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

[drillerpie]

Trump cannot get a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine unless Ukraine completely surrenders and no longer exists as a sovereign state. That is what Putin wants till the day he dies. We all know what kind of creature Putin is and he will never change. Rightly Ukraine wants a fair peace with cast iron safe guards that Putin will not attack again. Trump may get a deal with Putin provided Putin gets everything he wants. Ukraine may decide they prefer freedom instead of being under the Russian rule.That's why Trump says Ukraine is difficult to deal with and he cannot get a fair deal for Ukraine. Trump is a blackmailing bully who hates to lose and hates anybody who stands up to him like the president of Ukraine. The brave Ukrainian have stood up to Russia for over 3 years I believe they will go down fighting for their freedom.

This is exactly right IMO.

In Putin's essay from 2021 he says near the end "I am confident that true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia. "

Obviously this is classic Orwellian doublespeak. Sovereignty means having nobody above you - having supreme power or authority. Therefore true sovereignty means being free to do what you want.

Being in 'partnership' with Russia is not compatible with sovereignty. Poland is spending 5% of GDP on defence because it knows what 'partnership' with Russia looks like, and it's not sovereignty.

Putin thinks all of the ancient Rus should be part of Russia, whether they want it or not. He doesn't have legitimate security concerns about NATO, this is nothing to do with NATO (apart from the fact he knows he can't invade Ukraine again if it's in NATO.)

He's now got a bigger border with NATO than before the invasion, a border which is left almost completely unprotected because all the soldiers are in Ukraine. You don't loot cultural artefacts because you're afraid of NATO. You don't steal children and bring them up as a different nationality because you're afraid of NATO. He wants Ukraine to be Russian and if he can't make it Russian he wants to stop it existing.

[drillerpie]

And saying that in a public statement means Delon Trusk (like the new name?) has given an ok to Putin to keep up the destruction of Ukraine whilst accusing Zelensky of refusing to surrender and thus laying the blame at his door.

Unbelievable Jeff!

Tucker Carlson (who is also part of this new Amarica First movement) interviewed somebody a few months ago who said Churchill was a warmonger, so yeah it wouldn't surprise me if that's what they think.

[LincsPie]

Thanks for the insult. Cannot have an intelligent discussion on this platform you sound just like bully Trump

TBF I think Smiffy means Trump is a pleb.

[The Dug Out]

Tucker Carlson (who is also part of this new Amarica First movement) interviewed somebody a few months ago who said Churchill was a warmonger, so yeah it wouldn't surprise me if that's what they think.

He could spell America as well.

[SmiffyPie]

TBF I think Smiffy means Trump is a pleb.

I did. No offence directed at you Middy.

[Jampie]

I didn't know that. I knew they were good, but I thought the project turned into a huge money pit coming in way over budget.

Absolutely it did. But that's development costs. Their actual production costs are ok now that the volume's starting to kick in. Not so much cost per flight hour, but you can't expect that to be the same as a 1970's technology airframe and still have the radar cross section of a gnat. They're much cheaper to operate than an F-22 and far more capable everywhere but a dogfight.

There's plenty wrong with the project overall and how it was managed, but the end result is a crushing advantage.

[drillerpie]

He could spell America as well.

Standing ovation for the spellchecker!

[drillerpie]

Absolutely it did. But that's development costs. Their actual production costs are ok now that the volume's starting to kick in. Not so much cost per flight hour, but you can't expect that to be the same as a 1970's technology airframe and still have the radar cross section of a gnat. They're much cheaper to operate than an F-22 and far more capable everywhere but a dogfight.

There's plenty wrong with the project overall and how it was managed, but the end result is a crushing advantage.

Fair enough!

[i961pie]

Trump saying Russia is easier to deal with than Ukraine! Of course it is you pleb!

He's also given Russia the order to drop as many bombs on Ukraine as they like by taking away any kind of assistance to them. Another 26 civilians murdered today. He ought to hang his head in shame.
But then again he has none.

[i961pie]

I see Trump is falling out with Australia now, surely it's time for these countries he is hitting to look for different trading partners and for them to make trading with each other far easier than it is know.

[Jampie]

Australia doesn't have much in the way of exports to the US. The concern is definitely far more how absolutely integrated our defence and intelligence systems are with the US equivalents.

That said, if we were going to lose this alliance, now is a much better time for it to happen than 2030 or 2040 etc.

[i961pie]

Australia doesn't have much in the way of exports to the US. The concern is definitely far more how absolutely integrated our defence and intelligence systems are with the US equivalents.

That said, if we were going to lose this alliance, now is a much better time for it to happen than 2030 or 2040 etc.

Don't they export most of their aluminium to America?

[Jampie]

Don't they export most of their aluminium to America?

a little over 13% last I looked. A very fungible commodity, so we'd barely notice losing all of that. (and we probably wouldn't lose it all)

[andy6025]

I see Trump is falling out with Australia now, surely it's time for these countries he is hitting to look for different trading partners and for them to make trading with each other far easier than it is know.

China is Canadas second largest trading partner. We also used to have an excellent relationship with them, independent of what was usually dictated to us by the yanks. And the Chinese are like elephants - they never forget good deeds. When I lived there between 99-01, it was constantly pointed out to me how a Canadian doctor named Norman Bethune went over and embedded himself among them in the wars against the Japanese and in their civil war. Other notable moments of friendly relations between our countries was our refusal to sanction them and for our Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (the current PMs father) to visit China against the demands of our American cousins. There are also a number of Canadians who have embedded in China and made names for themselves that anyone outside of China would not recognize. All these came together to give Canada a very good name among the Chinese - political and commoner class alike.

Fast forward to the mid 2000s, Canadian politicians at the behest of our American benefactors starting talking about the Chinese authoritarian threat - to Taiwan, to their own people and to Canadian democracy.

Since then we have accused them of many things from bribing our politicians, setting up secret police stations in Canada, of genociding their own people, of oppressing the feudal lord the Dali Lama, and all kinds of other crap. Most notably, we put under house arrest the daughter of one of their telecom companies chief executives for 3-4 years and threatened to extradite her to the US. In return China jailed two Canadian who worked as spies for the Americans, and they threatened to execute them. And as it turned out they actually were spies.

To top it off, last year Canada followed suit with the United States and Europe in imposing a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. China stayed quiet. . . until yesterday. They imposed a 100% tariff on most of our agricultural products.

And all this while we engage in a trade war with the US. Yesterday my province of Ontario retaliated with a 25% tariff to electricity exports to the US, only for Trump to raise the tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50%.

Talk about constantly shooting ourselves in the head.

America is in fast decline. They are taking their vassals down fast with them - trying to throw them under the bus in a vain attempt to save themselves.

We could have so easily positioned ourselves much better by simply maintaining the good relationships that our ancestors fostered. But for the we would have to be able to see 1 or 2 moves ahead. But of course we do not. America has such a grip on our politicians that we already are, in effect, the 51st state.

[Lullapie]

Ceasefire on the horizon in Ukraine.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c3e4xzd8qq8t

I'm off to do some ironing.