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

This pisses me off as well as Trump was the one who released 5000 Taliban Terrorists in the waning days of his first presidency. They were leaders as well who went back and ultimately organised the run on Kabul months later. In addition Trump initially wanted to pull ALL US forces out immediately to boot but was forced back due to logistical issues. Botton line is depite the fall of Kabul happpening on Bidens watch it was Trump who bent over to terrorists and caused this. Biden in the end was left with a giant douche vs turd sandwitch situation as if he'd ramped up Troop numbers to counter the Taliban he'd have been hammered at home over it. On the other hand Afghanistan was already a lost cause at this stage and cutting and running was the less costly option. Either way it was a no win situation by the time Biden assumed office.

Even from a cynics perspective:

Capitalist markets to expand into

A buyer of military equipment

An ally who will weaken a regional competitor

How do you think America prints dollars sells unlimited debt and yet still has the world reserve currency? The strongest financial markets. Why the Marshall plan to rebuild Europe post WW2?

These are all investments, they design and create dependence on America. What Trump is doing is eroding decade of us work that led to a completely dominant global position. It's not about simple dollars and cents, they built a world hegemony.

sorry double post

It quite possible Trump will build a dominant pan European superpower. Europe has the capacity to build a combined military rapidly. However the US will be the real loser.

Japan, India, South Korea, Twian and the Philippines along with Australia will see what is happening and decide neither can they trust this new US attempt at hegemony. Canada and Mexico will veer away as well.

Trump was equating VAT to a tariff on US goods. The issue for the US is it refusal to tax it population and use that to fund education and health care. This is coming back to haunt it.

Stop the world, I want off…

Before European countries put forces into an active war zone, it would be worth asking how much public support there would be for such a move in the respective countries. Many European governments are struggling to keep burgeoning far right movements out of power. With respect to that, they would probably be reticent to exacerbate a delicate domestic situation by sending troops to fight or even be put in harm's way, especially when you would have an army of Russian trolls eager to exacerbate public concerns on the matter.

The Baltic states and Poland have talked the toughest about being prepared to fight Russia. They'll be the canary in the coal mine regarding troops in Ukraine. If they don't want to go in, you can forget about everyone else.

For the small reasons they've done so since WW2.

Because they want to as it allows them to be the "authority" across several regions and events. And also because giving aid just means that that money comes back in to US companies who manufacture weapons. It's a circular economy for US corporate interests.

And also because funding the targets of Russian aggression was a way to keep the Russians in check, something that every US president of the last 80 years was very keen to do.

Did you not know any of this?

Ironically the US became the preeminent super power of the last century because the previous powers of Europe were ruined by 2 world wars in the space of half a century and the US was able to profit on that and the fact they were on their own separate continent to rise to dominance along with the USSR. The latter collapsed 35 years ago due to the costs of a vainglorious needless wars and the Chornobyl disaster along with good old corruption and the US risks at the very least being relegated to a secondary power in the longer term the more the spineless Republicans refuse to reign in that Orange Degenerate. They're literally squandering their geopolitical advantage because of their own cowardice and corruption right now. If the US loses influence and power because of him, China of course will fill the gap in some ways but the EU is the only other entity that could be poised to take back that influence and power the US gained in the aftermath of WW2.

The reason that previous US administrations wanted to keep Russia in check was firstly to prevent the spread of Communism and then secondly to maintain US hegemony under the badge of a liberal western order.

Now the problem comes that Russian Communism no longer exists but also that the US under Trump doesn't strive towards open liberal democracy. This changes things pretty fundamentally. They're no longer interested in protecting or promoting liberal democracy. Quite the opposite, if anything. 80 years of US foreign policy goes out the window with Trump in charge.

As for US arms manufacturers, they're not known as an industry of morality. They'd as soon sell to the Russians as to Ukraine, should Trump decide to go the whole hog and announce a military alliance with the former.

It'll be painful seeing our leader offering shamrock to a bully. The only way to deal with him is for countries to stand up to him en masse, but nobody seems to want to be first in the firing line by being too strong.

Yes, massive oceans…

Remember the whole "Leave it to the States" line they pulled on voters?

White House now telling NY it can't implement its congestion charge.

Why am I not surprised you don't appear to know that boats and or planes exist.

Because that’s what the USA absolutely LOVES doing every opportunity it gets. Test its weapons, tactics, soft power, hard power, flex its muscles to show the world, distract from domestic issues etc etc etc.

Its been continually at it since WW2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States

Yeah - this lady got it aaaaaall wrong...