Opinion Piece

Dick Morris: Trump Is Waging (and Winning) a Peaceful World War III Against China

The stakes could not be higher in President Trump’s economic trade war with China. They go far beyond any usual economic conflict and amount to an economic World War III.

The issue is not just American jobs. It is the desire of one nation to rule the world — the same paradigm as we confronted in World War II and in the Cold War.

The current global ruler is the benign United States. We seek economic power to help the nations of the world — all of them — live free from want and fear. Whatever our shortcomings, our domination is benign and important only to stop more malign contenders from getting their hands on global power.

Were China just another aspirant seeking to surpass America, wanting its turn at number one — as was Japan in the 1970s and 1980s — it would not be the matter of national security that the threat from China represents. If China’s ambition was just more wealth and power, go to it. Have at it.

But China’s aspiration to worldwide domination is anything but benign. It is a combination of Spanish mercantilism and English imperialism, seasoned with Prussian militarism and Russian expansionism. The goal is to reduce the rest of the world to colonial or dominion status, controlled politically, socially, intellectually, and economically by China.

Moar https://www.westernjournal.com/dick-morris-trump-waging-winning-peaceful-world-war-iii-china/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=deepsix&fbclid=IwAR1URQbMnWSVJUSFVQMOEv2xHEbKWliZAvXpXUguf9LB44qgYtmzjfX09eY

>>6645691

Trump Declares Trade War On India, Imposes New Tariffs

President Trump has a victory present for newly re-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi - and it's the economic equivalent of a flaming bag of feces left on India's doorstep.

In his latest act of protectionist aggression in what has already been an action-packed week, Trump late Friday announced that his administration was terminating India's designation as a developing nation under a trade program that allowed Indian exporters to ship 2,000 products into the US duty free. The decision to revoke India's preferential trade status, which mirrors Trump's decision to revoke Turkey's status under the program a few weeks back, comes one day after Modi was sworn in for a second term.

Under the decades-old program - known as the Generalized System of Preferences - Indian companies were able to avoid some $5.7 billion in duties back in 2017.

The new standards will take effect June 5.

"I have determined that India has not assured the United States that India will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets," Trump said in a proclamation on Friday evening. "Accordingly, it is appropriate to terminate India’s designation as a beneficiary developing country effective June 5, 2019."

The decision isn't unexpected: The White House warned back in March that it could end India's preferential treatment if India didn't agree to certain reforms, but it decided to hold off so as to not hurt Modi politically during the run up to the election. According to Bloomberg, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has become increasingly frustrated with India’s trade barriers and practices. The trade rep has taken issue with the country’s self-designation as a developing nation at the World Trade Organization.

The White House's Friday proclamation also imposes tariffs on solar cells and washing machines from India and Turkey. Those tariffs had been imposed by Trump in 2018, but India and Turkey had been exempt because of their status as developing nations under the GSP

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-01/trump-declares-trade-war-india-imposes-new-tariffs

Pentagon chief Shanahan says US done ‘tiptoeing’ around China, but did it ever?Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan vowed to quit “tiptoeing” over Beijing in the South China Sea after the Pentagon repeatedly sent warships and B-52 bombers near Chinese borders.

“We’re not going to ignore Chinese behavior and I think in the past people have kind of tiptoed around that,” Patrick Shanahan told the audience at an event in Singapore on Saturday. It happened a day after he held talks with his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, and came out of the meeting accusing Beijing of trying to “destabilize” the region.

The Pentagon chief blasted Chinese military sites on the disputed reefs and islets in the South China Sea as a “toolkit of coercion” and “overkill,” promising that Washington will not ignore the increasing Chinese presence there.

Shanahan did not specify what new measures he plans to enact to challenge Beijing but so far the US policy has been anything but ‘tiptoeing’ – unless by ‘tiptoeing’ Washington means sending warships near Chinese territorial waters.

The South China Sea remains a volatile region due to multiple disputed territories, claimed by a variety of neighboring states. It also remains vital for its many shipping routes.

In recent years, the Pentagon stepped up its so-called freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) at China’s doorstep. The US ships typically sail within 12 nautical miles (22km) of islets held by Beijing. This is as close as they can get under international law without violating the nation’s maritime borders.

Moar. https://www.rt.com/news/460819-patrick-shanahan-china-comments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

Donald Trump says Boris Johnson would be 'excellent' Tory leader

Donald Trump has said Boris Johnson would be an "excellent" choice for the Conservative Party leadership.

In an interview with the Sun ahead of his visit to the UK, Mr Trump said: "I think Boris would do a very good job."

The US president said other candidates had sought his endorsement, adding: "I could help anybody."

His comments came as Home Secretary Sajid Javid became the latest leadership contender to say he was prepared to leave the EU with no deal.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Javid ruled out holding another referendum, an early general election or revoking Article 50 to end the Brexit process.

'Very talented person'

As the UK braces for Mr Trump's visit with a multi-million-pound security operation, Mr Trump said he had been paying close attention to the Tory leadership contest, which will decide the UK's next prime minister.

He said: "I actually have studied it very hard. I know the different players. But I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent. I like him. I have always liked him.

"I don't know that he is going to be chosen but I think he is a very good guy, a very talented person."

Mr Johnson has not responded to Mr Trump's endorsement, and has been critical of the US president in the past.

In 2015 the then-mayor of London said Mr Trump's remarks about alleged "no-go areas" of London "betray a quite stupefying ignorance", and made him "unfit to hold the office of president of the United States".

He added that he "wouldn't want to expose Londoners to any unnecessary risk of meeting Donald Trump".

And when Mr Trump's administration attempted to bar people from entering the US from Muslim countries in 2017, Mr Johnson said the policy was "divisive and wrong".

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48478706

>>6645728

Justice delayed is setting the stage. We have one shot at it. Comey did us a favor in 2016. If he pulls the trigger then, she walks. Think logically. And he damaged her right before the election in the same presser.

Pentagon chief Shanahan says US done ‘tiptoeing’ around China, but did it ever?

Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan vowed to quit “tiptoeing” over Beijing in the South China Sea after the Pentagon repeatedly sent warships and B-52 bombers near Chinese borders.

“We’re not going to ignore Chinese behavior and I think in the past people have kind of tiptoed around that,” Patrick Shanahan told the audience at an event in Singapore on Saturday. It happened a day after he held talks with his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, and came out of the meeting accusing Beijing of trying to “destabilize” the region.

The Pentagon chief blasted Chinese military sites on the disputed reefs and islets in the South China Sea as a “toolkit of coercion” and “overkill,” promising that Washington will not ignore the increasing Chinese presence there.

Shanahan did not specify what new measures he plans to enact to challenge Beijing but so far the US policy has been anything but ‘tiptoeing’ – unless by ‘tiptoeing’ Washington means sending warships near Chinese territorial waters.

The South China Sea remains a volatile region due to multiple disputed territories, claimed by a variety of neighboring states. It also remains vital for its many shipping routes.

In recent years, the Pentagon stepped up its so-called freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) at China’s doorstep. The US ships typically sail within 12 nautical miles (22km) of islets held by Beijing. This is as close as they can get under international law without violating the nation’s maritime borders.

Moar. https://www.rt.com/news/460819-patrick-shanahan-china-comments/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

Iran may hold talks if shown respect, international rules followed: Rouhani

WORLD NEWSJUNE 1, 2019 / 1:38 PM /

DUBAI (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday suggested Iran may be willing to hold talks if the United States showed respect and followed international rules, but Tehran would not be pressured into negotiations, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Tehran has repeatedly denounced Washington’s withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers as a breach of international regulations and rejected U.S. sanctions as efforts to bully the Islamic republic into agreeing to talks toward a new accord.

“We are for logic and talks if (the other side) sits respectfully at the negotiating table and follows international regulations, not if it issues an order to negotiate,” Rouhani said, according to Fars.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-rouhani/iran-may-hold-talks-if-shown-respect-international-rules-followed-rouhani-idUSKCN1T23BE

Corbyn accuses Trump of interfering in UK politics with Johnson comments

JUNE 1, 2019 / 1:15 PM /

LONDON (Reuters) - UK Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Saturday U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments endorsing Conservative front-runner Boris Johnson as the next prime minister were an “unacceptable interference” in Britain’s affairs.

In an interview with the Sun newspaper ahead of his three-day state visit to Britain next week, Trump said of the former foreign secretary: “I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent.”

Other Conservative lawmakers in the leadership race had sought his backing, he said, although not environment minister Michael Gove, who has criticized his stance on Iran.

Veteran Socialist Corbyn, who has declined an invitation to attend a state banquet with Trump during the visit, said: “President Trump’s attempt to decide who will be Britain’s next prime minister is an entirely unacceptable interference in our country’s democracy.”

He added in a statement on Saturday: “The next prime minister should be chosen not by the U.S. president, nor by 100,000 unrepresentative Conservative party members, but by the British people in a general election.”

Moar>> https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-britain-trump-corbyn/corbyn-accuses-trump-of-interfering-in-uk-politics-with-johnson-comments-idUSKCN1T23AS

>>6646098

I can't make it out

>>6645947

Justice delayed is setting the stage. We have one shot at it. Comey did us a favor in 2016. If he pulls the trigger then, she walks. Think logically. And he damaged her right before the election in the same presser.

Quakes in Albania damage 100 homes, four injured

FLOQ, Albania (Reuters) - Six earthquakes in the space of two hours, the first with a magnitude of 5.3, shook south-eastern Albania on Saturday, injuring four people and causing damage to 100 houses, authorities and eyewitnesses said.

Four people were hurt from the collapse of the walls, roofs and plaster of their houses, and were taken to hospital in the region’s main town of Korce in eastern Albania, the Defence Ministry said.

“It was 06:30 when I went out to milk the cows when the earthquake struck. I woke up the children and the adults and we ran outside, all of us,” Petrit, 60, told Reuters in the village of Floq, the epicenter of the earthquakes.

Moar>> https://www.reuters.com/article/us-albania-quake/quakes-in-albania-damage-100-homes-four-injured-idUSKCN1T22ZS

>>6646254

Hell of a bread baker well done!

>>6646271

Sure they would if they were under cover.

>>6646305

Rod Rosenstien advised Trump to fire Comey so Comey could leak his memo which sparked the calling for a special counsel ( Mueller). So Mueller could investigate and expose election collusion from Clinton and the DNC. NOT TRUMP. Checkmate.