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Funny guy!

Strangelove wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 8:43 pm

Yeah... the figures are basically correct, but may need some context.

22.2 million jobs were destroyed in the USA in March and April.
In May there was a net gain of 2.7 million, in June 4.8 and in July 1.8.
With another 1.4 million created in August, the net loss since February is 11.5 million jobs.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/resta ... 2020-08-07

As for unemployment, as a result of the financial crisis that struck at the end of Dubya’s presidency unemployment rose to 10%. Under Obama that figure was halved, and as Trump took office it stood at 5%. The downward trajectory continued at the same pace during Trump’s first three years and in February this year stood at 3.5%.
In April unemployment reached a post WW2 all time high for the USA, peaking at 14.7%.
It now stands at 8.4%, which is better than expected, but still almost twice as high as when Donald took office.
We must also keep in mind that a large number of people are still listed as employed, despite not working as many companies are still shut down as a result of the pandemic. We’re still not out of the woods. If normalcy does not return within the next few months, there could be a second wave of bankrupcies involving those companies.
https://tradingeconomics.com/united-sta ... yment-rate

Right... the rate of approval. Yes, Rasmussen recently released a report that has job approval for Trump at that range, but if you look at the eleven most recent polls by major pollsters, the average is 44%. I don’t know what difference there is in method, such as stratifying the population to get representative samples, but out of the eleven polls for the period Aug 26 through Sep 6, two have positive numbers for Trump while nine have negative.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epoll ... -6179.html

As for Trump’s disdain for POWs and the physically injured, that’s nothing new. We’ve known that for a long time. Remember how he taunted McCain and even suggested George HW Bush was a loser for being shot down in combat. We all remember him belittling goldstar families and we all know he is a draft dodger who used his dad’s contacts to get out of serving in Vietnam, supposedly because of "bone spurs".
That it is being brought up now of course has to do with the elections. Most soldiers stationed abroad vote early, so I guess I think they felt this was a good time to make sure they do not forget.

Serbia and Kosovo will have to get it's own post.

OK, Kosovo. And Serbia.

- Trump brokers Serbia/Kosovo peace deal

I was quite stunned by that line. Say what?! I had heard nothing about any such milestone.

This may surprise you, but I'm interested in politics and international relations, and I listen to the radio and watch the news on TV on a daily basis and try to keep myself informed. I had heard nothing.

As we all know Kosovo declared itself independent in 2008 after a bloody war in which Serbia tried to maintain control over the region.

As of 4 September 2020, the Republic of Kosovo has received 116 diplomatic recognitions as an independent state, of which 15 have since been withdrawn. As of 4 September 2020, 98 out of 193 (51%) United Nations (UN) member states, 22 out of 27 (81%) European Union (EU) member states, 26 out of 30 (87%) NATO member states, and 33 out of 57 (58%) Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states have recognised Kosovo. The government of Serbia does not recognise it as a sovereign state. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internati ... _of_Kosovo

Now, both countries have applied for EU membership, and the EU has reiterated that neither can join before they both mutually recognise eachother. As a result of this they signed the so called Brussels Agreement in 2013 and started attempting to normalise relations. But it's a mixed bag. Recognising Kosovo's independence is politically sensitive in Serbia, and so far no government has dared take that final step. Instead they try to strongarm other countries into withholding recognition of Kosovo. And in 2018 Kosovo decided to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Serbia. They withdrew this tariff in April this year, and since July the two countries have been holding negotiations in Brussels. If they ever are to achieve EU member status they need to iron out their problems first.

So, when I saw Doc's post, I assumed there must have been a major breakthrough; did Serbia finally agree to recognise Kosovo?
I mean, that would be what a peace deal implies, wouldn't it?

Ambassador Rick Grenell's attempts at explaining what was achieved was also not very clarifying, albeit I seem to get out of it that Serbia signed one agreement and Kosovo a different one. Almost but not quite identical. I assume this may have to do with Serbia still not recognising Kosovo.



Anyway, so next I tried to go directly to the source. This is the statement made by Donald Trump and released by whitehouse.org: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st ... ia-kosovo/

I've split it in three sections below, to comment each one separately.

Today, I am pleased to announce yet another historic commitment. Serbia and Kosovo have each committed to economic normalization. After a violent and tragic history and years of failed negotiations, my Administration proposed a new way of bridging the divide. By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a real breakthrough on economic cooperation across a broad range of issues.

I think the key word here is each. They have both committed to economic normalization, but in separate agreements with the USA. This is of course in the interest of both countries. Kosovo was an integral part of Serbia up till 2008 and neither side has had time to completely reorganize how they source things. And this is a continuation of what we have seen throughout 2020, starting with Kosovo abolishing their punitive tariffs on Serbian products in April already, and as I said they have been negotiating in Brussels for the past two months.

We have also made additional progress on reaching peace in the Middle East. Kosovo and Israel have agreed to normalization of ties and the establishment of diplomatic relations. Serbia has committed to opening a commercial office in Jerusalem this month and to move its embassy to Jerusalem by July.

This is a bit non sequitur. Neither Kosovo nor Serbia have been involved in anything regarding the Middle East, afaik. Yet, sure, it's a win-win for Israel and Kosovo. Kosovo is eager to get recognised by as many nations as possible, and Israel wants to be recognised by Muslim majority nations, so, sure, why not, they both recognise that as wins. But I don't really see how this has anything to do with peace between Serbia and Kosovo.
Serbia moving its embassy from the internationally recognised Israeli capital Tel Aviv to the contested Jerusalem can hardly be said to help the peace process in the Middle East, quite the contrary, to be frank, as the definitive status of Jerusalem is one of the hot button issues that need to be resolved in a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
But it's a feather in the cap of both Trump and Netanyahu, who press this issue, and I think that's what he considers important here. Not peace.

It has taken tremendous bravery by President Vučić of Serbia and Prime Minister Hoti of Kosovo to embark on these talks and to come to Washington to finalize these commitments. By doing so, they have made their countries, the Balkans, and the world safer. I look forward to seeing Serbia and Kosovo prosper as we work together on economic cooperation in the region going forward.

It does take bravery for them to talk, because their political opponents at home will sharpen their knives and could describe it as treason to speak with the enemy. That being said, there have been official negotiations going on for two months now, and I guess Trump offered them a carrot if they agreed to briefly travel from Brussels to Washington and sign some kind of letter of intent with him.

Because this is probably what it is: a letter of intent. Both sides have agreed to be committed to economic normalization, ie to ease trade restrictions and facilitate crossborder commerce. But they are still so far apart that they did not want to sign the same document, and there is still no legal recognition of Kosovo by Serbia. So.... hardly what I would refer to as a peace deal. But from what it seems the US has agreed to sprinkle some aid over them to get this photo opportunity.

Yeah, I guess Trump is desperate to get something positive to present to the media rather than the usual tire fire that has become the hallmark of his presidency.

And, seriously, it's great that he is trying to help mend things in the Balkans. It's sorely needed.

But we still haven't seen the long awaited Serbia/Kosovo peace deal.

Credit where credit is due though, I think his administration may actually have been involved in the mutual recognition between the UAE and Israel. That's good.

The geopolitics of it had it coming; if you look at Syria, Yemen, pretty much every conflict in the region, the fault line now goes between Shia and Sunni, not between Muslim and infidel. Thus it was only a matter of time before the more stable Sunni regimes were to abandon the anti-Israel stance and instead focus on winning allies in their fight against Iran. But I'm sure that even though it makes perfect sense, they may have needed some nudging.

This is an actual diplomatic accomplishment by the Trump admimistration. Not as groundbreaking as the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel negotiated by Carter, but still. And this may have actual impact on peace in the Middle East, because if Israelis and Arabs can sit down and talk, we may actually be able to start addressing the Palestine issue in a more constructive manner.

Today, President Donald J. Trump was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in brokering the Abraham Accords, bringing about the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and marking a major step toward a more peaceful Middle East. This historic diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is the most significant step toward peace in the Middle East in more than a quarter of a century.

This nomination comes amid widespread international support for the peace accords and optimism that the region finally may be turning a corner. By uniting two of America’s closest partners in the region—something many said could not be done—this agreement will create a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East.

This peace deal is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of President Trump, and he is honored to be considered by the Nobel Committee. President Trump will host the Israeli and Emirati delegations for a signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on September 15 at the White House.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st ... ace-prize/

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 3:04 pm

Today, President Donald J. Trump was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in brokering the Abraham Accords, bringing about the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and marking a major step toward a more peaceful Middle East. This historic diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is the most significant step toward peace in the Middle East in more than a quarter of a century.

This nomination comes amid widespread international support for the peace accords and optimism that the region finally may be turning a corner. By uniting two of America’s closest partners in the region—something many said could not be done—this agreement will create a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East.

This peace deal is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of President Trump, and he is honored to be considered by the Nobel Committee. President Trump will host the Israeli and Emirati delegations for a signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on September 15 at the White House.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st ... ace-prize/

But........Trump

Trumps Prize Matters!

rats19 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 3:06 pm

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 3:04 pm

Today, President Donald J. Trump was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in brokering the Abraham Accords, bringing about the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and marking a major step toward a more peaceful Middle East. This historic diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is the most significant step toward peace in the Middle East in more than a quarter of a century.

This nomination comes amid widespread international support for the peace accords and optimism that the region finally may be turning a corner. By uniting two of America’s closest partners in the region—something many said could not be done—this agreement will create a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East.

This peace deal is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of President Trump, and he is honored to be considered by the Nobel Committee. President Trump will host the Israeli and Emirati delegations for a signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on September 15 at the White House.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st ... ace-prize/

But........Trump

Well, as I said in my rather long post about the Serbia/Kosovo thingy:

Credit where credit is due though, I think his administration may actually have been involved in the mutual recognition between the UAE and Israel. That's good.

The geopolitics of it had it coming; if you look at Syria, Yemen, pretty much every conflict in the region, the fault line now goes between Shia and Sunni, not between Muslim and infidel. Thus it was only a matter of time before the more stable Sunni regimes were to abandon the anti-Israel stance and instead focus on winning allies in their fight against Iran. But I'm sure that even though it makes perfect sense, they may have needed some nudging.

This is an actual diplomatic accomplishment by the Trump admimistration. Not as groundbreaking as the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel negotiated by Carter, but still. And this may have actual impact on peace in the Middle East, because if Israelis and Arabs can sit down and talk, we may actually be able to start addressing the Palestine issue in a more constructive manner.

That being said, every year there are hundreds of people nominated for the Nobel peace prize, so he shouldn’t quite be counting his chickens just yet. But as I said before, credit where credit is due.

^
Yeah, you can do that with any politician... there are hundreds of hours on record of them speaking, we all slur our words or lose track at times. Though, why you would want to make a 46 minute compilation is beyond me.



What is worse is the deliberate lying.

He was a lot more lucid when he was plagiarizing his ass off back in the '88 campaign...

I can still remember seeing this clip on the CBS news back then, I followed US politics a lot more closely in those days, lol.

All of the lying and plagiarism ended his presidential aspirations then, and nearly ended his political career.

His comeback from complete humiliation to win the nomination 32 years later is kind of amazing actually.