Quote Originally Posted by slack_pie View Post
I'm not a Trump supporter, but it seems pretty obvious to me that that was his plan. He got what he wanted through the threat of tariffs. This isn't a novel approach. Leaders use leverage all the time. I agree that it won't work with Xi, who is a much smarter and more wily adversary, but it seems to have worked with Mexico.

What you say about Trump supporters is largely true. But the same goes for those on the other side as well. People on the left will ignore anything positive that comes out of the Trump presidency, or spin stuff to make it look worse. Both sides do this all the time, so let's not pretend otherwise.
Yeah I definitely am not in the camp where I think "the left" are angelic beings who never engage in deception, lies of omission (actually the standard MO for lefty press when the truth is uncomfortable), hypocrisy, ignoring science etc etc. Like I keep saying, this isn't really about left or right for me. Most of the "left vs. right" narrative is manufactured and all too convenient for the people who are actually in power (check who owns the media!). Gets the poors snapping at each other over nothing while everything of value is hoovered up in the background.

However, I just don't believe the ever-shifting narrative (multiple ever-shifting narratives) about Trump having a coherent master plan. If he changes his mind again and slugs Canada and Mexico with tariffs on Monday, his supporters will claim THAT was the master plan. If we never hear about these tariffs again, the master plan will have been the "concessions" given by Mexico and Canada and the narrative that he had an election mandate to impose tariffs will be conveniently forgotten.

Whatever Trump does will be right and good, and whatever anyone does that counters him will be wrong and bad. Like Trudeau was the bad guy for imposing tariffs in response to Trump doing it first, but Trump was fine for doing it first. There is no logic. It's just slavish, mindless worship of someone who is utterly, bafflingly unworthy of it.

In 2016 I tried watching one of his speeches, couldn't sit through it. It was embarrassingly bad. He isn't coherent. He's gotten worse since. I have read a few transcripts though and he demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of a wide range of issues and has trouble holding a train of thought for more than a few seconds. In an interview (back then) he was asked for his opinion on the nuclear triad and his answer made it abundantly clear he had no idea what it was. Now if you or I don't know that, no dramas. But a presidential candidate should be well versed and have a strong view on it.

He also acts like a literal child and uses childish language. I just do not see the master strategist his fanclub insist is in there somewhere. Setting aside his conviction for criminal fraud and mountains of evidence for his other crimes, including actual election interference last time (which he was loudly accusing everyone else of), he is just temperamentally and intellectually not suited to the role of a world leader, let alone of the most powerful nation.

His administration will achieve some good things. They will pale in comparison to the damage he does in the meantime. He's extracted some dubious/questionable concessions from Mexico and Canada, and in the process loudly and publicly destroyed both relationships and wrecked the US's reputation. He will spend the next four years stumbling from one pyrrhic victory to the next while his supporters cheer him on.

It's going to be exceedingly dull. I am ignoring the discussion pretty much everywhere but this board, in fact.