BurtReynolds wrote:It's kinda hilarious that we've sold billions of dollars in weapons to a person we won't call on the phone. Seems like arms dealing 101 to get a feel for the guy you're selling destroyers to. But what do I know about diplomacy.
This is a great demonstration of why a simplistic view of international relations is impossible.
China itself trades with Taiwan to the tune of over 150 billion dollars...nearly a third of Taiwan's total trade. Thinking that either trade or weapons are equal in their mind to international legitimacy, or that their response to one is indicative of their response to another, is misguided. One need look no further than Diaoyu Dao for evidence of this. We can be any kind of friends with Japan and they couldn't care less, but if we so much and fly over the disputed territory, they become absolutely livid...because what chafes them is the implicit legitimacy we are implying to Japan's claim.
This is a hysterical overreaction not remotely in line with the real implications, and is being brought up by the Left and the media to damage Trump, nothing more. But this is exactly the kinda shit that backfires for them every time.
The Chinese aren't so stupid that they don't know the real world difference between selling arms to their enemies and chatting them up on the phone. They will use it as an excuse to rattle sabres, and if this didn't happen, they'd find another excuse. And who says we have to walk on eggshells around them anyway? I see no problem with talking to our allies: our very obvious allies that everyone knows about.
And that's why these hysterical overreactions in the press are so bad. It went from "dumbass American being a dumb ass" to "now I need to save face because it's such big news in the US".
"The fatal flaw of all revolutionaries is that they know how to tear things down but don't have a f**king clue about how to build anything."
The point isn't "you angered China so they're going to go bananas tomorrow." The point is that his stupid refusal to learn about the world via informed briefings, or to contain his most basic impulses, has already created landmines that will affect his efforts to interact with the world going forward. He invites Duterte to the White House, insults the English government, appears to support Pakistan in a conflict with India he probably doesn't even know is brewing, and now this. And he isn't even president yet.
He seems to live in this fantasy where the American president can dictate and do as he pleases, at home and abroad. And watching him make situations worse with almost literally every international interaction is a huge red flag for what it will be when he has the keys to the United States.
But if such contacts continue after Inauguration Day, Mr. Shen said, China should end diplomatic relations with the United States.
“I would close our embassy in Washington and withdraw our diplomats,” he said. “I would be perfectly happy to end the relationship. I don’t know how you are then going to expect China to cooperate on Iran and North Korea and climate change. You are going to ask Taiwan for that?”
McParadigm wrote:The point isn't "you angered China so they're going to go bananas tomorrow." The point is that his stupid refusal to learn about the world via informed briefings, or to contain his most basic impulses, has already created landmines that will affect his efforts to interact with the world going forward. He invites Duterte to the White House, insults the English government, appears to support Pakistan in a conflict with India he probably doesn't even know is brewing, and now this. And he isn't even president yet.
Trump supporters understand the government about as well as he does, so you are never going to get anywhere. You're dealing with some of the stupidest people to ever walk the earth. And now they are happy because they think they are smart and vindicated. Four years from now, when the country is in a shambles, they will have some nonsense excuse for it...probably something to do with Obama or liberals...so even if they "learn their lesson", it won't make a difference. The earth is still flat.
E.H. Ruddock wrote:Glad he's focusing on important presidential stuff
He's also tweeting up a storm about a 35% border tax on companies that move jobs out of the US and then try to sell their products here. Although I assume this doesn't apply to Carrier?
