So lets game out Trump's imperial ambitions (Panama, Greenland, Canada)

[Razgovory]

All I want is to not be lumped in with the RoC into, again, the same state.

The Taiwanese-Quebec confederacy would be strong!

[Tonitrus]

As an inevitable part of the American invasion force, I will start planning which colonial plot of land/spoils to stake out in the vicinity of Ucluelet.

[Razgovory]

I wonder if Trump will take credit for Trudeau resigning.

[Admiral Yi]

My Lai took a good couple of years to come out, Colin Powell not withstanding, it needed some good journalism to push it into the public arena, even then after the trials what was the net effect, one day in prison followed by some house arrest and a few others with wrapped knuckles ??

I was thinking about My Lai.  Is it really all that different than declaring a free fire zone?

BTW, crop your quotes you lazy git.

[HVC]

All I want is to not be lumped in with the RoC into, again, the same state.

You'll be merged with Ontario specifically

[Grey Fox]

All I want is to not be lumped in with the RoC into, again, the same state.

The Taiwanese-Quebec confederacy would be strong!

You don't visit the Canada thread often? It means Rest of Canada.

[mongers]

My Lai took a good couple of years to come out, Colin Powell not withstanding, it needed some good journalism to push it into the public arena, even then after the trials what was the net effect, one day in prison followed by some house arrest and a few others with wrapped knuckles ??

I was thinking about My Lai.  Is it really all that different than declaring a free fire zone?

BTW, crop your quotes you lazy git.

I'm not sure, besides I think someone like Grumbler might point out that there weren't free fire zones, that's my guess, I don't think they were explicit military policies?

And besides in My Lai there were plenty of explicit close range killings of civilian women and children, something that some of the murders have admitted to on video.

[grumbler]

I think it's part of the institutional culture of the of the officer corps to a) not participate in coups and b) obey every single order that comes down the chain of command.  I personally can't think of examples of disobeying orders that were considered illegal.

Having been part of that culture, I could not disagree more.  The duty to disobey unlawful orders is deeply ingrained in the officer culture, even though it isn't exercised very often. Committing a war crime by engaging in behavior that got people hanged at Nuremberg is dishonorable and the moral officer has to resist an order to do so.

The enlisted men's oath includes "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice."  The officer oath does not contain the obligation to obey orders:

I (state your full name), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of Second Lieutenant, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God."

[HVC]

Does the average soldier know what is or isn't a lawful order?

[Razgovory]

All I want is to not be lumped in with the RoC into, again, the same state.

The Taiwanese-Quebec confederacy would be strong!

You don't visit the Canada thread often? It means Rest of Canada.

I like mine better.

Valmy and mongers are taking this way too seriously.  Trump is thinks this is some kinds of brilliant strategy to get some sort of concession.  Canada will agree to buy 2% more American fish or lumber or whatever and Trump will claim a big victory.  We've been through this bullshit before.

[crazy canuck]

As an inevitable part of the American invasion force, I will start planning which colonial plot of land/spoils to stake out in the vicinity of Ucluelet.

My advice is to go a little further North into Tofino.

You and the rest of the invasion force will spend so much time surfing that Vancouver will likely be spared.

[Syt]

Valmy and mongers are taking this way too seriously.  Trump is thinks this is some kinds of brilliant strategy to get some sort of concession.  Canada will agree to buy 2% more American fish or lumber or whatever and Trump will claim a big victory.  We've been through this bullshit before.

Even if it's just "for funsies" or as negotiation tactics, it's a huge breach of norms to casually threaten ostensibly friendly countries with invasion and/or annexation. It's like "joking" about raping a good friend during a dinner party conversation.

[HVC]

I mean, Trumps probably done that too.

[Sheilbh]

La France des 130 départements ? 

Correct France.

Yes, a grim prospect, if so France and the UK really should work together to build a joint EU nuclear deterrent.

I'm not sure if the UK can - I think we're in too deep with the Atlantic alliance/reliant on the US on nuclear stuff.

France could but I'm not sure, in that context, that they'd want to Europeanise their power.

(But we should have done Franco-British union as proposed by Churchill or Mollet )

[Razgovory]

Valmy and mongers are taking this way too seriously.  Trump is thinks this is some kinds of brilliant strategy to get some sort of concession.  Canada will agree to buy 2% more American fish or lumber or whatever and Trump will claim a big victory.  We've been through this bullshit before.

Even if it's just "for funsies" or as negotiation tactics, it's a huge breach of norms to casually threaten ostensibly friendly countries with invasion and/or annexation. It's like "joking" about raping a good friend during a dinner party conversation.

I'm not saying it's a good thing.  I'm saying we shouldn't get too worked up about it.  Still, I will remember the rape thing next time I see someone put up a picture of the Middle East with the Palestinian flag covering Israel.  Though that might be a bit too much on the nose...