A truly insane Trump post . . .

Trump influences

Some argue that the real reason for the Venezuelan escapade is is to be able to stop oil exports to China – in line with an overall objective of controlling the global oil trade. As I’ve said, oil is the world’s major problem. We need to get away from it. This, rather than global warming, might be the best rationale for wind, sun and sea power. But it might take 60 years.

The bigot-in-chief – Stephen Miller. A man of a dark dystopian world view. Who deserves so much credit for Trump policies.

Miller quote: Protect your friends and go after your enemies.

Query: Who elected him to the position of eminence grise?

Query: Will his arrogant incompetence in his diabolic role cause his downfall? Rather as it did for Lucifer, I guess.

Non-comedic Commentaries

A ‘scholar of Spanish culture’ writes here: While comparisons to Hitler’s fascist regime are becoming common, I’d argue that it may be even more fitting to compare the present moment to a less-remembered but longer-lasting fascist regime: that of Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain from 1936 until his death in 1975.

US Culture

A friend was rather vocal about what she saw as an annoying US cultural phenomenon that she’d suffered from when living there. S, I asked Perplexity about The possibly peculiar US cultural phenomena related to excessive enthusiasm and subsequent ‘flakiness’. This was the answer. I should stress that, despite many trips to the US, I wasn’t really familiar with this, perhaps because my trips were all on business. And I haven’t lived much in the USA:-

There is a recognizable U.S. pattern where people display intense enthusiasm at first and then disappear or fail to follow through, especially in social and professional contexts.

What you’re describing

Many visitors and immigrants notice that Americans can be very warm, eager, and effusive—“We should totally hang out!” “This project is going to be amazing!”—but those plans never materialize, or interest drops off quickly. This can feel like a mix of:

– Social overpromising (lots of “let’s do this!” with little concrete follow‑up).
– Performative positivity (cheerful engagement that doesn’t necessarily indicate real commitment or intimacy).
– A fast‑moving, opportunity‑oriented culture where attention shifts quickly to the next thing.

Cultural roots of “enthusiastic flakiness”A few underlying factors often get cited:

– Norm of high-energy positivity: American social norms reward being upbeat, expressive, and encouraging, so people routinely dial their enthusiasm up a notch—smiling at strangers, using multiple exclamation points, calling things “awesome” or “amazing.” This can be read as genuine intent when it is partly just politeness or style.
– Low-context communication: Compared to some European or Asian cultures, Americans often use big words for small things (e.g., “I love your idea” meaning “I think it’s fine”), so verbal enthusiasm doesn’t always map to strong commitment.
– Avoidance of direct negativity: Saying “let’s do something sometime” is an easy way to avoid saying “no,” which pushes the real refusal into the future via non-response or cancellation.
– Busyness as status: Overfilled schedules and constant busyness are normalized and even valorized, which makes it easier to rationalize dropping informal commitments or social plans when the next urgent thing arises.

Where it shows up

You see this pattern in several domains:

– Casual friendships: Very warm first encounters, enthusiastic talk of future meetups, then silence or slow drifting away. This is particularly noticeable to newcomers who interpret the initial warmth as a firm promise of a new friendship.
– Networking and work culture: Hyper-energetic brainstorming (“we’re going to change the world”), followed by more modest execution or abandoned initiatives once the initial hype wears off, funding shifts, or attention moves elsewhere.
– “Hype culture”: Launches, trends, and causes often arrive with maximal excitement—events, slogans, emotional language—then fade quickly as the social and media environment moves on to the next topic. The emotional intensity up front does not guarantee long-term engagement or responsibility.

Not just hypocrisy

From the inside, many Americans do not experience this as deliberate insincerity:

– Enthusiasm is often genuine in the moment, but people overestimate their future time, interest, and energy.
– Social scripts encourage big, friendly language even when the underlying intent is tentative (“we should hang out” = “I like you; we might hang out if life allows”).
– The culture separates “vibes” from “commitments”: sounding excited is about creating a pleasant, optimistic atmosphere; actual commitment is signaled more by specifics (date, time, place, calendar invite) than by the emotional level of the conversation.

How to interpret and navigate it

If you’re dealing with this from the outside:

– Treat generic, unspecific enthusiasm as politeness or mild interest, not as a promise.
– Look for concrete follow-up (details, messages, clear next steps) as the real sign of commitment.
– When you want to avoid flakiness, push gently for specifics: “Great, shall we pick a day now?”
– Don’t assume personal rejection if plans never happen; often it’s structural (time, distance, norms) rather than about you.