Trump Dump: Foreign Policy (Thread I)

[The Romulan Republic]

US threatens to veto a UN resolution against sexual violence as a tactic in war:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/22/politics ... index.html

(CNN)The US delegation to the United Nations has threatened to veto a resolution aiming to prevent rape as a weapon of war and to help its victims, because the resolution contains language about "sexual and reproductive health," sources confirmed to CNN.

A UN-based source told CNN the US seems to have a "red line" when it came to mentioning sexual and reproductive health in a broad resolution that saw the US breaking from its traditional allies and threatening to derail the measure. The proposal called on the global institution to reaffirm and renew its opposition to sexual violence.

A copy of the draft UN Security Council resolution obtained by CNN shows the potential changes to the document, marked in the margins by a member of the German delegation to the UN, in an attempt to satisfy the US' problems with it, according to multiple sources.

The edits, marked by Andreas Glossner, vice chair of the UN's Commission on the Status of Women, include removing references to "health services" and the "sexual and reproductive health" of victims of sexual violence.

The Trump administration has taken measures to avoid supporting efforts and organizations that provide abortion services to women, including victims of rape, and sources say such language is now viewed by the US as a veiled reference to that.
But the draft also showed an unexplained suggested change in one section -- again, sources say, to satisfy the Americans -- striking a line stating that the UN "further encourages support to and training of journalists on sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations and gender inequality."

The UN-based source said one possible replacement line to the draft does include a reference to an older UN resolution that did mention reproductive health, and hoped the compromise would help the resolution move forward.

US allies, according to sources, had no problem with the original language in the resolution, but said the US had instead joined with Russia and China in removing another section on sexual violence that would have established a new mechanism to monitor and report such atrocities.

The Guardian was first to report on US issues with the resolution.

A US mission spokesperson, speaking on background, told CNN, "Our diplomatic negotiations are confidential, and we cannot comment on a draft resolution that is still being actively negotiated."

The opposition from the US over this resolution echoed previous such moments at the UN during the Trump administration.
Last year, a Trump administration appointee to the State Department tore into routine UN documents that condemned racism as a threat to democracy, taking issue with the use of the words nationalism, populism and xenophobia.

"The drafters say 'populism and nationalism' as if these are dirty words," wrote Andrew Veprek in documents CNN obtained last year.

In another episode reminiscent of the recent clash on the sexual violence resolution, the US reportedly threatened nations in an effort to water down a resolution supporting breastfeeding, which baby formula producers opposed. According to The New York Times, the US delegation threatened retribution on trade and military aid to Ecuador to get the nation to drop the resolution and at least a dozen countries also avoided the resolution out of fear of the US.

So yeah- better that women be raped than that they be allowed access to reproductive health care, according to the Trump Regime. Or even that there be any mention of women's reproductive health issues at all.

[The Romulan Republic]

Trump has announced (to a no-doubt gleeful NRA) that he is withdrawing the US from a UN arms-trade treaty:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/trump-tell ... -1.4396279

More blood for the blood god, I guess.

Remember how Trump was totally going to be non-interventionist and keep us out of foreign wars? Well, that was bullshit, as Yemen and his threats towards NK and Venezuela showed, but good news! We don't have to fight in wars ourselves- we'll just making a fortune selling weapons to all sides!

[FaxModem1]

Trump proves he knows better than the experts by blatantly ignoring them: Time

President Trump Is Spending $20 Billion on an Aircraft Carrier. The Navy Wanted That Money for Cybersecurity
The U.S. warship U.S.S. Harry S. Truman is pictured anchored in The Solent on October 8, 2018 near Portsmouth, England.
The U.S. warship U.S.S. Harry S. Truman is pictured anchored in The Solent on October 8, 2018 near Portsmouth, England. Matt Cardy—Getty Images
BY JOHN WALCOTT MAY 2, 2019
In March, a report to the Secretary of the Navy warned that the service is preparing for the wrong war, one fought not with bombs and artillery but with terabytes and artificial intelligence.

“We find the Department of the Navy preparing to win some future kinetic battle, while it is losing the current global, counter-force, counter-value, cyber war,” the report says.

Trump’s decision will cost the Navy more than $20 billion over the next two decades, much of which the service had planned to spend on new unmanned vessels and other advanced technologies.

“In prior eras, for good or ill, navies shifted their definition from wood to steel to wing, or from sail to steam and beyond,” the report to Navy Secretary Spencer says.

“This time technology, not the naval service, or its opponents, have imposed a definition of what navies will be for the rest of the 21st Century,” it says. “Navies must become information enterprises who happen to operate on, over, under, and from the sea; a vast difference from a 355 ship mindset.”

Trump’s abrupt April 30 decision to change a section of the Navy budget he had approved earlier this year will please many bipartisan members of Congress, some of whom had vowed to keep the Truman — and a 355-vessel fleet with 12 aircraft carriers — afloat if Trump didn’t.

The decision also is consistent with the President’s aversion to discussing cybersecurity, such as protecting the 2020 elections from hackers. Physical structures have been the foundation of his business career, and building walls and ships employs more and different workers than writing algorithms does.

The President’s decision this week, however, was made without consulting Shanahan, Spencer or Richardson, according to two Administration officials who said they, too, were “ambushed,” as one put it.

“This is not the first time we’ve seen the President make a decision or countermand an order, and it won’t be the last,” said one of the officials, who helps oversee the Defense Department budget and spoke only on the condition of anonymity. “What’s really troubling though, is that decisions like this don’t go through any kind of policy process — there’s no deliberation, no meetings, no opportunity for input from anybody who knows what they’re talking about.”

According to a report in Breaking Defense, which TIME has confirmed, Shanahan was told of Trump’s decision only about two hours before Vice President Mike Pence announced it in remarks made aboard the Truman, and Richardson had prepared testimony defending the move to retire the carrier for a Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday morning.

The Navy publicly supported the decision. “The Navy looks forward to working with the White House and Office of the Secretary of Defense in support of the President’s budget,” Capt. Greg Hicks, the Navy’s acting Chief of Information, said in a statement.

But the decision to remain on course may prove costly, as the 73-page readiness report warns.

“America once won wars with overwhelming manpower, then later won with superior industrial might, and with the Cold War, won with better technology,” it says. ” The cyber war has been ongoing for some time. The threat is long past the emergent or developing stage. While its ‘guns’ go unheard, it is real, and with as or more devastating consequences.”

While the U.S. remains “relatively flat-footed,” it continues, “both Russia and China are executing well developed cyber-enabled regional and global ‘grey zone’ unconventional strategies against the U.S. and its allies”.

Already, the report says, those strategies threaten to cripple the Navy’s ability to fight, no matter how many aircraft carriers it has.

“The systems the U.S. relies upon to mobilize, deploy, and sustain forces have been extensively targeted by potential adversaries, and compromised to such as extent that their reliability is questionable,” it says.

In layman’s terms, that means the U.S. Navy, as well as the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, may find they can’t count on all the satellites and other technology they use to navigate, communicate, locate targets and hit them.

Trump is too senile to know that the military needs better technology to compete, or he just likes the idea of a YUGE aircraft carrier? You decide.

[Coop D'etat]

Trump proves he knows better than the experts by blatantly ignoring them:
Trump is too senile to know that the military needs better technology to compete, or he just likes the idea of a YUGE aircraft carrier? You decide.

That sounds more like the usual DoD palace intrigues rather than anything particular Trumplandish.

[Gandalf]

Or the usual political stunts to buy votes with shows of grandeur.

[Esquire]

My read of the Navy statement is 'we hate this, and will undermine it as soon as we work out how.' Maybe I'm just too cynical?

[TimothyC]

Not going through with the ROH (Refueling and OverHaul) for Truman would result in the retirement of the ship about half way through it's 50 year expected life, and would represent a retraction from the 11 carrier force. It remains to be seen if said cut would even make it through congress in the face of Lianong and her sister combined with the Type 002 and eventual Type 003s.

I'd note that a similar stunt was pulled three or four years ago when consideration was given to not funding the ROH on the George Washington, and instead retiring her. The decision sort of strikes me as a non-story, and neither does President Trump taking credit for it. A more politically savvy president would let the credit go to the Congresscritters that put it back in the budget.

[The Romulan Republic]

Trump proves he knows better than the experts by blatantly ignoring them: Time

President Trump Is Spending $20 Billion on an Aircraft Carrier. The Navy Wanted That Money for Cybersecurity
The U.S. warship U.S.S. Harry S. Truman is pictured anchored in The Solent on October 8, 2018 near Portsmouth, England.
The U.S. warship U.S.S. Harry S. Truman is pictured anchored in The Solent on October 8, 2018 near Portsmouth, England. Matt Cardy—Getty Images
BY JOHN WALCOTT MAY 2, 2019
In March, a report to the Secretary of the Navy warned that the service is preparing for the wrong war, one fought not with bombs and artillery but with terabytes and artificial intelligence.

“We find the Department of the Navy preparing to win some future kinetic battle, while it is losing the current global, counter-force, counter-value, cyber war,” the report says.

Trump’s decision will cost the Navy more than $20 billion over the next two decades, much of which the service had planned to spend on new unmanned vessels and other advanced technologies.

“In prior eras, for good or ill, navies shifted their definition from wood to steel to wing, or from sail to steam and beyond,” the report to Navy Secretary Spencer says.

“This time technology, not the naval service, or its opponents, have imposed a definition of what navies will be for the rest of the 21st Century,” it says. “Navies must become information enterprises who happen to operate on, over, under, and from the sea; a vast difference from a 355 ship mindset.”

Trump’s abrupt April 30 decision to change a section of the Navy budget he had approved earlier this year will please many bipartisan members of Congress, some of whom had vowed to keep the Truman — and a 355-vessel fleet with 12 aircraft carriers — afloat if Trump didn’t.

The decision also is consistent with the President’s aversion to discussing cybersecurity, such as protecting the 2020 elections from hackers. Physical structures have been the foundation of his business career, and building walls and ships employs more and different workers than writing algorithms does.

The President’s decision this week, however, was made without consulting Shanahan, Spencer or Richardson, according to two Administration officials who said they, too, were “ambushed,” as one put it.

“This is not the first time we’ve seen the President make a decision or countermand an order, and it won’t be the last,” said one of the officials, who helps oversee the Defense Department budget and spoke only on the condition of anonymity. “What’s really troubling though, is that decisions like this don’t go through any kind of policy process — there’s no deliberation, no meetings, no opportunity for input from anybody who knows what they’re talking about.”

According to a report in Breaking Defense, which TIME has confirmed, Shanahan was told of Trump’s decision only about two hours before Vice President Mike Pence announced it in remarks made aboard the Truman, and Richardson had prepared testimony defending the move to retire the carrier for a Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday morning.

The Navy publicly supported the decision. “The Navy looks forward to working with the White House and Office of the Secretary of Defense in support of the President’s budget,” Capt. Greg Hicks, the Navy’s acting Chief of Information, said in a statement.

But the decision to remain on course may prove costly, as the 73-page readiness report warns.

“America once won wars with overwhelming manpower, then later won with superior industrial might, and with the Cold War, won with better technology,” it says. ” The cyber war has been ongoing for some time. The threat is long past the emergent or developing stage. While its ‘guns’ go unheard, it is real, and with as or more devastating consequences.”

While the U.S. remains “relatively flat-footed,” it continues, “both Russia and China are executing well developed cyber-enabled regional and global ‘grey zone’ unconventional strategies against the U.S. and its allies”.

Already, the report says, those strategies threaten to cripple the Navy’s ability to fight, no matter how many aircraft carriers it has.

“The systems the U.S. relies upon to mobilize, deploy, and sustain forces have been extensively targeted by potential adversaries, and compromised to such as extent that their reliability is questionable,” it says.

In layman’s terms, that means the U.S. Navy, as well as the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, may find they can’t count on all the satellites and other technology they use to navigate, communicate, locate targets and hit them.

Trump is too senile to know that the military needs better technology to compete, or he just likes the idea of a YUGE aircraft carrier? You decide.

Trump isn't senile (or if he is, the fact that right now he appears to be winning in his quest to become dictator of America is even more shameful for the country). He's an asshole. People need to stop giving Trump the benefit of ignorance, stupidity, or illness. He may have all those things, but at the end of the day, he's just a piece of shit.

[Eulogy]

right now he appears to be winning in his quest to become dictator of America

I wouldn't quite say that he is winning. Making a lot of noise and bluster, certainly, but he'll keep shooting himself in the foot.

[The Romulan Republic]

All depends on 2020.

[Gandalf]

Like Bush II (and others, but especially Bush II), the more troubling trend is his pushing just how far the executive branch can go without being stopped.

[The Romulan Republic]

The power of the Executive has been slowly expanding over much of American history (particularly during and after the Civil War, and WWII), but Trump has hit the gas peddle and seems to be trying to drive it all the way to full blown autocracy (and has willing enablers in McConnel and Barr who have greatly helped him to do so).

[mr friendly guy]

Well Trump threatens to tariff Mexico in response to the migration issue.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-thre ... 1559260679

I believe he also has threatened to do the same to the EU over Iran.

Well he is the Tariffman, so....

[The Romulan Republic]

Do it, Dickless. A recession will (hopefully) help ensure your defeat.

[FaxModem1]

Do it, Dickless. A recession will (hopefully) help ensure your defeat.

Personally, I hope someone gets him to see sense, as he won't be the only one suffering. In fact, he'll pretty much be the last to really suffer. To use a pop culture clip, recessions do bad things. If unemployment goes up, people die.

And that's assuming the Democrats are able to spin the narrative of why we're in a recession and able to vote him out, as opposed to Republicans being able to spin it as 'the enemies of America' or some other crap like that.

[The Romulan Republic]

Do it, Dickless. A recession will (hopefully) help ensure your defeat.

Personally, I hope someone gets him to see sense, as he won't be the only one suffering. In fact, he'll pretty much be the last to really suffer. To use a pop culture clip, recessions do bad things. If unemployment goes up, people die.

And that's assuming the Democrats are able to spin the narrative of why we're in a recession and able to vote him out, as opposed to Republicans being able to spin it as 'the enemies of America' or some other crap like that.

I mean, the best theoretical outcome would be a double-impeachment of the Orange Rapist and Vice President Homophobe tomorrow, followed by speedy conviction and removal from office, and indictment of Trump for obstruction, campaign finance violation, and crimes against humanity. But that's not realistically going to happen, certainly not so soon, so if he's going to be a fucking racist asshole (and he will continue to be a fucking racist asshole), I at least hope he's a fucking racist asshole in ways that will bite him in the ass, hard. He may suffer less than some, but anything that leads to his electoral defeat will hurt him as much he can be hurt, because if he leaves office before the statute of limitations for obstruction and campaign fiance violations expires, his ass is getting indicted.

[The Romulan Republic]

Turns out intelligence agents have not informed Trump about cyber attacks on Russia:

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/p ... sia-848695

On Saturday, the New York Times published an important story about how the United States military branches are attempting to thwart and combat Russian cyber attacks on American utility networks and interference in elections. But deeper into the article, an interesting and disturbing nugget has drawn attention: The Pentagon has gone out of its way to keep President Donald Trump ignorant of certain details about the operation because of “the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials.”

After giving an in-depth account about the “deployment of American computer code” into Russia’s electric power grid, to work as both a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a more offensive posture in the cyber warfare realm, The Times then wrote:

“Two administration officials said they believed Mr. Trump had not been briefed in any detail about the steps to place ‘implants’ — software code that can be used for surveillance or attack — inside the Russian grid.

“Pentagon and intelligence officials described broad hesitation to go into detail with Mr. Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials, as he did in 2017 when he mentioned a sensitive operation in Syria to the Russian foreign minister.”

New laws, enacted by Congress last year, allow such “clandestine military activity” in cyberspace to go ahead without the president’s approval. So, in this case, those new laws are protecting American interests… by keeping the sitting president out of the loop. What a (scary) time to be alive.

I feel very conflicted here. Because on the one hand, intelligence agencies absolutely should not be acting unilaterally or without oversight, especially when it involves actions that might get us into a conflict with Russia. But on the other hand... the President is a Russian asset. And even aside from that, Dickless has a history of blabbing classified information (or authorizing his AG to selectively leak it as part of a partisan witch hunt).

Ultimately, I feel that a lot of this is on Trump, for not creating a better working relationship with intelligence agencies due to his deep state crap and autocratic loyalty demands and trusting Putin more than them.

Edit: If nothing else, its reassuring to know that the intelligence community hasn't been fully purged yet. If it comes to a crisis, like Trump refusing to lawfully leave office after electoral defeat or an impeachment trial, we don't want intelligence agencies full of people who will just follow the Fuhrer's orders.

[Crazedwraith]

G20 summit: Trump and Xi agree to restart US-China trade talks

The US and China have agreed to resume trade talks, easing a long row that has contributed to a global economic slowdown.

US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping reached agreement at the G20 summit in Japan.

Mr Trump also said he would allow US companies to continue to sell to the Chinese tech giant Huawei, in a move seen as a significant concession.

Mr Trump had threatened additional trade sanctions on China.

However after the meeting on the sidelines of the main G20 summit in Osaka, he confirmed that the US would not be adding tariffs on $300bn (£236bn) worth of Chinese imports.

He also said he would continue to negotiate with Beijing "for the time being".

And at a subsequent press conference, the US president declared that US technology companies could again sell to China's Huawei - effectively reversing a ban imposed last month by the US commerce department.

The ban prevented US tech firms from selling to Huawei, crippling the Chinese firm's ability to get critical American technology to help it make its products.

How has the US-China trade dispute escalated?
US and China - the world's two largest economies - have been fighting a damaging trade war over the past year.

Mr Trump accused China of stealing intellectual property and forcing US firms to share trade secrets in order to do business in China.

China, in turn, said the US's demands for business reform were unreasonable.

The feud escalated in the months leading up to the summit, after talks between the two countries collapsed in May.

How will the current breakthrough change the situation?
The truce signals a pause in hostilities between the world's largest economies, rather than a resolution of the year-long dispute which has caused market turbulence and dragged on global growth.

Speaking after his meeting with Mr Xi at the summit, the US president said negotiations were "back on track".

"We had a very good meeting with President Xi of China, excellent, I would say excellent, as good as it was going to be," Mr Trump told reporters. "We discussed a lot of things and we're right back on track and we'll see what happens."

In a statement, China's foreign ministry said negotiators from both sides would discuss the specific details, but did not elaborate.

China's official state news agency Xinhua also quoted Mr Xi as saying: "China and the US have highly integrated interests and extensive co-operation areas and they should not fall into so-called traps of conflict and confrontation."

Has the Huawei dispute been resolved?
The clampdown on dealing with Huawei has been a high profile part of the wider trade conflict between the US and China.

Mr Trump's decision to allow US companies to continue to sell to the Chinese technology firm is being seen as a substantial concession to the Chinese.

The US president is reversing a US ban imposed last month on Huawei buying US goods without a licence - including from Google, which is crucial to many of the Chinese firm's products.

The ban had been expected to cost the firm $30bn (£24bn) in revenue this year, and sparked fears of a "technology cold war" between the two nations.

But American companies have also been stopped from buying from Huawei, because Washington says its technology poses a national security risk.

So the latest US move does not bring a complete end to the dispute. Mr Trump said the Huawei situation would be dealt with "at the very end" of trade talks between the US and China.

Additional analysis and links at the source that I have omitted for readability.

[Lonestar]

Trump 100% channels a Shep thread

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/ ... lions-wipe

'An Insult to All Afghans': Kabul Outraged After Trump Floats Plan to Kill Millions, Wipe Afghanistan Off Face of the Earth
The U.S. president said he has not acted on the plan because he doesn't "want to kill 10 million people"

byJake Johnson, staff writer

Kabul reacted with outrage and demanded clarification Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he has military plans that could wipe Afghanistan "off the face of the Earth," killing millions of people.

Following Trump's remarks, the office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement that Afghanistan "will never allow any foreign power to determine its fate."

"While the Afghan government supports the U.S. efforts for ensuring peace in Afghanistan," the statement read, "the government underscores that foreign heads of state cannot determine Afghanistan's fate in absence of the Afghan leadership."

Trump's comments came during a meeting in the Oval Office Monday with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"We're not fighting a war," Trump said of the U.S.-led conflict that has lasted nearly 18 years, the longest war in American history. "If we wanted to fight a war in Afghanistan and win it, I could win that war in a week. I just don't want to kill 10 million people."

"I have plans on Afghanistan that, if I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the Earth. It would be gone," the president added. "It would be over in, literally, in 10 days. And I don't want to do that—I don't want to go that route."

[wautd]

Trump calls Swedish prime minister to release a prisoner

Trump Says He’s ‘Very Disappointed’ Sweden Hasn’t Freed Rapper

President Donald Trump has lambasted Sweden’s government for not forcing state prosecutors to free A$AP Rocky, after the U.S. rapper was caught on video committing what appeared to be a physical assault in Stockholm.

Swedish Prosecutor Daniel Suneson said on Thursday that evidence he’d seen meant that criminal proceedings would be started against A$AP Rocky and two of his associates. The three are “suspected of assault causing actual bodily harm,” Suneson said.


In a Tweet, Trump said he was “very disappointed” in Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven for not intervening. The U.S. president also implied Sweden owed the U.S., saying “We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around.” Lofven has pointed out that the Swedish constitution bans the government and parliament from interfering in legal cases.

Very disappointed in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven for being unable to act. Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States. I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly! #FreeRocky

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2019

The president, who is facing allegations of racism at home after telling four U.S. Congress women of color to “go back” to the countries they came from, contacted Lofven last weekend at the urging of Kanye West. In that call, he offered to “personally vouch” for A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers. That included an offer to post bail, even though the legal tool doesn’t exist in Sweden.

A$AP Rocky was detained on July 2 for his alleged role in a street fight the night of June 30. Video of the episode obtained by TMZ appears to show the rapper and two associates punching and kicking a man, and court documents obtained by CNN allege they used a glass bottle as a weapon in the assault.

Lofven has pointed out to Trump that Sweden’s judiciary is independent, meaning politicians can’t intervene.

“In Sweden, everyone is equal before the law, including visitors from other countries,” Lofven told Swedish news service TT. “The Swedish government neither can, nor will, try to influence prosecutors or courts.”

Trump, who has repeatedly faced accusations of racism in the U.S. and whose treatment of migrants at the U.S. Mexico border has drawn widespread condemnation, said the Swedish government’s decision not to act in the case of A$AP Rocky means it has “let our African American Community down in the United States.”

A$AP Rocky’s lawyer told the celebrity news website that his client was acting in self-defense. Swedish public prosecutor Suneson said he had access to videos and other evidence in addition to the publicly available material that cast doubt on that explanation.

Suneson said he studied the videos made available to the inquiry, which he said was more than had “previously been available on the Internet.” In addition to video material, the injured party’s statements were supported by witnesses, Suneson said.

Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM. We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem! #FreeRocky

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2019

The rapper has considerable backing among Hollywood’s elite, with West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, leading a social media campaign to call for A$AP Rocky’s release.

Kardashian West, who has repeatedly met with the president to lobby for the release of incarcerated Americans, tweeted her gratitude for what she characterized as his commitment to justice reform.

The arrogance and stupidity is strong in this one. But what to expect from an oligarg where concepts like judicial independence and separation of powers must be completely alien concepts to him

[The Infidel]

Trump calls Swedish prime minister to release a prisoner

Trump Says He’s ‘Very Disappointed’ Sweden Hasn’t Freed Rapper

President Donald Trump has lambasted Sweden’s government for not forcing state prosecutors to free A$AP Rocky, after the U.S. rapper was caught on video committing what appeared to be a physical assault in Stockholm.

Swedish Prosecutor Daniel Suneson said on Thursday that evidence he’d seen meant that criminal proceedings would be started against A$AP Rocky and two of his associates. The three are “suspected of assault causing actual bodily harm,” Suneson said.


In a Tweet, Trump said he was “very disappointed” in Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven for not intervening. The U.S. president also implied Sweden owed the U.S., saying “We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around.” Lofven has pointed out that the Swedish constitution bans the government and parliament from interfering in legal cases.

Very disappointed in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven for being unable to act. Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States. I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly! #FreeRocky

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2019

The president, who is facing allegations of racism at home after telling four U.S. Congress women of color to “go back” to the countries they came from, contacted Lofven last weekend at the urging of Kanye West. In that call, he offered to “personally vouch” for A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers. That included an offer to post bail, even though the legal tool doesn’t exist in Sweden.

A$AP Rocky was detained on July 2 for his alleged role in a street fight the night of June 30. Video of the episode obtained by TMZ appears to show the rapper and two associates punching and kicking a man, and court documents obtained by CNN allege they used a glass bottle as a weapon in the assault.

Lofven has pointed out to Trump that Sweden’s judiciary is independent, meaning politicians can’t intervene.

“In Sweden, everyone is equal before the law, including visitors from other countries,” Lofven told Swedish news service TT. “The Swedish government neither can, nor will, try to influence prosecutors or courts.”

Trump, who has repeatedly faced accusations of racism in the U.S. and whose treatment of migrants at the U.S. Mexico border has drawn widespread condemnation, said the Swedish government’s decision not to act in the case of A$AP Rocky means it has “let our African American Community down in the United States.”

A$AP Rocky’s lawyer told the celebrity news website that his client was acting in self-defense. Swedish public prosecutor Suneson said he had access to videos and other evidence in addition to the publicly available material that cast doubt on that explanation.

Suneson said he studied the videos made available to the inquiry, which he said was more than had “previously been available on the Internet.” In addition to video material, the injured party’s statements were supported by witnesses, Suneson said.

Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM. We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem! #FreeRocky

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2019

The rapper has considerable backing among Hollywood’s elite, with West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, leading a social media campaign to call for A$AP Rocky’s release.

Kardashian West, who has repeatedly met with the president to lobby for the release of incarcerated Americans, tweeted her gratitude for what she characterized as his commitment to justice reform.

The arrogance and stupidity is strong in this one. But what to expect from an oligarg where concepts like judicial independence and separation of powers must be completely alien concepts to him

I just love the latest of Bildt's comment:

Carl Bildt
@carlbildt
The rule of the law applies to everyone equally and is exercised by an independent judiciary. That’s the way it is in the US, and that’s certainly the way it is in Sweden. Political interference in the process is distinctly off limits! Clear?
Quote Tweet

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
· 19h
Very disappointed in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven for being unable to act. Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States. I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly! #FreeRocky

I've been thinking of getting away from twitter. Hardly ever uses it anyway, so I was about to write to Trump "It is clear you don't understand how a democracy functions, you fascist fuck!", but I didn't.

[FaxModem1]

Wasn't sure which thread this belonged in, but decided the foreign policy one was the fit.

BBC

Trump official revises Statue of Liberty poem to defend migrant rule change
1 hour ago
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Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
A top US immigration official has revised a quote inscribed on the Statue of Liberty in defence of a new policy that denies food aid to legal migrants.

The head of Citizenship and Immigration Services tweaked the passage: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free".

The official added the words "who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge".

He later said the poem had referred to "people coming from Europe".

Ken Cuccinelli, the Trump administration's acting head of Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced on Monday a new "public charge" requirement that limits legal migrants from seeking certain public benefits such as public housing or food aid, or are considered likely to do so in the future.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
The New Colossus was written by New York-born poet Emma Lazarus in 1883
The new regulation, known as a "public charge rule", was published in the Federal Register on Monday and will take effect on 15 October.

The rule change is intended to reinforce "ideals of self-sufficiency", officials said. Critics argue that it will prevent low-income US residents from seeking help.

Trump targets legal migrants who get food aid
What did the official say?
On Tuesday, Mr Cuccinelli was asked by NPR whether the 1883 poem titled The New Colossus at the Statue of Liberty on New York's Ellis Island still applied.

"Would you also agree that Emma Lazarus's words etched on the Statue of Liberty, 'Give me your tired, give me your poor,' are also a part of the American ethos?" asked NPR's Rachel Martin.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
Ken Cuccinelli, the acting head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services
"They certainly are," Mr Cuccinelli responded. "Give me your tired and your poor - who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge."

"That plaque was put on the Statue of Liberty at almost the same time as the first public charge [law] was passed - very interesting timing," he added.

The actual passage reads in part: "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

In the interview, he added that immigrants are welcome "who can stand on their own two feet, be self-sufficient, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, again, as in the American tradition".

After the host asked if the policy "appears to change the definition of the American dream," he said: "We invite people to come here and join us as a privilege.

"No one has a right to become an American who isn't born here as an American."


Media captionTop immigration official says public charge rule will not target "any particular group"
Mr Cuccinelli was pressed later on CNN about his comments, and pushed back on claims he was trying to re-write the poem. He insisted he was answering a question and accused people on the left of "twisting" his comments.

Then asked by anchor Erin Burnett about what America stands for, he said: "Of course that poem was referring back to people coming from Europe - where they had class-based societies where people were considering wretched if they weren't in the right class."

The two then discussed their own immigrant ancestry, with Ms Burnett pointing out his rule would have "excluded" her family.

"I'm here because they were allowed in, and I'm an anchor on CNN," she said.

Beto O'Rouke, a Democratic presidential hopeful from Texas, shared a clip from the interview and said the comments show his Trump administration "think the Statue of Liberty only applies to white people".

Skip Twitter post by @BetoORourke

Beto O'Rourke
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@BetoORourke
This administration finally admitted what we’ve known all along: They think the Statue of Liberty only applies to white people. https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1161423652962918400 …

Josh Marshall
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@joshtpm
Cuccinelli: That statue of liberty poem was about "people coming from Europe."

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End of Twitter post by @BetoORourke
Who will be affected by the new rule?
Immigrants who are already permanent residents in the US are unlikely to be affected by the rule change.

It also does not apply to refugees and asylum applicants.

What's the state of illegal immigration in US?
Six surprising statistics about immigrants in the US
But applicants for visa extensions, green cards or US citizenship will be subject to the change.

Those who do not meet income standards or who are deemed likely to rely on benefits such as Medicaid (government-run healthcare) or housing vouchers in future may be blocked from entering the country.

Those already in the US could also have their applications rejected.

An estimated 22 million legal residents in the US are without citizenship, and many of these are likely to be affected.

President Trump has made immigration a central theme of his administration. This latest move is part of his government's efforts to curb legal immigration.

What has reaction been?
The Democratic led House Homeland Security Committee condemned Mr Cuccinelli's revision in a tweet, calling the words "vile and un-American".

"It's clear the Trump Administration just wants to keep certain people out," the committee wrote, calling Mr Cuccinelli "a xenophobic, anti-immigrant fringe figure who has no business being in government".

Others pointed to his background as the attorney general of Virginia, in which he led a conservative campaign against immigration and homosexuality.

Asked about Mr Cuccinelli's remarks on Tuesday, President Trump did not directly respond to the Statue of Liberty quote, but said: "I don't think it's fair to have the American taxpayer pay for people to come into the United States."

"I'm tired of seeing our taxpayer paying for people to come into the country and immediately go onto welfare and various other things.

"So I think we're doing it right."

Expect this to the be the first step of many, as we dwindle who is allowed in more and more, until only a token few are allowed in.

[The Romulan Republic]

Yeah. This has nothing to do with the law, and everything to do with Making America White Again.

[FaxModem1]

Now, among his other self-proclaimed titles, like "America's Greatest President", comes "King of Israel" and "The Chosen One" when it comes to the trade war with China.

Times of Israel

Trump declares himself to be ‘the chosen one’
After promoting claim that Israelis ‘love him like he is the second coming of God,’ US president defends China trade war by describing himself as the messiah
By TOI STAFF
Today, 3:04 am 3
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US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, August 21, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, August 21, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump proclaimed himself “the Chosen One” Wednesday as he defended his trade war against China, indicating that it was his destiny to take on Beijing.

Trump — who had earlier approvingly retweeted a description of himself as the King of Israel — said his predecessors had allowed the United States to be taken advantage of on trade and intellectual property and it had befallen him to undo the damage.

“This isn’t my trade war. This is a trade war that should have taken place a long time ago by a lot of other presidents,” he told reporters at the White House.

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“Somebody had to do it,” Trump said, before looking up to the heavens and adding: “I am the Chosen One.”

Trump has slapped steep tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods, with a further $300 billion in imports targeted for new duties in two more rounds, September 1 and December 15.

“Somebody had to do it, so I’m taking on China. I’m taking on China on trade, and you know what? We’re winning,” he said.

The president said he was “put here by people to do a great job. And that’s what I’m doing.”

The comments came shortly after he promoted a claim that he has achieved godlike status in Israel and that the Jewish population of the country adore him as their “king.”

Trump tweeted the remarks by radio host and conspiracy theorist Wayne Allyn Root, which were broadcast Tuesday on his show.

“President Trump is the greatest President for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world, not just America, he is the best President for Israel in the history of the world…and the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel,” Trump quoted Root as saying. “They love him like he is the second coming of God.”

“But American Jews don’t know him or like him,” the tweet continued. “They don’t even know what they’re doing or saying anymore. It makes no sense! But that’s OK, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s good for all Jews, Blacks, Gays, everyone. And importantly, he’s good for everyone in America who wants a job.”

“Wow!” added Trump, while thanking Root for “the very nice words.”

The tweets came a day after Trump lashed out at Democrats over what he claimed was their lack of support for Israel, suggesting that American Jews who intend to vote for his rival party in the 2020 elections would be displaying “great disloyalty.”

“I think any Jewish people who would vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with President Klaus Iohannis of Romania.

Trump was commenting on the uproar in Washington over Israel’s barring of Democratic congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from entering the country due to their pro-Palestinian and Israel-boycott activism.

American Jewish leaders condemned Trump’s loyalty remark saying he was employing a dangerous anti-Semitic trope.

“It’s unclear who @POTUS is claiming Jews would be ‘disloyal’ to, but charges of disloyalty have long been used to attack Jews,” tweeted Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League, calling on the president to stop “using Jews as a political football.”

American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris called Trump’s comments “outrageous.”

So, who else here is getting weird Biblical Apocalypse movie vibes?

[The Romulan Republic]

A man with thousands of nuclear weapons under his control has a Messiah Complex. Well that's not scary at all.


If "Christ" is in his list of titles, I'm pretty sure there's an "Anti-" in front of it.