(05-19-2017, 03:40 AM)Mav link Wrote:If we were living in Disneyland, that would be possible.  And when the Soviet Union collapsed, that was the hope.  Remember when there was the talk of an end to history?  But it's very clear that Russia under Putin wants to be a geopolitical power rather than a US ally like Britain and Germany.  The US has no alternative but to work on a worst-case scenario.  Russia has the military strength to successfully invade Western Europe or annex bits of it as Hitler did prior to going one step too far by invading Poland.  In fact, it's already annexed part of Ukraine albeit that it was part of the old Eastern bloc.

Improving relations with Russia may well be beneficial, depending on whether Putin acts in good faith (and that is debatable).  But until there is a true alliance, the US would need to maintain its military preparedness to counter Russian aggression.  Pray to God, but keep your gunpowder dry.

It's funny to read Tom Clancy novels from the 90s now.  He was a right-winger and NRA gun-nut.  He had an alternative universe going in which Jack Ryan, a former CIA man, became President while a former KGB guy reached the top of the Kremlin.  They had a big bromance and that relationship allowed the US and Russia to have each other's back.  In one book, they had to take on a coordinated attack from Iran, India and China.  The Russians helped the US drop a bomb on an Ayatollah-type Iranian leader to bring that conflict to an end.  In another, it was Pearl Harbour all over again with Japan taking over US territories in the Pacific and arming itself with nuclear missiles.  The US helped to thwart a Japanese attempt to annex part of Russia in that conflict.  Those were the days ...

(05-19-2017, 03:17 AM)Thryleon link Wrote:I'm not sure Baggers.


I dont like Trump, and frankly I think he is what the shadow government that truly runs America wants, because people are so focussed on Trump that they are not really paying attention to things that they should and are hysterical about what isnt a real issue.


But, Ill play regarding the list.  Here is my rebuttals:

1. Bombing the Syrian Air Force. - Bombing the "Syrian Air Force" (note it was an airstrip on one day which failed to shut it down for less than 24 hours) was deemed to be a justified show of strength in response to Assad's supposed chemical attack, which kind of doesn't make sense for it to be on a list of undesirable traits doesnt it????

2. Praising the North Korean dictator. - Praising the North Korean dictator is also a bit of stretch considering the following article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/30/donald-trump-praises-north-korean-leader-smart-cookie/

Its paraphrasing at best particularly when tensions are running high, and Diplomacy is required. 


3. Sharing secret information with the Russians. - This is not that big a deal.  I'm sure its happened before, and it will happen again perhaps a little more deliberately, but to quote the guardian "The intelligence Trump shared involved an Islamic State plot to use bombs hidden in laptop computers to bring down planes".  Had no one told the media, would this be a problem?? As per usual, the media are the issue.  Don't tell and no one will find out we have sources with this information.


4. Weakening environmental protection.  Policy change to undo something that Obama brought in.  Sounds bad and good for coal and businesses.  Might be bad.  Might make no difference. Might be a different plan.  I doubt it, its business so this would be an economic change to benefit business.

5. Weakening heritage protection.  I cant find anything specific on this, but it might roll into 4.

6. Demeaning women.  Not going to argue too heavily about this.  I find this an emotive over reaction to a few different things to do with potentially his abortion bill which was to do with pulling funding for organisations actively pushing abortion overseas.  reportedly many presidents have done similar, but that doesn't mean any rights were removed. The conversation about kissing women and touching their bits was a bit crude and vulgar, but hardly demeaning.  It is something I would expect of teenagers or early 20's males, but Ive heard women in their 40's and 50's say some things that would make your head spin, which simply makes him human as much as we all would like to see him as an oompa loompa.

7. Making the world a more dangerous place.  - The USA has done a grand job of this for the last 50 years.  I dont see why its something reserved for Trump as president for less than a year.

8. Promoting racism and discrimination.  Perhaps.  He talks about the wall.  The one that exists in some parts but he hasn't built yet??  Anyone appealing to nationalism is going to sound dicriminatory and racist, but bigotry is an emotive tool and he may have simply used it to get elected.  discrimination and racism exists unilaterally and I don't believe that it should be reserved for a criticism of Trump but seems to come from the mysoginistic white male thing.  In fact, this ties into my distraction above.

9. Jeopardising the economy.  See point 7 although I find it interesting that the stock market actually surged on the back of him being announced President.  given his point 5 is geared towards good for jobs and the economy its hard to argue this one and that one.


10. Bastardising the English language.  Guilty as charged.  In fact, he seems a real bastard.  Beyond that, he hasnt done much that any other president hasn't done before him but has done it in such a way that offsides everyone.  That makes him guilty of being poor at PR and a poor choice of leader, but that was what he was when he was elected, and I find it difficult to really argue against someone warts and all, when they were voted in on that merit.



I dont like the man.  I feel that these gripes are more of a shopping list of things to hate him about, without really making any difference to anything he does as president.

Im still waiting for a real gripe to come to the surface.  At the moment he is crude and uninspiring.  Hardly an impeachable offense, but he seems to want to try and make that happen.

(05-19-2017, 05:35 AM)mateinone link Wrote:Hang on... So Germany never annexed parts of Czechoslovakia?
I am sure those Czechs will be relieved to hear that. Remembering that the annexations of both the Sudetenland and of Australia were of territories that were part of the Austro-Hungarian (not German) empires prior to the war and Czechoslovakia declared independence during the WWI.

Also... Are you for one second suggesting that Poland was at fault for being invaded or am I reading that wrong?
Now this is a country that already was overrun and disappeared from the face of the earth for over 100 years when it was occupied by Germany and Russia.

Hitler never wanted to negotiate with Poland, Hitler wanted to carve Poland back up and take away the independence and identity, something Germans and Russians had successfully done for 123 years.

Perhaps I am reading your post all wrong, but if I am reading it right, you have an extraordinary view on this history of World War II and the events leading to it.