3 ms·

As much as I hate trump, as a foreigner I fail to see how the US could look weaker than right now. Admiration is a different thing from respect. I might have

As much as I hate trump, as a foreigner I fail to see how the US could look weaker than right now. Admiration is a different thing from respect. I might have thought bullies were ridiculous specimens of the human race, and yet, I never dared to cross them. edit: typo

oblio 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_... You were saying? :-)
- elzbardico 5y ago
  Having the largest military is useless if high command is shit.
  - oblio 5y ago
    Bold assumption that the other big militaries have top notch high commands.
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  I think he was comparing the US today to the US in the recent past. Given the humiliating failure in Afghanistan as well as political instability at home, I don't think it's an unfair statement.
- gampleman 5y ago
  Before the start of WW2, the US army was smaller than the army of Portugal, ranked #19 in the world. This was probably part of the reason Hitler foolishly declared war on the US. Of course, what was perhaps somewhat surprising at the time was the US ability to massively and quickly expand that military force under a generally still prosperous wartime economy. Just saying... :-)
  - frockington1 5y ago
    Hitler and Hideki both thought the US population would immediately roll over under pressure. Even then, I still don't understand the logic in adding the US as an adversary, land mass alone would make it near impossible to physically conquer.
nebula8804 5y ago
I don't fully believe that. First of all we need to differentiate 2024 with the present day. In regards to the present day, despite all the setbacks and the government basically being paralyzed, the US is still moving forward in key technologies and areas of improvement faster than any other western power. Our only real competition is China in many regards and even then they have many pitfalls that could slow them down (instability in the govt, incoming demographic issues). The worry with someone like Trump getting elected is that he will actively go backwards and thats a problem. Its bad enough that he increases tension within the population. If he actually delivered meaningful progress then I think there would be some argument to have him back. But he actively moves backwards on critical issues that we need to move forward on if we are to compete with China. The worst that typically happens with Democrats is that the country stands still which is not great but thats the low bar we have had for decades now. It is entirely possible that a charismatic outsider can come along and provide some tiny semblance of progress like the Obama years. That is the best case scenario for 2024.

oblio 5y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_... You were saying? :-)

elzbardico 5y ago
Having the largest military is useless if high command is shit.
- oblio 5y ago
  Bold assumption that the other big militaries have top notch high commands.
AussieWog93 5y ago
I think he was comparing the US today to the US in the recent past. Given the humiliating failure in Afghanistan as well as political instability at home, I don't think it's an unfair statement.
gampleman 5y ago
Before the start of WW2, the US army was smaller than the army of Portugal, ranked #19 in the world. This was probably part of the reason Hitler foolishly declared war on the US. Of course, what was perhaps somewhat surprising at the time was the US ability to massively and quickly expand that military force under a generally still prosperous wartime economy. Just saying... :-)
- frockington1 5y ago
  Hitler and Hideki both thought the US population would immediately roll over under pressure. Even then, I still don't understand the logic in adding the US as an adversary, land mass alone would make it near impossible to physically conquer.

nebula8804 5y ago

I don't fully believe that. First of all we need to differentiate 2024 with the present day. In regards to the present day, despite all the setbacks and the government basically being paralyzed, the US is still moving forward in key technologies and areas of improvement faster than any other western power. Our only real competition is China in many regards and even then they have many pitfalls that could slow them down (instability in the govt, incoming demographic issues). The worry with someone like Trump getting elected is that he will actively go backwards and thats a problem. Its bad enough that he increases tension within the population. If he actually delivered meaningful progress then I think there would be some argument to have him back. But he actively moves backwards on critical issues that we need to move forward on if we are to compete with China. The worst that typically happens with Democrats is that the country stands still which is not great but thats the low bar we have had for decades now. It is entirely possible that a charismatic outsider can come along and provide some tiny semblance of progress like the Obama years. That is the best case scenario for 2024.