Politics

[steve white]

Let me answer you with a bit of history and perspective from the US military’s experience.

By the early seventies and the end of the Vietnam war, the US military had formed a deep and abiding distrust of the press. Historians may disagree, but the leadership of the Army that emerged following the war was convinced the press had undermined the service's battlefield successes to the nation's detriment by actually changing the outcome of the war.

Flash forward to operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and those young captains and majors were now commanding divisions, corps, and the theater of operations. You will see virtually no footage of US Army units in combat from that period. The theater leadership, led by General Norman Schwarzkopf, simply didn't allow the press anywhere near the front lines for the duration of that conflict.

You would be hard pressed to find a single US military officer who wouldn't agree with that practice to this day.

Though journalists may bemoan the lack of transparency with respect to Ukrainian combat operations, I can not think of a single good reason why Zelensky or his military leadership should offer more access to the press. More importantly, I can list a host of reasons why they shouldn't. This is particularly true when fighting a foe who has total control of the narrative surrounding his perception of and participation in of the conflict.

Seem to recall that Lincoln had the same problem during the civil war and censored the press?....

 

[mark-hunter]

Let me answer you with a bit of history and perspective from the US military’s experience.

Thanks!
Sounds logical!

 

[Hunt anything]

And a word about the casualties, if I recall the south loss fewer soldiers than the north in our civil war. A lot of it depends how much meat you have to throw into the meat grinder. Russia definitely has more meat.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Just saw a blip on the news that American Jews have changed their tune on gun control and are purchasing firearms for self defense in droves……

 

[Tanks]

...

If Ukraine ends up annexed by Russia, but at the cost of the Russian economy and military being destroyed for the next 20+ years.. thats a win for the US... It might not be exactly the end result we want.. but it is indeed a win..

...

Considering 20+ years is not a long time period for the Chinese, is taking over Taiwan an acceptable result?.

Also, with the world's dependency on Chinese goods would there even be any long-term consequences on the Chinese? Most likely it would be a slap on the wrist?

What happens with Ukraine and our attitudes towards that war has more ramifications than just Russia.

 

[JGRaider]

I personally don't give a ratsazzz about Ukraine or Russia. I just wish we'd quit sending money to Zelensky and the rest of the money launderers over there.

 

[PARA45]

Just saw a blip on the news that American Jews have changed their tune on gun control and are purchasing firearms for self defense in droves……

I never quite understood their stance on gun control, even here in the US.

 

[mdwest]

Considering 20+ years is not a long time period for the Chinese, is taking over Taiwan an acceptable result?.

Also, with the world's dependency on Chinese goods would there even be any long-term consequences on the Chinese? Most likely it would be a slap on the wrist?

What happens with Ukraine and our attitudes towards that war has more ramifications than just Russia.

I'd say a lot of that depends on timing...

As an example.. about 10 years ago I was doing a good bit of security consulting for 2 major North American manufacturing companies... one of them (GE) has HUGE manufacturing facilities in China.. they make everything from lightbulbs to medical devices to train engine parts in China (among other things)..

As far back as a decade ago GE was looking for alternatives to China.. with Chinas rising middle class the cost of manufacturing was going up and they were projecting things getting worse, not better over the next 20-30 years (10 years have already passed).. They were considering options like the more developed countries in Africa such as Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, etc.. but were having a hard time getting past how they would deal with corruption, cultural issues, security (the reason I was involved in the meetings), etc.. They were also looking at locations in South America as well as some other Asian countries..

but from a investment cost, cash flow, ROI, etc type perspective it was a pretty easy decision.. The cost to stand up a new facility and start making low cost items like light bulbs somewhere like Kenya could be completely recouped in just a few years (lower facility costs, lower labor costs, etc)..

I dont have a clue if GE ever solved their problem and started moving major manufacturing out of China or not... but if they were already having that discussion a decade ago, Im sure other major manufacturers were already having it then as well.. and as Chinas economy continues to grow, more and more companies are going to get serious about getting out (a natural result.. not unlike so many companies off shoring from the US when labor and facilities got expensive here)...

Sooner or later China wont be the cheapest place on earth to make stuff that we want to buy.... Im not sure how much longer we will be truly dependent on them.. If you listen to Peter Zeihan much he seems to think the Chinese are in their last decade and that they have built a very unstable house of cards that is going to collapse in on them... THAT might be what motivates them to take a big action like taking Taiwan.. desperate people tend to do desperate things.. Im not sure I agree completely with Zeihan on China.. My guess is they have more than 10 years before things start to fall apart.. but.. I do agree with him in that they have built their economy, military, and political system all in a very impressive but fragile manner.. and that all are vulnerable..

 

[ActionBob]

I expect you are correct. I no longer have any doubt that Donald Trump would indeed put "getting even" with a perceived critic ahead of the interests of his country. I am hardly alone in that assessment.

Trump and allies plot revenge, Justice Department control in a second term

Advisers have also discussed deploying the military to quell potential unrest on Inauguration Day. Critics have called the ideas under consideration dangerous and unconstitutional.

webcache.googleusercontent.com

Or in his own words.

Truth Social

Truth Social is America's "Big Tent" social media platform that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating on the basis of political ideology.

truthsocial.com

Hardly a Lincolnesque approach to governing during a crisis. If you haven't read it, I would strongly suggest "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I would love for Trump to read it, but I suspect it doesn't have enough pictures.

Sigh, I'm afraid you are correct....

I loved Trump's policies on the tax code. His approach to putting reason back into regulations and cutting through red tape. Reeling in agencies/bureaucracies. Getting government to do things more reasonably. I remember a press conference where he talked about rebuilding the highway loop around DC and approaching it as if the government was his company finding the most cost effective way to do it. Absolutely loved that part of him.

But early on he was meeting with an Arab leader who was so well spoken, articulated his comments perfectly. Then Trump with his choppy sentences sounding like 3rd grader.... It was embarrassing to have that blithering coming out of our President's mouth.. Granted he improved during his tenure. And Thank God he hired Kayleigh McEnany!

But then we got Biden and suddenly Trump speaks brilliantly in comparison

I really hope that we get a different Republican candidate but no matter who it is. We need to elect a Republican Administration. There are some very important tax code pieces up for renewal in 2025. Biden or any other left leaning President will further burden us with outrageous taxes if they are granted another 4 years.

No it is vital that we elect a fiscally conservative president this time around. Not to mention maintaining a rational Supreme Court!

 

[Red Leg]

Sigh, I'm afraid you are correct....

I loved Trump's policies on the tax code. His approach to putting reason back into regulations and cutting through red tape. Reeling in agencies/bureaucracies. Getting government to do things more reasonably. I remember a press conference where he talked about rebuilding the highway loop around DC and approaching it as if the government was his company finding the most cost effective way to do it. Absolutely loved that part of him.

But early on he was meeting with an Arab leader who was so well spoken, articulated his comments perfectly. Then Trump with his choppy sentences sounding like 3rd grader.... It was embarrassing to have that blithering coming out of our President's mouth.. Granted he improved during his tenure. And Thank God he hired Kayleigh McEnany!

But then we got Biden and suddenly Trump speaks brilliantly in comparison

I really hope that we get a different Republican candidate but no matter who it is. We need to elect a Republican Administration. There are some very important tax code pieces up for renewal in 2025. Biden or any other left leaning President will further burden us with outrageous taxes if they are granted another 4 years.

No it is vital that we elect a fiscally conservative president this time around. Not to mention maintaining a rational Supreme Court!

One of the interesting things that came out of the New York Times poll of the six swing states besides Trump leading Biden by an average of almost 6 points in five of them, was that Nickki Haley decisively wins all five of them by an average of 12 points! Yet, my party is stuck in a nomination process that will likely give the candidacy to a man who may be giving his acceptance speech from a prison cell.

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis potent challengers to Biden in swing states, poll shows – as it happened

New York Times and Siena College poll reveals that in six swing states, Nikki Haley would be an even more potent challenger to Biden than Trump

www.theguardian.com

If the polls are accurate, and the NY Times is hardly a Republican friendly source, Haley would likely post a Reagan-like landslide victory next November with really decisive coattails. Instead we will have an infantile self-indulgent 77-year-old as our choice and will be fortunate to salvage one of the two houses even if he wins.

 

[Tanks]

...

Sooner or later China wont be the cheapest place on earth to make stuff that we want to buy.... Im not sure how much longer we will be truly dependent on them.. ...

It is not just the cost though, it is also the supply chain and availability of skilled labor and engineers. Not to mention the work hours etc., etc..

Now, I am guilty of outsourcing as well for things like AutoCAD drawings, UX design etc.. My local engineers are better utilized doing more significant tasks. For comparison, an electrical engineer costs me $1,500/month overseas (not China) on a 48 hour work week. Average engineer locally is over $10K a month plus benefits. Significant difference.

 

[John Wasmuth]

I never quite understood their stance on gun control, even here in the US.

Yes sir, one would think that due to what took place against them they’d be 2A supporters 100%. Makes you wonder.

 

[Wheels]

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestine National Authority has been talking to Israel about taking control of Gaza after Hamas is routed.

Evidently Hamas has other plans and made an attempt at assassination on Abbas an hour ago. Hamas may be isolating themselves from even more Palestinians.

https://x.com/The_Real_Fly/status/1721920608106152265?s=20

 

[Hunt anything]

It is somewhat curious that absolutely no one wants the Palestinian people.

 

[mark-hunter]

It is somewhat curious that absolutely no one wants the Palestinian people.

This actually is totally surprising!

 

[cash_tx]

I never quite understood their stance on gun control, even here in the US.

Being 1/8th Jew myself, I'm entitled to make a joke about the high cost of ammo being an impediment; but I'll refrain. ;-)

 

[Wheels]

This actually is totally surprising!

The Muslim countries have seen what the Palestinians have done to Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. They want no part of them.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

And a word about the casualties, if I recall the south loss fewer soldiers than the north in our civil war. A lot of it depends how much meat you have to throw into the meat grinder. Russia definitely has more meat.

I wonder about this.

Obviously Russia has a much larger population but I wonder if that really matters in this particular war, or if it matters as much as people think.

How much of that population is fighting age? How motivated are those recruits?

This isn’t the Great Patriotic War with the existential threat of the Third Reich. These recruits are also not early 20th century peasants with access to little outside information. Even with Russia’s restrictions on communication and media, this is still the Information Age. The ministry of culture hasn’t even been able to keep the Barbie movie out of Russian cinemas. Even if the recruits believe the propaganda and hate Ukraine, is it enough of a cause to willingly die for?

This is also not the age of Stalin with soldiers facing the choice between a Wehrmacht machine gun or an NKVD officer’s nagant revolver.

Again, Russia’s population is certainly an advantage and Ukraine will have trouble overcoming it, but in this day and age, I’m not convinced that it’s the same advantage it was in WWII. I’ve not seen the Russians be able to completely swamp Ukrainian forces with sheer numbers thus far.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

I never quite understood their stance on gun control, even here in the US.

When people feel safe, they become complacent. War and terrorism are things that happen somewhere else to other people.

I think that seeing Hamas rolling into suburban neighborhoods in SUVs and motorcycles was a wake up call to some. The familiar setting suddenly didn’t seem so far away.

 

[Tanks]

I never quite understood their stance on gun control, even here in the US.

It follows the attitude of most urban dwellers, not specific to Jews alone.