Showing posts with label Donald Trump. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donald Trump. Show all posts
Thursday 21 June 2018
Trump's Truth
Trump’s ‘truth’
The Truth
Reuters, 15 June 2018:
MUNICH, Germany
(Reuters) - Jean-Claude Juncker has been called many things during his
premiership of Luxembourg and presidency of the European Commission, but
probably never what he says U.S. President Donald Trump called him at the
weekend: “a brutal killer”….
“I think he meant it as
a compliment, but I am not sure.”…..
European Union countries
on Thursday unanimously backed a plan to impose import duties on 2.8 billion
euros’ ($3.3 billion) worth of U.S. products in response to U.S. tariffs on EU
steel and aluminum, EU sources said.
Express
UK, 10 May
2018:
EU chief Jean-Claude
Juncker has said Europe needs to “replace” the United States as a world
superpower in the midst of an angry outburst after President Donald Trump
confirmed he was pulling the US out of the Iran nuclear deal.
Euro
News, 3 March
2018:
European Commission
chief Jean-Claude Juncker has vowed to fight back against US President Donald
Trump's threat of a 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminium imports.
"So now we will
also impose import tariffs. This is basically a stupid process, the fact that
we have to do this. But we have to do it. We will now impose tariffs on
motorcycles, Harley Davidson, on blue jeans, Levis, on Bourbon. We can also do
stupid. We also have to be this stupid," he said in Hamburg on Friday
evening.
Labels:
Donald Trump,
lies and lying
Tuesday 19 June 2018
Worshipping Trump has a scary parallel
United States of America, May 2018
Deutsches Reich, also known as the Third Reich, circa 1933-1945@POTUS is honest and old school, and that's why my family and I love him! He's the BEST AND WISEST AND MOST LOVING AND PATRIOTIC POTUS EVER!! Thank God 🙏🇺🇸🚂— Mama Da Bear (@MamaDaBear) May 29, 2018
'Dedicated: in
unutterable thanks to the blessed parents the mother who gave birth to "Our Furhrer"' - Text of a handmade Mother's Day card sent to Adolf Hitler [Daily Beast, 12 April 2015]
Labels:
Adolf Hitler,
Donald Trump
Wednesday 13 June 2018
Trump versus the world
US President Donald J. Trump attended all photo opportunities on first day of the G7 Summit in Canada, but reportedly appeared inattentive during some of the working sessions, arrived late for a working breakfast and left the country before dinner on the second day of three day gathering.
His early departure avoided further climate change discussions, challenging interactions such as this image caught on camera and, being still physically at the summit when he publicly refused to sign the 44th G7 Communique set out below.
Photograph by Jecsco Denzel
Before boarding the plane to leave this summit Trump threatened an all-out trade war.
It appears Economics 101 is a little beyond the intellectual reach of Donald Trump. Though I am certain one section of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, would at least have attempted to inform his senior staff that the economic loss to America in the type of trade war he is threatening would be in the trillions of dollars, with an accompanying reduction in consumer choice and a probable rise in unemployment.
44th G7 Communique
LA
MALBAIE, Quebec (Reuters) - 1. We, the Leaders of the G7, have come together in
Charlevoix, Quebec on June 8–9, 2018, guided by our shared values of freedom,
democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and our commitment to
promote a rules-based international order. As advanced economies and leading
democracies, we share a fundamental commitment to investing in our citizens and
meeting their needs and to responding to global challenges. We collectively
affirm our strong determination to achieve a clean environment, clean air, and
clean water. We are resolved to work together in creating a healthy,
prosperous, sustainable and fair future for all.
Investing
in Growth that Works for Everyone
2.
We share the responsibility of working together to stimulate sustainable
economic growth that benefits everyone and in particular those most at risk of
being left behind. We welcome the contribution of technological change and
global integration to global economic recovery and increased job creation. The
global economic outlook continues to improve, but too few citizens have
benefited from that economic growth. While resilience against risk has improved
among emerging market economies, recent market movements remind us of potential
vulnerabilities. We will continue monitoring market developments and using all
policy tools to support strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth that
generates widespread prosperity. We reaffirm our existing exchange rate
commitments. We commit to promoting smart, sustainable and high-quality
investments – such as in infrastructure – to boost growth and productivity and
create quality jobs. Economic Growth is fundamental to raising living
standards. We also recognize that economic output alone is insufficient for
measuring success and acknowledge the importance of monitoring other societal
and economic indicators that measure prosperity and well-being. We are
committed to removing the barriers that keep our citizens, including women and
marginalized individuals, from participating fully in the global economy. We
endorse the Charlevoix Commitment on Equality and Economic Growth which
reinforces our commitment to eradicate poverty, advance gender equality, foster
income equality, ensure better access to financial resources and create decent
work and quality of life for all.
3.
In order to ensure that everyone pays their fair share, we will exchange
approaches and support international efforts to deliver fair, progressive,
effective and efficient tax systems. We will continue to fight tax evasion and
avoidance by promoting the global implementation of international standards and
addressing base erosion and profit shifting. The impacts of the digitalization
of the economy on the international tax system remain key outstanding issues.
We welcome the OECD interim report analyzing the impact of digitalization of
the economy on the international tax system. We are committed to work together
to seek a consensus based solution by 2020.
4.
We acknowledge that free, fair, and mutually beneficial trade and investment,
while creating reciprocal benefits, are key engines for growth and job
creation. We recommit to the conclusions on trade of the Hamburg G20 Summit, in
particular, we underline the crucial role of a rules-based international
trading system and continue to fight protectionism. We note the importance of
bilateral, regional and plurilateral agreements being open, transparent,
inclusive and WTO-consistent, and commit to working to ensure they complement
the multilateral trade agreements. We commit to modernize the WTO to make it
more fair as soon as possible. We strive to reduce tariff barriers, non-tariff
barriers and subsidies.
5.
We will work together to enforce existing international rules and develop new
rules where needed, to foster a truly level playing field, addressing in
particular non-market oriented policies and practices, and inadequate
protection of intellectual property rights such as forced technology transfer
or cyber enabled theft. We call for the start of negotiations – this year – to
develop stronger, international rules on market-distorting industrial subsidies
and trade distorting actions by state-owned enterprises. We also call on all
members of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity to fully and promptly
implement its recommendations. We stress the urgent need to avoid excess
capacity in other sectors such as aluminum and high technology. We call on the
International Working Group on Export Credits to develop a new set of
guidelines for government supported export credits, as soon as possible in
2019.
6.
To support growth and equal participation that benefits everyone, and ensure
our citizens lead healthy and productive lives, we commit to supporting strong,
sustainable health systems that promote access to quality and affordable
healthcare and to bringing greater attention to mental health. We support
efforts to promote and protect women’s and adolescents’ health and well-being
through evidence based healthcare and health information. We recognize the
World Health Organization’s vital role in health emergencies, including through
the Contingency Fund for Emergencies and the World Bank’s Pandemic Emergency
Financing Facility, and emphasize their need for further development and
continued and sustainable financing. We recommit to support our 76 partners to
strengthen their implementation of the International Health Regulations,
including through their development of costed national action plans and the use
of diverse sources of financing and multi-stakeholder resources. We will
prioritize and coordinate our global efforts to fight against antimicrobial
resistance, in a “one health” approach. We will accelerate our efforts to end
tuberculosis, and its resistant forms. We reconfirm our resolve to work with
partners to eradicate polio and effectively manage the post-polio transition.
We affirm our support for a successful replenishment of the Global Fund in
2019.
7.
Public finance, including official development assistance and domestic resource
mobilization, is necessary to work towards the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, but alone is insufficient to support the
economic growth and sustainable development necessary to lift all populations
from poverty. As a result, we have committed to the Charlevoix Commitment on
Innovative Financing for Development to promote economic growth in developing
economies and foster greater equality of opportunity within and between
countries. We will continue to invest in quality infrastructure with open
access. Given rising debt levels in Low Income Countries and the importance of
debt sustainability, we call for greater debt transparency not only from Low
Income Debtor countries, but also emerging sovereign lenders and private
creditors. We support the ongoing work of the Paris Club, as the principal
international forum for restructuring official bilateral debt, towards the
broader inclusion of emerging creditors. We recognize the value in development
and humanitarian assistance that promotes greater equality of opportunity, and
gender equality, and prioritizes the most vulnerable, and will continue to work
to develop innovative financing models to ensure that no one is left behind.
8.
We are resolved to ensure that all workers have access to the skills and
education necessary to adapt and prosper in the new world of work brought by
innovation through emerging technologies. We will promote innovation through a
culture of lifelong learning among current and future generations of workers.
We will expand market-driven training and education, particularly for girls and
women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. We
recognize the need to remove barriers to women’s leadership and equal
opportunity to participate in all aspects of the labor market, including by
eliminating violence, discrimination and harassment within and beyond the
workplace. We will explore innovative new approaches to apprenticeship and
vocational learning, as well as opportunities to engage employers and improve
access to workplace training.
9.
We highlight the importance of working towards making social protection more
effective and efficient and creating quality work environments for workers,
including those in non-standard forms of work. Expanding communication and
collaboration between governments and businesses, social partners, educational
institutions and other relevant stakeholders will be essential for preparing
workers to adapt and thrive in the new world of work. To realize the benefits
of artificial intelligence (AI), we endorse the Charlevoix Common Vision for
the Future of Artificial Intelligence. We recognize that a human-centric
approach to AI has the potential to introduce new sources of economic growth,
bring significant benefits to our societies and help address some of our most
pressing challenges.
Advancing
Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
10.
We recognize that gender equality is fundamental for the fulfillment of human
rights and is a social and economic imperative. However, gender inequality
persists despite decades of international commitments to eliminate these
differences. We will continue to work to remove barriers to women’s
participation and decision-making in social, economic and political spheres as
well as increase the opportunities for all to participate equally in all aspects
of the labor market. Our path forward will promote women’s full economic
participation through working to reduce the gender wage gap, supporting women
business leaders and entrepreneurs and recognizing the value of unpaid care
work.
11.
Equal access to quality education is vital to achieve the empowerment and equal
opportunity of girls and women, especially in developing contexts and countries
struggling with conflict. Through the Charlevoix Declaration on Quality
Education for Girls, Adolescent Girls and Women in Developing Countries, we
demonstrate our commitment to increase opportunities for at least 12 years of
safe and quality education for all and to dismantle the barriers to girls’ and
women’s quality education, particularly in emergencies and in conflict-affected
and fragile states. We recognize that marginalized girls, such as those with a
disability, face additional barriers in attaining access to education.
12.
Advancing gender equality and ending violence against girls and women benefits
all and is a shared responsibility in which everyone, including men and boys,
has a critical role to play. We endorse the Charlevoix Commitment to End Sexual
and Gender-Based Violence, Abuse and Harassment in Digital Contexts, and are
resolved to end all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. We strive for a
future where individuals’ human rights are equally protected both offline and
online; and where everyone has equal opportunity to participate in political,
social, economic and cultural endeavors.
Building
a More Peaceful and Secure World
13.
We share a responsibility to build a more peaceful and secure world,
recognizing that respect for human rights, the rule of law, and equality of
opportunity are necessary for lasting security and to enable economic growth
that works for everyone. The global security threats we face are complex and
evolving and we commit to working together to counter terrorism. We welcome the
outcome of the international conference on the fight against terrorist
financing held in Paris April 25-26, 2018. Foreign terrorist fighters must be
held accountable for their actions. We are committed to addressing the use of
the internet for terrorist purposes, including as a tool for recruitment,
training, propaganda and financing, and by working with partners such as the
Global Internet Forum for Counter Terrorism. We underscore the importance of
taking concrete measures to eradicate trafficking in persons, forced labor,
child labor and all forms of slavery, including modern slavery.
14.
Recognizing that countries that are more equal are also more stable, more
peaceful and more democratic, we are resolved to strengthen the implementation
of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Gender-sensitive measures that
include women’s participation and perspectives to prevent and eradicate
terrorism are vital to effective and sustainable results, protection from
sexual and gender-based violence, and preventing other human rights abuses and
violations.
15.
We commit to take concerted action in responding to foreign actors who seek to
undermine our democratic societies and institutions, our electoral processes,
our sovereignty and our security as outlined in the Charlevoix Commitment on
Defending Democracy from Foreign Threats. We recognize that such threats,
particularly those originating from state actors, are not just threats to G7
nations, but to international peace and security and the rules-based
international order. We call on others to join us in addressing these growing
threats by increasing the resilience and security of our institutions,
economies and societies, and by taking concerted action to identify and hold to
account those who would do us harm.
16.
We continue to call on North Korea to completely, verifiably, and irreversibly
dismantle all of its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missiles
as well as its related programs and facilities. We acknowledge recent
developments, including North Korea’s announcement of a moratorium on nuclear
testing and ballistic missile launches, a commitment to denuclearization made
in the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration – assuming full implementation – and the
apparent closure of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site on May 24 but reiterate
the importance of full denuclearization. The dismantlement of all of its WMD
and ballistic missiles will lead to a more positive future for all people on
the Korean Peninsula and a chance of prosperity for the people of North Korea,
who have suffered for too long. However, more must be done and we call on all
states to maintain strong pressure, including through full implementation of
relevant UNSCRs, to urge North Korea to change its course and take decisive and
irreversible steps. In this context, we once again call upon North Korea to
respect the human rights of its people and resolve the abductions issue
immediately.
17.
We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing behavior, to undermine democratic
systems and its support of the Syrian regime. We condemn the attack using a
military grade nerve agent in Salisbury, United Kingdom. We share and agree
with the United Kingdom’s assessment that it is highly likely that the Russian
Federation was responsible for the attack, and that there is no plausible
alternative explanation. We urge Russia to live up to its international
obligations, as well as its responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN
Security Council, to uphold international peace and security. Notwithstanding,
we will continue to engage with Russia on addressing regional crises and global
challenges, where it is in our interests. We reiterate our condemnation of the
illegal annexation of Crimea and reaffirm our enduring support for Ukrainian
sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally
recognized borders. We maintain our commitment to assisting Ukraine in
implementing its ambitious and necessary reform agenda. We recall that the
continuation of sanctions is clearly linked to Russia’s failure to demonstrate
complete implementation of its commitments in the Minsk Agreements and respect
for Ukraine’s sovereignty and we fully support the efforts within the Normandy
Format and of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for a
solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Should its actions so require, we
also stand ready to take further restrictive measures in order to increase
costs on Russia. We remain committed to support Russian civil society and to
engage and invest in people-to-people contact.
18.
We strongly condemn the murderous brutality of Daesh and its oppression of
civilian populations under its control. As an international community, we
remain committed to the eradication of Daesh and its hateful ideology. In Syria
we also condemn the repeated and morally reprehensible use of chemical weapons
by the Syrian regime and by Daesh. We call on the supporters of the regime to
ensure compliance with its obligation to declare and dismantle remaining
chemical weapons. We deplore the fact that Syria assumed the Presidency of the
Conference on Disarmament in May, given its consistent and flagrant disregard
of international non-proliferation norms and agreements. We reaffirm our
collective commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention and call on all States
to support the upcoming Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
(OPCW) special Conference of States Parties and to work together to strengthen
the ability of the OPCW to promote the implementation of the Convention. We
call upon those who have yet to do so to join the International Partnership
Against the Use of Chemical Weapons. We call for credible, inclusive and
non-sectarian governance in Syria, facilitated by free and fair elections held
to the highest international standards of transparency and accountability, with
all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate.
19.
We remain concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and
reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that could escalate
tensions and undermine regional stability and the international rules-based
order. We urge all parties to pursue demilitarization of disputed features. We
are committed to taking a strong stance against human rights abuse, human
trafficking, and corruption across the globe, especially as it impacts
vulnerable populations and we call upon the international community to take
strong action against these abuses all over the world. We welcome the recent
commitments made by Myanmar and we pledge to coordinate efforts to build
lasting peace and support democratic transition in Myanmar, particularly in the
context of the ongoing Rohingya crisis, to allow safe and unhindered
humanitarian access and the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of refugees
and displaced people. We are deeply concerned about the lack of respect for
human rights and basic democratic principles in Venezuela, as well as the
spiraling economic crisis and its humanitarian repercussions. We express our
concern at the continuous deterioration of the situation in Yemen and renew our
call for all parties to fully comply with international humanitarian law and
human rights law.
20.
Recognizing the threat Iran’s ballistic missile program poses to international
peace and security, we call upon Iran to refrain from launches of ballistic
missiles and all other activities which are inconsistent with UNSCR 2231 –
including all annexes – and destabilizing for the region, and cease proliferation
of missile technology. We are committed to permanently ensuring that Iran’s
nuclear program remains peaceful, in line
21.
We remain concerned about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially in the
light of recent events. We support the resumption without delay of substantive
peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians aimed at achieving a negotiated
solution that ensures the peace and security for both parties. We stress the
importance of addressing as soon as possible the dire and deteriorating
humanitarian and security situation in the Gaza strip.
22.
Africa’s security, stability, and sustainable development are high priorities
for us, and we reiterate our support for African-led initiatives, including at
a regional level. We reiterate our commitment to work in partnership with the
African continent, supporting the African Union Agenda 2063, to realize
Africa’s potential. We will promote African capabilities to better prevent,
respond to, and manage crisis and conflicts and to strengthen democratic
institutions. We reiterate our commitment to the stabilization, unity and
democracy of Libya, which is key for the stability of the Mediterranean region
and of Europe. We support the efforts of the Special Representative of the UNSG
Salamé in pursuing an inclusive political process founded on his Action Plan
and we encourage all Libyan and regional actors to uphold their constructive
engagement as outlined in the June 2018 UNSC Presidential statement. We support
the efforts of the Presidency Council and the GNA to consolidate State
institutions.
Working
Together on Climate Change, Oceans and Clean Energy
23.
A healthy planet and sustainable economic growth are mutually beneficial, and
therefore, we are pursuing global efforts towards a sustainable and resilient
future that creates jobs for our citizens. We firmly support the broad
participation and leadership of young people, girls and women in promoting
sustainable development. We collectively affirm our strong determination to
achieve a clean environment, clean air, clean water and healthy soil. We commit
to ongoing action to strengthen our collective energy security and demonstrate
leadership in ensuring that our energy systems continue to drive sustainable
economic growth. We recognize that each country may chart its own path to
achieving a low-emission future. We look forward to adopting a common set of
guidelines at UNFCCC COP 24.
24.
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European
Union reaffirm their strong commitment to implement the Paris Agreement,
through ambitious climate action, in particular through reducing emissions
while stimulating innovation, enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening and
financing resilience and reducing vulnerability, as well as ensuring a just
transition, including increasing efforts to mobilize climate finance from a
wide variety of sources. We discussed the key role of energy transitions
through the development of market based clean energy technologies and the
importance of carbon pricing, technology collaboration and innovation to
continue advancing economic growth and protect the environment as part of
sustainable, resilient and low-carbon energy systems, as well as financing
adaptive capacity. We reaffirm the commitment that we have made to our citizens
to reduce air and water pollution and our greenhouse gas emissions to reach a
global carbon-neutral economy over the course of the second half of the
century. We welcome the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution
titled “Towards a Global Pact for the Environment” and look forward to the
presentation of a report by the Secretary-General in the next General Assembly.
25.
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European
Union will promote the fight against climate change through collaborative
partnerships and work with all relevant partners, in particular all levels of
government; local, Indigenous, remote coastal and small island communities; as
well as with the private sector, international organizations and civil society
to identify and assess policy gaps, needs and best practices. We recognize the
contribution of the One Planet conferences to this collective effort.
26.
The United States believes sustainable economic growth and development depends
on universal access to affordable and reliable energy resources. It commits to
ongoing action to strengthen the worlds’ collective energy security, including
through policies that facilitates open, diverse, transparent, liquid and secure
global markets for all energy sources. The United States will continue to
promote energy security and economic growth in a manner that improves the health
of the world’s oceans and environment, while increasing public-private
investments in energy infrastructure and technology that advances the ability
of countries to produce, transport, and use all available energy sources based
on each country’s national circumstances. The United States will endeavor to
work closely with other countries to help them access and use fossil fuels more
cleanly and efficiently and help deploy renewable and other clean energy
sources, given the importance of energy access and security in their Nationally
Determined Contributions. The United States believes in the key role of energy
transitions through the development of market-based clean energy technologies
and the importance of technology collaboration and innovation to continue
advancing economic growth and protect the environment as part of sustainable,
resilient, and clean energy systems. The United States reiterates its
commitment to advancing sustainable economic growth, and underscores the
importance of continued action to reduce air and water pollution.
27.
Recognizing that healthy oceans and seas directly support the livelihoods, food
security and economic prosperity of billions of people, we met with the heads
of state or government of the Argentina, Bangladesh, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya,
Marshall Islands, Norway, Rwanda (Chair of the African Union), Senegal,
Seychelles, South Africa, Vietnam, and the heads of the United Nations, the
International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development, to discuss concrete actions to protect the health
of marine environments and ensure a sustainable use of marine resources as part
of a renewed agenda to increase global biodiversity protection. We endorse the
Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal
Communities, and will improve oceans knowledge, promote sustainable oceans and
fisheries, support resilient coasts and coastal communities and address ocean
plastic waste and marine litter. Recognizing that plastics play an important
role in our economy and daily lives but that the current approach to producing,
using, managing and disposing of plastics and poses a significant threat to the
marine environment, to livelihoods and potentially to human health, we the Leaders
of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the European Union
endorse the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter.
Conclusion
28.
We share the responsibility of working together to stimulate sustainable
economic growth that benefits everyone, and, in particular, those most at risk
of being left behind. We would like to thank our citizens, civil society, the
Gender Equality Advisory Council, the Formal G7 Engagement Groups and other
partners for their meaningful input to Canada’s presidency. We welcome the
offer of the President of France to host our next Summit in 2019 and his pledge
to continue G7 leadership on our common agenda.
Saturday 2 June 2018
US President Donald Trump's businesses lost $100 million over the past year
In 2005 Donald J. Trump unsuccessfully sued an author who stated that he was not as rich as he claimed to be.
The author had written that Trump was only worth between $150-$250 million.
Over a decade later and his 2016 claim of a fortune in excess of $10 billion is looking a lot like delusional thinking.
The latest assessment is that Trump's net worth is around $2.8 billion, down from $2.9 billion in 2017.
If he continues to lose money at this rate he will probaly leave office a lot poorer than when he came in.
The New York Post, 31 May 2018:
President Donald Trump’s
businesses lost $100 million over the past year, with revenues sinking at Trump
Tower and his golf courses — though he’s still a billionaire with a net worth
of roughly $2.8 billion.
The drop, his second in
two years, was based on figures compiled by
the Bloomberg Billionaires Index from lenders, property records, annual
reports, market data and a May 16 financial disclosure, the news service
reported.
During the same period,
his once-hugely marketable brand has also taken a hit as assorted scandals and
controversies prompted the owners of buildings from Manhattan to Toronto and
Panama stripped his name from their buildings.
The most recent
estimate, down from $2.9 billion last June, is the lowest since Bloomberg began
tracking Trump’s wealth in 2015.
The biggest declines,
totaling $220 million, came from adjacent buildings in midtown Manhattan — 6 E.
57th St., which had housed a Niketown store, and Trump Tower, where lower
occupancy resulted in less income.
The Trump Organization’s
16 golf and resort properties also dropped in value, by $70 million, as revenue
fell at some courses and gained at others.
Losers included Trump’s
Doral, Palm Beach and Mar-a-Lago clubs in Florida, while his courses in
Scotland and Ireland posted revenue gains. Annual reports for those overseas
properties, which have historically lost money, are expected later this year
and will show whether they were profitable.
Overall, the clubs are
now worth about $650 million, based on lower valuations across the industry……
Labels:
Donald Trump,
Wealth
Saturday 26 May 2018
Quotes of the Week
“The Trump
administration did not rise, prima facie, like Venus on a half shell from the
sea. Donald Trump is the result of a long process of political, cultural and
social decay. He is a product of our failed democracy. The longer we perpetuate
the fiction that we live in a functioning democracy, that Trump and the
political mutations around him are somehow an aberrant deviation that can be
vanquished in the next election, the more we will hurtle toward tyranny.” [Journalist
Chris Hedges, writing in truthdig,
20 May 2018]
“…it is notable that in the past few weeks I've received close to 1,000
representations from local Greenway residents by email, phone and in person
regarding the latest reports of systemic abuse in the live animal
trade for sheep.”
[Labor
MP for Greenway Michelle Rowland, Hansard,
21 May 2018]
“If you were even peripherally aware of history, you’d know that people
subjected to lifelong exploitation, forced into a precarious existence or
buried under annually compounding debts will, eventually, wheel guillotines
into the town square and start taking names.” [Journalist
and former Australian senator Scott
Ludlam writing in The
Guardian, 25 May 2018]
Labels:
Donald Trump,
live animal exports,
people power
Saturday 5 May 2018
Quote of the Week
“One
of the distinguishing traits of the troll-style politics that dominates
Trump-era conservatism is the utter disregard for any values outside of winning
at all costs and, perhaps even more importantly, defeating liberals. Decency,
political norms and truth itself are all treated as acceptable casualties in
the endless quest to fuck with the left.
But while many of
the excesses of the right seem new, the reality is that the Trumpian right is
just the outgrowth from roots laid years, even decades ago, in the American
right. The racism and sexism, the conspiracy theories, the harping about
political correctness? All of it goes back decades and is only exploding out of
control now because the right wing political infrastructure has let these foul ideologies
and stupid ideas flourish for so long.” [Author Amanda Marcotte, Troll
Nation: How The Right Became Trump-Worshipping Monsters Set On Rat-F*cking
Liberals, America, and Truth Itself, 2018]
Tuesday 1 May 2018
In incremental moves Trump is distorting rights and protections in the U.S.
The U.S.
Dept. of Justice Manual contains a collection of basic manuals, guidelines,
policy statement and procedures that govern the action of U.S. Attorneys
working for the department.
The U.S.
Attorneys’ Manual having recently been reviewed by the Trump Administration no longer contains
this section for the instruction of its law officers – in PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC TRIALS, PUBLIC SAFETY & MEDIA
RELATIONS sections 1-7.112 Need for Free Press and Public Trial.
Labels:
democracy,
Donald Trump,
fascism,
law,
Republican Party,
US policy,
US politics
Friday 27 April 2018
President Donald J. Trump: We need to go after the reporters
"We need to go after the reporters.....They
spend a couple of days in jail, make a new friend, and they are ready to
talk" [US President Donald, J. Trump, 14 February 2017]
Finally, an indication of the lengths to which US President Donald J. Trump would go in order to find whistleblowers or silence journalists.
Two excerpts from former FBI Director James Comey's confidential memos supplied to the US Congress last week by the Department of Justice:
BACKGROUND
The New York Times, 7 July 2005, Judy Miller Goes To Jail
Labels:
Donald Trump,
Trump Regime,
US politics
Monday 9 April 2018
Donald Trump's callous disregard for the reality of this situation knows no bounds
Trump Tower is a 58 story building containing a
mix of residential apartments, business premises, retail stores and restaurants
in mid-town Manhattan, New York.
The
thirty-four year old building has been the site of two fires this year.
An
electrical fire in the air conditioning-heating system in January 2018 which injured
three people and a 50th floor blaze at approx. 5.30pm on 7 April 2018
which killed one person and injured at least four others.
None of the 238
apartments on the 38 residential floors below the three-story Trump
penthouse have sprinkler systems installed.
….firefighters
and Secret Service members checked on the condition of Mr Trump's apartment on
the top floors of the 58-storey building.
TrumpTower residents were not advised there was a fire in the building. With the exception of one celebrity resident who was contacted by President Trump's personal attorney and told to leave the building immediately for their own safety.
TrumpTower residents were not advised there was a fire in the building. With the exception of one celebrity resident who was contacted by President Trump's personal attorney and told to leave the building immediately for their own safety.
By the time that tweet was sent the man who died in the fire had been dead at least tweve hours.
Labels:
#TrumpFAIL,
Donald Trump
Trump called out for untrue personal attack
Fox News pointed out in polite terms that US President Donald J. Trump is telling wall-to-wall lies in his personal attack on the founder of Amazon (an American electronic commerce and cloud computing corporation) and owner of The Washingtom Post, multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos.
It also linked this attack to newspaper's reporting of the the DOJ-FBI investigation into alleged links between the the Trump presidential campaign and Russia's interferrence in the 2016 US national elections.
Perhaps Trump should cast his mind back to the last American president that tried to silence The Washington Post - in that case for it's reporting of the Watergate political scandal.
He might also care to recall that Bezos (the world's 'richest' man in 2018) only holds est. 16 per cent of Amazon shares - there are another 2,447 shareholders of record and est. 60.53 per cent of the share pool is owned by institutional investors, who as representatives of a host of beneficial shareholders won't be happy with Trump's crude attempt to force Amazon share value down.
Friday 23 March 2018
The president doth protest too much, methinks
On 15 March 2018 the mainstream media reported that the Special Counsel Russia Investigation has served a subpoena on the Trump Organisation.
Since then US President Donald J Trump has removed an FBI deputy-director and tweeted his defiance of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
As usual the only words in Trump's tweets that can be relied on are connecting words like "and", "or" & "but' - everthing else is bound to be a distortion of fact or a downright lie.
Labels:
corruption,
Donald Trump,
elections,
FBI,
investigation,
US-Russia relations
Monday 19 March 2018
Trump brings out the knives in his effort to derail the FBI-Mueller investigation into Russian involvment in his presidential campaign
What occurred.....
Andrew McCabe became acting head of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after the sudden firing of James B. Comey on 9 May 2017 and, as acting head gave evidence before a US Senate committee in which he contradicted the WhiteHouse’s assertion that James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director fired by PresidentTrump...had lost the support of rank-and-file F.B.I. agents.
US President Donald Trump's reaction was hostile across multiple tweets over the following months and he implied that McCabe might be fired before he could retire.
On 15 March 2018 The New York Times reported:
WASHINGTON — The special
counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has subpoenaed the Trump Organization in recent
weeks to turn over documents, including some related to Russia, according to
two people briefed on the matter. The order is the first known instance of the
special counsel demanding records directly related to President Trump’s
businesses, bringing the investigation closer to the president.
Following hard on the heels of the Comey firing Mueller had been appointed to conduct an investigation into Russian links to Trump's 2015- 2016 presidential campaign.
Former FBI deputy director Andy McCabe was fired Friday from
the federal government, just two days before he was set to retire, Attorney
General Jeff Sessions announced in a statement late Friday
night.
Nearly 24 hours earlier,
McCabe was inside the Justice Department making the case to keep his job
until Sunday when he officially qualifies for retirement benefits. His firing
means his full pension — built after nearly 22 years in government — is in
jeopardy.
After formal announcement of the McCabe sacking Trump tweeted this:
After formal announcement of the McCabe sacking Trump tweeted this:
That Trump's move against McCabe is a step on the road to firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller might be inferred from the Dowd quote below.
According to The
Daily Beast on 17 March
2018:
“I pray that Acting
Attorney General Rosenstein will follow the brilliant and courageous example of
the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility and Attorney General Jeff
Sessions and bring an end to alleged Russia Collusion investigation
manufactured by McCabe’s boss James Comey based upon a fraudulent and corrupt
Dossier,” Dowd then wrote.
He told The Daily Beast
he was speaking on behalf of the president, in his capacity as the president’s
attorney.
McCabe's response.....
Labels:
corruption,
Donald Trump,
elections,
FBI,
intelligence,
US-Russia relations
Saturday 17 March 2018
Quote of the Week
“With no clear
international achievement to his name, his major accomplishment in foreign
policy has been provoking significant global backlash almost across the board.”
[Journalist Andrew Hammond writing about US President Donald J. Trump in The
Sydney Morning Herald, 14 March2018]
Labels:
Donald Trump,
US politics
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