Nah, you weren't wrong. The only thing the guy has really done so far is run his mouth. He has flipped on just about every shallow slogan of his campaign trail because he either never even cared about them or discovered soon enough that most of his off-the-cuff nonsense was impractical. He entered the White House expecting to throw tantrums in order to get his way. This has not worked out. He actually merely represents the routine in America. Americans often run their mouths about "walls" or "anti-Muslim laws," but its everywhere else where governments actually do these things.
I suspect that conservatives will be eager to move on in three years. Right now they are just soothing their conflicted emotions and wounded prides. This is why they cheer whenever he tweets another idiocy. It's like they are lashing out in self-flagellation. If he continues this way, he will go down in history somewhere in the bottom half because he won't have done anything to merit a best or worse position. I don't see the GOP endorsing him. It won't be the first time a Party looked at their seated president and said "you got to go."
Well, I do not think he is wrong about NAFTA. He is just too simple a man to put it in the correct words. Bush signed it in with the spirit of open trade and good times for all. Canada benefits most. Then comes the U.S. But Mexico has been ravaged. The result of American farming markets flooding into Mexico with cheaper prices put countless Mexicans out of work. In turn, many of those fled north to escape poverty and to find job opportunities. In the mean time, American conservatives and Republicans began whining more and more about Mexicans taking jobs, illegal immigration, and building walls. The funny thing is that Americans actually think Mexicans are taking their jobs when they won't even do the jobs that immigrants take. Even funnier is that conservatives and Republicans supported NAFTA under Bush in 1992. It was they who encouraged what thy now hate (seems a theme anymore). Any how, the flood of Mexicans into the north was caused by NAFTA.
Killing NAFTA is just dumb. But making it so that all three benefit and all three can be healthy is a must. After all, if you want people to stay home, make home worth staying in. Witness the Green Revolution in India. The U.S. helping that country get healthy in the 1960s fixed all of Europe's Indian immigration complaints.
I agree with most of that. Regarding the Republicans not endorsing him, and then there is the "Regan scenario" where Ronnie almost topped Gerald Ford...had he had another two weeks would have won. I'm just nearly as sure as your are that the Republicans will have the grit to try after so seriously botching the leadership last time.
I know a few swing voters in Washington State, they voted for him knowing he was a dick, but wanted him to "finally drain the swamp" Instead all he's done is change alligators.
NAFTA is very tricky. I was a journalist covering the original Canada-US FTA, the precursor to NAFTA and at the time heard every argument, with a majority of people against it, mostly in Ontario. NAFTA was even more opposed and initially it cut the throat of Ontario and Quebec manufacturing, while the rest of Canada did "OK" but the perception was bad.
Now, since we have adapted, NAFTA works very well in our favor, and some Americans involved say there is no reason for wholesale change, just improvements. However, Trump has been negotiating in bad faith, at each session the US demands specific changes Canada has said are deal breakers, one being our dairy industry where the US is demanding an end to managed markets, and the ban on certain added ingredients in milk Health Canada says are carcenogenic.
Then it gets even trickier when other countries are concerned; the Chinese are watching closely, as is the EU. I learned some years ago Canadian foreign office staff are renowned negotiators everywhere, it seems but here. With that, I believe Canada has been aware this fight is really only about Mexico, but Trump for whatever reason chose to take us on too. (It is already hurting trade, retail stores near the boarder in Washington are expressing concerns as cross-boarder shopping by Canadians has seriously declined and with Christmas approaching they are scared.
Trump's belligerence may be part of an act and that's the goal...inho I think Trump is firing all his deck guns at once to see who runs first.
I am surprised, by the way, at the seemingly friendly relationship between Trudeau and Trump. They are opposite ends of many spectra and Trump seems to really want Trudeau to like him. Considering who his parents were he DOES have that affect on people. What I doubt Trump will realize is that Trudeau LOVES to be underestimated.
I would pay to be a journalist covering these talks
