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No, you are not the only Cassandra. I too fear that at some point the dominos will fall and WWIII becomes a distinct possibility all the while hoping that I am wrong. Many democracies are under attack by the notion of consolidating all the power in one person/dictator. We saw where that lead to in Germany under Hitler and the tragic aftermath of that.
Bob
No Agellos, I think that's very insightful. One thing you sort of allude to or at least dance around the border of that many in America especially miss is that the Cold War is not over. It never was. There may have been a metaphorical cease fire but mainly the tactics have changed. Speaking as an American it appears from here that the rest of the world hates to love us and loves to hate us. They speak out of both sides of their mouth in that they want our help and intervention but then despise us for it. But like it or not America is the big kid on the playground as Agellos puts it, or the alpha dog in the pack if you wish, and no matter how much the world likes or dislikes it there has always been one, will always be one. We just received the "tag you're it." America for the most part has been a magnanimous leader and taken all the lumps associated. But there are powers at work in the world that dislike the status quo, outlier dogs who want to either rule or plunder the pack. They know they can't take on the alpha head on so their answer is to create dissention within the pack. Part of that is to get the big dog, in this case the US to war within itself, create tension between us, tear our families apart, tear apart our moral and social fabric, make us doubt and hate our leaders. Weaken the alpha and you weaken the pack. I always think about my pack of 5 and now 4 since my big boy Max passed. He was 100-120 pounds and 20+ inches bigger than them all. He very seldom exerted authority but NO ONE questioned it. Even we as his owners had a healthy respect for him. Roughhouse play with him was a stark reality check that he could kill and eat us if he wanted to. Thankfully he didn't want to. Now that he is gone our little guys are in an uproar vying for control. It's very disconcerting to them all AND US. They compete fiercely and sometimes get into fights. We NEVER had this happen before. But such is the nature of the reallignment of power when an alpha that size and power falls.
Like it or not, Trump is our president now. That means he is the teeth in the big dogs mouth. Of course he is not the only dog in the pack. Even if he were lone dogs don't fare well in the world. Dogs are pack animals, as is man. For better or for worse, he's it right now. So...as an adendum to all the other global peices of the puzzle. It all falls apart if the pieces of the alpha are at war with itself and also if the other members of the pack fight against the alpha. As Agellos points out. We all have to find a way to work together and resist the divide and conquer. Otherwise, the outlier dogs take over.
Just to clarify the stance of NATO
Before Trump 2/3 were NOT meeting their 2% Edit: I was wrong, in 2015 only 5 Countries were at or above the 2% out of 27 or 18%
Trump got it up to 1/2 before 2021
75% of NATO is BARELY hitting their 2% in 2025
It really should be 3% only 5 Countries are, with Poland leading at 4%+
25% of the countries in NATO haven't met their NATO 2% obligations including our Northern neighbor who by location falls under the US Security umbrella
So before anyone starts talking about what Russia may or may not do AFTER Ukraine maybe the rest of NATO should take a look at what Poland is doing
The only way to keep the peace is to be armed to the teeth and ready for war. Europe is neither. Combined economy of the EU is in the range of the US. They could be better prepared. Time will tell.
"Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far" as Teddy Roosevelt used to say.
Yes, if I remember correctly the other NATO member nations have never really pulled their weight. Same goes for the UN. Of course we know who the biggest contributing nation to the securuty counsel is (that's right, it's the US at 26.95% ) but guess who is in second place...China at 18.69%. Outstanding isn't it? A country with more than 4 times our population (almost 5 times) pay 69% of what we pay. But the really sad thing is that they pay almost double what the other nations in the top ten pay combined. And that list doesn't even include India, the most populous nation in the world and they are not in the top 10. Russia, albeit a country with less population than us but one that does hold 1 3/4 the landmass pays 1/10 of what the US pays. Funny that we get criticized if we try to have a say in policy. Well??? Somebody has to do it!
Despite my previous comments I really am not trying to ruffle feathers here but the truth is the truth. Other member nations of both organizations had better get on the stick if they want peace and security. It ain't free and ww shouldn't be expected to pick up the whole tab ESPECIALLY if we are going to get the business from everyone about our role.
When you are "The leader of the free world" certain responsibilities come your way like it or not. So, you want to withdraw from that and just say every man for himself we're done?
When we are isolated and China takes the mantle of leader of the world period buoyed by Russia well you know the old saying...."When you're up to your ass in alligators it's too late to remember to drain the swamp".
The horse was let out of the barn twice, in 2014 with Obama and 2022 with Auto pen. :rofl2:
"This is my fifth such speech to Congress, and, once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud. Nothing I can do. I could find a cure to the most devastating disease — a disease that would wipe out entire nations, or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded, and these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements. They won’t do it no matter what.
Five times I’ve been up here. It’s very sad, and it just shouldn’t be this way." From remarks by President Trump in joint address to Congress
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
I like the way you spin the focus to China away from Ukraine that was the second time you have changed topic
But lets explore your comment
If we are the LEADER of the free world, then why don't they follow our lead ???
Instead the EU and NATO want to tell us how to handle it, please explain ??
Cue the "TDS"
The part I find interesting is how it always comes back to Trump. You know, the one guy who has the stones to actually challenge China and somehow he can never do anything right. Remember how Reagan toppled the USSR? He waged a war in which he never fired a shot. Instead he broke them. Sound familiar? Tarrifs ring a bell? China can't win a trade war with us and they know it and if they don't they will soon find out.
For those of you outside the US and for those younger than 60...55 at the least, this is exactly how the left was with Reagan. He was the antichrist, and yet the apocolypse never came. He was going to get us in a nuclear war, and yet he ended the arms race and toppled the USSR. He was going to ruin our economy, and yet he fixed Mr. Peanut's atrocious mess with double digits across the board and gave us the most prosperous period since the early 1950s. But did any of that matter? Sadly, no. To this day they hate him with a passion that equals or maybe surpasses the hatred for Trump.
I'm not trying to be funny or cute here. I really truly mean this. You Trump haters have problems that you need help with. I reccomend going to see your priest/pastor/rabbi or your witch doctor, astrologist or psychic reader, whatever it is you believe, hell, even a barber or bartender, someone who you can talk to. Maybe even see a psychiatrist because it is irrational and unhealthy to carry that sort of hatred for someone, anyone. I am concerned for your well being but I am also concerned for the rest of us as I would be riding with someone who was driving irradically and out of control. YOU NEED HELP. If you insist on making yourselves miserable I can't stop you, wouldn't presume to try. But you really don't have the right to ruin life for the rest of us.