If only. It's neither useful nor accurate to underestimate Trump, any more than it served any useful purpose to characterize GW Bush as a defective. Trump is a particular kind of madman - crazy person. If you've ever had to deal with such, you know it's not easy, sometimes impossible. I, for example, have a hang-up for justice; I think it a necessary counterweight for balancing the world. But that will never, ever happen with Trump. We simply have to be rid of him as soon as possible, and rid of his facilitators - can you say Mitch McConnell? That's the best we can do. If he or his are indicted, tried, and jailed, well, that's just justice, and in that case a pleasing but not expected surprise!.

"I suggest that what Putin wants Trump to do is to not want war."
Putin does not want war, but he wants to gain advantages (economic and influence) with other countries. Putin got his money's worth these last couple weeks by Trump's treatment of allies.

I simply hope the midterms will be a clear sign of that movement. — tim wood

More disappointment on the way. I don’t say that as some Trump supporter. It is just how things are going.

Trump’s opposition is weak. Now when one takes into account all the negative press on Trump, and then he still wins, it really shows just how weak his opposition is.

So the question should be, why is his opposition so weak?

Well, because they have nothing real to offer.

But a war between Russia and the US was never on the cards for the simple reason it's in neither's interest to the most dramatic degree possible, i.e. mutual annihilation. So, sure none of us want that but it wasn't going to happen no matter who was President. And it certainly wasn't going to be caused by Trump pointing out to Putin that he wasn't happy with Russia's cyber attacks on the US. It was a low bar which he managed to slide under for no apparent reason.



On foreign policy, he's simply a buffoon. There's nothing much else to it. He knows almost nothing and just goes with his gut. So, I don't think it's possible to significantly underestimate him. On domestic, he's good at relating to his base and relies more on his advisers to sort out the details. The Republicans won't dump him because they're afraid of his base, and the Dems don't have the power to. So, it seems you're stuck with him until 2020. As I said earlier Pence is equally if not more slimey, and has none of the entertainment value so...

I suggest that what Putin wants Trump to do is to not want war."
Putin does not want war, but he wants to gain advantages (economic and influence) with other countries. Putin got his money's worth these last couple weeks by Trump's treatment of allies — Relativist

That’s right. No war means prosperity for most.

Whereas warmongers see war as prosperity for a tiny few.

So, sure none of us want that but it wasn't going to happen no matter who was President. And it certainly wasn't going to be caused by Trump pointing out to Putin that he wasn't happy with Russia's cyber attacks on the US. It was a low bar which he managed to slide under for no apparent reason — Baden

It appears to me that US and UN opposition to Trump would like conflicts to break out to try to paint Trump as a failure.

Also, conflicts are on the cards to detract from the actual evidence of actual treason and collusions of the Clinton cabal.

It appears to me that US and UN opposition to Trump would like conflicts to break out to try to paint Trump as a failure. — raza

Evidence?

Also, conflicts are on the cards to detract from the actual evidence of actual treason and collusions of the Clinton cabal. — raza

Evidence?

The Clinton cabal will do anything to hide from this guy’s evidence.

http://charlesortel.com/

Where's the bit about them committing treason?

Does anyone else hear a strange 'cooing' noise?

That’s right. No war means prosperity for most. — raza

Who are you trolling for? Let's take an outrageous hypothetical example (I find outrageous examples are sometimes a good lens with which to view a main point): I come up alongside you and say in clear and unambiguous terms that unless you pay me a lot and often, I will do horrible things to you, up to and including - and so on. Your argument amounts to your paying the extortion so that we might both be prosperous, and being right to do so!

Another prediction, this time a short term one. Based on the fact that Trump is a coward as he showed when he had to faceTheresa May and reversed his Sun interview criticisms, it'll be the same here. As soon as he's safely out of Putin's gaze he'll change his tune and try to clean up the mess — Baden

And he's doing that now with a press conference reading from a prepared statement saying he meant the opposite of what he actually said. Makes him look very weak and incompetent but marginally better than doubling down.

So @raza now that he's reversed himself and says he does blame Putin, I presume you will reverse too, and complement him on his magnificent volte-face, which you supported all along. Quick now before he changes his mind again...

Americans do have some self-respect. — Baden

Or do they? We'll have to wait and see. And remember, that they made him president in the first place is telling. This whole affair has made me doubt anew - and to a greater degree - where the American electorate is willing to draw the line, which is quite concerning. It was concerning under Bush - especially with his reelection - and it's concerning now.

Very good article but that was almost a year ago. Republicans above all appreciate strength. Now that Trump has shown himself twice, first with May but more spectacularly with Putin to be at the very least weak and a coward, and debateably a traitor too, his goose is well and truly cooked, and I for one will be enjoying seeing him get eaten all the way up to 2020. — Baden

It's an interesting thought. I predict that if he makes it that far, there will either be celebrations or protests on an unprecedented scale, corresponding to whether he wins or loses. If he loses, I think that it should be made a public holiday and celebrated each year. Hopefully, lessons would be learnt, and they wouldn't make the same mistake again, at least for a period, but what's concerning is that now there's a precedent for it. Imagine a future Trump 2.0. It doesn't have to be Trump himself, but someone like him. Maybe someone determined to out do him. Scary thought. Kanye 2020? :grimace:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-18/donald-trump-attacked-by-father-of-mh17-victims/10006628

Within a week, Trump will walk back on today's statements and return to believing Putin over the IC. Whenever he's reined in he just returns to his original comments.

So raza now that he's reversed himself and says he does blame Putin, I presume you will reverse too, and complement him on his magnificent volte-face, which you supported all along. Quick now before he changes his mind again... — Baden

No, you see, either he said what he said at the conference just to troll the media, or he's saying what he's saying now to show that he'll be attacked by the media for saying the very thing they've been saying he should have said at the conference.

The main thing is that 95% of Breitbart readers will find a way to simultaneously interpret this as a win for the President and wish cancer good luck in defeating John McCain.

I don't agree with you in that when someone is acting honestly and true to their self, that they are can also be actively being deceitful and taking advantage of others. If a person is being honest and true with their words AND it turns out that they were incorrect does not make them deceitful, it just makes them wrong. — ArguingWAristotleTiff

True to yourself means adhering to your principles whether they are selfish and deceitful principles or not. So it is quite often that a person who is being true to oneself is lying and deceitful to others. If a person believes that lying to others is beneficial, then staying true to that belief means lying to others.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Such fun.

Well, Pence, the walking corpse, would never be this much fun, that's for sure.

The would/wouldn't thing is particularly funny because his advisers came up with that idea after he had doubled down on Twitter and elsewhere on his Putin love. And the context when changed to "wouldn't" doesn't actually make any sense compared to the original which fit with everything he was saying... As Maw said though he'll just blow all this out of the water later anyway.

Agreed; the pussy joke is... well, just a pussy joke.

But there's nothing left here except to laugh. What a fucking mess.

Is that Theresa May I see in the background?

Do a Google image search of "idiot".

Dubya, did play the idiot card pretty often; but, boy is Donald killing it.

Do I think he would knowingly say something that he knows is not true? Nah, I don't think it is his style and for what purpose would he lie? — ArguingWAristotleTiff

He knowingly lied about raising additional billion of dollars from NATO members. It's impossible for a reasonable person to conclude that from the joint statement. Joint statement