Trump

[Digby]

Trump is upset not enough people came to his latest rally, so rather than consider people don't want to hear what he has to say he's fired George Gigicos who was the advance planner for such events.

[morepork]

Meanwhile he continues his fetish for uniforms and weapons. He seems intent on porting himself as a ruthless authoritarian, a fact which hasn't gone unnoticed by the arms industry who seem to be creaming it with the weekend Mussolini at the podium. Police are now once again allowed streamlined access to surplus military equipment because nothing helps foster relationships with disaffected (non-white) sectors of society like armored vehicles and grenade launchers.

Increase the military budget and slash education, welfare (including disability), biomedical R&D and health. Nice action. That proposed 30+% cut to the environmental protection agency and the deregulation of engineering and resource consent is looking is looking pretty fucking smart from under the water in Texas and Louisiana right now isn't Donald?

[Digby]

Just 'cause the US spends a fraction on prevention Vs clear up I don't know we can be too critical of Trump for slashing regs, even the experts only think it saves $4 for every $1 spent.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/clim ... ml?mcubz=0

[morepork]

Nothing portrays sympathy for victims of natural disaster like a trophy wife in high heels. The Trumps leave for Texas to see the floods first hand. Stay classy.

Screen Shot 2017-08-29 at 1.07.39 PM.png

[Buggaluggs]

Nothing portrays sympathy for victims of natural disaster like a trophy wife in high heels. The Trumps leave for Texas to see the floods first hand. Stay classy.

Screen Shot 2017-08-29 at 1.07.39 PM.png

To be fair, he has promised this will be the biggest, most tremendous clean up ever.

[Digby]

He could have taken his daughter wife, so maybe they're lucky to get simply the wife, heels or no.

[morepork]

He could have taken his daughter wife, so maybe they're lucky to get simply the wife, heels or no.

He is the biggest bitch of all so should be the one in stilettos.

[kk67]

but the wheels are still being turned.

The wheel is turning but the guinea pig has joined the choir celestial,....an ex-guinea pig.

[Mellsblue]

.

[Sandydragon]

Firing Gorka is a good decision, though no sane person would've hired him to begin with. He's just an angry prick with no solutions, which might be why Trump likes him

Political epiphany.

It's just another case of the WH seemingly sorting its shit out on the inside in order to make it look like they're moderating, but in reality the Mooch, Spicer, Bannon and Gorka will continue the Trump agenda from the outside.

Shrewd move to make Gen. Kelly the WH chief of staff.

Governance starts to 'look' a little more 'professional', but the wheels are still being turned. The focus is well and truly on the media.

Perception is key. Kelly is no fool and his appointment is a very good one for trump.

[kk67]

Perception is key.

Yup.

[Digby]

Political epiphany.

It's just another case of the WH seemingly sorting its shit out on the inside in order to make it look like they're moderating, but in reality the Mooch, Spicer, Bannon and Gorka will continue the Trump agenda from the outside.

Shrewd move to make Gen. Kelly the WH chief of staff.

Governance starts to 'look' a little more 'professional', but the wheels are still being turned. The focus is well and truly on the media.

Perception is key. Kelly is no fool and his appointment is a very good one for trump.

Oddly the hurricane might also be good for Trump. He surely can't entertain notions now of shutting down the government, and if they can find money it'll have to go an redeveloping flood impacted areas and not on a wall.

[kk67]

Loving the Mexicans offering aid. Quality life lessons.

[Digby]

After threatening military power Trump has moved on to saying "The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea."

Which even for Don John is a bit stupid, unless he really thinks the US can cease trade with Mexico for instance, if he thinks he needs a wall now what would be needed if he stopped trade? And there are other minor countries it'd impact Saudi Arabia, who possibly sell the odd bit of oil, France, India, China.... The idea one could stop trade with India and China is lunacy, there's no way that 'fixes' his issue with the balance of payments, instead it'd perhaps only trigger a massive recession across the globe. So why say something so lunatic?

[WaspInWales]

After threatening military power Trump has moved on to saying "The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea."

Which even for Don John is a bit stupid, unless he really thinks the US can cease trade with Mexico for instance, if he thinks he needs a wall now what would be needed if he stopped trade? And there are other minor countries it'd impact Saudi Arabia, who possibly sell the odd bit of oil, France, India, China.... The idea one could stop trade with India and China is lunacy, there's no way that 'fixes' his issue with the balance of payments, instead it'd perhaps only trigger a massive recession across the globe. So why say something so lunatic?

Because he is a lunatic.

The man is utterly insane.

[Digby]

I keep thinking it's not possible to reach such position and be that unsuitable, and yet here he is. In fairness Trump hasn't quite reached the more alarming phases of nuclear chicken that JFK enjoyed, Russia was perhaps more predictable than North Korea, but Trump still isn't the President to make the most alarming comments on a nuclear war - sadly he may yet change that.

I would also note again something needs to be done about North Korea, and I don't have any good ideas what. I wouldn't though start with an ambition that's so absurd you'd never get a chance to put it into practice

[WaspInWales]

This tit for tat bollocks with NK is also a bit nuts.

Every time NK flex their muscles, SK and the US can't help but have another one of their live drills, in return NK can't help testing more missiles.

It's all posturing, but a stray missile is likely to end in thousands of people having a very day and the knock on effects of that could be worse for millions, possibly billions more.

Is Kim wild-e enough to fire a nuke at SK, Japan or the US? I'm not so sure as it will doubtless end with his own destruction. The rhetoric is the same as it has been for years, only the stakes are higher. I don't get why the so called 'good guys' have to stoke the fire instead of looking at diplomatic resolutions with so called 'bad guys'.

[Digby]

What are the diplomatic solutions? And why would they work now?

[WaspInWales]

What are the diplomatic solutions? And why would they work now?

Well, I'm not sure more sanctions are the answer. Perhaps if there were direct talks with the likes of Japan, Russia and China involved, the aim can be removal of some sanctions in return for the cessation of NK carrying out missile/nuke tests.

The current pissing contest clearly isn't working and is just edging towards conflict.

[Digby]

What are the diplomatic solutions? And why would they work now?

Well, I'm not sure more sanctions are the answer. Perhaps if there were direct talks with the likes of Japan, Russia and China involved, the aim can be removal of some sanctions in return for the cessation of NK carrying out missile/nuke tests.

The current pissing contest clearly isn't working and is just edging towards conflict.

I have no sense of what the higher levels of the NK military want, what drives them and what they feel entitles them. I'm assuming only there's no mass popular uprising on the cards and we are dealing with a very weird dictatorship.

[morepork]

There is nothing to be gained by starving the population of North Korea with more sanctions. Someone needs to get in there and ask what it is that NK really does want and look at the possibility of helping them achieve something positive for a concession on the military front. Jared Kushner could gop in there are prepschool the shit out of them. All the Orange Doughnut does with his fucking absurd keyboard tough man statements is feed into the propaganda that the population of NK is assumedly bombarded with every day. This so-called master negotiator really does seem to excel in painting himself into corners. Cease trading with all countries that trade with trade with KN. Yeah, genius. Maybe sit the next couple of plays out champ? Let the grown ups deal with this.

[Zhivago]

This whole nonsense with NK is just so that the US can build up military around China to carry out its stated policy of containment. NK wants nukes because it's the best deterrent to US invasion. It also has a significant amount of natural mineral resources that would be worth having access to.

The best way to integrate NK is to open up to them. Trade with them. Trying to prevent them from having nukes is futile.

[Digby]

Does one reward perhaps the world's cruelest dictatorship?

[morepork]

Does one reward perhaps the world's cruelest dictatorship?

It's not quite that simple though, is it?

[Digby]

Does one reward perhaps the world's cruelest dictatorship?

It's not quite that simple though, is it?

No it's not. But it's also not as simple as saying we need to get in there and talk and try to trade with them, both relating to North Korea and not