O/T:- Trump Presidency 2.0 [hic sunt dracones]

[Mud Pie]

Words fail me.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c36wn949jxno

Expansionism good, two legs bad. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's actually serious about annexing Canada. In which case I'll have to up sticks again Andy?

[Mapperleypie]

I've read that today with utter disbelief.

Trump has to be be one of the most vile human beings on the planet.

As many of us have mentioned before, Putin must have some decent kompromat on the orange thing, failing that Trump does not care about any sort of world order and sees Russia as a significantly better chance for him and his cronies to make more money as opposed to the significant financial liability that is spending more money backing Ukraine. Which of course is true.

It's so crass, it's Trump, and in the long-term the US are going to lose a significant amount of soft capital world-wide when from election cycle to election cycle they are willing to flip-flop so massively on the world stage. Isolationism will only work in the very short-term. The rust-belt will surely learn quickly that their standard of living is diminishing with tariffs and inflation. The manufacturing jobs they expect to return are never coming back, they are simply not viable, and they have been fed a massive lie.

[OchPie]

Brexit or no Brexit, I think it's now firmly in the UK's interests to significantly boost its own defence spending and increase both trade and military cooperation with European countries.

I've long thought that one thing the US has got right, if gone far too far with it, is offering military participation as a key enabler of personal growth and development. An old friend of mine went from a tour in the Army to Harvard Law (fully paid) to clerking for a federal circuit judge to a top law firm. The UK should be offering those kinds of opportunities too.

Oh, and I think some of the manufacturing jobs ARE coming back if international trade is no longer trusted. Munitions, obviously, but in general too I think global trade may not survive Trump intact. I don't think people will ultimately feel richer as a result, though, unless we see a significant strengthening of the unions.

[i961pie]

I've read that today with utter disbelief.

Trump has to be be one of the most vile human beings on the planet.

So true he is repulsive human being and an out and out liar who is looking more and more like Putins puppet.

[Old_pie]

So true he is repulsive human being and an out and out liar who is looking more and more like Putins puppet.

They both share half the same letters, maybe from the same mould. Trump is a serial liar, cheat and would have been a dictator had the opportunity to deny the Biden win succeeded. However he seems to be a character (from the Wild West) that the "merkins" admire and so they reap what they sow. The problem is the rest of the world who didn't get a vote have to live with that.

There were times that Zelenski was like a petulant kid but when your nation is being destroyed it is easy to understand the panic and frustration especially over earlier "merkin" assurances, pre-Crimea, that Ukraine giving up their nuclear arsenal etc would be a safe act.

At first, in this recent round of "peace talks", I thought Trump was playing some clever game, but if he is it is not one that the rest of us want to hear. I don't know how far the rest of the Western free world can rally against Trump, and especially a Trump/Putin alliance. If there is a WWIII it is going to be from a source unimaginable at the turn of the year.

Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping, and Putin of course, must be rubbing their hands in delight watching this pantomime (or is it a tragedy) show. One can only hope that the collective "merkin" administration has the guts to make america great again and if they don't then presumably they will never be a trusted nation again.

[Old_pie]

There's quite a lot of anti-Europe sentiment on a thread I've just seen on X. A lot of it is that the USA have saved Europe twice, have ploughed billions into stopping us from being German and we should be more grateful and prepared to stand on our own two feet.

I guess this goes along with the same logic as that of Trump thinking we should be driving more American cars without understanding our country lanes, villages and towns or winding passes in the Alps.

[OchPie]

I guess this goes along with the same logic as that of Trump thinking we should be driving more American cars without understanding our country lanes, villages and towns or winding passes in the Alps.

Or indeed that American cars are ****.

[SmiffyPie]

.....Russia as a significantly better chance for him and his cronies to make more money as opposed to the significant financial liability that is spending more money backing Ukraine. Which of course is true.

Nailed it there.
The first thing he mentioned when his ""TRUMP" has the power" remark was the business opportunities available with Russia, then there are all the rare earth comments he has made. All he sees is a profit/loss ledger and is simply devoid of any other emotion.

[Med Pie]

Trump is demanding that Ukraine give the US up to 50% of the rights to their REM deposits. Putin meanwhile, states that NATO troops cannot be deployed as peacekeepers so after Trump says that no Yank boots will set foot in Ukraine, let's see how he placates his pal on this one.

If the World didn't hate America before this, they probably do now.

[SmiffyPie]

Trump is demanding that Ukraine give the US up to 50% of the rights to their REM deposits. Putin meanwhile, states that NATO troops cannot be deployed as peacekeepers so after Trump says that no Yank boots will set foot in Ukraine, let's see how he placates his pal on this one.

If the World didn't hate America before this, they probably do now.

It's a complete stitch up by the Yanks. Putin will be laughing his socks off if it comes down to the UN in a buffer zone (the UN is as much use as a chocolate fireguard).

[Bohinen]

If the World didn't hate America before this, they probably do now.

Nope, don't hate them. I once did because I thought it was big and clever, but since then I've been there a couple of times, and like anywhere else, some of them are alright and some of them are not. But it beats going to Belgium for your holidays.

[Jampie]

The situation in Ukraine is probably the number one reason I was worried about Trump getting in again. I just don't trust him to do the right thing. Or the smart thing. And he's shown alarming loyalty to Putin on enough occasions to raise the kompromat question for real.

And the US? I seriously think with the first Trump presidency the rest of the world gave the country a free pass. You can make a huge mistake. Just learn from it and don't repeat it. We could put Trump 1.0 down as a moment of madness.

Trump 2.0? We have to face the reality that this is what the United States of America is now. This is the leader they chose. He won the popular vote.

[andy6025]

Expansionism good, two legs bad. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's actually serious about annexing Canada. In which case I'll have to up sticks again Andy?

All things come to an end, and so too will the Russo-Ukrainian war. I have no issue with and I look forward to the peace.

How did you think things were going to end?

[Mud Pie]

All things come to an end, and so too will the Russo-Ukrainian war. I have no issue with and I look forward to the peace.

How did you think things were going to end?

I meant do you support Trump's proposal to make Canada the 51st state?

I thought/think things in Ukraine/Russia would/will end with thousands of dead Ukrainians, Russians, North Koreans and mercenaries, a generation of people worldwide with even less faith in their leaders/institutions, and a line redrawn on a map.

[andy6025]

I meant do you support Trump's proposal to make Canada the 51st state?
.

I don?t take it seriously. I suspect he wants us to spend more on our military and this is his way to threaten us into doing so. We?ll probably end up complying.