Politics

[hyipl]

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[lwaters]

My daughter got her Masters at Columbia and her husband got his undergraduate degree there on the GI Bill after Army tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. They cannot believe what is going on there.

I can believe colleges are getting some of my tax dollars.

 

[mdwest]

Bolton argument is completely disingenuous.. and he knows it…

The question asked of him was Trump Term #1 push to have NATO meet its spending requirements not a good thing?

Bolton responds with “everyone cut spending after the Cold War”.. and then goes on to talk about the Clinton cuts.. trying to make a case for why it was ok for Europe to not meet it’s requirements…

True, we went through a huge cut starting in 1994… and the military budget remained largely cut until 9/11…

But…

Unlike Europe, the US NEVER failed to meet its NATO obligation…

He also states that the 2% requirement didn’t happen until 2014 and was motivated by the first Russian push into Ukraine… that’s absolutely not true..

NATO defense ministers agreed in 2006 to the 2% minimum standard..

U.S. Defense Spending in Historical and International Context | Econofact

Current U.S. military spending is higher than at any point of the Cold War in inflation-adjusted terms, but relatively low as a percent of national income.

econofact.org

I’ve spent a bit of time around Bolton.. I worked directly for the President of the World Bank when Bolton was the US Ambassador to the UN during his “recess appointment” period…

He was fairly well regarded as disingenuous then on many things by his peers… he apparently hasn’t changed..

He hates Trump… we get it..

There are plenty of legitimate arguments to make against Trump decisions… Bolton should stick to those rather than the nonsense he likes to occasionally espouse..

The second half of his argument regarding the decision of who to defend or not based on their spending may have some merit..

That’s where he should have started, and that’s the argument he should have stuck with…

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Yes, Bolton doesn't think much of Trump. But Bolton does make a decent argument, based on facts.

The huge cuts in our military started way before 1994. I live near Barksdale AFB, headquarters to Air Force Global Strike Command and also 8th Air Force. I lived on Barksdale in the 1970s and early 80s and it is sad and very concerning to see the current state. And the same B-52s, albeit with some upgrades, are still being flown.

Base Realignment and Closure - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[rigbymauser]

A good video telling how russia has turned into criminal institution.

A former russian soldier explains how the system lie and draft(kidnap) boys or men to serve in Ukraine. All institutions lie from low to high level. Families are being lied to, soldiers are being lie to. Everybody is being lied to by Putins regime. After watching this I could find sympathy for the ordinary russian. Putin is a murder, liiar and rotten to the core.

Take your time:

 

[mdwest]

Yes, Bolton doesn't think much of Trump. But Bolton does make a decent argument, based on facts.

The huge cuts in our military started way before 1994. I live near Barksdale AFB, headquarters to Air Force Global Strike Command and also 8th Air Force. I lived on Barksdale in the 1970s and early 80s and it is sad and very concerning to see the current state. And the same B-52s, albeit with some upgrades, are still being flown.

Base Realignment and Closure - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

No disagreement…

But look at the link in the economic report in my last post.

Budget cuts come and go..

But defense spending in the US comparatively to the rest of the world has always remained high post WW2…

Regarding the B52.. it’s ancient, no doubt.. but the B52’s flying today don’t have a single part left on them that was present when they rolled off the assembly line..

The B52H looks a whole lot like the original B52, but it is an entirely different aircraft.. different avionics, different defense systems, different engines, different payload, different targeting systems, different crew safety systems, etc etc..

It remains in the inventory, because the current model variant is a best of class design for that particular aircraft’s purpose..

Much like the C130…the C130J is an entirely different aircraft than the A model that entered service in the mid 1950’s..

There are simply some airframes that stand the test of time that will get flown perpetually until a new requirement is established that the old airframe can’t meet…

 

[Pheroze]

The international situation reminds me of multiparty mediations where the mediator is clearly over their head. It is very challenging, but the process can be salvaged if the parties are capable. Trump’s attempt at foreign policy just flops around with nothing behind it but the weight of his position. Good things will happen because the other people involved will adapt to the fact that the USA structure for international governance is faltering. Fortunately the countries affected seem to have the insight to find opportunities for stability. Once that happens Trump can take credit for it and just focus on his promised domestic policies. He appears much more adept at that.

 

[mdwest]

I’m not sure that’s entirely the case…

No doubt Trump appears to flop around, and no doubt that makes things very challenging..

But I’m not so sure that the mediator is over its head, so much as the game has completely changed, and no one has quite figured out how to handle that yet..

Trump isn’t a traditional politician..

The last time around he surrounded himself with long serving traditional politicians…

This time around there are only a few in his cabinet (like Rubio)..

These guys play the game by a completely different set of rules…

Much like the Brits in April of 1775 expecting to fight a typical “European” style war, only to find that the colonials had these pesky “Ranger” units that didn’t fight “fair” (by their rules)…

These are different times… they’re going to call for different strategies and tactics… sticking to the “old” ways of politics is going to largely be unsuccessful when trying to negotiate with the Trump Administration I’m afraid..

 

[Brent in Az]

My daughter got her Masters at Columbia and her husband got his undergraduate degree there on the GI Bill after Army tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. They cannot believe what is going on there.

Hopefully they enjoyed their time at Columbia, and didn't have to deal with the type of nonsense going on recently.

 

[YancyW]

I agree with planting trees, the US has more trees then in recorded history. Trees like CO2. I do not believe that man made activities can change the climate in any appreciable fashion. Please convince me that I am wrong. Tell me if there are lifestyles that contribute to climate change.

Human culture and technology has been stunted in the past by “mini ice ages”. This has occurred on and off for the last recordable 800 years. With the exception of stratovarius violins I see nothing good taking place in these cold periods.

As a free thinking individual, I oppose ice ages, if you can convince me that my lifestyle contributes to global warming the I will adjust my wants for the global good. I will walk the earth with a giant carbon footprint, just call me Sasquatch. If forced to drive an electric vehicle I will tow a trailer burning tires. I have so much enjoyed the last 20 years of mild winters and will do my part to see that this continues.

And so my Australian friend, convince me that I can affect the climate and I will. I wish that this were true. So look at the irony, if I am made to believe that I am a factor In this then our lifestyles will cancel each other out. Hopefully you see the humor in this.

The US has 204 coal powered power plants in operation right now, China in 2024 build out enough new plants to equal half of our total production, that doens't take into account the 2-3000 they already had in production.

 

[Pheroze]

I hope you are right, but I cannot see a strategy. I can’t see how the game itself has changed either. What is apparent is that the other players recognize that if the USA is pulling back they need to change how they governed themselves. And, until they are stronger they will complain about it. But when they adapt there will be a new structure. It seems a lot like the international environment when the British retreated from its dominant position.

 

[Pheroze]

I don’t know whether you are right, but I cannot see a strategy. I can’t see how the game itself has changed either. What is apparent is that the other players recognize that if the USA is pulling back they need to change how they governed themselves. And, until they are stronger they will complain about it. But when they adapt there will be a new structure. It seems a lot like the international environment when the British retreated from its dominant position.

 

[Pheroze]

I tried to edit and instead repeated myself. I have developed a stutter apparently

 

[deewayne2003]

A good video telling how russia has turned into criminal institution.

A former russian soldier explains how the system lie and draft(kidnap) boys or men to serve in Ukraine. All institutions lie from low to high level. Families are being lied to, soldiers are being lie to. Everybody is being lied to by Putins regime. After watching this I could find sympathy for the ordinary russian. Putin is a murder, liiar and rotten to the core.

Take your time:

Well even Putin himself said that corruption was embedded in Russian culture.

Question being, with so much being known about Putin and his agenda…..

Why would EU leaders not only leave their munitions stockpiles dangerously low; but also fund Putins war machine by continuing to purchase energy from Putin?

 

[gbflyer]

Columbia University out of control. Trump cancels $400 million in federal money.

The bigger question is why they were getting $400M when they are sitting on a $15B endowment.

 

[Red Leg]

Yes, Bolton doesn't think much of Trump. But Bolton does make a decent argument, based on facts.

The huge cuts in our military started way before 1994. I live near Barksdale AFB, headquarters to Air Force Global Strike Command and also 8th Air Force. I lived on Barksdale in the 1970s and early 80s and it is sad and very concerning to see the current state. And the same B-52s, albeit with some upgrades, are still being flown.

Base Realignment and Closure - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Absolutely correct. The defense cuts started in 1988 and went through three phases.

• 1989–1990: Initial reductions were proposed as part of a "peace dividend," with the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process starting in 1988 to close unneeded military installations.
• 1991–1993: The defense budget saw notable declines, dropping from $299.3 billion in fiscal year 1990 to about $267.1 billion by 1993 (in constant dollars), reflecting a shift in priorities toward domestic spending.
• Mid-1990s: The cuts deepened, with defense spending falling to around 3% of GDP by the late 1990s, a significant reduction from Cold War highs of 5%.

Also, Europe embarked upon a similar reduction in defense spending dropping below 2% of GDP in many cases.

 

[Red Leg]

I’m not sure that’s entirely the case…

No doubt Trump appears to flop around, and no doubt that makes things very challenging..

But I’m not so sure that the mediator is over its head, so much as the game has completely changed, and no one has quite figured out how to handle that yet..

Trump isn’t a traditional politician..

The last time around he surrounded himself with long serving traditional politicians…

This time around there are only a few in his cabinet (like Rubio)..

These guys play the game by a completely different set of rules…

Much like the Brits in April of 1775 expecting to fight a typical “European” style war, only to find that the colonials had these pesky “Ranger” units that didn’t fight “fair” (by their rules)…

These are different times… they’re going to call for different strategies and tactics… sticking to the “old” ways of politics is going to largely be unsuccessful when trying to negotiate with the Trump Administration I’m afraid..

One small correction to a bit of American mythology. The Colonial Army could do very little against the British until the forming of the Continental Regiments which could go volley to volley with British regulars. That first evenly fought battle was Monmouth in the summer of 1778.

And of course the "Rangers" were in fact a British colonial creation under Major Robert Rogers which fought during the French and Indian War 1755-1766.

American militia units were on the whole abysmal during the Revolution with a few exceptions like the Battle of King's Mountain.

 

[skydiver386]

The bigger question is why they were getting $400M when they are sitting on a $15B endowment.

Very easy answer.

Democrat leftist in Government funneling money to Universities who spread Democrat leftist propaganda, which in turn creates Democrat leftist voters who in turn vote for Democrat leftist in Government.

Often called the self licking ice cream cone.