you underestimate him
— baker
Just remind me, which President lost his party the Senate, the Congress, and the White House, after only one term?
Don't fall for the illusion that he's powerful. Falling for the illusion is the only thing that makes him powerful. — Wayfarer
Nor, regrettably, much by way of anti-Trumps. — Wayfarer
Trump was manufactured by television. That's where the problem reallly is. — Wayfarer
with the exception of all the bits of it I like :yum: — Wayfarer
with the exception of all the bits of it I like :yum: ) — Wayfarer
The thing to keep an eye on is this reconciliation bill. Looks like the Manchin and other Republicans are doing their best to destroy it— in which case we won’t have a livable planet for much longer anyway. — Xtrix
Full Democracies
…
Austria
Malta
Spain — Wheatley
This has become more actual again now that Biden turns out to be a demented nutjob holding onto power for no apparent good reason, making sure the Democrats will lose. Now that Trump is pretty much a shoe in, what should the EU do and what can we expect with respect to, for instance, Ukraine?
@ssu @Tzeentch thoughts? — Benkei
The only thing here for the EU is to check really it's defense policy and in this field make more cooperation with the UK. As the UK never did leave NATO, defense cooperation would be a natural start for the EU to warm ties with the UK — ssu
During Trump's office, the British Parliament understood quite clearly that if Trump really walks out of NATO, they have to take more role in Continental Europa. I don't think that has changed, from the tanks that the UK had, Challenger tanks are now in Ukraine. Sure, UK wants to be the closest ally of the US, but Trump will shit on every ally it has, except Isreal. In the case of Israel, the US is it's ally, not the other way around. This isn't because of the Jewish Americans voters, but because of the many millions more of pro-Israeli Christian voters in the US.I agree roughly with what you wrote, but aren't you going a little light on the UK?
It was their errand boy that went to Ukraine to boycot peace, acting diametrically against Ukrainian and European interests to score brownie points with the Americans. — Tzeentch
My friend @Tzeentch, we have discussed much in the Ukraine, and if this thread comes too popular or the heated, likely it will whisked away to the Lounge as the Ukraine conflict -thread.Especially from a Finn I would expect a certain critical stance towards those pushing for war, since your nation will be on the frontline paying the heaviest price if the worst comes to pass. — Tzeentch
I agree with this, with the addition that perhaps we should listen what the US is saying and try do cooperate with country. The boisterous rhetoric of Trump can be put into one category, it's basically intended for his own base, the actual actions are another issue.In my view, Europeans should not focus on which clown is driving the clown car, nor on anything the clowns are saying.
The only thing that matters is Washington's actions, and what we can reasonably glean to be Washington's interests in order to predict their future actions. — Tzeentch
During Trump's office, the British Parliament understood quite clearly that if Trump really walks out of NATO, they have to take more role in Continental Europa. — ssu
Sure, UK wants to be the closest ally of the US, but Trump will shit on every ally it has, [...] — ssu
My friend Tzeentch, we have discussed much in the Ukraine, and if this thread comes too popular or the heated, likely it will whisked away to the Lounge as the Ukraine conflict -thread.
But to others, the actual story both Sweden and Finland did everything to keep the relations normal with the cranky neighbor in the East. And we really did, the whole term of Finlandization was invented for the Finnish situation. But there's a point until you try to be neutral and cordial and keeping up friendly relations to your cranky threatening neighbor. That point was crossed over in February 24th 2022. That it was it. Finland and Sweden abandoned both their neutrality, as Russia is obviously a threat to them.
I'm writing this just a few kilometers from the Russian border. There is NO traffic over the border, for years I haven't seen a single Russian truck and if you want to go to Russia, you have to go through Turkey. The Finnish Armed Forces have put the training cycle to a totally different gear to prop up the deterrence. Russia is spreading bullshit propaganda to it's people over the border that Finland is planning to invade Russian Karelia. Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov yearns for the days of Finlandization and talks about it's opposite "Estonization" which for the Lavrov means Russophobia. (See here)
Well, you reap what you sow. — ssu
Nevermind the fascist point. I had something else in mind. :yikes: — Wheatley
Well, you're an American, right? What else would they say?Both the Republicans and Democrats are promising to take care of us, leaving us nothing to do but obey and be thankful we are so well cared for. — Athena
The US is not the democracy it defended in world wars. Both the Republicans and Democrats are promising to take care of us, leaving us nothing to do but obey and be thankful we are so well cared for. — Athena
Yes, I see this. But there is a tenuous, speculative connection to fascism involved in the analysis. Is there something deeper being indicated here? — AmadeusD
Certain British intellectuals were perhaps the most smitten of anyone by fascism. George Bernard Shaw announced in 1927 that his fellow “socialists should be delighted to find at last a socialist [Mussolini] who speaks and thinks as responsible rulers do.”4 He helped form the British Union of Fascists whose “Outline of the Corporate State,” according to the organization’s founder, Sir Oswald Mosley, was “on the Italian Model.” While visiting England, the American author Ezra Pound declared that Mussolini was “continuing the task of Thomas Jefferson.”5 https://mises.org/mises-wire/rise-economic-fascism-america — Mises Wire • Thomas J. DiLorenzo
Donald Trump might now indeed be what you say. But he is a sign of something much bigger, much more powerful, more pervasive than any one single person is or could be. Even if he doesn't get reelected, it's quite possible that someone just like him, and worse, will be. Because this is what America is all about. — baker
Well, you're an American, right? What else would they say?
We'll be in power and we'll not care a shit about you, but keep voting for us.
Perhaps that would be at least honest? — ssu
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