I quite like this from Angela Merkel in offering her congratulations:
"Germany and America are bound together by values - democracy, freedom, respecting the rule of law, people's dignity regardless of their origin, the colour of their skin, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views,"
"On the basis of these values, I am offering to work closely with the future President of the United States Donald Trump".
Time to remind someone else of their election pledge:
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Bye then!
slowoldman - ironic that Merkel should say all that, including sexual orientation, when flatly refusing to even entertain the idea of equal marriage...
Rachel
[I]What @mickey says. The US had to be dragged into WW2 in Europe by Churchill, there is a very real sense in the US that the rest of the world expects them to be the military police (3.6% gdp spend on defence) and then spends the whole time whinning about their involvement. I strongly suspect if/when the US scales back it's intervention those complaining now will be shouting even more loudly about human rights abuses etc. I have posted before I think our defense spending should be more like 3% than 2%[/I]
It's not as simple as that, one reason the USA spends so much on 'defence' is the cost of its Veterans Programmes (healthcare, college etc), also their weapons programmes are manufacturer driven since the only countries nearer them technology-wise are their allies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military%E2%80%93industrial_complex
Worth a read.
Also Churchill only wanted them on our side so we defeat Germany, he understood the manufacturing capacity available.
one reason the USA spends so much on 'defence' is the cost of its Veterans Programmes
Amateurs, they should just sell a few poppies.
All this doom mongering and dread tiding. Has anyone read any U.S forums today? makes for a much more interesting experience than here which is little more than an echo chamber.
Plus, y'all musta forgot, Ted Cruz was considered the favorite to be the Republican candidate. Literally a religious nut job. A flat earth creationist. A man who's father is a self proclaimed "Dominionist" who is on record as saying his son was a "Christian king" who was anointed to preside over an "end-time transfer of wealth" from wicked people to the righteous. He also brought pastor Kevin Swanson on campaign with him and attended rallies where Swanson discussed the possibility of rounding up and executing homosexuals.
Given how un likeable Hillary is, I'd say the world has actually dodged a bullet.
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Has anyone read any U.S forums today?
I don't know any....
We knew it was coming... 🙂
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We knew it was coming...
Now that does make you think.
What is going to happen to the lawsuits against him, Trump University and the other 74 ongoing legal actions?
Jamba you are truly pitiful, Clinton is corrupt??? how can you say that with zero truth apart from your own vague notions about the Clinton foundation.
I was going to post about the Trump quote being false, and then I remembered we are in a post-fact society so it doesn't matter anymore.
Not actually true though epicyclo:
> http://www.snopes.com/1998-trump-people-quote/
/p>
And that's an issue. Spreading lies about Trump may have seemed like karma, but it gave credence to the idea that people were conspiring against him and cast doubt on the stories that were actually true*
*as far as we know
Jamba you are truly pitiful, Clinton is corrupt??? how can you say that with zero truth apart from your own vague notions about the Clinton foundation.
If she wasn't corrupt, she would've won. She didn't win, therefore she's corrupt.
Obvs.
Please don't post made up facts and quotes. Be better than that.
Obvs.
Thanks for translating I don't seem able to speak Jambalese
also... she's not Trump, and therefore corrupt.
http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election-russia-putin-idUSR4N1D800D?c?
I wonder what deal they've cooked up across that private network link over the past few weeks?
I'm going to guess; Trump neuters NATO, and turns a blind eye to Putin's expansionism?
Not sure anyone has said this yet, but
Congratulations Donald - you pulled off the big one
😉
Interesting quote on radio this morning from a US journalist "The establishment didn't take him seriously and took every he said at face value. The people that voted for him took him seriously and largely ignored what he said"
suburbanreuben - Member
I have posted before I think our defense spending should be more like 3% than 2%
BAe and Cobham, amongst others, are going large...
Yup - if there's one thing that helps push defence shares up......
Bit conflicted - not happy Trump has won, but as a shareholder and employee........
A
+1 Well Done Donald
Now reopen the Clinton [s]whitewash[/s] investigation and lock her up.
Interesting quote on radio this morning from a US journalist "The establishment didn't take him seriously and took every he said at face value. The people that voted for him took him seriously and largely ignored what he said"
True, IMHO.
Clinton would have been far better IMHO but I suspect Trump's Presidency will be as benign and impotent as Obama's.
These guys don't have the freedom to act we all imagine.
Not sure anyone has said this yet, butCongratulations Donald - you pulled off the big one
Don't know... it's put paid to the next four series of 'The Apprentice'
Supposedly its being replaced by 'He's a Mexican, get him out of here'
Lock U
Her S
UP A
Clinton would have been far better IMHO but I suspect Trump's Presidency will be as benign and impotent as Obama's.
I'm not sure that's true as he has control of the house of representatives and the senate. Unlike Obama
"The only reason I'm afraid of going to New York is the very real risk that I might meet Donald Trump" - Boris Johnson.
"@clod I agree with your sentiments on Clinton. We all felt Trump couldn't win a year ago but the fact is Clinton is so corrupt and dishonest she was no match for him."
You may well agree with me, but I really don't think you actually understand my 'sentiments'.
When it comes to corruption, Trump is many, many leagues ahead of Hilary, who is a saint by comparison. But that's not what it's about; Hilary wasn't offering the 'change' that so many US citizens clearly crave (without actually knowing what sort of 'change they really want). Trump is like Farage on steroids; make loads of empty and unfulfillable promises, appeal to people's base fears and paranoia, and make them believe you symbolise that sense of defiance and opposition they'd so like to be themselves. A bit like a drunk thinking they can take on the world.
But Trump isn't interested in what those who voted for him want (bar a very tiny minority of very wealthy elitists just like himself); he's interested in only one thing: Donald Trump.
Far too many people in the USA are very, very ignorant and poorly educated. Keeping people so ignorant is a very effective way of getting them to agree with things they don't understand. Brexit proved this.
Trump will be opposed at every turn, including by his own party. He's nowhere near actually running the show, he knows this, and the people that actually are, know this too. He'll be given a certain amount of leeway, but nothing more. But that won't bother him; he'll have been POTUSA, and his ego will live on throughout history.
But the possible side effect of this will be that he's made the USA a laughing stock already, and will significantly damage it's global standing. Which is a good thing. Unless you're a US citizen (or the inhabitants of whatever nation/s will be the inevitable victim of his own bout of sabre-rattling).
These guys don't have the freedom to act we all imagine.
While I agree with this sentiment, the feeling is that he can cause enough trouble with the 'minor' changes he can make and a few Prince Phillip style buffoon moments.
He also has over promised and raised expectations. This will likely lead to much frustration.
[s]Thankfully 'merica is not an armed country with a history of violence.[/s]
It was the independents that cost Clinton this, or at least that's where the undecideds strayed towards.
Trump's total votes are hardly any different from the last three election totals for the republicans.
However, the independent vote varied between 1% to 1.6% over the previous three. This time round it's jumped to 4.8%. That's a huge change.
I'm not sure that's true as he has control of the house of representatives and the senate. Unlike Obama
I think you'll find the house of representatives and the senate have control of him!
Hopefully this is a wake up call to the rest of the world politicians.
Incoming elections in France and I would hope that we won't follow UK and US lead in voting stupidity.
The UK have not voted stupidity.
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You never know, he may surprise us
wrecker - Member
The UK have not voted stupidity.
You missed off in your opinion, however almost half the UK population think you are wrong.
It's OK, there are still 10 weeks or so before he takes office. Plenty time for a massive stroke or heart failure or some other 'natural cause' to take him out.
Here's hoping anyway.
You missed off in your opinion, however almost half the UK population think you are wrong.
Over half agree, and I didn't see you pulling up chris2lou for not stating "in his/her opinion" as most haven't when referring to brexit.
I hate Trump, but I won't be sad if he can accelerate the demise of the EU as an administrative organisation.
Most brits don't grasp how important the yanks take freedom of speech, and neither did Clinton when she supported the 'safe space' SJW ass hats.
" however almost half the UK population think you are wrong."
Given that only about what, a quarter of all UK citizens actually voted for Brexit, I'd say it's likely a lot more than half the population think the Brexiters were stupid...
And a hell of a lot more people globally would agree.
Except 52% of those who didn't vote would have voted out. That or really couldn't care less.
"Except 52% of those who didn't vote would have voted out."
No;
""That or really couldn't care less."
More like it.
Doesn't matter. We're leaving. Unlucky.
It was the independents that cost Clinton this, or at least that's where the undecideds strayed towards.
Agreed. IMO this is because of the appalling nature of Clinton as a candidate. Had the Libertarian voters moved to Clinton she would have won Florida for example.
@cchris yup hopefully they have been ignoring voters legitimate concerns. Did you see the tweet from the senior PS guy (forgot his name sorry) ? Excuse my translation
"This is a wake up call to the left. We must change our direction (abandon our pet projects) or Le Penn will be Presdient"
Interesting comment from Merkel who has admitted her refugee policy has been a mistake and is in the process of passing a law to ensure EU citizens cannot claim unemployment benefits until they have been working in Germany for 5 years.
Given that only about what, a quarter of all UK citizens actually voted for Brexit
Are you counting babies and children ? Referendum was the largest democratic excersize ever held in the UK
I hate Trump, but I won't be sad if he can accelerate the demise of the EU as an administrative organisation.
This. Did you aee Farage is angling to be the US representative to the EU in Brussels 🙂
Doesn't matter. We're leaving. Unlucky.
🙂 🙂 🙂 It's like the speech you get before a big sports match, give it your all, don't put yourself in a situation where you are full of regret afterwards. Remain just did not do enough to win. We should stay and reform (as its cr@p) isn't a winning tagline.
Nearly everything is complicated and nuanced when you micro analyse it.Take a hammer hitting a thumb. There are likely to be numerous imperfections on the surface of the hammer. An infinite number of possible angles and skin/bone/nail interactions. But the salient point is that the hammer hits the thumb and knowing the equation for every part of the blinding pain that is likely to follow is not really helpful. It still hurts, a lot.
I appreciate the analogy, but it only works if there is underlying evidence to support the contention. In this case, it turns out that the majority of poor Americans supported Clinton. Trump was elected by the white and wealthy.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/09/white-voters-victory-donald-trump-exit-polls
