President Trump

flook said:
What isn't being mentioned in this interesting discussion is that whilst there is no argument that America has done the heavy lifting in NATO for many years, it hasn't been entirely altruistic. The numerous US airbases in particular has been a significant benefit to them in that should a conflict have broken out with the Soviet Union, any non-nuclear confrontation would have (again) been fought on European soil not American. The American defence of Europe in such a scenario would have reaped significant benefit to themselves.

Whilst the "Commie threat" of the mid to late decades of the 20th century may have abated, this scenario still stands. Maintaining their significant strike capabilities sat on Russia's doorstep, the likelihood of war in the USA is remote. For this reason alone I believe Shitgibbons threat to withdraw from NATO is just more postureing.
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Right, but I don't expect any alliance to be entirely altruistic. The US has its own prerogatives, like anyone in NATO.

Take Afghanistan as an example. The decision to invoke Article 5 was taken once the US was sure the rest of the alliance was on board, and the European members were acting partly out of concern for the US, but also from their own concerns about attacks in Europe as there were a couple of major al-Qaeda plots that had been foiled. That's fine, and the fact they weren't motivated by pure altruism doesn't minimize what they contributed.

I agree there is no way he'll be allowed to pull out NATO.
 
Blue_Lightsaber said:
View attachment 187987

California stands out as does New York.. that although they have good education systems and lots of businesses.. it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
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Interesting.
The typical (if I may say) US put-down of where you come from, is that the plains states are full of imbecilic hicks.
The east coast is what I’d expect, but the west/hawaii isn’t.

You learn something new every day
 
argyle said:
Bondi didn't go after who he saw as his enemies. So he's putting in someone else.

Don't know why people work for him. Their reputation always end in tatters.
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Ah, ok that makes sense now. Couldn’t understand why he would be complaining about the files not being released quickly.
 
Norbert D said:
Trump already has America in recession when you take away the splurge on AI, he can’t walk away from the Gulf because the AI chip production needs helium which comes via the Strait, as does the fertiliser as does the oil which although the yanks are a net exporter it’s all on the same market. I suspect the real reason he wants to drag us into his war, is because he knows he has no serious politicians in his regime, they are hand picked morons. For all his snide remarks he wants our leadership.
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AI is a bubble that is going to burst just like .com
I am a physicist and a programmer and AI cannot possibly design the systems I do.
 
JASR said:
Interesting.
The typical (if I may say) US put-down of where you come from, is that the plains states are full of imbecilic hicks.
The east coast is what I’d expect, but the west/hawaii isn’t.

You learn something new every day
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Well California has huge swaths of MAGA supporters.. even rich ones in Orange County and near San Diego.. not just the eastern and middle sections near Fresno and Visalia so I'm not that surprised.

I was surprised about Hawaii though!

But I guess if Tulsi Gabbard can come from Hawaii.. maybe she's a symptom not a problem.
 
Ban-jani said:
I’m not sure what relevance that has to do with my post?
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You'd think people would have enough IQ to make logical choices about friends, foes, allies, enemies and which politicians and parties are better for them.

But alas.. I digress!
 
So Iran could use the hostages if captured for leverage?
Whats Trump going to do then?
 
Chris in London said:
Around six years ago, the UK's ambassador to the USA was a guy called Sir Kim Darroch. He was a career diplomat, as you'd expect, one of the most senior, able and well respected diplomats we have.

Unfortunately, somehow his confidential briefings to the Foreign office were leaked to the Daily Mail, which then published them. That made his position untenable, and shortly after he was recalled to the UK.

It is interesting, with the benefit of hindsight, to look at some of his observations on the Trump regime - whilst bearing in mind that this was before the Covid epidemic and was well into Trump's first term.

Here are some of the things he said:

"We really don't believe that this Administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional, less unpredictable, less faction-riven, less diplomatically clumsy and inept"

"I don't think this Administration will ever look competent"

"It's unlikely that US policy on Iran is going to become more coherent any time soon"

"For a man who has risen to the highest office on the planet, President Trump radiates insecurity"

"The stories about White House knife fights are, we judge, mostly true: multiple sources and confirmed by our own White House contacts. This is a uniquely dysfunctional environment"

"'This 'America First' Administration could do some profoundly damaging things to the world trade system: such as denounce the WTO, tear up existing trade details, launch protectionist action, even against allies. It could further undermine international action on climate change, or further cut UN funding"

"[A Trump rally was] a sea of the now iconic red MAGA caps. The crowd looked almost exclusively white, with a pretty even mix of men and women, young and old: there were families in every stand. [...] As is standard at these rallies, the language was incendiary, and a mix of fact and fiction – hard to reconcile with Pence's remarks about governing for all Americans"

From time to time I feel genuinely proud of our civil service.
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Leaked you say, I can hazard a guess as to where the leak came from, or at least to the political affiliations of the mole
 
WT86 said:
Right, but I don't expect any alliance to be entirely altruistic. The US has its own prerogatives, like anyone in NATO.

Take Afghanistan as an example. The decision to invoke Article 5 was taken once the US was sure the rest of the alliance was on board, and the European members were acting partly out of concern for the US, but also from their own concerns about attacks in Europe as there were a couple of major al-Qaeda plots that had been foiled. That's fine, and the fact they weren't motivated by pure altruism doesn't minimize what they contributed.

I agree there is no way he'll be allowed to pull out NATO.
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With regards Afghanistan, the debate before article 5 was invoked was, I believe, more centred around whether an attack by a terrorist organisation constituted an "armed attack" in the legal sense. It takes a broad interpretation of UN Law to determine that it does, with this particular scenario relying on the fact that the Afghani government at the time, the Taliban, gave Al Qaeda and Bin Laden safe haven. Should the NATO members not have wanted to aid America in their war on terror, this interpretation grey area would have provided an easy out.
 
Blue_Lightsaber said:
Well California has huge swaths of MAGA supporters.. even rich ones in Orange County and near San Diego.. not just the eastern and middle sections near Fresno and Visalia so I'm not that surprised.

I was surprised about Hawaii though!

But I guess if Tulsi Gabbard can come from Hawaii.. maybe she's a symptom not a problem.
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Places like Kern County and Nevada County are deep red historically.
 
Blue_Lightsaber said:
You'd think people would have enough IQ to make logical choices about friends, foes, allies, enemies and which politicians and parties are better for them.

But alas.. I digress!
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Wasn’t it Churchill who said the greatest argument against democracy was a conversation with the average voter?

The problem is, social media has actually pushed people back into tribes with voting, where they must all think the same way and anyone who disagrees with any of it is some sort of <insert offensive word>.

It’s been manifested most with the MAGA cult but it happens across the spectrum. There’s a lack of critical thinkers generally, because people get spoon fed their algorithms, and if they weren’t particularly bright to start off with, or low IQ as you’ve pointed out, they’re done for.
 
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