World Reacts to Trump's "****hole Countries" Remark

[DirectorDave]

I've got a call with a Canadian customer in an hour. Should I try and crack a backstabbing joke..? I'm still undecided.....

It's too good an opportunity to pass up mate, we live in new times my friend, the best negotiating tactic seems to be insult the other person first, call their country a sh1th0le then offer them a burger and have a chat!

[Svensson]

I know Trump is doing well...but "normal" relations with that looney Trudie?

Steady on now Sven old chap!

I've got a call with a Canadian customer in an hour. Should I try and crack a backstabbing joke..? I'm still undecided.....

[Svensson]

Really, if there's any lesson at all to be learned from the Obama years, it's that when continental Europe approves of American policies, that means that we're being taken advantage of.

Really, if there is any lesson at all to be learned form that comment, it's that No matter how far removed from Reality Trump's comments are, his Supporters will believe anything.

The US has had a better recovery from the 2008 financial crisis than the Eurozone, so the deal you had evidently wasn't that bad at all.

The deficit bashing is also nonsensical. You pay for the good you receive and you also get money for the goods you sell. There is no loss. A 500 Billion Trade Surplus does NOT mean you lose 500 Billion because you are getting good for those 500 Billion in return. Presumably worth 500 Billion but I would need to double-check on that...

Fact is, you are being sold one Red Herring after another by Trump and his goons. Meanwhile, the rest of the world are just trying to work out how we negate the Trump presidency without too much damage to the world-economy and existing geo-political relationships. The next guy can;t come soon enough and I don't mind if he's Democrat or Republican, I just want him to be sane.

[DirectorDave]

Next: Try to normalise relations with Canada.

I know Trump is doing well...but "normal" relations with that looney Trudie?

Steady on now Sven old chap!

[Abby Normal]

appeasement and throwing money at dictator regimes dosnt work. if history teaches us anything its this. at least the current administration has learned this.

[Ginger]

Really, if there's any lesson at all to be learned from the Obama years, it's that when continental Europe approves of American policies, that means that we're being taken advantage of.

[Svensson]

She was Sec'y of State for four years, arguably the #2 position in the US government. If she had something to offer, that would have been a good time to show it.

Um, that depends on the perspective of course. Overseas, she is largely regarded as a successful secretary of state and her tenure needs to be seen in context of 8 years of Bush's hawking and warmongering which left the Obama administration with having to rebuild the US reputation in the world. Her approach to politics was largely non-partisan and pragmatic but I guess that would warrant a seprarate thread altogether.

I would say this though:

Trump: "I have given up nothing."
5 minutes later: "We will stop the wargames [with South Korea]."

South Koreans are already scrambling to request clarification of Trump's comments. Trump couldn't even shoe-horn "irreversible and verifiable" into the written statement.

However, it is a success in that there will be further talks and there will be further opportunities to normalise relations.

Next: Try to normalise relations with Canada.

[Ginger]

At some point Trump is going to have to be judged on his results...any Hillary fan who says this meeting would have been possible is deceiving only themselves.

She was Sec'y of State for four years, arguably the #2 position in the US government. If she had something to offer, that would have been a good time to show it.

[DirectorDave]

At some point Trump is going to have to be judged on his results...any Hillary fan who says this meeting would have been possible is deceiving only themselves.

[Svensson]

The BBC is reporting on more corruption and pay-for-play in this administration:

Trump lawyer 'paid by Ukraine' to arrange White House talks

"Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, received a secret payment of at least $400,000 (£300,000) to fix talks between the Ukrainian president and President Trump, according to sources in Kiev close to those involved.

The payment was arranged by intermediaries acting for Ukraine's leader, Petro Poroshenko, the sources said, though Mr Cohen was not registered as a representative of Ukraine as required by US law.

Mr Cohen denies the allegation.

The meeting at the White House was last June. Shortly after the Ukrainian president returned home, his country's anti-corruption agency stopped its investigation into Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44215656

[Pcdunn]

Trump's change of heart towards the Chinese phone company may be tied to his own business project for a resort in Indonesia, to which the Chinese government has loaned money. It is now in his best interest to see that China's economy flourishes.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/05/16/did-trump-help-china-phone-maker/

[Svensson]

Ok, so it seems that ZTE were sanctioned by the US last month because they had violated sanctions against Iran in 2012 and against NK more recently. So we know that Trump is in favour of sanctions against Iran and NK and he has threatened allies like the EU with sanctions if they trade with Iran after the US ripped up the Iran Nuclear deal (and imposed new sanctions). So with this in mind, there seems to be only one logical explanation: He is flip-flopping on his own position if it benefits him personally (either financially, reputationally, or both). Besides, the US military considers ZTE a national security issue which in the past would be the cause of numerous "Lock Her Up" chants.

If it walks like a swamp and quacks like a swamp, then it probably IS a swamp.

[Svensson]

Ok, that IS a better explanation to what I had come up with.

[Herlock Sholmes]

"A mere 72 hours after the Chinese government agreed to put a half-billion dollars into an Indonesian project that will personally enrich Donald Trump, the president ordered a bailout for a Chinese-government-owned cellphone maker."

I think they call it "pay to play." The swamp is deeper and dirtier than ever and it isn't even very well hidden.

Very cynical of you RJ

[rjpalmer]

"A mere 72 hours after the Chinese government agreed to put a half-billion dollars into an Indonesian project that will personally enrich Donald Trump, the president ordered a bailout for a Chinese-government-owned cellphone maker."

I think they call it "pay to play." The swamp is deeper and dirtier than ever and it isn't even very well hidden.