Macron Warns Trump: 'Economic Nationalism Leads To War'

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo/AP




By KEN THOMAS and PAUL WISEMAN | June 1, 2018 6:58 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Countries around the world fought back Friday against President Donald Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, announcing retaliatory countermeasures and warning that the U.S. plan will hurt U.S. consumers.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement Friday that he told Trump in a phone call that the new U.S. tariffs on European, Mexican and Canadian goods are illegal and a “mistake.” Macron pledged the riposte would be “firm” and “proportionate” and in line with World Trade Organization rules.

Germany’s Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automaker, warned that the decision could start a trade war that no side would win. The European Union and China said they will deepen ties on trade and investment as a result.

“This is stupid. It’s counterproductive,” former British trade minister Francis Maude told the BBC.



Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/world-news/macron-warns-trump-economic-nationalism-leads-to-war

[BootinUp]

1. ...and stupid is his name-o.

[malthaussen]

2. That's the idea, M Macron. n/t

[sellitman]

3. Putin is behind this all.

His puppet dictator is just following orders.

Why all the vitriol on Cheetos Don?

He is just doing his job.

[ancianita]

6. Yep. It's what he does. And protesting Russians in all the major cities of their country know it.

[Still In Wisconsin]

11. You are correct, of course. Trump as we all know is a Russian asset.

Everything Trump does can be understood either in this context or in the context of his own malignant narcissism.

[lagomorph777]

17. Turd's boss wants the West to be at war with itself.

So Turd obeys orders.

[Lil Missy]

4. And trump will respond with ....

nanny nanny boo boo, me me me!

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Short term thinking

for 2020. In a world of free-flow information you can't win a trade war, if you ever could. There is no advantage. The US is going to be left behind by this ill-conceived strategy. Other nations will trade, they will stop buying from us and sell less to us. Manufacturers outside the US must be gleeful at the opportunities presented to them.

[ancianita]

7. Yep. We'll be treated like a rogue state and embargoed without warning. Until we get better leaders.

[Xolodno]

8. Even then, its going to take a long time to recover....

...."Why should we sign this economic treaty with you when in the past, other leaders have reneged or pulled out?"

"Yes I know, its not you. But your citizens have proven to be stupid enough before, whose to say they won't again".

[workinclasszero]

13. Will we ever recover though?

Now that the world knows we can go from a President Obama to a raging demagogue fascist bastard like Trump every four years.

I think Trump has ruined us for a generation at least.

[maxrandb]

15. There's absolutely no thinking involved

all Donnie Short Fingers knows is that when he talks about those evil "furiners" that have "fucked 'Murika" his shit for brains 30-Percenters foam at the mouth with glee.

It's US Trade Policy based solely on what will get the loudest roar from an audience of hayseeds from Dumbfuckistan, 'Murika.

[Eyeball_Kid]

9. Spreading suffering and evil is Trumpy's forte.

If it hurts, it's all-go for Trumpy. Macron is right.

Trumpy is intent on using any means possible to destroy France, Europe, and everyone else for his own advancement. That's who he is. He's evil and must be stopped.

There's a degree of cognitive dissonance here, watching Trumpy on the TV every day, every hour, pontificating and lying at every turn. It's difficult to reconcile the value that many of us have that humans are inherently good natured and compassionate, and that these qualities naturally extend to Trumpy. But that's a fantasy. Trumpy doesn't have those qualities. He's an evil person who will only use the appearance of compassion to con his followers into accepting the evil he spreads.

[harun]

10. To the deplorables, "War is a feature, not a bug". More profit, more domination.

[Texin]

12. Aside from being typical tRump, is this perhaps a ploy for manipulating the stock market?

These tariffs will increase the cost of goods used to produce American products in many instances, which definitely will drive prices up. It will increase cost of building materials which will impact housing construction. All of this is not only bad for the consumer, but can hurt industries. Given the probable negative impact, this causes a downtick in the market prices of those companies' stocks that are traded on Wall Street. But down prices is good for potential investors who can buy low and sell at higher prices when tRump appears to walk back the tariff talks. And this is what leads me to believe that it appears to be some kind of manipulation of the market.

[IronLionZion]

14. China wins because the world will trade more with them

and less with the US as long as this dumbass is in charge

[krkaufman]

16. As always, WWPW...

Seems to fit the "What Would Putin Want?" policy metric. Anything to destabilize the Western Alliance.

[lagomorph777]

18. +1

Anybody seeing US geopolitical strategy in this is delusional. It's all about Pres. Turd obeying Putin's orders to destroy America and the Western Alliance.