As an independent, I could not bring myself to vote for the top of the ticket this past November. Both Republicans and Democrats complained that my decision was a vote for the other side. I mention this again, because after Tuesday night my non-vote decision was reaffirmed.
I was disappointed on Wednesday to read that Marco Rubio said... As @POTUS shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again.. Although never thought of as a diplomat, his appointment as Secretary of State seemed less far out than some other cabinet picks. Although all secretaries serve at the pleasure of the President, Rubio didn't have to parrot Trump's real estate banter.
Needless to say, Trump's plan won't play well in the Arab world. It won't even play well anywhere else in the world. Hopefully he'll start walking it back sooner than later.
“Trump Endangers Hostages”?
ReplyDeleteReally?
You know what endangers the hostages? Letting them rot for over a year and doing nothing.
Trump has done more to get the hostages out than Biden ever dreamed of, and more to come.
I suggest you stop watching CNN and MSNBC for a while. Apparently almost everyone else has.
You my friend are a Trump fired idiot. No way he will publish this so here goes, anyone that voted for this POS? Go to hell.
DeleteAnon 7:25 - Thank you for perfectly demonstrating the intellect and tolerance of the American Left.
DeleteI’m sure you already miss the days of a mentally incapacitated president supposedly running our country, and our tax dollars going to fund your fake news organizations and DEI initiatives around the globe. Sorry to be the one to inform you, but that party is over.
I for one am happy to see (the start) of what fiscal responsibility in government looks like, and THRILLED to be getting back to fighting communists, instead of electing them (like democrats do).
As to your generous offer of where I should go, picture me holding the door and saying “after you”, all while I give you the brightest and most sincere smile imaginable.
That whole new concept with Gaza was another message flown by Trump to generate worldwide conversation about new and better ways to deal with re-creating Gaza in a different manner this time around. Previous re-builds didn’t nothing to significantly improve the lives of the people living there.
ReplyDeleteTrump succeeded in his purpose. That is, to lead by example and cause nearby nations to reveal themselves about a subject that involves all of them directly. The world had no choice but to listen since Trump is now the ‘new sheriff’ in town. Of course, the United States would be willing to participate in a leading role. Even key people on Trump’s team stated this new vision would take up to 15 years to fruition.
Everyone needs to just calm down about this and other visions.
anon@6:11: I hope you continue to conclude that Trump is such a thought-out visionary, otherwise it might be a long four years. Likewise, his team must start explaining and taking back things before the last thought-out visions are out of his mouth.
DeleteI’m not 6:11, but I think it’s best to view some of Trump’s statements as less of a final decision and more as the opening salvo of a negotiation.
DeleteBefore he was elected, I doubt that many were aware that China was creating problems in Panama or that Russia and China were threatening our interests in the Arctic. Thus we got “We’re taking back the Panama Canal” and “We’re buying Greenland”.
Will those things actually happen? Who knows? But I do know that Panama is now pushing back on Chinese involvement with the Canal, and the government of Greenland seems more happy to help us about our Arctic concerns than remaining owned by Denmark.
I view the Gaza statement as something similar. Trump is putting out a vision for a beautiful, rebuilt Gaza with the probably the least desirable conditions for the Arab people in the area. This is likely to get a reaction (and counter-proposal) from the Arab countries in the region.
Will it work? Maybe not, but I like the attempt to at least convey a vision for Gaza that isn’t the war-torn disaster area it’s been for most of our lives.
If nothing else, it should allow Trump to QUICKLY learn where everyone stands (and thus what is truly possible), which I think is his real goal.
I thought we were out of the nation building business now? I’m confused.
ReplyDeleteWe never have been. Obama did not end it. Every US President who campaigns on peace and withdrawal is lying. Even Bush 43 claimed to be a dove on the way into office.
DeleteWith Trump there is what he says and what he does. A lot of what he says is posturing. He puts a lot of political types off kilter by that. What he does is what matters.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the aireal views of Gaza, the place looks worse than Berllin in 1945. The few shells of buildings still standing need to be dynamited and the entire area cleared of rubble. Almost like a site preperation job before its rebuilt.
The questions are then who is going to rebuild it, what is going to be built, who is going to live there and of course who governs it?
The land actually is part of Israel. The only reason the Arabs live on it is because in the 1948 War of Independence, the Egyptian army siezed that area from the Jewish partition of British Palestine that eventually became Israel. The arabs who live on it are not wanted back by Egypt or Jordan either. Israel isn't going to let Hamas back either, and also from what I've seen on the news, it looks like there is still a lot of Hamas terrorists still alive that would cause problems for anyone who wants to rebuild the area, Israel, the US or anyone else.
The reality isn't going to match Trump's rhetoric.
Mike, this area of the world has been getting lot of press since the October attack two years ago. In reading through them one very different and perhaps non western take emerges; that diplomacy is viewed as weakness in this part of the world while brut strength and will are respected. Our western diplomacy approach has lead to endless cycles of violence and death. Perhaps it's time for a new approach, overwise the cycle continues.
ReplyDeleteBullying is a new approach?
DeleteBeing diplomatic hasn't worked has it?
Deleteanon@8:03: Gaza City was not a war torn disaster before October of 2023, but rather looked like Tel Aviv.
ReplyDeleteanon@8:02: Gaza was part of the Arab sector in the 1947 UN partisan map.
While some of you may find Trump's proclamations a clever starting point for negotiations, students of international diplomacy are less impressed.
“Gaza City was not a war torn disaster before October of 2023, but rather looked like Tel Aviv.”
DeleteAre you saying that Tel Aviv has a network of underground tunnels that terrorist use to launch attacks on Israel? If so, maybe we (and Israel) have even larger problems.
Looks aren’t always reality, and I’m hoping that nobody is in favor of going back to the phony situation that existed prior to October 2023.
People who refuse to acknowledge Palestinians right to militantly resist occupation and land theft should get used to the German treatment of Soviet-sponsored Jewish partisans of WWII being viewed under the same light.
DeleteWhat happened to not getting involved in "forever wars"? Not many conflicts as "forever" as this one.
ReplyDeleteTrump is again, putting his personal interests ahead of anything else. A beautiful Palestine, with hotels, spas, golf courses, and miles and miles of coastal property ready for the next generation of the Trump family to make money off of. He’s off the tracks, or does he expect the United States to get into the international hospitality business with hotels in Palestine and Greenland? This is again a distraction while co-president Musk creates a Trump-only workforce. Do we have a Congress anymore?
ReplyDeletewhat do you think about what DOGE has uncovered so far?
DeleteWe have a Congress. But, right now, most of its members are setting their hair on fire over the dirty secrets now being exposed by the USAID examination.
DeleteAmerica is coming off four years of a pretend presidency. Now, that’s changing. There WILL be lies, deceptions, and misunderstanding of what’s taking place. Today’s Morning Call (Associated Press) is chock full of deception.
We need to pay more attention to INDEPENDENT news sources and investigators.
This whole shit show in ALL government currently reminds me of when I was a kid and my Mother was having problems putting us in line... "Wait till your Father gets home...." Well, Father is home and all the little shits are shaking in their boots.
ReplyDeleteWhat is being uncovered in just the USAID debacle is just the very tip of the iceberg that will be uncovered, and it's ALL a piggy bank for these sneaky idiots... why else would they be trying to stop it??? Privacy, they say... bullshit, I say. Privacy goes right out the window if it helps their agenda!!!... truly a bunch of two faced jerks that WE pay for, but their salary is never enough, they want more... The things we funded via USAID are against most of our American principles, but it makes no difference as long as the money flows their way. At this rate we'll be showing a surplus and not a deficit in no time at all.
They aren't "hostages" so much as they're military reservists of a foreign country situated on the other side of the planet. They are no kin or concern of mine and my objection to Trump is his donor-mandated drive to spend my people's blood and treasure on what is no business of Americans.
ReplyDeleteIf you're one who is overly concerned with Islam and Muslims and such, you should understand that the only end result you will get from US military interference in Muslim lands will be the mass importation of Muslim refugees to your neighborhood. When that happens, don't blame the Muslims: their first choice was to remain on their ancestral land on the other side of the planet.
I really don't think the current administration would allow a further importation of Palestinians from Gaza. And yes, those held by Hamas are hostages, they are civilians, men. women, children, one infant, old people in their 80's, their are American citizens, French and other foreign nationals who were only in Israel to work.
DeleteThere are 41 Israeli males of military reserve age and one Filipino. None of whom mean anything to me as an American. They were supposed to be the Israeli government's concern, but the Israeli government's strategy seems to have been to kill five-dozen of these POWs collaterally with their extermination bombing of Gaza. You expect people to care more about them than the Israeli PM does?
DeleteJustin - I appreciate your attempt to comment late with your Palestinian propaganda and get the last word in, but few will buy into such nonsense.
ReplyDeleteThere would be no hostages from October 2023 were it not for Gaza being a base of operations for terrorists. Add to the fact that the attack was on Israeli CIVILIANS, not the Israeli military, and we all understand what cowards your terrorist heroes are.
While I do feel sorry for the loss of any truly innocent lives in Gaza, the area had been a launching ground for terrorist attacks for a very long time.
My questioning of Israel as far as their recent operations in removing terrorists in Gaza is not that they’re doing it, but how they were able to show enormous restraint in waiting as long as they did. I doubt many countries would show similar hesitation in dealing with attacks on their nations.