Donald Trump the Megathread part II - mod warnings in OP, Updated 18/03/25

That's because of the racism, sexism and or ignorance that motivated many voters.

That isn't sour grapes. It's an objective fact how well Biden did "for" the United States. Not so well for Gaza, which did make at least some difference.

He called for them to be permanently relocated. That's ethnic cleansing, no matter how much you deny it.

Or we could suggest to him not to commit ethnic cleansing.

Clearing a land of a people to build a new Riviera is the very definition of ethnic cleaning. You have entered a bizarre alternative reality

It’s not pro-war, it’s anti-appeasement. It’s clear as day that all Putin is looking for is a temporary ceasefire to give the war machine some respite and a chance for replenishment. He has no interest in long lasting peace.

And in any case, Ukraine is a sovereign country and it’s ultimately their decision. If they choose to keep fighting we should support them, if they want to go to the table to negotiate then we should also respect that decision and support them in negotiations(but thankfully Zelensky is too smart for that).

Like many others I have wondered what sort of weird hold Putin has over Trump. For a while it seemed like a case of Compromat (those Moscow tapes). But now I think there are two big factors.

First, Trump holds grudges like almost no-one else. Even since Zeleneskyy didn't deliver the dirt on Hunter Biden, Trump has had it in for him, especially as this attempted shakedown was the cause of Trump's first impeachment

Second, Trump seems to see Putin as some sort of role model - a strongman who bullies his neighbours and lies like hell. Trump 2.0 is alarmingly like Putin in his earlier days.

What can Russia give America? That’s the key question on my mind. It seems to suit Trump to have Putin back online- why? Are there deals to be made economically? If so what deals? Does McDonalds reopen in Moscow? Design brands readily available on the Russian high street again?

It’s obviously beneficial to for Trump to have Russia untethered economically - what will they trade I wonder?

 the nearest thing I've seen to the rapists claim that the victim is to blame

Oh the irony of that when it comes to Trumps record with women.

Trump seems to see Putin as some sort of role model - a strongman who bullies his neighbours and lies like hell. Trump 2.0 is alarmingly like Putin in his earlier days.

What Trump likes about Putin is how he manipulates the Russian system to stay permanently in power. Trump has stated that his voters won't need to vote again and his administration is gutting the federal government to ensure that MAGA stays in power.

And just now this has come out:

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c62e2158mkpt?post=asset%3A14d0912a-ab0d-4495-9b96-1a20a47407b0#post

So yea, I think Zelensky might be well aware that Donnie & Co don't really give a fiddlers about them. So with any luck this will galavanise European NATO to be good bit more independant here and support Kiev.

You even have some of Donnie's gouls suggesting that NATO won't defend a European country if attacked…which just goes to show that they don't know what NATO actually is, and that a sizable chunk of it's fighting mustle is from European nations. Naturally it is a lot stronger with the US included. But without the US, Russia still have to face an organised block of profesional militaries armed with modern weapons. They can'y even take on a former colony armed with Soviet-vintage weapons without losing nearly all of their professional army in the first months, and then losing the guts of a million conscripts and thousands of North Korean legionares.

That's not to say that the Russians aren't still dangerous. But Europe needs to collectivly pull up its boots and tell both Donnie & Putin to go forincate with themselves and get lost.

One of the military facts of the day is that a large part of the weaponry Ukraine's allies have supplied to it has been directly linked to a form of end-user clause, that Ukraine not deploy and/or use within Russia itself for OFFENSIVE purposes, but use from Ukraine territory in a DEFENSIVE manner to destroy Russian forces and allies attacking Ukraine within Ukraine.

Ukraine has been fighting with one hand tied behind its back due to the restriction because its allies fear that Putin would go nuclear, even if only with battlefield weapons, on the rest of Europe in order not to suffer defeat at the hands of his traditional enemy. Putin is now gambling on Trump splitting NATO from within so he can defeat Ukraine, it's probably the only card left in his hand now except for time.

If Ukraine felt it was now to be left alone by the other European countries which have had its back until now, left to its own devices, as it were, I don't know if it could keep to the TOC's that came with the military supplies and not go for broke. unleash a blitz on Russia itself to take out Putin, including by head of state decapitation. Trump seems determined to leave Ukraine no other option with his demand that Ukraine surrender to Putin.