Trump's Songbook from 1988
still the same today
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still the same today
At around the 4:32 mark, the Trumps are asked by interviewer Terry Wogan about going into politics based on recent political statements made by Trump.
Trump then elaborates on his belief that Japan among many other countries, take advantage of the US.
The interview took place in May 1988. Dame Edna predicts that Ivana would one day be First Lady. Close. And she hilariously takes the piss out of his greed, which sails gloriously over his head. I would not be surprised if Trump had no idea it was a male in drag doing one of his many comic characters.
We know now that Trump sees trade deficits in favor of “the other country” as the US being taken advantage of. He sees other countries spending less on defense as the US being taken advantage of. He sees Australia not buying US meat as the US being taken advantage. In Trump’s world there are only winners and losers.
It is clear, Trump has no understanding of, let alone interest in soft diplomacy – the type that China is diving into in a deep way all around the South Pacific Islands.
It is clear that Trump cares not a whit that Australia does not need US meat. We have our own in abundance. To appease the baby and avoid a higher tariff, we cut the restriction – yet you will be hard pressed to find any US meat in any supermarket. They are not buying it. But the baby got what he wanted – not aid for US meat exporters – but a “win” for himself in alleged deal-making.
It is also clear that Trump has no regard for existing free trade agreements, or that Australia has a trade DEFICIT with the US, so not only is he illegally ignoring the free trade agreement, he is also ignoring that the US WINS in trade with Australia without tariffs.
What else? He is oblivious to the fact that the vast majority of small countries and poorer countries CAN’T buy more from the US. Not just the economy of scale but the economy of government and family budgets.
How the fuck is for example Fiji ever going to be able to buy more from the US than it exports to the US? They can’t, It is impossible. Yet by not doing the impossible, he slapped a 32% tariff on Fijian goods.
He also fails to understand that the US imports what it can’t produce (or at least not enough of) and cheap consumer goods that they cannot match price-wise via local manufacture because slavery at the time of typing, is still illegal in the US. These cheap goods are necessary to feed the consumer culture at the heart of US infantilism exceptionalism.
His tariffs won’t bring back US manufacturing to any significant degree.
His tariffs are NOT paid for by the country of origin of the goods, but ultimately by the consumer – as we see inflation spiking again. Why is this not pointed out to him at every single opportunity by the press gallery? Oh, that’s right- it’s now reserved for sycophants.
He doesn’t even understand that you can’t slap tariffs on uninhabited islands that are external Australian territories. That is just beyond self-parody.
I have to conclude that Trump is merely the (once) popular front-man who is owned by that Machiavellian creep Steven Miller, and others who drafted the 2025 document, and by mainly Putin at the international level.
Whatever happens in the remainder of this term, it isn’t going to be pretty. And nothing is off the table. Removal of Trump by his own administration on competency/health grounds. An actual assassination. Civil War. Massive geopolitical realignments. As in Canada already, trade blocks. Massive losses in tourism and services industries.
I feel for my US friends, those who voted for him and those who didn’t If you are not already feeling the negative impact of Trump’s policies, you will eventually, unless you are in the one percent club. I feel for you all too, because Trump is trashing the US brand worldwide. He has the world unsure whether to cry for the people, or laugh at him.
The mid-term elections (if they go ahead), will tell us a lot more about future possible outcomes.
I personally think his removal by his own team is the least likely outcome – at least until if/when they see if he can pull off a Putin and stay in office… a third tern if it came off, would be when they move in to remove him on health grounds.
Everyone should get out and vote – for the candidate of their choice – because that is democracy in action. The very nature of democracy gives you the option of voting for anti-democracy candidates. We get to live with the consequences of our choices, be they good, bad, or indifferent.
Exceptional writing Greg! Thx for worrying about us. I too am worried!
Gayle, I’m sure (or hope, at least) that in much of the country, life is going on relatively unchanged for now. But you know the news…. it is non-stop carnage and horror. Put another way, maybe I’m getting a distorted picture here, but my gut tells me if there is any distortion, it is not a huge amount.
I only really wrote this after stumbling onto the interview I posted. I was genuinely surprised that he has had this belief that every country in the world, and a couple of penguin outposts, all take advantage of the US.
I could have made this much longer., listing his broken election promises, and his use of office as a base for grifting. including insider trading where he cashes in on share market prices moving with his on-again off-again on-again tariffs. He hides nothing (except the true nature of his friendship with Epstein), and he is constantly jumping from one grift to another making it hard to keep up, This in-your-face approach is aimed at normalizing the behavior.
Then there is the politicizing of police forces, the armed forces and the federal bureaucracy, topped off with his masked brownshirts. I believe they were known as the Brute Squad in The Princess Bride…
Incisive writing as usual. Do you think the truth of Orangeman’s shenanigans with Jeffrey Epstein will ever be known?
It may come out in any future impeachment (which was another possibility I neglected to mention). But the chances are, the file will disappear or be altered before it can be seen by anyone.
Not sure the file would be absolutely needed anyway. Isn’t there one known victim? And it’s possible other witnesses may turn on him, just he eventually turns on everyone else.