U.S. Politics

[Royell Storing]

 I could see this Friday pow-wow with Putin stretching into Saturday. Trump well knows when to take a 2nd bow.

[Tom Graves]

I could see this Friday pow-wow with Putin stretching into Saturday. Trump well knows when to take a 2nd bow.

Storing,

I think you meant to say give Putin a second you-know-what job.

[Richard Smith]

Fantastic to see Trump making efforts to end the war in Ukraine despite the usual leftist propaganda and criticism.  Disgraced Cold Warrior John Bolton's only gig now is on CNN still playing his Gen. Jack Ripper role denigrating any efforts except escalation.  He was spinning the yarn that Trump is only doing this to win a Nobel Peace Prize.  As though ending a war and winning the Noble Peace Prize is somehow worse than continuing a pointless war with no plan or strategy for ending it.  Thankfully those days of corrupt. incompetent establishment types promoting wars like Vietnam and Afghanistan are over.  Trump may still fail or any settlement might be unfair to Ukraine but the war has to come to an end for everyone's sake.

[Royell Storing]

     Getting guys outta there like Mark Milley was Step 1. That guy shoulda been tried for Treason for his Top Secret calls to China. Trump not having to concern himself with being re-elected is leading to things being done in hyper speed. The Dem's are absolutely Dumb Struck. Their shocked "response" is to drop F-Bombs and Sing Songs. SNL worthy. 
 

[Richard Smith]

     Getting guys outta there like Mark Milley was Step 1. That guy shoulda been tried for Treason for his Top Secret calls to China. Trump not having to concern himself with being re-elected is leading to things being done in hyper speed. The Dem's are absolutely Dumb Struck. Their shocked "response" is to drop F-Bombs and Sing Songs. SNL worthy. 
 

The only position or policy taken by Dems on Ukraine is to oppose anything Trump suggests.  If he wants to end the war in Ukraine, he must be working in collusion with Putin or has some selfish motivation like trying to win the Nobel Prize.  What is their suggestion?  Nothing.  Maybe selling more weapons and lining the pockets of the military contractors who fund their campaigns with the profits.  A vicious circle of war, profit, and political power.  Trump kicked sand in their faces.  No more Vietnams or Afghanistan wars.  The never ending war policy is over.

[Tom Graves]

The only position or policy taken by Dems on Ukraine is to oppose anything Trump suggests.  If he wants to end the war in Ukraine, he must be working in collusion with Putin or has some selfish motivation like trying to win the Nobel Prize.  What is there [sic] suggestion?  Nothing.  Maybe selling more weapons and lining the pockets of the military contractors who fund their campaigns with the profits.  A vicious circle of war, profit, and political power.  Trump kicked sand in their faces.  No more Vietnams or Afghanistan wars.  The never-ending war policy is over.

Smith,

You never answered my question.

Does Vladimir Putin pay you, or do you do it for free?

[Lance Payette]

As someone who is scarcely left-wing and would love to see The Donald actually Make America Great Again, I must say that Mr. Art of the Deal is looking like Mr. Clueless Buffoon when it comes to Ukraine.

Say what you will, Biden kept Putin’s invasion from being the three-day cakewalk Putin had imagined.

Team Trump has made every mistake a clueless negotiator could make – announcing the concessions you will make before negotiations have even begun; failing to follow through on any of your threats and deadlines; sending uninformed dummies to the table; and trumpeting (pun intended) “progress” and “successes” when there obviously have been none.

The Alaska “summit” was the last embarrassing straw for me. It sent every possible wrong message. Putin and his cronies had to be drunk on champagne and euphoria by the time their flight landed back in Moscow. The must think Trump is the all-time useful idiot.

I think Trump projects himself onto Putin. He sees Putin as a “winner” like himself, a pragmatist who thinks only in terms of deals and dollars. He has no clue as to the depth of evil and ideological commitment with which he is dealing. Zelensky, on the other hand, is a peon, the sort of loser to whom TV Trump would've said "You're fired!"

I think Trump actually agrees with Putin that Ukraine is not a real country, that it rightfully belongs to Russia, and that the war is just a nuisance that should go away so the big boys, the winners, can just get on with their deals. He has no clue as to depth of hatred that Ukrainians (and all former Soviet republics) have for Russia.

The only way to end the Ukraine war is to bring Russia to its knees economically, which is easily enough done. Despite all the posturing, Trump will never do anything that actually gives Russia an incentive to end the war. He is the best thing that ever happened for Putin and the worst imaginable thing for Europe and Ukraine. I say this while agreeing that the European countries do need to take more responsibility for their own security and defense, but caving to Putin the way Trump is doing is not the way to accomplish this.

I have lost at least 50% of whatever respect and hope I had for The Donald. The way that Mr. “I Can End It in 24 Hours” has flipped and flopped and threatened and caved and stumbled and fumbled is a national embarrassment. I can’t imagine what the sophisticated European leaders say about Trump behind closed doors – or, alas, maybe I can – but I feel sure they wish there was some plug they could pull to shut him up and make him go away. Frankly, so do I.

[Richard Smith]

As someone who is scarcely left-wing and would love to see The Donald actually Make America Great Again, I must say that Mr. Art of the Deal is looking like Mr. Clueless Buffoon when it comes to Ukraine.

Say what you will, Biden kept Putin’s invasion from being the three-day cakewalk Putin had imagined.

Team Trump has made every mistake a clueless negotiator could make – announcing the concessions you will make before negotiations have even begun; failing to follow through on any of your threats and deadlines; sending uninformed dummies to the table; and trumpeting (pun intended) “progress” and “successes” when there obviously have been none.

The Alaska “summit” was the last embarrassing straw for me. It sent every possible wrong message. Putin and his cronies had to be drunk on champagne and euphoria by the time their flight landed back in Moscow. The must think Trump is the all-time useful idiot.

I think Trump projects himself onto Putin. He sees Putin as a “winner” like himself, a pragmatist who thinks only in terms of deals and dollars. He has no clue as to the depth of evil and ideological commitment with which he is dealing. Zelensky, on the other hand, is a peon, the sort of loser to whom TV Trump would've said "You're fired!"

I think Trump actually agrees with Putin that Ukraine is not a real country, that it rightfully belongs to Russia, and that the war is just a nuisance that should go away so the big boys, the winners, can just get on with their deals. He has no clue as to depth of hatred that Ukrainians (and all former Soviet republics) have for Russia.

The only way to end the Ukraine war is to bring Russia to its knees economically, which is easily enough done. Despite all the posturing, Trump will never do anything that actually gives Russia an incentive to end the war. He is the best thing that ever happened for Putin and the worst imaginable thing for Europe and Ukraine. I say this while agreeing that the European countries do need to take more responsibility for their own security and defense, but caving to Putin the way Trump is doing is not the way to accomplish this.

I have lost at least 50% of whatever respect and hope I had for The Donald. The way that Mr. “I Can End It in 24 Hours” has flipped and flopped and threatened and caved and stumbled and fumbled is a national embarrassment. I can’t imagine what the sophisticated European leaders say about Trump behind closed doors – or, alas, maybe I can – but I feel sure they wish there was some plug they could pull to shut him up and make him go away. Frankly, so do I.

Making an effort to end the war - even if you believe it is clumsy - makes you lose respect for Trump?  Wow.  I would think making no effort like Biden would be a cause of concern.  Trump is not a traditional politician.  Such a politician would string this war along to line the pockets of the military contractors who kick back a portion to him.  Trump is cutting through all the bull to the heart of the matter.  Maybe that will fail but his policy is the right one.  The traditional path certainly wasn't leading to any results except another endless war.