Republicans

[JimC]

Perhaps the best option, though anathema to the hairy-chested self image of the US, is to withdraw, to become isolationist...

The USA cannot possibly become isolationist. It has way too many fingers in way too many foreign pies.

It is probably unlikely, but that does not mean impossible. It would, of course, still have major economic and diplomatic influence,; I was mainly meaning a partial military withdrawal from regions where it is trying to juggle too many balls. Quite a significant portion of both the American right and left would agree with me, I suspect, although from rather different motives...

[pErvinalia]

I would never advocate a pre-emptive nuclear strike, and hopefully even Trump would not consider one.

Im not confident in that hope..

[Svartalf]

A conventional war between N and S Korea could easily be triggered. Trump ordered bombings during dessert in Florida. Bombing N Korea missile facility would start a war.

For all we know kim could order Seoul levelled over a tiff with his hairdresser

[Svartalf]

Perhaps the best option, though anathema to the hairy-chested self image of the US, is to withdraw, to become isolationist...

The USA cannot possibly become isolationist. It has way too many fingers in way too many foreign pies.

Hold Frump's beer and watch him do it

[Hermit]

Perhaps the best option, though anathema to the hairy-chested self image of the US, is to withdraw, to become isolationist...

The USA cannot possibly become isolationist. It has way too many fingers in way too many foreign pies.

It is probably unlikely, but that does not mean impossible.

It's categorically impossible as long as the US companies rely on overseas markets - that is both buying and selling - to the extent they do at the moment. The US military budget is greater than those of the next eight nations combined precisely because the economic stakes of US based companies in foreign lands require such backup whenever negotiations alone don't reach a desired outcome to their bottom lines.

[Hermit]

Perhaps the best option, though anathema to the hairy-chested self image of the US, is to withdraw, to become isolationist...

The USA cannot possibly become isolationist. It has way too many fingers in way too many foreign pies.

Hold Frump's beer and watch him do it

People have been holding his beer for quite some time now to enable him to build that wall, tear down the ACA, and so forth. At any rate, the moment Trump ever gets anywhere near becoming a liability to the profitability of the big US companies you'll see his impeachment faster than you can say "Pence".

[Svartalf]

Well, my bet is that he'll be a one term president, even if he doesn't get impeached... or his voters are even more moronic than I expect, because, as of now, he's been one of the least effective presidents ever for one who claimed he was going to do so much...

and he's going to do some bad stuff on foreign trade, trying to skew free trade in favor of American businesses without taking into account that if he goes tit, there will be a tat from abroad.

[Scot Dutchy]

Nothing surprises me anymore in America. The fact the cunt is still there is amazing. If he gets re-elected would be less amazing. Democracy does not and has never has existed in the country. Corruption is the game.

[Svartalf]

sure, but when you fail to grease the voters' palms the way you promised, you can't expect them to vote for you again, even the little people need to be mollified.

[Sean Hayden]

what is that case, by the way?

NK has proven incapable of following the terms laid out by the international community which were developed to secure the safety of its people and the stability of the region...

...we gave'em this, and that, and by golly, they still haven't got their shit together... amiright?

I don't know about you but I don't see that as a case for starting a war which would likely result in hundreds of thousands dying.

Nobody's going to ask us.

[Brian Peacock]

Perhaps the best option, though anathema to the hairy-chested self image of the US, is to withdraw, to become isolationist...

The USA cannot possibly become isolationist. It has way too many fingers in way too many foreign pies.

It is probably unlikely, but that does not mean impossible.

It's categorically impossible as long as the US companies rely on overseas markets - that is both buying and selling - to the extent they do at the moment. The US military budget is greater than those of the next eight nations combined precisely because the economic stakes of US based companies in foreign lands require such backup whenever negotiations alone don't reach a desired outcome to their bottom lines.

It's also impossible while international oil transactions are done in US dollars. Now, if they were done in UK pounds we really could 'Make Great Britain Great Again'.

[pErvinalia]

Greater Britain!

[Scot Dutchy]

Dont worry the Euro will take over. It is impossible to find an unbiased report though. For some American economists the Euro is still in crisis.

[Svartalf]

or the YUan... China virtually owns Europe...

[Scot Dutchy]

Whatever but I do see the Dollar being moved from its perch.