Once again the DTD (Donald Trump Doomsayers) have been proven wrong.
Korea: we’re all gonna die;
Russia: we’re all gonna die;
Environment: we’re all gonna die;
Tax breaks: we’re all gonna die;
Economy: we’re all gonna die.
Uh. No we didn’t. And it appears — gulp! — that the DTDs are in error once again. From the WashingtonTimes.com:
Trump strikes trade deal with EU
by S.A. Miller
Announcement follows meeting with EU Commission President Juncker
President Trump struck a trade deal Wednesday with the European Union, reaping significant concessions as top EUofficials moved to avoid an escalating tariff war with the U.S.
The agreement seeks to eliminate all tariffs and trade barriers and eliminate all subsidies on non-auto industrial goods, which was the deal pushed by Mr. Trump.
“This was a very big day for free and fair trade,” Mr. Trump said in announcing the deal in the Rose Garden with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker by his side.
Mr. Trump called the deal a “new phase” in the U.S.-E.U. relationship.
The deal also included the E.U. importing more U.S. soybeans, lowering industrial tariffs and working on an agreement to import more liquified natural gas (LNG) from America.
Stop. Isn’t that precisely what President Trump said when he took Germany to task for being beholden to Russia for fuel? Yes. Precisely.
So what was President Trump doing? He was negotiating in plain sight on the world stage, and shaming the shit out of Germany in the process. He was also sub rosa saying: “Hey, check it out: the US can supply natural gas. We have a country jam ge-packed with it.”
As he headed into the meeting, Mr. Trump shrugged off intense criticism from business leaders, farmers and his own GOP lawmakers that he was igniting a trade war that hurts the U.S. economy.
The president said he was fighting to get America a better deal after decades of being taken advantage of by trading partners.
“If we could have no tariffs, and no barriers, and no subsidies, the United States would be extremely pleased,” he said as he met Mr. Juncker in the Oval Office.
Let’s do the math. The US and Europe comprise about 50% of the trade on the entire planet. Right about now China has made a couple of phone calls in a back channel manner and are trying to figure out how they don’t get their asses left behind in trade. Canada isn’t sufficiently intelligent under Trudeau to see what’s in front of its face.
President Trump is unimportant. Trump is completely ignored by the G7. Trump is inconsequential. Just as this photo proves. L to R: Larry Kudlow, Teresa May, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Shinzo Abe, John Bolton, Trump.
Trump “refuses”: what?
To sign an agreement — a “communique” the G7 nations insist upon?
For those unfamiliar, the G7 nations consist of the US, UK, Canada, Italy, France, Japan and Germany.
Russia once made it the G8 until Russia annexed Crimea and invaded Ukraine.
The G8/G7 was formed in consideration of global economies, security and energy.
My first question: what was the nature of this so-called “communique”?
Isn’t it odd that you have to look quite deeply to discern the contents of said document?
The president touted great relationships with other G-7 leaders — but then abruptly reversed on signing a joint statement and lashed out at the Canadian prime minister.
President Donald Trump said the United States will not sign a joint agreement with other G-7 countries, an abrupt reversal that will further erode relations with key U.S. allies and underscore the country’s increasing isolation under Trump.
“Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!“ Trump wrote, adding that Trudeau was “very dishonest and weak.”
It’s a remarkable change of tune for the United States. U.S. officials worked closely with G-7 negotiators for days on the communique, and other nations took pains to ensure that Trump would sign on, despite deep disagreements on trade.
Wait. Let’s not get silly. Didn’t Trump say for some time that if he isn’t satisfied, he’s not signing on? And this comes as a shock how? Coming from Politico, this next paragraph is revelatory.
For Trump, the decision may be a political winner. The president’s base is deeply skeptical of the system of international cooperation that has for so long been at the core of U.S. foreign and economic policy.
Haven’t seen anything in the article about the contents of the agreement or “communique” yet.
Tensions over trade, meanwhile, dominated the summit. As POLITICO reportedon Friday, Trump, during a private meeting, floated the idea of ending all tariffs and trade barriers between the U.S. and its G-7 allies. Right before leaving for Singapore, Trump upped the ante in his press conference with reporters, warning that he could cut off or severely limit trade access to the United States if G-7 countries don’t cooperate.
Trump states the obvious next.
“We’re the piggybank that everybody is robbing,” Trump said. “And that ends.”
Are we a proverbial “piggy bank”? Oddly enough I have a memory and access to the internet. I seem to recall that the US lost 500,000 soldiers defeating Germany and its allies in World War II. We liberated all of Europe and the rest of the world from Germany not just once, but twice. Let’s go back a tad bit further. German troops fought against America in the Revolutionary War.
Yet Germany is kvetching — as is the rest of Europe — when they’ve been getting a free ride on the backs of American Taxpayers as they continue not paying their requisite 2% of GDP to help finance NATO. BusinessInsider.com reports:
Only five of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s 28 member countries last year met the alliance goal of spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.
Which countries are not reaching the 2 percent?
France 1.79
Turkey 1.69
Norway 1.55
Lithuania 1.49
Latvia 1.46
Romania 1.41
Portugal 1.38
Bulgaria 1.30
Croatia 1.21
Germany 1.20
Netherlands 1.16
Denmark 1.14
Slovakia 1.12
Italy 1.11
Albania 1.11
Hungary 1.02
Slovenia 1.02
Canada 1.02
Czech Republic 1.01
Belgium 0.91
Spain 0.90
Luxembourg 0.42
It’s as if Europe and the rest of the G7 are saying something similar to “if the US isn’t willing to pay for our lavish lifestyles, then we’re taking our toys — the ones the US funded — and going home.” The US runs a $151 billion dollar trade deficit with Europe. Is that “fundamental fairness?”
Then there are, naturally, the tariffs.
Addressing Canadian tariffs alone, here are a few. Canada has — ahem — 19,500 tariffs.
Dairy: 270%
Sausage: 70%
Barley Seeds: 58%
Durum Wheat: 49%
Bovine Products: 27%
Table Linens: 18%
A side note: when the US exited the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership), Canada acquired protectionist deals under the guise of protecting what it termed “cultural industries.” Translated: “We are protecting Canada and everyone else can go to hell.” Trudeau literally said that “we got a better deal for Canada.” It’s fine to Canada to be protectionist; inherently unfair for the US to consider the same.
Let us not forget that Mexico already has a $3 billion dollar tariff system in place.
As a result of the US finally beginning to stand on its own two legs, the EU has stated it will target the US on:
Cranberries — already at 22%
Orange Juice: 23%
Whiskey: 11%
Motorbikes: 6%
Germany has tariffs four times higher on our vehicles than we on theirs. Where is the “fundamental fairness” of that?
Canada has said that it will retaliate with $13 billion dollars in tariffs on US goods, and the EU says it will lay $3 billion dollars in tariffs on US goods also.
It also becomes evident that countries are targeting very specific constituencies and lawmakers in the US. Countries are looking at our electoral maps in making these determinations, ensuring that President Trump’s decisions are going to hurt voters in Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky and similar states.
Because, you see, up to now the US and its presidents have been afraid to reveal these inequities and concomitant hypocrisy. The EU and Canadian bleat that “you don’t do this to friends” covers up that “friends” of the US have been “doing” the US for years. It is so commonplace that to upset the imbalance is to entreat war.
Look, in terms of fair trade, the numbers are on the side of President Trump. There is a massive trade imbalance yet — let’s look at IMF figures.
US GDP: $20 trillion dollars.
Japan: $5.2 trillion
Germany: $4.2 trillion
France: $2.9 trillion
UK: $2.9 trillion
Italy: $2.2 trillion
Canada: $1.8 trillion
Total of G6: $19.2trillion dollars vs the US at $20 trillion dollars.
And oh yeah: the US is close to being the number one oil producer on the planet.
Back to the “communique.” Not one reference to its contents in the Politico article. CNN didn’t have it. I went through seven other media outlets before I actually found a copy of the actual “agreement” at Reuters.com. It contains the standard Leftist feel-good pablum that any 15-year-old at Parkland could write.
Resultingly, Canadians, Europeans, Leftists, Demorats and the American Media Maggots are outraged that Trump has insisted that the United States stop bending over, holding its ankles and insisting there be no lubricant when other countries hammer through the door of the US economic sphincter.
Let there be no mistake: it’s the continual tapping of the veins of the American Taxpayer that has allowed Europe to become the Socialist, paradisal, Utopian experiment each country has wished to be. Why should they have to pay for their own defense, build their own huge militaries, expend prodigious amounts of service cash when it could be better spent on social programs for their own people? Hell, the US will cover us. They always have and they always will.
Europeans have not had to pay for a substantial portion of their defense and, further, it was the Marshall Plan which, following World War II, rebuilt Western Europe to the tune of $13 billion dollars ($110 billion in 2016 dollars) when it was Germany that tried to enslave the globe. What other nation did that then? Correct. No other.
The Europeans and Canada still insist, these days, that US veins be tapped because, after all, why should anyone upset the proverbial “good thing”?
Steve Hilton nails it.
The United States appeared to have, up to this point, what BZ calls Historical Alzheimers — to the great benefit of Europe. Just keep the cash rolling, Jack, and things will be just fine.
As in: shut up and pay for our socialist, paradisal, Utopian ways. And oh yeah, keep paying for our European defense as well. We live right next to Russia, after all. Tariffs? Don’t mention them.
Then comes President Donald John Trump, the guy with the dead orange cat on his head. Bull, meet China shop.
Expecting Europe and Canada to pay some of its own freight?
Expecting some kind of fundamental fairness in trade?
As of this writing 65% for Emmanuel Macron and 35% for Marine Le Pen.
French unemployment is at 10%. French youth unemployment is at 23%. A French youth is three times more likely to be unemployed than if you walked across a line into Germany. French socialism isn’t working.
France has, it appears, decided that is the track with which they wish to continue.
They will continue to lamprey onto the European Union and they will continue to apologize for the terror attacks that will continue in France as well as the Islamization of the nation. The disaffection will continue as per normal. The EU will continue as will the Euro, for a time.
The French voters decided that this state of Paris is acceptable and doesn’t need to change.
The French voters decided that this state of France is acceptable and doesn’t need to change.
The French voters decided that this state of Paris is acceptable and doesn’t need to change.
Here is a quite interesting take on the French election, and what may be in store for the French in the future, by The Iconoclast.
Katie Hopkins speaks to Tucker Carlson about multiculturalism in general in the UK and the EU.
This election, in retrospect, must be viewed in a fashion similar to that of the current state of Germany — that is to say, in terms of national guilt and shame — national shame and guilt throughout the European Union as well. James McAuley wrote quite presciently about the French election at the UKIndependent.com:
The troubling history at the heart of the French election
‘If you don’t know the history of Algeria, you cannot understand France in 2017’
In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, France’s complicity in the Holocaust and, to a profound degree, its colonial crimes have been defining themes of the most contentious presidential campaign in recent memory. When voters go to the polls Sunday, they will choose between warring interpretations of France’s past as much as between different visions for its future.
You see? Guilt and shame.
Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, the two candidates in the final round of the vote, are distinct in many ways. Macron, a former investment banker and the darling of Parisian and academic elites, is a boyish acolyte of cosmopolitan Europe; Le Pen, a hard-line nationalist, is an advocate of economic protectionism and closed borders. But rarely are the two more opposed than when they talk about history, as they have done frequently throughout a long and bitter campaign.
Approximately 76,000 Jews were deported from France to the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Most never returned.
“If there were those responsible,” Le Pen said, “it was those who were in power at the time. This is not France.”
Marine Le Pen is absolutely correct. France now is as responsible for what occurred then as I am responsible for reparations to blacks due to the American Civil War — not to even consider that my forebears fought for the blue.
In one of Macron’s most controversial decisions on the campaign trial, he went in February to Algeria, which France had annexed for 132 years, and called on the French state to apologise formally for its crimes as a colonial power, especially in the bloody war for Algerian independence between 1954 and 1962. France’s history in that war, Macron said in an interview days later, represented “crimes and acts of barbarism” that today deserve to be labelled “crimes against humanity.”
For months, Le Pen has harped on Macron for those three words, accusing him once again in a televised debate Wednesday of “insulting” the French people.
It’s done, it’s over. Further breast-beating won’t change history nor will it appease those who are essentially unappeasable on the issue. Here is what holds France back and could likely quite seriously damage or destroy it in the future.
Benjamin Stora, France’s preeminent expert on colonial Algerian history and a founding member of Paris’s National Museum of the History of Immigration, said in an interview that the outcry over Macron’s declaration has highlighted the ways in which, at least in this election, the past remains present.
“For many people, colonialism has always been a distant abstraction, a peripheral problem,” he said. “But no one today who is honest can see it that way anymore. The question of immigration is a central question in our society and in many ways, the question.”
So many of the problems in French society today, Stora said, stem from the aftermath of France’s colonial history – and the French state’s struggles to integrate immigrants from across the once-expansive French empire.
“If you don’t know the history of Algeria, you cannot understand France in 2017,” he said.
At its height in the 1930s, the French empire encompassed some 60 million colonial subjects, from the Caribbean to Southeast Asia. But after decolonization in the 1950s and 1960s, the French relegated imperial racism, slavery and colonialism to the “historical back burner.” The eruption of the history wars finally broke this public silence in the mid-1990s.
Guilt and shame. In France and Germany, for somewhat similar reasons.
We may, overall, draw this conclusion of the European Union. It seems the EU believes there is nothing wrong with being completely subsumed and overtaken by what they call “refugees” and “migrants” — when in fact they are over 95% young Muslim males of combat age — for three massive and overarching reasons: that of 1. Guilt, 2. Shame, and 3. Failure to see the logical extension of this. Human nature.
Mix in GOWP Leftist political and administrative viewpoints and you have the volatile recipe required for the fall of Western civilization in Europe, the desire of which Islam isn’t afraid to say out loud to our collective faces.
This man has a serious warning for the EU and for the US.
You have to hand it to Islam. It’s not shy about telling you precisely what it wants and how it’s going to get there.
I repeat: Islam is not shy about telling you precisely what it wants and how it’s going to get there.
Islam’s leaders are not stupid. They play the Long Game. Western Civilizations frequently can’t see two feet in front of themselves.
This election was for the heart and soul of France. Emotions won and this is what France will get. France will also continue to get deaths by terror. French voters have indicated this is acceptable to them. I haven’t even addressed the “minor” issues such as employment, budget, defense and survival.
Italy has the lowest birth rate since 1861 with 8.4 per 1,000 people and much or Europe is following the same trend.
Birth rates are far higher in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, which is where most migrants are coming from.
The notion of using mass migration as a form of stealth jihad is outlined in the Koran, which states, ‘And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many locations and abundance.’
To move to a new land in order to bring Islam is considered a meritorious act.
A damaged ballot for Marine Le Pen. Torn or damaged ballots are invalid. This is purposeful as there are no damaged ballots being distributed for Emmanuel Macron. Were there, the French press would be all over the story.
No, not Sunday.
“S” stands for SURVIVAL Day.
Survival in terms of whether or not France will come to its senses and become sovereign once more, standing on its own two feet, or whether it will continue to be subsumed by Islam and the European Union as the EU relentlessly issues Surrender Monkey orders from Brussels, Belgium. This election is for the survival and the very soul of France.
France has also learned a few things from watching the United States because now, you see, it would appear — perfect timing and convenience, is it not, just two days away from the election? — the Leftist presidential candidate is claiming the campaign was hacked by Russia.
French candidate Macron claims massive hack as emails leaked
by Eric Auchard & Bate Felix
FRANKFURT/PARIS (Reuters) – Leading French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron’s campaign said on Friday it had been the target of a “massive” computer hack that dumped its campaign emails online 1-1/2 days before voters choose between the centrist and his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen.
Macron, who is seen as the frontrunner in an election billed as the most important in France in decades, extended his lead over Le Pen in polls on Friday.
As much as 9 gigabytes of data were posted on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for posting the data or if any of it was genuine.
In a statement, Macron’s political movement En Marche! (Onwards!) confirmed that it had been hacked.
What is the kneejerk response to this allegation — unproven as it is? I know: proscribe covering the story in France! From the UKIndependent.com:
Emmanuel Macron hacked emails: French media ordered by electoral commission not to publish content of messages
by Lizzie Dearden
Journalists could face criminal charges for violating laws preventing influence on vote
France’s electoral commission has ordered media not to publish contents of Emmanuel Macron‘s leaked campaign emails to avoid influencing the election.
It warned news outlets in France that journalists could face criminal charges for publishing or republishing the material, under laws that came into effect at midnight forbidding any commentary liable to affect the presidential race.
There were fears the hack could swing Sunday’s final vote, where Mr Macron was expected to comfortably beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.
Question: would that hold if the reverse were true? Would that hold if it were believed that Le Pen was going to walk away with the election and she found her emails “hacked by Russians”?
I think you have the answer to that one.
Again, who has a First Amendment and who doesn’t? In this country, who wants to curtail the First Amendment? Just as in France: Leftists.
Let’s not forget, the far Leftist corruption is already occurring against Marine Le Pen, the “alt-right” candidate. When a vote appears to be “too close for comfort” for Leftists, the Cheating Gene kicks in. From GatewayPundit.com:
DIRTY TRICKS: French Voters Receive Invalid, Damaged Le Pen Ballots
by Damien Cowley
Reports are emerging of torn – and therefore invalid – Le Pen ballot papers being received by voters ahead of tomorrow’s all important French presidential election. In each case, the ballots of rival candidate, Emmanuel Macron, are intact.
David Rachline, Campaign Director for Marine Le Pen, last night called for vigilance on the part of voters receiving their election material, and for those concerned to notify authorities at polling stations of any damaged ballots.
Millions of packs have been sent out to French households in recent days, containing voting information and ballot papers for Sunday’s election. According to a press statement released by the Le Pen campaign, there have been thousands of reports of invalid ballots being received across such geographically diverse counties as Ardèche, Alliers, Savoie, Loire, Yvelines, Eure-et-Loire, and Hérault – a broad spread across the country.
Videos are being posted and shared on Facebook of registered voters opening their envelopes to reveal the contents – intact ballot papers for Macron, ripped papers in the case of Le Pen.
But wait, there’s more. Leftists can’t just cheat by ripping ballots, they also have to do this.
In other videos, voters are seen opening envelopes only to find that both ballots bear Macron’s name. Rather than an occasional anomaly, the same circumstances have been noted in the voter packs of multiple voters living within the same household.
But wait, there’s more. Leftists can’t just cheat by two methods, they must cheat by three.
Le Pen’s campaign has also accused certain mayors of breaking the electoral code by using officially headed notepaper and state resources for mail outs calling on voters to support Macron. Such violation of France’s electoral code, if prosecuted, can lead to a fine of €15,000 ($16,450) and up to one year in jail.
Because here is the crux of the biscuit: if it’s not close, Leftists can’t cheat. And cheat they do.
Despite polls giving Macron a significant lead, sources inform the Gateway Pundit that the race will be much tighter. If this turns out to be the case, a large number of disqualified ballots could make a difference.
Then there is this.
However, after Trump, what do we know about polls? Correct.
So we see Macron Leftists:
Lining up their Excuse Ducks beforehand, and
Cheating so they don’t have to line up said ducks
Tomorrow: do we say “welcome back” to France, or do we wave “goodbye” to France?
BZ
P.S.
Polls open at 8 AM in France on Sunday. What if Islam decides to show its ugly face tomorrow in France? What then?
Jihadist Guns Down Policeman, Wounds Two, in Paris
Islamic terrorists have claimed 238 lives in France since 2015
by Lloyd Billingsley
Abu Yusuf, known to French police for radical Islamic activities, opened fire with a Kalashnikov in Paris Thursday, killing a police officer near a subway station and leaving two others gravely wounded.
Yusuf emerged from an Audi, witnesses told reporters, took out an automatic rifle and fired six shots at police before hiding behind a truck. When he fled, French police shot him dead. French President Francois Holland’s suspicions of a terrorism were confirmed when ISIS claimed one of their fighters was responsible. The killing of the officer was at least the sixth Islamic terrorist attack in Paris during the last three years.
“Timing is everything,” it is said, because this attack came just two days before a critical French vote where Marine Le Pen — a proponent of leaving the EU, not a friend to mass migration and a strident supporter of French sovereignty — is vying to become the 25th president of France following François Hollande.
Outsiders Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen sweep to victory as France kicks out old guard: Europhile newcomer narrowly wins first vote to take on far-Right’s Madame Frexit for the presidency
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and independent centrist Emmanuel Macron have made it to the second round
36.7million voted, a turnout of 78.2 per cent; Macron won 23.9 per cent of the vote, Le Pen 21.4
Republican candidate Francois Fillon conceded after initial results showed he achieved 19.5 per cent of vote
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon refused to concede until final results of first-round vote announced
France’s Prime Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has called on voters to support Macron instead of Le Pen
This is the first time in 60 years none of France’s mainstream parties have entered the second round
Riots broke out in Nantes and Paris’ Place de la Bastille – the birthplace of the French Revolution
As illustrated above, the election was stunning insofar as it appears to somewhat replicate what happened last November in the US. “This is the first time in 60 years none of France’s mainstream parties have entered the second round.” And: riots broke out after the voting.
French voters turned their backs on the political establishment last night in round one of the presidential election.
Emmanuel Macron – an independent centrist – won first place ahead of National Front leader Marine Le Pen.
The result will have major implications for Britain and its departure from the EU.
Miss Le Pen wants to completely renegotiate France’s relationship with Brussels while Mr Macron wants closer links.
In essence what occurred is this: voters completely held moderation at arms’ length and instead went for polarity.
According to France’s Interior Ministry, 46 million people voted in the first stage of the elections which knocked the traditional Right and Left parties out of the running for the first time in 60 years.
With 97 per cent of the vote counted, Macron achieved 23.9 per cent, followed by Le Pen on 21.4. A total of 36.7million voted, a turnout of 78.2 per cent.
But it is thought that Le Pen’s chances of winning the second round are limited as supporters for Republican candidate Francois Fillon, who conceded but has gained 19.9 per cent of the votes, will support Macron.
The next round of elections, a face-off between Le Pen and Macron, will occur on Sunday, May 7th.
What’s at stake is nothing less than the very existence of the entire European Union and the survival of Western civilization in Europe. I fear this is no overstatement in the slightest.
A continuation of France’s current policies regarding Islam are capitulist in nature as are the policies of the EU in general. Terror attacks will continue and the erosion of secularism, much less any other form of religion save Islam will be unabated. Demography will become prophecy and more French citizens will continue to be killed because of a weak French state. Muslims will push for more and greater rights to the exclusion of French law and the encroaching systemic demand for Sharia law.
Simultaneously the EU will be further weakened and its various cultures eroded whilst their streets will continue to burn and its citizens will continue to be killed at the hands of Islamists.
That said, I believe that the UK will continue with Brexit and — luckily for the UK — geography is such that the English Channel separates it from the rest of Europe, as the Atlantic luckily separate us from Europe and other continents. Sharing a border with Mexico is sufficiently corrosive, thank you.
May 7th will be a pivotal point for France and the European Union.
Once again the DTD (Donald Trump Doomsayers) have been proven wrong.
Uh. No we didn’t. And it appears — gulp! — that the DTDs are in error once again. From the WashingtonTimes.com:
Guess what?
Expecting Europe and Canada to pay some of its own freight?
As of this writing 65% for Emmanuel Macron and 35% for Marine Le Pen.
The French voters decided that this state of France is acceptable and doesn’t need to change.
What is the kneejerk response to this allegation — unproven as it is? I know: proscribe covering the story in France! From the 
First, from 
French voters turned their backs on the political establishment last night in round one of the presidential election.