Kidding not kidding
So Trump was lying about how innocent and unexpected that phone call with the president of Taiwan was.
In today’s Washington Post, Anne Gearan, Philip Rucker and Simon Denyer cite inside sources who say the call was months in the making and intentionally provocative in regard to China.
That was apparently news to Trump, who on Friday night, as the controversy erupted, dismissively tweeted as if it were a small matter in which Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen phoned him to offer her congratulations, and he took the call as a courtesy.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/804848711599882240
And some of his team also said calm down, chill out, it was no big thing, just a couple of people dishing on the phone.
But by Sunday evening — shortly before The Post’s story went live — Trump took a decidedly new tack, talking tough on China in a way that’s more consistent with what the sources were saying about the Taiwan call.
And as The Post’s story makes clear, those close to the situation are describing it as much more than just a “courtesy call.” They aren’t saying the “One China” policy is out the window, but they do suggest it was meant to signal a substantial shift in at least the tone of U.S. policy toward China and Taiwan.
Maybe if we’re really really lucky he’ll get us into a war with China. A dream come true!
Yeah, it’s always been my dream to get in a war with a nuclear state.
That’s one thing you have to give Dubya. He only picked on states without nukes; with North Korea, the idea that they might have nukes caused him to approach with caution and try a diplomatic tack. Trump has no desire to proceed with caution.
During the campaign, Trump basically promised to break everything. He’s going about it in a big way, not even waiting until he’s in office.
In my fondest wishes, the electors are watching this shit-show unfold with wide eyes and trembling hearts.
Not to mention that China has gradually distanced themselves from N Korea, even being openly critical at times. If the USA wants to start using Taiwan as a proxy to needle China, expect China to return to using N Korea in exactly that manner.
Yaaaaaaaah!
Just a little poke to take political action before the electoral college does its thing Dec 19, by rapid magic marker math matador Vi Hart:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lBBUPVuusM
This doesn’t read any truer than anything else he has said. How could the call have been “months in the making” when he was not even seriously expecting to win a few weeks ago?
RossR: we have his word for it, as well as that of his advisors, that he didn’t expect to win. Since they wouldn’t lie about things…oops, erase that.
Even if he didn’t really expect to win, he might have been making “plans” with Taiwan. Those may not have had anything to do with government or the one China policy; perhaps he wanted to put up a gaudy hotel in Taiwan, and this call had been planned, and became a congratulatory call because he won the election. And now has a great big boost to his brand.
I have no knowledge if this is so; just brainstorming.