G-20 Summit

Trump Appointment Of Jon Huntsman As Ambassador To Russia A Mixed Message, Not Necessarily Good For Huntsman

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Former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman has finally been formally appointed by Donald Trump to be Ambassador to Russia, although news of the appointment emerged in March. Why it took this long to make it formal is a mystery.

Certainly, we can say that this is, by far, the best appointment Trump has made, without question.

Huntsman is a true statesman, a brilliant figure in politics and diplomacy, and this blogger has said in the past that Huntsman was easily the most qualified and competent GOP Presidential candidate in 2012, and only Ohio Governor John Kasich of the 2016 Republican field came close in competence to Huntsman, although not being equal to him.

But why Huntsman would agree to this appointment in the midst of the Russian collusion scandal is beyond understanding, as it gives cover to Trump, and complicates the whole investigation.

It will be important for Huntsman NOT to allow himself to be manipulated by Trump, as it would undermine Huntsman’s credibility.

One could still wish that Huntsman had become President, rather than Trump, and it is still an open question how he will be involved in the whole Trump–Putin “bromance”, which endangers our government and our national security.

So this blogger feels that Huntsman is making a mistake in legitimizing Donald Trump, particularly now after the revelations about the Donald Trump Jr and Jared Kushner meeting with Russians in June 2016, and the newly discovered hour discussion at the G-20 Summit between Trump and Putin without any other American involved, not even an interpreter!

America On Verge Of Massive Tragedy Caused By Donald Trump Incompetence, With No Clue To What It Will Be!

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In the midst of the incompetence of Donald Trump, one can sense that America is on the verge of a massive tragedy we are not yet aware of.

Every Presidency is faced with challenges and crises that determine the historical record of that President.

So as September 11 would have a dramatic effect on the reputation of George W. Bush; the Monica Lewinsky scandal affect the Bill Clinton legacy; and the Affordable Care Act determine the image of Barack Obama, the question is what challenge or crisis will mark the Donald Trump legacy, other than the scandal regarding Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, now proved by the revelation of emails and meetings between Donald Trump, Jr and his brother in law Jared Kushner with Russian agents, regarding the 2016 Presidential election campaign.

Now we learn of an unreported meeting of Trump with Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit dinner in Germany, in full view of other national leaders, but with Trump alone with Putin and a Russian to translate for Putin, but no one else on the American side with Trump. What in the world was going on? This only adds to the image of Russian collusion, with a President not able to be tracked as to what he was doing at that dinner meeting.

Will it be war with North Korea; or a crisis in relations with Iran; or major alienation with NATO allies; or further tensions with China or Russia; or Trump attempts to destroy civil liberties and civil rights in a manner which promotes open conflict and bloodshed in America?

We have no idea at this point, but a major crisis in either foreign or domestic affairs seems imminent, with a damaged, and mentally unstable Presidency in our midst!

Donald Trump is clueless, ignorant, “out to lunch”, lazy, taking no interest in what is going on in Congress, just interested to sign his name, and display it to the gathered audience!

We have a child, not very bright or motivated, who is leader of the free world, and the world and the nation are in deep trouble, about to get worse!

Trump-Putin Summit Meeting A Clear Sign That Putin Has Trump In His Grasp, Undermines Trump Legitimacy As President

Ronald 16 Comments

The Trump-Putin Summit Meeting yesterday at the G-20 Summit is a clear sign that the Russian autocrat has our President in his grasp, and has undermined Trump’s legitimacy as our President.

All the intelligence agencies are absolutely certain that Russia intervened in our 2016 Presidential election, and helped Trump to win.

Trump has been unwilling to agree to the reality and the facts, calling it “fake news”.

Different versions of the meeting by the Russian Foreign Minister and our Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have emerged from the meeting, and the question is whether Trump really pressed the issue with Putin, and whether he will simply accept their version that they did NOT interfere in our election. A “robust” and “lengthy” discussion, as depicted by Tillerson, apparently was a distortion of the meeting, another lie of the Trump Presidency!

The idea that we had a summit meeting with only Tillerson as an observer, with his close past ties with Russia when he was head of Exxon Oil, is an outrage, when we should have had H. R. McMaster, the National Security Adviser, and or James Mattis, our Secretary of Defense, in the meeting. Between Trump and Tillerson, we had a grand total of 12 months experience in diplomacy, compared to many decades of experience by Putin and his Foreign Minister. This is an outrage that everyone should be alarmed about, and one can be sure many Republicans and conservatives in and out of Congress are truly alarmed!

IF Trump does not continue to challenge Putin and resist their propaganda, he will be permanently harmed, and we will have to worry that he is in league with them to help promote his fortunes, by their planned interference in our midterm elections in 2018 and the Presidential Election of 2020.

Can one even imagine the reaction if Barack Obama had colluded with Russia, or George W. Bush, or Bill Clinton?

Can one imagine how the far Right conservatives and the evangelical Christian Right, which have embraced Vladimir Put as a “Friend”, based on support of guns and opposition to gay rights, would have reacted if, in particular, Obama had done what Trump has done, promote a “bromance” with a man responsible for deaths of journalists and opponents, as revealed by Richard Engel in a one hour special on MSNBC last evening, part of a new series titled “On Assignment”?

The idea that men and women who profess religion could unite with a totalitarian dictator such as Putin only shows the corruption of right wing evangelicals, such as Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham! The idea that right wing commentators, such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin, among others, would just accept that Putin is no danger to America, is also a true example of how lacking in substance these characters are, only concerned about making as much profit as possible on their propaganda, and no concern about American national security!

The way things look now, Donald Trump is truly the “Manchurian Candidate”, and we are permitting the Russians to infiltrate and undermine our political system with equanimity, instead of with alarm!

Russians Invaded American Electoral Process In 2016, And Are Ready To Do It Again In 2018 And 2020 With Trump Support!

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The most alarming aspect of Donald Trump unwilling to admit that the Russians invaded the American electoral process in 2016, is that the Russians are ready and able to do it again in 2018 and 2020, with Trump being the beneficiary of such intervention, if action is not taken rapidly to prevent such a disaster from occurring again.

The fact that, supposedly, Trump brought up the issue in his private meeting today with Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit, which was immediately dismissed by Putin, and was followed by both sides agreeing to “move on”, is not an adequate end to the controversy, and the investigation of the issue must continue.

With all of the efforts to fight and resist Trump, it could be that we are doomed to have Trump continue to dominate, with the help of a foreign power, that our intelligence agencies may not be able to combat.

This is totally outrageous and unacceptable, and all efforts by those forces that wish to preserve the election process as totally legitimate, have quite a challenge, as the midterm Congressional elections are only 16 months from now, and the Presidential campaign will start in the middle of 2018, when it is likely that the first potential nominees will start to announce their candidacies, hoping to gain some advantage over those who wait till after the midterms, if they have an election to deal with first, before they announce.

The Congressional investigations, and the Special Counsel investigation of Robert Mueller must move forward with haste, while at the same time, all possible preventive measures are taken to keep the next two election rounds, and those that follow, totally honest and legitimate.

Donald Trump: Role Model For America In The World, And To Children In America? In Reality, The Massive Damage He Is Perpetrating!

Ronald 2 Comments

Donald Trump has done great damage to the institution of the Presidency in his nearly six months in office, and in many ways, the most tragic effect is that he has become a horrendous role model for America in the world, and also to children in America.

Massive harm has been done to the concept that boys and girls should look up to the President, as his narcissism, egomania, misogyny, racism, and nativism is teaching the worst possible values to our younger generation. It has made boys think it is just fine to mistreat and insult girls and women, and it has helped to undermine the self esteem that every young girl needs reinforced.

Most nations in the world have a very low opinion of our President, well deserved, and an embarrassment, when one considers most nations greatly admired and appreciated Barack Obama.

It insures that Donald Trump will go down as a disaster as a character model and an international leader!

And now Trump is on the world stage and about to meet Vladimir Putin of Russia at the G-20 Summit, who knows everything about Trump and can easily blackmail him!

What a mess this nation is in after six months of Donald Trump!

More Economic Stimulus Needed! Private Enterprise Cannot Expand Rapidly Enough To Revive Economy Alone!

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The debate is thick and fast in Washington, DC, and around the world, as the G-20 Summit in Toronto supported cutbacks in government spending to deal with the growing deficit problems!

But President Obama disagreed, emphasizing that private enterprise cannot alone revive the economy fast enough, and that more government stimulus is urgent!

It is true that the economy has not recovered in any large degree, but Obama is right that government stimulus is urgent now, while at some point later, it is necessary to cut the deficit!

To count on private enterprise, which has been reluctant to expand jobs, as the only method to economic recovery, is a vast mistake! Many nations are going that way, but most economists predict it will be a disaster with many victims, if governments go the way of the 1930s reaction to the Great Depression! 🙁

A Good Week For Obama In Diplomacy

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This past week has been a challenge for President Obama in the diplomatic field, but on first flush, it seems like a good week.

He was able to get both the Israeli Prime Minister and Palestinian President to meet for the first time in close to a year, although no progress was made.

He was able to chair a meeting at the United Nations, first President to do that, and gain backing of the world body for strong sanctions against any nation that breaks the nuclear non proliferation treaty, with Obama’s aim to lessen the threat of nuclear conflict in the future and cut down nuclear weapons in all nations that have them. He also gave an excellent speech before the UN General Assembly.

Also, he was the center of the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, and publicly gained backing and support on a tough new stand toward Iran with the revelation of a secret nuclear facility, with the British and French leaders jointly making a public statement with him from the summit, and the Russian leader stating willingness to back the three nations in tough sanctions on Iran if the seven member talks this coming Thursday do not lead to Iranian cooperation.

The Russian leader Medvedev seems more willing to work with the US due to the decision of the Obama Administration to cancel the plans for a missile defense in the Czech Republic and Poland, something that may work out all around as a good measure to promote understanding and discourage the traditional mistrust between the two major rivals of the old Cold War.

Of course, no one can know so quickly whether the new image of the US and its improved reputation overseas and at the United Nations will actually work to our benefit in the long run. Many conservatives claim that Obama is selling our country down the river and undermining our defenses and security.

As always, events over time will show whether the new direction of diplomacy will succeed or fail. We can only hope it will be successful, as it would benefit this country in so many ways.

A Major Week In Diplomacy Coming Up!

Ronald 1 Comment

Diplomacy will take the front seat next week when President Obama not only goes to the United Nations, but also to the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh as the host of the conference, and also separate and then joint meetings with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The fact of so many meetings with foreign leaders so close together will mark this coming week as a crucial week in foreign policy, although it may take time to analyze the effect of these conferences and summits.