America under President Trump

[Wilber]

7 minutes ago, Bob Macadoo said:

.....ummmm Harper didn't take over during economic depression.....if you believe do nothing governments have an affect on the economy.....I don't.

 

He formed a minority government in 2006 and the meltdown was two years in. He was running surpluses until after the melt down when the opposition was calling for even bigger deficits. I think both of them did a pretty good job under the circumstances and both of them made some mistakes. Only partisan hacks can maintain ether one was a disaster.

Edited May 30, 2017 by Wilber

[Bob Macadoo]

.....neither was a disaster......I just don't put stock on this "steady hand on the wheel" crap that was touted daily.....the PM has little influence on overall economy....just picking localized winners/losers resulting in a zero-sum game.

13 minutes ago, Wilber said:

He formed a minority government in 2006 and the meltdown was two years in. He was running surpluses until after the melt down when the opposition was calling for even bigger deficits. I think both of them did a pretty good job under the circumstances and both of them made some mistakes. Only partisan hacks can maintain ether one was a disaster.

 

[Wilber]

They all pick winners and losers, governing is about making choices.

[Omni]

Macron describes the now (in)famous Trump handshake as "Diplomacy by public abuse". Trudeau was prepared for it when he went to Washington. 

[bush_cheney2004]

President Trump need only remind Macron and the rest of Europe what Charles de Gaulle did to NATO if they keep bitching about the strength of the alliance, Article 5,  and demands for 2% defense spending as required:

 

Quote

On June 21, 1966, France made the somewhat shocking move to withdraw its troops from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This decision led by French president Charles de Gaulle complicated relations between the U.S. and Europe amidst clashing American and Communist spheres of influence. Though France remained politically in NATO, its actions cast doubt onto the organization’s future as a counter to Soviet military power and influence.

http://adst.org/2014/06/france-has-degaulle-to-withdraw-from-nato/

 

[Omni]

4 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

President Trump need only remind Macron and the rest of Europe what Charles de Gaulle did to NATO if they keep bitching about the strength of the alliance, Article 5,  and demands for 2% defense spending as required:

 

 

Stop making wars, especially the illegal ones like Iraq, and you'll save money

[bush_cheney2004]

The U.S. didn't start Canada's empire world wars...but it sure as hell finished them.

...and NATO was born.

Edited May 31, 2017 by bush_cheney2004

[Omni]

7 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

The U.S. didn't start Canada's empire world wars...but it sure as hell finished them.

...and NATO was born.

Kinda late in WWII.

[bush_cheney2004]

Yes...Germans were kicking your empire's ass (again)...France was already occupied.

These are the same people whining today about Trump and NATO.

Pay up or shut up....NATO deadbeats!

 

Edited May 31, 2017 by bush_cheney2004

[Hal 9000]

8 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

The U.S. didn't start Canada's empire world wars...but it sure as hell finished them.

...and NATO was born.

Look, you sit there thinking that the strength of the USA military is somehow reflective of you - very weird...but whatever, anyway to go forth and diminish anything that that the Canadians did in either World War is way out of line.    

It wasn't until Trudeau sr. that Canada became pussified.

[Wilber]

8 minutes ago, Omni said:

Kinda late in WWII.

Even later in WWI

Edited May 31, 2017 by Wilber

[bush_cheney2004]

1 minute ago, Hal 9000 said:

Look, you sit there thinking that the strength of the USA military is somehow reflective of you - very weird...but whatever, anyway to go forth and diminish anything that that the Canadians did in either World War is way out of line.    

It wasn't until Trudeau sr. that Canada became pussified.

 

Has nothing to do with me...I served long after NATO was born.  

I just wanted to point the history for these nations who are suddenly so worried about Trump and NATO.

If Canada wishes to remain a NATO deadbeat, then don't bitch about U.S. "isolationism"

[DogOnPorch]

WW2 was the UK's last real Act of Empire.

Unless you count the Falklands.

It took the combined might of ALL the Allies...even de Gualle's pesky Free French...to reign-in the juggernaut that was the Third Reich.

[DogOnPorch]

3 minutes ago, Wilber said:

Even later in WWI

 

Wilson ran on keeping the US out of European Wars.

[bush_cheney2004]

2 minutes ago, Wilber said:

Even later in WWI

 

The dumbest British empire war of all...and more Americans died in it than Canadians even with a very late start.

Europe...the gift that kept on giving...errr...taking.

[DogOnPorch]

1 minute ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

The dumbest British empire war of all...and more Americans died in it than Canadians even with a very late start.

Europe...the gift that kept on giving...errr...taking.

 

Almost...Canada had more combat deaths. 

[Wilber]

The Americans suffered so badly in WWI  because their commanders used the same dumb tactics the other allies had abandoned earlier in the war. Too arrogant to learn from other's mistakes. Kind of like the second Happy Time of WWII

Edited May 31, 2017 by Wilber

[DogOnPorch]

In WW2 three things really mattered...in Europe that is.

A] Winning the Battle of the Atlantic.

B] The Bomber Offensive...Canada, Britain and the US in particular played major roles.

C] Keeping Russia fed, fueled and armed. These were the guys that actually fought the Germans. The Second Battle of Kharkov (for example...one of MANY) makes any battle fought in Western Europe look like a wee skirmish.

2 minutes ago, Wilber said:

The Americans suffered so badly in WWI  because their commanders used the same dumb tactics the other allies had abandoned earlier in the war. Too arrogant to learn from other's mistakes. Kind of like the second Happy Time of WWII

Agreed...the Americans refused to take any advice from the Europeans...at first.

[bush_cheney2004]

1 minute ago, Wilber said:

The Americans suffered so badly in WWI  because their commanders used the same dumb tactics the other allies had abandoned earlier in the war. Too arrogant to learn from other's mistakes. Kind of like the second Happy Time of WWII

 

Another good reason to leave Europe to fend for itself, just as "East German" Merkel wants for her own political fortunes.

Too bad it will be the Polish who get screwed the most...again.

[bush_cheney2004]

1 minute ago, DogOnPorch said:

In WW2 three things really mattered...in Europe that is.

...C] Keeping Russia fed, fueled and armed. These were the guys that actually fought the Germans. The Second Battle of Kharkov (for example...one of MANY) makes any battle fought in Western Europe look like a wee skirmish.

 

And guess who did the most to keep the Russians fed, fueled, and armed...the Americans.

This seems to be a recurring theme with these Euro deadbeats.

[Wilber]

4 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

Another good reason to leave Europe to fend for itself, just as "East German" Merkel wants for her own political fortunes.

Too bad it will be the Polish who get screwed the most...again.

You mean Mutti, the new Leader of the Free World?

Edited May 31, 2017 by Wilber

[bush_cheney2004]

1 minute ago, Wilber said:

You Mutti, the new Leader of the Free World?

 

No, it's Angela Merkel, self appointed leader of Free Europe.   She can fight it out with France and the post-Brexit UK.

 

[Omni]

I realize that it may still be relatively early in Trump's mandate but let's recap at least some of what we have so far: in the news today: Kellyanne Conway is trying to downplay the investigation by the FBI into Kushner's Russian connection, the previous FBI leader fired because he was getting too close to discovering Trump's Russian connection, one long term European ally saying they can't really depend on the US anymore (Germany), another long term European ally saying Trump is just a bully (France), a number of potentially impeachable offences having been committed, and a rate of money wasted on flying AF1 to  play golf that could soon exceed the previous POTUS over two terms. And what exactly has got done? I think there was one executive order that didn't get blocked by the courts. What else have I missed? 

[DogOnPorch]

8 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

Another good reason to leave Europe to fend for itself, just as "East German" Merkel wants for her own political fortunes.

Too bad it will be the Polish who get screwed the most...again.

Oh...we all learned the hard way, too, in WW1. Don't let them fool yez...lol.

 

6 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

And guess who did the most to keep the Russians fed, fueled, and armed...the Americans.

This seems to be a recurring theme with these Euro deadbeats.

 

Yes indeed. As we've discussed in the Iran threads, the Persian Corridor gave Russia all the fuel and trucks it needed to haul those huge artillery pieces. Not only that...the US built a large, rather unsung amount of Canadian infrastructure in Western Canada. The airport in my fair city for example...on the Lend Lease Route/Alaska bound. One of MANY built by US Engineers...with a bit of Canadian help, I'm sure. But mostly US Engineer Corp troops...

Edited May 31, 2017 by DogOnPorch

[Wilber]

All but the dimmest must realize by now that Trump is not a "leader".