Wow. Right there in the Tigris-Euphrates river valley? I did NOT know that! 
The sun never sets on the British empire!
1 Like
I donât know who DiploMad is but he seems to have his finger on the pulse:
âI, however, do know that I am horrified at how one of historyâs greatest nations has fallen into the hands of those who hate it so much that they trust Brussels over their own people.â
Call me crazy, imagining there is a profoundly spiritual dimension to all this but I do not think the fierce battles on BOTH sides of the pond are a simple coincidence.
For me, the Brexit battle over here is a battle for the survival of (or return to) democracy and democracy is an acknowledgement that we are ALL made in the image of God and are of equal and inestimable value. That is a spiritual battle and our God is a God of order. The unprecedented chaos we are witnessing is confirmation that we are in a satanic battle.
âFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.â
2 Likes
Very interesting fellow, a former diplomat!
1 Like
Now hereâs an interesting, BBC news story!
And let me see, what is in the printed news! 
TRUMP IS HATED FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS
-
For his agenda. Enlightened nationalism, America first, withdrawal from endless foreign entanglements, control of the borders, upholding of the rule of law, anti-globalism, anti-elitism, etc.
-
For his SUCCESS in implementing his agenda, e.g. SCOTUS appointments, revitalization of the economy, making the U.S. energy independent, etc.
-
For his resolute and relentless undoing of the destructive Obama agenda of âfundamental transformation.â For leftists, Obama was a quasi-religious figure who was supposed to âbring us all together.â By opposing the Obama agenda, Trump became in the eyes of the Left a âracistâ and âwhite supremacist.â
-
For his being an outsider and an interloper. He crashed the Republocrat Establishment party, barging in with no political or military experience. He is wholly from the private sector. And despite his wealth, he is a man of the people.
-
For his Nixonian lack of class, and what his worse, his extreme crudity, lack of decorum, absence of gravitas, shameless self-promotion, Mussolini-like swagger and braggadocio, vanity, inability to adopt an Olympian attitude of disdain when attacked by nonentities such as the fat and stupid Rosie OâDonnell, endless poorly-written tweets, and so on.
-
For his not being owned by anyone. He is his own man. A billionaire, he canât be bought. He has taken the money out of politics by using his own. Milque-toast pseudo-cons such as John McCain only talked about taking the money out of politics.
-
For his being white, and therefore, to the delusional Left, a âracistâ and a âwhite supremacist.â
-
For his being a âfascistâ â whatever that means - - as was darkly suggested by Madeleine None-Too-Bright Albright. - BV
Yes, I do think these are among the character traits that lead the turn off for some, along
with a general model of denigrating and meanly name calling those who doubt his policies.
Personally I will accept his quirks, because I think he is basically fair, is not using politics to enrich himself, is pro-America, and is honoring his promises as best he can, made to the country. And for showing great tenacity against a daily onslaught of innuendo and falsehood.
His great sin is calling out that the âfix is inâ on both sides of the aisle. Both parties detest him not for his personality, but the fact that he is his own man, was elected by the deplorables, and is MAGA without their help - though he has asked for it.
Just me.
Well, my group is still on board - with Trump for reelection. Chiefly because there are no viable competitors, from the Democratic, Republican or Independent parties. 
But this article from todayâs Patheosâ, Catholic newsletter - gave me food for thought!
Let me quote a bit:
A gentleman called âMan with a Purposeâ wrote:
âMedieval Peasants: 1. Worked less hours than you. 2. Had longer vacations. 3. Had more sex. 4. Likely had a bigger house. 5. Definitely had higher T. 6. Ate better food than you. 7. Paid less taxes 8. Rarely saw his boss 9. Had crazy harvest festivals 10. Never heard of feminism.âI waited and waited for the punch line, and then discovered this was it. That was all there was. This gentleman actually thought the Middle Ages were a preferable time to live in because of the sex, vacations, good food and lack of feminism.
Now let me organize my group, as we try to get Trump elected again!
You canât convince a person who is set on an ultra-rightest stance, nor one who is set on an ultra-leftist stance. There needs to be more people whose position is that of the rational, extreme middle.
2 Likes
As you know our perceptions of the presidentâs weaknesses are very different. I donât agree itâs a âsinâ at to tell the truth when opposition to policies comes from both sides of the aisle, and I do not think hardly anyone detests his doing good for America.
Hardly anyone - perhaps. Some very vocal leftists - yep.
Right, there are a few extremists who dislike Trump for his good accomplishments, for ârevitalizing the American economy,â for being âwhite,â for âgetting us out of entanglements,â being âa man of the people,â and other fine things you cite. But such reasons require sheer idiocy, and obviously do not explain why so many people have reservations about his approach.
It was amusing to watch random college students being asked if Trump should be impeached, and each one saying âyesâ - and when asked why, had no idea - they had just heard that he should be and assumed it must be correct.
There are millions of low-information voters on both sides that are propagandized by nonsense being spouted by a biased and dishonest media. That is why I raise the issues I do. Often in a strident tone. I am informed, and I am worried, and years of this âidentity politicsâ has made me very wary of those who dislike the Prezâs âtoneâ enough to drum up falsehoods and threaten the Republic.
I know, but this regular assertion that âI am the one informed,â and others are simply stupid
âlow-informationâ voters is the very same constant mantra that I hear from all my elitist leftist friends.
Itâs demeaning to those of us who differ, and wasted on me, regardless of which side keeps shouting it.
Iâm only interested in whether the substance of reasons for the view presented make sense.
Sure. I did not say, however, that I am the ONLY one informed nor did I imply it:
We do approach things differently. You are rightly concerned with reasons for various things; I am as well, but Iâm more interested in the freedoms that allow us to discuss those things at all. It is not a common thing in the world to have the equality of opportunity, the (diminishing, thanks to the far left) freedoms of speech, right to assembly, etc. - the very things that give you the opportunity to question the reasons for various sub-issues: abortion, guns, health, racism etc. Important issues, the freedom to discuss which depends on keeping freedoms we already have.
What I am hearing (not necessarily from you) is the willingness to undo those freedoms in order to address those questions. That is called âshooting ones self in the footâ. An overturning of what we have, instead of working within it. is simply power-mongering and pandering, as least as it is set forth in the current miserable crop of candidates.
Plus, I do not trust governments. Iâve read too much history for that - yeah dang it, I am informed.
Well, my whole liberal tradition sees freedom of speech and discussion as crucial,
and is deeply opposed to undoing those freedoms.
And what it similarly âhearsâ on your side is lawless threats to undo those freedoms. Again, repeatedly trading such claims to be the most informed, and to know the correct (yet disputed) generalizations about what the opposing side really thinks, seems like a waste of time and just talking past one another .
Well we will continue to talk past one another, unfortunately. I see the undoing of freedoms with extreme clarity. To wit: colleges not allowing conservative speakers; antifa thugs allowed to beat up the elderly and the police told to âstand downâ; education systems not allowed to teach historical truth. I could go on but really, it is all so plain and I just reject the idea that it is all just âopinionâ. It is fact.
I found it interesting to learn that Aristotle put âethicsâ as a SUB-section under âPoliticsâ. He appears to have nailed it. Without the right politics, ethics are hard to practice.
Bob to David 2.0
Iâm always happy, to meet âsuper-geniusesâ - both on and off the forum!
Although in the above cartoon clipâŚitâs the dumb and crazy rabbit. that gets the upper hand.
But the BBC covers the world of politics - like today, for instance!
And they will still keep us informed, of what President Trump - is up to!
And other interesting stories:
And I have a âdumbâ question, folks! Is there a transcript available, of the Presidential phone call - for the impeachment âinquiryâ? I believe there is. And if so, why do they need to interview other folks?
And some advice for President Trump!
1 Like
LOL One typical repeated response is: âI see with extreme clarity⌠it is all so plain
and I just reject the idea that it is opinion. It is fact⌠yeah, dang it, I am informed!â
But are such simplistic assertions the certitudes of my friends on the Right, or those on the Left?
Yes, exactly!! Itâs just too bad that I lack the âinformationâ and genius of either of these extremes 