The version of that I have heard says, “NATO was created to keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down.”

I could listen to you all night!

A British/Irish friend of mine argues that the point of the EU was for French and the rest of Europe to contain, once again, Germany.

Well stated regarding Baldwin, Chamberlain, and the late 1930s. The corporal had Mosley rooting for him, we had Lindbergh (and others), and then Stalin had his fan boys too …..

It is quite true that…
1. There was no public wish to fight, a view that was reflected by Britain’s political echelons.
2. The English (and French) military were in a state such that were unable, or convinced themselves that they were unable (see 1 above), to counter Hitler’s gambit.
3. The Americans, with economic issues of their own, essentially washed their hands of Europe’s problems.
4. OTOH, in spite of everything, and to their credit, Baldwin, and Chamberlain after him, believed there would ultimately be a war and understood that Britain was not ready for it and had to prepare. As a result, military projects WERE initiated, most notably but not only in the area of fighter aircraft design, e.g., the development of the Supermarine Spitfire, which played such a huge role in the Battle of Britain.

B. NMP.

I honestly think Trump was blindsided by the refusal of the government and military to carry out his directives. Trump has only ever run his non-public company which he owns and is free to organize as he likes, and free to hire and fire whom he likes, and that environment is a very different group from civil service drones and political appointees.

I’m not as sanguine as Niketas is about Karmi’s aims. He is definitely rooting hard for Trump to lose the election.

I don’t see Karmi doing this, I see Karmi saying he personally won’t vote for Trump. Some people see voting for someone as a very personal endorsement of that person. I don’t vote this way myself but some do. I don’t read minds, but this to me is why Karmi says he won’t vote for Trump or for Harris. Since Karmi’s in Florida this won’t make any difference.

By Karmi’s logic, Lincoln lacked leadership skills because he couldn’t convince the South to free their slaves. I think Lincoln had to fire a few generals before he got the army he wanted.

The problem with Karmi’s view is it ignores that Trump’s main focus was on improving our trade imbalance and increasing the growth rate of the economy.

In spite of the military bureaucracy insubordination, Trump did a masterful job of finessing the powder keg in the Middle East– from carving out a safe haven for the Kurds, pushing back against Russian meddling in Syria, neutering (at least temporarily) Iran, decapitating ISIS, and providing a framework that could have (and may still) allowed the Sunni states to make an alliance against the Shia state (which Biden abandoned).

This is the kind of leadership we need– results without war.

There could be entire libraries filled with books on what constitutes a good leader.

“I remember Trump getting mad at Ukraine because they wouldn’t give him Biden’s head on a platter. That shows a serious lack of leadership ability, IMHO.” – Karmi

Karmi isn’t even providing an example of where leadership is the prerequisite skill. This is more an example of using power– which Trump started to use but was thwarted by Congress using their power of impeachment and the media galvanizing public opinion against the President.

I’m not as sanguine as Niketas is about Karmi’s aims. He is definitely rooting hard for Trump to lose the election.

“Mean girl?” I’m crushed!

Someone takes himself too seriously?