It is admirable that Trump is getting US boots off foreign soil.

The worrying aspect, is who will fill the void if the World's Police Force goes into semi-retirement? Russian hitmen and EU bureaucrats will continue pretending not to fight it out, Moslem warlords won't be pretending, and the Chinese will be quietly "invited" into developing countries to restart the development previously put on hold by Climate Scientists.

With the tyranny of Climate Scientists being downgraded, one major politicised threat to World Peace will be neutralised.

You are a living example of how reading the Guardian rots the brain.

You [Phil Clarke] should post comments on timworstall.com each time he skewers the Guardian. Be a knight in shining armour, defend Polly Toynbee.

I'll post here the next time it happens.
Dec 13, 2018 at 6:50 PM | Unregistered CommenterCharly

It isn't going to happen, Charly. You've probably noticed by now that Phil Clarke generally likes his arguments (other than insults) second or third hand, which is perhaps why he so frequently just cites the opinions of the usual suspects at the usual sites and claims that this somehow 'debunks' the argument at hand. I'm not sure that I've seen evidence that he can formulate an original argument himself and I doubt he reads half the stuff he cites.
This also would explain his marked preference to generally go with ad hominems rather than attack the argument. In the past. when he is slagging-off Steve McIntyre at a distance, I've invited him to put his arguments at Climate Audit directly to Steve McIntyre himself, where he will receive fair treatment (more polite than here at BH), but he's never done so yet as far as I can see.
And on another thread here Phil Clarke is still preferring to attack the credentials of the father of one regular commenter rather than addressing the specifics of the argument. It's pretty ugly stuff. I can see why he doesn't seem to comment at WUWT because he would be banned fairly quickly for such an approach.

One thing that's characterised the last 10 years is the diffuseness and lack of focus in US military affairs - the aims of military action have not been made clear and the results/outcomes have been poor.[...]
Dec 27, 2018 at 2:11 PM | Registered Commentertomo

IMO, it seems to go back through a series of poor decisions since whatever that date was in 2001.
Unnecessary wars, huge loss of life, astronomical amounts of money wasted, new enemies made. If we weren't meddling so incompetently in Syria (and everywhere else) we might not have a European migrant crisis, the Brexit vote might have gone the other way...the list of unintended consequence seems endless (if indeed they were unintended).

And now we seem to have a strongly pro-war Democrat Party supported by a pro-war media who are so steeped in TDS that their hatred of Trump blinds them to the fact that a lot of Americans from both sides of the aisle would actually like to see a few years of less war. Or even no extra war. Peace still seems to be breaking out in Korea but they don't like to talk about it too much in the media. However voters might still notice it and, come 2020, the media might find that once again they have handed Trump a victory born of their own incompetence, dishonesty, and hatred.

Michael Hart, he claims to have apologised to M Courtney. I asked him for the date and time of that post. He has not answered.

Will he now answer?

Dec 28, 2018 at 12:43 AM | michael hart
You quoted Dec 27, 2018 at 2:11 PM | tomo from the previous day. That is the same quote I started to reply and add to, and then deleted!

Gulf War 1 was an overwhelming military success. Politicians instructed US and Allied Forces that Kuwait be liberated, and Iraq neutered. Both objectives were achieved with minimal casualties.

BUT, based on a combination of Diplomatic and UN niceties, the desire for a quick win and to be back in time for next Christmas, Saddam Hussein was not toppled. There may have been assunptions that the Iraqis would do it for themselves.

So we had Gulf War 2.

Cameron wanted to bomb Syria. (I have no idea what the list of targets might have been) The House of Commons blocked him.

Victorian Gun Boat Diplomacy has advanced. Trump parked a US Carrier Fleet off the coast of North Korea. I presume China suggested to North Korea's invincible leader that he backed down. It would have suited China to supply US Missile operators with precise GPS co-ordinates for Kim Jong-un.

"North Korea" serves no political benefit to China anymore, it was always a financial drain, and is now an economic embarrassment. Simply opening the Border crossings would produce the most rapid rise in land values ever seen, then there are all the existing trade and shipping routes, plus agricultural land etc. Chinese officials expect big personal profits from China enveloping and developing North Korea.

Trump is not the world's greatest businessman, but he can spot an opportunity for trade, and a deal. China NEEDS to do a trade deal with Trump. North Korea will feature, as it is a big drain on US financial and military resources too.

Trump can get some more US Boots back on to US soil.

Obama reversed US Policy on Israel. The timing has seen some correlation with a rise in turmoil and conflict between surrounding countries and the oil-rich ones. By making the US Energy self sufficient, Trump's US will not go into immediate economic meltdown if fresh hostilities break out. The EU, and that includes the UK, will suffer. The Russian oilygarchs control the oil and gas taps. The Russian Military probably don't pose a threat to Europe

The Saudis are now responding to "International Criticism". I presume the message from Trump via his Diplomats was "you caused the problem, deal with it decisively, least said soonest mended etc". The Saudis and others, have USAF compatible air bases.

There is a whole load of other wrangling going on in the Gulf, Middle East, Iran etc. I know enough to know that I don't know enough!

"Will he now answer?
Dec 28, 2018 at 11:41 AM | Charly"

Climate Science has never admitted a single mistake, let alone apologised for one. Climate Science Peer Review has failed.

That is why "Climate Science" is not a "Science". Whatever anyone's politics may be, Trump has got one decision right, that will be his lasting legacy.

"According to CNN - DJT's use of the term "witch hunt" offends witches pfffff.... that's bound to turn up on BBC3
Dec 28, 2018 at 7:04 PM | tomo"

According to Trump - CNN's use of the term "Climate Scientists" offends genuine Scientists.

According to witches, Climate Scientists have stolen their intellectual property rights, and trademarked warnings of doom:
"Double, double toil and trouble".

A review of the accuracy of their predictions, confirms witchcraft is more reliable than Climate Science, and witches make more modest financial demands.

In this modern age, "Summary Justice"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summary_justice
may be seen as a bit brutal for failed prophets of doom, but Climate Scientists could look to the US for a clue as to how the population feels:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials

I suspect the Obamas did not close down government to build their wall, nor did they have to use eminent domain to gain the necessary land.

tomo,
The Guardian writes in a supportive manner about Romney
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/02/mitt-romney-trumps-biggest-failure-is-a-lack-of-character-in-leading-divided-nation

Meanwhile Pelosi has announced a major initiative to have urgent talks about pointlessness
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/30/681075763/house-democrats-form-new-climate-crisis-committee

tomo,
The Guardian writes in a supportive manner about Romney..
Jan 2, 2019 at 1:30 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

There are many things the Grueadian doesn'tunderstand.

"Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician who served as the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and was the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 election."

Those simple facts don't tell the story of how American politics still work.
If you lost, you are a loser. Americans hate losers. He is finished as a political entity. Trump can say what he likes about him, good, bad, or indifferent. It is a free hit.

If the Guardian thinks some criticism from Romney will make 0.01% difference in the polls then they are even dimmer than I thought (and I used to buy it for many years, for my sins).

American politica are so 'Charming'
Gonna impeach the mother**ker here

President Trump announced on Monday his plan to deliver a prime time address from the White House on border security on Tuesday.
Donad Trump to address toe nation from Oval Office Here

@Jan 5, 2019 at 7:28 AM | Registered Commentertomo

You say WTF
WTF indeed - (call me old fashioned) but I agree with you sentiment. I simply cannot understand the level of hatred aimed at Trump. For my part, I had kept an open mind re Trump - but as thing progress and the amount of ridicule that all the MSM seem to heap upon him - the more I want to defend him.As far as the 'WALL" is concerned - it is needed in some form. The Aussied have the same problem - Manus island is their solution. Waddya do?

Don't worry Trumpsters, Rashida Tlaib, Nancy Pelosi and their ilk will soon be smitten by the dreaded TRUMP CURSE and suffer bad luck or negative karma. As sure as eggs is eggs.