President Donald J. Trump

[albrecht]

[21st Century Man]

So when's Kerry going to jail for colluding with the Iranians?

[Value Of Pi]

Well, we expect our allies to fund NATO at the levels they agreed to.  We would like to be in sync on foreign policy, but that's never been the case on all issues.  That the leadership in Western Europe and elsewhere leaves much to be desired isn't our fault.

I don't see him sucking up to Putin.  He's stood up and opposed him more strongly that Obama ever did.  I think it would be in our benefit to be on as good of terms as practicable, as there are areas of both conflict and joint interest we need to work together on.  If you want an example of how not to deal with him, and get completely played at every juncture, see the Obama presidency and the Hilary Clinton State Department.  I get that you need to believe otherwise for the whole ''collusion'' narrative to make sense though. 

Somehow the way he's dealt with NK has gotten them to the table with SK and with us.  That you don't even give him credit for that says much.


And yes, he hamstrings himself.  That doesn't mean the Democrat Fake News Media isn't going all out to do that as well.

Just wanted to point out that many people and most of the media are making it seem like an accomplishment to get NK to the bargaining table on their nuclear program, more so because it's a direct negotiation between NK and the U.S. involving POTUS.

IMO, at this point it's no accomplishment at all. NK has always wanted direct talks with the U.S. (mainly for propaganda purposes and to cut out local allies like Japan). We've always refused direct talks, even before nukes were the issue. So, this is a win for NK to this point. Also, China is starting to relax sanctions, taking advantage of all the happy talk.

Kim is playing this smart. He's given up nothing tangible to date and he's already made gains ahead of the summit. As for the outcome, I'd bet on Kim being a better negotiator than Trump and the world holding its breath and hoping that hawks like Bolton and Pompeo can stop Trump from making dangerous concessions in return for empty promises. Oh, the irony of Bolton maybe getting in Trump's ear and saving us from an even worse situation than we have now.

It's going to take one very smart, very tough president to get NK to give up its nukes, something they have absolutely no intention of doing regardless of what they say. Trump will fail like all his predecessors. But hey, maybe the next president. Always hope, I guess.

[Kidnostad3]

https://youtu.be/MONZ2ewR7EY

[Taaroa]

Just wanted to point out that many people and most of the media are making it seem like an accomplishment to get NK to the bargaining table on their nuclear program, more so because it's a direct negotiation between NK and the U.S. involving POTUS.

IMO, at this point it's no accomplishment at all. NK has always wanted direct talks with the U.S. (mainly for propaganda purposes and to cut out local allies like Japan). We've always refused direct talks, even before nukes were the issue. So, this is a win for NK to this point. Also, China is starting to relax sanctions, taking advantage of all the happy talk.

Kim is playing this smart. He's given up nothing tangible to date and he's already made gains ahead of the summit. As for the outcome, I'd bet on Kim being a better negotiator than Trump and the world holding its breath and hoping that hawks like Bolton and Pompeo can stop Trump from making dangerous concessions in return for empty promises. Oh, the irony of Bolton maybe getting in Trump's ear and saving us from an even worse situation than we have now.

It's going to take one very smart, very tough president to get NK to give up its nukes, something they have absolutely no intention of doing regardless of what they say. Trump will fail like all his predecessors. But hey, maybe the next president. Always hope, I guess.

I think there needs to be less focus on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and more progress on improving the lives of their citizens and developing better relations between the South and North (eg a more formalised end to the Korean War, resolution of border issues, etc). If I were NK I wouldn't give up my ultimate trump card either and would be nervously looking at the history of countries and regimes which have either given up the weapons completely or ended WMD programs following international pressures.
It also comes across as a hypocrisy that you have countries like the US pushing for denuclearisation when they themselves have a massive arsenal of nuclear weapons, and when other arguably less stable countries (ie Pakistan and India) have nuclear weapons without a peep from anyone.

I don't expect them to give up their nukes or for reunification to suddenly occur, but maybe with further talks there'll be some improvement of the general situation in the region...

[Kidnostad3]

Just wanted to point out that many people and most of the media are making it seem like an accomplishment to get NK to the bargaining table on their nuclear program, more so because it's a direct negotiation between NK and the U.S. involving POTUS.

IMO, at this point it's no accomplishment at all. NK has always wanted direct talks with the U.S. (mainly for propaganda purposes and to cut out local allies like Japan). We've always refused direct talks, even before nukes were the issue. So, this is a win for NK to this point. Also, China is starting to relax sanctions, taking advantage of all the happy talk.

Kim is playing this smart. He's given up nothing tangible to date and he's already made gains ahead of the summit. As for the outcome, I'd bet on Kim being a better negotiator than Trump and the world holding its breath and hoping that hawks like Bolton and Pompeo can stop Trump from making dangerous concessions in return for empty promises. Oh, the irony of Bolton maybe getting in Trump's ear and saving us from an even worse situation than we have now.

It's going to take one very smart, very tough president to get NK to give up its nukes, something they have absolutely no intention of doing regardless of what they say. Trump will fail like all his predecessors. But hey, maybe the next president. Always hope, I guess.

You have a lightening grasp of the glaringly obvious.  Of course there are no guarantees that N.K. has pure motives and will follow through on it’s recently arrived at willingness to give up its nukes if the U.S guarantees that no overt or covert action will be taken to overthrow the regime.  Trump has repeatedly emphasized that there will be no agreement that does not provide for total denuclearization and full access to all facilities for the purposes of regular and impromptu inspections.  He also said that if any disegenuousness or waffling on the part of N.K. is detected he will end the talks.  Perhaps you would feel better if he sent Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton to offer gifts and walk away with exactly nothing again.

Your assertion that Trump agreeing to direct talks is some sort of concession is just plain silly.   No President has applied the pressure on NK and China that Trump has which is exactly what has brought us to the point where direct talks are appropriate.  What concession do you imagine Trump might make that would make things worse than they were when he took office?  Do you think that he will agree to NK’s continued testing of nuclear weapons and long range missiles and allow Kim to continue to openly threaten the U.S. and our allies?

What bothers me most about you rabid anti-Trumpers is that you are willing to abandon all objectivity and reason to avoid giving Trump the credit he is due?

[Value Of Pi]

I think there needs to be less focus on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and more progress on improving the lives of their citizens and developing better relations between the South and North (eg a more formalised end to the Korean War, resolution of border issues, etc). If I were NK I wouldn't give up my ultimate trump card either and would be nervously looking at the history of countries and regimes which have either given up the weapons completely or ended WMD programs following international pressures.
It also comes across as a hypocrisy that you have countries like the US pushing for denuclearisation when they themselves have a massive arsenal of nuclear weapons, and when other arguably less stable countries (ie Pakistan and India) have nuclear weapons without a peep from anyone.

I don't expect them to give up their nukes or for reunification to suddenly occur, but maybe with further talks there'll be some improvement of the general situation in the region...

Your last thought is a nice, reasonable wish -- gradually lessening tensions thanks to regular, ongoing diplomatic activity -- except for the reality that the two people calling most of the shots are Trump and Kim. They're each looking to score a coup. Slow, long term progress is not really on the table. They each want a big win and they want it now.

Worse still, the U.S. and its allies have security interests diametrically opposed to North Korea's, especially now that they have nukes and are close to having a working ICBM. Maybe everyday border disputes (eg. fishing rights) and some other issues could be successfully negotiated, but there's no middle ground here between having nukes and totally giving up those nukes. Not with a dictatorship as historically untrustworthy as NK. Inspection regimes have been tried in NK and failed. The possibility of Kim accepting an effective inspection regime is extremely unlikely.

So, I'm guessing the summit will fail and each side will return to threatening the other with total destruction. Until we get a new and much smarter set of leaders in Washington, the best policy may just be for everyone to keep their fingers crossed.

[Dr. MD MD]

Oh of course. But the Democrats. Trump is the swampiest swamp monster that has ever crawled from the swamp.

I think you're forgetting about your mother.

[PB the Deplorable]

... Trump is the swampiest swamp monster that has ever crawled from the swamp.

I don't deny he's a scumbag.  But he's from a different swamp - the New York City local corruption swamp, not the Wall St / DC swamp. 

The New York local city hall / mob run unions / property developer / etc swamp doesn't affect most of the people in this country, but the globalist / crony capitalist / deep state swamp sure does.  As long as Trump is moving the forward and on the right course, most Americans are going to support him against the Fake News Media / sore loser Democrat / Antifa America haters.

Maybe it takes a Trump to take down the globalist fascists.  Scratch that - it takes a hired gun like Trump to take out the filth who are stealing and subverting our republic.  My recommendation is you stay in Canada, continue riding the coattails of the US, and don't interfere in our elections.

[PB the Deplorable]

Just wanted to point out that many people and most of the media are making it seem like an accomplishment to get NK to the bargaining table on their nuclear program, more so because it's a direct negotiation between NK and the U.S. involving POTUS.

IMO, at this point it's no accomplishment at all. NK has always wanted direct talks with the U.S. (mainly for propaganda purposes and to cut out local allies like Japan). We've always refused direct talks, even before nukes were the issue. So, this is a win for NK to this point...

You are correct that US policy has been regional dialogue with the US, Japan, SK, China, Russia, and NK.  And that NK has wanted to divide Japan, SK, and the US and cut a separate deal with the US only.

You are also correct that Kim is likely up to the same old trick of getting what he wants upfront, with him making promises to (not) be carried out down the line.  Like the previous NK deals, and like Obama's Iran deal


But let's wait and see.  NK and SK had direct talks, so SK wasn't cut out.  Perhaps NK is ready to make a real deal.  I believe Trump when he says he's ready to walk away if they aren't serious.  They've had the lower level meetings that take place before the summit meetings, and a hard line guy like Mike Pompeo is still on board.  I don't see this ending up like a Bill Clinton or Obama type deal.

[Kidnostad3]

Your last thought is a nice, reasonable wish -- gradually lessening tensions thanks to regular, ongoing diplomatic activity -- except for the reality that the two people calling most of the shots are Trump and Kim. They're each looking to score a coup. Slow, long term progress is not really on the table. They each want a big win and they want it now.

Worse still, the U.S. and its allies have security interests diametrically opposed to North Korea's, especially now that they have nukes and are close to having a working ICBM. Maybe everyday border disputes (eg. fishing rights) and some other issues could be successfully negotiated, but there's no middle ground here between having nukes and totally giving up those nukes. Not with a dictatorship as historically untrustworthy as NK. Inspection regimes have been tried in NK and failed. The possibility of Kim accepting an effective inspection regime is extremely unlikely.

So, I'm guessing the summit will fail and each side will return to threatening the other with total destruction. Until we get a new and much smarter set of leaders in Washington, the best policy may just be for everyone to keep their fingers crossed.

Pish posh. If negotiations fail additional sanctions will be imposed and everybody including Kim understands that.  This is the only shot Kim has at survivial.  Given that Trump will more than likely pull out of Obama’s toothless agreement with Iran unless the terms are beefed up, what makes you think that he will let NK swizzle him like Iran swizzled Kerry, Obama and you.  Stop thinking like a liberal twit and try thinking like a rational adult.   

[Value Of Pi]

You are correct that US policy has been regional dialogue with the US, Japan, SK, China, Russia, and NK.  And that NK has wanted to divide Japan, SK, and the US and cut a separate deal with the US only.

You are also correct that Kim is likely up to the same old trick of getting what he wants upfront, with him making promises to (not) be carried out down the line.  Like the previous NK deals, and like Obama's Iran deal


But let's wait and see.  NK and SK had direct talks, so SK wasn't cut out.  Perhaps NK is ready to make a real deal.  I believe Trump when he says he's ready to walk away if they aren't serious.  They've had the lower level meetings that take place before the summit meetings, and a hard line guy like Mike Pompeo is still on board.  I don't see this ending up like a Bill Clinton or Obama type deal.

I can definitely see Trump walking away, one way or another. And probably more pissed off than ever about the whole situation. What he does or doesn't do next is the big question. Tweeting and making speeches is one thing, giving Little Rocket Man a bloody nose is another. But I'm all for waiting and seeing. Won't be boring to watch.

[Yorkshire pud]

I believe Trump when he says he's ready to walk away if they aren't serious.  They've had the lower level meetings that take place before the summit meetings, and a hard line guy like Mike Pompeo is still on board.  I don't see this ending up like a Bill Clinton or Obama type deal.

Lower level meeting? You can't get much lower than Trump in a meeting. His default (To date) attitude to any 'deal' is to ridicule, cheat, lie, not pay his bills, lie some more, cheat some more.....He will have little if any understanding what the hell is going on around him, and will stare into space as the grown ups on the US side attempt to get some kind of detente with the fat kid..And that is if Trump turns up. If he does turn up he'll bang on and on about how many voted for him, and how much the world is unfair to him. 

[starrmtn001]

https://youtu.be/6ERokgTu-MA

[Yorkshire pud]

https://youtu.be/6ERokgTu-MA

The GOP do a lot of calling don't they? Mainly to protect their corrupter in chief in the WH rather than do what they were elected to do.

[Gd5150]

https://youtu.be/6ERokgTu-MA

Kerry is a real prize.

Secretary of State John Kerry broke onto the national political scene after returning home from four months in Vietnam. He testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971 and had this to say about his fellow brothers in arms:

“They had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam.”

This atrocious testimony and backstabbing launched his political career.

[Yorkshire pud]

Kerry is a real prize.

This atrocious testimony and backstabbing launched his political career.

Sure, if you think that committing war crimes on the opposition makes you a better person. Incidentally, when it comes to back stabbing allies, Trump is an absolute gem at doing that...And he doesn't have any experiences in Vietnam to fall back on..

[Up All Night]

Just wanted to trigger some liberal cucks



A worker erects a road sign for the new US embassy due to open in Jerusalem in one week...

[munbeam666]

Sure, if you think that committing war crimes on the opposition makes you a better person. Incidentally, when it comes to back stabbing allies, Trump is an absolute gem at doing that...And he doesn't have any experiences in Vietnam to fall back on..

Trump was a raft-dodger

[PB the Deplorable]

The GOP do a lot of calling don't they?...

As opposed to constantly insisting everything about our country is racist, and finding a reason any opposition to any of their schemes is racist?

Nothing anyone could say or do is lower than the Left when it comes to name calling and smear tactics. 

[analog kid]

I don't deny he's a scumbag.  But he's from a different swamp - the New York City local corruption swamp, not the Wall St / DC swamp.

The former is running the country. The dirtiest anyone has ever seen. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it.

The New York local city hall / mob run unions / property developer / etc swamp doesn't affect most of the people in this country, but the globalist / crony capitalist / deep state swamp sure does.  As long as Trump is moving the forward and on the right course, most Americans are going to support him against the Fake News Media / sore loser Democrat / Antifa America haters.

"Globalists" and "Deep State" are bullshit terms created to give you phantoms to chase. Look up the origins of those. Antifa as well.

Maybe it takes a Trump to take down the globalist fascists.  Scratch that - it takes a hired gun like Trump to take out the filth who are stealing and subverting our republic.  My recommendation is you stay in Canada, continue riding the coattails of the US, and don't interfere in our elections.

Most of your arguments are lobbed at imaginary opponents (I've never claimed to be a supporter of the Democratic party and I'm from Louisiana), and the assumptions don't stop there, by any means. It makes me think you spend a bit too much time in your head. Granted you're a smart guy, and a lot smarter than myself. But, for example, your years-long obsession with Occupy Wall Street was just weird. You thought there were actual roving rape gangs?

[PB the Deplorable]

Sure, if you think that committing war crimes on the opposition makes you a better person...

The problem with his testimony is it wasn't true.  Our troops weren't doing that.  Not that he would even know, he spent his time on base.  He's another detestable liar.

You know, it's one thing to lie about things that don't matter, the way Trump does.  It's not cool, but it doesn't effect anything.  It's completely different when people like John Kerry, the Clintons, Obama, and the fake news media are continually attacking our country with lies and smears for political gain.

Understand?  No, of course you don't.

[PB the Deplorable]

The former is running the country. The dirtiest anyone has ever seen. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it.

Absolute bullshit

... bullshit terms created to give you phantoms to chase... Most of your arguments are lobbed at imaginary opponents... the assumptions don't stop there... It makes me think you spend a bit too much time in your head...

This describes the Ds much more than it does me

[analog kid]

Absolute bullshit

Riiight. Trump and his cronies don't have mafia ties, and aren't corrupt. Mmmhmm.

This describes the Ds much more than it does me

Nice cop-out. Keep inventing villains to lob straw men at.

[Gd5150]

You know it, I know it, everyone knows it.

The only thing everyone knows is what a sad hate filled demokkkrat lemming people like you and your pedofile friend are. Now run along and change your avatar.

[Lord Grantham]

Now run along and change your avatar.

Always obsessed with pictures, this one is.

[analog kid]

The only thing everyone knows is what a sad hate filled demokkkrat lemming people like you and your pedofile friend are. Now run along and change your avatar.

LOL at this word salad.

[Yorkshire pud]

The problem with his testimony is it wasn't true.  Our troops weren't doing that.  Not that he would even know, he spent his time on base.  He's another detestable liar.

You know, it's one thing to lie about things that don't matter, the way Trump does.  It's not cool, but it doesn't effect anything.  It's completely different when people like John Kerry, the Clintons, Obama, and the the Trump cult headed by Fox fake news media are continually attacking our country with lies and smears for political gain. Yep.

Understand?  No, of course you don't.

It doesn't affect anything? You're joking right? The other day he sent his latest lawyer Giuliani to say that three Americans held in NK would be released...The state department had no idea what he was talking about. Not only that, but he said that they were all taken prisoner when Obama was in office..Nope..One was. The other two were there since Trump took office.

Or perhaps the crap he said about getting Puerto Rico back up and running...They're nowhere near up and running and won't be when the hurricane season begins again..

Trump lies even when it is better for him if he tells the truth. What sort of brainless idiot does that? When he isn't driving that train wreck he's playing golf. He even cheats at that, so much so that no-one even cares, it's just 'what he does'. He's such a whiny, spoiled brat.


You say it doesn't matter; Well what if in the not too distant future the USA/NATO faces a very serious situation that literally is life and death for all, and only very careful diplomacy will make the difference? Who will believe what he says? And why should they?

[Jackstar]

You're joking right?

Fuck off.

[albrecht]

"Globalists" and "Deep State" are bullshit terms created to give you phantoms to chase. Look up the origins of those.

Peter Dale Scott was a Canadian professor, a poet, and a leftist and was an ardent anti-Vietnam War activist. Teaches at Berkley. He wrote about the Deep State in his book Deep Politics and the Death of JFK, Oliver Stone, famous leftist, wrote the forward.
The "anti-globalists," like Naomi Klein who wrote "No Logo," is a feminist, Jewish, and a leftist.