The Polls

I guess I just care about my friends. Havana will be bombed. My friends live in old Havana. One with a child taking care of her mom annd sick uncle. One that lived in South Carolina but had tk go back. 2 old women with beautiful cats. My teacher with husband and 2 children. The old woman who makes me Banaa batidos because I gave her a glass of orange pop once. My friends step mom who took over the casa of her dead husband.
Yet here we are on a forum dedicated to rhat culture, being nonchalant and not worrying biut the future or implications of thsi big d^ck b*llsh!+.
 
In social media I see lots of venezuelan expats express "Let's ignore the real reasons of Trump, but we are happy Maduro is in jail!" Eight million people left the country as refugees in the last eight years due to the unbearable living conditions, the biggest current exodus worldwide after Syria. They don't seem to worry if the abduction was correct according to international law.
 
MamboJazz said:
In social media I see lots of venezuelan expats express "Let's ignore the real reasons of Trump, but we are happy Maduro is in jail!" Eight million people left the country as refugees in the last eight years due to the unbearable living conditions, the biggest current exodus worldwide after Syria. They don't seem to worry if the abduction was correct according to international law.
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Ofcourse they won’t. Nor will people who had to suffer under the despot. Which is most of the country. When people are liberated from a despotic ruler(s) it is a cause of celebration for them. That is natural. Imagine how happy majority of Iranians would be if the regime of mullahs collapses. All those who have to suffer have little reason to worry about abstract notions like international law. Biggest challenge is as a commity of nations we have no solution to deal with a despot ruining life of his own citizens.

The problem always is what comes next. No one cares about punishment to likes of Saddam, Noriega, Gadafi, Maduro etc. Their needs to be a mechanism of international protectorate or UN protectorate to handle transition periods. The corporates and other vested interests will try to exploit the situation. Almost a no-win situation.
 
www.bbc.com

Zelensky says Ukraine does not have clear security pledge from allies

The comments come after the UK and France said they would deploy troops to Ukraine if a peace deal with Russia is agreed.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com

How realistic is the expectation that third country should put its troops in harm’s way to defend Ukraine in future? So if that guarantee is not iron clad, what choice Ukraine has. Either grind through the war and economy on its own or accept peace treaty that’s pro-Russia.

NATO article 5 has been invoked only once I think - in Afghanistan or in Iraq, I don’t recall. I also think article 5 is invoked only to defend when attacked, it doesn’t work of NATO country attacks (war of choice) and then invokes article 5 when it is counter attacked as a result.

www.theguardian.com

Ukraine war briefing: US backs European ceasefire security guarantees for first time

Pledge came at Paris summit of mainly European nations to firm up guarantees to reassure Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. What we know on day 1,414
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
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Offbeat said:
No one cares about punishment to likes of Saddam, Noriega, Gadafi, Maduro etc.
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I heard a feature on a news program; they commented that a trial for Maduro is a long way off.

At first his defense team is going to claim immunity as a leader of govt. The exact same claim that the US Supreme Court granted Trump that made the cases against him go away.

Next his team will claim that Trump pardoned a convicted drug kingpin, the ex-President of Honduras who only spent a year in prison after extradition to and sentencing in the US.

My guess is that the pre-trial motions will be fought vigorously. I find it hard to believe that there is direct evidence of drug trafficking. The prosecution will have to come up with some kind of complex RICO claim like they do with mafia bosses but without the evidence of an informant who is planted by law enforcement.

At any rate- this case might go to trial in a couple of years - or not.
 
Offbeat said:
www.theguardian.com

Europe faces a pincer attack from White House ideologues backed by Silicon Valley and its far-right proxies | Armida van Rij

US tech bosses are exerting leverage on EU regulators via Trump and Vance. But Europe isn’t powerless, and it isn’t alone, says the Centre for European Reform’s Armida van Rij
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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I have been reading many articles on this topic in my German periodical Die Zeit. The Guardian article neatly summarizes the articles in the last few months.

On the topic of defense spending and where to buy the weapons: Airbus is very capable at replacing US designed and built planes. I would argue that Airbus is actually a more capable company than the US defense contractors. As to what to build: the Swedish Gripen fighter is a very good option for European needs. Sweden is offering to sell the plane design under license.
 
bailar y tocar said:
I heard a feature on a news program; they commented that a trial for Maduro is a long way off.

At first his defense team is going to claim immunity as a leader of govt. The exact same claim that the US Supreme Court granted Trump that made the cases against him go away.

Next his team will claim that Trump pardoned a convicted drug kingpin, the ex-President of Honduras who only spent a year in prison after extradition to and sentencing in the US.

My guess is that the pre-trial motions will be fought vigorously. I find it hard to believe that there is direct evidence of drug trafficking. The prosecution will have to come up with some kind of complex RICO claim like they do with mafia bosses but without the evidence of an informant who is planted by law enforcement.

At any rate- this case might go to trial in a couple of years - or not.
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There is direct evidence if drug trafficking, by the cia.
 
MamboJazz said:
Greenland has only 57.000 inhabitants. If they offer one million dollar to each of them it would be 57 billions. Compared to the 1000 billions the US spends each year for defense it seems possible they could just bribe the greenlanders.
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So at the moment the offer to greenlanders is 100K per person. Now they can poker it higher while insisting "we can't be bought."
www.foxnews.com

Trump admin reportedly considers paying each Greenland resident up to $100K amid US takeover talks

Trump administration reportedly considering paying Greenland residents $10,000-$100,000 each to encourage secession from Denmark for U.S. acquisition.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
 
So he's declared himself president over Venezuela (instead of allowing a democratic election) and is still threatening to steal Greenland. Ice agents gassed a HIGHSCHOOL and tackled a NATIVE AMERICAN woman (ya know.. thebpeople that were here first).
Can we start accepting the comparison to Russia and Wartime Germany yet?
 
Regarding Greenland: In the cold war the US had about 10,000 troops at their own military bases on Greenland. The US pulled them out and have only a skeleton crew now.

So what is the issue? Failure to understand the historical record that the Danish foreign minister explained to the dimwits?
 
bailar y tocar said:
Regarding Greenland: In the cold war the US had about 10,000 troops at their own military bases on Greenland. The US pulled them out and have only a skeleton crew now.

So what is the issue? Failure to understand the historical record that the Danish foreign minister explained to the dimwits?
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The problem is senate and house are doing very little to reign in his worst impulses.

There is hardly anyone in the cabinet to standup to him. All the reports suggest it was Rubio who made Trump take the Venezuelan action.

Then you have Lindsey Graham the vilest of them all when it comes your war mongering. Like someone said - there isn’t a war that Graham doesn’t dislike.

There will be massive consequences for might is right approach for the USA. The future presidents will not able to convince anyone that USA is about rule of law and diplomatic process. The irony is so far USA had gotten away with might is right through subtle moves, making multilateral angencies do its bidding through use of influence and undercover operations. Trump is just doing things brazenly that USA used to do through guile and under shadows.
 

Finally Europeans are showing some spine in standing up to Trump.

Trump’s own party and supporters don’t back his intent on Greenland. Only 20% of Republican voters back his stance on Greenland.

Now a senator from his own party is talking about impeachment should Trump do anything militarily.

Trump felt embolden after Venezuela. But chickened out after encouraging the protestors in Iran. Now many thousands are dead once Iranian regime realised, Trump was not going to send missles aimed at the Iranian regime assets and figures. Khameni had made emergency plan to flee to Russia. Loss of Iranian regime would have been huge blow to China, after Venezuela.
 
Offbeat said:

Finally Europeans are showing some spine in standing up to Trump.

Trump’s own party and supporters don’t back his intent on Greenland. Only 20% of Republican voters back his stance on Greenland.

Now a senator from his own party is talking about impeachment should Trump do anything militarily.

Trump felt embolden after Venezuela. But chickened out after encouraging the protestors in Iran. Now many thousands are dead once Iranian regime realised, Trump was not going to send missles aimed at the Iranian regime assets and figures. Khameni had made emergency plan to flee to Russia. Loss of Iranian regime would have been huge blow to China, after Venezuela.
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www.theguardian.com

Starmer’s calm diplomacy makes mistake of assuming Trump is a sentient being | John Crace

PM’s effort to take heat out of Greenland situation is yet another humiliation in his relationship with The Donald
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

“Not content with threatening tariffs against the UK and seven EU countries for sending troops to Greenland – having previously demanded Nato allies get stuck in to protect the country from Russia and China – The Donald has now sent a letter to the Norwegian prime minister to complain about not winning the Nobel peace prize and to say he was so pissed off he was thinking of starting a war

The start of the article had me chuckling:

When even Piers Morgan has taken his head out of Donald Trump’s bum far enough to see a glimmer of daylight, then it’s fair to say the US president has probably overstepped the mark.

The sooner republicans reign him in (if that’s ever possible) the better. There are too many enablers around him in Whitehouse, cabinet, and the DoD (or dept of war as he has renamed it).
 
My prediction is he Maynor may not be ousted...
If he is, he will rake over cuba, or at least havana, using the former proudboys leader turned ice agent. I don't remember his name. Too Tomas I believe.
Or
Civil War.
 
Offbeat said:
“Not content with threatening tariffs against the UK and seven EU countries for sending troops to Greenland – having previously demanded Nato allies get stuck in to protect the country from Russia and China – The Donald has now sent a letter to the Norwegian prime minister to complain about not winning the Nobel peace prize and to say he was so pissed off he was thinking of starting a war
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This is exactly why the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize may not have any active members of the Norwegian parliament. There would be an inherent conflict of interest. There is an online history of the committee and that change was made a while ago.

The committee has awarded the prize to way too many politicians and political leaders in the past. Those awards have rarely if ever turned out well.

I wish they would make a point that politicians, political leaders plus anyone associated with the military or who can give orders to the military is per se unqualified* and cannot be nominated.
*prospective and retrospective
 
Offbeat said:
Trump felt embolden after Venezuela. But chickened out after encouraging the protestors in Iran. Now many thousands are dead once Iranian regime realised, Trump was not going to send missles aimed at the Iranian regime assets and figures. Khameni had made emergency plan to flee to Russia. Loss of Iranian regime would have been huge blow to China, after Venezuela.
Click to expand...
Whereas douchebag may or may not consider an all-out war with Iran, any rational military person would not go there. Iran has a huge population. Sooner or later they all turn against you. It would be like fighting in Iraq and in Afghanistan together all over again plus those countries helping out the Iranians. Plus Russia and China helping the Iranians. Every rational person knows its a no go zone. Obviously with irrational people, anything can happen.
 
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