Venezuela

OP you've said (and repeated) on numerous occasions the demand for a European military presence in Greenland. I'm not saying I like what America is doing there and would want to stand up to that in some way, but do you really think a direct military confrontation between various European countries and the USA over Greenland is really a good idea?

I think Europe collectively should be looking at the soft power retaliation they can enact immediately such as boycotting the World Cup. It would be reduced to a High School tournament without the big European teams. Trump loves being on the World stage red carpet. We shouldn't be sending the King and Wills over for a nauseating love in.
We've dropped the ball on defence having relied on a relatively sane US for too long. Now would be the time to invest in defence and fulfill the growth agenda as an aside.
Starmer's fence sitting won't cut it this time.

I think it was a Trump troll. It had similarities to Trump troll posts across the internet this weekend.

I think strategically the EU may not want the UK to rejoin. If Trump is serious about Greenland that makes him hostile towards an EU state, namely Denmark. For some reason Trump listens to the UK. It may make him feel any advice is more neutral than if we were in. Admittedly whilst I voted remain I don’t see the EU as the panacea that others do.

Im guessing a bot/"sponsored" poster?

ETA I should add, I didn't see it though

We already have essentially had to receive political refuges from HK due to China’s horrendous behaviour in HK. This is a place we were hugely invested in culturally and financially… yet we ‘let” them take over with a totally totalitarian approach. HK refugees are being hacked, attacked and even kidnapped in London yet we rarely hear anything about it. Appeasement to the super powers has been going on for a long while…

We should do both.

Probably because it came from Russia or China.

Our top priority should be building up our navy.

Joining the EU is neither here nor there. When “shit gets real” we will be an attractive ally if we are strong and of no use to anyone if we are a weak burden.

As an aside, does anyone know why the thread "Hurray for Venezuela!!" was deleted by MN and the OP investigated? I was about to post on it and puff, it was gone!

Trump's message was repeated on airforce one. "WE NEED GREENLAND!!"
He's now threatening Dalcy and Colombia's president, and put Mexico on alert.
Watching the news is so disheartening. I hear all the arguments as to why politicians can't openly condemn the seizure of VZ, but fear that we are seeing appeasement in our time.

Presumably Farage would be a tame poodle like Belarus leader is to Putin (Russia)? So can keep veneer of independence with Farage as nominal UK leader.

Trumpism has long been obviously = Might is Right. Am bemused by people only just waking up to that tenet. No concern for hearts and Minds.

Cuba could be strategically important and there is strong public opinion in favour of deposing their regime AND is in "backyard". Iran also has desirable oil & a vilified regime, but not so easy to get to and a young population who would turn into dogged resistance militias to occupation. Greenland is poorly defended so would be "easy" to take. One of those 3 is next to take over, I suppose. I think Cuba just nudges the others out, I reckon.

Mexico is not off table as takeover target given the fentynl production there, but... it would be a protracted guerrilla war if they did go for it, not an ordinarily vilified country. At least Canada is out of the frame, for now.

Farage would last literally 5 mins as a PM before having the keys to the UK over to America or Russia. He’s hopeless. He’s never been in charge of anything! Ever

The absolute last person you want around in difficult complex bully boys in charge kind of times.

I guess EU leaders can’t condemn Trump because they know he’d slap a100% tariff or would find a way to take any sort of petty revenge… They can’t pretend outright that they are ok with the kidnapping, like they would ideally need to in order to keep the idiot sweet, because that would make a mockery of their stance on Ukraine, so they’re kind of stuck. Farage would have a field day if Starmer criticised Trump and some tariff made the UK economy tank. So sadly, not much they can say publicly. Hopefully, they are quietly getting ready for the worse case scenario, and at least getting ready for Greenland. I really hope it’s dawning on everyone in power that this administration is something else…

🤮

Dear Lord, the idea Farage is someone's wet dream...

People vote for their fantasies, not for truth-tellers.

I'm a dual citizen, and I agree. I feel like I've been screaming into the void since before Brexit, and then again in 2016 and 2024. Who needs enemies when you have a population that will vote against their own safety, security and economic interests? It's so frustrating. If I can see what's coming, why can't this government?

Who said they are better off under Maduro? These are real people, not pawns in a US power play move in the western hemisphere.
I lived in Colombia when there were 1m Venezuelans who had fled their homeland. There are 3m now, many caught up in sex trafficking or taken advantage of in poorly paid jobs. This scenario has been repeated all over the Caribbean and South America. I have seen photos of barely teenage girls being pimped out. Guns were being traded to drug dealers in Trinidad for food and medicine.
Maduro absolutely needed to be removed, but not in this way. Do Venezuelans want their country to be ruled by the US and their oil taken in return for "infrastructure"?
I am outraged by this severe overreach of power by the US that has created more instability in the region.

I think they are scared of fuckwit voters. And of war.

Ah yes they are so much better off under Maduro, they all look so unhappy.

America is an enemy state. It’s stringing the EU and UK along on Ukraine to stop us from speaking out about American actions elsewhere on the world stage - we’re like a pig being pulled along (by the US and Russia) by the ring through its nose. When Trump has ensured our silence for as long as he needs, he’ll offer Ukraine to Russia on a plate.

Trump and Putin are cut from the same cloth. No respect for international law.

Shame on Starmer for not condemning it immediately.