As I write this, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un are meeting in Singapore in an historic first. It is the first time a sitting US President has met personally with North Korea. I've read one headline entitled "Murderous Dictator Meets Dishonest President Behind Closed Doors." Another reads, "The Smallness of Trump's North Korea Diplomacy." I detest Trump. As an American, I hope the summit succeeds.
Before this summit, I honestly thought we were going to see military action. I think what changed things was Kim Jong-Un's two trips to China. I believe the Chinese pressured Jong-Un to lighten up because after those trips, his sister came to the Olympics. Then Jon-Un personally met with South Korea twice.
Trump and Jong-Un can both rightly take credit for this, but I suspect China played a big role in making this happen. It benefits greatly if the US removes the bulk of its troops from South Korea. The New York Times claims China has actually become "jittery," but my view is that Xi Jinping knows this is in China's interest.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Tuesday, June 12, 2018
74 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
John Bolton and Sean Hannity will not allow Trump to remove any troops.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless President Trump. He has done more for world peace in a year than Obama did in eight.
ReplyDeleteI have never been so proud of my President!
ReplyDeleteMaking America great again!
ReplyDeleteDonald John Trump is the best and most intelligent President since Lincoln. He speaks roughly and uses a big stick. No Libya, No Iraq or Afghanistan, no troops sent in, no missiles expend-edit was enough that Kim Yum Yum knows that Trump was not going to screw around with him as do the Chinese.
ReplyDeleteOther Presidents promise, other Presidents cringe, but President Trump is America First. Jobs, higher wages Embassy in Jerusalem, N. Korea on the verge of being reigned in, G6 put in their place by G1. President Trump has done what he promised.
I think I am going to throw up. He is a crude and thin-skinned little man. But he deserves credit for the summit, and I hope it works out.
ReplyDeleteNo question in a fair world President Trump would get the Noble Peace Award. He will be remembered as one of the truly great presidents.
ReplyDeleteThe last guy played nice and sent pallets of cash to a a gang of religious nuts who sponsor terrorism everywhere. This guy threatened to annihilate Kim, and pressured the Chinese to reel in their little trouble maker. I can’t stand Trump. But this is rather remarkable. I wonder if we’re loading pallets with cash as I type this. I hope not.
ReplyDelete"No question in a fair world President Trump would get the Noble Peace Award. He will be remembered as one of the truly great presidents", 4:41
ReplyDeleteWell, another president who comes up enough in presidential comparisons, opened (with Henry Kissinger) relations with the PRC. Prior to that, Taiwan held the seat on the UN Security Council. Now, China--for good and bad--is a major trade partner of the US, and finances a sizable portion of our national debt. Time will tell if the post Trump-Kim negotiations hopefully produce substantive results for peace. Yet history judges in the totality of a presidency. In foreign policy Nixon found some major success. However, is he "remembered as one of the truly great presidents"?
Great point Ovem Lupo. Trump MAY get something positive done here, I hope so, but let's wait and see IF the Koreans abide by anything they agree to. They have been dishonest brokers several times in the past. I love how Trumpians are willing to give this guy a knighthood over something that MAY work out, but completely ignore the major damage he is perpetrating to our democracy , our society, our relationship with our allies, playing fast and loose with trade which we will likely feel in our pockets quite soon, ruining our environmental protections, net neutrality gone, bank regs rolled back so that they can play roulette with the people's money so we can bail them out. Hmmm, did I forget anything? But oh yeah let's give the man a prize because MAYBE he gives Kim the respect in the world stage that he's always wanted AND gets the U.S. out of his hair in the penninsula... wonder what we'll get that will stick? Kim already got a big part of what he wanted...acknowledgement by the U.S. so he can continue to hoodwink his people.
ReplyDeleteThis is all for show. Done as a distraction and with the added benefit that trump avoids sitting down with Mueller.
ReplyDeleteNixon continued to prosecute a failed Viet Nam strategy and sent 20,000 US men to their deaths. He instituted wage and price controls which, aside from putting an historical nail in Keynesian economics, were an unqualified disaster. He resigned under threat of impeachment. He was an extraordinarily bad president.
ReplyDeleteHis opening to China made lots of money for US interests, but created a monster. China will exceed US GDP soon. Nixon created a communist superpower and abandoned our ally, Taiwan.
My WWII vet father said at the time it was better to be talking than shooting. He earned the right to say it. The short game is always to stop the shooting. The long game is often lost this way, however. NK is never going to abandon it's nuclear ambitions. Look what the threat of those ambitions have achieved. They don't have any other cards. That said, we're currently not shooting at each other and that's a good thing. I'm suspicious about the long term.
I did not expect this, never saw this as one of Trump’s strengths. Nonetheless, we have not seen a better, more fruitful, and more capable foreign policy than this administration since the great Ronald Reagan.
ReplyDeleteTrump has succeeded in having North Korea agree to complete denuclearization. They have destroyed their main nuclear testing site. They have given us three hostages without the plane loads of cash that the Iranians got. North Korea is considering ending the long war with its southern neighbor.
So much has happened with this story, it’s close to as big, and consequential a historical event as the coming down of the wall in Berlin and the fall of the Soviet Union.
We won’t know for a while. But for the first time in our lifetimes, there is a genuine negotiation to deal with the nuclear nightmare that the North Koreans have brought the world in the past decades.
2:19. Visit Arlington and you will come to realize America was always Great. Any deal will eclipse the Iran payout except it will be US dollars, not Iran dollars held behind by sanctions. Lets face it, all these dictators want is wealth and power. Provide them both and they are persuadable. Just look at what Putin did for Trump. It has paid off well beyond his wildest dreams. I hope a NK deal is possible. Security forces must remain. Trust and secure.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find little to like about Trump. He is a loudmouth and a braggart and everything he is associated with is always the biggest, the best, the newest, the most grandiose that's ever existed. In spite of this, I supported him for president against Hillary Clinton, whom I just could not stand. I hoped Trump wouldn't mess things up too badly.
ReplyDeleteNow I feel like a baseball coach who says of one of his players: "I don't like the way he holds a bat, but I do like the way the ball keeps going out of the park." It's difficult to know at this point, but it looks like Trump may be batting close to 1000. Stylistically I can't stand him, but I can't argue with results. I find myself in the almost unknown situation of being pleasantly surprised by a politician.
Good analysis, 7:13AM. It's beginning to look like America really DID need something different in Washington, DC. The man is handling the job quite well.
ReplyDeleteBernie --- no need to throw up. You suffer badly from Trump derangement syndrome. You have to ask yourself and really think about ---- why does this president have such a strong base of supporters, And some of the supporters I typically respect what they say. From our perspective our President has done a fabulous job and you are blind to that fact. I have an explanation for that but you won't hear it or hear of it and I can't help that. This country would be roaring back to health if he was treated fairly by the press or media and not hated like the left and s doing and that you are doing. What you do is just further heighten what is being carried out against what I see as the best president in 30 years.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what you think you actually accomplish by you anti Trump tirades. But you attitude just justifies my premise as to why Trump receives the treatment he does.
So please DeNero speak up- and Trump will get more Americans to agree with him .
Hillary-keep your apology tour going- and Trump will get more Americans to agree with him.
Nancy Polosi-just keep talking-and Trump will get more support.
Chuck Shummer- keep stonewalling- and Trump will get more support.
Hollywood- keep up you antics - and Trump will win his next term by bigger margins
Sports teams and players- keep up with the attitude and you will see more empty seats at the stadiums- and Trump will gain even more momentum.
All of this makes perfect sense to me as to why this is going on
Maybe we can have a dialogue about this someday or talk about it over lunch You once were able to freely talk to me about anything and then now---not so much---and I ask myself is it because of me or you.
Comrade trump deserves credit IF it works.
ReplyDeleteright now the US got a piece of paper.
North Korea got a face to face meeting with the US and a suspension of joint training exercises.
plus the provisional removal of sanctions.
What China got for it's influence still has to be revealed.
Obama was such a loser. Trump making America great again. One victory for freedom & liberty at a time.
ReplyDeleteBernie Behar is about right.
trump is not a politician thank the lord.
ReplyDeleteLook at all the haters. Go President Trump! USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck campaigning on raising tax rates, Democrats.
8:32 AM - it could take a decade, or more, for the agreement to be broken. For now, Trump deserves a great deal of credit for moving us in the direction he did. He stepped-up to serve his country and is doing very well on our behalf.
ReplyDelete7:13 expressed it all very well. This is not a typical politician & that is why he was elected. He has not disappointed & delivered on essentially all he promised to do & his agenda will reverse years of decay in US world leadership. The fact that the blue collar working American is putting significantly more money in their pockets since February is icing on the cake. The fact that fat cat wealthy people from NY,NJ, Calif, Ct, Mass etc will pay more taxes due to limiting State & Local tax deductions is an anomaly that hasn’t sunk in to Pelossi & liberal media trying to portray the tax cuts as only benefitting the rich.
ReplyDeleteThe tarriffs are long overdue to help the blue collar & inner city minorities by bringing manufacturing jobs back here after Establishment Republicans gave away the store under the guise of free trade.
Our two flags side by side was a disgrace to this nation.
ReplyDeleteAny previous President could have asked for a meeting with Kim. Only this one was ridiculous enough to consider it without real concessions.
The last guy played nice and sent pallets of cash to a a gang of religious nuts who sponsor terrorism everywhere. This guy threatened to annihilate Kim, and pressured the Chinese to reel in their little trouble maker. I can’t stand Trump. But this is rather remarkable. I wonder if we’re loading pallets with cash as I type this. I hope not.
ReplyDeleteMy god Trump's followers are so gullible and misinformed. The "pallets of cash" was the return of Iran's frozen assets. We gave it back in currency because no western bank will deal with Iran.
There is absolutely nothing Trump has done to change the situation. Kim will not give up his nuclear weapons and Trump didn't even bring a scientist to discuss technical matters of disarmament.
Trump has succeeded in having North Korea agree to complete denuclearization
ReplyDeleteOh my god.
We are doomed.
According to the Democrats, Trump didn't have Hillary Clinton's foreign policy experience. That was supposed to be one of the reasons to vote against him. He did not understand the world. He was going to lead us into wars. He would be taken advantage of by our enemies. He would ruin our alliances. He would be a rube. A bumpkin. An embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteWhere is his Nobel Prixe?
Nobel Prize? He has done nothing but sign a vague statement that guarantees nothing. There is not even a framework or denuclearization let alone the pipe dream of it actually happening. The murderous dictator played Trump like a stooge. Now his victory over the USA replays on state media in DPRK. Great.
ReplyDeleteTrump’s policy =We’re America Bitch !
ReplyDeleteObama’s policy =Apologized to everyone for everything !
Have a clue Bernie Behar !
8.51
ReplyDelete" it could take a decade, or more, for the agreement to be broken".
so you are claiming that North Korea has given up their nukes?
again Comrade trump has a piece of paper.
nothing more at this point.
9.01
ReplyDelete"He did not understand the world. He was going to lead us into wars. He would be taken advantage of by our enemies. He would ruin our alliances. He would be a rube. A bumpkin. An embarrassment.
good judgement of Comrade trump so far
9:06 What did Obama do for his ?
ReplyDeleteTrump's foreign policy was a key part of his campaign: America First. Mexico, China, Canada would no longer take advantage of us. ISIS, the EU, NAFTA, NATO and more... he said many times how wrong previous presidents and Hillary Clinton was on these issues. He even spoke and wrote about how he would handle North Korea on multiple occasions.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who didn’t know what Trump’s foreign policies were didn’t stop to think about what his campaign slogan meant. Make America Great Again.
Trump had a lot of foreign business experience. But as he worked to build his businesses overseas, he paid close attention to how the leaders of those countries interacted on the global stage. He had thought about running for president since the 80’s and his time in business was spent studying the corruption of Democrats and the stupidity of the globalist mentality. He said he had more foreign experience than any previous president and he was right.
When dealing with a foreign leader there was one thing he knew for sure unlike his direct predecessor: Never bow.
""He did not understand the world. He was going to lead us into wars. He would be taken advantage of by our enemies. He would ruin our alliances. He would be a rube. A bumpkin. An embarrassment. "
ReplyDeleteHe does not understand the world. He may lead us into wars. He could be taken advantage of by our enemies. He IS ruining alliances. He is certainly an embarrassment on so many levels. But he certainly can certainly take at least partial credit for the summit. I am sure he will.
"You have to ask yourself and really think about ---- why does this president have such a strong base of supporters,"
ReplyDeleteI don't have to ask myself. Authoritarians always have a vocal minority of frenzied supporters like those commenting here. If he decided to suspend the constitution and shut down the press, you would still support him. As he separates children from their parents,you support him. As he tries to eliminate SNAP, you support him.
We're America Bitch !
ReplyDeleteBernie Behar has no clue !
If you believe Kim Jong Un will denuclearize, you probably also believed Trump's promise to replace Obamacare with cheaper, better coverage.
ReplyDelete"As he separates children from their parents,you support him."
ReplyDeleteWhen criminal mothers and fathers break the law, they go to jail. Illegal Aliens who come here are supposed to be exempt from our immigration laws ?
"As he tries to eliminate SNAP, you support him."
A hungry stomach is the best motivator in life.
Spoken with true compassion.
ReplyDelete11:25 is exactly what has been making me feel so disappointed with our society. Entitlement reform is something we can and should have a conversation about but no one in the United States (ultimately the world) should ever go hungry especially if we can do something about it. Don't be so self-righteous.
ReplyDeleteThe parents of immigrant children who try to cross our border illegally bear full responsibility for the separation of children at the border. They broke the law, period. Where is THEIR compassion for their own kids? The photos of the children in pens separated from their children were from 2014, when ultra-compassionate Obama was in office. The law has consequences. This from a person who volunteers hundreds of hours a year to charitable causes. So don't try the guilt trip with me, Bernie. Won't work.
ReplyDeleteNeville Chamberlain had a meeting and left with a signed piece of paper which he waved triumphantly for waiting cameras.
ReplyDeleteI think I seen this bullshit fake news episode before....
1:09 Chamberlain negotiated from a position of weakness and was willing to give Hitler anything he wanted for peace. Why he sold out the Czechs. Kind of like Obama negotiating with the Iranians. That and the pallets of cash he flew to Tehran in the middle of the night.
ReplyDeleteInaccurate comparison. Sorry. Learn history instead of blindly parroting what Nancy Pelosi tells you.
As the old saying goes-not going to count the chickens until they hatch.
ReplyDeleteJune 12, 2018 at 2:07 PM
ReplyDeleteI was comparing the value of the pieces of paper signed in both instances.
Yes, The "Constitutional Attorney" had a degree with an equal value as the piece of paper he signed with the Iranians.
If history teaches anything, it teaches the value of a signed piece of paper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBN_rvehodM
ReplyDeleteIf only the meeting went like this....
Trump claims little Kim loves his people. Really. Why does he starve and kill them. At some point a President has to maintain his integrity.
ReplyDeleteAre people this crazy or do you actually believe what you are typing? Even his old friends will tell you Trump is a con artist. One of the best.
ReplyDelete4:41 were you as critical about Obama's deal with the mullahs and the palletloads of cash he flew to Iran in the middle of the night on unmarked planes ?
ReplyDeleteSee here's the thing 2:07...Obama and 5 other nations actually got Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions, and they were verifiable. Even though parts of the deal ran out in 10 years and some in 15 -25 years, they were in check and they were holding to it. Kim is MUCH further along as he actually has weapons and many hidden sites, not to mention a real history of breaking deals whenever he feels like it. From what I've heard and read today, Korea gave nothing that other leaders haven't gotten before and Kim got a biggie "credibility on the world stage and solidification of his image as a real player with his people". Trump got a photo op. Also,Trump now has opened his yap and declared that the military exercises with S. Korea are too provocative and expensive and should stop....S. Korea is like, wah? as is our Pentagon, totally flummoxed. The guy is a loose cannon that just can't keep his ego in check, doesn't know or want to know things like facts and history and is taking the U.S. on a roller coaster ride that he'll jump off of before it crashes.
ReplyDeleteTrump has Two personally s . This is not show ,this is to get the “ missle man. “To stop . On the other hand the little dictator may be smart enough to push his adjenda ,resulting in a rebuild for his country at outher country s expenses . Is he that smart? I don’t know ,but there will be an untaped market ,the country of NK can only go up . Trump ,is in effect saving the world ,this is NOT a basketball game . The state department had Rodman show up ,this is high stakes ,high level shit here. You Trump haters are going to eat your shorts before this is over.
ReplyDelete"You Trump haters are going to eat your shorts before this is over."
ReplyDeleteIf Obama or Clinton had done exactly what you are saying your republican buddies would be calling for impeachment. Trump is a fraud and you idiots don't realize the trouble he has put this nation in.
5:09 "See here's the thing 2:07...Obama and 5 other nations actually got Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions, and they were verifiable"
ReplyDeleteNot according to what the Iranian documents which Netanyahu had smuggled out of Tehran. It seems that the Iranians did nothing but cheat on the executive agreement that Obama made with them, and paid them for.
You just have to understand that no matter what President Trump does the Democrats and fellow leftists are going to criticize him. Do not get dragged in the mud over something so obviously great for the world. Only miserable dead end leftists would see anything negative about the North Korea summit. They are so .... so .... sooooo. angry that Obama has been basically erased from the history books.... he is basically the first Mulatto in the Oval Office and that is it....
ReplyDeleteAnon 6:53 you are an idiot, I sign my my name and you want to call me out! Well, I’m ok with that because you have never been to places I have been, Singapore. At least I graduated 3 rd in my class in high school - from the bottom !
ReplyDeleteNo one expected President Trump to reshape the world and be capable of being the incredible foreign policy master that he has proven he is. And to have it happen before his 2nd anniversary in office is even more spectacular.
ReplyDeletePresident Trump has shown that he isn't a regular politician. He's stood up to the Globalists who want to continue to siphon wealth from the United States at the recent G-7 talks. He's stood up to despots and dictators, and in every single case, he has pulled out a big win for the United States. President Trump has brought jobs (lots of jobs) back to the United States. He's exposed the Democratic-controlled media for what it really is.
So far, in less than 2 years, President Trump has kept more campaign promises than any other politician has since Ronald Reagan. The United States is stronger now than it has been under the last 28 years of globalist, liberal rule.
Thank you President Trump.
Singapore is the cleanest city I’ve ever been to. .The people there were. Hospital and friendly .The streets are prestin. They do not tolerate garbage or shit head people making any jesters of non compliance to their rules . It is safe and clean for real. Get on causeway to Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteTrump is not a politician! He is making corrections to what Obama’s distraction and distruction of our Constitution for 8 years did. WW11 was basically 5 years with occupation troups and all - I say Obama wrecked this country about the same as WW11 - so were in a correction . You can snival and scream al you want . Facts are we need production , of industry and fair trade issues and a strong military. Period. Without that we ,or our grandkids will be in big trouble in 10 - -20 years and this nation was in a default mode for almost 8 years. So ,love him or hate him - issue is We The People were on the road for distruction of our economy ,the destruction of our standing military and the destruction of world prestige.
ReplyDelete"he is basically the first Mulatto in the Oval Office and that is it...."
ReplyDeleteThere is your modern republican party. Jefferson Davis would be proud.
"Obama’s distraction and distruction of our Constitution"
ReplyDeleteYou are nuts! Lee Grant
It has now been over a day since the Summit and I still can't wipe the smile on my face. Thank you President Trump!
ReplyDelete"It has now been over a day since the Summit and I still can't wipe the smile on my face. Thank you President Trump!"
ReplyDeleteAs the facts surface I find it hard to stop laughing too. I especially liked the Dennis Rodman episode. And the asinine film we taxpayers paid for.
5:09 PM
ReplyDelete"Obama and 5 other nations actually got Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions"
I'm sure you have some sacred text, possibly even autographed, that inspires and guides your religiosity. Your faith is of the highest order.
10:17, thanks for what? Trump apparently agreed to stop conducting military exercises with South Korea and gave Kim legitimacy just by having the meeting. All he got in return was a weak pledge to denuclearize that was less that what had been promised by North Korea on previous occasions. Trump got played.
ReplyDeleteAnyone willing to tell Trump he is cool and great can get what they want. He is easily played and world leaders know it. The guy is as gullible as his followers.
ReplyDelete"My god Trump's followers are so gullible and misinformed. The "pallets of cash" was the return of Iran's frozen assets. We gave it back in currency because no western bank will deal with Iran."
ReplyDeleteStop it. You're embarrassing yourself. Obama skirted US and international law by Dumbo dropping pallets of cash and gold to mullahs who are the chief sponsor of international terrorism - and are hellbent on developing a nuclear weapon and destroying Israel. The frozen assets belonged to an Iran that was not a terrorist nation. There's a reason the assets were frozen, Thucydides. Obama supplied murderous religious nuts with billions and likely did so illegally, per last week's document drop. I can't stand Trump. Nothing is going to change with NK. I also can't stand Obama nuts defending the indefensible. There's a good percentage of Democrats who know better than to trust Democrats with foreign affairs. Obama's foreign policy was weak and dangerous.
Look at all the haters! Obama really was terrible. Trump continues to prove how bad of a chief executive each and every day. Have fun campaigning on raising taxes, Democrats. And on open borders. And on all the other crap We The American People just don't want any part of, like Obama's stupid Global Warming 'threat'.
ReplyDeleteO'Hare simply can't handle reality and it is most entertaining.
6.42
ReplyDeletetry
http://fortune.com/2016/08/05/money-america-iran/
"By 2015, the issue stood before a panel of nine judges, including three independent jurists, who were reportedly near a decision on binding arbitration. According to Obama administration officials, the U.S. was concerned that the tribunal would mandate an award in the multiple billions of dollars. “The Iranians wanted $10 billion,” says Sick.”I estimate that the tribunal would have awarded them $4 billion. That’s what the lawyers were saying. It’s not as much as they wanted, but a lot more than we paid.”
So instead, the U.S. negotiators convinced Iran to move the dispute from arbitration to a private settlement. The two sides reached an agreement in mid-2015, at the same time as the U.S. and Iran reached a comprehensive pact on curtailing Iran’s development of nuclear weapons. The financial deal called for the U.S. to refund $1.7 billion to Tehran, consisting of the original $400 million contract for military equipment, plus $1.3 billion in interest."
So President Obama saved the US 2.3 billion dollars by returning Iran's money.
the regime change in Iran had nothing to do with money belonging to Iran.
It was Iran's money so believing theft is an acceptable standard for the US makes no sense.
8.30
ReplyDeleteYes Trump continues to prove how bad of a chief executive each and every day he is in office.
as to President Obama it is sweet how he gets to live rent free in the heads of the people who hate him.those people will never lose that anger.
" I can't stand Trump"
ReplyDeleteBullshit!
The lengths that people will go to lie for Obummer. There is a reason Mrs. Clinton is not President. Still can't get over it and it's so awesome to witness!
ReplyDeleteThe lengths people go to for Trump. The guy is a disaster yet the hate of his followers outweighs any common sense.
ReplyDeleteThe whole 'Russian scandal' scam being run by Obama's Justice Department outweighs common sense and We The American People know it!
ReplyDeleteNo, it was Obama who was quite sad. So enjoy your tax cut already.
ReplyDelete