Grumpy Old Nasho

It's not defense spending, it's aid to keep a war going. I'd prefer the pot holes were filled around here, put the money to better use. Put Australia first rather than warmongering. Fueling wars is against International Law no matter who does it. Trump is quite right in stopping any further aid the Ukraine, or anyone else for that matter. We're not in the stupid age of Johnson and Nixon who killed 56,000 American soldiers, and our putrid govt that killed 500 young blokes in Vietnam only to be soundly beaten and then the govts fell in love with communist Vietnam ... bloody hell, give me a break. It's alright for Albanese, Starmer, and Europe to supply weapons of war, but those slimy cowards are never on the front line. They are inhumane indecent creeps who should be thrown in jail for the death and destruction they're causing. President Trump is the only one who trying to put an end the war, and war in general.

US Admits Sending $40 Million Weekly to Afghanistan Amid Controversy Conspiracy? https://afghanistanpeacecampaign.org/2024/01/20/us-admits-sending-40-million-weekly-to-afghanistan-amid-controversy/

USAID was donating US$44million per week to the Taliban. Explain why that should continue?

Albanese is on Trump's side now, he said he wants peace. So let's hope he refrains from sending any more millions to Ukraine, and spends that money domestically in OZ. I saw pot holes today that could swallow a mini minor, I had to weave all over the road to miss them, at the same time watching for oncoming traffic.

You're all getting paranoid. Act like adults that you're supposed to be. Who is the rabid leftwing Labor supporter in here who spurs you on to denigrate Trump ad infinitum?

Yet hundreds of millions of people from all corners of the World flock to Western Nations and barge their way in. Why is that? It's very unlikely it would be from "hate"

No, it's a change of mindset that's happening around the Globe. The new mindset of making Western Nations healthy again.

Western leaders used to praise Stalin, and he was far worse than Putin. Has Putin initiated large scale purges, and stood by while millions of Russians starved to death?

"Hey Fellas! GON has just given us carte blanche to enter his home and take whatever we want from it. He'll even let us throw him out on the street." You're being ridiculous. Besides I was told to forget about democracy for two years. There are times when democracy is just an illusion. Other times it's out of self interest for those who make it work for just them to get into Parliament, then forget about it until they can make it work for them again further down the line. Bipartisan policies are not democratic. Where is the democracy when the major parties say "We'll support Ukraine for as long as it takes" ... how long is "for as long as it takes"? The idiots are dreaming.

Well I said "Yes", which means I would be doing all I could do to stop the killing. Ukraine is a buffer zone for Russia. Zelensky should have negotiated with Putin on that basis and fought for as much autonomy as possible for Ukraine, and concessions even if it meant sacrificing some democracy. Cuddling up to the West is the worst thing he has done, look whats happened to Ukraine, tens of thousands killed and homes and infrastructure demolished. Only Trump gives a damn about that, he wants it to end. The UK, Europe and Australia sit back, throw more fuel on the fire to kill even more Ukrainians and destroy more homes and infrastructure. It's a catch22, and to get out of it, Zelensky has to give. Putin won't, Trump won't, and the Europeans won't, nor will the UK or Australia. Zelensky needs to, right now, take the best pragmatic offer he can get, before Trump directs US forces to invade Ukraine, with Putins permission, sacks Zelensky, and prevent the conflict escalating beyond control.

Yes, but politicians don't. I found that out in the late 60s, and 70s. No decency, no humanity, no remorse, no apology, no compensation, no feelings, and totally unemotional. Decency and rights are traits our politicians sweep under the carpet, then walk all over it.

What security guarantees is Zelensky seeking from the US for peace for Ukraine? Biden sent funds and weapons, as did Europe and Australia, but they have only prolonged the conflict and killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians plus destroyed buildings and infrastructure. How was this going to save Ukraine? Albanese keeps saying he supports Ukraine, but what does that mean exactly? He'll support it to the last Ukrainian, and them invite him to come to OZ as a refugee? No one seems to know how this war is supposed to end in favour of Ukraine. What was the end result supposed to look like with European and Australian warmongers supplying Ukraine with weapons and moral support? Does anyone know?

So would you be if you were molested by a poofta, at six years of age. I found out many years later molesting young boys ran in his family, brothers, cousins ... one was arrested recently, he was a descendant from those original fags. I never forgot their surname, just in case a cop ever asked me at a later stage.

In the meantime, console yourselves by watching the rainbow Mardi Gras prance down Oxford Street Sydney.

Falcon weren't too bad, I should have bought one instead of the Cortina.

Well the car models evolve too. I can't believe each new model wasn't checked thoroughly as they came out and before being sold. Those MkIII Cortinas were rubbish. And now I'm driving around in a Kia Cerato with stupid dangerous steering 48 years later ... and you're telling me ADRs are evolving, sounds like BS to me.

I bought a new Ford Cortina many years ago. During one of my own inspections some time later, out of warranty, I noticed the bolts holding the front shocks on, had stretched and become loose. The bolts were only mild steel instead of the required high tensile steel. I had to replace them at my own expense with h/t bolts. I really couldn't believe it. Then the accelerator cable started to fray, so I replaced that, lucky I spotted it. A little while after, those Cortinas were recalled for replacement cables, however, when I tried to get remuneration for mine, they flatly refused. There was so much wrong with that model MkIII Cortina, again, it should never have been passed by the ADStandards. The front suspension used to change geometry dramatically from reverse, to going forward, the camber of the wheels changed about 4 degrees, and the front tyres scrubbed out the edges from normal driving. No realignment of the wheels would fix that. They were real design lemons.

I've used that as a general term, layman's language.

It went well beyond that. The tables need to be turned on the criminal sharks.

The number of times I've been ripped off, and being too trusting, also trying to make sense of why dealers of certain major brands won't repair a piece of electronic equipment that I bought from them brand new. It's time we stopped being a throw away society, stop the waste, and have honesty and integrity in business for consumers.

"Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he will slash $24 billion from public service spending to pay for his $9 billion injection into Medicare, doubling down on plans to cull tens of thousands of public servants so he can match Labor’s health spending while still promising smaller government. The Coalition has refused to say the precise number of jobs it will cut if elected, but Dutton on Monday confirmed that he would find the money for free GP visits by targeting the 36,000 workers Labor has added to the public service since elected." https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/dutton-says-24-billion-from-public-service-jobs-will-pay-for-bulk-billing-boost-20250224-p5leo7.html If it was me, I'd allocate that $9 billion as a down payment on a big beautiful Consumer Affairs Bureau, the biggest the world has ever seen, with enormous and far reaching powers. It would be so beautiful, everyone would get their refund in an instant, a click of a mouse, for anything they purchase that even hints at fraud, scamming, shoddy workpersonship, inferior materials, false and misleading advertising, playing on people's weaknesses, selling items that are out of stock, sold land that the purchaser will probably never get deeds to, insurance companies refusing to pay out. Local Councils resuming land and properties for a stated public purpose, then selling it off to private developers, or such, other than the stated public purpose. Wouldn't I have fun, if I was running it. Powers would include jailing CEOs, jailing govt officials, freezing funds of online and real time small businesses hitting them with big fines that would brings tears to their eyes, and take years to pay off. I'd teach them a lesson they'd never forget.

I meant that the sacked public servants living on a military wage would find out soon enough how money has to be managed prudently for maximum bang for the buck. Re: subs. We first had to pay compensation to the French, how much was it? 83 or 830 million? ... No feelings, no remorse, no apologies from anyone, just cop it sweet. I hope the voters remember that when walking up to the voting booth.

Zelensky has agreed to the minerals deal. But we've yet to see the other half of the deal as far as Putin is concerned. What has he agreed to, and what's in it for him? That will determine what he does in the future.

Dutton wants to sack 36,000 public servants. Crikey, have we really got that many? Put them all in uniform to fill the vacancies in the military. That would teach them a bit of discipline, not to waste money.

Nope, it's nuclear weapons. Putin has threatened to use them, and the Europeans weren't listening to Putin, they kept fueling the war instead. Trump comes in and finds a way to defuse Putin's threat .. what does it matter which way it is, as long as it's successful, and it looks like it will be with Zolensky agreeing to mineral sales to the US. And there'll have to be some give & take to end the conflict.