Politics

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Just venting a little Phil... A guy can hope, can't he?

Sure, I hoped for that outcome too at one point. But as the manager of my work campus once said, “Hope is not a strategy.”

 

[spike.t]

Apparently the US and Russia are considering restarting the Nordstream pipe and the russian foreign minister wants US to apply leverage on Europe to force them to no longer resist buying russian gas. It will be interesting to see what Trump does.

"There is talk about the Nord Streams," Lavrov told Russia’s state-controlled Channel One TV station, according to a readout shared by his ministry Wednesday. "It will probably be interesting if the Americans use their influence on Europe and force it not to refuse Russian gas."

Also I wondering how much leverage he still has over Europe since he has basically allready ruled out US adhering to article 5 in case of a conflict against Russia and also allready started a trade war with europe, what more can he threat to do at this point? Perhaps start to supply Russia with weapons against Ukraine but hopefully that is not on the table.

Russia and US discuss restarting Nord Stream pipelines, Kremlin says

EU countries are against reviving the ruptured gas links, which experts say will also prove legally difficult — even if there’s an American buyout.

www.politico.eu

I put a newspaper article about it on a bit ago....said were talking to usa investors who were interested in being involved.....

 

[spike.t]

75K views · 2.7K reactions | When all you want is a peaceful leisurely stroll in the afternoon... | By Bin The Labour Party 2 | Facebook

When all you want is a peaceful leisurely stroll in the afternoon...

www.facebook.com

 

[Pondoro]

I don't think anyone in the USA on this board or otherwise is defending Putin. We know he's a dirtbag.

My question for you is what would be a satisfactory end to this war and how would you accomplish that?

That is a very difficult question indeed.. The way I see it, the only way to stop the war is to pressure Putin hard..militarily. The only thing he fears is american military might. He dont care a rats ass about Europe, who cant unify themselves politically and militarily..harsh but true.. The european leaders do not posess the military means to put pressure on Putin..only USA are in a position to do it.

Trump should be praised for trying to end the conflict but he must be much harder on Russia.. He cant handle this out of a business perspective..this is west versus east, democrasy versus dictatorship and tyranny.. You cannot bargain or buy people like Putin.. Putin will try to play Trump and his government.

Look what Reagan did to the soviets...he started a massive rearmament and thus crashed the soviet economy.. It worked.. History shows that Reagan really understood who he was dealing with and acted accordingly.

I hope that if the talks and the american effort comes to nothing that Trump will acknowledge that he has just been played and will start playing hardball with Russia. They will cave in..their army is on its knees..

Europe has started a massive rearming..it will take years but it will happen.. What Europe lack is a firm political leadership.. That is why we need USA...to provide leadership and a heavy military pressure.

 

[Wheels]

Look what Reagan did to the soviets...he started a massive rearmament and thus crashed the soviet economy.. It worked.. History shows that Reagan really understood who he was dealing with and acted accordingly.


Europe has started a massive rearming..it will take years but it will happen.. What Europe lack is a firm political leadership.. That is why we need USA...to provide leadership and a heavy military pressure.

America had less than $1T of debt when Reagan started rearming. It now has over $36T in debt. Last years interest expense was over $1T. America is broke. As is Europe. America voted to fix it's internal issues and step back from being the worlds policeman. Europe wants to continue the war but has no military.

Russia is a neighbor to Europe. It is smart for Europe to rearm. Why is it America's responsibility to continue the war instead of trying to figure out a way towards peace?

 

[Pondoro]

Who said America should continue the war..? Sufficent military and political/economic pressure will force Russia to give in..

 

[Wheels]

Who said America should continue the war..? Sufficent military and political/economic pressure will force Russia to give in..

Which is continuing the war. Which the American people voted against.

 

[Pondoro]

If Ukraine and Europe cave in you will be left with a very short list of friends globally..

 

[Wheels]

If Ukraine and Europe cave in you will be left with a very short list of friends globally..

So you are saying, America's friends are only countries that have a parasitic relationship with America, and those countries will no longer be friends when the benefits stop. Interesting definition of friendship.

 

[Pondoro]

Your words...but what can you expect when you decide to throw us under the bus..? And the benefits have been both ways..

 

[mark-hunter]

Look what Reagan did to the soviets...he started a massive rearmament and thus crashed the soviet economy.. It worked.. History shows that Reagan really understood who he was dealing with and acted accordingly.

The differemce was Soviets had much bigger zone of influence to maintain (entire eastern Europe, plus number of proxies), and communist economy system.
Modern Russia has much less to maintain. And they switched to modern capitalist system in late transitional phase with olygarhs which Putin tries to put under control.

As far as economy goes, we dont know much about Russian economy, but mass media interpretations and make our conclusions based on that.
I went to compare the value of US Dollars against Russian Rubles historically.
1 USD = 84 Rubles today
1 USD = 81 Rubles Feb 2022
Source.

US dollar to Russian rubles Exchange Rate History | Currency Converter | Wise

Dive into historical exchange rates for USD to RUB with Wise's currency converter. Analyse past currency performance, track trends, and discover how currencies have fluctuated over time.

wise.com

Almost no change.

I would be reserved about status of their economy today. Brics market is growing.
Bottom line, next arms race for any side will bring economic challenges to all sides, but Europe already suffers, USA is already in significant debts. And Reagan scenario outcome I would say is uncertain. Maybe China would benefit from all that.

There are three major powers today, (Russia, China, and USA), and I seriously hope they will never engage in direct military conflict.

 

[Pondoro]

Do you also expect Canada to bend over and accept to be another US state..? And Greenland to become american..just like that..?

 

[Wheels]

Your words...but what can you expect when you decide to throw us under the bus..? And the benefits have been both ways..

For the past 80 years America has provided military protection for Europe and Europe has not come close to paying for the cost.

For the past 80 years Europe has excluded American products with tariffs, VAT, etc.

This is not close to benefits flowing both ways in any form of equality.

Removing an 80 year old child from the American tax payers teat is not throwing them under the bus. It is kicking them out of the house to be responsible for themselves 60 years late and living with the insufferable temper tantrum that goes with it.

 

[Pondoro]

An odd way of looking at things..but OK..you are an isolationist..

If Hegseth reduce your military by 40%, as promised, your military will suffer greatly..then you may have to pull out of Europe anyway..

 

[Wheels]

An odd way of looking at things..but OK..you are an isolationist..

If Hegseth reduce your military by 40%, as promised, your military will suffer greatly..then you may have to pull out of Europe anyway..

You can call me what you like. I am only explaining what the American voters decided in November. On the international stage the voters decided not to be in continual wars and not to be taken advantage of by other countries. It doesn't matter if those countries consider themselves to be a friend or foe. Interesting that the "friends" are throwing the biggest fits.

 

[Pondoro]

What about the Pacific theatre, Taiwan, Japan, the Phillippines..South Korea..states that USA have promised to stand by..

Should all be left to fend for themselves..?

 

[Red Leg]

For the past 80 years America has provided military protection for Europe and Europe has not come close to paying for the cost.

For the past 80 years Europe has excluded American products with tariffs, VAT, etc.

This is not close to benefits flowing both ways in any form of equality.

Removing an 80 year old child from the American tax payers teat is not throwing them under the bus. It is kicking them out of the house to be responsible for themselves 60 years late and living with the insufferable temper tantrum that goes with it.

You know I have great respect for you, but I do not believe it is possible for me to fully articulate what a complete misreading of history those statements represent.

For eighty years the United States has protected its national interests in Europe and beyond through the Atlantic Alliance. Neither the organization nor any dollar we have committed to our defense establishment has represented an iota of altruism or paternalism, but has had everything to do with assuring we will not again have to make the sacrifices we made in the Second World War. The very success of those investments are now being used by a new generation of isolationists to condemn that commitment to European stability. They have been wrong whenever they have exerted political power, and they are just as wrong today.

Moreover, I assure you, far from every voter who cast ballot a for Trump is comfortable with the current direction of his administration's foreign policy decisions.

 

[steve white]

As both medical science and climate science are gradually freed from the censorship of the last couple of decades, I suspect we will see an ever increasing flood of peer reviewed evidence that populations truly were being fed a set of "Beliefs" rather than the results of scrupulously researched scientific conclusions. The same process has taken place in the social/cultural environment where nations are awakening to the catastrophic effect of unassimilable ethnic minorities and their impact on public safety and culture.

The recent release of Yale University's peer reviewed analysis of the adverse effects of the Covid vaccines seems to be opening the floodgates of what was essentially forbidden research for the better part of three years.

Peer reviewed research like that below is also beginning to lift the veil on what passes for a pseudo religious scientific climate belief rather than "settled science." Both the commentary and actual paper (link within) are worth reading - particularly by those so unquestionably devoted to their efforts to personally save the planet.

The Climate Scam is Over..

Peer-reviewed AI analysis completely debunks all of the "man-made" claims

www.malone.news

The public reaction to this growing and extremely healthy scientific skepticism of "settled science" will be interesting to observe. As Western societies have become ever more skeptical of the divine, the need for a "Belief" with a capital B has to be vested somewhere.

We see it in much of the discussion in this thread. Climate alarmists speak with a the arrogant certainty of the Roman Church shortly before Martin Luther nailed his theses in 1517. Go back several hundred posts and you will see the same unquestioning "Belief" in masks, vaccines, school closures etc. Others become committed in their "Belief" in a politician or political movement.

Because of such commitment to a "Belief," those who question those beliefs become an enemy imbued with all the evils of Satan. I can point to dozens of posts in this thread as illustrations.

The catch is that this works only so long as the skeptics and non-believers are kept silent. For a couple of decades scientific control was possible in this country thanks to a collective liberal ownership of the sources of information. However, like the scientific and intellectual blossoming of the reformation and enlightenment, that is changing and changing rapidly due to a new era of freedom of thought and expression happening first here in the US, but a movement that will likely spread throughout the West as Europe's ever more repressive efforts to dictate thought inevitably fail - perhaps dramatically.

The article by Malone news reveals the real reason UK farmers are behind the 8 ball and leaving England, as testified by one AH member in a thread recently....the government wants them out and governmental controlled operations to replace them! Hence, the ever increasing, ruinous taxes on farming in the UK. Raising those pesky methane farting animals--we recommend crickets, or whatever else is du jour. And it's just not cricket, lol. Thank God, a little sanity just in time for me to try the carnivore diet.

 

[steve white]

What about the Pacific theatre, Taiwan, Japan, the Phillippines..South Korea..states that USA have promised to stand by..

Should all be left to fend for themselves..?

NO! We should keep our promises (just not be suckers) and it does matter that we are moral.

 

[Brent in Az]

Health and human services secretary, RFK, announced that they will be cutting 10,000 jobs and closing regional offices.

Que the democrat exploding heads.....