Potus ???

[GarethM]

43 minutes ago, Big J said:

 

Another point worth considering is that with the withdrawal of international aid and development, that the US loses what can reasonably be considered it's most valuable asset - soft power. 

 

Until Trump 2.0, the generally esteemed international position that the US held was largely as a result of the development programmes that it supported in the world's poorest communities. Much like the Chinese, the US sought to influence the development of economically emergent nations by way of USAID, and other agencies. It wasn't just a one-way flow of cash with nothing in return - it was mutually beneficial, even if it wasn't immediately apparent.

 

On that note, international development aid is also one of the most effective ways of keeping people in developing countries in their own countries. If you withdraw the support that they were dependent on, they are much more likely to become desperate and try to emigrate to a more economically developed country. 

So, Trump's anti immigration agenda would actually be served very well by supporting those prospective immigrants to stay put.

 

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As a completely unrelated point, I was just thinking that the most amusing outcome of the Greenland issue would be if the Greenlanders decided that yes, they wanted to secede from Denmark but that they would like to hitch their wagon to Canada. I cannot think of a more effective F**k You to the US than that, and actually might make sense too as Canada is a fellow arctic nation and unlike the US administration, the Canucks aren't a bunch of self-serving, self-important, egotistical c**ts.

Soft power, are you having a laugh.

 

If the MSM are to be believed the USA and UK are hated, so value for money it's obviously not getting ANYTHING positive is it so why bother!

[peds]

[Mesterh]

You know that a lot of redneck magas will be bumping fists and high fiving him. Best sitcom ever.

 

 

[GarethM]

7 minutes ago, Mesterh said:

You know that a lot of redneck magas will be bumping fists and high fiving him. Best sitcom ever.

I'd trust Bubba any day of the week over Ben & Jerry.

[Mesterh]

I dont doubt that for one minute.

 

[peds]

[sime42]

Well, they're a bit too multi-coloured aren't they?

[Steven P]

7 hours ago, GarethM said:

There's a simple version, charity starts at home!.

 

Charity dogooding has become big business and walnut panelled boardrooms, millipedes brother for example.

 

A return to the old ways of disaster relief is fine, but everything else is optional if it's from donations.

 

America and the UK are very similar, we've been at peace for about 100+ years, the Europeans haven't and it's a lesson they will never learn.

 

 

Read it again Gareth and put your understanding head on. For charity and altruistic works we are at opposite ends of the spectrum, your 'home' that charity begins in is a lot smaller than my 'home', that is OK. That is not the point I was making.

 

 

 

 

I didn't go on to the long period of peace we are enjoying... but having a strong financial interest in another country is one of the best peace making tools there is. The EU and no major conflicts within that group - strong financial interests, the US, no conflicts between states cause the finances are intertwined. To a more modern take, Trump whether he realises it or not is offering to invest heavily in The Ukraine but in doing so is offering to invest militarily to protect those assets he wants to control. Look at Israel (as a well publicised example), 4 billion in trade within the middle east, out of about 70 billion in exports - small amount of trade to their nearest neighbours... and coincidentally little incentive to hold a ceasefire.

 

Finances rule and control the world and as above hard cash flows, yes, but the softer side, the no conflicts flows the other way

[Johnsond]

2 hours ago, GarethM said:

Soft power, are you having a laugh.

 

If the MSM are to be believed the USA and UK are hated, so value for money it's obviously not getting ANYTHING positive is it so why bother!

Most employees at US Institute of Peace mass-fired over late-night email

APPLE.NEWS

---

Congressionally created and funded thinktank taken over by ‘Doge’ seeks to prevent and...

Talking of value for money 😂😂😂😂

[Johnsond]

1 hour ago, Steven P said:

 

 

Read it again Gareth and put your understanding head on. For charity and altruistic works we are at opposite ends of the spectrum, your 'home' that charity begins in is a lot smaller than my 'home', that is OK. That is not the point I was making.

 

 

 

 

I didn't go on to the long period of peace we are enjoying... but having a strong financial interest in another country is one of the best peace making tools there is. The EU and no major conflicts within that group - strong financial interests, the US, no conflicts between states cause the finances are intertwined. To a more modern take, Trump whether he realises it or not is offering to invest heavily in The Ukraine but in doing so is offering to invest militarily to protect those assets he wants to control. Look at Israel (as a well publicised example), 4 billion in trade within the middle east, out of about 70 billion in exports - small amount of trade to their nearest neighbours... and coincidentally little incentive to hold a ceasefire.

 

Finances rule and control the world and as above hard cash flows, yes, but the softer side, the no conflicts flows the other way

So SP one straight question you just seem to not want to answer 🤷‍♂️

Just to understand the context of how you approach certain topics, could you in a few short words describe what you do and if you are employed or self employed 🤷‍♂️this is not a difficult question I would have thought. 👍there’s a good chap 

Edited Sunday at 01:11 by Johnsond