The Second Term of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States of America

[sear]

"But NATO expansion is evil." R5 #4,160

- piffle -
NATO is as evil as democracy. For the purpose of the former is to preserve the latter.

e·vil (ēvəl)
adj. e·vil·er, e·vil·est
1. Morally bad or wrong; wicked: an evil tyrant.
2. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful: the evil effects of a poor diet.
3. Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous: evil omens.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

It would be a titanic blunder to conflate the West's military capabilities with its socio-political self-definition.
During the Cold War some humans attempted to breach "the" Wall. Over 100 died trying.
Reportedly that was NOT Westerners trying to escape the corrosive adversities of peace, prosperity, and human rights in the West,
instead seeking the protective preservation of Soviet totalitarianism.
- nope -
It was reportedly victims of the Soviet attempting to escape to the West.

NATO is substantially defensive, not merely suspenders and a belt, in case the Martians attack.
Russia is a ruthless, unethical global malefactor, and China's 100 year plan a prospect it would be unwise to ignore.

We can lie about NATO all day long.
The fact is, most if not all NATO member nations understand their own economic pie chart.
Their GDP = 100%
Spending 5% GDP on their military leaves 95% for everything else.
Certainly they'd like the luxury of instead spending that 5% on domestic infrastructure, highway improvements, bridge construction, etc. BUT !

There's no more extravagant waste than a 2nd rate military. U.S. Gen. Horner

When Russia and similar scale threats are gone, NATO will fizzle.

 

[Rigby5]

- piffle -
NATO is as evil as democracy. For the purpose of the former is to preserve the latter.

e·vil (ēvəl)
adj. e·vil·er, e·vil·est
1. Morally bad or wrong; wicked: an evil tyrant.
2. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful: the evil effects of a poor diet.
3. Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous: evil omens.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

It would be a titanic blunder to conflate the West's military capabilities with its socio-political self-definition.
During the Cold War some humans attempted to breach "the" Wall. Over 100 died trying.
Reportedly that was NOT Westerners trying to escape the corrosive adversities of peace, prosperity, and human rights in the West,
instead seeking the protective preservation of Soviet totalitarianism.
- nope -
It was reportedly victims of the Soviet attempting to escape to the West.

NATO is substantially defensive, not merely suspenders and a belt, in case the Martians attack.
Russia is a ruthless, unethical global malefactor, and China's 100 year plan a prospect it would be unwise to ignore.

We can lie about NATO all day long.
The fact is, most if not all NATO member nations understand their own economic pie chart.
Their GDP = 100%
Spending 5% GDP on their military leaves 95% for everything else.
Certainly they'd like the luxury of instead spending that 5% on domestic infrastructure, highway improvements, bridge construction, etc. BUT !

There's no more extravagant waste than a 2nd rate military. U.S. Gen. Horner

When Russia and similar scale threats are gone, NATO will fizzle.

I don't think NATO has ever actually been defensive.

The main reason people crossed the wall in Berlin was that they got free education under socialism, but then after graduating, were being tempted by private salaries 10 times higher.
I don't think Russia has ever attacked anyone but Finland, and NATO countries attack hundreds of countries.
Like what we did to Libya and Qaddafi.
The US military spending is over 50% of our discretionary budget.
We have the biggest navy in the world, and you don't need a navy at all for defense.

 

[sear]

"I don't think NATO has ever actually been defensive." R5 #4,162

It is now.
In the mid-1970's I served w/ NATO forces in West Germany.
We war-gamed, completed field exercises that were not about marching to Moscow, but instead defending against an armored cav. invasion through the Fulda gap into Western Europe.

As already mentioned Sweden & Finland, NATO's most recent joiners, became NATO members not merely after Russia invaded Ukraine, but because Russia demonstrated its expansionist ambitions by invading Ukraine.
You may disagree. Fine.
'Splain it to the Swedes & Fins.

"The main reason people crossed the wall in Berlin was that they got free education under socialism, but then after graduating, were being tempted by private salaries 10 times higher." R5 #4,162

That's the prosperity argument.
And it not only applies to Cold War Soviet Union.
It's still going on with North Koreans risking life & limb to get to South Korea.

On August 15, 2017 PBSNH reported "There are more than 30,000 North Korean defectors living in South Korea."

"I don't think Russia has ever attacked anyone but Finland, and NATO countries attack hundreds of countries.
Like what we did to Libya and Qaddafi." R5 #4,162

My hastily drawn conclusion, you are right. The U.S. should have kept our B-1's at Diego Garcia. BUT !
Was that bombing of Libya / Quadaffi "NATO"? Or Reagan ?

"We have the biggest navy in the world, and you don't need a navy at all for defense." R5 #4,162

We can't be certain, but the U.S. nuclear triad may be keeping us alive.
And while there are multiple scenarios of enemy first-strike neutralization of our land-based missile and bomber forces,
our Trident submarines are substantially less vulnerable.

The U.S. has 18 Ohio-class submarines, of which 14 are Trident II ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), each capable of carrying 24 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), although to comply with the START II treaty, 4 of the missile launch tubes have been disabled.

Submarines in the United States Navy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

" you don't need a navy at all for defense." R5 #4,162

The Pentagon has concluded otherwise. It's imprudent for amateurs to second-guess these world-class professionals.

 

[sear]

"The" white house, aka the People's house, has an Internet site featuring U.S. federal executive branch issues, https://www.whitehouse.gov/

 

[sear]

https://www.whitehouse.gov/ #4,164

This morning's check of whitehouse.gov did not provide the following disclosure, found separately.

Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 in Fort Hood shooting, will not be executed on livestream, Trump says​

The former Army major would become the first service member to be executed by firing squad since World War II.​

Tom Parfitt Updated Thu, October 15, 2026 at 9:38 AM GMT-5 https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/artic...cuted-on-livestream-trump-says-143047512.html



As a reminder, War Department Secretary Hegseth announced the firing squad execution of Hasan would be livestreamed.
President Trump now says no.

 

[sear]

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt opens up about Trump, motherhood​

The former White House press secretary praised Trump as 'kind and uplifting' during a candid Instagram Q&A​

By Michael Sinkewicz Fox News Published October 15, 2026 3:09am EDT
Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
"People don’t see this side of him because the media doesn’t show it but he has been nothing but kind and uplifting to me, even since departing," she continued. "He’s also hilarious. Love him!"

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt opens up about Trump, motherhood

Karoline Leavitt called President Trump "the best boss" and revealed details about her grueling work weeks before leaving the White House press role to spend more time with her children.

www.foxnews.com

TDS ?

 

[sear]

Katie Zacharia did not pass the bar exam, senior administration official says​

The White House press secretary could technically be considered a “lawyer,” an administration official argued. But that has been disputed by legal experts.

Katie Zacharia did not pass the bar exam, senior administration official says

A Trump administration official argued that the White House press secretary could technically be considered a “lawyer.” Legal experts have disputed that argument.

www.nbcnews.com

No worries Katie. Trump's older sons have passed enough bar exams, perhaps they have a few to spare.

 

[Rigby5]

It is now.
In the mid-1970's I served w/ NATO forces in West Germany.
We war-gamed, completed field exercises that were not about marching to Moscow, but instead defending against an armored cav. invasion through the Fulda gap into Western Europe.

As already mentioned Sweden & Finland, NATO's most recent joiners, became NATO members not merely after Russia invaded Ukraine, but because Russia demonstrated its expansionist ambitions by invading Ukraine.
You may disagree. Fine.
'Splain it to the Swedes & Fins.


...

What I understand is that we are bribing the Swedes and Finns with military hardware, that produces more US munitions profits.
The Military Industrial Complex Eisenhower warned us againt.

 

[Rigby5]

...


That's the prosperity argument.
And it not only applies to Cold War Soviet Union.
It's still going on with North Koreans risking life & limb to get to South Korea.

On August 15, 2017 PBSNH reported "There are more than 30,000 North Korean defectors living in South Korea."

...

I think I am a decent landlord and do not overcharge, but I have literally forced tenants to buy me millions worth of properties over my life.
There should be a more fair system.
But the fact the potential for wealth is corrupting, does not prove places these defectors are coming from are bad.

 

[Rigby5]

...


My hastily drawn conclusion, you are right. The U.S. should have kept our B-1's at Diego Garcia. BUT !
Was that bombing of Libya / Quadaffi "NATO"? Or Reagan ?

...

I seem to remember Reagan doing something in the Gulf of Sidra, but I think it was under Obama/Hillary that NATO bombed Qaddafi's troops, resulting in his death?
But again NATO is suspect, since Italy and France wanted to invest in resorts in Libya.

 

[Rigby5]

...


We can't be certain, but the U.S. nuclear triad may be keeping us alive.
And while there are multiple scenarios of enemy first-strike neutralization of our land-based missile and bomber forces,
our Trident submarines are substantially less vulnerable.

The U.S. has 18 Ohio-class submarines, of which 14 are Trident II ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), each capable of carrying 24 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), although to comply with the START II treaty, 4 of the missile launch tubes have been disabled.

Submarines in the United States Navy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Pentagon has concluded otherwise. It's imprudent for amateurs to second-guess these world-class professionals.

The Pentagon is suspect, due to the Industrial Military Complex profiteering.
It is also a hypocritical contradiction for the US to claim a need for a nuclear deterrent, when it is the US that commits all the hostile acts of war world wide.

Except for Finland, the places the US claims of Russian aggression, like Afghanistan and the Ukraine, are really examples of US aggression in my opinion.
Just like we did in China, Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, Honduras, Haiti, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, etc.

 

[Rigby5]

"The" white house, aka the People's house, has an Internet site featuring U.S. federal executive branch issues, https://www.whitehouse.gov/

View attachment 6845

But we all know that actually over 50% of the discretionary budget is actually "defense", especially when you include VA, GIBill, etc.
The reality is that by eliminating profit skimming, socialism would reduce everything in the US by half.
Such as health care.
Which is proven by all the other countries in the world having socialized medicine that costs less than half what we pay.