The Trump foreign policy thread

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 1:28 pm

Macron ain't a'scared of that little bitch Trump.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun May 13, 2018 1:23 pm

This might be a contentious move, so it's fortunate that the geopolitical situation in the Middle East is so stable at the moment.

@realDonaldTrump, 11 May 2018 23:39 wrote:Big week next week when the American Embassy in Israel will be moved to Jerusalem. Congratulations to all!

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 9:00 pm

It has always been a given (among democracies anyway) that ambassadors do not interfere in the domestic politics of their assigned countries.

Anne Applebaum wrote:The American ambassador in Germany has just implied that he would like to unseat the current German government

Tom Wright wrote:Bombshell interview to Breitbart by Ric Grenell, US Ambassador to Germany. He says he will personally intervene in internal politics of Europe to empower anti-establishment conservatives. Directly contradicts State Dept line that Trump admin is neutral

Guess which authoritarian former superpower supports these German "anti-establishment conservative" parties...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Can you guess?

Can you??

Spoiler:

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 9:24 am

Jesus F%#K.

Our allies must be reeling like someone enjoying a summer day in a meadow getting mugged. I feel badly for them, and hope they can hold on and not abandon us before we can get our shit together.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 9:54 am

I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

Germany has asked the new US ambassador in Berlin, outspoken Trump loyalist Richard Grenell, to clarify his reported comments on website Breitbart that he wants to "empower" European conservatives.

A German foreign ministry spokesman said Berlin had "asked the US side for clarification" and that its state secretary Andreas Michaelis would revisit the issue at a pre-arranged meeting with Grenell later this week.

I expect that he will be 'recalled' or expelled before next week is out.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 9:56 am

It seems pretty clear that our allies are likely to start distrusting us and anything we agree too that's not a short-term, concrete thing. Even if the blue wave happens in the fall and 2020, we've proven that the pendulum has started swinging way further than it used to. If the right is willing to elect and be complicit in the Trump administration, There's no reason to think that the next time the right gets power, that things won't be worse. I really hope that's not he case, but so far, the right in the US hasn't seemed interested in doing anything to moderate Trump, and that means that Trump isn't a one-man aberration, he's a symptom of a much greater problem. If the US isn't willing or able to recognize and deal with that, we've become an incredibly dangerous friend to have, and our allies would be right to no longer trust us.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:08 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Jun 04, 2018 9:54 am I expect that he will be 'recalled' or expelled before next week is out.

We are not *in* decent placessess.

They've won, in that I hold no expectations of normalcy. Merely hope that we can get to the end and the golden bane of decent folk can be destroyed and we can begin picking up the pieces.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 11:50 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Jun 04, 2018 9:54 am I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

Germany has asked the new US ambassador in Berlin, outspoken Trump loyalist Richard Grenell, to clarify his reported comments on website Breitbart that he wants to "empower" European conservatives.

A German foreign ministry spokesman said Berlin had "asked the US side for clarification" and that its state secretary Andreas Michaelis would revisit the issue at a pre-arranged meeting with Grenell later this week.
I expect that he will be 'recalled' or expelled before next week is out.

If I were Germany he woould be on his way home right now and barred from reentry. As it is this is just another mark against the USA in the international community as Trump moves us further from allinaces with our traditional free allies and towards alliances with totalitarian nations.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:50 am

German politicians call for expulsion of Trump's Berlin envoy

The German government on Monday said it has asked Grenell to clarify his comments during his inaugural visit to the foreign ministry on Thursday.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Wed Jun 06, 2018 7:59 pm

State Department spokeswoman notes D-Day in answer on 'strong relationship' with Germany

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Tuesday cited the D-Day invasion during an answer about the current state of US-German relations.

"We have a very strong relationship with the government of Germany," Nauert said. "Looking back in the history books, today is the 71st anniversary of the speech that announced the Marshall Plan. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We obviously have a very long history with the government of Germany, and we have a strong relationship with the government of Germany."

I suppose the message is that it's a strong love-hate relationship.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:03 pm

There's no love in that statement. It's straight Trumpism. "We gave them money, and we kicked their asses."

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:07 pm

1) The current government of Germany has no relation to the Nazis.
2) The right-wing parties our shitty ambassador supports actually do.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Wed Jun 06, 2018 10:03 pm

"At tonight's dinner, we especially are pleased to welcome members of the diplomatic corps, representing our friends and partners across the globe," Trump said. "And a very warm welcome to all the ambassadors here tonight, representing Muslim-majority nations. We're greatly honored by your presence, and thank you very much for being here."

He said the gathering honored "a sacred tradition of one of the world's great religions."

link

Does the Secret Service know that Trump's been replaced by an impostor?

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:19 am

You didn't quote the next line:

Trump wrote:"Now please enjoy these delicious pork chops"

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:49 am

Too obvious. Filet mignon.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Thu Jun 07, 2018 4:17 pm

Trump to reporters: "I think I'm very well prepared," President Trump says of the upcoming North Korea summit. "I don't think I have to prepare very much. It's about attitude. It's about willingness to get things done"

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Thu Jun 07, 2018 4:26 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 4:17 pm
Trump to reporters: "I think I'm very well prepared," President Trump says of the upcoming North Korea summit. "I don't think I have to prepare very much. It's about attitude. It's about willingness to get things done"

To be fair, it doesn't take much preparation to walk into the meeting, ask the North Koreans what they want, and give them the account number they can deposit the payoffs into.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Thu Jun 07, 2018 5:22 pm

Read a response that said he's basically right, but not for the reason he thinks.

There really isn't any point to this meeting, other than pomp and bluster. NK already got what they wanted simply by getting the meeting (legitimacy on the world stage), and Trump gets what he wants by having the meeting (an ego boost in "I did what Obama couldn't...neener, neener" and STIGGINIT red meat for the low information Trumpsters). Nothing either will - or even needs - to actually get accomplished here, as it's all just a show for the two giant man-baby egos. So why would he bother to prepare?

While there is always the potential for Trump to somehow make the situation dramatically worse, I tend to agree that this is all much ado about nothing.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:22 pm

Hey, let's see what Spiegel Online has to say about Trump:

No, this U.S. president was never a partner. He is a hostile opponent. We should finally start to treat him as such and act accordingly. Summoning the U.S. ambassador for a formal protest would be a good first step. Furthermore, relations to this U.S. government should be reduced to a bare minimum. It is also no longer necessary to pretend to be on friendly terms. Germany and the European Union should abandon polite self-restraint when dealing publicly with Trump and his government. We can't completely cut off the channels of communication, but they should be used sparingly. We have long known that we could no longer rely on the United States under Donald Trump. Now, though, it has become clear that we have to protect ourselves from him.

Oh boy.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:13 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:22 pm Hey, let's see what Spiegel Online has to say about Trump:

No, this U.S. president was never a partner. He is a hostile opponent. We should finally start to treat him as such and act accordingly. Summoning the U.S. ambassador for a formal protest would be a good first step. Furthermore, relations to this U.S. government should be reduced to a bare minimum. It is also no longer necessary to pretend to be on friendly terms. Germany and the European Union should abandon polite self-restraint when dealing publicly with Trump and his government. We can't completely cut off the channels of communication, but they should be used sparingly. We have long known that we could no longer rely on the United States under Donald Trump. Now, though, it has become clear that we have to protect ourselves from him.
Oh boy.

Good, maybe they will actually build and maintain a decent military. They will need it.

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:18 pm

Rip wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:13 pm
Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:22 pm Hey, let's see what Spiegel Online has to say about Trump:

No, this U.S. president was never a partner. He is a hostile opponent. We should finally start to treat him as such and act accordingly. Summoning the U.S. ambassador for a formal protest would be a good first step. Furthermore, relations to this U.S. government should be reduced to a bare minimum. It is also no longer necessary to pretend to be on friendly terms. Germany and the European Union should abandon polite self-restraint when dealing publicly with Trump and his government. We can't completely cut off the channels of communication, but they should be used sparingly. We have long known that we could no longer rely on the United States under Donald Trump. Now, though, it has become clear that we have to protect ourselves from him.
Oh boy.

Good, maybe they will actually build and maintain a decent military. They will need it.

Yeah, they are just our oldest allies. Who needs them? We have Russia and North Korea now.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:48 pm

Rip wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:13 pm Good, maybe they will actually build and maintain a decent military. They will need it.

Because America will leave them high and dry when Russia invades?

Weren't you a veteran once? What made you give up on the Western alliance?

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:10 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:48 pm
Rip wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:13 pm Good, maybe they will actually build and maintain a decent military. They will need it.
Because America will leave them high and dry when Russia invades?

Weren't you a veteran once? What made you give up on the Western alliance?

I'm all for working with them, but if they wish to treat us as hostile that is their call. Bring all the troops back from Europe while we pull them back from SK. If they no longer want our help who am I to question it.

Default · Post by **Default** » Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:47 pm

Rip wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:10 pm
Holman wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:48 pm
Rip wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:13 pm Good, maybe they will actually build and maintain a decent military. They will need it.
Because America will leave them high and dry when Russia invades?

Weren't you a veteran once? What made you give up on the Western alliance?
I'm all for working with them, but if they wish to treat us as hostile that is their call. Bring all the troops back from Europe while we pull them back from SK. If they no longer want our help who am I to question it.

Did you eat too many lead paint chips as a kid? Hostility toward our allies seems to be this administration's bread and butter.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 1:06 am

Default wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:47 pm
Rip wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:10 pm
Holman wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:48 pm
Rip wrote: ↑Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:13 pm Good, maybe they will actually build and maintain a decent military. They will need it.
Because America will leave them high and dry when Russia invades?

Weren't you a veteran once? What made you give up on the Western alliance?
I'm all for working with them, but if they wish to treat us as hostile that is their call. Bring all the troops back from Europe while we pull them back from SK. If they no longer want our help who am I to question it.
Did you eat too many lead paint chips as a kid? Hostility toward our allies seems to be this administration's bread and butter.

If you expect to get them to agree to concessions it won't happen with sloppy kisses.

It is all about working your leverage to establish terms. Time to stop being the worlds sugar daddy.

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 1:14 am

Oh, the huge manatee! Where will we ever find a new source of scat porn?

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:37 am

Lol, you do know there are many elements to negotiations besides leverage, right? It's useful, but not the only, or even best tool.

It's like listening to school children who have watched too many Sopranos episodes.

Seriously, you guys are as dumb as a bag of hammers.

Pull out of Europe and SK. The world will tilt for awhile and come to a new balance, and the US will be smaller and less important than ever before. If you don't care, don't expect the rest of the world to do it for you.

Only a moron would not expect hostility in return for hostility. Rip, I'm looking in your direction.

And where the fuck is that stroke I was promised?!

edit: I just realized I'm not sure Rip is talking about geopolitics or meant to post in the Chris Hardwick thread regarding relationships. Sloppy kisses are no way to coerce an Ally (Sheedy) into sex.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 7:24 am

Putin just got a huge erection. He has finally broken up NATO. You have to admire the level of craftsmanship it took to get Trump into office and then issue just the right commands to his puppet. Amerika, here we come!

Conservatives have become traitors to this nation. Time to Red Dawn.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 8:30 am

I just can't believe the gibberish being spouted in the name of partisanship and stigginit.

Rip will literally say anything in the pursuit of trolling the forum.

The internet tells me Rip is one of the saner ones despite mimicking a russian bot.

You guys are so fucked.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 10:38 am

CNN is reporting that Trump and Putin plan to hold a summit in July, possibly in Vienna. The news was reported by Russian sources first.

Our allies are noticing that this is around the time of an already-planned NATO summit. I'm sure Trump will refrain from insulting Germany and France while he sucks up up to Putin.

I wonder how American soldiers will look in Warsaw Pact camo?

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:05 am

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 10:38 am I wonder how American soldiers will look in Warsaw Pact camo?

Better than in a light blue helmet for sure.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:47 am

DONALD TRUMP THREW STARBURST CANDIES AT ANGELA MERKEL, SAID 'DON'T SAY I NEVER GIVE YOU ANYTHING'

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 12:22 pm

Defiant wrote:DONALD TRUMP THREW STARBURST CANDIES AT ANGELA MERKEL, SAID 'DON'T SAY I NEVER GIVE YOU ANYTHING'

The Toddler In Chief must have missed his nappy time that day.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu Jun 21, 2018 12:49 pm

em2nought wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:05 am
Holman wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 10:38 am I wonder how American soldiers will look in Warsaw Pact camo?
Better than in a light blue helmet for sure.

Komrad em2, ladies and gentlemen. He'll be here all day...or at least until his true leader Putin calls him back to the motherland. LONG LIVE MOTHER RUSSIA, eh?

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:48 am

In a private meeting, Swedish PM Stefan Lofven explained to Trump Sweden is not a member of NATO, but sometimes partners with the alliance. Trump responded that the U.S. should consider the same approach.

Vladimir Putin is the greatest master of espionage in human history, bar none. It's astonishing what he has accomplished and how vulnerable we were to it.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:17 pm

Trump wants to withdraw troops from Germany.

The Pentagon is analyzing the cost and impact of a large-scale withdrawal or transfer of American troops stationed in Germany, amid growing tensions between President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to people familiar with the work.

The effort follows Trump’s expression of interest in removing the troops, made during a meeting earlier this year with White House and military aides, U.S. officials said. Trump was said to have been taken aback by the size of the U.S. presence, which includes about 35,000 active-duty troops, and complained that other countries were not contributing fairly to joint security or paying enough to NATO.

Word of the assessment has alarmed European officials, who are scrambling to determine whether Trump actually intends to reposition U.S. forces or whether it is merely a negotiating tactic ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels, where Trump is again likely to criticize U.S. allies for what he deems insufficient defense spending.

U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to comment on the unpublicized effort, emphasized that the exercise is limited to an internal exploration of options. The top military brass is not involved as yet, and the Pentagon has not been tasked with figuring out how to execute any option.

Spoiler:

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:26 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:48 am

In a private meeting, Swedish PM Stefan Lofven explained to Trump Sweden is not a member of NATO, but sometimes partners with the alliance. Trump responded that the U.S. should consider the same approach.
Vladimir Putin is the greatest master of espionage in human history, bar none. It's astonishing what he has accomplished and how vulnerable we were to it.

What boggles my mind is that Congress knows better. They know this is disaster in the making. I just don't get why they don't even make a little noise.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:42 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:26 pm What boggles my mind is that Congress knows better. They know this is disaster in the making. I just don't get why they don't even make a little noise.

Most Republicans are still calculating that Trump's recklessness is an advantage they can exploit rather than a threat to everything America is.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:12 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:42 pm
malchior wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:26 pm What boggles my mind is that Congress knows better. They know this is disaster in the making. I just don't get why they don't even make a little noise.
Most Republicans are still calculating that Trump's recklessness is an advantage they can exploit rather than a threat to everything America is.

That sounds about right. Stupid delusional fools.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 2:34 pm

NY Times

A resolution to encourage breast-feeding was expected to be approved quickly and easily by the hundreds of government delegates who gathered this spring in Geneva for the United Nations-affiliated World Health Assembly.
...
Then the United States delegation, embracing the interests of infant formula manufacturers, upended the deliberations.

American officials sought to water down the resolution by removing language that called on governments to “protect, promote and support breast-feeding” and another passage that called on policymakers to restrict the promotion of food products that many experts say can have deleterious effects on young children.

When that failed, they turned to threats, according to diplomats and government officials who took part in the discussions. Ecuador, which had planned to introduce the measure, was the first to find itself in the cross hairs.

The Americans were blunt: If Ecuador refused to drop the resolution, Washington would unleash punishing trade measures and withdraw crucial military aid. The Ecuadorean government quickly acquiesced.
...
In the end, the Americans’ efforts were mostly unsuccessful. It was the Russians who ultimately stepped in to introduce the measure — and the Americans did not threaten them.
...
During the deliberations, some American delegates even suggested the United States might cut its contribution the W.H.O., several negotiators said. Washington is the single largest contributor to the health organization, providing $845 million, or roughly 15 percent of its budget, last year.