Trump puts allies and US troops in extreme danger

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Trump has dismissed more than a dozen North Korean missile tests in recent months as “very standard,” and appears unwilling to make statements or take actions that could jeopardize his relationship with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader.

Trump explained Kim Jon UN, just “likes testing missiles.”

Now, American intelligence officials and outside experts have come to a far different conclusion: that the launchings downplayed by Mr. Trump, including two late last month, have allowed Mr. Kim to test missiles with greater range and maneuverability that could overwhelm American defenses in the region.

The rapid improvements in the short-range missiles not only put Japan and South Korea in increased danger, but also threaten at least eight American bases in those countries housing more than 30,000 troops, according to an analysis of the missile ranges by The New York Times. Such missiles, experts say, could be designed to carry either conventional or nuclear warheads.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/02/world/asia/north-korea-kim-trump-missiles.html?te=1&nl=morning-briefing&emc=edit_NN_p_20190903&section=topNews?campaign_id=9&instance_id=12081&segment_id=16675&user_id=cd25229822fb6350f11c6cb7ab0d25e8&regi_id=90467985tion=topNews

[hlthe2b]

1. Yet Mattis refuses to speak out on any specific "policy" disagreements with Trump...

Damn

[underpants]

2. But but his nice letter

[Jeffersons Ghost]

4. Do you mean letters from Kim, when Teflon Don said...

"We're in love?"

[underpants]

5. Yes oh yes

[Jeffersons Ghost]

9. I wonder how evangelicals overlook Trump homosexuality...

Do you remember when media criticized Michele Obama for wearing a classy sleeveless dress to a formal occasion?



How do the hypocrites justify this photograph?

[oldsoftie]

10. I have no problem with that photograph. nt

[Jeffersons Ghost]

11. Are you an Evangelical hypocrite?

Personally, I have no problem with homosexuality either; But, somehow First Lady nudity is simply not presidential.

Anyhow, what about this Trump fashion choice?

It's the jacket that set off a firestorm on Twitter. Before flying to an immigrant children's shelter down in Texas, First Lady Melania Trump wore a green cargo jacket from Zara painted with the words “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?," according to The Cut, which honestly was... not great when it comes to the optics of the whole situation. Almost immediately, people started commenting on Melania's fashion choice, and quite a few comparisons were made regarding the clothing Michelle Obama was once criticized for versus the clothing Melania Trump has been criticized for.

I understand the dismay surrounding Melania's choice of jacket for the trip — I legitimately wondered if it was photoshopped, or someone had compared it to the wrong jacket online while doing research into her outfit. But indeed, pictures from the Associated Press showed the first lady wearing the jacket in question when she boarded a plane at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, as she made her way to Texas to visit the United States-Mexico border and a shelter there for immigrant children.
https://www.romper.com/p/heres-clothing-michelle-obama-was-criticized-for-vs-clothing-melania-trump-has-been-criticized-for-9552765

[Farmer-Rick]

12. Oh, that's just his Slovenian sex worker. She stopped doing sex work

After She met Trump......That's what a Trumper said to me in the VA hospital. He didn't seem to care when I pointed out some of her nude photo spreads came out while they were dating. I asked what kind of example does this set for our young daughters. He just shrugged.

It's not important to Trumpers what the women around Trump do. They can be pedophiles for all they care. Russia has paid off evangelical leaders and those that follow these leaders don't question them too much. They do what they are told and never question.

[Pepsidog]

15. You nailed it.

[CrispyQ]

28. Over the years their hypocrisy has worn me down more than anything.

If a dem president had a porn star wife, oh my! If a dem president had colluded with Russia, well, he'd be impeached already. They are hypocrites of the highest order & either don't see it or don't care. I can't respect people like that.

[Farmer-Rick]

31. Yeah, that Trumper puts the hip in Hypocrisy.

He was going on and on about Bill Clinton. But didn't have a problem with Trump cheating on multiple wives with porn stars over and over again. And it was A OK by him to have a Slovenian Sex Worker as a first lady...who lied on her citizenship application, plagiarizes Michelle Obama and who Really Doesn't Care.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

39. you got that right!

[Trueblue Texan]

13. That's Melania Trump?

[Farmer-Rick]

32. Yup,

There's also the one where she is fingering herself that really puts the first in first lady.

[Bayard]

33. Is one of these people Melania?

Don't recognize her.

[Champp]

3. He inspires NO CONFIDENCE

Get a clue Republicans

[Martin Eden]

6. What measures can be taken to stop NK missile testing?

It doesn't help that this POtuS has played the naive fool to Kim's machinations, but we're certainly not going to start a shooting war over these tests.

[Butterflylady]

7. He's just given kim permission to do whatever he wants.

Kim's laughing the whole time.

[former9thward]

17. What is the alternative?

NK is a sovereign country not subject to any treaties. Sanctions do not work with a country that is dirt poor anyway.

[Cosmocat]

19. It is a tough situation for sure, but there are dos an don'ts

Don't do what the asshole is doing, first off. Get into a childish twitter spat with the lunatic dicator, and enflame the situation to the point where Hawaii thought it was getting nuked. THEN, after that, spend the next year plus giving them photo ops and act submissive like a she dog.

Do's - work to build the international coalition needed to try to keep NK in a box. Instead of getting into a trade war with China, try to do the diplomacy needed to get them on board with doing what needs to be done with NK.

[former9thward]

20. As any U.S. manufacturing worker knows China started the trade war -- not us.

And it was long ago. That aside NK is a client state of China and China will never be on board. Every U.S. president since Truman has attempted to build international coalitions against NK and all have failed. NK is still there and their leadership has not changed its ideology one millimeter.

[mr_lebowski]

29. Trump thinks he can accomplish anything he wants by dick-wagging and bullying so even if your point

is more or less accurate, it's not TRUMP'S thinking in this situation, you can be sure of that.

Pretty sure we've had accords (with backing of our our allies) where NK was at least held in check for periods of time, but Trump has no use for anything where he doesn't get ALL the credit for being the special deal-making snowflake he imagines himself to be.

Trump's go-it-alone policy is going to accomplish far, far LESS in making NK less dangerous than someone with a plan to bring international pressure to bear against the rogue state, of that I'm nearly certain.

KJU is playing MF45 like a fiddle ... he'd not be able to do that against any other world leader.

[Bettie]

8. If Kim wants to make a move

he'd have to do it before the election.

No new president would just let it go. This one would though, with a wave and declaration that it never happened.

[Ohiogal]

14. Again...

What if Obama dismissed all this missile testing. Republicans heads would be exploding.

[former9thward]

18. NK made 12 missile tests during the Obama adminstration.

The U.S. made no response to any of them. Do you favor invasion? What is the alternative?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_Korean_missile_tests

[Jeffersons Ghost]

22. Get the facts straight: Wikipedia is a constant rewrite:

This is from an old edition of The Wall Street Journal:

Barack Obama Warns Donald Trump on North Korea Threat
White House says new president’s top foreign priority should be nuclear Pyongyang
By Gerald F. Seib, Jay Solomon and Carol E. Lee
Nov. 22, 2016 5:54 pm ET

The Obama administration considers North Korea to be the top national security priority for the incoming administration, a view it has conveyed to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, according to people familiar with the conversations.

President Barack Obama, in a policy of “strategic patience,” refused to engage his administration in high-level negotiations with North Korea...
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-faces-north-korean-challenge-1479855286

[former9thward]

23. What facts were not "straight"?

What I posted was true and your response had nothing to do with it.

In fact the Obama administration DID attempt to negotiate with NK

January 2009 – December 2009

Obama Attempts Diplomatic Restart

President Barack Obama takes office signaling a willingness to revive the Six Party Talks, but these efforts are initially rebuffed by North Korea, which launches a rocket believed to be a modified version of its long-range ballistic missile. It also ejects international monitors from its nuclear facilities in April and the following month tests a second nuclear device, which carries a yield of two to eight kilotons. In December, Obama administration officials hold their first bilateral meetings with their North Korean counterparts.

https://www.cfr.org/timeline/north-korean-nuclear-negotiations

Of course the talks went nowhere just like all other U.S. attempts.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

26. Since you like Wikipedia; try these "facts."

While Obama refused to have personal dialog with the North Korean dictatorship, his spokesman DID respond to a 4th of July North Korean nuclear test.

United States: State Department spokesman Karl Duckworth said the tests were "not helpful" and warned North Korea not to aggravate tensions.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_North_Korean_missile_tests


Former White House Officials Say President Trump 'Is Lying' Over Claims Obama Tried to Meet With Kim Jong Un

And, like previous US Presidents, Obama never graced the tiny dictatorship with a single visit, much less a claim that he was "in love" with Kim Jong Un.
https://time.com/5617952/trump-lying-obama-kim-jong-un/

In addition, cfr.org is currently under Trump's thumb.

[former9thward]

27. "not helpful"

Wow that changed NK policy didn't it? I quoted from the Council on Foreign Relations. I guess you don't like them either...

[LanternWaste]

36. Riiiight. That's all it is.

"They are making millions off of Trump. Why shouldn't they donate some to wounded veterans..."

(I too pretend I know what people like based off a simple inference)

[Jeffersons Ghost]

37. First of all, I LIKE Wikipedia; b ut it is in a constant state of rewrite...

And there is a LOT of internet cleaning occurring these days, especially on recent political facts. As for actual history Wikipedia is great.

Also, I believe every website that ends in .gov and .org because none of them have an agenda!

[bronxiteforever]

21. +1 absolutely.

[ck4829]

24. You know it

[FiveGoodMen]

35. The problem is that Dem heads DON'T explode when the GOP does these things

I'm talking about elected leaders, not the rank and file.

[former9thward]

16. Do you wish to attack North Korea?

What policies has any American president had which have worked with NK? There have been none. What is the alternative?

[mr_lebowski]

30. So you think Trump is student of the past failed efforts and has come up with brand-new, original

means of dealing w/the problem, do you?

Cause if so ...

[former9thward]

38. Where did I say that?

I just want to know what the alternative is? When a Democrat is in power the Republicans attack him for not doing anything. When a Republican is in power the Democrats attack him for not doing anything. They are both doing the same things and nothing is working. Why not just admit reality? Sanctions don't work on countries that are already dirt poor.

[ck4829]

25. "just likes testing missiles" like it's an after-school science club...

I mean it is, but you know, one with forced labor mines down the road.

[Bayard]

34. The only thing that has changed with NK,

Is that Kim responds lovingly to tRump. And then does whatever the hell he wants.