Trump President saga, it begins

[ikarl]

B'stard Child said:

brenflys777 said:

powerstroke said:

What will licking their arses achieve ????

An attempt to ingratiate themselves into the Pacific Rim?

That was taken way too seriously

Agreed. Brilliant one-liner

[brenflys777]

B'stard Child said:

brenflys777 said:

powerstroke said:

What will licking their arses achieve ????

An attempt to ingratiate themselves into the Pacific Rim?

That was taken way too seriously

Yes. It was very much tongue in cheeks.

[B'stard Child]

brenflys777 said:

B'stard Child said:

brenflys777 said:

powerstroke said:

What will licking their arses achieve ????

An attempt to ingratiate themselves into the Pacific Rim?

That was taken way too seriously

Yes. It was very much tongue in cheeks.

Stop it - please

[brenflys777]

B'stard Child said:

Stop it - please

I won't dwell on it. For Cameron it represented an uphill struggle that turned out to be his Annus Horribilis.

Edited by brenflys777 on Sunday 4th December 10:29

[Mr Tracy]

powerstroke said:

John145 said:

A Chinese superpower is not good for Europe or the USA, why it has been tolerated for so long is beyond me.

Tolerated !!!! our politiicians have been licking their arses !!! ,while tuning a blind eye to human rights abuses , envromental destrucion , animal cruelty and invading islands in the south china sea
Its high time someone treated them with the contempt they richly deserve ....

Yeah! oh and you forgot borrowing money. Our/your politicians like to that too, US owes them over a trillion. Oh maybe that's why its tolerated

[rodericb]

Countdown said:

And the U.S. have elected a President who doesn't give a 5hit about human rights abuses, environmental destruction,animal cruelty, or bombing innocent people.

I say, you seem to have your wires crossed - Clinton didn't win the presidency...

[Hilts]

brenflys777 said:

Hilts said:

brenflys777 said:

Genuine quote from the new Trump choice for Sec Def:

“I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fk with me, I’ll kill you all.”

Not said in a bar, or in a lockeroom, but whilst trying to avoid unnecessary death on the battlefield.

Nice meaningless soundbite.

Anyone know where this was applicable, Vietnam? Grenada? Iraq? Afghanistan?

After the successful invasion of Iraq. Mattis was a strong critic of the failure to plan for what followed, as this hopefully useful quote highlights:

"None of the widely touted new technologies and weapons systems "would have helped me in the last three years [in Iraq and Afghanistan]. But I could have used cultural training [and] language training. I could have used more products from American universities [who] understood the world does not revolve around America and [who] embrace coalitions and allies for all of the strengths that they bring us."

'I come in peace.'

After bombing the st out of your country.

The US created the insurgency in Iraq and the only way they reduced the number of attacks was by getting most of the insurgents on the payroll. Mattis' cultural and language training would've made a great powerpoint presentation but done nothing in reality.

As I said a meaningless soundbite. He's correct about waterboarding though.

[brenflys777]

Hilts said:

As I said a meaningless soundbite. He's correct about waterboarding though.

Any American potential Sec Def who as a General suggests that his troops need to understand the world doesn't revolve around America, represents a welcome improvement in my view.

I've never served in the military, but if I were to do so I'd want someone like him who tries to avoid conflict, values his soldiers lives and plans thoroughly to avoid failure. He doesn't seem like a sound bite person to me, just someone who's attitude is worth quoting.

[loose cannon]

So the us have been trading arms with Taiwan for years, and at no point has any us president
Had a phone conversation with the Taiwanese president

[Mr Tracy]

loose cannon said:

So the us have been trading arms with Taiwan for years, and at no point has any us president
Had a phone conversation with the Taiwanese president

Well they may have, they just didn't tweet about it after

Its the delicious tweeting thats gonna keep us all in lolz for many years to come

[cayman-black]

rodericb said:

I say, you seem to have your wires crossed - Clinton didn't win the presidency...

LOL. some are confussed

[Countdown]

So, who benefits if the US gets into a bhfight with the Chinese?

[Jasandjules]

If he does some of the things he has said about, there are a few houses of cards which are going to fall. I can't wait.

[Europa1]

Tryke3 said:

So you think its OK for Trump, the leader of the free world to tweet that actually it was taiwanese that called first ? LOL deluded but because you called me a hater I can see your either very old and you shouldnt be on the internet because you might loose your saving or you are very young and should be shopping with mummy instead of talking around adults

My cat is more up to date with current affairs than the whole Trump administration, there was no need to justify himself in front of the Chinese. He just looks weak, its not fantastic or beautiful, the Russians and the Chinese will wipe the floor with him

If you must attempt to come over as superior by referring to "talking around adults", at least learn to spell like an adult.

[R8Steve]

brenflys777 said:

Hilts said:

As I said a meaningless soundbite. He's correct about waterboarding though.

Any American potential Sec Def who as a General suggests that his troops need to understand the world doesn't revolve around America, represents a welcome improvement in my view.

I've never served in the military, but if I were to do so I'd want someone like him who tries to avoid conflict, values his soldiers lives and plans thoroughly to avoid failure. He doesn't seem like a sound bite person to me, just someone who's attitude is worth quoting.

He doesn't really sound like the kind of person to try to avoid conflict in other quotes.

“You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually it’s quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there with you. I like brawling.”

[Tonsko]

R8Steve said:

brenflys777 said:

Hilts said:

As I said a meaningless soundbite. He's correct about waterboarding though.

Any American potential Sec Def who as a General suggests that his troops need to understand the world doesn't revolve around America, represents a welcome improvement in my view.

I've never served in the military, but if I were to do so I'd want someone like him who tries to avoid conflict, values his soldiers lives and plans thoroughly to avoid failure. He doesn't seem like a sound bite person to me, just someone who's attitude is worth quoting.

He doesn't really sound like the kind of person to try to avoid conflict in other quotes.

“You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually it’s quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there with you. I like brawling.”

But also likes reading, and appears to not be afraid to disagree with Trump.

"Here's what he wrote, on Nov. 20, 2003:

"… The problem with being too busy to read is that you learn by experience (or by your men’s experience), i.e. the hard way. By reading, you learn through others’ experiences, generally a better way to do business, especially in our line of work where the consequences of incompetence are so final for young men.

Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed (successfully or unsuccessfully) before. It doesn’t give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead."

http://uk.businessinsider.com/general-james-mattis...

ETA: Thanks to brenflyss for highlighting this guy. Actually gives me a lot of confidence for the defence situation. I thought war with China was more or less guaranteed, especially after reading this Atlantic article: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/...

But this fellow looks like a sure pair of hands, and not afraid to disagree with Trump. Already instrumental in convincing him to not bring back waterboarding it seems.

He is most definitely not a 'remf'.

Edited by Tonsko on Monday 5th December 13:25

[joshcowin]

Why is the waterboarding issue such a thing? its popped up here a few times. I cannot imagine it is the worst thing happening to people being detained by the US government!!? I think it is horrendous but I am not shocked by it!

[Tonsko]

joshcowin said:

Why is the waterboarding issue such a thing? its popped up here a few times. I cannot imagine it is the worst thing happening to people being detained by the US government!!? I think it is horrendous but I am not shocked by it!

It's more that Trump wanted it back and his Sec Def was one of the guys to stop him. For me anyway. I knew nothing about this Mattis. I know a bit more now, and he actually seems like a genuine person.

Edited by Tonsko on Monday 5th December 13:36

[joshcowin]

Tonsko said:

joshcowin said:

Why is the waterboarding issue such a thing? its popped up here a few times. I cannot imagine it is the worst thing happening to people being detained by the US government!!? I think it is horrendous but I am not shocked by it!

It's more that Trump wanted it back and his Sec Def was one of the guys to stop him. For me anyway. I knew nothing about this Mattis. I know a bit more now, and he actually seems like a genuine person.

Edited by Tonsko on Monday 5th December 13:36

But this man is in charge of arguably the most powerful nation in the world and we are talking about a technique used to interrogate people, surely this is the least of everyone's worries!!

[Tonsko]

joshcowin said:

But this man is in charge of arguably the most powerful nation in the world and we are talking about a technique used to interrogate people, surely this is the least of everyone's worries!!

I can see where you're coming from, but the devil is in the detail really - you can get a feel from this (and other things the retired General says and does) - he's an honourable man, exceptionally well read, a good thinker, (everything that Trump allegedly isn't) and yet is also willing to stand up to Trump on matters that he deems important.

Another one of Mattis' beliefs is that Putin wants to break up NATO... so can see him moderating Trump on his attitude to Putin. It gives a little ray of sun, nothing more. But that's better than, if you'll indulge me a little, the the black stormcloud that was previously on the horizon.