AIBU to be sick of the BBC's obsession with the White House?

Obamacare. Trump made changing Obamacare one of the central pillars of his campaign. It won him votes. He said he would start to demolish it on Day 1. Six month in he is making his second attempt to change it - and has lost again. Although some republicans d not back his bill because they want Obamacare completely abolished, not just changed. Some republicans have been voting with democrats to keep it.

I'm as aware and informed as anyone on the machinations of the US political system and any potential effect it would have on the UK, but do we need to know the ins and outs of their healthcare system problems.

Why do we need to be informed on every development in the US Congress on the matter?

As I said in my OP, it shouldn't be headline news in the UK, in my opinion.

I am sorry *Riverwalk, I have said it before and I will say it again.

All the developments on Obamacare, whether we know the nitty gritty of how the American health system works or not (and I certainly don't) are important to us because Trump made it one of his flagship policies and the failure and back sliding and deals that include members of Trump's own party, the republicans, plus the constant job changes in Trump's office give insights into the policies and politics and manoeuvring of the unstable and volatile man who is currently POTUS.

Today he said that looking over the whole of US history he is the country's greatest President after President Lincoln. The man who thinks this is the man the world looks to to handle the critical problem of North Korea's operational nuclear weapons. Who having first been over cosy with the Russians, is now turning on them.

Any news from the US that gives us any guidance to Trump's likely actions and reactions should be headline news in the UK because eventually his actions and re-actions could most definitely affect our safety and security.

Our government is also quite busy trying to sell off the NHS to the US private healthcare system. That is very relevant to the Obamacare difficulty trump appears to be having.

Fox is trying to sell off the rest of our business in a TTIP2 deal.
American politics is very relevant to us in the UK.
Nobody has to watch it.

and sometimes I wished I hadn't.

I am old enough to remember the Cuban missile crisis.

Trump would probably call that fake news, Jalima.

What's even more worrying is that if we buy a Trident replacement from the US, trump will be in charge of that as well.

"Worse still, Britain’s nuclear capabilities are hostage to this shot-gun social media enthusiast’s goodwill. Britain’s Trident missiles are in a common pool shared with the US and maintained at Kings Bay, Georgia. Furthermore, our nuclear warheads are designed and maintained with the help of the US. As Trump beats the isolationist drum, and withdraws from Nato, we may be left militarily out in the cold. It isn’t a stretch for him to withdraw US support for UK nuclear capabilities too. Without the cooperation of the Trump administration, Trident wouldn't last longer than a couple of months."

From the Independent.

There's disagreement on that durhamjen, apparently, it's a common fallacy. Which is good news

ukdefencejournal.org.uk/no-america-doesnt-control-britains-nuclear-weapons/

One of the most common myths around the system is that the United States has control over the UK’s Trident missile system, that is not the case.

The Trident missile system is housed on the UK’s four Vanguard class submarines which form the UK’s strategic nuclear missile force. Each of the four boats are armed with up to 16 Trident II D5 SLBMs, carrying up to 8 warheads each.

The Royal Navy has operated the UK’s Continuous at Sea Deterrent since 1967 when the first SSBN – or Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear – HMS Resolution began patrolling armed with the Polaris missile system.

Mm but the US maintains the missiles in Georgia although the article describes this as 'joint maintenance'
"One source for the confusion could be the fact that, aside from those currently deployed, the missiles are held in a communal pool at the US Strategic Weapons facility at King’s Bay, Georgia, USA where maintenance and in-service support of the missiles is undertaken at periodic intervals."
Now forgive me for being a bit sceptic about these things but I wouldn't put it past the US to have some little gizmo inserted whilst they are 'maintaining' them that they forget to tell us about. And that means they can do as they like (particularly after the last trial went disastrously off course!)

And of course, the UK Defence Journal is independent.

^ I wouldn't put it past the US to have some little gizmo inserted whilst they are 'maintaining' them that they forget to tell us about^

So you're worried because of something you've imagined?

The Independent is owned by an ex-KGB agent who has assets in Russian military aircraft! But they're still allowed to have an opinion dj I'm simply saying other people have a different view. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

I think Trump is seriously deranged. He has a monstrous ego, a thick skin but no political nous, no social skills, no intellect and no sense of tact or diplomacy. He doesn't understand how he is supposed to behave, even towards America's enemies. It's fascinating, in an horrific way! He is a big rich bully and thinks he can do politics the way he does business.

World wide so many jaws drop and mouths open in disbelief, every single day. He's different, I'll give him that!

The man is dangerous, a loose cannon, but like Jalima says, it's almost like a soap opera and I'd hate to miss what's going on in the White House.

Yep , that puts it well Day6.

Agreed Day6 and as others say, that what happens in The White House affects other countries ( or has the potential to.)

Conspiracy theories ( a gizmo! ) abound on social media.

And now Scaramucci, the foul-mouthed media chief, has been fired after ten days. This has to be a top headline for any serious news medium, anywhere.

apparently NK said in January that if the USA bases in SK stopped their missile exercises they would hold back on their nuclear tests...it wasn't reported here as far as I know I just heard about if from my Canadian cousin.WHY should the USA still have bases in SK and Japan amongst all the others they have worldwide? Can anyone see a valid reason for them ?

I think the answer is why not there?
It has an active military presence in 150 different coutries.
Japan hasn't been allowed to have its own military since World War 2, has it?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/31/democracy-dying-people-worried-putin-erdogan-trump-world

Article by Paul Mason showing why more of us need to be worried about what is happening in the USA as well as elsewhere.

On the Today programme on R4 this morning just after 06.00, Nick Robinson said words to the effect that 'as you'd expect most of the papers have the Scaramucci story as their lead item, but open the pages and there is the latest on North Korea.'

"So there is a real world out there" he said sardonically.

However, his own programme is leading with the same news!

Are you being unreasonable? I think you are. When it comes to the politics of the USA, it is it's affects on the UK that make this man and his behaviour of interest so, I think they are right in the way they have structured the news.

There may be what Nick Robinson chooses to call "a real world" - and North Korea is certainly part of it - but that involves how the USA responds far more than how, for instance, how we respond, so we are back with the current man the US voted in as President. Where NK is concerned we are in a volatile and very differently cultured situation. We are, therefore, back with how Trump will behave - he does not seem to understand different cultures or be able to moderate his behaviour towards them. So, sadly, he will frequently be at the top of the news and taking up a large part of it. If the world felt he could be trusted he would appear less often.

Unfortunately, we are coloured by the presentation of the news and he is enjoying the spotlight.

norah, you are of course correct, Trump is one of those who believe any publicity is good publicity. I don't believe it would be to our advantage to ignore him, his personality would lead him to up the ante - scary thought.

I know that we can't ignore Trump, and as a news junkie wouldn't want to, just think that every twist & turn in the White House pantomime doesn't merit lead billing in the UK news.

The second headline on an article in the Guardian yesterday said The Trump administration is now a beacon of dysfunction. Allies - and enemies - are taking note.

At the moment any news coming out of the office of the POTUS and/or the legislature could be deeply significant in indicating the way power is shifting and moving in the USA and that could affect the shift of power in the outer world, which will undoubtedly affect us.

Remember, Riverwalk it is Trump who will need to work, hopefully, with the Chinese, to solve the North Korean problem. Nick Robinson was wrong. The problems with the US government are part of the North Korean problem.

Be afraid, very afraid.

I don't think trump will be enjoying this.

inews.co.uk/essentials/news/trump-russia-scandal-quick-catch/