The Trump Presidency 2.0

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

And to correct Rainmaker's alternate reality where we "handed Ukraine weapons without oversight" one of the problems for Ukraine is that we've actually STOPPED them from hitting targets behind the Russian Lines, because we didn't want to antagonize Russia. I'm sure you'll ignore that fact just like you ignore all the facts that might break into your alternate-world fantasies.

Literally brought this up numerous times in the past when talking about the Ukraine War. You probably couldn't support it because you had to slobber over Biden's moronic plan to fight a proxy war where you couldn't actually target the enemy's weakness. Almost like the goal wasn't to win as I've said all along.

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

(BTW, Trump just removed oversight on possible warcrimes by the Israeis using US supplied munitions.. yet another thing where the facts don't matter to you except what you WANT to believe is true in your feverish punch drunk mind)

Now you care about war crimes! I wonder if someone has been saying how all of you would flip on this the minute Trump took office. Predictable as always.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by dubb93

I'm not demanding anything. I'm simply stating if they want to have a country it's time to fight. If they don't want a country then fine, surrender. If they aren't serious about the war I'm not really sure why we should be.

Who is "they"? Zelensky has full control as they don't have elections in Ukraine anymore. The people they are dragging off the street to fight are the one's who don't want to fight. Anyone who wanted to fight is either on the front lines or dead.

Originally Posted by dubb93

I 100% agree. At what point did I say American boots hit the ground? I said Europe needs to step up if they want something done here. There should be European boots on the ground if they are serious about halting Russia. If Russia was invading my state I assure you I would be out there with a rifle. They aren't invading my country or state.

So if this is Europe's problem and we shouldn't have troops involved, why the need for hundreds of billions from us? Shouldn't Europe be the one footing the bill? You can't say he's the next Hitler while simultaneously say it's not worth sending American troops. It's one or the other.

[RainMaker]

You guys have to know when to fold a losing hand. Biden's foreign policy was an utter disaster. You have to accept that you were wrong on it and move on if you ever want to win another election. There's no use defending the guy any longer.

[BYU 14]

Biden was severely lacking/milquetoast in foreign policy for sure, but I think you hit it on the head in another post. This is Trump holding a grudge against him from his first term and throwing a fit.

Beyond that is there a bigger cuck in the senate than Lindsey Graham, after praising the great meeting he and other Senators had prior to the White House visit, he couldn't drop to his knees quick enough for Trump, bashing Zelensky after the White House debacle.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by dubb93

I believe that if you let Russia keep doing this and getting away with it that they aren't going to stop and the money sink will never end. What happens when they go for the Baltics or Poland? We would be fully mobilized. We are at a point in Ukraine, maybe a couple of years ago more than now, where a little to big nudge would push Russia back to Moscow fairly quickly. Once that happens they will be the ones making a favorable deal.

NATO either fights this war or they are going to be forced to fight another one. And then another one.

The answer from today is that if it happens under the current or a future Republican administration, nothing will happen. The thought that Trump plays this any differently if it’s one of the Baltics or Finland is absurd, treaties be damned.

If I was Zelensky I’d be in Beijing Monday. A Russia who is friends with the U.S. and has unchecked influence in their sphere of influence is no friend of China. And I wouldn’t be surprised if every single country in the EU wasn’t far behind them. The U.S. probably has undone 75 years of diplomacy in a few weeks.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

The answer from today is that if it happens under the current or a future Republican administration, nothing will happen. The thought that Trump plays this any differently if it’s one of the Baltics or Finland is absurd, treaties be damned.

If I was Zelensky I’d be in Beijing Monday. A Russia who is friends with the U.S. and has unchecked influence in their sphere of influence is no friend of China. And I wouldn’t be surprised if every single country in the EU wasn’t far behind them. The U.S. probably has undone 75 years of diplomacy in a few weeks.

We're so far away from the last global conflict we have generations of people that don't understand or respect the importance of having strong allies in Europe and maintaining a foothold there. These people think we can sit in the US, ignore the rest of the world, and everything will be fine. They don't consider the fact that we've gone this long without a global conflict because of these things. By no means have we been perfect, but the answer to that isn't to just ignore the rest of the world entirely.

Right now we're the world's laughing stock. Europe sees us a joke. Canada sees us as a joke. Russia is mocking us on state TV. China is taking full advantage of the Trump admin to expand their reach and countries reliant on their technology. We have foreign leaders fact checking Trump to his face now. The rest of the world is ready to move on from the US being the leaders of the free world.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Beyond that is there a bigger cuck in the senate than Lindsey Graham, after praising the great meeting he and other Senators had prior to the White House visit, he couldn't drop to his knees quick enough for Trump, bashing Zelensky after the White House debacle.

It will be tough to ever top Cruz. Trump called his wife ugly and he was phone banking for the man a couple weeks later. Although I guess Vance having to defend all the people who call his wife and kids subhuman is up there too.

These next 4 years are going to be a hilarious display of grown men debasing themselves.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It will be tough to ever top Cruz. Trump called his wife ugly and he was phone banking for the man a couple weeks later. Although I guess Vance having to defend all the people who call his wife and kids subhuman is up there too.

These next 4 years are going to be a hilarious display of grown men debasing themselves.

Little Marco sitting on the couch pouting while all of his work went up in flames was something to watch.

If there's any question as to who this administration considers an ally, Hegseth ordered Cyber Command to stand down on Russia.

[Carman Bulldog]

How does a Russian state owned media organization gain access to the Oval Office while Reuters and the AP are both banned?

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

How does a Russian state owned media organization gain access to the Oval Office while Reuters and the AP are both banned?

you know how.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

If I was Zelensky I’d be in Beijing Monday. A Russia who is friends with the U.S. and has unchecked influence in their sphere of influence is no friend of China. And I wouldn’t be surprised if every single country in the EU wasn’t far behind them. The U.S. probably has undone 75 years of diplomacy in a few weeks.

China and Russia already teamed up during this. It was why the whole tihng ended up being such a disaster from Biden. China didn't want to be the next country getting sanctioned like that. It just made everyone else stronger.

[sovereignstar v2]

Anyone know if the price of rapists or tax evaders has dropped since Florida started importing them this week?

[bhlloy]

I understand that. You don’t think a world in which the U.S. president is at best not opposed to and at worst aligned with Russia’s world view and gives them a free rein in their back yard changes everything?

BRICS and any military cooperation between them is a reaction by countries that are being frozen out and to work against the influence of NATO and the West led by the U.S. When the U.S. no longer wants to lead that effort and even actively works against it, everything changes. Russia and China are not natural friends and allies without that holding them together.

[RainMaker]

What is their worldview?

[JPhillips]

I guarantee Zelensky will be more popular in Ukraine after this. The idea that he's loathed by the populace is simply incorrect.

[Carman Bulldog]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I guarantee Zelensky will be more popular in Ukraine after this. The idea that he's loathed by the populace is simply incorrect.

I would say he comes out of this looking pretty sympathetic to all but seemingly two countries.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Y'know, thinking about it just a little more ... did nobody tell Z-man that there was a new sheriff in town? Specifically one that wasn't senile and wasn't looking to launder money.

Lets not get carried away. These pussies would never talk to Netanyahu like that. They'd eat dog food from the can if Miriam Adelson told them to.

[Carman Bulldog]

And Zelensky coming off as even more of a class act on the Fox News interview.

[Danny]

I check the fox news website sometimes to see what is heing said. Today was the first day since he was elected the website wasnt slurping his manhood with every headline. Still not critical of him but not on their knees bad.

[Fidatelo]

Some thoughts:
- Regardless of whether you feel Zelensky should or should not have accepted Trump's deal, the manner in which Trump and Vance treated him was deplorable.
- Trump chastised Zelensky for not being ready for peace, even going so far as to accuse him of gambling with WWIII, while himself having recently threatened to invade Greenland and Panama, annex Canada, and perform military operations in Mexico. The hypocrisy knows no bounds.
- Everything Trump has done in the past month with respect to foreign relations has questionable benefits for America but clear benefits for Putin. Curious.
- Anyone who can't see that an alliance has been made between Russia and the US with the ultimate goal to carve up their respective spheres of influence is actively trying not to see it.
- If your country is teamed up with the likes of Russia and North Korea, you might need to start asking the "Are we the baddies?" question.

[Icy]

I don't know what is Trump plan but from an outsider it makes no sense he is doing this in US interest but on his own.

With his last month foreign politics, what he is accomplishing is that EU is starting to wake up (about time we do) and realize that US is no longer the world protector and that we need to step up and to reinforce our own defensive power.

It might mean for example closing down the US bases in Europe as there is no longer any mutual interest on these bases and for example the ones in my country Spain served well during the Gulf war or even to support Israel due to proximity. Maybe that is why Trump is searching for friends in North Africa as an alternative like Morocco because just isolating behind the Atlantic in today's times were wars are not about land troops anymore is kind of naive.

Also maybe forcing EU to get stronger in the military side can help to boost the US war industry as of course we would need to buy a lot from there but... that is short term strategy that might make sense only if the goal is to earn money now at the cost of being less relevant in the world politics.

The bad side about it, is that EU is stating to look at China instead... so maybe they are the ones who will benefit from this becoming more relevant in the EU politics vs US.

And regarding Zelensky... Trump just also gave him a breather and he is going to recover now all the sympathies he was losing so again I think Trump is going to get the opposite that he was looking for.

To be honest we are puzzled at US becoming the best Russia ally after all the cold war, the sacrifices made by US citizens during these times and money expended by US to now just give up and hug the enemy while he is holding the knife to backstab you at the right time.

Putin's Russia was collapsing, embarrassed at the war that was supposed to last a few weeks and that they couldn't win, with the Ukranians even taking part of their land, with noise about internal revolutions like when part of their own army marched towards Moscu, and just needed the last kick in the ass and instead Trump is giving them the wings to fly again.

My feeling is that this is just about personal interest of a few rich guys in US and Russia, with some muppets ass lickers from the extreme right in UE who are starting to look stupid now like Santiago Abascal, leader of the extreme right in Spain who is looking more and more ridiculous supporting the leader who is abandoning us now. At least the French right leader was not supporting it and left the event, I'm disappointed at Meloni as she looked to have more personality than she is showing regarding his relationship with Trump.

And btw, before somebody think I'm a leftist, for sure I'm far from it and in fact the opposite at least in terms of economics and if I was an US citizen I would vote for the republicans... before this Trump 2.0. This is just a reflexion of my feelings and these of the people surrounding me, mainly entrepreneurs fully embracing capitalism, but that can't understand how the most powerful country in the world, that we admire on many things is being driven by a guy who is only looking for his own interest to the point of giving up his whole country and allies to the enemy while his own people is being fooled by his demagogic speech (and this is without even talking about the Musk show).

Again I'm just an outsider and I think this is my first time ever participating in a politics thread in FOFC but I'm really shocked about Trump giving a hand to Putin instead of the last kick to make him fall down.

[BYU 14]

I would say that is a fine first time foray into a political thread here

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Lets not get carried away. These pussies would never talk to Netanyahu like that. They'd eat dog food from the can if Miriam Adelson told them to.

Truth

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Zelensky isn't an ally, he's a grifter (albeit on a fairly grand scale). That played well with the previous administration.

Zelensky is just a temporary placeholder, just like Trump is.
Neither will still be in charge 4 years from now, because they live in a democracy. Yet neither acted like they remembered what their job is.

The Ukraine is an ally of NATO and consequently of the USA. The Ukraine has been used as a cushion between NATO and Putin's Russia. That isn't new, it already was the case during Trump's previous tenure. It is bizarre that Trump has turned the USA into a puppet of Putin.

[Ksyrup]

So now that Trump is waded into the Pete Rose situation, he appears to be deadset on taking on every old white guy AM talk radio ragebait issue. What's next - banning the RnR HOF from inducting rappers and hip hop artists?

[JPhillips]

The same MAGAs complaining about Zelensky's clothing don't have any problem with Elon running a cabinet meeting in a graphic tee and baseball cap.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Zelensky is just a temporary placeholder, just like Trump is.
Neither will still be in charge 4 years from now, because they live in a democracy. Yet neither acted like they remembered what their job is.

The Ukraine is an ally of NATO and consequently of the USA. The Ukraine has been used as a cushion between NATO and Putin's Russia. That isn't new, it already was the case during Trump's previous tenure. It is bizarre that Trump has turned the USA into a puppet of Putin.

He's a grifter. And frankly I'm far from the only American that's tired of pumping cash into NATO for that matter. Unless European states end up with more rational leadership in more places, the value of NATO becomes more questionable every day. There's been some hopeful signs in that regard in recent years but it's far from guaranteed.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

So now that Trump is waded into the Pete Rose situation, he appears to be deadset on taking on every old white guy AM talk radio ragebait issue. What's next - banning the RnR HOF from inducting rappers and hip hop artists?

I posted about it on FB a while ago, but I'm going to be shocked if they don't lean on MLB to stop recognizing Negro League stats.

[Danny]

Trump just signed an executive order demanding mcdonalds bring back the mcdlt.

[Edward64]

I like having UK and France jumping in the middle to try smooth things over. I'm not convinced it'll work but gotta keep talking.

Russia-Ukraine war: UK, France and Ukraine agree to work on ceasefire plan | AP News

Britain, France and Ukraine have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday as he prepared to host a summit of European leaders to discuss ending the war.
:
But Starmer said he’s focused on being a bridge to restore peace talks and he used the collapse of those talks as an opportunity to re-engage with Trump and Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron rather than “ramp up the rhetoric.”

Didn't realize there was $207B worth of Russian assets. I wonder what is the current net $ (e.g. Russia seized assets - EU assets that could be seized)

Ukraine can no longer count on military or political support from the U.S. after Trump declared himself neutral in negotiations, Ellehuus said. She said Europe needs to step in and could release some 200 billion euros ($207 billion) in seized Russian assets to help fund that effort.

Even if Ukraine has the $ to spend, will US sell weapons to Ukraine directly? I'm sure US will sell weapons to UK and France, but will US put stipulations on those weapon sales? Or in other words, does NATOexUS have enough domestic weapons production for Ukraine?

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

I would say that is a fine first time foray into a political thread here

Hard disagree. Icy's got to learn that you're supposed to thrown around some ad hominem attacks, make some unsupported assertions, and cling to arguments that others have comperhensively dismantled for long after it starts looking bad. This thoughtful and reasoned posting schtick is going to get him nowhere.

j/k Icy, loved the post.

Originally Posted by Danny

Trump just signed an executive order demanding mcdonalds bring back the mcdlt.

I could absolutely believe that this is true.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Danny

Trump just signed an executive order demanding mcdonalds bring back the mcdlt.

I fully support this initiative. That might actually bring me back to McDonald's, except they would probably charge $18 dollars for it or some such nonsense.

[Danny]

Oh yeah bringing it back would be good. Its more the absurdity that its believable. Trump is an old rich white guy shouting at the clouds, except his rants are turned into executive orders.

[bronconick]

I expected he'd want the McRib first

[Atocep]

The fact that he likes the fish fillet should be disqualifying.

[RainMaker]

Bitcoin up 10% on news of a crypto bailout

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Bitcoin up 10% on news of a crypto bailout

Seems kind of knee jerk since the crypto reserve isn't prioritizing bitcoin but rather spreading assets across several cyptos. A lot of bitcoin owners seem pissed. They're bashing Trump for investing in "shitcoins".

[sovereignstar v2]

Just put my life savings into Caitlyn Jenner coin. Let's go

[JPhillips]

Commerce Sec. Lutnick saying hemay remove government spending from GDP to try to juice the Feb numbers.

[Atocep]

I'm old enough to remember when all of the Biden administration's numbers were fake.

[RainMaker]

Lutnick is a funny character. Cantor supposedly has guaranteed that Tether is backed by actual USD but no one with functioning brain cells believes it. So we are all trying to see how he works a bailout for his crypto friends from the scam he ran.

Also fun fact is when he got the 9/11 settlement for the families lost at Cantor, he pocketed a huge chunk for himself.

[RainMaker]

Also glad we are doing something about erroneous spending by dumping billions of tax dollars into imaginary internet coins

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Also glad we are doing something about erroneous spending by dumping billions of tax dollars into imaginary internet coins

See, this and the Adelson thing we agree on. Who says we can't find common ground

[SirFozzie]

and dola: I fully expect RFK Jr to come out against this, as the anti-vaccine crowd will somehow complain that vaccinating chickens against Bird Flu is putting liberal mind control into ARE EGGS!"

The US May Start Vaccinating Chickens Against Bird Flu | WIRED

[JPhillips]

Someone made a bet on Bitcoin and Ethereum with 50X leverage just before Trump's announcement. Rather than getting wiped out, they made hundreds of millions.

[Atocep]

Elon cut 18F, which is a group that's been working to improve government systems and make them more efficient. The biggest contribution they've made is the creation of Login.gov, which is a single sign on service across multiple government agencies and systems that allows you to login securely without a CAC. I use it to log into the VA, Genesis (medical records), and other systems I use. They've been involved in hundreds of projects across the federal government over the past few years.

[JPhillips]

One of my wife's high school friends, Matt Cutts, was in at the beginning of 18F and the Digital Services.

[RainMaker]

Did he used to work at Google? If so, I know him.

[JPhillips]

Yes. He is the same age as my wife and his father was a professor with my father-in-law.

[RainMaker]

Small world. I worked with him on spam filtering back in the day when he was at Google. Smart guy.