Off Topic Politics Thread

The other thing that I wonder is going on in Trump’s mind is just how far he is willing to let Russia go. I am worried that he has sold Ukraine down the Swanee and that the Baltic states will obviously follow next. All 4 nations will be subsumed by Russia within the Trump presidency yet I feel he will also embolden Russia to weaken the EU so that the US has an advantage trade wise.

I am really worried how far he will go. Without American interest in NATO I think that Trump will be happy for places like Poland and rhe East of Germany swallowed up. This will weaken the EU and hand further advantage to Trump. I think there will be domestic issues that will cause problems too such as prosecution of Democrats with the likes of Hilary Clinton ending up in jail or even worse. Just feel he will mete out cowboy justice in those who pursued him.through the courts. He will try to get a third term as well and I am convinced that Musk will be shoe horned in ahead of Vance should something happen with Trump.

This term feels to be far more devastating than his first tenure. As I said before, I feel Trump currently feels emboldened yet I can see something happening whereby it is seen that he has gone too far. I cannot see Trump lasting 2 years key alone 4.

 

Israel has been widely condemned by many nations over their response to October 7th, but the conflict in the Middle East has no comparison to an unprovoked land grab from Russia.

 

Some might consider the Nakba to be a land grab. The process might not have been as rapid as in Ukraine but the results are and continue to be the same as witnessed by the current actions of Israeli settlers.

I do not feel that the actions of 1948 would be accepted in 2025. The reaction of the civilised world would be the same. Not really possible to distinguish.

Quite interesting to witness the reaction to Israel in Qatar in 2023 where people would be shaking their heads in disbelief if they could read the posts on this thread..

People have rightly commented on the shock of Trump’s reactions to places like Canada, Greenland and Ukraine. It is abundantly clear how negatively the world reacts to this yet this is no different to how the rest of the world has felt about Israel fir rhe last 77 years

 

When you say "how the rest of the world has felt", what you're really saying is "how a proportion of the Arab world has felt, part of whom have a stated aim to eradicate the Israeli state". It's certainly not how the "rest of the world" has felt.

That's the same Arab world who also don't really give two hoots for the Palestinian people either, by the way.

Criticism of the scale of the response to October 7th is fair enough. Singing "from the river to the sea" whilst crying 'genocide' - not okay.

 

The events of that time occurred under the nose of the UN trying to broker a resolution.

 

Support for Palestine goes well beyond Arab nations. What about Turkey , Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, parts of former USSR ,Philippines, most of Africa, etc , etc.

 

So, the Muslim world (not "the rest of the world"). What do they all have in common, Ian?

(Clue: It's not that they like Palestine).

 

Tricky one Ian. I sort of agree with you, especially with regard of what’s gone on in the last 12-18m.

 

Found this on my photo file, from Nov 2016 !!

 

LTT

Bearing in mind that Islam is the largest religion in the world, maybe we should be mindful of their opinions? I would also add that Palestine has a lot of support from non-Islamic nations.

Spending my holidays in Qatar over the last few years was an eye opener. The Palestinian flag was everywhere and buildings were illuminated in the colours too. ( Although the thing that made thr biggest impression on me was seeing a hoopoe for the first time after waiting over 40 years to see one !)

 

It will be interesting to see what the response to the likes of JD Vance and Trumps international criticism and pressure.

Could the US as a bad guy actually cause some level of political unity in the countries effected and drive people away from the same direction, as it resembles sticking their nose in, foreign politicians diving into domestic politics tends to be pretty universally unpopular.

There was certainly a level of '**** you' style unity in Canada across Liberals and Conservatives when the tariffs were first announced.

 

Agree. I believe that’s a base position of all their policies, domestic & foreign. Ruffle the feathers & see what transpires.

 

I’m not for a moment saying we shouldn’t be mindful of the opinions of the Islamic world. I am, however, saying that we should also be mindful of the Jewish position.

 

Got to love this post.

 

Frank Gardner has commented on the BBC that Vance's speech was purely for the domestic audience in America. So it may have perplexed everyone in Europe but will resonate with the Rednecks.

 

In US schools now you can legally display a
Swastika but not a rainbow…

 

The hoopoe. I have occasionally seen them in the area of Spain where I live, normally a brief glimpse as they fly across the road or disappear into the distance when I am out walking.
I posted on here a few years back about seeing a hoopoe in the communal garden of an apartment block I was living in, off of Hill Lane. I was able to watch it picking through the grass for 5 minutes or so and remember, at the time, that someone on here had said that they had been looking for one for years.
Was that you?

 

The Hoopoe (Upupa epops) has re-established a small breeding population in the Netherlands having been absent for decades. I haven't seen any I expect locations are kept secret to deter collectors. There's loads of flocking parakeets.

 

Love a Hoopoe.

 

Me too but they're gone in one bite.