A long time since America suffered total defeat? What do you call Vietnam or Afghanistan. Both total defeats. In Korea, the Chinese kicked our rears back near the original border between North and South. Iraq was a cluster--k and while we managed to salvage something from it, you can't call it a victory. Then the Cold War... so much spent and look at Russia now? That was also a failure.
US "leaders" (past, present, & probably future) still haven't learned (& may never learn) that winning militarily on the battlefield doesn't automatically equal victory. Our militarily weaker enemies learned what George Washington knew. Washington knew that as long as he could hold the Continental Army together, and therefore remain a threat, the British could not claim victory. (My 4th great-grandfather was a soldier in Washington's army).
They would support Hitler if that keeps them in power. No surprise there Debi. And because they don't have a spine, they are extremely afraid of falling on his wrong side .
Both republican voters and their elected representatives support his disgusting actions – or least did initially, before his actions turned ridiculous on them.
Trump, not so much. With any luck, the voters will flip the House (even with gerrymandered seats) and maybe even the Senate. And we can only hope that the stench of Don the Con will be visited on whomever the GQP nominates in 2028.
Jenn makes a good point about being isolated from facts. It was even said on Leave it to Beaver-- Eddie Haskell said it to Beaver in a rare moment of self-reflection:
"It's not good in life when you start to believe your own stories" or something to that effect
The toll of the war has been horrendous and Putin is said to be extremely paranoid and isolating himself, fearing Ukrainian drones in the heart of Moscow and fearing his own aides as well—assassination, in other words.
Why do you think the next guy in Russia will be better? I can only hope the next guy here will be better, but I have frankly lost faith in many of my fellow Americans. Who are these 30 percent who approve of the disaster Trump has been?
"No wonder Trump keeps trying to cheer himself up with plans for vulgar monuments to himself. Goodness knows, if he doesn’t build them, no one else will."
Is it permitted for outraged constituents to tear them down?
I think it's more important to make Netanyahu's role very clear, more important than it is to link the president to Putin, because Netanyahu, unlike Putin, still has the support of so many members of Congress. They may try to cover their support now but they do take donations from AIPAC and in return they soft-pedal the US financing of Israel's military and Netanyahu's war crimes.
Both are in incredibly precarious positions. Much of the world is experiencing mass reform and revolution and the ones who historically lose the most in these situations are autocrats. The question is how far we Americans will go to make sure we wrestle power back!
What's different about this one? Why is this more dire than the situations faced by all the people who have overthrown authoritarian governments in the past?
Trump swaggers up to a podium to announce a suspension of federal tax on fuel. A news anchor (on KOIN, Portland) remarks, “only 18 cents, but anything helps”, placing her in the stupid column along with Trump.
Stupid is as stupid does. How many more people have fallen for Trump’s grandstanding? Do they not realize how many millions this will cost the taxpayers.
He drug us into his war, is now asking for billions, no trillions more, and they get ecstatic over 18 cents; what’s become of this country?
it's the beginning of the end...not true, the beginning started with jobs being shipped overseas, rule of the corporations, disrespect of education, racism, and a lot of other factors. actually this is the end...
I mostly agree. I'm not opposed to globalization. But it's the way it was done, with scant consideration for the social consequences here. Pull out for profit, and with no accountability for the damage done at home. And THEN being PRAISED as 1000 points of light. Even more recently, with Trump, the nearly unexamined notion that if you're successful in business then you can do anything, including statecraft. Still, I totally agree with your comments on disrespect of education, and racism etc.
Fear and self preservation are the two main reasons why they still support the scumbag president and his "policies". Besides, they might be making a lot af under the table money. Anything else Alan?🫣
Desperation + imbecilic level stupidity + access to nuclear weapons make tRump unbelievably dangerous. He definitely needs to spend more time at his bedbug-infested golf motels. Welcome back, Jen! Your absence was keenly felt! But, mazel tov!
Thank you to all. Unfortunately, the additional problem we face is the corruption of the Republican Party, its tame Congress, obedient governors and their backup, the Roberts Supreme Court. The Civil War never ended. This is its latest incarnation. No John McCains here.
the south won the civil war last week with the sup crt's murder of the voting rights act. I am going to start practicing guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar...
A weak strongman sounds like an oxymoron. No doubt that Trump and Putin are both decrepit old men. They are oblivious that authoritarian regimes don’t work or maybe they are simply divorced from that reality.
Come to think of it, Trump's recent bare-chested in the swimming pool meme was sort of related to bare-chested Putin on a (stationary) horse. Or landing a huge fish which had just been hooked for him off-camera. My most unforgettable picture of Putin was the day his divorce was announced: he and his wife were snapped leaving the theatre together, both their faces beaming with joy.
Putin's position is more desperate since Russia has been known to assassinate failed leaders. Trump will probably die quietly in bed still thinking he 'won'.
At some point, current allies in Congress and in business circles will say or do something that will unleash the built up frustration and fear for their own power positions, breaking the logjams that have prevented progress and change. Like a horse race, even a stumbler can move to the front and demonstrate that with a little patience and determination a new leader can emerge. Courage is contagious in athletics and Congress. A weak leader is doomed.
Unaware old grandpas??? That's a defamation of Grandpas everywhere. Call them what they are: decrepit, old monsters.
How about decrepit, old evil monsters?
That works too.
A long time since America suffered total defeat? What do you call Vietnam or Afghanistan. Both total defeats. In Korea, the Chinese kicked our rears back near the original border between North and South. Iraq was a cluster--k and while we managed to salvage something from it, you can't call it a victory. Then the Cold War... so much spent and look at Russia now? That was also a failure.
We Americans DO seem to have a very high opinion of ourselves.
US "leaders" (past, present, & probably future) still haven't learned (& may never learn) that winning militarily on the battlefield doesn't automatically equal victory. Our militarily weaker enemies learned what George Washington knew. Washington knew that as long as he could hold the Continental Army together, and therefore remain a threat, the British could not claim victory. (My 4th great-grandfather was a soldier in Washington's army).
Do you remember which superpower tried for years to defeat Afghanistan? and failed? before USA moved in and did the same thing?
Hard to understand how the Republicans in Congress can support this reprehensible person and his disgusting actions.
They would support Hitler if that keeps them in power. No surprise there Debi. And because they don't have a spine, they are extremely afraid of falling on his wrong side .
Both republican voters and their elected representatives support his disgusting actions – or least did initially, before his actions turned ridiculous on them.
Unenlightened self interest!
FWIW, Putin ain't going anywhere anytime soon!
Trump, not so much. With any luck, the voters will flip the House (even with gerrymandered seats) and maybe even the Senate. And we can only hope that the stench of Don the Con will be visited on whomever the GQP nominates in 2028.
Jenn makes a good point about being isolated from facts. It was even said on Leave it to Beaver-- Eddie Haskell said it to Beaver in a rare moment of self-reflection:
"It's not good in life when you start to believe your own stories" or something to that effect
"Putin ain't going anywhere anytime soon!"
Why do you think that?
The toll of the war has been horrendous and Putin is said to be extremely paranoid and isolating himself, fearing Ukrainian drones in the heart of Moscow and fearing his own aides as well—assassination, in other words.
Why do you think the next guy in Russia will be better? I can only hope the next guy here will be better, but I have frankly lost faith in many of my fellow Americans. Who are these 30 percent who approve of the disaster Trump has been?
When did I say I think that? I was asking the OP why HE thought Putin wasn't going anywhere.
Not surprising. He's trained them up in assassination techniques.
"No wonder Trump keeps trying to cheer himself up with plans for vulgar monuments to himself. Goodness knows, if he doesn’t build them, no one else will."
Is it permitted for outraged constituents to tear them down?
Hungary put all its Soviet-era statuary in a park, away from the Budapest city center, and called it "Heroes Park". (That was before Orban).
just like the Berlin wall
The third weakening strongman was left out of this piece: Benjamin Netanyahoo. Why is he not up there with our president and Putin?
The description is exactly the same, including the support from "religious leaders" who don't seem to have read and understood their sacred texts.
I think it's more important to make Netanyahu's role very clear, more important than it is to link the president to Putin, because Netanyahu, unlike Putin, still has the support of so many members of Congress. They may try to cover their support now but they do take donations from AIPAC and in return they soft-pedal the US financing of Israel's military and Netanyahu's war crimes.
Fine turn of phrase="as he [Trump] frantically tries to dispel the stench of failure."
Both are in incredibly precarious positions. Much of the world is experiencing mass reform and revolution and the ones who historically lose the most in these situations are autocrats. The question is how far we Americans will go to make sure we wrestle power back!
I don't think we will see the return of our power anytime soon by any amount of wrestlemania moves.
My reading of history says that it happens all the time.
not this time
What's different about this one? Why is this more dire than the situations faced by all the people who have overthrown authoritarian governments in the past?
Trump swaggers up to a podium to announce a suspension of federal tax on fuel. A news anchor (on KOIN, Portland) remarks, “only 18 cents, but anything helps”, placing her in the stupid column along with Trump.
Stupid is as stupid does. How many more people have fallen for Trump’s grandstanding? Do they not realize how many millions this will cost the taxpayers.
He drug us into his war, is now asking for billions, no trillions more, and they get ecstatic over 18 cents; what’s become of this country?
it's the beginning of the end...not true, the beginning started with jobs being shipped overseas, rule of the corporations, disrespect of education, racism, and a lot of other factors. actually this is the end...
I mostly agree. I'm not opposed to globalization. But it's the way it was done, with scant consideration for the social consequences here. Pull out for profit, and with no accountability for the damage done at home. And THEN being PRAISED as 1000 points of light. Even more recently, with Trump, the nearly unexamined notion that if you're successful in business then you can do anything, including statecraft. Still, I totally agree with your comments on disrespect of education, and racism etc.
You are totally correct, Ms. Rubin. But that matters little if the Republicans in Congress continue to cower in fear of "Grandpa" Trump.
Fear and self preservation are the two main reasons why they still support the scumbag president and his "policies". Besides, they might be making a lot af under the table money. Anything else Alan?🫣
Desperation + imbecilic level stupidity + access to nuclear weapons make tRump unbelievably dangerous. He definitely needs to spend more time at his bedbug-infested golf motels. Welcome back, Jen! Your absence was keenly felt! But, mazel tov!
Thank you to all. Unfortunately, the additional problem we face is the corruption of the Republican Party, its tame Congress, obedient governors and their backup, the Roberts Supreme Court. The Civil War never ended. This is its latest incarnation. No John McCains here.
the south won the civil war last week with the sup crt's murder of the voting rights act. I am going to start practicing guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar...
A weak strongman sounds like an oxymoron. No doubt that Trump and Putin are both decrepit old men. They are oblivious that authoritarian regimes don’t work or maybe they are simply divorced from that reality.
Come to think of it, Trump's recent bare-chested in the swimming pool meme was sort of related to bare-chested Putin on a (stationary) horse. Or landing a huge fish which had just been hooked for him off-camera. My most unforgettable picture of Putin was the day his divorce was announced: he and his wife were snapped leaving the theatre together, both their faces beaming with joy.
Putin's position is more desperate since Russia has been known to assassinate failed leaders. Trump will probably die quietly in bed still thinking he 'won'.
If Ukraine doesn't decide to get him.
At some point, current allies in Congress and in business circles will say or do something that will unleash the built up frustration and fear for their own power positions, breaking the logjams that have prevented progress and change. Like a horse race, even a stumbler can move to the front and demonstrate that with a little patience and determination a new leader can emerge. Courage is contagious in athletics and Congress. A weak leader is doomed.
“Unpredictable and dangerous”
None dare call him Krasnov.