Trump

[roubaixtuesday]

I must be in a parallel universe!

I thought Trump and Musk and the rest were really keen on "free speech".
Did Vance not just mention it in Germany?

Now it seems they are censoring children's books!
Selected free speech then.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/ ... nistration

Their MO all along has been to loudly accuse their opponents of whatever malfeasance they're actually engaged in themselves.

Sadly (and incredibly to me at least) it's highly effective.

[djnotts]

^ "The ultimate aim of an attack on a town area is to break the morale of the population which occupies it. To ensure this, we must achieve two things: first, we must make the town physically uninhabitable and, secondly, we must make the people conscious of constant personal danger. The immediate aim, is therefore, twofold, namely, to produce (i) destruction and (ii) fear of death."

Written and followed many times since,
Gaza a prime example.

[djnotts]

^ reohn2: "Europe,as we know it,is on the cusp of survival make no mistake about it,the money will be found otherwise it will be similar to WW2,the difference is that this time we have to stand up for ourselves because we can't count on the Trump gangster regime to help us out,the alternative is that we become the "menu"
It's wake up time for Europe folks we've spent to much time relying on the yank"

Well, yes and no. I'm not convinced that the money WILL be found. Those very few rich who rule will decide and it doesn't really matter to them whether or not Europe survives "as we know it". Actually they'd prefer it NOT to be as it is now.

[pete75]

^ "The ultimate aim of an attack on a town area is to break the morale of the population which occupies it. To ensure this, we must achieve two things: first, we must make the town physically uninhabitable and, secondly, we must make the people conscious of constant personal danger. The immediate aim, is therefore, twofold, namely, to produce (i) destruction and (ii) fear of death."

Written and followed many times since,
Gaza a prime example.

It was going on before the war too. Britain attempted to "police" Iraq using air power.in the 1920's. Trouble in or near a village and they'd go and bomb it. Air control was the phrase used.

[cycle tramp]

( in your view I have been, King Canute, a birdbrain, and "infantile" in the last month, I try to refrain from such and just present my arguments)

Madonna??

I'd like to say that I actually believe you to be intelligent person..but one who is impossible to argue with. Which makes it pointless in doing so...
...and yes, I was wrong about Madonna.... for some reason I thought she was born in London.... anyway..

...coming back to this thread, I don't think we or Europe stands alone against Trump. Certainly, but perhaps not for defence we have a chance to reach out to Canada for trade, and perhaps Mexico for investment and industry....
...we also have alot of opportunities to help those third world countries with problems which may have worsened...certainly it would be great to build large scale desalination systems to help those countries suffering from drought as well as help those communities which will be under threat due to rising sea levels...

Going back to something Nearholmer mentioned, we are exceptional, but then so is every other country (which annoyingly also includes America).. and although we look at each other country for trade, we are most exceptional when we provide aid and assistance..

its more than possible that if Trump continues his tariffs we may see the first total world trade agreement for all countries which aren't America

[reohn2]

^ reohn2: "Europe,as we know it,is on the cusp of survival make no mistake about it,the money will be found otherwise it will be similar to WW2,the difference is that this time we have to stand up for ourselves because we can't count on the Trump gangster regime to help us out,the alternative is that we become the "menu"
It's wake up time for Europe folks we've spent to much time relying on the yank"

Well, yes and no. I'm not convinced that the money WILL be found. Those very few rich who rule will decide and it doesn't really matter to them whether or not Europe survives "as we know it". Actually they'd prefer it NOT to be as it is now.

We'll have to wait and see,I'm trying,for my children and grandchildren's sake,to remain positive as ultimately it'll be them who'll bear the brunt of it all if the worst comes to the worst.
One thing's for sure though Putin 's regime needs to be destroyed,the sooner the better,I feel the people of the US will learn their lesson with Trump's administration over the next four years,at least I hope so not only for them but the rest of the world too.

[djnotts]

BBC News: "During his press conference on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump claimed claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky’s popularity was extremely low, saying: “He's down at 4% approval rating.....in a poll of me and my 6 best mates."

[cycle tramp]

BBC News: "During his press conference on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump claimed claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky’s popularity was extremely low, saying: “He's down at 4% approval rating.....in a poll of me and my 6 best mates."

Pretty sure Trump is suffering from dementia... and part of it is the mistaken belief that we're going to believe whatever he says..

[axel_knutt]

All US Government agencies now report directly to Trump, no policy to be made without his personal authorisation.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/ ... an-people/

[roubaixtuesday]

Anyone still think Trump is anything other than hostile to democracy?

[cycle tramp]

..I like the way he side steps the fact that;
(a) Russia started it
(b) 'Sleepy Biden' recognised the conflict for want it was, a chance to test new weaponry and a chance to actually financially break Russia, leaving only China and North Korea to go...

Trump's a moron...

On the plus side, I think it's today, when everyone has recognised the fact. By siding with Russia, we have no option other than to freeze him out... draw up our own plans, and begin to cease to accept goods from the USA..

..of course way back in the second world war collaborators were dealt with more harshly..

[djnotts]

^cycle tramp: "On the plus side, I think it's today, when everyone has recognised the fact. By siding with Russia, we have no option other than to freeze him out... draw up our own plans, and begin to cease to trade with the USA..."

Sadly, "we" do have an alternative option - stick with our special relation, currently in the person of Trump. No possibility of a trade breach. We'll join in the abandonment of Ukraine (and the next victims of Russian expansion. The rump of Ukraine will fall, other Baltic minnows, Poland etc). And no, NATO will not intervene.

New cyber-curtain the Elbe?

[cycle tramp]

....ithink it depends how strong Russia's economy is..

..its possible that it may be on its way to collapse... its possibly the reason why Russia is now more interested in peace talks...

[mattheus]

....ithink it depends how strong Russia's economy is..

..its possible that it may be on its way to collapse... its possibly the reason why Russia is now more interested in peace talks...

At the risk of making things vv simplistic, I'm confident that if Putin could have taken Ukraine with his current budget, and without hiring woeful mercenaries from Korea, he would have done so by now.
(I'm no expert on military tech or tactics - I'm just looking at the net outcomes on the ground. Putin expected to be in Kiev in 3 days ... )

I reckon he jumped for joy when Trump offered him peace talks. Even before he heard the ludicrously generous terms!

[rjb]

Unfortunately Trumps intervention with Ukraine will embolden China to reclaim it's territory of Taiwan.
Will Trump offer them the chance for Taiwan to relocate it's critical electronics industry to the US before China invades.
Watch and see what unfolds. We are all in for a rough ride.