Donald! Trump!

His defenCe secretary pick has promised not to get shitfaced while in the job. High standards indeed.

“Over the weekend, the New Yorker reported that Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was known to drink excessively. It quoted a former staffer at a veterans non-profit that he led saying: “I’ve seen him drunk so many times. I’ve seen him dragged away not a few times but multiple times. To have him at the Pentagon would be scary.”

The Hill reports that Hegseth told Roger Wicker, a Republican senator who will chair the armed services committee, that he will stay sober if he gets the defense secretary job. Speaking to reporters, Wicker said: “I think that’s probably a good idea.”

Who will protect us from advancing Russian aggression then? Not France, Not Germany either…

And based on the recent wargaming, we can’t protect them either – our military will be gone on 6 months apparently.

The world is looking an increasingly dangerous place.

I can easily see the US staying out of a European war.

In the same way that he was going to withdraw all US troops from Syria in 2019, “BRINGING OUR SOLDIERS BACK HOME”

This promptly sparked an assault on US-backed rebels, tore up a truce agreement and in the confusion dozens of ISIS prisoners escaped.

As C-in-C he oversaw the deployment of 14000 more troops to the middle-east to deter those waiting for the US power vacuum

PS the US still has a base in Syria at al-Tanf (established in March 2016, less than a year before his election)

Does anyone really think Russia that has failed so badly in Ukraine can attack europe? They wouldn’t stand a chance, I doubt they have enought tug boats to tow there decrepit navy around.

They will just continue to destabilise and cause trouble with propaganda and misinformation.

The right wing populist are revelling in the propaganda as they benefit from it, and the centrists are toothless and capitulating to it at every turn. We won’t be attacked militarily by russia, they will just tear us down from the inside as our Governments fail to address the problems.

And based on the recent wargaming, we can’t protect them either – our military will be gone on 6 months apparently.

I saw that, alarmist to say the least. I believe it used Russian meat grinder levels of attrition and it assumes Russia bypasses the rest of Europe and attacks the UK directly which is also a tiny bit implausible.

Does anyone really think Russia that has failed so badly in Ukraine can attack europe?

It absolutely can, either as a desperate last throw of the dice by a failing Putin, or as a follow-up to a Trump based appeasement deal in Ukraine.

Success for Russia probably looks very different to how you and I see it. But everyone will lose.

They will just continue to destabilise and cause trouble with propaganda and misinformation.

The right wing populist are revelling in the propaganda as they benefit from it, and the centrists are toothless and capitulating to it at every turn.

I can agree with you on that. If democratic nations had put as much effort into countering the misinformation and bots as Russia and it friends have, the world would look a different place. We’ve been behind the curve since we’ll before Brexit.

His defenCe secretary pick has promised not to get shitfaced while in the job. High standards indeed.

The email to Hegseth from hs mum is a sobering read

Son,

I have tried to keep quiet about your character and behavior, but after listening to the way you made Samantha feel today, I cannot stay silent. And as a woman and your mother I feel I must speak out..

You are an abuser of women — that is the ugly truth and I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.

I am not a saint, far from it.. so don’t throw that in my face,. but your abuse over the years to women (dishonesty, sleeping around, betrayal, debasing, belittling) needs to be called out.

Sam is a good mother and a good person (under the circumstances that you created) and I know deep down you know that. For you to try to label her as “unstable” for your own advantage is despicable and abusive. Is there any sense of decency left in you? She did not ask for or deserve any of what has come to her by your hand. Neither did Meredith.

I know you think this is one big competition and that we have taken her side… bunk… we are on the side of good and that is not you. (Go ahead and call me self-righteous, I dont’ care)

Don’t you dare run to her and cry foul that we shared with us… that’s what babies do. It’s time for someone (I wish it was a strong man) to stand up to your abusive behavior and call it out, especially against women

We still love you, but we are broken by your behavior and lack of character. I don’t want to write emails like this and never thought I would. If it damages our relationship further, then so be it, but at least I have said my piece. [Redacted]

And yes, we are praying for you (and you don’t deserve to know how we are praying, so skip the snarky reply)

I don’t want an answer to this… I don’t want to debate with you. You twist and abuse everything I say anyway. But… On behalf of all the women (and I know it’s many) you have abused in some way, I say… get some help and take an honest look at yourself…

Mom

The only way that Russia could really attack Europe would be to launch a nuclear first strike but they know that Britain and France have nuclear deterrents so Russia would be devastated even if the U.S. didn’t join in. Putin’s goal is to make Russia into a world power again, not to see it incinerated.

Russia doesn’t have the conventional capability to defeat Ukraine, let alone go through Poland, Germany, and France in order to get to Britain. They can’t ship troops out through the Black Sea and Mediterranean because Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Spain are all NATO members and trying to launch an amphibious operation from the Baltic would be just as futile. That leaves sailing from Murmansk through the artic or from Vladivostok down through the Pacific and Indian Oceans, around Africa, and then attacking from the south. So, no, Russia doesn’t have the capacity to attack Europe except by launching a suicidal nuclear strike.

Russia is attacking Europe, and has been doing so for decades. What constitutes an “attack” has changed.

rubbish – its just defending itself from that orrible nato

centrists are toothless

As are the leftist

I didn’t include the “left” because I am not aware of any “leftist” party in power in Europe at the moment or in recent history.

Yep that’s the problem, toothless as a result of not gaining enough support from the respective electorates.

President-elect Donald Trump wastes no time getting down to business in the Middle East.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-saudi-arabia-hotels-b2661211.html

It might not bring lasting peace, or even temporary peace, but it should bring in big fat profits and that’s what really matters. To Donald Trump.

“Following the remarkable success of Trump International Oman, as well as our most recent ventures in Dubai and Jeddah, we are thrilled to announce two additional projects in Riyadh,” Eric Trump, the president-elect’s son who oversees the company’s real estate interests, said in a statement.