Politics

[Altitude sickness]

Very well written Dave. And without being disrespectful.

I will take your point below one step further.

“I will repeat my point for the umpteenth time that, without a country right now, meaning the ability of a working family to pay their bills, put food on the table, or buy a home in a neighborhood where they don't have to worry about getting carjacked”.


When we have descended into mediocrity. Which is where we are heading. We simply won’t be able to manufacture, produce or afford to police and protect the world.

Reagan first had to rebuild the economy before re building the US military.

It’s takes a strong dollar to police the world. Also one of reasons countries sitting on the sidelines don’t switch to the Chinese currency. Is they stick with whom they think is the dominant force. And strongest currency.

As soon as we weaken internally to the point we are no longer seen internationally as the dominant country. The dollar will collapse and those on the sidelines will switch loyalty to who they view as the new leader.

Our currency is on the bubble for the first time.

We won’t have the luxury to police the world any longer. A loaf of bread I’ll take a wheelbarrow full of money. Then we will take our place along the other past empires.


Put simply, put your oxygen mask on first, before putting others mask on. Or you die and can’t help them.

 

[BSO Dave]

Put simply, put your oxygen mask on first, before putting others mask on. Or you die and can’t help them.

Bingo! Perfect analogy...!

The very first concept they teach in any first-responder class is to secure your own safety before administering aid to others you hope to save. That concept is just as relevant to saving a drowning victim as it is to taking care of ourselves first.

One argument being made here by some is that Russia and/or China are more serious threats then the ones we face domestically... Fair enough, but that perspective is an easy one to have when your bills are paid, and you live in a community where your kids can play in your front yard without fear.

The other argument is that domestic and foreign policies are equally important and can be addressed simultaneously... Fine, but that is not what is happening, and every optic from this government is the exact opposite of that. It's a really difficult argument to make to folks who are witnessing multiple foreign aid bills being introduced in a time when they can't afford to buy a bag full of groceries or working just to afford enough gas in their cars to make it back to work again.

 

[Red Leg]

Bingo! Perfect analogy...!

The very first concept they teach in any first-responder class is to secure your own safety before administering aid to others you hope to save. That concept is just as relevant to saving a drowning victim as it is to taking care of ourselves first.

One argument being made here by some is that Russia and/or China are more serious threats then the ones we face domestically... Fair enough, but that perspective is an easy one to have when your bills are paid, and you live in a community where your kids can play in your front yard without fear.

The other argument is that domestic and foreign policies are equally important and can be addressed simultaneously... Fine, but that is not what is happening, and every optic from this government is the exact opposite of that. It's a really difficult argument to make to folks who are witnessing multiple foreign aid bills being introduced in a time when they can't afford to buy a bag full of groceries or working just to afford enough gas in their cars to make it back to work again.

That the argument is difficult to make is irrelevant with respect to the facts. This country saw the same myopic movement during the depression when much of the population again turned inward - to our great eventual cost.

 

[Tanks]

...

I will repeat my point for the umpteenth time that, without a country right now, meaning the ability of a working family to pay their bills, put food on the table, or buy a home in a neighborhood where they don't have to worry about getting carjacked or beaten on the subway, whatever lands the Russians or Chinese occupy in the next 20 years is fairly irrelevant to so many of these working Americans trying to get by right now... This doesn't make them ignorant, isolationists, or "restricted" in their world views... Dysfunctional domestic policy and willful neglect of government is forcing them to think of self-survival, and rightly so in my opinion...

...

The jobs are there, we have many companies looking to train people and not finding them. Yes, one might have to move to get the jobs and that used to be what people did.

Is there crime yes. Is it out of hand in some cities also yes. Those also tend to be ultra liberal cities where people voted for the ultra liberal DAs. Heck, SF recalled theirs, he was so bad.

If you look at the numbers in regard to inflation, unemployment etc., we are not in a depression.

The guy in a gray shirt has been working for me since 1994. He makes $250K a year. The guy behind him is a union electrician that I was paying $110/hour. I have contract employees that make from $45 (data entry) to $155/hour (instrument tech) and looking for more.

But, you are right in one thing, if one if not satisfied with one's situation they are not going to care about the future of the country or the big picture. They will attach themselves to a populist leader (using the term leader very loosely) like Trump who will promise them the moon while shifting the blame to others that are not like them. History is full of people like that.

I voted for Trump twice, if I felt that he'd repeat his first term I would vote for him again. Unfortunately, I think he is unhinged (based on many of his statements) and totally focused on himself at this point and is much more of a danger to the future of this country than anything a second Biden administration can do. I just hope that those conservatives that will not vote for Trump will still show up on election day and vote for conservatives down ballot. We need the Senate to hold Biden or Trump in check regardless of who wins.

 

[BSO Dave]

That the argument is difficult to make is irrelevant with respect to the facts. This country saw the same myopic movement during the depression when much of the population again turned inward - to our great eventual cost.

Just because the argument is not in alignment with your personal perspective, doesn't make it any less relevant.

I wasn't alive during the 1930's, but I would think it's a safe bet that those Americans trying to survive a great depression which was considerably more damaging that even the record high inflation we are currently experiencing were justifiably wary of getting into another foreign war with many having suffered great loss during the depression and in WW1.

You assert that our isolationist ideologies were a mistake that cost us greatly as a nation in WW2... Fair enough... To what extent exactly? Can you prove with any certainty that our losses would have been mitigated if we had entered into conflict with Germany any sooner? What action should America have taken in regard to Hillter or the Japanese in the early 1930's that would have prevented our eventual involvement or WW2 altogether? Would a war that began in the early 1930's have been any less costly to America than one that began in the late 1930's..?

 

[Tanks]

... record high inflation we are currently experiencing ...

Just for perspective "the record high inflation" was in 2022 most likely due to Covid spending, not currently. Interestingly, the best inflation rate was during Obama's last year.

The inflation numbers have been going down steadily and will not be an election issue if people stay educated.

Source: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/

 

[BSO Dave]

But, you are right in one thing, if one if not satisfied with one's situation they are not going to care about the future of the country or the big picture. They will attach themselves to a populist leader (using the term leader very loosely) like Trump who will promise them the moon while shifting the blame to others that are not like them. History is full of people like that.

I really am trying not to reply to your assertions offensively, but you are obviously not living the same reality that millions of American I have referenced...

Again, you are making this about Trump which it is not... I get that you personally don't identify with the people that support Trump, but at the same time you are being overly dismissive of a huge faction of the American population that has directly benefitted from his polices whether you care to acknowledge that or not...

One of the many differences you obviously are not understanding is that Trump policies HAVE delivered to a great cross-section of this county's population. They continue to support him because of the results and not the promises. You Trump haters can try to spin in any way you like, but at the end of the day, there is no denying that nearly everything was better, stronger, and more prosperous under his policies.

 

[Tanks]

...

One of the many differences you obviously are not understanding is that Trump policies HAVE delivered to a great cross-section of this county's population. They continue to support him because of the results and not the promises. You Trump haters can try to spin in any way you like, but at the end of the day, there is no denying that nearly everything was better, stronger, and more prosperous under his policies.

You forgot to quote the following paragraph...

voted for Trump twice, if I felt that he'd repeat his first term I would vote for him again. Unfortunately, I think he is unhinged (based on many of his statements) and totally focused on himself at this point and is much more of a danger to the future of this country than anything a second Biden administration can do. I just hope that those conservatives that will not vote for Trump will still show up on election day and vote for conservatives down ballot. We need the Senate to hold Biden or Trump in check regardless of who wins.

I think his time has passed and he will not deliver what people are hoping for. Just listen to what he says instead of interpreting his words through rose colored glasses.

One thing that will be interesting is if Biden stays in the race or if he bows out at the Convention. If he does, all the pontification would be moot as Trump would most certainly lose as the independents and moderates will have no reason to vote for him. Heck, Trump even told Haley supporters to pound sand. If even a fraction of the GOP Haley supporters withhold their vote from Trump, he most likely will be a loser again.

 

[BSO Dave]

The inflation numbers have been going down steadily and will not be an election issue if people stay educated.

Firstly, Covid-related spending could have and should have been ended by the Brandon Administration. They created and perpetuated inflation that was completely avoidable...

Secondly, the inflation numbers do not accurately reflect the most damaging components of this self-inflicted inflation which are fuel, food, and housing. Creating inflation that was avoidable in the first place and then claiming credit when the inflation you yourself created starts to reduce is exactly the load of B.S. Brandon is trying to sell... Are you honestly telling me that you are buying into this?

The real "educated" people understand the reality behind this inflation and see this for what it is...

 

[BSO Dave]

I think his time has passed and he will not deliver what people are hoping for.

That's your opinion... I am far more hopeful because I leave emotion out of it and look at the results.

Lastly, and most importantly.... ANYTHING he can deliver will be light years beyond what we are currently enduring with the clown show that currently occupies the WH. Yet, folks like you will assure we get another 4 years of that which will not survive. Kamala is 10X more incompetent than Brandon ever will be...

Just listen to what he says instead of interpreting his words through rose colored glasses.

LOL...! If this ain't the pot calling the kettle black...

My advice is to quit listening to what he says and pay attention to what he has done and will do again.

 

[Zambezi]

We could. The Corps has removed 452 Abrams tanks. That is enough to equip 4 or 5 Ukrainian armor brigades without even delving into US Army storage which number approximately 3000. We actually gave them the grand total of 31 - enough to equip a single understrength battalion. Inexplicable.

Been meaning to say the following for a while now...

It isn't in anyone's interest in either equipping Ukraine to end the war decisively or quickly. By slow leaking arms, ammo and funds it prolongs the war. The result is a long protracted war that bleeds Russia to death by a thousand cuts and renders Ukraine open to exploitation by whomever comes in to feed on the carcass.

We are (or should I say I am not) dumb. If the West REALLY wanted to end this war and have Ukraine the victors they could have done it already.

It's a game. A sick perverted game.

I support Ukraine's fight but it is becoming more and more clear that, with the exception of Ukraine, there is not a single country on the planet that has any interest in a quick decisive victory (or conclusion).

 

[Tundra Tiger]

"My advice is to quit listening to what he says..."

I just can't do that. If it really doesn't matter then he shouldn't say it. And at this point he has said so much so loudly he has convinced me that's who really he is... and that he's not worth my vote.

"and pay attention to what he has done and will do again."

There is no part of me that believes he is capable of doing it again or even wants to. Donald Trump is all about Donald Trump and nothing more. That is what I believe. Hell, I support Haley. He's already told me he doesn't want my vote anyway.

 

[spike.t]

Ahh the good old days ...

 

[PARA45]

No offense to anyone here. But, I don’t know what world you guys live in. My grocery bill has not changed, (doubled), gas prices have doubled. My property taxes went up. My homeowners insurance went up. My auto policy insurance went up. Utilities have gone up. All since Brandon took over.

One of our bases in Kalifornia has a huge manning issues. We can’t recruit members to go there due to the high cost of living and ridiculous taxes.

Brandon gave us a pay raise, and that raise didn’t put a dent on the high cost of everything.

So, maybe the inflation is over, but prices are not going down and probably won’t either.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Since Trump has already served one term, he can only serve one more term. So if he is elected, he will automatically become a lame duck president on inauguration day. Very little will get done during a second Trump term.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Just for perspective "the record high inflation" was in 2022 most likely due to Covid spending, not currently. Interestingly, the best inflation rate was during Obama's last year.

The inflation numbers have been going down steadily and will not be an election issue if people stay educated.

Source: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/

View attachment 590870

Yeah. Great. Look at the price of a gallon of gas or diesel, the cost of getting a sandwich at a local diner, the cost of buying anything imported, and all of the misc things people need to spend money on. Now compare that to what they cost on the last day of the Trump administration. The massive inflation started on the first day of the Biden administration and was a direct result of his executive orders.

Now look at the shear number of illegal aliens infiltrating our country and the resulting spike in the crime rate, b t just from the crimes the aliens commit directly, but as a result of the drugs such as fentanyl they bring in. Again, a direct result of the Biden administration policies.

And you think Trump is one that is unhinged?

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Since Trump has already served one term, he can only serve one more term. So if he is elected, he will automatically become a lame duck president on inauguration day. Very little will get done during a second Trump term.

And that would make Biden a better choice because....?

 

[Newboomer]

Been meaning to say the following for a while now...

It isn't in anyone's interest in either equipping Ukraine to end the war decisively or quickly. By slow leaking arms, ammo and funds it prolongs the war. The result is a long protracted war that bleeds Russia to death by a thousand cuts and renders Ukraine open to exploitation by whomever comes in to feed on the carcass.

We are (or should I say I am not) dumb. If the West REALLY wanted to end this war and have Ukraine the victors they could have done it already.

It's a game. A sick perverted game.

I support Ukraine's fight but it is becoming more and more clear that, with the exception of Ukraine, there is not a single country on the planet that has any interest in a quick decisive victory (or conclusion).

They want to prolong it as long as possible because it's big money in their pockets. Iraq and asscrackistan ring any bells? What did 20 years of horrendous expense get us except a lot of wasted young lives?

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

And that would make Biden a better choice because....?

Wake up Doug, that would make Nikki Haley a better choice. Or Chris Christie. Or Ron DeSantis.

 

[Red Leg]

Just because the argument is not in alignment with your personal perspective, doesn't make it any less relevant.

I wasn't alive during the 1930's, but I would think it's a safe bet that those Americans trying to survive a great depression which was considerably more damaging that even the record high inflation we are currently experiencing were justifiably wary of getting into another foreign war with many having suffered great loss during the depression and in WW1.

You assert that our isolationist ideologies were a mistake that cost us greatly as a nation in WW2... Fair enough... To what extent exactly? Can you prove with any certainty that our losses would have been mitigated if we had entered into conflict with Germany any sooner? What action should America have taken in regard to Hillter or the Japanese in the early 1930's that would have prevented our eventual involvement or WW2 altogether? Would a war that began in the early 1930's have been any less costly to America than one that began in the late 1930's..?

Have you actually really studied the period? I admit alternative history is best left to novelists, but you find me one recognized historian who thinks letting Hitler have his way in the Rhineland and Czechoslovakia was in the interests of this country or Western Europe. Appeasement has a bad name for a reason. And the Trump multitude is seemingly happy to use any excuse to join those ranks with respect to Russia - not because they have thought through and weighed the risks in an informed way, but because that is what they think is what Trump wants and because they will oppose anything Biden supports. That level of proud ignorance is dangerous for our country and literally sickens me.

Had the US remained resolute with its European Allies following the Great War, Germany would never have been allowed to renter the Rhineland much less Czechoslovakia. Anschluss with Austria may well have occurred, but had the West united to focus Hitler and his movement only to the East, I suspect the eventual Cold War would have been something very different indeed. Certainly WWII as we experienced it beginning in 1939 would never have occurred.

Japan was actually a more complex issue, and I think the Roosevelt administration actually sowed the seeds of the war with Japan by failing to recognize its legitimate international concerns. Our embargo on steel and oil left the Japanese government few alternatives short of war. I hasten to add that embargo was not initiated to cause such a war, but out of ignorance of its effect.