Politics

[Kevin Peacocke]

It is still unclear what happened to Lloyd Austin, but he doesn’t look good in that photo on Fox. Another piece looking weak, it isn’t looking great tor the US at this sensitive time.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Never trust polls, polls had GOP winning by a landslide in 2022, and they lost big time, they had HRC winning by 33 points in 16, the polls have Trump ahead at 52 points or something like that. Obiden is on his kill maga campaign lying his ass off to the African American community. Hopefully enough have seen through his total BS that they will dump his ass but I’m not holding my breath.

 

[PARA45]

Back to Ukraine for a moment, there are a lot of these sorts of clips being posted over the last few weeks. What they show are wounded Russian soldiers choosing suicide rather than awaiting potential evacuation. I am not entirely sure what conclusions to draw from them, but any notion of high morale or confidence in Medevac among the Russian army can likely be discounted.

One also has to wonder how often this is happening. UA drones are only viewing tiny portions of the front line at any given moment.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/191h5ms

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/190xvhv

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/18uapd8

Those are serious signs of lack of morale. Wow!

 

[Altitude sickness]

Lloyd Austin just demonstrated why he was never qualified for that position in the first place.

 

[Newboomer]

Lloyd Austin just demonstrated why he was never qualified for that position in the first place.

Along with all the rest of that clusterf***k (mis)administration.

 

[Brent in Az]

Non of Commie Joe's appointees are qualified.

 

[Altitude sickness]

^^^^^^Hey, not even Alejandro Mayorkas ??

 

[USN]

Who needs quals? Do you support and make a priority DEI? Brent your priorities are misplace look how well everything is working out. Joke my friend

 

[PARA45]

 

[Corey0372]

Cruise missiles are not very effective at taking out bridges or rail lines

Drones (or dudes) with thermites can be tho, at least enough to cause a train to stop anyway

 

[Jfet]

 

[Corey0372]

Your comment on the Domino Theory is interesting. Quite a bit of revisionist history has been written of late (yes, by those degenerates with post graduate degrees) theorizing that most of Southeast Asia and nearly all of Central Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, and the Indian subcontinent never faced serious subversive communist movements because of the US involvement in Vietnam. It reverses the traditional post-war analysis that says the Domini Theory was wrong because it didn't happen, with the Domino Theory didn't happen because of US intervention. It is worth some thought

I'm of the mindset that since Ho Chi Minh was our guy in WWII against the Japanese, he could have remained our guy in SE Asia in the Cold War. Ho Chi Minh had an admiration for the American struggle for Independence, and on multiple occasions reached out to the US (Truman's office) to support their Independence from France and to be treated as such. In one of his 1945 telegrams to Truman he even went as far as pointing out that France had betrayed the Allies by allowing Japan to occupy Vietnam (literally his words). France didn't want to leave the region without a fight, and the US wanted France to stay on as good of terms with NATO as possible (Gaullism and such), so the US took a step back and allowed the French to remain an Imperial power, something even George C Marshall had even said was a "dangerously outmoded colonial outlook and method". After the US ignored "Old Man Ho" (as the OSS called him) and his appeals for recognition, the Soviet Union happily filled the void.

By the late 60s the stage was set for full fledged USSR/ Viet Minh partnerships. It didn't have to be that way though. The US could have recognized Vietnam as independent. The US could have told de Gaulle to pound sand in the late 40s and 50s (before NSC 68 and USSR getting the bomb) and get his troops out of the region instead of worrying about their role in NATO. France ended up leaving NATO command structure in 1966 anyway and were a shaky ally throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Essentially, I think the US could have completely avoided the Vietnam War and the turmoil it caused both abroad and at home. The political division within the US caused by the war was insane and unnecessary. However, it seems that attempting to keep a fledgling NATO alliance together and offending the French (the horror! haha) was more important than acknowledging an independent, and yes Communist, Vietnam.

We essentially have that now, but boy did it take a while to get here.

 

[Red Leg]

I'm of the mindset that since Ho Chi Minh was our guy in WWII against the Japanese, he could have remained our guy in SE Asia in the Cold War. Ho Chi Minh had an admiration for the American struggle for Independence, and on multiple occasions reached out to the US (Truman's office) to support their Independence from France and to be treated as such. In one of his 1945 telegrams to Truman he even went as far as pointing out that France had betrayed the Allies by allowing Japan to occupy Vietnam (literally his words). France didn't want to leave the region without a fight, and the US wanted France to stay on as good of terms with NATO as possible (Gaullism and such), so the US took a step back and allowed the French to remain an Imperial power, something even George C Marshall had even said was a "dangerously outmoded colonial outlook and method". After the US ignored "Old Man Ho" (as the OSS called him) and his appeals for recognition, the Soviet Union happily filled the void.

By the late 60s the stage was set for full fledged USSR/ Viet Minh partnerships. It didn't have to be that way though. The US could have recognized Vietnam as independent. The US could have told de Gaulle to pound sand in the late 40s and 50s (before NSC 68 and USSR getting the bomb) and get his troops out of the region instead of worrying about their role in NATO. France ended up leaving NATO command structure in 1966 anyway and were a shaky ally throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Essentially, I think the US could have completely avoided the Vietnam War and the turmoil it caused both abroad and at home. The political division within the US caused by the war was insane and unnecessary. However, it seems that attempting to keep a fledgling NATO alliance together and offending the French (the horror! haha) was more important than acknowledging an independent, and yes Communist, Vietnam.

We essentially have that now, but boy did it take a while to get here.

I actually do not disagree with that at all.

 

[Red Leg]

Drones (or dudes) with thermites can be tho, at least enough to cause a train to stop anyway

Hasn’t happened yet.

Dropping thermite grenades on a railroad?!

 

[Daniel Cary]

 

[steve white]

Fascinating as usual. It is worth noting that the federal government, through legislation (campaign finance reform for one) and the courts has been fairly active in providing oversight and guidance to the states with regard to election management.

The fly in that ointment is the SCOTUS refusal to weigh in on the case of PA election laws--which were supposed to be set by the state legislature, not subordinates du jour. If there EEVER was a case SCOTUS should have weighed in on, it was that one. But I hear that from behind closed doors Roberts was heard screaming that if they did there would be riots.

 

[steve white]

I'm of the mindset that since Ho Chi Minh was our guy in WWII against the Japanese, he could have remained our guy in SE Asia in the Cold War. Ho Chi Minh had an admiration for the American struggle for Independence, and on multiple occasions reached out to the US (Truman's office) to support their Independence from France and to be treated as such. In one of his 1945 telegrams to Truman he even went as far as pointing out that France had betrayed the Allies by allowing Japan to occupy Vietnam (literally his words). France didn't want to leave the region without a fight, and the US wanted France to stay on as good of terms with NATO as possible (Gaullism and such), so the US took a step back and allowed the French to remain an Imperial power, something even George C Marshall had even said was a "dangerously outmoded colonial outlook and method". After the US ignored "Old Man Ho" (as the OSS called him) and his appeals for recognition, the Soviet Union happily filled the void.

By the late 60s the stage was set for full fledged USSR/ Viet Minh partnerships. It didn't have to be that way though. The US could have recognized Vietnam as independent. The US could have told de Gaulle to pound sand in the late 40s and 50s (before NSC 68 and USSR getting the bomb) and get his troops out of the region instead of worrying about their role in NATO. France ended up leaving NATO command structure in 1966 anyway and were a shaky ally throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Essentially, I think the US could have completely avoided the Vietnam War and the turmoil it caused both abroad and at home. The political division within the US caused by the war was insane and unnecessary. However, it seems that attempting to keep a fledgling NATO alliance together and offending the French (the horror! haha) was more important than acknowledging an independent, and yes Communist, Vietnam.

We essentially have that now, but boy did it take a while to get here.

The same could perhaps be said of Japan--they were our allies in WWI, but were snubbed and ignored in post war councils. Disrespecting them was an expensive blunder as their alliance to Germany proved. Shame when we create out own monsters but hind sight is 20/20.

 

[Corey0372]

The same could perhaps be said of Japan--they were our allies in WWI, but were snubbed and ignored in post war councils. Disrespecting them was an expensive blunder as their alliance to Germany proved. Shame when we create out own monsters but hind sight is 20/20.

Also didn't help that we were actively aiding their enemy for years leading up to 1941. There comes a point where "we may be arming, fueling, funding, and training your enemy.... but we're not acutally in the war" just doesn't work anymore, and your Hawaiian base gets bombed.

 

[Hunter4752001]

From the readings I've done it seems that Ho much more the nationalist than a dedicated communist. He was very impressed with the US system and wanted to base a Vietnamese constitution on the US constitution. Unfortunately Ho's OSS handler was killed and Ho drifted towards the Soviets as the only power who would support his cause against the French.

Some sources suggest that the hit on the OSS officer was organised by the Brits as they regarded the idea of a US aligned Vietnam seizing independence from Franch as a dangerous precedent given Britain's remaining colonial interests in Asia. Like all theories, we'll never know.

 

[Scott CWO]

The problem with those in the West who self-promote as experts on international strategy, particularly pertaining to countries like Russia and the leadership there, IMO, display a complete lack of understanding of the mindset. I really don't think anyone has a crystal ball for telling the future of when Russia or Putin just says, "I give". In the meantime, the US keeps pumping money and international political capital into a proxy war hoping for that eventual conclusion. Seems like history is replete with that type of wishful thinking. This error in this thinking even gets supported by nuances of theoretically comparable history like... "well, Russia pulled out of Afghanistan because it wasn't fighting for Mother Russia". Or... "Stalin only tried for 3 1/2 months in the Finland Winter (suicide) War and doomed 50,000 to 125,000 troops (even historians can't agree on the number) but gave up because that action was not exactly defending Mother Russia". For anyone to think and promote the idea they are a mindreader in these matters is treading in dangerous territory, IMO. It would be wise to play "devil's advocate" a bit here. Self described experts currently like and are actively selling the idea that just a "little more" and Russia with cave and give up on Ukraine. Offering such "proof" as, see here, "Stupid Russian commanders sent 2 APCs and a tank into a Ukrainian trap and were destroyed" see, see, "just a little more and Russia (Putin) will give up". Or same "experts" will float the domino theory for the rest of Europe.... "if we don't stop them now....". The domino theory has not played out well if history is any teacher. And the Russian mind-reading experts would have everyone believe that since Russia (Putin) is not fighting for Mother Russia in the Crimea or SE Ukraine they will give up if we support the proxy "just a little more, for just a little longer". How long? 5 years? 20 years? Playing a "devil's advocate" debate might be wise. Just suppose that the Russians particularly the leadership and Putin actually do think of the Crimea and SE Ukraine as Mother Russia!

Perhaps you have forgotten about the domino theory that Germany turned into reality by occupying all or parts of many countries, either through direct military action or coercion??

Do Albania, Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Greece, Egypt, Finland, France, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Tunisia, Ukraine, Yugoslavia and parts of the Soviet (Russian) Republics ring a bell?

Putin has basically stated that he aims to restore the Soviet empire.