Donald Trump reminds me of General Ripper in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr Strangelove.’ Ripper issues a ‘no recall’ order to the nuclear Boeing B52 bombers under his command at Burpleston Airbase in South Carolina to attack the Russian Nuclear Doomsday machine in Siberia. If attacked the Doomsday machine is wired to unleash 500 nuclear missiles on America, thus ensuring the end of the world. With Burpleston sealed off at Ripper’s orders from any interference from Congress or the Presidency, the crazed base commander, cigar in mouth, whisky in hand, settles down on his sofa and, with a friendly arm around Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellars) on secondment from the RAF, explains to him how Communist inspired fluoridation is destroying the sperm of American men and why it is essential to destroy Russia.
Is Donald Trump the 21st century’s General Ripper? On Friday he stood in front of a Boeing Dreamliner at the company’s factory in South Carolina, and announced a massive re-arming of America’s armed forces. He did not specify exactly why American was re-arming, or what enemy he had in mind, but, he declared, the manufacture of armaments, including presumably nuclear weapons, was a good thing if it gave people jobs.
Trump is a salesman and keeps his message simple. Up to now his prescription for America’s ills does not vary. Indeed his speeches are like a doctor’s prescription written in the air by his right thumb and forefinger.
Frequent dosing is everything.
Rx ‘America First, I promise you, believe me’
Repeat as required.
Signe (sic) Dr Donald.
Will these weapons have any use?
Today the nuclear powered aircraft carrier ‘Carl Vinson’ sailed for the South China Seas and the Spratly Islands dispute. It was last in the South China sea two years ago. (Reported by BBC Fake News 19.2.17)
C H Ingolby is right, Clinton was the war candidate, she would have left the State Dept. and CIA pot stirrers in place, unmolested, while she concentrated on selling the office of President.
Regarding the “9-dash line” enclosing the South China Sea that China claims as it’s own sovereign and indisputable territory: The claim is absurd and has already been ruled against in international arbitration, many legal scholars (outside of China of course) have declared it baseless under the UNCLOS. The Chinese have rejected these rejections and insist upon their right to control this area, which extends far from China to the very coastlines of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. They have guaranteed freedom of navigation for merchant vessels but have reserved the right to deny the area to foreign warships, this will never be accepted by the US. Thus the USS Carl Vinson is to journey through the area doubtless lingering and conducting military exercises. A sensitive situation, no doubt, but one in which China is plainly in the wrong. They could attack the Vinson, that would trigger a huge reaction which, in my opinion at least, could very quickly escalate to the use of theater nuclear weapons, leading perhaps to an all out exchange of ICBMs. In this scenario the US would be badly hurt but China would cease to exist. You would think that such consequences would cool things down but the Chinese, though wonderful people, have a national characteristic that causes some concern; they are subject to personal and political pique. If you were fighting a Chinaman on a cliff edge and beating him, rather than give up he may wrap his arms around you and jump. That and the fact that the Chinese military are itching for a fight, particularly with the “Guailos”, makes for a very dangerous situation.
When you already have the military power to destroy the entire world 100 times over, how can you ‘re-arm’?
Chinese “Oh very good, the Americans have sent huge aircraft carrier to disputed territorial waters so one of us may make a mistake one day and start shooting at each other……feel much safer now.”
What a very insecure person you are: The US Navy has a “Home Port” in Yokosuka, Japan where at least one CVN and associated battle group are permanently stationed.
incidentally you really need a competent proof reader, the vessel whose picture you display is the USS Carl Vinson, not the Karl Vincent or the Carl Vincent!
More later but I am very busy working at the moment.
Perhaps the Chinese should now be careful to not make a mistake! Perhaps they made a mistake militarizing a disputed area. Perhaps they need to be careful about starting the shooting. And perhaps they should pull their heads in!
Clinton was the war candidate. Trump is the peace candidate. People don’t understand that because of the optics. Everyone automatically thinks the bombastic man is going to be a warmonger but in foreign affairs he is the one who has consistently called for caution in foreign interventions and war whereas Clinton was the one who consistently pushed for confrontation and intervention.