Two cities, same federal agency, totally different levels of sanity.

In Memphis, the mayor looked at the political circus, looked at the crime stats, and basically said, “If ICE is coming anyway, I want them chasing killers and gangbangers, not doing drive‑by paperwork checks.”…

— Willis Eschenbach (@WEschenbach) January 17, 2026

🚨 HOLY SMOKES. ICE agent just went NUCLEAR on leftists obstructing them

"We are trying to arrest a CHILD S*X OFFENDER. That vehicle is IMPEDING our investigations. THAT'S who you're protecting. INSANE."

GO OFF, PATRIOT! Thank you for your service! 🔥🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/x94ynG5Otf

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 18, 2026

Civilized said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

When people like civ are crying, you know America is winning.

Donald Trump is the only Republican in my lifetime that plays offense.

It’s why we love him and the Democrats hate him.

— C3 (@C_3C_3) January 18, 2026

---

I'm just curious because this is an interesting point. What is America "winning" at?

---

Wow, curious, you don't know what Americas winning at? Sad what a man has done to millions of people in this country. Can't see the forest for the trees.

Grok provides an easy cut and paste summary. I hope it gives you some perspective on what an amazing country this is.

Economy
Trade Wins: The U.S. trade deficit just hit a five-year low (down 35% year-over-year), exports are up 6% to near all-time highs, and the gap with China is at its second-smallest since 2009. Trump's tariffs are reshaping global trade in America's favorproving protectionism works for U.S. workers.
Growth & Housing: GDP growth hit 4.3%, stocks are rising, inflation is low, and Trump just announced a $200 billion mortgage bond purchase to slash rates immediately. The American Dream (homeownership) is back big time.
Overall Power: Largest economy in the world (by far), leading producer of oil and natural gas, and the biggest coal reserves. Global stocks are up 30% worldwide, but America's focused policies are pulling ahead.
Military & Global Influence
Military Spending: #1 by a massive marginno one else comes close.
Defense Industry: Top 5 arms companies are all American, generating nearly $189 billion in revenue (China's top 3 combined: $62 billion).
Alliances & Competition: Biden's last speech claimed America is "winning the worldwide competition" with stronger NATO and weaker adversaries. Trump's team is building on that with isolationist "America First" wins, like skepticism on endless foreign aid.
Innovation & Culture
Top Universities: 11 of the world's top 15 are in the U.S.
Entertainment & Soft Power: Hollywood, music, and pop culture dominate globally (e.g., Harry Styles dropping surprise content, Grammy winners everywhere).
Tech & Jobs: Best jobs in 2026 are in U.S.-heavy fields like nurse practitioner, financial manager, IT, and AI. CES 2026 awards are going to American innovations left and right.
Sports (Because Freedom)
Basketball: Team USA just won its fifth straight Olympic gold in men's basketball (and dominates track & field medals).
Hockey: U.S. men won the World Championship gold for the first time since 1933ending a 92-year drought!
Upcoming: Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across North Americamassive global spotlight.
Sure, not everything's perfect (e.g., debates on wars, tariffs raising some prices short-term, or slipping in certain university research rankings to China). But the momentum is undeniable: secure borders, booming exports, lower deficits, and a president focused on making America rich again. As one viral sentiment puts it, "America is backenjoy winning!"
2026 is the year of America's 250th birthday, Route 66's 100th, and events like the World Cup. We're not just participatingwe're leading.

---

That's crazy you got so defensive and spit out an AI summary to answer such a basic question. We all want America to win. I was just asking what you personally think America is winning at from your view as a citizen. Not an AI circle jerk. America has been winning like that for decades, not just recently

---

Brother most Americans share your question, and are dissatisfied with the answers these days even if packgrad and others on here refuse to engage in good faith on topic.

It's completely possible to have a reasonable discussion about how Biden and Dems didn't do enough to secure the border, but that masked ICE goons unconstitutionally abusing their power ain't the solution.

Or about how we all want a strong economy with inflation in check and reasonable interest rates, but attacking the independence of the Fed and tariffing the world in most cases punitively and not protectively ain't the solution.

But if you're hoping for good-faith conversations about the nuances of these and other topics, you won't often find them here unfortunately.

---

Civilized said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

When people like civ are crying, you know America is winning.

Donald Trump is the only Republican in my lifetime that plays offense.

It’s why we love him and the Democrats hate him.

— C3 (@C_3C_3) January 18, 2026

---

I'm just curious because this is an interesting point. What is America "winning" at?

---

Wow, curious, you don't know what Americas winning at? Sad what a man has done to millions of people in this country. Can't see the forest for the trees.

Grok provides an easy cut and paste summary. I hope it gives you some perspective on what an amazing country this is.

Economy
Trade Wins: The U.S. trade deficit just hit a five-year low (down 35% year-over-year), exports are up 6% to near all-time highs, and the gap with China is at its second-smallest since 2009. Trump's tariffs are reshaping global trade in America's favorproving protectionism works for U.S. workers.
Growth & Housing: GDP growth hit 4.3%, stocks are rising, inflation is low, and Trump just announced a $200 billion mortgage bond purchase to slash rates immediately. The American Dream (homeownership) is back big time.
Overall Power: Largest economy in the world (by far), leading producer of oil and natural gas, and the biggest coal reserves. Global stocks are up 30% worldwide, but America's focused policies are pulling ahead.
Military & Global Influence
Military Spending: #1 by a massive marginno one else comes close.
Defense Industry: Top 5 arms companies are all American, generating nearly $189 billion in revenue (China's top 3 combined: $62 billion).
Alliances & Competition: Biden's last speech claimed America is "winning the worldwide competition" with stronger NATO and weaker adversaries. Trump's team is building on that with isolationist "America First" wins, like skepticism on endless foreign aid.
Innovation & Culture
Top Universities: 11 of the world's top 15 are in the U.S.
Entertainment & Soft Power: Hollywood, music, and pop culture dominate globally (e.g., Harry Styles dropping surprise content, Grammy winners everywhere).
Tech & Jobs: Best jobs in 2026 are in U.S.-heavy fields like nurse practitioner, financial manager, IT, and AI. CES 2026 awards are going to American innovations left and right.
Sports (Because Freedom)
Basketball: Team USA just won its fifth straight Olympic gold in men's basketball (and dominates track & field medals).
Hockey: U.S. men won the World Championship gold for the first time since 1933ending a 92-year drought!
Upcoming: Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across North Americamassive global spotlight.
Sure, not everything's perfect (e.g., debates on wars, tariffs raising some prices short-term, or slipping in certain university research rankings to China). But the momentum is undeniable: secure borders, booming exports, lower deficits, and a president focused on making America rich again. As one viral sentiment puts it, "America is backenjoy winning!"
2026 is the year of America's 250th birthday, Route 66's 100th, and events like the World Cup. We're not just participatingwe're leading.

---

That's crazy you got so defensive and spit out an AI summary to answer such a basic question. We all want America to win. I was just asking what you personally think America is winning at from your view as a citizen. Not an AI circle jerk. America has been winning like that for decades, not just recently

---

Brother most Americans share your question, and are dissatisfied with the answers these days even if packgrad and others on here refuse to engage in good faith on topic.

It's completely possible to have a reasonable discussion about how Biden and Dems didn't do enough to secure the border, but that masked ICE goons unconstitutionally abusing their power ain't the solution.

Or about how we all want a strong economy with inflation in check and reasonable interest rates, but attacking the independence of the Fed and tariffing the world in most cases punitively and not protectively ain't the solution.

But if you're hoping for good-faith conversations about the nuances of these and other topics, you won't often find them here unfortunately.

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

You'll cry about immigration today but nothing you can do after colonizing different places in the world. Look no further than the UK. Most their "immigration problems" are from UK born people. It's a pretty tight rope to walk if you want immigration enforcement and expansionist policy

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

You'll cry about immigration today but nothing you can do after colonizing different places in the world. Look no further than the UK. Most their "immigration problems" are from UK born people. It's a pretty tight rope to walk if you want immigration enforcement and expansionist policy

---

I'll ask again, are Alaskans and Hawaiians Americans?

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

You'll cry about immigration today but nothing you can do after colonizing different places in the world. Look no further than the UK. Most their "immigration problems" are from UK born people. It's a pretty tight rope to walk if you want immigration enforcement and expansionist policy

---

I'll ask again, are Alaskans and Hawaiians Americans?

---

They are, yep. Do you want Greenland to be Americans, share your tax paying money with them rather than fix things within our borders?

I asked the first question and you're yet to answer it. But you keep asking your questions

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

When people like civ are crying, you know America is winning.

Donald Trump is the only Republican in my lifetime that plays offense.

It’s why we love him and the Democrats hate him.

— C3 (@C_3C_3) January 18, 2026

---

I'm just curious because this is an interesting point. What is America "winning" at?

---

Wow, curious, you don't know what Americas winning at? Sad what a man has done to millions of people in this country. Can't see the forest for the trees.

Grok provides an easy cut and paste summary. I hope it gives you some perspective on what an amazing country this is.

Economy
Trade Wins: The U.S. trade deficit just hit a five-year low (down 35% year-over-year), exports are up 6% to near all-time highs, and the gap with China is at its second-smallest since 2009. Trump's tariffs are reshaping global trade in America's favorproving protectionism works for U.S. workers.
Growth & Housing: GDP growth hit 4.3%, stocks are rising, inflation is low, and Trump just announced a $200 billion mortgage bond purchase to slash rates immediately. The American Dream (homeownership) is back big time.
Overall Power: Largest economy in the world (by far), leading producer of oil and natural gas, and the biggest coal reserves. Global stocks are up 30% worldwide, but America's focused policies are pulling ahead.
Military & Global Influence
Military Spending: #1 by a massive marginno one else comes close.
Defense Industry: Top 5 arms companies are all American, generating nearly $189 billion in revenue (China's top 3 combined: $62 billion).
Alliances & Competition: Biden's last speech claimed America is "winning the worldwide competition" with stronger NATO and weaker adversaries. Trump's team is building on that with isolationist "America First" wins, like skepticism on endless foreign aid.
Innovation & Culture
Top Universities: 11 of the world's top 15 are in the U.S.
Entertainment & Soft Power: Hollywood, music, and pop culture dominate globally (e.g., Harry Styles dropping surprise content, Grammy winners everywhere).
Tech & Jobs: Best jobs in 2026 are in U.S.-heavy fields like nurse practitioner, financial manager, IT, and AI. CES 2026 awards are going to American innovations left and right.
Sports (Because Freedom)
Basketball: Team USA just won its fifth straight Olympic gold in men's basketball (and dominates track & field medals).
Hockey: U.S. men won the World Championship gold for the first time since 1933ending a 92-year drought!
Upcoming: Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across North Americamassive global spotlight.
Sure, not everything's perfect (e.g., debates on wars, tariffs raising some prices short-term, or slipping in certain university research rankings to China). But the momentum is undeniable: secure borders, booming exports, lower deficits, and a president focused on making America rich again. As one viral sentiment puts it, "America is backenjoy winning!"
2026 is the year of America's 250th birthday, Route 66's 100th, and events like the World Cup. We're not just participatingwe're leading.

---

That's crazy you got so defensive and spit out an AI summary to answer such a basic question. We all want America to win. I was just asking what you personally think America is winning at from your view as a citizen. Not an AI circle jerk. America has been winning like that for decades, not just recently

---

Oh. I'm sorry that was too much of an answer for you. I'm quite happy with the economy. I'm quite happy with the immigration reform and enforcement. How's that, curious?

What do you think America is winning at, curious?

---

Right now I'm wondering if you use Grok to type like a sassy 15 year old teenager or if that's just you to be honest

---

packgrad said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

He's just curious, man.

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

You'll cry about immigration today but nothing you can do after colonizing different places in the world. Look no further than the UK. Most their "immigration problems" are from UK born people. It's a pretty tight rope to walk if you want immigration enforcement and expansionist policy

---

I'll ask again, are Alaskans and Hawaiians Americans?

---

They are, yep. Do you want Greenland to be Americans, share your tax paying money with them rather than fix things within our borders?

I asked the first question and you're yet to answer it. But you keep asking your questions

---

Great. Then the people of Greenland can be Americans too? I would rather share my tax money with Greenland than Somalia. You?

What is your exact question again?

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

You'll cry about immigration today but nothing you can do after colonizing different places in the world. Look no further than the UK. Most their "immigration problems" are from UK born people. It's a pretty tight rope to walk if you want immigration enforcement and expansionist policy

---

I'll ask again, are Alaskans and Hawaiians Americans?

---

They are, yep. Do you want Greenland to be Americans, share your tax paying money with them rather than fix things within our borders?

I asked the first question and you're yet to answer it. But you keep asking your questions

---

Great. Then the people of Greenland can be Americans too? I would rather share my tax money with Greenland than Somalia. You?

What is your exact question again?

---

My question is whether or not you think America should take over Greenland against their will. It sounds like you think the answer is yes. I was just curious of the common sentiment around here. I got it now

I personally don't see a world where doing that and decreasing the national debt / small government influence on individual lives (something I'm passionate about) can coexist.

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

You'll cry about immigration today but nothing you can do after colonizing different places in the world. Look no further than the UK. Most their "immigration problems" are from UK born people. It's a pretty tight rope to walk if you want immigration enforcement and expansionist policy

---

I'll ask again, are Alaskans and Hawaiians Americans?

---

They are, yep. Do you want Greenland to be Americans, share your tax paying money with them rather than fix things within our borders?

I asked the first question and you're yet to answer it. But you keep asking your questions

---

Great. Then the people of Greenland can be Americans too? I would rather share my tax money with Greenland than Somalia. You?

What is your exact question again?

---

My question is whether or not you think America should take over Greenland against their will. It sounds like you think the answer is yes. I was just curious of the common sentiment around here. I got it now

I personally don't see a world where doing that and decreasing the national debt / small government influence on individual lives (something I'm passionate about) can coexist.

---

"Take over" is a disingenuous question. Next you'll drop the "stolen land" catch phrase?

Do I think America should acquire Greenland for national security and to keep Russia/China out of the Western Hemisphere, yes I do.

Would you rather China/Russia be to the west, south (Venezuela) and to the east in Greenland?

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

wolfme said:

---

Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

---

Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

---

You'll cry about immigration today but nothing you can do after colonizing different places in the world. Look no further than the UK. Most their "immigration problems" are from UK born people. It's a pretty tight rope to walk if you want immigration enforcement and expansionist policy

---

I'll ask again, are Alaskans and Hawaiians Americans?

---

They are, yep. Do you want Greenland to be Americans, share your tax paying money with them rather than fix things within our borders?

I asked the first question and you're yet to answer it. But you keep asking your questions

---

Great. Then the people of Greenland can be Americans too? I would rather share my tax money with Greenland than Somalia. You?

What is your exact question again?

---

My question is whether or not you think America should take over Greenland against their will. It sounds like you think the answer is yes. I was just curious of the common sentiment around here. I got it now

I personally don't see a world where doing that and decreasing the national debt / small government influence on individual lives (something I'm passionate about) can coexist.

---

"Take over" is a disingenuous question. Next you'll drop the "stolen land" catch phrase?

Do I think America should acquire Greenland for national security and to keep Russia/China out of the Western Hemisphere, yes I do.

Would you rather China/Russia be to the west, south (Venezuela) and to the east in Greenland?

---

I'm fundamentally small government. I don't believe the government in any form is competent enough to protect the right of individual people. It's just that

---

Civilized said:

---

Gulfstream4 said:

---

Civilized said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

When people like civ are crying, you know America is winning.

Donald Trump is the only Republican in my lifetime that plays offense.

It’s why we love him and the Democrats hate him.

— C3 (@C_3C_3) January 18, 2026

---

I'm just curious because this is an interesting point. What is America "winning" at?

---

Wow, curious, you don't know what Americas winning at? Sad what a man has done to millions of people in this country. Can't see the forest for the trees.

Grok provides an easy cut and paste summary. I hope it gives you some perspective on what an amazing country this is.

Economy
Trade Wins: The U.S. trade deficit just hit a five-year low (down 35% year-over-year), exports are up 6% to near all-time highs, and the gap with China is at its second-smallest since 2009. Trump's tariffs are reshaping global trade in America's favorproving protectionism works for U.S. workers.
Growth & Housing: GDP growth hit 4.3%, stocks are rising, inflation is low, and Trump just announced a $200 billion mortgage bond purchase to slash rates immediately. The American Dream (homeownership) is back big time.
Overall Power: Largest economy in the world (by far), leading producer of oil and natural gas, and the biggest coal reserves. Global stocks are up 30% worldwide, but America's focused policies are pulling ahead.
Military & Global Influence
Military Spending: #1 by a massive marginno one else comes close.
Defense Industry: Top 5 arms companies are all American, generating nearly $189 billion in revenue (China's top 3 combined: $62 billion).
Alliances & Competition: Biden's last speech claimed America is "winning the worldwide competition" with stronger NATO and weaker adversaries. Trump's team is building on that with isolationist "America First" wins, like skepticism on endless foreign aid.
Innovation & Culture
Top Universities: 11 of the world's top 15 are in the U.S.
Entertainment & Soft Power: Hollywood, music, and pop culture dominate globally (e.g., Harry Styles dropping surprise content, Grammy winners everywhere).
Tech & Jobs: Best jobs in 2026 are in U.S.-heavy fields like nurse practitioner, financial manager, IT, and AI. CES 2026 awards are going to American innovations left and right.
Sports (Because Freedom)
Basketball: Team USA just won its fifth straight Olympic gold in men's basketball (and dominates track & field medals).
Hockey: U.S. men won the World Championship gold for the first time since 1933ending a 92-year drought!
Upcoming: Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across North Americamassive global spotlight.
Sure, not everything's perfect (e.g., debates on wars, tariffs raising some prices short-term, or slipping in certain university research rankings to China). But the momentum is undeniable: secure borders, booming exports, lower deficits, and a president focused on making America rich again. As one viral sentiment puts it, "America is backenjoy winning!"
2026 is the year of America's 250th birthday, Route 66's 100th, and events like the World Cup. We're not just participatingwe're leading.

---

That's crazy you got so defensive and spit out an AI summary to answer such a basic question. We all want America to win. I was just asking what you personally think America is winning at from your view as a citizen. Not an AI circle jerk. America has been winning like that for decades, not just recently

---

Brother most Americans share your question, and are dissatisfied with the answers these days even if packgrad and others on here refuse to engage in good faith on topic.

It's completely possible to have a reasonable discussion about how Biden and Dems didn't do enough to secure the border, but that masked ICE goons unconstitutionally abusing their power ain't the solution.

Or about how we all want a strong economy with inflation in check and reasonable interest rates, but attacking the independence of the Fed and tariffing the world in most cases punitively and not protectively ain't the solution.

But if you're hoping for good-faith conversations about the nuances of these and other topics, you won't often find them here unfortunately.

---

Democrats set the world on fire then complain when someone else must clean it up.

We would not be in such a mess if you didn't elect a crazy old man who didn't know which planet he was on. Now 10-20 MILLION illegals (no one knows who these people are) must be deported and now you want due process? Where was the due process the last four years?

I've said before it's not a perfect system. There will be mistakes made given the sheer number of ILLEGALS your guy allowed into the country.

But we have deported way more criminals and illegals than American citizens who have been inconvenienced. If sanctuary city would work with ICE these arrests could be made in jails or detention centers where we know exactly who these people are and not on the streets where we have to search for the person (which inconveniences citizens) Again, democrats eff everything up then complain about the clean up.

---

I like how you and jk and packgrad and others on here reflexively blame Biden and Dems for literally every problem in the world but unfortunately for you it ain't quite that simple.

No, Biden didn't let in 10 million illegals, not even in the wildest of semi-reputable estimates. The actual number is likely less than half that.

The number of illegals quadrupled from 1990-2010 and has risen around 40% since then.

Yeah, ~3 million likely came in under Biden, which ballooned the number from 11 to 14 million.

We've had between 10 and 15 million illegals in the country for 20 or 25 years, including during Trump's first term. So it's clear it got worse under Biden but it's a problem that's been decades in the making.

Why is it all of a sudden an emergency, where the only apparent solution (to you) is unconstitutional?

Why all of a sudden is the solution to deport millions of law-abiding immigrants? That definitely wasn't what Trump said he'd do when he got elected.

What happened to focusing on deporting criminals? That has broad bipartisan support. How did we instead get here, where we have poorly trained masked ICE mall cops illegally stopping and in some cases detaining and arresting and shooting people with no PC, illegally violating the 4th Amendment?

That's obviously not the only feasible solution here. George Bush proposed healthier, legal, and far more sensible solutions than this 20 years ago, and this was post-9/11 and with him having deep history in on the the states most heavily impacted by illegal immigration.

It's definitely not legal, popular, or even necessary.

It is definitely Stephen Miller's wet dream though, and it is definitely unpopular as hell and going to be an albatross for Pubs in 2026.

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

wolfme said:

---

packgrad said:

---

When people like civ are crying, you know America is winning.

Donald Trump is the only Republican in my lifetime that plays offense.

It’s why we love him and the Democrats hate him.

— C3 (@C_3C_3) January 18, 2026

---

I'm just curious because this is an interesting point. What is America "winning" at?

---

Wow, curious, you don't know what Americas winning at? Sad what a man has done to millions of people in this country. Can't see the forest for the trees.

Grok provides an easy cut and paste summary. I hope it gives you some perspective on what an amazing country this is.

Economy
Trade Wins: The U.S. trade deficit just hit a five-year low (down 35% year-over-year), exports are up 6% to near all-time highs, and the gap with China is at its second-smallest since 2009. Trump's tariffs are reshaping global trade in America's favorproving protectionism works for U.S. workers.
Growth & Housing: GDP growth hit 4.3%, stocks are rising, inflation is low, and Trump just announced a $200 billion mortgage bond purchase to slash rates immediately. The American Dream (homeownership) is back big time.
Overall Power: Largest economy in the world (by far), leading producer of oil and natural gas, and the biggest coal reserves. Global stocks are up 30% worldwide, but America's focused policies are pulling ahead.
Military & Global Influence
Military Spending: #1 by a massive marginno one else comes close.
Defense Industry: Top 5 arms companies are all American, generating nearly $189 billion in revenue (China's top 3 combined: $62 billion).
Alliances & Competition: Biden's last speech claimed America is "winning the worldwide competition" with stronger NATO and weaker adversaries. Trump's team is building on that with isolationist "America First" wins, like skepticism on endless foreign aid.
Innovation & Culture
Top Universities: 11 of the world's top 15 are in the U.S.
Entertainment & Soft Power: Hollywood, music, and pop culture dominate globally (e.g., Harry Styles dropping surprise content, Grammy winners everywhere).
Tech & Jobs: Best jobs in 2026 are in U.S.-heavy fields like nurse practitioner, financial manager, IT, and AI. CES 2026 awards are going to American innovations left and right.
Sports (Because Freedom)
Basketball: Team USA just won its fifth straight Olympic gold in men's basketball (and dominates track & field medals).
Hockey: U.S. men won the World Championship gold for the first time since 1933ending a 92-year drought!
Upcoming: Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across North Americamassive global spotlight.
Sure, not everything's perfect (e.g., debates on wars, tariffs raising some prices short-term, or slipping in certain university research rankings to China). But the momentum is undeniable: secure borders, booming exports, lower deficits, and a president focused on making America rich again. As one viral sentiment puts it, "America is backenjoy winning!"
2026 is the year of America's 250th birthday, Route 66's 100th, and events like the World Cup. We're not just participatingwe're leading.

---

That's crazy you got so defensive and spit out an AI summary to answer such a basic question. We all want America to win. I was just asking what you personally think America is winning at from your view as a citizen. Not an AI circle jerk. America has been winning like that for decades, not just recently

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Oh. I'm sorry that was too much of an answer for you. I'm quite happy with the economy. I'm quite happy with the immigration reform and enforcement. How's that, curious?

What do you think America is winning at, curious?

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Right now I'm wondering if you use Grok to type like a sassy 15 year old teenager or if that's just you to be honest

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Curious exposed to be the typical beta leftist in less than three posts. Keep crying about all the winning. It's going to keep going for another three years, little fella. Buckle up because Vance is next.

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Oh ok, because I'm questioning expansionist policy, I must dye my hair pink and be a beta leftist. I'm making out pretty well myself in a pro corporate economy so you don't spend a second worrying about me buddy. If you have family in the military and you wonder if they're being opened up for conflict maybe you'd know me a little better.


This is exactly why the Water Cooler sucks. It's just a bunch of conflicting hardline opinions that make no actual sense in the real world so the same 5 posters come here to hammer their hypocritical points home and label anyone that disagrees as the enemy. Y'all have a good one, or try to. It's not all that angry out there if you touch grass, I promise

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GOP Sen. Rand Paul: I've heard no Republican support for Invading Greenland. Even the most hawkish members of our caucus won't support it. As far as trying to buy it peacefully, you don't get purchasers to come around by berating them pic.twitter.com/nTySYBUHAi

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 18, 2026

Civilized said:

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Gulfstream4 said:

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Civilized said:

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Gulfstream4 said:

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Civilized said:

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wolfme said:

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packgrad said:

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wolfme said:

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packgrad said:

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When people like civ are crying, you know America is winning.

Donald Trump is the only Republican in my lifetime that plays offense.

It’s why we love him and the Democrats hate him.

— C3 (@C_3C_3) January 18, 2026

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I'm just curious because this is an interesting point. What is America "winning" at?

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Wow, curious, you don't know what Americas winning at? Sad what a man has done to millions of people in this country. Can't see the forest for the trees.

Grok provides an easy cut and paste summary. I hope it gives you some perspective on what an amazing country this is.

Economy
Trade Wins: The U.S. trade deficit just hit a five-year low (down 35% year-over-year), exports are up 6% to near all-time highs, and the gap with China is at its second-smallest since 2009. Trump's tariffs are reshaping global trade in America's favorproving protectionism works for U.S. workers.
Growth & Housing: GDP growth hit 4.3%, stocks are rising, inflation is low, and Trump just announced a $200 billion mortgage bond purchase to slash rates immediately. The American Dream (homeownership) is back big time.
Overall Power: Largest economy in the world (by far), leading producer of oil and natural gas, and the biggest coal reserves. Global stocks are up 30% worldwide, but America's focused policies are pulling ahead.
Military & Global Influence
Military Spending: #1 by a massive marginno one else comes close.
Defense Industry: Top 5 arms companies are all American, generating nearly $189 billion in revenue (China's top 3 combined: $62 billion).
Alliances & Competition: Biden's last speech claimed America is "winning the worldwide competition" with stronger NATO and weaker adversaries. Trump's team is building on that with isolationist "America First" wins, like skepticism on endless foreign aid.
Innovation & Culture
Top Universities: 11 of the world's top 15 are in the U.S.
Entertainment & Soft Power: Hollywood, music, and pop culture dominate globally (e.g., Harry Styles dropping surprise content, Grammy winners everywhere).
Tech & Jobs: Best jobs in 2026 are in U.S.-heavy fields like nurse practitioner, financial manager, IT, and AI. CES 2026 awards are going to American innovations left and right.
Sports (Because Freedom)
Basketball: Team USA just won its fifth straight Olympic gold in men's basketball (and dominates track & field medals).
Hockey: U.S. men won the World Championship gold for the first time since 1933ending a 92-year drought!
Upcoming: Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across North Americamassive global spotlight.
Sure, not everything's perfect (e.g., debates on wars, tariffs raising some prices short-term, or slipping in certain university research rankings to China). But the momentum is undeniable: secure borders, booming exports, lower deficits, and a president focused on making America rich again. As one viral sentiment puts it, "America is backenjoy winning!"
2026 is the year of America's 250th birthday, Route 66's 100th, and events like the World Cup. We're not just participatingwe're leading.

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That's crazy you got so defensive and spit out an AI summary to answer such a basic question. We all want America to win. I was just asking what you personally think America is winning at from your view as a citizen. Not an AI circle jerk. America has been winning like that for decades, not just recently

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Brother most Americans share your question, and are dissatisfied with the answers these days even if packgrad and others on here refuse to engage in good faith on topic.

It's completely possible to have a reasonable discussion about how Biden and Dems didn't do enough to secure the border, but that masked ICE goons unconstitutionally abusing their power ain't the solution.

Or about how we all want a strong economy with inflation in check and reasonable interest rates, but attacking the independence of the Fed and tariffing the world in most cases punitively and not protectively ain't the solution.

But if you're hoping for good-faith conversations about the nuances of these and other topics, you won't often find them here unfortunately.

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Democrats set the world on fire then complain when someone else must clean it up.

We would not be in such a mess if you didn't elect a crazy old man who didn't know which planet he was on. Now 10-20 MILLION illegals (no one knows who these people are) must be deported and now you want due process? Where was the due process the last four years?

I've said before it's not a perfect system. There will be mistakes made given the sheer number of ILLEGALS your guy allowed into the country.

But we have deported way more criminals and illegals than American citizens who have been inconvenienced. If sanctuary city would work with ICE these arrests could be made in jails or detention centers where we know exactly who these people are and not on the streets where we have to search for the person (which inconveniences citizens) Again, democrats eff everything up then complain about the clean up.

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I like how you and jk and packgrad and others on here reflexively blame Biden and Dems for literally every problem in the world but unfortunately for you it ain't quite that simple.

No, Biden didn't let in 10 million illegals, not even in the wildest of semi-reputable estimates. The actual number is likely less than half that.

The number of illegals quadrupled from 1990-2010 and has risen around 40% since then.

Yeah, ~3 million likely came in under Biden, which ballooned the number from 11 to 14 million.

We've had between 10 and 15 million illegals in the country for 20 or 25 years, including during Trump's first term. So it's clear it got worse under Biden but it's a problem that's been decades in the making.

Why is it all of a sudden an emergency, where the only apparent solution (to you) is unconstitutional?

Why all of a sudden is the solution to deport millions of law-abiding immigrants? That definitely wasn't what Trump said he'd do when he got elected.

What happened to focusing on deporting criminals? That has broad bipartisan support. How did we instead get here, where we have poorly trained masked ICE mall cops illegally stopping and in some cases detaining and arresting and shooting people with no PC, illegally violating the 4th Amendment?

That's obviously not the only feasible solution here. George Bush proposed healthier, legal, and far more sensible solutions than this 20 years ago, and this was post-9/11 and with him having deep history in on the the states most heavily impacted by illegal immigration.

It's definitely not legal, popular, or even necessary.

It is definitely Stephen Miller's wet dream though, and it is definitely unpopular as hell and going to be an albatross for Pubs in 2026.

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Why all of a sudden is it an emergency? Have you been living under a rock? Housing, jobs, crime, schools, hospitals just to name a few.

Law abiding immigrants….you mean law abiding ILLEGALS? So we should open the doors to everyone in the world just so they are law abiding? How many would you let in. 10 million? 20 million? 100 million? Give me a number of law abiding people Civ would let freely into the country?

Your President Trumps said he would start with the worst and that's what they are trying to do with no help from the democrats. None.

I've said it's not going to be a perfect system given the size of the mess this administration is trying to clean up. There will be mistakes made. But there have been way more criminals and illegals deported than mistakes made. Do you disagree with that? Your party could help but you choose to resist and then complain about it all to GET TRUMP.

GB was HATED by the left. It's just you now hate Trump so you'll pretend like GB was great. You think democrats would ever have gone along with GB? I don't, no way.

No due process in but due process out? It's only in your information bubble where it's not popular. Not necessary? Lol-okay.

Something-something Stephen Miller [yawn]

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What did Trump say he was going to do when he got elected?

What changed?

Harassing people on the street and asking for papers from brown people with accents is not "going after the worst of the worst."

Y'all are going to be very surprised later this year when you'll have no choice but to reckon with it not being just Democrats that disagree with this Administration's dishonesty, incompetence, and lunacy.

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Gulfstream4 said:

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Civilized said:

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Gulfstream4 said:

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wolfme said:

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Gulfstream4 said:

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wolfme said:

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Gulfstream4 said:

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wolfme said:

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Gulfstream4 said:

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wolfme said:

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Gulfstream4 said:

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Does anyone believe Greenlanders are Americans or should be? Where do we stand on the subject of colonization?

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Are Alaskans Americans? Are Hawaiians American? Heck, are Somali's Americans?

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You'll cry about immigration today but nothing you can do after colonizing different places in the world. Look no further than the UK. Most their "immigration problems" are from UK born people. It's a pretty tight rope to walk if you want immigration enforcement and expansionist policy

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I'll ask again, are Alaskans and Hawaiians Americans?

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They are, yep. Do you want Greenland to be Americans, share your tax paying money with them rather than fix things within our borders?

I asked the first question and you're yet to answer it. But you keep asking your questions

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Great. Then the people of Greenland can be Americans too? I would rather share my tax money with Greenland than Somalia. You?

What is your exact question again?

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My question is whether or not you think America should take over Greenland against their will. It sounds like you think the answer is yes. I was just curious of the common sentiment around here. I got it now

I personally don't see a world where doing that and decreasing the national debt / small government influence on individual lives (something I'm passionate about) can coexist.

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"Take over" is a disingenuous question. Next you'll drop the "stolen land" catch phrase?

Do I think America should acquire Greenland for national security and to keep Russia/China out of the Western Hemisphere, yes I do.

Would you rather China/Russia be to the west, south (Venezuela) and to the east in Greenland?

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I'm fundamentally small government. I don't believe the government in any form is competent enough to protect the right of individual people. It's just that

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So, what would you do? Allow America to get boxed in?

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How are they going to get boxed in exactly?

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We have China/Russia to the west. Nothing we can do about that. We get boxed in if they get a toehold in South America, which they were doing in Venezuela and in the East if they get a toehold in Greenland.

I'd rather play offense now than defense in 20 years.

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A CIA Whistleblower Allen Harrow Parrot has dropped hard evidence that pins the execution of Seal Team Six on Hillary Clinton, John Brennan, Barack Obama and Joe Biden and they covered it up. pic.twitter.com/fmJDVnyb8T

— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) January 18, 2026