Politics

[BGGMKLR]

The very best firearms forums, of every flavor, don't condone political sabotage on any level...for good reason.
Many (most of us) join to escape the incessant drumbeat of asinine partisan political commentary that pervades every aspect of our lives.
Respectfully, give it a rest...pretty please.
Spike

 

[spike.t]

Musk wields his Doge chainsaw, but is a backlash brewing?

Facing constituents angry about the impact of sweeping government job cuts, some Republicans are expressing concern.

www.bbc.com

 

[spike.t]

The very best firearms forums, of every flavor, don't condone political sabotage on any level...for good reason.
Many (most of us) join to escape the incessant drumbeat of asinine partisan political commentary that pervades every aspect of our lives.
Respectfully, give it a rest...pretty please.
Spike

Not sure what you are on about.... ....if you don't like the thread don't look at it ....pretty simple..
The one and only original spike....

 

[Pondoro]

Yep. My grandfather fought in that action, he was on Ataturk's staff. My great-grandfather on mom's side died there.

View attachment 667286

Nice photo..wich rank did he have..?

 

[GuttormG]

I’m pretty sure that train car got blown to hell when the tide of ww2 started to turn so the Ukrainians won’t have to sign in it atleast.

It was set on fire by SS troops in March 1945

 

[Foxi]

Reuters, February 22, 2025

Awesome to be reminded almost daily what a uniquely inarticulate and factually challenged Chief Executive we have.

Europe has given $100 billion. The United States has given $350 billion because we had a stupid, incompetent president and administration, 350. But here is worse. Europe gave it in the form of a loan. They get their money back.

Red Leg,
I have my doubts as to whether Europe regards the war supplies for Ukraine as a loan.
That would not be typical of our German government(s), we usually give everything away “for a good cause”.
Especially our Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who can't throw enough money around.
The public in this country doesn't hear a word about it either: Loan or gift, not a word.
In terms of mood, everything looks like a gift here too.
Tonight (it's election here) the Greens and the Reds (in Germany/ Europe the Left is red) will hopefully be history.
America - keeping your fingers crossed for us.

Foxi.

 

[Altitude sickness]

The house cleaning at the top of the military and intelligence agencies food chains is mandatory.

The period of Obama/Biden demonstrating their enlightenment and superiority through military social engineering is over. That may have helped them internally within the US.

Think how our real adversaries viewed our Commander in Chief on down, and the childish, silliness of our focus.

Our chief adversaries only respect power. Maybe even a little unpredictability. They sure do not respect women at the very top of our military branches. Or the silly hobbies of social engineering they promoted.

Showing off your social programs through your military is a luxury we no longer can afford.

We need the bad actors to know that our ridiculous ROE are over. The pit bull will be released from the chain if you dare to FAFO.

Our troops need to know the naive ROE are over.

And the next time they are sent to kill and die. Three of their buddies don’t need to die before they are allowed to react. No more prison time for doing what they sent you to do.

I have a feeling that Trump, Hegseth and Caine will show anyone foolish enough to dare them that the US reaction will not be as it has been. And it certainly will not be habit forming for the aggressors.

It’s time to carry the Big Stick again. If we are provoked only

 

[Altitude sickness]

A quick reminder of the mindset of just one of our adversaries and not even the worst of the worst of our enemies. And our ridiculous past ROE

During the Afghanistan withdrawal, one of the Marine snipers that survived the Abbey Gate bombing. Side Bar. ( Intelligence gave the snipers a description of a suicide bomber. They identified the bomber and watched him for hours and were refused permission to engage the bomber)

The sniper team repeatedly told superiors that the Taliban was summarily executing anyone believed to be a U.S. military intermediary or supporter. Many were lined up on their knees and shot in the back of the head. Our Marines had to watch this for days on end without responding. One Marine defied orders. Snuck out from the wall and still has video of these executions. He testified to Congress with zero military leadership accountability.

It’s a well known fact that the boys and girls of the people executed would immediately be raped by these animals. Raped repeatedly then killed.

Our Marines watched this and were repeatedly refused permission to engage. The senior leadership actually allowed the Taliban to approach and have close contact with our Marines. Putting them in constant fear of a suicide bombing. No senior leadership was fired or held accountable.

All we got back here in the US was here was a bombing. Zero context of what was really happening.

And now they are reconstituting in Afghanistan and we will need to go back.

 

[Pondoro]

Red Leg said:
Reuters, February 22, 2025

Awesome to be reminded almost daily what a uniquely inarticulate and factually challenged Chief Executive we have.

Europe has given $100 billion. The United States has given $350 billion because we had a stupid, incompetent president and administration, 350. But here is worse. Europe gave it in the form of a loan. They get their money back.

Trump is lying..what Europe has given to Ukraine is NOT a loan..! Is there no limit to Trump´s lies..??

 

[Altitude sickness]

The Economist debunks Trump's claims on US aid to Ukraine

European countries have collectively contributed more aid to Ukraine than the United States, challenging Donald Trump's claims of disproportionate U.S. spending, The Economist's analysis published on Feb. 18 shows.

english.nv.ua

Apparently Ukraine thinks the EU aid is a loan.
And the US aid is a Grant

 

[Red Leg]

The Economist debunks Trump's claims on US aid to Ukraine

European countries have collectively contributed more aid to Ukraine than the United States, challenging Donald Trump's claims of disproportionate U.S. spending, The Economist's analysis published on Feb. 18 shows.

english.nv.ua

Apparently Ukraine thinks the EU aid is a loan.
And the US aid is a GrantView attachment 667411

Good article. It also clearly shows Europe has done its fair share (more than the US to date) and has committed a tremendous amount more on top of that which has yet to be allocated. It would be expected for the US to have provided somewhat more in military aid due to our Cold War stocks in storage. It could and should have been much more.

 

[Tanks]

Interesting spin on Trump’s rhetoric.

Discombobulating - Bill's Weekly Column - Bill O'Reilly

President Trump has two hobbies: golf and creating confusion. The formal name for the latter is 'discombobulate.' The first month of the second Trump term has featured the following in no particular order. Threatening to invade Panama. Musing about taking over Gaza and Greenland. Suggesting...

www.billoreilly.com

 

[Red Leg]

Red Leg,
I have my doubts as to whether Europe regards the war supplies for Ukraine as a loan.
That would not be typical of our German government(s), we usually give everything away “for a good cause”.
Especially our Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who can't throw enough money around.
The public in this country doesn't hear a word about it either: Loan or gift, not a word.
In terms of mood, everything looks like a gift here too.
Tonight (it's election here) the Greens and the Reds (in Germany/ Europe the Left is red) will hopefully be history.
America - keeping your fingers crossed for us.

Foxi.

Absolutely. Am a little surprised that your note received a down vote. I had not realized we had a Socialist Green reading our politics forum. I hope he adds some content to our discussion. I am sure it would elicit interesting comment. If remember correctly, Mopani is a German South African?

 

[Red Leg]

I wouldn't like the bill for that one...

I have stayed in the Bangkok and Madrid Mandarins. The former was spectacular, but we did not like the latter as much as the Fenix Gran Melia in Madrid. And yes, they represent a meaningful investment just to stay a few nights - can't imagine footing the bill for a destination wedding at one.

 

[Red Leg]

The very best firearms forums, of every flavor, don't condone political sabotage on any level...for good reason.
Many (most of us) join to escape the incessant drumbeat of asinine partisan political commentary that pervades every aspect of our lives.
Respectfully, give it a rest...pretty please.
Spike

Then do yourself an enormous favor and escape this thread.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I wish Trump would rely on facts given to him by his staff instead of the internet. He is overall doing good things. The deeds are great. But man, the words give credence that he is going off half baked.

I believe that ending the Ukrainian war asap is more important than getting some numbers wrong. But he can do both.

Apparently there may be a cease fire this week. Of course there will be setbacks and tweaks, but getting both sides to the table and getting a cease fire started is a huge accomplishment. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed. Time to get a cease fire and perfect it as the months go by.

 

[Red Leg]

Interesting spin on Trump’s rhetoric.

Discombobulating - Bill's Weekly Column - Bill O'Reilly

President Trump has two hobbies: golf and creating confusion. The formal name for the latter is 'discombobulate.' The first month of the second Trump term has featured the following in no particular order. Threatening to invade Panama. Musing about taking over Gaza and Greenland. Suggesting...

www.billoreilly.com

I hope he is more or less correct.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Interesting spin on Trump’s rhetoric.

Discombobulating - Bill's Weekly Column - Bill O'Reilly

President Trump has two hobbies: golf and creating confusion. The formal name for the latter is 'discombobulate.' The first month of the second Trump term has featured the following in no particular order. Threatening to invade Panama. Musing about taking over Gaza and Greenland. Suggesting...

www.billoreilly.com

Pretty accurate IMO. We’ve already seen some short term results. Time will tell on the rest.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Interesting spin on Trump’s rhetoric.

Discombobulating - Bill's Weekly Column - Bill O'Reilly

President Trump has two hobbies: golf and creating confusion. The formal name for the latter is 'discombobulate.' The first month of the second Trump term has featured the following in no particular order. Threatening to invade Panama. Musing about taking over Gaza and Greenland. Suggesting...

www.billoreilly.com

Unfortunately the unspoken truth is Putin is far from being a rare Sociopath. Most successful people have a little bit of that trait. It’s an overused and misunderstood “diagnosis”.

And for Putin to rise from the KJB and on to run Russia of course he has those tendencies. He wouldn’t last a day without those tendencies.

Many politicians, CEOs, athletes etc must have a sliver of sociopath and Psychopath to succeed or excel.

There is an old saying. Paraphrasing. No one would know who Mahatma Gandhi was if he lived under Stalin. Instead of Great Britain

I don’t agree with this article 100%. He comes off as the majority that claim this condition is more rare and is always a defect. Many say that a certain level is helpful in some endeavors. And you may need one to make cold hard decisions. IE Who is given food if there isn’t enough to go around.

How many politicians are psychopaths?

Dark Triad traits are over-represented in positions of power. Are the halls of Congress and Parliament overrun with psychopaths?

www.forkingpaths.co

 

[YancyW]

The very best firearms forums, of every flavor, don't condone political sabotage on any level...for good reason.
Many (most of us) join to escape the incessant drumbeat of asinine partisan political commentary that pervades every aspect of our lives.
Respectfully, give it a rest...pretty please.
Spike

This is the single most civil political forum I post in, and I am part of many. You also have wider breadth of experiences and backgrounds on AH than you are going to find anyplace else. Many people on here are were/are at the top of their fields, when you add in an overall environment of respect, you get an incredible place to discuss the most important issue on a daily basis.

Add to that, if you are looking for a discussion on firearms, this is the wrong place.