thaibeachlovers

1 minute ago, jerrymahoney said:

OK. But I still prefer Biden to Trump.

In a normal election neither would be in contention. IMO the Dems have made a very serious error by putting up a man that by any reasonable standard is unsuitable for POTUS. Is it significant that they don't have a better candidate to put up?

If they had a decent candidate they would likely wipe the floor with Trump.

I only support Trump because I believe Biden too incompetent to stand again.

Bring back Bernie, I say. Of course he's an independent now, probably because of how they back stabbed him not once, but twice.

1 minute ago, jerrymahoney said:

Fine. As an American, I prefer to get my entertainment elsewhere.

Jai yen, it was satirical, which was why I included "seriously" in the next paragraph.

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, that is the concerning part. 

Don't look at it as 70 million voting FOR Trump. Look at it from the point of view that they voted against Washington that they hate and despise.

I voted against the last lot in NZ because I hated and despised them and they were not even half as bad as the Washington establishment.

1 minute ago, jerrymahoney said:

I wish. I voted against Trump twice and, since my mother is now deceased, too difficult to register to vote against him again.

 

As I'm in my 70's, I expect most of the world's major calamities will happen after I am gone. I just don't want to spend the next 4 years of my life with DJT as 45.

I'm sure many other Americans will agree with you. For myself I was hugely entertained by his first 4 years and I hope for more of the same in his next 4. Given my opinion of politicians it made my heart sing that they were so "uncomfortable" while he was in the big chair.

Seriously though, the one thing that made his term a good thing for me was that he didn't start any <deleted> wars, unlike the present incumbent that looks likely to be revving up a doozy in the M E. I just hope that NZ stays out of it when it kicks off.

On 4/25/2024 at 7:27 PM, BangkokReady said:

 

Plenty of people (possibly most) have an issue with what Israel is doing in Gaza.  There is no need to hate Jews to feel this way.

I liked the Jews I knew in my life. I'm sure they would be as appalled as I at what netanyahu and his death cabinet are doing. They are probably protesting as well ( they are Americans ).

Ooh, I want one of them. Pity it wouldn't get through customs though.

6 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Thanks. I am concerened.

and you have every right to be concerned if you so wish.

I'm concerned that overpopulation is going to be the end of humanity, but there is sod all I can do about it, and if I'm wrong I suspect there is sod all you can do about the conservatives taking over the country.

The only thing I can say about that eventuality is that hopefully people stop going on about man made climate change or how many genders there are in humans. Given that most people on the planet apparently live awful lives I don't think most will give a monkey's about who sits in the W H. At least it will shut HRC up, which would be a good thing, IMO.

9 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

To me the possibly more scary part of Trump again elected as President are these folks who see him as an empty vessel for changes to the Federal government they have been working on since Reagan.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025

 

Project 2025 (officially the Presidential Transition Project) is a collection of policy proposals to reshape the executive branch of the U.S. federal government at an unprecedented scale in the event of a Republican victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

I don't think you need to be concerned. It's more like a skit for the comedy club than a potential coup IMO.

the project seeks to recruit tens of thousands of conservatives to Washington, D.C. gives it away as a loony tune wet dream of ultra conservative nutters.

However some of it I'd actually like to see happen, eg

The plan proposes slashing U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) funding, dismantling the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, gutting environmental and climate change regulations to favor fossil fuel production, and eliminating the cabinet Departments of Education and Commerce.

IMO the DOJ has proven itself unfit for purpose, the FBI is incompetent ( Waco anyone ) and didn't everyone hate the DHS when it was set up?

Climate change is IMO a cover for fundamentally changing society for the worse, imposing more taxes for BS and does nothing to eliminate the real causes of world problems which are that there are just too many humans on the planet.

I love fossil fuel. It has freed me from the soul destroying life of physical work that would have seen me dead at 40, given me the ability to drive from one end of the country to another in comfort, and to fly to another country to see sunsets on a tropical beach with a dusky maiden for company.

Education is a State prerogative and IMO the commerce department works for the 1%. 

I'd not stop at those. I'd gut the entire federal bureaucracy, and the country would be the better for it, IMO.

17 hours ago, Roo Island said:

I tend to avoid opinion pieces unless from a really respected source.

Is that why you haven't posted any- can't find one?

On 4/25/2024 at 7:29 PM, Photoguy21 said:

Not for the British army. The UK is very poorly equipped right now. Any cash for defence should go to the UK military and not to other countries.

Agree 100%. Since BAOR ended the British military has been run down to the point it can't get an aircraft carrier to the Red sea ( or it couldn't- that may have changed, but there is nothing on the news about the Clayton's naval force the US was trying to cobble together. Seems that the Houthis and the Red Sea thing has just vanished into news oblivion, poof.

15 hours ago, Hummin said:

Why do you think Trump would have made any difference? 

 

Trump continue to claim if he was president, this wouldnt happen, but still havent said why he would made any difference to the world politics. 

 

Trump for sure escalated the Israel Palestinian conflict by granting Israel Jerusalem as capital and moved the American Embassy there. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_Jerusalem

I doubt Trump would have supported Ukraine so Zelensky would have had to negotiate before the invasion started. He would have been in a stronger position than he is now, when he is losing.

Unfortunately Trump would be as bad or worse on israel than Biden, IMO. It's my only real problem with Trump.

14 hours ago, eisfeld said:

 

NATO is not involved in the Ukraine war. Some NATO member countries are supporting Ukraine with funds and weapons but that is a different thing. If NATO would be involved in the war then it would look very, very different.

 

Why the west didn't stop China from invading Tibet? Well they can't defend everyone now can they? They wouldn't be in a very good position to defend there just geographically speaking and then you also have to be a bit realistic in that western countries have to take into account geopolitical threats, economic threats and other strategic considerations. But you can see both Russia and China have taken over territories before without much opposition and it has embolded them to do more of the same as we are seeing.

All very well and good, but you don't give a good reason why the west should support Ukraine, when they didn't support Tibet. Same scenario- big bully country invades a neighbour. The west didn't depend on Ukraine for anything important, it's not like they make microchips like Taiwan does ( and the US is helping defend Taiwan ), or have a load of oil etc. It's just an excessively corrupt country that borders Russia, IMO.

IMO it's all about the 1% minting it from the taxpayers and loads of propaganda to make western people afraid that the big bad boogie bear will come a knockin' on their door if we don't give a few gazillion $ to the weapons manufacturers.

Sad.

15 hours ago, Hummin said:

If Trump was in place, he would settled everything with a stroke of a pen on the map granting Putin Crimea and Donbas

Yes, and saved thousands from death and massive infrastructure destruction.

15 hours ago, tuktuktuk said:

I'm struggling to understand why the minimum draft age in Ukraine  is 25.

Perhaps, like so many in the west, youths are fat, unfit and would be useless in combat.

Anyway, if it keeps going as is perhaps they will be conscripting 15 year olds soon.

IMO any country that has to conscript the unwilling has to do so because the citizens do not agree that the war is worth dying in.

9 hours ago, Seppius said:

Very Few Ukrainians here now, they are home defending their country, thousands of Russians not willing to die for a despot

You should give them all white feathers.

10 hours ago, eisfeld said:

 

Exactly. If third countries wouldn't get involved in disputes between countries then any stronger country can just take over any smaller country.

 

It's like a school bully. The bully wont stop by himself and the bullied guy isn't strong enough to defend himself. Others have to step in. Which is also the whole idea of NATO. All countries together are too strong for anyone else to try to invade any individual member state.

It's like a school bully. The bully wont stop by himself and the bullied guy isn't strong enough to defend himself. Others have to step in. Which is also the whole idea of NATO. All countries together are too strong for anyone else to try to invade any individual member state.

Agreed, but NATO is for NATO countries, not all of the world.

Ukraine isn't in NATO and NATO isn't the world's policeman. There are plenty of lovely wars to get involved in all over the world, but the only one NATO has got involved in is one with white people and it ignores all the ones with dark skinned people.

Tell me why the west didn't stop China invading Tibet. They didn't did they? Didn't do anything, nothing at all. So much for standing up against the bullies.

15 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

We might see some spectacular action 🎬 by Ukraine 🇺🇦 on or around May 9th, the Victory ✌️ day in Russia 🇷🇺. 

Followed by a bit more ultraviolence on Ukraine. Two can play that game.

14 hours ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Somewhat surprisingly (to me at least) it seems to suggest that the West might not necessarily respond with nuclear weapons of its own.

Given that Ukraine is not a NATO country, or have a treaty with NATO or America, the west does not have to start MAD because Russia retaliated  against Ukraine using west supplied weapons to attack the Russian mainland.

If they do choose to escalate by using nukes, better say goodbye to every person you love before they become dust.

Just now, Danderman123 said:

The common denominator among the trials is the delay tactics used by the Trump attorneys.

 

Perhaps rather than conspiracy theories, you should think about Trump's actual defenses against the charges.

It's the defense's job to do whatever it takes that is of benefit for the client. Seems that they are taking advantage of the prosecution's incompetence.

18 hours ago, Roo Island said:

The fat lady hasn't sung yet.

Indeed.