@MrBing . If you read this congratulations on your career. We are all better with you making decisions. Hope you make flag.
I’m sure you credit the Cooler for sharpening your thinking skills.
Kelly on Trump
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I’m sure you credit the Cooler for sharpening your thinking skills.
NATO target is 2 percent of GDP and there are discussions about raising it to 2.5 or 3 percent. We're already at 3 percent and we might have to maintain it at that although it's already projected to go down to 2.5 percent in 10 years.
Woah. NATO is going to increase the target by 25-50%?
Everyone must be blowing past that 2% to warrant such an increase. Are they?
Yes they are currently at 2.7
Who’s at 2 percent? Look how NATO allies have increased their defense spending since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As NATO gathers for its summit in Washington, 23 of 32 allies now meet the 2 percent GDP defense spending target, highlighting a collective effort to strengthen the Alliance and support Ukraine.
www.atlanticcouncil.org
23 of 32 countries are expected to be 2 percent or more by the end of this year. Russia's invasion of Ukraine lit a fire under their asses. Especially the Eastern countries. Only a minority of the countries are pushing for a change to 2.5 so far and a few of those think it should be 3.
So long story short, we’re still subsidizing everyone. And Poland and the Baltics have upped their game because they’re scared.Yes they are currently at 2.7
Who’s at 2 percent? Look how NATO allies have increased their defense spending since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As NATO gathers for its summit in Washington, 23 of 32 allies now meet the 2 percent GDP defense spending target, highlighting a collective effort to strengthen the Alliance and support Ukraine.
Meanwhile Western Europe sits on their ass.
I don’t have any inclination to leave NATO. I also don’t see it as sacrosanct. If the time ever came where it made sense to leave (like in return for favorable terms in a Russia/ Ukraine ceasefire) I would.
Europe is essentially our trust fund child. We subsidize everything from their defense to prescription drugs. Their economies. In decay. Their cultures. In decay.
Better strengthen our relationship with Modi and Milei so we can have allies that are actually with a shit.
No. But European defense spending is largely only relevant to Europe. I don’t see much European presence in the South China Sea. Do they not use semiconductors? Of course they do. But they’re content to let us bare that cross.
Subsidization. Playing us for suckers. Trump is right.
That depends on the basis for criticism. I don’t want to generalize about generals, but I will say that every general who claims Trump is a Fascist is dumb. That includes Kelly. One even said that Trumps intention to destroy the deep state and engage in mass deportations proves he is a fascist.
Engaging in this kind of exaggerated name calling is not only stupid and petty strategic politics, it shows substantial ignorance about Fascism and Nazism.
We are in the closing days of the campaign and these Generals want to defeat Trump by ignoring the economy, the border, the wars, etc. and tell the public Trump is a fascist? Good grief.
A lot more than generals, ask Dan Coats and Mike Pence about Trump's authoritarian tendencies
Heck, ask Mas and DBM, that's what they want.
Trump is very authoritarian.
Trump didn’t govern as an authoritarian. All he did was shoot off his mouth, which he does often
On the other hand, the recent suit by the USA vs Virginia is authoritarian in real time.
This is complete bullshit and detached from reality. Trump had the perfect opportunity to be an authoritarian during Covid and instead deferred to an 80 year old midget. Biden was the authoritarian f#ck wad trying to mandate vaccines.
Be honest. It's not just the generals. It's basically everyone that interacted with him during his 1st admin, including his own VP, Chief of Staff, National Security Advisor, and much of his cabinet.
When this many one time allies tell you he's unfit for office, maybe one would be wise to listen. If this was a business, nobody would rehire such a CEO.
If it was a business nobody would rehire Harris either.
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Again, these guys could literally walk in on Trump on top of their wives in bed and still find a way to defend it. Brainwashed.
Is VMI at it again, or is this the 90 day cooling off period? We should require states to change their name after court cases to clear up confusion.
Assuming it is the 90 day, there is a law about a 90 day cooling off period before a federal election. Did Virginia violate it? I do not know, isn't that the role of a court? If they were violating, what would be the remedy come January? If they are not violating it, the court can expedite and VA can continue on. Anyone who does vote illegally would also be committing a federal crime and should be charged. With the press it has received it would take a foolhardy person to vote knowing they are on the list.
The problem is, and you know this as well as I, no purge is 100%. They have 14 days, who knows what events would prevent people from responding in that time frame. I know a lot of people who go to Europe longer than that.
If they checked they are a non resident, they receive a "driver privilege" license, not a Real ID. Virginia has an ID law, that license should in no way allow them to vote, even if they risked it.
I have no problem with removing ineligible voters. But there is that 90 day thing, it is there for a reason. That reason is not to remove legal voters after it is too late for them to fix it.
Not a rehire, she never had the job. But she's a poor candidate for it
lol…it has nothing to do with Trump. Democrats are miserable f#cks. I can’t stand you guys.
Close enough. The point is I don’t have unlimited choices. It’s Trump or Harris. The constant bullshit of trying to turn it into something else is stupid. It comes down to who you are more comfortable with. I hate Democrats and others hate Trump, end of story.
Engaging in this kind of exaggerated name calling is not only stupid and petty strategic politics, it shows substantial ignorance . . .
You typed that and it fits a certain unfit candidate for President exceptionally well.
Well unless you live in one of about 7 states your (and my) choice is irrelevant.
I'll take some advice on some good write in names, though
That’s debatable. I think he was unaccustomed to having to work in collaboration with a legislature to advance policy.
There’s a lot of talk about ditching the Senate filibuster to reduce the amount of compromise and consent to pass legislation - and we shouldn’t forget that Trump advocated for this before the Democrats did. McConnell thankfully told him to go fly a kite.
And I can believe that he has some envy for dictators who don’t have to do that messy kind of persuasion.
But he also made a good faith effort to pare back the regulatory state -- which is anti-authoritarian.
I was going to write in Daniels. I’ve always thought he’d make a great president. But since he’s retired from politics, I’m enthusiastically writing in somebody who isn’t even constitutionally eligible to hold the office…
![img]](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fiv1.lisimg.com%2Fimage%2F28400368%2F262full-javier-milei.jpg%2Fimg%5D&hash=898db5c8f3652b42ca84d9ded556582e)
#cocksmanI was going to write in Daniels. I’ve always thought he’d make a great president. But since he’s retired from politics, I’m enthusiastically writing in somebody who isn’t even constitutionally eligible to hold the office…
I like how whek you look at him too you have no idea what year it is. Love that man
For me, no one here can find any posts where I say Harris is a good candidate, or would make a good president. I appreciate Crazed who hates both but will vote Trump because he believes Harris is worse. I have the opposite conclusion but his overall take is correct.
My issue, and fear, are with those who legitimately believe Trump can do no wrong.
Harris may have those backers, I do not see them.
My choices are a woefully unprepared candidate or a senile old man with a severe narcissistic disorder who scams people for a living. I will take the woefully unprepared.
No need to debate. He was already President. Provide specifics examples of him being more of an authoritarian than Obama, Bush, or Biden.
I was going to write in Daniels. I’ve always thought he’d make a great president. But since he’s retired from politics, I’m enthusiastically writing in somebody who isn’t even constitutionally eligible to hold the office…
It's quite an experiment we're watching play out. I think he's on the right track.... But realistically he's done the easy part.
The hard part is getting it to hold in the coming years, long enough they can get to the other side. Their recession continues to deepen and definitely going to be a lot of pain for the lower classes. Making it through that politically long term will be a minefield
We could do that all day. And I never made any such comparison.
It’s authoritarian for Biden to seek putting hundreds of billions of dollars of student debt on the taxpayers’ bill without any statutory authority from Congress. Absolutely indefensible, for several reasons.
But Trump similarly sidestepped Congress by reallocating funds appropriated for defense to construction of border wall.
I completely agree. And tbh, I think the odds of success are probably against him.
But he’s done pretty well thus far, anyway. He’s just a total outlier among world leaders, though.
I’m agree and understand your reasoning for voting for Harris, but Trumpers are no different than liberals who think Democrats can do no wrong.
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None of what he wants to do will do anything but harm the longer term goals of any conservative, who's goals should be limiting executive power.
Greatly strengthening the power of the executive office - beyond how much it's already grown...just furthers the aims of future Dem administrations to also dictate via execution action.
I’m not voting for Trump. Been there, done that — and I’ll never cast another vote for him again.
And I’ve also never said that Harris was worse. I think they’re both bad…just for different reasons. And it’s not just about Trump’s temperament or character, either. He has some terrible policy positions and he had an atrocious fiscal record as president. And that’s my #1 priority.
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So, you agree Trump is no more of an authoritarian than previous Presidents?
Can’t disagree with that.
Although it’s not only executive power I’d like to see limited. I’d like to see general governmental power reined in.
Oh, I don’t know. It’s not a simple thing to evaluate.
I do think he has authoritarian impulses - as he’s spent his entire adult life having total control over his organizations, seems wholly unwilling to take advice or helpful criticism, thinks he can do everything better than anybody else, etc.
As to a comparison with other recent presidents, I honestly don’t know.
Previous or recent?
I mean FDR was certainly the most authoritarian President we've had in the last century, but it was crisis times so a lot of that gets a pass.
