As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/
Options

[US Foreign Policy] Talk about the Foreign Policy of the United States

12829313334100

Posts

  • Options
    GethGeth Legion Perseus VeilRegistered User, Moderator, Penny Arcade Staff, Vanilla Staff vanilla
    Affirmative So It Goes. Opening thread...

  • Options
    FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    So Trump agreed to delay tariffs against China for 3 months, so that talks about Chinese practices and so on can happen.

    Odds on accomplishing more than ceremonial or performative acts?

  • Options
    Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    edited December 2018
    Trump did this at the UN summit. Is he the absolute worst US POTUS when it comes to following diplomatic protocol? W. could be really, really bad but not this consistently terrible and spiteful.


    President Trump discards the audio translation earpiece after hearing the President of Argentina deliver opening remarks of the G20 Summit in Spanish.

    Tom Brenner is photojournalist for national politics and hockey player

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/30/trump-drops-translation-earpiece-g20-meeting-argentina-president/
    As the Argentinian president greeted him in Spanish, Trump took his his translation earpiece off telling Macri 'I think I understood you better in your language than through the translator'.

    Just moments earlier Trump looked annoyed with the translation as he kept pressing the machine into his ear.

    Harry Dresden on
  • Options
    Desktop HippieDesktop Hippie Registered User regular
    edited December 2018
    American staffer: “Did he just walk off again?! Dear God, I need a drink!”
    Mexican staffer: “I’m buying. How did you get him to sign that updated NAFTA?”
    American staffer: “We told him he came up with all of it himself.”
    Canadian staffer: “Do you think it’ll pass Congress though?”
    American staffer: “Who cares? NAFTA is still in place until he does.”
    Mexican staffer: *raises hands* “Crisis averted!”
    Canadian staffer: *high fives* “Crisis averted!”
    American staffer: *high fives* “Crisis averted! Thank Christ we avoided ONE crisis anyway!”

    Breaking: Trump says he’ll be “formally terminating NAFTA”, says Congress will have a choice between replacement or nothing.

    The Associated Press are also reporting that Trump will meet Kim Jong Un sometime in January or February, and that three sites for the summit are currently under consideration.

    Desktop Hippie on
  • Options
    ElldrenElldren Is a woman dammit ceterum censeoRegistered User regular
    American staffer: “Did he just walk off again?! Dear God, I need a drink!”
    Mexican staffer: “I’m buying. How did you get him to sign that updated NAFTA?”
    American staffer: “We told him he came up with all of it himself.”
    Canadian staffer: “Do you think it’ll pass Congress though?”
    American staffer: “Who cares? NAFTA is still in place until he does.”
    Mexican staffer: *raises hands* “Crisis averted!”
    Canadian staffer: *high fives* “Crisis averted!”
    American staffer: *high fives* “Crisis averted! Thank Christ we avoided ONE crisis anyway!”

    Breaking: Trump says he’ll be “formally terminating NAFTA”, says Congress will have a choice between replacement or nothing.

    Not actually a thing he can do!

    fuck gendered marketing
  • Options
    Desktop HippieDesktop Hippie Registered User regular
    Elldren wrote: »
    American staffer: “Did he just walk off again?! Dear God, I need a drink!”
    Mexican staffer: “I’m buying. How did you get him to sign that updated NAFTA?”
    American staffer: “We told him he came up with all of it himself.”
    Canadian staffer: “Do you think it’ll pass Congress though?”
    American staffer: “Who cares? NAFTA is still in place until he does.”
    Mexican staffer: *raises hands* “Crisis averted!”
    Canadian staffer: *high fives* “Crisis averted!”
    American staffer: *high fives* “Crisis averted! Thank Christ we avoided ONE crisis anyway!”

    Breaking: Trump says he’ll be “formally terminating NAFTA”, says Congress will have a choice between replacement or nothing.

    Not actually a thing he can do!

    Good to know! Because he’s being VERY specific about it according to the AP. He expects the NAFTA replacement to be in within six months.

  • Options
    FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    He just dropped it on the ground, not even handing it to an aide? Or put it in a pocket?

    Is this high level game of sundowning or petulant toddler?

  • Options
    PLAPLA The process.Registered User regular
    It isn't the first time this year he drops things on the ground and leaves them to be picked up by his parents.

  • Options
    MorganVMorganV Registered User regular
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    He just dropped it on the ground, not even handing it to an aide? Or put it in a pocket?

    Is this high level game of sundowning or petulant toddler?

    Does it have to be one or the other?

  • Options
    DocshiftyDocshifty Registered User regular
    This isn't even petulant toddler.

    It is just normal anybody under the age of, like, ten.

    "I'm done with this now, time to just drop it and do something else."

  • Options
    BhowBhow Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet.Registered User regular
    edited December 2018
    No, my four year old will clear his place after dinner.

    I expect at least as much capability from POTUS.

    Bhow on
  • Options
    GaddezGaddez Registered User regular
    This is an incredible display of disrespect to basically everyone at the G20; it's effectively him saying he doesn't want to hear what you have to say.

  • Options
    XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    Trump did this at the UN summit. Is he the absolute worst US POTUS when it comes to following diplomatic protocol? W. could be really, really bad but not this consistently terrible and spiteful.


    President Trump discards the audio translation earpiece after hearing the President of Argentina deliver opening remarks of the G20 Summit in Spanish.

    Tom Brenner is photojournalist for national politics and hockey player

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/30/trump-drops-translation-earpiece-g20-meeting-argentina-president/
    As the Argentinian president greeted him in Spanish, Trump took his his translation earpiece off telling Macri 'I think I understood you better in your language than through the translator'.

    Just moments earlier Trump looked annoyed with the translation as he kept pressing the machine into his ear.

    This just seems like the earpiece (those are a thing!?) wasn't working correctly.

    Of course he handled it like a toddler instead of using his words

  • Options
    PLAPLA The process.Registered User regular
    No, apparently the story was that he thought that his own argentinian spanish is better than his translator's.

  • Options
    Santa ClaustrophobiaSanta Claustrophobia Ho Ho Ho Disconnecting from Xbox LIVERegistered User regular
    PLA wrote: »
    No, apparently the story was that he thought that his own argentinian spanish is better than his translator's.

    I sure believe it.

  • Options
    CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    PLA wrote: »
    No, apparently the story was that he thought that his own argentinian spanish is better than his translator's.

    This is the stupidest possible explanation so I buy it as plausible.

  • Options
    Dongs GaloreDongs Galore Registered User regular
    Are you sure Trump can't terminate NAFTA? afaik the president can break treaties if he invokes the treaty's termination clause

  • Options
    HevachHevach Registered User regular
    Treaties are law - they don't actually count until Congress ratifies them, for example. The president can't repeal law.

    He has substantial power to fuck it up, though, he could basically screw it into abeyance faster than Congress could get around to repealing it themselves.

  • Options
    Dongs GaloreDongs Galore Registered User regular
    Hevach wrote: »
    Treaties are law - they don't actually count until Congress ratifies them, for example. The president can't repeal law.

    He has substantial power to fuck it up, though, he could basically screw it into abeyance faster than Congress could get around to repealing it themselves.

    Bush broke the ABM treaty without a congressional vote

  • Options
    shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    Hevach wrote: »
    Treaties are law - they don't actually count until Congress ratifies them, for example. The president can't repeal law.

    He has substantial power to fuck it up, though, he could basically screw it into abeyance faster than Congress could get around to repealing it themselves.

    Bush broke the ABM treaty without a congressional vote

    Was that ratified by congress?

  • Options
    Dongs GaloreDongs Galore Registered User regular
    shryke wrote: »
    Hevach wrote: »
    Treaties are law - they don't actually count until Congress ratifies them, for example. The president can't repeal law.

    He has substantial power to fuck it up, though, he could basically screw it into abeyance faster than Congress could get around to repealing it themselves.

    Bush broke the ABM treaty without a congressional vote

    Was that ratified by congress?

    yes
    https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/03/senate-ratifies-abm-treaty-aug-3-1972-241170

  • Options
    ElldrenElldren Is a woman dammit ceterum censeoRegistered User regular
    Hevach wrote: »
    Treaties are law - they don't actually count until Congress ratifies them, for example. The president can't repeal law.

    He has substantial power to fuck it up, though, he could basically screw it into abeyance faster than Congress could get around to repealing it themselves.

    Bush broke the ABM treaty without a congressional vote

    Also not a trade agreement. The commerce clause gives congress considerably more constitutional power over NAFTA.

    fuck gendered marketing
  • Options
    OghulkOghulk Tinychat Janitor TinychatRegistered User regular
    So what we're saying is we're going to have another branch v. branch fight over powers of the country

    Wooweee

  • Options
    Dongs GaloreDongs Galore Registered User regular
    edited December 2018
    Elldren wrote: »
    Hevach wrote: »
    Treaties are law - they don't actually count until Congress ratifies them, for example. The president can't repeal law.

    He has substantial power to fuck it up, though, he could basically screw it into abeyance faster than Congress could get around to repealing it themselves.

    Bush broke the ABM treaty without a congressional vote

    Also not a trade agreement. The commerce clause gives congress considerably more constitutional power over NAFTA.

    Yes and no. The question of executive power to withdraw unilaterally from FTAs is not settled.
    The Congressional Research Service's opinion can be found on page 8 here:
    https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44630.pdf

    Dongs Galore on
  • Options
    AresProphetAresProphet Registered User regular
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    So Trump agreed to delay tariffs against China for 3 months, so that talks about Chinese practices and so on can happen.

    Odds on accomplishing more than ceremonial or performative acts?

    This is solely so he can blame the effects of his higher tariffs in 90 days (which he has every intention of enacting, unless you believe that after years of strident anti-China rhetoric he'll decide in 90 days that they're okay after all) on the incoming Democratic House majority

    ex9pxyqoxf6e.png
  • Options
    GaddezGaddez Registered User regular
    Oghulk wrote: »
    So what we're saying is we're going to have another branch v. branch fight over powers of the country

    Wooweee

    I expect the dems will tell trump to pound sand if he tries to swing his dick around given that they have zero reason to co-operate with him after the past 2 years.

  • Options
    MorganVMorganV Registered User regular
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    So Trump agreed to delay tariffs against China for 3 months, so that talks about Chinese practices and so on can happen.

    Odds on accomplishing more than ceremonial or performative acts?

    This is solely so he can blame the effects of his higher tariffs in 90 days (which he has every intention of enacting, unless you believe that after years of strident anti-China rhetoric he'll decide in 90 days that they're okay after all) on the incoming Democratic House majority

    And I hope the first thing the Democrats do when that happens, is pass a trade bill (that someone should already be writing), with the purpose of rescinding those tariffs. And put it on McConnell and the Presidential veto to keep them in place.

    Trump wants the tariffs in place, he and Republican Senate leadership can fucking own it.

  • Options
    GaddezGaddez Registered User regular
    Like seriously: Trump has struggled to get anything done during the time when he should have been on easy street since his party effectively controlled all major branches of government, instead choosing to waste precious time at his god forsaken country club and campaigning for the job he already has to rubes who already voted for him. The dude had everything he needed to begin a real republican golden age.

    So yeah: let him try and annul the treaty. I'm sure the dems can spend the next two years fighting the move in the courts and it also serves to maintain seperation of powers so it's good for the nation as a whole.

  • Options
    Commander ZoomCommander Zoom Registered User regular
    edited December 2018
    Ah, but he was being thwarted at every turn by the Deep State! and distracted by the baseless WITCH HUNT!
    And the judges kept fussing about some silly little thing called the Constitution.
    Also, the dog ate his homework the papers he was supposed to read and sign, the long boring ones, kept disappearing. For some reason.
    So, clearly, none of that was his fault. Nothing is ever his fault.

    Commander Zoom on
  • Options
    Santa ClaustrophobiaSanta Claustrophobia Ho Ho Ho Disconnecting from Xbox LIVERegistered User regular
    Gaddez wrote: »
    Like seriously: Trump has struggled to get anything done during the time when he should have been on easy street since his party effectively controlled all major branches of government, instead choosing to waste precious time at his god forsaken country club and campaigning for the job he already has to rubes who already voted for him. The dude had everything he needed to begin a real republican golden age.

    So yeah: let him try and annul the treaty. I'm sure the dems can spend the next two years fighting the move in the courts and it also serves to maintain seperation of powers so it's good for the nation as a whole.

    Well, the one thing conservatives like more than being in power, it's playing the victim.

    Oh, sure, we had majorities in all branches of government. But it's those meddling kids dems who made it impossible to actually pass anything! Murc's law proves it!

  • Options
    monikermoniker Registered User regular
    Are you sure Trump can't terminate NAFTA? afaik the president can break treaties if he invokes the treaty's termination clause

    NAFTA wasn't passed as a Treaty, it was given "fast track" authority and so is simply Domestic Law that just so happens to match Canada and Mexico exactly. Trump can trigger the termination clause, but unless or until Congress alters 19 USC 21, we will continue to have NAFTA. Just maybe no longer have access to dispute resolution measures/ those always being determined against us.

  • Options
    JuliusJulius Captain of Serenity on my shipRegistered User regular
    moniker wrote: »
    Are you sure Trump can't terminate NAFTA? afaik the president can break treaties if he invokes the treaty's termination clause

    NAFTA wasn't passed as a Treaty, it was given "fast track" authority and so is simply Domestic Law that just so happens to match Canada and Mexico exactly. Trump can trigger the termination clause, but unless or until Congress alters 19 USC 21, we will continue to have NAFTA. Just maybe no longer have access to dispute resolution measures/ those always being determined against us.

    Yeah the NAFTA Implementation Act is the law that basically says "implement in accordance with the treaty", so if withdrawing unilaterally is possible it would still remain mostly in place.

    I think this is the most relevant bit from Dongs link.
    U.S. FTAs have historically been approved as congressional executive agreements by a majority vote of each house of Congress rather than as treaties ratified by the President after Senate approval by a two thirds majority vote. FTAs are not self executing agreements. Thus, legislation is required to provide U.S. bodies with domestic legal authority necessary to enforce and comply with the agreements’ provisions. FTAs are legally binding agreements under international law

    It needs to be law to work in the first place.

  • Options
    Phoenix-DPhoenix-D Registered User regular
    Julius wrote: »
    moniker wrote: »
    Are you sure Trump can't terminate NAFTA? afaik the president can break treaties if he invokes the treaty's termination clause

    NAFTA wasn't passed as a Treaty, it was given "fast track" authority and so is simply Domestic Law that just so happens to match Canada and Mexico exactly. Trump can trigger the termination clause, but unless or until Congress alters 19 USC 21, we will continue to have NAFTA. Just maybe no longer have access to dispute resolution measures/ those always being determined against us.

    Yeah the NAFTA Implementation Act is the law that basically says "implement in accordance with the treaty", so if withdrawing unilaterally is possible it would still remain mostly in place.

    I think this is the most relevant bit from Dongs link.
    U.S. FTAs have historically been approved as congressional executive agreements by a majority vote of each house of Congress rather than as treaties ratified by the President after Senate approval by a two thirds majority vote. FTAs are not self executing agreements. Thus, legislation is required to provide U.S. bodies with domestic legal authority necessary to enforce and comply with the agreements’ provisions. FTAs are legally binding agreements under international law

    It needs to be law to work in the first place.

    Trump withdrawing from NAFTA doesn't repeal the implementing law.

  • Options
    hippofanthippofant ティンク Registered User regular
    Julius wrote: »
    moniker wrote: »
    Are you sure Trump can't terminate NAFTA? afaik the president can break treaties if he invokes the treaty's termination clause

    NAFTA wasn't passed as a Treaty, it was given "fast track" authority and so is simply Domestic Law that just so happens to match Canada and Mexico exactly. Trump can trigger the termination clause, but unless or until Congress alters 19 USC 21, we will continue to have NAFTA. Just maybe no longer have access to dispute resolution measures/ those always being determined against us.

    Yeah the NAFTA Implementation Act is the law that basically says "implement in accordance with the treaty", so if withdrawing unilaterally is possible it would still remain mostly in place.

    I think this is the most relevant bit from Dongs link.
    U.S. FTAs have historically been approved as congressional executive agreements by a majority vote of each house of Congress rather than as treaties ratified by the President after Senate approval by a two thirds majority vote. FTAs are not self executing agreements. Thus, legislation is required to provide U.S. bodies with domestic legal authority necessary to enforce and comply with the agreements’ provisions. FTAs are legally binding agreements under international law

    It needs to be law to work in the first place.

    Hm. Are FTAs like that everywhere? Because you're right, FTAs involve a lot of commercial and industrial regulation, that couldn't possibly just exist via agreement with other nations. Like, the US and Canada might agree to label a certain product a certain way, but either government would need some way to regulate its domestic producers of that product to make them label it that way. It's one thing to agree with another country that all the oranges you trade them are going to be a certain size; it's another entirely to actually make sure all your oranges are actually that size.

  • Options
    monikermoniker Registered User regular
    edited December 2018
    hippofant wrote: »
    Julius wrote: »
    moniker wrote: »
    Are you sure Trump can't terminate NAFTA? afaik the president can break treaties if he invokes the treaty's termination clause

    NAFTA wasn't passed as a Treaty, it was given "fast track" authority and so is simply Domestic Law that just so happens to match Canada and Mexico exactly. Trump can trigger the termination clause, but unless or until Congress alters 19 USC 21, we will continue to have NAFTA. Just maybe no longer have access to dispute resolution measures/ those always being determined against us.

    Yeah the NAFTA Implementation Act is the law that basically says "implement in accordance with the treaty", so if withdrawing unilaterally is possible it would still remain mostly in place.

    I think this is the most relevant bit from Dongs link.
    U.S. FTAs have historically been approved as congressional executive agreements by a majority vote of each house of Congress rather than as treaties ratified by the President after Senate approval by a two thirds majority vote. FTAs are not self executing agreements. Thus, legislation is required to provide U.S. bodies with domestic legal authority necessary to enforce and comply with the agreements’ provisions. FTAs are legally binding agreements under international law

    It needs to be law to work in the first place.

    Hm. Are FTAs like that everywhere? Because you're right, FTAs involve a lot of commercial and industrial regulation, that couldn't possibly just exist via agreement with other nations. Like, the US and Canada might agree to label a certain product a certain way, but either government would need some way to regulate its domestic producers of that product to make them label it that way. It's one thing to agree with another country that all the oranges you trade them are going to be a certain size; it's another entirely to actually make sure all your oranges are actually that size.

    Most other places don't have a 2/3rds requirement for Treaties and just pass them as Treaties because the Prime Minister runs the Government. Regardless, Treaties have the force of law and would override conflicting law similar to Federal Supremacy. FTA's also have enforcement/dispute resolution mechanisms and independent means of producing them that are basically trade courts. If we think Canada isn't abiding by NAFTA we take them to a tribunal to get them to stop jacking their lumber.

    moniker on
  • Options
    JuliusJulius Captain of Serenity on my shipRegistered User regular
    edited December 2018
    hippofant wrote: »
    Julius wrote: »
    moniker wrote: »
    Are you sure Trump can't terminate NAFTA? afaik the president can break treaties if he invokes the treaty's termination clause

    NAFTA wasn't passed as a Treaty, it was given "fast track" authority and so is simply Domestic Law that just so happens to match Canada and Mexico exactly. Trump can trigger the termination clause, but unless or until Congress alters 19 USC 21, we will continue to have NAFTA. Just maybe no longer have access to dispute resolution measures/ those always being determined against us.

    Yeah the NAFTA Implementation Act is the law that basically says "implement in accordance with the treaty", so if withdrawing unilaterally is possible it would still remain mostly in place.

    I think this is the most relevant bit from Dongs link.
    U.S. FTAs have historically been approved as congressional executive agreements by a majority vote of each house of Congress rather than as treaties ratified by the President after Senate approval by a two thirds majority vote. FTAs are not self executing agreements. Thus, legislation is required to provide U.S. bodies with domestic legal authority necessary to enforce and comply with the agreements’ provisions. FTAs are legally binding agreements under international law

    It needs to be law to work in the first place.

    Hm. Are FTAs like that everywhere? Because you're right, FTAs involve a lot of commercial and industrial regulation, that couldn't possibly just exist via agreement with other nations. Like, the US and Canada might agree to label a certain product a certain way, but either government would need some way to regulate its domestic producers of that product to make them label it that way. It's one thing to agree with another country that all the oranges you trade them are going to be a certain size; it's another entirely to actually make sure all your oranges are actually that size.

    Yeah I'm not sure, I think the specifics here are due to how the government is arranged (my country doesn't have a president anyway for example), but it makes sense that you'd need to specifically implement a lot of these things into law. Wikipedia seems to suggest as such, but also that it is varies a lot.

    Edit: I think the description given here is specific to the US though. It's possible to have your government bodies have the authority to enforce treaty provisions in general, so that ratification immediately gives them authority. I think.

    Julius on
  • Options
    JragghenJragghen Registered User regular


    Incoming Freshmen don't have fucks to give.

    Alex Kane is a freelance writer on Israel/Palestine, article is picked up by The Intercept

  • Options
    GaddezGaddez Registered User regular
    Congress definitely needs more people who are done with Israels shit.

  • Options
    MorganVMorganV Registered User regular
    MorganV wrote: »
    The Toronto Star have an amusing article with more details on the conflicting descriptions of and names for I Can't Believe It's Not NAFTA.


    Dan Dale is a journalist with the Toronto Star.

    "What did you write for your answer? I don't know what to put." - Trump
    "You only have to sign your name, Donald." - Pena Nieto

    *massive sigh*

    It's disheartening when you make a joke, and the reality is even stupider.

  • Options
    TaramoorTaramoor Storyteller Registered User regular
    edited December 2018
    I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Trudeau on perhaps the finest poker face I've seen since Miss Finland.

    Taramoor on
This discussion has been closed.