President Trump, Nobel Laureate?

President Trump, Nobel Laureate?

I thought the president wanted the Nobel Peace prize? He probably didn’t help his case by renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War. Also it appears that he is trying to get Maduro mad enough to attack US vessels off of Venezuela. Maduro has said that the US is trying to provoke a war with his country. Blowing up Venezuelan speedboats probably don’t sit well with the Nobel committee either.

Trump tweeted “This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists. These extremely violent drug tra#icking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests. BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!”

The president declared a national emergency in the drug fight. He imposed tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada because of fentanyl. He designated the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, as a foreign terrorist group and labeled them a national security threat. He also signed a directive authorizing the use of military force drug cartels.

It is obvious that Trump doesn’t like Maduro – I thought he was supposed to be pals with dictators? He has put a $50 million bounty on Maduro and called him “one of the world’s largest drug traffickers.” The administration is trying to send Venezuelans who have fled their country back into the arms of Maduro. If Maduro is the drug king, then he must be a middle man. Cocaine is produced in Columbia, Peru and Bolivia, not Venezuela. Severy-five percent of the cocaine shipments come through the Pacific which Venezuela does not border with the rest coming from the Caribbean. Details. Details.

I wonder why the president did not try to get the Congress to endorse his war on the cartels and Venezuela when they had approved the use of force against Al Qaeda? This is just another case of the president going ahead and exerting his power as the chief executive without the advise and consent of the Congress. Trump also issued Maduro a direct threat claiming that Maduro sent criminals and the mentally ill to the United States. “We want Venezuela to immediately accept all prisoners and people from mental institutions — including those from the worst asylums in the world — that the Venezuelan ‘leadership’ has forced into the United States of America. Thousands of people have been been badly hurt and even killed by these ‘Monsters.’ GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY, RIGHT NOW, OR THE PRICE YOU PAY WILL BE INCALCULABLE! There he goes again with the ransom note motif.

Well so much for the Nobel Peace prize. Remember when he said that he would end the Ukraine war in 24 hours?  In an interview with Time he said that he really wasn’t serious. “Well, I said that figuratively, and I said that as an exaggeration, because to make a point, and you know, it gets, of course, by the fake news. Obviously, people know that when I said that, it was said in jest, but it was also said that it will be ended.” Well if he wasn’t serious why did he say it 53 times? For example at a campaign rally he said “Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we all together win the presidency, we will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. It will be settled. The war is going to be settled. I’ll get them both – I know Zelensky, I know Putin, it’ll be done within 24 hours, you watch. They all say, ‘That’s such a boast.’ It will be done very quickly.”

Despite Trump threatening Putin with “severe consequences” if he does not agree to end the war in Ukraine, the war is still going and Putin has escalated his aggression toward Ukraine and in the region since his meeting with Trump in Alaska. Three days in a row Russians have violated NATO airspace. German, Italian, Finish and Swedish jets – but not US – jets were scrambled. I am no expert on these matters but Putin obviously has called Trump’s bluff. The questions are what is Trump doing about it and why is he treating Putin with kid gloves? DDE says I am ignorant of matters pertaining to Trump and Russia so I defer to his expertise.

Finally, most of us thought that it was mere presidential bluster when Trump insinuated that he would take back the Panama Canal by force and when his Defense (er War) secretary seemed to talk about invading Greenland. But recall that Denmark actually strengthened its defenses (such as they are) in Greenland. I guess they are putting more musk oxen on the front line. Now the president is sending ominous messages to the Taliban about getting back Bagram Air Force base. Again he went on his tweeter machine and tweeted “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” He added “if they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m going to do.”

So far he has issued idle threats to Putin. Now there are threats to Maduro and to the Taliban. Are they idle as well? So tell me this, how does he expect to get the Nobel Peace prize if he keeps threatening to wage “incalculable consequences” on all those he doesn’t like?