Well-observed points of the stupidity of our current federal executive branch, which can be described as dangerous, completely uncalled for, and shattering to America's world standing.
The ahole is a mob boss and that’s the way he “negotiates.” He’s a petulant bully who never matured past age 3. Tantrums are what he has been taught work. You and Shanley write gorgeous essays full of keen analysis and wit. I hope he doesn’t destroy this democracy (and the Kennedy Center) before we get him out, if he doesn’t stay in the bunker after his term ends. He seems to want to destroy democracy here and abroad. We have a lot of cleaning up to do.
This wasn't a trade negotiation, it was a shakedown. The tariff were harsh, the proposals were minimal, and then the whole thing turned into an exercise in 19th century colonialism. Trying to tell a bilingual country where and how much French could be used in our cultural institutions and product packaging? Claiming some right of approval over what trade deals we could make with other countries? Demanding right of first refusal over our mineral resources? Trump also insisted that whatever tariffs were agreed in the deal, he had the right to change them on a whim. That's not even in pencil, that's vapourware. Who wouldn't walk out on that deal.
RE: Conflict with Iran; Trade War with Canada; Demise of the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, HHS, State, Justice and others; Deterioration of Relations with Traditional Allies; Deficit Spending; the Epstein Files
Observing the House of Representatives dereliction of Article I duties on your watch, I can only conclude that you are terrified of Donald Trump, joined with him in Sugar Daddy Peter Theil’s (and others’) pocket or just constitutionally stupid. And I don’t believe you’re all that stupid.
There is something deeply odious about the JD Vance’s of our society, whose wealth and privilege harden their hearts. He makes my stomach turn!
Moses Maimonides, a brilliant Jewish Torah scholar and author in twelfth century Spain, sought to reconcile biblical text with science and reason. Considering the phrase “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart” in the exodus story, Maimonides observed Pharaoh’s choices to act with cruelty in the past eventually destroyed his capacity to repent and choose good.
We are dominated by many pharaohs now, who have crossed so many lines they have no capacity to turn back. We need to vote them and their enablers out of office, in person if necessary.
Vance has no own ideas (he is "owned" by Peter Thiel) and no charisma. I do think he knows what he is doing (Trump can't help himself) which makes my dislike of him somehow stronger. If he is the crown prince of the Maga movement I think it will struggle after Trump is gone.
It makes perfect (horrible) sense that the man responsible for destroying decades-old alliances and creating a world where agreements change with the wind, was once the multi-bankrupted runner of casinos... He is an inveterate--degenerate--gambler, and that limits his ability to think beyond the next spin of the wheel. Of course, the president of our country--and his "advisors" should have much more than a minimal grasp of the logical outcomes of words and actions--usually one of the hallmarks of what we consider an adult.
I'm glad you continue to point out how foolish and destructive Trump is for our own future and the future of the world. But he's a fixed quantity and will never change; the crazy--play-to-lose gambler, who, for some complicated, incomprehensible reason, has been put in charge of the whole casino...
"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” Gimme that ol' time religion--occasionally it makes far more sense that anything I see or hear on the news these days.... Trump, until he is removed from his current position will continue to take our entire country off the cliff...
The U.S. has a fundamental problem, exacerbated by the Roberts Court: Every incoming president has the power to renege on all prior commitments. This makes ALL U.S. commitments transitory and worthless. The rest of the world now understands this. Can a Democrat majority fix it? I'd like to find out.
Which describes Trump's approach to foreign policy exquisitely. It's designed for immediate gratification, doesn't see even into next week, much less next year. All of our former allies can both see the present and speculate intelligently about the future.
I tell myself that God gave us Trump for a reason. Trump has thoroughly messed up America's relations with the world, filled our government with villains, spread starvation and disease from Texas to Sudan, torpedoed attempts to calm global warming, turned our mighty armed forces into bathtub toys. Okay, God, we'll behave. Now please bring on the Congress to end this nightmare.
Sadly, the damage that has already been caused to the US' former alliances may never be completely repaired. Trust built over decades has all but disappeared, the rot which set in during Trump's first term having accelerated rapidly during this nightmare second term. The next administration is going to have an extremely difficult time as it attempts to rebuild and recover what is already lost.
We could rephrase that and it would work just as well: "A culture that has built its foreign policy around treating other countries’ dependence on American cultural exports may be the last to notice what happens when those countries begin treating American cultural universality as a risk to be priced, localized, and insured against." I'm a Canadian old enough to have lived the transfer of British cultural colonialism for American cultural colonialism. The change was rapid. It can change again.
The Guardian ran an article last week pointing out that even the Strait of Hormuz does not have a long-term monopoly. Alternative tranport routes, mainly pipelines, will be capable of delivering most of the oil that now goes through the Strait. The article concluded that the bargaining power given Iran by the Strait may be much weakened in three or four years.
So even that tollbooth may not last.
In Canada, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau tried to develop a 'third option' for Canadian trade (branching out from the UK as colonial power and US as big neighbour) in about 1973. So it's not a new theme for the country, but it's been very difficult ... and the Canada/US Free Trade Agreement of 1988, later NAFTA, later CUSMA/USMCA, changed the focus. Though Canada does have a comprehensive trade agreement with the EU and is part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (that Trump took the US out of in 2017).
Mr Carney may be able to develop the alternatives more thoroughly than his predecessors.
Well-observed points of the stupidity of our current federal executive branch, which can be described as dangerous, completely uncalled for, and shattering to America's world standing.
The ahole is a mob boss and that’s the way he “negotiates.” He’s a petulant bully who never matured past age 3. Tantrums are what he has been taught work. You and Shanley write gorgeous essays full of keen analysis and wit. I hope he doesn’t destroy this democracy (and the Kennedy Center) before we get him out, if he doesn’t stay in the bunker after his term ends. He seems to want to destroy democracy here and abroad. We have a lot of cleaning up to do.
This wasn't a trade negotiation, it was a shakedown. The tariff were harsh, the proposals were minimal, and then the whole thing turned into an exercise in 19th century colonialism. Trying to tell a bilingual country where and how much French could be used in our cultural institutions and product packaging? Claiming some right of approval over what trade deals we could make with other countries? Demanding right of first refusal over our mineral resources? Trump also insisted that whatever tariffs were agreed in the deal, he had the right to change them on a whim. That's not even in pencil, that's vapourware. Who wouldn't walk out on that deal.
Canada and Mexico are the US's biggest customers. Why would an exporter try to shaft its biggest customer? And where are the states in this discussion? For Michigan, exports to Canada account for 8.7% of its GDP. For Indiana its 11.4%. They should be concerned. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_exports_and_imports
Dear Speaker Johnson,
RE: Conflict with Iran; Trade War with Canada; Demise of the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, HHS, State, Justice and others; Deterioration of Relations with Traditional Allies; Deficit Spending; the Epstein Files
Observing the House of Representatives dereliction of Article I duties on your watch, I can only conclude that you are terrified of Donald Trump, joined with him in Sugar Daddy Peter Theil’s (and others’) pocket or just constitutionally stupid. And I don’t believe you’re all that stupid.
I pity you your legacy.
Sincerely,
There is something deeply odious about the JD Vance’s of our society, whose wealth and privilege harden their hearts. He makes my stomach turn!
Moses Maimonides, a brilliant Jewish Torah scholar and author in twelfth century Spain, sought to reconcile biblical text with science and reason. Considering the phrase “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart” in the exodus story, Maimonides observed Pharaoh’s choices to act with cruelty in the past eventually destroyed his capacity to repent and choose good.
We are dominated by many pharaohs now, who have crossed so many lines they have no capacity to turn back. We need to vote them and their enablers out of office, in person if necessary.
But Donald Trump never had any capacity to act otherwise. And didn't Pharaoh's cruelty lose him an army in the Red Sea?
Vance has no own ideas (he is "owned" by Peter Thiel) and no charisma. I do think he knows what he is doing (Trump can't help himself) which makes my dislike of him somehow stronger. If he is the crown prince of the Maga movement I think it will struggle after Trump is gone.
It makes perfect (horrible) sense that the man responsible for destroying decades-old alliances and creating a world where agreements change with the wind, was once the multi-bankrupted runner of casinos... He is an inveterate--degenerate--gambler, and that limits his ability to think beyond the next spin of the wheel. Of course, the president of our country--and his "advisors" should have much more than a minimal grasp of the logical outcomes of words and actions--usually one of the hallmarks of what we consider an adult.
I'm glad you continue to point out how foolish and destructive Trump is for our own future and the future of the world. But he's a fixed quantity and will never change; the crazy--play-to-lose gambler, who, for some complicated, incomprehensible reason, has been put in charge of the whole casino...
"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” Gimme that ol' time religion--occasionally it makes far more sense that anything I see or hear on the news these days.... Trump, until he is removed from his current position will continue to take our entire country off the cliff...
The U.S. has a fundamental problem, exacerbated by the Roberts Court: Every incoming president has the power to renege on all prior commitments. This makes ALL U.S. commitments transitory and worthless. The rest of the world now understands this. Can a Democrat majority fix it? I'd like to find out.
The toll booth Trump is imposing reminds me of the one in “Blazing Saddles”. It only works for those stupid enough not to see beyond it.
Which describes Trump's approach to foreign policy exquisitely. It's designed for immediate gratification, doesn't see even into next week, much less next year. All of our former allies can both see the present and speculate intelligently about the future.
Generational damage
I tell myself that God gave us Trump for a reason. Trump has thoroughly messed up America's relations with the world, filled our government with villains, spread starvation and disease from Texas to Sudan, torpedoed attempts to calm global warming, turned our mighty armed forces into bathtub toys. Okay, God, we'll behave. Now please bring on the Congress to end this nightmare.
Sadly, the damage that has already been caused to the US' former alliances may never be completely repaired. Trust built over decades has all but disappeared, the rot which set in during Trump's first term having accelerated rapidly during this nightmare second term. The next administration is going to have an extremely difficult time as it attempts to rebuild and recover what is already lost.
We could rephrase that and it would work just as well: "A culture that has built its foreign policy around treating other countries’ dependence on American cultural exports may be the last to notice what happens when those countries begin treating American cultural universality as a risk to be priced, localized, and insured against." I'm a Canadian old enough to have lived the transfer of British cultural colonialism for American cultural colonialism. The change was rapid. It can change again.
Thank you for another excellent essay. Toll booth indeed. Exactly.
The Donald, for one, cannot do math.
The Guardian ran an article last week pointing out that even the Strait of Hormuz does not have a long-term monopoly. Alternative tranport routes, mainly pipelines, will be capable of delivering most of the oil that now goes through the Strait. The article concluded that the bargaining power given Iran by the Strait may be much weakened in three or four years.
So even that tollbooth may not last.
In Canada, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau tried to develop a 'third option' for Canadian trade (branching out from the UK as colonial power and US as big neighbour) in about 1973. So it's not a new theme for the country, but it's been very difficult ... and the Canada/US Free Trade Agreement of 1988, later NAFTA, later CUSMA/USMCA, changed the focus. Though Canada does have a comprehensive trade agreement with the EU and is part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (that Trump took the US out of in 2017).
Mr Carney may be able to develop the alternatives more thoroughly than his predecessors.