SpankyMcFarland

I was going to post a piece essentially by Saab but they put it behind a bloomin’ paywall! That’s not the way to get your point across.

In the interests of debate I include this link. I don’t know who CL is and whether they know anything but writing from an Institute sounds a little better. They favour the both approach. https://mackenzieinstitute.com/2025/07/why-not-both-the-question-of-canadas-next-fighter-aircraft-the-f35-or-gripen/

We may have a lot more years of Trumpism or Trump-flavoured policies than that. It has been deeply unnerving to watch the US turn on its allies. Being a friend close by has made us more vulnerable, not less, something unthinkable a few years ago.

I don’t want this war to go on for one more day and take no pleasure whatsoever in Russian casualties. Those hapless young conscripts trying to escape in drone videos could be my relatives. By and large, Europe has made an extraordinary transition in this century, laying aside ancient antagonisms and making them seem inconceivable in the near future. The great exception is Russia. Of the six empires dragged into the Great War it alone endures and behaves in the same way, terrorizing its smaller neighbours. A country that could be applying for EU membership has become a savage zombie state constantly at war. There is a more immediate, selfish reason why I want peace. I travel to Europe frequently and see the onerous burden of Ukrainian refugees that Putin has foisted on the continent. I would like to see many of them able to go home.

Actually, I would be happier if Rubio was unequivocally in charge on the American side. There’s been a great deal of confusion about the US proposal and what Rubio has said about it which reflects the incoherence in Washington on this matter. Using career diplomats fluent in Russian and Ukrainian and deeply familiar with the historical context who were explicitly under his direction would have been a better way to negotiate with the Russians. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/23/politics/us-senators-rounds-rubio-ukraine-peace-plan In the end, this is not about Trump or Biden or any American. They will never have the final say in a war between two other countries. It’s about what Putin can accept and sell to his people after four disastrous years of entirely unnecessary conflict. Ukraine must have its say too. Naturally, it wants something closer to the European proposal. These two blueprints are a long way apart on crucial issues.

I make the point to show the oddness of the American proposal. Russia wants a weakened Ukraine. Those with leverage on Ukraine’s side should not be leaving Ukraine vulnerable to further Russian aggression in the future.

It’s funny how a war between two countries has a peace deal that focuses mainly on one of those countries, the one that was minding its own business prior to hostilities. Perish the thought that Russia’s army should be limited in the future, for example.

I am interested in a just peace, not surrender to a tyrant who will inevitably come back for more unless stopped. We are talking about a country that still has a vast nuclear arsenal aimed in our direction led by a man who hates the West and all it stands for.

No I’m not cool with it, of course, but any reasonable person would agree that publicly making those threats marks a serious escalation.

I asked a very simple question.

It’s a bad thing, then. No, I’m not willing to turn a blind eye but I think openly threatening political enemies with prosecution on social media is a new low in these matters.

The leaders of Europe are taking it seriously enough to respond to it publicly. Again, why does the US start with so many of Russia’s positions?

But is it a good or bad thing in this particular instance? What do you say to MAGA supporters who want to see the files?

Can we still put our faith in the Americans after Trump, though? Would a President Vance be any easier on us? I would trust the Swedes ahead of the Americans at the moment. Apparently, the Gripen is a lot cheaper to keep in the air too? Not that I know the first thing about this.

I think there’s a question of scale and brazenness, though. Clinton didn’t openly order in writing the prosecution of his political enemies, for example. Do you think it’s a good thing? Yes or no?

My nefarious motives aside, don’t you think it’s a good thing in and of itself, though? A lot of Trump voters want to see it.

So to people with military knowledge here: F-35 only or with the Gripen? What criteria should be looked at? The cost of keeping them airborne seems to favour the Gripen. After the many threats from Trump, can we trust the Americans to support our F-35 planes and keep them working through the minor squabbles all neighbours have? I know that question would not arise with the Swedes. On the other hand, the charming US ambassador seems to be saying that the F-35s are an option we can’t refuse if we want a trade deal.

Here is the American peace proposal. It contains multiple Russian demands on Ukraine’s territory, size of military and future NATO membership. https://news.sky.com/story/trumps-28-point-ukraine-peace-plan-in-full-including-land-kyiv-must-hand-to-russia-and-when-elections-must-be-held-13473491 For a start, I can’t see how European nations could accept Putin or his representative at a G8 meeting. Compare the response of Zelenskyy and Putin: Here is the link for this story if you wish to read more about it. https://abcnews.go.com/US/putin-zelenskyy-respond-trumps-peace-plan/story?id=127758454 And the European response: https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-donald-trump-kaja-kallas-diplomat-ukraine-war-moscow-russia-peace/ And a response by Chancellor Merz: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/merz-peace-deal-ukraine-requires-154016770.html

I would say the main thing I posted on back then was disputing the claim that Epstein was murdered. It was impossible not to notice the pressure put on Massie, Mace, Boebert and Greene by Trump and Co. Those four deserve credit for pushing this through. Most of the people mentioned so far in the disclosures have been Democrats, including Trump at the time. This is a problem of powerful males rather than a partisan issue.

I thought of a line from Macbeth when watching MTG’s resignation speech tonight: ‘nothing became his life as the leaving of it’. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/21/marjorie-taylor-greene-resign-trump-epstein-mtg.html In fairness, it’s her political life we are talking about and not a clear end either but she did seem to commit herself heart and soul to releasing the Epstein files and came under horrible pressure to abandon that cause. It is to her credit that she saw it through.

Unfortunately, I just don’t see the evidence to justify your assertion. In the rest of the world China was leaning on the door. Now Trump has opened it.

Well now, young Kwame the Communist got the red carpet treatment today at the White House: https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/trump-and-mamdani-go-from-adversaries-to-bromance-after-white-house-meeting/

No Democratic politician wants to know either of them these days.

With the benefit of hindsight we can see that the Liberal government wasn’t in much danger of falling. Can we agree on that?

My original comment was correct. The proposal should never have been made. I can’t see how any friend of Ukraine can disagree with that. The fact that the US administration can’t present a united front should be worrying to everybody. Witkoff should be withdrawn.