Politics

[Neophyte]

Meh? You like the sight of amputated children running around who’s only crime is playing out side?

Meh? You like the sight of amputated children running around who’s only crime is playing out side?

In the ideal world, no.
This is far from an ideal world. There are certain parts of the world I care about and other parts I couldn’t care less about.
Trying to play the emotional card. How very liberal of you.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

In the ideal world, no.
This is far from an ideal world. There are certain parts of the world I care about and other parts I couldn’t care less about.
Trying to play the emotional card. How very liberal of you.

I fully understand your isolationism philosophy that is what I’m addressing, if you wait until the enemy is on your doorstep the problem is then in your yard and the children are yours.

Isn’t it better to leave the death and destruction in those parts of the world you don’t care about?

 

[Tundra Tiger]

In the ideal world, no.
This is far from an ideal world. There are certain parts of the world I care about and other parts I couldn’t care less about.
Trying to play the emotional card. How very liberal of you.

Please... feel free to crawl back in your cave and wallow in your isolationist ways.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Excellent as always and I only disagree with a couple of his assumptions.

He, like many here, seem certain that Trump will work for a conclusion to the war that will justify Ukraine's sacrifice, the West's investment, and not simply further embolden Putin. I have heard absolutely nothing from Trump, Vance, or any of his primary advisors that would lead me to conclude that is the case. In fact, I am not completely certain Trump actually fully understands what our national interests are with respect to Europe and Russia. I am absolutely certain that worries Ukraine and everyone in Europe except perhaps Victor Orban.

Secondly, as long as Russia is trying to defeat Ukraine, it is getting weaker not stronger. No one realizes this more than Putin. I am convinced that Putin sees Trump as his last remaining card. Ukrainian forces have begun retaking areas that were seized over the last nine months. Russia can't even reclaim the ground taken by the UA in Kursk.

Putin needs a deal soon if not now, and it is Ukraine and the West that actually hold the superior negotiating position. I personally have little confidence Trump intends to exploit it even if he were corrected on the facts on the ground. Sometimes leadership is quite a bit more than an Atlantic City real-estate deal.

Wait, how are we so worried about Putin and Russia taking over the EU and all their military if the Russians can’t even retake ground they took and lost from Ukraine? Either they are capable or not? If they can’t beat Ukraine and are reduced to using golf carts to move about
How can the beat the EU?

 

[MauserM03Blog]

Maybe Trump is a Russian agent?…

Opinion | This Never Happened With an American President Before

Trump’s behavior in the Oval Office with Zelensky was an unparalleled break with American foreign policy.

www.nytimes.com

Krasnov - Russia’s greatest intelligence coup. Getting a schooled, compromised and easily manipulated agent into the White House. Wow.

 

[Red Leg]

Wait, how are we so worried about Putin and Russia taking over the EU and all their military if the Russians can’t even retake ground the took and lost from Ukraine? Either they are capable or not? If they can’t beat Ukraine and are reduced to using golf carts to move about
How can the beat the EU?

Because when the war ends, sanctions will be lifted. Russia will immediately begin reconstituting its armed forces. Current leadership in NATO estimates 5-7 years. I think that is unlikely, but a fast recovering Russia will have a new modernized land force (more modern than ours) ready within the decade. They can consider using it either with the confidence of a perceived triumph in Ukraine, or with great caution as a new government sifts through the physical and diplomatic wreckage of the last. I am certain American national interests are far better served by the latter. And do recall, that Trump intends to cut US defense spending by nearly 50% during his term of office.

 

[Red Leg]

To change gears just a bit, I know Trump is a genius with the economy, but this might give us all pause. Frankly, we are overdue a recession. Rising inflation with negative GDP growth has not worked out well in the past.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/28/the-first-quarter-is-on-track-for-negative-gdp-growth-atlanta-fed-indicator-says-.html

Trump economic approval ratings sag as inflation fears grow

Polls show that Americans’ confidence is slipping in President Trump’s ability to handle the economy — the most important issue in the 2024 election and the one that likely carried Trump to a secon…

thehill.com

 

[Neophyte]

To change gears just a bit, I know Trump is a genius with the economy, but this might give us all pause. Frankly, we are overdue a recession. Returning inflation with negative GDP growth has not worked out well in the past.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/28/the-first-quarter-is-on-track-for-negative-gdp-growth-atlanta-fed-indicator-says-.html

Trump economic approval ratings sag as inflation fears grow

Polls show that Americans’ confidence is slipping in President Trump’s ability to handle the economy — the most important issue in the 2024 election and the one that likely carried Trump to a secon…

thehill.com

We are actually overdue a depression.

 

[Pheroze]

I never understood how a mineral deal helped Ukraine. What would stop Russia from rebuilding and then taking Ukraine with the promise to honour the mineral share agreement with the US? Effectively there would be a peace during Trump’s term but not a lasting one. I thought Trump’s goal was to secure minerals to make the US more resilient to China. Who gave the US the minerals was not that important.

I can’t envision a lasting peace that doesn’t involve the return of literally thousands of children to Ukrainian families. How do you settle a population that wants their children back?

 

[WAB]

I never understood how a mineral deal helped Ukraine. What would stop Russia from rebuilding and then taking Ukraine with the promise to honour the mineral share agreement with the US? Effectively there would be a peace during Trump’s term but not a lasting one. I thought Trump’s goal was to secure minerals to make the US more resilient to China. Who gave the US the minerals was not that important.

I can’t envision a lasting peace that doesn’t involve the return of literally thousands of children to Ukrainian families. How do you settle a population that wants their children back?

I’ve been thinking the same thing. Those children are critical to both countries given the losses that have been sustained.

 

[Tanks]

The conscripts of Ukraine are being taken from their homes as soon as they turn 18 and forced to fight. Maybe younger. Ukraine is hemorrhaging young men to the meat grinder.

American tax payers have something like 300,000,000,000 USD in this war. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crew8y7pwd5o

Every American alive today has personally spent $1000 for this meat grinder in Ukraine.

...

Conscription age is 25 in Ukraine.
The article you linked debunks the 300B figure. Did you even read it?

 

[Doubleplay]

According to Red Leg, Russia is a shell of it's former self because of the tenacity and fortitude of those brave Ukrainians. They had no help in doing so for the past year (again, according to him), so if they're doing all that without our help already, then WHY come to the Oval Office to get Uncle Sugar involved again?

Everyone I know (retirees, farmers and heavy construction workers that work in the DC metro area) have absolutely no desire to keep sending their tax dollars to have another proxy war with Russia. If Russia was the boogeyman everyone claims, then I'm fairly certain the rest of Europe would have gotten together by now to lay some hate on 'em!

I think you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Lone Star Bluegrass]

I just finished cleaning the garage. I see this thread is still at a stalemate discussing the Ukraine War—how’s that for irony?
I’m hitting the reloading bench. You girls have fun.

I have emerged from the reloading bunker, and see that little has changed, save the sage observations of Professor Hanson (which is always welcome).

There’s a single malt with my name on it.

“To the medicine cabinet!” -McClintock

 

[MauserM03Blog]

Looks suspiciosly like Trump give Xi the green light in respect of the Western Pacific.

My take is - Trump has told Xi, 'You can have Taiwan. I don't want to fight with you over Taiwan. But give me time to get my people used to this and to repatriate our chip making. OK? Let's say, 2028. Just before my campaign. I'll spin it as keeping us out of WWIII, again. My base will love it. President for life this time! hehe. Deal!'

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

I have emerged from the reloading bunker, and see that little has changed, save the sage observations of Professor Hanson (which is always welcome).

There’s a single malt with my name on it.

“To the medicine cabinet!” -McClintock

Tincture of arnica

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

My take is - Trump has told Xi, 'You can have Taiwan. I don't want to fight with you over Taiwan. But give me time to get my people used to this and to repatriate our chip making. OK? Let's say, 2028. Just before my campaign. I'll spin it as keeping us out of WWIII, again. My base will love it. President for life this time! hehe. Deal!'

Delusional take..

 

[MauserM03Blog]

You forgot the part about California, Arizona and Texas are separatists and you as the USA have been bombing your own countrymen for a couple years ahead of time.

You do know that the Donbas 'separatists' were in fact Russian plants, Russian agents? Back in the early teens, wise and well informed Russian political analysts forecast all that has happened since. It's total playbook by Putin. We're talking about the guy who bombed his own citizens' apartment buildings, to have an excuse to attack Chechnya again. Then he murdered a defector in London who told the truth about it.

Putin is an absolute monster. Trump calls him a friend and wants to be more like him. Americans chose Trump to be their president. Most of us elsewhere in the world see this as insanity; to democratically elect a leader who has openly declared that he will be a dictator.

 

[wesheltonj]

My take is - Trump has told Xi, 'You can have Taiwan. I don't want to fight with you over Taiwan. But give me time to get my people used to this and to repatriate our chip making. OK? Let's say, 2028. Just before my campaign. I'll spin it as keeping us out of WWIII, again. My base will love it. President for life this time! hehe. Deal!'

I have a different take, and I would prefer that Russia is not aligned with the China. A one front war with China is more than enough. We don’t need a two front with Russia and China.

 

[John Wasmuth]

My take is - Trump has told Xi, 'You can have Taiwan. I don't want to fight with you over Taiwan. But give me time to get my people used to this and to repatriate our chip making. OK? Let's say, 2028. Just before my campaign. I'll spin it as keeping us out of WWIII, again. My base will love it. President for life this time! hehe. Deal!'

He can’t run anymore, 2 terms and out. So that blows that bs outa the water.

 

[Red Leg]

He can’t run anymore, 2 terms and out. So that blows that bs outa the water.

He knows that.