Donald Trump

[Dr. Gonzo]

Just now, DeadLinesman said:

He doesn’t understand much to be honest.

There's a concerning trend in Republican presidents (other than the first George Bush - who was CIA director under Nixon) where the President is more of an empty vessel to push the policies of those providing the financial backing. From Reagan and his Alzheimers, to George Bush and his puppet masters Dick Cheney & Karl Rove, and now with Trump and what seems like: the Mercers, the American oil industry (but not the auto industry, weirdly), and Russian and Chinese interests.

So while I don't think he quite understands what a trade war is/entails/means for the general American consumer... I do think he understands certain things about how the rich can thrive in a severely depressed economy. And I think economic downturns are easy to predict when we've got a system of global trade that's being interfered with. And if you consider some of his more prominent backers... who are billionaires, it's can be easy to understand why they would want an economic downturn.

While the general public is busy focused on whether or not they can feed their families and keep their houses, the ultra-wealthy have the resources to buy things on the cheap.

Let's take a trip back to 2007, when this quote was once said: "People have been talking about the end of the cycle for 12 years [he's talking about the housing market crash], and I'm always excited if it is. I've always made more money in bad markets than good markets." That's a quote to Donald Trump explaining how he makes most of his money in down markets.

Generally, the best way to figure out the Trump administration's rationale is what's the most brazenly corrupt reason for doing anything? Chances are, that's the reason they've done anything. If it's not due to brazen corruption... then it's done to further a white nationalist agenda. 

[DeadLinesman]

1 minute ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

There's a concerning trend in Republican presidents (other than the first George Bush - who was CIA director under Nixon) where the President is more of an empty vessel to push the policies of those providing the financial backing. From Reagan and his Alzheimers, to George Bush and his puppet masters Dick Cheney & Karl Rove, and now with Trump and what seems like: the Mercers, the American oil industry (but not the auto industry, weirdly), and Russian and Chinese interests. 

When people told me he was getting into politics with Kim, I genuinely wasn’t thinking Kardashian.

[El Profesor]

After all, Kanye 2020 might happen.

America Stronger! 

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 minute ago, El Profesor said:

After all, Kanye 2020 might happen.

America Stronger! 

Well if America wants to go for unstable narcissistic idiots like Trump, Kanye is right up their alley.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Now that the talk from Trump and his legal team appears to be insisting that the president has absolute power and that he can pardon himself for his own crimes. So at this point, it doesn't even like they're going to deny collusion with the Russians now. Instead the tactic appears to be "when the President does it, it's not against the law."

[6666]

He's been a naughty boy but he won't apologise.

 

[Kowabunga]

2 hours ago, 6666 said:

He's been a naughty boy but he won't apologise.

 

Eat the vegetables Donald. We'll wait here until you eat the vegetables, Donald. Dolan PLZ:

[Honey Honey]

Strange photo to release as it captures Donald Trump in the political light he'd want as some sort of resilience.

[Spike]

Who the fuck thought Dennis Rodman's friendship with both Trump and Kim would end up in a meeting between the two!? What a fucking bizarre reality.

 

THE WORM - Winning rings, and saving the world.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Lol he's given up doing war games with South Korea for literally nothing from the North Koreans. Putin and Xi are probably laughing their heads off. The Art of the Deal? More like the art of giving shit away.

I half expect him to try to sell North Korea nukes and other weapons.

[Harry]

Most pacifists will be happy to see this regardless but it does seem like there's a tactical error or two in his handling of this and the Iran issue. 

[Tommy]

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/391769-trump-on-lack-of-notes-from-kim-meeting-i-have-one-of-the-great

Trump on lack of notes from Kim meeting: 'I have one of the great memories of all time'

[Tommy]

Oh boy, this is so good. 

This is like satire, but real. 

[Spike]

I knew people would find a way to make the first meeting between a US president and a NK chairman into a joke. People could just be pleased this happened 

[Panna King]

3 minutes ago, Spike said:

I knew people would find a way to make the first meeting between a US president and a NK chairman into a joke. People could just be pleased this happened 

Even if Trump made world peace, killed every Pedofile and managed to make everyone rich, he will still be made fun of  

[Dr. Gonzo]

34 minutes ago, Spike said:

I knew people would find a way to make the first meeting between a US president and a NK chairman into a joke. People could just be pleased this happened 

North Korea's given up nothing and now for the first time they've got their leader looking like they're on equal footing with the US President. It's going to be used as a major propaganda victory for North Korea - and there were no conditions on the meeting. No inspections required of their nuclear facility before hand.

Essentially, he's given a huge propaganda victory to a human rights abuser that's threatened to use nuclear weapons on the US and Asian allies. Meanwhile, he's backed out of the Iran deal - which was a carefully negotiated deal where Iran did have to make concessions to the nuclear program they have that they're entitled to have under international law as signors of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

He's made a statement that joint military exercises between South Korea and the US will end - which (if true) is something that North Korea... but especially China will love. But this is right off the heels of imposing tariffs on US allies because of "national security threats."

It's all certainly historical. But I'm not sure this is a good thing. Has North Korea done enough to meet with a US President? It seems they've defied international law enough times and have gotten around sanctions fine enough to keep the military and elite class fed. And this is the reward? Why aren't negotiations going through the traditional channels of experts and diplomats prior to the heads of nation - which is usually just the rubber stamping for the final deal (if they ever meet at all)? Why is he lavishing praise on a dictator right off the heels of shitting on Canada and the EU?

Forgive me for not taking the Trump presidency seriously, but this just seems like a massive show of pomp where America gives concessions to a dictatorship on the condition of vague promises. Just look at the agreement signed between Trump and Kim Jong Un - it says nothing clear or concrete on denuclearisation. So far, it's just all flash and no substance other than Trump saying that the US will make commitments that are not articulated in the agreement & that North Korea will also make commitments that are not articulated in the agreement. It's just a vague agreement to agree, with no one of the details hashed out. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Also let's not forget that North Korea has said they want denuclearisation on the peninsula 4 times in the past:

1985: North Korea acceded to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It did not, however, complete an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreement.

1991: U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev withdrew tactical nuclear weapons deployed abroad, including some based in South Korea. Months later, South Korean President Roh Tae-woo announced his country would not produce or store nuclear weapons.

1992: North and South Korea signed the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, agreeing not to test, produce, posses, or deploy nuclear weapons, and agreeing to mutual verification inspections

1993: North Korea gave notice of its intent to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but suspended the decision following discussions with the United States at the United Nations. At that point, U.S. intelligence agencies estimated North Korea had enough plutonium to produce one or two nuclear warheads. 1994: Jimmy Carter became the first former U.S. president to visit North Korea, where he laid the groundwork for further diplomatic talks. Later that year, the Clinton administration and North Korea signed the “Agreed Framework” to freeze North Korea’s nuclear program. Most experts agree this was the closest Washington came to a successful deal with North Korea: Pyongyang agreed to freeze construction of nuclear reactors and production of plutonium in exchange for aid, fuel shipments, and other economic benefits.

2000: Jo Myong Rok, a senior North Korean military leader, visited Washington to meet President Bill Clinton following positive signs in Pyongyang’s talks with South Korea. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang shortly thereafter. She met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to try and expand the Agreed Framework and prepare a potential visit by President Bill Clinton. But the talks ultimately failed.

2002: The Agreed Framework set up under Clinton broke down. President George W. Bush, who took a harder-line stance on Pyongyang than his predecessor, accused North Korea of cheating by secretly pursuing a uranium enrichment program. North Korea accused the United States of backing out of its end of the deal.

2003: Following the collapse of the Agreed Framework and North Korea’s withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, China hosted the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Russia for semiregular rounds of talks with North Korea known as the six-party talks. Throughout the talks, Pyongyang insisted it would not give up its nuclear weapons program.

2006: North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, resparking the simmering diplomatic crisis . 2009: The six-party talks collapsed following an impasse over granting international inspectors permission to visit sites in North Korea. Despite the lack of progress on that front, former President Bill Clinton visited North Korea and successfully negotiated the release of two imprisoned American journalists.

2011: Kim Jong Il, leader of North Korea since 1994, died amid President Barack Obama’s administration’s efforts to revive peace talks. His son, Kim Jong Un, took power.

2012: President Obama tried to push Pyongyang to the negotiating table by ratcheting up sanctions. But Kim Jong Un scuppered a final deal that would have halted North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and allowed in international inspectors in exchange for U.S. aid. (Town says it is likely because Kim had to display strength to consolidate power after his father’s death.) Meanwhile, North Korea continued to make strides in its nuclear weapons program.

[Spike]

5 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

North Korea's given up nothing and now for the first time they've got their leader looking like they're on equal footing with the US President. It's going to be used as a major propaganda victory for North Korea - and there were no conditions on the meeting. No inspections required of their nuclear facility before hand.

Essentially, he's given a huge propaganda victory to a human rights abuser that's threatened to use nuclear weapons on the US and Asian allies. Meanwhile, he's backed out of the Iran deal - which was a carefully negotiated deal where Iran did have to make concessions to the nuclear program they have that they're entitled to have under international law as signors of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

He's made a statement that joint military exercises between South Korea and the US will end - which (if true) is something that North Korea... but especially China will love. But this is right off the heels of imposing tariffs on US allies because of "national security threats."

It's all certainly historical. But I'm not sure this is a good thing. Has North Korea done enough to meet with a US President? It seems they've defied international law enough times and have gotten around sanctions fine enough to keep the military and elite class fed. And this is the reward? Why aren't negotiations going through the traditional channels of experts and diplomats prior to the heads of nation - which is usually just the rubber stamping for the final deal (if they ever meet at all)? Why is he lavishing praise on a dictator right off the heels of shitting on Canada and the EU?

Forgive me for not taking the Trump presidency seriously, but this just seems like a massive show of pomp where America gives concessions to a dictatorship on the condition of vague promises. Just look at the agreement signed between Trump and Kim Jong Un - it says nothing clear or concrete on denuclearisation. So far, it's just all flash and no substance other than Trump saying that the US will make commitments that are not articulated in the agreement & that North Korea will also make commitments that are not articulated in the agreement. It's just a vague agreement to agree, with no one of the details hashed out. 

As opposed to what? At least this is something, NK would just be doing the same thing regardless, they don't care! What sort of leverage does the US over NK? None, nada. NK isn't a normal country, with a normal process, of course it isn't going to be through normal means.

I think it is naive to expect anyone to walk into a meeting with a NK despot and come out with anything overwhelmingly positive. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

2 minutes ago, Spike said:

As opposed to what? At least this is something, NK would just be doing the same thing regardless, they don't care! What sort of leverage does the US over NK? None, nada. NK isn't a normal country, with a normal process, of course it isn't going to be through normal means.

I think it is naive to expect anyone to walk into a meeting with a NK despot and come out with anything overwhelmingly positive. 

We should have put conditions on any meeting with North Korea. Giving them a meeting as a reward for belligerence is only going to encourage more belligerence.

[Honey Honey]

Sorry to interrupt the quality posts, but I just had to say in every video Kim is a literal mouth breather whatever he snorted is trapped 

[Tommy]

[Spike]

ewww buzzfeed

[God is Haaland]

[Dr. Gonzo]

Well the living proof of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign was ordered to jail today. But totally no collusion & a witchhunt, according to those who believe that MAGA = Make America Great Again, rather than Morons Are Governing America.

[Dr. Gonzo]

https://www.buzzfeed.com/albertonardelli/trump-russia-crimea?utm_term=.qneg5XGqB#.ytKz1W6PD

using this logic, America is part of the British Empire again.