Always start with "what is their objective".  We kmow White House advisor Steve Witkoff told Putin how to manipulate Trump.   And told him to call Trump just before Zelensky visited.  So that Trump would recind long range weapons that he had previously promised.  Of course, Trump is only about advancing Trump.  That is how Putin and Xi have constantly manipulated Trump. 

Xi also gave Trump irrelevant and vague (not quantified) concessions on soybeans, et al.  So that Trump could go home and exaggerate major accomplishments.  While taking from Trump some serious trade concessions.

Putin successfully got termnated cruise missiles and F-16 missles that Ukraine desperated needs.

Steve Witkoff goes to Moscow almost alone.  Sometimes even without a translator.  So that he can say whatever he want (to advance himself).  And no record exists.  However the transcipt of his phone conversation was leaked (by patriots) demonstrating how he is always working for Putin; not Ameica.

Trump does this same thing.  He meets with adversaries without staff members.  He even confiscates the translators notes.  So that no record exists upon what he actually said.

Trump also claims he has negotiate peace settlements for eight wars.  What are they?  The world press keeps asking how has be ended more wars than were ongoing?  And are still ongoing.  Even Israel never stopped attacking Hamas.

tw wrote:

…From CBS News on 15 October 2027, Ousted general warned of years-long missile defense shortage before Iran war…

…XI has told the Chinese military to prepare for an attack on Taiwan in 2027.    Pacific fleet will need (by some estimate) 20,000 such weapons.  Current stock of Patriots is now estimated as low as 600.

The Patriot missle shortage warning was given before the Iran war because we had only an estimated 2,200 of them even back then, a far cry from a figure of 20,000 needed for a conflict with China, with an estimated 600 going to Ukraine since the start of that war.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), there’s been a post-Cold War shift towards smaller munitions inventories, a defense industrial base restructured for peacetime rather than surge production, and the fact that munitions have competed poorly against platforms like aircraft and ships in the Pentagon’s budget process.

Shortfalls in munitions have been known for some time and were years in the making. It’s just that now they are growing increasingly urgent and some are squawking about it as if what we had before the Iran conflict would make or break a war with China.






 

As Anon notes, America has known about production shortfalls even a decade ago.  We finally admitted that 155 mm artillery shells were so few that a production line in Pennsylvania (the only one for 155 mm shells) was expanded back when Putin first attacked Ukraine.  But then production problems were obvious even back when Europeans attacked Gaddafi in Libya.  Quickly ran short of munitions.  Went begging to America even for dumb bombs.

Trump depleted the supply in his 'three day war'.  What was he going to use for his next planned attack on Cuba?  Yes, the 82nd Airborne was being positioned for that attack.  But then peace is impossible when a leader has a despot attitude.  One would think we all learned from the 1930s.

Remember in Helsinki.  A reporter (a first question) ask if Putin tried to steal the election.  Trump said Dan Coates (National Security Advisor) said he did.  All 17 American intelligence agencies - every one - said he did.   Trump said that. Then Trump said he asked Putin.   Putin said he did not.  So Trump believed Putin.  And not anyone else.  Then people even voted for him?  Why are a majority that unintelligent?  And therefore anti-American?

Despots such as Hitler, Milosevic, Kim, and Putin do as Trump is doing.  Lie constantly.  Because everyone works only to enrich / promote top management.  Screw the American serviceman.

Those sailors on the Abraham Lincoln, deployed for almost a year, and without sufficient food.  Trump even said their deployment was too short.  He mocked them.  He has contempt even for wacko extremists who love him.  Because he is a despot.  And because (according to many of them) democracy is not a good thing.

We have no idea how much destruction Trump is doing.  Resulting facts will become obvious years later.  Why a Department of War?  Only enemies of American love war.  And an anti-American (and racist) Secretary of War.