NM11046 Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 1 hour ago, RedDenver said: It'll be interesting to see what the comments from the WH are. Trump is known for complete 180's on issues, maybe he'll do that with Russia now. Link to comment
TGHusker Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 This is an excellent OpEd from one of my favorite conservative columnists. Michael Gerson, no Trump fan, speaks against isolationist, nationalistic thought of the current admin. He says that the USA needs to be more engaged and not less on the world scene - not in a neo-con John Bolton way but in continuation of our 'unavoidable international responsibilities". He says that "Trumps form of extreme nationalism makes us ordinary - just another power scrambling for advantages'". I encourage you to read the full article - not long. https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900013423/we-are-not-globalists-we-are-americans.html A couple quotes: Quote An extraordinary group of leaders — politicians, military commanders, diplomats — defined a practical and moral role for America in the global defense of free governments and institutions. "In natural abilities and experience," writes historian Paul Johnson, "in clarity of mind and in magnanimity, they were probably the finest group of American leaders since the Founding Fathers." Harry Truman lent his defiant moral sensibilities to the enterprise. Dwight Eisenhower matched humility with power. John F. Kennedy gave poetry to the struggle. "For it is the fate of this generation," he said, "to live with a struggle we did not start, in a world we did not make. … And while no nation ever faced such a challenge, no nation has ever been more ready to seize the burden and the glory of freedom." This is what some now dismiss as "globalism" — the combination of America's founding purpose with unavoidable international responsibilities. The post-war pre-eminence of the United States has been sustainable, not only because of our military power, but because the global order we shaped is not a zero-sum game. Both America and our allies benefit from American security commitments in Europe and East Asia. Both America and our trading partners can benefit from relatively free global markets. Quote I have been asking myself: Why is our political moment not just pathetic but traumatic? America now has a president who is staggeringly ignorant of this history — unfamiliar with its heroes and unmoved by its moral achievements. Donald Trump's view of the world is built on grievances — against migrants who corrupt our country and against foreigners who economically exploit it. Once again, people fleeing from war and oppression are dangerous infiltrators. America wants its money back from free riders such as Japan, South Korea and Germany. The zero-sum game has returned. America only wins when others lose. The Trump administration is not only an affront to decency and the rule of law; it is an assault on America's self-conception. In Trump's view, the United States is a nation like any other nation, defined by ethnicity and oriented toward narrow interests. An American president not only admires Russia; he wants us to be more like it, in both conduct and self-image. Trump's form of extreme nationalism makes us ordinary — just another power scrambling for advantages. I like this ending Quote As Truman might have said: To hell with that. We are the nation that liberated death camps, rebuilt our enemies, inspires dissidents, welcomes refugees, secures the peace on every contested frontier and seizes "the burden and glory of freedom." This does not make us "globalists"; it makes us Americans. Link to comment
Danny Bateman Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 A thoughtful piece by Tom Nichols on what the Bolton hire likely means and how we could still lose even if Bolton is ineffectual: Quote Indeed, Bolton might find the tension of working for Trump irresolvable. The president ran as an isolationist and an America-firster; Bolton believes in military action to attack regimes that are even a potential threat to the United States. So far, Trump has corrupted the views of almost every adviser who has worked for him. Will Bolton change Trump’s mind, or will Trump mousetrap Bolton into backtracking on his own beliefs? Perhaps the greatest danger is that this appointment represents Bolton’s last chance at a position of authority, and thus he will shoot for the moon in an all-out attempt to see if he can turn years of blunted and discredited plans into reality. If so, Bolton’s adherence to his own agenda could well lead to a staff revolt in the National Security Council (if one is not already in the offing); to greater paralysis in the interagency policy process; to yet more destruction in the State Department; and to even greater political and operational distance between the White House and the Defense Department. Which means that as panicked as the Trump administration’s opponents might be, the larger danger is not that Bolton will succeed in remaking American foreign policy as much it is that he will contribute to the utter incoherence of the Trump foreign policy team, and consequently accelerate the free-fall of American power and prestige in the world. And that, more than any of John Bolton’s weird schemes, could invite greater tests of American will and even raise the risk of war. Bolton’s views are dangerous, and, yes, he could very well be the vehicle by which the United States yet again chooses a preventive war that no one knows how to finish. The more likely outcome, however, is also the one that would, somewhat pathetically, also be the best one: that Bolton turns out to be just another celebrity hire who thinks he has been brought on board to help steer the ship of state — only to find that the rudder has long been broken, and the captain is already extending yet another plank to be walked. I thought his definitions of preemptive vs. preventative warfare were very important. Bolton was completely wrong about Iraq and was thus relegated to the fringes of irrelevance for a long time. Now he's back in the limelight. Who knows what happens? I'm fairly sure we can all agree it won't be good - I assume no one is particularly excited about the prospects of war in North Korea or Iran. How ironic it would be to have the same man who spurred us to war in Iraq almost two decades ago ultimately lead us into another war with their Middle East neighbor. 1 Link to comment
BigRedBuster Posted March 24, 2018 Author Share Posted March 24, 2018 What did they expect by electing an idiot. 2 Link to comment
Moiraine Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Not super related but don't want to make a new topic. I have a Chinese friend who I used to work with, and she has a friend working for a company in China which is owned by the government. She told her they made them hand in their passports and now they're not allowed to leave China unless they get permission. Link to comment
RedDenver Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 1 hour ago, Moiraine said: Not super related but don't want to make a new topic. I have a Chinese friend who I used to work with, and she has a friend working for a company in China which is owned by the government. She told her they made them hand in their passports and now they're not allowed to leave China unless they get permission. I saw an article a few years ago that the UAE does this with both their own citizens and foreign workers. It approaches slave labor. Link to comment
TGHusker Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 Trump's tariffs are really working. China announced counter tariffs on airplanes and other big industry items. Market is down over 400 pts already this morning. What is that cricket sound I hear from the WH - it isn't their bragging on how well the stock market is doing. Link to comment
HS_Coach_C Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 38 minutes ago, TGHusker said: Trump's tariffs are really working. China announced counter tariffs on airplanes and other big industry items. Market is down over 400 pts already this morning. What is that cricket sound I hear from the WH - it isn't their bragging on how well the stock market is doing. ...not totally crickets, he did threaten to get rid of NAFTA yesterday as well... Link to comment
commando Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 IF trump is a russian plant to destroy america...the russians have hit a home run. Link to comment
Danny Bateman Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 An entire article's worth of economists telling Trump economic cheerleader Peter Navarro he doesn't know what he's talking about at all. Really quite astounding how neatly economists across the political spectrum agree that Navarro is talking out of his rear end. 1 Link to comment
TGHusker Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 37 minutes ago, commando said: IF trump is a russian plant to destroy america...the russians have hit a home run. And some of us thought Obama was the Manchurian candidate. Link to comment
knapplc Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 4 minutes ago, TGHusker said: And some of us thought Obama was the Manchurian candidate. Fox News is a hell of a drug. 2 Link to comment
TGHusker Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 With that- Trump's attack on Amazon is like booking yourself in the face. He attacks Amazon - why - because he is a child. Amazon's Bezos owns the Washington Post - which is one of Trump's fake news champions. So instead of hurting the Post he goes after Amazon. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/04/04/trump-amazon-washington-post-jeff-bezos-217774 2 minutes ago, knapplc said: Fox News is a hell of a drug. U got that right. So glad I don't watch it any more. Link to comment
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