Russia and Ukraine

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Trump is destroying the country and it will take decades to recover, and likely never will.  Cutting the government is a good step, since it has gotten too big, but the rest of this administration's efforts are a disaster.

Since 1955, the US population has more than doubled, while the number of federal government employees (excluding military) has increased by just 20%.

If anything, your government is understaffed.

Boru

[The Architect Of Fate]

Trump is destroying the country and it will take decades to recover, and likely never will. Cutting the government is a good step, since it has gotten too big, but the rest of this administration's efforts are a disaster.

Engaging in ideologically motivated government purges and department dismantling has nothing to do with cutting the government also the government didn't need cutting it needed trimming but not cutting

[Leonardo17]

Agrboda:
 
There is a French Journalist called Regis Gente who wrote a book called “Our man in Washington”. Unfortunately the book has not been translated to English yet.
 
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/tru...r-AA1tJPOk
 
https://www.grasset.fr/livre/notre-homme...246836681/
 
French speakers may want to check this book out.
 
Here the writer demonstrates how the KGB, starting from the late 70’s, made investments into some promising (then) young persons who could be brought to progress more in the realm of US politics and then expect some returns from their investments (which is said to be happening now).
 
Just a positive note on that:
 
Populist supporters of the former President Jair Bolsonaro even raided the country’s congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace and looted historical documents and valuable artworks. Now the man is being judged and there is a possibility for him to go to jail.
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/n...onaro-coup
 
BrianSoddingBoru:
 
She underlines the fact that D. Trumps sees Putin as some sort of supporter and reminds him that he is “A dictator who would each him for lunch”.
 
The only problem with that lady was that she has a very nasal voice (she probably has some problem with her sinuses).
 
In the meantime:
 
Things seem to be rolling in London. Keir Starmer has assumed the historical role of the UK in the Old Continent. He has Emmanuel Macron and many others on his side. He is talking about “a Coalition of the Willing”. And no one, not even Zelensky is excluding the US right now. Keir Starmer is still talking about “a peace plan” and is talking about European troops who can rely on US intelligence + US Air Power in the case of a Russian attack. He is also underlining the fact that something like the Minsk Agreement (a Peace deal without very serious guarantees for Ukraine) cannot be the way forward at this point.
 
 
Pocaracas:
 
- Yes but there are no “US backed candidate” inside “The US Sphere of Influence” (see the stuff happening in Georgia / and in Ukraine before this was, and in Romania, and Hungrary and Moldavia too)
 
The US is also seen as an Imperialistic force in this world. But this era is also over. This isn’t the 60’s or 70’s anymore either
 
So no. Everything that Putin is saying is BS. And as I am always repeating: He is harming Russians before anyone else. The International community has to work more with Gorbatchev’s team at during 1990’s to create a softer switch from the old system to the new one. Russia is a Mafia state / Oligarchy and Putin is it’s leader.
 
Thunphalumpacus:
 
- He asked the Ukrainian delegation to leave.
 
So this is something I know about. The US has a President who doesn’t have what it takes to be president (same thing happening since 2001 over here)
 
/ That’s what populists do. They recruit as much stupid people as they can so that they can say that they “have the numbers” and then they do stuff to terrorize those who don’t support them to tell them “Hey I am very strıng here. So you must respect me”.
- Nothing is going to change. We are a huge planet. We will manage without the US (until Trump is gone) And then we will deal with Netanyahu (I think he will answer to the law as well).

[The Grand Nudger]

Ukraine has liberated toretsk, threatening russias eastern forces with encirclement.

[Ravenshire]

Sure, another administration can try to turn things around (if Trump doesn't declare himself leader for life), but the world will remember that 50% of the U.S. public wants what Trump is dishing out.

I think the shambling corpse of our remaining democracy is about to stumble into the wood chipper. What comes out the other end in four (or more) years won't be pretty. The remains will not be something on which to rebuild, but should be buried and something new, and hopefully better, erected in it's place. Something with more, perhaps even mandatory, involvement of it's citizens. Not just hiring (electing) people to represent us, but the ability to fire (recall) them as well. The entrenchment of power has been the downfall of our democracy. It will not be a time to reverse course, back to what we once knew, but to forge onward from the ashes to build something else, something better...

Something where the types of naked power grabs we're watching now are much, much, much more difficult to attain than in our current system.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Sure, another administration can try to turn things around (if Trump doesn't declare himself leader for life), but the world will remember that 50% of the U.S. public wants what Trump is dishing out.

I think the shambling corpse of our remaining democracy is about to stumble into the wood chipper. What comes out the other end in four (or more) years won't be pretty. The remains will not be something on which to rebuild, but should be buried and something new, and hopefully better, erected in it's place. Something with more, perhaps even mandatory, involvement of it's citizens. Not just hiring (electing) people to represent us, but the ability to fire (recall) them as well. The entrenchment of power has been the downfall of our democracy. It will not be a time to reverse course, back to what we once knew, but to forge onward from the ashes to build something else, something better...

Something where the types of naked power grabs we're watching now are much, much, much more difficult to attain than in our current system.

I think that's awfully optimistic. After all, this government is one voted in by the citizens.

[AFTT47]

Sure, another administration can try to turn things around (if Trump doesn't declare himself leader for life), but the world will remember that 50% of the U.S. public wants what Trump is dishing out.

I think the shambling corpse of our remaining democracy is about to stumble into the wood chipper. What comes out the other end in four (or more) years won't be pretty. The remains will not be something on which to rebuild, but should be buried and something new, and hopefully better, erected in it's place.

Yikes. Chilling words but I can't disagree. The fact that Trump was ever elected in the first place, the utter corruption which has befallen the Repugnican party, the stacking of the Supreme Court with right-wing idealogues... Yes, the safeguards in the US Constitution have been revealed as inadequate. I think we do need a rebuilding of the entire foundation of the USA. But this can only be done peacefully if an overwhelming majority are onboard. The only way I see that happening is if Trump takes us to the brink of destruction. But if he does that, there will be only a marginal chance that we will have left what it takes to make a recovery.

This is what we have warned about and now it is coming to pass.

[Thumpalumpacus]

There's no overwhelming majority of Americans devoted to anything beyond getting something from Amazon tomorrow.

[Silver]

I remember talking to a coworker back around 2009. After conversing with him, it became apparent that his conservative views were steeped in anarchism, of which he admitted to being an enthusiast when I brought it up. This is what I believe the new conservative ideal is: a cognizant devotion toward anarchy.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I think differently. I think conservatives want a solid government that will promulgate their own views while stomping the others. They fear anarchy even as they espouse libertarianism. These are the same folk who argue for police powers, after all.