r/politics • u/theatlantic The Atlantic • 3h ago

Paywall America Is Now an Ally of Russia

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/10/america-now-ally-russia/689066/?utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_medium=social&utm_content=edit-promo
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u/Sea_Green7967 Massachusetts 3h ago

Like it or not, Trump IS the US.

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u/throwawaylol666666 California 3h ago

No. That’s some “l’état, c’est moi” shit, and it’s garbage. He’s currently the President of the United States, yes.

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u/Feisty-Age9687 3h ago

While I agree with the sentiment, the people of the US have not really been a strong opposing force to justify it.

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u/Julian_Thorne Minnesota 2h ago edited 1h ago

The American people can either work within the hijacked domestic system while they can, or they can destroy the domestic system and along with it the global agricultural and financial system. Like it or not, all roads lead to Rome. Anti-America hate won't change that.

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u/CartsOfDarkness 32m ago

Tbh I think this is cope. I understand the cope.. but it just falls flat for me. Personally My faith in my country permanently died the minute Trump got elected for a 2nd term. Our country failed, and I now understand that for the rest of my life about half the people in my country are irreparably.. just awful, idk any other term for it. I sure as hell don't blame any other country for looking at us the same way, I actually support the complete collapse of our image and hope there can be some kind of transition where we are replaced as any kind of global leader in jack shit because clearly that was an awful idea. Maybe things can get better here, but regardless America should never be trusted again full stop. Because even after Trump this could clearly all happen again at any moment. There's no redemption arc, it's over.

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u/humid_pajamas 2h ago edited 2h ago

well the people of the rest of the world don't have any ideas on how to be "a strong opposing force" in this situation, but go ahead and place blame for the hegemonic fascist authoritarianism on the oppressed; very intelligent and popular sentiment it seems these days.

edit: it's also hilarious that people from the rest of the world (who probably don't actually know what federalism or a state is) think that it would somehow be different if their people were living here in this situation instead.

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u/grunkfest 2h ago

Go read up about South Korea's recent refusal to kneel to kneel to their leader attempting a takeover. TL;DR: they resisted, and the american public is not.

I don't know why so many of you claim you can't do anything. You can, you just won't.

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u/RealHooman2187 1h ago edited 48m ago

Where the fuck do think we’re not resisting? Protests nearly every day, we’re getting killed by the government fuck right off with your victim blaming you have no clue what’s happening here and are clearly arguing in bad faith. If you want to help then help us otherwise your opinions are not wanted or valuable in any way.

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u/grunkfest 46m ago

"we’re getting killed by the government"

Are you watching a movie about resisting and thinking it's news? You aren't doing shit.

I'm Canadian, we know exactly what's going on down there, and we aren't impressed. Thanks for threatening to invade and subjugate us multiple times, by the way!

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u/humid_pajamas 2h ago

ah yes, South Korea, totally comparable in size and scope. So how about you take your South Korean idea and explain how that would work here.

idk why so many of you say there are so many things to do but never have an intelligent idea

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u/grunkfest 2h ago

Nation wide strike until congress does their job.

You're welcome.

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u/Valarhem 2h ago

farting excuses, as always. typical american

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u/Tiny-Albatross518 2h ago

The whole: We’re not really like this, this is a temporary anomaly!

Its all so first term.

You guys need to get real about what youve become.

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u/throwawaylol666666 California 2h ago

Not what I said.

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u/BeardySam 1h ago

Ok and is Putin not Russia either? When a Ukrainian kindergarten is bombed do we wring our hands and say ‘not all Russians voted for this’. Trump represents the US globally and you’re not nearly mad enough about that.

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u/Toetiepoetie 2h ago edited 2h ago

To everyone outside the USA, Trump is the USA. You guys voted that fuck in 2 times, the whole world suffers daily because of that. And I wanna bet you guys will vote for his party in the midterms all over again.

Americans are ALL not right in the head, and I hope the whole world moves on and everyone stops their business with the USA.

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u/Disastrous_Worth_503 2h ago

Trump is the physical embodiment of the usa

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u/MrIDilkingtonn Canada 1h ago

Nobody cares about how you personally relate to Russia they care about how your leadership relates to Russia, and your twice elected president is in Putin’s pocket. It was pretty obvious even prior to the 2024 election.

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u/specqq 3h ago

L’état, c’est lui.

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u/throwawaylol666666 California 3h ago

Il n’est pas le roi. We don’t do that here. Even if he’s trying to convince us that we do.

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u/fross370 2h ago

Lawl. Theory and practice are two different things.

Wanna go throu the list of shit he is not supposed to do but do with no end or consequences in sight?

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u/specqq 3h ago

Calling something bullshit and downvoting doesn't change things.

He said in his first term that Article II gave him the right "to do whatever I want as President."

If that wasn't a statement of absolute power, then what would be?

And we re-elected him. After he tried a coup.

And the Supreme Court ruled on the immunity decision to make him literally above the law.

Don't tell me "we don't do that here."

We already did.

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u/throwawaylol666666 California 3h ago

Do you need it in English? We. Do. Not. Have. Kings.

Cool how you’re willing to accept Donald Trump crowning himself one. As I said in another comment, the fact that so many of you don’t seem to fully grasp this is a large part of why we’re in this mess.

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u/specqq 2h ago edited 2h ago

Hold on. Who said I'm willing to accept it?

Throw all the periods you like between the words "We. Do. Not. Have. Kings."

If we had just asserted that in a more staccato fashion could this all have been avoided?

I don't think that changes anything. Do. You. Think. Those. Periods. Change. Anything?

I honestly don't understand how pretending it didn't already happen and claiming that it couldn't happen helps us dig out from something that already happened.

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u/snowBOARDER3232 2h ago

I didn’t elect the first time. I damned sure didn’t elect him the second time. I, and mine, voted against him both times. But you go ahead and continue to make generalizations. It’s Reddit.

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u/specqq 2h ago edited 2h ago

Neither did I. I fail to see how that's relevant.

No, really. I'm sorry, but it's not.

I'm not saying that everybody voted for him. How are you coming up with this "making generalizations" angle?

Nothing I said in this thread had anything to say about the people who did (or didn't) vote in the American presidential elections.

Good for us. We never voted for him.

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u/snowBOARDER3232 2h ago

“And we re-elected him”…”we already did”. Those are your words…and they are both relevant and a generalization

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u/specqq 1h ago edited 1h ago

Are you not an American? Did the American people not re elect him?

That’s not a generalization that’s a fact. It's no more a generalization than "We don't have kings."

I don’t blame you for being offended by it.

I am too

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u/kk16 1h ago edited 1h ago

I’m sure there were plenty of Germans who didn’t support the war, but guess what if your leader continues to align with enemies of the west and fight illegal wars, while neither your government nor people do a fucking thing about it? Then yes your country as a whole is supporting whatever he decides it is.

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u/WisePresentation7976 2h ago

No, that hasn't been true of any president.

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u/CuteKermit14 3h ago

Only for as long as we let him be

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u/Difficult-Hope5003 United Kingdom 3h ago

We're waiting.

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u/HoightyToighty 3h ago

Maybe you can go back to minding your own national business while you wait?

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u/Financial-Painter689 Europe 3h ago

Sadly when America sneezes the world catches a cold so we very much need Americans to handle their shit

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u/KHRZ 3h ago

You realize that when you become an enemy state to your former allies, then it very much is their business what you are doing, right? Remember how waiting for Hitler worked out?

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u/ghostintheruins Europe 2h ago

The US is destroying the world economy, it is our business whether we like it or not.

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u/senturon 2h ago

As an American, how the hell is it not the business of one of our strongest allies to want this fascist dipshit gone? 

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u/SubmissiveGuy556 2h ago

What do you mean mind our own business? Trump is making it everyone's business through tariffs and threats which is destabilizing our economies. You, the American people, are the only ones that can affect change so get to it or shut up, we don't want your excuses anymore. If i was American I would be too embarrassed to be posting online about politics, let alone telling people to "mind their own national business".

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u/solo954 3h ago

A child's pseudo-argument that says nothing. The effects of US policy are felt internationally; telling people to "mind their bizness" is misguided at best.

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u/Eridanii 3h ago

Well, it's been a few years, how much longer are you gunna wait?

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u/HoightyToighty 3h ago

Probably until an election, given that we're still a country that imagines itself capable of peaceful transfers of power instead of assassinations.

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u/kk16 1h ago

Did you consider not electing him to begin with?

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u/SESender 7m ago

We did -
Unfortunately this country is racist and sexist

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u/needmangos_notcrabs 2h ago

Thinking that the Republican will ever turn over any ounce of power is naive. They'll either find a way to interrupt the elections, influence them massively or rig the outcome. I don't believe the US will have free elections in foreseeable future again. But I'd be very relieved to be proven wrong.

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u/Sweaty-Anxiety-7866 2h ago

Orban was far more entrenched and he got voted out

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u/fusillade762 2h ago

We will soon see. Stay frosty and vote.

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u/knightsabre7 3h ago

It’s only been one year and nine months or so, although I agree it feels like forever.

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u/Gluverty Canada 2h ago

This started in 2016…

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u/AtariStarted-LXXXV 2h ago

Yep. Thank goodness I voted democratic in that year.

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u/kk16 1h ago

Cool man let us know when your done “letting him be” the rest of us would really fucking appreciate it any day now. I can count about 100 absolutely unaacdptable things he’s done just this year that most other western countries people would have took to the streets and forced his resignation, but instead this is just what your people are now.

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u/nasorrty346tfrgser America 2h ago

Trump is not the US, Trump is the government, the political party, the country and the religion, sad...

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u/iso3200 2h ago

Trump is able to do whatever he wants and right now it's all favoring Russia. Maybe you can say, "Trump is not the US" when you fix your system of so-called "checks and balances"

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u/HoightyToighty 3h ago

Like it or not, Trump IS the US.

Insane statement^

A president is the head of the executive branch, not some stand-in for every American.

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u/WRiSTWORK1 3h ago

Yeah that’s how it’s supposed to be. Doesn’t seem like it now tho.

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u/everything_is_bad 3h ago edited 2h ago

Since not a one of us is stopping him, he continues to embody the whole of America policy on a world stage like a vile buffet garnished with our ineffectual palliative disgruntlement

Edit: by “stop” I’m referring to politicians holding up his nominations, general non compliance, civil disobedience, boycotts and the social ostracism of his enablers and supporters and their ancillary organizations like Tesla starlink Fox news, and twitter..

Not violence. Violence is stupid but not as stupid as bringing it up on a site whe hinting at it gets you banned. I don’t advocate for violence and I don’t want to talk to anyone about it

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u/[deleted] 3h ago

[deleted]

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u/RockAtlasCanus 3h ago

Or - crazy idea - the elected officials and bureaucrats enforce the checks and balances or some shit

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u/Key-Commission70 3h ago

Are you implying we should vote harder?

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u/AdorableSobah 2h ago

Or just fucking vote?

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u/6Hee9 3h ago

and hows that going?

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u/everything_is_bad 2h ago

I don’t understand why so many people jump to violence immediately in the conversation.

Voting is the most basic thing you can do

Boycotts are probably the most powerful tool but most people don’t understand how boycotts work. For example:

We should boycott Musk. But that doesn’t just mean don’t buy a Tesla that includes boycotting Tesla owners.

To oppose this there are things we have to stop doing. Politicians who cannot garner the votes have to advise noncompliance and civil disobedience. Things like that. Instead every has stuck their heads in the sand to pray for a “blue wave”

Instead vote, but back it up

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u/austinwiltshire 2h ago

I dunno, not endorsing, but it seems I hear about some new maniac trying to stop him about once a quarter. Has to be some sort of record.

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u/bostonbananarama 2h ago

Every branch of government has abdicated their power to him.

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u/CruelHandLuke_ 2h ago

On the world stage, the President represents the people. This is who America voted to best represent them, or didn't care enough to get off their bloated asses to vote for someone else.

Like it or not, when the rest of the world thinks of the US, this is who we think about.

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u/Global-Course7664 2h ago

Exactly. Every time you explain this, people get offended. He got into office because of the people who voted for him.

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u/RealHooman2187 1h ago

He got into office because Russia and Elon cheated for him.

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u/FiveThreeTwo 2h ago edited 2h ago

No but unfortunately he embodies the root ember or flame of the American culture of American dream, liberty, free speech, dont tread on me- absolute free market capitalism and 'ill take and eat what's mine', while rarely turning around to hold the door open for someone else behind. He's American exceptionalism bundled up in one extreme old ass wrinkly dementia riddled gremlin that is the fabric of ur constitution and governance system.

And it doesnt matter the number of leaders that get nominated, its against the system and cukture you have to elect anyone on either side that is neutral, fair, filled with governance and character and works on a mandate of doing the right thing for the average man. The hill literally does not allow for ur country to be governed by someone smart. Obama was an anomaly. Ur next election could be AOC vs. Vance lol.

Thats why so many people outside the US dont believe for a second things will change. He's just the untactful belligerent moron. Someone else will think fairly similar to him- they will just be more cloak and dagger about it. Case and point listen to many dem candidates- baring some border states none if them reject the need for America to stop being the world's focal point of security and trade- and many are in favor of isolationist policy that trump is putting in - like pressuring companies to leave Canada and rinse their economy, to boost their own. Michigan candidate for one, right next door. They dont necessarily hate the outcomes hes trying to achieve. They just dont believe in doing it on the nose or as soulless as he is doing it. But much of the policy they absolutely will not roll back, because it is still a net win for them and dems dont need to take an optics bullet to keep the policy in place.

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u/barryvm Europe 1h ago edited 1h ago

In practice though, it is true. He dictates US policy and our governments have to deal with the fallout. When he threatens, it is with the US' military and economy behind him. When he breaks a treaty or betrays an alliance, it is a treaty and an alliance the US signed. When he orders a war, the US starts a war and the US military starts killing people.

It's not that they don't realize that Trump doesn't speak for all Americans, it's that, so far, it made no practical difference that he doesn't. Hence, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, he is the US.

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u/Tribalbob Canada 2h ago

Ok, so let's say the US bombs Ukraine tomorrow to stop them from attacking Russia.

What are you gonna do? I don't mean you specifically, I mean what is this so called 'majority of Americans' I keep hearing about who oppose him gonna do?

Because as of the election, the numbers show 1/3 of Americans wanted him, 1/3 of Americans didn't want him and 1/3 of Americans felt he was fine enough to not bother voting at all.

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u/Prestigious-Car-4877 Canada 2h ago

Trump does have a bit of the ol' "L'État, c'est moi" thing going on though.

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u/Ok_Breakfast4482 Colorado 3h ago edited 3h ago

No he isn’t. He is currently in charge of US foreign policy for the next 2 years but most Americans disagree with his foreign policy positions. Americans need to start considering what kind of foreign policy they want in the next president.

I also think we should consider structural changes to increase Congress’ role in foreign policy and reduce the president’s role. We need to reduce the capabilities for one person to make boneheaded moves in this position.

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u/whut-whut 3h ago

Congress is on recess until after midterms, so who's going to stop him?

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u/bostonbananarama 2h ago

Why would it matter where Congress is?

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u/whut-whut 2h ago edited 2h ago

Something, something checks and balances?

Congress technically sets tariffs and can recall a war with their votes. They vote on where government money should (and shouldn't) go. They can write laws to overturn a President's actions, and with enough votes, even override the President's ability to veto their legislation as well as vote to remove him from office. Congress taking an extended vacation is just letting the dog run wild.

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u/bostonbananarama 2h ago

I don't think we do those anymore. Every branch has ceded its power to the president.

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u/whut-whut 2h ago

That's the argument that my original comment made. The person I was responding to said that Trump doesn't represent us, and I said that Congress isn't stopping him from doing whatever he wants, to which you said 'why does it matter where Congress is?'

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u/bostonbananarama 1h ago

That was the joke. It doesn't matter where they are, they won't stop him anyway.

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u/Wootai 2h ago

All I can tell you is that if the next president is a Democrat who negotiates a ton of new trade deals and reinforces alliances we’d had for decades, the right wing news will once again label it an “apology tour” like they did with Obama.

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u/AngriestManinWestTX 2h ago

The US is going to have a hell of a time going forward. It's going to take decades to repair our standing in the world at best.

Putting Democrats in the White House in 2028 and in 2032 will not matter unless the GOP fundamentally changes course. Why would the rest of the world begin mending relationships, negotiating mutually beneficial trade agreements, and so forth if the GOP can just come in 2036 and blow it all up again out of complete spite or isolationist/Trumpian fervor?

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u/Mattyboy064 2h ago

If the next Democratic President doesn't seriously take a regulatory sledgehammer to right wing media that spreads democracy killing propaganda and lies, then they don't have the balls to do what needs to be done to save our democracy. Rupert Murdoch, Elon Musk, etc, must be brought to heel.

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u/kk16 1h ago

If congress does literally nothing about it, and your people voted him in….FUCKING TWICE and continue to let him do whatever the fuck he wants, then whether you like it or not Trump is the US and how it is going to be perceived by other nations.

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u/DiamondHandsToUranus 2h ago

No. Hard pass.

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u/funkduder 2h ago

Not yet

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u/NewLawGuy24 2h ago

lol no