6 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

No. You just don't like the point, because it does not support a simplistic politically biased interpretation of world political relations. Goalposts have not changed, but times have. The great alliances created through the marriages of the European Royal Houses and agreements to carve up colonial lands are a thing of the past. The days of common cultural heritages uniting to fight a common foe have passed too. It is no different than the arrangement of sexual encounters that moved from meeting at social engagements, to hookups on apps like Tinder, Grindr, Down, Yummi, Feeld, etc. Few countries have traditional alliances. They now have co-operation undertakings and agreements when there is a defined benefit. The transition started in the decades before Trump took office.

What you are saying is loyalty has become a liability.

So tell me, what's in it for Australia to stay loyal to the US? I can't see a benefit in shelling out $370 billion for used metal that can be taken out by an AI drone costing a minuscule fraction of that cost, can you?

8 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Thats because they have nothing to contribute. Nations that cant even project enough power to protect the oil they need.

The IDF is in the UAE helping defend them from Iranian aggresssion, they do more for the region than all the mouthy big talkers in Europe.

Actually, it's "no cards" Ukrainians that are protecting the GCC from the Iranians since the US is unable to.

Always glad to clarify things for you!

Just now, Patong2021 said:

No. Political loyalty is a concept lost long ago. It mirrors workplace loyalty. Businesses no longer value or foster the loyalty of employees, and employees have little loyalty to their employers. Look at airline "loyalty" programs. They were monetized and gutted. Loyalty as a concept in the 1980's was already dying. Ask the 1600 Altassian workers laid off by their Australian employer how they feel.

You are seeing this as solely as Australia staying loyal to the USA, as f Australia is dong some big favour to the USA and not getting anything in return. Australia is in a mutually beneficial arrangement with the USA to address regional security. Australia on its own has no means of holding back Chinese influence or expansion. Australia cannot even maintain its own sovereignty and protect its oceans from the encroachments of foreign fishing fleets who strip the ocean bare and dump toxic waste. Are you aware that Australia has one of the largest Economic exclusion Zones in the world at 10 million sq. km.? It has a security exposure of 47 million sq. km. Australia has neither the naval, nor personnel resources to secure both its 12 km economic zone, and its security zone. It has 26 patrol vessels to secure this space.

Have you considered asking the MoD about the submarine purchase? I do not represent the Australian MoD. My understanding based on past statements and the submissions before the parliamentary committee is that submarines are one of the most effective ways of surveilling and interdicting unauthorized vessels. The purchase of the US submarines is a stopgap measure to ensure that Australia has effective submarine capability while its replacements are being built and trialed in Australia. The 3 US submarines Australia will purchase will have greater range and capabilities than its current near obsolete vessels. Australia's new submarine fleet will not be available until 2040. The Osborne shipyard has to be fitted up and technology and specialized construction machinery built and transferred to Australia. Training personnel on the US nuclear vessels will ensure that there are trained personnel ready for the new fleet

At best, Australia is buying 3 Virginia -class submarines, with an option to purchase 2 more.

We could buy 138 French nuclear submarines for the same money.

If I were Prime Minister, I would be busting every flag officer who supported the deal down to able seaman, for being so stupid.

Just now, Patong2021 said:

Just now, Lacessit said:

What you are saying is loyalty has become a liability.

So tell me, what's in it for Australia to stay loyal to the US? I can't see a benefit in shelling out $370 billion for used metal that can be taken out by an AI drone costing a minuscule fraction of that cost, can you?

No. Political loyalty is a concept lost long ago. It mirrors workplace loyalty. Businesses no longer value or foster the loyalty of employees, and employees have little loyalty to their employers. Look at airline "loyalty" programs. They were monetized and gutted. Loyalty as a concept in the 1980's was already dying. Ask the 1600 Altassian workers laid off by their Australian employer how they feel.

You are seeing this as solely as Australia staying loyal to the USA, as f Australia is dong some big favour to the USA and not getting anything in return. Australia is in a mutually beneficial arrangement with the USA to address regional security. Australia on its own has no means of holding back Chinese influence or expansion. Australia cannot even maintain its own sovereignty and protect its oceans from the encroachments of foreign fishing fleets who strip the ocean bare and dump toxic waste. Are you aware that Australia has one of the largest Economic exclusion Zones in the world at 10 million sq. km.? It has a security exposure of 47 million sq. km. Australia has neither the naval, nor personnel resources to secure both its 12 km economic zone, and its security zone. It has 26 patrol vessels to secure this space.

Have you considered asking the MoD about the submarine purchase? I do not represent the Australian MoD. My understanding based on past statements and the submissions before the parliamentary committee is that submarines are one of the most effective ways of surveilling and interdicting unauthorized vessels. The purchase of the US submarines is a stopgap measure to ensure that Australia has effective submarine capability while its replacements are being built and trialed in Australia. The 3 US submarines Australia will purchase will have greater range and capabilities than its current near obsolete vessels. Australia's new submarine fleet will not be available until 2040. The Osborne shipyard has to be fitted up and technology and specialized construction machinery built and transferred to Australia. Training personnel on the US nuclear vessels will ensure that there are trained personnel ready for the new fleet.

Edited May 6May 6 by Patong2021

17 hours ago, Hawaiian said:

You know the old saying about burning your bridges. You may live to regret it.

Ok. However, I do not believe that the Australians or the Americans are burning their bridges. The reality is that both are investing in their defense and security arrangements.

53 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

No. Political loyalty is a concept lost long ago. It mirrors workplace loyalty. Businesses no longer value or foster the loyalty of employees, and employees have little loyalty to their employers. Look at airline "loyalty" programs. They were monetized and gutted. Loyalty as a concept in the 1980's was already dying. Ask the 1600 Altassian workers laid off by their Australian employer how they feel.

You are seeing this as solely as Australia staying loyal to the USA, as f Australia is dong some big favour to the USA and not getting anything in return. Australia is in a mutually beneficial arrangement with the USA to address regional security. Australia on its own has no means of holding back Chinese influence or expansion. Australia cannot even maintain its own sovereignty and protect its oceans from the encroachments of foreign fishing fleets who strip the ocean bare and dump toxic waste. Are you aware that Australia has one of the largest Economic exclusion Zones in the world at 10 million sq. km.? It has a security exposure of 47 million sq. km. Australia has neither the naval, nor personnel resources to secure both its 12 km economic zone, and its security zone. It has 26 patrol vessels to secure this space.

Have you considered asking the MoD about the submarine purchase? I do not represent the Australian MoD. My understanding based on past statements and the submissions before the parliamentary committee is that submarines are one of the most effective ways of surveilling and interdicting unauthorized vessels. The purchase of the US submarines is a stopgap measure to ensure that Australia has effective submarine capability while its replacements are being built and trialed in Australia. The 3 US submarines Australia will purchase will have greater range and capabilities than its current near obsolete vessels. Australia's new submarine fleet will not be available until 2040. The Osborne shipyard has to be fitted up and technology and specialized construction machinery built and transferred to Australia. Training personnel on the US nuclear vessels will ensure that there are trained personnel ready for the new fleet.

Australia could buy 185 French nuclear submarines for $370 billion. We are buying 3 Virginia-class submarines, with an option to purchase two more.

If I were Prime Minister, I would be busting every flag officer who supported this deal down to able seaman.

This is the President Of The United States talking. I repeat, the President Of The United States.

On 5/3/2026 at 8:07 AM, connda said:

Anyone with a functioning brain knows that Trump has one singular goal: To make as much money and to consolidate power to create a Trump Dynasty.
To reach his goal he will lie, cheat, and steal while thumbing his nose at average Americans and the US Constitution, as well as all international laws.
His friends and fellow corporate insiders make bank while America is relegated to third-world status by a mad-man who thinks a one hour video of him saying "Winning" makes him look anything but the demented narcissistic megalomaniac that he is. He will destroy the US and world economy while leveraging insider information to double or triple his wealth.

And maga cheers...must be very strong kool aide to convince that many people that what they can clearly see and hear is a conman who has made promise after promise and then broken them all while he has almost tripled his weatlh in ONE year via corruption...

truly amazing how many maga still think he gives a rats ass about their pitiful lives...of course he did tell them one true thing...he loves the uneducated who apparently believe everything that the great conman says while lining his pockets

This is the President Of The United States talking while surrounded by children. Because, why would he care right?

I mean, several victims have, under oath and to the FBI, claimed he raped hem as children, so he's not gonna worry about their feelings, right?

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Australia could buy 185 French nuclear submarines for $370 billion. We are buying 3 Virginia-class submarines, with an option to purchase two more.

If I were Prime Minister, I would be busting every flag officer who supported this deal down to able seaman.

Why are you telling me? If you are so certain, then tell the Australian MoD that its decision was wrong. You can tell them that the purchase of long range, deep ocean nuclear capable submarines,that were faster, capable of longer deployments, stealth rated, with proven advanced technology instead of the noisier French electric diesel that would have been obsolete by the time of delivery and that had already blown the development and purchase budgets and were overdue, was not a prudent decision. And one you are done there, feel free to go down to the the supermarket and shake your fist at the teenagers laughing too loudly.

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

What you are saying is loyalty has become a liability.

So tell me, what's in it for Australia to stay loyal to the US? I can't see a benefit in shelling out $370 billion for used metal that can be taken out by an AI drone costing a minuscule fraction of that cost, can you?

You dont know enough to even ask that question LOL

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

Why are you telling me? If you are so certain, then tell the Australian MoD that its decision was wrong. You can tell them that the purchase of long range, deep ocean nuclear capable submarines,that were faster, capable of longer deployments, stealth rated, with proven advanced technology instead of the noisier French electric diesel that would have been obsolete by the time of delivery and that had already blown the development and purchase budgets and were overdue, was not a prudent decision. And one you are done there, feel free to go down to the the supermarket and shake your fist at the teenagers laughing too loudly.

Oh please, improve your reading skills. I said French NUCLEAR submarines.

You think the USA has a patent on advanced technology?

FYI, the French were the first to invent smokeless powder and a tank with a rotating turret. They revolutionized naval warfare with the Exocet missile.

Australia sends cardboard drones to Ukraine, costing $3500 each. They are repurposed by Ukrainians in a way every military is watching with wonder.

They have next to no radar signature, and can be assembled from a flat pack with tape and glue. They are wax coated to allow operation in rain.They can fly autonomously

The cost of just one Global Hawk buys roughly 40,000 of those drones.

China is ahead of America in fusion research. It has over 50,000 km of high speed rail. Amtrak has 135 km that barely scrapes in.

Bringing an attitude of America is bigger and better at everything to this discussion guarantees you are going to make yourself look as dumb as a can of soup.

Edited May 6May 6 by Lacessit

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Australia sends cardboard drones to Ukraine, costing $3500 each. They are repurposed by Ukrainians in a way every military is watching with wonder.

They have next to no radar signature, and can be assembled from a flat pack with tape and glue. They are wax coated to allow operation in rain.They can fly autonomously

Pretty sure renowned bird hunter Wyle E Coyote bought one of these machines you speak of back in the 60s. ACME brand if memory serves😅

Lots of cool stuff could be done in the 60s that we are only relearning how to do now. Such as putting humans on the moon.

Edited May 6May 6 by SunnyinBangrak

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Oh please, improve your reading skills. I said French NUCLEAR submarines.

You think the USA has a patent on advanced technology?

FYI, the French were the first to invent smokeless powder and a tank with a rotating turret. They revolutionized naval warfare with the Exocet missile.

Australia sends cardboard drones to Ukraine, costing $3500 each. They are repurposed by Ukrainians in a way every military is watching with wonder.

They have next to no radar signature, and can be assembled from a flat pack with tape and glue. They are wax coated to allow operation in rain.They can fly autonomously

The cost of just one Global Hawk buys roughly 40,000 of those drones.

China is ahead of America in fusion research. It has over 50,000 km of high speed rail. Amtrak has 135 km that barely scrapes in.

Bringing an attitude of America is bigger and better at everything to this discussion guarantees you are going to make yourself look as dumb as a can of soup.

I hear the French are skilled at building fixed military fortifications at the border, which people often bypass.

7 hours ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Pretty sure renowned bird hunter Wyle E Coyote bought one of these machines you speak of back in the 60s. ACME brand if memory serves😅

Lots of cool stuff could be done in the 60s that we are only relearning how to do now. Such as putting humans on the moon.

You might think you are being funny, the Russians don't see any humor in them.

11 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Oh please, improve your reading skills. I said French NUCLEAR submarines.

You think the USA has a patent on advanced technology?

FYI, the French were the first to invent smokeless powder and a tank with a rotating turret. They revolutionized naval warfare with the Exocet missile.

Australia sends cardboard drones to Ukraine, costing $3500 each. They are repurposed by Ukrainians in a way every military is watching with wonder.

They have next to no radar signature, and can be assembled from a flat pack with tape and glue. They are wax coated to allow operation in rain.They can fly autonomously

The cost of just one Global Hawk buys roughly 40,000 of those drones.

China is ahead of America in fusion research. It has over 50,000 km of high speed rail. Amtrak has 135 km that barely scrapes in.

Bringing an attitude of America is bigger and better at everything to this discussion guarantees you are going to make yourself look as dumb as a can of soup.

The purchase of the used US submarines are a stopgap until the Australian built submarines are available. As I wrote, the French submarines would not have arrived on time, were over budget and the technology would have been obsolete by the time they were available. Looks like you are opposed to the transfer of technology to Australia and the Australian participation in the building of the submarines and the updated Australian shipyard. It was the French who said that the Australians were not sophisticated, not skilled enough to participate as per the initial agreement which the French reneged on.

Looks to me like you just want an opportunity to complain about the USA. I believe this article summarizes the situation rather politely, without specifically calling the French dishonest. Australia was not able to wait until 2050 to receive its complete fleet. https://www.politico.eu/article/why-australia-wanted-out-of-its-french-sub-deal/

I don't think the Australian government had many options once the French deal went pear shaped and it was fortunate that the USA had agreed to share technology.

On 5/3/2026 at 10:02 AM, spidermike007 said:

Europe has some important decisions to make, and the more they can distance themselves from the US, this ridiculously toxic administration, andisa4 and their an incredibly unreliable ally, the better off they'll be in the long run. That applies to any nation.

Trump is making America less relevant and less influential by the day and driving our allies towards China. The Goon represents a wet dream for Xi and Putin.

Europe Is Dumping American Tech — And Trump Is the Reason

France just did something extraordinary.

It didn’t issue a press release.

It didn’t threaten sanctions.

It didn’t grandstand.

It quietly ripped every major American tech platform out of its government.

Microsoft Teams? Gone.

Zoom? Deleted.

Gmail? Au revoir.

That’s 2.5 million French public-sector workers no longer using American software. France alone will save roughly $30 million a year that used to flow straight into Silicon Valley.

And France isn’t an outlier.

Germany has begun phasing out Microsoft, saving an estimated €15 million annually. Austria, Denmark, Switzerland — all moving in the same direction. Across Europe, governments are abandoning U.S. tech at scale.

This isn’t symbolic.

This is billions of dollars walking out the door. Europe didn’t do this because it hates American innovation. It did it because the United States has become a national security risk.

When you elect a leader who openly threatens allies, ignores treaties, and treats NATO like a real-estate negotiation, you don’t just destabilise diplomacy — you poison trust.

European governments finally asked a very rational question:

“Why are we running our state infrastructure on systems controlled by a country that might turn hostile, unpredictable, or transactional overnight?”

That question has an obvious answer. You don’t.

Trump Didn’t Bring Jobs Back — He Drove Customers Away

Trump sold himself as the guy who would bring jobs back to America.

What he’s actually done is push entire markets to build alternatives.

Europe isn’t just cancelling subscriptions.

It’s funding competitors.

Domestic cloud platforms.

European communication tools.

Sovereign data infrastructure.

Trump didn’t weaken Microsoft and Google with regulation.

He did it with recklessness.

Through sheer incompetence, the goon has achieved what China and Russia have been trying to do for years: fracture American technological dominance. And the irony?

U.S. tech companies are now begging Europe to stay — quietly assuring governments that they’re “independent” from Washington.

That’s not strength.

That’s damage control.

Our Adversaries Are Delighted

While American companies scramble, China and Russia are watching this unfold like Christmas morning.

No cyberattack.

No sanctions.

No espionage.

Just the U.S. torching its own credibility.

When Europe builds its own digital ecosystem, American leverage shrinks — economically, politically, and strategically. Influence isn’t just aircraft carriers anymore. It’s standards, platforms, and trust.

Trump is dismantling all three.

The Part Americans Don’t Want to Hear?

Seventy-five million Americans looked at this man — the chaos, the threats, the ignorance — and voted for it. Twice.

Not by accident.

Not unknowingly.

You wanted to “own the libs.”

Instead, you owned American companies out of billions, handed markets to competitors, and convinced allies that dependence on the U.S. is dangerous.

You didn’t stick it to Europe.

Europe walked away.

This Is the Real Cost of Trumpism

Not just rhetoric.

Not just embarrassment.

Structural, long-term economic damage.

France isn’t flipping America off.

It’s doing something far colder and more rational:

Planning for a future without the US? Honestly? Trump didn’t deserve loyalty.

American tech didn’t deserve this. But Europe’s response makes perfect sense.

When your ally starts acting like a liability, you stop depending on them.

And that’s exactly what’s happening.

Russia has much to gain from America's invasion of Iran, number one it legitimizes the war in Ukraine, number two it takes attention off the war in Ukraine, and number three it makes a case for strong arm, strong man tactics instead of diplomacy. In addition it gives them a chance to aid Iran, and make things difficult for America, and it has increased their revenue stream dramatically by driving up the price of oil.

China has everything to gain by Trump's War. He continues to push allies away from America and towards China, he continues to make China more influential, and for the first time in my lifetime he is actually making China a moral authority by default. On top of that his tariffs and trade wars have increased and strengthened China's hand around the world, and driven many more Nations into their fold.

Philip Larkin my favourite poet - enters the chat by chat ...and gets it right as ever from beyond the grave.

---

After America

The news comes late now, after tea,
Blue light across the sitting-room,
Maps flowering briefly on the screen
Before returning to the weather.

And somewhere France has closed a door.
No speeches. Simply less of us:
No Californian voices humming
Inside ministries at dusk.

Once all this seemed inviolate —
Jets crossing nightly overhead,
The easy faith that somewhere else
A larger power kept watch in bed.

Now Europe tidies up alone,
Pulling the curtains, changing locks,
Deleting one more shining app
While rain collects in station clocks.

The strange thing is how small it feels.
No banners burned. No crowds in squares.
Just contracts quietly withdrawn
And fewer accents heard downstairs.

History, when it finally comes,
Comes not with marching but with forms:
A cancelled licence, routed funds,
Cold offices and smaller norms.

Meanwhile old men on television
Still grin and bluff through rouge and noise,
As if the world were theirs to break
Like spoiled and overfunded boys.

And somewhere Putin lights another
Thin cigarette against the snow.
In Beijing, elevators rise
Through glass towers all lit below.

The century tilts. No trumpet sounds.
No empire falls in flames outright.
Only allies learning slowly
How not to need us overnight.

And one day, waking half at dawn,
America may vaguely find
The world has carried on without
The anxious theatre of its mind.

Then silence. And the central fear:
Not enemies, nor bombs, nor shame —
But that no one is listening now
When once they trembled at your name.

12 hours ago, Yagoda said:

You dont know enough to even ask that question LOL

Iran beat the mighty US with resolve a few drones and missiles and rubber dinghies and an army of fearless fanatics. Good - a country built on burgers and bragadaccio ending with an Emperor Clown has nothing to offer the world in 2026 except enchroaching misery of their own denuded souls. I would go to see their ruin but I fear I might get turned back at their fearsome border. Never mind a much bigger world awaits.

50 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

The purchase of the used US submarines are a stopgap until the Australian built submarines are available. As I wrote, the French submarines would not have arrived on time, were over budget and the technology would have been obsolete by the time they were available. Looks like you are opposed to the transfer of technology to Australia and the Australian participation in the building of the submarines and the updated Australian shipyard. It was the French who said that the Australians were not sophisticated, not skilled enough to participate as per the initial agreement which the French reneged on.

Looks to me like you just want an opportunity to complain about the USA. I believe this article summarizes the situation rather politely, without specifically calling the French dishonest. Australia was not able to wait until 2050 to receive its complete fleet. https://www.politico.eu/article/why-australia-wanted-out-of-its-french-sub-deal/

I don't think the Australian government had many options once the French deal went pear shaped and it was fortunate that the USA had agreed to share technology.

You have the situation the wrong way round. It was Morrison who cancelled the French deal in favor of the Virginia -class submarines, and the French were quite justifiably furious at the about-face.

I am not opposed to transfer of technology if it is useful, and cost-effective. I don't care how much technology the American submarines have on board, the proposition three of them can defend 30,000 km of Australian mainland coastline is so patently ridiculous even your American exceptionalism must be under strain.

54 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

You have the situation the wrong way round. It was Morrison who cancelled the French deal in favor of the Virginia -class submarines, and the French were quite justifiably furious at the about-face.

I am not opposed to transfer of technology if it is useful, and cost-effective. I don't care how much technology the American submarines have on board, the proposition three of them can defend 30,000 km of Australian mainland coastline is so patently ridiculous even your American exceptionalism must be under strain.

What are you on about? The French had nothing to deliver. They blew the budget and were well behind schedule. Nor were they going to transfer technology nor allow for the Australian work as had been agreed to. Australia made a decision that suited its best interests. They purchased the US submarines to fill a gap that the French could not satisfy. This has nothing to do with American exceptionalism or Trump, but was based upon Australian defense needs. The submarines will be able to address immediate needs for long range, long duration, deep water missions. If you feel that the Australian military is incompetent, then take it up with them No doubt a man with your extensive submariner and engineering experience will set them right. You keep getting excited like this and the vein will pop on your forehead,

Trump alienates allies ENEMIES (and potential wannabe enemies) around the World !

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-USCT-Strategy-1.pdf

6 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

What are you on about? The French had nothing to deliver. They blew the budget and were well behind schedule. Nor were they going to transfer technology nor allow for the Australian work as had been agreed to. Australia made a decision that suited its best interests. They purchased the US submarines to fill a gap that the French could not satisfy. This has nothing to do with American exceptionalism or Trump, but was based upon Australian defense needs. The submarines will be able to address immediate needs for long range, long duration, deep water missions. If you feel that the Australian military is incompetent, then take it up with them No doubt a man with your extensive submariner and engineering experience will set them right. You keep getting excited like this and the vein will pop on your forehead,

During the Battle of Kursk, German tanks were technically superior to the Russian T34. That tank was so rough it generated several pounds of metal shavings in the sump when first started up. They won because they outnumbered the Germans 2:1, and exploited the German weaknesses by changing tactics.

The point I am trying to make is technical superiority does not mean winning, as Iran is proving in the SOH on a daily basis. Asymmetric warfare.

You seem to think the US has a monopoly on the technology of armaments. I'd have to agree it excels at coming up with very expensive ones.

As you are dishonestly attacking me, with patronizing and boorish comments, instead of my arguments and facts, I am cutting off your oxygen. Bye.

1 hour ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Philip Larkin my favourite poet - enters the chat by chat ...and gets it right as ever from beyond the grave.

---

After America

The news comes late now, after tea,
Blue light across the sitting-room,
Maps flowering briefly on the screen
Before returning to the weather.

And somewhere France has closed a door.
No speeches. Simply less of us:
No Californian voices humming
Inside ministries at dusk.

Once all this seemed inviolate —
Jets crossing nightly overhead,
The easy faith that somewhere else
A larger power kept watch in bed.

Now Europe tidies up alone,
Pulling the curtains, changing locks,
Deleting one more shining app
While rain collects in station clocks.

The strange thing is how small it feels.
No banners burned. No crowds in squares.
Just contracts quietly withdrawn
And fewer accents heard downstairs.

History, when it finally comes,
Comes not with marching but with forms:
A cancelled licence, routed funds,
Cold offices and smaller norms.

Meanwhile old men on television
Still grin and bluff through rouge and noise,
As if the world were theirs to break
Like spoiled and overfunded boys.

And somewhere Putin lights another
Thin cigarette against the snow.
In Beijing, elevators rise
Through glass towers all lit below.

The century tilts. No trumpet sounds.
No empire falls in flames outright.
Only allies learning slowly
How not to need us overnight.

And one day, waking half at dawn,
America may vaguely find
The world has carried on without
The anxious theatre of its mind.

Then silence. And the central fear:
Not enemies, nor bombs, nor shame —
But that no one is listening now
When once they trembled at your name.

He very eloquently captures the decline of America, and the coming decades of relative irrelevance.

Trump didn't make this happen, he simply precipitated the decline and made us infinitely less relevant and disrespected around the world.

3 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

During the Battle of Kursk, German tanks were technically superior to the Russian T34. That tank was so rough it generated several pounds of metal shavings in the sump when first started up. They won because they outnumbered the Germans 2:1, and exploited the German weaknesses by changing tactics.

The point I am trying to make is technical superiority does not mean winning, as Iran is proving in the SOH on a daily basis. Asymmetric warfare.

You seem to think the US has a monopoly on the technology of armaments. I'd have to agree it excels at coming up with very expensive ones.

As you are dishonestly attacking me, with patronizing and boorish comments, instead of my arguments and facts, I am cutting off your oxygen. Bye.

I think what you're trying to say is that Trump and Hegseth gave us a very valuable lesson on the fact that military superiority does not necessarily lead to victory, nor even achieving any goals prior to engagement. It must never be forgotten that the US has not won a war since 1945. And even that war could not be won without the great sacrifices of our allies.

Dumb and dumber. The circus clowns continue to underestimate their adversaries. Chest thumping does not win a war. But it can destroy an economy. In this case both America and nations around the world have suffered greatly, and the real question is for what?

Edited May 7May 7 by spidermike007

I believe it was a German that put a Man on the Moon and a Brit invented the Jet Engine that most Airlines use now today. Oh and it was us Brits that cracked Enigma and the first to use Radar.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

I think what you're trying to say is that Trump and Hegseth gave us a very valuable lesson on the fact that military superiority does not necessarily lead to victory, nor even achieving any goals prior to engagement. It must never be forgotten that the US has not won a war since 1945. And even that war could not be won without the great sacrifices of our allies.

Dumb and dumber. The circus clowns continue to underestimate their adversaries. Chest thumping does not win a war. But it can destroy an economy. In this case both America and nations around the world have suffered greatly, and the real question is for what?

Let's be clear: Iran is not and never was a threat to America. It is an existential threat to Israel, by itself and via proxies.

Decades of presidents have rejected pressure from Israel to attack Iran. Which raises the question - what does Israel have on Trump, that he would acquiesce?

Edited May 7May 7 by Lacessit

1 hour ago, boganJoe said:

Trump alienates allies ENEMIES (and potential wannabe enemies) around the World !

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-USCT-Strategy-1.pdf

I have a vial of very expensive TRUTH serum which after ingesting could see more clearly the Emperor has no clothes and the people are laughing at him but no-one around him dare tell him.SAD.

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump • 2h

The FAILING Deep State and the Corrupt Media won’t tell you the truth about my "Foreword"! They say I’m strong, but look at the DISASTER they're hiding! 📉

• "Operation Midnight Hammer"? More like Operation Tiny Gavel! My "bunker busters" hit Iran, but the Intel Community says their nukes are still humming. We spent BILLIONS to set them back... three months? A TOTAL SCAM! 🇮🇷☢️

• I claim we "captured" Maduro in Venezuela? We bombed a country to grab one guy while the Cartels just laughed and moved their business to the next street over. Our borders aren't "secure"—they’re a chaotic mess of "raids" that mostly catch people without even a parking ticket! 🇻🇪🚢

• "Board of Peace" in Gaza? It’s just a Billionaire’s Club where people buy seats for $1 Billion a pop! While we talk "prosperity," the region is a tinderbox and our "allies" are ghosting my calls. ✌️💰

• They say I’m "crushing terrorism," but my own Counterterrorism Director QUIT in protest of the Iran War! We have no director, no threat advisories, and the FBI is too busy being "purged" to actually catch the bad guys. 🕵️‍♂️❌

The "Foreword" says "We Will Kill You," but the only thing we're killing is American Soft Power and our own budget! We're shouting into a megaphone while the rest of the world turns down the volume. SAD! 🇺🇸📉

#EmptyBluster #NukesStillThere #BoardOfPieces #InternationalLaughingStock

20 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Let's be clear: Iran is not and never was a threat to America. It is an existential threat to Israel, by itself and via proxies.

Decades of presidents have rejected pressure from Israel to attack Iran. Which raises the question - what does Israel have on Trump, that he would acquiesce?

Release the Flies !

Trump not only did not alienate Germany, a solid US ally except for World War I and World War II, he made the alliance stronger. Here is the timeline.

April 27
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was becoming a little wobbly and said: "An entire nation (the US) is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards."

https://www.politico.eu/article/us-being-humiliated-iran-germany-merz-war/

He also said the US did not have an exit strategy.

May 1

US President Donald Trump announced troop withdrawals from Germany: ""We're going to cut way down and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000."

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-troop-drawback-underlines-european-defence-responsibility-german-minister-2026-05-02/

May 5

The manhandling worked. Merz is back onboard with public support of Trump's goal and on his official X account said: "The United States is and will remain Germany‘s most important partner in the North Atlantic Alliance. We share a common goal: Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons."

https://x.com/bundeskanzler/status/2051039860916461709

This is solid diplomacy by Trump. It shows he realizes the importance of these alliances and now, with Germany by his side, can bring an end to the terrorist-state nightmare that is Iran.

6 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Iran beat the mighty US with resolve a few drones and missiles and rubber dinghies and an army of fearless fanatics. Good - a country built on burgers and bragadaccio ending with an Emperor Clown has nothing to offer the world in 2026 except enchroaching misery of their own denuded souls. I would go to see their ruin but I fear I might get turned back at their fearsome border. Never mind a much bigger world awaits.

Got it: You hate America because we wont let you in,