by Paul Schmutz Schaller for The Saker Blog
Some weeks ago, I was convinced that Trump would be quietly re-elected in 2020. His position was very confortable. His political program “Make America great again” has made its way. He has finally taken the reins in his government. And in the relations of the USA with the other countries, he has established the style “as long as you dance to my tune and give me enough money, you can do and think what you want”. Hence, he has created a quite clear, new image of the USA, which is easily to sell in an election campaign. (Be aware, please, that all this is a description, not a judgement of quality.)
On the other side, the political leaders of the opposition are weak. They keep their program of a “moral” imperialism. The world should not only accept the USA as the unique leader, but also think like the USA. Consequently, they more strongly back open interference in other countries; China/Hong Kong is a typical example. Their message to the population in the USA seems to be restricted to “give us the power, we then know what to do”.
So, the stage for the elections in 2020 seemed to be set. Regarding from outside, Trump had just to continue as before and calmly attend the elections. However, apparently, he has not this capacity. I understand now that he never will be satisfied with his achievements. This is an unhealthy attitude.
Trump has no measure. May-be, many knew this since quite some time, but for me, it became evident in the last weeks. Here are some examples. On 22 July, Trump declared that, in order to win the war in Afghanistan, he could kill 10 millions Afghans (but he does not intend to do so). Later, he repeated his claim, “specifying” that this can be done without nuclear arms. On 27 July began some tweets on Baltimore, describing this city as a rat hole in which, as Trump wrote, “no human being would want to live”. On 31 July, sanctions against the Iranian foreign minister Zarif were announced by the US-government; one immediately asked for the logic of this action, given the fact that Trump repeatedly demanded negotiations with Iran. Later on, it was revealed that Zarif was probably “punished” since he – in accordance with Tehran – did not accept to meet Trump in the White House. (By the way, the expression “maximal” pressure against Iran also illustrates the lack of measure.) On 15 August, Trump’s wish to buy Greenland from Denmark became public; he even cancelled a state visit to Denmark – scheduled for September – with the justification that Denmark was not ready to consider selling Greenland. Of course, Greenland has a big strategic value in the Arctic so Trump’s idea is not silly, abstractly speaking. But it was completely silly to think that a country in Western Europe, even a small one, would consider selling some part of its territory; politically speaking, the latter is just unthinkable. Finally, and this happened on 23 August, Trump tweeted that “American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China”. The crucial word here is of course the word “ordered”. In a subsequent tweet, Trump insisted that he, as the president, has the right to order such kind of things.
Each of these acts, looked at separately, may follow a logical plan. But on the whole, Trump’s behaviour is excessive and looks far too extreme; the result is certainly counterproductive (judged from his point of view).
Having no measure is a grave weakness for a leader. He or she lacks sovereignty and makes a driven impression. In the Christian tradition, having no measure is considered as a severe sin, very near to the so-called deadly sins.
One should distinguish the lack of measure on the one hand and being unconventional on the other hand. During the campaign for the election in 2016, Trump made an unconventional impression and frequently attacked the political establishment. This made him quite popular. After his election, he continued in this manner from time to time. However, no one of the examples mentioned above is of this type. Also, Trump regularly used the tactics to bluff first and withdraw later. Again, no one of the examples mentioned above is of this category. Nor can they be interpreted as a manifestation of a sound self-confidence.
It is of course useful for the world to figure out the weaknesses of the US president. This supports the fight against his aggressive politics. It will be the same for the successor of Trump; it will be better to quickly grasp his or her weak points.
I now feel that the outcome of the 2020 elections in the USA is far from clear. Trump has this capital defect of having no measure. Moreover, actually, the international situation is changing fast. Major events are expected to occur in the next months. Quite probably, they will have a substantial influence on these elections.
PS: I do not at all intend to say that Trump is (mentally) sick. In politics, labeling a person as sick is just a simple – indeed rather primitive – method in order to disqualify this person. It does not help to understand whatsoever.
* * *
I, Paul, am a retired, trained mathematician from Switzerland. Since nearly 50 years, I am an active anticolonialist. More recently, I came to the conclusion that Western societies have lost the capacity to positively contribute to the development in the world. Generally speaking, I support China, Russia, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and similar forces. My values are autonomy, humility, perseverance, and positivity.
This column is painfully stupid. What bothers the columnist is Trump “having no measure”, not anything concrete he has done as a matter of policy. So if we’re actually comparing him to other presidents he’s the greatest in US history except for maybe a couple.
The analysis that Trump’s reelection is at all in question is totally out of touch with reality on the ground here. There is no competition for Trump being offered up by the democrats, only liars, clowns and literal witches.
Or, everything we have seen on television is made for television, by an actual television actor.
Oh boy .. let me translate … Having no Measure means acting without self-restraint or any other restraint, in other words, like children are during their terrible two’s. It means one is not a disciplined person and it means that you cannot judge between what is enough, and what is not enough. What it really means is that most things that you try and do without measure, will almost certainly fail, because you do not know how much of what to apply. Insulting China is one such an example. I think it is a direct translation from French and it fits well.
No, it is not a comparison with anyone else – it is commentary on Trump himself. It is not compare and contrast. It is not a comment on the democrats or any other rats, it is commentary on Trump himself.
Clear enough?
The media is the trouble maker, the further they go down the rabbit hole the more they need to place the blame at the top of the pyramid.
Trump won because he eked out a series of razor thin victories in swing states. Trump is the in trouble in most of those states, having failed to deliver on his campaign promises. And if there is a recession, or even a slowdown, all bets are off.
Anyone who thinks Trump’s re-election is a shoo-in is simply a Trump homer.
Trump just needs a diversion, like war with Iran, or a scapegoat, like China, poor people, refugees, migrants, ‘antisemites’, ‘Greenies’, SJWs, ‘socialists’ etc and the dumb-clucks that voted for him last time will flock to the polls. If Biden gets nominated it will be a Battle of the Batshit Crazy Old Farts, and Trump will be a shoo-in. In any case abstentions are likely to outscore both candidates, like last time.
His diversions aren’t working very well so far.
https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3638
“Looking at all of the matchups, President Trump is stuck between 38 and 40 percent of the vote. These low numbers may partly be explained by a lack of support among white women, a key voting bloc that voted for Trump in the 2016 election. Today, white women go for the Democratic candidate by double digits in every scenario. Though it is a long 14 months until Election Day, Trump’s vulnerability among this important voting group does not bode well for him.”
I mentioned swing states. Trump will need a 9/11 style event to turn things around, and the public is a lot more cynical than it was in 2001.
I think Paul strikes the nail squarely.
James Lovebirch
This is a strangle article and I don’t know what to make of it. The author states that “he has taken the reigns of his Government”. In what way ? In his election campaign he stated that he would drain the swamp and after that he falls into it. He is surrounded by neocons. He has not terminated US involvement in local conflicts. He twice attacked Syria without declaration of war, killing both civilians and military personnel. US troops are still in Afghanistan, fighting and dying. He increased hostilities with Russia and China, instead of lowering them. He is picking fights with North Korea, Venezuela and Iran, attracted by their geopolitical positions and huge oil and mineral wealth. He tried breaking economic ties between EU states and Russia, having the audacity to threaten his European allies with sanctions if they participated in the building of the Nord Stream – 2 gas pipeline, to the shock of Europe. And what about bringing industries back to the US ? How many did he bring back ? He is boasting of having improved the economic situation in the US, while analysts are stating the opposite. Trump creating a “new image of of the USA” ? He sure did, in a highly negative way with sanctions and threats.
The 2020 elections are going to be very interesting indeed. I am now waiting to see how many voters will bother to turn out and vote, no doubt enraged that Trump has betrayed his election promises.
Election campaigns in neoliberal capitalist states have been lie-fests for decades. What was ‘Hopey Dopey’ Obama but a plausible and charismatic liar? Clinton lied as she breathed, and Trump is just particularly shameless. The fault lies with the imbeciles who believe it and all the other lies, Big and little, that comprise the ‘American Nightmare’.
Whether or not you agree with the premise, the author’s conclusion is correct, his column is not painfully stupid, but is is painfully stupid to claim it is – as well as inconsiderate.
I wouldn’t say it was a “stupid” article, but surely lacking in any deep analysis of Trump’s policies or, more importantly to the election, what the Democrats have to offer as an alternative. I agree that Trump is likely to be re-elected at the moment. However, a lot can happen between now and the elections. It’s way too early to call for either a Trump victory or defeat.
BTW, I have to say that based on what I’ve heard of Baltimore lately, it probably isn’t a good place to call home for most folks. I visited the city only once decades ago, and even then it had started what has become a long decline. IOW, Trump’s supposedly outrageous statements often have a kernel of truth to them.
That is not to say that I support Trump-I once did, but he hasn’t delivered on too many of his campaign promises for me to get too excited about him anymore. That said, the Democrats have fielded a veritable freak show of misfits and SJWs-excepting Gabbard, who they are eager to dispossess.
The article isn’t stupid at all. It is balanced and reasonable.
Of course the reelection of Trump is in question, to say that something as the outcome of an election, or any political process is not in question is always “out of touch with reality”.
The puppet masters of the deep state find another clown who serves them better, finance a media campaign that sells the “basket of deplorables” that here comes the true leader against the establishment and that is what will happen. They let Bernhard Sanders run until his Socialist goals get too dangerous, then they f* him again, like last time. If Trump isn’t on point then and some other candidate is, the latter will win the election. End of story. That Trump has no clue what is achievable is a rightful statement.
No one in politics has a clue as to what the sinking ship of achievements should be.
The deep-state Kleptocracy which runs the Dem/GOP duopoly knows exactly how to sink the US ship if it so chooses. It won’t happen though until the parasite wishes it to happen and has another host ready. China?
Trump can sure measure immigration. Under his watch the US border has collapsed, with 5,000 to 7,000 illegals crossing the border every single day. And Trump’s admin is flying them all over the US, destroying even more “red state” communities.
He has also increased legal immigration and wants to keep adding more and more and more, essentially telling his base to go f*ck themselves.
The vast majority of Americans who voted for him voted for him to stop immigration and deport the tens of millions of already here until the terrible immigration system was made at least semi rational.
That was the number one issue with his base.
Trump said he would tackle the issue.
He lied.
Immigration is a thousand times worse now.
Most know it. And they won’t vote for him again. They’ll stay home on election night.
And please don’t anyone claim the courts or dems are stopping him. Trump could have declared a national emergency on day one and shut the border and stopped all immigration and refugees, not just certain ones.
No one gave a rat’s ass about the economy because the economy in America has never been truly bad. At the height of the last recession even the homeless were overweight and had facebook accounts.
At this point the only people still supporting Trump are deranged baby boomer “murican” fetishists who live in an echo chamber of similar types. They may go all Jonestown on election night when they see their fantasy come crashing down.
As far as the dems go, they look nutty now but who ever wins the party nomination will move to the center on every issue. They’ll be the centrist. Trump will be the nutter.
He has not increased legal immigration. H1-B’s have been cut down, they have laid more requirements on requirements, and increased the filing fee to a point, the Indians have stopped bothering. Those waiting for adjustment of status it’s 10+yrs and a family based immigration waiting list for Phillipines, Mexico, India is around 99 yrs. Even the kids with advanced US degress (MS, PhD, DPhd) are in the same H1-B lottery pool and many are leaving by default once their practical training is exhaused.
Hey, if the US wants to stop immigration, brave up and delete the “wet foot, dry foot” policy. Neither side will do it, because if they do, their chickens and turkey will get 10x expensive.
So, what he’s actually done is shot the people who abide the law and let the illegals in. You know the south, it’s built purely on illegal immigrants back and that’s how Purdue can give you 1Lb of chicken breast for 99c.
Will he win. His voter base is the strung out white middle america which is totally on some pill or powder or the other or both and they just want things cheap. He will promise whatever they want to hear for the next few years and he’s a shoo in.
Now you maybe begin to understand how the Native Americans felt seeing foreign powers swamping their land with fake refugees. And still, today’s immigrants in the US don’t come there to kill and steal, even if that would seem quite appropriate to deal with the moronic Exceptional Indispensable majority US population.
This business ” that Western societies have lost the capacity to positively contribute to the development in the world” has been flying around a lot recently.
Yes the world from a scientific point of view is in a bit of a rut at the moment, Western science seems to have made only incremental improvements since WW2. So much so that in fact what passed as wondrous shock and awe technology during the Iraq war is now commonplace in lots of countries militaries. Everyone is catching up to the USA, and the USA is seemingly incapable of maintaining its edge over others; everyone is reaching that same edge, because we have reached / are reaching the limits of our technological capabilities.
This was to be expected from the monopoly USA approach, which is based on the premise of “to be successful even your best friend or brother must be unsuccessful”, or whatever the wording to that effect was again. So the USA has been actively taking measures to see that others don’t make progress, don’t threaten the US’s success. By hindering others new ideas cannot come to the fore, new ideas are in fact dangerous to the powers that be.
So while the West definitely made incredible advancements for humanity in the past, of late the West seems to have been hindering humanity.
Of course there is also the spectre of those who don’t want to see success and progress happen globally, because their aim is a reduction in the worlds population, so that they can control matters better. These folks have enough $$$ already, so they don’t really want to see further progress and development and growth anywhere, they just want to see enough of the useless eaters disappeared by means fair and foul. Any new technology is dangerous to the position they have maneuvered so hard behind the scenes to get themselves into, so they hinder the appearance of new science, by hiding patents or disappearing the patent applicants, controlling research at institutions so that no revolutionary ideas get funding, etc, etc. They are for themselves only, not for humanity.
To paraphrase others, there must be something wrong since we are still using fire from the caveman days to power our vehicles (internal combustion engine) in the 21’st century.
”But it was completely silly to think that a country in Western Europe, even a small one, would consider selling some part of its territory; politically speaking, the latter is just unthinkable.”
I wouldn’t put it past any Western European nation to sell off its territory (to highly trustworthy, democratic scum of course). Neoliberalism has destroyed Western Europe’s industrial and fiscal basis with the happy consent of its own Euro-trash populations. The territory proper seems to be what remains to sell off after 40 years of neoliberal plague.
But it is of course true that if Trump really wanted to buy land and make a hefty profit, he wouldn’t have chosen Greenland but Poland. Hey, the Psheks would be elated paying Trump for rendering Gównopolska such a fabulous ”service”.
“But it is of course true that if Trump really wanted to buy land and make a hefty profit, he wouldn’t have chosen Greenland but Poland” I do not see where is the profit in buying a country that is already subsidized by EU to keep going on. Greenland, with almost no population has untapered resources we can not imagine not only strategic. BTW I do not think that Trump/US is going to give up trying to get Greenland sooner or later. Their intention to open an embassy there seems ominous to me.
Read the following sentence; it should help.
The author the article makes good points. Trump’s major campaign promises are still unfulfilled. Trump’s slavish and fawning actions reference to Israel belie his status as the president of the USA. He is more like an Israeli Ambassador to our Country. The grotesque granting approximately four billion dollars of “Aid “annually to Israel ; at the same time Aipac and other Israeli Agents use a small portion of these very same monies to buy American politicians is something for a book by Jonathan Swift. Short of “Deos Ex Machina” ; m we are doomed.
The former USA is now the ‘Occupied Territories of the West Bank of the North Atlantic’, just like the ‘Occupied Territories of the West Bank of the Jordan’, but much, much, more lucrative.
PSS — you may have no idea how controlled the US media is.
97% of US newspapers, radio and television stations are owned and controlled by 6 Wall Street – Globalist corporations and every morning 97% of journalists seem to receive the same “talking points” email, which they proceed to deliver, with hardly an adjustment, throughut the day and on the evening news. (Any one day, 85 or more journalists, across 50 different states, will use the same somewhat unusual phrase on radio – television – newspaper.)
Many of President Trump’s outrageous tweets function as a vehicle to disrupt the Wall Street – Globalist talking point “du jour” and to project his real message to 80 – 100 million supporters nationwide.
On a related topic, President Trump has little control of the US State Department, the Security Services, Justice Department, FBI, Environmental Protection Department and so on because Congress and the Senate (resonding to their Wall Steet – Globalist funders) will not allow him to name his own Cabinet Heads. Through a fluke, President Trump controls the Treasury, the Department of Commerce and his White House economic offices. No coincidence then that his trade negotiations with Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea and Great Britain are conducted through the two agencies he controls.
On a related topic, President Trump has little control of the US State Department, the Security Services, Justice Department, FBI, Environmental Protection Department and so on because Congress and the Senate (resonding to their Wall Steet – Globalist funders) will not allow him to name his own Cabinet Heads.
Responding to a portion of your comment, I agree that he has no control over those agencies/ depts. I’m not sure as to the reason, however.
To my mind, trump will always be judged by the thugs he has running foreign policy, over which he has no control and probably no knowledge. As far as the economy, the phrase smoke and mirrors come to mind as the employment numbers seem to more smoke with little substance or accuracy.
i will agree, however, with the basis of your assertion that the craven congress really has not stepped up in almost any sphere-they are as controlled as is trump.
US Presidential Elections usually are decided by the state of the economy, and the state of the stock market is not what most voters use to judge their well-being (though 401ks matter to millions of voters). The economy to voters is their paycheck, savings account, and credit lines. Presently, most Americans feel good in those areas.
Trump will have no “deals” with the four major “threats, foes, enemies, rivals”. Iran, North Korea, China and Russia are unlikely to accommodate the great deal maker on his terms.
Wars are likely to stay as hot and cruel in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and parts of Africa.
Venezuela is likely to be a ideological sore that he cannot deal with, as Russia and China bolster Maduro under siege and sanctions.
So, scanning the world, Trump will have slim chance of some triumph anywhere.
His constituents are suffering from his Trade War with China. He has been able to shift billions to the farmers, but another year of this could hurt him in critical states.
Trump is running for re-election hoping for Warren to get the nomination. He handled Hillary last time, and he will be ready for the anti-capitalist Warren. The debates should be great entertainment.
He has about 60 miles of Wall built. By the time of the campaign and debates he will have 450-500 miles of steel wall across Arizona and New Mexico. This is significant, as it is about half the distance needed to close the border to smugglers and illegal entrants.
His greatest worry is Recession. If that strikes next year, he could be in re-election jeopardy.
He may have no measure, but he certainly has no peer, for good or bad. He’s a lone rider and he rides high atop the domestic scene.
He is a menace to domestic tranquility and world peace-making.
He sold out completely to the MIC.
He is the strongest advocate for Zionist aims and desires.
And he may just be around until January 2025.
The military is the uncontrollable animal in the room no matter who is steering the ship, they rule the day and die at night fall, and its a long day.
Paul:
You said that a few weeks ago you were convinced Trump will be quietly re-elected in 2020. Towards the end, after mocking many of Trump’s recent faux pas, you recanted and now feel the outcome of the 2020 election is far from being clear. Well, don’t recant. You were right a few weeks ago, and will remain so through 2020.
All the faux pas that Trump exposed himself of are mirror images of the vast majority of Americans. If you have lived in USA for anything more than a few years you’ll know that’s a fact. How many times have you heard at bars or church picnic grounds Americans joyfully opinioning that hurricanes are no big deal, a nuke or two would take care of them? How many times have you heard Americans, faces red and vein bulging in their neck, angrily urge their politicians to round up illegal immigrants and send them back with handcuffs and foot ball and chains? How many times have you heard Americans convicting Putin of coming to America, stole the 2016 election, and handed the presidency to Ole Trumpo? How many times have you seen Americans pay immigrants $5 an hour to mow their yards, clean their houses, and harvest their veggie fields, then turn around and demand that these same immigrants be locked up because they are decimating the welfare troughs? Trump is VERY American! Much more so than you and I. What appears to you and I as illiterate antics worthy of mockery, are actually heroic expressions of their own deep soul. They love him! Even most of the media toilers and those presently attending ivy league classes to become tomorrow’s media toilers.
Perhaps you are harboring an impression of America rosier than what really meets your eyes. Or perhaps you are like me 25 years ago, painfully refusing to acknowledge the rot of an entity that was once a beacon of human benevolence. My money remains on 2020 Trump getting re-elected. But I certainly wouldn’t mind losing.
I agree and predicted a Trump victory in 2016 based on his archetype mirroring the north American psyche at this time. Their general ‘greatness’ is based on stolen lands, apartheid development and dishonoring treaties, convenient opportunistic timing of entering European wars, and now since the 1970’s dropping the gold standard and implementing an irrational system of I.O.U. paper (and now digital) ‘money’ for which they can print at will and enforce via a massive (paper money funded) military machine and an autocratic faux ‘monarchy’ in the Arabian Gulf. The narrative cover for this is an endless complaint about ‘tax payers’ footing the bill. Total BS, as post 2007-9 global financial crises (still in progress) demonstrated (not forgetting the 90’s dot.com bubble as well).
You ‘American picnic’ is a rich description. While they stress to lip-sync their prays with ‘Jesus’ (and increasing now ‘YHVH’) not even a tiny breath of true compassion will enter or leave their closed souls.
They are locked in their self believing hubris and living in a three-ringed circus ‘reality tv’ worldview bubble with Trump as the ringmaster (minus only the curled mustache). They are a study in contemporary cultist bedazzlement with the (mass) media massaging their minds. A great damp vampire squid suckered on the face of American humanity squirting its blinding ink directly into the eyeball retina while plugging into the ears with digital siren songs.
2020 will be interesting. 50:50 either way, imo. But more importantly, I don’t think it will matter much at a global scale. A major recession/depression seems on the cards and no amount of central bank pumping is likely to stop it. The traditional cycle of ‘work-savings-capital-…’ is fast ending. Neo-feudalism is next. Yellow vests in Paris. HK protesters cutting down street light poles hiding the Plantation’s panopticon 5G cameras. Trump’s ‘elected’ president of Venezuela burning the country’s democratic future which the fascist upsurge in Brazil is burning the Amazon for more cattle ranching. What does it matter? Once the $usd loses its reserve status then we are in for a whole new ride at the ‘Fun Fair’.
“…mirror images of the vast majority of Americans”
i’ve recently read a comment on a car website, saying
“all em poor 3rd worlders wanna buy a car and live the american way, but
there are not enough resources for all, so america has to strike first”
all them pindos are nothing but mini-dickcheneys, mini-trumps and mini-hiliaries
Trump lost the trade war with China. The reason is explained by “Spengler” at Asia Times. China controls the lion’s share of Processing know-how and Mineralizations of Rare Earth Elements. China is further ahead in Quantum (entanglement based) encryption. Intellectual Property will no longer be stolen by the Five Eyes snooping anymore. The Lead balloon Trump attempted to float with the Greenland purchase bid had the intent to pre-empt purchase of vast quantities of REE in Greenland from Chinese investors. On the Iran file Trump is also losing. The Adrian Darya sold its cargo to anonymous buyers while in transit on the Mediterranean. Furthermore, China increased by 8% its purchase of Iranian Oil in July 2019. China can not care less about Trump’s maximum pressure tactics against Iran. Who else loses? Binyamin Miliekowski and MbS lost in Syria and Yemen. The Edom Shield servants told Trump at Biarritz that he has lost and that he is finished. That is, his allies will not support him against China nor Iran. The invitation by Macron to Zarif was telling. Trump fired back saying he will invite Putin to Mar e Lago for G7 plus meeting next year. The Edom Shield servants were not amused.
The Exceptionalist blowhards on Fox, CNN, MSNBC etc, all declaring that the ‘Yellow Devils’ are on the brink of collapse, surrender, revolt, conversion to Christianity, adoption of Falun Gong as the new State religion, etc, are immensely amusing. The sheer fury of their racist angst and terror at being supplanted economically, scientifically, culturally etc by ‘mere Asiatics’ is a joy to watch. The hysteria here in Austfailia is beyond parody. One little compradore thug from Hong Kong is poncing about in Melbourne declaring that an exhibition of eight of the terracotta warriors of Shi Huang Di is an outrage because they represent Chinese military, and 2000 years of ‘aggression’ or some such utter lunatic, hate-crazed, racist garbage. But he is treated like some sort of distinguished observer, so completely deranged has the public discourse become. And EVERY SINGLE voice arguing against this racist aggression has now been purged from our ‘Free World’ discourse.
For those readers that might think that Mulga’s post might have a touch of exaggeration, I have to add something in support.
This morning I read this true jewel, dire warnings from the Australian intelligence; immigrants might be spies: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-27/australia-warns-unprecedented-threat-espionage-migrant-spies .
Top analysis: “refugees who flee often have family connections to their home country” (no shit, Sherlock), and their spy goals might be “to influence government decisions, corporations and educational institutions”.
And as an example he starts with refugees from… Rwanda. Really, a Five Eyes nation might be compromised by some blokes from Rwanda? While I was cleaning my keyboard, and thinking about the possibilities for the evil nation of Binomi, there comes the rabbit out of the hat: China, China, China. Oh yes, and also Iran, North Korea and Syria (Syria, really?).
This sounds (ok, reads) like a real obsession…
Cheers, Rob
”/…/ an exhibition of eight of the terracotta warriors of Shi Huang Di is an outrage because they represent Chinese military, and 2000 years of ‘aggression’ ”
Agreed. It’s about time some brave souls take on the rest of the terracotta army before it shows up elsewhere. Fight them with opium, LOL.
It is a hyperreal trade war. The numbers bandied about comprise in fact tiny proportions of reciprocal US-China trade. The real objective is to repatriate US capital back to the USA to effect MAGA – and that is why the globalist oligarchs hate Trump. But it looks like it is begin to work with regard to US capital investment in China. As for other capital inflows into the US, this is due simply to capital seeking safety, and the perceived safest place at present is the US. That it should lift stock markets is no surprise given the inverted bond yield curve, and the totally fubar’d bond situation in the Eurozone and in Japan.
None of that implies the system is not in crisis; that there will not a be a significant financial meltdown; that the upcoming global recession will not happen; that the economic and financial centre will not in due course move from the US to China.
Donald “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel” Trump truly has no measure in terms of Making Israel Great Again.
He is indisputably one of Israel’s greatest leaders, even more than Ben Gurion himself.
One has to wonder if Bibi Netanyahoo has video tape/blackmail material of Trump participating in Golden Showers with some underage girls (or boys) at Jeffrey Epstein’s Pedophile Island?
trump being a narciss and all – “his golden showers for noone, and noone’s golden shower for him”
would lead to a conclusion that they videotaped trump auto-goldenshowering himself
^ totally plausible
“…PS: I do not at all intend to say that Trump is (mentally) sick. In politics, labeling a person as sick is just a simple – indeed rather primitive – method in order to disqualify this person. It does not help to understand whatsoever.…”
potus has done his own debarment; to call potus mentally ill is to state a universal understanding – it is the start of the process of impeachment.
potus’ “lack of measure” is another way of writing mentally ill; healthy judgment and healthy interAction include measure and measurement capability, two qualities that potus lacks.
Trump distracted everyone from Epstein by that stupid Greenland thing
Someone asserted that Americans only care about their own politics. They
are blithely ignorant of any thing else. That is both how and why they’ve always suckered for false flag attacks (and may be so enamored of what is called football. A brainless sport that is only rivaled by boxing and other brain destroying sports.) How others do, and the economy, is so far beyond their collective ken that to call them uncaring or ignorant falls short of the mark.
To be blunt, they don’t care and are too stupid to get it.
How do I know? I’m one of them … and worse, so are all-ya-all!
I think it is totally wrong to make any US president accountable for anything the “US deep state” is responsible for. The only accountability of any US president is that he/she runs for president and finally accept to be elected. Point. After that whatever “noble” thoughts (if any) they would have had and whatever they had promised to their US citizen (those by Hillary called “deplorables”) will have to be buried. Point.
If any US president refuses to do what he/she is told to do by “deep state” (actually those are at least three entities to my knowledge) this would be he/her death penalty. Point.
From this point the “bizarre” actions of the present US president are to be viewed (in my opinion).
President Trump is aware that USA needs its own industrial companies in order to get economically on its feet again. However, big US (and European) companies have only in its views its gain coupled with greed (more is better). Nothing else is of real importance to it.
These companies are based to pay no taxes and certainly don’t care about whatever country of origin (in this case USA) belonging.
And about the other “entities” – I think it is crystal clear what those are up to.
True, it’s just a theatre. Reps and Dems are just there to give you the impression that you have a choice. But you don’t. You don’t have a choice (George Carlin was right).
So, the Trump act is one of ‘toughness without too much table manners’, and the Dems acts look pathetic with SJW babble and ‘free stuff’. And they’re all drooling for Israel, of course.
But in the end, they’re all just figureheads. I expect for 2024 that the Reps come up with Nikki Haley, and the Dems with Miley Cyrus.
The USA getting economically on its feet again is a tough one. Paul Craig Roberts recently wrote an interesting article about how that has to happen: https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/08/26/can-the-american-economy-be-resurrected/ (this is really a must-read)
The fact that the article title includes a question mark, might be indicative. Long term thinking and planning is involved, and that is not exactly a strong point in American politics.
So I guess the nation will just crumble and implode further, and let’s hope that they don’t fall into the Thucydides trap: https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/09/the-thucydides-trap/ . Because then as few survivors we carry sticks and eat berries.
Cheers, Rob
Totally agree. One just needs to read “Controversy of Zion” by Douglas Reed to understand what being POTUS has been meaning for more that one hundred years.
I think Trump will be easily reelected. There’s simply no competition. Biden? Warren? Bernie? Kamala Harris? they all don’t even qualify as a joke. it really doesn’t matter what Trump does (unless he starts a new major war and loses it, which I think is one of the few things he’s really scared about – thus his careful tiptoeing/bluffing-only with Syria, DPRK, Iran, Venezuela).
that said, I agree with the author that Trump is actually quite symptomatic of 2020 USA. in the same way that AK-74-toting black wrestler president Camacho from “Idiocracy” will probably be symptomatic of 2120 USA (if not 2050).
A brilliant analysis and a novel way of looking at Trump.
not sure if this was a joke column or not till i read some comments which take it serious.
the idea that tRump was on an easy path to reelection 2 weeks ago is not only a ridiculous assertion but devoid of any rational argument.
most americans see him as the pathological liar ignorant of everything and totally devoid off integrity….almost the walking definition of mental instability….a loon requiring his every insane utterance to be reinterpreted for the remaining white base that shares their allegiance to him with televangelists and overt white supremacists…by either fox news or what remains of his staff of cohorts.
polls i am sure you like to claim are fraudulent…sine even those commissioned by his own people and certainly every other public one…all show the same thing…he fails to attract even 40% of the respondents…a rating so low that makes re-election impossible no matter how he under cover from barr intends to steal results…and NOTHING should be deemed to far out in that regard.
refusing to count democratic votes in states with repiglicon governors is one tactic he intends….since who is there to enforce the law when caught?
that the self proclaimed chosen one works for Russian oligarchs is but the latest reality in the daily scandal he finds himself….his remaining support can be totally attributed to the one thing this country has always excelled in has always been proud of…has always bonded together for and has always worshiped more then then any religion…….the american as chicken soup… old fashioned …dyed in the wool….born in the USA…i’ll drink to that !!…….RACISM.
Man, have you been “played” JADE!
Right into the New York Times PLAYED Book.
Which was to replace the completely failed Russia narrative…with the race one.
And I could link a long series of black you tubers who are not buying it one bit, from Candace Owens to Brandon Tatum to Larry Elder……look them up and discover WHY? And see if they don’t have 1000 times more actual “finally gettin’ off the plantation” idea content than your NY Times profiled, Quite Frankly silly… SJW rant.
It’s considerably more complicated than you seem able to imagine.
And the complication is SO off the charts that people who are impatient for quick solutions without any work or thinking on their part…..get extremely frustrated and impatient…like little children.
Another word for “no measure” is “incalculable” and it certainly may seem so.
However I am about to condense something I watched last night…that should make it …Quite Frankly . a little easier for readers here….as a new comment, right after posting this.
Longest Journey Starts With A Single Step.
You missed Awareness Step # 1 and got off on the wrong track, Dude….: The New York Times is The Enemy
Whatcha doin’ repeatin’ their garbage propaganda like some kinda enemy agent???
“In the Christian tradition, having no measure is considered as a severe sin, very near to the so-called deadly sins.”
I´m not sure is that really Trump´s sin? He creates chaos, and as an anti-globalist, that´s great IMHO because in reality he´s destroying those greedy globalists. What else globalization is if not ultimate greediness? Nothing is enough for those multi-nationals, and at the same time nations suffer much, because of the consequences.
Trump is easy target for those who want to balance between political correctness and alternative world views.
BTW, the purchase of Greenland has nothing to do with “having no measure” politics. It´s about geopolitics. The control of natural resources is an important aspect of geopolitics. US needs strategic depth in the suddenly emerged Arctic question.
Trump is israels Manchurian. Watch him ok West Bank annexation and strike on Iran.
“Trump’s behaviour is excessive”
I would suggest Paul, Trump’s behavior is certainly being manufactured -via amplification and repetition- into a very real political consideration.
There is Trump fatigue even within the non-aligned swing vote. People are wearying of the daily onslaught which is a manufactured consent silent gun: tick-tock, drip-drop. He who runs the printing press, controls the pace, tempo and sense of oppressiveness.
This fatigue has every chance of overshadowing the absolute merits of Trump vis a vis his opponents.
“Generally speaking, I support China, Russia, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and similar forces. My values are autonomy, humility, perseverance, and positivity.”
No, these are not really better than the USA or the West. And I hazard to say that under the jurisdiction of those five one could never post or speak such criticism of their leadership or policies as allowed to be spoken and posted as to Trump or whoever else may be the given leader, here, which is after all a “western” site. Over there the only thing allowed would be “humility” and obedience to the given leaders and the dominant ideologies.
And over there exists not even a “theoretical” mechanism to change the given leader and policy and ideology in any orderly and non-destructive, non-violent way.—Russia might still be the one exception as things look.
Now of course, from here, those five are far away, and you are not under their direct control and jurisdiction.
But they are not really good or better opposition, if USA policies are to be or need to be opposed.
In the West,the “leaders” are only the vassals of the elite deep states. One of the reasons they hate Trump so much is because they don’t trust him to always obey them. So yes ,you can criticize them without going to jail (usually).But you still have no power to effectively change the rulers that really oppress you. So how is that different than in most other countries.I don’t see a benefit to being able to criticize unless that brings change. You may feel more comfortable with a system that masks a dictatorship under pretty words.But I don’t feel that way.I see in Russia in particular more freedom for the average citizen to get change than in the US.The government there wants consensus from the public (hence the constant polling to get peoples opinions on different issues).While in China they try to meet peoples expectations so as to have stability.Stability in China is the key policy.
As i have mentioned before even without Trump U.S Empire would have declined anyway. The process started though very slowly in August 1971 (Nixon’s shock) but have especially since GWB gone faster and faster. I see Trump actually opportunist doing everything to mobilize his frenzy supporters. It doesn’t matter if 60% of American hate and despise him if those 35-40% are backing and VOTING for him. This is both decline of Empire itself but also process of incredible stupid fear of degrading “white America”. I have never understood the fear of those “others” (blacks and other non-whites) when actually they too have mostly foolishly loved in “American Exceptionalism”.
Putin to Oliver Stone: “Is there culture in USA?”
Don’t forget that so far Trump hasn’t opened a new American war (if excluding his vicious and stupid trade war). Compare him to Obama, Clinton and George W. Bush.
We don’t forget that, his saving grace perhaps unlike his filthy predecessors.
Could not agree with you more except to say that not only can the West not contribute positively, but it contributes negatively in that it has become a force for death and destruction.
I think it has been overlooked by all these articles and posts and comments on this website why a country could and/or would decline.
In case of USA – in my opinion –
first of all it imported the excellent scientists from Germany right after WWII (“Paperclip” action). Then since the WWII Germany is under direct and indirect control (science and commerce) by USA. I don’t know how many has been stolen, or taken by spies of scientific property etc.
Second: the biggest fault line I see is that since the seventies of last century the costs for tuition, excellent education, college and universities rise steadily.
However, talented students aren’t always those from rich families. Talent and genie are something you cannot buy. Many countries know this especially nowadays.
So, when no well educated citizen are there, when the masses aren’t proper educated in our times what will be the outcome of such a country ? And how on earth can such a country compete with other countries ??
And just to study history a little bit, or even to read a little bit history would be enough to show how evolution of any kind “works” on our earth within different societies.
I think it is totally wrong to put/mount always the blame of dysfunction of any society/politics etc. onto one person – especially for USA its a system which went in a totally wrong direction starting very slowly during the fifties and sixties of last century. Its a certain “system” implemented step by step by a few “entities”.