US midterm elections 2026 live updates: Democrats win Senate control and edge
theguardian.com
theguardian.com
Europe's energy conundrum is caused by Germany (Gerhard Schroder to be exact, ex-leader of SPD in case you're wondering, currently paid very well by Putin's Gazprom and special guest at Putin's 74th birthday party earlier this year, and continued by Angela Merkel, who was also invited but at least had the good sense not to attend) essentially forcing Europe to switch to Russian natural gas. Now the gas distribution networks, are being dismantled at a cost of about some 400 euros per European. The increase in energy prices is costing at least 3000 per year per European, and while the Iran was is 25% responsible for that, Russia is 75% responsible.
Europe's economy was betting on China as an export market and inflation-stopper. That was another choice essentially forced on Europe by Germany, and another bafflingly stupid choice. THAT choice by Germany (again under Angela Merkel), not AI, not the Iran war, not even Russia-Ukraine is the big reason jobs are disappearing in the EU.
And Europe's defense was betting on US ... despite US objecting to that since at least 2006 (Bush Jr was president at the time). Now Europe is refusing to pay for it's defense (Europe's "help" to Ukraine is really overwhelmingly loans, not actual help). Europe is also spending 900 billion dollars per year until at least 2030 on things that are intended to not help anyone and destroy economy and lives. And in case you think "refusing to spend" doesn't make sense, that's because it's all Europe lending from international markets at huge interest rates, guaranteeing that all Europeans pay MORE for this in the future. In case you're wondering 900 billion divided by 500 million EU citizens is another 2000 per year in extra taxes that's coming. But no worries: you're not being taxed extra for it yet, only the interest on it.
EU's current difficulties are all self-inflicted choices from 10 years ago. A democrat congress will do less than nothing to change this.
When will Europe learn its lesson and stop letting itself ruined by German leaders? Bonus points if their Austrian born :)
>Europe's "help" to Ukraine is really overwhelmingly loans, not actual help
Loans is the only way the EU can give money from the ECB but those loans will be written off, Ukraine won't pay back anything. It's how the EU gives money.
>EU's current difficulties are all self-inflicted choices from 10 years ago.
A lot more than 10 years. At least 20 years of mismanagement and of kicking the can down the road on topics that were known issues way back then.
When will Europeans fix the bugs in their EU democracy?
>A single administrator shouldn't have so much power.
A democrat administration having as much power is also not good?
Sad that this line has become necessary.
Let's see if the leaderless Democrats can actually affect some change.
Dems still need to figure out how to get things fixed with a hostile judicial and executive branch, but the incoming group seems to have some actual intention. Maybe Republicans will notice and bring something more than "trans kids", "omg everything is socialism" and "We Are Trump" to the next election.
It'll take some time, I hear, like decades to fix "the vast damage this admin has done". It's not simple... "Do you know what a supply chain is?"
As, um, opposed to Scott Bessent who said this about AI: "So the thing that they are building is going to cause disinflation. It is causing a short-term competition for capital, but … we're going to see real productivity growth [in the long-term]."
No rush here, we always plan 20 years ahead in the future and replace the plans every 4 years or so... with even better plans. The long term is all yours, as Keynes aptly put it. What more could you want?
I love the taste of bitter tears in the morning ... they taste like ... VICTORY.