2 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

I just hope the USA stands firm on its support for Taiwan. A great place, with friendly, hard working people.

That may be so and I love Eva Air but if China decides on robust re-unification - the West has two choices destroy their own and the world economy or more Christian like - "render unto Caesar what is Caesars".

As the US is Christian nation they will do the latter and your pensions will be safe. Indeed Iran - you can re-open their toll gate to help out if needed ! The west has never been weaker in modern times - it is the spirit of the age. Rejoice for the moment of your salvation is at hand.

All hail Chairman Xi - Emporer of the World and before whom the world bows with respectful piety.

Here endeth the first and last lesson.

Amen

1 hour ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

To suggest Trump "folded" ignores his fundamental strategy of calculated unpredictability.

By refusing to stick to a 40-year-old diplomatic script, he forces Xi into a position of uncertainty where the U.S. response is no longer a known variable. This isn't weakness; it’s a refusal to let Beijing dictate the terms of the engagement. The "Good Cop/Bad Cop" dynamic with Marco Rubio is a deliberate division of labor that allows the President to maintain a personal channel for high-stakes crisis management in the Strait of Hormuz while his Secretary of State signals to the world that the U.S. military commitment to Taiwan remains a "red line" that China cannot cross.

Furthermore, the idea that he would "water down" arms sales to appease Xi is contradicted by a record of providing Taiwan with more sophisticated, offensive capabilities than any previous administration.

Trump has effectively weaponized the relationship, moving it from a static policy to a dynamic strategic asset. By walking away from Beijing without a trade deal, he proved he would rather face the "Supply Wall" and use the 5th Fleet to break the IRGC blockade than sacrifice Pacific security. He didn't fold like a pretzel; he cleared the board so that when the "Sledgehammer" protocol begins, Xi knows exactly how high the stakes have become.

Cool Rorsach reading of the tea leaves the only problem, with your take is that you have made it all up. Beggars must be losers.

5 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Cool Rorsach reading of the tea leaves the only problem, with your take is that you have made it all up. Beggars must be losers.

Specifically what word or phrase do think is 'made up' and why?

8 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Specifically what word or phrase do think is 'made up' and why?

Not so much a single phrase as the entire narrative architecture. You’ve taken a series of often contradictory Trump impulses and reverse-engineered them into a coherent grand strategy worthy of Kissinger.

“Calculated unpredictability”, “Good Cop/Bad Cop”, “Sledgehammer protocol”, “cleared the board” it reads less like analysis and a cheap airport novel. Trump supporters have a habit of treating every wobble, climbdown or improvised remark as evidence of 4D chess after the event. Sometimes chaos is just chaos and a trade deal collapsing is simply that a failed negotiation which is what it was Xi holds most of the cards.

The key strategic issue is that China has no safe deep sea access for its navy. It's de facto controlled by other countries. If it doesn't annex it, it needs at least to control Taiwan like Russia controls Belarus, and to have Chinese military bases there.

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3 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

I just hope the USA stands firm on its support for Taiwan. A great place, with friendly, hard working people.

Ok , but it would be great if China took sole control of TSMC.

1 hour ago, mikeymike100 said:

Obviously you're one of these strange people that don't like facts!

Strange to you. No problem for me since you are not strange for me. I met a lot. 2 times actually. The first and the last time and there is no reason to change my proven habit 🙏

58 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Strange to you. No problem for me since you are not strange for me. I met a lot. 2 times actually. The first and the last time and there is no reason to change my proven habit 🙏

I find it very amusing for folks who are allergic to reality to try and dig themselves out of holes, only to find they can't!

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4 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

To suggest Trump "folded" ignores his fundamental strategy of calculated unpredictability.

By refusing to stick to a 40-year-old diplomatic script, he forces Xi into a position of uncertainty where the U.S. response is no longer a known variable. This isn't weakness; it’s a refusal to let Beijing dictate the terms of the engagement. The "Good Cop/Bad Cop" dynamic with Marco Rubio is a deliberate division of labor that allows the President to maintain a personal channel for high-stakes crisis management in the Strait of Hormuz while his Secretary of State signals to the world that the U.S. military commitment to Taiwan remains a "red line" that China cannot cross.

Furthermore, the idea that he would "water down" arms sales to appease Xi is contradicted by a record of providing Taiwan with more sophisticated, offensive capabilities than any previous administration.

Trump has effectively weaponized the relationship, moving it from a static policy to a dynamic strategic asset. By walking away from Beijing without a trade deal, he proved he would rather face the "Supply Wall" and use the 5th Fleet to break the IRGC blockade than sacrifice Pacific security. He didn't fold like a pretzel; he cleared the board so that when the "Sledgehammer" protocol begins, Xi knows exactly how high the stakes have become.

The scenario you’ve laid out here is beautifully scripted. Unfortunately, Trump is a former game show host and carnival barker who has lost the ability to even put together a coherent sentence, and as for those advisers he actually listens to, the less said the better. Your idea that Trump is playing some kind of three-dimensional chess is ludicrous (as another person posting here pointed out); your bolded phrase “calculated unpredictability” made me laugh out loud. I suppose one could argue that there’s something of Nixon’s “madman theory” in it, except in this case the implementer is an actual madman.

21 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

I find it very amusing for folks who are allergic to reality to try and dig themselves out of holes, only to find they can't!

I agree, so don't try even

21 minutes ago, Cory1848 said:

Your idea that Trump is playing some kind of three-dimensional chess is ludicrous (as another person posting here pointed out);

I previously pointed out that the only 2 chess moves it knows lead to Fool's Mate!

21 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I agree, so don't try even

Fortunately I don't need to!

On 5/14/2026 at 11:00 PM, Leopold Bloom said:

I believe you have a reasonably intelligent brain, but this outburst of yours is mere playground drivel, is embarrassing, and shows you up as a "major loser".

So Trump's outbursts as the leader of the Free World are fine, but my criticism of him is embarrassing? To whom? Certainly not to me.