Bolton's book makes it clear: Trump is the amoral charlatan we knew he was

[Yoshiro Kamamura + 274]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/19/john-bolton-book-trump-china

"John Bolton’s book is a reminder that, contrary to all of Trump’s claims to be “tough” on China, in reality Trump fawns over China’s president Xi Jinping, his China policies are counterproductive, and Trump has repeatedly sold out the American people to China to advance his own personal interests.

From encouraging Xi to continue ethnic cleansing against Uighurs to asking for China’s help in his 2020 re-election campaign, Trump’s actions make it clear why Chinese officials believe that Trump is good for the Chinese Communist party (CCP).

The revelations regarding China are just a handful of the many episodes in Bolton’s book illustrating Trump’s corruption and ineptitude that, in year four of Trump’s term, may not be surprising, but should still shock everyone."

... oh my, what an embarassment.

[Yoshiro Kamamura + 274]

"Trump was apparently not sure if the UK is a nuclear superpower and was convinced that Finland is part of Russia". 

Oh my. But perhaps it was a joke to some journalist, no?

[Yoshiro Kamamura + 274]

 

[Marcin2 + 726]

I do not agree about Trump selling US/himself to China.

I do not like Trump cause I think he is bringing United States down with his chaotic, impulsive way of doing politics.

But whatever you think about Trump you need to give him credit for being anti-Chinese in his actions.

I do not say that it is good to be anti-Chinese , they are people like us and deserve decent lives, not theirs fault , that there are over 1.4 billion of them and thus would probably rule this planet.

But saying that Trump was pro Chinese in his politics is completely ridiculous.

Trump did more to make Americans ( and the significant part of the world) anti-Chinese than anybody in whole US history.

[Marcin2 + 726]

4 hours ago, Yoshiro Kamamura said:

"Trump was apparently not sure if the UK is a nuclear superpower and was convinced that Finland is part of Russia". 

Oh my. But perhaps it was a joke to some journalist, no?

1. US President KNOWs that UK is NOT nuclear superpower cause is totally reliant on US nuclear military technology. Trumps fault was only that he forgot part of the lecture: what to speak to the public about UK.

[Ward Smith + 6,615]

Poor Trump, running a reality show on the biggest stage and being handed loser after loser to Apprentice through the cabinet. 

Bolton has always been for sale to the highest bidder, and he's always been part of the Deep State. Is Bolton lying for personal gain? Of course he is. The Deep State is, and always has been the Military Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned us about before many of you were even born. Trump has been bad for business, hence Mattis, Bolton and the other neocons have been against him every step of the way. 

Unlike the Apprentice, where everyone was busy scheming and stabbing each other in the back, these folks are busy scheming and stabbing Trump in the back. 

[Gerry Maddoux + 3,627]

IMO, John Bolton should be tried for sedition and treason for risking the U.S. intelligence in return for money. 

You take an oath when you agree to that job. He violated the oath by blabbing about classified information to hurt the president. 

His life is ruined: hoist by his petard. It is too Shakespearean for words . . . and fits the times, hand in glove.

Adios, John, we always knew you were criminally insane.

He will probably have cancer within the year: anger and disgust turned against self. 

[ronwagn + 6,290]

8 hours ago, Marcin2 said:

I do not agree about Trump selling US/himself to China.

I do not like Trump cause I think he is bringing United States down with his chaotic, impulsive way of doing politics.

But whatever you think about Trump you need to give him credit for being anti-Chinese in his actions.

I do not say that it is good to be anti-Chinese , they are people like us and deserve decent lives, not theirs fault , that there are over 1.4 billion of them and thus would probably rule this planet.

But saying that Trump was pro Chinese in his politics is completely ridiculous.

Trump did more to make Americans ( and the significant part of the world) anti-Chinese than anybody in whole US history.

Not anti Chinese. Anti CCP leadership and iron fisted totalitarian rule! Anti unequal trade, technological theft etc. Trade partners must have an equitable relationship to cooperate. We should not deal with nations who oppress their people due free speech, religion, etc. 

[ronwagn + 6,290]

6 hours ago, Gerry Maddoux said:

IMO, John Bolton should be tried for sedition and treason for risking the U.S. intelligence in return for money. 

You take an oath when you agree to that job. He violated the oath by blabbing about classified information to hurt the president. 

His life is ruined: hoist by his petard. It is too Shakespearean for words . . . and fits the times, hand in glove.

Adios, John, we always knew you were criminally insane.

He will probably have cancer within the year: anger and disgust turned against self. 

I hope he does not get cancer! Even if he is a traitor.

[frankfurter + 562]

2 hours ago, ronwagn said:

Not anti Chinese. Anti CCP leadership and iron fisted totalitarian rule! Anti unequal trade, technological theft etc. Trade partners must have an equitable relationship to cooperate. We should not deal with nations who oppress their people due free speech, religion, etc. 

"We should not deal with nations who oppress their people due free speech, religion, etc."

uh,,, you forgot to include Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India. 

[frankfurter + 562]

10 hours ago, Ward Smith said:

Poor Trump, running a reality show on the biggest stage and being handed loser after loser to Apprentice through the cabinet. 

Bolton has always been for sale to the highest bidder, and he's always been part of the Deep State. Is Bolton lying for personal gain? Of course he is. The Deep State is, and always has been the Military Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned us about before many of you were even born. Trump has been bad for business, hence Mattis, Bolton and the other neocons have been against him every step of the way. 

Unlike the Apprentice, where everyone was busy scheming and stabbing each other in the back, these folks are busy scheming and stabbing Trump in the back. 

You may very well be correct. 

[Tomasz + 1,608]

John Balton is one of the hawks of American policy that led to the fact that a number of wars and military interventions have led to a significant decline in the US reputation in many countries of the world over the past few decades.

But whatever to say about Trump today, despite the fact that he imposes sanctions on many countries for the time being he has not started any wars which is a phenomenon probably since the time of Carter's presidency.

And his policy is right because the biggest rival of the USA is definitely China, not Russia. And this problem can only be increased in dramatic way when Russia, surrounded by NATO bases, finally submits to China. Russian modern military technologies and Siberia open to China are really not what America should strive for in the 21st century.

And this is a reflection of Henry Kissinger, not Trump himself

Therefore, the American MSM enthusiasm that Trump sacked Bolton simply probably because he did not want a great war with Iran testifies to how low liberal media in the US collapsed in the fight against Trump

Edited June 21, 2020 by Tomasz

[Marcin2 + 726]

10 hours ago, ronwagn said:

Not anti Chinese. Anti CCP leadership and iron fisted totalitarian rule! Anti unequal trade, technological theft etc. Trade partners must have an equitable relationship to cooperate. We should not deal with nations who oppress their people due free speech, religion, etc. 

In my opinion US actions against China would not be much different even if China would be democracy.

US decisions like economic sanctions affect whole Chinese nation, and Chinese are becoming more and more anti-American.

Like it or not, the latest 40 years of CCP rule is the best period in the recent 4,000 years of Chinese nation from the point of view of the typical Chinese citizen.

They are not hungry and 50% of them already have decent lives.

Pretending that US is a kind of saviour of Chinese nation through the fight with CCP is even more ridiculous than Bolton's bull*hit about Trump.

Look at Japan, the vassal country of US. When Japan became too succesful it was brought down by US through Plaza Accord.

And Japan never ever was a pretender in a race for hegemonic country, superpower country.

US-China game is about being hegemonic country. It does not matter what type of government is in China (authoritarian/dictatorship) or USA (oilgarchy). The ultimate prize of being hegemonic country and having the world reserve currency and unlimited access to world markets and resources is what counts.

The fact that China is dictatorship, makes it much easier for China in medium term like next 10 years to fight the hegemony conflict with US. And at the same time the task much tougher for US. US can in no way influence decisions of Chinese authorities through direct/indirect impact on Chinese society. Apart from this China can mobilize whole nation in a very fast and elastic way to reach its goals.

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Marcin2
added info

[Ward Smith + 6,615]

6 hours ago, Marcin2 said:

In my opinion US actions against China would not be much different even if China would be democracy.

US decisions like economic sanctions affect whole Chinese nation, and Chinese are becoming more and more anti-American.

Like it or not, the latest 40 years of CCP rule is the best period in the recent 4,000 years of Chinese nation from the point of view of the typical Chinese citizen.

They are not hungry and 50% of them already have decent lives.

Pretending that US is a kind of saviour of Chinese nation through the fight with CCP is even more ridiculous than Bolton's bull*hit about Trump.

Look at Japan, the vassal country of US. When Japan became too succesful it was brought down by US through Plaza Accord.

And Japan never ever was a pretender in a race for hegemonic country, superpower country.

US-China game is about being hegemonic country. It does not matter what type of government is in China (authoritarian/dictatorship) or USA (oilgarchy). The ultimate prize of being hegemonic country and having the world reserve currency and unlimited access to world markets and resources is what counts.

The fact that China is dictatorship, makes it much easier for China in medium term like next 10 years to fight the hegemony conflict with US. And at the same time the task much tougher for US. US can in no way influence decisions of Chinese authorities through direct/indirect impact on Chinese society. Apart from this China can mobilize whole nation in a very fast and elastic way to reach its goals.

Given that the Plaza Accord was all about currency manipulations and devalued the dollar so the delta wasn't so severe, I'm not seeing it as a downside, or particularly punitive. Japan, like China, had just spent the prior 40 years digging themselves out of the rubble they had created with WWII. That they came so far, so fast was in no small part due to the hard work and intelligence of their people, but also their understanding that an export based economy was their best path forward. Like China now, Japan then was happy to debase their own currency so they could undercut their competition abroad. Ultimately, as @0R0 keeps pointing out, this Merry go Round comes home to roost. Japanese debt to GDP is epic and they're the only place I know of where you could get a loan that encumbered your grandchildren, not a 30 year mortgage, but a 90 year one. 

Japan doesn't have hegemony ambition now but they certainly did back in the 30's and 40's. The difference? Now they're a democracy, for starters. 

[ronwagn + 6,290]

8 hours ago, Marcin2 said:

In my opinion US actions against China would not be much different even if China would be democracy.

US decisions like economic sanctions affect whole Chinese nation, and Chinese are becoming more and more anti-American.

Like it or not, the latest 40 years of CCP rule is the best period in the recent 4,000 years of Chinese nation from the point of view of the typical Chinese citizen.

They are not hungry and 50% of them already have decent lives.

Pretending that US is a kind of saviour of Chinese nation through the fight with CCP is even more ridiculous than Bolton's bull*hit about Trump.

Look at Japan, the vassal country of US. When Japan became too succesful it was brought down by US through Plaza Accord.

And Japan never ever was a pretender in a race for hegemonic country, superpower country.

US-China game is about being hegemonic country. It does not matter what type of government is in China (authoritarian/dictatorship) or USA (oilgarchy). The ultimate prize of being hegemonic country and having the world reserve currency and unlimited access to world markets and resources is what counts.

The fact that China is dictatorship, makes it much easier for China in medium term like next 10 years to fight the hegemony conflict with US. And at the same time the task much tougher for US. US can in no way influence decisions of Chinese authorities through direct/indirect impact on Chinese society. Apart from this China can mobilize whole nation in a very fast and elastic way to reach its goals.

 

China is apparently going to continue to go the hegemonic route. America has helped it get to where it is now by trading with it and allowing it into the World Trade Organization. It had been doing very well prior to Emperor for Life Xi. Now things will become much more difficult because of all the oversteps in the South Sea, Hong Kong, spying, technological theft, etc. etc. The Covid 19 stealth attack was used to harm all world economies and succeeded. Tolerance for the CCP is gone, it is history. The tide has turned. China is not even following through on our trade deal. America must now lead the world in chaining the great dragon to its stool. 

[Marcin2 + 726]

I have just read first 30 pages of Bolton’s book and it is actually well written and I enjoyed it.

I did got a lot of information about the major executive branch figures but nothing that would be against my previous knowledge.

The Bolton’s book is just fool of details and short, sharp, characteristics of core Trump Cabinet members and major advisors.

Trump is described in a very positive way, as a person elected by voters and willing to meet its campaign promises. Bolton agrees with vast majority of Trump stances on foreign and national policy.

But Trump Administration is also described just as a Trump’s Administration with Presidents chaotic and inexperienced way of dealing with vast beuracracy. Simply the impression is that Donald Trump ( the same as Rex Tillerson) was not able to manage executive branch with efficiency and prowess he managed much smaller and much simpler Trump Organization.

Edited June 21, 2020 by Marcin2
Added info

[frankfurter + 562]

15 hours ago, Marcin2 said:

In my opinion US actions against China would not be much different even if China would be democracy.

US decisions like economic sanctions affect whole Chinese nation, and Chinese are becoming more and more anti-American.

Like it or not, the latest 40 years of CCP rule is the best period in the recent 4,000 years of Chinese nation from the point of view of the typical Chinese citizen.

They are not hungry and 50% of them already have decent lives.

Pretending that US is a kind of saviour of Chinese nation through the fight with CCP is even more ridiculous than Bolton's bull*hit about Trump.

Look at Japan, the vassal country of US. When Japan became too succesful it was brought down by US through Plaza Accord.

And Japan never ever was a pretender in a race for hegemonic country, superpower country.

US-China game is about being hegemonic country. It does not matter what type of government is in China (authoritarian/dictatorship) or USA (oilgarchy). The ultimate prize of being hegemonic country and having the world reserve currency and unlimited access to world markets and resources is what counts.

The fact that China is dictatorship, makes it much easier for China in medium term like next 10 years to fight the hegemony conflict with US. And at the same time the task much tougher for US. US can in no way influence decisions of Chinese authorities through direct/indirect impact on Chinese society. Apart from this China can mobilize whole nation in a very fast and elastic way to reach its goals.

 

So true.  The USA has no qualms whatsoever dealing with dictators, despots, fascists, etc, in the likes of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel, India, etc, when the USA can control. But with China, USA can neither control nor compete. 

[frankfurter + 562]

I am reading Bolton's book. Little more than ravings and ramblings. Repugnant. I shall leave a review to others. Bolton is one step shy of a lunatic. The book is now in public domain, thus Bolton will receive next to nothing for his efforts. Fittingly so. 

 

[Eyes Wide Open + 3,555]

1 hour ago, frankfurter said:

I am reading Bolton's book. Little more than ravings and ramblings. Repugnant. I shall leave a review to others. Bolton is one step shy of a lunatic. The book is now in public domain, thus Bolton will receive next to nothing for his efforts. Fittingly so. 

 

A moment of clarity....as to his efforts...https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/unauthorized-disclosure-of-classified-information.html

It seems he does not choose his battles wisely..

[Marcin2 + 726]

34 minutes ago, Eyes Wide Open said:

A moment of clarity....as to his efforts...https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/unauthorized-disclosure-of-classified-information.html

It seems he does not choose his battles wisely..

I have read only first 30 pages, but the book is just about OBVIOUS political views of Bolton and Trump. And about relations in dysfunctional Administration, has not noted any disclosure of classified information.

Edited June 22, 2020 by Marcin2
typo

[Marcin2 + 726]

1 hour ago, frankfurter said:

I am reading Bolton's book. Little more than ravings and ramblings. Repugnant. I shall leave a review to others. Bolton is one step shy of a lunatic. The book is now in public domain, thus Bolton will receive next to nothing for his efforts. Fittingly so. 

 

For me it reads well, like a good political fiction novel, like House of Cards. Maybe all Bolton has written he made up I do not know, but I like the style.

[Marcin2 + 726]

8 hours ago, ronwagn said:

China is apparently going to continue to go the hegemonic route. America has helped it get to where it is now by trading with it and allowing it into the World Trade Organization. It had been doing very well prior to Emperor for Life Xi. Now things will become much more difficult because of all the oversteps in the South Sea, Hong Kong, spying, technological theft, etc. etc. The Covid 19 stealth attack was used to harm all world economies and succeeded. Tolerance for the CCP is gone, it is history. The tide has turned. China is not even following through on our trade deal. America must now lead the world in chaining the great dragon to its stool. 

But China is already too big for US to contain. It is already 2 years since Trump started trade tariffs frenzy. Have you noticed any impact on China ? I have not. Technically China cannot breach trade deal this year as we have Covid epidemic, the best force majeure you can get.

The only hope of containing China would be if China stops developing technologically.

But US sanctions made it clear even for  the dumbest dweller of China that they need to Double down on R&D and accross the board self-sufficiency.

Where China now stands overall in technology ?
It depends which area you would consider.

They are the weakest in semiconductors and commercial airplanes ( mainly engines are problematic).Still even in that areas they are better than all countries apart from 4-5 top ones.

I am simply realist and I do not believe that 4 million Chinese R&D workers are all stupid.

[Tomasz + 1,608]

There is a very good part of the book about commitment to defend Poland and treating allies. Only to make it clear, considering that Poland is not a very important US partner in Europe, this fact and the way the treatment of the Polish side's offer is not shocking for me because in fact Trump formulates a very reasonable question even if he really dont remember details of polish proposition.

Quote

 

The US president has forgotten that he talked to Andrzej Duda about Fort Trump in Poland, says John Bolton, a former national security advisor. And the head of US diplomacy Mike Pompeo dispels plans for new permanent bases.
Bolton is the author of the book "The Room Where It Happened." He left the White House in 2019 after less than two years as a national security advisor.
This is one of the key positions in the administration of the US President. He argued with Trump among others for policy towards Iran - Bolton was in favor of an attack on the Ayatollah country that is returning to work on nuclear weapons.

His book is full of unpleasant information for the host of the White House about ignorance, lack of knowledge, business treatment of power. That's why Trump wanted to block her in court, but the claim was rejected.

Head of the Pentagon: Army in Poland rotational
Bolton's book also mentions Poland and Fort Trump. Its construction and financing (it was about $ 2 billion) as a permanent base was proposed by President Andrzej Duda during his visit to Washington in September 2018.

A former Trump adviser describes one of his later meetings with the president:

"And then [Trump] asked:" Do we really want Fort Trump [in Poland]? ". I said that in several conversations with President Andrzej Duda he agreed to the fort that Poles would pay for him, that he would be in Poland on September 1 [2019] on the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, but that did not convince him. He said he didn't remember agreeing to Fort Trump ... Esper [Mark, secretary of defense] tried to explain that the troops would be rotational, but Trump no longer listened to him and changed the subject to military maneuvers with South Korea. "

From himself, Bolton summed up the situation like this: "Either it shows his state of memory, or his ability to ignore everything he did not want to remember."

Talks about Fort Trump and the relocation of some US forces to Poland, which the White House decided to withdraw from Germany (it concerns 9.5 out of 34 thousand soldiers), are to be one of the main topics of Andrzej Duda's visit to Washington on 24 June.

Reuters informed last week that Fort Trump will not be there, because the Polish and American sides did not agree on the details. The PiS government pressed for the base to be close to the border with Russia and Belarus, but the US would like to locate it in western Poland. They also want more money for stationing troops and special status for soldiers who would be practically removed from the Polish justice system.

Pompeo explains the US strategy
The PiS government and ambassador Georgette Mosbacher denied Reuters reports.

However, the words of the head of the Pentagon, Marek Esper, quoted in Bolton's book about the rotational nature of the new US forces in Poland may be crucial.

On June 19, during the virtual Copenhagen summit on democracy, the head of US diplomacy and former defense secretary Mike Pompeo stated in the context of the presence of US soldiers in Europe and the decision to reduce power in Germany: "[Our policy on bases] Has two dimensions. Firstly, their location, and secondly, whether they should be permanent bases or better adapt them to today's world and should have a rotational character, so we can get the right equipment at the right time. (...) I was a tanker, I was an army guy. I loved it very much. I would like the whole world to revolve around M1 tanks. It would make me happy. But it's not like that.

It now revolves around large air forces, large cyber opportunities, large capabilities in various pockets. So it makes no sense to think like this: »Hey, do we have a thousand soldiers, 5,000 soldiers or 10,000 soldiers, but what is the threat to the United States of America, our friends and allies. And how can we best answer this together? "

Pompeo further explained that not only Europe is important, but also the Middle East and, above all, the Pacific, where China is growing.

The head of American diplomacy has not added it, but China is Trump's main rival. Last year, the New York Times wrote that during negotiations on Fort Trump Washington set a condition for Warsaw: the base could only be created if the Polish government casts Chinese companies out of the race for the 5G network.

During the Trump administration, the construction of the American permanent missile defense base in Redzikowo near Słupsk slowed down. It was to be ready in 2018, then in 2020, now there is talk about 2022. Instead, the shield base in Romania with far-reaching radar was launched in 2016 and has already undergone modernization.

 

 

Edited June 22, 2020 by Tomasz

[frankfurter + 562]

4 hours ago, Marcin2 said:

But China is already too big for US to contain. It is already 2 years since Trump started trade tariffs frenzy. Have you noticed any impact on China ? I have not. Technically China cannot breach trade deal this year as we have Covid epidemic, the best force majeure you can get.

The only hope of containing China would be if China stops developing technologically.

But US sanctions made it clear even for  the dumbest dweller of China that they need to Double down on R&D and accross the board self-sufficiency.

Where China now stands overall in technology ?
It depends which area you would consider.

They are the weakest in semiconductors and commercial airplanes ( mainly engines are problematic).Still even in that areas they are better than all countries apart from 4-5 top ones.

I am simply realist and I do not believe that 4 million Chinese R&D workers are all stupid.

uh, more like 40 mm.  the gaps will be closed very soon. 

[Jim Profit + 46]

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