Oh crikey Trump

Maybe, maybe not - but the GOP is trying to make it impossible for the Democrats to win another election and who comes next might be worse.

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Tim17 I thought the US has made it clear enough they make no commitment anymore to honour their NATO obligations. In fact it feels stronger than that.

I think they’ve alresdy left NATO, and that the remnants of NATO should be renamed to something else now to reflect their departure.

I’m also beginning to wonder if at some point the US could use the UK as a place to attack Europe from. As now, it feels like the UK would have no choice.

Perhaps @JohnH knows what’s really going on and can reassure but this is what it feels like.

Yes. I live quite close to Fairford and I found it distinctly chilling hearing and occasionally seeing aircraft that would be killing people taking off and landing.
I envied France and Spain who could basically tell Trump to f.o.

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Shades of Airstrip One :thinking:

Don’t be deceived. China is waiting. Doesn’t mean they’ve lost any intent.

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Yes but that nice and perfectly polite and always smiling Mr. Ping, what a contrast to the scowling murderous Mr. Putain (no spelling mistake :wink:), and the wildly deranged Mr. Trumpton. If only Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub were in charge of the world, what a happy world it would be. :joy:

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Don’t forget Captain Flack

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On the NATO thing, they’re still in on a legal basis at least but who knows what he might do.

As for using UK bases to attack Europe, in principle the UK needs to agree before they can be used for attack purposes but, other than through diplomatic means, I’m not entirely sure how that could be enforced.

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That would be attacking another NATO country though? Basically that treaty has worked well and served the world very well. Shooting the orange one in the back of the head should take place before any undoing of the treaty.

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I used to too, at the turn of the century - I saw B52s there going off to the Gulf War, it was a plane-spotter magnet.

If Trump were a deeper thinker, or even a thinker, I would wonder if one of his aims was to start something knowing NATO would not offer support (you don’t have to understand NATO beyond the fact that its role is defensive for that) just to create an excuse to flounce off, sulk and pull the US out.

Once gaining more oil from a country or two.

Me too. I grew up on the Wilts / Glos border. Also near Kemble too… Sadly it was just after the Red Arrows had moved out though.

Thinking about this a little bit more, assuming it’s in his gift to unilaterally withdraw from NATO (and I don’t know if it is or if Congress needs to approve it) then things will get very complicated very quickly since the US presence in the UK is based on NATO agreements and that also applies to the US nuclear weapons deployed in a number of European countries plus the other bases on the mainland. Arguably, if the US withdraws then those agreements would become void so what happens then?

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It would take 67 votes in the Senate to withdraw. Not likely, IMO.

Is there anywhere you haven’t lived?:grin:

We lived at Chalford, near Stroud. After a while the Red Arrows just got boring!

I do vividly remember Concorde flights over us.

I lived between Betty’s Grave and Ready Token :wink: (between Cirencester and Bibury and Poulton).

Trump left the Supreme Court in a huff when his Birthright Citizenship case was received with scepticism by the Supreme Court Justices. Good!

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/01/us/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship?smid=url-share

Edit: His ballroom has been stopped. Ordered by judge to get Congress approval to its construction. Good!!!

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Don’t appear to be any books in his ‘library’…

A bit like that Presidential ‘ballroom’ for a president who just dad dances during his speeches.