Government policy by Tweet

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 3:36 pm

The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes

You couldn't make it up.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 3:10 am

Bruv;1504426 wrote: The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes

You couldn't make it up.

That one you wouldn't want to make up

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 6:58 am

Bruv;1504426 wrote: The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes

You couldn't make it up.

Tell Trump's boyfriend spot.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 10:46 am

I always say 'Don't meet trouble halfway' when anybody worries about what might or might not happen.

These days I am becoming more and more concerned about the future.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 11:18 am

Bruv;1504442 wrote: I always say 'Don't meet trouble halfway' when anybody worries about what might or might not happen.

These days I am becoming more and more concerned about the future.

Don't worry about it if trump starts a nuclear war you'll barely have time to bend over and kiss your arse goodbye. (Note to Nicola Sturgeon, hurry up and get the nuclear deterrent off the clyde

OOh that's interesting the censor thingy doesn't know the correct spelling of arse when it sees it.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 1:36 pm

Thanks for that gmc, I feel a lot better now.

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 12:20 pm

Bruv;1504426 wrote: The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes

You couldn't make it up.

Putin plans to expand Russia's nuclear force and a president-elect response.

Not shocked at anything Putin does to expand his influence and power.

President-elect Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he will look to "strengthen and expand" the US's nuclear capability hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to enhance his country's nuclear forces.

To me the real threats come from N.Korea and Iran.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 3:30 pm

tude dog;1504491 wrote: Putin plans to expand Russia's nuclear force and a president-elect response.

Not shocked at anything Putin does to expand his influence and power.

President-elect Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he will look to "strengthen and expand" the US's nuclear capability hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to enhance his country's nuclear forces.

To me the real threats come from N.Korea and Iran.

Trump has no need to announce it......Putin has the whole US bugged

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 7:54 pm

I don't think Trump understands the concept of one president at a time.

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 5:51 am

tude dog;1504491 wrote: Putin plans to expand Russia's nuclear force and a president-elect response.

Not shocked at anything Putin does to expand his influence and power.

President-elect Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he will look to "strengthen and expand" the US's nuclear capability hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to enhance his country's nuclear forces.

To me the real threats come from N.Korea and Iran.
The real threat comes from those with the biggest arsenals who continue to grow them. It serves no other purpose but to incite everyone else to do the same. A House of Cards. Everyone must make theirs that little bit bigger - until it comes to the ultimate, inevitable conclusion.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:13 pm

A few of Trumps recent Tweets

"North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen! "

"China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won't help with North Korea. Nice! "

"There should be no further releases from Gitmo. These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield."

Reassuring isn't it ?

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:35 pm

But one tweet from Trump today may have actually had a positive impact. (Did I just really say that?)

The US House of Representatives was setting in motion a plan to gut the semi-independent Office of Congressional Ethics. They were holding a vote behind closed doors to significantly weaken this organization and give themselves full authority to be their own ethics watchdog. Trump tweeted that it was a bad use of their time and they backed off, or at least it looks like they have backed off for the present.

Post by **LarsMac** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:51 pm

Wandrin;1504947 wrote: But one tweet from Trump today may have actually had a positive impact. (Did I just really say that?)

The US House of Representatives was setting in motion a plan to gut the semi-independent Office of Congressional Ethics. They were holding a vote behind closed doors to significantly weaken this organization and give themselves full authority to be their own ethics watchdog. Trump tweeted that it was a bad use of their time and they backed off, or at least it looks like they have backed off for the present.

From timing on the reports, I think they had backed off prior to his Tweet. But, the good news is that he thought it was a bad idea.

There may be hope, after all.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:12 pm

LarsMac;1504948 wrote: From timing on the reports, I think they had backed off prior to his Tweet. But, the good news is that he thought it was a bad idea.

There may be hope, after all.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

Dante, speaking of Don't Trust Delirium Tremens

:-5:-5:-5:-5

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:11 pm

gmc;1504443 wrote: Don't worry about it if trump starts a nuclear war you'll barely have time to bend over and kiss your arse goodbye. (Note to Nicola Sturgeon, hurry up and get the nuclear deterrent off the clyde

OOh that's interesting the censor thingy doesn't know the correct spelling of arse when it sees it.

You think they'll not bomb Glasgow if they take the subs away from Faslane? A touching naivete I'd not expected from you. heheheh

Honestly I hope that they send the subs to Eire. I reckon the Irish would appreciate the jobs in Donegal, strategically it makes a lot of sense and it shouldn't be affected by brexit being a NATO matter. I think the Irish have no illusions that either Russia or China wouldn't glass all these islands if it comes to it. Still in the computers from the Cold War.

Incidentally, become friends with a Govan lass recently. Chuckle. Her friends can't believe Kingston and call it Disneyland.

edit: Oh, and I know that isn't intended entirely as a compliment. But people out of their country don't always appreciate how silly they look to the natives.

edit edit: Hi, btw

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:20 pm

Bruv;1504945 wrote: A few of Trumps recent Tweets

"North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen! "

"China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won't help with North Korea. Nice! "

"There should be no further releases from Gitmo. These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield."

Reassuring isn't it ?

Facts are inconvenient things.

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:24 pm

Wandrin;1504511 wrote: I don't think Trump understands the concept of one president at a time.

By now Obama should be used to leading from behind.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:33 pm

The first good thing I've seen about trump, ever, is him backing the ethics committee. At present this is too much an outlier of behaviour to do anything much more than raise an eyebrow. But the eyebrow has been raised.

I believe the timing says that the HUGE public outcry predated the trump response. It's reality tv. Existence will be interesting for the next Season. Will the human race survive? YOU vote! We enact your results live on the News!

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 2:04 pm

tude dog;1504967 wrote: Facts are inconvenient things.

What facts ?

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 3:51 pm

Clodhopper;1504972 wrote: The first good thing I've seen about trump, ever, is him backing the ethics committee. At present this is too much an outlier of behaviour to do anything much more than raise an eyebrow. But the eyebrow has been raised.

I believe the timing says that the HUGE public outcry predated the trump response. It's reality tv. Existence will be interesting for the next Season. Will the human race survive? YOU vote! We enact your results live on the News!

Trump ended that tweet with DTS (drain the swamp) which might not mean what most people thought it did. Perhaps draining the swamp is behavioral - getting rid of BS legislation and wasting time. Either that or he called for the dude who raised the bill to be voted out of office next term (2 years). Or maybe a shot across the bow?

What Trump did do was get his supporters involved. I said this before: I'm waiting for the morning I wake up and learn that a resistant republican lawmaker had been tarred and feathered overnight. It would not surprise me. If there weren't so many surveillance cameras these days I would bet on it.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 4:15 pm

Clodhopper;1504972 wrote: The first good thing I've seen about trump, ever, is him backing the ethics committee. At present this is too much an outlier of behaviour to do anything much more than raise an eyebrow. But the eyebrow has been raised.

I believe the timing says that the HUGE public outcry predated the trump response. It's reality tv. Existence will be interesting for the next Season. Will the human race survive? YOU vote! We enact your results live on the News!

It is a little disheartening that the press are still acting more like Trump's personal PR agents than journalists when covering a story. Just about all of them gave Trump credit for shutting it down and most didn't even bother to mention all of the phone calls from voters that actually got the job done. I'm sorry to admit that I was fooled by their headlines.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 7:06 am

One of Trump's latest......

"Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood "

Why oh why does he reply at all ?

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:37 am

Bruv;1505197 wrote: One of Trump's latest......

"Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood "

Why oh why does he reply at all ?

Because he's an obsessive-compulsive egotistical bully.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 10:48 am

Donald J. Trump â€@realDonaldTrump

Rupert Murdoch is a great guy who likes me much better as a very successful candidate than he ever did as a very successful developer!

And our wonderful govt is about to let bhim have full control of sky TV.

Why is she being viewed as brave? She lives in a free country where presumably you can say what you like about the president, after all no one called Trump brave for going on about birth certificates. How is it brave or disrespectful to criticise a president?

Hugh laurie was perhaps funnier

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 16676.html

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Sun Feb 18, 2018 8:27 am

I do not remember ever seeing such statement coming from top officals.

Top U.S. officials tell the world to ignore Trumpâ€™s tweets

MUNICH â€” Amid global anxiety about President Trumpâ€™s approach to global affairs, U.S. officials had a message to a gathering of Europeâ€™s foreign policy elite this weekend: pay no attention to the man tweeting behind the curtain.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Feb 19, 2018 5:54 am

tude dog;1517924 wrote: I do not remember ever seeing such statement coming from top officals.

Top U.S. officials tell the world to ignore Trumpâ€™s tweets

And how can other leaders just ignore the tweets of the POTUS? May wouldn't have said anything about Trump's tweets unless she felt she absolutely had to but him retweeting openly fascist propaganda from an openly fascist group was too far even for her. Glad to see she had the backbone to do it as well, and I don't have a lot of time for her.

xfrodobagginsx · Post by **xfrodobagginsx** » Thu Mar 01, 2018 5:12 pm

Trump Tweets to bipass the media because they would LOVE to misquote him or leave out half of what he says to make him look bad.

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:44 pm

xfrodobagginsx;1518077 wrote: Trump Tweets to bipass the media because they would LOVE to misquote him or leave out half of what he says to make him look bad.

Instead, they get to write all about his crazy tweets. And they can't misquote him. He really says all the BS.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:12 am

xfrodobagginsx;1518077 wrote: Trump Tweets to bipass the media because they would LOVE to misquote him or leave out half of what he says to make him look bad.

Have you seen this gem of wisdom ?

Trump on trade

He is stopping trade with China ?

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Fri Mar 02, 2018 8:47 am

No, just causing hardship for Americans. The tariffs get passed on to the consumer & American jobs will suffer.

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:09 am

I clearly remember how PO"d I was when Bush did that. I also remember the commentary by George Will. Trump already does not like Mr Will, so why not pile on.

When protectionism is not about protecting America at all

Like Horatius at the bridge, or the boy who stood on the burning deck whence all but he had fled, or the Dutch boy who saved the city by putting his finger in the dike â€” pick your analogous heroism â€” the Trump administration acted this last week to stanch the flood of foreign-made washing machines that are being imported because Americans want them. The stanching will be accomplished by quotas and stiff (up to 50 percent) tariffs, which are taxes collected at the border and paid by U.S. consumers. Americans also will pay higher prices for washing machines made domestically by Whirlpool, which sought this protectionism, from which it instantly profited: In Mondayâ€™s after-hours trading, Whirlpoolâ€™s stock rose 3 percent. When protectionism is rampant, no bad deed goes unrewarded.

The washing machine drama about â€œputting (a faction of) America firstâ€ cannot be industrial policy â€” government rather than the market picking winners and losers. And it cannot be government redistribution of wealth. And it cannot be crony capitalism. It cannot be those things, because Republicans oppose those things and control policymaking.

Fomenting spurious anxieties about national security is the first refuge of rent-seeking scoundrels who tart up their protectionism as patriotism when they inveigle government into lining their pockets with money extracted from their fellow citizens. Sugar producers are ludicrously protected in the name of â€œfood security.â€ Most U.S. steel imports come from four important allies: Canada, South Korea, Mexico and Brazil. The coming steel tariffs/taxes will mean that defense dollars will buy fewer ships, tanks and armored vehicles, just as the trillion infrastructure dollars the administration talks about will buy fewer bridges and other steel-using projects. As Henry George said, with protectionism a nation does to itself in peacetime what an enemy tries to do to it in war.

Steel Tariffs Appear to Have Backfired on Bush

What you need to know about the Trump steel tariffs

Post by **LarsMac** » Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:35 pm

We pretty much used up all our iron ore. A major ingredient in Steel. Now we have to buy most of our steel from somewhere else.

So now, the Twit in Chief plans to charge them to sell the stuff to us. So, what, they gonna sell us Iron instead, so we can make our own steel.

Maybe they'll give is a discount?

Maybe we can trade them that clean Coal he keeps talking about.

magentaflame · Post by **magentaflame** » Sat Mar 03, 2018 5:17 pm

Dont worry guys you be able to afford stuff apparently im about to own (well my retirement fund is, which means you guys will now be paying into my retirement.....thanks for that, its very kind of you) American state assets after our prime minister just pledged 2.5 trillion dollars into your country so youll have your infrastructure built....it seems you guys need a few roads and bridges built, which takes a lot of steel which you cant afford anymore. Dont worry guys you wont feel a thing and trump will tell you all that the tarriffs made no difference. ....but i believe i own a couple of you assets now.....be sure to keep them nice and shiny for me and keep up the payments please on your new privately held assets......gotta love it when capitalism comes home to roost

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:49 am

The media doesn't NEED to misquote him. Any attempt to misquote him in most of his Tweets would only serve to make him look slightly less ridiculous.

magentaflame · Post by **magentaflame** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:05 pm

magentaflame;1518103 wrote: Dont worry guys you be able to afford stuff apparently im about to own (well my retirement fund is, which means you guys will now be paying into my retirement.....thanks for that, its very kind of you) American state assets after our prime minister just pledged 2.5 trillion dollars into your country so youll have your infrastructure built....it seems you guys need a few roads and bridges built, which takes a lot of steel which you cant afford anymore. Dont worry guys you wont feel a thing and trump will tell you all that the tarriffs made no difference. ....but i believe i own a couple of you assets now.....be sure to keep them nice and shiny for me and keep up the payments please on your new privately held assets......gotta love it when capitalism comes home to roost

Four days ago i wrote that and not one comment....whats wrong guys? Trump telling you a different story? You realise youre going into another recession...but dont worry, so is the rest of the world . And its going to rival the great depression. Thats what the sudden protectionisn is all about. Have a bit of a search, companies big and small are collapsing all over the world (but your news sources arent going to tell you diddly squat).

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:53 pm

magentaflame;1518197 wrote: Four days ago i wrote that and not one comment....whats wrong guys? Trump telling you a different story? You realise youre going into another recession...but dont worry, so is the rest of the world . And its going to rival the great depression. Thats what the sudden protectionisn is all about. Have a bit of a search, companies big and small are collapsing all over the world (but your news sources arent going to tell you diddly squat).

It is an interesting bit of history that former president Hoover started trade tariff wars in the years leading up the the great depression. But I don't see anything of that magnitude on the horizon.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 3:26 pm

EU apparently listing targets for retaliatory tariffs according to several news sources. Some general, others targeted at Republican States by targeting products made in those states.

Backing down to Trump would be to invite worse; I suspect that hitting back will cause him to move on to the next populist issue and ignore this one asap.

Post by **LarsMac** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 4:03 pm

(but your news sources arent going to tell you diddly squat)

No problem here. I don't listen to our news sources, anyway.

Post by **spot** » Thu May 31, 2018 9:24 am

Eyes down, look in.

US tariffs: Steel and aluminium levies slapped on key allies - BBC News

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 4:03 am

EU already retaliating I think. Canada and Mexico have also announced retaliatory measures. Looks like all three had their fingers on the triggers. The EU measure are due to be in effect in a couple of weeks, if I read it right.

The EU

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said he plans to take the US to the World Trade Organization over the American tariffs, a policy he called "totally unacceptable".

In the meantime, the bloc released a list of tariffs in March - 10 pages of US goods they plan to target:

Bourbon whiskey, orange juice and cranberries

Jeans, T-shirts and tobacco

Corn and other agricultural products

Steel and industrial products

Cosmetics, consumer goods, motorbikes and pleasure boats

Snuff and chewing tobacco

Apparently this is aimed politically, and it might be co-ordinated. Not sure to what extent Canada the EU and Mexico talked to eachother before these announcements.

I do find it interesting as well that moves against China seem to have ceased amid rumours of a great deal Trump has done for himself in the region.

Is there any doubt that Trump is using the full weight of US diplomacy to enrich Trump, Inc. first and his country not even second but nowhere? Having bribed his electorate with a big tax cut that isn't paid for but the negative effects of which won't really bite people until after he has left office?

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 5:58 am

And the reason given ?

National Security......so as to appeal to his paranoic redneck disciples...........reminding me of the comic line "Infamy infamy the whole world has it infa us" With a little poetic licence of course.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 12:03 pm

It IS one of the great lines

Is Trump actually doing anything to China, or are these tarriffs aimed entirely at the EU and the US' close allies? Whose agenda would that suit? Putin's? Or is it just sheer incompetence and stupidity?

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 2:22 pm

Clodhopper;1519462 wrote: It IS one of the great lines

Is Trump actually doing anything to China, or are these tarriffs aimed entirely at the EU and the US' close allies? Whose agenda would that suit? Putin's? Or is it just sheer incompetence and stupidity?

Trump threatened China the most severely and early on. Then China signed some agreement for his business to do something and he suddenly backed off and even offered US help to one of the Chinese companies penalized by his early order. Now he's threatening allies, who of course, will each put their own sanctions in place to protect themselves.

He doesn't have a clue what he is doing and obviously has never ready any books or even summaries of how trade wars have historically worked to produce negative consequences.