I’ve never really wished to be normal, I often get confused by and fearful of those that express how normal they are and then start to say how different from their norm others that they hate are. The UK is really starting to have to consider the possibility that we could have a right wing Farage Reform government in place after the next general election cycle.
Those that vote for him like those that vote for Trump feel ignored by what is described as the establishment and will be offered electoral treats to endorse him and his policies so that they turn around and go, what the hell, why shouldn’t I vote for Farage and his right wing party. He has already boasted that no taxes will go to health care services or in other words will be making tax cuts at the expense of not having a National Health Service.
That will seriously impact on my health with life long medical condition such as diabetes and also a mental health condition that requires daily lifelong medication, I know I will be uninsurable or a waste of money to any health insurance scheme. A good health service is there to treat the ill not profit from them. We are learning the hard way in this country that the privatisation of utilities such as water and transport links on the rail result in poor services with ever increasing profits for share holders as things get worse. I would love to invest in shares of a ethical company that sees’ providing clean transport links and clean water to customers as a force for profitable good but sadly that’s just not the way it works in the UK.
My present political perspective is to try and vote for someone that will not make things shitter than what they already are which for a blue-sky thinker, dreamer kind of person is very disappointing.
It really is a taboo to talk about taxing the wealthy or super rich, let alone electing political officials that introduce such measures. Most people with millions and billions of pounds can not only afford to hire great minds and accountants to ensure they pay the bare minimum in taxes, they can also afford to fund political interests in both the left and right side of the mainstream political establishment to stand up and enforce a no tax policy for the super wealthy to such an extent that it is never mainstream enough political idea or policy that might be adopted by governments across the global mainstream of wealthy or developed economies and countries where such policies could truly save and enhance lives.
In the US wealth is good and talking about taxing wealth in some way makes you a communist ,which is just nonsense, but again the propaganda painted like dirty mud on a wall it sticks backed up by both mainstream republican and democrat parties.
In the UK the super wealthy people here are often landowners and royalty, asset owners and stripers but not really in the game of working or being out of work but like many with wealth very quick to judge those out of work or in low paid jobs. It is so taboo in the UK to say or even argue that the monarchy should pay its fair share of tax or live within the countries means and have money spent on it that the country can afford or even just pay for its own affairs AND be taxed too ā such views are heresy and taboo. Ā No knighthoods for the PM that advocates the downsizing of a royal budget. Its in the interest of the wealthy of the UK to see the defence of the monarchy and the money that is spent on maintaining it and not taxing it as sacrosanct because it also keeps in line the rest of the population with the illusion that no super wealthy people should be taxed of their wealth especially the royals and their chums.
Since Covid-19 the amount of money that has gone to the super rich and already wealthy has sky rocketed and they will do all they can to keep hold of said wealth even though they will do vary little with it accept have a few more digits on a bank account or two.
When money is given an opportunity to be earned or provided to those that are deemed working class, underclass or even middle class the vast majority of that finance will be ploughed back into the consumption economy which will be good for jobs and consumer spending and retailers. But when money just becomes digits in a bank account sitting generating interest for the super rich, it has no capacity to oil the wheels of an economy like it can seeing real finance in the hands of those that are able to directly spend said finance into a consumption economy.
The UK labour government are bending over backwards at present to please people that have no interest in being pleased by them. You have Trump taxing the globe for trade arguments and divisiveness generating dollars for a US government that is presently stopping many good products and services it delivers to its own citizens as well as those around the world as a huge experiment in how to screw things up that will likely go badly wrong. You have Labour in the UK rolling out Austerity 2.0 for those on benefits in the UK there is no plan 1.0 let alone 2.0 on how to modernise the monarchy or increase wealth generation from the rich in the UK, you can in no way provide for a society by piddling around at the edges of an already failing wealth maintaining system as is the UK. Those across the globe that increase their own wealth and fortune at the expense of the spending power of others often seem more like black holes absorbing and destroying other areas of the economy and sucking out the life of all in their way without replacing the taken away wealth with a a positive generated benefit at all.
This is not just a collection of theories but an unsustainable model of consumption and wealth generation. Just as economic drivers and wealth holders do not care for the wildlife and environment that sustains us all, that their wealth generation has destroyed, shock horror they also do not care about the people damaged and destroyed in the process of this pattern of wealth creation either. Hence tax the wealth before it destroys us all and there is then nothing left to be destroyed or taxed at all.
If governments are not their to save lives and enhance the way we live then what are we voting for at all, we don’t vote for slightly better terms or existence. We vote to be given an opportunity to be alive and thrive not just to survive or slowly be chipped away at or suddenly stolen from us until we die.
Trump is an isolationist at heart. There are many things which Trump does not, cannot or has no will to understand when it comes to his world view and he views others as being weak or insignificant, if they do not think and feel the same as him and his outward reaction to those who do not share in his world view is divisive and in the short, medium and long-term extremely damaging to the US, it’s allies and enemies alike. No good will come from Trumps actions and inaction as he seeks to impose his world view on all of us.
With great power comes great responsibility normally and Trump is not responsible to anything or anyone if anything he is a reckless bully or reckless bull in a china shop. His actions and lack of political accountability when signing of executive order after executive order is mind boggling. His overstepping of his executive power with the sacking of state employees, shutting down of government programs is done on a whim and not with any true political oversight judgment or accountability.
With Trump offering trade wars to break up years of stable trading relations and treaties with Canada for what appear to be petty reasoning’s in response to complex problems for the USA e.g. Trump wants Canada to become part of the USA to be used as a strategic asset and profit from this and is punishing Canada for not being part of the USA. Trump is only able to do a lot of the negative things that he is doing because his country the USA is the most powerful trading nation in the world and he is using that power as leverage. If the UK or any other nation in the world tried to do this they would be punished by others and time will see if the US will be punished and how.
His cruel turn on Canada a historic partner and ally is in complete opposition to his views on Russia ā Russia really does have an elusive hold over Trump. Not that any conspiracy theorists talk about it but I do wonder if Trumps first wife or current wife could be Russian sympathizers or even agents infiltrating Trumps inner circle and making him a bonified follow of Putin’s Russia as he really does love and respect Russiaās way of doing business and has an affection for Putin.
Itās not just Putin that Trump shows support for he likes and is attracted to the political perspective of authoritarian leaders across the globe and one most damagingly supporting is that of Netanyahu in Israel he does not force a peace deal on Israel and continues to offer them an open-ended offer of arms and a blank cheque to fight against those that wish for autonomy and self governance in Gaza. So he is a man of peace when it suits him in Ukraine but also a man of war when it suits him and the politicians he shows favor to and supports when seeking war in Gaza.
Just a final thoughts I am in no way mad at or wish to upset American citizens the reasons that brought people to vote and not vote for Trump are complex and diverse. I aim to respect and understand what drives people to resort to needing a leader like Trump to vote for whilst at the same time wholeheartedly hating and fearing what Trump is capable of, what he has already done and what he will do next he neither has a moral compass nor proven limits on his power yet.
Trump is very attracted to Putin’s style of political manoeuvrings and that suits Putin at present – he is also very much moving towards Putin while moving away from Zelensky. Russia will aim to play Trump and his cards for all he is worth until he is spent.
Pass me a cigarette darling
President Donald Trump has said Ukraine not Russia started the war. Heās called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy not Vladimir Putin a dictator. Meanwhile, Trumpās administration is standing down on a suite of tough anti-Kremlin policies.
In just over a month, Trump has executed a startling realignment of American foreign policy, effectively throwing U.S. support behind Moscow and rejecting the tight alliance with Kyiv cultivated by former President Joe Biden.
Trump may argue that by agreeing with Putin and disagreeing with Zelensky’s view of the war that he is in fact remaining neutral but that is just in my mind a convenient lie. Trump knows we must all have perspectives, truths, opinions and sides and all his point to being closely aligned with Putin.
He also implies that he sees Europe as a weak democratic collection of nations very much in the mould of what the USA was before he started trying to make it great again. Describing immigration as in some way diluting the purity of the soul of a society and not in any strengthening it or making it better.
Flows of citizens across the globe are historically natural processes and in no way should be seen as immoral or deviant. The greater the level of upheaval, uncertainty, war and famine that happen this century will result in a greater flow of people across the globe – an America first policy and cutting of aid to the world is short sighted and will only result in more people looking to escape to America to escape the hell created somewhere else on the globe due to Trumps foreign policy’s lack of initiatives or initiatives.
Trumps policies are a direct result of conservative me first view that there is not enough money to solve the worlds problems and so why bother trying to solve any of them. As a fascist capitalist he shows no signs of care or empathy for others wadding in with trade tariffs on other nations to profit from them and taking away foreign aid and assets from them as he has no interest in helping them either, thus increase a cycle of suffering which will lead to more fleeing desperate places and ending up on the doors and shores of the USA.
The scenes this week when Trump and his deputy showed their true colours to Zelensky when invited to the oval office was neither a surprise nor justified. They have no interest in the war and are most likely mildly amused by the idea of trying to make a considerable amount of money over carving out a peace deal that they see themselves as the only ones that can broker and make happen. Though countries pay a price for peace for sure – no leader has gone to the negotiation table quite like Trump before.
Would you like a slice Mr President, I hear it’s very good.
One thing I am also finding very interesting at present is the tone of different media sites, if you pay attention some will side with Trump (stop having those sites as a main source of information, if you dare as that’s just propaganda and disinformation for the wealthy and ruthless, some see it as being both Trumps fault as well as Zelensky which also makes me feel uncomfortable as they are just still trying to justify what Trump just did and continues to do it reminds me of a quote which is ‘Well, you can put lipstick on a hog and call it Monique, but it’s still a pig’.
Trumplet Pig getting ready for his next performance
I part of me thought the image above was too much but the fear of the depths of the potential of Trump is a true worry to me and should be to you too. Some news sites really have taken the situation as a serious and unprecedented attack by Trump, which is what it truly and sadly is with an explanation of this story from a news outlet, cannot always explain away the two sides to each argument theory when one such as Trump is being so manipulative of the truth and outspoken in order to try and get his own way and be seen to try and win an argument
Since Trumps election I have found it quite sickening concerning all of the billionaires queuing up to kiss at the hand of the newly crowned king of the USA. Not one of them has an issue with his morality, methods of salesmanship or political perspective, which says just as much about them as it does Trump.
Lest they forgot at the next election in the states their votes will be equal to and not greater that each and every other American citizen. Imagine a world where billionaires were outlawed and their finances confiscated for the greater good. As they don’t care for your vote or your ability to have a job now, why should you care for their ability to be billionaires either.
If Trump is so keen to raise money by excessive and self serving tariffs on the economic industries and places across the globe why not tax mega wealthy of their power and influence instead? In the next four years Trump should not and will not be judged just on how much money he makes or how much power he has – but on what he does with it and what is undone because of it.
Trump now reminds me of the depiction of Al Capone, an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1925 to 1931 as shown in the movie the The Untouchables a 1987 Film starring Robert De Niro (as Al Capone), Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia and Charles Martin Smith. It is written by David Mamet and directed by Brian De Palma.
Though in the clip below Al Capone is met with justice I sadly don’t think it likely at present to happen to Trump in his lifetime – Trump is likely to die of old age prior to meeting justice and we have another 4 years of his bullshit still to unravel the world and its workings prior to the end of his presidency.
The Untouchables Movie CLIP – Here Endeth the Lesson (1987)
Can Europe find what is at its heart as it tries to face Putin arsenal and negotiate away through Trump’s ego and attitude? The next four years of Trump being in power could be painful, worryingly unpredictable and unwrap over 80 years of global rules of law that brought stability in Europe in a way that damages all in the long run. Some might profit from this, whilst many will lose. Elections have resulted in people voting for change, whilst not knowing what that change will look like or more to the point what can be delivered or gotten away with. Change is constant and inevitable in life, you just hope to adapt or improved your present situation facing you.
This present modern phase of political problems and proposed solutions appears to be an age of populism where misinformation, impossible promises are made that cannot be delivered and then a blame game of blamingĀ āothersā for what is happening to you.
The wealthy that are now in the mainstream of political power in Russia and the US are no longer playing from the sidelines anymore but are out in the open seeking to deregulation business, destroy or ignore international trade and climate cooperation and treaties, whilst making it easier for them to make even more money and further line the pockets of oligarchs and multimillionaires across the globe, who or what will they profit from or take power away from when they are profiting from and take power away from the people you are their commodities and it is from what they do to you that they will profit. They will take your freedom, finances and rights of autonomy whilst blaiming others and if need be you for what they do to you!
Ā The European Unionās world view against Putin and itās need to try to advocate the defence of Ā Ukraine is because of a pivotal stand against aggression that threatens the very fabric of international law and European security. When considering both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in this context, the EU’s worldview encompasses concerns about authoritarianism, the undermining of democratic institutions, and the importance of solidarity among democratic nations and their citizens.
The EU perceives Putin’s actionsābeginning with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and escalating to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022āas blatant violations of a sovereign nation’s territorial integrity. This aggression is not just an assault on Ukraine but a challenge to the post-World War II international order that prohibits the forcible acquisition of territory.
Putin’s military endeavours are seen as a threat that extends beyond Ukraine’s borders, destabilizing the entire European continent. The EU fears that unchecked aggression could set a dangerous precedent, encouraging other nations to disregard international norms and territorial boundaries. For the EU, supporting Ukraine is synonymous with defending democracy, human rights, and the rule of law right on the edge of Europe. Ukraine also aspires to integrate more closely with Western institutions aligns with the EU’s vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace.
The EU has implemented comprehensive sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, provided humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine, and sought to isolate Russia diplomatically. These actions aim to pressure Russia to cease its aggression while supporting Ukraine’s defence and resilience. The US nwo looks to potentially reward Russia for it’s stance in creating new trade relations with Putin’s Russia and brining Russia in from the political cold by saying it’s war with Ukrain is not it’s fault and generating new business contracts with Russia benfiting Trump’s USA and Putin’s Russia and giving Russia a renewed voice and prestige on the global stage.
The EU’s stance is about more than just Ukraine or Russiaāit’s about affirming a commitment to a world order based on rules, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. By taking a firm position against Putin’s actions, the EU hopes to discourage similar aggression elsewhere and promote a stable international environment.
The situation also raises fascinating questions about the shifting dynamics of global power. How might this conflict influence relationships between other major players on the world stage, like China or the United States? And what could this mean for the future of international alliances and partnerships?
If Russia is seen as winning or having won vs Ukraine will this then embolden China to invade Taiwan, will Trump turn Gaza into a new hot piece of real-estate for the wealthy in the middle east and will trade wars be based on Trump’s might and not upon whether his actions are of those of someone who is in the right.
Quite frankly Trump does not like or approve of democratic niceties or the rule of law which is very much at the heart of what the European Union stands for. Having had two world wars start and bloody the soil of Europe, Europe has learned a considerable amount about the importance of emancipation and freedom from tyranny and the will and power to dominate over others in a way that perhaps Trumps US, has yet to learn and Putin’s Russia has been blind by a will for vengeance against the EU for alleged harm and transgressions done to it due to the defeat of the USSR.
This is a question that has been going around my head for a while now and I have just tried doing a little basic AI chat bot research around this question. But putting it simply it seems only possible to defend and risk then losing against Russia. There is no desire or possible or probable scenario for countries in eastern Europe to attack Russia first. They are simply too small against Russia and need to rely on partner organisations such as NATO in order to have a chance to survive.
Image by AnthonyĀ Beck
These countries are looking for self determination not to dethrone Putin’s Russia. Putin on the other hand is old school and has dreams and is motivated by the past glory days of the USSR and would happily gobble up as much of Europe as it could possibly get away with consuming and his imagination and desires and ambition have no limits.
So how many soldiers does Russia have compared to eastern European countries he wishes to dominate?
Estimating the exact number of soldiers in Russia and the Eastern European countries it opposes can be challenging due to fluctuations in military personnel and the sensitivity of defense information. However, as of my knowledge cutoff in October 2023, I can provide approximate figures to offer a comparative perspective.
Russia’s Military Personnel
Active Duty Personnel: Approximately 1 million soldiers.
Reservists: Around 2 million reservists who can be mobilized if needed.
Russia maintains one of the largest military forces in the world, with significant investments in modernization and strategic capabilities, including nuclear arms.
Eastern European Countries
Let’s consider some Eastern European countries that have historically been concerned about Russia’s military posture. Many of these nations are members of NATO, which influences their defense strategies.
Poland
Active Duty Personnel: About 120,000 soldiers.
Reservists: Approximately 75,000.
Notable Aspects: Poland has been increasing its defense budget and modernizing its military equipment in response to regional tensions.
Ukraine
Active Duty Personnel: Roughly 250,000 soldiers.
Reservists and Paramilitary Forces: Over 400,000.
Context: Due to the ongoing conflict with Russia since 2014, Ukraine has significantly expanded and reformed its military forces.
Baltic States
Estonia
Active Duty Personnel: Around 7,000 soldiers.
Reservists (Defense League): Approximately 15,000.
Latvia
Active Duty Personnel: About 6,500 soldiers.
Reservists (National Guard): Approximately 8,000.
Lithuania
Active Duty Personnel: Around 20,000 soldiers.
Reservists (Riflemenās Union): Approximately 12,000.
Notable Aspects: The Baltic states focus on rapid mobilization and territorial defense, with strong support from NATO forces deployed in the region.
Romania
Active Duty Personnel: Approximately 70,000 soldiers.
Reservists: Around 50,000.
Notable Aspects: Romania emphasizes modernization of its forces and hosts elements of NATO’s missile defense system.
Bulgaria
Active Duty Personnel: About 30,000 soldiers.
Reservists: Approximately 300,000 (though not all are actively trained).
Notable Aspects: Bulgaria is modernizing its military but faces budgetary constraints.
Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic
Combined Active Duty Personnel: Each has around 20,000 to 25,000 soldiers.
Notable Aspects: These countries contribute to NATO missions and focus on niche capabilities within the alliance.
Collective Comparison
Total Active Duty Personnel of Mentioned Eastern European Countries: Approximately 500,000 soldiers.
Russia’s Active Duty Personnel: Approximately 1 million soldiers.
While individually these countries have smaller forces compared to Russia, their membership in NATO plays a crucial role. NATO’s collective defense principle means that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, effectively amplifying their defensive capabilities through the support of other powerful member nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
Additional Considerations
Quality vs. Quantity: Military effectiveness isn’t solely about troop numbers. Training, equipment, technology, logistics, and morale are critical factors.
Modern Warfare: Cyber capabilities, intelligence, special forces, and precision weapons significantly impact military strength.
Economic Factors: Defense budgets influence the ability to maintain and modernize forces. Russia’s economy faces challenges due to sanctions and fluctuating energy prices.
NATO Presence: Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroups are deployed in Eastern Europe, providing deterrence and rapid response capabilities.
Final Thoughts
The military balance in Eastern Europe is complex and influenced by historical, political, and strategic factors. While Russia has a larger standing army, the collective defence mechanisms and modern capabilities of Eastern European countries and their NATO allies play a significant role in regional security dynamics.
The United Statesā steadfast allegiance to Ukraine during that countryās three-year war against Russia appears to be rapidly eroding under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump on Feb. 19, 2025, referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as āa dictatorā and inaccurately blamed him for the conflict that Russia instigated as part of a land grab in the border regions of the two countries.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said on Feb. 19 that Trump is trapped in Russian President Vladimir Putinās ādisinformation space.ā
Earlier this week, the US president claimed America had given Ukraine at least $200bn (Ā£158bn) more than Europe has since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.
Mr Trump said: “I think Europe has given $100bn (Ā£79n)… and we’ve given, let’s say, $300bn (Ā£237bn) plus.”
There are a number of figures available for the amount of money being given to Ukraine by different countries.
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy’s Ukraine Support Tracker shows that countries in Europe have allocated a total of ā¬132bn (Ā£109bn or $139bn) in help for Ukraine.
The tracker shows the US has allocated around ā¬114bn (Ā£95bn or $120bn).
There is also a debate about how much money countries say they have given to Ukraine has actually gone to the country itself.
According to The Washington Post, some of the money given by Washington includes sending money through “drawdowns” from US weapon stockpiles and money to pay US-based defence contractors for equipment.
One thing that has fuelled the fires of anti Ukrainian sentiment by both those on the left and right is the belief that the whole war is a money making scam – the sovereignty of the nation of Ukraine does not matter in this argument and their ability to self determination also unimportant, the more I think about it this perspective is very much one pushed by Putin onto the west and lapped up by President Trump and conspiracy theorists arguing the toss about money spent rather than a democratic right and mandate to defend and have ones own land.
Land, liberty, and the pursuit of happinessāthose once beautiful values all democracies believed in and aspired to. Such views, though claimed by the right to be at the heart of their ideals, are no longer really recognized, sadly, by Trump’s America or by other rising stars of the right across the globe.
When the Brazilian president offered a chainsaw as a gift to Elon Musk, it carried deeply troubling connotations for me: this was a gift from a country that is razing one of the lungs of the Earth, the Brazilian rainforest, and the president of Brazil presents Musk with the very symbol of what is being used to destroy his own country’s rainforests – it feels like a flagrant display of right-wing fascism, tasteless and defiant, a blatant middle finger to the world under the banner of hate, cuts, and a conqueror’s philosophy.
With the climate breakdown and global warming, there were those that believed that the breakdown of social norms and an increase in wars would occur as the planet warmed and climate change impacted our lives, but I had underestimated and underfeared the true nature of the changes now occurring right in front of our eyes. I knew there would be wars, but I thought they would be over mineral deposits in Africa or oil in the middle east and not economic wars over the sovereignty of whole nations in what was once seen as relatively stable or growing democracies such as Ukraine or even well established democracies such as Canada are not safe against Trumps trade wars. Sadly know where is safe anymore; it’s mental, really, what is happening.
How effective a negotiator can President Trump be if he is overly sensitive and interprets diplomatic positions and perspectives as personal attacks? He is unable and unwilling to concede in a war of words where everyone recognizes he is factually incorrect. Labeling Zelensky a dictator is an insult directed at the wrong leader. Putin is the true dictator, yet Trump seems to enjoy the flattery he receives from Russian diplomats and from Putin himself. Trump the new over arching monarch/leader of what was the so called free world has the diplomatic skills of a small child
I remember when Putin decided to invade the sovereign state of Ukraine, not just trying to annex part of Ukraine like a slice of cake, but to gobble up the whole country for himself. It is only through the blood, sweat, tears, and lives of the Ukrainian people that the overthrow of this nation has, so far, been prevented. Trump is not prepared to verbally acknowledge this, as it does not suit his self-serving ego.
Trump acts like a bull in a china shop as he charges into Ukrainian negotiations, asserting to Zelensky that the invasion is Ukraineās fault while demanding resources from Ukraine, and then lamenting when not provided with the sweet treat assets he seeks in what he calls a peace dealāor more accurately, a demand to end a war. His so-called effective deal-making comes off as hollow, childlike, offensively presented, and poorly timed.
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