Octopus Overlords

Klingner is one of several Korea experts who suggest that Trump pulled the figure out of thin air. Officials at the relevant agencies and aides in Congress who follow Asia are similarly perplexed. "I have no idea where the President pulled this number from," said the congressional aide.
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The US may also ask South Korea to pay for "a whole range of personnel costs for US personnel stationed on Peninsula," the aide said. In response, the aide said, the Koreans are asking, " 'Are you guys mercenaries now? Is this a business arrangement?' "

China signs defense agreement with South Korea as U.S. angers Seoul with demand for $5 billion troop payment

Holman wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 1:29 pm

China signs defense agreement with South Korea as U.S. angers Seoul with demand for $5 billion troop payment

Um... guys, I think Trump just cost us East Asia.

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:17 pm This makes sense. It's been dull having the US back South Korea while China backs North Korea for so long. I'm all for switching up the teams to make things more interesting.

stessier wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 7:04 pm

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:17 pm This makes sense. It's been dull having the US back South Korea while China backs North Korea for so long. I'm all for switching up the teams to make things more interesting.

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 7:53 pm

stessier wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 7:04 pm

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:17 pm This makes sense. It's been dull having the US back South Korea while China backs North Korea for so long. I'm all for switching up the teams to make things more interesting.

Our NK policy was an ongoing failure for decades, so improvising a new one that's much worse is an impressive achievement. Not that I can tell you what a successful NK policy would be...but maybe starting over, as the next administration will be forced to do, will work out in the end.

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:43 pm He still hasn't crashed the economy or gotten a lot of people killed, so I don't think he's a cinch for the worst-ever title yet. He has certainly trashed the American brand like no other. I'm not a student of history, so if any other president ever betrayed allies, cozied up to enemies, trashed the environment, sowed division, enriched himself and his cronies, and mocked our stated values as Trump has done, I don't know about it. "Worst ever" will depend on whether we can recover or not.

malchior wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:49 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:43 pm He still hasn't crashed the economy or gotten a lot of people killed, so I don't think he's a cinch for the worst-ever title yet. He has certainly trashed the American brand like no other. I'm not a student of history, so if any other president ever betrayed allies, cozied up to enemies, trashed the environment, sowed division, enriched himself and his cronies, and mocked our stated values as Trump has done, I don't know about it. "Worst ever" will depend on whether we can recover or not.

Name one President or modern 1st world leader who has done anything nearly this damaging in aggregate and I'd buy this. There is *no chance* he isnt way into worst ever. The economy surviving this has been nothing short of a miracle and most major economic experts recognize that he has severely damaged worldwide growth. We just happened to be resilient enough for now.

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:43 pm He still hasn't crashed the economy or gotten a lot of people killed

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:40 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:43 pm He still hasn't crashed the economy or gotten a lot of people killed

He's blown the engines on the economy and we're coasting on momentum. Whether we can recover or not, he's set that crash in motion. As far as getting people killed, he's laid the groundwork. His successors are going to have to work overtime to undo the damage he's done without landing us in more wars, or without destabilized regions having wars without us.

Remus West wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:02 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:40 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:43 pm He still hasn't crashed the economy or gotten a lot of people killed

He's blown the engines on the economy and we're coasting on momentum. Whether we can recover or not, he's set that crash in motion. As far as getting people killed, he's laid the groundwork. His successors are going to have to work overtime to undo the damage he's done without landing us in more wars, or without destabilized regions having wars without us.

Also, the Kurds would prefer if your (Kraken) statement were not so very wrong.

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 5:36 pm
Fine; *American* people.

Amusingly, what seems to have worked instead is Emmanuel Macron’s completely different ploy. The French president gave an interview last month decrying the “brain death” of NATO, which he said had failed to account for America’s shrinking commitment under Trump.

Trump himself has called NATO “obsolete,” openly questioned whether the U.S. would come to the defense of allies under attack (the very foundation of the alliance), and privately told aides on several occasions last year he wants to withdraw from the alliance. But the notion that somebody else would question NATO, and blame its demise on Trump, has enraged him.

And now Trump is lashing out at Macron. “NATO serves a great purpose,” he declared today. “And I hear that President Macron said NATO is ‘brain dead.’ I think that’s very insulting to a lot of different forces … When you make a statement like that, that is a very, very nasty statement to 28 — including them — 28 countries.”

Manipulating children into doing what you want by pretending to demand they do the opposite thing is a trick most parents learn to use. It usually stops working around the age of 5.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:06 pm I kind of feel like Trump saying that he doesn't support the Iranian protestors would be helpful to them.

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:45 am Word is that Trump freaked out over the video of world leaders laughing at him, cancelled a press conference, and left the summit early. #stablegenius

Archinerd wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 11:03 am Forget this impeachment stuff, maybe we should all stand in front of the White House and laugh. We could put some extra weight behind it and point too.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 11:30 am

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:45 am Word is that Trump freaked out over the video of world leaders laughing at him, cancelled a press conference, and left the summit early. #stablegenius

Campaign video for democrats. Silver platter.

Remus West wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 11:31 am

Archinerd wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 11:03 am Forget this impeachment stuff, maybe we should all stand in front of the White House and laugh. We could put some extra weight behind it and point too.

Good lord I wish that would work but tRump is only a symptom and getting rid of him would leave the underlying issue of a completely complacent and morally void Republican party in charge.

Confidence in US leadership, change from Obama to Trump:

↓76% Germany
↓75% France
↓58% Canada
↓52% Australia
↓51% UK
↓48% Japan
↓44% South Korea
↓43% Mexico
↑8% Russia
(Pew 2018).

The U.S. has little leverage to prevent the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project between Russia and Germany from being completed, two administration officials said, acknowledging the failure of a years-long effort to head off what officials believe is a threat to European security.

The massive $11-billion project is just weeks away from completion and has led President Donald Trump to call Germany “a captive to Russia.” He has criticized the European Union for not doing more to diversify imports away from the nation that supplies more than a third of its gas.

Senior U.S. administration officials, who asked not to be identified discussing the administration’s take on the project, said sanctions that passed Congress on Tuesday as part of a defense bill are too late to have any effect. The U.S. instead will try to impose costs on other Russian energy projects, one of the officials added.
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Trump has indicated that he’ll sign the legislation passed Tuesday. The penalties on companies building the project, led by Russian energy company Gazprom PJSC, would be effective immediately, according to a Senate Republican aide.

Some 350 companies are involved in building the undersea link, most notably the Swiss company Allseas Group SA, whose ships are laying the last section of pipe in Danish waters.

The sanctions targets vessels that lay the pipeline as well as executives from companies linked to those ships. They could be denied visas and have transactions related to their U.S.-based property or interests blocked.

The US has turned down an extradition request for one of its citizens who was charged with causing the death of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn.

Mr Dunn, 19, died after a crash in Northamptonshire in August which led to the suspect, Anne Sacoolas, leaving for the US under diplomatic immunity.

The Home Office had launched extradition proceedings on charges of causing the death by dangerous driving.

A spokeswoman said the decision by the US "appears to be a denial of justice".

Washington, however, said granting the request would "render the invocation of diplomatic immunity a practical nullity".

Donald Trump's previously close relationship with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks close to collapse, following new revelations that the president slammed down the phone on him.
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President Donald Trump reportedly slammed the phone down on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week after what officials described as an "apoplectic" call last week.
The call was ended by Trump "slamming the phone down" on Johnson, according to the Evening Standard.

The call, which one source described to the Financial Times as "very difficult," came after Johnson defied Trump and allowed Chinese telecoms company Huawei the rights to develop the UK's 5G network.

Trump's fury was triggered by Johnson backing Huawei despite multiple threats by Trump and his allies that the United States would withdraw security co-operation with the UK if the deal went ahead.

Trump's threats reportedly "irritated" the UK government, with Johnson frustrated at the president's failure to suggest any alternatives to the deal.
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Johnson says Trump is 'failing to lead' and 'letting the air out of the tires of the world economy'