1 hour ago, BilllyGOAT said:

But what people should really be worried about is that in 10 years, their Social Security system could collapse

Easily fixed. 7%(or whatever it is now) of everyone's total income, not just 7% of the first $50k(or whatever...). Problem solved.

Winning wars = biggest profits for defense contractors. Nobody wins wars better than the USA. The longer the conflict, the bigger the profit.

In the corporate world, they aren't wars, simply market expansion.

1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

Many things that are done can be researched. I never thought a president can increase jobs, as it takes a lot of factors which aren't in his control.

IMO tariffs are not helping farmers, or small to medium size businesses. They are the mainspring of employment, big business increasingly uses AI. The only other lever is government jobs, and we all know what DOGE and Trump combined have done there.

I suggest you stop making excuses, you haven't got a leg to stand on.

8 hours ago, 1tooth said:

It was said recently that the US military has exactly the same approach, strategy and tactics as they had in WW2. US is fighting a 1944 war, while Iran is fighting a 2026 war. america is blowing up novelty balloons in the shape of tanks, and 50 year old ships and calling it success, but Iran is fighting with drones and missiles. As a result, america has great highlight reals, but Iran's dominance of arabian/israeli airspace and maritime routes suggest Iran is winning the war, irrespective of what various media outlets report.

The US is using a diluted form WWII strategy, and that's the problem. In WWII it was total war against the whole population of the enemy country. Fire bombing entire cities, destroying all the infrastructure, and even a couple of nuclear bombs. Then rebuilding the country from scratch.

Selective, surgical strikes is just poking a hornets nest. Stay out or nuke it.

26 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

IMO tariffs are not helping farmers, or small to medium size businesses. They are the mainspring of employment, big business increasingly uses AI. The only other lever is government jobs, and we all know what DOGE and Trump combined have done there.

I suggest you stop making excuses, you haven't got a leg to stand on.

What excuses? All I did was list things Trump has done. Some won't research so they go by opinions of others. All leaders make mistakes, including yours in your country. This is a world power, so it's of course going to be more scrutinized. I never said Trump didn't make mistakes. I know a lot more than you and others not living in the US what's gone on in the past there. We not only saw the news daily but lived it..

We never have been

You're not speaking German thanks to us. You're welcome.

8 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

What excuses? All I did was list things Trump has done. Some won't research so they go by opinions of others. All leaders make mistakes, including yours in your country. This is a world power, so it's of course going to be more scrutinized. I never said Trump didn't make mistakes. I know a lot more than you and others not living in the US what's gone on in the past there. We not only saw the news daily but lived it..

Why do Americans always assume non-Americans know less about America than they do?

In my business and conference travels, i have visited the following places: San Francisco -Los Angeles- Rancho Cucamonga - Pinole Point Big Bear Lake-Yosemite-Chicago-St.Louis-New York-New Orleans-Consohocken-Pittsburgh-Clementon-Houston-Dallas-Philadelphia -Cleveland-Gary-Detroit-Valley Forge-The Alamo - Atlantic City, I have seen the best and the worst of America. How many places have you been in your own country?

I suggest you look up the name Paul Linebarger, an expert in psyops after WWII. Also known as Theodore Sturgeon, a celebrated SciFi novelist. The BS that is coming out of the White House fits Linebargers propaganda description of a fire hose of false information seamlessly.

You want to pretend you are omniscient? Go ahead. Don't be surprised when you get called out.

8 minutes ago, Packer said:

You're not speaking German thanks to us. You're welcome.

Who is us?

If not for Brit's Fighter Command there would have been nowhere to "launch from".

As for speaking German didn't the US vote that down; or is that urban myth?

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Why do Americans always assume non-Americans know less about America than they do?

In my business and conference travels, i have visited the following places: San Francisco -Los Angeles- Rancho Cucamonga - Pinole Point Big Bear Lake-Yosemite-Chicago-St.Louis-New York-New Orleans-Consohocken-Pittsburgh-Clementon-Houston-Dallas-Philadelphia -Cleveland-Gary-Detroit-Valley Forge-The Alamo - Atlantic City, I have seen the best and the worst of America. How many places have you been in your own country?

I suggest you look up the name Paul Linebarger, an expert in psyops after WWII. Also known as Theodore Sturgeon, a celebrated SciFi novelist. The BS that is coming out of the White House fits Linebargers propaganda description of a fire hose of false information seamlessly.

You want to pretend you are omniscient? Go ahead. Don't be surprised when you get called out.

Because we actually lived it, not only saw it on the news. Yes, there are some who rarely leave their homes, never watch the news, and have few friends, but the majority don't have that isolation. Not living it you only can watch news and videos, which can surely be biased, and people usually take a side and not stay neutral, waiting for the real truth to come out.

Anything any expert can write can be researched by those who are passionate about the subjects.

In the US I've been to almost all states, and traveled all over hunting, eating and fishing. I worked in NYC, lived near it 30 years, then next to San Antonio for 32. Houston many times, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Miami, Philly, Los Angeles, New Orleans, along with many other large cities and most of the time visiting the country areas.

You possibly have seen more than some who visit for a vacation, but there's no comparison to someone who's spent decades living there and watching the daily news, along with conversing with many of the same, in family and friends. Nobody knows everything, but some know a lot about some things.

You can find many writers opinions of both sides of how a government works, but the final answer is waiting for the facts to come out, which is why I don't take sides. I see what they did , promised, and didn't do, and no one can know what the endgame of this war will be until it stops. If you'll notice, I've always disliked Trump, but always give credit where due, as all presidents have done some good and bad.

19 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

Because we actually lived it, not only saw it on the news. Yes, there are some who rarely leave their homes, never watch the news, and have few friends, but the majority don't have that isolation. Not living it you only can watch news and videos, which can surely be biased, and people usually take a side and not stay neutral, waiting for the real truth to come out.

Anything any expert can write can be researched by those who are passionate about the subjects.

In the US I've been to almost all states, and traveled all over hunting, eating and fishing. I worked in NYC, lived near it 30 years, then next to San Antonio for 32. Houston many times, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Miami, Philly, Los Angeles, New Orleans, along with many other large cities and most of the time visiting the country areas.

You possibly have seen more than some who visit for a vacation, but there's no comparison to someone who's spent decades living there and watching the daily news, along with conversing with many of the same, in family and friends. Nobody knows everything, but some know a lot about some things.

You can find many writers opinions of both sides of how a government works, but the final answer is waiting for the facts to come out, which is why I don't take sides. I see what they did , promised, and didn't do, and no one can know what the endgame of this war will be until it stops. If you'll notice, I've always disliked Trump, but always give credit where due, as all presidents have done some good and bad.

Be specific. Say what you think the areas are, where Trump is doing well. So far, your posts have been vague statements, similar to the pabulum you deplore in the media.

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

Be specific. Say what you think the areas are, where Trump is doing well. So far, your posts have been vague statements, similar to the pabulum you deplore in the media.

I posted a link. There are many more where it says what he's actually accomplished, and where he's not.

4 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Anything quoted can be looked up, with many sources. People believe many other's opinions, and make judgement on those. Always best to have the facts along with those opinions.

Sadly too many are listening to Fox news.

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

5 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I posted a link. There are many more where it says what he's actually accomplished, and where he's not.

Seriously? A link from the White House? You call that research?

To repeat - be specific. What are the Trump positives?

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

Seriously? A link from the White House? You call that research?

To repeat - be specific. What are the Trump positives?

More control of illegals at the border. Drugs coming in by boats mostly stopped. Ousting many illegals, especially those who've committed crimes in the US. Revoked over 100,000 visas linked to criminal activity and pro Hamas supporters. Stopped benefits for those illegal aliens. Signed the Laken Riley Act. No tax on tips, overtime or Social Security. 50 billion in rural healthcare. Ended women against men in competitions. Shortened disaster loan times. Just a few but there are many more that can be easily looked up. Many in that link also.

54 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Why do Americans always assume non-Americans know less about America than they do?

In my business and conference travels, i have visited the following places: San Francisco -Los Angeles- Rancho Cucamonga - Pinole Point Big Bear Lake-Yosemite-Chicago-St.Louis-New York-New Orleans-Consohocken-Pittsburgh-Clementon-Houston-Dallas-Philadelphia -Cleveland-Gary-Detroit-Valley Forge-The Alamo - Atlantic City, I have seen the best and the worst of America. How many places have you been in your own country?

I suggest you look up the name Paul Linebarger, an expert in psyops after WWII. Also known as Theodore Sturgeon, a celebrated SciFi novelist. The BS that is coming out of the White House fits Linebargers propaganda description of a fire hose of false information seamlessly.

You want to pretend you are omniscient? Go ahead. Don't be surprised when you get called out.

You think those places represent the best and worst of America ?
lol, yeh, you know exactly nothing

Keep dreaming though, its funny to see

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

More control of illegals at the border. Drugs coming in by boats mostly stopped. Ousting many illegals, especially those who've committed crimes in the US. Revoked over 100,000 visas linked to criminal activity and pro Hamas supporters. Stopped benefits for those illegal aliens. Signed the Laken Riley Act. No tax on tips, overtime or Social Security. 50 billion in rural healthcare. Ended women against men in competitions. Shortened disaster loan times. Just a few but there are many more that can be easily looked up. Many in that link also.

Yes, but at what cost?

Japan has a ratio of 2.5 workers to every retiree. That ratio will be 1.2:1 in a decade or two. Caused by Japan's block on immigration.

The good news is drug overdose deaths are falling. However, there is no evidence zapping boats has reduced supply - it has simply shifted to other routes.

As for $50 billion in rural healthcare, I don't think that offsets the public health menace an anti-vaxxer at the helm represents. What has it done to suppress the rapacity of Big Pharma?

I don't care if women compete against men. It takes a pretty fragile ego to get in a lather about such a trivial issue.

Now let me introduce you to another massive Trump achievement:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-29/gate-of-tears-at-risk-of-becoming-second-major-oil-bottleneck/106508316

17 hours ago, Kyoto Kyle said:

You always hear America going on about how great its military is, how strong it is, blah blah blah. But then I started thinking about how many recent wars they have actually won in any real sense. Vietnam? No. Afghanistan? No. Iraq? Depends who you ask. Korea? More of a stalemate than anything. Somalia? Not exactly a glowing success either. And now Iran. Who knows?

So I am not really convinced by all the chest beating.

My take on it is a bit different. Yeah, they have some of the most advanced and destructive weapons on the planet, and they are really very good at blowing things up and vaporizing them. No doubt about that. But that is not really the same at all as winning a war, is it?

It is almost like they win the fighting part, but then lose everything that comes after.

The US military goes in, overwhelms a place with pure force, and then… what? That is where it always seems to go wrong. The military is not designed for making peace or bringing about meaningful change in leadership. It is not their job, and yet they are the ones who go in and seemingly start to try and do that job once they establish some ground. They do not want to only be seen as destroyers, but liberators. But the eventual diplomacy, long term planning, actual stabilizing of things, understanding the people on the other side, that actually comes later and is the part that never seems to go particularly well, at all.

And maybe it is not even just incompetence. Maybe it is because the goal was never really about the narrative of helping the other country in the first place. It often looks more like securing influence, natural resources, or strategic positioning, then setting something up that suits them and leaving.

So yeah, if you ask me, they are not bad at fighting wars. They are actually very good at that part. But when it comes to winning them in any meaningful or lasting way, that is a different story entirely.

More often than not, they leave behind a big, fat bloody mess, and the people living there are the ones stuck dealing with it, often far worse off than they were before.

Those wars begin with usually a stronger than the enemy US military BUT then the politicians take over, even the fighting arenas and US military have had all kinds of restrictions on how and when they can fight with the enemy. I have been there, seen it first hand and realize that it is like this almost every time since I was there. Obviously, too many of our elected officials did not have family directly involved in the war fighting so do not realize how horrible war actually is. Families like the Trumps, in a 100 years not one male ever joined the military yet Trump goes to a "military" prep school and CLAIMS that he know more about fighting wars than any of the current military. He also says that he is not afraid of anything and IMHO another blatant lie! I am anti-Democrat but seemingly more and more anti-politician!

19 minutes ago, Slowhand225 said:

You think those places represent the best and worst of America ?
lol, yeh, you know exactly nothing

Keep dreaming though, its funny to see

IIRC Gary, Indiana was rated as the murder capital of America the time I was there. New Orleans I rate high, especially for the food.

But keep on posting from Dogpatch, your fact-free posts are amusing too.

16 hours ago, atpeace said:

Almost impossible to win a war with a country like Iran without completely destroying its infrastructure and killing millions of civilians. America isn't going to do that which begs the question. Why do they keep going to war with little chance of winning. Maybe Iran will be the exception but I seriously doubt it.

Yeah, keep asking, take for example the Civil War in which Americans fought Americans - with reports to tallying over 600K to 850K deaths! so hard to believe that there was a winner as maybe all lost!

17 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Yes, but at what cost?

Japan has a ratio of 2.5 workers to every retiree. That ratio will be 1.2:1 in a decade or two. Caused by Japan's block on immigration.

The good news is drug overdose deaths are falling. However, there is no evidence zapping boats has reduced supply - it has simply shifted to other routes.

As for $50 billion in rural healthcare, I don't think that offsets the public health menace an anti-vaxxer at the helm represents. What has it done to suppress the rapacity of Big Pharma?

I don't care if women compete against men. It takes a pretty fragile ego to get in a lather about such a trivial issue.

Now let me introduce you to another massive Trump achievement:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-29/gate-of-tears-at-risk-of-becoming-second-major-oil-bottleneck/106508316

Everyone looks at Japan for some really good ideas, which is why all countries need to learn how to relate, eliminating all threats to the safety of others.

Fentanyl is a disaster drug, and curtailing it's coming in illegally has and will save lives. You take away ocean transport of drugs, you curtail a huge amount coming in, which means they have to take more chances other ways, which means the odds of being caught increase.

Trump has always wanted America first, and that's why he went after illegals. There are quite a few things the presidents do that many will never know about, as it doesn't pertain to them. That's where the research comes in. Like I said, I don't like him, but he's all we have for now, so we can only hope what he takes action on won't come back and bite everyone in the ass.

12 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

but he's all we have for now, so we can only hope what he takes action on won't come back and bite everyone in the ass.

IMO that ship has already sailed.

27 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

IIRC Gary, Indiana was rated as the murder capital of America the time I was there. New Orleans I rate high, especially for the food.

But keep on posting from Dogpatch, your fact-free posts are amusing too.

Watch out we've got a pro on America based on two places.
New Orleans has been the murder capital of America off and on for many , many years, not just once, but you liked the food. That tells me you didn't see New Orleans at all
So informed

15 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Everyone looks at Japan for some really good ideas, which is why all countries need to learn how to relate, eliminating all threats to the safety of others.

Fentanyl is a disaster drug, and curtailing it's coming in illegally has and will save lives. You take away ocean transport of drugs, you curtail a huge amount coming in, which means they have to take more chances other ways, which means the odds of being caught increase.

Trump has always wanted America first, and that's why he went after illegals. There are quite a few things the presidents do that many will never know about, as it doesn't pertain to them. That's where the research comes in. Like I said, I don't like him, but he's all we have for now, so we can only hope what he takes action on won't come back and bite everyone in the ass.

Well IMHO I do not believe That Trump has always wanted America first - he really is only concerned with how much money he can get by any means for him and his family as he sees that as being really rich can mean real power. After all that has been proven with the Epstein files being blocked from public view by both parties trying to protect those rich and powerful that donate money to all parties!

3 minutes ago, Slowhand225 said:

Watch out we've got a pro on America based on two places.
New Orleans has been the murder capital of America off and on for many , many years, not just once, but you liked the food. That tells me you didn't see New Orleans at all
So informed

It was not the murder capital when I was there, I felt a lot less safe in New York.

But thank you for the contribution from the peanut gallery.

1 minute ago, Presnock said:

Well IMHO I do not believe That Trump has always wanted America first - he really is only concerned with how much money he can get by any means for him and his family as he sees that as being really rich can mean real power. After all that has been proven with the Epstein files being blocked from public view by both parties trying to protect those rich and powerful that donate money to all parties!

He doesn't need any more money. he wanted to be a God, as he already had everything else. that's that narcissistic personality. Power above all. I'm thinking he's done a lot of things many will never know about, but our only concern isn't how he treats women, how much money he wants, or how much he thinks about himself, but what that power can bring the world. He has a couple more years to use that power.

Just watched an American analyst being quizzed......he said........."America is brilliant at winning battles, no one is better, but they are the worst in the world at actually winning wars"

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It was not the murder capital when I was there, I felt a lot less safe in New York.

But thank you for the contribution from the peanut gallery.

My parents and brother were from Brooklyn and I was born in New Jersey. I spent a lot of time in NYC working and visiting, and never felt any fear. the only thing that scared me was a rat as big as a small dog. The same with the south side of San Antonio and downtown Houston. Don't look for trouble and never travel alone anywhere, including Thailand in the cities.

Can someone remind me what this thread is about ??

19 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It was not the murder capital when I was there, I felt a lot less safe in New York.

But thank you for the contribution from the peanut gallery.

How convenient for your story, normally I'd have asked when you were in those places but we all know you couldn't answer without googling first. 😂