World Politics

[djpbaltimore]

Re:

Trump and his small hands have blood and crap on them. Russian fighter jets buzzed our aircraft multiple times in the last 6 months.. our ships have been harassed .. Trump sits silent.. now chemical weapons being used on civilians.. with complete Russian endorsement.. now cease fire can't be implemented..why? Because Syria and Russia have concluded that anyone, anytime that disagrees with either regime can be bombed..
Trump is a ..bag of mush

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why, does it?

But whatever the special counsel concludes legally about "collusion," evidence on public display already paints a jarring picture. It shows an American president who has embraced Russian money and illicit favors, while maintaining rhetoric and policies benefiting Russia and undercutting national security officials of his own country.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/02/heres-a-closer-look-at-trumps-in-plain-sight-embrace-of-russia.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

As someone who read a transcript of the entire 2 hour speech, I'm surprised nobody has commented on the half hour that Putin devoted to Russia's newly deployed weapons systems and the effect they have. The big one is the Kinzhal (dagger) deployed in the southern military district. It's an air launched hypersonic weapon that travels at Mach 10 with a range of 2000 km. Basically, any carrier group, or really any ship, in or near the Black Sea has no defense should Russia choose to sink them.

Another big one is the long anticipated Sarmat that can deliver a 200 ton vehicle anywhere, from any direction. This completely negates any BMD since they are concentrated along certain ballistic corridors such as in Alaska. These can simply come over the south pole and up the Gulf of Mexico.

Also in testing, but not yet deployed are the Mach 20 hypersonic vehicles that aren't even gliders, but manoeverable ramjets. They can evade all defenses, loiter, and then hit a designated target as a "meteorite". Doesn't even need to be nuclear to do the job.

Another big bombshell is the miniaturized nuclear propulsion system for cruise missiles. They superheat air using a nuclear generator to use as propulsion. Basically, these have inifinite flight time which means they can spend as long as they want navigating past defenses until they strike. Again, these can be launched in any direction from anywhere on the planet to reach their target. These have been tested at one of Russia's test ranges, and interestingly enough this coincides with some unique isotopes that were found over northern Europe that would have been released upon destruction of such an unshielded engine.

So are these a threat to the US? Nope. Because they do not affect the capability of a retaliatory strike, which would destroy Russia completely. What it does do is restore MAD. From 2004 until yesterday, the US has had anti-ballistic missile capabilities. Despite all US intentions, those ABMs have a use besides protecting the US from the bad guy. Iran, Korea, Al Qaeda, the flu, whatever. Whether or not they would ever want to, ABMs mean that theoretically the US could launch a first strike and then intercept any retaliatory strike from Russia. Russia begged the US to reconsider, but here we are 14 years later and Russia has decided not to rely on America's good intentions.

MAD is restored and we're all that little bit safer. To boot, Kinzhal means that anyone screwing around along Russia's borders needs to eff off. Well done, Russia.

John Swanson

Putin's speeches are always good for comedy relief.

 

[aphronesis]

ruh roh,

trade tariffs: Europe threatens US bikes, bourbon and bluejeans
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/mar/02/china-expresses-grave-concerns-us-steel-tariff-plans?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Re: Re:

Putin's speeches are always good for comedy relief.

Do tell. Which of the newly deployed systems do you find the most humorous?

John Swanson

 

[aphronesis]

I've always wondered why more scientists aren't politicians when they have all this great understanding of weaponry.

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Re:

I've always wondered why more scientists aren't politicians when they have all this great understanding of weaponry.

Please, go on.

A funny anecdote; one of my partial differential equation classes spent a large portion devoted to missile intercept equations. The thing you don't want to know is that outside of a small class of equations, a solution doesn't exist. As far as I'm aware, Russia (Soviet or otherwise) has never bluffed or exaggerated about any of their weapons systems.

I am always happy to be corrected, but would be sad to learn that Putin didn't just fulfill a decade long mission to restore MAD in the face of ABM facilities sprouting along it's borders and shores.

John Swanson

 

[aphronesis]

If we die, we die. No big to me. Why is it such a source of anxiety for you? Nukes as the anti-god?

I know it's tempting, but you can't reduce affect to equations.

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Re:

If we die, we die. No big to me. Why is it such a source of anxiety for you? Nukes as the anti-god?

I know it's tempting, but you can't reduce affect to equations.

Go have a nap. We'll have a good chat once you've sobered up a bit, yeah?

John Swanson

 

[aphronesis]

Actually, I just walked in the door from the office. Storm out here you know. But please some more overwrought hysteria. Maybe some rogue spook agencies will help keep mad in check. So tell me, what are the good supermarket spy novels these days?

In any case, it was a deathly sober question. What's the big deal?

You seem to be wrestling with a scientific version of the Kantian sublime.

In asking the above question, I'm not looking for some tedious disquisition on the gameboard "deployment" of these and those armaments, but rather why, honestly, anyone should care? Longer life span? Less dangerous than smoking. Bump in investments? Less grappling with questions of what lies after?

(Of course partial differential equations can be applied to a life. Equally hard to capture.)

 

[Robert5091]

The Soviets did fool the US etc during the Cold War with their missile testing & numbers - see eg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_gap

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Re:

Actually, I just walked in the door from the office. Storm out here you know. But please some more overwrought hysteria. Maybe some rogue spook agencies will help keep mad in check. So tell me, what are the good supermarket spy novels these days?

In any case, it was a deathly sober question. What's the big deal?

You seem to be wrestling with a scientific version of the Kantian sublime.

In asking the above question, I'm not looking for some tedious disquisition on the gameboard "deployment" of these and those armaments, but rather why, honestly, anyone should care? Longer life span? Less dangerous than smoking. Bump in investments? Less grappling with questions of what lies after?

(Of course partial differential equations can be applied to a life. Equally hard to capture.)

Your life aside, a lot of us like living! And I hope you do too.

The super big deal is that the US can officially no longer initiate a first strike nuclear offensive and ride out the retaliation using their ABM system.

Imagine driving a super nice Lamborghini Aventador at top speed down the autobahn. It's kind of easy to see how you'd put a VW in its path to make a nice fireball. But now imagine the Lambo is on a freeway that's 3000 lanes wide. Good luck putting the VW in its path.

Well, with super fast and steerable missiles, the US can no longer put a proverbial VW in Russia's missiles path. That means that both the US and Russia can continue to pound each other using nukes with impunity. Sucks on one level, but it restores a balance. The orange trumpticle can no longer lob nukes anywhere and assume he's safe behind an ABM shield. That's a GOOD thing.

John Swanson

 

[aphronesis]

Oh, I enjoy living as much as any. But I don't worry about what happens when it stops. Why would you?

Sorry, no car analogies. I don't imagine things that don't pertain.

So you wanted to talk about Trump. Got it. Trump scares you. Got it. You had to end run around all kinds of arms developments so that no you don't have to worry about Trump because Putin has you covered. Got it.

Life is so hopeless that the threat of a buffoon in the White House of your neighboring country can only be countered by the shrewd tactician in the dom/duma of an absented enemy in another country. Got it.

I had been incredibly worried about that US first strike. Getting my Mad Max muscle car, sawed off and bondage/hockey wear all set.

So those spy/military thrillers you were going to hep me to?

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Re:

Oh, I enjoy living as much as any. But I don't worry about what happens when it stops. Why would you?

Sorry, no car analogies. I don't imagine things that don't pertain.

So you wanted to talk about Trump. Got it. Trump scares you. Got it. You had to end run around all kinds of arms developments so that no you don't have to worry about Trump because Putin has you covered. Got it.

Life is so hopeless that the threat of a buffoon in the White House of your neighboring country can only be countered by the shrewd tactician in the dom/duma of an absented enemy in another country. Got it.

I had been incredibly worried about that US first strike. Getting my Mad Max muscle car, sawed off and bondage/hockey wear all set.

So those spy/military thrillers you were going to hep me to?

Woo! Nope, not worried about Trump. He's one of the more rational actors in this play. What worried me was that given the strategic imbalance, someone could have made a convincing case for a winnable nuclear exchange. The prize being global hegemony for only 35 million dead.

Nobody in their right mind would accept that. But then, nobody would expend 6 Trillion dollars and the better part of a million lives over a befuddled Iraq, either. Would they?

John Swanson

 

[aphronesis]

Re: Re:

Oh, I enjoy living as much as any. But I don't worry about what happens when it stops. Why would you?

Sorry, no car analogies. I don't imagine things that don't pertain.

So you wanted to talk about Trump. Got it. Trump scares you. Got it. You had to end run around all kinds of arms developments so that no you don't have to worry about Trump because Putin has you covered. Got it.

Life is so hopeless that the threat of a buffoon in the White House of your neighboring country can only be countered by the shrewd tactician in the dom/duma of an absented enemy in another country. Got it.

I had been incredibly worried about that US first strike. Getting my Mad Max muscle car, sawed off and bondage/hockey wear all set.

So those spy/military thrillers you were going to hep me to?

Woo! Nope, not worried about Trump. He's one of the more rational actors in this play. What worried me was that given the strategic imbalance, someone could have made a convincing case for a winnable nuclear exchange. The prize being global hegemony for only 35 million dead.

Nobody in their right mind would accept that. But then, nobody would expend 6 Trillion dollars and the better part of a million lives over a befuddled Iraq, either. Would they?

John Swanson

You wrote

"The orange trumpticle can no longer lob nukes anywhere and assume he's safe behind an ABM shield. That's a GOOD thing."

Got it. Defeating Russian means US global hegemony. Glad you cleared that up.

"Nobody" or, have you stopped the hyperbole and actually read about the agencies, motivations, histories, manipulations that led to the soft coercion of the Iraq disaster such that it becomes more complex than a somebody/nobody/anybody situation?

Sorry to interrupt, where were we? Right. US can't nuke Russia to start a second golden era of reconstruction and expansion.

Where does that leave us?

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Re: Re:

Oh, I enjoy living as much as any. But I don't worry about what happens when it stops. Why would you?

Sorry, no car analogies. I don't imagine things that don't pertain.

So you wanted to talk about Trump. Got it. Trump scares you. Got it. You had to end run around all kinds of arms developments so that no you don't have to worry about Trump because Putin has you covered. Got it.

Life is so hopeless that the threat of a buffoon in the White House of your neighboring country can only be countered by the shrewd tactician in the dom/duma of an absented enemy in another country. Got it.

I had been incredibly worried about that US first strike. Getting my Mad Max muscle car, sawed off and bondage/hockey wear all set.

So those spy/military thrillers you were going to hep me to?

Woo! Nope, not worried about Trump. He's one of the more rational actors in this play. What worried me was that given the strategic imbalance, someone could have made a convincing case for a winnable nuclear exchange. The prize being global hegemony for only 35 million dead.

Nobody in their right mind would accept that. But then, nobody would expend 6 Trillion dollars and the better part of a million lives over a befuddled Iraq, either. Would they?

John Swanson

You wrote

"The orange trumpticle can no longer lob nukes anywhere and assume he's safe behind an ABM shield. That's a GOOD thing."

Got it. Defeating Russian means US global hegemony. Glad you cleared that up.

"Nobody" or, have you stopped the hyperbole and actually read about the agencies, motivations, histories, manipulations that led to the soft coercion of the Iraq disaster such that it becomes more complex than a somebody/nobody/anybody situation?

Sorry to interrupt, where were we? Right. US can't nuke Russia to start a second golden era of reconstruction and expansion.

Where does that leave us?

Dude. I can barely understand you. I'm just going to go ahead and concede to whatever this is and go to bed.

John Swanson

 

[aphronesis]

I'm sorry. You said you weren't worried about Trump, but in the post above that you said the "orange trumpicle lobbing nukes".

So you haven't thought through all the motivations of the Iraq situation?

I thought you were in Vancouver? Maybe you moved east. Even so 8:30 is a bit early to go to bed.

Nothing to concede. There was no conflict. You jumped around and pointed at some (maybe existent missles), can't say why it matters, called me drunk, suggest that the US nuking Russia would pave the way to US hegemony, but can't say how.

Oh, and took Putin's speech as gospel. (And more importantly the implication that he could and would do what he said he could do.)

Sure thing. Sleep tight.

 

[Unchained]

Science, if anything Trump has done so far while holding the office of President strikes you as rational..OMG.. to set some level of relativity..were you say Trump is the most rational guy in the room.. the room is full of idiots. while I don't share Aphro's views exactly.. it's hard to believe that people would take the time to hide under a desk or retreat to a safe room when a neutron bomb or Chinese or other Russian nuke is underway..
The idea that Trump looked for the cream of the country, the absolute best people to represent the US and all types of critical complicated foreign policy.. some mostly economic but lots of the diplomatic work concerns war.. weapons of war.. genocide, huge flight by millions of refugees.. and he picked his daughter and son-in-law.. that is not rational it's irresponsible and stupid by every standard..
During some both sides of his mouth lies..Kushner changed his security questionnaire.. to reflect a new truth..as his truth was discovered.. Kushner tells stories about close Isreali ties.. one story about the Jewish head of state sleeping at his parents house.. disgust.. should be felt knowing that Isreal is one of the countries that looked to play him because of his lies, financial word, or a list of other exploitable liabilities.
Trump has shaken up our national security, has allies wondering if we are true and trustworthy..has our enemies emboldened with his lack of knowledge of.. well everything..
He had an opinion.. robust opinion about all things China.. they were on Trump's rape list.. after a less than two hour meeting he turned 180. The only thing Trump has not flipped and flopped and flipped again.. Russia..
The guy is a world wide joke..
Even Norway asked him not to compliment them

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Re:

I'm sorry. You said you weren't worried about Trump, but in the post above that you said the "orange trumpicle lobbing nukes".

So you haven't thought through all the motivations of the Iraq situation?

I thought you were in Vancouver? Maybe you moved east. Even so 8:30 is a bit early to go to bed.

Nothing to concede. There was no conflict. You jumped around and pointed at some (maybe existent missles), can't say why it matters, called me drunk, suggest that the US nuking Russia would pave the way to US hegemony, but can't say how.

Oh, and took Putin's speech as gospel.

Sure thing. Sleep tight.

Ugh. You haven't been very coherent to my way of thinking. Wondered if you've had a few on the way home from the office. And yes, I've moved not 3, but 4 time zones east. Will update my profile whenever I feel like it. Life in Halifax is fantastic, by the way. Highly recommend it. Bubbles and Julian say hello.

I have no "worries" about the golfing gangster initiating a nuclear strike, but the entire US posture is firmly positioned for "full spectrum dominance" and the Brzezhinski concept of denying the emergence of a a regional competitor in Europe or Asia. The latest NPR has been revise so that nukes can now be used as a first strike weapon for retaliation. Even for "cyber" strikes. Hillary's leaked (I mean HACKED) emails, for example?

Bottom line. I'm super glad that Vlad has followed through with some fantastic nationalistic ambitions and has put a FULL STOP to unchecked US imperialism using proportionate and reasonable means.

Good night.

John Swanson

 

[aphronesis]

I like it when people say Ugh. Reminds me of teenage girls. Grown ups use language. No, I cycle home. And don't stop on the way. Sorry.

Regardless, 5:30-9:30, not really sleepy time. Confusing others with you again.

"I have no "worries" about the golfing gangster initiating a nuclear strike, but the entire US posture is firmly positioned for "full spectrum dominance" and the Brzezhinski concept of denying the emergence of a a regional competitor in Europe or Asia. The latest NPR has been revise so that nukes can now be used as a first strike weapon for retaliation. Even for "cyber" strikes. Hillary's leaked (I mean HACKED) emails, for example?"

Missing a few verbs here. And a few modifiers. If my replies to you seem incoherent, it's because I'm responding to various things you've said as they pertain and not in block quotes.

Sure thing, say hi to the ongoing drunk and the recovering drunk. I'm glad they stuck up for you after you punted miserably. As it is, I'm sorry you felt the need to go all in on the personal attacks.

I only suggested that understanding weaponry may not equate to a keen grasp of politics.

But whatever, maybe if you all out there put your heads together and study economics and a few other social sciences you'll realize that other factors will put a certain limit on US imperialism even if it retains a large sector of the monopoly on violence.

Or you can go on ranting from the border frontier.

 

[Robert5091]

Dear ol' Henry was the one who came up with "winning a nuclear war" - and he was the man Trump saw after meeting the Russians in the WH. Small world. I suppose we should be grateful that Curtis le May is not a Trump advisor

 

[macbindle]

There is the first round of Russian presidential elections in a fortnight.

I'm sure that it is entirely coincidental that Putin chose to make an announcement that counters Trump's aggressive stance.

 

[Robert5091]

http://www.france24.com/en/20180109-italy-elections-berlusconi-comeback-renzi-grillo-forza-italia
Time to "bunga bunga" on Sunday in Italy

While the southern housewife glued to Berlusconi’s TV chat shows once typified the Forza Italia voter, much of the party’s support lies in the small and medium-sized businesses that form the bedrock of the Italian economy. It includes people who don’t pay their taxes and others who do but no longer cope. Berlusconi’s trademark pledge to slash levies – empty promises, his critics say – is still music to their ears.

Never mind the extraordinary number of court cases their champion has been embroiled in. Never mind the laws passed to protect himself and his businesses, the "bunga bunga" scandals and lurid jokes, or the fact that Berlusconi personally intervened in 2011 to have a 17-year-old prostitute released from custody (fearing she would talk about her relationship with him) and then claimed he thought she was the niece of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. The centre-right’s core supporters remained loyal.

 

[Brullnux]

Well, pd seems dead thanks to Renzi, m5s perenially confused, forza Italia is Berlusconi and Lega Nord are Lega Nord.

Good choices. But I expect centre right first, centre left (including Liberi e eguali) second and M5s third, with a m5s-berlusca coalition or gentiloni staying on.

 

[Lupi33x]

School under liberated #Aleppo VS. school under Alqaeda held #Idlib. What would you rather the future of #Ghouta be?

Yeah I know majority of this forum prefers the lower photo

 

[Unchained]

All those kids look to be safer than attending a US school.. our political school push is different we bomb their schools and they have less school deaths.. how can that be?
What do our religious extremists wear as a uniform?
If you think that Muslim garb makes those kids look scary.. it's only to you.. seeing children marching outside US service members funerals and kids praising Roy Moore should be a scary thing.. right in your backyard..
The world watched Putin show a video simulation of bombing Florida.. that happened..
the UN stands w Nikki Haley threatening retaliation for killing kids with chemical weapons.. and the leader of the Free world..he is concerned with the quality of "Alex" Baldwin's impersonation of him compared to a comedian that hasn't been on the show for @8 years.. that really happened..
Are Muslims crazy to think Trump is a clod? If you want to show photos depicting what happy shiny children's faces should look like.. maybe start with W.Virginia kids go to school.. Trump hot bed..no Muslims.. so what is the reason that @55% of elementary school age kids receive one or more meals from the school system?
If you can't understand why religious school leadership does what you think is wrong.. start closer to home..
There are NO bomb free zones in Syria.. period.. fake news.. this time from UNICEF and probably a stock photo image from Getting Images. All the while the Chubby in charge spends another weekend at a Trump property while I pay the bill..he is a scumbag..
You want to fight ISIS? I don't..my fighting days are done..too old..
But @900 brave, patriotic men and women are fighting for me in the US military..
Trump can't take the time out of his busy golf schedule to resolve their DACA status.. they are not even citizens and are more dedicated to American patriotism than that fake bone spur piece of...
It's all about priorities..US service members, Syrian children being gassed, Russia hand in hand to ensure Syrian children starve..or if Alec Baldwin made him mad.. the guy is a punk..