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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI have what may be a stupid question...
Why was Trump allowed to meet with Putin privately in the first place? We are tripping all over ourselves now trying to find out what the translator knows, but what did everyone think was going to happen before it was agreed to?
We have a president who is obviously compromised and who is under investigation for conspiring with a hostile foreign enemy, so why would this meeting have been given the green light in the first place? What did everyone think? That they were going to exchange recipes?
I just don't understand why this was allowed to occur given the circumstances.
tomp
(9,512 posts)I also wondered if there was any precedent for it.
One-on-one meetings, like one-on-one phone calls, aren't that uncommon.
Interpreters, by virtue of their code of ethics and professional duties, aren't ever included in the number. So a one-on-one might be two people in a room or it might be two people and their interpreters. The escort interpreter is no more or less present in the room than the simultaneous interpreter in his or her booth with a mic and headphones.
The rule for an interpreter is that you are the conduit and, as such, aren't there. You do not participate in the meeting or, really, interact except to elicit clarification; you do not intentionally impose alternate, less likely meanings on the text you're interpreting whatever your beliefs, and try to keep your views out of things. What happens during an interpretation session stays there, and if the person you're working for completely misrepresents the content, that's absolutely none of your business. I've never been a fan of Cuban denunciations of US "imperialism," but when my interpretation class visited the UN and we all took our turn in the booth I found myself, entirely appropriately, shouting into the mic and pounding the desk in front of me while interpreting for the Cuban whatever-she-was giving a pro forma speech before an audience of 10 people.
The one place where you shade the truth is in finding cultural equivalents--arguably not shading the truth at all, but simply providing a culturally appropriate translation to convey the original truth. If to call somebody a bastard is less than a very extreme insult in the source language but all the equivalents in the target language are fighting words or worse, you interpret accordingly. It is not your job to get in the way; but it is your job to ensure understanding as the speaker intends it. For that reason you typically, esp. at such a high level, interpret into your L1 and not into your L2, but as you're on duty to interpret for your client you're also monitoring the output of the other participant's interpreter to make sure that your client's words aren't being misrepresented. (Of course, if you're interpreting for a dictator like Kim you might do more than a little hedging--either way, your life might be at risk, so go with the less obvious, lethal, risk.)
BTW, "interpreter" is oral; "translator," in the jargon, is written. I've translated professionally in the last year; I haven't interpreted since '94 and would never bill myself as an interpreter.
tomp
(9,512 posts)I was wondering when was the last time, if ever, a U.S president met one-on-one with the leader of another country, with or without an interpreter.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)one-on-one meetings, not talking person to person in itself. All historians agree that what Trump is doing is entirely unprecedented and outrageous.
As for the OP's original question of why he is allowed to do it, because he's the POTUS and because the corrupt, cowardly and betraying Republicans in congress are refusing to perform their duty in our system of checks and balances.
Sneederbunk
(14,278 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)I don't think that anyone gets to tell the President what to do or not to do.
Arkansas Granny
(31,507 posts)unblock
(52,126 posts)They'd be speculating nonstop about the classified information she'd pass, the money that would go to the Clinton foundation, the policies she would sell.
They'd be sounding all the alarms.
They'd be talking impeachment for even thinking of arranging the meeting.
There would be so much howling she'd have to offer to bring a republican witness. And then republicans would insist on a price to rescue her from this mess.
rurallib
(62,387 posts)unblock
(52,126 posts)But yeah, I guess that only really works against democrats.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Some people fucked that up and it wasn't just Russians, Cambridge Analytical and Wikileaks either.
mucifer
(23,487 posts)could have made a lot more noise about it than they did.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)power over him at all. That he can do whatever he wants without consequence. This all just seems so insane.
mucifer
(23,487 posts)about treason. They only care about their own power and money.
treestar
(82,383 posts)1. a sense of decency and 2. the threat of not be re-elected, which would not even apply in their second term.
Pachamama
(16,884 posts)And sadly, the answer is because no one has the courage to stop him and we have a Congress controlled by sell out Republicans who aren't doing their job.....
Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)Just a guess.
mopinko
(70,022 posts)somebody has to have recorded it. besides pootie, i mean.
spanone
(135,795 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)Federal records laws forbid a president from having private cell phone conversations with world leaders, which Trump reportedly has done. So, why a private face-to-face meeting with a world leader would be permitted is beyond me.
***Especially a murderous adversary who Trump and everyone else *knows* directed interference in our last election.
All while Trump is, as you say, under investigation for conspiring with that adversary.
Everything about this administration and the Republican Party is absolutely maddening.
PatSeg
(47,282 posts)U.S. presidents have more power than we had thought, because we've never had a president who defied every convention or tradition before. Prior to Trump, presidents actually sought out advice and listened to their advisers. They also cared about how their actions would be perceived by the public and the press.
No one ever thought a president would come along who would trash years of tradition and protocol. I think some day we may see some new laws regarding the presidency, starting with releasing one's tax returns.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)It all boils down to "convention or tradition", which is just another way of saying "suggestion" for the Rump. And here is a "man" who has defied convention and tradition for his entire life, so he isn't going to stop now.
Yes, we need strict laws in place, ones that can and will be enforced even at the highest level.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)US Presidents can meet with foreign leaders privately if they so choose.
Bush met with Putin privately, did he not?
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)do you ever sleep?
on the other hand, we are shorthanded when it comes to people defending Trump's meeting with Putin.
Kingofalldems
(38,425 posts)CreekDog
(46,192 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,608 posts)in the past. Aides as well as interpreters were present when Bush met with Putin, in accordance with the usual practice.
Turbineguy
(37,295 posts)He may be crazy, but he's the prez.
To my way of thinking it's self-destructive to do something like that. But his Aides may have simply gotten tired of trying to talk him out of doing stupid shit.
Whatever other faults he has, and they are legion, he really has no idea how to do the job and he's too arrogant to ask somebody for help. He could have (and should have) gone to GHW Bush for help. Bush was head of the CIA and a sufficiently wily operator to help him with Putin without upsetting the brain-dead trump base.
Most people have been in a place where they are out of their depth (actually that happened to me just this week). They go to somebody for help, because it's better than fucking things up.
When President Obama said that Trump was "unfit" to serve as President he was exactly right.
Vinca
(50,237 posts)I can't imagine how anyone could have stopped it. If they told him it was a bad idea that would make him double down on doing it. Eventually Vlad will play the audio and we'll find out what went on. Of course, that might be after he takes possession of Alaska. LOL.
appalachiablue
(41,103 posts)don't know what went on in Helsinki, in yesterday's NYT. Unstable 'governing' like I've never seen here, weird as hell!
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016211424
JI7
(89,241 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,608 posts)I'm sure he was advised against it, but the Constitution gives a president almost complete power over foreign affairs. There was no legal way to prevent it. There are norms that all previous presidents have followed but they aren't laws, so Trump just does what he wants.
Rhiannon12866
(204,779 posts)I ask myself that every time I turn on the news - which continues to get worse and more frightening by the day - why isn't somebody stopping this foolhardy and traitorous danger to our democracy??! I realize that the Mueller team is on the job and there has to be mountains of growing evidence of malfeasance against numerous Trump associates, but meanwhile he's putting us in serious danger by every action he takes...
LuckyCharms
(17,414 posts)The answer is...because no one stopped him.