The 2024 Presidential Race Thread

[vantexan]

Somehow I feel that today’s MAGA party wouldn’t even support the Marshall Plan.

Somehow I feel that today's weapons wouldn't leave much to rebuild.

 

[Next Day Err]

All Biden got for unfreezing the funds were a couple of hostages, he's a poor negotiator.
Trump is a skilled negotiator and would have gotten the hostages back for much less.
Keep those old debunked tales of collusion with Russia, if you must but they are useless for talking points.

Can’t prove a counterfactual. We also can’t discount the possibility of unpublished aspects of the unfreezing of Iranian funds that were negotiated via back channeling.

Foreign policy is led by POTUS but it’s American “deep state” that does much of the work. And that has stayed pretty consistent through post-war American history for 75 years.

 

[Next Day Err]

Somehow I feel that today's weapons wouldn't leave much to rebuild.

We’re going to find out the answer to that question if we don’t send an unmistakable message to our rivals vis-à-vi Ukraine funding. This cancer will metastasize if Russia and China sense weakness.

 

[Wally]

In 2006 NATO defense ministers agreed to commit a minimum of 2% of their countries GDP towards defense spending to insure the Alliance's military readiness. In 2023 11 members(out of 31) were expected to meet that goal. Germany, the biggest economy in Europe, was estimated at 1.57%. Poland was tops at 3.9% of GDP and U.S. was second at 3.49% but our GDP is much higher than any other country.

Way too low. Welfare.

 

[Next Day Err]

Way too low. Welfare.

Let’s just let Russia attack Belgium and Spain, then. Actually, let’s “encourage” it!

 

[Wally]

Let’s just let Russia attack Belgium and Spain, then. Actually, let’s “encourage” it!

We're broke. They should be more than happy to ante in.

 

[Next Day Err]

We're broke. They should be more than happy to ante in.

We all will be a lot more broke if Russia gets its way. But anyway, let’s “encourage” global instability and put on this tough guy act with Trump’s second grader’s understanding of foreign policy and mutual defense strategy.

Spain, Belgium and the United States all have 100%+ debt-to-income. That’s not the whole picture.

 

[PT Car Washer]

We're broke. They should be more than happy to ante in.

Not broke. The US is the richest country in the world with the strongest economy in the world.

 

[Wally]

Biden's weakness is the problem. Too senile.

 

[PT Car Washer]

Biden's weakness is the problem. Too senile.

Republican talking point. Just like the coming someday recession.

 

[Next Day Err]

Not broke. The US is the richest country in the world with the strongest economy in the world.

Republicans HATE this fact because they actually hate America and what it actually stands for.

 

[Wally]

In less than five years, interest payments on the debt will exceed what we spend on national defense. By 2033, interest payments will be the third most expensive federal program.

 

[vantexan]

We’re going to find out the answer to that question if we don’t send an unmistakable message to our rivals vis-à-vi Ukraine funding. This cancer will metastasize if Russia and China sense weakness.

Russia is at a stalemate after 2 years with a much smaller country. Has lost a half million men already. Russia isn't the Industrial powerhouse that Nazi Germany was. Nor does it have the allies Germany had. A much smaller population than the combine NATO countries and nowhere near the industrial capacity. It's just not feasible that Russia is going to attack NATO.

We'd be better served developing good relations with Russia and develop their economy and political system to where they're just one of many European nations(most of their population is in the European portion of the country). Putin isn't going to be around forever. Stop being their boogeyman trying to conquer them and maybe we'll stop seeing them as the boogeyman too.

Trouble is we always need boogeymen to justify everything we're doing. And so do they. We had a chance with Yeltsin and blew it.

 

[Next Day Err]

We'd be better served developing good relations with Russia

The only way this happens is on Putin’s terms. He can shove his good relations straight up his zhopa.

 

[vantexan]

Not broke. The US is the richest country in the world with the strongest economy in the world.

Even the biggest ships can be sunk. Keep adding to the debt with high interest rates and pretty soon we won't have much discretionary spending since we're servicing the debt.

 

[vantexan]

The only way this happens is on Putin’s terms. He can shove his good relations straight up his zhopa.

Well that's not demonstrating a good understanding of international relations.

 

[Next Day Err]

Russia is at a stalemate after 2 years with a much smaller country. Has lost a half million men already.

Good. Let’s make them cry uncle by helping our ally and friend finish crushing them.

What’s up with this appeasement attitude MAGA seems to have? Where in history has satisfying the fantasy of a radical commie American-hating madman got us anywhere?

 

[vantexan]

Republicans HATE this fact because they actually hate America and what it actually stands for.

If America is to you a bread and circuses Rome with openly decadent behavior then yes, we hate it.

 

[Next Day Err]

Well that's not demonstrating a good understanding of international relations.

Putin can negotiate on our terms or not at all as far as I’m concerned. He will only consider that prospect when he faces serious trouble domestically. Too bad many Russians are just like MAGA: concerned with protecting their god king instead of being concerned with an actual functioning democracy and rule of law capitalism.

 

[Next Day Err]

If America is to you a bread and circuses Rome with openly decadent behavior then yes, we hate it.

From Putin’s lips to your fingers. He’s doing his job well.