This post castigates the authors but by no means explains what these amateur “diplomats” have accomplished. So tell me MAGAs, what have they done?
Kushner and Witkoff …. what are the odds that in this massive country of a third of a billion people, the BEST individuals to negotiate on behalf of the country just happen to be also (1) a dude who is banging the cult leaders daughter and (2) some billionaire the cult leader likes to grift and play golf with? What are the odds??? As an American who believes in meritocracy this offends me, as should it you! This is the action of a king, rewarding his nobles, not a president employed by we free people. Wtaf did our ancestors fight for? From tRumps perspective, he likes these guys because they are gold-standard pre-certified corrupt as fuck. He doesn’t care if they are incompetent - he’s gonna get paid, bitches!
In Iran, that idiot tRump withdrew the USA from the JCPOA agreement Obama negotiated (because tRump is just that childish), eventually went to war and ended up with a much worse deal than Obama. Killing hundreds, setting billions of dollars on fire, destroying American prestige through their usual tRumpian incompetence. Absolutely derailing the world economy. Including apparently giving $20 billion to Iran in appeasement (remember when Obama did that and you lost your minds 🤡) AND now recognizing Iran’s right to control the strait of Hormuz and presumably collect tolls. It was an international waterway before tRump!! The tolls will permanently elevate the price of fuel, fertilizer worldwide and literally fuel a religious authoritarian death cult. Who now know they need a nuclear weapon and know there’s nothing the USA can do about preventing this. Did your brilliant crew of nimble unorthodox geniuses negotiate that deal? You see why professional diplomats who actually understand foreign affairs might be a better idea? Ones with no ulterior financial interests?
Or Ukraine? Your idiotic amateurs wish Ukraine to cede territory to make a deal. “You have no cards!!” Huh. Probably because Putin has promised trump some personal benefit (or has some particularly disturbing kompromat on trump). Absolutely heinous.
Certainly they have been successful at enriching themselves by all manner of corruption especially in the gulf states - Jesus h Christ this country has become a corrupt shit hole quickly. Thanks for voting fascist you absolute idiots 🤡
That you continue to sane-splain trumpism is particularly galling when at this point, tRump has abandoned any restraint he ever had and is just blatantly grifting like mad, while he burns the country down. Perhaps you’re enjoying the current plot twist where he’s extracting billions of OUR taxpayer dollars from the IRS? The one HE controls? He is literally looting OUR treasury! You cultists did this. This was predictable.
Excellent article (of course). I think what all of this political nonsense boils down to, is that those with overblown and frankly, delusional egos, cannot handle it when found totally lacking. Their egos have been so deflated that the only way their minds can deal, is by rationalizing with the mental illness called TDS.
So true. Trumptarded clowns playing their roles on screen, getting one another wealthier. They hurl the "TDS" pejorative like the Trump Dick Suckers they are.
Great piece, thank you. And readers’ comments also very on point. My fear is, will all successes we’re seeing be undone as soon as the left regains control? Not only Iran but the dismantling of the deep state, ie, diplomatic corps from Biden times.
Love your fact-filled, concise, well-organized and to-the-point essays, Amuse. I learn something new from every one of them.
I’ve known many diplomats. Most are nice, smart, well-read and engaging people. But the U.S. Foreign Service is IBM. The “leaders” are politicians whose goal is self-promotion, above all else. The “diplomats” and analysts are cogs who are 100% comfortable with being cogs. They have no expectations of greatness and no sense of personal responsibility for failure. Many equate the academy achievements that propelled them into the State Department with career success because the job does not encourage or reward ambition after they arrive. Their indicators of “success” are things like whether they get posted in Norway instead of Bangladesh, not whether they close cooperation or trade or peace agreements. Most don’t even know if their portfolio at their current post consists of real State Department goals, of if everything they do is just a cover for intelligence operations in that country. It’s a huge waste of talent and intellect and not surprising that they form elitist clubs who resent less sophisticated rubes who have the agency to accomplish things in the private sector.
“Never closed a file in 30 years.” That was success. That was career, livelihood, legacy.
Like the Boston Big Dig, DODs endless cycle of Valley of Death/cancel/new project~repeat🔁 ♾️
Middle East peace could have gone on eternally, the geography alone never mind the various groups that live there… it’s always going to be not peaceful. Trump screwed that all up and finished.
Entire families and generations, Foundations, NGOS, government programs…
This same as cancelling Social Security and Medicare for Ivy Leaguers for generations. Their lives were built around it.
Our Colonial Administration in the State Department and NGO constellation has had Palestine as the center of it’s universe since 1949.
Deep State never solves problems, it perpetuates them. After Trump declared in 2015, I read The Art of the Deal. He enjoys solving problems, the worse the better. TDS victims, I already know what you're going to say, word for word, but please hear me out. Barack gave the orders to put some rats to sleep, including the biggest rat of all. So he deserves tremendous credit for that, but what else did he ever fix? Trump got results in the private sector. In the public sector, results are to be avoided at all costs.
Hilarious :-)) If you think tRump has ever READ a book, let alone WRITTEN a book, I have a bridge to sell you dude!! lol. tRump is functionally illiterate, reading at perhaps a 4th grade level.
The credited authors of ‘The Art of the Deal’ are tRump and Tony Schwartz, but the book was actually written by Schwartz, according to multiple published sources. Schwartz later stated publicly that tRump “played no role in its writing,” aside from removing a few critical references. Schwartz has described writing it as his “greatest regret,” and the publisher has confirmed Schwartz was the primary writer.
Trump & Schwartz & Howard Kaminsky had a serious disagreement about who actually wrote it, so it's fair for us to choose who to believe. Schwartz cashed all his checks, but he promised to give it all to charity as atonement. He hasn't gotten around to doing it yet, though. If Kaminsky tried to sabotage a big best seller, how good of a publisher is he, if he allows his personal feelings to override his business sense? You believe Trump is functionally illiterate & a 4th grade reader, yet here you are calling other people stupid. Enjoy your TDS.
Always amazing to see how much you dolts will swallow. 😂. Have you seen him read a teleprompter 😂 with 4th grade words??? 😂😂 He’s obviously functionally illiterate.
Rick, you have a scorching case of TDS
The definition of TDS is frequently misstated. It is actually: Being so deranged by your blind cult-like fealty to tRump that you cannot see the obvious truth punching you in the face: that he is objectively one of the most despicable humans in America. A convicted felon, an adjudicated sexual predator, historic levels of corruption, probably a pedophile, certainly the most illiterate and intellectually limited person in the history of our government. That you still support this mound of mad flesh is true Trump Derangement Syndrome.
So thanks for voting felon (again!), the USA will take generations to recover from this or we might never recover - you mark my words. Buckle up, we’re all in for a wild ride.
One of Trump's main tactics is to convince his haters that he's stupid and/or crazy. Having your enemies constantly underestimating you is always a tremendous advantage, but you unwitting dupes always fall for it.
I wasn't going to reply, but you did call me a dolt. Don't think I've ever been called that before. Thanks.
Hilarious. Well, he’s certainly bated that trap with so much evidence of his stupidity and incompetence. When does he cunningly spring it? 😂 He never has…
“To confuse the enemy, first confuse yourself. If you have no idea what you’re doing, your enemies don’t either!”
But you missed the point entirely. Convincing your enemies to always underestimate you isn't a trap that you spring constantly, then boast about afterwards. It's a great advantage that you sell constantly over a lifetime & use whenever useful & necessary. It's called a secret. Also, Trump is going to write another book sometime after 1-20-29. He probably won't use Tony Schwartz this time, but he'll still have an excellent story to tell. Read the Cliff's Notes version if you're unable to bear reading an entire book about Trump.
Very good summary but… I still don’t trust Kushner. Something about him just gives me a gut check.
Don’t expect to hear this in the mainstream media channels…
https://foreignlocal.substack.com/p/anti-trump-summit-in-barcelona?r=2vnoe2&utm_medium=ios
To hear what? The sound of your tongue up Trump's ass ...
This post castigates the authors but by no means explains what these amateur “diplomats” have accomplished. So tell me MAGAs, what have they done?
Kushner and Witkoff …. what are the odds that in this massive country of a third of a billion people, the BEST individuals to negotiate on behalf of the country just happen to be also (1) a dude who is banging the cult leaders daughter and (2) some billionaire the cult leader likes to grift and play golf with? What are the odds??? As an American who believes in meritocracy this offends me, as should it you! This is the action of a king, rewarding his nobles, not a president employed by we free people. Wtaf did our ancestors fight for? From tRumps perspective, he likes these guys because they are gold-standard pre-certified corrupt as fuck. He doesn’t care if they are incompetent - he’s gonna get paid, bitches!
In Iran, that idiot tRump withdrew the USA from the JCPOA agreement Obama negotiated (because tRump is just that childish), eventually went to war and ended up with a much worse deal than Obama. Killing hundreds, setting billions of dollars on fire, destroying American prestige through their usual tRumpian incompetence. Absolutely derailing the world economy. Including apparently giving $20 billion to Iran in appeasement (remember when Obama did that and you lost your minds 🤡) AND now recognizing Iran’s right to control the strait of Hormuz and presumably collect tolls. It was an international waterway before tRump!! The tolls will permanently elevate the price of fuel, fertilizer worldwide and literally fuel a religious authoritarian death cult. Who now know they need a nuclear weapon and know there’s nothing the USA can do about preventing this. Did your brilliant crew of nimble unorthodox geniuses negotiate that deal? You see why professional diplomats who actually understand foreign affairs might be a better idea? Ones with no ulterior financial interests?
Or Ukraine? Your idiotic amateurs wish Ukraine to cede territory to make a deal. “You have no cards!!” Huh. Probably because Putin has promised trump some personal benefit (or has some particularly disturbing kompromat on trump). Absolutely heinous.
Certainly they have been successful at enriching themselves by all manner of corruption especially in the gulf states - Jesus h Christ this country has become a corrupt shit hole quickly. Thanks for voting fascist you absolute idiots 🤡
That you continue to sane-splain trumpism is particularly galling when at this point, tRump has abandoned any restraint he ever had and is just blatantly grifting like mad, while he burns the country down. Perhaps you’re enjoying the current plot twist where he’s extracting billions of OUR taxpayer dollars from the IRS? The one HE controls? He is literally looting OUR treasury! You cultists did this. This was predictable.
All the screaming about Trump is one word; Modernization.
Trump is getting us out of the 20th century into the 21st.
Excellent article (of course). I think what all of this political nonsense boils down to, is that those with overblown and frankly, delusional egos, cannot handle it when found totally lacking. Their egos have been so deflated that the only way their minds can deal, is by rationalizing with the mental illness called TDS.
So true. Trumptarded clowns playing their roles on screen, getting one another wealthier. They hurl the "TDS" pejorative like the Trump Dick Suckers they are.
Yes high gas prices, higher consumer prices and were involved in Trump made up war that's causing even higher prices. 👍
The ‘proof is in the pudding’. This situation is embryonic — there’s still a long way to go. I reserve judgment.
Incredibly well authored and succinctly easy to understand. One of your very best! Carry on.
Great piece, thank you. And readers’ comments also very on point. My fear is, will all successes we’re seeing be undone as soon as the left regains control? Not only Iran but the dismantling of the deep state, ie, diplomatic corps from Biden times.
Dream on !
Guild membership vs outsiders? How about simply TDS - President Trump and his crew can NEVER be credited with anything positive or good?
Love your fact-filled, concise, well-organized and to-the-point essays, Amuse. I learn something new from every one of them.
I’ve known many diplomats. Most are nice, smart, well-read and engaging people. But the U.S. Foreign Service is IBM. The “leaders” are politicians whose goal is self-promotion, above all else. The “diplomats” and analysts are cogs who are 100% comfortable with being cogs. They have no expectations of greatness and no sense of personal responsibility for failure. Many equate the academy achievements that propelled them into the State Department with career success because the job does not encourage or reward ambition after they arrive. Their indicators of “success” are things like whether they get posted in Norway instead of Bangladesh, not whether they close cooperation or trade or peace agreements. Most don’t even know if their portfolio at their current post consists of real State Department goals, of if everything they do is just a cover for intelligence operations in that country. It’s a huge waste of talent and intellect and not surprising that they form elitist clubs who resent less sophisticated rubes who have the agency to accomplish things in the private sector.
Well said. Nothing to add.
This MUST BE the stupidest headline ever.
“Never closed a file in 30 years.” That was success. That was career, livelihood, legacy.
Like the Boston Big Dig, DODs endless cycle of Valley of Death/cancel/new project~repeat🔁 ♾️
Middle East peace could have gone on eternally, the geography alone never mind the various groups that live there… it’s always going to be not peaceful. Trump screwed that all up and finished.
Entire families and generations, Foundations, NGOS, government programs…
This same as cancelling Social Security and Medicare for Ivy Leaguers for generations. Their lives were built around it.
Our Colonial Administration in the State Department and NGO constellation has had Palestine as the center of it’s universe since 1949.
How cruel.
Read all the comments in Zerohedge about Iran. It’s 24/7 non stop Trump Derangement Syndrome cope comments.
Read all the comments in Zerohedge about Iran. It’s 24/7 non stop Trump Derangement Syndrome cope comments. What a complete joke.
Deep State never solves problems, it perpetuates them. After Trump declared in 2015, I read The Art of the Deal. He enjoys solving problems, the worse the better. TDS victims, I already know what you're going to say, word for word, but please hear me out. Barack gave the orders to put some rats to sleep, including the biggest rat of all. So he deserves tremendous credit for that, but what else did he ever fix? Trump got results in the private sector. In the public sector, results are to be avoided at all costs.
Hilarious :-)) If you think tRump has ever READ a book, let alone WRITTEN a book, I have a bridge to sell you dude!! lol. tRump is functionally illiterate, reading at perhaps a 4th grade level.
The credited authors of ‘The Art of the Deal’ are tRump and Tony Schwartz, but the book was actually written by Schwartz, according to multiple published sources. Schwartz later stated publicly that tRump “played no role in its writing,” aside from removing a few critical references. Schwartz has described writing it as his “greatest regret,” and the publisher has confirmed Schwartz was the primary writer.
Trump & Schwartz & Howard Kaminsky had a serious disagreement about who actually wrote it, so it's fair for us to choose who to believe. Schwartz cashed all his checks, but he promised to give it all to charity as atonement. He hasn't gotten around to doing it yet, though. If Kaminsky tried to sabotage a big best seller, how good of a publisher is he, if he allows his personal feelings to override his business sense? You believe Trump is functionally illiterate & a 4th grade reader, yet here you are calling other people stupid. Enjoy your TDS.
Always amazing to see how much you dolts will swallow. 😂. Have you seen him read a teleprompter 😂 with 4th grade words??? 😂😂 He’s obviously functionally illiterate.
Rick, you have a scorching case of TDS
The definition of TDS is frequently misstated. It is actually: Being so deranged by your blind cult-like fealty to tRump that you cannot see the obvious truth punching you in the face: that he is objectively one of the most despicable humans in America. A convicted felon, an adjudicated sexual predator, historic levels of corruption, probably a pedophile, certainly the most illiterate and intellectually limited person in the history of our government. That you still support this mound of mad flesh is true Trump Derangement Syndrome.
So thanks for voting felon (again!), the USA will take generations to recover from this or we might never recover - you mark my words. Buckle up, we’re all in for a wild ride.
One of Trump's main tactics is to convince his haters that he's stupid and/or crazy. Having your enemies constantly underestimating you is always a tremendous advantage, but you unwitting dupes always fall for it.
I wasn't going to reply, but you did call me a dolt. Don't think I've ever been called that before. Thanks.
Hilarious. Well, he’s certainly bated that trap with so much evidence of his stupidity and incompetence. When does he cunningly spring it? 😂 He never has…
“To confuse the enemy, first confuse yourself. If you have no idea what you’re doing, your enemies don’t either!”
—Fart of war. By tRumpZu
TrumpZu wasn't bad. A little bit funny.
But you missed the point entirely. Convincing your enemies to always underestimate you isn't a trap that you spring constantly, then boast about afterwards. It's a great advantage that you sell constantly over a lifetime & use whenever useful & necessary. It's called a secret. Also, Trump is going to write another book sometime after 1-20-29. He probably won't use Tony Schwartz this time, but he'll still have an excellent story to tell. Read the Cliff's Notes version if you're unable to bear reading an entire book about Trump.