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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2017 18:48:10 GMT -5
Anyway. I'm moving to Sweden. maxinquaye is working it out for me. Right, Max? Right? |
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Post by michaelw on May 28, 2017 18:49:20 GMT -5
Surely anyone living under the Trump administration would qualify for refugee status.
Right Max?
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Post by robeiae on May 28, 2017 19:09:31 GMT -5
Sure I am. But I'm troubled both because Trump is an undiplomatic loudmouth and because such allies are living completely in the moment, largely to get good press--imo--for "standing up to Trump." But personally, I'm not THAT worried about Trump. For all the "aha, the market is dropping because of Trump" moments, the market isn't actually that bad. The economy isn't that bad. And as I noted elsewhere, Trump's general economic policies are helping--or at least not hurting--US oil production, to the extent that the Saudis and others--including the Russians, btw--are seriously worried. Internationally, North Korea is freaking out because their usual games are no longer working. And one can hardly drop Venezuela in Trump's lap. That shit has been going downhill for a while and frankly, I'm pretty disgusted by the Obama Admin's lack of attention to such a problem in the Americas. And the "chums it up with Putin" remains mostly nonsense, imo. As I noted elsewhere, Trump made Putin look foolish in Syria. If the news media wasn't so fixated on slamming Trump, it could have been a whole lot worse for Putin, imo. Beyond that, Trump has an actual point with regard to Germany in general, even if he has a crappy way of making it (and is wrong in some ways). Germany has racked up a huge trade surplus and its done that both through the EU's monetary policy and through Germany's domestic policies, that make it difficult for imports. One can say "good for them," I guess, but they're fucking over their supposed long time allies to maintain that situation. The situation is only viable as long as Germany gets to export waaaay more than they import (and hold down their wages). Why should the US--and other EU members, for that matter--eat shit so Merkel and company can run a balanced budget government? And it's not like this is a new thing, nor is it limited to Germany. Doesn't it bother you to know you are getting used--and have been for quite some time--and no one in charge will ever actually put their foot down in this regard? The Obama Admin tried--and failed--to impact this situation. The Bush Admin was always more worried about its coalitions, so it didn't do jack. |
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Post by poetinahat on May 28, 2017 19:34:34 GMT -5
Hmmm.
Australians seem to be still astonished that America actually put this guy in office, and that they'll stand up for him before their own country - even as he dismantles what healthcare they have and dismantles their schools, alienates their allies, and leaks classified information just so he can play the big shot. Christ, he's President of the US, and he still feels the compulsion to big-note himself.
Generally, they see him as a clown, I think - but they see their own leaders similarly - although no one could be as chaotic or cartoonish as Trump.
Of course, Trump's ascendance has given new life to far-right politicians here like Pauline Hanson and Cory Bernardi - they have more say and more influence now than ever. But I still think they're isolated flare-ups, where America's Trump is a three-state forest fire.
America and Australia have been firm friends for a long time, but America is no Australia's biggest trading partner anymore, and we are located much closer to Asia. So, while America is still a very important and valued ally, it's not necessarily the centre of gravity anymore.
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Post by poetinahat on May 28, 2017 20:10:23 GMT -5
I should add - probably should've STARTED with - the point that, newscasters (at least the ones I see) just refer to him as "President Trump", same as any other president, and they report on American politics in the same voice as they always have. They finance segments discuss the impact of his actions, and the world news section reports on events. It's what the American President is doing/has done, not, say, The Latest Trump Catastrophe.
It helps to read the news from a distance.
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Post by maxinquaye on May 29, 2017 4:53:33 GMT -5
Anyway. I'm moving to Sweden. maxinquaye is working it out for me. Right, Max? Right? As soon as that Chemical Weapon exception is granted by the UN everybody is welcome. We're having lovely weather at the moment. 28 C in the shade. We're properly thawing out here. Surströmming will get everyone's digestion (or immune system) going. |
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2017 20:49:29 GMT -5
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Post by maxinquaye on May 30, 2017 2:44:02 GMT -5
Hey, at least WE don't do maggot cheese!
ETA: Though the mistake people make with Surströmming is, as that NPR article points out, is that it's a spice, a condiment, and not the main course as in that Buzzfeed article.
But, hand on heart, I fail at being Swedish because my reaction to the dish is like in the Buzzfeed article.
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Post by robeiae on Jun 1, 2017 10:02:52 GMT -5
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Post by Don on Jun 3, 2017 15:28:14 GMT -5
Who'll foot the bill for imperialism, if not the american taxpayer? We outspend all other countries by ridiculous amounts. It's a major reason we can't have some nice things other countries have managed to provide their serfs.
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