The conflicting messages from Trump, sent within the span of just one day, don't resemble anything close to normal diplomatic discourse from a US president. Trump handled the meeting of the most important Western military alliance as though he was playing the hero and the antagonist in a theater performance. First, he criticized Germany, then, just hours later, he sent the chancellor greetings from his family. It's difficult to not describe such scenes in psychiatric terms.
"He lives in his own world and behaves like a mafia boss going from door to door collecting protection money with threats of violence."
Makes one wonder if a defence alliance is required against him rather than with him. Or a spanking.
I'm very worried, and angry. NATO and the worldwide web of alliances formed at the end of the second world war were forged in blood - American blood, but the blood of others too. We have fought alongside Americans first to contain communism and later in an attempt to punish those who attacked the United States on 9/11. Vietnam, Korea, those were wars in pursuit of our joint interests. Afghanistan was a purely punitive war designed to eject the Taliban from power because it harboured the organisation that attacked the USA on 9/11. Iraq, that misadventure was Dick Cheney and his mates taking advantage of the mood of sympathy and concern towards Americans around the world. Everybody knew it was flawed, many tried to talk Bush out of it, but when the USA called, we answered again.
By spitting in the face of NATO and by having his surrogates repeat Putin's idea to split us apart, Trump not only disrespects once again those who have fought together for so long but places the stability and security of the western world at risk. NATO is vital in protecting Europe from Russia, because that is where the war will be fought. Poland and Germany, among others, are the places that will look like Aleppo if a conventional war starts. But if it is more than conventional, that awful threatening Billy Bragg song Help Save the Youth of America that was so off the mark in the 1980's will seem a real possibility. The line in my head goes 'The cities of Europe have burned before and they may yet burn again, but if they do I hope you understand that Washington will burn with them, Omaha will burn with them, Los Alimos will burn with them.'
Isolationism, which is probably where Trump is going, is not possible in a nuclear age. (mind you, and less dramatically, he might also be seeking to impose his will over Iran on the Europeans).
The Europeans got a huge wake-up call when Putin pinched Crimea. The false sense of security of the 1990's is gone. Trump is wrong in his attacks, and he probably knows it. He certainly couldn't give a stuff. Its about time Republicans started to give a stuff.
This is not a scenario that I'm happy to contemplate - at all - but I think that NATO minus US must consider the possibility of raising defence spending, and perhaps let the US go its own way. NATO minus US would be terrible, but collectively the rump NATO could (onerously) make up the shortfall (raising the question, at the cost of what domestic policies). As it stands, the Baltic states have NATO troops stationed there, and Finland and Sweden are quietly happy about this (secondary beneficiaries of NATO's Article 5), given recent Russian air and sea incursions. Sweden's reintroduction of conscription and new civil defence publication evince their concerns. Trump wants it both ways, a muscular US, but without ties to Europe. In a sense, the US's cost of belonging to NATO is the price for their global authority. The question boils down to: Is it better to have the bull in the China shop (no pun intended), or out. I think that it is the former, but also to prepare for the latter.
I think that Trump was not wrong to question Nord 2 this morning. Schroeder has been a disappointingly murky figure in this. But for Trump to call bullshit on a German/Russian deal is jaw dropping in its audacity.
A more immediate but unaddressable question is: What will happen in Helsinki on Monday. And, in the name of God, let there be an American adult in the room at all times. Is NATO's role to prepare him for the summit, or clean up the subsequent mess?
My friend's mother said that because of all the Americans we were so grateful to welcome during her war we should treat Trump with respect as head of state. My friend told her that it was not for what he plans that they died, but she can't take it in.
Trump has backed off from threatening to leave NATO. Of course, he is taking the credit for getting NATO members to increase their defense spending. Macron, though, says there is no change.
I guess I better not wear my MAGA hat in London today.
That's impressive evidence of a pretty poor performance, romanlion. I don't know enough.about him to judge how typical it was. But he sure had a bad day.
Not that the following observation is particular to this case only, but you really can't beat a job that involves having your butt fondled by women you later arrest.
Well, it's Slate, and they aim at an audience of hip, sexually savvy millennials. Though I'm not sure if "tossed" has an onanistic implication in the USA. It does mean "thrown out of court".
I'm not gonna click on Viz at work, but I'm guessing the link is to Finnbarr Saunders and his Double Entendres? F'Narr f'narr!
Trump has backed off from threatening to leave NATO. Of course, he is taking the credit for getting NATO members to increase their defense spending. Macron, though, says there is no change.
I guess I better not wear my MAGA hat in London today.
I expect outrageous behavior from Trump. It's his shtick. What really scared me was the conservative on PBS Newshour opining that if Trump got a second term NATO would be gone. It's like Insane Clown Posse have put on suits and become the establishment. They are a group with a great name but really really really awful music.
The particular commentator is John Mearsheimer. Here is the debate. Note what real balance looks like, any lurking Fox News fans.
Not that the following observation is particular to this case only, but you really can't beat a job that involves having your butt fondled by women you later arrest.
The charge stated that she was taking men's faces and putting them between her breasts and rubbing the breasts in their faces.
Not that the following observation is particular to this case only, but you really can't beat a job that involves having your butt fondled by women you later arrest.
The charge stated that she was taking men's faces and putting them between her breasts and rubbing the breasts in their faces.
Yeah, those were the specific charges, but read the description from the police report for other activities engaged in by Columbus' Finest.
--Stephen Colbert was in fine form Thurs. night. Even continued his monologue into the second segment. Sharp criticism of T's exploits in the UK. And a great review of the Congressional hearing that's interrogating a former CIA officer. (And yes, "interrogating" is the right word.) Investigative hearings can get mighty testy and combative (partly to impress constituents back home). But this was a total freak-out, kind of like a battle royal in pro wrestling. He had lots of actual clips. My, my, my.
It has everyone scrambling after him perpetually trying to catch up, and gradually detaches them from objective reality. It drags the debate into endless denials, claims, and counterclaims. It's a great way of controlling the narrative.
Yeah, I think its part of his strategy, and in my opinion that makes his moral culpability greater than if he was impaired in some way. Isn't this exactly why we were all falling about in horror when he won the election. All of us knew it was going to be very very bad, and he is exceeding expectations.
Yes, but what really bothers me is everybody, both the media and the opposition, following him onto that playing field of his choice and attempting to play there. It's as if they're trying to play tiddlywinks on a Rollerball track and wondering why they can't score any points.
Will he now insult H.M. Queen Elizabeth to make a clean sweep of the UK? Of course, in view of his proclaimed love of Scotland she could order the Royal Babpiper to play at his ear while he is drinking his cup of tea ('Have you finished your tea Mr President?') thus precluding any conversation. It could be an interesting event.
H.M. has had over 60 years' experience of dealing with recalcitrant heads of state. I am sure she can cope with the Odious Orange Ozymandias. I don't think she should have to, but it's a bit late to back out now.
Yes, but what really bothers me is everybody, both the media and the opposition, following him onto that playing field of his choice and attempting to play there. It's as if they're trying to play tiddlywinks on a Rollerball track and wondering why they can't score any points.
Any suggestions as to what could be changed by the media, opposition and all of us, in that respect? It's an utterly weird situation.
Any suggestions as to what could be changed by the media, opposition and all of us, in that respect? It's an utterly weird situation.
Well, there's the Ship...
In all seriousness, having spaces for opposing views to collide with a strong requirement on quoting sources and strong discouragement of name-calling is in my view vital.
The struggle needs to be seen not as one partisan ideal against another but for the space in which democracy can exist at all.
This is more important to me than which side holds political office. It's about the nature and the importance of truth, and it alarms me that more people don't see this.
The media may not be able to help themselves cover distractions (just what did Melania's coat mean?) but they should identify them as such and continue to address the central issues (what is a reasoned response to mass migration?).
Rather than rise to provocation, Trump opponents should stick relentlessly to the facts, exposing falsehoods in as neutral a register as is possible, and be willing to apply the same standards to their own arguments.
This needs to be combined with genuine leadership.
Trump has praised Boris Johnston as a potential great prime minster. That's on the day before he meets the actual PM, who has just sacked Johnston. Trump and Johnston deserve each other: both are horribly undiplomatic and great buffoons. Perhaps in the interests of world peace, they could get together for a round of golf at cliffside resort on an island in mid-Atlantic and then both fall in the sea, never to be seen again...
We have the island of St Kilda available and they'd have the sea-birds for company. Not sure what the Scottish Government would have to say about having two toxic substances on their territory though.
Just so. Mrs. Maybe wouldn't have had the guts to sack the stupid clown...
Eirenist's idea appeals, though, if they both fall into the sea, and get washed out beyond the three-mile-limit (or whatever it is these days), Scottish territory would remain uncontaminated.
H.M. has had over 60 years' experience of dealing with recalcitrant heads of state. I am sure she can cope with the Odious Orange Ozymandias. I don't think she should have to, but it's a bit late to back out now.
I hope he doesn’t yank her hand and pull her over!
Not that the following observation is particular to this case only, but you really can't beat a job that involves having your butt fondled by women you later arrest.
The charge stated that she was taking men's faces and putting them between her breasts and rubbing the breasts in their faces.
Isn't that pretty much what a man goes to a strip club hoping for?
H.M. has had over 60 years' experience of dealing with recalcitrant heads of state. I am sure she can cope with the Odious Orange Ozymandias. I don't think she should have to, but it's a bit late to back out now.
I hope he doesn’t yank her hand and pull her over!
...or grab her you-know-what.
(Your Majesty, if he reaches for the Tic-Tacs -- run!)
The 12, who are members of the GRU, a Russian intelligence agency, are accused of stealing usernames and passwords of volunteers in Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign, including its chairman John Podesta. They also hacked into the computer network of the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in an operation starting around March 2016.
The charges include conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S., aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to launder money. They are accused of releasing the stolen emails on the web.
This seems to have a bit of everything, including (allegedly) using Bitcoin to pay for servers and a(n alleged) connection to Wikileaks. Well, at least Donald and Vlad will have something new to talk about.
It has everyone scrambling after him perpetually trying to catch up, and gradually detaches them from objective reality. It drags the debate into endless denials, claims, and counterclaims. It's a great way of controlling the narrative.
I'm pretty sure it's deliberate. I'm not sure to what extent it's consciously deliberate. ISTM That its a mechanism that he's happened upon, and he's aware that it works. I'm not sure it matters either way though, as long as it continues to work.
And the Orange Angry Baby Trump blimp complete with cell phone has made him feel unwelcome in London? Boo Hoo. I think the makers of that blimp should either take it to wherever he goes or at least franchise it out to other groups. I bet they would make a lot of money on this.
It seems to me that if the USA leaves NATO (and NATO survives,) NATO is then essentially the military arm of the European Union.
I am wondering if Trump makes a move to do that he could be charged with treason in that he would be giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Seems to me, since it is a ratified treaty by the Senate he would have to get the Senate to agree to the withdrawal And he is not going to get that since the Senate voted 97-2 to affirm NATO and even the House affirmed NATO without objection.
11:02 am EDT, June 27, 2016: Donald Trump says on live television "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the thirty thousand emails that are missing." (starts around 0:50 on the linked video)
According to the indictment (pp. 7-8) "[O]n or about July 27, 2016, the Conspirators attempted after hours to spearphish for the first time email accounts at a domain hosted by a third-party provider and used by Clinton's personal office. At or around the same time, they also targeted twenty-six email addresses at the domain for the Clinton Campaign."
So Trump publicly asks Russia to hack Clinton's email, and later that night (or early next morning, Moscow time) the Russians started hacking the Clinton Campaign's e-mail server.
Comments
"He lives in his own world and behaves like a mafia boss going from door to door collecting protection money with threats of violence."
Makes one wonder if a defence alliance is required against him rather than with him. Or a spanking.
By spitting in the face of NATO and by having his surrogates repeat Putin's idea to split us apart, Trump not only disrespects once again those who have fought together for so long but places the stability and security of the western world at risk. NATO is vital in protecting Europe from Russia, because that is where the war will be fought. Poland and Germany, among others, are the places that will look like Aleppo if a conventional war starts. But if it is more than conventional, that awful threatening Billy Bragg song Help Save the Youth of America that was so off the mark in the 1980's will seem a real possibility. The line in my head goes 'The cities of Europe have burned before and they may yet burn again, but if they do I hope you understand that Washington will burn with them, Omaha will burn with them, Los Alimos will burn with them.'
Isolationism, which is probably where Trump is going, is not possible in a nuclear age. (mind you, and less dramatically, he might also be seeking to impose his will over Iran on the Europeans).
The Europeans got a huge wake-up call when Putin pinched Crimea. The false sense of security of the 1990's is gone. Trump is wrong in his attacks, and he probably knows it. He certainly couldn't give a stuff. Its about time Republicans started to give a stuff.
I think that Trump was not wrong to question Nord 2 this morning. Schroeder has been a disappointingly murky figure in this. But for Trump to call bullshit on a German/Russian deal is jaw dropping in its audacity.
A more immediate but unaddressable question is: What will happen in Helsinki on Monday. And, in the name of God, let there be an American adult in the room at all times. Is NATO's role to prepare him for the summit, or clean up the subsequent mess?
I guess I better not wear my MAGA hat in London today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFuTCBlfjec&t=43s
Utter imbecile...
Not that the following observation is particular to this case only, but you really can't beat a job that involves having your butt fondled by women you later arrest.
In fact the full headline "STORMY FREED: Dancer Daniels’ Buttocks Bust Tossed by Judge" is kind of Viz. Again. What's happening to the world?
I'm not gonna click on Viz at work, but I'm guessing the link is to Finnbarr Saunders and his Double Entendres? F'Narr f'narr!
Anyway, this woman goes into a bar, looks all along the optics at the spirits, and says 'Barman, I'd like you to get me a double.....entendre.'
So the barman gives her one.
I expect outrageous behavior from Trump. It's his shtick. What really scared me was the conservative on PBS Newshour opining that if Trump got a second term NATO would be gone. It's like Insane Clown Posse have put on suits and become the establishment. They are a group with a great name but really really really awful music.
The particular commentator is John Mearsheimer. Here is the debate. Note what real balance looks like, any lurking Fox News fans.
The charge stated that she was taking men's faces and putting them between her breasts and rubbing the breasts in their faces.
Yeah, those were the specific charges, but read the description from the police report for other activities engaged in by Columbus' Finest.
--Stephen Colbert was in fine form Thurs. night. Even continued his monologue into the second segment. Sharp criticism of T's exploits in the UK. And a great review of the Congressional hearing that's interrogating a former CIA officer. (And yes, "interrogating" is the right word.) Investigative hearings can get mighty testy and combative (partly to impress constituents back home). But this was a total freak-out, kind of like a battle royal in pro wrestling. He had lots of actual clips. My, my, my.
--"Trump dishes up fresh dose of chaos aimed at May, Londoners" (AP, via Yahoo).
I think he has a list of people to offend and chaos to cause, and is checking it off. And he is "irked" about the angry baby balloon.
It has everyone scrambling after him perpetually trying to catch up, and gradually detaches them from objective reality. It drags the debate into endless denials, claims, and counterclaims. It's a great way of controlling the narrative.
Any suggestions as to what could be changed by the media, opposition and all of us, in that respect? It's an utterly weird situation.
Well, there's the Ship...
In all seriousness, having spaces for opposing views to collide with a strong requirement on quoting sources and strong discouragement of name-calling is in my view vital.
The struggle needs to be seen not as one partisan ideal against another but for the space in which democracy can exist at all.
This is more important to me than which side holds political office. It's about the nature and the importance of truth, and it alarms me that more people don't see this.
The media may not be able to help themselves cover distractions (just what did Melania's coat mean?) but they should identify them as such and continue to address the central issues (what is a reasoned response to mass migration?).
Rather than rise to provocation, Trump opponents should stick relentlessly to the facts, exposing falsehoods in as neutral a register as is possible, and be willing to apply the same standards to their own arguments.
This needs to be combined with genuine leadership.
Eirenist's idea appeals, though, if they both fall into the sea, and get washed out beyond the three-mile-limit (or whatever it is these days), Scottish territory would remain uncontaminated.
I feel sorry for the fishes, though.
IJ
And they seem to use the same barber.
I wonder who pulled what levers?
I hope he doesn’t yank her hand and pull her over!
...or grab her you-know-what.
(Your Majesty, if he reaches for the Tic-Tacs -- run!)
It's simply more of this.
And once again, the contradiction, rather than the issues, becomes the story, as moaned about here.
The sheer ghastliness of the whole Tr**p affair is almost overwhelming, so it's no wonder that perspectives sometimes become flawed.
Perhaps one day - soon, O Lord, soon! - sanity will prevail.
Or Nibiru arrive.
Either seems preferable to present 'reality'.
IJ
This seems to have a bit of everything, including (allegedly) using Bitcoin to pay for servers and a(n alleged) connection to Wikileaks. Well, at least Donald and Vlad will have something new to talk about.
I'm pretty sure it's deliberate. I'm not sure to what extent it's consciously deliberate. ISTM That its a mechanism that he's happened upon, and he's aware that it works. I'm not sure it matters either way though, as long as it continues to work.
https://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44819086
O Americans! Would that he could be your POTUS! But no, he's brown and Muslim!.....
Maybe we could have him as our own Prime Minister? But no, he's brown and Muslim!.....
IJ
Isn't that what the American right kept saying about the previous president?
I am wondering if Trump makes a move to do that he could be charged with treason in that he would be giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Seems to me, since it is a ratified treaty by the Senate he would have to get the Senate to agree to the withdrawal And he is not going to get that since the Senate voted 97-2 to affirm NATO and even the House affirmed NATO without objection.
11:02 am EDT, June 27, 2016: Donald Trump says on live television "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the thirty thousand emails that are missing." (starts around 0:50 on the linked video)
According to the indictment (pp. 7-8) "[O]n or about July 27, 2016, the Conspirators attempted after hours to spearphish for the first time email accounts at a domain hosted by a third-party provider and used by Clinton's personal office. At or around the same time, they also targeted twenty-six email addresses at the domain for the Clinton Campaign."
So Trump publicly asks Russia to hack Clinton's email, and later that night (or early next morning, Moscow time) the Russians started hacking the Clinton Campaign's e-mail server.
Well I just caught the end of an interview with the London mayor on CNN - Amanpour - and thought he was very eloquent and fair to be honest