Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1756434033108549955
He accuses Biden of senility when he's clearly got dementia.
He accuses Democrats of vote rigging when he clearly tried - and failed - to rig an election.
He claims prosecutors are using the courts to persecute him with false charges while having his acolytes bring false and malicious lawsuits against various people, including hampering prosecutions for things they are actually guilty of.
And he claims Nikki Haley is having an affair despite shagging multiple women, including at least one who didn't welcome his attentions.
I see Harper has finally been shown the door, just three posts short of a double-century. That must be a record for a Russian troll.
It was a skilful innings all in all. I particularly liked the subtle passing observations about the apparent increased prevalence of sudden/ unexpected deaths and premature ageing, rather than his making any direct reference to the COVID vaccine.
I got the impression this morning that he was almost looking to be banned, it had maybe turned into a long and not particularly lucrative shift. There were direct references to him living in Russia and having lived in Moscow that was not present before that.
I admit I just thought it was a bored Leon and ignored it.
Ah, that might be a shout actually. Hats off if it was - it never even entered my head!
There was that "you're the most interesting poster on this site" thing this morning.
Oh, what a give-away.
Also "You are wasted on this site Leon. Your charm charisma and intelligence is too much for the regulars to handle." from Feb 9th
But I reckon Russian troll, not Leon.
Obeisance to Leon was a characteristic of earlier incarnations too.
Yebbut also there was:
Oh come on Leon. You are not that important.
And
Who knows. Maybr Leon is in the pay of the russians. Stranger things have happened. (sic)
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
I don't know enough about 1920s Germany - but was there a 'proto-Hitler'? As in a near-miss, maybe got elected, made some incendiary speeches, paved the way? I'm not aware of one, but Adolf kinda drowns out most of the storytelling around those times. I know there was plenty of bad sh*t in the air, but a pointable figurehead/lead?
I'm hoping Trump isn't just a useless boil who sets the stage for someone actually competent at 'all the bad things'.
Arthur Moeller van den Bruck and the Strasser brothers maybe? Anton Drexler? Dietrich Eckart?
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
Trump is more like Mussolini to Putin's Hitler.
(Though arguably Mussolini was much more capable than Trump.)
Now I'm slightly worried that I've missed out on who is the Franco in all this.
I agree about too much Trump in the coming months. If anyone mentions Trump or any variant, including asterisks., then the offender has to pay a quid towards site maintenance. If you mention Boris Johnson it's a fiver.....
I see Harper has finally been shown the door, just three posts short of a double-century. That must be a record for a Russian troll.
It was a skilful innings all in all. I particularly liked the subtle passing observations about the apparent increased prevalence of sudden/ unexpected deaths and premature ageing, rather than his making any direct reference to the COVID vaccine.
I got the impression this morning that he was almost looking to be banned, it had maybe turned into a long and not particularly lucrative shift. There were direct references to him living in Russia and having lived in Moscow that was not present before that.
I admit I just thought it was a bored Leon and ignored it.
Ah, that might be a shout actually. Hats off if it was - it never even entered my head!
I agree about too much Trump in the coming months. If anyone mentions Trump or any variant ,including asterisks. Then you have to.psy a quid towards site maintenance. If you mention Boris Johnson it's a fiver.....
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
Time for the EU and the UK to realize that it’s time to forget about the USA and look after their own security .
Ironically a Trump win is the worst thing for those who have an unhinged hatred of the EU . With the orange psychopath in the WH the UK and EU are likely to become much closer .
The strange thing is Trump seems to think NATO is akin to a neighbourhood protection racket on the Lower East Side. You'll get "protection" if you pay enough - if you don't, you won't.
Time to ask ourselves some serious questions - do we need NATO any longer? It's been arguably the most successful military alliance in history but it was primarily set up as an ideological counter weight to an expansionost revolutionary ideology. The truth now is Russia isn't the Warsaw Pact and China may be a threat to the US in the Pacific but not militarily to Europe.
Maintaining our independent nuclear deterrent and the French Force de Frappe still makes for a formidable defence and were we to align with the growing military power of Poland we would be in a better place but it begs the question - NATO stands for collective defence, an attack on one is an attack on all but is that a reasonable doctrine in a multipolar world? To what extent and in what way should be acting as a guarantor for the defence of Latvia or Finland?
How independent of the US is our nuclear deterrent?
Good question, and I don't think the full answer is publicly known.
I think it's UK-built warheads based on an American design, likely using American materials. American re-entry vehicles. American booster. British designed and built submarines, powered by a nuclear reactor built in the UK to an American design.
There's supposedly complete operational independence, so we're able to press the button ourselves without American say-so... but for how long would it continue to work if they withdrew support for the missiles?
I think the "fully operational" answer to that is of the order of months or under a year, but I have no idea for how long a residual capability would continue to exist. That's a number I have picked up from general reading around defence.
Iran has been boycotted by the USA since 1979, but they are still - sort of - flying F14s and various other American aircraft 45 years later !
Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1756434033108549955
He accuses Biden of senility when he's clearly got dementia.
He accuses Democrats of vote rigging when he clearly tried - and failed - to rig an election.
He claims prosecutors are using the courts to persecute him with false charges while having his acolytes bring false and malicious lawsuits against various people, including hampering prosecutions for things they are actually guilty of.
And he claims Nikki Haley is having an affair despite shagging multiple women, including at least one who didn't welcome his attentions.
Be all those things as they may, that doesn't mean Trump's accusations aren't true as well. Are you seriously suggesting that Joe Biden isn't senile? Part of being a historian is surely dispassionate analysis of the available facts.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
Trump is more like Mussolini to Putin's Hitler.
(Though arguably Mussolini was much more capable than Trump.)
Now I'm slightly worried that I've missed out on who is the Franco in all this.
I see Harper has finally been shown the door, just three posts short of a double-century. That must be a record for a Russian troll.
It was a skilful innings all in all. I particularly liked the subtle passing observations about the apparent increased prevalence of sudden/ unexpected deaths and premature ageing, rather than his making any direct reference to the COVID vaccine.
I got the impression this morning that he was almost looking to be banned, it had maybe turned into a long and not particularly lucrative shift. There were direct references to him living in Russia and having lived in Moscow that was not present before that.
I admit I just thought it was a bored Leon and ignored it.
Ah, that might be a shout actually. Hats off if it was - it never even entered my head!
There was that "you're the most interesting poster on this site" thing this morning.
Oh, what a give-away.
Also "You are wasted on this site Leon. Your charm charisma and intelligence is too much for the regulars to handle." from Feb 9th
But I reckon Russian troll, not Leon.
Can anyone distinguish between the output of a Russian troll and Leon these days?
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
Time for the EU and the UK to realize that it’s time to forget about the USA and look after their own security .
Ironically a Trump win is the worst thing for those who have an unhinged hatred of the EU . With the orange psychopath in the WH the UK and EU are likely to become much closer .
The strange thing is Trump seems to think NATO is akin to a neighbourhood protection racket on the Lower East Side. You'll get "protection" if you pay enough - if you don't, you won't.
Time to ask ourselves some serious questions - do we need NATO any longer? It's been arguably the most successful military alliance in history but it was primarily set up as an ideological counter weight to an expansionost revolutionary ideology. The truth now is Russia isn't the Warsaw Pact and China may be a threat to the US in the Pacific but not militarily to Europe.
Maintaining our independent nuclear deterrent and the French Force de Frappe still makes for a formidable defence and were we to align with the growing military power of Poland we would be in a better place but it begs the question - NATO stands for collective defence, an attack on one is an attack on all but is that a reasonable doctrine in a multipolar world? To what extent and in what way should be acting as a guarantor for the defence of Latvia or Finland?
How independent of the US is our nuclear deterrent?
Good question, and I don't think the full answer is publicly known.
I think it's UK-built warheads based on an American design, likely using American materials. American re-entry vehicles. American booster. British designed and built submarines, powered by a nuclear reactor built in the UK to an American design.
There's supposedly complete operational independence, so we're able to press the button ourselves without American say-so... but for how long would it continue to work if they withdrew support for the missiles?
The warheads are joint designs - the American and British nuclear weapons programs became so intertwined that Chuck Hansen and others talk in such terms. Non-cylindrical secondaries were a British thing, from early on, for example. The Americans were rather surprised that we spent so much effort cracking that nut before even trying to get a simple cylindrical secondary to work.
US nuclear weapons are full of U.K. patents and the reverse.
Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1756434033108549955
He accuses Biden of senility when he's clearly got dementia.
He accuses Democrats of vote rigging when he clearly tried - and failed - to rig an election.
He claims prosecutors are using the courts to persecute him with false charges while having his acolytes bring false and malicious lawsuits against various people, including hampering prosecutions for things they are actually guilty of.
And he claims Nikki Haley is having an affair despite shagging multiple women, including at least one who didn't welcome his attentions.
On an entirely different note, and only as you're here, you may remember about two and a half years ago a discussion about the relative merits of English counties, in which you bridled slightly at my relatively lowly ranking of Staffordshire; and in particular you sung the praises of Cannock Chase. Following that conversation, I resolved to visit Cannock Chase, and yesterday I finally did so. I'd describe it as a very satisfying chunk of England. I was also fortunate enough to find a really, really good pub in Stafford: the Sun Inn - the county is worth a visit for that alone.
Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1756434033108549955
He accuses Biden of senility when he's clearly got dementia.
He accuses Democrats of vote rigging when he clearly tried - and failed - to rig an election.
He claims prosecutors are using the courts to persecute him with false charges while having his acolytes bring false and malicious lawsuits against various people, including hampering prosecutions for things they are actually guilty of.
And he claims Nikki Haley is having an affair despite shagging multiple women, including at least one who didn't welcome his attentions.
Be all those things as they may, that doesn't mean Trump's accusations aren't true as well. Are you seriously suggesting that Joe Biden isn't senile? Part of being a historian is surely dispassionate analysis of the available facts.
I don't think he's senile. I don't think he's as sharp as he was, and he was always prone to verbal flubs, so it looks worse than it is.
I also do think his age is an issue. And it's hardly going to become less of one.
But all of those are far more of an issue with Trump. He's verbally completely lost, he's aged about ten years in the last one, he's also very old and he's clearly physically grossly unfit.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
What is the immediate consequence of Trump's campaign spiel?
It is that a host of European countries are thinking, "We need to get really serious about defence."
Is that good or bad for Europe? Is that good or bad for Putin?
The west’s adversaries are thinking a Trump led US would be a paper tiger.
Who is that good for ?
Are they? Do you have a direct line to the Kremlin?
If they think that, why did Putin invade while Biden was in the White House and not while Trump was there?
Putin invaded Georgia in 2008, during Dubya's tenure.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
I don't know enough about 1920s Germany - but was there a 'proto-Hitler'? As in a near-miss, maybe got elected, made some incendiary speeches, paved the way? I'm not aware of one, but Adolf kinda drowns out most of the storytelling around those times. I know there was plenty of bad sh*t in the air, but a pointable figurehead/lead?
I'd say that with post-WW1 politics in Germany including a large number of nationalist militias and political parties, there were a lot of potential proto-Hitlers.
But when Hitler turned out to be the one that eventually got traction and organisation, a lot of roughly people in similar movements joined up. Quite a lot of those were 'deleted', of course, and other movements forcibly taken over or dissolved.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
Time for the EU and the UK to realize that it’s time to forget about the USA and look after their own security .
Ironically a Trump win is the worst thing for those who have an unhinged hatred of the EU . With the orange psychopath in the WH the UK and EU are likely to become much closer .
The strange thing is Trump seems to think NATO is akin to a neighbourhood protection racket on the Lower East Side. You'll get "protection" if you pay enough - if you don't, you won't.
Time to ask ourselves some serious questions - do we need NATO any longer? It's been arguably the most successful military alliance in history but it was primarily set up as an ideological counter weight to an expansionost revolutionary ideology. The truth now is Russia isn't the Warsaw Pact and China may be a threat to the US in the Pacific but not militarily to Europe.
Maintaining our independent nuclear deterrent and the French Force de Frappe still makes for a formidable defence and were we to align with the growing military power of Poland we would be in a better place but it begs the question - NATO stands for collective defence, an attack on one is an attack on all but is that a reasonable doctrine in a multipolar world? To what extent and in what way should be acting as a guarantor for the defence of Latvia or Finland?
How independent of the US is our nuclear deterrent?
Good question, and I don't think the full answer is publicly known.
I think it's UK-built warheads based on an American design, likely using American materials. American re-entry vehicles. American booster. British designed and built submarines, powered by a nuclear reactor built in the UK to an American design.
There's supposedly complete operational independence, so we're able to press the button ourselves without American say-so... but for how long would it continue to work if they withdrew support for the missiles?
The warheads are joint designs - the American and British nuclear weapons programs became so intertwined that Chuck Hansen and others talk in such terms. Non-cylindrical secondaries were a British thing, from early on, for example. The Americans were rather surprised that we spent so much effort cracking that nut before even trying to get a simple cylindrical secondary to work.
US nuclear weapons are full of U.K. patents and the reverse.
I think strategic nuclear weapons are a waste of time. Tactical nukes are far scarier.
Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1756434033108549955
He accuses Biden of senility when he's clearly got dementia.
He accuses Democrats of vote rigging when he clearly tried - and failed - to rig an election.
He claims prosecutors are using the courts to persecute him with false charges while having his acolytes bring false and malicious lawsuits against various people, including hampering prosecutions for things they are actually guilty of.
And he claims Nikki Haley is having an affair despite shagging multiple women, including at least one who didn't welcome his attentions.
On an entirely different note, and only as you're here, you may remember about two and a half years ago a discussion about the relative merits of English counties, in which you bridled slightly at my relatively lowly ranking of Staffordshire; and in particular you sung the praises of Cannock Chase. Following that conversation, I resolved to visit Cannock Chase, and yesterday I finally did so. I'd describe it as a very satisfying chunk of England. I was also fortunate enough to find a really, really good pub in Stafford: the Sun Inn - the county is worth a visit for that alone.
I know the Sun Inn: have lunch there from time to time.
I will call in there tomorrow when I go to collect my fee from the tourist office
More seriously, glad you came and glad you liked it. Seriously underappreciated county.
The strategic balance is very different today from the Cold War. Finland and Sweden are no longer neutral; Poland, the Baltics, Romania, Hungary (in extremis), Czechia, Slovakia and most of the Balkans are on Nato's side. Russia can no longer call on the rest of the Soviet Union for unequivocal support. Two European powers have nuclear capability. Russia swept over Eastern Europe in 1945 in circumstances unlikely to be repeated. There is absolutely no reason why Europe can't defend itself and should not depend on the USA.
This is not to support Trump or to denigrate Biden - merely to describe the geopolitical reality.
The strategic value of NATO to the United States is to keep a somewhat homogeneous European bloc onside in an increasing bipolar or perhaps multi-polar world. It's cheap at the price.
Having said that, a country's national interest is what the leaders of that country say it is, not some objective view of strategic reality.
Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1756434033108549955
He accuses Biden of senility when he's clearly got dementia.
He accuses Democrats of vote rigging when he clearly tried - and failed - to rig an election.
He claims prosecutors are using the courts to persecute him with false charges while having his acolytes bring false and malicious lawsuits against various people, including hampering prosecutions for things they are actually guilty of.
And he claims Nikki Haley is having an affair despite shagging multiple women, including at least one who didn't welcome his attentions.
Be all those things as they may, that doesn't mean Trump's accusations aren't true as well. Are you seriously suggesting that Joe Biden isn't senile? Part of being a historian is surely dispassionate analysis of the available facts.
I don't think he's senile. I don't think he's as sharp as he was, and he was always prone to verbal flubs, so it looks worse than it is.
I also do think his age is an issue. And it's hardly going to become less of one.
But all of those are far more of an issue with Trump. He's verbally completely lost, he's aged about ten years in the last one, he's also very old and he's clearly physically grossly unfit.
...and apparently he emits the aroma of a decomposing rodent.
The strategic balance is very different today from the Cold War. Finland and Sweden are no longer neutral; Poland, the Baltics, Romania, Hungary (in extremis), Czechia, Slovakia and most of the Balkans are on Nato's side. Russia can no longer call on the rest of the Soviet Union for unequivocal support. Two European powers have nuclear capability. Russia swept over Eastern Europe in 1945 in circumstances unlikely to be repeated. There is absolutely no reason why Europe can't defend itself and should not depend on the USA.
This is not to support Trump or to denigrate Biden - merely to describe the geopolitical reality.
Hmmmmm? If the US had not supported Ukraine a Putin stooge would now be heading a Russian affiliated state in Ukraine and Russia would have had further designs on other Baltic countries...
If the US withdraws it's support from Nato we will be at the precipice of a full scale war in Europe...
The only thing that will stop Putin is a strategic battlefield loss in Ukraine. If that happens Putin is dead man, so he has to continue.
Sadly, and horribly we are living through a zero sum nightmare. Putin has to continue with his horrendous wars otherwise he is a dead man walking, and Trump has to continue with his US campaign otherwise he dies in Prison.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
I don't know enough about 1920s Germany - but was there a 'proto-Hitler'? As in a near-miss, maybe got elected, made some incendiary speeches, paved the way? I'm not aware of one, but Adolf kinda drowns out most of the storytelling around those times. I know there was plenty of bad sh*t in the air, but a pointable figurehead/lead?
I'm hoping Trump isn't just a useless boil who sets the stage for someone actually competent at 'all the bad things'.
Hitler was the proto Hitler in the 20s, a joke in jodhpurs who couldn’t organise a pissed up putsch in a bierhall. He learned though, and the people round him did also.
Kurt von Schleicher? Ran the Black Reichswehr, involved in a a number of plots and near-coups, and was the Chancellor immediately before Hitler. Sponsored the group of right-wing intellectuals that inspired the Nazis. More of an authoritarian militarist than a populist, but would likely have tried to go further down the strong man route if Hitler hadn't come along.
You might also make a case for von Papen and Hindenburg...
I suspect those guys thought Hitler was a joke figure to be used in their machinations right up until the too late point when they realised he wasn't.
I'm sure I've bored on about them before but Richard Hughes' books The Fox in the Attic and The Wooden Shepherdess are fantastic on the personalities and events around the rise of Hitler, and great books in their own right.
Weird that the same people blaming Biden for Putin attacking Ukraine because (who the hell knows), don’t appear to think Trump saying he’ll abandon America’s allies might be a problem.
I’m sure Taiwan is completely relaxed about the election outcome in November.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
Trump is more like Mussolini to Putin's Hitler.
(Though arguably Mussolini was much more capable than Trump.)
Now I'm slightly worried that I've missed out on who is the Franco in all this.
Milei.
Of course.
Orban?
Fash-curious, but mostly opportunistic. Too weak to actually join in the fighting, and deep down knows it.
The Rochdale candidate should be suspended from the Labour Party. It’s a no-brainer.
Apparently it’s too late for Labour to put up another candidate. Well, so what?
Do we know the Rochdale Candidate is wrong? I have seen reports that Israel's front-line monitoring stations picked up and relayed back reports on Hamas preparations, and nothing seems to have been done.
"They were Israel's 'eyes on the border' - but their Hamas warnings went unheard"
This canard crops up every time. Did Roosevelt know about Pearl Harbour? Could have, but not really. Did Churchill know about Coventry? Could have, but not really. You can always construct a chain of events, but it assumes people make decisions in an empyrean realm where all things are known immediately and wise men are in place 24/7 to decide. It doesn't work like that.
Israel had all the pieces and there is huge demand in that country for an inquiry into what was known, and how Hamas pulled it off.
Pearl Harbour was an Al Murray joke iirc about America being caught totally off-guard, *two years into a global war*.
In the case of both Pearl Harbour and Coventry, they didn’t know the target, but that an attack was coming.
The Japanese never sent a message mentioning Pearl Harbour. For signal security they even dismantled all the radios on the task force.
For Coventry, the intercepted messages said there was going to be a big raid. Again the name of the target was never sent. Code words only. The assumption (by British intelligence) was that London was the target.
Rochdale - there is a solution. Vote for the Liberal Democrat candidate. Because even in a process of elimination he's the only major candidate who isn't a [censored]
Why would anyone ever vote lib dem, I will vote tory, I will vote labour....I will always vote for anyone to keep a lib dem out. They are liars,thieves and ignorant. Put me in the anyone but lib dem camp they are neither liberal or democratic they are a steaminf pile of shit
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
I don't know enough about 1920s Germany - but was there a 'proto-Hitler'? As in a near-miss, maybe got elected, made some incendiary speeches, paved the way? I'm not aware of one, but Adolf kinda drowns out most of the storytelling around those times. I know there was plenty of bad sh*t in the air, but a pointable figurehead/lead?
I'm hoping Trump isn't just a useless boil who sets the stage for someone actually competent at 'all the bad things'.
Hitler was the proto Hitler in the 20s, a joke in jodhpurs who couldn’t organise a pissed up putsch in a bierhall. He learned though, and the people round him did also.
Kurt von Schleicher? Ran the Black Reichswehr, involved in a a number of plots and near-coups, and was the Chancellor immediately before Hitler. Sponsored the group of right-wing intellectuals that inspired the Nazis. More of an authoritarian militarist than a populist, but would likely have tried to go further down the strong man route if Hitler hadn't come along.
You might also make a case for von Papen and Hindenburg...
I suspect those guys thought Hitler was a joke figure to be used in their machinations right up until the too late point when they realised he wasn't.
I'm sure I've bored on about them before but Richard Hughes' books The Fox in the Attic and The Wooden Shepherdess are fantastic on the personalities and events around the rise of Hitler, and great books in their own right.
Not so much a joke as part of the bigger plan. Hitler would get the working class on board etc.
As with Stalin and the Bolsheviks, they only realised that he’d taken the train gradually and mostly after the fact.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
What is the immediate consequence of Trump's campaign spiel?
It is that a host of European countries are thinking, "We need to get really serious about defence."
Is that good or bad for Europe? Is that good or bad for Putin?
The west’s adversaries are thinking a Trump led US would be a paper tiger.
Who is that good for ?
Are they? Do you have a direct line to the Kremlin?
If they think that, why did Putin invade while Biden was in the White House and not while Trump was there?
Putin invaded Georgia in 2008, during Dubya's tenure.
Whatever 'Trumpy' did or didn't do, what is faultless fact is that the USA banned Gain of Function Research within its own borders, after which the US Government gaily continued the work of trying to make the world's most deadly and transmissible diseases deadlier and more transmissible in overseas labs, including in COMMUNIST CHINA, where as well as the well-documented outcome, you're also automatically giving all that juicy info on how to make a global pandemic to COMMUNIST CHINA. And this is the nation we're getting our knickers in a knot about 'withdrawing' from its role in global security.
It will be interesting to see what will happen in Israel, when those accounts from the watchers are investigated. Did everything they were saying stop at the next level? Or did it go higher, and, if so, how much higher?
(Of course, much of the investigation should be, and may be, secret.)
At that time, Israel did not have the enormous military advantage over the Arab nations that it does over Hamas, so the Israeli government should then have been more alert.
(Nate Silver's "The Signal and the Noise" has some discussion of preparing against terrorist attacks that is worth reading, though he may be regretting what he had to say about the way Israel had been successful in preventing really large attacks.)
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
Trump is more like Mussolini to Putin's Hitler.
(Though arguably Mussolini was much more capable than Trump.)
Now I'm slightly worried that I've missed out on who is the Franco in all this.
Milei.
Of course.
Orban?
Fash-curious, but mostly opportunistic. Too weak to actually join in the fighting, and deep down knows it.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
I don't know enough about 1920s Germany - but was there a 'proto-Hitler'? As in a near-miss, maybe got elected, made some incendiary speeches, paved the way? I'm not aware of one, but Adolf kinda drowns out most of the storytelling around those times. I know there was plenty of bad sh*t in the air, but a pointable figurehead/lead?
I'd say that with post-WW1 politics in Germany including a large number of nationalist militias and political parties, there were a lot of potential proto-Hitlers.
But when Hitler turned out to be the one that eventually got traction and organisation, a lot of roughly people in similar movements. Quite a lot were terminated, of course, and opposition movements forcibly taken over or dissolved.
There was obviously plenty of fertile ground for them in the early-mid 1920s, with the aftermath of the armistice, the shock at how they were treated at Versailles, and the economic collapse and hyper-inflation.
I think the key difference between then and now would be the second set of shocks at the end of the decade - the Wall Street Crash in 1929, followed by Britain triggering beggar-thy-neighbour competitive devaluations in 1931.
We've had one round of destabilisation with Covid and the war in Ukraine. But we'd need something else to take us to a 1930s-type situation that might bring something really nasty to the fore.
Weird that the same people blaming Biden for Putin attacking Ukraine because (who the hell knows), don’t appear to think Trump saying he’ll abandon America’s allies might be a problem.
I’m sure Taiwan is completely relaxed about the election outcome in November.
Until recently the US had an enormous strategic interest in Taiwan because it was producing the majority of the chips used in its IT. Biden has tried hard to home base chip manufacturing with some considerable success so the consequences for the US would not be as drastic as they would have been when Trump was President but they would still be significant.
The US has not sought to protect Taiwan because it is nice, or the honourable thing to do, or even out of guilt for letting down the nationalists during the Chinese civil war. As always, they have acted in their own interests. The problem with Trump is that he seems a lot less clear what those interests are.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
Time for the EU and the UK to realize that it’s time to forget about the USA and look after their own security .
Ironically a Trump win is the worst thing for those who have an unhinged hatred of the EU . With the orange psychopath in the WH the UK and EU are likely to become much closer .
The strange thing is Trump seems to think NATO is akin to a neighbourhood protection racket on the Lower East Side. You'll get "protection" if you pay enough - if you don't, you won't.
Time to ask ourselves some serious questions - do we need NATO any longer? It's been arguably the most successful military alliance in history but it was primarily set up as an ideological counter weight to an expansionost revolutionary ideology. The truth now is Russia isn't the Warsaw Pact and China may be a threat to the US in the Pacific but not militarily to Europe.
Maintaining our independent nuclear deterrent and the French Force de Frappe still makes for a formidable defence and were we to align with the growing military power of Poland we would be in a better place but it begs the question - NATO stands for collective defence, an attack on one is an attack on all but is that a reasonable doctrine in a multipolar world? To what extent and in what way should be acting as a guarantor for the defence of Latvia or Finland?
How independent of the US is our nuclear deterrent?
Good question, and I don't think the full answer is publicly known.
I think it's UK-built warheads based on an American design, likely using American materials. American re-entry vehicles. American booster. British designed and built submarines, powered by a nuclear reactor built in the UK to an American design.
There's supposedly complete operational independence, so we're able to press the button ourselves without American say-so... but for how long would it continue to work if they withdrew support for the missiles?
The warheads are joint designs - the American and British nuclear weapons programs became so intertwined that Chuck Hansen and others talk in such terms. Non-cylindrical secondaries were a British thing, from early on, for example. The Americans were rather surprised that we spent so much effort cracking that nut before even trying to get a simple cylindrical secondary to work.
US nuclear weapons are full of U.K. patents and the reverse.
I think strategic nuclear weapons are a waste of time. Tactical nukes are far scarier.
Modern, Western “Strategic” nukes are smaller than some “Tactical” weapons from the early Cold War.
If you pull the fusion boosting from the primary of US/UK designs, you get a yield of 300 tons of TNT. Yes, 0.3Kt. IIRC there was mention in Parliament that this is an option on Trident - at least one missile downloaded to a single warhead with this done.
Next up is full yield of the primary - 10Kt+ - Hiroshima, essentially.
Then you have the secondary that takes you up to 100kt
The U.K. never thought they needed the higher yield of the W88 design.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
What is the immediate consequence of Trump's campaign spiel?
It is that a host of European countries are thinking, "We need to get really serious about defence."
Is that good or bad for Europe? Is that good or bad for Putin?
The west’s adversaries are thinking a Trump led US would be a paper tiger.
Who is that good for ?
Are they? Do you have a direct line to the Kremlin?
If they think that, why did Putin invade while Biden was in the White House and not while Trump was there?
Putin invaded Georgia in 2008, during Dubya's tenure.
Whatever 'Trumpy' did or didn't do, what is faultless fact is that the USA banned Gain of Function Research within its own borders, after which the US Government gaily continued the work of trying to make the world's most deadly and transmissible diseases deadlier and more transmissible in overseas labs, including in COMMUNIST CHINA, where as well as the well-documented outcome, you're also automatically giving all that juicy info on how to make a global pandemic to COMMUNIST CHINA. And this is the nation we're getting our knickers in a knot about 'withdrawing' from its role in global security.
Chinese researchers doing Chinese research in Chinese labs is somehow America's fault. Right wing anti-Americanism is as ridiculous as left wing anti-Americanism.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
Weird that the same people blaming Biden for Putin attacking Ukraine because (who the hell knows), don’t appear to think Trump saying he’ll abandon America’s allies might be a problem.
I’m sure Taiwan is completely relaxed about the election outcome in November.
Until recently the US had an enormous strategic interest in Taiwan because it was producing the majority of the chips used in its IT. Biden has tried hard to home base chip manufacturing with some considerable success so the consequences for the US would not be as drastic as they would have been when Trump was President but they would still be significant.
The US has not sought to protect Taiwan because it is nice, or the honourable thing to do, or even out of guilt for letting down the nationalists during the Chinese civil war. As always, they have acted in their own interests. The problem with Trump is that he seems a lot less clear what those interests are.
It still has an enormous strategic interest. It will be a decade, if then, before the US has sufficient high end manufacturing capacity to make the loss of Taiwan anything other than an economic disaster.
Biden was absolutely right to spend many billions reviving domestic production - but it’s not a short term project.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
A lot of people do, and compare the Jan 6th riot with the beer hall putsch. So they genuinely think Trump might not quite win in 24 but be levered into power, as was the case for Hitler in 33.
I think it’s a stretch. Trump is not a nice person, is unsuited to be president of a small provincial golf club, let alone the USA, but he his not going to start a war that kills 50 million people and send 6 million Jews to their deaths for being Jewish.
Trump is not Hitler. Adolf wrote a book detailing his ideological lunacy. Trump paid someone to write a book for him about how to do deals. Hitler decided that imposing his ideology and his will on Europe was destiny. Trump? Literally doing his best to stay out of jail.
But - and its a big but - the alt right is wandering into neo fascism and Trump absolutely uses Hitler-style language about groups of people he dislikes...
Trump is more like Mussolini to Putin's Hitler.
(Though arguably Mussolini was much more capable than Trump.)
Now I'm slightly worried that I've missed out on who is the Franco in all this.
Milei.
Of course.
Orban?
Fash-curious, but mostly opportunistic. Too weak to actually join in the fighting, and deep down knows it.
European nations certainly have the economic might to defeat Putin's Russia, but, if I may say this as politely as I can: France is not led by a de Gaulle, Germany is not led by an Adenauer, and the UK is not led by a Churchill. Which is a problem for Europe.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
"Serves them right"?
Wow. That's pretty fucked up thinking.
Fog in channel, occupied Europe cut off from free Britain.
European nations certainly have the economic might to defeat Putin's Russia, but, if I may say this as politely as I can: France is not led by a de Gaulle, Germany is not led by an Adenauer, and the UK is not led by a Churchill. Which is a problem for Europe.
European nations certainly have the economic might to defeat Putin's Russia, but, if I may say this as politely as I can: France is not led by a de Gaulle, Germany is not led by an Adenauer, and the UK is not led by a Churchill. Which is a problem for Europe.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Quite astonishing comments. Hard to believe and tragic that someone could make them .
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
"Serves them right"?
Wow. That's pretty fucked up thinking.
Not really we helped europe in two world wars. Never got thanks for it remind me how many times de gaulle said no to us joining the eec. Fuck them
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
"Serves them right"?
Wow. That's pretty fucked up thinking.
Not really we helped europe in two world wars. Never got thanks for it remind me how many times de gaulle said no to us joining the eec. Fuck them
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
They don’t hate you . You just sound like an Express Drone ! Imagine having all that hate . Seriously get help .
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
"Serves them right"?
Wow. That's pretty fucked up thinking.
Not really we helped europe in two world wars. Never got thanks for it remind me how many times de gaulle said no to us joining the eec. Fuck them
Given your attitude to EU membership, wasn't that a good thing?
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
They don’t hate you . You just sound like an Express Drone ! Imagine having all that hate . Seriously get help .
I never read the express in fact the only newspaper website I ever visit is the gaurdian. Sorry no sympathy for the europeans and they do hate us else we wouldnt have kept having degaulle a man we gave sanctuary too just to note it saying no to us joining the eec. They made their bed let the fuckers lie in it
Weird that the same people blaming Biden for Putin attacking Ukraine because (who the hell knows), don’t appear to think Trump saying he’ll abandon America’s allies might be a problem.
I’m sure Taiwan is completely relaxed about the election outcome in November.
Until recently the US had an enormous strategic interest in Taiwan because it was producing the majority of the chips used in its IT. Biden has tried hard to home base chip manufacturing with some considerable success so the consequences for the US would not be as drastic as they would have been when Trump was President but they would still be significant.
The US has not sought to protect Taiwan because it is nice, or the honourable thing to do, or even out of guilt for letting down the nationalists during the Chinese civil war. As always, they have acted in their own interests. The problem with Trump is that he seems a lot less clear what those interests are.
It still has an enormous strategic interest. It will be a decade, if then, before the US has sufficient high end manufacturing capacity to make the loss of Taiwan anything other than an economic disaster.
Biden was absolutely right to spend many billions reviving domestic production - but it’s not a short term project.
I agree. That is not going to change in the next 4 years. So if Trump were rational the US Pacific fleet will continue to protect their interests in Taiwan. The key word there is "if".
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
"Serves them right"?
Wow. That's pretty fucked up thinking.
Not really we helped europe in two world wars. Never got thanks for it remind me how many times de gaulle said no to us joining the eec. Fuck them
Given your attitude to EU membership, wasn't that a good thing?
Not wanting to be in the eu was not the same as not wanting to be a member of the eec.....the eec was a good thing. The eu was absolutely a shit show
Modern, Western “Strategic” nukes are smaller than some “Tactical” weapons from the early Cold War.
If you pull the fusion boosting from the primary of US/UK designs, you get a yield of 300 tons of TNT. Yes, 0.3Kt. IIRC there was mention in Parliament that this is an option on Trident - at least one missile downloaded to a single warhead with this done.
Next up is full yield of the primary - 10Kt+ - Hiroshima, essentially.
Then you have the secondary that takes you up to 100kt
The U.K. never thought they needed the higher yield of the W88 design.
The missiles are a hell of a lot more accurate than early designs. You don't need a huge warhead to destroy a hard target when you will effectively hit the bull's eye. And with recent fusing upgrades fewer warheads are needed as well.
The Russians had huge warheads because their missiles could be expected to miss the targets by perhaps ~1 km.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
They don’t hate you . You just sound like an Express Drone ! Imagine having all that hate . Seriously get help .
I never read the express in fact the only newspaper website I ever visit is the gaurdian. Sorry no sympathy for the europeans and they do hate us else we wouldnt have kept having degaulle a man we gave sanctuary too just to note it saying no to us joining the eec. They made their bed let the fuckers lie in it
So you’re happy for the whole of Europe to become a Russian enclave because the French were mean to GB 50 years ago !
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
They don’t hate you . You just sound like an Express Drone ! Imagine having all that hate . Seriously get help .
I never read the express in fact the only newspaper website I ever visit is the gaurdian. Sorry no sympathy for the europeans and they do hate us else we wouldnt have kept having degaulle a man we gave sanctuary too just to note it saying no to us joining the eec. They made their bed let the fuckers lie in it
So you’re happy for the whole of Europe to become a Russian enclave because the French were mean to GB 50 years ago !
The whole of Europe does of course include the UK.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
"Serves them right"?
Wow. That's pretty fucked up thinking.
Not really we helped europe in two world wars. Never got thanks for it remind me how many times de gaulle said no to us joining the eec. Fuck them
And life in the UK would be just peachy after an all-out war between Russia and "europe". Sure, what the hell, bring it on.
Who's up for taking the role of "Woman Who Urinates" in the remake of Threads?
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
They don’t hate you . You just sound like an Express Drone ! Imagine having all that hate . Seriously get help .
I never read the express in fact the only newspaper website I ever visit is the gaurdian. Sorry no sympathy for the europeans and they do hate us else we wouldnt have kept having degaulle a man we gave sanctuary too just to note it saying no to us joining the eec. They made their bed let the fuckers lie in it
So you’re happy for the whole of Europe to become a Russian enclave because the French were mean to GB 50 years ago !
I dont care if russia takes mainland europe in terms of I dont want send our young to defened it
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
They don’t hate you . You just sound like an Express Drone ! Imagine having all that hate . Seriously get help .
I never read the express in fact the only newspaper website I ever visit is the gaurdian. Sorry no sympathy for the europeans and they do hate us else we wouldnt have kept having degaulle a man we gave sanctuary too just to note it saying no to us joining the eec. They made their bed let the fuckers lie in it
So you’re happy for the whole of Europe to become a Russian enclave because the French were mean to GB 50 years ago !
Britain is part of Europe anyway. If France is ever anywhere near getting invaded by Russia then something’s gone very wrong and we’re all dead already.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
They don’t hate you . You just sound like an Express Drone ! Imagine having all that hate . Seriously get help .
I never read the express in fact the only newspaper website I ever visit is the gaurdian. Sorry no sympathy for the europeans and they do hate us else we wouldnt have kept having degaulle a man we gave sanctuary too just to note it saying no to us joining the eec. They made their bed let the fuckers lie in it
So you’re happy for the whole of Europe to become a Russian enclave because the French were mean to GB 50 years ago !
I dont care if russia takes mainland europe in terms of I dont want send our young to defened it
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
Er, you do realise that if "Putin takes europe", it wouldn't be them who'd be "served right", it'd be us.
I’m not sure pagan2 realises anything over and above 1+1=2, and I have my doubts about that.
Whatever....doesnt change the point we helped europe twice in two world wars but they still hate us...I say leave them to burn who cares
They don’t hate you . You just sound like an Express Drone ! Imagine having all that hate . Seriously get help .
I never read the express in fact the only newspaper website I ever visit is the gaurdian. Sorry no sympathy for the europeans and they do hate us else we wouldnt have kept having degaulle a man we gave sanctuary too just to note it saying no to us joining the eec. They made their bed let the fuckers lie in it
So you’re happy for the whole of Europe to become a Russian enclave because the French were mean to GB 50 years ago !
Britain is part of Europe anyway. If France is ever anywhere near getting invaded by Russia then something’s gone very wrong and we’re all dead already.
shrugs mainland europe as far as its politicians are concerned should be one land....they will get what they want under russian rule
Sunil and Nigelb - True enough. We don't have an FDR, who got most strategic decisions right, and had the character and cunning to execute them. But my point is that Europe doesn't need an FDR now, but has the strength to act to block Putin without the US.
Having said that I will add that I think the US should be doing more NOW to help Ukraine, and that I would not support any candidate for national office who does not agree with that.
(One way FDR strengthened the US was with his "Good Neighbor" policy, which improved relationships with Mexico and many other Latin American countries, which was very helpful during the war. Not only did Mexico send us many supplies and agricultural workers, 250,000 Mexicans in the US joined our armed forces, and Mexico sent some of their own forces to serve in the Far East.)
Not raging at all I am quite calm just telling you what I think....europe frankly dont give a shit about them anymore. Now you probably see it as raging because what I think and what you think are opposed....your problem not mine
One of the reasons why I want the Conservatives to lose convincingly in 2024/5 is so that they can go away and relearn how to be proper conservatives. Consider the following:
The Post Office scandal
Sodium valproate affecting the children of pregnant women
The collapse of English dentistry
The inability of the Army, Navy to field a functioning purposeful army and navy*1
The inability to train GPs and retain the ones we have
The inability to come to grips with the democratic time bomb
The belief that by importing hundreds of thousands of people per year we can solve problems without new problems being created
Those are what I think the country's priorities should be. But what are the priorities of this Government?
AI
Culture War
Green stuff
You know the line from "Succession"? "I love you but you are not serious people". It's basically that. I could shake them. I really could.
*1 I read the speech by the Naval head in late 2023/2024. I could have throttled him.
Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO says he is "100% certain" that Trump will withdraw from the organization. "Europe should be smashing the glass on the fire alarm" and prepare to "fight without American support." https://twitter.com/eeldenden/status/1754493706906870114
It shows how effective Trump is.
US presidents have been telling Europe to pull its finger out for decades, but all it took was one campaign speech from Trump for the message to get through.
Effective at generating the first serious doubt in over half a century over the US commitment to its allies, sure.
Anyone who thinks that a good thing is a fool.
You think that it's sustainable to spend below the agreed amount on the military while relying on the US?
If it took someone as blunt as Trump for the message to be heard, European countries only have themselves to blame.
There’s a difference to saying those countries should pay more into the pot . That’s a valid point . Trump has gone too far in effectively green lighting an attack on a NATO country by Putin .
The fact you choose to ignore that is quite something !
Trump was talking hypothetically in the context of a negotiation over military spending.
Do you approve of Biden closing the embassy in Ukraine and telling the world that they would only last for three days? Could that not be construed as giving the green light to Putin?
More desperate false equivalence .
Indeed, Trump's hyperbole is not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands of dead Europeans we've witnessed on Biden's watch.
In 1940 you would have been rightly interned.
Do you literally see Trump as Hitler?
I see the January 6th insurrection analogous to the Beer Hall Putsch but I see Putin as more like Hitler.
Trump and you are his boosters, Sean_F on this forum put you into the category of the tankies which is fair.
People boosting Biden are the equivalent of Stalin's useful idiots.
- Biden waived sanctions on Nordstream in 2021, sending a signal of weakness. - Biden cancelled plans to deploy warships to the Black Sea in 2021, citing fears of escalation. - Biden closed the embassy in Kyiv in 2022, effectively green lighting the invasion. - Biden told the world that Ukraine would only last three days, making it seem like a lost cause. Thankfully Boris Johnson wasn't deterred and overruled officials to send significant quantities of arms before Russia invaded. - Biden slowrolled military aid, delaying the counteroffensive and prolonging the war.
Face the truth: Biden and his administration is a liability to the West and people should stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So the solution is to elect a man inviting Putin to "do what he likes" to Europe?
However bad Biden is - and he is bad - the solution is not Trump.
I dont like trump in the least. Frankly though I also dont care if putin takes europe it serves them right
"Serves them right"?
Wow. That's pretty fucked up thinking.
Not really we helped europe in two world wars. Never got thanks for it remind me how many times de gaulle said no to us joining the eec. Fuck them
And life in the UK would be just peachy after an all-out war between Russia and "europe". Sure, what the hell, bring it on.
Who's up for taking the role of "Woman Who Urinates" in the remake of Threads?
She dies. The subtext (well, text) is that everybody in the film alive when the bomb drops is dead by the end.
Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1756434033108549955
He accuses Biden of senility when he's clearly got dementia.
He accuses Democrats of vote rigging when he clearly tried - and failed - to rig an election.
He claims prosecutors are using the courts to persecute him with false charges while having his acolytes bring false and malicious lawsuits against various people, including hampering prosecutions for things they are actually guilty of.
And he claims Nikki Haley is having an affair despite shagging multiple women, including at least one who didn't welcome his attentions.
On an entirely different note, and only as you're here, you may remember about two and a half years ago a discussion about the relative merits of English counties, in which you bridled slightly at my relatively lowly ranking of Staffordshire; and in particular you sung the praises of Cannock Chase. Following that conversation, I resolved to visit Cannock Chase, and yesterday I finally did so. I'd describe it as a very satisfying chunk of England. I was also fortunate enough to find a really, really good pub in Stafford: the Sun Inn - the county is worth a visit for that alone.
Last time I visited Cannock Chase (20 yrs ago) I saw nightjars and some pretty impressive fallow deer. Hope they're still there.
One of the reasons why I want the Conservatives to lose convincingly in 2024/5 is so that they can go away and relearn how to be proper conservatives. Consider the following:
The Post Office scandal
Sodium valproate affecting the children of pregnant women
The collapse of English dentistry
The inability of the Army, Navy to field a functioning purposeful army and navy*1
The inability to train GPs and retain the ones we have
The inability to come to grips with the democratic time bomb
The belief that by importing hundreds of thousands of people per year we can solve problems without new problems being created
Those are what I think the country's priorities should be. But what are the priorities of this Government?
AI
Culture War
Green stuff
You know the line from "Succession"? "I love you but you are not serious people". It's basically that. I could shake them. I really could.
*1 I read the speech by the Naval head in late 2023/2024. I could have throttled him.
Find it hard to argue with any of that. I fear, however, that Labour will be no better. And, to take an example, they put the orders for carriers into a yard that just happened to be in Gordon Brown's constituency.
The Azhar Ali Rochdale mess shows why Sir Keir wants to appoint all candidates from central office. How’d he not manage to crowbar his man Paul Waugh in?
One of the reasons why I want the Conservatives to lose convincingly in 2024/5 is so that they can go away and relearn how to be proper conservatives. Consider the following:
The Post Office scandal
Sodium valproate affecting the children of pregnant women
The collapse of English dentistry
The inability of the Army, Navy to field a functioning purposeful army and navy*1
The inability to train GPs and retain the ones we have
The inability to come to grips with the democratic time bomb
The belief that by importing hundreds of thousands of people per year we can solve problems without new problems being created
Those are what I think the country's priorities should be. But what are the priorities of this Government?
AI
Culture War
Green stuff
You know the line from "Succession"? "I love you but you are not serious people". It's basically that. I could shake them. I really could.
*1 I read the speech by the Naval head in late 2023/2024. I could have throttled him.
One of the reasons why I want the Conservatives to lose convincingly in 2024/5 is so that they can go away and relearn how to be proper conservatives. Consider the following:
The Post Office scandal
Sodium valproate affecting the children of pregnant women
The collapse of English dentistry
The inability of the Army, Navy to field a functioning purposeful army and navy*1
The inability to train GPs and retain the ones we have
The inability to come to grips with the democratic time bomb
The belief that by importing hundreds of thousands of people per year we can solve problems without new problems being created
Those are what I think the country's priorities should be. But what are the priorities of this Government?
AI
Culture War
Green stuff
You know the line from "Succession"? "I love you but you are not serious people". It's basically that. I could shake them. I really could.
*1 I read the speech by the Naval head in late 2023/2024. I could have throttled him.
Find it hard to argue with any of that. I fear, however, that Labour will be no better. And, to take an example, they put the orders for carriers into a yard that just happened to be in Gordon Brown's constituency.
Oh, agreed. I have no faith that Labour have grasped the nettle any more than Sunak has. Damn...
1. The EU and Western Europe in general can quite readily sustain the level support to defeat Russia in Ukraine
2. It probably won't because it will still be looking to the US and some key players will likely use the possibility of a withdrawal of US support to Ukraine as a get out.
I saw in the Balkans how fucking useless the newly named EU & Western Europe as an entity was in the 90s where it needed the US to do what was necessary. History will show that some big European players wanted to ignore the Russian threat to Ukraine even after the US set it out in black and white, they just didnt want to know until it was simply impossible to reject.
This is the EU, When it comes to shooting match in their own back yard, the big players are never prepared to do whats required. They always look to the US to hide behind. Its fucking pathetic.
Not raging at all I am quite calm just telling you what I think....europe frankly dont give a shit about them anymore. Now you probably see it as raging because what I think and what you think are opposed....your problem not mine
No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thy friend's Or of thine own were: Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind, And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
European nations certainly have the economic might to defeat Putin's Russia, but, if I may say this as politely as I can: France is not led by a de Gaulle, Germany is not led by an Adenauer, and the UK is not led by a Churchill. Which is a problem for Europe.
Adenauer was 74 when he became the German Chancellor and was in office for the next 14 years. Biden, eat your heart out.
One of the reasons why I want the Conservatives to lose convincingly in 2024/5 is so that they can go away and relearn how to be proper conservatives. Consider the following:
The Post Office scandal
Sodium valproate affecting the children of pregnant women
The collapse of English dentistry
The inability of the Army, Navy to field a functioning purposeful army and navy*1
The inability to train GPs and retain the ones we have
The inability to come to grips with the democratic time bomb
The belief that by importing hundreds of thousands of people per year we can solve problems without new problems being created
Those are what I think the country's priorities should be. But what are the priorities of this Government?
AI
Culture War
Green stuff
You know the line from "Succession"? "I love you but you are not serious people". It's basically that. I could shake them. I really could.
*1 I read the speech by the Naval head in late 2023/2024. I could have throttled him.
1. The EU and Western Europe in general can quite readily sustain the level support to defeat Russia in Ukraine
2. It probably won't because it will still be looking to the US and some key players will likely use the possibility of a withdrawal of US support to Ukraine as a get out.
I saw in the Balkans how fucking useless the newly named EU & Western Europe as an entity was in the 90s where it needed the US to do what was necessary. History will show that some big European players wanted to ignore the Russian threat to Ukraine even after the US set it out in black and white, they just didnt want to know until it was simply impossible to reject.
This is the EU, When it comes to shooting match in their own back yard, the big players are never prepared to do whats required. They always look to the US to hide behind. Its fucking pathetic.
One of the reasons why I want the Conservatives to lose convincingly in 2024/5 is so that they can go away and relearn how to be proper conservatives. Consider the following:
The Post Office scandal
Sodium valproate affecting the children of pregnant women
The collapse of English dentistry
The inability of the Army, Navy to field a functioning purposeful army and navy*1
The inability to train GPs and retain the ones we have
The inability to come to grips with the democratic time bomb
The belief that by importing hundreds of thousands of people per year we can solve problems without new problems being created
Those are what I think the country's priorities should be. But what are the priorities of this Government?
AI
Culture War
Green stuff
You know the line from "Succession"? "I love you but you are not serious people". It's basically that. I could shake them. I really could.
*1 I read the speech by the Naval head in late 2023/2024. I could have throttled him.
Take a look at your list, then consider how Brexit improved any of them...
That is why the current Brexit Tory party is so wretched.
If there are enough Conservative and Unionists left they might rediscover their purpose, but not until the loonies, headbangers and closet racists are gone.
Sam Freedman @Samfr · 1h The Rochdale by-election is spectacularly cursed.
Labour stuck with a conspiracist. Greens disowned their candidate for attacks on Islam. Reform candidate sent sexts to a teen. Galloway marauding around like the thug he is.
1. The EU and Western Europe in general can quite readily sustain the level support to defeat Russia in Ukraine
2. It probably won't because it will still be looking to the US and some key players will likely use the possibility of a withdrawal of US support to Ukraine as a get out.
I saw in the Balkans how fucking useless the newly named EU & Western Europe as an entity was in the 90s where it needed the US to do what was necessary. History will show that some big European players wanted to ignore the Russian threat to Ukraine even after the US set it out in black and white, they just didnt want to know until it was simply impossible to reject.
This is the EU, When it comes to shooting match in their own back yard, the big players are never prepared to do whats required. They always look to the US to hide behind. Its fucking pathetic.
That is changing. But not fast enough to do without the US for the rest of this decade.
It will take that long to rebuild defence production - which is starting to happen.
Even Germany appears (possibly) to have had a fundamental change of heart regarding its strategic interests.
One of the curious things about Trump is how often he accuses his opponents of doing the very things things he is notorious for committing, or flagging vulnerabilities in them which are much more acute for him.
Here is he is mocking Nikki Haley for the absence of her husband. And yet Melania seems to have completely vanished. Is it some kind of weird compulsion? Is there a psychological explanation? Is this what narcissists do?
1. The EU and Western Europe in general can quite readily sustain the level support to defeat Russia in Ukraine
2. It probably won't because it will still be looking to the US and some key players will likely use the possibility of a withdrawal of US support to Ukraine as a get out.
I saw in the Balkans how fucking useless the newly named EU & Western Europe as an entity was in the 90s where it needed the US to do what was necessary. History will show that some big European players wanted to ignore the Russian threat to Ukraine even after the US set it out in black and white, they just didnt want to know until it was simply impossible to reject.
This is the EU, When it comes to shooting match in their own back yard, the big players are never prepared to do whats required. They always look to the US to hide behind. Its fucking pathetic.
That is changing. But not fast enough to do without the US for the rest of this decade.
It will take that long to rebuild defence production - which is starting to happen.
Even Germany appears (possibly) to have had a fundamental change of heart regarding its strategic interests.
German politicians seem pretty pro putin cf olaf scholz
If anybody wonders why this country has gone to shit, Pagan's posts are rather revealing. For one, the current incarnation of the Tory party seems to believe the majority of the electorate holds the same opinions as him.
Sam Freedman @Samfr · 1h The Rochdale by-election is spectacularly cursed.
Labour stuck with a conspiracist. Greens disowned their candidate for attacks on Islam. Reform candidate sent sexts to a teen. Galloway marauding around like the thug he is.
Godawful mess.
And, even worse, there's a Tory cursed by being the Conservative candidate.
One of the curious things about Trump is how often he accuses his opponents of doing the very things things he is notorious for committing, or flagging vulnerabilities in them which are much more acute for him.
Here is he is mocking Nikki Haley for the absence of her husband. And yet Melania seems to have completely vanished. Is it some kind of weird compulsion? Is there a psychological explanation? Is this what narcissists do?
I see Harper has finally been shown the door, just three posts short of a double-century. That must be a record for a Russian troll.
It was a skilful innings all in all. I particularly liked the subtle passing observations about the apparent increased prevalence of sudden/ unexpected deaths and premature ageing, rather than his making any direct reference to the COVID vaccine.
I got the impression this morning that he was almost looking to be banned, it had maybe turned into a long and not particularly lucrative shift. There were direct references to him living in Russia and having lived in Moscow that was not present before that.
I admit I just thought it was a bored Leon and ignored it.
Ah, that might be a shout actually. Hats off if it was - it never even entered my head!
If anybody wonders why this country has gone to shit, Pagan's posts are rather revealing. For one, the current incarnation of the Tory party seems to believe the majority of the electorate holds the same opinions as him.
Fuck that I dont vote tory they are a pile of steaming turds
1. The EU and Western Europe in general can quite readily sustain the level support to defeat Russia in Ukraine
2. It probably won't because it will still be looking to the US and some key players will likely use the possibility of a withdrawal of US support to Ukraine as a get out.
I saw in the Balkans how fucking useless the newly named EU & Western Europe as an entity was in the 90s where it needed the US to do what was necessary. History will show that some big European players wanted to ignore the Russian threat to Ukraine even after the US set it out in black and white, they just didnt want to know until it was simply impossible to reject.
This is the EU, When it comes to shooting match in their own back yard, the big players are never prepared to do whats required. They always look to the US to hide behind. Its fucking pathetic.
That is changing. But not fast enough to do without the US for the rest of this decade.
It will take that long to rebuild defence production - which is starting to happen.
Even Germany appears (possibly) to have had a fundamental change of heart regarding its strategic interests.
And Germany, of them all, will be the least likely to change. Lot of great things about Germany but a more weasel sack of bastards within their political and governmental elite I think its probably hard to find when it comes to actually doing the proper thing.
On a practical level whilst European production capacity gets into gear, how much do you think the EU as a collective or individual countries spent on the likes of ammunition supplies to help Ukraine with contractors outside of Europe or the US? A lot less than they could or should. Plenty of manufacturers across the globe who would have no problem at all supplying EU countries and wouldnt care that they'll end up in Ukraine. Instead of course the EU has missed its short term targets by miles through a mix of poor commitment and a lack of good sense.
If anybody wonders why this country has gone to shit, Pagan's posts are rather revealing. For one, the current incarnation of the Tory party seems to believe the majority of the electorate holds the same opinions as him.
Fuck that I dont vote tory they are a pile of steaming turds
I am sorry it offends you but sorry most europeans seem to like a tyrant, napolean, kaiser willhelm, hitler, franco etc
One of the reasons why I want the Conservatives to lose convincingly in 2024/5 is so that they can go away and relearn how to be proper conservatives. Consider the following:
The Post Office scandal
Sodium valproate affecting the children of pregnant women
The collapse of English dentistry
The inability of the Army, Navy to field a functioning purposeful army and navy*1
The inability to train GPs and retain the ones we have
The inability to come to grips with the democratic time bomb
The belief that by importing hundreds of thousands of people per year we can solve problems without new problems being created
Those are what I think the country's priorities should be. But what are the priorities of this Government?
AI
Culture War
Green stuff
You know the line from "Succession"? "I love you but you are not serious people". It's basically that. I could shake them. I really could.
*1 I read the speech by the Naval head in late 2023/2024. I could have throttled him.
Find it hard to argue with any of that. I fear, however, that Labour will be no better. And, to take an example, they put the orders for carriers into a yard that just happened to be in Gordon Brown's constituency.
To be fair to Mr Brown, that is misleading, at least de facto if not in intent. Rosyth did happen to be the only yard with a dock big enough IIRC. And, in practice, a lot of its work was assembly; the things were prefabbed, so big chunks were pork-barrelled all over the UK, ditto the equipment and machinery.
I see Harper has finally been shown the door, just three posts short of a double-century. That must be a record for a Russian troll.
It was a skilful innings all in all. I particularly liked the subtle passing observations about the apparent increased prevalence of sudden/ unexpected deaths and premature ageing, rather than his making any direct reference to the COVID vaccine.
I got the impression this morning that he was almost looking to be banned, it had maybe turned into a long and not particularly lucrative shift. There were direct references to him living in Russia and having lived in Moscow that was not present before that.
I admit I just thought it was a bored Leon and ignored it.
Ah, that might be a shout actually. Hats off if it was - it never even entered my head!
1. The EU and Western Europe in general can quite readily sustain the level support to defeat Russia in Ukraine
2. It probably won't because it will still be looking to the US and some key players will likely use the possibility of a withdrawal of US support to Ukraine as a get out.
I saw in the Balkans how fucking useless the newly named EU & Western Europe as an entity was in the 90s where it needed the US to do what was necessary. History will show that some big European players wanted to ignore the Russian threat to Ukraine even after the US set it out in black and white, they just didnt want to know until it was simply impossible to reject.
This is the EU, When it comes to shooting match in their own back yard, the big players are never prepared to do whats required. They always look to the US to hide behind. Its fucking pathetic.
This is a very interesting and thoughtful post.
But needs must where the devil drives. EU countries are scared for the first time.
Comments
He accuses Biden of senility when he's clearly got dementia.
He accuses Democrats of vote rigging when he clearly tried - and failed - to rig an election.
He claims prosecutors are using the courts to persecute him with false charges while having his acolytes bring false and malicious lawsuits against various people, including hampering prosecutions for things they are actually guilty of.
And he claims Nikki Haley is having an affair despite shagging multiple women, including at least one who didn't welcome his attentions.
Oh come on Leon. You are not that important.
And
Who knows. Maybr Leon is in the pay of the russians. Stranger things have happened. (sic)
If anyone mentions Trump or any variant, including asterisks., then the offender has to pay a quid towards site maintenance. If you mention Boris Johnson it's a fiver.....
Iran has been boycotted by the USA since 1979, but they are still - sort of - flying F14s and various other American aircraft 45 years later !
@Dura_Ace may have a better idea.
US nuclear weapons are full of U.K. patents and the reverse.
I was also fortunate enough to find a really, really good pub in Stafford: the Sun Inn - the county is worth a visit for that alone.
I also do think his age is an issue. And it's hardly going to become less of one.
But all of those are far more of an issue with Trump. He's verbally completely lost, he's aged about ten years in the last one, he's also very old and he's clearly physically grossly unfit.
But when Hitler turned out to be the one that eventually got traction and organisation, a lot of roughly people in similar movements joined up. Quite a lot of those were 'deleted', of course, and other movements forcibly taken over or dissolved.
I will call in there tomorrow when I go to collect my fee from the tourist office
More seriously, glad you came and glad you liked it. Seriously underappreciated county.
Having said that, a country's national interest is what the leaders of that country say it is, not some objective view of strategic reality.
Its deeply depressing.
If the US withdraws it's support from Nato we will be at the precipice of a full scale war in Europe...
The only thing that will stop Putin is a strategic battlefield loss in Ukraine. If that happens Putin is dead man, so he has to continue.
Sadly, and horribly we are living through a zero sum nightmare. Putin has to continue with his horrendous wars otherwise he is a dead man walking, and Trump has to continue with his US campaign otherwise he dies in Prison.
I'm sure I've bored on about them before but Richard Hughes' books The Fox in the Attic and The Wooden Shepherdess are fantastic on the personalities and events around the rise of Hitler, and great books in their own right.
I’m sure Taiwan is completely relaxed about the election outcome in November.
The Japanese never sent a message mentioning Pearl Harbour. For signal security they even dismantled all the radios on the task force.
For Coventry, the intercepted messages said there was going to be a big raid. Again the name of the target was never sent. Code words only. The assumption (by British intelligence) was that London was the target.
As with Stalin and the Bolsheviks, they only realised that he’d taken the train gradually and mostly after the fact.
(Of course, much of the investigation should be, and may be, secret.)
FWIW, Israel was also surprised by the attack that began the Yom Kippur War, assuming this Wikipedia article is basically correct: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War
At that time, Israel did not have the enormous military advantage over the Arab nations that it does over Hamas, so the Israeli government should then have been more alert.
(Nate Silver's "The Signal and the Noise" has some discussion of preparing against terrorist attacks that is worth reading, though he may be regretting what he had to say about the way Israel had been successful in preventing really large attacks.)
I think the key difference between then and now would be the second set of shocks at the end of the decade - the Wall Street Crash in 1929, followed by Britain triggering beggar-thy-neighbour competitive devaluations in 1931.
We've had one round of destabilisation with Covid and the war in Ukraine. But we'd need something else to take us to a 1930s-type situation that might bring something really nasty to the fore.
The US has not sought to protect Taiwan because it is nice, or the honourable thing to do, or even out of guilt for letting down the nationalists during the Chinese civil war. As always, they have acted in their own interests. The problem with Trump is that he seems a lot less clear what those interests are.
If you pull the fusion boosting from the primary of US/UK designs, you get a yield of 300 tons of TNT. Yes, 0.3Kt. IIRC there was mention in Parliament that this is an option on Trident - at least one missile downloaded to a single warhead with this done.
Next up is full yield of the primary - 10Kt+ - Hiroshima, essentially.
Then you have the secondary that takes you up to 100kt
The U.K. never thought they needed the higher yield of the W88 design.
It will be a decade, if then, before the US has sufficient high end manufacturing capacity to make the loss of Taiwan anything other than an economic disaster.
Biden was absolutely right to spend many billions reviving domestic production - but it’s not a short term project.
Wow. That's pretty fucked up thinking.
Go 9ers !
The Russians had huge warheads because their missiles could be expected to miss the targets by perhaps ~1 km.
Who's up for taking the role of "Woman Who Urinates" in the remake of Threads?
Having said that I will add that I think the US should be doing more NOW to help Ukraine, and that I would not support any candidate for national office who does not agree with that.
(One way FDR strengthened the US was with his "Good Neighbor" policy, which improved relationships with Mexico and many other Latin American countries, which was very helpful during the war. Not only did Mexico send us many supplies and agricultural workers, 250,000 Mexicans in the US joined our armed forces, and Mexico sent some of their own forces to serve in the Far East.)
So much hate - get some help pal.
- The Post Office scandal
- Sodium valproate affecting the children of pregnant women
- The collapse of English dentistry
- The inability of the Army, Navy to field a functioning purposeful army and navy*1
- The inability to train GPs and retain the ones we have
- The inability to come to grips with the democratic time bomb
- The belief that by importing hundreds of thousands of people per year we can solve problems without new problems being created
Those are what I think the country's priorities should be. But what are the priorities of this Government?- AI
- Culture War
- Green stuff
You know the line from "Succession"? "I love you but you are not serious people". It's basically that. I could shake them. I really could.*1 I read the speech by the Naval head in late 2023/2024. I could have throttled him.
Trump gets access to sealed documents on witness threats in Mar-a-Lago case
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/11/trump-mar-a-lago-case-witness-threats-sealed-exhibit
The judge is enabling witness intimidation.
He has just scored the 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 goal for Ivory Coast in the AFCON final 🏆🏆
What a moment ❤️️
https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1756801469066441164?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
HMS Prince of Wales fails to depart for Nato exercises
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-68268560
2. It probably won't because it will still be looking to the US and some key players will likely use the possibility of a withdrawal of US support to Ukraine as a get out.
I saw in the Balkans how fucking useless the newly named EU & Western Europe as an entity was in the 90s where it needed the US to do what was necessary. History will show that some big European players wanted to ignore the Russian threat to Ukraine even after the US set it out in black and white, they just didnt want to know until it was simply impossible to reject.
This is the EU, When it comes to shooting match in their own back yard, the big players are never prepared to do whats required. They always look to the US to hide behind. Its fucking pathetic.
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
That is why the current
BrexitTory party is so wretched.If there are enough Conservative and Unionists left they might rediscover their purpose, but not until the loonies, headbangers and closet racists are gone.
@Samfr
·
1h
The Rochdale by-election is spectacularly cursed.
Labour stuck with a conspiracist.
Greens disowned their candidate for attacks on Islam.
Reform candidate sent sexts to a teen.
Galloway marauding around like the thug he is.
Godawful mess.
But not fast enough to do without the US for the rest of this decade.
It will take that long to rebuild defence production - which is starting to happen.
Even Germany appears (possibly) to have had a fundamental change of heart regarding its strategic interests.
Here is he is mocking Nikki Haley for the absence of her husband. And yet Melania seems to have completely vanished. Is it some kind of weird compulsion? Is there a psychological explanation? Is this what narcissists do?
https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1756434012351209524
We all project all the time.
Read some posts on here
On a practical level whilst European production capacity gets into gear, how much do you think the EU as a collective or individual countries spent on the likes of ammunition supplies to help Ukraine with contractors outside of Europe or the US? A lot less than they could or should. Plenty of manufacturers across the globe who would have no problem at all supplying EU countries and wouldnt care that they'll end up in Ukraine. Instead of course the EU has missed its short term targets by miles through a mix of poor commitment and a lack of good sense.
But needs must where the devil drives. EU countries are scared for the first time.