:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58695315/93116806.jpg.0.jpg "America doesn’t win wars anymore")
A month into his presidency, Donald Trump lamented that the US no longer wins wars as it once did.
“When I was young, in high school and college, everybody used to say we never lost a war,” Trump told a group of US governors last February. “Now, we never win a war.”
Dominic Tierney, a professor at Swarthmore College and the author of multiple books about how America wages war, may know the reason why.
He believes the US can still successfully fight the wars of yesteryear — World War-style conflicts — but hasn’t yet mastered how to win wars against insurgents, which are smaller fights against groups within countries. The problem is the US continues to involve itself in those kinds of fights.
“We’re still stuck in this view that war is like the Super Bowl: We meet on the field, both sides have uniforms, we score points, someone wins, and when the game ends you go home,” he told me. “That’s not what war is like now.”
The US military is currently mired in conflicts in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. It’s hard to see any end in sight — especially an end where the United States is the victor, however that’s defined.
A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows.
Alex Ward
During his first year in office, Trump got the US more deeply involved in wars, with the goal of defeating terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Somalia. But has this put the US on course to end these fights?
Dominic Tierney
Victory may be asking a lot.
Since 1945, the United States has very rarely achieved meaningful victory. The United States has fought five major wars — Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan — and only the Gulf War in 1991 can really be classified as a clear success.
There are reasons for that, primarily the shift in the nature of war to civil conflicts, where the United States has struggled. Trump himself recognized this: He said on the campaign trail numerous times that we used to win wars and we don’t win anymore. And he has promised to turn the page on this era of defeat and said that we were going to get sick and tired of winning.
But will he channel that observation into winning wars? I doubt it.
The nature of war continues to be these difficult internal conflicts in places like Afghanistan, where the United States has struggled long before Trump ever dreamed of running for president.
Alex Ward
So what constitutes victory in war today, and has that changed from the past?
Dominic Tierney
The famous war theorist Carl von Clausewitz argued that war is the continuation of politics by other means. So war is not just about blowing things up — it’s about achieving political goals.
The United States, up until 1945, won virtually all the major wars that it fought. The reason is those wars were overwhelmingly wars between countries. The US has always been very good at that.
But that kind of war has become the exception. If you look around the world today, about 90 percent of wars are civil wars. These are complex insurgencies, sometimes involving different rebel groups, where the government faces a crisis of legitimacy.
The US has found, for various reasons, that it’s far more difficult to achieve its goals in these cases. The three longest wars in US history are Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan — all from recent decades, all these complex types of civil wars.
Alex Ward
On its face, this seems to be a paradox: The US can win on the battlefield against a major military force, but we can’t seem to win these smaller wars.
Dominic Tierney
Yes. And even more surprising: It’s when the US became a superpower and created the best-trained, strongest military the world has ever seen, around 1945, that the US stopped winning wars.
The answer to the puzzle is that American power turned out to be a double-edged sword.
The US was so powerful after World War II, especially after the Soviet Union disappeared, that Washington was tempted to intervene in distant conflicts around the world in places like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
We ended up intervening in countries where we had little cultural understanding. To illustrate this, in 2006 — at the height of the Iraq War — there were 1,000 officials in the US embassy in Baghdad, but only six of them spoke Arabic.
In addition, the US military has failed to adapt to this new era of war. The US military has this playbook for success against countries: technology, big-unit warfare, and so on. And when we started fighting insurgents, it was natural that we would turn to that same playbook.
Alex Ward
So we might not have much cultural understanding of the places where we’re fighting, but we have greater technology and better fighting forces. Why can’t we overcome this obstacle?
Dominic Tierney
The reason, again, comes down to the difference between an interstate [more traditional] war and a counterinsurgency, or nation-building mission.
One difference is that we cannot easily see the enemy. In an interstate war, the enemy is wearing uniforms, we know where they are on a map. In a counterinsurgency they are hiding in the population.
Now, the US military is capable of hitting any target with pinpoint accuracy using the latest hardware. But what if we don’t know where the enemy is? A lot of that technology, which is really impressive, turns out to be irrelevant.
Alex Ward
It seems like we have two problems here. We haven’t corrected our way of thinking to deal with insurgencies or civil wars, and then we keep getting involved in those kinds of wars, despite the fact that we’re ill-prepared to deal with them.
Why do we keep falling into this trap?
Dominic Tierney
One answer is we basically believe in illusions — the idea that nation-building and counterinsurgency will be avoided.
Look at Iraq, where the United States believed it could topple Saddam Hussein and basically leave as quickly as possible. We would overthrow the tyrant and then the Iraqi people would be free to create their own democracy. That was based on massive overconfidence about what would happen after Hussein fell.
So why do we go to war if we hate counterinsurgency and we struggle at it? The reason is the White House convinces itself it doesn’t need to stabilize or help rebuild a country after a war. But it’s not just the Bush administration — think of the Obama administration too.
Barack Obama was a very thoughtful president and talked at length about his foreign policy thinking. At the heart of the Obama doctrine was “no more Iraq War.” And yet he basically made the same mistake in Libya, where there was very little planning for what would occur after Muammar Qaddafi was overthrown in 2011. In fact, Obama went on the record saying that the Libya intervention was his worst mistake a president.
Alex Ward
So if it really is a bunch of wishful illusions and incorrect assumptions, how do we avoid that? We have tons of evidence that things don’t go our way when we get involved in these kinds of wars. We don’t seem to learn from our mistakes.
Dominic Tierney
We don’t learn very well from history. Presidents convince themselves that the next time will be different.
The lesson Obama took from Iraq was not to allow any US ground forces to get involved in nation-building. Since Obama was willing to support regime change, the end result was going to be the overthrow of Qaddafi with no real plan to stabilize Libya.
If a thoughtful president like Obama — who was very cognizant of the errors of Iraq — can do that, it suggests that any president would be capable of doing that.
Alex Ward
It seems like one of the problems is that we’re involving ourselves in these wars with little preparation. How do we solve that?
Dominic Tierney
We need better language training, cultural training, more resources for special forces — and that would mean less money spent on nuclear attack submarines, for example.
Second, once we improve America’s ability for stabilization missions, we deploy the US military with greater care and fight fewer wars. That means when we do fight, we have a better plan to win the peace.
Alex Ward
But then there’s another problem: Sometimes groups like ISIS arise, and US leaders and many Americans want the military to take them out. So when the president is faced with the option to target a group like ISIS with airpower, some would argue that it’s better, politically, to do that.
Dominic Tierney
The US doesn’t think several moves ahead. The US military is good at taking out bad guys. But the removal of the bad guy creates a power vacuum, and that power vacuum is filled by somebody else.
In Afghanistan, we created disorder and then the Taliban returned — the power vacuum there was also filled by ISIS. And in Iraq, the vacuum was filled by militant groups, most notably al-Qaeda in Iraq. In Libya, the vacuum was filled by a complicated range of militant groups.
The mood in the US is: “We just killed ISIS, let’s go home and close the book on the ISIS war.” Well, there’s more to the story.
Alex Ward
The Trump administration says it will pay less attention to defeating terrorists and will now focus more on battling back growing Chinese and Russian power.
That new strategic focus means we’ll change the kinds of weapons we buy and the kind of training our troops do. But I don’t see the US stopping its fight against terrorism. Does this preparation for a different style of war — while still fighting another — put the US in an awkward position?
Dominic Tierney
I think it does.
There is a desire to shift from difficult nation-building missions toward countering great-power challengers like Russia and especially China. But this isn’t very new. The Obama administration wanted to pivot to Asia and the China challenge. And then what happened? We ended up being engaged against ISIS.
I tend to think that the pivot to China is sort of like Waiting for Godot — it never arrives. And I think the United States is going to get drawn back into these civil wars and these kinds of messy conflicts, particularly in the broader Middle East. The odds of conflict between the US and China are very low; the odds of the US engaging in another civil war in the next five years are extremely high.
Alex Ward
Based on this conversation, victory in war seems to be how we define it, or, rather, will it to be. The US sets its victory goals low, but we don’t even meet those lower goals. Why can’t we get over this hump?
Dominic Tierney
We’re still stuck in this view that war is like the Super Bowl: We meet on the field, both sides have uniforms, we score points, someone wins, and when the game ends you go home. That’s not what war is like now. Now there are tons of civilians on the field, the enemy team doesn’t wear a uniform, and the game never ends. We need to know there’s no neat ending.
The costs of this problem have been so catastrophic for the United States, in the form of thousands of military lives and billions of dollars spent. It’s time we fundamentally rethink our vision of what war is.
DerHundistLos on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 6:36 am
Colombia’s Rainforests Now 7th Most Endangered in the World:
“The fourth largest country in South America is Colombia, home to rich tropical rainforests that have one of the highest biodiversity in the world. According to the United Nations, Colombia is quickly losing its natural forest cover due to legal and illegal logging, mining, energy development and clearing of trees for small and large scale agricultural projects like farming and oil palm plantations.”
Source: ICUN
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 8:06 am
“Where To From Here”
https://tinyurl.com/yxljozy6 gns economics via zero hedge
“China, China, China Our subscribers have been continually briefed on the role China has played in the current expansion since September 2017. Our in-depth analysis of the global economy revealed the true source of global growth after 2009: The Chinese debt machine. To our amazement, we found that not only has China been responsible for about 55 % of all credit created globally, but also close to 52% of all capital investments in major industrialized nations since 2009. Moreover, China had accomplished all this with a never-before-seen debt binge and investments through (mostly unprofitable) state-owned enterprises, which have led to a collapse of productivity growth (see Figure 1). As a result, China currently has a very high share of “zombie companies” (see, e.g., our blog). As we speculated prior to the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017, the policies of China changed quite drastically after the Congress. In 2015/2016, the Chinese leadership organized a massive stimulus program through the ‘shadow banking sector’. It not only stimulated the global economy, but also pushed the debt-to-GDP ratio to astronomical levels.”
“Late 2018 and early 2019 gave us a glimpse of the likely new economic policies of China. At that time China launched brief, but gigantic (record-breaking) debt and fiscal stimulus programs. They lifted global markets and, combined with a drastic U-turn at the Fed, saved the U.S. equity markets in early 2019. However, Chinese leaders withdrew most of the additional stimulus measures in the second quarter. It thus looks like China is trying to manufacture a ‘soft landing’. As we explained in our June forecasts, China has only limited effective additional means left to stimulate the economy. If it would use them fighting the current downturn, it would eventually lead to a hard landing (crash) of the economy. It’s very likely that Chinese leadership will try to avoid this. This, however, implies that global recession is unavoidable.”
“Very low and negative interest rates have wreaked havoc in the banking sector, seriously undermining the standard profit mechanism of banks (by crushing the margins of maturity transformation), and fostered the growth of zombie corporations. Negative rates also undermine the profitability of other levered financial institutions and fixed-income investors (see Q-Review 1/2018 for a more detailed account). Very low or negative interest rates also highlight the extraordinary nature of the present economic situation—most likely hurting sentiment among savers, private investors and corporations. The bottom line is that central banks are effectively out of means to stimulate. Rates are low or negative everywhere. Central banks have loaded their balance sheets with government and corporate debt (see the Figure 2 below) and are now approaching their political limits.”
“In practice, central banks have only one potential ploy remaining. They could push interest rates even more deeply-negative, but this would only work if cash were banned. It’s highly unlikely that citizens in, for instance, Germany and in the U.S. would agree to this. Alas, central bankers are effectively “out of ammo”.”
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 8:26 am
Gearing up for a humper pumper #9 Red Alert.
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 8:28 am
MadKat is a chink or gook.
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 8:30 am
I can’t decide between a brief cornholing or a brisk cornhusking.
Would appreciate any feedback as to preference.
Duncan Idaho on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 9:00 am
But FARC is still there– and has been for a long time.
I haven’t been in Colombia for quite a while. The greed heads are sure making a comeback.
joe on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 9:45 am
If its true that Russians will build a base on Iranian soil then that will be a horrible mistake by Russia. They will be blamed for every fault in Iran because Iran is a xenophobic type of democratic society, they are Shia Islamists but Islamists none the less. The extremists will not be happy to see non muslim Russians occupying their country. They learned nothing from
Afghanistan….
I AM THE MOB on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 9:57 am
Former SS guard, 92, to face trial in Germany charged with 5,230 counts of accessory to murder
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7337187/Former-SS-guard-92-face-trial-Germany-charged-5-230-counts-accessory-murder.html
hope you like being a prison ho grandpa!
HAHA
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 10:16 am
This sounds like something Duncan and MOB would like to indulge in:
Universal’s ‘The Hunt’ that satirizes killing of ‘deplorables’ slammed online, called ‘beyond sick’ and ‘disturbing’
Universal’s “The Hunt” isn’t even out yet, but many are taking to Twitter to react to the film’s trailer, calling it “beyond sick” and “disturbing.” “The Hunt,” which initially was going to be titled “Red State vs. Blue State,” is billed as a satire that follows wealthy thrill-seekers as they take a private jet to a five-star resort, where they embark on a “deeply rewarding” expedition that involves hunting down and killing “deplorables.” “The Hunt” is billed as a satire that follows wealthy thrill-seekers taking a private jet to a five-star resort where they hunt “deplorables” for sport. “The Hunt” is billed as a satire that follows wealthy thrill-seekers taking a private jet to a five-star resort where they hunt “deplorables” for sport. “Universal is releasing a horrific movie about hunting down people called The Hunt. They pulled the ads but they have not stopped its release. Absolutely irresponsible movie and fosters hate and killing of people who don’t believe the same as the hunters. Hollywood be shamed,” a user wrote. HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER THAT SATIRIZES KILLING OF ‘DEPLORABLES’ CAUSES OUTRAGE: ‘DEMENTED AND EVIL’ Another shared: “I just read a report on the movie “The Hunt” that comes out soon. this is why I can’t pick a side. A movie about rounding up a group of “deplorables” and HUNTING them is ok? Put all the gun laws on the books but we’re entertained by a movie about killing Trump supporters.” ROSANNA ARQUETTE SAYS SHE ‘FEELS SO MUCH SHAME’ FOR BEING ‘BORN WHITE AND PRIVILEGED’ “Really @UniversalPics, you greenlit a movie like this in this era of political violence and mass murder. I will no longer pay to watch your movies if you release this movie,” another tweeted. ‘BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER’ ACTRESS OFFERS TO SEND ‘GLEE’ ACTOR BACK TO CANADA OVER COMMENTS ABOUT TRUMP SUPPORTERS Someone else shared: “#TheHunt is the most disgusting and terrifying thing I have ever heard. You yell about gun control and then release a movie about shooting people who are against your views. Open up your eyes people. God help us all.” ‘GREY’S ANATOMY’ STAR ELLEN POMPEO CALLED RACIST FOR NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT KAMALA HARRIS “The idea & trailer for The Hunt is disturbing. The fact it was done by the same people responsible for The Purge movies speaks of how much Hollywood believes & desires our nation to devolve into Civil War, chaos, & a place where only Leftist elites survive,” a user tweeted. JIMMY KIMMEL ON MASS SHOOTINGS: ‘POLITICIANS DON’T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT WHAT WE THINK’ “Universal is releasing a movie next month called ‘The Hunt’ that depicts Trump supporters being hunted down like animals. That is BEYOND sick,” one user shared. DEBRA MESSING FACES BACKLASH FOR RESPONSE TO ‘SICK’ TWEET DIRECTED AT MITCH MCCONNELL, DANA LOESCH OVER MASS SHOOTINGS Universal Pictures told Fox News on Wednesday: “Out of sensitivity to the attention on the country’s recent shooting tragedies, Universal Pictures and the filmmakers of The Hunt have temporarily paused its marketing campaign and are reviewing materials as we move forward.” COUNTRY SINGER KACEY MUSGRAVES CALLS FOR GUN CONTROL FOLLOWING DAYTON, EL PASO MASS SHOOTINGS
Cloggie on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 10:18 am
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3664526/How-three-million-Germans-died-after-VE-Day.html
“How three million Germans died after VE Day”
Come on yellow man, Russia… give them a hard time!
We are with you! Together we can clean the planet up.
Cloggie on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 10:26 am
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/raped-by-the-red-army-two-million-german-women-speak-out-1669074.html
“”Raped by the Red Army: Two million German women speak out”
There was only one holocaust, namely the one perpetrated against the German people.
The other one was fake, invented by a tribunal, run by the likes of I AM THE KIKE:
https://documents1940.wordpress.com/2017/09/26/an-embarrassing-discovery/
How they use their media to lie:
https://documents1940.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/foyles-war-kosher-ww2-lies/
Cloggie on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 10:50 am
Soon in an American village neer you:
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=60586
“South Africa: As Many As 1,000 Dogs Poisoned Per Week to Make Homes Easier to Rob”
Courtesy the tribe of I AM THE MOB, that runs your country.
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 11:42 am
“Soon in an American village neer you”
That is “near” not neer. Cloggie, don’t you think you are a bit sick and distasteful?
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 11:45 am
I hope y’all liked my off topic copying and pasting of other peoples opinions this morning.
For the most part there real easy to do. Go on another website. Any website will do. Find someone else’s opinion on a completely different topic other then America can’t win wars. Hold the copy button down on yer phone. Go to PO dot com and then hit paste.
The hardest part (this is where I come in) is making the tiny url. Especially on a cellphone. I feel it’s worth it though. I like to think of it as my own personal signiture on other peoples work.
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 11:50 am
2019 Atlantic hurricane season now favors ‘above-normal’ activity, with 10-17 named storms, NOAA says
I hope Miami Beach takes a direct hit this year. I hate this place and this country. Maybe if I am forced to move I will.
Truth Buster on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 11:51 am
Juan, do you have any links for your references?
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 11:52 am
fuck off
Anonymouse on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 12:03 pm
Juan, that was pretty juvenile
I AM THE MOB on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 12:14 pm
Clogg
The Tory graph? Can’t you use any source that isn’t right wing propaganda?
And there was no embarrassing discovery..Just a baseless accusation..
I AM THE MOB on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 12:17 pm
Clogg
Those woman have no proof..
Do you always believe things for no reason? Yes.
I AM THE MOB on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 12:23 pm
Most Of America’s Terrorists Are White, And Not Muslim
Vanilla ISIS!
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 12:38 pm
MOB, you have any references for your wild outbursts?
I AM THE MOB on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 12:45 pm
Juan
All of the extremist killings in the US in 2018 had links to right-wing extremism.
https://www.businessinsider.com/extremist-killings-links-right-wing-extremism-report-2019-1
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 12:50 pm
Ok MOB. I guess I lost another ‘debate’.
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 12:52 pm
This is a discussion forum juanpee. Not a debating forum.
dumbass
More Davy Sock Puppetry and stupidity on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 1:13 pm
More Davy Sock puppetry. Every post from 11:50 to 12:52.
With more to come. Just getting warmed up.
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 1:14 pm
MOB, business insider is a fake news liberal rag. Fact check your shit youngster.
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 1:15 pm
“Maybe if I am forced to move I will.”
I thought you said you were going to stay in America until our economy collapses juanpee? The collapse BTW that I’ve been planning on for over 20 years.
DerHundistLos on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 1:36 pm
Hi Duncan,
I live in Colombia and I speak Spanish fluently. My purpose is to identify habitats critical for the survival of endangered species and, most importantly, buy and conserve in perpetuity the land. Consequently, I am quite familiar with La FARC. I have never encountered a problem with the guerillas namely because they know I am there to preserve the country, not rape it. It’s the paramilitary right-wing death squads that I fear. They are formed and financed by the wealthy and I’m sure the CIA as well. The death squads are all too happy to run their opponents through a wood chipper.
Additionally, the people are not all too happy with Americans after Trump referred to their country as a “shit-hole”. Those two words coupled with the overflights of American military aircraft that Trump reinitiated spewing cancer causing herbicides that have rendered millions of hectares into a moonscape have done a fine job turning the goodwill that had existed into resentment and anger. I now tell people I’m German or Canadian- it’s easier and safer.
Yes, La FARC exists, but for the most part in name only.
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 1:45 pm
Davy, I hate this place and my boring playboy lifestyle. The problem with chronic depression is you hate yourself and everyone around you. Miami Beach is a hell on earth for Mother Nature and I am partaking in it. Maybe a hurricane would be a good way to go. You get to the point where depression takes away your will to live. I am too much of a coward to mouth a gun but if Mother Nature did it Great.
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:16 pm
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me juanpee. We’re in agreement for a change.
More Obvious Davy ID Theft on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:26 pm
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 1:14 pm
MOB, business insider is a fake news liberal rag. Fact check your shit youngster.
More Obvious Davy ID Theft on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:27 pm
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 1:45 pm
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:32 pm
Breakthrough: American F-35 Stealth Jets Transmit Live Tracking Data to Ground Based Air Defences
In April 2018 it was reported that the U.S. Military intended to develop the Lockheed Martin F-35 fifth generation multirole fighter to be able to perform a role in strengthening the country’s missile defences, which was viewed as particularly critical in light of recent developments in the Russian, Chinese and North Korean ballistic missile programs with all three having recently developed new and more survivable tactical and intercontinental range designs. The U.S. has long sought to use overseas assets to provide live tracking data to its ground based air defence network to improve their ability to intercept enemy missile attacks, and this was speculated by a number of analysts to have been the primary purpose of the deployment of the THAAD missile system and its powerful sensors to South Korea. Reports that the F-35 succeeded in transmitting live tracking data to the U.S. Army’s Integrated Air and Missiles Defense Battle Command System for the first time thus mark a major milestone in the program and will potentially seriously strengthen America’s future air defence capabilities.
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:35 pm
So juanpee, in your opinion, when do you think the US collapse will be complete? My take was obviously somewhat premature. Do you see us collapsing quietly? Or do you see us losing WWIII here at home. It’s always interesting to here other peoples viewpoints. After all, isn’t that what discussions are all about?
Anonymouse on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:51 pm
Juan, please show legitimacy with a link. Was this another one of your zero hedge articleS?
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:52 pm
Fuck you mut
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:54 pm
I’m the one that always copies and pastes zero hedge articles annoymouse.
Dumbass
Anonymouse on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:58 pm
Yea, but Davy properly links his references unlike the South American mongrel
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 2:59 pm
Fuck you mut hole
Davy on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 3:02 pm
Now now juanpee. Please try to control your widdle temper.
Cloggie on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 3:14 pm
The tone in political Britain is getting rawer:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7334979/McDonnell-accused-sinister-tactics-joking-wants-law-silence-opponents.html
“‘I’d send Jeremy Corbyn to tell the Queen ‘We’re taking over’!’: John McDonnell says Labour would demand power if Boris Johnson loses a no confidence vote”
It will be some time until the the entire Old Bailey can be thrown into the slammer because of “Contempt of Tommy Robinson”, but things are definitely improving.
The War on Tourarism-latest:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7335651/Cruise-ships-finally-banned-Venice-following-decades-long-battle.html
“Cruise ships are BANNED from Venice following decades-long battle by residents after fury over collision with tourist boat in June”
Excellent. I prefer my dinner on Zattere landing, later this year, preferably without my view being blocked by these tourist warehouses.
https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/nachrichten-am-morgen-die-news-in-echtzeit-a-1279907.html
Human trafficker boats in Mediterranean no longer allowed to bunker fuel in ports.lol
#HeyTaxi!
#WeAreWinning!
Cloggie on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 3:15 pm
Salvini pressing for new elections in Italy in order to form an even more right-wing government:
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/08/08/world/europe/ap-eu-italy-politics-the-latest.html
“The Latest: Italy’s Salvini Calls for a New Election Soon”
Gaia on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 3:45 pm
Italy is the first domino
JuanP on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 3:48 pm
President Trump Readies Executive Order To Crack-Down Hard On Social Media Censorship Of Conservativesp
Update: The Hill reports that National Republican groups announced Thursday that they would halt spending money to advertise on Twitter after the social media site locked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) campaign account this week.
The move from the House and Senate GOP campaign arms, as well as the Republican National Committee (RNC), marks an escalation in the conservative battle against the country’s largest tech companies, which they claim routinely censor right-wing voices. Critics have insisted there is little evidence to substantiate those claims beyond individual anecdotes.
“Twitter’s hostile actions toward Leader McConnell’s campaign are outrageous and we will not tolerate it,” Jesse Hunt, a spokesman with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), said in a statement to The Hill.
“The NRSC will suspend all spending with Twitter until further notice. We will not spend our resources on a platform that silences It appears that President Trump is getting ready to bring down the hammer on the big social media companies.
Cloggie on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 4:03 pm
Richard Spencer on American despair:
https://youtu.be/CqknMyb21qc
Cloggie on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 4:08 pm
“Italy is the first domino”
Italy was the first domino 100 years ago, it is now again. Reason: Italy is the country with the strongest sense of identity in Europe. An important underlying reason is it never had an empire worth mentioning, well in the modern era, that is.
Italy is busy making a U-turn, away from the West, towards the East (Russia, China).
Rick on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 4:10 pm
The only thing that America is great at is making more wars and creating more debt. Both the Democrats and Republicans are self-serving, hypocritical, dishonest and a bunch of traitors.
Rick on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 4:18 pm
The CIA is arming the “protestors” and is trying to destabilize China. The only way to end the madness in HK is to expose those behind the so-called protests and have them held criminally responsible. China’s government didn’t cause this- it was the CIA.
Gaia on Thu, 8th Aug 2019 4:42 pm
Rick, you believe in God or are you an atheist slut like Juan?