• Please ignore any forum warnings you may see today as theres things been created/fixed.

Politics 🤡 Donald Trump

All very good points and well articulated.

Looking back in history - the Louisiana purchase, Hawaii and Alaska. I feel Greenland is trumps version where in 100 years time no one will care about the how.

Would we have had the peace and stability since WW2 (basically the only time of peace in human history) if the US hadn’t imposed its will around the world, covered the world in US bases and projected its power when needed? Some pain for an overall gain?

Would the Middle East and Islam be running the world now based on oil, without Americas constant interference and would that be a good thing?

That US debt is possible forcing some of the actions we’re seeing today (oil grabs). What’s the solution?

I believe the US is in the process of passing the mantle to China. A lot of the ‘making American great stuff’ is an emotional reaction to that that has enabled trump.

These are interesting times. I don’t have the answers but I find it all fascinating from a historical view point.
That’s what you believe but all indicators are saying otherwise. We can’t forget that America never entered world war 2 until late and possibly never would have if Japan didn’t attack? And undisputed that it took Russia to come out on the side it did, had Germany not have turned on their agreement, things would have been different. In terms of stability since, they went into a cold war not long after and you’d have to ask countries that they have imposed themselves whether they are better off and whether the embassies have achieved much? My guess would be not judging by how the world views them. That’s an interesting view in the paragraph regarding the Middle East, who’s better off from taking their oil, and better for who with their interference? Passing the mantle to China, I don’t see it as passing but rather they’ve dropped it. A failed experiment of capitalism masquerading as democracy. Democratic capitalism if you will, Mamdani is experimenting with Democratic socialism which will be interesting to see how the experiment goes
 

NZWarriors.com

Imo the left v right thing is a manufactured othering, again from the same power base of these extreme right leaning conservatives.

For me it's now about humanity, decency and integrity.

Right and wrong.
Absolutely, that’s why I’ve mentioned enjoying listening to Martin Bella who’s professed right wing and I agree with a majority of what he says, he’s just a decent person which most of us are. I’ve said my view on the politics thread countless times about opposition politics setting a bad example for society because of division and I believe that’s deliberate. We should vote for away for party affiliation and vote for them based on their policies and character and those voted in form a government that cooperates
 
That’s what you believe but all indicators are saying otherwise. We can’t forget that America never entered world war 2 until late and possibly never would have if Japan didn’t attack? And undisputed that it took Russia to come out on the side it did, had Germany not have turned on their agreement, things would have been different. In terms of stability since, they went into a cold war not long after and you’d have to ask countries that they have imposed themselves whether they are better off and whether the embassies have achieved much? My guess would be not judging by how the world views them. That’s an interesting view in the paragraph regarding the Middle East, who’s better off from taking their oil, and better for who with their interference? Passing the mantle to China, I don’t see it as passing but rather they’ve dropped it. A failed experiment of capitalism masquerading as democracy. Democratic capitalism if you will, Mamdani is experimenting with Democratic socialism which will be interesting to see how the experiment goes
I think the US has kept peace due to bad entities knowing the US will deal to them if they step out of line. Iraq was a warning to Saudi Arabia, Iran and all the other countries as much as sorting and showing that the US will break rules and interfere if you dont do it the US way.

All the talk about the US only doing it for oil and themselves - Vietnam, Afghanistan, Libya, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, etc was for world peace, not just interests.

We can all see the world today and criticise but nobody knows how the world would have been if the US stayed domestically focused after WW2. my pick is Russia would have caused ww3. The Middle East and Islam would rule the majority of the world. North Korea would have swallowed South Korea, China swallowed South east Asia, the world poorer and lower standard of living without capitalism and globalism.

Nobody likes the policeman but think of the alternatives! Right and wrong and how to solve issues is complicated.

I just find the big picture stuff fascinating.
 
Last edited:

NZWarriors.com

I think the US has kept peace via bad entities knowing the US will deal to them if they step out of line. Iraq was a warning to Saudi Arabia, Iran and all the other countries that the US will break rules and interfere if you dont do it the US way.

All the talk about the US only doing it for oil and themselves - Vietnam, Afghanistan, Lita, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, etc was for world peace and us interests.

We can all see the world today and criticise but nobody knows how the world would have been if the US stayed domestically focused after WW2. my pick is Russia would have caused ww3. The Middle East and Islam would rule the majority of the world.

I just find the big picture stuff fascinating.
You’re mistaking America wanting or keeping world peace, they want world dominance. Wars go on and on through proxy wars so they often are fighting, but fighting through other entities and supplying their weaponry. All the talk about America doing it for the oil and themselves? That falls into the world peace and US interests you cite, though world peace is a huge stretch. They have no interest in world peace but only world domination. You’re right, nobody knows how the world would be if it ended up the other way around but this country is no better in many regards than the countries it criticises
 

NZWarriors.com

I think the US has kept peace due to bad entities knowing the US will deal to them if they step out of line. Iraq was a warning to Saudi Arabia, Iran and all the other countries as much as sorting and showing that the US will break rules and interfere if you dont do it the US way.

All the talk about the US only doing it for oil and themselves - Vietnam, Afghanistan, Libya, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, etc was for world peace, not just interests.

We can all see the world today and criticise but nobody knows how the world would have been if the US stayed domestically focused after WW2. my pick is Russia would have caused ww3. The Middle East and Islam would rule the majority of the world. North Korea would have swallowed South Korea, China swallowed South east Asia, the world poorer and lower standard of living without capitalism and globalism.

Nobody likes the policeman but think of the alternatives! Right and wrong and how to solve issues is complicated.

I just find the big picture stuff fascinating.
The american keeping the peace narrative is totally stripping everything out of any context.

All the conflicts you listed them as world peace were wholey cause by american intervention.

Vietnam kicked off following the backing of a fascist regime by the americans and refusal to hold elections cause they new the north would have won as Ho Chi Minh had massive support in the country.

They trained and armed the Mujahideen that would later morph into the taliban against the USSR aligned government to Afghanistan.

Libya is a worse place today then it was under Gaddafi with open slave markets and a hot bed for terror training all of which was mostly under control prior.

The fall of Yugoslavia and the following conflict is directly linked to their export of neoliberal capitalism following the soviet dissolution as condition to integrate into the global economy.

Ukraine is mostly just imperial proxy war, could go back again to the dissolution of the USSR and Americas role in that, but it totally is within their interests to assist ukraine in protracting the war without actually helping resolve it.
 

NZWarriors.com

The american keeping the peace narrative is totally stripping everything out of any context.

All the conflicts you listed them as world peace were wholey cause by american intervention.

Vietnam kicked off following the backing of a fascist regime by the americans and refusal to hold elections cause they new the north would have won as Ho Chi Minh had massive support in the country.

They trained and armed the Mujahideen that would later morph into the taliban against the USSR aligned government to Afghanistan.

Libya is a worse place today then it was under Gaddafi with open slave markets and a hot bed for terror training all of which was mostly under control prior.

The fall of Yugoslavia and the following conflict is directly linked to their export of neoliberal capitalism following the soviet dissolution as condition to integrate into the global economy.

Ukraine is mostly just imperial proxy war, could go back again to the dissolution of the USSR and Americas role in that, but it totally is within their interests to assist ukraine in protracting the war without actually helping resolve it.
So how would the world be different today if the US stayed domestically focused and never interfered anywhere?

I don’t necessarily think the US wanted to keep the peace or fix countries, a lot of times intervention was about stopping other superpowers expanding (Vietnam, Afghanistan, Ukraine, etc) which ultimately kept the US strong, their competitors weaker and allowed peace.
 
So how would the world be different today if the US stayed domestically focused and never interfered anywhere?

I don’t necessarily think the US wanted to keep the peace or fix countries, a lot of times intervention was about stopping other superpowers expanding (Vietnam, Afghanistan, Ukraine, etc) which ultimately kept the US strong, their competitors weaker and allowed peace.
All the conflicts you’ve listed in all the posts doesn’t indicate peace but rather controlling power by any means necessary being in direct fighting or fighting through others and providing the means. Often the narrative is controlled too in consideration to who the enemy is and we follow it without looking deeper, though sometimes the enemy is clear also. Your initial posts started off by asking will what’s happening in America be remembered 100 years down the line? The fact it’s a nation built on slavery and the blacks haven’t forgotten indicates it will be remembered if the world changes dramatically from this point
 

NZWarriors.com

So how would the world be different today if the US stayed domestically focused and never interfered anywhere?

I don’t necessarily think the US wanted to keep the peace or fix countries, a lot of times intervention was about stopping other superpowers expanding (Vietnam, Afghanistan, Ukraine, etc) which ultimately kept the US strong, their competitors weaker and allowed peace.
It didn't fix any countries?
It hasn't kept any peace?
You think if America didn't come out on top of ww2 the world would be fucked?
Have you ever considered a multipolar world order?
where trade and diplomacy are used rather than big stick / Carrot?
You know the troubles in Ireland.
the British were just keeping the peace.
When did you do history at school?
Do you know what a Hegemony is?
Offshore Ballancing?
 
It didn't fix any countries?
It hasn't kept any peace?
You think if America didn't come out on top of ww2 the world would be fucked?
Have you ever considered a multipolar world order?
where trade and diplomacy are used rather than big stick / Carrot?
You know the troubles in Ireland.
the British were just keeping the peace.
When did you do history at school?
Do you know what a Hegemony is?
Offshore Ballancing?
Before ww2 we had a multipolar world order with Britain, France, Germany, Russia, US, China and Japan all significant players.

We had continual power struggles. All the time. Like every 20 years. Can the world actually live peacefully with many world powers? There is no history to support this.

There is the fact that since WW2 to today we have had the most peaceful period ever in human history with the US the most dominant force, exerting its influence to keep other powers in check. Arguably the USSR was a competitor but the US always was far superior economically and militarily.

Indisputable this is the most peaceful period ever. I appreciate that for all the US’s faults they are the biggest part of that, being an influential but ultimately non-expansionistic superpower.
 
Indisputable this is the most peaceful period ever. I appreciate that for all the US’s faults they are the biggest part of that, being an influential but ultimately non-expansionistic superpowe
This statement just isn’t true. All it’s been is no world scale wars since world war 1 and 2, there have been continuous conflicts since, we’ve even performed as peacekeeping operators and alternative rather than fighting directly
 

NZWarriors.com

A blog I've borrowed from an American that encompasses what's happening right now well I feel - be warned, it's a bit long, but worth the read

"
When I woke up this morning, I shared this on Substack: “I’m really struggling today, knowing our country is on the verge of a complete fascist takeover, and I still have to do normal things like answer emails, show up to meetings, and keep functioning, all while trying to make sure my daughter has a good childhood in a country that is becoming more dangerous and less free for her and all of our children.”
And maybe that feeling hit harder than usual because yesterday was her birthday, and I kept thinking about how much of her life Trump has already stolen. I talk about how she has fewer rights today than she had the day she was born. And that’s the reality for her, and for millions of other kids who are growing up under something that no longer resembles a functioning democracy.
And I think about what’s at stake every day when I sit down to read the news. Today was a doozy.

I haven’t even had time to process all of it, because there’s been a flood of court rulings and lawsuits in motion. I’m not an attorney or a legal expert, so when I read these filings, I also go straight to the professionals. I follow the people who do this work every day, because some catch what others miss, and their interpretations help piece together a full picture. And even with all of that, even after waking up already feeling this weight, I’m still shocked by how much can happen in a single day.

Let’s start with the most ridiculous news story first, but I need you to look past the absurdity of it. Don’t write this off as just empty words from an adversary and a dictator. Because today, North Korea publicly condemned the United States for what it called “shameless moves” and accused Washington of committing a “hideous criminal act.” Now, North Korea has no moral authority. None. It is a brutal, authoritarian regime with a well-documented history of terrorizing its own people.

But that’s not the point. Because this isn’t one of those situations where we can just roll our eyes and say, “Well, it’s North Korea, who cares?” No. The point is that what they said is actually true. The United States is acting shamelessly. Washington is carrying out acts that are criminal and violent. And I’m not saying that to be provocative. I’m saying it because it’s the reality of what is actually happening. And when even North Korea can describe what’s happening in America and be right, that changes how every other country sees us. It chips away at what little respect, trust, or dignity we have left.

This is what happens when a country’s institutions are gutted, its laws ignored, and its leadership consumed by revenge, delusion, and absolute loyalty to a single man. Trump thinks he’s in some special club. He calls dictators smart and great people, thinking that praising them makes him powerful. But that’s not how dictators work. They don’t make friends. They use people. And Trump, for all his bragging, is nothing more than a pawn to them, a useful fool who weakens alliances, destabilizes global norms, and dismantles his own government from the inside out. He doesn’t understand how power operates at that level, and they see it. They use it. And they will discard him the second he stops being useful to their goals.

That’s why this condemnation matters. It isn’t about North Korea’s moral standing. It’s about the fact that they now see the United States as weak and unraveling, a nation so consumed by internal collapse that even dictators feel emboldened to publicly shame us. And it lands because we’ve lost our credibility. Trump has made sure of that. And now that weakness is showing up everywhere, in the way our allies respond, in the way our agreements are being tested, and in the way the rest of the world is starting to back away.

Greenland has now formally rejected Donald Trump’s plan to use their territory for unilateral U.S. military operations. Their government came out publicly and said what used to be unthinkable: that Greenland’s defense is a NATO matter, not an American one. And we must see this for the threat that it is. These are fractures at the foundation of the world order we’ve relied on for more than seventy years. The 1951 U.S.-Danish defense agreement allows the United States to operate military bases in Greenland, but only under the shared structure of NATO defense. It does not grant ownership. It does not authorize unilateral force. It’s a cooperative agreement built on trust, and Trump is shattering it. He is treating NATO countries like enemies. And then, as if none of it happened, he gets on Truth Social and declares, “I’m the one who saved NATO!!!” President DJT.

That isn’t just delusion. It’s a propaganda tactic ripped straight from the authoritarian playbook. You erase the facts, you insert your own version of history, and you say it loudly enough and often enough that people start to question what’s real. The difference now is that the people watching this aren’t just Americans; they’re our allies, our neighbors, our global partners, and they’re not confused. They see what this is. They see what Trump is doing. And they’re backing away because they know this country can no longer be trusted to follow its own rules or international laws.

That’s how far we’ve fallen. And that’s what it looks like when the world stops believing the United States is still capable of leading it.
The hardest part of writing these posts is choosing which stories to share. There’s just too much. Every single day brings nonstop headlines that, in any other time in our lives, would’ve been unthinkable, administration-ending. But today, they’re just the news of the day. That’s why I’m focusing on the bigger picture. Not the legal technicalities. Not the daily whiplash of lawsuits. But the deeper truth: America itself is changing. The new United States is already here.
And this next story says it all. Not because it was subtle, but because it wasn’t. They’re trying so hard to be big, strong Americans. But we can all see they are the most unoriginal bunch of the worst people, pulling straight from the dictator playbook, not just in tone, but in spirit. They use the same tactics used by fascist regimes. And now those tactics are being repackaged as American policy.

The most shocking example was when Kristi Noem stood at a podium shortly after the killing of Renee Nicole Good, with the phrase “One of ours, all of yours” printed on the front. That language carries a name in international law: collective punishment. It’s the doctrine that says if you harm one of us, we will retaliate against all of you, your family, your neighbors, your entire community.
This was the exact logic the Nazis used to justify the massacre at Lidice, a Czech village wiped off the map in 1942 after the assassination of SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. Every man and teenage boy in that village was executed. Every woman was sent to a concentration camp. The children were taken, most sent to extermination camps and gassed. The Nazis didn’t hide what they did. They announced it proudly as a warning to anyone who might resist.

That’s what collective punishment looks like. And now, in 2026, a U.S. official is using language that invokes the same threat. You don’t put a phrase like that on a government podium by accident. You use it because it sends a message, one of fear and dominance. It says: we will punish you and everyone you hold near and dear. And we can’t pretend that we don’t know exactly what that means.
And it’s not just Kristi Noem. It’s Vice President J.D. Vance, too. On January 9, he confirmed on Fox News what many of us feared: that the Trump administration’s plan for mass deportations isn’t just about increased surveillance or lawful immigration proceedings. It’s about door-to-door enforcement. His exact words were:
“I think we’re going to see those deportation numbers ramp up as we get more and more people online working for ICE, going door to door, making sure if you’re an illegal alien you’ve got to get out of this country…”

That is the language of authoritarian rule. It’s not vague or policy speak. It’s a promise to use the power of the state to hunt people down, not because they’ve committed violence or crime, but because of their status alone. And history shows exactly what door‑to‑door enforcement means. In Nazi Germany, the regime used that tactic to find Jews, Roma, queer people, disabled citizens, political opponents, and anyone else they labeled “undesirables.” They started with lists, then went from street to street, house to house, family by family, rounding people up in full view. Entire communities disappeared. It wasn’t done quietly. It was done publicly to terrify bystanders into silence and submission.
And now, in the United States of America, the vice president is using that same language on national television. If we let leaders talk this way without consequence, they won’t stop. Because what they’re describing isn’t law enforcement. It’s a purge, a system for removing people by force under the guise of policy. Once a government gets comfortable with that kind of talk, it doesn’t stop at one group. It moves on to the next. And the next. And before you know it, it reaches anyone who dares to speak out or dissent. This is not a warning about what might happen someday. The plan is already in the works.

And I’ve been thinking about that a lot today, how we’ve entered a new level. A different phase of this. The authoritarian shift has deepened. And the question I keep coming back to is: what can we do in this moment? Something every single one of us can do, no matter our income, our energy, our time, or our physical ability. What action is still in our hands? And the answer is simple: visibility. There are more of us than there are of them. That is a fact. And we need to remind each other, and those trying to normalize this new United States, and the world watching from a distance.

What we can do right now is this: encourage everyone we know to make a public statement, very clearly, that we do not stand with a dictator hijacking our country. That we stand with our immigrant communities. That we believe in law, not revenge. That we believe in dignity, not cruelty. This is something every single person can do, and encourage others to do as well. This is the moment to use our voices. Let it be known that you are not a safe place for racism. Say clearly that you oppose ICE violence. That you reject the Trump regime. That you stand for due process, human rights, truth, and accountability. You don’t have to say it perfectly. You don’t need thousands of followers. You just need to say it, because silence sends a message too.

This is the moment when people draw the line and decide what side of history they’re on. And the more of us who speak up, the less safe they’ll feel spreading hate, justifying violence, or threatening democracy. Your words tell your community where you stand. They also tell your representatives, local, state, and federal, that you’re paying attention. That you won’t quietly go along. This country is not yet a blank slate for authoritarian rule. But it’s moving there fast. And unless we stop pretending this is normal, it will be.
If you feel physically unsafe making a public statement, I understand. Your safety comes first. But if what’s holding you back is discomfort, fear of backlash, or the desire to keep the peace, this is your moment to speak anyway. Make your own post. Use any of my words if you need to. Borrow the message, but make it yours. Say what matters. Say what you believe. Say what you will not accept.

Because the second we stay quiet is the second they assume we agree. And the more people who see that they’re not alone, that we are the powerful majority, the more will start to speak out too. And that’s how momentum shifts. That’s how people come together. That’s how we remind the world that this country is still worth fighting for. And that is why I still have hope for America. And I hope you do too.
I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather"
"
 
Before ww2 we had a multipolar world order with Britain, France, Germany, Russia, US, China and Japan all significant players.

We had continual power struggles. All the time. Like every 20 years. Can the world actually live peacefully with many world powers? There is no history to support this.

There is the fact that since WW2 to today we have had the most peaceful period ever in human history with the US the most dominant force, exerting its influence to keep other powers in check. Arguably the USSR was a competitor but the US always was far superior economically and militarily.

Indisputable this is the most peaceful period ever. I appreciate that for all the US’s faults they are the biggest part of that, being an influential but ultimately non-expansionistic superpower.
Wiz, now is not the time to become an apologist for this fascism we see growing in front of our eyes.
 

NZWarriors.com

This statement just isn’t true. All it’s been is no world scale wars since world war 1 and 2, there have been continuous conflicts since, we’ve even performed as peacekeeping operators and alternative rather than fighting directly
It’s about scale and deaths. Relativity. It’s indisputable. Yes there are conflicts but nothing like before ww2.

According to chat got:

1. Large-scale wars between major powers have virtually disappeared​

Before 1945
  • Great-power wars were common (Napoleonic Wars, WWI, WWII).
  • WWI and WWII alone killed ~90–100 million people.
  • Major powers regularly fought each other directly.
Since 1945
  • No direct full-scale war between nuclear-armed great powers.
  • The US, USSR/Russia, China, and Western Europe have avoided direct war for 80 years.
  • This is unprecedented in recorded history.
Why this matters:
Great-power wars are by far the deadliest. Preventing them dramatically reduces overall violence.


2. Deaths from war per capita are far lower than in the past​

Even though wars still occur, the proportion of the global population killed by war has collapsed.

  • Ancient and medieval wars often killed 10–30% of entire populations.
  • The 17th-century Thirty Years’ War killed ~20% of Central Europe.
  • WWII killed ~3% of the global population.
  • Since 1945, annual war deaths are typically well under 0.1% of world population—even during bad years.
This is one of the strongest statistical arguments that the post-WWII era is more peaceful overall.


3. Interstate wars are rarer; conflicts are mostly civil or proxy wars​

Trend shift
  • Wars today are usually:
    • Civil wars
    • Insurgencies
    • Proxy conflicts
  • Classic “country vs country” wars have declined sharply.
Examples

  • Korea and Vietnam were Cold War proxy wars.
  • Many African and Middle Eastern conflicts are internal, not interstate.
These are still devastating—but historically, interstate wars were more frequent and more expansive.
 
Don't think it can't happen here. The same thinktanks and ideology sits as the heart of ACT and their many proxies, especially the TaxPayers Union. I would count parts of National too, and the New Zealand Initiative

Oh and:

1768359694299.webp
 
Back
Top Bottom