Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Empire Strikes Out

Drawing by Kal for The Economist via Politico.


So it's a thing that seems pretty trivial in itself:

During a breakfast with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meeting in this picturesque seaside town, a reporter asked Trump whether he had any “second thoughts” about his escalating trade war with China. Trump responded, “Yeah, sure. Why not.”
“Might as well,” he said. “Might as well. I have second thoughts about everything.”
Trump then claimed that talks were going well with China and that he planned to back away from some of his recent threats, such as seeking to force companies to leave China.
But back in the White House, it's a fatal error! How can this be? First thoughts are all our emperor needs!

So they start spinning:
“The president was asked if he had ‘any second thought on escalating the trade war with China.’ His answer has been greatly misinterpreted. President Trump responded in the affirmative — because he regrets not raising the tariffs higher,” press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
Right, While the president's chief economic adviser trots out an alternative, though even more transparent, lie:



Not only that, but he ANSWERED THE FCKING QUESTION. How, if he didn't hear it, do you suppose he managed that? (In point of fact Kudlow said he "didn't exactly" hear it, and backed up the theory that Trump meant he wished he'd raised them higher).

There's the basic rule of this crazy game: Don't let the emperor know he's an idiot. Cover for him at all costs, even if it means everybody's going to know you're lying. It's not so bad if everybody knows you're lying, because they're all playing the game as well. It can be awkward, of course, if you leave them uncertain about where you stand on something really important. Boris von Pfeffel Kemal aka Prime Minister Johnson was hilarious in this regard, standing next to Trump at a press availability and explaining that the UK absolutely rejects Trump's views on trade in language meant to prevent Trump from finding out what he was saying:
PRIME MINISTER JOHNSON:  Yeah.  Look, I just want to say I congratulate the President on everything that the American economy is achieving.  It’s fantastic to see that.
But just to register the faint, sheep-like note of our view on the trade war, we’re in favor of trade peace on the whole, and dialing it down if we can.
Q    Are you in favor of trade peace with China?
PRIME MINISTER JOHNSON:  Well, we think that, on the whole, we’re — the UK has profited massively in the last 200 years from free trade, and that’s what we want to see.  And so we’re keen to see — we don’t like tariffs on the whole.
Prime Minister Abe a shade less funny reacting to Trump's insistence that the recent run of North Korean missile tests aren't illegal:
Q    Are you concerned at all about North Korea conducting more tests?
PRESIDENT TRUMP:  I’m not happy about it.  But, again, he’s not in violation of an agreement.  We speak.  I received a very nice letter from him last week.  We speak.  He was upset that South Korea was doing the “war games,” as you call them.  I don’t think they were necessary either, if you want to know the truth....
Q    Any update on another meeting with North Korea?
PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Probably have one.  Yeah.  Probably.  But — so I’m not — I’m not liking short range because short range is Shinzo’s — you know, it’s really his territory.  I mean, I’d like to ask, Shinzo, how do you feel about North Korea and the testing of short-range missiles?  He’s not thrilled.
PRIME MINISTER ABE:  (As interpreted.)  So, our position is very clear: That the launch of short-range ballistic missiles by North Korea clearly violates the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.  So, in that sense, it was extremely regrettable for us to experience another round of the launch of the short-range ballistic missiles by North Korea in recent days.
PRESIDENT TRUMP:  And I can understand how the Prime Minister of Japan feels.  I mean, I can.  It’s different.  But, I mean, I can understand that fully.
So everybody's on the same page on that, except to the extent that they, well, aren't.

Some people did find it necessary to run the risk of Donald finding out what their position is, notably President Donald Tusk of the European Council, reacting to Trump's frequently expressed regret that Vova Putin doesn't get invited to the G-7 party as he used to be in the good old G-8 days, all because of that silly misunderstanding where he thought it would be OK for him to invade some select bits of old Ukraine:
In this connection, I'm very pleased with President Macron's decision to invite Iran's foreign minister for talks with French, German, and British leadership during the conference. That one was definitely meant for Trump to hear.

Armchair psychologists please check out Trump's posture.

When he's folding his arms and hugging himself like that, it's a pretty good indication he doesn't like the way things are going, but it's not thought to be a smart move at a meeting:
Self hugging replaces the need for the comfort of another. Thus, it is to be used when one does not wish to rely on the care of others, but when one still wishes to receive a caring touch. The cue is generally perceived in a negative light so should be used only in instances when one is not concerned with appearing vulnerable. Self-hugging in a business meeting, for example, is ill advised. However, hugging the self is perfectly acceptable in the privacy of your own home, or when surrounded by close friends or family where we are generally permitted to show our softer side.
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