Strewth- a totally different point of view

I'm not saying he is right! But I'm not sure he is complete stupid either.
Who knows what the outcome will look like many years ftom now?

escaped

I'm not saying he is right! But I'm not sure he is complete stupid either.
Who knows what the outcome will look like many years ftom now?

That’s how I feel escaped

Speculation is rife, and not an exact science.

But that’s just an aphorism Monica and sometimes there’s really a simple answer that’s right!
We have to remember that where tariffs are concerned Trump is putting America first literally, and that it’s bad for the world doesn’t concern him or many Americans.
Trump is the strangest President that the US has ever come up with, no doubts about that and this time he’s surrounded himself with even stranger people, Vance for one, but until the electorate reject him,( if they do,)he’s their choice.
And I do realise that there are some Republicans who dislike him and all Democrats dislike him, but that’s the way elections work.

I only know one American living in this country. He will say that he doesn't agree with everything Trump does or says but he agrees with some things.

He is very damning about Ukraine, however, without coming up with any evidence for his claims.

He does over-estimate himself, and finds people who argue against him very challenging. He finds it hard to admit he can get things wrong.

This particular person spends a lot of time on-line- more than I think is healthy. I think this is where he gets most of his opinions from.

I know I can't judge an entire country on just one person but my feeling is that he isn't really as bright as he thinks he is. Intelligence isn't just about what qualifications you have.
I would say this couple earn quite a lot of money, and that is the main reason for their support of Trump.

We met (casually) many people in America last visit who I think were pretty right wing.
Some were challenging to have a conversation with. Two of them in particular to be honest.

Everything this couple said (pretty much) came back to immigration and although we chatted for maybe an hour or so over lunch. It was clear their whole outlook revolved around this issue.

They had grown-up family like us. Their attitude was that people make their own luck, immigrants were scrounging, guns were necessary, taxes were robbery, environmental damage was nothing to do with people, Trump was a businessman (they said he'd only had a "small" handout from his dad and was self-made).

They objected (this was immediately post pandemic) to "town" people walking in "their" favourite parkland/country area - particularly if they were black - "not because we have a problem with black people but because they would never understand". It was quite a wide-ranging conversation.

I know this encounter is unremarkable but we did try to discuss and learn.

Things we had in common - love of our families and a love of nature - but different ideas about how to fix it... of if it even needed fixing.

escaped

It's strange how Trump's simplistic way of thinking can appeal to lots of clever thinking people. And why not? Sometimes uncomplicated ideas can bring about solutions. We won't know until the change of gear shows results.

It is also likely that the rich - and I imagine the two doctors were doing pretty well - are very likely to get richer with Trump's policies.

escaped

PoliticsNerd

Galaxy

'Educate yourself' to think like me.
Confirmation bias, and specific use of the media to confirm that bias, is exactly why the progressives find themselves at a loss to understand Trumps win and his voters.

Oh dear - really? Promoting critical thinking doesn't equate to asking others to adopt a single perspective. Do you have to descend to this level of argument? Is that really all you have to offer?

I think that's a bit harsh on Galaxy.

You may think so. I find deliberately re-interpreting another person's post to use it to personally attack was far worse than "harsh". It was the lowest form of arguement (Graham's hierarchy)

Foxie48
He’s certainly not a mafia type president
The mafia never broadcast the damage they are planning 😉

The personal attack is only in your mind PoliticsNerd as there was none.

Of course many of us cannot understand Trump and his policies and indeed his actual vision.

Just in the same way as many of us cannot understand Farage and Reform.

Naturally, it doesn’t make “us” right and “them” wrong, but it’s hard for people like myself, who are centre-left, to understand the ethos of those, who appear to be very narrow in their outlook, blaming every country and its inhabitants for their own countries failure.

IMO Trump is a very dangerous man as he is incredibly reactive and doesn’t appear to think things through. Like Farage, he says all the things his supporters want to hear.

petra

Foxie48
He’s certainly not a mafia type president
The mafia never broadcast the damage they are planning 😉

True, you get done over or whacked with no warning 😲

Not true, the Mafia make it clear, pay up for protection or else! They also intimidate people into silence, which is exactly what Trump is doing and they demand absolute loyalty, just like Trump.

keepingquiet The American living in Britain you describe sound exactly how I imagine Trump to be. Are you sure it's not him?

Have they not noticed his lying, cheating, misogyny, racism, sexual abuse ........ ?

His u-turns and his frankly insane pronouncements?

I have two American friends in the UK. One very left and one quite to the right...
Both haven't a good word on the Trump front.
Probably the only topic they could agree on!

Maybe that is the "good" this presidency will do in the world.
Unite people with very different views!

Oreo

PoliticsNerd

Galaxy

'Educate yourself' to think like me.
Confirmation bias, and specific use of the media to confirm that bias, is exactly why the progressives find themselves at a loss to understand Trumps win and his voters.

Oh dear - really? Promoting critical thinking doesn't equate to asking others to adopt a single perspective. Do you have to descend to this level of argument? Is that really all you have to offer?

Galaxy was being ironic in the first sentence and furthermore I always find her comments sensible and to the point.

The first thing I learned coming out of childhood was that other people have their own views on any given subject and that they have a right to.The fact that they don’t chime with my views especially on politics, doesn’t make them wrong.

You felt you had to interpret Galaxy's post Oreo. Doesn't that mean it was written in such a way that it is open to more than one interpretation?

While still a child I learned that people's feelings are valid, regardless of how others perceive the situation. I felt it was a personal attack rather than a point of argument.

NotSpaghetti

Maybe that is the "good" this presidency will do in the world.
Unite people with very different views!

Could it split America off from a large part of the world? Trump unravelled sounds isolationist. He may get his wish but is that really the wish of the American people?

PoliticsNerd
All it means is that you didn’t ‘get’ an ironic remark. I think most posters understand irony but obvs not all.
A different POV isn’t a personal attack btw.

No, probably not, PoliticsNerd - but the good news is that (for now) he will be gone in 4 years and ineffectual before that...

I think we can hope he doesn't get to mess about and settles for this one second term (rather than changing the laws/constitution and/or being VP etc...

ronib

I hadn’t realised how bad the American economy is just now and can but hope that Trump is able to save his country. No point being nasty- 34 trillion dollars in national debt is a real problem I guess? The interest repayments must be huge so Trump will want to mitigate that somehow.
It’s good to hear that intelligent people are talking about corruption in Ukraine as unfortunately, our government has committed 3 billion a year for the next 100 years to help Ukraine. Perhaps a rethink is needed?

The UK government has not committed 3 billion a year for the next 100 years to Ukraine.

Full fact check:

Claim
" Keir Starmer has promised Ukraine £3 billion a year for the next 100 years.

Reply
"This is not really correct. The UK has signed a 100-year partnership accord with Ukraine, but it doesn’t commit the UK to providing military aid for 100 years. It says the UK will give £3 billion a year of military support until 2030/31 and “for as long as needed to support Ukraine”

There is a lot of detail to take in on the treaty to do with partnership provisions but note above all:

"(the treaty "“may be terminated by either Participant by sending a written notice to the other Participant”)

Presumably these two US doctors have pension pots which will have fallen massively in value due to the losses on the markets, which are entirely due to Trump’s tariff policy?

That’s good to know Willow3 - my fault for believing the news streams. Still quite a few billion going to Ukraine and at a time when Uk needs to spend on its own people and priorities.£18 billion potentially? That’s a few hospital refurbishments?

Do you only know far-right supporters Nanna8?

Why would you assume that, PoliticsNerd

If you read nanna8's post she said We were just sat with a couple of American medical doctors who were avid Trump supporters which to me implies they were two people they'd just met by chance.

Interesting but also rather worrying, nanna8.
Interesting to hear that they were not the usual portrayal of Trump supporters as we are led to believe here.

Worrying if they and others of their ilk support him without question.