U.S. 2028 Presidential Election Season and General U.S. Politics Thread

[SoFreshSoClean]

Letting Russia get Ukraine IS escalation… Europe and NATO beefing up their defenses and uniting is primarily a DETERRENT.

Not a single nation (except Russia for that matter…) wants to send troops on their own land, and fight 1900s style. That's not the goal. When the US was the single source of deterrence to Russia, not once was a US soldier sent to the field in Georgia or Crimea. The whole point here is to replace the US deterrence.

 

[just4fun]

Great Britain appeased to Hitler before WW2,and things accelerated from there.
Had West Europe and US appeased to Hitler in WW2, England would be speaking German now.
Had China appeased to Japan, they would now be speaking Japanese in Chongqing.

My father was a gulag prisoner in what is nowadays Russia. Luckily he survived. But he always told me: if there is a way, resist invasion, because appeasement only brings further suffering.

Europe and Nato have a financial and military might far exceeding that of Russia. So Russia can be pushed back. But only if Europe and Nato are willing to accept personal suffering, and not just that of Ukrainians. Easy for me to say of course. My head is not on the block.

I agree with this. I've heard war stories from the horses mouth about WW2. The situation we have here is is Putin keeps pushing, he'll include Nukes if he's losing badly unless there's another Revolt there. China will take Taiwan if a major war brakes out in Europe and if Japan comes the rescue.....well......now ur head is on the block.

 

[Majestyk]

 

[Sudsy]

the justification used to appease Hitler before WW2.

It's a better parallel than you think - the reason the Germans gave for taking over Czechoslovakia was that supposedly ethnic Germans were being mistreated, first in the Sudetenland (the areas ceded by Chamberlain), and then in Bohemia and Moravia. Putin's supposed reasons for entering Ukraine? Maltreatment of ethnic Russians.

If Ukraine falls, Putin will likely use the exact same justification to go after Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Moldova, and Slovakia, and then annex Belarus and Lithuania to establish territorial integrity.

 

[bdole]

It's a better parallel than you think - the reason the Germans gave for taking over Czechoslovakia was that supposedly ethnic Germans were being mistreated, first in the Sudetenland (the areas ceded by Chamberlain), and then in Bohemia and Moravia. Putin's supposed reasons for entering Ukraine? Maltreatment of ethnic Russians.

If Ukraine falls, Putin will likely use the exact same justification to go after Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Moldova, and Slovakia, and then annex Belarus and Lithuania to establish territorial integrity.

View attachment 27753

I did say it was a pretty exact parallel

History doesn't repeat, but it sure rhymes. And Putin would be sued for copyright violation for how similarly he's following Hitler.

 

[Sudsy]

I did say it was a pretty exact parallel

History doesn't repeat, but it sure rhymes. And Putin would be sued for copyright violation for how similarly he's following Hitler.

The area he's messing up is that he doesn't have popular support. Hitler had that nailed down tight before he did anything. Putin has been repressing protests instead of winning people over. Hopefully the rumours about him having terminal thyroid cancer are true and he'll kick off soon.

 

[bdole]

The area he's messing up is that he doesn't have popular support. Hitler had that nailed down tight before he did anything. Putin has been repressing protests instead of winning people over. Hopefully the rumours about him having terminal thyroid cancer are true and he'll kick off soon.

I'd heard the terminal illness rumors too, and I would say that's probably why he isn't waiting until he has tightened support. He kicked off the invasion before Russia was ready and before Ukraine was weakened from within like the rest of the western democracies have been. He also didn't wait until after his puppet was in power. It was a pretty terrible time to do it, but he probably felt rushed so he could cement his legacy.

I agree with your sentiment.

 

[mankodaisuki1]

What would it take to stop Russia now? Clearly the roughly $140B from Europe and $120B from US is not enough. Does it entail NATO forces directly entering the war and engaging with Russia now? Is Putin the same level of evil as Hitler? I would tread very lightly letting this escalate at this moment in time. Continuous diplomacy and dealmaking is the safer path to neutralizing Russia's aggression. I do not foresee Putin trying to take over Western Europe. He is acting under aggression to retake former USSR lands. Cold War is better than a hot war with mass casualties of western troops and lives. Imagine the warfare spilling into Western Europe with Russia's provoked aggression. I'd honestly take a Cold War and some diplomatic wins and losses over the next 50 years than letting this thing escalate to all out war right now. Imagine the opportunities China would take to unleash their AI weaponry entering this new Eastern Europe and now Asia theatre. We HAVE to give diplomacy and deal making our best effort before allowing escalation - Ukraine sadly having to sacrifice a bit to stay close to status quo. Now here's another thought - what about MI6 and France's/Getmany's and the rest of EU's intelligence community planning an assassination of Putin covertly if they can get passed KGB? Would THAT be a better solution than all out war?

 

[bdole]

What would it take to stop Russia now?

No clue. I'm not privy to every bit of info about Russia's current status.

I would tread very lightly letting this escalate at this moment in time.

When is the proper time for escalating unchecked aggression? After he's already taken a couple of the old USSR countries and starts infringing on Western European borders?

Continuous diplomacy and dealmaking is the safer path to neutralizing Russia's aggression.

I do not foresee Putin trying to take over Western Europe.

Mmmhmm. Literally exactly what was constantly said about Hitler on the path to appeasement.

He is acting under aggression to retake former USSR lands.

No, he is acting under aggression to illegally seize land that does not belong to his country, with sovereign governments that do not want to be part of Russia or some new USSR. You are sanitizing the actual situation to make it seem not as bad as it is.

Cold War is better than a hot war with mass casualties of western troops and lives.

It's already not a cold war. We're not talking about semi secret proxy fights in far off lands. Russia has directly attacked a foreign democracy with the intent of conquering it. Cold War is already gone. That's what we had before the Ukrainian invasion, and I posit that if Trump and Biden had been firmer with Russia before they invaded Ukraine, they wouldn't be in the position to now be influencing the US government and having people arguing appeasement.

Imagine the warfare spilling into Western Europe with Russia's provoked aggression.

Yes, that is Putin's plan, and if he's not stopped at Ukraine, he will do it no matter what. Appeasement. Doesn't. Work. Ever.

We HAVE to give diplomacy and deal making our best effort before allowing escalation - Ukraine sadly having to sacrifice a bit to stay close to status quo.

Why? Why doesn't Russia have to sacrifice? Why is it that the aggressor gets what they want for starting a war while the rest of us just have to deal with it, and the victim has to give up their property just because you are afraid of aggression?

Now here's another thought - what about MI6 and France's/Getmany's and the rest of EU's intelligence community planning an assassination of Putin covertly if they can get passed KGB? Would THAT be a better solution than all out war?

Probably. I don't know too much about who else is in power over there, but I suspect Putin has spent a long time culling any polarizing figure out of the population so that once he's gone, there will be a free for all much like during the collapse of the USSR.

 

[MikeH]

Hopefully the rumours about him having terminal thyroid cancer are true and he'll kick off soon.

While I won't be crying if he kicks the bucket, I also don't believe it will mean much. Russia will still continue to be Russia and another dictator with the same mindset will be stepping in.

The only diplomacy Russia listens is power. Europe needs to step up and show it's bigger than Russia can ever be. Ukraine is fighting for us all.

 

[Sudsy]

The only diplomacy Russia listens is power.

You forgot money. They loooooove money.

 

[zera]

https://www.reuters.com/markets/cur...-currencies-2025-03-03/?utm_source=reddit.com

Trump pushing Japan to drastically strengthen the yen as expected.

In the one hand- more purchasing power.

On the other hand- plaza accords were a major reason for the bubble pop.

And Japan's biggest trade partner (USA) is likely about to enter a recession or even a depression.

 

[chubby90]

What would it take to stop Russia now? Clearly the roughly $140B from Europe and $120B from US is not enough. Does it entail NATO forces directly entering the war and engaging with Russia now? Is Putin the same level of evil as Hitler? I would tread very lightly letting this escalate at this moment in time. Continuous diplomacy and dealmaking is the safer path to neutralizing Russia's aggression. I do not foresee Putin trying to take over Western Europe. He is acting under aggression to retake former USSR lands. Cold War is better than a hot war with mass casualties of western troops and lives. Imagine the warfare spilling into Western Europe with Russia's provoked aggression. I'd honestly take a Cold War and some diplomatic wins and losses over the next 50 years than letting this thing escalate to all out war right now. Imagine the opportunities China would take to unleash their AI weaponry entering this new Eastern Europe and now Asia theatre. We HAVE to give diplomacy and deal making our best effort before allowing escalation - Ukraine sadly having to sacrifice a bit to stay close to status quo. Now here's another thought - what about MI6 and France's/Getmany's and the rest of EU's intelligence community planning an assassination of Putin covertly if they can get passed KGB? Would THAT be a better solution than all out war?

You do know that the west tried the diplomacy route with russia for years? The latest diplomacy try with sacrifies done by Ukraine was the annex of crimea. People thought this would stop Putin and peace would come back. Surprise, surprise, 8 years later Putin tries to conquer more land of Ukraine. It is not like some people have this magical idea that diplomacy might work with Putin and nobody else has thought of and tried it.

 

[Majestyk]

Great villain haircut.

 

[Alice]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/touri...ce-at-san-diego-border-despite-return-ticket/

Please everyone, do not ask escorts to visit you in the US. Escorts, strongly consider not touring in the US. Clients, if a Japanese girl asks you about dekasegi in the US, please strongly discourage them.

This is how ICE treats a tourist from a first world country. A tattoo artist. For possibly wanting to work there illegally. Imagine what they could do if they catch a tourist who they suspect will try to do escorting in their country!
It's one thing that us escorts already have to consider the possibility to be denied entry at a border because of our job even though we are just trying to go on a vacation, but under the current US administration, far more sinister things would be possible.

 

[Ddddd]

Great villain haircut.

View attachment 27760

One would think that someone with this amount of money would have access to better hair implant treatments that don't leave that massive scar in the back of the head...

 

[qcryp]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/touri...ce-at-san-diego-border-despite-return-ticket/

Please everyone, do not ask escorts to visit you in the US. Escorts, strongly consider not touring in the US. Clients, if a Japanese girl asks you about dekasegi in the US, please strongly discourage them.

This is how ICE treats a tourist from a first world country. A tattoo artist. For possibly wanting to work there illegally. Imagine what they could do if they catch a tourist who they suspect will try to do escorting in their country!
It's one thing that us escorts already have to consider the possibility to be denied entry at a border because of our job even though we are just trying to go on a vacation, but under the current US administration, far more sinister things would be possible.

I saw that article and that was the first thing I thought about too. I've had plenty of girls say they want to visit the US to me (probably most not serious, but still) and every time I am tell them they really should visit somewhere else. If someone seems serious about it I might have bring stuff like this up.

 

[Chorizo]

Yes please stay away from the US for a while. But just in case anyone is still tempted to come, please don't be dumb enough to state anything about your intentions during the interview with the border patrol agent. I heard about the German tattoo artist too and was horrified by how they treated her but it seems she actually admitted she was coming to LA to tattoo when asked about her reason for visiting. When they ask you that just say sightseeing.

 

[Sudsy]

This is how ICE treats a tourist from a first world country. A tattoo artist. For possibly wanting to work there illegally.

To be fair, she absolutely was planning to work there illegally... and put dates up on her insta, and was busted with her tools and ink in her luggage.

 

[jhingy567]

Why didn't they just deny her entry at the border?
Also why she does she have to stay in detention for over a month? I read that Japan might do it if you can't come up with the funds, but in this case it seems like she's willing to go back home and can afford it?

 

[Sudsy]

Why didn't they just deny her entry at the border?

They can't send someone back to a country where they aren't a citizen or a resident - in this case, Mexico while she is a German national. IF she had been flying in from Germany, they could have just held her at the airport until the next flight back (at airline expense).

Also why she does she have to stay in detention for over a month?

Processing of a deportation order in the US can take up to 90 days.

Even in Japan, you're looking at 4-6 weeks in detention before your deportation goes into effect, and that's in a case where there's no contesting of the deportation..

 

[jhingy567]

They can't send someone back to a country where they aren't a citizen or a resident

Didn't realise it would be considered sending her back if she wasn't admitted in the first place.
At secondary screening could they not have just revoked the ESTA/visa and got her to drive back into Mexico?
Huge waste of money.

 

[SugoiBoy]

To be fair, she absolutely was planning to work there illegally... and put dates up on her insta, and was busted with her tools and ink in her luggage.

View attachment 27765

Just kinda dumb.

 

[Alice]

They can't send someone back to a country where they aren't a citizen or a resident - in this case, Mexico while she is a German national. IF she had been flying in from Germany, they could have just held her at the airport until the next flight back (at airline expense).

Processing of a deportation order in the US can take up to 90 days.

Even in Japan, you're looking at 4-6 weeks in detention before your deportation goes into effect, and that's in a case where there's no contesting of the deportation..

Didn't realise it would be considered sending her back if she wasn't admitted in the first place.
At secondary screening could they not have just revoked the ESTA/visa and got her to drive back into Mexico?
Huge waste of money.

Yeah I also don't understand why they can't send her back.
I know of a case where Japan just let the western foreigner go back to Korea in a case of visa hopping gone wrong.
And why don't they just get her on a flight to Germany if she has the funds for it? Surely would be preferable at this point.

Just kinda dumb.

Kinda, but escorts often also already have an ad out before going on tour.

 

[Sudsy]

why don't they just get her on a flight to Germany if she has the funds for it? Surely would be preferable at this point.

They will, but she has to be processed first, and there's a lot of people to be processed.

Kinda, but escorts often also already have an ad out before going on tour.

But escorts don't usually enter a country with 20 boxes of condoms and a few bottles of lube in their suitcase either.