Hard Power and Soft Power

[robav8r]

Except time and again, this proves to be worthless. As soon as we want to wean a country off of US funding, they turn on us.

The business model where someone gives a customer a good deal so that they become loyal and tell all their friends about it is a uniquely American concept.

There is a blood letting underway. Many will find the process, and the results, unpalatable. In the end (2 to 6 years from now), there will hopefully be a rational discussion about bring the pendulum closer to center. Ultimately, for me at least, more people will end up paying attention to the workings of our government and how our tax dollars are collected and disbursed. Not 100% hopeful, but one can hope, right?

 

[number9]

Nope, taxes don’t add to the deficit. Spending adds to the deficit. Tax money that gets to stay in hard working American’s pockets never belonged to the government. Another fallacy

Spending doesn't add to the deficit, deficit spending adds to the deficit.

If you think that these tax cuts are going to pay for themselves, you are wrong.

 

[Yardstick]

It’s nice to have a leader who actually stands up for America. Beautiful thing seeing Zelenskyy kicked out of the White House for disrespecting the very country that is responsible for Ukraine’s resistance. Hopefully he’ll get the hint and apologize or he better pray that Europe gets their act together. America’s back finally

 

[Max Q]

It’s nice to have a leader who actually stands up for America. Beautiful thing seeing Zelenskyy kicked out of the White House for disrespecting the very country that is responsible for Ukraine’s resistance. Hopefully he’ll get the hint and apologize or he better pray that Europe gets their act together. America’s back finally

Be careful glazing him so hard, you might bruise your throat.
Nothing says support like a Wiki article about withholding support

 

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

It’s nice to have a leader who actually stands up for America. Beautiful thing seeing Zelenskyy kicked out of the White House for disrespecting the very country that is responsible for Ukraine’s resistance. Hopefully he’ll get the hint and apologize or he better pray that Europe gets their act together. America’s back finally

Guys who idolize politicians are the same ones who think strippers like them

 

[Griz882]

I think Trump acted horribly and, quite frankly, once opened a door to peace and a bit of stability only to slam it shut in his own face. This is the part he doesn’t understand - ending the war justly would be great, but ending it with vengeance because someone wasn’t nice to him is pathetic. I would like to see him succeed in this, but today he looks like an idiot.

 

[wink]

No, not when we're $37T in debt. There's lots of shit that could, and should be, in "Americas interest" but not at the expense of a debt burden that prevents us from addressing the strategic issues affecting us here at home.

While it may seem silly to you, it was probably a relatively low cost to the US to develop some public favorable opinion in India.

A a matter of return on investment the money spent on the program in question could have been spent on other programs far and away more likely to develop favorable opinion of the US in India. This wasn't bags of rice arriving in a refugee camp with the caption " gift of the American people" printed on it. It is almost certain this funding was transparent to the Indian public. Also, consider Indian culture and society. Pretty sure funding trans programs is not on even radar of most Indians. Soft power is vitally important and That is why every dollar spent should deliver maximum return. Setting aside the actual subject of the program, funding it was a very poor investment. I think that is probably true of other USAID grants come to light. Ignore the outrage. Just consider how that money will influence the public or decision makers to benefit the USA.

 

[Griz882]

Setting aside Trump for a moment, I started a while back in this conversation stating that USAID was a faulty and ill used organization. Let’s be frank, it is the CIA’s “soft power” agency and not in a good way. I can understand slipping in an agent or two with a USAID program to gather intel and such, but over the past several years the focused to what helps the CIA as opposed to what helps the U.S. I am assuming that many of the food and medical programs will return under State Department control (where they belong). I also think the OTI and NED need a rework so shadow money can’t be used (or abused) in the manner it was up until recently.

 

[number9]

It’s nice to have a leader who actually stands up for America. Beautiful thing seeing Zelenskyy kicked out of the White House for disrespecting the very country that is responsible for Ukraine’s resistance. Hopefully he’ll get the hint and apologize or he better pray that Europe gets their act together. America’s back finally

I thought President Trump had a plan to end the war in 24 hours?

 

[JTS11]

Our soft power just got formally knee-capped today IMO.

 

[Max Q]

Our soft power just got formally knee-capped today IMO.

More like Old Yeller’d

 

[JTS11]

Watched a man's soul leave his body in real time today.

 

[Brett327]

Nope, taxes don’t add to the deficit.

Cutting taxes for FY26 reduces revenue in FY26, which adds the deficit in FY26, and the national debt overall..

 

[Max Q]

this whole making ourselves look like incompetent assholes while halting soft power projections and shitcanning a very good CNO doesn’t really bode well for an aquatic entanglement in 2027

 

[Yardstick]

this whole making ourselves look like incompetent assholes while halting soft power projections and shitcanning a very good CNO doesn’t really bode well for an aquatic entanglement in 2027

I think the US/navy looked fairly incompetent after the Gettysburg shot down one of our own rhinos and the Truman ran into another ship 🤷🏻‍♂️