There goes that Nobel Prize

[Turdacious]

The important thing is that the New York Times has probably said more critical things about Trump this year than they said about the Soviet Union from 1917-1991.

[JimZipCode]

...pissed when the meeting was scheduled
...pissed when the meeting was cancelled
...pissed when the meeting was rescheduled

No, amused when the meeting was cancelled.

[nafod]

Mario, need your iGX fund raising skills stat! We gotta help Rocket Man meet Dotard!

The prideful but cash-poor pariah state requires that a foreign country foot the bill at its preferred lodging: the Fullerton, a magnificent neoclassical hotel near the mouth of the Singapore River, where just one presidential suite costs more than $6,000 per night.

Kim should ride one of his ballistic missiles there, since that is where his money has been going.

[Turdacious]

The dinner in North Korea was delicious, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. recalled last week as he recounted his November visit to the Hermit Kingdom to retrieve two imprisoned Americans.

As with many things in that country, it was also a bit strange.

Clapper, in a chat at a cyber security conference in New York , noted that “the plight of the citizens of Pyongyang stood in solemn contrast to the dinner” he had there the night before he picked up the two Americans.

It was, he said, “an elaborate 12-course Korean meal. Having spent time in Korea [as chief of intelligence for U.S. forces there in the mid-‘80s], I consider myself somewhat a connoisseur of Korean food, and that was one of the best Korean meals I’ve ever had.”

Alas, “the company was not pleasurable,” Clapper said, referring to his host, “General Kim, who claimed to me that he was my North Korean counterpart.” Kim, Clapper said, “spent most of the meal berating me about American aggression and what terrible people we were,” arguing his country was “under siege” by its neighbors and blaming Washington for supporting them.

“He got louder and louder,” Clapper recalled, “and he kept leaning toward me, pointing his finger at my chest and saying that U.S. and South Korean [military] exercises were a provocation to war.”

And, after that sumptuous meal, our colleague Ellen Nakashima tells us that the North Koreans presented the Americans with a bill for Clapper’s share of the dinner. Well, when you’re hard up for hard currency, every dollar counts.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in ... 75a99f4deb

Seems like they've got some skill in this. Maybe the norks can help the administration get Mexico to pay for the wall.

[Turdacious]

[Turdacious]

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would announce tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in the coming week. This move follows reports from the Commerce Department that investigated the impact of these imports.

The president is expected to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. This will lead to increased prices for these commodities in the U.S.

Here are three reasons why tariffs on steel and aluminum would be bad for American workers:

Steel-using industries employ 17 million Americans in sectors ranging from automotive manufacturing to construction. An increase in the price of imported steel and aluminum would put these jobs at risk. This already happened in the recent past. Steel tariffs imposed in 2002 cost 200,000 hardworking Americans their jobs.
Trade restrictions, by their nature, result in price increases for the goods in question. If the price of steel and aluminum goes up, manufacturers will be forced to pass those costs onto American consumers.
In 2002, the United States faced threats of retaliatory tariffs from major trading partners. Oftentimes, agriculture products are the first target, and in the past, the European Union targeted Florida orange juice. Canada has already threatened retaliation should the U.S. move forward. Tariffs on U.S. exports in retaliation, in the agriculture sector for example, could lead to lower sales abroad for U.S. businesses, putting the jobs of additional American workers at risk.

These potential tariffs may put small groups of manufacturers on life support, but they will jeopardize the jobs of millions. The president has a responsibility to protect all American workers rather than a select few, and he should refrain from imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum.

https://www.heritage.org/trade/commenta ... an-workers
Fer starters, Whiting isn't an economist (or anything approximating one). Second, she's not wrong-- inflation's a bitch.

[johno]

Talks, and talk about talks, are bullshit unless Kim submits to verifiable inspections of any and all potential nuke facilities.

[vern]

[syaigh]

How to win a Nobel Prize.

Step One: Pick a fight with a ruthless dictator.
Step Two: Flatter said dictator and get all friendly and get things right back to where they were.
Step Three: Brag about how awesome you are.

[johno]

How to win a Nobel Prize.

Step One:
Step Two:
Step Three:

Step One: Be African American
Step Two: Get elected President by mouthing PC bullshit.
Step Three: Receive Nobel Prize.

Step Four: Fuck up Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq, and put Iran on the Nukes-in-Ten-Years-Plan. Pass North Korea on to your successor and say, "Good Luck."

[syaigh]

How to win a Nobel Prize.

Step One:
Step Two:
Step Three:

Step One: Be African American
Step Two: Get elected President by mouthing PC bullshit.
Step Three: Receive Nobel Prize.

Step Four: Fuck up Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq, and put Iran on the Nukes-in-Ten-Years-Plan. Pass North Korea on to your successor and say, "Good Luck."

touche'

Step one: Be on the right side of dominant world politics.
Step two: Do a shitty job of doing anything, but a great job of spouting bullshit to your base that they believe.
Step three: Winning!

I think that's more inclusive now.

[johno]

As our Cheeto Overlord has repeatedly said, "Let's see what happens."

If he achieves his stated objective (verifiable & permanent denuclearization) with the Norks, he will deserve a place on Mt. Rushmore. AND the Nobel.

If he doesn't denuclearize the Norks, he will be no more deserving of a Nobel Prize than was Obama.

[syaigh]

As our Cheeto Overlord has repeatedly said, "Let's see what happens."

If he achieves his stated objective (verifiable & permanent denuclearization) with the Norks, he will deserve a place on Mt. Rushmore. AND the Nobel.

If he doesn't denuclearize the Norks, he will be no more deserving of a Nobel Prize than was Obama.

He's a fucking idiot. He deserves a good kick in the ass. For many things. Jesus Christ, he doesn't even know basic patriotic protocol, but hey look a squirrel . . . .

Separating nursing babies from their mommas is kind of unforgivable. Especially if you use it as a tool for political pressure. this happened under Obama as well. But seriously, to separate parents from children who are seeking asylum, not just caught trying to cross illegally kind of the opposite of peace.

Trump could accomplish a lot of good if his supporters demanded it. Seems they just want a theocratic white society. Maybe not, but that's all he's headed towards at this point. Terrifying if you actually love America.

I think Pence would be worse which is the only reason I refrain from praying for his sudden death.

What the hell ever happened to the moderates?

For what its worth, realy hating the far left as well right now.

[johno]

As our Cheeto Overlord has repeatedly said, "Let's see what happens."

If he achieves his stated objective (verifiable & permanent denuclearization) with the Norks, he will deserve a place on Mt. Rushmore. AND the Nobel.

If he doesn't denuclearize the Norks, he will be no more deserving of a Nobel Prize than was Obama.

hey look a squirrel . . . .

...Separating nursing babies from their mommas
...theocratic white society.

You go Girl! Chase those squirrels!!!

[syaigh]

As our Cheeto Overlord has repeatedly said, "Let's see what happens."

If he achieves his stated objective (verifiable & permanent denuclearization) with the Norks, he will deserve a place on Mt. Rushmore. AND the Nobel.

If he doesn't denuclearize the Norks, he will be no more deserving of a Nobel Prize than was Obama.

hey look a squirrel . . . .

...Separating nursing babies from their mommas
...theocratic white society.

You go Girl! Chase those squirrels!!!

there are a lot of squirrels.

my husband's brother got a business card drom a guy the other day who was selling his truck. the guy had his Klan number printed on it below his name.

[nafod]

So confusing...what to do? They should have just hugged it out. You know they wanted to.

[johno]

Hilarious how squirmy Never Trumpers get at the thought of The Cheeto King causing World Peace.

"Oh, look! He didn't shake hands right!"
"Look! Kids in cages!!!"
"Look! KKK!!!"



Relax. You have options:

[JimZipCode]

Hilarious how squirmy Never Trumpers get at the thought of The Cheeto King causing World Peace.

Ha. What, seriously, are the chances that the orange clown got any single part of this right?

At first glance, it looks like he got completely rolled. Nork's make zero concessions on human rights; they merely "reaffirm" an existing agreement; and they pledge to disarm South Korea and get American troops off the peninsula. How is any of this a win for the US and the world?

Of course it's always nice to see the Prez of the US saluting a foreign military general

[Gene]

Hilarious how squirmy Never Trumpers get at the thought of The Cheeto King causing World Peace.

Ha. What, seriously, are the chances that the orange clown got any single part of this right?

At first glance, it looks like he got completely rolled. Nork's make zero concessions on human rights; they merely "reaffirm" an existing agreement; and they pledge to disarm South Korea and get American troops off the peninsula. How is any of this a win for the US and the world?

Of course it's always nice to see the Prez of the US saluting a foreign military general

This isn't going to be resolved in one meeting. Point is that there was a meeting. Obama could have done this too if he weren't a Corporate whore. Obama did negotiate something with Iran and unfortunately Trump fucked it up. Good thing Korea isn't in the Middle East so that Israel worries about them.

Rolled? Are you as worried about what the Chinese State does to Uighurs, Tibetans or Falun Gongfa players are you about North Korea's system? Do you avoid Chinese made goods because you don't like their human rights record? What happens in China is China's business and what happens in North Korea is their business.

Let's hope that we Americans don't fuck up things in Korea like we did in Libya or Iraq. Khaddafy and Hussein disarmed and then we invaded them.

[nafod]

Hilarious how squirmy Never Trumpers get at the thought of The Cheeto King causing World Peace.

I’m not worried at all about Trump causing world peace. I am worried that he is disrupting a system of strong alliances that have brought about a 70 year stretch of peace. I don’t see what his long term strategy is, other than to hug it out with his fellow dictators.

[syaigh]

Hilarious how squirmy Never Trumpers get at the thought of The Cheeto King causing World Peace.

I’m not worried at all about Trump causing world peace. I am worried that he is disrupting a system of strong alliances that have brought about a 70 year stretch of peace. I don’t see what his long term strategy is, other than to hug it out with his fellow dictators.

He's just a mean self-centered jerk. I'd love it if he would do some great things. But he doesn't know how.

He doesn't have to make everything so ugly, he just likes it that way because it makes him feel in control.

And he's not going to cause world peace, he just managed to back out of a fight he picked himself.

[JimZipCode]

Do you avoid Chinese made goods ... ?

Is that even possible?

[nafod]

Point is that there was a meeting.

I’m kind of with you on that, Gene. They at least talked a little. Would love to be a fly on the wall in Norkland as they ponder what to do next.

Feel kind of bad for the South Koreans getting left out of all of this. Every time it comes down to siding with a more authoritarian versus a less authoritarian country, it’s pretty clear where Ol’ BoneSpurs leans.

[Turdacious]

Point is that there was a meeting.

I’m kind of with you on that, Gene. They at least talked a little. Would love to be a fly on the wall in Norkland as they ponder what to do next.

Feel kind of bad for the South Koreans getting left out of all of this. Every time it comes down to siding with a more authoritarian versus a less authoritarian country, it’s pretty clear where Ol’ BoneSpurs leans.

Admit it, you're just grumpy because you got out before they had Space Force.

[nafod]

Point is that there was a meeting.

I’m kind of with you on that, Gene. They at least talked a little. Would love to be a fly on the wall in Norkland as they ponder what to do next.

Feel kind of bad for the South Koreans getting left out of all of this. Every time it comes down to siding with a more authoritarian versus a less authoritarian country, it’s pretty clear where Ol’ BoneSpurs leans.

Admit it, you're just grumpy because you got out before they had Space Force.

The Truth