We're paying the price for not addressing Syria 35 years ago.  Now we just keep putting our troops in the middle of blood feuds.

Smudge wrote:

This has been my biggest fear from day one with Trump; that he would come to realize the only hope of reelection involved starting a military campaign of some sort. Initiating a terrorist attack would be a variant of the same strategy.

I still believe it's more likely than not that he will try. That's why I really hope that he's removed from power long before 2020.

If it's "just" another military campaign, hell, Clinton did that.  I won't be happy but that's more "business as usual".

If it's a major terrorist attack, and it doesn't blow up in their faces and get them all thrown out no matter how much they blame the liberals, then we are all in bigger trouble than even we thought we were.

JetRx wrote:

Smudge wrote:

This has been my biggest fear from day one with Trump; that he would come to realize the only hope of reelection involved starting a military campaign of some sort. Initiating a terrorist attack would be a variant of the same strategy.

I still believe it's more likely than not that he will try. That's why I really hope that he's removed from power long before 2020.

For chrissakes Smudgie!  Where was all your concern as Barry Soweto presided over bombing SEVEN countries and shit-stirring with the Rooskies?  Think there's no blowback?   We knew where Hitlery stood after orchestrating another failed state in Libya.  Trump has proven no better.  The U.S. police state is alive and well and superior, in many respects, to Russia and China.  I've spent considerable time in both countries.  Our Orwellian nightmare arrived in full force after 9/11.  MSM is complicit and the MIC is thriving.  Endless war doesn't appear at all on radar scopes of SJWs and Progs. 

Ron Paul has been vindicated time and again on the price of war, unsound currency, and the erosion of Constitutional freedoms.  Bat-shit crazy, indeed.   When chickens eventually come home to roost on the petro-dollar "situation" and U.S. debt/fiat currency, all hell WILL break loose.


Oh, wait...there are far far more "important issues"...somebody over there won't bake a cake...statues are triggering people...somebody want's to pee sitting down and start using the "rong" restroom...all whites are racists...everyone else isn't...Russia, Russia, Russia...math is racist...opinions shouldn't be heard if ANYONE is offended...shithole...shithole...shithole...blah...blah...blah...squirrel!!!!!!

Best of luck  luck with your "Forever Wars" endeavor, Devil Dawg.  Can't believe you've hit any resistance.  War monument proposals should sail right "over the heads" of the jingoistic throngs.

You've got a vegetable soup of issues all simmering together there, and there's no way I'm going to try to separate them out and make sense of them. I suspect if we took them one at a time that there's a lot we would agree on.

My basic problem with Trump that I believe he's ruled by his mental illnesses, and as such, he could do damage on a scale which we haven't seen since, well...since W's blunder in Iraq. I think Trump's most likely target, when he realizes that a big, serious, important war is the only way for him to stay in power, will be North Korea. Which means, de facto, that we end up going to war with China too, and possibly Russia.

So that's potentially end of the world material. And i think Trump is so unstable that ft the balance is between Trump getting his ego bruised by having to come to grips with a failed presidency, or starting WWIII, I think he might choose the later. I think he's the fucking mad man we're always been worried about.

JetRx wrote:

Not trying to inundate you with the veggie soup...though it does a body good.  More along the lines of James Burke's  "Connections".  One of BBC's best IMHO.

In addition to time spent in Russia, China, and a few choice spots in the Third World, I spent a year in Korea and took part (as has Emmeran) participating in one of the largest military exercises in the world (Team Spirit)...I have 5 under my belt with cumulative time in that country at just over a year.  I witnessed the largest mass launch of military aircraft since WWII.  Straight at the NORK border turning at last minute.  Had custody of a "shape" on two occasions.  Watching a staff car lead a procession of fighters, loaded w/ these weapons, to end of runway for "final" takeoff is sobering. As was being shot if you were ever out of sight of your co-worker while in presence of "shapes" (No Lone Zone) Thank goodness those aircraft never took off and taxied back to hardened shelters for download.  This shit has been going on for decades.  You just never heard about it.  Trump is correct.  Our "button" is bigger it would be "fire & fury"...he just stated the obvious instead of winking.

As far as I'm concerned, Trump's blathering/tweets are far preferable to what's traditionally been going on, sans the light of day. 

Sooooo whether you wanted to hear it or not...there are shitholes...Pakistan does harbor terrorists...the MSM conjures news vs. objectively reporting it...D.C. is a swamp...NFL players IN UNIFORM should be fired if they take a knee on company vs. their own time...unbridled immigration DOES harm the country...U.S. warmongering will continue...the MIC will grow...the surveillance state will expand...the U.S. will continue to do Israhell's bidding. Could keep going ad nauseam but i have things to go fix. 

Your photo acumen is top tier and you're still my favorite Bolshevik.  Cheers.

I get all of it except the part where you think you're arguing with me about this. I mean...if you're reacting to something I said, link to the post or something so I can get on the same page with you. I don't shy away from any discussion, I back my words up -- even if that means admitting I was wrong, or that I've changed my mind about something. But right now you're just arguing with shadows (or whatever -- all I really know is you aren't arguing with me).

Edit:

And no hard feelings, BTW (the part above was rushed, as I wrote it right before I was going to start a film (I, Tonya -- which was actually pretty good)). We had a very brief scuffle over one post way back when. Since that time, I'm not aware of disagreeing with anything you've written. We may not be as far apart as you think.

Unless you're pro-Trump. If so, we would appear to disagree fundamentally.

Last edited by Smudge (2018-01-20 01:30:53)