The US Presidency 2018

[tomahawk6]

Wargames can be reinstated at any time.The North has agreed to helping to repatriate soldiers that were killed during the war.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I don't recall that Obama ever "gave" cash to Iran. I do recall that in the deal, sanctions were lifted which allowed Iran to again access their own sums of money which had been frozen and that there was a negotiated settlement whereby the US returned a certain sum of money that Iran had paid to the US for military equipment that it bought from them and the US had never delivered.

[cheers]

Regardless of the source, that cash was released and was used to prop up a regime that is the sworn enemy of the US and it's pretty clear a good chunk of it went Iranian Revolutionary Guard and it's proxies. Particularly as there have been internal protests that none of those funds were apparently used to fix domestic issues.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Regardless of the source, that cash was released and was used to prop up a regime that is the sworn enemy of the US and it's pretty clear a good chunk of it went Iranian Revolutionary Guard and it's proxies. Particularly as there have been internal protests that none of those funds were apparently used to fix domestic issues.

So what?  The money belonged to Iran and could be used as decided by the government of Iran.  As much as we may object to the internal domestic issues of Iran and its foreign policies, we (nor the American government, nor many Iranian citizens for that matter) have a vote in how that country operates.  After all the accounting, juggling the books and making legally binding (as per American courts) reparations to injured parties, the US government returned the assets that they seized froze nearly forty years previous.  The rest is just political bluster.

 

[tomahawk6]

The left usually rant about denuclearization.Instead its about giving in on war games. ;D

 

[Jarnhamar]

The left usually rant about denuclearization.Instead its about giving in on war games. ;D

Seen that. It's actually pretty funny. Trump is not a nice person because he's  not negotiating with Korea. Then when he successfully negotiates with Korea he's not a nice person because he canceled wargames. Or my favourite he's a horrible negotiator because he  treated their leader like an equal. I shit you not.

If Trump discovered the cure for cancer people would attack him over all the cancer researchers who lost their job.

 

[mariomike]

"There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea."
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1006837823469735936

That's wonderful news.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

So what?  The money belonged to Iran and could be used as decided by the government of Iran.  As much as we may object to the internal domestic issues of Iran and its foreign policies, we (nor the American government, nor many Iranian citizens for that matter) have a vote in how that country operates.  After all the accounting, juggling the books and making legally binding (as per American courts) reparations to injured parties, the US government returned the assets that they seized froze nearly forty years previous.  The rest is just political bluster.

Just as sanctions were having a real effect on the regime and their proxies. That cash saved the regime and guaranteed likely another decade plus of oppression of the Iranian people by the Revolutionary Guard and Clerics. Not to mention keeping their proxies supplied with arms and cash. The citizens of Iran will never benefit from that money.

 

[Infanteer]

Changing tack a bit:

Trump attacked the entire political class, including all political factions of both parties, the immense corruption in American government, the bias of the national media, and the ludicrous interventions of Hollywood airheads masquerading as the political conscience of the nation. Trump called for the reassertion of the American national interest and the public sensed this. An annual trade deficit of $865 billion could not be tolerated. Nor could the steady inflow of 500,000 to a million illiterate migrants a year from Central America and Mexico, or a Western Alliance where the United States paid most of the bill for everyone, guaranteed everyone’s national security, and got little but carping, whining and hypocrisy from its so-called allies. Germany has been the greatest power in Europe since Bismarck unified it in 1871. Chancellor Angela Merkel could have wielded enormous power on the continent, as a kind of Bismarck-in-drag, if you will, but instead she spends almost nothing on defence, appeases Russia in Ukraine while buying its natural gas, and has admirably but unwisely, admitted over a million refugees from the Middle East and Africa in the past three years.

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/conrad-black-trump-is-grating-but-hes-a-true-leader-and-america-needs-him

I always find Conrad Black's editorials worth reading.  His contempt for the U.S. system that imprisoned him is ever apparent, and he has remained an ardent supporter of the President, indicating that it's important to look past the tweets.  He makes points that are worthy of discussion.

 

[a_majoor]

Agree with Infanteer's post. President Trump has clearly decided the status quo is no longer working (or even relevant, for the most part) and is working to upend it in favour of a newer and more "balanced" system (balance for America may not equal "balance" for the rest of the world).

The G-7 summit is a great example of that actually. President Trump has serious concerns about nations using trade agreements to do end runs around US concerns (such as using cheap Chinese steel for imports then sent to America), the size of the trade deficit America is running and keeping the American economy going long term. His offer was actually dropping tariffs and subsidies within the trade block, but the response can be characterized by a breakfast meeting on how Gender issues affect free trade. In effect the G-7 leadership showed their concern about America's concerns.

The introduction of heavy tariffs by the US then made the status quo untenable, and early on it already has the German car industry making overtures, which suggests many EU organizations and interest groups are now going to fight the EU over access to the US market. President Trump has laid their interests bare in one fell swoop, and done so publicly, forcing leaders like Trudeau to take public positions right away.

The US now has the high cards, knows people's positions and can tweak whatever rules they like since they have a commanding position in many economic areas, as well as a strong domestic position to negotiate from (what Americans will be happy to say "we should continue to run multi billion trade deficits forever!"). Note this also strengthens his domestic political position as well (Running against the Democrats he can answer the question about trade deficits as a negative to them).

The guy is like a wreaking ball because he needs to be a wreaking ball to break the status quo which no longer is working for what he sees as American interests.

 

[mariomike]

So...Donald Trump has a point? 

QUOTE

The Fake News is working overtime. Just reported that, despite the tremendous success we are having with the economy & all things else, 91% of the Network News about me is negative (Fake). Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials?
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/994179864436596736

END QUOTE

QUOTE

"You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so that when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you."
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/22/trump-told-lesley-stahl-he-bashes-press-to-discredit-negative-stories.html

END QUOTE

Negative news is fake news? 

 

[Altair]

Everyone remember when the President was championing the stock market, and record gains?

The Dow Jones has currently fallen to November levels, effectively wiping out 7 months of growth.

MAGA.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Good time to buy more index funds.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Good time to buy more index funds.

Yes and mine are holding strong!  Warren Buffett says every person should own stock in an S&P 500 Indexed Fund. 

I own stock in an S&P 500 Index ETF, the growth over the past 10 years has been impressive, even with recessions and other events.  The market always bounces back and compound interest is a powerful thing!

Everyone remember when the President was championing the stock market, and record gains?

The Dow Jones has currently fallen to November levels, effectively wiping out 7 months of growth.

MAGA.

Not really a big deal, markets appreciate and depreciate all the time.  I don't invest for short term gains though, buying and holding is the name of them game because the market will always bounce back.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Not a very nice person.

Maxine Waters Calls For Attacks On Members Of Trump Administration


Already, you have members of your Cabinet that are being booed out of restaurants ... who have protesters taking up at their house, who say, ‘No peace, no sleep! No peace, no sleep!'” Waters continued.

"God is on our side!" Waters declared.

Waters then called for attacks on individual members of the Trump administration, saying, "Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up and if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere."


https://www.dailywire.com/news/32232/watch-maxine-waters-calls-attacks-members-trump-ryan-saavedra?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=062316-news&utm_campaign=benshapiro

 

[Remius]

Not a very nice person.

Her comments  were completely inappropriate. Especially for an elected official.

The Dailywire is pushing their narrative a bit too far I think but yes, her comments could be viewed as incitement. 

Unfortunately many people in US politics are leading the way with these types of things...

 

[mariomike]

The Dailywire is pushing their narrative a bit too far I think 

Ryan Saavedra
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4572812/Breitbart-staff-appalled-tweets-amid-London-terror.html

but yes, her comments could be viewed as incitement. 

Speaking of incitement,
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-incitement-violence/

Perhaps former FLOTUS Michelle Obama had the best advice, "When they go low, we go high."

Otherwise, if they aren't already, they are going to find themselves in a race to the bottom.

 

[kkwd]

Travel ban upheld by Supreme Court. Notice it doesn't say Muslim ban as been stated by some.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-upholds-trump-travel-ban-n873441

 

[Jarnhamar]

Ryan Saavedra
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4572812/Breitbart-staff-appalled-tweets-amid-London-terror.html

I think that's the 10th time you've posted that link in response to an article authored by Saavedra MM.  Have you considered putting it in your signature block?

Speaking of incitement,
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-incitement-violence/

Some whataboutisim with that but I think what she did rates a bit higher than just the typical rethoric. I hope she gets in a lot of shit for running her mouth like that.

 

[Remius]

I think that's the 10th time you've posted that link in response to an article authored by Saavedra MM.  Have you considered putting it in your signature block?


Some whataboutisim with that but I think what she did rates a bit higher than just the typical rethoric. I hope she gets in a lot of crap for running her mouth like that.

She likely will. Unlike a few others on the other political spectrum.

 

[mariomike]

I think that's the 10th time you've posted that link in response to an article authored by Saavedra MM. 

I was also agreeing with this,

The Dailywire is pushing their narrative a bit too far I think

Daily Wire - False stories
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Wire#False_stories

QUOTE

According to Snopes, "DailyWire.com has a tendency to share stories that are taken out of context or not verified."[11] Among the falsehoods published on The Daily Wire include protesters digging up Confederate graves, Democratic congresspeople refusing to stand for a fallen Navy SEAL's widow, and Harvard University holding segregated commencement ceremonies.[11]

FactCheck.Org found that The Daily Wire was the source of a false story which credited Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson with finding over $500 billion in accounting errors made by the Obama administration. FactCheck.org found that the errors were discovered and published by HUD's independent inspector general before Carson became secretary.[12]

The Daily Wire has published a number of articles which cast doubt that climate change is occurring and that humans contribute to climate change. Experts have described the articles as inaccurate and misleading.[13][14][15]

END QUOTE

References 11 - 15.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Wire#References