Thoughts on the Trump presidency

[Ediswan]

The autopen wouldn't have noticed. But of course Trump doesn't use one of those...

Trump is a cyborg. His right arm has a 'signature' macro.

 

[ABB125]

Interesting move by the US...
BBC News - US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford base

US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford back to home stations

A statement says all bombers deployed to RAF Fairford have been "re-deployed to their home stations" in the US.

www.bbc.co.uk

The US has withdrawn all of its bombers from RAF Fairford, the British military base at the centre of an incident being investigated by counter terror police.

 

[Loppylugs]

Interesting move by the US...
BBC News - US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford base

US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford back to home stations

A statement says all bombers deployed to RAF Fairford have been "re-deployed to their home stations" in the US.

www.bbc.co.uk

Trumpy's run out of ammo!!

 

[Ediswan]

Interesting move by the US...
BBC News - US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford base

US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford back to home stations

A statement says all bombers deployed to RAF Fairford have been "re-deployed to their home stations" in the US.

www.bbc.co.uk

I am wondering whether the US asked for a civilian exclusion zone around the airfield and the UK refused. No evidence, just pondering.

 

[edwin_m]

I am wondering whether the US asked for a civilian exclusion zone around the airfield and the UK refused. No evidence, just pondering.

Probably all those bailed terrorists wandering around unsupervised. This video includes an interview on the incident with the head of counterterrorism policing, but rather unsurprisingly he can't say much about an ongoing operation.

 

[jon0844]

Probably all those bailed terrorists wandering around unsupervised. This video includes an interview on the incident with the head of counterterrorism policing, but rather unsurprisingly he can't say much about an ongoing operation.

Bailed terrorists? Was there evidence found to suggest they were/are terrorists? Was there sufficient evidence to detain them and charge them?

What would you charge them with, and if they are later found not guilty because of insufficient evidence, would they then be free to go after the court case failed? Would we have to possibly compensate them if things weren't done according to the law?

I have zero doubt there's a lot more to this story than we are being told, and ever will be told, and that feeds the conspiracy theorists as well as those who talk of 'two-tier policing', but I am still rather unsure how you can know they are terrorists.

 

[edwin_m]

Bailed terrorists? Was there evidence found to suggest they were/are terrorists? Was there sufficient evidence to detain them and charge them?

What would you charge them with, and if they are later found not guilty because of insufficient evidence, would they then be free to go after the court case failed? Would we have to possibly compensate them if things weren't done according to the law?

I have zero doubt there's a lot more to this story than we are being told, and ever will be told, and that feeds the conspiracy theorists as well as those who talk of 'two-tier policing', but I am still rather unsure how you can know they are terrorists.

Sorry, forgot to put that bit in cynical font.

 

[AlanRailer]

Trumpy's run out of ammo!!

I suspect Trump, through past Russian money bailout seized on that opportunity to further retreat from Europe.
His Iran incursions were there to promote Russian oil sales. Whatever, supporting Russia does seem to be his main priority, helping the US itself being of lower importance.

 

[najaB]

His Iran incursions were there to promote Russian oil sales. Whatever, supporting Russia does seem to be his main priority, helping the US itself being of lower importance.

I love a conspiracy as much as the next guy, but I find it difficult to believe that any benefit to Russia was a objective rather than an consequence. The US incursion into Iran was mostly, if not entirely, an Israeli-lead affair.

Bibi has been trying to get his war by peddling the "months away from a nuclear weapon" line for thirty years or more.

Every US president since Bush Sr has politely declined to get dragged in, but Trump et al were riding high on the adrenaline after the Venezuela operation and believed that a decapitation strike would cause Iran to fall in a few weeks.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Every US president since Bush Sr has politely declined to get dragged in, but Trump et al were riding high on the adrenaline after the Venezuela operation and believed that a decapitation strike would cause Iran to fall in a few weeks.

It's actually quite incredible how much of a failure this has been. Trump is effectively stuck: he can't commit more resources to Iran without causing even more damage to the Republicans in the midterms, yet if the job isn't finished now, a Democrat-controlled Congress will put a stop to it regardless.

Having said that, it also exposed the sheer weakness of the American military against cheap and mass produced drones. To expend a huge amount of Patriot missiles in this way was remarkably stupid, not least because they can't be replaced quickly or easily.

 

[jon0844]

The way Trump talks of destroying the Iranian military makes me wonder if he realises the size of the country. Then you think 'well of course he does, he can use a map', but then you have to correct yourself and question whether that's actually true.

 

[Annetts key]

It's actually quite incredible how much of a failure this has been. Trump is effectively stuck: he can't commit more resources to Iran without causing even more damage to the Republicans in the midterms, yet if the job isn't finished now, a Democrat-controlled Congress will put a stop to it regardless.

Having said that, it also exposed the sheer weakness of the American military against cheap and mass produced drones. To expend a huge amount of Patriot missiles in this way was remarkably stupid, not least because they can't be replaced quickly or easily.

Trump and his useless idiots (yes, I mean Pete Hegseth) learnt nothing from the war that Russia started against Ukraine. They appear to have taken very little notice of how drone warfare has developed.

And air power (with current conventional weapons technology, i.e. non-nuclear) alone can't win a war against a country like Iran.

In addition, Iran is a large country with features that make it easier to defend. So sending in ground forces is not going to help get you a quick win, or even any kind of win.

Trump and Hegseth also don't appear to understand how people react when their country is under attack. Again, not having learnt from past conflicts.

Even ignoring the Strait of Hormuz issue, the chances of the U.S. military action against Iran resulting in a regime change were fairly small.

Having a large military with so called superior / high-tech weapons does not mean that you will win or achieve your objectives. Again, a lesson from some previous wars.

The way Trump talks of destroying the Iranian military makes me wonder if he realises the size of the country. Then you think 'well of course he does, he can use a map', but then you have to correct yourself and question whether that's actually true.

Trump is not a details man. And he talks a lot twaddle. I also think that he lives in his own bubble, and as he surrounds himself with "yes (wo)men" he doesn’t see reality.

So of course he has no idea. He also does not appear to listen to advice. If he did understand, he would have not proceeded with the war against Iran. Rational, well informed leaders don't start wars that they have little chance of winning.

 

[BuhSnarf]

So of course he has no idea. He also does not appear to listen to advice. If he did understand, he would have not proceeded with the war against Iran. Rational, well informed leaders don't start wars that they have little chance of winning.

I think he does have the ability to listen to advice, this was seen in his first term where there were still some sensible advisors around and therefore a lot of his crazier ideas ended up never happening because people in the know talked him down by forcibly explaining why it was a bad idea. What has happened is that he doesn't like advice that doesn't align with his view and so eventually over time he's ended up creating a team of yes men like you say who don't push back when his ideas are crazy or harming towards the US or world as a whole.

Really, Trump needs to be treated like a teenager and that's what some of the more cunning people do to work him.

 

[edwin_m]

Trump is not a details man.

He is for things that don't matter much, like that the ballroom has to have Corinthian columns.

 

[The exile]

He is for things that don't matter much, like that the ballroom has to have Corinthian columns.

He’s not the first leader with excessive dreams of power to be obsessed with architecture!

 

[Strathclyder]

Interesting move by the US...
BBC News - US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford base

US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford back to home stations

A statement says all bombers deployed to RAF Fairford have been "re-deployed to their home stations" in the US.

www.bbc.co.uk

Regardless of the supposed reasoning behind this move and how long it actually ends up lasting, I personally hope they don't come back. They can sod off out of Lakenheath & Fylingdales as well while they're at it. But I know such a total and complete miltary and intellegence disentanglement is not going to happen anytime soon, if ever, for a whole host of reasons, much as that frustrates me. If I were Burnham though, I'd at least raise the spectre of it to put the wind up the Orange One, the Couch-Lover and Kegsbreath the next time they decide to let their tiny little brains shoot off about us being 'a nation that hasn't fought a war in 40 years'.

IMO, it would also be decent payback for the current US 'leadership' constantly denigrating, insulting and basically spitting on our armed forces personnel and what they sacrificed when we answered the USA's call in 2001: if we're such a an irrelevence, let's see how you get on in your next war of choice when we tell you to do one.

 

[The Ham]

Regardless of the supposed reasoning behind this move and how long it actually ends up lasting, I personally hope they don't come back. They can sod off out of Lakenheath & Fylingdales as well while they're at it. But I know such a total and complete miltary and intellegence disentanglement is not going to happen anytime soon, if ever, for a whole host of reasons, much as that frustrates me. If I were Burnham though, I'd at least raise the spectre of it to put the wind up the Orange One, the Couch-Lover and Kegsbreath the next time they decide to let they tiny little brains shoot off about us being 'a nation that hasn't fought a war in 40 years'.

IMO, it would also be decent payback for the current US 'leadership' constantly denigrating, insulting and basically spitting on our armed forces personnel and what they sacrificed when we answered the USA's call in 2001: if we're such a an irrelevence, let's see how you get on in your next war of choice when we tell you to do one.

I suspect that there's many with a similar view.

There was some data earlier in this thread which was showing that the US spending on defence was shrinking:

Well, Denmark was never going to allow Russia any access of any kind to Greenland anyway, that was kinda the point of the existing arrangements. Keeping in mind that it was the U.S.A. that chose to reduce it's military presence there to save money (so past U.S. administrations must not have considered that Greenland was under any serious threat from Russia) rather than them being asked to leave.

And China is not interested in invading Greenland or in mineral extraction.

Trump is and always has talked rubbish about Greenland and (well what he thinks is) the threat to it. This is and always has been about him wanting control so that he can say "it's mine" and "I got it" and try to make money from it. Never mind that the facts are, any mineral extraction is too costly for it to be profitable.

For the record, U.S. defence/military spending as a percentage of GDP is falling (predicted to be 2.8% of GDP in 2026). Although the amount spent in dollars is still huge.

View attachment 211838
Graph (image) above shows that since 2010 (when it was 4.6%), defence spending as a percentage of GDP has declined to a predicted amount of 2.8% of GDP in 2026, and is predicted to continue to fall in the coming years.

Figures and the above graph from https://www.pgpf.org/article/the-un...n-defense-than-the-next-6-countries-combined/

View attachment 211839

Graph (image) above shows that since 2010 (when it was 4.9%), defence spending as a percentage of GDP has declined to 3.4% of GDP in 2024.

Graph from the World Bank - https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=US

The figures are different between the two as they are using different data and methods. But the trend is clear. And demonstrates what a hypocrite Trump is when he demands that other NATO members spend more.

As such, there's definitely case that other NATO countries that could then complain that the USA isn't pulling it's weight and so why should they host their bombers/armies.

 

[Strathclyder]

I suspect that there's many with a similar view.

It's a view I've firmly held and believed in since the 'A little off the front lines' BS back in January, which royally pisses me off even now and I don't have any personal connection with any branch of the armed forces.

As such, there's definitely case that other NATO countries that could then complain that the USA isn't pulling it's weight and so why should they host their bombers/armies.

Could? They should imo. It's yet another perfect example of Trump's flaming hypocrisy and all the other NATO countries should start hammering him and his band of flying monkeys about it should they dare shoot their mouth off again about us not pulling our weight.

If they keep it up, evict their armies/bombers with 72 hours notice and any eqiupment they can't pack up and have to leave behind? It becomes the property of the host nation in question pending a possible sale to Ukraine. Yes, any such equipment would more likely amount to being little more than a token gesture as far as Ukraine is concerned, but it would send a clear message to both the Kremlin and the White House regardless.

 

[Annetts key]

It's a view I've firmly held and believed in since the 'A little off the front lines' BS back in January, which royally pisses me off even now and I don't have any personal connection with any branch of the armed forces.


Could? They should imo. It's yet another perfect example of Trump's flaming hypocrisy and all the other NATO countries should start hammering him and his band of flying monkeys about it should they dare shoot their mouth off again about us not pulling our weight.

If they keep it up, evict their armies/bombers with 72 hours notice and any eqiupment they can't pack up and have to leave behind? It becomes the property of the host nation in question pending a possible sale to Ukraine. Yes, any such equipment would more likely amount to being little more than a token gesture as far as Ukraine is concerned, but it would send a clear message to both the Kremlin and the White House regardless.

72 hours notice? No, do the same as Trump would do and declare that it's effective immediately.

 

[SargeNpton]

If they keep it up, evict their armies/bombers with 72 hours notice and any eqiupment they can't pack up and have to leave behind? It becomes the property of the host nation in question pending a possible sale to Ukraine. Yes, any such equipment would more likely amount to being little more than a token gesture as far as Ukraine is concerned, but it would send a clear message to both the Kremlin and the White House regardless.

Well that would be playing into the hands of those who would wish to destabilise NATO.

I would guess that the leaders of the other NATO members are trying not to do anything drastic in the short term, in the hope that the next US administration returns to some semblance of normality.

Evicting the US from its European bases now would definitely be a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.