Anything but Stormy ~ Trumponian headlines: Echo opinion

Stupid Donald Trump will do anything to remove Stormy Daniels and Vladimir Putin off the headlines.  Now, he's announced a grandiose meeting with Kim Jung Un. But he has no idea what he's doing because there aren't many experts who he trusts to advise him. Consequently, he'll make a fool of himself but, worse, our international allies will be embarrassed by the visuals.

Echo opinion published in the Philadelphia Inquirer by columnist Trudy Rubin.

Where was Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when Trump announced his "Stormy" meeting with Kim Jung Un? He was in Africa.

Well, that’s one way to shift the attention from payoffs to porn stars and potential trade wars.

I refer, natch, to Trump’s stunning announcement Thursday that he’d accept Kim Jong Un’s snap invitation for direct talks over North Korea’s nuclear program – which may be held within two months.

Gone (for now) are the mutual threats and insults that had the world worrying whether Trump would unleash a preemptive war on the Korean Peninsula. The president deserves credit for the tough sanctions policy that pushed Kim to shift gears.

But Trump’s disdain for expertise, and conviction that he is all-knowing, make him supremely vulnerable to Kim’s manipulations. Trump’s tweets already show his slim grasp of North Korea’s wiles and intentions.

So, when (or if) Trump and Kim meet, we can expect a great photo op of two men with impressive hairdos. 

More than that, if the president’s ego trumps acumen, the summit won’t end well.

When Trump meets North Korea's Kim, will he know what he is doing?

The main problem is not that the summit is being convened too quickly. If Trump had a capable team that he listened to, and if he set clear, attainable goals, he could manage the risk.

At minimum, the two leaders could take each other’s measure and probe each other’s positions.

Unfortunately, Trump disdains expertise and his Korea bench is depleted. 

A high-level summit would ordinarily be carefully prepared, with a special emissary doing advance work. 

 Instead, the U.S. point person on North Korea, special envoy Joseph Yun, just announced his retirement (as have many top State Department officials) and has not been replaced.

The administration has yet to nominate an ambassador to South Korea, having inexplicably nixed a terrific choice, Victor Cha. 

The Senate has yet to confirm the top diplomat handling East Asia.

Trump didn’t even bother to give his own secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, a heads up about the summit. 

Only hours before the announcement, Tillerson was dismissing the likelihood of talks. (Trump publicly chastised Tillerson in the past for talking about diplomacy with Pyongyang.)

Who in Asia can take Tillerson seriously when the president humiliates him so carelessly? Not Kim.

Clearly all this is irrelevant to Trump. When asked by Fox News in November about vacancies at the State Department, the Trump famously retorted: “I’m the only one that matters, because when it comes to it, that’s what the policy is going to be.”

With his unshakable belief in his omniscience, the president may ignore preparation. This would be hugely risky, says the Brookings Institution’s Robert Einhorn, a key negotiator with North Korea in the Clinton administration.

“This can’t be a free-flowing encounter. You can’t go in and wing it,” says Einhorn. “The North Koreans will have thought this through, will have a game plan. Trump doesn’t know any of the details.”

Trump’s lack of grasp was clear when he tweet-bragged Thursday that Kim “talked about denuclearization” with the South Koreans, “not just a freeze.” The president was referring to the U.S. demand that North Korea must completely denuclearize, not just freeze its program at current levels, which would leave it with dozens of weapons and delivery systems.

However, South Korean officials told the New York Times that Kim is proposing the same formula that scotched previous negotiations: In return for supposed denuclearization, Kim wants U.S. forces removed from South Korea and an end to the U.S. nuclear shield that protects South Korea and Japan.

Such a proposal is a nonstarter. Ending the U.S.-South Korean alliance would leave the peninsula vulnerable to Pyongyang’s military. Especially since North Korea has lied before about dismantling its nukes.

So it will be vital that Trump enter the summit with a realistic grasp of its prospects and limitations.

If Trump were a normal president, one might assume he would aim for a limited outcome: Take the measure of Kim, exchange views, put down certain markers – and probe exactly what Kim means when he says he will denuclearize if North Korea’s security is guaranteed.

Then Trump could judge whether or not complete denuclearization is a realistic U.S. goal. Serious negotiations might follow.

But Trump is not a normal president. He thinks diplomacy means going mano a mano with autocrats. Never mind that he has been played by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping, both of whom have his number.

And Trump has made clear he doesn’t want drawn-out talks with Pyongyang. Yet he has failed to demonstrate – whether in trade, in Israeli-Palestinian peace, in Syria, or elsewhere – that he has mastered the art of making international deals.

So, at best when Trump and Kim meet, we can expect a great (MaineWriter ~ or maybe not so great....) photo op. 

At worst, Trump may be flattered into giving away leverage for nothing. Or the talks might deteriorate into new insults.

If we are really lucky, the president might wise up, listen to his briefers, and jump-start serious negotiations. 

Sadly, that seems about as likely as Trump giving up his tweets.

The Breaking Point- A bleak view of American leadership

The New Yorker, an article by Dexter Filkins: The Breaking Point: Will Donald Trump let the Secretary of State do his job?",  should be an article that provides objective perspective about the style of leadership provided to the State Department by the former Exxon CEO.

The New Yorker

Although author Filkins attempts to lift this article above the political fray, by creating a premise for understanding how the Secretary of State will lead (or not) in American diplomacy, his research leaves the reader with fear about what will happen next? This is a depressing analysis about how Secretary Rex Tillerson has already failed. 

After a career building one corporate success after another with Exxon, now, Tillerson is in over his head, while trying to deal with learning international diplomacy from a politically nuanced perspective, troubled by how to do his best to manage the volatile Donald Trump, his boss.

Frankly, as much as Tillerson is likely on the brink of resigning as are result of intimidation from Trump and by the lack of confidence the State Department has in his abilities to negotiate with Iran, et.al, the fact is, he's feeling trapped by "Boy Scout" patriotism. It's a sense of duty he learned, shaped by his experience as an Eagle Scout and the organization's national leader.  

Eventually, he will cave and fail, just like everybody else who has fallen into the vortex of Donald Trump's enigmatic political cauldron. In fact, the failure rate in the Trump administration is just the tip of the iceberg. Eventually, everyone who supported Donald Trump will be painted with the same tainted brush.  "Did you work for Donald Trump?  No need apply."

Sad, for Tillerson, who had been on the brink of a very prestigious retirement from Exxon.  By accepting the position of Secretary of State, he truly believed (and I sincerely believe he did) that he was doing something good for his country and, thereby, for the world.

He was wrong.  

Dexter Filkins, author of "The Breaking Point: Will Donald Trump let the Secretary of State Do his job", in The New Yorker

Although The New Yorker article is typically long and, frankly, the author Filkins jumps around a lot in the narrative, the "take away" is in the last paragraph. So, if the reader goes to the end, like cheating on a mystery novel, the purpose of the entire text is quickly revealed. In fact, the damage done is already too late to fix. By not filling key ambassador positions to his isolation from experts who could help, Tillerson is regressing American foreign policy, a reputation built by predecessors. 

Tillerson's failures are also compounded, resulting from the chaotic Donald Trump administration. In other words, as one Asian expert said, "Why deal with the US embassy, when what matters is what Donald Trump Tweets?". 

Depressing, but essential reading, by Dexter Filkins.  

This New Yorker article will be required reading by history majors in the coming years, as they try to figure out how the Republicans let all of this rigmarole happen, without finding out a way to stop it.  

Trump to Russia- a Twitter algorithm

Regardless if all, a part or any of this Twitter post is true, the fact is all of the intelligence about the data origins can be proven or disproved if Donald Trump releases his tax returns. 

What is Trump hiding?

It's amazingly easy to learn a lot, in just a little bit of space allowed on Twitter. One Twitterzin posted a screen shot algorithm to give succinct summary about how Donald Trump is financially "Shanghaied" by Russia. In other words, Trump can't get out of the mess he's in, because he's conscripted by Putin, to pay what's owed.

It's amazing what 140 characters and a JPG screen shot image can teach, in just 5 minutes of reading.  It will take longer than that time to post this blog - a reprint of a Twitter message but it was copied from the feed #Resistance.com

If you want to know why (Donald Trump) is protecting Russia, here's why- "Here Goes", says the Twitterzin:

Trump owes Blackstone/Bayrock group $560 million dollars (one of his largest debtors and the primary reason he won't reveal his tax returns.) Obviously, any claims about Donald Trump’s net worth, income or debt can’t be verified because Trump hasn’t released his tax returns. But, let's let this Twitterzin speak.....

Moreover, Blackstone is owned by Russian billionaires, who owe their position to Vladimir Putin and have made their fortunes from work with the Russian government. Other companies that borrowed from Blackstone claimed that owing money to them is like owing the Russian mob; and while you owe them, they expect favors.

In fact, the Russian economy is faltering under the weight of over-dependence on raw materials which have plummeted in recent years and the Russian economy is unable to pay debts (I'm wondering if the high cost of the failed Sochi Olympic games had anything to do with this debt? Just askin'?) 

Russia has an impetus to influence the US election to ensure the per barrel oil prices are above $65; but they are currently hovering around $50 (and Saudi are currently selling for even $39!).

Russia can't affordably get at 80 percent of it's oil reserves, and reduce its per barrel cost to compete with the global competition, especially with the Iranian sanctions being lifted and more supply will be on the market. Russia will find another competitor in the market when Iran starts selling its oil and this will push Russia further down on the list of suppliers. Putin wants to influence Donald Trump to re-impose the Iran sanctions, so he can eliminate this competitor from the global oil market. Apparently, Donald Trump spoke of ending the deals which would cause oil sales sanctions to be reimposed, which would then make Russian oil more competitive.

(Now, here's the part of this Twitter screen shot that I truly believe is the most credible!)

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
CEO of Exxon

Rex Tillerson (Trump's Secretary of State) is head of Exxon Mobil Oil, which is in possession of patented technology that could help Vladimir Putin to extract 45 percent more oil, at a significant cost savings to Russia, thereby helping Putin to put money in the Russian coffers; money that's needed to help reconstitute its military, and to finally be able to afford to mass produce the new and improved systems that it had invented before the Russian economy had slowed down so much. 

Putin can't get access to these new cost saving technologies OR outside oil field development money, because of US sanctions on Russia, enacted as a result of the active military involvement in the Ukrainian civil war.

Look for Donald Trump to end sanctions on Russia and to back out of the Iranian nuclear deal, to help Russia rebuild its economy, strengthen Putin and make Rex Tillerson and Donald Trump even richer, thus allowing Trump to satisfy his creditors at Blackstone.

With Trump's fabricated hatred of NATO and the United Nations, the Russian military reconstituted, the threat to Baltic states is real. Russia retaking their access to the Baltic Sea from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and threatening the shipping of millions of cubic feet of natural gas to lower Europe from Scandinavia, (would allow Russia to make a good case for its oil and gas being piped into Eastern  Europe- I don't really understand the end of this thought as it was posted; but the general gist is that Putin wants to expand Russia's borders to control Eastern and Central Europe for lots of reasons.)  


Maine Writer postscript: This international intrigue contributes to a very dicey international situation, one that I'm convinced Donald Trump is incapable of handling; because there are too much of his own self interest and personal debt at stake, in the outcome.

Twitter and treason- #DJT praises dictator

Reluctantly, giving Donald Trump one nod of intuitiveness, he certainly understands the power of "Twitter". On the other hand, he never learned the power of the science of physics. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". (Newton's Third Law)

Sir Isaac Newton - "for every action there is a reaction" (especially in Twitter language)

When Donald Trump usese the enormous "megaphone-microphone" of Twitter, he causes a volcanic reaction to every word he posts on the micro-blogging site. In fact, the volcanic ash he unleashes is akin to "toxic language waste"- or, in Twitter toungue it's #TLW.

Now,  @realDonaldTrump has a new "best friend" or #BF, being Russia's former KGB agent turned dictator, Vladimir Putin. In response, the Twitter posts in #TLW, posted in reaction to their international love fest, has been the accusation of "treason". I guess in an international diplomatic twitter equation, the action and reaction would look like this:  #Trump + #Putin / #TLW = Treason.

Vanity Fair reports on this equation

TS DOWN OVER “TREASON” AFTER TRUMP PRAISES PUTIN- The president-elect called Putin, whose government was just censured by the Obama administration for acts of cyber-war, “very smart.”- by Maya Kosoff
Donald Trump found himself in a precarious position Thursday after President Barack Obama imposed additional sanctions on Russia for its alleged efforts to interfere with the U.S. election, and in an even more awkward spot when Russian president Vladimir Putin responded Friday by refraining from any reciprocal retaliatory action—apparently awaiting friendlier relations with the incoming administration. But instead of standing with the current U.S. president, Trump decided to use his platform to praise the former K.G.B. official, who is believed to have personally orchestrated multiple acts of cyber-warfare against the country Trump will soon lead.

On Friday afternoon, Trump did two things in response to Putin’s decision not to retaliate against U.S. diplomats in Russia. 

First, he tweeted a response celebrating the intelligence of the Russian president. “Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!,” the future leader of the free world wrote to his 18 million followers. 

Second, after tweeting his pro-Kremlin missive, Trump pinned the tweet to his profile, ensuring it is the first thing seen by anyone viewing his account. It appears to be the first time Trump has ever used the feature. (This is unacceptable! It looks like an American dictator praising an undemocratic tyrant!)

Third-party candidate Evan McMullin, who has been vocal in his opposition of Trump, tweeted his displeasure. 

"To be clear, @realDonaldTrump is siding with America's greatest adversary even as it attacks our democracy. Never grow desensitized to this."
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/814919370711461890 …
3:18 PM - 30 Dec 2016

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to improve relations with Russia, and since the election has dismissed allegations that the former Soviet nation was responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee or the Clinton campaign. On Thursday, in the wake of Obama’s retaliatory measures against Russia, Trump issued a short, terse statement without ever saying the name of the country in question. “It’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things,” he said. 

(Excuse me @realDonaldTrump but our patriotic nation spends trillions monitoring the adversarial situation with Russia with good reasons- Russia is a nuclear power that has expressed intentions of world domination!- OMG, where is the ghost of Ronald Reagan?)

That has put Trump in a difficult position with the G.O.P., which has historically been aligned against Russia, but has recently found itself having to defend Trump’s perplexing compulsion to praise Putin at every turn. As some on Twitter noted, Trump’s most recent burst of affection for the Russian autocrat is not likely to make things easier for his Republican allies on Capitol Hill, who are already faced with the unenviable task of confirming Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, ExxonMobil C.E.O. Rex Tillerson, who has extensive business ties to Russia and a close personal relationship with Putin.

Obviously, Donald Trump has no understanding of how former KGB operatives are trained in cunning diplomacy. Vladimir Putin has coopted our national election and, in so doing, created a leader with treasonous leanings for the United States of America. #Trump_must_go ! Trumpis is clearly unqualified to lead.