Ive said it before, but when you are 36T in debt and run a deficit of 2T... stuff has to be cut or eventually its all cut.

2T is a lot of cuts man. I need to see you start making suggestings to get us in the black before I take you serious.

Since FLBear won't go where we have been discussing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, I will repost this again here.

"I would like to present a few thoughts:

For starters, it's simple historical fact that Putin invaded neighboring countries during the terms of W, Obama, and Biden, yet never did so during Trump's first term, even though Trump killed Russian soldiers in Libya. There is no evidence whatsoever that Trump ever made any decision for the benefit or advantage of Putin, so claiming so more than slightly diminishes the credibility of any person trying that tack;

Second, while it is clear that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia is the heart of the present conflict, there are dimensions to Russia-Ukraine relations where Zelensky either mishandled the situation or contributed to the hostile atmosphere which led to the military invasion. While Trump certainly was wrong to claim Ukraine "started" the war, there are elements which must be addressed in any peace talks if the thing is going to actually last and not just be a breather between wars;

Third, the war has certainly not gone the way anybody wanted up to now. Hundreds of thousands of people are dead, the region is in economic ruins, and the instability caused by the conflict raises doubts about the entire region's security for the foreseeable future;

And fourth, Zelensky enjoyed emotional support from many people when Russia initially invaded, but he has since been exposed as rather a fragile ego and worse, he doesn't seem to feel obligated to even account for all the hundreds of billions of dollars - mostly in cash - that came his way. Yet Z seems to think he's entitled to be in power, have tons of money, and because - Putin - everyone should just give him whatever he wants.

So what we have here are three main players:

Putin, who thought invading Ukraine would turn out a lot different than what he got. If nothing else, Russia has been exposed as far from the military hegemon controlling the center of the Eurasian continent. Putin needs to wrap up the conflict in Ukraine so he can build up his military and economy.

Zelensky, who is slowly beginning to learn that the moral support he enjoyed when the war began does not mean he can beat a Russian force determined to stay in Ukraine - Zelensky simply does not have the men needed to survive a prolonged war of attrition. The war has also destroyed Ukraine's economy and infrastructure, so that even if Russia packed up and left, Ukraine would need help from other countries to survive.

Trump, who sees the situation as an opportunity to both establish a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, and also gain advantage on multiple levels for the US. The purpose for the proposed rare minerals deal includes creating a US stake in Ukraine's survival, to limit potential future Russian aggression, to punish Zelensky personally for his arrogance in assuming he could take hundreds of billions of US money without so much as a 'here's where it went' report, and giving Putin a fig leaf to be able to end the war without looking like he lost outright. Keep in mind that Trump, being ineligible to run for re-election in 2028, has no reason to worry about the political fallout from the negotiations. Trump either gets a deal he likes or he can walk away with no personal downside as he sees it."

(apologies for those who already saw it on the other thread).

In an extraordinary display of public support, heads of state, heads of government, and foreign ministers from all over Europe and Canada are posting in support of Ukraine in response to the Oval Office meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy, and Vance. pic.twitter.com/Om4V28hgo5

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 28, 2025

boognish_bear said:

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In an extraordinary display of public support, heads of state, heads of government, and foreign ministers from all over Europe and Canada are posting in support of Ukraine in response to the Oval Office meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy, and Vance. pic.twitter.com/Om4V28hgo5

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 28, 2025

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All the folks being defunded of our taxpayer's money through USAID. Not even a Thank You... remember that President Trump. Claw those bucks back

FLBear5630 said:

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cowboycwr said:

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FLBear5630 said:

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cowboycwr said:

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boognish_bear said:

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This is devastating news. Today's reported layoffs at the NWS will impact our ability to keep Americans safe from extreme weather. These forecasters are essential frontline workers who save lives during hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Cutting these meteorologists isn't just… https://t.co/FMRrQRNMih

— Ryan Hall, Y’all (@ryanhallyall) February 27, 2025

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Aren't there about 20 different weather apps, local weather services, etc that can do their job? And are already doing their job?

Why do we need a national weather service to give a tornado warning for central Texas? Or a hurricane alert for the gulf coast?

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You really think we don't need weather forecasting, just rely on the private sector? No standards, just profit based led by focus groups. And what if it isn't profitable to provide areas like the Panhandle with coverage? Focus on the metroplex, that is where the money is.

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Is that what I said??? Let's check…. Nope. Not what I said. Try again.

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Seriously? Your quote is right above. That is in support of the National Weather Service? Why do we need it?

Did I respond in to the wrong person for the comment above mine?

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You clearly are only reading part of my post. Try again.

FLBear5630 said:

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Married A Horn said:

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I agree with that 20 years ago. Even if you dont yet - you may soon.

Financial security of the nation takes priority over all the things technology is making obsolete. NASA is probably right behind NWS for me. If not before it... idk.

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Problem with relying on the Private sector is that they only do what is profitable. The NWS infrastructure provides the base for their forecasts. The State 511 systems work with NWS. The private sector works with the NWS. Marine forecasts. The list goes on. The private sector does not invest in that type of infrastructure. Sorry, Public safety is not where you cut.

This is the haphazard cuts I was worried about. There is no vision for the future and how it all fits together. It is knee jerk based on personal feelings.

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So the local stations, cable news networks, numerous apps, farmer almanac, etc. only forecast the weather that is "profitable"?

What do all the meteorologists around the country that do not work for the NWS do? Just repeat what they say?

Why do we need a NATIONAL service to tell you a hurricane is coming? Does your local news not tell you that? Does Fox, CNN, MSNBC, ABC etc not report on tropical disturbances, depressions, hurricanes?

The weather channel?

Do they all just report for profit? Or just repeat what the NWS says?

For flbear keep in mind that the layoffs that happened included zero, 0, no meteorologists.

And even though the number was around 800 people the report I saw (in addition to the tweet in this thread) said that was about 5% of the entire NOAA staff.

If losing 5% of the staff that includes zero meteorologists causes the organization not to be able to still do their job then there is some serious mismanagement going on there.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/noaa-layoffs-trump-musk-doge/