Posted by Tina
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is following through on her promise that the US would “punish” those who voted against our decision to move our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. In what was, perhaps just a symbolic preview of things to come she announced those countries who voted with the US would be invited to attend a special event…a party:
“As I said in December, we won’t forget the Jerusalem vote,” Haley, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said. “To that end, tomorrow night, we are having a reception for the countries who chose not to oppose the U.S. position. This is a great sign of U.S. friendship, and I look forward to tomorrow evening. We hope to see more of this in 2018.”
“The United States is asked to do a huge amount around the world, and we are happy to do that. But we expect to be treated respectfully in return.”
The ultimate threat, expressed by President Trump, is that nations who continue to vote against the US will lose their US funding. Daily Caller research shows that the amount we give in aid to countries that continually disrespect America is quite high, a whopping $24 Billion!
President Trump and Ambassador Haley both know these countries have the right to vote as they please. The thing that has changed is that this team will not play a game in which America allows others to take our money with one hand while slapping us with the other…how refreshing!
In another global arena, on New Years Eve, little Kim Jong Un decided to play scary dictator:
“The entire mainland of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office. They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality.”
President Trump was having none of that. He shot back:
“North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”
Trumps tweeted remarks followed the more diplomatic Nikki Haley who warned:
“As we hear reports that North Korea might be preparing for another missile test — I hope that does not happen, but if it does — we must bring even more measures to bear on the North Korea regime,” Haley warned. “The civilized world must remain united and vigilant against the rogue state’s nuclear arsenal. We will never accept a nuclear North Korea.”
On still another front President Trump has warned the Palestinian Authority:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acknowledging his push to broker peace in the Middle East has stalled, President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to threaten to cut off U.S. aid money to the Palestinian Authority, asking why the U.S. should make “any of these massive future payments” when the Palestinians are “no longer willing to talk peace.”
Trump, in a pair of tweets, said the U.S. pays “the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect.”
“They don’t even want to negotiate a long overdue … peace treaty with Israel,” he wrote.
Looks like our foreign affairs team is armed and prepared to do real battle with those who refuse to engage in this world with dignity and mutual respect. They’ve hit the ground running right out of the gate in 2018.
Is it a smart move for America to stop giving money to folks that continue to cause problems in the world? It’s certainly a different approach and it sits well with me.
Your thoughts?
Re “The ultimate threat, expressed by President Trump, is that nations who continue to vote against the US will lose their US funding.”
Did you see the representative from Turkey angrily chastise the US for trying to bully his nation with threats of a removal of funding?
It.Was.Hilarious.
I love it when corrupt despotic regimes chastise the US. Let the defunding swiftly begin. Do it Mr. President, starting with Turkey and the “Palestinians.”
AGREE!!!!!
Interesting premise, and quite possibly will be successful in court:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/03/ex-trump-campaign-manager-manafort-sues-mueller-rosenstein-claims-russia-probe-has-gone-too-far.html
Manafort is one of the few who have standing to sue. And let’s remember this is the same DOJ/FBI who are stonewalling legitimate requests for information on their “investigations” by Clowngress.
This will be an interesting case to follow…if it isn’t settled out of court. There’s a case to be made that the government overstepped it’s bounds.
Depending on what happens in the investigations in Congress charges could be dismissed. Andrew McCarthy explains how thin the case is via PJ Media:
The middle of the night raid was way over the top since Manafort was already cooperating with justice. His rights were stepped on big time.
I don’t think it’s an accident that the DOJ has re-opened the Hillary email investigation.
As for the Russia probe, I think it’s going to take them places the Democrats would rather avoid.
This type of pettiness is unprofessional and unpresidential. It’s exactly why there’s a new drama emanating from the White House every week. Trump feeds off this type of reality-show drama, which explains how Bannon ever got a job there. I do admit to feeling a great sense of schadenfreude at watching the two duke it out, and seeing their supporters struggle to decide whose side they’re on.
Yeah, it’s really sad for the nation that Trump is demanding the leaders of all nations act responsibly, meet their obligations, and treat their own people and other nations with respect.
You crack me up, Chris. Obama let the world’s biggest bullies walk all over him and extort big money from us while getting nothing for it. He oversaw the destruction of the American middle and poor classes! And your biggest concern is “unprofessional” tweets…as if all of the phony spit and polish of Obama made him effective.
There’s no struggle here.
The party was petty. You won’t acknowledge that? You won’t acknowledge he brought the current drama with Bannon on himself? Obama has nothing to do with this.
“The party was petty”
The party? Explain.
True, Obama has nothing to do with this.
However, Obama’s presidency (his legacy) offers a useful comparison in terms of how we should treat the bullies in our world. Sorry Chris but the legacy lives on and it’s pretty pathetic. It’s never useful to reward or coddle bullies.
The so-called drama with Bannon is pretty meaningless in the overall scope of things but it does keep the talking robotic media yammering and wringing their hands.
The party you described in the first paragraph of your article.
The Bannon stuff is significant in that the president says that his former top adviser has “lost his mind…” meaning the president cannot be trusted to surround himself with intelligent or trustworthy people, despite his claims to the contrary.
But everyone paying attention already knew that, and no one who doesn’t know it by now will be persuaded otherwise. So I guess it isn’t significant.
Thanks for clarifying Chris but I still have to guess that you were talking about Nikki Haley and not the Republican “Party.” Too lazy to go back and pick up her name?
“…the president cannot be trusted to surround himself with intelligent or trustworthy people”
Mike Pence, Rex Tillerson, Jim Mattis, Steven Mnuchin, Ryan Zinke, Sonny Purdue, Jeff Sessions, Wilbur Ross, Alex Acosta, Eric Hargen Betsey DeVoss, Elaine Chao, Rick Perry, Ben Carson, Kirstjen Nielsen, David Shulkin, John Kelly, Robert Lighthizer, Dan Coats, Nikki Haley, Mike Mulvany, Mike Pompeo, Scott Pruett, and Linda McMahon are all very accomplished and capable people.
I don’t think you believe these people are not “intelligent or trustworthy.”
What does casting aspersions on them to take a pot shot at Trump buy you at this point in time, Chris?
Aren’t you just being petty…and mean spirited…and thoughtless.
Thanks for clarifying Chris but I still have to guess that you were talking about Nikki Haley and not the Republican “Party.” Too lazy to go back and pick up her name?
You can’t go back to your first paragraph that you wrote and figure out that I’m talking about the actual party Nikki Haley threw where she only invited the countries that voted with the U.S. and not a political party, and I’m the lazy one? Use context clues.
“Use context clues.”
Read what I wrote to begin with!
The “party” was a reception, something that happens often at the UN.
Diplomacy is about talking (often at receptions), symbolism and gestures.
You call it petty.
I call it smart.
You sure are cranky about what amounts to very small things.
I notice you have nothing to say about the alleged criminality that underscores the previous administration. These are decidedly not petty concerns.
And by the way there is NOT a new drama going on in the WH every week. There is a lot of drama going on in the extremely inventive lefty media on a daily basis. perhaps you should pay more attention the actual events and facts.