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David 
to wish impossible things
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
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We obviously take diametrically opposed views on foreign policy, Wokko, but I see Obama's deals with Iran and Cuba (as well as his relatively cautious approach to Middle-Eastern conflicts after Lybia), to be major successes. Considering the mess he inherited, he's done an excellent job.
At the end of the day, though, the thing I most admire Obama for is what he didn't do. Who knows where the world would be now if a Republican candidate, advocating pre-emptive strikes against Iran, had won in 2008 or 2012. It doesn't bear thinking about.
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"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange |
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David
to wish impossible things
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
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Wokko 
Come and take it.
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
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| Going head to head with Trump has proven to be the death knell of candidates. Rand Paul's numbers nosedived after he attacked Trump too. |
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David
to wish impossible things
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
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^ Not to harp on about Trump, but I still don't get it. Sure, he's anti-establishment, anti-PC, has that insane arrogance that Americans inexplicably seem to like, but what actual intelligible policy proposals has he put forward?
I mean, a Great Wall of Mexico... does anyone take this stuff seriously? Or is everybody just drinking the same kool-aid?
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"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange |
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Tannin 
Can't remember
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Location: Huon Valley Tasmania
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Wokko
Come and take it.
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
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stui magpie 
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005
Location: In flagrante delicto
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| David wrote: | ^ Not to harp on about Trump, but I still don't get it. Sure, he's anti-establishment, anti-PC, has that insane arrogance that Americans inexplicably seem to like, but what actual intelligible policy proposals has he put forward?
I mean, a Great Wall of Mexico... does anyone take this stuff seriously? Or is everybody just drinking the same kool-aid? |
The arrogance is a New York thing apparently, it's not typical of all Americans and doesn't fly well on the west coast.
He's not a politician and he talks plain which is a breath of fresh air, which is also what got Clive Palmer elected and if you retro analyse some of his comments some of the words hit the right cords with lots of the public.
I'm not even sure what party he's running for but whichever it is they're hoping like hell he doesn't get the nomination as they won't be able to control him.
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Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
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Wokko
Come and take it.
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
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| The Republican establishment is well out of favour with the rank and file, Trump may well get in just because people want to piss off Establishment Republicans. |
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watt price tully 
Joined: 15 May 2007
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If Trump is the GOP candidate then the democrats will be cheering loudly. Looking forward to having Hilary as the next President.
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“I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough” Kinky Friedman |
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Tannin
Can't remember
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Location: Huon Valley Tasmania
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Hilary is not doing so well. Bernie Sanders is doing a Trump on her.
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�Let's eat Grandma.� Commas save lives! |
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Wokko
Come and take it.
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
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| Hillary is no chance and Sanders is a socialist (a legit socialist, not just a USA 'Liberal'), the Democrats have had everything on Hillary, then doubled down even as things fell apart. Without a Trump self immolation or an outsider really grabbing public attention it'll be a GOP President and the only 3 looking the goods are Trump, Carson and Cruz. Carson would make the best President, Cruz is probably the best politician but it's hard to see anyone beating out Trump at the moment, his poll numbers just keep going up. |
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Jezza 
2023 PREMIERS!
Joined: 05 Sep 2010
Location: Ponsford End
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I'm scared of Sanders and Trump possibly being in a position of power but that's up to the Yanks to decide.
I'm staggered that Trump's poll numbers have remained high and his opponents within the Republican Party haven't made any in-roads whatsoever. I agree with you on Carson and Cruz Wokko.
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| 1902 | 1903 | 1910 | 1917 | 1919 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1935 | 1936 | 1953 | 1958 | 1990 | 2010 | 2023 | |
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David
to wish impossible things
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
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| Wokko wrote: | http://www.businessinsider.com.au/donald-trumps-2016-campaign-ideas-2015-6
These were at launch. While I'm sure some of this will 'evolve' I'd say that's the core of it. Being a kind of 'anti-Obama' is helping him heaps as well. |
Let's have a look at each of them:
Immigration: the aforementioned wall. Like Tony Abbott's "stop the boats", but without the requisite connection to reality.
Free trade: "We could totally be getting a better deal with China". How? What did he want America to get, and what would he be willing to sacrifice for it? Superpowers aren't going to sign up for something that isn't in their best interests, and I'm less than convinced that Captain America is going to have the negotiation skills to end up with anything less than a good rogering.
Unemployment: What's the answer here? Protectionism? This article doesn't give us a policy, just a general complaint.
Healthcare: America's 1970s moment is really not popular with the right, is it? Hope they begrudgingly accept it and move on to some other reforms that most developed countries instituted two generations ago.
ISIS:
| Donald Trump wrote: | He indicated he would start by finding a great military mind who would be this generations equivalent of the World War II Gens. George Patton or Douglas MacArthur.
Nobody would be tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump, nobody, he said. I will find the General Patton or I will find General MacArthur. I will find the right guy. I will find the guy thats going to take that military and make it really work. |
He'll find a guy. 
Sorry, I'm out. This is too ridiculous even for me.
_________________
"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange |
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HAL
Please don't shout at me - I can't help it.
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
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| Mike taught me how. |
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Tannin
Can't remember
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Location: Huon Valley Tasmania
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| David wrote: | | He'll find a guy. |
First, he'll need to find someone who knows something about history so that he can discover who the good generals were and how to choose the right one for the right job.
Macarthur was a conspicuously incompetent general who was saved from disaster after disaster, first by some excellent subordinates, later by being in a position of material advantage. Curiously enough, he turned out to be an excellent military governor of Japan. Patton - very like Montgomery - was an excellent field commander blighted by social skills which would make sam Newman look good. The only question here is which of those two would make the more spectacularly unsuitable appointment for the Middle East.
If you were going to choose a general of that era for this job, you'd want an Eisenhower, an Alexander, or a Slim.
Summary: Trump is a historical ignoramus.
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�Let's eat Grandma.� Commas save lives! |
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