Thank you Daniel. So many MSM followers are doing their nuts right now yet, as you clearly describe, President Trump seeks peace, not the continuation of an unwinnable war. Yes, that will require Russia retaining some former-Ukrainian territory (my understanding is that the majority of the people of Luhansk and Donetsk want to be part of Russia anyway) and warranties that neither NATO nor EU will ever pursue “New Ukraine” for membership.
I’d just like to add that I was particularly moved by your paragraph starting “But a morality that avoids reality is no morality at all”. I’d call that a Golden Paragraph. Thanks again.
Thanks very much Martyn, I’m glad you liked it. MSM is of course obscene. They put politeness above human life. Trump and Vance do not. Trump is Trump, and Vance has added an extra layer of working class common sense that cuts straight through bullshit and sanctimony. The people whining about how disgraceful the meeting was don’t whine about how disgraceful hundreds of thousands of deaths are.
Well said Martyn - we have radio 4 on last thing - God knows why - and they were reporting about the meeting along the lines of 'Trump argues with Zelensky and now we are going to ask lots of people, most of whom hate Trump, to comment about how lacking in decorum it was'. I was shouting at the radio - 'why don't you talk about the fact that Trump is trying to achieve peace and find a better way forward which does not invole two nuclear armed states being forever entangled in a game of one-upmanship and why don't you talk about the fact that the current trajectory has no good ending' Then I turned the radio off and spent the next 10 minutes ranting about how utterly evil MSM is.
Thanks Patricia - I share your pain! I have just had the misfortune to hear The News Quiz in which several unfunny left-wing “comedians” exchange puerile insults about President Trump. I wish they could go head-to-head with Daniel!
Yes I wish that too. I am just grateful that my family see things the way I do. My daughter called in earlier and said she has become so exasperated by her friends cult like behaviour including their 'virtuous' Trump hatred that she is now desperate to find new friends. Her husband usually upsets them by loudly stating 'I love Trump' which makes them recoil in disgust lol
We dumped our TV decades ago but the radio is our alarm. R4 works really well for making me get out of bed cos within minutes I become sufficiently annoyed that I am wide awake and up. We have been putting it on last thing at night too just to keep up to date with the propaganda but that also makes me annoyed.
Very well, and acurately, said. Vance is growing on me and it's because I too would rather see practical action than hear some lie designed to make me feel good. As more people see what we see, less will fall for platitudes.
I’ll never forget The Comedian campaigned against Trump in Pennsylvania, and now he has the nerve to waltz into the Oval Office telling us what to think and do. I heard yesterday that he made an agreement with Rubio just prior to the event which he then reneged on during the meeting. Just look at Rubio while Vance and Trump lay down the law. The Ukrainian people are being ill-served by this tinpot dictator. Pull his passport and tell him to go fuck himself…
There’s no way they would have gone to a meeting in front of the media without agreement on what was said beforehand. I think that’s part of why Trump and Vance responded so firmly-Zelenskky broke whatever deal they had and then insulted them by questioning them and trying to renegotiate it in front of the media.
This was beautifully stated: Zelenskyy is the crooked fight manager who won’t throw in the towel, and Trump and Vance look at the face of the fighter and know he’s had enough. I’ve no doubt that if the Ukrainian populace were asked, especially the ones on the frontline, if they would accept the new borders as the cost of peace, they would now take that deal.
I wish I were still teaching world politics because I would use this column to explain realism vs. idealism and why realism is usually more moral than idealism.
Since Trump 1.0 I have said to every TDS sufferer I've met that Trump ends wars, not starts them, and for that alone I will always be a supporter. What is wrong with people???!!!
Spot on. The UK media is so full of indignation. How rude they were to Zelensky, it was a set up, a trap. No it wasn't you fucking idiots it was the truth spelt out in front of our eyes. Something we very rarely get from politicians let alone between politicians.
Yep, it’s weird that wars are supposed to be decided now on the basis of ‘oh how rude’. Like a few hundred thousands deaths should rest on which fork you use at dinner. It’s that ludicrous.
Another perfect analysis from you, Daniel! As a Vietnam Veteran, I can look back at my time defending the lives of the people of the RVN and ask, "Why did we throw that all away?" There should have been a clear winner long before Robert McNamara convinced LBJ that the "body count" of 15/1 was in our favor, and let the war go on for another decade.
Wow, a brilliant piece. So different from the headlines in all the papers this morning. I wonder how Slimy Starmer would feel if his son was sent to Ukraine. Many warmongers are willing to sacrifice other peoples sons and daughters - never their own.
On the subject of Starmer and Trump, I'm curious as to why Trump switched horses mid-stream wrt Chagos, resulting in a very convenient boost to Starmer's fortunes in the eyes of the public. There was probably method in his "madness" but it was very disappointing.
however, why do you say only the Russians would resort to nukes if a future world war 3 didn't go their way? I suspect the liberal West would be the first to resort to that sort of thing.
this is so well said an article that i'm even toying with sending it to people who still believe everything the bbc tell them and are convinced Putin is Hitler and Trump is Hitler. Amusingly, the beeb have struggled in their reporting because Elon Wasn't There so they now absolutely hate Vance (who is also Hitler).
you are right about Trump - he clearly believes war and killing is the wrong way to go about things and that sort of makes him the Churchillian one doesn't it?
Churchill went against the failed and immoral consensus and Establishment line of his day, Trump does the same. Then, the consensus was to avoid war even when that is immoral. Today, the consensus is to continue war even when that is immoral. So oddly by pursuing peace against the consensus, yes, Trump is only one acting like a Churchill.
Weak men don't accept reality when their very existence depends on avoiding it. It was a performance on Zelensky’s part. An act of self-preservation. He ran and was elected on the platform of peace with Russia. But once in the office, he discovered that Ukrainian nationalists would kill him for pursuing peace while war will keep him in the office and in the money. And what a limelight! Now that the game is ending, he needs an exit. Today’s performance will allow him to "honorably" step down for the “good of the country” while maintaining his patriotic credentials. He’s a good actor; I give him that. Sadly, it's not clear who in Ukrainian elite has the courage to make peace.
That’s a very interesting take and you may well be right. You’re definitely right about the actor and performance bit. It’s a great explanation if this was an exit strategy. It’s as likely, though, that it was an attempt to force greater US spending and security assurances that blew up in his face.
It seems those who would continue the Ukraine war are those who never fought a war themselves. I am against war except as the last alternative after every other solution has failed, as I've seen what war does to people and I don't wish that on my worst enemy. If Zelenskyy doesn't come to the table, replace him. There has to be some group in Ukraine who care for their countrymen more than they care for the machismo optics this stooge midget Zelenskyy exhibits.
Every time our President/Vice President get involved in foreign affairs I'm more and more proud of them. Zelenskyy argued with DJT and USMC Corporal Vance and found out.
Yes, and it’s especially obscene when armchair warmongers demand war on high supposedly moral grounds that have nothing to do with their own country and their own citizens. You’re right to be proud of Vance and Trump. 👍
Hey Jack.....awesome service you also had...thank you....one Group … BLT 2/5 Danang, and later, Chu Lai....Spec Ops Operation :Tiger Thrust (RLT 9) Then Hue-Phu Bai
Well said Jack. Imagine what the majority count of the Unofficial "Legion of American Veterans" is, -- also proud of Vance and Trump. This 5 year combat Veteran of Vietnam is. Thank you!
Another reflective take on a current problem. I notice with alarm and sudden comprehensive your paragraph near the end in which you state that the EU is pressuring Ukraine to take a particular demographic of worker in to make up for the loss of native manpower. A lot became clear to me in that moment. American presence there extracting the minerals would put the kybosh on that plan.
Thank you Daniel. So many MSM followers are doing their nuts right now yet, as you clearly describe, President Trump seeks peace, not the continuation of an unwinnable war. Yes, that will require Russia retaining some former-Ukrainian territory (my understanding is that the majority of the people of Luhansk and Donetsk want to be part of Russia anyway) and warranties that neither NATO nor EU will ever pursue “New Ukraine” for membership.
I’d just like to add that I was particularly moved by your paragraph starting “But a morality that avoids reality is no morality at all”. I’d call that a Golden Paragraph. Thanks again.
Thanks very much Martyn, I’m glad you liked it. MSM is of course obscene. They put politeness above human life. Trump and Vance do not. Trump is Trump, and Vance has added an extra layer of working class common sense that cuts straight through bullshit and sanctimony. The people whining about how disgraceful the meeting was don’t whine about how disgraceful hundreds of thousands of deaths are.
Follow Dan Hodges on Twitter. Trump seems to have lobotimised him
Hilariously deranged
Well said Martyn - we have radio 4 on last thing - God knows why - and they were reporting about the meeting along the lines of 'Trump argues with Zelensky and now we are going to ask lots of people, most of whom hate Trump, to comment about how lacking in decorum it was'. I was shouting at the radio - 'why don't you talk about the fact that Trump is trying to achieve peace and find a better way forward which does not invole two nuclear armed states being forever entangled in a game of one-upmanship and why don't you talk about the fact that the current trajectory has no good ending' Then I turned the radio off and spent the next 10 minutes ranting about how utterly evil MSM is.
Thanks Patricia - I share your pain! I have just had the misfortune to hear The News Quiz in which several unfunny left-wing “comedians” exchange puerile insults about President Trump. I wish they could go head-to-head with Daniel!
Yes I wish that too. I am just grateful that my family see things the way I do. My daughter called in earlier and said she has become so exasperated by her friends cult like behaviour including their 'virtuous' Trump hatred that she is now desperate to find new friends. Her husband usually upsets them by loudly stating 'I love Trump' which makes them recoil in disgust lol
Sounds like a great family Patricia, you must be justifiably proud. 😀😀
Thanks Daniel - definitely relieved and yes proud
We junked our TV 20 years ago. Only BBC fare we partake in is R3 and R5+ Extra for sport.
If I visit Today, it is to remind me why I don't. Always works.
Boomer, I grew up with the BBC. Became a regular Woman's Hour listener as Mum always had it on.
That stopped when Jenni Murray chang
...changed it to Transgender Hour.
Sigh
( two posts as my huge and clumsy fingers struggle with a phone keyboard)
Well even I used to listen to R4. A long time ago.
We dumped our TV decades ago but the radio is our alarm. R4 works really well for making me get out of bed cos within minutes I become sufficiently annoyed that I am wide awake and up. We have been putting it on last thing at night too just to keep up to date with the propaganda but that also makes me annoyed.
What an epic read. I think you are inside Trump's head. Perfectly summing up his position.
Cheers John. 😀😀
Very well, and acurately, said. Vance is growing on me and it's because I too would rather see practical action than hear some lie designed to make me feel good. As more people see what we see, less will fall for platitudes.
Thanks Kay, yes me too. He’s been superb so far and I wasn’t sure given his Thiel connections.
I’ll never forget The Comedian campaigned against Trump in Pennsylvania, and now he has the nerve to waltz into the Oval Office telling us what to think and do. I heard yesterday that he made an agreement with Rubio just prior to the event which he then reneged on during the meeting. Just look at Rubio while Vance and Trump lay down the law. The Ukrainian people are being ill-served by this tinpot dictator. Pull his passport and tell him to go fuck himself…
There’s no way they would have gone to a meeting in front of the media without agreement on what was said beforehand. I think that’s part of why Trump and Vance responded so firmly-Zelenskky broke whatever deal they had and then insulted them by questioning them and trying to renegotiate it in front of the media.
People are saying we “ambushed” The Comedian. I think that is far from the truth…
Rubio looked really pissed in that meeting... now I understand why.
I was pleased that yesterday Vance reminded Zelenskyy of that campaign appearance.
This was beautifully stated: Zelenskyy is the crooked fight manager who won’t throw in the towel, and Trump and Vance look at the face of the fighter and know he’s had enough. I’ve no doubt that if the Ukrainian populace were asked, especially the ones on the frontline, if they would accept the new borders as the cost of peace, they would now take that deal.
I wish I were still teaching world politics because I would use this column to explain realism vs. idealism and why realism is usually more moral than idealism.
Thanks Paula. Yes I strongly believe that holding to a dangerous or delusional ideal at the expense of others is itself an immoral act.
Hear, hear 👏🏻
Since Trump 1.0 I have said to every TDS sufferer I've met that Trump ends wars, not starts them, and for that alone I will always be a supporter. What is wrong with people???!!!
If the media tells them ‘love this waste of life’, sadly, many of them do.
And how much credit did he get for the Abraham Accords?
None
Spot on. The UK media is so full of indignation. How rude they were to Zelensky, it was a set up, a trap. No it wasn't you fucking idiots it was the truth spelt out in front of our eyes. Something we very rarely get from politicians let alone between politicians.
Yep, it’s weird that wars are supposed to be decided now on the basis of ‘oh how rude’. Like a few hundred thousands deaths should rest on which fork you use at dinner. It’s that ludicrous.
This is the same "morality" that resulted in rape gangs across the UK.....for decades. SMH.
Another perfect analysis from you, Daniel! As a Vietnam Veteran, I can look back at my time defending the lives of the people of the RVN and ask, "Why did we throw that all away?" There should have been a clear winner long before Robert McNamara convinced LBJ that the "body count" of 15/1 was in our favor, and let the war go on for another decade.
Thanks Bruce, it means a lot to get a veterans endorsement of my comments. Thank you for your service.
Wow, a brilliant piece. So different from the headlines in all the papers this morning. I wonder how Slimy Starmer would feel if his son was sent to Ukraine. Many warmongers are willing to sacrifice other peoples sons and daughters - never their own.
Thanks Jennifer. The mainstream media can be relied on to always be vile. But yes, Starmer would probably call everyone up except his own son.
On the subject of Starmer and Trump, I'm curious as to why Trump switched horses mid-stream wrt Chagos, resulting in a very convenient boost to Starmer's fortunes in the eyes of the public. There was probably method in his "madness" but it was very disappointing.
well said!
however, why do you say only the Russians would resort to nukes if a future world war 3 didn't go their way? I suspect the liberal West would be the first to resort to that sort of thing.
this is so well said an article that i'm even toying with sending it to people who still believe everything the bbc tell them and are convinced Putin is Hitler and Trump is Hitler. Amusingly, the beeb have struggled in their reporting because Elon Wasn't There so they now absolutely hate Vance (who is also Hitler).
you are right about Trump - he clearly believes war and killing is the wrong way to go about things and that sort of makes him the Churchillian one doesn't it?
Churchill went against the failed and immoral consensus and Establishment line of his day, Trump does the same. Then, the consensus was to avoid war even when that is immoral. Today, the consensus is to continue war even when that is immoral. So oddly by pursuing peace against the consensus, yes, Trump is only one acting like a Churchill.
Well said.
Thanks 😀
Weak men don't accept reality when their very existence depends on avoiding it. It was a performance on Zelensky’s part. An act of self-preservation. He ran and was elected on the platform of peace with Russia. But once in the office, he discovered that Ukrainian nationalists would kill him for pursuing peace while war will keep him in the office and in the money. And what a limelight! Now that the game is ending, he needs an exit. Today’s performance will allow him to "honorably" step down for the “good of the country” while maintaining his patriotic credentials. He’s a good actor; I give him that. Sadly, it's not clear who in Ukrainian elite has the courage to make peace.
That’s a very interesting take and you may well be right. You’re definitely right about the actor and performance bit. It’s a great explanation if this was an exit strategy. It’s as likely, though, that it was an attempt to force greater US spending and security assurances that blew up in his face.
It seems those who would continue the Ukraine war are those who never fought a war themselves. I am against war except as the last alternative after every other solution has failed, as I've seen what war does to people and I don't wish that on my worst enemy. If Zelenskyy doesn't come to the table, replace him. There has to be some group in Ukraine who care for their countrymen more than they care for the machismo optics this stooge midget Zelenskyy exhibits.
Every time our President/Vice President get involved in foreign affairs I'm more and more proud of them. Zelenskyy argued with DJT and USMC Corporal Vance and found out.
Yes, and it’s especially obscene when armchair warmongers demand war on high supposedly moral grounds that have nothing to do with their own country and their own citizens. You’re right to be proud of Vance and Trump. 👍
Hey Jack.....awesome service you also had...thank you....one Group … BLT 2/5 Danang, and later, Chu Lai....Spec Ops Operation :Tiger Thrust (RLT 9) Then Hue-Phu Bai
Well said Jack. Imagine what the majority count of the Unofficial "Legion of American Veterans" is, -- also proud of Vance and Trump. This 5 year combat Veteran of Vietnam is. Thank you!
John, welcome home and thank you for your service. Which branch? 1-1/2 tours with USMC.
Another reflective take on a current problem. I notice with alarm and sudden comprehensive your paragraph near the end in which you state that the EU is pressuring Ukraine to take a particular demographic of worker in to make up for the loss of native manpower. A lot became clear to me in that moment. American presence there extracting the minerals would put the kybosh on that plan.
Thank you, Daniel. Once again, you have both provided clarity on and given eloquent voice to the Reality of the matter at hand.
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. 😀😀
Well said.
Thanks Sarah 😀