What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Barrister]

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/shock-and-awe-iran-style

The conclusion seems to be that SA will fall apart very quickly if it came to war, barring US support. MBS seems to be a tool and has no friends except Trump (who is only his friend because he pays cash).

You know all of what this author says is true, but it ignores all weakness on the Iranian side.  It too is an unpopular regime, with a sanction-weakened country.  It's forced to work through intermediaries, it's "allies" in Turkey and Russia are allies of convenience with little to no shared interests in the region.

Both sides here are playing a dangerous game.

[Tonitrus]

And we're in a tight spot as well.  Setting aside the Trump factor...SA is a despicable ally and there should be a very strong temptation to just blow them off...but it would also be a huge mistake to let Iran run roughshod over them, as that would leave an even more despicable terrorist/messianic state with total dominance over the region. 

[The Minsky Moment]

It's a mistake to speak of "Iran" as a unitary actor here.  The IRG is driving this bus; indeed, the main objective of the drone attack may well have been to box in and discredit the civilian regime internally. 

The IRG does not perceive sanctions as weakening them; there are a key source of their strength.  The fact that the US ditched the nuclear agreement and implemented punishing sanctions discredited Rouhani and his policies to the benefit of the IRG.   The IRG controls different levers of the domestic economy as well as those elements involved in sanctions evasion and thus can insulate themselves from the worst of the sanctions impact.

[alfred russel]

I'm impressed that Trump may have criminally colluded with both Russia and Ukraine, who are obviously fighting each other at the moment.

[mongers]

I'm impressed that Trump may have criminally colluded with both Russia and Ukraine, who are obviously fighting each other at the moment.

Equal opportunity corruption. 

[frunk]

I'm impressed that Trump may have criminally colluded with both Russia and Ukraine, who are obviously fighting each other at the moment.

I think he'd be perfectly happy to criminally collude with Saudi Arabia and Iran as well.  Only 1 for 2 so far.

[jimmy olsen]

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/shock-and-awe-iran-style

The conclusion seems to be that SA will fall apart very quickly if it came to war, barring US support. MBS seems to be a tool and has no friends except Trump (who is only his friend because he pays cash).

You know all of what this author says is true, but it ignores all weakness on the Iranian side.  It too is an unpopular regime, with a sanction-weakened country.  It's forced to work through intermediaries, it's "allies" in Turkey and Russia are allies of convenience with little to no shared interests in the region.

Both sides here are playing a dangerous game.

The Iranians did really well in the Iraq-Iran war despite being vastly outgunned because they were unified by nationalism. It's the same situation with regards to the KSA vs Iran, and Iran isn't vastly outgunned anymore.

[Solmyr]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/24/she-seems-very-happy-trump-appears-to-mock-greta-thunbergs-emotional-speech

Donald Trump appears to have taken a swipe at teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, tweeting a video of an emotional Thunberg with an apparently sarcastic comment that she seems to be "very happy" and looking forward to a bright future.

"She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!" tweeted the US president late on Monday night.

Your president is trolling a teenage girl.

[Razgovory]

I was against impeachment before, mostly because I saw it as a useless gesture that would play into Trump's hands.  This thing with Ukraine though,  it's really, really bad news.  Something needs to be done about it or it will become the new normal.  The idea of a President soliciting a foreign nation to arrest the son of a political rival is scary.  If a deal can be worked out in the Senate to censure Trump and somehow prevent him from engaging in this behavior then that's good too.  While it does not appear to dawn on Trump that someone could use the same tactic against his own children, I imagine that some US senators can put 2 and 2 together.

[mongers]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/24/she-seems-very-happy-trump-appears-to-mock-greta-thunbergs-emotional-speech

Donald Trump appears to have taken a swipe at teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, tweeting a video of an emotional Thunberg with an apparently sarcastic comment that she seems to be "very happy" and looking forward to a bright future.

"She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!" tweeted the US president late on Monday night.

Your president is a trolling a teenage girl.

FYP

[Eddie Teach]

That's misogynistic.

[garbon]

That's misogynistic.

And ageist.

[frunk]

Plus we've already established that his mental age can't be higher than 5.

[DGuller]

Speaking of that, I'm curious what Greta's expertise is to speak about the climate change.  Is there any special reasons she's making speeches to adults at UN, or has she just won the viral lottery a while back?

[mongers]

Speaking of that, I'm curious what Greta's expertise is to speak about the climate change.  Is there any special reasons she's making speeches to adults at UN, or has she just won the viral lottery a while back?

How many eminently qualified climate scientists are 16 years old?