Iran

To me, it seems that the USA and Israel have come out far worse from their war with Iran than had they not started it. Few dispute that the regime there is bad, but I fail to see how this can be classed as a win for the USA/Israel. By most measures the outcome is worse than the 2015 agreement that President Trump  did not agree with!

Trump and Iran

Most days I take a look at the Trump Report. Recently President Trump visited China. I was left underwhelmed. 

Although the USA claims victory in Iran, why are so many ships unwilling to transit the Strait of Hormuz?

Trump in a pickle

It would appear that President Trump is in a right pickle: he got into a war with Iran and does not know how to get out of it, allegedly, without losing face. I think he is looking for a way out in which the USA is seen as the winner.

Iran

There is little doubt that this war has not gone as President Trump expected. 

I am sure now that he wished he had not started it and his popularity at home and across the world has  dropped. 

The USA was once considered a beacon of democracy, but not anymore. The damage done to the reputation of the USA could last generations.

Trump and Times Radio

It appears President Trump thinks a peace deal in Iran is very close. 

I seem to remember he said he could stop the Ukraine war (sorry special military operation) in 24 hours. Four years later we are still waiting....

Politics is complicated and advisors advise for a reason.

President Trump and the pope.

 Whatever your political views, the lambasting of the pope by President Trump was ill judged at best in my view. As the leader of the western world I would have expected better.

The  AI cartoon on Truth Social (was it Jesus or the Red Cross?) was in very bad taste in my view. I am not quite sure what message this was intended to portray?

Iran crisis

Apparently the USA has the "wrong" sort of oil that it is not geared up to refine. So it exports oil and imports oil it can refine! 

With the failure of talks in Pakistan tensions are high again with President Trump threatening to blockade Iranian ports. Oil prices are rising again.

Times Radio is being very harsh!

Iran peace talks fail

The peace talks in Pakistan have failed.  Are we surprised?

I think this leaves President Trump with a problem: neither side (I think) has a real appetite to carry on fighting, yet Iran has arguably come out on top in this asymmetric conflict with a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz.  

President Trump has to decide to escalate further or negotiate. He does not like to be beaten, especially when he has already announced victory! 

In my view President Trump seriously misjudged the situation. Many regard Iran as an evil state, but was this approach right? The world now suffers.

It will be interesting to see what the next steps are.

President Trump on Truth Social

On Sunday, the US president published an expletive laden post on Truth Social, threatening Iran with dire consequences if the Strait of Hormuz was not re-opened. 

In my personal view, this was not the sort of post I would have expected by a US president.

Many consider attacks against civilian targets a war crime. This would be contested I expect. 

In my view, this will make the Iranian people more angry and less likely to side with the USA. If you dislike a regime in power, why take it out on ordinary folk?

What is certain is that this is an asymmetric war with might against cunning.

I fail to understand why people cannot live in peace and harmony with everyone. Wars cost a great deal and rarely achieve much good. The common person rarely really wants war. Those that stand to gain have shares in companies supplying weapons and ammunition.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cm29zmpdj3vt.

Words of the leader of the western world

These allegedly are the exact words of the US president:

"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP"

How to win friends across the world? 

Trump and Iran

I think most western nations see Iran as a potential threat. However, it would appear, allegedly, that the US president did not realise what he was getting in to. Like many, I do not know how this will end.

State of the Union

Whatever views you hold, President Trump is the leader of the largest and biggest economy in the world. 

My personal view is that leaders really need to be "in tune" with their people. I struggle to see how rich billionaires in any country can really understand how the common person feels.

Increasingly the world seems to be run by very rich people. I hope they are all fighting hard for their  common citizens.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce3g0epn6gd

US Supreme Court overrules Trump on tariffs

 The US Supreme Court has overruled President Trump 6-3 on tariffs. 

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0l9r67drg7t

Board of Peace

 At the Davos Economic Forum President Trump announced his "Board of Peace".

I don't understand

President Trump puzzles lots of people. 

I can understand that he wants to make the USA strong. I can understand he wants to make the USA secure. What I don't understand his insistence on owning Greenland and imposing tariffs on his allies who oppose him. Surely he can achieve all the security he seeks within NATO?  

It looks like he is playing into the hands of the Russia and Chinese leadership by potentially breaking up NATO and probably just walking away from Ukraine.  

In May he was (allegedly) in favour of returning the Chagos Is to Mauritius and leasing back the US airbase. Now he is rude about it.

He is an enigma to so many. 

In the end (in the next 20 years?) much of the world will decide they cannot (as in the past) rely on the USA in future and progressively move trade away from the USA. I can see the US dollar not being the world's reserve currency.   

Greenland

Suddenly this frozen landmass has come into sharp focus with President Trump of the USA wanting to own it. 

He claims he has to own it to defend it, despite Denmark and Greenland being in NATO. It is interesting that it has lots of rare earth materials as well.

Most countries of the world are opposed to the USA owning it unless the people of Greenland agree. They have the right to determine their future.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyn90l1dneo .

Really?

Presldent Trump has made some bold claims about the US economy. These have been fact checked by the BBC.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cz6yg15lpw9t

Some would appear to be incorrect.

Is it only me, but I have come across not one person (absolutely no-one at all, really) outside of the USA that has a good word to say about the leaders of the USA currently. To many they appear brash and arrogant. This is sad as I have always found Americans kind and generous. Yet very many voted for Mr Trump. What he does in the USA i cannot comment on, but I can express my personal views as an outsider.

Ukraine - is President Trump getting bored?

 Most days I watch Times Radio on YouTube. I get the distinct impression the USA's President Trump is getting bored with Ukraine and is more concerned about deals to make himself even richer than finding a just peace. If true, I find this very sad.

There seems to be a new world order emerging, run by billionaires at a time when we really need leaders who have the interests of the common man/woman at heart.

Ukraine peace?

 According to this video, around 60% of people in the USA believe the USA should be standing behind (my understanding) Ukraine to counter the Russians whereas the peace plan put forward by President Trump appears to favour Russia and not what the majority in the USA want.

We all want peace, but it would appear we don't want a sell-out to President Putin. In my view simply appeasing Putin is not the answer.

From an outsider's perspective, President Trump seems more focused on making deals to make himself even richer than safeguarding democracy? This is how it appears, although I accept I may be wrong.

Trump pardons drug trafficker

Some times (many times actually) I question the motives of US President Trump. 

Allegedly, he has just pardoned the former president of Honduras who was jailed for 45 years on drug trafficking charges. I find this at odds with the "make America great again" movement and keeping drugs out.

Many Americans voted for him, so I would be interested to hear their views.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kpm0rvxepo .