British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

RE: Trump

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
That certifiable megalomaniac in the White House is slowly, but surely, dragging us to the brink of World War III. Now it seems that the UK assisted in the tanker seizure.

An interesting take on the events in Venezuela from the perspective of Venezuelan exiles in London, as reported today by The Standard.

Totally off topic, since when has "deadpan" been a verb? confuse

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

So, a client of mine, a European pharmaceutical company, had a staff
Member have their entry to the US cancelled last week at the border. This was in North Carolina. Not sure of reasons but he hadnt done anything wrong. The company has decided it will no longer have its staff travel to the US for the foreseeable future.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

So, Trump is saying I want the land of one of my allies, and if my other allies oppose it I will threaten and co-erce and bully them. Hes basically saying that no one is my ally and I will get whatever I want, whenever I want it.

Do the American lawmakers in congress or even in his administration actually support this approach? Is this not deranged behaviour? If not deranged, narcissistic, megalomaniac behaviour?

Dangerous times.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

every cloud has a silver lining and all that:

Badenoch said yesterday: "I completely agree with Keir Starmer"

Our politicians are united

It took utter, and utterly dangerous, idiocy

But Trump managed to achieve what I have never seen, and thought would never see

indiana · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
every cloud has a silver lining and all that:

Badenoch said yesterday: "I completely agree with Keir Starmer"

Our politicians are united

It took utter, and utterly dangerous, idiocy

But Trump managed to achieve what I have never seen, and thought would never see

What does Farage ( apparently favourite to be our next PM - wake up, UK ) think of it all?

indiana · Tennis legend

More unhinged by the day - it seems non-stop just now.

Aside from Greenland and his linking, in an absurd message to the Norwegian PM, of not been awarded the Nobel Peace prize by Norway ( as he keeps putting it ) to some of his proposed actions:

In response to a reporter's question about President Macron saying that he won't be joining Trump's ""Board of Peace" initiative ( and it's already dodgy make-up - my comment, not Macron's ).

"Did he say that? Well nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon.

I'll put a 200% tariff on his wine and Champaign and he'll join. but he doesn't have to".

So again, the what has become the norm from him previously unprecedented undiplomatic language about another leader ( and supposed ally ) and presumably a bad joke about the 200% tariff ( though who knows with him ) but at least inappropriate given the ongoing tariffs furore.

Turning to the UK ( among others in his latest deranged spree of rants on his Truth (sic) Social ), regarding the UK's ( "Shockingly, our "brilliant NATO ally ... ) plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The US has previously backed the deal, which keeps the UK base under a 99 year lease, with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, calling it a "monumental achievement".

"an act of GREAT STUPIDITY": and done "FOR NO REASON WHATEVER"

The Chief Secretary to the PM is quoted as saying. "It's not normal for geopolitical discussions to be handled in this way".

Mate, everyone is having to deal with the "not normal", unhinged, whatever one wants to call it.

Gawd knows what's coming next.

PS: While writing this in Costa, I became aware of 3 guys at the next table involved in a big discussion about not say football, but some of these latest Trump moves, including also ICE's Minneapolis shooting of Renee Good and the administration's precipitave reaction and FBI "investigation".

I see Var thinking in an Australian Open thread that she'd be better concentrating on the tennis rather than getting diverted by US actions. Probably a good idea - how's the tennis and football going?

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 20th of January 2026 12:12:12 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I don't watch the 10 o'clock news now, or look at any news sites online after about 9 pm

A good night's sleep can be utterly ruined by Trump's latest corruption (he's not as deranged as all that !) or political and human rights horrorshow

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
More unhinged by the day - it seems non-stop just now.
Aside from Greenland and his linking, in an absurd message to the Norwegian PM, of not been awarded the Nobel Peace prize by Norway ( as he keeps putting it ) to some of his proposed actions:

In response to a reporter's question about President Macron saying that he won't be joining Trump's ""Board of Peace" initiative ( and it's already dodgy make-up - my comment, not Macron's ).

"Did he say that? Well nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon.

I'll put a 200% tariff on his wine and Champaign and he'll join. but he doesn't have to".

So again, the what has become the norm from him previously unprecedented undiplomatic language about another leader ( and supposed ally ) and presumably a bad joke about the 200% tariff ( though who knows with him ) but at least inappropriate given the ongoing tariffs furore.

Turning to the UK ( among others in his latest deranged spree of rants on his Truth (sic) Social ), regarding the UK's ( "Shockingly, our "brilliant NATO ally ... ) plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The US has previously backed the deal, which keeps the UK base under a 99 year lease, with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, calling it a "monumental achievement".
"an act of GREAT STUPIDITY": and done "FOR NO REASON WHATEVER"

The Chief Secretary to the PM is quoted as saying. "It's not normal for geopolitical discussions to be handled in this way".

Mate, everyone is having to deal with the "not normal", unhinged, whatever one wants to call it.

Gawd knows what's coming next.
PS: While writing this in Costa, I became aware of 3 guys at the next table involved in a big discussion about not say football, but some of these latest Trump moves, including also ICE's Minneapolis shooting of Renee Good and the administration's precipitave reaction and FBI "investigation".
I see Var thinking in an Australian Open thread that she'd be better concentrating on the tennis rather than getting diverted by US actions. Probably a good idea - how's the tennis and football going?

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 20th of January 2026 12:12:12 PM

Re the Chagos deal - Trumps administration actually signed off on it / approved it as a deal not long after he took power this time around. Its non sensical.

I mentioned my clients staff member above. I personally wouldnt like or plan to travel to the USA right now; certainly not on holiday and probably not on business.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Don't get me started. Trump apparently retweeted someone's post today which stated ...

"The UN and NATO are our enemies, not the Russians and the Chinese".

The world order is being fractured.

Very good Speech from Mark Carney at Davos summit.

www.youtube.com/watch

He swaps to English after about 40 seconds.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

"Special relationship"? What "special relationship"? furious

Put aside any negative feelings you may harbour for Prince Harry (I've not a lot of time for him myself) & give him at least some credit for this:

In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first - and only - time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call.

I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed.

Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.

Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.

indiana · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
"Special relationship"? What "special relationship"?
Put aside any negative feelings you may harbour for Prince Harry (I've not a lot of time for him myself) & give him at least some credit for this:
In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first - and only - time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call.
I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed.
Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.
Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.

Was great to see Starmer, in his own time admittedly, call these horrific Trump remarks for what they were. Trump steadily uniting all sorts of folk.

Helmand Province, out of the front line?! ( but doubt Trump has much clue of the details, just how offensive can he be ... ) Whatever one thinks of the Afghan campaign, never have anything but respect for all who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice ( or as Harry says had their lives changed forever ) including the Danes who lost a greater portion of their troops than any NATO nation.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
"Special relationship"? What "special relationship"?
Put aside any negative feelings you may harbour for Prince Harry (I've not a lot of time for him myself) & give him at least some credit for this:
In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first - and only - time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call.
I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed.
Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.
Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.

Just to summarise the Trump remarks in an interview with Fox News which provoked the latest backlash:

We've never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan... and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.

The tosser also had the gall to say that he was "not sure" that the military alliance would be there for the US "if we ever needed them".

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
"Special relationship"? What "special relationship"?
Put aside any negative feelings you may harbour for Prince Harry (I've not a lot of time for him myself) & give him at least some credit for this:
In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first - and only - time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call.
I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed.
Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.
Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.
Just to summarise the Trump remarks in an interview with Fox News which provoked the latest backlash:
We've never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan... and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.
The tosser also had the gall to say that he was "not sure" that the military alliance would be there for the US "if we ever needed them".

You just couldn't make it up!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

x.com/whitehouse/status/2014819683757678654

Penguins of course dont live in Greenland. Well done, White House.