Trumpled (Alternative Leading)

[cookie2]

If he ends up being impeached, I wonder whether the idea of "teaching the establishment a lesson" will backfire, and in fact give them an upper hand, since it could well grant them a "we told you so" moment.

I think you may well be right on the money with that P.

[mateinone]

I think it still works in a way Paul.
I don't think the establishment will be as complacent as they were, which in reality is what was required, because if someone comes out with a general similar thought process, but without the bluster they may still seem attractive to the masses and the establishment has to go some way towards appeasing the masses or face the same thing over.

Ie.. a competent Trump.. Which might be scarier.

@Cookie.. on the Middle East, I think you may be right, I know far far less about that region, but tend to agree that based on what I know the desire to make money drives most (at least external) interests.

Amazing how quick the world would basically 'forget' the entire Middle East and leave it to it's own devices like they do in many of the African countries if the Oil dried up or the reliance on it disappeared.

[Koutz]

Trump is the establishment  :

As for what he's done that's had a negative effect on me, how about:
1. Bombing the Syrian Air Force.
2. Praising the North Korean dictator.
3. Sharing secret information with the Russians.
4. Weakening environmental protection.
5. Weakening heritage protection.
6. Demeaning women.
7. Making the world a more dangerous place.
8. Promoting racism and discrimination.
9. Jeopardising the economy.
10. Bastardising the English language.

Bombing the Syrian Air Force has had a negative effected on you?

Hahaha... I rest my case there.

Maybe you need to crawl back into your safe space so that Dictator Trump doesnt do anymore nasty things that might hurt your feelings!

[Mav]

Roger Ailes, disgraced former head of FoxNews and Trump campaign adviser, dead at 77.

[Baggers]

Bombing the Syrian Air Force has had a negative effected on you?

Hahaha... I rest my case there.

Maybe you need to crawl back into your safe space so that Dictator Trump doesnt do anymore nasty things that might hurt your feelings!

I think you missed the point of what DJC was pointing out. Have another look at his list... pretty damning stuff and all with on-going ramifications.

[cookie2]

Trump's biggest vulnerability is his relationship with the Russians and his stated desire to improve relations with them. This undermines the narrative that they are a very dangerous enemy of the US and the main justification for a $1Trillion annual defence budget. This in turn goes directly against some very very powerful and influential interests in the US. Unless he recants this position he won't last.

[Mav]

Say again? So, if Russia becomes an ally, the US will disarm? That suggests the US has no concerns about China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, ISIS, Al Qaeda etc. etc. Or is there a class of weapon which can only be used against the Russians?

[cookie2]

Say again? So, if Russia becomes an ally, the US will disarm? That suggests the US has no concerns about China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, ISIS, Al Qaeda etc. etc. Or is there a class of weapon which can only be used against the Russians?

Did not say that. You said that.

[Mav]

You said:

... his stated desire to improve relations with them. This undermines the narrative that they are a very dangerous enemy of the US and the main justification for a $1Trillion annual defence budget.

You suggested therefore that improved relations would lead to reduction in the annual defence budget.  I disagree.

In particular, improved relations with Russia wouldn't reduce the need for the US to be able to confront the Russians if the relationship worsened.  And it certainly wouldn't justify reducing the ability of the US to meet challenges from hostile or adversarial forces elsewhere in the world.

I assume you are referring to the military/industrial complex when you talk about "very, very powerful and influential interests in the US".  As the defence budget wouldn't fall, why would they be worried?  After all, Trump campaigned on increasing the defence budget and insisted that the Congress had to implement such an increase in recent budget negotiations. 

No doubt there are military and diplomatic personnel who are concerned about the Russians.  Maybe those concerns have little to do with money and more to do with hardheaded concerns about the Russians.

[cookie2]

You said:You suggested therefore that improved relations would lead to reduction in the annual defence budget. I disagree.

In particular, improved relations with Russia wouldn't reduce the need for the US to be able to confront the Russians if the relationship worsened.  And it certainly wouldn't justify reducing the ability of the US to meet challenges from hostile or adversarial forces elsewhere in the world.

No I didn't. I stated that the current budget is based, in part, on Russia being perceived as a very dangerous enemy. That perception is very strongly held by powerful interests within the US.