Have you noticed lately that the crisis we face are much smaller and more quickly resolved than they used to be (Brexit excluded)?

Incidents that could have sparked wider conflicts haven't. This phenomenon could mean we are learning or it could mean we are war weary and war no longer holds the attraction and promise it used too. Any place on Earth can be reached within a few hours. destruction can be rained down and so the conflicts are more confined and localised to the doings of a few demented minds.

Even the possibility of an egocentric megalomaniac in the White House hasn't broadened conflict, in fact, it seems to have lessened it

Paraclete: Of course the presence of a egocentric megalomaniac in the White House has lessened the potential conflicts...and do you know why? The egocentric megalomaniac in the White House has served to reduce the potential for direct conflict because those potential adversaries KNOW that the egocentric megalomaniac in the White house WILL ACTUALLY FOLLOW-THROUGH WITH DEVASTATING RETALIATION upon them should they attack the U.S.....There are times when its a comforting feeling knowing that the crazy bastards all over the world go to bed at night wondering what the crazy bastard in the U.S. might do tomorrow!...instead of the other way around.

Paraclete: Of course the presence of a egocentric megalomaniac in the White House has lessened the potential conflicts...and you know why? It has served to reduce the potential for direct conflict because those potential adversaries KNOW that the egocentric megalomaniac is the White house WILL ACTUALL FOLLOW-THROUGH WITH DEVASTATING RETALIATION upon them should they attack the U.S.....There are times when its a comforting feeling knowing that the crazy bastards all over the world go to bed at night wondering what the crazy bastard in the U.S. might do tomorrow!...instead of the other way around.

Your american centric view wasn't what I was talking about, obviously no one is going rain destruction down on the US and from where I stand and perhaps others, there as not as many crazy bastards in the world at large as there are in the US, and so we watch what the crazy bastard in the White House does, but really the only people he rains destruction upon are his own. Couldn't raise taxes so he raises tariffs, can't build a wall, so he raids other appropriations but talk is cheap much cheaper in the US than elsewhere

In fact, life couldn't be cheeper, cheep, cheep little bird in your little White House, keep twittering away

Hello Vac, I think everybody thinks twice before thinking to invade or attack the US after Japan tried and failed and paid a price, so I doubt the dufus deters any of that, but to Clete's point, despite the hype and emotional responses the world is a smaller place thanks to better communications through evolving technology, so things just seem to get done quicker. Plus the lessons of the past aren't completely lost on some, so we can come up with a better plan of resolution besides blowing people up sometimes.

We still have to suffer the nut jobs and those that just don't want to cooperate for whatever reasons, and overcome old points of divisions but as a whole I can say the possibility for positive outcomes has as much chance as it ever has. You know humans though, they are flawed and prone to screw up at any time.

Paraclete & Talaniman: My last post was over-the-top on purpose...I think Talaniman picked up on it but you didn't, Paraclete: No, in all seriousness, I think you make great points: The world is smaller, the knowledge and intelligence is now more dispersed, and every piece of information comes at you almost instantaneously and the "product" of this collision of parts permits everyone around the globe, U.S. and otherwise, to have more time to pursue deeper considerations and reflectance on just what might be the ramifications of actions: It makes everyone just a wee bit more tentative and the chance of "flashpoints" exploding into firestorms less likely than ever!

Glad you see it

LOL, our egocentric megalomaniac in the WH may not be the only one in the world nor the only one with the power for mass destruction.

Talaniman: Oh, he certainly is not! I am afraid the world is completely eat-up with these crazies!

The Zombie Apocolypse is more than just a movie!

LOL, our egocentric megalomaniac in the WH may not be the only one in the world nor the only one with the power for mass destruction.

No, they can be found in various places at various times and there does seem to be more than one at the moment.

Paraclete & Talaniman: If we could just find a way to stop them from reproducing MORE crazies! Hmmmm?

Maybe we breed our own and out number 'em? 8O

Talaniman: Well, that very good task to be tasked with will have to be done by the younger folks: MY BREEDING DAYS ARE OVER!

Talaniman: Well, that very good task to be tasked with will have to be done by the younger folks: MY BREEDING DAYS ARE OVER!


oh say it isn't so

from where I stand and perhaps others, there as not as many crazy bastards in the world at large as there are in the US,

Then you must be standing on Mars. Sorry, but that's a crazy statement.

Talaniman: Well, that very good task to be tasked with will have to be done by the younger folks: MY BREEDING DAYS ARE OVER!

The wife says mine are too, and I better get a better plan for the crazies. Help a brother out here, Vac, or the crazies win! Yes there are plenty of them over here, but they are everywhere, no where to run, no where to hide. Rocks don't work, as many times as I clunked JL between the eyes, but not saying my friend is a crazy mind you, far from it, but he certainly has a hard noggin". Hope he's on our side any way.

I heard if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Think that's true?

Talaniman: No, I am an independent son of a gun...and its cost me over the years because I didn't "color inside the box" and fall in line with the group....so I'll be the one who gets mauled in the end....but that's O.K.: If I ever become another mindless drone, I'll want to be gone!

I heard that Vac, can't say I disagree. I can truly respect that.

Rocks don't work, as many times as I clunked JL between the eyes, but not saying my friend is a crazy mind you, far from it, but he certainly has a hard noggin". Hope he's on our side any way.

I think my wife would agree with you about my noggin. I am definitely on your side in the sense of wanting to see you do well.

I think my wife would agree with you about my noggin. I am definitely on your side in the sense of wanting to see you do well.

I thank you for that, I can use all the prayers and well wishes I can get and know that the sentiment AND prayers are always returned. About that noggin"...no wonder you don't duck much! No need huh? :O

About that noggin"...no wonder you don't duck much! No need huh? :O

It's gotten harder by necessity!

jlisenbe & Talaniman: All this talk of hard heads has gotten me to remember what my Daddy told me and my brothers growing up working on the farm: "You boys have a lot in common with a billy goat....you all got hard heads and stinking a#$%s!" That was his way of motivating us to do better.....got to say it worked, too.

Well the dufus strategy is becoming clear. He cuts deals with dictators to divvy up Syrian land, and then lies about it as he feeds his base red meat to keep their support. How else can we judge his actions aginst his words while he retreats to a small oil field to take it over as our former allies the Kurds run for their lives before the Turk onslaught. Highly trained special forces reduced to guard duty of a dinky small oil field in the middle of no where. He did invite the Kurds to jin him there...since they have no where else to go.

Vlad says he will let everybody know what their cut of the pie is however.

I think Vlad has shown there is a different path to bull and bluster, however Trump has succeeded in cutting off the head of the snake just as BO did before him and thus assured an election victory

It sure adds to the incumbents advantage.

If Trump REALLY wants to exploit any advantage he may have, he would do as he has said before: PULL ALL U.S. troops out of the M.E.: NO U.S. SOLDIER'S LIFE SHOULD BE GIVEN PROTECTING ANY DAMNED M.E. OIL! If the Europeans want the M.E. oil so bad (GERMANY!), let them get their comfortable a@#%s down to the M.E. and put their soldiers lives on the line protecting it! Why in the name of hell does the U.S. have to keep doing this for the sake of EUROPE, and I should say for the sake of the European Economic Community? The Europeans get all the benefits and have NONE of the risks: They have no skin in the game!

If Trump REALLY wants to exploit any advantage he may have, he would do as he has said before: PULL ALL U.S. troops out of the M.E.: NO U.S. SOLDIER'S LIFE SHOULD BE GIVEN PROTECTING ANY DAMNED M.E. OIL! If the Europeans want the M.E. oil so bad (GERMANY!), let them get their comfortable a@#%s down to the M.E. and put their soldiers lives on the line protecting it! Why in the name of hell does the U.S. have to keep doing this for the sake of EUROPE, and I should say for the sake of the European Economic Community? The Europeans get all the benefits and have NONE of the risks: They have no skin in the game!


Well I wouldn't say no skin since they have a lot of unwanted ME immigrants, but they should see that ME countries flourish again and those arabs will go home. Trump knows that he cannot let those oil fields fall into the wrong hands again

Paraclete: M.E. countries flourish? That will never happen! When did they flourish? And you couldn't make those refugee go home: They are in Europe to stay: enjoying raping and pillaging. Its not Trump's or U.S.'s responsibility to protect E.U. oil: Screw them, let them get their pacifist butts down their and do it on their own: U.S. service members don't need to die for E.U. oil.

Paraclete: M.E. countries flourish? That will never happen! When did they flourish? And you couldn't make those refugee go home: They are in Europe to stay: enjoying raping and pillaging. Its not Trump's or U.S.'s responsibility to protect E.U. oil: Screw them, let them get their pacifist butts down their and do it on their own: U.S. service members don't need to die for E.U. oil.

Iraq once flourshed, so did Iran but those were different times, when the ME had hope and not islamist rule

Paraclete: NO nation will flourish under ISLAMIC RULE......Secular rule in an Islamic nation has a better chance but I have yet to see it.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/mulls-leaving-troops-northeast-syria-guard-oil-191021140516369.html



"The oilfields are not currently operational but they can be restored easily ... and whoever controls the oil and gas fields will be generating a lot of money," Kabalan told Al Jazeera.


Seems the Euro interests in the ME oil the dufus seeks to confiscate is a long way off. In addition they're supplied by other countries outside the ME mainly Russia.


http://energyfuse.org/europes-oil-import-dilemma/



The bulk of EU oil imports originate from Russia, other FSU countries, and the Middle East and North Africa. Russia is a major exporter of oil to Europe, as it is for natural gas, and last year it was the source of 29 percent of the EU’s oil imports (around 2.9 mbd). Norway (13 percent), Saudi Arabia (9 percent), Nigeria (9 percent), Kazakhstan (6 percent) and Iraq (5 percent), Algeria (4 percent) were other major suppliers. Iran supplied around 6 percent of the EU’s oil imports in 2011 (before sanctions were imposed), around .6 mbd. Libya supplied 11 percent of Europe’s oil imports in 2010, the year before the anti-Ghadhafi uprising, and Libyan supply has been volatile since. In total, the EU imported 10 mbd of crude oil in 2014. Although Europe has been able to replace the loss of Iranian and Libyan barrels in the last few years, there are still energy security and economic implications of Europe’s high rate of oil import dependence.


Nice rant Vac, but demonstrably inaccurate. Assad and Iraq may want to control their own oil, despite the dufus lusts for it.

Talaniman: We're saying the same thing when you extrapolate it all the way out: The Euros are talking out both sides of their mouths: They buy most of their oil from Russia but do everything in their power to undercut Russia and keep things stirred up between Russia and the U.S.....this is a German driven plan and the other Euros are simply German drones. The whole ARAB SPRING was a plan the CIA put together to with the big end goal or getting Assad out so that a natural gas pipeline could be put from Saudi Arabia across Iraq and Syria on through Turkey and into Europe to cut-off Russia: THE GERMANS ARE AGGITATORS! Fundamentally, from a mental position, nothing has changed with them since they started stuff up before the onset of WW I: They STILL look toward the EAST!

As far as Trump wanting Syrian oil: If he does, he is way out in space and wrong....WE NEED OUT OF THE M.E.

I don't get how anyone should trust vlad, invader of countries and killer of defectors on foreign soil, but you and the dufus thinks he would make a great partner? Come on Vac, it wasn't that long ago the Soviets occupied East Germany too, and ran it into the ground. Forgot about that wall did you?

Talaniman: I remember all that you say....its just that I get so frustrated with all of this at times and I END UP SAYING SOMETHING AND SOUNDING LIKE A BLITHERING IDIOT! Its all so frustrating...….I see the Germans as the well dressed, properly dapper, well spoken, overly polite guys everyone likes that smile at you to your face and all the while are pointing to the unkempt, not so well dressed, not so sophisticated Russians and blaming everything on them when its the Germans who keep stirring the pot....they are firebrands and troublemakers....they are devious! I have worked on projects with Germans (the real one, from Germany, not German blooded Americans) before: They never missed an opportunity to step on your head to get what they want.

Russia has got to get out of the rule of Putin one day, he won't be around forever, and we should be in a position to change our relationship with them, not ruin it beyond repair with our archaic policies. You don't want to weaken Russia to the point where the ChiComs start taking territory away from them. I work with some Russians who are from The Far East and they tell me that Chinese are flooding across their border and, in some areas, far outnumbering Russian citizens in many of the far flung towns. The Russians I know say that what we have with Latin American aliens breaching the border is nothing to what problems that Russia has with Chinese aliens.

Whatever the biases and prejudices one has the world is what it is, and as I say as long as criminal dictator Putin is the face of Russia there can be no trust without implicit verification. Certainly the slobbering capitulation of a lying cheating dufus is unacceptable, since he repeatedly chooses the word of Vlad over his own intel assessment of Vlad's actions, and those of his majority senate. This has been going on since he has been in office and high suspect to me at least. Then their is that Mueller Report which I studied, and that casts a suspicious light on the dufus as well despite it's failure to turn heads by others who didn't read the thing and continue to mislead the public over it's contents.

Whatever the biases and prejudices one has the world is what it is, and as I say as long as criminal dictator Putin is the face of Russia there can be no trust without implicit verification. Certainly the slobbering capitulation of a lying cheating dufus is unacceptable, since he repeatedly chooses the word of Vlad over his own intel assessment of Vlad's actions, and those of his majority senate. This has been going on since he has been in office and high suspect to me at least. Then their is that Mueller Report which I studied, and that casts a suspicious light on the dufus as well despite it's failure to turn heads by others who didn't read the thing and continue to mislead the public over it's contents.

I refer you to the heading I put on this op piece;
Nothing is as bad as it seems? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=846731&page=4)

We live in an age of media where every headline is over blown to get attention. So the crisis of the day becomes the crisis of the week and suddenlY we have another crisis and the last one is forgotten. Can I remind you of the plight of the Kurds, how many were actually killed, I know, too many but in genocidal terms?

Many Kurds died in a war with the caliphate, which is different than hunting them down by a government crossing into another country to do so. It just started so we will see what the nimbers are. Yeah I agree the headlines and news are spectacular at times and let's face it all about the dufus words antics and behavior, so nice to see him get out of his bubble and be around folks who don't buy his red meat antics that works so well at rally's full of base supporters.

That's the digital age Clete, a click is all it takes.

Many Kurds died in a war with the caliphate, which is different than hunting them down by a government crossing into another country to do so. It just started so we will see what the nimbers are. Yeah I agree the headlines and news are spectacular at times and let's face it all about the dufus words antics and behavior, so nice to see him get out of his bubble and be around folks who don't buy his red meat antics that works so well at rally's full of base supporters.

That's the digital age Clete, a click is all it takes.
Yes the click of a rilfe bolt being pushed home, oh I forgot that is click, click. Tal, give it up, you are out of there, be happy and the Kurds would have made trouble for Turkey so it is understandable but not acceptable that they wanted to alter the geography of Syria

Americans don't know what is good for them. The world doesn't know what is good for them. Regrets are coming for all to endure.

Yes the click of a rilfe bolt being pushed home, oh I forgot that is click, click. Tal, give it up, you are out of there, be happy and the Kurds would have made trouble for Turkey so it is understandable but not acceptable that they wanted to alter the geography of Syria

No we ain't Clete, ISIS is still around, and more troops to the Saudi prince to guard there oil.


Americans don't know what is good for them. The world doesn't know what is good for them. Regrets are coming for all to endure.

The dufus sure doesn't have a clue either so we are screwed.

The dufus sure doesn't have a clue either so we are screwed.

How can the screwer become the screwee? Events far away have little impact on you, thus Trump can play with his toy soldiers

Trump has no desire to keep soldiers in the M.E., at least that is what he says: I wish he would follow-through with his wish of bringing them all back home! Enough is enough, the M.E., the whole region, and everything about it, is all so POINTLESS!

the M.E., the whole region, and everything about it, is all so POINTLESS!

That's true in many ways. We tend to not mind our own business too often. However, the future continuance of Israel is not pointless.

That's true in many ways. We tend to not mind our own business too often. However, the future continuance of Israel is not pointless.

So you intend to protect Israel no matter what the cost, I wonder if Israel would be so quick to come to your aid. You are captive to Israeli (jewish) foreign policy thus your adventurism in the ME.

So you intend to protect Israel no matter what the cost,

I believe we should be prepared to exert great effort in defending Israel.


I wonder if Israel would be so quick to come to your aid.

I don't know, nor do I know if Australia would come to our aid. I am convinced I would rather depend on Israel than on Australia, but perhaps that is not correct.


You are captive to Israeli (jewish) foreign policy thus your adventurism in the ME.

Strictly your opinion. Israel's general position in the ME is trying to stay alive. They have shown no interest in conquering large areas of land. They have fought no wars of annihilation against their neighbors. Can their neighbors say the same???

I believe we should be prepared to exert great effort in defending Israel.

If they are attacked you will no doubt do that




I don't know, nor do I know if Australia would come to our aid. I am convinced I would rather depend on Israel than on Australia, but perhaps that is not correct.

I think you might find us the better bet and some capability. We have stood side by side in every conflict in the last century and there is the Anzus Treaty




Strictly your opinion. Israel's general position in the ME is trying to stay alive. They have shown no interest in conquering large areas of land. They have fought no wars of annihilation against their neighbors. Can their neighbors say the same???


Seriously not interested in their neighbours who appear to be despots anyway. The only one with any real capability and will is Iran and I seriously don't know what their problem is. Israel won't go on conquest because it would bring enemies down on them and the US may not support them, anyway they have enough problems with the Palestinians as they play out their version of manifest destiny

That last sentence says it all Clete. That's how everybody handles things in the world. Just keep building and pushing the undesirables out.

Yes Tal sooner or later someone will get the message

I think humans get the message that the strong kick the weak around, and designate what is desirable.

I think humans get the message that the strong kick the weak around, and designate and what is desirable.

Yes I can see why you have that opinion. Where I come from we don't do that, have we evolved, do you think? I think it comes from not being fed a steady diet of B/S, but then it is hard to keep it out

To be honest I think some of you Aussies want to be civilized and some have evolved, but no higher on the ladder than the rest of us. Be it Aussie BS, or American BS it's still BS, and only the slightly evolve know that. So do you think you have evolved, or in denial yo' crap is stinky too?

I know my crap stinks, therefore I have evolved enough to flush twice! Not for you, but for ME!

To be honest I think some of you Aussies want to be civilized and some have evolved, but no higher on the ladder than the rest of us. Be it Aussie BS, or American BS it's still BS, and only the slightly evolve know that. So do you think you have evolved, or in denial yo' crap is stinky too?

I know my crap stinks, therefore I have evolved enough to flush twice! Not for you, but for ME!

And to think I just defended you. Well I had better get out my portable bulldozer because I'm sure to cop some now

Now Clete, don't be so sensitive. Of course we have a lot more BS than you Aussies do! We have way more asses to wipe too, and we have the biggest BSer in history leading a BS administration! So you Aussies shouldn't be complacent and think you have evolved beyond the BS, you don't have enough of it yet for it to be the problem it is here. Just take my well intentioned suggestion and forget the bulldozer, and just flush twice!

Moving BS from one place to another doesn't hide the stink, but flushing twice does wonders. Now that's evolving! Why do you think JL held his nose and voted for the BSer in chief we have now? He knew what was coming. Now we all must hold our noses whether we want to or not!

Now Clete, don't be so sensitive. Of course we have a lot more BS than you Aussies do! We have way more asses to wipe too, and we have the biggest BSer in history leading a BS administration! So you Aussies shouldn't be complacent and think you have evolved beyond the BS, you don't have enough of it yet for it to be the problem it is here. Just take my well intentioned suggestion and forget the bulldozer, and just flush twice!

Moving BS from one place to another doesn't hide the stink, but flushing twice does wonders. Now that's evolving! Why do you think JL held his nose and voted for the BSer in chief we have now? He knew what was coming. Now we all must hold our noses whether we want to or not!

I'm not being sensitive Tal, just pointing out the irony. We have a particular brand of B/S here typified by Rudd, Gillard and Shorten, each one what you would call closet communists, what passes for our left, but none of them have any power, they have passed from the scene and are the past. You see the public get a little sick of leftist B/S because, as you pointed out, it stinks and they haven't built a WC big enough to get rid of the stench.

I think something similar happened over there, but you are not a people of firm resolve and may need another lesson

Paraclete: The pendulum swings.....if it goes left, it will eventually go right. If you follow NATURAL LAW and THE LAWS OF NATURE, you understand that it is more natural for people, any people the world over, to gravitate to their "Pack", which connotes NATIONALISTIC feelings in the people of a given country. While the U.S. supports the notion of the Hyphenated American, in the end we are all AMERICANS.....The ethnicities of the U.S., while they may and moan when given any attention, would never consider going back to the lands of which they came....the idea that they would is entirely laughable. The deeper NATIONALIST strain of a countries people, again, ANY COUNTRY, not just the U.S., is a Rightist theory.....I think it is inevitable that Nationalism will eventually win out all over the word" Pack Mentality will prevail. Communism and socialist theology is destined to fail, long term, to the ideals based on NATURAL LAW and THE LAWS OF NATURE: Where we must be careful is to prevent these kind of transitions from being hijacked by PERSONALITY CULT type dictators that corrupt the ideals.

V7, fortunately I can't be hypenated, we don't stick ethnic labels on people, you are either a citizen or you are not, and even then we don't ask, so the natural law is a stranger is just someone you haven't met yet. Your leader sees an america for americans, I can't see anything wrong with that, he has forgotten about the huddled masses, apparently, there were too many, and now he wants to give Syrians a break from visiting americans, applause

Paraclete: The U.S. is WAY, WAY, WAY over the top too worried about RACE! You Aussies have it right, DON'T WORRY ABOUT RACE! Everything is about RACE in the U.S. and it is choking common sense to death.....and it is pitting one race against another race: IT IS INSTIGATING RACIAL UNREST! Every form, every government document inquires about race. THE U.S. IS A NATION CONSUMED BY RACE. You have a group mindset in the U.S. that DESIRES THAT CAUSCASION SHOULD FEEL GUILTY about their race and promote the ideal of "THE EVIL WHITE MAN"....the whole concept of that is disgusting. RACIAL ENGINEERING is at work and by that I mean the attempt by the government to FORCE people of one race to like another race: That will come NATURALLY in people IF YOU DON'T try and force them! The natural reaction in a human being is to RESIST BEING TOLD WHAT AND WHO TO LIKE! The U.S. Government and supported RACE BAITERS are allowed to push this agenda down the throats of Americans and it is DRIVING A WEDGE BETWEEN THE RACES!

The U.S. will never move forward until they stop the racial engineering and allow the natural process to take its course! It will work out just fine if they just leave their filthy hands off of it!

What does America really look like Vac? A bunch of old rich white guys, or a diverse mix of everybody. What do you think?

The America I see is a diverse mix of everybody. Some make good decisions and some not so good.

Everyone who is mentally and physically healthy can make it here. It's an amazing place, even with all our problems.

The America I see is a diverse mix of everybody. Some make good decisions and some not so good.

Everyone who is mentally and physically healthy can make it here. It's an amazing place, even with all our problems.

We agree on that. What say you Vac?

Talaniman: The U.S. is a the old "melting pot", that is obvious to anyone who looks at it. What I am saying is that the "RACE BAITERS" threaten the tranquility that we would have IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THEM TRYING TO STIR UP PROBLEMS ALL THE TIME! Putting labels on every single American Citizen in terms of his or her race is not moving forward, at all: Labeling people according to their race on every government document is a great way to put flies in the ointment.....LABELS ARE, BY DESIGN, MEANT TO DESIGNATE DIFFERENCES: BY DEFINITION. LABELS EXIST TO DIVIDE. What I am saying is: STOP LABELING BY RACE. That, in my opinion, is not a radical thought but a natural one.

If only it was that simple, and probably was years ago, but who are these nasty race baiters that divides us?

who are these nasty race baiters that divides us?

The technical term is "liberal democrats".

How so?