And a great guide to the Collins class and their development, teething issues, and evolution into a capable conventional platform:

Freedom of speech.

WOW!!! 😳😳😳

This man has balls the size of grapefruits!

He stood up to Hillary Clinton during an event she was at and started lambasting her, LOUDLY about how Biden is leading us right into WW3!

She was visibly flustered, and taken off guard…

She actually starts to shout… pic.twitter.com/EG4i01lLFp

— The Patriot Voice (@TPV_John) October 24, 2023

velocityjohnno wrote:

OK this one is really big. The world of the lifetimes of everyone here, is about to change. The prosperity we enjoyed depended upon the USN keeping sealanes open and protecting all free trade - they are now withdrawing from this.

In times past it was the Royal Navy that did this - and it did this up to every conflict. In 1914 their cruiser squadrons had eliminated all axis shipping and warships in all oceans within a few months of the declaration of war, most notably Admiral Sturdee's battlecruisers taking out Von Spee's German pacific squadron at the Falklands. Mention too for the HMAS Sydney (I) overcoming the Emden at Cocos Island.

The US is pretty much saying, if you want to ship it, protect it yourself. (Captain Jack Sparrow licking his lips...) Zeihan mentions at the end of the clip a scenario for how shipping insurance might proceed vs importers' margins of low end imports - he says if you haven't switched supply chains, it's too late.

Another reminder of the importance of making things here.

And in come the private military contractors...think of how much $$$ is at play here.

Only in America:

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/etf/want-to-bet-against-woke-c…

Fascinated to see how this one tracks

Telling headline: "Pentagon and NATO officials admit organizing the Ukrainian Chook Raffle was a Bridge Too Far"

"We had our best and brightest strategists working on the raffle and war gamed the hell out of it " an unnamed four star general commented.

"Somehow those chooks just outsmarted us. And all our raffle books just kept going missing" he said.

"Those chooks are smart, darned smart" the General muttered as he turned to head off to an important diversity and inclusion meeting.

OSINT geeks are hiring satellite time and producing things like this. What a time to be alive.

View this post on Instagram

check this out Sypkan

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/a-media-giant-tried-to-diver…

Yay! the war is over...

maybe...

at least time to negotiate

after 2 years, 1000s of lives, and billions of dollars...

it's time to negotiate

for peace, ...and for the position before the 2 years, 1000's of lives, and billions of dollars...

the exact very same position it would seem

energies, lives, and money well spent joe and co.

winning!

Ep. 37 The two defining tragedies of our time — the war in Ukraine and the presidency of Joe Biden — are both finally coming to an end.

TIMESTAMPS:
(00:17) Glenn Greenwald joins
(05:41) Will the Ukraine War Hawks ever apologize?
(07:25) Using foreign wars to punish Americans… pic.twitter.com/vTVXqNNPhT

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) November 7, 2023

interesting

but not surprising vj...

I wonder if we can get a law suit up against big joe's kamal?

might save the world...

interesting

but not surprising vj...

I wonder if we can get a law suit up against big joe's kamal?

might save the world...

Watch Philippa's full speech here:https://t.co/HUarxSM8BQ

— The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (@ARC_Conference) October 30, 2023

Jelly Flater wrote:

dunno if it's irony or tragedy...

but 'the narrative' at the start of the war was that putin's 'mistake' was that he was surrounded by an insular inner circle of yes men, ignorant to the realities on the ground in ukraine...

as the dudes in the vid above show... putin ain't the only one in an insular inner circle of yes men, ignorant to realities...

green room wrote:

https://twitter.com/arc_forum/status/1718952280311873593

I don't even know what ARC is... but I know enough to know it won't get me any cool points...

forget the cool points

that konstantin vid should be essential viewing

New age opium wars…

Biden vists Hanoi to project USA influence and fumbles and mumbles through his press conference. In the middle of it he somehow decides to tell a John Wayne anecdote where someone is called a "lying dog faced pony soldier".

He ends with a punchy "I don't know about you but I am going to go to bed".

Safest place for him...

How crazy is this and leading polls in most of the key swing states

"The 2024 Polls Agree: Trump Has a Significant Lead Over Biden"
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/11/polls-trump-leads-biden.html

Im not sure how i feel about it, i was hoping De Santis got a shot but seems he might have to wait, and as much as i love how Trump triggers the left, i dont know if id trust him with current world events, he really is unhinged.

indo-dreaming wrote:

How crazy is this and leading polls in most of the key swing states

"The 2024 Polls Agree: Trump Has a Significant Lead Over Biden"

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/11/polls-trump-leads-biden.html

Im not sure how i feel about it, i was hoping De Santis got a shot but seems he might have to wait, and as much as i love how Trump triggers the left, i dont know if id trust him with current world events, he really is unhinged.

Trump is an intellectual, social and emotional infant.

The Poll referred to would indicate the majority of Americans are unhinged.

Yo, you Aussie mates got it all twisted. You're caught up in this media and political bubble that's totally ruled by your own Aussie flavor of progressive vibes, mate..

Let me break it down: In the past eight years, ever since Donald Trump took the reins as the top Republican, the American political scene did a complete 180. Nowadays, it's the Republicans repping the working class, while the Democrats are all about catering to the elite business crowd. The Dems are in bed with Big Tech, leaving regular folks high and dry. Trump? He's all about the people.

Now, the real crazy, unhinged, messed-up side of American politics? That's the progressives, man. They're the ones tearing the country apart. All this division and animosity? It's on the Democrats, especially since Trump rolled in. The progressives are straight-up wrecking American society, messing with our culture, and kneecapping the economy.

Its incredulous that so many yanks are stupid enough to believe Trumps lies, he is the most elite of the elite and couldn't give a toss about anyone but himself. It's a choice between a senile old buffoon and a psychopathic cult moron. Says a lot about the sad state of a once proud nation. If Trump gets up he will be a dictator like his heroes Putin and Kim Jong Un and will be in forever. The thought of this lunatic ranga with his finger on the button is too scary to contemplate. The Democrats need a new leader asap to give the Seppo's a decent choice.

all you can do is laugh, @Salty and @old-dog, it is our best and most Aussie defense

Supafreak wrote:

Bro, you're on that trolling and throwing shade grind again. Still ain't coming through with anything smart, like, ever. Just spewing hot air, man. Total waste.

nope, no grinding or spewing - was just having a nice brekky, and reminding crew to take myopic views with a calm pinch of salt. I like that you are posting your views, it is interesting.. as long as we are able to respond. Peace to you, green room.

(nice Moana crab-haul btw @old-dog - an hour's work on a beautiful day.. does it get any better?)

Myopic? You be trolling again dawgg

*sigh* ok, @green room, I'll try to be even gentler again. I like that you are fragile, it makes me want to engage with you.

I enjoyed your description of the working-class representation shifting, whether perceived or real, doesn't matter, all politicians will rally towards whatever base they can. We have a similar situation here, as do many developed countries, with our 'Labor Party' (what you are describing your 'Democrats' as).

My grandfather's Labor Party was about jobs and manufacture and workers rights and unions. The 'environment' was a non-issue, and immigration was frowned upon because of jobs (Conservatives wanted immigration for cheap labour). Government housing was expected, and public-owned infrastructure was seen as future-proofing. National health has always been free here. All quite socialist.

Different world now, we have little manufacturing, everything is privatised, we have relied too heavily on immigration and mining for our economic health. The environment is a big issue, in Aus, water is PRECIOUS and scarce (we ain't got mountains-in-the-middle like US), so it is not just a hippy concern, but farmers' irrigation (similar concerns to California) and future water needs for large cities (like NY concerns) is a big thing. Extinctions and GreatBarrierReef-types of tourism economics, etc. comes into it.

Through the past decades, that same Labor Party has increasingly been seen to be leaving fundamentals behind in favor of engaging with new issues, in a shallow way, and it requires increasing levels of navigation skills to wade through the shit, as well as the media junk, hyperbole, waste, etc.

Liberal (our Conservatives, Republicans kinda) have a bit of an easier task, in that they traditionally have been about liberalism and a free-market economy, and they hooked up with the National Party, traditionally our country-folk. Now all they have to do is stick to their economy speak, conservative traditions, and start culture-wars, and they have it made.

Most Australians are pretty sick of the lot of them, and have no time for the guff they now feed us. To make us care more, US-style culture-war tactics are on the rise; getting people rabid and riled up through personalities and dramas and online rhetoric, and us vs. them.. toxic stuff, and totally detracting from issues that need addressing.

I daresay if we had a Trump, there's a good chance something like what happened in the US might happen here in 10 years, i.e. 'fuck it, let's give that a go.'

My personal take on Trump is that he's a bozo. But when he got voted in, I wasn't concerned, as the entire world was watching that circus, and I knew his ego would see him wanting to be seen well in the eyes of the world, and any misstep would be headlines in seconds.

Different Trump now. Bullet-proof Trump. Martyr Trump. Putin/KimJongUn legacy Trump. Not sure the people would benefit much from him having a validated glory run, but who knows? Not my country, not my business. His ability to tap into the madness of crowds is not a good thing.

Australia is not ready to become a republic, not because we all think the Monarchy is relevant, but because we do not believe that supreme executive power, wielded by someone who wants that job, is a sensible thing. Compulsory voting has helped both side of politics express this.

Konstantin Kisin's TED-style chat to a roomful of richies is well executed, but he is talking purely about economic-wealth and legacy power, much the same as one might expect in the Emirates, his appropriating of our gloriously messily-complex and tolerant western society, built by a diversity of real people all over the globe, and deftly shackling the two doesn't wash. And, as a side note, a tree with a rotten core stands just fine, many are designed to fuck the core off, tree health comes from the thin layer on the outside.

Hope there's no trolling there, @green room. Enjoy your dinner/tea. Where are you from?

No trolling for once...

Thanks for that Aussie political history. My bad, can't drop the same knowledge bomb for the US right now. But gotta hit you with a couple of things:

Republicans didn't kick off the culture wars, bro. Dems fired the first shots in response to Trump's win. Well, to keep it real, the progressives lit the fuse with their affirmative action moves in the '60s.

And when Kisin and the crew talk, it ain't about old money and power. It's about The Long March of the Left infiltratin' everything: public institutions, big corps, schools, academe, the media, the elite, you name it baby. Progressives are the real rotten core and danger, not Kisin and the squad defending our freedom and democracy.

Signing off from Florida, where we rep the land of the free!

Suggested truth bombs:
https://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/_files/ugd/e42793_a246d5d7f7d94e569a…

*phew*
well, now I have some swellnet US interaction 'anecdata' - green room repping eastcoast; wax24, westsiiide..

green room wrote:

Yo, you Aussie mates got it all twisted. You're caught up in this media and political bubble that's totally ruled by your own Aussie flavor of progressive vibes, mate..

Let me break it down: In the past eight years, ever since Donald Trump took the reins as the top Republican, the American political scene did a complete 180. Nowadays, it's the Republicans repping the working class, while the Democrats are all about catering to the elite business crowd. The Dems are in bed with Big Tech, leaving regular folks high and dry. Trump? He's all about the people.

Now, the real crazy, unhinged, messed-up side of American politics? That's the progressives, man. They're the ones tearing the country apart. All this division and animosity? It's on the Democrats, especially since Trump rolled in. The progressives are straight-up wrecking American society, messing with our culture, and kneecapping the economy.

Whatever mate.

I have visited the US twice, 2006 and 2009, New York and the New England region. My daughter worked there for several years. We found the people to be courteous helpful and polite. Never a political word mentioned, we had a fantastic time.

I worked for eight years here in a job where I dealt with hundreds of people every day. What surprised was the number of Americans who lived here (I live on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria). They all stated they found it to be the best place to be. The US political influence (Trump) here, was just becoming obvious and all were more than happy they had made Australia home: none were going back. That has to tell you something.

Now we have the rise and rise of Trump and all the crap attached to it well established here. At Trigger Bros recent Vintage Day I even saw a guy walking around proudly wearing his Trump MAGA cap. What the fuck is going on here.

The divisiveness surged when Trump entered the political arena, and shows no sign of abating. The extreme right here have happily embraced it and flaunt it everywhere.

What we have here today is not what I grew up with. (I turn 70 in two months). I am becoming more and more concerned about what our country is turning into.

The left of politics here is not what it was and is far from perfect, but if what I see is all the new right has to offer then I have no option but to side with the left.

Good luck over there, mate: you'll need it.

green room wrote:

No trolling for once...

Thanks for that Aussie political history. My bad, can't drop the same knowledge bomb for the US right now. But gotta hit you with a couple of things:

Republicans didn't kick off the culture wars, bro. Dems fired the first shots in response to Trump's win. Well, to keep it real, the progressives lit the fuse with their affirmative action moves in the '60s.

And when Kisin and the crew talk, it ain't about old money and power. It's about The Long March of the Left infiltratin' everything: public institutions, big corps, schools, academe, the media, the elite, you name it baby. Progressives are the real rotten core and danger, not Kisin and the squad defending our freedom and democracy.

Signing off from Florida, where we rep the land of the free!

Suggested truth bombs:

https://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/_files/ugd/e42793_a246d5d7f7d94e569a…

Hmm thats interesting you are from the USA so your perspective on things would be much different to ours and its your country so your views in a sense hold more weight than ours.

And in Florida even better, so how do you feel about Trump, Biden & De Santis?

Look at you @indo, sliding in on me engaging @green room at great effort. All you've done with him till now is chuckle like a sidekick while he jabs long-time posters you don't like.

I agree, while @gr seems like someone with different views to me, it is worth making the effort to reach out through the tribalism and ask questions. Hope it's been a lesson to you : )

Let's hope he has engaging things to say, and exercises the same balance I tried to, while simplifying complex things across cultures.

(I do hope you and @gr can have some satisfying DeSantis conversations that you enjoy. I'll stay out of those, not my interest, but it seems a great opportunity, given your interest)

@basesix

Not really, i dont know why i thought he was an Aussie that lived in Asia (not Indo), so interesting that he lives in USA and Florida where De Santis is Governor .

I have mates in USA and met guys from USA in Indo, but i avoid talking politics especially asking about Trump, so this is a good opportunity to hear a first hand view from the USA .

Of course whatever his view is it doesnt mean its a popular view or right or whatever but still its always interesting to hear the views of people from countries where an issue is happening or politics etc.

Hey indo-dreaming mate, we in Florida man! DeSantis is our dude, but it ain't gonna go down like that. It's all about Trump again, no doubt.

But the key thing is taking down Biden, then let's roll up our sleeves and start rebuilding America!

If Trump's the one who can pull it off, then let it ride I say.

You're really in the trenches, holding it down in these forums and laying it on thick with the progressives. Keep hammering it, dude!

Yo, have you checked out DeSantis' book, 'The Courage to be Free'?

Our Founders understood that religious liberty was God-given, not government-granted. We must reject the Left's agenda that seeks to return America to the days when the scope of freedom of religion was dictated by elites based on what the elites were willing to tolerate. pic.twitter.com/bbxhQJWrvh

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 13, 2023

You’re up early Florida man yo

Initially, I didn’t have high opinions of Biden but he first impressed me with his Putin response. He was saying that Putin will attack for weeks before it occurred and many ignored him. Well, he was right. And it is due to his overwhelming support that Ukraine war is based in few eastern provinces rather than on NATO borders.

Also, his prompt response to the Gaza conflict was very good. Instantly mobilising two aircraft carriers to the region was a great, decisive decision. It keeps others in check and hopefully prevents wider scale conflicts.

Many will see this as imperialistic moves but I personally don’t. They are strategic moves to prevent out of control, large scale conflicts. It keeps the combats localised rather than wide spread. It can be dirty work but someone has to do it. I really can’t see that fool Trump in this role. I hope he doesn’t get in.

@Basesix..... i really like that i get to rep the Westsiiiide. That's about as Street and Thug as i've been in a minute.
No opinions to share atm. (do i gotta have one? to rep, i mean?)

haha, yehhhh boyyyyy!
how's the wanderlust going, bloke? comfy vs adventure? I'm going comfy atm : )

I'm goin comfy too, but that is gonna change. We are just kickin off the El Nino winter here right now. This minute, if we believe my iPhone. The first Atmospheric River of the season. The wild winter weather always gets me up and out. On roadtrips and such. I love the bad weather. Not great always for surf, but usually spectacular for hikin, yeah?

my preferred too, wax24, wintery atmosphere rules. Perfect for walking and thinking and reflecting and stuff. Tomales/Pt Reynes on the cards? I loved looking into that area online after your recommend. Good on you for getting motivated : )

Tomales Bay is where i get in any paddle exercise i might've talked myself into, so am there year round. Pt Reyes is a year round fave, too. In the winter, i'll go to Tahoe and avail myself of a sister's getaway cabin or hit up the Yosemite high country. For coastal, i'll head north more frequently.... up towards the Lost Coast. I am always excited for winter this time of year.... and just as excited when it goes away, lol.

green room wrote:

Hey indo-dreaming mate, we in Florida man! DeSantis is our dude, but it ain't gonna go down like that. It's all about Trump again, no doubt.

But the key thing is taking down Biden, then let's roll up our sleeves and start rebuilding America!

If Trump's the one who can pull it off, then let it ride I say.

You're really in the trenches, holding it down in these forums and laying it on thick with the progressives. Keep hammering it, dude!

Yo, have you checked out DeSantis' book, 'The Courage to be Free'?

https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1724142636506751359

Yes its quite a surprise to see Trump in the position he is in again and it all now being about Trump.

I personally have very mixed feelings about Trump, i think he really gave USA the shake up needed being President, but thought the way he went out denying election results really ruined things.

Honestly on one hand if he somehow got re-elected while it would be fun to watch the left and media go into melt down especially celebrities, on a world stage way id be a little fearful of how he would handle things.

Good thing is De Santis is young so has plenty of time to one day be president.

No havent read the book, i like him but not that much :D

flollo wrote:

Initially, I didn’t have high opinions of Biden but he first impressed me with his Putin response. He was saying that Putin will attack for weeks before it occurred and many ignored him. Well, he was right. And it is due to his overwhelming support that Ukraine war is based in few eastern provinces rather than on NATO borders.

Also, his prompt response to the Gaza conflict was very good. Instantly mobilising two aircraft carriers to the region was a great, decisive decision. It keeps others in check and hopefully prevents wider scale conflicts.

Many will see this as imperialistic moves but I personally don’t. They are strategic moves to prevent out of control, large scale conflicts. It keeps the combats localised rather than wide spread. It can be dirty work but someone has to do it. I really can’t see that fool Trump in this role. I hope he doesn’t get in.

I agree Biden seems like he isn't there a bumbling old man, but i cant fault how he has handled the Gaza incident , every action and word he said was spot on and going to Israel too.

But i expect he is really just being told what to do and say by a whole heap of advisors, but still, the worry is Trump wouldn't listen to those advisors.

yo indo-dreaming, no shocker there, dude. It's all about those voter surveys and polls, ya know? Trump's got major love from the American voting scene, especially with the conservative country folks. If DeSantis had more folks backing him up, he'd be owning the GOP presidential race. American politics is totally in tune with what the voters are vibing.

Man, the progressives' whole ideology is wrecking America and what it used to be about. They're all about that DEI stuff, but they ain't about freedom or working class folks. It's like they only let stuff slide if it fits their progressive agenda, and anything else gets squashed. We gotta take 'em down however we can.

Dude, we in a real showdown over here, bro - it's like a civil war, freedom, liberty and traditional America squaring off against that left ideology vibe.

No one can seriously say that the Republicans are looking after the working class.

yo AndyM you blurrin thru dusty vipers dude

AndyM wrote:

No one can seriously say that the Republicans are looking after the working class.

This seems to be spuds new angle also , LNP the working man’s party and spud see’s himself as a man of the people. Labor’s far from perfect but what’s the alternative ? If you have a parliament full of independents, then who leads them ?

mm' dunno.. coastguard?
(+1 Supa.. justa glib Simpsons reference)

basesix wrote:

yo AndyM you blurrin thru dusty vipers dude

Word my bro.