Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Peace in Trump Time
It must be a peace without victory. . . only a peace between equals can last.
— Woodrow Wilson, Address to the Senate, January 12, 1917
Once again, Mr. Trump has shown the world that he is a consummate negotiator, one who has employed his skills to achieve that which none of his predecessors has-peace with North Korea.
Prior to Mr. Trump’s entry onto the world stage, North Korea was seen by almost the entire world to be an intractable foe, ruled by a ruthless despot. Then, Mr. Trump was elected president and he used the negotiating skills, of which he is justifiably proud, to bring an end to years of hostility with North Korea, and its current leader, Kim Jong Un. The means he employed were extraordinarily creative, and those unfamiliar with Mr. Trump’s negotiating techniques were momentarily taken aback.
The first indication the world had that Mr. Trump intended to improve relations with North Korea came in the speech he made at the United Nations on September 17, 2017. In that speech he said: “No nation on Earth has an interest in seeing this [North Korean] band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles. The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing, and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. . . .”
Responding to what Mr. Kim immediately understood to be an offer by Mr. Trump to have better relations with North Korea, Mr. Kim responded two days later, saying: “[F]ar from making remarks of any persuasive power that can be viewed to be helpful to defusing tension, he made unprecedented rude nonsense one has never heard from any of his predecessors. A frightened dog barks louder. . . . The mentally deranged behavior of the U.S. president openly expressing on the U.N. arena the unethical will to ‘totally destroy’ a sovereign state, beyond the boundary of threats of regime change or overturn of social system, makes even those with normal thinking faculty think about discretion and composure. . . . He is surely a rogue and a gangster fond of playing with fire, rather than a politician. . . . Action is the best option in treating the dotard who, hard of hearing, is uttering only what he wants to say. . . . I will make the man holding the prerogative of the supreme command in the U.S. pay dearly for his speech calling for totally destroying the D.P.R.K. . . . Whatever Trump might have expected, he will face results beyond his expectation. I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.”
As we now know, those seemingly hostile comments by the two men, were nothing more than preludes to peace negotiations that took place less than a year later at the historic meeting in Singapore between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim.
The Singapore meeting was suggested by Mr. Kim in March 2017, a suggestion accepted by Mr. Trump soon after it was made. The meeting took place on June 12, 2018. After the meeting ended, Mr. Trump held a press conference in which he said the meeting had been a success. In addition, he said that: “I think, without the rhetoric it [the meeting of the two leaders] wouldn’t have happened. “I really believe that. You know, we did sanctions and all of the things that you would do. But I think without the rhetoric. . .”
Flush with what Mr. Trump perceives as success in his dealing with Mr. Kim, he is using the same approach to improve relations with Iran, although in that case the rapprochement was initiated by Iran.
In addressing a gathering of Iranian diplomats on July 22, 2018, Iran’s president. Hassan Rouhani, said: “Mr. Trump, don’t play with the lion’s tail, this would only lead to regret, . . . America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars. . . .”
In response, Mr. Trump sent out a tweet that created a conversation between the two countries similar to the one Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump enjoyed before they cemented their friendship. Using all capital letters, Mr. Trump tweeted: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.”
As a result of those exchanges, the entire world can be heard breathing a collective sigh of relief at the prospect of yet another potentially perilous relationship being set aside in favor of a new era of friendship. At this point the only unanswered question is how long it will be before one of the two men suggests that the two of them sit down together to discuss peace. If past is prologue to the future, I am happy to advise my readers that that will happen very soon. Unless it doesn’t.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Trump as Tyrant
The man who is tenacious of purpose in a rightful cause is not shaken from his firm resolve by the frenzy of his fellow citizens clamoring for what is wrong, or by the tyrant’s threatening countenance.
— Horace, Odes, Bk 1
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it got worse. However, it was a great way for Mr. Trump to celebrate Independence Day.
For many months the “land of the free and the home of the brave” has celebrated its heritage by separating children from parents who are seeking asylum in the United States. When asked about this policy Mr. Trump said parents who didn’t want to be separated from their children should think twice before trying to enter the country illegally.
Dealing harshly with non-citizens has not been limited to breaking up families trying to enter the United States. It has been extended to those already living here under the temporary status program. That program is designed to help families living in countries afflicted with wars and natural disasters, to obtain refuge in this country-a country that has long been known for the inscription on the Statue of Liberty welcoming new arrivals. that says: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free. . . .”
Under the temporary status program, more than 335,000 people from ten countries have obtained protected status. Some have lived here for more than 20 years and established homes, businesses, and created families. In January, the administration announced that it was ending protective status for those citizens who had been beneficiaries of the program. It is forcing them to return to countries with which, in some cases, they have had no contact for many years.
Affected by the new policy are 89,000 Hondurans who arrived after their country was devastated by a hurricane, 9,000 Nepalis who arrived after a massive earthquake devastated their towns, 200,000 Salvadorans who arrived after their country was devastated by a massive earthquake, 45,000 Haitians who arrived following a devastating earthquake, and 2,500 Nicaraguans who arrived after their country was affected by severe hurricane damage.
Ever creative in figuring out how to get rid of people living in the United States, Mr. Trump has now come up with yet another plan. In June 2018, a task force was created by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Its charge is to identify and strip citizenship from naturalized citizens who are found to have lied on their citizenship applications. Reportedly, dozens of lawyers have been hired to examine possible fraudulent applications. It is unclear how the lawyers determine whose applications to examine, but in a befuddled explanation of the new process, Michael Bars, a spokesman for the agency, said the agency was moving against “individuals who had been ordered removed and intentionally used multiple identities in order to defraud the government. . . to obtain citizenship.” How the government determined who those individuals are was not explained, since if their identity was already known it is unclear why a new entity was required to establish their fraud. Whatever.
The administration was pleased (I assume), to let it be known that there could be a few thousand people who lied on their applications. When their lies are uncovered, they will be denaturalized and immediately deported.
Once this new process was announced, a number of readers wrote asking whether there was any chance that Mr. Trump might be denaturalized, removed from office, and immediately deported. The reason that question was posed is that Mr. Trump, as well as his father, have consistently lied about what country they are from.
Mr. Trump’s father, Fred, was German but, according to reports, tried to hide the fact that he was the son of German immigrants, because of the anti-German sentiment sparked by World War II. He believed that if people knew he was of German descent it would hurt his business and, accordingly, told people that he was of Swedish descent.
In Mr. Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal, Mr. Trump said his grandfather had come to this country from Sweden as a young boy. In an interview with the Boston Globe, Mr. Trump was asked why he perpetuated the lie of his grandfather’s citizenship. He explained: “It was never really something discussed. My father spent a lot of time there. But it was never really something really discussed very much.”
To those who wrote asking whether the earlier lies told by his father and grandfather, and for a while by Mr. Trump himself, might, somehow, imperil Mr. Trump’s presidency and residency in the United States, the answer is it will not. Mr. Trump was born in the United States and by itself that is enough to guarantee that he can retain his presidency and his citizenship, irrespective of whether in his grandfather’s application it was fraudulently stated that the boy immigrating into the United States was from Sweden. And, of course, Mr. Trump’s earlier claims to be of Swedish descent are nothing more than the kind of empty puffery we have come to expect from the blond haired bag of wind that resides in the White House. A pity, that.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Trump as Tyrant
The man who is tenacious of purpose in a rightful cause is not shaken from his firm resolve by the frenzy of his fellow citizens clamoring for what is wrong, or by the tyrant’s threatening countenance.
— Horace, Odes, Bk 1
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it got worse. However, it was a great way for Mr. Trump to celebrate Independence Day.
For many months the “land of the free and the home of the brave” has celebrated its heritage by separating children from parents who are seeking asylum in the United States. When asked about this policy Mr. Trump said parents who didn’t want to be separated from their children should think twice before trying to enter the country illegally.
Dealing harshly with non-citizens has not been limited to breaking up families trying to enter the United States. It has been extended to those already living here under the temporary status program. That program is designed to help families living in countries afflicted with wars and natural disasters, to obtain refuge in this country-a country that has long been known for the inscription on the Statue of Liberty welcoming new arrivals. that says: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free. . . .”
Under the temporary status program, more than 335,000 people from ten countries have obtained protected status. Some have lived here for more than 20 years and established homes, businesses, and created families. In January, the administration announced that it was ending protective status for those citizens who had been beneficiaries of the program. It is forcing them to return to countries with which, in some cases, they have had no contact for many years.
Affected by the new policy are 89,000 Hondurans who arrived after their country was devastated by a hurricane, 9,000 Nepalis who arrived after a massive earthquake devastated their towns, 200,000 Salvadorans who arrived after their country was devastated by a massive earthquake, 45,000 Haitians who arrived following a devastating earthquake, and 2,500 Nicaraguans who arrived after their country was affected by severe hurricane damage.
Ever creative in figuring out how to get rid of people living in the United States, Mr. Trump has now come up with yet another plan. In June 2018, a task force was created by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Its charge is to identify and strip citizenship from naturalized citizens who are found to have lied on their citizenship applications. Reportedly, dozens of lawyers have been hired to examine possible fraudulent applications. It is unclear how the lawyers determine whose applications to examine, but in a befuddled explanation of the new process, Michael Bars, a spokesman for the agency, said the agency was moving against “individuals who had been ordered removed and intentionally used multiple identities in order to defraud the government. . . to obtain citizenship.” How the government determined who those individuals are was not explained, since if their identity was already known it is unclear why a new entity was required to establish their fraud. Whatever.
The administration was pleased (I assume), to let it be known that there could be a few thousand people who lied on their applications. When their lies are uncovered, they will be denaturalized and immediately deported.
Once this new process was announced, a number of readers wrote asking whether there was any chance that Mr. Trump might be denaturalized, removed from office, and immediately deported. The reason that question was posed is that Mr. Trump, as well as his father, have consistently lied about what country they are from.
Mr. Trump’s father, Fred, was German but, according to reports, tried to hide the fact that he was the son of German immigrants, because of the anti-German sentiment sparked by World War II. He believed that if people knew he was of German descent it would hurt his business and, accordingly, told people that he was of Swedish descent.
In Mr. Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal, Mr. Trump said his grandfather had come to this country from Sweden as a young boy. In an interview with the Boston Globe, Mr. Trump was asked why he perpetuated the lie of his grandfather’s citizenship. He explained: “It was never really something discussed. My father spent a lot of time there. But it was never really something really discussed very much.”
To those who wrote asking whether the earlier lies told by his father and grandfather, and for a while by Mr. Trump himself, might, somehow, imperil Mr. Trump’s presidency and residency in the United States, the answer is it will not. Mr. Trump was born in the United States and by itself that is enough to guarantee that he can retain his presidency and his citizenship, irrespective of whether in his grandfather’s application it was fraudulently stated that the boy immigrating into the United States was from Sweden. And, of course, Mr. Trump’s earlier claims to be of Swedish descent are nothing more than the kind of empty puffery we have come to expect from the blond haired bag of wind that resides in the White House. A pity, that.