Trump is blowing up globalism
Trump is an idiot. He's easily the dumbest president this country has ever had, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
I'm no fan of globalism, because in globalism the multinational rules the national. Democracy does not exist at the multinational level, only capital does.
That's why I'm tickled by Trump's incoherent, childish antics this week.
For starters, there's the collapse of the NAFTA talks.
Donald Trump’s trade adviser on Sunday blamed Canada for the failure to finalize a reboot of the North American Free Trade Agreement and suggested the country’s prime minister is headed to hell for crossing the U.S. leader.“We’d have a great deal with Nafta by now if the Canadians would spend more time at the bargaining table and less time lobbying Capitol Hill, and our press and state governments here,” Peter Navarro said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “They are just simply not playing fair. Dishonest. Weak.”
Navarro also said “there’s a special place in hell” for any foreign leader engaging in “bad faith diplomacy” with Trump, referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
NAFTA still exists, but in a weakened state. It's no longer sacrosanct.
However, it was at the G7 where Trump really shined.
A war of words has erupted between the US and its G7 allies, hours after the group had put on an apparent show of unity at the end of a tense summit.US President Donald Trump and two of his advisers lashed out at Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, accusing him of engaging in "bad faith diplomacy".
Germany's Angela Merkel said Mr Trump's decision to reject a joint communique was "sobering" and "depressing".
Oh, it got better than that.
In a conversation that foreshadowed the fractures that emerged at this weekend’s tense G-7 meeting, President Donald Trump reportedly told French President Emmanuel Macron in April that he viewed the EU as “worse than China” when it came to trade issues.
Macron didn't take that statement like Trump thought he would.
Emmanuel Macron has called on other members of the G7 to stand up to Donald Trump’s trade policies in the face of what he described as the threat of a new US “hegemony”.
And then there is Russia.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday slammed President Trump’s proposal to let Russia rejoin the Group of 7 — saying that Vladimir Putin’s “malign activity” had continued after the annexation of Crimea.“I have always said we should engage with Russia but my phrase is ‘engage but beware,’” she said.
“We should remind ourselves why the G8 became the G7, it was because Russia illegally annexed Crimea. We have seen malign activity from Russia in a whole variety of ways, of course including on the streets of Salisbury in the UK,” she said referring to the poisoning of a Russian spy turned double agent and his daughter, which the Brits have blamed on Putin.
If malign activity is the problem, then what about the U.S., British, and French bombing of Syria and Libya?
It matters less why these agreements are blowing up, than the fact that they are blowing up.
Let's hope NATO and WTO are next.
Comments
I liked these photoshopped versions of the picture in the diary
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DfYJwKJU0AAsqn8.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DfYJ0siUwAA6vOX.jpg
edit: I am not sure how I can insert an image so that it shows up without clicking on the link.
Bwahahahaa! Love them!
Those closed, folded arms we're so used to seeing whenever he gets told, "NO!" by his handlers, are quite telling.
Great find
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
I was hoping that you'd help make sense of what's happening
there are so many different opinions about what Trump is doing I can't tell who is right or wrong. I'm still not understanding a lot of this, but this essay helps.
And countless other countries, ehh?
“We should remind ourselves why the G8 became the G7, it was because Russia illegally annexed Crimea."
I get a kick out of the leaders telling Putin that he has been a bad boy after all the countries that they have helped us destroy and the people whose lives are forever changed because of their psychopathy!
I've tried to tell people that it was the USA and its allies that "illegally overthrew Ukraine's government" and that Russia has had a naval base in Crimea for centuries and Russia couldn't afford to let the USA plant its flag on it because of the danger it would represent to Russia. And that the people in Crimea voted to go with Russia. But oh no that wasn't what happened. Russia illegally took over the base and made the people there part of Russia.
It's no wonder that our government keeps throwing bullshit at us. Look at easily people believe it.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
No one has disputed this fact
at least to my knowledge.
Of course when we are blowing up countries all over the world, we often are taking down duly elected governments as well as killing millions of innocent people, rather than letting them decide for themselves.
Globalism is evil. Globalism is the product of neoliberalism in which markets and capital reign supreme over people and countries. The new world order is actually a one world order run by the oligarchs. Whatever the reason Trump may be doing this, it appears to be putting the neoliberal globalists in their place
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Trump comments on the defense budget...
I wish I could find the statements Trump made as he held up the signature on the latest defense budget - some paraphrased memories:
- The US has spent most of the money defending objectives wanted by Europe and others, without spending much themselves. What do we get out of it?
- I (the president) would like to get the troops out of the Middle East, as we have not made much or any progress.
- I would like to know where every dime is going before I sign the bill.
It was stated much better and there was more. If Trump actually manages to bring home ground troops, and quit drone bombing, which continues at horrendous pace, then we'll be getting somewhere.
We had talked early on about the idea that Trump may make moves that are right in spite of handlers and the Deep State objectives. He is truly a loose cannon on any side of a question.
Do we ignore the good things even if it comes from a (insert phrase here)?
I don't understand the change in attitudes and platitudes that Dem politicians are spouting today about trade and bringing jobs home, when in the 1990s they were saying we should do what I think Trump is doing now. What happened to let's help Pittsburgh and Detroit? Or the Ag businesses?
Thoughts?
You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again you did not know. ~ William Wiberforce
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But wasn't that just his rhetoric to get elected?
He is a pathological liar, with no core beliefs. He is only about enriching himself and everything he does is to than end. He also changes his massively malleable mind to the last thing he heard from the most obsequious sycophant in his cabal.
As a bonafide fascist wannabe he has no inclination at all I think to end the wars or reign the military in. After all, the military, cops and the surveillance state are the main components of Fascism.
I don't believe this guy has any good intentions whatsoever, in any direction. Whatever will gain him flattery is all he's about. But I don't think he'd give up his slice of the pie, especially if it exposes him as the vulture capitalist/sleazy real estate goon/dopey casino marauder he really is. If anything he's a conservative RW fascist with occasional Neoliberal spurts. On certain days. On others who knows.
He basically picked up most of Bernie's winning platforms and just repeated it with his snakeoil salesman pitch, which made him to the Left of $hillary. And was able to dupe most people on the fence who hated Hillary but hated him just a hair less, mostly because to entertainment-afflicted Americans found him entertaining and not the usual politician.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
HI Mark, this set of remarks was on BBC just last week.
IF they were recycled, then I missed the first round.
It was current legislation waiting for a signature, which he was holding up. I don't know what happened.
I do know while he was saying this, the drone program was running full tilt.
Sigh.
You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again you did not know. ~ William Wiberforce
If you can donate, please! POP Money is available for bank-to-bank transfers. Email JtC to make a monthly donation.
I have mixed and conflicting thoughts on Trump's trade.
I am all for tariffs. Leveling the playing field is necessary. If Trump wants to keep Michigan, it has to be done. The trade deals struck by Obama and Clinton just made sure the 1% got theirs. OTH, I would love the EU, Russia, and/or China to stand up to the US, not necessarily Trump. The US is a bully and a thug used to getting or taking what it wants for the benefit of its oligarchs. Nothing would make me happier than to bloody the bully.
Trump's war of words on war helped sane people to vote for him. Unfortunately, I don't think he can give the Pentagon trillions of dollars for war toys and no enemies to use them on. If they don't run out of bombs, how can they pay the war machine to make more?? Wonder how long it will take the EU to get fed up with the US for the steady stream of refugees we are creating and flooding into their countries? Italy is there. The rest can't be far behind.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Running the country as a CEO
might have a benefit, as a dictator not
so much, but in either case he's only
acting purely out of ego, as he's not doing any
of this for the love of amerika and it's
people, everything he's doing is for personal
monetary worship and gain.
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Yup, a petulant child
playing to other petulant children, ie his base. And all of it provides an excellent distraction to the further gutting of this country itself.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
It looks as if the country has been gutted already
this is a crumb feeding frenzy by the truly
ignorant one and his cabinet
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
I agree.
I probably should have said "final gutting" which is really what I meant and what I think is happening.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
The Trump Doctrine:
A senior White House official recently defined the Trump foreign policy doctrine for me: "We're America, Bitch."
https://t.co/UzQX7aahp8
O.k. When is the next meeting for the revolution?
-FuturePassed on Sunday, November 25, 2018 10:22 p.m.
That picture is priceless.
He looks just like a 12 year old spoiled brat daring his parents to do something to rein him in while knowing there is not much at all that they really can do. The kind of kid that you cannot help but want to slap hard to wipe that smart ass smirk off his face...
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur