Trump is not offering peace in Ukraine

[Immanuel Can]

Trump has weaponized the drug crisis and he's using it to advance his agenda.

And you think that "agenda" is....what?

...to be King Donald and destroy the Constitution, disallowing all opposition.

And your evidence for this is...?

[Immanuel Can]

Trump has weaponized the drug crisis and he's using it to advance his agenda.

And you think that "agenda" is....what?

To get told every day by as many people as possible that he's the best.

Seems harmless. All he needs is a little flattery, then.

[phyllo]

And you think that "agenda" is....what?

To get told every day by as many people as possible that he's the best.

Seems harmless. All he needs is a little flattery, then.

Policy made by flattery.

Putin flatters Trump and Russia becomes America's friend. Zelenskyy doesn't flatter and Ukraine loses funding.

What a way to run a country.

[Immanuel Can]

Trump has weaponized the drug crisis and he's using it to advance his agenda.

And you think that "agenda" is....what?

I already posted what what I think he is doing with respect to Canada. And I know you read it.

You said what he's doing, like imposing tariffs, which I already knew. But you didn't say why, or what his "agenda" really was. You kind of bluffed it away, instead.

But if you don't know what his agenda actually is, how do you know what serves that agenda and what fails to serve it?

[Immanuel Can]

To get told every day by as many people as possible that he's the best.

Seems harmless. All he needs is a little flattery, then.

Policy made by flattery.

Putin flatters Trump and Russia becomes America's friend. Zelenskyy doesn't flatter and Ukraine loses funding.

What a way to run a country.

Harmless. If all he needs is flattery, his courtiers and the public can flatter him, and he need not have any policies at all.

I don't think you believe what you're saying. It's just too simplistic. What I think is you just hate the man, because you believe that's virtuous and impressive, and you don't really have the foggiest idea what his "agenda" is. I can't help but marvel at the brainless partisanship that Americans seem to take as normal; don't you people ever vote by policy, rather than mere partisanship?

But which part of what Trump's already done do you hate? Firing lazy employees? Exposing fraudulent tax-moochers? Closing the border? Deporting criminal aliens? Banning DEI? Kicking men out of women's sports? Promising to lower taxes? Trying to get peace? Uncovering fraud? Draining the Washington swamp? Ending trade imbalances?

That's most of the stuff he's done by executive order thus far. Which of these agenda items upsets you?

[FlashDangerpants]

And you think that "agenda" is....what?

To get told every day by as many people as possible that he's the best.

Seems harmless. All he needs is a little flattery, then.

Have you ever tried to warn one of those people that they are pursuing a bad idea? It's far from harmless as the reckless launching of trade wars will demonstrate.

[Immanuel Can]

To get told every day by as many people as possible that he's the best.

Seems harmless. All he needs is a little flattery, then.

Have you ever tried to warn one of those people that they are pursuing a bad idea? It's far from harmless as the reckless launching of trade wars will demonstrate.

It's not going to happen. Canada and Mexico both know they can't sustain a trade war with the US. The US is bound to win any such battle. Their only hope is to negotiate...which so far, they really haven't done, since the current arrangment favours them. And I think that's the real point: to compel renegotiation.

But neither you nor I can predict the future, so we'll just have to see whether you're right, or I am, or neither is.

[phyllo]

I don't think you believe what you're saying. It's just too simplistic. What I think is you just hate the man, because you believe that's virtuous and impressive, and you don't really have the foggiest idea what his "agenda" is. I can't help but marvel at the brainless partisanship that Americans seem to take as normal; don't you people ever vote by policy, rather than mere partisanship?

You don't know anything about me and your mind-reading skills are poor.

You should be talking about the posts rather than the posters.

[phyllo]

It's not going to happen. Canada and Mexico both know they can't sustain a trade war with the US. The US is bound to win any such battle. Their only hope is to negotiate...which so far, they really haven't done, since the current arrangment favours them. And I think that's the real point: to compel renegotiation.

Renegotiate the trade agreement that Trump negotiated in 2020?

This one:

"The USMCA is the largest, most significant, modern, and balanced trade
agreement in history. All of our countries will benefit greatly." - President Donald J. Trump

*DELIVERING ON HIS PROMISE: President Donald J. Trump is replacing the
outdated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United
States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).*

* Today, President Trump is signing his historic USMCA deal, making
good on his promise to deliver fairer and more reciprocal trade for
the American people.
* USMCA will replace the terrible NAFTA agreement that resulted in the
loss of millions of American jobs and devastated communities across
our country.
* The deal marks a tremendous victory for American workers, farmers,
manufacturers, and businesses alike.

*STANDING UP FOR AMERICAN WORKERS: USMCA will deliver more jobs and
better labor protections that benefit American workers, while fostering
more growth for American businesses.*

* While NAFTA was a disaster for American workers, USMCA will deliver
new jobs and better protections for hardworking Americans across the
country.
* USMCA has the potential to create nearly 600,000 jobs and generate
up to $235 billion in economic activity.
* This deal includes the strongest, most advanced, and most
comprehensive labor chapter of any American trade agreement in history.
* Workers in all sectors of the economy are expected to benefit from
this landmark agreement.
* USMCA is the first United States trade agreement to ever include a
chapter supporting small and medium sized businesses.

*SUPPORTING AMERICAN FARMERS: USMCA includes tremendous breakthroughs
for American agriculture.*

* USMCA is a monumental win for American farmers and ranchers,
improving access to Canadian and Mexican markets to export their goods.
* As a result of President Trump’s efforts to secure a better deal for
our farmers, American agricultural exports are expected to increase
by $2.2 billion under USMCA.
* Under the agreement, Canada has agreed to expand market access for
American dairy, egg, and poultry producers.
o The agreement is expected to grow annual dairy exports by nearly
$315 million.
* American wheat growers will have access to a more level playing field.
o Thanks to this deal, Canada will finally give fair treatment to
American-grown wheat.

*DRIVING NEW GROWTH FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY: USMCA will provide a massive
boost to American manufacturers, particularly our vital auto industry.*

* USMCA will achieve fairer, more reciprocal trade that supports high-
paying American manufacturing jobs and grows the economy.
* USMCA includes innovative provisions to incentivize new investments
in the American auto industry and support high-paying jobs for
American auto workers.
o New wage and rules of origin requirements included in the
agreement will put American autoworkers on a level playing field
with workers from other countries.
* USMCA is expected to create up to 76,000 new auto jobs, spur $34
billion in new investment in the auto industry, and add $23 billion
in auto parts purchases annually.

*MODERNIZING REGIONAL TRADE: USMCA will bring our trade relationship
with Canada and Mexico into the 21st century.*

* USMCA is a modern trade deal that will completely transform our
trade relationship with Canada and Mexico and end the outdated NAFTA.
* USMCA contains new protections for American intellectual property,
ensuring strong, effective protection for American innovators and
creators.
* Included in USMCA is a first-of-its-kind chapter on digital trade,
which the decades-old NAFTA was never updated to address.
o The digital trade provisions included in this agreement will
foster economic growth and innovation for years to come.
* USMCA includes first-of-its-kind provisions to prohibit unfair
currency practices and reinforce exchange rate stability.
* The agreement includes the strongest environmental standards of any
trade agreement in our history.
o These standards are fully enforceable and will help prevent
companies from moving out of the United States—and taking jobs
with them—to avoid environmental rules.

https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/br ... n-workers/

[Immanuel Can]

It's not going to happen. Canada and Mexico both know they can't sustain a trade war with the US. The US is bound to win any such battle. Their only hope is to negotiate...which so far, they really haven't done, since the current arrangment favours them. And I think that's the real point: to compel renegotiation.

Renegotiate the trade agreement that Trump negotiated in 2020?

We don't know. Would it build on that one, or replace some elements of it, or scrap it altogether? Until it actually happens, we can't say. We also don't know whether it would be an improvement or a step backward, do we?

[phyllo]

We don't know.

Sure we do. That's the agreement which is in place now. Trump negotiated it and he considered it a big win for America.

We also don't know whether it would be an improvement or a step backward, do we?

So how would someone negotiate if they don't think they know what is an improvement and what is not??

[Immanuel Can]

We don't know.

Sure we do. That's the agreement which is in place now. Trump negotiated it and he considered it a big win for America.

Again, we don't know that. Maybe it was only the best he could get at the time. Maybe he liked some aspects of it, and has since come to see others as disadvantageous, and wants to step them up. Or maybe he loves it, but wants it to become even better.

We can't possibly say, until we see what negotiations are forthcoming. That's obvious.

[FlashDangerpants]

It's quite remarkable how many things suddenly become unforeseeable when certain people don't want them foreseen.

[Atla]

No, you're dead inside (some kind of inherent emotional detachment issue, no wonder you look up to the sociopath IC and the NPD Trump.)

Why do you always need everything explained to you? Don't you understand anything I write?

You're the one who never actually says anything. I made many assessments in the last few weeks on the international situation, show one that turned out to be inaccurate.

Not detachment, rather “intellectual distance”. So many ‘narratives’ are composed of partial truths. Getting to a complete truth is difficult and time consuming.

Whenever certain people want to appear to win a point they 1) compare you to IC or 2) shame you for agreement with him or, in my case, respect for his wide reading in areas those here do not read and should read.

So here’s the thing: I try to see IC fairly, and not hysterically like so many.

Why do I want to “have things explained”? Odd question. We are here to make cases for perspectives. Except you: you are here because you are “bored out of your mind” (I think that is how you put it.

The narrative spin that we receive, depending on what source we get it from, cannot give us proper pictures.

Must I explain this to you!?

To me, just about everything you write lacks substance. Again, I can't be bothered with that.

[phyllo]

It's quite remarkable how many things suddenly become unforeseeable when certain people don't want them foreseen.

At least IC dropped the pretext that drugs are the issue.