Trump is not offering peace in Ukraine

[Alexis Jacobi]

Flash, did you write that all by yourself?!

[Alexis Jacobi]

…it pretty much dictated to other countries how it want [ed] to be treated. And no, it wasn't treated badly anyway. It's highly dishonest and pathetic for the US to suddenly say that it has been treated badly by everyone.

Those sorts of exaggerations are, frankly, typical of demagoguery, are they not?

demagoguery - impassioned appeals to the prejudices and emotions of the populace

I agree that it is dishonest (or likely so) but I do not agree with the term pathetic. Trump, in his bizarre, chaotic way, is working a strategy.

Power-politics, isn’t that the concept you recently mentioned?

[Atla]

The US has been the top political, military presence on the planet for many decades, possibly the richest country, it pretty much dictated to other countries how it wants to be treated. And no, it wasn't treated badly anyway. It's highly dishonest and pathetic for the US to suddenly say that it has been treated badly by everyone. ("everyone"??) Since you don't have much going upstairs, you would adopt this Trumpian dishonesty. The US only makes itself look small with this behaviour.

I refer to how Trump sees things, which is really what counts.

Step out of fruitless argumentative mode, Atla. Try to understand things.

Then, later, you can bitch and moan, shed tears, stomp, etc.

But I do understand things. Except I'm not limited to the American perspective.

[Alexis Jacobi]

Fully understood, and quite frankly necessary from your perspective.

[Alexis Jacobi]

[I edited the post 2 above.]

[Atla]

…it pretty much dictated to other countries how it want [ed] to be treated. And no, it wasn't treated badly anyway. It's highly dishonest and pathetic for the US to suddenly say that it has been treated badly by everyone.

Those sorts of exaggerations are, frankly, typical of demagoguery, are they not?

demagoguery - impassioned appeals to the prejudices and emotions of the populace

I agree that it is dishonest (or likely so) but I do not agree with the term pathetic. Trump, in his bizarre, chaotic way, is working a strategy.

Power-politics, isn’t that the concept you recently mentioned?

Well then me punching my friends in the face can also be part of a strategy.

[FlashDangerpants]

Flash, did you write that all by yourself?!

Yes, why would you ask that?

[Alexis Jacobi]

Well then me punching my friends in the face can also be part of a strategy.

Indeed you are right: it definitely can.

[Alexis Jacobi]

Flash, did you write that all by yourself?!

Yes, why would you ask that?

To keep up a tradition.

[FlashDangerpants]

Flash, did you write that all by yourself?!

Yes, why would you ask that?

To keep up a tradition.

I kept it as short as I could while making sure to properly enrage veggie by defending Thatcher and Reagan against your alt-right assault. THis should feed her cluster B personality situation for a good long while.

[phyllo]

Well then me punching my friends in the face can also be part of a strategy.

Indeed you are right: it definitely can.

Experience shows that it's not a good strategy.

[accelafine]

When two countries are squabbling with each other the only thing the rest of the world should do is let them squabble it out. When other countries start poking their big fat snouts in that's how we end up with a World War and in the present day that means nuclear annihilation.
Trump has no 'peace' to 'offer'. He was right to give Zelensky a humiliating knee to his macho groin (if for all the wrong reasons).
Everyone's such an effing 'expert' on this. The only indicator that one side is 'wrong' is the fact that wokies ALL display their little Ukraine flags, invariably placed next to their 'free plasticine' one, so that in itself is a red flag to let everyone know that Russia must have something going for it in this. I don't know what and don't care. Pro-plasticine virtue-signalling is a foolproof indicator of a moronic know-nothing. Everyone else needs to butt the f out. If 'people are dying now' then there's going to be a whole lot more dying after a nuclear winter!

[attofishpi]

..prolly a good thing, it's getting a bit warm.

[Alexiev]

Trump may or may not bring peace to the Ukraine. But it does seem he'll drive us into recession with his idiotic tariffs. I though the Republicans supported free trade.

Here, dear Alexiev, I think you reveal some misunderstanding and misperception. Like it or not Donald Trump, if understood through the Steve Bannon lens, is not a Republican but a populist. Trump “did a number” on the Republican Party and — insofar as they are “establishment” — they loath and resent him.

The concept behind Trump’s tariffs is (according to the argument which I am personally not qualified to assess) to bring businesses and industry back to the United States. It stands to reason and to intuition that this would necessitate the implementation of a radical policy that could not be else but painful (?) at the start.

I have watched some “experts” who have made the case that a policy of tariffs could, perhaps ultimately, create larger benefits in the long run than the short-term pain which will (?) certainly manifest.

The Republicans, if my researches into Reaganomics are correct (reduced taxes, and a free-market policy championed, for example, by the Wall Street Journal during that decade) is precisely what dismantled America’s industrial base and “shipped it to China”. The damage this class of “globalists” did was enormous.

From this perspective Reagan, though popular, and presented as a “gold standard” of the American presidency, did a great deal of harm to the American social body.

I have no way (that I can trust) to assess Trump’s radically bold policy moves in these specific areas. Will his policies, and this supposed populism be coopted by extraordinarily powerful interests? That seems likely given the history.

Bosh. In 2024 the U.S. exported $174b and imported $274b. This supposed trade deficit is irrelevant and misunderstood. Importing cheap components supports American manufacturing. Major U.S. corporations depend on foreign labor and would be hurt without it. Nike, the biggest corporation in my home state of Oregon, depends on foreign sweat shops. U.S. manufacturing can't compete-- especially if there's a crackdown on immigration. However, U.S. corporations and their employees can benefit.

Besides, what moral value is there in supporting well-off Americans and harming actual poor people?

Of course Tump fancies himself (or presents himself as) a populist. But is he one? Are his tax cuts for the rich, his racism, and his palling up with Musk and Bezos forms of populism? Or are they elitist?

Trump is an isolationist-- which, at least, may prevent entanglement in foreign wars. But isolation from a global economy will hurt us in the long and short run. Our imports exist because we want to buy stuff; our exports because we want to sell stuff. Tariffs will reduce imports and exports, and hurts us in both ways.

[Alexis Jacobi]

It is quite possible you are right on a few things. Also possible that you are deranged. You said you’re from Oregon. Nevertheless you have wonderful taste in literature. What do you think of Korolenko?