JUST the Stolen Documents/Mar-A-Lago/"Judge" Cannon Trial

[dislaxxic]

SaltyRad's National Security thread over in the "Chatter" forum has died the lonely death of the neglected and poorly placed.

It may well find much more robust banter here where banter reigns supreme...

Let's start with the US government's unfathomable and long-standing support for those crazy Wahabists in Saudi Arabia, shall we?

SECRET REPORT REVEALS SAUDI INCOMPETENCE AND WIDESPREAD USE OF U.S. WEAPONS IN YEMEN

"SINCE THE BRUTAL murder of Saudi dissident and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi last October, Congress has increasingly pressured the Trump administration to stop backing the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen and halt U.S. arms sales to Riyadh. In response, President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that if the U.S. does not sell weapons to the Saudis, they will turn to U.S. adversaries to supply their arsenals.

“I don’t like the concept of stopping an investment of $110 billion into the United States,” Trump told reporters in October, referring to a collection of intent letters signed with the Saudis in the early months of his presidency. “You know what they are going to do? They’re going to take that money and spend it in Russia or China or someplace else.”

But a highly classified document produced by the French Directorate of Military Intelligence shows that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are overwhelmingly dependent on Western-produced weapon systems to wage their devastating war in Yemen. Many of the systems listed are only compatible with munitions, spare parts, and communications systems produced in NATO countries, meaning that the Saudis and UAE would have to replace large portions of their arsenals to continue with Russian or Chinese weapons."

..

[dislaxxic]

Ten Must-Read National Security Blogs

For example:

Danger Room

Secrecy News

Best Defense

Check out the rest of the list...i'm sure we'll be directed to several others...

..

[Brooklyn]

There has been an allegation that Assange's disclosures of traitor Bush's war secrets constituted a threat to national security. Because of this he has been chased by the government. Ah, but there are some who dissent from all this:

[dislaxxic]

These Trump Allies Are Preparing for a New Cold War With China

"But the conversation about China took a hard-right turn last month when nearly four dozen Trump allies, neoconservative thinkers, and scholars revived a Cold War–era group known as the Committee on the Present Danger to bring attention to what organizers call China’s “existential and ideological threat to the United States and to the idea of freedom.”

The geopolitical importance of China is a given, but two prominent members of this organization—Vice Chairman Frank Gaffney, the leader of a Washington think tank best known for promulgating anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, and former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon, who is back stateside after a failed months-long attempt to coordinate with Europe’s far-right political movements—suggest a motive that may be more personal than its promise to “educate and inform American citizens and policymakers.” These two men are not China experts but are links to both the Trump administration and populists worldwide."

..

[old salt]

These Trump Allies Are Preparing for a New Cold War With China

"But the conversation about China took a hard-right turn last month when nearly four dozen Trump allies, neoconservative thinkers, and scholars revived a Cold War–era group known as the Committee on the Present Danger to bring attention to what organizers call China’s “existential and ideological threat to the United States and to the idea of freedom.”

The geopolitical importance of China is a given, but two prominent members of this organization—Vice Chairman Frank Gaffney, the leader of a Washington think tank best known for promulgating anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, and former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon, who is back stateside after a failed months-long attempt to coordinate with Europe’s far-right political movements—suggest a motive that may be more personal than its promise to “educate and inform American citizens and policymakers.” These two men are not China experts but are links to both the Trump administration and populists worldwide."

New ??? ...what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

Like everything else with Trump. This is transactional, not strategic. Just another chip in trade negotiations (which just happens to make sense strategically, since we're rearming anyway, for Cold War 2.0 with Russia).

Our economies are inexorably intertwined, the pressure can be dialed back anytime & will be.

[MDlaxfan76]

These Trump Allies Are Preparing for a New Cold War With China

"But the conversation about China took a hard-right turn last month when nearly four dozen Trump allies, neoconservative thinkers, and scholars revived a Cold War–era group known as the Committee on the Present Danger to bring attention to what organizers call China’s “existential and ideological threat to the United States and to the idea of freedom.”

The geopolitical importance of China is a given, but two prominent members of this organization—Vice Chairman Frank Gaffney, the leader of a Washington think tank best known for promulgating anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, and former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon, who is back stateside after a failed months-long attempt to coordinate with Europe’s far-right political movements—suggest a motive that may be more personal than its promise to “educate and inform American citizens and policymakers.” These two men are not China experts but are links to both the Trump administration and populists worldwide."

New ??? ...what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

Like everything else with Trump. This is transactional, not strategic. Just another chip in trade negotiations (which just happens to make sense strategically, since we're rearming anyway, for Cold War 2.0 with Russia).

Our economies are inexorably intertwined, the pressure can be dialed back anytime & will be.

Huh?

Are you really providing shade to Gaffney, Bannon, and by inference Trump?
And suggesting an equivalence with Obama and TPP?
"just transactional" ?

Or do I misunderstand your point?

[old salt]

These Trump Allies Are Preparing for a New Cold War With China

"But the conversation about China took a hard-right turn last month when nearly four dozen Trump allies, neoconservative thinkers, and scholars revived a Cold War–era group known as the Committee on the Present Danger to bring attention to what organizers call China’s “existential and ideological threat to the United States and to the idea of freedom.”

The geopolitical importance of China is a given, but two prominent members of this organization—Vice Chairman Frank Gaffney, the leader of a Washington think tank best known for promulgating anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, and former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon, who is back stateside after a failed months-long attempt to coordinate with Europe’s far-right political movements—suggest a motive that may be more personal than its promise to “educate and inform American citizens and policymakers.” These two men are not China experts but are links to both the Trump administration and populists worldwide."

New ??? ...what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

Like everything else with Trump. This is transactional, not strategic. Just another chip in trade negotiations (which just happens to make sense strategically, since we're rearming anyway, for Cold War 2.0 with Russia).

Our economies are inexorably intertwined, the pressure can be dialed back anytime & will be.

Huh?

Are you really providing shade to Gaffney, Bannon, and by inference Trump?
And suggesting an equivalence with Obama and TPP?
"just transactional" ?

Or do I misunderstand your point?

As usual, you're misrepresenting my post. I didn't even open the link. I commented on the issue.

The point of my post was that this is not a significant course change.
We've been shifting forces to W Pac since before Trump was a candidate.
Gaffney & Bannon are irrelevant. They're not in government.

[foreverlax]

what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

A plan to gain some leverage in that region....by having a trade deal with everyone but China.

What is Trump's plan...wait them out?

[old salt]

what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

A plan to gain some leverage in that region....by having a trade deal with everyone but China.

What is Trump's plan...wait them out?

You're confusing TPP with the pivot to Asia.

[foreverlax]

what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

A plan to gain some leverage in that region....by having a trade deal with everyone but China.

What is Trump's plan...wait them out?

You're confusing TPP with the pivot to Asia.

What does that even mean?

Again, what is Trump's plan?

[MDlaxfan76]

These Trump Allies Are Preparing for a New Cold War With China

"But the conversation about China took a hard-right turn last month when nearly four dozen Trump allies, neoconservative thinkers, and scholars revived a Cold War–era group known as the Committee on the Present Danger to bring attention to what organizers call China’s “existential and ideological threat to the United States and to the idea of freedom.”

The geopolitical importance of China is a given, but two prominent members of this organization—Vice Chairman Frank Gaffney, the leader of a Washington think tank best known for promulgating anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, and former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon, who is back stateside after a failed months-long attempt to coordinate with Europe’s far-right political movements—suggest a motive that may be more personal than its promise to “educate and inform American citizens and policymakers.” These two men are not China experts but are links to both the Trump administration and populists worldwide."

New ??? ...what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

Like everything else with Trump. This is transactional, not strategic. Just another chip in trade negotiations (which just happens to make sense strategically, since we're rearming anyway, for Cold War 2.0 with Russia).

Our economies are inexorably intertwined, the pressure can be dialed back anytime & will be.

Huh?

Are you really providing shade to Gaffney, Bannon, and by inference Trump?
And suggesting an equivalence with Obama and TPP?
"just transactional" ?

Or do I misunderstand your point?

As usual, you're misrepresenting my post. I didn't even open the link. I commented on the issue.

The point of my post was that this is not a significant course change.
We've been shifting forces to W Pac since before Trump was a candidate.
Gaffney & Bannon are irrelevant. They're not in government.

And, as usual, you fail to acknowledge that I asked an open question, allowing you to explain yourself.

You commented on the prior post without even bothering to read what had been commented on?
You just assumed you knew what "the issue" was?

Really, Gaffney and Bannon are "irrelevant"? Just because they're "not in government"?

You really did appear to suggest an equivalence between Obama and Trump on this, which is either ignorant or purposely misleading. But if you'd like to back off from that, have at it.

[old salt]

what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

A plan to gain some leverage in that region....by having a trade deal with everyone but China.

What is Trump's plan...wait them out?

You're confusing TPP with the pivot to Asia.

What does that even mean?

Again, what is Trump's plan?

Pivot to Asia

Trump's plan is to reduce our trade deficit with China, keep the S China Sea lanes open, continue building our Asian alliances, & militarily re-assuring our S Korean & Japanese allies, while deterring N Korea conventionally, not relying soley on our nuc umbrella,

[old salt]

These Trump Allies Are Preparing for a New Cold War With China

"But the conversation about China took a hard-right turn last month when nearly four dozen Trump allies, neoconservative thinkers, and scholars revived a Cold War–era group known as the Committee on the Present Danger to bring attention to what organizers call China’s “existential and ideological threat to the United States and to the idea of freedom.”

The geopolitical importance of China is a given, but two prominent members of this organization—Vice Chairman Frank Gaffney, the leader of a Washington think tank best known for promulgating anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, and former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon, who is back stateside after a failed months-long attempt to coordinate with Europe’s far-right political movements—suggest a motive that may be more personal than its promise to “educate and inform American citizens and policymakers.” These two men are not China experts but are links to both the Trump administration and populists worldwide."

New ??? ...what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

Like everything else with Trump. This is transactional, not strategic. Just another chip in trade negotiations (which just happens to make sense strategically, since we're rearming anyway, for Cold War 2.0 with Russia).

Our economies are inexorably intertwined, the pressure can be dialed back anytime & will be.

Huh?

Are you really providing shade to Gaffney, Bannon, and by inference Trump?
And suggesting an equivalence with Obama and TPP?
"just transactional" ?

Or do I misunderstand your point?

As usual, you're misrepresenting my post. I didn't even open the link. I commented on the issue.

The point of my post was that this is not a significant course change.
We've been shifting forces to W Pac since before Trump was a candidate.
Gaffney & Bannon are irrelevant. They're not in government.

And, as usual, you fail to acknowledge that I asked an open question, allowing you to explain yourself.

You commented on the prior post without even bothering to read what had been commented on?
You just assumed you knew what "the issue" was?

Really, Gaffney and Bannon are "irrelevant"? Just because they're "not in government"?

The Mother Jones article is a silly nothingburger, trying to use Bannon & Gaffney to "cast shade" (your term) on Trump's Asia Policy which, except for TPP, is a continuation of Obama's pivot to Asia. Trump just wants to reduce our trade deficits & sell F-35's & other military stuff to our allies.

[MDlaxfan76]

what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

A plan to gain some leverage in that region....by having a trade deal with everyone but China.

What is Trump's plan...wait them out?

You're confusing TPP with the pivot to Asia.

What does that even mean?

Again, what is Trump's plan?

Pivot to Asia

Trump's plan is to reduce our trade deficit with China, keep the S China Sea lanes open, continue building our Asian alliances, & militarily re-assuring our S Korean & Japanese allies, while deterring N Korea conventionally, not relying soley on our nuc umbrella,

So, Obama's pivot to Asia meant: "Additional focus was placed on the region with the Obama administration's 2012 "Pivot to East Asia" regional strategy,[3] whose key areas of actions are: "strengthening bilateral security alliances; deepening our working relationships with emerging powers, including with China; engaging with regional multilateral institutions; expanding trade and investment; forging a broad-based military presence; and advancing democracy and human rights."

[MDlaxfan76]

These Trump Allies Are Preparing for a New Cold War With China

"But the conversation about China took a hard-right turn last month when nearly four dozen Trump allies, neoconservative thinkers, and scholars revived a Cold War–era group known as the Committee on the Present Danger to bring attention to what organizers call China’s “existential and ideological threat to the United States and to the idea of freedom.”

The geopolitical importance of China is a given, but two prominent members of this organization—Vice Chairman Frank Gaffney, the leader of a Washington think tank best known for promulgating anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, and former Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon, who is back stateside after a failed months-long attempt to coordinate with Europe’s far-right political movements—suggest a motive that may be more personal than its promise to “educate and inform American citizens and policymakers.” These two men are not China experts but are links to both the Trump administration and populists worldwide."

New ??? ...what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

Like everything else with Trump. This is transactional, not strategic. Just another chip in trade negotiations (which just happens to make sense strategically, since we're rearming anyway, for Cold War 2.0 with Russia).

Our economies are inexorably intertwined, the pressure can be dialed back anytime & will be.

Huh?

Are you really providing shade to Gaffney, Bannon, and by inference Trump?
And suggesting an equivalence with Obama and TPP?
"just transactional" ?

Or do I misunderstand your point?

As usual, you're misrepresenting my post. I didn't even open the link. I commented on the issue.

The point of my post was that this is not a significant course change.
We've been shifting forces to W Pac since before Trump was a candidate.
Gaffney & Bannon are irrelevant. They're not in government.

And, as usual, you fail to acknowledge that I asked an open question, allowing you to explain yourself.

You commented on the prior post without even bothering to read what had been commented on?
You just assumed you knew what "the issue" was?

Really, Gaffney and Bannon are "irrelevant"? Just because they're "not in government"?

The Mother Jones article is a silly nothingburger, trying to use Bannon & Gaffney to "cast shade" (your term) on Trump's Asia Policy which, except for TPP, is a continuation of Obama's pivot to Asia.

Ok, so other than TPP, and I guess democracy and human rights, and multilateral organizations...all the same?

[old salt]

The pivot to Asia was primarily militarily & diplomatically -- resources & engagement.
Trump backed out of TPP for the same reasons Clinton said she would.
TPP was not necessary to continue to build trade with Asia.
What Asian multilateral organizations has Trump withdrawn from ?
Would it have been better to continue to snub Kim & Duarte, rather than to engage them ?

[MDlaxfan76]

The pivot to Asia was primarily militarily & diplomatically -- resources & engagement.
Trump backed out of TPP for the same reasons Clinton said she would.
TPP was not necessary to continue to build trade with Asia.
What Asian multilateral organizations has Trump withdrawn from ?
Would it have been better to continue to snub Kim & Duarte, rather than to engage them ?

"engage them"??? or kiss their a-ses?

Multilateral = TPP...Really dumb move to withdraw with no strategy to replace the concept (assuming it could have been done better). China says thanks, stepped into the vacuum.

You say Trump is "transactional", I'd say Obama actually had a strategy...

By contrast, Trump can't actually think that comprehensively, just a day trader, and most importantly he measures everything by what helps him personally, right now. Not the US, him personally.

Yes, prior to Trump, there was a growing recognition of the challenges in the Far East. That's it.

[foreverlax]

what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

A plan to gain some leverage in that region....by having a trade deal with everyone but China.

What is Trump's plan...wait them out?

You're confusing TPP with the pivot to Asia.

What does that even mean?

Again, what is Trump's plan?

Pivot to Asia

Trump's plan is to reduce our trade deficit with China, keep the S China Sea lanes open, continue building our Asian alliances, & militarily re-assuring our S Korean & Japanese allies, while deterring N Korea conventionally, not relying soley on our nuc umbrella,

Trump could have reduced the trade deficit with China through TPP.

[OCanada]

The results of Trump’s actions in China are pretty much a win for China and a net loss for our national interests.

[old salt]

what do you think Obama's pivot to Asia was ?

A plan to gain some leverage in that region....by having a trade deal with everyone but China.

What is Trump's plan...wait them out?

You're confusing TPP with the pivot to Asia.

What does that even mean?

Again, what is Trump's plan?

Pivot to Asia

Trump's plan is to reduce our trade deficit with China, keep the S China Sea lanes open, continue building our Asian alliances, & militarily re-assuring our S Korean & Japanese allies, while deterring N Korea conventionally, not relying soley on our nuc umbrella,

Trump could have reduced the trade deficit with China through TPP.

China was not a party to TPP. I mentioned TPP only because it was (imho) Trump's primary divergence from Obama's Asian policy,
...along with stooping to maintain personal relationships with Kim & Duarte.