Trump

I suspect that was when Trump decided he was going to run.

So it's all about alpha-male willy-waving then - no surprise there.

Whilst I am no fan of Trump, at all. In fact I believe he's a total disgrace. Very unintelligent, for evidence just look at how he articulates..You really have to pinch yourself that you're not dreaming, when you think that America's foremost statesman actually believes that climate change is an Chinese invention.

I don't though think it's really possible to get to the absolute apex of political power by being uninterested in the destiny of his country and his fellow citizens. I think he does care. He definitely showed a passion and conviction that made Hillary look robotic and lifeless.

I just think he's going to be a catastrophe for all of us.

"I do think he was a bit bored a couple of years ago and then ran with it. Much further than he probably intended. "

He attended an event where Obama gave a speech which he used to repeatedly mock Trump over his birth certificate and other things..

www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/trump-and-obama-a-night-to-remember

I suspect that was when Trump decided he was going to run.

Which put's Obama's grim expression upon welcoming Trump to the White House in perspective. He created the Democratic party's nemesis and then had to shake his hand.

I'm sorry, Claig, but I don't think Trump gives one figleaf of shit about the American people. I do think he was a bit bored a couple of years ago and then ran with it. Much further than he probably intended.

However, now he gets to provide his sons and his son in law (that "non elite", whose father paid $1.5 million to get him into Harvard and now can provide a voice for the burgeoning Orthodox Jewish community. Brooklyn and Rockland County will thank him for that, I'm sure) with a political dynasty. I think that was always his ultimate goal.

Jeeze, the Trump doesn't even want to really live in the White House and wants to spend his weekends in NYC. That is NOT going to be helpful for a) all the stores and independents around Midtown and b) everyone in and outside NYC as, wheneverThe President is in town, it causes gridlock.

Is this Trump/Alt-right smooze fest still going? You've got stamina, I'll give you that.

Well I'll wait and watch. January 20th. And if any of the things I fear come to pass, I'll be back on here with a big fat told you so.

And I'll be angry - that people like you normalised and defended it.

However, if I'm wrong, I'll accept it graciously. And I really do hope I'm wrong. Because what I fear is terrifying.

Claig - apologies, you have probably answered this before but I haven't read all of your threads, but do you really think Trump has the interests of America / anyone other than himself at heart, or is he just on a mission to be King of the World?

I have worked with people who seem alarmingly like him, and without exception they were enormously self-centred and motivated only by increasing their personal sphere of importance, thereby giving them licence (in their minds) to do what they liked without having to answer to anyone.

They surrounded themselves professionally with close family and friends (regardless of how unqualified they were), and hired other people on the basis of whether they were able to demonstrate that they were politically 'with him'. If they subsequently showed any signs of not being 'with him' they were relentlessly bullied until they either left of their own accord or were fired (often illegally).

Do you think he is any different? I very much hope so.

Scotland have been extremely hostile to Trump.
Scotland have been extremely keen to remain in the EU.
Scotland have been extremely quiet lately.
Hmm.

Are you really surprised Southallgirl?

I know perfectly upstanding people who've had their children taken off them in this country, their only crime being activity for UKIP.

Forced adoptions, social workers getting away with proven perjury. Of course political correctness is merely about politeness and would never be used for anything else....

"Yes, but Ukraine was the major part of th3 Russian pipelines to Europe"

No, the Russians have always been suspicious of Ukraine's intentions hence avoided that territory with their pipelines. Most the of gas from the pipeline through the Ukraine is actually used by the Ukraine itself which is dependant upon Moscow as an energy source.

Of course even before the war they'd stopped paying the bill so whether it was even in use is debateable.

From today's Gatestone.

" According to New Europe, in Leeuwarden, "about twenty opponents of the plans [to establish asylum centers] in the region received police visits at home." In other words, the Netherlands are engaging in state censorship, thereby raising the question: Is the Netherlands now a police state?

 In the town of Sliedrecht, police came to Mark Jongeneel's office and told him that he tweeted "too much" and that he should "watch his tone": his tweets "may seem seditious". His offense? One tweet said: "The College of #Sliedrecht comes up with a proposal to take 250 refugees over the next two years. What a bad idea!"

 In September 2015, Die Welt reported that people who air "xenophobic" views on social media, risk losing the right to see their own children.

In Europe, is the enemy now the governments? Evidence is mounting that expressing even a mild opinion that runs counter to official government policy can land you in prison, or at least ensure a visit from your friendly local Kafkaesque police. Has Europe effectively become a police state?
Several European governments are making it clear to their citizens that criticizing migrants or European migrant policies is criminally off limits. People who go "too far," according to the authorities, are being arrested, prosecuted and at times convicted."

The pipelines through Ukraine were only part of the network..

www.marketoracle.co.uk/images/2010/Mar/pipeline-wars-22-2.jpg

Not Russian pipelines no, they're planning one through Turkey and already supply Eastern Europe and Germany.

South Pars though is the largest hydrocarbon field in the world. Trouble is it lies across the Qatar / Iran EEZs which means that whoever gets the gas out of the ground the fastest gains the most.

So the Qataris want a pipeline through Syria, as does Saudi. Doesn't really affect us as we get our gas from LNG tankers, which wouldn't change regardless of pipelines.

Russia though would rather not have the competition for it's gas. Iran also figures into it, though less so if Trump tears up Obama's unilateral treaty.

So there is literally hundreds of billions at stake, hence the mercenaries who just swap sides depending upon who pays the most. Sure about 3000 dudes turned up when the Americans offered them training and weapons. Course, they were all secular. Once trained and equipped, well they got a better day rate elsewhere.

God alone knows how bad those 4 or 5 dudes must have been not to get hired by someone.

Hence a lot of the Russian tactics have been to make things as unpleasant as possible for the mercs, you can see them literally raining hell fire with thermobaric weapons on town centres.

Meanwhile there's probably several thousand videos on youtube of the anti-Assad forces firing TOW anti-tank missiles. Peculiar choice of weaponry considering the US sold them all, mainly to EU countries.

"Syria is about Russian pipelines, not Assad. As long as there is chaos in Syria, Russia can't build its pipelines to the Med sea and sell its oil to Europe. It's called an economic war"

This may be another reason for support from Russia, and the only other friendlies in that area are Jordan and Israel. Having Syria captured by IS would not be good for Turkey either, or southern Russia for that matter. They have enough potential hostles in their various 'stans'.

Claig Thanks for the vid link. For some reason I cannot view any vid on my computer except in the early morning. It just does not move, and no sound, so I will try again later. But some interesting comments under that vid, such as:

"Hillary works below a number of people, some of those people are the controllers of the US economy, which are predominantly British Elites such as Jacob Rothschild. The first thing the western funded groups (mainly Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood) did after invading Libya was to establish a private central bank, which now controls the Libyan economy as it sets the currency value, inflation/deflation rates as well as wealth distribution and interest rates, Hilalry may personally have some investment in this bank, but she's certainly not the main beneficiary. ANYONE who invested in any of the sectors which have profited from the Libyan invasion will benifit, the reason Hillary was so happy about Gaddafi's death was because any private investor who lobbied for the support of politicians such as Hillary to fulfil their interests will be ensured their capital, the moment Gaddafi died, it meant the business strategy should work, anyone who's invested will start to be able to profit.

"Furthermore, most of Gaddafi's wealth was taken by the rebels, this meant nothing to western elites, Libya was a threat because it was creating an opposing system to the petrodollar for Africa by re-establishing the gold standard, this couldn't have been allowed to happen, furthermore, Libya is very rich in Oil, natural gas, prescious minerals and other valuable resources which are now being raped and sent over to the companies of the investors who invested in the war."

Syria doesn't mean that much to us, though it does to the EU. Quite why May is continuing Cameron's rhetoric is beyond me.

It's got very little to do with Jihadis, most of the non state combatants are mercenaries. Ever wondered how a disorganised rabble in Toyota pick ups can survive a circular firing squad against state actors?

Saying that the US did try to organise an insurgency of secular anti-Assad forces. I'll try to dig out the video where the oversight committee discovers just how many warriors it's $500 million brought to the front lines...

Lol.

Thanks for reminding me of Robin Skynner. A great man.

prominent black people like Dr Ben Carson, Herman Cain, Mike Tyson, Don King, American black pastors

claig - What is noted about the above small selection, is that (those that I know of) are of independent thought and are not easily cowed. They also understand that different attitudes and beliefs can be found in the most unlikely of people.

"Life and attitudes in the MENA countries are very different to ours in the West. There is now a great deal of hatred between the two main sects of Islam and it is for them to find a middle way, no one else."

Completely agree on this point.