Watch:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhmyUQm6oR8&w=560&h=315]
I think it is fair to say that the Queen is not a fan of “America First.”
Does Trump have any clue about what is happening here? Does he understand how the Queen is using the past to send him a message? Does he see her subtle and balanced use of continuity and change over time? Frankly, I doubt it. But if this becomes a news narrative in the United States I am sure Trump will respond. Trump just might be the first U.S. president to call the Queen “nasty.” 🙂
The queen is obviously not an America-first proponent; hopefully, she is a U.K.-first advocate. We should expect no less nor should we hold that against her.
She sounds like someone who rationally understands her responsibilities to her country and her country’s responsibilities to humanity, and that there is not as great a conflict between those as a near sighted president seems to think.
Jeff,
Are you implying that Trump feels no responsibility for wanting to see the best for other countries, also? Can’t we have so-called win-win outcomes in foreign policy?
James
I said he is near sighted.
I think that yes we can have win win for multiple countries. I don’t think Trump has enough vision to get the best of that possibility.
Jeff,
I respectfully think you have not been listening to all of Trump’s speeches on foreign policy and have also not been watching the work of Mike Pompeo.
Please tell me specifically where the administration is showing mere nearsightedness.
James
I just read that Prince Charles tried to have a long conversation with Trump on climate change. Part of the reason it was long was it took a while to get past Trump’s confusion on the differences between clean water and things like that and climate. But ultimately Trump is still a doubter of a lot of science. Basically if he thinks he can tout some stats in the environment in the US he doesn’t have to concern himself with the world’s climate.
He doesn’t get it that as the US is THE economic powerhouse of the world that if we want to continue to be the leading influence of NATO that we should pay a bigger share. If we are completely equal partners than we can’t expect to be the leading influence for good purposes in the alliance. It’s worth the money.
He thinks it is a useful means to cut back on Central American migrants to cut back on aid to those countries. That only exacerbates the problems there and causes more people to move.
His tariffs on China primarily hurt US consumers and companies. We are being in effect taxed and too many people don’t get that.
Trump stood next to Abe and said recent missiles from Korea were no big deal. Because he and Kim have a relationship. Of course for now Japan is a friend and they are the ones in range.
He has a big problem with Japanese cars coming to the US. Though those companies invest a lot here and build many cars here and that business is good for us.
Jeff,
I appreciate you giving me specifics. I would, however, differentiate between genuine policy differences and simplistic media talking points.
Prince Charles has been a dilettante on several matters for the last thirty or forty years and he needs to get a real job. If he is concerned about the climate, he really should be speaking more to his commonwealth member, India whose pollution was not rigorously contained by the Paris Accords. Simply because Trump did not sign the Paris Agreement does not imply that he wants to dump poison into our rivers. We actually have a decent set of national rules appropriate to our level of industrialization. If other countries want to unofficially cede their environmental sovereignty to a group of unelected bureaucrats in Paris or wherever, Trump is not stopping that. It is their call. Let Prince Charles do the ribbon-cutting at the new European Climate Accord building.
I must say I am surprised you do not believe that NATO member nations should not pay their agreed-upon share. That is all Trump is asking of them. After all, NATO is voluntary and they don’t have to participate. It isn’t the old Warsaw Pact.
China Tariffs: Have you seen the prices of your products increase greatly? I haven’t. If they do increase beyond reason, the manufacturers in China will relocate to other parts of Asia. The Chinese know this and will come to a deal with Trump. In the meantime, most of us can stand to pay a few more cents, but I have yet to personally see a rise.
Trump and Abe are friends. I don’t think there is any danger of us throwing them under the bus and entering into a relationship of trust with Kim. Japan benefits from us and we from them. That’s the way it should be.
James