First Lady Initiatives...through the years:    (and this is not made up)
 
Eleanor Roosevelt - Women's Rights
Jackie Kennedy - White House Restoration
Betty Ford - Substance Abuse
Nancy Reagan - "Just Say No" Substance Abuse
Barbara and Laura Bush - Childhood Literacy
Melania Trump - Revenge Porn

Porktown
There is talk of $300B in frozen Russian assets that the EU was planning to use to rebuild Ukraine. They are considering to use to support war efforts. They have already used the interest from these funds for war efforts. Ukraine can likely last a long time with those funds and likely sell the mineral rights to EU countries to double that amount.

EU starting WW3??? You mean when Ukraine invaded Russia???

 


 That's why Zelenski wouldn't sign the mineral deal with Trump. Trump said the minerals were for back debt and not for any support going forward. A no brainer not to sign after that period. Don't think Donald was going to help them much anyway.

Porktown


EU starting WW3??? You mean when Ukraine invaded Russia???

 
 if EU put a coalition force in to force Russia out of eastern Uke and Crimea, that would kick off WWIII 
the alternative to coalition troops is to continue funding the trench war stalemate for years hoping Putin dies. 
 
are there any other choices for a Uke win? 
 
Whatever the decisions going forward, it's all Europe's to decide now.
 
KTF 
 
 

dano

Porktown

dano
This is how Putin negotiates.
After Trump gets elected, Russians state TV runs nude pics of Melania Trump during prime time.
Figure that one out. 

Wow. This is the first that I have heard of this. Crazy.

https://m.youtube.com/wat...;t=87s&pp=2AFXkAIB

 
Sad to see that no one came to Melania's defense except Melania herself.
It shouldn't matter if you are a rep or dem, Trump hater or lover.  This is our First Lady of our Country. 
Putin is sending a message. I'm not 100% sure on this but I think he is telling us, that he absolutely has no respect for Trump or us Americans. He's going to do whatever he wants. He's running the show. 
 The guy is a deranged POS and can't be trusted with any agreement, pact or ceasefire. He may balk at but really won't care about some minerals deal. Zelensky knows that Putin will just bide his time and in 5 or 10 years, will find some reason to invade.
  Putin doesn't respond to diplomacy or weakness or words on a piece of paper. He only respects strength. 
The one person who has met him with strength and defiance is Zelensky. He's a thorn in Putin's side and Putin wants the little runt dead. That's respect. Remember when Putin said he would take Kiev in two weeks?

Vladimir Putin is a pig.  Unfortunately, he's a pig with everything going his way right now and you are absolutely correct about the ONLY thing Putin respects.  
Our foreign policy is now aligned with Russia's world view (Kremlin's words) and we have abandoned any responsibility and shred of honor and decency with our abandonment of Ukriane.  This isn't a surprise, as Trump literally was able to halt aide in congress before he was even president....imagine that.  I hope and pray that Europe is able to put together a support package and that we don't seek to undermine the process of Ukraine defending itself.  The peace plan is now a "shiny thing" for Trump that he can't have and we all know how he gets when he can't have something he wants.  
 
So, for all of his supporters, congrats on getting what you so desperately wanted for some reason.  In any other world America and Americans would be pulling for this underdog of democracy facing down a world dictatorship, led by a brutal murdering criminal who has secured his power and wealth in the most disgusting ways.  If Europe doesn't pull through we call all watch the slow decimation of the Ukranian cities, culminating with the mass****of its women once the ground forces can take control and the sale of its children and women on the dark web by the Russian mob.  This is not hyperbole, it is a fact.  Russia has won over many Americans with a constant stream of propaganda and bots over the last many years.  That propaganda has eaten a hole right into the American psyche and begun to rot.  Rest assured, when Russia comes for the hug, we will have a knife in our back.  

Porktown

dano
  Putin doesn't respond to diplomacy or weakness or words on a piece of paper. He only respects strength. 
The one person who has met him with strength and defiance is Zelensky. He's a thorn in Putin's side and Putin wants the little runt dead. That's respect. Remember when Putin said he would take Kiev in two weeks?

A foreign leader puts nude photos of his wife on their national TV. His response, give them everything they want. That sure is strength.

Can't make it up...
In other news, I'm so offended by this I might just need to check these out to reallllyyy see how offended I am

LDD
In other news, I'm so offended by this I might just need to check these out to reallllyyy see how offended I am

Ha ha. That is what I did yesterday. You know, to verify the authenticity….

She needs to think outside the box on revenge. Like showing updated images? That would really teach Putin!

I assume all MAGAs would agree the strength Trump showed in restraint. Imagine if one of your wives nude photos were blasted all over national TV. Would you have the strength to not go ballistic. So strong. Super Beta Male strength. Turn the other cheek. Sorry, was talking to Melania…

 and we have abandoned any responsibility
 
 

LDD
 and we have abandoned any responsibility

I'm curious what you (and others)  think  our responsibility is or should be in world conflicts that don't directly involve us? 
 
being that I lean isolationist, this shouldn't come as a surprise...
I don't support us being the world cop.
I'd like to see us get the he11 out of 90% of places our mil lives.
 
 
KTF 
 
 
 

genieman77
 and we have abandoned any responsibility
 
 

LDD
 and we have abandoned any responsibility

I'm curious what you (and others)  think  our responsibility is or should be in world conflicts that don't directly involve us? 
 
being that I lean isolationist, this shouldn't come as a surprise...
I don't support us being the world cop.
I'd like to see us get the he11 out of 90% of places our mil lives.
 
 
KTF 
 
 
 

In a nutshell, I think a delineation between "world/regional influence" and "nation building and direct conflict" needs to be established.  I think when we get directly involved in nation building and conflict that is generally a bad thing, when we carry our big stick around and influence the world in our favor and in the favor of democracy I think it is generally a good thing.  
 
For one, I truly believe that the United States is on the right side.  I believe we are just and good and lawful, as much as any humans can be.  There are always mistakes, but as a whole, I believe in us...the US.  Because I believe in us...the US...I believe that we are generally the light.  Where there is an absence of light, there is darkness.  Get my drift?
 
With the advent of overwhelming technology it gives the bad actors of the world a longer and more impactful reach.  If we don't lead, who will? In a power vacuum, bad things happen.  

Edit***If DOGE started a GoFundMe page for Ukraine, I would contribute directly to it.  I believe that what we are doing in Ukraine is the perfect example of supporting what is right and just in a world of increasing darkness.  There's a gamble that our involvement increases the scope of the conflict but there's a lot of gamble in life. 

Well said LDD, especially the delineation. Completely different to aid a sovereign ally with arms to fight off a foreign invasion, than it is to invade any country for any reason and nation build.

When it comes to retaliation to acts like 9/11, I can’t say (without hindsight) there was anything “wrong” with going into Afghanistan. Obviously, it didn’t go as well as anyone would have liked it to. I have absolutely no military planning knowledge to advise of what could have/should have been done better. I’d imagine with the advancement of drones and cyber means since then, maybe could have done more now without forces on the ground. Not sure how much more though?

I’d prefer to have service members as a whole, not be deployed into combat. But having the world’s largest economy, requires some decisions of international military strength to maintain that standing. Wish it weren’t that way, but has been that way since warfare began. Those with the most gold always had the biggest armies to protect that gold. They made allies to fight wars and shared a bit of their gold in the process. Those that stopped doing under weak leadership crumbled. God help us that weak leadership is here now.

LDD

For one, I truly believe that the United States is on the right side.  I believe we are just and good and lawful, as much as any humans can be.  There are always mistakes, but as a whole, I believe in us...the US.  Because I believe in us...the US...I believe that we are generally the light

In all fairness, there are some very dark moments in our history. And we should view critically, some of the major mistakes in our foreign policy decisions from the last 75+ years. Granted we now have the benefit of hindsight, but we should still try to learn from those mistakes.

I think the allure of isolationism is partially due to those foreign policy mistakes. We have made an absolute mess of the Middle East. Just about every major decision we have made has caused death and suffering and destabilized the region further, not to mention the radicalized animosity against the west we have fueled.

Distancing ourselves from some of those regional conflicts might not be “isolationism” per se but I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad idea.

The difference with Ukraine is that this isn’t a proxy war with the Soviet Union, where we back one faction and the USSR backs the other and we say we are fighting to “stop the spread of communism”. The invasion of Ukraine is a direct act of aggression by Russia against a sovereign nation that is our ally.

It’s an entirely different situation. And the fact that the same people that cheered W’s foolish and reckless military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan 20 years ago, are now saying we “shouldnt be fighting stupid wars” is infuriating.

We are fighting to stop the spread of Communism ah the old domino theory where have I heard of that before!!!!!!.When did Ukraine become an ally?I didn't think they were admitted to NATO yet.How can billions that have been spent be called isolationism esp since we are the only ones spending the money. Ah again now the EU finally wants to help Imagine that at least till Russia shuts off their fossil Fuels.

Hey Ice--
Remember all the Hunter dealings with foreign businesses and the BIG GUY and Joe telling a country to stop investigating a business Hunter was with or NO US funding-so they stopped the investigation. All the suspicions of influence peddling with Hunter and Joe?
Mostly ALL UKRAINE business.
Explains a lot.

In other news...since Trump is cancelling funding that is congressionally approved are we now in an era of "taxation without representation"?  Hold up on your filing We might have to make some tea.  
 
Saw that floating around from the Alt Parks Svc.  
 
It's a tough one to refute