When will Europe wake-up to the fact they can't trust the US Trump
Administration. It is high time they do. Wake-up EU Commission !!!!
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Showing posts with label Donald Trump. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donald Trump. Show all posts
January 22, 2019
January 14, 2019
The Netherlands: Dutch PM criticized after calling out 'white sipping elites' for not giving Trump a fair chance
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte faced criticism on Sunday after making comments about what he called "white wine sipping elites in Amsterdam" who are not giving US President Donald Trump a fair chance.
Rutte made these comments during an appearance on Buitenhof, a weekly TV show focused on Dutch politics that aired on Sunday.
Note Almere-Digest: Strange comments by Dutch PM, specially after the US Trump administration downgraded the diplomatic status of the European Union’s delegation to the United States last year without making a formal announcement or informing the bloc about the change. The European Union’s demotion from a member state to an international organization became clear at the funeral of President George Bush, when Mr.O’Sullivan’s name was not called in the expected order, dictated by diplomatic protocols.Donald Trump certainly is not a friend of the EU, or the Netherlands, a Member State of the European Union. The Dutch PM "must have lost his "marbles" in making these comments.
For the full report click on link below
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/dutch-pm-criticised-calling-white-wine-sipping-elites-190113195619653.html
Note Almere-Digest: Strange comments by Dutch PM, specially after the US Trump administration downgraded the diplomatic status of the European Union’s delegation to the United States last year without making a formal announcement or informing the bloc about the change. The European Union’s demotion from a member state to an international organization became clear at the funeral of President George Bush, when Mr.O’Sullivan’s name was not called in the expected order, dictated by diplomatic protocols.Donald Trump certainly is not a friend of the EU, or the Netherlands, a Member State of the European Union. The Dutch PM "must have lost his "marbles" in making these comments.
For the full report click on link below
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/dutch-pm-criticised-calling-white-wine-sipping-elites-190113195619653.html
January 11, 2019
Switzerland - Davos Economic Forum: Trump canncels important trip to Davos Economic Forum
Trump cancels ‘very important’ trip to World Economic Forum in Davos
Read more at:
January 8, 2019
USA: Will Trump declare a national emergency ?
Will Trump declare a National Emergency and turn America in a "Democratic Dictatorship"
Read more at:
December 14, 2018
December 6, 2018
Saudi-US Relations: A Guide to Saudi Arabia’s Influence in Washington - by Emma Ashford
At this point,
the evidence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew about—and
likely ordered—the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is compelling. After
CIA Director Gina Haspel’s presentation to Congress earlier this week, Senator
Bob Corker told reporters that a jury would find the prince guilty “in
thirty minutes.” The only holdout is the president, who continues to stand by
his statement that “we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder
of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi.”
His support for Saudi leadership remains unwavering, even in the face of opposition from media, Congress and his own intelligence agencies.
Indeed, between special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation’s increasing focus on Gulf money, and Trump’s repeated support for the Saudis and Emiratis in regional and international affairs, you’d be forgiven for thinking that perhaps it’s these states—not Russia—who have undue influence over the president. While there is no suggestion so far of quid pro quo between the president and his friends in the Gulf, the shady connections built during and after the 2016 election have combined with a broader network of money, personal ties, and some genuine policy agreements to produce what is perhaps the most pro-Saudi administration in U.S. histor
The United States has long pursued a generally pro-Saudi policy in the Middle East, a legacy of the Cold War when the United States relied heavily on the Saudis to push back against Soviet influence. Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical importance–and its position as the world’s swing producer of oil–has often led U.S. policymakers to minimize criticism of Saudi Arabia. Even as fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were shown to be Saudi citizens, for example, the George W. Bush administration pushed to maintain the close U.S.-Saudi relationship while privately criticizing Saudi support for religious extremism. The Trump administration, however, has taken the United States’ selective vision on Saudi Arabia to new extremes.
In May 2018, The New York Times reported that the Mueller investigation into foreign influence in the 2016 election was looking at not just Russian, but possible Middle Eastern influence: Diplomats from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it appeared, had facilitated meetings between Russian officials, mercenary-for-hire Erik Prince, and members of the Trump transition team. The lens quickly widened to include adviser to the Emirati government George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who helped to set up meetings at Trump Tower with an envoy for Saudi and Emirati leaders, and key officials including Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner.
In addition, the special counsel is apparently interested in Nader’s work on behalf of Saudi and Emirati leaders, funneling at least $2.5 million in Gulf money to Republican donor Elliott Broidy. Some of it appears to have been used for anti-Qatar lobbying following the blockade of that country in June 2017: A separate New York Times report in May 2018 pointed to two Washington, D.C., conferences featuring anti-Qatar views held by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the Hudson Institute.
The Gulf states have been among the biggest spenders at Trump hotels and resorts since he was elected. In August of this year, the Trump hotel in New York finally reversed a two-year trend of falling revenues when Mohammed bin Salman’s extensive entourage paid premium prices for a last-minute stay. The Saudi government has also been among the biggest spenders at Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel, spending $270,000 in 2016 alone.
Though the Trump Organization has promised that all profits received from foreign governments at these properties will be donated to the Treasury, ethics experts dispute the methods used for calculating these profits, suggesting that the president continues to profit from foreign spending. Several of Trump’s most influential backers–such as Broidy or the investor Tom Barrack—also profit handsomely from business ties and interests in the Gulf States.
The secrecy surrounding Trump’s financial affairs makes it difficult to know exactly how extensive these ties are. During the firestorm following Khashoggi’s death, Trump tweeted that he had no financial interests in Saudi Arabia. As various journalists noted, the statement could be technically true—in other words, no investments physically located within the country’s boundaries—while still misleading, given the Trump hotels’ many Saudi customers. And as always, Trump’s family members further complicate the picture. Over the last few years, for example, the Kushner family’s attempts to refinance or sell their disastrous New York real estate holdings included a failed attempt to secure funding from Qatar–a fact that’s hard not to see as relevant when evaluating Kushner’s unusual hostility toward Doha.
Read more: A Guide to Saudi Arabia’s Influence in Washington | The New Republic
His support for Saudi leadership remains unwavering, even in the face of opposition from media, Congress and his own intelligence agencies.
Indeed, between special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation’s increasing focus on Gulf money, and Trump’s repeated support for the Saudis and Emiratis in regional and international affairs, you’d be forgiven for thinking that perhaps it’s these states—not Russia—who have undue influence over the president. While there is no suggestion so far of quid pro quo between the president and his friends in the Gulf, the shady connections built during and after the 2016 election have combined with a broader network of money, personal ties, and some genuine policy agreements to produce what is perhaps the most pro-Saudi administration in U.S. histor
The United States has long pursued a generally pro-Saudi policy in the Middle East, a legacy of the Cold War when the United States relied heavily on the Saudis to push back against Soviet influence. Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical importance–and its position as the world’s swing producer of oil–has often led U.S. policymakers to minimize criticism of Saudi Arabia. Even as fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were shown to be Saudi citizens, for example, the George W. Bush administration pushed to maintain the close U.S.-Saudi relationship while privately criticizing Saudi support for religious extremism. The Trump administration, however, has taken the United States’ selective vision on Saudi Arabia to new extremes.
In May 2018, The New York Times reported that the Mueller investigation into foreign influence in the 2016 election was looking at not just Russian, but possible Middle Eastern influence: Diplomats from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it appeared, had facilitated meetings between Russian officials, mercenary-for-hire Erik Prince, and members of the Trump transition team. The lens quickly widened to include adviser to the Emirati government George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who helped to set up meetings at Trump Tower with an envoy for Saudi and Emirati leaders, and key officials including Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner.
In addition, the special counsel is apparently interested in Nader’s work on behalf of Saudi and Emirati leaders, funneling at least $2.5 million in Gulf money to Republican donor Elliott Broidy. Some of it appears to have been used for anti-Qatar lobbying following the blockade of that country in June 2017: A separate New York Times report in May 2018 pointed to two Washington, D.C., conferences featuring anti-Qatar views held by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the Hudson Institute.
The Gulf states have been among the biggest spenders at Trump hotels and resorts since he was elected. In August of this year, the Trump hotel in New York finally reversed a two-year trend of falling revenues when Mohammed bin Salman’s extensive entourage paid premium prices for a last-minute stay. The Saudi government has also been among the biggest spenders at Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel, spending $270,000 in 2016 alone.
Though the Trump Organization has promised that all profits received from foreign governments at these properties will be donated to the Treasury, ethics experts dispute the methods used for calculating these profits, suggesting that the president continues to profit from foreign spending. Several of Trump’s most influential backers–such as Broidy or the investor Tom Barrack—also profit handsomely from business ties and interests in the Gulf States.
The secrecy surrounding Trump’s financial affairs makes it difficult to know exactly how extensive these ties are. During the firestorm following Khashoggi’s death, Trump tweeted that he had no financial interests in Saudi Arabia. As various journalists noted, the statement could be technically true—in other words, no investments physically located within the country’s boundaries—while still misleading, given the Trump hotels’ many Saudi customers. And as always, Trump’s family members further complicate the picture. Over the last few years, for example, the Kushner family’s attempts to refinance or sell their disastrous New York real estate holdings included a failed attempt to secure funding from Qatar–a fact that’s hard not to see as relevant when evaluating Kushner’s unusual hostility toward Doha.
Read more: A Guide to Saudi Arabia’s Influence in Washington | The New Republic
December 2, 2018
USA: The noose is thightening around Trump his neck
'The noose is tightening': 5 takeaways from Michael Cohen's plea deal — and what it means for Trump
Read more at:
December 1, 2018
November 28, 2018
Ukraine: Trump Administration wants to throw the EU under the Russian bus: Trump's Ukraine Response Muted as He Punts the Problem to Europe - by Nick Wadhams
 |
| Trump wants to throw the EU under the bus of Buddy Putin |
After almost a day of silence from the White House and State Department, Ambassador Nikki Haley went to the United Nations Security Council on Monday to condemn Russian forces for firing on Ukrainian ships near Crimea. But she also made clear that the U.S. would refrain from further action and would instead play a supporting role to European efforts to ease tensions.
Though Ukraine warned of a potential new Russian invasion and imposed martial law in some areas of the country for 30 days, Haley’s muted response reflected President Donald Trump’s inclination to distance himself from a conflict that he’s long blamed on predecessor Barack Obama. Trump says Obama failed to stop Russia from annexing Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2015.
Obama “allowed a very large part of Ukraine to be taken,” Trump said at a news conference this month. As a presidential candidate, Trump tweeted in 2016: “Russia took Crimea during the so-called Obama years. Who wouldn’t know this and why does Obama get a free pass?”
That the U.S. was so slow to condemn the incident suggested that the administration was wrestling with how to best to navigate the president’s ambivalence.
Note EU-Digest: This once again shows very clearly that the EU must stop pussyfooting with the US, specially now it is very clear that Donald Trump wants to throw the EU under the Russian bus of his buddy Vladimir Putin.
Priority number one for the EU is to set a unified and independent course, when it concerns, international relations, trade and military preparedness.
European Council President Donald Tusk on Monday condemned Russia's seizure of Ukrainian navy vessels in the Kerch Strait.
"I condemn Russian use of force in the Azov Sea. Russian authorities must return Ukrainian sailors, vessels and refrain from further provocations," Tusk said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Read more: Trump's Ukraine Response Muted as He Punts the Problem to Europe - Bloomberg
November 27, 2018
World War III ? Russia vs Ukraine War? Ukrainian President Says Neighbor Is Preparing Ground Attack - by Cristina Maza
During a televised speech on Monday in which he outlined his case for
imposing martial law, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko claimed that
his country’s intelligence service had evidence that Russia was
preparing a ground attack.
Poroshenko's speech was given after Russia blocked three Ukrainian navy vessels from passing from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov via the Kerch Strait on Sunday. The incident was a major escalation of the tensions that have existed between the two countries ever since Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and began backing armed separatists in the country in 2014. Poroshenko is close to imposing martial law in Ukraine, which would allow the military to run the country, saying it was necessary for Ukraine’s security.
Many experts said Russia’s attack on Ukrainian naval ships on Sunday was a game changer.
“The big story here is that Russia’s armed forces, in broad daylight, launched an attack on Ukrainian navy ships. This crosses a new line. Moscow, of course, seized Crimea with its military, but under the guise of unidentified ‘little green men.’
Moscow has been conducting a not-quite-covert war in Donbass. Yes, there are thousands of Russian officers there and they control the fighting, but Moscow denies it. In this case, there is no denial,” John Herbst, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006, told Newsweek.
Note EU-Digest : For those of us remembering our history classes, this is starting to resemble very much how the second world war started, when on October 1, 1938, Adolf Hitler's army marched into the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia.
This accelerating Nazi Germany's aggressive World War II offensive.
At that time Europe also was divided, as it is now over Brexit, and to make natters even worse, the US, which used to be the West's major defender of Democracy, has now taken an isolationism turn under the leadership of a not too bright, ego-maniac President, who is in charge of a dysfunctional government, and a population, divided in two polarized camps.
Putin looking at this picture is probably thinking in the same way as Hitler thought back in 1939. "this is a window of opportunity and it appears there is no need to pull down the shades." Bottom-line, we in the West, and specially the EU, could become involved in a major war pretty soon, if we don't get our act together.
Read more: Russia vs. Ukraine War? Ukrainian President Says Neighbor Is Preparing Ground Attack
November 22, 2018
US-Saudi Arabia relations: Saudi Arabia First says Trump
US politicians accuse Trump of putting 'Saudi Arabia first"
Read more at:
November 20, 2018
USA: Trump becomes an accomplish in Khashoggi murder by saying "no new Saudi punishment for Khashoggi murder to guarantee weapons sales"
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. will not punish Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at this time nor cut arms sales to
Saudi Arabia for the killing of U.S.-based columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump called the killing of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in
Istanbul a "horrible crime" that the U.S. does not condone, but said
Saudi Arabia is a "great ally" and canceling billions in arms sales
would only benefit China and Russia, which would be glad to step in and
make the sales.
Trump's decision, announced in a statement released just before he left for the long Thanksgiving weekend in Florida, will disappoint and anger critics who have called for a much firmer rebuke to the kingdom and especially bin Salman.
Note EU-Digest: This is unacceptable by any human rights respecting Government, specially that of the United states. Shame on you Donald Trump.
Read more: Trump says no new Saudi punishment for Khashoggi murder
Trump's decision, announced in a statement released just before he left for the long Thanksgiving weekend in Florida, will disappoint and anger critics who have called for a much firmer rebuke to the kingdom and especially bin Salman.
Note EU-Digest: This is unacceptable by any human rights respecting Government, specially that of the United states. Shame on you Donald Trump.
Read more: Trump says no new Saudi punishment for Khashoggi murder
November 14, 2018
USA: The Mueller Probe: Mueller seeking more details on Nigel Farage, key Russia inquiry target says
Robert Mueller is seeking more information about Nigel Farage for his
investigation into Russian interference in US politics, according to a
target of the inquiry who expects to be criminally charged.
Jerome Corsi, a conservative author, said prosecutors working for Mueller questioned him about Farage, the key campaigner behind Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, two weeks ago in Washington.
Corsi said investigators for the special counsel also pressed him for information on Ted Malloch, a London-based American academic with ties to Farage, who informally advised Donald Trump and was interviewed by FBI agents earlier this year.
“They asked about both Nigel and Ted Malloch, I can affirm that they did,” Corsi told the Guardian on Tuesday. “But I’m really not going into detail because I respect the special counsel and the legal process.”
Mueller’s interest in Farage comes amid questions in the UK about whether Russia attempted to influence the June 2016 vote to leave the European Union, and Brexit’s most vocal political supporters.
Note EU-Digest: Nigel Farage - the King of the British Brexit drama is now also eyed by the Mueller investigation, in particular, as it relates to his connection with the Russians and Donald Trump.
Once again we see how dangerous populism is to basic human rights values, whether it comes from Donald Trump, Marian LePen, Nigel Farage, Geert Wilders, Jörg Haider ,Jair Bolsonaro, Victor Orban, Lech Kaczyński, and the list goes on and on.
Populism is a fast growing danger and must be stopped, before it destroys humanity..
Read more: Mueller seeking more details on Nigel Farage, key Russia inquiry target says
Jerome Corsi, a conservative author, said prosecutors working for Mueller questioned him about Farage, the key campaigner behind Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, two weeks ago in Washington.
Corsi said investigators for the special counsel also pressed him for information on Ted Malloch, a London-based American academic with ties to Farage, who informally advised Donald Trump and was interviewed by FBI agents earlier this year.
“They asked about both Nigel and Ted Malloch, I can affirm that they did,” Corsi told the Guardian on Tuesday. “But I’m really not going into detail because I respect the special counsel and the legal process.”
Mueller’s interest in Farage comes amid questions in the UK about whether Russia attempted to influence the June 2016 vote to leave the European Union, and Brexit’s most vocal political supporters.
Note EU-Digest: Nigel Farage - the King of the British Brexit drama is now also eyed by the Mueller investigation, in particular, as it relates to his connection with the Russians and Donald Trump.
Once again we see how dangerous populism is to basic human rights values, whether it comes from Donald Trump, Marian LePen, Nigel Farage, Geert Wilders, Jörg Haider ,Jair Bolsonaro, Victor Orban, Lech Kaczyński, and the list goes on and on.
Populism is a fast growing danger and must be stopped, before it destroys humanity..
Read more: Mueller seeking more details on Nigel Farage, key Russia inquiry target says
November 13, 2018
Alwaleed bin Talal, Bankruptcy, Donald Trump, Involvement, Prince Mohammad bin Salmanm, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Trump Bailout, USA
 |
| Donald Trump's relations with the Saudi Kingdom are extensive |
Donald Trump claimed on Twitter recently that he has no “financial interests in Saudi Arabia.” But his financial ties to the kingdom go back a very long way.
In
1991, Donald J. Trump was a mid-tier real estate developer with $900
million in debt, a collapsing casino business, and a name perhaps best
known for a headline-dominating split with his wife Ivana.
With his empire at risk of falling apart, Trump was searching for cash everywhere; his father even illegally bought $3.35 million worth of casino chips and never gambled them, to help Trump make a massive bond payment a year earlier.
A
helpful burst of cash from a Saudi prince eased some tension with his
creditors. Alwaleed bin Talal bought Trump’s yacht for somewhere between
$18 million and $20 million
(reports vary).
It wasn’t a great bit of business for Trump—he had
bought it from the Sultan of Brunei three years earlier for a reported $29 million.
In 1995, Trump was still in deep trouble—and Alwaleed swooped in again. The prince, who calls himself
the “Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia,” took over Trump’s 51% stake in
his beloved New York Plaza hotel. As a result, Trump’s creditors forgave
$125 million of his debt.
Alwaleed, who was one of several royals to be detained by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in 2017, is deemed the world’s 74th richest man by Bloomberg, and owns stakes in companies like Apple, Snapchat, Twitter and Citigroup.
As late as 2015, Trump was still happy to boast about his connections with Saudi Arabia. Speaking at a rally in Alabama, he bragged: “Saudi
Arabia, I get along with all of them. They buy apartments from me. They
spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like
them very much.”
November 12, 2018
France: World War I commemoration: Macron rebukes nationalism at commemoration = by David Jackson
Bells tolled across France and Europe on
Sunday as President Donald Trump and other global leaders gathered to
honor the dead of World War I and heed its harsh lessons to prevent
conflicts.
Trump did not respond to Macron publicly.
Read more: France -World War I commemoration: Macron rebukes nationalism at commemoration
French President Emmanuel
Macron, who has criticized Trump's "America First" foreign
policy, decried excessive "nationalism" at the root of World War I and
successive conflicts.
"Nationalism is a betrayal of
patriotism," Macron told a gathering of world leaders, including
Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel
and Trump. “Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism by saying, ‘Our
interest first, who cares about the others?’ "
Hosting
an event to mark the centennial of the armistice that ended World War
I, Macron told fellow leaders they have a "huge responsibility" to
defeat modern forces that threaten a "legacy of peace" from the two
world wars of the past century.
"I know there are old demons coming back to the surface," the French president said. "They are ready to wreak chaos and death."
Macron did not refer specifically to Trump, who occasionally frowned during the speech.
Trump did not respond to Macron publicly.
During a speech later Sunday at a
World War I-era cemetery, Trump praised the French leader for hosting
the event he called "very beautiful" and "well done."
In
defending "America First," Trump has often said the United States needs
to address its own needs. air."
Read more: France -World War I commemoration: Macron rebukes nationalism at commemoration
November 4, 2018
US Midterm Elections: A Nation in Turmoil Prepares to Deliver a Verdict on Trump - by Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin
The
tumultuous 2018 midterm campaign, shaped by conflicts over race and
identity and punctuated by tragedy, barreled through its final weekend
as voters prepared to deliver a verdict on the first half of President
Trump’s term, with Republicans bracing for losses in the House and state
capitals but hopeful they would prevail in Senate races in areas where
Mr. Trump is popular.
The president
was set to storm across two states Saturday, two Sunday and three Monday
in an effort to pick off Senate seats in Indiana, Florida and a handful
of other battlegrounds where Republicans hope to add to their one-seat
majority in the chamber. Democrats and liberal activists, galvanized by
opposition to Mr. Trump, gathered Saturday to knock on doors and make
turnout calls from Pennsylvania to Illinois to Washington to try to
erase the G.O.P.’s 23-seat House majority.
The
run-up to the election, widely seen as a referendum on Mr. Trump’s
divisive persona and hard-line policy agenda, has revealed deep strains
in the president’s political coalition and left him confined to campaign
in a narrow band of conservative communities. Republicans’ intermittent
focus on favorable economic news, such as the Friday report showing strong job growth, has been overwhelmed by Mr. Trump’s message of racially incendiary nationalism.
While
Mr. Trump retains a strong grip on many red states and working-class
white voters, his jeremiads against immigrants and penchant for ridicule
have proved destabilizing, with the party losing more affluent whites and moderates in metropolitan areas key to control of the House.
Note EU-Digest: Amazing, but also very sad, what has happened to the US since January
20, 2017, when Trump became President. Despite claims by the US
President (who has been found to have lied by independent research
tanks more than 6400 times since his inauguration) and his Republican
base, that the economy is doing fantastic, the truth is quite different -
see https://www.chicagotribune.com/…/ct-perspec-trump-economy-j… -
Basically just about every thing the Trump Administration has been tampering
with has been a disaster, starting with the appointment of his
dysfunctional scandal ridden Cabinet - Affordable healthcare for
everyone including for those with existing preconditions - US Foreign
Policy - Clean Air Policies - Gay Rights-Equal Rights - Curbing white
supremacy and pro-neo-Nazi groups/hate crimes-Gun Control -migrant and
immigration policies - Freedom of Speech and the list can go on and on.
AMERICAN VOTERS ARE STILL ABLE TO MAKE THE COUNTRY CHANGE COURSE, AWAY
FROM TUMBLING DOWN THE CLIFF - BY USING THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE ON TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 6.
October 29, 2018
USA: Jewish leaders tell Trump he's not welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounces white nationalism - by Morgan Gstalter
A group of Jewish leaders told President Trump that he is no longer
welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounces white nationalism following the
shooting at a synagogue there over the weekend.
Eleven members of the Pittsburgh affiliate of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice penned a letter to Trump following the Saturday shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
Read more: Jewish leaders tell Trump he's not welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounces white nationalism
Eleven members of the Pittsburgh affiliate of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice penned a letter to Trump following the Saturday shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
"Our
Jewish community is not the only group you have targeted," the group
wrote. "You have also deliberately undermined the safety of people of
color, Muslims, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. Yesterday's
massacre is not the first act of terror you incited against a minority
group in our country."
Trump was fiercely criticized after he failed to condemn white supremacy and asserted that there is "blame on both sides" after last year's white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va.
The group also said Trump is not welcome in the city until he also stops targeting minorities, immigrants and refugees.
The president has "spread lies and sowed fear about migrant families in Central America," the group wrote.
"The
Torah teaches that every human being is made b'tzelem Elohim, in the
image of God. This means all of us," the leaders wrote. "In our
neighbors, Americans, and people worldwide who have reached out to give
our community strength, there we find the image of God."
Read more: Jewish leaders tell Trump he's not welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounces white nationalism
October 25, 2018
USA: Opinion: Politically motivated violence in Trump′s America is no surprise
Let's start with an important caveat. The investigation into the potentially explosive devices
– which were mailed to the homes of former President Barack Obama and
former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to CNN addressed to former CIA director John Brennan,
and other leaders –is still unfolding. So it is not prudent to dwell at
this point on the possible nature and background of what appear to be
attempted terrorist attacks, which came on the heels an explosive device
that was sent to liberal billionaire George Soros on Monday.
But it is both possible and necessary to say that the deeply toxic, increasingly partisan American political climate has at least provided fertile ground for anyone even contemplating such politically motivated attacks. It is also both possible and necessary to say that US President Donald Trump has been the key driving force behind the unprecedented deterioration of the political climate in this country.
He ran and won his presidential race on a campaign based on fearmongering and ad hominem attacks against political rivals and the news media, which he has repeatedly labeled as the enemy of the people. He has a long-established track record of using cavalier language and vague threats against anyone who expresses disagreement of criticism of his policies or statements. Just a few examples in Clinton's case: allowing raucous crowds to chant "lock her up," proposing the "Second Amendment people" can do something to stop her, suggesting her Secret Service personnel no longer carry guns and "let's see what happens to her." It's not a leap of logic that some die-hard Trumpers could see his statements as tolerance, if not an outright call, for politically-motivated violence.
After the death of a counterprotester at a right-wing march in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump – who just a day ago casually and without garnering huge media attention described himself as a "nationalist" at a Texas rally – initially hesitated to offer a clear condemnation of the right-wing extremist perpetrator.
At his campaign rallies, he has repeatedly insinuated violence against the media and opponents. And less than two months ago, in a closed-door meeting with evangelicals, Trump warned the group of "violence" from the left should Democrats win the midterm election.
Trump's rabble-rousing rhetoric is based on a winning-at-all-cost attitude that accepts no criticism and knows no compromise. While that is a problematic disposition in a person, it is a dangerous disposition in the president of the world's most powerful nation.
In the brief three years since his arrival onto the political scene he has single-handedly transformed the Republican Party into his own political fighting machine. And as a consequence, he has fomented and ramped up the already existing deep divisions in the country to an extent hardly deemed possible. That some of his supporters – or anyone at all, for that matter – may interpret the president's rhetoric and behavior as a call to exert violence against his political detractors should surprise no one.
Read more: Opinion: Politically motivated violence in Trump′s America is no surprise | Opinion | DW | 24.10.2018
But it is both possible and necessary to say that the deeply toxic, increasingly partisan American political climate has at least provided fertile ground for anyone even contemplating such politically motivated attacks. It is also both possible and necessary to say that US President Donald Trump has been the key driving force behind the unprecedented deterioration of the political climate in this country.
He ran and won his presidential race on a campaign based on fearmongering and ad hominem attacks against political rivals and the news media, which he has repeatedly labeled as the enemy of the people. He has a long-established track record of using cavalier language and vague threats against anyone who expresses disagreement of criticism of his policies or statements. Just a few examples in Clinton's case: allowing raucous crowds to chant "lock her up," proposing the "Second Amendment people" can do something to stop her, suggesting her Secret Service personnel no longer carry guns and "let's see what happens to her." It's not a leap of logic that some die-hard Trumpers could see his statements as tolerance, if not an outright call, for politically-motivated violence.
After the death of a counterprotester at a right-wing march in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump – who just a day ago casually and without garnering huge media attention described himself as a "nationalist" at a Texas rally – initially hesitated to offer a clear condemnation of the right-wing extremist perpetrator.
At his campaign rallies, he has repeatedly insinuated violence against the media and opponents. And less than two months ago, in a closed-door meeting with evangelicals, Trump warned the group of "violence" from the left should Democrats win the midterm election.
Trump's rabble-rousing rhetoric is based on a winning-at-all-cost attitude that accepts no criticism and knows no compromise. While that is a problematic disposition in a person, it is a dangerous disposition in the president of the world's most powerful nation.
In the brief three years since his arrival onto the political scene he has single-handedly transformed the Republican Party into his own political fighting machine. And as a consequence, he has fomented and ramped up the already existing deep divisions in the country to an extent hardly deemed possible. That some of his supporters – or anyone at all, for that matter – may interpret the president's rhetoric and behavior as a call to exert violence against his political detractors should surprise no one.
Read more: Opinion: Politically motivated violence in Trump′s America is no surprise | Opinion | DW | 24.10.2018
September 10, 2018
The new emerging face of "Democracy": Taking democracy for granted is a fatal flaw - by Hasan Suroor
Professor of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge
University, David Runciman provides in his book an interesting insight
to Modi’s India and Democracy.
I am not sure that many in the Modi Government would be familiar with the name of David Runciman, professor of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University.
But this week’s crackdown on civil rights activists and dissidents is the biggest endorsement of his new book, “How Democracy Ends”, in which he lists India as among the countries where democracy is being upended in the name of protecting it from supposedly undemocratic forces. India, according to him, illustrates the threat that democracy is facing from “executive aggrandisement” and “strongmen chipping away at it while paying lip service to it”.
It represents the new emerging face of democracy where it all appears tickety-boo on the surface, but is haemorrhaging from inside. Indians might find it embarrassing that he lumps their country with such authoritarian democracies as Hungary, Poland, Turkey and the Philippines where too “strongmen” are “chipping away” at democratic institutions while paying lip service to them.
Runciman sees Narendra Modi as part of a growing cast of “ever more characterful performers” alongside Donald Trump, Recep Erdogan, and Lech Kazcynski, among others, who have converted democracy into an “elaborate performance” to engage public attention while quietly wrecking it from inside. Like them, he has developed a “personality cult” operating through networks of private interests and hardline followers .
Read more: Taking democracy for granted is a fatal flaw | National Herald
I am not sure that many in the Modi Government would be familiar with the name of David Runciman, professor of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University.
But this week’s crackdown on civil rights activists and dissidents is the biggest endorsement of his new book, “How Democracy Ends”, in which he lists India as among the countries where democracy is being upended in the name of protecting it from supposedly undemocratic forces. India, according to him, illustrates the threat that democracy is facing from “executive aggrandisement” and “strongmen chipping away at it while paying lip service to it”.
It represents the new emerging face of democracy where it all appears tickety-boo on the surface, but is haemorrhaging from inside. Indians might find it embarrassing that he lumps their country with such authoritarian democracies as Hungary, Poland, Turkey and the Philippines where too “strongmen” are “chipping away” at democratic institutions while paying lip service to them.
Runciman sees Narendra Modi as part of a growing cast of “ever more characterful performers” alongside Donald Trump, Recep Erdogan, and Lech Kazcynski, among others, who have converted democracy into an “elaborate performance” to engage public attention while quietly wrecking it from inside. Like them, he has developed a “personality cult” operating through networks of private interests and hardline followers .
Read more: Taking democracy for granted is a fatal flaw | National Herald
August 29, 2018
EU-France: Macron Wants to Create a European Army—But First He's Reviving French Military Might - by David Brennan
French President Emmanuel Macron has long wished for greater European
military cooperation. This week, he continued the drive, suggesting the
bloc can no longer rely on American military support to protect members
against outside threats.
In a speech to relaunch his political agenda Monday, the president explained, “It is up to us to guarantee European security” and said he would “launch an exhaustive review” of security relations with “all Europe's partners, which includes Russia.”
After decades of underinvestment, Macron is spearheading a push to revamp France’s military, returning it to its historical position as one of the most well-funded and potent forces in the world.
With Europe facing an emboldened Russia and the Western allies battling Islamist threats across Africa and the Middle East, France needs its bite back.
President Donald Trump’s residency in the White House has presented a challenge for European nations. For decades, NATO stood united and firm against the threat of the Soviet Union and later the new Russia.
In recent years, Russian foreign policy has become more bellicose, and relations have deteriorated as Moscow's military tendrils reached into countries such as Georgia, Ukraine and Syria, to name but a few.
But Trump’s disdain for nearly every multinational alliance or agreement apparently includes NATO. The president incorrectly believes that European nations are not paying their fair share toward the shared military budget, and reportedly threatened to pull the U.S. out of the bloc unless its allies took on a greater part of the burden.
Read more: Macron Wants to Create a European Army—But First He's Reviving French Military Might
In a speech to relaunch his political agenda Monday, the president explained, “It is up to us to guarantee European security” and said he would “launch an exhaustive review” of security relations with “all Europe's partners, which includes Russia.”
After decades of underinvestment, Macron is spearheading a push to revamp France’s military, returning it to its historical position as one of the most well-funded and potent forces in the world.
With Europe facing an emboldened Russia and the Western allies battling Islamist threats across Africa and the Middle East, France needs its bite back.
President Donald Trump’s residency in the White House has presented a challenge for European nations. For decades, NATO stood united and firm against the threat of the Soviet Union and later the new Russia.
In recent years, Russian foreign policy has become more bellicose, and relations have deteriorated as Moscow's military tendrils reached into countries such as Georgia, Ukraine and Syria, to name but a few.
But Trump’s disdain for nearly every multinational alliance or agreement apparently includes NATO. The president incorrectly believes that European nations are not paying their fair share toward the shared military budget, and reportedly threatened to pull the U.S. out of the bloc unless its allies took on a greater part of the burden.
Read more: Macron Wants to Create a European Army—But First He's Reviving French Military Might
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