Noflaps, what does america gain by trying to overthrown other governments, and starting wars? we ramped that program up and turned it worldwide after we were the default winner of world war 2, and now it's failing You think americans are better off for it? the vast majority are not.
Moppsy, you may be confident in your unsourced opinion of basic physics, but nobody else it.
@pretzelattack1 , America isn't trying to "overthrown other governments, and starting wars".
It's not America that invaded Ukraine, for example.
America has avoided or even shed military entanglements for several years.
It's not America trying who is trying to return to the 1940s.
I am going to go ahead and throw my support in here, - first let me say, for all involved.
Sigh, lol. First of all we need peace; so we need to make sure everyone is okay. Is Trump always nice? No. Is he good for our country? I would tentatively say yes. I mean; he is out in front, and he has helped a lot of things. Okay but I want to say this above all; this isn't a divisive post, or it's not meant to be. Sigh okay but anyway. Onto the topic.
Btw - I say, again tentatively, that he is good overall because look at what happened when he was in office, and look at what happened afterwords.
Okay anyway about the topic.
Noflaps wins this one hands down; and one hundred percent. So let's break this down. Trump is talking about Greenland; and economics. This is literally all he is talking about.
But the reporter came with a messed up question, a screwball question that was out from left field, based on the wrong things and escalating in a wild way. It's like -- let's say you're playing poker with someone. Right? Peaceful fun game, light-hearted; everyone is having fun. You might even be long friends with some of the players. And then you make a big raise. Right? And then someone across the table starts fidgeting, starts acting crazy, and fearful, and then almost screams, "Do you have a gun!?" "Are you going to shoot me!?"
Well, that was crazy and out of line. The main thing is- high stakes poker can be played for fun, if the rolls are high enough. (Bankrolls.) Some of these people play for thousands, hundreds (of thousands) and millions of dollars. But there's never any threat of like, (I deeply hesitate to even say the word murder, or something this is how immeasurably caring I am for others sensitivities, and my own;) but there's no chance of that.
In say, Bobby's room.
Now, let me kind of hasten to say, I'm not exactly supporting Trump. I love everyone. It's why I began with the disclaimer, I don't want this to be a divisive post. And the poker analogy came to mind suddenly, and I went with it. I have more to say.
But briefly I would like to say; the way to peace involves quite a lot of detachment. And discernment, and meditation, and peace. So the main thing I would like to say is Shantideva (a master, an enlightened guru and genius), said this: --A Bodhisattva doesn't take sides, but support both sides equally. Normally we want to say, "which side is right? I need to know and I wills support that side." But the Bodhisattva knows, if one person wins, and another is defeated; this doesn't end the cycle.
Rumi said, "don't follow others. They may be blind, or worse, vultures." (A dig on vultures) but the point is of course easy to follow.
So, this is almost infinitely important. Don't follow others people. Follow your heart. Don't act in a mob mentality ever; study the infinite, in peace, and meditation, the way Laozi did, the way Shantideva did, and the way millions and millions of enlightened beings did.
But let me quickly also say, and this should have been said sooner, while I am not saying I like "support Trump" in that way of being a follower -- I do want to state I am truly, and completely, and with friendship Supporting Noflaps. And by this I do mean taking sides. I am on his side in this. We are like a team, on Lichess; all of us. This is a big, I won't say tribe but sort of like that. -- Infinite diversity, and cultures and climates, but devoted to one thing, chess. And I dare say, all other artistic or platonic pursuits that are pure, in the sense of being non-partisan and such and so forth.
My support for Noflaps doesn't break the Bodhisattva's ideal; my support for Noflaps isn't -partial-, or subjective, because Noflaps is being Impartial, and, objective. Noflaps wrote with complete accuracy on this topic.
Now, and by the way, I do wish to very much say I am sorry for this being overly long. I've certainly put a lot of thought into this. And I didn't spend the whole time talking about Trump (whom, again, although I said I don't support as in following, I do as in love and support, all people.)
But if I were to, yeah, there was no call for all of this -- and it is because of the reporter, again...
Here is the main point, and Noflaps has said this; I don't mean to muddle it. But here is the main point. None of the narrative, came from Trump. All of the detailing came from the reporter. All of the chaos all of it, came from the messed up, again, essentially detailing question the reporter asked.
Trump was basically driving a train, and the reporter welded a thing onto the tracks, causing it all to go off-rail-- not that Trump was affected; he's become a veteran.
I believe I have a fairly good understanding of a lot of this by this point; and I am just trying to explain how this kind of stuff happens. -- Here is the beautiful thing; the Trump effect. Here is how the peace happens. And I love this.
*Sigh* how to even express it and should it be expressed? "I come so that those who cannot see may see. And those who do see will become blind."-- Jesus of Nazareth. What!? He came to make people blind... (Not calling trump Jesus here lol, just talking about peace.)
All of the chaos, needed somewhere to go right? So it ended up hitting Trump, and getting utterly deflected. And now Greenland -- quickly analyzed all this, basis laly figured it out -- and have been sending America like tons and tons of communiques--
Greenland is literally sending almost infinite waves of cooperation and wishes to work together towards America right now. All because of Trump.
Trump absolutely and in no way threatened Greenland. One single reporter threw out an incredibly off-base, off the wall, and truly just crazy question at him; and he spoke from his heart -- as we are supposed to do -- and the world became much better for it
I'm wrapping up or about to.
There is one other deeply, deeply significant aspect of all this; and it relates to how we interact with each other and how we give power, or try to take power, (which we shouldn't be doing, that's messed up, like trying to all of that )
Sorry I'm having a hard time getting at it LoL. ---- N.F. nailed this exactly; my understanding was similar (I'm typing on a tablet, so please forgive this writing id and when it's bad.)... When you ask someone "blah de blah"
It's like energy, it's like consciousness; Trump had no reason to say "oh yeah, now I'm gonna follow you, and now let's turn right off into this thicket of trees and woods and darkness."
My man Noflaps expressed this very well, and understood it quite deeply, I am a poet who has written over 300,000 words of poetry; I understand Logos. Trump had no reason to try to contort himself into the worldview, the mindset, or the energy of the wild-eyed reporter.
And, I haven't written this particular part very eloquently, but believe me when I say it is true. Corollary and connected to this is the fact that when we ask questions; we are making statements; suggestions. Trump had no reason to go down that worse path; he deflected the suggestion.
Again, remember the chaos, and the rails. Trump rejected the chaos and replied with a statement. Not a threat, none of that. He just said "No, you are limited, but I am not under your power."
Anywayyyy. Like I say, my main thing to say, here is (and first wishing peace and strength for all forum members,)... Immeasurably, Noflaps nailed this in his analysis and it's really nice. You, I, nor we, nor anyone should be afraid of Trump. Except I guess, bad people. Trump is not a bad person. I'm sure that will be controversial, heh.
Imagine we are all like infinite computers; with peace, and power, discernment. Well ---- Pascal fits in here (Everything is in a bubble, somewhere between nothing and the infinite.)
And I did have one important bit to add, the fact that Greenland is now sending infinite waves of communiques, of desire for cooperation, and everything.
Don't be so quick to judge. Believe me. Things will be okay. This is good for us, Trump is doing well.
Was this a good post Noflaps?
Much love...
(Anyway, I will withdraw to the "flat and joyful stones," of Shantideva, as I don't spend a lot of time in politic threads, but I just wanted to throw my appreciation, thanks and support for your - impartial, insightful, and accurate post my friend. I look forward to seeing your further posts on this and all topics.)
To note, Trump is a teetotaler.
Enjoy the Peace.
Be positive.
Be creative.
Peace.
º|º|º
@Noflaps @Sweet-Child-In-Time I just don't understand why it was hard to answer that question straight forward, everyone knows if you leave ambiguity in a foreign policy question like that it's going to be misunderstood (probably intentional)- the question wasn't weird, the president isn't oblivious to rumors going around - his answer purposely fuels and stokes the rumors rather than quelling them.
It's the job of the president to be straight forward & clear in communication, any rational person would automatically just be like "What? Of course not" to the question. Not give some vague open ended answer that his supporters are like "4d chess bruh" and his detractors consider unnecessary generation of tension amongst allies and likely lies.
You know what really stuns me, is the clear statistics that the world at large, almost every country - has less confidence in the US and less trust with Trump at the helm, and ya'll don't see a problem with that.
@Sweet-Child-In-Time said in #35:
> Yeah. I made a lot of inaccuracies in the writing; but I hope the understanding was there. It is a very interesting thing.
>
> Results:
nypost.com/2025/01/12/us-news/denmark-offers-trump-security-concession-for-greenland-in-effort-to-appease-him-report/>
> So far.
This is exactly what I'm talking about.
If the US gets concessions out of this, ya'll think it's a good thing apparently. Cause we got something, good right?
What does it actually cost? The trust of our allies, who will immediately begin to start working to form alliances, and ties elsewhere - and reduce their vulnerability to our inconsistency.
What is Trump taking advantage of? 70+ years of an enormous amount of built up trust and good will between Europe and the US. And he's willing to trash it for some minor concessions.
@salmon_rushdie said in #23:
> Trump supporters so delusional they think countries would voluntarily join the US, when the repub party is literally the most poignant cautionary tale against it lmao
>
>
>
> Funny that the only countries that have confidence in him are quazi-dictatorships - except poland that just loves the US no matter what (and 51% approval from poland is low)
India has a far right authoritarian prime minister who's engaged in a campaign of dehumanising Muslims, so not surprising. Same thing for Israel. But wtf is wrong with Kenya and Philippines?
@HwCt said in #37:
> India has a far right authoritarian prime minister who's engaged in a campaign of dehumanising Muslims, so not surprising. Same thing for Israel. But wtf is wrong with Kenya and Philippines?
Phillippines had Duterte at that time.
Kenya is a very pro-US country, especially after/during Obama's term - the % that supported trump is 30% below the support of US, when usually that number is equal to one another with most presidents.
