Foreign Policy

[TracyGraham]

I think there is a pretty substantial distinction to be made between what's going on over there and taking control of the Panama Canal.

But even if there weren't a distinction to be made, gotta do what ya gotta do.

Substantial distinction? Please elaborate. I mean one speaks Spanish, one Ukrainian, we can list a lot of insignificant distinctions, but at the core the situations seem quite similar to me. Two countries with extremely intertwined pasts economically, militarily and socially. One a big superpower, the other could be described as a historical territory/partner/whatever synonym you choose. The big superpower has huge interest in the other country and doesn't like them flirting with others even though they are sovereign countries. Despite this the superpower decides to say screw it and invade.
I don't memorize people's personal opinion on the Russia invasion, but if you happen to judge their actions I don't see how you or anyone could possibly advocate for the US to use force on Panama. I don't think it matters though because I assume Trump is just doing what he always does. He threatens extreme action in order to force others to make a deal(which seems to be a great negotiating tool when backed up by the US military).

 

[drayer54]

As I was saying

Competence is back!

 

[NorthDakota]

Substantial distinction? Please elaborate. I mean one speaks Spanish, one Ukrainian, we can list a lot of insignificant distinctions, but at the core the situations seem quite similar to me. Two countries with extremely intertwined pasts economically, militarily and socially. One a big superpower, the other could be described as a historical territory/partner/whatever synonym you choose. The big superpower has huge interest in the other country and doesn't like them flirting with others even though they are sovereign countries. Despite this the superpower decides to say screw it and invade.
I don't memorize people's personal opinion on the Russia invasion, but if you happen to judge their actions I don't see how you or anyone could possibly advocate for the US to use force on Panama. I don't think it matters though because I assume Trump is just doing what he always does. He threatens extreme action in order to force others to make a deal(which seems to be a great negotiating tool when backed up by the US military).

The US protecting its interest at the Panama Canal, to me, would be more akin to Russia siezing Savastopol or something to guarantee fleet basing rights there or whatever.

People can whine about bigger countries bossing smaller ones around, but it's also just reality. I don't think we need to worry about military action in Panama but who knows!

 

[ulukinatme]

Canal wouldn't even exist if the US hadn't taken it over to begin with. We probably should have retained it.

 

[calvegas04]

Canal wouldn't even exist if the US hadn't taken it over to begin with. We probably should have retained it.

We should have just like the UK should have kept Hong Kong

 

[NDVirginia19]

Again, the shortsightedness of a liberal world view has come to bite us in the ass again. We certainly could have negotiated a better deal to appease Panama while maintaining primacy of canal operations, but Carter auctioned off future security of American people so he and his part could feel good about themselves

 

[Irish#1]

Canal wouldn't even exist if the US hadn't taken it over to begin with. We probably should have retained it.

Another reason Carter was a terrible president. Even if there was no war going on, there's some things you need to protect because you don't know what the future brings.

 

[Irish#1]

Substantial distinction? Please elaborate. I mean one speaks Spanish, one Ukrainian, we can list a lot of insignificant distinctions, but at the core the situations seem quite similar to me. Two countries with extremely intertwined pasts economically, militarily and socially. One a big superpower, the other could be described as a historical territory/partner/whatever synonym you choose. The big superpower has huge interest in the other country and doesn't like them flirting with others even though they are sovereign countries. Despite this the superpower decides to say screw it and invade.
I don't memorize people's personal opinion on the Russia invasion, but if you happen to judge their actions I don't see how you or anyone could possibly advocate for the US to use force on Panama. I don't think it matters though because I assume Trump is just doing what he always does. He threatens extreme action in order to force others to make a deal(which seems to be a great negotiating tool when backed up by the US military).

Russia is trying to invade and take over an entire country. We just want to get back control of the canal not the entire country. I agree that he threatens, but I doubt he would ever invade Panama.

 

[RDU Irish]

Seriously people butt hurt over strong arming Panama and killing cartels - equating it to Russia invading Ukraine. Y'all want to "fight" for everything that doesn't matter to the US while getting bullied by your neighbors. I'd say move to Canada but unfortunately looks like they will be American soon.

 

[calvegas04]

Seriously people butt hurt over strong arming Panama and killing cartels - equating it to Russia invading Ukraine. Y'all want to "fight" for everything that doesn't matter to the US while getting bullied by your neighbors. I'd say move to Canada but unfortunately looks like they will be American soosoon

It was the snowflakes crying about the US supplying weapons to Ukraine and calling it "WW3"

 

[RDU Irish]

It was the snowflakes crying about the US supplying weapons to Ukraine and calling it "WW3"

Sorry the money laundering drying up is probably going to kibosh your war porn.

 

[calvegas04]

Sorry the money laundering drying up is probably going to kibosh your war porn.

Sorry your cool with russia doing as they wish and becoming more powerful.

 

[RDU Irish]

Sorry your cool with russia doing as they wish and becoming more powerful.

The 80s called and they want their foreign policy back.

 

[calvegas04]

The 80s called and they want their foreign policy back.

Correct russia was doing the same thing in the 80s. Educate yourself.

 

[Giddyup]

Russia can’t afford to take on NATO. Let’s be real here.

 

[calvegas04]

How about no, foreign aid is supposed to be cut off

 

[drayer54]

How about no, foreign aid is supposed to be cut off

We know where the left would have sent it.

Biden Admin Quietly Funneled $3 Mil to Palestinian Government 'Security Forces' for Weapons Training—After Its Members Carried Out Attacks on Israelis Biden Admin Quietly Funneled $3 Mil to Palestinian Government 'Security Forces' for Weapons Training—After Its Members Carried Out Attacks on Israelis

 

[calvegas04]

We know where the left would have sent it.

Biden Admin Quietly Funneled $3 Mil to Palestinian Government 'Security Forces' for Weapons Training—After Its Members Carried Out Attacks on Israelis Biden Admin Quietly Funneled $3 Mil to Palestinian Government 'Security Forces' for Weapons Training—After Its Members Carried Out Attacks on Israelis

Okay? We know the last 4 years there were dumb decisions.

Isreal has a world class military, why are we giving them money? They won't even share their tech with the US for air defense

 

[drayer54]

Okay? We know the last 4 years there were dumb decisions.

Isreal has a world class military, why are we giving them money? They won't even share their tech with the US for air defense

I'll bet that changes. Biden regime had Iranian sympathizers nationals in positions they never should have been. Israel never trusted Biden. I suspect the relationship is better now.

 

[ab2cmiller]

I'll bet that changes. Biden regime had Iranian sympathizers nationals in positions they never should have been. Israel never trusted Biden. I suspect the relationship is better now.

Trump wants his own Iron Dome and he may think that giving them a billion in military hardware will help in that regard.

Even if things improve drastically, it's reasonable for Israel to hold the intel pretty tightly. I would think it would be hard for Israel to believe that all Iranian sympathizers have been uprooted. All it would take is one sympathizer with access to leak the secrets and Israel's Iron Dome is at greater risk.

 

[NDVirginia19]

How about no, foreign aid is supposed to be cut off

IIRC this was munitions that they paid us for but Biden froze the transfer of. This is also substantially different than spending millions for a transgender comic book in Chile

 

[ulukinatme]

Sorry your cool with russia doing as they wish and becoming more powerful.

Better result is ending the war all together. That's what Trump's pushing for it sounds like, he's trying to get both sides to the table.

 

[TracyGraham]

Russia is trying to invade and take over an entire country. We just want to get back control of the canal not the entire country. I agree that he threatens, but I doubt he would ever invade Panama.

I agree. I'm all for using the threat as a bargaining tool. I was just saying if the threat was actually carried out it would be akin to what Russia is doing in a broad sense, IMHO. I get they are not exactly the same and we are just talking about a particular zone ie the panama canal, but I think if you talked to Putin, he could make similar specific arguments. He would maybe say he is just interested in stoping naziism in the Donbas or whatever. Or he he would similarly justify the actions in Crimea, etc. He would probably say he is actually not trying to invade Ukraine.

 

[drayer54]

IIRC this was munitions that they paid us for but Biden froze the transfer of. This is also substantially different than spending millions for a transgender comic book in Chile

To be fair, I would also support dropping our remaining supply of transgender comic books overhead in Gaza.

 

[RDU Irish]

How about no, foreign aid is supposed to be cut off

I agree. However if they are BUYING the weapons I am all for it.

Trump admin seeks congressional approval for $1B in new arms sales to Israel: Report

If this is accurate - we are paying for it but in DC speak it was already allocated so not really. Once DOGE gets to DoD we will hopefully cut this $3.3B and many others like it.

 

[Irish#1]

I agree. However if they are BUYING the weapons I am all for it.

Trump admin seeks congressional approval for $1B in new arms sales to Israel: Report

If this is accurate - we are paying for it but in DC speak it was already allocated so not really. Once DOGE gets to DoD we will hopefully cut this $3.3B and many others like it.

I am all for having the words best military, but I can only imagine how much can truly be cut without effecting things. The $75 hammers, $5,000 toilets, etc. The military contractors have been robbing us blind for decades.

 

[NDVirginia19]

I am all for having the words best military, but I can only imagine how much can truly be cut without effecting things. The $75 hammers, $5,000 toilets, etc. The military contractors have been robbing us blind for decades.

I have no idea, but I would have to imagine that we aren't actually paying $75 for hammers, and a lot of that is a clandestine way to cover how much money we spend on classified programs through the same contractor.

 

[NDVirginia19]

But a lot of the high costs for some things has to do with the very small number of procurement items you are buying for. If you design a toilet to be used on a class of a submarine that has to meet x, y, and z different requirements, your design costs aren't spread around hundreds of thousands of households across America, they are captured in the 40 or so submarines of that class you actually build.

 

[calvegas04]

I have no idea, but I would have to imagine that we aren't actually paying $75 for hammers, and a lot of that is a clandestine way to cover how much money we spend on classified programs through the same contractor.

It's been a while but I had a buddy who was a plane mechanic at Nellis AFB. He would tell us how crazy expensive some of the basic stuff he would order is. That was about 10 years ago so I don't remember any details.

 

[Irish#1]

I have no idea, but I would have to imagine that we aren't actually paying $75 for hammers, and a lot of that is a clandestine way to cover how much money we spend on classified programs through the same contractor.

I don’t know about hiding charges in billing. Seems if that was how they were hiding classified programs it would be a nightmare to really know what was spent. I remember some congressional hearings back in the 80’s or 90’s discussing the outrageous prices contractors were charging.

One of our customers is L3Harris and they will spend every penny allocated to a program whether they need to or not. They are also prohibited from using equipment bought for one program in another even if it would save money. This is a SnapOn tool cabinet. Has a video camera system built in and can tell you when a tool was taken out, what tool it was, who took it and how long it's been out. Cost $100K each. Last time I was at L3Harris, they had about fifty of these sitting in a storage area accumulating dust because that particular program/funding had ended.