Thoughts on the Trump presidency

[nw1]

It’s interesting, Iran didn’t shoot down these aircraft directly but it’s actively created the situation where it’s occurred.

Iran created the situation?

Who initiated the current conflict? Donald J. Trump, of course.

 

[scarby]

I read several comments on here that people will be shocked about what comes out about Trump in the future.

But the thing is, it already has come out - 28 women have accused him of abuse, including serious assaults, one included a civil case which found him guilty.

So 28 women have come forward - that's the ones that have spoken up.

Yet apparently he is bulletproof to all this. To charges that would have any regular person dismissed from their job and possibly facing criminal charges as well.

So he is one in a long line of leaders who have behaved absolutely appallingly in their personal conduct, going back to the likes of Commodus and no doubt before that as well.

However, it is 2026, not 226.

What I find most appalling, and which finally destroys what tiny shred of respect I might have for those in authority, is that politicians around the world don't condemn this. They should stand up and say that someone who has shown that sort of behaviour isn't welcome to visit their country and they want nothing to do with him.

It's disgusting.

 

[martin butler]

I read several comments on here that people will be shocked about what comes out about Trump in the future.

But the thing is, it already has come out - 28 women have accused him of abuse, including serious assaults, one included a civil case which found him guilty.

So 28 women have come forward - that's the ones that have spoken up.

Yet apparently he is bulletproof to all this. To charges that would have any regular person dismissed from their job and possibly facing criminal charges as well.

So he is one in a long line of leaders who have behaved absolutely appallingly in their personal conduct, going back to the likes of Commodus and no doubt before that as well.

However, it is 2026, not 226.

What I find most appalling, and which finally destroys what tiny shred of respect I might have for those in authority, is that politicians around the world don't condemn this. They should stand up and say that someone who has shown that sort of behaviour isn't welcome to visit their country and they want nothing to do with him.

It's disgusting.

Can you imagine the response of the right wing media, had say Downing street announced that the visit by Trump was cancelled, and that we were cutting all ties, They would have been apoplectic calling for the government to resign en mass, calling every minister a traitor, demanding the king build a scaffold and publicly hang draw and quarter every single labour MP, Install trumps best friend as dictator,

 

[EYFanatic]

I am sure he is covered by Treaty but is Trump technically allowed into the UK now he has a record?

 

[The exile]

I am sure he is covered by Treaty but is Trump technically allowed into the UK now he has a record?

By the looks of things, yes. No custodial sentence - although the “indication that he is a persistent offender” might apply.

 

[JamesT]

I am sure he is covered by Treaty but is Trump technically allowed into the UK now he has a record?

As long as he's declared it, having a criminal record is not necessarily a bar to entering the UK. The only criminal conviction he has is the one for falsifying records, where the sentence was a discharge (i.e. no fine or jail time). That would be the lowest category in terms of risk of refusal.
All the references I can see are to criminal record, so the civil convictions presumably don't count.

 

[EYFanatic]

By the looks of things, yes. No custodial sentence - although the “indication that he is a persistent offender” might apply.

Be funny as hell if Trump sets foot in the UK and gets nabbed by the Met and brought up in front of the magistrate the next morning after speaking to the duty brief at Paddington Green

Like I say, I am sure he'd be covered by treaty and diplo immunity, but all the same...

 

[Richard Scott]

Can you imagine the response of the right wing media, had say Downing street announced that the visit by Trump was cancelled, and that we were cutting all ties, They would have been apoplectic calling for the government to resign en mass, calling every minister a traitor, demanding the king build a scaffold and publicly hang draw and quarter every single labour MP, Install trumps best friend as dictator,

Really, don't think all of them would. Likely some of the press want to distance themselves from Trump; not as if he's a popular figure as far as UK populous is concerned?

 

[The exile]

Like I say, I am sure he'd be covered by treaty and diplo immunity, but all the same...

Since his offences are not (yet) ones covered by international courts, his position protects him. Not that he cared about such niceties when it came to Venezuela, of course.

 

[brad465]

Apparently we haven't seen nothing yet:

Israel launches new strikes on Iran as US identifies first American soldiers killed in conflict

The four US Army reserve soldiers were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait on Sunday, one day after the US and Israel began the operation.

www.bbc.co.uk

Trump tells CNN: 'Big wave' of Iran strikes yet to come
​

President Trump is due to speak in just a few minutes but earlier, he spoke to CNN anchor Jake Tapper for nine minutes over the phone, saying that the biggest wave of the Iran operation is yet to come.

"We’re knocking the crap out of them,” Trump has reportedly told Tapper. “I think it’s going very well. It’s very powerful. We’ve got the greatest military in the world and we’re using it."

He added: “We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”

Asked about how long the war might be, the US president said about a month. "I don’t want to see it go on too long. I always thought it would be four weeks. And we’re a little ahead of schedule," he said.

Iran's retaliatory attacks on neighbouring Arab countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been the "biggest surprise", Trump added.

"We were surprised,” he said. “We told them, ‘We’ve got this,’ and now they want to fight. And they’re aggressively fighting. They were going to be very little involved and now they insist on being involved.”

 

[Krokodil]

Iran's retaliatory attacks on neighbouring Arab countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been the "biggest surprise", Trump added.

Anyone on the forum want to put their hands up and say that they were surprised?

 

[Annetts key]

Apparently we haven't seen nothing yet:

Israel launches new strikes on Iran as US identifies first American soldiers killed in conflict

The four US Army reserve soldiers were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait on Sunday, one day after the US and Israel began the operation.

www.bbc.co.uk

“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”

Isn’t that similar wording to that used by the Russians regarding their attacks on Ukraine, that turned out to be 100% pure hype.

From a military perspective, for the most effective operations you (a) strike hard in your first attack (taking advantage of surprise), not a later (planned - see note) attack and (b) you never, ever advertise to your opponent on what you are doing next...

But then Trump the chump has no real understanding of military operations, never has a proper plan of his own and, well what more do I need to say, he's an idiot.

A larger attack may follow later if the assumptions made in planning the first attack are found to be incorrect, hence the later attack is taking account of new information. Or the military power used in the first attack was found to be insufficient and hence you are using your reserves to try to overcome the earlier problems.

 

[EYFanatic]

But then Trump the chump has no real understanding of military operations, never has a proper plan of his own and, well what more do I need to say, he's an idiot.

Trump thinks a military operation is a repeat broadcast of M*A*S*H

I can't wait to see his breakdown come mid-terms

 

[brad465]

Isn’t that similar wording to that used by the Russians regarding their attacks on Ukraine, that turned out to be 100% pure hype.

From a military perspective, for the most effective operations you (a) strike hard in your first attack (taking advantage of surprise), not a later (planned - see note) attack and (b) you never, ever advertise to your opponent on what you are doing next...

But then Trump the chump has no real understanding of military operations, never has a proper plan of his own and, well what more do I need to say, he's an idiot.

A larger attack may follow later if the assumptions made in planning the first attack are found to be incorrect, hence the later attack is taking account of new information. Or the military power used in the first attack was found to be insufficient and hence you are using your reserves to try to overcome the earlier problems.

The longer this drags on, the more desperate Trump will be for it to end, which means the more likely he is to do something even more stupid and massive than what's been done so far. For example, he might initiate bombing runs over Tehran and/or their oil shipping ports.

 

[Annetts key]

Anyone on the forum want to put their hands up and say that they were surprised?

No.

And further, I'm not a bit surprised that the orange idiot was surprised by what happened. Most people who know at least a little about the region know that any war in the region can quickly spread...

Iran was always going to attack any U.S. targets and allies in the area plus of course attack Israel.

It just goes to show how pathetic Trump is. He gets involved in things he knows little about, surrounds himself with idiots in his government, doesn’t listen to experts and makes a complete mess of things.

 

[Killingworth]

Look for what else is happening around the globe obscured by all attention on Iran.

You can bet Putin will look to profit. Curious how Trump respects him and Netanyahu so much.

 

[Gloster]

You can bet Putin will look to profit. Curious how Trump respects him and Netanyahu so much.

He admires strong, i.e. dictatorial, leaders but doesn’t have much interest in pointless things like democracy and human rights. Power and money are what turn him on and he admires others who hold the same attitudes.

 

[Falcon1200]

Any chance Gianni Infantino might ask DJT to hand back that FIFA Peace Prize ?

Mr Infantino is creating a new award as we speak, the FIFA War Prize. To be awarded to you know who at the World Cup Opening Ceremony....

 

[brad465]

Look for what else is happening around the globe obscured by all attention on Iran.

You can bet Putin will look to profit. Curious how Trump respects him and Netanyahu so much.

Putin will certainly value the increase in oil prices this latest conflict has caused. However, Russia have also been very reliant on Iranian drones in Ukraine, and Iran won't exactly be able to send as many to Russia if Iran have to use them themselves.

 

[AndrewE]

Look for what else is happening around the globe obscured by all attention on Iran.

You can bet Putin will look to profit. Curious how Trump respects him and Netanyahu so much.

I am wondering whether China is weighing up if it could get away with an invasion of Taiwan whilst the USA is so focussed on (and commmitted in) the Middle East...

 

[Annetts key]

Putin will certainly value the increase in oil prices this latest conflict has caused. However, Russia have also been very reliant on Iranian drones in Ukraine, and Iran won't exactly be able to send as many to Russia if Iran have to use them themselves.

The short term oil price may have gone up as may have the price of LNG. However, the higher oil price may not last as there is an excess of oil production world wide. And Russian crude is already trading at a substantial discount as Europe and India move away from Russian oil.

Also, the price of LNG is unlikely to stay at elevated levels, as spring is approaching in the important European markets. So demand will reduce.

So it's unlikely to help Russian finances much, which are in an increasing dire state.

 

[Ostrich]

King Charles is supposed to be visiting the USA next month as part of their 250th Celebrations.
I wonder if it would be wise for this to go ahead? Not the most brilliant of optics at the moment .....

 

[Gloster]

King Charles is supposed to be visiting the USA next month as part of their 250th Celebrations.
I wonder if it would be wise for this to go ahead? Not the most brilliant of optics at the moment .....

Kill two birds with one stone. Charles to have a diplomatic illness and Andrew to represent him instead.

 

[brad465]

Kill two birds with one stone. Charles to have a diplomatic illness and Andrew to represent him instead.

Uh I'd rather Andrew and Trump don't get together, otherwise they'll come up with alibis.

 

[AlterEgo]

I am wondering whether China is weighing up if it could get away with an invasion of Taiwan whilst the USA is so focussed on (and commmitted in) the Middle East...

Too early for China to do that. They are allegedly focused on post-2027.

 

[Krokodil]

King Charles is supposed to be visiting the USA next month as part of their 250th Celebrations.
I wonder if it would be wise for this to go ahead? Not the most brilliant of optics at the moment .....

Perhaps he should offer them the opportunity to become a colony again.

 

[martin butler]

Uh I'd rather Andrew and Trump don't get together, otherwise they'll come up with alibis.

Oh, I have got a much better idea, The king tells Harry, OK, yes you can be half in and out, but heres the deal, you're my representative for my visit to the US, and you, and your wife has to do what ever it takes to get a good deal from trump, fail, and your titles go,

 

[Railwaycat]

However, Russia have also been very reliant on Iranian drones in Ukraine, and Iran won't exactly be able to send as many to Russia if Iran have to use them themselves.

I understand they now make them under licence (and have improved the design).

 

[Cloud Strife]

I am wondering whether China is weighing up if it could get away with an invasion of Taiwan whilst the USA is so focussed on (and commmitted in) the Middle East...

China will never act based on short term geopolitical circumstances. This is their greatest strength: they will quite happily wait another 200 years, as the conditions aren't right for them to invade Taiwan. It's more likely that they're simply sitting there and taking notes about American military operations, while steadily increasing their influence abroad.

I can't wait to see his breakdown come mid-terms

The American public seem to be rather against this, as polls are suggesting that only 20-30% openly support military action. While the American electorate doesn't seem to be too bright, it's very possible that this will hurt the Republicans even more, especially among the "no war" MAGA crowd who will become disillusioned with yet another war started.

The most interesting thing to me is what happens if Iran simply refuses to surrender. America could find herself in a prolonged military campaign with no ability to end it, and Trump isn't the type to back down until he actually wins. And of course, Netanyahu needs a victory before the Israeli elections this year. It's very hard to imagine Iran surrendering in any way without a ground invasion, and there's no evidence that the Iran regime can be overthrown easily through an internal coup. In fact, Iran was quite sensible about how they built the state: it's not a state built on one ruler or one family, but a very complicated web of relationships that all depend on each other.

For what it's worth, I can see this war going on for as long as America's Arab allies can tolerate it.

 

[Gloster]

I am rather more concerned that Trump will get bored, and the US forces will stop the attacks and just distance themselves as much as possible. They will claim that they have taught Iran a lesson and given its people a chance to take the reins. Even Netanyahu may not be able to stop Trump doing this.

This will leave an appalling mess in the region and emboldened terrorists all over the place. Meanwhile the Iranian state apparatus will once again turn on its people.