JAG

I cannot do better than to quote @Emdog. "the trade deal Trump complains about that is robbing and destroying US is the one his administration put in effect during DJT Part 1. The deal that was the "envy of the world, that would make all 3 economies grow at an unprecedented rate." as he said boasting of the deal back then Trump tends to blame all on Biden.... why not this time? oh, this was 100% his deal, his baby to replace NAFTA... and I suppose it fitting that this moron shoots himself & US with his stupidity regarding tariffs" If you can't understand that simple post, then there is little point continuing.

Let us try and put a positive spin on things: The man is a <deleted>, he has threatened like a <deleted>, postured like a <deleted>, and now he is acting like a <deleted>. At least we know where we stand.

Seemed eminently clear to me, and I suspect most here.

Two takeaways: 1) The utter unreliability of the United States as an ally. They will "cut and run", but then we all knew that anyway. 2) Equally unreliable the gob-smacking naivity of believing that if you cut supplies to Ukraine then the Russians will come to peace talks, absolute <deleted>, they will simply renew their offensives against a weakened Ukraine in the hope of defeating them - but again perhaps the US knew that anyway. Absolute shame on the USA. Incidentally, the gun shown in the picture is a British designed and built 105mm "Light Gun". They come in two versions, L118 uses a longer range British ammunition system, L119 the American 105mm system. Both types of ammunition and the gun can be manufactured in Europe, so all is not lost.

Yes, it is called trolling. There is quite a lot of it going on, in fact, this forum, "Political Soapbox" has rather become a trolling bonanza; the opening post to this thread tells you all you need to know. That is, in my opinion, rather a pity, I enjoy lively and informed debate, and there certainly should be a place for it. Incidentally, being "pro American" is not confined to one particular point of view.

Humh... There will be some sort of process which will anoint either Trump for a third term or whoever is his chosen successor. It will be called an "election" but it will be not really recognisable as such. With Congress emasculated by the power of money and the associated fear of being primaried, appropriate gerrymandering, and some energetic voter suppression, the courts under control and the media "brought into the fold", I suspect that they think that they can get away with going down the "Putin road"! That only leaves the executive branch to worry about, and there they have plenty of room for maneuver!

Interesting - I note the use of the pronoun "we". As a well known MAGA/Trump supporter are you that close to the Russians that you can say: "we have the Kompromat"?

Ah, but is he a gentleman - does he sit with his back to the taps? We need to know!

Fornicate with my ancient military footwear, talk about clutching at straws @JonnyF!

It was the cows, they came and took it back!

A lot certainly do; mind you, we don't put mayonnaise on them, or go around sticking fingers in dykes...

I think back to when the Dutch soldiers came into town from Soltau barracks after payday, back in the old days in West Germany. Running battles in the streets between the Cloggies, the German Civil Police, the Koninklijke Marechaussee (Dutch MPs) and the British RMPs. Most of town was put off limits to the British troops the weekend the Dutch got paid! Luckily they were conscripts and so were not paid very much, or allowed out very often. Mind you, there were some really good deals on electrical goods at the Dutch NAAFI!

@ChumpChange - a couple of brilliant responses lately!

Last time I was there ( pre COVID) there was quite a nice ice cream shop with a very pretty girl working there - I smiled at her and she gave me an extra scoop. That is about as wild as it got!

But made the effort to take off his "security uniform" first? It rather suggests that the guard made a premeditated attack, perhaps the inevitable "loss of face". No matter, the Pattaya Constabulary will be unable to find him - to everyone's surprise!

Shall I predict, if he is not well received by "the great British public", tantrums, late night brainfarts on Twitter (or whatever it is called now), and the inevitable demands for tariffs?

As I recall, the initial weeks of the Russian invasion were marked by the deployment of Russian special forces teams to attempt to hunt down and assassinate Zelinsky. For that reason he took to dressing in "military sweatshirts" , much more inconspicuous and easier to move him about, and practical in a city (Kiev) under rocket bombardment. That threat diminished because the Ukraine armed forces proved to be very effective at hunting down, capturing and killing these teams. Subsequently he continued it as a "trademark look". Same sort of idea as wearing a red baseball cap at every opportunity!

What an apposite phrase!

I wonder if the "Trump baby blimp" will make a reappearance, it was a magnificent idea last time.

I was a soldier for quite a number of years. Spent considerably more than than 3 months on various "front lines". None of my post involved puffy chests. My long, if not particularly glorious service equipped me with a couple of handy skills. One was the ability to identify a bull<deleted>ter. Trump and Vance are two such. Mind you, they're not exactly unknown on this forum!

I'm (relatively newly) retired. I don't want to see the world, and the western liberal democratic society in which I was raised, and in which I lived and served most of my life destroyed on the altar of one man's amoral intolerant ego, for the benefit of a small handful of extremely rich, and wanting to be yet richer, people. If the damage was limited to the United States, the perhaps I could watch in a more detached manner, but the events of this week, together with his (Trump's) previously expressed intentions towards Greenland/Denmark, Canada and Panama raise global concerns. There is much to find fault in with Western Liberal Society, but of one thing I am certain, it is infinitely better than the alternative proffered by Trump and his MAGA movement. Less philosophically perhaps (?) I have a 19 year old daughter, and I want her to live in a better world.

I think ---- it is a bit suspicious...

Yes, I think, but am not certain, it is some sort of sponsorship deal with one of the Thai Football League teams

Young girl went up to receive Communion at Mass this morning wearing a tee shirt with "Porn Hub" emblazoned on it. Blissful ignorance on her part and her parents.

Of course Trump is a Russian asset! As for IQs, leaving aside his self proclaimed status as a "stable genius", whilst not clever - he was stupid enough to walk into a certain urine stained honey trap after all - he is cunning!