Assad is a highly-educated individual, once the "darling" of U.S. supported Middle East leaders, just like Hosniar Mubarak, of Egypt. These guys were part of a group of leaders our Administrations believed they could manipulate in any way, based on our promised continued foreign aid. Musharaff of Pakistan was another. Possessed of nukes, he repeatedly denied his country would ever engage India (they are absolute arch-enemies). U.S. gave the bastard enormous amounts of dough, ordnance, munitions, other help, then he quietly disappeared. Now? Assad is the bad guy. Ask yourself, why would a King gas civilians instead of the pseudo-military factions engaged in attempting his overthrow? Waste effort to weaken his own safety? Ridiculous. Seems to me, Assad has fallen seriously out of U.S. favor, so much so, that lying about subversive activity in Syria is acceptable in the process of seeking the ouster of the King. As the Manhattan Project scientist said, right after witnessing the Trinity Explosion, "We are now all become sons of bitches."
As an outsider - being British - i found myself somewhat bemused by the election of Donald Trump. American politics to a Briton , is one of life's great mysteries, but perhaps that is common among all races? Perceptions of other nations and their leaders are largely a result of reactions to media-influence and cultural misconceptions . Having said that, I regard him as a braggart, a bully and , for the most part a man unaware of the depths of his own folly. On the other hand, Is Putin much different? I voted Brexit , not in support of Nigel Farage or any other Politician or faction but for the future generation ( whose knee-jerk reaction is perhaps typical of a generation who have taken everything in life for granted ) Brexit is not about support or faith in any Politician or Ideaology but, in fact a rejection of all ideaological party- politics. Politics is a complicated business. My view of Donald Trump is that some politician's are neither Good nor Bad, they are simply necessary for the time. When you sit back and try to view all the connecting factors globally, one can take a more pragmatic stance. It is like " the butterfly flapping it's wings..." Chaos-theory ( synchronicity ) applies in all things including politics. The world is out of sync and desperately in need of a new balance. i believe, very strongly that , Great Britain and the U.S. will help to provide that new balance, but all balance is dependent upon accepting that the fundamental element of evolution , in all spheres ,is the element of change.To an extent, this also means at times, that man must confront the numinous and approach the unknown , courageously and with determination. Much of what may happen in the coming years may not be pleasant for anyone, but it must be accepted that negative situations are often a product of negative thinking. The middle-east situation has been exacerbated by Western political interference for generations. Let's not pretend otherwise. The world reaps what it sows. Bush and Blair have a lot to answer for in regard to Syria, just as one example, but where does such judgement begin and end ? Nonetheless, apportioning blame, no matter how justly will not do anything to bring real and lasting peace to the world. nor, however will waiting for Putin to invade another nation in furtherence of personal power or not responding to the Assad regimes atrocities, atrocities which -like those of Mugabe, Hussein and others - the west has often taken a Nelson approach towards for the sake of trade, as I believe Frank has pointed out. I do believe that Trump is necessary for America at the present time. As a man he repels me, but I found Thatcher equally repellent. I also believed her necessary for the time. That Americans and others view her with rose-tinted glasses only illustrates how little other people really understand of other nations problems, history and circumstances. I can't see Trump as Americans see him. I can only confirm that I regard him as necessary to the equation. I don't accept the knee-jerk reaction of the mass-media regarding the myth of " populism ". though. People in America believed , rightly or wrongly that Trump was necessary and that is why he is there.
That is correct and I fully understand why the US had voted for him, hoping for 'change' That's why I voted for Brexit, I didn't want our country going any further down the path the EU had constructed
You could not find a stronger supporter than me and the people surrounding him were giving him good information. Then when he got elected he started putting in people around him that had a different agenda than he spoke about when being elected. Slowly he or the group cut him off and got rid of the people who understood the American people. The people who elected him were the people who could see through the BS put out by main street media also the lies put out by the intelligence system. Now he seems to be in another reality, he spoke correctly when he said let the people in the middle east solve their own problems, first make America safe, great, get out of commitments overseas. He has now put a wall of people around him that have a totally different agenda and they act as a filter to stop the ideas he had about what needs to be done from coming through. When you can hear all the neo cons and warmongers loving what you are doing you’re going the wrong way Mr. Trump. Even Hillary and Biden loved it.
If he is as committed to the ideals that got him elected, he needs to stand by those ideals and hush any mouth that gets in his way - something he has managed to do all his life
Trump went into the "Swamp" for the right reasons. His wanting to drain the swamp was a good thing too. But Trump is not prepared for life in the Swamp and none of those "Lily pads" that have taken over the swamp are going to help him drain it and the swamp is so overtaken by those lily pads that Trump will be lucky if he can just get out of the swamp without becoming a lily pad himself. America's hope lies not in trusting in Trump...but in putting our trust back in the one God America was founded on. We have strayed from God and His Truth and until we as a Nation return to Him and repent of our sins....we will continue to self-destruct. God's Word clearly speaks this truth but just like so many nations, etc. in the Old Testament who did not listen and turn back to God...we also will reap what we are sowing. America is not alone in this...all Nations, etc. are in the same sinking boat and our only Savior is the Lord!
I don't know that he has turned out that way, but that is pretty much what Trump's support was about; Given that he ran against both political parties and the media, his support showed that the American people didn't trust either political party or the media.
As a fellow countryman, (though I spend more than half the year in Russia these days), I agree with what you say here @Billie Lane , in fact I have thought the same for a while, at the age of 75 politics doesn't really interest me very much these days, but I acknowledge that the current system has lost touch with the general population, and is in desperate need of a new paradigm. I feel the breakup of the current system is necessary to enable this change, though I am not too optimistic that it will happen as a result of Trump and Brexit, but I can only live in hope...
The political parties, the media, and so many others are doing their best to make Americans not trust President Trump either. And as much as I hate to say this...Trump himself is giving Americans a few reasons not to trust him by his regular "foot in mouth" episodes and his "little white lies" that he is often caught in too. Does this make him a bad President? Compared to Obama or to Hillary if she had won the Presidency....it is my opinion that Americans still elected a good President in Trump. He is changing the things he can, he is doing his best to keep his promises to us Americans, he isn't afraid to say God's name or give honor to Him which is important to me as a Christian, he stands his ground when others try to intimidate him, and I don't believe he is going to let anyone take our Constiutional rights away as long as he is in Office. That is why I believe everyone who hates him is trying so hard to ruin his chances for another term in any way they can. Since Americans didn't trust either political party or the media...these groups now have to find a way to make Americans not trust Trump. Are we seeing any signs of this happening? It seems I get glimpses every now and then, but it remains to be seen what the end result will be here.
The media is 100% against Trump fox news being the best but still is bias, The entertainment industry is against Trump. The education system is against Trump. These are being control by the deep state. Now having said that they are being exposed but very slowly. Military industrial groups are part of the deep state as well and they have surrounded Trump and wanting him to go to war because it profits them. Most people who voted for Trump has not deserted him but would love to see him go faster of his promises. Some of these things he has done was sheer genius and other will be a wait and see.
Disappointed. I voted for him, due to a lack of choice. I knew, his mouth was going to be a problem, and he has proven me right. His arrogance also, gets in the way. He may truly want to help America,but question if he is going about it the right way. If you notice, he always blames someone else, media, congress, etc. It appears he is out to try and to prove He will be the best president ever, and that is very questionable. Agree, there are many among him, who add to the problem. Would love to be a fly on the wall of Oval office to see and hear, what is really the truth.
I understand why people voted for Trump, they were tired of business as usual, didn't liked the way America is headed, wanted your country back, longed for the way things used to be perhaps. What we wanted when we elected Trump is not going to happen, especially under Trump. Yes the media is on his case but that's the media's job, a free press, remember. Reporters working in media want to make a living just like we all want to make a living. They want to do their jobs. When we don't like what they report we now say its fake news. Fake new is nothing more than propaganda we have forever used on other countries and other countries have used on us. We have made the media the scape goat, In reality the USA is in decline, we are becoming a third world country. It is occurring very slowly much like it is difficult to see how our own child is growing up because we are around them all the time. Others can readily see these changes. We will never return to days of yore. The country we want back is gone forever. No matter our weapons others will obtain them while we will continue to decline. It doesn't matter whether or not we are proud of America, whether we love America, whether your politics are right or left, republican or democratic, whether we stand for the national anthem or turn our backs. None of that matters. It is part and parcel of what is happening to Trump or not except perhaps for our own happiness, he will be part of our decline as others in the past have been. I think we elected an ignoramus, someone who probably knows real estate but little else. He talks a good game but can't deliver because he don't know how to work with in the system. He would like to be a dictator but our system won't allow it. I think being president is going to be too hard for him but whether it is or it isn't, it will matter little.