The National Nightmare Continues

For us Americans, Donald Trump has been a nightmare now for almost a year and a half. Now he's fucking around with the world economy, and the shit is hitting the fan. This photo sums up perfectly the situation: Trump, with arms folded, like a three-year-old refusing to eat his peas, while mom Angela Merkel is ready to smack him in the face.

I don't know too much about world economics, but I do know that Canada is our biggest trading partner and closest ally. They pose no national security risks. Yet Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum which hit Canada hard. A communique was drafted that would ensure free and open trade between the participating nations. Trump, like a child taking his ball and going home, refused (and did go home). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lashed out, and Trump called him "dishonest and weak," and has threatened to break off trade with all of the G7 nations. Trump tweeted that the G7 went "great."

While damaging relations with our strongest allies, Trump's big idea was to readmit Russia to the group (they had been kicked out after invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea). Really, for someone already accused of being Vladimir Putin's puppet, this is not a good move. Its another sign that he is acting in Russia's best interest, and not in the United States'. (Russia doesn't have a warm water port, so I don't know where Trump will go once he is exiled from America for being a Russian operative).

All this is going on just a week or so after Trump said he could pardon himself, although, he added, he has nothing to pardon himself for. Forty-four years ago the Justice department told Richard Nixon he couldn't pardon himself. The issue has not been settled, but it's fundamental law that being a judge in one's own case would be a massive conflict of interest. Rudolph Giuliani, who once upon a time was a respected mayor of New York but is now a circus attraction, said that Trump could shoot former FBI director and fly in Trump's ointment James Comey and not be indicted. Imagine that--a prominent politician went on television and said that the President of the United States could shoot a law enforcement official and not be punished.

We are in strange days. Wake me when it's over.